7 exciting books ๐ฅ
12 August 2026
When I typed "the most exciting books of all time" into a search bar, an LLM helpfully jumped in and provided a list. None of the titles were Australian, only one was written by a woman, and almost all of them were published before 1990.
Serves me right for asking a robot. Here are seven books that I (and many other humans) found absolutely unputdownable:
The Chase by Candice Fox. 600 inmates escape from a maximum security prison, and all hell breaks loose. I was shortlisted for an award once, and The Chase was also shortlisted. Within the first 20 pages I knew I was doomed.
The Dry by Jane Harper. A cop returns to his hometown for a triple funeral. The townspeople regard him with great suspicion, as does the reader. This book was so good it upended the whole publishing industry. Australian crime fiction set in Australia used to be niche - now it's half the bookshop.
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth. Did Gabe actually push that woman off a cliff?! I couldn't stop reading until I found out.
Three Reasons for Revenge by Dervla McTiernan. Three gift-wrapped boxes destroy three lives. Very, very rarely does such a catchy premise lead to such an enthralling journey.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. Three women with secrets are all on the balcony when a man falls to his death. Did one of them push him? I can't think of a book with a more gripping climax. Days after finishing the book, I kept going back and re-reading the penultimate chapter.
Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor. After The Dry, Dirt Town stood out amid a sea (desert?) of imitators - mostly by refusing to imitate. This portrait of early 2000s Australia is both inescapable and unforgettable.
The Couple Upstairs by Holly Wainwright. An exceptionally well-balanced thriller, where each chapter peels back another layer to reveal something unexpected.
My readers have been suggesting their favourite titles:
The Mother by Jane Caro
Cutters End by Margaret Hickey
The Good Teacher by Petronella McGovern
Wandering Wild by Lynette Noni
Her Buried Bones by Fiona Tarr
What else should be on the list? Let me know on social media: @jackheathwriter
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