98 New Mystery Books That'll Have You on the Edge of Your Seat

Old Hollywood glamour and competition make for an alluring and deadly combination in "Last Night at the Hollywood Canteen," Sarah James's mystery set in 1940s Los Angeles. Playwright Annie Laurence knows murder, at least when it's written for the stage. That's why she's frustrated that she can't find the right star for her latest show. While attending a private party at the Hollywood Canteen, an exclusive club for Hollywood's elite, she winds up in the middle of a plot she could have written herself: a largely disliked film critic is dead, and only a star or staff member can be responsible. Getting to the bottom of a murder mystery proves to be more challenging than Annie once thought, especially when she could be next.

Release date: Nov. 7

Ever dreamed of winning the lottery? In Gilly Macmillan's "The Manor House," a stroke of luck may cost a couple their livelihoods. A lottery win is more than enough to change the lives of lovers Nicole and Tom, who go from humble beginnings to lavish living in an instant. But their luxurious daydream is cut short when Tom drowns in their pool, leaving Nicole alone in a massive new home with no one to share it with. Everyone is trying to comfort Nicole in her time of need — the residents who live in the larger mansion nearby and an old friend of Tom's. But is anyone truly looking out for Nicole's best interests, or are they all looking out for themselves?

Release date: Nov. 7

Finley Turner has planned a party that can't be missed in "The Engagement Party." Kass Baptiste is the newest initiate into the Sedgemont clan with her engagement to Murray. When the family invites her and her fiancée to their estate to celebrate their forthcoming union, Kass doesn't know what to expect from this family of power. What should be a night of getting to know one another is shattered when a body turns up dead during the party. As the newcomer, Kass is the obvious suspect, but this bloodline is more cutthroat than they appear.

Release date: Nov. 7

In Christina Henry's "Good Girls Don't Die," three different women fight for survival when they wake up in the middle of their own mystery tales. When Celia wakes up, her husband and children keep reminding her that this is her home, but she can tell when she's being lied to and begins to question her own sanity. A weekend birthday trip to a cabin in the woods should be bringing Allie and her friends closer together, but instead sees the group hunted. When Maggie finds herself inside a maze with a group of other women, she has no choice but to escape if she wants to get back home to her family. Henry weaves a central question throughout her mysterious stories: how did these women get here?

Release date: Nov. 14

Marlitt Kaplan, the detective of Lauren Nossett's mystery "The Professor," had no intention of taking on the biggest case to hit social media in months. The death of college student Ethan Haddock is the news everyone is whispering about because it seems he had a torrid relationship with one of his professors. Kaplan, enlisted to investigate by her mother, who's a colleague of the accused professor, begins a deep dive into Ethan's life. Kaplan may dig too deep, becoming embroiled in campus politics and the victim's circle of friends, unable to tell if her findings are objective or simply what she wants to believe.

Release date: Nov. 14

Charlotte Vassell's "The Other Half" reveals the ugly underbelly hidden among a group of rich socialites when one of the group's own turns up dead. Everyone wants an invitation to Rupert Beauchamp's exclusive 30th birthday party, but only the who's who of society will get in. An evening of debauchery comes to a screeching halt when the next morning, Clemmie, Rupert's girlfriend, turns up dead. Detective Caius Beauchamp cannot be sure who of this group of spoiled partiers could be capable of murder. But it becomes clear that alliances aren't as stable as they appear when money is on the line.

Release date: Nov. 21

Bending the boundaries of truth comes easy for Jillian Cantor in her latest thriller "The Fiction Writer." The name Daphne du Maurier is inescapable for writer Olivia Fitzgerald. After a failed retelling of one of du Maurier's books, she's been hired by a billionaire who hides from the public eye to ghostwrite his book about du Maurier. Staying at his Malibu estate and writing a fluff piece doesn't seem to be too much of a problem until it becomes clear that Daphne du Maurier held more secrets than Olivia could have imagined, and writing about her could cost her her life.

Release date: Nov. 28

In Nita Prose's "The Mystery Guest," a standalone following "The Maid," a high-stakes murder heightens the stakes for a hotel maid. People flock to the five-star Regency Grand Hotel because of the service women like Molly Gray, who has been recently promoted to Head Maid. Prolific author J. D. Grimthorpe is their latest guest, and the pressure is on for Molly to prove that she's the right woman for the job. But when Grimthorpe is murdered, drawing back old rivals and media attention that could destroy the hotel's reputation, Molly will have to put on her detective hat to uncover who is behind the crime.

Release date: Nov. 28

In Michele Campbell's thriller "The Intern," Madison Rivera has looked up to Judge Katheryn Conroy for practically her whole life. She's the reason Madison pursued a career in law, and it feels like things are coming full circle when she lands an internship working under her. But when Madison's brother is wrongfully arrested, and Kathryn is the judge on the case, Madison's entire career is put into jeopardy. An investigation leads Madison to question whether Judge Kathryn has ever truly been an advocate for the rule of law, and if this internship was meant to set her up.

Release date: Oct. 3

The holiday season brings up unpleasant memories for Alison, the focus of Jennifer McMahon's thriller "My Darling Girl." Alison has never quite moved on from her traumatic upbringing with her mother Mavis. When Alison gets a call informing her that Mavis has been diagnosed with cancer and will soon die, Alison invites her to spend her final weeks with her family. Mavis's ability to wrap Alison's family around her finger makes Alison realize that Mavis may not have come here just to spend the holidays with family. And Alison will do whatever it takes to make sure her family doesn't face the same heartbreaks she once did.

Release date: Oct. 3

The small religious town of Bottom Springs sets the stage for "Midnight Is the Darkest Hour," Ashley Winstead's riveting thriller about agency. Librarian Ruth Cornier has never fallen in line with the beliefs of her small town, even if her father is the pastor. When a skull is found in the local swamp, the town becomes overtaken with rumors of what could have happened. Was it God? The Devil? The work of the mysterious forces rumored to terrorize residents on moonless nights? The only person willing to get answers is Ruth and her estranged childhood friend Everett. Digging into the town's past uproots the history between Ruth and Everett and their investigation into the supernatural and human forces at play.

Release date: Oct. 3

"The Leftover Woman" from Jean Kwok grapples with grief, loss, and racism in a mother's journey to find her daughter. Jasmine Yang never knew that the daughter she birthed when she was a girl in China actually survived until years later. Jasmine flees her former life and heads to New York, desperate to find the daughter that was taken from her. Rebecca, a publishing industry titan, loves her husband, her adopted daughter, and her career. But when she comes under fire for a scandal at work, everything she's worked so hard to protect is under threat of being taken away. Rebecca and Jasmine's journeys, seemingly so distant, slowly intertwine until the devastating choices of each woman land them in an explosive reckoning that will change both of their lives.

Release date: Oct. 10

Dann McDorman's "West Heart Kill" is a playfully twisty murder mystery set at an upscale New York City country club. The West Heart Club is for insiders only. Detective Adam McAnnis makes an appearance for the club's Bicentennial weekend for pleasure, not work. But when a member of the club mysteriously drowns and another member is shot and killed, McAnnis has no choice but to investigate the strange coincidences at the club. Add on a storm that keeps everyone trapped inside, and the odds of each member's survival continue to slim, as the body count begins to rise.

