In January, James Sallis, the idiosyncratic author of Drive—yes, that Drive—died after a long illness. On Tuesday, his final novel, Backwater, hits shelves. Sallis was a true original; to honor him and celebrate the publication of Backwater (which is very good), I've compiled a list of books that fit into the weird little corner of crime fiction Sallis carved out for himself. The list is just "below the fold" of this newsletter.
In other business, we've got an interview with much-discussed classics translator Emily Wilson about her new book, Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea, and a verdict on Ryan Murphy's FX adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis's The Shards. Plus, our editors recommend new books, including a sharp story collection, an eye-opening religious survey, and a poignant graphic novel. Happy reading!
—Conner Reed
Starred Reviews Releasing Next WeekCheck out all the books to receive starred PW reviews that are hitting shelves next week. more
What Do Cardi B and Aristophanes Have in Common? PW Talks with Emily WilsonIn Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea, the University of Pennsylvania classics professor reveals how translation enhances understanding of ancient literature. more
Writers Talking Writers: Marlon James on Jean Rhys and Hernan Diaz on Franz KafkaThe Booker winner celebrates the British Creole novelist's postmodern innovations and the Pulitzer winner pinpoints why the Czech modernist is frequently copied but ultimately inimitable. more
5 Non-Traditional Crime Novels for Fans of James SallisThe late, great genre writer—whose final novel comes out on Tuesday—colored outside the lines. So do these recent books. more
To Watch or Not to Watch: August 2026This month’s book-to-screen adaptations include Ryan Murphy’s take on Bret Easton Ellis’s The Shards, a True Detective–style Green Lantern series, and a quiet film featuring Willem Dafoe as a poet. more
with Rex Ogle
With Rex Ogle looking ahead to the fall release of his middle grade novel Absent (Norton Young Readers, Sept. 1), about three boys who skip school for different reasons, PW spoke to the award winning author about shame, coming-of-age, and why teachers and librarians know more about kids than almost anyone else. (Sponsored) MORE »
I Liked RexBy Diane Williams (New York Review Books)
Williams’s super-short stories always feel alive in their language. Sometimes it's the way she uses an off-kilter word or phrase to describe a common action—one character, shucking corn, is seen “ripping up” the husks. Other times, it's in the way she describes her narrators awakening to their desires (“I want an outlook on life, a plan for my life. I want to feel like an excited dog”). Call the stories in this collection flash fiction if you have to, although I find that term a little dated and limiting given what Williams is up to. She’s simply one of our best prose stylists. —David Varno, literary fiction reviews editor
By Sarah Stankorb (Broadleaf)
For the first time in modern American history, more young Christian men than women say that religion is "very important" to them. Stankorb unpacks the roots of that shift in this sharply observed analysis, providing along the way insights into purity culture, religious control, shame, and changing gender roles. —Miriam Grossman, religion and self-help reviews editor
By Ziggy Hanaor and Benjamin Phillips (Cicada)
A child’s pacifier controls an entire household in this poignant domestic drama rendered in gorgeous pencil sketches—the first adult graphic novel from a picture book press. The story finds a mother struggling with postpartum depression and an overbearing mother-in-law as she attempts in vain to get her first child to let go of her soother and accept her new baby sibling. (If you have not had a devotee of a binky in your home, do not doubt the extreme realness of its powers.) —Meg Lemke, comics and graphic novels reviews editor
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Theo of Golden
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Pardon My Book: Ten Years of the Best (and Worst) in Sports from Pardon My Take
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Brain Damage
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The Poison Daughter
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Dungeon Crawler Carl
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Delusional: A Michael Bennett Thriller
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Verity
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For more PW bestsellers lists, click here.
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