Tag: Ripper

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Australian Books of 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, List18 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 supposed to list the top books they meant to read in 2023 but didn’t get a chance to, however, I am going to an alternate list today.  The reason for this, and the reason I delayed putting this list up by a day, is because Friday, 26 January, is Australia’s national holiday, Australia Day.  While Australia Day is getting a lot more controversial due to its historic implications, I like to look beyond that and focus on some of the amazing and varied talents our nation produces.  As such, I thought I would take this opportunity to once again highlight some of the top pieces of fiction written by Australian authors that I read in 2023.

Each year, a ton of talented Australian authors produce an impressive and exciting range of fiction from across the genres, many of which I am lucky enough to get copies of from my local publishers.  Due to this, I tend to read and review a lot of novels by Australian authors, most of which turn out to be some outstanding reads that I deeply enjoy.  As such, for the last few years I have taken to highlighting my favourite pieces of Australian fiction (check out my 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 lists).  I really love how much awesome Australian fiction there is each year, and this list is the perfect way to highlight some of the best Australian authors.

Now I tend to take a bit of a different approach to Australian fiction than some other bloggers, as I highlight all books written by Australian authors rather than novels purely set in Australia or featuring Australian characters.  To qualify for this list, a novel had to be released in 2023 and be written by an Australian author, which I am defining as anyone born in Australia or who currently lives here (Australia is very good at adopting talented people as our own).  This resulted in a long list, including several novels that I considered to be some of the best reads of last year.  I was eventually able to whittle this novel down to the absolute cream of the crop and came up with a fantastic top ten list (with my typical generous honourable mentions).  I really enjoyed how this list turned out, especially as it features novels from a range of different genres, all of which were very awesome Australian books.

Honourable Mentions:

He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan

He Who Drowned The World Cover

An interesting historical fiction/fantasy hybrid from a rising Australian author, Shelley Parker-Chan.  He Who Drown the World was the exciting sequel to the author’s debut, She Who Became the Sun, and it featured a unique and memorable adventure.

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Judgement Day by Mali Waugh

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An impressive debut from an outstanding Australian talent, that saw a damaged cop investigate the murder of a prominent judge.

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The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer

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A gripping World War II historical drama from one of Australia’s top authors of the genre, Kelly Rimmer, who previously wowed me with The Warsaw Orphan and The German Wife.  The Paris Agent had an outstanding plot that followed doomed female spies dropped into occupied France.

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How to Kill a Client by Joanna Jenkins

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How to Kill a Client was an amazing and dark legal thriller that followed members of a prominent legal firm who become suspects in a clients death.  One of the most entertaining debuts of 2023. 

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Top Ten List:

The Will of the Many by James Islington

The Will of the Many Cover

The first book I must highlight is the outstanding and epic fantasy novel, The Will of the Many by James Islington.  The Will of the Many was an amazing book that topped all my best-of lists last year, including my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023 lists.  Set in a great new fantasy world, The Will of the Many follows an exile who infiltrates an elite academy to uncover deadly secrets and find out ways to fight against the nation who stole his home.  An exceptionally addictive read, The Will of the Many is so damn good, and I was extremely impressed by my first book by Islington.

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Everyone on this Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect Cover

The always hilarious Benjamin Stevenson followed up his outstanding 2022 novel, Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone, with this fantastic and brilliant murder mystery.  Set on the legendary Australian train, the Ghan, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect is an intriguing and comedic take on the murder mystery genre, as the main suspects to the murder are all crime fiction authors.  Funny, smart and featuring homages to various crime fiction sub-genres and classic novels, Everyone on this Train is a Suspect was extremely awesome and I loved getting through it.

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Mr Einstein’s Secretary by Matthew Reilly

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One of Australia’s most recognisable authors, Matthew Reilly, had an amazing year in 2023 with Mr Einstein’s Secretary.  Following a fantastic protagonist through some of the most important historical events of the first half of the 20th century, Mr Einstein’s Secretary was a powerful, character-driven story, loaded with action, espionage, and captivating historical detail.  An extremely impressive novel that I managed to knock off in a very, very short amount of time.

