April Books from Bookouture

The Nowhere Girls is by Dana Perry. My kid sister was murdered fifteen years ago. Now the killer has struck again. And this time, I’m going to take my revenge… On the anniversary of her sister’s death, FBI agent Nikki Cassidy takes a call that has her heart pounding in her chest, the image of her beautiful sister Caitlin etched in her mind. Another girl has been taken. Days later, the lifeless body of twelve-year-old Natalie Jarvis is found in a remote patch of woodland, a crown of roses delicately placed on her head. Just like Caitlin. The killer is back. Nikki rushes to her small hometown of Groveton, Ohio. She will do anything to stop another young girl dying, but she soon realises that nothing is what it seems—everyone in her hometown is keeping a secret. And when a note is discovered near Natalie’s body addressed to Nikki, it’s clear what the murderer really wants: her… She’s caught killers before, but this time it’s personal. And Nikki will risk everything—even her own life—to get justice for every victim. It’s time to stop this twisted killer, once and for all…

Ten days ago, straight-A student Jessica Stanley ran away from home. Now her lifeless body lies pale and still in an empty parking lot, her unblinking brown eyes staring up to the night sky… FBI agent Nikki Cassidy’s heart pounds as she takes in the short, dark hair and delicate features of fourteen-year-old schoolgirl Jessica Stanley. It’s another unsolved murder in Groveton, Ohio, just like her sister, Caitlin, fifteen years before. Her family beg her to keep her distance, but Nikki knows she can’t walk away. What if her sister’s killer is back? Talking to Jessica’s heartbroken family, Nikki learns that she wasn’t happy at home. Just days ago, she packed a few belongings into her school backpack and left, never to be seen alive again. Determined to give Jessica’s family the answers she never found for herself, Nikki works around the clock, trawling hours of CCTV footage from the scene. And just when she thinks she’s close to uncovering the truth, a chilling email arrives that confirms her deepest fear. There are more victims, Nikki. Can you ever stop me? This killer is playing a dangerous game, and he has Nikki in his sights now—one wrong move and she could be his next victim. She’s determined to unmask the monster who has tortured her hometown for decades. But what if the killer is someone close to her? What if it’s someone she loves?  The Last One to Die is by Dana Perry.

The Lost Ones is by Dana Perry. As dawn breaks over a small gas station on the outskirts of Groveton, Ohio, the body of a teenage girl lies totally still. Long blonde hair covers her face, and a length of frayed rope hangs loosely around her neck. It’s only a matter of time before someone finds her, just like her killer intended… When FBI agent Nikki Cassidy receives a call from Groveton’s Chief of Police, her heart pounds. A young girl just knocked on the door of Nikki’s old family home, claiming to be Nikki’s kid sister, Caitlin. But Caitlin was murdered fifteen years ago. Who is the girl and what does she want? Nikki thinks the impersonator could finally lead her to her sister’s twisted killer. But her hope is shattered when the girl’s lifeless body is found strangled at a local service stop. If the girl knew about Caitlin, could she have known the identity of the killer? Was she murdered before she could unmask them? Going against her boss’s orders to stay away, Nikki traces the girl’s last known steps to her best friend, Shirley. Nikki learns that the girl was last seen meeting with a stranger at the mall. Could it have been her killer? Closer than ever to uncovering the truth, Nikki can’t give up now. But when Shirley’s body is found at another service station, a length of rope wound around her neck, her heart shatters. Another young life has been lost. Nikki vows that this will be the last. When an intruder breaks into her old home, Nikki knows it’s the killer sending her a sign. As she walks into the familiar old house in the dead of night, will she finally get justice and catch her sister’s killer, or did she just walk into a deadly trap?

After I'm Gone is by Clare Boyd.A grieving family. A sister’s promise. A secret that will tear them apart… My husband Olly and I share a perfect life, our evenings spent curled in our candlelit flat talking about all the places we’ll travel. But my world is shattered with the news that my sister has died in a tragic accident, leaving her two girls Hayley and Mia behind. The secret I’ve buried deep in my heart means I was never meant to be a mother – but I made a promise to my sister. I’m all the girls have now. I give them everything – school on time in clean uniforms, our family’s favourite chocolate-laced chilli bubbling on the stove when they get home – but I never imagined being a mother would be this hard. Hayley and I used to be so close, but now she’s a ball of rage, screaming and lashing out wildly. Olly and I are reaching breaking point. Then I find a Polaroid picture hidden in one of the girl’s rooms: Hayley is lying about the night her mother died.  I need to find the truth – before anyone else does. Even if it means digging up the secrets that have held this family together for years. Even if it means revealing my own… But when I do, will there be anything left of this fragile family to save? 

The young girl trembles with fear as she stares at the gun pointed in her direction. She knows there’s no point in screaming. No one will hear her on the mountain. As thunder breaks overhead, she silently prays that someone will at least find her body so she can be returned to her parents. Detective Madison Harper’s heart aches when she attends a local support group for families of missing people in Lost Creek, Colorado. She wishes she could help them all, but one cold case in particular captures her attention. Five years ago, close friends Becky, Tasha and Stuart hiked the infamous Grave Mountain. But only Stuart returned. He claims they were separated by a storm, but the town has never believed him. Convinced Stuart is hiding something, Madison vows to find out what really happened. Just as Madison reopens the case, her blood runs cold when remains are discovered on the trail where the women were last seen. And when more bodies are discovered, Madison suspects she’s dealing with a serial killer who has used Grave Mountain as a dumping ground for years. How many more bodies are they about to unearth? Then, the case takes an agonizing turn when someone close to Madison is found brutally murdered. As she gets closer to cracking the case, a tip-off leads her back to the mountain, and she knows that if she’s going to catch the killer, she has to hike it alone. But as another storm closes in, Madison realizes she may have just walked into a trap that means she’ll never make it off the mountain alive… Grave Mountain is by Wendy Dranfield.

