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Thrillers and Suspense May 2021
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The Scorpion's Tail : A Nora Kelly Novel (ebook and Audiobook)
by Douglas J. Preston
A sequel to Old Bones finds FBI agent Corrie Swanson and Santa Fe archaeologist Nora Kelly investigating the mummified corpse of a long-dead victim who died in agony while holding a mysterious 16th-century gold cross. (suspense). Simultaneous.
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The Wife Upstairs (ebook and Audiobook)
by Rachel Hawkins
Supplementing her modest income by stealing small valuables from her gated-community clients, a broke dog-walker endeavors to win the heart of a wealthy bachelor before learning his late wife’s own rags-to-riches story. 100,000 first printing.
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| The Low Desert: Gangster Stories (Audiobook) by Tod GoldbergWhat it is: a darkly humorous and character-driven collection of stories by the author of the Burn Notice spy novels and the Sal Cupertine crime fiction series.
Read it for: the multifaceted characters and the stark, evocative portrait of the decidedly unglamorous Southern California desert region they call home.
Reviewers say: "These spare slices of literary noir are the work of a master storyteller" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Lightseekers by Femi KayodeOkrika, Nigeria: In this remote college town on the country's southern coast, many questions remain about the violent deaths of three university students, apparently at the hands of an angry mob.
Starring: investigative psychologist Dr. Philip Taiwo, brought to the area from Lagos by a powerful politician who wants to know the truth; observant streetwise Chika, a local hired to be Dr. Taiwo's driver only to get pulled into the investigation too.
Why you might like it: Dr. Taiwo is a reluctant amateur sleuth who nonetheless displays keen investigative instincts, which pair well with Chika's deep knowledge of the area and unique insights. |
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Picnic in the Ruins : A Novel
by Todd Robert Petersen
When she crosses paths with two small-time criminals, who have been hired to steal maps from a “collector” of Native American artifacts, anthropologist Sophia Shepard embarks on a madcap caper across the RV-strewn vacation lands of southern Utah to put her theories to the test. Original.
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| The Kill Club (ebook and Audiobook) by Wendy HeardThe premise: Jasmine "Jazz" Benavides is on her own after surviving the foster care system, but her 13-year-old brother Joaquin was eventually adopted by their controlling foster mother, Carol Coleman.
The problem: As Carol's behavior towards Joaquin becomes increasingly abusive, Jazz finds a potential (and permanent) solution to her Carol problem, but the price is a bargain reminiscent of Strangers on a Train.
About the author: Wendy Heard co-hosts the thriller podcast Unlikeable Female Characters and previously published the psychological thriller Hunting Annabelle. |
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| The Secretary (also on Audiobook) by Renee KnightWhat it is: a menacing and intricately plotted psychological thriller about ruthless ambition, betrayal, and the consequences of codependent self-sacrifice.
Starring: prominent businesswoman Mina Appleton, who will do anything to expand the supermarket chain started by her father; Christine Butcher, Mina's indispensable personal assistant for almost 20 years whose need to be needed drives her but also ruins her life.
You might also like: Sarah Pinborough's Behind Her Eyes, in which unhealthy dynamics develop between an assistant and her employer's family after the lines between her personal and professional lives start to blur. |
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| 29 Seconds by T.M. LoganThe premise: Adjunct professor Sarah Hayward is disgusted when her slimy department head Alan, a well-connected serial sexual predator, suggests that she could finally get a tenure by sleeping with him.
No good deed: Stumbling upon what appears to be an attempted kidnapping, Sarah's instincts take over and she saves the victim, the young daughter of shady businessman James Grosvenor. In gratitude, Grosvenor lets Sarah know that he has ways of making anyone disappear without a trace, if she's interested.
Why you might like it: The narrative's rip-roaring plot and action-packed scenes mix interestingly with Sarah's inner turmoil. |
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| The Furies (Audiobook) by Katie LoweThe setup: Sixteen-year-old Violet Taylor is worried about fitting in at Elm Hollow Academy, an elite English boarding school, but it's not long before she falls in with a close-knit trio of girls who share an obsession -- the mysterious 17th-century witch trials that took place nearby.
What happens next: After Violet suffers a traumatic assault, the four girls band together to exact revenge on her attacker through unusual channels and their actions have unexpected consequences for everyone involved.
For fans of: iconic teen movies that mix vintage glamour with darkness, like The Craft, Heathers, and Jawbreaker. |
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| Sister Dear (also on ebook and Audiobook) by Hannah Mary McKinnonWhat it's about: While mourning the man she thought was her father, Eleanor Hardwicke discovers she’s the daughter of wealthy Stan Gallinger, who warns her to stay away from his family. But Stan has underestimated her, and driven by a deep need to connect, Eleanor decides to find another way into their lives...
Read it for: the shocking contrast between the Gallinger family's picture-perfect image and the way they really live, and Eleanor's journey of self-discovery as she gets pulled deeper into their web.
You might also like: The Half Sister by Sandie Jones, another suspenseful look into the fallout of discovering secret half-siblings after a parent's death. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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