What happens: Against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement, Meghan McKenzie, a young Black journalist with the Detroit Free Press, digs into the unsolved murder of her great-grandfather in 1929 Birmingham, Alabama.

 

Read it for: the moving dual timeline narratives; the richly detailed combination of mystery, family history, and timely social justice issues.

 

Read this next: Wanda M. Morris' Anywhere You Run, Tracy Clark's Chicago mysteries, or Tamron Hall's As the Wicked Watch.

 

What makes her unique: Protagonist Melvina Donleavy is a "super recognizer" who never forgets a face.

 

About the author: Though Kathleen Kent first made her mark with historical novels like The Heretic's Daughter and The Outcasts, she is also known for her Edgar Award-nominated police procedural The Burn.

What it's about: East Texas writer and former P.I. Charlie Garner takes on "one last job" after the disappearance of his ex-wife Meg and her new husband, who had ties to a strange local cult.

 

Read it for: Hap and Leonard series author Joe. R. Landsdale's trademark combination of offbeat humor, intricately plotted suspense, and a strong sense of place.

What it is: a richly detailed and atmospheric horror-thriller that grapples with the real-life issue of missing Indigenous women in the U.S. and Canada.

 

Starring: high schooler Anna Horn, who has a hunch that the disappearances of young women on the reservation are tied to the VIP suites at her tribe's casino, where she works part time as a cleaner.

 

For fans of: Cherie Dimaline, Stephen Graham Jones, and Erika T. Wurth.

What it is: author Nicole Chung's moving follow-up to her award-winning debut memoir All You Can Ever Know, which chronicled her experiences as a transracial Korean adoptee.

 

What it's about: Chung's grief after losing her parents in quick succession prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Book buzz: Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by The Washington Post, The New York Times, and more, Chung's latest offers "an important record of the emotional cost of the pandemic" (Kirkus Reviews).

What it's about: In 1920s Indiana, Ku Klux Klan leader and presidential hopeful D.C. Stephenson exerted a terrifying control over the state and local governments -- until he kidnapped, raped, and murdered his one-time employee, a young woman named Madge Oberholtzer.

 

What happened next: Oberholtzer's courageous deathbed testimony led to Stephenson's murder conviction and effectively ended Klan influence in Indiana politics.

What it is: a sobering exposé spotlighting how children in orphanages throughout North America, Europe, and Australia in the 19th and 20th centuries were subjected to horrific abuse and murder.

 

What's inside: firsthand accounts, court transcripts, and other documents that illuminate long-buried secrets.

 

Reviewers say: "A powerful work of sociological investigation and literary journalism" (Kirkus Reviews).

What it is: the debut memoir-in-essays from NPR All Things Considered co-host and former White House correspondent Ari Shapiro.

 

What's inside: an incisive behind-the-scenes look at the stories behind Shapiro's reportage that is equal parts amusing and affecting.

 

Read it for: the author's signature self-deprecating humor and empathetic writing style.

The prompt: "Begin with a question, like an acorn waiting for spring." This advice kicks off a metaphor-rich journey in which poets Alexander and Nikaido encourage kids to try poetry-writing by delving into their observations and their imaginations.

 

The call to action: "Now, show us what you've found."

 

Art alert: Melissa Sweet's textured collage illustrations, rendered in paint, paper, and found objects, underscore the concepts of engaging the senses and connecting ideas.

What it's about: Sycamore seed siblings Louise and Merwin venture across a danger-filled prehistoric world in search of their destiny -- and a safe place to grow.

 

How it's told: through a combination of dramatic written sections and hyper-detailed pencil drawings, offering an up-close look at the little seeds as well as a cosmic view that will make you think about your own place in time and space.