To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Cheddar Off Dead from the generous folks at St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I don't know about you, but it doesn't matter how many books I have gathering dust on my shelves waiting to be read, my head is still turned by the shiny and new! I'm an excitement-is-overrated kind of girl about most things. When it comes to books, though? The FOMO is real, apparently. I do try to alternate new books with older picks for variety's sake, but I always end up reading more new releases than I think I will in a given year. On that note, I'm embracing today's TTT topic: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2022. I've already shared several of the ones I'm most excited about, so in this list I'm going to talk about books you haven't heard me chattering about before. It's a mix of historical fiction (of course), mysteries (naturally), and even a dystopian thriller (still a fan).

Before we do that, though, be sure to hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give our hostess, Jana, some love. Consider joining in the TTT fun, won't you? It really is a good time!

(by release date)

1.  At the End of Everything by Marieke Nijkamp (available January 25)—In this YA thriller, a group of teens is intent on breaking out of their treatment center. When they do, they discover that a deadly pandemic is sweeping the outside world. As things quickly go from bad to worst, they have to figure out how to survive. 

2.  Drawn by the Current by Jocelyn Green (available February 1)—I read the first two books in the Windy City Saga last year. This third volume revolves around Olive Pierce, who narrowly misses a terrible death when the tour ship she's on rolls over, killing almost half of its passengers and crew. Olive's best friend is among them. Although Olive tries to put the tragedy behind her, she can't help investigating what really happened to her friend. 

3.  The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers (available March 1)—When Maddie Sykes, a young seamstress, arrives in Bright Leaf, North Carolina, she's in awe of the bright, bustling town that thrives on the profits being made by Big Tobacco. It's not long before Maddie realizes the place has a dark side. As many women battle significant health problems, she seems to see a link between their suffering and Bright Leaf's cash crop. Should she bring her concerns to the town's tobacco bigwigs? Or will being a whistleblower destroy everything she's worked so hard to build for herself?

4. Cheddar Off Dead by Korina Moss (available March 29)—I'm always up for a fun cozy mystery and what's cozier than cheese? In this first installment in a new series, a woman looking for a fresh start opens up a cheese shop in Sonoma Valley. When a sharp-tongued food critic visits the store and ends up dead, she becomes a suspect. Soon, the cheesemonger is playing detective in order to clear her own name.

5.  The Silent Unseen by Amanda McCrina (available April 5)—It's 1944 and teenaged Maria is returning home to her Polish village after being forced to labor for the Nazis. She's stunned to discover her village has been razed and her parents killed in a bloody battle between the Polish resistance and Ukrainian nationalists. To her astonishment, the leader of the resistance is her brother. When he goes missing, Maria is forced to enlist the help of a Ukrainian boy she doesn't trust to help her find him.

6.  The Unquiet Dead by Stacie Murphy (available April 5)—I enjoyed A Deadly Fortune, the first book in Murphy's supernatural Gilded Age mystery series, so I'm excited for the second installment. In this one, Amelia Matthew is using her newfound talent for communing with the dead to make a decent living at a New York nightclub. When she encounters the spirit of a recently-murdered girl, she doesn't want to get involved. Then a young Black man connected with the nightclub gets accused of the killing, and Amelia can no longer stand idly by. Once again, she becomes embroiled in a perilous investigation that could put her and everyone she loves in danger.

7.  The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson (available May 3)—I'm sure I'm not the only one who's excited for this sequel to the popular The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I've actually had an e-ARC of the book for a couple months now, but I haven't managed to get to it yet.

8. Breathless by Amy McCulloch (available May 3)—In this mystery/thriller, a journalist and beginning mountain climber agrees to scale a treacherous peak in order to get the story of a lifetime. The least experienced member of the climbing team by far, she grows concerned as the group endures a series of unfortunate accidents and suspicious deaths. With nowhere to go, she finds herself in a desperate fight for her life—in more ways than one.

9. A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong (available May 31)—I enjoy Armstrong's Rockton series, so I'm all in for her newest book, a time-travel murder mystery. The story revolves around a homicide detective in modern day who is stunned to find herself suddenly in Victorian Scotland. When a young man is strangled to death, she investigates the case, hoping it will lead her back to her real life.

10.  The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill (available June 7)—When a woman's scream pierces the quiet of the reading room at the Boston Public Library, security guards go into immediate action. While the scream is being investigated, patrons are detained. Four strangers, all of whom were sitting at the same table at the time of the incident, spend the time getting to know one another. As alliances are struck and secrets are revealed, one of them will be unmasked as a murderer.

There you have it, ten releases I'm looking forward to reading. Do we have any in common? Which up-and-comers are you excited about? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.