A strong ending to 2025 and start to 2026! Lots of highly-anticipated new books in this collection.

Featuring: RJ Barker, Tiffany Hanssen, Jason M. Hough, Allen Iverson (w. Ray Beauchamp), Ken Jaworowski, Michael McFaul, Michael Schur & Joe Posnanski, David R. Shedd & Andrew Badger, Caitlin Shetterly, Richard Swan, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Jason Zengerle

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RJ Barker, MORTEDANT’S PERIL (Tor Books)

In a city of ancient automata, strange spirits, and sleeping gods, a cleric of death finds his own life on the line…

Irody Hasp is a Mortedant, a cleric tasked with reading the last thoughts of the dead — though no one thanks him for it. No Mortedant is popular, but Irody is scarcely tolerated even by the other members of his own guild, and rarely selected for anything but the lowliest of jobs.

This impoverished existence would be dismal enough — but after reading the corpse of a low-level records keeper, Irody’s troubles quickly multiply when his own apprentice is murdered, and all fingers point to him as a suspect. The only way to save his own skin is to find the real culprit himself, an investigation that quickly attracts powerful enemies with few scruples, and draws him into a plot that threatens the entire corrupt yet wondrous city he calls home.

The start of a new series from the author of the Wounded Kingdom, The Tide Child, and The Forsaken series. Sounds rather interesting, as I would expect from Barker. Looking forward to reading this as soon as I can. Mortedant’s Peril is due to be published by Tor Books in North America (May 19th) and in the UK( May 21st)

Also on CR: Interviews with RJ Barker — 2017 and 2020; Annotated Excerpt from The Bone Ships; Reviews of Age of Assassins, Blood of Assassins, and King of Assassins

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Instagram, BlueSky
Review copy received via NetGalley

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Tiffany Hanssen, MY NAME WAS GERRY SASS (Atlantic Crime)

Gerry Sass is not who he appears to be. On the surface, he is the proud owner of a local country music station outside of Mystic, Iowa. Beneath it, he’s a mob-connected hitman-for-hire who launders money through the station WIOA.

One morning in 1986, his life of crime catches up to him when two men march him out into the woods and shoot him in the back of the head. Plunged into purgatory, he’s doomed to a painful examination of his life. Unbeknownst to the assassins, Gerry’s closest friend, a Catholic priest named Father Dan, witnesses his execution yet does nothing to stop it.

Meanwhile, Gerry’s daughter, Early, jumps into his prized Mustang with a thirst for revenge. On her adrenaline-fueled hunt, she comes to realize that she’s more like Gerry than she ever chose to admit.

Alternating between the voices of a grieving and adrenaline-fueled daughter, a guilt-ridden priest with no one he can trust, and the voice of a dead killer not quite yet gone, My Name Was Gerry Sass exposes the complicated natures of family, grief, and God in this propulsive and darkly funny novel.

This is Hanssen’s debut crime novel, and it was the “The Sopranos meets Six Feet Under” pitch that caught my attention. I hope to get to this very soon (maybe even starting it tonight). My Name Was Gerry Sass is due to be published by Atlantic Crime in North America and in the UK, on May 12th, 2026.

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Instagram
Review copy received via NetGalley

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Jason M. Hough, THROW AWAY THE KEY (Crooked Lane Books)

A former CIA locksmith turned glorified janitor is haunted by a botched Cold War operation with ramifications that extend to the present day.

Lars Bergman is no ordinary janitor. He’s the CIA’s locksmith.

Formerly part of the CIA’s infamous Surreptitious Entry Team, Lars is now responsible for every padlock, safe, and secure door across the CIA headquarters. He’s never met a lock he couldn’t pick…except one, which he tried and failed to open during a botched mission in Warsaw at the end of the Cold War.

