Author: Civilian Reader

Upcoming: THE BURNING GROUNDS by Abir Mukherjee (Harvill Secker/Pegasus)

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I’ve long been a fan of Abir Mukherjee‘s Wyndham & Banerjee series of historical crime novels, set in early 20th Century India. I was relatively late to this series, but it fast became one of my must-read crime series. I finished the fifth novel in the series, The Shadows of Man, a couple of days ago, and it ended with one of the main character’s situations in limbo, so I am particularly eager to read this next volume.

This November, fans of the series will be able to get their hands on the highly-anticipated sixth novel in the series: The Burning Grounds!

In the Burning Ghats of Calcutta where the dead are laid to rest, a man is found murdered, his throat cut from ear to ear.

The body is that of a popular patron of the arts, a man who was, by all accounts, beloved by all: so what was the motive for his murder? Despite being out of favour with the Imperial Police Force, Detective Sam Wyndham is assigned to the case and finds himself thrust into the glamorous world of Indian cinema.

Meanwhile, Surendranath Banerjee, recently returned from Europe after three years spent running from the fallout of his last case, is searching for a missing photographer; a trailblazing woman at the forefront of the profession. When Suren discovers that the vanished woman is linked to Sam’s murder investigation, the two men find themselves working together once again – but will Wyndham and Banerjee be able to put their differences aside to solve the case?

Abir Mukherjee’s The Burning Grounds is due to be published by Harvill Secker in the UK (November 13th) and Pegasus Crime in North America (November 4th).

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Instagram, BlueSky

Excerpt: SPACE SHIPS! RAY GUNS! MARTIAN OCTOPODS!, edited by Richard Wolinsky (Tachyon)

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Next month, Tachyon Publications are due to publish Space Ships! Ray Guns! Martian Octopods!, an Oral History of Science Fiction, comprised of a collection of interviews with authors, originally conducted for the radio. The collection was edited by Richard Wolinsky, and is sure to appeal to aficionados of the genre old and new. The publisher has provided us with the introduction, written by Wolinsky, to share with CR’s readers. Here’s the synopsis:

Today, depictions of aliens, rocket ships, and awe-inspiring, futuristic space operas are everywhere. Why is there so much science fiction, and where did it come from anyway? Radio producer and author Richard Wolinsky has found answers in the Golden Age of science fiction, between 1920 and 1960.

Wolinsky and his fellow writers and co-hosts Richard A. Lupoff and Lawrence Davidson, interviewed a veritable who’s who of famous (and infamous) science-fiction publishers, pulp magazines, editors, cover artists, and fans. The interviews themselves, which aired on the public radio, Probabilities, span over twenty years, from just before the release of Star Wars through the dawn of Y2K.

Probabilities was the home of a vivid cross-section of the early science fiction world, with radio guests offering a wide range of tales, opinions, theory, and gossip. It speaks to how, in the early days, they were free to define science fiction for themselves and push the genre to explore new ideas and new tropes in creative (and sometimes questionable) ways.

Space Ships! Ray Guns! Martian Octopods! is ultimately a love letter to fandom. Science fiction wouldn’t have survived as a genre if there weren’t devoted fanatics who wrote fanzines, organized conventions, and built relationships for fandom to flourish.

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Quick Review: IN A DISTANT VALLEY by Shannon Bowring (Europa Editions)

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Events in Dalton are coming to a head, as a record-breaking storm rolls in…

For a while, Rose Douglas believed life had given her a break. She was enjoying a steady job at the local clinic in Dalton; her two young boys, Adam and Brandon, were doing well in school; and their little family had found an easy friendship with widower Nate Theroux and his daughter, Sophie. The possibility of something deeper even hung between her and Nate—until the day Tommy Merchant, her ex and the father of her sons, showed up without warning on her doorstep. While Rose knows all too well his erratic and abusive nature, he swears he’s clean, and ready to turn over a new leaf.

Tommy isn’t the only one who’s found his way back to the town that defined him. Lost after a disastrous stint living down south with her father, Angela Muse has returned home to Dalton. There she runs into Greg Fortin, the friend who once saved her life when they were children and finally starts to believe there may be someone who understands her in a world that offers more questions than answers.

