Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 12 June 2025.
A copy of this column also appeared on the Canberra Daily website.
Make sure to check out my extended reviews of Never Flinch, The Devils and Nightshade.
Tag: Michael Connelly
WWW Wednesday – 12 November 2025
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 – 5 November 2025
WWW Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
So, let’s get to it.
What are you currently reading:
The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly (Trade Paperback)
I’ve started reading the awesome 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. I’m about halfway through The Proving Ground at the moment and it’s a pretty outstanding legal thriller that really dives into the risks behind AI. I am honestly really loving The Proving Ground, which is likely to be one of my top books of the year, and I am hoping to finish it off in the next couple of days.
Cold War by Jonathan Maberry (Audiobook)
I have also started listening to 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 awesome novel, 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 already has me hooked, and I am currently flying through its audiobook format, especially with the legendary Ray Porter narrating it.
What did you recently finish reading?
The Pilgrim’s Revenge by Scott Mariani (Trade Paperback)
I ended up powering through the exciting historical fiction read, The Pilgrim’s Revenge this week. An awesome release from thriller author Scott Mariani, The Pilgrim’s Revenge was an intense read that all fans of historical action are going to love.
The Feeding by Anthony Ryan (Audiobook)
I also quickly finished off the excellent horror novel from Anthony Ryan, The Feeding. Featuring an intriguing post-apocalyptic vampire narrative, The Feeding was a deeply compelling book that comes very highly recommended. Review to follow soon.
What do you think you’ll read next?
I hoping to read the excellent sounding horror novel, King Sorrow, in the next week. A particularly epic sounding novel that will follow a group of friends who make a dark deal with an ancient evil, King Sorrow has a ton of potential, and it sounds like it is going to be a twisted and impressive read.
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 – 29 October 2025
WWW Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
So, let’s get to it.
What are you currently reading:
The Pilgrim’s Revenge by Scott Mariani (Trade Paperback)
I’ve started reading the exciting historical fiction read, The Pilgrim’s Revenge. An awesome release from thriller author Scott Mariani, The Pilgrim’s Revenge follows a young man who joins the crusades to hunt down the knights that killed his family. Filled with plenty of action and adventure, I’m about halfway through The Pilgrim’s Revenge at the moment, and I look forward to seeing this fantastic story comes together.
The Feeding by Anthony Ryan (Audiobook)
After already impressing this year with his fantasy release, Born of an Iron Storm, acclaimed author Anthony Ryan showcases his variety by also releasing a horror novel, The Feeding. Featuring an intriguing post-apocalyptic vampire narrative, The Feeding is a deeply compelling book I am having a ton of fun reading it. I’ve absolutely powered through the audiobook version of The Feeding the last couple of days, and I’m probably going to end up finishing it off very soon. An outstanding novel that comes very highly recommended.
What did you recently finish reading?
High Rise by Gabriel Bergmoser (Trade Paperback)
An excellent and deeply intense Australian thriller from a very fun author. High Rise was a great read, and I really enjoyed getting through it.
Warhammer 40,000: The Remnant Blade by Mike Vincent (Audiobook)
I managed to finish off the incredible Warhammer 40,000 novel, The Remnant Blade by Mike Vincent this week. An excellent debut novel that follows the infamous Night Lords as they deal with brutal treachery and infighting amongst a fractious alliance of Chaos Space Marines, The Remnant Blade was extremely impressive, and this was probably one of the best debuts I’ve read so far this year.
What do you think you’ll read next?
The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly
The next book that I am hoping to get into is The Proving Ground from acclaimed crime fiction author, Michael Connelly. The latest novel in his Lincoln Lawyer series, The Proving Ground will see two iconic protagonists from Connelly’s shared universe team up to take on a corrupt AI company. Sure to be an outstanding legal thriller, I have very high hopes for The Proving Ground and I know I’m going to love it.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Nightshade by Michael Connelly
Publisher: Allen & Unwin (ebook – 20 May 2025)
Series: Detective Stilwell – Book One
Length: 351 pages
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
The master of American crime fiction, Michael Connelly, introduces a cool new character with his outstanding 2025 novel, Nightshade, an incredible extremely addictive murder mystery that was a true highlight of the first half of this year.
