| Kismet by Amina AkhtarWhat it is: one part character-driven thriller, one part biting send-up of New Age culture and its affluent devotees.
Where it's set: the glamorous Kismet retreat center, which draws clients in with scenic Sedona vistas and an endless array of wellness services.
Who it stars: new arrival Ronnie Khan, who jumped at the chance to leave her controlling family behind in New York; Ronnie's friend Marley Dewhurst, a volatile wannabe wellness guru; a large, mysterious flock of ravens that always seem to be lurking around town. |
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| The Last Paladin by P.T. DeutermannSeries alert: The Last Paladin is the 9th of P.T. Deutermann's historical thrillers set in the Pacific theater of World War II.
This time: USS Holland commander Mariano deTomasi and his crew set off on a tense search and destroy mission following a group of Japanese submarines on its way to devastate the main body of the U.S. Pacific fleet.
Reviewers say: "Deutermann ably conveys naval battle tactics, day-to-day life aboard a vessel, and the pandemonium of warfare" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| The Couple at Number 9 by Claire DouglasThe setup: Expectant mom Saffron Cutler has just moved into her grandmother's former home when construction workers stumble across human remains on the building site.
The twist: The police want to question grandma Rose, who lives in a nearby nursing home. Though Rose has Alzheimer's disease and can only provide limited details, Saffron can tell that her grandmother remembers something that she can't -- or won't -- talk about.
For fans of: Carolina Moonset by Matt Goldman; The Fixer by Joseph Finder. |
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| The Disinvited Guest by Carol GoodmanWhat it is: a creepy and menacing gothic quarantine story about unprocessed trauma and the lessons we fail to learn from history.
How it begins: Ten years after the initial COVID pandemic, Lucy Harper, her husband Reed, and a small group of their friends and family travel to Maine to isolate themselves from a new, even deadlier virus, only to discover they're not safe from each other either.
Reviewers say: The Disinvited Guest is a "smooth cocktail of refreshingly chilly suspense" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| We Lie Here by Rachel Howzell HallThe setup: Shortly after TV writer Yara Gibson reluctantly travels home for her parents' 20th anniversary party, she begins to receive increasingly urgent messages from a family friend who dies in a suspicious "accident" before the two can meet up.
Read it for: the well-developed characters, strong sense of place, and well-crafted small town dialogue.
You might also like: All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers; All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda. |
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| The Devil Takes You Home by Gabino IglesiasThe premise: Down-on-his-luck hitman Mario agrees to "one last job" to help make ends meet. His assignment? Rob a Mexican drug cartel.
What happens next: En route to Mexico, Mario grapples with disturbing and unexplained phenomena that make him question his aptitude for the job -- and his chances of coming home alive.
Is it for you? Rising author Gabino Iglesias' nail-biting latest offers an unflinching blend of paranormal thriller and barrio noir that doesn't shy away from the violence and brutality its characters face. |
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| The Lost Kings by Tyrell JohnsonWhat it is: a compelling and intricately plotted story about a flawed, traumatized young woman looking to learn more about her past and her estranged family's many secrets.
Starring: Jeanie King, who is fighting to keep her self-destructive impulses at bay long enough to discover the disturbing truth about why her family fell apart years ago.
For fans of: unreliable narrators, dysfunctional family dynamics, and stories of survival. |
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| The Swell by Allie ReynoldsFeaturing: former surfer Kenna, who swore off the waves after her boyfriend's drowning death years earlier; her best friend Mikki, who introduces Kenna to her alluring new group of surfing-obsessed friends.
One last ride: Worried about the company Mikki has been keeping, Kenna agrees to return to the waves temporarily to serve as a counterbalance. But the more Kenna learns about the group the less she trusts them, especially after finding out about their ties to a tourist who recently disappeared under very mysterious circumstances.
Reviewers say: The Swell is an "exhilarating, adrenaline-filled tale" (Kirkus Reviews) full of "twists and turns keep readers guessing until the end" (Booklist). |
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