Tag: Nita Prose

Top Ten Tuesday – Books with Occupations in the Title

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List5 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature 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 get a freebie option, allowing them to post whatever they want.  I’m going to use this freebie to jump ahead and do next week’s topic, mainly because I’m hoping to highlight upcoming books for Spring 2025 next Tuesday.  As such, this week I will be listing my favourite books that have occupations in the title.

This was an interesting list topic, and I always enjoy Top Ten Tuesday tasks where I can dive into the titles of the various unique books I have had the pleasure of reading over the years.  Listing occupations featured in titles was a cool choice, and there are a surprising number of books out there that feature job titles or professions in their names.  I ended up with a substantial list of potential inclusions for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, so I made sure to restrict entries to one book from each author.  I also tried to show the most varied list of occupations I could, as I didn’t want my list to get bogged down in the various uses of solider or miliary ranks.  I think my resulting list had a great combination of various occupations used in book titles, and it liked the intriguing combination of novels that emerged.

Honourable Mentions:

The Recruiter by Gregg Podolksi

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The No.1 Lawyer by James Patterson and Nancy Allen

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The Interpreter by Brooke Robinson

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The Maid by Nita Prose

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Top Ten Tuesday:

Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 30: Thieves and Spies by Stan Sakai

A classic entry from one of my favourite comic series.  While early volumes The Ronin and Samurai would have also been excellent choices for this list, I’m instead going with the 30th volume, Thieves and Spies, which features two separate occupations in the title.

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The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson

An excellent recent fantasy novel that follows a scholar character as she tries to uncover a dark conspiracy amongst a complex and deadly tournament.  Scholar was a great occupation to have in the title, and I deeply enjoyed this epic fantasy read.

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Mr Einstein’s Secretary by Matthew Reilly

A deeply captivating historical fiction novel that follows a talented secretary who finds herself involved in multiple world events in the lead up to World War II.

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The Judge’s List by John Grisham

A judge is an excellent occupation to feature on this list, especially as this judge has some very dark secrets.

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Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

A classic novel from the legendary Terry Pratchett that follows the humble city guard in a fantasy city as they come face to face with a magical murder.  This is an incredible novel and a great choice for this list.  Other books from Pratchett such as Men at Arms or Reaper Man might have fit in here nicely as well, but Guards! Guards! was my first choice for this list, and I’m glad I get to highlight it again.  

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The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney

I suppose that it was inevitable that a book in one of my favourite, long-running spy thriller series would feature “agent” in one of its titles, which is a great way to describe the occupation of the protagonist.  This particular novel from Greaney was a great addition to the Gray Man series, and readers are in for a wild time with its cool plot and compelling action.

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Priest of Bones by Peter McLean

An impressive and awesome fantasy novel that follows returning soldiers determined to take over their home city’s underworld.  While the “priest” in this title is a little more criminal you would usually associate with the occupation, it still works to make this book a worthy entry to this list.

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The Devil’s Advocate by Steve Cavanagh

A title taken from a classic saying, advocate works as an occupation for the sake of this list, and I was pleased to feature a fun legal thriller from Steve Cavanagh.

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The Queen’s Captain by Peter Watt

I had a few novels with the occupation of “captain” in the title, but I decided to go with The Queen’s Captain by Australian author Peter Watt.  While captain here refers to a military rank, the word also works to describe a general occupation, so I think it works well for this list.

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Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

The final novel I want to feature on this list is Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb.  There were several amazing books I could have used here that featured the nefarious occupation of “assassin” in the title, but I decided to go with this beloved fantasy novel, which I deeply enjoyed reading years ago.  Following a young bastard prince who finds a new, secret occupation as a court assassin, Assassin’s Apprentice is true classic and it rounds out this list perfectly.

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Well, that’s the end of this list.  I had fun listing my top books with occupations in the titles, and I’m happy with how the above list turned out, especially as there is an interesting collection of books there.  All the above come highly recommended, and I hope everyone else enjoys this topic when they look over it next week.

Book Haul – 18 May 2025

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I’ve been away on holiday for a few weeks, which has resulted in a lack of major posts on this blog (at least that’s my excuse).  One upside about being away is that you tend to come back to a big pile of books, which is always fun to explore.  This holiday was no exception as I managed to return to a great collection of awesome books that have built up the last couple of weeks.  This includes some major 2025 releases, including a few books likely to be amongst my top books of the year.  I am very happy with this collection, and I just had to gloat about it here.

