Fall's Upcoming Mysteries and Thrillers

As the weather starts to cool off, it's time to think about this fall's upcoming book releases. I'm thinking of a specific genre we all tend to gravitate toward this time of year: mysteries/thrillers. If you're looking forward to fuzzy blankets and baking cookies as much as me, let's see this fall's most anticipated mystery/thrillers.

1. Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon

If you enjoy a bit of comedic relief in your mysteries, you'll love Mother-Daughter Murder Night! A grandmother, mother, and granddaughter come together to try and solve a murder in their California hometown. The teenage granddaughter, Jack, stumbles on a dead body and becomes the lead suspect in a homicide investigation. These women work together to find the real murderer, and they discover more about their family and town. I'm not sure about you, but just the title was enticing enough for me! This will be Nina Simon's debut novel, and it was just released on September 5th, 2023.

2. 23 ½ Lies by James Patterson

What kind of a mystery/thriller list is complete without a James Patterson novel? However, it appears that 23 ½ Lies will be three thrillers in one: 23 ½ Lies, Fallen Ranger, and Watch Your Back. This collection is part of the Women's Murder Club series, which Patterson has been writing since 2001. The first in this collection is about Lindsay Boxer investigating the gruesome murder of her father. The second is about Rory Yates, a Texas Ranger, who faces a real test of loyalty when a robbery suspect may also be a Ranger. Lastly, the third story in this collection focuses on an artist who is paid to blackmail and expose his client's promiscuous wife. This collection is expected to be released on September 12th, 2023.

3. Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

For those of you who are always up to date on the latest true crime, this one's for you. Bright Young Women was inspired by Ted Bundy's serial killing in the late 1970s. Taking place both at Florida State University's terrorized sorority and in Seattle, this novel focuses on the women who search for answers. Usually when we read about true crime, the media focuses on the serial killer themselves but not the victims. This story attempts to show a new narrative by highlighting the women who wanted to find answers and avenge the deaths of their friends and sisters. The author, Jessica Knoll, has two New York Times Bestselling novels so far: The Favorite Sister and Luckiest Girl Alive. Her third novel, Bright Young Women, will be released on September 19th, 2023.

4. The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman

This is the fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series. Although you can read it without much background context, you should probably read the others in the series first. After the murder of an old friend of the Thursday Murder Club, they realize that a dangerous package he had suddenly went missing. The Thursday Murder Club is on it, eager to solve the murder of their friend and fight to survive the underworld of fraud and illegal trading. This novel is more than just a mystery but deals with serious topics, friendship, and even comic relief. If you're looking for a cozy mystery, The Last Devil to Die will be released on September 19th, 2023.

5. Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead

All fans of Southern gothic thrillers, here you go! Author Ashley Winstead has written a novel about a small town in Louisiana which is haunted by a killer, and only the preacher's daughter and a bad-boy are able to uncover the truth. Not only is this a thriller, but Midnight is the Darkest Hour touches on themes of romance, obsession, religion, and monsters within. Unexpectedly, a librarian and one of her old friends with a bad past come together to solve mysterious murders of the legendary Low Man. Like in Winstead's other novels, The Last Housewife and In My Dreams I Hold a Knife, there is an element of darkness and power about what human beings are truly capable of. Midnight is the Darkest Hour will be released on October 3rd, 2023.

6. The Exchange: After the Firm by John Grisham

If you're anything like me, you love a fast-paced legal thriller... I'm still working through some of the classics, and I'm actually about to start The Firm by John Grisham right now. This novel comes 32 years after The Firm, which makes it Grisham's official sequel. The Exchange focuses on Mitch McDeere and what happened after they fled the country at the end of The Firm. Mitch and his wife Abby now live in Manhattan, where Mitch works as a partner at one of the biggest law firms in the world. When one of Mitch's mentors asks him for a favor, Mitch ends up in an internationally dangerous plot, harming not only his friends and family but society as a whole. John Grisham, who many would agree is the king of the legal thriller genre, will release this sequel on October 17th, 2023.

7. The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

As soon as you finished The Maid, you were probably waiting for a sequel -- it's here! Molly Gray, the novel's protagonist, has now became the Head Maid of a very fancy hotel. However, when everything seems to be going so right, an internationally-famous mystery author shows up dead in the hotel where she works at. It's clear that J.D. Grimthorpe was murdered, and Molly has a feeling she can figure out who was behind the foul play. While it may seem random that Molly, the maid, may know anything about this murder, the novel takes the reader through Molly's earliest memories in Grimthorpe's mansion. The Mystery Guest will be released on November 28th, 2023 -- just in time to get cozy with this murder mystery.

A Note about Mysteries and Thrillers

Although it's traditional to enjoy a good murder mystery during the fall and especially closer to Halloween, we understand that these genres may not be for you. At Discover Books, we urge you to step outside of your reading comfort zone every once in a while and try something new. If you usually stick to vampire romance novels, you should give a cozy mystery a shot at least! If you're interested in learning more about mysteries, here's a blog about the history of the mysteries. We hope you consider some of these titles and authors, and as always, happy reading!