May Cobb is a freelance writer from Austin, TX who won the 2015 Writer’s League of Texas Manuscript Contest. Her writing has appeared in Austin Monthly and the online edition of Jazz Times. Big Woods is her debut novel.
Hate Follow (2024) Erin Quinn-Kong "An absolute binge-worthy delight! I couldn't tear myself away from Erin Quinn-Kong's razor-sharp novel, Hate Follow, which is a skewering, but also heartfelt, look behind the life of an influencer and mother....and wait for it...the daughter that is suing her for privacy invasion. Riveting, timely, meticulously-plotted and deliciously entertaining, Hate Follow is a must-read!"
You Will Never Be Me (2024) Jesse Q Sutanto "You Will Never Be Me is Jesse Q. Sutanto at her most bingeable and demonic yet. No one writes toxic female friendships as blisteringly as Sutanto and I guzzled You Will Never Be Me in a few delicious sittings and was positively hungover when I was finished, sad that the devious, delirious thrill ride was over. The heir apparent to Patricia Highsmith, Jesse Q. Sutanto is one of the boldest and most unapologetic, unflinching voices in crime fiction today. You Will Never Be Me is an utterly unputdownable triumph, a skewering, yet somehow sympathetic peek behind the lives of momfluencer culture and the impossible expectations society heaps upon women. A standing ovation!"
Till Death Do Us Part (2024) Laurie Elizabeth Flynn "With prose as decadent and sumptuous as the sun-drenched Napa Valley vineyard in which it's set, TILL DEATH TO US PART is Laurie Elizabeth Flynn at the height of her powers: sultry, enthralling, and utterly unputdownable,it's not only a heart-pounding suspense but also a heart-wrenching exploration of grief, motherhood, marriage, and the redemptive hope of second chances. With razor-sharp social commentary, dueling, propulsive timelines, and jaw-dropping twists, I'm calling this now: TILL DEATH DO US PART will be on everybody's lips this summer."
Our Kind of Game (2024) Johanna Copeland "With elaborate plotting, richly drawn characters, and razor-sharp social commentary with a fresh take on the perils of being a woman, Our Kind of Game is a wholly engrossing, and darkly mesmerizing suspense! I couldn't put it down!"
Made for You (2024) Jenna Satterthwaite "Utterly addictive, wholly original, and deliciously twisty, Jenna Satterthwaite's Made for You is made to be devoured in one bingeworthy sitting! I could not put this book down and am a Satterthwaite fan for life!"
Ladykiller (2024) Katherine Wood "An absolute knockout of a thriller, Katherine Wood has crafted the perfect summer read with Ladykiller. Sun-drenched and sultry with shades of Highsmith and Gillian Flynn, I was utterly mesmerized by this twisty, devious, staggering suspense loaded with gorgeous backdrops, long-buried secrets, toxic female friendship dynamics, and jaw-dropping twists you'll never guess, try as you might! I could not tear myself away from it!"
The Haters (2024) Robyn Harding "A searing, riveting, razor-sharp examination of internet stalking and online bullying."
The Incorrigibles (2024) Meredith Jaeger "Utterly enthralling, beguiling, and masterfully wrought, Meredith Jaeger's The Incorrigibles is the must-read historic fiction of 2024. Featuring a propulsive, immersive, dual narrative that weaves together two women's stories across the boundaries of time, The Incorrigibles is at once heart-wrenching and soul-affirming. Absolutely bingeworthy and transportive."
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies (2024) (Vacation Mystery, book 1) Catherine Mack "Looking for the perfect escape? Then look no further: Catherine Mack's uproariously hilarious mystery, Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies, is the binge-worthy, delicious read that you've been waiting for. Equal parts Finlay Donovan and White Lotus Season 2, with biting, razor-sharp social commentary and wickedly dark humor that made me cackle out loud, Mack has created the ultimate, root-for-worthy heroine in bestselling author Eleanor Dash, whom I'm prepared to follow anywhere!"
Watch it Burn (2024) Kristen Bird "I devoured Kristen Bird's latest, riveting suspense in one sitting! With intricate plotting, lush, visceral prose, and richly-layered characters, Watch It Burn is a skewering, incendiary examination of a small-town's darkest, most explosive secrets."
