Goodreads

Release date: March 25, 2025

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

From the bestselling author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and Midnight is the Darkest Hour comes a chilling, compulsive story of five amateur sleuths, whose hunt for an elusive killer catapults them into danger as the world watches.

It’s the most famous crime in modern history. But only she knows the true story.

After the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp longs for a distraction from her grief. She becomes obsessed with true crime, befriending armchair detectives who teach her how to hunt killers from afar. In this morbid internet underground, Jane finds friendship, purpose, and even glory…

So when news of the shocking deaths of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho takes the world by storm, and sleuths everywhere race to solve the crimes, Jane and her friends are determined to beat them. But the case turns out to be stranger than anyone expected. Details don’t add up, the police are cagey, and there seems to be more media hype and internet theorizing than actual evidence. When Jane and her sleuths take a step closer, they find that every answer only begs more questions. Something’s not adding up, and they begin to suspect their killer may be smarter and more prolific than any they’ve faced before. Placing themselves in the center of the story starts to feel more and more like walking into a trap…

Told one year after the astounding events that concluded the case and left the world reeling, when Jane has finally decided to break her silence about what really happened, she tells the true story of the Delphine Massacres. And what she has to confess will shock even the most seasoned true crime fans…

Review:

Ahh this one was so so good, definitely one of the best thrillers I’ve read lately! It’s a long one and normally I don’t have patience for that but there was so much going on here the length didn’t even bother me. I absolutely loved the way it was told, Jane is speaking directly to the reader and I love that type of intimacy, it gives the impression you’re listening to a friend tell the story. She’s recounting events that began a year ago and not knowing exactly what she’s referring to in the beginning made things so tense and exciting, a real sense of anticipation knowing whatever happened must’ve been major. It is a slow burn with a lot going on but I never lost interest, I was truly captivated by the entire thing. It’s a big puzzle with a ton pieces and while I had my suspicions before things were revealed, I wasn’t bothered by that because the whole thing was just so engaging. If you like true crime, intricately plotted mysteries, amateur sleuths and meaty thrillers try this, I loved it!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: March 11, 2025

Publisher: Forge

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Neighbors Gwen, Aimee, and Lisa share more than playdates and coffee mornings on their tranquil street in East Bethesda. They confide their deepest secrets, navigate the challenges of motherhood together, and provide a support system that seems unbreakable. Then Gwen’s husband is found murdered after one of their weekly Friday night dinners, and the peaceful quiet of their cul-de-sac shatters. The seemingly idyllic world of the three close-knit friends becomes a web of deception, betrayal, and revenge.

Review:

I love a juicy suburban domestic thriller and I love it even more when it’s set in a ritzy neighborhood. There’s something about seeing behind closed doors that appeals to my nosy side and there were so many secrets in the cul de sac that these families lived on. This follows three couples, Aimee and Scott, Gwen and Anton and Lisa and Marcus and these six do everything together. With so many characters there were a lot of subplots besides the main murder mystery, but they were laid out clearly and I was never confused. Each character had distinct characteristics to make them easy to distinguish and while many of them were terrible, a couple weren’t so there were people to root for still. Besides, I enjoy reading about messy rich people with horrible habits so this was fun. While there were lots of twists and turns along the way the ending was the best part for me, a really solid and shocking final few pages. Definitely recommended if you like domestic thrillers with dark secrets and betrayals.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: March 11, 2025

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Publisher: Putnam

Synopsis:

“The missing boy is 10-year-old Alfie Risby, and to be perfectly honest with you, he’s a little shit.”

Florence Grimes, age thirty-one, always takes the easy way out. Single, broke and unfulfilled after the humiliating end to her girl-band career, she has only one reason to get out of bed each day: her ten-year-old son Dylan. But then Alfie Risby, her son’s bully and the heir to a vast frozen-food empire, mysteriously vanishes during a class trip, and Dylan becomes the prime suspect. 

