WWW Wednesday – 26 August 2026

On August 29, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

The Doubles by Jacob K. Gallagher (Trade Paperback)

This week I started reading the intriguing Australian urban fantasy novel The Doubles by Jacob K. Gallagher. Set in rural New South Wales, The Doubles follows a human agent of angelic powers as she attempts to discover a sinister magical trespasser killing children. I haven’t made a ton of progress on The Doubles yet, but it’s got a strong introduction and I’m already intrigued by its underlying mystery.

Warhammer 40,000: The Wicked and the Warped by Robert Rath (Audiobook)

I’m still enjoying the incredible new Warhammer 40,000 novel, The Wicked and the Warped by Robert Rath. The fantastic sequel to one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels, The Infinite and the Divine, The Wicked and the Warped follows two immortal rivals as they embark on another chaotic expeditions into one of the most dangerous places in this grimdark universe. I’ve nearly finished The Wicked and the Warped and it is proving to be a hilarious and highly addictive novel with a great plot behind it.

What did you recently finish reading?

Choppy Water by Jack Heath (Trade Paperback)

I managed to finish of my early copy of Jack Heath’s Choppy Water this week. A compelling thriller that sees a fugitive cop attempt to investigate a murder aboard a quarantined cruise ship, Choppy Water is a very distinctive and exciting novel with an interesting take on the locked-room mystery.

The Reckoning by Vikki Petraitis (ebook)

I also finished off the latest Vikki Petraitis novel, The Reckoning, soon. A continuation of her series that dives into gender violence in small town Australia, The Reckoning was another exciting and confronting novel that proved to be an excellent read.

The Wreck by Riley James (Trade Paperback)

Finally, I also finished the new Riley James book The Wreck. A unique thriller novel featuring secrets and lies on a deserted island; The Wreck has a very intriguing plot behind it, which comes highly recommended.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Five Voices by Tamara Moss (ebook)

I’ve got a few books on my to-read list at the moment, but the next thing I will probably dive into is the cool Australian young adult murder mystery Five Voices by Tamara Moss. Featuring an intriguing narrative about a group of podcasters caught up in the murder of one of their own, Five Voices sounds extremely awesome and I can’t wait to check it out.

That’s it for this week; check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

WWW Wednesday – 19 August 2026

On August 21, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

Choppy Water by Jack Heath (Trade Paperback)

I was in the mood for a fun thriller this week, so I jumped into an early copy of Jack Heath’s Choppy Water. A compelling thriller that sees a fugitive cop attempt to investigate a murder aboard a quarantined cruise ship, Choppy Water is a very distinctive and exciting novel with an interesting take on the locked-room mystery. I’m currently about a third of the way through Choppy Water and I’m hoping to finish it off over the weekend.

Warhammer 40,000: The Wicked and the Warped by Robert Rath (Audiobook)

I’ve also just started to read the incredible new Warhammer 40,000 novel, The Wicked and the Warped by Robert Rath. The fantastic sequel to one of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels, The Infinite and the Divine, The Wicked and the Warped follows two immortal rivals as they embark on another chaotic expeditions into one of the most dangerous places in this grimdark universe. I’ve only just started getting through The Wicked and the Warped and it is proving to be a hilarious and highly addictive novel with a great plot behind it.

What did you recently finish reading?

He Who Fights With Monsters by Travis Deverell (Trade Paperback)

I got through a few awesome books this week, including the compelling LitRPG novel He Who Fights With Monsters by Australian author Travis Deverell, better known as Shirtaloon. A reprinting of his novel originally released online, He Who Fights With Monsters is a progressive fantasy tale that follows a random Australian dragged to an elaborate fantasy world. I ended up powering through this novel, which was highly addictive and really fun.

Mortedant’s Peril by R. J. Barker (Audiobook)

I also finally finished the outstanding fantasy novel Mortedant’s Peril. The latest book from R. J. Barker, Mortedant’s Peril follows a man who can talk to the dead, as he attempts to unravel a dangerous conspiracy within his fractious fantasy city. An incredible fantasy murder mystery novel and one of my new favourite reads of 2026.

Star Trek: The Last Starship – Volume 1 by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing and Adrián Bonilla

Another cool thing I read this week was the advance copy of the new Star Trek comic The Last Starship. An intriguing comic that combined elements from several different eras of Star Trek lore, The Last Starship was a great read that explores hope in the darkest of situations. A fantastic comic that serves as an excellent start to a new series.

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Reckoning by Vikki Petraitis

While I didn’t get to it this week, I’m still hoping to dive into the next Vikki Petraitis novel, The Reckoning, soon. A continuation of her series that dives into gender violence in small town Australia, The Reckoning looks set to be another intriguing and confronting novel and should be another top piece of Australian fiction for 2026.

