Editor's note: This roundup is scheduled to publish in Georgia June 11 online and June 14 print in several newspapers. Will also publish in Mississippi and Alabama during the month in newspapers and magazines, timing up to local editors. Link below will be active June 11.

From new series starters (Michael Connelly’s “Nightshade”) to the tried-and-true (Kendra Elliot’s “Her First Mistake”) our beach bag is already overflowing, and what we offer here are just a few — OK, actually 25 — of the best beach reads published through the end of June. Later this season we’ll round out the list, but for now, find an old favorite, a debut thriller or just about anything in between — including a North Alabama favorite who you just might see dining at a Cullman restaurant.

“Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man” (Berkley) by Jesse Q. Sutanto: A lovable Chinese tea shop owner stumbles upon a distressed, young woman — and a murder, the investigation of which she decides to serve up herself. With lots of tea and nosy charm, Vera tackles the project unasked as a “favor” to her (hoped for) future daughter-in-law. Sutanto mixes cozy mystery with smart humor and heartfelt moments.

“When She Was Gone” (Blackstone Publishing) by Sara Foster: When a young nanny working for one of Perth’s wealthiest families disappears, a tense investigation unravels the secrets of a seemingly perfect family, forcing everyone to confront the lies they’ve told themselves and each other. Foster delivers a taut, emotionally resonant thriller that lingers. And as expected from Blackstone Publishing, the story itself is packaged beautifully with subtle and tactile cover art: Buy the hardcover of this one.

“Follow Me” (Thomas & Mercer) by Elizabeth Rose Quinn: An eerie digital breadcrumb trail leads a tech-savvy woman into a web of deception and danger. Quinn crafts a smart, suspenseful mystery that taps into our modern fears of surveillance and online identity. “Heathers” meets “The Stepford Wives” in this tale of twin sisters.

“The Book That Held Her Heart” (Ace) by Mark Lawrence: In this final chapter of The Library Trilogy, a mysterious book bridges love, loss and literary magic in a haunting story that defies time and tests the bond between Livira and Evar — one that has never been more taut. Lawrence blends fantasy and emotion in this lyrical, genre-bending tale.

“The Great Pyramids: Collected Stories” (Arcade Publishing) by Frederick Barthelme: This sharp, wry collection captures small-town oddities, human longing and ironic twists with Barthelme’s signature minimalist flair. A masterclass in short fiction that’s both grounded and subtly surreal.

“The Boomerang” (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Bailey: Big Pharma is on trial as Eli James, chief of staff to the president, attempts to rescue his daughter from a cancer diagnosis while simultaneously stumbling upon a cover up that could affect millions of lives — and more importantly to the bad guys, billions of dollars. Bailey keeps the thrills high and the emotional stakes higher. He also lives with his family in Huntsville — and has been know to visit Cullman County now and then. Let him know what you think of his latest if you see him around town.

“A Thousand Natural Shocks” (Blackstone Publishing) by Omar Hussain: A reporter fleeing his past while investigating a serial killer becomes entangled in a cult that promises a pill to erase his memory. The story turns to a test of time as dark secrets about the cult and the serial killer surface in an attempt to reconcile everything he’s learned with his past — before his memories evaporate.

“My Friends” (Atria Books) by Fredrik Backman: Backman returns with a moving meditation on friendship, aging, the quiet heroism of everyday people and a famous painting picturing an isolated moment of time of three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier. Tender, funny and unmistakably human, this is Backman’s most eloquent and lyrical story to date about how lives intersect in unknowable and unpredictable ways. An engaging read from the author of “A Man Called Ove.”

“The Language of the Birds” (Ballantine) by K.A. Merson: Arizona is no average teenager and when she finds a cryptic ransom note, she sets out to solve the riddles — and save her mother. Unwittingly, she becomes entangled in a worldwide treasure hunt that involves a centuries-old secret her father took to his grave. A quirky, surprising story soars in an introspective mystery.

“The Eternal Warrior” (Blackstone Publishing) by Ari Marmell: An immortal fighter who defies even death — an Eternal Warrior — is caught in a conflict that spans centuries, grappling with his past sins and the future of humanity in an attempt to reclaim everything that has slipped from his personal history. Marmell delivers epic fantasy with grit, heart and unrelenting pace.

“Nightshade” (Little, Brown and Company) by Michael Connelly: Done with Bosch and Ballard, at least for now, Connelly’s new series starter centers on another one-name detective, Stilwell. Due to department politics, the Los Angeles County sheriff detective has been exiled to a low-level post on Catalina Island, where he promptly begins to ruffle local feathers as he unearths secrets the natives would rather keep to themselves. Hopefully Connelly’s flair for backstory and depth will surface in future offerings, but for now, our first meeting with Stilwell offers a familiar, fun summer read.

