Rolling Meadows Library: Thrillers and Suspense: December 2025

Recent Releases

The Predicament
by William Boyd

In 1963, travel writer-turned-reluctant spy Gabriel Dax is dispatched from politically volatile Guatemala to divided Berlin, where whispers of an assassination plot threaten global consequences. Blending wit, history, and intrigue, William Boyd delivers a sharply observed espionage tale about an MI6 agent who keeps surviving his own missteps in this sequel to Gabriel's Moon.

Apostle's Cove
by William Kent Krueger

A few nights before Halloween, as Cork O'Connor gloomily ruminates on his upcoming sixtieth birthday, he receives a call from his son, Stephen, who is working for a nonprofit dedicated to securing freedom for unjustly incarcerated inmates. Stephen tells his father that twenty years ago, as the newly elected sheriff of Tamarack County, Cork was responsible for sending an Ojibwe man named Axel Boshey to prison for a brutal murder that Stephen is certain he did not commit.

The Perfect Hosts
by Heather Gudenkauf

A gender reveal party at the Drakes’ sprawling ranch takes a tragic turn when an accident leaves one of the 200 guests dead. As ATF Agent Jamie Saldano investigates, hidden rivalries, family secrets, and mysterious visitors surface, revealing that beneath the celebration’s glitter lies a dangerous web of deceit and a killer among the guests.

The Square of Sevens
by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

An orphaned fortune teller in 18th-century England searches for answers about her deceased mother and uncovers shocking secrets about her family--

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective
by Jo Nichols

Mrs. B., the landlady of The Marigold Cottages is a stubborn idealist who only rents to people she cares about: Sophie, an anxious young playwright with a dark past; Hamilton, an agoraphobe who likes to overshare; Ocean, a queer sculptor raising two kids alone; the perfectionist Lily-Ann; and Nicholas, a finance bro who's hiding secrets.

The Intruder
by Freida Mcfadden

When a bloodied girl appears on Casey’s doorstep during a violent storm, her quiet cabin in the New Hampshire woods becomes a trap. The girl’s mysterious past and deadly secrets soon put Casey in mortal danger. Alternating perspectives heighten the suspense as survival, trust, and hidden truths collide in this tense, pulse-pounding thriller.

Vicious Cycle
by Jaime Parker Stickle

Corey Tracey-Lieberman, a new mom and ex-reporter, is shaken when two teens are found dead under suspicious circumstances near her home. Unconvinced by the official accounts, she balances childcare and personal struggles while digging into the case, gradually exposing hidden threats, troubling secrets, and the broader dangers women face in her community.

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.

Contact your librarian for more great books!