22 Mysteries, Thrillers, & Suspense Novels for July

July is a good month for fans of suspense, with the publication of all kinds of genre books from dark psychological thrillers to fun cozy mysteries. The titles listed here are just a handful that caught my attention. I find it hard to resist a good crime novel, and it was difficult to limit this post to just 22.

Note that I have read only a few of these books, and most of the short descriptions have been taken from the publishers’ summaries. Audiobook information is provided when available. Thanks to the publishers for the review copies (print, digital, and/or audio).

Amateur Sleuthing

The Grandmother Plot by Caroline B. Cooney (Poisoned Pen Press): Freddy may be unambitious and somewhat lost, but he loves his grandmother, whose memory is fading. When a resident in her assisted living home is murdered, Freddy must protect his grandmother and figure out what happened, while facing the consequences of his own dubious life choices. The audiobook is read by Caroline B. Cooney (Random House Audio).

The Moonshine Shack Murder by Diane Kelly (Berkley): The start of a cozy mystery series set in Tennessee featuring a 21st-century moonshiner. When one of her customers is found dead supposedly after drinking her whiskey, Hattie gets involved in the case in order to save her name and business. The audiobook is read by Tyla Collier (Penguin Audio).

Much Ado About Nauticaling by Gabby Allan (Kensington): The first in a cozy mystery series set in Southern California featuring a boat tour guide. When taking out tourists in her glass-bottomed boat, Whitney spots the dead body of a wealthy local businessman; after her bother becomes suspect number one, she gets involved in the investigation. The audiobook is read by Marnye Young (Tantor Audio).

Beware of Your Friends and Family

Fierce Little Thing by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore (Flatiron): Five estranged friends, who met while in a cult, are blackmailed into returning to the Maine compound they left almost 20 years earlier. The past is never fully buried, and as secrets are exposed they must find a way to survive. The audiobook is read by Saskia Maarleveld (Macmillan Audio).

Look What You Made Me Do by Elaine Murphy (Grand Central): This is a Dexter-like story in which a woman ends up helping her serial-killer sister hide the bodies of her victims. When a second killer seems to be targeting the sisters, they need to continue to hide their own crimes while trying to stop and expose the other person’s crimes. The audiobook is read by Elaine Murphy (Grand Central).

Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena (Pamela Dorman): This domestic thriller focuses on the three adult children of a wealthy couple that was murdered soon after a family Easter dinner. Who would have wanted the Merton’s dead--stranger, friend, or relative? The audiobook is read by Ellen Archer (Penguin Audio).

Step back in Time

M, King’s Bodyguard by Niall Leonard (Pantheon): Set in Edwardian London and based on a true story. A Scotland Yard detective uncovers a possible assassination attempt that is supposed to happen at Queen Victoria’s funeral, when many heads of state will be gathered in the same space. The audiobook is read by Marcus Lamb (Random House Audio).

The Silver Blonde by Elizabeth Ross (Delacorte): In 1946, Clara works as a vault girl for a major Hollywood studio, awaiting her chance to become a film editor. When she almost literally stumbles across the body of a famous actress, she becomes involved in the investigation and takes a walk on the darker side of the industry. The audiobook is read by Lisa Flanagan and Elizabeth Ross (Listening Library).

A Study in Crimson by Robert J. Harris (Pegasus): Imagine that Sherlock Holmes lived during the 1940s. In the dark days after the Blitzkrieg, a copycat Jack the Ripper killer murders women on the blacked-out streets of London; can Holmes and Watson solve the case?

Neighborhoods Can Be Tough

The Sinful Lives of Trophy Wives by Kristin Miller (Ballantine): When tragedy strikes an exclusive gated community in the San Francisco Bay Area, rumor has it a wealthy widow is somehow to blame. Enlisting the help of two married neighbors, the widow attempts to learn the truth about the accident; all three have secrets to protect. The audiobook is read by Dorothy Dillingham Blue, Catherine Taber, and Cassandra Campbell (Random House).

Such a Quiet Place by Megan Miranda (Simon & Schuster): A gated community in Virginia is double rocked: first with the murder of their neighbors and second when the woman who was initially convicted is freed to return home to that same community. Old wounds are reopened, paranoia runs high, and the true killer is, apparently, still on the loose. The audiobook is read by Rebekkah Ross (Simon & Schuster Audio).

