Born and raised in Santa Monica, California, Julie Clark grew up reading books on the beach while everyone else surfed. After attending college at University of the Pacific, and a brief stint working in the athletic department at University of California, Berkeley, she returned home to Santa Monica to teach. She now lives there with her two young sons and a golden doodle with poor impulse control. The Ones We Choose is her first novel.
The Gallery Assistant (2025) Kate Belli "A haunting, razor-sharp mystery set in the charged aftermath of 9/11, Kate Belli's THE GALLERY ASSISTANT is as intoxicating as the art world it explores. With an unforgettable protagonist and a plot that spirals into ever-deeper layers of intrigue, Belli crafts a haunting story about memory, truth, and the dangerous secrets hidden beneath the surface. A stunning work that lingers long after the final page."
The California Dreamers (2025) Amy Mason Doan "Magical and atmospheric, Amy Mason Doan's latest perfectly captures the California surf culture of the 1980s, a special time of sun and salt air and freedom. Equal parts mystery and family drama, The California Dreamers is, at its core, a love story to an era that no longer exists. I promise, you will devour this enchanting story."
The Vipers (2025) Katy Hays "Engrossing and sinister . . . has all the elements thriller readers love: dead bodies, deception, and betrayal. But at its core, this multi-layered story delves into the concepts of familial loyalty and generational trauma . . . a must-read for 2025!"
First Lie Wins (2024) Ashley Elston "Wildly inventive, diabolically clever....Filled with meticulously plotted details and stakes that will wholly consume you, Ashley Elston also delivers one of the most likeable, morally gray characters I've ever encountered. I devoured First Lie Wins and am now an Ashley Elston fan for life."
Midnight Is the Darkest Hour (2023) Ashley Winstead "Dark and lyrical... a compelling story about the occult, evil, and the ways religious fundamentalism can overtake reason, it's also a story about loyalty, friendship and what connects us all at our deepest roots. Once again, Ashley Winstead spins a tale that is equal parts disturbing and redemptive. (And when you're done reading, please message me so we can talk about that ending!)"
The Followers (2023) Bradeigh Godfrey "Bradeigh Godfrey hits another home run with her newest thriller The Followers. A tense reflection on social media influencers, privacy, and buried secrets, it will keep you up, turning pages, late into the night. And just like with social media, Godfrey will take what you know and turn it on its head. A devilishly fun ride!"
Wednesdays at One (2023) Sandra A Miller "A taut psychological thriller about family, friendship, and the price we pay when our mistakes come back to haunt us, you will inhale it in one gulp."
What Remains (2023) Wendy Walker "A twisted game of obsession and secrets, What Remains starts with a bang--literally--and doesn't let you go until the final, exquisite resolution. This book is Wendy Walker at her best!"
Don't Forget the Girl (2023) Rebecca McKanna "A heartbreaking story of female friendship, first love, and betrayal, Rebecca McKanna explodes onto the thriller scene with her debut, Don't Forget the Girl. Absolutely phenomenal!"
Before She Finds Me (2023) Heather Chavez "With characters that leap off the page with their flawed humanity, Heather Chavez crafts a story that is both timely and emotional. Before She Finds Me is sure to be the next big summer thriller."
The Chateau (2023) Jaclyn Goldis "With haunting clarity, Jaclyn Goldis spins a web of deceit, revenge and jealousy in the atmospheric novel THE CHATEAU . . . . Goldis creates a luxurious fantasy vacation for four old friends that quickly turns dark. Secrets are uncovered, resentments bubble to the surface, and a shocking truth is revealed...that no one is as they seem and the chateau itself might be at the center of the biggest betrayal of all. Tense and twisty, THE CHATEAU is certain to be the hot new thriller of 2023."
You Know Her (2023) Meagan Jennett "You Know Her shines a light on the many ways women shoulder the emotional burdens of the world, but in this clever and sharp novel, it's the men who pay the consequences. Incredibly dark, and with writing that drips pure emotion, You Know Her will haunt your dreams at night and have you checking over your shoulder during the day."
The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise (2023) Colleen Oakley "An absolute delight. A twenty-first century version of Bonnie and Clyde... if Bonnie were an octogenarian jewel thief on the run and Clyde her bitter 20-something caretaker. It's also a story of lifelong friendships, the (often) extra work women are saddled with, and the value of second chances. You will laugh out loud, maybe cry, but you will definitely be rooting for these strong, powerful women. Tanner and Louise will live forever in your heart and (likely) be the ones whispering for you to take that chance and risk it all."
