Tag: Lizzie Pook

February is so packed full of amazing new releases that I’ve had to split it into two parts. There’s new releases from some of my favourite authors like John Marrs, Tina Baker, Margaret Atwood, Dorothy Koomson, Alex Michaelides, Lizzie Pook and Milly Johnson, and exciting debuts such as Anna O, Frank and Red, A Sign of Her Own, Deadly Aminals, Meet Me at the Surface, and The List of Suspicious Things. On February 1st alone there are 15 books in my most anticipated list! That is just crazy. I swear that publishers don’t want us to finish our TBRs.

So, here is part one of my most anticipated February releases:

The Stranger in Her House by John Marrs

Published February 1st by Thomas & Mercer
Suspense, Psychological Thriller

SYNOPSIS:
A stranger has infiltrated your family…and now he’s taking over.

Paul’s just here to help, or so he claims―sent by a charity for vulnerable people to do odd jobs for elderly widow Gwen. But for Gwen’s daughter Connie, there’s just something about Paul that rings alarm bells from day one. He’s a little too kind, a little too involved…Worse still, Gwen seems to have fallen under his spell.

The last thing Connie wants is a stranger meddling in the safe routine she’s built around Gwen. She loves being the one Gwen turns to for cooking, cleaning and company. But the more Paul visits, the more Gwen is relying on him. By the time he conveniently finds himself between homes and has no choice but to move in, Connie is certain he’s trying to push her out completely.

It’s her word against his, though, and as her attempts to unmask him become ever more desperate she’s not the only one left wondering if she’s lost her grip on reality. But when events start spiralling rapidly out of her control, should Connie wage all-out war on Paul and risk losing Gwen forever―or has that been his plan all along?

Pre-order here

Anna O by Matthew Blake

Published February 1st by Harper Collins UK
Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Medical Thriller

SYNOPSIS:

ANNA O – THE WORLD WILL KNOW HER NAME

‘Reads like a dream but unsettles like a nightmare’ A J FINN

‘Certain to be on of the year’s best thrillers’ LEE CHILD

_______________________________________________

*The instant global phenomenon*

*Publishing in over 30 territories*

*The thriller that will wake up the nation*

________________________________________________

ANNA O HASN’T OPENED HER EYES FOR FOUR YEARS

Not since the night she was found in a deep sleep by the bodies of her best friends, suspected of a chilling double murder.

For Doctor Benedict Prince, a forensic psychologist on London’s Harley Street, waking Anna O could be career-defining. As an expert in sleep, he knows all about the darkest chambers of the mind; the secrets that lie buried in the subconscious.

As he begins Anna O’s treatment – studying his patient’s dreams, combing her memories, visiting the site where the horrors played out – he pulls on the thread of a much deeper, darker mystery.

Awakening Anna O isn’t the end of the story, it’s just the beginning.

Pre-order here*

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

Published February 1st by Michael Joseph
Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Mystery

SYNOPSIS:
Totally original and utterly compelling, with a voice all of its own, this is the outstanding new thriller from the no.1 internationally bestselling author of The Silent Patient, Alex Michaelides.

‘My favourite Alex Michaelides yet – the undisputed master of the twist’ Lucy Foley
‘The king of all unreliable narrators, enough twists and turns to power two novels’ David Baldacci
‘You’ll think you know where it’s going and you couldn’t be more wrong’ Linwood Barclay
‘A very special book and highly recommended’ Janice Hallett
‘The best novel yet from Alex Michaelides’ Sophie Hannah
Even better than The Silent Patient… Alex Michaelides is a magician’ JP Delaney
_______

‘There were seven of us in all, trapped on the island.
One of us was a murderer . . .’

On a small private Greek island, former movie star Lana Farrar – an old friend – invites a select group of us to stay.

It’ll be hot, sunny, perfect. A chance to relax and reconnect – and maybe for a few hidden truths to come out.

Because nothing on this island is quite what it seems.

Not Lana. Not her guests.

Certainly not the murderer – furiously plotting their crime . . .

But who am I?

My name is Elliot Chase, and I’m going to tell you a story unlike any you’ve ever heard.

Pre-order here*

Twenty-Seven Mintues by Ashley Tate

Published February 1st by Headline
Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Psychological Fiction, Crime Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
It takes one moment to call for help. So why did he wait?

‘The rare gift that delivers it all’ ASHLEY AUDRAIN
‘Truly gripping and deeply satisfying’ CHRIS WHITAKER
‘I was hooked’ JANE CORRY
‘A new thriller writer to watch’ ROBYN HARDING
‘Left me in awe’ JO LEEVERS
___________

THE QUESTION
For the last ten years, the small town of West Wilmer has been struggling to answer one question: on the night of the crash that killed his sister, why did it take Grant Dean twenty-seven minutes to call for help? If he’d called sooner, Phoebe might still be alive.

THE SECRET
As the anniversary of Phoebe’s death approaches, Grant is consumed by his memories and the secret that’s been suffocating him for years. But he and Phoebe weren’t the only ones in the car that night. Becca was there too – she’s the only other person who knows what really happened. Or is she?

THE TRUTH
Everyone remembers Phoebe, but local girl June also lost someone that night. Her brother Wyatt has been missing for ten years and, now that her mother is dead, June has no one left – no family, no friends. Until someone appears at her door. Someone who knows what really happened that night. And they are ready to tell the truth.

With a shocking twist that will leave you breathless, Twenty-Seven Minutes is a gripping story about what happens when grief becomes unbearable, dark secrets are unearthed, and the horrifying truth is revealed.

