STACY WILLINGHAM, author of A Flicker in the Dark, worked as a copywriter and brand strategist for various marketing agencies before deciding to write fiction full time. She earned her BA in Magazine Journalism from the University of Georgia and MFA in Writing from the Savannah College of Art & Design. She currently lives in Charleston, SC with her husband, Britt, and Labradoodle, Mako.
Night Objects (2026) Eli Raphael "Night Objects is one of those rare novels that is somehow both a bingeable mystery and a literary work of art, and the fact that it's a debut makes it all the more impressive. I savored every sentence. As soon as I started reading, I knew I wouldn't be able to put it down. I'm already looking forward to whatever she writes next."
Pinky Swear (2026) Danielle Girard "Pinky Swear delivers a thrilling game of cat and mouse, blurring the lines between friendship and family and creating the kind of high-stakes tension that keeps the pages continually turning. You will genuinely feel for these characters, even when you're unsure of which ones you can trust."
Here Lie All the Boys That Broke My Heart (2026) Emma Simmerman "As bingeable as your favorite Netflix series, Emma Simmerman has managed to spin a story that is both spicy and suspenseful, mixed with humor and heart. Chock-full of witty banter, a messy protagonist you can't help but root for, and an intriguing mystery at the center of it all, HERE LIE ALL THE BOYS WHO BROKE MY HEART is one seriously entertaining debut."
Too Old For This (2025) Samantha Downing "Samantha Downing's signature dark humor is cranked up to one hundred in TOO OLD FOR THIS, a whip smart story about a geriatric serial killer who simply wants to settle down. Walker-wielding Lottie Jones is as twisted as they come, and I, for one, will never underestimate the elderly again."
Our Last Resort (2025) Clémence Michallon "A tale of childhood survival wrapped around a psychological whodunnit, Our Last Resort is a taut and twisty exploration of how far we might go to save the people we love the most. Clemence Michallon is the real deal; from her nuanced characters to her hypnotic prose, readers who enjoyed her dazzling debut will be delighted to find that her sophomore novel packs the same powerful punch."
We Don't Talk About Carol (2025) Kristen L Berry "So much more than your typical missing person story, We Don't Talk About Carol is a twisting mystery spanning six decades, as well as a stark reminder of the disproportionate treatment given to missing Black girls by the media. Kristen L. Berry has managed to weave such an elaborate web of thematic threads that when you take a step back to admire the full picture, it's a pretty wondrous thing to behold. A fantastic debut."
The Ascent (2025) Allison Buccola "A knife-sharp look into the psyche of a cult survivor who hasn't come to terms with the events of her past, this is a triumph of a book. Poignant and twisty, layered and tense, I was obsessed with knowing how all the loose threads inevitably tied together in the end."
Red River Road (2024) Anna Downes "A truly terrifying and topical tale about the potential perils of solo travel, Red River Road will take readers on the road trip of their lives. Anna Downes surprised me at every dark and winding turn--I loved this book."
A Talent for Murder (2024) (Henry Kimball, book 3) Peter Swanson "Peter Swanson has such a knack for getting readers to root for the most complicated characters, and A Talent for Murder is no exception. This time, Lily Kintner is back with another game of cat-and-mouse as she helps her long-lost friend determine if her husband is a serial killer. The stakes are high, the body count is higher, and yet I would still follow Lily anywhere."
Midnight Is the Darkest Hour (2023) Ashley Winstead "A gothic tale that blurs the line between good and evil, love and revenge, and the inherent desire to please our parents while simultaneously struggling to find ourselves. Midnight is the Darkest Hour is unique and unnerving from beginning to end."
Cutting Teeth (2023) Chandler Baker "Cutting Teeth may be Chandler Baker's boldest book yet. A razor-sharp, biting social commentary on motherhood that is equal parts scary and satirical, thrilling and thought-provoking, that begs the question: how far is too far when it comes to taking care of your kids? You'll sink your teeth into it."
The Drowning Woman (2023) Robyn Harding "Every time I thought I knew where this story was going, it swerved in a wholly unexpected direction. A thought-provoking depiction of two seemingly opposite women who learn, in the face of danger, that they are more alike than they could have ever imagined, The Drowning Woman is masterpiece of misdirection, double meaning, and carefully placed clues. Robyn Harding made me believe that I had found my footing multiple times before pulling the rug straight out from beneath me. Brava."
Out of the Ashes (2023) Kara Thomas "This story simply engulfed me. I didn't trust a single seedy character that Samantha Newsom came in contact with while on her quest to unearth, after twenty-two years, who was responsible for murdering her entire family and setting their Catskills farmhouse aflame. Out of the Ashes is gritty, raw, and chock-full of tension as suffocating as the tiny town of Carney itself."
The Lost Kings (2022) Tyrell Johnson "The Lost Kings is one of those rare books that leaves you feeling conflicted: I couldn't put it down, but at the same time, I didn't want it to end. With writing that pulls you in and a story and characters that make you want to stay, it's compulsively readable from the first page to the last."