“Kaua’i Storm” (Thomas & Mercer) by Tori Eldridge: In the lush Hawaiian landscape, a repatriated national park ranger uncovers a mystery surrounding the disappearance of her two cousins. Unfortunately for her, it’s a mystery and investigation that neither the family, the locals nor the police truly want exposed. Eldridge blends action and cultural depth in a uniquely tropical thriller.

“Rockets’ Red Glare” (Blackstone Publishing) by William Webster and Dick Lochte: A high-octane political thriller unfolds against the backdrop of a potentially explosive Fourth of July. Lochte’s sharp storytelling and fast pacing make for a perfect July 4 holiday page-turner. The book is the first in a series with Tribal Police Deputy Sage Mendiluze. Reacher and Pickett fans will find common ground here.

“Written on the Dark” (Ace) by Guy Gavriel Kay: Kay returns with an evocative, elegant historical fantasy set in a world where poetry, memory and fate collide. Centering on a tavern poet who must cater to both rogues and courtiers, Thierry Villar must also navigate churning political waters in a game of assassins and armies. Richly imagined and beautifully told storytelling.

“A Dead Draw” (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoni: In book 11 of the Tracy Crosswhite series, a pair of cold cases stir ties to the murder of Tracy’s sister in the form of suspect Erik Schmidt. When Schmidt is freed due to an investigative error, the lives of her friends and family are under direct threat. Schmidt is a master of taunt and tease as he draws Tracy deeper into his dark world. Wonderful character building in this story and the sensitive drawing of Lydia, a young woman on the spectrum whose mannerisms echo those of Tracy’s murdered sister, is exceptionally done. One of Dugoni’s best works, the author brings in just enough backstory to both start the series here, and reward long-time readers with vintage Crosswhite.

“The Martha’s Vineyard Beach and Book Club” (Ballantine Books) by Martha Hall Kelly: In a story told through dual timelines, Kelly’s narrative is a personal ode to her mother’s heritage. Involving a contemporary mystery, set at Martha’s Vineyard, whose only answers will come from the past, the story taps a wartime romance set in 1942 — and a beach read written for today. Kelly is touring extensively for this book through the end of July. Meet up with her at marthahallkelly.com/events/.

“The Turn” (Blackstone Publishing) by Christopher Ransom: An heirloom, of sorts, following his father’s death sends Casey Sweet into his dad’s past — and a current country club where Casey might just have met the long-lost son he never knew he had. Written in the tradition of “Caddyshack,” Ransom’s new novel is an engaging summer break.

“The Afterlife Project” (Podium Publishing) by Tim Weed: Humanity is facing extinction. A group of scientists with the capability to send a test subject 10,000 years into the future. One of the last women on Earth capable of getting pregnant. All of this portends that the survival of humankind is at stake in a futuristic setting evoking the ills of today.

“It Takes a Psychic” (Berkley) by Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Jayne Castle: A psychic investigator — actually, a para-archeologist — with a flair for romance and the paranormal dives into a case filled with danger and sizzling chemistry. Castle delivers her signature mix of mystery charm in a story centering on a long-dead cult leader and illicit paranormal experiments. “It Takes a Psychic” is No. 18 in Castle’s A Harmony Novel series.

“The Ghostwriter” (Sourcebooks Landmark) by Julie Clark: An author’s past returns to haunt her in the form of a ghostwriting project undertaken for her estranged father. When the project turns out to be just another one of dad’s lies, writer Olivia Dumont is forced to confront her relationship with her father … and a web of family secrets.

“Stop All the Clocks” (Arcade) by Noah Kumin: Kumin’s debut is a meditative, poetic novel about time, grief and the modern-life moments that define us … in ones and zeroes. The death of a colleague and the collapse of her AI company send Mona Veigh’s life in directions not determined by any algorithm.

“Plays Well with Others” (Blackstone Publishing) by Lauren Myracle: A bout of social media betrayal forces Jake Nolan from her job, house and husband and into a receptive bungalow on Sweetwater Lane. There, she befriends those just like herself — people itching to act on entrenched thoughts of retaliation.

“Her First Mistake” (Montlake) by Kendra Elliot: Elliot has written nearly two dozen thrillers set in her home state of Oregon and this latest offering features a minor character from the Columbia River novels: Here, Deschutes County sheriff’s detective Noelle Marshall gets her own origin story. A cold case murder mystery, this is the tale that explains what happened to Marshall to make her the detective she is today, or at least what she becomes in later storylines. A fulfilling storyline delivers much more than backstory in a captivating summer read.

