The Knowing by Madeleine Ryan review – intriguing ‘phone-free’ premise falters in execution

The author’s sophomore novel, in which a young woman is propelled on a journey of self-discovery after accidentally leaving her phone at home, asks interesting questions but pulls its punches

The Café With No Name by Robert Seethaler review – lost souls in postwar Vienna

A slice-of-life portrait of a community suffering the after-effects of the second world war

Beartooth by Callan Wink review – an expansive drama of survival

Family relationships are explored in this finely executed tale of two brothers drawn into bear poaching in rural Montana

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor review – an SF master moves into the mainstream

This book within a book weaves a writer’s struggles with scenes from their Africanfuturist tale of post-apocalyptic robots

The Violet Hour by James Cahill review – art, secrets and lies

The Tiepolo Blue author’s impressive second novel is an enthrallingly intricate portrait of the art world

Crime and thrillers of the month – review

The scorned woman thriller deftly reimagined, preposterously gripping murders at an ice skating training camp - and a frantic search for a missing daughter

Nesting by Roisín O’Donnell review – a dread-stoking domestic abuse drama

O’Donnell brings the spare intensity of her award-winning short stories to her first novel, a compulsive tale of one woman’s escape intensified by Dublin’s housing crisis

Geoff Nicholson obituary

Author whose work examined the links between emotions, behaviour and location, notably in his novel Bleeding London

The City Changes its Face by Eimear McBride review – romantic friction from the new bohemians

In a nuanced stand-alone sequel, the Irish novelist revisits the lovers from her second book – and finds two lives even more complicated, messy and human than before

The Book of George by Kate Greathead review – an absorbing portrait of millennial malaise

A restless modern male and his long-suffering girlfriend come of age against the historic events of the 21st century in the American writer’s witty second novel

In brief: Queen James; The Paris Dancer; Melting Point – review

A stirring account of the queer first king of Britain; a vivid tale of life in second world war France; and an innovative family memoir about Jewish emigration to Texas

Jane’s world: fans and admirers pick their favourite Austen characters

Helen Fielding, David Baddiel, Nicola Sturgeon and other cultural figures celebrate the great writer’s 250th birthday

‘I could have been an Islamic State bride’: the story behind this year’s buzziest comic debut

When Nussaibah Younis met IS brides, the peace consultant was struck by how easily she could have become one herself – sparking the idea for her darkly funny first novel

The Boyhood of Cain by Michael Amherst review – a terrific queer coming-of-age debut

The delusions and desires of a precocious young boy are closely observed as he approaches his senior school years

‘Cancel culture? We should stop it. End of story’: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on backlash, writer’s block – and her new baby twins

It’s been 11 years since she published a novel. In that time, the author has lost both parents, seen Trump become president twice – and finally returned to fiction after a bruising reaction to her comments on gender