Five crime titles that tackle the trappings of fame

Lori Roy is the two-time Edgar award-winning author of six novels of suspense. Her work has been twice named a New York Times Notable Crime Book, named a New York Times Editors’ Choice and included on various “best of” and summer reading lists.

Roy’s new book, Lake County, has been called a “…sensual speculative thriller” by Booklist and “…one of this year’s most gripping novels” by Deadly Pleasures magazine.

At CrimeReads Roy tagged four crime novels and one short story that tackle the trappings of fame, including:

Halley Sutton, The Hurricane Blonde

The Hurricane Blonde, Tawney, was a rising Hollywood star when she was found murdered at her home. Twenty years later, no arrests have been made, her death remains a mystery, and everyone has moved on except her sister, Salma. Salma’s own hopes for fame were cut short by the struggles she faced following her sister’s death. Now, as she battles daily to stay sober, she hosts a Hollywood tour that showcases the spots around town where various starlets died. When a dead body turns up at the same house where her sister was murdered two decades earlier, Salma is catapulted back into the seediest part of Hollywood, and she’s forced to grapple with how far someone will go to achieve fame.

Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue

Seven books about people accused of being witches

J. Nicole Jones received an M.F.A. in Creative Nonfiction from Columbia University in 2012. She has held editorial positions at VICE magazine and VanityFair.com. Her essays and writing have appeared in VICE, VanityFair.com, the Harper's magazine website, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Salon, the Paris Review Daily, and elsewhere.

Her first book, Low Country: A Memoir, was published in 2021.

Jones's new novel is The Witches of Bellinas.

At Electric Lit she tagged seven books that "are not just about being a witch—they’re about people who have been accused of being witches—and what that happens afterward." One title on the list:

Circe by Madeline Miller

Told from the perspective of one of literature’s oldest and most famous witches, Circe narrates her life story as an immortal sorceress: From growing up in the house of her father, the sun god and Titan, to life as an exile on the island where she’s been confined. A celebration of the magic in nature and in life as a solitary woman, we also get cameos by heavy-hitters from Greek mythology, including Circe’s setting the record straight on what happened when Odysseus invaded her island and why his men deserved to be transformed into pigs.

Read about the other titles on the list.

Circe is among Diana Helmuth's seven top books about modern witchcraft, Megan Barnard's eleven books about misunderstood women in history & mythology, Rita Chang-Eppig's ten top books with irresistible anti-heroines, Emilia Hart's five novels featuring witchcraft, Brittany Bunzey's top ten books centering women in mythology, Mark Skinner's twenty top books in witch lit, Hannah Kaner's five best novels featuring gods, the B&N Reads editors' twenty-four best mythological retellings, Ashleigh Bell Pedersen's eight novels of wonder and darkness by women writers, Kelly Barnhill's eight books about women's rage, Sascha Rothchild's most captivating literary antiheroes, Rachel Kapelke-Dale's eleven top unexpected thrillers about female rage, Kat Sarfas's thirteen enchanted reads for spooky season, Fire Lyte's nine current classics in magic and covens and spells, Elodie Harper's six top novels set in the ancient world, Kiran Millwood Hargrave's seven best books about islands, Zen Cho's six SFF titles about gods and pantheons, Jennifer Saint's ten top books inspired by Greek myth, Adrienne Westenfeld's fifteen feminist books that will inspire, enrage, & educate you, Ali Benjamin's top ten classic stories retold, Lucile Scott's eight books about hexing the patriarchy, E. Foley and B. Coates's top ten goddesses in fiction, Jordan Ifueko's five fantasy titles driven by traumatic family bonds, Eleanor Porter's top ten books about witch-hunts, Emily B. Martin's six stunning fantasies for nature lovers, Allison Pataki's top six books that feature strong female voices, Pam Grossman's thirteen stories about strong women with magical powers, Kris Waldherr's nine top books inspired by mythology, Katharine Duckett's eight novels that reexamine literature from the margins, and Steph Posts's thirteen top novels set in the world of myth.

