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

On March 5, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn List2 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 involved character quotes, which, while interesting, isn’t something I felt I could contribute to, and I am instead going to use this post to look at some upcoming books. This is because today is the first Tuesday of Autumn 2025 and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books I am looking forward to reading in Autumn (Spring for folks in the Northern Hemisphere). This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.

For this list, I have come up with ten books coming out between 1 March 2025 and 31 May 2025 that I am most excited for. There are quite a few amazing novels set for release in the next few months, so it took me a while to finalise my final top ten list, including my usual honourable mentions section. I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Waiting on Wednesday articles and my most anticipated books of 2025 lists (fantasy and science fiction and other genres), and I think all of them will turn out to be incredible reads. I am extremely excited for these next three months and I feel that quite a few of these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

Pacific Heights by S. R. White – 25 March 2025

An interesting murder mystery novel about multiple witnesses seeing the same murder in different ways from one of the more unique authors of Australian crime fiction.

Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold – 29 April 2025

An excellent new urban fantasy novel from Australian author Luke Arnold.

Tyrant by Conn Iggulden – 27 May 2025

One of my favourite historical fiction authors, Conn Iggulden, presents an awesome sequel to his 2024 novel Nero.

The Malevolent Eight by Sebastien de Castell – 27 May 2025

An exciting sequel to the hilarious fantasy novel The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien de Castell.

Top Ten List:

Burn to Shine by Jonathan Maberry – 4 March 2025

First up we have the next entry in one of my favourite series with Burn to Shine by Jonathan Maberry. The fourth book in the Rogue Team International series and the 14^th overall Joe Ledger book, Burn to Shine follows on from some outstanding books including Rage (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), and Cave 13 (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023). This latest Joe Ledger novel sounds particularly awesome, as the protagonist and his high-tech organisation will have to face off against various enemies and dangers from their past. I cannot wait to see how Maberry pulls this book together and I have a feeling it is going to be a particularly dark, if key, entry in the Rogue Team International series.

The White Fortress by Boyd and Beth Morrison – 6 March 2025

Next, we have the awesome historical fiction thriller, The White Fortress by the sibling team of Boyd and Beth Morrison. The third book in the Tales of the Lawless Land series (which previously featured The Lawless Land and The Last True Templar), The White Fortress will continue to follow two awesome protagonists, an excommunicated knight and his brilliant wife, as they become embroiled in deadly conspiracies across medieval Europe. This latest Tales of the Lawless Land book finds the protagonists in historic Croatia, attempting to stop a conquering warlord by uncovering the legacy of Marco Polo. I have deeply enjoyed the previous entries in the series, both of which have been outstanding historical thrillers, and I cannot wait to see how this great writing team will showcase medieval Croatia and its secrets.

A Death in Berlin by Simon Scarrow – 11 March 2025

One of my favourite historical fiction authors, Simon Scarrow, has another cool book coming out next week with the intense World War II thriller A Death in Berlin. Following on from the previous entries in the series, Blackout and Dead of Night, A Death in Berlin will continue to follow the last honourable detective in Nazi controlled Berlin as he attempts to investigate controversial crimes his superiors are covering up. This latest book will see the protagonist face off against Berlin gangsters and their powerful Nazi patrons and should be another bleak and intense read. I always have so much fun with Scarrow’s books, and this sounds like an awesome addition to a great series.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzane Collins – 18 March 2025

I had to include the epic new Hunger Games book from Suzzane Collins, Sunrise on the Reaping, which has really caught my attention thanks to its cool premise and connection to the excellent Hunger Games books and films. The second Hunger Games prequel novel (the other being A Ballard of Songbirds & Snakes), Sunrise on the Reaping will be a dark novel that follows the younger version of a fan favourite character as he participates in the largest and most brutal Hunger Games. This book has so much potential, and I cannot wait to see how Collins’ sets out this latest entry in her iconic series.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi – 25 March 2025

The always entertaining John Scalzi (Redshirts, The Kaiju Preservation Society and Starter Villain), returns with another hilarious and satirical science fiction novel that will pose an interesting hypothetical scenario; what if the moon turned into a cheese-like substance? Set to follow multiple people across the world impacted by this phenomenon, When the Moon Hits Your Eye has one of the more unique plot ideas of 2025, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackon Bennett – 8 April 2025

The next book on this list is the impressive and awesome upcoming fantasy novel, A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett. The sequel to Bennett’s incredible novel, The Tainted Cup (one of my favourite books of 2024), A Drop of Corruption will bring back the author’s outstanding duo of detectives as they investigate impossible crimes in a magical nation constantly besieged by giant monsters. The first book in this series was quite exceptional, and I have very high hopes for this sequel as Bennett has come up with another cool mystery that will no doubt have wider implications for the entire nation. A book with a very high ceiling that I know I will love!

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie – 6 May 2025

There are few novels out in recent years that I have been as eager to read as The Devils by legendary fantasy author Joe Abercrombie. The first new book from Abercrombie since he finished his Age of Madness trilogy (A Little Hatred, The Trouble with Peace and The Wisdom of Crowds), The Devils will set up a new series in an alternate, monster-filled version of medieval Europe. Set to follow a hapless priest who will lead the worst of the worst in a daring mission to save the world from a coming apocalypse, The Devils sounds extremely cool, and I am curious to try a series from the author outside of his Third Law universe. Based on how exceptional Abercrombie has been in the past, I already know that The Devils is going to be an epic grimdark read, and I cannot wait to see what outrageous scenarios and elaborate characters will populate this incredible upcoming book.

Nightshade by Michael Connelly – 20 May 2025

One of the world’s best crime fiction authors, Michael Connelly, is spoiling us this year with the cool murder mystery Nightshade. Nightshade introduces readers to a new Connelly protagonist, Detective Sitwell, a burnt-out cop forced out town and stationed on the beautiful Catalina Island away from trouble. When he discovers a body dumped in the island’s harbour, Sitwell embarks on a dogged investigation to find the truth, no matter who he upsets. I have been having an incredible time reading Connelly’s books in recent years, and I am very excited to see how this new novel unfolds, especially if Sitwell becomes a recurring protagonist in Connelly’s wider universe.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler – 27 May 2025

Last year I had the very great pleasure of reading the hilarious fantasy novel, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying. This fantastic novel followed an unhinged protagonist trapped in a time loop within a fantasy world who, after centuries of torture, decides to stop trying to be the realm’s saviour and instead becomes its new dark lord. Thanks to its cool scenario, comedic protagonist, and over-the-top story elements, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me was a very awesome book to read, and I had an amazing time getting through its fun plot. As such, I am extremely excited to read the sequel coming out this year, Everybody Wants to Rule Except Me, which will see the protagonist try to save the humans of the realm from an army of monsters she’s leading. Sure to be another amazing send-up of heroes and villains in fantasy fiction, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me will likely be one of the funniest books I read in 2025, and I am very excited to explore its outrageous story.

