The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Suspense

Spotlight On: The Fury by Alex Michaelides

ad

Alex Michaelides, photo credit the author

Well, [the narrator, Elliot] may not be likable per se, but I think he’s quite interesting. And I – what I tried to do – it was – honestly, The Fury was the most creative experience I’ve had because I changed the way that I write. My first two novels – The Silent Patient and The Maidens – I plotted them for about a year before writing a word. And then with The Fury, I really wanted to have some fun. And I thought, I’m not going to plot this. I’m just going to write it. And as I wrote it, Elliot told me the story himself. And it was an amazing experience because I wrote it, you know, with him speaking directly to the reader all the way through. And by doing that, I felt that he was sort of telling me the story, I suppose. And all of these things that I didn’t know, like about his childhood and his relationship with an older writer named Barbara West, just appeared, you know, on the page as I was writing, without me having even the names. Everything just sort of magically happened. So it felt like a really creative, joyous experience for me.
― Alex Michaelides, Interview, NPR

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

What booksellers are saying about The Fury

  • Escape January-wherever you are-and visit a balmy Greek island near Mykonos where an old goddess channels herself into a plume of wind called The Fury. Key ingredients include: gloriously prepared seafood, the famous and those who wish they were, flashy money, and so, so many secrets. Voiced by a narrator that lays bare the story of a treacherous murder, thread by thread, the reveal unwinds slowly and then all at once, down to the last word of this twisted thriller.
      ― Julia Paganelli Marin, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas | Buy from Pearl’s Books

  • This one is a captivating blend of Agatha Christie vibes and modern-day drama, all wrapped in a little tragic love story bow. The short chapters make it an effortless read, but what truly sets it apart is the unique storytelling!
      ― Janisie Rodriguez, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida | Buy from Copperfish Books

  • The Fury is an exellent addition to Alex Michaelides’ body of work, with its back and forth discussion of reality and how we expect things to play out in our minds in a whodunit – meets confessional letter – meets tragedy format. Less startling than its predecessors, The Fury is a brain teaser that is engaging, easy to read, and can be read as part of Michaelides’ ongoing universe or as a standalone.
      ― Shannon Rogers, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina | Buy from Page 158 Books

About Alex Michaelides

Alex Michaelides was born and raised in Cyprus. He has an M.A. in English Literature from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and an M.A. in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient was his first novel, debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and has sold more than 6.5 million copies worldwide. The rights have been sold in a record-breaking 51 countries, and the book has been optioned for film by Plan B. His second novel, The Maidens, was an instant New York Times bestseller and has been optioned for television by Miramax Television and Stone Village.

ad

Spotlight On: The Fury by Alex Michaelides Read More »

The Search Party by Hannah Richell

This is a spooky camping excursion dominated by missing children, adult friendships and their complexities, and Cornish storms. I couldn’t wait to figure out who was missing, who was involved, and where the red herrings were leading me astray.

The Search Party by Hannah Richell, (List Price: $17.99, Atria Books, 9781668036068, January 2024)

Reviewed by Lady Smith, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

The Search Party by Hannah Richell Read More »

It: a Novel by Stephen King

It consistently tops lists of ‘scariest books of all time’ and after reading it for the third time, I’ve gotta say that I agree. It is an incredible achievement in horror fiction and a landmark book. The town of Derry, Maine is cursed, as a small group of children discover one summer. Years later, they reunite to finally deal with the evil that has ravaged their hometown. After you read It, read the Dark Tower books. It’s all connected, man!

It by Stephen King, (List Price: $21.99, Scribner, 9781982127794, July 2019)

Reviewed by Colin Sneed, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

It: a Novel by Stephen King Read More »

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

Mark and Louise hate each other, but when their parents flee their home in the middle of the night and die in a car crash the siblings are forced to re-unite. What happens when you walk into your family home and see the attic door bolted up? Or your mom’s massive puppet collection whose eyes seem to follow you wherever you go? Well, I’m afraid you may have some trouble selling the house. Filled with family secrets, twists, and an uneasy tone that had me on the edge of my seat, this book was WILD and FUN. It had me second guessing everything around me. Did I turn on the TV? Okay, that milk was not there 5 minutes ago.Is someone messing with me?I loved this. It was creepy. It was weird. It was emotional. It was absolutely bonkers in the best way possible!

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix, (List Price: 28, Berkley, 9780593201268, January 2023)

Reviewed by Janisie Rodriguez, Copperfish Books in Punta Gorda, Florida

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix Read More »

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

The Land of Lost Things by John Connolly Read More »

Spotlight on: Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

ad

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.

ad

Spotlight on: Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward Read More »

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

The Woods are Waiting by Katherine Greene Read More »

Spotlight on: With My Little Eye by Joshilyn Jackson

ad

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.

ad

Spotlight on: With My Little Eye by Joshilyn Jackson Read More »

The Angel Maker by Alex North

I am not a reader of thrillers, but I could not put this down. Following the two octogenarian sons of a future-seeing serial killer, this story weaves between past and present, between investigators and the investigated, and intertwines a horrific legacy with a more recent brutal attack and the siblings that survived. Alex North kept me guessing, and though I had to draw a character map to track all the Englishmen the story follows, I was deeply invested by the end and questioning for myself the roles of family, both blood and chosen.

