Tag: Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday – The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Murder Mystery, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s entry, I check out one of the most anticipated fantasy novels of early 2024 with The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett.

The Tainted Cup Cover

Amazon

Robert Jackon Bennett is a highly regarded fantasy author who has been producing captivating reads since 2010.  Have started out writing several intriguing standalone novels, such as his debut, Mr. Shivers, Bennett is probably best known for his complex fantasy series, including The Divine Cities trilogy and The Founders trilogy, both of which had elaborate settings and compelling stories behind them.  I personally had a wonderful time with his awesome novel, Foundryside, and while I haven’t had the chance to read anymore from Bennett since then, I have been keeping my eye out to see what he comes out with next.  As such, I heard some interesting stuff about his next novel, The Tainted Cup, which is already getting a lot of love from fantasy fans.

The Tainted Cup, which is set for release in February 2024, is the first book in Bennett’s new Shadow of the Leviathan series.  This first entry has a great story behind it that looks to combine a complex murder investigation with inventive fantasy elements and two fantastic sounding central characters.  The synopsis below sounds pretty damn amazing and I love the idea of a brilliant, if highly eccentric, detective, trying to solve a murder caused by the spontaneous growth of a tree in someone’s body.  Everything about this book sounds extremely cool and if Bennett is on his usual form this will probably be one of the top fantasy releases of 2024.

Plot Synopsis:

In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible.

Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears–quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home.

Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

Featuring an unforgettable Holmes-and-Watson style pairing, a gloriously labyrinthine plot, and a haunting and wholly original fantasy world, The Tainted Cup brilliantly reinvents the classic mystery tale.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

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

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this latest post I highlight an outstanding upcoming murder mystery novel with a fun science fiction twist that I am extremely keen to check out in 2024 with The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton.

The Last Murder at the End of the World Cover

Amazon

2024 is already shaping up to be an excellent year for books and I am even more excited because there is a new Stuart Turton novel coming out in the next few months.  Turton is an outstanding author whose debut novel, The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (also released as The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle) deeply impressed me back in 2018.  Featuring an elaborate murder mystery plot enhanced by clever science fiction elements, this great novel forced a protagonist to jump across the bodies of several different suspects to figure out who was behind a mysterious death.  This was honestly such a brilliant and highly unique read that ended up being one of my favourite books of 2018.

While I unfortunately haven’t had the chance to read his second novel, The Devil and the Dark Water (maybe a good book to check out this Christmas), I am still very keen for any additional content from Turton and I was excited when I saw he had a new book coming out in May 2024.  This new novel is The Last Murder at the End of the World and it looks like Turton is going to present another compelling murder mystery/science fiction hybrid.

Plot Synopsis:

Solve the murder to save what’s left of the world.

Outside the island there is the world destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. On the island it is idyllic. 122 villagers and 3 scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they’re told by the scientists.

Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And they learn the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay.

If the murder isn’t solved within 92 hours, the fog will smother the island – and everyone on it.

But the security system has also wiped everyone’s memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer – and they don’t even know it…

The outstanding new high concept murder mystery from the Sunday Times bestselling and Costa Book Award winning author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle . An ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop, an audacious solution.

I love the sound of the epic plot above and I reminds me a lot of The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle in terms of it having a complicated scenario serving as the compelling background to a murder investigation.  The idea of a murder taking place in a post-apocalyptic society is pretty solid on its own, but throw in a mysterious fog, elaborate security systems and the fact that everyone, including the killer has forgotten the events of the night in question, and you have all the components for a highly compelling read.  I cannot wait to see how Turton works all these elements into his new mystery and I’m sure it will make for quite a compelling and intense novel.

I am also quite intrigued by the cool setting the book is taking place in.  A remote island that survived a world-ending event is pretty interesting and it will be fun if we get some history about how that came about.  I’m getting some major The Island or The Village vibes from the sounds of this scenario (it’s totally going to be some form of experiment or social study), and I am quite intrigued to see if I’m right about that.

Overall, I am very excited for The Last Murder at the End of the World and I have some very high hopes for it when it comes out in May next year.  Turton already has a proven skill of combining elaborate science fiction scenarios with murder mysteries and The Last Murder at the End of the World should turn out to be pretty epic as a result.  I am fully expecting this upcoming book to be pretty damn exceptional and I cannot wait to see how Turton messes with my mind this time.

