2026 & 2027 Upcoming Releases
Spoiler-free ARC reviews of the most anticipated thriller and mystery releases.
3 days
Silent Night
Natasha Boydell
The snow falls softly, a pristine blanket over the charming Cotswolds village in White Hollow7. Ava arrives, a surprise Christmas visit to mend years of distance with her mother. But the picture-perfect cottage is dark, silent. Her mother is gone.
Everyone, including the handsome local antiques dealer, Rory, shrugs it off as an unexpected holiday. But Ava feels a prickle of dread. This isn't like her mother. And then she finds it: her mother's secret obsession with the unsolved disappearance of a little girl, decades ago.
As the village church bells toll and the snow deepens, Ava senses a presence. She's not alone in the house. This isn't a festive reunion. This Christmas, the silence isn't peaceful; it's terrifying.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced copy of this title.
Natasha Boydell sets a quiet, mysterious mood in Silent Night. The story is told entirely from Ava’s point of view in the present tense, with short chapters. Ava is an easy character to root for, which helps anchor things as the book leans into its slow-burn pacing. The writing is great, and while the measured plot requires a little patience, the lingering sense of the unknown held my attention from start to finish.
The main twist lands well and delivers a satisfying payoff. Alongside that, a side mystery plays out and ends with a genuine shocker though I didn’t not like how that secondary plot wraps up. Instead of threading those details naturally throughout the story, the answers get dumped on the reader in the final few chapters. I wish there had been a bit more discussion about it earlier so the conclusion felt earned rather than rushed at the end.
If you like slow-burn tension and present-tense mysteries, then you will enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #SilentNight
5 days
One Of The Family
Mark Edwards
A luxurious Scottish getaway in Applecross turns into a deadly trap when Patrick joins his girlfriend’s wealthy, dysfunctional family for a vacation. The tension centers on Charles, the self-made millionaire patriarch, and his new, much younger fiancée, Jasmine—who bears a haunting resemblance to his late wife. Terrified of losing their inheritance, Charles's adult children are secretly plotting her demise. Caught in a web of greed and resentment, Patrick becomes an accidental witness to a murder scheme. Surrounded by a family of vipers, he must figure out how to survive a vacation where not everyone is meant to make it home.
Mark Edwards delivers a gripping thriller with One of the Family. From the very first chapter, the story pulled me in and refused to let go.
The narrative is told primarily from Patrick’s point of view, with a few brief but highly effective flashbacks that add layers to the unfolding drama. What makes this book so compelling is how easy it is to sympathize with Patrick. He finds himself abruptly caught up in a completely crazy situation, and as the tension escalates, he is forced to navigate a nightmare where every potential way out seems like a genuinely bad option.
Edwards masterfully balances a heavy dose of mystery and intrigue with a relentlessly fast pace. Just when you think you have a handle on the dynamics at play, the story delivers some fantastic surprise twists that completely shift the ground beneath you. It's a suspenseful, emotionally engaging read that puts its protagonist through the wringer and keeps you guessing until the end. This book is a must read for anyone who loves lots of tension, drama and twists you don't see coming! #NetGalley #OneOfTheFamily
19 days
That Night
Gillian McAllister
A European getaway turns into a nightmare when Frannie is involved in a fatal hit-and-run. Panicked, she summons her siblings to the scene—not to call the authorities, but to help her dispose of the body. They agree to a pact of silence to protect their sister, but the cover-up proves more dangerous than the crime itself. As the police investigation heats up, the pressure fractures their family loyalty, forcing them to question what actually happened that night and who is going to break first.
If you are looking for a thriller that will completely consume your attention, That Night by Gillian McAllister is it.
The book is structured with short chapters, multiple POVs, and multiple timelines, which keeps the pace moving quickly; I could not stop turning pages.
McAllister does a brilliant job of sprinkling little mysteries throughout the narrative. Just when you think you have a handle on the situation, a new layer of intrigue is revealed, making it impossible to put down.
Beyond the plot, the emotional stakes are incredibly high. It was so easy to sympathize with Frannie, Cathy, and Joe. The central theme really hit home: most of us have that person (or persons) we would do absolutely anything for, regardless of the cost. Watching these characters navigate that moral grey area made the story feel grounded and terrifyingly realistic.
I highly recommend this book for fans of fast-paced, morally complex thrillers!
#ThatNight #NetGalley
20 days
The Girlfriend’s Secret
Daniel Hurst
My son thinks she’s perfect. I know she’s here to destroy me.
From the moment Haven arrived, a shiver of dread traced its way down my spine. Her sun-kissed hair, her radiant smile – she was too perfect for my gentle son, Joel. I tried to make her leave, to shield my family from her unsettling charm. But Haven is smarter than I gave her credit for. Now, she’s not just in our lives; she’s living under our roof, slowly, meticulously, worming her way into every corner of my home, every heart in my family.
I see it in her eyes. A glint of something cold, something knowing, when she looks at me. She smiles as if she holds the key to my deepest fears. She knows my darkest secret. My heart pounds with the chilling certainty that this woman is not here for my son. She’s here for me.
