Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Thrillers, Crime Fiction and Historical Fiction releasing in the First Half of 2024

On January 9, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, List, Murder Mystery, Thriller5 Comments

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

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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

The Murder Inn Cover

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Waiting on Wednesday – Upcoming 2024 Thrillers

On December 20, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday17 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. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For my latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight three outstanding sounding thrillers coming out in the first half of 2024.

In recent years I have really grown to love the thriller genre, having had a lot of fun reading a variety of different books from this awesome category of fun novels. Something about the action, intrigue and adventure really speaks to me, and I always have an outstanding time with a good thriller. Thanks to my increased interest in this genre, there are several series and authors I am a massive fan of, and whose books I am always going to grab whenever they come out each year. As such, there are three particularly outstanding thrillers coming out in the first half of 2024 that I am very excited for, and I cannot wait to check them out.

The first book I want to look at is the awesome sounding Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz. Lone Wolf is part of Hurwitz’s Orphan X series that follows a former government assassin turned resourceful vigilante as he attempts to help those who have nowhere else to turn. This is a very fun series and I have enjoyed several epic entries so far, including Out of the Dark, Into the Fire, Prodigal Son, Dark Horse and The Last Orphan.

Lone Wolf Cover

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The next Orphan X book, Lone Wolf, is set for release in February 2024 and has another epic sounding plot behind it. This time the protagonist is caught between a dangerous assassin who might be as good as he is and a mysterious tech billionaire, each of whom have their own twisted agendas. This upcoming novel sounds pretty awesome, and I cannot wait to see what carnage, intrigue and deep personal growth occurs in this next fantastic book.

Plot Synopsis:

AN ASSASSIN IN FREEFALL: Following a career in which he was always the most dangerous man in the room, ex-government assassin Evan Smoak is the last person his friends should ever have to worry about. But when Evan, formerly codenamed Orphan X, drops out of sight they’re concerned. They were right to be. A personal crisis has left him on his knees.

A RECLUSIVE BILLIONAIRE: If anyone remembered his first name they never cared to use it. But Allman’s lack of empathy hasn’t proven any barrier to building a tech empire whose tentacles reach into every aspect of people’s lives. And in the rush to praise his genius, no one’s asking what it could mean for humanity. Nor what Allman’s got coming next.

A KILLER AT LARGE: Someone is leaving a trail of dead in their wake. Apparently chosen at random, their deaths dressed up as accidents or suicides. The woman responsible is known only as the Wolf and looks to be every bit Evan’s equal. She now has him in her sights.

How does it all connect? What is at stake? And will Evan rediscover the instinct and skill he needs to prevail? Or die trying . . .

The second book I want to highlight is the complex and entertaining sounding new release from Steve Berry, The Atlas Maneuver. The 18^th entry in Berry’s long-running Cotton Malone series, The Atlas Maneuver contains another intricate conspiracy laden storyline whose origin lies in the depths of history. I have a lot of love for this awesome series as Berry constantly works outrageous moments from history into elaborate modern day thriller storylines, and I have really enjoyed the last few entries, including The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol, The Kaiser’s Web and The Last Kingdom.

The Atlas Maneuver Cover

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This next Cotton Malone book, which is coming out in late February 2024, will see Cotton Malone thrust into another conspiracy, this time involving hidden Japanese war gold, the world’s oldest bank and the CIA, all wrapped into a story about bitcoin. I am very intrigued to see a financial based thriller plot, especially with such awesome sounding historical elements, and I know Berry will do a wonderful job bringing this all together. As such, The Atlas Maneuver is currently one of my most anticipated releases for 2024 and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Plot Synopsis:

From celebrated New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry comes the latest Cotton Malone adventure, in which Cotton unravels a mystery from World War II involving a legendary lost treasure, Yamashita’s Gold, worth billions.

1945. In the waning months of World War II, Japan hid vast quantities of gold and other stolen valuables in boobytrapped underground caches all across the Philippines. By 1947 some of that loot was recovered, not by treasure hunters, but by the United States government, which told no one about the find. Instead, those assets were stamped classified, shipped to Europe, and secretly assimilated into something called the Black Eagle Trust.

Present day. Retired Justice Department operative, Cotton Malone, is in Switzerland doing a favor for a friend. But what was supposed to be a simple operation turns violent and Cotton is thrust into a war between the world’s oldest bank and the CIA, a battle that directly involves the Black Eagle Trust. He quickly discovers that everything hinges on a woman from his past, who suddenly reappears harbouring a host of explosive secrets centring around bitcoin. The cryptocurrency is being quietly weaponized, readied for an assault on the world’s financial systems, a calculated move that will have devastating consequences. Cotton has no choice. He has to act. But at what cost?

From the stolid banking halls of Luxembourg, to the secret vaults of Switzerland, and finally up into the treacherous mountains of southern Morocco, Cotton Malone is stymied at every turn. Each move he makes seems wrong, and nothing works, until he finally comes face-to-face with the Atlas Manoeuvre.

The final book I want to highlight is Nobody’s Hero by M. W. Craven, an author I only recently became a fan of. Craven has written several intriguing thriller novels over the years, and I was lucky enough to get a copy of his latest book earlier this year with Fearless. A fast-paced and over-the-top read that focussed on a cocky and deadly protagonist who literally feels no fear, Fearless was an exciting and exceedingly entertaining revenge romp that saw the protagonist destroy a sinister organisation.

Nobody's Hero Cover

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I had an amazing time with Fearless and I was very excited to see that there was another Ben Koenig book coming out in June 2024. This outstanding book will see the protagonist thrust into another daring adventure, this time involving the CIA, a deadly killer in London and a long-hidden agent with a ton of secrets in her head. Nobody’s Hero sounds extremely fun and impressive, and I am expecting another crazy and bloody action romp from Craven.

Plot Synopsis:

The man who can’t feel fear is back, in a race against time to find the woman who knows a secret that could take down the world as we know it.

When a shocking murder and abduction on the streets of London leads investigators to him, Ben Koenig has no idea at first why the highest echelons of the CIA would need his help. But then he realises he knows the woman who carried out the killings. Ten years earlier, without being told why, he was tasked with helping her disappear.

