The Death Row Club

 

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The daughter of a serial killer gets invited to an annual weekend retreat for the adult children of serial killers. I read a lot of these and I’d never seen that angle before.

Most serial killer thrillers focus on the victims, the killer, or the detective. The Death Row Club by V.A. Vazquez does something different. The focus is on the families left behind. The kids who share a last name with a monster and have to live in the wreckage of what he did. 

There were so many elements I love here: a locked room mystery, dual POV, and shifting timelines. Maybe it was my high expectations, but unfortunately, the premise was better than the execution. 

The story runs on two POVs. The first half belongs to Nicola. She loses her teaching job when her dad is convicted of multiple murders. She then gets invited to a secret weekend getaway for the adult children of serial killers. Bad choices are made and someone turns up dead. 

The other belongs to Steffanie, a young woman running from an abusive father who keeps finding her no matter where she hides. I’ll be straight with you: I liked Steffanie’s chapters more. They carried more tension and pulled me forward.

For a good chunk of the book, I felt like I was listening to two separate stories and couldn’t see how they fit. I really didn't know one of storylines was taking place in the past. Vazquez jams them together with the help of the reader’s suspension of disbelief. It left me with the feeling of "what the heck?" instead of a more satisfied feeling at the end. 

On audio, Meg Price and Stephanie Németh-Parker split the narration and both did strong work giving their characters distinct footing.

Sometimes less is more. Either timeline could have been fleshed out and would have stood up on their own. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted listen. The Death Row Club is out now. Grab a copy on Bookshop.org and support an indie store while you're at it.

I you enjoy enjoyed this review, you might be interested in my review of The Last Time We Drowned, another locked room mystery.

About the Author

V. A. Vazquez was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, where she currently teaches English. She received her BA in English from Barnard College and used to live in Scotland. Follow V.A. on Instagram and visit her website for more news about her work.

Thrillers Noboby's Talking About (But Should Be)

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You don’t need to read 60 thrillers a year. You just need someone who did.

I spent 20 years as a high school librarian matching readers with books, and if that job taught me anything, it’s that the best book on the shelf is rarely the one with the biggest display. Everyone’s read the thrillers the algorithm keeps pushing. These twelve are the ones it skipped: small presses, quiet releases, debut authors, and stories that got buried under bigger names the same week they came out. I’d press every one of these into your hands.

The Last Hitman by Robin Yocum. He killed for a living. Now lunch at the diner is the highlight of his day, until the FBI comes knocking. A character-driven mob story that deserves so much more attention. Grab a copy on Bookshop.org. Read my full review here.

Molka by Monika Kim. Feminine rage from page one. A dark, unflinching revenge thriller about hidden cameras and the women who fight back. Not an easy read, but a necessary one. Grab a copy on Bookshop.org. Read my full review here.

Dead Man Blues by S.D. House. Your ex-wife married your best friend. Now he needs your help solving a murder or two. Yes, it’s as good as it sounds. Grab a copy on Bookshop.org. Read my full review here.

Fun City Heist by Michael Kardos. A washed-up drummer, a dying friend, and one last job on a crumbling Jersey Shore boardwalk. Funny, chaotic, and with way more heart than a heist book has any right to have. Grab a copy on Bookshop.org. Read my full review here.

Where the Bones Lie by Nick Kolakowski. A drought reveals a barrel at the bottom of a dried-up lake with a long-missing mob boss inside. Sharp, twisty noir with a bourbon-loving Hollywood fixer you’ll root for. Grab a copy on Bookshop.org. Read my full review here.

Headlights by C.J. Leede. Part police procedural, part horror, completely gripping. An FBI agent pulled back into the bizarre unsolved case that broke him. I had no notes. None. Grab a copy on Bookshop.org. Read my full review here.

Saint of the Narrows Street by William Boyle. A gritty Brooklyn family crime drama where secrets and lies won’t hold. Atmospheric and quietly devastating. Grab a copy on Bookshop.org. Read my full review here.

Dark Neon & Dirt by Thomas Trang. A Vietnamese war orphan turned master thief in Los Angeles. One of the most original premises I’ve read in years, from an author nobody’s talking about yet. Grab a copy on Bookshop.org. Read my full review here.

Fadeaway Joe by Hugh Lessig. An aging enforcer whose boss goes legit and leaves him out in the cold. Tons of personality and a character who sticks with you. Grab a copy on Bookshop.org. Read my full review here.

Penitence by Kristin Koval. A small-community crime story that flew under the radar. A quiet, powerful debut worth finding. Grab a copy on Bookshop.org. Read my full review here.

Only Way Out by Tod Goldberg. A hapless lawyer engineers a heist, then dies before he can enjoy it, leaving a mess behind. Darkly funny with a great premise. Grab a copy at Bookshop.org. Read my full review here.