How far will a mother go to protect her family when the threat is already inside?
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of this title.
The Girlfriend’s Secret kept me engaged with a steady stream of mystery, suspicion, and unanswered questions. The story is told mostly from Liane’s perspective in the present, with a few chapters from Haven and Scott that add just enough extra context to keep the mystery unfolding without giving too much away.
The short chapters, multiple POVs, and steady pacing kept the story moving. What worked best for me was the mystery itself, which kept me invested more than the characters did.
There were enough twists and red herrings to keep me guessing, even if a few of those distractions weren’t fully explained in a satisfying way by the end. The one that stood out most was Haven’s relationship with Calvin, which felt intentionally mysterious throughout but was left a little too vague for my liking. I would have liked a bit more depth there. The final reveal also wasn’t particularly shocking or unique, but I don’t think every thriller needs a shocking ending to be enjoyable.
Overall, this was an entertaining psychological thriller that delivered what I was looking for: an engaging mystery with plenty of suspense. If you’re looking for a good thriller and don’t need a shocking ending to enjoy the ride, this one is worth picking up.
If you like family secrets, red herrings, and psychological suspense, then you will enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #TheGirlfriendSecret
26 days
Heart Of Glass
Jennifer Hillier
Twenty-five years ago in Seaside, Washington, three teenage best friends crossed paths with a charming drifter at the Wonderland amusement park. Tragically, days later, one of the girls, Lorelei, was found murdered in a nearby cranberry bog. The surviving friends, Barb and Nicolette, were horrified to discover the drifter was the notorious Carnival Killer.
Following his arrest for the murders of five young women, the survivors went their separate ways to distance themselves from the trauma. Nicolette chased fame in the city, while Barb remained in Seaside to become a local journalist.
They thought the nightmare was finally over. But on the eve of Wonderland's grand reopening, the killer retracts his confession—and a fresh body washes ashore. Now, the dark secrets Barb and Nicolette have spent decades trying to bury are rapidly surfacing, jeopardizing everything they’ve built.
WOW! This was my very first book by Jennifer Hillier, and I am officially a massive fan. Heart of Glass feels less like reading a book and more like an immersive experience—it pulls you so deeply into the story that you feel like you are part of the plot. It is rare for me to become this emotionally invested in a book, but I found myself deeply attached to the entire cast. I felt incredibly strong emotions—both good and bad—toward every single character as the events unfolded.
The story is told through various POVs, which adds incredible depth. While there is a surprisingly large cast of characters, they are introduced slowly, making it easy to keep track of everyone. The short chapters keep the pacing fast, and the secrets are peeled back layer by layer, keeping the suspense high the entire time. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a great story with depth that will have them feeling all the emotions!
#HeartOfGlass #NetGalley
26 days
The Silent Appeal
Janice Hallett
Welcome back to the theatrical world of Lower Lockwood! Sarah-Jane and Kevin MacDonald are co-chairing the Fairway Players this season, taking on Agatha Christie’s The Hollow. But as always, the real drama is happening off-book. First, Nicky-Rose—Sarah-Jane’s sister—has mysteriously vanished from her life in Barbados, ditching her cruise ship business to move back into their mother's house.
Then there's the casting headache. The troupe is desperate for male actors until newcomer Fran Elroy-Jones brings in a married couple and a cousin. Still, nobody wants the dreaded role of Gerda, leaving the directors with no choice but to invite back an old, over-eager member just to get the play off the ground. Tensions inevitably snap. After a disastrous opening night, it's up to intrepid lawyers Femi and Charlotte to dissect the fallout and discover if the person taking the blame is actually the one at fault.
It was wonderful to reunite with the Fairway Players in The Silent Appeal. I absolutely love Janice Hallett’s unique writing style, and jumping back into this familiar, mixed-media format was a treat. The fact that Sarah-Jane's sister, Nicky-Rose, appears out of the blue and becomes so important to the group added an exciting level of mystery and intrigue right from the start. Plus, the surprise return of a previous Fairway Player was a great twist - that was the moment I knew things were going to get wonderfully wacky!
However, I felt this installment wasn't quite as strong as her previous books. The correspondence and summaries sent from Femi and Charlotte to Roderick were very redundant, often bogging down the pacing. There is also a massive cast of characters to keep track of, and I found it difficult to remember everyone's roles at times, even with the handy character list at the beginning of the book. Surprisingly, the main murder ended up being overshadowed by the other events and interpersonal dramas unfolding at the same time.
I really enjoyed this book even though the ending felt a bit crammed with information. Hallett’s signature format is engaging, and seeing the theater troupe back in action was a lot of fun. If you love a good mystery, this book is well worth the read.
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What is an ARC?
An ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) is a pre-publication version of a book provided by publishers so reviewers can share early feedback. Our spoiler-free reviews help you decide which upcoming titles to add to your pre-order list!
Advance copies reviewed on SpoilThePlot are securely sourced through industry partners, including NetGalley and Inside Story.