The Most Difficult Thing by Charlotte Philby is published in hardback by The Borough Press, priced £12.99 (ebook £5.99)
FIRMLY in the emerging domestic noir genre, Charlotte Philby's debut is intricate, enigmatic, and compelling to the end. Philby – an award-winning investigative journalist and granddaughter of Britain's most famous communist double-agent, Kim Philby – is perfectly placed to blend spy thriller with domestic tension.
Claims that The Most Difficult Thing is reminiscent of 'The Night Manager from a woman's point of view', aren't far off. Centred around two women and the men they love, the novel takes a good hard look at the nature of family, swirled with a gritty undercurrent of lies and betrayal.
Told through alternate chapters, Anna and Maria's double lives interweave around a family patriarch, expertly trying to keep his unethical business dealings and murky past from catching up with him.
9/10
Rebecca Wilcock
Expectation by Anna Hope is published in hardback by Doubleday, priced £12.99 (ebook £7.99)
ANNA Hope's latest book follows the lives of three best friends who live a carefree and bohemian life in a Victorian townhouse on the fringes of London Fields in their 20s while dreaming big about their future.
Ten years later, their friendship is put to the test when the responsibilities of marriages, failed careers and children bring them to a place that's far from the people they thought they'd become. This book is a really observant look at the complexities of modern female friendships and how they can be tested and ultimately fray with the passing of time.
Hope has been compared to Sally Rooney and fans of the Irish writer will certainly find similarities to enjoy. An enjoyable, easy beach read for anyone who feels like life didn't quite pan out as they expected when they were 21.
7/10
Liz Connor
The Hiding Game by Naomi Wood is published in hardback by Picador, priced £14.99 (ebook £8.99)
PAINTER Paul Beckermann looks back at events amongst his Bauhaus art school friends that led to the death of his lover Charlotte. The tragic conclusion is clearly signposted from the start, but the mystery is what lies at the true heart of individuals in this circle.
Thought-provoking parallels are drawn between Paul's obsession with surfaces, depths and degrees of transparency in both character and art. The Bauhaus philosophy of seeking the essential nature of materials contrasts with the imitative art beloved of both the youthful Paul and the Nazi art dealer for whom he briefly works.
Despite the drama of the pre-war Germany backdrop and the tangled loves of the group of friends, the overall effect is curiously bloodless. Perhaps this is intentional, but it makes for a very different novel to the author's previous and much-loved Mrs Hemingway.
6/10
Lucy Whetman
:: NON-FICTION
Stop Being Reasonable: Six Stories Of How We Change Our Minds by Eleanor Gordon-Smith is published in paperback by Scribe, priced £14.99 (ebook £9.94)
PHILOSOPHER Eleanor Gordon-Smith offers six stories which test the popular notion that rational debate is the best way to change people's minds. She tackles men on the street who catcall women, and finds they are able to carry on with their behaviour.
She talks to a middle-aged man who discovers his parents had never revealed to him that he was adopted, and realises he doesn't really mind, and, most chillingly, to a woman who can't decide if she was abused or not.
In each, our traditional account of how rationality works comes under severe strain. We learn that emotions don't have to be the opposites of reason, and that an attitude of doubt and scepticism isn't always healthy.
The book is slickly written but, at times, there is a slightly 'look-at-me' cleverness to the style, which jars – and it's also oddly inconclusive.
6/10
Dan Brotzel
The Starlight Watchmaker by Lauren James is published in paperback by Barrington Stoke, priced £7.99 (ebook £4.99).
READERS are treated to a rich and brilliantly bonkers story of aliens and androids in this sci-fi novella from Lauren James, bestselling author of The Loneliest Girl In The Universe.
Bicycle-riding butterflies, adolescent planets and clockwork moths are all thrown in, with James admitting she drew inspiration from her love of Star Trek's Starfleet Academy and hit sci-fi comic Saga for her latest book.
It tells the story of lonely android watchmaker Hugo, who works on the campus of an elite academy for wealthy aliens. When haughty duke Dorian demands Hugo mends his broken time-travel watch, it leads the pair on an adventure to foil a sinister plot, but they discover surprises - and an unlikely friendship - along the way.
Pitched at readers 13 and over, particularly reluctant or dyslexic readers, but also suitable for over-eights, there are a host of stand-out characters and its themes of social justice and equality really set it apart in the sci-fi genre.
7/10
Holly Williams
:: CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK
The Runaway Pea by Kjartan Poskitt and Alex Willmore is published in paperback by Simon & Schuster UK, priced £6.99 (ebook £4.99).
KJARTAN Poskitt is known for his Killer Puzzles, Murderous Maths and the Agatha Parrot book series and Alex Willmore has illustrated books including It's My Sausage, Stop, Fox! and Adorabull, but this book is their first venture together.
It's time for tea and a runaway pea has bounced off the plate and plans to have fun. The pea PINGS, SPLATS and TWANGS from one sticky kitchen situation to another until he begins to wonder if he has made a mistake leaving the plate.
Simple, funny rhyming text, graphic sound effects and vibrant illustrations make this story a pleasure to read aloud.
9/10
Sue Barraclough
