Categories
Unusual Suspects

The Power of Female Rage Feels Incredibly Relevant Right Now

Hello mystery fans!

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From Book Riot and the Internet:

Rincey and Katie have an interesting discussion about unreliable narrators on the Read or Dead podcast.

Great interview with Alison Gaylin and Megan Abbott (Creators of Normandy Gold) “Yet so much of what we were saying, not only about Washington corruption but about the power of female rage, feel incredibly relevant right now.”

From Vulture watch Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sandra Oh, and Jodie Corner of Killing Eve discuss the #MeToo movement, equal pay, working on a show about powerful women… (adaptation from Luke Jennings novellas)

A mystery you can possibly help with: The National Archives has released photos from John F. Kennedy’s presidency on Flickr in hopes of helping to identify people.

AND Book Riot is giving away 15 of this year’s mysteries and thrillers!!!!

Adaptations:

cover image: zoomed in image of mouth with red lipstick bitting bottom lipThey really buried the lead on this one: Megan Abbott’s Dare Me is going to be a series on USA Network! If you haven’t read Abbott’s work yet it really should be at the top of your reading pile. In Dare Me she uses a high school cheerleading program to explore the frenzied world of teenage girls.

Grantchester (based on short story mystery books by James Runcie) has been renewed for a fourth season (or series as they say in England). There’s a catch though, it will be “James Norton’s final episodes as character Sidney Chambers.” Guess you’ll have to wait and see who will get cast as the new vicar.

You can see the first trailer for You, an adaptation of Caroline Kepnes‘ novel centered on stalking.

A Little Q&A: Alex Segura (I give authors I’m excited about six questions and let them answer any three they’d like.)

Bienvenidos a Miami—where Pete Fernandez, who can be quite a bit of a hot mess, finds himself solving crimes and trying to stay alive. I like watching the main characters of mystery series evolve, and while Fernandez seems to keep at least some of his ability to make bonehead decisions, I’ve enjoyed watching him grow-up as he keeps finding himself in dangerous situations. I give a lot of side-eye to things set in Miami because so many feel like the creators have possibly never actually been to the city so I love recognizing a lot of the streets and Latinx communities in the series. Definitely a series to pick up if you’re a fan of modern hard-boiled mysteries.

Here’s Alex Segura:

What would you like to see more/less of in the mystery genre? I’d like to see more/better LGBTQ representation in the genre. There is some, and it’s done well, but I think we live in a diverse and changing world, and I’d like the genre to reflect that even more. I can be better at it, too. Sometimes what we know in our heads as writers, like a character’s orientation or background, doesn’t get a chance to reveal itself on the page, and that can be a missed opportunity. It’s something I think about a lot.

I’m also always eager to hear from new voices with unique backgrounds – writers that can put a new spin on the genre and push it forward because of their own, different life experiences. I love the PI novel, but the takes that I gravitate to as a reader are the ones that are nontraditional and feature characters that are flawed and evolving in believable ways, in terms of the kind of protagonists we see.

The last book you read that you loved? This is a bit of a cheat, but I’ll do nonfiction and fiction. In terms of fiction, Ariel Levy’s The Rules Do Not Apply is a jarring, intense and gut-wrenching memoir that I couldn’t put down, chronicling her life as a journalist, the ups and downs of her personal life and pregnancy and the miscarriage that sent her entire life into a tailspin. It’s not an easy read, but it’s an important one. Levy’s prose is compact and effective, and this book lingers with you. Not for the faint of heart.

In terms of fiction, I reread Emma Cline The Girls recently, and I was reminded how much I loved it the first time around. Her language is beautiful, I’m not sure how else to describe it. She has a knack for memorable metaphors and similes and the story, about a young girl in the 60s lured into a Manson-like cult and her experiences as an adult in the aftermath, flows organically and with purpose. Mysterious but not a mystery per se, The Girls is one of those books that you have to make a point of reading more slowly, otherwise you find yourself devouring it in a day.

Oh, and, okay – one more. I’m bad at picking just a single book, I guess: Ivy Pochoda’s Wonder Valley. It’s a multiple POV book that explores the lives of various characters in and around the California desert, from an ex-juvie kid to a burnt out suburban dad to a wandering college student, you really get into their heads and explore their desires and conflicts, with tons of great characterization, descriptions and a few jaw-dropping scenes. I really loved this one, and I’m eager to read Pochoda’s earlier novels.

