LATEST TITLES

THE MOST DIFFICULT THING

by Charlotte Philby, The Borough Press, £12.99 (ebook £5.99)

★★★★★

FIRMLY in the emerging domestic noir genre, Charlotte Philby’s debut is intricate, enigmatic, and compelling to the end.

Philby – an award-winning investigative journalist and granddaughter of Britain’s most famous communist double-agent, Kim Philby – is perfectly placed to blend spy thriller with domestic tension. Claims that The Most Difficult Thing is reminiscent of The Night Manager from a woman’s point of view, aren’t far off.

Centred around two women and the men they love, the novel takes a good hard look at the nature of family, swirled with a gritty undercurrent of lies and betrayal.

Told through alternate chapters, Anna and Maria’s double lives interweave around a family patriarch, expertly trying to keep his unethical business and murky past from catching up with him.

EXPECTATION

by Anna Hope, Doubleday, £12.99 (ebook £7.99)

★★★ ★★

ANNA HOPE’S latest book follows the lives of three best friends in their twenties, living a carefree, bohemian life and dreaming big about their future.

Ten years later, their friendship is put to the test when the responsibilities of marriages, failed careers and children bring them to a place that’s so far from the people they thought they’d become.

This book is an observant look at the complexities of modern female friendships and how they can be tested and ultimately fray with the passing of time.

The characters are rich, flawed and messy – and there are plenty of highs and lows as they struggle to come to terms with their less-thanperfect lives.

An enjoyable, easy beach read for anyone who feels like life didn’t quite pan out as they expected when they were 21.