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Review

One Split Second

by Jeff Ayers

After losing her reelection bid, Sheriff Jenny Almond makes a solo trip to meet Anthony Alvarez, who has called her with a cryptic message. What she finds upon arrival changes everything—a gunshot rings out, a shadowy figure emerges from the darkness, and in a split-second decision, she pulls the trigger. Alvarez is dead, and Almond is facing the unthinkable: a first-degree murder charge for allegedly shooting an unarmed man. Desperate for answers, Almond turns to her trusted friend, Seattle detective Tracy Crosswhite. With Tracy’s attorney-husband Dan stepping in as her legal defense, Tracy launches her own parallel investigation into what really happened that night. The trail leads somewhere unexpected—back more than four decades to a chilling cold case in which Alvarez was the prime suspect in a teenage girl’s disappearance, a wound that never fully healed for the surrounding community. Dugoni masterfully illustrates how a single moment can irrevocably alter the course of lives, weaving together past and present with the kind of propulsive, assured storytelling that has made his Tracy Crosswhite series a standout in modern crime fiction. Whether the action is unfolding in a courtroom or out in the field, Dugoni keeps the tension taut and the pages turning. Long-time fans will find this latest installment deeply satisfying, and those coming to the series fresh will quickly understand why Dugoni has earned his place among the genre’s elite.— Jeff Ayers

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Review

Among the Ruins

by Henrietta Thornton

Ireland in 1970 is teetering on the edge of being a good place for women, but it’s not moving quickly enough for Nicoletta Sarto, who’s on maternity leave from her journalism job at Dublin’s Sentinel. As the book opens, she’s due back at work in a week, but stuck between two forces: her boss wants her back early, and everyone else, from her useless partner, Barney, to her coworkers and family, thinks she should stay home with her new twin girls. Nicoletta does whatever she wants (hooray!), and she’s soon back at work, patching together daycare from various reluctant family members while pursuing a crime story. (Never mind that she’s supposedly working on the newspaper’s “womens’ pages.”) The story of murder and stolen art, interspersed with looks at women’s rights (not many), class differences (too many), and organized crime (ditto), takes an unexpected turn and is followed by a surprising and lovely coda showing Nicoletta post-chaos. A fast-moving and interesting look at the recent past, with a gritty character to cheer on–get this on your TBR. In the meantime, try the first in the series, Where They Lie, which features Nicoletta in the ‘60s.—Henrietta Thornton

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Review

The Death Row Club

by Dodie Ownes

Book of the Week June 4, 2026

Nicola’s father has been arrested for a series of murders of women in her small town 20 years ago, including the killing of Nicola’s best friend. Nicola was even part of implicating her father, by participating in the To Catch a Killer podcast that uncovered his identity as the murderer. Now, Nic has lost her job teaching art, the house she grew up in is being foreclosed on, and the press is full of vultures. But a late night text inviting her to The Death Row Club retreat—members must be children of serial killers—brings the promise of support, community, and maybe even friends. The podcast host, Greer, herself the child of a serial killer, will also be at the retreat, with six other members. What Nic thinks will be a cozy support group weekend ends up with one of the group dead after a stranger to them, with valid credentials, appears. Given its alternating points of view and fractured timeline, readers will have to stay on their toes to keep up with this tense, tightly wound, and layered thriller in which each character seemingly has the motivation to kill. While Vasquez weaves in social commentary on the death penalty, the public’s fascination with serial killers, and the grief of the victims’ families, it hovers just below the surface of this unique and intricately crafted debut.—Dodie Ownes

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Review

You Had Me at Bigfoot

by Danise Hoover

With a title like this, how could a book be anything but a bit zany? Daphne, named for the Scooby-Doo character, fresh from a forensic journalism degree and a failed hope of a job, arrives in Reno. Her great-aunt is reviving a scandalous rag of a newspaper into something that reports high-society events. She has a classic meet-cute with her hunky fellow staffer, though strives to keep her libido in check and just be a colleague. Their first assignment is to cover a wedding at a rural Oregon resort famed for its sasquatch sightings. The owner of the lodge is marrying a woman nearly 30 years his junior and, despite a pre-nup, his family is outraged. Because of a booking error, our duo must share a lavish but outdated suite complete with a champagne-glass bathtub and a secret passage. Of course, there is a missing hotel maid, bigfoot sightings, and a whiff of (get this!) real-life fugitive D.B. Cooper. Our intrepid reporter ferrets out the clues and solves this in Scooby-Doo fashion with the assistance of dogs. Silly and light as a feather, sure, but lots of fun.—Danise Hoover

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Review

Monster in the Mirror

by Dodie Ownes

Being part of the only interracial family in a seasonal beach town, Jiah Rai and her pregnant sister, Lila, have enough to think about, and it sure doesn’t help that their uncle, now dead, was a convicted serial killer. Jiah was even accused of pushing her girlfriend Georgia off a local cliff. Her guilt was never proven but it’s still assumed, and Georgia’s creepy brother continues to harass her. The town of Dumont, including its law enforcement. hasn’t forgotten about any of this and takes every opportunity to throw it back in the sisters’ faces, When Jiah’s friend Estrella is found murdered, Jiah realizes she must protect herself, her sister, and her new love interest, Kennedy, at all costs. The intrigue and thrilling sleight of hand create palpable tension as the story races to its conclusion and it becomes clear that no one can be trusted. Readers will delight in puzzling out this mystery and its moody seaside setting full of small-town secrets.—Dodie Ownes