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

Probably the book I was most excited to receive was the new Joe Abercrombie novel The Devils.  The start of a cool new series set in an alternate and dark medieval Europe filled with fantasy creatures, The Devils follow a mismatched group of monsters under the command of the Pope as they attempt to pull off an impossible mission.  This was one of my most anticipated fantasy releases of 2025 and I have already started reading it.  I’m a good third of the way through The Devils at the moment and it is already proving to be a particularly exceptional read that will likely be one of the best books of the entire year.  Highly recommended!

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Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler

Another particularly awesome fantasy novel I was very happy to get my hands on was Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler.  The sequel to the hilarious 2024 fantasy novel, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me follows a reluctant fantasy protagonist whose plan to survive by becoming a feared dark lord starts to backfire on her.  This will probably end up being one of the funniest books of the year and I am hoping to read it very soon.

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Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold

Australian author Luke Arnold returns with Whisper in the Wind, the fourth entry in his urban fantasy Fetch Phillips series that follows a damaged investigator desperately trying to bring back magic to a dying fantasy city.  I loved the first three books in this series, The Last Smile in Sunder City, Dead Man in a Ditch, and One Foot in the Fade, and I cannot wait to see how this series continues.  Another amazing sounding book from an excellent author that I will probably be reading this week.   

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Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch

The fantasy hits I recently received keep on coming with the epic new Rivers of London novel, Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch.  The latest book in one of the best ongoing urban fantasy series, Stone and Sky will follow the series’ police protagonist as he attempts to have a family holiday in Scotland, only to encounter a new dark magical mystery.  I really love the sound of this book, and I cannot wait to dive into Stone and Sky’s complex and entertaining story.

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The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence

Another great book I was lucky enough to recently receive was the third and final book in Mark Lawrence’s Library trilogy, The Book That Held Her Heart. Following on from The Book That Wouldn’t Burn and The Book That Broke the World, The Book That Held Her Heart will show the final battle for the impossible and infinite library, as the separated protagonists must find a way back to each other to save the lives of those closest to them.  I am very excited to finish this trilogy off, and The Book That Held Her Heart has a great deal of potential.

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Sins of the Fathers by John Byrnes

Another cool Australian historical epic from John Byrnes, who previous impressed me with Headland and The Youngest Son.  This new book will follow three children through the early 20th century as they feud throughout key Australian historical events and locations.  This will likely be a fun and compelling read that I look forward to checking out. 

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The Maid’s Secret by Nita Prose

An intriguing new novel from Nita Prose that will continue to showcase the investigations of her unlikely and unusual protagonist.

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Paved with Good Intentions by Peter McLean

The final book I have received was the cool fantasy crime novel, Paved With Good Intentions by Peter McLean.  A standalone novel set in McLean’s War for the Rose Throne universe, Paved With Good Intentions will follow a woman forced into the spying game as she tries to survive and get back to her children. A very intriguing and cool book from a talented author that I look forward to reading.

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Well, that’s the end of this latest Book Haul post.  As you can see I have quite a bit of reading to do at the moment thanks to all these awesome books that have come in.  Let me know which of the above you are most interested in and make sure to check back in a few weeks to see my reviews of them.

WWW Wednesday – 20 December 2023

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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:

Deadly Game by Michael Caine (Trade Paperback)

Deadly Game Cover

I started reading the awesome and fun thriller, Deadly Game, this week.  Written by legendary actor Michael Caine, Deadly Game has an intriguing plot about an elite police unit chasing down stolen nuclear material.  I am about halfway through Deadly Game at the moment, and it is proving to be a rather interesting book in a style that is definitely reminiscent of Michael Caine.  I’m rather enjoying Deadly Game and I look forward to seeing how Caine wraps it up.

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Warhammer 40,000: The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath (Audiobook)

Warhammer 40,000 - The Fall of Cadia Cover

I’m still going with the fantastic Warhammer 40,000 novel, The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath, which is proving to be one hell of a listen.  A novelization of one of the key lore moments of the Warhammer 40,000 canon, The Fall of Cadia is a complex novel that covers the main moments of the 13th Black Crusade.  This is one of most significant Warhammer 40,000 novels of the year and I am very glad that they got Robert Rath to write it as he has been one of the most impressive authors of Warhammer fiction in recent years (check out my reviews for Assassinorum: Kingmaker and The Infinite and the Divine).  I have made a ton of progress on The Fall of Cadia this week and this is honestly proving to be one of the best Warhammer books of the year. Intense, full of action and featuring some great characters, The Fall of Cadia is a masterful novel and I am hoping to finish it off in the next week.

