The Lost Village by Neil Spring

Notorious ghost hunter Harry Price has reluctantly reunited with his former assistant Sarah Grey to unlock the secrets of an abandoned English village called Imber. Each winter, on one night only, Imber’s former residents return to visit loved ones buried in the overgrown churchyard. But this year, something has gone wrong.

Spring returns to the characters of Harry and Sarah following the events of the brilliantly creepy The Ghost Hunters. October is, of course, the perfect time of year for a ghost story, and this one comes out just in time for Halloween.

Release date: 19th October

La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman

11-year-old Malcolm Polstead and his dæmon, Asta, live with his parents near Oxford. Across the River Thames is the Godstow Priory where the nuns live. Malcolm learns they have a guest with them, a baby by the name of Lyra Belacqua.

This has got to be one of the most anticipated books of 2017. Pullman returns to the world of His Dark Materials with the first volume in a new series that promises to be just as full of magic and adventure as The Northern Lights.

Release date: 19th October

The Butchering Art by Lindsey Fitzharris

Historian Lindsey Fitzharris recreates a critical turning point in the history of medicine, when Joseph Lister transformed surgery from a brutal, harrowing practice to the esteemed profession we know today.

I find the history of medicine endlessly fascinating and this new non-fiction book promises blood-soaked Victorian operating theatres and early experimentation with anaesthesia.

Release date: 17th October

The Mayflower Generation by Rebecca Fraser

The voyage of the Mayflower is one of the important events in world history. But the group of English Puritans who ventured across the Atlantic in 1620 had no sense they would pass into legend. Rebecca Fraser traces two generations of one ordinary family as they adapt to the challenges of life in America.

Another area of history that fascinates me is the arrival of early settlers in America, and this book sounds as though it will put people at the forefront of the story.

Release date: 19th October

Even the Darkest Stars by Heather Fawcett

Kamzin has always dreamed of becoming one of the Emperor’s royal explorers, the elite climbers tasked with mapping the mountainous Empire and spying on its enemies. When the eccentric River Shara, the greatest explorer ever known, hires her for his next expedition, Kamzin is determined to prove herself.

This highly anticipated debut novel is the first in a fantasy duology and promises plenty of adventure and nail-biting action.

Release date: 19th October

Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell

Richard Shakespeare is an actor struggling to make his way in a company dominated by his estranged older brother, William. As the growth of theatre blooms, their rivalry – and that of the playhouses, playwrights and actors vying for glory – propels a high-stakes story of conflict and betrayal.

This is a departure from the norm by bestselling author Bernard Cornwell, but I love historical fiction, particularly if it’s set in the Tudor period, and this one sounds particularly intriguing.

The Naturalist by Andrew Mayne

As a computational biologist, Theo is more familiar with digital code and microbes than forensics. But a field trip to Montana suddenly lands him in the middle of an investigation into the murder of one of his former students. As more bodies come to light, the local cops determine that the killer is either a grizzly bear gone rogue, or Theo himself.

This new release from well-known author Mayne promises thrills, suspense and violence aplenty.

Release date: 1st October

Origin by Dan Brown

Robert Langdon arrives at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever”. But Langdon and several hundred other guests are left reeling when the evening is blown apart before the discovery can be revealed. With his life under threat, Langdon flees to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock the secret of the discovery.

We all know Dan Brown isn’t the best writer, but that doesn’t mean his books don’t make for enjoyable reading, particularly those featuring Harvard professor Robert Langdon. This will be Langdon’s fifth outing.

Release date: 3rd October

I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll

When Ella overhears two men flirting with teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it – until she realises the men are fresh out of prison. But just as she’s decided to call for help, something stops her. The next day, she wakes up to the news that one of the girls has disappeared.

Sometimes you just need to cosy up with a thriller that really grabs you and will make you want to read it in one sitting. This book seems like just that type.

Release date: 1st October

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Illustrated Edition)

The third book in the Harry Potter series gets the illustrated treatment from Jim Kay, whose beautiful illustrations have already brought to life The Philosopher’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets. Personally, The Prisoner of Azkaban is my favourite in the series so I’m really looking forward to getting my hands on this one. This time, we’ll get to see the Knight Bus, meet Buckbeak and Sirius Black, and experience the iconic moment Hermione punches Malfoy in the face.

Release date: 3rd October