2026 & 2027 Upcoming Releases
Spoiler-free ARC reviews of the most anticipated thriller and mystery releases.
18 days
Certainty
Laura Dave
Cora’s own life is a landscape of uncertainty: recently unemployed, a marriage strained by infertility, and a desperate desire to believe in the best of humanity. When she is called for jury duty on a high-profile murder trial, her personal struggles collide with a public tragedy. Dr. Preston Becker, a powerful pharmaceutical executive, stands accused of running down two young girls. The initial evidence seems damning, the victims’ family testimony heartbreaking, and the motive chillingly clear.
Yet, as the trial unfolds, the foundation of certainty begins to crack. Conflicting accounts and unexpected revelations challenge every assumption. Was the crash a deliberate act, or a devastating accident? Each new witness, each piece of testimony, deepens the mystery, leaving Cora to navigate a labyrinth of ambiguous truths.
Sequestered with eleven strangers, each with their own perspective on the elusive facts, Cora is pushed to her limits. She must confront the unsettling realization that even with all the evidence in the world, the true understanding of another person—and of truth itself—remains tantalizingly out of reach.
I found the premise of Certainty intriguing, and I was enjoying the story as it unfolded, but the ending ultimately changed how I felt about the entire book. I don't mind a little ambiguity or a story that leaves me questioning certain details, but I need something to hold onto. Here, practically everything is left unanswered, including side stories that may or may not connect to the main plot. Unfortunately, those side stories weren't particularly interesting on their own, either, making them feel more like filler than meaningful additions to the story. I finished the book with more questions than answers, and it felt less like an intentional open-ended conclusion and more like the author simply chose not to wrap anything up. What started as an intriguing story ended up feeling like an unfinished puzzle with too many missing pieces.
If you like ambiguous storytelling, unresolved mysteries, and open-ended conclusions, then you may enjoy this book.
20 days
Cast Away
Sarah Goodwin
Twelve strangers sought a fresh start on a remote, untamed island, believing they were miles from anyone else. They were wrong.
When the body of a stranger washes ashore, their isolated paradise shatters. A killer lurks among them, and with no escape, no contact, and no one coming to help, the challenge of survival becomes a brutal test of trust. As suspicion festers and their numbers dwindle, how far will they go to make it off the island alive?
Cast Away is a relentlessly tense and addictive survival thriller, packed with unexpected twists that will keep you guessing until the very last page. Perfect for fans of Lucy Foley, Sarah Pearse, and Amy McCulloch.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advanced copy of this title.
I enjoy a deserted-island thriller, especially when a familiar setup takes an unexpected turn. Cast Away starts with contestants heading to a remote island to compete on a game show, but a shocking twist around the halfway point completely changes the direction of the story. I found that reveal genuinely interesting and enjoyed seeing how it shifted my understanding of what was happening.
The story is told entirely from Ava’s POV in the present, with medium-length chapters that kept things moving. Ava was a character I could root for, even though she was a bit meek at times. I liked seeing her gradually find her footing as she faced the challenges of her situation, and it was satisfying to see her become more capable as the story progressed.
There were a few moments when I had to suspend my disbelief because some of the decisions characters made didn’t feel realistic given their circumstances. While the explanation of what actually happened fell short of my expectations, I was fine with how the story wrapped up overall. Despite a few frustrations, I found this an entertaining read.
If you like deserted-island thrillers, reality TV gone wrong, and shocking mid-story twists, then you will enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #CastAway
25 days
The Chaperones
Amy Meyerson
The elite parents of the Chester School do nothing by halves - especially not their children’s third-grade camping trip. Their latest extravagant venture takes them to the remote island of Santa Cruz, off the coast of Southern California. Here, with help a ninety-minute boat ride away and civilization a distant memory, they may have finally pushed their luck too far.
An unexpected storm descends, cutting them off from the world. When morning breaks, the chaperones discover a parent’s worst nightmare: two children are missing from their tents. The frantic search for the boys uncovers something far more chilling than a lost child. It leads to a body - and the gruesome realization that someone on the island knows their secrets, and will do anything to keep them buried.
Because the Chester School group isn't alone. There's someone else lurking in the shadows, someone with a dark agenda, someone who shouldn’t be there. And they have every reason to stay.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy of this title.
The premise of an island field trip gone wrong establishes a heavy, atmospheric tone right from the start. The story jumps between the group’s initial arrival on the island and fourteen hours later when two third-graders go missing. The narrative spends eighty percent of the time setting the scene, focusing heavily on who did what to whom and why before the actual kidnapping takes place. There are very few sections dedicated to the disappearance itself and the aftermath.
The shifting perspectives do provide a wide view of the escalating drama among the parents, and I found some of the character arcs quite strong. Charles stood out as a genuinely good guy making poor choices while grappling with his waning writing career. His desperate desire to recapture the feeling of his past success makes him a compelling, sympathetic figure even when he falters.
Despite those positive character moments, the story leans heavily into suspense rather than operating as a fast-paced thriller. When the thrilling moments finally arrive, that section is short and rushes by quickly. I reached the final page feeling that there were simply too many questions left unanswered to provide proper closure. If you like isolated island settings, intense parent drama, and shifting perspectives, then you may enjoy this book. #TheChaperones #NetGalley
18 days
Possession Island
Sarah McCarry
Angela Bell never had an easy childhood on Possession Island, the isolated Pacific Northwest locale made famous by her late mother’s blockbuster vampire book. Coming back from college is hard enough, but it becomes a nightmare when her estranged best friend, Mo, turns up dead. While navigating this fresh grief, Angela suddenly finds herself the primary focus of a highly flawed local police inquiry.
Across town, Sally Raleigh is desperate to escape the island but remains anchored by her ailing father and her fierce loyalty to her twin brother, Adrian. Seeing her old high school rival Angela return is the last thing Sally wants. However, shattered by the loss of Mo, Sally decides to put their bitter history aside and reluctantly teams up with Angela to track down the culprit.
Digging into the island's dangerous undercurrents forces both women to figure out exactly what they are willing to risk for the people they care about most. As their makeshift investigation deepens, it becomes clear that the dark secrets they are hiding from one another are on the verge of being exposed.
Possession Island by Sarah McCarry is a deeply moving exploration of love, life, and friendship that relies on emotional resonance. The chapters are long and the timeline jumps around frequently between the past and present, which can get a bit confusing at times and makes the present-day plot feel like a slow burn. However, the gorgeous writing and depth of feeling more than make up for the slower pacing. Even though the overarching mystery takes a backseat to the character dynamics for most of the journey, it remains an underlying thread that pays off beautifully in the end. When all the pieces finally come together, the book delivers a great, high-stakes twist that feels much more akin to a traditional thriller. It is a beautifully crafted, thoughtful read that succeeds because it takes its time building history before delivering a highly satisfying conclusion. #NetGalley #SaturdayBooks
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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.