The Angel Maker by Alex North, (List Price: $28.99, Celadon Books, 9781250757869, February 2023)

Reviewed by Sarah Catherine, The Snail On the Wall in Huntsville, Alabama

The Angel Maker by Alex North Read More »

More Than Meets the Eye by Iris Johansen

Iris and Roy Johansen are prolific authors whose works remain fresh and engaging. Kendra Michaels is a very unique character. Blind until she was twenty and had a novel operation to restore her sight, she really wants to focus on her music therapy practice. However, her finely tuned senses make her incredibly useful to the FBI. Her morals and care for others make it hard for her to refuse when asked to consult on cases. This one is particularly heinous, a serial killer has agreed to reveal the location of one his victims. As the grave is excavated and a large crew looks on an explosive device is activated. Kendra can’t say no when asked to help untangle this twisted rope of evil.

More Than Meets the Eye by Iris Johansen, (List Price: $29, Grand Central Publishing, 9781538726235, February 2023)

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

More Than Meets the Eye by Iris Johansen Read More »

Spotlight on: City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita

ad

Iris Yamashita, photo credit Anthony Mongiello

The real isolated town of Whittier, Alaska was something that has been in the back of my mind for over 20 years. I had watched a documentary back when the city could only be reached by train or boat and the tunnel had not yet been open to car traffic. When I started thinking of setting a murder mystery there, I watched a video driving through the two-and-a-half-mile one-way tunnel and it made me think of falling through a rabbit hole where I was going to end up in a strange Wonderland with some odd characters, and then the pieces started to come together.” ―Iris Yamashita, Interview, The Nerd Daily

 

City Under One Roof   by Iris Yamashita

What booksellers are saying about City Under One Roof

  • The setting for City Under One Roof was so intriguing that I immediately looked up whether such a place existed – and it does! Couldn’t help feeling claustrophobic with the closed in atmosphere of the bldg and being cut off from the outside world. Sinister goings-on because almost everyone there is hiding from something, but you don’t know what. Or who to trust. Loved it!
      ―Eileen McGervey from One More Page Books in Arlington, VA | Buy from One More Page Books

  • If Twin Peaks and Fargo had a baby, it might look like this book. Based on the real town of Whittier, Alaska, a crime is committed in this a snowbound burg where everyone lives in the same high-rise and everyone, literally, knows everyone. 205 residents and no one is talking about the severed hand and foot that have washed ashore on Point Mettier. Anchorage detective Cara Kennedy has reasons to investigate the discovery beyond her job. Accessible only by tunnel, the storm traps her in the town with its secrets, a murderer, and a memorable moose.
      ―Kelly Justice from Fountain Books in Richmond, VA | Buy from Fountain Bookstore

  • The setting for City Under One Roof (literally a 205 unit high rise with infirmary, police department, etc. all under one roof) in an isolated area of Alaska that has been cut off from the outside world due to an avalanche in the tunnel which is the only road in or out is only part of what makes this debut novel such a page turner. The mystery, which involves a hand and foot washing up on a beach, and a head found buried in a barn definitely gets your attention. But, best oi all are the cast of quirky characters all with background and baggage. Perfect for fans of City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong.
      ―Nancy McFarlane from Fiction Addiction in Greenville, SC | Buy from Fiction Addiction

About Iris Yamashita

Iris Yamashita is an Academy Award–nominated screenwriter for the movie Letters from Iwo Jima. She has been working in Hollywood for fifteen years developing material for both film and streaming, has taught screenwriting at UCLA, and is an advocate of women and diversity in the entertainment industry. She has also been a judge and mentor for various film and writing programs, and lives in California.

ad

Spotlight on: City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita Read More »

The Hunter by Jennifer Herrera

It’s a great debut, spooky, atmospheric, with family drama, and full of small town secrets. Gotta love a strong female main character, who is unafraid of danger. There are twists and turns in every moment…the suspense is palpable. This book is impossible to put down.

The Hunter by Jennifer Herrera, (List Price: $27, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 9780593540213, January 2023)

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

The Hunter by Jennifer Herrera Read More »

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

A January 2023 Read This Next! Title

Absolutely fucking terrifying. Hendrix does it again in this hilarious yet terrifying novel that combines generational trauma and denial with a not-your-average haunted house. Honestly, I’m unsure if my sibling and I could survive the level of haunting that plagues Louise and Mark; the characters themselves have you questioning whether they will make it to the very end! I had to read this in broad daylight to get through it all. Unique and horrifying, every detail will send goosebumps up your arms and chills down your neck. Not to mention you’ll never look at puppets or squirrels the same way.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix (List Price: $28, Berkley, 9780593201268, January 2023)

Reviewed by Laney Sheehan, Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix Read More »

Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria Dong

A beautifully odd and weird story, full of imagination, obsession, and layers upon layers of intrigue. Katrina Kim is living on the edges of life, barely able to afford her shared apartment, struggling with her temp job, and lowkey stalking her coworker Kurt. There’s something about him and his strangeness that compels her to watch him. Then one night she sees Kurt jump off a bridge, drawing Katrina into the mystery that was his life. I can’t recommend this strange book enough!

Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria Dong (List Price: $28, Grand Central Publishing, 9781538723562, January 2023)

RReviewed by Kate Towery, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

Liar, Dreamer, Thief by Maria Dong Read More »

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

I love Alice Feeney and a locked-room mystery, so this was perfect for me. Daisy Darker’s family gathers at Daisy’s Nana’s secluded beachside home for one final night. Nana isn’t expecting to live much longer and she has things to say to her descendants – things they won’t like. After announcing Nana’s plans for her estate has the expected results, the family reties for the evening, but the night is just beginning. People start turning up dead and questions start to fly. I had to stay up way past my bedtime to finish this one and I have no regrets!

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney, (List Price: $28.99, Flatiron Books, 9781250843937, August 2022)

Reviewed by Andrea Richardson, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney Read More »

Scroll to Top