Category: Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday – The Widow by John Grisham

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday5 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  in this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight a fantastic upcoming thriller from iconic author John Grisham, The Widow.

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John Grisham is an author that needs very little introduction thanks to his awesome array of legal thrillers and complex crime fiction novels.  A best-selling author since 1989, Grisham has dominated the thriller scene for decades, creating a raft of clever and compelling novels, many of which have been turned into iconic films.

Due to my focus on other genres, I only started really reading thrillers a few years ago, which meant I’m experiencing Grisham for the first time well into his career.  However, I have ended up reading several of Grisham’s more recent books, including The Judge’s List, The Boys from Biloxi, The Exchange, Camino Ghosts and the short story collection Sparring Partners.  Each of these novels has been quite entertaining and I’ve rather enjoyed the varied array of narratives contained within.  My favourite so far is probably The Judge’s List, although a fantastic new contender from Grisham is set to be released in a few months’ time.

Grisham’s next novel is the very intriguing legal thriller, The Widow.  Set for release in October 2025, The Widow features an awesome sounding plot, as a small-town lawyer attempts to embezzle money from an elderly widow he’s taken on as his client.  However, the protagonist’s plans will go awry when he is arrested for a murder he didn’t commit and must fight to defend himself in the courtroom while also trying to discover who set him up.  I really love the sound of this new John Grisham novel, and I think The Widow has one of the author’s more interesting recent plot ideas.  I have a feeling this is going to be a very strong new novel from Grisham, and I am very excited to get my hands on The Widow in a few months’ time.

Plot Synopsis:

She needs a lawyer. He needs a payday.

Simon Latch is a small-town lawyer struggling with debt, gambling issues and an impending divorce. But when Eleanor Barnett, an 85-year-old widow, visits his office to secure a new will, it seems his luck has finally changed: she claims she’s sitting on a $20 million fortune and no one else knows about it.

She could be the ticket to his fortune.

Once he’s hooked the richest client of his career, Simon works quietly to keep her wealth under the radar, even from his own assistant. But there are complications: other lawyers are circling his client like vultures.

But when she is hospitalised after a car accident, Eleanor’s story begins to crack. Simon realises that nothing is as it seems. And as events spiral out of control, he finds himself on trial for a crime he swears he didn’t commit: murder.

The Widow is classic Grisham courtroom drama combined with a confounding murder mystery that will enthral his legion of fans.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday3 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  I’ve already published another Waiting on Wednesday novel tonight with Born of an Iron Storm by Anthony Ryan; however, I’m also publishing a post to highlight the awesome upcoming fantasy mystery novel, The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso.

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The reason that I am choosing to highlight The Last Soul Among Wolves tonight is because I just published a review for Melissa Caruso’s fantastic 2024 novel, The Last Hour Between Worlds.  A great mystery read that saw the protagonist attempt to investigate a recuring series of magical murders amongst a dark time loop.  I had a ton of fun with The Last Hour Between Worlds, and I have been keen for the sequel for some time now.  It helps that The Last Soul Among Wolves, which is set for release in August 2025, has a particularly intriguing plot idea behind it that will cleverly follow Caruso’s previous book and initiates another dark series of events.

Plot Synopsis:

The Last Soul Among Wolves is the dazzling second instalment in Melissa Caruso’s bestselling Echo Archives series, a whip-smart fantasy adventure packed with murder, mystery and mind-bending magic.

All Kembral Thorne wants is to finish her maternity leave in peace. But when her best friend drags her to a will reading at a decrepit island mansion – along with her once-rival, now-girlfriend Rika Nonesuch – she finds an unexpected reunion of her childhood crew . . . and a deadly curse she must now unravel.

To save her friends, Kem and Rika must once more race against the clock and descend into other realities. But the mansion is full of old secrets and new schemes, and soon the game becomes far more dangerous than they could ever have imagined.

The Last Soul Among Wolves sounds like another fantastic book from Caruso, and I look forward to the seeing how this new captivating narrative unfolds.  Setting the protagonist against another dark curse, this time around the classic scenario of a mysterious will reading at decrepit island mansion, has a lot of awesome potential, and I am very excited to see how it unfolds.  At the same time, the inclusion of several supporting characters from The Last Hour Between Worlds, should result in some fantastic character-focused moments, especially as most of the figures being included are a bunch of outrageous people from across the setting of the Echo Archives, each with their own secrets and history.  I imagine that Caruso has a very complex narrative set around uncovering all these character’s respective secrets, as well as figuring out how it connects to the curse trapping them, which should result in an impressive read.

