A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn

A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn

Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell is whisked off to a remote island off the tip of Cornwall when her natural historian colleague Stoker’s brother calls in a favour. On the pretext of wanting a companion to accompany him to Lord Malcolm Romilly’s house party, Tiberius persuades Veronica to pose as his fiancée—much to Stoker’s chagrin. But upon arriving, it becomes clear that the party is not as innocent as it had seemed. Every invited guest has a connection to Romilly’s wife, Rosamund, who disappeared on her wedding day three years ago, and a dramatic dinner proves … Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Antiziganism (g slur)
  • Misogyny
  • Slut-shaming
  • Cheating recounted
  • Domestic abuse recounted
  • Suicide discussed
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Recreational drug use
  • Dead bodies
  • Death during childbirth recounted
  • Death of a wife recounted
  • Death of a child recounted
  • Murder & attempted murder, including the murder of a pregnant woman
  • Gun violence
  • Hostage situation
  • Near-drowning incident
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The Monster by L.J. Shen

The Monster by L.J. Shen

The most important thing I’d ever read was scribbled on the door of a portable restroom, engraved into plastic at a carnival on the outskirts of Boston. Lust lingers, love stays. Lust is impatient, love waits. Lust burns, love warms. Lust destroys, but love? Love kills. Maybe it was always my destiny to fall in love with a monster. When other kids stayed awake at night fearing the pointy-toothed beast hiding in their closet, I longed to see mine. I wanted to feed it, domesticate it, understand it. Sam and I were only allowed to love each other in the dark. Once our story unfolded, and the… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Suicide
  • Self-harm
  • Drug use
  • Overdose
  • Miscarriage & stillbirth mentioned
  • Abortion mentioned
  • Murder
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Blood to Dust by L.J. Shen

Blood to Dust by L.J. Shen

His name is Beat, and I should hate him. Bound, blindfolded and bruised, I’m tied in his basement, waiting for the men who stripped me from clothes and humanity to collect his debt to them. Me. His name is Nate and I should hate him, but I don’t. I’m not supposed to know his real name, even worse, I’m not supposed to care. He is nothing to me but means to an end. The plan is simple: break free, collect the pieces of my broken soul, kill the bastards and run away. His name is Nathaniel Thomas Vela, and I’ve never seen his face, though I hear that it’s beautiful… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Unplanned pregnancy
  • Forced abortion
  • Graphic murder
  • Captivity
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This Is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf

This Is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf

Twenty-five years ago, the body of sixteen-year-old Eve Knox was found in the caves near her home in small-town Grotto, Iowa—discovered by her best friend, Maggie, and her sister, Nola. There were a handful of suspects, including her boyfriend, Nick, but without sufficient evidence, the case ultimately went cold. For decades Maggie was haunted by Eve’s death and that horrible night. Now a detective in Grotto, and seven months pregnant, she is thrust back into the past when a new piece of evidence surfaces and the case is reopened. As Maggie investigates and reexamines the clues and secrets about what really… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Victim-blaming
  • Sexual assault
  • Statutory rape
  • Abusive relationship
  • Suicidal ideation
  • Infertility & pregnancy loss
  • Murder of a friend recounted
  • Death of a parent
  • Animal death & cruelty
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These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

When teenager Allison Glenn is sent to prison for a heinous crime, she leaves behind her reputation as Linden Falls’ golden girl forever. Her parents deny the existence of their once-perfect child. Her former friends exult her downfall. Her sister, Brynn, faces whispered rumours every day in the hallways of their small Iowa high school. It’s Brynn–shy, quiet Brynn–who carries the burden of what really happened that night. All she wants is to forget Allison and the past that haunts her. But then Allison is released to a halfway house and is more determined than ever to speak with her estranged sister. Now their legacy of secrets is… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Suicide
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Drowning
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Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf

Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf

When a tragic accident leaves nurse Amelia Winn deaf, she spirals into a depression that ultimately causes her to lose everything that matters–her job, her husband, David, and her stepdaughter, Nora. Now, two years later and with the help of her hearing dog, Stitch, she is finally getting back on her feet. But when she discovers the body of a fellow nurse in the dense bush by the river, deep in the woods near her cabin, she is plunged into a disturbing mystery that could shatter the carefully reconstructed pieces of her life all over again. As clues begin to surface, Amelia finds her… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Depression
  • Physical assault resulting in loss of hearing
  • Dead body
  • Murder & attempted murder
  • Animal injury (dog)
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Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf

Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf

Sarah Quinlan’s husband, Jack, has been haunted for decades by the untimely death of his mother when he was just a teenager, her body found in the cellar of their family farm, the circumstances a mystery. For years Jack has avoided returning home, but when his beloved aunt Julia is in an accident, Jack and Sarah are forced to confront the past that they have long evaded. Upon arriving, Sarah and Jack are welcomed by the family Jack left behind all those years ago. But as facts about Julia’s accident begin to surface, Sarah realizes that nothing about the Quinlans is what it seems. Sarah dives deep into the puzzling rabbit hole of… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Physical injury
  • Overdose
  • Murder
  • Car accident
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The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf

True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where she’s retreated to write her new book. A cozy fire, complete silence. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered in cold blood and a girl disappeared without a trace. As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls—haunted by secrets of her own. Then she discovers a small child in the snow just outside. After bringing the child inside for warmth and safety, she begins to search for answers. But soon it becomes clear… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Murder
  • Gun violence
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Ain’t Never Not Been Black by Javon Johnson

Ain’t Never Not Been Black by Javon Johnson

Engaging with themes of masculinity, racism, love, and joy, Johnson is at once critical and creative. His spoken word performance transfers effortlessly to the page, with poems that will encompass you. This is a book about blackness and survival, and how in American these are inseparable. In a world of individualism, who can you hold close? In a world of danger, what makes you feel safe? From a poem written in the form of a syllabus, to another about the time his grandmother literally saved his life, Johnson’s creative expression is constantly enacting the feminist mantra, “the personal is political.”

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Racism & racial slur
  • Cancer
  • Murder
  • Police brutality & violence
  • Gun violence
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Hitting the Wall by Cate Wells

Hitting the Wall by Cate C. Wells

Shay. Six years ago, the good, upstanding men of Stonecut County ran me off. I took a secret with me. An inconvenient truth they wanted buried. Actions have consequences. Their perfect golden boy maybe wasn’t so perfect after all. Then life hands me one too many lemons. I’m forced to go back, and in Stonecut, nothing ever changes. Kellum Wall is still golden. I’m still unwanted. And falling for his cocksure smile will most certainly ruin my life all over again. Kellum
I believe there are still good men left in this world, and I strive to be one. I was raised to live by a code. God and country. Protect and serve. I always do the… Read more.

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Trigger & Content Warnings

  • Ableism
  • Rape & statutory rape recounted
  • Intimate partner violence
  • Parent with alcoholism mentioned
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Teen pregnancy recounted
  • Emesis
  • Death of a grandparent mentioned
  • Attempted infanticide by drowning mentioned
  • Physical assault
  • Police corruption & abuse of power
  • Accidental death of a pet horse mentioned
  • Animal hunting
  • Poverty
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