Tag: A. J. West

It’s hard to believe, but we’re halfway through the year already. And the first month of the second half of 2024 is an incredible month for new releases. There are 50 books on this list and it was honestly difficult to get it down to that many.

So, here’s the books out in July that I’m most anticipating:

The Moonlight Market by Joanne Harris

Published July 2nd by Gollancz
Fairy Tale, Fantasy Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Romance Novel, Contemporary Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
‘A sparkling modern fairytale… like reading champagne’ NATASHA PULLEY

The wait is over… Million-copy bestseller Joanne Harris is back with her first fantasy novel in 6 years – and this time it’s a love story.

Orphaned, lonely, and lost in his photography work, Tom has no intention of falling in love. And yet, love finds him in the shape of beautiful Vanessa, who lives a dangerous double life in the heart of London’s King’s Cross.

Tom’s pursuit of Vanessa leads him to discover an alternate world, hidden amongst the streets and rooftops of London – and inhabited by strange and colourful beings. In this mysterious realm, two ancient factions – one of night, one of day – have waged war for centuries over a forbidden love and a long-lost prince of sun and starlight.

But when Tom finds a secret market that appears only in moonlight, where charms and spells are bought with memories, he starts to wonder whether he’s been here before…

Romeo and Juliet meets Neil Gaiman in this spellbinding modern fairytale of fae courts, forbidden love, magical wars, lost princes, and secret worlds hidden just out of sight in the cavernous shadows of contemporary London – perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and Samantha Shannon.

Pre-order here*

The Same Bright Stars by Ethan Joella

Published July 2nd by Scribner
Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
From the author of the Read with Jenna Bonus Pick A Little Hope, an uplifting and emotionally resonant novel set in a Delaware beach town about a local restaurant owner at a turning point.

Three generations of Schmidts have run their family’s beachfront restaurant and Jack has been at the helm since the death of his father. Jack puts the demands of the restaurant above all else, with a string of failed relationships, no hobbies, and no days off as proof of his commitment to the place. He can’t remember the last time he sat on the beach, or even enjoyed a moment to himself.

Meanwhile, the DelDine group has been gradually snapping up beloved eateries along this stretch of coast and are pursuing Jack with a very generous offer to take Schmidt’s off his hands.

Jack craves companionship and maybe even a family. He wonders if closing the door on the restaurant might open a new window for him. But who would he be without Schmidt’s, and can he trust DelDine’s claims that they will continue to employ his staff and honor his family’s legacy?

When he receives startling news from the past, Jack begins to reshape his life and forge unexpected new friendships. But will he really let go of the very things that have defined him?

Pre-order here*

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager

Published July 2nd by Hodder & Stoughton
Suspense, Horror Fiction, Psychological Thriller

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
The worst thing ever to happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard.

On 15 July 1994, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend Billy fell asleep in a tent on a manicured lawn in a quiet New Jersey cul-de-sac. But in the morning, Ethan woke up alone – the tent had been sliced open with a knife, and Billy was gone. Never to be seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan has returned to his childhood home, still desperate for answers. Who took Billy?

Every night, he’s kept awake by strange disturbances on the street, happening under the cover of darkness. Are they still out there?

This isn’t a bad neighbourhood. These aren’t bad people. Are they?

Pre-order here*

Babylonia by Costanza Casati

Published July 4th by Michael Joseph
Fairy Tale, Historical Fiction, High Fantasy, Mythology, Adventure Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
‘A stirring, addictive and intoxicating tale. . . Casati’s Babylonia has cemented her as one of the most skilled and exciting writers of historical fiction’ BEA FITZGERALD, author of GIRL, GODDESS, QUEEN

‘An astounding achievement, one of the most vivid, powerful works of historical fiction I have ever read. . . I was utterly swept up in the world of this novel, in the passions and power struggles of its fascinating protagonists, all of whom completely captured my heart‘ ELODIE HARPER, author of The Wolf Den
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There are whispers of her fame, in the land long since turned to dust. The Queen who rose from nothing – and changed everything . . .

Ancient Assyria, 9th century BC.

An orphan is raised on the outskirts of a brutal empire. Heir to a tragic prophecy, Semiramis dreams of wielding power and escaping her destiny.

Far away, a reluctant prince walks the corridors of his gilded palace in a city built by the gods. Ninus would rather spend his days in books and poetry than conquering the world of men. But when he meets Onnes, a broken, beautiful warrior, something awakens in them both. And as they grow into young men, their friendship deepens into something fiercer still.

That is until Semiramis arrives.

A savage love soon erupts between them all, even as a dark threat to the kingdom mounts. And before long, all three will be forced to learn the lesson of the gods – in Babylonia, you must bend the world to your will.

What doesn’t bend, you break.

Pre-order here*

The Betrayal of Thomas True by A. J. West

Published July 4th by Orenda Books
Gothic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Adventure Fiction, Gay Ficiton

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Set in the buried streets of Georgian London and the outrageous underworld of the molly houses, a carpenter hiding a double life searches for a traitor who is betraying the secrets of the mollies. The visceral, raucous, tender and enchanting historical thriller by the award-winning author of The Spirit Engineer.
 
‘A rare gem of a novel. Gloriously gritty … a darkly thrilling romp in 18th century London that simmers with sinister menace and illicit temptation’ Susan Stokes-Chapman
 
‘Really very, very good’ Stephen Fry
 
***WINNER OF THE HWA DEBUT CROWN***
_________________
 
The only sin is betrayal…
 
It is the year 1715, and Thomas True has arrived on old London Bridge with a dangerous secret. One night, lost amongst the squalor of London’s hidden back streets, he finds himself drawn into the outrageous underworld of the molly houses.
 
Meanwhile, carpenter Gabriel Griffin struggles to hide his double life as Lotty, the molly’s stoic guard. When a young man is found murdered, he realises there is a rat amongst them, betraying their secrets to a pair of murderous Justices.
 
Can Gabriel unmask the traitor before they hang? Can he save hapless Thomas from peril, and their own forbidden love?
 
Set amidst the buried streets of Georgian London, The Betrayal of Thomas True is a brutal and devastating thriller, where love must overcome evil, and the only true sin is betrayal…

Pre-order here*

Forget Me Not by M. J. Aldridge

Published July 4th by Orion
Thriller, Mystery, Crime Fiction, Psychlogical Fiction, Adventure Fiction, Crime Series

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
A city on the brink.
A mother on the edge.
A nightmare that only DI Helen Grace can end.
Sometimes, the darkest secrets hide in plain sight…

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

A gang war grips the city, and the police force is under fire from all sides. But Detective Inspector Helen Grace defies direct orders as she becomes drawn to the case of a missing teenager.

LOST BUT NOT ALONE

Naomi’s mother is desperate for help – and Helen is her only hope. Keeping the investigation secret, she finds a disturbing trail of questions – and more who have vanished off the streets…

WILL THEY FIND HER IN TIME?