The Therapist by B. A. Paris (St. Martin’s Press): Soon after Alice and Leo decide to live together, moving into a gated community in London, they learn their house was the site of a murder-suicide that was never fully solved. Alice’s obsessive search to learn what really happened threatens to unearth her new neighbors’ secrets. The audiobook is read by Olivia Dowd and Thomas Judd (Macmillan Audio).

School Is a Killer

Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell (Berkley): An English professor passes off a missing student’s manuscript as his own. Its publication, however, triggers a series of events that may implicate him in a murder he didn’t commit. Can he find the student or the true killer before he loses everything? The audiobook is read by Jon Lindstrom (Penguin Audio).

Safe in My Arms by Sara Shepard (Dutton): Three young mothers, each hiding something from her past, meet at the back-to-school event for their children’s first day at an upscale California preschool. Soon after, the principal is violently attacked and all eyes turn to the newcomers; together the women try to protect their secrets while uncovering the darker underbelly of the school. The audiobook is read by Eileen Stevens (Penguin Audio).

The Temple House Vanishing by Rachel Donohue (Algonquin): This modern Gothic story is set in a prestigious Irish girls boarding school, where a scholarship student is first bullied, then meets the dashing male art teacher, and then disappears with him, never to be seen again. Twenty-five years after the couple went missing, an investigative journalist is determined to find out what happened. The audiobook is read by Jennifer Fitzgerald and Clodagh Duggan (Workman).

Travel Gone Wrong

Falling by T. J. Newman (Simon & Schuster): Don’t read this thriller if you’re planning to fly. A pilot’s family has been kidnapped; to free them, he is told he must crash the plane, killing everyone on board. The audiobook is read by Steven Weber (Simon & Schuster Audio).

The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish (Atria): When his neighbor and commuting partner disappears, Jamie is accused of his murder after someone tells the police the two men had been arguing while riding the ferry across the Thames. Jealousies, secrets, deceptions, and a few twists will keep you guessing. The audiobook is read by Steven Mackintosh (Simon & Schuster Audio).

Sleeping Bear by Connor Sullivan (Atria): Grieving after her husband’s unexpected death, Cassie, an army veteran, takes her dog on a weekend camping trip in Alaska but fails to return home. Kidnapped with no clear way of escape, Cassie draws on all her skills and training to survive, while back home her father will stop at nothing to find out what happened. The audiobook is read by Hillary Huber (Simon & Schuster).

Are You Ever Really Safe?

Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix (Berkley): Five women who were the sole survivors of separate bouts of murder and mayhem meet during group therapy. When one of them fails to show up for an appointment, the other four are pulled back into danger, fighting for their lives. The audiobook is read by Adrienne King (Penguin Audio)

Just One Look by Lindsay Cameron (Ballantine): When Cassie, a lonely temp worker, mistakenly discovers the intimate email correspondence between one of her bosses and his wife, she can’t stop reading. Eventually, curiosity turns to obsession, and Cassie plans a way to be part of the couple’s life. The audiobook is read by Annie Q (Random House Audio).

The Lost Girls by Jessica Chiarella (Putnam): A true-crime podcaster lucks out on finding a lead that may help her learn what happened to her sister, who disappeared 20 years earlier. She and one of her subscribers start down a dangerous path, each looking for her own answers. The audiobook is read by Stacey Glemboski (Penguin Audio).

Sixteen Horses by Greg Buchanan (Flatiron): Part Gothic, part police procedural, this thriller, set in England, starts with the discovery of 16 horses’ heads, buried in a seemingly ritualistic manner. Detective Alec and veterinary forensic specialist Cooper together investigate this crime and several other criminal incidents that threaten to panic the seaside town. The audiobook is read by Louise Brealey (Macmillan Audio).

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17 Books to Read This Week

Welcome back to my "new releases in June" series. While more complete lists can be found via a Google search and some buzz books won’t be found here, my lists are curated to my own tastes. Here are the books released this week that interested me most.

Note that release dates have been changing owing to current events. Please double-check availability before ordering or searching your local library.

