Welcome to my second Top Ten Tuesday list of the week, were I look at my most anticipated thrillers, crime fiction and historical fiction novels coming out in the first half of 2024.  Traditionally I usually only do one list to represent the top upcoming books for the year, however, I was inspired to separate out the fantasy and science fiction novels into my previous list, while this list will feature epic reads from the other major genres that I am interested in.

Despite only just starting, 2024 is already shaping up to be an epic and exciting year for books with a huge range of impressive and highly anticipated novels due for release in the next 12 months.  This includes exciting debuts, anticipated sequels and the latest entries in beloved bestselling series.  The first half of the year is looking particularly awesome, with a substantial number of incredible upcoming releases that I am deeply looking forward to. 

Even though I excluded fantasy and science fiction books, this ended up being a rather difficult list to pull together due to all the awesome releases coming out in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2024 and 30 June 2024.  There were way too many extraordinary upcoming books that I could have included, and I ended up having to make some very tough calls and cutting several novels that have an immense amount of potential.  Despite this, I am rather happy with the eventual choices that I made, and I think that this list reflects the upcoming novels and comics I am going to have the most fun reading. However, there are also some interesting new books that I am discussing for the first time here, so that should give this list a bit of variety.  So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated releases for the first half of 2024.

Honourable Mentions:

Goodbye Girl by James Grippando – 9 January 2024

A compelling legal thriller with a ton of potential.

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The Murder Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox – 13 February 2024

A great crime fiction read about killers heading towards an unusual inn, introduced in a prior novel by Patterson and Fox.

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Nobody’s Hero by M. W. Craven – 1 June 2024

The exciting sequel to Craven’s 2023 novel, Fearless, I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

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Sentinel by Mark Greaney – 25 June 2024

The fantastic sounding sequel to Greaney’s amazing action-packed Armored, Sentinel sounds very exciting and I look forward to checking it out.

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Top Ten List:

The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman – 6 February 2024

First on this list is the exciting new murder mystery from Jonathan Kellerman.  I have become a real fan of Kellerman’s long-running Alex Delaware series, especially after reading such excellent books as The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire, Serpentine, City of the Dead and Unnatural History, and I am very excited to get my hands on The Ghost Orchid.  Set to follow the series’ great protagonists as they investigate a sensational double-homicide, The Ghost Orchid should prove to be very twisty, especially as both victims have secrets that could have made them the intended target of the attack.  I have a lot of love for this series, and reading the new Alex Delaware book has become a fun start-of-year tradition for me.

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Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz – 13 February 2024

An excellent spy thriller to start of 2024 is Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz.  Part of Hurwitz’s fantastic Orphan X series (Out of the Dark, Into the Fire, Prodigal Son, Dark Horse and The Last Orphan), this book follows a former government assassin turned vigilante of last resort, who specialises in helping people with no-one else to turn to.  This new book will set the protagonist against his deadliest enemies yet, a visionary tech billionaire and a skilled serial killer who may prove to be just as lethal as the legendary Orphan X.  I look forward to diving into this awesome book and it should prove to be a great addition to a particularly cool series.

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The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney – 20 February 2024

Probably the book I’m most looking forward to in early 2024 is the new Gray Man novel by Mark Greaney, The Chaos Agent.  The Gray Man books are one of my favourite series at the moment, especially as all the books in the series, including The Gray Man, Mission Critical, One Minute Out (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020), Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), Sierra Six (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and Burner (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), have been so very strong.  This latest entry will pit the titular Gray Man against a massive conspiracy surrounding AI and force him to face off against one of his oldest friends.  Sure to be one of the best books I read this year, I am so very excited to dive into The Chaos Agent.

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The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry – 20 February 2024

Another awesome spy thriller that I am particularly excited to read in 2024 is The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry.  Part of Berry’s awesome long-running Cotton Malone series, The Atlas Maneuver will force the series titular protagonist to unravel another world-shattering conspiracy with its origins hidden in historical secrets, including lost World War II gold, and the world’s oldest bank.  I have had such a brilliant time with this series in recent years, including with books like The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol, The Kaiser’s Web and The Last Kingdom, and I cannot wait to dive into this new elaborate and captivating read.

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War Cry by Ian Ross – 12 March 2024

In 2023 I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the awesome historical fiction novel, Battle Song by Ian Ross, which followed a brutal knight and his naïve squire as they get caught up in one of England’s many civil wars.  A fantastic and powerful historical adventure, Battle Song was a particularly impressive read that made me a huge fan of Ross.  As such, I am very eager to grab a copy of the upcoming sequel, War Cry, when it comes out here in Australia.  Set to provide a follow-up to the brutal and character-forming events of Battle Song, War Cry should be another exceptional read and I cannot wait to see how Ross follows-up his previous epic novel.

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White Ash Ridge by S. R. White – 14 March 2024

One of the most promising authors of Australian crime fiction, S. R. White, returns with another enticing outback mystery, White Ash Ridge.  White has really impressed me in recent years with his prior novels, Prisoner and Red Dirt Road, and I am looking forward to seeing another one of his unique mysteries.  His new book, White Ash Ridge, will see his unconventional detective try to solve a complex murder in an isolated hotel, where only a handful of guests of a charity dedicated to police reform were present.  This will probably be one of the best Australian mysteries of 2024 and I look forward to unwinding White’s elaborate mystery.

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The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill – 19 March 2024

Another great novel from an Australian author I am looking forward to in the next few months is The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill.  An elaborate and personal murder mystery about a complex family and the death of a famous author, The Mystery Writer sounds so damn awesome and I cannot wait to dive into this excellent novel.

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The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe – 9 April 2024

Tess Sharpe follows up her outstanding young adult thriller, The Girls I’ve Been, with a new awesome adventure in The Girl in Question.  Once again following her intriguing teenage con-women protagonist as she attempts to outwit a deadly group of criminals, The Girl in Question sounds extremely awesome, and I am really excited to read this book.  The Girls I’ve Been was extremely impressive and I have been waiting for a sequel for ages.

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Behind a Closed Door by J. D. Barker – 13 May 2024

A gritty and dark psychological thriller that sees a couple get caught up in an elaborate online game where the stakes keep getting higher and higher.  This is one of the most intriguing books that has caught me eye in early 2024 and I am very keen to unravel the entire sordid tale.

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Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox – 4 June 2024

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the awesome thriller from one of Australia’s best crime fiction authors, Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox.  Set to follow an elite unit of firefighters who moonlight as a dangerous heist gang, Devil’s Kitchen sounds that an extremely cool read with a great plot behind it.  I have had a lot of fun with Fox’s last few books, and this should prove to be another amazing novel.

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That is the end of this list.  I am extremely happy with how my latest Top Ten Tuesday article turned out and this list contains an intriguing collection of upcoming books that should prove to be incredible reads.  I think that nearly every one of these books has the potential to get a full five-star rating from me and I cannot wait to see what amazing and exciting stories they contain.  While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you, as well as what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.  Also, make sure to check out my other Top Ten List with the top upcoming fantasy and science fiction books of 2024.