Sometimes, the truth hides in plain sight. But proving it is another matter entirely. The clock is ticking – and the only person looking for Naomi is about to meet her match.

Pre-order here*

The Long Water by Stef Penney

Published July 4th by Quercus
Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Crime Fition

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Author of the Costa-prizewinning, world-wide bestseller The Tenderness of Wolves, Stef Penney, returns to her snow-covered heartland in this tense mystery set in a small Scandinavian town.

Nordland. A region in the Norwegian Arctic; a remote valley that stretches from the sea up to the mountains and glaciers.

It is May in what was once a prosperous mining community. The snows are nearly gone and it’s a time of spring and school-leavers’ celebrations – until Daniel, a popular teenage boy, goes missing. Conflicting stories circulate among his friends, of parties and wild behaviour.

As the search for Daniel widens, the police open a disused mine in the mountains. They find human remains, but this body has been there for decades, its identity a mystery.

Everyone in this tight knit, isolated community is touched by these events: misanthropic Svea, whose long life in the area stretches back to the heyday of the mines, and beyond. She has cut all ties with her family, except for her granddaughter, Elin, an outsider like her grandmother. Elin and her friend Benny, both impacted by Daniel while he was alive, become entangled in the hunt for answers, while Svea has deep, dark secrets of her own.

Pre-order here*

Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell

Published July 4th by Century
Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Adventure Fiction, Superhero Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Breaking the Dark, the first book in the brand-new Marvel Crime series, introduces fans to a grittier, street-level side of the Marvel Universe, and will continue with original novels featuring fan-favorite characters like Luke Cage, written by S.A. Cosby, and Daredevil, written by Alex Segura.
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‘Absolutely perfect’ Booklist
‘The pace doesn’t let up, the characters never once slip. Tricksy, endlessly interesting and pure entertainment, don’t miss this one.’ Gillian McAllister
‘The perfect blend of psychological thriller and supernatural chiller. Lisa’s huge army of fans will love it.’ Mark Edwards
_____________

Meet Jessica Jones: a private investigator and retired super hero based out of Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan, who goes from job to job as a hard living, rough talking, loner.

And then a wealthy Upper East Side woman pays her a visit. Amber Randall is concerned about her twin sixteen-year-olds, Lark and Fox, who have acted and looked very different since they returned from spending the summer with their British father in the UK. She tells Jessica that her children have unnaturally perfect skin for teenagers and have lost all the tics and habits that made them who they were. They are not Lark and Fox, she tells Jessica. Something has happened to them.

To find out more, Jessica travels to Essex to talk to their father and once there meets Belle who is living a curiously isolated existence in a run-down farmhouse with her guardian Debra. Jessica knows that Lark and Fox had spent the summer with Belle―but can this unworldly teenager really be responsible for Lark and Fox’s new personas?

Jessica soon discovers that, behind Belle and Debra, evil geniuses are playing a dangerous game with technology in order to make the world a “better place”, not caring who gets hurt, maimed or even killed in the process. Can Jessica stop them from wreaking destruction on a whole generation of young people?

Nothing is certain in Lisa Jewell’s gripping and most imaginative novel yet.

Pre-order here*

Love Letters To A Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell

Published July 4th by Orion
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Humorous Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Hannah’s love life? Dying. Career? Dead. New pen pal? Deadly.

Hannah Wilson can’t text her ex again – it’s too sad. She can’t snap back at the new boss who took her promotion either – she’ll be fired. But what she can do is write a series of furious letters to William Thompson, arrested for the murders of multiple women he got close to.

You’re a monster, I hope you know that.

I want you to listen when I tell you that I’ll never be able to go on a date again without thinking of you. Every moment I will wonder whether he wants to love me or murder me.

Hannah’s shocked when William writes back, each response more surprising than the last. And as communication tips from curiosity to obsession, Hannah has to wonder if William might be innocent, and whether she even wants him to be…

Pre-order here*

A Good Place To Hide A Body by Laura Marshall

Published July 4th by Hodder & Stoughton
Thriller, Mystery, Crime Fiction, Dark Humour

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
‘Can you come round?’ Dad says tremulously.
‘Of course. Are you OK? Is it Mum?’
‘No!’ He almost shouts it. ‘Just come quickly. The garden…the…body… we need you, Penny.’
For women of Penny’s generation, being on hand for elderly parents is just part of life. But for Penny, things have become a little more serious…

When she receives a frantic phone call from her parents one night, with express instructions NOT to call the police, Penny rushes over at once. But they haven’t had a fall. They haven’t forgotten their computer passwords. They’ve killed someone. And his body is lying in the garden, right next to the rose bushes.
Everyone is capable of murder. They just need to meet the right person.

Pre-order here*

Bad Tourists by Caro Carver

Published July 4th by Bantam
Thriller, Suspense, Psychlogical Thriller, Crime Ficiton, Domestic Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
⭐ The White Lotus meets Lucy Foley’s The Guest List in this chilling, sun-soaked thriller about three vengeful women, a beautiful island resort, and the darkest of secrets. ⭐

‘A sublime thriller, an absolute scorcher. I loved it!‘ – ANDREA MARA, No. 1 bestselling author of No One Saw a Thing

‘A whip-smart, fun, and stylish novel – I raced through it.‘ GILLIAN McALLISTER, No.1 bestselling author of Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Best friends Darcy, Camilla and Kate have just landed in to the Maldives for a luxury holiday at the exclusive Sapphire Island Resort.

They can’t wait for ten days of scorching sun, crystal-clear waters, white-sand beaches – and the chance to put a traumatic shared past behind them.

But what awaits them is a murderous revenge plot that none of them saw coming.

Or did they?

Pre-order here*

The Paris Muse by Louisa Treger

Published July 4th by Bloomsbury Publishing
Historical Romance, Biographical Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
‘Living with him was like living at the centre of the universe. It was electrifying and humbling, blissful and destructive, all at the same time.’

Paris, 1936. When Dora Maar, a talented French photographer, painter and poet, is introduced to Pablo Picasso, she is mesmerized by his dark and intense stare. Drawn to his volcanic creativity, it isn’t long before she embarks on a passionate relationship with the Spanish artist that sometimes includes sadism and masochism, and ultimately pushes her to the edge.

The Paris Muse is the fictionalized retelling of this disturbing love story, as we follow Dora on her journey of self-discovery and expression. Set in Paris and the French Riviera, where Dora and Pablo spent their holidays with their glamorous artist friends, it provides a fascinating insight into how Picasso was a genius who side-stepped the rules in his human relationships as he did in his art. Much to Dora’s torment, he refused to divorce his wife and conducted affairs with Dora’s friends. The Spanish Civil War made him depressed and violent, an angst that culminated in his acclaimed painting ‘Guernica’, which Dora documented as he painted.

