Top new literary-fiction books in September 2023
Last updated:
September 30, 2023
September 2023 featuring new releases by Jessica Knoll, Peter Swanson, Christina Baker Kline, Mona Awad, Lou Berney, Lauren Groff, Zadie Smith, William Kent Krueger, Thrity Umrigar, Kathleen Rooney and many more.
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Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
An extraordinary novel inspired by the real-life sorority targeted by America's first celebrity serial killer in his final murderous spree.January 1978. A serial killer has terrorized women across the Pacific Northwest, but his existence couldn’t be further from the minds of the vibrant young women at the top sorority on Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee...fiction · mystery · historical-fiction · crime · historical · audiobook · true-crime · thriller · suspense · horror -
![The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson]()
The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson
New York Times bestselling author Peter Swanson pens a spectacularly spine-chilling novella in which an American art student in London is invited to join a classmate for the holidays at Starvewood Hall, her family's Cotswold manor house. But behind the holly and pine boughs, secrets are about to unravel, revealing this seemingly charming English village's grim history...mystery · fiction · gothic · season-winter · suspense · crime · audiobook · horror · historical · murder -
![The Scenic Route by Christina Baker Kline]()
The Scenic Route by Christina Baker Kline
Driven by desperation to hit the road, a woman sees her life come into view in a powerful short story about starting over by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Exiles . Once happily married with a young son, Jess takes to the road to escape her failed relationship and the disappointment of losing touch with her son...fiction · contemporary · action-adventure · family · 21st-century · womens-fiction · female-mc · breakup · domestic-drama · anthologies -
![Rouge by Mona Awad]()
Rouge by Mona Awad
From the critically acclaimed author of Bunny comes a horror-tinted, gothic fairy tale about a lonely dress shop clerk whose mother’s unexpected death sends her down a treacherous path in pursuit of youth and beauty...horror · fiction · gothic · literary-fiction · contemporary · mystery · dark · magical-realism · cults · fundamentalism -
![Dark Ride by Lou Berney]()
Dark Ride by Lou Berney
Sometimes the person you least expect is just the hero you needTwenty-one-year-old Hardy “Hardly” Reed—good-natured, easygoing, usually stoned—is drifting through life. A minimum-wage scare actor at an amusement park, he avoids unnecessary effort and unrealistic ambitions. Then one day he notices two children, around six or seven, sitting all alone on a bench...fiction · mystery · crime · suspense · contemporary · audiobook · thriller · abuse · domestic-drama · dark -
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![Peach Pit: Sixteen Stories of Unsavory Women by Lauren Groff]()
Peach Pit: Sixteen Stories of Unsavory Women by Lauren Groff
A stunning anthology of fierce and dangerous women, featuring stories from Lauren Groff, Deesha Philyaw, K-Ming Chang, and thirteen other award-winning and bestselling authorsA middle-aged Black woman exacts revenge on the aggressively average men she meets on dating sites... -
![The Fraud by Zadie Smith]()
The Fraud by Zadie Smith
From acclaimed and bestselling novelist Zadie Smith, a kaleidoscopic work of historical fiction set against the legal trial that divided Victorian England, about who deserves to tell their story—and who deserves to be believedIt is 1873. Mrs...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · literary-fiction · industrial-era · victorian · female-author · poc-mc · slavery · family -
![The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger]()
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger
In 1958, a small Minnesota town is rocked by the murder of its most powerful citizen, pouring fresh fuel on old grievances in this dazzling standalone novel from the New York Times bestselling author of This Tender Land...historical-fiction · mystery · fiction · literary-fiction · historical · suspense · thriller · audiobook · killer · small-town -
![The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar]()
The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar
A riveting story about uncovering family secrets and the power of forgiveness, set in India and the United States, from the bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club pick HonorRemy Wadia left India for the United States long ago, carrying his resentment of his mother with him...fiction · contemporary · literary-fiction · family · poc-author · breakup · domestic-drama · female-mc · book · adult -
![From Dust to Stardust by Kathleen Rooney]()
From Dust to Stardust by Kathleen Rooney
From the bestselling author of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk comes a novel about Hollywood, the cost of stardom, and selfless second acts, inspired by an extraordinary true story.Chicago, 1916. Doreen O’Dare is fourteen years old when she hops a Hollywood-bound train with her beloved Irish grandmother...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · 20th-century · feminism · audiobook · urban · female-mc · literary-fiction · romance -
![The Land of Lost Things by John Connolly]()
The Land of Lost Things by John Connolly
