Debut novels by CBC alumni we can't wait to read in 2025
BY Maya Fernandes
16th Jan 2025
January is the perfect time to look ahead to the exciting new book releases for 2025! Check out this round-up of must-read debuts by our talented former students publishing this year. Whether you’re in the mood for a thrilling page-turner, a heart-warming coming-of-age narrative or an intriguing historical mystery, these fresh new voices are ones you won't want to miss . . .
The Lamb by Lucy Rose
Pre-order your copy (W&N UK & HarperCollins US, 30 Jan 2025)
A chilling, feminist horror debut for fans of Margaret Atwood and Julia Armfield, The Lamb by Lucy Rose is a gothic coming-of-age tale that will continue to haunt you after you've turned the final page.
Margot and Mama live alone by the forest, quietly awaiting the ‘strays’ Mama loves to feed and devour. But, when a mysterious stranger named Eden arrives during a snowstorm, Margot is forced to confront the dark secrets of her family, grapple with her own desires and fight for her freedom. The Lamb is a sinister, captivating folktale that will leave readers craving more.
Lucy was a former student on our Breakthrough Mentoring Programme for LGBTQIA+ Writers in 2022.
Homesick by Silvia Saunders
Pre-order your copy (Harper Collins, 30 Jan 2025)
Homesick is a story of falling out of love, for fans of Monica Heisey and Dolly Alderton.
Mara longs to escape her damp flat and the London rental market to relax in peace. When she unexpectedly comes into some money, she plans for a fresh start with her boyfriend, Tom. Except Tom has decided to leave London – and Mara. Just as her life should be coming together, everything starts to unravel. Navigating a break-up, a best friend accusing her of being self-involved, and a fixation with her new neighbours, will Mara ever be able to shake this homesick feeling?
Silvia was a student on our six-month London Writing Your Novel course in 2022.
Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell
Pre-order your copy (Scribner UK & Algonquin US, 30 Jan 2025)
Nesting is a powerful story of maternal love, resilience and survival. Set against the backdrop of Ireland's housing crisis, Roisin O'Donnell’s debut explores the devastating effects of emotional abuse.
On a sunny spring day in Dublin, Ciara Fay makes a life-changing decision: she grabs her daughters, leaves behind her abusive husband and drives into an uncertain future. With no job, dwindling savings and her family far away, she faces the harsh realities of a broken housing system. As she struggles to raise her children in a cramped hotel room, Ciara’s past haunts her, and her husband's relentless pursuit to bring her back grows stronger. Can she ever truly escape his control – and what will be the cost?
Roisin took our three-month Writing Your Novel course in 2021.
Nepthys by Rachel Louise Driscoll
Pre-order your copy (Harvill Secker, 6 Feb 2025)
Nephthys is a dazzling debut, weaving enchanting prose with a darkly compelling plot that flows as smoothly as the Nile itself.
Clemmie has always been content to stay in the background. Though her talents are overlooked by her parents, her ability to read hieroglyphs makes her invaluable at her father’s high-society Egyptian relic parties. But everything changes when Clemmie decodes the ancient symbols of a mysterious amulet, revealing terrifying words that change her life. Five years later, Clemmie travels to Egypt to save her family, encountering unexpected allies, enemies and long-buried secrets. She is forced to step into the light, facing betrayal in her quest to uncover the truth.
Rachel took our Edit & Pitch Your Novel course in 2019, and our three-month Writing Your Novel course in 2020.
She was awarded the Write From Home Scholarship in 2020. Read all about the scholarship and Rachel's writing process.
Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis
Pre-order your copy (W&N, 25 Feb 2025)
With heart, complexity and humour, Nussaibah Younisit’s debut challenges a defining controversy of our age. Fundamentally is a bitingly original, wildly funny and razor-sharp exploration of love, religion and the search for connection.
When Nadia is disowned by her puritanical mother and dumped by her lover, she seeks escape by accepting a UN job in Iraq. Tasked with rehabilitating ISIS women, Nadia is thrust into the murky world of international aid. But everything changes when she meets Sara, a feisty East Londoner who joined ISIS at just fifteen. Despite their differences, Nadia and Sara bond over their shared Muslim background, love of Dairy Milk and sharp wit. When Sara reveals a secret, Nadia must make a heart-wrenching decision that will challenge her beliefs about morality and friendship.