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose (Trade Paperback)

The Mystery Guest Cover

I managed to knock off the new murder mystery from Nita Prose, The Mystery Guest this week. The intriguing sequel to Prose’s first novel, The Maid, The Mystery Guest was an excellent and compelling novel that I had a good time with.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont

Dark Arena Cover

I am probably going to get a head start on my 2024 reading in the next week by checking out the early copy of Dark Arena that I have.  The sequel to Beaumont’s debut, The Frenchman, Dark Arena will once again follow a French intelligence agent as he attempts to uncover a sinister plot.  I have a lot of love for The Frenchman and I look forward to reading another book in Beaumont’s distinctive and meticulous style.

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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.

Quick Review – The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Quick Review3 Comments

The Mystery Guest Cover

Publisher: Harper Collins (Trade Paperback – 29 November 2023)

Series: Molly the Maid – Book Two

Length: 327 pages

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Last year I was lucky enough to receive a copy of The Maid, the debut novel of Nita Prose, which proved to be an excellent read.  Following a cleaning obsessed maid with a unique outlook on life who gets accused of a murder at her fancy hotel, The Maid was a fantastic read that made great use of its unique protagonist and her compelling personality.  The Maid ended up begin great book and one of my favourite debuts of 2022.  As such, I was pretty excited when I received a copy of Prose’s new novel, The Mystery Guest.  A sequel to The Maid, The Mystery Guest introduces a new compelling mystery that Prose’s protagonist needs to uncover.

Plot Synopsis:

Molly Gray is not like anyone else. With her flair for cleaning and proper etiquette, she has risen through the ranks of the glorious five-star Regency Grand Hotel to become the esteemed Head Maid. But just as her life reaches a pinnacle state of perfection, her world is turned upside down when J.D. Grimthorpe, the world-renowned mystery author, drops dead—very dead—on the hotel’s tea room floor.

When Detective Stark, Molly’s old foe, investigates the author’s unexpected demise, it becomes clear that this death was murder most foul. Suspects abound, and everyone wants to who killed J.D. Grimthorpe? Was it Lily, the new Maid-in-Training? Or was it Serena, the author’s secretary? Could Mr. Preston, the hotel’s beloved doorman, be hiding something? And is Molly really as innocent as she seems?

As the case threatens the hotel’s pristine reputation, Molly knows she alone holds the key to unlocking the killer’s identity. But that key is buried deep in her past—because long ago, she knew J.D. Grimthorpe. Molly begins to comb her memory for clues, revisiting her childhood and the mysterious Grimthorpe mansion where she and her dearly departed Gran once worked side by side. With the entire hotel under investigation, Molly must solve the mystery post-haste. If there’s one thing Molly knows for sure, it’s that dirty secrets don’t stay buried forever…

This was an interesting and fast-paced follow-up to The Maid that I’m glad I decided to check out.  Prose does a wonderful job reintroducing the character of Molly Gray, and the new mystery surrounding her is very clever, distinctive and featuring some fun meta commentary on mystery writers.

Starting off strong with the sudden poisoning of the mystery writer in question, you quickly get sucked into the case, especially when it becomes clear that Molly is hiding a personal connection to the victim.  As with the first book in the series, Prose splits the narrative across time periods, with one part of the story set in the present as Molly inadvertently starts to investigate the case, and the other set back in the protagonist’s past, exploring her upbringing and the history she has with the victim.  I liked the split between these two parts of the story, and the author does a good job of working key clues and character motivations into the scenes set in the past, which come full circle by the end of the book. I did think that the scenes set in the present were a little too similar in tone and content to that of the first book, with Molly coming into conflict with Detective Stark, Cheryl being an unnecessary cow, and a series of misunderstandings forcing Molly further into the investigation.  However, the dives into Molly’s past helped to cut this familiarity to an acceptable degree, and I really enjoyed learning more about the protagonist’s past.

Both these story arcs blend well into a complete and intriguing narrative and I had a fantastic time seeing the entire story coming together.  The mystery itself was quite strong, and I liked the unique motivations and characters that emerged as a result.  The way the crime was solved thanks to Molly’s attention to detail and knowledge of the maidly arts was a little over the top, but I can forgive that considering the plot and the characters involved.  Prose also works in some subtle but compelling character arcs that see several existing and new supporting figures go in some interesting directions, and I particularly enjoyed the changing attitudes of Detective Stark after how portrayal in the previous novel.  An overall clever and strong murder mystery book, I really enjoyed seeing how this all came together.