Due to how amazing the first book in the Echo Archives was, I have very high hopes for The Last Soul Among Wolves, and it is one of my most anticipated reads for the second half of 2025.  Set to feature mystery, elaborate fantasy elements and an array of memorable central characters, The Last Soul Among Wolves will likely be one of Melissa Caruso’s strongest books yet (which is saying something), and I cannot wait to get my hands on it in a few months’ time.

Waiting on Wednesday – Born of an Iron Storm by Anthony Ryan

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday8 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this somewhat late Waiting on Wednesday, I check out the awesome upcoming book from Born of an Iron Storm by Anthony Ryan.

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As some of you who are familiar with my blog would have seen, I just published a long-overdue review of the awesome 2024 novel, A Tide of Black Steel by Athony Ryan.  A sequel to the authors previous Covenant of Steel novels (The Pariah, The Martyr, and The Traitor), A Tide of Black Steel was one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024, and I have been meaning to put a review of it up for a while.

As I had an outstanding time finally writing up my review for A Tide of Black Steel, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to review the intriguing upcoming sequel, Born of an Iron Storm.  The second book in the author’s Age of Wrath series, Born of an Iron Storm is set for release in late August 2025 and will continue after the impressive cliffhanger that Ryan left his previous novel on.

Plot Synopsis:

From the international bestselling author Anthony Ryan comes the spectacular second novel in a new epic new fantasy trilogy inspired by Norse mythology.

The Sister Queens have fallen and Ascarlia lies naked before the storm. A Nihlvarian plan, years in the making, has seen Ascarlia’s enemy seize the capital Skar Magnol. Now the invaders look to the wealthy port city of Olversahl to complete their conquest.

But there is hope.

Elvine is trapped at the heart of the conspiracy, yet her role in the new government offers the chance to plan resistance from within. She must tread a fine line between loyalty and secret disobedience, knowing the smallest mistake will mean her death.

Meanwhile, Thera has secured the Outer Islands, but her loyalist forces alone cannot liberate Skar Magnol. She must seek allies to have any chance of defeating the Nihlvarian threat. But her greater challenge will be to overcome her own doubts and become the leader she needs to be.

If she fails, Ascarlia will fall.

And far away across the ocean, Felnir embarks on a bloody path towards kingship whilst to the north, Ruhlin seeks escape from the tyrannical realm of Nihlvar where the mysterious Vortigurn holds sway.

Continuing the epic tale begun in A Tide of Black Steel, Born of an Iron Storm is a compelling saga of bloody retribution, deadly intrigue, and desperate courage.  

This is a very awesome sounding sequel, and it looks like Ryan is going to expand on a lot of very cool plot points in Born of an Iron Storm.  Set to continue with the four same perspective characters from A Tide of Black Steel, Born of an Iron Storm will likely start with several separate narrative threads as these great characters each try to navigate on from the dark places that they finished the last book in.  I deeply enjoyed all four of these separate, character focused stories in A Tide of Black Steel, and I look forward to seeing how each character survives their last misadventures and continues to try to fight back against the mysterious new enemy.

Of the four I think the perspective I am most looking forward to in Born of an Iron Storm is that of Elvine, a young scribe caught up in the middle of a successful conspiracy to destroy Ascarlia from within.  A lot of the reasons I am keen to see Elvine’s perspective is her recently revealed connection to the protagonist from the original Covenant of Steel novels, and it will be interesting to see where Ryan takes her familial story going forward, especially as she tries to survive alongside her adventurous half-brother, who those familiar with Ryan’s previous series will know has quite a dark legacy behind him.  Elvine’s chapters also have the potential to be some of the more intrigue and mystery laden as the protagonist attempts to rebel while forced to live in service of those who want to destroy her people, and I cannot wait to see how that blows up in her face.