As the encroaching darkness suffocates their relationship – a darkness that escalates once the Second World War begins and the Nazis invade the country – Dora has a nervous breakdown and is hospitalized.

Atmospheric, intense and moving, The Paris Muse is an astonishing read that ensures that this talented, often overlooked woman who gave her life to Picasso is no longer a footnote.

Pre-order here*

Swift River by Essie Chambers

Published July 4th by Dialogue Books
Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
What if the price of moving forward is losing the only family you’ve ever known?

Summer, 1987. On the sweltering streets of the dying New England mill town of Swift River, sixteen-year-old Diamond Newbury is desperately lonely. It’s been seven years since her father disappeared, and while her mother is determined to move on, Diamond can’t distance herself from his memory. When Diamond receives a letter from a relative she has never met, she unearths long-buried secrets of her family’s past and discovers a legacy she never knew she was missing. The more she learns, however, the harder it becomes to reconcile her old life with the one she wants to lead.

So begins an epic story spanning the twentieth century that reveals a much larger picture of prejudice and love, of devotion and abandonment – and will change Diamond’s life forever.

Pre-order here*

The Divorce by Moa Herngren

Published July 4th by Manilla Press
Suspense, Thriller, Domestic Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
A brilliant, cinematic and gripping family drama sure to cause a stir in the book clubs and living rooms everywhere, THE DIVORCE explores the unravelling of a marriage from first the wife, then the husband’s point of view, as the picture becomes more nuanced and long-held secrets are unearthed . . .

There are two sides to every story . . .

Together for more than thirty years, Bea and Niklas live a comfortable life in Stockholm. But one evening, following a trivial argument, Niklas disappears. Weeks pass before it emerges that he has met someone else. To Bea’s horror, he insists they must divorce.

But is this divorce really coming out of the blue? Is the person who does the leaving always the one at fault? What emerges once you begin scratching the surface?

Pre-order here*

The Wren in the Holly Library by K. A. Linde

Published July 4th by Tor
Romantic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Romance Novel, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Thriller, Supernatural Ficiton, Dystopian Ficiton

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Set in an alternate day New York filled with monsters, The Wren in the Holly Library is a dark, spicy romantasy loosely inspired by Beauty and the Beast – perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and Leigh Bardugo.

She stole from a monster . . . now she must pay the price

Street thief Kierse should have known something wasn’t right. Now she’s trapped in a library ― with a monster. She can’t run. She can’t hide. And this man – this being, filled with terrible power and darkness ― is well within his rights to kill her.

By trespassing, Kierse has broken the fragile peace treaty between monsters and humans. But instead of killing her, Graves does the unexpected: he offers her a job. A chance to find out who she really is.

Kierse has always known she’s different. That she can do things a little better, a little faster. And there’s that sense she has when danger is only a breath away. But if the old tales are true, there are worse things in the world than monsters.

Like a threat more ancient than legend. Like Graves. Or like Kierse herself . . .

From bestselling author K. A. Linde comes the start of an addictive dark romantasy series where monsters live among humandkind, and ancient secrets threaten to destroy everything . . .

Pre-order here*

Cursed Under London by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch

Published July 4th by Farrago
Romantasy, Historical Fantasy, Supernatural Fiction, Magical Realism

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
The hilarious first novel in a cosy and inclusive historical romantasy series by the writer of Horrible Histories

Two strangers.

Two Londons.

Two hearts that won’t stop beating…

In an alternative Elizabethan London, Fang awakes from his death to discover he is not quite human anymore. In fact, despite having somehow acquired the power of immortality, he’s also not quite vampire, zombie, werewolf or any of the other supernatural beings who roam the twin cities of Upper London and its underground counterpart, Deep London.

A jaded traveller from the Ming Empire, Fang is desperate to find a way to reverse the spell and get on with being dead when he stumbles upon Lazare de Quitte-Beuf, a theatrical Frenchman who is afflicted with the same mysterious condition. Thrown together by the curse they share, the two men set out to undo the strange magic that binds them. As they are drawn further into the shadowy world of Deep London, they unearth a dangerous plot which they appear to be right in the middle of…

And, surely, when in grave danger, the worst thing they could do would be to fall in love, wouldn’t it?

Pre-order here*

Probably Nothing by Lauren Bravo

Published July 4th by Simon & Schuster UK
Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Bryony doesn’t actually mind being single. So she doesn’t understand why she keeps seeing (ok, sleeping with) Ed, who is perfectly fine, but also only okay. After developing the ick on their fifth date, she resolves to end things – only to receive a call the next day telling her Ed has died. 

Worse yet, he seems to have represented her to his family and friends as his great love. Obviously, it would be cruel to correct them. Then she’s invited to the funeral. It would be equally rude to refuse… right? 
 
Before she knows it, Bryony has been drawn in by the charisma and chaos of Ed’s eccentric family and tangled in a web of her own lies. She’s been guilted into signing up to his sister’s pyramid scheme, she’s in far too deep with several of his nearest and dearest – and to make matters worse she’s experiencing a lot of physical symptoms that are becoming harder and harder to ignore…

Probably Nothing is the answer to just how far sheer awkwardness can take someone. Peppered with Lauren Bravo’s irresistible wit, it explores the relatable modern cults of wellness and people-pleasing, and digs into the eternal dilemma: life is short – so should you settle for perfectly fine?

Pre-order here*

Love Story by Lindsey Kelk

Published July 4th by Harper Collins UK
Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
‘Super sweet, seriously spicy, laugh out loud funny – and if you’re obsessed with BookTok you will feel completely seen and heard. Lindsey Kelk is the Taylor Swift of romance writing – she makes me PROUD to be a romance reader!’ DAISY BUCHANAN

‘I really loved it … What’s great about Lindsey’s main characters is you stick to them like glue from the very first page, you feel you know them, you root for them from the off’ JUSTIN MYERS, THE GUYLINER

She’s a small-town schoolteacher, he’s a hotshot creative director. Together, it’s hate at first sight.

Sophie Taylor has a secret and Joe Walsh is the last person she’d tell. He’s devilishly handsome, incredibly hot – and far too sure of himself.

But Sophie desperately needs his help.

Because she’s not just hiding something small. She is Este Cox, the mysterious romance author the entire world is desperate to unmask.

When a trip to the countryside means sharing a cottage with only one bed, it’s a short step to sharing a whole lot more besides… Can Sophie trust Joe with the truth – and be herself?

Pre-order here*

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

Published July 4th by The Borough Press
Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Domestic Fiction, Literary Fiction, Domestic Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
‘An immersive and enthralling literary thriller’ PAULA HAWKINS

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-

A once-in-a-generation story. A novel you’ll never forget.

From the New York Times bestselling author
________________________

Some said it was tragic, what happened to the Van Laars.

Some said the Van Laars deserved it. That they never even thanked the searchers who stayed out for five nights in the freezing forest trying to help find their missing son.