I main highlight of The Mystery Guest is protagonist Molly Gray, who is one of the more unique and entertaining crime fiction characters you are likely to see.  An obsessive, socially awkward woman with a unique outlook on life and human interactions, Molly has found her calling as a maid, especially as it allows her to clean up other people’s messes.  Much of The Mystery Guest’s uniqueness comes from the way that Molly observes her world and interacts with the people in it.  Her ability to remember small details is matched by her inability to understand people’s emotions and motivations, which can often get her into trouble.  I felt that Prose did a good job of expanding on Molly’s personality in The Mystery Guest, and it was great to see become more assertive and capable, especially after receiving her coveted promotion to Head Maid.  At the same time, Prose also dives into Molly’s childhood, which, while it is a little convenient that she had connections with the victim, provides more insights into Molly’s personality and some of the events that formed her.  I deeply enjoyed how Prose worked to grow Molly as a person in this sequel while also maintaining her atypical outlook and mentality, and it will be interesting to see how this character is developed in the future.  I do worry that Prose is going to get diminishing returns on how much one can enjoy Molly’s character as the series continues, but I’ll be happy to be proven wrong about that.

Overall, The Mystery Guest proves be an intriguing and captivating sequel to The Maid and I enjoyed the new mystery that Nita Prose came up with.  Making great use of her main character and presenting a complex, domestic murder, The Mystery Guest was a fantastic read that you can make quick work of.

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Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Sequels of 2023

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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 topic for this week’s Top Ten Tuesday required participants to list books that they hope Santa brings them.  While this is a fun topic, I decided to abstain and instead continue with my annual end-of-year lists that I have been working on the last few weeks.  I have already covered my favourite new-to-me authors I read in 2023, as well as the best pre-2023 novels I read this year, but in this week’s list I am going to cover a new end-of-year topic and highlight the best sequels I read in 2023.

Everyone loves a good sequel, and nearly every novelist and author has written some form of sequel in their career.  I’m sure we can all name some awesome books that requires some form of continuation and each year the talented authors we follow produce interesting sequel novels that cleverly expand from outstanding first novels.  I read a ton of sequels every year and I felt that it was about time that I highlighted the very best sequels of the year in a specific post.

To complete this list, I pulled together the best sequels released in 2023 that I had the pleasure of reading.  I primarily focused on second novels in a series that were released this year, especially those that I felt were outstanding follow ups to an impressive first novel and which followed the same characters or storylines.  For my top ten list, I prioritised those books I considered to be the best sequel, so while I might have enjoyed a specific novel more overall, if a book was a better sequel, it made the cut instead.  I think the resulting top ten list turned out pretty well as a result, and definitely highlights my favourite sequels released in 2023.

Honourable Mentions:

He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan

He Who Drowned The World Cover

An intriguing and elaborate historical fiction/fantasy novel that serves as a wonderful sequel to the awesome She Who Became the Sun.

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The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

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Nita Prose brings back her atypical protagonist from her exciting debut, The Maid, for another fun adventure.

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Ripper by Shelley Burr

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A brilliant and addictive sequel to Burr’s outstanding first book, Wake, Ripper is an outstanding piece of Australian crime fiction that comes highly recommended.

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Her Sweet Revenge by Sarah Bonner

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A brilliant and elaborate thriller that sees a woman do everything she can to get revenge for her best friend, no matter the cost.  An outstanding book that falls within the same universe as Bonner’s debut novel, Her Perfect Twin.

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Top Ten List:

House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky

House of Open Wounds Cover

The first sequel I want to highlight on this list is the outstandingly clever and wildly entertaining House of Open Wounds by the always impressive Adrian Tchaikovsky.  House of Open Wounds was an incredible follow-up to Tchaikovsky’s exceptional City of Last Chances, which is one of the best books and audiobooks I enjoyed in the first half of 2023.  Set in the same world and featuring the best protagonist from the first book, House of Open Wounds was an awesome sequel that continued some key storylines while also introducing the readers to a bold new cast of characters who staff an unconventional military hospital.  Funny and dramatic in equal measures, this was an amazing book and a truly great sequel.

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Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect Cover

One of the funniest sequels of 2023 had to be Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Australian author Benjamin Stevenson.  A follow-up to Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone (one of my favourite Australian books of 2022), Everyone on this Train is a Suspect was a great piece of Australian crime fiction that saw Stevenson’s plucky protagonist attempt to solve another murder aboard a train loaded with suspicious mystery authors.  Not only was this a great read, but it proved to be an excellent sequel that built on the story and writing elements of the previous release.

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Dead of Night by Simon Scarrow

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One of my favourite historical fiction authors Simon Scarrow had an excellent sequel out this year with Dead of Night.  Scarrow’s second Berlin Wartime Thriller, Dead of Night was the follow up to Blackout, and presented the reader with another dark crime fiction read in Nazi controlled Berlin.  This time examining a mysterious murder tied into the darkest secrets of the Nazi reign, Dead of Night was an amazing book that threw Scarrow’s protagonists into another moral quandary.  An outstanding novel, I hope we get additional entries in this series soon.

