Godblind by Anna Stephens

There was a time when the Red Gods ruled the land. That time has long since passed and the neighbouring kingdoms of Mireces and Rilpor hold an uneasy truce. But after the death of his wife, King Rastoth is plagued by grief, leaving the kingdom of Rilpor vulnerable.

This has been called the most anticipated fantasy debut of the year – so it’s fair to say that my expectations are already pretty high.

Release date: 15th June

It’s Always the Husband by Michele Campbell

Kate, Aubrey, and Jenny first met as college roommates and soon became inseparable, despite their differences. 20 years later, one of them is standing at the edge of a bridge, and someone else is urging them to jump. How did things come to this?

A story of the complicated ties of friendship and the appeal of revenge.

Release date: 13th June

The Wages of Sin by Kaite Walsh

1892. Sarah Gilchrist has fled from London to Edinburgh in disgrace and is determined to become a doctor, despite the misgivings of her family and society. When one of her patients turns up as a battered corpse, Sarah finds herself drawn into Edinburgh’s dangerous underworld.

This book sounds right up my street. It’s dark, it’s historical, and it apparently features LGBT+ characters. What more can you want?

Release date: 1st June

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

At school Isa and her three best friends used to play the Lying Game. They competed to convince people of the most outrageous stories. Now, after 17 years of secrets, something terrible has been found on the beach, something that will force Isa to confront her past.

I read Ware’s In A Dark Dark Wood last year and was impressed by the writing (though less so by the plot) and am keen to see if her latest offering is an improvement.

Release date: 15th June

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

Two women – a female spy recruited to the Alice Network in France during WWI, and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947 – are brought together in a story of courage and redemption.

I’ve never read anything by Quinn before – not least because historical novels about war often focus on men, while this one seems to focus on women.

Release date: 21st June

The Child by Fiona Barton

When a paragraph in a newspaper reveals a decades-old tragedy, most readers barely give it a glance. But for three strangers it’s impossible to ignore. For one woman, it’s a reminder of the worst thing that ever happened to her. For another, it reveals the dangerous possibility that her darkest secret is about to be discovered.

I’ve yet to read Barton’s The Widow, a psychological thriller released last year, but it became a Sunday Times bestseller, which bodes well for this second offering.

Release date: 29th June

The Good Widow by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke

Jacqueline ‘Jacks’ Morales’s marriage was far from perfect, but it was always familiar. That is, until two police officers tell her that her husband, who should have been on a business trip to Kansas, had suffered a fatal car accident in Hawaii. And he wasn’t alone.

This sounds like a twisty, turny thriller perfect for beach reading.

Release date: 1st June

Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab

Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is a terrifying reality. August has become the leader he never wished to be, and Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be.

This is the sequel and conclusion to This Savage Song, an urban fantasy novel from the author of the bestselling A Darker Shade of Magic. I love everything Schwab writes and no doubt her latest offering will be just as dark and gorgeous as her others.

Release date: 13th June

Beren and Lúthien by J.R.R. Tolkien

Restored from Tolkien’s manuscripts, this epic tale will reunite fans with Elves and Men, Dwarves and Orcs, and the rich landscape and creatures unique to Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

I’m not entirely sure whether I’ll read this one, though I’m a huge fan of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. But in any case, the release of a new story by Tolkien – published for the first time as a continuous and standalone story – is a momentous event.

Release date: 1st June

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (House Editions) by J.K. Rowling

Okay, admittedly not a new book at all, but to celebrate 20 years since the publication of Rowling’s first Potter novel, four special editions are being released for each of the four Hogwarts houses: Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. But this isn’t just about owning a beautiful new edition; fans will also find fact files and profiles of favourite characters within the pages.

Release date: 1st June