Mystery / Thriller Tuesday (Feature #3)

 

#1 Heart of Glass by: Jennifer Hillier

#2 This Story Might Save Your Life by: Tiffany Crum

#3 A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by: Holly Jackson

#4 The Thursday Murder Club by: Richard Osman

Alright, this week is a short list BUT some fun finds. Some of my selections are 2026 and some are older. Books don't expire, and neither do their stories! So, with that said, I'm excited to add these to my future reads in the mystery/thriller genre.  👆👀

Heart of Glass reminds me of a nostalgic I Know What You Did Last Summer plot with a return to a small coastal town where it brings forward a tragic past and ties it with a current murder under similar circumstances. And the killer is the Carnival Killer?! What screams more nostalgia than carnivals and killers, or a potential serial killer named that?? Exactly so, looking forward to reading this with that in mind! 🤡

Then we have This Story Might Save Your Life which sounds like a who-dun-it inspired mystery involving a survival- podcast couple who end up being the subjects of their own perilous events that they normally talk about on their beloved show. It just sounds like a fun indulgent story with a modern twist, and I could use some survival 101 from the experts. 

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder - I have seen it's a TV show, so my interest has been piqued because of that, however, I wanted to give the book a chance first before watching it. It's about a small town where crime is abundant and as a final project Pippa wants to write about a huge murder that occurred five years earlier. But, instead of learning more about it, she uncovers the truth and a cover-up that will shed new light on the story, that is if she lives to present her findings...I'm on board with a good old-fashioned hunt for some answers, and why the town threw it under the proverbial rug. 💅💀

Lastly, I selected The Thursday Murder Club because the title is catchy, and it's a murder-mystery series. Who doesn't love good reading binge? It's exactly like you'd think it's a murder club of retired age folks who solve unsolved mysteries together; however, they unwittingly become involved in their own plot twist when someone dies on their doorstep. Sounds fun, similar in essence to the previous selected title but undoubtedly selected for its quirky age-group, and their collective admiration for solving murder plots and being thrust into one! ☺

Till next week! ❤ Leave a comment if you have recs, opinions on mine, or you want to just share something book-related!

Fantasy Fiction Friday! #2 (Feature)

 

Second week featuring 4 newer releases that got my immediate interest and attention! 💚☺

Novels:

1.) Cursed Ever After by: Andy C. Naranjo

2.) When Dealing with Dragons by: Dana Swift

3.) Heir of Storms by: Lauryn Hamilton Murray

4.) Shadow Reaper by: Lynette Noni

(Click* for Goodreads links for their details!)

Let me start by saying how excited I am to add these to my TBR firstly. Secondly, every week I get the amazing excuse to broaden my scope in fantasy and fiction books! Featured are books that I found that released this year that I want to share for the covers, for the synopses, and the immediate gratification of looking forward to these new books. 👀❤💕

The two I am most excited for are Cursed Ever After and Shadow Reaper. The titles are brilliant and look at how beautifully designed the covers are??! All four of these looks phenomenal, and I hope to share my opinion of them in the coming future 💯

This feature isn't about reviews; it's about discovering new books to add to your to-be-read pile and share with others. Now, if you have read any of these, amazing, I would love to hear your thoughts and if it lived up to the hunt and love of bookish discovery.

Share YOUR finds!! #FantasyFictionFriday💫

Book Sale Haul Edition (Feature)

 

One of the best things in life are books, especially those that are discounted, and tons of them! I stopped in at the Bethlehem Library Book Sale which happens periodically throughout the year and it's one of the best sales in my area. I spent less than $15 on 10 gently used books that were donated. Some titles I just scooped up on a whim, but I am far from disappointed!! I love adding to my ever-growing collection and having more options than I could possibly ever need 🙃

Which am I most excited to read?? Well, the top book on the pile is Chef's Kiss which I fell in LOVE with the cute cover, and the illustrations. I'm SO excited! It is a LGBT standalone novel, which makes it even more of a steal - I love stories that transcend and elevate our reading perspectives! Big facts.

& Chew is a longtime favorite graphic novel series I have truly cherished reading, but I never finished the series, so I got a few of the next couple volumes I needed to continue my reading journey. 

I do have to shout out the Bethlehem Area Public Library for hosting such a superior and organized book sale. They maintained lines for fairness and offered a small capacity wait to keep the space from being too cluttered and kept every aspect of the sale orderly. This sounds structural but guys there's nothing worse than trying to shop around book titles with 100 people breathing down your neck!