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Ripper by Shelley Burr

Ripper Cover

Shelley Burr produced an awesome sequel to her debut novel, Wake, with the outstanding read Ripper.  Set in a town made infamous for a deadly serial killer years ago, Ripper follows a new investigation when a body is found in the same spot as one of the original victims.  A twisty and captivating novel that has some great connections to Burr’s previous book.

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Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe

Killer Traitor Spy Cover

Tim Ayliffe brings back his rugged journalist protagonist for another dark Australian thriller in Killer Traitor Spy.  This time examining the impacts of foreign influence and espionage, Killer Traitor Spy was a brilliant read that makes great use of real-life concerns to contemporary Australia.

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Never a Hero by Vanessa Len

Never A Hero Cover

After wowing me in 2022 with her impressive debut, the young adult fantasy novel Only a Monster, Australian author Vanessa Len produced an excellent sequel last year with Never a Hero.  An intense novel that cleverly makes use of the alternate timeline established at the end of the first book, Never a Hero was an exceptional sequel from a very talented author.

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Kill Your Husbands by Jack Heath

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One of my absolute favourite Australian authors, Jack Heath, had another incredible year in 2023 with the amazing book Kill Your Husbands.  An intriguing novel that sees three couples in an isolated cabin all become murder suspects after an attempt at partner-swapping goes terribly wrong.  I love the unique and drama inducing plot of Kill Your Husbands, especially as it also served as a sequel to one of Heath’s previous novels, Kill Your Brother.  This was such a great read, and I really enjoyed the complex mystery Heath came up with.

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Vendetta by Sarah Barrie

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Sarah Barrie continued her dark and deadly Lexi Winter series in a big way last year with the exceptional novel Vendetta.  Following on from her previous books, Unforgiven and Retribution, Vendetta sees Barrie’s maverick protagonist infiltrate a deadly bikie gang she has history with, all while a vengeful killer seeks to blow everyone up.  This was one of Barrie’s best books yet, and I had an outstanding time getting through Vendetta.

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Fire with Fire by Candice Fox

Fire With Fire Cover

Candice Fox continued to dominate the crime fiction market with the impressive 2023 thriller, Fire with Fire.  Following several different protagonists as they try to save vital evidence being held hostage by two desperate parents, Fire with Fire had an amazing story and I loved how it turned out.  Another amazing book from Fox, who has several fantastic novels coming out in 2024.

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Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

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The final book on this list is the impressive 2023 novel from one of Australia’s fastest rising crime fiction authors, Megan Goldin.  Her latest book, Dark Corners, serves as a sequel to her previous novel The Night Swim, and sees the author’s podcasting protagonist join the hunt for a deadly killer stalking an influencer convention.  Featuring both an intense mystery and an entertaining look at the current obsession with influencers and social media, Dark Corners was another great book from Goldin that comes highly recommended.

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Well, that is the end of this latest list and I am really happy that I got a chance to highlight some of the best Australian releases of 2023.  The above books represent an outstanding collection of fiction from talented Australian authors, and each of them comes highly recommended by me.  I had a lot of fun coming up with this list and I cannot wait to find out what the best Australian books of 2024 are going to be.  Until then, stay tuned for more epic reviews and lists, and make sure you let me know who your favourite Australian authors are in the comments below.

Ripper by Shelley Burr

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery, Thriller6 Comments

Ripper Cover

Publisher: Hachette Australian (Trade Paperback – 30 August 2023)

Series: PI Lane Holland – Book Two

Length: 344 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Impressive rising Australian crime fiction star Shelley Burr follows up her amazing debut with the complex and addictive rural murder mystery, Ripper.

In 2022 I had the very great pleasure of reading Shelley Burr’s debut novel, Wake.  An awesome book that followed two compelling protagonists as they investigated an infamous missing persons case in a small Australian town, Wake really had me hooked from the get go.  Wake ended up being one of my favourite debuts and favourite pieces of Australian fiction in 2022, and I have been eager to see how Burr would follow that up for a while.  Burr did not disappoint, as she recently released an intriguing sequel, Ripper (also released as Murder Town).