Never Flinch by Stephen King – 27 May 2025

The final book in this list has the potential to be one of the very best of the year with Never Flinch by the legendary Stephen King. Set to bring back one of King’s more unique protagonists, unlikely investigator Holly Gibney, Never Flinch will serve as a continuation of the protagonist’s storylines from Mr. Mercedes (and its sequels), The Outsider and Holly. This new book will see Holly face off against both a deadly killer and a deranged stalker, as she finds herself drawn into a new dark web. I have no doubt that Never Flinch is going to be exceptional and should end up topping my best of 2025 book lists.

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, and frankly this might be one of the strongest three-month periods in 2025. 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 awesome.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Australian Books of 2024

On January 29, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, List6 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 new-to-them authors they read in 2024. However, as this was a topic I did a few weeks ago, I’m instead going to put together an alternate list today. The reason for this is because last Sunday, 26 January, was Australia’s national holiday, Australia Day. While Australia Day is getting controversial due to its historical implications, I like to look beyond that and instead focus on some of the amazing and varied writing talents Australia produces. As such, I once again took this opportunity to highlight some of the top pieces of fiction written by Australian authors in 2024.

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, which is something I really look forward to each Australia Day (check out my 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022and 2023 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 2024 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, and 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:

Body of Lies by Sarah Bailey

A compelling and occasionally weird Australian murder mystery from the brilliant author of The Housemate.

The Heart of the World by Amie Kaufman

The excellent sequel to Amie Kaufman’s young adult fantasy novel, The Isles of the Gods.

The Winter Palace by Paul Morgan

A gripping historical drama from Australian author Paul Morgan that follows the separate struggles of a Polish husband and wife separated during World War II.

The Chilling by Riley James

A fantastic thriller that sees an Australian research team travelling to Antarctica forced to deal with dark secrets and dangerous elements. One of the top debuts of 2024.

Top Ten List:

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson

Australian author Benjamin Stevenson continued to impress in 2024 with his Ernest Cunningham series, as he released the third entry Everyone this Christmas has a Secret. A fantastic Christmas special that follows on from Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone and Everyone on this Train is a Suspect, Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret was another compelling and highly entertaining read that blends clever mystery with the author’s excellent humour and some fun holiday themes.

The Ghosts of Autumn by Peter Watt

The master of Australian historical fiction had another stellar year with the latest book in the Colonial series, The Ghost of Autumn. Set amongst the carnage of World War I, The Ghosts of Autumn continues to follow a family caught up in every historical struggle of the 19^th and 20^th century, and I really enjoyed seeing how Watt brought this sixth book together.

Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox

One of Australia’s top thriller authors, Candice Fox, had an outstanding 2024, releasing three separate books. The first of these books from Fox that I want to highlight is the brilliant and dark thriller, Devil’s Kitchen. Following an undercover agent tasked with infiltrating a crew of firefighters who moonlight as murderous thieves, Devil’s Kitchen was a particularly intense read loaded with complex characters forced to make hard decisions. I deeply enjoyed this amazing book, and it really highlights Fox’s ability to write nuanced and complex narratives.

Endgame by Sarah Barrie

One of the more intense and shocking Australian novels of last year was the deeply impressive Endgame. The final entry in Sarah Barrie’s Lexi Winter series (Unforgiven, Retribution and Vendetta), Endgame sees the series’ titular protagonist finally face down her monstrous nemesis in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Barrie takes Endgame to some dark places, and I cannot recommend this thrilling novel, and indeed the entire Lexi Winter series, enough.

White Ash Ridge by S. R. White

Author S. R. White continued to produce some of the more distinctive pieces of Australian crime fiction with the addictive White Ash Ridge. The follow-up to the author’s previous novels, Prisoner and Red Dirt Road, White Ash Ridge sees White’s main protagonist, Detective Dana Russo, investigate a murder at an isolated bush hotel. However, things get problematic when it is revealed that the victim and all the potential suspects are board members for a prominent anti-police organisation. White Ash Ridge was such a clever read, and I loved its outstanding mystery and focused character-examination of the various suspects. Highly recommended.

Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont

One of my favourite sequels of 2024 was the fantastic spy thriller Dark Arena by recently adopted Australian author and former French spy Jack Beaumont. Following on from the author’s debut, The Frenchman, Dark Arena sees Beaumont’s team of spies become involved in another elaborate operation, the result of which could impact all of Europe. Beaumont provides another intense and highly realistic examination of espionage in this sequel, and I loved the epic and captivating narrative that emerges in Dark Arena.

The Youngest Son by John Byrnes

An excellent historical novel from John Byrnes, who presented a fantastic read in a different style from his debut novel Headland. The Youngest Son follows three children from the same lower-class Australian family who are forced to endure multiple hardships in 1930’s Sydney. Featuring crime, murder, betrayal, war, love and redemption, The Youngest Son was a really great book from Byrnes that had me hooked the entire way through.

High Wire by Candice Fox

The second book from Candice Fox that I want to feature on this list is the gritty Australian thriller High Wire. Set on a dangerous hidden road that traverses the length of Australia, High Wire sees two damaged protagonists kidnapped by a vengeful gang who strap bomb vests to them. Forced to commit a series of violent crimes across the outback, High Wire envisions a brilliantly intense, high-stakes scenario that Fox expertly utilises and explores. A very memorable and over-the-top read, High Wire was another excellent book from Candice Fox that I couldn’t get enough of. Readers should also check out the third 2024 Fox novel, The Murder Inn, which she cowrote with James Patterson.

The Death of Dora Black by Lainie Anderson

One of the more entertaining Australian novels of the year was the fun historical crime fiction read The Death of Dora Black. Set around a fascinating historical figure, The Death of Dora Black sees the iconic and strict Miss Kate Cocks, the first policewoman in the British Empire, stride throughout 1917 Adelaide attempting to solve the suspicious death of a young shop assistant. A clever blend of history and mystery with some real heart to it, The Death of Dora Black was an outstanding book that will appeal to a wide range of readers.