The redemptive power of stories and family is revealed in New York Times bestselling author John Connolly’s atmospheric tale set in the same magical universe as The Book of Lost Things.“Twice upon a time—for that is how some stories should continue…”Phoebe, an eight-year-old girl, lies comatose following a car accident—a body without a spirit...fantasy · fiction · myths · action-adventure · horror · young-adult · magical-realism · suspense · literary-fiction · supernatural -
![North Woods by Daniel Mason]()
North Woods by Daniel Mason
A sweeping novel about a single house in the woods of New England, told through the lives of those who inhabit it across the centuries—a daring, moving tale of memory and fate from the Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of The Piano Tuner and The Winter Soldier...historical-fiction · fiction · historical · outdoors · literary-fiction · family · audiobook · male-author · book · adult -
![Unforgettable by Michelle Heard, Tayla Louise]()
Unforgettable by Michelle Heard, Tayla Louise
From USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Michelle Heard and debut author Tayla Louise comes a new STANDALONE, full-length CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE novel.Life has taught me I’m forgettable, unless someone needs something from me. While things are going great, people forget I exist, but the second hell breaks loose, my number is the one they call.It sucks...romance · new-adult · contemporary · billionaire · female-mc · fiction · literary-fiction · book · adult -
![Not Forever, But For Now by Chuck Palahniuk]()
Not Forever, But For Now by Chuck Palahniuk
From the bestselling author of Fight Club comes a hilarious horror satire about a family of professional killers responsible for the most atrocious events in history and the young brothers that are destined to take over.Meet Otto and Cecil. Two brothers growing up privileged in the Welsh countryside. They enjoy watching nature shows, playing with their pet pony, impersonating their Grandfather..horror · fiction · crime · humor · lgbtq · literary-fiction · audiobook · satire · mystery · contemporary -
![Seal My Fate by Roxy Sloane]()
Seal My Fate by Roxy Sloane
Oxford, England. The city of dreaming spires, dark secrets… And desire.I came to Oxford to avenge my sister, but instead, I found a web of lies. Ancient loyalties. Fortunes built on sin.Riches they’d do anything to protect. I’m the one who could bring their empires crashing down...romance · dark · contemporary · university · mystery · steamy · suspense · dark-academia · billionaire · stalking -
![My Favorite Kidnapper by Melanie Moreland]()
My Favorite Kidnapper by Melanie Moreland
A laugh out loud, unconventional opposites attract love story from New York Times bestselling author Melanie Moreland I touched her confectionary creation, and she told me off.Slapping my hands and cursing in her own unique fashion.No one talked to me that way.I liked it.I liked her cake even more.So, I took her to Italy to bake for me...romance · contemporary · humor · fiction · womens-fiction · crime · age-gap · forced-proximity · grumpy-sunshine · cheerful-mc -
![The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons]()
The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons
Orca Monroe wants only one thing for her eighteenth birthday: to experience the Otherworld—the mysterious “mainland” across the sea that her father has forbidden her from visiting. Growing up in a lighthouse on a remote island, Orca has lived isolated from the world… until one day when she finds a cell phone washed up on the beach...romance · fiction · contemporary · historical-fiction · new-adult · young-adult · literary-fiction · love-triangle · cozy · family -
![A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee]()
A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee
An emotionally powerful romance novel about two people finding love after struggling with addiction--ultimately discovering what it means to be completely and unapologetically themselves. Elisheva Cohen has just returned to Brooklyn after almost a decade. The wounds of abandoning the Orthodox community that raised her, then shunned her because of her substance abuse, are still painful...romance · contemporary · lgbtq · fiction · wlw · trans-mc · lesbian-mc · audiobook · literary-fiction · mental-illness -
![The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan]()
The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan
Ariel Kaplan’s The Pomegranate Gate is the lyrical first installment of the Mirror Realm Cycle, a vibrant and heartfelt Inquisition-era Jewish epic fantasy in the vein of Naomi Novik, Katherine Arden, and Tasha Suri.Toba Peres can speak, but not shout; she can walk, but not run. She can write with both hands, in different languages, but has not had a formal education... -
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![This Is How We End Things by R.J. Jacobs]()
This Is How We End Things by R.J. Jacobs
Riley Sager meets If We Were Villains in a compelling new psychological thriller by RJ Jacobs, following a tight-knit group of graduate students studying the psychology of lying. When one of them is discovered dead after an experiment, everything the group thought they knew about deception crumbles..mystery · fiction · contemporary · crime · suspense · audiobook · psychological · dark-academia · season-winter · thriller -
![The Plinko Bounce by Martin Clark]()
The Plinko Bounce by Martin Clark
