Excerpt: TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE by Mark Stevens (Thomas & Mercer)

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Next month, Thomas & Mercer are due to publish Two Truths and a Lie by Mark Stevens, the second novel in the author’s Flynn Martin series of thrillers. To mark the occasion, and give readers a short taste of the new book, we have an excerpt to share with our readers. Here’s the synopsis:

Reporter Flynn Martin gets ensnared in a copycat killer’s game where winning means solving a crime—and losing could cost her everything.

Lambasted for a tragedy caught live on camera, then lauded for her help capturing the elusive PDQ, a serial killer, Flynn Martin’s career has reached new heights. But now, the TV journalist and mother has much further to fall. And someone wants to push her over the edge.

PDQ is behind bars, for life and then some, but someone on the outside has picked up the killer’s mantle. Flynn is neck-deep in an investigation when the copycat emerges, targeting her sources and delivering cryptic messages. It’s clear that Flynn’s stories are getting deadlier. This one proves no exception.

A family of four has gone missing, leaving behind ties to New Hope Church more tangled than they appear. The dangerous web rivals the threat in Flynn’s personal life. And it’s up to her to unravel each knot.

Scandal. Conspiracy. Murder. Flynn hardly knows where to begin—and if her stalker has their way, she might not live to see the end.

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Upcoming: MILK TEETH by Caitlin Starling (St. Martin’s Press)

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In October, St. Martin’s Press are due to publish the next novel from acclaimed author Caitlin Starling. I haven’t read as much of the author’s work as I would like — the last thing, I believe, was the author’s very good contribution to the Vampire: The Masquerade anthology, Walk Among Us. After reading the synopsis for Milk Teeth, I have a feeling that might change (I have also gone back and re-read the synopses for the author’s other books, and I don’t really understand why I missed them).

This new novel is a “genre-bending supernatural horror about a vampire broodmother fighting against her own monstrous descent,” and looks like it’ll offer an interesting twist on the vampire mythology. Here’s the synopsis:

Beatrice is a broodmother: a vampire responsible for nursing newly made fledglings through the first years of their unlife. She nests in an abandoned, isolated warren of office space beneath her patron’s skyscraper, raising two fractious fledglings: Gorgeous — once a heartthrob, now to all appearances a living corpse — who longs for the return of the lover who made him immortal with all the fervor of a rebellious teen, and Fortunata, the scion of Beatrice’s mistress, alien and ambitious in her desires.

But when Beatrice decides to take on a third fledgling, the product of an attempted siring gone wrong, teetering between vampiric purity and ghoulish depravity, Beatrice finds herself strained to breaking between the societal and physical demands of her position, her own ravenous hunger, and an obsessive need to discover what’s happening to her — because her body is changing too, transforming her into something even more monstrous. She begins to crave the taste of flesh, something anathema to all vampires, and to swing between desperate hunger and vicious power.

Desperate to master herself once more, Beatrice courts a mortal OBGYN who might be able to unravel the secrets of her unnatural anatomy. But soon their connection threatens the secrecy of her vampiric coven as well as the safety and development of her dependent nurslings… and the humans they stand to slaughter if left to their own devices.

Really looking forward to reading this. Caitlin Starling’s Milk Teeth is due to be published by St. Martin’s Press in North America on October 20th.

Also on CR: Review of Walk Among US

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Instagram, BlueSky

Upcoming: WICKHILLS by Premee Mohamed (Tor Books)

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This September, Tor Books are due to publish the latest novel by Premee Mohamed: Wickhills. It looks like it could be described as a spy thriller set in a fantasy world, which makes it of great interest to this reader. As a long-time fan of the author’s work, I’m really looking forward to this — and hopefully soon (I was lucky enough to get a DRC via NetGalley). Here’s the synopsis:

In the dangerous magical city of Wickhills, a streetwise secret agent is tasked with protecting a foreign defector from his pursuers… even at the threat of war.

Looking after a defecting scientist should have been Ferec’s easiest mission. But now he’s on the run from the intelligence agency he works for, dodging a handler who might have gone rogue and relying on a secret patchwork of illicit resources and dodgy contacts. Turns out his defector might be carrying an apocalypse-level magical weapon — and protecting it requires Ferec and his team to go underground, literally. Down here, the rules are very different… and the tense peace between every city in the world will shatter unless Ferec can drag their darkest secrets into the light.

Premee Mohamed’s Wickhills is due to be published by Tor Books in North America and in the UK, on September 8th.

