Pour yourself a hot toddy and grab your fluffiest blanket—this round-up from Queer Crime Writers* will entertain you as the days grow shorter and chiller. From sun-drenched Palm Springs to snowed-in lodges, 1950s San Francisco, and even the mysterious Northwoods, the list spans a wide range of settings, characters, and crime fiction subgenres. These new novels offer everything from lost treasure hunts and AI conspiracies to magical whodunits and international intrigue. You’ll laugh, cry, and, just maybe … scream!
Dante and Jazz return to solve a Palm Springs murder, Andy Mills faces the mob in San Francisco, and Peter Barnett uncovers pirate lore in Maple Bay. Meanwhile, Harriet Morrow tracks a missing maid in 19th-century Chicago, and Milo and Mark unmask a killer in snowy Arizona. From moonlit murders and enchantments in the Canadian village of Denwick to the sparkling blue seas of the Mediterranean, these page-turners deliver gripping suspense, plenty of queer mischief, and a deep dive into profound themes.
*Queer Crime Writers is an organization that advocates for LGBTQIA+ crime fiction authors and creates community for them.
Michael Craft, Desert Reunion, A Dante & Jazz Mystery
(Questover Press)
Dante, the charming gay concierge at a vacation rental company, and Jazz, the sharp-witted Black former cop turned private detective, are back for a third thrilling adventure in Palm Springs. Zola Lorinsky, a retired Palm Springs decorator, hopes to revive her fabled career. But during a family reunion held at one of Dante’s rentals, a guest turns up dead, and all signs point to Zola as the prime suspect. Desperate, she turns to her trusted friends Dante and Jazz for help. As they dive into the mystery, a second murder shakes things up—raising the stakes and the question: Are they dealing with one killer or two? This latest installment delivers humor, intrigue, and the irresistible duo’s signature chemistry.
Timothy Jay Smith, Istanbul Crossing
(Leapfrog Press)
Istanbul Crossing is a gripping coming-of-age thriller that follows a young gay Syrian refugee who flees to Istanbul after witnessing his cousin’s execution by ISIS for being homosexual. In Istanbul, his skill at smuggling refugees to Greece earns him a reputation that draws the attention of both the CIA and ISIS, who enlist him to transport high-profile individuals across borders. As he navigates this dangerous double life, he becomes entangled in a love triangle that forces him to choose between two men and two possible futures. Set against the vivid, volatile backdrop of the Mediterranean, this novel continues the author’s exploration of the region, following the success of Fire on the Island.
Lev Rosen, Rough Pages
(Forge)
Set in the moody backdrop of 1950s San Francisco, Rough Pages explores who gets to tell their own stories—and the lengths people will go to uncover the truth. Private detective Andy Mills is drawn back to the Lavender House estate for a missing person case. Pat, the family butler, has been volunteering with a service that discreetly mails queer books to a secretive list of subscribers. When bookseller Howard Salzberger mysteriously disappears along with his subscriber list, everyone on it—including some of Andy’s friends—could be in danger. As Andy investigates, he discovers not only government interest but also Mafia involvement, both eager to get their hands on the list for blackmail. With time running out and his own past threatening to resurface, Andy must outsmart both the law and the underworld to protect those he cares about.
Tom Ryan, The Treasure Hunters Club
(Atlantic)
Tom Ryan, known for his YA novels and screenwriting, makes his adult fiction debut with The Treasure Hunters Club. Set in the charming seaside town of Maple Bay, Nova Scotia, this cozy mystery channels the spirit of Murder, She Wrote’s Cabot Cove, complete with whispers of lost pirate treasure and long-buried secrets. The story follows Peter Barnett, who arrives in Maple Bay after receiving a mysterious letter inviting him to his estranged family’s historic mansion. As soon as he arrives, he finds himself tangled up with two strangers and an even stranger chain of events. Maple Bay’s secrets start surfacing faster than you can say “X marks the spot”—along with a surprising body count. Packed with pirate lore, simmering grudges, and a bounty of twists, this novel is bound to be a crowd-pleaser.
Jaime Maddox, Scrambled: A Tuesday Night Book Club Mystery
(Bold Strokes)
In the quaint Pocono vacation town of Garden, retired librarian Imma Bruno—one of the founding members of the Tuesday Night Book Club—finds herself in over her head when she starts investigating her reclusive neighbor. Spotted at a Fabergé egg exhibit in New York City, the neighbor’s sudden elusiveness raises Imma’s suspicions. Meanwhile, Avery Hutchins, who lost her father on 9/11, returns to town, where she spent her childhood with her grandparents, and makes a shocking discovery about her father’s death, forcing her to choose between uncovering the truth and reclaiming a part of herself she thought was lost forever. Packed with high personal stakes and small-town charm, this story has surprising turns and emotional depth.
Michael Castleman, Stolen Hearts
(Bold Strokes Books)
Seventeen-year-old Ella Gatz is alone in her father’s mansion on Halloween night when a thief breaks in and steals her late mother’s favorite painting. Devastated by the loss of the last piece of her mother, Ella is determined to recover it. Her father, the CEO of a security firm, refuses to report the crime, unwilling to admit that his own system failed. Driven by anger and love, Ella takes matters into her own hands. With only a single clue—a long strand of pink-and-blond hair—she dives into a dangerous game of wits with the thief. But as she gets closer to finding the culprit, she uncovers shocking family secrets that threaten not only the painting’s return but also her family’s financial survival.
