Janelle Brown is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist. Having spent four years as a senior writer at Salon, she currently writes for the New York Times and Vogue, amongst others.
The Ghostwriter (2025) Julie Clark "Once again, Julie Clark is the queen of the twist. Intricately layered and full of emotional complexity, The Ghostwriter throws you in the deep end and keeps you there until the very last page. It left me breathless."
The Compound (2025) Aisling Rawle "Riveting and deeply unsettling . . . Aisling Rawle has written a book for our times: I flew through it and kept thinking about it long after the last page."
The Ones We Love (2025) Anna Snoekstra "The Ones We Love is a thriller that's so much more than a page-turner -- although it's certainly that, too! This is a book that's about the meaning of family, and the bonds that connect us even as we drift apart. Anna Snoekstra has written a gripping and emotional story that's full of surprises."
Vantage Point (2025) Sara Sligar "Vantage Point is a thriller for our times, where politics meets paranoia, and technology turns into terror. Sara Sligar has tapped into our most contemporary fears and turned them into a feast of a story. I devoured this book."
Like Mother, Like Daughter (2024) Kimberly McCreight "Once again, Kimberly McCreight has assembled a dizzyingly delicious page turner. But Like Mother, Like Daughter isn't just a twisty mystery; it's also an exploration of the family dynamics that we can't quite quit, no matter how hard we might try. Perfect for the beach or the book club!"
When the World Goes Quiet (2024) Gian Sardar "When the World Goes Quiet is a gripping page-turner about the moral compromises of life in a war zone, but it's also a delicate tapestry that captures how love and art can keep us alive inside devastation. Gian Sardar always writes with great lyrical beauty and emotional acuity, and this book is no exception. I loved it."
Distant Sons (2023) Tim Johnston "Distant Sons is a mystery about a serial killer, yes, but it's also not that at all: It's a heartbreaking story about family, failure, and the fallout from violence. Tim Johnston has crafted a riveting novel that takes us into struggling blue collar America, and locates the hope hidden inside devastating loss. A beautiful book."
Time's Mouth (2023) Edan Lepucki "Stunningly original and deeply human, Time's Mouth is one of those books that's impossible not to love. It's a little magical, a little emotional, but most of all a meditation on loss and longing and the search for meaning in an inexplicable universe. I'm an Edan Lepucki fan, and this is her best book yet."
The Hurricane Blonde (2023) Halley Sutton "Sexy, twisted and dark, The Hurricane Blonde is both a gripping thriller and a scathing indictment of the industry of celebrity. Halley Sutton nails modern Hollywood Noir."
Happiness Falls (2023) Angie Kim "[A] rare book that can change your entire outlook on the world."
The Puzzle Master (2023) (Mike Brink, book 1) Danielle Trussoni "The Puzzle Master is a riveting, beautifully layered, fast-paced page-turner. You'll want to clear your calendar for this one."
The Pink Hotel (2022) Liska Jacobs "Heady and dark and dangerous, The Pink Hotel is an intoxicating binge of a book. Liska Jacobs's stunning indictment of a society teetering toward apocalypse is one you won't easily forget."
Acts of Violet (2022) Margarita Montimore "Montimore has once again concocted a story that's wildly imaginative, wholly original, and clever as hell. This novel is as mischievous and mysterious as its magical protagonist--and yet, at its heart, a touchingly sincere look at the meaning of sisterly love."
The Lioness (2022) Chris Bohjalian "The Lioness is a superb novel, satisfying on every level. Chris Bohjalian has managed a high wire act: A story that is simultaneously a thrilling page-turner, a thoughtful political history, a gripping safari adventure, and a nuanced character portrait. Jumping back and forth between the gimlet glitter of Hollywood and the violent upheavals of midcentury Africa, The Lioness is a whirlwind of a journey. I devoured it."
The Unsinkable Greta James (2022) Jennifer E Smith "Thoughtful and tender and true, The Unsinkable Greta James perfectly captures the messiness of loving and being loved. Smith has written a gripping relationship story that's also a perceptive exploration of what it means to dream. I devoured it."
The Drowning Kind (2021) Jennifer McMahon "The Drowning Kind is satisfying on every level: Marvelously chilling, elegantly written, a true page-turner. I couldn’t wait to get to the end; I also wanted to savor every page. Jennifer McMahon is a master of mood."
The Wolf Wants In (2019) Laura McHugh "A perfect thriller . . . a thoughtful commentary on America’s opioid crisis and an utterly satisfying mystery."
The Lost Night (2019) Andrea Bartz "If The Girl on the Train had been a Brooklyn party kid, she'd feel right at home in The Lost Night A juicy thriller wrapped up in a vivid nostalgia trip."
Girls' Night Out (2018) Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke "Lisa Steinke and Liz Fenton have conjured up the tropical vacation of your nightmares. After reading the unsettling Girls’ Night Out, you’ll never look at a tequila shot the same way again."
The Banker's Wife (2018) Cristina Alger "Cristina Alger's ripped-from-the-headlines thriller is a fascinating glimpse into the mysterious world of billionaire banking, and kept me guessing until the very last page. I couldn't tear myself away."
The High Season (2018) Judy Blundell "Sharply observed and beautifully written, The High Season is like a cold martini on a hot summer night: refreshing and intoxicating at the same time."
The Ghost of Greenwich Village (2011) Lorna Graham "Lorna Graham's novel is charming, a sweet and whimsical romp through a magical Manhattan. I would love to live in her Greenwich Village, both past and present."
