Dearest Bindery Detectives:

Welcome back to part two of my series highlighting the Cluesletter authors of 2025!

As I mentioned in my Q1 recap, which covers the first six authors of 2025, it was my goal this year to read all of the books featured in the Cluesletter. It’s been a pleasure having the opportunity to enjoy these books before featuring them in the Cluesletter.

Let’s review the latest authors:

7. Olesya Lyuzna, Glitter in the Dark, April 1.

Traveling back in time to the Roaring Twenties in New York City: This queer historical mystery is so sumptuous it feels decadent to read. If you like glitzy showgirls, kidnapped singers, and speakeasies with secret codes, you’ll love Olesya’s debut. It reminded me just how much I enjoy this time period, and Glitter in the Dark pays homage to it by mixing sparkling glamor with razor-sharp noir.

Featured author quote:

“Lose yourself in the world you’re building. That’s the part that belongs to you—and it’s the only thing that keeps the rest of it meaningful.”

8. Jess Kidd, Murder at Gulls Nest, April 15.

When I read this cozy mystery in January, I knew it was destined for my “favorite books of 2025” list. Nora Breen leaves her convent in pursuit of her novice, who has mysteriously gone missing in a secretive seaside town. I adored the quirky, clever, and determined Nora, who approaches this new world with awe and mourning. This is wonderful for fans of cozy mysteries with depth and character growth. Between the writing, the setting, and the sleuth, Jess Kidd’s latest release became an instant favorite.

Featured author quote:

“I wanted to create a detective both for then (the 1950s) and now, especially at a time when many of us are starting to see the value in human connection over consumption.”

9. Liann Zhang, Julie Chan Is Dead, April 29.

Another debut that sucked me in and refused to let me go. When Julie Chan stumbles on the body of her estranged twin sister, she assumes her life as a megapopular influencer. But things go dark quickly, and get weirder than you could ever imagine. Liann presents cutting observations of influencer culture that feel real, serious, and anything but superficial. If you like fever-dream, absolutely batty thrillers, you will read this in one sitting like I did.

Featured author quote:

“Topics like race and class will never go away, even if influencers do. So, I think by anchoring my topical book in these enduring themes, I helped ground the novel in a wider, more conceptual framework that won’t fade as quickly as your typical influencer scandal.”

10. Leonie Swann, Big Bad Wool, May 13.

When I heard the phrase “sheep detectives,” I admit, I wasn’t sure about how (or even if) such a premise would work. But Leonie sold me on the idea—maybe not that sheep make the most skilled detectives, but the fact that a flock of them working together just might solve a case. Offbeat, suspenseful, and just darn cute, Big Bad Wool is for those of us who are looking for a different kind of crime novel (maybe one without so many pesky humans).

Featured author quote:

“Objectively speaking, there is very little that recommends sheep for detective work.”

11. Tori Eldridge, Kaua‘i Storm, May 27.

A suspenseful family saga set on Kaua‘i Island. When park ranger Makalani Pahukula returns home for her grandmother’s birthday, she finds two of her cousins missing, and her family fractured. If you like your mysteries with strong heroines and heaps of adventure—as in, combing through tropical rainforests during a relentless storm—you will find something to enjoy in Kaua‘i Storm.

Featured author quote:

“It is my deepest desire to share this same aloha with my readers and to show them a Hawai‘i they have never experienced before.”

12. Kaira Rouda, Jill Is Not Happy, June 10.

A thriller antagonist you will love to hate. On the outside, college sweethearts Jack and Jill Tingley look like they have it all. But tensions come to the surface when the couple take a road trip, in which Jill begins a cat-and-mouse chase to keep her husband by her side. Kaira’s latest release is a heart-pumping psychological thriller about a dysfunctional marriage, a dark shared secret, and the deadly pursuit of perfection.

Featured author quote:

“I think we’re drawn to these stories not just for the twists, but for the insights into our own lives, our own stories.”

13. Mel Pennant, A Murder for Miss Hortense, June 24.

A character-driven mystery from a compelling new voice. In this series debut, the incomparable Miss Hortense investigates a web of mysteries between the 1960s and present-day 2000s in a close-knit but contentious suburb of Birmingham. Our sleuth is prickly and confrontational, with a strong sense of justice. Intriguing, immersive, and written with what I can only describe as musicality, this one is for fans of cozy-ish mysteries with depth, emotion, and complexity.

Featured author quote:

“I love listening to the way people talk, the rhythm of language, the humour that can be conveyed, the things people say or don’t say and the way they say it.”

—

This Cluesletter wrap-up will continue in a third installment featuring authors from the July through September 2025 issues. PS, subscribe to the Cluesletter here.

Yours mysteriously,
Manon 🔍✨

Psst . . . if you you are reading this and aren’t yet subscribed to my Bindery, I invite you to please do so! It’s totally free to join and you also get access to my Discord server, The Locked Room. Or, consider upgrading to the $5/month tier if you would like to further support my content. Thank you!