THE SAPPHIRE WIDOW Dinah Jefferies Penguin £7.99

The Tea Planter’s Wife became a bestseller after getting Richard & Judy support, and fans will love this one too. It’s set in 1935’s Ceylon and is superbly written, with a central character, Louisa Reeve, you’ll care about. Louise’s struggling with grief after losing a stillborn daughter, and her husband Elliot’s cool and no support at all. He seems to avoid her and her misery. Just as Louisa hopes they’ve found a new joint purpose in opening a shop dealing in jewels and spices, tragedy strikes and secrets and lies are exposed.

Our rating: (out of 10)