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A Dreadful Splendor (2022) by B.R. Myers is a fun blend of mystery and romance, sprinkled with a little bit of spooky.

What happened to Violet Volk? Ten years ago, the celebrity magician disappeared during a show. Acts of Violet (2022) is a compelling, suspenseful story that alternates between the perspective of Violet’s younger sister Sasha and a mix of podcast episodes, interview transcripts, emails, and newspaper articles.

A League of Nobleman (2023) is a Chinese historical mystery TV series. It follows Zhang Ping, a poor orphan from the countryside who is making his living as a noodle seller in the capital while studying for the exam to become a government official. His dream is to someday join the Ministry of Justice and solve crimes. In the meantime, he has earned the nickname “Noodle Detective” through his efforts to solve minor everyday mysteries for his neighbors.

I really enjoyed listening to the newest book by Sally Hepworth, The Soulmate (2023), because it had many elements of a great audiobook.

The Drift (2023) by C.J. Tudor is an engaging multiple perspectives thriller, following 3 different groups of survivors in a compelling apocalyptic race to save their own lives in 3 deadly situations that may have something in common. The Drift is fast-paced, plot-driven and may be of interest to readers okay with violence, plague, and apocalyptic themes. 

Clue meets The Great British Baking Show: when I read that description, I knew I had to read The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell (2023). It is the tenth season of Bake Week, a reality competition filmed at the home of “America’s Grandmother,” longtime host Betsy Martin.

Last summer Alice disappeared. After her ex-boyfriend started dating her (now also ex) best-friend, Brooke, Alice took everything she had learned about Agatha Christie and staged her own disappearance. Now she's back at school facing rumors and ridicule and stuck with a tutor to catch up on her school work. Iris, desperate for extra cash to escape to a new life, gets the tutoring gig. When Brooke disappears though and Alice's ex-boyfriend ends up the prime suspect for alleged murder none of the puzzle pieces seem to fit together quite the way the police say.

In 1880s London, Charlotte Holmes is an outlier. With no desire to follow the traditional path for society women, she sets a plan in motion that leads to unexpected consequences. Charlotte is an absolute delight, as is the cast of characters aiding in her quest to uncover the truth. This series launch by Sherry Thomas puts a fresh spin on Sherlock Holmes.

Final Girls (2017) by Riley Sager is an intense, fast-paced psychological suspense. Quincy is a "final girl," the only survivor of a college camping trip gone wrong. 10 years later, when another "final girl" who survived her own horror story, Lisa, is found dead, Quincy reconnects with Samantha, a third "final girl" who is just as interested/horrified to learn of Lisa's fate.

I’m kind of obsessed with the author Tana French. She writes dark murder mysteries set in Ireland. The most interesting thing I find is how she introduces her main characters in stages that lead you to see them in one way, and then another. Oftentimes the ending is a twist. The latest book of hers that I’ve I read was Broken Harbor (2012).

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman (author of Something in the Water) is a fun and fast-paced psychological suspense novel.