The Town Crier: July 2025
Getaways gone wrong, a gorgeous literary fiction debut, plus several beloved classics in production for upcoming film adaptations.
Welcome to The Town Crier, a monthly newsletter series in which I curate recent favorite reads, new releases that reflect my personal taste, and other book news I’m particularly excited about.
I officially made it to July! After giving birth to my son at the end of May, June felt like both the longest and shortest month of my life. Despite having my hands very full and navigating extreme tiredness, I did manage to read a little! I only finished two books, both on audio, both propulsive thrillers which are easier for my brain to handle right now. Reading is obviously incredibly important for my identity, my mental health, and my pure enjoyment—so I’m honestly thrilled to have read anything at all this month. I hope as time goes on I’ll only become better at figuring out how to fit reading into this new normal.
As far as July, there are several new releases coming out from authors I’ve read previously, although I’m most interested in a new-to-me literary fiction release. Summer heat and the prospect of relaxing by a pool or ocean makes me crave summer slashers and twisty thrillers, so we’ll will see what I end up actually picking up.
Without further ado, here’s The Town Crier for July 2025.
Favorites I Read Last Month
The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North (Mystery, released 5/13). Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child—narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. He has since become a criminal profiler—but when his father dies under mysterious circumstances, Dan returns to his small home community to uncover the truth about his death. • I noted this one in the May Town Crier and didn’t think I would prioritize it, but then I saw great feedback from some trusted sources so decided to give it a shot. I really enjoyed it! If you’re looking for a solid mystery with a serial killer, missing children, and lots of trauma and regret, this one is for you. There were some details I likely missed given my own postpartum headspace and the fact that I was listening on audio, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment. I particularly enjoyed the two points of view between protagonist Daniel and his father John, which were staggered in time and really effective for driving the tension higher.
Retreat by Krysten Ritter (Thriller, released 3/25). Protagonist Liz has moved among high-society circles for years as a successful con artist. She gets the opportunity to install valuable art for wealthy woman Isabelle in her extravagant Mexican villa and while there, decides it won’t hurt to step into Isabelle’s life for a while. Until she realizes Isabelle’s life might be more complicated than it seemed. • Another one that wasn’t particularly on my radar but I love a juicy suspense story featuring rich people behaving badly. The end stretched my belief a bit but the last epilogue made some choices that I felt were really strong and would make this one a fun book club selection to discuss.
For reviews of every book I read, follow me on Instagram @hollyslitmagic.
July 2025 New Releases
…That I Want to Read
Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidija Hilje (Literary Fiction, out 7/8). A sweeping literary debut set along the Croatian coastline following Ivona—a woman who, after divorcing her first love Vlaho a decade prior, returns home to care for her ailing father. As she reconnects with Vlaho and his new family, the arrival of another man disrupts their fragile equilibrium, prompting a profound exploration of love, regret, and the enduring pull of the past. • I don’t know much about this one but heard that the sentence-level writing is absolutely beautiful, which is something I’ve been craving.
Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson (Mystery/Thriller, out ). On Halloween night, Jet is violently attacked by an unseen intruder. She suffers a catastrophic head injury and the doctor is certain that within a week, the injury will trigger a deadly aneurysm. Jet has never thought of herself as having enemies. But now she looks at everyone in a new light: her family, her former best friend turned sister-in-law, her ex-boyfriend. She has at most seven days and is determined to solve her own murder. • This premise sounds a little wild but incredibly fun if done right. Holly Jackson is a beloved YA Mystery author and this is her first adult book, so count me interested. I may save it to listen to via audio around Halloween.
…That I’m Considering
Our Last Resort by Clémence Michallon (Psychological Suspense, out 7/8). Couple Frida and Gabriel are looking to reconnect in the wake of some marital troubles at the stunning Ara Hotel in the secluded desert of Escalante, Utah. It all feels like paradise—until the dead body of a beautiful young woman who was vacationing at the Ara with her powerful, much older husband is discovered. • Michallon’s book The Quiet Tenant has been burning on my shelf since it came out—I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to actually read it but now is the time before this new one comes out! I’m always down for a summer resort trip gone wrong and apparently there is some sort of cult involved so yes, please.
Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson (YA Horror, out 7/1). Brooklyn girl Kaylani McKinnon feels like a fish out of water. She's spending the summer with family friends in their huge house on Martha's Vineyard, and the vibe is definitely snooty. Still, there are beautiful beaches, lots of ice cream, and a town full of fascinating Black history. Plus there are a few kids her age who seem friendly—until the shocking death of a popular teenage boy rocks the community to its core. Was it a drowning? A shark attack? Or the unthinkable—murder? • Jackson is a beloved YA author; I’ve only read her book White Smoke which I did love, so I’m excited to try some more YA Mystery/Horror when the mood strikes.
