Category: Five Favourite

I read eight books in May, continuing the trend of my reading slightly fewer books than usual. (I blame the lure/demands of my garden!) Below are my five favourites. Links from each title will take you to my 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 Lightning Books, Canongate, Michael Joseph and Verve for providing me with review copies including via NetGalley.

The Warlow Experiment by Alix Nathan (Serpent’s Tail) – A dark, dramatic and compelling historical novel based on a real life case.

Tiny Pieces of Enid by Tim Ewins (Lightning Books) – A tender, emotional and touching story. As Frances Quinn says on the back cover of the book, ‘If it doesn’t make you cry more than once, I don’t know what’s wrong with you’.

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng (Canongate) – An intimate and nuanced portrait of the complications and consequences of relationships that must remain clandestine set in 1920s Penang.

The Scarlet Papers by Matthew Richardson (Michael Joseph) – A brilliantly compelling espionage thriller for fans of the novels of John le Carré.

Sister of Mine by Laurie Petrou (Verve) – A book with an element of mystery and some skilful misdirections but also a deft, perceptive and completely compelling exploration of sibling relationships.

What were your favourite books last month? Have you read any of my picks?

I read eight books in April, a bit less than usual for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on.  Below are my five favourite books. Links from each title will take you to my review (if I’ve written one yet) or to the book description on Goodreads. 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 Corvus, Headline and Head of Zeus for providing me with digital review copies via NetGalley.

The Sinner’s Mark by S. W. Perry (Corvus) – The sixth book in the author’s historical crime series set in late Elizabethan London serves up another intriguing and suspenseful mystery for husband and wife team, Nicholas and Bianca Shelby.

The Chosen by Elizabeth Lowry (riverrun) – Shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2023, a beautifully written, moving and intimate exploration of the marriage of Thomas and Emma Hardy.

Rivers of Treason by K. J. Maitland (Headline) – An absorbing, intricate historical thriller, the third in the series set in England during the reign of James I and featuring reluctant spy, Daniel Pursglove.

The Monk by Tim Sullivan (Head of Zeus) – A skilfully crafted, ingenious and compelling crime novel with a really engaging protagonist.

No Place to Hide by JS Monroe (Head of Zeus) – An intense, thought-provoking thriller that provides an unsettling insight into the surveillance technology that has become part of our everyday lives.

What were your favourite books last month? Have you read any of my picks?