Half a dozen great reads. Plus a JILLY COOPER! Swoon.
Thousands of 50-plus women around the world are feeling flushed. Nope … not menopause. It’s the rakish Rupert Campbell-Black – the handsomest man in England. We fell for him way back in 1985 in Riders … and he’s back. This time he’s off his (high) horse and buying a football club to appease his daughter Bianca, who wants him to sign up her superstar striker boyfriend. There are explosive fights and ravishing girls and glamorous WAGS (all of whom lust after Rupe, obvs). All scandals, sabotage and seductions … Tackle! is pure Jilly Cooper hedonistic bliss. All our book club dreams wrapped up in one glorious beach read. Penguin
Is it even the festive season if you don’t buy your dad the latest Wilbur Smith? Although he died in 2021, the historical stories continue, written by Mark Chandobourn. Testament is the epic new novel of Ancient Egypt … all fragile power and divided kingdoms, a millennia-old riddle and dark evil. Zaffre
In The Secret, Jack Reacher, recently demoted from Major, is assigned to investigate the death of a hospital patient who, after being asked some questions by two strangers, falls to his death from this hospital room window. Office politics, a cold-blooded killer, a long kept secret. We know Reacher will bring the bad guys to justice. But as always with Lee Child and Andrew Child’s hero, the question is will he do it the official way, or his way? Bantam
A city in turmoil. A deadly conspiracy. And a race against time. Jeffery Deaver’s The Watchmaker’s Hand sees Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs investigate the crane that crashed down in Manhattan, sending panic across New York, and, according to the NYPD, sabotage arranged by a political group. And watching the investigation from the shadows is the elusive assassin The Watchmaker. Loads of twists to keep you guessing. Harper Collins Publishers
A retired spy. A silver-haired book club. A body. Tess Gerritsen’s thriller The Spy Coast introduces retired spy Maggie Bird, and is the first in what promises to be a sensational Martini Club series. Penguin
In Just Between Us, by Adele Parks, a woman is missing … a woman who has been living a secret life, married to two men, one of whom is the main suspect. In a small village some distance away, another woman lives with her father, who’s caring for her while she recovers from illness. These two stories collide in a way you just don’t see coming. Only on finishing this terrific read did we discover it’s the sequel to Both of You … you don’t need to have read that first to enjoy this, but we wish we had. Double the enjoyment! HQ
If you read C.M. Ewan’s The Interview, you know you’re in for a thrilling read with The House Hunt. A woman with a past. A house buyer who’s not all he appears to be. And a massive twist. Loved it! Macmillan
All books available at Exclusive Books.
