I am unabashedly a huge proponent of debut novels, and debut THRILLERS even more so! It’s like getting in on the ground floor of something amazing. There’s no back catalogue to hunt down and catch up on, you are there from the start, and for some of us, that is truly exciting.
The following recently released debut thrillers range from traditional detective stories to dark, gritty, serial killer chases to domestic suspense novels to gothic-style tales with magical elements, and almost everything in between. Some have been written as the start to a new series and some are standalones, but all of them are highly rated and highly recommended.
DEATH IN THE FAMILY by Tessa Wegert
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An impressive combination of a traditional Agatha Christie-style locked-room mystery, with a young, gifted detective who is suffering from PTSD who is still learning who to trust in her new job and environment. Tessa Weggert introduces us to Senior Investigator Shana Merchant as she works to solve a mysterious disappearance on a small private island. We learn a lot about Merchant through her work on this case, but there is plenty more of her backstory to be unfolded. Weggert has written such a dynamic character that we can’t wait to see her in her next adventure!
THE GOOD DETECTIVE by John McMahon
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P.T. Marsh really IS a good detective, but his life has been tragic in the last year. Struggling with his private life has left him not always making the best decisions, and sometimes those decisions have far-reaching consequences. Thinking he is helping a stripper get out of an abusive relationship, Marsh starts a chain of events that lead back to his job, his father-in-law, and multiple murders in the area. Likeable detectives aren’t always easy to find, but Marsh comes across as genuine, but not perfect, real, but not too-good-to-be-true, and someone who truly wants to make a difference.
BLOOD ORANGE by Harriet Tyce
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A domestic thriller that will often leave the reader feeling like a voyeur, but also unable to look away. Alison is a young, successful lawyer with an attentive husband, a precocious daughter, and seems to have it all. But she is also having an affair with one of her colleagues, and drinking too much, and she’s starting to feel things unravel. When she takes on a new client – who willingly admits to stabbing her own husband – Alison thinks this might be the opportunity to straighten out the various threads of her life that have gotten out of control. Power, jealousy, betrayal, love, and hate are all added to the mix and this disturbing tale will keep you on the edge of your seat.
HOLD YOUR TONGUE by Deborah Masson
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Fans of M.J. Arlidge’s books about DCI Helen Grace should definitely be paying attention to Deborah Masson. Similar in tone, Hold Your Tongue gives us an entirely new detective squad to get acquainted with. This dark and gritty serial killer hunt, with all its twists and turns, may not be for everybody, but for those of us that live for these twisted tales, it is a MUST! Masson also has a sequel currently scheduled to come out later this year!
MAN OF THE YEAR by Caroline Louise Walker
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Walker gives us a novel of domestic suspense set in a world where there just might not be a “good guy” to cheer for. Dr. Robert Hart has been named Citizen of the Year in his elite seaside town. His beautiful (second) wife and his son are there to celebrate with him. His son’s college roommate is also there, and the troubled young man changes the balance of power in the home. As the balance of power shifts, so does everything else in Dr. Hart’s life. Readers will hold their breath as they watch (mostly unlikable) people try to undo the damage they themselves have done.
NO BAD DEED by Heather Chavez
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Heather Chavez hits the ground running with this fast-paced, menacing story. We meet veterinarian and mother of two, Cassie Larkin on her way home from work where she witnesses a crime. She calls 911, but against the advice of the operator, she gets out of the car. From that point forward she throws her happy, suburban life into absolute paranoia and chaos! Unfortunately, the paranoia is contagious, and Chavez will definitely have you looking over your shoulder. The book, however, is fantastic, with unique characters and nerve-wracking tension!
YOU LET ME IN by Camilla Bruce
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A bit more gothic-horror than true thriller, this book quickly becomes very hard to categorise. Fans of Patrick Ness’s A Monster Calls, or Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children Series will find some similarities here. The entire book is written as a manuscript for Cassandra Tipp’s niece and nephew with instructions they are to follow upon her death or disappearance in order to obtain their inheritance. Occasionally written in second person, the reader feels very much a part of the story, as if they are being spoken to directly.
WOMAN ON THE EDGE by Samantha M. Bailey
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Told from two alternating points-of-view, Woman on the Edge is the story of Morgan Kincaid who, while waiting for the subway on her regular trip home from work has a woman thrust her baby into Morgan’s arms, and then jump in front of the oncoming train! (That’s not a spoiler – it is on the back cover and happens in the first 3 pages.) But faster than the blink of an eye, Morgan’s life, which was already going through some very trying times, is turned upside down by this seemingly random act.
