1. House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

This is the first book in Sarah J. Maas new series – Crescent City – the second book of which has been released this year.

It’s a breathless, fast-paced fantasy series filled with propulsive twists and turns. The plot is mapped out expertly and intricately, in a way that only Maas seems capable of doing. The novel revolves around Bryce Quinlan – a notorious party girl – who loses her closest friends in the most horrendous way. She is then tasked with capturing the murderer of her friends, with the help of Archangel Hunt Athalar and what follows is a breathless journey.

2. Writers & Lovers by Lily King

Following the breakout success of her critically acclaimed and award-winning novel Euphoria, Lily King has released this story, arguably based on her own experiences.

Blindsided by her mother’s sudden death, and wrecked by a recent love affair, Casey Peabody has arrived in Massachusetts in the summer of 1997 without a plan. Her mail consists of wedding invitations and final notices from debt collectors. A former child golf prodigy, she now waits tables in Harvard Square and rents a tiny, moldy room at the side of a garage where she works on the novel she’s been writing for six years. At thirty-one, Casey is still clutching onto something nearly all her old friends have let go of: the determination to live a creative life. When she falls for two very different men at the same time, her world fractures even more. Casey’s fight to fulfil her creative ambitions and balance the conflicting demands of art and life is challenged in ways that push her to the brink.

Writers & Lovers is whip-smart, but does not move with the same pace as her previous novels, at often times it is a largely unattainable novel in terms of depth and emotion but the result is an uncomfortably accurate portrayal of youth and times of crisis.

3. The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

The Paris Apartment is one of the most hotly anticipated thrillers of 2022, following the release of The Hunting Party and The Guest List. 

The Paris Apartment centres around Jess who makes a spur of the moment decision to visit her brother Ben in his apartment in Paris. When she arrives, there is no sign of Ben and the longer he stays missing, the more questions Jess has around Ben’s life in Paris and the apartment building in which he lives. Foley builds out a mammoth and intricate cast of characters so that it is nigh impossible to decipher who the suspect might be.

The Paris Apartment isn’t Foley’s strongest thriller to date, but it is still immensely enjoyable.

Read our full review here.

4. A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

The latest novel in Sarah J. Maas beloved series A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Silver Flames is out now.For the first time, Sarah J. Maas pivots away from Feyre’s storyline and this novel instead focusses on Nesta Archeron. Since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae, Nesta has struggled to find her place in this new world, haunted by the horrors she endured in the last battle. Cassian, the Illyrian warrior, ignites her temper. When Feyre decides on an intervention to combat Nesta’s self-destructive behaviour, the two are forced to keep close quarters with each other. Meanwhile, the human queens who returned to the Continent after the last ware have forged a dangerous new alliance, the key to halting them may well rest in Nesta’s hands. As Cassian trains Nesta up, her powers both inherited from the Cauldron, and within herself, become clearer.

Read our full review here.

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Lucy Foley’s The Hunting Party and The Guest List were two of the best mystery thrillers from the last decade, now Foley returns with her new novel The Paris Apartment, one of the most eagerly anticipated novels of 2022. The Paris Apartment centres around Jess who makes a spur of the moment decision to visit her brother Ben in his apartment in Paris. When she arrives, there is no sign of Ben and the longer he stays missing, the more questions Jess has around Ben’s life in Paris and the apartment building in which he lives.

The Paris Apartment is much slower moving than Foley’s previous novels, but no less chilling. Foley has a unique ability to build an utterly creepy atmosphere from the off, in an utterly cinematic way. Her writing flows and is layered, twisting and turning in such a way that you remain unsure of the plot and the ending of the novel, almost through to the bitter conclusion. This novel is much more predictable than her previous thrillers (in our opinion) but no less enjoyable in the picture that it paints. What is the most compelling part of this mystery in particular is possibly the unique and distinctive cast of characters that Foley has created. It’s an immensely enjoyable read for any fans of the mystery thriller genre, but there was something missing that did not match the immense standard of her previous thrillers – still a worthwhile read.

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[tps_title] Rebecca Serle, One Italian Summer [/tps_title]

Beloved romance author Rebecca Serle returns with her new novel One Italian Summer – a heartbreaking new novel exploring the relationship between a mother and daughter. When her mother Carol dies, Katy takes their planned trip to Positano on the Amalfi Coast. There, she feels her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and – of course – delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.  And then Carol appears, healthy and sun-tanned… and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how – all she can focus on is that somehow, impossibly, she has her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman who came before.

Pre-order a copy here.

The post The 20 Fiction Books We’re Most Excited About in 2022 appeared first on off the record.

[tps_title] 1. The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley [/tps_title]

Following the smash success of The Hunting Party and The Guest List, we can’t wait for the release of Lucy Foley’s new novel The Paris Apartment. The novel centres around Jess who is broke and alone and turns to her half-brother Ben, asking to crash at his apartment. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there. The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.

Pre-order a copy of the novel here.

Publication Date: 22nd February 2022

The post The 10 Thrillers and Mystery Books We’re Most Excited About in 2022 appeared first on off the record.