Far from being a deranged killer, she is the gatekeeper of a secret that could take down the West, so for years she has been in hiding.

Until now.

And if she has resurfaced, the danger may be closer and more terrifying than anyone can imagine.

So Ben Koenig has to find her before it’s too late. But Ben suffers from a syndrome which means he can’t feel fear. He doesn’t always know when he should walk away, or when he’s leading others into danger . . .

Fast, brutal, smart, and violent, Nobody’s Hero is an engrossing story of contract killers, international terrorism, hard choices — and a fearless man.

Early 2024 is shaping up to be a hell of a year for thriller readers. The three books above sound so damn awesome and I am very excited to continue all these great series. I imagine all three are going to be some of my favourite books of the year and I look forward to seeing what elaborate new adventures these amazing authors have come up with.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Summer 2023-24 To-Be-Read (TBR) List

On November 28, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn List4 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week looked at books set in specific location or period of the blogger’s choice. However, as I’m mucking around with my Top Ten List schedule, I actually did this list last week when I covered my favourite books set in the Roman Empire. As a result, I have a topic free this week and as we are just about to enter Summer (Winter for those up in the Norther Hemisphere) I decided to move up my quarterly post about the best upcoming books to-be-read (TBR) for the following three months. This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I honestly should have pulled this together a couple of weeks ago.

For this list, I have come up with 10 of the most anticipated novels that are coming out between 1 December 2023 and 29 February 2024. There are quite a few very cool novels set for release in the next few months that I am extremely excited for, including some of the top books from each respective year. Due to how impressive some of these upcoming books are, it took me a little while to finalise my list but I was eventually able to whittle it down into a Top Ten list (with a few honourable mentions). I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Top Ten Tuesdays and Waiting on Wednesday articles and I think all of them will turn out to be pretty incredible reads. I have extremely excited for the next three months as quite a few up these upcoming reads are easily going to be amongst the best reads of their respective years.

Honourable Mentions:

Midnight by Amy McCulloch – 2 January 2024

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A cool science fiction mystery that I’m keen to sink my teeth into.

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The Burning Land by David Hair – 1 February 2024

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The compelling start to a new fantasy series.

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The Holy Terrors by Simon R. Green – 6 February 2024

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A fun sounding horror book that parodies reality television.

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Top Ten List (by release date):

House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 7 December 2023

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Let us start this list off with a book I actually started reading today, House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky. A dark and complex fantasy novel that follows the deranged inhabitants of an experimental magical healing unit in a hostile army, House of Open Wounds is the sequel to Tchaikovsky’s City of Last Chances, which is one of the best books and audiobooks I enjoyed in the first half of 2023. I’m currently around 150 pages into House of Open Wounds and I am loving the complex, multi-character narrative that sees a huge cast of distinctive and troubled figures attempt to survive in a cruel world. Featuring a brilliant story and Tchaikovsky’s trademark inventive setting, House of Open Wounds is an amazing read and one I look forward to reviewing in the coming weeks.

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The Ascent by Adam Plantinga – 2 January 2024

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A fun and action-packed debut thriller that will see a former cop attempt to survive a rioting prison filled with deadly convicts. The Ascent is going to be a very entertaining book and I am sure I will have a blast getting through it.

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Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont – 3 January 2024

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An awesome book coming out very early in 2024 is Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont. The sequel to one of my favourite debuts from 2021, The Frenchman, Dark Arena looks set to continue Beaumont’s compelling and detailed depiction of French espionage, this time hunting down a mysterious group of operators seeking to destabilise Europe.

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Goodbye Girl by James Grippando – 9 January 2024

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A fun upcoming legal thriller from a new-to-me author that will see a lawyer get dragged into a contentious case involving internet piracy, music contracts and bad romances. However, the case gets even more complicated when both the protagonist’s client, and the ex-husband suing her, are charged with the same murder. I love the sound of the amazing plot for the next upcoming book by James Grippando and Goodbye Girl should prove to be an excellent read.

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The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman – 6 February 2024

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A series I have really grown to love reading at the start of each year is the amazing long-running Alex Delaware murder mystery series by Jonathan Kellerman. Following a psychiatrist and a detective who team up to solve unusual murders in L.A., the Alex Delaware books are really impressive pieces of crime fiction and I always get drawn into Kellerman’s amazing narratives such as those of The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire, Serpentine, City of the Dead and Unnatural History. The next book in the series, The Ghost Orchid, will see the protagonists investigate a double homicide of two wealthy lovers with troubled pasts. Sure to be a complicated mystery with loads of compelling suspects, I cannot wait to dive into The Ghost Orchid and it should be something special.

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Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz – 13 February 2024

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Gregg Hurwitz look set to continue his outstanding Orphan X series in early 2024 with the excellent sounding Lone Wolf. This series, which has featured awesome books like Out of the Dark, Into the Fire, Prodigal Son, Dark Horse and The Last Orphan, follows a fugitive government assassin codenamed Orphan X, who attempts to save people as a secretive vigilante. This latest book will see an emotionally compromised Orphan X go up against a mysterious billionaire and a deadly serial killer, which is sure to result in an outstanding story. I am very excited for this novel and it should turn out to be pretty awesome.

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

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An intriguing new thriller from the winning team of the legendary James Patterson and Australian author Candice Fox. The sequel to one of their previous collaborations, The Murder Inn looks set to be an intense and quick paced book, loaded with intrigue and murder.

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The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett – 13 February 2024

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I had to feature the awesome upcoming fantasy novel The Tainted Cup by the always impressive Robert Jackson Bennett. The start of an intriguing new series from Bennett, The Tainted Cup will see an intriguing duo investigate a mysterious magical death, one that could change everything and doom their entire nation. The Tainted Cup sounds like a wonderful character driven fantasy book with a great murder mystery element to it, and Bennett has proven to be an exceptional author in the past. As such, I am very keen for The Tainted Cup, and I feel it has the potential to be one of the top fantasy books of 2024.