Contemporary Stories

• They Say Sarah by Pauline Delabroy-Allard (Other Press). Genre: literary fiction; LGBTQ+; translated. Learned from reviews: The writing promises to be as poetic and passionate as the relationship between a teacher and musician. Fast-paced and captivating story of an all-consuming love. First line: “In the half-light of three a.m., I wake.” Audiobook: no information.
• 500 Miles from You by Jenny Colgan (William Morrow) Genre: women’s fiction; rom-com Learned from reviews: Lissie, a London nurse, is asked to temporarily swap places with Cormack, who provides medical care to a small town in the Scottish Highlands. Though they’ve never met, they end up emailing and texting to discuss patients and more. What happens when they meet in person? First line: “It should have started with ominous dark crows, great murmurations and flutterings, bad omens taking to the sky; with thick storm clouds rolling in, clocks striking thirteen.” Audiobook: Read by Eilidh Beaton (11 hr, 3 min)
• Always the Last to Know by Kristan Higgins (Berkley) Genre: general fiction Learned from reviews: A family’s cheery veneer is cracked after John has a stroke; as his wife and daughters take on care-giving responsibilities, their flaws and vulnerabilities are exposed. Humor eases the sharp edges of the more serious issues of family dynamics and living up to others’ expectations. First line: “ ‘You’re engaged? Oh! Uh … huzzah!’ ” Audiobook: Read by Laural Merlington, Amy Rubinate, Xe Sands, & Graham Winton (12 hr, 58 min)
• The Islanders by Meg Mitchell Moore (William Morrow) Genre: general fiction; beach read Learned from reviews: A summer of transformation for three people who meet on Block Island. Two women and one man, all in different seasons of their lives, meet, become friends, and try to hold their secrets close. By August’s end, no one is the same. First line: “ ‘It was disconcerting, to see a man cry like that,’ said Bridget Fletcher.” Audiobook: Read by Courtney Patterson (12 hr, 15 min)

Stories for Food Lovers

• Pizza Girl by Jean Kyoung Frazier (Doubleday) Genre: literary fiction; quirky. Learned from reviews: A pregnant, conflicted, grieving pizza-delivery girl becomes obsessed with a stay-at-home mother who orders a weekly pizza for her son. Pregnancy hormones raging, pizza girl struggles to find her future. First line: “Her name was Jenny Hauser and every Wednesday I put pickles on her pizza.” Audiobook: Read by Jeena Yi (5 hr, 33 min)
• Miss Cecily’s Recipes for Exceptional Ladies by Vicky Zimmerman (Sourcebooks Landmark) Genre: contemporary woman’s fiction Learned from reviews: Kate’s life seems to fall apart on the eve of her 40th birthday. Reluctantly, she volunteers at an assisted living home, where she meets the feisty 90-something Miss Cecily. Through their friendship and the older woman’s cookbook, Kate finds a brighter future. First line: “Kate Parker is ravenous.” Audiobook: no information

True Stories

• The Language of Butterflies by Wendy Williams (Simon & Schuster) Genre: nonfiction; nature. Learned from reviews: Written by a science journalist, this introduces us to the hidden life of the “world’s favorite insect.” We learn about their behavior, life cycle, preservation, and relationship to the ecosystem and to us. First line: “Long ago, when I was twenty, penniless, and hanging in London, looking for something free to do, I drifted into the city’s Tate Gallery—filled with some of the world’s best-known art—and walked straight into a staggering J. M. W. Turner masterpiece.” Audiobook: Read by Angela Brazil (8 hr, 38 min)
• Honey and Venom by Andrew Coté (Ballantine) Genre: nonfiction; memoir Learned from reviews: Written by a leading urban beekeeper, this memoir takes us through a year of what it’s like to be a honey producer in New York City. With hives on the rooftops of iconic buildings and even on the grounds of the United Nations, Coté shares not only the ins and outs of his family’s business but also a unique look at the city. First line: “I bleed honey.” Audiobook: Read by Andrew Coté (9 hr, 22 min)
• Rebel Chef by Dominique Crenn with Emma Brockes (Penguin Press) Genre: autobiography; culinary Learned from reviews: I first heard of Crenn through the show Chef’s Table; I was interested in knowing more about her. Here Crenn shares her journey from her native France as the adopted daughter of a politician to her earning three Michelin stars for her San Francisco restaurant. Not an easy trip for anyone, especially a woman. First line: “When I was six months old, I was left in the care of an orphanage near Paris and it was from here, a few months later, that my parents adopted me.” Audiobook: Read by Hope Newhouse (5 hr, 14 min)
• Cult of Glory by Doug J. Swanson (Viking) Genre: history Learned from reviews: I’ve always been fascinated with the fabled Texas Rangers, especially as they are portrayed in film and fiction. In this examination, investigative reporter Swanson sets the record straight, revealing the sometimes ugly truth of the 200-year-old law-enforcement agency that learned to put a positive spin on their deeds, even before Texas was officially part of the union. First line: “There is not, nor has there ever been, a group quite like the Texas Rangers.” Audiobook: Read by Kaleo Griffith (17 hr, 56 min)