“Jill Is Not Happy” (Scarlet) by Kaira Rouda: In this darkly comic tale, Jill and Jack live an enviable life in South California and, as recent empty-nesters, an unbearable marriage. A road trip “to reconnect” is really a cat-and-mouse game unknown to each other as they unwittingly match their cunning to pull one in … and push the other over, the more-than-metaphorical ledge.

“The Farm House” (Poisoned Pen Press) by Chelsea Conradt: Looking for a fresh start after her mother dies, Emily Hauk and her husband depart for a farm in rural Nebraska. Learning nothing from centuries of thrillers (“The Amityville Horror,” anyone?), they should have asked why the asking price was so low. Unknown to them, everyone who has ever lived on this farm has died. The lure of the soil is compelling, though, as Emily digs into the mystery enveloping her new home.

Reach book reviewer Tom Mayer at tmayer@rn-t.com or tmayer132435@gmail.com.

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Snappy and intense. Loved the writing. Cults and serial killers and a tender examination of a father/som relationship? In a debut novel? Whew.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest reviews

Loved this one. It was so much more intense than I thought it’d be. Just a fab reading experience and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

A debut novel, A Thousand Natural Shocks (2025) by Omar Hussain has an interesting mix of genres including science fiction, crime mystery and thriller elements. Dash Hassan is a reporter with Monterey Coast News in California, who gets involved in a subterrain cult and under pressure, invents sources to publish news articles on a serial killer. Dash is suffering, unable to sleep and there are numerous narrative flashbacks that interrupts the flow of the story, with its increasingly darker tone. More a journey of grief and a troubled soul, this was a disappointing two star read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement. With thanks to Blackstone Publishing and the author for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

*Arc provided through Netgalley, opinions are my own*


I really took a chance with this one, because I know it’s not one of the genres I usually read, but I wanted to try this one out, since it sounded very interesting.

Well, that hit me right back in the face, because it dragged on and on and I still don’t really know what the point was. All I could think for the entire time that I was reading this was ‘if this man had tried therapy, all this wouldn’t have happened’.

I can see (even if I didn’t enjoy it) that the writing was beautiful, but it just felt way too heavy for me and I found myself skipping large chunks of prose and just trying to look for the crumbs of actual story that we got.

Omar Hussain's A Thousand Natural Shocks is a drug fuelled, frenetic descend into a dark Californian world. Main character Dash is self medicating and has joined some sort of cult which is promising that it can wipe his mind clean of memories. It turns out that Dash was trained by his father to have a prodigious memory and now there are things that he cannot forget.
Dash is a spectacularly unreliable narrator who seems determined to become more unreliable. So throw into this mix of drugs, cults, identify theft and darkness the potential re-emergence of a bizarre serial killer and you have a descent into madness. I can see how this would work for some readers but this type of drug-fuelled narrative and frankly unlikeable protagonist (even though he did save a dog) did not work or appeal to me.

Intricate, gritty, and unsettling!

A Thousand Natural Shocks is a dark, compelling tale that takes you into the life of reporter Dash Hassan as his life begins to spiral out of control when he joins a wellness cult whose intentions are not quite what they seem, he overindulges in memory-erasing pills, and he triggers a serial killer to come out of retirement when he makes up a story in order to save his career.

The writing is tight and intense. The characters are vulnerable, impulsive, and tormented. And the plot is an engrossing tale full of desperation, manipulation, family, troubled pasts, haunting memories, trauma, paranoia, death, and murder.

Overall, A Thousand Natural Shocks is a dark, atmospheric, promising debut by Hussain that kept me enthralled from the very first page and left me entertained, satisfied, and eager to read whatever his deliciously sinister mind manages to come up with next.

Wow, what a debut! A Thousand Natural Shocks follows Dash, a journalist in Monterey, California who sets out to investigate a serial killer plaguing his hometown. By night, he immerses himself into a cult that promises him a memory-erasing drug to obliterate his traumatic past. But as he sinks deeper into the cult and his hunt for the killer, he is forced to confront his past demons while his present fractures around him.

This book takes us on a deep dive into memory, grief, and the cost of forgetting. Hussain creates a haunting atmosphere through his stunning prose that gives big Black Mirror vibes, and I couldn’t get enough. As Dash’s mental state starts to shift and the line between what’s real and imagined becomes blurry, so too does the prose. It’s a gorgeous interplay that had me completely engrossed, and thus all the more surprised at every twist (and oh there are twists!). The ending felt a bit ambiguous to me (which I wasn’t a huge fan of), but I think that was also the point.

