Tag: Kill Your Boss

WWW Wednesday – 12 November 2025

On 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:

Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose (ebook)

I’ve just started reading the awesome 2025 fantasy debut, Seven Recipes for Revolution by Ryan Rose. An exciting and compelling novel full of cookery-based magic, Seven Recipes for Revolution follows the journey of a low-born apprentice chef as he journeys toward revolution, while creating new magical food. I’ve had my eye on this book for a while, so I’m very happy to finally read it, especially as it’s proving to be a really captivating read. I’ve made a bit of progress on this novel so far and I’m aiming to finish it off in the next few days.

Amazon

 

Cold War by Jonathan Maberry (Audiobook)

I still powering through the dark and twisted science fiction audiobook, Cold War by Jonathan Maberry.  The second novel from Maberry in 2025 after Burn to Shine, Cold War is the compelling sequel to last year’s NecroTek, and continues to follow a group of humans transported across the universe to fight Lovecraftian monsters. A clever, terrifying and deeply addictive read, Cold War had me hooked early on, and I am flying through its audiobook format, especially with the legendary Ray Porter narrating it. I’ve only got a few hours of this audiobook left, and I will hopefully finish it off very soon.

Amazon

What did you recently finish reading?

The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly (Trade Paperback)

I managed to finish off the new Lincoln Lawyer novel from acclaimed crime fiction author Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground.  Connelly’s second novel of 2025 after Nightshade, The Proving Ground sees two iconic protagonists from Connelly’s shared universe team up to take on a corrupt AI company.  This was an exceptional legal thriller, and I am hoping to write something up for it very soon.

Amazon

 

Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath (Trade Paperback)

I also managed to read the awesome Australian crime fiction novel, Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath this week. The outstanding follow up to Kill Your Brother and Kill Your Husbands, Kill Your Boss was a deeply impressive and fun novel with an excellent mystery behind it. A book I absolutely powered through, and which comes very highly recommended.

Amazon

What do you think you’ll read next?

Tyrant of Rome by Simon Scarrow (Trade Paperback)

The next book that I’m hoping to read is the exciting new Eagles of the Empire novel, Tyrant of Rome. An intriguing new historical fiction novel from the always impressive Simon Scarrow, Tyrant of Rome will see the series’ two soldier protagonists fight on a new battlefield when they are given control of law and order in ancient Rome. This book has so much potential, and I cannot wait to check it out.

Amazon

 

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 – 28 October 2025

On 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.

The Strength of the Few by James Islington

The first book I want to highlight in this Book Haul post is the epic fantasy novel, The Strength of the Few by James Islington.  The much-anticipated sequel to Islington’s deeply impressive The Will of the Many, The Strength of the Few will see the protagonist continue his attempt to take down an evil empire from within, while at the same time alternate versions of himself traverse other universes.  I have a lot of hope for The Strength of the Few, especially after The Will of the Many ended up being one of my favourite books, audiobooks and Australian novels of 2023, and I am deeply excited to see how this awesome novel turns out.

Amazon

 

The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly

I was also extremely happy to recently receive a copy of the new Lincoln Lawyer book from Michael Connelly, The Proving Ground.  Bringing together two of Connelly’s iconic protagonists, The Proving Ground will focus on a complex legal case, as Mickey Haller takes on a major AI company in court.  I cannot wait to check this book out, and I have no doubt that The Proving Ground will end up being one of the more compelling novels of 2025.

Amazon

 

The Widow by John Grisham

Another great legal thriller I recently received was the new novel from the legendary John Grisham, The Widow.  Following a troubled lawyer who finds himself in deep trouble after a mysterious widow walks through his door, The Widow was an outstanding novel with a very clever plot behind it. I’ve actually already read The Widow, and it proved to be a pretty amazing book that I am hoping to review soon.

Amazon

 

Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath

One of my favourite Australian authors, Jack Heath, returns with his new outrageous novel, Kill Your Boss.  The fun follow-up from the author’s previous novels, Kill Your Brother and Kill Your Husbands, Kill Your Boss will see Heath take on the classic locked-room murder mystery scenario, as his protagonist attempts to find out who killed the hated boss of a local library. Kill Your Boss sounds very entertaining and I cannot wait to see how this outstanding novel unfolds.

Amazon

 

Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe

Another awesome Australian crime fiction read I recently received was Dark Desert Road from the always impressive Tim Ayliffe.  An intriguing novel that will dive into the darker fringes of Australian rural society, Dark Desert Road is an excellent upcoming book set for release in early 2026. I was very happy to get a copy of Dark Desert Road from Netgalley last night, especially as I only just did a Waiting on Wednesday post about it, and I cannot wait to dive into Ayliffe’s new exciting crime fiction read.