Which non-mystery author would you love to see write a mystery? I’d love to read a mystery novel by Kelly Sue DeConnick (Bitch Planet, Captain Marvel). I absolutely love her comic book work and I just think she’d create a compelling and unique lead character. Make it happen, world!

Thanks Alex! *Throws ALL my money at a Kelly Sue DeConnick crime novel!

Kindle Deal:

cover image: yellow background glass globe in center with a red spiderA Red Herring Without Mustard (Flavia de Luce #3) by Alan Bradley is $1.99

 

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.

Categories
The Stack

041918-MysterGiveaway-The-Stack

We’re giving away 15 of the best mysteries and thrillers of the year so far. Click here to enter, or click the image below:

Categories
Giveaways

LAST CHANCE, FOLKS: Enter to win a $250 Barnes & Noble Gift Card!

END MIDNIGHT TOMORROW (APRIL 20TH):

Summer reading season is just around the corner, and we have a $250 Barnes & Noble gift card to give away to help a lucky Book Riot reader stock up, courtesy of our friends at Riffle Books.

Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click on the image below. Good luck!

Categories
True Story

Pulitzer Prizes and the Next Big Political Book of the Year

It’s been a big week of news in the world of books, especially when it comes to nonfiction! This week’s newsletter is going to go a little off format, focusing on two big stories – the Pulitzer Prize winners, and the publication of James Comey’s memoir, A Higher Loyalty. Let’s dive in!

Sponsored by With One Shot by Dorothy Marcic.

The killer was behind bars—a woman who had confessed to the cold-blooded murder of her husband. But Dorothy Marcic suspected a more sinister tale at the heart of her beloved uncle’s violent death. And nothing would stop her from getting to the truth.

The Pulitzer Prizes!

The Pulitzer Prizes, awarded each year in Journalism and Letters, Drama and Music, are some of my favorite prizes to nerd out about. This year’s winners in nonfiction are all books that I’m interested in picking up:

As I think I’ve mentioned before, take some time to check out the winners in the journalism categories. The Public Service award went to the work by Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey and Ronan Farrow for their investigations into sexual harassment in Hollywood (that’s going to be a book!). I’m also excited to explore the work of the Feature Writing winner, Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah, and the finalists, John Woodrow Cox and Norimitsu Onishi.

James Comey Tells All… Too Late?

At the beginning of the year, I thought the publication of Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff would be the biggest nonfiction release of the year. But I forgot about the publication of A Higher Loyalty, a memoir from former FBI Director James Comey that was release this week. And Lordy, it’s been quite a show.

In February, the book’s publisher, Flatiron Books, announced that they were going to move up the release date from May to April because of “demand of the former FBI director to be heard amid an urgent conversation” about the FBI. They also reported that the first printing of the book was 850,000 copies, more than five times the initial printing of Fire and Fury. People were ready for this book to be big!

Early copies of the book were pretty tightly controlled, but after an embargo was lifted last week there were a blitz of stories highlighting some of the most salacious details in the book. NPR’s Ron Elving said Comey describes an “unethical, and untethered” president. Michiko Kakutani returned to the New York Times to review the book, calling it “absorbing,” and highlighting the differences it shows between Comey and the president. And of course, President Trump couldn’t stay off Twitter, spending several days lashing out at Comey and others as news about the book continued to come out.

Despite the flurry of press, and Comey’s flurried press tour on just about every major news network, what I’ve seen about the book has been a lot of fluff and not much substance. In the Washington Post, Carlos Lozada asks whether Comey lives up to the standards of ethical leadership that he espouses (spoiler alert… maybe not). Sure, Comey has a lot of negative things to say about the president… but did we really expect that he wouldn’t? I tend to agree with this analysis by Jamil Smith in Rolling Stone: “It is fascinating, indeed, that Comey rediscovered his ability to effectively rebuke the president only after publishers came calling.”

My favorite anecdote about the book release is one reported by CNN – booksellers in Washington D.C. expected huge crowds for the publication of the book on Tuesday, but just got a bunch of journalists and cameras instead. Whomp whomp.

