Author: Jamie Canaves

Hello mystery fans! This week, I have a crime novella set in the ’80s, an edge of your seat thriller, and a murder mystery at a dark sky park.

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Sponsored by A TALE OF TWO MURDERS by Heather Redmond published by Kensington Publishing.

Charles Dickens is one of the most famous and influential writers in English literature and this new series asks “what if Dickens had also solved crimes” The first in a new series, A TALE OF TWO MURDERS features young aspiring author, Charles Dickens, as an amateur sleuth in Victorian London.

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Crime Novella! (TW child abuse physical & sexual / domestic abuse)

Street People by Michael Nava: Ben Manso is an escort in LA who is just a casual participator in life, in that he doesn’t really have much passion, excitement, care. He just does the things he needs to do to get by, causing as little harm and trying to help when it’s needed of him. That’s how he ends up with his wallet stolen and telling the police that a street kid he’s seen is clearly in danger by a man who must be abusing him. Set in the ’80s during the AIDS crisis, the case is further complicated by the vilification of gay men, leaving Ben to try and navigate the legal system to figure out what really happened to the street kid and how he can help him. This is a novella–longer than a short story, shorter than a novel–so it’s a quick read and a good introduction to Nava’s writing, which also introduces, towards the end, the star of his Henry Rios series. A good crime story that stays with you, and leaves you questioning and thinking.

Edge Of Your Seat Thriller! (TW suicide/ child abuse/ child rape / domestic violence)

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter: Part of the genius of Slaughter’s writing is that she settles you into a story and just when you’ve gotten comfortable BAM, you’re in some seriously intense events with your heart in your throat. In this standalone (you should read her catalog!), we’re introduced to Andy and Laura, mother and daughter who are kind of at an impasse. Andy moved back from NY to Belle Isle when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. But now Laura is better and wants Andy to go back to chasing after a life for herself. But Andy doesn’t want to. Except neither is going to get what they want when a violent event forces Andy to run for her life and question everything she’s ever known. Told in past and present, you watch as Andy reacts to her quiet life being destroyed and placed in imminent danger, and get a past story of anarchist/cult members. I couldn’t put this down and am so glad it’s already sold the rights for adaptation as it’s a perfect edge of your seat thriller, with a lead who I found reacted in completely believable ways rather than suddenly knowing martial arts and how to save everybody. Plus, if crime fiction is supposed to shine a light in our dark corners Slaughter does that by holding up a gigantic mirror to our society. Don’t miss this one if you’re a fan of thrillers.

A Fast-Paced Mystery Where Everyone Is Suspicious! (TW suicide/ PTSD/ domestic abuse)

Under a Dark Sky by Lori Rader-Day: Eden Wallace is a widow with a debilitating fear of the dark, which has taken over her life. When she discovers that, before he’d passed away, her husband had reserved a getaway for them at a dark sky park, she decides to go, hoping she’ll use it to force herself out of her fear. But, immediately, there’s a problem as it turns out her and a group of renters all thought they had rented a house to themselves when in fact they’re all sharing it. So Eden is now in a house with a group of friends from college unable to drive back home because she’ll be trapped in the dark night. And then, of course, there’s a murder and everyone is a suspect! Eden is stuck as police try to figure out who had motive to kill as she watches her “roommates'” secrets all start to come out, which forces even Eden’s secrets to escape… (I liked Tavia Gilbert’s narration on the audiobook.)

Recent Releases

Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini by Cynthia von Buhler (An interesting, twisty, pulpy graphic novel with a lady detective “undercover” in the magical and dangerous world of Houdini.)

Red, White, Blue by Lea Carpenter (TBR: A woman’s father dies on the eve of her wedding and soon she’s not only grieving him but discovering his past secret life with the CIA.)

Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey (Just started reading: Told in Then and Now as a woman kidnaps a little girl thinking she’s saving the girl from a cruel mother. Recently sold the film and TV rights.)

The Truth Lies Here by Lindsey Klingele (TBR: An aspiring journalist, boy-next-door, and quarterback team up to find a missing father after a series of locals are found dead.)

In the Dog House (Dog Club Mystery #1) by V.M. Burns (TBR: Cozy mystery where the wife is accused of murdering her husband and needs her defense attorney daughter, best friend, and K-9 partnered cop to help prove her innocence.)