 

Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon

After already wowing me earlier this year with his fantastic novel, Nobody’s Fool, Harlan Coben is back with another excellent thriller.  This time teaming up with acclaimed actress Reese Witherspoon, the two have written the intriguing novel, Gone Before Goodbye, which will follow an army combat surgeon, who finds herself in major trouble when a mysterious client disappears on her watch. I am really curious to see how this novel turns out, and I am hoping to read Gone Before Goodbye very soon.

Amazon

 

Dawn of the Firebird by Sarah Mughal Rana

The final book I recently received that I want to highlight on this post is the upcoming fantasy epic, Dawn of the Firebird.  The debut novel from Sarah Mughal Rana, Dawn of the Firebird will follow a complex protagonist as she attempts to find both vengeance and her place in a deadly world of war, magic and treachery. Dawn of the Firebird sounds quite spectacular, and I am really excited to dive into this cool book from an exciting, first-time author.

Amazon

 

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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Spring 2025 To Be Read (TBR) List

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List1 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.  The official Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week featured books with occupations in the title, which I actually completed last week, so instead I’m instead going to use this post to look at some upcoming books. This is because today is the first Tuesday of Spring 2025 and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books I am looking forward to reading in Spring (Autumn/Fall for folks in the Northern Hemisphere). This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.

For this list, I have come up with ten books coming out between 1 September 2025 and 30 November 2025 that I am most excited for. There are quite a few amazing novels set for release in the next few months, so it took me a while to finalise my final top ten list, including my usual honourable mentions section. 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 Waiting on Wednesday articles, and I think all of them will turn out to be incredible reads. I am extremely excited for these next three months and I feel that quite a few of these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown by 9 September 2025

A deeply exciting thriller from the legendary Dan Brown that will once again present a compelling mystery from history.

Amazon

 

The Widow by John Grisham – 21 October 2025

An intriguing new legal thriller from the always impressive John Grisham.

Amazon

 

King Sorrow by Joe Hill – 21 October 2025

The highly inventive Joe Hill will present a compelling new horror thriller with King Sorrow, an epic novel that sees a group of friends experience the downside of summoning a vengeful dragon.

Amazon

 

Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath – 4 November 2025

One of top Australian releases of 2025, Kill Your Boss will follow Jack Heath’s previous outstanding novels, Kill Your Brother and Kill Your Husbands.

Top Ten List:

Circle of Days by Ken Follett – 23 September 2025

The first book I want to highlight on this list is the upcoming historical fiction novel from Ken Follett, Circle of Days.  A historical epic set around the construction of Stonehenge, Circle of Days will follow several complex characters as they live their lives in the shadow of an iconic construction.  I have no doubt that Circle of Days will be one of the top historical fiction releases of 2025 and this is an excellent novel to start this list on.

Amazon

 

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman – 25 September 2025

Few Spring releases have me as excited as The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman.  The fifth book in the incredible Thursday Murder Club series by Osman, The Impossible Fortune will follow on from outstanding novels like The Thursday Murder Club (one of my favourite books, debuts and audiobooks of 2020), The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), The Bullet That Missed (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and The Last Devil to Die (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023).  Featuring a cool new case, The Impossible Fortune sounds like another entertaining entry in the series, and I cannot wait to see how the characters are going after the deep tragedy of The Last Devil to Die.  This will likely top all my end of 2025 best-of lists, and I cannot wait to check it out.

Amazon

 

Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson – 30 September 2025

One of the more entertaining novels coming out in the second half of 2025 is going to be the brilliant Australian thriller Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson. The fourth book in the Ernest Cunningham series (Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect, and Everyone this Christmas has a Secret), Everyone in this Bank is a Thief will once again place Stevenson’s insightful and unlucky protagonist at the site of another crime as he is forced to investigate a murder while trapped as a hostage in a bank robbery. Blending classic murder mystery elements with a fun heist narrative, Everyone in this Bank is a Thief is going to be a hilarious read, and I cannot wait to check it out.

Amazon

 

Cold War by Jonathan Maberry – 14 October 2025

After already impressing with Burn to Shine, Maberry still has his second novel of 2025 coming out with Cold War.  A follow-up to his 2024 dark science fiction novel, NecroTek, Cold War will see a group of human scientists, soldiers and pilots trapped on the other side of the universe using death-powered alien mechs to fight against ancient cosmic horrors.  Sure to be another complex and chilling novel, Cold War has a ton of potential and will likely be a top book of the year.