Waiting on Wednesday – NecroTek and The Dragon in Winter by Jonathan Maberry

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday13 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight two awesome upcoming books coming out in 2024 from one of my favourite authors, Jonathan Maberry.

Reader’s familiar with The Unseen Library will be well aware that I am a massive fan of horror and thriller author Jonathan Maberry, whose work I first fell in love with during the early days of my blog.  There have been so many great books from Maberry over the years, such as his cool standalone novel Ink (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2020) and all the awesome books from his exceptional and fun Joe Ledger science fiction thriller series.  I have a lot of love for all the impressive Joe Ledger novels, including the books from the original series like Patient Zero, Assassin’s Code, Code Zero, Dogs of War and Deep Silence, and the books from the sequel Rogue Team International series, Rage (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2019), Relentless (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021), and the recently released Cave 13.

Due to how much I have enjoyed Maberry’s books over the years, I am always keeping an eye out for any future releases coming our way from him.  Well, it looks like Maberry fans are in for a real treat in 2024 as the author has another two books planned for next year.  Both of these novels are highly appealing to me in their own unique way, and I look forward to checking them both out soon.

Necrotek Cover

Amazon

The first upcoming book that I need to highlight is the fantastic and awesome sounding read, NecroTek, which is coming out in May 2024.  Released in collaboration with the horror icon Weird Tales magazine (which Maberry is currently the editor of), NecroTek see’s Maberry take on the science fiction genre with several human protagonists launched into a dark dimension where ancient horrors live and the only means of surviving and saving Earth might reside in some deadly, necromantic alien technology.

Plot Synopsis:

From New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry, NecroTek is a gripping sci fi thriller full of ghosts, Gods, and a battle for the soul of humanity.

Neither cosmic philosopher Lars Soren, hotshot pilot Bianca Petrescu, nor the high priestess Jessica McHugh—Lady Death herself—can say quite where in the galaxy they are. But after an experiment gone horribly wrong, one thing is Asphodel Station isn’t in orbit around Jupiter any longer. Worse, the monsters that live out here—ancient eldritch beings thought only to exist in stories and nightmares—have now been alerted to Earth’s existence.

Their army of Shoggoths is coming for us next.

Humanity’s only hope for survival lies on the surface of the alien world of Shadderal, where a ghost named Lost, the last of an ancient race, still haunts the vast plains of the Field of Dead Birds. But hope has a cost. Lost tells Soren about ancient derelict spacecraft awaiting on Shadderal, shapeshifting machines that blend ultra-advanced technology with the dark powers of necromancy. These ships might just be nimble enough to defend mankind against the coming invasion.

But there’s a they can only be piloted by the dead.

As human starfighters fall in battle, their spirits can be called back from death to pilot these ghost ships of a fallen race. But will this new necromantic technology—NecroTek—allow humanity to stand against the vast armies of the Shoggoths? And even if it can, is the war to save the human race worth the cost of its pilots’ immortal souls?

Why am I not surprised that a Jonathan Maberry book set in outer space would force its protagonists to face off against an army of Lovecraftian monsters?  Maberry is a huge Lovecraft fan, and many of his books contain some of monsters and creatures.  As such, featuring them in a book partially brought to us by Weird Tales, which has its own connections with H. P. Lovecraft, is a pretty nice homage.  I love the idea of Earth being threatened by these monsters after several humans are sent to a hell dimension, and I am expecting some major horror elements in NecroTek as a result.  The concept of the titular NecroTek, which grabs the souls of fallen humans and use them to power dead alien ships is really cool, and I cannot wait to see what sort of crazy, negative side effects that has.  I am honestly very excited for NecroTek, especially as it will allow me to see Maberry’s first dive into full-on science fiction, and it will be great to have a whole new series from this author to focus on.

The Dragon in Winter Cover

Amazon

In addition to NecroTek, Maberry also has a second book coming out in 2024 with the third and final Kagen the Damned novel, The Dragon in Winter.  The Kagen the Damned series is a brilliant, recent body of work from Maberry that represents the author’s first foray into fantasy fiction.  A dark and brutal series, the Kagen the Damned books follow an emotionally wrecked protagonist who loses everything, including the love of his gods, after the royal family he was sworn to protect is brutally murdered by the armies of the nefarious Witch-king.  Brutal, bloody, and loaded with compelling worldbuilding and complex characters, the Kagen the Damned series is so damn awesome and I have had an excellent time getting through it.  The series has so far featured two exceptional novels, including Kagen the Damned (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and Son of the Poison Rose (one of my favourite books and audiobooks from the first half of 2023), and I loved every second I spent reading them.