Bookish Deals and Giveaways

Whew! That was a lot. Just a few quick ebook deals to conclude this newsletter:

And don’t forget, Book Riot has an awesome giveaway going on right now – follow this link to be entered in a drawing for 15 of the year’s best mystery/thrillers!

Find me on Twitter @kimthedork, and co-hosting the For Real podcast here at Book Riot. Happy reading!

Categories
Riot Rundown TestRiotRundown

041918-SquaredAway-Riot-Rundown

Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by Squared Away by Annabeth Albert.

In the wake of tragedy, SEAL Mark Whitley rushed stateside to act as guardian to his sister’s three young children. But a conflicting will could give custody to someone else—someone Mark remembers as a too young, too hot, wild party boy.

As the legal details get sorted out, their long-buried attraction resurfaces, leading to intimate evenings after the kids are tucked in. A forever future is within reach for all of them, if only Mark can find the courage he needs to trust Isaiah with his secrets—and his heart.

Categories
Today In Books

Saudi Arabia Breaks Cinema Ban With BLACK PANTHER: Today in Books

This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by Flatiron Books and M.L. Rio’s If We Were Villains.

Saudi Arabia Breaks Cinema Ban With Black Panther Screening

The record-breaking Black Panther has become the first commercial film publicly screened in Saudi Arabia in 35 years. Black Panther premiered in the first movie theater opened in the kingdom since the ban on cinemas lifted in December. The screening was unsegregated, with men and women co-mingling.

Kanye Writes A Book On Twitter

Kanye West announced that he’s writing (and editing) a philosophy book in real-time on Twitter. West has been tweeting bits of Break the Simulation, which he said is about photography and history, garnering mixed reactions. “This is my book that I’m writing in real time. No publisher or publicist will tell me what to put where or how many pages to write,” said West.

Finnish School Conducts Reading Week Experiment

With international test scores reflection a steady decline in reading comprehension among Finland’s students, a teacher has made literacy a priority by devoting an entire week to reading in her school. Sissi Yli-Hukkala’s goal is to focus on reading as a process to help students internalize that they can read in their free time, as well as in school. The experiment is part of Finland’s new curriculum addition called phenomenon-based teaching.

 

And don’t forget to enter to win 15 of the year’s best mysteries so far!

Categories
Check Your Shelf

Great Business Audiobooks, A New Tana French Novel, and More News and Lists for Librarians

Welcome to Check Your Shelf! This is your guide to all things book talk worth knowing to help librarians like you up your game when it comes to doing your job (& rocking it).

“Check Your Shelf” is sponsored by Automated Books, publisher of Divining Another Dream and creator of Google Play App Multiplicity.

Nine-year-old Laiza Wendel can’t remember anything because her memory consists only of events in her future. But for her, the future suddenly begins to look… short. She believes it means she will die soon, but she can’t see how. Her teacher and friends want to help her overcome her new and unusual fear of getting hurt, but Laiza knows that they can’t help unless she shares the secret about how she sees. Will she be able to determine what’s wrong before her world falls apart?

Libraries & Librarians

Book Adaptations in the News

Books in the News

Race and the RWA

Over the last few weeks, there has been a significant amount of discussion around the Romance Writers of America, the RITA Awards, and the lack of inclusivity for authors of color.

By the Numbers

Award News

All Things Comics

Audiophilia

Book Lists, Book Lists, Book Lists

Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous

Level Up

Do you take part in LibraryReads, the monthly list of best books selected by librarians only? Whether or not you read and nominate titles, we’ll end every newsletter with a few upcoming titles worth reading and sharing (and nominating for LibraryReads, if you so choose!). Links here will direct to Edelweiss digital review copies. These books hit shelves in July, giving you plenty of time to read and nominate by May 20th.

  • It All Falls Down by Sheena Kamal (July 3, 2018): Nora Watts, who was introduced in Kamal’s earlier book The Lost Ones, travels from the Canadian Pacific Northwest to Detroit in search of the truth about her dead father.
  • Crux: A Cross-Border Memoir by Jean Guerrero (July 17, 2018): The haunting story of the author’s quest to understand her charismatic and self-destructive father, as he crosses from Mexico to California and battles with his internal demons.
  • The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon (July 31, 2018): A young Korean-American woman at a prestigious American university is drawn into acts of domestic terrorism by a group with ties to North Korea.