Pre-order here*

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

Published February 1st by Faber & Faber
Mystery, Thriller, Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

OPRAH DAILY’S #1 Book of 2023
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK
FINALIST FOR THE NEW AMERICAN VOICES AWARD
AMAZON EDITOR’S CHOICE & TOP TWENTY NOVEL OF THE YEAR

‘A Brilliant, satisfying, compassionate mystery.’
GABRIELLE ZEVIN
‘I can’t remember a book with more layers. . . I was riveted through the last page.’
JODI PICOULT
‘Gorgeous . a layered and innovative exploration of family, love, happiness, and race.’
JEAN KWOK

We didn’t call the police right away. Later, I would blame myself, wonder if things might have turned out differently if I hadn’t shrugged it off, insisting Dad wasn’t missing missing but just delayed, probably still in the woods looking for Eugene.

Mia Parkson’s life is turned upside down when her stay-at-home dad, the family’s anchor, goes missing. The only witness? Eugene – her younger, nonspeaking teenage brother.

As the Police struggle for leads, and her mother and twin brother struggle to keep things together at home, Mia gains access to key clues about her father’s disappearance. Headstrong, hyper analytical, and with secrets of her own, she decides to try and solve the case. But could Mia’s impulsive actions be putting her whole family in danger?

Pre-order here*

Maude Horton’s Glorious Revenge by Lizzie Pook

Published February 1st by Picador
Historical Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Victorian Gothic, Historical Thriller, Literary Fiction, Adventure Ficiton

SYNOPSIS:
‘Grisly, addictive fun . . . I devoured it in 24 hours’ – Emilia Hart, author of Weyward

In deepest winter, beware the coldest hearts . . .

London, 1850. Constance Horton has disappeared.

Maude, her older sister, knows only that Constance abandoned the apothecary they call home, and, disguised as a boy, boarded a ship bound for the Arctic. She never returned. ‘A tragic accident’, the Admiralty called it. But Maude Horton knows something isn’t right.

When she finds Constance’s journal, it becomes clear that the truth is being buried by sinister forces. To find answers – and deliver justice for her sister – Maude must step into London’s dark underbelly, and into the path of dangerous, powerful men. The kind of men who seek their fortune in the city’s horrors, from the hangings at Newgate to the ghoulish waxworks of Madame Tussaud’s.

It is a perilous task. But Maude has dangerous skills of her own . . .

‘Brilliant! Stuffed with adventure’ – Stuart Turton, author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Pre-order here*

Frank and Red by Matt Coyne

Published February 1st by Wildfire
Humorous Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Literary Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
Sometimes, the friend you need is the one you never saw coming.

‘A lovely feel-good treat’ The Times | ‘Simply perfect’ Daily Mirror | ‘Hilariously funny… and beneath it all really quite lovely’ The Metro | Brilliant, just brilliant’ Huffington Post

Frank and Red are a mess.

Frank is a grumpy old curmudgeon. A recluse whose only company is the ‘ghost’ of his dead wife, Marcie. He is estranged from his friends, his son, and the ever-changing world beyond his front gate.

And then Red moves in next door.

Red is six. A boy struggling to adjust to the separation of his mum and dad, a new school, and the demonic school bully. Red is curious, smart, he never stops talking, and he’s got a trampoline.
From the moment Red’s blonde mop appears over the top of the fence that divides their two gardens, the unlikeliest of friendships is born.

. . . And it is a friendship that will change both of their lives forever.

Pre-order here*

A Sign of Her Own by Sarah Marsh

Published February 1st by Tinder Press
Historical Fiction, Alternative History, Adventure Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
‘Absolutely brilliant. Ellen Lark is unforgettable’ Emilia Hart, author of Weyward
‘Illuminating… Excellently conveys the experience of being deaf in a hearing world’ Priscilla Morris, Women’s Prize Shortlisted author of Black Butterflies
‘A fantastic novel. Shines a light into a hidden corner of history’ Louise Hare author of This Lovely City and Miss Aldridge Regrets
Ellen Lark is on the verge of marriage when she and her fiancé receive an unexpected visit from Alexander Graham Bell.

Ellen knows immediately what Bell really wants from her. Ellen is deaf, and for a time was Bell’s student in a technique called Visible Speech. As he instructed her in speaking, Bell also confided in her about his dream of producing a device which would transmit the human voice along a wire: the telephone. Now, on the cusp of wealth and renown, Bell wants Ellen to speak up in support of his claim to the patent to the telephone, which is being challenged by rivals.

But Ellen has a different story to tell: that of how Bell betrayed her, and other deaf pupils, in pursuit of ambition and personal gain, and cut Ellen off from a community in which she had come to feel truly at home. It is a story no one around Ellen seems to want to hear – but there may never be a more important time for her to tell it.

Pre-order here*

The Unfinished Life of Eadie Browne by Freya North

Published February 1st by Welbeck
Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
A powerful love letter to youth from Sunday Times bestselling author of Little Wing.

When your present meets your past, what do you take with you – and what do you leave behind?

Eadie Browne is an odd child with unusual parents, living in a strange house neighbouring the local cemetery. Bullied at school – but protected by her two best friends Celeste and Josh, and her many imaginary friends lying six feet under next door – Eadie muddles her way through.

