Exciting, Thrilling and Intriguing New Books to Add to Your TBR

2022 promises to be a great year for new books, let's look at several of January's books

Hi readers,

I subscribe to a few blogger and industry newsletters that announce upcoming releases, and I review upcoming books on Net Galley. I get so excited when I see a favorite author’s newest book appear on NG for an early release copy, and if it’s not on NG, I use those sources to load up the holds on my library cards. I thought 2021 was a great year for new books by debut and established authors, and 2022 promises to be even better.

In the past, I’ve shared a few new releases on some of the Happy Friday Links newsletters, but I’ve decided that these new releases now deserve a monthly newsletter of their own. There won’t be long narratives about each book, but just enough information to pique your interest and why I think you might like the book.

Let’s get started with several books releasing in January:

• One Step Too Far by Lisa Gardner - Book two in the Frankie Elkin series begins with Elkin heading to the great outdoors of Wyoming to solve a case when another case appears about a young man that disappeared five years ago on his bachelor party camping trip. A large cast of characters leads this fast-paced mystery to a thrilling conclusion. There is no need to read the first book in the series before this one; just dive right in.

• Somebody’s Home by Kaira Rouda - If you’ve ever read thrillers by Kimberly Belle or Hannah Mary McKinnon, you will enjoy Rouda’s books. A domestic/psychological thriller with an unreliable narrator(s) and a cast of well-developed characters that are over the top, devious and despicable. Rouda is one of the best domestic thriller writers.

• The Good Son by Jacquelyn Mitchard - Yes, that Jacquelyn Mitchard, the author of The Deep End of the Ocean, the very first book of Oprah’s Book Club. Immerse yourself in the family drama as Thea does her best to understand and help her son after being released from prison when it seems like no one is willing to give him a second chance. The topic of this book may be controversial to some readers; her writing reminds me of Jodi Picoult’s in the way that she takes on topics and issues that can unite or divide, depending on which side you land on.

• The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf - January must be the month for thrillers and domestic suspense because I found another one that I want to read. A true crime writer working on her latest novel, Wylie Lark becomes snowed in at an isolated farmhouse that has a murderous past. Between her crime novel and the secrets the farmhouse holds, things are not as they seem when she finds a small child in the snow and discovers that someone is willing to do anything to find them. Chapters alternate between characters and timelines; it is not for the faint of heart.

• The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis - This is Davis’ sixth book set in a famous landmark in New York City, the Frick Mansion. It weaves a dual timeline mystery about a lost soul grieving her mother. She takes a job, and that position turns into a mess of stolen jewels and family drama. Fifty years later, a woman takes a job at the Frick Museum and discovers hidden messages that help her uncover the facts surrounding the decades-old murder. I’ve enjoyed all her previous books, and I’m about 100 pages in and enjoying this one so far.

• Violeta by Isabel Allende - I’ve read a couple of Allende’s previous books, but I haven’t read this one yet. Violeta was inspired by Allende’s mother, born during the Spanish Flu and with whom Allende shared thousands of letters during her lifetime. The epistolary novel follows Violeta from birth to death in stories told in letters to her priest grandson. Readers call this novel epic, sweeping, mesmerizing and heartbreaking at times, but oh so good.

• Small World by Jonathan Evison - From the publisher, “Small World is set against iconic backdrops of the California gold rush, the transcontinental railroad, and a speeding train of modern-day strangers forced together by fate. It chronicles 170 years of American nation-building from numerous points of view across place and time.” I haven’t read this book yet, but the description reminds me of Edward Rutherford’s writing. I don’t know if it is similar, but I am looking forward to reading it sometime.

There are so many more books worthy of a mention; these are just a few that I think have the broadest appeal to readers. I hope you find a book or two that interests you; if you are like me, you’ll find more than one.

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Dozens of books release every Tuesday; I’ll be back in mid-February with more new books to add to your TBR. If you read any of these books, let me know if you enjoyed them. I’m sure I’ll never get to all of them, but I’d like to read a few, so tell me which ones you think I might enjoy.

I’m back here later this week with something book-related; I have a couple of topics I’m working on, I’m not sure which one will make it to the newsletter. Have a great week; if you are in winter weather, stay bundled up and warm, and read a good book or two. Happy reading!

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