 

Thanks for hanging out! We’ll see you back here in two weeks with another edition of Check Your Shelf.

–Katie McLain, @kt_librarylady on Twitter

Currently reading Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

Categories
Audiobooks

Audiobooks for Animal Lovers

We’re giving away 15 of the best mysteries and thrillers of the year so far. Click here to enter, or click the image below:

It would not be unreasonable to say that two of the things I love the most in the world are dogs and books. So in honor of National Pet Day (last week, and let’s be honest, in my world every day is National Pet Day–-this is really just an excuse to talk about audiobooks featuring animals and/or beloved pets), we’ve got audiobooks for animal lovers!

But first!

A very kind reader of this newsletter informed me that audiobooks on vinyl are still a thing! Here’s what she says, “a quick note on audiobooks on vinyl: They’re back. Have been for awhile. I was working at B&N a couple of years ago and we had Yes, Please by Amy Poehler on vinyl, and HarperAudio is releasing a series of audiobooks on vinyl starting this month.”

HOW COOL IS THAT?! Now, I just need a record player. And some vinyl audiobooks.

And now, animal lovers, here are some audiobooks to warm your heart. Some of these are from fellow Rioters, otherwise, anything in quotes is from the publisher.

The following suggestions are from Rioter Kate Scott:

Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin & Catherine Johnson; narrated by Andrea Gallo

This book offers a new perspective on animal behavior and emotion. Temple Grandin is autistic, which gives her unique insight into the animal mind. She argues that there are astonishing similarities between how animal and autistic brains work–that both are hyper-specific and incredibly sensitive to detail. This fascinating book will change the way you think about animals and autism.

Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? by Frans de Waal; narrated by Sean Runnette

This exciting new book explores the current science of animal cognition and challenges many of the assumptions humans have about “lower” life forms. The genius of animals has long been underestimated, but this book seeks to set the record straight, marveling at the ways in which animals have adapted to their natural environments and the humans that too frequently invade their homes.

H is for Hawk written and read by Helen MacDonald

“When Helen MacDonald’s father died suddenly on a London street, she was devastated. An experienced falconer captivated by hawks since childhood, she’d never before been tempted to train one of the most vicious predators: the goshawk. But in her grief, she saw that the goshawk’s fierce and feral anger mirrored her own. Resolving to purchase and raise the deadly creature as a means to cope with her loss, she adopted Mabel and turned to the guidance of The Once and Future King author T. H. White’s chronicle The Goshawk to begin her journey into Mabel’s world. Projecting herself “in the hawk’s wild mind to tame her” tested the limits of MacDonald’s humanity.”

The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide; narrated by David Shih

“A couple in their thirties live in a small rented cottage in a quiet part of Tokyo; they work at home, freelance copy-editing; they no longer have very much to say to one another. But one day a cat invites itself into their small kitchen. It leaves, but the next day comes again, and then again and again. Soon they are buying treats for the cat and enjoying talks about the animal and all its little ways. Life suddenly seems to have more promise for the husband and wife-the days have more light and color. The novel brims with new small joys and many moments of staggering poetic beauty, but then something happens . . .”

Rioter Heather Bottoms has a delightful list of animal-related books here and I nabbed a few that had excellent-sounding audiobooks.

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel; narrated by Vikas Adam

A sixteen-year-old boy survives a deadly shipwreck only to find himself sharing a single lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. This remarkable pairing of man and beast inspires a tale that is insanely imaginative, deeply moving, and surprisingly plausible. Martel pulls off one of the most compelling feats of storytelling I’ve ever come across. There are grand moments of danger balanced by introspective ponderings on philosophy and faith. Then he tops it off with an ending so mind-bending, you’ll be ready to read it all over again.

The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan; narrated by‎ Sartaj Garewal

Two surprising things happen on Inspector Ashwin Chopra’s last day of work for the Mumbai Police force. First, he gets a letter informing him that he has inherited a baby elephant. ––Katie’s rudely inserted commentary: I would like a baby elephant, please and thank you–Then he stumbles onto evidence of a mysterious murder that will launch his post-retirement career. The adorable elephant is an unforeseen help in his secret investigation, and it is delightful to see how the two begin to bond. If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check out this first book in Khan’s Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation series.

And now, picks from yours truly.

