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When Luna's twin sister, Solina, dies suddenly, Luna knows it wasn't an accident like the police are trying to make it out to be. Luna suspects Solina's death has everything to do with Kingswood Academy, the prestigious and reputable boarding school that Solina attended-- the school she wanted to drop out of with only one semester left. Kingswood Academy doesn't know that Solina is dead, so Luna takes the opportunity to pretend to be Solina and investigate her death.

When Jordyn first arrives at Frasier, a prestigious Black university, she instantly finds belonging among her new roommates and classmates. She used to live in a predominately white town, and being at Frasier means she doesn't feel like the outsider anymore. Things are going well-- up until Devonte, Jordyn's roommate's older brother, arrives. Recently out of prison for credit card fraud he claims he was framed for, he asks to stay at the girls' dorm to get back on his feet. At first, Devonte seems charming and alluring, amazing the girls with his seemingly all-knowing-wisdom.

Perry Firekeeper-Birch is looking forward to a lazy summer of fishing and spending her days outdoors, while her twin sister Pauline and good friend Lucas take part in her tribe's summer intern program. But when Perry wrecks her car, her Aunt Daunis (from Firekeeper's Daughter) requires Perry to take an internship position to pay her back for the repairs.

In 1898, Harriet Morrow has just been hired as an investigator at the Prescott Detective Agency in downtown Chicago. She is given a week to find Agnes Wozniak, a maid who has disappeared from the home of her employer, Pearl Bartlett. Harriet starts by delving into the life of Agnes and whose paths would have crossed Agnes', since Agnes worked six days a week and only had Wednesdays off. In addition, many of Harriet's fellow detectives and the secretaries at the Prescott Agency resent Harriet's presence there, making her job even tougher.

Too Old for This (2025), by Samantha Downing, is told from the perspective of Lottie Jones, a “retired” serial killer in her 70s. Her quiet life, mostly consisting of church social events, is upended when a documentary filmmaker knocks on her door and asks to interview her about her past, when she was “wrongfully” accused of murder many years ago.

The first in the Secret Staircase mystery series features magician Tempest Raj after her career implodes. Something went horribly wrong during her last show in Las Vegas and everyone assumes she’s to blame. Tempest returns to her childhood home in small-town California, reluctantly joining the family business of renovating homes to add magical features such as secret reading rooms and hidden entrances.

Effy and Arlo are just two of the students at their boarding school who are chosen to enter a prestigious writing program during their January term at an isolated estate. The program is led by Meredith Graffam, a legendary writer, actress, and director with an eccentric teaching style who everyone admires. At the end of the program, one writer will have their dreams come true-- but not everything at the estate is as it seems, and the competition is fierce. It might even be deadly.

You’ll want to put on a cozy Icelandic sweater and have a cup of tea next to you while reading Death on the Island (2025), an atmospheric mystery. A group of international figures, including a Canadian diplomat and his entourage, a politician, the owner of a high-profile fishing company, and an artist, all gather for dinner in a tiny village on an island off the coast of Iceland.

A sweet quirky cozy mystery with hints of romance, How to Have a Killer Time in D. C. (2025) is a fun escape. Oliver Popp is a 24-year-old gay autistic travel writer on his first feature assignment. His orderly plans are upended by Ricky, the impulsive freelance photographer he’s paired with, who wants to show him the less touristy parts of Washington, D.C.

A year after Nan's best friends Luce, Edie, and Jane disappeared, the town of Saltcedar is still mourning. So is Nan-- or so it seems to everyone else. Saltcedar holds a memorial for the girls at the river to commemorate the anniversary of their disappearance, and during it, a body of one of the girls is found.

A body that is alive, not dead.

Nan should be relieved that one of her besties is still alive. But she's not, because Luce should be dead, and Nan knows this because she is the one who killed them all.

Saving Sophie by Ronald H. Balson is a complex and captivating suspense thriller with great characterizations. It is filled with rich historical details and insights into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It takes you on a journey from Chicago to Hawaii to Israel, as Jack Sommers goes to any lengths to rescue his kidnapped daughter.

If you're looking for a fun, fast-paced mystery with heart, humor, and a teapot full of charm, Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) (2025) by Jesse Q. Sutanto should be at the top of your reading list.