Arriving in Manchester as a student in the late 1980s, Eadie confronts a busy, gritty Victorian metropolis a far cry from the small Garden City she’s left behind. Soon enough she experiences a novel freedom she never imagined and it’s seductive. She can be who she wants to be, do as she pleases, and no one back home needs to know. As Manchester embraces the dizzying, colourful euphoria of Rave counterculture, Eadie is swept along, blithely ignoring danger and reality. Until, one night, her past comes hurtling at her with ramifications which will continue into her adult life.

Now, as the new Millennium beckons, Eadie is turning 30 with a marriage in tatters. She must travel back to where she once lived for a funeral she can’t quite comprehend. As she journeys from the North to the South, from the present to the past, Eadie contemplates all that was then – and all that is now – in this moving love letter to youth.

Pre-order here*

Green Dot by Madeleine Gray

Published February 1st by W&N
Humorous Fiction, Literary Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
A BEST BOOK OF 2024 IN STYLIST, DAILY MAIL, THE I, IRISH TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES AND RED

‘incredibly funny. Every sentence sparkles’
CAITLIN MORAN
‘This year’s Sorrow and Bliss. Hilarious and heartbreaking’
DAILY MAIL
‘The debut of the year’
THE I PAPER
‘Witty as Fleabag, psychologically insightful as Sally Rooney’
LUCIE WHITEHOUSE

Hera is in her mid-twenties, which seems young to everyone except people in their mid-twenties.

Since leaving school, she has been trying to kick and scream into existence a life she cares about, but with little success so far.

Until she meets Arthur.

He works with her, he is older than her, he is also married. But in her soulless office – the large cold room she feels destined to spend her life in – he is a source of much-needed sustenance.

And though Hera has previously dated women, she soon falls headlong into a workplace romance that will quickly consume her life.

Laugh-out-loud funny, deeply moving and whip smart, Green Dot is a story about the terrible allure of wanting something that promises nothing and the winding, torturous, often hilarious journey we take in deciding who we are and who we want to be.

Pre-order*

The Murder After The Night Before by Katy Brent

Published February 1st by HQ
Mystery, Dark Comedy, Psychological Thriller, Satire, Suspense, Contremporary Romance, Adventure Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
From the author of How to Kill Men and Get Away With It, don’t miss this wickedly witty and utterly addictive novel, perfect for fans of Bella Mackie, Dawn O’Porter and Killing Eve.

Something bad happened last night.

I’ve woken up with the hangover from hell, a stranger in my bed, and I’ve gone viral for the worst reasons.

But I can’t remember a thing…

My best friend Posey is dead. The police think it was a tragic accident. I know she was murdered.

There’s only one thing stopping me from dying of shame. I need to find a killer.

Pre-order here*

Rosalind by Jessica Mills

Published February 1st by Legend Press
Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Biographical Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
‘One of the best novels I have read this year’ Iris Costello
‘A luminous, pin-sharp portrait of a true trailblazer’ Zoe Howe

Societies are oiled with the unpaid, unaccounted for, work of women. It is the very glue that binds us together, and yet we are blind to it; a woman’s work remains invisible.

Rosalind Franklin knows that to be a woman in a man’s world is to be invisible. In the 1950s science is a gentleman’s profession, and it appears after WWII that there are plenty of colleagues who want to keep it that way.

After being segregated at Cambridge, then ignored and put down in the workplace, she has no intention of being seen as a second-class citizen and throws everything into proving her worth. But despite her success in unlocking the very secret of life, the ultimate glory is claimed by the men she left in her wake.

Inspired by the true story of a woman so many tried to silence, Rosalind is a tale of hope and perseverance, love and betrayal … of real-life lessons in chemistry.

Pre-order here*

Knife Skills For Beginners by Orlando Murrin

Published February 1st Bantam Press
Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
Richard Osman meets MasterChef. In this cookery school, murder is on the menu…

‘Delicious fun!’ Tess Gerritsen
‘Knife Skills for Beginners is a joy.’ S. J. Bennett
‘A deliciously dark slice of murder and mystery.’ Chris Whitaker
‘If Ruth Rendell had teamed up with Delia Smith they’d have produced something like this.’ J. M. Hall
‘Dazzlingly sharp with a wit that sparkles off the page.’ Jane Corry

A recipe for disaster.
When chef Paul Delamare takes a job teaching at an exclusive residential cookery school in Belgravia, the only thing he expects his students to murder is his taste buds. But on the first night, the unthinkable happens: someone turns up dead…

The school rests on a knife-edge.
The police are convinced Paul is the culprit. After all, he’s good with a blade, was first on the scene – and everyone knows it doesn’t take much to push a chef over the edge. To prove his innocence, he must find the killer. Could it be one of his students? Or the owner of the school – a woman with secrets and a murky past?

It all boils down to murder.
If Paul can’t solve the mystery fast – as well as teach his students how to make a perfect hollandaise sauce – he’ll be next to get the chop.

Pre-order here*

The Traitors by C. A. Lynch

Published February 1st by One More Chapter
Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Gothic Fiction, Crime Fiction, Horror Ficiton

SYNOPSIS:
‘Wickedly fun and highly addictive… a delicious read with all the elements of a perfect whodunit’ Jeneva Rose, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage

‘House on Haunted Hill mixed with Agatha Christie’ NetGalley Reviewer

The brand new locked-room thriller for fans of Ruth Ware and Freida McFadden.

You are cordially invited to the Beechwood Castle for a night you’ll never forget…

Six people find a thick cream envelope on their doorstep. Inside is an invitation to spend 24 hours in a crumbling manor house and be in with the chance to win a portion of one million dollars. The catch: Beechwood Castle was the site of one of the most horrific murders in modern history.