While Elvine’s chapters have a good chunk of my interest based on the synopsis above, the rest of the perspective chapters in Born of an Iron Storm have a lot of potential as well, and I can see all of them being quite impressive in their own way.  Thera’s chapters will likely be the most militarised, as she attempts to fight back a massive invading fleet, so expect a lot of cool longship-on-longship or shield wall combat there.  Felnir’s narrative will likely be the most frustrating, as the young captain seeks glory and power in all the wrong places, although I feel there will be some intricate lore in these chapters.  Finally, the young escaping pit fighter Ruhlin will likely have a dark tale of survival and finding oneself in his storylines, and it will be interesting to see how this monster survives on the run.  All four of these character perspectives sound extremely compelling, and I am anticipating that there will be some excellent crossover the further we get into Born of an Iron Storm’s story, which should make for a particularly incredible novel.

Due to how damn impressive Anthony Ryan’s last four books have been, there is no way that I will be missing out on Born of an Iron Storm later this year.  Sure to be filled with complex characters, great action and some elaborate storytelling, Born of an Iron Storm has so much potential, and I have no doubt at all that it will be another five-star read from this great author.  As such, Born of an Iron Storm is one of my most anticipated books coming out in the second half of the year, and I cannot wait to see how Ryan continues his exceptional Age of Wrath series.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Comedy/Satire, Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday7 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this Waiting on Wednesday, I look at an upcoming novel I wholeheartedly believe will be one of the best releases of 2025, with the exceptional and impressive new Thursday Murder Club novel, The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman.

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Over the last few years, I, as well as many other lovers of crime fiction, have been blown away by the works of relative newcomer Richard Osman, who has wowed the world with his Thursday Murder Club novels.  Osman, a fun British television personality, blew into the crime fiction scene back in 2020 with his debut novel, The Thursday Murder Club, an enchanting novel that followed four loveable senior citizens with an unlikely hobby, as they attempted to solve a series of murders around their retirement village.  Not only did The Thursday Murder Club have an outstanding murder mystery greatly enhanced by Osman’s subtle humour, but the author also created four incredible and memorable protagonists in Thursday Murder Club members Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim, who all brought their own distinctive charm to the story.  I ended up have an exceptional time with The Thursday Murder Club, and it ended up being one of my favourite books, debuts and audiobooks of 2020.

While The Thursday Murder Club was an exceptional first book from Osman, it turned out to only be the start of the magic from the author, as we soon got some outstanding new additions to the series.  This included the awesome first sequel, The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), the excellent third novel The Bullet That Missed (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and the tragic and powerful fourth novel, The Last Devil to Die (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023).  Osman also successfully branched out with the intriguing thriller novel, We Solve Murders (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024), that also greatly impressed.  All these novels were simply incredible, and getting the new Osman is now a major highlight of my reading year.

Unsurprisingly, I am extremely keen for the next book from this amazing author, and fans of Osman are apparently in for a big treat later this year with the fifth Thursday Murder Club novel, The Impossible Fortune.  Set for release in late September 2025, The Impossible Fortune will see the gang get back into action when they encounter a new criminal conspiracy threatening those close to them.

Plot Synopsis:

The unmissable new mystery in the bestselling, record-breaking Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osman.

Who’s got time to think about murder when there’s a wedding to plan?

It’s been a quiet year for the Thursday Murder Club. Joyce is busy with table plans and first dances. Elizabeth is grieving. Ron is dealing with family troubles, and Ibrahim is still providing therapy to his favourite criminal.

But when Elizabeth meets a wedding guest who fears for their life, the thrill of the chase is ignited once again. A villain wants access to an uncrackable code and will stop at nothing to get it. Plunged back into their most explosive investigation yet, can the gang solve the puzzle and a murder in time?

This sounds like another outstanding addition to the Thursday Murder Club series, and I like the direction that Osman is taking the narrative.  Setting a deadly game of cat and mouse amongst an important and stressful wedding event is a sure to make the plot of The Impossible Fortune something really entertaining, and I am deeply intrigued to see how the entire story unfolds.  While there aren’t too many details in the above synopsis, I have no doubt that Osman has cooked up another complex and thrilling tale of deceit and murder, which her four elderly protagonists will be eager to dive into after their hiatus from crime solving.

While I love the sound of the cool story above, I think a lot of us are going to be reading The Impossible Fortune to check in on the four beloved protagonists of the book, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim, especially after all the tragic and life changing events of the fourth novel.  It is going to be particularly sad to follow Elizabeth again after the heartbreaking passing of her husband (something I still haven’t forgiven Osman for), and I imagine that her perspective scenes are going to be some of the hardest to read in the entire book.  It will be interesting to see how the rest of the cast are going, and if Osman is true to form, there will be some amazing character-focused storylines around all of them that will make you love these brilliant protagonists even more.

