Tag Archives: Thriller

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: The Upstairs Room by Dana Mele

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Today on the site I’m delighted to reveal the cover of The Upstairs Room by Dana Mele, a horror thriller coming from Sourcebooks Fire April 20, 2027! Here’s the story:

A summer of nannying takes a terrifying turn when Blair discovers a legacy of mysterious deaths connected to her employer’s sprawling summer estate…but the secrets Blair is harboring may be just as deadly. 

The last place Blair Carver wants to spend the

summer is on the remote Pearl Island. Still, nannying for the reclusive Hathorne family off the coast of Maine is hardly an escape from a complicated junior year and home life—especially with all the rules that must be followed.

Stepping onto the island is like traveling back in time. Raven’s Nook, the Hathorne’s estate, sprawls around a century’s-old lighthouse. A cemetery on the property conceals family secrets, a creepy collection of dolls won’t stay put, and a forbidden upstairs room seems to hold the key to what the family is hiding.

The Hathorne children are cold and standoffish, and when they start hazing Blair with a series of escalating—dangerous—pranks, the town’s whispers about the Hathorne curse grow louder. Postcard perfect Pearl Island conceals a sinister history. Blair has dark secrets too, family secrets that have been been passed down for generations, and if Blair’s not careful, this summer will be their last…

And here’s the creeptastic cover by Jana Heidersdorf!

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Processed with Lensa with BW2 filter

Dana Mele is a Pushcart-nominated author of short stories and YA novels including THE BEAST YOU LET IN. A graduate of Wellesley College, Dana holds degrees in theatre, education, and law.

Dana’s debut, PEOPLE LIKE US, was shortlisted for the 2019 ITW Thriller Award for Best Young Adult Novel and is an ALA Rainbow List Selection. Dana’s sophomore novel, SUMMER’S EDGE, was a Barnes & Noble YA Book Club Selection and a New York Public Library Best Books for Teens title. Up next is THE UPSTAIRS ROOM, a YA supernatural thriller forthcoming from Sourcebooks Fire, slated for publication April 20, 2027. Dana lives in Upstate New York with their family.

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Exquisite Decay by Xan van Rooyen

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Today on the site I’m delighted to reveal the cover of Exquisite Decay by Xan van Rooyen, a trans YA sci-fi thriller releasing from Tiny Ghost Press on December 1, 2026! Here’s the story:

Rian Gray wasn’t born in the slums of Axis City. 

They were left there to rot.

When their estranged grandmother dies, Rian is plucked from the gutter and thrust into the upper echelons of society and the hallowed halls of Curzon Academy. The opportunity of a lifetime to some, for Rian, this will be a tactical infiltration. Their mission: dismantle the corporatocracy that destroyed their family. But to burn it all down, they need access, and their inheritance comes with strings. Rian will have to excel at both the rigorous academics and the complex social politics of the elite school.

Enter Baz Hallward, a reclusive yet brilliant scholarship student, who is instantly enthralled by the new transfer, and who agrees to tutor Rian if they’ll submit to uploading their memories through an AI cyborg as part of Baz’s final science project; a project which will guarantee him success and acceptance from the uppercrust.

As Rian navigates this treacherous yet seductive world, their thirst for vengeance is threatened by the mind-altering allure of the privilege they swore to destroy. And with Baz’s experiments chipping away at Rian’s mind, their humanity is at risk of decay.

In a city where identity is a commodity and wealth is the measure of human worth, can Rian tear down a corrupt system before the world they despise consumes them entirely?

Dark academia meets cyberpunk, in this visceral and immersive, queer retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray from the visionary author of My Name Is Magic and Waypoint Seven.

And here’s the killer cover by Cael Lyons!

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Xan van Rooyen is an award-winning autistic and non-binary storyteller from South Africa, currently living in Finland. Xan has a Master’s degree in music, and–when not teaching–enjoys conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. You can find Xan’s stories in the likes of Three-Lobed Burning Eye, Daily Science Fiction, and Galaxy’s Edge among others. They have also written several books including Waypoint Seven (Mirari Press), and My Name is Magic (Tiny Ghost Press). Xan is also part of the Sauútiverse, an African writer’s collective, with stories in the multi award-nominated anthology Mothersound as well as the forthcoming Sauúti Terrors anthology (Flame Tree Press). Xan has also had a number of non-fiction articles published, which you can find in the Locus Award winning Afro-Centered Futurisms in Our Speculative Fiction (Bloomsbury, Australia) among others. You can find Xan online here: https://linktr.ee/xanvanrooyen

