Best New Books to Read in August 2026

Riley Sager is, and will always be, a must-read author for me. This means that his latest release, The Unknown, has been at the top of my TBR [To Be Read] list since it was first announced. And having already read an early copy of it, I can confirm that the bestselling thriller author is on top form once again. Taking place over two timelines in 1926 and 2026, if you love a good mystery, especially one where our characters find themselves stranded on a remote island, this is definitely one to pick up.

Would-be actress Marin has been struggling to get work, so when she finds herself as the last-minute addition to a movie based on the unsolved mystery of New Avalon, an island where five women disappeared 100 years ago, she can’t quite believe her luck. However, for the cast to get into character before filming begins, she and her fellow actresses will need to make a trip to the island, where all that was left of its inhabitants were five dresses hanging from an old oak tree. And it soon becomes clear that something is not right with the island, especially when current-day events start to mirror the diary that was left behind by one of the missing women. Is someone attempting to derail the movie before it has even begun? Could something supernatural be at play? Or is history simply repeating itself? You’ll need to pick up a copy to find out.

The House That Eats The Dead by Max Doty

• Release date: August 13 (UK) and August 18 (US)

We always love a fresh and interesting take on a traditional haunted house story, and Max Doty’s The House That Eats The Dead is exactly that. When Claire and her family move to the suburbs, this is meant to be a new beginning for them all. Yet, when strange goings-on begin – from fresh flowers and moving boxes almost immediately wilting and disintegrating to store-bought eggs being completely hollow – she has to come to terms with the possibility that their dream home is hungry and devouring anything that was once alive.

But, as the title alludes to, it’s not just food and produce that the house is feasting on. And when Claire exploits its power, they soon become inextricably linked. Let’s just say, if you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I wish that person would just disappear”, imagine if your house could take care of that and leave absolutely no trace of them. With the house itself being its own character, this isn’t your typical horror story either, with various different layers to it and a story that blends a psychological thriller with all things supernatural.

The Infinite State by Richard Swan

• Release date: August 4 (US) and August 6 (UK)

With a captivating feel and setting that gives serious “1984 meets The Man in the High Castle” vibes, Richard Swan’s The Infinite State follows Katherine – the widower of a highly admired and revered member of Pater Aeternus, the governing party of the fascist, galaxy-spanning Decurion Empire – as she comes to terms with her new fate and inherited fortune. And it’s this newfound windfall that sees her presented with a rare, yet dangerous, opportunity. She could use those funds to purchase an untouched world, and in turn, create a fairer and safer society. However, the powers that be obviously can’t afford to let that happen.

Working in secret and not sure who she can trust, could this mark an escape for others? And will this be the first time that a democracy is possible after all these years of totalitarianism?

Them: A Novel by W.H. Chizmar

• Release date: August 11

You might be familiar with W.H. Chizmar from his work on Widow's Point: The Complete Haunting. However, Them: A Novel marks his first individual endeavour and what a solo debut it is. After a top-secret government initiative finds a way to transport matter across the universe, it’s not too surprising when something altogether alien comes back. And as tends to happen in these kinds of stories, of course the humans fail to properly contain it when the truck transporting the extraterrestrial matter overturns and rolls off the highway in the unsuspecting New England countryside.

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The story then picks up several years later, after humanity has crumbled, as an unidentified man searches for fellow survivors. Discovering the world and the landscapes that humans once took for granted in ruins, with monsters plaguing the route, he is forced to face his own humanity, as he starts to ask himself who the real monsters actually are.

Dreamland by Olivie Blake

• Release date: August 11 (US) and August 13 (UK)

From the bestselling author of The Atlas Six series comes a haunting contemporary mystery with plenty of great Gothic undertones. Is Hollywood as glamorous as we might believe it to be? Well, even with the threat of summer wildfires and countless girls turning up murdered in Los Angeles, it’s not enough to put Anya off pursuing her dreams of becoming a star. In fact, all she can think about is how her big break is seemingly slipping through her fingers. So when aging acting icon William de Witt offers her a strange deal, could this be her gateway into the exclusive world she’s always had her eye on?

All she has to do is spend time with his son, Jude, who has some mysterious health issues. In a dazzling city where all is not as it seems, could the de Witt home be cursed? Or is something to do with the occult going on? And how far will Anya really go for fame?

A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

• Release date: August 4

The third book in Robert Jackson Bennett’s Shadow of the Leviathan series hits shelves this month, and Detective Ana Dolabra and her assistant Dinios Kol are back with a new case to sink their teeth into, as the heir to one of the Empire’s most powerful families sits in jail, accused of murder. Caught red-handed, with the victim’s blood quite literally on his hands and no explanation for what happened, if our duo aren’t able to exonerate him, the whole canton of Sapirdad could end up in a civil war, with far-reaching consequences for the entire Empire.

What they don’t know is that a secret mastermind is pulling the strings behind the scenes, one who has an ancient weapon at their disposal. And even though the pair have faced their fair share of tricky cases, even they’re not prepared for what they uncover this time.

(Mostly) Human Resources by Grace Viall

• Release date: August 4 (US) and August 6 (UK)

With an eerie Appalachian Mountain setting and an intriguing blend of genres, (Mostly) Human Resources by Grace Viall follows Alexys, who is used to managing the world’s monsters from the safety and security of her desk. However, she does need to do a review and walk-through of the area alongside her newly assigned Warden, Elliot – who just so happens to report sightings of a never-before-recorded creature before disappearing.

Against her gut instinct and all of her better judgment, she knows that she will have to delve deeper into the mountains to find him, which also brings her incredibly ambitious and annoyingly charismatic colleague, Nic, into the fray as they team up to begin their search. The first book in the series, this one follows the two work rivals as they discover why some monsters stay unrecorded and just how perilous things can get outside once night falls.

Time Travel For Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty

• Release date: August 4

You know I’ll always try to include a romance or romantasy of some kind in my monthly roundup, whether you’re looking to expand your reading horizons or want some recommendations for friends and family. And this month’s has a slight sci-fi twist, with it centering around the waiting room of Sydney’s Time Travel Agency.

Following the lives of three individuals whose lives converge in the agency’s waiting room, we follow them as they get the chance to look back on their lives and revisit the choices that got them to where they are today. From Teddy, whose life imploded when his wife left him for his brother, to Anna, who, after quitting her thankless job, starts a new role at the travel agency. Then there’s Jade, whose ‘creative mentorship’ causes her to visit the tiny room located directly above it. All we can say is, if you enjoyed stories such as The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston, Margarita Montimore’s The Rearranged Life of Oona Lockheart, Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library, or, of course, The Time Traveller’s Wife – all of which I personally adored – then this should be on your TBR list ASAP.

The Calamities by Chuck Wendig

• Release date: August 18

The start of a brand new series by The Book of Accidents author Chuck Wendig, The Calamities revolves around one of the world’s most influential and important families with a brilliant mix of occult magic and dark fantasy, alongside a family drama.

It’s probably not too surprising that the Mayne family empire is built on exploitation, cruelty, and greed, but something even darker has helped them get to where they are today. They are fiends – half-human, half-demon, and possessed of a dark magic resulting from buying human souls – and when Mourning is ordered to return to the family business, he will need to decide whether or not to accept his legacy, or burn the whole thing down, and in turn change the course of the future for the entire world.

Ellis is a freelance journalist, based in the UK, with a love of all things books. She also routinely chairs bookish events up and down the country, getting the scoop from some of the biggest and bestselling authors to keep you in the know.