If you know me, you know I’m a reality TV connoisseur. Big Brother, Survivor, Housewives — if there’s strategy, social manipulation, and chaos, I’m in.So when The Traitors comes back, I’m fully obsessed.

These books deliver the same energy: secrets, betrayal, inheritance drama, power plays, and the constant feeling that no one is telling the full truth. If you need something to read while we wait for new episodes to drop I’ve got you.

He Started It — Samantha Downing

Family road trip. Inheritance on the line. Everyone keeping secrets.

👉 check it out

Trust Issues — Elizabeth McCullough Keenan & Greg Wands

Estranged siblings, a missing inheritance, and a con artist who can’t be trusted.

👉 check it out

The Inheritance — Trisha Sakhlecha

A luxury island, a wealthy family, and secrets worth killing for.

👉 check it out

The Escape Room — Megan Goldin

Corporate rivals trapped together — and only one way out.

👉 check it out

Society of Lies — Lauren Ling Brown

Elite college circles, secret societies, and the cost of belonging.

👉 check it out

Stone Cold Fox — Rachel Koller Croft

A con artist infiltrates an ultra wealthy family — until the game turns deadly.

👉 check it out

If you’re watching The Traitors or just love thrillers where trust is a liability, these are for you.

Let me know which one you’re picking up first — and remember: trust no one. Full list can be found here.

Goodreads

Release date: January 20, 2026

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Siblings return to the house they fled eighteen years before, called back by the ghost of their long-missing brother and his haunting request to come home.

Strange things happen in Fell, New York: A mysterious drowning at the town’s roadside motel. The unexplained death of a young girl whose body is left by the railroad tracks. For Violet, Vail, and Dodie Esmie the final straw was their little brother’s shocking disappearance, which started as a normal game of hide-and-seek. 

As their parents grew increasingly distant, the sisters were each haunted by visions and frightening events, leading them to leave town and never look back. Violet still sees dead people—spirits who remind her of Sister, the menacing presence that terrorized her for years. Now after nearly two decades it’s time for a homecoming—because Ben is back, and he’s ready to lead them to the answers they’ve longed for and long feared.

Review:

Simone St. James once again proves she is unmatched when it comes to blending chilling supernatural elements with deeply emotional storytelling. A Box Full of Darkness is a slow burn, eerie thriller soaked in atmosphere and dread, set in the unsettling town of Fell, New York—where tragedy seems to linger just beneath the surface. Told from the perspectives of three siblings, Violet, Vail, and Dodie, the story centers on the long ago disappearance of their little brother Ben during a childhood game of hide and seek. Decades later, something is calling them back home, forcing them to confront the past they’ve spent their lives running from.

What makes this story hit so hard is not just the ghosts—though they are plentiful and genuinely unsettling—but the deeply flawed, wounded characters at its core. Each sibling carries painful histories and unresolved trauma, haunted both literally and emotionally by what happened in Fell. St. James excels at crafting complex relationships and layered backstories, making the tension feel personal as well as paranormal. The pacing is deliberate, allowing the dread to build steadily until it becomes almost unbearable.

Fans of the author will appreciate the subtle nods to past books (hello The Sundown Motel 👀), while newcomers will be pulled in by the chilling atmosphere and emotional weight. Creepy, unsettling, and quietly devastating, A Box Full of Darkness is a perfect example of why Simone St. James remains a go to author for supernatural thrillers that linger long after the final page.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads Amazon

Release date: February 3, 2026

Publisher: Park Row

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Two families vacationing at a secluded lake resort are at the center of a chilling crime and mysterious disappearance in this twisty, unputdownable thriller

A stunning discovery…
Courtney Gray’s tranquil family vacation is shattered when she hears a blood-curdling scream from the lakeside cottage next door. There she finds the lifeless bodies of her brother and sister-in-law. Her teenage niece Reese is nowhere to be found, while her nephew Wyatt lies asleep upstairs, unharmed.