Bride and Groom is by Rona Halsall. Walking down the aisle in the packed church, sunlight glints off my ivory silk gown. This should be the happiest day of my life. But as I carefully lift my veil and greet my husband-to-be, my heart is pounding with fear. Does someone out there know what we’ve done? Ethan gently squeezes my hand as he slides the golden ring onto my finger. But I know we aren’t worthy of happiness. As I look down at my wedding ring, in a blistering flash, I suddenly remember another piece of that pitch-black, rainy night… but I try to focus on Ethan’s gorgeous blue eyes. I know exactly what he’s thinking. We can never tell. All our family, friends and loved ones smile as they watch Ethan and I promise to be together until death us do part. But only we know what that really means… Because we have already killed someone. My dear, sweet new husband isn’t quite all he seems… But then again, neither am I.

It feels like all the air has been knocked out of me. My best friend is dead, killed at her own daughter’s birthday party. All I want to do is run into my husband’s loving arms. But he’s in handcuffs, covered in her blood. His voice quivers, almost sobbing as officers put him in the police car. ‘You don’t think I did this, do you? I was trying to save her.’ At first, I’m sure he couldn’t have done it. The man I love wouldn’t hurt anyone. But as I try to prove that he didn’t murder Lucy, secrets begin unravelling… It starts with the messages between the two of them. Initially, they seem innocent enough. But the more I look, the more I become convinced they were having an affair. Then I find out about his divorce lawyer… Suddenly my whole life feels like a lie. If he was hiding his plan to leave me for Lucy, can I believe his protests that he is innocent? And if he really did murder his lover, what else is he capable of? My Perfect Marriage (AKA How Can I Trust You) is by A J Campbell.

A Body at The Dance Hall is by Marty Wingate. 1922. Amateur sleuth Mabel Canning is surrounded by the bright lights of London as she chaperones a young American woman to a dance. But when someone is murdered, a deadly tango begins… Meet plucky woman-about-town Mabel Canning, leader of the London Ladies’ Murder Club and trusted assistant to gentlewomen. When she is tasked with accompanying Roxy, a fun-loving heiress, on a glamorous night out, Mabel can’t wait to sip champagne and practice the foxtrot. But just as Roxy sashays out of sight, a mysterious man warns Mabel that the feisty young redhead is in danger. And someone is dead before the music stops... Roxy was the last person to see the victim alive, and she stumbles into Mabel’s arms with her daffodil-yellow dress splashed with blood. Determined to protect her ward, Mabel gathers her dashing beau Winstone and her pals from the murder club. Together they trace the weapon back to the ballroom, but when its twin goes missing, it is clear time is running out to prevent another murder on the dance floor… The police conclude the killer is in Roxy’s family, but Mabel finds herself spinning between a motley troupe of suspects. Mr Bryars, the anxious ballroom manager, is constantly tripping over himself to hide his secrets. But would he kill to protect his reputation? And young Ned Kettle may have looked dashing while waltzing around with Roxy, but he was once a notorious thief. Is the sticky-fingered rogue also a dab hand at murder? Just as Mabel and her murder club friends quickstep closer to the truth, Roxy is kidnapped, and Mabel comes cheek to cheek with the killer. Can she save poor Roxy and herself? Or has she danced her last dance?

My Husband's Affair is by Ruth Heald. We promised forever. But only one of us will leave this marriage alive… I thought I had the perfect marriage. But as our beautiful children sleep soundly in the next room, I stare at the messages between my husband Rob and another woman, their promises to run away together bringing tears to my eyes. My heart stops when I see the latest one: ‘Leave my wife to me. I’ll get rid of her.’ My blood runs cold. I know this woman. I’ve let her into my home, where she’s bounced my rosy-cheeked baby on her knee. She could ruin my life in moments – she knows things about me even Rob doesn’t… They think they can get rid of me so easily. They think they can just tear apart the perfect life we’ve built. But they've made a mistake underestimating me. He doesn't know I've uncovered his secrets. And now I know just enough to destroy him. I can play the perfect wife for just a little longer. I’ll do anything to protect my children and my life. And he has no idea just how far I’ll go…

Her body was found close to the university. She was on her way home after a night out. Just like in the story I wrote…  Every Monday, I meet my writing group in a warm, lively bar to drink a glass of wine or two. It’s the highlight of my week. But now something terrible is happening. At first, it didn’t seem like a big deal. My tires were slashed. A woman was hit by a car outside my apartment. Then, yesterday, someone was murdered. And all the details are copied from the stories we shared. Am I going mad, or is someone in my group a killer? I thought they were the only people I could trust, since what happened ten years ago. But now I’m terrified one of them knows the truth that lies buried in all my work—the secret I’ve tried so hard to hide. And they want to make me pay for it. I have to know who’s bringing my stories to life… but will the answer cost me everything?  The Writer is by Miranda Smith.

The Call is by Kerry Wilkinson. Your fiancé calls. ‘A little girl needs help.’ Then they both disappear… Melody gazes across the rippling lake to the trees on the shore, waiting for her fiancé Evan to arrive so their family holiday can begin. Here in this cabin in a small Canadian island town, there’s so much space for their son to play. It’s going to be perfect – just like the first time Melody visited as a child. But then a call from Evan shatters her world. ‘There’s someone in the road. I think it’s a little girl. She’s covered in mud. Or… is it blood?’ His voice becomes distant. ‘Are you OK? What’s your name?’ Then there’s a thud. Evan never arrives to the holiday cabin. Melody, and her son, are terrified and desperate for answers. But with miles of endless, empty forest, and no reports of a missing girl, what hope is there of finding Evan? The more questions Melody asks of the locals, the more she fears a terrible secret hides just out of sight. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more danger she is in…

The Anniversary is by Cole Baxter. I gaze across the candlelit table into the eyes of the man I love. It’s our anniversary dinner, a celebration of our marriage, of how far we’ve come. But within hours our romantic date has ended in murder… When I wake in a hospital bed, blinking under the blinding white lights, I hear someone saying there has been an accident. My heart misses a beat when I recognize my husband’s voice. He says I was driving the car. He says I’ve killed someone. I can’t breathe. I know I wasn’t the one behind the wheel. Tom was. The love of my life — the handsome, clever man I’ve been married to for five years — has betrayed me. But why? And on the anniversary of our wedding day… I need to uncover the secrets he’s been keeping. Before I lose my freedom — or my life…The Anniversary is by Cole Baxter. I gaze across the candlelit table into the eyes of the man I love. It’s our anniversary dinner, a celebration of our marriage, of how far we’ve come. But within hours our romantic date has ended in murder… When I wake in a hospital bed, blinking under the blinding white lights, I hear someone saying there has been an accident. My heart misses a beat when I recognize my husband’s voice. He says I was driving the car. He says I’ve killed someone. I can’t breathe. I know I wasn’t the one behind the wheel. Tom was. The love of my life — the handsome, clever man I’ve been married to for five years — has betrayed me. But why? And on the anniversary of our wedding day… I need to uncover the secrets he’s been keeping. Before I lose my freedom — or my life…

