Books of the Month

OUR RECOMMENDED READS FOR THIS MONTH

MARCH 2023

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The Half Burnt House by Alex North is a chilling thriller from the author of The Whisper Man. Katie always looked after her beloved younger brother Chris - until she left him alone for one afternoon, and their picture-perfect family fell apart, now adults, they haven't spoken in years. Then she gets a call, from Detective Laurence Page. Alan Hobbes, a distinguished and wealthy professor, has been brutally murdered. Hobbes was living in a sprawling mansion, half-ruined by a decades-old fire. Page only has one suspect: Chris, caught on CCTV at the house. But he has plenty of questions. What could cause a man as wealthy as Hobbes not to repair his home? Why did he seem to know his death was coming, yet do nothing to stop it? And why was he obsessed with a legendary local serial killer? Katie only has one thing on her mind. She knows this is her last, best chance to finally save her brother, and make up for her negligence all those years ago. Published 16th March 2023; RRP £14.99; Pre-Order Here

So Close by Sylvia Day. Widower Kane Black has been hollowed by grief, until he sees a woman with his wife Lily's inimitable beauty on Manhattan's streets. He whisks her up to his towering penthouse, nestling her in dark opulence. Aliyah, Kane's mother, sees a threat. "Lily" has dangerous control over Kane and there can be only one queen on this throne. Amy, Kane's sister-in-law, has been bloodied by betrayal. She's paid too high a price and now intends to claim what she's owed. Three women, linked by buried secrets, circle the man who unquestioningly accepts the return of his beloved long-dead wife. You can't believe all of them but can you trust any of them? Published 30th March 2023; RRP £20; Pre-Order Here

The Secrets of Harwood Hall by Katie Lumsden. In 1852 Margaret Lennox is offered a position as governess at Hartwood Hall. She quickly accepts, hoping this isolated country house will allow her to leave her past behind. But Margaret soon starts to feel there's something odd about her new home, despite her growing fondness for her bright, affectionate pupil, Louis.Strange figures move through the dark. Tensions rise between the servants. The east wing sits eerily abandoned. Even stranger is the local gossip surrounding Mrs Eversham, Louis's widowed mother, who is deeply distrusted by the nearby village. Margaret is certain that everyone has something to hide. But as her own past threatens to catch up with her, she must learn to trust her instincts before it's too late. Published 30th March 2023; RRP £16.99; Pre-Order Here

Someone Else's Shoes by the best selling author Jojo Moyes. Meet Sam, she's not got much, but she's grateful for what she has: a job she's just about clinging on to and a family who depend on her for everything. She knows she's one bad day away from losing it all - and just hopes today isn't it.  Meet Nisha, she's got everything she always dreamed of - and more: a phenomenally rich husband; an international lifestyle; and . . . she's just been locked out of all of it after her husband initiates divorce proceedings. Sam and Nisha should never have crossed paths. But after a bag mix-up at the gym, their lives become intertwined - even as they spiral out of control. Each blames the other as they feel increasingly invisible, forgotten, lost - and desperately alone. Available now; RRP £22; Order Here

How to be an Ex-Footballer by Peter Crouch. Often recruited before they've worn long trousers, today's footballers become superstars who earn huge amounts without ever learning much about the world beyond the training ground. Coddled by their support teams, everything is done for them. They live their lives in the glaring media spotlight, yet only really develop one life skill - how to kick a ball better. Then inevitably, when age catches up with them or injury strikes, these man-children are thrown out into the real world, utterly defenceless apart from their multi-million-pound bank accounts. So what do these Peter Pans, whose careers end just as most people's are getting going, do with the rest of their lives?  Peter goes in search of the answer to what his second career might be and encounters stories far more bizarre than anything you'll find on the pitch. Available now; RRP £20; Order Here. Paperback released 25th May 2023.

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