Happy New Year, everyone! To welcome in 2021 and what hopefully ends up being a better year to come, here are some anticipated releases I’m keeping an eye out for. These range in genre and are sorted by release month covering the first half of the year or so below, since release schedules have been thrown off this last year and are unpredictable the further out we look. I hope to do another post for the second half of the year later on.
Enjoy, and let me know what you’re looking forward to in 2021! 🎊
January
1. [Fantasy] Lore by Alexandra Bracken
Why I’m interested: I’m always in for Greek Mythology / Roman history in my books, so this revenge-driven fantasy story sounds fascinating. It is technically an urban fantasy set in NYC which I’m not normally a fan of, but I think I’d be able to overlook it if the rest is good enough!
2. [Nonfiction] Troubled: The Failed Promise of America’s Behavioral Treatment Programs by Kenneth R Rosen
Why I’m interested: Covers the emotional/physical/psychological abuse ‘troubled teens’ endure in behavioral bootcamps, first-hand from an author who experienced it. In the US we seem to endorse ‘tough love’ as a way to address unmanageable youth behavioral problems, so I’m intrigued to hear how the experience is and what alternatives they might recommend when one is put in the terrible position of having to make that decision.
3. [Mystery/Thriller] Shiver by Allie Reynolds
Why I’m interested: Listed as appealing to fans of Lucy Foley, this book follows a reunion gone wrong in a beautiful remote lodge overlooking the French Alps. Sounds a bit reminiscent of Ruth Ware’s One by One which I enjoyed.
February
4. [Mystery/Thriller] Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh
Why I’m interested: A son attempts to uncover the chilling details of his mother’s murder, mysterious missing money, and bizarre discovery of her bones in an affluent neighborhood. This has the recipe of a fantastic read by a very popular author.
5. [Mystery/Thriller] Whisper Island by Carissa Ann Lynch
Why I’m interested: Friends travel to remote island in quest for adventure, when dark secrets are revealed and the deaths begin. I enjoy a good remote nature thriller so this seems to fit just that type of read. Interested to see whether this brings anything new to the trope.
March
6. [Mystery/Thriller] Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay
Why I’m interested: A psychological thriller wherein a family is suspiciously murdered and the crime aired in a supposed true crime documentary. A surviving son must return to bury them then strike out to uncover the truth. If you like true crime documentaries and mystery/thrillers this book sounds like an awesome splice of the two.
7. [True Crime] The Babysitter: My Summers with a Serial Killer by Liza Rodman
Why I’m interested: A fascinating premise, claimed to be reminiscent of Ann Rule’s The Stranger Beside Me about Ted Bundy. The title does sound a little click-baity but I guess it works?
8. [Mystery/Thriller] Later by Stephen King
Why I’m interested: I’ve been getting more into the newer Stephen King books here and there recently, and this one seems similar to The Institute which I enjoyed.
April
9. [Mystery/Thriller] The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jónasson
Why I’m interested: Ragnar Jonasson is a powerhouse of Nordic Noir and an insta-read for me at this point. This remote, creepy read seems a bit darker than his Hulda or Ari Thor series I’ve read, but I’m excited to pick it up and see how it plays out nonetheless.
10. [Mystery/Thriller] What You Never Knew by Jessica Hamilton
Why I’m interested: An idyllic island cottage where the main character spent joyful childhood summers becomes dark as strange things begin to happen. “It takes June no time at all to realize that her childhood summers at Avril Island were not at all what they had seemed to be.” This one sounds mysterious. It has my favorite type of remote nature setting right for a mystery/thriller, though the description might not quite hit the mark for me we’ll have to see. If it’s paranormal I’m out 😂…
May
11. [Fantasy] Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Why I’m interested: Forbidden magic, scholarship, and a skin-changing warrior set the stage for a unique-sounding fantasy!
June
12. [Fantasy] Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Why I’m interested: Tolkien’s final writings on Middle-earth. The Goodreads page for this is pretty sparse, but it sounds intriguing.
13. [Mystery/Thriller] The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
Why I’m interested: By the same author as The Silent Patient, this psychological suspense tracks a beloved college Greek Tragedy professor who becomes suspect as members of The Maidens group are targeted. Suspense and murder overlaid with Greek inspiration in an academic setting.
14. [Mystery/Thriller] A Dark and Secret Place by Jen Williams
Why I’m interested: A daughter returns home to sort affairs after her mother’s suicide and finds she’d been corresponding with a serial killer over the years. Fascinating to see where this leads. It’s about time we had a book about something like this come up again. It’s a surprising but not unexpected premise since there is a phenomenon of people willfully corresponding often with romantic intent to killers in the justice system.
Cover photo background by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash
Renee Reviews 
Oh wow so many mystery/thrillers! I will for sure check those outs, I’ve been looking to read more of that genre ❤
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Awesome, yeah there’s a lot of great looking stuff coming out! 😀 Hope you find something you love 😊
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