Cruising toward retirement, Lars’s life is upended when a senior CIA official dies and he’s called upon to open the safe in her office. Inside the safe is a clue only Lars would notice, left by someone he’d worked with in his heyday. As he investigates, Lars soon realizes that his failed Warsaw operation has come back to haunt him and perhaps give him another chance at picking the one lock that’s ever eluded him.

What Lars doesn’t realize is that what the lock is protecting could have dire ramifications for the organization he has spent his whole adult life safekeeping.

Despite being familiar with his name for quite some time, I’ve somehow not read any of Hough’s novels to date… This next one, however, very much caught my attention: like many people, I am thoroughly enjoying this new, extended golden age of espionage fiction, and the synopsis for Throw Away the Key really caught my attention. I’ll be reading this hopefully later this month. Throw Away the Key is due to be published by Crooked Lane Books in North America and in the UK, on July 14th, 2026.

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Instagram
Review copy received via NetGalley

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Allen Iverson, w. Ray Beauchamp, MISUNDERSTOOD (Gallery/13A)

A compelling and candid memoir from Allen Iverson, the NBA’s most misunderstood Hall of Famer, detailing his tough childhood in Virginia, his entry into the league as the number one overall pick, and his controversial, culture-changing pro basketball career.

In Misunderstood, Allen Iverson shares in searing clarity and touching candor his meteoric rise from impoverished child in the Virginia projects to high school champion to Georgetown University protégé of legendary coach John Thompson, and finally to NBA All-Star and Reebok’s Vice President of Basketball.

Allen Iverson is a household name — Boomers and Gen Xers watched his decades-long run as a scrappy, tenacious basketball player on the Philadelphia 76ers who redefined the sport’s style (both fashion-wise and playing-wise), while millennials and Gen Zers are perhaps more familiar with his Reebok line’s resurgence in popularity, his callout in Post Malone’s viral hit “White Iverson,” and for being the namesake of Kendall Roy’s son on Succession. Part athletic legend, part fashion icon, part hip-hop muse, Iverson was one of the first celebrities to fuse lifestyle, culture, and sports.

But while everyone may know his name, few have seen behind the curtain on Iverson’s tumultuous life. Misunderstood lifts the veil and brings you into the mind of the pugnacious, ultra-talented misfit whose foremost goal, more than fame or fortune, was always to lift his family and friends out of poverty and violence. In his memoir, Iverson explores how he completely shattered the mold dictating what an NBA star could be in the 1990s and 2000s, all while dealing with legal troubles and personal traumas that only contributed to his sense of individualism and star power. This is the unforgettable story of a trailblazer who not only changed the game of basketball but rewrote the rules of what it means to rise, fall, and rise again while staying unapologetically true to himself.

One of the greatest point guards to play the game. I’ve never seen Iverson play basketball, save for in clips and documentaries — as I’ve mentioned before on CR, it was only after moving to Canada that I had ready access to games on TV (and one-per-year at the Raptors’  stadium). I have another book about Iverson’s career — Larry Platt’s Only the Strong Survive — which for some reason I keep forgetting to read, but I think it’ll be interesting to read these two books (close) together. Misunderstood is out now, published by Gallery/13A in North America and in the UK.

Follow the Author: Goodreads, Instagram

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Ken Jaworowski, WHAT ABOUT THE BODIES (Atlantic Crime)

Carla, a single mom poised to finally break free from her cycle of poverty, must risk it all, including her morality, to help her son hide a terrible secret.

Reed, an autistic young man, sets out on a journey to keep a deathbed promise to the mother he just lost. Along the way he’ll encounter both kindhearted residents and a cold-blooded nemesis.

And Liz, an aspiring musician on the cusp of a breakthrough, needs to quickly come up with the cash she owes a brutal ex-con. If she can’t pay him, both her dream and her life will be in grave danger.

As these three compelling characters intersect, the novel ignites into a story filled with explosive twists, hair-raising chills, and boundless love.

I first learned about this book via the publisher’s social media accounts. Thought it sounded really interesting, so I got it as soon as I could. What About the Bodies is out now, published by Atlantic Crime in North America.