A shocking investigation…
As the police descend on the quiet resort town, disturbing secrets about Courtney’s family start to emerge. When she learns that the town has secrets of its own, it makes her wonder if Reese is another victim in a brutal crime or if she’s the killer.

A truth no one could have imagined …
As Courtney begins to unravel the terrible mystery, she realizes that everyone around her has something to hide. And the closer she gets to the truth, the harder it is to see…

Review:

It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica is the kind of thriller that pulls you in immediately and never loosens its grip. Told through dual POVs—Courtney in the present aftermath of a brutal crime and Reese in the days leading up to it—the story balances two timelines that are equally compelling. I was fully invested in both narrators, which doesn’t always happen, and the way their perspectives slowly circle the same chilling event kept the pages flying.

Kubica excels at tension here. The pacing is fast, the twists are solid, and the sense of unease never lets up. Set in a secluded, wooded lake resort dotted with cabins, the atmosphere is claustrophobic and creepy in the best way. This is a story where trust is a liability, I suspected everyone, then doubted myself, then suspected them all over again. The author does an excellent job of planting seeds of doubt and constantly forcing you to reassess what you think you know.

Beyond the mystery itself, the family and domestic drama adds real weight to the story. Secrets unravel, relationships fracture, and the emotional stakes feel just as intense as the physical danger. With a strong opening, addictive momentum, and a finale that rewards all that second guessing, It’s Not Her is a highly satisfying, unputdownable thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

11 Books I Loved This Month

January reading always sets the tone for my year, and this month I leaned into a mix of romance, mystery, and thrillers — the kinds of books that are easy to sink into and hard to put down.

Below are the 11 books I’m recommending that are releasing this month. If you’re looking to refresh your TBR or just want something solid to pick up next, these are all worth checking out.

💕 Only for Love — Natasha Madison

A heartfelt romance that leans emotional, comforting, and perfect if you’re in the mood for something relationship driven.

🔗 Check it out on Amazon

🌪️Anatomy of an Alibi — Ashley Elston

Fast paced and twisty, this one keeps you guessing and is great if you want a mystery that moves.

🔗 Check it out on Amazon

👗 Meet the Newmans — Jennifer Niven

A character driven story with emotional depth and layered relationships that linger after you finish.

🔗 Check it out on Amazon

💘 The Odds of You — Kate Dramis

A charming romance with great banter and an easy, feel good reading experience.

🔗 Check it out on Amazon

🖤 Such a Clever Girl — Darby Kane

Dark, tense, and psychologically sharp — a thriller that pulls you in and doesn’t let go.

🔗 Check it out on Amazon

🛥️ Sunk in Love — Heather McBreen

A cozy, romantic escape that’s perfect when you want something light and uplifting.

🔗 Check it out on Amazon

🗝️ My Husband’s Wife — Alice Feeney

Twisty and unsettling in the best way — classic Feeney vibes with plenty of surprises.

🔗 Check it out on Amazon

🕵️‍♀️ Definitely Maybe Not a Detective — Sarah Fox

A fun, cozy mystery with humor and heart — great if you love lighter mysteries.

🔗 Check it out on Amazon

🌀 The Storm — Rachel Hawkins

Atmospheric and tense, with a setting that adds to the suspense and mood.

🔗 Check it out on Amazon

☔️ The Fair Weather Friend — Jessie Garcia

A twisty, fast moving thriller set in a local newsroom where secrets pile up fast and everyone feels suspicious.

🔗 Check it out on Amazon

🎤 The Future Saints — Ashley Winstead

Rock star vibes with depth and intrigue — one of those books that stays with you.

🔗 Check it out on Amazon

Prefer to view everything at once? View the full Amazon list here.

If you’re building your reading list for the start of the year, I hope this gives you a few good options to choose from. I’ll be sharing more monthly reading recs as the year goes on — no pressure, just good books.

