April’s great reads latest books

Our books editor Isabelle Broom gives us her favourite picks for the month, plus bestselling author Rosanna Ley shares her writing secrets

PICK OF THE MONTH

Reasons to be Cheerful by Nina Stibbe (Viking) Nina stibbe is an author of such effortless wit that she could turn a shopping list into a bestseller, but happily she’s gone to the trouble of writing a novel instead. Her latest offering follows the pragmatic lizzie who, at 18, has just accepted her first job at a dentist’s surgery and moved away from her alcoholic mother – a decision that may or may not be a wise one. Well-observed and genuinely funny.

MODERN ROMANCE

The Day We Met by Roxie Cooper (Ebury) at first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking this was simply another light-hearted slice of “will they, won’t they?” romantic fiction – but it offers so much more in terms of emotional depth. stephanie and Jamie are both with other people when they meet, but the connection they feel is undeniable. the two spend the next decade muddling their way through life without the other, until fate intervenes. a touching and believable love story.

CHILLING THRILLER

The Guilty Party by Mel McGrath (HQ) Four friends are on a weekend away in Dorset when they witness a young woman being assaulted. Rather than intervene, the group choose to ignore it, and later the woman’s body turns up in the thames. It isn’t long before the reasons behind their reluctance to help become clear and, one by one, each of the four crumbles under the weight of their guilt. Fiendishly plotted and surprising, this stayed with me long after reading. The Snakes By Sadie Jones (Chatto & Windus) From the bestselling author of The Outcast comes this well-crafted, sinister novel about the corruptive power of wealth, the instability of family relationships and

IMMERSIVE TALE

the bleakness of addiction. When bea takes her husband Dan to visit her troubled brother alex in France, they’re surprised to find the hotel he runs empty and dilapidated, with snakes nesting in the attic. When bea’s super-rich and super-vile parents arrive on the scene, things take an even more unsettling turn.

WITTY DRAMA

Swallowtail Summer by Erica James (Orion) the sprawling house of linston End in Norfolk has been a summer home to alastair and orla, simon and sorrel, and Danny and Frankie for many years – but this season, things are set to change. For a start, orla is no longer with them, and her widower alistair has just returned home after a stint abroad to “make sense of it all”, bringing with him news that will send shockwaves through the group. a delightfully funny and joyously readable romp.

DARK DELIGHT

I Thought I Knew You by Penny Hancock (Mantle)

Who would you be more likely to believe – your best friend or your child? that is the question poised in this intriguing drama, which follows long-term pals Jules and Holly. the women share secrets, trust each other implicitly, and have been there for each other through past upsets. that is, until Jules’ daughter saffie makes a shocking accusation about Holly’s son, saul. a standout novel that blends irresistible characters with an engaging plot.

EVOCATIVE MYSTERY

The Missing Sister by Dinah Jefferies (Penguin) set in 1930s burma, belle Hatton has left home under the pretext of becoming a nightclub singer. but she has another reason for being in Rangoon – her sister, who went missing there as a baby. Enlisting the help of dashing us journalist oliver, she soon discovers there are some who would prefer the past to remain undisturbed…