Pack of Two by Caroline Knapp; narrated by Hillary Swank

As you may be aware, I absolutely adore the work of the late Caroline Knapp and this book is no exception. With her characteristically evocative prose, Knapp describes how she came to understand and appreciate the intimacy between dog and human. I read the print version of this book years ago and a few months ago, I was messing around on Audible (probably wishing more credits would magically appear in my account) and I noticed that Hillary Swank narrates the audiobook. She is a delightful narrator. I actually can’t listen to this audiobook on my commute because it makes me miss my dog so much, but that may be my own issue.

Through A Dog’s Eyes written and read by Jennifer Arnold

I listened to this audiobook years ago and I still talk about it constantly. I’ve read a number of books about how dogs’ brains work, what they’re thinking, etc. (I’m sure you’re all shocked by that information) and this is the one that sticks with me the most. Arnold trains service dogs, so she often has to teach them very specific things (for example, how to turn on and off a light switch) and she has so many incredible stories. And in telling those stories, you learn about how dogs think, what they respond to, why they’re motivated by, etc. If you’re a dog lover, I can’t recommend this one enough.

What are your favorite animal audiobooks? Let me know at katie@riotnewmedia.com or on Twitter at msmacb.

Until next week,

~Katie

Categories
Kissing Books

More Alisha Rai and a Nonbinary Protagonist

Well, folks. The universal conversation on racism continues, and so it goes in romance. But we do have some exciting new things to talk about!

“Kissing Books” is sponsored by Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston from Kensington Publishing Corp.

In the first of a brand new paranormal romance series about three outrageously snarky sisters, New York Times bestselling author Shelly Laurenston returns to the shape-shifters genre and the animal her readers have been clamoring for since the release of her fan-favorite novel, BITE ME: the fearless honey badger!

News and Useful Links

There has been quite a bit of social media chatter around this transcribed presentation by Elizabeth Kingston, which was originally given at Researching the Romance, a conference held at Bowling Green last week.

(If you’re interested in other happenings from that conference, check out #bgsuromcon18 on twitter.)

This list on goodreads has some great examples of romances featuring people fighting for various kinds of social justice, actively or interpersonally. Do you know others that could be added?

NEW ALISHA RAI ANNOUNCEMENT! I couldn’t have been the only one who finished Hurts to Love You with a need for more of my girl Rhi, right? Well, she’s kicking off a new Forbidden Hearts spinoff series, and I need it to be then, right now.

Finally, how about a little Q&A with Courtney Milan?

Deals

Jamie Wesley’s Slamdunked By Love is 2.99. It’s always nice to see sports romance featuring black players. In any sport.

A Seditious Affair by KJ Charles is 1.99!

If you haven’t yet acquired it, Talia Hibbert’s The Princess Trap is 2.99! It’s a great intro to this fabulous new author, who apparently just…can’t stop writing.

Rachel Van Dyken’s The Matchmaker’s Playbook is 1.99. Read it, then check out the adaptation on Passionflix!

Rhythm, Chord, and Malykhin by Mariana Zapata is 1.49 right now.

Maybe you’ve been hearing a lot of chatter about Kit Rocha’s Ivan? Start the series with Ashwin, which is 99 cents!

Over on Book Riot

I wrote about my mom’s vacation reading. It was the idyllic romance reader’s vacation (and well deserved)!

Do you go to library book sales? How about a survival guide?

And don’t forget to enter to win 15 of the year’s best mysteries so far!

Recs

Unmasked by the Marquess
Cat Sebastian

Let me start by saying thanks to reader Marianne for pointing out a misstep I made last week: in my zeal to announce Cat Sebastian’s first non-M/M novel, I called this one M/F, which it isn’t. It’s distinctly in the M/NB category. I apologize if anyone was hurt by my inadvertent erasure of this protagonist’s identity.

Okay, on to the story! Unmasked by the Marquess brings us the story of Alastair and Charity, two people trying to get things done and move on with their lives. For Alastair, it’s to get his family’s reputation back in order after his father destroyed it. For Charity, living as Robert Selby, it’s to get her sister married and fade into the woodwork. Unfortunately for their plans, they cross paths. While their first meeting leaves much to be desired, Alastair finds himself drawn to Selby in ways that are very inconvenient. Not to mention, his younger brother is one of those seeking the affection of Selby’s sister.