Few authors are as consistently impressive and exciting as crime fiction legend Michael Connelly, who has continuously produced complex and captivating novels that fall across the various crime fiction sub-genres. I have had an outstanding time reading some of Connelly’s more recent books, including the outstanding Ballad and Bosche novels (Dark Sacred Night, The Night Fire, The Dark Hours and Desert Star), his Mickey Haller/Lincoln Lawyer novels (The Law of Innocence and Resurrection Walk), as well as the impressive Jack McEvoy novel Fair Warning (one of my favourite books of 2020). All these books have been highly enjoyable, and I am always eager to explore more mysteries and thrillers in Connelly’s shared universe. As such, I was very excited to get my hands on Connelly’s first 2025 release Nightshade, which introduced a new protagonist in a compelling scenario.
Plot Synopsis:
No. 1 internationally bestselling author Michael Connelly introduces Detective Stilwell: a determined cop on a purgatory beat in paradise.
Detective Stilwell of the Los Angeles County Sherriff’s department has been exiled. Once he manned a mainland homicide desk; now internal politics have relegated him to a low-key post, policing rustic Catalina Island. He’s beginning to think he could get used to it.
It’s all business as usual in his new territory, following up drunk-and-disorderlies and petty thefts, until Stilwell receives a report of a body found wrapped in plastic at the bottom of the harbour. He begins working the case, and soon he’s forced to cross all lines of protocol and jurisdiction in pursuit of justice.
But when Stilwell discovers dark secrets hidden in the shadows he must now ask: Is Catalina really the serene island it appears to be or is it brewing a deadly poison?
Nightshade was an intense and fresh new novel from Connelly, who successfully debuts a new character in a fantastic fashion. Featuring a slick mystery with a cool new location, Nightshade was an awesome read that I absolutely flew through. One of the better books from the first half of 2025, Nightshade gets a full five-star rating from me and comes very highly recommended.
Connelly produced an outstanding narrative in Nightshade that perfectly sets out a compelling series of mysteries on the picturesque Catalina Island. The plot starts off fast with new protagonist Detective Stilwell, an exiled detective turned top cop on Catalina Island, working low-level crime on the island, before discovering a murdered girl at the bottom of the harbour. Despite being instructed not to interfere in the case, Stilwell’s curiosity and rebellious nature get the best of him, and he soon engages in his own investigation, pulling strings through his island connections. Connelly sets the scene for this separate, protagonist-led enquiry nicely, and there is a compelling blend of investigation arcs and the protagonist resolving his many personal issues, including his growing connection to Catalina Island and its inhabitants. The author ratchets up the intensity of the plot, as his main enquiry brings to light several sinister secrets, while other smaller cases from the island further showcase the underlying corruption of the seemingly picturesque police posting.
The second half of Nightshade goes in some excellent directions, as Connelly keeps the intensity running high. Following a shocking yet well-set up additional death, Stilwell is forced to deal with numerous threats from all corners, including betrayal, a corrupt former partner, and a sinister assassin stalking the island. Thanks to a combination of some fantastic revelations, a powerful confession sequence, and an intense rescue, there is barely a second to stand still in the lead up to Nightshade’s conclusion, and the attempts to solve the partially interlocked cases allows for an excellent overall narrative. I felt that Connelly set up each of his major mysteries in Nightshade extremely well, and the solutions came about naturally through some excellent storytelling. While the main cases are solved, Connelly leaves a few story elements open, and I feel like the legal ramifications for a couple of arrests will be explored in any sequels that Connelly has planned for this novel.
