10 mystery novels and thrillers releasing this July

By Ruth Ware, Simon and Schuster

Fans of the claustrophobic terror of The Woman in Cabin 10, Ruth Ware’s 2016 novel, have waited way too long for this sort-of sequel. This one is set in a secluded luxury hotel on the shores of Lake Geneva, where one guest vanishes. Think The White Lotus meets Gone Girl, but with fewer Aperol spritzes and more nail-biting suspense. The setting is glamorous, the stakes are high, and no one is as innocent as they seem. Releases July 3

By Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Arcadia

Witchcraft, obsession, and academic ambition collide in The Bewitching, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s latest foray into dark folklore. During her thesis research, protagonist Minerva uncovers a long-forgotten mystery of a vanished girl, a cursed manuscript, and a chilling link between a famous horror author and her own haunted family tree. It’s part literary mystery, part folk horror, and a reminder that some research topics should probably stay buried. Releases July 17

By Amrita Mahale, Penguin Hamish Hamilton

From Amrita Mahale, author of Milk Teeth, comes a sophomore work in a genre completely different from her debut. That was a coming-of-age drama; this is a tense thriller featuring a woman gone missing. Real Life is part mystery, part meditation on the world we live in, where AI listens in, social media sits back and watches, and women’s voices still get cut off mid-sentence. Mahale’s writing moves like mist over the mountains—quiet, haunting, and full of the things left unsaid. It’s about friendship, obsession, and the dangerous idea of wanting more than what’s offered. This one’s for fans of literary thrillers that don’t play by the rules. Releases July 28

By Holly Jackson, Michael Joseph

Holly Jackson knows her way around a murder plot, and Not Quite Dead Yet is her first foray into adult thrillers. The setup? A young woman is attacked and left for dead but survives just long enough to hear the police write her off. Classic. She then, of course, decides to solve her own almost-murder. It’s giving Pretty Little Liars but on solo mode. No anonymous texts, no backup squad, just one woman trying to crack her own almost-murder before someone finishes the job. Releases July 17

By Shari Lapena, Bantam

Shari Lapena is back in her domestic-thriller lane, and she’s not slowing down. She Didn’t See It Coming looks at Bryden and Sam and their perfect life: good jobs, a luxury condo, a cute kid, and just enough Instagram-worthy moments to keep up appearances. Then one fine day, Bryden vanishes. Her car is still in the garage. Her phone’s still on the table. The laptop is open, the keys are in their usual spot, she’s just...gone. Now the search begins and with it, the slow, terrifying realisation that perfection always comes with a price. Releases July 17

By Clémence Michallon, Alfred a Knopf

A luxury wellness retreat. Ocean views. Smoothie bowls. And at least one person who won’t make it home. Fitting right into The White Lotus-esque rich-people drama we love on TV, Our Last Resort is a slow-burn thriller where paradise unravels fast. Frida and Gabriel check into the Ara Hotel for a reset, but when a guest turns up dead, their picture-perfect getaway starts to crack. Secrets resurface, loyalties shift, and Frida begins to wonder if the person she’s protecting is the person she should fear. Releases July 8

By Michelle Brandon, Avon A

Inspired by Bama RushTok, a corner of TikTok dedicated to videos about sorority rush week, but instead of sisterhood, sequins, and strategically filtered Instagram stories this novel is centred on the secrets and scandals. Five years after graduation, four sorority sisters are back at the University of Alabama. The problem? Their “Spill Book”, a collection of hazing-day confessions, is hidden in a time capsule. Of course, now it’s missing, and someone’s threatening to expose them all. A recommended read for good and not-so-good girls behaving badly. Releases July 22

By Kōtarō Isaka (author) & Sam Malissa (translator), Harvill Secker

A Japanese novel originally published in 2019 by the author of the Bullet Train (the book that was turned into a Brad Pitt film) is now getting an English-language audience. In Seesaw Monster, Kōtarō Isaka puts a twist on the cliched family feud of mother-in-law versus daughter-in-law. Both women harbour secret pasts: Miyako was once a spy, and she suspects her mother-in-law may have been a killer, so she sets out to investigate. Set against the backdrop of Japan’s 1980s bubble economy and a near-future surveillance state, Seesaw Monster weaves between the past and the present flawlessly. Perfect for those who like their mysteries with a side of science fiction. Plus, Netflix has bought the rights to this one and it’s going to star Anne Hathaway and Salma Hayek Pinault, so get reading asap. Releases July 3

By Tasha Coryell, Orion

Dating is hard. Especially when you’re a psychopath. In Matchmaking for Psychopaths, author Tasha Coryell gives us a darkly funny thriller about love, murder, and the worst people finding each other anyway. Protagonist Alexandra’s fiancé ran off with her best friend, her dating life is a disaster, and her actual job? Setting up psychopaths with other psychopaths. And then someone leaves a human heart on her doorstep. Now she’s stuck wondering: is this a love note from one of her clients or has a monster from her past come back for round two? Releases July 17

By Mallory Arnold, Poisoned Pen Press

“Welcome to Queen Manor. The rules are simple: solve the riddle, survive the night, try not to get murdered.” Seven authors show up to a manor expecting an inheritance from legendary horror author Mortimer Queen’s estate. What they get, instead, is a bunch of riddles they have to solve. It’s part Squid Game, part The Haunting of Bly Manor. The house is hungry, the game is rigged, and the real plot twist? Not everyone’s making it out of this one. How to Survive a Horror Story is sharp, self-aware, and exactly the kind of locked-room chaos that never ends well. Releases July 8