by Matt Lubbers-Moore
It is my birthday month!! And I am so excited about all of the great releases this month!
The Kids on the Tracks by Kerenza Ryan
Out May 11, 2024
When two teen girls fall off raised train tracks, some people say it is a phantom train, and others say it’s a double homicide. The two queer women who find them are caught in the middle of both the controversy and their entangled relationship. Harriet believes it is murder and looks deep into a local restaurant next to the site of the crime. Secrets and rumors rush out of its doors. Toni, on the other hand, dives deep into ghost stories and talks to the victims’ families, creating anger throughout the town. In the end, only one of them can be right, and it could be enough to ruin everything. Victims, murderers, and innocent bystanders will never be the same. Can justice really come after death?
The Lady in Gray & the Bessie Mae Diamond by St. Sukie de la Croix
Out May 14, 2024, Rattling Good Yarns Press
Dive into the uproarious world of Brian and Stéphane in the dazzling fourth installment of the Twilight Manors series. Seeking a respite from solving The Peculiar Case of the Follies Dancer, the dynamic duo heads to the sun-soaked haven of Carlsbad for a weekend getaway, where the Seashell Cove Hotel becomes the stage for a riotous encounter with the mysterious Lady in Gray. In this side-splitting adventure, author St Sukie de la Croix weaves a tapestry of spies, jellyfish sting remedies, rubber ducks, and the unforgettable Mitzi, the Chihuahua from hell. As the duo races against time to save the Lady in Gray and the coveted Bessie Mae Diamond, readers are treated to the comedic spectacle of Brian donning a Maidenform bra and the suspenseful question of whether Stéphane can survive his hysterectomy with his dignity intact.
Clean Kill by Anne Laughlin
Out May 14, 2024, Bold Strokes Books
Nicky Sullivan is the resident manager of a sober living home in Chicago. There she rides herd on 10 newly sober addicts and alcoholics, trying to point them in the right direction while keeping their chaos to a minimum. But when one of her residents is murdered, Nicky turns to the investigative skills honed during her past career as a homicide detective. She calls on her old police partner who has been assigned the murder investigation along with his new partner, a woman beautiful enough to give Nicky pause. The body count starts to mount as it becomes clear a serial killer is at work, targeting newly relapsed women, all of whom have some connection to Nicky. Each death makes her feel she’s wielded the knife herself. In the midst of the tragedy, she finds herself falling in love. With the lives of fragile women in the balance, Nicky finds her own sobriety threatened. Can Nicky save her lover and find the killer? How many others must die before she does?
Puzzles Can Be Deadly by David Pederson
Out May 14, 2024, Bold Strokes Books
Pederson has introduced us to Detective Heath Barrington and Officer Alan Keyes of the 1940s Milwaukee, Wisconsin police department in the seven-book Heath Barrington series. Then his Phoenix, Arizona Private Detective Mason Adler appears in Murder on Monte Vista in a so-far three book series. Pederson now presents Skip Valentine and Henry Finch in 1950s Ann Arbor, Michigan. They encounter eccentric individuals on their trip to visit Henry’s uncle, such as a bizarre old woman who worships the memory of her lost son, a nun with hidden secrets, a spinster housekeeper with a secret of her own, an angry young man with a troubled past, and a neighbor who claims to talk to dead people at séances. As much as Skip desires to investigate, a murder raises the stakes.
Evil Eyes Sea by Ozge Samanci
Out May 14, 2024, Uncivilized Books
The main protagonists of this graphic novel, Ece and Meltem, are engineering students at Bosphorus University and in financial distress. Ece and Meltem fantasize about having the powerful gaze of Medusa and amuse themselves with efforts to move objects with their eyes. They also share a passion for scuba diving as members of the Student Diving Club. While on a diving expedition in the Bosphorus Strait, they witness a freak accident underwater. Did Ece and Meltem’s evil eye cause the accident? Their investigation leads them to a search for truth and a treasure hidden under the Bosphorus. But their hopes of solving their financial troubles become entangled with political corruption, and they must make grim decisions while navigating a climate of chauvinism, patriarchy, religious pressure, and economic instability. The evolving events threaten their friendship, ethical values, and even their lives—as well as the future of their country.
Undercover Desire by Isabella
Out May 20, 2024, Sapphire Books Publishing
Lex Anders, a savvy campaign manager, and Max Church, a dedicated police officer, collide after a chance traffic stop. Lex’s request to have Max join Congresswoman Marsh’s campaign leads to an unexpected journey, challenging them both personally and professionally. Max, reluctantly pulled from her cop duties, enters the world of high-stakes politics. When Lex becomes a victim of a ruthless kidnapping orchestrated to blackmail Congresswoman Marsh, Max’s duty takes a heart-wrenching turn. In a race against time, Max must confront her own fears and navigate the perilous landscape to save Lex and the senator’s son, Will.
