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I have been a fan of Jennifer McMahon’s books ever since I read The Invited several years ago, and her latest novel, My Darling Girl (2023), might be her best one yet!

Strange Sally Diamond (2023) by Liz Nugent begins like a darker Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, but soon takes a turn into a much more sinister, disturbing story.

The Silent Patient (2019) is an amazing psychological thriller that takes you into the mind of, not only the title patient Alicia, but also into that of a psychotherapist.

One morning an elevator in a New York skyscraper plunges to the ground, killing four people. The next morning, in a different building, another person dies in an elevator incident. By the third day, when another elevator crashes in a different building, it's clear that these are not accidents. Are these attacks targeted or random? Who is behind these attacks and why and how are they happening? With so much of the city only accessible by elevator, New York City comes to a standstill.

A Dreadful Splendor (2022) by B.R. Myers is a fun blend of mystery and romance, sprinkled with a little bit of spooky.

What happened to Violet Volk? Ten years ago, the celebrity magician disappeared during a show. Acts of Violet (2022) is a compelling, suspenseful story that alternates between the perspective of Violet’s younger sister Sasha and a mix of podcast episodes, interview transcripts, emails, and newspaper articles.

A League of Nobleman (2023) is a Chinese historical mystery TV series. It follows Zhang Ping, a poor orphan from the countryside who is making his living as a noodle seller in the capital while studying for the exam to become a government official. His dream is to someday join the Ministry of Justice and solve crimes. In the meantime, he has earned the nickname “Noodle Detective” through his efforts to solve minor everyday mysteries for his neighbors.

I really enjoyed listening to the newest book by Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate (2023), because it had many elements of a great audiobook.

The Drift (2023) by C.J. Tudor is an engaging multiple perspectives thriller, following 3 different groups of survivors in a compelling apocalyptic race to save their own lives in 3 deadly situations that may have something in common. The Drift is fast-paced, plot-driven and may be of interest to readers okay with violence, plague, and apocalyptic themes. 

Clue meets The Great British Baking Show: when I read that description, I knew I had to read The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell (2023). It is the tenth season of Bake Week, a reality competition filmed at the home of “America’s Grandmother,” longtime host Betsy Martin.

Last summer Alice disappeared. After her ex-boyfriend started dating her (now also ex) best-friend, Brooke, Alice took everything she had learned about Agatha Christie and staged her own disappearance. Now she's back at school facing rumors and ridicule and stuck with a tutor to catch up on her school work. Iris, desperate for extra cash to escape to a new life, gets the tutoring gig. When Brooke disappears though and Alice's ex-boyfriend ends up the prime suspect for alleged murder none of the puzzle pieces seem to fit together quite the way the police say.