Our most anticipated books of 2017

It's time to clear some room on your shelves, here's the best new fiction books we think you'll want to read in 2017.

There’s plenty to be excited about in the coming months with a whole host of brilliant new fiction books being published.

From the bestselling Joanna Trollope to debut author Emma Flint; and romance to psychological thrillers, there's something on our list of the best new releases of 2017 to keep every type of book lover happy.


New novels from bestselling authors

The House of New Beginnings

Book cover for The House of New Beginnings

The fantastic, uplifting new novel from the bestselling author of The Secrets of Happiness and Summer at Shell Cottage, follows three women, Georgie, Charlotte and Rosa, who are thrown together as tenants of a house on Brighton’s seafront where they are all looking to make a new start. A novel all about fun, friendship and fresh starts. 

City of Friends

by Joanna Trollope

Stacey, Beth, Melissa and Gaby had been best friends from the early days of university right through their working lives. But when Stacey's redundancy forces a betrayal to emerge that was supposed to remain secret, their long cherished friendships are pushed to their limits.

Dangerous Games

Book cover for Dangerous Games

TV correspondent Alix Phillips dodges bullets and breaks rules to bring the most important news to the world. But her latest assignment puts her at the centre of an explosive story that will reshape many lives, including her own: investigating damning allegations involving the vice president of the United States. A gripping story of corruption, ambition, power, and international intrigue.



Love stories with a difference

A Quiet Kind of Thunder

Book cover for A Quiet Kind of Thunder

Steffi, a selective mute for most of her life has been silent for so long that she feels completely invisible. But Rhys, the deaf new boy at school, sees her. As they find ways to communicate, Steffi finds that she does have a voice, and that she's falling in love with the one person who makes her feel brave enough to use it. The stunning new novel from the bestselling author of Beautiful Broken Things. 

Before You Go

Book cover for Before You Go

Some people stare love in the face for years before they find it. Zoe and Ed fumbled their way into adulthood, both on different paths - but always in the same direction. Years later, having navigated dead-end jobs and chaotic house shares, romance finally blossoms. Their future together looks set. But when, one morning, Ed is knocked off his bike and dies, Zoe must find a way to survive...

A New Map of Love

by Abi Oliver

George Baxter has settled for a comfortable life, content as the years unfold predictably - until Win, his wife of twenty-six years, dies. But life has more revelations to offer him. Over the course of an English summer George uncovers some unexpected mysteries from his past, which could shape his tomorrows.



Uncovering forgotten histories

The Silk Weaver

by Liz Trenow

1760, Spitalfields. Anna Butterfield’s life is about to change forever, as she moves from her idyllic Suffolk home to be introduced into London society. A chance encounter with a French silk weaver, Henri, draws her into the volatile world of the city’s burgeoning silk trade. Inspired by real historical events and characters, The Silk Weaver is a captivating, unforgettable story of illicit romance in a time of enlightenment and social upheaval.

The Good People

by Hannah Kent

Book cover for The Good People

County Kerry, Ireland, 1825. After the sudden death of her beloved husband Nóra finds herself alone and caring for her young grandson Micheál who is unable to speak and walk. As Nóra, Mary and healer Nance are drawn together in the hope of restoring Micheál, their world of folklore and belief, ritual and stories, tightens around them. Based on true events, The Good People is Burial Rites author Hannah Kent's startling new novel about absolute belief and devoted love. 



Brilliant debut authors

Gilded Cage

by Vic James

Britain's magically skilled aristocracy compels all commoners to serve them for ten years - and now it's the Hadleys' turn. Abi Hadley is assigned to England's most ruthless noble family. Her brother Luke is enslaved in a brutal factory town, where new friends' ideals might cost him everything. A thrilling Orwellian vision of Britain, with a rebellious Hunger Games heart, Gilded Cage is the astonishing debut novel from Vic James.

Little Deaths

by Emma Flint

It's the summer of 1965, and the streets of Queens, New York shimmer in a heatwave. One July morning, Ruth Malone wakes to find a bedroom window wide open and her two young children missing. After a desperate search, the police make a horrifying discovery. Haunting, intoxicating and heart-poundingly suspenseful, Little Deaths is a gripping novel about love, morality and obsession, exploring the capacity for good and evil within us all.



Gripping thrillers 

What You Don't Know

by JoAnn Chaney

Seven years ago, Detective Paul Hoskins and his larger-than-life partner solved one of the biggest serial killer cases of the decade. Sammie Peterson was the lead reporter on the case. And the killer’s wife, Gloria, claimed to be as surprised as everyone else. Then a series of copycat killings take place, with the victims all connected. JoAnn Chaney's dark debut, What You Don't Know, tells the story of the three victims the murderer didn't kill but whose lives he ruined all the same.

The Girlfriend

by Michelle Frances

Laura has it all; a successful career, a long marriage to a rich husband, and a twenty-three year-old son, Daniel, who is kind, handsome, and talented. Then Daniel meets the young and beautiful Cherry. But she hasn't had the same opportunities as Daniel. And she wants Laura's life. The Girlfriend by Michelle Frances is a gripping and chilling debut psychological thriller, based on the fall-out following an unforgivable lie. It looks at the potentially charged relationship between girlfriend, boyfriend and his mother and locates it in an extreme but believable setting.



Romance in wartime

Daughters of Courage

by Margaret Dickinson

Emily Ryan has gone up in the world since her arrival in Sheffield. Married to Thomas Trippet - 'Trip' to his friends - their success is threatened by the Great Depression of the 1930s. Can Emily keep their family and friends safe from the shadow of unemployment? Following the gripping story of the Ryan family in Margaret Dickinson's top ten bestseller The Buffer GirlsDaughters of Courage sees Emily and Trip fight to keep their new life afloat in the turbulent 1930s.

The Doorstep Child

by Annie Murray

Evie spent her early years left outside on the step. With a drunk for a father and a neglectful mother, all little Evie has ever craved is a safe home and a normal existence. At sixteen she meets Ken, a sweet, brown-eyed boy, not much older than she is. Perhaps her fortunes have changed? But as soon as she gives over her heart she is betrayed, not for the first time in her young life. Will Evie ever find the love and warmth she's always craved?

The Wedding Girls

by Kate Thompson

It's 1936 and the streets of London's East End are grimy and brutal, but in one corner of Bethnal Green it is forever Hollywood. Tomboy Stella and troubled Winnie work in Herbie Taylor’s photography studio on Green Street; their best friend and hopeless romantic Kitty is an apprentice dressmaker working tirelessly to create magical bridal gowns next door. Community is strong on Green Street, but can it stand the ultimate test? As clouds of war brew on the horizon, danger looms over the East End. Will the Wedding Girls find their happy ever afters, before it's too late?