The smell of blood, decay and death still hangs heavy in the air.

Six people walk into the house. One of them is an imposter, all of them are traitors, which of them will survive the night?

Pre-order here*

The Memory Library by Kate Storey

Published February 1st by Avon Books
Romance Novel, Saga, Humorous Fiction, Domestic Ficiton

SYNOPSIS:
If you were to build a library that has shaped your life, which books would you choose?

For forty-two years, Sally Harrison has been building a library.

Each year, on her daughter’s birthday, she adds a new book to her shelves – with a note in the front dedicated to her own greatest work.

But Ella – Sally’s only child – fled to Australia twenty-one years ago after a heated exchange, and never looked back. And though Sally still dutifully adds a new paperback to the shelves every time the clock strikes midnight on July 11th, her hopes of her daughter ever thumbing through the pages are starting to dwindle.

Then disaster strikes and Ella is forced to return to the home she once knew.

She is soon to discover that when one chapter ends, another will soon follow.

All you have to do is turn the page…

Journey through the pages of this heartwarming novel, where hope, friendship and second chances are written in the margins. Perfect for book lovers everywhere and fans of Sally Page’s The Keeper of Stories.

Pre-order here*

Fourteen Days by Margaret Atwood (Editor)

Published February 6th by Chatto & Windus
Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
A BBC, Financial Times and Cosmopolitan What to Read in 2024 pick

Set in a New York apartment building, Fourteen Days is an irresistibly propulsive novel with an unusual twist: each character in this diverse, eccentric cast of neighbours has been secretly written by a different, major literary voice – from Margaret Atwood and John Grisham to Emma Donoghue and Celeste Ng.

One week into lockdown, the tenants of a run-down apartment building in Manhattan have begun to gather on the rooftop each evening and tell stories. With each passing night, more and more neighbours gather, bringing chairs and milk crates and overturned pails. Gradually the tenants – some of whom have barely spoken to each other before now – become real neighbours.

A dazzling, heartwarming and ultimately surprising narrative, Fourteen Days is an ode to the power of storytelling and human connection.

Includes writing from: Charlie Jane Anders, Margaret Atwood, Jennine Capo Crucet, Pat Cummings, Joseph Cassara, Angie Cruz, Sylvia Day, Emma Donoghue, Dave Eggers, Diana Gabaldon, Tess Gerritsen, John Grisham, Maria Hinojosa, Mira Jacob, Erica Jong, CJ Lyons, Celeste Ng, Tommy Orange, Mary Pope Osborne, Doug Preston, Alice Randall, Caroline Randall, Ishmael Reed, Roxana Robinson, Nelly Rosario, James Shapiro, Hampton Sides, R.L. Stine, Nafissa Thompson-Spires, Monique Truong, Scott Turow, Luis Alberto Urrea, Rachel Vail, Weike Wang, DeShawn Charles Winslow, Meg Wolitzer

Pre-order here*

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead by Jenny Hollander

Published February 6th by Constable
Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller

SYNOPSIS:
THEY CALL ME THE LUCKY ONE. THEY DON’T KNOW I LIED.


‘My favourite debut of the year . . . utterly compelling’ LUCY CLARKE

‘Glossy, clever and unsettling’ ANDREA MARA

‘One of the most chilling reads of the year’ M. W. CRAVEN

‘Totally gripping’ RACHEL ABBOTT

‘The breakout debut thriller of 2024’ CELIA WALDEN
__________________________________________

Nine years ago, Charlie Colbert’s life changed for ever.

On Christmas Eve, as the snow fell, her elite graduate school was the site of a chilling attack. Several of her classmates died. Charlie survived.

Years later, Charlie has the life she always wanted at her fingertips: she’s editor-in-chief of a major magazine and engaged to the golden child of the publishing industry.

But when a film adaptation of that fateful night goes into production, Charlie’s dark past threatens to crash into her shiny present.

Charlie was named a ‘witness’ in the police reports. Yet she knows she was much more than that.

The truth about that night will shatter everything she’s worked for. Just how far will she go to protect it?

THE GRIPPING DEBUT THRILLER OF 2024. A dark and deeply compulsive read that will keep you racing through the pages late into the night, perfect for fans of Lucy Foley, Gillian McAllister and Girl A by Abigail Dean.

Pre-order here*

The Bone Hunters by Joanne Burn

Published February 8th by Sphere
Historical Fiction, Gothic Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
THE ESSEX SERPENT MEETS AMMONITE IN THE STUNNING HISTORICAL NOVEL EVERYBODY IS TALKING ABOUT:

‘Singular and astonishing . . . I’ve never met a character quite like Ada’ ANNIE GARTHWAITE
‘The Bone Hunters has cemented Joanne Burn’s place as one of my favourite writers’ SONIA VELTON
‘Joanne Burn is fast becoming my go-to historical fiction writer’ EMMA CARROLL
‘The Bone Hunters is that rare combination . . . beautifully written but also a gripping page-turner’ LAURA SHEPPERSON
________

In 1824, Lyme Regis is as tumultuous as the sea that surrounds it. When twenty-four-year-old Ada Winters – poor, peculiar and brilliant – uncovers a set of unusual fossils on the cliffs, she believes she has found the answer to her scientific frustrations and her family’s financial struggles.

Meanwhile, Doctor Edwin Moyle has come to Dorset in search of the discovery that will place him amongst the greatest geologists of the age. What he finds instead is a strange young woman who seems to hold the key to everything he desires.

