10 Smoldering New Mystery and Thriller Books Arriving in December 2023

Renowned French Detective Castang delves into the case of a missing wife and her suspicious husband in this mystery penned by the Edgar award–winning British crime writer Nicholas Freeling.

Guy and Sibille Lebfevre's ordinary marriage takes a dark turn during a quarrel in the Vosges mountains, leading to Sibille's sudden disappearance on a deserted road. Despite Guy's indifference and excuses, suspicions of foul play arise. As Castang investigates, uncertainties cloud the truth about what truly transpired between the husband and wife.

Release date: December 5, 2023

In this cozy mystery series debut, New Jersey rabbi Aviva Cohen finds herself drawn into a perplexing investigation following a suspicious death arising from a funeral in her small-town community. Accustomed to a routine life of religious duties, Aviva is caught off guard when family members claim foul play in the demise of a disliked local businessman. 

As she probes deeper, navigating her unconventional family dynamics, Aviva uncovers unexpected connections and dangers, entangled in a web of deceit that brings her face-to-face with her past—and potential peril.

In 1789 Maine, midwife and healer Martha Ballard investigates a suspicious death when a man’s body is found entombed in ice on the frozen Kennebec River. Documenting the town's secrets in her diary—including an alleged rape involving respected gentlemen—Martha faces opposition when her conclusion of murder clashes with a physician's accident theory. 

With the trial looming, Martha is determined for justice. She unravels the truth despite mounting prejudices and implicating her loved ones. Ariel Lawhon's gripping tale introduces a resilient heroine defying societal norms, crafting a riveting narrative of justice and legacy amidst adversity.

Following Dr. Jack Stapleton's brush with a medical serial killer, NYC Chief Medical Examiner Laurie Montgomery shoulders both professional and domestic responsibilities. Tasking underperforming resident Dr. Ryan Sullivan with a suicide autopsy in hopes of sparking his interest in forensics, Laurie unwittingly plunges into a perilous conspiracy.

Reluctant to conduct forensic autopsies, Ryan dives into a research project on suspicious suicides, unraveling unsettling revelations tying these deaths to a deceitful cancer diagnostics corporation—ultimately placing both him and Laurie in grave danger.

A young nanny's mysterious death intrigues new mom Tash, craving both a career boost as a journalist and friendships to navigate motherhood. Spotting a clique of affluent mothers at her son's playgroup, Tash is drawn into their sophisticated world of elegance and opulence—a stark contrast to her own humble life.

However, as she delves deeper into the community after another woman's death, Tash uncovers unsettling truths and questions the motives behind her swift acceptance into this affluent circle. The investigation blurs the line between friend and foe, leaving Tash to wonder who is truly trustworthy in this exclusive subculture.

This December, readers will be gifted with the ninth installment of the Claire’s Candles Cozy Mystery series, which follows Claire Harris, a British candle shop owner who has a passion for candle-making and a tendency to get caught up in solving murder mysteries. After all, she is the daughter of a retired detective inspector, so she can’t help but investigate when innocent neighbors are found dead. 

In her quaint English village of Northash, she’s always finding that she must absolve her family members and, even at times, herself from being wrongfully charged with murder. Mystery lovers who prefer a lot less gore and graphic scenes and are more interested in quirky, likable characters will enjoy this comforting murder mystery from an author who has written more than 30 beloved cozy mysteries. 

This psychological mystery thriller debut novel by Alexis Soloski—a prize-winning New York Times vulture reporter and a former lead theater critic—was listed as one of the “Most Anticipated Books of 2023” by Entertainment Weekly, Zibby Mag, CrimeReads, and more. 

Soloski’s background as a theater critic inspired her to write her dazzling debut centering around Vivian Parry, a former actress turned junior theater critic whose interviewer is murdered and leads her to take on her newest and perhaps most important role: an amateur detective. Vivian knew that theater involved drama, but never to this magnitude. 

The next book in the Merry Wrath Mysteries series finds ex-CIA agent turned Girl Scout Troop Leader, Merry Wrath, in an unexpectedly precarious situation. Merry had organized what was supposed to be a safe rifle lesson at camp for the scouts with her experienced assassin friend Hillary. 

But then the weird camp caretaker is found dead outside the rifle range, and a powerful storm prevents the troop from leaving the premises. Now they’re stuck among four suspected camp staff members, any of whom could murder again at a moment's notice. Unfortunately, for the group, this predicament is not in their trusty scout manual!

Chicago PD Harriet Foster must investigate two city aldermen’s suspicious deaths in the second book in the Detective Harriet Foster thriller series. While one man was found dead by apparent suicide and the other was stabbed in his office, both were found with thirty dimes left on their bodies, suggesting a debt to repay. 

With the help of her partner, Vera Li, Harriet must hurry to find out who the killer’s next target may be and why the murderer is seeking such callous retribution before another body is decorated with dimes. 

Simone has tried to create a quiet and peaceful life for herself as a book reviewer. On the downside, she had to give up on her previous dream, but on the upside, she has a caring boyfriend that she wants to build a life with. But lately, a true crime documentarian is bugging her for details about an incident she’d rather forget, and her childhood neighbor, Hunter, has suddenly reinserted himself into her life. 

The truth is that 10 years ago, her mother was murdered and her father was convicted of the crime, transforming her once-privileged existence into a fight to endure day after day. 

Now, Hunter is saying that his father and her mother were having an affair. Hunter’s dad, a well-respected judge who had everything to lose, may have wanted a quick fix to his messy reality. Could he have gone as far as murdering her mother? Simone will have to use Hunter to find answers and gain closure to this potentially unsolved crime.