I really enjoyed how Nightshade came together, and Connelly produces an excellent character-driven murder mystery with a lot of compelling moving parts to it. Perfectly focused on an interesting and complex protagonist, Connelly effectively builds a great mixture of plotlines for this novel, including two central mysteries and various personal elements for the protagonist. Each of these storylines are well balanced and come together in an effective overall narrative, with the reader easily following the various cool twists and moments of excitement. This is a very sharp and constantly moving novel that proves easy to get drawn into and hard to put down. I easily powered through Nightshade in a couple of days, mainly because I was curious to see how the various mysteries unfolded, but also because of the compelling personal drama surrounding the book’s characters.
This includes new protagonist, Detective Stllwell, who is an excellent mixture of professional sheriff and occasional rogue cop. Stilwell has a similar anti-authoritarian streak to several of Connelly’s other police protagonists, especially as he is on the outs with his superiors after doing the right thing. Connelly did an effective job of setting up Stilwell as a new ongoing protagonist, and there are some interesting hanging threads for the character, including a complicated romantic relationship and a growing contentment with his new post at Catalina Island, which clashes with his sense of injustice surrounding his banishment there. Stilwell worked well as a standalone protagonist in this novel, but there is also potential for Connelly to expand on him in the future, especially with several open storylines and potential long-running feuds with crooks and corrupt cops going forward. The rest of the cast of Nightshade is also well set up, and I liked the combination of Catalina Island locals and transplants from the mainland who wander into the case. There are some strong antagonistic forces surrounding the main character during this novel, and it was fascinating to see how Stilwell worked around them to crack his cases.
The final part of Nightshade that I must highlight is the compelling new setting of Catalina Island. I must admit I had never really heard of Catalina Island until reading this book, and it proved to be a very interesting alternate Los Angeles setting to set a crime fiction novel around. Connelly paints a vivid picture of the island as part of Nightshade’s plot, and I liked the depiction of it as a holiday island with its own unique charm. The focus on the local culture versus the mainland transplants taking it over was quite fascinating, and Connelly does a great job of diving into the fascinating history of the island and working that into the book’s plot. He also develops an interesting tale of corruption and crime on the island, which ties in nicely with some of the setting’s real-life features. The extra focus on maritime elements, police diving, and the environment of the island (including its surprising bison herds), as well as the isolated nature of the setting, gave Nightshade a distinctive feel, and this proved to be quite a memorable novel in Connelly’s shared universe.
Overall, Nightshade was an outstanding new novel from Michael Connelly that proved very hard to stop reading. With an intriguing new protagonist, setting, and original murder mysteries, Nightshade was a deeply compelling and highly exciting read that I had such a wonderful time with. This book comes very highly recommended, and I cannot wait to get my hands on Connelly’s next novel, which is set to come out very soon.
Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Spring 2025 To Be Read (TBR) List
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.
The Widow by John Grisham – 21 October 2025
An intriguing new legal thriller from the always impressive John Grisham.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Books From the First Half of 2025
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently reside at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday involved listing books you’d like to reread. While this is an interesting topic which I might come back to later, I had already decided in advance that this week I would take this opportunity to celebrate the fact that we are into the second half of 2025 by highlighting some amazing books from the first half of the year.
2025 has already proven to be a fantastic year for books, and I have already read some incredible new releases, including impressive standalone books, amazing entries in established series and fantastic debuts. Because of this, I thought that I would take the time to work out what my top ten favourite books from the first half of 2025 were. To be eligible, a book had to be a particularly epic novel released in the first half of this year. I have excluded any books released during this period that I have not so far read, although a couple of releases I have my eye on might have appeared on this list if I had read them in time.
Coming up with this list proved to be a rather bigger task than I originally intended, as I ended up amassing nearly 20 releases, all of which I consider to be outstanding reads. I was eventually able to whittle this down to an acceptable Top Ten list, although I did include my typical generous honourable mentions section. I am rather happy with how this list turned out, although I am surprised at some of the great recent books that ended up being excluded. Still, the entries below represent what I considered to be some of the best books from the first half of 2025, and I would strongly recommend each and every one of them.
