Top new literary-fiction books in June 2024
Last updated:
June 30, 2024
June 2024 featuring new releases by Liz Moore, Flynn Berry, Peter Swanson, Ruth Hogan, Lisa Wingate, Claire Lombardo, Julia Phillips, Tracy Chevalier, Akwaeke Emezi, Kerry Lonsdale and many more.
-
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
From the New York Times bestselling author of Long Bright River, an immersive, propulsive novel about a missing child whose disappearance sends equal shockwaves through three very different worlds—an opulent Adirondack summer estate, the rustic teen summer camp that operates in its shadow, and the blue-collar community that serves them both...mystery · fiction · historical-fiction · historical · literary-fiction · suspense · thriller · season-summer · family · psychological -
Trust Her by Flynn Berry
Two sisters find they can't outrun their past in the riveting new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Northern SpyThree years after they narrowly escaped the IRA's worst punishment for informing, Northern Irish sisters Tessa and Marian Daly have built a new life in Dublin with their young children...fiction · mystery · audiobook · suspense · historical-fiction · crime · thriller · espionage · family · contemporary -
A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson
A newlywed librarian begins to suspect the man she married might be a murderer—in this spectacularly twisty and deviously clever novel by Peter Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of The Kind Worth Killing and Eight Perfect Murders.Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she’d likely spend her life alone...fiction · suspense · psychological · contemporary · thriller · audiobook · murder · whodunit · serial-killers · crime -
The Phoenix Ballroom by Ruth Hogan
When it's time to face the music, all we can do is dance... Recently widowed Venetia Hamilton Hargreaves is left with a huge house, a bank balance to match and an uneasy feeling that she's been sleepwalking through the last fifty years. Determined to live fully again, she embraces life with an enthusiasm and purpose she'd forgotten she could muster...fiction · contemporary · family · womens-fiction · aging · audiobook · 21st-century · secrets · fantasy · literary-fiction -
Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours comes a sweeping novel inspired by the untold history of women pioneers who fought to protect children caught in the storm of land barons hungry for power and oil wealth.Oklahoma, 1909...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · christian · indigenous-mc · audiobook · poc-mc · mystery · literary-fiction · friendship -
-
Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
The New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had (“wonderfully immersive…deliciously absorbing”—NPR) returns with another brilliantly observed family drama in which the enduring, hard-won affection of a long marriage faces imminent derailment from events both past and present... -
Bear by Julia Phillips
A mesmerising novel of two sisters on a Pacific Northwest island whose lives are upended by an unexpected visitor — a tale of family, obsession, and a mysterious creature in the woods, by the celebrated, bestselling author of Disappearing Earth.They were sisters and they would last past the end of time.Sam and her sister, Elena, dream of another life...north-america · usa · washington-dc · washington · fiction · literary-fiction · contemporary · outdoors · family · animals -
The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier
From the bestselling historical novelist, a rich, transporting story that follows a family of glassmakers from the height of Renaissance-era Italy to present day.It is 1486 and Venice is a wealthy, opulent center for trade. Orsola Rosso is the eldest daughter in a family of glassblowers in Murano, the island revered for the craft...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · literary-fiction · family · 21st-century · magical-realism · female-mc · epic · romance -
Little Rot by Akwaeke Emezi
A thrilling new novel from the bestselling, award-winning Akwaeke Emezi, about five friends trying to outrun and outmatch a powerful, underground worldOne weekend. The elite underbelly of a Nigerian city. A breakup that starts a spiral. A party that goes awry. A tangled web of sex and lies and corruption that leaves no one unscathed...fiction · lgbtq · literary-fiction · contemporary · poc-mc · mystery · crime · horror · psychological · friendship -
Find Me in California by Kerry Lonsdale