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Son of the Poison Rose by Jonathan Maberry

Son of the Poison Rose Cover

Another outstanding fantasy novel that got a sequel in 2023 was Jonathan Maberry’s Kagen the Damned, which was one of my favourite books and audiobooks from 2022.  This sequel, Son of the Poison Rose, saw the series’ titular damned protagonist continue his struggle to get revenge after the destruction of everything he loved, while also facing all manner of eldritch horrors.  A sharp, brutal and addictive read loaded with so much action, Son of the Poison Rose proved to be an exceptional continuance of a great series and I had such an epic time with this book.

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Kill Your Husbands by Jack Heath

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I was very happy when I found out that Australian author Jack Heath was releasing a sequel to his exceptional novel, Kill Your Brother (one of my favourite Australian novels of 2021), this year, with the awesome and outrageous Kill Your Husbands.  Kill Your Husbands was a great book that saw the protagonists from the first novel try and solve a complex murder of three couples who were experimenting in a remote bushland location.  An extremely complex and clever read, Kill Your Husbands had a powerful mystery behind it, and I loved how Heath brought back two outstanding protagonists.

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The Last True Templar by Boyd and Beth Morrison

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I had a lot of fun this year reading the second Tales of the Lawless Land novel by the team of Boyd and Beth Morrison, with The Last True Templar.  A fantastic historical thriller, The Last True Templar is a sequel to the Morrison’s first novel, The Lawless Land.  Set in 14th century Europe, The Last True Templar was another bold adventure that saw the authors’ protagonists get dragged into a race to recover the lost Templar treasures.  An amazing, action-packed novel, The Last True Templar did a great job continuing from The Lawless Land and I loved the awesome story it contained.

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Never a Hero by Vanessa Len

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Australian author Vanessa Len did an outstanding job of following up her debut novel, Only a Monster (one of my favourite debuts of 2022) with the emotionally charged sequel, Never a Hero.  A gripping young adult fantasy novel that sees a time travelling monster being hunted by dark forces bent on changing the world alongside her monster hunter love interest.  A powerful read that cleverly reimagined elements from the first book and threw its characters into new and impossible situations, Never a Hero is a very clever sequel that really showcased Len’s writing ability.

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The Defector by Chris Hadfield

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Astronaut Chris Hadfield did a wonderful job of following up his amazing debut novel, The Apollo Murders (one of my favourite debuts of 2021), with The Defector.  An exciting and awesome thriller novel, The Defector followed a Cold War Soviet pilot who defects to the United States for his own nefarious purposes.  An outstanding book that really showed Hadfield’s growth as an author, The Defector was a great sequel that is worth checking out.

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The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding

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One of my most anticipated sequels for 2023 was The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding.  The long-awaited follow-up to his epic fantasy novel, The Ember Blade, The Shadow Casket was an exceptional novel that deepened the complex lore of the series and took his existing protagonists on another dark ride.  A powerful, addictive and massive read, The Shadow Casket is one of my top books of the year and I am so glad we finally got a sequel to the first book.

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Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

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One of my favourite Australian authors provides an intriguing follow up to her powerful novel, The Night Swim, with Dark Corners, a clever read that examines the world of influencers and social media stars.  Dark, compelling, and bringing back Goldin’s first recurring protagonist, Dark Corners was an excellent sequel from a talented author.

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Well, that’s it for this list.  As you can see, I have read several outstanding sequels this year and had a wonderful time doing so.  Every entry above was an epic novel, and I loved how they each successfully continued impressive story threads started in the previous novel.  All these books come highly recommended, and I cannot wait to see how these talented authors add to their already awesome series in the future.

WWW Wednesday – 13 December 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday2 Comments

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 Mystery Guest by Nita Prose (Trade Paperback)

The Mystery Guest Cover

I honestly haven’t made any progress since last week on the new murder mystery from Nita Prose, The Mystery Guest.  The intriguing sequel to Prose’s first novel, The Maid, The Mystery Guest features another compelling murder, seen through the eyes of Prose’s unique protagonist.  I am hoping to finally get to grips with The Mystery Guest this week, but I’ll have to see how I go.