But what is the creature that Ada and Edwin seek to unearth? And will it lead them to greatness, or destruction?

Pre-order here*

The Secrets of Blythswood Square by Sara Sheridan

Published February 8th by Hodder & Stoughton
Historical Fiction, Erotic Literature, Adventure Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
THE ENCHANTING NEW NOVEL BY THE AUTHOR OF THE 2022 WATERSTONES SCOTTISH BOOK OF THE YEAR, THE FAIR BOTANISTS.

You wouldn’t suspect it, but scandalous secrets are being kept on Blythswood Square…

1846. Glasgow is a city on the cusp of great social change, but behind the curtains, neighbours are watching, and rumours of improper behaviour spread like wildfire on the respectable Blythswood Square.

When Charlotte Nicholl discovers that the fortune she has been bequeathed by her father is tied up in a secret collection of erotic art, she is faced with a terrible dilemma: sell it and risk shaming her family’s good name or lose her home.

An encounter with Ellory McHale, a talented working-class photographer newly arrived in Glasgow, leads Charlotte to hope she has found not only someone who might help her, but also a friend. Yet Ellory is hiding secrets of her own – secrets that become harder to conceal as she finds herself drawn into Charlotte’s world.

As the truth begins to catch up with both women, will it destroy everything they’ve fought to build – or set them both free?

Pre-order here*

Jaded by Ela Lee

Published February 8th by Harvill Secker
Literary Fiction, Psychological Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
Jade isn’t even my real name. Jade began as my Starbucks name, because all children of immigrants have a Starbucks name.

Jade has become everything she ever wanted to be.

Successful lawyer.
Dutiful daughter.
Beloved girlfriend.
Loyal friend.

Until one night after a work event she suffers an unspeakable attack.

As she tries to confront what happened to her, she finds herself caught between her parents who can’t understand, her boyfriend who feels betrayed, and her job that expects silence.
The world Jade has constructed starts to crumble.

This raw, darkly funny novel explores the ‘grey-area’ of consent and recovery that’s far from linear, and will leave you asking yourself: what would you have done in Jade’s situation?

‘JADED is a thoughtful, hard-hitting exploration of race, identity, and the rippling effects of sexual assault. Ela Lee writes with an urgency and clarity that will have you hooked until the last page.’ ? Cecile Pin, Women’s Prize longlisted author of Wandering Souls

Content warning: this novel features themes of sexual assault and violence.

Pre-order here*

Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra

Published February 8th by Viking
Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller

SYNOPSIS:
DISCOVER THE THRILLER KEEPING EVERYONE AWAKE

‘The most gripping thriller I have ever read’ GILLIAN McALLISTER
‘As tender as it is terrifying’ ABIGAIL DEAL
‘I am trying to think of a book that has grabbed me by the throat more quickly’ LINWOOD BARCLAY
‘You won’t be able to look away’ SHARI LAPENA
‘Heart-thumping and mesmerizing’ ASHLEY AUDRAIN

—-

There was someone in the house.

Home alone with her young children during a blizzard, a mother tucks her son back into bed in the middle of the night. Then she hears a noise – old houses are always making some kind of noise. But this sound is disturbingly familiar: it’s the tread of footsteps, unusually heavy and slow, coming up the stairs…

In that split second, she has three choices.

Should she hide? Should she run? Or should she fight?

Pre-order here*

Mongrel by Hanako Footman

Published February 8th by Footnote Press
Literary Fiction, LGBTQ Literature, Contemporary Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
‘Mongrel is so beautiful that I became lost in it . . . Simply, it must be read’ LISA TADDEO
‘A brilliant explosion of writing and storytelling . . . This feels like reading an Oscar-winning film’ AISLING BEA
‘Heart-shatteringly visceral and precise . . . a triumphant tribute to the self’ WIZ WHARTON
‘This compulsive, engrossing, and gorgeous debut will utterly consume you. Read it now’ STEPHANIE SCOTT

Mei loses her Japanese mother at age six. Growing up in suburban Surrey, she yearns to fit in, suppressing not only her heritage but her growing desire for her best friend Fran.

Yuki leaves the Japanese countryside to pursue her dream of becoming a concert violinist in London. Far from home and in an unfamiliar city, she finds herself caught up in the charms of her older teacher.

Haruka attempts to navigate Tokyo’s nightlife and all of its many vices, working as a hostess in the city’s sex district. She grieves a mother who hid so many secrets from her, until finally one of those secrets comes to light . . .

Shifting between three intertwining narratives, Mongrel reveals a tangled web of desire, isolation, belonging and ultimately, hope.

Pre-order here*

The Book of Love by Kelly Link

Published February 8th by Head of Zeus
Fantasy Fiction, Gothic Ficiton, Contemporary Fantasy, Supernatural Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story

SYNOPSIS:
‘A dizzying dream ride you will never forget’ LEIGH BARDUGO
‘An astonishing, gorgeous novel’ HOLLY BLACK
‘An incredible achievement’ CASSANDRA CLARE

FROM PULITZER-PRIZE FINALIST KELLY LINK

Supernatural beings and chaos descend on the small seaside town of Lovesend, Massachusetts, in the wake of the unexpected return of three missing teenagers.

Laura, Daniel and Mo disappeared without trace a year ago. They have long been presumed dead. Which they were. But now they are not. And it is up to the resurrected teenagers to discover what happened to them.

Revived by Mr Anabin – the man they knew as their high school music teacher – they are offered a chance to return to the mortal realm. But first they must solve the mystery of their
death and learn to use the magic they now possess. And only two of them may stay.