Happy reading 📚

Goodreads

Release date: January 20, 2026

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Adults can behave badly too…

It’s the mid-1980s in the tiny town of Longview, Texas. Nellie Anderson, the beautiful daughter of the Anderson family dynasty, has burst onto the scene. She always gets what she wants. What she can’t get for herself… well, that’s what her mother is for. Because Charleigh Andersen, blond, beautiful, and ruthlessly cunning, remembers all too well having to claw her way to the top. When she was coming of age on the poor side of East Texas, she was a loser, an outcast, humiliated, and shunned by the in-crowd, whose approval she’d so desperately thirsted for. When a prairie-kissed family moves to town, all trad wife, woodworking dad, wholesome daughter vibes, Charleigh’s entire self-made social empire threatens to crumble. Who will be left standing when the dust settles?

From the author of The Hunting Wives comes a deliciously wicked new thriller about mean girls, mean moms, and the delicious secrets inside all the little houses. 

Review:

All the Little Houses by May Cobb is sinfully fun, wickedly delicious, and completely unhinged in the best way. Set in the sweltering heat of 1980s East Texas, this story drops you into a small town where everyone is watching everyone else—and absolutely no one is behaving well. Told through multiple POVs in short, addictive chapters, the book reads like whispered gossip passed across a backyard fence, except every secret is darker, messier, and more scandalous than the last. It opens with a body floating in the water and keeps you deliciously unsettled by refusing to tell you who’s dead until the very end.

At the center of it all is Charleigh Anderson: beautiful, ruthless, and determined to protect the social empire she clawed her way into. When a seemingly wholesome, prairie kissed family arrives in town—trad wife vibes, woodworking dad, perfect daughter—the carefully curated hierarchy of Longview starts to crack. What follows is a soapy, twisty spiral of jealousy, power plays, sexual tension, and morally gray decisions, where mothers and daughters alike prove that adults can behave very badly. Everyone is messy. Everyone has secrets. And watching it all implode is pure reading pleasure.

This book is juicy, gossipy, and wildly addictive, equal parts scandal and suspense. The 1980s setting adds a sticky, sunburned intensity that amplifies every bad decision, and the pacing never lets up. And that final sentence? Absolute perfection. The kind that makes you stare at the wall afterward and immediately demand more. I would happily read ten sequels about these terrible, fascinating people and their beautifully disastrous lives. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: January 20, 2026

Publisher: Harper

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

A propulsive and wickedly entertaining debut thriller for fans of Laura Dave and Ashley Elston that explores the dark underside of the American dream, about a couple whose financial problems are seemingly answered when they begin receiving growing sums of money from an unknown source . . . a windfall that will carry an unthinkable price.

Mack and Hailey Evans have worked hard to achieve their upper-middle-class life: promising careers, two beautiful children, and a brand-new house in the exclusive lakefront village of Bratenahl, Ohio. Not that everything’s perfect—aging parents, problems at work, and even the upkeep on that gorgeous house have been causing these two increasing amounts of worry.

When a small check appears in the mailbox from a mysterious company named Sunshine Enterprises, Mack assumes it’s from his wealthy, estranged father, trying to buy his way back into their lives. Though he’d rather rip it up, Mack deposits the needed funds. To his surprise the checks keep coming—each for a larger amount larger than the last. When Hailey finds out what’s going on, she has her own suspicions about the provenance of the payments. Despite growing uncertainty over the identity of their benefactor Mack and Hailey keep taking the money. After all, there are bills to pay.

It is a choice with dark repercussions, as the couple soon learn the hard way that nothing in life is free. Suddenly, the Evans find themselves in a harrowing arrangement with someone who will stop at nothing to get a return on their investment.

Review:

Very Slowly, All at Once by Lauren Schott is the kind of thriller that settles into your bones rather than relying on shock value. From the first pages, there’s a quiet, unsettling sense of dread that never fully lifts—one that mirrors the slow unraveling of Mack and Hailey Evans’ carefully curated life. Their version of the American dream feels attainable, even enviable at first, which makes its gradual corrosion feel both satirical and disturbingly real. Schott taps into a very modern anxiety: what it costs to maintain the life you worked so hard to build.