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Warhammer 40,000: The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath (Audiobook)

Warhammer 40,000 - The Fall of Cadia Cover

I have just started listening to the fantastic Warhammer 40,000 novel, The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath.  A novelization of one of the key lore moments of the Warhammer 40,000 canon, The Fall of Cadia looks set to be a complex and massive novel that covers the main moments of the 13th Black Crusade.  This is probably going to be one of most significant Warhammer 40,000 novels of the year and I am very glad that they got Robert Rath to write it as he has been one of the most impressive authors of Warhammer fiction in recent years (check out my reviews for Assassinorum: Kingmaker and The Infinite and the Divine).  I am hoping to make a ton of progress on The Fall of Cadia this week and I have a feeling it is going to be one of the best Warhammer novels of the year.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Murtagh by Christopher Paolini (Audiobook)

Murtagh Cover

I made a huge effort and managed to finish off the audiobook version of Murtagh this week.  A brilliant continuation of Paolini’s classic Inheritance Cycle novels, Murtagh was a pretty damn awesome read and I loved seeing another novel in this outstanding fantasy world.  I am hoping to get a review up for Murtagh soon, and it proved to be quite an outstanding piece of fantasy fiction.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Deadly Game by Michael Caine

Deadly Game Cover

I am hoping to dive into the fun sounding thriller, Deadly Game, next.  Written by legendary actor Michael Caine, Deadly Game sounds like an exciting and fantastic novel and I am very curious to see how good an author Caine is.

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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 – 6 December 2023

On 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 Mystery Guest by Nita Prose (Trade Paperback)

The Mystery Guest Cover

I have just started reading the new murder mystery from Nita Prose, The Mystery Guest.  The intriguing sequel to Prose’s first novel, The Maid, The Mystery Guest features another compelling murder, seen through the eyes of Prose’s unique protagonist.  I’ve only made a little progress on The Mystery Guest but it is so far proving to be an excellent read with a great set up.  I am hoping to finish it off in the next couple of days and I look forward to Prose’s twisty conclusion.

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Murtagh by Christopher Paolini (Audiobook)

Murtagh Cover

I am still getting through the new Christopher Paolini novel, Murtagh, although I haven’t made as much progress as I would have liked.  The sequel to Paolini’s iconic Inheritance Cycle, Murtagh follows the exploits of the damaged dragon rider Murtagh a year after being freed from the control of his evil lord. I am about two thirds of the way through Murtagh at the moment and I am pretty hooked on the elaborate story that shows a whole new angle to Paolini’s elaborate fantasy world.  I am hoping to finish off Murtagh in the next week, but I’ll have to see how I go.

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What did you recently finish reading?

House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky (ebook)

House of Open Wounds Cover

I had an outstanding time getting through Adrian Tchaikovsky’s latest elaborate book, House of Open Wounds.  The amazing  sequel to Tchaikovsky’s epic and impressive City of Last Chances, House of Open Wounds was such an incredible read, with complex characters, clever scenarios, and a ton of heart.  One of the best fantasy novels of 2023, I’m hoping to get a review up for it soon.

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Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson (Trade Paperback)

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect Cover

A twisty and extremely hilarious Australian murder mystery that makes fun of so many different tropes and conventions of classic crime fiction.  Highly recommended!

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Vendetta by Sarah Barrie (Trade Paperback)

Vendetta Cover

A brilliantly dark and gritty Australian crime fiction read that pits a maverick police office against the ghosts of her past.  One of Barrie’s best books yet!

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What do you think you’ll read next?

West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman

West Heart Kill Cover

The next book I am hoping to dive into is the intriguing murder mystery debut, West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman.  An apparently meta-murder mystery, West Heart Kill has an awesome classic murder mystery scenario behind it that McDorman twists to tell a unique story.  I have heard some good things about West Heart Kill and I cannot wait to check it out.

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

Book Haul – 4 December 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

I have been having an excellent couple of weeks for book, as I have been lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from some of my local publishers and from Netgalley.  These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including some books that have the potential to be the top novels of 2023 and early 2024.  I am extremely keen to check out all of the books below and they should make for some amazing reads.

Resurrection by Michael Connelly

Resurrection Walk Cover

I got Resurrection Walk a while ago but I haven’t had a chance to really highlight it on this blog yet.  The cool and epic new book from Michael Connelly, Resurrection Walk sees the return of two of the author’s main protagonists and they solve a complex and intriguing case.  I had a brilliant time already reading Resurrection Walk and I am hoping to get a review up for it soon.

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Vendetta by Sarah Barrie

Vendetta Cover

I was also very happy to receive a copy of the new Sarah Barrie novel, Vendetta.  The sequel to Barrie’s previous novels, Unforgiven and Retribution, Vendetta will see the series’ maverick protagonist go up against bikie gangs and revenge driven bombers in an excellent piece of Australian crime fiction.  I have actually already started reading Vendetta and it is proving to be an excellent and captivating read.

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The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

The Mystery Guest Cover

Another excellent book I recently picked up was the intriguing novel, The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose.  The sequel to Prose’s unique debut, The Maid, The Mystery Guest will follow the author’s compelling protagonist as she finds herself involved in another murder at her hotel.  I am hoping to read this book next and it should be quite a fun read.

