Books Like THE GOD OF THE WOODS by Liz Moore
Liz Moore’s The God of the Woods was a 2024 hit that started as a buzzy book and by the end of the year it had won the Goodreads Choice Award for favorite mystery & thriller and had also made it onto at least 16 of the Best of 2024 book lists, as counted by Lithub.
I think part of its success was that it appealed to readers who don’t necessarily read the mystery genre, because it’s a blend of contemporary literature, past and present mystery, and family drama. It also walked the line between absorbing and entertaining, while dealing with serious topics without being explicitly too dark or too violent on page. Keeping that in mind, I chose read-alikes that are a blend of contemporary/literary (meaning character focused), family drama, mystery, multiple points of view, secrets, the past colliding with the present, and the long arm of crime/trauma.
Plus, as a bonus—like The God of the Woods—they all have great audiobooks.
The Other Americans by Laila Lalami
Driss Guerraoui is killed in a hit-and-run. As his daughter Nora and his wife Maryam try to make sense of the tragedy and grief—along with their relationships with him and each other—they are also left with the mystery of who did this and why. Readers will get to know the detective assigned to the case, an officer who is not on the case but knows Nora from childhood, and a witness whose wife wants him to come forward with what he saw even if it’ll cost him. I read this a handful of years ago and still think about it.
Audiobook narrators: Mozhan Marnò, P.J. Ochlan, Adenrele Ojo, Ozzie Rodriguez, Susan Nezami, Ali Nasser, Mark Bramhall, Max Adler & Meera Simhan
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Penitence by Kristin Koval
This opens with a crime in a small Colorado town—teenager Nora Sheehan shot and killed her teen brother, Nico. Nora, in shock, isn’t talking and remains in prison awaiting trial. Her parents, Angie and David, hire Martine Dumont, a local lawyer to represent their daughter. With the family unable to pay Martine for the experts she needs—she does not do murder trials—she has to ask her son for help. But his return complicates things. Years ago, Martine sent her son away fearing that a tragedy would ruin his life—he was also Angie’s childhood boyfriend. The case is not only straining everyone involved, it’s also forcing past secrets and decisions to finally be dealt with.
Audiobook narrator: Thérèse Plummer
All Things Cease To Appear by Elizabeth Brundage
One house. Two families. In upstate New York, the Clare family bought a foreclosed farm house that was previously owned by the Hales. The only members of the Hale family left are their three sons, who were orphaned after a tragedy. Now, George Clare comes home to find his wife brutally murdered and his toddler daughter alive and well. With two of the Hale’s teenage sons having been helping around the house and George being the husband, they become the suspects. But George’s parents swoop in to protect him, leaving a house with the survivors from two tragedies along with the small town to deal with the aftermath.
Audiobook narrator: Kirsten Potter
Bonus: there’s a Netflix film inspired by the book, Things Heard & Seen (the movie is listed as a horror, the book is not a horror novel.)
Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2025 releases, and mysteries from 2024 and 2023. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations! Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Bluesky, Goodreads, Litsy, and Substack.
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