To be clear, there is no chance in hell that I will not be reading The Impossible Fortune later this year.  Richard Osman’s previous books have all been so damn exceptional, and I really cannot wait to get my next hit of complex mystery, amazing humour and particularly personal character stories.  Based on how incredible all the other Thursday Murder Club novels have been, there is no doubt at all that The Impossible Fortune is going to be one of the very best books of 2025, and I am going to have such an incredible time powering through the audiobook version of this novel in a few months’ time.

Waiting on Wednesday – King Sorrow by Joe Hill

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Horror, Waiting on Wednesday8 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I check out King Sorrow, a very interesting upcoming novel from acclaimed author Joe Hill that sounds like quite an epic and compelling ride.

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We are nearly halfway through the year, but there are still a ton of awesome and memorable books to come.  One of the more unusual, but intriguing novels releasing in the second half of 2025 is a very distinctive read by horror and fantasy author Joe Hill.  Hill is an author whose work I’ve been meaning to check out for a while, especially as comes up with some very inventive scenarios to base his stories around, and it looks like I will finally get the chance later this year with King Sorrow.

King Sorrow, which is currently set for release in late October 2025, will be Hill’s first full novel since 2016, and looks to contain a bold and elaborate story about a group of friends who summon an ancient dragon to take down a group of drug dealers, only for their monster to turn on them.  I have to say that I really love this fantastic plot idea, and its one that has a lot of gritty potential.  Based on the synopsis below, King Sorrow will likely be a complex, character-driven read, that will explore an eclectic group of protagonists who are forced to live with the consequences of their dark mistake.  With the plot of King Sorrow set over four decades, this is probably going to be quite the elaborate novel, and I look forward to seeing the long-term problems associated with summoning a dragon who requires yearly sacrifices.

This sounds like such a fun and compelling upcoming novel, and I already quite curious about whatever dark, ethics-laden, character-defining horror story Joe Hill will be presenting in this cool book.  As such, King Sorrow is highly anticipated release for me, and I strongly believe that this will be one of the memorable books of the year.

Plot Synopsis:

SOME PROMISES SHOULD NEVER BE MADE…

Bookish dreamer Arthur Oakes is a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters and beautiful buildings.

But his idyll – and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot – is shattered when local drug dealers force him into a terrible crime: stealing rare and valuable books from the exceptional college library.

Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for help: the wealthy, irrepressible Colin Wren; brave, beautiful Alison Shiner; the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride; and brainy, bold Gwen. Together they dream up an impossible, fantastical scheme that they scarcely imagine will work: to summon the fabled dragon King Sorrow to kill those tormenting Arthur.

But the six stumble backwards into a deadly bargain – they soon learn they must choose a new sacrifice for King Sorrow each year or one of them will become his next victim. Unleashing consequences they can neither predict nor control, this promise will, over the course of four decades, shape and endanger their lives in ways they could never expect.

Waiting on Wednesday – Star Wars: Master of Evil by Adam Christopher

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Tie-in Novel, Waiting on Wednesday7 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I look at an intriguing and compelling upcoming Star Wars novel, with Master of Evil by Adam Christopher.

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After a couple of years of inadvertently avoiding extended Star Wars fiction (mainly because I’ve been more focussed on Warhammer 40,000 fiction), I’ve been making a big effort to try and grab or highlight some of the newer Star Wars novels, including the compelling early rebellion focused novel, The Mask of Fear by Alexander Freed that came out earlier this year.  While there are a few other cool Star Wars books coming out in the second half of 2025, the one that has really caught my eye is the complex and character-focused book, Master of Evil by Adam Christopher.

Christopher, who previously wrote the sequel-trilogy set-up novel, Shadow of the Sith (which is still on my to-read list), is returning to his Sith focus in a big way with Master of Evil.  Set for release in November 2025, Master of Evil will follow Darth Vader on his journey deeper into the dark side of the force, as he embarks on a quest to conquer death.  Sure to be complex, character-driven and intense, Master of Evil sounds like an exceptional read, and I love it’s compelling, lore-focussed plot synopsis.

Plot Synopsis:

After Revenge of the Sith, a newly forged Darth Vader hunts for the secrets of life and death under the watchful eye of Emperor Palpatine.

