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Psychological Thriller

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With a brilliantly creepy combination of psychological thriller and domestic horror, USA Today bestselling author Zoje Stage has written a terrifying page-turner that made me feel like the walls were closing in around me.

I’m guessing we all had moments during quarantine that felt nightmarish or claustrophobic, but in Mothered , Zoje Stage has taken the horrors of a pandemic to the next level.

What if you were forced to quarantine with your estranged mother? What starts as a mild irritant, like rearranging the kitchen cabinets without discussion, escalates to snooping into her personal life, and eventually takes dysfunctional cohabitation to levels one cannot fathom. Accusations fly, long-buried memories emerge, and their relationship might not be salvageable.

Perfect for fans of Riley Sager and Grady Hendrix, Mothered will appeal to anyone who likes a good fright before bedtime and isn’t afraid of a few nightmares...

—Liz Pearsons, Editor

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If Emily Henry’s Beach Read and Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game were to have a book baby, it would be Good for You by Camille Pagán. When Camille and I first chatted about Good for You , long before she sent over the first draft of this masterpiece, it was meant to be a lighthearted romantic novel—which in some ways, it is—but Camille has delivered so much more, and I’m so grateful for that.

When you first open the book you might notice that it starts off with a trigger warning, something which was discussed ad nauseam as we didn’t want to accidentally turn off would-be readers with a depressing warning. However, Camille knew that the topics touched on in Good for You —childhood abuse, death of a loved one, grief, PTSD—would need a full disclosure right off the bat. And I agree. Despite the sometimes-difficult subject matter, readers, this is at its core a heartwarming novel. Full of hope, love, laughter, and forgiveness. Full of real-life emotions and circumstances but with the tinge of whimsical that makes fiction so much more enjoyable to devour.

As you peel back the layers of goodness in Good for You , don’t be surprised if, much like I did, you shed a tear or two as Camille takes you on an emotional journey. A good old-fashioned enemies-to-lovers trope, the redemption of a well-intentioned workaholic heroine, the reveal of what trauma can do to the human body and to the psyche itself—all rolled into an unputdownable, compulsively readable romp of a novel. Perfection.

—Maria Gomez, Editor

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Have you ever stumbled onto a secret worth killing for?

Have you ever done something so heinous, so shameful, that you buried it deep and split your life into a before and after, never admitting your wrongs?

Have you ever wished someone dead—or worse?

The characters in The Maid’s Diary have.

I won’t say more about this book—if you’re a fan of psychological suspense told in colliding timelines, this is the read for you. Loreth Anne White is a writer at the very top of her game. We have worked together now for ten books, and I can confidently say that this is her most riveting, her most grab-you-by-the-guts-and-twist, her most unrelenting yet.

If you’re one of the lucky few who has yet to read one of Loreth’s novels, I envy your first foray into her moody, atmospheric world.

Cancel your plans. Order some takeout. Silence your phone. Get ready for an unforgettable read.

—Alison Dasho, Editor

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Once in a great while, a book hits my desk that is so memorable that I can’t wait to see it publish! Such was the case with Wild, Beautiful, and Free , a historical novel that is a fresh retelling of Jane Eyre with the Civil War as its backdrop. Jeannette Bébinn, the mixed-race daughter of an enslaved black woman and a white plantation owner in Louisiana, is enslaved herself under brutal conditions after the death of her father. She escapes by way of her ability to pass for white and starts on a long road, fighting for her freedom and her inheritance in a nineteenth-century America that does not believe she deserves either.

I’ll never forget Jeannette or Christian Robichaud Colchester, the man she falls in love with after she terrifyingly escapes capture and finds footing as a teacher in the Midwest. She ultimately leaves Christian behind when an explosive secret has her questioning his love.

The challenges Jeannette faces are unimaginable and had me thinking about fate, perseverance, identity, and love. Watching Jeannette endure and witnessing her courage was incredibly moving—I’ve never rooted for a heroine more.

—Danielle Marshall, Editor

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Matt Brolly has perfectly blended a compelling investigation with wholly original and unforgettable characters and settings—prepare to be up all night with this unputdownable read.

Frank may have done his time in prison, but twenty years after he was convicted of killing his wife, few people in Galveston have forgotten, yet alone forgiven him. So, when a second dead woman is found, with her body manipulated to resemble someone running, Frank is the immediate suspect.

Detective Laurie Campbell is appointed lead detective and, battling her own family demons, is a complex and relatable central figure. Burying her head into the investigation, Campbell soon uncovers a number of anomalies with Frank’s original conviction that I, too, became haunted by: Did Frank Randall murder his wife? Was he wrongly imprisoned? Has he killed again?

The weather matches the mood of unease when a hurricane hits the seaside town of Galveston. With the town ravaged, Laurie must uncover hidden secrets before they get caught in the eye of the storm.

—Sammia Hamer, Editorial Director

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My husband has worked in a few ERs as part of his career as a physician assistant, so while some of what takes place in Han Song’s visionary science-fiction novel Hospital may seem far-fetched, believe me when I tell you that real-life health care horror stories can be almost as extraordinary. In fact, maybe you’ve got your own tale to tell...

After drinking bottled mineral water at the hotel where he’s staying on a business trip, Yang Wei begins to suffer from stomach pains. But when he wakes up in the hospital three days later, he sets out on a quest to figure out what exactly he’s been admitted for and how he can possibly escape.

In this novel, author Han Song, called the Chinese Philip K. Dick, takes us on a dark, dystopian ride through a corrupt system that sometimes feels all too believable and which Junot Díaz described as “Kafkaesque.” From the start, we’re left wondering how far down the rabbit hole we’re about to descend.

—Adrienne Procaccini, Editor

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In Lovely Girls , master storyteller Margot Hunt has written a tour de force suburban murder mystery wherein no one can be trusted and dark secrets hide beneath the stunning views.

After Kate’s husband is killed in an automobile accident, she thinks a change of scenery will help her and her daughter, Alex, move on. What originally draws her to Shoreham, Florida, are the salt air, quiet walks on the beach, and the glorious sunrises over the ocean. But Kate soon finds a different side of the town: infinity pools, private tennis courts, exclusive boutiques...and the cliques .

It’s not long before Kate and Alex realize you can’t run away from the past. Certainly not when the mean girls at Alex’s new school dig up the reason for their move and begin to taunt her with memories she would like to forget.

I will remember the lesson of Lovely Girls the next time I am on vacation and think, I should move here . What one sees on vacation is merely a gilded veneer, and all that glitters is not gold.

—Liz Pearsons, Editor

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What I love about coming-of-age fiction is that it’s all about possibilities. The world is opening up, and there are exciting paths to take. Places to experience for the first time.

Tara Bajaj’s life is falling apart. After a disastrous relationship, she’s tired of playing the role of a popular American teen and is ready to embrace her Indian roots. Before heading to college, Tara signs up to be a guide on a student temple tour through North India. The tour is designed to connect Indian American students with their heritage. While traveling through beautiful and profound pilgrimage sites, Tara meets aspiring photographer Silas, another tour guide, who is on his own journey to discover his past.

Tara and Silas are like oil and water at first, but with time, Tara learns they can help each other, especially as questions about her family history arise. The Karma Map is a sweet love story that captures what it’s like to be a young person in the world yearning for answers. After reading it, I found myself wanting to hit the road and travel.

—Carmen Johnson, Editor

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Psychological Thriller

Women's Fiction

Psychological Suspense

Historical Fiction

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Suspense

New Adult Romance