When disgraced Black reality TV star Desiree Pierce is found dead in the Bronx the morning after her 25th birthday, the police chalk up to an overdose. Her estranged half-sister Lena doesn’t buy it. There’s no way Desiree would have been in that neighborhood. She’s driven to find the truth, no matter what family secrets she stumbles into along the way. Part family drama, part thriller and wonderfully narrated by Bahni Turpin.

Inspired by the author’s experience in the entertainment industry, this delightfully fresh series set in Los Angeles reminded me of The Bling Ring and Search Party meets Insecure. Dayna Anderson used to star in Super Bowl commercials but now she is trying to make ends meet when she unwittingly witnesses a hit and run. After realizing there is quite a hefty reward for information about the murder, Dayna is on the case with the help of her friends. Highly recommend the audiobook read by the incomparable Bahni Turpin! (And just to note, while I enjoyed all the book’s twists and turns, I could have done with less discussion about dieting and individuals’ weight.)

Like a Sister author Garrett interrogates the ethics of the true crime industrial complex in her smart and fresh thriller. Thirty-something Black woman Bree is thrilled to take things to the next level with her boyfriend Tyler, heading to NYC for a romantic getaway in a luxurious Airbnb. But the weekend of her dreams becomes a nightmare when she wakes to find a missing white woman from the headlines dead on her foyer floor—and Tyler nowhere to be found. Bree soon finds herself both suspect and investigator as she tries to piece together what happened, and why. Big points for biting social commentary, complex female friendships, and a plot that kept me on the edge of my seat. This could be Garrett’s breakout.