The 2025 Christmas book list features fifteen books, including eleven incredible books from authors I’ve interviewed throughout the year and four of my own – two Jade Riley mysteries and two anthologies, each featuring one of my short stories.
The genres range from romantic comedy to psychological thriller, so find something to suit your loved ones’ tastes … or treat yourself.
Romantic Comedy
Title: Love.Camera. Action
Author: Sarah Hawthorn
Age group: adult
Interview: Sarah Hawthorn on Love. Camera. Action.
Blurb: In the quaint Australian country town of Warbol, faded B-grade actress, Faith Farmer, dares to dream again. With a heart full of passion and a pocketful of savings, she revives the local cinema, The Rex, and invites the community to fall in love with the Golden Age of Hollywood.
As the silver screen flickers to life, the townspeople find themselves swept up in a world of romance, drama, and laughter. Jock, a handsome country vet, finds the courage to leave his unhappy marriage and pursue his heart’s desire. Charlotte, a former nun, discovers a new sense of purpose and love. And Faith, well, she finds a second chance at stardom—and love—in the unlikeliest of ways.
Join Faith and the lovable residents of Warbol as they laugh, cry, and fall in love. With its colorful cast of characters, charming small-town setting, and a healthy dose of old-school Hollywood glamor, this delightful romantic comedy will capture your heart and leave you smiling long after the credits roll.
Title: My Hot Housemate
Author: Susannah Hardy
Age group: adult
Interview: Susannah Hardy on My Hot Housemate
Blurb: An insufferable housemate, and her toughest acting role yet. One moment, actress Indigo James is on the verge of success in LA; the next, she’s back in Sydney, housesitting an enormous, demanding labradoodle named George. To make matters worse, she’s stuck with an unexpected housemate, the insufferable Jeremy Taylor, and living together quickly becomes unbearable. But as the tension between them starts to sizzle, Hollywood calls, forcing Indie to choose between the role of a lifetime and the man of her dreams.
Women’s Fiction
Title: Letting Go
Author: Sarah Bourne
Age group: adult
Interview: Sarah Bourne on Grief and Letting Go
Blurb: A gripping tale of family secrets, betrayal and the haunting grip of the past.
When elderly Walter Armstrong hires Hester Rose to guide his family through his final days, he hopes to ease their grief. But as old wounds and hidden truths come to light, Hester finds herself entangled in a web of betrayal and deception.
A furious son disinherited from his legacy. A daughter haunted by the possibility that she hastened her father’s death. And a shadowy name in the will all lead to a shocking revelation that threatens to destroy what’s left of the family.
Amidst it all, Hester’s own past resurfaces.
But Walter isn’t gone entirely. He watches from the other side helplessly as the family he sought to protect unravels.
As tensions escalate and secrets spiral out of control, Hester must navigate this fractured family’s darkest truths before they implode completely. Can she bring them together, or will the Shoebridge legacy be shattered forever?
Perfect for fans of Imogen Clark, Letting Go is a suspenseful and deeply emotional story of love, grief and the devastating power of secrets.
Title: The Bracelet
Author: Diane Clarke
Age group: adult
Interview: Diane Clarke on The Bracelet
Blurb: Monica Grainger’s life is upended when Harry Powell, the man she believes is her father, fleetingly appears at her grandma’s funeral. In the hope of understanding the past, she negotiates a truce with her prickly tight-lipped mother, Celia, and re-examines a decades-old tragedy involving Harry’s sister.
Just as Monica finds the courage to reach out to Harry, Celia gives her a silver bracelet that triggers alarming questions.
As she unravels the mysteries of the bracelet, her mother’s behaviour alters. Will these puzzles derail her dreams of connecting with Harry and his family?
Title: After the Fall
Age group: adult
Author: Kirsten Alexander
Blog: Kirsten Alexander on After the Fall
Blurb: Fleeing Melbourne for a village in the Yorkshire Dales had felt right. Sanctuary, I’d thought.
But nowhere is as straightforward as it first appears.
When Giselle escapes to the north Yorkshire village of Hollydale, she doesn’t give much thought to what she might find there. She’s more concerned with what she’s leaving behind – a toxic marriage, the loss of her beloved sister, Lina, and the cloud of suspicion over the circumstances of Lina’s death.
But in this small community she makes new and fascinating friends, chief among them Margaret, a wealthy elderly local who lives in Chatswood Hall, the mansion perched on a hill above the village, and Tom, the local handyman. Giselle hopes to start life over, but the past cannot be outrun and her husband will not be cut loose, threatening to arrive in Hollydale at any moment.
When a bomb explodes on the one road that leads to her cottage, Giselle realises that her Hollydale life is larger and more complicated than she’d understood.
A story about intergenerational friendship between women, coercive relationships and power, and the endless possibilities new connections can bring.