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The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney – 20 February 2024

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Perhaps the book I’m most excited for at the start of 2024 is The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney, which will serve as the 13^th novel in his epic Gray Man series. I have had a blast with this series over the years, and previous novels like The Gray Man, Mission Critical, One Minute Out, Relentless, Sierra Six and Burner have all been exceptional reads, loaded with action, clever narratives and damaged characters. The Chaos Agent looks set to continue this trend with an intriguing new adventure which will force the protagonist to go up against old friends and new enemies as he tries to stop a plot involving artificial intelligence.

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The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry – 20 February 2024

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The final entry I want to highlight on this list is the fantastic upcoming thriller The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry. The latest book in Berry’s long-running Cotton Malone series (make sure to check out my reviews for previous entries like The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol, The Kaiser’s Web and The Last Kingdom), The Atlas Maneuver will see the protagonist become involved in an insidious financial attack linked to looted Japanese war gold and a long-simmering war between the CIA and the world’s oldest bank. Sure to feature Berry’s trademark blend of an exciting and suspenseful modern thriller and fascinating historical secrets, I already know I am going to love The Atlas Maneuver and it is going to be so much fun.

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Well, that is the end of my Top Ten list. I think it turned out pretty well and it does a good job of capturing all my most anticipated books for the next three months. Each of the above should be extremely epic, and I cannot wait to read each of them soon. Let me know which of the above you are most excited for and stay tuned for reviews of them in the next few months. In the meantime, it looks like I have quite a few books to get through soon and they should all be pretty awesome.

Quick Review – The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz

On August 7, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Quick Review, Thriller10 Comments

The Last Orphan Cover 2

Publisher: Michael Joseph (Trade Paperback – 21 February 2023)

Series: Orphan X – Book 8

Length: 342 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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The always impressive Gregg Hurwitz continues his amazing Orphan X series with the awesome and wonderful new addition, The Last Orphan.

One of my favourite spy thriller series at the moment is easily the exciting and cool Orphan X series by rising thriller author Gregg Hurwitz. This fantastic series follows a former elite government assassin, Evan Smoak, codenamed Orphan X, who is forced to go rogue and hide himself away from his old employers. Hoping to redeem himself after all the killing he’s done, Evan takes up a new identity, the Nowhere Man, a vigilante who helps the most desperate people in ways no one else can. I have been a fan of this series for ages, ever since I read Out of the Dark, which pitted the protagonist against a deranged US President. Since then, I have had an outstanding time reading the latest books in the series, including Into the Fire, Prodigal Son, and Dark Horse. I always make it a point to pick up the new Orphan X book each year, and the latest entry, The Last Orphan, was another pretty awesome book that I was quickly able to power through.

Plot Synopsis:

As a child, Evan Smoak was plucked out of a group home, raised and trained as an off-the-books assassin for the government as part of the Orphan program. When he broke with the program and went deep underground, he left with a lot of secrets in his head that the government would do anything to make sure never got out.

When he remade himself as The Nowhere Man, dedicated to helping the most desperate in their times of trouble, Evan found himself slowly back on the government’s radar. Having eliminated most of the Orphans in the program, the government will stop at nothing to eliminate the threat they see in Evan. But Orphan X has always been several steps ahead of his pursuers.

Until he makes one little mistake…

Now the President has him in her control and offers Evan a deal – eliminate a rich, powerful man she says is too dangerous to live and, in turn, she’ll let Evan survive. But when Evan left the Program he swore to only use his skills against those who really deserve it. Now he has to decide what’s more important – his principles or his life.

The Last Orphan was another outstanding entry in this great series and Hurwitz ensures that it features all his trademark features, including strong characters, a powerful emotional heart, and a ton of action and intrigue.

This latest Orphan X book has a very strong start to it as Evan is ambushed right at the beginning of the novel by a massive Secret Service detail, determined to finally bring him in after he went rogue on the President a few too many times. Captured and trapped, Evan is forced to make a deal: kill mysterious industrialist Luke Devine or lose his own life. However, Orphan X makes his own decisions about who he assassinates, and after escaping, he begins his own research into his target, hoping to determine if he deserves to die. Investigating a mysterious death associated with Devine’s estate and the massive parties that go on there, Evan begins to make his own connections about the case and is forced to go up against Devine’s lethal and morally dangerous security detail. There are some pretty intense scenes in this part of the book as Evan makes some curious discoveries about Devine and his company, while also being forced to protect potential witnesses from his target’s security. At the same time, Evan begins to wonder if Devine actually deserves to die and must soon choose between his conscious and his peaceful life of anonymity.

This was a pretty good entry in this series, although possibly not the best that I have so far read (in my mind, that’s Into the Fire). I really liked the awesome start to The Last Orphan, especially as the over-the-top and intense capture by the Secret Service was so damn cool and it was interesting to finally see Evan taken down by the Government. However, this doesn’t last long, and once he rather easily escapes, the intensity and pace of the story kind of slows down a bit. Don’t get me wrong; I did really enjoy the subsequent storyline set around the investigation into the mysterious industrialist and his security crew, but it was a bit of a step down after the initial excitement. Still, this second half of the novel is a ton of fun, and Hurwitz presents his usual blend of fascinating spy thriller moments, particularly intense and brutal action, as well as the focus on Evan’s strained and unique personal life.

The villains of this story, Devine’s security detail, are some pretty over-the-top but genuinely threatening figures, and Hurwitz comes up with some excellent scenes around them, even presenting them as real threats to the protagonist. At the same time, Hurwitz works in a very compelling morality edge to the story, as Evan tries to work out whether Devine is actually evil or just a political threat to the President. The author makes this determination pretty hard, especially as Devine comes across as a very manipulative and unusual figure who manages to make even the legendary Orphan X doubt himself. The big conclusion of this books is very good and features all the typical action and carnage that you would expect. However, parts of the story go in some very surprising directions and I liked the unique ideas that Hurwitz presented here.

