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Unusual Suspects

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON to Arrive on Digital This Week

Hi, mystery fans! Joy Ride is finally available to stream on Starz, and if you like raunchy comedies, I laughed a lot!

It’s happening, readers — we’re bringing paperbacks! Whether you (or a reader you know and love) hate carrying around bulky hardcovers, you’re on a budget, you want a wider range of recommendations or all of the above, you can now get a paperback subscription from TBR, curated just for you by one of our Bibliologists. The holidays are here, and we’ve got three different levels for gifting (to yourself or others) to suit every budget. Get all the details at mytbr.co.

Bookish Goods

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Mushroom Corner Postcard by thecleverclove

Send adorable book lover postcards! (1 for $3 or 4 for $11)

New Releases

Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng book cover

Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng

For fans of thrillers, psychological horror, and gorgeous covers!

Sweet Cadence was an all-girl pop group until one member, Mina, died by suicide. Years later, one of the past members, Candie, joins a K-pop workshop with the chance to train in Korea. Except another past member, Sunny, has different plans: infiltrate the workshop to find out what really happened to Mina…

cover image for The Last Time

For the Last Time by Heidi Perks

For fans of thrillers, dual timelines, and past secrets!

Maggie is a therapist whose sister has been missing for years. Erin is married to Will, and they’ve recently started marriage counseling with Maggie. When Erin mentions something related to Maggie’s missing sister, Maggie becomes obsessed with how Erin could possibly know that. Rather than recommending the couple to another therapist — per code of ethics — Maggie instead decides to find out what Erin knows and why…

Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Here are two books from this year that I haven’t gotten to yet — for no reason other than I am human, and there are more books than time in my life, which is just rude! — that I think I am going to greatly enjoy when I read them.

cover image for A Death In Denmark

A Death in Denmark (Gabriel Præst #1) by Amulya Malladi (aoc)

Why I think I’m going to really enjoy it: Nordic crime, a jazz-loving PI, and Denmark history!

Gabriel Præst works as a PI after being fired from the Copenhagen police department, where he worked in financial fraud. Now, his ex-wife is asking him to prove the innocence of a man convicted of murdering a right-wing politician.

cover image for The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman

Why I think I’m going to really enjoy it: these amateur sleuths are bored of high society life, there’s a bit of romance, and there are three adventure rescues!

Independently wealthy twin sisters Gus and Julia are respectively unmarried and widowed in Regency England. When they begin helping out a friend being blackmailed, the ladies find themselves rescuing other women who the law won’t help.

News and Roundups

Our critic’s picks: Best mystery fiction books of 2023

Killers of the Flower Moon to Arrive on Digital This Week

How Catalina Island’s past inspired Rachel Howzell Hall’s What Never Happened

Would You Survive? 8 Recent Dark Academia & Deadly Game Books

Tokyo Vice season 2 first look reveals new characters, new dangers

Netflix and Apple TV Plus will fight for crime show dominance in the new year, and I can’t wait

A theater critic and a hotel maid are on the case in 2 captivating mystery novels

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See 2023 releases and upcoming 2024 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 Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

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

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Unusual Suspects

The internet is obsessed with this Swedish murder mystery on Netflix

Hello, mystery fans! Everything Everywhere All at Once is streaming on Amazon Prime Video if you’re in the mood for a bananapants great film.

It’s happening, readers — we’re bringing paperbacks! Whether you (or a reader you know and love) hate carrying around bulky hardcovers, you’re on a budget, you want a wider range of recommendations or all of the above, you can now get a paperback subscription from TBR, curated just for you by one of our Bibliologists. The holidays are here, and we’ve got three different levels for gifting (to yourself or others) to suit every budget. Get all the details at mytbr.co.

Bookish Goods

an enamel pin of a sweater, pencils, glasses, and books that says The Librarian

The Librarian Tarot Card Soft Enamel Pin by librarycatdesigns

For fans of enamel pins and/or a great holiday gift (or any time gift) for a librarian in your life. ($12)

New Releases

cover image for Perfect Little Lives

Perfect Little Lives by Amber and Danielle Brown

For fans of narratives told in the past and present with diary entries and fictional true crime!

Simone’s father is in prison, having been convicted of murdering her mother when she was 13. Now an adult, she’s trying to prove what she’s always believed: her father is innocent, and her neighbor, the father of her best friend, committed the murder…

cover image for Daughter of Ashes

Daughter of Ashes (Teresa Battaglia #4) by Ilaria Tuti

For fans of translated procedurals with older protagonists and fictional serial killers summoning the detective to prison!

This is a great series where the lead, Superintendent Teresa Battaglia, is in her sixties and has diabetes and dementia — the latter something she has kept hidden from everyone. So, while on sick leave, she’s just going to move into retirement — except a serial killer from her past summons her to the prison he’s held in. It turns out that during his recent escape, he was hired to commit a murder, but he won’t say anything about the crime, including who hired him. So, we watch Battaglia and her partner try to solve what is currently happening while also watching almost 30 years prior the cat and mouse game between the serial killer and Battaglia.

If you want to start at the beginning of this great series, pick up Flowers over the Inferno!

