A bookseller who discovers a magical book that can transport her across the globe. A rural manor house where past secrets unravel in the heat of an affair. A schoolgirl and her friend navigating family politics while the Yorkshire Ripper terrorizes their community. This year will see the publication of stand-out stories and new voices you have yet to discover.
Here we get to know 12 Penguin writers as they embark on releasing their debut novels, as we hear about what inspired them to write their first book and the incredible stories that may just become your next favourite read.
Gripping reads for crime and thriller fanatics
It was Gillian Flynn’s global bestseller Gone Girl that sparked Amy Tintera’s love of adult thrillers, before eventually writing one herself.
Listen for the Lie was inspired by ‘the way our society likes to pit women against each other,’ says Tintera. It follows Lucy, whose best friend was murdered five years ago. Found covered in blood, with no memory of what happened, Lucy became an obvious suspect. But when journalist Ben brings fresh attention to the case with a true-crime podcast, she can finally unpick what really happened that night.
Described as ‘edgy and scary, thrilling and twisty’ by Liane Moriarty and hailed by Stephen King as a ‘world-class whodunit,’ Amy Tintera is tipped to become one of your new favourite crime authors.
Read if you like: true-crime podcasts, creepy documentaries, books you can read in one sitting
Another pick for true-crime fans, this time set in 1970’s Yorkshire. Women are being murdered by a terrifying figure dubbed 'The Yorkshire Ripper'. Best friends Miv and Sharon want to know why, but the adults won’t tell them anything and – worryingly – Miv's dad is talking about moving ‘Down South’. They decide to take matters into their own hands and find the culprit, in a search that will uncover unexpected secrets about their community.
Part-time bookseller Jennie Godfrey was inspired to write her debut novel after watching the documentary series The Yorkshire Ripper Files . ‘[It] reminded me that my Dad worked with Peter Sutcliffe, an aspect of my childhood I had almost forgotten,’ said Godfrey. ‘It brought back such memories of living in Yorkshire at that time, that I realised I wanted to write about it.’
Read if you like: Happy Valley , surprising twists, family and community dramas
‘As a writer I'm able to control scenarios that terrify me,’ says attorney-turned-author Tracy Sierra. ‘I’m often home alone with my children and my house is isolated. The fear of an intruder became an idea I needed to poke at.’ The result? Nightwatching, a fast-paced thriller with the claustrophobic tension of a horror film.
Based around her own 300-year-old New England home, Nightwatching follows a mother of two young children who, after hearing a creak on the stairs, has a split second to decide what to do. With no phone and no weapon, she will do whatever it takes to protect her children from the intruder and his sinister intentions.
Drawing on Sierra’s experience volunteering to help survivors of domestic abuse, Nightwatching explores gender-based violence and the anxiety that comes with being a woman in a man’s world.
Page-turning reads to make you laugh (and cry)
Greta and Valdin Vladisavljevic are siblings, flatmates, and perpetually unlucky in love. Along with the eccentric cast of characters that make up their family, they navigate the highs and lows of modern life, love and identity, from disastrous online dates to discovering the full, fascinating story of their heritage.
Full of heart and humour, this debut by New Zealand author Rebecca K Reilly spent a year in the bestseller charts in her homeland and won the prestigious Adam Foundation Prize. Excited to publish in the UK for the first time, Reilly said ‘there’s a perception that our everyday lives [in New Zealand] have no international appeal. I feel like if I can understand Geordie Shore , British people can understand saying ‘in the weekend’ instead of ‘at the weekend.’'
Read it if you like: witty writing with laugh-out-loud moments, queer love stories, quirky characters you can’t help but fall in love with
One New Year’s Eve, Holly Gramazio was walking to a friend’s party. As she glanced into the window of another party, she thought, ‘there’s probably a version of the world where they’re my friends instead.’ As she went on to her friend’s party, the ‘impulse stuck with me. The sense of another version of my life, surprisingly nearby,’ she explains.
Mixing the trials and tribulations of finding the perfect partner with the concept of a parallel universe, The Husbands is at times hilarious and at others poignant and moving, and already counts Marian Keyes and Gabrielle Zevin among its fans. It follows Lauren, who discovers that her attic is some kind of husband generator, replenishing her flat – and life – with a new man at will. As she explores each relationship, she begins to realise which version of her life could bring her true happiness. Now all she needs to do is find the right man – and stop her attic from replacing him.
Read it if you like: movies like Sliding Doors , romantic comedies , modern dating stories with a twist
Meet Jenny, who, at 77, is convinced she’s missed the chance to accomplish something big with her life – that is, until she secretly applies to be on the hit TV competition Britain Bakes. Jenny’s lifelong love and talent for baking makes her a household name, but she’s also hiding a tragic secret from everyone – even her devoted husband Bernard – that can’t hold onto much longer.