Release date: Oct. 24

Janet Evanovich marks a major milestone with "Dirty Thirty," the latest Stephanie Plum book, and the 30th book in the mystery series. Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is on her own for her latest investigation. Jeweler Martin Plover is convinced Nutsy, his former security guard, is responsible for a missing tray of jewels after the store was robbed. As Stephanie tracks Nutsy, she also keeps an eye out for Duncan Dugan, a fugitive who robbed Martin's store on the same day Nutsy allegedly did. On the hunt for not one, but two suspects, Stephanie should be focused. And neither her boyfriend's increasingly hungry mutt nor her best friend's fear of a demon will stand in the way of her solving her case.

Release date: Oct. 31

Fans of "The Inheritance Games" will enjoy Mackenzie Reed's YA debut "The Rosewood Hunt," following a group of teens on the hunt for a dead businesswoman's treasure. When Lily Rosewood receives the news that her grandmother, the illustrious chair of their family's luxury coat business, has passed away, she's undone with grief. To make matters worse, Gram's property and fortune have not been passed down the family line but instead are the prize in a challenge Gram has left behind. Lily will have to compete against several other brilliant teens to win back her family's fortune or risk losing it all to strangers.

Release date: Oct. 31

In Lauren Muñoz's surprising YA mystery "Suddenly a Murder," seven friends enter a 1920s-themed party, but only six are alive by the end of the night. To close out the end of a hectic school year, Izzy Morales gathers her closest friends for a night of Gatsby-style celebration. But instead of dancing the night away in pearls, the teens are dealing with a dead body found alongside Izzy's knife. Years of friendship and loyalty are tested as a police investigation begins, and it turns out this friend group has plenty of secrets that are worth killing over.

Release date: Sept. 5

Lisa Springer's YA debut, "There's No Way I'd Die First," puts an expert final girl to the test when the stuff of horror movies becomes a reality the night of her Halloween party. Noelle is a horror-movie aficionado who dreams of popularity and throws a Halloween bash meant to send her social cache skyrocketing. All seems to be going perfectly when even powerful influencers make an appearance — that is, until a clown hired for the party begins killing the guests. Noelle's arsenal of horror-movie factoids is now the teen's survival guide, and Noelle will pull out all the stops to make sure she makes it to the end.

Release date: Sept. 5

No one does big thrills and scares quite like Stephen King, and "Holly" marks the appearance of his oft-revisited character Holly Gibney. The Finders Keepers detective agency is in Holly's capable hands, and despite her desire to take time off to grieve the loss of her mother, she can't turn away a desperate new client who claims her daughter is missing. Some snooping leads Holly to a seemingly perfect couple, Rodney and Emily Harris, respected professors who are more devious than they seem. Holly's investigation points her toward a disturbing secret harbored in the Harrises' basement, and the well-polished couple aren't going to let Holly expose them without a fight.

Release date: Sept. 5

"The River We Remember" from mystery juggernaut William Kent Krueger follows the fallout in a small town when its richest resident is murdered. Rather than a peaceful Memorial Day honoring veterans, the citizens of Jewel, MN, are facing even more loss when the body of affluent landowner Jimmy Quinn turns up in the lake with a bullet wound. Sheriff Brody Dern is left to handle the investigation, but the rage of the town's residents begins to take over. With only so much time before the town's anger boils over into another act of violence, Sheriff Brody hopes to find answers and reckon with the town's painful history.

Release date: Sept. 5

Sarah Slade, the star of Lisa M. Matlin's propulsive thriller debut, "The Stranger Upstairs," makes the common mistake of renovating the site of a grisly murder. Despite its appealing demeanor, Sarah knows the morbid history of the Victorian manor she's attempting to renovate as a distraction from her failing marriage. Someone was murdered in that house, but Sarah plans on transforming it into the house of her dreams. But with vicious neighbors, an absent husband, and strange noises coming from the attic, Sarah slowly realizes that perhaps getting a deal on this house might cost her her life.

Release date: Sept. 12

Jessica Knoll highlights the long-lasting trauma of two women investigating a man they both believed murdered their friends in the page-turner thriller "Bright Young Women." In 1978, Florida State University student Pamela faced the worst night of her life when a man broke into her sorority house and murdered two of her sorority sisters. Grappling with her grief, Pamela finds solace in a new friendship with Tina, who believes the same man killed her friend. Pamela and Tina unite forces to piece together evidence on the now-infamous All-American Sex Killer and fight for justice for their friend while facing down how the horrors of their past have trickled into their present.

Release date: Sept. 19

Told via interviews, transcripts, newspaper articles, voicemails, and more, "Murder in the Family" takes a look at the death of a family man through the lens of a true-crime television show investigating his death. When Guy Howard was only 10 years old, his father, Luke, was murdered inside his own home, and the case was closed with no arrests. Today, the public is still fascinated by the case, and true-crime television show "Infamous" has gathered six experts to unriddle the mystery, with Gus at the helm as director to finally seek out answers about the horrific night.

Release date: Sept. 19

In "Saving Emma," Allen Eskens ups the stakes of a public defender's new case when his own goddaughter gets involved in his work. Boady Sanden has been caring for his goddaughter, Emma, ever since her father and his best friend, Ben, was murdered years ago. It comes as a surprise to him when his new case for the Innocence Project, a man who claims to be a prophet, has ties to Ben and is eerily tied to his gruesome murder. When Emma suddenly disappears, Boady rushes to find his goddaughter, solve the case, and put an end to age-old questions about his best friend's death.

Release date: Sept. 19

True-crime thriller "Penance" by Eliza Clark unravels the truths behind a horrific teen murder. British Journalist Alex Z. Carelli is investigating what happened the night of 16-year-old Joni Wilson's murder at the hands of three other young women. On the tail end of his career and grieving the loss of his daughter, Alex is determined to create a juicy tale that will shake the nation. Interviews with Joni's mother, Joni's former friends, witnesses, and even the killers themselves paint a vivid picture of the victim, her personal life, her secrets, and the events leading up to the night in question. Everyone has a reason for wanting to share their thoughts on Joni and her death, and Alex's account has the power to shape the world's perspective on the violent tragedy.

Release date: Sept. 26

Danielle Valentine's haunting thriller "Delicate Condition" follows a woman grappling with a strange pregnancy and the men around her who refuse to listen. All Anna Alcott has ever wanted was a family. After several rounds of IVF, she still remains hopeful that her most recent treatment will be a success, despite all of the strange appointment mishaps and disappearing medications. When Anna's doctor tells her she has miscarried, she struggles to understand what's happening because she can still feel the baby moving and growing inside of her. No matter what she does, no one will listen to Anna's concerns, and she begins to fear that whatever is happening inside of her will harm her.

Release date: Aug. 1

In Catherine Ryan Howard's startling thriller "The Trap," a grieving sister and an Irish police-hopeful team up to find a killer before he kills his latest victim. Lucy hasn't been the same since that fateful night one year ago when her sister Nicki went to a party and never came home. Nicki joined a list of women in recent history to suddenly vanish with no explanation, and Lucy needs answers. Missing Persons Unit worker Angela may have a hunch on the answers Lucy is looking for, but digging into this case threatens to destroy her career before it even starts. And somewhere in a car, a killer and his victim drive along. The killer wants to share his side of the story, but will his victim survive until the end?