Seventeen years ago, the small town of Rainier was rocked by a series of brutal killings that saw three people murdered and the infamous killer captured in a heroic effort by the police.  Thanks to these tragic events, Rainier is now known as an infamous murder town, with people far more interested in checking out the site of the Rainier Ripper’s trial of destruction rather than the town’s quaint charm and bush location.

Now, after years of neglect and changing economic times, Rainier is starting to financially fail.  The town’s only hope might be a dark tourism company that is eager to exploit Rainier’s infamous name.  However, when the tour operator is brutally killed in the same location as one of the Ripper’s victims, it opens old wounds and forces the locals, long traumatised by the events of that massacre, to uncover long buried secrets.

Gemma Guillory knows everything about the Rainier Ripper, especially as her teashop was the location of the original Ripper’s final killing.  When the new murder occurs, Gemma is brought back to her painful past and is determined to discover whether this new crime was done by a copycat or if the real Rainier Ripper escaped justice years before.  Receiving unlikely help from incarcerated investigator Lane Holland, Gemma begins to chip away at years of secrets and lies she didn’t even know surrounded her.  But is Gemma truly ready for the truth, especially as a dangerous killer is still hiding in town, waiting to kill again?

I really enjoyed Ripper and felt that it was a fantastic follow-up to Burr’s first novel.  I deeply appreciated the complex, moving and character driven murder mystery storyline at Ripper’s centre, especially as it forced its complex protagonist to simultaneously look at events in the past and current concerns.

The book starts off very strong, with a flashback to the original killings, followed by a good recap of the events that made Rainier infamous, and some excellent set up around the current day town, including the proposal to start a dark tourism company and some of the personal problems impacting the key locals.  Naturally, things get dark quickly, as a new body is found in the same location of one of the Rainier Ripper’s victims, and the population of Rainier, especially primary protagonist Gemma Guillory, is dragged back into their complex history.  The following story is very powerful, as the protagonist begins to dive back into her towns past to try and find the killer, which also forces her to look at those closest to her in a new light.  At the same time, the returning protagonist from Wake, imprisoned investigator Lane Holland, is tasked by his prison warden to interrogate the Rainier Ripper to determine if he has any additional information about the case.

Burr moves Ripper’s intriguing plot along at a quick pace, and I liked how complex and intricate the mystery soon became.  Solving the crime involves a great mixture of current intuitions about the key characters, memories of the past, and interrogations by Holland in prison.  The mystery branches off into some interesting places, and the protagonists need to do some emotionally charged digging to find out what really happened.  The resulting solutions to the mystery are very clever, and Burr did a wonderful job laying down subtle but effective clues throughout the main body of the book.  I really enjoyed how there wasn’t just one solution, but multiple secrets and reveals that had to come to light for the full truth to be revealed, and there was an outstanding domino effect of revelations and twists.  I cannot emphasise enough just how impressive this full range of reveals was, and Burr did a great job weaving together the solutions into one moving and complex narrative.

I think Burr hit the right blend of mystery, excitement and character storylines in Ripper, and the author ensured that everything moved along at an exciting and enjoyable clip.  I really enjoyed how much of the story relied on diving into the complex lives of the key Rainier residences, and the author balanced some interesting character storylines in both the present day and in the past.  This was especially true of main character Gemma Guillory, and her return to the past, coupled with revelations around the lies of her loved ones, added some powerful emotion to the story.  If I had one complaint, it would probably be that Burr worked a little too hard to insert Lane Holland into the plot.  While I do appreciate that Burr is trying to set up an ongoing series with Lane Holland as the connecting character, the plot of Ripper might have been a bit sleeker without him.  Still, it was fun getting a sequel to Wake and I’m very keen to see what exciting mysteries Burr cooks up in the future.

