The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Thrillers

The Manor House by Gilly Macmillan

MacMillan has crafted a twisting, well-plotted, multiview point mystery that sweeps between timelines without ever disorienting the reader as to where they are in the story. It’s an utterly readable tale of greed, avarice, and revenge. It reminded me in all the best ways of And Then There None, and MacMillan is fearless in revealing who each of her characters really are. Also? The ongoing subplot of the unreliability of smart home technology feels so current, relatable, and also informs the plot in surprising ways. Loved this book, can’t wait to sell it.

The Manor House by Gilly Macmillan, (List Price: $30, William Morrow, 9780063074385, November 2023)

Reviewed by Tracie Harris, The Book House in Smyrna, Georgia

All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby

All The Sinners Bleed is crime fiction at its best. Cosby has created a genre all his own with this and his first two novels that I’d call “Virginia noir.” And I’m totally here for it. This one follows a small-town sheriff (with an FBI background) that’s chasing a serial killer that has an obsession with religious iconography and targeting very specific victims. This police procedural that sets a new standard for thrillers and it also highlights the overt/covert social tensions that are prevalent in rural communities.

All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby, (List Price: 27.99, Flatiron Books, 9781250831910, June 2023)

Reviewed by Stuart McCommon, Novel. in Memphis, Tennessee

The Land of Lost Things by John Connolly

The Land of Lost Things is a extraordinary work, filled with both the original spirit of the Grimm fairy tales, and environmental concerns. Phoebe, an eight year old girl, has been severely injured in a car accident, and has been left in a comatose state. Her mother, Ceres, constantly reads to her, especially fairy tales. When the hospital can no longer help her, Phoebe is transferred to a chronic care facility, funded by the legacy of the missing author of The Book of Lost Things, and located very close to his deserted home. When Ceres explores the house, she somehow finds herself transported into the world of The Book of Lost Things. What then transpires is a joy to read, filled with both wonderful characters, and ones that are pure evil. Always stressing the importance and the meaning of books and stories. There are many allusions and characters taken from history and folktales/fairy tales/legends that make appearances, and also some wonderful touches of humor. Throughout the story you are constantly hypnotized by life’s fragility. It is impossible to put down, and you will dream about it if you do.

The Land of Lost Things by John Connolly, (List Price: 28, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, 9781668022283, September 2023)

Reviewed by Amy Loewy, Garden District Book Shop in New Orleans, Louisiana

Spotlight on: Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

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Catriona Ward, photo credit Robert Hollingworth

“I love horror. I think it’s one of the most expressive, most empathetic genres you can work in. Everyone feels afraid at some point in their life. Reading is a sustained act of telepathy or empathy, and reading horror is even more profound than that: it’s asking people to share real vulnerabilities of yours and open themselves up to their own. It is like going down a tunnel, and hopefully the writer is leading the way with a torch, taking the reader’s hand.

I think it’s because of the difficulty of engaging with it, and having to open yourself up to feelings which society dismisses as being quite childlike. Fear isn’t something we’re particularly interested in dissecting; it’s considered a bit schlocky. But when done right, horror is a transformative experience….” ― Catriona Ward, Interview, The Guardian

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

What booksellers are saying about Looking Glass Sound

  • A coming of age story that takes a very dark turn. Wilder meets Harper and Nathanial when his family is vacationing on the Maine coast. They discover friendship, love and a serial killer, The Dagger Man, that is plaguing the town. Fast-forward to college, where Wilder’s roommate, Sky, encourages him to write a story about his experiences from those times in Maine. Fast-forward many years ahead, and Sky has stolen Wilder’s story and now Wilder is plotting his revenge. This is three books in one and in typical Catriona Ward fashion, you will not know what hit you until the very end!
      ― Megan Bell, Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia | Buy from Underground Books

  • I really enjoyed this and was hooked from the beginning. I was totally surprised by the ending and can definitely say it wasn’t like anything else I have read lately.
      ― Nancy McFarlane, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina | Buy from Fiction Addiction

  • Dare I say this is my favorite yet from Catriona Ward? It’s a story inside a story thriller set on a small coastal town in Maine where a serial killer stalks the townspeople. Teenage Wilder and his summer friends Nat and Harlow form bonds that will last into adulthood – whether they want them to or not. Adult Wilder is an author who is down on his luck and struggling with his final manuscript. As he tries to put his memoirs down on paper, the past won’t set him or his friends free. Haunting , layered, and twisty, this kept me on the edge of my seat until the final reveal.
      ― Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia | Buy from Fountain Booksttore

About Catriona Ward

Catriona Ward was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in the United States, Kenya, Madagascar, Yemen, and Morocco. She studied English at the University of Oxford and later earned her master’s degree in creative writing at the University of East Anglia. Ward is a three-time winner of the August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel: for The Girl from Rawblood, her debut; Little Eve; and The Last House on Needless Street. Little Eve also won the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel. Ward is the international bestselling author of The Last House on Needless Street and Sundial.

