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Chills and thrills abound in this week's mystery and thriller new books and news.

Jamie Canaves

July 19, 2024

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Before I dive into your bi-weekly mystery goodness that includes new releases, news, and true crime set in India and Japan, I thought I’d chat a bit about my recent reading. When you take a thing that you love, and it becomes your job, it sometimes dulls the joy from it. I ended last year having been frustrated more than I wanted to with reading.

So I made a bunch of changes in my reading life this year which have all turned out great so far. Two were related specifically to mysteries. The first was that I reread Gone Girl ( thoughts here). The second was that every time I stare at my TBR too long without picking anything (think endless scrolling on a streamer instead of watching something) I pick up the next letter in Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone series. I’m up to F is for Fugitive, and I’m really enjoying getting to read solid PI mysteries that focus on following one case, beginning to end.

Bookish Goods

a tote bag with a line drawing of baker street building that says S. Holmes Detective Agency

Holmes Detective Tote Bag by GrindRoyale

A nice tote for Sherlock fans. Bonus: natural or black bag color option. ($18)

New Releases

The Expat by Hansen Shi

For fans of corporate espionage!

Princeton graduate Michael Wang is working on self-driving technology at General Motors, but he is unsatisfied with life. Enter Vivian, who wants to poach him for a new business in Beijing where he’ll be the VP. If he knew he was in a thriller, then he would know that too-good-to-be-true offers come with strings: he has to steal GM software. Michael doesn’t hesitate because this is a dream job but once he moves and starts his new job, things aren’t what they seem.

Our Kind of Game by Johanna Copeland

For fans of suspense authored by attorneys and dual storylines.

In 1987 Julie Wait’s mission is to become a cheerleader and escape the terrible men orbiting her widowed mother.

In 2019, Stella Parker gives up her law career to raise her kids in the suburbs. But her life is suddenly endangered when a neighbor accidentally drops her phone, and Parker fears her secrets may come to light.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Here are two true crime books set outside of the United States that look at, among many things, different legal systems.

The Good Girls: An Ordinary Killing by Sonia Faleiro

2014 Katra Sadatganj, India

Padma and Lalli grew up in a village in western Uttar Pradesh, and after disappearing in 2014, they were found dead. Faleiro takes us into Padma and Lalli’s lives, the town, India’s legal system, the caste system, and even looks at the way this case was reported around the world.

The audiobook is narrated by the author, which I recommend.

Trigger warnings for mentions of a gang rape case, details about murder and suicide, brief discussion of infanticide, and discussions about violent cases and history.

People Who Eat Darkness Richard Lloyd Parry Cover

People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry

2000 Tokyo, Japan

Lucie Blackman was a young British woman who disappeared while working in Japan as a hostess. Parry takes you through Lucie’s family, flying to Japan to get answers. It includes excerpts from Lucie’s diary, looks into some aspects of Japanese culture and history involving the racist treatment of Koreans in Japan, and shows the investigation and trial—which went a bit sideways from what Japanese courts were accustomed to.

Trigger warnings for incest, rape, torture, suicide attempt, and self-harm.

News and Roundups

Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’s previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2024 releases and mysteries from 2023. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations!

Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

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