Amazon First Reads for May (Get Your FREE Book)

Are you ready to do a little code-breaking? In this heart-pounding thriller from the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Cipher, FBI agent and former military codebreaker Daniela "Dani" Vega witnesses a murder in Manhattan and suspects a complex conspiracy.

Partnering with assassin-turned-informant Gustavo Toro, they infiltrate a remote facility, only to find themselves trapped in a deadly game of wits and wills.

As they fight for their lives in an underground labyrinth, Dani must stay undercover, unravel the bizarre conspiracy, and survive deadly puzzles, all while wondering if Toro is a friend or foe. Only one person can make it out alive in this killer's game.

Early readers are filled with enthusiastic praise for this crime thriller. Readers loved the intricate plot development and recommended this for readers who love puzzles in their books, as it contains escape room-style action scenes.

If you are looking for a book set on islands, this historical thriller debut might be the book for you this month.

Wheeler tells the story of Lucy Riley, a woman fleeing her tragic past to start anew as a teacher on the remote Farallon Islands.

But as Lucy tries to leave her secrets behind, she discovers that the island is full of dangers, from treacherous cliffs to mysterious and ominous forces.

With the help of Will Sisson, a man who seems to recognize her, Lucy must face her past and the island's perils to start her new life finally.

Despite the slower pace, early reviewers describe feeling invested because of the author's creative cliffhanger endings in the chapters.

In this short story by Jennifer Weiner, Ida Berkowitz, a senatorial candidate, is thrown off-balance when her former camp bunkmate, the wealthy and sophisticated Marissa Schuyler, threatens to hold a press conference about their past.

As memories and insecurities resurface, Ida fears for the future of her campaign and the secrets that may be exposed.

If you crave a quick escape, this short story is just 53-pages and would be a great quick read to reach a reading goal.

It is rare though that a short story doesn't become available for free in the Prime library, so you can likely read it for free without using your Kindle First credit this month.

This culinary adventure features a mother and daughter duo on the run who have a unique connection to food and wine.

The two find themselves entangled in a plot to start a war as they try to uncover a shadowy enemy from the past and make sacrifices to save their loved ones.

This thrilling novel of swashbuckling adventure, culinary magic, and just desserts will surely leave readers hungry for more, and early reviewers have praised the book's magic system and world-building around these culinary delights.

The book offers Iron Chef-style battles and army fighting linked to culinary experiences. Many readers describe this as a young adult reading experience, so keep that in mind if you choose this selection.

In this psychological thriller, Alice and Seth appear to be the perfect couple, but a stranger claims to be the real Seth on their wedding day.

With everyone around her believing the imposter, she must fight to escape the nightmare and find her way back to the love of her life.

With an unknown character's perspective adding to the tension, readers describe this novel as a suspenseful journey and complain about their book hangovers after finishing.

This thriller has the highest reviews on GoodReads, with 4 stars or more given by early reviewers.

In this heartwarming novel by Corinne Demas, Noah and Cassandra must come to terms with their past and rely on each other to embark on the next stage of their journey together.

One of my favorite writers, Maddie Dawson, blurbed this friendship fiction selection and loved it.

She writes, "Corinne Demas is amazing! The Road Towards Home is about two opinionated, rigid, and, yes, curmudgeonly septuagenarians who will have you falling in love and rooting for them as they negotiate and argue their way to a last run at happiness."

Based on this review, I recommend this for fans of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise.

In this thrilling novel of psychological suspense, Mia Anderson, a Tennessee librarian accustomed to being invisible, receives an anonymous note from a secret admirer named Adam.

With each text, Mia begins to feel more noticed and gains confidence. But as Adam's plans for her become more sinister, Mia must turn to the very person watching her every move to survive.

A game of cat and mouse begins, with Mia as the prey and predator.

Early readers recommend this thriller fans of You! And if you are a fan of the You series, don't miss my interview with Caroline Kepnes to get the scoop on how this series started.