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

This year — and the last few, really — have been exceptional years for the nonfiction genre. I’ve talked a bunch about Liliana’s Invincible Summer being one of my favorite reads of the year, but I also wanted to discuss two more releases this year that are under the radar and worth your reading time. And because sometimes I can’t shut up about books I love, I’ll list at the end my favorite nonfic (not crime) reads of the year.

cover image for Tremors in the Blood

Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession and the Birth of the Lie Detector by Amit Katwala

For fans of history, criminal justice/forensics, and true crime.

Katwala dives into the history of the lie detector/polygraph, beginning with its creation in the 1920s. While you get that history, including a focus on the creators, it is especially interesting to see the criminal cases where the lie detector was used throughout history. And one would think it is odd that it is coming back into popular use, being that it does not meet scientific standards.

(TW domestic violence/ brief mentions of past child sexual assault, no detail/ suicide, detail, including murder-suicide)

cover image for Creep

Creep: Accusations and Confessions by Myriam Gurba

For fans of genre blends including memoir, history, and crime.

I’ve been a big fan of Gurba since I read her memoir Mean, so I was very much anticipating her 2023 release and pressed play the second I got the audiobook — which she narrates!

Gurba seamlessly blends her life — including the violence that’s been inflicted on her — and our society’s history with violence through the lens of how we create, defend, and allow “creeps” to exist.

A quote I jotted down that has stayed with me: “The living expect a lot from dead women.”

(TWs she talks about so many stories, cases, and histories that it’s easiest to just say everything, though I’ll note it never feels gratuitous or graphic for the sake of it.)

My favorite nonfiction reads of 2023: Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H.; We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film by Tre’vell Anderson; Hi Honey, I’m Homo!: Sitcoms, Specials, and the Queering of American Culture by Matt Baume; Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper; Horse Barbie by Geena Rocero.

News and Roundups

The Pigeon Tunnel Director Errol Morris On The Suspicious Mind Of Spy-Turned-Novelist David Cornwell

The Maid Author Nita Prose Was Scared to Write a Sequel to Her Best-Selling Novel

The internet is obsessed with this Swedish murder mystery on Netflix. Why?

Nordic Crime Novel Big Brother Set to be Adapted for TV by Act 4

9 New Murder Mystery Novels That Will Keep You Hooked

AudioFile Magazine’s Best Audiobooks of 2023

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See 2023 releases and upcoming 2024 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 Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

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

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Unusual Suspects

7 Heart-Pounding Heist Novels

Hi, mystery fans! The third season of Slow Horses has started on Apple TV+! It’s fun because it’s a twist on the spy genre — these spies have all been kicked out of MI5 for various reasons.

Are you looking for the perfect gift for that bookish special someone in your life this holiday season? Tailored Book Recommendations is here to help! Here at TBR, we pair our customers with a professional book nerd (aka bibliologist) who just gets them. They fill out a survey and then sit back and relax as we pick books just for them. We’ve got three levels — recs-only, paperback, and hardcover — and you can gift a full year or one time, so there are options for every budget! Get all the details at mybtro.com/gift

Bookish Goods

vinyl sticker of illustrated books holding hands and a banner that says "let's all go the library"

Let’s all go to the library vinyl sticker by CTKRStudio

I’ll forgive this sticker for giving me an earworm because it’s so cute! ($3)

New Releases

cover of The Owl Cries by Hye-young Pyun

The Owl Cries by Hye-Young Pyun, Sora Kim-Russell (Translator)

For fans of noir, anxiety-inducing genre blends, atmospheric and slow-burn reads, and translated crime!

Bak Insu is a forester living nearby with his family and a recovering alcoholic. The forester prior to him mysteriously disappeared, but Bak Insu—and those living in the small village dependent on the forest—claim no knowledge of the previous forester. Then an accident, death, attempted break-in, and mysterious note occur, and Bak Insu must question what exactly may be happening in this forest…

cover image for Starkweather

Starkweather: The Untold Story of the Killing Spree that Changed America by Harry N. MacLean

For readers of true crime and history!

Over the course of two years, in the late 1950s, Charles Starkweather (19) and his girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate (14) traveled across Nebraska and Wyoming. Starkweather killed 11 people, including Fugate’s family. It’s the case behind Natural Born Killers and Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska. Many questions have remained, including Fugate’s involvement, which MacLean sought out to answer not only with existing research but also by interviewing Fugate.

Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

In the previous two newsletters, I highlighted graphic novels for mystery fans (Lady Killer, Volume 1 and Goldie Vance Vol. 1) and middle grade mysteries (Ophie’s Ghosts by Justina Ireland and Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce) that you should absolutely read since Goodreads dropped those categories from its awards. So this time, I’m focusing on poets writing true crime memoir and mysteries.

a graphic of the cover of Pulling the Chariot of the Sun: A Memoir of a Kidnapping by Shane McCrae

Pulling the Chariot of the Sun: A Memoir of a Kidnapping by Shane McCrae

For true crime memoir readers!

Shane McCrae’s maternal grandparents kidnapped him when he was a toddler in order to hide him from his Black father and have him raised by a white family. Shane was tricked into participating to keep his father from him until Shane’s false memories made him question his life and identity, ultimately sending him looking for the truth and his father.

Shane McCrae’s poetry collections: In the Language of My Captor; Sometimes I Never Suffered; The Gilded Auction Block; Cain Named the Animal

The Secret History of Las Vegas by Chris Abani cover image

The Secret History of Las Vegas by Chris Abani

For fans of dark crime novels!

