The Town Crier: June 2025
A summer of buzzy new mysteries, thrillers, and genre-bending literary fiction—plus lots of TV and film adaptations in the works.
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.
It’s June! I’m writing and scheduling this newsletter a little early because by the time this goes out, I will have welcomed our new baby into the world. I am hopeful that as we settle into our new routine, there will be ample time for one-handed reading—I will be sure to give an update next month on how that’s going!
In the meantime, I’m skipping my “Favorites I Read Last Month” section since I’m still in the middle of some books at the time I’m writing this—if there are any stand-outs, I’ll be sure to include them in July’s edition of The Town Crier.
June is a FANTASTIC looking month for new releases, particularly as far as go-down-easy suspense, mysteries, and thrillers just in time for summer. Plus lots of literary fiction from new-to-me authors that have caught my attention based on some genre-bending premises.
Without further ado, here’s The Town Crier for June 2025.
For reviews of every book I read, follow me on Instagram @hollyslitmagic.
June 2025 New Releases
…That I Want to Read
Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (Middle Grade Fantasy, out 6/24). The fourth installment in the Nevermoor series, in which secrets long-buried are revealed as we continue following Morrigan Crow and her magical life at the Wundrous Society in Nevermoor. • I don’t preorder a lot but have had this one preordered for over a year now! I recently revisited the first three books in the series on audio to prepare for this latest installment and it reminded me of just how deeply I love this series. I’m SO excited to return to the world of Nevermoor.
King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby (Crime Fiction, out 6/10). Eldest son Roman Carruthers returns home after the death of his father to find his brother in debt to dangerous criminals and his sister exhausted from holding the family—and family business—together. Soon it becomes clear that their father’s death wasn’t an accident—and they’re all in danger. • Cosby’s book All the Sinners Bleed was a favorite for me a few years ago, and I’ve been excited to see what he comes out with next (no, I haven’t read Razorblade Tears yet, his most popular—I know that’s a crime.)
Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell (Suspense Thriller, out 6/24). Restauranteur Paddy Swann was the life of the party until the day a man pushed him in front of a train. Left behind are twenty-something daughter Ash and widow Nina; and not long after the funeral, they receive a surprise package from Paddy’s old friend Nick. • I just love Lisa Jewell and the twisty tales her brain comes up with. I’ll likely read this one on audio.
Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab (Dark Fantasy, out 6/10). A genre-defying novel that interlaces the lives of three queer women across centuries—María in 16th-century Spain, Charlotte in 19th-century London, and Alice in 21st-century Boston—each transformed into a vampire and bound by a shared hunger for autonomy, love, and vengeance. • I’m a huge V. E. Schwab fan—both for her darkly magical books as well as for her general personality and amazing e-newsletter—and am super curious about this new stand-alone work!
…That I’m Considering
Flashlight by Susan Choi (Literary Fiction, out 6/3). A mysterious nighttime walk on a Japanese beach leaves ten-year-old Louisa barely alive and her father missing. From there, the story unfolds through shifting family perspectives to unravel the emotional and generational aftermath of his disappearance. • I’ve seem this one getting some buzz and am curious to try it—I’ve never read Susan Choi but this seems like a potential sweet-spot of literary meets…a disappearance.
The Catch by Yrsa Daley-Ward (Literary Fiction, out 6/3). Twin sisters Clara and Dempsey have always struggled to relate, their familial bond severed after their mother vanished into the Thames. As infants they were adopted into different families, Clara sent to live with a successful, upper-class couple, and Dempsey with a sullen, unaffectionate city councilor. In adulthood, they are content to be all but estranged, until Clara sees a woman who looks exactly like their mother on the streets of London—except she hasn’t aged a day since she disappeared. • I have no idea what to expect with this debut but it sounds very intriguing!
Endling by Maria Reva (Literary Fiction, out 6/3). Yeva is a loner and a maverick scientist who lives out of her mobile lab, trying and failing to breed rare snails. She and her sister, Solomiya, are also entangled in the booming marriage industry, posing as a hopeful bride and her translator while secretly searching for their missing mother—a flamboyant protestor who vanished after years of fierce activism against the region’s popular romance tours. So begins a journey of a lifetime across hundreds of miles: three angry women, a truckful of kidnapped bachelors, and Lefty, a last-of-his-kind snail with one final shot at perpetuating his species. • Another new-to-me author and a premise that’s a bit off-the-wall but also sounded fresh and interesting.
