Thrillers you won't want to miss: The Girl in Cell A By Vaseem Khan, The Man Made of Smoke By Alex North, Sweet Fury By Sash Bischoff

By GEOFFREY WANSELL

Published: 07:58 EDT, 13 May 2025 | Updated: 07:58 EDT, 13 May 2025

Famous movie actress Lila Crayne is America’s sweetheart, kind, warm and dazzlingly beautiful. She and her director husband Kurt Royall are Hollywood royalty, on...

‘None of these characters are black and white. I wanted everything and everybody in this book to live in the gray area, because that felt like life to me’

By Elisabeth H. Daugherty

Published April 21, 2025

On this episode of the PAW Book Club podcast, Sash Bischoff ’09 discusses her debut novel, Sweet Fury, a twisty thriller that plays with the work of F. Scott Fitzgerald...

April 15, 2025

by Steven Beattie

When actor and theatre director Sash Bischoff sat down to write her first novel, she never intended it to involve a reckoning with one of the great American novelists of the 20th century.

The first draft of Bischoff’s debut, Sweet Fury, was written during a six-month period at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. The narrative was cast in the...

The best new books out in April 2025

It's romcom season and there's not one, but two F. Scott Fitzgerald inspired novels coming this month

By Lydia Venn

Updated: 27 March 2025

Cosmo UK

As the clocks spring forward, our moods are brightening and so too are our bookshelves as April is set to be full of fun, and colourful releases. There's a string of romcom novels...

Author Sash Bischoff discusses her debut novel "Sweet Fury" at the American Writers Museum with fellow author Kathleen Rooney. This conversation took place February 12, 2025 and was recorded live at the American Writers Museum.

For a full list of upcoming events with the American Writers Museum, click here: https://americanwritersmuseum.org/cal...

About "Sweet Fury"

When a beloved...

Sweet Fury, the new thriller by Sash Bischoff, comes with a heavy dose of both Hollywood glamour and shocking darkness. It tells the story of actress Lila Crayne, a beloved movie star who teams up with her filmmaker fiance to adapt F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender Is the Night with a modern, feminist twist. As the project progresses, Lila sees a therapist to help her dig into the trauma of her past –...

Ottawa Watch

March Break reads

Author Mary Taggart shows us some of her picks for reading during March Break

Watch the full live TV feature here

Book Picks: Northshire Bookstore and Rough Draft Bar & Books

By Joe Donahue

Published March 11, 2025 at 11:33 AM EDT

This week's Book Picks come from Stan Hynds from Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, Vermont and Saratoga Springs, New York and Drew Broussard from Rough Draft Bar & Books in Kingston, New York.

Stan Hynds/Northshire:

...

10 Questions for Sash Bischoff.

By John Charles.BLOG. First published March 7, 2025 (Booklist Online).

Sash Bischoff is a writer and theater director. She has written plays that have been developed at theaters throughout the U.S. As a director, she has worked on Broadway and off. Broadway/National Tours include Dear Evan Hansen, The Visit, On the Town, How to Succeed in...

What We’re Reading in March

Zed contributors review new favourites, including Scott Oakes' memoir, Olga Tokarczuk's health-resort horror story and Ian Rankin's new Rebus thriller / BY Zed Staff / February 28th, 2025

March may be roaring in like a lion, but Zed contributors hardly noticed because they had their noses buried in some great books. Get out your TBR lists and get ready to add...

Classic Chicago Magazine

By Judy Carmack Bross

“Cunning, ambitious, twisty and immersive, it seduces you into a story so compelling that you aren’t ready for the sucker punch of  its deeper truths.”—Chicago best selling author Rebecca Makkai, from the cover of Sweet Fury by Sash Bischoff.

In Sweet Fury, We meet Lila Crayne, an America’s sweetheart of a movie star who with...

In this episode of My Simplified Life, host Michelle Glogovac interviews author Sash Bischoff about her debut novel, Sweet Fury. The conversation explores the book's themes, including the influence of F. Scott Fitzgerald, the complexities of the Me Too movement, and the dynamics of feminism. Sash shares her journey from theater to writing, the process of crafting suspenseful twists, and her...