Honourable Mentions:
A clever and impressive thriller from the always outstanding Harlan Coben.
The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell
The exceedingly fun, and slightly unhinged, sequel to de Castell’s previous awesome novel, The Malevolent Seven. This second Malevolent book was particularly epic, and I look forward to seeing how this series continues, as well as de Castell’s other upcoming 2025 novel, Our Lady of Blades.
Burn to Shine by Jonathan Maberry
Another exciting and powerful entry in Maberry’s amazing Rogue Team International series.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
The latest epic Hunger Games novel from Suzanne Collins, that perfectly showcased the origins of one of the series’ more iconic characters. Highly recommended and a must read for all Hunger Games fans.
Top Ten List:
A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett
The first ultra-impressive novel of 2025 I want to highlight on this list is the exceptional fantasy murder mystery A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett. The second novel in the author’s Shadow of the Leviathan series, A Drop of Corruption is the brilliant sequel to The Tainted Cup (one of my favourite books of 2024). Another intricate and powerful murder mystery set within Bennett’s clever fantasy setting; A Drop of Corruption was a particularly addictive read that I honestly could not get enough of.
Midnight Black by Mark Greaney
Next on the list we have the fantastic spy thriller Midnight Black by one of my favourite authors Mark Greaney. The 14th entry in Greaney’s Gray Man series, Midnight Black was an epic read that served as a great follow-up to the cliffhanger ending of the previous novel, The Chaos Agent. Pitting the author’s legendary spy protagonist against the entire Russian state as he attempts to free the woman he loves from an internment camp, Midnight Black was a great mixture of action, espionage and character moments that proves impossible to put down. A very impressive entry in one of the best ongoing spy thriller series.
Days of Shattered Faith by Adrian Tchaikovsky
One of the world’s best fantasy and science fiction authors was in rare form with his incredible novel, Days of Shattered Faith, which serves as the third book in the author’s Tyrant Philosophers series. A gritty and captivating novel that follows on from City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds, both of which were amongst my favourite books of 2023 (with City of Last Chances being one of the best audiobooks of 2023), Days of Shattered Faith was an incredible fantasy read that continued to follow the dark expansion of an empire dedicated to perfection and correctness. This time examining the dark side of diplomacy as a new city is rocked by war, revolution and conquest, Days of Shattered Faith was a very complex read that perfectly continues the series. Easily one of Tchaikovsky’s better books, Days of Shattered Faith is a very worthy addition to this list and is really worth a read.
Warhammer 40,000: Interceptor City by Dan Abnett
I had to include Interceptor City, the incredible new Warhammer 40,000 novel from Dan Abnett on this list. The long-awaited sequel to his iconic novel Double Eagle, Interceptor City brings back Abnett’s fighter ace protagonist Bree Jagdea, as she is dragged out of retirement and into the carnage of war. This time forced to fly deadly combat missions in the claustrophobic confines of a massive city, Interceptor City was a particularly impressive sequel that really highlights Abnett’s ability to write complex and gripping dogfights. One of the more outstanding Warhammer novels of 2025, Interceptor City was Abnett at his best (which is saying something), and I could not get enough of this outstanding read.
Amazing thriller author Gregg Hurwitz may have presented one of his very best books this year with his 10th Orphan X novel, Nemesis. Once again following the author’s complicated vigilante protagonist, Nemesis featured a moving and powerful story as the titular Orphan X is forced to face off against his best friend following the events of Lone Wolf. A gripping battle of personalities, Nemesis was a very powerful read, and I’m still not over the book’s shocking ending. An exceptional read that you won’t be prepared for.
