Categories
Unusual Suspects

“Did He or Didn’t He?” Mysteries and Thrillers

Hello fellow mystery lovers! This week I’ve rounded up books that center around the Did he or didn’t he? mystery–think just the opening mystery of Gone Girl and whether Nick did or didn’t have something to do with his wife’s disappearance…

Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Threads of Suspicion by Dee Henderson.

New from USA Today Bestselling Author Dee Henderson!

With the public eye fixed on the governor’s new Missing Persons Task Force, Detective Evie Blackwell and her new partner, David, are under pressure to produce results. As they investigate two missing-persons cases in Chicago—a student and a private investigator—they try to find patterns in the threads left behind. But when their personal lives get entangled with the cases and time runs short, will their theories still have too many holes?

“Henderson displays her usual keen understanding of the human psyche…These mysteries take unexpected, intriguing turns on their way to a satisfying finale.”—Publishers Weekly

Did he or didn’t he? for fans of Law & Order:

The Ex by Alafair Burke: Jack Harris has just been arrested for the murder of three people, including a person connected to Jack’s wife’s murder. Lucky for Jack his ex-fiance Olivia Randall is a criminal defense lawyer and believes him that he didn’t do this. But could she be right about someone she knew long ago? Could she have not really known him that well when they were together? Is she blinded by her own guilt from a past event and not seeing things clearly? Or is he really innocent?…

Did he or didn’t he? with a vicious bite!

follow me downFollow Me Down by Sherri Smith: Mia Haas is forced to return to her hometown when she’s alerted that her twin brother is missing. While Mia is trying to prove that something awful must have happened to her brother, everyone else is linking his disappearance to the death of one of his students. Mia can’t, and won’t, believe that the brother she’s always known to be the golden boy of the town would have any improper involvement with a student, let alone their murder. The problem is Mia is struggling with an addiction to prescription drugs while trying to lead her own secret investigation and the evidence she’s finding can read both ways to her: as possibly exonerating her brother or the nail in his coffin.

Did he or didn’t he? past & present mystery!

The Dry by Jane Harper: Aaron Falk returns to his hometown for the funeral of Luke, a childhood best friend. Making an already awful return home even worse is that he’d fled the town that turned on him twenty years earlier and his friend is believed to have died by his own hand in a murder-suicide. Now Falk finds himself being urged to look into whether it really was a murder-suicide and he’s forced to face a secret that him and Luke shared so many years before. Will the past make Falk look elsewhere for a killer or lead him to admit that Luke was capable of murdering his family? (Reese Witherspoon optioned the film rights back in 2015 and I’m hoping for another HBO type miniseries.)

AND unrelated to this Did he or didn’t he? theme BUT related to your give-me-more-mysteries desire here are four recent paperback releases:

You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

The Verdict by Nick Stone

The Kingdom by Fuminori Nakamura (Author), Kalau Almony (Translator)

 

I leave you with:

Over on Book Riot Deepali Agarwal takes a deep dive into the top 100 mystery/thrillers on Goodreads–sadly, none of the results are surprising.

An Author-to-author Interview: Fiction vs. True Crime where Celeste NG (Everything I Never Told You) and Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich (The Fact of a Body: A Murder and a Memoir) have a chat.

A real life mystery: Who is buried in H.H. Holmes’ grave? (You may know him as the “White City Devil” or from Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America) It turns out there is question about whether this serial killer is buried in his grave…or was someone else hanged and buried in 1896?…

And more news from the Patterson book machine: James Patterson will be partnering with former President Bill Clinton for a thriller novel titled–wait for it… The President is Missing. (<—You can already pre-order.)

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

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Categories
Giveaways

Win a $100 Comixology Gift Card

 

In lieu of a comics Mailbag this week, we’re giving away a $100 gift card to Comixology so you can go pick out what you want to be reading! Catch up on Ms. Marvel, get to know Faith, or whatever else your heart desires.

Go here to enter the giveaway, or just click on the giant Comixology image below. Good luck!

 

 

Categories
Canada Giveaways

Always and Forever, Lara Jean giveaway

 

Just for the Canadian Book Riot readers out there, we have 5 Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han prize packs to giveaway. Each prize pack includes:

  • To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before
  • P.S. I Still Love You
  • Always and Forever, Lara Jean
  • a set of To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before nail decals

Here’s more about Always and Forever, Lara Jean:

In the surprise follow-up to the bestselling To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You, by Jenny Han, Lara Jean’s letter-writing days are far from over.

Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. But, with graduation not far off, change is looming on the horizon. Lara Jean will be leaving for college and leaving her family—and possibly the boy she loves—behind.