But secrets are the lifeblood of a small town, and everyone in Dalton soon finds themselves part of a chain of events hurtling towards outcomes beyond their control, where more than one future will be decided.

In a Distant Valley is the third, excellent novel in Shannon Bowring’s Dalton novels — following The Road to Dalton and Where the Forest Meets the River. It forms the end of a trilogy, of sorts, as the various characters are maneuvered into new situations and down new paths. I really enjoyed this. Continue reading →

Quick Review: THE PROOF OF MY INNOCENCE by Jonathan Coe (Europa Editions)

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A coming-of-age tale, wrapped up in a mystery, with a backdrop of state-of-the-nation and politics

When Phyl, a young literature graduate, moves back home with her parents, she soon finds herself frustrated by the narrow horizons of English country life. As for her plans of becoming a writer, those are going nowhere. But the chance discovery of a forgotten novelist from the 1980s stirs her into action, as does a visit from her uncle Chris — especially when he tells her that he’s working on a political story that might put his life in danger.

Chris has been following the careers of a group of students, all present at Cambridge University in the 1980s, now members of a think-tank which has been quietly pushing the British government towards extremism. And now, after years in the political wilderness, they might be in a position to put their ideas into action.

As Britain finds itself under the leadership of a new Prime Minister whose tenure will only last for seven weeks, Chris pursues his story to a mysterious conference taking place deep in the Cotswolds. When Phyl hears that one of the delegates has been murdered, she begins to wonder if real life is starting to merge with the novel she’s been trying to write. But does the explanation really lie in contemporary politics, or in a literary enigma that is almost forty years old?

Darting between decades and genres, THE PROOF OF MY INNOCENCE reimagines the coming-of-age story, the cosy crime caper and the state-of-the-nation novel with Coe’s trademark humour and warmth. From one of Britain’s finest living novelists, this is a witty, razor-sharp novel which explores how the key to understanding the present can often be found in the murkiest corners of the past.

The Proof of My Innocence is a very good read. An interesting blend of mystery, character focus and contemporary and past British politics, I was hooked from early on and read this in a couple of deep-into-the-night sittings. Continue reading →

Very Quick Review: TO DIE FOR by David Baldacci (Grand Central)

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Travis Devine gets an unusual babysitting assignment, which (of course) ends up being far more dangerous than expected…

The 6:20 Man returns, this time sent to the Pacific Northwest to aid in a complicated FBI case—and he’s about to come face-to-face with his nemesis.

Travis Devine has become a pro at accomplishing any mission he’s given. But this time it’s not his skills that send him to Seattle to aid the FBI in escorting orphaned, twelve-year-old Betsy Odom to a meeting with her uncle, who’s under federal investigation. Instead, he’s hoping to lay low and keep off the radar of an enemy—the girl on the train.

But as Devine gets to know Betsy, questions begin to arise around the death of her parents. Devine digs for answers, and what he finds points to a conspiracy bigger than he could’ve ever imagined.

It might finally be time for Devine and the girl on the train to come face-to-face. Devine is going to find out the difference between his friends and his enemies—and in some cases, they might well be both.

In the third novel starring Travis Devine, the accidental intelligence operative is sent to Seattle to babysit an orphaned girl with connections to a sprawling federal investigation. Naturally, Devine’s plans to keep this assignment quiet and easy (while simultaneously not really wanting to do it) go awry as the scope of the investigation and Betsy’s importance become clearer. In many ways, this novel is classic Baldacci. Continue reading →

Quick Review: WE THE RAPTORS by Eric Smith & Andrew Bricker (Simon & Schuster)

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30 Players, 30 Stories, 30 Years

We the Raptors: Thirty Players, Thirty Stories, Thirty Years is about the grinders, glue guys, bench heroes, and more. Alvin Williams, José Calderón, T. J. Ford, Jonas Valanciunas, Danny Green — whether regular or part-time starters, role players, key cogs, or even short-term stars — all of them felt blessed to call Canada home.