LoveMurder (Valerie Hart #2) by Saul Black (Paperback) (Dark, gruesome, suspenseful serial killer: Review)

Remember you can win 16 awesome books featured on the Recommended podcast!

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime, come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.

Hi mystery fans!

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We’re giving away 16 of the books featured on Recommended! Click here, or on the image below to enter:

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From Book Riot And Around The Internet

5 Mystery Books With Plot Twists You’ll Never See Coming

‘Our House’ By Louise Candlish Is The Perfect Book For Thriller Readers And True Crime Podcast Addicts (Don’t read the last few paragraphs if you don’t like spoilers.)

20 Chilling Thrillers by Women to Read This Year

Watch the book trailer for Karin Slaughter’s upcoming Pieces of Her.

Giveaways: Book Riot is giving away 16 awesome books featured on the Recommended podcast! And you can win one of ten copies of Ron Stallworth’s Black Klansman.

News and Adaptations

The cover reveal for Caleb Roehrig’s upcoming Death Prefers Blondes is awesome AND I’m super excited to read it as it’s about a teenage cat burglar and her crew of kickboxing drag queens. Is it January yet?!

Remember last week’s article about the guy who rigged the McDonald’s Monopoly game? Turns out there was a bidding war to make a film out of the true story and the winner was: “20th Century Fox and Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s production company Pearl Street Films, which bid an eye-watering $1 million for the 8,700-word online long read (most articles command option fees of less than $1,000).”

Fingers crossed this Lamar Giles tweet means there will be an adaptation for Fake ID. I’m really hoping for a series that follows Nick, and his family, while in Witness Protection!

Some Dan Brown favorites have gotten updated covers. While I thought that was already the cover for The Da Vinci Code, the Inferno cover is making me want to swap my owned copy so well played publishing!

Read That Watch This

Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime by Ron Stallworth is a quick memoir about a black police officer who once tricked the KKK into making him a member in Colorado Springs during the ’70s. Currently in theaters is Spike Lee’s adaptation starring John David Washington and Adam Driver (Trailer). I went with the audiobook, since it’s narrated by the author, and I will say it’s depressing as hell that this is not only our history but *looks around* our current state. (TW for racism/ antisemitism/ xenophobia) (Related article: Spike Lee on ‘BlacKkKlansman’ and Life in Trump’s America)

Kindle Deals

Stop everything A Conspiracy in Belgravia (Lady Sherlock #2) by Sherry Thomas is $1.99!!!!!!!! (You probably already know by now that Charlotte Holmes is my favorite Sherlock: Review)

The World’s Greatest Detective by Caroline Carlson is $4.99!!!! (It’s a delightful and great mystery that I hope is the start of a series! Review)

My Finish-And-Start Weekend Reading Plans

#fashionvictim by Amina Akhtar/ Walking Shadows by Faye Kellerman/ Sister of Mine by Laurie Petrou/ Dim Sum of All Fears by Vivien Chien/ The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo/ Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.

Hello mystery fans! As a fan of ghosts, paranormal activity, weird, and speculative fiction, I naturally love a mystery where the sleuth is dead–or some form of–and is trying to solve their own murder. I feel like if I were murdered I would at the very least appreciate being given the chance to solve it if no one else does so here are some great reads with “dead” sleuths.

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As part of Season 2 of our podcast series Annotated, we are giving away 10 of the best books about books of 2017. Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click the image below:

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Fun and Smart (TW suicide)

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson: Mila Flores does not believe that her best friend Riley died by suicide. The problem is no one seems to believe Mila, everyone thinks she’s just having a difficult time accepting her friend’s death. So Mila takes matters into her own hands and conjures up a spell. Awesome idea! Not the best execution: Riley isn’t the only person to come back from the dead. There’s also two girls they don’t like along with Riley and none of them remember their deaths. Now they all have seven days–this spell’s got a countdown–to figure out who murdered them while trying not to kill each other. It is as awesome as Veronica Mars meets The Craft sounds.