When your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

Go here to enter the giveaway, or just click on the image of the prize pack below. Good luck!

 

Categories
The Goods

$20 tees

Bookish tees > golf tees. Snag your favorites for $20 this week!

Categories
The Stack

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Today’s The Stack is sponsored by Spill Zone, a stunning graphic novel from bestselling author Scott Westerfeld.

Three years ago an event destroyed the small city of Poughkeepsie, forever changing reality within its borders. Uncanny manifestations and lethal dangers now await anyone who enters the Spill Zone. The Spill claimed Addison’s parents and scarred her little sister, Lexa, who hasn’t spoken since. Addison provides for her sister by photographing the Zone’s twisted attractions on illicit midnight rides. Art collectors pay top dollar for these bizarre images, but getting close enough for the perfect shot can mean death—or worse.

When an eccentric collector makes a million-dollar offer, Addison breaks her own hard-learned rules of survival and ventures farther than she has ever dared. Within the Spill Zone, Hell awaits—and it seems to be calling Addison’s name.

Categories
Riot Rundown

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Today’s Riot Rundown is sponsored by Woman No. 17: A Novel.

High in the Hollywood Hills, writer Lady Daniels has taken a break from her husband. Left alone with her children, she’s going to need a hand taking care of her young son. In response to a Craigslist ad, S arrives, a magnetic young artist who will live in the guest house, care for Lady’s toddler, Devin, and keep a watchful eye on her teenage son, Seth. But in the heat of the summer, S’s connection to Seth takes a disturbing, and possibly destructive, turn. Darkly comic, twisty and tense, this mesmerizing new from Edan Lepucki novel defies expectation.

 

Categories
Giveaways

Kid lit mailbag giveaway

 

We’re giving away 10 rad picture and middle grade books to celebrate our newest newsletter, The Kids Are All Right, written every week by Karina Yan Glaser, our resident kids’ lit expert (and published kid lit author herself)! We’ve got the much-buzzed-about sci-fi middle grade adventure The Gauntlet, Neil Gaiman’s beautiful picture book Cinnamon, and more.

Simply go here to enter the giveaway, or just click the image of the full giveaway below. Good luck!

 

Categories
New Books

Immortal Pirates, Historical Mysteries, and More New Books!

Welcome back, race fans. It’s another Tuesday, and another great week for books. For example, for all you Robin Hobb fans: the third book in the Fitz and the Fool trilogy is out now! And you can hear about several great books out today on this week’s episode of the All the Books! Rebecca and I talked about a few amazing books we loved, such as Lives of the Monster Dogs, Ramona Blue, and Binti.

(P.S. I was having the worst time narrowing my choices down today, so I’m giving you a mini-round-up. Enjoy!)

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Woman No. 17 by Edan Lepucki.

High in the Hollywood Hills, writer Lady Daniels has taken a break from her husband. Left alone with her children, she’s going to need a hand taking care of her young son. In response to a Craigslist ad, S arrives, a magnetic young artist who will live in the guest house, care for Lady’s toddler, Devin, and keep a watchful eye on her teenage son, Seth. But in the heat of the summer, S’s connection to Seth takes a disturbing, and possibly destructive, turn. Darkly comic, twisty and tense, this mesmerizing new from Edan Lepucki novel defies expectation.

that thing we call a heartThat Thing We Call a Heart by Sheba Kerim: A funny and heartwarming novel about Shabnam, her summer crush, and how love can be confusing and overwhelming one day and amazing and beautiful the next.

House of Names by Colm Tóibín: A brilliant retelling of the story of Clytemnestra by a master storyteller. And like the original, full of murder, betrayal, and revenge.

We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe by Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson: Science! Nerdy goodness! Cute illustrations! Big questions about the universe that we still can’t answer! … Did I mention the cute illustrations?

D’Arc (War with No Name) by Robert Repino: It’s the sequel to Mort(e)! *MUPPET ARMS* This one picks up shortly after the first one ended, with Mort(e) and Sheba, with cults, amphibious creatures, and a serial killer!

deadmen walkingDeadmen Walking: A Deadman’s Cross Novel (Dark-Hunter: Deadman’s Cross Trilogy) by Sherrilyn Kenyon: Pirates, and immortals, and a sea witch, oh my! This was my first Kenyon (I know, I know) and I thought it was great fun.

A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee: A Scotland Yard detective investigates the murder of a British official in India in this marvelous new historical crime series.

Based on a True Story by Delphine de Vigan, George Miller (Translator): This massively successful French novel about friendship, rivalry and obsession – think Single White Female – is now available in English!

