A Couple of Thrillers You Won't Want to Put Down

by MK French

Are you ready to get your blood pumping? I don't mean the new exercise routine you've resolved to start. I'm talking about a couple of thrillers that you won't want to put down.

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Behind These Four Walls by Yasmin Angoe

January 2026; Thomas & Mercer; 978-1662529696
audio, ebook, print (367 pages); psychological thriller

Isla Thorne spent formative years in a group home, where she met her best friend, Eden Galloway. The two planned to run away to LA at sixteen, but Eden instead disappeared. Ten years later, Isla is still determined to find her. Posing as a journalist, she goes to the last place Eden was seen, the Corrigan estate in Virginia. The more she digs, the more it seems that Eden wasn't who she thought. While she has an ally in one of the Corrigan sons, the family has secrets they will do anything to keep. 

While our first look at Isla seems like she's a helpful young woman, she lined up the opportunity to meet Holland Corrigan and come to her rescue. It's a calculated move, one of many that she's made over the years. We learn about the different jobs she has, one of which is investigation. She's using this expertise to enter the household and, under the guise of writing an interview of the patriarch Victor, ask about Eden and the circumstances leading to the disappearance. The questions feel clumsy to me, and even some of the characters call her out on asking about Eden and not Victor. It's realistic, but she is supposed to be someone who does this for a living. Even if her emotions are involved,  I would think she'd be a little better at this. 

The family itself is toxic, competing for attention and being deemed worthy, and the family members generally get what they want. Isla sees the dynamics in the family and with staff, and how even Victor uses people to get ahead. Isla has a good sense of people, and it's what helps her get through the events of the book. The finale was intense and kept me riveted until the last page. 

Buy Behind These Four Walls at Amazon

The Briars by Sarah Crouch

January 2026; Atria Books; 978-1668091883
audio, ebook, print (320 pages); thriller

Annie Heston is the new game warden in Lake Lumin, a small town in the picturesque Pacific Northwest. A cougar was spotted in the area, but most of the townsfolk are dismissive. Daniel Barela is a carpenter that doesn't mind Annie's presence, and the two form a bond. That bond is tested when a young woman's body is found in the briars bordering Daniel's property, and Annie must rely on her training and intuition to find a killer hiding in plain sight.

Annie is a newcomer in a town of less than 900 people, tracking down a cougar settling into the area. The body was found around the time she arrived, and she is drawn into the initial investigation because of claw marks on the body. The cougar she's looking for caused them, but that wasn't what killed the woman. In the meantime, Daniel is essentially in hiding, doing odd jobs and keeping his head down. We eventually learn his story and see how he and Annie get closer. When the second body shows up and it's someone who people think had been dating Daniel, rumors outpace truth.

Small towns always have their quirks, and people like to know everyone's business. The ones that don't join in or are new to town make easy scapegoats, so even though he's lived there for years, he's an easy target. Rumors spread rapidly, and the investigation progresses just as rapidly. Annie pieces it together after a few false starts by returning to her training: that of a nature tracker and game warden. She's not infallible, and to be honest, her first suspect was a creep and great red herring. It kept me riveted and eager to find the true villain.

Buy The Briars at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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