The novel unfolds through alternating perspectives from Mack and Hailey, alongside a chilling anonymous point of view that adds momentum and tension. Both protagonists are deeply relatable in their desperation—financial pressure, aging parents, career uncertainty—and that relatability is what makes their choices feel so dangerous. This isn’t a thriller driven by constant twists, but by escalation: each decision builds naturally on the last, tightening the vise until the consequences feel inevitable. The slow burn works beautifully here, allowing the tension to mount in a way that feels earned rather than sensational.

While the ending doesn’t wrap everything up neatly, it feels intentional rather than frustrating. The lack of clean resolution reinforces the book’s central themes about compromise, greed, and the stories we tell ourselves to justify survival. Darkly clever, sharp, and laced with wicked humor, Very Slowly, All at Once is a smart debut that exposes just how thin the line can be between comfort and catastrophe, and how quickly “enough” is never really enough. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: January 20, 2026

Publisher: St. Martins Press

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

It’s always sunny in Detroit for Faith Richards. The popular TV meteorologist, endearingly referred to as “The Fair Weather Friend” by her viewers, has the world by the tail. But one night, Faith leaves work on a dinner break and never returns. Her body is found the next morning.

The town is reeling, suspects emerge, and long-buried secrets are uncovered. While her allies rally, her list of adversaries also grows. Little does anyone know that only the deepest secrets will expose the truth.

In this riveting thriller from the author of THE BUSINESS TRIP, Jessie Garcia’s signature multi-POV, rapid-fire style will propel you into the heart of a mystery no one could have forecasted.

Review:

The Fair Weather Friend is a fast paced, popcorn thriller that leans hard into twisty fun without ever becoming confusing. When beloved Detroit TV meteorologist Faith Richards vanishes and is later found murdered, the story unfolds through a wide cast of viewpoints, each revealing another layer of lies, secrets, and betrayals. Jessie Garcia’s multi POV approach keeps the pacing brisk and the tension high, making this a book that’s incredibly easy to fly through.

One of the standout elements is the newsroom setting, which adds a fresh and entertaining backdrop to the mystery. The behind the scenes look at local television news gives the story texture and stakes, while also serving as a breeding ground for rivalries, grudges, and carefully hidden truths. Every character feels like they have something to hide, and part of the fun is trying to decide whether they’re merely a little odd—or genuinely capable of murder.

Things do get a bit wild and occasionally implausible, but that only adds to the entertainment value. This isn’t a gritty, hyper realistic thriller—it’s meant to be devoured quickly and enjoyed for the ride. With its quirky cast, nonstop momentum, and steady stream of reveals, The Fair Weather Friend is perfect for readers looking for a twisty, engaging mystery that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: January 13, 2026

Publisher: Viking

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

A tense, feverish thriller about two women’s lives that are forever intertwined when a murder threatens to expose them both.

“Elston expertly unravels a web of secrets and lies. You won’t be able to put this excellent thriller down until the final shocking page.” —Megan Miranda

Everyone at Chantilly’s Bar noticed out-of-towner Camille Bayliss. Red lips, designer heels, sipping a Negroni. But that woman wasn’t Camille Bayliss. It was Aubrey Price.

Camille Bayliss appears to have the picture-perfect life; she’s married to hotshot lawyer Ben and is the daughter of a wealthy Louisiana family. Only nothing is as it seems: Camille believes Ben has been hiding dirty secrets for years, but she can’t find proof because he tracks her every move.

Aubrey Price has been haunted by the terrible night that changed her life a decade ago, and she’s convinced Benjamin Bayliss knows something about it. Living in a house full of criminals, Aubrey understands there’s more than one way to get to the truth—and she may have found the best way in.

