The Butterfly Assassin by Finn Longman (2022)

Innocent by day, killer by night: a dark, twisting thriller about a teen assassin’s attempt to live a normal life. Trained and traumatised by a secret assassin programme for minors, Isabel Ryans wants nothing more than to be a normal civilian. After running away from home, she has a new name, a new life and a new friend, Emma, and for the first time in Isabel’s life, things are looking up. But old habits die hard, and it’s not long until she blows her cover, drawing the attention of the guilds – the two rival organisations who control the city of Espera. An unaffiliated killer like Isabel is either a potential asset . . . or a threat to be eliminated. Will the blood on her hands cost her everything?

Aces Wild by Amanda DeWitt (2022)

Some people join chess club, some people play football. Jack Shannon runs a secret blackjack ring in his private school’s basement. What else is the son of a Las Vegas casino mogul supposed to do? Everything starts falling apart when Jack’s mom is arrested for their family’s ties to organized crime. His sister Beth thinks this is the Shannon family’s chance to finally go straight, but Jack knows that something’s not right. His mom was sold out, and he knows by who. Peter rival casino owner and jilted lover. Gross. Jack hatches a plan to find out what Carlevaro’s holding over his mom’s head, but he can’t do it alone. He recruits his closest friends—the asexual support group he met through fandom forums. Now all he has to do is infiltrate a high-stakes gambling club and dodge dark family secrets, while hopelessly navigating what it means to be in love while asexual. Easy, right?

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong (2022)

It’s 1931 in Shanghai, and the stage is set for a new decade of intrigue. Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from sleeping and aging—and allows her to heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Now, desperate for redemption for her traitorous past, she uses her abilities as an assassin for her country. Code name: Fortune. But when the Japanese Imperial Army begins its invasion march, Rosalind’s mission pivots. A series of murders is causing unrest in Shanghai, and the Japanese are under suspicion. Rosalind’s new orders are to infiltrate foreign society and identify the culprits behind the terror plot before more of her people are killed. To reduce suspicion, however, she must pose as the wife of another Nationalist spy, Orion Hong, and though Rosalind finds Orion’s cavalier attitude and playboy demeanor infuriating, she is willing to work with him for the greater good. But Orion has an agenda of his own, and Rosalind has secrets that she wants to keep buried. As they both attempt to unravel the conspiracy, the two spies soon find that there are deeper and more horrifying layers to this mystery than they ever imagined.

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace (2022)

> Nineteen-year-old orphan Signa Farrow confronts Death – and her own deathly powers ­– when she investigates the mysterious murder of a relative at the Thorn Grove estate.

Trust by Hernán Díaz (2022)

Even through the roar and effervescence of the 1920s, everyone in New York has heard of Benjamin and Helen Rask. He is a legendary Wall Street tycoon; she is the daughter of eccentric aristocrats. Together, they have risen to the very top of a world of seemingly boundless wealth—all as a decade of excess and speculation draws to an end. But at what cost have they acquired their immense fortune? This is the mystery at the center of *Bonds*, a successful 1937 novel that all of New York seems to have read. Yet there are other versions of this tale of privilege and deceit.

Recipe for Killing by Cheyenne McCray (2022)

After solving the first murder to occur in her small town in over fifty years, all amateur sleuth and café owner, Shawna Taylor, wanted to do was help her recipe club prepare for Bisbee, Arizona’s chocolate extravaganza. But, as fate would have it, after a round of taste-testing heavenly desserts, one club member drops dead. The police believe Shawna’s friend, Jessica, was the one who had offered the town’s most hated woman a decadent chocolate topping laced with poison. Shawna refuses to believe the sweet dress shop owner would kill anyone and enlists the help of her most daring friends, an adventurous fashion diva and zany yoga instructor. Together, they must uncover the real murderer. Could it have been the act of a jealous wife? An elderly woman protecting her cats? A kindergarten teacher seeking retribution? A chef’s payback for theft? Or a hippie artist’s idea of revenge? The trio faces danger at every turn in their search for the truth. The handsome local detective warns Shawna off, but she’s not about to see her friend locked behind bars. If they aren’t careful, the chocolate desserts planned for the extravaganza will be offered at her funeral. *Includes recipe!* *P.S. Formerly called Sunset Peak in Cooking up Murder, the real name of the town is Bisbee, which I now use.*

Twisted Lies by Ana Huang (2022)

He'll do anything to have her...including lie. Charming, deadly, and smart enough to hide it, Christian Harper is a monster dressed in the perfectly tailored suits of a gentleman. He has little use for morals and even less use for love, but he can’t deny the strange pull he feels toward the woman living just one floor below him. She’s the object of his darkest desires, the only puzzle he can’t solve. And when the opportunity to get closer to her arises, he breaks his own rules to offer her a deal she can’t refuse. Every monster has their weakness. She’s his. His obsession. His addiction. His only exception. --- Sweet, shy, and introverted despite her social media fame, Stella Alonso is a romantic who keeps her heart in a cage. Between her two jobs, she has little time or desire for a relationship. But when a threat from her past drives her into the arms—and house—of the most dangerous man she’s ever met, she’s tempted to let herself feel something for the first time in a long time. Because despite Christian’s cold nature, he makes her feel everything when she’s with him. Passionate. Protected. Truly wanted. Theirs is a love twisted with secrets and tainted by lies…and when the truths are finally revealed, they could shatter everything. Twisted Lies is a steamy fake dating romance. It's the fourth and final book in the Twisted series but can be read as a standalone. Warning: The story contains explicit content, violence, profanity, and topics that may be sensitive to some readers. Please see inside the book for a detailed list. Recommended for 18+. [**Twisted Lies by Ana Huang pdf**](https://chesserresources.com/doc/twisted-lies-by-ana-huang-pdf/)