Excellent Speculative Fiction Mystery (TW suicide)

Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl: I’m going to do this review in two parts for readers like me who like knowing as little as possible going into a book. The very quick gist: Beatrice’s boyfriend died a year ago and she hasn’t seen her group of friends since. Until now, which leads to a night of partying where finally Beatrice feels she’s ready to talk with her friends because Jim’s suicide was mysterious and always felt wrong…The gives-away-a-fun-beginning-twist review: Beatrice and her friends are visited by a man who explains something unworldly: Their new “living” situation. It’s a doozy and after some time it becomes apparent their only way out of this loop (which feels like hell to most) is to figure out what happened to Jim…

The Mall of America is Purgatory (TW child abuse/ alludes to rape/ suicide attempt)

I Woke Up Dead At The Mall by Judy Sheehan: I really like when books are able to straddle the line of having depth and also being fun. Sixteen-year-old Sarah finds herself at the Mall of America only to discover she’s not only dead, it was murder–Oh, and she’s gonna have to solve the case or, according to her death coach, she’s gonna permanently become a mall walker. But who would want her dead? And why? And how does she get out of this awful bridesmaid dress?! She has no clue, but with some new friends, and love interest, she’s going to figure it out! As far as purgatory goes this isn’t the worst I’ve heard, I mean there’s at least a food court.

Remember we’re giving away 16 AWESOME books featured on the Recommended podcast!

Recent Releases

Sweet Little Lies (Cat Kinsella #1) by Caz Frear (Currently reading: A procedural where the lead detective is being forced to go to counseling after a traumatic case and she’s also dealing with memories hinting at knowing a crime her father committed when she was eight.)

The Kill Jar: Obsession, Descent, and a Hunt for Detroit’s Most Notorious Serial Killer by J. Reuben Appelman (TBR: True Crime Memoir)

The Line That Held Us by David Joy (TBR: A crime novel that follows the aftermath of how covering up an accidental death affects 4 people.)

Nancy Drew #3 by Kelly Thompson, Jenn St-Onge (If you’re looking for a modern Nancy Drew I’m really enjoying this comic series.)

The Blinds by Adam Sternbergh (Paperback) (Fantastic mystery: Review) (TW suicide/ and if memory serves I think a scene discusses past child molestation)

Olympus Bound (Olympus Bound #3) by Jordanna Max Brodsky (Paperback) (The last in this fantasy mystery series which puts Greek gods in modern NY that I’ve been dying to finally get to read.)

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.

Hello mystery fans! Riley Sager came up with a brilliant TV show idea and how do we get this made?! “Someone please make a TV show starring Kathleen Turner and Stockard Channing as sisters and rival Broadway divas who end up solving murders together. I’ll write the pilot for free.”

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Sponsored by A WILLING MURDER by Jude Deveraux from MIRA Books

New York Times bestselling romance author Jude Deveraux makes her debut in the world of mystery with a story of old secrets and an improbable group of friends who are determined to uncover the truth.

When two skeletons are accidentally uncovered in the quiet town of Lachlan, an unlikely trio are thrust together by a common goal: to solve a mystery everyone else seems eager to keep under wraps. United by a sense of justice, Sara, Kate and Jack will have to dig into Lachlan’s murky past to unravel the small town’s dark secrets and work to bring the awful truth to light.

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From Book Riot And Around The Internet

Rincey and Katie talk news, adaptations, monster thrillers, and what they’re reading on Read or Dead.

Dead Girls, Female Murderers, and Megan Abbott’s Novel “Give Me Your Hand”

Rincey has 3 nonfiction page-turners with two nonviolent true crime reads that are excellent.

An interview with Edgar Cantero, author of Meddling Kids and This Body’s Not Big Enough For Both Of Us.

Giveaway: Book Riot has 16 awesome books featured on the Recommended podcast that you could win!

Adaptations And News

Reese Witherspoon chose Maria Hummel’s Still Lives as her book club pick. (Review)

There’s a Kickstarter for a new immersive theater experience from Speakeasy Dollhouse based on a popular noir comic book, The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini, exploring the death of Harry Houdini.

 

True Crime

Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, hosts of true crime comedy podcast “My Favorite Murder,” have a book coming out in 2019: Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered

This sounds like the opening of a thriller I want to read: Thieves Steal Swedish Crown Jewels Before Fleeing By Speedboat (I also may have a sudden urge to drive a speedboat while wearing a jeweled crown.)

Did Stephen King’s Son Just Solve a 44-Year-Old Murder Mystery?: What do Jaws and an infamous cold case have in common? Bestselling author Joe Hill presents a theory linking two events that took place in 1974 Cape Cod.

A small-town couple left behind a stolen painting worth over $100 million — and a big mystery

Crime Author Who Killed People and Used Own Murders to Write Novels Sentenced to Death

Why Is Ted Bundy Suddenly Everywhere?