Also on CR: Guest Post on “Influences & Inspirations”; Annotated Excerpt from The Annual Migration of Birds; Excerpt from We Speak Through the Mountain

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Instagram, BlueSky

Excerpt: BOY, WITH ACCIDENTAL DINOSAUR by Ian McDonald (TorDotCom)

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Today, we have an excerpt from the recently-published new novella by Ian McDonald: Boy, With Accidental Dinosaur. The book has a pretty intriguing pitch, which, having read the book, is rather accurate: “How to Train Your Dragon meets Mad Max”. Huge thanks to the publisher for letting CR share this short excerpt from the start of the book. First, though, here’s the synopsis:

The story of an orphan in a fractured Southwest who just wants to ride a dinosaur under the lights.

Come one, come all to the dinosaur rodeo!

Tif Tamim wants nothing more than to be a dinosaur buckaroo. An orphan in search of a place to rest his head and a job to weigh down his pockets, Tif has bounced from circus to circus, yearning for a chance to ride a prehistoric beauty under the sparkling lights of a big-top.

To become a buckaroo, Tif needs to learn the tools of the trade, yet few dino maestros want to take a scrawny nobody from nowhere under their wing. But when Tif frees a dino from an abusive owner and braves the roving gangs of the formerly-American west to bring the dino to safety, he catches someone’s eye. And boy, how those eyes dazzle Tif from the back of a bucking carnotaur.

Fans of McDonald’s other novellas and novels will find plenty to like in this latest book. Recommended.

And now, on with the excerpt…

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Upcoming: THE LAST SHOT by Vaseem Khan (Hodder & Stoughton)

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Early next year, Hodder & Stoughton are due to publish the seventh novel in Vaseem Khan‘s excellent Malabar House series, The Last Shot. I’m currently reading (and very much enjoying) the fifth novel in the series, City of Destruction, and should easily be caught up before this latest novel releases. Really looking forward to it. Here’s the synopsis:

Bombay, 1952. When once legendary British film producer, Richard Boorman, working in India’s film capital, Bombay, is found murdered, shot dead, his body stuffed into the trunk of his car, Persis, India’s first female police detective, is tasked to find his killer.

Working with Archie Blackfinch, a forensic scientist from the Metropolitan Police service in London, she delves into the case, and soon discovers that Boorman’s activities in India may not have been confined to the silver screen.

As the investigation progresses, Persis finds herself drawn into a web of danger and deceit, and to a meeting with a man of such unmitigated evil that his very existence has been stricken from history.

In India’s city of dreams, it is sometimes nightmares that prevail…

Vaseem Khan’s The Last Shot is due to be published by Hodder & Stoughton, on January 7th, 2027.

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads, Instagram, BlueSky

Excerpt: WHAT WE ARE SEEKING by Cameron Reed (Tor Books)

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Today, we have a substantial, two-chapter excerpt from What We Are Seeking, the “soaring novel of queer hope and transformation” by Cameron Reed. Pitched as “perfect for readers of Ann Leckie and Amal El-Mohtar”, I think a lot of people are going to like this. Here’s the synopsis:

On the planet Scythia, plants give birth to insects and trees can drag you to your death. Artificial monsters stalk the desert, and alien basket-men have wandered into town.

John Maraintha has been abandoned here, light-years from the peaceful forests that he loves.

The desert is harsh and the people in thrall to a barbaric custom called marriage.

He must find some way to make a life here.

But on Scythia, survival means transformation — and not everyone is willing to change.

And now, on with the excerpt…

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Upcoming: A SCREAMING LIFE by Kim Thayil (William Morrow)

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This summer (June), William Morrow is due to publish the much-anticipated memoir of Kim Thayil, lead guitarist of Soundgarden: A Screaming Life. Like many rock-loving children of the 1980s, I was a big fan of the Seattle grunge scene, and that included Soundgarden — although, it took a little longer for me to discover them, after Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains. As soon as I saw this in the publisher’s catalogue, it became a Must Read of 2026. Here’s the synopsis:

The memoir by co-founding member of Soundgarden and lead guitarist Kim Thayil about one of the 1990s’ signature rock bands

From Soundgarden’s humble beginnings manifesting grunge in Seattle’s beer-soaked punk clubs to their revered status today as rock icons, the band’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. In A Screaming Life, founding member and guitar god Kim Thayil goes backstage to introduce the band that fearlessly pushed the boundaries of rock, invented a new genre, and amassed fervent fans from every corner of the world.