The Vineyard Remains (2024) Addison McKnight "Suspenseful, dark, and emotionally riveting, The Vineyard Remains contrasts an idyllic setting with complex family secrets, which makes for a pacey and intense read."
A Friend in the Dark (2024) Samantha M Bailey "With A Friend in the Dark, Samantha M. Bailey has crafted what's destined to be one of the most binge-worthy, buzzed about thrillers of the year. Wholly propulsive with twist after mind-blowing twist, richly layered characters, and an intricate plot, Bailey is at the top of her game and delivers not only a spine-tingling thriller but also a potent examination of the complexity of female desire and the terrifying, dark side of online relationships. A Friend in the Dark will have you glued from its first page to its explosive conclusion. An absolute masterpiece from the master of suspense!"
Everyone is Watching (2024) Heather Gudenkauf "An absolute blast of a read, Heather Gudenkauf's astounding latest, Everyone Is Watching, is as addictive as the reality TV shows it's inspired by. Big Brother meets Clue in this utterly original and incredibly tense locked-room mystery. I couldn't tear myself away from it!"
Keep Your Friends Close (2024) Leah Konen "Prepare to meet your newest addiction with Leah Konen's deliciously twisty latest, Keep Your Friends Close. A riveting, deliriously entertaining, and also chilling take on complicated female friendships, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Unbearably tense with masterful plotting, this juicy suspense will have you second-guessing who to trust with each chapter. It's Highsmith meets Lucy Foley with Konen's signature whip-smart voice and customary refreshing spin on domestic suspense."
Midnight Is the Darkest Hour (2023) Ashley Winstead "An utter triumph, Midnight is the Darkest Hour is Ashley Winstead's most dazzling thriller to date. This is a one-sitting binge read, so cancel all plans and prepare to become completely obsessed with Ruth and Everett and the darkly magical world of Bottom Springs, Louisiana. Twilight meets True Blood meets Colleen Hoover in this completely original, explosive suspense where every line is a poem and every chapter a lyrical symphony. I could not put this book down and haven't been so wholly captured by a story in this way in years."
Beneath the Surface (2023) (Kingsleys, book 1) Kaira Rouda "Devious, twisty, and completely unputdownable, Kaira Rouda's Beneath the Surface is Knives Out meets Succession but on a billionaire's yacht! Beneath the Surface is Rouda at her stupendous, binge-worthy best! I devoured this delicious thriller!"
Things Get Ugly (2023) Joe R Lansdale "Wildly entertaining, binge-worthy, and a total escape from hum drum reality, Things Get Ugly is pure Joe Lansdale on terrific display. In this collection of his greatest crime fiction stories, Lansdale's scalpel-sharp wit and prose will have you cackling one minute while it chills you to the bone the next. A rollicking, sometimes haunted trip through his piney-woods soaked noir landscape, Things Get Ugly confirms that Joe Lansdale is to crime fiction what Willie Nelson is to country music: wholly original, genre-defying, raw, gritty, soulful, and lastly, timeless. I could not put this book down!"
Girls and Their Horses (2023) Eliza Jane Brazier "Deliciously full of soapy, simmering tension, manipulation, toxic female friendships, wealthy power dynamics and backstabbing a plenty...it's Big Little Lies meets Dallas, but even lustier and laced with Brazier's pitch-black humor. I couldn't put it down!"
How I'll Kill You (2023) Ren DeStefano "Insanely addictive, wickedly funny, and deliciously devious with razor-sharp prose...I inhaled this twisty suspense--which is equal parts propulsive thriller and steamy romance--over a weekend and it left me gasping...prepare to become obsessed!"
No Home for Killers (2023) E A Aymar "Astonishing, propulsive, and breathtakingly original, No Home for Killers confirms E. A. Aymar as the king of both complicated female and male characters. A masterful, twisty thriller but also a heart-wrenching - and at times wickedly funny - family drama, No Home for Killers sucked me in from the first page, holding me hostage until I reached its explosive conclusion."
