BOOKSIMO

  Description An extraordinary, gloriously uplifting novel about the power of friendship and the puzzling ties that bind us Clayton Stumper might be twenty-six years old, but he dresses like your grandpa and drinks sherry like your aunt. Abandoned at birth on the steps of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, he was raised by a group of eccentric enigmatologists and now finds himself among the last survivors of a fading institution. When the esteemed crossword compiler and main maternal presence in Clayton's life, Pippa Allsbrook, passes away, she bestows her final puzzle on him: a promise to reveal the mystery of his parentage and prepare him for life beyond the walls of the commune. As Clay begins to unpick the clues, he uncovers something even the Fellowship have never been able to solve—and it's a secret that has the potential to change everything. Review I researched this book before buying it in case it was going to be too hard to solve the puzzles. I got my copy on kindle and ...

  Description A friend will help you move on. A  best  friend will help you move his body. Opal, Marina and Lilah are three strangers and have nothing in common. Well, except for the man who's been lying to all of them. And who they are now holding hostage in a basement. From the author of  Bad Men ,  Eat, Slay, Love  is a book about making friends, finding joy, and discovering the woman you really are . . . though, sometimes, becoming your best self involves committing abduction and murder. Review This is the second book by the author I have read and this time rather than a professional killer it has an unimagined killer.  Three woman are all involved with the same man, unbeknown to two of them. When the third one reaches out to alert the other two, they get together with a plan in mind to teach him a lesson. In teaching him a lesson they also form a sisterhood, and end up teaching each other a few life lessons too. With some dark humour it also cover...

  Description AS FEATURED ON BBC RADIO 4 FRONT ROW ‘Utterly compelling.  Could not put it down .’ LIZ NUGENT ‘Really, really, REALLY good.  Highly recommended! ’ MARIAN KEYES 'I LOVED this  art-world-set thriller  with its stately-home  Saltburn vibe .'  DAILY MAIL THE CHILLING AND ADDICTIVE NEW THRILLER FROM THE MULTI-MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR . ************** WELCOME TO ERIS - A SCOTTISH TIDAL ISLAND WITH ONLY ONE HOUSE, ONE INHABITANT, ONE WAY OUT. . . A place that is unreachable from the Scottish mainland for twelve hours each day. Once the hideaway of Vanessa, a famous artist whose notoriously unfaithful husband disappeared twenty years ago. Now home to Grace. A solitary creature of the tides, content in her own isolation. But when a shocking discovery is made in an art gallery far away in London, Grace receives an unexpected visitor. And the secrets of Eris threaten to emerge . . . Review Is this another "The Girl on the Train"?- no. Is it ...

  Description A whimsical and inventive debut, perfect for fans of  The Guest Cat  and  If Cats Disappeared from the World . A young couple’s daily life is disrupted by their newly adopted cat, who soon initiates them into the wondrous world of felines. Every cat contains multitudes… When a young couple accidentally comes into possession of a playful kitten, their daily routine (and cramped apartment) is turned upside down. Soon they find their existence forever altered. Charting the couple’s ever-evolving relationship with cats – some they live with, others who exist only in their imagination –  Invisible Kitties  is a meditation on the quiet moments of everyday life and a celebration of cats in all their many forms. Review Well, it's certainly different! I found this book too surrealist for my taste. Of course as it is translated from the Japanese I was expecting it to be different to western writing.  At times it is more whimsical and that I was oka...

  Description The funny, wise and brilliant new novel from the star of  QI  and the author of  Between the Stops 'Warm, witty and wise... the perfect balm for these turbulent times'  GRAHAM NORTON After much searching, the happily married young couple, Amber and Stevie think they have found the perfect spot in Grimaldi Square. Despite the rundown pub across the way, the overgrown garden and a decidedly nosy neighbour, number 4 is the house of their dreams. Stevie, a woman who has never left anything to chance, has planned everything so nothing can spoil their happiness. But ... upstairs in their new home, seated on an old red sofa is the woman they bought the place from - eighty-year-old foul-mouthed, straight-talking, wise-cracking Dorothy - who has decided that she's not going anywhere. It turns out that Dorothy will be only the first in a line of life-changing surprises. Friends of Dorothy  is a touching, funny novel about a family that is not biological...