The harsh light streams into the living room. On the worn rug sits an out-of-place wooden drawer and swaddled inside, with rosy cheeks and large round eyes, a baby looks up at me. A shiver runs through me. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, but this baby is not mine. Rocking the small bundle in my arms, I’m reminded of a time when I’d pictured tiny booties in every version of my future. The day I was told I’d never have a baby, the ground fell from beneath me. Could this be my one chance to become a mother? As the sun sets, the baby begins to stir. His peaceful sleep disturbed by the sound of keys rattling against the front door. Frozen in panic, and with my heart pounding in my chest, I don’t have time to think before my husband, Miles, appears in the doorway. His face contorts in shock glimpsing the child cradled against my chest. I hear his questions, but I can’t answer them. The truth is, I really don’t know what happened. Did I steal the baby from a loving mother, or did I do it to protect him? And when dawn breaks, will I give him back? The Baby is by A J McDine.

His Last Wife is by Ruhi Choudhary. “Do not go in there, Anna. Never go in there.” The words ring in my head as I pick the lock to the only room in the house that the man I love tells me I’m not allowed to enter. Trembling as I step inside, I’m about to finally find out what happened to his last wife… Everyone thinks my life is bliss. The love of my life, Cary, and I live in our dream home and we have a beautiful little girl, Harper. I may not have given birth to her, but I’m her mommy now. But there’s one thing we never talk about… Cary’s wife before me, Presley, was perfect in every way. But she went missing a long time ago. Cary was distraught when he told me how she was abducted from her car, leaving behind a pool of blood. No one saw a thing. The neighbors are always gossiping about Presley. I try to ignore them, but one day I hear something that makes my stomach flip. Presley was abducted from her home. The home I now live in. Cary lied to me about the car. But why? As I search our beautiful home for answers, I stumble across Presley’s diary. My heart thunders in my chest as I discover the truth: Cary had something to do with his wife’s disappearance. And I’m terrified I might be next. But Cary doesn’t know that I have a secret too. He doesn’t know how far I’ve gone to get this perfect life, and how much further I’ll go to keep it…

The Honourable Cressida Fawcett is expecting the cathedral crypt to be full of dry old bones. But when she finds a body murdered just moments before, she’ll need divine inspiration to solve her most mysterious case yet… Winchester, 1925. When heiress and amateur sleuth Cressida Fawcett is invited to her aunt’s mansion on Cloister Close, she is looking forward to a quiet stay in the historic town. The views of the cathedral are heavenly – and her aunt’s maid, Nancy, makes devilishly good ginger biscuits! But it seems Cressy and her pug Ruby won’t be allowed to rest in peace… On a tour of the crypt, they are shocked to stumble across the body of Anthony, the gentle, devoted verger. And a wild-eyed Nancy is standing over him, bloodied candlestick in hand… Since Nancy was caught red-handed and the only other suspect is the Silent Friar, the legendary local ghost, Detective Andrews of Scotland Yard thinks the case is closed. But Nancy swears she would never have killed Anthony; they were in love. And while Cressy may not believe in ghosts, she does believe Nancy. So, whose soul is full of murder most foul? And will they strike again? As she digs through parishioner gossip, Cressy discovers that for a man of the cloth, the verger had a surprising number of enemies. Was a local antiques dealer driven to murder over an illegal trade in holy relics? Would the head bellringer kill to achieve his musical ambitions? Or is the saintly Dean, whose black-cloaked figure resembles the Silent Friar and whose wife recently drowned, hiding a deadly sin? The cathedral conceals many secrets, and it seems Cressy will need a miracle to uncover the truth. But then Cressy finds a hidden passageway to the crypt. Is this how the murderer escaped? The sceptical police lack faith in her theories, but can she catch the killer and save Nancy from the hangman’s noose? Or will she be too late to prevent another funeral march? Death in the Crypt is by Fliss Chester.

The moment she sees Caitlyn, wearing her ‘bride-to-be’ sash and brimming with excitement, it hits her. She hates Caitlyn. She knows who Little Miss Perfect really is – what she’s really hiding. And the temptation to do something about it is too strong to resist…  When the first bottle of prosecco pops open I breathe a sigh of relief. As maid-of-honour, I’ve worked so hard to organise my best friend Caitlyn’s big celebration before her wedding. Even though her schoolfriends are jealous they aren’t bridesmaids like me, and her sisters won’t make eye contact, I plaster a fake smile on my face and top up everyone’s glasses. Nothing will spoil this special weekend. But as we begin the cute husband-and-wife games, Caitlyn’s sister-in-law reveals something shockingly cruel. In the silence that follows, the little question cards I’d made drop, forgotten, to the floor. We’re supposed to be celebrating her upcoming wedding but Caitlyn’s lied to me for years. Her relationship is far from the magical dream she’d made it out to be. Suddenly, everyone in the room is arguing. All of our secrets and lies are exposed. It’s clear that none of us really know each other – or Caitlyn. The next morning I find Caitlyn, beautiful, pale and unmoving in her bed. The bride is dead. One of us killed her. But which devastating truth was dangerous enough to kill for? And with us all stuck here until the murderer is found, how long will it be until someone else gets hurt…?  The Bridal Party is by Maria Frankland.