Usagi Yojimbo: The Crow by Stan Sakai
I doubt anyone is too surprised that I’ve featured the new Usagi Yojimbo comic by Stan Sakai, The Crow, on this list, as I have long championed the beauty and complexity of this series. The latest volume, The Crow, had a great story as the protagonist teams up with several bounty hunters to bring down a notorious criminal, only to encounter tragedy and death. A very compelling addition to the series, The Crow was so much fun to read and comes highly recommended. I have so much love for this series, and I cannot wait to get the next volume, Ten Thousand Plums, which will likely also be a big release of 2025.
After several years out of the spotlight, the master of grim dark fantasy fiction, Joe Abercrombie, returns with a vengeance with The Devils. The first book in a new series set in an alternate version of medieval Europe populated with monsters and magic, The Devils follows a group of monsters controlled by the church who are charged with keeping a street-thief alive and placing her on the throne of Troy as empress. A particularly entertaining novel loaded with great characters, outrageous humour and constant carnage, The Devils was pure Joe Abercrombie goodness, and I loved every single second I spent reading it.
Never Flinch by Stephen King
Another amazing book from the first half of 2025 I had to include was the new Stephen King novel, Never Flinch. Once again bringing back his amazing protagonist Holly Gibney (Mr. Mercedes, The Outsider and Holly), Never Flinch sees the unlikely detective contend with two dangerous opponents, an obsessive serial killer and a relentless stalker. A very compelling and dark character-driven crime fiction read, Never Flinch had an exceptional story behind it and I deeply enjoyed seeing how this elaborate tale unfolded.
The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
One of the more surprising entries on this list was the fantasy debut from author Anthonia Hodgson, The Raven Scholar. A massive and addictive fantasy novel that sees a tournament to crown a new emperor disrupted by murder, conspiracy, and long-hidden secrets, The Raven Scholar was a particularly awesome read that I powered through a few days. I had such an incredible time with The Raven Scholar, and I just had to feature it on this list.
Nightshade by Michael Connelly
The final book on this list is the new Michael Connelly novel Nightshade. Set on Catalina Island and featuring a new protagonist, Nightshade was an intricate and exciting murder mystery novel that combined dark island politics with several gritty murders. A very strong book from Connelly that perfectly introduced his new protagonist and scenario, Nightshade is a very impressive read and one of the better books from the first half of 2025.
Well, that’s the end of this latest list. As you can see, I have already read some amazing and epic books so far in 2025 and we are only halfway through the year. I am pretty happy with how this list turned out, and it will be interesting to see which of these books ends up being amongst my top reads of the year. All the novels above come very highly recommended, and you are guaranteed to have a wonderful time reading them. Let me know what your favourite releases for the first half of the year are in the comments below and make sure to check out my two most anticipated reads lists for the second half of 2025 (fantasy and science fiction and other).
Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2025 (Mystery, Thriller and Historical Fiction)
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. In this list, I continue to examine my most anticipated releases for the second half of 2025. While my other list of the night looked at the best upcoming fantasy and science fiction novels, this list will look at the crime fiction, thrillers, and historical fiction novels that I am most excited for in the next six months.
Just like with my previous article about upcoming fantasy and science fiction books, this was a bit of a difficult list to pull together. Even after I excluded fantasy and science fiction novels from it, there were still a ton of great books I could feature, and I had a hard time deciding what to cut. I was eventually able to whittle it down to a top ten list (with an honourable mentions section), and I am pretty happy with how it turned out. Just like with my fantasy and science fiction list, the following list does a great job of highlighting what books I am most excited for in the second half of the year, so let us see what makes the cut.
Honourable Mentions:
The Stolen by Vikki Petraitis – 2 September 2025
An intriguing upcoming Australian crime fiction novel that will serve as a sequel to the author’s emotionally charged previous novel, The Unbelieved. I was deeply impressed with The Unbelieved and I cannot wait to see how the series continues.
Final Orbit by Chris Hadfield – 9 October 2025
A cool Cold War thriller from astronaut Chris Hadfield that will follow on from The Apollo Murders and The Defector.