Luckily, it looks like I don’t have too much longer to wait to see how this compelling series ends as the final Kagen the Damned book is set for release in August 2024.  This book, The Dragon in Winter, will see Kagen finally face off against the Witch-king, with magic, dark forces, an ancient dragon, and a mysterious being of unimaginable power, all getting thrust into the mix.

Plot Synopsis:

The Dragon in Winter brings New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry’s epic Kagen the Damned Trilogy to a wild conclusion!

War is coming! War is here! The Witch-king of Hakkia, aided by terrifying dark forces, sits uneasy on his stolen throne. His enemies, led by Kagen the Damned and the Bloody Bastards have found the secrets of ancient magic they hope will defeat him. Strange forces gather on both sides – vast armies of both the living and the dead, devious trickster spirits, strange gods, warrior ghosts, undying vampires, blood plagues that drive people to murderous rage, immortal faeries, and Earth’s last dragon.

Kagen knows that he faces the impossible task of toppling a usurper whose dark magic conquered an empire in a single night. But the Damned fear nothing and there are no limits to what Kagen will do to destroy the Witch-king. With his allies he will tear apart the veils that separate our world from the infinite realms of supernatural magic. The Witch-king will not go down with a fight, and he is willing to drown the western lands in innocent blood to retain his stolen crown. Even if he rules over an empire of dust and blood. His power is growing and soon he will be unstoppable.

But they are not the only forces at work in the world. Magic of all kinds is awakening and who can tell which side they will pick…or if they will pose a new and terrible threat to all! In the frozen North, the last dragon –tortured, captive, dying― cries out in despair. In the inky vastness of the outer dark that cry is heard! And something of incalculable power is coming in answer.

I am very, very excited to get my hands on The Dragon in Winter next year and I already know it’s going to be one of the best books of 2024.  Maberry has done a remarkable job with his first fantasy series, and I have loved seeing his typical fun writing style transferred to a dark fantasy storyline.  The elaborate plots, damaged protagonists, and huge array of horror-inspired antagonists makes for quite a gripping read and the Kagen the Damned books is one of the most distinctive fantasy series at the moment.  The above plot synopsis sounds extremely impressive, and it is going to be fun to see the long-anticipated continent spanning war to destroy the antagonist and his dark hordes.  I am particularly keen to see the final showdown between Kagen and the Witch-king, especially as they have quite the complicated history, and knowing Maberry there is a very good chance his protagonist isn’t going to survive.  Throw in some memorable new supporting villains, as well as the mysterious ancient power that is coming at the beckoning of the tortured dragon, and this should prove to be a very intense and destructive read.

Due to how much I have enjoyed Maberry’s work in the past there is absolutely no way that I won’t have an outstanding time with both upcoming books in 2024.  Both NecroTek and The Dragon in Winter are going to be dark, complex, and powerful books and I will make sure to read them as soon as possible.  I will probably try to get them both on audiobook, especially if Ray Porter returns as narrator, and they should make for quite the epic listen.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Murder Inn and Devil’s Kitchen

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery, Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday12 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I highlight two upcoming books from a very talented Australian author, Candice Fox.

Over the last few years, I have been having a wonderful time getting into the novels of Australian crime fiction author Candice Fox, who has been a staple inclusion in my yearly reading schedule.  Fox has produced some amazing and compelling thrillers throughout her career, and I’ve deeply enjoyed several of her recent books, including Gathering Dark, The Chase and Fire With Fire.  Fox is also quite well known for her collaborations with legendary crime fiction author James Patterson, having written several novels together.  This includes their very entertaining novel from a couple of years ago, 2 Sisters Detective Agency, which proved to be a particularly exciting read.  As such, I am always quite excited when I find out details about some of Fox’s upcoming books and 2024 is shaping up to be a pretty major year for Fox with two awesome sounding books coming out.

