Read This Next: Six Brilliant New Books to Add to Your List

Read This Next with Emily Darlow

Six new books worth your time – from cosy crime on Sydney’s waterfront to a wartime library built under impossible conditions, outback noir in the red dust of Kalgoorlie and a sun-soaked girls’ trip that turns into something far more meaningful. Plus a Grisham thriller you may have missed and a charming mystery that proves the busiest women often make the best detectives.

The Deadly Dispute · Amanda Hampson
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It is 1967 and the tea ladies are back, this time on Sydney’s waterfront. In the third instalment of Amanda Hampson’s much-loved series, Hazel Bates takes a job at the Dockside Workers Union and is met, on her very first day, with a body being pulled from the harbour. What follows is a tangle of union corruption, missing gold and secrets that refuse to stay buried. Meanwhile, Betty is drawn into a questionable friendship, and Irene, now living in a high end brothel, finds herself entangled with the Maltese mafia. Hampson’s real strength lies in her character work. She writes with an ease that suggests she knows these women intimately, allowing their lives to unfold naturally alongside the mystery. The result is a novel that feels both sharply plotted and deeply lived in, with just enough humour to keep things buoyant without undercutting the stakes.

THE VERDICT

The strongest entry in the series so far. New readers can start here, but returning fans will appreciate the deeper layers. Best enjoyed with a cup of tea.

The Secret Society of Librarians · Kate Thompson
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Inspired by extraordinary real events, Kate Thompson’s latest novel follows two women separated by war but united by books. In London, Joyce runs a mobile library through the Blitz, bringing stories to a city under siege. In occupied Poland, Dorotha is confined to the Łódź ghetto, where she begins secretly assembling a library from salvaged books, an act of resistance and cultural preservation. Thompson, a former journalist, brings a meticulous eye for detail without ever losing narrative momentum. The research is woven seamlessly into the storytelling, and what could feel heavy instead becomes deeply immersive. At its heart, this is a novel about resilience, not just survival, but the determination to hold onto identity, intellect and hope.

THE VERDICT

Deeply researched, emotionally resonant and impossible to forget. A standout for readers who love historical fiction with substance.

The Paradise Heights Miniature Railway Bust-Up · Kate Solly
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Fleck Parker returns, juggling a baby, a toddler, the school run and a determination to keep her Wordle streak alive, all while investigating the disappearance of expensive equipment from the local miniature railway. What begins as a seemingly light mystery quickly reveals a darker undercurrent. Kate Solly’s great achievement is her refusal to treat domestic life as background noise. Fleck’s chaotic routine is not a distraction from the plot, it is the plot. The humour feels natural rather than forced, and the mystery itself is cleverly constructed, rewarding readers who pay attention.

THE VERDICT

Warm, witty and distinctly Australian. Comparable to Alexander McCall Smith in tone, but with a sharper edge. A joy to read.

The Paradise Pact· Anita Heiss
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Three lifelong friends, Abbey, Stevie and Caitlin, set off to Hawaiʻi for their annual getaway with a simple plan, relax, reconnect and run a half marathon. No complications. Naturally, things do not go to plan. When Abbey meets Kaleo, the trip begins to shift in unexpected ways. What elevates this novel is Anita Heiss’s ability to capture the complexity of friendship later in life. These are women in their fifties and sixties, navigating identity, love and belonging with humour and honesty. Heiss writes with a conversational ease that makes the emotional moments land more powerfully.

THE VERDICT

Smart, funny and genuinely moving. A story about friendship that lingers long after the final page.

Camino Winds · John Grisham
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For those who know John Grisham only through his legal thrillers, the Camino series offers something refreshingly different. Set on a Florida barrier island, this instalment opens with a Category 4 hurricane tearing through the community. When the storm clears, a local author is found dead under suspicious circumstances. Grisham leans into a lighter, more playful tone here, trading courtroom drama for eccentric characters and a layered literary mystery. The pacing is brisk, the setting vivid, and there is a quiet pleasure in watching the story unfold within the world of books and writers.

THE VERDICT

Escapist in the best sense. Start with Camino Island if you are new to the series, then settle in for this.

The Prospect· Fleur McDonald
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Fleur McDonald steps into new territory with this grittier, more atmospheric crime novel. Journalist Zara Ellison and her partner, former detective Jack Higgins, arrive in Kalgoorlie hoping for a fresh start. Instead, they find themselves drawn into a mystery that begins with a suspicious caravan accident and quickly escalates. Kalgoorlie itself is as much a character as any of the people on the page. McDonald captures the harsh beauty of the landscape and the tension that comes with life in a place shaped by mining, ambition and isolation. The tone is darker than her previous work, and the shift pays off.

THE VERDICT

A compelling new direction from a seasoned writer. Fans of Jane Harper and Chris Hammer will find plenty to enjoy, and the ending will leave you wanting more.