The Wrong Man by Tim Ayliffe

The final book I want to feature on this list is the fifth John Bailey novel from Tim Ayliffe, The Wrong Man. Following on from The Greater Good, State of Fear, The Enemy Within and Killer Traitor Spy, The Wrong Man was another compelling murder mystery, this time exploring a series of brutal murders across Sydney. With a great plot, compelling mystery and a fantastic trio of perspective characters, The Wrong Man was a strong read from one of Australia’s best crime fiction authors.

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 2024. 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 2025 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.

Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Thrillers, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction and Comics releasing in the First Half of 2025

On January 8, 2025 By The Unseen LibraryIn Comics/Manga, Historical Fiction, List, Murder Mystery, Thriller13 Comments

Welcome to my second Top Ten Tuesday list of the week, were I look at my most anticipated thrillers, crime fiction and historical fiction novels coming out in the first half of 2025. Traditionally I usually only do one list to represent the top upcoming books for the year, however, I was inspired to separate out the fantasy and science fiction novels into my previous list, while this list will feature epic reads from the other major genres that I am interested in.

Despite only just starting, 2025 is already shaping up to be an epic and exciting year for books with a huge range of impressive and highly anticipated novels due for release in the next 12 months. This includes exciting debuts, anticipated sequels and the latest entries in beloved bestselling series. The first half of the year is looking particularly awesome, with a substantial number of incredible upcoming releases that I am deeply looking forward to.

Even though I excluded fantasy and science fiction books, this ended up being a rather difficult list to pull together due to all the awesome releases coming out in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2025 and 30 June 2025. There were way too many extraordinary upcoming books that I could have included, and I ended up having to make some very tough calls and cutting several novels that have an immense amount of potential. Despite this, I am rather happy with the eventual choices that I made, and I think that this list reflects the upcoming novels and comics I am going to have the most fun reading. However, there are also some interesting new books that I am discussing for the first time here, so that should give this list a bit of variety. So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated releases for the first half of 2025.

Honourable Mentions:

Open Season by Jonathan Kellerman – 6 February 2025

An interesting and entertaining new murder mystery from one of my yearly must-read authors, Open Season continues the awesome Alex Delaware series and pits the detective protagonists against a killer determined to take out Hollywood hopefuls.

Pacific Heights by S. R. White – 25 March 2025

One of the more interesting authors of Australian crime fiction, S. R. White (see my reviews for Prisoner, Red Dirt Road and White Ash Ridge) is set to release a standalone whodunnit with Pacific Heights. Featuring a cool plot about detectives trying to unwind different stories about who killed someone from five separate witnesses, Pacific Heights sounds really awesome, and I cannot wait to check it out.

The Pilgrim’s Revenge by Scott Mariani by 24 April 2025

An exciting and intense revenge thriller set in the time of King Richard the Lionheart; The Pilgrim’s Revenge should be a very epic read.

Vanish by Shelley Burr – 30 April 2025

Rising Australian author Shelley Burr follows up her excellent first two crime fiction novels, Wake and Ripper with the intriguing third entry Vanish. Once again set in a small Australian community, Vanish will see the series’ damaged protagonist investigate a problematic commune as he attempts to find out the truth behind a long-lost missing girl. Sure to be one of the top Australian releases of 2025.

Top Ten Tuesday:

Grave Danger by James Grippando – 14 January 2025

Back in 2024 I had the pleasure of reading my first book from impressive James Grippando, Goodbye Girl, a fantastic entry in the author’s Jack Swyteck series. A compelling and twisty legal thriller, Goodbye Girl was really fun to read, and I am now quite keen to continue the series. As such, I am planning to grab the upcoming book, Grave Danger, as soon as it comes out. Featuring an intriguing case about international child custody and murder, Grave Danger has some real potential, and I know I am going to have a great time with this awesome book.

Usagi Yojimbo: Volume 40: The Crow by Stan Sakai – 4 February 2025

A very easy inclusion to this list was the next entry in one of my favourite comic book series with volume 40 of the Usagi Yojimbo series, The Crow. I only just published a review of the previous volume, Ice and Snow, a few days ago, so I am quite excited to see that a new entry is coming out very soon. Set to continue some of the author’s excellent ongoing storylines about the titular rabbit ronin, The Crow should be another awesome volume in the series, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it the first chance I get.

Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz – 11 February 2025

Early 2025 is filled with a ton of great spy thrillers from some of my favourite authors, and that includes the new Orphan X book from Gregg Hurwitz, Nemesis. Set after the events of the 2024 book, Lone Wolf, Nemesis will see the former government assassin turned vigilante protagonist square off against his best friend over secrets that were kept from him. However, other shadowy players soon reveal themselves, and Orphan X will need to fight deadly enemies and a former friend to survive. This looks set to be a particularly compelling and emotionally charged addition to the series and I cannot wait to check it out.

The Medici Return by Steve Berry – 11 February 2025

Each year I have a ton of fun with the entertaining and elaborate Cotton Malone books by Steve Berry that combine modern thriller storylines with hidden historical secrets and elaborate historical settings. Books like The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol, The Kaiser’s Web, The Last Kingdom and The Atlas Maneuver, have all really impressed me, and the Cotton Malone books are now a must-read for me each year. This includes the early 2025 release, The Medici Return, which will see a dark conspiracy emerge in Italy when an ancient debt owed by the church threatens to destabilise everything. This sounds like another awesome thriller, and I cannot wait to dive into the history of the famous Medici family with this new fantastic book.

Midnight Black by Mark Greaney – 18 February 2025

A spy thriller book I am particularly keen to get my hands on this year is Midnight Black by Mark Greaney. The 14^th book in Greaney’s Gray Man series, Midnight Black follows on after the cliffhanger ending of The Chaos Agent and sees the titular assassin protagonist burn through Russia and Siberia to free his imprisoned love interest. This latest Gray Man book has the potential to be one of the most intense and impressive novels of 2025, and I cannot wait to see how Greaney continues his elaborate and always action-packed series.

Burn to Shine by Jonathan Maberry – 4 March 2025

Readers of this blog will know I am a huge fan of Jonathan Maberry, so the inclusion of his next big thriller, Burn to Shine, on this list should come as no surprise, especially after I just published reviews of his 2024 books NecroTek and The Dragon in Winter. Once again focussing on the author’s iconic protagonist, Joe Ledger, Burn to Shine will be the fourth book in the Rogue Team International series, which has previously featured such awesome books as Rage (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), and Cave 13 (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023). This new entry in the series will see Ledger and his team deal with a new world-ending threat, with old enemies returning, seeking revenge. I really love the sound of this new book, and I already know it’s going to get a five-star rating from me.