Mystery / Thriller Tuesday (Feature)

 

#1 Thornbird by: Elle Kennedy
#2 Beware the Abbott Boys by: Chelsea Ichaso
#3 Somebody Worth Killing by: Jessica Payne
#4 In Case I Go Missing by: R.N. Swann

Whenever I get into a reading slump or feel burnt out–especially after reading a satisfying and great series–I tend to lean towards a totally different genre to refresh and reset my reading palette. Usually how I can do this is by picking up standalone read or a genre outside of my norm (fantasy/fiction/sci fi) and typically a thriller/mystery novel helps fend off the feels I have when I complete a fully fleshed out story and it comes to its end. Am I alone in feeling this way? I wonder.

That being said, here are 4 mystery-thriller novels that have released in 2026 that have made it into my TBR.

1. Thornbird looks every bit the part of what I perceive a good thriller to look like! It definitely has a stunning cover with a blood splattered bird which catches the eye immediately. But what drew me to this one is the complex family dynamic of an infamous serial killer's daughter who is trying to piece together her father's secrets all while trying to remain anonymous in a new town. 

The highly anticipated young adult thriller about a serial killer's daughter and her race to solve the crimes of her family's twisted past before it's too late—from E. Kennedy, aka New York Times bestselling romance author Elle Kennedy!

Goodreads Synopsis: 

The world is hunting for answers—but what if the truth leads straight to you?

Ten years after her father—the infamous serial killer Gabriel Thorn—was caught, Ryan Shipley is back in Starling, Tennessee, trying to lay low. No one can know who she really is. No one can know the truth about her past...

2. Beware the Abbott Boys just seems like a book you can't put down without knowing what happens next and the three main suspects are also triplets! I'm excited to see where each of their stories goes. Super eager to pick this one up and find out what the whole deal is. ALSO, I'm a fraternal triplet so this definitely appeals to my curiosity! A basic but visually effective cover which is the sort of reason I chose this one to feature :-)

Goodreads Synopsis:

Three brothers. Two deaths. One girl, caught in the middle.

But Hayden, the girl who lives next door to the Abbotts, swears they're innocent. After all, Henry's her best friend—maybe he could be more. She's been worried about Adam ever since he was injured in the accident that killed Mariana. As for Bram, he's a little complicated, but he and Mariana had been in love.

3. Somebody Worth Killing appears to be a very surprising combination, a successful mother, who also happens to be an assassin. I mean this is the type of book I feel like taking a towel and reading in the sun, surely its bound to be a fun romp considering who winds up on her hit list is her "devoted" husband. I like a good plot twist and this seems like it's going to have that!

Goodreads Synopsis:

Meet Nadia Davis, a doting mom and loving wife who has a big secret: she’s actually an assassin. And she really needs a babysitter who shows up on time.

Nadia Davis is living the dream as a successful working mom with a career she loves, two adorable little girls, and a devoted husband who has no idea that she’s secretly a hired assassin and psychopath who kills certified bad guys. So when Nadia finds out she’s been “mommy tracked” by her assassin’s agency and is no longer getting the bigger, more exciting jobs, she demands an important mark…somebody worth killing.

But it turns out that big kill is the last person she expects—her husband.

4. In Case I Go Missing - Of the four selections this one is definitely the one I'm most excited for! I love the cover art, it screams mystery in progress vibes, along with the fact that the title is about a girl named Fenny whose best friend goes missing who also is an amateur detective (hell yes!) who leaves a binder full of clues as to her disappearance. Already color me down for the cause to deep dive into what I believe will be twisty adventure.  

Goodreads Synopsis:

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder meets Fargo in this fast-paced YA mystery about a teen detective gone missing and her best friend who must finish her investigation.

Seventeen-year-old Fenny Allen has been Sarah Vincenty's sidekick for as long as she can remember, ever since the two of them solved the mystery of the stolen library books back in elementary school. Over the years, Sarah has ruffled a few feathers in their small town, building a reputation as both an amateur detective and a vigilante who has dispensed her own form of justice.

Now Sarah is missing...

DROP A COMMENT IF YOU THINK THESE ARE WORTH CHECKING OUT..OR IF YOU HAVE ANY MYSTERY THRILLER RECOMMENDATIONS!!! ❤👇