David Pederson, Fatal Foul Play
(Bold Strokes Books)
Pederson’s first contemporary standalone novel is a gripping closed-circle mystery, where a group of friends is trapped in a remote lodge in northern Arizona. Milo, Mark, and six others find themselves snowed in by a sudden blizzard, initially worried only about how to pass the time. But when one of them is brutally murdered, panic sets in. Milo’s secret attraction to Mark complicates matters, as does Mark’s unresolved feelings for his ex, Brick. Tensions rise as hidden truths emerge, and suspicion mounts. With no way to contact authorities, Milo and Mark must unmask the killer among them before they become the next victims. Fatal Foul Play crackles with secrets, shifting loyalties, and unexpected dangers that keep the stakes higher than the snowdrifts outside.
C. Jean Downer, Under the Cold Moon
(Bella)
C. Jean Downer returns with this second installment in the Sloane West mystery series. This whodunit with a magical twist follows ex-New York City cop turned private investigator West as she navigates the quiet Canadian village of Denwick. On a frigid night, a brutal murder occurs, and a boy mysteriously vanishes. While the Royal Canadian Mounted Police suspects the child is the killer, West knows that in Old Denwick, appearances can be deceiving. As an ancient Demon and a sinister Order of Magicals threaten all she holds dear, she must rely on her sharp investigative instincts and her family’s legacy of witchcraft. With everything at stake, she must solve the murder, find the boy, and fully embrace her role as a protector of her family’s coven.
Christopher Bollen, Havoc
(Harper)
Bollen’s latest standalone, Havoc delivers a darkly humorous, psychological suspense set in a decaying luxury hotel along the Nile. Eighty-one-year-old widow Maggie Burkhardt, a meddler by nature, arrives at the Royal Karnak hoping to escape her troubled past. After a hasty exit from her previous hotel in Switzerland, she relishes the comforts of her suite, the loyalty of hotel manager Ahmed, and the support of fellow long-term guests. But everything changes when Tess, a tired young mother, checks in with her sharp-witted eight-year-old son, Otto. Eager to interfere, Maggie invites them into her life—only to realize that Otto is a wily adversary who challenges her at every turn. With its blend of dark humor, spiraling obsession, and unexpected rivalry, Havoc keeps readers hooked to its lingering, unsettling resolution, capturing the spirit of Hitchcock’s best stories.
Jane Pek, The Rivals
(Vintage)
Jane Pek returns with the second installment in her Claudia Lin series, following the success of The Verifiers. Claudia, a mystery novel junkie and once-underemployed English major, has landed her dream job: co-running Veracity, a dating detective agency for internet-obsessed New Yorkers looking to verify their love interests’ claims. But things take a turn when Claudia and her quirky team—tech-savvy Squirrel and the glamorous Becks—uncover a sinister AI conspiracy. As they dig deeper, they realize the corporate matchmakers may be resorting to murder to protect their secrets. When a client dies under suspicious circumstances, the team is pulled into a high-stakes investigation of the powerful dating platforms. Meanwhile, Claudia’s growing crush on Becks adds a dash of romantic tension to a story filled with espionage and, perhaps, betrayal.
Nance Sparks, Waterlogged: A Northwoods Mystery
(Bold Strokes Books)
Goldie winner Nance Sparks returns with her sixth novel, Waterlogged: A Northwoods Mystery. After nineteen years patrolling the bustling lakes of southern Wisconsin, Jordan Pearce is eager for a slower pace in the Northwoods, where she once vacationed with her family. Her wish is granted when a colleague suddenly quits, opening up a conservation warden position on the same lake from her childhood. Meanwhile, Hanna Quinn returns to town to care for her Aunt Dottie after a cancer diagnosis, and the new warden quickly becomes a welcome distraction. But the tranquility of the Northwoods shatters when a body is found floating in the flowage, and strange incidents unsettle the community. Determined to protect her new town and Hanna, Pearce pushes the limits of her authority. In Northwoods, though, the truth is never as simple as it seems.
Gregory Ashe, Again with Feeling
(Hodgkin and Blout)
In the final Last Picks novel, Dashiell Dawson Dane gets an unexpected call from Vivienne Carver—one of his many nemeses—asking for help. Her brother vanished nearly thirty years ago, and while the police and her family believe she’s guilty, Vivienne insists otherwise. Dash is reluctant, but with Bobby preparing to move out of Hemlock House, he sees a chance to spend more time together, whether Bobby wants it or not. As Dash investigates, buried secrets come to light, and he begins to suspect Vivienne has been framed. But someone is desperate to keep the truth hidden—even if it means killing again. Dash faces a harsh truth: while we may not be doomed to repeat the past, we often cling to its most dangerous lies.
Rob Osler, The Case of the Missing Maid
(Kensington)
Set in turn-of-the-19th-century Chicago, this new historical mystery series follows Harriet Morrow, a 21-year-old, bike-riding lesbian who becomes the first female detective at the prestigious Prescott Agency. Supporting her younger brother, Harriet is determined to prove herself despite skeptical male colleagues and a wary boss. Her first case is to find a missing maid from a grand mansion on Prairie Avenue. While the maid’s employer, Pearl Bartlett, is known for misleading investigators, Harriet suspects the maid, Agnes Wozniak, is genuinely in danger. As she navigates Chicago’s Polish community and befriends Agnes’s sister, Barbara, Harriet must untangle a web of secrets, each one bringing her closer to the truth.
