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September keeps it interesting with offerings from some of the modern greats, and an actor-turned-debut-novelist

5 new books that traverse an impressive emotional range

September keeps it interesting with offerings from some of the modern greats, and an actor-turned-debut-novelist

This month, some of literature’s modern greats from across the world are back with their exciting works, while an Emmy-nominated actor turns novelist for the first time ever.

The Fraud by Zadie SmithZadie Smith’s first work of historical fiction, the novel is set in 19th-century England and chronicles the celebrated Tichborne Trial of the 1870s, through the eyes of Eliza Touchet, real-life cousin by marriage to small-time novelist William Harrison Ainsworth, a rival of Charles Dickens.This much awaited book is at once a thriller and a comedy, where it follows the life of a fraudulent claimant who turns into a populist hero.Publisher: Penguin RandomHouse

The Fraud by Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith’s first work of historical fiction, the novel is set in 19th-century England and chronicles the celebrated Tichborne Trial of the 1870s, through the eyes of Eliza Touchet, real-life cousin by marriage to small-time novelist William Harrison Ainsworth, a rival of Charles Dickens.

This much awaited book is at once a thriller and a comedy, where it follows the life of a fraudulent claimant who turns into a populist hero.

Publisher: Penguin RandomHouse

Holly by Stephen KingHolly Gibney, among Stephen King’s most celebrated and resourceful characters, returns in this installment to unearth the disturbing truth behind multiple disappearances in a midwestern town.When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency desperate for help to locate her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to take up the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid, with her mother just having passed away. Holly is meant to be on a sabbatical, but something in Penny's voice makes it impossible for Holly to reject her plea.Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Holly by Stephen King

Holly Gibney, among Stephen King’s most celebrated and resourceful characters, returns in this installment to unearth the disturbing truth behind multiple disappearances in a midwestern town.

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency desperate for help to locate her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to take up the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid, with her mother just having passed away. Holly is meant to be on a sabbatical, but something in Penny's voice makes it impossible for Holly to reject her plea.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Rouge: A Novel by Mona AwadFrom the critically acclaimed author of Bunny, Rouge is a Gothic-horror fairy tale about a lonely dress-shop clerk whose mother's untimely death sends her down a perilous path in pursuit of youth and beauty. For as long as she can remember, Belle has been artfully obsessed with her skin and skincare videos. When her estranged mother Noelle passes away under mysterious circumstances, Belle finds herself tackling her mother's significant debts and grappling with looming questions about her death. The stakes heighten when a curious woman in red appears at her funeral, offering a stirring clue about her mother's death, followed by a cryptic video about a transformative spa experience.Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Rouge: A Novel by Mona Awad

From the critically acclaimed author of Bunny,Rouge is a Gothic-horror fairy tale about a lonely dress-shop clerk whose mother's untimely death sends her down a perilous path in pursuit of youth and beauty.

For as long as she can remember, Belle has been artfully obsessed with her skin and skincare videos. When her estranged mother Noelle passes away under mysterious circumstances, Belle finds herself tackling her mother's significant debts and grappling with looming questions about her death. The stakes heighten when a curious woman in red appears at her funeral, offering a stirring clue about her mother's death, followed by a cryptic video about a transformative spa experience.

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

The Armour of Light by Ken FollettThe much-anticipated sequel to A Column of Fire, The Armour of Light ushers in a new dawn for Kingsbridge, England, where modernity faces off with tradition; class struggles seep into every corner of society, and war in Europe swallows everything that stands in its way.Over 30 years ago, Follett published his most popular novel, The Pillars of the Earth. Today, this addition to the Kingsbridge series plunges readers into the battlefield between compassion and greed, love and hate, progress and tradition. Through every character, we are given a new perspective to the paradigm shifts that shook the world in 19th-century Europe.Publisher: Penguin RandomHouse

The Armour of Light by Ken Follett

The much-anticipated sequel to A Column of Fire, The Armour of Light ushers in a new dawn for Kingsbridge, England, where modernity faces off with tradition; class struggles seep into every corner of society, and war in Europe swallows everything that stands in its way.

Over 30 years ago, Follett published his most popular novel, The Pillars of the Earth. Today, this addition to the Kingsbridge series plunges readers into the battlefield between compassion and greed, love and hate, progress and tradition. Through every character, we are given a new perspective to the paradigm shifts that shook the world in 19th-century Europe.

Publisher: Penguin RandomHouse

Nineteen Steps: Love Blooms In the Darkest Days by Millie Bobby BrownEmmy-nominated actor and producer Millie Bobby Brown’s debut novel Nineteen Steps is a story of love, longing, and loss, based on the true events of her family's experience during the Second World War. It’s 1942, and London remains under the constant threat of attacks during the ongoing War. In the Bethnal Green neighbourhood, Nellie Morris counts her blessings after emerging unscathed each day that she spends in the underground shelter with her family.Three years into the War, she’s thankful for semblances of normalcy in her life. But after a chance encounter with Ray, an American airman stationed nearby, Nellie becomes enchanted with the idea of a larger, undiscovered world.Just when she begins to embrace the thought of starting an exciting new life with Ray, a horrific incident occurs during an air raid one evening, and the ripple effects of that are catastrophic. As the truth about that night unfolds, Nellie’s world comes apart, only to be restored into a whole with love and patience.Publisher: HarperCollins

Nineteen Steps: Love Blooms In the Darkest Days by Millie Bobby Brown

Emmy-nominated actor and producer Millie Bobby Brown’s debut novel Nineteen Steps is a story of love, longing, and loss, based on the true events of her family's experience during the Second World War. 

It’s 1942, and London remains under the constant threat of attacks during the ongoing War. In the Bethnal Green neighbourhood, Nellie Morris counts her blessings after emerging unscathed each day that she spends in the underground shelter with her family.

Three years into the War, she’s thankful for semblances of normalcy in her life. But after a chance encounter with Ray, an American airman stationed nearby, Nellie becomes enchanted with the idea of a larger, undiscovered world.

Just when she begins to embrace the thought of starting an exciting new life with Ray, a horrific incident occurs during an air raid one evening, and the ripple effects of that are catastrophic. As the truth about that night unfolds, Nellie’s world comes apart, only to be restored into a whole with love and patience.

Publisher: HarperCollins

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Arshia Dhar profile imageArshia Dhar
Arshia Dhar is a writer-editor whose work lies at the intersection of art, culture, politics, gender and environment. She currently heads the print magazine at The Hollywood Reporter India, and has worked at The Established, Architectural Digest, Firstpost, Outlook and NDTV in the past.

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