Neal, Jen

Readers can look forward to new suspense from Lisa Jewell, psychological thrillers from Matthew Blake and Liv Constantine, and a Godfather-inspired Southern crime epic from S.A. Cosby this month.

Bestselling Laura Lippman returns with a book featuring middle-aged widow Muriel Blossom from her Tess Monaghan books, Nilima Rao writes a second Sergeant Akal Singh historical mystery, and Sally Smith debuts with a cozy gaslight series set in 1901 London.

Ron Chernow writes an epic biography about Mark Twain, Tourmaline offers a biography of activist Marsha P. Johnson, and Michelle Young reveals French Resistance hero Rose Valland's life as a spy.

American women pilots who flew during World War II, the Battle of Midway, the Underground Railroad’s maritime origins, and the lead up to Abraham Lincoln’s decision to go to war are explored in this month's titles.

This month's historical novels include a Jane Austen–inspired tale from Natalie Jenner, a World War II story set on Martha's Vineyard by Martha Hall Kelly, and a matriarch's tale of land and legacy in the Lowcountry of South Carolina from Mary Alice Monroe.

LJ Best Booker Shokoofeh Azar has a new book, Lambda Award winner Marisa Crane returns with a coming-of-age novel, and Scotiabank Giller Prize winner Madeleine Thien offers a story that leaps across centuries; plus five debuts to note.

GMA Book Club pick author Disha Bose offers a coming-of-age story about a woman who moves from Calcutta to Ireland, while Oprah’s Book Club author Wally Lamb returns with a novel about a young father in prison who finds kinship with the prison librarian.

It is one of our favorite times at LJ, the weeks before we announce the Best Books of the year. Look for our list of 2024’s not-to-miss titles in the December issue. As we count down to our big reveal, we are delighted to highlight some of our 2023 picks, titles we still treasure, reread, and suggest widely. To start the countdown, look for the witty, deeply clever, and read-it-like-you-just-robbed-some-pirates fast The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton. 

All the April 2025 Prepub Alerts in one place, plus a downloadable spreadsheet of all titles from every post.