Books

Fierce Kingdom

Gin Phillips Doubleday. Out now

A trip to the zoo turns into a nerveshredding battle for survival. Just as Joan and son Lincoln, four, prepare for home, shots ring out. In the eerie twilight, where the only other humans are the fellow hunted, also hiding from the gunmen, she has to call on all her resources to protect her child. Heart-in-the-mouth moments ensue as Joan battles to outwit a shadowy enemy. At heart, a story of the primal power of mother’s love, the bond between Joan and Lincoln is depicted with painful tenderness. So poignant and compulsive, you’ll race to the end.

DEIRDRE O’BRIEN

The Sunshine Sisters

Jane Greene Macmillan. Out now

The three Sunshine sisters are estranged from each other and their film star mother Ronni. But, when the actress realises she is dying, she summons them for a last ditch attempt to repair the damage. Highly entertaining.

I Know My Name

C J Cooke Harper. Out now

Eloise vanishes, leaving her two tiny children alone in their London home. Thousands of miles away, a woman washes up on a remote Greek island, with no recollection of who she is. As the stories mesh together, both mysteries are explained. An intriguing and psychological thriller.