It's no secret that I have a ton (literally 1000+) of unread books sitting on my bookshelves. (We're not even going to talk about the line-up on my Kindle.) The first question on everyone's lips when they enter my home is, "Have you read all these?" Sadly, that answer is a big, ole NO. In spite of my already impossible TBR "pile," my head still gets turned by the shiny and new. What's that about? Evidence: this list is Part Two of the one I started last week for this week's topic—Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2024. What can I say? When it comes to books, I'm hopeless! You can check out Part One here. Part Two has less variety, focusing mostly on contemporary mysteries/thrillers.

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

1. On the Surface by Rachel McGuire (available July 9)—Sawyer and Dani are a couple who cruise all over the world in their sailboat, documenting their adventures on their popular YouTube channel. They're having a great time living it up in the Bahamas when Dani goes missing. As the search for her is launched, dark secrets start to come to light about Sawyer. He's not as perfect as he seems; is he a murderer too?

2. The Briar Club by Kate Quinn (available July 9)—I still haven't managed to read anything by Quinn. Maybe I'll start with this one. It's about a group of women who live together in an all-female boarding house in 1950s Washington, D.C. They're drawn together by a mysterious widow who has just moved in. As they bond, they find friendship, healing, and...secrets. When a violent act tears the house apart, they will have to decide which housemates can be trusted and which can't.

3. Peking Duck and Cover by Vivien Chien (available July 23)—In this tenth installment of the Noodle Shop cozy mystery series, the shop owners in Asia Village are throwing a blowout party to celebrate Chinese New Year. The party, designed to bring in business as well as positivity and prosperity, is marred when a lion dancer is found dead. Lana Lee is, once again, looking for a killer.

4. The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins (available October 10)—The plot summary for Hawkins' newest is kind of skimpy, but it revolves around a remote Scottish island that is only occasionally accessible to the mainland, a reclusive artist, and the murder of her notoriously unfaithful husband. 

5. Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger (available October 29)—This novel features three generations of women in one family. Their different lives and ambitions cause heartache, tension, and conflict between them. When the youngest realizes how little she really knows about the women who came before her, she goes on an eye-opening quest to uncover the secrets they've kept over the decades.

6. The Lake of Lost Girls by Katherine Greene (available November 5)—Twenty-four years ago, female students started going missing from a North Carolina University, including a struggling freshman. Jessica was never found. Almost three decades later, Jessica's sister is hunting for answers when bodies start turning up in a local lake. Will Jessica's fate finally be known? Who is responsible for the bodies in the lake?

7. In Want of a Suspect by Tirzah Price (available November 12)—I'm always up for a new historical mystery series and this one sounds fun. In this opener, the irrepressible Lizzie Bennett has become London's first female solicitor. With the help of the enigmatic Fitzwilliam Darcy, she investigates all manner of crimes. Hired to look into a mysterious warehouse fire, Lizzie soon finds herself trying to solve a murder when the prime suspect in the arson is killed. 

8. If You Can Hear This by Faith Gardner (available November 19)—This YA mystery/thriller seems to be getting mixed reviews, but it sounds intriguing to me. It's about a group of misfit high schoolers who come together to solve the mystery of their beloved teacher, Mrs. Moses. 

9. Trouble Island by Sharon Short (available December 3)—Trouble Island is a remote piece of land in the middle of Lake Erie, halfway between America and Canada. Its placement makes it a convenient rallying point for gangsters. In fact, it's inhabited only by two women: Rosita, a gangster's wife, and her maid, Aurelia, who is actually a gangster's wife who is in hiding after committing a murder five years ago. When Rosita is murdered shortly after the arrival of her husband and a group of his confederates on Trouble Island, Rosita finds herself hopelessly trapped in very dangerous company. An oncoming storm makes the possibility of escape impossible. What is she going to do? 

10. Pretty Dead Things by Lilian West (available December 10)—In this dual-timeline mystery, a bride-to-be is exploring her new town when she comes across an alluring estate sale. She buys a jar of pretty baubles, at the bottom of which she discovers two rings. As she tries to find the owners, she unwittingly stumbles upon an old mystery involving a missing woman and dark town secrets.

There you are, ten more up-and-coming titles I'm excited to read. Which are your most anticipated reads releasing in the second half of the year? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.