January features a great slate of mysteries to thrill and
thrillers to chill!
EXILES BY JANE HARPER
Aaron Falk deals with financial investigations as a federal
investigator but takes a very rare leave from work to visit friends and his
godchild. There, he’s plunged into a small community and the case of a mother
who went missing one year ago from a busy festival, seemingly in front of
everyone.
EVERYBODY KNOWS BY JORDAN HARPER
Welcome to Mae Pruett’s Los Angeles, where “Nobody
talks. But everybody whispers.” As a “black-bag” publicist tasked not with
letting the good news out but keeping the bad news in, Mae works for one of
LA’s most powerful and sought-after crisis PR firms, at the center of a
sprawling web of lawyers, PR flaks, and private security firms she calls “The
Beast.” They protect the rich and powerful and depraved by any means
necessary. This is what the crime novel can achieve in the modern age:
portray the human lives at the center of vast American landscapes, and make us
thrill at their attempts to face impossible odds.
CITY UNDER ONE ROOF BY IRIS YAMASHITA
A stranded detective tries to solve a murder in a tiny
Alaskan town where everyone lives in a single high-rise building, in this
gripping debut by an Academy Award–nominated screenwriter.
THE BANDIT QUEENS BY PARINI SHROFF
A young Indian woman finds the false rumors that she killed
her husband surprisingly useful—until other women in the village start asking
for her help getting rid of their own husbands—in this razor-sharp debut.
WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS BY KATE ALICE MARSHALL
Naomi Shaw used to believe in magic. Twenty-two years ago,
she and her two best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, spent the summer roaming the woods,
imagining a world of ceremony and wonder. They called it the Goddess Game. The
summer ended suddenly when Naomi was attacked. Miraculously, she survived her
seventeen stab wounds and lived to identify the man who had hurt her. The
girls’ testimony put away a serial killer, wanted for murdering six women. They
were heroes. And they were liars. For decades, the friends have kept a secret worth killing for. But now Olivia
wants to tell, and Naomi sets out to find out what really happened in
the woods―no matter how dangerous the truth turns out to be.
JUST THE NICEST COUPLE BY MARY KUBICA
A husband’s disappearance links two couples in this twisty
thriller from New York Times bestselling author Mary Kubica.
AGAINST THE CURRANT BY
OLIVIA MATTHEWS
Little Caribbean, Brooklyn, New York: Lyndsay Murray is
opening Spice Isle Bakery with her family, and it’s everything she’s ever
wanted. The West Indian bakery is her way to give back to the community she
loves, stay connected to her Grenadian roots, and work side-by-side with her
family. The only thing getting a rise out of Lyndsay is Claudio Fabrizi, a
disgruntled fellow bakery owner who does not want any competition. On
opening day, he comes into the bakery threatening to shut them down. Fed up,
Lyndsay takes him to task in front of what seems to be the whole neighborhood.
So when Claudio turns up dead a day later―murdered―Lyndsay is unfortunately the
prime suspect.
FINLAY DONOVAN JUMPS THE GUN BY ELLE COSIMANO
Finlay Donovan has been in messes before―after all, she's an
author and single mom who's a pro at getting out bloodstains for rather
unexpected reasons―but none quite like this. After she and her
nanny/partner-in-crime Vero accidentally destroyed a luxury car that they may
have "borrowed" in the process of saving the life of Finlay's
ex-husband, the Russian mob got her out of debt. But now Finlay owes them…
THE TWYFORD CODE BY JANICE HALLETT
Forty years ago, Steven “Smithy” Smith found a copy of a
famous children’s book by disgraced author Edith Twyford, its margins full of
strange markings and annotations. When he showed it to his remedial English
teacher Miss Iles, she believed that it was part of a secret code that ran
through all of Twyford’s novels. And when she disappeared on a class field
trip, Smithy became convinced that she had been right. Now, out of prison after
a long stretch, Smithy decides to investigate the mystery that has haunted him
for decades.
EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE BY BENJAMIN
STEVENSON
Knives Out and Clue meet Agatha Christie
and The Thursday Murder Club in this “utterly original” (Jane
Harper), “not to be missed” (Karin Slaughter), fiendishly clever blend of
classic and modern murder mystery.