The Widow by John Grisham – 21 October 2025
An excellent new courtroom drama from legendary author John Grisham, The Widow has a very fun story behind it as a small-town lawyer finds himself on trial for the murder after trying to scam an elderly widow.
Hotel Lucky Seven by Kotaro Isaka – 12 November 2025
The upcoming English translation of Hotel Lucky Seven from Japanese author Kotaro Isaka is something I am very keen to read, especially after having so much fun with his epic novels Bullet Train and Three Assassins.
Top Ten List:
No Body No Crime by Tess Sharpe – 15 July 2025
After wowing me with the excellent young adult thrillers, The Girls I’ve Been and The Girl in Question, Tess Sharpe’s next cool book, No Body No Crime, is very high up my to-read list. Set to follow two former lovers as they attempt to survive the consequences of a murder they committed when they were teenagers, this is likely to be another sharp, clever and moving thriller. I have no doubt that No Body No Crime is going to be awesome, and I am hoping to read it soon.
Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh – 24 July 2025
I love a good legal thriller, and few examples of this sub-genre are more entertaining or memorable than the Eddie Flynn books by Steve Cavanagh. I have had an outstanding time with novels like The Devil’s Advocate, The Accomplice and Witness 8, and I am always excited to see what new craziness Cavanagh has planned for his next courtroom escapades. Luckily, we don’t have too much longer to wait for the next upcoming book in the series, Two Kinds of Stranger, which will see an innocent client dragged into a legal nightmare when she tries to help a random stranger with dark secrets. I cannot wait to read this new book, and it should be particularly entertaining and compelling.
The Final Vow by M. W. Craven – 12 August 2025
After absolutely loving the dark and twist laden novel The Mercy Chair last year (one of my favourite books of 2024), I am now a firm fan of all things M. W. Craven and I cannot wait to see his next epic read, The Final Vow. The new book in the author’s Washington Poe series, The Final Vow will see the series’ damaged detective and his unconventional investigation team attempt to stop a sniper terrorising the entire country. This amazing sounding book will likely be one of the very best mystery novels of 2025 and I am extremely excited to see how many complex twists and shocking turns Craven will load into this new book.
The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown – 9 September 2025
Legendary author Dan Brown returns to his iconic Robert Langdon series, this time setting the series’ titular protagonist lose in Prague. Set to see Langdon investigate a dark conspiracy rooted in the history of the city, The Secret of Secrets is going to be a pretty amazing novel, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the first Robert Langdon book released in years.
Circle of Days by Ken Follett – 23 September 2025
Few big upcoming releases have me as excited as the new Ken Follett novel, Circle of Days, especially after absorbing the author’s addictive Kingsbridge novels, including The Evening and the Morning, A Column of Fire and The Armour of Light. Once again diving into the history of England, Circle of Days will be an expansive, multi-character novel that will have the building on Stonehenge as its backdrop. Sure to feature a lengthy narrative set over multiple years, Circle of Days is likely to be one of my favourite historical fiction books of 2025 and I am so very keen to read it.
The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman – 25 September 2025
I am certain that this next book, The Impossible Fortune, is going to be the novel at the top of all my best-of lists later this year. The next entry in Richard Osman’s exceptional Thursday Murder Club series, The Impossible Fortune will see the unlikely retiree protagonists attempt to solve a sinister crime at a wedding, with shenanigans and elaborate mystery to follow. I have no doubt that The Impossible Fortune is going to be exceptional, especially after loving every second of 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), and I cannot wait to see what magic Osman weaves with this incredible upcoming book.
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.
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 better books, and I am very excited to get my hands on it.
Tyrant of Rome by Simon Scarrow – 6 November 2025
Another upcoming book that I am particularly excited for is the new Eagles of the Empire book from Simon Scarrow, Tyrant of Rome (cover yet to be released). 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 in the city. 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 and the insanity of the emperor.