--Marshal Zeringue

Thirty-nine top LGBTQ books for Pride month

In 2021 the BuzzFeed Books team tagged some of their favorite LGBTQ books across all genres for reading during Pride month. One title on the list:

Swipe Right for Murder by Derek Milman

17-year-old Aidan finds himself in New York City for a night and spontaneously decides to hook up with a guy named Benoit. But the next morning, Benoit is dead beside him, and Aidan receives a mysterious call telling him to flee. Caught up in a huge case of mistaken identity, Aidan is on the run from everyone, including federal agents and a cyberterrorist group. Once Aidan discovers the object they want returned, he'll have to find a way to deliver it before being caught — or killed. Milman’s action-packed thriller isn’t one to miss.

Read about the other entries on the list.

The Page 69 Test: Swipe Right for Murder.

My Book, The Movie: Swipe Right for Murder.

--Marshal Zeringue

Nine icy thrillers to get you through the sweltering summer

Victoria Helen Stone, author of the runaway best seller Jane Doe, writes critically acclaimed novels of dark intrigue and emotional suspense. Aside from Follow Her Down, At The Quiet Edge, The Last One Home, Problem Child, Half Past, and the chart-topping False Step and Evelyn, After, she also published twenty-nine books as USA Today bestselling author Victoria Dahl and won the prestigious American Library Association Reading List award for best genre fiction.

At CrimeReads Stone tagged nine "thrillers featuring cold weather to help endure the sweltering months ahead," including:

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

The inescapable sense of foreboding steeped in these pages led me to tossing and turning all night after starting this book in bed at 11PM. A delightfully spooky mistake on my part. We Used to Live Here is an original and ghastly tale of an old house, its new owners, and a young father who stops by asking to take his family on a trip down memory lane. Mr. Kliewer perfectly tapped into my introvert anxiety about weird people in my house… or any people at all, really.

Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue

Thirteen top queer thrillers and mystery novels

John Copenhaver’s historical crime novel, Dodging and Burning, won the 2019 Macavity Award for Best First Mystery. His second novel, The Savage Kind, won the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ Mystery. He cohosts on the House of Mystery Radio Show, is the six-time recipient of Artist Fellowships from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and for years, wrote a crime fiction review column for Lambda Literary called “Blacklight.”

[The Page 69 Test: The Savage Kind; My Book, The Movie: The Savage Kind]

Copenhaver teaches fiction writing and literature at Virginia Commonwealth University and is a faculty mentor in the University of Nebraska’s Low-Residency MFA program.

His new novel is Hall of Mirrors.

At Electric Lit Copenhaver tagged thirteen novels by queer writers with queer characters and "speak to the history of queer mysteries and thrillers, tell us something about crime fiction today, and of course, because they are great books." One title on the list:

Bath Haus by P. J. Vernon

One of the most commercially successful queer thrillers in recent years, Vernon’s Bath Haus, explores the dark side of contemporary gay relationships. Oliver Park has everything that should make him happy: his partner, Nathan, a handsome, attentive, and wealthy trauma surgeon; a sprawling townhouse in Washington, D.C.; and, after years of struggling with addiction, his sobriety. So, when he seeks out anonymous sex at a local bathhouse and nearly dies at the hands of his hook-up partner, his life begins to unravel in dangerous and unsettling ways. This novel struck a nerve in part because of its titillating subject matter, in part because of its clever twists, and in part because of its complicated and sympathetic central character, a flawed queer man fighting for agency in his life.

Read about the other entries on the list.

Bath Haus is among Leah Konen's five top thrillers about secrets between spouses and S.F. Kosa's ten best psychological thrillers.

--Marshal Zeringue

Five top books about fatherhood

Tom Lamont is an award-winning journalist and one of the founding writers for the Guardian’s Long Reads.

He is the interviewer of choice for Adele and Harry Styles, having written in depth about both of these musicians since they first emerged to fame in the 2010s.

Lamont's debut novel is Going Home: A Novel of Boys, Mistakes, and Second Chances.

At the Guardian the writer tagged five favorite books about fatherhood. One title on the list:

Home by Marilynne Robinson

The second book in Robinson’s Ames-Boughton sequence, Home makes a close study of a father, Robert Boughton, who is nearing the end of his life. His children have grown up and moved away from the family home in Iowa – all except one, Robert’s youngest daughter, Glory, who cares for him. So enormous is the sacrifice that Glory has made, Robert can hardly see it. Instead he obsesses over his most wayward and least dutiful child, Jack. A quiet masterpiece of fatherly complacency.

