
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.