Every month it is astonishing how many people win the publishing lottery to present their debut novel to the reading public. The question is always will they be another David Baldacci or will they sizzle out. All of the following are recently released debut novels from aspiring new mystery authors.

Reading right now:

Elizabeth MacNeal’s “The Doll Factory” is a new thriller which takes place in 1850s London where women are unable to enter the art world as anything but models. Louis Frost finds Iris irresistible as a model so when he asks to work with her, she will only agree if he is willing to teach her how to paint. Unfortunately for Iris, she doesn’t realize that she has attracted a stalker called Silas Reed. Obsession is the key in this mystery. Obsession with art and the Pre-Raphaelite movement and the obsession of one man for a woman who doesn’t know he exists.

 

On hold right now:

Allison Dickson’s “The Other Mrs. Miller” is a twisty domestic thriller which centers around Phoebe Miller who is living a boring suburban life until new neighbors completely turn her life upside down. Her new neighbors are so interesting that she forgets about the old car that was hanging around her neighborhood. Someone is watching her from that car. Someone who will turn her life into a nightmare.

M. T. Edvardsson adds to the long line of Swedish mystery authors with his novel “A Nearly Normal Family.” When their teenage daughter is arrested for murder, this normal family has no idea why their daughter is under arrest or how she could have known or been involved with a much older businessman. On the surface this mystery is a legal thriller, but underneath is a psychological thriller asking how well can you really know your children and how far will you go to protect them.

R. H. Herron’s “Stolen Things” starts off with a bang when 911 police dispatcher Laurie Ahmadi receives a call from her daughter while on the job. Her daughter Jojo was drugged before waking up in a famous football player’s home with a man’s corpse in the corner and her friend Harper missing. Mother and daughter team up to discover where Harper is and uncover secrets about Harper and the local police department.

 

Other Mysterious Things:

Other debut mysteries to consider:

Ellen Lacorte “The Perfect Fraud”

Alex North “The Whisper Man”

Daniel Nieh “Beijing Payback”

Cambria Brockman “Tell Me Everything”

Layne Fargo “Temper”