Posted on February 4, 2025 by American Writers Museum

Reading, watching, listening, and gaming recommendations from the staff of the American Writers Museum.

We can’t recommend these books, films, shows, plays, albums, and games highly enough! Check back every month for more entertainment recommendations, from classics that we revisit over and over to new favorites. If you’re...

Common Ground March 2025

Our annual roundup of the top literary trends you'll see this year - we promise you'll love them all!

TREND: Vengeance is Hers

Revenge can be sweet, and in these novels it's a dish served stone cold - even if there's some angsty romance on the side. This years starts off strong with female characters - actors and warriors and spies and more - who are...

Debut novels of 2025: discover the year’s breakthrough new voices

Introducing 13 new Penguin authors as they share the inspiration behind their debut novels.

Katie Russell, Sarah McKenna, Rachel Deeley, and Derek Withshire 21 January 2025

Sweet Fury by Sash Bischoff

A Hollywood starlet sees a therapist in preparation for her role in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender is...

Sash Bischoff in conversation with John Charles. Bischoff discusses her novel, Sweet Fury. (Sound comes in after about the first two minutes!)

When a beloved actress is cast in a feminist adaptation of a Fitzgerald classic, she finds herself the victim in a deadly game of revenge in which everyone, on screen and off, is playing a part.

“Cunningly ambitious, twisty, and immersive, it...

It’s time for the next #marysmustread book club pick! SWEET FURY by @sash.bischoff is an absolute page turner! Step inside the glamourous world of the film industry in a novel that deep dives into the effects of misogyny. It is a study of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s work and will appeal to fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. This novel is captivating from beginning to end!

Happy Reading!

...

2025 Most Anticipated List

By Zibby Owens

Okay. It might seem like a long list, but trust me. It’s extremely curated! I’ve pared this list down from thousands and thousands of books that are coming out. You'll find titles I’m excited about by month and category. Some are books I already love. (Fredrik Backman’s My Friends is incredible.) There’s a huge range.

...

These new crime novels feature puzzles, plot twists and F. Scott Fitzgerald

Sash Bischoff’s clever “Sweet Fury” is rife with references and allusions to the “Great Gatsby” author.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece “The Great Gatsby.” In advance of this, debut novelist Sash Bischoff presents a story about an actor and her...

Welcome to PAW Book Club, where Princeton alumni and friends read a book together.

Here’s how it works: Four times a year, members read a book — written by an alum or faculty member — and send their questions to the Princeton Alumni Weekly. We ask the author their questions, record the interview, and post it as a podcast. With each new read, PAW randomly selects 25 members to...

From romance to historical fiction, FIRST editors share 8 must-read books you’ll love this January!

By Melissa D'Agnese, Maggie Dillard, Carissa Mosness January 17, 2025

Welcome back to another installment of FFW Book Club! This week, we have a wide variety of riveting novels filled with drama, mystery, intrigue and so much more. From young adult to suspense and literary...

This AI-generated podcast gives a glowing review of Sweet Fury (but comes chock full of spoilers!).

Sweet Fury, by Sash Bischoff, is a thriller novel published in January 2025.

The story follows Lila Crayne, a famous film actress, as she navigates the treacherous world of Hollywood while grappling with a dark past. Lila is in a relationship with Kurt Royall, a successful director who is...

On this episode of Debut Discussions, we welcome Sash Bischoff, to discuss her novel Sweet Fury, a story about a beloved actress who is cast in a feminist adaptation of the Fitzgerald classic Tender Is The Night, but finds herself the victim in a deadly game of revenge in which everyone, on screen and off, is playing a part.

Sash shares her journey from actor and theatre director to published...

Debut Author Q&A: Sash Bischoff Presents, "Sweet Fury" Hosted by Sara DiVello

The Scoop: When a beloved actress is cast in a feminist adaptation of a Fitzgerald classic, she finds herself the victim in a deadly game of revenge in which everyone, on screen and off, is playing a part.

