Acclaimed 2025 Crime Thriller Returns With Explosive Sequel, And Its First Preview Is Epic (Exclusive)

Custom Image by Joe O'Shea One of 2025's best crime thrillers is officially back with a new sequel and this exclusive first look will have you hooked to check it out. Published Aug 6, 2026, 11:05 AM EDT Hannah is a senior writer and self-publisher at ScreenRant. There, she focuses on writing news, features, and list-style articles about all things comics, books, anime, and manga. She works as a freelance writer in the entertainment industry, focusing on video games, anime, and literature. Her published works can be found on Screen Rant, FinanceBuzz, She Reads, and She Writes. Jaime Parker Stickle is bringing back one of crime fiction's most compelling new investigators with Take Hart, the follow-up to her 2025 debut novel Vicious Cycle. Scheduled for release on August 2, 2026, through Thomas & Mercer, the second book in the Corey in Los Angeles series expands the author's blend of mystery, social commentary, and deeply personal character drama. Ahead of the novel's launch, an exclusive preview offers readers their first look at Corey Tracey-Lieberman's latest investigation. The excerpt immediately establishes the emotional weight of the story, showing the protagonist's ongoing battle with anxiety while teasing another high-stakes missing-person case that promises to push her further than ever before. Staring at the counter, I notice the orange pill bottle waiting for me. A Paxil a day keeps all my demons away—the ones that tell me I’m a bad mom. Dr. Rosenberg sounded like one of those drug commercials when he explained it. Taking a single Paxil every day would help control the intrusive thoughts—the obsessive-compulsive part of my panic disorder—and alleviate my anxiety, bringing my baseline closer to normal, but it could be accompanied by a loss of impulse control, weight gain, and brain fog. Next to the Paxil is a second orange bottle—Klonopin. That one is to catch the demons immediately if there’s even a hint of them coming for an attack. That is my break-glass-in-case-of-emergency pill, when the Paxil isn’t cutting it. Depending on how bad my spinout is, a single Klonopin might make me chill out, or it might put me to sleep. Or if it’s really bad, I might need two or three to stop the merry-go-round of my intrusive thoughts. Some days it’s enough just knowing I have the Klonopin. Knowing that I can shut out the thoughts before a panic attack hits or before one can escalate. The recommended dose is one Paxil per day and Klonopin as needed to stay ahead of the anxiety. There were many days in the past months when I needed one or two or three Klonopins. Yesterday, when Evan was out with Jacob, I almost took one, nearly breaking my monthlong streak of not needing any Klonopin at all. When Jacob isn’t within arm’s reach, it’s a trigger. And yeah, this morning’s daily Paxil will probably work . . . mostly, but that 1 percent of the time it doesn’t work is scary as hell. I’ve never hit the four-pills-a-day Klonopin maximum, but I’ve come close. I grab the bottle of Klonopin and take it to my bedroom. I open the top drawer, an overloaded mess of socks, bras, and underwear. I dig to the bottom of the pile of socks, under one pair of black tights, and tuck the Klonopin underneath them all, making it harder for me to grab one. I don’t need them anymore. I’m okay. I’m fine. I’m really doing better. “Ouchie,” I say, grabbing the fist that Jacob is about to land on my head for a second time. “Mommy is sorry she spaced out. Let’s go get breakfast, okay?” Breakfast, snack, cookie, banana, these are all magic words for Jacob. I had a dog once that loved the same words. I hope I never say good boy to Jacob. My phone vibrates aggressively against my leg. T he Cyclone Spin Studio, where I work part-time as an instructor and an assistant manager, issued us all black leggings that suck me in like a girdle, making the phone vibration tingle deep inside my thigh. Or the quadriceps, as Monique, my boss and the studio’s owner, likes to rebrand thighs. I manage to unwrap the phone from the painted-on pocket with one hand and know it’s either Chris, my partner in crime—literally, well, my boss in crime fighting—or Detective Lopez, my other partner . . . or other boss. We’re still working out our relationship hierarchy. Take Hart Raises The Stakes For Corey Tracey-Lieberman Take Hart reunites readers with former television journalist Corey Tracey-Lieberman, who has transformed herself into an investigator determined to seek justice across Los Angeles. However, solving crimes is only one part of her increasingly chaotic life. Corey also consults with the LAPD, contributes stories to an independent news outlet, attends therapy, struggles through the collapse of her marriage, and navigates complicated feelings for her investigative partner, all while raising her 14-month-old son, Jacob. The sequel centers on the disappearance of Sonja Hart, a local mother whose case receives little attention from authorities. Refusing to let another woman simply vanish without answers, Corey launches her own investigation. Her search connects a suspicious house fire, mysterious new neighbors, and the larger issue of gentrification reshaping Highland Park. As the evidence begins to pile up, Corey discovers that finding the truth may come at an enormous personal cost, especially as the suspect she's pursuing appears to be watching her every move. Rather than presenting its detective as an untouchable hero, the thriller book leans into the realities of balancing family life with dangerous investigative work. Corey frequently brings Jacob along as she follows leads, making motherhood inseparable from her career. That grounded approach has become one of the defining qualities of Stickle's series, giving the mysteries emotional depth beyond the central crime. This Take Hart Exclusive Preview Delivers An Intimate Look At Corey's Struggles The first excerpt, above, from Take Hart focuses on Corey's internal battle, immediately reminding readers why she stands apart from many fictional detectives. The opening pages reveal her carefully managing medications prescribed for panic disorder while wrestling with intrusive thoughts and anxiety. Instead of treating mental health as a side note, the novel places it at the center of Corey's everyday routine before the mystery even begins. The exclusive preview also shows how quickly ordinary family moments collide with investigative work. While preparing breakfast for Jacob, Corey receives a phone call from one of her crime-solving partners, signaling that another case is about to interrupt her already fragile balance. The seamless transition from parenting to detective work captures the unique tone of the series, where domestic life and criminal investigations constantly overlap. That authenticity reflects Stickle's own experiences. The author has spoken openly about being diagnosed with postpartum panic disorder following the birth of her son, with those experiences helping shape Corey's emotional journey. Outside of fiction, Stickle also teaches film and television at Montclair State University while hosting the true-crime podcast The Girl with the Same Name, which explores the unsolved murder of a woman who shared her name. Those varied experiences continue to inform a crime series that blends suspense with thoughtful examinations of motherhood, marriage, community, and the human impact of violence. With Take Hart arriving this August, readers can expect another emotionally charged crime thriller book that builds on the strong foundation established by Vicious Cycle.