An achingly romantic novel about chance meetings, buried secrets, and the multiple facets of love and family bonds by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kerry Lonsdale.Raised by her fiercely passionate and free-spirited grandmother, Julia Hope has never gone without love. But as she tends to her only living relative during her final days, Julia struggles to overcome her fear of being alone...romance · contemporary · fiction · womens-fiction · magical-realism · literary-fiction · family · female-mc · book · adult -
Fire Exit by Morgan Talty
The blood that came out of me was blood that ran through her veins. It’s strange: all blood looks the same, yet it’s different, we’re told, in so many various ways and for so many various reasons. But one thing is for certain, I thought: you are who you are, even if you don’t know it...north-america · usa · maine · fiction · literary-fiction · contemporary · indigenous-mc · audiobook · mystery · family -
Moral Injuries by Christie Watson
A literary thriller following three best friends since medical school and the twenty-five-year-old secret that now threatens to shatter their livesRuthlessly ambitious Olivia, anxious perfectionist Laura, and free-spirited risk-taker Anjali couldn’t be more different. Yet their friendship has kept them inseparable for the past twenty-five years...fiction · medical · suspense · audiobook · university · monsters · dark-academia · family · journey · thriller -
Parade by Rachel Cusk
From the exhilarating mind of Rachel Cusk, author of the Outline trilogy, Parade disturbs and defines the novel.Midway through his life, an artist begins to paint upside down. Eventually, he paints his wife upside down. He also makes her ugly. The paintings are a great success.In Paris, a woman is attacked by a stranger in the street...fiction · literary-fiction · contemporary · feminism · audiobook · female-author · womens-fiction · female-mc · book · adult -
Middletide by Sarah Crouch
In this gripping and intensely atmospheric debut, disquiet descends on a small town after the suspicious death of a beautiful young doctor, with all clues pointing to the reclusive young man who abandoned the community in chase of big city dreams but returned for the first love he left behind...romance · mystery · fiction · suspense · contemporary · crime · literary-fiction · indigenous-mc · audiobook · murder -
Hey, Zoey by Sarah Crossan
Dolores O'Shea’s marriage collapses when she discovers her husband’s AI sex doll in the garage. When she moves “Zoey” into the house, they become oddly bonded, opening the door to a lifetime of repressed feelings and memories. Darkly funny and endlessly sharp, Hey, Zoey is a propulsive story of love, family, and trauma in our tech-buffered age of alienation as strange as it is familiar...fiction · contemporary · drama · ai · realistic · sci-fi · friendship · literary-fiction · breakup · domestic-drama -
Table for Five by Izzy Bromley
When your life falls apart, all you need is a friend…Abbie Finch loves her job.Unfortunately, her boss doesn’t love her.When she finds herself unexpectedly unemployed, Abbie realises that she’s let all her friendships fall by the wayside and has no one to turn to.Lost and lonely, Abbie decides to leave her comfort zone and join the neighbourhood café’s community table...fiction · audiobook · literary-fiction · womens-fiction · contemporary · friendship · realistic · family · cozy · female-mc -
Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
“An audacious, wildly funny, completely unpredictable novel by a writer so singular that it’s hard to compare her to anyone else . . . absolutely brilliant...fiction · contemporary · humor · literary-fiction · womens-fiction · female-mc · realistic · audiobook · family · coming-of-age -
The Burial Plot by Elizabeth Macneal
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Doll Factory, The Burial Plot is an unstoppable historical thriller about murder, manipulation, and a young woman trying to wrestle power from the hands of a dangerous man. But he’s always one step ahead . . .London, 1839...historical-fiction · gothic · historical · fiction · mystery · industrial-era · victorian · audiobook · fantasy · dark -
Don't Let the Devil Ride by Ace Atkins
S.A. Cosby meets Don Winslow in the breakout thriller from New York Times bestselling author Ace Atkins. A Memphis woman hires a PI to find her missing husband, only to discover that he is involved in a dangerous web of international intrigue—and she and her children are now at risk.Hell is empty…and Addison McKellar’s husband is missing...fiction · suspense · thriller · audiobook · literary-fiction · action-adventure · murder · crime · investigator · noir -
-
That Night in the Library by Eva Jurczyk
