Look, we love a good beach read as much as the next SPF-slathered bookworm, but sunshine and soulmates just don’t cut it. This summer? We want bodies. Buried secrets, Police tape flapping in the breeze. If your idea of a vacation read includes blood spatter patterns and morally gray detectives, congratulations–you’ve found your people.
Forget the towel. Pack an alibi.
We’re diving headfirst into two sizzling thriller series that will leave you side-eyeing everyone at the beach, including that nice couple with the matching coolers. First up? D.I. Sheridan Holler, a no-nonsense investigator who’s always two steps ahead of the liars, even when they’re six feet under. If you haven’t heard about the captivating Detective Sheridan Holler series by T.M. Payne, it’s time to get acquainted. This binge-worthy thriller series has captured the hearts of readers everywhere, especially those who love mystery and detective stories.
Detective Sheridan Holler has arrived, and she’s not here to play. With razor-sharp instincts, a healthy dose of sarcasm, and just enough emotional baggage to keep things interesting, Holler cuts through crime scenes and societal rot like it’s her day job (because, well, it is). She doesn’t just ask whodunit—she wants to know why they thought they’d get away with it—and heaven help the villain who underestimates her. T.M. Payne’s series is a delicious cocktail of gritty realism, twisty plots, and smart social commentary, shaken—not stirred—with themes like addiction, trauma, and the silent struggles we all pretend we don’t have. Think classic detective tropes, but flipped, freshened, and served with a side-eye. If you like your mysteries sharp, your heroines sharper, and your sleep schedule ruined by late-night binge-reading, the Sheridan Holler series is your next glorious mistake.
Long Time Dead (D.I. Sheridan Holler Book 1) by T.M. Payne
393 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2024
Rating 7 of 10
This Ends Now (D.I. Sheridan Holler Book 2) by T.M. Payne
382 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2024
Rating 7 of 10
Play With Fire (D.I. Sheridan Holler Book 3) by T.M. Payne
242 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 14, 2025
Rating 8 of 10
If you trust your memory, Riasa Susanto is here to ruin that for you.
Meet Riasa Susanto: intelligence officer and the kind of woman who considers uncovering conspiracies a perfectly acceptable summer pastime. While you’re reapplying sunscreen, she’s peeling back layers of lies, scribbling dangerous truths in the margins, and questioning everyone’s reality—including her own. In Brianna Labuskes’s gloriously twisty trilogy (The Lies You Wrote, The Truth You Told, By the Time You Read This), Riasa tangles with shadowy agencies, personal betrayals, and enough psychological warfare to make your therapist sweat. Think mind games, memory mazes, and plot twists so sharp they should come with a warning label. If you like thrillers that mess with your head and heroines who write their way into—and out of—trouble, pull up a chair. The unraveling begins now.
The Lies You Wrote (Raisa Susanto, Book 1) by Brianna Labuskes
350 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2024
Rating 7 of 10
The Truth You Told (Riasa Susanto, Book 2) by Brianna Labuskes
316 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 10, 2024
Rating 7 of 10
By the Time You Read This (Risa Susanto, Book 3) by Brianna Labuskes
316 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 27, 2025
Rating 7 of 10
So whether you’re poolside, seaside, or hiding in your air-conditioned reading cave with a “Do Not Disturb (Unless It’s a Plot Twist)” sign on the door, these thrillers are here to turn your lazy summer days into edge-of-your-seat, trust-no-one marathons.
Because let’s be honest: sunburns fade, but psychological trauma from a well-written twist? That stays with you.
Grab the books. Pack the snacks. And maybe double-check your windows before bed.
Happy reading—and don’t say we didn’t warn you.
