10 New Thrillers You Won’t Be Able To Put Down
Now You See Us by Balli Kaur Jaswal
Three Filipinas working in Singapore bravely fight to clear the name of a fellow domestic worker accused of murdering her employer. Conditions are already tough working for the Singapore elite, and they know it would get worse if one of their colleagues was convicted of murder. Although they vary in age, they all are willing to speak up for themselves and others to finally get the respect they deserve. Now You See Us is a great read about global injustice.
Our Best Intentions by Vibhuti Jain
In this debut novel, South Asian American high school student Angie witnesses a violent altercation between two white male classmates and a Black female classmate, Chiara. After being physically and verbally harassed by the two boys, Chiara stabs one of them. Following the incident, the media totally sides with the (rich) student and pressures Angie and her single father, Bobby, to do the same. Constant visits from her white swim team partner and the boys' lawyer leads Angie to give a weak testimony skewing in his favor. Unfortunately, even with Angie's unconvincing account, the odds are already stacked against Chiara: She’s technically not enrolled in the school, she has disappeared, and her family is unable to defend her. Our Best Intentions realistically shows the endemic discrimination in the justice system.
Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea
This intricate thriller begins with a cold case and ends with a missing person. Ten years ago, Alex Armstrong was arrested and then found not guilty for the murder of her family. Now, she works as an investigator for the law firm Lancaster and Jordan. After a female student journalist disappears, Alex finds connections between drugged rapes on the campus and the shooting deaths of her family members.
Hollow Beasts by Alisa Lynn Valdés
Jodi Luna moves back home to New Mexico to stop the poaching of endangered animals (mainly wolves), but soon she uncovers an even more dangerous crime wave in the area: kidnapping. The white supremacist kidnappers are so vicious in their revenge they even endanger Jodi’s teenage daughter Mila, so Jodi works with local sheriff Ashley to stop both the kidnappings and poachings. Valdés unexpectedly links the violent and vicious underworlds of poachers and white supremacists while revealing surprising twists in her heroine's life.
Tista by Tatsuya Endo
In this YA manga, Tista is an orphaned young woman studying to be a teacher in NYC, and by night she is “Sister Militia,” an infamous assassin ridding the streets of mobsters. Tista’s underground job of taking deadly assignments from the orphanage’s priest is complicated by her feelings for her newfound crush. Enjoy Spider-Man meets You in this action-packed thriller.
The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths (April 25)
In the latest book by this Edgar Allan Poe Award winner, a modern impromptu archeological dig turns into a cold case investigation. The owner of a newly renovated cafe asks archeologist and Professor Ruth Galloway to identify a body found in the walls! The body turns out to be of a local archeology student who went missing about 10 years ago. Galloway begins investigating the murder suspects, including a fellow prominent but creepy archeology professor and one of her longtime friends, Cathbad. The Last Remains slowly reveals the truth through interrogations of shady suspects, visits to possible murder sites, and flashbacks to the victim's last interactions.
Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge (April 25)
Tabitha is tutoring in Paris and living across the street from fellow expat Julia Child (yes, that Julia Child). A woman attending a late-night party thrown at Julia and her sister Dort’s house is found dead the next morning. Evidence points to Tabitha and Julia, so Tabitha puts aside tutoring to clear her name. This cute and clever mystery (and Book 1 in a series) is perfect for historical fiction buffs.
You Shouldn’t Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose (April 25)
In this destination thriller from the No. 1 Amazon bestselling author, New Yorker Grace vacations at a picturesque ranch near the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming. Despite the many red flags — no cellphone reception at the ranch, an isolated town, and a missing previous guest — Grace gets close to the alluring owner, Calvin, and his family and friends. The fact that Grace would stay in such a shady situation could be a red flag as well.
The Marriage Break-up by Matthew Farrell (Bookouture; April 25)
Tracy has left a slew of bad relationships before, so when she goes missing, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly which man in her life could be responsible. Although Tracy's husband, Malcolm, swears he's innocent, her sister Missy starts to suspect him as she stays at the house to babysit her nephew Finn. Readers will obsess about what happened to Tracy, and if she will be found alive.
Order on Amazon.
The Final Party by A.A. Chaudhuri (May 25)
Six university friends' reunion holiday in Italy is ruined when one of them is found dead and bloody in the pool. It's not immediately revealed whose body it is, and the book explores the complicated history of these friends. Social worker Padma is at the center of the incident, since her past relationship with handsome Johnny brings tension between her, husband Nick (Johnny's best mate), and Johnny’s wannabe lover Lana. During the vacation, a couple of members of the group receive anonymous texts threatening to reveal their roles in an unsolved crime that happened while they were at university. Chaudhuri's slow-burn reveal of the unfathomable past crimes and the group's culpability is fascinating.
Order on Amazon.●
