THE BEST NEW BOOKS
Fiction Ed Susan shares her favourite new releases
DO NO HARM by Jack Jordan
Simon & Schuster. HB. £14.99
When I received an early copy of this book, I read the first page and from that moment I could not put it down.
The opening chapter launches straight into the action, with a surgeon performing heart bypass surgery that isn’t going to plan. From the very first paragraphs, the tension ramps up to heart-stopping levels – quite literally – and doesn’t stop until the final chapter.
The story centres around heart surgeon Anna, who discovers that the heart op wasn’t the worst part of her day – no, readers, that comes later when she arrives home to find men in her house who claim to have taken her son, Zack. They say they’ll return him if she does one thing – kill MP Ahmed Shabir, on whom she is due to perform a triple heart pass later in the week.
Anna spends the next few days trying to work out a plan to both save the MP and get her son back – but is it an impossible task? This excellent thriller is an astonishingly good read – a fabulous plot, great characters and you’ll be on a knife-edge right up until the brilliant ending!
SUMMER ROMANCE BOOK LOVERS by Emily Henry
Penguin. PB. £8.99.
I love a good romance, and particularly enjoyed this one as it’s set in the “book world”. It features Nora, a cut-throat literary agent and Charlie, an editor with a good instinct for a bestseller.
They don’t exactly hit it off during a work meeting so it’s with consternation they both find themselves coincidentally spending the summer in the small North Carolina town of Sunshine Falls. The smart repartee between Nora and Charlie is a joy to read and the chemistry between the pair sizzles on each page as their relationship develops.
There’s lots of emotion packed in, too, and the relationship between Nora and her little sister Libby is one that’s easy to become emotionally invested in as we learn more about why Nora is so protective.
This rom-com is perfection and, as it’s my first Emily Henry, I cannot wait to delve into her others, BeachRead and YouAndMeOnVacation.
EDITOR’S PICK THE STOLEN BABY by Diney Costeloe
Head of Zeus. PB. £8.99.
This heartrending WWII family drama is based on a true story. In Plymouth, 1941, bombs rain down and families are forced to make tough choices...
TIME-SLIP DRAMA THE MIDNIGHT HOUSE by Amanda Geard
Headline Review. HB. £18.99 Moving between 1940, 1958 and 2019, this multi-layered mystery sparked by the appearance of a long-hidden letter, is an epic tale delving into family secrets, love and the lingering effects of war. Per fect for fans of Kate Morton and Santa Montefiore.
FEEL GOOD FICTION THE SUMMER FAIR by Heidi Swain
PBO. Simon & Schuster. £8.99 We make a welcome return to Nightingale Square as the community rallies around to help new resident Beth. When she discovers The Arches has closed, it reawakens old memories and bring long-buried secrets to the surface – can the community help her make peace with the past and find a way forward? A charming read full of summer warmth.
CHILLING THRILLER THE LAST TO DISAPPEAR by Jo Spain
Quercus. HB. £16.99
In the frozen heart of Finland, a tour guide’s body is pulled from an icy lake. Is it a horrible accident or something more sinister? Agatha Koskinen, the no-nonsense detective in charge, thinks there’s more to the young woman’s death than meets the eye. Dark, atmospheric and mysterious, this is a fantastic and immersive read.
HISTORICAL FICTION A LADY’S GUIDE TO FORTUNE HUNTING by Sophie Irwin
HarperCollins. HB. £14.99
It’s 1818 and Kitty Talbot is a woman in search of a fortune, launching herself into the London Season, determined to “marry well” and save her sisters from a life of poverty. Lord Radcliffe sees through her cunning plan, but can he really stand in her way? I completely adored this Regency romp – an ideal read for Bridgerton fans!