Stone Cold Fox (2023) Rachel Koller Croft "With a unique and biting voice, Rachel Koller Croft explodes onto the thriller scene...Highly entertaining...Bea is the ultimate man-eater."
Just the Nicest Couple (2023) Mary Kubica "In Just the Nicest Couple, Mary Kubica is writing at the top of her game. She wastes no time dropping her characters into an impossible situation and then ratchets up the tension, one twist after another, until the last, shocking conclusion. Just the Nicest Couple is propulsive, addictive, and impossible to put down. But be warned: nothing - and no one - is as they seem."
Can't Look Away (2022) Carola Lovering "Get ready for rock and roll, heady nights, and the sting of unrequited love that marinates into a dangerous obsession. Can't Look Away is part love story, part domestic suspense, and Lovering weaves her characters tighter and tighter until the tension is ready to snap. You won't want to put this one down!"
And There He Kept Her (2022) (Ben Packard, book 1) Joshua Moehling "Fans of Sue Grafton are going to love And There He Kept Her. Compulsively readable, Josh Moehling has crafted a dark and complex mystery that will consume you, starring a protagonist who is equal parts quirky Milhone and steady Gamache. In the wake of a tragic loss, sheriff's deputy Ben Packard has returned to Sandy Lake, hoping to start over with a blank slate. What he finds is a town populated with eccentric characters and its own dark secrets, proving that small town life can still add up to big trouble."
First Born (2022) Will Dean "Equal parts murder mystery and psychological thriller, Will Dean dazzles with FIRST BORN. A tense, taut plot that blows through unexpected twists and turns, you won't be able to look away until the final, shattering page."
The Night Shift (2022) Alex Finlay "With an unforgettable cast of characters and a plot that races through twist after twist, Alex Finlay's explosive new thriller, The Night Shift, will grab you and not let go until the final, electrifying conclusion. I can't remember the last time I tore through a book so fast, or how many times I thought I knew what was going on only to be proven wrong yet again. You know you're in for a wild ride when one of the narrators ends up dead in the first chapter... Fans of Riley Sager and Grady Hendrix are going to LOVE this book"
Reckless Girls (2022) Rachel Hawkins "Sharp and taut with a slow burning tension that builds into an inferno, Reckless Girls takes the reader to remote Meroe Island. Beautiful, desolate, and sinister, six friends must grapple with secrets uncovered, guilt and grief, and a desperate fight to survive. Reckless Girls is a thriller worth staying up all night to finish."
The Other Me (2021) Sarah Zachrich Jeng "Mind bending and emotional...a taut psychological thriller with a twisted question at its core: Would you be willing to lose a life you love in order to gain something you thought was lost forever?"
Take What You Can Carry (2021) Gian Sardar "With lush, vivid settings, Take What You Can Carry is a story of love and family, and of the heartbreaking power of returning home to the place that knows you best."
The Next Wife (2021) Kaira Rouda "Rouda’s talent for making readers question everything and everyone shines through on every page of her propulsive new thriller The Next Wife. Her narrators are sharp and unpredictable, each one with a tangle of secrets to unravel. The Next Wife will leave you tense and gasping, with a chilling twist you won’t see coming."
The Dead Husband (2021) Carter Wilson "How far would you go to protect the ones you love? Rose Yates has come home to a house and a family she'd rather forget. But what waits for her there isn't the closure she's been hoping for. Instead, her past hides in the dark corners and recesses of her mind, ready to spring out at her. Carter Wilson's writing is evocative and tense, his characters deeply flawed yet relatable. In THE DEAD HUSBAND, he weaves a story of a woman running from her past and the detective determined to uncover her secrets."
Are We There Yet? (2021) Kathleen West "Kathleen West’s latest novel, Are We There Yet, brilliantly portrays the angst, the pain, and the triumph of modern day parenting. But this book is about more than hyper-competitive parenting. It’s about friendships and betrayals. It’s about how we handle failure and the many ways we let those we love down, and then put the pieces back together again. Are We There Yet perfectly captures the friendships we form when our children are little, and the often painful ways they shift and change as our kids grow up and into their own identities. I fell head-first into this novel and I didn’t want to leave."
Not My Boy (2021) Kelly Simmons "A missing child, a family with multiple secrets, and a cast of characters that are complicated and fully realized...Not My Boy lands the reader in the middle of a mystery that is propulsive and impossible to put down."
Rachel Ryan "You never know when the secrets of your past will rise up and find you again. Rachel Ryan shines in this creepy and chilling debut . . . You will fly through the pages of this tense and fast-paced story, and the giant twist at the end will leave your heart pounding."