Read about the other entries on the list.

Home is among six books recommended by Colm Tóibín, Nick Lake's top ten liars in fiction, Richard Zimler's five best books featuring pariahs, and Diana Quick's six best books.

--Marshal Zeringue

Five top thrillers about terrorism

Abir Mukherjee is the bestselling author of the award-winning Wyndham & Banerjee series of crime novels set in 1920s Colonial India. He is a two-time winner of the CWA Historical Dagger and has won the Wilbur Smith Award for Adventure Writing. His books have also been shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger and the HWA Gold Crown. His novels, A Rising Man and Smoke and Ashes were both selected as Waterstones Thriller of the Month. Smoke and Ashes was also chosen as one of The Times' Best Crime and Thriller novels since 1945.

Mukherjee's new novel is Hunted.

At the Waterstones blog the author tagged five favorite thrillers about terrorism, including:

The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth

A masterpiece of suspense and espionage that has captivated readers for decades. Set against the end of French rule in Algeria and a backdrop of political intrigue and international espionage, it follows an English assassin known only as the Jackal as he meticulously plans to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle.

Forsyth takes readers on a thrilling journey through the world of covert operations and high-stakes espionage, and his meticulous research and attention to detail lend authenticity to the novel's political backdrop, while his ability to ratchet up the tension with each passing chapter ensures you’re always on the edge of your seat. Whether you're a fan of espionage thrillers or simply enjoy a well-crafted tale of cat-and-mouse suspense, The Day of the Jackal is a must-read that continues to stand the test of time as a classic of the genre.

Read about the other entries on the list.

The Day of the Jackal is among Patrick Worrall's ten top spy novels to read before you die, Deborah Lawrenson's nine mysteries that will take you on a journey from Paris to the south of France, Daniel Palmer's seven best conspiracy thrillers of the 1970s, Jeff Somers's five thrillers that resist easy fixes, Sam Bourne's five favorite classic thrillers, and Christopher Timothy's six best books.

--Marshal Zeringue

Five top books about Maine

Thomas E. Ricks is the author of five New York Times bestsellers, including the #1 bestseller Fiasco, a history of the beginning of the Iraq War. As a reporter at the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, he was a member of two teams that won the Pulitzer Prize. He worked in the Maine woods in his youth and trapped lobsters when living on an island in Penobscot Bay. He now divides his time between Texas and Maine.

Ricks's debut crime novel is Everyone Knows But You: A Tale of Murder on the Maine Coast.

At CrimeReads the author tagged "five books that helped me understand [Maine,] this beautiful and unique part of the country." One title on the list:

The Lobster Coast by Colin Woodward (2004)

An encyclopedic tour de force that covers everything from “lobster war” turf battles to the influence on American culture of Winslow Homer and Edward Hopper. Probably the single best book to read about Maine, its history, and its myths.

Read about the other entries on the list.

Also see ten top mysteries set in Maine.

--Marshal Zeringue

Seven novels that give you hope, then devastate you

Sadi Muktadir is a writer from Toronto. His debut novel is Land of No Regrets. His short stories have appeared in Joyland Magazine, the Humber Literary Review, Blank Spaces, The New Quarterly and other places.

Muktadir is a two-time finalist for the Thomas Morton Memorial Prize in Literary Excellence and twice shortlisted for the Malahat Open Season Awards for best short fiction.

At Electric Lit he tagged seven novels where things go from bad to worse, including:

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Books where things end in a painful, awkward, stunted manner are my favorite. They force us to wrestle and sit with a writer’s decision to tell us something we were not expecting. In The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy weaves this masterful narrative of caste discrimination and class conflict, through the eyes of children. Rebellion can barely be afforded, and so one of the protagonists, a single mother, acts out through an affair with an Untouchable, the lowest caste of humanity in southern India. Communism is rising as the middle class family responds to it with alarm and opposition. One of the elder matriarchs of the family, Baby Kochamma, is an absolute piece of shit, a brown Auntie on hate roids, and manipulates events to bring about destruction and see everyone as miserable as her in life. I loved it. More than anything, Roy showed a true-to-life depiction of what happens every day, how people struggle and fail and die despite holding onto sad hope for a better life. I loved it.

