Hi mystery fans! I’ve been trying to sneak in a few more podcast episodes between all my audiobook inhaling lately and if you’re interested in taking a dive into what created the satanic panic and what a Hollywood intimacy coordinator really does, I very much recommend checking out You’re Wrong About: The Satanic Panic and Into It: Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Sex Onscreen. Also, since this is sadly very necessary, Maintenance Phase’s episode on RFK Jr. and The Rise of the Anti-Vaxx Movement is a must-listen.
What do S.A. Cosby, Khaled Hosseini, Sarah Bakewell, and Yahdon Israel have in common? They’ve been guests on Book Riot’s newest podcast, First Edition where BookRiot.com co-founder Jeff O’Neal explores the wide bookish world. Subscribe to hear them and stay to hear Book Riot’s editors pick the “it” book of the month.
Bookish Goods
New Releases
To Have and to Heist by Sara Desai
For fans of Jennifer Crusie (Getting Rid of Bradley) i.e. “chick lit”/rom-com mixed with crime.
Simi Chopra isn’t necessarily where she wants to be in her life when her best friend gets scammed and ends up suspected of stealing a diamond necklace. Simi isn’t going to let her best friend go down like that and ends up promising to help. Enter jewel thief Jack: He can solve all their problems by helping them steal the necklace back if they’re willing to put together a crew to pull off a heist during a wedding. What could go wrong?!
I’m currently listening to the audiobook and am enjoying Soneela Nankani’s narration and humor timing!
Cutting Teeth by Chandler Baker
For fans of genre blending books with dark humor, social commentary on motherhood, and multiple points of view.
Three mothers with children in a private preschool narrate this tale which starts with a new teacher, Erin Ollie, everyone is excited about. Except, are these young children suddenly biting and mesmerized by blood? When Ms. Ollie is found stabbed with a pair of scissors in the school, certainly a student or parent must be guilty…
The audiobook is narrated by January LaVoy, who you may recognize from narrating tons of mystery/thrillers and popular titles like The Ten Thousand Doors of January!
Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!
Riot Recommendations
It’s a crime (heh!) that it’s summer and I’ve yet to do horror and mysteries set at summer camps!
You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron
For fans of horror films set at camp!
Camp Mirror Lake is where a horror movie was once filmed and is now the business of a full-contact terror game. Basically people pay to come get scared and try to be the final survivor. It’s where Charity Curtis works as a “final girl”. She loves her job–until the last weekend of her summer job when real life starts blending too much with the pretend horror.
The Box in the Woods (Truly Devious #4) by Maureen Johnson
For fans of amateur sleuths and slasher film tropes!
First, let’s chat a bit about the series: This book is a standalone because the first three books in the series are a trilogy with a contained mystery. Maureen Johnson kindly doesn’t spoil the solve of the trilogy in this book–I would read the trilogy because it’s great (Truly Devious) but if this book is your catnip, you can totally start here with no problem!
High schooler Stevie Bell finds herself sucked into another cold case: four camp counselors murdered in the ’70s in the woods. Now Stevie is hired by a dude who wants to talk about it for his true crime podcast. Stevie has no desire for podcasts, but she just can’t help needing to solve cold cases. So she shows up at the camp with two friends ready to investigate.
News and Roundups
Hulu to Release Original Thriller ‘The Other Black Girl’
These stories will help you deal with cults and fanatics
Blockbuster Australian sequel delayed due to actors’ strike
Thousands of authors urge AI companies to stop using work without permission
Ta-Nehisi Coates Crashes School Board Meeting Over Banning His Book
Florida’s ‘removed book’ list is coming. Schools plan to use it
Deanna Raybourn has some book tour events in August for the release of the paperback of Killers of a Certain Age
Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2023 releases and 2024 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 Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.
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