Dead Money by Jakob Kerr. A Silicon Valley fixer, a murdered tech CEO, and a debut author who came out swinging. Twisty and smart. Grab a copy at Bookshop.org. Read my full review here.

Want the whole dozen in one place? I put them all on a Bookshop list so you can browse the covers and grab whichever one calls to you.

Which one are you adding to your list? Tell me in the comments, and if you’ve got a hidden gem of your own, I want to hear about it.

 

Objects in Lakes

 

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A body in the lake on the Fourth of July. Again. 

Seven years ago, Olive and Richie’s four-year-old daughter drowned during their neighborhood’s big Fourth of July party on Duck Lake, Michigan. Olive has spent every day since numb with grief and pills while her oncologist husband thrives in the spotlight. Now it’s the Fourth of July again, and another body comes out of the lake. This time it’s a neighbor, a former NFL star with demons of his own. And suddenly Olive can’t stop asking questions about the night her daughter died.

My honest take as a retired librarian who has read a LOT of these: this is a solid debut. Entertaining, well paced, twisty, with a satisfying ending. Olive is a complex lead, and the backstories in this picture perfect neighborhood kept me interested. Did it break new ground? No. There were a couple of slow spots, and Richie is your standard issue pompous doctor.  But for a debut? Impressive. I’ll be watching what Ramas does next.

The dual narration by Rob Brinkman and Megan Tusing really made this one pop on audio. If you’re deciding between formats, go audio.

This one perfect for readers who love psychological thrillers, domestic suspense, and family drama. Fans of Shari Lapena and Stacy Willingham, this is one you should check out. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted early listen. Objects in Lakes by Rachael Ramas is out July 21. Grab a copy on Bookshop.org and support an indie store while you're at it.

If you enjoyed this review, you might be interested in my review of Before I Go to Sleep.

About the Author

Rachael Ramas is an American author, producer, and Michigan native who writes gripping thrillers rooted in emotional truth and moral complexity. A member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers, she co-owns a law firm with her husband in Boca Raton, Florida, where the legal world offers endless story inspiration. Living with a rare autoimmune disease and partial hearing loss, Ramas advocates for authentic disability representation in literature. Objects in Lakes is her debut novel. Follow Rachael on Instagram and visit her website for more news and information about her work.

Don't Look Away

 

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This is a pure popcorn thriller, and sometimes that’s exactly what I’m in the mood for.

Leslie Woodhouse, a former defense attorney, is living a quiet life as Florida retiree. She and her husband Robert have a condo on the beach and are enjoying their time together. Their lives are shattered when Robert is arrested and accused of being the Gulf Coast Killer, the man who’s been terrorizing the coast for months. She’s certain it’s a mistake, so she comes out of retirement to defend him herself. Problem is, his DNA was at one of the crime scenes.

Leslie carries this whole book. She’s smart, vivacious, down to earth, exactly the woman you’d want on your side of a courtroom. Robert, I’ll be honest, bored me a little. But the secrets and lies stacking up between him, Leslie, and his son Weston kept me locked in. The ending got a touch more complicated than it needed to be, but it still landed somewhere satisfying.

I did this one on audio and the full cast made it. Nancy Linari, Frederick Sanders, and Gary Tiedemann voice the three POV characters, and those three distinct voices really made the story pop.

Domestic suspense, serial killer, and legal thriller all rolled into one. Perfect for the pool or the beach bag. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Simon Audio for the gifted listen. Don't Look Away is out now. 

grab a copy on Bookshop.org and support an indie store while you're at it.

If you enjoyed this review, you may be interested in Two Kinds of Stranger, a legal thriller by Steve Cavanagh.

About the Author

Daniel Kenitz is the author of The Perfect Home and several short stories, including the Pushcart Prize–nominated “A Hand to the Plow” (2022, Red Rock Review). He lives in southeastern Wisconsin within jogging distance of dairy cows. Don’t Look Away is his second novel. Follow Daniel on Instagram and visit his website for more news and information about his books.

IG Live | a conversation with author John Fram (writing as Jack Friday)

 

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I just wrapped my Live with John Fram (writing as Jack Friday) and I’m still turning over half the things he said.

The whole conversation is right here, so if you missed us live, hit play. John writes some of the eeriest queer horror out there (The Bright Lands, The Midnight Knock), and now he’s stepped into crime fiction as Jack Friday with a series that’s funny, sexy, and soaked in Austin. We got into why he picked up a new name, how Peter Key showed up on the page, and what it actually takes to switch lanes from horror to mystery without losing the readers who came for the scares.

Quick refresher on the book if it’s new to you: Killer Vibes (out July 14) introduces Peter Key, a broke, bisexual, dedicated stoner who inherits a rundown house in one of Austin’s nicest neighborhoods from an uncle he barely knew. Then comes the half a million in debt, a bag of cash, and a growing suspicion that the death wasn’t an accident. Before he knows it he’s calling himself the laziest PI in Texas.

