Sunday Salon: Thrillers and Literary Fiction

 

Not Yet Published Mystery Novels Read

The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera 

Feb. 10, 2026, Berkley, NetGalley  Not yet published

Genre: mystery and thrillers, multicultural interest

Sri Lankan-American taxi driver Siriwathi is one of the few NYC female taxi drivers, but she is determined to help her struggling family by driving at all hours of the night. Her love of true crime podcasts, which she listens to in her taxi, helps her when a midnight passenger in her locked cab is stabbed and killed while she is driving him to his destination. She meets another Sri Lankan in NYC, public defender Amaya Fernando, who offers to represent Siri pro bono. Together they set out to solve the crime themselves. 

As there is no obvious reason, method, or culprit for the murder, the dead man's past and his acquaintances probably hold the key to the solution of his murder.

This is the first in a mystery series featuring Siri. I am looking forward to reading more adventures with her and Amaya. These two characters are realistic and likeable, and Siri in particular is a sympathetic and gutsy personality. Her descriptions of NYC and its areas are an interesting part of the novel, as she narrates the book.

How to Survive in the Woods by Kat Rosenfield 

March 10, 2026; Harper, NetGalley  Not yet published

genre: thriller, mystery 


I was intrigued by the story of hunter turned prey turned hunter again in this novel set in the Maine wilderness of the Appalachian Trail. Emma and her friend Taylor gang up on Emma's tyrannical and abusive husband Logan and plan to get their revenge on this trip. The story of the three, the women against the lone man, has a lot of twists and turns that make it interesting. Getting lost, trying to survive each other and the harsh wilderness, makes for suspenseful reading.

Even though the ordeal in the woods seems similar to other wilderness mysteries, there is still good storytelling that will keep the reader interested in the outcome. I liked that the trail itself turned out to be an important part in the mystery . The last leg of the trail, the Hundred Mile Wilderness, plays a key role in their survival or death.

Currently reading

  

Rabbit Moon by Jennifer Haigh

April 1, 2025, Little, Brown & Company, NetGalley

Genre: adult fiction, literary fiction

Description

A tense, propulsive drama set in Shanghai, about a fractured American family, secret lives, and the unbreakable bond between two sisters, from the bestselling author of Mercy Street.

One daughter is in a coma after a serious car accident in Shanghai; the other daughter, an adoptee from China, is in the US at summer camp. The parents rush to their injured daughter, Lindsay, an ESL teacher.  

Read my review on Goodreads...

What are you reading, watching, or listening to this week? 

Memes:  The Sunday Post, It's Monday: What Are You Reading, Sunday Salon, and Stacking the Shelves, Mailbox Monday, Book Blogger Hop

Books Reviewed - Thrillers and a Rom-Com: Sunday Salon

Books I recently reviewed

After the Party by C.L. Swatman, NetGalley book

The book theme is not unusual in thrillers. Several people get in touch with each other again after many years, in this case, 20 years, because the cause of the death of one of their group that long time ago has resurfaced. Hannah is knocking on their doors, intent on writing about the death of the girl found in the lake. When everyone starts getting anonymous notes that threaten their loved ones if they reveal anything to Hannah, things become difficult for the group.

I was surprised by the so called culprit in the death, but the twist at the very end really threw me for a loop, so to speak. A book not only about a mystery death, but also a look at individual personalities, how they interact or fit together, and some times the unintended consequences.

The Dinner Party by Viola van de Sandt, NetGalley book

Franca's experience with fiance Andrew at a dinner party she is cooking for leads to her sessions with a psychiatrist Stella. 

The back and forth in time in the telling of Stella's past and present made me skip pages and fast forward to get to the heart of the story. The book is more than that dinner party, however, but the problems Franca has with Andrew and male aggression is clear cut. I was glad to see how she manages to find her true self and her future going forward.

The Doorman by Chris Pavone, NetGalley book 

Chicky Diaz, the doorman at an exclusive New York City building, has all the info on the famous and wealthy tenants to give him insights into their lives, their prejudices, their penchants. 

The tenants of each apartment are varied, but in total they show much of current big city culture, lifestyle, prejudices, attitudes, likes and dislikes. We also see society and its levels and their interactions or non-interaction. The exclusive apartment building and its tenants' attitudes and lives show many aspects of modern society as it is.

Love and Other Brain Experiments by Hannah Brohm, NetGalley book

Frances Silberstein and Theodore Lewis North, two neuroscientists, sit next to each other on the plane heading to a scientific conference, and begin their academic-rival-to-lovers romance in this rom-com novel.