One night locked in the library. What could go wrong?On the night before graduation, seven students gather in the basement of their university's rare books library. They're not allowed in the library after closing time, but it's the perfect place for the ritual they want to perform—one borrowed from the Greeks, said to free those who take part in it from the fear of death...mystery · horror · fiction · suspense · murder · audiobook · dark-academia · young-adult · thriller · contemporary -
Once More from the Top by Emily Layden
A propulsive, layered novel about the meteoric rise of a legendary pop star and the secret she’s kept hidden for fifteen years, for fans of Megan Abbott and Daisy Jones & the Six.Everyone in America knows Dylan Read, or at least has heard her music. Since releasing her debut album her senior year of high school, Dylan’s spent fifteen years growing up in the public eye...romance · fiction · contemporary · mystery · audiobook · literary-fiction · friendship · womens-fiction · coming-of-age · suspense -
The Summer Escape by Jill Shalvis
Secrets are revealed and forbidden sparks ignited in this sizzling Sunrise Cove tale of enemies to lovers, redemption, missing treasures, and love—by romance superstar and New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis...romance · fiction · contemporary · season-summer · audiobook · culinary · humor · cozy · literary-fiction · young-adult -
Sandwich by Catherine Newman
The story of a family summer vacation full of secrets, lunch, and learning to let go. For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family’s yearly escape to Cape Cod. Their humble beach-town rental has been the site of sweet memories, sunny days, great meals, and messes of all emotional, marital, and—thanks to the cottage’s ancient plumbing—septic too...fiction · contemporary · family · marriage · literary-fiction · season-summer · secrets · parenthood · womens-fiction · humor -
The Material by Camille Bordas
A single momentous day transforms the lives of students and professors at a school for stand-up comedy in a novel that explores the humor and tragedy of everyday existence, from "an invaluable new voice" (George Saunders)Can comedy be taught? Someone, at some point, seemed to think so. The Chicago Stand-Up program has enrolled young comedians for nearly a decade...fiction · humor · literary-fiction · contemporary · audiobook · comedy · satire · dark-humor · book · adult -
Devil Is Fine by John Vercher
From acclaimed novelist John Vercher, a profoundly moving novel of what it means to be a father, a son, a writer, and a biracial American fighting to reconcile the pastReeling from the sudden death of his teenage son, our narrator receives a letter from an he has just inherited a plot of land from his estranged grandfather...fiction · magical-realism · literary-fiction · audiobook · fantasy · historical-fiction · contemporary · dark · family · mystery -
Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay
A chilling twist on the “cursed film” genre from the bestselling author of The Pallbearers Club and The Cabin at the End of the World.In June 1993, a group of young guerilla filmmakers spent four weeks making Horror Movie, a notorious, disturbing, art-house horror flick...horror · fiction · mystery · contemporary · spooky · thriller · psychological · literary-fiction · supernatural · book -
Secrets of Rose Briar Hall by Kelsey James
In this Gilded Age gothic homage to “Gaslight” starring Ingrid Bergman, a wealthy young newlywed in early 20th century New York is isolated within her opulent, yet ominously empty mansion by the charismatic and controlling new husband plotting to undermine her sanity…1908, Long Island: For Millie Turner, the young and beautiful wife of a powerful New York stockbroker, Rose Briar Hall—a gleaming...historical-fiction · mystery · gothic · historical · fiction · audiobook · horror · suspense · romantic-love · thriller -
Moonbound by Robin Sloan
Robin Sloan expands the Penumbraverse to new reaches of time and space in a rollicking far-future adventure.In Moonbound, Robin Sloan has written a novel with the full scope and ambitious imagination of the very books that lit the engines of Mr... -
Clete: A Dave Robicheaux Novel by James Lee Burke
In the latest installment in his famous Detective Dave Robicheaux series, New York Times bestselling author James Lee Burke brings Dave’s partner and friend Clete Purcel to the forefront for the first time as Clete and Dave attempt to stop ruthless smugglers of a dangerous new drugClete Purcel – private investigator, ex-member of the New Orleans Police Department, and war veteran with a hard...mystery · crime · action-adventure · literary-fiction · fiction · suspense · thriller · hard-boiled · book · adult -
