An intruder strikes fear into a family in a brilliant debut, while a life of luxury turns very dark indeed. Plus, one of Nicci French’s finest novels yet
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim; The Trials of Lila Dalton by LJ Shepherd; The Winter Visitor by James Henry; Butter by Asako Yuzuki; Knife Skills for Beginners by Orlando Murrin
The crime author Cate Quinn thought she was entering rehab to tackle a nascent drink problem spurred by a family tragedy. The truth? She had never experienced adult life sober
After we published our list of the best beach reads, we asked readers for their suggestions – including ‘mercifully brief’ fantasy, raucous comedy and a crime thriller that’s ‘tense as hell’
A spy raised by drug dealers confronts a Russian villain in Elly Conway’s much-hyped debut, an exploration of female rage upends expectations and a snowstorm search is a chilling read
From Mick Herron’s Slow Horses and Ian Rankin’s Rebus to new books from Bret Easton Ellis and Emma Cline, your beach reads are sorted courtesy of Guardian Australia’s staff and critics
While some viewers prefer screenwriters to remain faithful to a beloved book, as a 21st century woman of colour I make no apology for which parts of the novel spoke to me