Florence, for once, is faced with a task she can’t quit: She’s got to find Alfie and clear her son’s name or risk losing Dylan forever—never mind that she has no useful skills (let alone investigative ones) and that all the other school moms hate her. Oh, and she has a reason to suspect Dylan might not be as innocent as she’d like to believe.

Review:

This was an absolute blast and filled with sarcastic humor and wit, an engaging central mystery, an amateur sleuth and a compelling overall story. While Florence wasn’t likable in the slightest there was something refreshing about the way she was unapologetically herself. She did annoy me at times, but then at others she made me laugh so there was some balance there. I loved her relationship with Jenny and thought they made an entertaining, if unlikely duo. The whole thing was wild and definitely requires the suspension of disbelief but I just had a good time with it and was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t fully figure out what happened to Alfie before Florence did. If snarky humor and flawed characters are your thing try this!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: January 14, 2025

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

When her estranged daughter asks to hear the one story she doesn’t want to tell, a woman spins lie after lie to protect her perfect life in this gripping novel.

Amy Linden has a loving husband, an adorable son, and a glamorous career as the hotelier of a grand mountain lodge. Then Ramona Crawford, the daughter she gave up for adoption twenty years earlier, pays her a surprise visit. Ramona wants to know the identity of her biological father—and Amy completely understands. There’s just one the truth would destroy Amy’s carefully curated life.

Amy shares a sad tale about a teenage romance with a boy named Freddy and the painful decision to give Ramona a better future than they could provide. At first, the pieces fit together and give Ramona both closure and a chance to get to know her odd but charming mother. But then Ramona gets a different story from Freddy, and Amy’s memories seem to change…and change again.

Will Amy ever reveal the full story of that fateful summer at the lodge? And if so, can Ramona live with the truth?

Review:

This is told in alternating viewpoints, you hear from both Amy and Ramona as Ramona tries desperately to reconnect with her birth mother and get answers about her past. There was definitely an emotional component here, I truly felt awful for Ramona and the author did a good job at showing how not knowing about her history really affected her life. I especially felt bad for when she was trying to deal with Amy, she was such a frustrating character! You figure out very early on that Amy has issues being truthful and sometimes she wouldn’t give Ramona a straight answer and others she would answer with a half truth or a total lie. As annoying as this would be in real life it sure made for a fun reading experience because I was never sure what would come out of her mouth next and it led to a bunch of twists and turns. The setting added a layer of mystery and intrigue to the story and it paired well with the domestic drama. It’s also a fairly short read that you can get through quickly, I raced to the end to get to the truth and I was satisfied in the end.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: February 4, 2025

Publisher: St. Martins

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis:

Kim and Grant are at a turning point. A couple for thirty years, their “separate but together” partnership is running up against the realities of late middle age: Grant’s mother has died, the college where he taught philosophy was shuttered, and their twin girls are grown and gone. Escaping the bitter cold of a Midwestern winter for the hot desert sun of Palm Springs seems as good a solution as any to the more intractable problems they face.

When they arrive at Le Desert, a quirky condo community where everyone knows everyone’s business, Kim immediately embraces the opportunity to make new friends and explore a more adventurous side of her personality. Meanwhile, Grant struggles to find his footing in this unfamiliar landscape, leaving Kim to wonder if their relationship can survive the snowbird season. But when Grant goes missing on a hike in the Palm Springs mountains, Kim is forced to consider two terrifying outcomes: either Grant is truly lost, or this time he’s really left her.

Is it ever too late to become the person we wanted to be—and is there still time to change into someone better? The exhilarating, but often confusing transitions of midlife are pitched against the promise and glamour of Palm Springs in this tender, honest story of what it takes to commit to someone for a lifetime. With compassion and humor, Clancy explores the redemptive power of finding ourselves, and of being found.

