From family fun to twisty thrillers: Here are 10 new books to read in March

Autumn, otherwise known as peak book season, is upon us. 

The leaves will soon turn and the woolly clothes will come out of the closet. So if you’re thinking of curling up with a book soon, here are 10 new reads out in March.

Loveland 

Robert Lukins
(Allen & Unwin, fiction, $32.99)

Loveland is the second novel by Melbourne author Robert Lukins, whose debut novel The Everlasting Sunday was shortlisted for several awards.

His new novel is a cross-generation tale of two women. In the present, May escapes her manipulative husband to claim her inheritance on the other side of the world: A house on a poisoned lake in Loveland, Nebraska. 

In 1955, that house belongs to her grandmother Casey – a prisoner to her own awful husband.

The first chapter is available for free on Allen & Unwin here. 

Release date: March 1

The Idea of Australia 

Julianne Schultz 
(Allen & Unwin, non-fiction, $34.99) 

Professor Julianne Schultz, the founding editor of Griffith Review, challenges our ideas of what it means to be an Australian. 

“What is the ‘idea of Australia’? What defines the soul of our nation? Are we an egalitarian, generous, outward-looking country? Or is Australia a place that has retreated into silence and denial about the past and become selfish, greedy and insular?” 

As a journalist and professor of media and culture, Schultz has spent decades watching and studying the country’s landscape.

In answering these questions, Professor Schultz presents ways Australia can reach its full potential. 

Release date: March 1

The Sorrow Stone 

Kári Gíslason
(UQP, fiction, $32.99) 

The Sorrow Stone is the new novel by Kàri Gíslason, the co-author of the bestselling Saga Land. 

Gíslason reimagines one of Iceland’s most famous sagas, taking a woman who has been sidelined in Viking history and placing her at the centre of the story.

The novel’s publisher, UQP, is so confident you’ll think this is a great read that it’s offering a money-back guarantee. 

That’s quite the statement.

Release date: March 1

Nabbing Ned Kelly 

David Dufty
(Allen & Unwin, non-fiction, $32.99) 

If you’ve ever wondered if the infamous stories about the Kelly Gang are true, then this is your next read. 

Historian and researcher David Dufty uncovers the real story of the police officers who pursued the Kelly Gang over two long years. 

“As gripping as any police procedural, it is an account of poorly trained officers unfamiliar with the terrain, in pursuit of the most dangerous men in the state.” 

Release date: March 1

We’ve Got This 

Edited by Eliza Hull
(Black Inc. books, non-fiction, $32.99)

When writer and musician Eliza hull was expecting her first child, she was a mix of excitement and nerves. But as a person with a disability, she realised there were no parenting books out there that shared her experiences. 

More than 15 per cent of Australian households have a parent with a disability, yet their stories are rarely shared. 

In this anthology, 25 parents who are deaf, disabled or chronically ill share the highs and lows of their parenting journeys and reveal the greatest obstacle lies in other people’s attitudes. 

Release date: March 1

When We Fall 

Aoife Clifford 
(Ultimo Press, fiction, $32.99) 

Award-winning crime writer Aoife Clifford is back with another small-town mystery. 

Alex Tillerson returns to her hometown to care for her ageing mother only to get caught up in a murder investigation after a shocking discovery on a beach. 

The police claim it’s an accidental death, but the whispers around town say otherwise. This is not the first murder in the coastal town, either. 

Two bodies have been found before, both with black feathers. What do they mean? 

In When We Fall, Clifford plays with the concept of truth. 

“What happens when the stories we are told – or tell ourselves – can’t be believed?” 

Release date: March 2

Run Rose Run 

Dolly Parton and James Patterson
(Penguin Australia, fiction, $32.99)

Beloved singer Dolly Parton and bestselling author James Patterson have worked 9 to 5 on Run Rose Run, Parton’s debut work of fiction. 

Set in Nashville, Tennessee, Run Rose Run is a novel about a rising star in music who arrives in the capital of country music to pursue her dreams.

Her heartbreaking songs are inspired by brutal secrets she’s desperate to hide. But her past is catching up to her.

Wait, there’s more. 

Fans will be able to listen to 12 original songs inspired by the book – written, performed and produced by Parton. 

The album, which also shares the title of the book, was released on Friday, March 4. 

Release date: March 7

Daughters of Eve 

Nina D. Campbell
(Allen & Unwin, fiction, $32.99)

Daughters of Eve, the thrilling debut novel by Nina D. Campbell, introduces readers to Detective Emilia Hart. 

When a high-profile murder lands literally at her feet, Detective Hart knows this is her chance to get away from the endless domestic violence cases she is forced to investigate. 

But this is no simple investigation. 

Soon, another body turns up. Then another. All the victims are men, all shot with a similar MO. 

It isn’t until a group calling themselves the Daughters of Eve take credit for the deaths that Detective Hart finds the connection. 

All of the victims had been perpetrators themselves and none were convicted. 

Release date: March 29  

Dinner with the Schnabels

Toni Jordan
(Hachette Australia, fiction, $32.99) 

Need a solid laugh? Then let us point you in the direction of the latest novel from bestselling author Toni Jordan (Addition). 

Dinner with the Schnabels is a tale of marriage, love and family. 

Simon Larson is going through it. He loves his wife and children, but ever since his business failed he can’t seem to get off the couch. 

His larger-than-life in-laws, the Schnabels – his wife’s mother, sister and brother – won’t leave him alone about it. So to keep everyone happy, Simon agrees to do one itty-bitty job: He has one week to landscape a mate’s backyard for an important Schnabel family event. 

But as the week progresses, Simon is derailed by a string of events that turns his world on its head.

Release date: March 30

No Hard Feelings 

Genevieve Novak
(HarperCollins Australia, fiction, $32.99) 

No Hard Feelings is the debut novel by Genevieve Novak, and it’s already being compared to Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag. 

Hungover, underpaid and overwhelmed isn’t where Penny expected to be in her late 20s. 

Her friends are either getting married or being promoted and Penny is just waiting for her life to finally start.

Sick of falling behind, Penny tries to make a change for the better. She wants to make things work with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, wow her tyrannical boss and quit seeing her useless therapist. 

But before long, she’s back to her old habits. 

“When her goals seem further away than ever, she has to wonder: When bad habits feel so good, how do you trust what’s right for you?

Release date: March 30

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