You’ve written a great first novel. There’s buzz! There’s praise! The book is flying off bookstore shelves. Even the notoriously finicky and hot-blooded reviewers on Goodreads adore it. They’re throwing stars at you like henchmen in a ninja movie. Your publisher loves the book so much in fact, that they want you to write another one.
Pronto.
Welcome to the Land of the Sophomore Slump.
Many writers spend years crafting their first book in a headspace that’s blissfully free from deadlines, contracts, and fan expectations. Then, when their debut novel is (miracle of miracles!) successful, they’re expected to crank out the next book in the series in record time–often less than a year if they’re writing a mystery series. The pressure to live up to expectations has gotten the better of many an author. Even Harper Lee, who penned what is routinely ranked among the greatest American novels of all time, struggled to repeat To Kill a Mockingbird’s success.
My second book, Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust, came out earlier this year, but I had a fortunate turn of fate that kept me from facing the usual pressures that portend the Sophomore Slump. The pandemic delayed my contract and thus pushed back the release of my Deep Dish Mystery Series, which meant that I was able to finish books two and three before the first book even came out. Now that I’m working on book four in the series, though, I’m doing my best to guard against Senioritis!
My own experience leaves me even more impressed when a fellow author manages to pull off a series that improves with each new outing. Here’s my list of Seven Sophomore Slays that’ll keep you glued to your Kindle. Forget mere whodunnits, these next-in-the-series reads are truly next-level.
The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
The second book in the Thursday Murder Club series, The Man Who Died Twice is every bit as witty and charming as its predecessor. Set in an upscale retirement village in the English countryside, the books follow the exploits of an unlikely quartet of septuagenarian crime-solvers. In this installment, millions of dollars’ worth of pilfered diamonds fall into the club’s collective lap, along with a whole heap of trouble. Packed with plenty of clever surprises and the most charming, three-dimensional cast of characters (#BogdanForever!), this series should be on every mystery lover’s TBR list.
The Raven Thief by Gigi Pandian
If you thought the plot of The Secret Staircase, the first book in this fun, modern series, was twisty, get ready for a story that’s a virtual corkscrew of impossibilities. When a body drops on the table in the middle of a mock séance, professional magician Tempest Raj needs to unravel how the killer managed to pull off a crime that’s impossible in four different ways. There’s a lot going on in The Raven Thief, but Pandian writes in a way that’s makes it easy to keep everything straight. I can usually see the murderer coming a mile away (it’s my job, after all!), but Pandian’s books always keep me guessing. Her bonus trick is that she creates memorable, distinctive characters and a vivid emotional landscape that feels magical without being supernatural.
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano
As with the first book, I was hooked from the hilarious opening scene, which has Finlay and her partner-in-crime/children’s nanny Vero presiding over the watery grave of Finlay’s kids’ pet fish. The stakes quickly escalate when Finlay is tasked with tracking down a missing hitman. With her sharp wit and unconventional investigative tactics, Finlay won’t rest until she safeguards her family and uncovers the truth. This is the fast-paced caper mom-com series you need in your life.
Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Jesse Q. Sutanto has built a loyal following with her unique blend of rom-com, murder, and auntie-driven shenanigans. I’ve LOLed at books before, but I’m not sure I’ve ever snort-cackled quite like this. With the help of her four eccentric aunties, main character Meddy Chan navigates wedding prep and complicated family relationships with the same goofy aplomb as in the series starter Dial ‘A’ for Aunties. As in the Finlay Donovan books, the hijinks are outlandish, but the heart is real, as Meddy and Co. work together to defeat a rival family who threatens to ruin her happily ever after.
Hard Dough Homicide by Olivia Matthews
The second outing in this bakery-centered cozy series picks up where Against the Currant left off. The fortunes of Spice Isle Bakery, a family-run Caribbean joint in Brooklyn, once again take a turn for the deadly when a notoriously bullying school principal bites the dust (and the curry chicken). It’s fitting that a tainted dish appears to be the murder weapon, because the food descriptions in these books are to die for. Extra spice is provided by the smokin’ hot detective who seems to have a thing for main character Lyndsay. I was rooting for Lyndsay and her family right from the start, and this series feels as fresh and binge-able as Spice Isle’s tasty treats.
Seven Deadly Sequins by Julie Anne Lindsay
Summertime, and the killing’s easy. Seven Deadly Sequins is the fun follow-up to the cat-and-couture romp, Burden of Poof. Bonnie already has her hands full managing her cat’s naughty behavior and running her store, Bless Her Heart, which specializes in upcycling clothes and housewares. But when the death of a local baker gets pinned on Bonnie’s grandmother, the stakes are higher than a miniskirt’s hemline. I’m a fan of Lindsay’s other cat-centric series, written as Julie Chase, and this one creates a similar cast of lovable characters and presents an easy-to-read mystery; this series is a box of brain candy flavored with Southern charm.
Gone for Gouda by Korina Moss
Gone for Gouda, the second installment in the Cheese Shop Mysteries, serves up a mouth-watering mystery that had me hankering after some queso. When an influential cookbook author ends up dead on the eve of a big promo, amateur sleuth and professional cheesemonger Willa Bauer takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of the case. This installment amps up the drama factor, with Willa’s right-hand man Archie in the crosshairs of the investigation. The characters feel grounded in reality, and their motives and actions are credible. While the heroine doles out the cheesy goodness, Moss deftly doles out the red herrings, keeping readers on their toes until the very end.
I hope you’ll agree that these second books are second to none!
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