Nussaibah was a former student on our The Rewrite Doctor course in 2023.
Before We Hit the Ground by Selali Fiamanya
Pre-order your copy (Harper Collins, 27 Feb 2025)
Before We Hit the Ground is a powerful new literary novel for fans of Open Water and Transcendent Kingdom.
Elom can’t make sense of love. It’s like a language he can’t speak, though he’s heard the words before. He wants to feel understood – by his well-meaning yet misapprehending family, his self-assured partner Ben, and his boisterous friends – but he never knows the right thing to say. How can you know yourself, in a world that’s constantly changing?
Selali was a student on our Breakthrough Novel-Writing Course for Black Writers in 2021.
The Grapevine by Kate Kemp
Pre-order your copy (John Murray, 13 Mar 2025)
For a captivating spring read, look out for The Grapevine by Kate Kemp. This debut novel combines a thrilling mystery with sharp social commentary, leaving you questioning the very fabric of human nature.
Australia, 1979. On a quiet suburban street, a housewife scrubs blood from her bathroom floor at 3 a.m. Her husband remains unnervingly calm despite the fact their neighbour, Antonio Marietti, has been murdered. As news of the death spreads, twelve-year-old Tammy starts her own investigation, uncovering more secrets than she expects. Behind every door in the neighbourhood, hidden truths await – and the identity of the killer is just one of them.
Kate was a student on our six-month Writing Your Novel course in 2019.
Greater Sins by Gabrielle Griffiths
Pre-order your copy (Transworld, 27 Mar 2025)
Step into the haunting wilderness of 20th-century Aberdeenshire with this chilling 20th century tale.
In the isolated Scottish community of the Cabrach, a bizarre discovery disrupts the quiet: a body, perfectly preserved in a peat bog. Lizzie, the wife of a wealthy landowner, and Johnny, a wandering singer and farmhand, are the ones who haul the mysterious corpse from the earth. The discovery sets off a chain of events that unravels both of their pasts. For Lizzie, it forces her to confront long-buried questions about her own history, whilst for Johnny, it threatens to expose the secrets he's been running from. As the two become entangled, a series of eerie occurrences shake the already isolated community.
Gabrielle studied on our three-month London Writing Your Novel course in 2021.
Looking After: A Portrait of my Autistic Brother by Caroline Elton
Pre-order your copy (Hutchinson Heinemann, 27 Mar 2025)
Looking After is a deeply moving story story about family, love and the complexities of autism.
Lionel, born in the late 1940s, was once considered a ‘peculiarity’ due to his silence and obsession with toy trucks. Diagnosed as ineducable and advised for institutionalisation, Lionel defied expectations. With the unwavering support of his mother, he thrived, mastering music, mental math and seemingly impossible feats with ease. When his mother passes away and Lionel is diagnosed with cancer, his two sisters are faced with the task of caring for him, as promised. Looking After is both a portrait of Lionel's extraordinary life and a heartfelt exploration of loss, and the sacrifices we make to support the ones we love.
Caroline was a student on our Writing Your Memoir course in 2021.
The Secret Collector by Abigail Johnson
Pre-order your copy (Pan Macmillan, 10 Apr 2025)
The Secret Collector is an uplifting story about friendship across generations. Perfect for fans of The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page and The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods.
Alfred, an elderly widower, fills the emptiness left by his late wife with a collection of antiques. Kian, a troubled teen abandoned by the care system, is struggling to stay on the right path. When Kian throws a brick through Alfred’s window, the aftermath sends Alfred to the hospital and exposes his hoarding problem. Forced into a restorative justice program, Kian is tasked with helping Alfred clean his home. The only problem? Alfred refuses to part with any of his beloved possessions, and he doesn't want Kian’s help. What follows is a surprising and heartwarming journey that leads to a surprising friendship that will change both their lives forever.
Abigail studied on our three-month Writing Your Novel course in 2020.
This Is Not a Game by Kelly Mullen
Pre-order your copy (Century, 24 Apr 2025)
This Is Not a Game is a twisty and gripping locked-room golden age thriller guaranteed to keep you hooked.
