LATEST TITLES

THE BURNING CHAMBERS by Kate Mosse, Mantle, £20 (ebook £8.55) HHHHH

SET in France in 1562, readers are cast back to the days of the Huguenot “wars of religion”, 19-year-old Minou Joubert’s world is turned upside down by mysterious letter, saying only “She knows that you live”.

Without realising she is in grave danger from a long-held family secret, Minou falls in love with a Huguenot convert, called Piet, and becomes embroiled in a terrifying battle between the Protestants and Catholics in Toulouse.

Mosse has filled the story with rich historical facts about the atrocities and religious persecution of the time that both entertains and educates in equal measure.

OUR KIND OF CRUELTY by Araminta Hall, Century, £12.99 (ebook 99p) HHHHH

MIKE and Verity share a unique connection. From their sexual games to Mike sharing harrowing memories, it seems the pair are building an enviable life – until suddenly they are not.

Verity appears to move on, but Mike insists they are still destined for each other. Is he deluded, or is Verity stringing him along? Whatever the answer, someone will end up dead.

As a courtroom drama unfurls, readers may be left wondering if their interpretation of events is due to their own biases.

HAPPY LITTLE BLUEBIRDS by Louise Levene, Bloomsbury, £14.99 (ebook £12.99) HHHHH

1940S Hollywood couldn’t be further from drab grey Woking, so it’s a culture shock when Evelyn Murdoch is plucked from the Postal Censorship department and sent to the US to help the British propaganda war effort. From looking after her batty old motherin-law to assisting a British agent who never appears, Evelyn is busy.

Louise Levene’s cinematic satire brings sunshine and glamour, with pace and plenty of wit.