Recs if you like When No One Is Watching...

this is your reminder to read books by Black authors all month, all year, every year— not just during Black History Month. it’s crucially important to be able to diversify your reading and your bookshelves. expand your mind, your perspectives, your knowledge, and your taste. if you don’t know where to start, here are some recommendations!

This includes book that have either mystery or thrillers as a primary or secondary genre. If you have recommendations to add please comment and I'll happily add them 💕

When homes, nurseries, kitchens, suburbs, etc. become the most dangerous places of all

Combo of new and older fiction written by talented Black and African writers ranging from adult to YA to middle grade. Thriller, fantasy, literary fiction and everything in between!

Feel free to make suggestions!

TIME’s list of “the most gripping, twist-filled, satisfying, and influential mystery and thriller books” running all the way back to the 1800s

Ah yes, this ol' issue that has plagued librarians and bookstore clerks for decades.

And sometimes you find the right book, but... can you even call that shade blue?

A curated reading list dedicated to heart-pounding, plot-twisting thrillers by Black authors. From psychological suspense to cult conspiracies and jaw-dropping endings, this club celebrates bold storytelling, complex characters, and the kind of books that keep you reading “just one more chapter” at 2 a.m.

horrors and thrillers for my wife

A silly little collection of a trend I've noticed recently, usually among thrillers. Some of these probably have alternate covers as well, but I'm including them because I've seen one which fits. Suggestions welcome! Simply ask yourself: Is house blue? Is window yellow?

Books read by Prose Before Bros, a book club for women of color in PDX

All the books chosen by Booksandlala for the Literally Dead Book club.

Created from the list on Goodreads by Cybil and Sadie Hartmann (September 29, 2025)

I’m an audiobook lover, and I’m always looking for great audiobooks! Rather than just listing my favorites, I thought I’d make a list of audiobooks that have won Audie Awards from 2021-2026.

There are so many, so I stuck to specific categories. Not all categories are in all years, so there is some inconsistency. I included the following categories:

• Audiobook of the year
• Autobiography/Memoir
• Erotica
• Spanish
• Fantasy
• Fiction
• History/Biography
• Humor
• Horror
• Literary Fiction
• Classics
• Middle Grade
• Mystery
• Nonfiction
• Romance
• Science Fiction
• Short Stories/Collections
• Thriller/Suspense
• YA/Teens
• Paranormal

More info in the comments!

Happy listening!

There’s something unsettling about being cut off and not knowing who to trust. These thrillers lean into that tension, where secrets build, danger lingers, and nothing is quite what it seems.

basically just a collection of thriller, mystery and horror novels involving characters and/or authors of colour 🤍 suggestions are always welcome!

stories against empire that feel especially relevant right now

Books with a very satisfying or wholly unexpected plot twist (or even better, more than one), even if it made you cry, angry, feel creeped out, or cause you to throw your book across the room. Recommendations welcome!