If you binged Black Mirror and loved The Silent Patient like me, this book is for you! I’ll definitely be watching for Omar Hussain’s next book.

Big thanks to Blackstone Publishing for the gifted copy!

This book unfortunately didn’t wow me the way I wanted it to. The cover was incredible, and the premise really interesting, but I wanted this to be at the caliber of Dark Matter and it just wasn’t. Not bad by any means but not incredible. I think people looking for a less thrilling thriller will enjoy.

Dash Hassan wants out — out of his past, out of his pain, maybe even out of his own mind. In “A Thousand Natural Shocks” (Blackstone, $27.99), a genre-bending read by Omar Hussain, a haunted journalist fakes being stalked by a serial killer to save his job, only for the real killer to resurface.

As Dash spirals deeper into a memory-erasing cult and reality begins to fracture, the story becomes a surreal, propulsive dive into grief, identity and the allure of oblivion. Part noir, part existential trip, this is an incisive thriller that asks: If you could forget everything, would you? Should you?

Fans of beautiful prose and contemplations on grief, trauma, memory and family will absolutely love A Thousand Natural Shocks.

Dash is a reporter in Monterey, CA when a serial killer starts plaguing the city. He sets out to investigate and write a story about the killer, while simultaneously keeping up with the Subterraneans, a cult he recently joined. The Subterraneans promise the ability to wipe out memories with a special pill treatment and Dash is desperate to get rid of the heart wrenching pain of his past, so he participates in their strange rituals. As he tries to hunt a killer and keep his memories at bay, he's forced to face his past and what it would really mean to forget it all.

This was a hard one for me to review. I think it's 3.5 stars for me, rounded up to 4. The way Hussain explores grief and maladaptive coping mechanisms with stunning prose is captivating, and I was equally intrigued by the Subterraneans and their mysterious pills, but the ending felt a little too ambiguous to me, and I had a few questions I wish were addressed more directly. I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say anything specific, but the ending made the rest of the story feel like a puzzle box that never explained all of it's facets. I'm okay with some loose ends, but I think I wanted just a little more interconnection between the different plot lines going on. However, I also think in a literary sense, this was a solid story, and I think fans of literary fiction will probably enjoy the ending more than me!

cool! gripping, fracturing, mind-bending, unique. creates a world for itself very reminiscent of a black mirror-esque world. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

A Thousand Natural Shocks is a haunting psychological thriller about memory, identity, and the price of forgetting. When Dash, a tormented journalist, stumbles onto the trail of a serial killer in Monterey, California, he’s lured into the orbit of a secretive cult offering salvation in the form of a memory-erasing pill. But as he tries to rewrite his past, his present begins to unravel. Reality blurs, identities fracture, and the truth becomes more elusive than ever. Dark, twisty, and deeply human, Omar Hussain’s debut is a genre-bending dive into the mind’s most fragile corners—where the deepest scars are the ones we choose to forget.

A Thousand Natural Shocks is a gripping, genre-bending thriller that plunges readers into the unraveling mind of a man trying to rewrite his past while holding onto his present. Set against the moody backdrop of Monterey, California, the novel follows Dash—a haunted reporter chasing the story of a reemerging serial killer by day and chasing oblivion by night, courtesy of a memory-erasing pill offered by a mysterious cult.

What starts as a hard-boiled crime investigation quickly morphs into something more cerebral and surreal. As Dash’s memories begin to fragment, so does his identity. The lines between reality and illusion blur, and the tension becomes as much psychological as it is physical. The cult’s promise—to erase pain and trauma—comes at a steep and sinister price, and Dash's desperate bid to outrun his past morphs into a battle to remember who he really is.

The novel’s brilliance lies in its layered storytelling. It’s part noir mystery, part speculative horror, and entirely riveting. The prose is sharp and introspective, matching Dash’s deteriorating mental state with a haunting elegance. As the serial killer case intensifies and the cult’s true agenda comes to light, the pace quickens toward a conclusion that is both shocking and tragically human.

A Thousand Natural Shocks explores the cost of forgetting, the fragility of identity, and the terrifying idea that what defines us can be lost—not just stolen, but willingly given up. Fans of Black Mirror, Donnie Darko, or The Silent Patient will find much to love here.

A dark, twisty, and emotionally resonant read, this book lingers in the mind like a half-remembered dream. This is a really good debut novel for Omar Hussain.

Rating: 4.6/5

I liked this book a lot!! I thought it was such a unique and interesting concept. It did remind me of a black mirror type of show. I think it was written very well and had so much good writing and good plot in it. I enjoyed the twists and turns and just really enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!