Psychological Thriller
Title: The Swimming Group
Author: Bella Ellwood-Clayton
Age group: adult
Interview: Bella Ellwood-Clayton on The Swimming Group
Blurb: Welcome to Provincetown
A woman’s MISSING
A friend’s LYING
AND SECRETS DON’T STAY BURIED
My name is Emma Brennan, and I never thought I’d find myself in this position – standing on a Cape Cod beach at sunrise, wondering which of my friends is a killer.
I came to the idyllic seaside town of Provincetown, to raise my young niece and figure out what to do next with my life. Eleven months ago my sister vanished off the coast of Ocracoke Island. No body, no answers. Just a teenage daughter left behind – and me. At the same time, the man I thought I was going to marry cheated on me with a cute young florist.
I joined the Tragic Wives’ Group – a tight-knit, cold-water swimming group with enough personal drama to fill a bestseller. And one of us has put it in a manuscript, spilling all our secrets.
Then she disappears … leaving just a pile of clothes on the sand. She’s the second person I’ve lost in twelve months.
A SEXY BLEND OF TENSION AND SUSPENSE WITH AN ENDING YOU WON’T SEE COMING.
This razor-sharp thriller of friendship, obsession and the secrets we’d do anything to protect is perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand, Liane Moriarty, and Lucy Clarke.
Title: Sister Butcher Sister
Age group: adult
Author: K.D. Alden
Blog: K.D. Aldyn on writing gritty thrillers
Blurb: Three sisters. One killer. Which one is SHE?
The Rowling sisters have always been people you can understand – with partners and children, homes and dreams. And secrets; the sisters have those, too. But when Kate, the eldest, finally returns to buy her late grandfather’s home, the dark things each sister has kept buried soon rise to the surface.
Is Kate having unexplained visions tied to a past she can hardly recall? Is Aurora, the married mother of two, finally acting out in the face of her sisters’ indiscretions? Is Peggy, the youngest and a recovering addict, able to move on from the memories that haunt her?
And then there’s SHE.
SHE is one of them, but SHE is not like them at all. SHE is defined only by the carnage she lets the world see, the murders that have swept through their coastal community. And as the police close in on their newest serial killer, scrutiny lands on the Rowlings, forcing them to face their demons and reveal all they have kept hidden.
Can you ever truly recognise the evil around you?
Thriller
Title: The Minerva Agena
Author: P.D. McShane
Age group: adult
Interview: P.D. McShane on Spies, Conspiracies and The Minerva Agenda
Blurb: A timeless deadly conspiracy, a faceless enemy—can they stop Minerva before democracy falls?
CIA veteran Tony Mancini and ambitious MI6 officer Caroline Sinclair navigate a deadly clandestine world, tracking Minerva— a shadowy force manipulating global events through fear and terror. What Mancini first dismisses as Sinclair’s wild theory soon spirals into a terrifying chain of events, claiming lives and threatening the very fabric of democracy.
With each step forward, Mancini and Sinclair find the stakes escalating to terrifying new heights, drawing them ever closer to the ominous and faceless force known as Minerva. Nothing in Mancini’s years of combat in the deserts and jungles of the world could prepare him for what he needs to confront this threat.
A tour de force of tension and intrigue—where conspiracy, murder, and politics collide. Don’t just read it—dive into The Minerva Agenda and uncover the truth!
Title: Chasing Tropical Ice
Author: Elizabeth Worley
Age group: adult
Interview: Bella Ellwood-Clayton on Weekend Friends
Blurb: In the highlands of Panama, a jungle conspiracy turns deadly—and two women are caught in the crosshairs.
All Augusta wanted was inspiration. All her partner Kaye, a retired Air Force pilot, wanted was a quiet escape. Instead, they stumble onto a deadly smuggling ring—and a woman who’s vanished without a trace. Powerful men will do anything to keep the truth buried. Now Augusta and Kaye are targets.
But not all power belongs to men. One uber-powerful woman—an arch-villainess in her own right—may be the only one who can turn the tide against them. But at what cost and to whom?
Murder, greed, and corruption thrive in these mountains—shielded by silence and fear. But Augusta and Kaye aren’t backing down. If they fail, the truth dies with them.
A gripping feminist thriller packed with mystery, suspense, and sharp social insight, Chasing Tropical Ice delivers strong female protagonists, deadly intrigue, and a setting as dangerous as the secrets it hides. A must-read for fans of LGBTQ+ thrillers, morally complex heroines, and feminist noir fiction.
Some secrets are buried deep. Some fight their way to the surface.
Nonfiction
Title: Dogs of Mansfield
Author: Sandra Lording
Age group: adult
Interview: Sandra Lording on the Dogs of Mansfield Book Project
Blurb: From loyal working dogs and life-changing assistance companions to pampered show dogs, beloved rescues, and every oodle in between – this heartwarming collection is a tribute to the dogs who fill the Mansfield community with joy, loyalty, and plenty of muddy pawprints.
