The Right to Remain – The Unseen Library

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 Waiting on Wednesday, I focus on a cool upcoming legal thriller I recently highlighted as one of the top books I’m looking forward to reading in early 2026 with The Right to Remain by James Grippando.

Amazon

Over the last couple of years, I have grown to really enjoy the fantastic legal thrillers of veteran author James Grippando, especially those that form part of his Jack Swyteck series. Following the titular Jack Swyteck, a Miami based criminal defence attorney who takes on the toughest cases, the series features some outstanding court sequences and legal scenes, especially as Grippando routinely envisions some very clever and unique scenarios and clients for the protagonist to defend. I had an incredible time with the last two books in the series, Goodbye Girl and Grave Danger, and I am extremely keen to see where the series goes next.

Luckily, I don’t have too much longer until the next Jack Swyteck novel is released with the epic upcoming book, The Right to Remain, coming out in early January 2026. The 20^th entry in the Jack Swyteck series, The Right to Remain features another very interesting plot idea, with the protagonist this time forced to defend a man accused of murder who is literally refusing to speak up in his own defence. I love the cool idea behind this upcoming book, and I can only imagine just how awesome and unique the resulting trial is going to be. As such, The Right to Remain is now poised to be one of the first new thrillers I check out in 2026, and I am so damn curious about how this story will unfold.

Plot Synopsis:

In this thrilling novel from bestselling author James Grippando—the twentieth in his revered series—legendary criminal defense attorney Jack Swyteck takes on a twisty, difficult case that becomes one of the most complex in his illustrious career.

Miami criminal defense lawyer Jack Swyteck must contend with a unique problem. His client, Elliott Stafford, indicted for murder, has gone silent. Not just silent in asserting his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination—Elliott refuses to speak. He won’t talk to the judge, his girlfriend, or even the attorney fighting for his life. There seems to be no medical or psychological reason for his silence. He has, as Jack puts it, “chosen to become his own worst enemy.”

To some, it’s an act of protest against a broken criminal justice system. Jack doesn’t buy it. Undeterred by the hoopla and calls to walk away, he keeps his client and tries his best to save Elliott from himself. As he digs for facts, Jack discovers a much more disturbing reason for Elliott’s silence. Virtually everything Elliott told Jack before the indictment is proving false, including Elliot’s criminal history, family turmoil, and secret past. As Jack plunges deeper, he comes to believe that Elliott isn’t trying to hide his own guilt. He may be protecting someone else—and the stakes could not be higher.

With plenty of courtroom action, scenes in which “Grippando’s years of experience shine brightest” (New York Times), The Right to Remain is one of the most thrilling entries yet in this hugely popular series that keeps going strong.

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 have a Thanksgiving freebie which I am going to use to look at some upcoming books. This is because today is the last Tuesday before Summer 2025/26, 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 Summer (Winter 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 December 2025 and 28 February 2026 that I am most excited for. There are quite a few amazing novels set for release in the next few months, so it took me a while to finalise my final top ten list, including my usual honourable mentions section. I have primarily used the Australian publication dates to reflect when I will be able to get these awesome novels, and these might be somewhat different to the rest of the world. I have previously discussed a number of these books before in prior Waiting on Wednesday articles, and I think all of them will turn out to be incredible reads. I am extremely excited for these next three months and I feel that quite a few of these upcoming reads have the potential to be some of my favourite books of both 2025 and 2026.

Honourable Mentions:

The Right to Remain by James Grippando – 6 January 2026

An awesome upcoming legal thriller from the very impressive James Grippando (Goodbye Girl and Grave Danger), with the lawyer protagonist forced to defend a client who literally won’t utter a word in his own defence.

Amazon

Dark Desert Road by Tim Ayliffe – 6 January 2026

An intriguing and topical Australian thriller from a very talented author.

City of Others by Jared Poon – 13 January 2026

An exciting fantasy debut that I think has a lot of potential.

Amazon

The Devil’s Bible by Steve Berry – 17 February 2026

The next intriguing entry in the long-running Cotton Malone spy thriller series. I am a big fan of this series, although I still need to read the 2025 entry first.

Amazon

Top Ten List:

Warhammer 40,000: Demolisher by Andy Clark – 12 December 2025

The first summer release I want to highlight is the soon-to-be released Warhammer 40,000 novel Demolisher by Andy Clark. The sequel to Clark’s previous novel Steel Tread, Demolisher will once again follow a misfit tank crew as they attempt to survive in the grimdark future. Steel Tread was an impressive and exciting read, and I am excited to see how this sequel turns out.

Usagi Yojimbo: Ten Thousand Plums by Stan Sakai – 23 December 2025

The next Usagi Yojimbo volume looks set to be an outstanding Christmas present for me in a few weeks’ time. Featuring a deadly conspiracy in a cool seasonal location, Ten Thousand Plums sounds like another outstanding entry in one of my favourite comic series. Sakai has already had one amazing volume of this series out this year with The Crow, and I’m sure this next volume is going to be even better.

