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Emma Cowing recommends
Slashed Beauties (2025)
A Rushby
"Adored this gorgeous, sumptuously gothic feminist novel. Slashed Beauties moves from present-day Seoul to the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens of Georgian London in a colourful riot that examines the macabre world of the anatomical Venus and the seedy underbelly of the modern-day antiques trade, with a dash of witchcraft thrown in. It's also about sisterhood, friendship and the ties that bind a beautifully-rendered love story that spans centuries. I loved it."
Greater Sins (2025)
Gabrielle Griffiths
"This atmospheric novel set in the early 20th century in the Cabrach, an isolated community in the north east of Scotland, is beautifully written. As the mystery of a woman's body found preserved in the peat bog unravels, we follow a darkly lyrical tale packed with secrets, intertwined relationships and a smattering of folklore. The characters are so richly woven, and the harsh rural world they inhabit so compelling, I could almost feel the chill, and taste the drams."
The Grapevine (2025)
Kate Kemp
"Secrets, lies, and a sweltering summer in a Canberra suburb . . . The Grapevine is a wonderfully-written debut about the secrets we keep from each other and ourselves. Yes, there's a murder, and yes there are some stunning twists along the way, but what really kept me hooked was the brilliantly-drawn relationships between the neighbours of Warrah Place. The simmering tension, and Kate Kemp's sublime observation of the intricacies of human behaviour, means the novel sizzles towards an explosive conclusion that left my jaw on the floor. I adored it."
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