For seventeen years, small-town public defender Andy Hughes has been underpaid to look after the poor, the addicted, and the unfortunate souls who constantly cycle through the courts, charged with petty crimes... -
![Three Rivers by Sarah Stusek]()
Three Rivers by Sarah Stusek
When seventeen-year-old Stella is awakened in the middle of the night by two strangers flanking her bed, sheer terror pervades the comfort and sanctuary of her childhood bedroom. As she’s forcibly hauled off to a wilderness camp for troubled teens, Stella knows exactly who’s behind this unexpected act of control: her parents...drama · coming-of-age · female-mc · young-adult · substance-abuse · fiction · literary-fiction · book -
![Normal Rules Don't Apply by Kate Atkinson]()
Normal Rules Don't Apply by Kate Atkinson
A dazzling collection of eleven interconnected stories from the bestselling, award-winning author of Shrines of Gaiety and Life After Life which offer the gimlet eye and delightful social critique that have made Atkinson one of the most lauded writers of our time.In this brilliant volume, nothing is quite as it seems...fiction · fantasy · literary-fiction · contemporary · audiobook · mystery · anthologies · 21st-century · paranormal · killer -
![Shattered Secrets by Lilian Harris]()
Shattered Secrets by Lilian Harris
I was loved by two men--one was my husband and the other his best friend. But I was only in love with one. Then he forgot I existed. Hudson Mackay was the only man I ever wanted.The man I married. The man who promised to love me "'til death do us part."Then he disappeared and never came home.Everyone thinks he's dead. Everyone but me.Friends tell me to move on. That he's never coming back...romance · suspense · contemporary · dark · mystery · new-adult · fiction · crime · organized-crime · amnesia -
![My Brother's Keeper by Tim Powers]()
My Brother's Keeper by Tim Powers
THE TRUE STORY OF THE BRONT Ë SISTERS AS ONLY TIM POWERS COULD WRITE IT.This is a ghost story. It is a story about werewolves, and things that go bump in the night. It is a story of an ill-fated land, the pathless moors of Northern England so well chronicled in Wuthering Heights . And it is the story of a real family whose destiny it is to deal with this darkly glamorous and dangerous world...fantasy · horror · historical-fiction · gothic · historical · shapeshifters · fiction · literary-fiction · folk-horror · rural -
![How to Ruin a Wedding by Sophie Andrews]()
How to Ruin a Wedding by Sophie Andrews
There are three things to know about Tilly 1. She’s a liar.2. She thinks she’s in love with her best friend.3. She’s got a plan to ruin his wedding.Tilly and her best friend have been through it all. For decades, he has been her support system, and she’s been his right hand gal, and now he’s engaged to someone else?Not on her watch... -
![The Key to Forever by Kelly Cain]()
The Key to Forever by Kelly Cain
She doesn't need a man, but she does want a family.Tori Matheny comes from a family of strong women who are all close and happily single. She plans to live the same way-an occasional fling, but never settling down. What's the need? She is, however, curious about her birth family despite her adoptive mom and aunts strongly discouraging her search...romance · friends-to-lovers · mystery · contemporary · poc-mc · literary-fiction · fiction · book · adult -
![There's Only After by Julie Anne Addicott]()
There's Only After by Julie Anne Addicott
THERE’S ONLY AFTERA Hurricane Hearts NovelBook 1Two lives shattered by suicide.Two men searching for hope.Jackson:Andrew was my life. My husband. My reason for breathing.“Time of death eleven-forty-nine p.m.”I will never be whole again.Andrew doesn’t wake up.And I can’t let him go.A past filled with secrets, lies, and unimaginable trauma...romance · mlm · slow-burn · friends-to-lovers · female-mc · lgbtq · literary-fiction · fiction · book · adult -
![When a Brown Girl Flees by Aamna Qureshi]()
When a Brown Girl Flees by Aamna Qureshi
After Zahra Paracha makes a decision at odds with her beliefs, her mother forces Zahra to make an impossible choice about her future. So Zahra runs away. A train and a plane ride later, she finds herself in New York, where she relinquishes her past in favor of a new future. There, she must learn who she is without the marionette strings of control in her mother's hands...contemporary · young-adult · fiction · coming-of-age · literary-fiction · poc-mc · poc-author · asian-mc · politics · found-family -
![This Is Salvaged: Stories by Vauhini Vara]()
This Is Salvaged: Stories by Vauhini Vara
A young girl reads the encyclopedia to her elderly neighbor, who is descending into dementia. A pair of teenagers seek intimacy as phone-sex operators. A competitive sibling tries to rise above the drunken mess of her own life to become a loving aunt. One sister consumes the ashes of another...poc-author · anthologies · fiction · literary-fiction · contemporary · friendship · female-mc · family · adult -
![Despising the Duke by Stevie Sparks]()
Despising the Duke by Stevie Sparks
Sixteen years ago, Lady Annabelle Fraser broke him.Kit, the Duke of Aylesbourne, has been running from his demons ever since, be it journeying into the heart of the Antarctic or narrowly avoiding death in an avalanche on Mount Everest.He would have rather faced death than Annabelle.But when he finds her bedding one of his old friends, he snaps...romance · historical · industrial-era · regency · fiction · victorian · female-mc · literary-fiction · book · adult
