by Sarah Hilary — A tense and claustrophobic mystery. An incisive look into family life and loyalties, ambition, criminal negligence, toxic greed and cover-up.
Tag: UK
The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies
by Alison Goodman — When the days are dull and lifeless, you need The Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies. Thrilling, moving, clever.
Cuckoo in the Nest
by Fran Hill — A quiet domestic drama set in 1970s Britain. Moving and well written. A wealth of domestic detail plunges the reader into the era.
The Memory of Animals
by Claire Fuller — A group of young people are trapped in hospital during a pandemic that wipes through the population, leaving just them, alone and isolated.
The Other Half
by Charlotte Vassell — Witty and well written satirical crime novel about contemporary London socialites.
The Social Distance Between Us
by Darren McGarvey — Well written essay on the disparities between the ruling class and the people affected by their decisions. UK-focused, but relevant anywhere.
The Silence Project
by Carole Hailey — A gripping feminist novel of ideas about cults, power politics, female empowerment and utilitarianism: does the end really justify the means?
How We End
by LM Juniper — UK-based zombie apocalypse. Exciting, action-packed story with a group of interesting characters, and fun twists on the genre.
Shade of Violet
by Jackie West — A bit of low fantasy, a bit of crime mystery, a lot of entertaining characters and dialogue. A fun, light – but also well written novel.
How To Kill Men and Get Away With It
by Katy Brent — Entertaining novel about a one-woman quest to redress the balance. Too many men are violent against women. They don’t all get away with it.
Inside Job
by Dr Rebecca Myers — Well-written, thoughtful book on the treatment of sexual offenders in a high-security prison in Yorkshire.
The Whalebone Theatre
by Joanna Quinn — One of the best novels of 2022. An engrossing, moving saga following the lives of an eccentric British family from 1919 to 1945.
Free Love
by Tessa Hadley — An incisive novel about a 1960s housewife who throws up her life to become a hippy, and the family she leaves behind.
The Language of Food
by Annabel Abbs — Vivid, beautifully written novel about a wonderful 19th century cook, Eliza Acton, with characters and scenes that leap off the page.
The Man Who Died Twice
by Richard Osman — Residents in a retirement community are back, solving murder again. More fun, plot twists and witty dialogue than ever.
The Wrecking Storm
by Michael Ward — Politics religion, murder and mayhem are back in this pacey historical mystery set in London in 1641. Book 2 in the series.
This Fragile Earth
by Susannah Wise — A dystopian novel and an implicit plea to take care of our precious, fragile planet. We’ll be sorry when we lose it.
Murder at Madame Tussauds
by Jim Eldridge — Well written, skillfully constructed detective novel set in London in 1896. A good ol’ pageturner with dead bodies galore – and bank heists.
The Answer to Everything
by Luke Kennard — A harsh look at modern, middle class people doing what people have been doing forever: cheating. In more ways than one. Great book club read.
The Devil You Know
by Dr Gwen Adshead and Eileen Horne — Well written, moving accounts by a forensic psychiatrist, exploring the backgrounds of criminals and their motivations for committing crimes.