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Thrillers and Suspense April 2021
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| If I Disappear by Eliza Jane BrazierWhat it is: an intensifying, creepy debut thriller about fandom, obsession, and small-town secrets.
Starring: recent divorcee Sera Fleece, whose appreciation of a true crime podcast grows increasingly compulsive; Rachel Ward, the podcast's host whose sudden disappearance drives Sera to make things personal.
Media Buzz: A TV adaptation of If I Disappear is in the works, with the novel's author set to write the screenplay. |
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Waiting for the Night Song by Julie Carrick DaltonThe dilemma: Cadie Kessler has spent decades trying to cover up one truth. One moment. But deep down, didn't she always know her secret would surface? What happens: Cadie returns to her childhood home to confront her estranged best friend and the dark secret they both share and must decide what she is willing to sacrifice to protect the people and the land she loves. Reviewers say: "Stirring...a taut novel that builds suspense to the very end." -- Publishers Weekly
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| Girls with Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy KatzmanWhat it's about: One place at Stanford. Three qualified applicants from the same prep school. And three mothers determined to see their daughter win admission.
Meet the mean girls: stay-at-home mom Kelly, a Stanford alum; tech CEO Alicia, whose donations might make up for her daughter's lackluster grades; and single mom Maren, whose daughter is valedictorian.
Reviewers say: Girls with Bright Futures is a "bracingly vicious portrait of entitlement" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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Savage Road by Chris HautyWhat it is: A sequel to Deep State finds Hayley Chill investigating a series of devastating cyber attacks throughout the United States before discovering that the President may be a double agent who is trying to ignite a war. What happens: NSA analysts insist that Moscow is the culprit, but that accusation brings plenty of complications with Hayley directing the president as a double agent against the Russians. With increasing pressure on the president to steer him towards a devastating war, it's up to Hayley to stop the mysterious computer hacker and prevent World War III.
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| Possession by Katie LoweThe premise: Ten years ago, Hannah McLelland's life was upended when her husband was murdered in their London home. Since then she has worked hard to rebuild and make a life for her daughter, far away from the media sensation surrounding the trial of her husband's killer.
The problem: A true crime podcast is re-investigating the case, and as the host digs deeper into Hannah's past, the court of public opinion turns against Hannah and threatens to undo everything.
For fans of: Conviction by Denise Mina, which also features a main character who must deal with the airing of her dirty laundry on a true crime show. |
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The Blood is Still: A Rebecca Connolly Thriller by Douglas SkeltonWhat it's about: When a man in eighteenth-century Highland dress is found dead on the site of the Battle of Culloden, Rebecca Connolly takes up the case for the Chronicle. What happens: A controversial film about the rebellion and battle is being shot nearby, and it has drawn the ire of the right-wing nationalist movement Spirit of the Gael. Meanwhile Rebecca's assignment to cover a protest against the placement of a convicted child molester into the community leads her to the unlikely protest leader. Who should read it: fans of Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Denise Mina.
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| Lola on Fire by Rio YouersWhat it is: an action-packed crime thriller about desperate decisions, blackmail, and settling old scores.
The setup: In desperate need of cash, Brody Ellis robs a convenience store. The only witness who can tie him to the scene of the crime agrees not to go to the police, but only if Brody will commit another crime on her behalf.
Read it for: the well-developed characters; the intricately unfolding revenge plot involving Brody's estranged mother and a bitter mob boss.
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| An Inconvenient Woman by Stéphanie BuelensWhat it is: an intricately plotted work of psychological suspense featuring well-developed, morally ambiguous characters with complicated personal lives.
Starring: Claire Fontaine, who makes shocking allegations about her ex-husband, including that he drove her daughter to suicide; Claire's ex-husband Simon Miller, who can no longer tolerate Claire's behavior; Sloan Wilson, a former LAPD detective hired by Simon to "deal with" Claire.
Reviewers say: An Inconvenient Woman is "a piercing, high-speed nightmare best consumed in a single breathless sitting" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| The Nightworkers by Brian SelfonWhat it is: a gritty, character-driven crime novel about a dysfunctional family of money launderers dealing with trauma, betrayal, and cultural alienation.
The setup: Mixed-race but white-passing Shecky Keenan runs a reliable dirty money business with his artistic nephew Henry and niece Kerasha, a gifted thief. But when their newest runner vanishes with $250,000, both their livelihood and their lives are at stake.
Reviewers say: The Nightworkers is a "sharp, surprisingly affecting debut" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga TokarczukWhat it's about: Translated from the original Polish, this stylistically complex blend of literary fiction and suspenseful detective story follows quirky, reclusive Janina Duszejko as she involves herself in the investigation of a neighbor's murder.
Read it for: the offbeat tone, compelling writing, and Janina's insightful reflections on life in a small Polish village.
Try this next: Death in Her Hands, which also features an acclaimed author of literary fiction (in this case, Otessa Moshfegh) dipping her toe into the genre. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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