A TRANSLATOR FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL DIPLOMATS is the chief suspect in a locked-room murder even more complicated than it seems. Marvelous worldbuilding of a near-future, post-First Contact, climate-ravaged Manhattan—and a tightly plotted whodunnit. A MINUS

DRUNK ON ALL YOUR STRANGE NEW WORDS
Tordotcom
2022

FAMILY SECRETS AND A COMPLICATED childhood are the headliners in Carmen Rita Wong’s fascinating and incisively perceptive memoir. Come for the telenovela-esque family drama, but stay for the powerful writing and keen observations. B PLUS

WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?
Crown
2022

WILD PARANORMAL THRILLER is goofy, funny, but genuinely suspenseful as well. A bite from Nicolas Cage turns big fan Stanley into a “wereCage”, but he’s not the only one…. SOLID B

WERECAGE
Ian Fortey
2022

SASSY, SHARP THRILLER about an unrepentant murderer trying to beat the rap for her beloved husband’s death. Clever and witty, with an unforgettable protagonist and loads of vividly painted Miami atmosphere. B PLUS

BLOOD SUGAR
G.P. Putnam's Sons
2022

HOLLYWOOD MAGIC AND ANCIENT MAGIC entwine in this gloriously original fantasy that combines legends from the early days of the movie industry with legends of terrible faery bargains. Complex takes on race, sexuality, and class as well! A MINUS

SIREN QUEEN
Tordotcom
2022

A SONGWRITER AND A GHOST TEAM up for an unusual quest. Clever thriller with a great premise and lots of insight into the life of a working musician just trying to get by. SOLID B

KILLING ME SOFTLY (THE COMEBACK TRAIL)
Whitefox Publishing
2022

CLEVER BRITISH THRILLER keeps readers guessing throughout with a timely plot and well drawn characterizations. For fans of Daphne Du Maurier and Celia Fremlin, and for anyone who wants a wild ride of a beach read. B PLUS

MAGPIE
Simon & Schuster
2022

EDGY, INVENTIVE NOVEL starts with a literary desperado—a writer holed up to finish the book on which he has staked everything—and spins into a dazzling parable about love and race and sexuality and literature and life in general. B PLUS

GREENLAND
Amistad
2022

SLOW BURN HORROR novel starts with two lonely goth teens finding romance and witchcraft, ends up in some surprising and terrifying places. Believable characters and rural West Virginia setting heighten the shocks. B PLUS

YOU'RE MINE
French Press
2022

AFTER GRIEF, PASSION: this story of a widowed artist’s unlikely romance is sharp, witty, gorgeously told, and filled with memorable characters and locations. The strong African diaspora voice adds to the novel’s freshness and power. B PLUS

YOU MADE A FOOL OF DEATH WITH YOUR BEAUTY
Atria Books
2022