psychological suspense - Macmillan Library

Thriller Thursday & 2014 ThrillerFest Award Nominations!

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Anne Spieth

Happy #ThrillerThursday! We've got three great mysteries AND fantastic news about ThrillerFest Award nominations!

THE AXE FACTOR by Colin Cotterill
An April 2014 LibraryReads pick! In Cotterill's third Jimm Juree mystery, the reporter's latest assignment is a profile of a writer who might also be a potential serial killer. “In addition to a clockwork plot and an intriguing setting, what really makes this book sing is Jimm’s own caustic, ribald observations. A stunner of a novel, third in the Jimm Juree series by the author of the acclaimed Dr. Siri novels.” — Booklist, starred review

DEAD PEOPLE by Ewart Hutton
In the next installment in this Welsh police procedural series, Detective Sergeant Glyn Capaldi finds several bodies at a remote site in the hills. His superior officers believe it's just a dumping ground, but Capaldi isn't convinced and sets out to learn who these dead people were and how they ended up there. “Fans of the cynical Scotsman John Rebus will find a lot to like in this hardworking Welsh outcast.” — Booklist

BLOOD ALWAYS TELLS by Hilary Davidson
“In her new stand-alone thriller, Davidson introduces the reader to a cast of troubled, double-crossing characters who end up entangled in a dangerous game… you can’t help turning the pages in anticipation of yet another twist or turn. Recommended for mystery fans who appreciate quirky tales of revenge and family drama.” — Library Journal. Want to know more? Check out our feature.

Last week the ITW ThrillerFest Award finalists were announced and five were from Minotaur Books!

Best Hardcover Novel:
HER LAST BREATH by Linda Castillo

Best First Novel:
RAGE AGAINST THE DYING by Becky Masterman
THE EDGE OF NORMAL by Carla Norton

Best Paperback Original:
COLD SNAP by Allison Brennan
SNOW WHITE MUST DIE by Nele Neuhaus

The winners will be announced at the Gala Awards Banquet at the Grand Hyatt in New York, on Saturday, July 12, 2014. Click here for a complete list of finalists.

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Thriller Thursday (3/6/14 Edition)

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Anne Spieth

Today we've got a super-sized #ThrillerThursday with mysteries to satisfy every reader, from cozies to psychological suspense and more!

PRECIOUS THING by Colette McBeth
A March 2014 Library Reads pick! "Debut author McBeth’s GONE GIRL-style psychological thriller will be a widespread hit for fans of dark drama with questionable narrators, including S. J. Watson’s BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP (2011), Sabine Durrant’s UNDER YOUR SKIN (2013), and Karen Perry’s THE INNOCENT SLEEP (2013)." — Booklist, starred review

THE BLACK-EYED BLONDE by Benjamin Black
Black's "pitch-perfect recreation" of Raymond Chandler's incomparable private eye Philip Marlowe goes "beyond mere thoughtful homage" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) when a seductive young heiress asks Marlowe to find her former lover. "Great fun for Chandlerians." — Booklist

CITY OF DARKNESS AND LIGHT by Rhys Bowen
In the 13th entry of Bowen's New York Times bestselling historical series, Molly Murphy and her infant son are in Paris where she unexpectedly gets entangled in the murder of an Impressionist artist. "Molly is a smart, feisty heroine who admirably defends her investigation to a very skeptical Sûreté. Though placed a decade or so earlier, this breezy historical mystery will appeal to fans of Carola Dunn’s Daisy Dalrymple and Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs." — Booklist

THE PLAYER by Brad Parks
In the latest book in Parks' award-winning series, Carter Ross investigates a suspicious disease, but it takes him down a path that leads directly into the arms of the local mob boss. "Parks, a gifted storyteller (with shades of Mark Twain, or maybe Dave Barry), shows his mastery of the comic absurd behind serious journalism in his fifth outing." — Library Journal, starred review