Among the Lesser Gods by Margo Catts: A young woman who believes she leads a cursed life heads to the woods of Colorado to gather her thoughts. But what she finds there leaves her with a better understanding of cause and effect. This is a remarkable debut.

typewriters bombs jellyfishTypewriters, Bombs, Jellyfish: Essays by Tom McCarthy: I am a huge fan of McCarthy’s novels and I quickly gobbled up all these smart essays about pop culture and more. Includes thoughts on Patty Hearst, David Lynch, Ulysses, and yes, typewriters, bombs, and jellyfish.

The Gift by Barbara Browning: Browning is one of the most refreshing, unusual novelists I have read, and this book is no different. It’s about a woman who begins spamming people with ukulele songs. Awkward encounters ensue.

Shtum by Jem Lester: A beautiful, heart-squeezing debut novel of a couple and their ten-year-old autistic son, written from Lester’s own experiences as a parent to an autistic child.

That’s it for me today – time to get back to reading! If you want to learn more about books new and old (and see lots of pictures of my cats, Millay and Steinbeck), or tell me about books you’re reading, or books you think I should read (I HEART RECOMMENDATIONS!), you can find me on Twitter at MissLiberty, on Instagram at FranzenComesAlive, or Litsy under ‘Liberty’!

And ICYMI, I’m writing the new Book Riot newsletter, Book Radar, which will give you all those things! You can sign up here.

Stay rad,

Liberty

Categories
This Week In Books

The “Cursed Child” Comes To America: This Week In Books

The U.S Debut of “The Cursed Child” (Refresh Screen. Refresh Screen.)

I predict an internet apocalypse this fall when tickets for the Broadway production of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” go on sale. The tea leaves at the bottom of this morning’s cuppa spoke of much wailing and gnashing of teeth as the ticket status switches from on sale to sold out (in the span of a half-second). Those Potterheads who sacrifice their firstborns for a golden ticket will finally have an opportunity to see the award-winning production’s U.S. debut at New York City’s Lyric Theatre in April 2018. Look out for the cast list in the coming months!

Let’s Hear It For Barbershop Books!

The National Book Foundation announced Barbershop Books’ 2017 Innovations in Reading Prize win. And oh how this community-based literacy program deserves that $10,000 prize. Working to help young black boys identify as readers, Barbershop Books has partnered with more than 50 barbershops across 20 cities in 12 different states to provide books to these underserved readers. The program makes books black boys want to read accessible in a place they visit regularly. I don’t know about you, but I was in dire need of that warm, fuzzy moment.

Librarians Call Out Little Free Libraries

A couple of Canadian librarians made a case against Little Free Libraries in a recent article for the Journal of Radical Librarianship, showing that Little Free Libraries predominantly appear in medium- to high-income Toronto neighborhoods. The pair critique these book exchanges as vehicles for virtue signaling by homeowners who aren’t necessarily working to water book deserts by planting them in affluent, educated neighborhoods. They also express anxieties over library budget cuts in Toronto and whether Little Libraries are growing at the expense of the public library system. Take it with a grain of salt–their study isn’t all-encompassing, but it’s an interesting conversation.

An Inviting First Look At Murder On The Orient Express

Entertainment Weekly presented a first look at the upcoming film adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express and the photos have done little to convince me that I do not, in fact, want to hitch a ride on this train. I’ll say no more–judge for yourself.

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by Woman No. 17: A Novel by Edan Lepucki.

High in the Hollywood Hills, writer Lady Daniels has taken a break from her husband. Left alone with her children, she’s going to need a hand taking care of her young son. In response to a Craigslist ad, S arrives, a magnetic young artist who will live in the guest house, care for Lady’s toddler, Devin, and keep a watchful eye on her teenage son, Seth. But in the heat of the summer, S’s connection to Seth takes a disturbing, and possibly destructive, turn. Darkly comic, twisty and tense, this mesmerizing new from Edan Lepucki novel defies expectation.

Categories
Giveaways

Broke 20 something/rich millenial giveaway

We have 10 copies each of Broke Millennial by Erin Lowry and Rich20Something by Daniel DiPiazza to give away to 10 Riot readers.

Here’s what they are all about:

Master your 20s with these savvy guidebooks from the founders of brokemillennial.com and Rich20Something.com.

Broke Millenial is an essential roadmap for Millennials who want to transition from in debt and overwhelmed to financially informed and empowered—all while navigating tricky money issues like how to split the check when friends make (and drink) more and when to get “financially naked” with a significant other.

Rich20Something, written by “Millennial business guru” (Ebony) Daniel DiPiazza, offers hard-earned advice and step-by-step techniques to take you from overstressed, overworked and underpaid to personal, professional and financial freedom.

It’s time to take your career—and life—to the next level.

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