In addition to all the action and intrigue, quite a lot of The Last Orphan revolved around the compelling and moving emotional and personal concerns of the protagonist and his great supporting cast. Evan has always been a very complex figure due to his unusual upbringing, his lack of personal skills, and his crippling OCD, and a fantastic recurring theme of the books has been him trying to overcome this and finally make some connections. This continues extremely well in The Last Orphan, as he once again relies on his friends and his surrogate daughter/little sister to pull him out of the fire and keep his sanity. There are some pretty emotional interactions between Evan and these figures throughout the course of The Last Orphan, especially as it appears that Evan might not be able to come back from his latest adventure, and I felt that this was another powerful and impressive evolution of some already deep character growth. There are some other pretty big personal moments for Evan in The Last Orphan, including the seeming end of one relationship due to Evan’s fugitive status, and the potential development of another as Evan finally attempts to dive into his own complex past. It will be fascinating to see how this develops in the future, and I am sure that Hurwitz has some very intense moments planned for all of us. I honestly felt that the author got the right balance between action and emotion for The Last Orphan, and this ended up being a stronger book as a result.

Overall, The Last Orphan was a pretty awesome new entry in the great Orphan X series, and I really liked how Gregg Hurwitz continued his fantastic ongoing narrative. Featuring an excellent blend of spy thriller fun and powerful character work, The Last Orphan was an addictive and clever read, and I am glad I got the chance to check it out. Highly recommended, especially to established fans of the series, The Last Orphan is really worth the read.

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WWW Wednesday – 19 April 2023

On April 19, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme 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 Tyrant Skies by David Annandale (eBook)

I have made a lot of progress on the awesome tie-in book The Tyrant Skies by David Annandale which I received on Netgalley. Featuring a cool story about Doctor Doom taking on the Red Skull, The Tyrant Skies is a ton of fun and I am having an outstanding time getting through it. I am hoping to finish it off in the next day or so, and this is definitely a great book for all Marvel fans.

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Warhammer 40,000: Honour Guard by Dan Abnett (Audiobook)

I was in the mood for something I knew I could quickly get through and have an epic time with, so I decided to listen to another of Dan Abnett’s Gaunt’s Ghosts books. The last three Gaunt’s Ghosts books, First and Only, Ghostmaker and Necropolis, have all been outstanding military fiction novels set in the epic Warhammer 40,000 universe, and I am eager to see how the series continues. This fourth book, Honour Guard, sees the Ghosts engage in a brutal campaign to save some threatened holy relics, while Imperial Guard politics seeks to destroy them from within. This is an interesting addition to the series with a good focus on characters and I am really powering through it. I should finish it off tomorrow at the latest and I might try to feature it in a Throwback Thursday post this week.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz (Trade Paperback)

I quickly got through the new Orphan X novel by Gregg Hurwitz, The Last Orphan, last week, and it ended up being an amazing read. Loaded with action and spy craft, this latest book saw Evan Smoak, the titular Orphan X, forced to choose between his freedom and his principles when the President captures him to undertake a controversial assassination mission. A great novel that is really easy to get through.

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City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Audiobook)

I managed to finish off the audiobook version of the epic fantasy novel, City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky, on the weekend and boy did that turn out to be an exceptional novel. Set in an occupied city, City of Last Chances featured a huge cast of unique characters as they get into all manner of trouble in some weird and funny situations. I had such a great time with this epic book as each new chapter presented the reader with a new, captivating, character-driven story that came together to form an elaborate overarching plot. This was such an outstanding book that it got a very easy five-star rating from me and it is definitely one of my top books of 2023. Make sure to check out my recently published review for City of Last Chances.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Star Wars: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs

I’m still hoping to read this cool Star Wars books next, especially as we are so close to the new Star Wars Jedi game coming out. I am very curious to see how Sam Maggs captures the feel of both the game and the extended Star Wars universe and this sounds like it will be a fun and interesting read.

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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.

WWW Wednesday – 12 April 2023

On April 12, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

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 Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz

I just started reading the latest Orphan X novel by Gregg Hurwitz, The Last Orphan, which is proving to be a lot of fun. I have deeply enjoyed this exceptional series over the last few years and so far, The Last Orphan is another outstanding read. This new book sees Evan Smoak, the titular Orphan X, forced to choose between his freedom and his principles when the President captures him to undertake a controversial assassination mission. The first 50 pages of The Last Orphan have been really exciting and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

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City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky

I am still listening to the audiobook version of the epic fantasy novel, City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky, although I have made a ton of progress in the last week. Set in an occupied city, City of Last Chances follows a huge cast of unique characters as they get into all manner of trouble in some weird and funny situations. I have really gotten into this amazing novel, especially as each new chapter presents the reader with a new, captivating, character-driven story. All these stories are coming together really well to form an elaborate and epic overarching plot, and I have had an incredible time with the entire book. I really cannot wait to see where Tchaikovsky takes this awesome story next and this is already shaping up to be one of the top books of 2023 for me. I will hopefully finish this audiobook off in the next few days, and I am really loving everything about City of Last Chances.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Fatal Legacy by Lindsey Davis

I only managed to finish off one book this week, Fatal Legacy by Lindsey Davis. Luckily this proved to be a particularly awesome book and one I had a great time reading. Davis produced another exceptional historical crime fiction story in Fatal Legacy, and I loved the elaborate and funny mystery contained within.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Star Wars: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs

I think I might try and dive into this cool Star Wars books in the next week, especially as we are so close to the new Star Wars Jedi game coming out. I am very curious to see how Sam Maggs captures the feel of both the game and the extended Star Wars universe and this sounds like it will be a fun and interesting read.

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The Tyrant Skies by David Annadale

Another awesome tie-in book that has really caught my attention is the early copy of The Tyrant Skies I received on Netgalley. Featuring a cool story about Doctor Doom taking on the Red Skull, The Tyrant Skies sounds like something I will have an outstanding time with and I am hoping to quickly knock it out in the next week or so.

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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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Titles with Animals in Them

On April 11, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn List4 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, participants are tasked with listing their top books with animals in the title. This is a rather interesting topic and it has several similarities to other topics that have been featured as part of the Top Ten Tuesday meme before.

