The Christmas Magpie

 

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Holiday cheer turns creepy (and deadly) for two new homeowners. 🎄

Mark Edwards packs a punch with this holiday psychological thriller novella. It's a fast-paced, tension-filled romp that's only available on audio. I haven't read the other books in his Magpie series, but that didn't matter. This one works great as a standalone, and now I want to read the rest of the series.

Narrators Imogen Church and Theo Solomon are marvelous. Imogen gives Lucy a menacing but often cheeky voice, and Theo's Noel drips sincerity and Christmas cheer.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ of total Christmas mayhem! Out November 17, just in time to put you in a creepy holiday mood. 

Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted ALC.

About the Author

Mark Edwards is the bestselling author and coauthor of over twenty books, including those he has written with Louise Voss. His latest thriller is The Wasp Trap. Originally from Hastings in East Sussex, Mark now lives in Wolverhampton, UK, with his wife, their children, three cats, and a golden retriever. Follow Mark on Instagram or visit his website for more news and information about his books.

Clean Slate

 

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A crime scene cleaner who notices what the police miss? Yes, please. 🧽

Clean Slate by Brianna Labuskes is a twisty whodunnit with red herrings everywhere. What really sets it apart is Olive Hunt. Her backstory gives the whole thing a psychological edge, and she's warm, smart, and complicated in the best way. Sarah Naughton's narration is excellent.

Read it if you love rich people behaving badly and a mystery that keeps you guessing.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ The sequel is out this spring and I'm already waiting.

Grab a copy at Bookshop.org and help an indie bookshore while you're at it.

About the Author

Brianna Labuskes is the USA Today bestselling author of the historical novels The Librarian of Burned Books and The Lost Book of Bonn as well as nine thrillers. For the first decade of her career, Brianna worked as a journalist for national news organizations covering politics and policy. Follow Brianna on Instagram and visit her website for more news and information about her books.

On My Radar

 

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New releases are piling up, and here's what's on my radar right now. 👀

Some of these are out now and some are coming over the next couple of months. Two of them are locked-room setups, and you know I can't resist those. 

You can grab any of these books at Bookshop.org and help an indie bookstore while you're at it.

Last, Now, Next

 

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LAST: The Alias Agenda by Holly James
Spy Erin Daniels gets pulled off one case and dropped into a smuggling ring in the suburbs, with a new handler who’s as clumsy as he is cute. It’s a fun spy romp with romance mixed in. This was a fun one!

NOW: The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi
Rose DuBois is in her late 70s, and she’s not your typical final girl. Think Thursday Murder Club, except somebody brought a slasher to bingo night. I’m 75% in and it’s wild.

NEXT: The Christmas Magpie by Mark Edwards
Someone keeps leaving creepy “gifts” on the doorstep of Noel and Dani’s new house during their first Christmas there. It’s a short holiday thriller from the Magpies series that also works as a standalone. It’s out in the US November 17! Thank you simon Audio for the gifted ALC! #SimonAudioInfluencer

Grab a copy of any of these books at Bookshop.org and help an indie bookstore while you're at it.

The Dead Husband Cookbook

 

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What if your favorite grandmotherly celebrity chef was actually a manipulative psychopath?

In The Dead Husband Cookbook by Danielle Valentine, a ghostwriter desperate to save her career travels to a remote farmhouse to help a beloved celebrity chef write her autobiography. The chef's husband disappeared after a dinner party years ago, his body was never found, and she has never spoken publicly about that night. What could go wrong?

This slow-burn psychological thriller is atmospheric, tense, and full of twists. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Grab a copy of The Dead Husband Cookbook at Bookshop.org and help an indie bookstore while you're at it.

About the Author

Danielle Valentine is a pseudonym for the young adult novelist Danielle Vega. Her work, which includes The Merciless series and HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR MURDER, has been optioned for film and television by Lionsgate and Warner Bros, and has been translated into dozens of languages worldwide. Danielle lives outside of New York city with her husband, daughter, and two ornery cats. DELICATE CONDITION is her first adult novel. Follow Danielle on Instagram and visit her website for news and information about her books.

Peck & Peck

 

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Bonnie Garmus really made me fall for a dog, then named the main character after him. 🐶

Batter Gray has one talent: he knows a great poem when he hears one. That lands him a job at Peck & Peck, the most famous poetry journal in the world… making copies. The place is a mess. There's a family feud at the top, a ridiculous rulebook, and poets practically storming the building. So Batter starts quietly sneaking the rejected poems home.

My favorite part was Batter's mom and her stories about that heroic dog. I could've used more of them. It runs a little long and slows down in places, but Seth Numrich's narration is outstanding and kept me listening. Stay for the interview with Garmus at the end. You can hear how much she loves poetry.

Perfect for: Lessons in Chemistry fans, poetry lovers, dog lovers, and anyone rooting for an underdog.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook! #SimonAudioInfluencer

Grab Peck & Peck from Bookshop.org and help an indie bookstore while you're at it.

About the Author

Bonnie Garmus is a coffee-dependent American novelist. Her debut novel, Lessons in Chemistry, was a Good Morning America Book Club Pick, a Goodreads Choice Best Book of the Year, spent nearly two years on the New York Times bestseller list and was named by Times readers as one of the top 100 books of the 21st century. Translated into over forty languages, Lessons in Chemistry was honored with sixteen international literary awards and made into an Apple TV limited series. Peck & Peck is her second novel. Follow Bonnie on Instagram and visit her website for more news and information about her books.

When They Find Me

 

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A wrong address brings a family of psychopaths to a woman's door looking for revenge. They have no idea who they're dealing with. 

Annie Wolfe has spent years hiding in a tiny Colorado town, getting ready for the day someone from her dangerous past finally finds her. But when a stranger named Riven shows up looking for revenge, she's at the wrong house. Then a major snowstorm hits, and Riven's unstable father and brother become convinced Annie is hiding something. They're willing to kill to find out what.

Nonstop action, a dual timeline, and a twist I did NOT see coming. Carter Wilson's writing is so sharp. No notes. Absolute banger. Out this Tuesday, November 10. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you Poisoned PenPress and NetGalley for the gifted ARC! 

You can grab When They Find Me by Carter Wison from Bookshop.org and help an indie bookstore while you're at it. 

About the Author

Carter Wilson is the USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of eleven standalone psychological thrillers, including Tell Me What You Did, a national monthly pick by Barnes & Noble. His work has received starred reviews from major trade publications and has been optioned for film and television. He is the host of the podcast Making It Up and the founder of Unbound Writer, where he works with writers through coaching, retreats in the U.S. and France, and live workshops. Follow Carter on Instagram and visit his website for more news and information about his books.