Dead of Summer by Jessa Maxwell (Mystery/Thriller, out 7/22). Orla O’Connor hasn’t been to the isolated New England enclave of Hadley Island since she graduated from high school a decade ago. As a teenager, her best friend Alice disappeared from its shores without a trace—but with plenty of rumors. Then we have Faith, who is in town engaged to Orla’s childhood crush and who finds herself curious about what really happened to Alice all those years ago; and local Henry, who hasn’t left his house since Alice went missing in an attempt to let the accusations against him die down but who has lately been seeing strange things: shadowy figures walking on the beach in the middle of the night, and a light on in the upstairs window of the long-abandoned house of the missing girl... • First of all, how beautiful is this cover?! Second, Maxwell’s debut The Golden Spoon was a delight and I’m very curious to see what’s in store in this one.
…That I’m Noting But Not Prioritizing
One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford (Speculative Horror, out 7/15). A perplexing virus has left the city of London ravaged and turned into zombies. Scientist Kesta Shelley guards a secret—she has been hiding and caring for her undead husband since he became infected, as she works to find a cure. • This cover keeps grabbing me and it sounds like a great fit for fans of The Last of Us (of which I’m one). I haven’t heard from anyone else about this one yet so will see if I end up in the mood for a taste of zombie apocalypse enough to give it a try.
Stone & Sky by Ben Aaronovitch (Fantastical Mystery, out 7/3). The latest installment featuring Detective Sergeant Peter Grant, who is just trying to take a peaceful holiday in Scotland but of course, all does not go according to plan. • The main reason I’m not prioritizing this one is that it’s book TEN in the Rivers of London series, which I’ve had on my radar for some time now but have yet to pick up. Maybe one day! Flagging it here for anyone who is up-to-date with that series.
Seesaw Monster by Kōtarō Isaka (Crime Fiction, out 7/15). Miyako suspects her mother-in-law is a murderer. But Miyako isn't exactly what she seems either: her husband has no idea about her past life as a secret agent. When she decides to use her professional skills to investigate her mother-in-law, the delicate equilibrium of their lives is thrown wildly out of balance. Then: in a future world dominated by surveillance, facial-recognition software, and AI, the most sensitive information lives only on paper, and confidential messages must be delivered by trusted couriers like Mito. But one delivery pulls Mito into a conspiracy beyond his wildest imagination and forces him into a race against time to defeat a world-changing technological threat. • If you follow me, you know that I adore Isaka and his Assassins series (the first of which is Three Assassins and the most popular being Bullet Train); he always offers a balance of dark criminal plots and surprisingly reflective character writing. I didn’t realize until recently that this is two novellas, not a single book—which I was slightly disappointed about but actually novellas may serve me well right now.
The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware (Thriller, out 7/8). When Lo Blacklock receives an invitation to attend the press opening of a luxury Swiss hotel owned by reclusive billionaire Marcus Leidmann, it’s like the answer to a prayer. Three years after the birth of her youngest child, she is ready to reestablish her journalism career. The chateau on the shores of Lake Geneva is everything Lo’s ever dreamed of—but when Lo gets a late-night call asking her to come to Marcus’s hotel room, she agrees despite her own misgivings. She’s greeted, however, by a woman claiming to be Marcus’s mistress, and in life-or-death jeopardy… • I was originally interested in this one, as I do tend to really enjoy Ruth Ware—however, I finally read The Woman in Cabin 10 earlier this year and found it very mediocre. Since this is a direct sequel, I’m feeling more lukewarm about needing to continue. Will see if I give it a try via audio at some point this summer.
Other Book News & Items of Interest
There’s a new horror bookstore opening in NYC called “The Twisted Spine.” I am obsessed with this name and concept.
Two pieces of Brandon Sanderson news: first he will be publishing a new collection of short stories, titled Tailored Realities, this December; and there will be a new “Secret Project” stand-alone Cosmere book coming in February 2026 called Isles of the Emberdark.
Some first looks were revealed from the new film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein by director Guillermo Del Toro, starring Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz…say less!
Director Robert Eggers, the man behind last year’s remake of Nosferatu (which I still haven’t seen!), is set to adapt Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol—and rumor has it that actor Willem Defoe is the top choice. Again, sign me up.
For anyone interested in analyzing the fashion choices of public figures (such as Elizabeth Holmes’s book HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style), there’s a new book coming in November called The Look by Michelle Obama, unpacking the various choices made for her fashion, hair, and beauty during her time at the White House and beyond.
For Jane Austen fans: a new film adaptation of Sense & Sensibility is coming from director Georgia Oakley, starring Daisy Edgar Jones. As much as I love an Austen resurgence, I am very unsure how confident I feel about these upcoming adaptations after the disaster that was Persuasion starring Dakota Johnson a few years back.
Last but not least, one of my favorite publishers Harper Voyager posted teasing a follow up to Shannon Chakraborty’s book The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi—sounds like we should mark our calendars for next summer.
That’s a wrap on The Town Crier for July 2025! Be sure to subscribe to receive future editions of this newsletter plus my other monthly publications: “Side Quests,” in which I react to recent reads or unpack specific topics related to my reading life; and “The Hero’s Journey” where I work through reading some of the biggest book series and author projects on my TBR.
For day-to-day updates on my reading life, dynamic mood boards, reviews for everything I read, and bonus reading guides, follow me on Instagram @hollyslitmagic.
Waiting anxiously for Slanting Towards the Sea to arrive from Blackwell's.
I will definitely be reading the Amina Al Sirafi sequel!