Summer is right around the corner, and that means it’s time to think about the books in your beach bag.With the vaccine hitting many Americans’ arms just in time for summer vacation, books are going to be flying off the shelves faster than you’re flying to Florida. Additionally, with some libraries still operating at lower capacity due to the pandemic, your wish list might be harder to fulfill. Good news for my fellow bookworms, I’ve made a list of the best books to add to your Amazon shopping cart before summer kicks off.
My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
Dubbed “Dexter meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” My Lovely Wife follows a married couple who have a devilish secret to keeping their marriage alive… murder. “Tobias” and Millicent are the ideal suburban couple: he’s a tennis pro and she’s a real estate agent. They live a traditional American lifestyle with two kids and normal problems, like getting away with murder.
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
Lila Macapagal recently moved home and has taken over her Tita Rosie’s failing restaurant. Everything at the restaurant seems to be running smoothly until a food critic (who happens to be Lila’s ex) drops dead. Lila becomes the prime suspect, but she is determined to clear her name. With the help of her aunties and her best friend, Lila takes the investigation into her own hands, but it could be at the expense of her life.
The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
There is one rule at Blackheath Manor: Evelyn Hardcastle will die at 11 p.m. every day until Aiden Bishop can identify her killer. The one problem: Aiden wakes up in a different body every day and some of his hosts are more helpful than others. It’s a case of Groundhog Day at the crumbling mansion and Aiden is the only one who can break the cycle.
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Journalist Lo Blacklock has been trying to prove herself at her travel magazine for years. She finally gets the chance when she is asked to write a story about a luxury cruise on the North Sea. Lo is mesmerized by the experience, until one night the unthinkable happens: she witnesses a woman being thrown overboard. However, all of the passengers are accounted for and, despite Lo’s protests, the ship continues on its course leaving Lo to question what she really saw that night.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Alicia Berenson and her husband, Gabriel, have the perfect life… or so it seems. Alicia is a famous painter living in a grand house in London. But one evening her husband comes home and Alicia shoots him five times and then never says another word. Her notoriety as the silent patient causes her art sales to skyrocket. Theo Faber, a criminal psychotherapist, makes Alicia his personal project. He has waited a long time to work with her and is determined to make her speak to unravel the mystery behind that terrible night. But as the story untangles itself so do Theo’s motivations as his work threatens to consume his life.
Final Girls by Riley Sager
Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter took a trip with five friends to Pine Cottage, a cabin in the woods. The trip quickly became one out of a horror movie as Quincey’s friends were murdered in what the media called the Pine Cottage Massacres. Quincy left Pine Cottage alone, only to join a new group: The Final Girls. Lisa, Sam and Quincy have all survived similar tragedies, but despite this, they have never met. Until Lisa is found dead in her bathtub and Sam shows up on Quincy’s doorstep. Quincy, who can’t even remember the night at Pine Cottage, has her life turned upside-down, once again, when Sam tries to make her relive that fateful night. When more information is revealed about Lisa’s death, Quincy has to race against time as she tries to unravel Sam’s web of lies and evade the police and hungry reporters.
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
Anna Fox lives alone in her New York City home. She suffers from agoraphobia and spends her days recalling happier times, drinking a little too much wine and spying on the neighbors. However, her spying goes too far when the Russells move in across the street. One night while Anna is gazing out the window, she sees something happening in the Russells home that she wasn’t meant to. Jane Russell being stabbed. Now her world begins to crumble as she tries to make sense of what is real and what is imagined.
Make sure to pick up The Woman in the Window before it hits Netflix on May 14.
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
A group of friends heads to a beautiful estate in the Scottish Highlands to ring in the New Year, a tradition they started 10 years ago as students at Oxford. They arrive on December 30 and by New Year’s Day, one of them is dead. The trip began as they all do, champagne toasts by the fire and reminiscing. However, as a blizzard rolls in, shutting them off from the world, new secrets are revealed and friendships are tested. Now one of them is dead … and another of them did it.
The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
Thursday’s husband Seth has two other wives. He reserves Thursdays for her and splits the rest of the week with the other women. Thursday only agreed to this agreement because she is madly in love with Seth. However, with so many other days in the week, curiosity gets the better of her. Despite Seth’s rules to not speak with the other wives, Thursday befriends the youngest wife. Through this friendship, she learns new things about her husband that force her to question who he is and how far she will go to learn the truth.
The Other Woman by Sandie Jones
Emily thinks Adam is perfect, and Adam loves Emily. However, Adam’s mother, Pammie, is not Emily’s biggest fan. Pammie shares a deep bond with her son, and Emily is about to find out how far Pammie will go to get what she wants: Emily gone forever.
Looking for something new? Use this link to get your first Book of the Month book for only $5!
Editor's Note: I participate in various affiliate marketing programs, which means I may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through links to retailer sites.