Tag: Gavin Bell

WWW Wednesday – 7 October 2026

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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:

Serenity Falls by C. J. Tudor (Trade Paperback)

I was in a horror mood this week, so I decided to check out the new C. J. Tudor novel Serenity Falls.  An intriguing read that explores the dark side of a seemingly perfect community, Serenity Falls has an excellent plot behind it, backed up by the very talented writing of Tudor.  I’ve only made a little progress on Serenity Falls so far, but it has already captured my interest and I cannot wait to see where the story goes next.

Amazon

 

Warhammer 40,000: Voice of Command by Richard Swan (Audiobook)

After having an incredible time with Richard Swan’s other science fiction novel of 2026, The Infinite State, I just had to listen to his recently released Warhammer 40,000 novel, Voice of Command.  Swan’s first full Warhammer 40,000 novel, Voice of Command follows a demoralised regiment as they encounter betrayal, dissent and corruption, putting down a manipulative rebellion.  One of the darker Warhammer novels of 2026, Voice of Command is proving to be pretty damn incredible, and I am hoping to finish it off in the next few days.

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What did you recently finish reading?

We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman (Audiobook)

I managed to finish off the highly entertaining murder mystery, We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman this week. One of my most anticipated novels for the second half of 2026, We Chase Shadows is the sequel to Osman’s previous exceptional novel, We Solve Murders and follows some of Osman’s more unique protagonists as they attempt to solve another international mystery. An exceptional read with some real heart and brilliant humour behind it; this book comes very highly recommended.

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Scion by James Islington (Trade Paperback)

I also recently got through the cool science fiction thriller, Scion by Australian author James Islington. A futuristic thriller that sees an enhanced assassin try to protect her target rather than kill him, Scion was an excellent read that I had a lot of fun with.

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138 Main Street by Gavin Bell (Hardcover)

An intense and compelling thriller with a brilliant story hook behind it, 138 Main Street was a fantastic novel, and I’m hoping to review it soon.

Amazon

 

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

After falling in love with the first He Who Fights With Monsters novel, Outworlder, I made sure to also read the recently re-released second novel, Adventurer.  A highly entertaining and addictive fantasy novel, I powered through the massive volume of Adventurer in no time at all. I will be publishing a review up for Adventurer this weekend with a full five-star rating.

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Hard Town by Adam Plantinga (Trade Paperback)

An intense and brutal thriller that I got through extremely quickly. Highly recommended.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

He Who Fights With Monsters – Hero by Travis Deverell

My plan for this week is to dive into the next volume of He Who Fights With Monsters the very second I finish off Serenity Falls.  This next volume, Hero, will continue to follow the adventures of a complex protagonist as he explores a cool LitRPG world, and I cannot wait to see what carnage and insanity he unleashes in this third volume.  An epic read I already know I am going to love.

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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 – 27 September 2026

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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, plus a few purchases of my own.  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.

King’s Ransom by Matthew Reilly

The first recently receive book I want to highlight in this post is the fantastic new novel from Matthew Reilly, King’s Ransom. The sequel to his 2025 novel, The Detective, King’s Ransom brings back the first book’s unique protagonist and sets him on another over-the-top case.  I’ve actually already read this novel and it lived up to all my expectations, containing a particularly addictive narrative I couldn’t stop reading. A highly recommended read that I’m hoping to review soon.

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138 Main Street by Gavin Bell

I was very happy to get my hands on one of the more unique thrillers of 2026, 138 Main Street by Gavin Bell.  Focusing on the hunt for a serial killer murdering people who live at the titular address of the book in various towns across America, 138 Main Street sounds so damn interesting and I love the cool hook. I cannot wait to see how this novel unfolds, and I’ve heard it’s very good.

Amazon

 

Scion by James Islington

One of Australia’s best fantasy authors, James Islington, dives into the world of cyberpunk science fiction with his cool new novel Scion.  Following an enhanced assassin who finds herself forced to work a protection job for a mysterious client, Scion is a fast-paced read with an interesting story.  I’ve actually just started reading Scion and I’m very curious to see how it will come to an end.

Amazon

 

He Who Fights With Monsters: Adventurer by Travis Deverell

After falling in love with the first volume of Travis Deverell’s He Who Fights With Monsters series, Outworlder, I just had to grab a copy of the recently released sequel, Adventurer.  Sure to continue the fantastic LitRPG hijinks of the series, this second He Who Fights With Monsters novel is going to be incredible, and I look forward to diving into it.

Amazon

 

Serenity Falls by C. J. Tudor

Another amazing new novel I recently received was the fantastic horror release from C. J. Tudor, Serenity Falls.  An intriguing read set in a mysterious and seemingly perfect town, Serenity Falls has been on my radar for a while, and I cannot wait to see what dark horrors are contained within.