The Inmate by Freida McFadden (2022)

There are three rules Brooke Sullivan must follow as a new nurse practitioner at a men's maximum-security 1) Treat all prisoners with respect. 2) Never reveal any personal information. 3) Never EVER become too friendly with the inmates. But none of the staff at the prison knows Brooke has already broken the rules. Nobody knows about her intimate connection to Shane Nelson, one of the penitentiary's most notorious and dangerous inmates. And they certainly don't know that Shane was Brooke's high school sweetheart-the star quarterback who is now spending the rest of his life in prison for a series of grisly murders. Or that Brooke's testimony was what put him there. But Shane knows. And he will never forget.

El Libro Negro de las Horas by Eva García Sáenz de Urturi (2022)

Alguien que lleva muerto cuarenta años no puede ser secuestrado y, desde luego, no puede sangrar. Vitoria, 2022. El exinspector Unai López de Ayala —alias Kraken— recibe una llamada anónima que cambiará lo que cree saber de su pasado familiar: tiene una semana para encontrar el legendario Libro Negro de las Horas, una joya bibliográfica exclusiva, si no, su madre, quien descansa en el cementerio desde hace décadas, morirá. ¿Cómo es esto posible? Una carrera contrarreloj entre Vitoria y el Madrid de los bibliófilos para trazar el perfil criminal más importante de su vida, uno capaz de modificar el pasado, para siempre.

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf (2022)

True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where she’s retreated to write her new book. A cozy fire, complete silence. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered in cold blood and a girl disappeared without a trace. As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls—haunted by secrets of her own. Then she discovers a small child in the snow just outside. After bringing the child inside for warmth and safety, she begins to search for answers. But soon it becomes clear that the farmhouse isn’t as isolated as she thought, and someone is willing to do anything to find them.

The Ministry of Unladylike Activity by Robin Stevens (2022)

1940\. Britain is at war, and a secret arm of the British government called the **Ministry of Unladylike Activity** is training up spies. Enter **May Wong**: courageous, stubborn, and desperate to help end the war so that she can go home to Hong Kong (and leave her annoying school, Deepdean, behind forever). May knows that she would make the perfect spy. After all, grown-ups always underestimate children like her. When May and her friend **Eric** are turned away by the Ministry, they take matters into their own hands. Masquerading as evacuees, they travel to Elysium Hall, home to the wealthy Verey family - including snobby, dramatic **Nuala**. They suspect that one of the Vereys is passing information to Germany. If they can prove it, the Ministry will *have* to take them on. But there are more secrets at Elysium Hall than May or Eric could ever have imagined. **And then someone is murdered...**

Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth (2022)

When Ralph and Abby Lamb move in with Ralph’s mother, Laura, Abby hopes it’s just what she and her mother-in-law need to finally connect. After a traumatic childhood, Abby is desperate for a mother figure, especially now that she and Ralph are trying to become parents themselves. Abby just has so much love to give—to Ralph, to Laura, and to Mrs. Bondy, her favorite resident at the long-term care home where she works. But Laura isn’t interested in bonding with her daughter-in-law. She’s venomous and cruel, especially to Abby, and life with her is hellish. When Laura takes her own life, her ghost haunts Abby and Ralph in very different ways: Ralph is plunged into depression, and Abby is terrorized by a force intent on destroying everything she loves. To make matters worse, Mrs. Bondy’s daughter is threatening to move Mrs. Bondy from the home, leaving Abby totally alone. With everything on the line, Abby comes up with a chilling plan that will allow her to keep Mrs. Bondy, rescue Ralph from his tortured mind, and break Laura's hold on the family for good. All it requires is a little ingenuity, a lot of determination, and a unique recipe for chicken à la king…

The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb (2022)

Ray McMillian loves playing the violin more than anything, and nothing will stop him from pursuing his dream of becoming a professional musician. Not his mother, who thinks he should get a real job, not the fact that he can't afford a high-caliber violin, not the racism inherent in the classical music world. And when he makes the startling discovery that his great-grandfather's fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius, his star begins to rise. Then with the international Tchaikovsky Competition—the Olympics of classical music—fast approaching, his prized family heirloom is stolen. Ray is determined to get it back. But now his family and the descendants of the man who once enslaved Ray's great-grandfather are each claiming that the violin belongs to them. With the odds stacked against him and the pressure mounting, will Ray ever see his beloved violin again?

