-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
The Dead of Summer #1
by Ryan La Sala
Stephen King meets Holly Jackson by way of We Were Liars in this action-packed story of queer horror from the acclaimed author of The Honeys!
Two Days Before
Ollie Veltman is finally coming home to the quaint island of Anchor's Mercy after a year away while his mom battled cancer. It should be a celebration -- his mom is cancer free, and she's determined to have the best summer ever -- but Ollie's (now ex) best friends think he abandoned them, and he's returning with a lot of questions. Because for a place that's perfect on the surface, a secret rots below the waves. A secret that could explain his mom's illness, and the illness of so many other locals.
Ollie's desperate search for the truth turns life-or-death when a storm descends upon the island. In its wake, a long-sunken horror rises ...
Three Weeks After
Ollie is being held in isolation aboard a military hospital ship in the harbor. They say he's a survivor, but they only know half the story. The truth is more monstrous than Ollie ever believed, and he suspects his saviors aren't here to save anyone. Only Ollie can stop what's coming, but that means getting back to Anchor's Mercy before it vanishes, taking with it everyone he has ever loved.
"A propulsive paranormal thriller." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"La Sala once again demonstrates extreme prowess for integrating themes of belonging, grief, and yes, even queer joy into this horrifying and fresh approach to a zombie apocalypse." —Booklist (starred review)
"An original, page-turning horror story that emphasizes the importance of queer community." —Kirkus Reviews
"The Dead of Summer is like a Mike Flanagan movie: visceral and unsettling. The perfect creepy read!" —Tiffany D. Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Blood
"La Sala is back with a fresh new freakshow! Not only is The Dead of Summer a terrifying, fast-paced, maritime body horror, it's a timely plea to embrace your community when you can no longer trust those in charge. This is one beach read that will have you sprinting away from the ocean!" —Adam Sass, award-winning author of Your Lonely Nights Are Over
This information about The Dead of Summer was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Ryan La Sala is a bestselling and award-winning author known for his genre-defying, queer-centered horror and fantasy, including The Honeys and Beholder. His work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, and more. He writes to you from New York, overseen by his cat, Haunted Little Girl. He can hold his breath for one minute and three seconds. You can ping him on his shell phone at ryanlasala.com.
If you liked The Dead of Summer, try these:
The Last Murder at the End of the World
by Stuart Turton
Published 2025
From the bestselling author of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water comes an inventive, high-concept murder mystery: an ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop, and an audacious solution.
by Zack Smedley
Published 2023
From the critically acclaimed author of Deposing Nathan comes an explosive examination of identity, voice, and the indelible ways our stories are rewritten by others.
The Last Confession of Thomas Hawkins
by Antonia Hodgson
Published 2017
In a new Georgian–era mystery by Antonia Hodgson, the follow-up to The Devil in the Marshalsea, Tom Hawkins prays for a royal pardon as he relives the espionage, underground dealings, and murder accusations that sent him to the gallows.
Not doing more than the average is what keeps the average down.
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
Can you name the title?
Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