  Description Turn a tumbledown Paris hotel into a perfect boutique, bookish retreat, and have it open for Christmas? What could possibly go wrong? When  Anais  receives a near-derelict Paris hotel in her divorce settlement, her first thought is to tidy it up and sell it immediately. All she wants is to move on and forget her disaster of a marriage ever happened. But selling it proves impossible, so she has only one option: to make it gorgeous and open by Christmas… when her funds will almost certainly run out. She’s not counting on the grumpy American bar-owner next door,  Noah , coming and interfering at every moment though. Nor is she expecting to find a mysterious room – which holds the key to a one-hundred-year-old secret – about a woman who chose love against the odds. One thing’s for sure… as the fairy lights twinkle all over the city of lights and the first snowflakes start to fall… this will be a Christmas in Paris to remember. Review It took a while for me ...

  DESCRIPTION Fleeing her heartache and horrendous job, Bella stumbles upon a December wedding in the beautiful village of Haileybrook and the spirit of the season moves her to act as a fake date to handsome stranger Jack. Jack and Bella hit it off, but Bella has to leave in a hurry and their magical evening soon becomes nothing more than a blissful memory. A year later, Bella is returning to Haileybrook, seeking a fresh start and a quieter life. With a new job close to her cosy cottage home, a peaceful Christmas is surely only days away. But it’s not long before family surprises, small-town feuds and romantic drama disrupt Bella’s plans, and she has to wonder if being alone is what she really wants for Christmas … This cosy, uplifting festive romance is perfect for fans of Hallmark Christmas movies and authors such as Sarah Morgan, Phillipa Ashley and Sue Moorcroft. REVIEW What a great read with a wonderful storyline. We first meet Bella in a church, shortly before she becomes en...

  Description A hopeful, healing novel about new friendships, old loves, and the very human desire to leave a mark on the world, from the Pulitzer Prize-winning, Booker-shortlisted author   – available for pre-order now It’s autumn in Maine, and the town lawyer Bob Burgess has become enmeshed in an unfolding murder investigation, defending a lonely, isolated man accused of killing his mother. He has also fallen into a deep and abiding friendship with the acclaimed writer, Lucy Barton, who lives nearby in a house next to the sea. Together, Lucy and Bob talk about their lives, their hopes and regrets, and what might have been. Lucy, meanwhile, befriends one of Crosby’s longest inhabitants, Olive Kitteridge, now living in a retirement community on the edge of town. They spend afternoons together in Olive’s apartment, telling each other stories. Stories about people they have known – “unrecorded lives,” Olive calls them – reanimating them, and, in the process, imbuing their lives ...

  Description It's time to rediscover her magic . . . With found family, a dash of romance and an uplifting message about self-love,  Rewitched  is a cosy autumnal fantasy that will leave readers spellbound. Belladonna Blackthorn hasn’t lost her magical spark, but she hasn’t seen it in a while either. Balancing work at her beloved London bookshop, Lunar Books, with handling her toxic boss and concealing her witchcraft from those around her – Belle is burnt out. Perfecting the potential of her magic is the last thing on her mind. But, when her thirtieth birthday brings a summons from her coven and a trial that tests her worthiness as a witch, Belle risks losing her magic for ever. With the month of October to fix things and signs that dark forces may be working against her, Belle will need all the help she can get – from the women in her life, from an unlikely mentor figure and even from an (infuriating) coven watchman who’s sworn to protect her . . . 'I was completely cha...