Read about the other entries on the list.

The God of Small Things is among Etaf Rum's eight top books revolving around a historical collective trauma, Fatin Abbas's eight top books on borders concrete & intangible, Rebecca Wait's top ten books about twins, Alex Hyde's top ten mirrored lives in fiction, Saumya Roy's seven unlikely love stories in literature, and Miranda Doyle's top ten books about lies.

--Marshal Zeringue

Eight top school reunion titles

Elise Juska’s new novel, Reunion, was named one of People Magazine’s “Best Books to Read in May 2024.” Her previous novels include The Blessings, a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, and If We Had Known. Juska’s fiction and nonfiction have appeared in The Gettysburg Review, The Missouri Review, Ploughshares, The Hudson Review, Electric Literature, and elsewhere. She is the recipient of the Alice Hoffman Prize from Ploughshares, and her short fiction has been cited by The Best American Short Stories and Pushcart Prize anthologies. She teaches creative writing at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

[The Page 69 Test: Reunion; My Book, The Movie: Reunion]

At Lit Hub Juska tagged "eight novels that explore the complexities of reunions—with classmates from college and high school, close friends or near strangers, and former versions of ourselves." One title on the list:

Elizabeth Berg, The Last Time I Saw You

Berg’s Talk Before Sleep is a novel that gutted me when I first read it—a spare, unsentimental story of adult friendship, midlife, and mortality. Here, Berg revisits these themes through a different lens: a fortieth high school reunion in the Midwest told from the points of view of five returning classmates.

For each, the reunion promises something different—escape, salvation, a second chance—but ultimately compels them to look inward.

Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue

Ten gothic and unnerving books

At B&N Reads Isabelle McConville tagged ten gothic and unnerving reads, including:

Mystery Lights by Lena Valencia

Razor sharp and disconcerting, Mystery Lights is a collection of speculative short stories with a bite. From the supernatural to the otherworldly and beyond, these ten stories range from the terrifying to the ugly, suspenseful to quietly disquieting. Valencia will make you stare at the sky in wonder and awe.

Read about the other entries on the list.

--Marshal Zeringue

Nine titles about haunted motherhood

Clare Beams is the author of novels The Garden and The Illness Lesson, a New York Times Editors’ Choice, and the story collection We Show What We Have Learned, which won the Bard Prize and was a Kirkus Best Debut of 2016, as well as a finalist for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize, the New York Public Library's Young Lions Fiction Award, and the Shirley Jackson Award. With her husband and two daughters, she lives in Pittsburgh and teaches in the Randolph College MFA program. She was a finalist for the 2023 Joyce Carol Oates Prize.

[The Page 69 Test: The Illness Lesson]

At Electric Lit Beams tagged nine stories that capture the near-supernatural feeling of being a mother, including:

The Need by Helen Phillips

In this novel, one of the most terrifying I’ve ever read, a mother is haunted by the worst possibilities of her life with her children: an awareness that no matter the joys or the mundane challenges of her current child-filled moment, in a separate shadow-moment she has lost those children, has lost everything. Home alone with her toddler and baby, trying to find a book her daughter, Viv, is missing, Molly discovers an intruder in a deer mask in the other room: “She gripped her children as though the three of them were poised at the edge of a cliff, wind whipping around them, pebbles giving way between them. She could not move. She did not know how to pass through the next seconds of her life…But Viv was already stepping away from her, was already reaching to retrieve something from the deer’s black-gloved hands: The Why Book.” What if the intruder who’s coming to take our treasure and wreck our lives isn’t a stranger, but someone who knows us as intimately as it’s possible to know another person? This is a novel that bends and multiplies time and selfhood to show us motherhood’s existential threats, and the result is the feeling of the call coming not only from inside the house but from inside one’s own head.

Read about the other entries on the list.

The Need is among Chin-Sun Lee's five top gothic novels about distressed women, Ainslie Hogarth's eight novels about monstrous mothers, Amanda Mactas's five top horror novels driven by maternal instinct, Michael J. Seidlinger's top ten terrifying home invasions in fiction.

--Marshal Zeringue