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 was books to read during a storm, which while interesting, is something I am putting aside for the moment as I want to continue with my end of year best-of lists, which I started last week when I looked at pre-2024 novels I read this year. instead, this week I will be looking at new-to-me authors I discovered in 2024. This is a list I have covered for the last couple of years (make sure to check out my 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 versions), and it is one that I always have a lot of fun doing.
Each year I am lucky enough to read a great number of awesome novels and this often includes books written by authors whose work I was previously unfamiliar with. 2024 was a particularly good example of this as I powered through an incredible collection of amazing novels written by authors who were completely new to me. Many of these new-to-me authors produced some truly exceptional novels, including one or two which I consider to be some of the best books released in 2024 (more on that later), and I really feel the need to highlight them here.
To appear on this list, the author had to be someone whose work I checked out for the first time in 2024. All new-to-me authors were eligible to appear here, although I did exclude debut authors as I am going to cover them in another list. Even with debuting authors excluded, I still had a ton of potential inclusions, as I apparently got through 24 new authors in 2024. After some hard work, I was able to whittle this down to a manageable top ten list, with my usual generous honourable mentions section. I am really surprised at some of the impressive and enjoyable authors I had to exclude, and I was honestly tempted to increase this to a top twenty list. I managed to resist and I think the below entry really highlights the absolute best new-to-me authors I enjoyed in 2024.
Honourable Mentions:
Thanks to him taking over the Mitch Rapp series this year with the exciting read Capture or Kill, I got my first taste of thriller writer Don Bentley, who impressed me with his fantastic first entry in the series.
Mark Billingham – The Wrong Hands
I had fun with my first Mark Billingham novel, The Wrong Hands, which showed the authors quirky side in this entertaining crime fiction read.
Lainie Anderson – The Death of Dora Black
Australian author Laine Anderson impressed with this excellent Australian historical crime fiction read, based around Australia’s first female police officer.
James Patterson and Nancy Allen – The No.1 Lawyer
While I have read many things from James Patterson before, 2024 is the first time I enjoyed anything he wrote with co-author Nancy Allen. Allen, whose legal thriller fiction I haven’t read before, worked well with Patterson to create an exciting and captivating novel with The No.1 Lawyer.
Top Ten List:
Steven B. Fischer – Warhammer 40,000: Witchbringer and Broken Crusade
The first new-to-me author that I want to feature on this list is Warhammer 40,000 writer Steven B. Fischer. I was lucky enough to read two books from Fischer this year, including his debut from a couple of years ago, Witchbringer, as well as his 2024 release, Broken Crusade. Both books were particularly good examples of Warhammer 40,000 fiction, and I love the author’s intense style and ability to dive into two different, unique factions. Fischer is a Warhammer author to watch in the future and I look forward to seeing what cool stories he comes up with next.
M. L. Wang – Blood Over Bright Haven
I am particularly happy that I decided to read something from M. L. Wang this year, as she has been on my radar for a while now. An intriguing author, Wang has so far written two acclaimed adult fantasy novels with amazing plots behind them. I read one of them this year with Blood Over Bright Haven, and boy was it something special. Set around a particularly inventive magical system, Blood Over Bright Haven follows two very different protagonists as they uncover a dark secret at the heart of a magical city. I was really blown away with this book, especially as Wang loads it up with shocking twists, and this ended up being one of the top fantasy books of 2024.
I had a lot of fun getting to know well-established thriller author C. J. Box this year when I was grabbed a copy of the latest book in his Joe Pickett series, Three-Inch Teeth. Following his game warden protagonist as he investigates a series of bear attacks, the book quickly turns into something special when an old nemesis returns, disguising a series of revenge-fuelled murders using an unlikely contraption. I had an outstanding time with Three-Inch Teeth, and I fully plan to grab the next Joe Pickett novel when it comes out in 2025.