Ripper by Shelley Burr was another outstanding and compelling read from a talented, rising Australian author.  This second rural Australian murder mystery from Burr was extremely compelling and featured an intense narrative, loaded with great twists and complicated characters.  I had a brilliant time getting through Ripper and it was one of the top pieces of Australian crime fiction I read last year.

Murder Town (alternate Ripper) Cover

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Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Sequels of 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List10 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official 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

The Mystery Guest Cover

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

Ripper Cover

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

Her Sweet Revenge Cover

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

The Defector Cover

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 – 23 August 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday1 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?

Mr Mercedes by Stephen King (Paperback)

Mr Mercedes Cover 1

In preparation for the new Stephen King novel, Holly, coming out in a couple of weeks, I decided to go back and read King’s earlier novel, Mr Mercedes.  A deeply intense and dark thriller, Mr Mercedes is so far proving to be an outstanding book and I really should have tried to read it sooner.  I am about a quarter of the way through Mr Mercedes at the moment and I look forward to seeing the how the rest of the elaborate and shocking narrative unwinds.

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The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding (Audiobook)

The Shadow Casket Cover

Unsurprisingly, I’m still getting through the massive fantasy release The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding. The sequel to his epic 2018 novel, The Ember Blade, The Shadow Casket follows a desperate band of revolutionaries as they attempt to overthrow an evil empire, while also dealing with dangerous supernatural threats.  I made a ton of progress this week with The Shadow Casket and I currently only have a third of the book left.  I am fairly confident that I will finish The Shadow Casket off in the next week and I cannot wait to see how this epic fantasy novel concludes.  This is already proving to be one of the better fantasy reads of 2023 and I am getting really drawn into its exceptional and addictive narrative.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Never a Hero by Vanessa Len (Trade Paperback)

Never A Hero Cover

I managed to power through Never a Hero by Vanessa Len in the last week and it really lived up to all my expectations. The sequel to Len’s impressive young adult fantasy debut from last year, Only a Monster, Never a Hero was an outstanding novel that took its protagonist on a dark and twisty journey, loaded with tragedy, betrayal and time travel. Highly recommended!

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Ripper by Shelley Burr (Trade Paperback)

Ripper Cover

I also managed to quickly knock off the fantastic Australian murder mystery Ripper by Shelley Burr this week.  The sequel to her outstanding 2022 debut, Wake, Ripper was an extremely clever and well-written novel that had me hooked from the very beginning. Review to follow soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

The Pit by Peter Papathanasiou

The Pit Cover

I’m having a lot of fun with Australian fiction at the moment, so I think the next book I’ll check out is the intriguing outback murder mystery, The Pit, by talented author Peter Papathanasiou. This book sounds very cool and I look forward to digging my way through it.

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Warhammer 40,000: Longshot by Rob Young

Longshot Cover

If I manage to finish off The Shadow Casket in the next week, I plan to start listening to the latest Warhammer 40,000 novel, Longshot by Rob Young.  Following a talented sniper as she gets drawn into an intense battle against manipulative alien forces, Longshot sounds really compelling and clever and I already know I am going to have a ton of fun with it.

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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 – 16 August 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday1 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?

Never a Hero by Vanessa Len (Trade Paperback)

Never A Hero Cover

I just started reading Never a Hero by Vanessa Len today and it is already proving to be an awesome read.  The sequel to Len’s impressive debut from last year, Only a Monster, Never a Hero brings back the protagonist from the first book and forces her to face the tragic consequences of her previous time-travel antics.  I am about 100 pages into Never A Hero at the moment and I look forward to finding out what tragedy and adventure is waiting just around the corner.