In the wake of Emperor Palpatine’s rise to power, the true nature of his most sinister enforcer remains a mystery. Darth Vader is a dominant yet illusive figure: the shadow cast by a malignant Imperial regime, unknowable to even its top officials. But even as his humanity gives way to myth, Vader remains haunted by the promises of the dark side, seeking the ultimate power that his master has hinted at but withheld—the power to conquer death itself.

On the volcanic world of Mustafar, Vader undertakes a dark ritual, bleeding a kyber crystal to forge his lightsaber. This act unleashes a power far greater than he anticipated, giving him a glimpse into the limitless potential of the Force.

Vader is determined to follow this vision, even if it means defying his master’s orders. Yet he finds the Emperor suspiciously supportive of his mission, even sending Vader to the Diso system to investigate rumors of a Force-wielding shaman able to raise the dead. At his side are a cadre of the Emperor’s scarlet-robed Royal Guard, led by Colonel Halland Goth—a decorated soldier with a very personal interest in Vader’s mission.

Even as the Emperor’s true motivations reveal themselves, Vader falls deeper into obsession. His journey takes him far across the galaxy, chasing rumors and phantoms. But no matter how far he travels, he cannot escape the shadows within his own soul. Haunted by the echoes of his past, Vader circles the true resolution to his quest: only once all weakness is purged can he become a master of evil.

I am really intrigued by Master of Evil’s plot, and I think its one that has an awful lot of potential, especially for hardcore Star Wars fans.  Frankly any book that follows Darth Vader, especially during his early days as a Sith Lord, is going to be an instant get for me, and I am extremely curious to see Vader settling into his role as the Emperor’s shadowy enforcer.  You’ll have to assume that this will result in quite a personal and character-focused plot, as the scarred and emotional Vader tries to come to term with all that he’s done and all that he’s lost.  The extra focus on Vader learning more about the dark side of the Force, especially with how it relates to stopping death, is going to be fascinating, and I look forward to seeing how the central character moves further away from the heroic Anakin to the resolute and merciless Vader.

Naturally, the above plot synopsis sounds pretty lore-heavy, so I imagine that Master of Evil isn’t going to be a book aimed towards more casual Star Wars fans.  I personally love some of the more lore-heavy Star Wars novels and comics, such as Charles Soules’ Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith comic series, that was set in a similar period, and they can make some very compelling and personal reads.  Indeed, it looks like Christopher is going to be revisiting some of the elements that Soule introduced in this comic, and it will be interesting to see where Christopher takes some of these more obscure bits of the lore in Master of Evil.

Overall, I think that Master of Evil has a ton of potential, and it could end up being one of the top pieces of Star Wars extended universe fiction out in 2025.  I love the complex story synopsis above, especially as Star Wars fans will be blessed with one of the first Darth Vader novels in years, and I am excited to dive into the mind of a young Vader as he learns more about the evil he has dedicated his life to.  I look forward to seeing Adam Christopher’s take on one of fiction’s most iconic villains, and if Master of Evil’s story is as half as cool as its fantastic cover, then we’re in for an awesome time with this book.

Waiting on Wednesday – Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday10 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I highlight an incredible upcoming piece of Australian crime fiction with the sure-to-be hilarious novel, Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson.

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For the last few years, the Australian crime fiction scene has been soundly dominated by the highly talented Benjamin Stevenson.  A comedian and performer, Stevenson started writing back in 2018 when he debuted his first crime fiction novel Greenlight (also released as Trust Me When I Lie and She Lies in the Vines), which Stevenson expertly followed up a year later with the great sequel Either Side of Midnight.  While these initial books were really good, for me Stevenson’s best work has been his Ernest Cunningham novels.

The Ernest Cunningham series follows the titular character, a crime fiction expert from a notorious family, who finds himself caught up in some real-life whodunit situations.  The first book in the series, Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone, was particularly impressive, and it cleverly combined the author’s great sense of humour with a compelling mystery.  I really enjoyed this exceptional book (one of my favourite Australian novels of 2022), especially as the author successfully played to his comedic background to produce an outstanding read that satirised classic crime fiction conventions.  Stevenson continued to impress the following year, with the amazing book Everyone on this Train is a Suspect.  One of my favourite books and pieces of Australian fiction of 2023, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect was a worthy sequel to the first Ernest Cunningham book, and I loved how the author took the opportunity to further parody various crime fiction subgenres.  Stevenson even released a short, but impactful, Christmas entry in the Ernest Cunningham series last year with Everyone this Christmas has a Secret, which saw a Christmas variety show get very bloody, and which ended up being one of my favourite pieces of Australian fiction in 2024.