At the beginning, Frances is angry with Theodore, aka Lewis, because he used some of her research in his own very successful paper four years ago without giving her credit for it.

I liked the slow way these two worked their way towards each other, in spite of Frances' resentment. They begin by fake dating at the conference to protect their reputations and jobs. The ending was a little slow in coming, but this was a satisfying rom com read overall, especially as the main characters were brain scientists who shared aspects of their knowledge, of memory and how it works, with the reader.

Murder Your Darlings by Jenna Blum, NetGalley

Sam Vetiver, a fairly new author, with a writing block meets successful writer, William Corwyn, who promises to help and mentor her while she finishes her book. They become close and romantic, even when they become threatened by a stalker they call The Rabbit.

The suspense that builds up in the novel, with the stalking of the couple and the break ins, leads to an unexpected ending, which I loved. The surprise was really that, a genuine and genius surprise!
I loved the inside look at how authors work and write, and the publishing world of editors, book agents, publicists interacting with writers to produce a printed book.

NOTE: The above books are Not yet published

Currently reading

The Once and Future Me by Melisssa Page, NetGalley

Genre: sci-fi, thriller, mystery 

Description

Dark Matter meets Girl, Interrupted in this gripping psychological thriller about a young woman teetering on the edge of reality.

What are you reading, watching, or listening to this week? 

Memes:  The Sunday Post, It's Monday: What Are You Reading, Sunday Salon, and Stacking the Shelves, Mailbox Monday, Book Blogger Hop

Sunday Salon: New Book Titles - Memoir, Sci-Fi, Romance

 

New book finds

Letter from Japan by Marie Kondo: Not yet published expected Oct. 21, 2025; Crown Publishing, NetGalley

Genre: Memoirs, multicultural, travel

Book description: Marie reflects on the myriad questions she received about her inspirations by examining the Japanese customs that she grew up with—minute details of tea ceremonies, the art of taking care of gardens, and the power of passing seasons. 

“This book represents guiding principles by which I lead my life every day. They also define, at least for me, the values that flow through the customs, traditions, arts and sensibilities of Japan.”

All That We See or Seem by Ken Liu, Not yet published Oct. 14, 2025; Saga Press, NetGalley.

I don't normally read sci-fi, or speculative fiction, but the description of this book caught my attention. 

Julia Z must use her AI-whispering skills to unravel a virtual reality mystery and rescue the kidnapped Elli, who is an oneirofex, a dream artist who can weave the dreams of an audience together through a shared virtual landscape, live, in a concert-like experience by tapping into attendees 'memories. 

The Making of Us by Diane Hawley Nagatomo. Published Sept. 4, 2025; Black Rose Writing.

Genre: women's fiction, romance, travel

Description: After being dumped by her fiance just before her wedding, Rose Millstone travels to teach English in Japan, where she finds romance again and has to decide on a commitment, not just to a person, but to Japan and a new way of life.  

What are you reading, watching, or listening to this week? 

Memes:  The Sunday Post, It's Monday: What Are You Reading, Sunday Salon, and Stacking the Shelves, Mailbox Monday, Book Blogger Hop

Sunday Salon: Guadeloupe, Florida, Oxford book settings

Reading

Les Assassins de L'Aube by Michel Bussi (Oct. 10, 2024, Presse Cite)

Bussi's thrillers in French are expensive, to me, on Amazon, but I love his characters, thriller plots, and settings in various French external territories. This one is set on the island of Guadeloupe and begins with wonderful descriptions of the mangroves there, and heads to a dramatic encounter in the middle of the mangrove waters.

Review

Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue by Spencer Quinn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked following Mrs. Plansky as she seems to blunder her way along, forgetful and bumbling, although she does solve a mystery, find her son Jack and friend Kev, who had been kidnapped, and holds the secret to the location of a valuable Peruvian artifact. She also knows why the body of a perpretrator won't be found.

The character in the book that I liked next best was Fairbanks, the alligator that lives in the large pond nearby Mrs. Plansky's condo in Florida. Fairbanks plays a part in the drama and the suspense, and becomes Mrs. Plansky's silent co-conspirator.

I do hope Mrs. Plansky shows up again in another suspense/adventure. It would be the third in the series.

Next on the list, after I've read all the books I already started!

Oxford Soju Club by Jinwoo Park, set in Oxford, England. 

Not yet published

 

 North Korean spies, a CIA Korean American operative, and South Koreans, all in Oxford,  combine to make a kind of spy thriller. 