I ended up coming up with quite a few good books that had animals in the titles, far too many if I’m going to be honest as it turns out it is quite a common practice to feature some form of animal in a title. To make this list a little more manageable, I decided to exclude any mythical creatures or animals from this list, mainly because I don’t think that was in the spirit of the topic, but also because this book would end up being very similar to my recent list that looked at book covers featuring dragons. When this exclusion still left me with way too-many options, I decided to further limit myself by restricting this list to only one book per author. This ensured that I had reasonable input from several authors who favour animal-themed titles, or who I have a great deal of books from. The resultant list, which still required some cutting, ended up looking pretty good and I think that I ended up covering the top books I have read with animals in the titles. So let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Space Wolf by William King

Space Wolf Original Cover

Following the genetically enhanced and wolf-like members of the Space Wolves Space Marine chapter, this intriguing Warhammer 40,000 is pretty damn awesome, and the title fits extremely well.

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Dark Horse by Gregg Hurwitz

Dark Horse Cover

A great entry in Hurwitz’s awesome Orphan X series, Dark Horse was a fantastic book and its animal-themed title had great multiple meanings within the plot.

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The Black Hawks by David Wragg

The Black Hawks Cover

An amazing and captivating fantasy read; The Black Hawks references the titular mercenary group the book follows who get into all manner of trouble in a dark fantasy realm.

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The Bear Pit by S. G. MacLean

The Bear Pit Cover

An excellent historical murder mystery which features a fighting bear as a potential suspect and lethal murder weapon.

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Top Ten List:

Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 5: Lone Goat and Kid by Stan Sakai

Usagi Yojimbo Lone Goat and Kid Cover

Now, realistically I could include any of the Usagi Yojimbo comics on this list, as Usagi is Japanese for rabbit. However, I chose to ignore that and instead the animal in the title I am focusing on can be found in the fifth collected volume, Lone Goat and Kid. A great addition in the Usagi Yojimbo series, this is a pretty epic volume, and I loved the story focussing on the titular Lone Goat and Kid, who are animal parodies of Lone Wolf and Cub. I really like the fun homage contained in this title, which is why I included this volume, rather than the later volumes Fox Hunt and Red Scorpion, which I could have also used.

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Dogs of War by Jonathan Maberry

Dogs of War Cover

The always amazing Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry has some great titles to it, but the only one I could fit here was the fantastic novel Dogs of War. This was an outstanding read, and while the title, Dogs of War, is a play on the famous saying, it also refers to robotic attack dogs featured within the book. As such, I had to include this here, and this book is an outstanding addition to the series.

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Talon of the Silver Hawk by Raymond E. Feist

Talon of the Silver Hawk Cover

Legendary fantasy author, Raymond E. Feist has featured a couple of animals into his fantasy titles over the year, such as with King of Foxes, but the one I’m going to focus on in this list is Talon of the Silver Hawk, which was the first Feist novel I ever read. Not only is this an incredible and eye-catching title, but Talon of the Silver Hawk also references the main character, who gains his name early in the novel when he witnesses a hawk on a vision quest. An epic inclusion that has a very special place in my heart.

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The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett

Fifth Elephant

I’m featuring a few of my favourite authors on this list and that includes the legendary Terry Pratchett who used animal names in a few of his books. I was very tempted to use one of my favourite Discworld books, Hogfather, here, although that is more of a character name rather than a reference to an animal. So instead, I used The Fifth Elephant, which is a fantastic and impressive entry to the series. Elephants are a very important part of the Discworld books, as four of them hold up the titular Discworld while standing on-top of a giant turtle, so The Fifth Elephant is a title that is guaranteed to get reader’s attention. The book itself is a compelling addition to the City Watch sub-series and this entry sees the main characters to travel to a Transylvania-esque land, which has been gifted great riches by the crashing fifth elephant, to solve several murders and resolve political discord. This is an outstanding entry in the series and I’m glad I could feature it on this list.

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Death of the Black Widow by James Patterson and J. D. Barker

Death of the Black Widow Cover

An excellent, animal-themed book title I wanted to highlight was Death of the Black Widow by the excellent team of James Patterson and J. D. Barker. The black widow in the title refers to a mysterious, supernatural figure who seduces and kills many people over an extended period. I had an amazing time with this novel, which was one of my favourite books of 2022, and I will admit the cool title was one of the reasons I chose to read Death of the Black Widow.

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White Wolf by David Gemmell

White Wolf Cover

One of the more interesting books I wanted to feature on this list was the epic fantasy novel White Wolf by the late, great David Gemmell. I’ve mostly only ever talked about Gemmell’s debut novel, Legend, on this blog, but I also deeply enjoyed one of his later novels, White Wolf. Following a deadly warrior who attempts and fails to leave his life of violence behind, White Wolf is an incredible novel that has so many great moments to it. This was one of the earlier big pieces of fantasy that I read when I was younger, and it has stuck with me for years. I have been meaning to go back and read this series for a while and White Wolf is one of the main reasons for this.

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The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde

The Constant Rabbit Cover

When it came to books with animals in the titles, I just to include The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde, which is such an awesomely fun book. The Constant Rabbit is a complex novel set in a version of England where anthropomorphic rabbits have emerged and started living with humans. This ended up being a very impressive novel that is simultaneously inventive, hilarious and a brilliant parody of British politics. One of my favourite books of 2020 and a great addition to this list.

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Under the Eagle by Simon Scarrow

Under the Eagle Cover

Out of all the authors I’m featuring on this list, few have as many books with animals in the title than historical fiction author Simon Scarrow. That is because his long-running Eagles of the Empire series, features eagle in the titles of the first seven books (i.e. The Eagle’s Conquest, The Eagle and the Wolves and The Eagle in the Sand), as well as some other animals, like The Blood Crows. I decided to feature the very first book in the series, Under the Eagle, which is a brilliant introduction to a gripping and powerful Roman history series, and which comes highly recommended.