Widow Mimi lives on idyllic Mackinac Island where cars are not allowed and a Gibson with three onions at the witching hour is compulsory. When Mimi gets an invitation from local socialite Jane Ireland – a seventy-something narcissist who is having an affair with her son-in-law – to a charity auction, it is the perfect excuse to get her heartbroken granddaughter Addie to join her for the weekend. What Addie doesn’t know is that Jane is blackmailing Mimi, and soon after they arrive, Jane is found dead. Trapped in the mansion, Mimi and Addie must use their sleuthing skills to solve the murder – before they become the next victims.
Kelly was a student on our three-month Writing Your Novel course in 2021 and our Finish Your Novel course in 2022.
The Language of the Birds by K.A. Merson
Pre-order your copy (Penguin, 13 May 2025)
The Language of the Birds is an endlessly surprising adventure featuring an indomitable young heroine and a thrilling plot that blends real history with a treasure hunt of epic proportions.
Seventeen-year-old Arizona is no ordinary teenager. With a passion for cryptography, geocaching, Jules Verne and exploring the Sierra Nevadas on her motorcycle, she’s always up for a challenge. So, when she discovers that her mother has been kidnapped and receives a cryptic ransom note, she’s not just terrified – she’s electrified. As Arizona chases the truth, she’s forced to navigate the outside world in ways she never has before – and begins to forge connections she never dreamed she could.
Keith was a student on our six-month Writing Your Novel course in 2020.
The Ladie Upstairs by Jessie Elland
Pre-order your copy (John Murray, 22 May 2025)
In her gripping debut, The Ladie Upstairs, Jessie Elland crafts a dark, visceral tale of ambition, desire and the terrifying cost of escape.
Ann, a scullery maid trapped in the grim shadows of Ropner Hall, dreams of a better life as a lady’s maid. She can’t even remember how she ended up at the grand estate, but she despises the endless toil in the dank kitchen. When a fateful encounter with Lady Charlotte offers a chance to rise above her miserable existence, Ann believes she’s found her escape. But, as she steps into the opulent world ‘above stairs,' a chilling reality awaits. Will the horrors she finds there be more nightmarish than the ones she left behind?
Jessie took our The Rewrite Doctor course in 2023.
The Surfacing by Claire Ackroyd
Pre-order your copy (Lake Union, 1 Jun 2025)
Claire Ackroyd’s gripping debut, The Surfacing, is a domestic thriller shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize.
Twelve years ago, Peter Ferguson drowned in Loch Ness on the same night Stephanie and her family camped on its shores. In the wake of his death, sisters, Stephanie and Aurelie, stopped speaking. Now, with Aurelie’s wedding on the horizon, Stephanie realizes the family reunion might finally bring the truths of that fateful night to light. As Stephanie digs deeper into the past, she uncovers explosive secrets that could change everything. In her pursuit of the truth, she never imagined it would lead her to a point where blood might be the price of discovery…
Claire was a former student on our six-month Writing Your Novel course in 2020.
Bring the House Down by Charlotte Runcie
Pre-order your copy (Borough Press, 5 Jun 2025)
For fans of Cleopatra and Frankenstein, Bring the House Down is a bold debut about art, criticism and revenge.
At the Edinburgh Fringe, critic Alex Lyons slams a performer’s show with a brutal review. When Alex meets the show’s performer, Hayley, in a bar afterwards, she has no idea who he is. It’s only after they’ve spent the night together that Alex’s flatmate, Sophie, accidentally shows Hayley the one-star review. Humiliated, Hayley turns the tables, creating a show that exposes every detail of Alex’s life. As Sophie watches the chaos unfold, she realises that sometimes the audience can be the most dangerous place to be of all.
Charlotte was a former student on our three-month Writing Your Novel course in 2023.
Life Cycle of a Moth by Rowe Irvin
Pre-order your copy (Canongate, 5 Jun 2025)
Urgent, haunting and thrillingly alive, Life Cycle of a Moth explores both the tenderness and ferocity of maternal love.
Maya and Daughter live in complete isolation in a secluded woodland, their days aligned with the light and changing seasons. Daughter has never questioned the life her mother has chosen for them; the life that has meant she's never met another soul, or known anywhere except their forest home. But one day, when Daughter is almost sixteen, a red-haired stranger steps into the confines of their territory. Where there was always two, suddenly there are three – and the carefully constructed world that Maya has built to keep her daughter safe may not survive it.
Rowe studied on our six-month London Writing Your Novel course in 2021.
