These Toxic Things - by Rachel Howzell Hall (Paperback)

About the Book

"A dead woman's cherished trinkets become pieces to a terrifying puzzle ... Mickie Lambert creates 'digital scrapbooks' for clients, ensuring that precious souvenirs aren't forgotten or lost. When her latest client, Nadia Denham, a curio shop owner, dies from an apparent suicide, Mickie honors the old woman's last wish and begins curating her peculiar objets d'art. A music box, a hair clip, a key chain--twelve mementos in all that must have meant so much to Nadia, who collected them on her flea market scavenges across the country. But these tokens mean a lot to someone else, too. Mickie has been receiving threatening messages to leave Nadia's past alone. It's becoming a mystery Mickie is driven to solve. Who once owned these odd treasures? How did Nadia really come to possess them? Discovering the truth means crossing paths with a long-dormant serial killer and navigating the secrets of a sinister past. One that might, Mickie fears, be inescapably entwined with her own"--

Book Synopsis

A dead woman's cherished trinkets become pieces to a terrifying puzzle.

Mickie Lambert creates "digital scrapbooks" for clients, ensuring that precious souvenirs aren't forgotten or lost. When her latest client, Nadia Denham, a curio shop owner, dies from an apparent suicide, Mickie honors the old woman's last wish and begins curating her peculiar objets d'art. A music box, a hair clip, a key chain--twelve mementos in all that must have meant so much to Nadia, who collected them on her flea market scavenges across the country.

But these tokens mean a lot to someone else, too. Mickie has been receiving threatening messages to leave Nadia's past alone.

It's becoming a mystery Mickie is driven to solve. Who once owned these odd treasures? How did Nadia really come to possess them? Discovering the truth means crossing paths with a long-dormant serial killer and navigating the secrets of a sinister past. One that might, Mickie fears, be inescapably entwined with her own.

Review Quotes

An Amazon Best Book of the Month: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

"This cleverly plotted, surprise-filled novel offers well-drawn and original characters, lively dialogue, and a refreshing take on the serial killer theme. Hall continues to impress." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A mystery/thriller/coming-of-age story you won't be able to put down till the final revelation." --Kirkus Reviews

"Tense and pacey, with an appealing central character, this is a coming-of-age story as well as a gripping mystery." --The Guardian

"The mystery plots are twisty and grabby, but also worth noting is the realistic rendering of a Black L.A. neighborhood locked in a battle over gentrification." --Los Angeles Times

"Rachel Howzell Hall...just gets better and better with each book." --CrimeReads

"Howzell Hall is at the height of her craft as the story unfolds on multiple tracks...[she] skillfully weaves together disparate threads that at first don't appear to be connected...It's an intriguing, riveting pleasure to watch the action unfold and see how the pieces fit together." --NPR

"A gripping original." --People

"With plenty of clues and red herrings, These Toxic Things is a compelling read, as well as a rich addition to the author's impressive body of work." --Bookreporter

"This chilling mystery weaves a sinister tale of what happens when two troubled pasts intersect unexpectedly." --SheKnows

"This creative and creepy thriller kept me up all night." --NPR

"Rachel Howzell Hall continues to shatter the boundaries of crime fiction through the sheer force of her indomitable talent. These Toxic Things is a master class in tension and suspense. You think you are ready for it. But. You. Are. Not." --S. A. Cosby, author of Blacktop Wasteland

"These Toxic Things is taut and terrifying, packed with page-turning suspense and breathtaking reveals. But what I loved most is the mother-daughter relationship at the heart of this gripping thriller. Plan on reading it twice: once because you won't be able to stop, and the second time to savor the razor's edge balance of plot and poetry that only Rachel Howzell Hall can pull off." --Jess Lourey, Amazon Charts bestselling author of Unspeakable Things

"The brilliant Rachel Howzell Hall becomes the queen of mind games with this twisty and thought-provoking cat-and-mouse thriller. Where memories are weaponized, keepsakes are deadly, and the past gets ugly when you disturb it. As original, compelling, and sinister as a story can be, with a message that will haunt you long after you race through the pages." --Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of Her Perfect Life