Release date: Aug. 1

"Three Fires" is Denise Mina's fictionalized account of Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola and the ravenous fires that tore through Florence, leading to his untimely demise. Savonarola once dreamed of becoming a physician and settling down, but when his career was destroyed, he turned to religion, rising in the ranks to become a man of power. Growing more fanatical, Savonarola believed it was his responsibility to rid the world of luxuries that would tempt his converts and set Florence ablaze in the notable "Bonfire of the Vanities" that claimed priceless items of literature and art. Mira paints a portrait of a man desperate in his commitment to his religion and willing to burn his city down to prove it.

Release date: Aug. 1

The former child stars of Kiersten White's "Mister Magic" can't quite remember who Mister Magic is, but they remember how he made them feel. Val, a star on the "Mister Magic" children's show, has no recollection of her time on the show now that she's an adult. But when someone claiming to be a costar appears at her doorstep, she can't deny the familiarity she immediately feels. The public clamors for details about the "Mister Magic" stars, and a reunion brings them all together once more to rehash what really happened on the show years ago. With no footage from the show left, only Val and her costars know what happened back then and why it ended so abruptly. But their reunion feels less like a chance to reminisce and more like a trap.

Release date: Aug. 8

Lisa Jewell delivers a tale of unbelievable lies that threaten to consume a podcaster's life in her latest thriller, "None of This Is True." On the night of her 45th birthday, podcaster Alix Summer meets housewife Josie, who is also celebrating her 45th birthday. When fate sees the two run into each once again, Alix takes it as a sign to center Josie in the next podcast. As Alix begins researching Josie, discrepancies in her stories and her life become more evident. But after Josie has ingratiated herself into Alix's life with all of her tales, she suddenly vanishes. Now it's Alix whose life is under the spotlight, as she becomes the center of a media storm with a horrifying question at its center: who is Josie, and what has she really done?

Release date: Aug. 8

Writer Wilder Harlow, the focus of Catriona Ward's mind-bending thriller "Looking Glass Sound," is revisiting his past to write his latest book. While summering in Maine as a teen, Wilder began a tentative friendship with local Nat and a vacationer named Harper. Their bond was built on their shared love of local lore around the Dagger Man, a killer who left trophies of his kills behind. But the trio's friendship shattered the night they made a horrifying discovery and promised to never speak of it again. Now, Wilder attempts to write about what happened that night, but his memories of the evening are inconsistent, he's having hallucinations, and he comes back home to entire chapters of his book he doesn't remember writing. With something haunting him, Wilder knows he must get this story right before it's too late.

Release date: Aug. 8

Will Dean's "The Last One" plays with the concept of a final girl when a vacationer wakes up to no other passengers on board her cruise ship. Getting onto the RMS Atlantic was supposed to be a dream for Caz. She and her husband, Pete, would be starting the first day of the rest of their lives together on this cruise. Night one is full of everything Caz hoped for: delicious drinks, dancing until her feet hurt, and endless time with the love of her life. But the next morning, Pete is not in their room. As a matter of fact, there is no one in any of the rooms on the entire ship. Left to fend for herself in the Atlantic, Caz rushes to figure out what has happened to everyone on board and why she seems to be the only one left to survive.

Release date: Aug. 8

Is a tragic death the only way to cement one's legacy in Hollywood? Halley Sutton delivers a twisty rumination of this question in "The Hurricane Blonde." Salma Lowe used to be the one in the spotlight, but today, she's pointing out the big names as a guide at the Stars Six Feet Under tour, a tourist attraction that highlights the locations of infamous deaths. Her job strikes close to home, considering her sister Tawney is one of the many names on the list, and the case remains unsolved after all these years. During a tour, Salma is shocked when an actual body turns up at one of the locations, dressed exactly like her sister was. Though the police want to chalk it up to coincidence or a copycat, Salma knows this was a message sent directly to her. But investigating what happened to her sister may make Salma yet another name on the endless list of tour stops.

Release date: Aug. 8

Alice Feeney, author of "Daisy Darker" and "Rock Paper Scissors," continues to keep readers on their toes with "Good Bad Girl," a psychological thriller brimming with complex mother-daughter dynamics. Two decades ago, a woman went shopping with her baby in a stroller, but at one point, she turned around to find her daughter was missing. In the same year, a woman was murdered at a care home. Today, Edith is at a nursing home, but she has plans of getting out. Her daughter Clio might not be speaking to her, but how could she after her breach of trust? Trust seems to be hard to come by as Edith's aid, Patience, seems delightful but hasn't told Edith the truth once since she's been working there. Feeney dives into the inner lives of the three women to reveal harrowing and heartbreaking secrets that all tie back to the missing baby and the death in the care home with skillful deception that will shock readers till the end.

Release date: Aug. 29

"The Housekeepers" by Alex Hay brings together a group of London women to pull off an unbelievable heist on the night of an exclusive ball. Mrs. King may give the appearance of a gracious housekeeper, but beneath that polished veneer is the wit of a professional criminal experienced in robberies. When the de Vries family fires her suddenly, Mrs. King sees robbing them as the perfect revenge, and she's got just accomplices to do it. Pulling from her network of acquaintances across the city, the women plan to take whatever they see fit from the de Vries during their biggest ball of the year, with no one the wiser. But each member of the crew has their reasons for wanting in on this job, and one wrong move could cost Mrs. King everything.

Release date: July 4

An outsider struggles to make sense of the world of an all-girls boarding school in Jessica Ward's coming-of-age mystery "The St. Ambrose School For Girls." Sarah Taylor knows that she doesn't belong at St. Ambrose. She doesn't come from the monied worlds these fancy girls do, but she hopes that the tentative friendship with her athlete roommate and her handsome RA will be enough to get her through the year. But when Sarah draws the attention of Greta, the school's queen bee, her life becomes a reel of humiliating pranks. But among the girls, a massive secret gets out, and one of their peers ends up dead. Surviving St. Ambrose will be a far more difficult challenge than Sarah thought.
Release date: July 11

In Megan Collins's "Thicker Than Water," the friendship of two women may crumble when the man who brought them together is accused of murder. Julia and Sienna Larkin are best friends, sisters-in-law, and business partners thanks to Jason, Julia's husband (who also happens to be Sienna's brother). Nothing could break their relationship until Jason's boss is murdered, and Jason is in a near-fatal car accident, leaving him in a coma. When the police state Jason is their prime suspect in his boss's murder, Sienna vehemently denies this is possible, but Julia grows worried that there are sides to Jason they don't know. As Sienna and Julia investigate Jason's private life and the secrets he kept from them, their friendship begins to fracture as one's faith in Jason wavers.

Release date: July 11

"Strange Sally Diamond"'s titular character has a dark and strange past. Sally grew up in Ireland without many friends due to bullying, her father and their home were the only safe refuge. When her father dies, and she incinerates his body as she believed he wanted, she attracts a furious media outrage and the attention of an anonymous messenger who seems to know more about Sally's past than she does. As Sally retraces her life into childhood, she questions if the people around her can be trusted or if cruelty is still all that's out there for her.

Release date: July 18

Jamie Day instills mistrust in one's neighbors in "The Block Party," the story of a summer celebration gone wrong. The exclusive community of Melbrook has gathered for a Memorial Day party, and all the central players of their neighborhood are present, including widowed Brooke; Mandy, a struggling mom; real estate agent Emily; and Emily's sister, Alex, an event planner. Instead of enjoying Blood Marys, everyone is accused of bloody murder when a body turns up, and the police set their sights on the women of the socialite community. As each woman's motivations for arriving at the party arises, Day's debut proves to be a masterful performance of sleight of hand.

