My Five Favourite October 2023 Reads @HoZ_Books @lume_books @BloomsburyBooks @_SwiftPress

I read nine books in October, two more than the previous month. Here are the five I liked best. Links from each title will take you to my full review.

You can find a list of all the books I’ve read so far in 2023 here.  If we’re not already friends on Goodreads, send me a friend request or follow my reviews.

My thanks to Head of Zeus, Bloomsbury, Lume Books and Swift Press for providing me with review copies, including via NetGalley.

The Murder Wheel by Tom Mead (Head of Zeus) – A skilfully crafted and very entertaining historical mystery for fans of ‘Golden Age’ crime fiction

Wolves of Winter by Dan Jones (Head of Zeus) – The continuing adventures of Loveday and his comrades in this gripping and action-packed sequel to Essex Dogs

The Socialite Spy by Sarah Sigal (Lume Books) – An entertaining mystery set in pre-WW2 London but with a nugget of something more weighty at its heart, like a luxury Charbonnel et Walker chocolate with a praline centre

Held by Anne Michaels (Bloomsbury) – Lyrical and enigmatic generation-spanning story about love, loss and memory (review to follow)

Run to the Western Shore by Tim Pears (Swift Press) – Set in 1st century Britain a supremely well-crafted story involving two young people that is also a love letter to the natural world

What were the best books you read last month? Have you read any of my picks?