2026 & 2027 Upcoming Releases
Spoiler-free ARC reviews of the most anticipated thriller and mystery releases.
14 days
The Black Orchid
Loreth Anne White
Nine elite guests are cordially invited to board the Black Orchid, a marvel of luxury poised for its maiden voyage across the mythic Aegean Sea. But this exclusive invitation carries a hidden price: not all will return from this voyage.
Among the carefully curated passengers is Poppy Buchanan, personal assistant to the legendary war photographer Lillith McGregor. Poppy views this cruise as her one chance to secure a future, by subtly ensuring her name finds its way into Lillith’s will. Yet, the high stakes on board extend far beyond inheritance. The guest list includes Lillith’s disinherited stepson and his ruthlessly ambitious fiancée, a silent Israeli businessman with a dangerous past, a charming Dutch antiquities dealer harboring a secret agenda, and a retired FBI profiler hunting a serial killer he suspects is sailing with them. Each individual is a vital, perilous piece in a deadly puzzle decades in the making.
Within three fateful days, as a catastrophic storm descends upon the Black Orchid, long-buried secrets will surge to the surface. Facades will crumble. The ensuing revelations will ignite a catastrophic chain of events, culminating in one of the most devastating maritime disasters in recent memory. The sinking of the Black Orchid is no mere accident—it is a chilling, calculated reckoning.
The narrative structure of The Black Orchid immediately establishes a tense atmosphere by jumping between the fateful voyage of the ship and a podcast produced years later to investigate its sinking and the current efforts to recover a few still missing victims. I loved how this framing casts a lingering shadow over the events, making the confined environment of the cruise ship feel even more claustrophobic.
One of my favorite elements of the story is Carter, an inquisitive eight-year-old boy who wants to solve crimes just like his grandfather, Gideon. Because Gideon is a former FBI profiler and is also a fellow passenger aboard the ship, he provides the perfect inspiration. Children are rarely main characters in thrillers unless they are kidnapped or evil, but Carter brings a refreshing dynamic. He spends the voyage making a list of suspicious happenings around the ship, and I found his perspective to be a unique lens for uncovering the truth. I also appreciated the subtle touches of Greek mythology woven into the plot, which added an engaging layer of intrigue.
This book is more of a slow burn but, the medium chapters keep the momentum steady. There are enough little mysteries scattered throughout the voyage to keep the story moving and prevent the plot from stalling. When all the threads finally come together, the conclusion provides a satisfying wrap-up that answers the core questions without dragging out the ending.
If you like cruise ship thrillers and many little mysteries to unwind, then you will enjoy this book.
14 days
The Getaway
Kieran Scott
The annual Hamptons getaway at billionaire Lincoln Foster’s lavish Villa is usually an escape for three long-standing couples. For years, it’s been a perfect façade of luxury, friendship, and unspoken pacts among the elite. But this year, the party takes a sinister turn.
Anonymous blue cards appear in each bedroom, systematically tearing through their curated lives. These aren't party favors; they are revelations. Secrets of betrayal, dark deeds, and hidden truths are laid bare, targeting Lincoln and his new wife Hazel, along with Marley and Marshall Foster, Suzy and Sean McTeague, and Juliet and Josh Jacoby. Even uninvited hopefuls find their pasts exposed.
With a hurricane rapidly closing in, The Villa transforms from a gilded cage into an inescapable trap. As the storm rages outside, the exposed secrets turn deadly inside. Friendships crumble, alliances shift, and everyone becomes a suspect. No one is getting out, and the cost of their lies might just be their lives.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy of this title.
I was very excited for the premise of this locked room mystery, but this story struggles to find its footing early on. The beginning drags while attempting to introduce the sheer number of people involved. While it is established quickly that everyone has a motive for murder, the pacing remains sluggish well into the narrative. There is a heavy focus on the characters being shocked that Hazel changed the decor in the house Lily initially designed, and this specific detail becomes repetitive rather than revealing.
Because of the slow momentum, I remained disconnected from the cast and indifferent to their fates. The writing lacks the sharp edge needed to elevate the tension, leaving the high-stakes situations feeling flat. I never felt the stress or urgency that should accompany a group dealing with a potential killer. To make matters stranger, the side story involving Wintour the dog feels out of place and distracts from the core mystery. By the time the climax arrives, the execution reveals a few noticeable plot holes and leaves far too many questions unanswered.
If you like large suspect pools and remote settings, then you will may enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #TheGetaway
14 days
The House Swap
Keri Beevis
Desperate for a quiet escape, I arranged a home swap with Tom—a man I thought I knew—and fled to his secluded villa in Crete alongside my best friend, Keira. It was supposed to be a sanctuary of winter sun and silent, empty beaches. At last, room to breathe.