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Spotlight on: Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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Silvia Moreno-Garcia, photo credit Martin Dee

“Because I grew up in radio stations, I also grew up with sound as the massive cornerstone of my life. I used my parents’ tape recorders and microphone to record sounds when I was a kid. Later on, I fell in love with film and ransacked the local video store for all the horror movies I could carry home. My best friends were long-dead actors and rubber monsters.” ― Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Letter from the Author

Silver Nitrate
 by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

What booksellers are saying about Silver Nitrate

  • Montserrat and Tristan are childhood friends who are nearing forty and disappointed in both their professional and personal lives. When Tristan moves into a new building and meets an elderly director who has an unfinished film that has ties to a Nazi occultist they are intrigued. When that director enlists their help in finishing the film to unleash magic powers they see a chance to change their luck. Unfortunately this comes with unexpected consequences. A must read book for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and anyone who loves old movies, magic and horror. A great read.
      ― Kathy Clemmons from Sundog Books in Santa Rosa Beach, FL | Buy from Sundog Books

  • Every time I read a new book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, I think “now this one is my favorite”.
      ― Rosie Dauval from One More Page Books in Arlington, VA | Buy from One More Page Books

  • Silver Nitrate is a wild ride of a book that I couldn’t put down. It’s a perfect combination of horror fandom, occult sorcery, cinematic storytelling, and crime fiction. The protagonist, Montserrat, displays the ideal mix of sarcasm and intelligence and she has a keen eye for solving puzzles. Also, her attraction to understanding oddities makes this a bit of a modern detective novel as well. This is a great addition to Moreno-Garcia’s catalog.
      ― Stuart McCommon from Novel in Memphis, TN | Buy from Novel

About Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of the novels The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, Velvet Was the Night, Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow, and a bunch of other books. She has also edited several anthologies, including the World Fantasy Award–winning She Walks in Shadows (a.k.a. Cthulhu’s Daughters). She has been nominated for the Locus Award for her work as an editor and has won the British Fantasy Award and the Locus Award for her work as a novelist. 

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The Woods are Waiting by Katherine Greene

I really enjoy books about secluded mountain towns and the people who live there. The traditions are so rich, the community and family connections so strong. Like any town, especially one somewhat isolated from the outside your fate and reputation might be established before you are born. Cheyenne was an Ashby and the Ashby’s held a relationship with the forest. Rituals were established to keep children safe from the forest, silver in your pockets and dirt in your shoes. The rituals became more extreme when more children continued to disappear. Cheyenne cannot take the constant stress and leaves home. Called back five years later to care for her Mother by the only man she trusts after another child goes missing. She arrives to a Mother she barely recognizes and the animosity of Natalie and Jackson, her two best friends she left behind. Old friendships are tested and many secrets are uncovered. Sometimes you learn you really can’t rely on those you have trusted forever.

The Woods are Waiting by Katherine Greene, (List Price: $28.99, Crooked Lane Books, 9781639103805, July 2023)

Reviewed by Jackie Willey, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

Zero Days by Ruth Ware

Gabe and Jacinta are professional "hackers" hired by companies to investigate security weaknesses. After one such investigation, Jacinta returns home to find Gabe murdered. When Jacinta realizes she’s the prime suspect, she runs, trying to survive long enough to discover who murdered Gabe and why. You will be racing with her, pursuing the culprit in an effort to prevent his escape and stop Zero Day and disaster. You may recognize this story as a 21st century version of the movie, The Fugitive, with similar action and suspense. Zero Days…another exciting thriller by Ruth Ware!

Zero Days by Ruth Ware, (List Price: 29.99, Gallery/Scout Press, 9781982155292, June 2023)

Reviewed by Karen Solar, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida

All the Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby

A June 2023 Read This Next! Title

Mr. Cosby has upped the ante once again! Instead of down at the heel ne’er do wells searching for something better he has segued to a sheriff fighting the ills permeating the air of his small town. Bad air that wasn’t know until a school shooting that opens up a veritable Pandora’s box of evil and depravity. Written in his inimitable style, strong yet compassionate, he gets deep into the heart and soul of his characters and makes them come alive like no one else writing today.

All Sinners Bleed by S. A. Cosby, (List Price: 27.99, Flatiron Books, 9781250831910, June 2023)

Reviewed by Pete Mock, McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro, North Carolina

Rogue Justice by Stacey Abrams

Stacey Abrams does it again with another scintillating page-turner. Rogue Justice picks up right where While Justice Sleeps left off, and this time Avery is thrown into a plot involving hacking, cryptocurrency, and energy grids. I definitely learn something every time I read a book by Stacey Abrams!

Rogue Justice by Stacey Abrams, (List Price: 29, Doubleday, 9780385548328, May 2023)

Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina

At the Edge of the Woods by Kathryn Bromwich

Out of necessity, Laura has chosen to live a simpler, yet, courageous life in a secluded, rustic cabin in the woods on the outskirts of an Italian village. Necessity turns into a reorganization of priorities, which I wholly admire, as Laura shares her thoughts with the reader on living with nature, interacting with others, and what it means to survive. Beautiful.