A Death in Berlin by Simon Scarrow – 13 March 2025

After wowing me last year with Revenge of Rome, one of my favourite historical fiction authors, Simon Scarrow looks set to continue one of his other cool series with the third Berlin Wartime thriller, A Death in Berlin. Following on from Blackout and Dead of Night, A Death in Berlin will once again place Scarrow’s complex protagonist, the last honest detective in Berlin, as he tries to investigate dark crimes in the shadow of World War II and the crimes of the Nazi regime. I have deeply enjoyed the previous Berlin Wartime thrillers, and I cannot wait to see what elaborate story Scarrow has for us this time.

The White Fortress by Boyd and Beth Morrison – 15 April 2025

The awesome team of thriller author Boyd Morrison and historian Beth Morrison return with the third book in their Tales of the Lawless Land series, The White Fortress. Continuing the story started in The Lawless Land and its sequel The Last True Templar, The White Fortress will once again follow the author’s excommunicated knight protagonist and his adventurous wife as they become embroiled in dangerous quests across 14^th century Europe. This time, the pair end up in Croatia, where they become involved in a deadly plot involving a prophecy and a lost codex written by Marco Polo. I have had an amazing time with the first two books in the series and I cannot wait to see how this wonderful pair of authors continue their ambitious and thrilling historical series.

Nightshade by Michael Connelly – 20 May 2025

One of my most anticipated upcoming murder mysteries is the new Michael Connelly novel, Nightshade. While the cover for Nightshade has yet to be released, the plot synopsis sounds really cool as Connelly introduces a new police protagonist assigned to the idyllic Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles who is forced to investigate a sinister murder when a body washes up on the shore of the island. I love the idea of exploring a new Connelly character, especially one based around a cool setting, and this should end up being an excellent and strong murder mystery from this always compelling author.

Never Flinch by Stephen King – 27 May 2025

The final book I want to highlight on this list is probably the one I am most excited for this year with the new Stephen King novel, Never Flinch. I have been having such a great time getting into Stephen King’s incredible books these last few years, and some of his most recent releases, such as Later, Fairy Tale, Billy Summers and You Like It Darker, have completely enthralled me. However, my favourite Stephen King books have so far been his compelling dives into crime fiction. Starting with the dark and powerful Mr Mercedes and featuring the three outstanding Bill Hodges books, King has expanded his crime fiction works by focussing on the unique protagonist of Holly Gibney. The subsequent Holly Gibney focused books, The Outsider (one of my favourite horror novels) and Holly (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), were extremely exceptional, and I have loved the brilliant, yet shocking, narratives they contained. As such, I am very, very keen to read the upcoming Holly Gibney book, Never Flinch. Set to follow this great protagonist as she deals with two dangerous opponents, a serial killer and a stalker, Never Flinch sounds incredible, and I have no doubt this will be one of the best things I read in 2025.

That is the end of this list. I am extremely happy with how my latest Top Ten Tuesday article turned out and this list contains an intriguing collection of upcoming books that should prove to be incredible reads. I think that nearly every one of these books has the potential to get a full five-star rating from me and I cannot wait to see what amazing and exciting stories they contain. While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you, as well as what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below. Also, make sure to check out my other Top Ten List with the top upcoming fantasy and science fiction books of 2025.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Bluff, Pacific Heights and Vanish

On December 11, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery, Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday11 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this week’s post, the name of the game is Australian crime fiction as I check out three outstanding upcoming novels set for release in 2025.

I have mentioned a few times on this blog that I have become a major fan of crime fiction in the last several years, ever since I started reviewing across the genres. During this time, I have had the pleasure of reading an array of awesome crime fiction reads, although one sub-genre I get a ton of books of is Australian crime fiction. There are so many great murder mysteries and thrillers released each year that make excellent use of the gritty Australian setting, whether its an outback thriller or a more complex murder mystery set within one of Australia’s urban settings. Australian’s have proven quite adapt at producing epic and mysterious reads, and I tend to receive quite a few Australian focused books from local publishers as a result.

Naturally, after reading a ton of these great reads over the years, I have become skilled at picking out upcoming Australian crime fiction novels that I think are going to be excellent. I have already recently identified a few upcoming 2025 Australian debuts that have a lot of potential, so in this post I am going to look at a series of sequels and releases from established authors that are coming out in the new year. There are three amazing books I want to highlight in this post, and I have a lot of faith that all of them are going to be outstanding.

The first book that I want to talk about is The Bluff by Joanna Jenkins. Jenkins is an excellent novel, whose debut, How to Kill a Client, was a ton of fun. A clever and addictive novel that saw the members of an Australian law firm become suspects in a murder after one of the most important, and distasteful, clients dies suspiciously. I really enjoyed How to Kill a Client, especially as Jenkins created some vivid and compelling characters, and it ended up being one of my favourite debuts of 2023. As such, I have been curious to see what Jenkin’s would write next, and I was very excited to find out details about her upcoming book, The Bluff, especially it is a sequel to How to Kill a Client. Set for release in March 2025, The Bluff places Jenkin’s previous big-city lawyer protagonist in a dangerous small-town setting for another intriguing read.

Plot Synopsis:

From the bestselling author of How to Kill a Client comes a page-turning rural thriller of loyalties and lies, murder and greed.

People like Dash didn’t die. He was only what? Mid-thirties? Well off. Adored. By some anyway. World at his feet. Well, Myddle at his feet, which was his world.

Ruth Dawson has taken a break from big city law to fill in for a few months at a mate’s small-town legal practice in Myddle. It’s not what she’s used to . . .

So when she hears the front door of her office open she’s expecting a weird demand, or a question she doesn’t know the answer to. But it’s Bea Baulderstone’s mum, worried that she hasn’t seen her seventeen-year-old daughter for five days, and Constable Gazza Parker is refusing to report the girl missing.

Ruth tries to find Bea, but Myddle is a wall of indifference. Then Dash Rogers is found at his farm gate, dead from a gunshot wound, and suddenly the town is very interested in Bea’s whereabouts.

An unputdownable thriller of deception and greed, The Bluff reveals an enmeshed web of family and community loyalties, set in the lush rural hinterland of east coast Australia.

