PICK OF THE WEEK

Wish You Were Here

By Jodi Picoult, Hodder & Stoughton, priced £16.99 (ebook £9.99)

HHHHH

Jodi Picoult is known for knocking out bestsellers at speed, but Wish You Were Here is impressive even by her own standards.

Set during the early months of the Covid pandemic, it sees 29-year -old Diana fly to the Galapagos, as her hospital doctor boyfriend Finn, who was originally meant to come on the trip, is unable to take time off now the virus has hit. Once there, the world goes into lockdown.

Diana is stranded in paradise, while Finn faces a traumatic frontline. Cue much selfreflection and re-evaluation, delving into near-death experiences and how we choose the paths to follow – but are things as they seem?

Wish You Were Here will make you laugh, nod and cry – and gasp out loud at a twist you will not see coming. Picoult will have you closing the book on occasions, taking a moment to let it all sink in. Superb.