Finally! Your favourite authors are back
It’s so exciting when your go-to author brings out a new book, and this autumn, some of the nation’s much-loved storytellers are doing just that
WHO?
Elizabeth Day returns with her first work of fiction since the publication of her gripping novel, The Party, in 2017.
OUR VERDICT
Her juiciest thriller yet, it follows Marisa as she moves in with her new boyfriend Jake, and they begin trying for a baby. They also take in a lodger, Kate, to alleviate financial pressure – but Kate’s obsessive behaviour worries Marisa, while Jake doesn’t seem to care. A huge twist turns the narrative on its head – be prepared to forget everything you thought you knew about the characters. With underlying themes of infertility, trauma and mental health, Magpie is moving as well as totally tense. Out now
WHO?
Acclaimed thriller writer and author of Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty is back with a deliciously dark story set in suburbia.
OUR VERDICT
Fans of Moriarty know how skilled she is at writing tense mystery dramas, and Apples Never Fall doesn’t disappoint. When Joy, a mother of four, goes missing, suspicion falls on her husband Stan, whose face is inexplicably scratched. At first, it’s unfathomable this picture-perfect family would have secrets, but when time winds back to the arrival of a strange woman at the Delaneys’ door, everything unravels. It takes a while to get into the story, but further along, there’s some gripping pace that makes up for it. Out now
WHO?
Richard Osman’s The Thursday Murder Club was a 2020 must-read, so it’s no surprise a follow-up is here already.
OUR VERDICT
In The Man Who Died Twice, readers rejoin Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim from Osman’s first book. (If you haven’t read it, the sequel would still be enjoyable, even without the backstory of how four OAPs came to be solving murders.) When someone from Elizabeth’s past gets in touch with stories of stolen diamonds, multiple murders and a violent mobster, our favourite pensioners are on the case. Despite its crime thriller-esque plot, the story is uplifting, thanks to the warm characters. Out 16 September
WHO?
After her hit debut Queenie, Candice Carty-Williams has turned her hand to young adult fiction with this story.
OUR VERDICT
Think Freaky Friday but with a south London edge: Empress & Aniya follows two teenagers from very different backgrounds, as Empress starts at Aniya’s private school on a scholarship. After accidentally casting a spell and switching bodies, the pair quickly come to understand what it’s really like to step into the other’s shoes. It’s full of fun moments while covering important issues like privilege and female friendship. The teenagers (and adults) in your life need to read this. Out 7 October
WHO?
Following the runaway success of Normal People, Sally Rooney returns with her highly anticipated third novel.
OUR VERDICT
If the relationships in Rooney’s other books had you hooked, you’ll love her latest offering. Whereas previously she’s centred on student protagonists, BWWAY feels more grown up, with the characters nearing 30 and working out what they want from adulthood. Alice is a successful novelist critical of her fame, while Eileen is confused about where she stands with her childhood friend, Simon. There’s love, sex and drifting apart, threaded together by Rooney’s signature skill in writing about everyday life. Out now