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Review

The Whitechapel Full Moon Society

by Willy Williams

On September 11, 1888, a few days after Jack the Ripper’s second victim was found brutally murdered, a desperate Caroline Foster arrives in London with only a battered steamer trunk and five shillings in her purse. Forced to sell her deceased father’s estate to settle his debts, Caroline is now homeless. Her only hope is to find her estranged brother, Charlie, whose last known address is 212 Montague Street in London’s notorious Whitechapel district. What she finds is a disreputable gentlemen’s boarding house, the Whitechapel Full Moon Society, but no Charlie, who vanished in June. With nowhere else to go, Caroline applies for the open maid’s position. Mrs. Easton, the landlady, gives her three rules: ask no personal questions of the guests, never enter the iron-barred room on the second floor, and, most importantly, remain locked in her room during the night of the full moon. As Caroline adjusts to her daily tasks, she begins to suspect that this strange house and its odd residents might be connected to her brother’s disappearance and the serial killings terrorizing London. Writing with verve and flair, DeLozier, in her sophomore outing (after Eleanore of Avignon), offers a fresh take on the Jack the Ripper mythos and adds a paranormal twist. Following Caroline’s transformation from a sickly, timid young woman into a strong, confident protagonist who discovers her true identity and takes charge of her life is a compelling and delightful journey. Fans of historical fantasy mysteries with a touch of dark romance will adore this one.—Willy Williams

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Review

Little Red Death

by Dodie Ownes

Book of the Week May 28, 2026

Lyla’s best friend, Allison, disappeared more than 20 years ago, likely inspiring Lyla to become a Detective Inspector. While she’s solved other crimes, this case lingers on—the only clue left behind, a poisoned apple, hinting at the tale of Snow White. Now another woman is gone, and Lyla and her constable cannot ignore the Cinderella theme seemingly in place. And then there is another death, with a Hansel and Gretel twist, earning the case the name The Grimm Ripper Murders. The fairy-tale motifs create a pleasantly eerie mood, and the gruesome staging of the murders linger. Benedict’s fusion of classic tales with a modern setting works especially well, setting this book apart from run-of-the-mill serial-killer thrillers. The story within a story, with some mind bending elements, requires sharp attention to the clues the author scatters throughout. Readers will relish working out the solution to the detective’s dilemma she works to stop the Wolf from striking again.—Dodie Ownes

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Review

The Secrets We Hide

by Jeff Ayers

Slaughter returns with another gripping thriller following this series’s debut We Are All Guilty Here, and secrets once again prove fatal. Private investigator Allison Vickery, a former cop, is on the verge of vanishing with cash in hand and fake IDs ready for herself and her teenage daughter, Mandy, when gunshots shatter the quiet of their neighborhood. Sheriff Emmy Clifton arrives to find Allison dead. Clifton’s sister, ex-federal agent Jude Archer, sweeps the upstairs only to be shot herself and discover Mandy barely conscious with a head wound. All signs point to Allison’s allegedly abusive ex, but as Clifton digs deeper, a more complicated picture emerges. Mandy was secretly involved with an older man, a relationship she kept hidden even from her closest friends. In a town where nearly everyone is guarding something and buried secrets are practically a local tradition, Clifton must untangle a web of lies to find the truth about what happened to mother and daughter. Slaughter is masterful at keeping readers glued to the page, blending psychologically rich characters with dark, timely subject matter and a plot loaded with misdirection. Fans will be eager to follow Emmy Clifton and Jude Archer into whatever danger awaits them next.—Jeff Ayers

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Review

The Quilt Whisperer Investigates

by Danise Hoover

A lovely New England village, a charming, successful local museum, and the prospect of the loan of a historic quilt from a leading citizen; what could go wrong? Alas, the brunch meeting that museum curator Caroline Platte has with said leading citizen goes about as wrong as possible, with the discovery of the donor’s dead body and a missing quilt. Our lovely village is fraught with undercurrents of classism, real estate greed, and. of course, sexual misconduct. The morning coffeeshop coterie discusses and gossips hoping for clues, but it is our intrepid curator Caroline and her stalwart landlady Libby who face dangers to find the solution. Unfortunate arrests, false leads, and personal masks abound and lead our duo in fruitless directions. Like the best of cozies, this ends not with a recipe, but there’s a quilt pattern as well. Solid character development, a well-crafted plot with history and art pointing the way, and a heartwarming side-story make this a satisfying and enjoyable read.—Danise Hoover

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Review

Fruit Fly

by Brian Kenney

Readers are either going to revel in the horror of this book.—Josh Silver’s first adult title—or pass it on as quickly as possible. The novel features two great narrators: Mallory Maddox, who wrote one successful novel that was published seven years ago.—talk about writer’s block!—and the young, drug-addicted Leo, who sleeps under a bridge and works in the sex industry, doing anything to score another hit. The two quickly form a sort of symbiotic relationship, as Mallory needs to appropriate Leo’s life to create her new novel and Leo needs help from Mallory—such as drugs—to survive. But Mallory is hardly the only exploiter in the lot; just take a look at Mallory’s publisher, who falls in love with her latest book but reminds her to “go gay, go sad, go dark” if she wants the book to succeed. In this BBC must-read book of 2026, Silver is even able to slip some humour into the text, which is really quite the miracle. Excellent writing and explosive characters make for a uniquely powerful read.—Brian Kenney

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