The Duchess Wendy Holden Welbeck £12.99

Fizzing with gossip, intrigue and astringent wit, Holden’s latest novel unpicks the myths and contradictions that still surround Wallis Simpson, the American divorcee who – through sheer ambition and a flair for mixing cocktails – carved a niche for herself at the very height of London society. History has painted her as a scheming social climber who dazzled the

Prince of Wales, but the truth was perhaps decidedly less clear-cut and a good deal more interesting.