Olivia Muenter is a writer and cohost of Bad on Paper, a weekly podcast about books, life, and everything in between.
Previously she was a senior fashion and beauty editor at Bustle. Olivia's work has appeared in Refinery29, HuffPost, Glamour, Philadelphia magazine, Byrdie, Apartment Therapy, and more.
Murder Bites (2026) Mimi Montgomery "I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard. This is a hilarious, warm hug of a novel - a cozy mystery that delivers razor-sharp wit alongside layered, totally singular characters. . . . The most original, refreshing novel I've read all year."
Summer's Never Over (2026) Darby Bozeman "Summer's Never Over is the perfect book to curl up with after a long day spent in the sun, when all you want to do is hide under the covers with a page-turning mystery. The atmospheric summer camp setting is a dreamy backdrop for the threads of romance and mystery that Bozeman so expertly weaves throughout the plot."
Let's Not Go Overboard Here (2026) Erica Hendry "This book is like if an Agatha Christie mystery had a baby with your favorite, funniest reality TV recap podcast. It's page-turning, laugh-out-loud suspense that somehow manages to offer a tender, stunningly rendered portrait of grief and loss. I loved it."
Harmless (2026) Miranda Shulman "At once a complex study of childhood friendships, and a simmering, deliciously dark work of suspense . . . A completely singular debut you'll want to pass along to all your friends so you can discuss."
A Good Person (2026) Kirsten King "A Good Person is a laugh-out-loud, unflinchingly sharp thriller that's unlike anything I've ever read before. An ode to unlikable female characters and the darkest, most honest parts of ourselves, this novel reads like a love letter to Amy Dunne of Gone Girl. In other words, it's my dream book. I absolutely loved it."
Paper Cut (2026) Rachel Taff "Propulsive, poignant, and laced with gorgeous prose, Paper Cut has everything I want in a thriller. It's a debut that sings with truth and sizzles with twists, forcing the reader to examine their own relationship with art and true-crime-as-entertainment. Rachel Taff is a new auto-buy author for me."
Old Money (2025) Kelsey Miller "Old Money by Kelsey Miller immediately hooked me with its lush, razor-sharp descriptions of a small town with big secrets. Immediately, I felt compelled by the main character whose commentary on her hometown is equal parts insightful and, at times, darkly funny. It's an unputdownable mystery packed with emotion and complicated, layered characters. It's a rare gem of a thriller with something to say beyond its compelling twists and turns, complete with an ending that leaves you speechless. I can't wait to read what Miller writes next."
She Used to Be Nice (2025) Alexia LaFata "Effortlessly combines unputdownable suspense, characters that feel astonishingly real, biting social commentary, and even a swoon-worthy romance. A read-in-one-sitting novel I will be thinking about for a long time to come."
Death in the Downline (2025) Maria Abrams "Equal parts entertaining and unsettling, Death in the Downline is a page-turner that expertly shines a light on the dark world of MLMs and social media. . . . This is a mystery that feels as compelling as it does timely."