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Instagram

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Michael McFaul, AUTOCRATS VS. DEMOCRATS (Mariner)

A bold, clear-eyed look at how the autocracies of China and Russia are challenging the current global order, and how America’s future depends on successfully confronting this threat.

The rise of China, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the reelection of President Donald Trump have reinforced a gloomy yet growing consensus: the old global order has ended, and a new Cold War has begun. And yet, many of the perils we face today are distinctly different from those we encountered from the Soviet Union. The alliance between the autocracies of China and Russia, China’s economic might, the rise of the far right in the United States and Europe, and the disturbing isolationist foreign policy shifts of the Trump administration — taken together represent new challenges for the democratic world. They are threats with no precedent in the past century.

In this sweeping account of great power competition between the United States, China, and Russia over the past three centuries, Michael McFaul — former ambassador to Russia and international affairs analyst for NBC News — argues persuasively that today’s challenges require fresh thinking, not constrained by distant memories of the Cold War or the nationalist dreams of MAGA. One of the preeminent thinkers on American foreign policy for decades, McFaul combines in-depth historical analysis with a forward-looking perspective, crafting a new grand strategy for America in this age of global disorder. Acknowledging how Xi’s China, Putin’s Russia, and Trump’s America are upending the current international system, Autocrats vs. Democrats makes the case against America’s retreat from the world, detailing why:

• • Russia’s disruptive ambitions should not be underestimated.
  • China’s capabilities should not be overestimated.
  • Trump’s shift toward isolationism and autocracy will weaken America’s place in the world.

At once a clarion call for American diplomacy and a forceful rebuttal of the Trump administration’s policies, Autocrats vs. Democrats provides a nuanced assessment of the China and Russia threats, as well as a bold vision for renewing America’s leadership on the world stage.

Sounds like an interesting and important book to read in these times. Also looks like it’ll be a nice complementary read to Anne Applebaum’s Autocracy, Inc. (which I thought was very good). Autocrats Vs. Democrats is out now, published by Mariner Books in North America and in the UK.

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Instagram, BlueSky

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Michael Schur & Joe Posnanski, BIG FAN (Dutton)

Mike Schur and Joe Posnanski travel the world in a hilarious and heartwarming celebration of fans and the things they love: baseball, basketball, chess, darts, football, futbol, Indigenous North American stickball, pickleball, WWE, Taylor Swift, Star Wars, and more.

Two great friends. Lots of frequent flyer miles. And a bottomless appetite for experiencing sports. That’s what BIG FAN is all about.

Bestselling authors and podcast hosts Joe Posnanski and Mike Schur love games — almost any game! — and they bring readers to the front row (and sometimes even right onto the field). Whether ringside at WrestleMania in Las Vegas, singing along with the maniacs at the World Darts Championships in London, or just watching eight straight hours of football at a Buffalo Wild Wings in Dallas, they bring us to the very heart of what it means to love something so much it hurts.

Through crushing defeats and glorious wins, whether cheering penalty kicks with 65,000 fans in Liverpool or beholding a chess master castling in dead silence, BIG FAN is about why we love what we love and how fandom connects us in a time when so much else pulls us apart.

I’m a long-time fan of Schur’s TV shows (The Office, Parks & Recreation, The Good Place, to name but three); as well as his book, How to Be Perfect. Following him on social media has also highlighted the fact that he is himself a fan of things. I’m a big fan of liking things — too often, the internet makes it seem like hating things is the only interesting position to have. (This is objectively false.) So, when I saw that he’d co-authored a book about being a fan of things, it immediately went on my must-read list. Big Fan is due to be published by Dutton in North America and in the UK, on May 19th.