The setting in Oxford is the Oxford Soju Club, owned by Jinhoo Lim, a South Korean immigrant to England. The book is described as a story of immigrants surviving in a new environment: "Oxford Soju Club weaves a tale of how immigrants in the Korean diaspora are forced to create identities to survive, and how in the end, they must  seek their true selves."

What are you reading, watching, or listening to this week? 

Memes:  The Sunday Post, It's Monday: What Are You Reading, Sunday Salon, and Stacking the Shelves, Mailbox Monday, Book Blogger Hop

What Hunger by Catherine Dang; Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong; Book Reviews, and a Hobby

 Crocheting

A new venture for me, for those times I'm not in a book. I borrowed this Get Started Crochet book, bought two balls of yarn and two different sizes crochet needles, and started joining crochet and knitting groups at the library and senior center. The experienced crochet people were very helpful in showing simple stitches to this newbie. 

From the book, Get Started Crochet: Learn Something New, I learned from both descriptions and pictures how to hold a hook, how to thread the yarn through your fingers so you could grab the thread with the hook using simple stitches.

I am still doing simple single stitches for my two projects: a cotton potholder, and a pale green acrylic scarf. Pictures later, when I have done more than an inch and a half of crochet stitches!

Currently reading

I'm enjoying the thoughts, personality, and observations of the main character in Who Knows You By Heart by C.J. Farley (Nov. 11, 2025, William Morrow, NetGalley). The novel is described as a social thriller and romance. It's set in the world of modern technology and artificial intelligence.

Finished Reading

Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure by Rhys Bowen (Aug. 5, 2025), NetGalley

I enjoyed the bravado of Ellie Endicott, who takes her husband's beloved Bentley car as part of her share after his affair and their subsequent divorce, drives the car to parts unknown, namely under the English channel and towards the south of France. She takes along her housekeeper turned friend, Mavis, and an elderly friend, Dora. They land up in a little town near the Riviera, and like it enough to try to settle there.

Romance, adventure, a new environment follow, only marred by the threat of WWII and how it may affect them in this tiny hidden village in France. I followed Ellie's adventures and felt satisfaction when she discovers a new place to call home, and meets the challenges and misfortunes of the times she lives in.

Evil Genius by Claire Oshetsky (not yet published, Feb. 17, 2026), Ecco, NetGalley  

Celia Dent is only 19 years old, but the term "evil genius" lives in her mind after a coworker Randall survives an affair after the woman's husband shoots her and then himself, leaving a terrified but alive Randall cowering and hidden under the marital bed. Celia thinks Randall is the evil genius who planned it all as a way to get rid of the husband.

Celia dreams of getting out of her marriage to her controlling and mentally abusive husband, Drew, and considers how she herself can become an evil genius, smart but considered too simple and bumbling to be capable of planning any retribution herself.

Told in the first person narrative, the novel is interesting because of the personality that is Celia, who does manage to be an evil genius in spite of her simple outlook on life. Her job in billing and collecting on the phone leads to all kinds of evasive and demanding customers, some of whom she wishes to avoid ever meeting in person.

The job circumstances figure prominently in how Celia's dream of an evil genius solution to her problems. An excellent read because of an unlikely character.

Want to Read

Aug. 12, 2025; Simon and Schuster, NetGalley

A haunting coming-of-age tale following the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, Ronny Nguyen, as she grapples with the weight of generational trauma while navigating the violent power of teenage girlhood. What Hunger is a visceral, emotional journey through the bursts and pitfalls of female rage. Ronny's Vietnamese lineage and her mother's emotional memory play a crucial role in this tender ode to generational trauma and mother-daughter bonding.

May 13, 2025; Penguin Group

The hardest thing in the world is to live only once…

One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to transform Hai’s relationship to himself, his family, and a community on the brink.

Following the cycles of history, memory, and time, The Emperor of Gladness shows the profound ways in which love, labor, and loneliness form the bedrock of American life. At its heart is a brave epic about what it means to exist on the fringes of society and to reckon with the wounds that haunt our collective soul. Hallmarks of Ocean Vuong’s writing—formal innovation, syntactic dexterity, and the ability to twin grit with grace through tenderness—are on full display in this story of loss, hope, and how far we would go to possess one of life’s most fleeting mercies: a second chance.

What are you reading, watching, or listening to this week? 

Memes:  The Sunday Post, It's Monday: What Are You Reading, Sunday Salon, and Stacking the Shelves, Mailbox Monday, Book Blogger Hop