Black Crow Cabin is by Peggy Webb. Rachel wakes up, gasping for breath, and immediately knows her children are in danger. The scent of magnolias is heavy in the air, which means the Collector is coming… Schoolteacher Rachel Logan is living an ordinary life in a small community at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. As a single mother still reeling from the sudden death of her husband, she refuses to allow her life to be shaken by whispers of a local thief called the Collector. But when a little boy and girl are taken, everything changes. On her isolated ranch on the edge of the forest, Rachel feels someone is watching her. The scent of magnolias clings to her bedsheets each morning, which her family’s gift tells her is a bad omen. And when a photograph is stolen from her house with a tarot card left in its place—the Collector’s twisted signature—she knows her children will be his next victims. Terrified, Rachel is relieved when her husband’s best friend Hank offers to move in to protect her family. Especially because she can feel something dark stirring in the woods just beyond her ranch. But it soon becomes clear that the Collector isn’t after her children, and has instead set his sights on Rachel… Can Rachel outwit an unimaginable evil before time runs out for two innocent children? And even if she does manage to save their lives, can a monster like the Collector ever be stopped?

April Books From Bookouture

America 1883: Cassie Gwynne feels like she’s finally found where she belongs, settling into her new life in Florida with her aunt and her mischievous kitten Esy. When a traveling theater group arrives in town Cassie can’t resist signing up for the chorus. But the production goes awry from the start and soon death takes center stage... With costumes going missing and strange voices heard coming from the dressing room, the cast are convinced they are cursed. And when the lead actor, William Gage, has a fatal accident, Cassie is certain someone is deliberately targeting the play. Off-stage Mr. Gage was known as a notorious flirt, so could a jilted lover be out for revenge? Determined that the show must go on, Cassie launches her own investigation into the peculiar events. She quickly discovers an expensive, embroidered handkerchief stashed away on the lighting platform. This part of the theater is supposed to be out of bounds, so could the cagey chorus girl or the uppity understudy have something to hide? When she returns at night to look around, Cassie is almost flattened as the wooden scenery crashes to the stage. Is this just the latest in a long line of catastrophes or is somebody out to stop Cassie learning the truth? Can Cassie solve the mystery and make it to opening night or will it be curtains for her too? Plot Most Peril is by Genevieve Essig.

214 Palmer Street is by Karen McQuestion. A house with a secret. A woman with nothing to lose.When Maggie sees the beautiful Venetian blinds moving in the Caldwells’ front window, she freezes. Her favorite neighbours Cady and Josh are away, so who is in their house? The pretty young woman who answers the door tells a convincing story. She’s Sarah. The house-sitter. Just here for a month. An old friend of Cady’s who needed a place to stay. She’s pleasant and warm, and Maggie wanders back to her house thinking she might have made a new friend. Yet she can’t help but wonder why Cady never mentioned Sarah. What Maggie doesn’t know is that on the other side of the door, Sarah is starting to panic. No one was meant to see her at 214 Palmer Street…

“Help!” she screams, kicking as hard as she can against the closet door. But it’s nailed shut, and nobody can hear her. She drops to her knees and curls into a ball like she did as a little girl, praying someone will find her before it is too late… When the body of single mother Melissa Rollins is found trapped inside a bedroom closet in her immaculate suburban home, Detective Jo Fournier races to the scene. The small town of Greenfern is sweltering in a heatwave, and Jo is horrified to find that Melissa’s heating was turned up to the max whilst she died of thirst. Who would kill a devoted mother in such a cruel way? Searching the house for clues, Jo’s team discovers that the front door was locked from the inside. And with no sign of a break-in, they realise the killer must be someone Melissa knew. But everyone in the frame has an alibi… As she delves deeper into the case, Jo uncovers a link between Melissa and a recent cold case: another single mother who was tied up and brutally murdered. Someone is on a mission to kill local mothers, and Jo knows they will claim their next victim soon. But as temperatures continue to rise and the team works around the clock to stop a twisted killer, someone from Jo’s past catches up with her. They’re watching her family’s every move, and they will stop at nothing to get revenge… Can Jo save the people she loves and catch the killer before it’s too late? Her Silent Prayer is by M M Chouinard.

Lake View House is by Helen Phifer. Icy water laps against the wooden jetty. But the girl doesn’t notice the cold as she slips slowly under the freezing surface… Running from a devastating relationship that almost cost her everything, Maddy Hart impulsively accepts a job as a live-in caretaker at imposing Lakeview House. She has no memories of having visited the crumbling mansion on the banks of Lake Thirlmere before, but when she arrives, something about the house feels familiar… The more time Maddy spends in the house, the more unsettled she feels. Why does the local story about the last woman who lived here, who drowned on her wedding day, chill Maddy to the bone? By day, she clears out the dusty rooms, but in the dead of night it’s hard to explain away the eerie noises or crackly radio she hears hours after she turned it off. Slowly, Maddy begins to fear that her worst nightmare is coming true, has her past caught up with her…? When a soaking wet wedding dress is left on Maddy’s doorstep she feels completely trapped. It is her exact measurements. Is her ex trying to send her a message? Or has Maddy’s digging uncovered an even deadlier secret? Will this perfect escape become the perfect trap?

My family keep telling me I’m safe. But why don’t I believe them? I stand at the very edge of the cliff face, looking at the roaring ocean below my feet. I’m in no danger, in fact my husband and his sister talk just feet away from me, watching my every move. They’re worried I’m losing my mind, and I sense their nerves as they watch me looking down on the jagged rocks below. Behind them sits our summer house. Apparently it’s my favourite place in the world, not that I can remember. Since the car accident, I’ve struggled to recall a lot of important things in my life, like giving birth to my daughter, Violet, just days after the crash. Or my supposedly perfect marriage… As I stare at the huge expanse of blue below, I have a flashback to the day of the crash—an argument, my husband’s face red with anger. Why is it so different to what everyone else is telling me about my life? Beads of sweat gather on my neck. If my memory is true, my life and my children’s lives are in danger. What really happened the day of the accident? And is there anyone I can trust? The Breakdown is by Arianne Richmonde.