Amazon

 

The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly – 21 October 2025

The always reliable master of crime fiction, Michael Connelly, has another awesome book coming out in 2025 with The Proving Ground. The next book in the author’s incredible Lincoln Lawyer series (which has previously featured books like The Law of Innocence and Resurrection Walk), The Proving Ground will team Mickey Haller with another Connelly protagonist, Jack McEvoy (the protagonist of books like Fair Warning), as he takes on a sinister AI company. Likely to combine great legal elements with a complex thriller narrative, I have a feeling this is going to be one of Connelly’s more captivating books, and I am very excited to get my hands on it.

Amazon

 

Tyrant of Rome by Simon Scarrow – 6 November 2025

For some additional historical fiction awesomeness in 2025, we still have the new Eagles of the Empire novel from Simon Scarrow, Tyrant of Rome. Scarrow’s second book in 2025 after A Death in Berlin, Tyrant of Rome will follow on from the previous Eagles of the Empire novel, Revenge of Rome, as the protagonists return to Rome after ending Boudica’s rebellion. This time series protagonists Cato and Macro are dragged back into the excesses of Nero when they are chosen to take control of law and order throughout the city to keep the depraved emperor in power. I love this interesting change of direction away from the brutal war stories of the last few books and it is going to be fun to dive into over-the-top Roman politics.

Amazon

 

The Blackfire Blade by James Logan – 11 November 2025

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading the outstanding fantasy debut, The Silverblood Promise by James Logan. An elaborate and compelling fantasy adventure that saw a young man travel to an unfamiliar city to uncover his father’s killer, The Silverblood Promise was an amazing read that blended inventive worldbuilding with a great conspiracy storyline. I had a ton of fun with this first book from Logan, and I have been eager to get my hands on the sequel for a while now. Luckily, I only have to wait a few more months as Logan’s second book, The Blackfire Blade, is one of the big fantasy releases of the second half of the year. Continuing to follow the protagonist’s quest to find clues related to his father’s murder, The Blackfire Blade takes the reader to another elaborate fantasy city and forces the characters to uncover the new setting’s dark secrets. I have no doubt this is going to be an impressive book, and I cannot wait to see how Logan continues his amazing series.

Amazon

 

The Strength of the Few by James Islington – 11 November 2025

Probably the most anticipated book for fantasy fans coming out in the second half of 2025 is the elaborate and intriguing novel, The Strength of the Few by James Islington. The sequel to Islington’s highly acclaimed The Will of the Many, The Strength of the Few, will continue to follow Islington’s compelling protagonist as he attempts to undermine the empire that destroyed his family, while uncovering the hidden secrets from the past. However, this book looks set to be even more complex as different versions of the protagonist are split across three separate realities, each of whom must face its own troubles and adventures. I am extremely intrigued to see how this split narrative is going to work out but based on how damn exceptional The Will of the Many was, I have very little doubt this is going to be a particularly epic novel.

Amazon

 

Our Lady of Blades by Sebastien de Castell – 11 November 2025

One of the more impressive fantasy novels coming out later this year is the very cool novel, Our Lady of Blades. The next book in Sebastien de Castell’s The Court of Shadows series, Our Lady of Blades will be another standalone novel in the author’s Greatcoat universe, that will build on the previous, loosely-connected novels Crucible of Chaos and Play of Shadows. Our Lady of Blades will explore a new location in this universe and will feature a The Count of Monte Cristo inspired plot, as a mysterious masked duellist returns to a corrupt city to get justice and restore her family through any means necessary, all while the big conspiracy of the series continues to unfold. Based on how exceptional the last two books in this series have been, I feel that Our Lady of Blades is going to be a top book of 2025, and it is one I am especially keen for, especially after having a blast with de Castells other release for the year, The Malevolent Eight.

Amazon

 

Star Wars: Master of Evil by Adam Christopher – 11 November 2025

The final book that I want to highlight on this list is the impressive and character-focussed Star Wars tie-in novel, Master of Evil by Adam Christopher. Set to follow Darth Vader during his early days as a Sith Lord, Master of Evil will provide some complex insights into this iconic villain’s mind as he attempts to uncover the true dark side of the Force. With a very intriguing and lore-heavy plot idea, and an even more awesome cover, Master of Evil has certainly caught my attention, and I cannot wait to see Adam Christopher’s take on this legendary Star Wars character.