Due to how exceptional, clever and funny the last few books from Stevenson have been, I have been eagerly waiting for a 2025 novel from him and the author has just released details about his next awesome novel, Everyone in this Bank is a Thief.  A new entry in the Ernest Cunningham series Everyone in this Bank is a Thief will once again force the author’s unlucky protagonist to investigate a classic whodunnit when someone is murdered.  However, Stevenson has come up with a very interesting hook, as Ernest will need to find the killer while a hostage in the middle of a bank robbery.

Plot Synopsis:

The new instalment of the million-copy bestselling mystery series. What if an Agatha Christie style murder mystery happened inside OCEAN’S ELEVEN…

Ten suspects. Ten heists. A puzzle only Ernest Cunningham can solve.

I’ve spent the last few years solving murders. But a bank heist is a new one, even for me. I’ve never been a hostage before.

The doors are chained shut. No one in or out. Which means that when someone in the bank is murdered, hostages become suspects.
THE BANK ROBBER
THE MANAGER
THE SECURITY GUARD
THE KID
THE FILM PRODUCER
THE PRIEST
THE RECEPTIONIST
THE PATIENT
THE CARER
ME

Turns out, more than one person planned to rob the bank today. You can steal more from a bank than just money.

Who is stealing what? Are they willing to kill for it? And can I solve the crime before the police kick down the door and rescue us?

This sounds like another particularly fun book from Stevenson, and I love the new scenario that the author came up with for his next Ernest Cunningham book, especially as he once again works to cross a classic whodunnit with a more modern crime fiction storyline.  Coming up with a murder amid a high stakes bank heist and filling the vault with an array of characters that would fit into any Agatha Christie novel is an awesome idea, and I cannot wait to see how the author deconstructs all the tropes surrounding the scenario as he builds up a clever and entertaining mystery.  The oncoming police intervention also adds a certain interesting time crunch element to the plot, and it will be interesting to see the protagonist try to solve the murder before all the suspects are set free.  As such, this should be a particularly awesome story and I look forward to unwinding the entire complex mystery.

Based on what Stevenson has featured in his previous Ernest Cunningham novel, I am expecting this mystery of Everyone in this Bank is a Thief to be matched with some fantastic humour.  A lot of this will be due to the protagonist’s internal narration, as he deals with an array of over-the-top figures, while even more will be due to the writer’s funny, yet loving, takedowns of classic murder mystery and whodunnit tropes and overused plot devices.  I am also assuming there will be a bit of a takedown of heist novels with this book, and I cannot wait to see what fun the author will have with a compelling bank robbery plot.  I have no doubt this great humour will mesh well with the main crime fiction elements of the story, and I cannot wait to see what outrageous events and complex webs emerge as a result.

I cannot emphasise just how happy I am that Benjamin Stevenson is continuing his Ernest Cunningham series, and I was always going to be excited at grabbing the next entry in the series. However, I must admit I’m even more excited now that I’ve gotten some plot details for Everyone in this Bank is a Thief, which sounds like it is going to be a truly awesome read.  I cannot wait to see crazy shenanigans and clever jokes Stevenson slips into this excellent upcoming novel, and I have a feeling that Everyone in this Bank is a Thief is going to be one of my top reads of 2025.

Waiting on Wednesday – Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 41: Ten Thousand Plums by Stan Sakai

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Comics/Manga, Waiting on Wednesday3 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday post, I highlight the next volume of the epic Usagi Yojimbo series by Stan Sakai, Ten Thousand Plums, which should be another exceptional entry in this amazing comic series.

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Fans of this blog will be more than familiar for my love of the exceptional Usagi Yojimbo series by Stan Sakai.  A particularly awesome comic that has been running since 1984, the Usagi Yojimbo stories follows a rabbit ronin as he faces all manner of foes in an alternate version of feudal Japan populated with anthropomorphic animals.  Thanks to its clever stories, great use of Japanese culture, complex characters and stunning artwork, the Usagi Yojimbo series has long been a favourite of mine and I currently have every single volume of it sitting proudly on my shelf.

