Tosca Lee's Reading List

"Author Rob Hart said it perfectly when he called Blacktop Wasteland “the literary equivalent of a muscle car—sleek, a little dangerous, and when it kicks into gear, you hold on for dear life.” This novel is the story of Beauregard ‘Bug’ Montage—an honest mechanic, loving husband, and hard-working dad. He’s also a former getaway driver with a past. As Bug’s carefully-crafted new life begins to crumble, he finds himself drawn back into the world he thought he’d left behind. Let’s just talk a moment about S.A. Cosby’s incredible voice and unforgettable characters. Don’t tell me for a moment Bug—or any of the other characters who grace these pages—are not real people. I refuse to believe it. They are too multi-dimensional, too flawed, sympathetic, and too perfectly human. And then there’s the story: gritty, dynamic noir by an author in complete command of his craft. As an author, I read mastery like this with equal parts awe and envy."

"Hi Five has such an exciting premise: Christiana is the daughter of the biggest arms dealer on the West Coast and the sole witness and number one suspect in the murder of her boyfriend. She’s also got multiple personalities. Private investigator Isaiah Quintabe is forced by Christiana’s father to take the case and piece together the accounts of Christiana’s various personalities in order to protect his girlfriend from the consequences if he fails. This is book four of Ide’s IQ series but stands on its own. Get the weekly Five Books newsletter Isaiah Quintabe—IQ for short—is a irresistible take on the iconic Sherlock Holmes , who was a favorite of author Joe Ide growing up. Ide’s settings are razor sharp as IQ’s cases keep getting harder and the stakes higher. But it’s the main character—a scary-smart high school dropout from the hood penned in Ide’s snappy prose—who makes this story a joy to read."

"The success of The Thursday Murder Club is no surprise at all. What’s not to love? Four 70-somethings living in the same retirement village meet every Thursday in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes—until a local developer turns up dead and the Thursday Murder Club confront their first “live” case. The entire scenario and cast is delicious. Lots of narratives are witty and worth a sardonic smile here and there, but The Thursday Murder Club is funny, compassionate, and completely entertaining—an utter treat to read. I mean, how often do you normally giggle or grin while reading about a murder case? Osman has taken a grim genre and made it not only entertaining, but uplifting."

"I’d say that’s apt. This is a serial killer story that takes place in South Central LA . It begins with thirteen women found dead in back alleys, all of whom are presumed to be prostitutes. But it’s told in such an evocative manner that it becomes much, much more. Support Five Books Five Books interviews are expensive to produce. If you're enjoying this interview, please support us by donating a small amount . This isn’t your typical whodunnit . This is a haunting look at a community of women—not just the victims, but the family, friends and neighbors surrounding the victims—their circumstances, and the setting in which their stories take place. It hops between 1999 and 2014, and is that rare crime novel that compels not just by its plot, which advances with its shifting points of view, but by its insight into gender, privilege, and power."

"This twisty story kicks off with main character Selena, who has known for two weeks that her husband is cheating on her with the nanny. On her train commute home, the woman in the seat next to Selena strikes up a conversation, confessing to sleeping with her boss. Selena, in turn, shares that she suspects her husband is cheating on her. The two part ways and soon after, the nanny disappears, setting off a chain reaction that upends Selena’s life. It’s similar only for the train bit and for the fact that the story is a psychological thriller involving (as with The Girl on the Train ) a married couple and their secrets. But each of these novels is unique, and uniquely worth enjoying. This is Lisa Unger showing once again why she’s a master of the genre as she delivers what readers turn to her books for time and again: a twisty, addictive thrill ride of an adventure. This is the very definition of a book you can’t put down and just one more stellar example of how authors continue to enthral audiences. Oh, so very much. It seems like the bar just continues to go higher and higher—with new twists and turns, more diverse casts of characters, unique premises, fresh voices, and—of course—pulse-pounding storytelling. As an author, it’s a daunting order, but a challenge we welcome and love. For readers of thrillers, 2021 onward will continue to provide an ever-evolving treasure chest of stories and future classics."

