Read or Dead

By Book Riot

Read or Dead is a bi-weekly show dedicated to the worlds of mystery and thriller literature.... more

4.2

218218 ratings

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FAQs about Read or Dead:

How many episodes does Read or Dead have?

The podcast currently has 227 episodes available.

Read or Dead episodes:

February 06, 2026Historical Mysteries
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester recommend some of their favorite historical mysteries!
News
God of the Woods by Liz Moore - our next book club read! - March 6th

Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series is being adapted for TV.

Adrian McKinty’s The Chain is getting a series adaptation at HBO.
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Books Discussed
Island Witch - Amanda Jayatissa

At the Water’s Edge - Sara Gruen

Murder at Gulls Nest - Jess Kidd

Murder at the Spirit Lounge - Jess Kidd

Even As We Breathe - Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle

Such a Perfect Family - Nalini Singh

Trad Wife - Saratoga Schaefer
If you want to send an email with feedback or show suggestions, you can reach us at [email protected].
Otherwise you can:
Find Katie on Twitter @kt_librarylady
Find Kendra on Instagram and BlueSky @kdwinchester and on TikTok @kendrawinchester
And we will talk to you all next time!

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46min
January 23, 2026It's Time for the 2026 Read Harder Challenge!
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester discuss some mystery and thriller recommendations for the 2026 Read Harder Challenge!
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more mystery/thriller recs and news, sign up for our Unusual Suspects newsletter!

Things Discussed
God of the Woods - Liz Moore - next book club read! - March 6th

Read Harder Challenge 2026

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Books Discussed
22) Nonviolent True Crime: The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Quest for Earth's Ultimate Trophy - Paige Williams

17) Cults: Kismet - Amina Akhtar

6) Read a gothic novel published in the last ten years - The Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story - Olga Tokarczuk, Translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones

21) Read a genre (SFF, horror, mystery, romance) book in translation - Death Takes Me - Cristina Rivera Garza, Translated by Robin Myers and Sarah Booker

My Husband’s Wife - Alice Feeney (January 20th)

On Sundays She Picked Flowers - Yah-Yah Scholfield (Jan 27th)
If you want to send an email with feedback or show suggestions, you can reach us at [email protected]. Otherwise you can:
Find Kendra on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester
Find Katie on Twitter @kt_librarylady
And we will talk to you all next time!

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...more
43min
January 09, 2026Our Most Anticipated Books of 2026
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester discuss their favorite books of 2026!
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more mystery/thriller recs and news, sign up for our Unusual Suspects newsletter!
News
God of the Woods - Liz Moore - next book club read! - March 6th
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Books Discussed
Paper Cut - Rachel Taff (Jan 27)

The Body - Bethany C. Morrow (Feb 10)

Someone Else’s Husband - Kimberly McCreight (June 16)

Whidbey - T Kira Madden (March 10)

Hooked: A Novel of Obsession - Asako Yuzuki, Translator Polly Barton (March 17)

The Ending Writes Itself - Evelyn Clarke (April 7)

The Star From Calcutta - Sujata Massey (March 3)

The Keeper - Tana French (March 31)

Last One Out - Jane Harper (April 14)
If you want to send an email with feedback or show suggestions, you can reach us at [email protected]. Otherwise you can:
Find Kendra on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester
Find Katie on Twitter @kt_librarylady
And we will talk to you all next time!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
...more
38min
December 26, 2025 A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens from Zero to Well-Read
Read or Dead is taking a short holiday break, so we thought we'd share with you a recent episode from our newest Book Riot podcast, Zero to Well-Read, in which Jeff and Rebecca revisit Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, a story so familiar it’s often mistaken for simple. They consider its moral stakes, its enduring influence on readers and society, and why Scrooge's redemption still resonates.
Subscribe to our free newsletter, and become a member for access to early, ad-free listening and bonus content.
Follow Zero to Well-Read on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Email us: [email protected]
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1h 15min
December 12, 2025Our Favorite Books of 2025!
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester discuss their favorite books of 2025.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more mystery/thriller recs and news, sign up for our Unusual Suspects newsletter!
We’ve got the chops to match the book lover in your life with their next favorite read. And it only takes a few clicks to gift Tailored Book Recommendations! Simply head to mytbr.co/gift to get started.
News
Fern Michaels has died at 92
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Books Discussed
Fiend - Alma Katsu

Nothing But Blackened Teeth - Cassandra Khaw

Victorian Psycho - Virginia Feito

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter - Stephen Graham Jones

The Witch’s Orchard - Archer Sullivan

King of Ashes - S.A. Cosby

They All Fall the Same - Wes Browne
If you want to send an email with feedback or show suggestions, you can reach us at [email protected]. Otherwise you can:
Find Kendra on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester
Find Katie on Twitter @kt_librarylady
We will talk to you all next time!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
...more
43min
November 28, 2025It's Time for Native American Heritage Month 2025!
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester recommend books for Native American Heritage Month and beyond.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more mystery/thriller recs and news, sign up for our Unusual Suspects newsletter!
We’ve got the chops to match the book lover in your life with their next favorite read. And it only takes a few clicks to gift Tailored Book Recommendations! Simply head to mytbr.co/gift to get started.

