Welcome to Insider Reading, where the booksellers of Mr B’s give you the lowdown on new and future releases. We are very lucky as booksellers to get to read books ahead of publication.
So here is a behind-the-scenes peek into what some of our booksellers are already raving about for the months ahead…
Rohan just couldn’t wait to read Saving Fire (September 1st) the hotly-anticipated second novel from Itamar Viera Junior, author of Team B fave Crooked Plow. Rohan says: “The residents of Tapera live under the shadow of the local monastery, whose abbot lords over all he sees. Luzia and her younger brother Moisés struggle to make ends meet after the disappearance of their mother. As rumours of Luzia’s strange powers spread through the village, threatening to spark into violence, the siblings must seek help from the same church that exploits them. An education at the monastery could lift Moisés and his family out of poverty, but is it worth a pact with the devil?”
Liv has already found her perfect summer read with an upcoming YA novel from the multi-award winning children’s author Lauren St. John. Liv says: “Did you read The Summer I Turned Pretty and think: this would be better if there were horses in it? Then I’ve found the perfect book for YOU. Wild Horse Summer (July 2nd) has it all: an intriguing mystery, heart-pounding romance, hoof-pounding adventure, and wild ponies galore.”
Our Clem recently picked up a copy of what is now the winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction – the incredibly innovative Angel Down (out now) by Daniel Kraus, the co-author of The Shape of Water alongside Guillermo del Toro. Clem says: “Private Cyril Bagger has lied, cheated and scammed his way away from the front line for as long as he can remember. But when he suddenly finds himself as part of a rag-tag group of undesirables and in possession of an incredible inhuman power, Bagger is forced to grapple with the horrors he’s been avoiding for so long. The most thrilling, disturbing and brilliantly absurd depiction of greed, innocence and human morality set in the trenches of WW1, all told in one sentence!”
Rosa has been swept up in the first in Olivie Blake‘s new graphic novel series, Clara and the Devil (May 7th) a new spin on the seven deadly sins. Rosa says: “An enticing and gorgeously illustrated story of Clara, a small-town librarian who craves more than she’ll admit, even to herself. Her simple life with plans of marrying her college boyfriend might not sustain her forever, so when the devil shows up, posing as a tourist, seduces and torments her closest friend Jonah, it leaves Clara with many questions. As the tension between the three of them becomes more and more suffocating and the devil continues to tempt Clara with his power, she wonders if she’ll ever get what she truly longs for. Perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and M.L Rio.”
Tom M has found his latest crime fix with Jordan Harper’s new novel, A Violent Masterpiece (June 4th). He says: “the lives of three people collide in this most violent and brilliant of thrillers. A public defender, a live streamer, and a fixer for a private concierge company are brought together by a string of grisly incidents as a serial killer stalks the LA that is their playground. Cynical, gory, full of horrible people committing horrible crimes, this is noir for those who like it darker. Jordan Harper confirms his place as the rightful heir to James Ellroy in this heinous mix of The Shards, Nightcrawler and LA Confidential.”
There’s something about Spring that always makes me crave books set in rural England, and that’s very much evident from the two books I’ve blitzed through this last week – the first one being The Given World (May 14th) by Melissa Harrison, who we have the enormous pleasure for hosting for an event on 13th May. I’ve been a huge fan of Melissa’s since All Among the Barley became an instant favourite back in 2019, and I must give mention to her extraordinary podcast The Stubborn Light of Things, which literally kept me sane during lockdown! The Given World is everything I’d hoped it would be and more – a stunning portrait of a fictional English countryside village and its inhabitants, so beautifully crafted in Melissa’s lyrical prose. The story is told over 6 months with each chapter told from the perspective of a different character. We see the weight of previous generations through neighbourly land feuds, land inheritance and second homes. It’s a fascinating look at a village in an ever-changing Britain, both politically and environmentally. And of course, in true Melissa Harrison style, something strange is also at play… If you love the work of Niall Williams, Benjamin Myers and Sarah Moss, you will love this!
My second read comes in the form of a book originally written in 1986, due to be reissued by Vintage on June 4th – and I urge you to mark this in your diaries and get your pre-orders in as it really is special! The Girls by John Bowen is set in the Cotswolds in the 1970s and follows Janet and Susan, known simply in the village as ‘the girls’. Partners in love and work, they live together on a smallholding of sorts, making their own jams, cheese and more to sell at markets. But then Alan arrives on the scene, and when one small moment upends their entire lives, well – first comes the baby, then comes murder… It’s a deliciously macabre little book that I just haven’t been able to put down. For anyone who likes a bit of Barbara Comyns, a little Barbara Pym, with a dash of Shirley Jackson. My old copy has the suitably gothic Edward Gorey illustrated cover, but I’m also very fond of the new cover from Vintage:
Thanks for reading!
Emma