As a devout reader of fantasy and dark fiction, one of my most common criticisms of the genres is that they are rife with tropes. While tropes are not inherently negative, as using a proven formula is a logical path to success, overuse can often lead to burnout. Tropes can…
Wyatt SemenukJanuary 18, 2023
Reese Witherspoon has announced that her January Book Club pick is debut author Ana Reyes’ The House In The Pines (Dutton). Filled with eerie nostalgia, impossible-to-guess twists, and a fascinating look at how the fantasy of “going home” can quickly fall apart, the book is a fresh, impressive launch for Reyes which…
BookTribJanuary 17, 2023
If you know anything at all about the publishing world, it’s probably this: It’s full of people who think you should have to choose between a nuanced, deeply moving tale of grief and family strife, and a barnburner of a horror yarn about evil puppets who gleefully ram sewing needles…
April SnellingsJanuary 9, 2023
Katy Hays’ debut is dark, seductive and captivating. The first page tumbles into the next and the next, the entire book unfolding in the course of one sitting — it is utterly unputdownable. Exploring fate, class divides, magic and history, The Cloisters (Atria) is a grand piece of fiction that…
Megan BeauregardNovember 3, 2022
Edgar nominated bestselling novelist David Bell has chosen a bucolic, tree-lined college campus in Kentucky for the setting of his latest suspenseful thriller The Finalists (Berkley). The fictional Hyde House facade depicted on the cover bears similarities to Henry Hardin Cherry Hall (minus the cupola) on his home campus of…
Linda HitchcockJuly 5, 2022
One murder every ten years seemed extremely reasonable. We all encounter bad people all the time. Backstabbing coworkers. Assholes who litter. Fathers who hit. Mothers who neglect. People who run puppy mills. And on and on. But I was not in the business of killing off every jerk who crossed…
Neil NyrenMarch 25, 2022
In a literary space where the business of agenting and publishing is increasingly siloed, New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd has strayed from the regular mold of genre fiction with a protean body of work ranging from suspense and thriller novels to romance, paranormal and historical fiction. Dodd’s new…
Nish AmarnathDecember 26, 2019
In some murder mysteries, we struggle to figure out who the killer is because everybody’s alibi seems so darn plausible — we keep looking for holes. But in Sara Shepard’s newest novel Reputation (Dutton), nobody’s story rings true. Even Kit, the character who pretty much launches the whole plot, begins…
Sherri DaleyDecember 2, 2019
This year, we've seen a lot of books that seem to just raise the bar on what we can expect from literature in terms of mesmerizing plots, spellbinding characters and twists no one ever saw coming. But debut novel Social Creature, with its eye-catching cover that stops you in your tracks may…
Rachel Fogle De SouzaJune 21, 2018
There are good psychological thrillers, and then there are great psychological thrillers - the ones that leave your heart pounding, and your breathing just a touch too fast. While sometimes it can be hard to sort between the two, now you don't have to: Peter Swanson, author of Her Every Fear has…
BookTribApril 3, 2018
It's one of the most talked about books, included on every list of recommendations, no matter what the occasion. Tangerine, the psychological thriller by debut author Christine Mangan, is not only beautifully written prose, but electric in imagery. Taking place in Tangier, Morocco, in the 1950s, the novel is vivid and full…
Rachel Fogle De SouzaMay 22, 2018
It’s December, which means time for feasts and festivities with loved ones! Over the next few weeks year-long dreams of consuming seasonal delicacies and your holiday favorites will become reality. Books about food are a great way to fill a craving without packing on all the extra pounds this time…
Jessica (Jo) ChangDecember 21, 2017
"Very few post-apocalyptic novels have the literary qualities of this one. ... Like all the best authors in the genre, David Yoon is willing to ask what ‘the End of the World’ really means — and provide the reader with a thoughtful, heartfelt answer." —San Francisco Chronicle —∞— Imagine waking…
Guy BergstromJune 7, 2022
At first glance, St. Benedict is a small, quaint Southern town that oozes the type of charm lovers of Sweet Magnolias and Dawson’s Creek thrive on. Scratch at the veneer of this perfectly crafted façade and you’ll reveal a nitty, gritty darkness that clings to you like a second skin.…
Monique SnymanMay 10, 2022
John Searles has written an intensely compelling book of suspense in his current novel Her Last Affair (Mariner Books). It begins in a light-hearted vein with laugh-out-loud humorous lines but as swiftly as the reader thinks “this looks fun,” a twisting slide down the funhouse chute pops open with a…
Linda HitchcockMarch 22, 2022