Then Keira vanishes without a word.
Suddenly, paradise feels like a trap. The neighbors watch me with unearned familiarity. The handyman lingers in the shadows. Doors I secured swing open, and objects subtly shift when I’m not looking. I try to blame exhaustion and stress, but the mounting dread is impossible to ignore.
Isolated and questioning my own sanity, one terrifying truth remains: I am a long way from home, and I need to escape before the trap snaps shut.
The House Swap throws you straight into the deep end, told almost entirely from Poppy’s perspective in the present day. The story moves at a fast pace, broken up into medium-sized chapters. The setting adds a heavy layer of tension. Poppy is staying in a gigantic villa in Greece, and that sheer size and isolation really amplifies her paranoia. I spent a large amount of the book trying to decide if she was losing her mind or if there was a calculated conspiracy against her. I could not figure out the truth until the final pieces fell into place.
The twist is a good one. It caught me off guard and shifted the narrative in a way that made all the previous anxiety feel justified. My only real gripe is the final stretch. After such a suspenseful ride, the ending felt a little too abrupt. The fates of certain characters were just settled in a few rushed lines, rather than giving them a proper wrap-up or even leaving things intentionally ambiguous. Still, the psychological manipulation and that striking Greek setting kept me hooked.
If you like isolated foreign settings, intense paranoia, and surprising twists, then you will enjoy this book.
18 days
Won't Tell
Danielle Fear
What happens when the world's laziest man witnesses a murder? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Our protagonist, a connoisseur of the couch, simply watched a brutal crime unfold from his living room window and continued his evening as if swatting a fly. No panic. No police. Just a shrug and a yawn.
But from the shadows, the killer saw something else entirely. They saw an admirer, a silent champion who not only condoned their gruesome acts but secretly celebrated them. Now, this serial killer is seeking out their biggest fan, eager to share every new, horrifying masterpiece.
Trapped in a twisted fan club he never asked to join, the sloth faces the ultimate inconvenience: muster the monumental effort required to stop a murderer, or resign himself to being the killer's reluctant confidant. For a man whose greatest ambition is uninterrupted comfort, both options sound utterly exhausting.
Thank you to Danielle Fear for an advanced copy of this title.
Watching a protagonist who has sunk into absolute apathy - surrounding himself with hoard and simply refusing to care about anything - is frustrating and heartbreaking all at once. Yet, when he witnesses a murder and chooses total inaction, the quiet, magnetic pull of the narrative becomes impossible to look away from. The psychological tension created when a stalker grows increasingly furious at being ignored by a man who genuinely cannot be bothered is brilliant, and the short chapters keep the story moving at a brisk pace.
What stands out most is the efficiency of the writing. Danielle Fear has a talent for crafting vivid, fully realized characters without burying the reader in endless descriptions or fluff. Every line feels intentional, making it easy to form a strong, complex sense of empathy for a main character who has completely given up on the world. While the ending turns out to be a bit more restrained than what you might expect from a typical thriller, the sheer quality of the prose, the dark tension, and the character work make it a deeply satisfying read from start to finish.
If you like deeply flawed protagonists, unique cat-and-mouse suspense, and phenomenal writing, then you will love this book.
19 days
The After
Tayler Vaughn
The world you know is a shattered echo, a landscape of betrayal, distorted truths, and relentless pain. You're tired of the "before," weary of the box you've been forced into, longing for an escape from ostracization.
Look to The After. A promised enlightenment, shimmering with peace, profound understanding, and undeniable verity. It calls to those who seek a higher existence.
But this sacred experience is reserved only for the virtuous. And those entrusted with protecting its sanctity are charged with a chilling task: to cleanse the inferior.
Are you willing to do what it truly takes? Are you truly worthy of its embrace? Discover the deadly damnation woven into each story of The After.
There is a distinct kind of dread that builds when you watch someone consumed by grief fall into the orbit of the wrong person. Tayler Vaughn captures that eerie atmosphere perfectly, tapping into the unsettling reality of manipulation. The characters are all reeling from profound personal losses, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. It creates a quiet, creeping tension that pulled me in immediately and anchored the narrative.
The story moves quickly through short chapters, creating a momentum that pushes everything forward. Jumping between timelines keeps the plot fresh and engaging, revealing pieces of the puzzle at just the right time. The shifting perspectives build a cohesive picture of how tragedy can warp a person's judgment. The twist is executed well, and ended the story on a satisfying note. If you like eerie psychological tension, short chapters, and explorations of grief, then you will enjoy this book.
