Make 2026 the year you conquer your reading list! We are excited to announce the Long Branch Public Library’s Monthly Reading Challenge, where each month will bring you a new genre to explore. All you need to do is check out and read a book of your choice in each month’s chosen genre, and upon return of that book you’ll receive a free bookmark, designed just for you, to celebrate your accomplishment. E-book and audiobook readers can participate too by letting us know the title of the book you completed. But that’s not all! Each completed month also earns you an entry into our monthly raffle for a special gift card from your local businesses. It’s the perfect way to discover new stories, show off your reading skills, and maybe even win a little extra along the way!
The month of January’s genre is…Edge of Your Seat Thrillers! This month’s raffle prize is a gift certificate for a free single beading session ($35 in value) at Little Words Project in Pier Village! Find some recommendations below, and if you love these reads, make sure to scroll to the bottom and put the 4 NEW thrillers coming out this month on your holds list!
Edge of Your Seat Thriller Recommendations
After a brutal attack leaves her with only seven days to live, a wealthy young woman reexamines everyone in her life as a suspect. With time running out, she’s determined to solve her own murder before it’s too late.
After his wife mysteriously disappears, an author is consumed by grief and a year later spots a woman who looks exactly like her on a remote Scottish island.
The first Black sheriff of a quiet Virginia county investigates a shocking school shooting that exposes long-buried secrets. As tensions rise, he uncovers a a past that threatens to tear the town apart.
A woman lures the people who destroyed her family onto a luxury train to force their confessions, but her plan unravels when a passenger is murdered. Trapped overnight, she must stop a killer seeking their own revenge before no one survives.
A housemaid for a wealthy family becomes drawn into their disturbing secrets after crossing a dangerous line, but they underestimate who she really is.
A famous painter murders her husband and then never speaks again. A determined psychotherapist tries to uncover her motive, only to be drawn into a mystery of his own.
Decades after his siblings’ mysterious deaths, a celebrated horror writer is still haunted by suspicion. When his estranged daughter is hired to ghostwrite his final book, she discovers the truth about that night.
A reunion dinner among old friends turns deadly when they’re forced to reveal dark secrets or die. As the night unfolds, past betrayals and connections to their shared history come to light.
When two teenage girls disappear, a small-town officer must unravel their secrets to find them. But the deeper she digs, the more she discovers what the town itself is hiding.
A paradise island party turns deadly when an influencer’s followers uncover a dark secret connected to a survivor of a notorious cult. As guests vanish, Ruth must confront her past to survive.
Haunted by a childhood encounter with a serial killer, a criminal profiler returns home to investigate his father’s suspicious death. As he digs deeper, he must confront past traumas and the possibility that the monster has returned.
When his estranged daughter invites him to her wedding, her father discovers the fiancé comes from a secretive, powerful family. As he tries to reconnect, he uncovers hidden tensions that could put them all in danger.
Evie Porter assumes a false identity to get close to a target, but her latest job hits too close to home. As past mistakes and unexpected feelings surface, she must stay one step ahead or risk losing everything.
A mother’s toddler was kidnapped a year ago, and she’s obsessed with finding him. When a true-crime podcaster digs into her past, she begins to question her own memories and who she can trust.
4 Highly Anticipated Thrillers Coming Out in January
Two women swap identities for one night to expose the secrets of a powerful husband, but when he’s found murdered the next morning, their plan unravels and puts both of them in danger.
Coming January 13th
When a priest is murdered at a party in Rome, a private agent becomes the prime suspect, forcing Jack Morgan to prove his innocence as he’s lead straight into the heart of the Vatican.
Coming January 13th
An artist returns home to find another woman living in her house and claiming her husband. Six months earlier, a woman with a life-changing diagnosis inherited the same house, setting secrets and lies in motion.
Coming January 20th
An advice columnist’s life unravels with a troubled family and a secretive husband, pushing her to seek payback on those who deserve it most.
Coming January 27th
