Nothing keeps me flipping pages late into the night like a twisty who-done-it mystery or a fast-paced thriller, but my absolute favorite genre mash up is when those elements are mixed with a little bit of magic. There’s something about the addition of magical elements that adds a new layer of tension, intrigue and excitement to the pages. Perhaps that’s why I not only read, but write, speculative thrillers.
The Darkness Rises, my latest speculative thriller releasing April 9, follows Whitney, a high school student who sees dark clouds hovering over people when they are in danger. She’s always tried to save people when she sees the warnings ghosting over their heads. But after she saves a boy from her school who goes on to do something horrible, she’s wracked with guilt and not sure if it’s her place to interfere. Then she receives an ominous note in her locker and realizes someone knows her secret about her role in last year’s tragedy. They want revenge, and as the threats escalate, she has to figure out who’s behind the messages before it’s too late.
In The Darkness Rises, the magical component of the dark clouds adds an ominous element to the danger surrounding Whitney because it clues the reader into the moments of imminent peril while also providing an additional motivation for Whitney’s stalker. Do they want revenge because she saved the boy from her school, because of her power, or both?
If you’re like me and you enjoy your crime with a speculative twist, here’s a list of five fantastic reads that are guaranteed to scratch that itch. And don’t forget to check out The Darkness Rises on April 9!
Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Meyers Sain
Seventeen-year-old Grey spends her summers in the small and secret-laden town of La Cachette, Louisiana, which also happens to be the self-proclaimed Psychic Capital of the world. After the disappearance of her best friend, Grey sets out to find out the truth behind what happened. But she soon begins to realize that everyone in town has something to hide, and with a murderer on the loose Gray has to be careful who she trusts, or else she could end up becoming another of her towns buried secrets.
This speculative who-done-it is wrought with page turning tension and set in a wonderfully atmospheric Louisiana small town that almost reads like another character in the book.
When by Victoria Laurie
High School Junior Maddie Flynn can see the day when someone will die in the form of mysterious digits that hover over their foreheads. Her mother forces her to use her ability to make monkey, and when Maddie’s ability identifies the death date of one client’s young son and he goes missing on the exact same day, law enforcement takes notice.
More and more young people disappear only to be found murdered days later, and Maddie quicky finds herself at the center of a police investigation as both a suspect and a potential target.
With a twist you won’t see coming, this is a must read for fans of magical crime.
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
For those interested in the story of Jack the Ripper, The Name of the Star is a unique spin on one of the most notorious murderers.
Louisiana-native Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new life at boarding school just as a series of brutal murders mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper killing spree of more than a century ago has broken out across the city. The police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man believed to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him—the only one who can see him. And now Rory has become his next target…unless she can tap her previously unknown abilities to turn the tables.
The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
Told from multiple perspectives, the story follows Violet, an eighteen-year-old dancer, and Amber, a girl stuck inside the walls of the Aurora Hills Juvenile Detention Center. Connecting the two together is Orianna who holds the key to unlocking the mystery of what really happened to each of the two girls and the horrible fate befell the other inmates at Aurora Hills.
With a twist you have to read to believe, this supernatural tale keeps you guessing as it weaves together a story of guilt, innocence and what happens when the two become intertwined.
How to Survive Your Murder By Danielle Valentine
Alice Lawrence is the sole witness in her sister’s murder trial. On the first day in court, as Alice prepares to give her testimony, she is knocked out by a Sidney Prescott look-alike in the courthouse bathroom. When she wakes up, it is Halloween night a year earlier, the same day Claire was murdered. Alice has until midnight to save her sister and find the real killer before he claims another victim.
This is a wonderfully creepy take on the Groundhog’s Day concept with subtle speculative elements that finally take shape when the truth is revealed.
***