  Description COMING SOON – PRE-ORDER NOW The follow-up to  Three Card Murder  and the second book in a gripping new mystery series introducing Detective Tess Fox and her con-artist sister Sarah Jacobs. Members of the Lewes Bonfire Society would say afterwards that the event would have been a huge success that year, if it hadn’t been for the dead body… When the charred remains of MP Rupert Millington are found inside a burning effigy, no one knows how they got there, but there are plenty of rumours about whodunnit. The lead suspect wants Detective Tess Fox and her con-artist sister Sarah Jacobs to help clear her name. She says she's being framed, but surely there is no smoke without fire. The heat is on when a second victim is killed in a locked room while Tess and Sarah are in the building. Can the duo solve this puzzling mystery and find the real killer before they strike again? Review We are back with the two sisters Tess (police officer) and Sarah (con artist) from th...

  Description One photograph, one treasured memory, one chance to go back . . . In a cosy photography studio in the mountains between this world and the next, someone is waking up as if from a dream. A kind man will hand them a hot cup of tea and gently explain that, having reached the end of their life, they have one final task. There is a stack of photos on their lap, one for every day of their life, and now they must choose the pictures that capture their most treasured memories, which will be placed in a beautiful lantern. Once completed, it will be set spinning, and their cherished moments will flash before their eyes, guiding them to another world. But, like our most thumbed-over photographs, our favourite memories become faded with age, so each visitor to the studio has the chance to choose one day to return to and photograph afresh. Each has a treasured story to tell, from the old woman rebuilding a community in Tokyo after a disaster, to the flawed Yakuza man who remembers...

  Description On sleepless nights, I open the matchbox and reread the story of the girl who gathered shooting stars. After the death of her father, twelve-year-old Tomoko is sent to live for a year with her uncle in the coastal town of Ashiya. It is a year which will change her life. The 1970s are bringing changes to Japan and her uncle's magnificent colonial mansion opens up a new and unfamiliar world for Tomoko; its sprawling gardens are even home to a pygmy hippo the family keeps as a pet. Tomoko finds her relatives equally exotic and beguiling and her growing friendship with her cousin Mina draws her into an intoxicating world full of secret crushes and elaborate storytelling. Rich with the magic and mystery of youth,  Mina’s Matchbox  is an evocative snapshot of a moment frozen in time, and a striking depiction of a family on the edge of collapse. Review This was an intriguing read, although not much really happens. As I reflect back over this book I realise that it ...

  Description Mad Men meets the world of publishing in million-copy bestselling author Gill Paul’s new novel about Jackie Collins and Jacqueline Susann 1966: In London ,  Jackie Collins 's racy  The World is Full of Married Men  hits bookshops and launches her career. In  New York, Jacqueline Susann 's debut novel  Valley of the Dolls  is published, and she's desperate for it to be a bestseller. But both are about to discover the price they will pay for being women who dare to write about sex. Meanwhile, college graduate Nancy White is excited to take up her dream job at a  Manhattan publishing house . But Nancy could never be prepared for the rampant sexism she is about to encounter. When Nancy introduces the two Jackies, she fears they will become rivals in their race to top the charts. As she strives to achieve her ambition of becoming an editor,  can all three women succeed despite the men determined to hold them back? Praise for  Sc...

  Description There’s only one way to join their society. If someone leaves, or dies… High-flying lawyer Sara O’Neil had it all; the career, the money, the prestige. And then she jumped to her death. Cassandra Harlow never expected to see her friend fall from their office rooftop. Someone knows what really happened. But the only people who might know the truth are a secret women-only society, Inside, whose promise is to fast-track your career. But if Sara was part of it and they helped facilitate her rise to the top, could they also be the reason she came crashing down to earth? Review The author is a corporate lawyer, so it's obviously going to be based in reality, but at times it was stretched a little too far for me. Cass is a lawyer about to hopefully make partner, when her mentor Sara, falls to her death at the office. Cass feels a bit at sea without her guidance and suggestions on how to deal with office politics. Only it might be that Sara herself wasn't who Cass thought...