Some said there was a reason it took the family so long to call for help. That they knew what happened to the boy.

Now, fifteen years later, the daughter the family had in their grief has gone missing in the same wilderness as her brother. Some say the two disappearances aren’t connected.

Some say they are.

Pre-order here*

Dead Mile by Jo Furniss

Published July 4th by Zaffre
Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Thriller, Police Procedural

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Perfect for fans of Belinda Bauer and Ruth Ware, DEAD MILE is the most relatable locked-room mystery you’ll ever read, set on a gridlocked motorway during rush hour

Friday afternoon, and the traffic is bloody murder.

Sergeant Belinda ‘Billy’ Kidd is driving home from the airport, jet-lagged and ready to resign from a career that has left her traumatised. Menopause has robbed her confidence too – now she’s a traffic cop who’s afraid to drive. When brake lights haemorrhage up the motorway, the cars grind to a halt. Moments later she finds a dead driver in a black sedan.

He has a metal skewer in his neck. But how? The killer can’t have left the scene without being spotted by the dozens of witnesses – so he must still be there, among them. If the traffic jam stays put, they’re all in danger; if the traffic clears, she’ll lose her suspect. The clock is ticking, but she doesn’t know how fast.

Pre-order here*

Teddy by Emily Dunlay

Published July 4th by Fourth Estate
Historical Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story, Political Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
It is the summer of 1969 and Rome is awash with glamour and intrigue. Teddy Huntley Carlyle is fresh off a plane from Texas with a new husband in tow and a new life on the horizon. After some wayward years of bad men and bad decisions, she’s promised herself a fresh start. In Rome, Teddy will be good. She will wear the right clothes and the perfect lipstick and she will charm her husband’s colleagues at the Embassy.

And Teddy is good, until the Fourth of July, when her new life explodes with the fireworks above her head. She is caught on camera in the arms of the American ambassador just moments after spotting a man from the darkest corner of her past across the room. There it is: the evidence of her depravity on film. Trying to recover the photographs and keep her reputation intact, Teddy descends into the dark underbelly of the city… but is she in over her head?

Pre-order here*

Meet Me At Rainbow Corner by Celia Imrie

Published July 4th by Bloomsbury Publishing
Historical Ficiton, Romance Novel, Humorous Fiction, Historical Romance, War Story

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
London, 1944. The air raid sirens are blaring, the bombers are hovering. England has been at war with Germany for four years, and there’s no sign of peace coming. Dot Gallagher, newly arrived from Liverpool to offer her services as a nurse, hurries from her Red Cross hostel to the tube station to join the crowds of people taking shelter. A group of GIs have started dancing around a wind-up gramophone, and it doesn’t take long for Dot to join them. As she jives along with one of the American soldiers, he tells her about Rainbow Corner, a social club in Piccadilly for US troops. There is always a demand for dance hostesses there, women who know how to jitterbug and rock’n’roll, to dance with the soldiers. Would Dot like to apply?

As Dot discovers, Rainbow Corner is like no other place, an oasis in London where, once inside, the constraints of wartime Britain disappear. There is no rationing, all luxuries are available, including a constant stream of donuts, chewing gum and cola. There are restaurants and cafes, boxing matches and movies, and, much to Dot’s delight, a huge dance hall. Rather like an Embassy, Rainbow Corner is essentially a plot of America in central London.

It is there that Dot becomes firm friends with many of the other hostesses, and in particular with Lilly, who works for the Colonel.

Meet Me at Rainbow Corner follows the lives of Dot, Lilly and their friends, as they dance the nights away, fall in and out of love, and navigate the horrors of war. Lilly goes on a secret mission with her Colonel to France, and Dot becomes pregnant and returns to Liverpool. When the war is over, they are re-united, having travelled by boat to the US with countless other war brides to meet their repatriated fiancés again. Along the way, they uncover a case of inside espionage and learn the true meaning of love.

Pre-order here*

More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

Published July 4th by Manilla Press
Literary Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
THE EMOTIONAL AND LIFE-AFFIRMING NEW NOVEL FROM THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF DAYS AT THE MORISAKI BOOKSHOP TRANSLATED FROM JAPANESE BY ERIC OZAWA


In Tokyo, there is a neighbourhood with the highest number of bookstores in the world. It is called Jimbocho where book lovers can browse to their heart’s delight and where hunters of first editions or autographed copies prowl the bookcases.

The Morisaki bookshop, a small family-run shop, is so packed with books that barely five people can fit inside. Books crowd the shelves and invade every corner of the floor; when a customer arrives, the owner, Satoru, immediately pops out from behind the counter. Recently, his wife Momoko has joined him, and often, in her free time after work, their niece Takako also helps out.

For the first time, the girl does not feel lonely; she has new friends and new rituals to keep her company: the annual Jimbocho festival, the café around the corner, or an unexpected visitor. Because, as she has discovered, a bookstore is populated not by the characters contained in the books, but also by those who frequent it. And those stories create bonds.

As a sign of gratitude, Takako gives her aunt and uncle a trip, promising to look after the shop while they are away. Everything seems to be going swimmingly, but then why is Satoru behaving so strangely? And what does that woman with the red umbrella want who has appeared at the end of the street? How many other stories, emotions, and treasures does the Morisaki bookshop hold?
Loved by thousands of readers worldwide, More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop is a story of hope, friendship and the healing power of books. Will we see you in the bookshop this summer?

Pre-order here*

A Poisoner’s Tale by Cathryn Kemp

Published July 11th by Bantam
Historical Ficiton, Fairy Tale, Myths, Supernatural Fiction, Adventure Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
‘A gorgeous historical novel about the legend of female poisoner Giulia Tofana, brimming with rich detail and intrigue.’ C. J. COOKE, author of The Lighthouse Witches

Rome, 1656

In the shadowy backstreets of the Eternal City lies an apothecary – a place for women to take their heartbreaks and troubles. Herbs for childbirth. Tarot readings to tell their fortunes. An undetectable poison that can kill in four drops.

Alongside her circle of female poisoners, Giulia Tofana dispenses her deadly potion to free the downtrodden women of the city from their abusive husbands.

But even in a time of plague, it does not go unnoticed when the men of Rome begin to fall like flies.

With a newly elected Pope hell-bent on ridding the city of heretics and witches, and the Holy Office of the Inquisition on her tail, Giulia is in more danger than ever. . .

How far will she go for the women who need her help?

Pre-order here*

The King’s Mother by Annie Garthwaite

Published July 11th by Viking
Historical Ficiton, Biographical Ficiton, Political Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
FROM THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AUTHOR OF CECILY

‘Elegant and propulsive . . . I had to fight myself to put it down’ A.K. Blakemore
‘History at its most powerful: intimate and personal, visceral and devastating’ Jennifer Saint
‘Family dynamics at their most fierce – timeless and brilliant!’ Kate Sawyer

——

1461. Through blood and battle Edward has gained England’s throne – king by right and conquest – eighteen years old and unstoppable. Cecily has piloted his rise to power and stands at his shoulder now, first to claim the title King’s Mother.

