From a darkly comic tale of revenge to a beautiful contemplation on friendship, here are five of the most acclaimed works of fiction released in 2026 so far.
Caro Claire Burke's buzzy debut Yesteryear is a satirical thriller in which a tradwife influencer wakes up in 1855. The novel offers a bitingly funny twist on the Instagram-versus-reality story, with a deliciously unlikable protagonist. It is set to be adapted for film with Anne Hathaway producing and starring.
In Transcription, an unnamed writer interviews a 90-year-old mentor but breaks his phone just before, leading to a reflection on technology, storytelling and memory. The Guardian calls it 'intricate, uncanny, sometimes breathtakingly realistic'.
John Lanchester's Look What You Made Me Do is a black comedy of betrayal and revenge, centering on a rivalry between affluent boomer Kate and younger screenwriter Phoebe. The Literary Review describes it as 'a gleamingly accomplished black comedy'.
Tana French's The Keeper concludes her trilogy starring retired Chicago cop Cal Hooper in an Irish village. When a young woman's body is found, Hooper investigates amid bitter feuds. The Guardian praises it as 'dense, compelling and superbly atmospheric'.
Julian Barnes's self-declared swansong Departure(s) blends memoir and fiction to explore memory, ageing and love. The Atlantic calls it a 'valedictory flourish' shimmering with erudite prose and earnest investigation into the human heart.
