First published 2025
Hazel crossed half the globe seeking a fresh start at a small Austin library branch. She works alongside Jonathan, a towering former football player who finally found his place among the stacks, Astrid, who buries her heartbreak in cataloging work, and Sophie, who keeps everyone at arm's length to protect dangerous secrets. Their quiet suburban library feels like sanctuary until they host an inaugural murder mystery game night. Two patrons turn up dead afterward. The deaths shatter their careful routines and threaten to expose what each librarian desperately hides. Hazel must decide whether revealing her past is worth saving her future. Jonathan faces losing the only place he has ever belonged. Astrid confronts the ex who ghosted her six months ago and now brings fresh trouble. Sophie realizes her distance from colleagues won't protect them anymore. The four must abandon their isolation and trust each other to survive whatever sinister force has invaded their refuge.
Genres: domestic-fiction, mystery, contemporary, adult, adult-fiction, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, character-driven, dark, intimate, introspective, suspenseful
Tropes: forced-proximity, found-family, secrets-revealed, trust-and-betrayal
Setting: Austin, library
384 pages · Paperback · Berkley
Content warnings: death, murder