Amazon

 

One of Us is Guilty by Steve Cavanagh

I had to get my hands on the latest Steve Cavanagh legal thriller, One of Us is Guilty.  Part of the author’s Eddie Flynn series, One of Us is Guilty sees the protagonist forced to uncover which member of a seemingly perfectly married couple committed a murder. I’m very curious to see how this crazy case unfolds, and I have no doubt it is going to be fantastic and fun.

Amazon

 

Hard Town by Adam Plantinga

I have been hoping to read this next entry for a while now, so I’m particularly happy to finally get my hands on Hard Town by Adam Plantinga. His second novel following his debut, The Ascent, Hard Town will see the author’s protagonist engage in another brutal confrontation as he travels the United States.  I had an ton of fun with the author’s first book and I cannot wait to see what carnage unfolds in Hard Town.

Amazon

 

SHOT by Shelley Burr

I’ve also been lucky enough to receive a copy of one of the top Australian crime fiction releases from the second half of 2026 with SHOT by Shelley Burr.  An awesome new release that sees a disgraced journalist attempt to solve an impossible crime, SHOT sounds like an incredible read, and I look forward to diving into it.

Amazon

 

The Malevolent Nine by Sebastian de Castell

One of fantasy fiction’s most compelling authors, Sebastien de Castell, continues his epic 2026 with the sure to be crazy release, The Malevolent Nine.  Following on from de Castell’s insane novels The Malevolent Seven and The Malevolent Eight, The Malevolent Nine will see a group of rogue mages attempt to stop the new rulers of heaven and hell in the most destructive way possible. I have no doubt this book is going to be amazing, and I’m very excited to check it out.

Amazon

 

The Cross by Ronni Salt

Another great Australian book I recently received is The Cross by Ronni Salt. The sequel to her debut, Gunnawah, The Cross will take the reader back to 1970’s rural Australia, and feature the crime fiction misadventures of the residents of the small town of Gunnawah.  I’m very interested in seeing how Salt has improved as a writer since her first book, and I am excited to read this sequel.

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The Missing Season by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

The final book I recently received was the compelling 2027 murder mystery, The Missing Season.  Written by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, whose young adult crime fiction novels I have really enjoyed, The Missing Season features another thought-provoking story, as two women embark on different journeys to solve a missing person’s case.  I’m already quite intrigued by this book’s mystery, and I look forward to seeing all the cool twists and turns. A fantastic final novel for this Book Haul post.

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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 – 138 Main Street by Gavin Bell

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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 a cool upcoming thriller with the awesome sounding 138 Main Street by Gavin Bell.

Amazon

I like to think that over the years I have more than proven my love for unique thrillers with intriguing or distinct plot ideas that are near guaranteed to produce amazing and highly entertaining reads.  As such, I always keep an eye out for these sorts of books, and few upcoming novels fit the bill more than the epic 2026 release 138 Main Street, the debut novel of new author Gavin Bell.

Set for release in May 2026, 138 Main Street features a very fun crime fiction concept, when a serial killer starts targeting people around the United States who live at a specific address, the titular 138 Main Street.  However, because of the sheer quantity of main streets in America, the FBI are unable to predict where the killer will strike next, resulting in nationwide panic, vigilante violence and more, as the killer plots a revolution.

I love this fantastic plot idea, which is honestly extremely brilliant and entertaining.  If Bell can back up this cool concept with an equally outrageous narrative and some great writing, then I think that 138 Main Street has the potential to be one of the more memorable and impressive crime fiction debuts of the year.  I cannot wait to see how this interesting new book unfolds, and 138 Main Street is sure to be an outstanding read.

Plot Synopsis:

138 MAIN

AN ADDRESS TO DIE FOR…

There’s a killer on the loose. And he’s targeting one specific address—138 Main Street. The problem? There are over 7,000 Main Streets in the USA. And the police and FBI have no clue which one will be next.

For FBI Special Agent Ben Walker and his rookie colleague, Officer Zoe Hill, the pressure to solve the case is unimaginable. There aren’t enough police officers to cover every house, and vigilante residents are attacking anyone who rings their doorbell. Main Street might be one of America’s most popular addresses, but for those living at number 138, it comes down to fight or flight.

Then a manuscript is sent to the New York Times, purporting to be the manifesto of the “Main Street Killer” and demanding radical social change. As the effect of the terror campaign takes hold across the nation, Walker and Hill find themselves in a race against time to stop the killer. But with their target always several steps ahead, and almost 3,800,000 square miles of ground to cover, they’ll have to find him first…