Swiped

In British journalist Chilton’s brash and luminous debut, 20-something Gwen Turner soothes the pain of her recent breakup by swiping through dating apps. The only problem? A serial killer starts stalking and murdering each man she meets shortly after their first dates. When the police name Gwen the prime suspect in the slayings—after all, she’s almost always the last person to see the victims alive—she has to set aside her responsibilities as the maid of honor for her best friend’s fast-approaching wedding and find the killer herself. Tracking down her former dates and warning them that they could be next on the chopping block rapidly devolves into a catalogue of horrible hookups in undignified locations (dive bars; mini golf courses), leaving Gwen scrambling to separate her sleuthing from her sex life before she ends up behind bars. Chilton nimbly balances humor and horror, fortifying his flashy premise with meticulous research into the data mining that powers most dating apps. Luckily, he layers all that hyper-contemporary sound and fury on top of an exceptionally well-constructed mystery plot, with surprises that will keep readers turning pages late into the night. Mystery fans will rush to swipe right on Chilton—he’s got the goods. Agent: James Wills, Watson, Little Ltd. (May)