The first of these is The Murder Inn, which Fox is once again co-authoring with James Patterson.  The sequel to their previous collaboration, The Inn, which follows the unusual inhabitants of a seaside in, including its former police officer owner, as they get caught up in a dangerous series of events.  The Murder Inn is set for release in February 2024 and looks like it will feature another great story, this time featuring two killers coming to the titular inn and raising hell.  The Murder Inn sounds like a pretty awesome read and I look forward to seeing what fantastic fun these two great authors come up with next.

The Murder Inn Cover

Amazon

Plot Synopsis:

In this thrilling follow-up to the international bestseller THE INN, past mistakes come back to haunt the friends and residents of The Inn by the Sea.

It’s the perfect getaway. But the past will always find you . . .

Since leaving the Boston Police Department, Bill Robinson has run The Inn by the Sea in Gloucester, Massachusetts. There he offers a safe and supportive home for his long-term guests.

That tranquil life, however, is about to be shattered.

Two murderers are heading to Bill’s door.

One needs his help to evade the cops. The other plans to kill again to silence the truth.

Standing in their way are the residents of the Inn. And not everyone will get out alive.

In addition to her collaboration with Patterson, Fox also has a standalone novel coming out in 2024 with Devil’s Kitchen.  Set for release shortly after The Murder Inn, Devil’s Kitchen has a brilliant sounding plot behind it about a heist crew made up of firefighters and the women who joins them trying to bring them down.  Fox has always been good at coming up with elaborate or unique thriller concepts for her books and Devil’s Kitchen sounds like a particularly cool one that I’m very keen to check out.

Devil's Kitchen Cover

Amazon

Plot Synopsis:

Candice Fox’s latest thriller is the definition of nailbiter, as a female agent goes undercover in a New York firefighting crew that is far more dangerous than the fires they fight.

When a city’s heroes become its boldest criminals . . .

For years the firefighters of New York’s Engine 99 have rushed fearlessly into hot zones, saving countless lives and stopping devastating blazes in their tracks.

They’ve also stolen millions from banks, jewellery stores and art galleries. With their inside knowledge and specialist equipment they’ve become the most successful heist crew on the East Coast.

Their newest member, Andrea ‘Andy’ Nearland, is not what she seems either. She’s an undercover operative, hunting the men of Engine 99 for a host of crimes – including the murder of an off-duty cop and the disappearance of a mother and child.

As the clock counts down to the gang’s most daring heist yet, loyalties begin to fray and mistrust boils over. Andy’s career is all smoke and mirrors, but infiltrating this crew of ‘heroes’ might prove her most dangerous job of all . . .

As you can see, Candice Fox fans have a pretty big year coming up in 2024 as this amazing Australian author has two great offerings for us, including one with the always impressive James Patterson.  Both The Murder Inn and Devil’s Kitchen sound extremely epic and it looks like I’m going to get a major crime fiction fix early next year.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Ascent by Adam Plantinga

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday7 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday I check out an awesome and fun upcoming thriller that I know I am going to have an amazing time with, The Ascent by Adam Plantinga.

The Ascent Cover

Amazon

I have made no secret over the years that I love thrillers with over-the-top sounding plots to them, especially as they usually work out to be fantastic and captivating reads.  This remains true for this week’s Waiting on Wednesday as I highlight The Ascent by Adam Plantinga, which sounds so damn cool and exciting.

Set for release at the start of 2024, The Ascent is the debut thriller from Plantinga and has a brilliant prison break plot behind it.  Teaming up a heroic and angry ex-cop with the governor’s daughter in a maximum-security prison where every convict has been released, The Ascent will see the protagonists forced to slog their way u25p six floors of killers and dangerous prisoners to survive.  I unashamedly love the sound of this book and with a plot like that you know that you will be in for a ton of action, elaborate set pieces and crazy characters.  I already know that I am going to love this over-the-top book and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Plot Synopsis:

 When a high security prison fails, a down-on-his luck cop and the governor’s daughter are going to have to team up if they’re going to escape in this “jaw-dropping, authentic, and absolutely gripping” (Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author) debut thriller from Adam Plantinga, whose first nonfiction book Lee Child praised as “truly excellent.”

Kurt Argento, an ex-Detroit street cop who can’t let injustice go—and who has the fighting skills to back up his idealism.

If he sees a young girl being dragged into an alley, he’s going to rescue her and cause some damage. 

When he does just that in a small corrupt Missouri town, he’s brutally beaten and thrown into a maximum-security prison.