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The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Cover

Next, we dive into Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games series, which had a lot of bird imagery involved with it. While the third book does have an animal in the title with Mockingjay, I decided against featuring it as this was a fictional species. Instead, I decided to feature the prequel novel Collin’s released a couple of years ago with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which features two separate animals in the title. This was an excellent prequel to the very cool young adult trilogy and I look forward to seeing it turned into a movie later this year.

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War of the Wolf by Bernard Cornwell

War of the Wolf Cover

The final entry on this list is War of the Wolf by Bernard Cornwell, which served as a great addition to his long running Saxon series. This great book sees the aging protagonist engage in another series of battles against enemies on all fronts. Serving as the beginning of the end of this brilliant series, I have a lot of love for War of the Wolf and it was an outstanding addition to both the Saxon series and this list.

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Well, that’s the end of my list. It turns out that I’ve read a good number of books with animals in the title, so this ended up being a great list for me in the end. I am pretty happy with how this turned out and it was fun to figure what to include. Let me know what your favourite books with animals in the titles are in the comments below.

WWW Wednesday – 5 April 2023

On April 6, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday1 Comment

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?

Fatal Legacy by Lindsey Davis

Fatal Legacy Cover

I was in a historical fiction mood this week, so I started reading Fatal Legacy by Lindsey Davis. The latest book in one of my favourite historical crime fiction series, Fatal Legacy sees determined investigator Flavia Albia attempt to resolve a tricky legal situation in ancient Rome. I haven’t made too much progress with Fatal Legacy yet but so far I am enjoying Davis’ usual blend of humour, historical detail and crazy characters.

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City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky

City of Last Chances Cover

After finishing Ogres this week, I decided to get another fix of acclaimed author Adrian Tchaikovsky when I started listening to the audiobook version of his latest novel, City of Last Chances. Set in an occupied city, City of Last Chances follows several unique characters as they get into all manner of trouble in some weird and funny stories. I haven’t gotten too far into this audiobook yet, but I am rather enjoying the intriguing mixture of stories, all written in Tchaikovsky’s unique style. I look forward to seeing where Tchaikovsky takes this awesome book and I have a feeling it is going to be one of the top books of 2023 for me.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Dead of Night by Simon Scarrow (Trade Paperback)

Dead of Night Cover

I managed to finish off the outstanding historical murder mystery Dead of Night by Simon Scarrow this week and it proved to be a fantastic and captivating read. The sequel to Scarrow’s previous novel, Blackout, Dead of Night told a powerful story that combined a murder investigation with compelling and dark insights into the Nazi regime. An amazing novel, I will hopefully get a review up for it soon.

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Ogres by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Audiobook)

Ogres Cover

A very entertaining and distinctive novella from a real talent. Make sure to check out my recent review for Ogres.

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Warhammer 40,000: Necropolis by Dan Abnett

Warhammer 40,000 - Necropolis Cover

After having so much fun with the first two Gaunt’s Ghosts novels, First and Only and Ghostmaker, I just had to see what carnage occurred in the third entry, Necropolis. This powerful and action-packed novel was quite the exceptional read and I had an epic time getting through it. I’m actually putting up a Throwback Thursday post about it right after this, so make sure to check it out.

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The Investigators by Anthony Hill (Trade Paperback)

The Investigators Cover

A fascinating and highly detailed historical novel that follows an iconic voyage around Australia.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz

The Last Orphan Cover 2

I am hoping to finally get around to reading the latest Orphan X novel by Gregg Hurwitz next, The Last Orphan. I have deeply enjoyed this exceptional series over the last few years and I cannot wait to see what happens in this next, ominously named book.

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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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2023 (Mystery, thrillers, comics and historical fiction)

On January 4, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn List8 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For the first Top Ten Tuesday of 2023, I will be listing my most anticipated upcoming books for the first half of the year. This is a regular post I do each year and I always look forward to highlighting the most awesome looking books for the start of the year. I am actually planning to do two versions of this list, one that will exclusively look at upcoming fantasy and science fiction books, and this one that will focus on upcoming books from other genres, including thrillers, crime fiction, historical fiction, comics and more.

Despite only just starting, 2023 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 between 1 January 2023 and 30 June 2023. 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. I have mentioned several of these books before in my weekly Waiting on Wednesday articles, and some of them also appeared on my recent Summer TBR list. 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 2023.

Honourable Mentions:

The Last Kingdom by Steve Berry – 21 February 2023

The Last Kingdom Cover

The next entry in Steve Berry’s brilliant Cotton Malone series, The Last Kingdom has a lot of potential for a fun read. Set to feature a compelling historical conspiracy, I know I’m going to have a lot of fun with this book and I can’t wait to read it.

Amazon Book Depository

The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson – 28 February 2023

The Kind Worth Saving Cover

I have been having a lot of fun with Peter Swanson’s crime fiction books lately and I’m sure his upcoming book, The Kind Worth Saving, is going to be awesome.

Amazon Book Depository

Battle Song by Ian Ross – 28 March 2023

Battle Song Cover

A fantastic sounding historical read, loaded with war, corrupt knights and deadly tournaments.

Amazon Book Depository

Top Ten List:

Unnatural History by Jonathan Kellerman – 14 February 2023

Unnatural History Cover

I am always guaranteed to have an amazing time in the first half of the year with the latest Alex Delaware novel by Jonathan Kellerman. I have deeply enjoyed several recent books in this long-running series (including The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire, Serpentine and City of the Dead) and I am very excited for the next entry. Set to focus on the murder of a controversial photographer, the always entertaining team of psychologist Alex Delaware and his best friend, Lieutenant Milo Sturgis, must determine if his death was the result of his work or his uber-rich family. Sure to be one of the best mysteries of 2023.

Amazon Book Depository

The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz – 14 February 2023

The Last Orphan Cover

One of the best current thriller authors, Gregg Hurwitz, continues his deep and action-packed Orphan X series with The Last Orphan. This latest book will see the former government agent turned vigilante protagonist Evan Smoak forced to decide whether to take one last contract for the United States Government or risk his freedom and his new life by defying the President. This has been a consistently awesome series (I have had an amazing time with previous entries, Out of the Dark, Into the Fire, Prodigal Son and Dark Horse), and Hurwitz has set up some compelling and emotionally rich storylines heading into The Last Orphan. I know I am going to love this book and I cannot wait to read it.

