A new thriller from Catherine Ryan Howard, a debut novel from John Patrick McHugh, and an unflinching examination of the harsh inequalities within the music industry are among the most exciting new titles landing this April.
In the Movie Of Her Life, by Claire Hennessy (1 April, Doire Books)
Claire Hennessy is a writer, editor, book reviewer, and creative writing facilitator from Dublin. In the Movie Of Her Life —a collection of short stories for adults—marks her adult fiction debut.
In 21st century Dublin, an aspiring comedian puts her career on hold in favour of her boyfriend’s, all the while pretending to ignore his disdain for her day job that holds them together; a lonely young teacher tries to distract herself from a crush on one of her secondary school students; and a single mother on a first date, in desperate need of one good night out, dodges questions about her struggling child.
In other realities, a group of girls persuade themselves a classmate’s death had nothing to do with them or their merciless pact; a young woman lives out what’s supposed to be the last hours of her life at an end-of-the-world party; and a wicked stepmother forges a connection with the witch hiding in the forest.
Softcore, by Brittany Newell (2 April, Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Brittany Newell is a San Francisco-based writer and performer whose debut novel, Oola, was published when she was just twenty-one. Soft Core tells the tale of a young woman’s madcap search for her missing ex-boyfriend, and how that takes her into the sexual underground.
Ruth is lost. She’s living in a drafty Victorian with her ex-boyfriend Dino, a ketamine dealer with a lingerie habit, overdosing on television and regretting her master’s degree. When she starts dancing at a strip club, she becomes Baby Blue, seductress of crypto bros, outcasts, and old lovers alike. Plunged into this swirling underworld of beautiful women, fast cash, ungodly hours, and strangers’ secrets, Baby’s grip on reality begins to loosen. She is sure she can handle it—until one autumn morning when Dino disappears without a trace.
Thus begins a nocturnal quest for the one she still loves—through the misty hills of San Francisco; in dive bars and bus depots; at the BDSM dungeon where she takes a part-time gig. Along the way, she meets Simon, a recluse who pays her for increasingly bizarre favors; a philosophizing suicide fetishist named Nobody; and Emeline, the beautiful and balletic new hire who reminds Baby of someone.
Solo, by Gráinne O’Brien (3 April, Little Island)
Beloved Irish bookseller Gráinne O’Brien of Kenny’s Bookshop in Galway has penned her debut novel in the form of Solo, telling the story of teenager Daisy. A classical musician passionate about music who is experiencing all that comes with teenage life, she is not wildly popular at school, has a sudden break up with her boyfriend and her dad falls ill.
When she makes a new friend Flora at school, Daisy finds a glimmer of peace in her chaotic life, and looks to decide should she find her way back to who she was, or look towards who she is going to become.
Katriona O’Sullivan, author of Poor, said: “For me this is not just a book written about, and for, young adults. It is a story about commitment and friendship and hurt and love and family. It is a story for everyone.”
The Bridge to Always, by Lynda Marron (3 April, Eriu)
Lynda Marron grew up in a small town called Prosperous in Kildare before moving to Cork, where she is still based. Her debut novel, Last Chance In Paris was published last year.
Maeve Gaffney arrives in a small West Cork town in pursuit of a dream: to be reunited with Tim, the lad she fell for years ago and who, unbeknownst to him, fathered her daughter, Emer. For Tim, now married and a pillar of the community, Emer’s existence is a shock – but the chance to rekindle an old flame with her mother is tempting. For Agnes, a lonely landowner, Maeve and Emer’s arrival is an opportunity to make money — and maybe new friends.
For Malachi, a man of few words but deep emotions, it’s complicated. For Emer, it’s about growing up and finding her voice. For all five, the arrival of this beautiful, wild mother and her silent, observant daughter sparks a devastating chain of events none of them could have predicted.
Open, Heaven, by Seán Hewitt (4 April, Jonathan Cape)
Seán Hewitt is the award-winning author of two poetry collections, Tongues of Fire and Rapture’s Road, and a memoir, All Down Darkness Wide. His first work of literary fiction, Open, Heaven is described as a tender coming-of-age story that explores the formative experience of first love.
On the cusp of adulthood, James dreams of another life far away from his small village. As he contends with the expectations of his family, his burgeoning desire – an ache for autonomy, tenderness and sex – threatens to unravel his shy exterior.
Then he meets Luke. Unkempt and handsome, charismatic and impulsive, he has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle on a nearby farm. Luke comes with a reputation for danger, but underneath his bravado lie anxieties and hopes of his own.
With the passing seasons, the two teenagers grow closer and the bond that emerges between them transforms their lives. James falls deeply for Luke, yet he is never sure of Luke’s true feelings. And as the end of summer nears, he has a choice to make – will he risk everything for the possibility of love?
The Best of Everything, by Kit de Waal (10 April, Tinder Press)
Award-winning author of the novels My Name is Leon and The Trick to Time, short story collection Supporting Cast, and the memoir Without Warning & Only Sometimes, Kit de Waal returns with a novel about what it means to care, to learn to live in the aftermath of loss, and the love that can steal into our lives, despite the best-laid plans.
Paulette’s the kind of woman who likes the future all mapped out: the wedding to Denton, the Caribbean honeymoon, the gingham quilt on the baby’s crib. Until one morning Garfield, Denton’s friend, arrives at her door with news she can’t take in: that Denton won’t be coming around anymore, that there won’t be time for her to say goodbye.
