The pseudonymous Alex Finlay—by day, a prominent Washington D.C. attorney with an extensive history of appearing before the U.S. Supreme Court—has quickly established himself as master of the high concept suspense novel. He made his debut with 2021’s Every Last Fear, now in development as a streaming service series, which was followed by The Night…

Cheesemonger Willa Bauer is filled with anticipation—and not just because she’s auditioning to cater an upscale bridal shower. The Harrington family hosting the festivities is both rich and wildly influential. The exposure of her cheeses to their well-heeled shower guests would be wonderful in and of itself, but the spread will also be photographed—with a…

Chapter Two “I’m not leaving.” “Nat.” I poked my nipple at Oliver’s chin. His mouth, pink and wet like chewed-up bubble gum, turned down at the corners, remained resolutely closed. He was so beautiful. Peach fuzz of golden hair, eyes that were cobalt in the light, black in the dark of night. “Natalie. Let’s go…

I’ve always loved “buddy” detective stories featuring a main sleuth and his or her sidekick, especially if the relationship is akin to oil and water (at odds all the time) or oil and vinegar (a good shake and they are well-blended). The point of my tortured metaphor is that the juxtaposition of two main characters…

Marie Still’s story is a familiar one and yet entirely her own. She spent her youth obsessing over words, imaginary characters, and the darkness that unites them. Then, after college, she did the pragmatic thing and got a job—or a series of them—that would afford her financial security while still allowing her to work with…

Chapter 1 The woman on the phone refused to give her name, but she swore she’d just seen a rattlesnake on her hike up Black Cat Mountain. “I almost stepped on the frigging thing!” The man on the other end of the call was a Maine game warden named Mike Bowditch. “Did you get a…

Prolific thriller author Karen Rose has two series on the go—last year’s New Orleans novel series and the just published Cold Blooded Liar, first of the San Diego Case Files series. In Cold Blooded Liar, Rose continues the pattern she established in Quarter to Midnight. In the New Orleans mystery, investigator Molly works for the…

It’s been a long three years since Amazon Charts bestselling author Karen Katchur’s last book was published. Spring Girls was the third entry in her stellar Northampton County series following River Bodies and Cold Woods. Prior to transitioning to straight-up suspense, Katchur—who earned degrees in criminal justice and education before turning to the page—also wrote…

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It was the latter part of the following Saturday afternoon; the sun was low in the sky and dusk not an hour away as they walked along a well-trodden path to an area of woodland known to both girls. Following a detailed introduction to the weapon they would be using, it was time to begin.…