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Extinction by Douglas Preston

Extinction Cover

A fantastic novel from early 2024 that sees a brutal series of murders take place in an advanced biological zoo filled with resurrected creatures from prehistory.  This book sounds so incredibly awesome, and I cannot wait to dive into it.

Amazon

 

Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont

Dark Arena Cover

A compelling and impressive thriller that will serve as a sequel to Beaumont’s explosive debut, The Frenchman.

Amazon

 

West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman

West Heart Kill Cover

One of the most intriguing books I recently received was the compelling debut, West Heart Kill.  Marketed as a unique take on the murder mystery genre, West Heart Kill will apparently present a classic crime fiction scenario and completely turn it on its head.  This sounds like such a fantastic read and I cannot wait to dive into it.

Amazon

 

The Watch Maker’s Hand by Jeffery Deaver

The Watch Maker's Hand Cover

The latest intriguing Lincoln Rhyme thriller from Jeffery Deaver, this new awesome book will see Deaver’s protagonist attempt to stop a series of deadly attacks on New York City.

Amazon

 

The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson

The Christmas Guest Cover

A cool and twisty Christmas themed novella from the always impressive Peter Swanson.

Amazon

 

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Bookshops & Bonedust Cover

After wowing the world with his beloved novel, Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree presents another cozy fantasy novel, this time a prequel set inside a second-hand bookshop.  I haven’t had the pleasure of reading Legends & Lattes but I like the sound of Bookshops & Bonedust and I’m sure I will have fun with it.

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The Wiregrass by Adrian Hyland

The Wiregrass Cover

The final book that I want to highlight in this book haul post is the cool sounding thriller, The Wiregrass, by bestselling author Adrian Hyland.  This sounds like another excellent read and I look forward to diving into it.

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 – My Favourite Debuts of 2022

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List25 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 were encouraged to list the top ten books on their winter/summer 2022-23 to-read list.  However, as I already did that a few weeks ago, I thought I would instead continue my foray into highlighting the absolute best books of 2022.  This is an end of year tradition I do annually with several Top Ten Tuesday Lists, and I started again this year with last week’s list about the best pre-2022 releases I read this year.  In a continuation of my end of year highlights, for this week’s list I have decided to look at my absolute favourite debut novels of the year.

I mentioned multiple times throughout the year that 2022 was a pretty awesome year for debuts and boy did I mean it.  There were an incredible number of new authors releasing some impressive and entertaining debut novels this year, and I was lucky enough to receive a huge bundle of them to review.  I always love checking out new authors as they produce their first book or take a foray into a whole new genre, and I was blown away with some of the talent this year.  As such, I am really glad that I can highlight some of the absolute best in this Top Ten list.

To be eligible for this list, the book had to be either the first novel from a new author released in 2022, or a novel that was extremely different from an author’s previous work (their debut in the genre).  I ended up reading a huge collection of debuts this year, so I had a bit of a hard time coming up with the list, as there were a lot of good options.  I was eventually able to whittle it down to a manageable list of 10, with my typical generous Honourable Mentions section.  The result was an excellent list that I feel perfectly captures my favourite debuts of the year and highlights them accordingly.  So, let us see what made the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

The Maid by Nita Prose

The Maid Cover

A wickedly clever thriller about an atypical maid who finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation.  Best enjoyed for its fantastic central character, Nita Prose really showed she’s got a lot of potential as a writer, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

No Country for Girls by Emma Styles

No Country for Girls Cover

A classic and entertaining road-trip thriller set in the Western Australian outback.  Fun, compelling and intense, this was a great read that I had an awesome time reading.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Black Drop by Leonora Nattrass

Black Drop Cover

A captivating and haunting murder mystery in late 18th century London, Black Drop combines fascinating historical political intrigue with a great mystery narrative.  Highly recommended!

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Black River by Matthew Spencer

Black River Cover

A dark murder mystery in the heart of Sydney, Black River was a captivating Australian thriller with some awesome twists to it.

Amazon     Book Depository

Top Ten List:

Her Perfect Twin by Sarah Bonner

Her Perfect Twin Cover

Few debuts impressed me in 2022 as much as Her Perfect Twin by outstanding new author Sarah Bonner.  A complex and highly clever thriller, Her Perfect Twin follows a repressed woman who finally snaps and kills her perfect twin sister.  Taking over her twin’s life to hide the murder, the protagonist decides to use this opportunity to escape her abusive husband.  However, the onset of COVID-19 keeps her trapped at home and forces her into a twisty battle of wits with her husband who knows way too much about what she’s done.  A fantastic and addictive thriller that will have you hooked all the way to the final twist, Her Perfect Twin was a particularly epic novel that I cannot rave about enough.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

The Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitis

The Unbelieved Cover

There were a ton of great Australian crime fiction debuts in 2022, but one of my absolute favourites was The Unbelieved by new author Vikki Petraitis.  Following a damaged cop as she attempts to find peace in small town Australia, the protagonist soon discovers that her new town is afflicted by several sexual predators and the women are afraid to speak out.  A powerful and deeply intense read that provides an exceptional commentary on the public perception of sexual violence in modern society, The Unbelieved was an extraordinary Australian debut that comes extremely highly recommended.

