Tag: The Mystery Guest

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

On 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

WWW Wednesday – 20 December 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

Deadly Game by Michael Caine (Trade Paperback)

Deadly Game Cover

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

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

Warhammer 40,000 - The Fall of Cadia Cover

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

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What did you recently finish reading?

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose (Trade Paperback)

The Mystery Guest Cover

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

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont

Dark Arena Cover

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

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

Quick Review – The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Murder Mystery, Quick Review3 Comments

The Mystery Guest Cover

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

Series: Molly the Maid – Book Two

Length: 327 pages

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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

Plot Synopsis:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Sequels of 2023

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

Dead of Night Cover

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

The Last True Templar Cover

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 – 13 December 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday2 Comments

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose (Trade Paperback)

The Mystery Guest Cover

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

Amazon

 

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

Warhammer 40,000 - The Fall of Cadia Cover

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

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What did you recently finish reading?

Murtagh by Christopher Paolini (Audiobook)

Murtagh Cover

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

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What do you think you’ll read next?

Deadly Game by Michael Caine

Deadly Game Cover

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

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

WWW Wednesday – 6 December 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW WednesdayLeave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading:

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose (Trade Paperback)

The Mystery Guest Cover

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

Amazon

 

Murtagh by Christopher Paolini (Audiobook)

Murtagh Cover

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

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What did you recently finish reading?

House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky (ebook)

House of Open Wounds Cover

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

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

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect Cover

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

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Vendetta by Sarah Barrie (Trade Paperback)

Vendetta Cover

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

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What do you think you’ll read next?

West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman

West Heart Kill Cover

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

Amazon

 

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

Book Haul – 4 December 2023

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Book HaulLeave a comment

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

Resurrection by Michael Connelly

Resurrection Walk Cover

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

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Vendetta by Sarah Barrie

Vendetta Cover

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

Amazon

 

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

The Mystery Guest Cover

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

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Extinction by Douglas Preston

Extinction Cover

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

Amazon

 

Dark Arena by Jack Beaumont

Dark Arena Cover

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

Amazon

 

West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman

West Heart Kill Cover

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

Amazon

 

The Watch Maker’s Hand by Jeffery Deaver

The Watch Maker's Hand Cover

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

Amazon

 

The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson

The Christmas Guest Cover

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

Amazon

 

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Bookshops & Bonedust Cover

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

Amazon

 

The Wiregrass by Adrian Hyland

The Wiregrass Cover

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

Amazon

 

 

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