Sunli, a doctor who specializes in sociopathy, is to evaluate conjoined twins Fire and Water because they were found bathing near a barrel that was filled with blood. The detective on the case needs to solve this case and is certain Fire and Water must be responsible, thus wanting Sunli to prove him correct. But Sunli has his doubts…

Chris Abani‘s poetry collections: Smoking the Bible; Sanctificum; Kalakuta Republic; Hands Washing Water

I had also previously — in an October newsletter — highlighted two poets who’d written excellent true crime memoirs: Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir by Natasha Trethewey and The Red Parts by Maggie Nelson.

News and Roundups

7 Heart-Pounding Heist Novels

Aussie Crime Series Troppo Sells Across Europe

Without a Cue spins A Christmas Carol into interactive murder mystery

It’s the Perfect Time to Curl Up with a Cozy Book

Kay Scarpetta confronts Bigfoot clue in excerpt from Patricia Cornwell’s Unnatural Death

James Bond’s namesake was a Philadelphia bird expert

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See 2023 releases and upcoming 2024 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 Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

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

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Unusual Suspects

48 Cold-Weather Novels for Thrills and Chills

Hello, mystery fans! For some reason, body-swapping movies were really popular when I was a kid — and I watched them all— so I grew into an adult who gravitates towards that trope. Enter Netflix upping the ante with an entire family body-swapping: Family Switch. So clearly, that’s what I’m watching!

Indulge your inner book nerd and join a community of like-minded readers looking to expand their knowledge and their TBR. Subscribe to The Deep Dive, where Book Riot’s editorial staff draws from their collective expertise to bring you compelling stories, informed takes, tips, hacks, and more. Find out why the bestseller list is broken, analyze some anticipated books, and explore the great wide world of books and publishing. Get a free subscription for weekly content delivered to your inbox, or upgrade to paid-for bonus content and community features.

Bookish Goods

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Bookish Greeting Card by ArtsByBooksnmae

Send out bookish holiday cards this year! (1 for $3 or 4 for $10) Tip: if you always forget to buy holiday cards on time, purchase next year’s this year. Just put them somewhere where you won’t forget them — Why ever would you think I say that from experience?

New Releases

cover image for Murder on Tour

Murder on Tour (Mystery Bookshop #9) by V.M. Burns

For fans of cozy mysteries starring a bookstore owner!

Samantha Washington runs a bookstore in Michigan and has just published a historical mystery, which she is on a book tour promoting. That’s where she witnesses Judith Hunter, a bestselling author, get accused of plagiarism and fighting with other authors. So when a publicist is poisoned, Sam thinks maybe the intended victim was Judith. She’ll need to prove her theory correct and get help from some friends at the Shady Acres Retirement Village.

Want to start at the beginning? Pick up The Plot is Murder!

cover image for No One Left But You

No One Left But You by Tash McAdam

For fans of murder mysteries, past and present storylines, and a main character that can’t remember the night in question!

Max has been having a bit of a rough time recently since transitioning: one parent is supportive and loving, and the other is not; his recent ex has become his bully. So when Gloss, a new girl in town who’s instantly the cool girl, takes him under her wing, he’s delighted. But they’re complete opposites on the surface: Gloss is rich, outgoing, and rule-breaking; Max is not wealthy, a musician lost in his lyrics, and trying to get by.

Then a party ends in murder, and Max is the main suspect until someone else confesses, throwing everything Max knows into turmoil, especially since his memory of that night isn’t coming back… (You find out very early on who was murdered and who confesses, but since the summary didn’t list it, I thought I’d not “spoil” it.)

Told in the past (Max meeting Gloss through the night of the party) and present (Max being questioned by police through the point of him remembering the night of the party), both narratives careen towards each other, giving you plenty of chance to try to figure out what did actually happen that night.

(TW alcoholic parent, child abuse/ misgendering, transphobia / mentions past suicidal ideation)

Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Last round, I highlighted middle grade mysteries that you should absolutely read (Ophie’s Ghosts by Justina Ireland and Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce) since Goodreads dropped the category from its awards. This time, I’m focusing on another category they dropped: graphic novels. Next round will be poets writing true crime memoirs and mysteries.

cover image for Lady Killer Vol 1

Lady Killer, Volume 1 by Joëlle Jones (Writer/Illustrator), Jamie S. Rich (Writer), Chelsea Cain (Introduction)

For fans of stories about contract killers and recent-ish historical crime!

Imagine Betty Draper secretly a hitwoman, violently kicking 1950s stereotypes in the throat! And I always love Joëlle Jones’s illustrations! You can view sample pages on her site.

cover image for Goldie Vance vol 1

Goldie Vance Vol. 1 by Hope Larson, Brittney Williams (Illustrator)

For fans of teen detectives and fun stories!

Goldie is 16, working (and getting into trouble) as a valet at a Florida resort her dad manages. But her real-life goal is to be the in-house detective — so naturally, she forces her way into cases to solve them!

News and Roundups

Authors With Their Own Publishing Imprints (And What Books to Read From Them)

We asked 6 authors of gift-worthy mysteries who could get them out of an escape room

Carmen Maria Machado on video games! Murder mysteries! 17 new books out today.