"Razorblade Tears has been called everything from a “tour de force,” to “provocative, violent, and beautiful,” to “lethal and tender.” This is a moody Southern thriller with fast-paced action, the story of two men—one black, one white, both ex-cons—who team together to solve the murder of their sons, who were married to one another. It’s a gritty tale that looks into questions of race, poverty, and other bias through the lens of both violence and compassion. It really depends on the author. Some put out a book every few years, others one a year—or more. So much of it depends not just on each individual writer, but the circumstances going on in this season of their life and career."

"The Turnout is the story of two sisters who take over and run their parents’ dance school after their parents are killed in a tragic accident. They manage with the additional help of one of their husbands—until a suspicious accident right before the school’s annual Nutcracker performance, when old secrets refuse to stay hidden any longer. This is a story of family secrets and ambitions that never quite die. It immerses the reader in the competitive world of ballet and unfolds with one twist after another right up until the end you won’t see coming."

"Rock, Paper, Scissors is an exciting domestic thriller about a married couple who has won a weekend trip to Scotland to celebrate their tenth anniversary and try to save their marriage. Except secrets lurk in the corners and someone does not want them to survive. Absolutely important—especially as a great setting can become a character of its own in a story. In the case of Rock, Paper, Scissors , the setting is an isolated, ancient chapel in the Scottish Highlands on the cusp of a winter storm, and you just know something dark is about to happen."

"In These Toxic Things , Mickie Lambert is hired by a curio shop owner with Alzheimer’s to create a memory bank. When her client’s sudden death is ruled a suicide, Mickie continues work on the project for the deceased woman’s family, only to be threatened as she continues to archive the curious mementos. Stories are often classified as slow burns when an author cleverly crafts the rising tension of storylines about to collide—which they definitely do, as These Toxic Things unfolds in twist after twist to the end."

"S.A. Cosby aptly described Red Widow as “equal parts Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Killing Eve. ” It’s a story about two female C.I.A. agents whose paths become intertwined around a threat to the Russia Division. Except this time the threat’s coming from inside the agency. Support Five Books Five Books interviews are expensive to produce. If you're enjoying this interview, please support us by donating a small amount . Katsu is a longtime intelligence analyst for the C.I.A. and N.S.A and her experience gives the novel absolute credibility and sharp insight into internal politics, human fallibility, and deceit. It’s a story of an unusual friendship and terrifying web of secrets."

"Eight-year-old Wayland Maynard sees his father kill himself. What the world doesn’t know is that Wayland found a note that reads: “I am not who you think I am.” Eight years later, he’s convinced the note is the key to unlocking a past rife with secrets that others want to keep buried. The story is a dark search for truth praised for its elegant prose and captivating twists. Absolutely. They’re all stellar and I encourage any lover of suspense and twisty thrillers to treat themselves to these award-winners. S.A. Cosby also took the prize for Razorblade Tears in the ‘best audiobook’ category. High praise once again for Cosby’s superb storytelling and actor Adam Lazarre-White’s amazing narration. A perfect, winning combination. Sri Lankan author Amanda Jayatissa took home the prize for the best first novel for My Sweet Girl —a dark, twisty story about Paloma, adopted from a Sri Lankan orphanage to privilege… only to find years later that some secrets never die. Jess Lourey took home the prize for the best paperback original novel for her inspired-by-real-events book, Bloodline , in which pregnant journalist Joan Harken follows her fiancé back to his Minnesota hometown only to find that all is not exactly as it seems. Scott Loring Sanders took home the award for the best short story for ‘The Lemonade Stand,’ in which a young girl is abducted. She returns from the ordeal unharmed… but now her father is ready to exact revenge. E.J. Findorff took home the award for the best e-book original novel for Blood Parish, in which Angel Blondeaux leaves home—and her organized crime family—for a career with the FBI. After the death of her aunt, Angel returns home to investigate a 30-year-old mystery buried in secrets, not knowing whom she can trust. Get the weekly Five Books newsletter Courtney Summers took home the prize for the best young adult novel for The Project , a story of two sisters who lose their parents in a tragic accident. When Bea joins a community called The Unity Project, Lo spends six years trying to reconnect with her sister, only to find her own life in danger. Every one of these novels—along with the finalists in each of the seven categories —captivated our judges and, I know, will continue to accrue new fans for each of the authors and the thriller genre as a whole. Looking ahead to 2023, we are excited to see who will join the list of International Thriller Writers’ award winners. Part of our best books of 2022 series."