Aubrey and Camille hatch a plan. It sounds simple: For twelve hours, Aubrey will take Camille’s place. Camille will spy on Ben, and the two women will get the answers they desperately seek.

Except the next morning, Ben is found murdered. Both women need an airtight alibi, but only one of them has it. And one false step is all it takes for everything to come undone.

Review:

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston is a fast, tightly constructed thriller that thrives on perspective and timing. Told across multiple timelines and viewpoints, the story moves between present day with Aubrey, Camille, and Hank, and Ben’s perspective ten years earlier. That structure keeps the tension high and the pages flying, while also slowly revealing how deeply entangled these characters truly are. The premise—two women swapping identities for twelve hours to uncover the truth—feels fresh, especially as it reframes the classic dead spouse trope around the idea of whose alibi can actually hold up.

What really elevates this novel is how smart the twists are. Nothing feels gratuitous or thrown in just to shock; each reveal makes sense in hindsight and deepens the moral complexity of the story. Elston leans into morally gray characters with sketchy pasts and questionable motivations, letting past secrets collide with present day consequences in a way that feels tense, suspenseful, and deeply satisfying. This is the kind of thriller that trusts its readers, rewards close attention, and proves that clever plotting can still pack an emotional punch.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: January 20, 2026

Publisher: William Morrow

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Darby Kane, author of the #1 international bestseller Pretty Little Wife, returns with a gripping domestic thriller in which a family goes missing and a long-buried family mystery resurfaces.

Fifteen years ago, the Tanner family vanished without a trace, leaving behind a chilling half-eaten meals, a bloodstain by the door, and a smoldering fire consuming their business across town.

The once-vibrant home stands untouched, a haunting relic of the past. As rumors fade into local folklore, the mystery of their disappearance seems destined to remain unsolved—until Aubrey Tanner returns.

Now a hardened thirty-year-old, Aubrey arrives in town with secrets etched in her silence. Why did she come back? Was she a victim of the night that changed everything, or does she hold the truth of what happened to her family? The town is rife with theories, but three women share a dangerous they know more than they’ve ever confessed.

As the past resurfaces, old alliances fray. A teacher, a café owner, and a psychologist are drawn together by memories they’d rather forget. Each holds a piece of the puzzle—and a dark secret of their own. When a new disappearance sends shock waves through the town, blackmail begins, and the stakes climb higher.

In a race against time, these women must confront the truth or risk becoming the next victims of a past they cannot escape. With tension rising and danger lurking, one thing is someone is destined to kill again.

Review:

Darby Kane’s Such a Clever Girl is a masterclass in suspenseful domestic thriller storytelling. The premise of the chilling disappearance of the Tanner family fifteen years ago, leaving behind a haunting tableau that still lingers in the small town was compelling and enough to pique my curiosity right away. Kane’s writing immediately pulls you into this mystery with a darkly atmospheric Sleepy Hollow–like setting, where autumnal fog and cold winds mirror the secrets hiding in plain sight. The return of Aubrey Tanner as an adult adds a fascinating layer—her motives are opaque, and her presence reignites rumors, fears, and long buried secrets.

What makes this book so compelling is the multiple POV structure paired with short chapters and tight pacing. Every character is morally ambiguous and often untrustworthy, each carrying hidden agendas and motivations that slowly unravel. The plot is dense, with many threads to follow, requiring careful attention but rewarding the reader with a complex, satisfying narrative. Kane balances suspense with character depth, making each revelation feel earned and impactful.

The story’s tension is heightened by a web of lies, betrayal, and secrets, which makes every interaction charged and every twist feel unpredictable. The combination of a deeply layered mystery, intricate character work, and a sharply drawn, moody setting elevates this thriller beyond a simple “whodunit.” Such a Clever Girl is dark, smart, and utterly engrossing, perfect for readers who enjoy domestic thrillers with moral complexity and high stakes suspense.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.