Olive is once again assigned to the story, this time reluctantly paired with precocious millennial podcaster Cooper Ng. Now, nine years later, the missing housemate turns up dead on a remote property. Melbourne-based journalist Olive Groves worked on the story as a junior reporter and became obsessed by the case. Dubbed the Housemate Homicide, it’s a mystery that has baffled Australians for almost a decade. One dead, one missing and one accused of murder. **THE HOUSEMATE, Sarah Bailey (Polis, $27.99, April). Their parents, each with motivations of their own, only complicate the picture: they will do anything to protect their children, even at the others’ expense. Christopher, an outsider desperate to fit in. Jack, the popular kid with a mean streak. Hannah, a sweet girl with an unstable history. In this searing novel, Eden Perry’s death kicks off an investigation into the three teenagers who were partying with her that night, each a suspect. But when a young woman is found dead in the nicest part of town, the powerful neighbors close ranks to keep their families safe. On the surface, Emerson, Massachusetts, is just like any other affluent New England suburb. **LOCUST LANE, Stephen Amidon (Celadon, $28.00, January). But are her fears founded or is it paranoia, or cabin fever, or-as is suggested to her-a stubborn refusal to take necessary precautions? The dense woods surrounding the cottage are full of dangers, but are the greater ones inside? As the days pass, Jacy begins to feel trapped in the cottage, her every move surveilled, her body under the looking glass. At the same time, whispers about Jed’s long-dead mother and complicated family history seem eerily to be impeding upon the present. Swiftly, vacation activities are scrapped, and all eyes are on Jacy’s condition. But their Edenic first days take a turn when Jacy has a health scare.

Ash, if less so by his house manager, the enigmatic Mrs. The moment they arrive in the cozy cottage in the lush woods, Jacy feels bathed in love by the warm and hospitable Dr. Ash, in Michigan’s far-flung Upper Peninsula. Newly married and with a baby on the way, Jacy and her new husband, Jed, embark on their first road trip together to visit his father, Dr. **BEWARE THE WOMAN, Megan Abbott (Putnam, $28.00, May).

Jealous Serial Killer by Lena Little