2026 & 2027 Upcoming Releases
Spoiler-free ARC reviews of the most anticipated thriller and mystery releases.
115 days
She Was Never Here
Lisa Unger
Broke, jobless, and with nowhere to turn, aspiring writer Ivy Chase is at her lowest point when a lifeline appears: a live-in nanny position at Fox Glenn, the isolated estate of handsome widower Evan White. It promises an escape, a chance to start over, caring for his two children in a house lovingly restored by his late wife, Tess.
But Fox Glenn is no sanctuary. The children are shadows, haunted by their mother's death - Lulu whispers to an imaginary friend named Lavender, while Asher seethes with anger. Then the police arrive, asking about the previous nanny, who has vanished without a trace. And as if that weren't enough, Ivy's own past is catching up, a vengeful former employer digging for secrets that could destroy her.
Trapped between a family shrouded in secrets and a relentless threat from her past, Ivy quickly realizes she's living in a gilded cage. Every creak of the floorboards, every whispered secret, every stranger at the door - is someone watching her? Is she uncovering a family’s dark truth, or becoming the next victim in a sinister game? Lisa Unger masterfully blends chilling gothic suspense with pulse-pounding psychological tension, delivering an electrifying thriller where desire, deception, and revenge are deadly.
Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row for an advanced copy of this title.
I found She Was Never Here to have an interesting premise that kept me curious about where the story was heading, but the execution didn’t quite work for me. The pacing felt sluggish, particularly with Ivy’s internal dialogue frequently circling back to the same thoughts. The multiple POVs also made the narrative feel more drawn out than necessary, rather than adding meaningful perspective or momentum.
I also really struggled with the lack of character development. I never felt particularly connected to anyone, and several characters and side storylines seemed to have little purpose within the larger narrative. Some threads felt disconnected from the main plot altogether, making the story feel unnecessarily padded. Although a few pieces eventually came together, the final reveal was abrupt and far from surprising. After such a lengthy buildup, I was left wanting more from the payoff.
If you like multi-POV psychological thrillers with interconnected storylines and late-game reveals, then you may enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #SheWasNeverHere
115 days
Such a Nice Girl
Andrea Mara
The luxurious glow of a wedding afterparty fades into a chilling dawn for two mothers. Siobhan and Grace arrive at their daughters' shared room, not to find slumbering girls, but a scene of absolute terror: a shattered lamp, a crimson stain on the carpet, an abandoned phone. And their twenty-four-year-old daughters? Vanished.
As the frantic search begins, a horrifying truth unravels. These girls weren't the friends they seemed; their connection was far more twisted. Now, the unthinkable looms: one daughter is dead, and the other is her killer.
Andrea Mara's Such a Nice Girl plunges into the dark heart of motherhood, forcing two women to confront the ultimate question: Which one of their 'nice girls' committed murder? Prepare for a relentless psychological thriller where loyalty and instinct collide with devastating consequences.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for an advanced copy of this title.
I liked how much was happening in Such a Nice Girl without the story ever feeling like it was standing still. The story alternates between Siobhán narrating in the present and her daughter Ré narrating in the recent past, and I enjoyed watching the two timelines slowly come together. A great mid-book twist caught me off guard and made the second half even more interesting, with several more twists and plenty of moving parts.
I also enjoyed the character development throughout the book. No single character stood out above the rest for me, but I found most of them equally interesting, and I liked seeing how their individual stories and relationships developed as more information came to light. The fast pacing worked well for this story, and I never felt like it was dragging.
After the climactic scene, everything wrapped up very quickly, and I would have liked a little more time to see the aftermath but overall it was as entertaining of a book as I’ve come to expect from Andrea Mara.
If you like multiple POVs, secrets and twists, then you will enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #SuchaNiceGirl
115 days
Watch Her Lie
Christina Baker Kline, Anne Burt
Millions followed Isabel Hollister, the beloved influencer crafting a perfect life of vintage recipes and soft-spoken wisdom from her farmhouse kitchen. She promised women fulfillment on their own terms. Then, during a live stream, Isabel began to reveal a secret. The camera jolted. A scream rang out. The feed went dark. Isabel had vanished.
Lonely fan Ashley Goodwin, certain she witnessed a crime, rallies an online community of fans determined to uncover the truth. In New York City, cash-strapped journalist Megan Sinclair sees the disappearance as a chance to revive her career, even if it means returning to Crystal River, where she barely survived a notorious murder spree.
As Ash and Megan dig deeper, they uncover rival influencers, hidden relationships, suspicious deaths, and a woman whose carefully crafted online persona may have concealed a far more dangerous reality. The perfect life Isabel projected online was nothing more than a carefully constructed illusion.
Everyone thought they knew Isabel. Everyone was wrong.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy of this title.
I enjoyed the unexpected twists in Watch Her Lie and how the story kept me entertained. The story alternates between Ash and Megan’s POVs in the present, and both characters were interesting and well developed. Still, something about them made me wary of trusting either one. I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to them than they were letting on.
This is the second book in a series, and although I haven’t read the first, I never felt lost. The authors did a good job providing enough background to make the story easy to follow as a standalone.
The investigation slowed down in the middle, and I wanted more to happen to move things forward. Still, I was curious enough to keep reading, and the twists picked things back up. I also liked how everything came together, and the ending felt satisfying.
If you like dual POVs, slow-burning investigations, and twists you won’t see coming, then you will enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #WatchHerLie
129 days
One Of Us Is Guilty
Steve Cavanagh
Vanessa Vanderpool knows betrayal. She’s learned its bitter taste, built her life against its shadow. Now, as she watches her husband disappear into a secret apartment, the carefully constructed walls around her world begin to crumble. Patrick’s reckless indiscretion threatens everything she’s fought to achieve. Pain and a dangerous resolve course through her veins. She steps into the building, ready to reclaim her future, no matter the cost.
Meanwhile, Patrick Vanderpool has found a fleeting escape from his powerful father's demands and his own hollow existence. In the arms of Molly Green, he finally feels real. But a moment of illicit intimacy shatters when he stumbles upon Molly’s private diary. What he uncovers within its pages isn’t just a secret; it’s a terrifying truth that turns his brief freedom into a trap. Betrayed by the woman he thought offered solace, Patrick’s own anger runs icy cold.
Two lives, consumed by deceit and the desire for control, are on a collision course. Someone is about to make a deadly mistake. The question isn't who pulls the trigger, but who orchestrated the perfect storm.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this title.
Steve Cavanagh builds a brilliantly complex structure in One Of Us Is Guilty. The story is a slow burn as the initial pieces are set up, but the payoff is worth it. The narrative switches between several different points of view and throws in a little time jumping, though it stays primarily rooted in the present. Between the shifting timelines and the large cast of characters, the plot is undeniably intricate, yet it is handled so well that it never becomes confusing.
The pacing and focus shift noticeably at the midway point. The first half leans heavily into the gritty details of the investigation, while the second half transitions into a tense, high-stakes courtroom drama. Eddie is a massive standout for me. As a lawyer who refuses to defend anyone but the truly innocent, he has a strict moral code, but his background as a former con artist means he knows exactly how to color outside the lines when the situation calls for it. That duality makes him highly entertaining to follow, especially as the plot tightens. The surprises waiting at the end are executed perfectly and completely caught me off guard.
If you like slow-burn legal thrillers, shifting timelines, and clever courtroom showdowns, then you will enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #OneOfUsIsGuilty
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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.