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Mysteries, Thrillers, Horror, Oh My! August 2026 |
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The Unknown
by Riley Sager
In 1926, five women disappeared from a remote island in Vermont. Now, one hundred years later, it's happening again. Struggling actress Marin Keane is shocked when she lands a role in a major motion picture about the unsolved mystery of New Avalon, an island on sprawling Lake Faraday in Vermont. She's even more surprised when she learns that the role requires a weeklong research trip to that very spot. Because New Avalon isn't your ordinary island. A century ago, it was a commune for spiritual mediums--until they all vanished in 1926. The only trace of them was five dresses hanging from the branches of an old oak tree in the middle of the island, one for each missing woman. Some locals say they simply left. Others think they were murdered. But the prevailing opinion, thanks to a diary left behind by one of the vanished, a young woman named Daisy Rue, is that a s ance gone wrong conjured something supernatural that took them all one by one. Not long after arriving, Marin and her castmates, including legendary actress Violet Wright and white-hot director Ronan Peters, begin to realize all is not right with New Avalon. They hear strange noises in the night and notice mysterious symbols left behind by the island's previous occupants. And after a sudden health emergency leaves Marin, Ronan, and the other actors stranded on the island, the disappearances begin again. Is it the work of someone trying to derail the movie? Or is the island's alleged supernatural past catching up with the present? As fear and suspicion mount, Marin turns to Daisy's diary, hoping it holds the key to figuring out what really happened to the women of New Avalon--and how to keep the island's terrible history from repeating itself.
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These Ancient Bones
by Heather Graham
The X-Files meets Dan Brown in this suspenseful tale of dark magic, ancient curses, and modern murder, as two agents with unusual talents investigate a series of sensational crimes in the historic city of St. Augustine, Florida. The case is sensational. Whistle-blower investigative journalist George Maynard has been killed in his St. Augustine home, his body so badly burned the morgue is needed to verify his identity. Paranormal investigator Shelly Mahoney has been transferred to a special unit to help law enforcement. Off the books, the unit is called the Krewe of Hunters and deals with strange cases. At the murder scene with federal agent Grant Markham, Shelly makes an odd discovery: a stone etched with what appears to be a curse that invokes flames. If Shelly can use her ability to summon the dead--providing they have remained behind--she may unearth what happened. Grant, too, has an unique ability. By holding the hand of the recently deceased, he can see what has happened to them. Yet in this case, neither of their gifts is of any help. As they set out to question those who might have had a motive, they also study ancient curse tablets--often used in the Greco-Roman world to cause death or warfare. What ensues is a shocking discovery by the medical examiner and a search that takes the team to Italy where a similar murder may reveal the creators of the mystical tablets--made deadly with a little human assistance. But soon, the danger is closer than ever--because the target is Shelly . . .
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Deceptions
by Jeffery Deaver
The New York Times bestselling author and master of suspense returns with a devious collection, featuring two never-before published stories in which fan favorites Colter Shaw, adapted for TV (CBS's Tracker, starring Justin Hartley), and Lincoln Rhyme are united by the layers of deception taking over New York City. A murder at a crime writers' conference. The method is entirely literary, the motive seems obvious--but can the detective who was first on the scene puzzle out what needs reading between the lines? A brilliant sleuth, obsessed with Sherlock Holmes's mysteries, turns his attention to a serial killer stalking the streets of New York City. But as his deductions bring him closer to his prey, he starts to wonder who is really doing the hunting. A mysterious woman has gone into hiding and Colter Shaw is tasked with bringing her to a safe house. But with a hitman on his trails, the race toward safety takes on a whole new meaning. A serial killer with a motive never before seen in the history of crime challenges Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs to rethink everything they know about the nature of evil--and the evidence its perpetrators leave at the scenes. No stranger to the cat-and-mouse chase or our favorite twists and turns, Jeffery Deaver brings his chops to Deceptions, where every story unearths trickery and the truths that lie buried deep under.
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Promise Me Never
by Liv Constantine
Aspiring writer Savannah's scheme to meet superstar horror novelist Bennett Bryson turns out better than she ever imagined: not only does her charming and handsome literary idol offer to read her work, he is instantly smitten with her. After a whirlwind romance, Savannah says yes to marriage, and the two settle into Bennett's secluded upstate home. But just as Savannah thinks she has it made, cracks appear in her perfect new life. Bennett's behavior becomes dark and controlling: he criticizes Savannah's writing, dictates her permitted activities, and spends most of his time locked in his office, forbidding her from entering. And everywhere, Savannah cannot escape the shadow of Bennett's first wife, the free-spirited and passionate artist Poppy, who died in a tragic accident, but who seems still to be Savannah's rival for Bennett's affection. Then comes an enigmatic warning: Bennett is not who he seems. The women that came before Savannah have disappeared. And Savannah could be next. Isolated and unsure whom to trust, Savannah tries to piece together the mystery of the man she married, and the woman he married first. But Savannah has no idea what her husband is really hiding. And someone out there knows Savannah has secrets of her own. As these two writers will learn the hard way--past really is prologue. With memorably complicated characters, deliciously devious betrayals, and truly shocking twists, this edge-of-your-seat novel from one of today's most original writers will keep you guessing until the last page.
