As the year is quickly drawing to a close, I am still reflecting on all the great books I enjoyed this past year. Today I'm sharing some great mysteries and thrillers, as well as a handful of fantastic debut novels.
1. Where The Dead Sleep by Joshua Moehling - this is a second novel in a new suspense/mystery series. I can't even possibly tell you how much I loved this book. I've read the ARC of the third book (out in February) and wish Moehling could write much faster because I'm ready for the next one already. Set in Minnesota, this series features Ben Packard who is standing in for the small town sheriff that is slowly dying of cancer. I loved the cast of characters and the way they are being developed. I loved the different storylines and mysteries that connect to each other - and I loved that this one still left some interesting developments to be further explored in the next book.
2. Someone In The Attic by Andrea Mara -Anya is alone in her house having a relaxing bath. She hears a noise, watches and someone descends from the trapdoor/attic and in less than a minute Anya is dead. Julia a former schoolmate of Anya's watches a video of a man descending from an attic - and the location looks just like her house. Julia is sure that there is more to this and feels as though she is being targeted. One of my fears as a child was that someone was hiding in my attic, and I could definitely feel the creepiness of this book. It was hard to put down and I read the entire thing as quickly as possible.
3. What Happened To Nina? By Derva McTiernan - this storyline closely follows Gabby Petito's tragic disappearance and death, and although fictionalized I had a hard time not thinking of that story while I was reading. No one knows what happened to Nina. When her boyfriend Simon is questioned, his explanation doesn't quite add up. His family seems to be willing to do whatever they need to protect him, and Nina's family won't stop looking for the truth.
4. Middle of the Night by Riley Sager- I don't usually consider myself a horror reader, and Sager's books sometimes get a little too weird for me. But this one was perfect. I like a good abduction/missing person story and the premise for this one sounded too good to pass up. Ethan has returned to his childhood home after being away for thirty years. His backyard was the last known place where his best friend, Billy was seen before he disappeared. Now there are some strange things happening on the cul de sac and Ethan starts to investigate what really happened on the night Billy vanished.
5. Kill For Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh - this psychological thriller is full of twists and turns. Amanda and Wendy meet accidentally and realize that they have something in common: they have both been wronged by men who have destroyed their families. The two make a pact that they will each kill the man to blame for each other. Of course nothing is that simple and there are plenty of unexpected surprises as the story unfolds.
6. First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston - Evie Porter gets her job assignments from her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith. She learns everything about a town and the people there and then is given a person to take care of. Evie Porter doesn't really exist, but she knows that if she ever gets in real trouble, she can always go back to her real identity - until a person arrives in town having assumed Evie's real identity. There are so many moving parts in this story and I found it impossible to put down.
7. Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea- Sloan submits her DNA to an online genealogy site as part of a research project. When the results arrive, Sloan is stunned to realize that her DNA connects her to the disappearance of a baby and parents decades ago. It turns out that Sloan was Baby Charlotte, and the disappearance of her family has never been resolved. She meets her biological family members, spending a summer with them. Her questions don't make everyone very happy and Sloan works with the local sheriff, Eric, whose father died under mysterious circumstances when he began investigating the case.
8. The Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen - when Ariel's phone buzzes with a text asking her to meet her boyfriend she is instantly on edge. Her boyfriend disappeared five years ago, so receiving a text from him is just the catalyst Ariel needs to start trying to find out what happened to Drew. Everything she learns seems to be based on a lie, and one lie leads to another. Fearing for her life and that of her child's (the son she had after Drew disappeared that he doesn't know about), Ariel needs to make a plan - and quick.
9. Every Moment Since by Marybeth Mayhew Whelan - Davy Malcor disappears one night and decades later when his Marty McFly jacket is found, the case is reopened as the police try to determine what happened to the boy. Four people narrate this story: David's older brother, David's mother, Anissa, the family's Public Information Officer, and Gordon Swift who has been the number one suspect for years.
10. The Last One At The Wedding by Jason Rekulak- the thing that impressed me the most about this one was how easy it was to get right into the story. When Frank's daughter, Maggie, calls him after three years of no contact, he is overjoyed. Maggie invites him to her wedding to Aidan Gardner, the son of a tech billionaire. There are plenty of red flags that Frank worries over, but he is also happy that Maggie is including him. However, Frank has a right to be concerned, and readers will be in awe of how this one turns out.
2024 was also a good year for debuts. (Adding a mystery/thriller subgroup and debut subgroup has also allowed me to share more titles that I think are worth picking up).
These are five standouts:
1. Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu - an elderly substitute teacher dies unexpectedly in the teacher's lounge one day, it causes a stir - but only for a few moments. There are plenty of other things going on at school that also need attention. As the novel unfolds, the story is told from the perspectives of various people within the school: the custodian, school nurse, principal and English teacher - all who are involved in various sides of the daily happenings of the school. Parts of this made me laugh, parts made me roll my eyes, and I loved every page.
2. I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue - a cautionary tale to anyone who uses technology-Jolene is disciplined for sending an email to a colleague, but in the course of disciplining her (an ethics course), she is accidentally given access to everyone's email in the office. This allows Jolene to get in her boss' good graces and save her job. She is especially drawn to Cliff in HR who is in charge of her ethics course, and definitely shouldn't be having a relationship with a colleague.
3. The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder by C L Miller- the second in this series is already publishing in 2025, and this debut novel was so much fun. Freya and her eccentric aunt Carol set out determine what happened to Arthur, an antique dealer who passed away under somewhat mysterious circumstances. Things don't quite seem to add up and they are worried that the killer may strike again.
4. Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder by Kerryn Mayne - Lenny has blocked out a lot of horrible things from her childhood. Her adult life is very controlled. She buys and eats the same food, keeps to a tight schedule and spends her time watching reruns of Friends. A letter from the parole board starts Lenny spiraling as memories of her past start to creep in. This one broke my heart, yet I loved it so much.
5. The Road to Dalton by Shannon Bowring - set in 1990 in Dalton, Maine, this small town knows joy and suffering, friendship, heartbreak and forgiveness. Its residents tell their story in this first novel (a second novel carries on with the stories of these Dalton residents) and they felt like they could be my next door neighbors. I loved both the first and second books in this series and can't wait to pick up the third one (yet to be published).
Tomorrow I'll be sharing my best fiction reads of 2024, and hope to kick off the new year with some leisure reading of my own.
Have you read any of these books? Or what others do you recommend?
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