(Fictional) Murder with Momo: A Look Ahead to Spooky Season
If you’ve been following along here for a while, it’s no surprise that I’m an avid reader of mysteries/thrillers/crime novels. Fall is also my favorite season—and when the nights get crisp and the leaves start turning, I know that some of the most anticipated scary reads of the year are on the horizon! These are some creepy/suspenseful/outright scary books I’m looking forward to devouring this fall! Note that not all involve murder.
“The Searcher” by Tana French: Bookshop | Kindle
Cal Hooper thought a fixer-upper in a bucolic Irish village would be the perfect escape. After twenty-five years in the Chicago police force and a bruising divorce, he just wants to build a new life in a pretty spot with a good pub where nothing much happens. But when a local kid whose brother has gone missing arm-twists him into investigating, Cal uncovers layers of darkness beneath his picturesque retreat, and starts to realize that even small towns shelter dangerous secrets.
Tana French is hands-down my favorite crime novelist, and I’ve come to expect a book from her every two years or so. This departure from her Dublin Murder Squad series is her first book set in the States, and this is probably the book I am most excited about this fall! I know I’ll devour this in a day and then be heartbroken when it’s over!
“Leave the World Behind” by Rumaan Alam: Bookshop | Kindle
Amanda and Clay head out to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a vacation: a quiet reprieve from life in New York City, quality time with their teenage son and daughter, and a taste of the good life in the luxurious home they've rented for the week. But a late-night knock on the door breaks the spell. Ruth and G. H. are an older couple--it's their house, and they've arrived in a panic. They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city. But in this rural area--with the TV and internet now down, and no cell phone service--it's hard to know what to believe.
Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple--and vice versa? What happened back in New York? Is the vacation home, isolated from civilization, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one other?
I was denied for an ARC of this by HarperCollins, and I’m still pissed about it. However, I’m very much looking forward to reading Rumaan Alam’s newest book: the synopsis alone had me hooked. Generally, I don’t do apocalypses (except when I’m forced to live one out), but I am completely here for this one.
“One by One” by Ruth Ware: Bookshop | Kindle
Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn't sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there's a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your coworkers...and you can't trust any of them?
When an off-site company retreat meant to promote mindfulness and collaboration goes utterly wrong when an avalanche hits, the corporate food chain becomes irrelevant and survival trumps togetherness. Come Monday morning, how many members short will the team be?
Ruth Ware’s books are always a spooky delight, and I love a setting with built in atmospheric tension: ie snowed in at a chalet, haunted house, etc. This is guaranteed to be an enjoyable diversion!
“When No One is Watching” by Alyssa Cole: Bookshop | Kindle
Sydney Green is Brooklyn born and raised, but her beloved neighborhood seems to change every time she blinks. Condos are sprouting like weeds, FOR SALE signs are popping up overnight, and the neighbors she's known all her life are disappearing. To hold onto her community's past and present, Sydney channels her frustration into a walking tour and finds an unlikely and unwanted assistant in one of the new arrivals to the block--her neighbor Theo.
But Sydney and Theo's deep dive into history quickly becomes a dizzying descent into paranoia and fear. Their neighbors may not have moved to the suburbs after all, and the push to revitalize the community may be more deadly than advertised.
When does coincidence become conspiracy? Where do people go when gentrification pushes them out? Can Sydney and Theo trust each other--or themselves--long enough to find out before they too disappear?
This will be my first Alyssa Cole book. Let’s just say I am VERY excited for a mystery about gentrification. VERY!
“To Tell You the Truth” by Gilly Macmillan: Bookshop | Kindle
Lucy Harper's talent for writing bestselling novels has given her fame, fortune and millions of fans. It's also given her Dan, her needy, jealous husband whose own writing career has gone precisely nowhere.
Now Dan has vanished. But this isn't the first time that someone has disappeared from Lucy's life. Three decades ago, her little brother Teddy also went missing and was never found. Lucy, the only witness, helplessly spun fantasy after fantasy about Teddy's disappearance, to the detectives' fury and her parents' despair. That was the start of her ability to tell a story--a talent she has profited from greatly.
But now Lucy's a grown woman who can't hide behind fiction any longer. The world is watching, and her whole life is under intense scrutiny. A life full of stories, some more believable than others. Could she have hurt Teddy? Did she kill Dan? Finally, now, Lucy Harper's going to tell the truth.
Cross her heart.
And hope to die.
Along the lines of Ruth Ware, I love Gilly Macmillan’s books—particularly The Nanny. She writes fun but very dark mysteries: perfect for kicking off spooky season.
What’s on your spooky reading list for this fall?
If you click on one of the links in this article and make a purchase, She’s Full of Lit may receive a small commission. It doesn’t add anything to your price — we promise! Thanks so much for your support.