Follow the Author (Schur): IMDb, Goodreads, BlueSky
Follow the Author: (Posnanski): Website, Goodreads, Instagram, BlueSky
Review copy received via Edelweiss

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David R. Shedd & Andrew Badger, THE GREAT HEIST (Harper)

A definitive, headline-making exposé of how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has carried out the largest-scale theft of intellectual property, technology, and data in history — reshaping the global balance of power and redrawing the geopolitical map for decades to come

The Great Heist exposes China’s unprecedented state-orchestrated espionage campaign to strip the United States and its allies of their economic, technological, and military edge. Through a coordinated “whole-of-society” strategy, the Chinese Communist Party has dramatically expanded its covert operations to acquire America’s most valuable innovations—stealing defense secrets and proprietary technology from companies like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Google, T-Mobile, and Tesla. By exploiting both human and cyber vulnerabilities, China has quietly looted the crown jewels of Western technology, saving itself trillions in R&D costs since the 1990s — with an ongoing brazenness fueled by decades of Western inaction.

Drawing on exclusive investigations and interviews with intelligence officers, corporate security teams, senior policymakers, and espionage victims, David R. Shedd and Andrew Badger reveal how industrial theft has fueled China’s meteoric rise from Third World backwater to global superpower — and present a bold strategic playbook to turn the tide in the greatest economic contest of our time.

Genuinely surprised this is published by any imprint of Harper Collins, let alone the “main” one, given the Murdochs’ various maneuverings to increase their China-based business… Sounds interesting, though, so definitely going to read it as soon as I can. The Great Heist is out now, published by Harper in North America and in the UK.

Follow the Author: Goodreads

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Caitlin Shetterly, THE GULF OF LIONS (Harper)

A standalone and evocative novel about a mother who, recovering from the trauma of breast cancer and a mastectomy, takes a once-in-a-lifetime trip across France with her two daughters, determined to fully live. There, she finds herself newly awakened by beauty and desire but when the trip takes a turn for the worst, she must decide between a life of pleasure or the deep tethering of family.

Reconciling with her husband after a betrayal and recovering from a yearlong battle with breast cancer, Alice longs for an escape from the trials of everyday life. When the opportunity arises for a once-in-a-lifetime camping trip across France, she packs up her daughters, hoping it’s the new start she so desperately needs.

Alice, teenage Sophie, and young Iris begin their odyssey in the French Alps, entering a foreign world they did not know existed: beautiful people, luscious food, and sensual temptations. It’s a freeing experience — exploring the countryside, sleeping beneath the stars, reveling in the sights and scents of nature. For the first time since her diagnosis, Alice starts to feel alive, less afraid of dying, and less angry about her husband’s affair.

But as the family continues south, traveling through Provence, where they camp on the Gulf of Lions, an area of the Mediterranean known for wild, roaring winds and purple fields of lavender, they start to unravel the yarn that binds them together. By the time they head to the charred Pyrenees, and then back across France to stay in a castle that sits on the confluence of two rivers, Alice worries that the trip might have been a disastrous and reckless mistake.

Shetterly’s Pete and Alice in Maine was one of my favourite reads of 2023, so ever since finishing it I’ve been looking forward to reading the author’s next book. Very happy that I was able to get a DRC of the book, and I’ll be reading it soon (but holding off on publishing a review until a little closer to its release). The Gulf of Lions is due to be published by Harper in North America, on May 19th, 2026.

Also on CR: Review of Pete and Alice in Maine

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Instagram
Review copy received via Edelweiss

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Richard Swan, STEEL GODS (Orbit)

Industrial Revolution Beckons. Spiritual Catastrophe Looms. And the Empire of the Wolf teeters on the brink.

The true horror of the Great Silence has been revealed. As nation after nation succumbs to the mind-plague and Sova scrambles to enlist help from across the globe, Ambassador Renata Rainer has been given a simple task: save the world. While she travels to the Principality of Casimir to enlist the help of the Empire’s oldest enemy, Lieutenant Peter Kleist returns to the haunted forests of the New East to search for ancient answers — and finally confront the terrible fate that awaits him.