Kindle Deals

Smaller and Smaller Circles by F.H. Batacan is $1.99! (Great mystery starring two Jesuit priests–a forensic anthropologist and psychologist–consulting on a serial killer case!) (Been too long to remember TW but my guess is child death and rape.)

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches (Flavia de Luce, #6) by Alan Bradley is $1.99! (Precocious young girl attracted to macabre solving mysteries in 1950s England.)

A Bit of My Week In Reading

Started listening to The Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martínez, Sonia Soto (Translator) because I hate math and figured if it had anything to do with the solve then finally I’d read a mystery where I wouldn’t figure it out at the beginning. So far it’s murdery and philosophical and good.

My current non-crime read is The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory and it’s all the hearteyes emoji. Also, I’m now on the lookout for a best friend who owns a cupcake shop.

I’m reading two mystery/horror books: Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach about a young man who starts working at the grocery store his little brother went missing from years before; Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand about a town where girls keep disappearing…

And my current procedural read is Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear about a London DC who is forced into therapy after a horrific crime scene and is on a case connected to her childhood when her father lied about knowing a girl…

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.

Hello mystery fans! I have a great cozy mystery, fun psychological thriller, and a snowed in Inn where guests are being murdered!

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We’re giving away 16 of the books featured on Recommended! Click here, or on the image below to enter:

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Day is Back in Another Funny Cozy! (TW suicide)

Hollywood Ending (Detective by Day #2) by Kellye Garrett: I do not need to like my characters to enjoy a book, especially in the crime genre, but when it comes to cozy mysteries, the series I end up sticking with are the ones where I either love the main character or want to join in and solve with them. In this case it’s both: I love Dayna “Day” Anderson and would totally join her, and her group of friends, in solving any mystery. Especially, to sit back and watch Day try to explain things since she usually makes them worse in a hilarious-to-me-not-so-much-to-her way. Day is just about to the grab the brass rings: She’s finally a PI apprentice (But there’s a hitch!); She’s happily dating an actor (But everyone thinks he’s dating someone else!)… It is one of my favorite things about this series, how Day is always so close but life is life. This time around she’s trying to solve a publicist’s murder, get her ex-cop turned PI partner to help her PI, all while dealing with the Hollywood machine behind the actor she’s dating. Awesome friendships, annoying partnerships, Hollywood, laugh out loud scenes, and a solved murder–I can’t ask for anything more in a great cozy mystery! (Can be read as a standalone.)

Fun Page-Turner Psychological Thriller! (TW suicide/ animal cruelty)

A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay: This had that fun horror-ish “Omg did you hear that? There has to be someone in the house” feeling without being a horror novel, which is something I love. Imagine accidentally stumbling upon the aftermath of a double murder, barely surviving, and then not knowing if you need to check into a psychiatric hospital or if your house is haunted by the victims… Or maybe it’s one of your therapists patients who assaulted you… If you’re looking for something to keep you up past your bedtime, that delivers the thrills and twists, here you go! (I put this book down after the opening, said “I need to make popcorn for this,” did, and then proceeded to inhale the book and my popcorn!)

For Agatha Christie Fans (TW rape / suicide)

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena: There’s a blizzard in the Inn in the Catskills and you know the drill people, there’s gonna be a murder and it had to have been one of the guests! Except at first everyone thinks the guest died by accident, so while everyone is disturbed with having to leave the body where it is until the storm passes, and the police can arrive, they aren’t afraid. That is until there’s another death… Someone amongst these strangers clearly has murder in mind and not a weekend getaway, but who and why?! This was a good mystery with a group of strangers all stuck together for most of the book and, at the end, the police come in with the solve and wrap-up. Can you figure it out before the police?

Recent Releases

Baghdad Noir edited by Samuel Shimon (A good series of short story crime collections set in a specific place–a great way to discover new authors.)

Marrakech Noir edited by Yassin Adnan (Ditto)

Twisted True Story of One of the Biggest Cons in History by Blake Ellis, Melanie Hicken (TBR: True crime)

Blood Highway by Gina Wohlsdorf (TBR: I really enjoyed her slasher film in a book Security and am looking forward to getting to sit down with this one.)

Desperate Girls (Wolfe Security #1) by Laura Griffin (TBR: Romantic suspense starring a defense attorney.)