Julie Wakefield, a grad student who happens to be the governor’s daughter, is about to take a tour of the prison. But when a malfunction in the security system releases a horde of prisoners, a fierce struggle for survival ensues.

Argento must help a small band of staff and civilians, including Julie and her two state trooper handlers, make their way from the bottom floor to the roof to safety.

All that stands in their way are six floors of the most dangerous convicts in Missouri.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday, Young Adult8 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this latest Waiting on Wednesday I highlight an awesome upcoming young adult thriller with The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe.

The Girl in Question Cover

Amazon

Back in 2021 I managed to get my hands on an amazing young adult novel, The Girls I’ve Been by Tess Sharpe, which ended up being quite an impressive read.  Following a teenage former con-artist who must use all her skills to survive a deadly hostage situation in a bank, The Girls I’ve Been was an exceptional and addictive novel with some great characters, a clever plot, and some deadly personal stakes.  I really got caught up in this fantastic novel and I have been eager to see if Sharpe was going to follow it up, especially as there were several interesting plot points left open.

Well details have finally been released about an upcoming sequel to The Girls I’ve Been that I am very keen to get my hands on.  This sequel, The Girl in Question, is set for release in February 2024 and is currently one of my most anticipated young adult novels of the new year.  With a fun sounding plot and some great potential for betrayal, murder and deadly personal heartbreak, The Girl in Question sounds pretty damn epic and I cannot wait to see how it all turns out.

Plot Synopsis:

Four teens. Three henchmen. Two thousand acres of remote forest. One very bad man. And a whole lot of new secrets to unearth. The unmissable, thrilling follow-up to The Girls I’ve Been (soon to be a Netflix film).

Nora O’Malley has survived . . . senior year, that is. School’s over, but her life isn’t, which is weird since last she checked, her murderous stepdad Raymond is finally free.

Determined to enjoy summer before her (possibly) imminent demise, Nora plans a backpacking trip with Iris and Wes. And Wes’s girlfriend tags along. Amanda’s nice, so it’s not a huge issue. Until she gets taken. Or rather, mis-taken . . . for Nora, that is.

Now they’re deep in the woods. Raymond has a hostage. Nora has no leverage. Iris is carving spears out of sticks. And Wes is building booby traps.

It’ll take all of them to make it out alive.

But someone is lying. Someone is keeping secrets. And someone has to die.

Waiting on Wednesday – Goodbye Girl by James Grippando

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday5 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this week’s Waiting on Wednesday, I check out a fantastic and fun upcoming legal thriller that has a great story behind it with Goodbye Girl by James Grippando.

Goodbye Girl Cover

Amazon

James Grippando is an author who I haven’t previously read before, although 2024 might be the year that this changes.  Grippando, who has a background as a lawyer, specialises in legal thrillers and has written a ton of books since his debut back in 1994.  His body of works includes his Andie Henning series, several intriguing standalone reads, and his long-running Jack Swyteck series.  All these novels sound very cool, although I will probably dive into his next upcoming book first with the early 2024 release, Goodbye Girl.

Goodbye Girl, which will be the 18th book in Grippando’s Jack Swyteck series, has an amazing sound plot to it that has really grabbed my attention.  Set around a contentious music piracy case between two former spouses, Goodbye Girl, looks to be a fantastic legal thriller filled with twists, murder, and entertaining characters.  Based on the sound of this amazing plot alone I’m already sure I will absolutely love Goodbye Girl and I cannot wait to check it out in early 2024.

Plot Synopsis:

A contentious intellectual piracy case leads to an unsolved murder, and Jack Swyteck’s client—a pop music icon—is the accused killer.

Piracy costs the movie and music industry billions. No one has been able to stop it. But that won’t stop Miami criminal defense lawyer Jack Swyteck. His latest client, Imani Nichols, is a Grammy-winning popstar whose career has skyrocketed. Despite her success, she’s the most underpaid superstar on the planet because of an onerous record contract she signed as a teenager with her now ex-husband Shaky Nichols, who has made himself rich off her royalties.

Preferring to see thieves profit from her music than let her ex-husband pocket one more dime, Imani takes to social media and tells her millions of fans to “go pirate” and download her music illegally. Her hardball tactic leads to scorched-earth litigation, and now she needs Jack’s help.