Release date: July 18

The end of the world is near in Yume Kitasei's sci-fi thriller "The Deep Sky," and humanity's only hope is to look to the skies. One day before the world's end, a ship carrying Japanese American student Asuka and 87 other graduates rockets into space. Asuka and the others have been sent off to carry on humanity by procreating, but an accident knocks the ship off its course, killing fellow ship passengers. As the sole witness, Asuka is under fire from the crew. Asuka must help the team regain their trust in one another before it's too late and Earth's last chance at survival dies along with them.

Release date: July 18

Babies with a taste for blood unravel a group of mothers in "Cutting Teeth," Chandler Baker's latest mystery. Motherhood has consumed the individual identities of Darby, Mary Beth, and Rhea, mothers of young preschoolers at RiverRock Church. Right as the mothers have hopes of reclaiming their lives outside of their roles as parents, their children pick up a new fascination with blood and biting. As the strange habit turns into a dangerous compulsion, a schoolteacher winds up dead, and one of the children is to blame. Despite their initial dreams of escaping the confines of motherhood, with their children under scrutiny, these mothers will do anything to keep their children safe, even if their child is truly a threat.

Release date: July 18

Amy Engel's "I Did It For You" highlights a 14-year-old closed case in a small town when an apparent copycat emerges. Greer Dunning doesn't believe what everyone else in their Kansas town says about what happened to her sister, Eliza. Despite the police claiming Eliza and her boyfriend were murdered by Roy Matthews (who was convicted and executed for the crime), Greer has always suspected that there was more to the story. When a nearly identical case occurs more than a decade later, Greer refuses to let the truth evade her any longer and heads back home to investigate what truly happened that gruesome night years ago, even if it means drawing the killer's attention.

Release date: July 25

If you haven't caught up with the latest adventures of the Bayview Four, now is the time. "One of Us Is Back" is Karen M. McManus's final installment in her bestselling One Of Us is Lying series. For most, the town of Bayview brings about memories of the Bayview crew, consisting of several kids caught up in one student's elaborate death, and a copycat using a similar plot. Despite the teens' hopes of putting all of that behind them this summer, a new billboard marking a new game seems too coincidental to ignore. And when one of their own goes missing, the Bayview Crew know someone else has set their sights on them as targets, but the question is who.

Release date: July 25

Shari Lapena's "Everyone Here Is Lying" gives readers a clue about the residents they will encounter in the Stanhope community. Stanhope is meant to be the perfect place to raise a family. William Wooler is a Stanhope man as far as anyone can tell, but really he has been cheating on his wife. When his affair ends after a disastrous fight, all he wants to do is be left alone. But when he gets home, his nine-year-old daughter Avery is unexpectedly home, and William cannot control his temper. Hours later, Avery has been declared missing, and all the neighbors have something to say about the Woolers. But as the title suggests, maybe some of these neighbors are not to be trusted.

Release date: July 25

In "All the Sinners Bleed" from S.A. Cosby, the day Titus Crown should be celebrating his one-year anniversary as Charon County, VA's first Black sheriff, he's instead dealing with a shooting involving a teacher, a student, and his deputies. His investigation reveals the presence of a serial killer in the midst of their small community, and when Titus discovers a connection between the killer and the church, the town's harrowing history will come to light.

Release date: June 13

The next time you need a puzzle solved, call Mike Brink, the star of Danielle Trussoni's mind-bending thriller "The Puzzle Master." Ever since an accident during his time as a football player left him with the ability to see unique patterns, Mike Brink has been cracking the most difficult of puzzles with ease. His latest challenge, however, comes from Jess Price, a prisoner locked up for killing her ex-boyfriend who's never spoken again since. When Jess invites Mike to solve her puzzle, Mike soon realizes it's more than the physical puzzle in front of him he's trying to solve; he's also trying to solve the mystery of who really killed Jess's boyfriend, and what's at stake is a woman's freedom and his own life.

Release date: June 13

"The Drowning Woman" of Robyn Harding's mystery may not be who she says she is. According to Hazel, she's been stuck in an abusive marriage, and her only escape was to leap into the ocean in hopes of freeing herself, that is until sole witness Lee Guliver saves her life. Now Lee, struggling with her own housing troubles, wants to help Hazel in any way she can, and when Hazel returns asking for Lee to help her disappear, Lee agrees. But the more Lee is learning about Hazel as she prepares for the big escape, the less she knows about what the woman she's helping is capable of.

Release date: June 13

Throughout Wendy Heard's "You Can Trust Me," readers will be thrilled by the cunning resourcefulness of two swindlers traveling across the country. For the last five years, Summer and Leo have been traveling the country using their charm, good looks, and wit. Leo has found a remarkable new mark, rich philanthropist Michael, who could set them up for life, but when she goes on a date with him and doesn't return, Summer knows something bad has happened to her friend. Ingratiating herself in Michael's life in hopes of getting clues on Leo, Summer finds Michael is one of the first not to fall for her games and, with his unlimited resources and power, maybe the most dangerous person she's come across.

Release date: June 13

"Survive the Night" and "The House Across the Lake" author Riley Sager delivers a thrilling take on the insidious caretaker trope in "The Only One Left." In 1929, rumors in a small town in Maine spread about the murder of the Hope family and its sole survivor, Lenora Hope. Whispers fly that it was Lenora who murdered her entire family in cold blood and retired to a cliffside mansion where she still lives today. By 1983, in her old age, Lenora is only able to communicate through text, so she hires home-health aide Kit McDeere and reveals to him that she wants to tell him the entire truth about that night. As Kit helps Lenora write her story, the discrepancies in her version lead him to question whether the woman under his care is really in need of any help at all.

Release date: June 20

Andrea Bartz's seductive thriller "The Spare Room" features a woman's affair with a married couple going wrong in ways one couldn't imagine. When married couple Sabrina and Nathan offered their spare room to Kelly, she couldn't turn down their offer. Jobless and recently dumped by her fiancée, the care of her friends is what she needs. She's surprised when she finds herself attracted to both Sabrina and Nathan, and even more surprised when a night of fun leads to a threesome, and then the couple open up their marriage to be with her. Kelly's intrigue with this new relationship sours when she learns that the last woman they opened their marriage to disappeared. Becoming lovers with this couple might be a fatal notch in her streak of bad luck.

Release date: June 20

Aiden Walker, the focus of Clémence Michallon's "The Quiet Tenant," is good at keeping secrets. Nobody knows that he's kidnapped and killed eight women and has his ninth victim, Rachel, locked in the shed. But circumstance forces Aiden to move, taking his 13-year-old daughter, Cecilia, and Rachel with him. In his new house, Rachel is introduced to Cecilia as a family friend, but Rachel knows this may be her final chance to escape. Another woman, Emily, is thrown into the dynamic when she develops a crush on Aiden and is introduced to what seems like a perfectly normal family and their friend.