Featuring stunning photography by Sandra Lee Photography, captured both in-studio and across the picturesque Mansfield region, this book is a celebration of the deep bond between humans and their four-legged best friends.
Whether you’re a lifelong dog lover or just can’t resist a wagging tail, Dogs of Mansfield will make you smile, laugh, and maybe even shed a happy tear.
Mystery
Title: Breaking School Rules is Easy
Age group: middle grade
Author: Rosie Schonell
Blog: Rosie Schonell on her debut novel Breaking School Rules is Easy
Blurb: Some places are hidden for a reason.
Something is happening in the old house behind the school in Mirrabooka. Strangers have moved in, a mysterious light appears in the tower at night, and someone, or something, is keeping watch.
When Minty and Billie investigate, they find themselves drawn into a one-hundred-year-old mystery, a town’s ghostly past and a search for lost treasure.
They must decide if it’s okay to break school rules to save their friendship. With the threat of another visit to the detention dungeon, or even expulsion, how far will they go?
Title: The Godfather of Dance
Age group: adult
Author: Andrea Barton
Blog: Writing a Mystery: Introducing Jade Riley
Blurb: Murder. Dance. Family secrets.
Rookie journalist Jade Riley moves to Houston, determined to write the story that will launch her career. Soon, her ballroom dance instructor leads her to an infamous cold case.
Anton Valencio has spent years trying to outrun his past. Born into a notorious New Orleans crime family, now a respected dance instructor, Anton is consumed by grief – and suspicion. His fiancée’s murder remains unsolved, but he’s convinced he knows who killed her.
Together, Jade and Anton delve into a tangled web of betrayal and long-buried secrets. But danger lurks: someone is determined to keep the family’s darkest truths hidden … and will stop at nothing to silence them. Can Jade solve the case before she and Anton become the next victims?
A fast-paced, atmospheric mystery, The Godfather of Dance is the first book in Andrea Barton’s Jade Riley Mysteries series.
Title: A Killer Among Friends
Author: Andrea Barton
Age group: adult
Blog: Writing a Mystery: Crafting a Series
Blurb: Murder. Music. Company secrets.
Soon after journalist Jade returns from abroad to her hometown, Melbourne, her friend Nick is killed. She turns to their tight-knit circle for answers, only to uncover a web of lies.
Mounting evidence suggests her best friend Elena’s suicide three years earlier is connected to the case. Was it really murder?
As Jade closes in on the killer, she realizes the suspects are all people she loves … and her life will depend on knowing who she can trust.
Anthology
Title: Signed Sealed … Deceased
Age group: adult
Author: various, including Andrea Barton’s ‘Death by Memoir’, a short Jade Riley mystery.
Book Link: Signed Sealed … Deceased
Blurb: When the mail arrives, murder follows.
From mislabeled 1940s love letters to rare stamps worth killing for, these twelve mysteries prove that the most dangerous deliveries are the ones you never expected.
What awaits you:
- A mail carrier discovers Prohibition-era treasure and modern murder on a remote island
- A wheelchair-bound historian uncovers deadly stamp fraud in historic Quebec City
- Threatening letters reveal organized crime secrets in New Orleans
- Time capsules, missing packages, and messages from the past—each hiding deadly secrets
Perfect for fans of Louise Penny, Agatha Christie, and Elizabeth Peters.
Twelve international stories spanning Canada to New Orleans, featuring amateur sleuths, postal puzzles, and the cozy mysteries readers crave. Whether it’s a retired teacher’s embroidery circle solving cold cases or a postman’s impossible delivery to a haunted house, each tale delivers murder, mystery, and satisfying solutions.
Your special delivery of murder and mayhem awaits.
Title: Against All Odds
Age group: adult
Author: various, including Andrea Barton’s ‘The Value of a Sapphire’
Interview: Interview about my short story, The Value of a Sapphire
Book Link: Against All Odds
Blurb: Love wins against the odds, in tumultuous times, unlikely circumstances, and dangerous places…
Volume three of our Far, Far Away series brings seven authors together to put a spotlight on stories of marginalized love.
Step across the galaxy to a world where love defies gender, race, and the outbreak of war. Fight for love of all kinds when the well-being of family and friends are threatened by magic power-tools. Witness an unlikely and dangerous affair between a god and his human handler. Then learn the meaning of self-love through the lived experience of a sentient Sapphire.
Through these powerful, unique tales, love is revealed to be the ultimate risk, it gives you purpose when the world turns dark and strange, and it proves time and again that it crosses all barriers, whether they are those of culture, time, distance, or strife. In this collection, love really does conquer all.
Best of luck with your Christmas shopping. I hope you can find something here for your book-lover friends (or spoil yourself and choose one you’ll enjoy).
Here’s last year’s list: Christmas Book List 2024
Next time: Interview about my short story, The Value of a Sapphire
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