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Before I jump into your biweekly mystery goodness—new releases, vigilante backlist, and news—I’ve got an A24 film to recommend out in the theaters if you’re looking for a popcorn-filled break. Sing Sing stars Colman Domingo along with formerly incarcerated men who were a part of the program the film is based on called Rehabilitation Through the Arts. You can watch the trailer here and here’s a review by them.
Bookish Goods
Dark Academia Library Phone Case by ThePinkPotbyMJ
If you’re looking for a new phone case why not make it bookish? It’s $33, with two finish options and three phone model sizes.
New Releases
A Lethal Lady (Harlem Renaissance Mystery #3) by Nekesa Afia
For fans of armchair travel and historical mysteries (this one is set in the 1920s).
Louise Lloyd has moved from Harlem to Paris and is loving her new quiet life while working at a perfumery and enjoying the nightlife with friends. That is until a woman in search of her missing daughter needs Lloyd’s help. Now Lloyd is infiltrating a group of elite young artists and wondering if any of them would hurt one of their own?
If you want to read the series from the beginning, pick up Dead Dead Girls, which starts during the Harlem Renaissance.
All the Way Gone (Detective Annalisa Vega #4) by Joanna Schaffhausen
For fans of ex-cops turned PIs, multiple suspects, and thrillers!
Annalisa Vega has left the Chicago Police Department and is now a PI with a big case: Mara Delaney has written a book, soon to publish, arguing that there are good sociopaths and neurosurgeon Craig Canning is her proof. That is, until a woman in Canning’s building falls to her death, and Delaney starts to question her own beliefs. Now she needs to know if Canning is a murderer before the book’s publication date. Vega is on it, except she finds that even though the cops ruled this an accident, she’s suddenly in a cat-and-mouse game for answers.
If you want to start at the beginning of this series, pick up Gone for Good — Schaffhausen is one of the authors I reach for any time I want a solid mystery to get sucked into. She’s very good at characters and pacing.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
All of my audiobook library holds came in at once, so I’m playing the game of how many books can I get through before the library deadline! The first book I hit play on is The Bang-Bang Sisters by Rio Youers, which starts off with a rock band that is really a cover for a group of vigilante “sisters.” That led to diving into a the theme of vigilantes for some backlist picks.
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
Virgil Wounded Horse lives in South Dakota on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. He’s become a vigilante for hire since the local police have to pass certain cases to the FBI and the FBI doesn’t take every case sent their way. That means many criminals, from predators to robbers, go unpunished. Virgil will beat the snot out of those falling through the cracks so you’d think he’d jump at the chance to get paid lots of money for an investigation. He’s hesitant since it’s his ex-girlfriend’s father hiring him. But the case hits close to home, and soon he’s working with the FBI and his ex to solve the case.
(Trigger warnings for addiction; mentions of suicides, including one with detail; past rapes including children mentioned, not graphic; child death; pedophile crimes off-page; fat shaming)
They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
You get two storylines set at Gorman University in this thriller. Scarlett Clark is an English professor who picks the worst man on campus every year and kills him. Carly Schiller is a freshman, finally away from her oppressive father. She has a popular roommate to contend with as she tries to come into her own. Scarlett is trying to not get caught, and Carly is trying to protect her roommate after an assault.
(Trigger warnings for rape; mentions of past parental abuse; discussions of murders covered up to look like suicide)
News and Roundups
Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2024 releases and mysteries from 2023. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations!
Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.
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