If you’re looking for fresh fiction that keeps you turning pages long into the night, these recently published stories offer suspense, intrigue and deep explorations of identity.
From a mathematician entangled in an international crisis to a hostage situation spiralling out of control, and a cast of characters caught between who they are and who they aspire to be, these narratives promise to challenge, entertain and linger in your mind long after the final page.
TRUE FAILURE BY ALEX HIGLEY
Ben has just lost his job but his wife Tara doesn’t know that. Instead of telling the truth, Ben devotes his time to auditioning for a hit reality TV show Big Shot so he can pitch his business idea. Meanwhile, Tara is lying to the children’s parents at her daycare about their daily activities. And Marcy, the Big Shot producer, is hiding the real reason she’s away from the office. True Failure by Alex Higley explores the deceptions we inhabit to fulfill our dreams, and the idea that we are all either successful or a failure in life.
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MIRA BY SONALI DEV
When her fiancé can’t make it to their engagement trip to New York, Mira Salvi decides to go alone. There she comes across a lost ring, and her quest to locate its owner catches social media’s attention. Countless people are coming forward to claim the ring but Mira isn’t convinced. She teams up with journalist Krish Hale who’s interested in finding the true owner so he can write this story. Along the way, Mira ponders on her seemingly perfect life.
FAMOUS LAST WORDS BY GILLIAN MCALLISTER
Camilla is ready to resume her job after months of maternity leave. But when she wakes up, her husband Luke is nowhere to be found and all he left is a strange note. Later that day, she hears of a hostage situation. The police show up to inform her Luke is involved – not as a hostage but as the gunman. In charge of negotiation is Niall, who seeks Camilla’s cooperation to save the hostages.
MEMORIAL DAYS BY GERALDINE BROOKS
From spending their early years together in conflict zones, married couple Geraldine Brooks and Tony Horwitz opted for a quiet life on a small island, together with their two children.
But their time together came to an abrupt end when Tony collapsed and was pronounced dead. Geraldine’s need to grieve clashed with her responsibility of arranging a funeral and memorial service, and the demands placed upon her began to pile up with no end in sight.
Three years later, Geraldine retreated to a remote island off Australia where she learned how people of other cultures grieve and she pondered what she could do to rebuild her own life.
THE OTHERWHERE POST BY EMILY J TAYLOR
Ever since her father was accused of a severe crime seven years ago, Maeve Abenthy has been living under a fake name as she travels from one place to another. One day she receives a letter claiming her father was innocent. Seeking the truth, she poses as an apprentice at the Otherwhere Post to learn the art of scriptomancy – magic that allows couriers to enchant letters and deliver them to other worlds. But her investigation is far from smooth. Her mentor knows she’s lying about her identity and there are letters warning her to stop her investigation.
ELEVEN NUMBERS BY LEE CHILD
Nathan Tyler is a mathematician with a rather obscure specialty in his field. Though well respected among his peers, he thinks there are many others just as good and he doesn’t really stand out in any way – which is why he’s surprised when he receives a phonecall from the White House. He is shown a series of equations that could shift the global balance of power. To decode it, he’ll have to meet the Russian mathematician who created it. Tyler is sent to Moscow as the key to a massive foreign intelligence breakthrough amidst the escalating international tensions.
WE ALL LIVE HERE BY JOJO MOYES
Lila Kennedy is having a hard time with pretty much everything. Her husband has left her for another woman, her elderly stepfather has moved in after Lila’s mother passed away, and she has to raise her two daughters as a single mom. Her last straw is when her biological father who left for Hollywood 35 years ago suddenly shows up on her doorstep.
THE KILLING PLAINS BY SHERRY RANKIN
A boy is found dead with the skin of a hare’s head in his hand, resembling a murder that occurred 20 years ago. Suspicion falls on Willis Newland who has just been released from prison due to the similarity between the murder cases. Detective Colly Newland returns to her late husband’s hometown to investigate a case that seems to involve the whole town, including her dead husband’s extended family. – Aqilah Rahman