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You'll Be Sorry
by Lisa Gardner
For Raquel and Theo Collins, it appeared to be love at first sight. Raquel, a renowned interior designer, and Theo, a brash financial wizard met and married in a matter of months, only to confront a terrible tragedy. Now, unbearably aware of the distance between them, they've come to a remote town in New Hampshire to begin anew. Perched on a ledge with stunning views, the Dixon's family lodge was once a crown jewel of the mountains. Until late one August night, when both parents and their four children vanished, leaving behind a trail of bloody footprints, and a mystery that has endured for thirty years. Now, its latest occupants, the Collinses, are arriving, and the former grand lodge is once more stirring to life. For Amanda Grady, following in her father's footsteps as the recently appointed Shereford police chief, it's good to see a fresh start for the derelict Dixon place. However, not everyone is happy about a new family in the old home and its hidden past may have returned with a vengeance. When a stray dog leads to the discovery of a skeleton on the property, Raquel and Theo face a daunting choice of what to believe, who to trust, and how to survive. Because in the tiny village of Shereford the time has come. The local residents, the new neighbors, and the fledgling police chief must work together to unravel the terrifying events that happened one night thirty years ago, or ... You'll be sorry.
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That Night
by Gillian McAllister
NOW STREAMING ON NETFLIX
On vacation in Europe, Frannie makes two urgent phone calls. One to her sister, and one to her brother. The siblings come running, and they find their sister covered in blood, kneeling over an unmoving body. There's been an accident: Frannie has hit a man with her car, and she needs their help. They bury the body, and they make a promise. They'll never tell anyone. But when the police come calling, the siblings' lies start to spiral. They begin to doubt their trust in each other. Because what really happened that night? And who will be the first to crack? With the incredible twists and turns and a unique look at family relationships that McAllister has become known for, That Night is the ultimate summer thriller that asks: what would you do to protect your family?
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Big Little Truths
by Liane Moriarty
The last time we saw the women of Big Little Lies--Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie--their children were five years old. If someone wasn't invited to a birthday party, feelings were hurt. But ten years have passed and the kids are in high school, navigating all of the drama that accompanies teendom (goodbye playdates, hello drugs, sex, and alcohol). When the high school principal receives a threatening package in the mail, word quickly spreads throughout the community and parents are in an uproar. But Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie have other things to worry about. Celeste's mother-in-law, Mary Louise, is behaving oddly--is it old-age forgetfulness and bluntness or something more sinister? Madeline is facing perhaps the biggest challenge of her life, Jane is at a dangerous fork in her marriage, Bonnie has realized there's only so much solace in yoga. And Renata? Renata is living her best life--revenge is sweet. When a stranger begins lurking around the school asking supposedly innocent questions, this tightly connected group of women must finally face the full repercussions of the big little truths they have and haven't shared with their kids. Because the stakes are now much higher than not being invited to an ice-skating party--and the ice has never been thinner for any of them.
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Delusional: A Michael Bennett Thriller
by James Patterson
Detective Michael Bennett and army-sniper-turned-NYPD-officer Rob Trilling travel to Montana to investigate a case that crosses state borders and family lines in this thriller from the world's bestselling author. In New York City, a series of deadly bombs explodes. Across the river, a military base is burglarized for munitions. In Montana, violence and arson rock a small town outside of Bozeman. Are the incidents related? Bennett, Trilling, and the ATF investigate. A single-minded group angry with the government keep turning up in unexpected places, insisting that they're only trying to make the world a better place. To law enforcement, their claims seem delusional. Will words or gunpowder light the next fuse?
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Brain Damage
by Freida McFadden
How can you survive when you can't remember who wants you dead? Dr. Charly McKenna had the perfect life: a thriving dermatology practice, a luxury apartment overlooking Central Park, and a handsome husband who adored her. Until the night a bullet tore through her skull... and stole everything. Now Charly wakes in a rehabilitation hospital unable to walk, speak, or remember her own name. All she knows is that someone tried to kill her--and they may still be out there. As fragments of memory surface, so do unsettling questions about the people around her, including the attentive man who keeps appearing at her bedside. The truth of what happened that night lives somewhere inside her brain. And as Charly pieces together the jagged edges of her past, she begins to realize the most terrifying possibility: the person who wants her dead might be the one she once trusted most.