The Vicious Circle (2022) Katherine St John "I loved this twisty suspense SO much!! Utterly intoxicating, deliciously propulsive, and wholly original, I devoured The Vicious Circle in just a few feverish sessions. St. John's prose positively shimmers off the page and the lush, tropical setting will both seduce you and leave you highly unsettled as lies, manipulation, and betrayal all bubble to the surface in a searing, razor-sharp commentary about the dark side of paradise and wellness culture."
You're Invited (2022) Amanda Jayatissa "Devilishly wicked, deliciously twisty, and insanely propulsive, YOU'RE INVITED is an absolute triumph--a rollercoaster of a thrill-ride that will have you guessing at every corkscrew turn. Richly layered and told through multiple points of view...this heady thriller is KNIVES OUT meets THE GUEST LIST and will leave a Gillian Flynn-shaped hole daggered through your heart."
More Than You'll Ever Know (2022) Katie Gutierrez "Enthralling, breathtaking, and propulsive, MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW is the kind of book that only comes around once every decade. With hypnotic, shimmering prose set against a masterful plot, Katie Gutierrez has crafted an explosive modern classic--a groundbreaking, razor-sharp exploration of what it means to be a woman in all its complexity, as well as a deep dive into the morally gray areas of the double lives we all lead. Equal parts literary tour de force and domestic suspense, with a sweeping, sprawling narrative, More Than You'll Ever Know is poised to become the buzziest book of the year."
Good Husbands (2022) Cate Ray "The most riveting and unflinching he said/she said novel to date, Good Husbands follows three women whose lives are set on a collision course upon the arrival of an unsettling letter about each of their husbands. Absolutely staggering, insanely gripping, and wholly unputdownable, this riveting, unsettling suspense will leave you gasping for air and for answers and will have you turning the pages until the last, final, astonishing twist. With her hypnotic, dazzling prose and captivating characters, Cate Ray is a masterful storyteller at the height of her powers."
The Lifeguards (2022) Amanda Eyre Ward "Insanely addictive, deliciously propulsive, and wholly unpredictable . . . will take your breath away. Big Little Lies meets Mare of Easttown in this masterful, explosive suspense novel set against the backdrop of sun-drenched Austin. A tense and taut thriller brimming with secrets, complex, twisty female friendships, and whiplash plot twists, this is the perfect summer read best devoured with a strong margarita."
The Stranger in the Mirror (2021) Liv Constantine "I devoured this twisty, chilling, and hypnotic thriller in just two feverish sittings, desperate to guess what was going to happen next (but failing!) Told from shifting perspectives, THE STRANGER IN THE MIRROR is not only a propulsive, psychological suspense with heart-pounding twists, it’s also a richly-drawn, riveting story about a woman with amnesia, frantic to recover her identity in a house-of-mirrors world where nothing is what it seems."
The Last Commandment (2021) (Austin Grant of Scotland Yard, book 1) Scott Shepherd "Scott Shepherd is a dazzling storyteller, whose authentic and richly textured characters and clever, pulsating plotting captivate. THE LAST COMMANDMENT is a riveting and wondrously satisfying thriller with that all too rare commodity: abundant heart and soul."
River, Sing Out (2021) James Wade "If you read one novel this year, make it this one. James Wade's River, Sing Out, is an instant classic filled with characters that will break your heart, lyrical prose as haunted as the river it evokes, and a Southern Noir undertow that wholly sucks you in and keeps you turning the pages until it's searing, masterful conclusion."
The Vines (2021) Shelley Nolden "Eerily timely and profoundly compelling, THE VINES is an unputdownable, unforgettable saga, the journey of a seemingly helpless, persecuted American woman who survives and battles back, against all odds; this first in what promises to be an explosive series signals the arrival of Shelley Nolden's masterful new voice in hybrid fiction."
Bad Habits (2021) Amy Gentry "I could not tear myself away from Amy Gentry's Bad Habits, an intoxicatingly propulsive thriller with Russian-doll-like plotting and searing prose set against a backdrop of toxic academia. With Special Topics in Calamity Physics meets Gillian Flynn & Megan Abbot vibes, I was wholly sucked into this seductive psychological suspense and its corkscrew-like twists and turns that held me in their grip until the final, jaw-dropping reveal that left me breathless."