The Halloween Stranger
Shade Owens
Cedar Hill, Massachusetts, isn't just another sleepy New England town. Not when Halloween rolls around. Dubbed Salem's Sister, its annual Harvest Festival transforms it into a magnet for all things spooky, and this year, recently divorced Claudia Rowan is determined to make it the biggest yet. Her viral blog post ensures every hotel room is booked solid.
Desperate for extra cash, Claudia makes a choice that will forever haunt her: she opens her guest bedroom to a stranger for just two nights. How much trouble could one guest truly be?
Then she arrives. There’s an immediate chill, an inexplicable wrongness about the woman that whispers danger to Claudia's deepest instincts. As odd occurrences stack up and the stranger's true nature slowly unfurls, a terrifying question takes root: Is Claudia renting out a room… or inviting a nightmare in?
Shade Owens nails the Halloween atmosphere right out of the gate. The plot mostly jumps back and forth between Claudia and Ruth's perspectives, keeping the pacing fast and the tension high. I spent the entire read questioning whether Ruth was actually dangerous or if Claudia was just completely paranoid. Nothing is what it seems, and the suspense never lets up.
The twists work very well and feel totally earned. The clues are planted throughout the story, so the surprises make sense instead of just being thrown in for shock value. The ending wraps everything up perfectly without dragging on or relying on an unearned info dump. If you like spooky Halloween settings, unreliable characters, and intense paranoia, then you will enjoy this book.
28 days
Xavier Bradshaw: Ghostwriter
W.M. Lessman
Two decades after a string of brutal, unsolved murders haunted Livingston, Alberta, the nightmare has returned. A city councilor is discovered crucified in a local church, and a young woman’s body is left abandoned by the river. Investigative reporter Xavier Bradshaw and his new partner, Jessi, plunge into these macabre echoes of the past—only to find the evidence pointing squarely at Xavier himself.
With the local police eager to close the case and lock him away, Xavier races to uncover the truth. His prime suspect? His own mentor, a renowned horror author whose obsession with the killings borders on the sinister. Time is running out, and if Xavier doesn't unmask the true killer soon, his final byline might be his own obituary.
W.M. Lessman brings a refreshing dynamic to the investigative protagonist with his character Xavier Bradshaw. As an ex-cop turned reporter, Xavier operates with the sharp mind of a detective but without the red tape of law enforcement. He isn't much of a rogue wildcard yet, but staying grounded makes him a solid anchor for the story, and I am curious to see if his personality develops in that direction as the series continues. The supporting cast adds a lot of value too, particularly Stephanie and Bobby, who are great side characters and really help Xavier and Jessi bond with each other.
The story has a slower pace, but it never drags or gets boring. Momentum stays alive thanks to the short chapters, and the author’s wonderful writing. There is a sizable cast to keep track of, but the background provided for each major player is distinct and thorough enough that I never felt lost or confused about who was who.
This leans much more into traditional suspense and mystery territory rather than a high-octane thriller. It builds to a genuinely good twist. The ending, however, wrapped up quickly, leaving the fates of some characters rather vague.
If you like character-driven mysteries, ex-cop protagonists, and methodical pacing, then you will enjoy this book.
31 days
The Christmas Guest
B P Walter
On Liars Island, Christmas dinner is a meticulously staged affair. Beneath the sparkling decorations and the clinking of wine glasses, the family’s forced smiles hide a multitude of sins. For years, they've perfected the art of avoidance, especially when it comes to the unspoken tragedy of six Christmases past: the night their mother died.
But this year, an uninvited ghost from the past crashes the reluctant reunion. He’s asking questions, too many questions, about that terrible night. His presence cracks open old wounds and threatens to expose the meticulously guarded truths everyone thought were buried forever.
As a relentless storm rages, isolating them completely on the island, the veneer of festive cheer shatters. Trapped with a stranger who knows too much and a family riddled with secrets, the festive celebration turns into a chilling interrogation. Is the real danger the storm outside, the relentless guest, or the deadly truths lurking within their own blood?
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of this title.
A Christmas setting can add an extra layer of tension to a thriller, but this one never came together for me. The story moves between Marguerite’s perspective in the past and multiple perspectives in the present, gradually revealing how the past connects to the events unfolding at the house. There were a few well-executed twists along the way, and I appreciated how the different timelines slowly filled in the bigger picture.
My biggest issue was that the story was slow from beginning to end. I also struggled to connect with the characters. None of them were particularly likable, and the triplets were so unpleasant, even toward each other, that it was difficult to become invested in their relationships. Noah came across as awkward and bumbling throughout, while Cliff was an especially difficult character for me. Although he is thirty-one, the way he was written often made him seem much younger, and I found that characterization distracting.