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Queer Villains, Not Just Victims: a Guest Post by Serial Husbands author Travis Warman

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Today on the site, we’re welcoming Travis Warman, author of Serial Husbands, to discuss writing moral complexity in queer characters, particularly as it relates to this thriller set prior to Obergefell. Before we get to the post, here’s the story:

Michael Denton and Ryan Hayes are the perfect neighbors. They are also judge, jury, and executioner. The two devoted husbands have spent years secretly hunting the predators who walk free from courtrooms, logging every kill in a heavily encrypted dark web archive called The Ledger.

When a sixteen-year-old girl goes missing in their town, a local detective starts working the timeline, finding gaps in the story the town believes. As the investigation gets closer to home, Michael and Ryan find their system unraveling, forcing them to protect what they have built at all costs.

Serial Husbands is a character-driven psychological thriller featuring a dark, LGBTQ-centered narrative. It blends suburban realism with high-stakes suspense, exploring themes of vigilantism, the cost of secrecy, and dual identities.

Buy it: Amazon

And now, here’s the post!

Continue reading Queer Villains, Not Just Victims: a Guest Post by Serial Husbands author Travis Warman →

New Release Spotlight

New Release Spotlight: 10th Anniversary Edition of This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

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Today on the site I’m delighted to welcome back Marieke Nijkamp, Dutch author of so many books but most notably, today, of This is Where it Ends, an uber-bestselling YA thriller whose 10th anniversary edition just released yesterday. As it happens, Marieke is one of my best friends dating back to before either of us were published, so it’s been a particular joy to be on board for this journey! Before we get to our chat, here’s the gist of This is Where it Ends: 10th Anniversary Edition:

The tenth anniversary edition of the #1 New York Times bestseller about a high school held hostage, and four teens―each with their own reason to fear the boy with the gun. Featuring printed edges, updated author’s note, and exclusive material.

10:00am: The principal of Opportunity, Alabama’s High School finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02am: The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03am: The auditorium doors won’t open.

10:05am: Someone starts shooting.

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes, terror reigns as one student’s calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Now read on for my chat with the author, Marieke Nijkamp!

Continue reading New Release Spotlight: 10th Anniversary Edition of This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp →

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Undeniable by Jes Honard and Marie Parks

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Today on the site I’m delighted to welcome back Jes Honard and Marie Parks to reveal the cover of Undeniable, a paranormal thriller with an asexual MC and the second book in the Grigori Cycle, as well as the new cover of Unrelenting, which was originally revealed here! First, here’s the story behind Undeniable, which releases October 28th from Not a Pipe Press:

A lifeless body awaiting immortality.
Magic that erodes a sister’s identity.
Enemies bent on retribution.

Bridget has saved her sister, Dahlia, from imprisonment. But their reunion has come with enormous costs. Their friend was murdered in the rescue efforts, and Dahlia herself is no longer fully human.

Together, they seek to grant their friend a second chance at life. But the magic that will save him also paints a target on their backs.

As the sisters race to uncover the key to resurrection, Dahlia’s former captors pursue them—coveting the ancient powers and seeking justice for their own fallen companions.

At the same time, they must also contend with Dahlia’s immortal life, new abilities, and fracturing personality.

Undeniable is the second book in The Grigori Cycle. Multi-Hugo Award-winning author Mary Robinette Kowal called Unrelenting “a tapestry of emotion that effortlessly weaves together the threads of grief and obsession.”

Here’s the ethereal cover, illustrated by Lauren Raye Snow, with a background symbol designed by Gigi Little!

A young woman looks directly at the viewer with her head tilted slightly down, with light eyes, straight blond hair, and pale skin. As her hair flows down, it becomes enmeshed with a green-gold smoky mist that rises from the bottom of the cover and surrounds her. In the center of the mist is a white glowing silhouette of a woman. The background is a blue background overlaid with an intricate, symmetrical, geometric symbol. The following text is on the cover: "Jes Honard & Marie Parks. Unrelenting, Book One of The Grigori Cycle."