12 Best Mystery Series on Amazon Prime, Ranked — Unleash Your Inner Sleuth!

48 Cold-Weather Novels for Thrills and Chills

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See 2023 releases and upcoming 2024 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 Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

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

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Unusual Suspects

Olivia Colman reveals which Bond character she wants to play

Hello, mystery fans! I am currently trying to remind myself that there is not an actual cut-off date at the end of the year when I need to have completed reading everything from this year. Which I mention in case anyone else needs the reminder. I am, however, trying to, in a very chill manner, read books that have been calling my name all year while dipping into reading more of the 2024 titles I’m excited about.

We’re here to enrich your reading life! Get to know the world of books and publishing better with a subscription to The Deep Dive, Book Riot’s staff-written publication delivered directly to your inbox. Find a guide to reading logs and trackers, hear about why the bestseller list is broken, analyze some anticipated books, and more from our familiar in-house experts. Get a free subscription for weekly content delivered to your inbox, or upgrade to paid-for bonus content and community features connecting you to like-minded readers.

Bookish Goods

blue sweatshirt with graphics of stars and menorahs that says "love, light and literature"

Love, Light, and Literature Hanukkah Sweatshirt by InkwellThreads

Hanukkah begins December 7th, and if you want a holiday sweatshirt that also says “I love books!” here you go. ($48)

New Releases

cover of Gaslight by Femi Kayode

Gaslight (Philip Taiwo #2) by Femi Kayode

For fans of murder mysteries, investigative psychologists, and armchair travel sleuthing!

Philip Taiwo is an investigative psychologist who has been living in the U.S. with his family. Recently, they returned to Nigeria, where his younger sister has asked him to look into a case. It involves the megachurch she attends, where the pastor has been charged with his wife’s murder after she disappeared. It’s a sensational case that will challenge Taiwo and put his family in danger…

If you want to start at the beginning of the series, pick up Lightseekers.

cover image for The Sisterhood

The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA by Liza Mundy

For fans of history and reading about intelligence agencies!

Dive into seven decades of CIA history, from the CIA being created to Osama bin Laden’s assassination. Mundy, a journalist, uses hundreds of former CIA operatives’ interviews to bring to light women in the organization and their accomplishments in the face of discrimination.

You might also be interested in Mundy’s backlist title, Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers Who Helped Win World War II.

Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

It’s heartbreaking that Goodreads has decided to not include poetry, middle grade, and graphic novels in its awards this year. Especially amongst the massive rise in book censorship currently happening. So here are two of my favorite middle grade mysteries to run to, and in the upcoming newsletters, I’ll highlight graphic novels and poets.

ophie's ghost book cover

Ophie’s Ghosts by Justina Ireland

For fans of historical mysteries, ghosts, and standalone mysteries!

Ophie is one of my favorite child characters in all of literature, in case you needed a good nudge to go read this book. In 1922, Ophie is living with her family in Georgia when her father is murdered, and she flees with her mother to Pittsburgh. This event is when she discovers she can see ghosts, something she’s taught can put her in danger. Which makes her complicated life even more complicated when working as a maid in a family’s home, and she discovers a woman who may need help solving her own murder…

Premeditated Myrtle cover image

Premeditated Myrtle (Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries #1) by Elizabeth C. Bunce

For fans of historical mysteries, Flavia de Luce, and Enola Holmes!

Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle may not be like many children living in Victorian England due to her vast knowledge of the law, thanks to her lawyer father, and her love for criminal science. But those traits do make her an excellent amateur sleuth, especially when she’s convinced her elderly neighbor was murdered and no one will believe her…

News and Roundups

Parish on AMC: Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul fans, this is your next must-watch crime drama

NYT: 100 Notable Books of 2023

Queer YA from 2023 You Might Have Missed

The New York Public Library puts out a great end-of-year list with tons of great categories, including mystery. Their incredible work is not being rewarded: Eight Brooklyn libraries will shutter on Sundays and cut back services due to the cuts announced by Mayor Adams.

Crime Writers of Color Podcast: Shelly Ellis, author of over a dozen novels, including The Three Mrs. Greys Series and Not So Perfect Strangers, is interviewed by Robert Justice.

Dive into these 11 Palestinian Fiction Recommendations

Olivia Colman reveals which Bond character she wants to play

Loyalty Bookstores Fundraiser

The books that make the best holiday gifts this year

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See 2023 releases and upcoming 2024 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 Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

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

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Unusual Suspects

Novelist Tess Gerritsen’s neighbors are retired spies. So she wrote about it.

Hello, mystery fans! The “best of” book lists continue with NPR adding their faves of the year, and I’ve collected a few others below. In things to watch, Blue Beetle is streaming on Max, and season two of Julia has started on Max (based on Julia Child’s life, the first season was excellent).

We’re here to enrich your reading life! Get to know the world of books and publishing better with a subscription to The Deep Dive, Book Riot’s staff-written publication delivered directly to your inbox. Find a guide to reading logs and trackers, hear about why the bestseller list is broken, analyze some anticipated books, and more from our familiar in-house experts. Get a free subscription for weekly content delivered to your inbox, or upgrade to paid-for bonus content and community features connecting you to like-minded readers.