Hotel California by Don Bruns (2022)

A dangerous drifter, a hired gun, a grisly corpse--you never know who you'll run into at the ***Hotel California***. Eight deliciously talented mystery authors have lent their skills of crafting murder and suspense to this collection of gripping short stories. Each of these eight provocative tales is designed to entertain and mystify--and maybe even chill you to your core. Get lost in the wild imaginations of such *New York Times* bestselling writers as Andrew Child, Heather Graham, Reed Farrel Coleman, and John Gilstrap, plus authors Rick Bleiweiss, Jennifer Graeser Dornbush, Amanda Flower, and Don Bruns. From the titular tale ***"Hotel California"*** to a new, original Jack Reacher adventure, these stories have a little something for every mystery lover. Go ahead. Check in, enjoy some room service, and stay until the very last tantalizing page. Just don't forget to search the closet or behind the curtains.

Back to the Garden by Laurie R. King (2022)

A magnificent house, vast formal gardens, a golden family that shaped California, and a colorful past filled with now-famous artists: the Gardener Estate was a twentieth-century Eden. And now, just as the Estate is preparing to move into a new future, restoration work on some of its art digs up a grim relic of the home's past: a human skull, hidden away for decades. Inspector Raquel Laing has her work cut out for her. Fifty years ago, the Estate's young heir, Rob Gardener, turned his palatial home into a counterculture commune of peace, love, and equality. But that was also a time when serial killers preyed on innocents--monsters like The Highwayman, whose case has just surged back into the public eye. Could the skull belong to one of his victims? To Raquel--a woman who knows all about colorful pasts--the bones clearly seem linked to The Highwayman. But as she dives into the Estate's archives to look for signs of his presence, what she unearths begins to take on a dark reality all of its own. Everything she finds keeps bringing her back to Rob Gardener himself. While he might be a gray-haired recluse now, back then he was a troubled young Vietnam vet whose girlfriend vanished after a midsummer festival at the Estate. But a lot of people seem to have disappeared from the Gardener Estate that summer when the commune mysteriously fell apart: a young woman, her child, and Rob's brother, Fort. The pressure is on, and Raquel needs to solve this case--before The Highwayman slips away, or another Gardener vanishes.

Does It Hurt? by H. D. Carlton (2022)

Who am I? I've forgotten the answer to that question long ago. Ever since I ran from that house, so desperate to escape, I left with only the clothes on my back and socks on my feet. After that day, I've only ever walked in stolen shoes. Could I be a girl who is searching for the meaning of life in faceless men? They were all so forgettable. Until he came along. He took me under a waterfall and made me forget my name, and in return, I took his instead. Enzo Vitale. An enigmatic man that will only ever love the deep sea. Or rather the predators that inhabit it. Turns out, he's not so different than the monsters he feeds. He lured me onto his boat like a fish in the ocean, seeking vengeance for my crime. Had I realized his intentions, and that a massive storm would leave us shipwrecked, I would've ran. Now, I'm a girl who's seeking refuge in a decrepit lighthouse with a man who loathes me almost as much as he craves me. He wants to hurt me, but the old caretaker of the abandoned island may have intentions far more sinister. It's no longer a question of who I am, but rather, will I survive?

Do You Remember? by Freida McFadden (2022)

**Tess Strebel can’t recognize her own face.** She can’t recognize her home. Her bedroom is unfamiliar. And she can’t remember the handsome stranger lying next to her in bed. **A stranger who claims he’s her husband.** Tess reads a letter in her own handwriting, composed during a rare lucid day, explaining her life as it now exists: **She was in a terrible car accident one year ago. Every morning, she wakes up unable to remember most of the last decade.** Including her own wedding. Tess has no choice but to accept her new life and hope her memory will return. After all, **why should she doubt the letter she wrote to herself?** Or the kind man from the wedding photos on her dresser who seems to genuinely care about her well-being? And then Tess receives **a text message on her phone**. One that changes everything: **"Don’t trust the man who calls himself your husband."**

The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan (2022)

The Brutal Tide by Kate Rhodes (2022)

REVENGE DI Ben Kitto made many enemies in his time working as an undercover officer for the Met police, none more ruthless and calculating than gang leader Craig Travis. IS WORTH Travis has longed to make Kitto pay for his role in getting him convicted – and that day has finally arrived. Now, a dark and twisted killer is heading for the Scilly Isles, one who has waited a long time for revenge. WAITING FOR . . . With Kitto busy investigating the discovery of a body on the islands and distracted by the imminent arrival of his first child, his defences are down. He has so much to lose. And Travis will stop at nothing to take it all from him.

The Gift by B.A. Paris (2022)

**It’s Christmas Eve and Stella Hansen is broke.** She is so broke that despite working two jobs, she can’t even afford a present for her husband on their first Christmas as man and wife. But then **a mysterious storekeeper at a pawn shop offers Stella an intriguing trade**. Stella wants more than anything to buy her husband the Christmas gift of his dreams. But will it come at a terrible price? *The Gift is a gripping Christmas-themed thrilling short story inspired by the classic O. Henry tale, <a href="https://openlibrary.org/works/OL181953W" target="_blank">The Gift of the Magi.</a>*