Release date: June 20

Can you trust what your neighbors say about you? In "What the Neighbors Saw," Melissa Adelman plays with the evergreen challenge of trusting the people living closest to you. For married couple Alexis and Sam, their new home in Cape Cod is a welcome escape from life in DC, until the murder of Teddy, one of the neighbors, puts everyone in the town on edge. Alexis befriends Teddy's widow, Blair, but rumors fly about what people saw Blair doing the night of the fatal incident. When the truth finally comes to light, Blair and Alexis are faced with choices to protect the reputations they've done everything to build.

Release date: June 20

Jack and her husband, Gabe, are the Mr. and Mrs. Smith of Crossways Security, a company specializing in hard testing security systems by sending the best of the best to attempt break-ins without getting caught. Jack's last assignment should have been a breeze, but something went wrong, and days later, Gabe is dead. Jack's list of true allies is now down to one as she races to uncover the killer before they get to her next. In Ruth Ware's "Zero Days" no one can be trusted.

Release date: June 20

Amy Suiter Clarke's "Lay Your Body Down" explores the aftermath of religious trauma when a girl heads back to her hometown where the cult-like community she left behind may be responsible for a heinous act. Del Walker can't remember the last time she returned back to Bower, MN, but a haunting voicemail left by Lars, her ex-boyfriend who soon turns up dead, forces her to buy a flight back home. What she finds is that the small but controlling church she grew up with has blown up into a megachurch, with its influence rising to match. Between the overly polished veneer of Lars's new wife, Eve, the eerie presence of Pastor Franklin, and the overwhelming presence of new members, Del's list of suspects in Lars's death is growing longer. Now, facing the trauma she experienced as a child is the only way to get answers.

Release date: June 27

Crystal Smith Paul's "Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?" is about the family, fame, and secrets surrounding the death of a beloved celebrity actress. Kitty Karr was a multimillion-dollar star, and when she dies, the last thing anyone expected was for her to leave her entire estate to equally famous Black actress Elise St. John and her sisters in her will. While going through Kitty's things, Elise uncovers a journal that harkens back to the earliest days of life in the segregated South, revealing family connections and damning secrets that threaten to upend everything Elise thought she once understood about herself, her family, and this woman she never knew.

Release date: May 2

"Lying in the Deep" is Diana Urban's complex YA mystery that takes place aboard a ship carrying a class of high-school students with secrets and grudges. Jade can't stand to look at her traitorous ex-boyfriend and former best friend, who are now dating. That's why she accepted her school's offer to study aboard a ship for a few weeks. Imagine her surprise when she discovers they'll both be attending as well. Fun on the high seas takes a fatal turn when someone is found dead, and it becomes clear Jade isn't the only one on board with a grudge worth killing for.

Release date: May 2

Katie Cotugno's "Liar's Beach" refreshes Agatha Christie's "The Mysterious Affair at Styles," making it the perfect thrilling read for spring. Unlike most of the kids at his prep school, Michael Linden is barely making it by with his lacrosse scholarship. When Michael is offered a two-week stay with a group of the school's most popular kids, he can't deny the opportunity to find an in with the upper echelon and heads off to Martha's Vineyard with the crew. When someone is found unconscious by the pool, it's Michael's childhood friend Holiday who will save the day by digging up secrets many in the group would prefer stay hidden.

Release date: May 2

"Sing Her Down" by Ivy Pochoda follows former cellmates Florida and Dios's release from prison and their fixation on one another that leads to devastating consequences. Florida claims she has no reason to be in jail. She was just driving the car of a bad man while she was high, and now her whole life has been tarnished. Dios has never believed her. Dios knows that Florida isn't as innocent as she claims and wants her to own up to it. When the effects of the pandemic lead to Florida and Dios's early release from prison, the pair's lives should finally diverge, but unable to move on, their destructive relationship turns into a cat-and-mouse chase that will go down in flames.

Release date: May 23

In Jaclyn Goldis's "The Chateau," a granddaughter to an heiress and her friends make a visit to the matriarch's palatial home, only to have their secrets put on display. Twenty years ago, Séraphine Demargelasse used to see her granddaughter Darcy and her pals all the time while they visited her in France. Today, she invites them to return to her spacious home for another weekend of luxury and catching up. When Séraphine suddenly turns up dead, it's up to Darcy and her friends to investigate, but it seems someone has already been watching them. With their secret misdoings around the chateau on camera and being uploaded to Instagram, the girls race to uncover the killer's identity before something too monumental is revealed and breaks up their friendship for good.

Release date: May 23

Get a taste of liars, cheaters, and all-around summer scandal in "Bad Summer People," Emma Rosenblum's seductive summer debut. The town of Fire Island welcomes Jen Weinstein and Lauren Parker's close but cutthroat community of summer friends. Their husbands are childhood friends, and their other pal Rachel is ready to settle down. Between games of tennis and cabanas on the beach, this summer couldn't be any more perfect, until a dead body on the boardwalk threatens to upend every secret held between the members of the group, potentially including murder.

Release date: May 23

Second-grade teacher Jacy is on the way to establishing the life she's always dreamed of. She's deeply in love with her husband, Jed; pregnant with their first child; and ready to start their family. On a summer road trip to spend time with Jed's family (whom he rarely mentions), Jacy falls ill, forcing her to stay inside the cabin for the remainder of the trip. Jacy can't tell if it's her paranoia or if this family seems intent on keeping her locked inside with no contact with the outside world. In Megan Abbott's "Beware the Woman," knowing the family you're marrying into is a key to survival.

Release date: May 30

Motherhood proves to be a daunting task for Natalie Fanning, the star of Nora Murphy's "The New Mother." Despite the challenges of her new role, all of her frustrations and fears go out the window when she looks into the eyes of her son. However, Natalie can't deny that her new neighbor, Paul, is a nice distraction when things get to be too much. But under Paul's kind exterior lies frightening ulterior motives. What Paul doesn't know is that a mother's instinct can be fatal, and she will do anything to protect her family.

Release date: May 30

In Chelsea Sedoti's nail-biting mystery, "Tell Me What Really Happened," the rumors surrounding a town's mysterious lake come to life when five friends head on a camping trip and only four return. Maylee has finally convinced Petra, Nolan, Abigail, and John to head out to Salvation Creek with her for a camping trip. Despite the rumors about the history of horrific accidents at the creek, the teens all attend, but when they wake up to find Maylee gone, they question what happened to her. When the police question the four remaining teens, everyone has a different version of what happened that night at the lake. The question is, who is telling the truth?

Release date: April 4

Ten years ago, best friends Evangeline, Bess, and Joni flew to Greece to celebrate their high school graduation. Only Bess and Joni returned. After a media frenzy that altered the course of their lives, Joni now works as a motivational speaker, while Bess stays out of the spotlight. When Joni is entangled in yet another crime, she turns to Bess, the only person who understands what it's like to have everything upturned by one horrific night. "Before We Were Innocent" by Ella Berman slices to the core of a fraught friendship on the brink of disaster.

Release date: April 4

Sally Hepworth plants the protagonists of her mystery "The Soulmate" in a house near cliffs known for their beauty and fatal reputation. Gabe and Pippa Gerard adore the views from their new cliffside house in Melbourne, Australia, but grow concerned when they discover the cliff is also known as a suicide destination. Gabe manages to talk several people back from the dangerous ledge, but a woman jumps to her death one night. The couple is devastated, Pippa even more so when she learns Gabe knew the victim, calling his motivations into heading onto the cliff that night into question. Trying to unravel the events of that fateful night will reveal secrets within their relationship, forcing Pippa to question who it is she married.

