Hi mystery fans! I finished reading, and loved, the novel Interesting Facts About Space, which is not a mystery book, but the main character is obsessed with true crime and thinks someone is breaking into her apartment, plus the book has twists, so I think mystery fans looking to read contemporary novels would especially love it. I also started watching the fun show Dead Boy Detectives, because I am always here for ghosts solving mysteries. Bonus: there is an awesome psychic played by Kassius Nelson, and Jenn Lyons, from Claws, plays a deliciously evil witch!
Looking for a thoughtful Mother’s Day gift? Go beyond the tried and true flowers and chocolate and give the gift of reading with Tailored Book Recommendations! Our bibliologists are standing by to help your mom find her next favorite read, delivered right to her inbox or doorstep. And with gifts starting at just $18, there’s something for any budget! Head to mytbr.co/gift to send the gift of reading to the book nerd in your life!
Bookish Goods
Tablet Floor Stand by BluuSuuk
I recently purchased this and would marry it if I could. I found reading in bed uncomfortable lately with either having to hold my ereader up in the air or having to look down at it in my lap, so I finally decided to try a tablet stand and it was the best decision ever. This was super easy to assemble (you twist the three parts together), the arm moves in all directions so you can always put it how you want, and the base is heavy, so it doesn’t tip over (at least not with my paperwhite reader). I bought a remote control page turner to go with it and I am in reading heaven! ($48)
New Releases
The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
For fans of dual POV mysteries (one a detective), and a missing person now found mystery!
Ellie Black disappeared when she was 17. Now she’s 19 and has been found. Her family is thrilled to have her back, even knowing that whatever may have happened to Ellie could have changed her. What no one is prepared for is that Ellie doesn’t want to participate in her own investigation. This doesn’t stop Detective Chelsey Calhoun from investigating. Not only is she doing it for Ellie, but Detective Calhoun’s sister was murdered when she was a kid, and she’s always felt guilty, like somehow she could have done something to stop it. So she’s going to help Ellie regardless of what Ellie wants, and she’s going to need to figure out what Ellie isn’t sharing…
This does a great job of going into both women’s lives, slowly revealing the past, along with everything that is unfolding in the present.
(TW past father death of cancer/ sexual assault exam/ mentions past overdose/ mentions past suicidal thoughts, attempt/ kidnapping/ past murder suicide/ sexual assault/ hunting)
I Will Ruin You by Linwood Barclayay
For fans of twisty thrillers with multiple POV including a detective and the bad guys!
Richard Boyle is a high school English teacher thrust into the spotlight as a hero when he saves the school from a suicide bomber. Except his life quickly spirals into a nightmare: the bomber’s parents are suing; former student Billy Finster sees Richard on the news and decides to blackmail him. Billy owes drug dealers money when his stash was mysteriously lighter than it was supposed to be and he sees Richard as his way out by blackmailing him that he’ll tell everyone that Richard sexually abused him once unless he pays him the money he needs. Richard, who is married to a school principal in the district and has a detective sister-in-law, assumes Billy is confusing him with another teacher and quickly makes a series of ill-advised decisions thinking he can handle these problems quietly on his own. Both Billy and Richard find themselves further down the hole, playing a cat-and-mouse game, as Richard’s sister-in-law is dangerously following a pair of drug dealers…
Linwood remains one of my go-to thriller authors!
(TW addiction, overdose death/ past teen sexual assault accusation/ panic attacks/ groping/ past suicide/ brief suicide on page/ teen predator, no graphic scenes)
Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!
Riot Recommendations
Here are two backlist titles with “spy” in the title, one nonfiction and one fiction!
American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson
This is a character driven spy novel set in the ’80s where Marie Mitchell, a Black FBI agent, is writing a letter to her two sons hoping to explain recent events. You learn about Mitchell’s childhood, recruitment into the FBI, and how the U.S. meddled in Burkina Faso’s politics…
Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott
This is a biography of four women who went undercover during the Civil War: Elizabeth Van Lew was a wealthy widow who organized an espionage ring; Belle Boyd was a spy and courier for the Confederate army who shot a Union soldier in her home; Emma Edmonds enlisted in the army by disguising as a man; Rose O’Neale Greenhow was a spy for the Confederacy by getting intel from Northern politicians.
News and Roundups
Here Are The 2024 Edgar Award Winners for Best Mysteries
5 mystery and thriller movies on Prime Video with 95% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes
Are Librarians Criminals? These Bills Would Make Them So
‘Presumed Innocent’ Trailer: Jake Gyllenhaal Is On Trial For Murder In Apple TV+’s Legal Thriller
Liberty and Vanessa discuss new releases including Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett on All The Books!
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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