Needless to say, getting the any new volumes of Usagi Yojimbo is a major priority for me each year, and I am always excited when I find out when the next comic is dropping.  As such, I was very, very happy to recently find out that the 41st volume of the series, Ten Thousand Plums, is set for release later this year.  This volume is particularly exciting for me, as we’d usually only get one volume a year and I was worried that the 40th volume of the series, The Crow, which I had a blast with earlier this year, was going to be me only Usagi Yojimbo hit of the year (barring one of my many re-reads, such as for volume 15: Grasscutter II).  However, it looks like this is one of the blessed years where we get more than one volume, and this new entry sounds pretty damn cool.

Currently set for release in late November 2025, Ten Thousand Plums will see the protagonists visit a beautiful valley, filled with thousands of plum trees, only to encounter mysterious deaths, suspicion and other dark occurrences.  I am already very intrigued by this comic’s unique new plot, and I cannot wait to see how it unfolds.

Plot Synopsis:

Murder and arson are plaguing the valley of ten thousand plums.

The trees within the valley of ten thousand plums are beautiful to behold. But the umeboshi, or pickled plums, made in the local village are renowned for their strong medicinal properties, and a favorite of the Shogun. As a series of deadly events grip the valley with fear, the Shogun’s samurai strongman is immediately suspicious when Usagi, Yukichi, and Gen are found wandering among the prized foliage…can their appearance be a mere coincidence?

A new adventure starring Usagi Yojimbo by legendary creator Stan Sakai, with beautiful color work by HiFi Colour Design.

Now this sounds like it is going to be a particularly cool Usagi Yojimbo story that will allow Sakai to really show off both his artistic talent and ability to craft great, mystery filled narratives.  Mysterious events around an intriguing location with a connection to a specific Japanese product (in this case, pickled plums) will allow Sakai to really dive into historical practices, and I cannot wait to see what cool narrative emerges.  At the same time, having Usagi and his companions become involved with the interests of the Shogun really increases the stakes of the plot, and may have some interesting long-term implications for the simple wanders.

While I think the story of Ten Thousand Plums is going to be amazing, one of the things that I am very much looking forward to for this new volume is the exceptional artwork.  Sakai always excels at painting breathtaking landscape shots as the background for his stories, especially as he really showcases the beautiful Japanese wilderness, or the iconic feudal towns.  It sounds like we will be in a for a real artistic treat in Ten Thousand Plums, as the entire narrative will be set to the background of thousand of flowering plum trees.  The multitude of trees and their blossoms is going to look so impressive when drawn by Sakai, and I cannot wait to see how it frames every single panel, especially now that the volumes are in colour.  Throw in Sakai’s usual brilliant artwork around combat, towns and unique characters, and this upcoming volume is going to be a real visual treat, and I can see this being one of Sakai’s more visually ambitious volumes.

Look, I was always going to be grabbing the new Usagi Yojimbo volume the second it came out, but hearing about Ten Thousand Plums’ impressive plot has made me even more eager for it.  Stan Sakai’s next volume sounds so damn cool, and I cannot wait to get my hands on even more Usagi Yojimbo comic-awesomeness this year.  As such, Ten Thousand Plums is now one of my most anticipated releases coming out later this year, and I already now it will be one of the best comics I read this year.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Bone Raiders by Jackson Ford

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday3 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I check out the highly entertaining fantasy novel, The Bone Raiders by awesome author Jackson Ford.

Amazon

Looking ahead to the second half of 2025, there are a lot of entertaining fantasy novels coming out, but one of the ones that has really caught by attention is the very fun sounding read The Bone Raiders.  Written by author Jackson Ford (a pseudonym of writer Rob Boffard), who previously impressed with his Frost Files series, The Bone Raiders has an insane and deeply intriguing fantasy plot that I am really excited for.

Set for release in August 2025 and already boasting a very cool cover, The Bone Raiders will follow a group of grassland raiders feared for their habit of bedecking themselves with the bones of their enemies, as they attempt to survive a dangerous new enemy and his massive army.  When threatened with invasion, they are forced to find a way to survive, and their best idea is to do the impossible and tame the giant, fire-breathing lizards that rampage through their homeland and turn them into the ultimate raiding mount.

