Maurice Gee obituary
New Zealand author who wrote about his country’s darker side and was best known for his Plumb trilogy of novels
Autocorrect by Etgar Keret review – endlessly inventive short stories
Alien spaceships, parallel worlds… the Israeli writer’s seventh collection is vast in reach, yet grounded in the bewildering absurdity of modern life
Taboo relationships, steamy affairs and delicious desserts: the best Australian books out in July
Each month Guardian Australia editors and critics pick the upcoming titles they have devoured – or can’t wait to get their hands on
Flashlight by Susan Choi review – big, bold and surprising
Stretching from Indiana to North Korea, the US writer’s sixth novel is a study of absence, alienation and affection in a family rocked by tragedy
‘When I read my sister’s stories I think, that’s not what it was like!’: Esther Freud on the perils of writing about family
The Hideous Kinky author has always drawn inspiration from her own experiences. Now her sister Bella is writing her own version of their childhood. Does fact or fiction come closer to the truth, she asks
‘We need to reclaim these words’: Inside England’s first romance-only bookshop catering to record levels of popularity
Saucy Books in London has become the go-to destination for romance readers – but fans say misogyny is stopping the genre getting the recognition it deserves
Our New Gods by Thomas Vowles review – debut queer thriller dares to wade into the muck of modern desire
Compelling and challenging, seductive and sickening, this screenwriter’s first novel grows increasingly unhinged as its pitiable protagonist risks it all for a crush
I Gave You Eyes and You Looked Toward Darkness by Irene Solà review – makes most fiction feel timid
This Catalonian tale of a botched pact with the devil has the demonic excess of a Hieronymus Bosch painting
‘Intense’ novel about robot abused by her boyfriend/owner wins Arthur C Clarke science fiction award
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer wins £2,025 for ‘compelling tale that, like all good stories about robots, is ultimately about the human condition’
The Original by Nell Stevens review – queering the Victorians
This flamboyant tale of fakers and forgery, straddling the turn of the 20th century, is a smart and witty investigation into love and authenticity
‘I’m so humbled’: western Sydney’s Winnie Dunn up for $60,000 Miles Franklin literary award for debut novel
Dunn, the first Tongan novelist published in Australia, is up against two-time winner Michelle de Kretser, who just won the Stella prize
Among Friends by Hal Ebbott review – how to blow up your life
All seems perfect for these rich and successful New Yorkers – until a bond is violently shattered in this sharp and pleasurable debut
Reconstruction review – teens re-enact crimes for state-driven pantomime in communist Romania
Lucian Pintilie’s grimly ironic 1968 film is based on real events, in which delinquents are forced to act out their brawl in front of government cameras
Is he still alive? The mystery of DB Cooper – the hijacker who disappeared
In 1971, a man held a plane to ransom for $200,000, then parachuted out in his suit and dress shoes, never to be seen again. What happened to him?
Simon Majaro obituary
Other lives: Management consultant, author and patron of chamber music