THIS WEEK’S BEST BOOKS

Alibi by Lynda La Plante

(Zaffre, £9.99) Two women brutally murdered, a third survives – three men confess but the police know they’re covering for the attacker. And so this gripping novel by one of the world’s most celebrated crime authors unfolds.

The investigating officers have a breakthrough when the woman who survives gives a description of her attacker. They arrest the suspect, Damon Morton, but three of his employees admit to the crimes while Damon’s wife and girlfriend each provide him with an alibi. The investigation turns into a courtroom drama, with the eyewitness testimonies clashing with women prepared to lie under oath. You’ll be kept on tenterhooks to see if justice prevails. Fans of crime thrillers are in for a real treat. Alan Jones

Style And Substance: Why What We Wear Matters by Bay Garnett

(John Murray, £20) To market this as a “book about fashion” is to do it a disservice. From the opening pages, it’s clear it contains more than just a narrative on current trends.

This is a book that celebrates diversity in more than just a fashionable sense. Its carefully curated collection of articles includes discussions with style icons such as Chloë Sevigny, passages from F Scott Fitzgerald and Sylvia Plath and musings from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

An important exploration of the history, mood and psychology behind the clothes we wear, in a world of fleeting trends, Bay Garnett has created an accessory for us to treasure. Hannah Colby

the Witch’s daughter by Imogen EdwardsJones

(Bloomsbury Publishing, £20) Amidst the turmoil of the 1917 Russian Revolution, Nadezhda, the daughter of one of the Black Princesses of Montenegro, refuses to accept the unearthly powers that flow through her veins. But as the Romanovs are slaughtered and Petrograd is gripped by anarchy, Nadezhda is compelled to accept her destiny in order to save those she loves.

Packed with period details, this enjoyable novel sheds light on a turbulent time in modern history. It will appeal to readers who prefer their fiction to be rich in description with a broad cast of characters, and who will find, in Nadezhda, a reluctant heroine who is battling forces both within and beyond her. Hannah Colby