Bookish Goods

customizable return address label with a digital image of a book stack that says read more books

Read More Books Address Labels by Bookworm EmilyCromwellDesigns

Time to start sending out all the holiday cards! Here’s a cute return label to spread some bookish love. ($7)

New Releases

cover image for There Should Have Been Eight

There Should Have Been Eight by Nalini Singh

For fans of reunited friend groups, mysterious past deaths, secrets coming out, and remote mysteries set in New Zealand!

Nine years ago, Bea died by suicide. Now, her sister and Bea’s friend group have reunited in a crumbling estate in the New Zealand Alps. Luna, however, has partially accepted the invitation in order to demand Bea’s sister tell her what really happened and why she chose to cremate Bea’s body instead of allowing her friend a proper goodbye. Luna is already going into this reunion dealing with personal issues, including losing her sight and trying to follow her doctor’s advice of accepting what is happening in order to live a full life. Upon arriving at the reunion, her animosity toward Bea’s sister and her paranoia start to crank up when accidents start occurring and people start dying…

If you do audio and can keep track of a full cast of characters, I really enjoyed Saskia Maarleveld’s voice and narration.

(TW main mystery assumed suicide, mentions method/ brief mention past self-harm, suicide attempt/ brief mention rumor of pedophile, no details/ drugging without permission/ ableism)

cover of Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades by Rebecca Renner

Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades by Rebecca Renner

For fans of history and true crime, not focused on serial killers!

Nothing exists in a vacuum, so while the crime of this book is alligator poaching, that’s not the only thing this book is about. You also are immersed in the Florida Everglades and its history, power, and politics; get bits of Renner’s life; meet the recruited Florida Fish and Wildlife officer tasked with investigating alligator poaching; and take a dive into learning the man vs the myth of Peg Brown — known as an alligator poaching legend.

Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

For fans of backlist, I have two great reads from 2019 for two totally different reading moods.

Your House Will Pay cover image

Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha

For fans of character-driven crime novels based on a true crime, family drama, and a wait-for-it element.

Set in L.A. in the early ’90s, you follow two families, with a focus on one member from each family: Grace, the youngest dutiful daughter of a Korean American family who doesn’t understand why her sister doesn’t speak to their mother; and Shawn Matthews, a Black man whose sister was murdered, and who tries his best to help out his cousin’s family while his cousin has been incarcerated.

The Whisper Man cover image

The Whisper Man by Alex North

For fans of multiple points of view, unsolved past cases, part police procedural with part family drama, and fictional serial killers.

Twenty years ago, a serial killer preyed on children in a small town in Featherbank. Now, The Whisper Man sits in prison. Except, when Tom Kennedy and his son Jack move to town, grieving their wife/mom, a child vanishes, and Jack starts seeing things and talking to an imaginary young girl…The two DIs on the case, one who thought he’d originally solved the case, must face the past to see if they had it right the first time…

(TW addiction/ child abuse, murder/ pedophile)

News and Roundups

Read Anne Boyer’s extraordinary New York Times resignation letter.

Book Rioters’ Best Books of 2023

The Best Book Covers of 2023

Best cosy crime to read

NPR: Books We Love

A Breakthrough Clue Might Untangle the Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe

Novelist Tess Gerritsen’s neighbors are retired spies. So she wrote about it.

Pierce Brosnan Is a Hitman With a Big Problem in Trailer for Fast Charlie (Video)

Nicole Kidman Just Let Slip A Big Little Secret About Big Little Lies

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See 2023 releases and upcoming 2024 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 Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

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

Categories
Unusual Suspects

The 100 Must-Read Books of 2023

Hi, mystery fans! It’s the time of year when all the “Best of” type of lists start to drop, so if that’s how you find your end-of-year reading, you’ll find a few under news this round — plus, if you like voting for your favorite reads there’s a link for the Goodreads awards. (I immediately voted for How Far The Light Reaches in nonfic and Hijab Butch Blues in memoir, but I’m still undecided for mystery!)

Indulge your inner book nerd and join a community of like-minded readers looking to expand their knowledge and their TBR. Subscribe to The Deep Dive, where Book Riot’s editorial staff draws from their collective expertise to bring you compelling stories, informed takes, tips, hacks, and more. Find out why the bestseller list is broken, analyze some anticipated books, and explore the great wide world of books and publishing. Get a free subscription for weekly content delivered to your inbox, or upgrade to paid-for bonus content and community features.

Bookish Goods

a stencil with three rows of books on bookshelves to trace in a journal page

Bookish stencil for journal planner by FunForYourPlanner

If you see those bookish journal pages and want to make your own, here’s a stencil to create a bookshelf with books you’ve read, or want to read, or I’m sure there’s a ton of ideas to use this stencil for. ($7)

New Releases

cover image for Deus X

Deus X (August Snow #4) by Stephen Mack Jones

For fans of PI series, community, and thriller action!

August Snow thinks something very strange is going on with the Catholic church in his hometown in Detroit, Mexicantown. Not only has the priest he’s always known, Father Michael Grabowski, suddenly retired because a group sent by the Vatican basically forced him to, but another priest died by apparent suicide. Soon, Snow finds himself in a full conspiracy and fighting to save Father Grabowski…

If you want to start at the beginning of this great action-packed series, pick up August Snow.

only she came back book cover

Only She Came Back by Margot Harrison

For fans of fictional true crime “investigators,” past and present chapters, and transcripts and diary entries!