Lila Crayne is America’s sweetheart: she’s generous and kind, gorgeous and magnetic. She and her fiancé,...

Editors' Picks: Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense books of January

Find your next favorite read through the Amazon Editors' top book picks.

When a beloved actress is cast in a feminist adaptation of a Fitzgerald classic, she finds herself the victim in a deadly game of revenge in which everyone, on screen and off, is playing a part.

“Cunningly ambitious, twisty, and immersive, it...

Marking Time: 10 Novels to Read in January

The seemingly endless days will fly by when you’re engrossed in new fiction from Charmaine Wilkerson, Anita Desai, Han Kang and Adam Haslett

BY Nathalie Atkinson / January 9th, 2025

January is the same length as six other months in the calendar, yet it always feels twice as long. One theory is that our experience of time is warped because it...

Ready to kick off 2025 with your next unputdownable read? We’ve rounded up the top crime and thrillers books you won’t want to miss this winter. From a small-town crime caper perfect for Yellowstone fans, to a vacation in the Hamptons that takes a terrifying turn, to brand-new releases from Katy Hays, Freida McFadden, Jo Nesbø, and Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright—these thrilling books will...

Theater director and debut author Sash Bischoff joins Zibby to discuss SWEET FURY, a wildly imaginative, subversive, and breathlessly fun literary thriller about a beloved actress who is cast in a feminist adaptation of a Fitzgerald classic, only to find herself the victim in a deadly game of revenge. Sash explains how her acting and directing background helped shape the novel’s complex...

Sash Bischoff, who started writing while attending school in La Jolla, will be back in town Jan. 22 to discuss and sign her debut novel

By Ashley Mackin Solomon | [email protected]

Author Sash Bischoff’s upcoming book discussion and signing at Warwick’s in La Jolla represents a full-circle moment for the former local resident.

After taking her first writing classes in La Jolla...

San Diego authors and book events to read about in the new year

By Seth Combs

“Sweet Fury” by Sash Bischoff

Bischoff was raised in San Diego, but now works on and Off Broadway in New York City, both as a writer and director. She drew from her theatre experience for her debut novel, a cerebral thriller about a celebrity actress who must get to the root of her own traumas after...

Sweet Fury by Sash Bischoff • Bantam

Pitched by the publicist as 'if Taylor Jenkins Reid (author of Daisy Jones & The Six) wrote a thriller, this could be it'. A film star starts therapy to prepare for her new role, triggering a cat-and-mouse game of obsession and revenge. Out in April

Here are the 25 Indie Next List and 6 Now in Paperback picks on the January 2025 Indie Next List flier.

The January title list is also viewable as a collection on Edelweiss and on the Indie Next List page as an Excel file alongside PDFs for the month’s flier and shelf-talker templates. Learn more and visit Matchbook Marketing’s program page to sign up to send the...

ON SALE JANUARY 7, 2025

When a beloved actress is cast in a feminist adaptation of a Fitzgerald classic, she finds herself the victim in a deadly game of revenge in which everyone, on screen and off, is playing a part.

“Cunningly ambitious, twisty, and immersive, it seduces you into a story so compelling that you aren’t ready for the sucker-punch of its deeper truths. This is a hell of a...

Sweet Fury by Sash Bischoff • Simon & Schuster

Bischoff debuts with a beguiling tale of abuse and ambition. Thirty-something movie star Lila Crayne has long dreamed of starring in a feminist retelling of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender Is the Night. She’s finally made it happen, with her fiancé, Kurt Royall, as director. In preparation for the role, she undergoes psychotherapy with...

Transworld has snapped up a “seductive, twisting” début novel from Sash Bischoff in a six-figure pre-empt.  

Imogen Nelson, commissioning editor, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Sweet Furyfrom Suzannah Ball at WME. Transworld will publish Sweet Fury as a lead début in Bantam hardback, e-book and audio in early 2025.  

Carina Guiterman at Simon & Schuster...