Happy New Year! It’s that time of year when I explore some of the upcoming books that I’m excited about for 2023.
There are loads of amazing books due to be released this year, but I’ve put together a small selection that I think you’ll be interested in too.
Mostly they’re crime fiction, but there are some other books I’m excited about in the upcoming months, and no doubt many I’ve not even heard of or thought about yet! But here’s the list so far to wet your appetite.
Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night
Sophie Hannah has bought the Queen Of Crime’s beloved Belgium sleuth back to life with four outstanding novels. In this fifth one, we get to see the incredible little grey cells in action on a Christmas-themed mystery. I personally love a good festive crime story, so I’m looking forward to this new outing for Hannah’s version of the beloved character.
The Murder Game
Following from his stellar debut novel A Fatal Crossing, Tom Hindle is back with a bang with his upcoming novel The Murder Game. The second book is a standalone and doesn’t follow on from the first novel. Instead, it’s set in the present day at a 1920s-themed New Years eve Murder Mystery party at Hamlet Hall, a seaside statley home. Nine guests are invited and each has a part to play in the Murder Mystery game, until one of the assembled company is killed by a violent head injury. After the devlish twist at the end of A Fatal Crossing, I’m buzzing for Hindle’s lastest release, which is due out in the next few weeks.
A Death in the Parish
The second in the enthralling Canon Daniel Clement series follows on from the first book Murder Before Evensong, with a new murder in the form of a sadistic ritual-style killing. The Reverend Richard Coles is hilarious on Twitter, and brings this wit to his cosy crime fiction writing. So, if you like classic, Golden Age-style crime fiction that delves into the politics of small English village, then this book, set to be released in the summer, could be an ideal choice for you.
Death Comes to Marlow
The follow-up to the surprisingly gripping Marlow Murder Club, Death Comes To Marlow is a classic cosy locked room mystery from Robert Thorogood, who created Death In Paradise, a show that’s almost entirely locked room mysteries. So, I’m expecting good things from this new novel, which is set during a society wedding in the small town of Marlow, where a small collection older ladies solve crimes to enliven their lives between writing crossword puzzles or caring for their families.
Death of a Bookseller
In the age of the true crime book, series and podcast, Alice Slater has endearingly entwined true crime with fiction in her first crime novel. The book features a bookshop, a friendship built on a love of true crime podcasts that takes a sinister turn, a cold case and, weirdly enough, a pet snail named Bleep. To be honest, I was sold when I saw the snail’s name, but the rest makes me excited for this quirky but also thrilling sounding new novel.
Oh Miriam!: Stories From An Extraordinary Life
A departure from crime fiction is this non-fiction memoir from the hilarious actor-turned-raconteur Miriam Margolyes. Her first book, This Much Is True, was a funny and shocking selection of unique and laugh-out-loud stories. In her latest tome, Margolyes shares even more tales that didn’t make it into the previous volume. Given how funny and, at time, deeply moving, her first book was, I’m excited to see what more the actor has to share in this new book, due out later in 2023.
Black Candle Women
If you’re looking for a book that embraces adult fantasy and loved the Netflix series Wednesday, then I’d suggest checking out Diane Marie Brown’s Black Candle Women. The novel features a family of women living together in a small bungalow in California. The group is happy and stable until the teenage family member brings home a man, which means the older women have to share a long-held secret; an ancient family curse means that anyone they fall in love with will die. I love fantasy and stories of witches, so I’m eager to read this invigorating tale.
These are just some of the books I’m excited for in 2023! They’ll be loads of exciting new titles out over the next 12 months and new writers to chat to so stay tuned.
The Dorset Book Detective 