This feels like reading a fictional version of a true crime memoir where the author investigates a crime they are loosely connected to while also trying to work through things in their own personal life. I went with the audiobook format, narrated by Anna Caputo, and got sucked in like I would a podcast.

Sam has been into true crime for a long time, so when she sees that a girl she once knew is now at the center of a true crime case, she inserts herself by trying to befriend the woman. Kiri was with her survivalist boyfriend, a man with a large following on social media, when he disappeared. There are a lot of questions and little answers to what happened in the desert, with many people labeling Kiri as a murderer. Will she open up to Sam and tell her the truth?

(TWs that may be incomplete because I couldn’t always write something down while listening: mentions of past child abuse, past domestic abuse/ disordered eating/ past statutory)

Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Here are two great books that are in other genres while having a mystery to solve!

the cover of Witchmark: a blue-toned city street with trees and a cobblestone road, with a silhoutte of a man wearing a bowler on a bicycle. a woman and another man are reflected on the street in the shadow of the bike.

Witchmark by C.L. Polk

You get political intrigue, a poisoning murder mystery, romance, and the mystery of why veterans are turning violent upon returning from war.

Dr. Miles Singer is a healer (with magic) at a Veterans hospital in an Edwardian-esque world, where he’s trying to figure out why his patients are suddenly murdering their families. Then a handsome gentleman, who’s really an angel, shows up with a patient for Singer, who ultimately dies. Now, they need to find out why and how it’s connected to everything else going on…

jack of hearts and other parts

Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) by L.C. Rosen

You get a teen who is happy with who he is, a great advice column, friendship and family, and the mystery of who is the stalker leaving increasingly threatening notes!

Thanks to a friend, Jack ends up writing a sex advice column for teens, which gets him into hot water with the actual school but puts him in real danger when a stalker starts leaving him threatening notes demanding he be only theirs. While at first Jack ignores the notes, continues living his life and answering questions for the column, he soon finds himself scared for others also being threatened and wondering if he’ll need to follow the stalker’s demands to remain safe…

I absolutely adored Jack and the voice of this novel.

News and Roundups

The 100 Must-Read Books of 2023

Time for the Goodreads Choice Awards: Vote in the Opening Round of 2023! Here’s the Mystery & Thrillers category, and The Bandit Queens is in the Debut Novel category.

Liberty and Jenn talk books of 2023, including Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper and My Murder by Katie Williams, on All The Books!

Triggers, Trauma, and True Crime

Why My Cousin Vinny is the Best Law Movie

Yumi’s Cells’ Ahn Bo Hyun and Park Ji Hyun to reunite as crime-solving partner for Chaebol X Detective

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See 2023 releases and upcoming 2024 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 Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

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

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Unusual Suspects

John le Carré’s son to write new George Smiley novel

Hello, mystery fans! I’m currently trying to read 2023 mysteries I missed (The Last One by Will Dean), reading 2024 titles I’m super excited for (Midnight by Amy McCulloch), and trying to make a dent in my backlist TBR (Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel W. Moniz). So I guess it’s a good thing peak TV seems to have plunged right off that peak.

Indulge your inner book nerd and join a community of like-minded readers looking to expand their knowledge and their TBR. Subscribe to The Deep Dive, where Book Riot’s editorial staff draws from their collective expertise to bring you compelling stories, informed takes, tips, hacks, and more. Find out why the bestseller list is broken, analyze some anticipated books, and explore the great wide world of books and publishing. Get a free subscription for weekly content delivered to your inbox, or upgrade to paid-for bonus content and community features.

Bookish Goods

the cover of two reading tracker journals which have graphic doodles of cats, butterflies, books on one and skulls and books on the other

Reading Tracker Journal by TheBookSistersShop

If you’re already thinking ahead to getting yourself organized with 2024 journals, here are a couple options for tracking your reading! ($25)

New Releases

cover image for The Leftover Woman

The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok

For fans of family dramas, following two women’s lives, and Celeste Ng!

In a rural village in China, Jasmine has been married since she was 14, having been told by her husband that her first child died after birth. She now learns that was a lie, and the baby girl was given up for adoption to a couple in New York because her husband wanted a boy. Jasmine flees her husband for NY to try to find her child, who is being raised by Rebecca and Brandon, and take her back. The adoptive parent’s lives aren’t perfect: Rebecca works in publishing but is threatened by a scandal, her husband is hiding something, and Rebecca appears to begrudge the nanny…

cover image for The Cactus Hunters

The Cactus Hunters: Desire and Extinction in the Illicit Succulent Trade by Jared D. Margulies

For fans of true crime that doesn’t involve serial killers!

Could people’s love and over-collecting, mixed with climate change, be leading to a plant being threatened with extinction? That’s what professor at the University of Alabama Jared D. Margulies dives into in this book. From theories of psychoanalysts to interviewers with collectors, you’ll learn what drives collectors to need more succulents and how poachers have created an illegal cactus trade.

Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Who is up for some paranormal cozy mysteries? One with vampires and one with descendants of mermaids — and now I want a book with a vampire mermaid!

