Hello mystery fans! If you’re a fan of action and contract killers, I had a lot of fun watching Kill Boksoon on Netflix.
And if you’re looking for a new bookish newsletter that takes a deeper dive into everything books, check out Book Riot’s newest newsletter, The Deep Dive.
Bookish Goods
No Such Thing As Too Many Books Accessory Pouch by WithLoveMelissaShop
If you love keeping things in pouches, here’s a cute bookish one with spring vibes. ($23)
New Releases
Spider by Azma Dar
For fans of domestic suspense!
Sophie and her husband Tariq are on very different career paths. Sophie would like to be known as a famous British Pakistani actress except she’s currently only known on a B-movie level by some and it’s for the unplanned on-camera birth of her son. And she’s being blackmailed, something she’s keeping from her husband by moving around money to pay. Tariq is a pillar of Bradford’s Muslim community when he goes missing, later presumed dead in a car accident that makes identification difficult. Between Sophie’s past, the blackmail, and this being her third marriage, is someone she knows responsible?
Double or Nothing (James Bond Double O Trilogy #1) by Kim Sherwood
For fans of spy novels!
This is a new James Bond trilogy that isn’t really about Bond — while being a nod to and having favorite characters appear — that starts with Bond missing after having been captured by a private military company. We get to know new double-0 MI6 agents: Johanna Harwood, 003. Joseph Dryden, 004. Sid Bashir, 009. And of course the fate of the world is in their hands and they need to figure out if their current mission is in any way tied to what may have happened to Bond.
Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!
Riot Recommendations
Here are two very different books, but both have really strong voice, books within the books, and really place you in the lead’s thoughts.
Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria Dong
For fans of psychological suspense and unreliable narrators.
As a kid Katrina Kim read a fantasy book that now as an adult she finds herself hallucinating about and questioning her mental state sometimes. She has rituals to deal with her stresses, is estranged from her parents, and is stalking a co-worker — even if in her mind it is absolutely not stalking. When she sees her coworker die by suicide, pointing the finger at her as the cause, she is determined to figure out what could possibly have led to this. The more she digs — risking her own job and sanity — the more she begins to feel like she was the one being stalked. But what can she believe?
I really enjoyed Hannah Choi’s narration on the audiobook.
(TW suicide, detail/ suicidal thoughts, discussion/ stalking/ gaslighting/ workplace sexual harassment case/ brief mention past cancer, now in remission/ mental illness)
Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia
For fans of puzzle books, pop-culture, and literary references!
Tuesday Mooney, a loner whose childhood best friend disappeared, finds herself on an Edgar Allan Poe treasure hunt through Boston, prompted by a billionaire’s death. It’s the kind of scavenger hunt book you can get lost in, that is filled with fun pop culture and literary references, but also delves into coping with grief.
Lauren Fortgang, who has a super long list of work including lots of great thrillers, narrates the audiobook.
(TW depression/ parent death in recent past/ discussion about suicide/ past domestic and child abuse)
News and Roundups
How Long Until a Library Worker Is Killed?
Texas Ranks Among Lowest on Library Use, Highest in Book Bans: Library Use & Spending By State
Tony Shalhoub Says COVID-19 Inspired Monk Movie on Peacock
Shetland: First look at Ashley Jensen on set as other stars joining cast are revealed
Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2023 releases. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations!
Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.
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