In their wake, a task force of engineers, soldiers, and arcane experts will try and unpick the final secrets of the Great Silence — on both sides of the mortal plane. But time is running out. Count Lamprecht von Oldenburg has returned to the capital, armed with a terrible vision and enough madness to see it through. Those who stand in his way face a simple choice: join the revolution, or die.

As the world tips towards chaos, all paths converge on the Eye of the Sea, where the fabric of reality wears thin — and where the Empire of the Wolf must confront the most terrible enemy it has ever known.

This is the second novel in Swan’s Great Silence fantasy series, the follow-up to the recommended Empire of the Wolf series. I have fallen a bit behind, though, and have yet to read the first novel (Grave Empire). My plan is to get caught up very soon, hopefully reading book one this month (ah, but how quickly my reading plans unravel…). Steel Gods is due to be published by Orbit Books in North America (February 4th) and in the UK (March 31st).

Also on CR: Interview with Richard Swan (2022); Reviews of The Justice of Kings, The Tyranny of Faith, and The Trials of Empire

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Instagram, BlueSky
Review copy received via NetGalley

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Adrian Tchaikovsky, GREEN CITY WARS (Tor Books)

Down these mean streets a beast must walk…

In the solar cities of the future, the humans relax in the sun and the animals work in the shadows. Genetically engineered Little Helpers, serving humanity — unseen, unheard.

Meet Skotch. Raccoon, PI — yours for a few buttons as long as the job isn’t too illegal, whatever that means.

A mouse has gone missing. Normally this wouldn’t raise any hackles, nor any alarms, but this mouse has something that everyone seems to want, though nobody appears particularly eager to say what that something is.

The fee is good — perhaps too good. Certainly not something Skotch can easily turn down.

If only Skotch can work out where the mouse is hiding, what he’s hiding, and why his secrets are upsetting a lot of animals caught up in the Green City wars.

How does Tchaikovsky find the time to write all these books?! It’s become nigh-impossible to keep up with his output, which is only made more frustrating because they all sound intriguing and/or fascinating. This latest novel is pitched as “Philip Marlowe meets Redwall“, which just sounds perfect for me. Can’t wait to get to this (hopefully soon!). Green City Wars is due to be published by Tor Books in North America (June 23rd) and in the UK (June 25th).

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, BlueSky
Review copy received via NetGalley

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Jason Zengerle, HATED BY ALL THE RIGHT PEOPLE (Crooked Media Reads)

To many, Tucker Carlson is synonymous with modern conservative politics. Carlson has been present on our screens for almost three decades and is as infamous for his bow tie as he is for his increasingly extreme right-wing views. But those who knew Carlson in his earlier days in political journalism remember a very different man — a serious and gifted writer and commentator who enjoyed debating with liberal friends and calling out conservative failures in equal measure. Now after watching Carlson turn away from measured reporting, while simultaneously gaining unparalleled power in Donald Trump’s Republican Party, most are left asking, What the hell happened to Tucker?

New York Times Magazine writer Jason Zengerle’s rich and evocative character study of Carlson tells the story of how the former Fox News talking head rose through the ranks of conservative media, from his early days as a young writer at The Weekly Standard to his current perch as one of the most powerful voices in right-wing politics. Through deep reporting and a sweeping view of the political and media landscapes over the past thirty years, Zengerle reveals how Carlson’s career offers a unique lens into the radical transformation of American conservatism and, just as importantly, the media that covers and ultimately shapes it. As conservative news outlets fight daily over who can report the most disreputable stories, and clicks and views take precedence over facts and substance, Carlson’s evolution tells the larger story of how the right has radicalized and taken the media with it.

I’ve long had a fascination with US political media, so after listening to an interview with Zengerle I decided to keep my eyes open for his new book — as it turned out, I’d heard about it a while ago, but it seems to have changed publisher pre-publication. I’ll be reading this soon. Hated By All the Right People is due to be published by Crooked Media Reads in North America and in the UK, on January 27th, 2026.

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads
Review copy received via NetGalley