“Unhappenings” by Edward Aubry – Erasing a Person in Time

Edward Aubry recently left the comfort of his long-standing Mayhem Wave series to try his hand at a standalone time travel novel, which he titled Unhappenings. In it, we are told the story of Nigel Walden, whose past seems to be constantly rewriting itself from one day to the next since the age of fourteen. 

A few years later, he receives a visit from two people of his own future, one being an elderly version of himself, and they attempt to find the truth behind the “unhappenings”.

“2nd Chance” by James Patterson and Andrew Gross – Victim of a Miracle

James Patterson and Andrew Gross are without doubt two of the best and most prominent murder mystery writers, and for everyone's pleasure they decided to collaborate on 2nd Chance, the second entry into the Women's Murder Club series. 

The story follows an investigation centred around a curious public shooting outside a San Francisco church, where miraculously only a single specific victim was killed.

“Among the Mad” by Jacqueline Winspear – Hunting the Would-Be Murderer

Jacqueline Winspear has turned Maisie Dobbs into a true mainstay of the murder mystery genre, and her sixth novel in the series, titled Among the Mad, looks to raise the stakes a bit. 

This time around, Maisie is racing against the clock to find the blackmailer of the prime minister's office, whose threats include the perpetration of a murder on a massive scale should their demands not be met.

“Farewell Summer” by Ray Bradbury – The Victory of Time

Ray Bradbury has captured the spirit of youthful summers like few others ever could in his Greentown Series, brought to an end with the third book, Farewell Summer. 

In it, we continue to follow the story of thirteen-year-old Douglas Spaulding and his younger brother Tom, as they try their best to resist the inevitable tides of change, going as far as declaring war on old age itself.

“Anxious People” by Fredrik Backman – The Common Thread of Failure

Fredrik Backman seems to have a fantastic penchant for the unusual in his stories, and he presents yet another original premise in his latest novel, Anxious People. The story takes place in an open house, where a group of eight people have been taken hostage by a failed bank robber. 

 
They all have their own worries, grievances, and failures in life to deal with, and as the situation escalates into a national drama, they begin to see rather surprising truths about themselves.

“Eight Perfect Murders” by Peter Swanson – The Impossible Crime

Peter Swanson has certainly distinguished himself as a unique voice in the psychological suspense genre in the past few years, and he continues his fray into the realms of murder mystery with his most recent novel, Eight Perfect Murders. 

It follows the story of a bookseller who puts together a list of what he believes are the eight most perfect and nigh-unsolvable murders in fiction. Shortly after, someone starts bringing the list to life.

“Dandelion Wine” by Ray Bradbury – Remnants from the Dream of Boyhood

Ray Bradbury has forever cemented his legacy as one of the titans of literature, with many of his works considered essential classics today.

As is the case with most authors of this calibre, some of his stories went more under the radar than other ones despite being no worse, and it feels to me Dandelion Wine is one of them, following the story of the twelve-year-old Douglas Spaulding and his one magical summer of 1928.

“An Incomplete Revenge” by Jacqueline Winspear – Legacy of the Strange Village

Jacqueline Winspear will hopefully never run out of mysteries for Maisie Dobbs to solve, and in the fifth book of the series, titled An Incomplete Revenge, she sends her out into a not-so-quaint countryside.

Tasked by her friend to investigate matters around a land purchase in a village in Kent, Maisie finds upon her arrival something strange and sinister at work, with mysterious fires and thefts popping up with alarming regularity.

“The Starless Sea” by Erin Morgenstern – Realm of the Lost Stories

Erin Morgenstern's imagination takes her to places many authors don't even know the existence of, her novels always brimming with originality.

In The Starless Sea, she lets her talents shine bright once again, following the story of Zachary Ezra Rawlins, a graduate student in Vermont who discovers a mysterious book. Inside are numerous tales, and one of them has been ripped straight out of Zachary's childhood.

“Blacktop Wasteland” by S. A. Cosby – The Miserable Driver's Seat

S. A. Cosby might have single-handedly brought back the getaway heist thriller genre, at least for a bit, with his recent summer bestseller, Blacktop Wasteland.

Following the story of Beauregard, a mechanic with a troubled past trying to keep afloat a failing family business, we see him fall back into his old ways when the perfect opportunity presents itself to solve all of his family's problems. As he should have known though, nothing is perfect in the world of jewel heists.

“Messenger of Truth” by Jacqueline Winspear – No Accidents in Crime

Looking back on our entire history as a whole, I think it's safe to say artists have often had it pretty rough, and not only in terms of their ability to make money.

Time and time again across continents, artists have drawn the ire of the poor and wealthy alike for the expression of their ideas and observations, often a little too close to the truth for comfort.

“Infinity Engine” by Neal Asher – The Frontier of Annihilation

Neal Asher has done what few authors can bring themselves to do, and published the third and final book in the Transformation series, titled Infinity Engine.

Picking up from the events of the second book, the AI Penny Royal is set on a collision course with the ever-growing Brockle, another, potentially more dangerous swarm-robot AI. Meanwhile, Thorvald is fighting for his life against technology gone rogue aboard the war factory.