In the high school category:
PROMISE BOYS BY NICK BROOKS
For dark academia fans! J.B., Ramón, and Trey must adhere to
the Urban Promise Prep School’s strict rules, which relies on extreme
discipline to turn boys into men. When Principal Moore is murdered, the three
boys end up at the top of the suspect list and realize coming together to solve
the murder is their only hope of not being arrested.
THE BLACK QUEEN BY JUMATA EMILL
Nova Albright was going to be the first Black homecoming
queen at Lovett High—but now she's dead. Murdered on coronation night. Fans
of One of Us Is Lying and The Other Black Girl will love
this unputdownable thriller.
If viewing is more your style (and, like me, you’re obsessed with Glass Onion!), some of these may fit the bill. From brooding classics to hilarious ensemble casts, you may have to put everything on the backburner to make it through your watchlists with these!
On a train headed for England a group of travelers is
delayed by an avalanche. Holed up in a hotel in a fictional European country,
young Iris (Margaret Lockwood) befriends elderly Miss Froy (Dame May Whitty).
When the train resumes, Iris suffers a bout of unconsciousness and wakes to
find the old woman has disappeared. The other passengers ominously deny Miss
Froy ever existed so Iris begins to investigate with another traveler (Michael
Redgrave) and, as the pair sleuth, romantic sparks fly.
Robert Altman, one of America's most distinctive filmmakers,
journeys to England for the first time to create a unique film mosaic with an
outstanding ensemble cast. Set in the 1930's, "Gosford Park" brings a
group of pretentious rich and famous together for a weekend of relaxation at a
hunting resort. But when a murder occurs, each one of these interesting
characters becomes a suspect.
In 1986, Park (Song Kang-ho) and Cho (Kim Roi-ha) are two
simple-minded detectives assigned to a double murder investigation in a South
Korean province. But when the murderer strikes several more times with the same
pattern, the detectives realize that they are chasing the country's first
documented serial killer. Relying on only their basic skills and tools, Park
and Jo attempt to piece together the clues and solve the case in this thriller
based on true events.
After receiving a frantic phone call from his ex-girlfriend,
teenage loner Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) learns that her dead body has
been found. Vowing to solve her murder himself, he must infiltrate high-school
cliques that he previously avoided. His search for the truth places him before
some of the school's roughest characters, leading to a confrontation with a
drug dealer known as "the Pin (Lukas Haas)."
Based on the popular board game, this comedy begins at a
dinner party hosted by Mr. Boddy, where he admits to blackmailing his visitors.
These guests, who have been given aliases, are Mrs. Peacock, Miss Scarlet, Mr.
Green, Professor Plum, Mrs. White and Col. Mustard. When Boddy turns up
murdered, all are suspects, and together they try to figure out who is the
killer
Max and Annie's weekly game night gets kicked up a notch
when Max's brother Brooks arranges a murder mystery party -- complete with fake
thugs and federal agents. So when Brooks gets kidnapped, it's all supposed to
be part of the game. As the competitors set out to solve the case, they start
to learn that neither the game nor Brooks are what they seem to be. The friends
soon find themselves in over their heads as each twist leads to another
unexpected turn over the course of one chaotic night.
The sparkling start of the series features the irresistible
William Powell and Myrna Loy chemistry as husband and wife sleuths who solve
murders with the aid of their wire-haired terrier, Asta. Set in the glamorous
world of 1930s upper-class Manhattan, The Thin Man and its sequels established
the standard for witty comedy, clever dialogue and urbane one upmanship.
Two-bit crook Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr.) stumbles
into an audition for a mystery film while on the run from the cops. Winning the
part, he lands in Hollywood, where he's flung into a tangled, murderous
conspiracy with his childhood sweetheart, Harmony Lane (Michelle Monaghan), and
hard-boiled private eye Perry van Shrike (Val Kilmer).