Absinthe by Guido Eeckhaut (TBR: International crime thriller)

Judas: How a Sister’s Testimony Brought Down a Criminal Mastermind by Astrid Holleeder (TBR: True Crime)

Our House by Louise Candlish (Good psychological suspense about a woman who comes home to find another family moving into her house!) (TW suicide)

Sister of Mine by Laurie Petrou (Currently reading: Sisters with a secret–murder?–that they use against each other…)

Under a Dark Sky by Lori Rader-Day (TBR: A group of people staying at a dark sky park are all suspects when one is murdered–I’d never heard of a dark sky park before and am even more intrigued.)

Walking Shadows (Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus #25) by Faye Kellerman (Currently reading: Good procedural so far trying to solve the murder of a young man that is also focusing on the police department’s politics.)

Toucan Keep a Secret (Meg Langslow #23) by Donna Andrews (TBR: funny cozy mystery)

Sweet After Death (Alice Madison #4) by Valentina Giambanco (TBR: Procedural set in Washington)

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.

Hi mystery fans! Here’s to a bookish weekend!

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Sponsored by Doubleday Books

In a dingy office, the door bears the names of A. Kimrean and Z. Kimrean. Private Eyes. Behind the door there is only one desk, one androgynous PI. A.Z., as they are collectively known, are brother and sister. He’s pure misanthropic logic, she’s hedonistic creativity. The Kimreans have been locked in mortal battle since they were in utero…which is tricky because they, very literally, share one single body. This Body’s Not Big Enough for Both of Us is a brilliantly subversive and comic thriller celebrating noir detectives and action movies, that can only come from the mind of Edgar Cantero.

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From Book Riot And Around the Internet

Holmes-Trotting: 6 International Sherlock Holmes Adaptations You Need in Your Life

Goodreads asked Alice Bolin, author of Dead Girls: Essays on Surviving an American Obsession, and journalist-turned-crime novelist Laura Lippman to discuss a recurring theme in crime fiction: “a beautiful girl dies, and a man feels bad about it.” What we got was a rollicking conversation about women readers, the power of noir, and why there’s something sinister in romantic-comedy plots.

Why the Fashion on Killing Eve Is Its Own Delicious Subplot

Last week I told you about how much I loved Courtney Summer’s upcoming novel Sadie (it’s so freaking smart and good) and here she is talking about the importance of victim’s voices. Plus, there’s a giveaway for a signed copy of her novel.

10 Things I’d Like My Readers To Know About Me By Ausma Zehanat Khan (Author of the Rachel Getty & Esa Khattak series which I love.)

Giveaway: You can win 16 AWESOME books featured on the Recommended podcast! Y’all are so lucky!

Adaptations and News

The leads have been cast for USA Network’s adaptation of Megan Abbott’s novel Dare Me.

Tiffany D. Jackson’s next book sounds amazing! (Author of Allegedly and Monday’s Not Coming)

John Krasinski steps out of The Office and into Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan on this week’s EW cover

True Crime

Laura Lippman explores her own ethics in crime writing: When Crime Comes from the Crime Writer

How an Ex-Cop Rigged McDonald’s Monopoly Game and Stole Millions (McSting included!)

A scene from Netflix’s The Break with Michelle Wolf where she hilariously takes on True Crime

52 Great True Crime Podcasts

Kindle Deals

Villain by Shuichi Yoshida, Philip Gabriel (Narrator) is $4.99 (Japanese crime high on my TBR!)

What You Don’t Know by JoAnn Chaney is $2.99 and it’s one of my favorite crime books! (Review) (I don’t remember the TWs but it’s a serial killer novel.)

Little Monsters by Kara Thomas is $1.99! (Good YA psychological thriller: Review) (TW suicide)

A Bit Of My Week In Reading

Almost finished with the audiobook for A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo which is a slow burn psychological where everyone is pretty much unreliable, there’s toxic relationships (best friend love obsessions), and of course a murder.

I started Sister of Mine by Laurie Petrou which so far has a bunch of vague little blips where either something bad happened that these two sisters are hiding or something bad is about to happen with these two sisters–or both! Either way I’m invested.

And because I didn’t already have enough audiobooks I just loaded An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena, Our House by Louise Candlish, and Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach into my phone!

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.

Hi mystery fans! This week I have dead cheerleaders, modern noir, and a quiet mystery for you. Is it too macabre to say, “Enjoy!”?

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Sponsored by Against Nature, a Duck Darley thriller from author Casey Barrett.