I really like the sound of The Bluff and it should be an interesting change of pace from Jenkins’ first book. Forcing the protagonist to deal with small town politics and loyalties while she attempts to find out the truth should result in a great read, and I am intrigued by the mystery that seems to be developing. I’m also curious to see how Jenkins deals with another seemingly adored figure who dies suddenly, as the last one of those the author featured was a brilliant character study in bad behaviour. I honestly think that The Bluff has a ton of potential and I cannot wait to dive into as soon as I can.

The next book that I want to highlight in this post is the deeply intriguing novel, Pacific Heights by S. R. White. White is an exceptional author who has left an impression on the Australian outback thriller scene the last few years. Known for his Detective Dana Russo series (Prisoner, Red Dirt Road and White Ash Ridge), White has produced some gripping reads that focus more on personalities and character motivations rather than evidence. This has resulted in some outstanding mysteries, and I really get caught up in his excellent writing.

Due to this, I am always eager for a new book from White and it is generally one of the better Australian novels released at the start of the year. The author’s next book sounds particularly awesome, as White is releasing a standalone novel outside of his main series with Pacific Heights. Coming out in late March, Pacific Heights once again dives into human nature as the author brings together another distinctive crime fiction scenario.

Plot Synopsis:

FIVE WITNESSES. FIVE DIFFERENT STORIES. WHO IS THE KILLER?

In the courtyard of the Pacific Heights building, a local waitress is found dead.

Five apartments overlook the murder scene. Five people witnessed a crime take place.
Finding the killer should be simple.

Except none of the witnesses’ stories match.
They all saw something – from a different angle, at a different time.
None of them saw everything. Anyone could be the killer.

Detectives Carl “Bluey” Blueson and Lachlan Dyson, each with their own careers in peril, must solve what others assume is a straightforward case. But to unmask a killer they must unpick a complex puzzle – where the motivations of the witnesses are as mystifying as the crime itself.

How can you solve a crime if anyone could be lying?

Now this is another very cool and captivating scenario from White and it is one that I am really drawn to. Forcing the protagonists to work out which of the five conflicting eyewitnesses is lying is going to require a deep dive into each of their characters, and I am very interested to see how the detectives unwind the complex motivations, histories and personality traits to determine which of them is telling the truth and which of them is keeping secrets. As such, this should be a very deep, character-driven crime fiction read, which White really excels at. Based on the plot synopsis alone, I believe that Pacific Heights is going to be a very exceptional read and I cannot wait to find out who is lying and why.

The final book I want to discuss in this Waiting on Wednesday is Vanish by Shelley Burr. Burr is another rising Australian author who I have become very attached to. Her debut novel, Wake, presented a complex and moving story of small-town mystery and the scars it leaves behind when an investigator with his own agenda attempts to uncover the long-hidden fate of a missing girl. Wake was a very impressive read and it ended up being one of my favourite debuts of 2022. Burr made sure to continue her story the next year, as she presented an outstanding sequel in 2023 with Ripper (also released as Murder Town). This book also focused on small town crime, as a new mystery emerges in a picturesque community made infamous by the actions of a serial killer. Ripper was a very worthy follow-up to Wake, and I loved the outstanding narrative that Burr featured in this awesome sequel.

Due to how impressive and clever Burr’s first two novels were, I have been keen to see what she releases next, and we luckily don’t have too much longer to wait for her third novel, Vanish. Coming out in April 2025, Vanish will continue to follow the author’s protagonist, Lane Holland, as attempts to uncover long-hidden killers and their victims. This new novel will take Holland on his darkest adventure yet, as dangerous personalities strike at the protagonist’s deepest desires.

Plot Synopsis:

People go to the isolated Karpathy farm looking for a new life – and are never seen again. A chilling thriller from the award-winning and bestselling author of Australian noir, Shelley Burr.

Lane Holland’s crime-solving career ended the day he went to prison. With his parole hearing approaching, he faces the grim reality that an ex-con can never work as a private eye. Yet one unsolved case continues to haunt him: the disappearance of Matilda Carver two decades ago.

Never one to follow the rules, Lane finds a lead – a mysterious farm community led by the enigmatic Samuel Karpathy. His farm attracts lost souls. People who want a more meaningful life. People who are hiding from their pasts. People with nowhere else to go.

But those who go to the farm seem to vanish without a trace.

Is it a commune? Is it a cult? Is it something even more dangerous? Lane goes undercover at the farm to find its dark secret – but could he too find himself intoxicated by the prospect of a new life on the land?

Inspired by a real-life criminal case, VANISH is a nail-biting novel of suspense by the Number One-selling author of WAKE and RIPPER.

Vanish sounds like another particularly amazing novel from Burr and I am very excited to see how it turns out. Continuing her protagonist’s attempts to needlessly redeem himself by solving missing persons cases should result in a powerful read, and I am curious to see what dark secrets lie within this mysterious and sinister farm. Forcing the protagonist to uncover truth amongst a band of lost souls, and a no doubt manipulative leader, should result in a very complex and intense story, and it is one I am very keen to dive into. Based on Burr’s previous captivating novels, I am very sure that Vanish will be an excellent book that will keep me in suspense right to the very end.

It looks like 2025 is going to be a very good year for Australian crime fiction, especially with new releases from these three very talented authors. Jenkins, White and Burr have all produced exceptional crime fiction novels in the past, and I have no doubt whatsoever that their new books are going to be just as impressive, especially as all of them feature incredible and unique plot ideas. I look forward to exploring all these brilliant crime novels, and the new year is really looking up when it comes to awesome Australian fiction.

Canberra Weekly Column – Australian Fiction – 4 April 2024

On June 16, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Canberra Weekly ColumnLeave a comment

Canberra Weekly Column - Australian Fiction - 4 April 2024

Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 4 April 2024.

A copy of this column also appeared on the Canberra Daily website.

Make sure to check out my extended reviews for Devil’s Kitchen, White Ash Ridge and The Winter Palace.

WWW Wednesday – 27 March 2024

On March 27, 2024 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 Winter Palace by Paul Morgan (Trade Paperback)

The Winter Palace Cover

I started reading the compelling historical drama, The Winter Palace by Paul Morgan this week. Set during World War II, The Winter Palace follows a separated Polish husband and wife duo as they attempt to get back to each other. I’ve made a bit of progress with The Winter Palace so far and it is proving to be an excellent and moving novel that I should hopefully finish off in the next week or so.

Peace Talks by Jim Butcher (Audiobook)

Peace Talks Cover

After slowly making my way through the entire Dresden Files series, I have finally made it full circle with the 16th book, Peace Talks. A slightly shorter read that serves as a prelude to the epic book Battle Ground, Peace Talks is a compelling read that sees the protagonist deal with a supernatural peace summit in Chicago. I have been really powering through Peace Talks and I will probably finish it off very soon.

