Baby Zephany Nurse hit the headlines when she was kidnapped from beside her mother’s hospital bed more than 20 years ago. She hit the headlines again when, by pure chance, her birth parents discovered she’d been living just a short distance away. Now, in Zephany, written by Joanne Jowell, Miché Solomon tells the often harrowing story of the past four years and her struggles to come to terms with living with two sets of parents – those who brought her up, who love her and whom she loves and her birth parents who are strangers. Adding to the trauma is the fact that the woman she believed was her mother, ‘who was there for me every day’ was jailed for the kidnapping. Fortunately, the man she calls Daddy, Michael Solomon, has never wavered in his love and support, which has hugely helped Miché courageously continue to forge ahead in her efforts to make a success of her life. Tafelberg, R260
Christmas is coming. But for Women’s Murder Club, crime never stops. In James Patterson and Maxine Paetro’s 19th Christmas, Sergeant Lindsay Boxer is looking forward to spending time with her family over the holidays. But then she receives a tip-off that the biggest heist ever to hit San Francisco is being planned for Christmas Day, and the architect of the ambitious attack unleashes chaos across the city, laying traps and false alarms to distract Lindsay and the SFPD from his ultimate goal. Penguin, R290
In her new home, Brodie’s Watch, Ava thinks she’s found the perfect place to hide from a past she’s ashamed of. But in The Shape of Night it’s not long before Ava begins to suspect she’s not alone in this house full of secrets. If she’s wrong, then maybe she’s losing her mind. Tess Gerritsen cranks up the suspense … it’s all haunted houses and handsome ghosts and (phantom) sex. Bantam Press, R290
‘Dear Mr Wrexham, I know you don’t know me but please, please, please, you have to help me.’ Ruth Ware’s The Turn of the Key opens with a young woman begging a barrister for help. Her name is Rowan, and she’s the nanny in the Elincourt case. And, she says, ‘I didn’t kill that child’. A dream job of live-in nanny with a staggeringly generous salary and a picture-perfect family turns into a nightmare for Rowan, one which ends with a child dead and her in a cell awaiting trial for murder. A murder she swears she’s not responsible for. Described as a gripping modern-day haunted house thriller, this is one you shouldn’t read when you’re home alone! Harvill Secker, R290
Kelly Ramage pops out to meet a friend on a bitterly cold night – and never comes back. When she’s found murdered in what looks like a sex game gone horribly wrong, detectives believe finding the killer won’t take long. PJ Tracy (pseudonym for the mother-and-daughter team of PJ and Traci Lambrecht) leads readers of Ice Cold Heart on a tantalising trail as the search for Kelly’s sinister lover begins to look like the search for a serial killer – who could kill again. Michael Joseph, R290
The CEO of a major publishing company dies suddenly at his desk – but was he murdered or did he commit suicide? Senior editor Joelle Jesson – fired by the CEO just hours before his death – sets out to discover exactly what happened in Steven Boykey Sidley’s Leaving Word. Which of three people could have been involved – a detective and aspirant author, the CEO’s inscrutable brother or a sad and deluded loner? Joelle’s editorial instincts come to the fore in her search for meaning, reason, plot and motive in this literary murder mystery laced with sly, dry wit. MFBooks, R240
On Monday, a Manhattan elevator plunges from the topmost floor to the bottom of a skyscraper, killing all four people on board. On Tuesday, it happens again. And on Wednesday. These are obviously not random killings, and New York is plunged into chaos. And what do these deadly acts of sabotage have to do with the fingerless body found on the High Line? Linwood Barclay’s Elevator Pitch is a nail-biter of note. And be warned! After you’ve turned the last page, unless your office is on the top floor, you might be tempted to slog up all those stairs rather than press the button for the lift! HarperCollins UK, R260
Jane Tennison has worked hard at becoming the first female detective in the infamous Flying Squad, a notorious boys’ club, members of which clearly don’t think it’s the place for a woman. Determined to prove herself, she discovers a massive robbery is about to be carried out by a local gang. But she doesn’t know who they are, or where and when they’ll strike. The Dirty Dozen is the latest Jane Tennison thriller from Lynda La Plante … gritty, thrilling, and full of twists. Bonnier UK, R290
Also look out for…
At their wedding, Mia and Roy Kapoor promised to love and cherish each other, and while their marriage is not perfect, it is sacred and the commitment is absolute. But when the police question Roy about the disappearance of a young woman, they begin to question everything they know about each other. Your Truth or Mine? by Trisha Sakhlecha is all about dark secrets and trust and twists in the ending! Pan Macmillan, R299 • We love a good murder mystery, and are huge fans of Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, who’s back in Peter James’ Dead at First Sight. This time, Grace is investigating the suicide of a woman, a woman he discovers is one of 11 who’ve been scammed while looking for love online. Grace finds himself exploring a global empire built on clever, cruel internet scams and the murder of anyone who threatens to expose them. Macmillan, R299
