The Chicago Review of Books has an exclusive cover reveal of award-winning Chicago author Lori Rader-Day’s next mystery novel, Wreck Your Heart.
Wreck Your Heart is the big-hearted story of Dahlia “Doll” Devine, an up-and-coming singer at McPhee’s Tavern in Chicago’s—yes, Chicago’s—country music scene. Up and coming, that is, until her boyfriend up and went, taking the rent money with him. Dahlia is forced back to square one, relying again on the tavern’s owner. Just as Dahlia suspects she’s scraped rock bottom, the mother she hasn’t spoken to in twenty years shows up and promptly disappears again, leaving behind a half-sibling Dahlia didn’t know she had. When a shocking crime occurs outside McPhee’s, it threatens not just the place Dahlia has made into a home, but everything she’s believed about her past, her dreams for the future, and the people she was just, maybe, beginning to let into her heart.
The book will be published by Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Publishing Group in January.
Wreck Your Heart is Rader-Day’s eighth novel, and a somewhat of a departure for her. “I started writing this book in 2020—remember 2020?” Rader-Day said. “I just wanted to find some joy in my work and to pass along some of that joy to my readers. And I really wanted to talk about creativity, about how we choose what songs we sing or, of course, what stories we write.”
The result: a traditional mystery that includes humor, classic country references, and dogs (“who all make it out alive, don’t worry,” Rader-Day notes). It’s set in Chicago’s eclectic Jefferson Park northwest-side neighborhood, where the fictional McPhee’s Tavern might harbor a few secrets, including the lost treasure of Al Capone.
“Because of the lighter tone, the book’s cover could be unapologetically joyful,” Rader-Day said.
“Lori came to us with a crystal-clear vision for the cover,” said David Baldeosingh Rotstein, VP, Executive Art Director SMP/Creative Director of Minotaur Books. “She knew the mood, the illustrated style, and the country music vibe she wanted right from the start, which made our job a whole lot easier (and fun!). As soon as I read the manuscript it was obvious that Dahlia, the bold and magnetic main character, was the heart of the story, and absolutely had to be center stage (literally and figuratively) on the cover. I imagined the cover of Wreck Your Heart being evocative of a country music poster, with Dahlia shining in the spotlight.”
The illustration was done by Anderson Design Group, a family-owned shop known for their posters for the National Parks and tourism pieces for Nashville, Tennessee.
“While looking for the right illustrator, I was immediately drawn to the vibrant, retro-inspired style of the Anderson Design Group, both for their artwork and their typography—particularly the work of Aaron Johnson,” Rotstein said. “They completely nailed it—capturing Dahlia’s passionate spirit from the first pencil sketch to the final artwork. Watching Dahlia visually come to life was a thrill for both Lori and me!”
Wreck Your Heart’s cover has a few visual embellishments that reference the story inside, but also has some special features for Chicago readers to spot, like the six-point red stars at the four corners of the cover, and a particular blue pulled from the Chicago flag.
“I loved being able to use so much color on this cover,” Rader-Day said. “My favorite part are the rays of spotlight shining on Dahlia. I’m emotionally attached to them. When I see those bands of light, I see a nod toward the traditional letterpress posters that have been created for country shows since Chicago was the epicenter of country music in the 1920s and ’30s. Of course, today Chicago still has a vibrant music scene, including country. Doing the research for this book has been a great opportunity to get out and enjoy it.”
Wreck Your Heart is available for pre-orders wherever books are sold. Pre-orders for personalized, signed copies are being taken by Chicago independent bookstores The Book Cellar and New Book Joy.
Wreck Your Heart
By Lori Rader-Day
Minotaur Books/SMPG
Will be published January 6, 2026
