Thrillers and Suspense
June 2025
Recent Releases
The Last Session
by Julia Bartz

In Julia Bartz’s gripping thriller, social worker Thea discovers a catatonic patient tied to her own troubled past. When the woman disappears, Thea follows a trail to a mysterious New Mexico retreat. As she delves into its cult-like rituals, she uncovers unsettling truths -- risking her sanity and life to uncover the dark secrets within.
The Impossible Thing
by Belinda Bauer

A cinematic literary mystery unfolds across a century, connecting a neglected girl’s discovery in 1926 to a modern-day crime. Young Celie’s rare red bird's egg (known as a Metland egg) brings her family fortune but also leads to murder. Decades later, Patrick Fort (who fans will remember from Rubberneckers) and his friend Nick pursue a stolen Metland egg, exposing a perilous smuggling operation.
Smoke and Embers
by John Lawton

In 1950 London, Chief Inspector Troy investigates his sergeant’s ties to a crime boss while unraveling the shadowy past of a mysterious associate. Flashbacks to 1945 Poland reveal identity swaps and wartime betrayals, leading to a suspicious death Troy suspects is murder. Smoke and Embers, the 9th title in the series, is a richly detailed and evocative tale of deception and intrigue.
The Man Made of Smoke
by Alex North

Dan Garvie's life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child— narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. When his father passes away under suspicious circumstances, Dan revisits his small island community, determined to uncover the truth about his death. Is it possible that the monster he remembers from his childhood nightmares has returned after all these years?
The Marriage Rule
by Helen Monks Takhar

Nine months into motherhood, Elle is struggling. She turns to her charismatic new colleague Gabriel to get through the day, and a few too many glasses of red wine to soothe her at night. For a while the distractions work, until one night, she wakes up bleary-eyed in a hotel room next to a man who's not her husband. And he's dead. Elle knows Dom is the only person who has any hope of helping her escape her hotel room a free woman, even if asking for his support now will destroy their future. Elle also knows she'd never have ended up in such trouble if she'd followed The Marriage Rule, the one thing she's been told a wife needs to do.
The Missing Half
by Ashley Flowers

Nicole Monroe, still haunted by her sister Kasey's unexplained disappearance seven years ago, teams up with Jenna Connor, whose sister vanished under similar circumstances, as they unravel buried secrets and risk everything to uncover the truth about their missing loved ones.
The Perfect Divorce
by Jeneva Rose

In the suspenseful sequel to The Perfect Marriage, Sarah Morgan’s life is upended when new DNA evidence reopens her late husband’s murder case, thrusting her back into the spotlight. As she navigates a messy divorce from her current husband, who’s implicated in a mistress’s disappearance, secrets and tensions spiral in a dangerous game.
Parents Weekend
by Alex Finlay

Five families gather for Parents Weekend at a small college in Northern California, but their kids—Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—never show up for dinner, and FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller must discover if the sins of their parents have caused them peril.
The Staircase in the Woods
by Chuck Wendig

Five high school friends, bonded by an oath to protect each other, reunite 20 years after one of them vanished up a mysterious disappearing staircase in the woods. As the staircase reappears, they return to uncover the truth, facing both the horrors of the past and a gruesome puzzle that awaits them.
Julie Chan is Dead
by Liann Zhang

In this witty debut thriller, Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier, steps into her twin sister Chloe’s glamorous influencer life after Chloe’s mysterious death. As Julie uncovers dark secrets behind Chloe’s perfect facade, she finds herself caught in a dangerous world where she may become the next target.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Forsyth County Public Library
660 W. Fifth St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101
336-703-2665
forsythlibrary.org