Quirky Family Mystery, Did They Or Didn’t They Mysteries, News + More Mystery & Thrillers!

For fans of reading about influencer culture, psychological thrillers, drama, and toxic friendships!

I love that Sutanto writes both light mysteries (Dial A for Aunties) and dark thrillers (The Obsession)—variety is the spice of life! This is the latter, with a focus on influencer culture and toxic friendships as it dives into the lives of Aspen Palmer and Meredith Lee. Lee thinks she’s responsible for making Palmer an influencer, and after a fight that fractured their relationship, she thinks messing with Palmer’s life is her right.

For fans of middle grade mysteries, quirky families, and learning about different languages!

Shenanigan Swift is very busy learning how to hold her breath and tie knots in order to find a treasure she’s certain is at the bottom of their lake. That is until she’s interrupted with a mystery involving her older sister, relatives at war with the Swifts, and art theft (in their home!). That’s how she, her uncle, other sister, and cousin Erf find themselves in Paris. While learning the language, worrying that her uncle is going to leave the family, exploring the city, and getting to know her Parisian cousins, Shenanigan must also solve an art theft and murder mystery! Good thing she’s always up for a challenge.

This is a delightfully clever and hilarious series, with a quirky family at the center that loves the mystery genre and language. May it have a very long run—I’m super excited to continue with this family and their Shenanigan(s).

You can start here in the series but if you want all the goodness pick up The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues. Also, I very much recommend the audiobook format narrated by Ayesha Antoine.

This is a did he or didn’t he legal thriller where you watch the case from the beginning of the crime all the way through the verdict. Terry Flynt has just been assigned a murder case and it turns out the accused is Vernon James, a man Flynt has had a grudge against since childhood. Is James guilty, and can Flynt keep his personal feelings from affecting his job while also keeping hidden from his firm that he knows James?

(TW alcoholism/ attempted sexual assault scene, discusses S&M turned to assault, including partner abuse/ mentions death questioned as murder or suicide, detail/ past child and domestic abuse mentioned/ cancer/ discusses date rape drug during court case)

This is a family drama mystery with a big dose of legal mystery that explores our rape culture. Twenty-three-year-old Cassie Quinn doesn’t believe the charge of rape against her younger brother Billy. She very much believes we live in a rape culture, but she just thinks Billy is the exception and his girlfriend is the problem, so she returns home to her entire family so they can be there to help his case.

(TW date rape case, past attempted assault/ recounts alcoholic parents/ grooming, statutory)