Books Discussed
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Sisters of the Lost Nation - Nick Medina

Blood Sisters - Vanessa Lillie

Sisters in the Wind - Angeline Boulley

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter - Stephen Graham Jones
If you want to send an email with feedback or show suggestions, you can reach us at [email protected]. Otherwise you can:
Find Kendra on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester
Find Katie on Twitter @kt_librarylady
And we will talk to you all next time!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
...more
39min
November 14, 2025Holiday Gift Guide 2025
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester recommend books for Read or Dead's annual holiday gift guide.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more mystery/thriller recs and news, sign up for our Unusual Suspects newsletter.
We’ve got the chops to match the book lover in your life with their next favorite read. And it only takes a few clicks to gift Tailored Book Recommendations! Simply head to mytbr.co/gift to get started.
News
New Tana French novel!!
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Books Discussed
The Dead Path - Stephen M. Irwin

Thursday’s Children - Nicci French

The Weight of Blood - Tiffany D. Jackson

Night Film - Marisha Pessl

Portrait of a Thief - Grace D. Li

The Feather Thief - Kirk Wallace Johnson

Blue Monday - Nicci French, Performed by Beth Chalmers

The Kamogawa Food Detectives - Hisashi Kashiwai, Translated by Jesse Kirkwood

Restaurant of Lost Recipes - Hisashi Kashiwai, Translated by Jesse Kirkwood

Menu of Happiness - Hisashi Kashiwai, Translated by Jesse Kirkwood

Midnight Timetable - Bora Chung, Translated by Anton Hur
If you want to send an email with feedback or show suggestions, you can reach us at [email protected]. Otherwise you can:
Find Kendra on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester
Find Katie on Twitter @kt_librarylady
And we will talk to you all next time!
Books Discussed

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52min
October 31, 2025Book Club: FIEND by Alma Katsu
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester discuss their very first book club pick, Fiend by Alma Katsu.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more mystery/thriller recs and news, sign up for our Unusual Suspects newsletter!
Ready for a cozy, bookish autumn? Let Tailored Book Recommendations help you find your next favorite read with handpicked suggestions from professional book nerds. Get started today from just $18!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Fiend - Alma Katsu

Empire of Pain - Patrick Radden Keefe

Death in Mud Lick - Eric Eyre

Dreamland - Sam Quinones

Dopesick - Beth Macy

The Nature of Pain - Mandi Fugate Sheffel
If you want to send an email with feedback or show suggestions, you can reach us at [email protected].
Find Kendra on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester
Find Katie on Twitter @kt_librarylady
And we will talk to you all next time!
Books Discussed

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57min
October 17, 2025Down the Rabbit Hole with Fantastical Mysteries and Thrillers
de of the fantastic. Be sure to join us for our first book club to discuss The Fiend by Alma Katsu on October 31st.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more mystery/thriller recs and news, sign up for our Unusual Suspects newsletter!
Ready for a cozy, bookish autumn? Let Tailored Book Recommendations help you find your next favorite read with handpicked suggestions from professional book nerds. Get started today from just $18!
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Books Discussed
Fiend by Alma Katsu

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline

We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2025 edited by Don Winslow

The Sister’s Curse by Nicola Solvinic
Otherwise you can:
Find Kendra on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester
Find Katie on Twitter @kt_librarylady
And we will talk to you all next time!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
...more
53min
October 03, 2025Cozy Books, Cute Animals—What's Not to Love?
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester discuss books on the cozier end of the mystery spectrum. Plus, they all feature cute animals! Be sure to join us for our first book club to discuss The Fiend by Alma Katsu on October 31st.
Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
To get even more mystery/thriller recs and news, sign up for our Unusual Suspects newsletter!
Ready for a cozy, bookish autumn? Let Tailored Book Recommendations help you find your next favorite read with handpicked suggestions from professional book nerds. Get started today from just $18!

Books Discussed
This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
The Fiend - Alma Katsu

The Cat Who Could Read Backwards - Lilian Jackson Braun

The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra - Vaseem Khan

Menu of Happiness - Hisashi Kashiwai, translated by Jesse Kirkwood

Mockingbird Court: A Shady Hollow Mystery - Juneau Black

The Midnight Timetable: A Novel in Ghost Stories - Bora Chung, translated by Anton Hur

I Make My Own Fun - Hannah Beer

Otherwise you can:
Find Kendra on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester
Find Katie on Twitter @kt_librarylady

And we will talk to you all next time!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
...more
45min

FAQs about Read or Dead:

How many episodes does Read or Dead have?

The podcast currently has 227 episodes available.