Amy, Rosie, and Steve are back, and Richard Osman gives his We Solve Murders detectives another wonderfully complicated case in We Chase Shadows. It begins with a body on the steps of an Italian villa and a threatening note, but the investigation quickly expands across countries and a growing list of suspects. Osman’s particular strength is making murder genuinely fun to read, balancing clever plotting with the easy chemistry of his amateur sleuths. The globe-trotting setting adds extra sparkle, while the mystery keeps enough surprises in reserve to maintain momentum. Charming, funny, and satisfyingly twisty, We Chase Shadows is a delightful return for Osman’s crime-solving trio.
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One golf swing changes everything in The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian. In 1978, eighteen-year-old golf prodigy Mira Winston accidentally kills a teenage caddy when her ball tears through a practice net. What initially appears to be a devastating accident becomes far more complicated as investigators examine Mira’s history, her relationship with a much older married man, and the secrets surrounding the people involved. Bohjalian uses the courtroom setting to steadily peel back layers of this seemingly privileged community, creating suspense from both what happened and what might have been hidden. The result is an absorbing thriller about consequence, judgment, and how quickly one terrible moment can reshape an entire life.
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Imagine arriving at a remote Scottish island hoping to find your missing sister, only to discover that the place may actually be changing you. That’s the deliciously unsettling premise of The Wellness Retreat by Dawn Kurtagich. Jaimie Vane travels to Saoghal Spa after her sister Sybil stops responding to messages, but the retreat’s miraculous treatments soon become impossible to dismiss. Kurtagich makes the island itself feel like a character, surrounding Jaimie with black sand, mysterious mud treatments, wealthy guests, and a glamorous founder who promises renewal. The deeper Jaimie gets into Saoghal’s world, the harder it becomes to separate healing from horror. Atmospheric and creepy, this is wellness culture with a very sinister edge.
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Who is telling the truth? That question hangs over Witch Trial by Harriet Tyce from the opening pages, when eighteen-year-old Christian Shaw is found dead and her best friends, Eliza Lawson and Isobel Smyth, are accused of murder. The resulting trial becomes a media spectacle, but jury member Matthew Phillips is increasingly unsettled by what he hears and sees. Then come the visions. Tyce, who previously worked as a criminal barrister, brings an intriguing legal perspective to a story that mixes courtroom suspense with occult unease. The result is an unpredictable mystery that keeps shifting the reader’s understanding of the evidence, the witnesses, and even what can be considered real.
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A secluded luxury hotel. A blizzard. A suspicious group of guests. And, naturally, a dead body. Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley and Agatha Christie has all the ingredients of a classic locked-room mystery, while giving Miss Marple a fresh new adventure in the Swiss Alps. Set in 1950, the story brings the beloved sleuth into a colorful cast that includes an actress, politician, society wife, doctor, and even a group of skiing nuns. Foley captures the pleasures of a traditional Christie mystery while adding her own flair for atmosphere and ensemble casts. With the storm cutting off every escape route, the suspense builds beautifully as Miss Marple searches for the killer before there’s another victim.
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