Watch Her Disappear is by Lisa Regan. The girl’s prom dress, the color of champagne, shimmers in the dying light. A corsage of wilting pink sweetheart roses decorates her wrist. She is perfectly still, lying on the ground like a delicate china doll, trapped forever in a sleep from which she will never wake… When a call comes in about a young girl found dead at a high school prom—her life drained away from a fatal stab wound—Detective Josie Quinn drops everything to attend the scene. Taking in the girl’s neatly braided hair, Josie feels a flicker of recognition. But no one comes forward to identify this innocent child, murdered on what should have been the happiest night of her life. Trawling missing persons files, Josie realizes where she has seen the girl before. Gemma Farmer disappeared a few months ago, shattering her family. But why would her body appear now, on her sixteenth birthday? Josie’s only clue is the five neat little cuts on Gemma’s pale arm. Days later, another missing girl shows up, tucked neatly into her bed on the morning of her birthday, her favourite teddy beside her, her skin as cold as ice—and the autopsy reveals scars on her arm matching Gemma’s. Her head spinning, Josie fears the marks are a serial killer’s twisted way of counting his victims. But where are the other girls he’s killed, and how many more could follow? The case takes a terrifying turn when a local teen goes missing just days before she turns sixteen. Clock ticking, Josie turns the town upside down in search of answers. But when her own chief comes forward with a missing piece in this devastating puzzle spanning decades, will it be enough to get inside the mind of the most unexpected and elusive killer she has ever encountered, or will another precious life be taken?

Gone to Her Grave is by Wendy Dranfield. In the golden morning light, a beautiful young woman lies diagonally across the bed, dressed for a night out, her long lashes pressed against her cheeks as if she’s sleeping. But the crimson that creeps across the sheets tells the story of an innocent woman who has drawn her last breath… Detective Madison Harper is pulled away from Thanksgiving preparations when a local care worker, Terri Summers, is found dead in her home on the outskirts of Lost Creek, Colorado. Terri’s inconsolable mother can’t understand who would hurt such a kind soul who had dedicated her life to helping others. But analysis of the blood spatter at the scene indicates Terri knew her attacker, that she looked them right in the eye before her life was taken. The awkward way Terri’s body is positioned catches Madison’s attention. Carefully moving her, she finds a bracelet—possibly a child’s—with a single red bead clenched in the woman’s fist, as if she was hiding it. It’s the lead Madison so desperately needs, but the sudden death of one of her own team sends the investigation into a tailspin. With her coworkers crumbling around her, Madison must work day and night to trace the bracelet and crack the case. But when she’s dragged back into the disappearance of a woman and child from years ago, and finds a link to someone in her own family, can Madison stop this twisted killer before another precious life is taken? And at what cost?

A lovely day out takes a dark turn when a complaining customer is found dead… Luckily amateur sleuth Belinda Penshurst is on the scene – and ready to investigate! Belinda Penshurst has always loved Brabourne Gardens. A keen animal lover, she enjoys walking its winding paths and listening to the excited squeals of schoolchildren encountering the kind of wildlife you don’t normally find in England. So when one of the visitors is found strangled, she’s determined to learn whodunnit – and why. The victim, Simon Carter, had a reputation for making trouble… But surely that’s not a good enough reason to want him dead. Together with retired detective Harry Powell, Belinda investigates the goings-on behind the scenes, and learns that some of the staff are more savage than the animals. Is it Estelle Samuels, the anti-social owner, who clearly has something to hide? Or the security guard who takes his job too seriously? Most worrying of all, Belinda’s ex Ivan was there when the body was found, and she’s determined to clear his name. As suspicions swirl, one thing’s for sure: if Belinda keeps following the killer’s tracks, she might find herself in their sights… Can she sniff out a murderer, before she becomes prey? Murder at the Gardens is by Lisa Cutts.

Silent Little Angels is by Jennifer Chase. The water ripples as the girl’s body escapes the reeds and floats silently upwards. Her beautiful face—blue eyes frozen open, skin as white as snow—breaks the surface. But it’s too late, this innocent soul has taken her final breath… When camp counselor Carolyn Sable’s body is found floating in a lake beside Eagle Ridge Summer Camp, Detective Katie Scottmust dig deep to stay focused. As a child, Katie spent many happy weeks at that camp toasting marshmallows on the fire with her best friend Jenny… until the day Jenny disappeared. The loss will always haunt Katie, but Carolyn’s inconsolable family need answers. Searching the area, the devastating discovery of two more bodies sends the case into a tailspin. Suddenly on the hunt for a serial killer, Katie’s blood turns to ice when she finds newspaper clippings about her own past cases planted near one of the bodies. Was this twisted killer banking on Katie taking the lead? And why? Carolyn was adored by children and staff at the camp, so Katie thinks her sudden resignation is key to cracking the case. Uncovering a tragic accident involving a group of children the weeks before Carolyn left, Katie knows she’s getting close. But when the carefully laid trap Katie sets to catch Carolyn’s killer backfires, Katie finds herself in unthinkable danger and unable to even trust her own team. Can she stay alive long enough to crack the toughest case of her career, and how many more innocent lives will be lost before she does?

For seven years I believed my husband was dead – until the note arrived this morning… The day her husband Tom disappeared, Rachel’s life fell apart. Childhood sweethearts with two young children, they’d done everything together. And then, suddenly, Tom was gone. Without a word, without a note, without a single sign of where he might be, leaving Rachel to survive alone. Now, nearly seven years later, Rachel has come to terms with life as a single mother, caring for their children who still secretly long for their father’s miraculous return. But in his absence, Tom’s hidden life started to emerge, and Rachel has discovered things a wife should never have to. A secret life that betrayed everything Rachel thought she knew. Not knowing where he’d gone was no longer the main worry keeping her awake at night – it seemed much more likely he’d been silenced. Forever. Until today, when – with just one month until Tom is to be declared legally dead – Rachel receives a note in handwriting she recognises with dread: My darling, I’ve missed you so much. Give me a chance to explain. I’m coming home. The husband she’d lost is alive. And so are all his secrets… The Widow's Husband is by Lesley Sanderson.

