“Friends and Liars”— Kit Frick
Published on Dec. 2, “Friends and Liars” is an “insidious” psychological thriller about four estranged college friends’ reunion. The reunion is held at an heiress’s Italian palazzo, which forces them to confront the deadly secret behind her death. Booklist praised Frick as an author of “edge-of-your-seat suspense,” and early coverage described the novel as twisty and darkly glamorous.
“The Gallagher Place” — Julie Doar
Due out Dec. 2, “The Gallagher Place” is a debut mystery set in New York’s Dutchess County. A woman returns to her family’s Hudson Valley estate and uncovers a body and long-buried secrets. Widely described by publisher and reviewers as a “layered exploration of family secrets, sibling misconceptions, and an unsolved murder,” with Lisa Unger calling it “Gothic and twisty” and Publishers Weekly praising its “heartbreaking finale.”
“The House Guest” — Amber Brown & Danielle Brown
This co-written psychological thriller (sometimes listed as “The House Guests”) is an upcoming novel set to be released on Dec. 2. It is about a seemingly perfect home that turns sinister when a vulnerable outsider moves in. Early blurbs have praised it as a juicy, high-tension page-turner. However, a specific, confirmed U.S. release date has not yet been consistently listed across major retailers.
“The Rest of Our Lives” — Ben Markovits
First published in the UK on Mar. 27 and scheduled for a U.S. edition on Dec. 30, “The Rest of Our Lives” follows middle-aged law professor Tom Layward on a cross-country road trip instead of returning to his failing marriage. The novel has been shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize and lauded as a “quiet triumph” and “elegant, devastating” twist on the American road novel by reviewers in the Guardian and other outlets.
“House of Day, House of Night” — Olga Tokarczuk
Originally published in Polish in 1998 but appearing in its first complete, unabridged English translation on Dec. 2. “House of Day, House of Night” is a “constellation novel” about a remote Polish border village whose interlocking tales blend myth, history, gossip, and philosophical fragments. It has been praised in recent English-language reviews as a mosaic of “memory, myth and misfits” and a dense, surreal exploration of identity and time.
“Crowntide” (“The Lightlark Saga”, Book 4) — Alex Aster
Set for release on Dec.2, “Crowntide” is the fourth installment in Alex Aster’s YA romance “Lightlark” saga. Continuing Isla Crown’s dangerous quest to defeat her ancestor, Lark, and decide the fate of the realms. The publisher copies and retailer descriptions emphasize it as a highly anticipated, high-stakes fantasy romance from a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author.
“The Dark Is Descending” (Nytefall Trilogy #3) — Chloe C. Peñaranda
“The Dark Is Descending”, officially releasing Dec. 2, is billed as the explosive conclusion to Peñaranda’s dark romance Nytefall trilogy. In which Astraea races to break the curse imprisoning her mate, Nyte. Early reviewers on retailers and reading platforms have called it a gripping, dark, fast-paced finale that brings the series’ twists and character arcs together satisfyingly.
“May Contain Murder” (A Chef Paul Delamare Mystery #2) — Orlando Murrin
“May Contain Murder” is the second mystery featuring chef-sleuth Paul Delamare, a culinary whodunit centered on a murder entangled with food and hospitality. Advance blurbs (including one from novelist Clare Pooley) describe it as a delightfully witty, “deliciously fun” murder mystery. However, exact on-sale dates differ slightly across markets and editions.
“The Mysterious Death of Junetta Plum” (A Harriet Stone Mystery #1) — Valerie Wilson Wesley
Launching a new series featuring Black private investigator Harriet Stone, “The Mysterious Death of Junetta Plum” is a Harlem-set mystery about the suspicious death of a glamorous socialite. Publisher Kensington’s catalog presents it as a sharp, character-driven first installment scheduled for release on Dec. 16, with an early promotional copy highlighting Wesley’s signature blend of suspense and social insight.
“The Quiet Mother” (A Detective Konrad Novel) — Arnaldur Indriðason
First published in Icelandic in 2019 and appearing in English from Minotaur Books on Dec. 9, “The Quiet Mother” brings retired detective Konrad back to Reykjavík to investigate a woman’s apparently accidental death. It ties to an old murder, and the English-language edition is promoted as a bleak, psychologically rich Nordic noir from “one of the most brilliant crime writers of his generation,” as The Sunday Times has described Indriðason.
“Silent Bones” (Karen Pirie Novels) — Val McDermid
In the Karen Pirie series, “Silent Bones” (a 2025 entry whose U.S. Atlantic Crime edition lists a Dec. 2 publication date) follows the Scottish cold-case detective into a Highlands community where buried secrets surface. Grove Atlantic and other outlets describe it as a “darkly propulsive thriller” that reaffirms McDermid’s status as a “Queen of Crime” and a writer of “inimitable power.”
“The Snow Lies Deep” (A Mercy Carr Mystery) — Paula Munier
“The Snow Lies Deep”, a 2025 Minotaur title with audiobook and print editions listing a Dec. 2025 publication (often specified as early December), is the seventh Mercy Carr mystery and “the latest thrilling installment” in the series in which a solstice celebration in Vermont turns deadly. The author’s site quotes Kirkus praising its “Christmas minutiae and truly complex mystery” and Publishers Weekly highlighting its escalating stakes and twists.
Watch Us Fall: A Novel — Christina Kovac
“Watch Us Fall” is a psychological thriller about the fraught dynamics of close female friendships and the lingering effects of trauma. Simon & Schuster describes it as both “an insightful look at the complex dynamics of close female friendships and the lingering effects of trauma” and a fast-moving, twisty suspense novel. A recent People essay by Kovac frames it as a book deeply informed by her own experience of grief and delusional thinking after a family tragedy. Its newest edition is being promoted as a 2025 psychological thriller, though exact on-sale dates vary by territory.
Closing Time (Michael Gannon #5) — Michael Ledwidge
Expected to be published on Dec. 2, “Closing Time” is the fifth thriller featuring former NYPD detective Michael Gannon. HarperCollins and other listings tout it as Gannon’s “most pulse-pounding and audacious adventure yet,” continuing Ledwidge’s reputation for high-velocity, cinematic action plots.
The Cyprian (Elemental Masters #18) — Mercedes Lackey
“The Cyprian” is a forthcoming entry in Mercedes Lackey’s long-running Elemental Masters fantasy series, listed by its publisher as part of the series’ main line with hardcover and ebook editions planned for an upcoming winter season. While detailed reviews are not yet available, the book is being marketed squarely to existing Elemental Masters readers as another magical, quasi-historical standalone set in that universe.
To Bleed a Crystal Bloom (special edition) — Sarah A. Parker
“To Bleed a Crystal Bloom”, first self-published on July 24, 2021, is a dark, adult Rapunzel reimagining “full of immersive imagery and breathtaking angst” that has become a popular romantasy favorite. The forthcoming special/limited editions (including a Harper Voyager/Avon paperback and indie sprayed-edge versions) are marketed as collectible editions of this already released novel. It retains the same story while emphasizing the series’s intense, emotional tone and lush world-building.
