Julia Heaberlin is the internationally bestselling author of Black-Eyed Susans as well as two other psychological thrillers, Lie Still and Playing Dead. She is an award-winning journalist who has worked at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Detroit News and The Dallas Morning News. She has edited numerous real-life murder mysteries, including a series on the perplexing and tragic deaths of girls buried in the Mexican desert. She lives with her husband and son in Texas where she is at work on her next novel.
The Great Mann (2025) Kyra Davis Lurie "Davis Lurie has pulled off a masterpiece in this profound and deeply human retelling of a time and place in 1940s Los Angeles where the Black elite explored life, love, art, and identity."
The Ascent (2025) Allison Buccola "I've always been a hard-core fan of Allison Buccola, and The Ascent takes me over the top with one of the most cleverly executed and original thriller plots I've read in a long time. Buccola's delicate writing is masterfully sneaky - her soulful young protagonist is holding your hand in the dark, then snatches it away as you race to the twisty conclusion."
The Autumn of Ruth Winters (2024) Marshall Fine "A delightfully shrewd and entertaining novel with an aging, quirky heroine who reminds us that some of life's most profound turns can be at the end of the roller coaster. I fell in love with Ruth Winters and think you will too."
Everyone is Watching (2024) Heather Gudenkauf "Heather Gudenkauf manages to smash it out of the park every time. Everyone Is Watching has the delicious ingredients of a stay-up-all-night-and-finish thriller: a do-or-die reality show, a cast of disturbing characters, and a drumbeat that starts pounding on page one. If you need an escape from reality, this is the book to grab."
The Young of Other Animals (2024) Chris Cander "Several dark and twisty rivers run through Chris Cander's latest engrossing novel - a compelling crime mystery, a deft exploration of flawed mother-daughter relationships, and an intimate view of violent childhood trauma. The Young of Other Animals delivers as a suspense novel and as an homage to the resilience of female relationships."
I Did It For You (2023) Amy Engel "I love diving into an Amy Engel novel, and I Did It For You is no exception. If you're looking for an engrossing thriller, this one ticks off all the boxes: sleek writing, insight into the complexity of terrible crimes, and a plot that will keep you guessing and turning 'just one more page' late into the night."
The Things We Do to Our Friends (2023) Heather Darwent "One of the best suspense debuts I've read in years . . . Heather Darwent delivers one artful tease after another until you are completely lost in this labyrinth of clever women and obsessive friendship."
A Small Affair (2022) Flora Collins "Unsettling, compelling-a slick, contemporary novel that explores the dark side of relationships and the unrelenting desire to be loved."
Fan Club (2021) Erin Mayer "Mayer lays bare the terrible destiny of a society obsessed with social media stalking and celebrity relationships."
Three Days Missing (2018) Kimberly Belle "Three Days Missing is a highly entertaining thriller with crisp writing, believable characters, and a plot that delivers... I almost swallowed this book in one sitting."
Our Kind of Cruelty (2018) Araminta Hall "A taut, fascinating psychological thriller. Original and powerful. Be prepared for questions to linger in your head for a long time afterward."
Need to Know (2018) Karen Cleveland "First word to last, I needed to know! Karen Cleveland's spy thriller about a wife, mother and CIA analyst on the prowl for a Russian cell is a timely dance of intrigue and deception. There are two female heroes here . . . the author, an actual CIA analyst, and the terrific protagonist she creates. One of my favourite espionage thrillers in a long time."
The Innocent Wife (2017) Amy Lloyd "If you're an addict of true crime documentaries, you will binge all night on The Innocent Wife. In this breathless, pounding ride, Amy Lloyd keeps us guessing about a convicted killer thrust into the world as innocent online hero and the woman who begins to reluctantly dig into his murky past."
The Stolen Child (2017) Sanjida Kay "Haunting and real... Sanjida Kay deftly explores dangerous, unthinkable questions as a mother fights an invisible force for the adopted child who is her own."
Blue Light Yokohama (2017) (Inspector Iwata, book 1) Nicolás Obregón "A twisty, highly entertaining thriller that pulls us into the heart of an unconventional hero as he fights corruption in the gritty, glittering world of Tokyo."
Sirens (2017) (Aidan Waits, book 1) Joseph Knox "Sirens immediately feels like a classic, not a debut . . . a book for every crime fan."