Release date: April 4

In her debut novel, "Camp Zero," Michelle Min Sterling presents readers with the impending downfall of society due to climate change. In northern Canada is Camp Zero, a refuge led by American architect Meyer for those seeking safety from a world destroyed by climate change. Rose joins the Blooms, a group sent in to entertain the camp, but her intentions are less than friendly. Rose is there to investigate Meyer, Camp Zero's sole hero, and uncover the secrets this secluded community may be keeping in exchange for easing the life of her Korean mother. Meyer is not the only one on Camp Zero holding secrets, and the more Rose digs, the more she discovers that this haven is not nearly as safe as once believed.

Release date: April 4

A deadly game of cat and mouse takes place aboard a ship in "The Cuban Heiress" by Chanel Cleeton. In 1934, New York heiress Catherine Dohan boards the Morro Castle with luggage and secrets about her past she's determined to leave behind. But it seems her past will not be so easily forgotten, as someone on the ship has made it their duty to ensure Catherine never makes it to her final destination. Meanwhile, everyone believes Elena Palacio is dead, but she's well and alive, and she returned for one reason only: revenge. With no place to hide on the moving ship, Elena and Catherine both fight for their piece of vengeance and justice.

Release date: April 11

Author of heartstopping titles like "Such a Quiet Place" and "The Last to Vanish," Megan Miranda continues to shock readers with her latest lock-box mystery, "The Only Survivors." 10 years ago, two vans full of teens crashed into a ravine in Tennessee while on a school trip, and only nine students made it out alive. Cassidy Bent is one of those survivors, and she doesn't want to keep looking back at the tragedy that changed her life. As the annual reunion approaches, two more survivors die, and feeling the urge to be around those who understand her loss and feel supported by the promise they made that day to save each other, Cassidy heads to the reunion. But the secluded house filled with fellow survivors feels tinged with danger, and when another survivor disappears, it seems the promise among survivors has been broken.

Release date: April 11

Brendan Slocumb enchants readers with another music-centric mystery following "The Violin Conspiracy." In "Symphony of Secrets," the reputation of renowned 20th-century composer Frederick Delaney is now in the hands of Bern Hendricks. Bern, an expert on Delaney's career and work, has been tapped by the Delaney Foundation to authenticate a recently found piece of Delaney's work. Bern's deciphering of Delaney's final piece reveals that he might not have been the genius the world credits him as, but the Delaney Foundation grows more menacing in their attempts to stop Bern from revealing the truth. Only Bern can rewrite the history his idol kept hidden, but will he be able to do so before it's too late?

Release date: April 18

In "You Shouldn't Have Come Here" by Jeneva Rose, a vacation fling goes awry. When New York banker Grace Evans arrives at her secluded Airbnb for her stay on a ranch, she isn't expecting Calvin Wells to open the door. The charming owner of the place is enough to distract her from the discomforts of the home, like no cell service and the recent disappearance of a woman. Nevertheless, Grace and Calvin begin to catch feelings for one another during Grace's short stay. As her stay comes to an end, though, their relationship soon turns unhealthy, with secrets on both sides breeding mistrust — and something potentially worse.

Release date: April 25

Joe Goldberg has made waves as the star of Netflix's You, and the serial killer returns in the latest addition to the "You" book series. In "For You and Only You," Joe Goldberg heads to Harvard to further his academic career rather than his murderous one. Where Joe thought he might find like-minded peers, he instead finds the Ivy League upper echelon already within their own clique and with no intentions of letting him in. Then he meets Wonder Parish, another outsider to the Ivy League crowd with a passion for literature as visceral as his own. Joe just wishes some of the circumstances around Wonder could...change, then they could be together. Joe's desire reignites his bloodlust, and if he plans on keeping Wonder, things around Harvard will have to change.

Release date: April 25

Loreth Anne White's "The Maid's Diary" follows Kit Darling, a maid with a curious spirit. It's that desire for knowledge that leads Kit to a shocking secret hiding in the home of her new uberwealthy clients and turns her working relationship into a potential threat. When homicide cop Mallory Van Alst is called to the waterfront home, Kit and the family have both vanished. All that's left behind is a horrific amount of blood and a neighbor's statement as the last person to see Kit alive. As Van Alst picks apart this mystery, she begins to uncover hints of what this picture-perfect family was hiding and what could have potentially cost someone their life.

Release date: March 1

In "What Have We Done," a group of misfit childhood friends is reunited when they realize their shared history could be the cause of their sudden deaths. Jenna, Nico, Donnie, Benny, and Arty were once best friends when they resided at the Savior House, a teen group home. Twenty-five years later, the five have drifted apart and charted new paths in life. But then, two members of the group suddenly wind up dead. Forced to reassemble in the wake of devastating loss, a childhood promise to secrecy threatens to shatter under deadly pressure as the remaining Savior House kids try to figure out who could want them dead and why.

Release date: March 7

Ripley Jones's YA debut, "Missing Clarissa," follows two high-school best friends' investigation into the 1999 murder of a high-school cheerleader. Oreville high-school students Blair and Cameron have heard all the rumors about the death of Clarissa Campbell, the popular Oreville cheerleader who disappeared into the woods and never returned in the '90s. They hope to unravel the truth from the lies with their new podcast, and as they sink deeper into the seemingly pristine life of Clarissa, they discover dark secrets about her former boyfriend and a local town hero who was once her art teacher. Will Blair and Cameron be able to deliver justice to Clarissa's memory, or will their podcast only dig up truths too painful to bear?

Release date: March 7

Readers hungry for cutthroat competition, betrayal, and sabotage will enjoy "The Golden Spoon," Jessa Maxwell's twisty debut about a baking competition that turns fatal. Every baker in the nation craves an invitation to the exclusive baking competition "Bake Week," hosted by revered baker Betsy Martin. After welcoming six new competitors to the show, Betsy is poised to deliver an outstanding performance as a doting host, but when a series of contestants are sabotaged, it kicks everyone into high gear. What at first seems to be the work of a merciless contestant becomes a test of trust when a competitor turns up dead, turning everyone on set into a suspect. The heat may be too hot, so who will survive the kitchen in Maxwell's mystery?

Release date: March 7

Harlan Coben's "I Will Find You" follows a father's quest for redemption after being wrongfully accused of his son's death. David Burroughs has no memory of the night his son Matthew was brutally murdered, but he's convicted of the heinous crime and sentenced to life in federal prison regardless. Five years into the sentence, his sister-in-law shows up with unbelievable news: Matthew might still be alive, and the photo of a boy bearing his son's resemblance is enough for David to believe her. To prove his innocence, David escapes from prison to find his son and finally learn the truth about what happened that fateful night. But with the FBI hot on his trail, David's quest for the truth is on a timer.

Release date: March 14

Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of the delightfully cozy mystery "Dial A For Aunties," sets an aging tea-shop owner as the detective of her new mystery, "Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice For Murderers." The last thing Vera Wong expects when she heads downstairs into her tea shop is to find a dead body with a curious flash drive in their hand. When the cops arrive, Vera, ever the sleuth, decides if anyone's going to get to the bottom of this mystery, it's going to be her, and she swipes the hard drive. Suspecting the hard drive will lure the killer back to the scene of the crime, Vera begins taking a closer look at her tea shop's customers. Rather than sniffing out a hardened criminal, Vera forges new bonds with her tea-shop patrons and soon realizes that turning over one of her newfound friends may be harder than she once thought.

