by Philip Gray — A gripping tale of forgery, set in Belgium in the mid 20th century. Well written, infused with the spirit of ‘belgitude’.
Arbie Swift series
by Faith Martin — Murder by Candlelight and The Last Word is Death are the first two novels in a delicious new series of cozy detective stories.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
by Grady Hendrix — A horror story, of subjugated children, pregnancy and forced adoption, witchcraft and a pact with the devil.
Murder Mindfully
by Karsten Dusse — ‘I didn’t kill anyone until I was forty-two. […] Admittedly, I did kill almost half a dozen in the week that followed.’
Into the Storm
by Cecilia Ahern — A doctor, Enya Pickering, gets caught up in a hit and run incident on a remote road outside Dublin on a wet winter night.
The Maiden of Florence
by Katherine Mezzacappa — A beautifully written historical novel based on true events in 16thC Italy and a profoundly moving portrayal of sexual trauma.
Havoc
by Christopher Bollen — Incisive social satire featuring wealthy guests and a terrifying 8 year-old kid in a Luxor hotel during the Covid pandemic.
Heart of Cruelty
by Maybelle Wallis — Gripping, atmospheric historical fiction in the sensationalist tradition. Forbidden love amidst evil and murder.
The Ravenswood Witch
by Jenni Keer — An atmospheric gothic tale oozing with mystery, madness, secrets, lust, murder and a touch of magic.
The Peepshow
by Kate Summerscale — Meticulously researched and highly readable account of the infamous mid-20th century murderer, Reginald Christie.
The Glassmaker
by Tracy Chevalier — A multiple-timeline novel about the history of Murano glassmaking, following Orsola Rosso from 1486 to now.
Top 10 novels of 2024
Looking for a really great read among novels published in 2024? Here (in no particular order) are my top 10 favourites. Covering a range of fiction genres — literary, speculative, historical, crime and fantasy — they are all guaranteed great
The Wonder Drug
by Susanna Beard — An absolutely gripping, unputdownable thriller. Michelle races to implicate a pharmaceutical lab before it’s too late.
How the Victorians Lived
by Shona Parker — A very readable social history. Money, food, fashion, science, communication and travel, medicine, crime, etc.
The House of the Witch
Immersive story, set in the 17th century and the present, about female defiance of patriarchal control.
Blue Hawk
by Chloe Turner — Immersive story about a textile worker, set in 17th century Gloucestershire. Blue Hawk celebrates female tenacity and ingenuity.
The Busy Body
by Kemper Donovan — A homage to Agatha Christie, recommended for fans of well-written modern crime fiction in the classic tradition.
A Good Place to Hide a Body
by Laura Marshall — When you get a call about a dead body, how far will you go to protect your elderly parents?
Key Lime Sky
by Al Hess — A fun, quirky cozy alien invasion romp that also addresses themes of isolation, queer identity and “logical” family.
What A Way To Go
by Bella Mackie — Fun social satire featuring obnoxious rich people, murder, financial crime and true crime podcasting.