I have been having an absolutely fantastic weeks for book, as I have been lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from some of my local publishers. These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including some exceptional upcoming releases from 2023. I am extremely keen to check out all of the books below and they should make for some amazing reads.
Headcase by Jack Heath
The first book I recently received was the epic new Hangman novel by Canberran author Jack Heath, Headcase, which I have already had the very great pleasure of reading. The fourth book in the Hangman series, which previously featured Hideout, Headcase continues to follow the escapades of Timothy Blake a crazed cannibal and brilliant investigator, who is dragged into a CIA investigation of a dead Chinese astronaut found in the NASA complex at Housten. Heath, who also wrote the impressive book, Kill Your Brother (one of my favourite Australian books of 2021), did a remarkable job with Headcase and the ensuing mystery is particularly clever and compelling. Throw in some excellent characters with some very distinctive quirks, and this was an outstanding read. I was also very happy that my review for Hideout was quoted at the front of the book, and I am hoping to get my review for Headcase up very soon.
Red Winter by Marc Cameron (Based on the works of Tom Clancy)
I also recently received and read the fantastic new Jack Ryan book by Marc Cameron, Red Winter. A new addition to the expanded universe originally started by Tom Clancy, Red Winter presents a whole new Cold War adventure for Jack Ryan, this time taking him to East Berlin as he attempts to recruit a Stasi agent with knowledge of stolen military secrets. Red Winter is an excellent and very exciting spy thriller and I had a wonderful time getting my first taste of Clancy’s espionage universe.
Red Dirt Road by S. R. White
I was particularly happy to receive a copy of the 2023 Australian crime fiction novel, Red Dirt Road by S. R. White. The sequel to White’s first two novels, Hermit and Prisoner, Red Dirt Road will bring back his excellent detective protagonist and set her to investigate another compelling outback murder. This time, the detective is trapped in a remote, outback town and must figure out who killed two people when everyone she meets is a potential suspect. I am sure that this is going to be an epic read and I can’t wait to dive into it soon.
Hunting Time by Jeffery Deaver
Next, we have the cool sounding thriller by iconic author Jeffrey Deaver, Hunting Time. The fourth book to feature Deaver’s intriguing protagonist, Colter Shaw, Hunting Time sees Shaw attempting to find and save a woman and her daughter who are on the run from her abusive ex-husband and two deadly hitmen. However, his new target doesn’t want to be found and it will take all of Shaw’s skills to work through her many tricks and evasion strategies, hopefully before the monsters chasing her finally catch up. I love the sound of this great book, especially as it will follow multiple people taking part in the same hunt, and I imagine this is going to be a pretty epic read.
The House of Now and Then by Jo Dixon
Another great 2023 Australian novel I recently received is the unique debut from new author Jo Dixon, The House of Now and Then. Featuring a combination mystery/drama narrative, The House of Now and Then will see a haunted woman, hiding from her own past, dive into the history of the house she is sheltering in, and attempt to work out what happened to the three young people who lived there 30 years before. This will no doubt be a compelling and deeply moving piece of Australian fiction and I look forward to reading it in the new year.
Cold People by Tom Rob Smith
Perhaps one of the most intriguing novels I recently received is the fantastic science fiction thriller, Cold People by Tom Rob Smith. After Earth falls to a mysterious, alien force, humanity is given 30 days to reach shelter in the one place humans will be allowed to exist, Antarctica. Following a handful of people who take this journey, Cold People looks set to be a powerful and epic read which will feature a particularly distinctive and awesome setting. I am already quite intrigued by this compelling book and I can’t wait to dive into it soon.
Going Zero by Anthony McCarten
I was also very lucky to grab an advanced proof of the very cool sounding science fiction thriller, Going Zero by award winnning screenwriter Anthony McCarten. Going Zero has a very awesome story to it that sees 10 people attempt to go off the grid and hide from a new piece of advanced spyware for a big monetary prize. However, when one participant proves particularly adept at hiding from the technology, the company behind it will put everything they have into finding her before she ruins their potential billion dollar contract. I love the idea of this exceptional sounding book, especially as it reminds me a bit of that reality show Hunted, and I am hoping to read this very soon.
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon
The final book I recently received is the awesome fantasy novel A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon. The prequel to her epic novel, The Priory of the Orange Tree, A Day of Fallen Night will return to her world of dragons and follow all new conflicts and wars. A massive book with an elaborate story (and an exceptional cover), A Day of Fallen Night is sure to be one of the more popular fantasy releases of 2023, and I am hoping that I will be able to fit this into my reading schedule.
Well, that’s the end of this latest Book Haul post. As you can see I have quite a bit of reading to do at the moment thanks to all these awesome books that have come in. Let me know which of the above you are most interested in and make sure to check back in a few weeks to see my reviews of them.
The Unseen Library 