The Forgotten Names by Mario Escobar
In August 1942, French parents were faced with a horrible choice: watch their children die, or abandon them forever. Fifty years later, it becomes one woman’s mission to match the abandoned names with the people they belong to...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · ww2 · survival · literary-fiction · 20th-century · action-adventure · book · adult -
Nice Work, Nora November by Julia London
Now that Nora is not dead, only one question What does she want to do with her life?Nora November is alive—but she wasn’t always. She was once clinically dead, having spent several minutes under water after a terrible surfing accident she doesn’t remember. What she does remember from her time in a coma is her grandfather, who passed away over a year ago. And a beautiful garden...romance · fiction · contemporary · womens-fiction · family · mental-illness · death · audiobook · suicide · legal -
Bright I Burn by Molly Aitken
In thirteenth-century Ireland, a woman with power is a woman to be feared. When a young Alice Kyteler sees her mother wither under the constraints of family responsibilities, she vows that she will not suffer the same fate. When she discovers she has a flair for making money, she soon builds a flourishing trade. But as her wealth and stature grow, so too do the rumours about her private life... -
Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh
Moonlight meets Purple Hibiscus in this gay coming-of-age novel from an astonishing young talent, set in post-military Nigeria and culminating in the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act of 2014.Obiefuna has always been the black sheep of his family—sensitive where his father, Anozie, is pragmatic, a dancer where his brother, Ekene, is a natural athlete...africa · western-africa · nigeria · fiction · lgbtq · literary-fiction · contemporary · coming-of-age · poc-mc · journey -
-
Four Squares by Bobby Finger
From the beloved author of The Old Place comes a tender, funny, and fresh novel spanning the 1990s and present day, about a young writer and the community he builds in New York City, and his lonely life 30 years later when an unexpected injury lands him at the local queer senior center.Artie Anderson wouldn’t call himself lonely, not exactly...fiction · lgbtq · historical-fiction · literary-fiction · historical · urban · mlm · friendship · romantic-love · book -
How the Light Gets In by Joyce Maynard
From New York Times bestselling author Joyce Maynard comes the eagerly anticipated follow-up to her beloved novel Count the Ways —a complex story of three generations of a family and its remarkable, resilient, indomitable matriarch, Eleanor...fiction · womens-fiction · contemporary · family · literary-fiction · coming-of-age · female-mc · breakup · domestic-drama · book -
The Memo by Lauren Mechling, Rachel Dodes
If you could rewrite your life story, would you dare? That’s the question at the heart of this charming and propulsive debut novel about love, life, and a woman finding herself and what it means to be happy and successful...fiction · fantasy · time-travel · contemporary · humor · female-mc · literary-fiction · friendship · romance · action-adventure -
Tehrangeles by Porochista Khakpour
Meet the Milanis: fast-food heiresses, L.A. royalty, and your newest reality TV obsession.Iranian-American multimillionaires Ali and Homa Milani have it all—a McMansion in the hills of Los Angeles, a microwaveable snack empire, and four spirited daughters...fiction · contemporary · literary-fiction · humor · family · audiobook · social-commentary · poc-mc · poc-author · female-mc -
The Mistress Experience by Scarlett Peckham
The scandalous women of the USA Today bestselling author Scarlett Peckham’s Society of Sirens are back with the final stage in their fight for female rights—and this time the battle is to be waged in bed… She’s the most infamous harlot in London…and she’s up for auction. Thaïs Magadalene is a legend... -
Experienced by Kate Young
“A fizzing, lip-chewing, collar-bone biting, palm-sweating roller-coaster of a rom-com that is both the sexiest book you'll read all year and the most heartening...romance · lgbtq · wlw · fiction · contemporary · audiobook · literary-fiction · lesbian-mc · humor · female-mc -
The Betrayal: Illicit Love Series by Ashlee Rose
'Betrayal is best served hot with a side of your Dad’s best friend.'I had everything. A bright future, a Dad who loved me and his three best friends who would do anything for me. One more than the others.But then I lost it all. Everyone who loved me, left me. Med student turned stripper.Betrayed by the ones I loved the most...