by Matt Lubbers-Moore
As a bibliographer, a librarian, a collector, and reader, I spend a lot of time in mystery groups on Facebook, and the one major refrain from authors is the lack of publishers willing to take on new talent. Same with literary agents. Only the hottest and biggest names are picked up for publication by the major five, and even the smaller independents are getting ever more picky about who they will publish. I understand slightly their hesitancy; they’re a business. Why take a risk publishing a nobody author who may cost the business money when they can keep churning out the same huge authors. This made me think of a conversation I had with a coworker at the public library where I work about Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny teaming up to write a mystery/thriller novel together. This is obviously a no-brainer for the publisher—Louise Penny has sold 6.3 million books worldwide, Hillary Clinton (whether you love her or hate her) wrote her What Happened in 2017 which sold millions of copies worldwide. This brought up the previous book that former president Bill Clinton wrote with James Patterson. Again, a no-brainer, James Patterson has sold more than 300 million copies of his books. Bill Clinton sold more than 2 million copies of his My Life. This was a hit for the publisher with 250,000 copies of The President is Missing in just the first week. As I write this column every month and as I update my bibliography, I am seeing more and more authors going the self-publishing route. I understand their pain of rejection, their pain of being nitpicked, their struggle to sell themselves and their books to publishers not willing to take a chance on them. Keep calm and keep writing!
Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
Out November 2, 2021
Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks away from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold. Now, eleven years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they’ll find.
Wrapped in Screams by Amy Tasukada
Out November 4, 2021
Now that the war with the Korean syndicate is behind him, all Nao Murata wants is a vacation and a chance to nurture his new relationship with Aki Hisona. When Aki hears a gunshot, he knows the dust has far from settled. Nao says it can wait, but Aki’s unable to understand why they can’t tie up those loose ends.
Lies like Poison by Chelsea Pitcher
Out November 9, 2021
Poppy, Lily, and Belladonna would do anything to protect their best friend, Raven. So, when they discovered he was suffering abuse at the hands of his stepmother, they came up with a lethal plan: petals of poppy, belladonna, and lily in her evening tea so she’d never be able to hurt Raven again. But someone got cold feet, the plot faded to a secret of the past, and the group fell apart. Three years later, on the eve of Raven’s seventeenth birthday, his stepmother turns up dead. But it’s only belladonna found in her tea, and it’s only Belladonna who’s carted off to jail. Desperate for help, Belle reaches out to her estranged friends to prove her innocence. They answer the call, but no one is prepared for what comes next.
The After Party by A. C. Arthur
Out November 9, 2021
Venus McGee, Draya Carter, and Jackie Benson are coworkers with a lot in common. They’re smart, independent, driven, and deserving of recognition—certainly more than they’ve been handed by a demoralizing boss. He’s the topic of conversation at their impromptu get-together after the company holiday party, where the threesome fantasizes about a life without him. There has to be an alternative to taking a deep breath and sucking it up. There is. It’s just not the one they expected. When morning comes, Venus, Draya, and Jackie are blindsided by murder—a twist of fate that brings a startling new challenge to the table and forces them to navigate a hair-raising detour they never saw coming.
A Death in Bloomsbury by David C. Dawson
Out November 10, 2021
1932, London. Late one December night Simon Sampson stumbles across the body of a woman in an alleyway. Her death is linked to a plot by right-wing extremists to assassinate the King on Christmas Day. Simon resolves to do his patriotic duty and unmask the traitors. But Simon Sampson lives a double life. Not only is he a highly respected BBC radio announcer, he’s also a man who loves men, and as such must live a secret life. His investigation risks revealing his other life and with that imprisonment under Britain’s draconian homophobic laws of the time. He faces a stark choice: his loyalty to the King or his freedom.
Lady Killer by Cara Malone
Out November 11, 2021
Maya Ross has worked hard to cultivate a tough, no-nonsense reputation as ‘one of the guys’ in a male-dominated field. As lead investigator, she’s at the peak of her career – and she can’t admit to anyone that it’s making her deeply unhappy. When Detective Arlen Rose blows into town on a killer’s trail, they team up to catch the prolific serial killer before he strikes again.
Manhattan Mistletoe Mystery by Kyle Baxter
Out November 20, 2021
Mark has a full-time job at Five Points Catering, and while his romantic life may be on hiatus, things are good. He has a small but fun historical true-crime podcast. Veteran Jack Russell is a beat reporter looking to make it big. After learning that the daughter of a mob boss is attending a wedding, he crashes it. Mark is stunned when the dead body of a transgender woman is discovered outside the event. His shock turns to resolve when he finds out the victim is an old friend. Mark and Jack get involved in the investigation as the police seem to have little interest in the strange case.
Notable Mentions:
Dead Woman’s Pond by Elle E. Ire; out November 2, 2021: Paranormal
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske; out November 2, 2021: MM Fantasy
Cross by S. E. Harmon; out November 3, 2021: MM Thriller
Prideful Vengeance by T. K. Ambers; Out November 11, 2021: MM Thriller
No Good about Goodbye by C. T. Liotta; Out November 24, 2021: YA Spy Thriller
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. Be sure to check out our new mystery podcast too with mystery short stories, and first chapters read by local actors. A new episode Halloween episode went up this week and another one goes up next week.
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