What did you recently finish reading?

A Clean Kill by Steven Konkoly (Ebook)

A Clean Kill Cover

An intriguing read about a dangerous serial killer and the sinister conspiracy surrounding him, A Clean Kill was very exciting and I’m glad I checked it out.

Warhammer 40,000: Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks (Audiobook)

Da Big Dakka Cover

Nothing is more fun than a Warhammer 40,000 book that focuses on the orks, and Da Big Dakka proved to be particularly awesome. Following a band of orks as they rampage through a unique area of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Da Big Dakka was so very funny, and I am hoping to get a review up for it soon.

White Ash Ridge by S. R. White

White Ash Ridge Cover

I managed to get through the captivating Australian murder mystery, White Ash Ridge by S. R. White this week. An awesome sequel to Prisoner, and Red Dirt Road, White Ash Ridge had an outstanding mystery behind it, that proved very hard to put down.

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry

The Atlas Maneuver Cover

I swear that I really will listen to The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry next. The latest book in the long-running Cotton Malone series, The Atlas Maneuver will feature another outstanding plot that blends historical conspiracies with modern day thriller storylines. I have deeply enjoyed all the recent Cotton Malone books, and I have no doubt The Atlas Maneuver will be another exceptional and fun entry.

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 – 22 March 2024

On March 22, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

I have been having another excellent couple of weeks for books, and I was lucky enough to receive several incredible and amazing new novels from some of my local publishers. These novels include some truly awesome new releases, including several books that have the potential to be some of my top reads of the year. I cannot wait to dive into them, and I look forward to seeing how they turn out.

Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis

Death on the Tiber Cover

I was very happy to receive a copy of Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis. An intriguing new addition to one of my favourite historical fiction series, the Flavia Albia books, Death on the Tiber presents another intense historical murder mystery that I know I’m going to love.

White Ash Ridge by S. R. White

White Ash Ridge Cover

I was also very happy to receive a copy of White Ash Ridge by S. R. White. Part of a great Australian murder mystery series that has previously featured awesome books like Prisoner and Red Dirt Road, White Ash Ridge has an epic and compelling sounding murder behind it that I cannot wait to unravel.

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

How to Solve Your Own Murder Cover

A cool and fun sounding murder mystery book with a great concept behind it, as the protagonist attempts to solve her great aunt’s long-predicted murder. I have heard good things about How to Solve Your Own Murder and I look forward to seeing how it comes together.

Play of Shadows by Sebastien De Castell

Play of Shadows Cover

An intriguing fantasy novel from acclaimed author Sebastien De Castell. I will have to see how I go with Play of Shadows, mainly because I haven’t read the previous series that was set in the same universe. Still, I had a lot of fun with De Castell’s last book, The Malevolent Seven, so I am sure I will have a great time getting through Play of Shadows.

War Cry by Ian Ross

War Cry Cover

I was very happy to finally get my hands on the new Ian Ross book, War Cry. The sequel to his outstanding 2023 novel, Battle Song, War Cry is an awesome piece of historical fiction that follows a young knight involved in a brutal civil war. I’ve actually already read War Cry, and it proved to be an epic novel with a brilliant story behind it.

The Winter Palace by Paul Morgan

The Winter Palace Cover

I was intrigued to get a copy of the fantastic sounding historical drama, The Winter Palace. Following a Polish husband and wife separated during World War II, The Winter Palace promises to be an exciting and moving read about love, sacrifice and war.

Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Where Sleeping Girls Lie Cover

The final book I recently received was the compelling young adult thriller, Where Sleeping Girls Lie. An intriguing and dark mystery set in an elite private school, Where Sleeping Girls Lie sounds like an excellent novel and I cannot wait to check it out.

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 March 2024

On March 21, 2024 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:

A Clean Kill by Steven Konkoly (Ebook)

A Clean Kill Cover

I was in the mood for a good thriller this week, so I started reading the upcoming book, A Clean Kill by Steven Konkoly. An intriguing read about a dangerous serial killer and the sinister conspiracy surrounding him, A Clean Kill sounded extremely interesting, and I have been meaning to read it for a while now. I’ve made a bit of progress on A Clean Kill so far and I am really enjoying its unique narrative. I am planning to finish it off in the next couple of days and I look forward to seeing how it comes together.

Warhammer 40,000: Da Big Dakka by Mike Brooks (Audiobook)

Da Big Dakka Cover

Nothing is more fun than a Warhammer 40,000 book that focuses on the orks, and Da Big Dakka is proving to be particularly awesome. Following a band of orks as they rampage through a unique area of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Da Big Dakka is proving to be pretty damn amazing, and I should hopefully finish it off soon.

What did you recently finish reading?

Blood Mountain by Alisa Lynn Valdés (ebook)

Blood Mountain Cover

I managed to finish off Blood Mountain by Alisa Lynn Valdés this week. Set in the mountains of New Mexico, Blood Mountain has a great locked-room premise behind it as several people start getting killed in an isolated ranch. Fun and exciting, this was an interesting book to check out.

The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney (Audiobook)

The Chaos Agent Cover

An awesome continuation to one of my favourite spy thriller series, The Chaos Agent was an incredible read and I am hoping to get a review up for it soon.

War Cry by Ian Ross (Trade Paperback)

War Cry Cover

Following on from Ian Ross’s outstanding 2023 novel, Battle Song, War Cry was an impressive historical fiction novel that followed a young knight as he fights in a complex English civil war. I had an outstanding time with War Cry and managed to finish it off in a very short amount of time.

What do you think you’ll read next?

White Ash Ridge by S. R. White

White Ash Ridge Cover

Once I get through A Clean Kill, I will probably start reading the captivating sounding Australian murder mystery, White Ash Ridge by S. R. White. An awesome sequel to books like Prisoner, and Red Dirt Road, White Ash Ridge has an outstanding mystery behind it, and I cannot wait to see how it turns out.

The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry

The Atlas Maneuver Cover

I am still hoping to start listening to The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry next. The latest book in the long-running Cotton Malone series, The Atlas Maneuver will feature another outstanding plot that blends historical conspiracies with modern day thriller storylines. I have deeply enjoyed all the recent Cotton Malone books, and I have no doubt The Atlas Maneuver will be another exceptional and fun entry.