A Kiss of Hammer and Flame by Amy de la Force
Pre-order your copy (Canelo, 3 Jul 2025)
Looking for a heart-pounding fantasy to get lost in? Keep an eye out for Amy de la Force’s debut, A Kiss of Hammer and Flame.
Cahra, a young blacksmith, unwittingly awakens an ancient prophecy when she forges a sword with a unique symbol. This seemingly innocent creation unleashes Hael, an immortal with the power to shape or shatter worlds. When Cahra’s role in the prophecy is discovered, she is forced to flee her kingdom with the mysterious noble, Terryl. But what does she truly know about the charming stranger by her side? With tyrant kings vying for Hael’s power and the empire hanging in the balance, Cahra must tap into dark magicks hidden deep within herself. Can she unlock the strength needed to free Hael before it's too late?
Amy took our three-month Writing Your Novel course in 2020.
My Other Heart by Emma Nanami Strenner
Pre-order your copy (Penguin, 17 Jul 2025)
Introducing My Other Heart, a poignant novel about three women searching for their identities and a sense of belonging.
In 1998, Mimi Traung and her daughter, Ngan, are about to return to Vietnam when a devastating event changes everything. Seventeen years later, Sabrina and Kit, best friends on the brink of college, set off on journeys to trace their roots: Sabrina to China to meet her mother’s family, and Kit to Tokyo, seeking her biological mother. As Mimi returns to Philadelphia, searching for her lost daughter, their paths unexpectedly converge, forcing them to confront their identities and challenge everything they thought they knew.
Emma took our six-month Writing Your Novel course in 2020.
Lime Juice Money by Jo Morey
(Publishing in August 2025)
In a gripping tale of trust and survival, Lime Juice Money explores the fragility of paradise and the lengths we’ll go to protect the ones we love – even when everything around us starts to crumble.
Laelia seeks a fresh start when she moves to her father’s jungle lodge with her children and new partner, Aidrian, after he falls seriously ill. The lush surroundings are full of wonder, but as the days pass, the jungle begins to reveal its darker side. Aidrian’s behaviour grows erratic and the gunshots Laelia hears at night seem to draw nearer. Her father’s cryptic warnings about Aid’s past echo in her mind, casting a shadow over their new life. As dangerous secrets begin to unravel, Laelia finds herself caught in a web of betrayal and unsettling revelations.
Jo studied on our Breakthrough Mentoring Programme for Disabled Writers in 2022.
The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers
Pre-order your copy (Little Brown, 4 Sept 2025)
The Reunion is a tense, thrilling mystery that unravels a decade-old tragedy in the unforgiving wilderness of the Blue Mountains.
Ten years ago, six teenagers set out on a hiking trip and only five returned. Now, the survivors are brought back together by an invitation to a 10-year memorial for their lost friend. The weekend at a remote homestead should offer a chance to reflect and reconnect, free from distractions. But the past has a way of haunting, and each of them carries deep secrets from that fateful hike. As old wounds are reopened and the chilling mystery deepens, a question is on everyone’s lips. Who will survive this second journey into the past?
Bronwyn Rivers was a former student on our six-month Writing Your Novel course in 2021.
The Ghosts of Merry Hall by Heather Davey
Pre-order your copy (Titan Books, 16 Sept 2025)
The Ghosts of Merry Hall is a gripping tale of new beginnings, old secrets and the chilling echoes of the past.
After escaping a controlling marriage, Nell moves into the crumbling Victorian mansion of Merry Hall with her daughter, Fern. They’re quickly unsettled by strange noises, moving objects and mysterious smells that haunt their new home. In the 1840s, showman Abel Wenham exploits Dolly, a talented albino girl, making her the star of his freak show collection. When she becomes pregnant, he abandons her and locks her away at Merry Hall, where she finds comfort in the company of fellow performers. Together, they plan to escape, but Wenham has darker plans in store. When Fern admits she, too, is pregnant, it seems as though history may be about to repeat itself. But is Dolly, just one of the ghosts that haunt Merry Hall, reaching out across the centuries to protect her own child?
Heather was a student on our Finish Your Novel course in 2022.
The books linked in this blog can be found on our Bookshop.org shop front. Curtis Brown Creative receive 10% whenever someone buys from our bookshop.org page.