Read it and Reap

Our weekly verdict on the books that tickled our fancy...

The New Life ★★★★★

by Tom Crewe

(Chatto & Windus, €18.20)

Courage and conviction are at the heart of Tom Crewe’s debut novel. Set against a backdrop of the Oscar Wilde scandal, and loosely based on real events at a pivotal point in British history, Crewe weaves fact and fiction together in a narrative that is both unflinchingly bold and, at times, brutally emotional.

It follows two intellectuals with secret lives, who set about the publication of a controversial book that explores one of the most taboo social subjects of the time. But as John’s uncompromising quest for the truth threatens to expose his most intimate desires, Henry, Edith, Angelica and Frank are caught in the thrall of his actions, sweeping both the characters and the reader forwards on a tidal surge of inevitability which threatens to place their very existence in jeopardy.

Crewe’s language is striking in its originality; his protagonists are colourful, passionate, and their principles and certainties drawn with utter conviction as they strike boldly out in search of the New Life.

Really Good, Actually ★★★★

Hannah Colby

by Monica Heisey

(Fourth Estate, €18)

Really good, Actually is the debut novel from essayist and television writer Monica Heisey.

Jon and Maggie have been a couple for nearly a decade, but after just 608 days of marriage, it’s over.

Jon takes his stuff, Janet the cat, and the rug from underneath Maggie’s feet. Maggie is determined she is going to thrive — that is, once she has worked her way through a myriad of issues, including obsessional thoughts, a social media addiction and wallowing in her own self-righteous pity, leading her to alienate some of her oldest friends. Oh, and once she’s completed all the dating apps too.

Heisey has written an amusing and dry-witted account of heartbreak, and Maggie’s journey of selfdiscovery and redemption is sublime. Each character is fleshed out with their own quirks and foibles. A fun Bridget Jones-esque read to start the year.

In The Blink Of An Eye ★★★★

Rachel Howdle

by Jonathan Dee

(Corsair, €18)

The trope of the detective with issues and their sidekick is a familiar one, but Jo Callaghan subverts this in her debut novel. Recently widowed single Detective Chief Superintendent Kat Frank is experienced and trusts her instincts, and she’s put in charge of a cold case project to see how the police can work effectively with AI — and in particular, an AI detective in hologram form.

The two must learn to work together to find out what has happened to some missing teenagers.

Lock, as the AI is known, is all about logic and the facts — unhelpfully spouting the chances of a teenager being safely restored to his already distraught mother.

The pairing creates an interesting dynamic and raises questions about what it is to be human.

Some of the ethical issues and benefits of AI in solving crime are interesting, but some aspects of the plot can be quite predictable. But with well-drawn characters, believable emotions and an interesting premise, you can see this becoming a TV series.

Spare ★ ★ ★

Bridie Pritchard

by The Duke of Sussex

(Transworld, €24.99)

This memoir hardly needs any introduction — the furor around it has been so great, before it was even released.

Some of the most sensational stories have already been well covered by the media, but reading Spare is still a highly personal experience, recounting Harry’s life from early childhood to today.

It does feel like he’s letting the reader into his world, one that’s shaped by the death of his mother and the constant clicks of paparazzi cameras.

It’s an easy read — sentences are short, and chapters often end with bombshell moments to keep you reading on — but it’s littered with clichés, with Harry seemingly finding bigger meaning in every moment of his life.

He goes into great detail about his experiences in the army in a section that won’t hugely appeal to those who have picked up the book for royal gossip.

But the rest of the book is full of juicy tidbits.

His anger and disappointment over his family’s actions radiate from every page — particularly in the third section of the book, when he suggests his fellow royals didn’t do enough to protect Meghan from the media.

His attempts to seem reflective and aware of his privilege don’t quite land — he cuts quite a sad figure, and one who is dogged by the trauma of his past.

For fans of the drama, it will undoubtedly be a must-read.

Prudence Wade