But to win a throne is not to keep it and war is come again. As brother betrays brother, and trusted cousins turn treacherous, other mothers rise up to fight for other sons. Cecily must focus her will to defeat every challenge. Wherever they come from. Whatever the cost.

For there can be only one King, and only one King’s Mother.

From the Wars of the Roses to the dawn of the Tudor age, this is a story of mothers and sons; of maternal ferocity and female ambition – of all they can build and all they can destroy.

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The Dead Friend Project by Joanna Wallace

Published July 11th by Viper
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Domestic Fiction, Women Sleuths

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
‘A fresh new voice in crime fiction’ – JANICE HALLETT
‘Funny, sad, witty and very engaging’ – EMMA CURTIS
‘Darkly funny and deftly plotted’ – ALICE CLARK-PLATTS

Everyone needs a hobby…

Things haven’t been going well for Beth. Her husband has left her for one of her friends. Her fellow school mums judge her for swearing too much and not shifting the baby weight. And now she’s stuck in A&E after her son fell off the climbing wall on the first day of school.

In fact, things haven’t been going well for Beth since Charlotte died – her best friend, a favourite at the school pick-ups and the only person to ever run an interesting PTA meeting. But after being hit by a car while on an ill-timed evening jog, Charlotte is no longer there to help Beth pick up the pieces of her increasingly difficult life.

That is, until Beth discovers that Charlotte left her toddler alone in the house during that fatal run. The Charlotte she knew would never do something so irresponsible, and suddenly Beth is questioning whether Charlotte’s death was really an accident. With a newfound purpose and a glass of wine in hand, it’s time for Beth to uncover what really happened to her best friend. And what better place to start than the circle of chatty school mums, who can’t be as perfect as they pretend. But which of them is hiding something? Beth’s determined to find out. Once she’s put the kids to bed, of course…

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Anyone’s Ghost by August Thompson

Published July 11th by Picador
Coming-of-Age Story, LGBT Literature, Gay Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
‘You know those books that you take with you everywhere? That you won’t stop talking about to your friends? That bring it all back? That change you? Anyone’s Ghost is that book’ – Junot Diaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

IT TOOK THREE CAR CRASHES TO KILL JAKE

The lonely life of fifteen-year-old Theron David Alden is transformed when he meets Jake. Older, cooler, more confident and startlingly beautiful, Jake likes the same bands, the same drugs, and has the same drive to oblivion.

Over the course of two decades, Theron and Jake get high, drift apart, and are brought hurtling back together, until a final collision tears them apart forever.

Theron wants Jake, and he wants to be Jake. But is Jake brave enough to want him back?

A gorgeous modern love story about the lives that change us, and the loves that haunt us, Anyone’s Ghost will break your heart.

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Hell’s Bells (Professor Eustace Rose Mystery 2) by Jill Johnson

Published July 11th by Black & White Publishing
Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Women Sleuths

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
After a nerve-racking investigation, Professor Eustacia Rose’s life is returning to normal. She is finally back teaching at UCL and her relationship with Matilde is blossoming. But when a man is found dead with a needle in his neck, and a disturbing painting of Eustacia links her and the body, her fragile peace suddenly begins to crumble.

At work, there’s another threat for Eustacia to deal with. A PhD student is desperate to get access to her poisonous
plant collection and begins to stalk her. When she refuses to help him, he starts buying illegal synthetic plant toxins from an unknown source then turns up dead. Once again, Eustacia is the link.

With no leads and the body count rising, Eustacia, now firmly in the frame, is left with no choice but to investigate
the deaths in earnest herself, however dangerous it may become.

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The Spell Shoop by Sarah Beth Durst

Published July 11th by Tor
Fantasy Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Romance Novel

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Perfect for fans of Travis Baldree and TJ Klune, The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is a cosy fantasy tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams and even sweeter romance.

‘Reading this book was like sitting in the sun . . . a warm, peaceful delight of a novel’ – Katherine Arden, author of The Bear and the Nightingale

Every home needs a little magic . . .

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people, and as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn’t had to.

She and her assistant, Caz, a sentient spider plant, have spent most of the last eleven years sequestered among the empire’s precious spellbooks, protecting the magic for the city’s elite. But a revolution is brewing and when the library goes up in flames, Kiela and Caz steal whatever books they can and flee to the faraway island where she grew up. But to her dismay, in addition to a nosy – and very handsome – neighbour, she finds the town in disarray.

The empire has slowly been draining power from the island, and now Kiela is determined to make things right. But opening up her own spellshop comes with its own risks – the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela starts to make a place for herself among the townspeople, she realizes she must break down the walls she has kept so high . . .

From award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst, The Spellshop is a cottagecore cosy fantasy following a woman’s unexpected journey through the low-stakes market of illegal spell-selling and the high-risk business of starting over.

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Just One Taste by Lizzy Dent

Published July 16th by G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
“I love, love, love Lizzy Dent.”–Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Olive Stone is about to spend four weeks in Italy with the most beautiful man she’s ever hated.

When Olive Stone and her Italian pseudo-celebrity chef father fell out fourteen years ago, annoyingly handsome Leo Ricci slipped right in as his surrogate son and sous-chef. No one is more surprised than Olive when her father wills her his beloved (and now failing) restaurant. Or that his dying wish was for Olive and Leo to complete his cookbook…together.

She’s determined to sell the restaurant. Leo is determined to convince her not to. As they embark on four weeks in Italy, traveling from Sicily to Tuscany to Liguria, they’ll test each other as often as they test recipes. But the more time Olive and Leo spend together, the more undeniable their attraction grows. Olive finds herself wondering whether selling the restaurant might be running away, and what it might be like to try Just One Taste of Leo Ricci. Because he isn’t who she expected, and this trip might reveal more about who Olive is than she’s ready for.

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All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

Published July 16th by Orion
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Literary Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
A missing persons mystery, a serial killer thriller, and an epic love story – with a unique twist on each…

* * * * *

Late one summer, the town of Monta Clare is shattered by the abduction of local teenager Joseph ‘Patch’ Macauley. Nobody more so than Saint Brown, who is broken by her best friend’s disappearance. Soon, she will eat, sleep, breathe, only to find him.

But when she does: it will break her heart.

Patch lies in a pitch-black room – all alone – for days or maybe weeks. Until he feels a hand in his. Her name is Grace and, though they cannot see each other, she takes him from the darkness and paints their world with her words. In this hopeless place, they fall in love.

But when he escapes: there is no sign she ever even existed.

To find her again, Patch charts an epic search across the country. And, to set him free, Saint will shadow his journey: on a darker path to hunt down the man who took them.

