It holds a mirror up to our cultural compulsion to have a take on every tragedy that passes our screens, and the way that movements can spiral out of control. Hailey’s debut novel is a slow burn that leads up to an incendiary conclusion. You may find yourself fighting an impulse to Google details of the story to double-check if you’ve accidentally picked up a non-fiction book! The writing is convincing, peppered with quotes from apparent newspapers and footnotes with references. Ultimately, she asks, How much of what happens to us is due to fate and how much is by our own design?īuy The Cloisters on Amazon The Things We Do To Our Friends by Heather Darwent Hays weaves a gripping story of obsession, ambition and power. However, as he seeks an elusive 15th-century tarot deck that is believed to be long lost, if it ever existed at all, he spirals into obsession, and threatens to take Ann with him. The curator at the Cloisters, Patrick Roland, seems at first glance to be impressive and levelheaded.

'Hays weaves a gripping story of obsession, ambition and power' The Cloisters follows Ann Stilwell as she arrives in New York to spend the summer doing an internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, only to find herself drawn into the world of tarot and occult history in the slightly more Gothic Cloisters instead. Katy Hays’ debut book isn’t to be missed! Set in the atmospheric Met Cloisters, Hays draws on her own background in art history to create a richly detailed story of academic intrigue and raw ambition.

Looking for some reading inspiration? Here are five debut books that should be on your radar in 2023 The Cloisters by Katy Hays

Bellies by nicola dinan