A Spell for Trouble cover image

A Spell for Trouble (Enchanted Bay Mystery #1) by Esme Addison

Alexandra Daniels was raised by her father and forbidden to visit the seaside North Carolina town where her mother’s family lives, which is where she heads to after her father’s passing. It’s going to be more than a family reunion, though, as she’s about to learn she’s a descendant of mermaids. She’ll also have to solve a murder when her aunt is arrested for the poisoning of a customer…

cover image The Vampire Knitting Club

The Vampire Knitting Club by
Nancy Warren

Lucy Swift is in Oxford visiting her grandmother, who owns a knitting shop, when she discovers that her gran is a vampire. So, it’s nice that she’s not dead-dead, but that doesn’t mean Lucy won’t have to investigate who murdered her. Making things even more complicated for Lucy is a detective and a vampire…

News and Roundups

Tony Shalhoub and his hand sanitizer are back in Mr. Monk’s Last Case trailer

Spotify Makes Audiobooks Available for Their Premium Subscribers

Why you should check out the Miami Book Fair this year

What happens when a hitman misses his mark? The Killer is about to find out

John le Carré’s son to write new George Smiley novel

14 New November Book Club Picks, From GMA Book Club to The Stacks Book Club

My Book Was Banned Again — This Time In Retaliation for My Anti-Censorship Work

25 Detective Noir Films That Embrace Humor Without Losing the Suspense

The 12 best thrillers of 2023

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See 2023 releases and upcoming 2024 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 Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

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

Categories
Unusual Suspects

Scottish Detective Book Series to Read Right Now

Hello, mystery fans! I’m finally getting around to watching the second season of Good Omens (Prime) while impatiently waiting for three films from this year to finally hit streaming services (Bottoms, Down Low, Joy Ride).

Power up your reading life with thoughtful writing on books and publishing, courtesy of The Deep Dive. Over at our Substack publication, you’ll find timely stories, informed takes, and useful advice from our in-house experts. We’re here to share our expertise and perspective, drawing from our backgrounds as booksellers, librarians, educators, authors, editors, and publishing professionals. Find out why the bestseller list is broken, analyze some anticipated books, and then get a free subscription for weekly content delivered to your inbox. You can also upgrade to paid-for bonus content and community features connecting you to like-minded readers.

Bookish Goods

a tshirt with the graphic of a woman reading with text saying "I like books and maybe 3 people best to leave me alone"

Anti-Social Book Club Shirt by ChapterCatchers

For the anti-social book lovers! ($23)

New Releases

cover image for The Mantis

The Mantis (Assassins #3) by Kōtarō Isaka, Sam Malissa (Translator)

For fans of Japanese crime novels and assassins!

Kabuto sees his physician, known as The Doctor, and during visits, is also given his assignments…because he’s an assassin. The problem is Kabuto no longer wants this line of work, and The Doctor doesn’t want to give him up, so a deal is struck: Kabuto will complete a few jobs and be released. Naturally, his final assignments are a challenge: take out fellow assassins. What could go wrong?!

If you want to start at the beginning, pick up Three Assassins, and if you like streaming adaptations, read Bullet Train and then watch the film on Netflix.

cover image for The Revenge Game

The Revenge Game by Jordyn Taylor

For fans of YA, prep schools, revenge games, nonlinear chapters, and articles, social media posts, interviews, and transcripts throughout!

Alyson Benowitz is hoping her prep school integrating from all girls to allowing boys will afford her a clean slate since she’s a hopeless romantic who is terrible at flirting. And all seems to be going great when she does get a boyfriend, except—it’s a mystery/revenge, so OF COURSE there is an ‘of course’—the girls learn that the boys have a secret contest that rewards points for sexual encounters. So, the girls create their own game to take back power…

Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Here are two of my favorite releases from this year if you’re looking for 2023 books not to miss reading before the end of the year. Spoiler: books don’t expire at the end of the year; you can still read them next year 😉

Liliana's Invincible Summer: A Sister's Search for Justice

Liliana’s Invincible Summer by Cristina Rivera Garza

This is an excellent true crime memoir where Cristina Rivera Garza focuses on her sister’s life—including sharing diary entries—up until when Liliana, an architecture student, was murdered at the age of twenty. Almost thirty years after the crime took place, Cristina decides to get the case files and takes readers along for the process while also shining a light on femicide cases in Mexico and the protests as they try to fight back against gender-targeted crime.

If you’re an audiobook listener, Victoria Villarreal does a fantastic job with narration.

(TW mentions rape cases the way the news does/ talks of femicide cases/ mentions case believed to be suicide that was later determined murder/ mentions partner sexual assault, not graphic/ partner abuse/ mentions brief threat of suicide)

cover image for Night Will Find You

Night Will Find You by Julia Heaberlin

For reasons related to everything happening in the world, I have found fewer books grabbing me from the very beginning and keeping me fully invested. But this book broke through all the noise, I think, for three reasons: the initial hook, the MC’s voice, and the narrator on the audiobook (Karissa Vacker).

Since childhood, Vivvy Bouchet has had OCD and her mom’s psychic gift, except while her mom worked as a psychic, Vivvy instead became an astrophysicist. But her past comes to find her when a boy she once saved, who is now a cop, asks for her help on a complicated case: a missing child case where a body has never been found, and the imprisoned mother of the child continues to plead innocent.

(TW mentions eating disorder, detail/ murdered child/ brief mention past suicide attempt, detail/ mentions rape case/ mentions still birth/ past parent death of cancer/ OCD/ mentions all kinds of cases with brief mentions of every kind of violence/ past child abuse)

News And Roundups

Speaking of favorite reads from this year: What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jiménez, Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, and I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai are all on the 2024 Aspen Words Literary Prize Longlist.

