Laughter and loss

Cat Lady ***** by Dawn O’porter (Harpercollins, £18.99) Even if you’re more of a dog person than a cat person, don’t let the title of Dawn O’porter’s new novel put you off. The author of The Cows and So Lucky returns with the tale of Mia, a woman unhealthily obsessed with her pet cat Pigeon, but at its heart this is the story of one woman’s life unravelling then being put back together in a new order.

Mia found Pigeon under a bush when she was heading to London Bridge to commit suicide. So as far as Mia is concerned, Pigeon saved her life as much as she saved Pigeon’s. Their bond is so strong that Pigeon shares Mia’s bed while her husband Tristan sleeps separately.

Then Tristan calls Mia at work accidentally and she hears him having sex with his ex-wife Belinda. Her first thought is to rescue Pigeon from the house, only to be fired for walking out from her work.

Barricaded in her bedroom to avoid seeing Tristan, Mia becomes so anxious about anything happening to Pigeon that she barely leaves the house.

Then, at the vet’s, Mia meets the kindly Lee. He is devastated after his cat dies suddenly and she invites him to join her at a weekly pet bereavement group.

Might this unlikely new ally help her get her life back on track?

While Cat Lady features no shortage of sadness and loss, I cried with laughter as much as sorrow. Challenging readers to be true to themselves without caring what anyone else thinks, this engrossing and entertaining novel is the cat’s whiskers.

The Ballroom Blitz **** by Anton Du Beke (Orion, £18.99)

Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke returns with his fifth novel, set in the magnificent Buckingham Hotel with its renowned ballroom, The Grand. Though the Blitz is decimating London, a dance extravaganza, One Grand Night, is planned for Christmas. But the bombing isn’t the only hurdle impresario Marcus Arbuthnot must overcome to make his grand plan a reality.

Home on leave, ballroom star Raymond de Guise is recovering from Dunkirk. After joining the ARP wardens, he meets Cathy, a brave WVRS who saves his life as the bombs rain down. But after she falls for him, her behaviour becomes increasingly obsessive.

Meanwhile, Raymond’s brother-in-arms, Billy Brogan, finds himself embroiled in a blackmail plot. At the same time, trouble is brewing in The Grand’s ballroom.

Mathilde, a dancer, is offered a job at a rival hotel on the proviso that she brings about the ruin of The Grand. When she discovers the truth behind Mr Arbuthnot’s mysterious two-year absence from the dance circuit, she plans to destroy his reputation but, in the process, she’s forced to confront her painful past.

On the evening of One Grand Night, both Mr Arbuthnot and Mathilde are nowhere to be found, while German bombs are moving ever closer to The Grand. Can Raymond ensure the show goes on?

You don’t need to be a Strictly fan to relish this lively read, its glamour, magic and colourful characters contrasting starkly with the privations of grey, war-torn London.