CHRIS BROOKMYRE

A Curious History of Sex – Kate Lister

A constantly surprising and frequently hilarious account of humanity’s confused attitudes to sex at various stages in our civilisation.

Full of eye-watering anecdotes and jaw-dropping misconceptions, it is as much a chronicle of misguided patriarchal attempts to control women – and sexuality in general – down the centuries.

Now We Shall Be Entirely Free – Andrew Miller

This is an affecting and atmospheric historical novel about the aftermath of atrocity. It tells the story of a traumatised cavalry officer returned from the Napoleonic wars, seeking solace in a voyage to the Hebrides, while a plot is afoot to make him the British army’s scapegoat. Lyrically written, it is a book that lingers long in the memory.

Death in the East – Abir Mukherjee Another historical tale of a damaged soldier, this time recurring protagonist Sam Wyndham, undertaking a retreat to kick his opium habit. The story shifts between London in 1905 and Assam in 1922, where Wyndham is forced to confront the consequences of past failures. Vividly evocative, it is precisely the kind of escape you treasure in lockdown.

Chris Brookmyre is the author of Fallen Angel, which was published in paperback in February.