REACHER Season 2 – Official Trailer

True Detective: Night Country First Look: “It’s Cold and It’s Dark and It’s Female”

What’s Going On With Millie Bobby Brown’s Enola Holmes 3, According To A Netflix Exec

Wonderland Murders and the Secret History of Hollywood Podcast From Michael Connelly Gets Docuseries Adaptation at MGM+

Tess Gerritsen writes an un-put-downable spin on espionage novels with The Spy Coast

Scottish Detective Book Series to Read Right Now

Two Wins for Public Libraries This Week at The Polls

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See 2023 releases and upcoming 2024 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 Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

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

Categories
Unusual Suspects

Settle in with These 8 Cozy Crime Novels This Autumn

Hi mystery fans! If you’re looking for a comedy and like sister drama films, Quiz Lady is now on Hulu. As for reading, I—a never-rereader—am debating rereading The Night Circus. I’m leaning towards yes and going with the audiobook this time. “But there’s so many books I still haven’t read,” my brain whispers…

Power up your reading life with thoughtful writing on books and publishing, courtesy of The Deep Dive. Over at our Substack publication, you’ll find timely stories, informed takes, and useful advice from our in-house experts. We’re here to share our expertise and perspective, drawing from our backgrounds as booksellers, librarians, educators, authors, editors, and publishing professionals. Find out why the bestseller list is broken, analyze some anticipated books, and then get a free subscription for weekly content delivered to your inbox. You can also upgrade to paid-for bonus content and community features connecting you to like-minded readers.

Bookish Goods

a woven throw with an image of a cat sleeping inside of a bookshelf

Cat in bookshelf woven throw by PureCountryWeavers

Love cats? Books? And woven throws? Here ya go! ($60)

New Releases

cover image for Blood Betrayal

Blood Betrayal (Blackwater Falls #2) by Ausma Zehanat Khan

For fans of procedurals, partnered detectives, and cases that feel ripped from the headlines!

The series follows two great characters in Colorado: Detective Inaya Rahman, who is sent to places with high complaints against officers and has a tight-knit family; and her boss, Lieutenant Waqas Seif, who is raising his two younger brothers and, unlike Rahman, keeps his culture/ethnicity to himself. This time around, two separate incidents that involved officer shootings led to protests across the Blackwater Falls community, leading Rahman and Seif to have to dig deep to get to the heart of these cases.

If you want to start at the beginning (you do! It’s a great series!), pick up Blackwater Falls. And if you’re a lover of “completed” backlist series, absolutely read Ausma Zehanat Khan’s previous procedural series that starts with The Unquiet Dead.

cover image for Chaos Terminal

Chaos Terminal (The Midsolar Murders #2) by Mur Lafferty

For fans of reluctant amateur sleuths, humor, and space settings!

Mallory Viridian literally went to live on a space station to get away from the fact that on Earth, people kept dying around her, and she kept having to solve the murders. Surely (don’t call me Shirley!) you can see where this is going. The murders follow her to space, too! This time around, her past has followed her from Earth, including the agent who was always after her…

If you want to start at the beginning of this very fun series, pick up Station Eternity!

Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Let’s play 2022 releases that are now available in paperback! One dark, one light––depending on your mood!

cover of Jackal by erin e adams

Jackal by Erin E. Adams

For fans of past mysteries, missing persons, returning home, and a dash of horror!

Liz Rocher, who has a very strained relationship with her mom, is returning to her small hometown in Pennsylvania solely for her best friend Mel’s wedding. But it’s quickly no longer a celebration when Mel’s daughter goes missing, and Liz is forced to deal with sudden memories of her childhood: hiding in the woods the night another girl was murdered…

For audiobook readers, it has dual narrators: Sandra Okuboyejo and William DeMeritt.

cover image for Flight Risk

Flight Risk (The Booking Agents #2) by Cherie Priest

For fans of fun, cozy series, and amateur psychic sleuths!

Leda Foley, psychic and travel agent, technically saved Seattle PD detective Grady Merritt’s life. Now, the brother of a missing woman is asking for Foley’s help: his sister disappeared with a lot of her employer’s cash, and her husband didn’t immediately report her missing. When Detective Grady’s dog finds a human leg and the leg’s DNA points to Foley’s case, it’s time to team up again!

News and Roundups

Murder Is Easy: See David Jonsson, Penelope Wilton & More in Agatha Christie Adaptation

10 Black and White Noir Films That Will Have You on the Edge of Your Seat

How an Isolated Camping Trip Inspired Lifetime Lesbian Thriller You’re Not Supposed to Be Here

25 Best Serial Killer Shows for You to Stream Immediately

Most People Don’t Know How Librarians Select Collection Materials, So What Do They Think of Book Bans?

Books & Books is thrilled to present an in-person evening with Rebecca Renner to discuss her new book: Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades (Flatiron Books, $29.99) This event is FREE and open to the public and books will be available for purchase the night of the event!

Settle in with these 8 cosy crime novels this autumn

Happy Valley legend Sarah Lancashire joins cast of Netflix spy thriller Black Doves

Browse all the books recommended in Unusual Suspects previous newsletters on this shelf. See 2023 releases and upcoming 2024 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 Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

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