Review:

As much as this seems like it could be a classic missing persons story it’s actually much more about Kim and Grant’s relationship and how it’s evolved over the years. They are unconventional in the way they have never married but have been together for thirty years and they also spend lots of time apart. When they get an opportunity to spend the winter in Palm Springs many of their issues and traumas are forced into the light and they must examine their lives closely. I thought the author did a really great job at exploring middle aged issues and struggles and even though I’m a bit younger than Kim and Grant, I could relate to many of their woes. As much as this is a deep dive into their relationship, both past and present there is also a really delightful cast of supporting characters who brought levity to the story. I really enjoyed my time with this one and recommend it to anyone who likes family dramas and a light mystery.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: February 25, 2025

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Driven by past traumas and present hardships, two women face off over home turf in this twisty psychological thriller from Rebecca Hanover, author of The Last Applicant.

Emily Hawthorne lives in the well-heeled Noe Valley of San Francisco…but just barely. With less work than she would like at the yoga studio, a pile of debt, and a fraught past, she can no longer afford her tiny condo. When she meets the charming Penelope “Pip” Stone and her young daughter, also beset by financial woes, she agrees to take them in as roommates.

But Emily’s stroke of luck turns out to be another twist of the Pip is a professional squatter who has no intention of paying rent. And Pip doesn’t want to share the condo.

She wants the whole thing.

Their domestic standoff only intensifies when a downstairs neighbor is murdered. Both women become suspects, not to mention each other’s mistrustful alibis.

Emily feels the walls closing in. Is she trapped with a vulnerable grifter—who, like her, may have good reasons for making bad decisions—or is Pip just a cold-blooded killer?

Review:

I love when a book takes a seemingly mundane situation and adds a twist to it and that’s exactly what the author did here. Getting a new roommate shouldn’t be dangerous but it is when Emily allows Pip into her home. Forget the danger, the thought of someone being at my house and never leaving sounds like my worst nightmare as an introvert and I felt so awful for Emily. Yes, she was a little frustrating at times, her decision making skills were lacking and I don’t think I agreed with her choices one time, but no one deserves what Pip put her through. I don’t want to go further into the plot because this developed in ways I didn’t see coming and I love a good surprise. If you like unsettling books with unlikable characters and fast pacing try this!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: February 25, 2025

Publisher: Willam Morrow

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

It is June 21, the longest day of the year, and the life of new mother Camilla is about to change forever. After months of maternity leave, she will drop off her infant daughter at daycare for the first time and return to her job as a literary agent. Finally. But when she wakes, her husband Luke isn’t there, and in his place is a cryptic note.

Then it starts. Breaking news: A hostage situation is developing in London. The police tell her Luke is involved—but he isn’t a hostage. Her husband—doting father, eternal optimist—is the gunman.

Review:

I feel like this will be a little tricky to review because I think it’s best you know very little before starting it, but if you like the sound of it based on the description I say try it! I really enjoyed it, I found it to be engrossing right from the start and it went in directions I never predicted. The premise was so great, I could easily play the what if? game as I was reading it. What if your partner went off the deep end and took people hostage? It’s an insane thought and made for such an interesting book and a really entertaining read. It did slow down a bit towards the latter half, but overall this was pacey, well written and original which is all I need in a thriller!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: January 28, 2025

Publisher: Minotaur

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Head Cases follows an enigmatic group of FBI agents as they hunt down a murderer seeking his own justice in this electrifying—and commercial—series debut.

FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius with an affinity for puzzles. He also has a blind spot on the human side of investigations, a blindness that sometimes even includes people in his own life, like his beloved seven-year-old daughter Camila. Gardner and his squad of brilliant yet quirky agents make up the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit, the FBI’s hidden edge, brought in for cases that no one else can solve.

When DNA links a murder victim to a serial killer long presumed dead, the team springs into action. A second victim establishes a pattern, and the murderer begins leaving a trail of clues and riddles especially for Gardner. And while the PAR team is usually relegated to working cold cases from behind a desk, the investigation puts them on the road and into the public eye, following in the footsteps of a killer.

