unusual suspects cover collage for 8224
Unusual Suspects

Multicast Mystery Audiobooks, Adaptation News, And New Thrillers/Mysteries: August 2, 2024

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Jamie Canaves

Contributing Editor

Jamie Canavés is the Tailored Book Recommendations coordinator and Unusual Suspects mystery newsletter writer–in case you’re wondering what you do with a Liberal Arts degree. She’s never met a beach she didn’t like, always says yes to dessert, loves ‘80s nostalgia, all forms of entertainment, and can hold a conversation using only gifs. You can definitely talk books with her on Litsy and Goodreads. Depending on social media’s stability maybe also Twitter and Bluesky.

View All posts by Jamie Canaves

It’s time once again for your bi-weekly roundup of mystery goodness! I’ve got exciting new releases, multicast mystery audiobooks, and a link roundup.

Bookish Goods

a sticke shaped like a heart with a mug and text saying "you can't read all day if you don't start in the morning"

Reading Heart Sticker by MirkwoodScribes

I mean, the sticker does not lie. $4.

New Releases

cover image for You Shouldn't Be Here

You Shouldn’t Be Here by Lauren Thoman

For fans of stories with missing person cases, suspense, and dual points of view and timelines!

Angie Stewart is 16 and hearing things around her house that are odd enough to make her think it’s a ghost—but she ain’t afraid of no ghost!

Madelyn Zhao took a DNA test which resulted in her discovering a cousin named Piper. They got to know each other and had planned to meet in person but Piper never showed up. So Madelyn takes a job as a teacher and moves to her cousin’s town determined to find out what happened to her missing cousin.

Backlist readers who like mystery and a bit of time travel should also pick up Thoman’s I’ll Stop the World.

cover image for Fowl Play

Fowl Play by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb

For fans of middle grade murder mysteries!

Chloe Alvarez’s uncle passed away and in his will, left her his African Grey parrot, Charlie. Chloe is dealing with the grief of missing her uncle and learning to care for her new chatty pet when Charlie starts saying words that make Chloe think her uncle may have been murdered. She’ll need the help of Grammy, Charlie, and her brother to learn about her Uncle’s life to figure out if someone in his life may have played a role in his death. Good thing Grammy listens to true crime podcasts!

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

This round of recommendations is inspired by my finishing The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton, which has a fantastic full-cast audiobook production. Here are two more full-cast audiobook productions that are mysteries!

cover of Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

For fans of stories about family drama and missing person cases.

Hannah and Adam Parkson’s adult twin children, Mia and John, are home from college, joining their teenage brother Eugene in their Northern Virginia home during the pandemic. Eugene, who is nonverbal, goes out for a walk with his father, only to return alone and unable to say what happened to his dad…

Audiobook narrators include Shannon Tyo, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Thomas Pruyn, and Angie Kim.

Local Woman Missing

Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

For fans of missing persons cases, small communities, multiple points of view, and past and present storylines!

A bit over a decade ago, three people went missing: first, a woman while out for a run, and then, a woman and her young daughter. Now, the young daughter has returned, creating more questions than answers in this small suburban community.

Audiobook narrators include Brittany Pressley, Jennifer Jill Araya, Gary Tiedemann, and Jesse Vilinsky.

Trigger warnings for this one include: kidnapped child/ briefly mentions past miscarriage, few details/ rumors and assumptions of domestic violence/ fatphobia, diet culture mentions/ recounts past attempted suicide and suicide, both detailed/ topic of medical consent regarding pregnancy and labor.

News and Roundups

Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2024 releases and mysteries from 2023. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations!

Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

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