A look at the month’s best reviewed crime novels, mysteries, and thrillers.
Riley Sager, The House Across the Lake (Dutton)
“Sager balances the novel’s short timeline and limited setting with rich characterization for all, especially Katherine, whom the reader meets as she nearly drowns in the dark, freezing lake, and Casey, whose never-ending supply of snarky one-liners and wisecracks never quite camouflages the deep emotional turmoil that ended her once-successful acting career…The House Across the Lake is a psychological thriller that’s thoroughly personality-driven, following women whose motives, means and opportunities are as murkily fascinating as the titular loch…An addictive beach read that fans will devour in one sitting—and leave feeling thoroughly sated.”
–Lauren Emily Whalen (Bookpage)
Caroline Woods, The Lunar Housewife (Doubleday)
“Ms. Woods has written an elegant novel of political and cultural suspense. The mystery element in The Lunar Housewife is light, but the Cold War intrigue it conjures is gripping, and Louise’s dilemmas and adventures will hold sympathetic readers in thrall.”
–Tom Nolan (Wall Street Journal)
Fiona Barton, Local Gone Missing (Berkley)
“Though Local Gone Missing‘s plot is wonderfully twisty with a surprising and satisfying conclusion, it’s the characters who stand out. Ebbing’s weekenders have their own complex motivations—especially a mild-mannered gay caterer and a middle-age father who are mysteriously connected to each other, and maybe to Charlie as well—but it’s the locals who will really draw readers in. Foremost among them is the compelling and well-drawn Elise, who’s struggling to adjust to life back on the force after returning from medical leave. Her retired librarian neighbor Ronnie, who’s eager to play amateur sleuth and surprisingly adept at sussing out clues, provides much-needed comic relief in this intense story of greed gone terribly wrong. Thanks to Barton’s airtight plotting and impeccable characterization, a minibreak by the sea will never seem relaxing again.”
–Lauren Emily Whalen (Bookpage)
Kristin Chen, Counterfeit (William Morrow)
“Seemingly, what you see is what you get — a con artist story, a pop-feminist caper, a fashionable romp. Fun! Pass the popcorn. Except nothing in this novel is what it seems … Make no mistake, Counterfeit is an entertaining, luxurious read — but beneath its glitz and flash, it is also a shrewd deconstruction of the American dream and the myth of the model minority … Readers love a twist and I won’t spoil this one by revealing too much, but Chen is up to something innovative and subversive here. She uses the device to flip Asian and Asian American stereotypes inside out and upside down … You can decide for yourself whether Counterfeit is a tale of genuine American gumption or not. Either way, you must grapple with the question: If the dream itself is a false promise, why not achieve it through fakery?”
–Camille Perri (New York Times Book Review)
Chris Offutt, Shifty’s Boys (Grove)
“This is country noir at its most powerful, combining cracking action with crystalline portraits of rough-hewn but savvy characters tragically forced to become ‘retribution killers’ to stop yet another cycle of violence.”
–Bill Ott (Booklist)
Katie Gutierrez, More Than You’ll Ever Know (William Morrow)
“Gutierrez’s story encompasses a global recession, the devaluation of the peso, a devastating earthquake in Mexico City and the 1986 World Cup. By slipping back and forth across borders, alternating between Spanish and English and different points of view, Gutierrez creates the impression of lines easily crossed. The extent to which readers understand Lore’s decision to commit to two men and two families will act as a sort of personality test: How open-minded, how forgiving, how morally pliable are you? I can hear the book club discussions now … While Gutierrez’s attempt to draw a parallel between Cassie and Duke’s relationship and that of Lore and her first husband, Fabian, feels tenuous, each woman’s desire to be known and understood is undeniably powerful … And, really, isn’t that one of fiction’s most critical functions — not to make us agree, but to strengthen our empathy muscles?”
–Chandler Baker (New York Times)
Celia Laskey, So Happy For You (Hanover Square Press)
“Laskey’s second novel is a force of dark humor, captivating in its boldness and its portrayal of a friendship torn apart by tradition. For readers of satire and thrillers with an added dose of dystopia.”
–Allison Cho (Booklist)
Ashley Weaver, The Key to Deceit (Minotaur)
“… excellent … The setting of London during World War II comes to life in this absorbing plot with its fresh take on spying, murder and war on the home front. Each of the characters is well-developed and endearing, and Ellie’s sharp wit and criminal expertise play brilliantly against the by-the-book persona of Major Ramsey and the suave, slightly felonious leanings of Felix. The novel can easily be read as a stand-alone story, although readers will surely wish to enjoy the first installment as well.”
–Lois Dyer (Shelf Awareness)
Fabian Nicieza, The Self-Made Widow (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
“… what a read! One can absolutely expect irreverent humor from the co-creator of Deadpool, and I already knew from my enthusiastic reading of Mr Nicieza’s work in comics that he has the chops to write twisty, thrilling mysteries with compelling characters. I was completely unprepared, however, for his keen insight into the chaos of suburban life and marriage. The way he entwines both outright villainy with subtle but no-less-cutting social slights is just exquisite …”
–Doreen Sheridan (Criminal Element)
Daniel Birnbaum, Dr. B (Harper)
“… absorbing … This complexly plotted, fact-based tale filled with shadowy characters and unlikely coincidences is an altogether engaging piece of literary historical fiction.”
–Lawrence Rungren (Library Journal)
