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 Deeply moving, Villa's debut fills a longstanding need in LGBTQ+ literature for more Latinx characters and a love story between two BIPOC characters. A lovely, important book that deserves a wide readership. -Booklist (starred review) 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 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