The Wreck by Riley James

I’m also hoping to keep the Australian crime fiction train going in the next week with the new Riley James book The Wreck. A unique thriller novel featuring secrets and lies on a deserted island; The Wreck has a very intriguing plot behind it and I’m quite curious to see how it turns out, especially after enjoying James’ debut novel The Chilling.

That’s it for this week; check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

Book Haul – 10 August 2026

On August 10, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

I’ve had an excellent couple of weeks for books, as I was lucky enough to receive some incredible and amazing new novels from publishers and Netgalley. These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including books that have the potential to be some of my top reads of the year. I cannot wait to dive into them, and I so excited to see how they all turn out.

We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman

Let’s start this Book Haul post off strong with the new Richard Osman novel, We Chase Shadows. The sequel to Osman’s exceptional novel, We Solve Murders, We Chase Shadows will see some of Osman’s more entertaining protagonists embark on another international investigation to catch a deadly killer. I absolutely loved We Solve Murders and I have no doubt this amazing sounding sequel is going to be one of the best novels of 2026.

Choppy Water by Jack Heath

I also was very happy to receive an early copy of the new Jack Heath novel, Choppy Water. One of the more anticipated Australian releases of 2026, Choppy Water will feature a compelling locked-room mystery as a fugitive attempts to uncover a killer aboard a quarantined cruise ship. I love the sound of Choppy Water, and I cannot wait to sink my teeth into Heath’s latest crazy crime fiction read.

The Mortons by Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld

One of the more unique novels I recently received was the fantastic crime fiction novel, The Mortons. Written by the team of Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld, The Mortons follows a talented scion of a family of professional killers and manipulators, who find themselves dragged into a dark conspiracy surrounding their family. I’ve actually already finished The Mortons, and it turned out to be a deeply compelling and memorable novel I couldn’t get enough off. Highly recommended, I’m hoping to review The Mortons soon.

He Who Fights With Monsters by Travis Deverell (Shirtaloon)

I’ve recently received the cool LitRPG novel He Who Fights With Monsters by Australian author Travis Deverell, better known as Shirtaloon. A paperback reprinting of the author’s online LitRPG sensation, He Who Fights With Monsters sounds pretty amazing, and I’m hoping to dive into the massive novel soon.

Templar Assassin by Angus Donald

Angus Donald continues to explore the Mongol horde from a unique perspective with his next book Templar Assassin. The sequel to his fantastic historical fiction novel Templar Traitor, Templar Assassin will continue to explore the life of an apparently rogue Templar Knight, who journeyed into Asia and joined the army of the legendary Genghis Khan. I look forward to reading this book, which should provide some excellent historical adventure and intrigue.

The Reckoning by Vikki Petraitis

Vikki Petraitis continues to write timely and thought-provoking Australian fiction in 2026 with her latest novel The Reckoning. Following on from her previous novels The Unbelieved and The Stolen, The Reckoning once again returns to small town Australia divided to gender violence, when a poisoning targeted at two freed rapists threatens to kill multiple people. I am very curious to see where Petraitis takes her latest story, and The Reckoning will likely end up being one of the more intense and powerful Australian reads of 2026.

The Cruise by Naïma Brown

An intriguing new thriller that sees a woman and her squad of best friends attempt to get revenge on a man who wronged her many years ago. The Cruise sounds like a great book, and I look forward to diving into it.

Full Circle by Chris Hammer

An exciting and intriguing standalone thriller from one of Australia’s best-known authors, Chris Hammer, Full Circle sounds like a great novel, and I’m hoping to finally read something from Hammer after all these years.

Shadow of Dragons by Jacob Peppers

An intriguing epic fantasy novel with an awesome sounding plot. I am really hoping to get a chance to read Shadow of Dragons this year, and I’m sure I will love it.

Five Voices by Tamara Moss

The final book I recently received is the young adult thriller Five Voices by Tamara Moss. An excellent sounding novel about murder and mystery surrounding a group of young podcasters, Five Voices sounds like a fantastic read and I’m very excited to check it out.

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.

Waiting on Wednesday – Choppy Water by Jack Heath

On July 25, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday1 Comment

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 highlight an incredible and unique upcoming murder mystery from one of my favourite Australian authors with Choppy Water by Jack Heath.

There are a lot of talented and entertaining Australian authors writing outstanding novels these days, but one of my favourites due to his consistently clever and entertaining reads is the wonderful Jack Heath. Hailing from my home city of Canberra, Heath has been entertaining Australian readers for years with his interesting combination of complex works. I am a massive fan of his amazing crime fiction novels, which includes his spectacularly over-the-top international Hangman series (including Hideout and Headcase).

