Queens of Crime
Marie Benedict
In 1930s London, five iconic women crime writers (Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy) form the Queens of Crime to solve a real murder and prove their worth in a male-dominated world. When a young woman’s strangled body is found in France, the authors investigate, uncovering strange details and discovering their strength together. But as they close in on the killer, Dorothy’s past is threatened with exposure. Inspired by true events, this thrilling story celebrates the power of female friendship and determination.
The Queens of Crime is yet another fantastic historical fiction book by Benedict. This time, she takes us back to the golden age of detective fiction, bringing together Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Baroness Emma Orczy, and Margery Allingham (The Queens of Crime) on a real-life murder investigation. Benedict’s twist-filled homage is a clever and delightful tribute to these groundbreaking women. The mystery is gripping, the characters vibrant, and the story a fantastic glimpse into the challenges these women faced in a male-dominated world. For anyone who loves classic detective stories, this book is a true treat!
Don’t Let Him In
Lisa Jewell
Who is Nick Radcliffe, really?
Nick is charming, a comforting presence for Nina after her husband’s sudden death. But Nina’s daughter, Ash, is suspicious. She starts digging into his past—and finds unsettling truths.
Martha, a florist, notices her husband, Alistair, is traveling more often. His excuses seem legit, but something feels wrong.
Nina, Martha, and Ash are headed toward a shocking truth darker than they imagined. They’ll all soon wish they had heeded the same warning: Don’t let him in. The past won’t stay buried forever.
Y’all, I absolutely loved this! I know the reviews have been mixed, but I was completely hooked. WARNING: The shifting viewpoints can be a bit confusing so I’m glad I read it instead of just listening. The story made me so angry! I was rooting for Nick to get caught the entire time! He was such a horrible person, and that’s how you know the book had me fully invested. I was genuinely mad at him! If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers with devious characters, multiple shifting perspectives, and edge-of-your-seat suspense, this book is an absolute must-read.
A Tour to Die For
Michelle Chouinard
Serial-killer tour guide Capri Sanzio knows San Francisco’s fog hides plenty of secrets. When a guest claims she witnessed an assault mid-tour, police find nothing, but Capri’s reporter instincts flare. Digging for the truth dredges up her family’s “Overkill Bill” notoriety and uncovers a fresh corpse. The discovery turns her into clickbait for every armchair sleuth stalking her tours, and social-media rumors swirl faster than the Bay winds. Now Capri is guiding herself through another murder investigation, and the killer might be closer than the cable-car tracks.
The second book of this series drops this September, and you’ll have more fun if you read book one first (plenty of time!). The walking-tour premise still shines, feeding tons of cool San Fran true-crime nuggets, and the city’s vibe is on point. A wide mix of suspects kept me more engaged without overcrowding the plot, and the ending was a different twist on most of the cozies I’ve read recently .
Capri herself felt a bit off to me here; some of her choices land as childish and made it harder to cheer her on. Even so, the layered mystery, moody setting, and true-crime flavor won me over. Solid 4-star sequel and an easy pre-order if you enjoyed the first.
King of Ashes
S.A. Cosby
When Roman Carruthers returns home after his father’s suspicious car crash, he finds chaos—his brother owes dangerous criminals, and his sister is barely keeping the family crematorium afloat.
A financial whiz used to managing rap stars’ fortunes, Roman thinks he can fix things with money. But these aren’t wannabe thugs—they’re the real deal. As pressure mounts, Roman uses his skills to work for the criminals while Neveah investigates their mother’s long-ago disappearance.
Roman will do whatever it takes to save his family.
Because everything burns.
I loved Razorblade Tears, so I went into King of Ashes knowing it would be the opposite of cozy—and wow, was it dark. Crosby doesn’t hold back: the story is brutal, gory, and packed with disturbing moments, but the writing is so good I couldn’t stop reading.
Crosby has this talent for making you root for the “least bad” of the bad guys. I was stressed the whole time (so many terrible choices) but underneath all the violence is a powerful theme about how far you’d go to protect your family. That part hit hard.
I have been thinking about picking up that SA Crosby novel! Glad you liked it!