Along with Gardner, PAR consists of a mathematician, a weapons expert, a computer analyst, and their leader, a career agent. Each of them must use every skill they have to solve the riddle of the killer’s identity. But with the perpetrator somehow learning more and more about the team at PAR, can they protect themselves and their families…before it’s too late?

With an enigmatic case that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and a thoroughly engaging ensemble cast, John McMahon’s Head Cases is a triumph.

Review:

This was such a strong start to a new series, if you’re a fan of Criminal Minds or other shows like that this was excellent! This follows an FBI team of misfits called PAR as they race to solve a complex and tricky case. I really liked that the team wasn’t a bunch of super agents with stellar records, instead they’re made of up individuals who toe the line and have some behavioral issues and quirky tendencies. The concept of a serial killer hunting other serial killers was fantastic and lent to a fast paced and exciting ride. The characters were well developed, the case was complex and twisty and the entire thing was gripping, definitely recommended!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: February 25, 2025

Publisher: Random House

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Mystery

Synopsis:

In this spellbinding novel, a young mother is struck by a mysterious psychological affliction that illuminates the eerie dimensions of the human mind—and of love. A provocative literary puzzle from the New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Miracles.

In the first year after her child is born, Jane suffers a series of strange episodes: amnesia, premonitions, hallucinations, and an inexplicable sense of dread. As her psychiatrist struggles to solve the mystery of what is happening to Jane’s mind, she suddenly goes missing. A day later she is found unconscious in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, in the midst of what seems to be an episode of dissociative fugue; when she comes to, she has no memory of what has happened to her.

Are Jane’s strange experiences related to the overwhelm of single motherhood, or are they the manifestation of a long-buried trauma from her past? Why is she having visions of a young man who died twenty years ago, who warns her of a disaster ahead? Jane’s symptoms lead her psychiatrist ever-deeper into the furthest reaches of her mind, and cause him to question everything he thought he knew about so-called reality—including events in his own life.

Karen Thompson Walker’s profound and beautifully written novel is a speculative mystery about memory, identity, and fate, a mesmerizing story about the bonds of love between a mother and child, a man and a woman, and those who we’ve lost but may still be alive among us.

Review:

This was a totally fascinating read for me, I’ve always been drawn to things dealing with psychology and Jane’s case was super interesting. The format really worked for me, there are sections from Dr. Byrd so you feel like you’re reading his file and case notes on Jane and I’m nosy so that appeals to me. With her case being a true medical mystery I wasn’t sure what would happen and it lent to a quiet and steady style of suspense that got under my skin. The character development was outstanding and I really cared for Jane and her son as well as the doctor. Jane was so complex and endlessly fascinating for me and the ending was satisfying and made me think. Such a unique read!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: February 25, 2025

Publisher: Park Row

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

A woman’s confession about her husband sparks a dangerous cat-and-mouse game in this riveting domestic thriller

Gabby and Fred have just begun to adapt to their new life as empty nesters when Gabby makes a stunning realization: she can’t stand her husband.

One night at a bar, Gabby meets an enigmatic younger woman named Ellis, and in a haze of drunkenness, she confesses that she wishes Fred dead. Surely she didn’t expect anything to come of it, but when she tries to track Ellis down again, she realizes that Ellis might not have been who she said she was.

As Gabby begins to unravel the truth about Ellis, and what Fred might be hiding, she is thrown into a whirlwind of lies and manipulation. How much is she willing to risk to expose the truth? And who is the real target?

Review:

I’m normally not a huge fan of a slower burn with the intensity picking up in the end but it worked for me here. I liked the idea of Gabby confessing a dark secret to a total stranger, the whole concept of it being easier to be candid with someone you don’t know is interesting and I can see how it could be true. The suspense here was quieter, a sense of uneasiness, especially not knowing what Ellis goals and motivations were so maybe that’s why a slow burn made sense for me. There was something almost intoxicating about this book, enough so that even though the big twist wasn’t a surprise to me, I wasn’t bothered that much. If you enjoy books about secrets with a cat and mouse vibe try this!

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.