Hello mystery fans! It feels like there have been less gentle reality shows lately? Either way I was excited to see, and am watching, Next in Fashion Season 2 and The Great British Baking Show: The Professionals (both on Netflix).
And if you’ve yet to check out Book Riot’s newest newsletter, The Deep Dive, it’s different from the others in that it’s more in depth, covers a huge range of ideas and topics related to reading/books/publishing and is written by different people so lots of rotating voices. There’s two subscriptions, including a free subscription which will get you The Splash Pad. Choose your membership level today at bookriot.substack.com.
Bookish Goods
New Releases
I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu
For fans of YA mysteries that explore grief, being Asian American, the pressure to succeed in high school, and mental illness. Chase Ohara and Lia Vestiano were best friends who became girlfriends and then broke up six months ago. Lia ended up with a new girlfriend, before she went missing. Now Chase is rattled with guilt because Lia sent her a text she never answered. When Lia’s body is found and her death ruled a suicide, Chase refuses to accept it. Battling her grief, pressure in school, and the loss of her best friend and ex-friend, she resorts to roping Lia’s last girlfriend into helping her find out what happened.
The audiobook is narrated by Natalie Naudus who you may know from many mystery (Mimi Lee Gets a Clue) and romance (One Last Stop) narrations!
(TW addiction to Adderall type drugs/ suicidal thoughts/ past attempted suicide, detail/ panic attack/ mental hospital/ suicide pact, suicide)
How I’ll Kill You by Ren DeStefano
For fans of multiple POVs, “revenge” fantasies, and following the killers! Iris, Sissy, and Moody are identical triplets who grew up apart in the foster care system. Now, 25 year olds, Iris and Moody are bringing Sissy into their world of “revenge murder.” They’ve taken all the abuse from growing up and pick a man to have fall in love with them as they plot their murder. Sissy has to pick someone, which she’s all for in her mind as she plans out revenge fantasies. But reality can be different from fantasy and Sissy finds herself having to pick between the man she loves and her sisters…
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Two covers with fire: one novel and one true crime.
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay
For fans of coming-of-age stories, mysteries, and themes of identity and culture! Jay Reguero is a high school senior who finds out his cousin, who lives in the Philippines, died. Driven by his guilt over no longer writing letters back and his confusion as to how the country’s war on drugs could be responsible, he decides to visit family in the Philippines with the goal of uncovering what really happened.
Ramón de Ocampo is an always-go-with-the-audiobook narrator for me.
(TW addiction/ discussions of sex trafficking/ past rape, not detailed)
The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater
There should be a lot more YA nonfiction, and this is an excellent one – excellent for adult readers too. Readers of true crime and the justice system should especially pick this one up. It’s a compassionate look into the case involving a 16 year old Black boy who set fire to the skirt of a nonbinary teen on Oakland Public Transportation.
Robin Miles does a great narration on the audiobook.
News and Roundups
Claire Jiménez’s What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez is our must-read new book of the week
100 year old WWII widow blasts book bans in fiery speech
Young Wallander Canceled at Netflix After 2 Seasons; No Plans for Season 3
The Best Mystery Movies in Every Decade from the Last 100 Years
Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See 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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