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The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding (Audiobook)

The Shadow Casket Cover

I’m still getting through the massive fantasy release The Shadow Casket by Chris Wooding this week.  The sequel to his epic 2018 novel, The Ember Blade, The Shadow Casket follows a desperate band of revolutionaries as they attempt to overthrow an evil empire, while also dealing with dangerous supernatural threats.  I haven’t made as much progress this week with The Shadow Casket as I would have liked, but it is still proving to be an excellent and compelling read.  Hopefully I will get more of it knocked off in the coming week, but I think I’ll be at this one for a little while.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin (Trade Paperback)

Dark Corners Cover

I finished off the new thriller from Australian author Megan Goldin, Dark Corners, this week.  A sequel to her previous gripping read, The Night Swim, this was a fantastic and compelling bit of crime fiction and I am hoping to review it soon.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Ripper by Shelley Burr

Ripper Cover

I am planning to dive into the fantastic Australian murder mystery Ripper by Shelley Burr this week.  The sequel to her outstanding 2022 debut, Wake, Ripper has an outstanding sounding plot to it and I cannot wait to unravel Burr’s new mystery.

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Code Red by Kyle Mills

Code Red Cover

In addition, if I get the chance, I might try and quickly read the early copy of the new Mitch Rapp novel I got, Code Red.  The latest book in one of my favourite ongoing spy thriller series, Code Red sounds like an amazing read, and I am sure it will be a worthy addition to this impressive, and often over-the-top, series.

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

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Books Releasing During the Second Half of 2023 (Mystery, Thriller and Historical Fiction)

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, List, Murder Mystery, Thriller12 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.  In this list, I continue to examine my most anticipated releases for the second half of 2023.  While my previous list 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 list about 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:

Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe – 5 July 2023

Killer Traitor Spy Cover

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Agent Eighteen by John Brownlow – 8 August 2023

Assassin Eighteen Cover

A cool sequel to Seventeen, one of the best debuts of 2022, Agent Eighteen will continue Brownlow’s thrilling tale of elite assassins trying to kill each other.

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Dark Corners by Megan Goldin – 8 August 2023

Dark Corners Cover

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The Exchange by John Grisham – 17 October 2023

The Exchange Cover

A sequel to the classic John Grisham novel, The Firm.  Need I say more?

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Top Ten List (by release date):

Kill for Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh – 3 August 2023

Kill For Me Kill For You Cover

A fantastic and intense standalone thriller from the always impressive and fun Steve Cavanagh.  I am a big fan of Cavanagh’s legal thrillers (see my reviews for The Devil’s Advocate and The Accomplice), and I look forward to powering through this awesome book, especially as it has a fantastic Strangers on a Train vibe to it.

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Ripper by Shelley Burr – 30 August 2023

Ripper Cover

Shelley Burr, the author of Wake, one of the best debuts and Australian fiction novels of 2022, returns with an intriguing new crime fiction novel, Ripper.  Set in a dying Australian town made famous for its serial killer heritage, Ripper sounds like another outstanding read from Burr, and I am interested to see how she continues the cool story started in Wake.

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Holly by Stephen King – 5 September 2023

Holly Cover

The master of suspense, Stephen King, has yet another awesome book coming out later this year with Holly.  Following one of his most compelling recurring protagonists, Holly Gibney, this new novel from King will see Holly face off against dark secrets, hidden opponents, and a mysterious set of married, octogenarians, to find a missing child.  This sounds like a very cool new book and I cannot wait to dive into the latest, captivating Stephen King novel in a few months’ time.

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Code Red by Kyle Mills – 12 September 2023

Code Red Cover

For the last few years, I have had a lot of fun with the fantastic Mitch Rapp series, going out of my way to get a copy of each new release in the series.  Following a dangerous government agent who faces off against all manner of elaborate threats, the Mitch Rapp books are a ton of fun and I have deeply enjoyed the excellent stories that author Kyle Mills (who took over from original author Vince Flynn) has come up with (check out my reviews for Red War, Lethal Agent, Total Power, Enemy at the Gates and Oath of Loyalty).  The next book in the series, Code Red, will see Rapp once again face off against the Russians in a deadly conspiracy, and I know I’m going to have a fun time getting through it.