The case takes a deadly turn when salacious allegations of infidelity send Imani and Shaky down a path of mutual assured destruction, each implicating the other in the unsolved murder of Imani’s extra-marital lover twelve years ago. Tyler McCormick died of asphyxiation, and his body was found in Biscayne Bay, chained to a piling with the words “goodbye girl” impressed on his chest. Despite their fierce denials, Imani and Shakey are both indicted for murder, leading to a sensational trial that exposes shocking secrets about their failed marriage, their cut-throat business partnership, and Imani’s astonishing success.

Yet as Jack discovers, uncovering the truth about the killing and the cryptic “goodbye girl” won’t just exonerate or convict his client, her ex, and their music empire. It may shape the future of the entire recording industry.

Waiting on Wednesday – House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For my latest Waiting on Wednesday I highlight a particularly awesome upcoming fantasy novel that is one of my most anticipated reads for the second half of 2023, House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

House of Open Wounds Cover

Amazon

After years of accidently avoiding the works of legendary fantasy and science fiction author Adrian Tchaikovsky I have recently started getting into his novels and boy am I having fun with them.  Tchaikovsky is an author who can create elaborate and vast new worlds and fill them with complex and conflicted characters who you can’t help but become attached to.  His short novel Ogres was an excellent example of this, while his first foray in Warhammer 40,000 fiction, Day of Ascension, was one of the best Warhammer 40,000 books I have so far read.  However, my favourite novel of Tchaikovsky has to be his outstanding book City of Last Chances.

City of Last Chances is an epic and captivating read that was one of the best books (and audiobooks) I enjoyed in the first half of 2023.  Set in a complex and unique fantasy city occupied by a military force of perfection-seeking zealots, City of Last Chances was an entertaining and addictive read about revolution, religion, magic and bad choices that I could not get enough of.  Following multiple loosely connected characters on the worst day of their lives, City of Last Chances was one of the cleverest and most distinctive fantasy novels I have ever had the pleasure of reading.  This amazing novel got an easy five-star rating from me and it will probably end up topping my favourite novels and audiobooks lists of 2023 in a few months’ time.  I cannot emphasise how much I loved City of Last Chances and it has made me a pretty massive fan of Tchaikovsky as a result.

As such, you can imagine how happy I was to discover that Tchaikovsky has a sequel to City of Last Chances coming out later this year.  I have been hoping to highlight this sequel, House of Open Wounds, in a post for a while now and they just released the cover for it.  House of Open Wounds, which is set for release in December 2023, will continue at least one of the stories featured in City of Last Chances as it follows a key protagonist on a new gruesome adventure.

Plot Synopsis:

City-by-city, kingdom-by-kingdom, the Palleseen have sworn to bring Perfection and Correctness to an imperfect world. As their legions scour the world of superstition with the bright flame of reason, so they deliver a mountain of ragged, holed and scorched flesh to the field hospital tents just behind the frontline.

Which is where Yasnic, one-time priest, healer and rebel, finds himself. Reprieved from the gallows and sent to war clutching a box of orphan Gods, he has been sequestered to a particularity unorthodox medical unit.

Led by ‘the Butcher’, an ogre of a man who’s a dab hand with a bone-saw and an alchemical tincture, the unit’s motley crew of conscripts, healers and orderlies are no strangers to the horrors of war. Their’s is an unspeakable trade: elbow-deep in gore they have a first-hand view of the suffering caused by flesh-rending monsters, arcane magical weaponry and embittered enemy soldiers.

Entrusted – for now – with saving lives deemed otherwise un-saveable, the field hospital’s crew face a precarious existence. Their work with unapproved magic, necromancy, demonology and Yansic’s thoroughly illicit Gods could lead to the unit being disbanded, arrested or worse.

Beset by enemies within and without, the last thing anyone needs is a miracle…

Ok, I am so damn excited for this outstanding book for quite a number of reasons.  Not only does House of Open Wounds serve as a sequel to City of Last Chances and will further dive into the conquests of the Palleseen, a very unlikeable antagonistic group, but it will also continue the story of Yasnic, one of the best characters for City of Last Chances.  Yasnic is a fantastic and entertaining figure who had such a brilliant character arc in his first appearance.  The last priest and believer of a forgotten god, Yasnic was initially a bit of a pathetic figure, scraping through life while trying to follow the rules of a god only he can see.  However, as City of Last Chances’ story unfolded, Yasnic manages to find a purpose in healing and soon recovers several other forgotten or deposed gods, giving them a new home and using them to help sick and injured people.  Yasnic’s arc was really well done in the first book and I honestly thought Tchaikovsky had done all he could with him.  However, I am also very happy that we get more of Yasnic in the future, and it will be interesting to see how Tchaikovsky expands on his character development and growth.

