Book Reviews, Find Your Next Read

Honey by Imani Thompson: A sharp, unsettling debut that turns rage into something intoxicating

There’s a moment early in Honey by Imani Thompson—out May 5, 2026—when a tiny, impulsive act spirals into something irreversible, and from that point on, the novel never loosens its grip. This is a dark, provocative debut that knows exactly what it’s doing, luring you in with something almost playful before revealing just how far it’s willing to go.

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Just like its title, this book is delicious. Yrsa’s first kill is so sweet in its construction—unplanned, quick, and disturbingly easy. What makes it even more compelling is that it’s not really the act itself that kills the man, but her decision not to intervene once things go wrong. It’s petty. It’s spiteful. And it’s chilling in the way Yrsa immediately recognizes the opportunity in front of her and simply… lets it happen. That moment sets the tone for everything that follows.

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Book Reviews, Find Your Next Read

A Killer in the Family by Amin Ahmad: Wealth, secrets, and a dynasty where no one is innocent

When Ali agrees to an arranged marriage with the daughter of a powerful New York real estate tycoon in A Killer in the Family by Amin Ahmad, he expects privilege, stability, and a glamorous life among the elite—but not the creeping suspicion that someone in his new family might be a serial killer.

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This sweeping drama follows Ali, a charming but somewhat naïve Mumbai party boy who decides it’s finally time to grow up. His arranged marriage to Maryam, the poised daughter of real estate mogul Abbas Khan, brings him into a world of unimaginable wealth in New York City: private helicopters, glittering skyscrapers, and lavish weekends in the Hamptons. At first, Ali seems to have landed in a dream version of the American immigrant success story. But as rumors begin to swirl about Abbas Khan—whispers of corruption, secret affairs, and something darker beneath the family’s rise—Ali starts to realize that joining the Khans may have come with a cost he never anticipated.

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Book Reviews, Find Your Next Read

Haunted, cursed, and divided: exploring race and privilege in Del Sandeen’s This Cursed House

When Jemma Barker leaves 1960s Chicago for a new life in New Orleans, she doesn’t expect to uncover centuries-old curses, deadly family secrets, and the brutal realities of colorism and privilege. In This Cursed House, Del Sandeen takes readers into the dark, secret-laden corridors of a New Orleans family through the eyes of Jemma Barker, a young Black woman fleeing her life in Chicago. Desperate for a fresh start and haunted by the spirits she’s always been able to see, Jemma accepts a job with the enigmatic Duchon family—only to discover that their charm hides centuries-old curses and shocking prejudices.

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Sandeen’s debut is steeped in Southern gothic flair, with a plot that twists around supernatural secrets, family betrayal, and the fraught complexities of race. The novel does an especially striking job of exploring how white-passing Black characters navigate privilege and fear, often at the expense of their darker-skinned relatives. It’s a sharp and unsettling examination of racism, colorism, and the extremes some will go to protect a tenuous hold on societal acceptance.

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