I also felt like several subplots didn’t add much to the overall story. Noah’s relationship with his stepsister, Ruby, along with the smaller storylines involving Alistair and Dylan, felt more like filler than meaningful additions to the mystery. Instead of building tension or developing the characters in a satisfying way, they slowed the story even further.
There were moments where the mystery pulled me back in, particularly when some of the twists were revealed, but they weren’t enough to overcome the slow pacing or my lack of investment in the characters. The ending also felt rushed and ultimately unsatisfying, leaving me wishing the story had spent less time on unnecessary detours and more time delivering a stronger payoff.
If you like dual timelines, dysfunctional families, and Christmas-set thrillers, then you may enjoy this book. #NetGalley #TheChristmasGuest
35 days
The Devil’s Harvest
Becca Lynne
San Diego, Halloween 1995. The night is meant for masks and candy, but veteran homicide detective Darius Jackson finds himself staring down ritualistic murder. Two meticulously staged deaths, brimming with cryptic symbolism, are just the first unsettling clues in a mystery that quickly spirals into the chilling depths of the Harvest of the Risen.
This isn't just a killer; it's a decades-old network preying on the vulnerable, twisting grief into a "divine calling." With new partner Frank Dubris, Darius peels back layers of manipulation and unwavering, dangerous faith. They uncover a conspiracy built on the terrifying belief that some souls are "chosen," destined for sacrifice.
As devotion turns to obsession, Darius is forced to confront not only a relentless killer but an organization willing to sacrifice anything - and anyone - to protect its darkest secrets. The Devil's Harvest is a haunting psychological thriller about the insidious allure of belonging, the dangerous power of faith, and how deep the darkness can run when fear takes root.
'The Devil’s Harvest' by Becca Lynne delivers a dark and spooky narrative centered on the manipulation of vulnerable people. The story is told from the point of view of Darius, the detective investigating a string of murders. This perspective grounds the darker themes and turns the procedural elements into a surprisingly emotional read. The spookiness comes from the unsettling nature of the crimes and the psychological manipulation rather than the physical setting itself. Even though the chapters are medium in length, the pacing felt a bit slow given the shorter format of the story. The grim atmosphere carries the momentum instead of relying on big twists, leading to an ending that is executed quite well. I appreciated that the motives unfolded naturally without relying on a massive information dump to explain everything at the climax. A few unanswered questions do linger, which detracts a little from the overall experience by leaving the case feeling slightly unsolved.
If you like dark psychological manipulation, slow-burn mysteries, and detective-focused investigations, then you will enjoy this book.
42 days
Her Beautiful Secret
J.S. Ellis
Lydia Falzon lives for justice, her resolve forged in the fire of her father's violent murder. Now a dedicated inspector, she dives into a new case: a young woman who shot both her parents. It should be open-and-shut. But something is wrong. Subtle signs suggest manipulation, hinting at a chilling mastermind pulling the strings.
Then, the case takes a sickening personal turn. The perpetrator's calm, handsome boyfriend is a ghost from Lydia's past – her long-vanished ex. Convinced his new persona hides a poisonous darkness, Lydia begins to unravel his connection to a string of unsettling deaths. She vows to expose him, even if it means rekindling the intense, dangerous romance they once shared.
As the lines between good and evil blur, Lydia finds herself caught in a deadly psychological game. Can she unmask the killer before his beautiful secret becomes her final undoing? Or will his whispers consume her soul?
Thank you to BookSirens for an advanced copy of this book.
The premise pulled me in right away, and the short chapters kept the pacing brisk early on but a promising setup can only carry a story so far when the focus shifts so drastically mid-plot. The writing itself is decent, and the first half delivers an entertaining mystery that had me speculating about where the narrative was headed.
But instead of doubling down on the suspense, the story takes a sharp detour. By the time I reached part three, the momentum ground to a halt. I was expecting a deep dive into the investigation, but the plot shifted heavily to Lydia and Vladislav. It is not that their dynamic feels out of place, but the sheer volume of their romantic scenes drags everything down. There is far more romantic tension and sex here than actual sleuthing. I steer clear of romance, so watching what was supposed to be a thriller morph into one was a frustrating pivot.
After so much early build-up, the lack of an investigative payoff makes the ending very unsatisfying. I can’t say specifics without verging into spoilers but I did not get the decent ending I was hoping for after struggling to finish this book.
If you like a messy romance with your mystery then you may enjoy this book.
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