Release date: March 14

As the youngest of a family line of murderers, it is finally Sissy's turn. Her sisters have made a notorious career as serial killers who get their victims to fall in love with them before making them the next national news headline. When Sissy steps up for her first kill, she sets her sights on recent widower Edison, but her plans backfire when her act to get him to fall in love fails, as she develops real feelings for him. Sissy has committed the cardinal sin: falling for your target. No matter what choice she makes, she will lose someone she loves. In Ren DeStefano's "How I'll Kill You," Sissy must choose between loyalty to her bloodthirsty sisters and the chance at true love or risk the scariest thing of all: becoming her family's next victim.

Release date: March 21

Alex Quinlan, the protagonist of Charlie Donlea's "Those Empty Eyes," will never forget the night she hid as her family were murdered in her childhood home. Worse yet, Alex was trotted out as a prime suspect, nicknamed "Empty Eyes" by the media, and faced relentless questioning through her grief. When she was determined innocent, Alex disappeared from the public eye to reinvent herself. Ten years later, she works as a legal investigator, hoping to save other innocent civilians from life in prison. Alex's current client, Matthew, is accused of being involved in the disappearance of his girlfriend, Laura. When Alex learns of Laura's investigation into her school's coverups of sexual assault, she wakes up a hornet's nest of privilege, connections, and power that connect to not only Laura but also her own family's tragedy.

Release date: March 28

T. Kingfisher continues to leave readers haunted with his latest horror, "A House With Good Bones." Sam Montgomery is excited to return home to North Carolina to visit her mother and spend some long-awaited quality time together. However, Sam's childhood home feels more off-putting than she remembers, and her mother has developed a strange case of paranoia. Sam can't ignore her sudden inability to sleep, the peculiar lack of bugs, and the rattling jar of teeth she finds in the backyard. Digging to the core of what's troubling this house might destroy everything and everyone in it.

Release date: March 28

"Our Share of Night" by Mariana Enriquez plays with magic, family, history, and the supernatural in ways that will leave readers haunted. Father-and-son duo Juan and Gaspar take a grief-laden trip to the estate of Juan's late wife, which Gaspar is set to inherit. Awaiting their arrival is the Order, a family with unspeakable power willing to do absolutely anything to maintain it. As Gaspar begins to feel a pull toward the Order, Juan will do anything to protect his son from falling into its sinister grip. But the Order has been waiting for this moment longer than he's known and has influence beyond his imagination. The battle for one boy's future depends on the downfall of a system with magnificent power and one man willing to sacrifice it all.

Release date: Feb.7

"Don't Fear the Reaper" is Stephen Graham Jones's equally grim and bloody followup to his horror novel "My Heart Is a Chainsaw." Slasher film buff Jade Daniels may have survived the Independence Day Massacre, but horror follows her everywhere she goes. Upon returning to her hometown, a hook-handed serial killer with an extensive list of victims called Dark Mill South escapes during a prison transfer and selects her town as the site for his next bloodbath. Once again, Jade must rely on her catalog-like knowledge of horror films to keep herself alive, but will it be enough to protect herself and her friends from being added to the bloody pileup? Jones's propensity for gore and sweat-inducing suspense elevates Jade Daniels's final-girl tale.

Release date: Feb. 7

In "Every Missing Girl" by Leanne Kale Sparks, FBI Special Agent Kendall Beck and Denver Homicide Detective Adam Taylor join forces to investigate a kidnapping case that quickly becomes personal. Set in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the pair of sharp-witted investigators tackle the case of a young female kidnapping victim that may be the latest in a long string of kidnapping cases that have thus far gone unconnected. Things take a turn when Taylor's niece becomes the next victim, disappearing without a trace and announcing the presence of a predator aware that Beck and Taylor are growing too close to answers that have remained hidden. Beck and Taylor must rush to uncover the extent of these kidnappings and find the perpetrator before it is too late.

Release date: Feb.7

The women of Rachel Koller Croft's "Stone Cold Fox" are willing to do whatever it takes to get their piece of a wealthy man's fortune. Since childhood, Bea has trained to take what she wants from this world. Tired of her dangerous lifestyle, she sets her sights on her most lucrative target, Collin Case, to get her out of the scheming life. After faking her way to a proposal with Collin, Bea realizes she's not the only one with Collin in her crosshairs. On a weekend trip meant to solidify her place within Collin's family life, Bea discovers a cast of other women with their own intentions for her finaceé, with Bea being the one thing standing in their way. Its winner takes all in this vicious game of cat and mouse, but can Bea keep her promise to change her ways, or will she have to revert to cold-blooded games to get what she wants?

Release date: Feb. 14

Debut author Julia Bartz turns a hopeful writer's dream come true into a cutthroat psychological nightmare in "The Writing Retreat." When Alex receives an invitation to an exclusive one-month writers' retreat from horror extraordinaire Roza Vallo, she jumps at the opportunity to kick-start her dreams of becoming an author. However, Vallo's retreat has an untraditional twist: only one of the five writers will gain a one million dollar advance for publication, which they will compete to earn by writing an entire novel from start to finish during their stay. As if the competition aspect wasn't intimidating enough, Alex struggles with hostility from writer and former best friend, Wren. Complicating matters, she grows suspicious of ulterior motives when a fellow writer disappears in a snowstorm. Becoming the winner of this retreat could be life-changing for all participants, and it seems someone is willing to take lives to win.

Release date: Feb.21

At the center of J.T. Ellison's mystery "It's One of Us" is the married couple Olivia and Park, who desperately want a baby but struggle to conceive. When a dead woman turns up in their park, evidence linked to Park seems impossible until Park reveals that years ago, he donated sperm to a clinic, and the evidence found is from his own offspring. Reeling from the betrayal of Park's long-kept secret and the implications for their marriage, Olivia struggles to reckon the man she married with the man the police are telling her he is: the father of a killer. As the investigation continues to dredge up secret after secret, shattering her marriage, Olivia questions who she can truly trust.

Release date: Feb. 21

Katie Shaw, the protagonist of Alex North's "The Angel Maker," is fueled by the guilt of her past and a fierce desire to protect her family. When she was younger, Katie had never known of true pain until a violent attack on her family upended everything she thought she knew. She's never recovered from being unable to protect her brother Chris from the horrific incident. As she prepares to become a mother herself, she grows increasingly paranoid about her ability to keep her loved ones out of harm's way. When her brother disappears, Katie will do whatever it takes to find him, including revisiting the origins of her family's trauma: a serial killer rumored to be able to see the future.

Release date: Feb. 28

Carole Johnstone provides pulse-pounding panic in the thriller "The Blackhouse." Maggie MacKay has been drawn to the remote island of Kilmeray ever since she was a child and predicted the murder of Andrew MacNeil there despite never having been there. Years later (and recently released from a psychiatric ward), Maggie is finally ready to visit Kilmeray and face the havoc her childhood claims brought to the island. When she arrives, the locals are less than welcoming, and her investigation into Andrew hits a dead end when she discovers no records of him exist. But Maggie's struck a nerve because ominous threats begin to appear warning her to stay away, but from what? Maggie could be on the right track to uncovering the truth she predicted all those years ago, but the cost of answers could be fatal.

