Read or Dead

By Book RiotTrue Crime Arts Books Fiction

Read or Dead episodes

May 29Forever, Read or Dead
To our Read or Dead listeners: After 9 years of bringing mysteries and thrillers to your ears, we are sorry to say that this will be our last episode. We want to thank you all for making this show so excellent, and we hope you’ll stick around as we celebrate our favorite Read or Dead memories in today’s episode.
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Books Discussed
The Widows of Malabar Hill - Sujata Massey

The Hunger - Alma Katsu

Miracle Creek - Angie Kim

Our Share of Night - Mariana Enriquez, Translated by Megan McDowell

The Reformatory - Tananarive Due

Seven Fallen Feathers - Tanya Talaga
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

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55 min
May 15Our Most Anticipated New Book Releases 2026 Pt. 2
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester discuss their most anticipated new book releases for the second half of 2026.
News
Edgar Awards Winners 2026
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Books Discussed
Wisdom Corner - David Heska Wanbli Weiden (July 7th)

Helpless - Jessica Knoll (July 7th)

The Secret Dinner - Raphael Montes, transl. Zoe Perry (Aug 18th)

Back for Blood: Never Whistle at Night Part II b Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.(August 18th)

Mazywood - Tananarive Due (September 22nd)

The House of Gardenias - Isabel Cañas (September 29th)
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 we will talk to you all next time!

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38 min
May 01Let's Talk About Retellings
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester discuss retellings.
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Books Discussed
Wild Dark Shore - Charlotte McConaghy

Beth Is Dead - Katie Bernet

In the Hall With the Knife - Diana Peterfreund

The Weight of Blood - Tiffany D. Jackson

Jane Steele - Lyndsay Faye

And Then She Fell - Alicia Elliot

Boring Asian Female - Canwen Xu

Molka - Monika Kim
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 we will talk to you all next time!

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42 min
April 17The Edgar Awards 2026
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester discuss some of the books nominated for the Edgar Awards!
News
Freida McFadden’s true identity revealed!
Things Mentioned
Book Club Pick: Butter - Asako Yuzuki, Translated by Polly Barton
The Edgar Awards
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Books Discussed
Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers - Caroline Fraser

The Dream Hotel - Laila Lalami

Blood in the Water - Tiffany D. Jackson

Wild Dark Shore - Charlotte McConaghy

Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man - Jessie Q. Sutanto

Japanese Gothic - Kylie Lee Baker

A Violent Masterpiece - Jordan Harper
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_librarylad and find Kendra on Instagram and BlueSky @kdwinchester. We will talk to you all next time!

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51 min
April 03Missing Person Mysteries and Thrillers
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester discuss missing person mysteries and thrillers.
News
Liane Moriarty is writing a sequel to Big Little Lies, called Big Little Truths, and yes, it’s being adapted as Season 3 of Big Little Lies on HBO.

Tina Fey is adapting Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan is Killing It for Peacock.

Maya Hawke has been cast in God of the Woods!
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Books Discussed
In the Woods: A Novel (Dublin Murder Squad)In the Woods - Tana French

Monday’s Not Coming - Tiffany D. Jackson

Murder at Gull’s Nest - Jess Kidd

Find Her - Ginger Reno

Olive Oakes and the Haunted Carousel - Kalynn Bayron

Nothing Tastes As Good - Luke Dumas

The Keeper - Tana French
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 we will talk to you all next time!

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44 min
March 23What's Going On With True Crime?
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester discuss the genre of true crime, the ethics behind it, and what writers are tackling questions around the genre today.
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Books Discussed
“On True Crime” - Myriam Gurba

Beth Is Dead - Katie Burnet

Whidbey - T Kira Madden

Unspeakable Acts: True Tales of Crime, Murder, Deceit, and Obsession - Sarah Weinman

Creep - Myriam Gurba

Everyone In This Bank Is a Thief - Benjamin Stevenson

The Curse of Hester Gardens - Tamika Thompson
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 we will talk to you all next time!

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55 min
March 06Book Club: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester discuss their second book club pick, The God of the Woods by Liz Moore.
Things Mentioned
Discussion Guide
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Books Discussed
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
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 we will talk to you all next time!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
54 min
February 20Let's Celebrate Black History Month All Year Long
Katie McLain Horner and Kendra Winchester recommend books for Black History Month.
News
God of the Woods - Liz Moore - next book club read! - March 6th

E. Lockhart and Sarah Mlynowski are cowriting a new series featuring Nancy Drew as a divorced 40-year old Brooklyn mom who finds herself back in the sleuthing saddle.
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Books Discussed
A Hymn to Life - Gisele Pilicot, Translated by Natasha Lehrer and Ruth Diver Performed by Emma Thompson

The Body - Bethany C. Morrow

One of Us Knows - Alyssa Cole

Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America’s Most Powerful Mobster - Stephen Carter

The Star from Calcutta (A Perveen Mistry Novel) - Sujata Massey

Hooked: A Novel of Obsession - Asako Yuzuki, Translated by Polly Barton

Goodbye Earl - Leesa Cross-Smith

Dollface - Lindy Ryan
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 we will talk to you all next time!

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41 min
February 06Historical 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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46 min
January 23It'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!
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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!

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