Hello mystery fans! I’m gonna jump right in this week with all your mystery goodies: new releases, epistolary backlist, and some news.
Bookish Goods
2023 Female Authors Desk Postcard Calendar by BookishlyUK
If you’re hoping to get out of 2022 as quickly as possible, here’s a look at a bookish 2023 desktop calendar. ($12+)
New Releases
Creep: A Love Story by Lygia Day Peñaflor
The pitch for this one is You meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before which L O L talk about serial killer obsessive meets pudding pie cozy– or something. Anyhoo, Laney Villanueva and Nico Fiore are the loving IT couple at Holy Family High School. And Rafi is obsessed with them. So much so she’s determined to become their best friend…What could go wrong?
Marple: Twelve New Mysteries
If you’re a fan of Naomi Alderman, Leigh Bardugo, Alyssa Cole, Lucy Foley, Elly Griffiths, Natalie Haynes, Jean Kwok, Val McDermid, Karen M. McManus, Dreda Say Mitchell, Kate Mosse, Ruth Ware AND Agatha Christie’s Jane Marple character, this collection is for you! It also makes a perfect holiday gift. It’s twelve brand new stories, starring Miss Marple, written by some of today’s great mystery authors!
Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!
Riot Recommendations
This round’s backlist book theme is brought to you by a word I can never remember, nor spell correctly on the first try: epistolary!
American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson
This is a character driven spy novel in which Marie Mitchell, a Black FBI intelligence officer, is writing her young sons a letter in order to explain recent events. Set in the mid ’80s, we watch Marie’s life growing up and working for the FBI, but more importantly when she’s recruited into a U.S. task force meddling in Burkina Faso’s politics. The audiobook is narrated by Bahni Turpin, who is always excellent.
(I do not remember if this one had TWs, sorry)
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
This is a psychological thriller that is also part epistolary and I think works for horror vibe readers. Rowan Caine takes a nanny job in a dream type home that has all the “smart” new technology with the kind of family that gets the “perfect” label. So why is Rowan in prison writing a letter to her lawyer trying to explain “what really happened”?
(TW that I remember child death and sexual harassment)
News
Hulu Nabs True-Crime Drama From ‘Little Fires Everywhere,’ ‘Tell Me Lies’ Producers
Watch Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom Jr. and more in new ‘Glass Onion’ clip
Candace Cameron Bure Finally Reveals If There Will Be More ‘Aurora Teagarden Mysteries’
Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2022 releases. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations!
Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.
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