Release date: Jan. 3

Rachel Hawkins continues her catalog of twisty mysteries with "The Villa." In it, childhood best friends Emily and Chess find they have grown apart in adulthood as life has taken them down divergent paths. When Chess suggests they take a trip to an Italian villa, it feels like the perfect chance to catch up. But Emily soon becomes engrossed with the villa's history when she discovers a famous rock star was murdered there, but there's more to the iconic case than meets the eye. Emily's investigation into the star's murder — aided by clues found around the villa — creates tension between her and Chess. The estate is the site of murderous secrets from the past, but it looks like history could repeat itself.

Release date: Jan. 3

In Mary Kubica's "Just the Nicest Couple," secrets between two couples come to a head when one husband disappears. Nina Hayes and her husband, Jake, have been having trouble. After a blowout of a fight, Jake disappears into the night and doesn't return, so Nina turns to her married friends, Lily and Christian, for help finding him. But the other couple may know more than they're letting on, and where their loyalties lie is yet to be seen. Told in multiple POVs, two picture-perfect marriages crumble as Lily, Christian, and Nina fight to protect their secrets and themselves in this simmering mystery.

Release date: Jan. 10

Centering on a rich family fighting over an inheritance, fans of the Knives Out franchise will enjoy Kat Rosenfield's clever mystery "You Must Remember This." When Miriam Caravasios, the 85-year-old matriarch of the Caravasios family, descends upon her familial home for a reunion, tensions run high amid the family, but things go from tense to downright terrifying when Miriam slips through ice on a frozen lake. With the entire family already gathered, the will is read, and no one is more surprised than Miriam's granddaughter Delphine that she will be the sole heir to Miriam's inheritance. With everyone up in arms over being cut out of the will, Delphine questions if Miriam's death was truly a misguided mistake or if someone she calls family was willing to kill her in order to get their expected cut of the inheritance. In a cutthroat game of whodunnit, Delphine races to uncover the truth about the lengths her family could go to secure their own fortune.

Release date: Jan. 10

Residents of one high-rise building set up Iris Yamashita's "City Under One Roof." The citizens of Point Mettier, Alaska, all live in a former military base-turned-residence, with the only access to the building being one tunnel. When a teen's severed body parts wash ashore, detective Cara Kennedy makes her way to the icy tundra to investigate his murder, but has motivations of her own for wanting to look around Point Mettier. When a powerful snowstorm blocks the tunnel, Cara, the residents, and the suspects are trapped in the building with no way in or out. Neighbors seem to be holding more grudges than Cara realized, and everyone under this roof is in danger unless Cara can crack the secrets hiding in this isolated city.

Release date: Jan. 10

"The Hunter" is Jennifer Herrera's generational mystery that'll keep readers on their toes. NYPD detective Leigh O'Donnell's career goes up in flames after she turns her gun on her partner instead of on a suspect one night. When her brother offers her a job in his department in Ohio, she takes it as a chance to recoup and hopefully rebuild her tarnished reputation. While there, she uncovers a case of three murdered men that mirrors a case from years ago involving three teens who committed suicide. Leigh suspects the cases are connected, but the question is how. Uprooting a town tragedy and generational wounds leads to tension between Leigh and the community, but unmasking the truth about what happened years ago might be the key to what happened to the three murdered men today. Herrera's debut threads uneasiness and mistrust through a pulse-pounding mystery.

Release date: Jan. 10

In "The House in the Pines" by Ana Reyes, Maya has been haunted by the sudden loss of her best friend Aubrey for almost eight years. She, Aubrey, and Aubrey's boyfriend Frank had been an inseparable trio that summer nearly a decade ago, until Aubrey dropped dead right in front of Frank. When Maya finds a video showing a woman dying exactly the same way Aubrey did, she thinks it's a sad coincidence until she spots the man standing across from the woman moments before she died: Frank. Spurred on by her conviction that something has always been amiss with Frank, Maya heads back to her hometown in Massachusetts to find clues to trigger memories of that fateful summer with Frank. Finding scraps of memorabilia, Maya begins to see that she and Aubrey are part of a larger plan, and the only way she'll get answers is to find the house that started it all.

Release date: Jan. 10

Maria Dong's debut "Liar, Dreamer, Thief" is an unpredictable rollercoaster ride from start to finish. Working a soul-sucking job and being looked down on by her family has Katrina Kim struggling to maintain hold of reality, so she fixates on her co-worker Kurt. One night while rifling through his things, Katrina finds evidence that someone is aware of what she's been doing and she escapes to her ritual spot at the bridge to soothe herself. But when she arrives, Kurt is there, and he hurls a horrifying accusation at her before jumping to his death. Spiraling from his indictment, Katrina returns to Kurt's desk only to discover that she was not the only one observing in their office. Kurt was watching her, too. Diving into Kurt's life only leads to shocking revelations about her own, and Katrina may not have left her past as far behind as she thought.

Release date: Jan. 10

Bringing the refreshing thrills from his novel "The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires," Grady Hendrix plays up the eerie setting in "How to Sell a Haunted House. Louise hadn't planned on returning to her childhood home, but after her parents pass away, she's the one who must take charge of their assets. Dealing with her young brother brings up old wounds and casts tension over the house that is inescapable as Louise prepares to put the house up for sale. Ominous warnings and ghastly experiences shake Louise to her core, and the only way to escape is to rid her family of the house, but it seems the spirit of the manor has other plans.

Release date: Jan. 17

In Kate Lice Marshall's adult debut "What Lies in the Woods," friendship dynamics are tested when someone threatens to reveal a long-held secret. When Naomi was 11, she spent every waking moment with her best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, frolicking through the Washington woods in search of adventure. Instead, the girls found tragedy that marked them as heroes when their testimonies put a suspected serial killer behind bars. More than 20 years later, the news of the killer's death in prison does little to settle the questions Naomi always had about that night. When Olivia threatens to crack about the secret they all kept, Naomi is forced to return to the scene to fortify her friendships (and secrets) or risk losing everything.

Release date: Jan. 17

Stephen Amidon's menacing mystery "Locust Lane" follows the moneyed families of a suburban town closing ranks when a murder threatens their futures. The murder of teenager Eden Perry has changed everything for the residents of Emerson, Massachusetts. The cops suspect Eden's friends that were seen partying with her that night: Jack, a spoiled heir; his girlfriend Hannah; and Christopher, a newbie to the friend group. With their reputations and futures on the line, the parents of each suspect must abandon former allegiances to protect their child, even if that means throwing each other under the bus. Only one child has to go down for the crime, and each parent will do anything to ensure it's not theirs.

Release date: Jan. 17

In Erin Kelly's "The Skeleton Key," a father's literary reputation threatens the lives of his loved ones. 50 years ago, Nell's father penned one of the greatest literary mysteries that led to a nationwide treasure hunt across England, citing the book as a guide. However, his fame came at a cost. With media and fans becoming increasingly more involved in their everyday lives, Nell moved away to evade the limelight and live a life of her own. A year later, the simultaneous release of a new edition of the book, a documentary surrounding it, and a new treasure hunt is drawing the spotlight back onto their family, and Nell can't say no when her father asks her to return home for the filming. When her father reveals the location of the final missing clue, a body turns up, and what started as a fun game is now a murder case, with Nell and her family at the crux of it all.

Release date: Jan. 24