Books with fantasy worlds to explore
Gareth Brown’s tale of secret libraries, book hunters, and magic was inspired by a simple idea: travel. ‘I wrote it at the tail-end of lockdown when I hadn’t been able to travel for over two years,' says Brown. 'So a big part of the book was really travelling vicariously through my characters.’
New York-based bookseller Cassie is finishing her shift when one of her favourite customers dies suddenly on the shop floor. Amid the chaos, she finds a book among his possessions which, she soon discovers with the help of best friend Izzy, can transport her anywhere in the world, simply by walking through the nearest door.
Unfortunately, their travels have been noticed by darker forces, sparking a race to collect Cassie’s magic book. This edge-of-your-seat read is the perfect adventure for bibliophiles.
Described as a ‘sweeping gothic fairytale,’ Where the Dark Stands Still draws from Polish folklore and Slavic myths. ‘I wrote mainly for my younger self, as a Polish immigrant who grew up in Canada,’ explains Poranek. ‘It was my way of reconnecting with a culture I had always been somewhat detached from and weaving that into a story full of tropes and character archetypes I’ve always loved.'
The story follows Liska Radost, who wants to rid herself of the magical powers that make her a village outcast. Venturing into the woodland, she finds Leszy, the wood's demon warden, who offers to grant her wish in exchange for one year's servitude. As she begins work, Liska discovers there have been servants before her who have all disappeared. Can she uncover the truth before the same fate befalls her?
Read if you like: Belladonna by Adalyn Grace, Gallant by V.E. Schwab, gothic fairytales, romance, folklore, adventures with strong and defiant female characters
Molly X. Chang was inspired to write her debut novel because she remembers the much-needed escapism that came with reading captivating stories when she was younger. 'I would love to provide that same escape to someone else,' she says.
Set in the Roman-occupied Er-Lang empire, this story follows Yang Ruying, who demurs from joining the resistance despite being blessed with the magical power of death, but is captured during a raid on her city.
Once enemy Prince Antony Augustus uncovers her secret powers, he gives her an ultimatum: be his personal assassin, or watch her family die. This haunting YA fantasy explores the devastation of colonialism and the complexity of love in all its forms.
Read if you like: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard , dystopian fiction, fantasy romance
Thought-provoking reads
Living alone in her late mother’s rural Dutch home, Isabel’s life is one of routine and order. That is, until her brother arrives with his new girlfriend Eva, who needs somewhere to live while he's away on business. Since he's the estate's rightful heir, she can't say no.
Isabel’s desire for order soon unravels as she begins to understand herself, and Eva, in a completely new light.
With themes including war and its devastating aftereffects, sexuality and acceptance, and home and belonging, there's much to discuss about this 1960s-set novel. Author Yael van der Wouden says she was inspired by her time spent in The Netherlands and a desire to ‘see lesbian narratives of which sexuality wasn’t the only plot engine; wanting to write about women who make bad choices, who are rude and grating and still find love.’
Read if you like: Atonement Ian McEwan , long summers in elegant country homes, complex characters with deep-buried secrets
Ceyda (Jade) is a successful young law graduate who is trying to find herself but pulled in many directions as a mixed-heritage Londoner trying to climb the corporate ladder. This is made harder still, if not impossible, after the traumatic events of one night and the complicated emotions and thoughts that follow.
Ela Lee was a City lawyer before turning to writing in 2021. ‘The story had been jostling around in my head for a really long time,’ she explains. ‘It came from an accumulation of anecdotes, whispers, experiences and conversations that just kept building. I started writing and it all just came out in this cathartic tumble.’ The result is a compelling novel that grapples with class, race, gender, power and money with precision and realism, slipping in text and email formats to give a contemporary feel.
It was a bout of homesickness that inspired Ishi Robinson to pen her first novel. ‘I was nostalgic for the Jamaica of my youth,' she explains. 'I had also spent the past 20 years looking back on life in Jamaica and, for the first time, seeing a lot of the disparity I hadn’t noticed when I was actually living there.'
The story follows 13-year-old Pumpkin Patterson, whose sights are set on on escaping the poverty, colourism, and class restrictions of Kingston, Jamaica. Using her baking skills, Pumpkin sees a way out when her Aunt Sophie moves to France and promises to send for her. But as her mother intervenes, Pumpkin’s dreams of leaving are at risk. In this sweet coming-of-age story, the sights and smells of Jamaica are as vivid and carefully recounted as a recipe, the reader left craving more, yet fulfilled in knowing the satisfaction of what's to come.
Read if you like: Coming-of-age stories, family drama, The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
