Murder & Attempted Murder – Trigger Warning Database

Curse of the Night Witch by Alex Aster

On Emblem Island all are born knowing their fate. Their lifelines show the course of their life and an emblem dictates how they will spend it. Twelve-year-old Tor Luna was born with a leadership emblem, just like his mother. But he hates his mark and is determined to choose a different path for himself. So, on the annual New Year’s Eve celebration, where Emblemites throw their wishes into a bonfire in the hopes of having them granted, Tor wishes for a different power. The next morning Tor wakes up to discover a new marking on his skin…the symbol of a curse that has… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Suicide
Cannibalism mentioned (a mother forced to eat her children to survive)
Sword & arrow violence
Monsters attempting to drown their children mentioned
Loss of autonomy (magic)
Animal attack (frog, snake)

Crowntide by Alex Aster

Isla Crown has charted a new destiny and leapt into the unknown, determined to defeat her insidious ancestor, Lark, no matter the cost. But Skyshade is nothing like she anticipated, and she’ll have to use all of her skills just to survive, let alone end Lark for good. Meanwhile, Grim and Oro would sooner set fire to their own kingdoms than leave Isla stranded on a path toward certain death. But getting her back will involve forging an alliance―if they can find a way to forgive their long history of betrayals. The key to Isla’s… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Blood & injury depiction and emesis
Murder by stabbing & torture
Knife, sword & weapon violence
War themes & battle scenes

Skyshade by Alex Aster

Back in Grim’s castle on Nightshade, Isla is reeling in the wake of a brutal battle and the devastating truths it exposed. Her future—and the fate of the world—now hinge on a heart split in two. Past Isla, who fell in love with the ruler of Nightshade, fights to resist feelings she considers treasonous. The Isla of the present, who has seen the ruin her powers can cause, will do anything to save Lightlark and its king. As the line between enemy and friend is tested, Isla is more desperate than ever to understand the oracle’s final prophecy… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Infidelity
Self-injury for magic & scars
Alcohol consumption
Blood & gore depiction, including removal of the heart, decapitation & dead bodies
Murder
Near-drowning incident (in blood)
Knife, sword & weapon violence

Locust Lane by Stephen Amidon

On the surface, Emerson, Massachusetts, is just like any other affluent New England suburb. But when a young woman is found dead in the nicest part of town, the powerful neighbors close ranks to keep their families safe. In this searing novel, Eden Perry’s death kicks off an investigation into the three teenagers who were partying with her that night, each a suspect. Hannah, a sweet girl with an unstable history. Jack, the popular kid with a mean streak. Christopher, an outsider desperate to fit in. Their parents, each with motivations of their own, only complicate the picture… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Misogyny
Sexual assault
Substance addiction
Self-harm
Murder
Animal injury

The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri

The prophecy of the nameless god—the words that declared Malini the rightful empress of Parijatdvipa—has proven a blessing and curse. She is determined to claim the throne that fate offered her. But even with rage in her heart and the army of loyal men by her side, deposing her brother is going to be a brutal and bloody fight. The power of the deathless waters flows through Priya’s blood. Now a thrice born priestess and an Elder of Ahiranya, she dreams of seeing her country rid of the rot that plagues it: both Parijatdvipa’s poisonous rule, and the blooming sickness that is spread… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Homophobia & sexism
Suicide (self-immolation & self-sacrifice)
Self-injury
Alcohol consumption
Murder, physical assault & torture (off-page)
Poisoning
Kidnapping of a child
Drowning
Loss of autonomy (godly possession)
War themes & battle scenes
Animal death (horse)

The Vacation by John Marrs

Venice Beach, Los Angeles. A paradise on earth. Tourists flock to the golden coast and the promise of Hollywood. But for eight strangers at a beach-front hostel, there is far more on their minds than an extended vacation. All of them are running from something. And they all have secrets they’d kill to keep…

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Racism
Child abuse
Rape & voyeurism
Drug use, overdose & drugging
Cancer & terminal stroke
Death of a friend
Murder by stabbing
Stalking
Car accident

