One of the truest things we can count on in 2022, no matter what else is going on, is new books will be published, and your library will make sure you have access to them.
While the focus lately has been on lighthearted books, I’ve been doing some reading where many people say they like to read on the darker side, something where people are caught in tough situations or solving murders or running from maniacs. And why not. Here are ten books coming up in 2022 that may not be Nordic dark but aren’t cozy either. I put exact publication dates when I found them. Otherwise, the date is sometime in 2022. Many of these books replicate the situations that readers have loved.
Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins is a story about the isolation of a group of people where bad things happen. This is a timeless popular plot that really is an extension of people trapped with no transportation in a creepy old mansion – a sort of locked room murder case with a larger room. The reckless girls in this case are on an island. One comes up missing. Another comes up dead. No one is safe. Date: Jan. 24.
Quick Silver will soon be the newest thriller by Dean Koontz as of Jan. 25. The cast of characters in this case are at a down on its luck dude ranch that includes a shootout. What really attracted me to this one is a character named Grandpa Sparky who writes romance novels. Surely in addition to dudes gone wild, we might have real romance. In any event, readers love a Koontz thriller.
Gwendy’s Final Task is by Stephen King and Richard Chizman, a sure walk on the scary side. At risk is a critical “button box” that evil forces are trying to take. The protagonist is Senator Gwendy whose task is to protect the button box. What is a button box? Likely an electronic box with buttons that sends out digital pulses, but that’s a guess from a cursory search of the term. A preview says this is “horror at its best.” (With King, it could be a box that holds buttons.) Date: Feb. 15.
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley (author of the popular 2020 The Guest List) finds protagonist Jess broke and alone. Her brother in Paris agrees to let her stay with him. But when she arrives, there’s nothing but mystery. Her brother is missing, and she cannot fathom how he affords this luxurious place. Date: Feb. 15.
The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkamen gives us the couple Marissa and Matthew who have significant marital issues. In a last ditch attempt to save the relationship, they decide to see a therapist who lost her license and has unconventional methods. From there, everything gets worse. Date: Mar. 22.
The Recovery Agent is first in a new series by Janet Evanovich, not normally known for serious fiction, and I’m not sure about this one, but readers will want to know she’s got a new series coming up. A recovery agent is someone who recovers stolen valuables and assets. Gabrielle Rose’s own family needs her help. Date: Mar. 22.
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocum is set in a black community in rural North Carolina where a man who studied his whole life for his moment to make it to a big time orchestra finds himself the victim of the theft of his Stradivarius.
The Maid by Nita Prose is another anticipated locked room murder case that has an eccentric maid / detective at the center of the story. Looks promising.
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James gives us Shea Collins who writes a true crime website. One forty-year-old case becomes much hotter as a result.
Other People’s Clothes by Calla Henkel centers on two American ex-pats who sublet an apartment in Berlin owned by a famous thriller writer. But they soon suspect she is somehow watching them. They turn the place into a high-profile nightclub. This book is called “darkly funny” and is definitely on my list.
New books - one delightful fact you can count on in 2022.
See you at the Library!