Books to look out for in 2018

One of the nicest things about being a reviewer is early copies of books from your favourite author or promising new writers. This doesn’t mean I don’t have to buy books any more. The titles sent to me by publishers are very welcome but I also spend a significant amount of time in bookshops and find it impossible to leave empty handed. I’m fortunate enough to have a partner whose addiction to books is worse than mine or at least on a par. Since becoming a published writer, I’ve also been lucky enough to get very early sight of books either to give a quote or an advance review on Crimepieces. This summer has yielded a bumper crop and, although they’re not out for at least six months, I thought you’d like to hear about some exciting reads which are coming in early 2018.

[image error]My most recent read was by the excellent Eva Dolan. I’m a  big fan of her writing and have reviewed a few titles here from her Zigic and Ferreira series. Eva has recently moved to Raven Books, an imprint of Bloomsbury and they are publishing her standalone, This is How it Ends, in January 2018. I could tell from the first page that I was going to love it. Eva’s writing is exquisite and she evokes a setting with such accuracy. This is How it Ends is a story of two women living in a near empty building who attempt to hide the body of a dead man in a lift shaft. It’s bold and compelling and I’m sure will bring Dolan a legion of new fans.

[image error]Cara Hunter is a writer whose debut, Close to Home, is also published in January 2018. It’s a police procedural set in Oxford which, of course, for crime fiction fans conjures up images of Morse. Hunter has cleverly provided a modern twist to this police procedural combining both investigators and family points of view to tell the story of a child who disappears from a party. It makes for an unsettling read and I found myself turning the pages, desperate to uncover the truth about Daisy Mason’s disappearance.

[image error]Roz Watkins is based near me in the Peak District and her debut novel, The Devil’s Dice, is out in March next year. She perfectly captures the Peak setting and incorporates elements of both the landscape and its interesting history. The cover has yet to be revealed, the picture on the left is of an early proof produced for the Derby Book Festival, but it has a clever and compelling plot which I loved.

[image error]Finally, A Map of the Dark, is coming in January 2018, from Hodder Books. Written by Karen Ellis, it’s the story of FBI Agent Elsa Myers who investigates the disappearance of a missing girl while fighting her own demons from her childhood. It’s an unsettling and dark read and I loved the character of Elsa. Ellis strikes perfectly a balance between believability and originality and I’m sure this book will be a great success.

So that’s some of the books that I’ve been reading over the summer. I’m sorry that you’ll have to wait until next year to read them for yourselves but you’re in for a treat. The good news, however, is that I’m having  five days of giveaways for the launch of A Patient Fury next week and this bundle will be a prize on the 4th September. It’ll be a chance to get the word out about these excellent books. More details soon.