While Yasnic and the continuation of City of Last Chances is a major reason why I will be picking up House of Open Wounds, I am also very intrigued by the new storylines that Tchaikovsky is featuring in this sequel, especially around the unconventional medical unit.  I absolutely love the idea of a crazed and unusual team of medical practitioners using all manner of illegal magic, gods and necromancy to heal people, and this kind of sounds like a fantasy version of M*A*S*H.  I imagine Tchaikovsky will utilise a similar writing style as what he featured in City of Last Chances, which will allow the reader to follow all the unique figures in this camp as they go about their job and their own complex lives.  This sounds like a really cool idea and I cannot wait to see what sort of compelling and fun storylines develop there, as well as the fantastic characters that emerge.  Tchaikovsky has the great ability to combine humour and crazy situation with raw power and tragedy, so this should be an outstanding read that hits all the different emotional buttons.

I honestly am so damn excited for House of Open Wounds and I cannot wait to get more Adrian Tchaikovsky in my life.  Tchaikovsky is such a talented author, and any continuation of the perfection that was City of Last Chances, is going to be good, especially when it focuses on crazy medical practitioners doing weird magic to save their patients.  I have no doubt whatsoever that House of Open Wounds is going to be an exceptional read and it will probably top all my end of year best-of lists.  This is going to be so damn awesome and I cannot wait to get my hands on this book in a few short months.

Waiting on Wednesday – The Shadow King by Harry Sidebottom

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Historical Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday3 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I look at an excellent upcoming historical fiction read with The Shadow King by Harry Sidebottom.

The Shadow King Cover

One of my favourite historical fiction authors writing now is the always impressive and compelling Harry Sidebottom, who has been producing great reads pretty much the entire time I’ve been a reviewer.  An expert in ancient history, Sidebottom has written several great series and standalone novels, primarily set in ancient Rome.  This includes his exceptional Warrior of Rome books, as well as the detailed Throne of the Caesars series, each of which take a unique look at different parts of Roman history and military fiction.  I have deeply enjoyed many of Sidebottom’s outstanding Roman historical fiction novels, and I have reviews for The Last Hour, Falling Sky, The Lost Ten, The Return and The Burning Roads currently on my blog.

Due to how much fun I have had with Sidebottom’s previous historical fiction novels I always keep a close eye on his upcoming books, and I was very excited to see that he has a new novel coming out later this year.  This book, which is set for release in November, is The Shadow King, which will see Sidebottom take on a whole new historical period with an interesting look at Alexander the Great and the Macedonians.

Plot Synopsis:

Alexander of Macedon was just twenty years old in 334BC when he set out with a small army to challenge Persia, the largest and most powerful empire in the world. The Macedonians marched East into the unknown, won battles against overwhelming odds, stormed impregnable fortresses. In the deserts and mountains between the Aegean and India they conquered nature itself. Yet disaster was never more than a sword stroke away. Alexander`s companions were riven with murderous rivalries, their loyalty contingent. The threat of treason, inspired by ambition and Persian gold, or by honour and principle, was ever present.

Alexander: The Shadow King tells this epic story from a new and unique angle through the eyes of another Alexander, a prince of the Macedonian royal house of Lyncestis. The Lyncestian was Alexander the Great`s general and friend. But he was torn between that friendship and the duty to avenge his murdered brothers, and between adherence to the ways of his ancestors and the new world of empire. The Lyncestian was never safe. Others – Persians and Greeks, as well as Macedonians – saw him as a rival for the throne. For six years of conspiracy and battle, as the Macedonian army fought its way East, his life hung by a thread.

Alexander of Lyncestis was The Shadow King.

This new upcoming book from Sidebottom sounds amazing and I am very excited to see how the author handles this different historical period in The Shadow King.  The rise of Alexander the Great is always a fascinating subject to explore and it sounds like Sidebottom is going to provide an intriguing alternate perspective by looking through the eyes of Alexander of Lyncestis.  I look forward to seeing Sidebottom’s take on these historical events in The Shadow King and this will probably end up being on the strongest and most enjoyable historical fiction novels of 2023.