Amazon

 

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. There are some really impressive books coming out in this part of 2025, 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 bit of reading to do in the near future.

Waiting on Wednesday – Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath

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

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight an excellent upcoming piece of Australian crime fiction from one of my favourite local authors, with Kill Your Boss by Jack Heath.

Fans of over-the-top crime fiction will be quite familiar with Australian author Jack Heath, who has produced some very interesting and memorable novels over the last several years.  The author is probably known for excellent Timothy Blake series, which follows a murder-solving cannibal as he attempts to solve complex cases while also finding his next gory meal and I have deeply entries such as Hideout and Headcase.

In addition to these fun books, Heath has also written some gripping pieces of Australian crime fiction, including the outstanding novel, Kill Your Brother, which saw a damaged protagonist imprisoned and forced to choose between killing her guilty brother or dying alongside him.  This was an amazing book, and I loved the intense and twist laden story that emerged.  Kill Your Brother ended up being one of my favourite Australian novels of 2021, and I was very excited when Heath subsequently produced a sequel to it in 2023 with Kill Your Husbands.  A particularly memorable sequel to Kill Your Brother that brought back some of the novel’s original protagonists, Kill Your Husbands had a powerful plot involving brutal murders following an ill-advised bout of partner swapping.  This very entertaining sequel proved to be just as clever as Heath’s previous entry in the series, and Kill Your Husbands ended up being one of my favourite Australian novels of 2023.

Due to how impressive Heath’s last several novels have been, as well as the fact that he is consistently one of the best authors of Australian crime fiction, I am naturally keen to read any new novel he releases.  As such, I was particularly stoked to find out that he had a new book coming out later this year with Kill Your Boss.  Set for release in November 2025, Kill Your Boss will see the main police protagonist from Heath’s previous two Australian novels investigate the murder of a hated manager of the local library, who everyone had a motive to kill.

Plot Synopsis:

What would it take to turn you into a killer?

Detective Sergeant Kiara Lui has just broken up a loud brawl between two blokes in front of the Warrigal Public Library. But just as she’s about to leave the scene, a man inexplicably plummets from the sky and slams into the bike rack right in front of her, dead.

Neville Adams was the head of library services, hated by staff, borrowers, or in fact anybody who had ever met him. Kiara quickly seals the building, trapping everyone who might have pushed him off the roof. She expects to have someone in custody within minutes.

Instead, the investigation becomes the most challenging and dangerous of her career as it spirals outward, ensnaring half the town. It seems that Neville was connected to the disappearance of Emmylou Chisholm – a case that Kiara could never solve, and that has haunted her ever since.

If the killer isn’t found fast, the first two victims won’t be the last . . .

Compelling, propulsive and darkly funny, this is a perfect follow-up to Jack Heath’s bestselling Kill Your Husbands.

Very interesting! I must admit that I really like the sound of the above plot synopsis, and it looks like Heath has pulled together another twisty and complex Australian murder mystery.  Focussing the case around a very dislikeable manager figure should make this a very relatable case for the average office worker, and you just know that Heath is going to have fun turning his murder victim into a despicable figure that everyone hates for good reason.  Indeed, I get the feeling that Kill Your Boss is going to have a somewhat humorous tone to it, and it is going to be very interesting to see how Heath balances this with the more serious crime fiction elements.

Based on the synopsis above, it sounds like Kill Your Boss is going to initially become some sort of looked-room mystery with all the suspects contained in the same location.  I think this has a lot of potential, mainly because that’s not an extremely common trope in Australian crime fiction (with Benjamin Stevenson’s Ernest Cunningham books being an obvious exception), and I cannot wait to see how a bunch of likely over-the-top library staff and patrons trapped in the building will react to the whole scenario.  It looks like Heath is going to take this one step further by expanding the murder investigation to encapsulate a cold case that the protagonist has a particular connection to, which should make this quite an intense and powerful read.  The whole scenario sounds particularly intriguing, and with the highly entertaining Heath at the helm, it is likely to result in a very impressive and addictive novel.

Overall, Kill Your Boss sounds like quite a fantastic upcoming novel, and it’s one I pretty darn excited for.  Jack Heath has really impressed me in recent years with his elaborate and outrageous crime fiction novels, and it will be interesting to see how he continues to utilise the protagonists from Kill Your Brother and Kill Your Husbands.  Kill Your Boss will likely end up being one of the top Australian releases of 2025, and I anticipate that it will be a particularly incredible novel.