First Impressions: The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 14 (New Books to Make Your Heart Race)

As a fan of horror, thrillers, and mysteries, I’m always on the lookout for new books to read. This season’s Minotaur Sampler, Volume 14 promises five “can’t-miss debut novels publishing Spring/Summer 2025,” and I am absolutely intrigued! All five books here come with an excerpt of a few chapters, giving readers a hint of what to expect… and a hunger to learn what happens next!

First up is He’s to Die For by Erin Dunn. I admit that I already have an arc of this, but the sample here made me even more excited to read it. This mystery follows Detective Rav Trivedi of the NYPD as he investigates a murder, and his prime suspect is a rock star. But suspect or not, Rav can’t deny the attraction between them. I love a good romantic mystery! This one looks like a humorous and fun read.

Second is Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku. This cozy mystery is set in Chicago, where Savvy Summers finds herself investigating possible murder after an older man died at her café. Death by natural causes… or her sweet potato pie? This book looks perfect for readers of Mia P. Manansala.

Next up is Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell by Gillian French. Though known for her young adult fiction, this is her first adult novel. A woman’s sister went missing years ago, and she’s been getting phone calls from the man who may have played a part in her disappearance. This book has a stark, emotional quality to it. I’m prepared for this to be heart-wrenching.

Following that is The Witch’s Orchard by Archer Sullivan. An unlikely private investigator returns to North Carolina to solve a decade-old case of three missing girls. Only one was ever returned, while the other two remain missing. I loved the writing style of this one and am very interested in where it goes next. And if witches and folklore are involved, consider me even more eager to read this in full.

Finally, the sampler ends with The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols. An older woman, Mrs. B, has made a home for people who could use a lending hand, taking in an array of characters. But when someone is killed and one of her tenants is accused of the crime, Mrs. B admits to the crime. The rest of her tenants are sure of her innocence and determined to find out the truth. This book looks fun and sweet, and I’m sure it will be popular this summer.

These five debuts all look captivating, and their excerpts here promise enjoyable reads all around. I’ll have a full review read for He’s to Die For soon, but I hope to read the other books as well!

Official Summary

Looking for a new book that will make your heart race? The fourteenth edition of The Minotaur Sampler compiles the beginnings of five can’t-miss debut novels publishing Spring/Summer 2025 for free and easy sampling.

Erin Dunn’s He’s to Die For is a queer romantic mystery where a detective finds himself falling for the lead suspect in a career-making case.

Gillian French’s page turning thriller Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell follows a woman who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth behind her sister’s disappearance.

In Sandra Jackson-Opoku’s Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes, the quick-witted and unforgettable Savvy Summer finds herself and sweet potato pie at the center of a murder case.

Archer Sullivan’s The Witch’s Orchard brings the mountain of North Carolina to life as a private investigator revisits a decade old case of three missing little girls.

Jo Nichols’s The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective follows a group of tenants that band together to save their land lady after she confesses to a crime she did not commit.