Waiting on Wednesday – Kill Your Husbands by Jack Heath

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery, Thriller, Waiting on Wednesday2 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy.  I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings.  Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.  In this week’s Waiting on Wednesday I highlight the next compelling and awesome sounding crime fiction read from one of my very favourite Australian authors with Kill Your Husbands by Jack Heath.

Kill Your Husbands Cover

Amazon

One of the things I love about being a reviewer in Australia is that I get ready access to so many outstanding Australian reads that people in the international market might not be as familiar with.  Thanks to some dedicated local publishers, I get a healthy serving of Australian fiction each year, including from several truly remarkable and talented authors.  One of my absolute favourite Australian authors is the always impressive Jack Heath, who has been killing it (literally and figuratively) in recent years.

Heath, who is from my home city of Canberra, is one of Australia’s leading crime fiction authors and I have really grown to enjoy his clever, entertaining and highly distinctive thrillers and murder mysteries.  Heath has written an intriguing raft of different books over the years, including some outstanding young adult fiction, but he is probably best known for his Timothy Blake books, also known as The Hangman series.  This gruesome series follows a highly troubled, yet skilled, investigator, who solves some elaborate cases while trying to resist his cannibalistic urgings.  I have had a lot of fun with several entries in this series, including Hideout (one of my favourite Australian books of 2020) and Headcase (one of my favourite Australian books of 2022), and my first taste of the Timothy Blake series made me a huge fan of Heath’s writing style.  This appreciation for Heath’s writing was further compounded by his epic and elaborate thriller, Kill Your Brother, which was one of my favourite Australian books of 2021.  Kill Your Brother was a particularly brilliant standalone read that saw a kidnapped protagonist forced to choose between her own survival and killing her own brother.  I have nothing but love for all of Heath’s work and I was very excited to discover that he had another amazing crime fiction read coming out later this year.

This upcoming book from Heath is titled Kill Your Husbands, which features another elaborate and fun murder mystery plot.  Set for release in late November 2023, Kill Your Husbands sounds quite exceptional and I have already fallen in love with its fantastic and distinctive narrative outline.

Plot Synopsis:

Three couples, friends since the university athletics team, travel to a house in the mountains for an unplugged weekend of drinking and bushwalking. No internet, no phones, no stress. On the first night, the topic of partner-swapping comes up. It’s a joke – at first.

 Not everyone is keen, but an agreement is made. The lights will be turned out. The three men will go into the three bedrooms. The three women will each pick a bedroom at random. It won’t be awkward later, because no one will know for sure who they’ve slept with – though each guest is privately sure that they alone will be able to tell.

But when the lights come back on, someone is missing. A search of the house and the surrounding bushland turns up a body.

Five people remain. They have no way of contacting the police. Nor can they leave – the keys to the cars are missing. And the killer is just getting started.

 Two weeks later, Senior Constable Kiara Lui drives to the house with her girlfriend, Elise. She’s already interviewed the survivors. Now, she must work out which of them is lying, and why…

Ok, now this is definitely one of the more amusing and memorable plot synopsises I have read in recent months.  Anonymous partner swapping in the dark leading to murder and a locked room mystery is a very interesting plot basis for a crime fiction novel, but I am definitely all on board for it, especially with Heath at the helm.  I know that Heath will pull together a truly elaborate story in Kill Your Husbands, loaded with tangled motives, hidden opportunities, and highly complicated characters, which will turn into something particularly fun and addictive.  The fantastic plot above has so many opportunities for mystery and drama and I cannot wait to see how the various characters react, as well as the eventual motivations for the killings.  I am also very excited, as the inclusion of Kiara Lui and Elise as characters means that Kill Your Husbands is a sequel to Kill Your Brother, and it will be fun to see how Heath continues the storyline from the previous novel.

Due to how great Heath’s previous books have been, there is no way that I will not be grabbing a copy of Kill Your Husbands later this year, especially with that crazy plot behind it.  Jack Heath is too talented an author not to turn such a fantastic and memorable story idea into something particularly awesome, and I already know this is going to be one of the best Australian books of 2023, if not one of my favourite reads of the year, period.  I have no doubt I am going to get completely dragged into this upcoming mystery, and I cannot wait to get my hands on Kill Your Husbands with all its over-the-top goodness.