What they do not realise is their return has upset a delicate balance that has held – just – for centuries.

Pre-order here*

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

Published February 13th by Quercus
Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fairy Tale

SYNOPSIS:
Some people think foxes go around collecting qi, or life force, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking . . .

Manchuria, 1908: A young woman is found frozen in the snow.

Her death is clouded by rumours of foxes, believed to lure people into peril by transforming into beautiful women and men. Bao, a detective with a reputation for sniffing out the truth, is hired to uncover the dead woman’s identity. Since childhood, Bao has been intrigued by the fox gods, yet they’ve remained tantalizingly out of reach. Until, perhaps, now.

Snow is a creature of many secrets, but most of all, she’s a mother seeking vengeance. Hunting a murderer, the trail will take her from northern China to Japan, with Bao following doggedly behind.

And as their paths draw ever closer together, both Snow and Bao will encounter old friends and new foes, even as more deaths occur.

The Fox Wife is a stunning novel about old loves and second chances, the depth of maternal bonds, and ancient folktales that may very well be true.

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The Briar Book of the Dead by A. G. Slatter

Published February 13th by Titan Books
Gothic Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Fairy Tale, Dark Fantasy

SYNOPSIS:
Set in the same universe as the acclaimed All the Murmuring Bones and The Path of Thorns (one of Oprah Daily’s Top 25 Fantasy Novels of 2022), this beautifully told Gothic fairy tale of ghosts, witches, deadly secrets and past sins, will be perfect for fans of Hannah Whitten and Ava Reid.

Ellie Briar is the first non-witch to be born into her family for generations. The Briar family of witches run the town of Silverton, caring for its inhabitants with their skills and magic. In the usual scheme of things, they would be burnt for their sorcery, but the church has given them dispensation in return for their protection of the borders of the Darklands, where the much-feared Leech Lords hold sway.

Ellie is being trained as a steward, administering for the town, and warding off the insistent interest of the church. When her grandmother dies suddenly, Ellie’s cousin Audra rises to the position of Briar Witch, propelling Ellie into her new role. As she navigates fresh challenges, an unexpected new ability to see and speak to the dead leads her to uncover sinister family secrets, stories of burnings, lost grimoires and evil spells. Reeling from one revelation to the next, she seeks answers from the long dead and is forced to decide who to trust, as a devastating plot threatens to destroy everything the Briar witches have sacrificed so much to build.

Told in the award-winning author’s trademark gorgeous, addictive prose, this is an intricately woven tale of a family of witches struggling against the bonds of past sins and persecution.

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What We Did in the Storm by Tina Baker

Published February 15th by Viper
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychcological Thriller

SYNOPSIS:
‘Haunting and atmospheric’ – DAILY MAIL
‘Tina Baker’s best yet’ – JANICE HALLETT
‘Compelling and suspenseful’ – LISA HALL

Everyone brings their secrets to the island…

On the beautiful and windswept island of Tresco, two worlds live side by side. The wealthy visitors come by helicopter to stay at their lavish time-share properties. The estate staff travel by boat, and work all hours to keep them happy, to keep the money flowing in.

But while the blue skies and savage waves make the island seem a wild paradise, under the surface the inhabitants are concealing more than they dare reveal. The truths about their marriages, their love affairs, and what they do in the darkness while their neighbours are sleeping.

As black clouds come rolling in and a storm hits the island, truths and rumours begin to tumble out, wreaking terrible damage. In the midst of the tempest, two women are attacked and one goes missing. The secrets of this fragile community can no longer be hidden if it hopes to survive. The islanders must finally reveal what they did in the storm, no matter the cost.

From the #1 bestselling author of Call Me Mummy comes a dark and luscious thriller, perfect for readers of Harriet Tyce, Amanda Jennings and Louise Candlish.

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Every Smile You Fake by Dorothy Koomson

Published February 15th by Headline
Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
‘Master of the jaw-dropping twist’ S MAGAZINE

Please take care of my baby. But don’t try to find me. You’ll put him in danger. x

Profiler and therapist Kez Lanyon is shocked when she finds a baby on the backseat of her car, with an unsigned note asking her to take care of him.

Kez has a pretty good idea who the mother is – Brandee, a popular social media star with a troubled background, who once lived in Kez’s house.

Brandee recently dropped out of the limelight and if the internet rumours are true, Kez knows Brandee’s life is in danger.

Kez is torn. Should she simply take care of the baby as she’s been asked, or should she risk her whole family by using contacts from her previous job to save this young woman?

Time is running out for Brandee. Can Kez find her before it’s too late?

This is the heart-stopping new novel from The Queen Of The Big Reveal.

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Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney

Published February 15th by Zaffre
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Police Procedural

SYNOPSIS:
DISCOVER THE GRIPPING 2024 BRITISH CRIME NOVEL EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT:

‘Utterly mesmerising’ – PETER JAMES
‘A crime novel I wish I had written’ – LYNDA LA PLANTE
‘Marie’s writing is beautiful’ – BELINDA BAUER
‘Exceptional in every way’ – CHRIS WHITAKER
‘A dark glittering gem of a book’ – LISA GRAY
‘Gloriously dark, deadly and deathly’ – C. J. SKUSE
‘An incredible debut. Damn near perfect’ – SUSI HOLLIDAY
‘A masterpiece’ – WILLIAM HUSSEY

Thirteen-year-old Ava Bonney possesses an unusual intellect far beyond her years. While her friends play, Ava’s fascination lies in the intricate process of animal decomposition, studying roadkill found in the streets around her home.