Amazon Book Depository

Dead of Night by Simon Scarrow – 16 February 2023

Dead of Night Cover

One of my favourite historical fiction authors, Simon Scarrow, returns with another complex historical murder mystery set in Nazi Germany. The sequel to his previous novel, Blackout, Dead of Night will present the reader with another dark murder where the principled detective protagonist is forced to go against the wishes of the Nazi regime. I always deeply enjoy anything Scarrow writes, but I have a feeling this is going to be a particularly epic read.

Amazon Book Depository

Burner by Mark Greaney – 21 February 2022

Burner Cover

Few books in the first half of 2023 have me more excited than the new Gray Man novel from Mark Greaney, Burner. Following on from such epic reads as 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) and Sierra Six (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022), Burner has a lot to live up to, but with Greaney at the helm I already know I am going to love it. This latest book will place protagonist Court Gentry firmly between the CIA and the Russian mob in an explosive and entertaining confrontation. This will no doubt be another five-star read and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Amazon Book Depository

Usagi Yojimbo: The Green Dragon by Stan Sakai – 21 February 2023

Usagi Yojimbo - Volume 38 - The Green Dragon Cover

I had to include the next entry of one of my favourite comic series on this list with the upcoming Usagi Yojimbo volume, The Green Dragon by Stan Sakai. I absolutely love this epic comic series and every new volume is a must read for me, especially after some of the recent awesome volumes released in colour (Bunraku and Other Stories, Homecoming, Tengu War! and Crossroads). This new volume will feature two amazing sounding stories and I already know I am going to have an exceptional time reading it.

Amazon Book Depository

City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita – 28 February 2023

City Under One Roof Cover

One of the more intriguing debuts of 2023 is the excellent sounding murder mystery book, City Under One Roof by screenwriter Iris Yamashita. Set in a unique community, City Under One Roof has an awesome story behind it and I am very excited to dive into this complex and compelling mystery.

Amazon Book Depository

Her Sweet Revenge by Sarah Bonner – 6 April 2023

Her Sweet Revenge Cover

After presenting one of the very best debuts of 2022, Her Perfect Twin, author Sarah Bonner returns with another elaborate thriller in Her Sweet Revenge. Set around two women who have very different reactions to the same mysterious note, Her Sweet Revenge looks set to be another twisty and addictive read that I have extremely high hopes for.

Amazon Book Depository

Fatal Legacy by Lindsey Davis – 11 April 2023

Fatal Legacy Cover

The always impressive Lindsey Davis has yet another book in her long-running Flavia Albia series coming out in a few months with Fatal Legacy. The 11^th entry in this great historical murder mystery series (which has featured excellent reads like Pandora’s Boy, A Capitol Death, The Grove of the Caesars, A Comedy of Terrors and Desperate Undertaking), Fatal Legacy presents the reader with another intriguing case in the iconic setting of ancient Rome. This time focused on a complex legal dispute between two rival families, Fatal Legacy has a great deal of promise and should be a wildly entertaining read.

Amazon Book Depository

The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst – 25 April 2023

The Lake House Cover Better

I have had an epic time with some of Sarah Beth Durst’s recent fantasy novels such as Race the Sands and The Bone Maker, so I am excited to follow her into a different genre with her upcoming young adult thriller The Lake House. A fun and intense sounding book with some major horror vibes, The Lake House sees three young women arrive at a remote summer camp to find it abandoned with a dead body in the woods. I can’t wait to see Durst’s take on a classic horror scenario, and I have a lot of faith that this is going to be an exceptional book.

Amazon Book Depository

Empire by Conn Iggulden – 25 May 2023

Empire Cover

One of the very best historical fiction books of 2023 is definitely going to be the next book by legendary author Conn Iggulden, Empire. The fourth book in his current series about ancient Athens (which has previously featured The Gates of Athens, Protector and Lion), Empire will follow the rise of Pericles and shows the early stages of the upcoming war between Athens and Sparta. Set to be filled with exquisite historic details and outrageous figures from the fast, Empire is going to be an amazing read with a great story to it.

Amazon Book Depository

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Summer 2022/23 TBR

On November 29, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn List5 Comments

Top ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week was around cozy reads, however, I decided to instead move up my quarterly post about the best upcoming books to read (TBR) for the following three months. This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and as this Tuesday is just before Summer (Winter for folks in the Northern Hemisphere), this is the ideal time to put this up.

For this list, I have come up with 10 of the most anticipated novels that are coming out between 1 December 2022 and 28 February 2023. There are quite a few very cool novels set for release in the next few months that I am extremely excited for, including some of my most highly anticipated reads for the end of 2022 and the start of the New Year. Due to how impressive some of these upcoming books are, it took me a little while to finalise my list but I was eventually able to whittle it down into a Top Ten list (with a few honourable mentions). I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Top Ten Tuesdays and Waiting on Wednesday articles and I think all of them will turn out to be pretty incredible reads.

Honourable Mentions:

Three-Edged Sword by Jeff Lindsay – 6 December 2022

The third book in a super fun heist thriller series by the author of the Dexter novels. Three-Edged Sword follows on from Just Watch Me and Fool Me Twice and is a guaranteed thrill ride.

Amazon Book Depository

Red Dirt Road by S. R. White – 5 January 2023

One of the more intriguing pieces of Australian fiction in the new year, Red Dirt Road follows on from the outstanding 2021 read, Prisoner, and presents a compelling and unique murder mystery in the Australian bush.

Amazon Book Depository

The Last Kingdom by Steve Berry – 28 February 2023

There is no way that I am going to miss the next Steve Berry book, The Last Kingdom. The latest entry in Berry’s long-running Cotton Malone series (which has featured such great books as The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol and The Kaiser’s Web), The Last Kingdom will see Cotton Malone roped into a deep historical conspiracy regarding the Bavarian royal family and sounds pretty damn fantastic.

