Hi, mystery fans! I don’t know if this is new to streaming or I just discovered it, but you can stream Remington Steele (Prime) if you’re in the mood for an ’80s PI show starring Pierce Brosnan.
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Bookish Goods
Murder Mystery Book Shirt by JaneeceDesignStudio
Accurate. ($26: seven color options, up to size 3XL)
New Releases
Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
For fans of dark academia at a boarding school, a missing student case, and murder mysteries!
Sade has had a lot of loss in her life — most recently, her father’s death, leaving her alone and attending a boarding school. It’s difficult enough to deal with grief, being a sleepwalker with no memory of the events, and being at a new school. Then, after one night at her new school, Sade’s roommate goes missing…Now she’ll have to team up with a new friend to figure out what exactly is going on!
If you’re looking for backlist and have yet to read Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé’s debut, go pick up Ace of Spades!
How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
For fans of past and present storylines, and a murder mystery where whoever solves the case gets the inheritance!
In the 1960s, Frances Adams is at a fair when a fortune teller informs her she’ll be murdered. In the present day, she summons her 25-year-old great-niece, whom she hasn’t met, to her English estate to discuss her will. But instead of a meeting, Annie finds her great-aunt dead and a will stating she knew she’d be murdered, and whoever solves the case gets the estate. Making this even more complicated, there’s a one-week countdown, and Annie isn’t an investigator. But she is an aspiring mystery writer, so she’s up for the task!
Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!
Riot Recommendations
Here are two upcoming romances (plus related backlist) that mix themes/tropes that mystery readers love.
‘Til Heist Do Us Part by Sara Desai (August 20, 2024)
The characters from To Have and to Heist are back!
Living off a heist is all fun and games until the money runs out, and you’re back to square one! How can things get worse for Simi and Jack? A mob boss wants the stolen jewels back with interest, and planning another heist is even more complicated when Jack is being blackmailed…
For a backlist rom-com caper with a heist, pick up Love & Other Scams by Philip Ellis, and for a recent release with a magical con artist and a get-the-gang-back-together-for-one-more-heist trope, pick up The Frame-Up by Gwenda Bond.
Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe (August 20, 2024)
Hallie Barrett’s career is in jeopardy because of an ex, who is also her coworker, spreading rumors, so she jumps on the opportunity to produce a new web show hosted by a cryptid expert, Hayden Hargrove. Hallie is a total skeptic, which wins over audiences via her banter with Hayden, and the whole opposites attract personality clash. In producing show episodes, they’ll go mystery hunting and try to contact aliens, hunt for ghosts, and search for cryptids (Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, etc). Hallie just needs to focus on her career and not fall in love with Hayden for everything to be great…
For a backlist mystery series with the cryptid theme, check out A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan.
News and Roundups
7 New Mystery Thrillers To Add To Your Reading Lists Now
Join Kellye Garrett and Alyssa Cole, two of the most acclaimed Black women mystery writers, as they discuss their most recent, propulsive thrillers, Missing White Woman and One of Us Knows
Veteran Valley reporter releases debut mystery novel set in Phoenix
Netflix Loses Bid to Dismiss Inventing Anna Defamation Lawsuit
Vermont Poised to Curtail Library Book Bans, Bad Ebook Contracts, and Protect Teen Library Records
Jimmy Fallon’s Book Club is Doing a March Madness-Style Bracket for Their Next Pick
Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2024 releases and mysteries from 2023. 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 Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.
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