During this hot, hot summer, there’s nothing better than curling up in the AC—or half-submerged in a pool—with a queer mystery that keeps you turning pages long past sunset. Brought to you by Queer Crime Writers, this list showcases some of today’s innovative voices in crime fiction. You’ll meet haunted grad students, sharp-tongued sleuths, ghost hunters, and women determined to protect the lives they’ve built. These stories span the spectrum—from gritty thrillers to twisty procedurals to cozy capers—and explore everything from buried trauma and revenge to queer joy, found family, and second chances. What binds them together is the tension between past and present, safety and danger, love and survival—and the thrill of uncovering a long-buried secret. Whether you’re in the mood for slow-burning suspense or heart-pounding stakes, these riveting tales offer mystery with bite, depth, and a welcome shot of queer perspective.
*Queer Crime Writers is an organization that advocates for LGBTQIA+ crime fiction authors and creates community for them.
June 2025
Be Gay, Do Crime, edited by Molly Llewellyn and Kristel Buckley
This anthology gathers sixteen sharp and subversive true stories exploring why queer people turn to crime—sometimes out of necessity, sometimes in resistance, and sometimes for cosmic balance. A trans woman prank-calls a business that wronged her. A group of aging queers robs a bank to save their homes. And an aspiring author begins stealing from strangers’ homes each time she goes through a breakup. These stories push back against the notion that lawbreaking and justice are the same—and ask what happens when the system was never built for you in the first place.
Now She’s Dead, by Roselyn Clarke
Every summer, best friends Sara and Mandy reunited at a lakeside resort. But this year, Sara is gone—dead in what police ruled a tragic accident. When Mandy returns the following summer, rumors swirl that Sara’s death wasn’t accidental after all. Only Mandy knows what really happened—and she believes she’s to blame. Unfortunately, someone else agrees—and wants her to pay.
A Queer Case, by Robert Holtrom
Set in 1929 London, this historical whodunnit introduces Selby Bigge—a lowly bank clerk with one foot in the city’s queer underworld. When a murder disrupts a glittering party at a Hampstead Heath mansion, hosted by the son of a powerful banker and his new friend, Selby finds himself caught in a dangerous web of upstairs-downstairs secrets, queer desire, and high-stakes scandal. Can he solve the case while keeping his sexuality hidden in a time when being gay was illegal?
Big Corpse on Campus, by Karis Walsh
Library director Jasmine “Jazz” Harald would rather avoid police attention after her library was temporarily closed—but when a student’s suspicious death is ruled a suicide, she reaches out to university officer Cappy Flannery. Cappy doesn’t believe the case warrants investigation, but her sergeant assigns it anyway. As they dig deeper, Jazz and Cappy uncover more than they expected—both in the case and in each other.
A Marvelous Murder, by Dave Pederson
When a film director is found dead in 1939 Hollywood, silver screen heartthrob Victor Marvel, his boyfriend Griffin, and rising star Eve Spellman begin asking questions. Inside a mansion filled with has-beens, jealous lovers, blacklisted artists, and closeted secrets, everyone has something to hide—and a reason to celebrate the man’s death.
Milo’s Reckoning by Joseph Olshan
Grad student Milo Rossi is reeling from his mentor’s unexpected death—an event connected to his own brother’s fatal accident six years earlier. From New York’s academic halls to the shadowy corners of Italy, Milo’s search leads him into a web of trafficking and betrayal. As he unravels the truth, he must confront both his grief and the dark secrets he uncovers.
The Stolen Girl by Cari Hunter
Detective Inspector Jo Shaw is on desk duty after a serious injury when a teenager is found dead in an abandoned house. Determined to prove she’s ready to return to active duty, Jo enlists the help of surgeon Isla Munro—her on-again partner. Their investigation leads them into the world of Manchester’s elite, who will stop at nothing to protect their power and wealth—even if it means killing to do so.
Last Dance Before Dawn by Katharine Schellman
Vivian Kelly has finally built a home and a family at The Nightingale, the glittering speakeasy where past lives are left at the door. But when a stranger from Chicago appears looking to settle old debts, Vivian and owner Honor Huxley send him packing—only to realize he was just the beginning. Someone is hunting them, digging into a years-old mystery involving a missing girl, a truck full of cash, and a job gone wrong. Vivian will do whatever it takes to protect the people she loves.
July 2025
Tangled Darkness by MM Desch
When a psychiatric clinic assistant is found dead, Dr. Leslie Schoen becomes a suspect. As she investigates the clinic’s criminal activities—including a scheme involving stolen prescription opioids—she hides the truth from her pregnant wife, Izzy, whose own past may be more connected than either of them realizes. Someone is watching—and they’ll do anything to keep their secrets buried.
Camp Spirits by Morgan Spellman
In this queer cozy with a paranormal twist, Abby Spector returns to her childhood summer camp in the Appalachian Mountains to investigate a legend about lost gold—but instead finds something far more chilling: the ghost of a murdered counselor. As Abby unearths camp secrets, she enlists the help of her bookish best friend and a long-distance girlfriend she’s still sorting out feelings for. Meanwhile, the camp staff grow more suspicious, and the ghost more vengeful. Solving the case may be the only way to stop history from repeating itself.
Her Sacred Oath by Jack Ori
Dr. Gillian Chester thought she had put the past behind her. But when a colleague who harassed her turns up dead, her login is linked to the drugs that killed him, and someone begins tampering with her files. No one’s supposed to know she’s pregnant—but someone does. As the pressure builds, Gillian must uncover who’s trying to destroy her new life before it all comes crashing down.
August 2025
No Body, No Crime by Tess Sharpe
When she was sixteen, PI Mel Tillman helped Chloe Harper bury abusive Toby Dunne—and with him, a part of herself. Chloe, the girl Mel once loved, vanished into the Canadian wilderness six years ago. Now, someone wants back what was buried with Toby—and the powerful family he stole it from will stop at nothing to get it. The past is no longer behind them. As Mel searches for Chloe, she must confront old betrayals and decide who she’s still willing to protect.
Roon and Raude and the Case of the Missing Ex-Husband by Nora Bellamy
Marie “Roon” Kenne and Maude “Raud” Hayes have spent decades building a quiet, content life together. But when Roon’s ex-husband calls from an undisclosed location asking for help, they’re pulled into a mystery involving greedy sons, suspicious baristas, and long-buried family secrets. Fortunately for Hank, Roon and Raud are far from your average septuagenarian sleuths. And when they take in Tristan, a transgender teenager with a tangled past, the unlikely trio sets out to solve a crime—and show the world that chosen family isn’t just real. It’s unstoppable.