Murder on the Orient Express (1974) (more
adaptations were done in 2001, starring Alfred Molina, and 2017, starring Kenneth
Branagh)
Having concluded a case, detective Hercule Poirot (Albert
Finney) settles into what he expects will be a relaxing journey home aboard the
Orient Express. But when an unpopular billionaire is murdered en route, Poirot
takes up the case, and everyone on board the famous train is a suspect. Using
an avalanche blocking the tracks to his advantage, Poirot gradually realizes
that many of the passengers have revenge as a motive, and he begins to home in
on the culprit.
Rear Window (1954) (another adaptation from 1998 starred Christopher Reeve)
A newspaper photographer with a broken leg passes time
recuperating by observing his neighbors through his window. He sees what he
believes to be a murder and decides to solve the crime himself. With the help
of his nurse and wife, he tries to catch the murderer without being killed
himself.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (the original Swedish adaptation premiered in 2010)
Disgraced financial reporter Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig)
finds a chance to redeem his honor after being hired by wealthy Swedish
industrialist Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to solve the 40-year-old
murder of Vanger's niece, Harriet. Vanger believes that Harriet was killed by a
member of his own family. Eventually joining Blomkvist on his dangerous quest
for the truth is Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), an unusual but ingenious
investigator whose fragile trust is not easily won.
In this noir classic, detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart)
gets more than he bargained for when he takes a case brought to him by a
beautiful but secretive woman (Mary Astor). As soon as Miss Wonderly shows up,
trouble follows as Sam's partner is murdered and Sam is accosted by a man
(Peter Lorre) demanding he locate a valuable statuette. Sam, entangled in a
dangerous web of crime and intrigue, soon realizes he must find the one thing
they all seem to want: the bejeweled Maltese falcon.
Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth, Hercule Poirot (Peter
Ustinov), solves the murder of an actress at a Balkan resort.
Death on the Nile (2004) (more adaptations came out in
1978, starring Peter Ustinov, Bette Davis, and David Niven, and in 2022,
starring Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, and Armie Hammer)
While on a holiday cruise in Egypt, the Belgian sleuth
(David Suchet) investigates the murder of a rich heiress who had many enemies.
Notorious cat burglar John Robie (Cary Grant) has long since
retired to tend vineyards on the French Riviera. When a series of robberies is
committed in his style, John must clear his name. Armed with a list of people
who own the most expensive jewels currently in the area, John begins following
the first owner, young Francie (Grace Kelly). When her jewels are stolen,
Francie suspects John, destroying their tentative romance. John goes on the lam
to catch the thief and clear his own name.
Private detective Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) is asked by
his old buddy Terry Lennox (Jim Bouton) for a ride to Mexico. He obliges, and
when he gets back to Los Angeles is questioned by police about the death of
Terry's wife. Marlowe remains a suspect until it's reported that Terry has
committed suicide in Mexico. Marlowe doesn't buy it but takes a new case from a
beautiful blond, Eileen Wade (Nina van Pallandt), who coincidentally has a past
with Terry.
To be young and carefree amid the blue waters and idyllic
landscape of sun-drenched Italy in the late 1950s; that's la dolce vita Tom
Ripley (Matt Damon) craves- and Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) leads. When
Dickie's father asks Tom to bring his errant playboy son back home to America,
Dickie and his beautiful expatriate girlfriend, Marge Sherwood (Gwyneth
Paltrow), never suspect the dangerous extremes to which Ripley will go to make
their lifestyle his own.
Only available streaming:
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Three strangers share an obsession with true crime and
suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside
their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder
and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth.
Perhaps even more explosive are the lies they tell one another. Soon, the
endangered trio comes to realize a killer might be living among them as they
race to decipher the mounting clues before it's too late.
Three Pines (Amazon)
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (Alfred Molina) investigates
murders in Three Pines. He sees things
that others do not: the light between the cracks, the mythic in the mundane, long-buried
secrets. Along the way he faces a few of
his own ghosts.
Item descriptions from Amazon and Rotten Tomatoes. Item lists from the following articles:
https://time.com/6240295/mysteries-watch-after-glass-onion/
https://www.vulture.com/article/warm-weather-murder-mysteries.html
https://bookriot.com/new-mystery-thrillers-january-2023/
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