This is a HARD list to compile! There are SO many books I am excited for next year but I thought I’d narrow it down to just sixteen…
I have already read a few 2016 reads so I won’t include those in this post but I shall be raving about them very soon! So, without further ado, here are 16 books I can’t wait for!
Hidden Bodies – Caroline Kepnes
I read You very recently and whilst I didn’t find it an ‘enjoyable’ read, it was compelling and I am intrigued enough to want to read the follow up novel Hidden Bodies! I believe it follows the same character (a psychopathic male stalker) and we see what happens after the end of the last book and what he’s now up to…
Joe Goldberg came to Los Angeles to start over, to forget about what happened in New York. But in a darkened room in Soho House everything suddenly changed.
She is like no one he’s ever met before.
She doesn’t know about his past and never can.
The problem is, hidden bodies don’t always stay that way.
The Trouble With Goats And Sheep – Joanna Cannon
The title and cover of this book led me to believe it would be some kind of natural history non-fiction about goats and sheep!! However, on closer inspection it seems to be a mystery fiction read which really does make me more excited than the thought of a non-fiction sheep book!
England,1976.
Mrs Creasy is missing and The Avenue is alive with whispers. As the summer shimmers endlessly on, ten-year-olds Grace and Tilly decide to take matters into their own hands.
And as the cul-de-sac starts giving up its secrets, the amateur detectives will find much more than they imagined…
Beside Myself – Ann Morgan
You might start to see a trend here now…a lot of the books I want to read are psychological thrillers! I am addicted to this genre at the moment and Beside Myself fits into the category perfectly. The blurb just makes me want to dive into the book straight away…it sounds SO GOOD.
Helen and Ellie are identical twins – like two peas in a pod, everyone says.
The girls know this isn’t true, though: Helen is the leader and Ellie the follower.
Until they decide to swap places: just for fun, and just for one day.
But Ellie refuses to swap back…
And so begins a nightmare from which Helen cannot wake up. Her toys, her clothes, her friends, her glowing record at school, the favour of her mother and the future she had dreamed of are all gone to a sister who blossoms in the approval that used to belong to Helen. And as the years pass, she loses not only her memory of that day but also herself – until eventually only ‘Smudge’ is left.
Twenty-five years later, Smudge receives a call from out of the blue. It threatens to pull her back into her sister’s dangerous orbit, but if this is her only chance to face the past, how can she resist?
Not Working – Lisa Owens
This sounds RIGHT up my street. It’s about a woman who gives up her job to find her real vocation in life but then very quickly realises that she doesn’t have a clue what that is. I think so many people can relate to that predicament and there have been some rave reviews already for this novel so I am eager to get my hands on it as soon as possible! (No cover yet!)
Claire Flannery has quit her job in order to discover her true vocation – only to realize she has no idea how to go about finding it. Whilst everyone around her seems to have their lives entirely under control, Claire finds herself sinking under pressure and wondering where her own fell apart. ‘It’s fine,’ her grandmother says. ‘I remember what being your age was like – of course, I had four children under eight then, but modern life is different, you’ve got an awful lot on.’
Funny, sharp, tender and brilliantly observed, Not Working is the story of a life unravelling in minute and spectacular ways, and a novel that voices the questions we’ve all been asking ourselves but never dared to say out loud.
I See You – Clare Mackintosh
Much like the rest of the reading population I devoured Clare’s debut I Let You Go and so am waiting very impatiently to read her next offering I See You. Sadly we have no cover yet but we do have a very intriguing blurb which has got me super excited. Clare writes the most engrossing psychological thrillers so I am more than positive this one is going to be a bestseller too.
You do the same thing every day.
You know exactly where you’re going.
So does he.
When Zoe Walker sees her photo in the classifieds section of a London newspaper, she is determined to find out why it’s there. There’s no explanation, no website: just a grainy image and a phone number. She takes it home to her family, who are convinced it’s just someone who looks like Zoe. But the next day the advert shows a photo of a different woman, and another the day after that.
Is it a mistake? A coincidence? Or is someone keeping track of every move they make . . .
Far From True – Linwood Barclay
Linwood is an auto-buy author for me and has been for many years. I love his books – they are some of the greatest in the genre. He knows exactly how to keep the reader on edge and throws curveballs at every opportunity. I believe this novel is part of the Promise Falls Trilogy and follows on from his previous, Broken Promise, following the life of the detective Barry Duckworth and Cal Weaver.