He was a fantastic guest. Warm, quick, and clearly having a blast building this world. Hit this link to pop over to my IG to watch the replay before you forget, and put this one on your July list.

Killer Vibes is out now — grab a copy on Bookshop.org and support an indie store while you're at it.

About the Author

Jack Friday is the pen name of John Fram, the author of several queer supernatural thrillers such as The Bright Lands and The Midnight Knock. He lives in Austin. Follow John on Instagram and visit his website for more news and information about hsi books.

Hot Girl Murder Club

 

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There is so much going on in Hot Girl Murder Club that I sometimes needed a flow chart to keep it straight.

Scout and Isabel have been best friends since childhood, and they move to Hollywood together to chase acting careers. Scout's younger sister Georgia follows them out to California for college. When Georgia's socially awkward classmate, the creepy son of a rich guy, develops a crush on her and invites the girls to his father's party, it should be the night of their lives. Instead Georgia is killed there. Ten years later Scout is still clawing through the industry looking for justice, collecting a network of ambitious women along the way. Then a string of targeted murders hits LA and every arrow points at Scout, and the detective on her case is carrying some tragedy of her own that ties right into it.

There is a lot to love here. Winstead's writing is sharp and the twists come out of nowhere. I was all in for the story of rich powerful men doing terrible things and women who were done waiting around for justice. Scout and her girl gang looking out for other women in need? Yes. Grey, the relentless LAPD detective? Loved her.

Here is where it lost me a little. Once Luca and her agenda entered the picture, the whole thing started to feel bloated. Winstead pulls it all together, but the heart of the story got convoluted and Grey basically vanishes when the plot shifts. Sometimes less really is more.

Brittany Pressley does a phenomenal job with the narration, but this is a book crying out for a full cast. Another voice or two would have made the dual timeline and the parade of characters so much easier to follow.

Bingeable, entertaining, and it has real things to say about grief, abuse, female rage, and vigilante justice. I just wish the message had not gotten a little lost in all that plot. 3.5⭐ rounded up to 4.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted early listen. Hot Girl Murder Club is out now. Grab a copy on Bookshop.org and support an indie store while you're at it.

If you enjoyed this review, you might be interested in my review of Ashley's book This Book Will Bury Me.

About the Author

Ashley Winstead is the national bestselling author of many beloved thrillers, including This Book Will Bury Me, The Last Housewife, In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, and Midnight Is the Darkest Hour. In addition to being an acclaimed thriller writer, Ashley is also the author of two romantic comedies, Fool Me Once and The Boyfriend Candidate, with more on the way. Her novels have been optioned for television; chosen as Book of the Month, Best of Amazon, LibraryReads, Indie Next, Apple Books, and Lone Star picks; and received attention from major outlets, from The New York Times to The Washington Post. Follow Ashley on Instagram. Find more news and information about Ashley's books at her website.

Killer Vibes

 

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I think I found my favorite new detective of the year, and he’s a broke, bisexual stoner who trips into the case completely by accident.

Meet Peter Key. When we first find him, he’s a charming, aimless weed dealer living about an hour away from being either homeless or dead. Then a lawyer tells him he’s inherited a big rundown house in one of Austin’s swankiest neighborhoods from an uncle he barely knew. Good news, right? Except the uncle borrowed half a million dollars right before he died, the money’s vanished, and now the debt lands squarely on Peter. 

Everyone from the lawyer to a very intense real estate broker next door wants him to sell, pay up, and disappear. But Peter wants to keep the house. His only shot is finding the missing money before someone else does, and before he becomes the next body.

This one is a total romp and I loved every second, especially Peter’s laid-back charm, the quirky supporting cast, and the twisty hunt for the cash. It went places I never saw coming and stayed fun the whole way through. John Fram, writing here as Jack Friday, keeps the plot moving and the Keep Austin Weird energy cranked all the way up. On audio, narrator Max Meyers is fantastic. He runs the full range of Peter’s emotions and gives every character in the cast their own distinct voice.

If you like your mysteries offbeat, with great lgbtq+ representation and enough twists to keep any armchair detective guessing, bump this to the top of your summer list. It’s already one of my favorite reads of the year, and I’m thrilled it’s the first in a planned series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the gifted early listen. Killer Vibes is out July 14.

One more thing: come hang out with us live. I’m interviewing Jack Friday himself this Thursday, July 9 at 4pm EST / 3pm CST. Join us!

Killer Vibes is out now — grab a copy on Bookshop.org and support an indie store while you're at it.

Jack Friday is a new pen name for horror writer John Fram. Check out my review of his previous book The Midnight Knock.

About the Author

Jack Friday is the pen name of John Fram, the author of several queer supernatural thrillers such as The Bright Lands and The Midnight Knock. He lives in Austin. Follow John on Instagram and visit his website for more news and information about hsi books.