Amazon Book Depository

City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita – 28 February 2023

Iris Yamashita will be bringing in one of the most compelling and highly anticipated debuts of 2023 with her great book, City Under One Roof, which will pit a detective against a mysterious community in Alaska.

Amazon Book Depository

Top Ten List:

Warhammer 40,000: Witchbringer by Steven B. Fischer – 14 December 2022

The first book I need to highlight on this list is the fantastic upcoming Warhammer 40,000 read, Witchbringer by Steven B. Fischer. Set deep in the battlefields of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Witchbringer will follow an Imperial psyker, a living weapon who is reviled and barely tolerated by the rest of humanity, who is forced to return to her old unit and help them on a deadly mission. Sure to be extremely exciting, while also diving into the dark side of humanity in the future, Witchbringer sounds extremely awesome and I can’t wait to end my year with another top Warhammer book.

Amazon Book Depository

Star Wars: The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha by George Mann – 3 January 2023

The new year is already looking pretty good, especially as one of the first books coming out is the fantastic Star Wars: The High Republic audiobook, The Battle of Jedha. Part of the second phase of the excellent High Republic series, The Battle of Jedha will see an all-out war break out on the planet of Jedha and promises to be one of the more exciting pieces of recent Star Wars fiction, especially when read out by a full cast of talented narrators.

Amazon Book Depository

Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry – 10 January 2023

I am exceedingly excited that one of the first books I will be reading in 2023 will be the fantasy epic, Son of the Poison Rose by one of my favourite authors, Jonathan Maberry. The sequel to Maberry’s exceptional 2022 novel, Kagen the Damned, Son of the Poison Rose will continue the outstanding dark fantasy storyline contained in his first book as a failed royal guard attempts to save the remnants of his fallen kingdom from a dark ruler determined to destroy everything he loves. Son of the Poison Rose will easily be one of the best books of 2023 and I cannot wait to check it out, especially in its audiobook version narrated by the always epic Ray Porter.

Amazon Book Depository

Downfall by Louise Carey – 10 January 2023

I will definitely be grabbing a copy of Downfall by Louise Carey early next year, which sounds extremely awesome. The final book in Carey’s Inscape series, Downfall will follow on from Inscape (one of my favourite debuts of 2021) and Outcast, and will take the reader back into a technologically controlled dystopian future. This time the protagonists will have to take down the company they have long served after it uses its insidious technology to take control of everyone they know and love. I have had an incredible time with this great science fiction series, and I cannot wait to see how it comes to an end, especially after that cool cliff-hanger at the end of Outcast.

Amazon Book Depository

Unnatural History by Jonathan Kellerman – 14 February 2023

I have been having a lot of fun getting into Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware series over the last few years, with such great and compelling murder mystery books as The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire, Serpentine and City of the Dead, and I am quite excited to read another one of his books in 2023. This new book, Unnatural History, will see Kellerman’s compelling protagonists investigate another complex case, this time involving a dead photographer who made a living exploiting homeless people. I am going to have an amazing time with Unnatural History and it will probably end up being one of the more impressive mystery novels of the new year.

Amazon Book Depository

The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz – 14 February 2023

Few spy thriller series have been more impressive in the last few years that Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X books. Following a former elite government assassin turned vigilante, the Orphan X books form an action-packed and powerful series that I have really grown to love, especially with great entries like Out of the Dark, Into the Fire, Prodigal Son and Dark Horse. Naturally, I am pretty excited to see how the series continues and I only have to wait until February to find out. The next book in the series, The Last Orphan, will see the protagonist dragged back into government service and must choose whether to return to his assassin roots or risk the lives of everyone he loves. This is set to be an extremely moving and exciting entry in the Orphan X series, and I cannot wait to see what will happen to Hurwitz’s brilliant and complex protagonist next.

Amazon Book Depository

The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding – 16 February 2023

After years of waiting, we are finally going to get a sequel to Chris Wooding’s outstanding fantasy epic, The Ember Blade. The Ember Blade was a particularly impressive fantasy novel that saw a group of desperate freedom fighters steal a legendary blade to inspire their country into rebellion. The Ember Blade was something very special, and I have been eagerly waiting for the sequel, The Shadow Casket, which is set to feature even more blood, rebellion and heroics. This is definitely going to be one of the top fantasy books of 2023 and I cannot wait to dive into its elaborate and addictive narrative.

Amazon Book Depository

Dead of Night by Simon Scarrow – 16 February 2023

Few historical mystery books have more potential than the upcoming Dead of Night by Simon Scarrow. The sequel to Scarrow’s excellent novel Blackout, Dead of Night will return to wartime Berlin and follow a police detective’s attempt to solve a terrible murder while going up against the corrupt Nazi Government. I am very excited to see how this amazing mystery unfolds, and I know I am going to have a wonderful time reading this book.

Amazon Book Depository

Burner by Mark Greaney – 21 February 2023

Mark Greaney returns with another amazing entry in his bestselling Gray Man spy thriller series, which has already featured outstanding reads like The Gray Man, Mission Critical, One Minute Out, Relentless and Sierra Six. The new book, Burner, will see impressive protagonist Court Gentry, go up against both the CIA and the Russian mafia to try and save a man’s life. However, he will also have to compete with his love interest, as they try to work out why so many people want their target dead. I have no doubt that this is going to be another epic novel from Greaney and I look forward to see the next chapter of the incredible Gray Man series unfold.

Amazon Book Depository

Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 38: The Green Dragon by Stan Sakai – 21 February 2023

The final upcoming book I need to highlight is the next volume in the awesome Usagi Yojimbo series by Stan Sakai, The Green Dragon. Usagi Yojimbo still remains one of my favourite comic series of all time, and I am always extremely eager to get my hands on a new volume as soon as it becomes available. This next volume will see Usagi and his companions go up against ghosts, ninjas and other dangerous foes, as they continue to journey around their chaotic version of Feudal Japan. I already know that I am going to love this comic when it comes out, and I am very, very excited to get my hands on it.

Amazon Book Depository