But, one night, Ava’s secret nocturnal routine takes a chilling turn when she stumbles upon the lifeless body of fellow schoolmate, Mickey Grant.

As Detective Seth Delahaye takes charge of the perplexing case, Ava refuses to sit idle. Determined and resourceful, she embarks on a daring quest to unveil the truth behind the string of chilling deaths plaguing her community.

Armed with her unique skills and unrivalled local knowledge, Ava becomes an unlikely force in the race to apprehend the elusive killer before more lives are claimed.

‘Deadly Animals is a shockingly beautiful, rare and heartbreaking gem. I really can’t recommend it highly enough’ – CHRIS WHITAKER

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Meet Me at the Surface by Jodie Matthews

Published February 15th by Fourth Estate
Fairy Tale, Horror Fiction, Lesbian Literature

SYNOPSIS:
A haunting ode to Cornish folklore and the secrets of the places we call home

‘An astonishing debut … Rhythmic, atmospheric and enduring’ CHARLIE CARROLL

‘A book where language feels like hands reaching into the soil, where landscapes feel alive, where sentences, houses and memory are suffused with the uncanny’ TOM DE FRESTON

Everything that comes from the ground has to go back down… eventually

Merryn grew up on the wilds of Bodmin moor, raised by her mother and her aunt in an old farmhouse. Here, the locals never leave the village, fear for the future of their farms and cling desperately to the folkloric tales that are woven into their history. Except Merryn, who has escaped to Manchester for university, briefly untethering herself from her past.

When Merryn returns home for the memorial service of her ex-girlfriend Claud, she finds her childhood home stranger and more secretive than ever. She’s sure that her mother is hiding something. The villagers are hunting on the moors at night, but for what? And then there’s a notebook, found in an old chest of drawers, full of long-forgotten folklore that seems to be linked somehow to Claud…

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The Sleeping Beauties by Lucy Ashe

Published February 15th by Magpie
Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Historical Fiction, Crime Fiction, Historical Mystery

SYNOPSIS:
An unputdownable tale of obsession, jealousy and heartache against the backdrop of WW2

May 1945 and at long last, Rosamund Caradon is feeling optimistic. As she returns the last few evacuees to London from her Devonshire manor, she vows to protect dance-obsessed daughter Jasmine from further peril.

But a chance meeting with a Sadler’s Wells ballet dancer changes everything.

When the beautiful, elusive Briar Woods bursts into Rosamund’s train carriage, it’s clear her sights are set on the immediately captivated Jasmine. And Rosamund cannot shake the eerie feeling this accidental encounter is not what it seems.

For Briar may be far away from the pointe shoes and greasepaint of the Sleeping Beauty ballet that is so much a part of her, but her performance for Rosamund might just be her most successful yet.

This, Briar feels, is a show for a mother and daughter. A dance that could turn deadly…

One of Lucy Popescu’s Books to Look Forward to in 2024 in Camden New Journal

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The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey

Published February 15th by Hutchinson Heinmann
Mystery, Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story

SYNOPSIS:
‘Funny, poignant and drawn with real compassion. This is a heart-warming book’ EMMA HEALEY

‘A heartwarming tale about the power of human connection, written with empathy, warmth and care. To read it is to feel that little bit better about life’ ELIZABETH DAY

‘Profoundly original and dazzlingly written. A beautiful mystery with heart’ ROB RINDER

Yorkshire, 1979

Maggie Thatcher is prime minister, drainpipe jeans are in, and Miv is convinced that her dad wants to move their family Down South.

Because of the murders.

Leaving Yorkshire and her best friend Sharon simply isn’t an option, no matter the dangers lurking round their way; or the strangeness at home that started the day Miv’s mum stopped talking.
Perhaps if she could solve the case of the disappearing women, they could stay after all?

So, Miv and Sharon decide to make a list: a list of all the suspicious people and things down their street. People they know. People they don’t.

But their search for the truth reveals more secrets in their neighbourhood, within their families – and between each other – than they ever thought possible.

What if the real mystery Miv needs to solve is the one that lies much closer to home?

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The Art of Belonging by Eleanor Ray

Published February 15th by Piatkus
Contemporary Romance, Humororus Fiction, Domestic Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
From the bestselling author of Everything Is Beautiful, comes an utterly heartwarming new novel, about what it truly means to belong to those you love.

‘Gripping, endearing and thought-provoking, this beautifully woven novel championing family, solidarity and friendship is full of warmth and heart. A joy from start to finish – one not to miss’
HOLLY MILLER

‘Heartfelt and heartwarming, this uplifting read is full of characters to cherish and cheer for’
PHAEDRA PATRICK

‘The Art of Belonging is a gorgeous read . . . Eleanor Ray has created a warm hug of a book that will capture your heart’
HEATHER CRITCHLOW

…………………………………………

Sometimes you need to open your heart to find where you truly belong . . .

When unexpected circumstances bring Grace’s estranged daughter, Amelia, and granddaughter, Charlotte, to live in her home, complicated feelings start to emerge, revealing a messy and emotional past which drove this family apart.

It will take a school mystery, an exquisite miniature railway and some brave decisions to help them each find not only themselves, but also each other – and to appreciate what it truly means to belong together.

This uplifting novel will warm your heart and touch your soul, and remind you of all the reasons humans can be downright wonderful.