In what is becoming regular fashion, Cat Sebastian weaves a spectacular tale of real people in a time that can leave a reader oversaturated relatively easily. While Charity is a trailblazing character, the first nonbinary protagonist I have ever crossed in a historical romance, the Marquess of Pembroke himself is a noteworthy romance hero as well: older, staid, bisexual, and bespectacled. Not a duke, though still a peer of the realm. The two of them together are pretty magical. You won’t want to miss them.

The Viking Queen’s Men
Holley Trent

Twitter is funny, sometimes. Sometimes, romance twitter accidentally causes book clubs. In this case, someone exclaimed about this book, and then more people did, and then someone shared that it was a very low price on Amazon, and here we are. I haven’t read a good contemporary fantasy romance in a while, and this one checked off quite a few of my boxes. A matrilineal society right in the middle of the desert. A woman flailing with new and unknown responsibilities. Two men who are right for her, and whose only goals are to make her happy. Yeah, this was a good one for me. It might have been the first on the path to Holley Trent completion I set out for after One in Waiting, but it will definitely not be the last, and the Afótama series is a good place to start.

Next up, Her Perfect Affair by Priscilla Oliveras. This is the pairing I was drooling for at the end of His Perfect Partner, and I’m glad to have gotten it so quickly. If you haven’t read either book, now is definitely a good time. Also, if you prefer books more on the sweet scale than the super smexy books I’ve been discussing recently, His Perfect Partner is one of those books in which you don’t realize there isn’t any sex until you’ve reached the end. Or maybe you do, I don’t know, but I was surprised to realize how much it didn’t matter to me in the course of things. We’ll see if Her Perfect Affair is the same.

New and Upcoming Releases

Stay With Me by Love Journey (I know nothing about this book but I LOVE the cover!)

High Heels and Haystacks by Erin Nicholas

Startup Fiance by Shilpa Mudiganti

Rebel Heir by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

Misadventures with a Rookie by Toni Aleo

A Match Made in Bed by Cathy Maxwell

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan (April 24)

As usual, catch me on Twitter @jessisreading or Instagram @jess_is_reading, or send me an email at jessica@riotnewmedia.com if you’ve got feedback or just want to say hi!

Categories
Unusual Suspects

Upcoming Mystery Releases Worthy of Confetti Cannon!

Hi mystery fans! I’ve found the downside to writing posts about upcoming releases is that, inevitably, more books will be announced that I wish I could go back in time to add to the original post. Like when I wrote about the 2018 mystery & thrillers I was excited about ,I did not know Tana French has an upcoming novel! So let’s talk about those novels that didn’t make it into my first post because I didn’t know about them yet.

Sponsored by THE MANSON WOMEN AND ME by Nikki Meredith published by Citadel Press.

Journalist Nikki Meredith writes of her experience visiting Leslie Van Houten and Patricia Krenwinkel in prison…As Meredith got to know Krenwinkel and Van Houten over the years, she increasingly came to wonder how seemingly normal people can come to commit such vicious, barbaric acts. Meredith asks the questions that have nagged many of us for years—how does this happen?

The Witch Elm by Tana French (Viking, October 9): Tana French has an upcoming novel! And it’s a standalone! And suspense! After being attacked Toby goes to take care of his uncle at his family’s ancestral home, but if he meant this to be an escape it won’t be because a skull is discovered. All the give-me-grabby-hands! If you’ve missed all the Book Riot shouting about how fantastic French is here’s why her Dublin Murder Squad series is a perfect binge and A Little Q&A with Tana French.

cover image: the title letters have a white brick wall graphic and the author's name have a car driving in flames in the lettersWrecked (IQ #3) by Joe Ide (Mulholland Books, October 9): A new IQ! A new IQ! I really enjoy this series about a PI who takes on cases in his East Long Beach neighborhood using his intelligence and deduction skills. Looks like this time around Dodson isn’t just a sometimes-needed-sidekick but a full on partner. Oh, and he’s got ideas for the business like social media and I’m already cracking up just imagining IQ’s response.