After the screen of a run-down drive-in movie theater collapses and kills four people, the daughter of one of the victims asks private investigator Cal Weaver to look into a recent break-in at her father’s house. Cal discovers a hidden basement room where it’s clear that salacious activities have taken place – as well as evidence of missing DVDs. But his investigation soon becomes more complicated when he realises the DVDs may contain something even more shocking.
Meanwhile, Detective Barry Duckworth is still trying to solve two murders – one of which is three years old – he believes are connected, since each featured a similar distinctive wound.
As the lies begin to unravel, Cal is headed straight into the heart of a dark secret as his search uncovers more startling truths about Promise Falls. And when yet another murder happens, Cal and Barry are both driven to pursue their investigations, no matter where they lead. Evil deeds long thought buried are about to haunt the residents of this town – as the sins of the past and present collide with terrifying results.
You Sent Me A Letter – Lucy Dawson
I haven’t read any of Lucy Dawson’s books before (whoops!) but this one intrigued me instantly and with a quote on the cover from C L Taylor praising it, I couldn’t not have it on my wish list! The premise sounds very unique and I hope the story is one that is unlike anything else I’ve ever read.
On the morning of her fortieth birthday, Sophie wakes in the darkness of her bedroom – and finds a stranger watching her from the foot of the bed. The intruder hands Sophie a letter and issues an ultimatum: the message is to be opened at her forthcoming party, in front of family and friends, at exactly 8 p.m.. Any failure to comply will not end well.
What can the letter possibly contain? And why must it be read in front of everyone she loves? When the clock strikes eight, the course of several people’s lives will be altered forever.
Jolly Foul Play – Robin Stevens
Anything to do with Deepdean, bun breaks and Daisy and Hazel is right up my street. I have adored the previous ‘Murder Most Unladylike’ novels and so was thrilled to hear another had been written. I’m also thrilled by the colour of the cover – it will make a lovely rainbow on my shelf with the other three!
Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong have returned to Deepdean for a new school term, but nothing is the same. There’s a new Head Girl, Elizabeth Hurst, and a team of Prefects – and these bullying Big Girls are certainly notgood eggs.
Then, after the fireworks display on Bonfire Night, Elizabeth is found – murdered.
Many girls at Deepdean had reason to hate Elizabeth, but who might have committed such foul play? Could the murder be linked to the secrets and scandals, scribbled on scraps of paper, that are suddenly appearing around the school? And with their own friendship falling to pieces, how will Daisy and Hazel solve this mystery?
Butterfly In The Dark – Gilly Macmillan
Much like the other authors on this list, Gilly is one I have quickly fallen in love with after readind her debut Burnt Paper Sky earlier this year. It was so haunting and atmospheric so I was over the moon to hear there was another in the pipeline, plus can we just talk about how beautiful the cover AND title are?!
Several years ago, Zoe Maisey – child genius, musical sensation – caused the death of three teenagers. She served her time. And now she’s free.
Her story begins with her giving the performance of her life.
By midnight, her mother is dead.
Butterfly in the Dark is an intricate exploration into the mind of a teenager burdened by brilliance.
It’s a story about the wrongs in our past not letting go and how hard we must fight for second chances.
The Missing – C L Taylor
Taylor’s previous two novels have been so engrossing and unpredictable that I cannot wait to read The Missing. The Accident was such a striking debut but with the second novel, The Lie, Taylor proved that she is more than just a one book wonder!! I have high hopes for The Missing…!
You love your family. They make you feel safe. You trust them. Or do you…?
When fifteen-year-old Billy Wilkinson goes missing in the middle of the night, his mother, Claire Wilkinson, blames herself. She’s not the only one. There isn’t a single member of Billy’s family that doesn’t feel guilty. But the Wilkinsons are so used to keeping secrets from one another that it isn’t until six months later, after an appeal for information goes horribly wrong, that the truth begins to surface.
Claire is sure of two things – that Billy is still alive and that her friends and family had nothing to do with his disappearance.
A mother’s instinct is never wrong. Or is it?
Sometimes those closest to us are the ones with the most to hide…
Our Song – Dani Atkins
I was heartbroken by Dani’s debut novel Fractured and have not yet read her second through fear of being reduced to a crying mess once more but I will make sure I read it before I dive into the third and very hyped novel, Our Song. Dani has jumped ship for this one and is under the Simon & Schuster wing now so I am excited at what is to come from Dani!