One of the wildest novels I had the pleasure of reading in 2024 was my first Douglas Preston book, Extinction. Preston goes all out with this amazing science fiction thriller, that sees a series of grizzly murders take place within a nature park filled with living mammoths and other cloned pre-historic creatures. I powered through this outstanding read, especially as Preston really amps up the craziness and intensity shortly into Extinction, and I honestly loved every second I spent with this book.
Gary Kloster – Warhammer 40,000: Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge
Another fantastic new-to-me author from the vast Warhammer 40,000 franchise I discovered this year was Gary Kloster who wrote the epic read, Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge. Focussing on the iconic Dark Angels chapter of Space Marines, Enmity’s Edge was a particularly clever and addictive Warhammer read that drew readers in with its elaborate conspiracy and fantastic characters. This proved to be an extremely cool addition to the canon, and I am very, very glad that I decided to read it.
Django Wexler – How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying
Easily the funniest new author I checked out in 2024 was Django Wexler, who blew me away with his hilarious comedic fantasy novel, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying. Featuring an outstanding plot about a human trapped in a time loop within a fantasy realm who, after hundreds of painful attempts at being the hero, decides to win by becoming the evil dark lord instead. Thanks to his cracked protagonist, outrageous scenario, and entertaining use of the time-loop concept, Wexler had me in stiches the entire way through How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, and I have so much love for this book as a result. The sequel, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me, is out in May next year, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.
J. D. Barker – Behind a Closed Door
Now this next entry is slightly cheating, as J. D. Barker is someone who I have technically read before. However, as all the Barker books I have previously read were co-written with other authors, such as James Patterson (Confessions of the Dead and Death of the Black Widow), I felt that it was appropriate to include him on this list after reading one of his solo novels for the first time with Behind a Closed Door. A gripping, distinctive and highly adult thriller, Behind a Closed Door was an intense novel that I felt really showcased Barker’s own unique writing style. This was a very fun book, and I look forward to seeing what other devious narratives he comes up with in the future.
I had been meaning to read something from awesome author C. J. Tudor for years, especially I have heard nothing but good things about her impressive thrillers and horror novels. I finally got a chance in 2024 with The Gathering, which ended up being one of the best books from the first half of the year. Set in an alternate version of America where vampires are second-class citizens, The Gathering follows an investigation into an apparent vampire attack in an isolated town, which could result in the extermination of the entire local vampire settlement. A particularly epic and clever horror thriller that made full use of its inventive concept, The Gathering was such a great read, and I plan to grab every new Tudor book that comes out from now on.
James Grippando – Goodbye Girl
It looks like I have a new awesome legal thriller author to become obsessed with after checking out my first book from James Grippando, Goodbye Girl. The latest book in Grippando’s long-running Jack Swyteck series, Goodbye Girl was a captivating and memorable legal thriller that dived into the world of online piracy in a surprisingly nautical way. Featuring some entertaining court sequences and a fantastic crime fiction plot, Goodbye Girl was a lot of fun to get through and comes very highly recommended. Grippando is another new-to-me author I am planning to add to my must-read list each year, and I am already excited for his next Jack Swyteck book, Grave Danger, which is out very soon.
Robbie MacNiven – Warhammer 40,000: Oaths of Damnation
The final new-to-me author I want to highlight on this list is Robbie MacNiven, who impressed me with his 2024 Warhammer 40,000 release. MacNiven, who has written a couple of series I am very interested in exploring, had fun diving into a unique Chapter of Space Marines with the compelling novel Oaths of Damnation. A fantastic novel loaded with epic Space Marine action; Oaths of Damnation was an outstanding read that made MacNiven a very easy choice for this list.
Well, that’s the end of this latest Top Ten list. I think it turned out rather well and it encapsulates some of the best new authors I checked out in 2024. I look forward to reading more books from these authors in the future and I have no doubt they will produce more epic and incredible reads. Make sure to let me know which new authors you enjoyed in 2024 in the comments below and make sure to check back next week for another exciting end of 2024 list.
The Unseen Library 