Somehow Garfield finds his way into her bed, if not her heart, and sooner than anyone can believe there is a baby, and suddenly giving Bird, her son, the best of everything is what gives Paulette’s life meaning. So why does another little boy, Nellie, keep Paulette awake at night? Nellie is being raised a few streets away, with no sign of a mum. Surely Paulette is the last person who should be getting tangled up in any of that?
Burn After Reading, by Catherine Ryan Howard (10 April, Bantam Press)
Number one bestselling author Catherine Ryan Howard has a gift for creating gripping, addictive thrillers that burrow their way deep inside your brain. The screen adaptation of her lockdown thriller, 56 Days, is currently in production and will debut on Amazon Prime Video in 2026, and her eight novel, Burn After Reading will be released this month.
The night Jack Smyth ran into the flames to save his wife, Kate, from their burning home, he was too late. But his bravery made him a hero—until the truth emerged. Kate was dead long before the fire started. Ever since, suspicion has followed him like a shadow. A year later, Jack signs a book deal. He wants to tell his side of the story, to prove his innocence once and for all. But to do that, he needs help.
Emily has never ghostwritten before, but she knows what it’s like to live with a guilty secret. And she’s about to discover that some stories should never be told…
Why Not Her? A Manifesto For Culture Change, by Linda Coogan Byrne (11 April, Why Not Her? Publishing)
The wait is over. Why Not Her? A Manifesto For Culture Change, the groundbreaking new book from Linda Coogan Byrne, is here to shake the foundations of the music industry—and far beyond.
With a career spanning over two decades in music, gender equity, and activism, Coogan Byrne has become a formidable force in exposing the systemic barriers that keep women and marginalised voices locked out of opportunities. Now, with Why Not Her?, she presents an unflinching examination of the harsh inequalities within the music industry, underpinned by hard-hitting data, personal testimony, and an urgent call for change.
“This isn’t just about playlists or festival lineups. It’s about power. It’s about who gets heard and who is silenced,” says Coogan Byrne. “This manifesto is my refusal to comply with the status quo. It’s about rewriting the rules and demanding more.”
The Death of Us, by Abigail Dean (15 April, Viking)
London-based author Abigail Dean works as a lawyer for Google, and before that was a bookseller. The Death of Us is a captivating portrait of a marriage and its implosion, digging into the stories we tell ourselves about love — and everything love can bear.
Together, Edward and Isabel move to London. They are young and in love, occupied by friends, work and fun. But late on a spring evening when they are thirty years old, their home is invaded by a serial killer. In the wake of this violation, each tries to come to terms with a night that changed everything — and their marriage begins to crumble.
Twenty-five years later, their tormentor is caught, and Edward and Isabel reunite for his sentencing. Isabel has waited years for the man who nearly ended her life to be brought to justice. Edward has tried to think about anything else. As they prepare to deliver impact statements in the public eye, it is time to revisit their love story. Will they finally be able to confront the secrets, longings and lies that tore them apart?
Great Big Beautiful Life, by Emily Henry (22 April, Berkley)
New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry is best known for titles like Funny Story, Happy Place and Beach Read, and next up is a story of two writers competing for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve.
Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: to write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the twentieth century.
When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story. But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.
Fun and Games, by John Patrick McHugh (24 April, 4th Estate)
Galway author John Patrick McHugh’s debut collection of short stories, Pure Gold, stole my heart when it was published in 2021, and I’m still buying copies of it to give to friends and loved ones. Suffice to say: word of his debut novel caused quite the stir.
Seventeen-year-old John Masterson has no idea what he wants. It’s his last summer on the small island where he has grown up and he should be enjoying the weeks until his exam results come through. Instead, he’s working mind-numbing shifts at the local hotel and trying to keep his head down after his mother’s nude sext to another man was leaked to the whole island.
As John joins the local senior football team, gets caught up in fights and parties, and embarks on a tentative relationship with his slightly older co-worker Amber that he feels both proud and ashamed of, he can almost pretend that this summer will last forever. But soon John must face up to the choices before him: to stay or leave, to stand out or fit in, and whether to love and let himself be loved, despite or perhaps because of the flaws that make us all human.
Ordinary Saints, by Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin (24 April, Manilla Press)
Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin is an Irish writer, living and working in Edinburgh, and her début novel, Ordinary Saints, is inspired by her own devout upbringing and presents her as an exciting new voice on the Irish literary scene asking the question: Who gets to decide how we are remembered — and who we will become?
Brought up in a devout household in Ireland, Jay is now living in London with her girlfriend, determined to live day to day and not think too much about either the future or the past. But when she learns that her beloved older brother, who died in a terrible accident, may be made into a Catholic saint, she realises she must at last confront her family, her childhood and herself.
Overspill, by Charlotte Paradise (24 April, Akan Books)
Award-winning screenwriter and debut novelist Charlotte Paradise is already receiving accolades for the tender, brutal and devastating Overspill, and she is poised as an incredible new literary talent.
Sara is twenty-five. She has never used a tampon without having a panic attack. She starts dating Miles. For three months, they don’t touch. Miles respects her boundaries, though he longs for them to melt away. Sara desires Miles, but she knows her body, or rather she knows it is an unknowable thing.
Sara wants to be in love, to find a person who allows her to be herself. Someone who is happy with everything she is and everything she isn’t. Miles hopes he won’t hurt her. But how do you navigate a relationship for which there is no blueprint? How do you love someone when your body is not your own, and how do you reclaim it?