Single Malt by Layla Reyne

FBI agent Aidan “Irish” Talley had it all until a harrowing car crash left him with a heap of survivor’s guilt and a hole in his heart where his happily ever after used to be. Aiming to fill the void, he returns to work—and to a new partner. Charming, smart, and athletic, Jamie is the last thing Aidan’s bruised heart needs. Cyber agent Jameson “Whiskey” Walker joined the Bureau three years ago and has pined for Aidan ever since. Working with the Irish expat is a fantasy and a challenge, one Jamie intends to win by earning the surly older agent’s trust and respect. Except there’s no time… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Ableism
Child physical & sexual abuse and stalking by a foster parent mentioned (secondary character)
Infidelity mentioned (secondary character)
Child trafficking mentioned
Early On-Set Alzheimer’s Disease mentioned (secondary character)
Alcohol consumption & abuse
Spouse with terminal cancer mentioned (secondary character)
Death of a brother in an Irish Republican Army (IRA) car bombing recounted
Death of a father in a factory fire recounted
Graphic hit-and-run car accident as attempted murder, resulting in hospitalisation for coma & head injuries and death of the protagonist’s husband & working partner
Bioterrorism discussed

Us Dark Few by Alexis Patton

Khalani is a Prisoner. Takeshi is a Guard. Both are slaves to the Underground. Khalani Kanes has never stood on the surface of the earth. In the underground city of Apollo, faith and dreams are as absent as the sun. She longed to visit Genesis, the infamous Domed City and the final place where humanity lives aboveground. But when Khalani is given a life sentence and thrown into prison for a theft she didn’t commit, those wishes shatter into oblivion. In Braderhelm Prison, murderers are neighbors, ruthless and cold-blooded guards live to punish, and every second is a battle… Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Sexual assault & attempted rape, thwarted by the perpetrator being beaten to death & having his eyes plucked out
Physical child abuse & domestic violence recounted, resulting in the love interest murdering his step-father in revenge for murdering his mother
Suicidal ideation (protagonist, on-page)
Alcohol consumption & mentions of smoking
Decapitation mentioned
Murder of a mother & father recounted (protagonist)
Physical assault & death in ‘fight pits’
Mass shooting mentioned
Imprisonment (theme), including inhumane treatment of prisoners through electrocution, starvation, and being worked to death
Nuclear fallout & terrorism recounted (post-apocalyptic world, set 300 years after the events)

Us Deadly Few by Alexis Patton

Khalani Kanes never imagined surviving Braderhelm Prison, let alone escaping to the desolate surface they had been told was uninhabitable. Haunted by the Governor of Apollo’s dark secrets, Khalani and her crew of criminals embark on a new perilous journey. Now, the true test begins as Khalani ventures through the treacherous “Death-Zone” toward the nearest underground city, Hermes. Abandoned relics of a once-great nation are not the only threats on the barren road. Violent storms sweep across the Death-Zone, the deadly Takeshi Steele has resumed…. Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Sexual assault & attempted rape, thwarted by the perpetrator being beaten to death & having his eyes plucked out
Alcohol consumption & mentions of smoking
Drugging
Physical injury, including mention of secondary character going into septic shot from an arrow wound
Graphic fantasy violence including explosions, bombings, weapon violence (bow & arrow), physical assault/fight scenes & murder by gun violence
Torture, including electrocution, knife violence & lobotomy-like medical experimentation
Nuclear fallout & terrorism recounted (post-apocalyptic world, set 300 years after the events)
Kidnapping

Storm Caller by Nisha J Tuli

Poet Graves has only ever wanted to be free. But no matter where she turns, she’s held captive—by a power she doesn’t understand, a truth she no longer believes in, and a love she can’t deny. As Poet is drawn further into Rook’s world, his secrets force her to question who she can trust. But when friends turn into enemies, enemies prove to be allies, and the place that was once a safe harbor is revealed as the eye of the storm, Poet’s only choice is to fight for what she believes in. When New Manhattan’s darkest secrets refuse to stay hidden, the cause Poet and Rook fight for will be…. Read more.

Goodreads • The Story Graph

Trigger and Content Warnings

Classism & related fictional slurs
Alcohol consumption
Murder, explosion, electrocution & fantasy violence related to magical storms
Kidnapping & false imprisonment while drugged