Picked by Pegasus: Suspense
By Pegasus Book Exchange
By Pegasus Book Exchange
Every month, we will carefully select a brand-new mystery or suspense novel that will keep you turning pages. Like magic, it will arrive in your mailbox!
Throughout the year, we’ll aim to include a mix of police procedural, international intrigue, psychological domestic suspense, and pulse-pounding thrillers.
Mastering the Art of French Murder: A Charming New Parisian Historical Mystery
Colleen Cambridge
$27.00 $25.11May 2023 Pick: "Mastering the Art of French Murder" Clever and just the smallest bit cozy, this start to a new mystery series is a delightful and puzzling journey. As Tabitha Knight is removed from her factory job with the return of men from war, we follow her on a move from Detroit to Post-WWII Paris to be closer to her grandfather and uncle. Fast falling in love with her new neighbors, Julia and Paul Child, and Julia's sister Dort, Tabitha builds a new found family. As they work on new recipes and she experiences more of the beautiful city though, the last thing she expects to disrupt her new life is murder. “Enchanting… Cambridge captures Child’s distinct voice and energy so perfectly. Expect to leave this vacation hoping for a return trip.” –Publishers Weekly
The White Lady
Jacqueline Winspear
$30.00 $27.90April 2023 Pick: "The White Lady" This latest novel by Winspear, a rare standalone, is both a perfect introduction to the author or next read for those who are already fans. Elinor, a British ex-spy, has retired to the rural English countryside. Determined as she is to protect her anonymity and live quietly, she can't quite seam to settle all of her demons. As her past continues to haunt and we flashback with her to two past wars, not even the present provides quite the escape she had hoped. Unable to stand aside when her neighbor is threatened by his own past, we are pulled along with her on a new and treacherous journey. "The White Lady is wonderful ... a tense and twisty character-driven thriller, a heartfelt tribute to the twentieth century's bravest women, and a perfect match between story and storyteller. No one does this better than Jacqueline Winspear." — Lee Child
I Will Find You
Harlan Coben
$30.00 $27.90March 2023 Pick: "I Will Find You" A brand new standalone mystery from the master writer Harlan Coben - what more could you want! Wrongly accused for the murder of his son, 5 years into his sentence David Burroughs finds reason to suspect his son is still alive and well. Determined to figure out what happened, so begins his plot to escape prison, ensure the safety of his son, and solve what really went wrong those years ago - all while evading the FBI hot on his trail. With a strong cast, including our flawed but compelling main characters, the action starts quickly and doesn't let up for the whole of this wild ride. While a bit over the top at times, this is a fun one that will keep you reading at breakneck pace. "Harlan Coben is one of our greatest living thriller writers, and instantly engaging hooks like the one in I Will Find You are a big reason why."―BookPage
Stone Cold Fox
Rachel Koller Croft
$27.00 $25.11February 2023 Pick: "Stone Cold Fox" Ready to leave behind her con artist past, Bea sets out to find herself a new life full of security and safety. What begins is not only a final con to get a ring from Collin Case and convince his old money family of her worth, but a game of cat and mouse with his childhood best friend, Gale. As the confrontation between the women builds, and more of Bea's past is revealed, so do the lengths Gale will go to and the lines that she might cross. Full of twists and turns, this debut mystery will keep you hooked and guessing at who the real villain and heroes of this story are. “This clever tale of jealousy, revenge, deception, and betrayal marks Croft as a writer to watch.” —Publishers Weekly
All the Dangerous Things
Stacy Willingham
$27.99 $26.03January 2023 Pick: "All the Dangerous Things" Selena says: Isabelle Drake is a mother whose child disappeared from her home in the middle of the night. The case gone cold a year later, she quite literally cannot rest until she finds him. Jumping at the chance for help, she agrees to work with a true crime podcast host to go over the details of the case. As his questions dig deeper and deeper though, the very threads Isabelle is hanging on by begin slowly unravelling. Perfectly paced, this one will leave you questioning everything you think you know until the very end. "[A] lyrical thriller... this involving, thought-provoking page-turner raises disturbing questions about the nature of the stories people tell themselves to make sense of the world. Willingham remains an author to watch." ― Publishers Weekly
What Meets the Eye: A Mystery
Alex Kenna
$28.99 $26.96December 2022 Pick: "What Meets the Eye" Selena says: An impressive debut, Alex Kenna's What Meets the Eye, is a gritty LA private eye novel. When a young artist's death is ruled a suicide, her parents, disbelieving, hire ex-LAPD turned Private Investigator Kate Myles to look into the case. What follows is an absorbing look into the art world, fully of shady dealing and more. Described as a "twisty and absorbing" read, you'll be hooked immediately by the plot and compelling characters. "Kenna gives us the LA crime story we want—a fronded, sun-beaten carousel of depravity and murder, all laced up with tight plotting, sharply hewn characters, and a gripping, original story.” —Joseph Schneider, author of the Tully Jarsdel Mysteries
Lavender House
Lev Ac Rosen
$26.99 $25.10November 2022 Pick: "Lavender House" Selena says: This one had me at "Knives Out with a queer historical twist". Set at Lavender House in 1952, our mystery begins with the death of the head of the house (and of the famous Lamontaine soap empire), Irene. In a house full of secrets, detective Evander Mills is entranced by the family and their lives, but the deeper he gets, the more this utopia of sorts closes in on everyone. In this "smooth" slow burn mystery, the characters will pull you in and keep you guessing. “Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen is a new take on a Golden Age crime novel. Its 1950s setting is richly cinematic, with gin martinis, bananas foster and a fantastic mid-century soundtrack... Everything about the crime ― the perpetrator, the victim, the motive ― has a deeper meaning." –Washington Post
Little Eve
Catriona Ward
$27.99 $26.03October 2022 Pick: "Little Eve" Emma says: Typically our Suspense book pick features a classic murder investigation - but not necessarily. It's spooky season, just right for a twisty tale of Gothic suspense. In this Shirley Jackson Award-winning novel, a family on a remote Scottish isle prepare for the end of the world. Beautifully written, creepy, and impossible to put down, make sure all your lights are on when you read this! “Ward’s skillful weaving of horror and mystery forms a dense, rich tapestry....The play of imagery is as engrossing as the plot twists, making this a rewarding outing from any angle." ―Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
Back to the Garden
Laurie R. King
$28.00 $26.04September 2022 Pick: "Back to the Garden" "The day had been going so well, until the bones turned up." Selena says: Looking for an atmospheric read with a setting and history that reveals more at each turn? Get ready for the latest standalone mystery from the masterful Laurie R. King, Back to the Garden. Bouncing between the 70s and present day, this mystery runs deeper, and the stakes for present day get higher at every turn. A mansion, exquisite gardens, a serial killer, a 70s commune, and an inspector with her own fascinating backstory - this story is as intricate and compelling as its setting.