So Far Gone by Jess Walter (Literary Adventure Fiction, out 6/10). Rhys Kinnick has gone off the grid. At Thanksgiving a few years back, he punched his conspiracy-theorist son-in-law in the mouth, chucked his smartphone out a car window, and fled to live in an isolated cabin in the woods. Now his old life is about to land right back on his crumbling doorstep as he faces tracking down his missing daughter and saving his grandchildren from members of a dangerous militia. • This one also came on my radar a bit out of nowhere but captivated me with the plot; it feels a little curmudgeonly, a little adventure and crime fiction—with some very timely themes.
…That I’m Noting But Not Prioritizing
The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark (Thriller, out 6/3). After two teenage siblings are found dead in their own home, the only surviving sibling, Vincent, never shakes the whispers and accusations that he was the one who killed them. Decades later, the legend only grows as his career as a horror writer skyrockets. Meanwhile, ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has spent her entire professional life hiding the fact that she is the only child of Vincent Taylor. Now on the brink of financial ruin, she's offered a job to ghostwrite her father's last book. But it's not another horror novel he wants to write: after fifty years of silence, Vincent Taylor is finally ready to talk about what really happened that night in 1975. • Honestly as I typed out this premise, I found myself maybe wanting to prioritize reading this one after all! I thought Julie Clark’s book The Last Flight was fine, but not particularly memorable; so will see if I start hearing major buzz from trusted sources to help bump this new one up the list. Would definitely be an audio listen if I do pick it up.
The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick (Speculative Contemporary Fiction, out 6/17). Welcome to the Poppy Fields, an experimental and controversial treatment center in a remote stretch of the California desert that allows those suffering from the heartache of loss to sleep through their pain...and keep on sleeping. After patients awaken from this prolonged state of slumber, they will finally be healed. But only if they’re willing to accept the potential shadowy side effects. • I love a speculative scenario, and Erlick seems to have landed on a solid formula for her books. While this premise is interesting on paper, I felt middling about her previous book The Measure so I’m not sure this is one I’m particularly driven to pick up.
Don’t Open Your Eyes by Liv Constantine (Psychological Thriller, out 6/17). Annabelle Reynolds has everything she’s ever wanted: a devoted husband, two wonderful daughters, and a career she loves. So why is she suddenly plagued by disturbing dreams of a future where she hates her husband and her daughters’ lives are at risk? When details from her dreams begin to materialize, she realizes these might be premonitions of a terrifying future. • I have yet to read Liv Constantine but know her past books (especially The Last Mrs. Parrish) are beloved as juicy, milkshake-y domestic suspense. This is another one that I would likely try on audio, where those kinds of books work best for me (especially during the summer!).
With a Vengeance by Riley Sager (Mystery Thriller, out 6/10). In 1942, six people destroyed Anna Matheson’s family. Twelve years later, she’s ready for retribution. She has lured those responsible to a luxury train from Philly to Chicago, determined to confront the guilty parties and hand them over to the authorities. But then someone gets murdered. • A new Riley Sager is an annual summer tradition—one that is very hit-or-miss, and this year I’m sad to say for me it was a miss. I already tried reading an advanced copy of this one and had to abandon it by 27%. It felt extremely phoned in, from the writing itself to the story overall; the time period and premise all just felt unbelievable and unfortunately didn’t work for me. I still wanted to note it given it’s a big new release—if you read it and feel differently, I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Other Book News & Items of Interest
I read the first Murderbot novella, All Systems Red, and while I haven’t continued with the rest of the series yet, I’m very interested in checking out the new TV adaptation starting Alexander Skarsgård on AppleTV.
Cover reveal for To Ride a Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose, the sequel to to the book To Shape a Dragon’s Breath which is sitting high on my Kindle TBR!
Announced to publish this November is Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino—this one caught my attention when I saw it described as “a twisted house-hunting story,” so I’m keeping an eye on it and wanted to share with you all.
I don’t know about you but I am EXCITED for the new film adaptation of Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, one of my all-time favorite books, which will be directed by Chloé Zhao (love) and released in November 2025.
Dune: Messiah is set to begin filming this July—I haven’t read the Dune series yet and have remained curious; maybe this will incentivize me to pick it up before the next wave of films releases.
Shogun Season 2 will start filming in January 2026, set 10 years after Season 1 ended. I didn’t end up reading the book by James Clavell but am curious how the show will feel set so much later without some of the best characters.
On my TBR are The Green Bone Saga series (first book Jade City) by Fonda Lee and they were just released with these gorgeous new covers which I may need to get my hands on.
That’s a wrap on The Town Crier for June 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.
I am crazy about Murderbot - not sure if I'll watch the show, though. I have so much of it in my head in a certain way and might not want to disrupt that!