Heath has also written some brilliant and twisted murder mysteries that make great use of an Australian setting. This includes the impactful and addictive, Kill Your Brother (one of my favourite Australian novels of 2021), the outrageous and memorable Kill Your Husbands (one of my favourite Australian books of 2023), and the very relatable Kill Your Boss (one of my favourite Australian novels of 2025). All these fantastic Australian novels from Heath are both clever and quite fun, and I really enjoy some the unique scenarios that the author comes up with. Due to this, I’m always keeping an eye out for Heath’s next intriguing read, and it looks like he will be delivering something special for crime fiction fans later this year.

This next book from Heath is the standalone novel, Choppy Water, which will take the readers on an entertaining ride, while also diving into the familiar chaos of the Covid period from a very different perspective. Set for release in November 2026, Choppy Water has a great plot behind it that is going to make for an outstanding read.

Plot Synopsis:

Death on the Nile meets Die Hard in this new ‘locked room’ mystery by the King of Twists, Jack Heath.

A woman’s body is found in a laundry cart aboard the Silver Lady cruise ship. Management says it was a freak accident and her death is quickly covered up, so as not to spoil the voyage for the passengers.

Cesar Cain doesn’t want to get involved. He boarded the Silver Lady to disappear. If the cops find him, he’s in a cell. If the Hell’s Hounds catch him, he’s in a grave.

But it’s March 2020, and the borders are slamming shut. Cesar soon discovers that the woman wasn’t the first victim – and with the ship suddenly quarantined and unable to dock anywhere, she won’t be the last …

I love this fun sounding plot for Choppy Water, which looks to combine Heath’s love of unique scenarios with some homages to classic whodunnit storytelling. A reluctant protagonist investigating a murder aboard a quarantined cruise ship has a lot of potential, and it’s going to be very interesting to see how this entire plot comes together. Based on my previous experiences with Jack Heath and his very entertaining reads, I foresee that Choppy Water will end up being one of the top Australian books of 2026 and I cannot wait to check it out.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2026 (Mystery, Thriller and Historical Fiction)

On July 1, 2026 By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, List, Murder Mystery, Thriller1 Comment

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. In this list, I continue to examine my most anticipated releases for the second half of 2026. While my other list of the night looked at the best upcoming fantasy and science fiction novels, this list will look at the crime fiction, thrillers, and historical fiction novels that I am most excited for in the next six months.

Just like with my previous article about upcoming fantasy and science fiction books, this was a bit of a difficult list to pull together. Even after I excluded fantasy and science fiction novels from it, there were still a ton of great books I could feature, and I had a hard time deciding what to cut. I was eventually able to whittle it down to a top ten list (with an honourable mentions section), and I am pretty happy with how it turned out. Just like with my fantasy and science fiction list, the following list does a great job of highlighting what books I am most excited for in the second half of the year, so let us see what makes the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

The Unknown by Riley Sager – 4 August 2026

An intriguing and spooky thriller from the always impressive Riley Sager.

King’s Ransom by Matthew Reilly – 29 September 2026

A new book from one of Australia’s best-known authors, Matthew Reilly, King’s Ransom sounds like a fantastic novel with a layered detective plot behind it. I’m very keen to read this book, although I’m leaving it as an honourable mention for now as I still need to read the initial book in this series, The Detective.

The French Illusion by John Grisham – 29 September 2026

Another intriguing and intense legal thriller from the legendary John Grisham, this time involving a kidnapping in Paris and the lawyer sent in to help.

Choppy Water by Jack Heath – 3 November 2026

A fun upcoming novel from one of my favourite Australian authors, Jack Heath. Choppy Water (no cover yet) has a very entertaining plot about a murder on a cruise ship, that I know I’m going to love.

Top Ten Tuesday:

One of Us is Guilty by Steve Cavanagh – 28 July 2026

The legal shenanigans of Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series look set to continue with the awesome sounding new book, One of Us Is Guilty. In this latest book, conman turned lawyer Eddie Flynn needs to figure out which member of a rich and supposedly perfect couple committed a brutal murder and which one is innocent. I love the sound of this cool new plot from Cavanagh, and I can’t wait to see the author’s next batch of crazy legal antics unfold.

Duel of Beasts by Boyd and Beth Morrison – 30 July 2026

The amazing author duo of Boyd and Beth Morrison look set to continue their exciting historical adventures with the upcoming fourth Tales of the Lawless Land novel, Duel of Beasts. Bringing back wandering knight Gerard Fox and his wife Willa as they journey across Europe, Duel of Beasts sees the two protagonists venture through medieval Spain to protect a recently widowed noblewoman from a vengeful relative. However, their latest adventure pits them against a menagerie of deadly beasts that are unleashed to hunt them throughout the countryside. This new book sounds just as fun and over-the-top as the previous Tales of the Lawless Land entries, and I have a feeling this one is going to be particularly entertaining.

