New Dark and Thrilling Fiction Reads for February

Robert B. Parker’s Bye Bye Baby by Ace Atkins: Carolina Garcia-Ramirez is a rising star in national politics, taking on the establishment with her progressive agenda. Tough, outspoken, and driven, the young congresswoman has ignited a new conversation in Boston about race, poverty, health care, and the environment. Now facing her second campaign, she finds herself not only fighting a tight primary with an old guard challenger but also contending with death threats from hundreds of suspects.

Find Me by Alafair Burke: Manhattan defense lawyer Lindsay Kelly, is devastated when she discovers her best friend, Hope, has vanished without a trace. With nowhere else to turn, Lindsay calls NYPD homicide detective Ellie Hatcher. In pursuit of answers, two women search for the truth beneath long-buried secrets. And when their searches converge, what they find will upend everything they’ve ever known.

The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis: Lillian was one of the most sought after models in New York City. But when Lillian’s work dries up, and she stumbles upon an employment opportunity at the Frick mansion, she jumps at the chance. But the longer she works as a private secretary to Helen Frick, the more she gets pulled into a tangled web of family drama. Nearly fifty years later, model Veronica Weber chances upon a series of hidden messages within the walls of the former Frick residence that could reveal the truth behind a decades-old murder.

Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner: Helen has a handsome husband, gorgeous Victorian home, and baby on the way, but her life begins to change when she attends her first prenatal class and meets Rachel. Rachel smokes, drinks, and has little interest in parenthood. Still, Helen is drawn to her. But when Rachel threatens to expose a past crime that could destroy Helen’s life, it becomes clear that there are secrets laying beneath the broad-leaved trees and warm lamplight of Greenwich Park.

Quicksilver by Dean Koontz: Quinn Quicksilver was born a mystery. Raised in an orphanage, Quinn had a happy if unexceptional life. Until the day of “strange magnetism.” It compelled him to drive out to the middle of nowhere and find a coin worth a lot of money. And it practically saved his life when two government agents showed in pursuit of him. Now Quinn is on the run from those agents and who knows what else. The only way to stay alive is to keep moving.

Lightning in a Mirror by Jayne Ann Krentz: Olivia LeClair’s experiment with speed dating is not going well. First there was the date from hell who tried to murder her and now the mysterious Harlan Rancourt sits down at her table and asks her to help locate the legendary Vortex lab. Unfortunately for Olivia, everyone is convinced that her unique psychic talent is the key to defuse the ticking time bomb that is Vortex. Olivia and Harlan must work together to survive and unlock the Bluestone Project’s most dangerous secrets before more innocent people die.

Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski: Samantha has danced for years at the Lovely Lady strip club. She’s not used to taking anyone under her wing, but when she decides to drive a new dancer home, they are run off the road. The police arrive, only to find one body. Georgia, another dancer, is drawn into the investigation as she tries to assist Holly, a detective with a complicated story of her own. The women round up a list of suspects, all the while grappling with their own understanding of loss and love.

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain: When Kayla Carter’s husband dies in an accident while building their dream house, she knows she has to stay strong for their daughter. But their home in Shadow Ridge Estates will always hold tragic memories. When she is confronted by an older woman telling her not to move in, she almost agrees. It’s clear this woman has some kind of connection to the area. Kayla’s neighbor, Ellie Hockley, is more welcoming, but it’s clear she, too, has secrets. Ellie is on a quest to right the wrongs of the past, and the house at the end of the street just might hold the key.

One Step too Far by Lisa Gardner: Frankie Elkin learns of a young man who has gone missing in a national forest. Law enforcement has abandoned the search, but a crew of people led by the young man’s father are still looking. Sensing a father’s desperation, Frankie agrees to help–but soon sees that a missing person isn’t all that’s wrong here. And when more people start to vanish, Frankie realizes she’s up against something very dark–and she’s running out of time.