LADY IN THE LAKE
by Laura Lippman, Faber & Faber, £12.99, ebook £6.99
★★★★★
LAURA LIPPMAN says she had no idea she was writing a newspaper novel. Maddie Schwartz surprised her into that direction.
It is 1966, Maddie is Jewish, in her late 30s, divorced (more or less), and determined to be a reporter, whatever anyone says. She lands a job as an assistant at the Baltimore Sun, and two deaths help Maddie on her way: A Jewish
NIGHTINGALE POINT by Luan Goldie, HQ, £12.99, ebook £5.99
★★★★★ THE lives of the residents of council estate Nightingale Point are only loosely interwoven until a tragedy occurs that impacts all of them irreversibly, tears loved ones apart and turns practical strangers into the most unlikely of friends. girl killed in a pet shop and a young black woman found in a fountain. Maddie becomes obsessed with Cleo Sherwood, the ‘lady’ in this Raymond Chandleresque title and dredges the murky story, despite warnings to stay away – including, oddly, from the dead woman. Plus, Maddie’s cop lover arrives, lights up her nights, and tells stories he shouldn’t.
Luminescent writing and immaculate plotting make for an ingenious and satisfying read.
Author Luan Goldie says the spirit of the characters in her debut novel are driven by the real life Bijlmer tragedy – a cargo plane crash in Amsterdam, 1992 – as well as being a tribute to the people of Grenfell Tower. Because of that, it would be easy to get a novel like this wrong, but Goldie manages not to sensationalise. It’s gripping from the get-go, darting from flat to flat in the somewhat neglected east London block, and the multi-cast narrative helps portray the far-reaching devastation.
Goldie’s talent for writing with pace and creating flawed characters you really grow to care about, makes it all the more affecting. It’s not always a comfortable read, but feels like an important one.
NON-FICTION SURROUNDED BY IDIOTS by Thomas Erikson, Vermilion, £9.99, ebook £4.99
★★★★★
HAVE you ever wondered why people react in the most unreasonable ways? Or have you been in a team that simply cannot work together?
If yes, this book explains why – and how readers can recognise their own personality “colour group” and communicate more effectively with other colours, or “idiots”.
Swedish communications expert Thomas Erikson gives us a simpleto-understand, amusing and easily digestible book, translated from Swedish, focuses on the workplace but to be honest it can also apply to friendships and relationships. Here’s to working better, together!