cover image: a black and hot pink smokey graphic with the title and author name in block lettersAny Man by Amber Tamblyn (Harper Perennial, June 26) (TW: rape): Tamblyn is known as a poet, actress, and vocal speaker for the #metoo movement, so seeing that she has a novel coming out definitely piqued my interest. Then I read the summary and it became a the-UPS-guy-is-definitely-getting-tackled-on-delivery-day must-read. Tamblyn uses poetry and prose to create suspense in a novel about a female serial rapist of men “to give shape to the shocking narratives of victims of sexual violence, mapping the destructive ways in which our society perpetuates rape culture.”

cover image: dark blue with a section cut out of center with a woman in Japanese woman in a bar lighting a man's cigaretteThe Lady Killer by Masako Togawa (Pushkin Vertigo, October 2): Bring me all the Japanese crime novels. All of them! A married man with a roving eye is convicted of murdering three of his recent mistresses… “Full of subtly menacing tensions and sharp psychological insights”– here for this!

 

 

cover image: a bunch of polaroid photos put together to show a woman's face zoomed in to her eye, nose, and mouthPieces of Her by Karin Slaughter (William Morrow, July 31): Karin Slaughter’s last book, The Good Daughter, slaughtered me (sorry, not sorry) and here I am begging for more. A small town, family, secrets, and explosive violence–sounds like Slaughter is still at her best.

 

 

cover image: Washington DC flipped upside as the skyline a british castle at the bottom and a woman in a blue Victorian dress running away in a white cloud in the center all washed in a light blue colorCaught in Time (Kendra Donovan #3) by Julie McElwain (Pegasus Books, July 3): You know my love for Nevertheless, She Persisted mysteries and this is one of my favorite series. Donovan is still stuck in 1800s England after somehow being transported from modern times where she was an FBI agent. Donovan trying not to reveal things from the future, while solving cases in a society that doesn’t let women do practically anything is always a smart and fun read for me.

cover image: silhouette of a profile of a woman looking up blended into a black backgroundIt All Falls Down (Nora Watts #2) by Sheena Kamal (William Morrow, July 3): I really enjoyed the first in this series, The Lost Ones, which introduced Nora Watts and had an explosive thriller ending. I’m glad to see we’ll get more Watts–one of those “unlikable” women that I really liked a lot–as she travels to Detroit to uncover a mystery concerning her father. Problem is it seems her Vancouver past is looking for her…

 

cover image: a view of a woman from behind standing in a snowy forest washed in blue light with her overcoat billowing behind herThe Hollow of Fear (Lady Sherlock #3) by Sherry Thomas (Berkley, October 2): That squeal you heard that cracked the earth was me finding out there is more Charlotte Sherlock on the way! It looks like the plot from the previous book continues so I’m not going to talk about this one in case you haven’t started the series but I am going to glare at you until you go start this fantastic series: A Study in Scarlet Women. (Equally wonderful in audiobook narrated by Kate Reading!)

cover image: a wolf like monster in a skirt and blouseMy Favorite Thing is Monsters Vol 2 by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics, August 14th): I have been needing this book since the second I turned the last page on Vol 1–a fantastic, gorgeous, smart, creative graphic novel about a young girl trying to solve her neighbor’s murder while trying to navigate her difficult life. If you haven’t read Vol 1 yet go do that immediately so you can then impatiently wait for August with me!

cover image: a gold framed green painting with the title and a baby elephant and palace paintedMurder at the Grand Raj Palace (Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation #4) by Vaseem Khan (Redhook, June 12th ): So this one time I read a mystery book just to see if it would give me tips on how to end up on the receiving end of inheriting a baby elephant: The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra. And then I fell in love with a retired Inspector and his elephant sidekick. So what I’m saying is I’m excited for more Chopra, baby elephant Ganesha, and I’d like more mysteries with animal sidekicks. Please, and thank you.

Paperback Releases

cover image: a silhouette of a woman holding a lit candle in front of her mouthThe Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter (Paperback) (TW: all of them) (Fantastic mystery that explores trauma and living with grief–Review)

If We Were Villains (Paperback) (Seven students attending Dellecher Classical Conservatory as Shakespeare actors have bonded and created a clique as they eat, sleep, breathe Shakespeare–that is until a real life tragedy!–Review)

Dark Chapter by Winnie M. Li (Paperback) (TW: rape) (A crime novel that follows two characters before, during, and after a rape–Review)

AND remember Book Riot is giving away 15 of this year’s mysteries and thrillers!!!!

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

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