Thayil shares the story of how he and his Soundgarden bandmates — Hiro Yamamoto, Ben Shepherd, Matt Cameron, and Chris Cornell — faced the triumphs and challenges on the road to their historic and influential rise. His storytelling channels the essence of Soundgarden’s era-defining sound — one that’s supercharged with raw creativity and unapologetic lyrics — and explores the ways that Soundgarden was shaped by the diverse backgrounds of its creators: Thayil’s Indian heritage and founding bassist Hiro Yamamoto’s Japanese background added unique dimensions to the band’s identity, influencing not only their music but also their experiences in the industry.

For Soundgarden fans and ‘90s alternative rock enthusiasts, A Screaming Life not only gives behind-the-scenes access to one of the most revered bands, but it also demonstrates the power music and its creators have to transform culture.

Can’t wait to read this.

Kim Thayil’s A Screaming Life is due to be published by William Morrow in North America, on June 9th.

Follow the Author: Website, Goodreads

Upcoming: IN THE DEVIL WIND by Richard Kadrey (Harper Voyager)

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This November, Sandman Slim rides again! I’ve been a fan of Richard Kadrey‘s excellent series since they were first published in the UK (2012), when the publisher gifted me the first three books. Each new book has been a must-read for me (in addition to the author’s other, non-Sandman Slim books), but after a busy period I fell a little behind. With In the Devil Wind — the 13th, final novel in the series — on the way, I think I have the incentive to finally get caught up! A nice goal for the summer, perhaps.

Here’s the synopsis:

In this heart-pounding epilogue novel to the acclaimed, New York Times bestselling Sandman Slim series, James Stark once again finds himself between a rock and a hard place — except this time the rock is Heaven, and the hard place is Hell…

A devil’s work is never done.

James Stark, aka Sandman Slim, is trying to find his footing in a Heaven that’s anything but heavenly. And when God gets attacked and the angels and hellions start picking sides for a new war, the celestial realm is one spark away from an explosion. Stark just wants to be left alone to watch old movies, but when a madman named Dixie Midnight starts cutting a bloody path through the palace, he’s dragged back into the fray.

Stark’s investigation uncovers a conspiracy that goes deeper than he could have ever imagined. And every new encounter leads to yet another mystery, another foe, and — at one point — a spell that is inexorably draining his very essence. Betrayed by those he should be able to trust, hunted by supposed friends and enemies alike — all while running out of time, because apparently there is nothing after the afterlife — Stark must navigate the treacherous corridors of Heaven and the backroads of Hell to solve a problem he only sort of understands.

And he’d kill for a good apple fritter.

Death is not the worst thing that can happen to Stark — dealing with bureaucratic assholes, renegade angels, and homicidal sociopaths is. Stark thought he was done with being the monster killer… done with being the monster. He was wrong.

And that means Heaven must wait…

Richard Kadrey’s In the Devil Wind is due to be published by Harper Voyager in North America and in the UK, on November 17th.

Also on CR: Reviews of Sandman Slim, Kill the Dead, Aloha From Hell, Devil in the Dollhouse, Devil Said Bang, and Kill City Blues

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Upcoming: MUDLARK by Mary Helen Specht (Ballantine)

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This summer, Ballantine Books will publish Mudlark by Mary Helen Specht (author of Migratory Animals). I’ll admit that it was the cover that first caught my attention (well done, artist/designer — unfortunately, not sure who it is), but the synopsis further piqued my interest. The book is a “dystopian novel about the fall of a troubled rockstar, her long-lost solo album, and her daughter’s epic search for redemption in the ruins of New York City”. Here’s the full synopsis:

Jenny Sweet’s marriage is ending — and with it her band and maybe even her fragile relationship with her thirteen-year-old daughter, Neko. A reluctant wife and mother, Jenny plans a new journey of self-discovery after one more gig at Burning Man. But when Neko disappears amid the chaos of the festival, Jenny fears that everything that mattered to her has been lost. As she races against the dark, Jenny finds herself thrown into the past, and into the heart of a gathering storm.

Now twenty-five, Neko is a mudlark: a trained recruit who braves the rival factions and feral survivalists in the ruins of a crumbling, flooded Manhattan for resources that grow scarcer by the day. When she stumbles upon the master of her mother’s long-lost solo album and later hears that someone else is searching for it — someone who could be her mother, missing for over a decade—she embarks on a perilous adventure with a ragtag crew that will take her from treetop societies to decadent raves to the underground bunker where she will, finally, confront her mother’s fate — and her own.

I’m very much looking forward to reading this. I think it’ll probably appeal to fans of Emily St. John Mandel and other authors of “literary SFF”.

Mary Helen Specht’s Mudlark is due to be published by Ballantine Books in North America, on July 21st.

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