Bad Neighbours by Joanna Jenkins – 4 August 2026

The next book I am excited to check out is Bad Neighbours by Australian author Joanna Jenkins. The author’s third book, Bad Neighbours will follow on from the excellent How to Kill a Client and The Bluff and sees Jenkin’s lawyer protagonist investigate the murder of a vagrant at her seemingly perfect new apartment building. Based on how impressive Jenkin’s last two novels have been, I strongly believe that Bad Neighbours will be one of the stronger Australian crime fiction novels of 2026, and I cannot wait to dive into it.

The Killer’s Mark by M. W. Craven – 11 August 2026

Highly entertaining escapes are sure to occur in the upcoming thriller novel, The Killer’s Mark by M. W. Craven. The next entry in the over-the-top Washington Poe series, The Killer’s Mark will see Craven’s extremely amusing protagonists start their own private detective agency and get drawn into a sinister case filled with dark secrets and conspiracies. I have had such an incredible time reading Craven’s last two books (especially his ultra-twisty novel The Mercy Chair), and I cannot wait to see what intriguing and unusual investigation the author has cooked up for The Killer’s Mark.

We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman – 15 September 2026

Richard Osman continues his crime fiction domination in 2026 with his next novel, We Chase Shadows. The sequel to his outstanding novel, We Solve Murders (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2024), We Chase Shadows brings back the incredible cast of his previous novel and sets them on another globe-trotting investigation. Set to feature another hilarious and deeply clever mystery with some fantastic characters, We Chase Shadows is going to be amazing and will probably be one of my favourite books of the year.

Serenity Falls by C. J. Tudor – 15 September 2026

One of the more unusual and potentially scary novels I am looking forward to in the second half of 2026, is the upcoming horror thriller from C. J. Tudor, Serenity Falls. Following a father and daughter who move to the idyllic town of Serenity Falls, this novel looks set to quickly go off the rails, with mysterious deaths and other dark secrets haunting the new inhabitants. Tudor has produced some incredible reads in the past, including her 2024 novel The Gathering, and I’m so excited to see what her next shocking book is going to contain. I did wonder if I should include Serenity Falls on my fantasy and science fiction list, but I have a feeling readers won’t truly know the cause of the dark events in this novel until the very end. As such, I’m leaving Serenity Falls as an entry on this list, and I know I’m going to love it no matter what.

Adam & Eve by Jeffrey Archer – 6 October 2026

After years of producing heartwarming and entertaining reads, the iconic Jeffrey Archer will finish off his literary career with his final novel, Adam & Eve. A historical epic, Adam & Eve will follow an unlikely couple and their journey towards World War II, with their forbidden relationship impacting the course of the war. Likely filled with compelling historical detail and fantastic character-driven drama, Adam & Eve should be an outstanding final outing from Archer, and I look forward to seeing the entire story unfold.

Shot by Shelley Burr – 27 October 2026

After finishing off her debut PI Lane Holland series (featuring Wake, Ripper and Vanish), Australian author Shelley Burr has another outstanding upcoming mystery that I’m very excited for, Shot. Set to follow a damaged true-crime vlogger as she attempts to solve a particularly infamous double murder, Shot sounds like an incredible read, and I’m already quite curious about its mystery.

The Hollow by Michael Connelly – 3 November 2026

Easily one of the books that I am most excited to check out in the second half of 2026 is the new Michael Connelly, The Hollow. Once again focussing on Connelly’s most iconic protagonist, Harry Bosch, The Hollow will see an older Bosch attempt to investigate a historic murder that has haunted him since he was a child. Thanks to its deeply personal and intense plot, The Hollow has a ton of potential, especially considering Connelly’s recent track record, and I have no doubt this is going to be one of the top books of the year.

The Sword of Rome by Simon Scarrow – 5 November 2026

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the upcoming 25^th entry in the epic Eagles of the Empire series by Simon Scarrow, The Sword of Rome. Following on from the political upheaval of Tyrant of Rome, The Sword of Rome will see the protagonists engage in another deadly mission as they travel to the edges of the Roman Empire to fight back an invading army. However, this mission could have grave consequences from the protagonists, as they must content with dangerous Roman politics and gamble with the lives of their families held hostage back in Rome. The Sword of Rome sounds like it is going to be a particularly awesome entry in one of my favourite series, and I cannot wait to see how it comes together.

Well, that’s the end of my second list. As you can see, there are some outstanding mysteries, thrillers and historical fiction novels coming out in the next six months which should prove to be amazing reads. Combine that with the fantasy and science fiction releases from my previous list and I know that I am going to have an incredible time in the second half of 2026. While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you and let me know what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.