NON-FICTION
Blue: A Memoir
John Sutherland, W&N, £16.99
The man behind the uniform is revealed as Sutherland charts the ups and downs of his 25-year Metropolitan Police career.
The challenges he faces – from negotiating with hostage-takers, to responding to a catalogue of murders – are compelling but equally so is his almost inevitable breakdown. An honest look at the vulnerability that comes with bravery.
The Rules Do Not Apply
Ariel Levy, Fleet, £16.99
In this searing and poignantly honest memoir Levy hurls the reader through her life and losses – her baby, marriage and career.
The woman who thought the rules of her mother’s generation did not apply to her shares her take on life’s vital lessons.
Her story of resilience becomes an unforgettable portrait of the shifting forces in our culture.
OUR VERDICT 9/10
Bleaker House Nell Stevens, £12.99, Pan Macmillan
When Nell Stevens was given the chance to spend three months in a location of her choice to write her novel, she opted for Bleaker Island in the Falklands.
There were to be no distractions. But the novel turned out to be something else. This part-memoir, part-travelogue explores the spaces between real life and fiction.