Every month, librarians from across the country vote on which books by up-and-coming authors they’re most excited to read. This month’s selections include a detective thriller set in New Mexico’s indigenous community — with a seasonally appropriate paranormal flair; a pair of standalone novels rooted in dark academia vibes; and a whimsical, heartwarming novel about a children’s author who connects with a fan as she struggles to complete her final book.

Top Pick: Exposure by Ramona Emerson

In Gallup, New Mexico, where violent crime is five times the national average, a serial killer is operating unchecked, his targets indigent Native people whose murders are easily disguised as death by exposure on the frigid winter streets. He slips unnoticed through town, hidden in plain sight by his unassuming nature, while the voices in his head guide him toward a terrifying vision of glory. As the Gallup detectives struggle to put the pieces together, they consider calling in a controversial specialist to help.

Rita Todacheene, Albuquerque PD forensic photographer, is at a crisis point in her career. Her colleagues are watching her with suspicion after the recent revelation that she can see the ghosts of murder victims. Her unmanageable caseload is further complicated by the fact that half the department has blacklisted her for ratting out a corrupt fellow cop. And back home in Tohatchi on the Navajo reservation, Rita’s grandma is getting older. Maybe it’s time for her to leave policework behind entirely—if only the ghosts will let her.