Brian Kenney & Henrietta Verma

In our annual crime fiction preview, LJ explores trends and presents 74 forthcoming titles to add to the collection.

An always popular genre, crime fiction continues to grow and evolve, keeping its core readership solidly engaged but also attracting new readers. In our 2022 preview, looking at books publishing through the fall, we have found that storytelling is king, across subgenres, as authors build cases with even more attention to characterization, with a character’s psyche, family, and motivations all powering the story. Already popular cozies—light, nearly violence-free mysteries—are going strong.

Wondering if a book is a cozy? Take this quick quiz, and give yourself five points for every time you answer "yes."