WRECKED by Tricia Fields
"Fields’ third Josie Gray outing is emotionally taut, building to a breathtaking climax and portraying, in the process, the danger inherent in a Texas border town and presenting Josie, previously wary of commitment, with new challenges. More fine southwestern crime fiction by an author who clearly loves the locale." — Booklist, starred review

PROVIDENCE RAG by Bruce DeSilva
“Edgar-winner DeSilva melds moral dilemmas with a suspenseful plot in his third novel featuring Providence, R.I.–based reporter Liam Mulligan, his best yet.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Mulligan’s character, played off the vicissitudes of his job, is skillfully layered and engaging. DeSilva, who worked for decades at the AP, won an Edgar for Best First Novel for ROGUE ISLAND (2010). He knows of what he writes.” — Booklist, starred review

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Happy #BookBday (2/25/14 Edition)

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Anne Spieth

Just like our furry friend says, today we wish a happy #BookBday to:

BITTER EDEN by Tatamkhulu Afrika
Based on the author’s own capture in North Africa and his experiences as a prisoner-of-war in World War II in Italy and Germany, this frank and beautifully wrought novel deals with three men who must negotiate the emotions that are brought to the surface by the physical closeness of survival in the male-only camps. “BITTER EDEN is a beautifully crafted, absorbing read, a careful examination of human relationships, and a rare glimpse into the complexities of life in wartime.” — Booklist

MY NAME IS RESOLUTE by Nancy Turner
A sweeping historical set in Revolutionary War-era New England, young Resolute Talbot is sold into slavery and taught spinning and weaving–skills that place her at the secret heart of the growing rebellion against England. "Every page of Turner's engrossing and fascinating work is better than the last. Not only historical fiction fans will love this beautifully written and compelling novel." — Library Journal

THE HEADMASTER'S WIFE by Thomas Christopher Greene
Inspired by a personal loss, this is a beautifully written, haunting and deeply affecting portrait of one couple at their best and worst. "This is a riveting psychological novel about loss and the terrible mistakes and compromises one can make in love and marriage. Essential for fans of literary fiction." — Library Journal, starred review

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Thriller Thursday (2/20/14 Edition)

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Anne Spieth

We're a day away from TGIF and you know what that means: #ThrillerThursday! Here's what we're reading this week:

RUNNER by Patrick Lee
You know how much Anne loves this "high-tech thriller that's hard to put down" (Library Journal, starred review) because she can't stop recommending it to anyone who will listen (hey casting directors: Channing Tatum!). She's not the only one–it's a March Indie Next pick, has three starred reviews, and the adoration of Lee Child, Steve Berry and Nelson DeMille.

THE INNOCENT SLEEP by Karen Perry
This psychological thriller about a couple restarting their lives five years after losing their son in a tragic accident is perfect for those of you who enjoyed the March 2014 LibraryReads pick, PRECIOUS THING. "This novel, with a premise that taps into the fears of every parent, is an entertaining thriller that fans of Tana French and Gillian Flynn will enjoy." — Library Journal
(get the free downloadable praise sheet)

DEAD WATER by Ann Cleeves
In the eagerly awaited new entry in Ann Cleeves' popular Shetland Islands series (now airing on BBC as the television series Shetland), Detective Inspector Willow Reeves and Inspector Jimmy Perez team up to investigate the murder of a journalist. "Cleeves has an unusually deft hand with characters; not one of them seems purely plot-functional, and Perez’s character keeps deepening with each book." — Booklist, starred review

BROTHERHOOD OF FEAR by Paul Grossman
It's 1933 and famed detective Willi Kraus is avoiding deportation back to Nazi Germany when he finds himself unwittingly drawn into a murder mystery in Paris. "Grossman again manages to make the past come alive, and his complicated investigator displays enough depth and frailty to warrant continued exploits, even without the series’ initial hook of a Jewish cop fighting for justice under the Nazis." — Publishers Weekly, starred review [...]