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The Last True Templar by Boyd and Beth Morrison – 14 September 2023

The Last True Templar Cover

Few new books from 2022 impressed me as much as the fantastic historical fiction novel, The Lawless Land by the team of Boyd and Beth Morrison.  Following an excommunicated knight as he tries to regain his honour by saving a precious artefact from a corrupt cardinal, The Lawless Land was a brilliant, exciting, and powerful historical adventure, and one that I took great joy in reading.  I was very happy to see that the Morrison’s were returning for a sequel this year with The Last True Templar, and I know it is going to be an outstanding read.  I already have a copy of The Last True Templar and I am hoping to read it soon.

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The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman – 15 September 2023

The Last Devil to Die Cover

Few books in 2023 are going to be as awesome as the new Thursday Murder Club book, The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman.  Following on from the exceptional novels, The Thursday Murder Club (one of my favourite novels, debuts and audiobooks of 2020), The Man Who Died Twice (one of my favourite novels and audiobooks of 2021) and The Bullet That Missed (one of my favourite novels and audiobooks of 2022), The Last Devil to Die sounds like an incredible read and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.  Continuing the story of the titular Thursday Murder Club, a group of bored retirees who solve elaborate murders, The Last Devil to Die will no doubt feature Osman’s trademark humour, intelligence and outstanding character work, which is always so impressive.  I already know this is going to be one of the top books of the year and I am so damn excited for it.

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The Armour of Light by Ken Follett – 26 September 2023

The Armour of Light Cover

I was very happy to find out that Ken Follet was releasing a new historical fiction novel in 2023, especially as it is part of his iconic Kingsbridge series (see my reviews for The Evening and the Morning and A Column of Fire).  This outstanding series follows a range of unique protagonists at various points in the history of the English town of Kingsbridge, and every novel in this series has been pretty damn incredible.  This new book will be set during the start of the industrial revolution and the war with Napoleon, and you just know that Follett is going to have a lot of fun diving into this complex period.  I have no doubt that this epic read is going to effortless grab my attention and this will prove to be one of the best historical novels of the year.

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Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson – 17 October 2023

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect Cover

Few Australian authors are impressing me as much as Benjamin Stevenson these days, especially with his work in the crime fiction genre.  As such, I am very keen for his new book, Everyone on This Train is a Suspect, especially as it is a sequel to his fantastic 2022 novel, Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone.  Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone was one of the funniest and cleverest novels of the year and Stevenson wove together a brilliant narrative that combined a clever mystery with messy family dynamics, all while hilariously parodying classic detective novels/whodunits.  Everyone on This Train is a Suspect looks set to continue this trend by forcing the protagonist to solve a murder on a train full of professional crime fiction authors.  I have no doubt that I am going to laugh myself silly reading this book and I am so damn excited to read it.

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Resurrection Walk by Michael Connelly – 7 November 2023

Resurrection Walk Cover

What would the end of a year be without a new novel from legendary crime fiction author Michael Connelly.  I have had an amazing time reading some of Connelly’s recent novels, including Dark Sacred Night, The Night Fire, The Dark Hours, Desert Star and Fair Warning, and I am always excited for a new novel from this amazing author.  Luckily, I won’t have to wait too much longer as Connelly is releasing the intriguing novel, Resurrection Walk in November.  The seventh book in the Mickey Haller series (make sure to check out my review for the sixth book, The Law of Innocence), Resurrection Walk will see the Lincoln Lawyer, Mickey Haller, defend another desperate client.  Featuring a collaboration with Haller’s brother, Harry Bosch, Resurrection Walk should be an amazing read, and I cannot wait to see what cool shenanigans and heartbreaking character moments Connelly will feature.

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Rebellion by Simon Scarrow – 14 November 2023

Rebellion Cover

The final upcoming book I want to highlight tonight is the outstanding upcoming historical fiction novel, Rebellion by Simon Scarrow.  The latest book in Scarrow’s long-running Eagles of the Empire series (The Blood of Rome, Traitors of Rome, The Emperor’s Exile, The Honour of Rome and Death to the Emperor), Rebellion will follow two veteran soldiers as they try to stop the hordes of Boudica’s rebellion.  I have had an amazing time with the Eagles of the Empire books over the years and this new book from Scarrow is going to be pretty awesome.  The perfect upcoming book to end this list with!