The Light House Girls is by B R Spangler. The girl shivers in the boat, trying to hold back her sobs as the man silently rows them towards the lighthouse under a dark sky. She thinks desperately of her big sister, how they’d laughed just a few hours before as they rode the Ferris wheel at the funfair. Will she ever see her again? When the body of a teenage girl is found abandoned on a beach by a lighthouse in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, Detective Casey White is first on the scene. Breaking the news to the heartbroken parents, Casey is distraught to learn of a second tragedy: the girl’s eight-year-old little sister Shawna is missing too. Searching the lighthouse building, Casey soon finds traces that Shawna was kept there: her clothes, a teddy bear. Someone has been keeping her alive, but where have they taken her? When she learns that the girls were together at a visiting funfair the night they were taken, Casey races to interview the workers, but is only met with silence and turned backs. Digging into old cases, Casey’s blood runs cold as she realises there’s been a murder in the same location as the travelling fair going back years. Now the funfair has disappeared without trace. Thinking back to a shadowy figure she noticed by the hall of mirrors, Casey is certain when they find the fair, they will find the killer hiding in plain sight. But with the whole town terrified for their daughters,can Casey hunt them down before it’s too late for little Shawna?

Murder in the Neighborhood is by Ellen J Green. On 6 September 1949, twenty-eight-year-old Howard Barton Unruh shot thirteen people in less than twelve minutes on his block in East Camden, New Jersey. The shocking true story of the first recorded mass shooting in America has never been told, until now. The sky was cloudless that morning when twelve-year-old Raymond Havens left his home on River Road. His grandmother had sent him to get a haircut at the barbershop across the street—where he was about to witness his neighbor and friend Howard open fire on the customers inside. Told through the eyes of young Raymond, who had visited Howard regularly to listen to his war stories, and the mother trying to piece together the disturbing inner workings of her son’s mind, Murder in the Neighborhood uncovers the chilling true story of Howard Unruh, the quiet loner who meticulously plotted his revenge on the neighbors who shunned him and became one of America’s first mass killers. With Ellen’s access to Howard’s diaries, newly released police reports and psychiatric records alongside interviews with surviving family members, Murder in the Neighborhood is a compulsive page-turner that will have you asking—how well do we ever really know those around us? Are we ever really safe?

A Body on the Beach is by Dee Macdonald. Super sleuth Kate Palmer is Cornwall’s answer to Miss Marple, but when the semi-retired nurse finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time can she prove her innocence and solve her most puzzling case yet? Kate Palmer thought spending the day at Tinworthy’s annual summer party would involve sea air, sunshine and Cornish cream cake – how very wrong she was! After a showdown with her new nemesis Sienna Stone, Kate goes for a cliff-top walk to cool off. But she is horrified to spot Sienna’s body on the sandy beach below. Rumours swirl around the close-knit Cornish community and all eyes are on Kate. Half the village witnessed her argument with Sienna. When Kate finds herself cast as a suspect and is accused of murder, can she solve the crime and clear her name? Kate knows that plenty of people disliked Sienna but would any of them go so far as to kill her and frame Kate? Could it be Sienna’s long-suffering husband Irving? Her jealous younger sister Sally? Or Timmy Thomson, the local loner who was infatuated with her? Just as Kate thinks she’s getting closer to an answer, Timmy is found dead in his own home. Does his untimely demise mean the other suspects, including Kate, are next on the killer’s list…? With time running out, Kate needs to find out the truth. Can she solve the case and save herself? Or have her days of sleuthing come to an end?

The Girl Before Me is by Laura Wolfe. I’m so worried. You aren’t safe in that apartment! You have to get out. Before it’s too late… When Rachel moves into a new apartment with her young daughter, Lily, it’s with a huge sense of relief. After escaping an abusive marriage, this perfect downtown fourth floor rental, within minutes from the lake, feels like the new beginning the two of them deserve. It’s a place to call home. A place for them to grow together. A place for them to heal. And, as Lily starts at a nearby elementary school, and Rachel begins to develop feelings for her neighbor, Alex, who lives just down the hall, she dares to hope that their life is looking up. But soon handwritten letters begin to arrive for someone called Annie. Alex says she was just the tenant who lived there before, who moved out one day without a word. Tentatively Rachel opens the first letter, intending to return it to the sender. But the note says ‘Annie. I’m so worried. You aren’t safe in that apartment! You have to get out. Before it’s too late.’ Something happened to Annie. And Rachel is not nearly as safe as she thinks she is…

2022 Thriller Award Nominees

The International Thriller Writers have announced the 2022 Thriller Award Nominees.

Congratulations to all the nominated authors.

BEST HARDCOVER NOVEL

The Turnout by Megan Abbott (Penguin/Putnam)
Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby (Flatiron Books)
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney (Flatiron Books)
These Toxic Things by Rachel Howzell Hall –(Thomas & Mercer)
Red Widow by Alma Katsu (Penguin/Putnam)
I Am Not Who You Think I Am by Eric Rickstad – (Blackstone Publishing)

BEST AUDIOBOOK

Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby (Macmillan) Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White
Sleeping Dogs Lie by Samantha Downing (Audible Originals) Narrated by Melanie Nicholls-King and Lindsey Dorcus
How it Ends by Rachel Howzell Hall - (Audible Originals) Narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt
Prodigal Son by Gregg Hurwitz (Macmillan) Narrated by Scott Brick
The Jigsaw Man by Nadine Matheson (HarperCollins) Narrated by Davine Henry

BEST FIRST NOVEL

Girl A by Abigail Dean (HarperCollins)
Repentance by Eloísa Díaz (Agora Books)
My Sweet Girl by Amanda Jayatissa (Berkley)
Damascus Station by David McCloskey (W.W. Norton & Company)
Bones of Hilo by Eric Redman (Crooked Lane Books)

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL NOVEL

Flight Risk by Joy Castro (Lake Union)
Under Color of Law by Aaron Philip Clark (Thomas & Mercer)
The Lighthouse Witches by C. J. Cooke (Berkley)
Bloodline by Jess Lourey (Thomas & Mercer)
My Mistress' Eyes are Raven Black by Terry Roberts (Turner Publishing Company)

BEST SHORT STORY

“Not My Cross to Bear” by S A Cosby (Down & Out Books)
“Demon in the Depths” by William Buron McCormick (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
“The Lemonade Stand” by Scott Loring Sanders (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
“The Interpreter and the Killer” by Jeff Soloway (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
“Bad Chemistry” by John Wilmer (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL

The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson – (HarperCollins)
Calculated by Nova McBee (Wolfpack Publishing LLC)
Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain (Penguin Young Readers)
The Project by Courtney Summers (Wednesday Books)
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland (Penguin Young Readers)

BEST E-BOOK ORIGINAL NOVEL

The Dark Side: Alex Hunter 9 by Greig Beck (Pan Macmillan)
Where the Wicked Tread by John Connell – (John Connell)
The Little Girl Taken by Wendy Dranfield (Bookouture)
Blood Parish by E.J. Findorff (E.J. Findorff)
Mother May I by S. E. Green (S. E. Green)
Blue Madagascar by Andrew Kaplan (Andrew Kaplan)
Last One Alive by Karin Nordin (HarperCollins)

ITW will announce the winners at ThrillerFest XVII on Saturday, June 4, 2022 at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel, New York City.

