The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett
We are all fascinated by the timeless question of whether our lives are pre-ordained, or the result of random, chaotic chance. Barnett, in her terrific debut novel, dives straight into the heart of the conundrum and comes up with a wonderful, utterly readable story.
The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton
Yasmin and her profoundly deaf young daughter Ruby arrive in the forbidding icy wilderness of Alaska to search for Ruby’s father, Matt. As they travel deeper into the endless winter night, someone is sinisterly watching them. A marvellous, chilling thriller.
In A Dark Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
Nora is a young writer living a solitary life in London when she receives a surprising invitation to a hen weekend from a girl she hasn’t seen in years This slickly-written thriller is a fast, gripping read.
The Samaritan is a ruthless killer preying on lone female drivers who have broken down. At first LAPD detectives think they’re up against a new monster on the block. Then they realise the slayings have been going on for years – and it seems that only mysterious manhunter Carter Blake can stop them. Utterly gripping.
After 50 years, Edwina is selling what was once her family’s home. As she shows the empty rooms to the young estate agent, a myriad memories swirl around her. Touching, gripping, tragic and funny, Moving is another triumph for Jenny Éclair.
A Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman
It is 1947 and Marvellous Ways is in her 90th year. She is waiting. For what? She is certain that she will recognise her fate, her destiny even, when it materialises. And when a broken soldier washes up in the tiny estuary, the last great circle of her life begins to turn. Utterly engrossing from start to finish.
Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller
Peggy is eight when her survivalist father abducts her from her London home and takes her to a remote woodland hut, telling her that the rest of the world has been destroyed. For nine years they survive in the wilderness; then Peggy returns home to her mother, carrying a dark, destructive secret. A haunting and powerful book.
The Bones of You by Debbie Howells
This psychological thriller revolves around the murder of a teenage girl in an idyllic English village. Kate, a friend of the dead girl’s family, becomes disturbingly aware that Rosie’s seemingly perfect family life is in fact deeply dysfunctional. What emerges is a gripping tale of lies, sacrifice and horror. Terrific.