Those readers who are familiar with this blog will know that is the sort of crazy and hilarious sounding plot idea that I instantly love.  I have no doubt that with Ford behind the helm, this unique scenario will result in The Bone Raiders becoming something very special, especially as his outrageous characters attempt to achieve something particularly insane.  As such, I am extremely eager to get my hands on a copy of The Bone Raiders when it comes out, and I strongly believe it will be one of the more entertaining and captivating fantasy novels coming out in the second half of the year.

Plot Synopsis:

The start of an edge-of-your-seat, action-packed fantasy series from the irreverent Jackson Ford, where a wild band known as the Bone Raiders harness the power of gigantic, fire-breathing lizards to defend their homeland.

You don’t mess with the Rakada. The people living in the grasslands of the Tapestry call them the Bone Raiders, from their charming habit of displaying the bones of those they kill on their horses and armour.

But being a raider is tough these days. There’s a new Great Khan in the Tapestry. He’s had it with the raider clans, and plans to use his sizeable military to do something about it. And then there are the araatan: fire-breathing lizards the size of elephants, roaming the grasslands in search of dwindling food supplies.

Sayana is a Rakada scout, and she loves her job. But if she wants to keep it, she’s going to have to do something drastic. Like convincing her clan to ride araatan, instead of horses. Sayana doesn’t quite know how to get that done without being eaten and/or cooked alive, but she’d better figure it out fast – or she and her clan, along with every other raider in the Tapestry, will be wiped out.

Waiting on Wednesday – Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday7 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight the final upcoming entry in the excellent Broken Blades fantasy trilogy with Three Shattered Souls by Mai Corland.

Amazon

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland, an outstanding fantasy debut that saw five highly damaged killers, including a thug, a spymaster, a poisoner, an outlaw prince and a thief join forces to kill an immortal king.  Featuring a great plot, some excellent protagonists and an impressive audiobook format, Five Broken Blades was a very impressive read that ended up being one of my favourite debuts of 2024.  However, this was only the start of the fun I was having with Corland’s new series.

Due to how much I enjoyed Five Broken Blades, I made sure to listen to a copy of the sequel earlier this year, Four Ruined Realms.  An excellent sequel that moved the plot of the series along in some exciting ways, including with some additional character development and a good dose of tragedy, Four Ruined Realms was an awesome novel and one of the better audiobooks I enjoyed so far this year.

After having a brilliant time reading the first two books in the Broken Blades trilogy, I was naturally very excited to find out that Corland was finishing the series off this year with the third and final book, Three Shattered Souls.  Set for release in July 2025, Three Shattered Souls will wrap up the series as the remaining protagonists will face the combined wrath of their world as they try to finish their mission and remove the tyrant king from the throne.

Plot Synopsis:

THE UNMISSABLE FINAL CONCLUSION TO THE EPIC KOREAN-INSPIRED FANTASY SENSATION, THE BROKEN BLADES TRILOGY

Some betrayals cut deeper than blades.

The Blades were never supposed to survive this long. But after the battle in Quu Harbor, escaping is no longer enough. The most dangerous liars in the four realms have one last mission – return to Yusan and finish what they started.

But now a usurper sits on the serpent throne. And he may be more dangerous than the god-king.

With three relics of the Dragon Lord in their possession, the Blades will face the might of the four realms. Enemies will become allies. Allies will become traitors. And the ones they love most? They’ll be the ones to break them.

Grief will carve the Blades into something ruthless and unrecognizable. But only by losing everything can they win this game of kings and crowns.

Three Shattered Souls looks set to continue all the best storylines from the first two books, and I am deeply excited to see where this final entry goes.  It sounds like the character’s will be involved in a three-way war against all their enemies, and I cannot wait to see what carnage comes out, especially after the chaotic conclusion of the second novel.  Corland will also have to expand and then wrap up the remaining character arcs in this final book, and I cannot wait to see how the various complex relationships, motivations and secrets finally end up, especially as there is bound to be even more treachery, mistrust and sacrifices in this final novel (based on the title, I’m worried at least one more major protagonist is dying here).  As such, Three Shattered Souls’ narrative has so much potential, and I really hope that Corland has a powerful and memorable finale in store for us.

After having an excellent time getting through the previous novels in this series, there is no way I’m stopping now, especially as Three Shattered Souls sounds so damn good.  This final Broken Blades book by Mai Corland should be something very special, and I am very excited to see how this epic trilogy comes to an end.  As such, July cannot come soon enough, and I am planning on listening to Three Shattered Souls as soon as it comes out.