A Tidy Ending
Joanna Cannon
$26.99 $25.10August 2022 Pick: "A Tidy Ending" Selena says: Clever dialogue, with witty and peculiar characters set the scene in this mystery novel with a truly surprising twisty ending. This isn't a gory or violent mystery, but a slow sinister burn with some dark humor mixed in for good measure. It's a worthy adventure for both those familiar with and entirely new to Joanna Canon's work. This one will keep you turning the pages from start to finish! “A compellingly crafted and compulsive read, full of twists—and twists on twists—that keeps you guessing until the last page. It’s a book that is always at least two steps ahead—though not in the direction you suspect—and deliciously mixes, as only Joanna Cannon can, suburbia and the sinister. A joy and a triumph.” —Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
The Self-Made Widow
Fabian Nicieza
$27.00 $25.11July 2022 Pick: "The Self-Made Widow" Selena says: Our protagonist, a former FBI profiler turned housewife and mother of five, Andie Stern, can't seem to stay away from crime solving. This soft boiled crime novel written by a co-creater of Deadpool will have you completely absorbed in these characters' lives and motives. Get ready for a plot driven mystery steeped in wit, charm, and a good dose of humor. A second book in the Suburban Dicks series, don't let that put you off, this one provides all you need to successfully get into Andrea's world - and if it leaves you wanting more, check out the first in the series for a more in depth origin story for these detectives!
The Sweet Goodbye
Ron Corbett
$27.00 $25.11May 2022 Pick: "The Sweet Goodbye" Emma says: The first book in an intriguing new series featuring undercover FBI investigator Danny Barrett, The Sweet Goodbye is a layered noir thriller set in the atmospheric North Maine Woods. As Craig Johnson (author of the Walt Longmire series) says, it's: “Like a marvelous piece of north country wood, The Sweet Goodbye has a luxurious grain and finish—not to say that Ron Corbett’s debut novel of FBI Agent Danny Barrett doesn’t have its share of warp and twists. This is the plank that’s going to set the platform for one fine crime series.”
The Investigator
John Sandford
$29.00 $26.97April 2022 Pick: "The Investigator" I've long been in awe of John Sandford's ability to make a story rocket forward at breakneck speed while still feeling absolutely vivid, never sketched-in or lazy. In The Investigator, Letty, the adopted daughter of Sandford's long-time detective Lucas Davenport, takes center stage in the first book of her own series. Unlike her dad's mysteries, it's not a murder that kicks off the action, but a theft - of Texan oil. If you've read the Prey mysteries, you know how fast Sandford can make the pages turn. And if you haven't, welcome to a lot of fun.
Killer View
Roy Johansen
$28.00 $26.04March 2022 Pick: "Killer View" Emma says: I'm a big believer in reading fiction as a therapeutic pursuit - which is to say, in the darkest times I want the most maximally escapist reads. This thriller hits the spot with sheer page-turning fun. Combine a heroine with near-superhuman powers of observation, car chases, and snappy back-and-forth dialogue between the characters, and you won't be able to put this one down!
The Goodbye Coast: A Philip Marlowe Novel
Joe Ide
$28.00 $26.04February 2022 Pick: "The Goodbye Coast" Jimmy says: Let the reviews for this reinvention of Chandler's classic noir detective speak for themselves: "Not so much a reimagining of Chandler's world as a reinvigoration. By transplanting Philip Marlowe to 2021 LA, Joe Ide has chiseled off the rust while keeping the soul of one of American fiction’s icons. The Goodbye Coast is a blast from start to finish.” ―Dennis Lehane "Sunshine and skullduggery, movie stars and mayhem - Joe Ide brings us a Philip Marlowe who wears our twenty-first century like a well-cut suit."―Ian Rankin
Hello, Transcriber
Hannah Morrissey
$27.99 $26.03December 2021 Pick: "Hello, Transcriber" Jimmy says: Hello, Transcriber is a captivating mystery/thriller debut featuring a female police transcriber who goes beyond the limits to solve a harrowing case. As poetic as it is suspenseful, it delivers a refreshing slant on the police procedural. With evocative prose, intriguing and layered characters, and a setting so vivid it will infiltrate your dreams, Hannah Morrissey establishes herself as an exciting new voice in literary suspense.
Grave Reservations
Cherie Priest
$17.00 $15.81November 2021 Pick: "Grave Reservations" Jimmy says: I picked this book because it’s a mystery mingled with some fantasy elements as well. Which I have yet to serve up and am willing to bet ya’ll will be intrigued and excited about. Christopher Moore calls Grave Reservations, “an ebullient tap dance of a mystery with a splash of Seattle color and, well, psychic karaoke.” I see great escapist fun in your near future.