Thrillers and Suspense
May 2025
Recent Releases
The Undoing of Violet Claybourne
by Emily Critchley

Emily Critchley’s gothic saga weaves together family trauma, betrayal, and suspense. In 1938, naive Gillian Larkin befriends quirky Violet Claybourne at boarding school and joins her at Thornleigh Hall for Christmas. Manipulated by Violet’s cunning sisters, Gillian tragically betrays her friend. This chilling tale of deception and consequences delivers a haunting, unforgettable ending.
The dark maestro : a novel
by Brendan Slocumb

Curtis Wilson, a cello prodigy from D.C. who rose to classical music stardom, is forced into witness protection after his drug-dealer father turns informant, but when the cartel remains untouchable, Curtis and his family must use their wits and his musical gifts to fight for survival. 
The Last Visitor
by Martin Griffin

On the remote Atlantic island of Navigaceo, documentary filmmaker Tess Macfarlane joins a research team -- only to discover a fresh corpse wearing their uniform. Trapped with a potential killer, she must unravel the mystery before becoming the next victim. With supplies vanishing and paranoia rising, survival depends on uncovering the truth. *This book may be requested from our LibShare partner, Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library
Up in Smoke
by Nick Brooks

Unmask a murderer or take the fall.

After Cooper King is pressured by big brother figure Jason to go on a looting spree during a local march, the unthinkable happens: gunshots ring in the air and someone ends up dead. After Cooper flees, the news shows four teens in ski masks near the scene of the murder--Cooper and his friends. Cooper fears the cops will come knocking at his door, and the pressure only mounts when a suspect is taken into custody: Jason.

Monique, Jason's sister and Cooper's longtime crush, is willing to go any length to clear her brother's name. Even if she needs to go into the belly of the beast and confront the killer herself. When she teams up with Cooper, they fall down the investigation rabbit hole and start to fall for each other. But little does Monique know that within this web of deception, Cooper is shrouding the truth that he was there when the shots went off. If the pair fail to uncover the real murderer, Jason will get locked up for a crime he didn't commit--and drag down Cooper with him.
Saltwater
by Katy Hays

Author Katy Hays’s gripping second novel centers on the Lingate family’s dark secrets. Thirty years after Sarah’s death, her daughter Helen finds a necklace linked to her mother’s drowning. Helen and ally Lorna plot to blackmail the family, but when Lorna vanishes, hidden motives emerge, leading to a thrilling, dangerous unraveling. ​*This book may be requested from our LibShare partner, Marion Co. Public Libraries.
The Reluctant Sheriff
by Chris Offutt

Reluctantly serving as interim sheriff in his small hometown, ex-Army CID officer Mick Hardin investigates a bar owner's murder and two seemingly unrelated deaths, while also navigating personal demons, his sister Linda's recovery, and the pressure of a powerful figure vying for her return to office.  *This book may be requested from our LibShare partners, Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library & Marion Co. Public Libraries.
Fog and Fury
by Rachel Howzell Hall

After ten years on the force, LAPD cop Sonny Rush relocates with her elderly mother to peaceful Haven, California, to join her godfather's burgeoning PI business. What crimes could possibly happen in a town nicknamed "Mayberry by the Sea"? Sonny's first case: find Figgy, a missing goldendoodle last seen sporting a Versace collar. At least scouting out a dognapper gives Sonny a chance to get to know her new neighbors.
Forty-eight hours in town and Figgy's disappearance entangles Sonny in an unwelcome reunion with her ex, one of Haven's wealthiest citizens. And when the body of a teenage boy is found along a popular hiking trail, Sonny is drawn into a web of strange beyond anything she ever saw in LA.
Then comes a local's warning: question everything. Haven hides secrets that could destroy its idyllic facade. Or destroy Sonny first.
This Book Will Bury Me
by Ashley Winstead

After her father’s death, Jane Sharp becomes fixated on a local murder, solving the case with her sharp investigative skills. She joins a group of sleuths and, when three women are murdered in Idaho, the team dives into the mystery, uncovering unsettling truths in this compelling, slow-burn thriller.
For more great recommendations, visit bplwv.org
Bridgeport Public Library
1200 Johnson Avenue, Bridgeport, West Virginia 26330
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