From 1960, when a student finds himself a suspect in an ex-girlfriend’s murder, to 2019, when an archeological dig unearths a skeleton that turns out to be far more recent than the Roman remains expected … Detective Superintendent Alan Banks and his team find the two cases are related … with brilliant twists and turns. Standing In The Shadows is a brilliantly thrilling read from Peter Robinson, who really is the master of mystery suspense. Hodder & Stoughton
In Nora Roberts’ Identity, a young woman works hard as a bartender, saving for the day she can own the bar. Sharing a house with her best friend, dating, life is good. Until a seemingly random attack turns her life upside down, and she moves back to her family home in a small town, where she hopes to put the horrors of the attack behind her. Unfortunately, the past sometimes doesn’t let go! Love a Nora Roberts read … perfect for a chilly weekend on the sofa. Piatkus
With grapes grown in weathered shale and granite along the Cape Coast, this Seaward Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 is a multi-dimensional wine set to impress.
All vibrant aromas of red and black berries with cedar spice, this medium to full-bodied wine is great with lamb loin and roasted root vegetables or a beef stroganoff.
If you’re offering a selection, the Seaward range also has a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinotage, Chenin Blanc and Shiraz. Bonus … by buying this wine, you are supporting Spier’s Growing for Good learning initiatives. R135 from shop.spier.co.za
It’s the one everyone’s been waiting for. Co-authored by Lucinda Riley’s son, Harry Whittaker, Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt draws the Seven Sisters series to its stunning, unforgettable conclusion. It’s a massive 764 page read, spanning a lifetime of love and loss and secrets held by the missing sister. Macmillan
Local author Gail Schimmel’s Little Secrets is the story of a couple who, despite knowing they weren’t madly in love, think they married for the right reasons. And they’re happy. Ish. Mum’s a control freak, determined with being the perfect mother and wife. Dad starts having coffee with an attractive woman at his local cafe. And the teen daughter meets a woman who’s doing market research on teenagers. And everything starts falling apart. Lovely wicked twist. Macmillan
A young woman, and keen reader, finds her latest choice to be a poorly written and gruesome horror novel, so she leaves a one star review. Big mistake. The author, who’s written a number of similarly sadistic tales of stalking and murder, is furious. And he’s going to show her exactly how clever he is. If you like psychological suspense, you’re going to give Taylor Adams’ The Last Word five stars. Hodder & Stoughton • A globe-trotting reporter – tenacious, fearless, inventive – races from London to Budapest to the Mediterranean, in Holly Watt’s The End Of The Game thrilling adventure … all match-fixing, gambling, and murder. Raven Books
For YA book clubbers
Summer romance. Best friends. It’s Not Summer Without You is the second novel in the wonderful The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy, a series streaming on Prime Video, and the perfect read for romantic young adults. Penguin • Penny and Tate have known each other all their lives – their mums are besties. Penny and Tate defs are not friends! They keep almost kissing. But they don’t talk about it. Now they’ve moved in together. Things are going to get real! Six Times We Almost Kissed (and the one time we did) by Tess Sharpe is funny and heartbreaking and heartwarming. Hodder Children’s Books
All books from Exclusive Books stores, or from exclusivebooks.co.za (delivery in 36 hours) and (since it’s Winter and we can’t imagine anything more satisfying than lying next to the fire, and ordering in take away curry and a book) via Uber Eats.