Amir Johnson immediately fell in love with the diversity of the country. From special events with fans to Zombie Walks down Yonge Street, few players connected with Toronto — on and off the floor—more than Amir. At the age of thirty, Anthony Parker — known as the “Michael Jordan of EuroLeague”—finally found his place in the NBA with the Raptors, a role that had eluded him as a young draftee and during his six seasons overseas. NBA vet and Toronto native Jamaal Magloire mentored younger players in the shadow of his brother’s murder in Regent Park. Bismack Biyombo, a fan favourite for his big, burly play and endless energy, couldn’t decide which team to sign with as a free agent, until a phone call from Masai Ujiri made the choice easy. The Junkyard Dog, Jerome Williams, drove himself to Toronto in a snowstorm, becoming in the process one of the most recognizable players in franchise history. Matt Bonner, dubbed the Red Mamba by none other than Kobe Bryant, emerged as a national hero after going toe to toe in the post with Kevin Garnett. Jorge Garbajosa, a superstar in Italy and his native Spain, gambled on a second career at the age of twenty-eight, becoming the hustle and heart of a playoff-bound Raptors squad only to see his NBA dreams crumble in a career-ending on-court injury.

Every team has unheralded but dogged players but none more so than the expansion-era Raptors, a team that many NBA players and free agents often ignored — until the Raptors became one of the most interesting and winningest teams in the league.

This rich tapestry comes alive in We the Raptors, as told by Raptors radio voice Eric Smith and Andrew Bricker through thirty exclusive interviews with former and current Raptors. Every bounce, every rebound, every elbow to the face — this is a rare view of the NBA through the eyes of those who made it to the pinnacle of their profession.

As the Toronto Raptors turn 30 this year, long-time Toronto sports journalist Eric Smith has teamed up with Andrew Bricker to present 30 profiles of 30 players — former and current — to present a picture of a beloved, franchise. Obviously, this was of considerable interest to me. And, I’m happy to report, it’s a very good read.
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New Books (June-July)

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Another nice mix of new books received. I’ve already read a couple of these, and hope to get the rest read ASAP — the summer months are always good for catching up, because I generally don’t like to go outside when it’s gross, hot, and humid. (Best laid plans, and all…)

Featuring: Stacey Abrams, Lee Cole, S. A. Cosby, Mark Lee Gardner, Sophie Gilbert, Travis Kennedy, Melissa O’Connor, Riley Sager, John Seabrook, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Christopher J. Yates

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Upcoming: THE FUTURE SAINTS by Ashley Winstead (Atria)

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In January 2026, Atria Books are due to publish The Future Saints, the next book by Ashley Winstead — author of the acclaimed In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and This Book Will Bury Me, among others. Pitched as “perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six and In Five Years“, the synopsis caught my attention, and also made me think of a few other music-related novels of recent years (a sub-genre that I am very happy is getting larger), such as The Lightning Bottles. I haven’t read any of Winstead’s previous novels, but I have picked up the two I mention above. Really looking forward to this new book — shame it’s five months away… Here’s the synopsis:

A transportive new novel about a music executive desperately trying to bring a rock band back from the brink…

This is a love story, but not the one you’re expecting.

When record executive Theo meets the Future Saints, they’re bombing at a dive bar in their hometown. Since the tragic death of their manager, the band has been in a downward spiral and Theo has been dispatched to coax a new — and successful — album out of them, or else let them go.

Immediately, Theo is struck by Hannah, the group’s impetuous lead singer, who’s gone off script by debuting a whole new sound, replacing their California pop with gut-wrenching rock. When this new music goes viral, striking an unexpected chord with fans, Theo puts his career on the line to give the Saints one last shot at success with a new tour, new record, and new start.

But Hannah’s grief has larger consequences for the group, and her increasingly destructive antics become a distraction as she and her sister Ginny — her lifelong partner in crime — undermine Theo at every turn. Hannah isn’t ready to move on or prepared for the fame she’s been chasing, and the weight of her problems jeopardize the band, her growing closeness with Theo, and, worst of all, her relationship with her sister — all while the world watches closely. The Future Saints’s big break is here — if only they can survive it.