Buy Undeniable: Bookshop | Amazon | B&N 

Continue reading Exclusive Cover Reveal: Undeniable by Jes Honard and Marie Parks →

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Love Galaxy by Sierra Branham

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Today on the site, I’m delighted to reveal the cover of Love Galaxy by Sierra Branham, a Sapphic Sci-Fi Thriller releasing from DAW on May 5, 2026! Here’s the story:

A romantic science fiction thriller in which a young woman from a dead-end planet gets cast on a reality TV show to compete for the hand of the prince—or princess. But not everyone is there for the right reasons…

Smart, sexy, compulsively readable and fun, this is for fans of Everina Maxwell’s Winter’s Orbit and Arkady Martine’s A Memory Called Empire.

Temmi, a young trash collector stuck in a dead-end job on a garbage planet, finds herself with a golden ticket she never expected: an opportunity to compete in an intergalactic dating show starring the brother and sister heirs to the galactic empire. Twenty-four women will compete on a televised program to marry the prince and princess—and future emperors—and to win the dynasty’s favor for their home planet.

Temmi may have been hand-picked to date the quiet, bookish prince, who is immediately taken by her brash personality and their shared passion for the sciences. But she can’t seem to keep away from the princess—and even though it couldn’t be a worse idea, their chemistry is undeniable.

But when contestants start turning up dead, and conspiracies begin to swirl around anti-imperial motivations of several contestants, Temmi among them, so much more than feelings are at stake.

In fact, very few of the participants of Love Galaxy have come on the show to find love. Sexy, snarky, and revolutionary, this fast-paced thrill ride will hook lovers of reality TV, fans of thoughtful sci-fi, and anyone who lives for drama.

And here’s the out-of-this-world cover, illustrated by Artem Chebokha and designed by Jenna Stempel-Lobel!

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Sierra Branham is the author of the forthcoming science fiction novel LOVE GALAXY, a romantic and political thriller releasing with DAW Books in spring of 2026. Her short fiction can be found in venues like Small Wonders Magazine and Apex Magazine. When not spinning words into stories, she can be found hiking with her goats, juggling knives, or battling existential crises. Find her on Instagram at @authorsierrabranham or sign up for her newsletter on her website at http://www.sierrabranham.com.

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal We Could Be Anyone by Anna-Marie McLemore

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Today on the site, I am so delighted to welcome back Anna-Marie McLemore to reveal the cover of their brand-new YA historical thriller, We Could Be Anyone, releasing May 26, 2026 from Feiwel & Friends! Here’s the story:

Lola and Lisandro are actors during Hollywood’s Golden Age, but you won’t see them on any silver screen. Instead, these siblings use their talents to scam the rich and famous out of their ill-begotten cash. They have their act down to a science: Lola plays the tragic ghost who haunts the mansions of the wealthy, and Lisandro plays the brave spiritualist who will help her soul find peace. For a small fee, of course.

The siblings have their sights set on their next target: The Coterie, the opulent estate of newspaper tycoon Bixby Fairfax and his famous mistress Blythe Bell. A score this big will allow them to move… well, anywhere but here. But this job requires them to do something they’ve never done before: switch roles. And as strange things keep happening at The Coterie… things that even Lola and Lisandro can’t explain.

As they are drawn deeper into The Coterie’s gleaming façade and tensions rise between brother and sister, one question looms over them. Will they be able to pull off their act? Or will this be their last performance?

And here’s the gorgeous cover, designed by L. Whitt with art by Andreea Dumuta!

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | B&N

(c) Elliott McLemore

Anna-Marie McLemore (they/them) grew up hearing la llorona in the Santa Ana winds and now writes books as queer, Latine, and nonbinary as they are. They are the author of William C. Morris YA Debut Award finalist The Weight of Feathers; Wild Beauty; Blanca & Roja, one of Time magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time; Dark and Deepest Red; Lambda Literary Award Finalist Lakelore; Flawless Girls; and National Book Award longlist selections When the Moon Was Ours, The Mirror Season, and Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix. Find them online at annamariemclemore.com.

Book Spotlight

Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week Book Spotlight: So Lucky by Nicola Griffith

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March 9th kicked off Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week, and as any reader knows, one great way to raise awareness of a disability is to read a book with a main character who has said condition, written by an author who shares it. This week we’re highlighting So Lucky by Nicola Griffith, a psychological thriller that released back in 2018 and won the Washington State Book Award. (You can read more about the book and Griffith’s interviews here.) 

