The week’s most unputdownable reads
You won’t want to put these down
And So It Begins RACHEL ABBOTT (WILDFIRE, £12.99)
After being called to an incident at a remote clifftop house, Sgt Stephanie King finds the bloodsoaked bodies of Mark North and his girlfriend Evie tangled in bed – but Evie is still alive. Confessing to killing Mark, Evie finds herself on trial, but is she really guilty of murdering her husband in cold blood – as Mark’s sister believes – or is she the abused victim of his domestic violence? Selling over three million books as a selfpublished author, Abbott’s first traditionally published novel is a powerhouse combination of psychological thriller and intense courtroom drama – and the twists just don’t stop coming. ★★★★★ Lisa Howells
The Importance Of Being Aisling EMER MCLYSAGHT & SARAH BREEN (MICHAEL JOSEPH, £12.99)
When Aisling loses both her job and her boyfriend in the space of a few weeks, she decides to leave Dublin and move back to her childhood home of Ballygobbard. It’s not long before she’s making new friends – and rivals – and falling for entirely the wrong men. But it isn’t easy readjusting to small-town life when you’re used to “unlimited Pinot Greej” and posh brunches, so Aisling decides to bring a bit of city sophistication Down Home and open a café – but are the residents ready for smashed avocado on toast? With its ability to have you laughing out loud one minute and crying the next, this is a joyful, emotional, heartfelt, hilarious romp of a novel. ★★★★★ Lisa Howells
Good Samaritans WILL CARVER (ORENDA, £8.99)
If you switch over when a TV show is prefaced by an “adult content” warning, this is NOT for you. But if you like your comedy pitch black and your thrillers more than a little bit twisted, you’ll love it. Seth Beauman spends his sleepless nights calling strangers, looking for a connection. When a crossed wire puts him in touch with the suicidal Hadley, it sets off a dangerous chain of events. So dark, so cool. ★★★★ Lisa Howells
The Growing Pains Of Jennifer Ebert Aged 19 Going On 91 DAVID M BARNETT (TRAPEZE, £8.99)
Sunset Promenade retirement home isn’t just for the elderly – it also takes in uni students in the hope that the interaction between young and old will benefit everyone. But it isn’t working out like that for 19year-old Jennifer, who’s having trouble getting along with the assortment of quirky characters who live there. But when the home is faced with closure, the two groups have to put their differences aside to save it. A warm and sharply witty read. ★★★★ Marie Warren