Ashley Winstead’s The Future Saints is due to be published by Atria Books in North America and Aria in the UK, on January 20th, 2026.

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Instagram

Upcoming: FADE IN by Kyle Mills (Authors Equity)

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I’ve been a big fan of Kyle Mills‘s novels since I stumbled across his Mark Beamon series in, I think, 2002 (I’ve decided to re-read these over the summer, too). At the time, I lived in the UK and his books were strangely difficult to find in stores — I still preferred buying from stores, rather than online, and because I was splitting my time between Cambridge and Durham, I had so very many bookshops to choose from, all within a 10-30 minute walks. I think the events of 9/11 briefly increased British readers’ interest in US political thrillers and, as a result, Mills’s and some others’ books became a little more widely available (e.g., Vince Flynn, Brad Thor). The Beamon novels were gripping, so whenever I popped over the Atlantic to the US, I’d pick up any new novel(s) he’d written.

In 2005, this included the excellent Fade, which introduced readers to Salam al-Fayed (a.k.a. “Fade”), a former Navy SEAL and intelligence asset. It was, I believe, planned as a stand-alone, but in a couple of weeks (July 29th), the author will publish a long-awaited sequel: Fade In. I, for one, can’t wait to read it. Here’s the synopsis:

When ex-navy SEAL Salam al-Fayed–Fade to his friends–steps in front of a sniper’s bullet, he assumes all his problems are solved. Having already been declared clinically dead twice in his career, he’s hoping the third time will be the charm.

Instead, he wakes in a hospital having gone from being one of the deadliest operatives in US history to a man incapable of even standing without assistance. Alone and wanted by authorities, he’s destined to spend the rest of his life lying in a prison infirmary.

So, when a shadowy organization offers him a new identity and next-generation medical care, he has no choice but to agree. Nothing’s free, though. After a gruelling rehabilitation, he’s drafted into an elite paramilitary unit. But who’s in charge?

When a dire threat explodes out of China, his question is quickly A select group of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful people has decided that governments are no longer capable of controlling the chaos erupting around the globe. It’s a power vacuum that poses a mortal danger to all humanity and one they intend to fill.

With panic rising, the leaders of both democracies and dictatorships prove equally willing to destroy anything and anyone to save themselves. Forced into action before he’s fully ready, Fade finds himself at the sharp end of a mission to stop a menace unlike any faced before. If he fails, the consequences will be unimaginable. But what if he succeeds?

No one elected the people he’s working for. And God sure as hell didn’t ordain them. Has he signed on to save the human race or to help quietly enslave it?

Kyle Mills’s Fade In is due to be published by Authors Equity in North America and in the UK, on July 29th.

Also on CR: Reviews of Darkness Falls, The Survivor, Order to Kill, Enemy of the State, and Lethal Agent

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Upcoming: SLOW GODS by Claire North (Orbit)

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I’ve been a fan of Claire North‘s books ever since The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August (2014), and have eagerly looked forward to each new title. This winter, the author turns to space opera with Slow Gods, a “galaxy-spanning tale ​of one man’s impossible life charted against the fate of humanity amongst the stars”. Really looking forward to this. Here’s the synopsis:

My name is Mawukana na-Vdnaze, and I am a very poor copy of myself.

In telling my story, there are certain things I should perhaps lie about. I should make myself a hero. Pretend I was not used by strangers and gods, did not leave people behind.

Here is one truth: out there in deep space, in the pilot’s chair, I died. And then, I was reborn. I became something not quite human, something that could speak to the infinite dark. And I vowed to become the scourge of the world that wronged me.

This is the story of the supernova event that burned planets and felled civilizations. This is also the story of the many lives I’ve lived since I died for the first time.

Are you listening?

Claire North’s Slow Gods is due to be published by Orbit Books in North America and in the UK, on November 18th.

Also on CR: The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, Touch, The Gamehouse, The Sudden Appearance of Hope, and Sweet Harmony

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Instagram