Even if finding the truth means losing each other forever…

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The Black Bird Oracle (All Souls Book 5) by Deborah Harkness

Published July 16th by Headline
Fantasy Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Thriller, Supernatural Fiction, Paranormal Fiction, Fantasy Series

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Diana Bishop journeys to the darkest places within herself – and her family history – in the highly anticipated fifth novel of the beloved Number One Sunday Times bestselling All Souls series.

The first shadows fall on a Friday afternoon when a single, dying raven lands on the pavement in front of Diana Bishop, harbinger of an invitation that reads, ‘It’s time you came home, Diana’.

Diana is a witch and scholar; her husband Matthew Clairmont, a vampire. Their intense love for one another awoke the dark powers within her and dissolved the Covenant between the three species – Witch, Daemon and Vampire – that live alongside humans. Now, the governing Congregation has decided it must test the magical powers of their seven-year-old twins, Pip and Becca. Concerned with their safety, Diana decides to forge a different path for her family’s future and travels to Ravenswood, the Proctor family home.

There, Diana begins a new era, becoming her great aunt Gwyneth’s pupil in higher magic. It’s time to confront her family’s past – and her own, inescapable desire for greater power.

Number One bestselling author Deborah Harkness returns to her beloved All Souls world with a triumphant novel that sweeps back to the Salem Panic and illuminates Diana’s family history in new and thrilling ways.

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The Trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst by Katie Lumsden

Published July 18th by Michael Joseph
Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
A single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife…
But why would he choose her?

Summer 1841. It is marriage season in the county of Wickenshire, and Miss Amelia Ashpoint isn’t sure she can face yet another ball. But now that she has reached the grand age of three-and-twenty, time is (apparently) running out. Her father is anxious to secure her a husband and has set his sights on Mr Montgomery Hurst of Radcliffe Park.

Only, Mr Hurst has just announced his engagement to somebody else.

To the great consternation of Wickenshire, a community that thrives on gossip, the county’s most eligible bachelor is about to marry not only an unknown stranger – but a widow with three children, odd manners and no ancestry to speak of. Society is appalled and intrigued.

Meanwhile, Amelia Ashpoint has no interest in marriage at all. But in this town, it is clear that nobody’s business is their own. And while society has high expectations for Amelia, her heart is drawing her in a very different direction . . .

A love letter to Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell, The Trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst is a witty novel of manners and gossip, class and family, scandal and romance.

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Le Fay (The Morgan Le Fay Book 2) by Sophie Keetch

Published July 18th by Magpie
Historical Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Fairy Tales

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
The second instalment in the feminist retelling of the story of the formidable and misunderstood villainess Morgan le Fay, nemesis of the sorcerer Merlin

‘Keetch is a masterful storyteller who strikes the perfect balance between the intimate and the epic. Le Fay is truly a story to savour.’ Rosie Talbot, author of Sixteen Souls

‘They should fear me, the power I possessed, and the bright, ravenous rage that now fuelled my every breath… Even I did not know what I was capable of.’

Lady Morgan surveys her life at Camelot: she is safe, valued for her intelligence, and has the love and respect of her brother King Arthur, despite a growing conflict with Queen Guinevere.  

It’s not enough. For, between the strict rules of court, a vengeful husband determined to snatch their son away, and a jealous rival in sorcerer Merlin, Morgan desires freedom. And when a face from her past arrives, igniting old memories and new desires, the future she is planning becomes fraught with danger. 

Morgan must break the shackles of expectation to seek true happiness. In doing so, she discovers dark new powers that promise control of her life is within reach. But it’s at the risk of destroying everything… 

‘A richly imagined tale of feminine power and defiance, of righteous rage and revenge, of love won and lost.’ Nikki Marmery, author of Lilith 

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The End Crowns All by Bea Fitzgerald

Published July 18th by Penguin UK
Fantasy, Mythology, Romantic Fantasy, Greek Mythology, Coming-of-Age Story, Religious Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
The second fierce, fresh and gloriously romantic YA Greek myth re-imagining, from Bea Fitzgerald, growing TikTok superstar and Sunday Times bestselling author of GIRL, GODDESS, QUEEN.

Love caused this war. At least, that’s what the stories will say.

When Cassandra’s patron god, Apollo, offers her the gift of prophecy – and all the power that comes with it – she seizes the opportunity. But when she fails to uphold her end of the agreement, she discovers just how very far she has to fall. No one believes her visions. Which all seem to be of one girl – and she’s going to start a war.
Helen fled Sparta in pursuit of love – though that’s proving more elusive than she’d hoped. Far from home, Helen’s navigating all the politics and backstabbing of the Trojan court.

And one princess seems particularly intent on driving her from the city. . .

But when war finally strikes, it’s more than the army at their walls they must contend with. Cassandra and Helen might hold the key to reweaving fate itself – especially with the prophetic strands drawing them ever closer together.

But how do you change your future when the gods themselves are dictating your demise?

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This Motherless Land by Nikki May

Published July 18th by Doubleday UK
Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
From the prize-winning author of WAHALA, a powerful de-colonial retelling of MANSFIELD PARK, exploring identity, culture, race and love
____________
When Funke’s mother dies in an accident in Lagos, she’s sent to live with her maternal family in England. Against a backdrop of condescension and mild neglect, sensible Funke strives to fit in, determined to become one of them.

Free-spirited Liv has always wanted to break free of her joyless family, to be nothing like them. Fiercely protective of Funke, she at last has an ally. The two cousins give each other what they need most: love.

But the past casts long shadows and the choices made by their mothers haunt them, shaping the trajectory of their adult lives. Can they escape their legacy?

Witty, warm, hugely entertaining, This Motherless Land bridges three decades and two continents, delving into the thorny territories of race and culture and belonging. At its heart is a story about love and how it can make the difference between surviving and thriving.

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One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware

Published July 18th by Simon & Schuster UK
Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime, Mystery

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
AND THEN THERE WERE NONE meets THE TRAITORS

Five beautiful couples.
One deadly game.
Who will escape alive?

Lyla Santiago has spent months working on a research project that could be the key to getting a permanent job in her field.
So, she can’t really drop everything to go to a desert island with her actor boyfriend Nico to film One Perfect Couple, a new reality TV show that Nico is sure will lead to his big break – can she?
 
Two weeks later, Lyla finds herself boarding a boat to an isolated luxury resort in the Indian Ocean.
 
The rules of the game are simple. Ten strangers have to survive together on the island – and the last couple standing scoops the prize.
There will be sun, sea, laughs and plenty of flirting.
What could possibly go wrong?

But when a huge tropical storm cuts them off from everything, the group must band together. 
As tensions run high and fresh water runs low, Lyla realises that someone is playing this game for real – and they’ll stop at nothing to win.
 
Ten might have arrived, but who will survive to the end?

