Hi mystery fans! I am so happy that Mythic Quest season 3 has finally started — I need more comedies. Plus, my sneaking in 2023 titles into my end of year reading is going very well and the start of next year is going to be an explosion of great mysteries! Now for some great present mysteries: new releases, backlist that has been adapted, and some news.
Bookish Goods
New Releases
The Lies We Tell by Katie Zhao
If you’re getting a bit of déjà vu, it’s because I told you about this title in August except the pub date got moved. So now I’m telling you about it again when you can actually go and get it!
For fans of past mystery and coming-of-age stories! Anna Xu is a university freshman so school and everything related should be taking up all her time, except seven years ago her childhood babysitter went missing as a sophomore at the same university. So naturally she’s going to solve the case, which is difficult enough but she has way more stress on her plate considering her parents’ bakery now has competition and the son of the competing bakery is also in school with her. How will he fit in with everything already going on in her life?!
Reader, I Murdered Him by Betsy Cornwell
For fans of historical fiction and vigilante leads! Bonus if you’re a fan of Jane Eyre; if not, or you haven’t read it, you won’t be confused or anything. While many might find being sent away to boarding school a punishment, Adele is excited to go to a school in London. That is until a brutal attack, and the realization that the men circling her friends have malicious intent. Enter a con woman and a vigilante team is born…Come for the vengeance, stay for the empowerment, and love story.
Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!
Riot Recommendations
I have two backlist crime books that you can read and then watch the streaming adaptations.
Spy × Family Vol. 1 by Tatsuya Endo, translated by Casey Loe
This was the first manga I read and not only do I love the series, but it led me to so many other great mangas. A spy, under the alias Loid Forger, adopts a girl, Anya, from an orphanage because he needs to go undercover in a private school and needs the cover of a child to send to the school. Problem: he has no idea that Anya is a telepath. He also gets a fake wife, Yor Briar, to complete the whole cover. Second problem: he has no idea that Yor is an assassin. So while Loid tries to complete his mission, his wife is secretly kicking ass and his daughter is the only one really aware of what everyone else is up to because she can hear their thoughts. Fun!
If you’ve never read a manga before and are hesitant, a tip: it’s popular enough that if your library carries ecomics/manga, there’s a good chance you can give it a try through your library.
You can stream the same titled adaptation on Hulu and Crunchyroll.
Truth Be Told (previously titled Are You Sleeping) by Kathleen Barber
Josie Buhrman isn’t exactly who she claims to be: her mother isn’t dead and she has a twin sister. This poses a problem when her mom really dies and she has to lie to her boyfriend and say her aunt died in order to go home for the funeral. Why would someone lie about stuff like that? Even though the case was solved years ago, there is a new crime podcast on her father’s murder. Now she’ll have to talk to her estranged sister and face questions she’d rather not…
You can stream the adaptation Truth Be Told (starring Octavia Spencer, Lizzy Caplan, Aaron Paul) on Apple TV+.
(I didn’t keep TW notes back then, sorry.)
News and Roundups
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Reading Pathways: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Michigan is among the most popular American settings for mystery novels
This Killer Narrative Game From Obsidian Is A Must-Play
Watch behind the scenes clips and bloopers from Enola Holmes 2
HarperCollins union workers go on strike over pay ‘for as long as it takes’
If you want to vote in the opening round for Best Mystery & Thriller in the Goodreads Choice Awards 2022
Liberty and Tirzah chat new releases including The Lies We Tell by Katie Zhao on All The Books!
Jeff and Rebecca talk about a strike at HarperCollins, who got the future of book-selling right, a beta Kindle Rewards program, and much more on The Podcast.
Censorship News (Get involved in your local library and school boards/meetings, vote against book banners trying to hold these positions, and actively fight book bans!)
Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See 2022 releases and upcoming 2023 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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