Thompson's sparkling debut is an opposites-attract romance between a snarky and distrustful loner and a warm, shy guy who sweetly pulls her out of her protective shell. PhD candidate Phoebe Walsh is obsessed with true crime, a morbid subject that has her distrusting everyone, even her cute, suspiciously friendly neighbor, Sam Dennings. Phoebe is only in Florida for the summer, long enough to fix up her recently deceased dad's house and put it on the market before she returns to grad school. Despite her best efforts to avoid relationships, however, people keep reaching out to her, including her childhood best friend who has become a Disney-obsessed librarian. Phoebe becomes essential to her little brother's plans to propose to his longtime girlfriend, and when a stray cat runs into her house and refuses to leave, Phoebe finally concedes defeat. Meanwhile, Sam, the straightlaced elementary-school music teacher who can't take his eyes off his curvy neighbor, keeps distracting her from writing her dissertation, and time is running short for him to convince her that he's more than just a summer flirtation, and definitely not a serial killer. Highly recommended for romance readers who enjoy flirty dialogue, pop-culture references, strong female characters, and, of course, true crime.

Thompson debuts with a lighthearted but shoddily constructed ode to true crime aficionados. Phoebe Walsh first meets her Sam Dennings while moving back into her childhood home in the middle of the night. Sam's neighborly offer to help raises a red flag for Phoebe, as her lifelong love of true crime has taught her to associate this kind of unsolicited kindness with serial killers. Living alone in her late father's house while writing her dissertation on the genre has her understandably on edge, and as Sam continues to exhibit "suspicious" behavior, she sets out to investigate. This fun premise drops off fairly quickly as Phoebe's motive for putting herself in Sam's path morphs from wary curiosity to attraction. Between fixing up her father's home and helping her brother plan a proposal, the pair spend a lot of time together, forcing them to confront their feelings. There's a lot jammed in here, as, in addition to falling in love, Phoebe grieves her father, bonds with her brother, and reconnects with old friends. The result feels slightly too crowded to hit all the emotional notes it aims for. Still, readers who love true crime and romance in equal measure will find plenty to enjoy. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary. (Aug.)

Phoebe Walsh has moved home to Florida to finish writing her dissertation on the true crime genre while she helps her brother clean out their childhood home. The night she arrives, a handsome, scruffy, barefoot man appears out of nowhere and offers to help move her stuff into the house--a set-up that makes Phoebe suspicious. She later learns that the guy is her new neighbor, Sam, but can't stop obsessing--what about that plastic sheeting in his garage? Who but a serial killer would need that much plastic sheeting? Why does he come and go at such odd hours? If uber-paranoid Phoebe can drop her guard, she might have a chance at love. Or she could be murdered in her sleep. Is she willing to take that chance? VERDICT Thompson's (Psych Major Syndrome) contemporary romance delves into some heavy themes (grief, childhood trauma, trust), but balances them with comedic characters and situations. Phoebe is a complicated, likable character who, though extreme in her reasoning, is easy to connect with, and Sam is well developed and authentic. The fast-paced plot is alternately hilarious and touching, and readers won't be able to put it down. True crime is an incredibly popular genre, and this book is a must-read for crossover romance fans.--Heather Miller Cover