Image of a book cover of So Lucky: A Novel, by Nicola Griffith. The background is matte black with the title “So Lucky,” and the author’s name “Nicola Griffith,” in big uppercase type rendered as burning paper. In smaller, brighter letters between title and author is, “A novel,” and, below the writer’s name, “Author of Hild”

Mara Tagarelli is on top of her world. She’s the head of a multimillion-dollar AIDS foundation, an accomplished martial artist, and happily married. Then, in the space of a week, her wife leaves her, she is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and she loses her job.

Mara has never met a problem she can’t solve—until suddenly she can’t solve any of them. Everything begins to feel like a threat. At first, she thinks it’s just her newfound sense of vulnerability. Then she realizes the threat of violence is real, deadly, and imminent.

But how do you defend yourself when you can’t trust your own body? How do you face down danger when others believe you are helpless, yet you know monsters are coming? This will be a fight unlike any Mara has faced before.

Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Libro.fm

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: First On Scene by Selina Rossman

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Today on the site, I’m delighted to reveal the cover of First On Scene: A Howling Sirens Novel by Selina Rossman, an LGBTQ+ urban fantasy thriller that will captivate fans of supernatural adventures and heartfelt drama. Here’s the story:

In the quiet, quintessential small town of Hudson, Massachusetts, a dedicated group of first responders—Kitty, Zuri, Angell, and Eric—commit themselves to the safety of their community. Kitty, a Southern transplant and new medic, is eager to prove her worth and find her place, not knowing that the woman of her dreams, Zuri, is more than just an EMT. Eric, who struggles in his role as a paramedic, learns to lean on his partner, Angell, a skilled medic with a mysterious, bewitched past.

When a series of violent animal attacks shatters the town’s tranquility, it unearths hidden secrets and thrusts these healers onto a warrior’s path. As they rush from one medical emergency to another, each pulse-pounding call brings them closer to each other and their destiny. The perils of the paranormal threaten to destroy everything they hold dear, forcing them to confront their pasts to save their future.

In this adrenaline-fueled world of EMS, the lives of Kitty, Zuri, Angell, and Eric intertwine in ways they never expected. Their call to duty transcends the ordinary as they become humanity’s last line of defense against a supernatural threat. Every siren heralds a potential showdown, challenging them to redefine what it means to be ‘of service.’ Follow these warriors on a gripping journey where every heartbeat could signal a supernatural confrontation.

And here’s the captivating cover, designed by Paramita Bhattacharjee!

Buy it: Amazon

Selina Rossman is a paramedic living in Massachusetts with her wife. She draws inspiration from her real-life experiences to craft compelling stories that blend the intensity of emergency medical services with supernatural elements. When she’s not writing, Selina enjoys exploring the great outdoors and spending quality time with her family.

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein

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You probably know Izzy Wasserstein from her short fiction, but today I’m thrilled to have her on the site to reveal the cover of her very first novella, These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart, releasing March 12, 2024 from Tachyon Publications! Here’s the story:

In a queer, noir technothriller of fractured identity and corporate intrigue, a trans woman faces her fear of losing her community as her past chases after her. This bold, thought-provoking debut science-fiction novella from a Lambda Award finalist is an exciting and unpredictable look at the fluid nature of our former and present selves.

In mid-21st-century Kansas City, Dora hasn’t been back to her old commune in years. But when Dora’s ex-girlfriend Kay is killed, and everyone at the commune is a potential suspect, Dora knows she’s the only person who can solve the murder.

As Dora is dragged back into her old community and begins her investigations, she discovers that Kay’s death is only one of several terrible incidents. A strange new drug is circulating. People are disappearing. And Dora is being attacked by assailants from her pre-transition past.

Meanwhile, It seems like a war between two nefarious corporations is looming, and Dora’s old neighborhood is their battleground. Now she must uncover a twisted conspiracy, all while navigating a deeply meaningful new relationship.

And here’s the thrilling cover, designed by Elizabeth Story!

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Izzy Wasserstein is a queer, trans woman who teaches writing and literature. Wasserstein was born and raised in Kansas, and she received her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of New Mexico. She is the author of dozens of short stories, two poetry collections, and the short-story collection All the Hometowns You Can’t Stay Away From (Neon Hemlock Press, 2022). Wasserstein loves books, comics, horror movies, and slowly running long distances.She shares a home in Southern California with her spouse, Nora E. Derrington, and their animal companions. These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart is her debut novella.