Reading Ahead: July 2018, part 2

Give Me Your Hand, by Megan Abbott. Abbott, an Edgar award winner and bestselling author of novels like Dare Me (2012), treats readers to a buzz-worthy thriller that may turn out to be the must-read novel of the summer. Kit Owens met brilliant and mysterious Diane Fleming in high school science class. Kit has never had a reason to work harder than is comfortable until Diane's perfectionist streak rubs off and the two strike up an unlikely friendship, pushing one another to do better. Until, that is, Diane shares a secret that destroys the friendship. Ten years later, Kit is succeeding and has her heart set on a new position, only to find that Diane is her prime competition for the job. The past comes roaring back as the two compete in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game that may undo them both. If you miss this one, you may be sorry!

A Measure of Darkness, by Jonathan Kellerman & Jesse Kellerman. When a West Oakland party gets violent, Alameda County's coroner deputy Clay Edison gets a call. The bad news is that several of the guests are dead. The worse news is that one victim was strangled instead of shot, and no one can identify her. This is the sequel to the father-son writing team's first Clay Edison novel, 2017's Crime Scene.

A Noise Downstairs, by Linwood Barclay. Deeply disturbed after he surprises a murderer dumping bodies on a lonely road late at night and nearly loses his own life, college professor Paul Davis is gifted with an old-fashioned typewriter by his wife, who hopes the gift might compel him to write as a method of therapy. The typewriter itself is a problem, though, because Paul believes it's typing by itself at night, but he's the only one who hears it. At one point is a person sure they've lost their mind? Barclay is known for tightly plotted thrillers, and I expect this to be no different.

Double Blind, by Iris Johansen & Roy Johansen. A Connecticut paralegal is fatally shot and then run down in the street, and she's found clutching an envelope with Kendra Michaels's name on it. Kendra didn't know the woman, and doesn't know what interest she might have in the envelope's contents, a USB stick with a video of a wedding reception. Then the bride from the video is abducted from her suburban home, and the killer's plan slowly begins to emerge. If you're new to the series, consider starting with the first book, Close Your Eyes.