Hat tip to Mystery Fanfare for the information.

January Books from Bookouture

Mystery at Magpie Lodge is by Clare Chase. After the black sheep of the Fulton family is found dead, the village of Saxford St Peter is quick to blame it on his past misdeeds. But Eve Mallow is on the hunt for someone closer to home… When the down-on-his-luck Emory Fulton moves into crumbling Magpie Lodge, and starts running historical tours, the locals are none too pleased. He’s inventing grisly tales about their lovely little village, and disturbing everyone’s peace. But then he’s found dead in his bath, and everyone is suddenly running scared. Could something strange be happening? After all, the murder mirrors one of Fulton’s stories about Saxford’s dark past… But Eve Mallow is sure the answers lie in much more recent events. Accompanied by her stalwart dachshund sidekick Gus, she starts to dig a little deeper. Could it be Fulton’s snobbish bigwig brother, or the suspicious local academic? Why was his goddaughter handing him mysterious parcels, and why wouldn’t his sister-in-law let him in her house? As Eve unravels the secrets of the living and the dead, one thing is for sure: Fulton was a haunted, hunted man. And if Eve doesn’t crack the case soon, she might find whoever wanted to keep Fulton quiet on her trail too…

The Birthday Party is by Wendy Dranfield. Charlotte waves at her mother across the crowded lawn. Little red boots on, cowboy hat crooked over her blonde pigtails, she’s been looking forward to this party for weeks. Moments later, she disappears without a trace… Kathy Hamilton drives away from her sister-in-law’s pristine-white suburban house in Maple Falls certain she’s left her daughter in safe hands. On the hottest day of the year, a birthday is the perfect excuse to gather friends, family and neighbors around the pool for a barbecue. But when she returns hours later to find her little girl has vanished, her world shatters. Nobody laughing and drinking in the garden that day saw anything unusual. Kathy’s eldest daughter is anxious and hardly eating. Is she sick with worry for her sister, or hiding a terrible secret? The phone rings and rings, but why can’t Kathy get hold of the babysitter? And is she imagining it, or when her husband rushed from work to join the search, was he wearing a different shirt to the one she saw him leave the house in that morning? As the temperature rises, and long-buried secrets begin to surface, it’s clear that even the most perfect families keep devastating secrets. But in a town as small as this, is there anyone you can trust?

The detective stared at the young woman lying on the bed. She almost looked peaceful, her face like porcelain. Despite everything she had been through, she was still beautiful. When DI Bernie Noel hurries to Keira Howard’s hospital bedside, she knows that Keira has been lucky. Barely conscious and badly injured, at least she is alive. Convinced that Keira’s attack is the latest in a string of increasingly violent assaults on young women in the area, the next victim might not be so fortunate. So she vows to find the man who did this, and to stop him before anyone else gets hurt. Spurring her team into action, she quickly hones in on a prime suspect. But then he suddenly dies while on police watch, and Bernie’s investigation goes into free-fall. When Bernie’s superiors won’t let her take the case any further, her gut instinct tells her there’s much more to his death than meets the eye. If it was murder, who would want him dead, and why? So she determines to set out on her own to find out what happened. But the closer Bernie comes to discovering the truth, the more she is putting her own life in danger. And with Keira finally strong enough to talk her about her attack, Bernie worries she may be at risk yet again. There’s someone out there who has killed to stay safe in the shadows; can Bernie stop another senseless death, and save Keira, before it’s too late? Left for Dead is by Joy Kluver. 

Two Couples. Three Secrets. One Murder. In a beautiful house surrounded by woodland, the Drayton family and their dearest friends are enjoying dinner together. The wine is flowing, the meal has been lovingly prepared, and it’s going to be an evening none of them will ever forget… A doting mother with a manipulative daughter. A loving husband lying to his family. A close friend keeping a shocking secret. A beautiful girl who will be dead by the end of the night. The Night of the Party is by Anna-Lou Weatherley.

A Deception Most deadly is by Genevieve Essig. Meet Cassie Gwynne: bookworm, cat lover, reluctant heiress… and accidental detective? America, 1883. Cassie Gwynne is looking for a fresh start when she steps off the steamship to meet her Aunt Flora, a famous perfumer, for the first time. After losing her father, her aunt is the only family she has left so she wants to make a good impression. She’s styled her unruly hair, shined her boots, and even purchased a whole new fashionable wardrobe. However, she’s certain finding a body is not very ladylike behaviour… While out exploring the beautiful island of Fernandina, Cassie stumbles across the body of Peanut Runkles, town grump and her aunt’s neighbour, lying at the foot of the harbour pilots’ lookout tower. To make matters worse, because Peanut and Aunt Flora have been quarrelling for years over Flora’s pet pig’s fondness for Peanut’s vegetable patch, and had their biggest argument the day before, Flora is immediately arrested for murder. Cassie is certain her sweet aunt is innocent, and vows to prove it, to save her from a most unjust fate. It doesn’t take her long to realise the island is full of people who had reason to want Peanut dead, including the brusque barkeep and a fickle financier who owed him money. Soon, Cassie’s brilliant mind and nose for a clue lead her back to the scene of the crime and the mysterious coloured glass found by the body… but what does it mean? Then a break-in at Flora’s store throws Cassie off course. It seems sabotage is afoot, and the culprit is striking ever closer to home… Can Cassie get to the bottom of the case before her time on the island comes to a deadly end?

