Happy New Year! It’s the first week of January, so I’m starting off on a exciting note: taking a look at 6 new 2023 book releases I loved and really want to share with you. There’s nothing better than that new book anticipation!
For this post I’m looking at books released January – May 2023, then will do a follow up for the later months, later in the year. So, here we go…
6 new 2023 book releases you’re going to love
/ The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett
Published: 19th January
Unconventional in structure, this is crime fiction written as a set of texts, emails and transcribed conversations. All the communications belonging to crime writer Amanda Bailey, who is gathering evidence to write a new book about the Alperton Angels. A group of men in a cult and died in mysterious circumstances. Just what did really happen? You’ll never guess! Such a clever, witty story, setting the bar so high for 2023 crime stories.
/ The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell
Published: 2nd February
Historical Gothic fiction at its best. Set in the theatre world of Victorian London, actress Lilith is thought to have sold her soul to Melpomene, the tragic muse of Greek mythology, to become the greatest actress the world has seen. Told through costume assistant Jenny’s eyes, this is a story of love, revenge, ambition and the power of a curse. Loved it!
/ Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent
Published: 2nd March
Liz Nugent has such a way of crafting a sinister story you just can’t get enough of. With the character of Sally Diamond, she gives us a damaged but totally endearing woman who is only finding out, in her early 40s, the truth of what happened to her as a child. It is a truly dramatic and horrific reveal, but done in a way that means you can’t stop reading and, ultimately, rooting for Sally. My most unexpected read this year so far – in a great way!
/ Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater
Published: 27th April
A layered thriller narrated by Laura and Roach. Two women who work in Spines bookstore. Each has a distinct lack of grip on their lives, which cumulates in well… the death of a bookseller. Although maybe not in the way you expect. A sharp thriller that looks at how women are victimised in serial killer stories and how fiction can become reality for our two lead characters. A fast-paced read I couldn’t put down!
/ The Three of Us by Ore Agbaje Williams
Published: 11th May
I opened this one to get a feel for its tone and couldn’t stop reading! Set over a single afternoon, it’s the claustrophobic, heady tale of an unnamed woman, her best friend and her husband. The best friend and husband do not get along and things come to a climax over one-too-many bottles of wine and some manipulated words. A powerful, character-led story in a charged domestic setting. The tension thrums and the characters are great. Highly engaging.
/ Yellowface by Rebecca F Kuang
Published: 25th May
While I haven’t finished this book yet I’m very intrigued by its premise and loving it so far, so definitely wanted to include it in my highly-anticipated books of 2023 list. Enjoy its blurb here: What’s the harm in a pseudonym? New York Times bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn’t write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American. With its totally immersive first-person voice, Yellowface takes on questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation not only in the publishing industry but the persistent erasure of Asian-American voices and history by Western white society.
What do you think? Have you got any of these on your TBR list for 2023?
Books on the 7:47 