Book Mail

3 upcoming Mystery/Suspense Releases

Happy Sunday, book friends.

I hope you’re having a fantastic weekend. I’m dropping into your inboxes today with something new and a little bit beyond the basics.

One of my favorite things to see on Bookstagram (the ‘little’ corner on Instagram where people talk books) is book mail. I enjoy adding books to my tbr and love the excitement surrounding upcoming releases. Just checkout my Goodreads ‘to read’ shelf for proof of this - Basic B's Guide on Goodreads .

Some of these books are sent my way because of influencer programs I am part of, a select few I request directly from the publisher and some that are just sent my way because I’ve been added to a list somewhere. I haven’t always receive a ton of book mail like I do now. I started like most book reviewers with a Netgalley account back in 2016 and built a platform and community on Instagram. I’m very appreciative of the free books but with free books come great responsibility!

In these book mail posts I’d like to highlight THREE books that I’m particularly excited about reading. This first round goes to the mystery and suspense genre that I just can’t seem to quit. You can find all my book mail over on my IG account but here of course I will go BEYOND the Basics.

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1. Granite Harbor by Peter Nichols - Available April 30th

   Thank you Celadon Books for the gifted copy.

   Granite Harbor *affiliate link*

   

   A small town in coastal Maine is shaken to its core by a serial killer in this crime novel from Peter Nichols, bestselling author of The Rocks
   
   In scenic Granite Harbor, life has continued on―quiet and serene―for decades. That is until a local teenager is found brutally murdered in the Settlement, the town’s historic archaeological site. Alex Brangwen, adjusting to life as a single father with a failed career as a novelist, is the town’s sole detective. This is his first murder case and, as both a parent and detective, Alex knows the people of Granite Harbor are looking to him to catch the killer and temper the fear that has descended over the town.
   
   Isabel, a single mother attempting to support her family while healing from her own demons, finds herself in the middle of the case when she begins working at the Settlement. Her son, Ethan, and Alex’s daughter, Sophie, were best friends with the victim. When a second body is found, both parents are terrified that their child may be next. As Alex and Isabel race to find the killer in their midst, the town’s secrets―past and present―begin bubbling to the surface, threatening to unravel the tight-knit community.
   
   At once a page-turning thriller and a captivating portrait of the social fabric of a small town, Granite Harbor evokes the atmosphere of HBO’s Mare of Easttown with a villain reminiscent of Thomas Harris’s Silence of the Lambs.

A small town mystery with a possible serial killer and the mention of a comp to Mare of Easttown? Say no more. My husband and I devoured the dark HBO series with Kate Winslet and if anyone has intel on season 2 then please speak up! This will be my first novel by Peter Nichols but color me intrigued. I’ve also been fairing very well with this publisher in 2024 so I’m curious to see if that trend continues.

2. The Gathering by C.J. Tudor - Available April 9th

   Thank you Random House for the gifted copy.

   The Gathering *affiliate link*

A detective investigating a grisly crime in rural Alaska finds herself caught up in the dark secrets and superstitions of a small town in this riveting novel from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man

Deadhart, Alaska. 873. Living.

In a small Alaska town, a boy is found with his throat ripped out and all the blood drained from his body. The inhabitants of Deadhart haven’t seen a killing like this in twenty-five years. But they know who’s responsible: a member of the Colony, an ostracized community of vampyrs living in an old mine settlement deep in the woods.

Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampyr killings, is called in to officially determine if this is a Colony killing—and authorize a cull. Old suspicions die hard in a town like Deadhart, but Barbara isn’t so sure. Determined to find the truth, she enlists the help of a former Deadhart sheriff, Jenson Tucker, whose investigation into the previous murder almost cost him his life. Since then, Tucker has become a recluse. But he knows the Colony better than almost anyone.

As the pair delve into the town’s history, they uncover secrets darker than they could have imagined. And then another body is found. While the snow thickens and the nights grow longer, a killer stalks Deadhart, and two disparate communities circle each other for blood. Time is running out for Atkins and Tucker to find the truth: Are they hunting a bloodthirsty monster . . . or a twisted psychopath? And which is more dangerous?

Having read and enjoyed both Chalk Man and The Drift, CJ Tudor has established some reader trust with me. I would consider the authors books to be horror lite for which I’m often a fan of. Her stories are character driven but also have a great element of suspense (often with supernatural elements). I’m also a sucker for stories about vampires for which this tale focuses on. Well vampyrs to be precise. Throw in the desolate and cold small town in Alaska and I’m thinking this may be better than the most recent season of True Detective with Jodie Foster.

3. The Father She Went to Find by Carter Wilson - Available April 2nd.

   Thank you Poisoned Press for the gifted copy.

   The Father She Went to Find *affiliate link*

   

   A road trip to find closure… or a reckless chase that could turn deadly?
   
   Penny has never met anyone smarter than her. That's par for the course when you're a savant--one of less than one hundred in the world. But despite her photographic memory and super-powered intellect, there's one mystery Penny's never been able to solve: why did her father leave when she was in a coma at age seven, and where is he now?
   
   On Penny's twenty-first birthday, she receives a card in the mail from him, just as she has every year since he left. But this birthday card is different. For the first time ever, there's a return address. And a goodbye.
   
   Penny doesn't know the world beyond her mother's house and the special school she's attended since her unusual abilities revealed themselves, but the mystery of her father's disappearance becomes her new obsession. For the first time ever she decides to leave home, to break free of everything that has kept her safe, and use her gifts to answer the questions that have always eluded her. What Penny doesn't realize is she might not be able to outsmart a world far more complicated and dangerous than she'd ever imagined...

This book cover looks like a movie poster and immediately caught my eye. This is another repeat author for me. I absolutely LOVED and highly recommend Mister Tender’s Girl (inspired by the Slender Man case) if you don’t mind horror lite. You can find my review for it here - My Goodreads review and decide for yourself. It’s been a few years since I’ve read anything by Wilson but I’m hoping for a mystery that’s a little more unique than what we’ve been getting lately (NO podcast here!).

Do any of these releases sound appealing to you? Let me know what you think about this kind of post. Would you like more glimpses into my recent book mail? Any particular genres you’re interested in? Perhaps my most recent netgalley approvals? Be sure to let me know in the comments below.

Until next time.

XOXO Basic B