Archer and Patterson, Grisham and Cornwell, Child and Cole … all our faves for a month of holiday reads.
Two weeks to host the greatest show on earth. One second away from disaster. London, 1012 … the eyes of the world are on Britain as the country prepares to host the Olympic Games. But the spotlight brings danger … London is the target of a devastating attack … one that will leave the world in chaos. It’s up to the commander who heads up Scotland Yard’s elite team to stop the assassin before the greatest show on earth becomes a catastrophe. End Game … it’s just nonstop Jeffrey Archer action! HarperCollins UK
In James Patterson and Maxine Paetro’s 25 Alive, a body is found murdered in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Homicide detective Lindsay Boxer knows her way around a crime scene, but nothing can prepare her for this shock … the victim is Warren Jacobi, Lindsay’s former partner who rose to chief of police. Jacobi managed to leave Lindsay a clue … following a trail of evidence along the west coast, the Women’s Murder Club pledges to avenge Jacobi’s death before the killer can take another one of their own. Penguin Random House
He’s in a coffee shop. Black coffee, two refills. Nothing about Jack Reacher’s changed … he’s still the coolest hero, rescuing people as he drifts through America. Exit Strategy by Lee Child and Andrew Child … if you’re not already a fan, read this and become one. Bantam
No Regret by Martina Cole and Jacqui Rose kicks off in Soho in the early 60s, when a gang member sets his sights on a young girl … and what he wants, he gets! Gang rivalry, violence, hidden love and secrets … it’s an adrenalin rush from the first page. Headline
A police constable is the daughter of a London crime boss, and has to walk a thin blue line to keep the two sides of her complicated life apart. When two crimes are linked to her father, her two worlds collide, trapping her in the middle of a vicious gang war and forcing her to choose who to trust … her badge or her own blood. In Michael Robotham’s The White Crow, he lives up to his awards for Best Crime Novel. Sphere
Two women form an unlikely age-gap friendship when they find themselves neighbours in a beautiful apartment block. Then a fellow resident is murdered … and the last thing anyone needs at Columbia Mansions is a scandal, never mind a murder! Humorous, thrilling, brilliant twists … Louise Candlish’s A Neighbour’s Guide to Murder is a fabulous holiday read. HQ
Another crowd pleaser … John Grisham. The Widow is his first whodunnit … a courtroom drama combined with a murder mystery. A lawyer struggling with debt. A new client … an elderly widow who’s sitting on a $20million fortune that no one knows about. It appears all his worries will soon be behind him … until he finds himself on trial for a crime he didn’t commit! Hodder & Stoughton
During the early hours of Christmas morning, chief medical examiner Kay Scarpetta recieves a call … the Phantom Slasher, who’s been terrorising people for months, has struck again. And when she investigates this latest case, it appears she may be next on his list! Patricia Cornwell’s Sharp Force is the latest brilliant Scarpetta novel. Sphere
The world is on the edge. One secret will push it over. Sam Guthrie’s The Peak opens with a politician’s suicide, which corresponds with power outages, phone lines down, planes unable to land. There’s a connection … and it’s up to the dead man’s childhood friend to find out what it is. Brilliantly written … with an amazing twist. HarperCollins Publishers
The Hawk is Dead is Peter James’ latest Roy Grace thriller … this one taking him deep into Buckingham Palace. When the Royal Train on which Her Majesty Queen Camilla is travelling is derailed, and minutes later a trusted aide is shot by a sniper, the police justifiably think the Queen was the intended target. But Grace isn’t convinced, and pursues his own investigation. Macmillan
And to drink…
Since it’s the festive season – and there’s absolutely nothing festive if bubbles aren’t on the table – we’ll be drinking Spier Cap Classique Brut 2023 …
A fabulous vintage Cap Classique that’s 70 per cent Chardonnay, 30 per cent Pinot Noir, is lovely as a toast (to more book club events next year) or served with Summer salads and seafood. R210 from shop.spier.co.za