You have two days to kill her, or you will be the next to die… A week ago the body of a young woman named Mia Gallagher was found in an elevator shaft, forty-eight hours after she was snatched from her apartment in Lakemore, Washington. When a local man confesses to her killing in his suicide note, the police department believe the case is closed. But then another woman goes missing, and forty-eight hours later is found dead. Detective Mackenzie Price is convinced their deaths are connected. Then she finds a letter in the supposed murderer’s house and realizes the sickening truth: the victims are all part of a sinister game, and more lives are at stake. Someone wants these women dead—but isn’t killing them. Instead they are blackmailing others to do their dirty work: become a murderer, or be the next to die. When a third woman goes missing, Mack and her partner Detective Nick Blackwood know they have just forty-eight hours to find her alive. Only by hunting down the blackmailer, who’s masterminding this twisted game, will they be able to stop the killings. But the blackmailer will go to any lengths to get away with murder, and now no one connected to the case is safe. Including Mack. She has spent years healing from her troubled past, learning to open her heart again but—as one of the people closest to her is sucked into the game—could she be about to lose another person she loves? The Dying Game is by Ruhi Choudhary.

Find the Girl is by Helen Phifer. The tent door flutters in the warm breeze, opening towards the silent woods beyond. A silk eye mask lies on top of the empty sleeping bag, blood-red spots ruining the cream fabric… When a woman disappears from Forest Pines campsite, Detective Morgan Brookes scrambles a search party. Sara Fletcher has never missed a lunch date with her best friend and when Morgan finds a large rip in Sara’s tent, she knows that something terrible must have happened. About to lose hope after hours combing through the acres of dense forest, the excited bark of a tracker dog leads Morgan to female remains, partially covered by leaves and dirt – but the bones don’t belong to Sara. Morgan trawls through missing persons files until she finds three cold cases with chilling similarities – three other victims dating back twenty years who were taken from campsites while they slept, by a killer the police called the Travelling Man. The post-mortems indicate he kept them alive for 72 hours, meaning every second is crucial to find Sara alive. Morgan’s team is terrified that this twisted murderer has returned. But Morgan also can’t ignore the fact that a merciless killer from her own past has recently escaped from prison… Could they be chasing the wrong man? If she’s correct, how deep will she have to dig to save Sara and other innocent women like her before time runs out for them all?

The only sound in the forest was the wind through the branches; the only light came from the campfire. Jessie stood up, suddenly gripped by a powerful sense of dread. There was something – someone – beyond the darkness, through the trees… When single father Joe Keenan and his young son Finbar make camp for the night in the ancient forest of Leitrim, little do they imagine their rural escape is about to turn into a nightmare. For deep in the woods they find a corpse… As the remains of dozens more victims are uncovered by police, it becomes clear this is the burial site of a serial killer who has obviously been active, unnoticed, for years. Arrested for the murders, while his beloved son is sent into care, Joe pleads his innocence to no avail. But criminal behaviourist Jessie Boyle is convinced the killer is still out there. Determined to reunite Joe and his son, Jessie’s investigation turns towards the local community. Who knows the shadowy depths of the forest well enough to hide not just one, but many bodies? Then someone else goes missing, and the situation takes a terrifying turn: it’s clear the killer is escalating their gruesome spree. Forced to enter the woods alone to save a life, Jessie runs from a killer so skilled at hiding and so clever at hunting, it will take every ounce of her strength to make it out alive… Lost Graves is by S A Dunphy.

Behind her dream life hides the perfect nightmare. I couldn’t believe it when I got the call to offer me my dream job. It was right in the heart of the city with a flat provided. I jumped at the chance and within weeks I had made new friends and started to date a wonderful man. For the first time in years, I felt safe. It’s a world away from the life I ran from… But soon strange things begin to happen in my flat: odd noises in the night, the feeling that I’m being watched. When I discover an old dress hidden behind my wardrobe and wear it to work, the atmosphere chills instantly. The dress belonged to a girl my boss would rather forget. The girl before me who vanished without a trace. I tell myself not to worry; that I’m just imagining things. But when a young woman arrives on my doorstep, she warns me to leave my new life behind. She tells me there are more girls like me and we are more connected than I could have ever imagined. Then I come face to face with the reason I ran all those years ago and it soon becomes clear: someone knows my secret. And they will do anything to keep me silent. The New Girl is by Ruth Heald.

Twisting her hands together, she bites back a sob. She only turned her back for a second, and then her daughter was gone. Every mother in town would be hugging their children tighter tonight. Lara is baking cupcakes when her daughter Ava runs to catch the school bus just one block away. Chasing after her, Lara sees the bus tumbling past, and waves. But Ava never turns up at school. Detective Ellie Reeves is in a race against time to find her––in missing child cases, every second counts. Searching the small town of Crooked Creek, she finds the child’s bunny in the local park, the toy Ava carried around everywhere. Did Ava ever get on the bus? While Ellie works around the clock, a local reporter gets a message: There are others missing girls out there. Digging into previous cases, Ellie discovers that another girl went missing on the same day the previous year. How many more children could there be? Ellie is certain that the date means something––and that the person who sent the message is the key. But the community is up in arms, with everyone worried that their daughter will be next and blaming Ellie. The pressure is mounting, and time is running out to bring Ava home. Can Ellie solve the toughest case of her career––and save Ava––before it’s too late? Stolen Angels is by Rita Herron. 

The Guest Room is by Rona Halsall. You think you’re safe in your home. You’re wrong. Steph used to think her life was perfect. A happy marriage, two wonderful kids, and a home she felt safe in and called her own. But now her husband has walked out after thirty years, her daughter Bea is married and lives miles away, and Steph’s estranged son hasn’t made contact in years. Home doesn’t feel like the safe haven it once did. When she begins to hear noises in the night, at first she thinks she’s imagining things. But then she finds open windows she knows she left closed, and a strange smell in the kitchen – and she knows none of it feels right. Then her front window is smashed, and a young man named Noah helps her fix it. He’s fallen on hard times and Steph impulsively offers him a place to stay. He reminds her of her missing son, and as a mother she finds herself wanting to help him. Also, if he is there, she won’t be home alone. Before long Noah is living in Bea’s old bedroom, paying rent, and getting his life back on track. Steph’s ex-husband and Bea are furious. But Steph feels secure at last, and that’s what matters. Until the strange things start happening once more. And Steph realises that someone is out to scare her… Someone who will stop at nothing to make her never, ever feel safe again.