July is a bloody good month for books.
I've got a lineup that will transport you out of these long, lonely wintery days into summery (and sometimes a little bit murder-y) worlds that you'll never want to leave.
Start by popping over to Cambridge to solve a string of murders on campus, then spend a week of steamy summer nights in New York rekindling a long-lost love, before visiting the eccentric characters and family secrets on a dairy farm in Ireland.
And you'll definitely want to swing by Kiama, on the NSW South Coast, to solve the grisly murder of the town's reigning showgirl.
Here are the seven books everyone will be reading in July:
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
Image: Hachette Australia/Mamamia.
Alex Michaelides is the king of the killer plot twist. His debut novel, The Silent Patient, has sold over a million copies worldwide. Now his second novel is set to do the same.
Set at Cambridge, The Maidens follows the story of Mariana Andros, a group therapist who is still reeling from the sudden death of her husband 18 months prior.
When her niece Zoe's best friend is murdered at St Christopher's College at Cambridge, Mariana returns to her old campus and is soon dragged into a murder mystery packed full of twists and turns.
Read it if you like: Greek mythology (or pretending that you do), remembering your good ole' college days, twisty plots, and Gillian Flynn.
Seven Days In June by Tia Williams
Image: Hachette Australia/Mamamia.
Seven Days in June is a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and an instant New York Times bestseller.
It's a witty, romantic comedy that follows the story of two writers and their second chance at love in the middle of a New York summer.
Brooklynite Eva Mercy is a single mum and bestselling erotica writer. Shane Hall is a reclusive, enigmatic, award-winning literary author who, to everyone's surprise, shows up in New York.
When Eva and Shane meet at a literary event - sparks instantly fly - raising the eyebrows of the Black literati.
But what no one knows is that Eva and Shane spent a steamy week together over 20 years ago, and they've been secretly writing to each other through their books ever since.
Read it if you like: Sweaty summer nights in New York, literary gossip, secret affairs and second chances.
Snowflake by Louise Nealon
Image: Allen & Unwin and Mamamia.
Debbie White lives on a dairy farm with her mum and her uncle Billy, who sleeps in a caravan in the garden. Billy drinks away his days, while Maeve spends her days recording her dreams, which she believes to be prophecies.
At 18, Debbie moves to Dublin for university. While she's navigating her new life as a student, things start to unravel back at the farm.
Read it if you like: Sally Rooney, coming of age novels, generational trauma and a nice cold glass of milk.
You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry
Image: Penguin Books Australia/Mamamia.
Twelve summers ago, Poppy and Alex met. They hated each other and were confident they'd never speak again.
The next summer, they were forced to share a ride home from college and by the end of it a friendship was formed. And a pact: every year, one vacation together.
Two summers ago, it all went wrong.
This summer, Poppy asks Alex to join her on one last trip. A trip that will determine the rest of their lives.
Read it if you like: Pina Coladas and gettin' caught in the rain, When Harry Met Sally, opposites attracting and pool floats.
Catch Us The Foxes by Nicola West
Image: Simon and Schuster/Mamamia.
Nicola West grew up in Kiama, a town on NSW's South Coast which attracts thousands of tourists every summer. For the rest of the year, it's like every other sleepy country town in Australia.
Her dad was a local cop and when she finished school, she moved to Sydney to study journalism. She wanted to be as far away from her hometown - and her dad's profession - as possible.
Then she found herself writing a book about both topics.
Set in Kiama at the end of the summer, Catch Us The Foxes follows Marlowe 'Lo' Robertson, a journalism intern who is begrudgingly covering the local show for the local newspaper. While at the show, Lo stumbles upon the mutilated corpse of her best friend - and reigning town showgirl - Lily Williams.
Lo is then drawn into an investigation that will change her life, and the sleepy town of Kiama, forever.
Read it if you like: Beachy holidays with a side of murder, country shows, Jane Harper, and the first season of Twin Peaks before they all just started... tripping balls.
The Last Guests by J.P. Pomare
Image: Hachette Australia/Mamamia.
When money becomes tight, Lina and Cain decide to put Lina's inherited lake house up for rent at weekends.
But letting strangers stay at their house turns out to be a terrible idea. Someone is watching - everything they do, and everything they say - and soon Lina and Cain's deepest secrets will be exposed.
Read it if you like: Airbnbs (lol), creepy, secluded properties, Ruth Ware books, horror movies set in cabins in the woods, and super-fast paced thrillers.
The Husbands by Chandler Baker
Image: Hachette Australia/Mamamia.
Nora Spangler is a successful attorney who also carries the mental load of her household.
When Nora and her husband go house hunting in Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive suburban neighbourhood, Nora meets a group of high-powered women - a tech CEO, a neurosurgeon, an award-winning therapist, a bestselling author - with enviably supportive husbands.
Nora soon uncovers a plot that may explain the secret to 'having it all'. One that's worth killing for.
Read it if you like: Stepford Wives, SUVs, murderous plots, anything from Liane Moriarty and Sally Hepworth, and perfectly manicured lawns.
Keryn Donnelly is Mamamia's Pop Culture Editor. For more of her TV, film and book recommendations and to see photos of her dog, follow her on Instagram.
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