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Thrillers and Suspense April 2023 |
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| Off the Deep End by Lucinda BerryWhat it's about: Jules Hart's life will never be the same since the car accident that killed her son Gabe, especially because Gabe's best friend Isaac made it out of the same wreck alive. When Isaac later goes missing, the boy's mother blames Jules for the disappearance until an even more disturbing possibility comes to light -- a serial killer.
Read it for: the quick, intricate plotting and surprising yet plausible twists.
For fans of: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell; What She Knew by Gilly MacMillan. |
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| The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather DarwentThe premise: Hoping to reinvent herself, University of Edinburgh student Clare befriends wealthy Tabitha and joins her elite social circle, who seem to welcome her friendship as much as she is desperate for theirs.
The problem: Tabitha's friendship comes with a high cost, which gets even higher when it becomes clear that someone in the group knows more about Clare's troubled past than they're letting on.
Reviewers say: Debut author Heather Darwent "is off to an auspicious start" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria DongStarring: mentally and financially struggling Katrina Kim, who increasingly relies on rigid, maladaptive coping mechanisms to deal with her isolation and soul-sucking job.
What happens: Katrina discovers that she and Kurt (a more successful colleague that she's barely spoken to) seem to have a lot in common, and she begins to fixate on him in unhealthy ways. Then a shocking, disturbing event leaves Katrina questioning wondering if Kurt might have been watching her as intently as she was watching him.
Read it for: the flawed yet ultimately sympathetic character portrait of an unreliable narrator navigating a mental health crisis. |
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| The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire DouglasWhat it is: a creepy, atmospheric story about a missing persons cold case and small town determined to keep its secrets.
How it starts: with the arrival of journalist Jenna Halliday, who is looking to interview the townspeople to mark the 20th anniversary since the disappearance of four teenage girls.
For fans of: Into the Water by Paula Hawkins; The It Girl by Ruth Ware. |
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| The Skeleton Key by Erin KellyWhat it's about: Nell Churcher has always felt overwhelmed by the obsessive fans of her father's unusual multimedia bestseller The Golden Bones. Still, she agrees to take part documentary being filmed to mark the book's 50th anniversary, a decision she will soon regret.
Who it's for: anyone who has ever known someone that got a little too into House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski.
Reviewers say: "Full of reflections on ego and art, love and loss, this atypical thriller shows Kelly writing at the top of her game" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Stolen by Ann-Helén LaestadiusWhat it is: richly detailed, gritty coming-of-age suspense that reflects on the disappearing way of an indigenous group of people while simultaneously following a young woman's fight for survival as a ruthless hunter pursues her for knowing too much.
The setup: When she was 9, Sámi girl Elsa witnessed someone kill her reindeer calf in defiance of cultural customs, and was forced to remain silent for fear of retribution. Years later, all signs point to the likelihood that the same killer is active once more.
Why you should read it: Elsa's ordeal is inspired by a true story -- one that author Ann-Helén Laestadius (who is Sámi herself) brings to vivid life while providing a much-needed window into the struggles of a marginalized group. |
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| Alligator Alley by Michael LawsonSeries alert: Alligator Alley is the sixteenth entry in the series of intricately plotted thrillers starring political fixer Joe DeMarco.
This time: Joe heads to Florida to look into the murder of a young DOJ employee who died while investigating FBI wrongdoing during a money laundering case.
For fans of: the Nick Heller series by Joseph Finder. |
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| Reef Road by Deborah Goodrich RoyceWhat it's about: The discovery of a severed hand on Palm Beach sets off a chain of events that forever intertwine the lives of two very different women.
Starring: Linda, who worries the hand may be connected to the recent disappearance of her husband and two children; Noelle, a reclusive writer who is obsessed with the decades-old case of a missing child.
Reviewers say: This is an expertly paced thrill ride” (Publishers Weekly). |
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| The House Guest by Hank Phillippi RyanHow it starts: with Alyssa Macallan distraught, confused, and isolated after her wealthy and well-connected husband Bill leaves her without explanation.
Then she meets: Bree Lorrance, a troubled young woman in need of a place to stay, which prompts lonely Alyssa to offer the stranger her guest house.
What comes next: a complex cat-and-mouse game, but who is the cat and who is the mouse? |
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| Regrets Only by Kieran ScottWhat it's about: After losing her job, L.A. single mom Paige Lancaster returns to her small Connecticut hometown to move in with her mother. Soon Paige is under enormous pressure to get involved with the demanding Parent Booster Association at her daughter's school, led by her high school boyfriend's intense, overachieving wife.
Read it for: the compelling, witty writing and deliciously messy private drama hiding just under the surface of a seemingly idyllic suburban town.
For fans of: Liane Moriarty, the Real Housewives franchise, and Mean Girls. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Atlantic County Library System | 40 Farragut Avenue, Mays Landing, NJ 08330
Phone: (609) 625-2776 | www.atlanticlibrary.org
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|  | Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson
Atlantic County Board of Commissioners, Maureen Kern, Chairwoman |
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