Usagi Yojimbo: Ten Thousand Plums by Stan Sakai – 25 November 2025
The final entry on this list is one of my favourites with the next Usagi Yojimbo volume by Stan Sakai, Ten Thousand Plums. The 41st volume of the Usagi Yojimbo comic series, Ten Thousand Plums should be another intense adventure loaded with great characters, awesome action, and vibrant artwork, as the protagonists are thrown into a dangerous conspiracy within a vital plum plantation personally protected by the Shogun. This will be the second entry from the Usagi Yojimbo series released in 2025 following the impressive volume, The Crow, and if Ten Thousand Plums is just as good as it’s proceeding volume, then I am in for an exceptional time when I pick this comic up in November.
Well, that’s the end of my second list. As you can see, there are some outstanding mysteries, thrillers and historical fiction novels coming out in the next six months which should prove to be amazing reads. Combine that with the fantasy and science fiction releases from my previous list and I know that I am going to have an incredible time in the second half of 2025. While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you and let me know what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below.
WWW Wednesday – 11 June 2025
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:
Warhammer 40,000: Fulgrim: The Perfect Son by Jude Reid (Audiobook)
After highlighting some of my favourite Warhammer 40,000 novels earlier this week, I was keen to return to this awesome grimdark franchise and decided to check out one of the more intriguing recent releases from it, with Fulgrim: The Perfect Son by Jude Reid. Following members of the hedonistic and corrupt Emperor’s Children Chaos Space Marines Legion as they embark on siege on behalf of their dark master, The Perfect Son looks set to be an intriguing and entertaining Warhammer 40,000 novel loaded with secrets and betrayal. I’ve only just started listening to this audiobook, but it is so far very intense and interesting. I have no doubt I am going to have a great time with The Perfect Son, especially as some of Reid’s previous Warhammer 40,000 novels, such as Creed: Ashes of Cadia and Daemonbreaker, were a ton of fun.
What did you recently finish reading?
Nightshade by Michael Connelly (ebook)
I absolutely powered through the new Michael Connelly novel; Nightshade, last week and it was such a great read. Following an interesting new Connelly protagonist who is forced to investigate a murder on Catalina Island, Nightshade is another amazing book from Connelly that had me hooked very early one. An outstanding and highly recommend novel from one of the very best crime fiction authors.
Never Flinch by Stephen King (audiobook)
I also managed to finally finish off the new Stephen King novel, Never Flinch. Featuring one of the authors more compelling protagonists, Holly Gibney (from books like Mr. Mercedes, The Outsider and Holly), Never Flinch is a gripping novel that pits Holly against both a killer planning to murder 14 people and a disturbed stalker fixated on murdering a women’s rights activist. Easily one of my favourite books of 2025 so far, Never Flinch was such an incredible read and I’m still reeling from the tense finale.
The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell (ebook)
I spent a good chunk of this week reading the sounding dark fantasy novel, The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell, and boy was it something special. The sequel to de Castell’s outstanding The Malevolent Seven, The Malevolent Eight follows the author’s unlikely band of murderous magic heroes as they inexpertly try to save the world. The result was one of the funniest and most insane books I have ever read, and I am still chuckling at some of the outrageous jokes. I’m hoping to get a review up for this book soon, but make sure to check it out if you’re in the mood for a very, very fun fantasy novel.
What do you think you’ll read next?
Battle Mountain by C. J. Box
I have several interesting books on my to-read list that I might check out next, but the one I think I’ll start with is the awesome thriller Battle Mountain by C. J. Box. The 25th entry in the author’s long-running Joe Pickett series, Battle Mountain will follow on from the tragic events of the previous book, Three-Inch Teeth and see the vengeful protagonists dragged into another deadly confrontation. I already know I’m going to have a lot of fun with Battle Mountain, and I look forward to seeing how everything turns out.
That’s it for this week; check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.
The Unseen Library 