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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 2023.  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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Books on my Winter 2023 TBR

On By The Unseen LibraryIn List8 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics.  The official Top Ten Tuesday topic for this week was Things That Make Me Instantly NOT Want to Read a Book, which was a pretty interesting topic that I might come back to at some point.  However, as we are about to enter the new season later this week, I decided to instead move up my quarterly post about the best upcoming books to read (TBR) for the following three months.  This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and as we’re starting Winter (Summer for folks in the Northern Hemisphere) in a few short days, this is the ideal time to put this up.

For this list, I have come up with 10 of the most anticipated novels that are coming out between 1 June 2023 and 31 August 2023.  There are quite a few very cool novels set for release in the next few months that I am extremely excited for, including some of my most anticipated book of the year (as well as my most anticipated fantasy/science fiction books of the year).  Due to how impressive some of these upcoming books are, it took me a little while to finalise my list but I was eventually able to whittle it down into a Top Ten list (with a few honourable mentions).  I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world.  I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Top Ten Tuesdays and Waiting on Wednesday articles and I think all of them will turn out to be pretty incredible reads.  I have extremely excited for the next three months as quite a few up these upcoming reads are easily going to be amongst the best books of 2023.

Honourable Mentions:

Star Wars: Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade by Delilah S. Dawson

Star Wars - Rise of the Red Blade Cover

An awesome upcoming Star Wars novel that will follow a fallen Jedi as they learn the horrors of becoming an Inquisitor.

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The Hunters by David Wragg – 20 July 2023

The Hunters Cover

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Thick as Thieves by M. J. Kuhn – 25 July 2023

Thick as Thieves Cover

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Assassin Eighteen by John Brownlow – 8 August 2023

Assassin Eighteen Cover

The sequel to one of my favourite debuts of last year, Seventeen (also released as Assassin Seventeen), Assassin Eighteen looks set to be another exciting and very fun read that I cannot wait to read.

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Top Ten List:

Gods of the Wyrdwood by R. J. Barker – 27 June 2023

Gods of the Wyrdwood Cover

The start of a new fantasy trilogy from the insanely talented R. J. Barker, which is very high on my current to-read list.

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Warhammer 40,000: The King of the Spoil by Jonathan D. Beer – 4 July 2023

The King of the Spoil Cover

The next amazing Warhammer Crime novel, no way this isn’t an exceptional read.

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Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe – 5 July 2023

Killer Traitor Spy Cover

The latest intriguing John Bailey novel from Australian thriller author Tim Ayliffe, Killer Traitor Spy should be a pretty epic read.  I loved the first three books in this series, The Greater Good, State of Fear and The Enemy Within, and this latest entry will dive back into a hidden espionage war in Australia.

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The Traitor by Anthony Ryan – 11 July 2023

The Traitor Cover

The final book in the Covenant of Steel trilogy and probably the fantasy book I’m most excited for in 2023.

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Warhammer 40,000: Cypher: Lord of the Fallen by John French – 18 July 2023

Cypher - Lord of the Fallen Cover

A legendary Warhammer 40,000 figure attempts to break into the most secure place in the universe, the Imperial Palace of Terra.

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Kill For Me Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh – 25 July 2023

Kill For Me Kill For You Cover

I got a copy of this a couple of days ago and I’m very keen to read it.  A standalone thriller from one of my favourite authors at the moment, Steve Cavanagh, I have very high hopes for this book and it is going to be amazing.

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Dark Corners by Megan Goldin – 8 August 2023

Dark Corners Cover

The sequel to the fantastic and moving novel, The Night Swim, Dark Corners is the latest cool book from one of Australia’s top thriller authors, Megan Goldin, and should be pretty damn exceptional.

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Warhammer 40,000: Longshot by Rob Young – 15 August 2023

Longshot Cover

A captivating and dramatic sniper war in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, now that’s something that I can get behind.

