I am a huge Stephanie Black fan. I first fell in love with her books in 2008 or 2009 when a family member got me Fool Me Twice for Christmas. A clean, well-written suspense novel was the perfect gift.
I am since read every Stephanie Black book as well as a few novellas by her. The novellas are included in suspense novella collections.
I am part of a Facebook group composed of Stephanie Black fans. When she announced that she was looking for people to join her launch team for The Trespassers, which is coming out next month, I was 100% on board for joining. While there were ebook versions of the book, I opted for the paperback version. It would be an understatement to say that I was excited when it arrived on Saturday.
I’ve just gotten started reading The Trespassers. I am excited to see where this book goes, and you can definitely count on seeing a book review once I’ve finished it. The book will be published on September 5, 2023, but you can preorder it now. As you await its publication, let me suggest a few other Stephanie Black books to try.
Megan O’Connor Mystery Series
This is actually my favorite Stephanie Black series. There are only two books, so it won’t take a huge investment of your time. Along with Fool Me Twice, you can read Played for a Fool. Megan O’Connor’s identical twin sister, Kristen, guilts/tricks her into a scheme that’s supposed to make them both rich. Let’s just say that Megan is desperate for money, but she’s also a good person overall. Kristen? Not so much.
While Stephanie Black’s books are published by Covenant Communications, most of them do not mention the LDS church. This series, though, has characters who are members of the church, but I think it can be enjoyed by people who are not members of the church as well.
Natalie Marsh Mystery Series
This five-book series follows Natalie Marsh, a psychologist who along with her friend Gideon helps the police to apprehend several criminals. The books include murder, people trying to cover up crimes, people trying to shut down Natalie’s business, family members and friends betraying those who trust them, and finger-pointing at innocent people.
While I feel like each book could be read as a standalone novel, I would suggest starting with the first book in the series, Not a Word. It’s actually my favorite book in the series.
Dystopian Book Series
This series includes The Believer and The Witnesses. These are religious dystopian books. They feel very different from Stephanie Black’s other books. I actually didn’t enjoy The Believer a lot when I first read it. It ended on too much of a cliffhanger for me. I was definitely happy when the second book came out. That was several years later, though. Unlike her other series, I don’t feel like either of these books can be fully enjoyed without reading the other one.
Book Collections/Novellas
Stephanie Black has several novellas that are included in book collections. The first collection is Autumn Collection, which includes mystery romances. Her addition to this collection, Eye for an Eye, can also be purchased on its own. I read the collection as an ebook, so it’s the only one not included in the pictures. The book includes an assortment of six authors, some of them more familiar with the mystery/suspense genre and others with more experience in the romance department. If you’re looking for a mix of romance and suspense, this is a fun collection. If you’re looking for more clear suspense, I’d suggest going with one of the other novella collections.
The other two novella collections Twisted Fate and Entangled, include more established mystery/suspense writers. While these are fun reads for fans of Stephanie Black and other clean suspense writers, I feel like the novellas don’t give you a full glimpse of any of the authors’ potential. I would suggest starting with a full Stephanie Black novel if you haven’t read her books before.
Standalone Novels
If you’re just looking for a standalone novel, you have four options. Methods of Madness would be my recommended pick for someone new to Stephanie Black. It includes tragedy both in the present and in the past. The first time I read this, I was definitely surprised by who was good and who was bad. I don’t want to ruin it because it’s definitely worth reading, so I won’t elaborate on that. Upon reading the book a second time (and in all future readings), the clues were there.
The other books include things such as innocent people being set up for crimes, past crimes being covered up, stalkers, and other exciting elements.
Now, I’d better get back to reading The Trespassers. I am super excited to see what happens next.
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