Following the “perfectly told” (Malcolm Gladwell) New York Times bestseller The Plot, Jean Hanff Korelitz returns with an equally captivating new novel: The Sequel.
“Fans of Korelitz’s literary thriller The Plot will (manuscript theft! identity theft! murder most foul! soup!) get excited for the sequel: The Sequel, in which a certain author’s widow decides to write her own book―and discovers that she’s not the only one who knows a few secrets after all. Fun.” ―LitHub, Most Anticipated Books of 2024
“Wicked entertainment.” ―Kirkus, STARRED
With BookTok, Bookstagram, and Book Twitter (RIP), readers get a view into the world of publishing and writers. We get a front-room seat to the drama of the book world. Some of it can dive into the world of ethics, like “Bad Art Friend” or “Cat Person.” I had a particular fascination with the Bad Art Friend drama as it went down and we got more contradictory pieces of the story. We’ve seen some of them blow up spectacularly like the recent controversy with NaNoWriMo and claims that not using artificial intelligence was elitist. We’ve also likely heard about the writer who lost their book contract after it was revealed they were review-bombing other authors.
Sometimes it can be devastating, like a certain author’s descent into rampant transphobia and their constant doubling down on hate. Other controversies include fake agencies, fake writers’ organizations, and plagiarism scandals, to name a few.
Understandably, some authors have taken a page from the dramatic world of books to create wonderful mysteries and shocking thrillers. Some focus on the publishing world, others on the relationships between authors and other authors and/or friends/family/enemies. Some have dived into the fascinating world of antiquarian and rare books.
So, if you like your mysteries and thrillers bookish, here are eight mysteries and thrillers set in the world of books.
The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill
Gentill is the master at writing thrillers involving the book world. Her most recent book, The Mystery Writer, is a delicious send up of the publishing world. Theo has had it with trying to make her career as a corporate lawyer work for her. Instead, she’s going to start realizing her dream: to become a writer. She starts writing in a cafe where she ends up meeting a very successful author who has taken a shine to her. But something is off; he’s reticent about certain things. So when she finally gets up the nerve to give him her manuscript, he is found brutally murdered and the police think her brother was the culprit. Theo decides she has to dive into her mentor’s past and do anything to save her brother. I cannot say anything more without ruining the plot so trust me, you won’t be sorry you read it!
Alter Ego by Alex Segura (December 5, 2024)
This forthcoming book is one of my favorite books of the year. It’s technically a sequel to the amazing Secret Identity, but it can be standalone (though why would you, since Secret Identity is very good). While the first book focused on 1970s NY comic book scene, Alter Ego focuses on the comic world today. Annie Bustamante has made a career for herself as a filmmaker and author. When she gets the opportunity to bring back her favorite superhero, The Lethal Lynx, to life, she decides she has to try, even if the people behind it feel sketchy, including the son of Triumph Comics founder, Bert Carlyle. Soon she realizes that there is more going on in this reboot of the comic series that is costing people’s lives. As a bonus, the Lethal Lynx comics are going to be re-released in November.
I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Self-identified sociopath Jane wanted to be a writer. She was lucky enough to get into the Creative Writing classes at Oxford where she met her best and only friend Thalia. But after a violent incident, Thalia cuts her out of her life. Years later, Jane finds herself in an unhappy marriage with a few unsuccessful books in her pocket. So when she learns that her friend has published a New York Times bestseller book that appears to be about their friendship, Jane decides that she must confront her.
Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews
Florence Darrow will do anything to be a writer. After several failed attempts to get her foot in the door, she becomes an assistant to Maud Dixon, a bestselling novelist who writes under a pseudonym. Florence has to follow several conditions to work as her assistant to this elusive author. But things take a turn and Florence realizes she needs to figure out who Maud Dixon is…or maybe take a flying jump into her own career as a writer…
A Cryptic Clue by Victoria Gilbert
Jane is not ready for retirement. She may have been forced out of her job as a university librarian, but she has not met her own expiration date. So when Cameron “Cam” Clewe hires her as an archivist for his rare book and ephemera collection, it’s like a match made in heaven. Granted, Cam is a bit of a recluse and does not have the best track record with women. When his latest ex-girlfriend is found murdered in Cam’s library, Cam asks Jane to help clear his name. Can Jane take her skills as a librarian and archivist to get to the bottom of this case? The second book in the series, A Killer Clue, came out in September 2024.
Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
Murder mystery writers like to joke about how they are likely on some watch lists thanks to the things they look up on the internet. Cosimano has taken that idea a step further: what happens if someone took a mystery writer seriously? Finlay Donovan is at her wit’s end. Her cheating ex-husband is threatening to take the kids from her, she’s behind on all her bills, and the book she’s supposed to write doesn’t exist. When she meets her agent at a restaurant and starts talking about murder, someone overhears her and thinks Finlay is a contract killer. She’s willing to pay handsomely if Finlay can get rid of her husband. Finlay tries to correct this misunderstanding, but gets drawn into the world of organized crime and contract killers. Can Finlay Donovan keep her head above water? Or will she be killed doing it? There are four published Donovan books and one novella with a fifth out in 2025.
This is a great example of a kill cute: accidental (or not) death that leads to a possible romance…
Crime and Parchment by Daphne Silver
Agatha-award winning debut Crime and Parchment dives into the world of rare books. Library of Congress librarian Juniper Blume gets a mysterious call from her sister’s soon-to-be ex-husband that the rare bejeweled covers of the Book of Kells have turned up in their hometown. It seems unlikely given that the Book of Kells is in Ireland and the covers have been missing for centuries. But Juniper can’t just ignore it. When she shows up, she finds her sister Azalea stressed out about trying to turn their late grandmother’s home into an inn for tourists in their popular Maryland town and dealing with her failing marriage. Juniper is not exactly welcome there.
Even worse, when Juniper shows up to her meeting with her sister’s ex, she doesn’t find the rare book covers — instead, she finds a body. Azalea’s soon-to-be ex-husband is missing and he’s suspected of the crime. Will Juniper be able to solve this crime, reconnect with her sister, and find these extremely rare covers? Come for the mystery and stay for the delicious Jewish recipes. Book two, The Tell-Tale Homicide, comes out in November 2024.
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
In this Goodreads Winner for Fiction in 2023, June wants to be a successful writer like her friend Athena. So when Athena dies in a freak accident, June ends up stealing Athena’s unpublished manuscript and passing it off as her own. Success is just on the horizon. But rumors start to swirl, June has to make a choice. They say that one sin leads to the rest…What will June do to keep her secret and her success safe?
If you want some more novels about publishing, this Rioter list of Best Novels about Publishing should feed that need. Or if you want more books about books, here’s a great list for y’all. Finally, if you want to learn more about the antiquarian and rare book world, here’s my list of 10 things I learned at the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar. Happy reading about books and the book world!