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Cave 13 by Jonathan Maberry – 29 August 2023

Cave 13 Cover

I’ve already been lucky enough to have one Jonathan Maberry book this year with Son of the Poison Rose, so I was exceedingly excited when I saw he had a second book coming out in 2023.  Maberry’s next book, Cave 13 is the third in his Rogue Team International series (following on from Rage and Relentless), which I have so much love for.  Cave 13 will see Maberry’s best protagonist, Joe Ledger, face off against a group of international criminals and terrorists as they attempt to recover legendary scrolls from a cave that drives anyone who goes near it insane.  I have no doubt this is going to be one of my favourite books of 2023 and I cannot wait to read Cave 13.

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Ripper by Shelley Burr – 30 August 2023

Ripper Cover

The sequel to the amazing 2022 Australian novel Wake and one of my most anticipated crime fiction books in the second half of 2023.

 

 

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

Waiting on Wednesday – Ripper by Shelley Burr

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday4 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight a great new upcoming Australian crime fiction novel from one of the breakout authors of 2022 with Ripper by Shelley Burr.

Ripper Cover

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading the fantastic first novel from debuting Australian author Shelley Burr, Wake.  Set in a dying rural town out in the middle of the Australian outback, Wake examined an infamous crime where a young girl disappeared from her house without a trace, never to be seen again.  19 years later, two determined people with their own traumas attempt to find out what happened to the missing girl, including her haunted twin sister and a professional investigator with secret reasons for trying to solve the mystery.  Wake ended up being an outstanding novel and I loved how its compelling and intense mystery unfolded while also expertly showing off the desolate local landscape.  This was such an amazing read and it ended up being one of my top debuts and favourite Australian fiction novels of 2022.

Due to how impressive her first book turned out, I have been eager to see what Burr would come up with next and I was very happy that details about her second book was recently released.  This second book is Ripper, which is currently set for release in August 2023, and will take the reader to a new outback town with a murderous past, this time as the location of a serial killer’s final three murders.

Plot Synopsis:

Gemma Guillory has lived in Rainier her entire life. She knows the tiny town’s ins and outs like the back of her hand, the people like they are her family, their quirks as if they were her own.

She knows her once-charming town is now remembered for one reason, and one reason only. That three innocent people died. That the last stop on the Rainier Ripper’s trail of death seventeen years ago was her innocuous little teashop. She knows that the consequences of catching the Ripper still haunt her police officer husband and their marriage to this day and that some of her neighbours are desperate – desperate enough to welcome a dark tourism company keen to cash in on Rainier’s reputation as the murder town.

 When the tour operator is killed by a Ripper copycat on Gemma’s doorstep, the unease that has lurked quietly in the original killer’s wake turns to foreboding, and she’s drawn into the investigation. Unbeknownst to her, so is a prisoner named Lane Holland.

 Gemma knows her town. She knows her people. Doesn’t she?


Ripper sounds like it is going to be quite an awesome book.  I love the idea of returning to another town whose reputation has been tainted by a notorious crime, and the setting of Ripper is pretty cool with its connection to the Rainier Ripper.  Seeing a dark tourist company coming to town, only to be targeted by a copycat at the place of the original killer’s last stand sounds fantastic, especially as it is going to reopen all the wounds the previous killings left open.

I have no doubt that Burr will produce an excellent mystery around that premise, however, the thing that is really interesting to me about Ripper’s plot synopsis is the reference to the prisoner Lane Holland.  Holland was one of the protagonists of Wake, so it looks like Ripper is going to be a direct sequel to Burr’s first book.  I am very interested in seeing Burr continue Holland’s story from Wake, especially as the character’s attempts to stop his terrible father saw him sent to jail, and it will be cool to see how the author brings him into this latest story.  While I was definitely going to seek out Burr’s new book no matter what, the fact that is a sequel is a major selling point to me and Ripper is now one of the books I most excited for in the next few months.  Ripper has a ton of potential and I look forward to seeing how this talented new Australian author follows up her first epic novel.