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The Women by Kristin Hannah

Published February 15th by Pan Macmillan
Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Medical Fiction, War Story

SYNOPSIS:
Soon to be a major motion picture!

‘Astonishing. Compelling. Powerful’ – Delia Owens, bestselling author of Where the Crawdads Sing

‘Stuns with sacrifice. Uplifts with heroism’ – Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry

From the worldwide bestselling author of The Four Winds, The Nightingale and Firefly Lane (a Number One series on Netflix),The Women is a story of devastating loss and epic love.

It would be the journey of a lifetime . . .

‘Women can be heroes, too’. When twenty-year-old nursing student, Frances “Frankie” McGrath, hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on California’s idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different path for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the young men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed America. Frankie will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause.

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The Wartime Book Club by Kate Thompson

Published February 15th by Hodder & Stoughton
Historical Fiction, War Story

SYNOPSIS:
Jersey, 1943. Once a warm and neighbourly community, now German soldiers patrol the cobbled streets, imposing a harsh rule on the people of the island.

Grace La Mottée, the island’s only librarian, is ordered to destroy books which threaten the new regime. Instead, she hides the stories away in secret. Along with her headstrong best friend, postwoman Bea Rose, she wants to fight back. So she forms the wartime book club: a lifeline, offering fearful islanders the joy and escapism of reading.

But as the occupation drags on, the women’s quiet acts of bravery become more perilous – and more important – than ever before. And, when tensions turn to violence, they are forced to face the true, terrible cost of resistance . . .

Based on astonishing real events, The Wartime Book Club is a love letter to the power of books in the darkest of times – as well as a moving page-turner that brings to life the remarkable, untold story of an island at war.

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The Happiest Ever After by Milly Johnson

Published February 15th by Simon & Schuster UK
Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy, Literary Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
What if you could write your own perfect storyline…? The heartwarming, feelgood novel from the much-loved Sunday Times bestselling author, Milly Johnson.

‘Gloriously funny, witty, wise and wonderful, this book is a total joy!’ Alexandra Potter
‘A delicious warm hug of a book’ Jill Mansell
‘An escapist, uplifting read full of heart’ Libby Page
‘Funny and brilliant and gorgeously warm, Milly Johnson always, always delivers’ Paige Toon
‘Takes you on a classic transformative journey in the most wonderful and original way. What a joy!’ Julietta Henderson

Polly Potter is surviving, not thriving. She used to love her job – until her mentor died and her new boss decided to make her life hell. She used to love her partner Chris – until he cheated on her, and now she can’t forget. The only place where her life is working is on the pages of the novel she is writing – there she can create a feistier, bolder, more successful version of herself – as the ­fictional Sabrina Anderson.

But what if it was possible to start over again? To leave everything behind, forget all that went before, and live the life you’d always dreamed of?

After a set of unforeseen circumstances, Polly ends up believing she really IS Sabrina, living at the heart of a noisy Italian family restaurant by the sea. Run by Teddy, the son of her new landlady Marielle, it’s a much-loved place, facing threat of closure as a rival restaurant moves in next door. Sabrina can’t remember her life as Polly, but she knows she is living a different life from the one she used to have.

But what if this new life could belong to her after all?

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The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

Published February 15th by Transworld Books
Contemporary Fantasy, Romance Novel, Magical Realsim, Mystery, Literary Fiction, Time Travel Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
‘Joyful, exuberant, and crackling with adventure.’ STUART TURTON

‘A clever and beautiful novel about the power of books.’ SUNYI DEAN

‘Full of magic, wonder and heart.’ ANITA FRANK

‘A magical, mesmerising adventure from the very first page.’ A. J. WEST

———————————-

Because some doors should never be opened.

New York bookseller Cassie Andrews is not sure what she’s doing with her life. She lives quietly, sharing an apartment with her best friend, Izzy. Then a favourite customer gives her an old book. Full of strange writing and mysterious drawings, at the very front there is a handwritten message:

This is the Book of Doors. Hold it in your hand, and any door is every door.

Cassie is about to discover that the Book of Doors is a special book – a magic book. A book that bestows extraordinary abilities on whoever possesses it. And she is about to learn that there are other magic books out there that can also do wondrous – or dreadful and terrifying – things.

Because where there is magic there is power and there are those who will stop at nothing to possess it.

Suddenly Cassie and Izzy are confronted by violence and danger, and the only person who can help them is Drummond Fox who has a secret library of magical books hidden in the shadows for safekeeping, a man fleeing his own demons. Because there is a nameless evil out there that is hunting them all . . .

Because this book is worth killing for.

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Sunbringer (The Fallen Gods Trilogy, Book 2) by Hannah Kaner

Published Februayr 15th by Harper Voyager
High Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Religious Science Fiction

SYNOPSIS:
The thrilling epic fantasy sequel to No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller, GODKILLER.

War is coming, godkiller.

Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Now they are stirring, whispering of war. Godkiller Kissen sacrificed herself to vanquish the fire god Hseth and save her friends, but gods cannot be destroyed so easily – and neither can godkillers.

Reeling from the loss of Kissen, young noble Inara and her little god of white lies, Skedi, seek answers to the true nature of their bond. The secrets they uncover could determine the outcome of the war.

Meanwhile, Elogast, no longer a loyal knight of King Arren, has been charged with destroying the man he once called friend. The king vowed to eradicate all gods, but has now entered into an unholy pact with the most dangerous of them all.

The kingdom is on the brink of destruction. What will they each sacrifice to save it?

Pre-order here*