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They Say a Girl Died Here
by Sarah Pinborough
Anna Maybourne never imagined herself living in a place like Harper's Creek, a nowhere town full of dusty farmland plagued by drought. It's supposed to be a new start for her and her family, but after dropping out of college, Anna feels stuck in place--working a part-time job, watching her little sister grow up, and taking care of her grandmother with dementia, whose paranoid episodes have started to unnerve her. The only interesting thing about her new town, it seems, is the string of grisly murders attributed to a killer called the Farmhandman--and the clue she discovers that reveals the case is yet unsolved. Along with outspoken loner Melissa Laverne and handsome deputy Todd Greenbough, Anna fills her hours with the town's darkest curiosity--but even though the prime suspect is long dead, the Farmhandman murders begin to feel too close for comfort as the anniversary nears. Tension is building in Harper's Creek, and everyone can feel it. The house is becoming more claustrophobic by the day, and her grandmother is growing stranger. Anna begins to wonder if her delusional moments are somehow the key to discovering the truth about the murders, and if the old house, and her new start, is haunted by its own bloody baggage.
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Death Row
by Freida McFadden
A thrilling novella from #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden
Death is coming for her... unless she finds the truth first.Talia Kemper is on death row for murdering her husband. She had an alibi and no known motive, yet Talia's unwavering protestations of innocence have always been ignored. Then one day in the visiting area, she sees a man she's certain is her husband. But what does it mean if the person she's been convicted of killing isn't dead after all? As the days tick away toward Talia's execution, what will it take for her to be believed? With all hope of an appeal fading away, the fate of a condemned murderess takes a shocking turn.
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Stay Buried
by Jennifer McMahon
From the New York Times bestselling author of Children on the Hill comes a queer folk horror in which a woman must confront decades of secrecy and superstition to learn the truth about her mother's death. Some towns stay isolated for a reason. 1919: Frankie O'Massey has always been the black sheep of isolated Boone's Ferry, Vermont. Her uncle, Dr. Thomas Endicott, has been training her in the science of medicine, something the townspeople are wary of. When a mysterious illness strikes the town, and the community suspects supernatural forces, the two desperately search for a logical explanation. Patient zero seems to be the town's knackerman--a recluse who collects dead and dying farm animals to make use of their parts. 2016: Siblings Ashley and Malcolm lost their mother two years ago. When their grandmother dies, they inherit a property in Boone's Ferry--a place they've heard of but their grandmother has always refused to talk about--and embark on a trip to their ancestral home. The idyllic town is full of autumnal d cor, picturesque farmland, and small-town charm. But some of the townspeople aren't very welcoming--and they have some unsettling traditions, like leaving offerings to a vengeful spirit four times a year.
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The Secret Dinner
by Raphael Montes
This rollercoaster of a novel is highly imaginative and totally unique. I devoured it -- no pun intended -- in one sitting. By turns gory, shocking, macabre and often very funny, you won't be able to put it down. Just be grateful you're not on the menu... --Alex Michaelides #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient
Four childhood friends, eager for a taste of city life, swap rural Brazil for an apartment in Copacabana, Rio. But they have no idea of the fate that awaits them there. . . .Dante, Piglet, Miguel, and Hugo are your average students trying to make ends meet with part-time jobs, excited about the bright futures at their fingertips. So when their rent skyrockets, they struggle to keep their new lives and big dreams afloat. They need to make money however they can. In order to keep their apartment, the friends adopt an unorthodox plan and are soon sucked into a dark world of secret dinner parties catering to the twisted fantasies of Rio's elite. What starts as a joke quickly spirals out of their control. As the four friends fall deeper into this dark underworld and earn more money, the stakes get higher and the consequences deadlier, revealing the devious depths that lurk within each of them and threatening not only their friendship but also their lives.
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Meat Bees
by Dane Erbach
Jaws... with wasps.
By the time Scarlett Sutton arrives at her dad's cabin in the Smoky Mountains, two locals have already been eaten alive by wasps. Of course, she doesn't know this yet. All Scarlett knows is her mom finally checked herself into a hospital to take care of her mental health, leaving Scarlett alone with her dad all summer. After he insists that she get a job, Scarlett accepts a position at nearby Stovetop Outfitters, hoping to spend as much time away from him as possible. She doesn't expect to trip over a skeletonized corpse beneath the zip-line during one of her shifts--and definitely doesn't expect to be thrown into a Netflix-style true crime investigation. The local sheriff's department is so overwhelmed by these unsolved deaths that when one of the Stovetop Outfitters employees disappears next, Scarlett and her co-workers set out to find him on their own. They discover something much more horrifying: a swarm of yellow jackets stripping the meat off his body. Scarlett never signed up to solve a disgusting mystery, but in order to protect her friends and family, she must defeat the mountain's darkness and all these godforsaken wasps.
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