Twisted. Dark. Suspenseful (oh, so suspenseful). Lisa Jewell’s books are always edge-of-your-seat, and The Night She Disappeared is a tremendous psychological thriller. From the very first page, you’re enveloped in a sense of doom … you just know there’s going to be no happy-ever-after ending. There’s a young couple who disappear after a night partying at a massive country estate, leaving a much adored baby behind with his gran, a group of not-terribly-desirable youngsters who are meant to be their friends but are not unduly concerned or even vaguely helpful, and two awful mothers who leave a lot to be desired. There are drugs and love, secrets and lies, cryptic clues and many, many twists and turns. Honestly, don’t start it at bedtime … you will not be able to put it down. Penguin
Since it’s told really early on in The Paper Palace, it’s not giving anything away to say that Elle Bishop acts on her lifelong attraction to her childhood crush Jonas, one night when she’s at her family’s gently decaying summer camp in Cape Cod, along with her husband and children. Miranda Cowley Heller’s beautifully written book takes place over 24 hours, and across 50 years. It’s a longstanding love story … with choices only revealed at the very end of the book. Penguin, both books available at exclusivebooks.co.za
Shari Lapena is another much-enjoyed author, mistress of the twist in the tale. But there’s more than just the one twist in Not A Happy Family … the twisted tale of a rather twisted, wealthy family. Nothing extra-ordinary happens at the annual Easter family dinner. After all, there’s always drama, so it’s to be expected. What’s not expected is the murder of the parents after the children and their partners leave. And what’s not terribly normal is the reaction, and secrets, each of them have after the bodies are found. Twist after twist after … Penguin
Hollow’s Edge is a picture-perfect neighbourhood, with a close-knit community, one where everyone has each other’s backs. In theory. But one night, a couple are murdered, and one of the locals, Ruby, is convicted of their murder. Fast forward two years, and the person branded a thief and sociopath by her friends and neighbours is freed by mistrial. Ruby’s back. Her return sends shockwaves through the community, residents turn on each other, and it’s soon obvious not everyone was honest about the night the Truetts died. Such A Quiet Place by Megan Miranda is another red hot thriller. Corvus, from exclusivebooks.co.za
Deborah Moggach’s The Black Dress is a brilliant book club read. Pru’s husband’s walked out on her … and left her with no-one to laugh with, to picnic on the beach with, to talk to. In a daze, she goes to a friend’s funeral. A lovely eulogy … but it doesn’t sound like the friend Pru knew. No wonder … she’s at the wrong service. But everyone was very welcoming, and she had fun. So she buys a little black dress and heads off to other funerals. Who knows … she may find herself a lonely widower. Such fun. Tinder Press
Our book of the month
Could. Not. Put. Down. Samantha Downing (of My Lovely Wife and He Started It … so we should have known it would be a killer read) has outdone herself with For Your Own Good. Teddy Crutcher – the very proud recipient of the Teacher of the Year award at the prestigious Belmont Academy – only wants what’s best for his pupils. Even those he doesn’t particularly like. His goal is to improve them … any which way he sees fit.
But would this obnoxious teacher move the chip off his shoulder long enough to kill for them? Maybe. Maybe not. Since while there is a death, it appears there are many people at the school with grudges and agendas. Which makes for a brilliantly chilling, suspenseful read … you’re never sure who to trust. If you fancy psychological thrillers with plenty of twists, you will love this. Penguin, available at exclusivebooks.co.za
We’ve recently discovered Nalu wines … a small selection of excellent wines, each of which stand for something the Nalu team are passionate about. This month we’re loving the Nalu Sauvignon Blanc 2020, a pale straw-coloured wine with light green hue … fresh with the tanginess of green figs and a zesty citrus twist. Lovely, and even more enjoyable knowing by drinking this, we’re supporting the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation. Nalu (with a Hawaiian origin, means surging surf or what we call wave) is inspired by the nature of SA, including its coastline and sea life, and a percentage of every bottle is donated to the foundation. This Sauv Blanc costs R68 a bottle from naluwines.com
Compiled by Kym Argo