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The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre

Published July 18th by Abacus
Crime Fiction, Thriller

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW
THIS IS NOT THAT CRIME NOVEL

You know Penny Coyne. The little old lady who has solved multiple murders in her otherwise sleepy village, despite bumbling local police. A razor-sharp mind in a twinset and tweed.

You know Johnny Hawke. Hard-bitten LAPD homicide detective. Always in trouble with his captain, always losing partners, but always battling for the truth, whatever it takes.

Against all the odds, against the usual story, their worlds are about to collide. It starts with a dead writer and a mysterious wedding invitation. It will end with a rabbit hole that goes so deep, Johnny and Penny might come to question not just whodunnit, but whether they want to know the answer.

A cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly, The Cracked Mirror is the most imaginative and entertaining crime novel of the year, a genre-splicing rollercoaster with a poignantly emotional heart.

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The Right Place by Sophia Money-Coutts

Published July 18th by HQ
Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Coming-of-Age Story

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
If Maggie is living her best life, why doesn’t it feel like she’s in the right place?

From the outside, Maggie Lemon has a perfect life. But she and her husband have been trying for a baby for five years and she’s exhausted. She’s seen countless fertility experts and followed dozens of diets and homeopathic recommendations, and even gave up her dream restaurant in London when doctors suggested the stress might be too much. And now her estranged aunt has died, leaving her hotel in Provence to Maggie.

It’s been years since Maggie visited Le Figuier. There’s a lot of work to be done and she knows she should sell it. But when a disgraced Hollywood actor hiding out at the hotel lends a hand, the load feels a lot lighter. Is it just the chemistry with this handsome stranger, or is it starting to feel like Maggie might finally be in the right place?

‘I’m a huge fan of all of Sophia’s books but this is my new favourite…it helped me remember that the sun will come again. Summer holiday read simply doesn’t do it justice!’ Cleo Watson, author of Whips

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Everyone I Know Is Dying by Emily Slapper

Published July 18th by HQ
Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction, Medical Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
A razor-sharp, bleakly funny exploration of mental health crises, the societal pressures on young women, and toxic sexual and romantic relationships from one of the most exciting new literary voices. Perfect for fans of Sorrow and Bliss or Cleopatra and Frankenstein.

‘Sharp and uncompromising… Everyone I Know is Dying is a book that demands to be read’ Joe Gibson, author of Seventeen

‘I read every page obsessively… sharp and witty and so delicately crafted’ Elvin Mensah, author of Small Joys

When she’s having sex with her boss, Iris likes to have the lights on so he can see how much younger she is than his wife. She likes watching her colleagues eat unhealthy lunches at their desk while her stomach aches with emptiness. She likes coasting at work knowing she’s going to land a big promotion anyway.

So why when it arrives does she find herself sprawled on her hallway floor, crying uncontrollably? Why, instead of a sense of triumph, does a crippling depression threaten to overwhelm her? Why does the support and stability of her family and friends feel so suffocating? And why, torn between her flatmate George – good, kind, reliable George – and cold, indifferent Patrick, does she only seem capable of making choices that cause her pain?

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No Small Thing by Orlaine McDonald

Published July 18th by Serpent’s Tail
Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
‘A gem of a book about mothers and daughters, about being Black and working class in today’s London. Beautiful writing, taut with emotion, poetry and insight’ Priscilla Morris, Women’s Prize shortlisted author of Black Butterflies

For a year, the three of them live in the flat below Earl’s on the Blossom View Estate.

Livia, who has been running for long enough to think her past might never catch up with her. But now she’s been forced to catch her breath and face the daughter she left behind.

Mickey, who is angry: about having a mother who left, a father who died, about the mess she’s made of her life. And with no other place to go, she’s forced to need the very person who abandoned her.

And Summer, whose new grandmother is weird, and whose mum is always sad or out looking for men to distract her. Left to roam, she seeks refuge with new friends, ones who are willing to give her the attention that Mickey won’t. But who are these kind strangers, and will they keep her safe?

When the year ends, the family of three becomes two. Burning with hope and desire, this is a debut novel about motherhood, class and race, which sings a soulful song about the damage we do to the people we love most.

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Pelican Girls by Julia Malye

Published July 18th by Headline
Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction,LGBTQ Literature

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
‘I haven’t been this swept away by a piece of historical fiction since Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet’ Jess Walter, bestselling author of Beautiful Ruins

Paris, 1720. The Hospice of La Salpêtrière is overrun with ‘difficult’ women.

Halfway around the world, on the American frontier, French settlers are in want of wives. At the asylum, a list is drawn up: eighty-eight women of childbearing age to be shipped to New Orleans. Among them are Charlotte, Geneviève and Pétronille – a sharp-tongued orphan, an accused abortionist and a rumoured madwoman.

They make the voyage over the ocean, knowing nothing of the harsh and extraordinary lives that await them, or how they will come to love and betray each other time and again in this wild and beautiful land.

Bold, thrilling and startling intimate, PELICAN GIRLS is a powerful vision of female friendship, identity and desire, and the choices women make in their unshakeable will to survive. For readers of Barbara Kingsolver, Lauren Groff and The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li.

‘A tale of female friendship unlike any I’ve come across before, Julia Malye’s inspired-by-a-true-story Pelican Girls is as incredible a feat of research as it is a daring work of fiction’ Elle’s Best (and Most Anticipated) Fiction Books of 2024

Pre-order here*

One Grand Summer by Ewald Arenz

Published July 18th by Orenda
Crime Fiction, Literary Fiction, New Adult Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story, Romance

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Sixteen-year-old Frieder’s plans for the summer are shattered when he fails two subjects. To be able to move up to the next year in the Autumn, he needs to resit his exams. So instead of going on holiday with his family, he now faces the daunting and boring prospect of staying at his grandparents’ house, studying with his strict and formal step-grandfather.
 
On the bright side, he’ll spend time with his grandmother Nana, his sister Alma and his best friend Johann. And he meets Beate, the girl in the beautiful green swimsuit…
 
The next few weeks will bring friendship, fear and first love – one grand summer that will change and shape his entire life.
 
A number-one bestseller in Germany and winner of the German Booksellers Prize, One Grand Summer is a moving, beautiful and profound novel about relationships and respect that captures those exquisite and painful moments that make us who we are…
 
WINNER of the German Booksellers Prize and over two years on the German bestseller list.

Pre-order here

The Villa by Jess Ryder

Published July 18th by Penguin UK
Crime, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
‘The perfect holiday read’ KIA ABDULLAH
‘A great read’ CATHERINE COOPER
‘Kept me up late into the early hours’ ALI LOWE
‘A wonderful twisty read’ AVA GLASS
___________________________________

Three years ago, bride-to-be Aoife died at her own hen party.

Now the hens have returned to the villa where that terrible weekend unfolded.

They long for closure. But the moment they step back inside, old wounds open and tensions begin to rise.