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For Your Consideration: January LibraryReads titles

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Anne Spieth

With the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, many of us are busy making lists. Grocery lists for the big meal, shopping lists for those Black Friday and Small Business Saturday sales, who's been naughty and who's been nice (OK, we didn't write that one)... Here's our list of new books we think are great, just in time for the January LibraryReads nomination deadline of December 1:

RADIANCE OF TOMORROW by Ishmael Beah
From the author of A LONG WAY GONE comes a “formidable and memorable novel” (Publishers Weekly) about a village trying to reclaim peace after war. “Beah, who broke our hearts with the haunting memoir of his life as a boy soldier, will render readers speechless with the radiance of his storytelling in this novel of grace, forgiveness, and a vision of a tomorrow without conflict." – Library Journal, starred review

THE LAST ENCHANTMENTS by Charles Finch
In this contemporary update of BRIDESHEAD REVISITED, William Baker is a recent graduate of Yale who embarks on a life-changing year at Oxford, complete with unexpected friendships and a romance with a beautiful and enigmatic woman. "In prose that glides effortlessly from scene to scene, Finch captures the fleeting time in people’s lives when their every decision, from career to lover, seems freighted with eternal consequence. Highly recommended for all collections." – Library Journal, starred review

THE ORPHAN CHOIR by Sophie Hannah
Sophie Hannah writes taut, psychological suspense novels and her latest takes domestic horror to a new level. Louise Beeston is haunted by choral music only she can hear. Hoping to find some peace, Louise convinces her husband, Stuart, to buy them a country house in an idyllic, sun-dappled community, but the new home brings her anything but that. Louise starts to suspect that this sinister choir is not only real, but a warning. But of what? “Absolutely haunting, in every sense of the word.” – Booklist

BEFORE I BURN by Gaute Heivoll
Heivoll's novel is inspired by a real-life arson spree that deeply affected him as he grew up in Norway. It's already received two starred reviews–Publishers Weekly called it, "A compulsively readable novel about identity and the increasingly blurred line between art and reality" and Booklist said, "Fans of IN COLD BLOOD and THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY will appreciate the chilling true-crime angle, while Heivoll’s dazzling prose will quickly enchant those unfamiliar with this Scandinavian writer. An absorbing story of compulsion, obsession, and the power of desire."

For more January LibraryReads title suggestions, view our collection on Edelweiss. Happy reading and happy nominating!

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Thriller Thursday (10/10/13 Edition)

Posted on October 10, 2013 by Anne Spieth

Happy #ThrillerThursday friends! There are only three weeks between now and Halloween! We're still working on our own costumes... But love being distracted by the many CAT costumes popping up everywhere -- oh, the horror!

*What is your animal wearing for Halloween? Shmackies (Talia’s big-boned 6-year-old Tortoise shell cat) will be going to the Halloween parade as herself, again.

On to our #ThrillerThursday reads!

PAGAN SPRING by G.M. Malliet
"There are certain things you want in a village mystery: a pretty setting, a tasteful murder, an appealing sleuth... Malliet delivers all that." —-Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times on WICKED AUTUMN. Indeed, Agatha Award-winner Malliet does deliver again in her third entry in the series featuring the former spy turned cleric Max Tudor. If you love Agatha Christie and Louise Penny, read this now.

DYING IS MY BUSINESS by Nicholas Kaufmann
Kaufman mashes up action, horror and suspense a la Jonathan Maberry with this story starring an immortal hitman who is thrust into a supernatural adventure that will wreak mayhem over the five boroughs of New York. (Or as it's known here, Wednesday. KIDDING!). "...this smartly told series opener by Kaufmann brings new twists to many of the standard tropes of urban fantasy." – Library Journal

APPLE TREE YARD by Louise Doughty
In the tradition of Ian McEwan's SATURDAY, APPLE TREE YARD combines serious moral dilemma with the psychological suspense and dangerous eroticism found in the blockbuster thrillers “Unfaithful” and “Fatal Attraction.” Doughty, who was shortlisted for the Orange Prize, has crafted a character whose demise is excruciating to witness and impossible to look away from.

Share what you're reading with us @MacmillanLib this #ThrillerThursday. [...]

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Tag: psychological suspense