At the Edge of the Woods by Kathryn Bromwich, (List Price: 26, Two Dollar Radio, 9781953387318, June 2023)

Reviewed by Jill Naylor, Novel. in Memphis, Tennessee

City of Orange by David Yoon

I’ve had a hard time trying to decide what to say about this book. I don’t want to say anything about the plot because I don’t want to give anything away. This is a post-apocalyptic novel unlike any I have read. David’s writing is beautiful and propulsive though the story is kind of a slow burn. Like most of my favorite books, this one left me both heartbroken and hopeful.

City of Orange by David Yoon, (List Price: 18, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 9780593422182, May 2023)

Reviewed by Gaby Iori, E. Shaver, Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

The Night Flowers by Sara Herchenroether

Set in New Mexico, this mystery with a bit of the supernatural caught my attention from the beginning. It is told from three viewpoints: Laura, a librarian whose hobby is finding missing persons through genealogical research; Jean Martinez, the NM detective trying to crack a 30-year-old cold case; and the spirits of the murdered victims. Laura is recovering from breast cancer surgery, and the physical symptoms she struggles with add an unusual element to the story. This book feels like the beginning of a series, and I am eager to read the next book.

The Night Flowers by Sara Herchenroether, (List Price: $26.95, Tin House, 9781953534866, May 2023)

Reviewed by Amy Dance, Snail on the Wall in Huntington, Alabama

Spotlight on: With My Little Eye by Joshilyn Jackson

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Joshilyn Jackson, photo credit Scott Winn

I think it is my theater background. I went to school for that and I have been trained to get into other heads and trying to inhabit other spaces and to fully imagine those experiences in empathetic ways. There are all kinds of work that you do as an actor for that. Oddly enough, if I’m writing a play or an essay, those come from a very different part of my brain than a novel. The piece of my brain that heats up when I’m working on a novel is the same piece that heats up when I’m acting. ―Joshilyn Jackson, Interview, Wraparound South

With My Little Eye by Joshilyn Jackson

What booksellers are saying about With My Little Eye

  • Joshilyn Jackson has long been one of the leading novelists of the 21st Century South, but her recent turn towards well-plotted thrillers that pivot on the interpersonal politics of well to do Southerners and the love of parents for their children (however their family came to be) continues in what might be her best novel yet. Jackson mercilessly exploits the rapid gentrification of Atlanta and the explosion of the film industry here to create a familiar yet fresh setting for her story. She also uses our constant nostalgia for the pop culture of our past to weave her tale of a former teen (well, maybe not so much) second-tier star with a stalker who follows her across the country. Huge props to Jackson in her work crafting Honor, an incredibly realistic tween on the spectrum. Honor all but leaps off the page.
      ― Tracie Harris from The Book House in Smyrna, Georgia | Buy from The Book House

  • Jackson’s newest thriller tells us about Meribel Mills, an actress that has moved as far away from home as she can get to avoid a stalker. She thinks she and her daughter are safe in their new home but when the letters – with their distinguished scented markers – arrive at her new place, she can’t believe it. Who can Meribel trust and how far will she have to go to escape the stalker forever and ensure the safety of her family? Fans of her thrillers will eat this one up!
      ―Andrea Richardson from Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia | Buy from Fountain Bookstore

  • With her newest novel, Jackson gets even twistier with her plots as we read about an actress who moves across the country to escape a creepy stalker who seems to be escalating. Meribel Mills had a popular part in a 90s sitcom and has had steady, though not high profile, work since then. But now she’s got a stalker sending her scary mail and she has a child to protect. So, even though she said she’d never set foot back in Georgia, she moves there from LA for a new TV show. But will that be enough to escape her tormenter?
      ―Jennifer Jones from Bookmiser, Inc. in Marietta, Georgia | Buy from Bookmiser

About Joshilyn Jackson

Joshilyn Jackson is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of ten other novels, including gods in Alabama and Never Have I Ever. Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. A former actor, Jackson is also an award-winning audiobook narrator. She lives in Decatur, Georgia, with her husband and their two children.

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The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

The Soulmate is about two couples, Pippa and Gabe and Amanda and Max. It is a story of family, mental illness, and what it means to truly love someone. The riveting thriller is told from the viewpoints of the two wives, both in the past and the present. Pippa, who is very much alive, is trying to understand what has happened and what she can do to protect her family. Amanda, who is dead is trying to discover exactly what happened that led to her death. One of the best domestic thrillers I have read in ages, the short chapters make you want to read “just one more” so you can find out what has happened and what is going to happen.

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth, (List Price: 28.99, St. Martin’s Press, 9781250229700, April 2023)

Reviewed by Nancy McFarlane, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina

The Insatiable Volt Sisters by Rachel Eve Moulton

The Insatiable Volt Sisters is straight-ahead horror, but it looks deeply into struggles of defining one’s own legacy despite a troubled heritage. Told from the perspective of four very different women, Moulton’s characters are flawed and struggling, but also courageous and unrelenting in their choice to face darkness and despair head-on. This book is eerie and mysterious…and I could feel Fowler Island dripping off the pages as the sisters reveal/fight the beast within.

The Insatiable Volt Sisters by Rachel Eve Moulton, (List Price: 18, MCD x FSG Originals, 9780374538323, May 2023)

Reviewed by Stuart McCommon, Novel. in Memphis, Tennessee

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