We’re delighted that Jennifer Saint, Elodie Harper, Laura Purcell, Richard Osman, Hannah Kaner, Saara El-Arifi, Rob Temple and Susan Stokes-Chapman all have books in the Waterstones Best Books of the Year round-up.

In the fiction list across genres, Waterstones have named Atalanta by Jennifer Saint, The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper and The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell among their favourites of the year.

For their top crime and thriller books of 2023, Richard Osman’s The Last Devil to Die gets a special mention: “Spearheaded by the bestselling phenomenon that is Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club series (whose latest instalment is featured below), the genteel locations of 'cosy crime' have become enormously popular.”

Then in their ‘Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror’ category, Waterstones have included Godkiller by Hannah Kaner, The Battle Drum by Saara El-Arifi and The Winter Spirits, a wintry anthology featuring stories from Susan Stokes-Chapman and Laura Purcell.

Finally, in the humour and puzzle books category is Rob Temple’s Very British Problems Christmas Quiz Book!