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The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan

The Justice of Kings Cover

One of the most popular debuts of 2022 is probably the cool fantasy book, The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan.  Swan’s first foray in fantasy fiction, The Justice of Kings is a brilliant and captivating read that follows a criminal investigation in a dark fantasy universe.  Combining distinctive fantasy elements with an excellent mystery storyline, The Justice of Kings got a lot of well-deserved love this year and is an outstanding book to check out.

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Wake by Shelley Burr

Wake Cover

The Australian crime fiction debut hits keep on coming, this time with the amazing and well-written outback thriller, Wake, by epic new author Shelley Burr.  Set years after an infamous disappearance of a young girl in a broken small town, Wake sees the victim’s sister and an ambitious private investigator with his own agenda team up to finally solve the mystery.  However, the answers they both seek cause far more harm than they ever imagined and result in a deep and amazing read.

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Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild

Blood Sugar Cover

Murder has never been more fun in the hilarious thriller debut, Blood Sugar.  Talented new author Sascha Rothchild presents a fantastic and outstanding character-driven read about a young woman who has an unfortunate habit of killing the worst people around her.  However, when someone close to her dies of natural causes, her entire life will be torn apart as the police try to pin it on her.  I had an exceptional time reading this clever and funny book, and you are guaranteed to love it.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len

Only a Monster Cover

One of the best fantasy debuts of 2022 had to be the exceptional young adult read, Only A Monster by Australian author Vanessa Len.  Following a young girl who discovers that she’s a life-sucking monster, the protagonist must learn to control her powers while also being hunted by her boyfriend, a ruthless and relentless monster hunter.  Impressively inventive and just a little heartbreaking, I had an exceptional time reading Only a Monster and Len clearly has a very bright future in fantasy fiction.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Seventeen by John Brownlow

Seventeen Cover

If you are looking for a ton of action and a relentlessly entertaining protagonist, look no further than the exciting thriller debut, Seventeen by John Brownlow.  This book follows the world’s greatest assassin, Seventeen, who finds himself forced to go after the only person on the planet more deadly than himself, his retired predecessor Sixteen.  Featuring a high-octane battle of elite assassins, Seventeen is an outstanding read that I could not get enough of.

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Daughters of Eve by Nina D. Campbell

Daughters of Eve Cover

One of the first debuts I read in 2022 was one of the best with the outstanding Australian crime fiction read, Daughters of Eve by Nina D. Campbell.  After several despicable men are killed around Australia, the police are forced to investigate a mysterious group who are determined to get justice for women by any means necessary.  A clever mystery that also serves as a great examination of gender inequalities in Australia’s legal and criminal systems, Daughters of Eve was an exceptional read that had me hooked the entire way through.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Essex Dogs by Dan Jones

Essex Dogs Cover

There was no way I could exclude the epic historical fiction debut, Essex Dogs by Dan Jones, from this list.  Following a loyal band of mercenary soldiers who get recruited for the English invasion of France at the start of the Hundred Years War, Essex Dogs is a powerful, character driven epic that I had so much fun with.  Loaded with cool battles and a ton of historical detail, Dan Jones really knocked his debut out the park, and I can’t wait to see how he follows it up.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

Dead Man’s Hand by James J. Butcher

Dead Man's Hand Cover

The final debut on this list is the compelling and awesome urban fantasy novel, Dead Man’s Hand.  Written by the son of legendary fantasy author Jim Butcher, James J. Butcher, Dead Man’s Hand is a wonderful and memorable read that sees a failed witch team up with a retired monster hunter to find a deadly killer.  Featuring an ultra-snarky protagonist, some cool magical elements, and an outstanding murder mystery, Dead Man’s Hand was a terrific debut and I look forward to seeing more from Butcher in the future.

Amazon     Book Depository

 

 

Well, that is the end of this list.  As you can, there were some incredible debut novels that came out this year and I had a blast getting through all of them.  Each of the above debuts are really worth checking out, and I had an amazing time exploring these talented authors’ first forays into fiction.  I am really excited to see what these authors produce next, and I have a feeling that quite a few are going to become major names in their genres.