Halley Sutton is a writer and editor who lives in Los Angeles. She is a Pitch Wars mentor and holds a bachelor's degree in creative writing from the University of California Santa Cruz, and a master's degree in writing from Otis College of Art and Design. The Lady Upstairs is her debut novel.
History Lessons (2025) Zoe B Wallbrook "Daphne Ouverture is a total badass - a smart-as-a-whip faculty member by day, amateur sleuth by night, and exactly the heroine we need right now. Wallbrook winningly tackles everything from racism and harassment in the ivory tower to prison abolitionism - all while crafting a sharp, twisty, deeply enjoyable mystery. I cannot wait for Daphne's return."
Nightswimming (2025) (Jamie Palmieri Mystery, book 1) Melanie Anagnos "Nightswimming is my favorite kind of crime novel-rich, character-driven crime that drops me right into the action. Melanie Anagnos beautifully conjures a 1970s Paterson, New Jersey that feels so lived in, I practically teleported. This is just the best kind of noir-a crime as complex and relevant today as it ever was, a world where one good man can still make a difference. I cannot wait to dive back into the world of Jamie Palmieri!"
Glitter in the Dark (2025) (Ginny Dugan Mystery, book 1) Olesya Lyuzna "What Taylor Jenkins Reid did for Old Hollywood with her indomitable Evelyn Hugo, Olesya Lyuzna does for the irrepressible Ginny Dugan in Glitter in the Dark. Ginny is my favorite kind of heroine-a smart woman with a good heart who makes plenty of bad decisions-and I hope she's back for 20 more books! Lyuzna's prose is razor-sharp, and she immerses the reader in Roaring '20s New York, full of hot jazz, Ziegfeld stunners, and murder most foul. I can't remember the last time I was this excited about a debut!"
This Book Will Bury Me (2025) Ashley Winstead "Ashley Winstead, the clever queen of millennial thrillers, has written a ripped-from-the-true-crime headlines book that will stand the test of time. This Book Will Bury Me is my absolute favorite kind of thriller: compulsively readable, a fiendishly brilliant whodunnit, and a whip smart commentary on the industry of true crime. It's also a love letter to that greatest mystery of all: navigating the unknowable pockets buried deep in the hearts of the ones we love most. I laughed, I cried, I lost sleep, and I wanted to start reading it all over again as soon as I finished. Listen up, fans of My Favorite Murder: Ashley Winstead never misses!"
Cross My Heart (2025) Megan Collins "Cross My Heart is a smart-as-a-whip thriller: electric, original, juicy, and full of clever twists and turns. Rosie Lachlan gives major Joe Goldberg vibes in the BEST way - an unhinged heroine fixated on love, with a big heart and an even bigger edge to her. Megan Collins is a master of suspense, with the ability to balance a page-turning plot with absolutely sparkling prose - I am in awe."
Society of Lies (2024) Lauren Ling Brown "Filled with secrets and collegiate scandals, Lauren Ling Brown's Society of Lies takes a deep dive into the darkest side of power - the compromises we make to acquire it, the way it warps us, and what it can take from us. I loved this twisty dark academia thriller!"
It Will Only Hurt for a Moment (2024) Delilah S Dawson "It Will Only Hurt for a Moment is a gloriously creepy and atmospheric horror thriller that smashes the patriarchy from beyond the grave."
The Hitchcock Hotel (2024) Stephanie Wrobel "The Hitchcock Hotel is the perfect fall read: atmospheric, spooky, with so many twists and turns that even Hitchcock himself would've been on the edge of his seat. And like the best of Hitchcock, Stephanie Wrobel's masterful psychological suspense keeps the 'terror in the anticipation of the bang' until the very last second."
It Had to Be You (2024) Eliza Jane Brazier "With all the sexy romance of Before Sunrise, plus the twisty, cat and mouse fun of Killing Eve, It Had to Be You is the perfect steamy summer thriller. I had so much fun following Eliza Jane Brazier's fun, sexy assassins all over Europe, I never wanted it to end. This book will get your pulse racing--for more than one reason."
Bodies to Die For (2024) Lori Brand "Bodies to Die For is a wild, twisty romp through the world of bodybuilding and murder. Brand does an excellent job of showing how diet culture really is hell--no matter the size of your body. A perfect thriller for any readers looking for Ruth Ware meets the podcast Maintenance Phase."
Hurt for Me (2024) Heather Levy "Hurt for Me is a steamy thrill ride with something for everyone: a dark, sexy romance, an exploration into the world of BDSM, a sharp, twisty thriller, and a hopeful exploration of the joy and power of chosen family. Rae Dixon is a heroine to root for!"
California Bear (2024) Duane Swierczynski "With all the wit and style of Elmore Leonard, but way more heart, California Bear is a can't-put-it-down caper, an incisive look at the dark side of true crime 'entertainment,' and a beautifully moving story of a family in crisis learning exactly how far they'll go for each other, all in one. I can't wait to see more of Jack and especially Matilda, who is the kickass twenty-first century successor to Philip Marlowe Los Angeles crime fiction needs. I loved this book!"
Close Enough to Hurt (2023) Katherine A Olson "Close Enough to Hurt is a steamy, sexy debut thriller, sharp as a knife's edge and a rollicking good time. Dylan is a wickedly wonderful protagonist to spend time with - sharp, laugh-out-loud funny, and brave - honestly, we need more like her, both in fiction and real life! I can't wait to read Katherine A. Olson's next book!"
The Night It Ended (2023) Katie Garner "Katie Garner's debut novel is a chilly, twisty ride--think dark academia meets Gillian Flynn. The Night It Ended is both a brooding Gothic mystery set at a boarding school for wayward girls and a jittery domestic thriller and just when you think you've got a handle on the story, Garner pulls the rug out from under you. I couldn't put it down."
Above the Rain (2021) Víctor del Árbol "A sweeping and devastating historical novel, full of suspense, Del Árbol's Above the Rain is a masterclass in the way that trauma is reinforced and repeated throughout generations, with deadly consequences. In Del Árbol's noir-inflected masterpiece, the past is always present, the political is always personal, and love, however fleeting, is the only redeeming grace. I loved every moment of it."
The War Widow (2019) (Billie Walker Mystery, book 1) Tara Moss "Tara Moss's The War Widow is an excellent novel and an even better springboard for its crackerjack heroine: the indomitable Billie Walker. Like a harder-boiled Phryne Fisher meets Martha Gellhorn, Billie is the best kind of heroine: fun, flawed, smart, feminist, and feisty. Even down the darkest of paths—including but not limited to Nazi war profiteers, shady mobsters, cops on the take, and more—Billie is a beacon of light, never losing her sense of justice, or her enjoyment in life (and a good coupe of champagne!). Honestly, I'd follow Billie anywhere."