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 – Books on my Autumn 2024 To-Be-Read (TBR) List

On March 5, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn List3 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 required participants to list the most unusual topics that they have looked up online as a result of reading a book, which while interesting, wasn’t something I felt I could contribute to. However, as this is the first Tuesday of March, I thought this would be a good opportunity to do my quarterly post about the best upcoming books to read in Autumn (Spring for folks in the Northern Hemisphere). This is a regular post I do at the start of each season, and I always love to highlight some of the most impressive sounding novels coming out in the next three months.

For this list, I have come up with the ten books coming out between 1 March 2024 and 31 May 2024 that I am most excited for. There are quite a few very cool novels set for release in the next few months that I am looking forward to, including some of my most anticipated books 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 Waiting on Wednesday articles and I think all of them will turn out to be incredible reads. I am really excited for the next three months as quite a few up these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of 2024.

Honourable Mentions:

White Ash Ridge by S. R. White – 14 March 2024

A cool, imminent Australian murder mystery with a very intriguing premise behind it.

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill – 19 March 2024

Another unique novel from one of Australia’s best crime fiction authors.

Behind a Closed Door by J.D. Barker – 13 May 2024

A brilliant and dark thriller from the always impressive J. D. Barker

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton – 21 May 2024

A fantastic sounding science fiction thriller with a particularly distinctive murder premise behind it.

Top Ten List:

Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox – 26 March 2024

The first book on this list is probably the novel I will be reading next, with Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox. A compelling and fun sounding thriller by one of Australia’s most popular crime fiction authors, Devil’s Kitchen sounds extremely awesome and I cannot wait to read it, especially after how much I enjoyed The Murder Inn by Fox earlier this year.

Alien Clay by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 28 March 2024

After his exceptional 2023, where he released both City of Last Chances and House of Open Wounds (two of my favourite books of 2023), I am eagerly waiting to read all of Adrian Tchaikovsky’s upcoming books. His first 2024 release is Alien Clay, an outstanding and entertaining science fiction read set in a deadly prison on an alien planet. It sounds like Alien Clay will combine over-the-top characters with unique science fiction concepts and I have no doubt that this is going to be one of the most entertaining reads of the next three months.

The Book That Broke the World by Mark Lawrence – 9 April 2024

The gripping sequel to Lawrence’s exceptional 2023 novel, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, The Book That Broke the World is an awesome upcoming read that I am so very excited for. Continuing the elaborate narrative started in The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, which follows two connected characters whose lives revolve around a massive library; The Book That Broke the World will no doubt contain more of Lawrence’s exceptional world building and amazing storytelling.

Star Wars: The Living Force by John Jackson Miller – 9 April 2024

It has been a little while since I read a Star Wars novel, but that is going to change in April when I get my hands on The Living Force by John Jackson Miller. Set before the events of The Phantom Menace, The Living Force has an intriguing story that will expand out the early lore of the Star Wars franchise. I cannot wait to see what excellent story Miller has planned for The Living Force, and I have no doubt I am going to love this book.

Death on the Tiber by Lindsey Davis – 9 April 2024

One of my favourite historical fiction authors, Lindsey Davis, will continue her impressive Flavia Albia series in April with the new book, Death on the Tiber. Featuring another intriguing mystery set in ancient Rome, Death on the Tiber promises to be a particularly awesome addition to the series, especially as it pits the protagonist against an old foe from her traumatic past.

Warhammer 40,000: Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward – 23 April 2024

I have been loving some of the great Warhammer 40,000 novels in 2024, but one of my most anticipated releases is Deathworlder by Victoria Hayward. Set to feature the ultimate battle of survival between the hardest human jungle warriors in the canon and the deadliest aliens, Deathworlder has so much awesome potential and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

The Silverblood Promise by James Logan – 7 May 2024

The fantasy release that has me most intrigued in the next few months is The Silverblood Promise. The debut novel of James Logan, The Silverblood Promise will combine a cool new fantasy world with thrilling criminal intrigue, as a young lord tries to determine who killed his father in a deadly city. This book sounds so damn amazing, and I am hoping to dive into it very soon.

The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe – 14 May 2024

Back in 2021, I had the very great pleasure of reading The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe, a young adult thriller that pitted a teenage con artist with a past against deadly bank robbers. I absolutely loved The Girls I’ve Been, and I was excited to find out a sequel, The Girl in Question, is coming out in May. Set to follow the protagonist as she once again faces off against the ghosts of her past, The Girl in Question is going to be outstanding and I cannot wait to read it.

Cloaked Deception by Timothy Zahn – 14 May 2024

One of the more unique books coming out in Autumn this year is Cloaked Deception by Timothy Zahn. An epic and entertaining science fiction thriller, Cloaked Deception features a brilliant narrative that will see a deadly assassination plan involving nuclear weapons become entangled with the theft of advanced cloaking technology. I love the over-the-top plot of this book, and I cannot wait to see how it unfolds.

Necrotek by Jonathan Maberry – 28 May 2024

The final book I want to highlight on this list is Necrotek by one of my favourite authors Jonathan Maberry. The first book in a new series from Maberry, Necrotek is a dark and brutal sounding piece of science fiction that will see human scientists encounter a deadly, Lovecraftian threat in space. I have no doubt that Maberry is going to deliver another outstanding read here with Necrotek and I cannot wait to get my hands on its audiobook version, especially with the always amazing Ray Porter narrating it.

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.

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

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

Welcome to my second Top Ten Tuesday list of the week, were I look at my most anticipated thrillers, crime fiction and historical fiction novels coming out in the first half of 2024. Traditionally I usually only do one list to represent the top upcoming books for the year, however, I was inspired to separate out the fantasy and science fiction novels into my previous list, while this list will feature epic reads from the other major genres that I am interested in.

Despite only just starting, 2024 is already shaping up to be an epic and exciting year for books with a huge range of impressive and highly anticipated novels due for release in the next 12 months. This includes exciting debuts, anticipated sequels and the latest entries in beloved bestselling series. The first half of the year is looking particularly awesome, with a substantial number of incredible upcoming releases that I am deeply looking forward to.

Even though I excluded fantasy and science fiction books, this ended up being a rather difficult list to pull together due to all the awesome releases coming out in Australia or on Netgalley between 1 January 2024 and 30 June 2024. There were way too many extraordinary upcoming books that I could have included, and I ended up having to make some very tough calls and cutting several novels that have an immense amount of potential. Despite this, I am rather happy with the eventual choices that I made, and I think that this list reflects the upcoming novels and comics I am going to have the most fun reading. However, there are also some interesting new books that I am discussing for the first time here, so that should give this list a bit of variety. So let us get to my selections and find out which upcoming novels are my most anticipated releases for the first half of 2024.