This is the story of Ally and Charlotte, whose paths have intersected over the years though they’ve never really been close friends. Charlotte married Ally’s ex and first true love, David. Fate is about to bring them together one last, dramatic time and change their lives forever.
Who’s That Girl? – Mhairi McFarlane
The cover was very recently revealed on Instagram for Mhairi’s fourth novel and I can’t tell you how much I love it! Annoyingly I can’t seem to find the image anywhere to show you but if you head to Harper Collins Instagram you should be able to find it! Mhairi’s writing is so fresh and funny and her books always make me laugh out loud – I can’t wait to giggle all the way through this one.
What’s the one thing you DON’T do at a wedding?
When Edie is caught in a compromising position at her colleagues’ wedding, all the blame falls on her – turns out that personal popularity in the office is not that different from your schooldays. Shamed online and ostracised by everyone she knows, her boss suggests an extended sabbatical – ghostwriting an autobiography for hot new acting talent, Elliot Owen. Easy, right?
Wrong. Banished back to her home town of Nottingham, Edie is not only dealing with a man who probably hasn’t heard the word ‘no’ in a decade, but also suffering an excruciating regression to her teenage years as she moves back in with her widowed father and judgey, layabout sister.
When the world is asking who you are, it’s hard not to question yourself. Who’s that girl? Edie is ready to find out.
The One We Fell In Love With – Paige Toon
Sadly we’re also still waiting on a cover for this one but I am sure it’ll be just as beautiful and perfect as every single one of Paige’s other covers! Paige is again an auto-buy author for me and I will buy any book she writes without even reading the blurb (which is just as well as we have no blurb yet!!)
Bone By Bone – Sanjida Kay
This novel is from one of my new favourite publishers, Corvus. As soon as I saw the cover on Twitter I got mightily excited and wanted to read it straight away…don’t you?! Again, a psychological thriller that sounds like it could be very, very, very good!
Laura is making a fresh start. Recently divorced and relocated to Bristol, she’s carving a new life for herself and her nine-year-old daughter, Autumn. But things aren’t going as well as she’d hoped. Autumn’s sweet nature and artistic bent are making her a target for bullies.
When Autumn fails to return home from school one day Laura goes looking for her and finds a crowd of older children taunting her little girl. In the heat of the moment, Laura is overcome with rage and makes one terrible mistake. A mistake that will have devastating consequences for her and her daughter…
Rebound – Aga Lesiewicz
I am lucky enough to have an ARC of this novel so I am going to delve in super soon, however I thought I would include it in this list as I am very intrigued by the tagline...I’m not a bad person but maybe I did a bad thing…
Life is good for Anna Wright. She’s a successful media executive working for one of the UK’s largest TV corporations. She’s got a great boyfriend, some close friends and a lovely home. She adores her dog, Wispa, and she loves to run to help her de-stress. But Anna’s perfect life starts to crumble from the moment when, out jogging on the Heath one day, she meets a handsome stranger. She takes a route into unfamiliar territory, and then she has to face the consequences. There’s a dark, growing creepiness as the atmosphere becomes unsettled and, as Anna’s professional life becomes increasingly pressured and poisonous, her obsession with the intriguing stranger intensifies.
The Ex – Alafair Burke
And last, but by no means least, the latest from Alafair Burke. I love the sound of the blurb and the cover drew me in straight away too. I’ve read a few novels by Burke in the past and they’ve all been impressive so I have high hopes for this one!
Widower Jack Harris has resisted the dating scene since the shooting of his wife by a fifteen-year-old boy three years ago. An early morning run along the Hudson River changes that when he spots a woman who eerily but thrillingly echoes his past. Eager to help Jack find love again, his best friend posts a “Missed Moment” item online and days later, a woman responds…
Olivia Randall is one of New York City’s best criminal defense lawyers. When she gets the phone call informing her that her former fiance, Jack Harris, has been arrested for a triple homicide there is no doubt in her mind as to his innocence. The only question is who would go to such great lengths to frame him – and why?
For Olivia, representing Jack is a way to make up for past regrets, and the hurt she caused him, but as the evidence against him mounts, she is forced to confront her doubts. The man she knew could not have done this. But what if she never really knew him?
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So that’s my list!! What’s on yours? Is there something I’ve missed off that I should DEFINITELY have on there!?
Blabbering About Books 