Everyone has a different version of what happened that night.

Who is keeping secrets?

And how far will they go to keep them hidden?

Pre-order here*

What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena

Published July 18th by Bantam
Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Women Sleuths

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
The unputdownable new thriller from the ‘queen of the one-sit read’ and No.1 bestselling author of Everyone Here is Lying

Nothing ever happens in sleepy little Fairhill, Vermont.

The teenagers get their kicks telling ghost stories in the old graveyard. The parents trust their kids will arrive home safe from school. Everyone knows everyone. Curtains rarely twitch. Front doors are left unlocked.

But this morning all of that will change.

Because Diana Brewer isn’t lying safely in her bed where she belongs. Instead she lies in a hayfield, circled by vultures, discovered by a local farmer.

How quickly a girl becomes a ghost. How quickly a town of friendly, familiar faces becomes a town of suspects, a place of fear and paranoia.

Someone in Fairhill did this. Everyone wants answers.

And one innocent question could be deadly.

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The Revenge of Rita Marsh by Nilesha Chauvet

Published July 18th by Faber & Faber
Crime Fiction, Psychological Thriller

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
‘This book was brilliant! . . . Rita is so complex and intriguing. I binged it!’ 5* reader review
‘Powerful . . . a first class thriller.’ 5* reader review
‘I could not put this down.’ 5* reader review

Rita Marsh is a good person.

By day, she runs a care home, looking after the elderly and infirm.

By night, she’s a vigilante, posing online as young girls and snaring the men who prey on them, exposing them for what they are.

Rita has successfully kept her two lives separate for years. But when an old classmate returns from her past, her two worlds start to collide. With both of her selves unravelling, Rita will have to choose between justice and revenge.

Is she a force for good – or will she become someone to fear?

Pre-order here*

A Case of Mice and Murder (The Trials of Gabriel Ward Book 1) by Sally Smith

Published July 18th by Raven Books
Mystery, Suspense, Cozy Mystery, Historical Mystery

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
‘I loved it! … A whiff of Shardlake and a pinch of Rumpole. The plotting is brilliant and it’s a joy for any lover of literature . or justice’ S.J. BENNETT, author of THE WINDSOR KNOT

When barrister Gabriel Ward steps out of his rooms at exactly two minutes to seven on a sunny May morning in 1901, his mind is so full of his latest case – the disputed authorship of bestselling children’s book Millie the Temple Church Mouse – that he scarcely registers the body of the Lord Chief Justice of England on his doorstep.

But even he cannot fail to notice the judge’s dusty bare feet, in shocking contrast to his flawless evening dress, nor the silver carving knife sticking out of his chest. In the shaded courtyards and ancient buildings of the Inner Temple, the hidden heart of London’s legal world, murder has spent centuries confined firmly to the casebooks. Until now.

The police can enter the Temple only by consent, so who better to investigate this tragic breach of law and order than a man who prizes both above all things? But murder doesn’t answer to logic or reasoned argument, and Gabriel soon discovers that the Temple’s heavy oak doors are hiding more surprising secrets than he’d ever imagined…

The first in a brand-new series introducing a wonderfully eccentric sleuth, perfect for fans of T.E. Kinsey, S.J. Bennett and Richard Coles. Gabriel Ward will return in 2025..

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Murder in Harrogate by Vaseem Khan and Various

Published July 18th by Orion
Crime Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Short Stories

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
For one weekend every July, thousands of readers descend on the historic English town of Harrogate, Yorkshire in pursuit of mysteries, mischief and murder. In Murder in Harrogate, ten of the world’s best known crime and thriller writers come together in honour of the world’s largest festival of crime writing, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.

From a missing person case inspired by Agatha Christie’s infamous disappearance at the Old Swan Hotel to a murdered Macbeth to a vicious parkrun assault, these razor sharp stories are a testament to the festival’s rich history, stretching over two decades.

Curated and edited by former festival chair and award-winning author Vaseem Khan, contributors include Ann Cleeves, Mark Billingham, M.W. Craven, Elly Griffiths, Abir Mukherjee, Clare Mackintosh, Steve Cavanagh, Janice Hallett, Vaseem Khan, and Ruth Ware.

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A Girls’ Guide to Winning the War by Annie Lyons

Published July 25th by Headline
Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
‘A heart-warming tale about resilience, friendships and family, and the inestimable power of the written word’ RUTH HOGAN

‘A heart-warming depiction of strong female friendships tested by suffering – Annie Lyons really is the queen of the wartime saga’ CLARE CHAMBERS
________

Can two young women and one book change the course of war…?

1940. Whip-smart librarian Peggy Sparks is determined to make sure that her brother Joe returns from the frontline to their London home, which they share with their beloved mother and grandmother. So when she is offered a once-in-a-lifetime job at the heart of the war effort, Peggy jumps at the prospect of making a real contribution to her country.

But when she finds herself working under the fanciful socialite Lady Marigold Cecily, Peggy discovers that those around her are more keen on dancing at the Café de Paris than on ending the war. Writing accounts of her daily life is the only thing keeping Peggy’s hopes alive. But when she finds her inner-most thoughts accidentally published by the Ministry of Information, Peggy realises she needs Marigold’s help to save her job, and to bring her brother home . . .

From the author of The Air Raid Book Club comes a powerful tale of unexpected friendship, community and two remarkable women who change the course of the war. Full of heart, emotion and drama, it is the perfect uplifting story for fans of Kate Thompson and Natasha Lester.

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The Days I Love You Most by Amy Neff

Published July 30th by Bloomsbury Publishing
Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Domestic Fiction

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Every great love story deserves a great ending.

‘I’ve never read a story quite like this deeply moving, complex novel’ Jodi Picoult, the global bestseller

‘An epic love story and a sweeping family saga, The Days I Loved You Most is beautifully constructed and so poignant. Perfect for lovers of Anne Tyler, Claire Lombardo and Emma Straub. The New England setting stole my heart’ Georgina Moore, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Garnett Girls

Joseph and Evelyn’s New England beach homes have been side by side for generations. And in the summer of 1941, on the shores where they were raised, these two childhood friends fell in love.

Now, more than sixty years later, Joseph and Evelyn gather their three grown children to share the staggering news: in one year’s time, they will end their lives on their own terms. She has received a diagnosis and he cannot – will not – live without her.

As the couple comes to grips with their fate, they reckon with the joys and regrets, the laughter and the sorrow that brought them to this moment. And they create new memories to cherish with each of their children before they’re gone.

But as their final days draw closer, they must confront the stark reality of everything they have put in motion. Will they – can they – go through with their plan?

This unforgettable debut is a joyful celebration of life and a deeply romantic love story. The Days I Loved You Most is a moving tribute to the enduring power of love in all its guises.

Pre-order here*

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Are any of these on your TBR? Let me know in the comments.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx