|
|
Thrillers and Suspense June 2023 |
|
|
|
|
| The Last Word by Taylor AdamsWhat it is: a creepy, menacing thriller about an isolated woman forced to deal with the fallout of interacting with a thin-skinned, Extremely Online writer who can't handle criticism.
How it starts: Emma Carpenter is house-sitting on the Washington coast, coping with her troubled past by taking her dog Laika for long walks and indulging in a stream of cheap, trashy e-books. A particularly gruesome horror novel prompts her to write a bad review, something the book's author takes, very, very poorly.
Reviewers say: Taylor Adams' "modern-day Gothic effectively blends horror and thriller and is guaranteed to keep readers off-balance with its intensity and overall creepiness" (Booklist). |
|
|
|
Eddie's Boy
by Thomas Perry
What it's about: Retired mob hit man Michael Shaeffer has just survived a murder attempt, and to find out who wants him dead after years out of the business, he'll have to return to his old stomping ground and reacquaint himself with the past that he can't seem to escape.
Read it for: the balance between intricate plotting and brisk pacing; the humanity that author Thomas Perry is able to find in characters despite their morally questionable thoughts and actions.
Series alert: This is the 4th entry in the Butcher's Boy suspense series.
|
|
|
|
Dark Things I Adore
by Katie Lattari
Thirty years ago: a group of aspiring artists gather at a Maine art collective, where one night a combination of ambition and insecurity left one person dead, and dark secrets buried deep in the forest.
The present day: One of those artists, Max Durant, is now a Boston college professor and thesis advisor to painting prodigy Audra Colfax, who invites him to visit her family home in Maine. Max can't help reflecting on his past, but little does he know that Audra's invitation has a devastating connection to that night in the woods three decades ago.
For fans of: unreliable narrators and revenge served cold.
|
|
| Those Empty Eyes by Charlie DonleaStarring: Alexandra Armstrong (née Quinlan), who was wrongfully accused of the murder of her parents and brother when she was a teenager.
These days: Alex works as an investigator for the lawyer who won her a multi-million dollar defamation settlement, and her newest assignment involves a missing student journalist, a well-connected business major, and surprising ties to her own past.
Reviewers say: "This searing look at the legal system, entitlement, and exploitation is not to be missed" (Publishers Weekly). |
|
| You Know Her by Meagan JennettWhat it is: a gritty and atmospheric Southern gothic noir that subverts serial killer story tropes and tackles complicated social questions.
Starring: mixed-race officer Nora Martin, who is forced to endure her colleagues' "jokes" about her race and gender while trying to prove herself in their small Virginia town's police force; Sophie Braam, a local bartender with dark secrets who develops a strange kinship with Nora.
Is it for you? In addition to the genre and style complexities of the story -- and some forays into magical realism -- You Know Her also examines issues like racism and sexual assault. |
|
|
|
Cherish Farrah
by Bethany C. Morrow
What it is: an intricately plotted and sometimes disturbing story of the complex relationship between two Black teenage girls living in a posh (and extremely white) community.
Read it for: the compelling mix of friendship and unhealthy competition that underlie the girls' bond with each other.
For fans of: Margo Hunt's Best Friends Forever; Oyoinkan Braithwaite's My Sister, the Serial Killer.
|
|
| Deep Fake by Ward LarsenWhat it's about: Sarah Ridgeway is married to Bryce, a first-term congressman whose political star is on the rise after he very publicly thwarted a terrorist attack. Troubling behavior changes follow Bryce's increase in fame, however, and Sarah turns to a well-connected, tech-savvy friend to help her uncover the truth.
For fans of: The Manchurian Candidate by Richard Condon (or either of its film adaptations).
About the author: Besides his standalone works Stealing Trinity and Cutting Edge, Ward Larsen is best known for his series of thrillers starring assassin David Slaton. |
|
| A Flaw in the Design by Nathan OatesWhat it is: a character-driven psychological thriller that blends intricate plotting and lyrical writing with a moving and occasionally disturbing tone.
The premise: Gil is a creatively stagnated, Vermont-based writing professor who reluctantly agrees to take in his privileged but troubled nephew Matthew after the boy is orphaned by a car accident -- a decision he starts to regret immediately as his own insecurities and Matthew's unnerving behavior mix into a caustic, toxic stew.
Read it for: Gil's complex motivations and multifaceted character development; insightful reflections on the power of stories, including the ones we tell ourselves. |
|
| Wolf Trap by Connor SullivanWhat it's about: Former CIA paramilitary office Brian Rhome reluctantly agrees to return to the field to prevent a multilateral climate change agreement from falling apart, getting a chance to avenge the deaths of the rest of his unit in the bargain.
About the author: Wolf Trap is the second novel by Connor Sullivan, who captured attention with his debut novel Sleeping Bear, which introduced readers to tough, capable Army vet Cassie Gale.
Reviewers say: Wolf Trap is "exhilarating" and Sullivan is "a writer to watch" (Publishers Weekly). |
|
Contact your librarian for more great books!
|
|
|
Michigan City Public Library
100 E. 4th Street
Michigan City, Indiana 46360
219-873-3044mclib.org/ |
|
|
|