Stories Set in the Past

• Belladonna by Anbara Salam (Berkley) Genre literary fiction; coming of age. Learned from reviews: After high school, two American friends move to Italy to enroll in an art history program. In the late 1950s, Bridget nurtures a secret love for Isabella, but over the course of their freshman year, she learns Isabella has secrets of her own. First line: “It was Isabella who invented the game Dead Nun.” Audiobook: Read by Jill Winternitz (10 hr, 34 min)
• The Daughters of Erietown by Connie Schultz (Random House) Genre: literary fiction; family Learned from reviews: When Ellie discovers she’s pregnant in the early 1950s, Brick marries her—each giving up dreams of college and leaving their small Ohio town—to raise their daughter together. This novel covers deep themes of family, sacrifice, the women’s movement, secrets, marriage, and lost and found hopes. First line: “Samantha McGinty pressed her cheek against the cold window and exhaled slowly to cloud the glass.” Audiobook: Read by Cassandra Campbell (14 hr, 12 min)
• Red Sky over Hawaii by Sara Ackerman (Mira) Genre: historical fiction; WWII Learned from reviews: I’m reading this one now. Set on the Big Island of Hawaii and starting on the eve of the attack on Pearl Harbor, we meet Lana, who not only must cope with the aftermath of the bombing, but is also grieving her father’s recent death, discovering his secrets, and helping his neighbors. Once I started reading, I was hooked. First line: “When I close my eyes, I still see the fiery glow of lava in Halema‘uma‘u crater.” Audiobook: Read by Jennifer Robideau (10 hr, 1 min)

Stories Set in Other Worlds

• The Shadow Wand by Laurie Forest (Inkyard Press) Genre: epic fantasy; YA Learned from reviews: This third in the well-love Black Witch Chronicles series is told through multiple points of view. Things I like about this series: flawed but likeable characters and a focus on a grass-roots civil rights–like movement. Note that some readers found the first book to be homophobic, but my take was that the characters grew, learned, and changed. First line: “Edwin Gardner sits on the silk-cushioned chair in a haze of grief.” Audiobook: Read by Julia Whelan (19 hr, 50 min)
• Rage and Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Inkyard Press) Genre: contemporary fantasy; YA Learned from reviews: This is the second in the Harbinger series, continuing the story of Trinity (half human, half angel) and her gargoyle protector, Zayne. They fight demons and try to save the world from their home base in Washington, D.C. Super character development and world building. First line: “I blinked open achy, swollen eyes and stared straight at the pale, translucent face of a ghost.” Audiobook: Read by Lauren Fortgang (16 hr, 38 min)

Stories with a Twist

• Stranger in the Lake by Kimberly Belle (Park Row) Genre: domestic thriller Learned from reviews: A young woman marries a rich older man; despite gossip and doubters, her life seems blessed. All that begins to unravel when a woman’s body is found floating in the lake by their house. Her husband asks her to lie, an investigative journalist is reviving cold cases, and Charlotte is beginning to question everything. First line: “I untie the dock cleats and shove the boat into water as gray as the sky.” Audiobook: Read by Xe Sands (9 hr, 39 min)
• Safe by S. K. Barnett (Dutton) Genre: thriller Learned from reviews: Twelve years after her kidnapping, Jenny returns home, welcomed by her grateful family. She knows she is supposed to feel safe now, but is she really? What happened to Jenny during the missing years? Promises to be twisty, captivating (ha!), creepy, and unputdownable. First Line: “The first poster was put up within a day of the disappearance.” Audiobook: Read by Brittany Pressley (9 hr, 4 min)

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