Here are 21 of the best novels to come out in paperback this month, as selected by the CrimeReads editors.
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Anna Fitzgerald Healy, Etiquette for Lovers and Killers
(Putnam)
Publication Date: August 4, 2026
“A darkly humorous, lighthearted romp of a mystery…Healy’s debut is good, not-so-clean fun.” –Shelf Awareness
Lacey N. Dunham, The Belles
(Atria)
Publication Date: August 4, 2026
“Readers who fell for the unsettling charms of Shirley Jackson’s or Daphne du Maurier’s stylish, gothic-imbued brand of horror and anyone who loved the cliquish, killer cast of characters in Donna Tartt’s The Secret History will be enthralled with Dunham’s exemplary debut.”–Library Journal
A. Rushby, Slashed Beauties
(Berkley)
Publication Date: August 4, 2026
“While deftly exploring themes of bodily autonomy, queer love, and female friendship, A. Rushby paints a gripping portrait of the historical confinement of women and the lengths that the exploited will go to in search of revenge.”–Ms. Magazine
Sherry Thomas, The Librarians
(Berkley)
Publication Date: August 4, 2026
“A fizzy delight…Thomas, a seasoned suspense and romance writer, is in utter command of the story and its many surprising twists.”–The New York Times
Victor Suthammanont, Hollow Spaces
(Counterpoint)
Publication Date: August 4, 2026
“It is ambitious, both gorgeously rendered and highly readable, and far too timely for comfort. It is accomplished.” –Chicago Review of Books
Jo Morey, Lime Juice Money
(Harper Perennial)
Publication Date: August 4, 2026
“This novel grips you from the beginning, and will carry you through to its page-turning conclusion, teasing, but not revealing while charming you all the way.”–The Paris Insider
Richard Osman, The Impossible Fortune
(Penguin Books)
Publication Date: August 4, 2026
“The senior sleuths of the Thursday Murder Club—Elizabeth Best, Joyce Meadowcroft, Ibrahim Arif and Ron Ritchie—are in top form in Osman’s latest caper.” –The Washington Post
Mick Herron, Clown Town
(Soho Crime)
Publication Date: August 4, 2026
“Clown Town sparkles with the razor-sharp humor, complicated characters and drum-tight narrative that have marked the other books in the series . . . Funny, relevant and absolutely delightful.” –NPR
Tanya Scott, Stillwater
(Atlantic Crime)
Publication Date: August 11, 2026
“Original, deftly crafted, riveting . . . a masterpiece of gripping suspense from first page to last . . . An unreservedly recommended pick.”–Midwest Book Review
Amanda Chapman, Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library
(Berkley)
Publication Date: August 11, 2026
“Fans of the Queen of Crime will delight in this modernized classic mystery, heavily laden with Christie lore.”–Kirkus
Jimmy Juliano, 13 Months Haunted
(Dutton)
Publication Date: August 11, 2026
“Brilliantly conceived and executed, this one will leave you nostalgic for the days of dial-up internet, AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), and Napster.” –Criminal Element
Hank Phillippi Ryan, All This Could Be Yours
(Minotaur)
Publication Date: August 11, 2026
“All This Could Be Yours is a be-careful-what-you-wish-for tale that delivers on all of its promises. It reads like Harlan Coben or Sandra Brown writing at their level best.” –BookTrib
Zoë Rankin, The Vanishing Place
(Berkley)
Publication Date: August 18, 2026
“Mesmerizing. . .an addictive, atmospheric read that refuses to play it safe. Zoë Rankin delivers a gripping and unflinching exploration of faith, isolation, and the slow crumbling of the human psyche when trapped in darkness.” –Irish Times
Omar Hussain, A Thousand Natural Shocks
(Blackstone)
Publication Date: August 18, 2026
“[A] cohesive and very entertaining novel that hopefully kicks off the career of a new and very exciting voice in speculative fiction.” –Locus
Will Thomas, Season of Death
(Minotaur)
Publication Date: August 18, 2026
“A satisfying period romp told with elegance and panache.” –Kirkus Reviews
Daphne Fama, House of Monstrous Women
(Berkley)
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
“It’s gothic and historical fiction at its finest, with a thought-provoking narrative that lingers long after turning the final page.”–Cemetery Dance Magazine
Ivy Pochoda, Ecstasy
(Putnam)
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
“[A] stiletto-sharp remake of Euripides…The White Lotus meets Midsommar, with a nod to Absolutely Fabulous.” –Washington Post
Louise Penny, The Black Wolf
(Minotaur)
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
“The twists and turns just kept coming… if you’re into well-written thrillers with a literary twist—and especially if you’ve enjoyed Penny’s books before—this one’s well worth picking up.”–Woman’s World
Eli Cranor, Mississippi 42
(Soho Crime)
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
“If you’re a football fan who can’t bear to wait two months until the start of the season, this novel—the first in a planned series, by a real-life former football quarterback and coach, and about an FBI agent investigating a college program—should hit the spot.”–Orange County Register
Nicholas Meyer, Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing
(The Mysterious Press)
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
“[Meyer’s] best revamp of the Conan Doyle canon . . . he packs the action with devilish surprises. Baker Street regulars will be thrilled.”–Publishers Weekly
Allison Epstein, Fagin the Thief
(Vintage)
Publication Death: August 25, 2026
“Epstein transforms Dickens’ morality tale to a complex exploration of the life of an underdog that invites us to question the pat answers Dickens provided . . . and the complex ways people are shaped by their own traumas.” –Chicago Review of Books
