The Women Who Ran Away by Sheila O’Flanagan.
Another brilliant novel from Sheila O’Flanagan.
Deira isn’t the kind of woman to steal a car. Or drive to France alone with no plan. But then, Deira didn’t expect to be single. Or to suddenly realise that the only way she can get the one thing she wants most is to start breaking every rule she lives by.
Grace has been sent on a journey by her late husband, Ken. She doesn’t really want to be on it but she’s following his instructions, as always. She can only hope that the trip will help her to forgive him. And then – finally – she’ll be able to let him go.
Brought together by unexpected circumstances, Grace and Deira find that it’s easier to share secrets with a stranger, especially in the shimmering sunny countryside of Spain and France. But they soon find that there’s no escaping the truth, whether you’re running away from it or racing towards it . .
The Woman Who Ran Away is available here.
Without a Trace by Mari Hannah.
A gripping novel from a brilliant and imaginative crime writer.
A FATAL CRASH
A plane on route from London to New York City has disappeared out of the sky. This breaking news dominates every TV channel, every social media platform, and every waking hour of the Metropolitan Police and US Homeland Security.
A PRIVATE TRAGEDY
The love of DCI Kate Daniels’ life was on that aircraft, but she has no authority to investigate. This major disaster is outside of her jurisdiction and she’s ordered to walk away.
A SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH
But Kate can’t let it lie. She has to find out what happened to that plane – even if it means going off book. No one is safe.
And there are some very dangerous people watching her…
Without a Trace is available here.
The Shipyard Girls on the Home Front.
Another book in the popular saga. Brilliant as ever.
December 1943
As the war effort gathers steam in Europe, it’s all hands on deck on the home front.
Gloria is over the moon to be reunited with her sweetheart Jack. But her sons Bobby and Gordon are away with the Navy and still know nothing of their mother’s divorce and new half-sister.
Rosie’s squad of welders must work gruelling hours in the yard as they prepare for the Allied invasion of Normandy. All the while Rosie herself waits anxiously for news of her husband Peter, who is carrying out dangerous work as an undercover operative in France.
Meanwhile welder Dorothy has a feeling that her beau Toby is planning to pop the question when he’s next on leave. But it seems that her head is being turned by someone closer to home…
It will take great strength and friendship if the shipyard girls are to weather the storms to come.
The Shipyard Girls on the Home Front is available here.
Bessie’s War by Pam Evans.
Great for lovers of wartime fiction.
It is autumn 1940 and, as the bombs drop on London, a close-knit community struggles to survive.
Working at the local post office, Bessie Green does her best to keep her customers’ spirits up, but when she receives a telegram addressed to her parents, there’s nothing she can do to prevent the heartache that lies ahead.
Then Bessie hears that eleven-year-old Daisy Mason has been orphaned in a blast, and she’s sure that taking Daisy into their home is just what her parents need to help them overcome their grief. At first, Daisy won’t settle, then her handsome brother Josh comes back on leave and things look up for all of them. But the war brings further challenges for Bessie and her friends – with more hearts broken and loved-ones lost – before they can dare to dream of a brighter future…
Bessie’s War by Pam Evans is available here.
Blackout by Simon Scarrow.
Riveting and fast-paced. It keeps you reading.
Berlin, December 1939
As Germany goes to war, the Nazis tighten their terrifying grip. Paranoia in the capital is intensified by a rigidly enforced blackout that plunges the city into oppressive darkness every night, as the bleak winter sun sets.
When a young woman is found brutally murdered, Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke is under immense pressure to solve the case, swiftly. Treated with suspicion by his superiors for his failure to join the Nazi Party, Schenke walks a perilous line – for disloyalty is a death sentence.
The discovery of a second victim confirms Schenke’s worst fears. He must uncover the truth before evil strikes again.
As the investigation takes him closer to the sinister heart of the regime, Schenke realises there is danger everywhere – and the warring factions of the Reich can be as deadly as a killer stalking the streets . . .
Blackout by Simon Scarrow is available here.
The Operator by Gretchen Berg.
This brilliant book is out now on paperback. Read our review here.
It’s 1952. The switchboard operators in Wooster, Ohio, love nothing more than to eavesdrop on their neighbours’ conversations, and gossip about what they learn. Vivian Dalton is no different (despite her teenage daughter’s disapproval), and always longs to hear something scandalous. But on the night of December 15th, she wishes she hadn’t. The secret that’s shared by a stranger on the line threatens to rip the rug of Vivian’s life from under her.
Vivian may be mortified, but she’s not going to take this lying down. She wants the truth, no matter how painful it may be. But one secret tends to lead to another . . .
This moving, heart-felt and ultimately uplifting novel brilliantly weaves together an irresistible portrayal of a town buzzing with scandal, and an unforgettable story of marriage, motherhood and the unbreakable ties of family.
The Operator by Gretchen Berg is available here.
The Embalmer by Alison Belsham
A fantastic serial-killer story that draws you in and does not let go.
Has the ancient Egyptian cult of immortality resurfaced in Brighton?
When a freshly-mummified body is discovered at the Brighton Museum of Natural History, Detective Francis Sullivan is at a loss to identify the desiccated woman. But as Egyptian burial jars of body parts with cryptic messages attached start appearing, he realises he has a serial killer on his hands. Revenge, obsession and an ancient religion form a potent mix, unleashing a wave of terror throughout the city. Caught in a race against time while battling his own demons, Francis must fight to uncover the true identity of the Embalmer before it’s too late…
The Embalmer by Alison Belsham
Cult Writers.
I really loved this book. It features a great collection of writers to learn more about.
WHAT MAKES A CULT WRITER?
Whether pioneering in their craft, fiercely and undeniably unique or critically divisive, cult writers come in all shapes and guises. Some gain instant fame, others instant notoriety, and more still remain anonymous until a chance change in fashion sees their work propelled into the limelight.
Cult Writers introduces 50 novelists deserving of a cult status. The literary genres and subjects explored within these writers’ pages are rich and diverse – acting as mirrors of their genius minds. FromIrvine Welsh’s gritty Edinburgh streets, to Ken Kesey’s drug-fuelled madness; from feminist trailblazer Sylvia Plath to the magical realism of Angela Carter – discover little knowns with small, devout followings and superstars gracing the covers of magazines. Each writer is special in their individuality and their ability to inspire, antagonise and delight.
Cult Writers is an essential addition to any book lover’s library, as well as an entertaining introduction to our weird and wonderful world of literature.
Also in the series: Cult Artists, Cult Filmmakers + Cult Musicians
The writers:
Kathy Acker, James Baldwin, J.G. Ballard, Mikhail Bulgakov, Charles Bukowski, William S. Burroughs, Octavia E. Butler, Italo Calvino, Albert Camus, Angela Carter, Colette, Maryse Conde, Julio Cortazar, Philip K. Dick, Douglas Coupland, Marguerite Duras, Ralph Ellison, Elena Ferrante, Janet Frame, Jean Genet, Joseph Heller, Michel Houellebecq, James Joyce, Franz Kafka, Ken Kesey, Chris Kraus, Milan Kundera, Ursula K. Le Guin, Doris Lessing, Cormac McCarthy, Carson McCullers, Yukio Mishima, Haruki Murakami, Anais Nin, Sylvia Plath, Thomas Pynchon, Raymond Queneau, Ayn Rand, Pauline Reage, Jean Rhys, Juan Rulfo, Francoise Sagan, J.D. Salinger, Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, Donna Tartt, Jim Thompson, J.R.R. Tolkien, Kurt Vonnegut, Virginia Woolf, Irvine Welsh.
Cult writers is available here.