In the Shallows by Tanya Byrne
Out May 21, 2024, Godwin Books
Mara’s ex, Nico, is the girl of her dreams: beautiful, wild and unpredictable. She’s Mara’s everything, even though Mara’s never sure that she’s Nico’s anything. Then Nico goes missing. New Year’s Day: A girl is rescued from the sea. She knows she is called Nico, but other than that, she has no memory of why she was in the sea or what came before. When destiny reunites them, is this Mara and Nico’s second chance? Can their relationship make it out of the shallows? And what will happen when they discover the truth behind Nico’s accident? Because one day, Nico will remember everything.
Shanghai Murder by Jessie Chandler
Out May 21, 2024, Bella Books
Shay O’Hanlon and her team of friendly misfits travel from Minnesota to Portland to attend the annual Big on Beans Convention—in search of a new joe for Shay’s café. The crew is poised to spend the weekend flying high on Voodoo Doughnuts and a surplus of caffeine. But bad java, stolen ammunition, and an overheard conversation throw all the fun right out of the Oregon Convention Center’s window. Shay finds herself thrust into the middle of a deadly deal-gone-wrong, and soon she’s on the run through Portland’s underground Shanghai Tunnels. Meanwhile, when Rocky’s wife, Tulip, disappears while checking out Witch’s Castle, Mom-to-all Eddy must shake off her lethargy and do something before Tulip is toast.
Open Secrets by Kack A Ori
Out May 24, 2024
Five years after an adrenalin-packed escape from a dangerous pedophile, CJ Jennings longs to use their college podcast to make a difference. But a terrified child’s plea for help leads the freshman to a grisly discovery, thrusting CJ into a deadly maze of lies, manipulations, and institutional coverups. The victim, a rockstar researcher with a brilliant future ahead of her, was entangled in secrets and scandals damning enough that more than one person wanted her dead. As CJ peels back layer after layer of the truth, they find themselves up against a formidable enemy: an institution desperate to protect its reputation at all costs.
2 Screams 1 Sugar by Sula Sullivan
Out May 24, 2024
In the bustling streets of Whittlesham, where gas lamps flicker, and crime abounds, two young women find themselves drawn together after a chance encounter at a crime scene turned tourist attraction. Destiny is a plucky aspiring detective stuck in the murky world of low-ranking journalism, and Jada is a giantess artist who turns the macabre into money with her crime scene sketches. Driven by insatiable curiosity and a mutual passion for justice, the two women embark on a journey that leads them to unexpected places, including the purchase of a derelict narrowboat. Working together, the duo transform the boat into a cozy shop where they serve coffee, gather clues, and concoct plans to establish their own detective agency. As they navigate the treacherous waters of the lowest currents of Whittlesham’s society and unmask the secrets hidden within its dark alleys, Destiny and Jada must rely on each other’s strengths to unravel the truth behind the crimes that haunt their city.
Hex in the City by Josh Lanyon
Out May 28, 2024, JustJoshin Publishing, Inc.
Tis the season of light and love and magic. Cosmo and John are about to celebrate their first Christmas together. If only they didn’t have to contend with family, friends and a series of murders possibly committed by… Krampus?!
Other Releases:
Our Mystery Island Affair by Gaia Tate, out May 1, 2024
The Forgotten Photograph by Julian Kennedy, out May 1, 2024
Drawn to the Enemy by Barbara Winkes, out May 9, 2024
Lost and Foundling by Amir Lane, out May 17, 2024
Skeleton Crew by Jordan Castillo Price, out May 20, 2024
Dangerous Recall by Tyler Anne Snell, out May 21, 2024
Have you seen this Girl by Nita Tyndall, out May 21, 2024
Hudson River Homicides by C. S. Poe, out May 23, 2024
Death Drop Drag Assassin: Out of the Closet and into the Fire by David Hazan, out May 28, 2024
My Favorite Thing is Monsters, part two by Emil Ferris, out May 28, 2024
ROTGUT by H. S. Wolfe, out May 30, 2024
Behind the 8-Ball by A. E. Wasp, out May 30, 2024
Code Violation by Elle Keaton, out May 30, 2024
Skeletons in the Closet by Nicky James, out May 30, 2024
Midsummer Phoenix: Phoenix Immortal Series by Alexa Piper, out May 31, 2024
Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify. A new episode went up last week.
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