Perched in an airy penthouse above the corrupt streets of Manhattan, unlicensed P.I. Duck Darley has settled into an unlikely domestic routine with a wealthy divorcée and her precocious eight-year-old son. But old nightmares return when a desperate text from Cass Kimball, the former partner Duck once took a bullet to protect, lures him back into sworn-off vices and the sinister world of professional sports . . .

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Excellent Modern Noir

Dead Soon Enough (Juniper Song, #3) by Steph Cha: This is the third in this really good amateur-sleuth-turned-PI series, which stars a young woman in L.A. solving crimes with her dark stained view of the world–and I hope there is more to come in the series. Song takes on the case of a missing woman, which ends up going into strange-town real quick because of the client’s unique situation. She’s hired to find Lusig’s missing friend, a woman outspoken about the Armenian genocide. But the person who actually hires Song is Lusig’s cousin Rubina, because Lusig is Rubina’s surrogate at the moment, and Rubina fears Lusig trying to find what happened to her friend is putting Rubina’s unborn child in danger. Still with me? It’s a complicated family web of drama that is deliciously bonkers while also realistic to how complicated family relationships can be. Song finds herself way over her head, dealing with the clients and the case, as once again Cha wrote a mystery with a massive nod to the noir genre but cemented it very much in the modern world. (I recommend the entire series because I love Juniper Song, and watching her progress from amateur to licensed PI, but this one can be read as a standalone.)

That’s A Lot of Dead Cheerleaders (TW statutory rape/ suicide)

The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas: I 100% picked up this book because of the cover design and then I realized it was written by the author of Little Monsters which I really enjoyed (Review). If you were also a fan, you’ll be happy to know Thomas has once again written a solid mystery with, for me, just the right amount of reveals/twists. The town of Sunnybrook has five dead cheerleaders. Two were murdered, two died in a car accident, and one died by suicide. Now five years later one of the deceased cheerleader’s younger sister finds herself with more questions than answers as she, and a new friend, do some very ill-advised sleuthing–including in her stepfather’s office. Did I mention he’s a police officer who seems to know more than he’s ever shared with her about the cases, including her sister’s?… It’s a real page-turner.

Searching For Answers: Is Her Father Innocent Or A Monster? (TW date rape)

A Double Life by Flynn Berry: This was a good quiet mystery that I didn’t realize my brain needed after I’d read too many twisty-twist-with-another-twist-well-that-jumped-the-shark thrillers in a row. And I’m not knocking those thrillers, because I like them, but sometimes too much of one thing in a row requires a change of speed before you get fried out. Plus, I’m always a fan of mysteries that aren’t full of bells and whistles but, rather, let you get to know a character and slowly watch a mystery unravel as it builds into tension and the solve. In this case, Claire, a London doctor, is visited by police who think they may have once again found her father. Slowly it’s revealed what her father is suspected of, Claire’s life of never knowing whether he’s a wrongfully accused man or a monster, and her decision to finally go get some answers… (I really enjoyed the audiobook as the narrator, Fiona Hardingham, really placed me in Claire’s mind and world.)

Recent Releases

My Midnight Years: Surviving Jon Burge’s Police Torture Ring and Death Row by Ronald Kitchen,Thai Jones, Logan McBride (TBR true crime memoir)

Against the Claw (A Lobster Shack Mystery #2) by Shari Randall (TBR cozy mystery)

The Widow Spy: My CIA Journey from the Jungles of Laos to Prison in Moscow by Martha D. Peterson, Laural Merlington (Narrator) (Currently my audiobook)

This Body’s Not Big Enough for Both of Us by Edgar Cantero (I enjoyed his mystery Meddling Kids and have this one queued up as my next audiobook.)

A Gentleman’s Murder by Christopher Huang (Just started reading: Historical mystery that already sold rights for adaptation.)

Requiem by Geir Tangen (TBR: Scandinavian thriller)

Sunburn by Laura Lippman (Paperback) (Slow-burn modern noir: Review)

Y Is For Yesterday by Sue Grafton (Paperback) (The last in her Alphabet series since she passed away–*cries in books forever.)

And hello new Book Riot giveaway: You can win 16 awesome books featured on the Recommended podcast! And that is a seriously beautiful list of books.

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. And here’s an Unusual Suspects Pinterest board.

Until next time, keep investigating! And in the meantime come talk books with me on Twitter, Instagram, and Litsy–you can find me under Jamie Canaves.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own you can sign up here.