Amazon

Twelve Months by Jim Butcher – 20 January 2026

One of the books I’m most excited to read in the next three months is the long-awaited new Dresden Files novel by the legendary Jim Butcher, Twelve Months. Following on from the chaotic events of Battle Ground, Twelve Months looks set to continue the series in epic fashion with dark new enemies, a compelling mystery, shocking revelations and some moving character moments. I have been desperately waiting for this novel since 2020, having read the entire Dresden Files series in the intervening time, and I cannot wait to see how this new book turns out. Sure to be one of the very best books of 2026!

Amazon

30Seven by Jeremy Robinson – 20 January 2026

Next, we have the intriguing and unique new science fiction novel, 30Seven by the always entertaining Jeremy Robinson. Featuring a gripping and no-doubt terrifying alien abduction narrative with some cool twists, including the protagonist being trapped onboard the alien ship with the serial killer that murdered his wife, 30Seven has so much potential, and I’m planning to power through this book the second I get it.

Amazon

Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead by K. J. Parker – 27 January 2026

I already know that one of the more hilarious releases of the next three months is going to be the awesome fantasy novel Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead from K. J. Parker. The start of a fantastic new series following a murderous nun who serves as the fixer for her corrupt church, Sister Svangerd and the Not Quite Dead looks set to be an amazing read. I love the sound of this upcoming novel, and I already know I’m going to laugh myself silly while reading it.

Amazon

Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman – 3 February 2026

The always reliable Jonathan Kellerman will continue his long-running Alex Delaware series in early 2026 with the intriguing new novel Jigsaw. Featuring two seemingly unrelated murder cases with a unique and clever twists behind it, Jigsaw is sure to be a real highlight of the next few months, and I cannot wait to check it out.

Amazon

Antihero by Gregg Hurwitz – 10 February 2026

Few thriller series have been as consistently impressive and emotionally charged in recent years as Gregg Hurwitz’s Orphan X series, which follows a former assassin turned vigilante as he attempts to make the world a better place, one desperate person at a time. This series has been extremely incredible, and it reached its height earlier this year with the highly moving and powerful 10^th entry Nemesis. While I may never forgive Hurwitz for breaking my heart at the end of Nemesis, there is no way I will not be continuing the series in 2026 with Antihero. Featuring a great new narrative that will be loaded with grief from the events of the previous book, Antihero looks set to be a particularly intense and memorable entry in the series and I cannot wait to read it.

Amazon

Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman – 10 February 2026

Readers of this blog will be well aware that I became a little obsessed with author Matt Dinniman this year, especially as I rapidly absorbed his entire Dungeon Crawler Carl series, with books like Dungeon Crawler Carl, The Butcher’s Masquerade and The Eye of the Bedlam Bride, and more, all proving to be outstanding reads. As such, I will be eagerly reading anything that Dinniman release in the future going forward, and that includes his February 2026 release, Operation Bounce House. A fun and no doubt bloody science fiction novel, Operation Bounce House will see desperate human settlers defend their planet from a greedy corporation using weaponised farming drones. I have no doubt this is going to be a particularly hilarious and over-the-top read and I cannot wait to get more of Dinniman’s insane creativity in the new year.

Amazon

Pretenders to the Throne of God by Adrian Tchaikovsky – 12 February 2026

The always imaginative Adrian Tchaikovsky will continue his epic Tyrant Philosophers series in early 2026 with Pretenders to the Throne of God. Following on from his previous three exceptional novels, City of Last Chances, House of Open Wounds and Days of Shattered Faith, Pretenders to the Throne of God will continue to follow the expansion of the perfection seeking Palleseen as they find themselves besieging a magical city. Sure to feature a great story based around complex characters, all wrapped up with Thaikovsky’s wry humour, Pretenders to the Throne of God is going to be something special, and I will try to read it is as soon as possible.

Amazon

The Hard Line by Mark Greaney – 24 February 2026

The final book I want to highlight in this post is the awesome upcoming spy thriller The Hard Line by Mark Greaney. The next book in Greaney’s iconic Gray Man series, The Hard Line will continue the intense action and clever spy craft this series is known for when the protagonist, feared assassin and covert agent Court Gentry faces off against another legendary killer, determined to get revenge on everyone Gentry loves. I have no doubt The Hard Line is going to be one of the more clever and exciting novels of the next few months, and I look forward to getting my hands on it.

Amazon

Well, that is the end of my Top Ten list. I think it turned out pretty well and it does a good job of capturing all my most anticipated books for the next three months. There are some really impressive books coming out in this part of 2025 and 2026, and I cannot wait to read each of them soon. Let me know which of the above you are most excited for and stay tuned for reviews of them in the next few months. In the meantime, it looks like I have quite a bit of reading to do in the near future.