Honourable Mentions:

Goodbye Girl by James Grippando – 9 January 2024

Goodbye Girl Cover

A compelling legal thriller with a ton of potential.

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

The Murder Inn Cover

A great crime fiction read about killers heading towards an unusual inn, introduced in a prior novel by Patterson and Fox.

Nobody’s Hero by M. W. Craven – 1 June 2024

Nobody's Hero Cover

The exciting sequel to Craven’s 2023 novel, Fearless, I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Sentinel by Mark Greaney – 25 June 2024

Sentinel Cover

The fantastic sounding sequel to Greaney’s amazing action-packed Armored, Sentinel sounds very exciting and I look forward to checking it out.

Top Ten List:

The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman – 6 February 2024

The Ghost Orchid Cover

First on this list is the exciting new murder mystery from Jonathan Kellerman. I have become a real fan of Kellerman’s long-running Alex Delaware series, especially after reading such excellent books as The Wedding Guest, The Museum of Desire, Serpentine, City of the Dead and Unnatural History, and I am very excited to get my hands on The Ghost Orchid. Set to follow the series’ great protagonists as they investigate a sensational double-homicide, The Ghost Orchid should prove to be very twisty, especially as both victims have secrets that could have made them the intended target of the attack. I have a lot of love for this series, and reading the new Alex Delaware book has become a fun start-of-year tradition for me.

Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz – 13 February 2024

Lone Wolf Cover

An excellent spy thriller to start of 2024 is Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz. Part of Hurwitz’s fantastic Orphan X series (Out of the Dark, Into the Fire, Prodigal Son, Dark Horse and The Last Orphan), this book follows a former government assassin turned vigilante of last resort, who specialises in helping people with no-one else to turn to. This new book will set the protagonist against his deadliest enemies yet, a visionary tech billionaire and a skilled serial killer who may prove to be just as lethal as the legendary Orphan X. I look forward to diving into this awesome book and it should prove to be a great addition to a particularly cool series.

The Chaos Agent by Mark Greaney – 20 February 2024

The Chaos Agent Cover

Probably the book I’m most looking forward to in early 2024 is the new Gray Man novel by Mark Greaney, The Chaos Agent. The Gray Man books are one of my favourite series at the moment, especially as all the books in the series, including The Gray Man, Mission Critical, One Minute Out (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020), Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), Sierra Six (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and Burner (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023), have been so very strong. This latest entry will pit the titular Gray Man against a massive conspiracy surrounding AI and force him to face off against one of his oldest friends. Sure to be one of the best books I read this year, I am so very excited to dive into The Chaos Agent.

The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry – 20 February 2024

The Atlas Maneuver Cover

Another awesome spy thriller that I am particularly excited to read in 2024 is The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry. Part of Berry’s awesome long-running Cotton Malone series, The Atlas Maneuver will force the series titular protagonist to unravel another world-shattering conspiracy with its origins hidden in historical secrets, including lost World War II gold, and the world’s oldest bank. I have had such a brilliant time with this series in recent years, including with books like The Malta Exchange, The Warsaw Protocol, The Kaiser’s Web and The Last Kingdom, and I cannot wait to dive into this new elaborate and captivating read.

War Cry by Ian Ross – 12 March 2024

War Cry Cover

In 2023 I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the awesome historical fiction novel, Battle Song by Ian Ross, which followed a brutal knight and his naïve squire as they get caught up in one of England’s many civil wars. A fantastic and powerful historical adventure, Battle Song was a particularly impressive read that made me a huge fan of Ross. As such, I am very eager to grab a copy of the upcoming sequel, War Cry, when it comes out here in Australia. Set to provide a follow-up to the brutal and character-forming events of Battle Song, War Cry should be another exceptional read and I cannot wait to see how Ross follows-up his previous epic novel.

White Ash Ridge by S. R. White – 14 March 2024

White Ash Ridge Cover

One of the most promising authors of Australian crime fiction, S. R. White, returns with another enticing outback mystery, White Ash Ridge. White has really impressed me in recent years with his prior novels, Prisoner and Red Dirt Road, and I am looking forward to seeing another one of his unique mysteries. His new book, White Ash Ridge, will see his unconventional detective try to solve a complex murder in an isolated hotel, where only a handful of guests of a charity dedicated to police reform were present. This will probably be one of the best Australian mysteries of 2024 and I look forward to unwinding White’s elaborate mystery.

The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill – 19 March 2024

The Mystery Writer Cover

Another great novel from an Australian author I am looking forward to in the next few months is The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill. An elaborate and personal murder mystery about a complex family and the death of a famous author, The Mystery Writer sounds so damn awesome and I cannot wait to dive into this excellent novel.

The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe – 9 April 2024

The Girl in Question Cover

Tess Sharpe follows up her outstanding young adult thriller, The Girls I’ve Been, with a new awesome adventure in The Girl in Question. Once again following her intriguing teenage con-women protagonist as she attempts to outwit a deadly group of criminals, The Girl in Question sounds extremely awesome, and I am really excited to read this book. The Girls I’ve Been was extremely impressive and I have been waiting for a sequel for ages.

Behind a Closed Door by J. D. Barker – 13 May 2024

Behind A Closed Door Cover

A gritty and dark psychological thriller that sees a couple get caught up in an elaborate online game where the stakes keep getting higher and higher. This is one of the most intriguing books that has caught me eye in early 2024 and I am very keen to unravel the entire sordid tale.

Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox – 4 June 2024

Devil's Kitchen Cover

The final book I want to highlight on this list is the awesome thriller from one of Australia’s best crime fiction authors, Devil’s Kitchen by Candice Fox. Set to follow an elite unit of firefighters who moonlight as a dangerous heist gang, Devil’s Kitchen sounds that an extremely cool read with a great plot behind it. I have had a lot of fun with Fox’s last few books, and this should prove to be another amazing novel.

That is the end of this list. I am extremely happy with how my latest Top Ten Tuesday article turned out and this list contains an intriguing collection of upcoming books that should prove to be incredible reads. I think that nearly every one of these books has the potential to get a full five-star rating from me and I cannot wait to see what amazing and exciting stories they contain. While I am waiting to get my hands on these books, why not let me know if any of the above interest you, as well as what your most anticipated releases for the next six months are in the comments below. Also, make sure to check out my other Top Ten List with the top upcoming fantasy and science fiction books of 2024.