   Description FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW THIS IS NOT  THAT  CRIME NOVEL You know Penny Coyne. The little old lady who has solved multiple murders in her otherwise sleepy village, despite bumbling local police. A razor-sharp mind in a twinset and tweed. You know Johnny Hawke. Hard-bitten LAPD homicide detective. Always in trouble with his captain, always losing partners, but always battling for the truth, whatever it takes. Against all the odds, against the  usual  story, their worlds are about to collide. It starts with a dead writer and a mysterious wedding invitation. It will end with a rabbit hole that goes so deep, Johnny and Penny might come to question not just whodunnit, but whether they want to know the answer. A cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly,  The Cracked Mirror  is the most imaginative and entertaining crime novel of the year, a genre-splicing rollercoaster with a poignantly emotional heart. Review This ...

  Description From the prize-winning author of WAHALA, a powerful de-colonial retelling of MANSFIELD PARK, exploring identity, culture, race and love 'A spirited exploration of culture and kinship'  BONNIE GARMUS 'Deeply emotional and entertaining'  EMMA STONEX, author of  The Lamplighters ' Tugs at the heartstrings'  DAMILARE KUKU, author of  Nearly all the Men in Lagos are Mad ' ______________ When  Funke’s  mother dies in an accident in Lagos, she’s sent to live with her maternal family in England. Against a backdrop of condescension and mild neglect, sensible Funke strives to fit in, determined to become one of them. Free-spirited  Liv  has always wanted to break free of her joyless family, to be nothing like them. Fiercely protective of Funke, she at last has an ally. The two cousins give each other what they need most:  love . But the past casts long shadows and the choices made by their mothers haunt them, shaping the traject...

  Description 'Can you come round?' Dad says tremulously. 'Of course. Are you OK? Is it Mum?' 'No!' He almost shouts it. 'Just come quickly. The garden...the...body... we  need  you, Penny.' For women of Penny's generation, being on hand for elderly parents is just part of life. But for Penny, things have become a little more serious... When she receives a frantic phone call from her parents one night, with express instructions NOT to call the police, Penny rushes over at once. But they haven't had a fall. They haven't forgotten their computer passwords. They've killed someone. And his body is lying in the garden, right next to the rose bushes. Everyone is capable of murder. They just need to meet the right person. Review A dark and in places amusing read. Penny thinks her elderly parents are a little needy and getting in the way of her life. However, this time when they ring she realises they really do need her.  The books begins with th...

  Description In Tokyo, there is a neighbourhood with the highest number of bookstores in the world. It is called Jimbocho where book lovers can browse to their heart's delight and where hunters of first editions or autographed copies prowl the bookcases. The Morisaki bookshop, a small family-run shop, is so packed with books that barely five people can fit inside. Books crowd the shelves and invade every corner of the floor; when a customer arrives, the owner, Satoru, immediately pops out from behind the counter. Recently, his wife Momoko has joined him, and often, in her free time after work, their niece Takako also helps out. For the first time, the girl does not feel lonely; she has new friends and new rituals to keep her company: the annual Jimbocho festival, the café around the corner, or an unexpected visitor. Because, as she has discovered, a bookstore is populated not by the characters contained in the books, but also by those who frequent it. And those stories create bond...

  Description A gripping new summer thriller from the bestselling author of  Our House,  full of characters you'll love to hate and twists you'll never see coming! ‘A stylish, sun-soaked thriller…  Our Holiday  is destined to be THE summer read of 2024’  Janice Hallett ‘A sharp, brilliantly observed novel that had me gasping at every twist and turn’  Sarah Pearse ‘Smart, sharp and suspenseful with characters you won’t forget’  Adele Parks Charlotte and Perry long for summers at Cliff View, their gorgeous holiday home overlooking the turquoise waters of Pine Ridge. And now that city friends Amy and Linus have bought a property nearby, they plan lazy weeks of sun, sea and sipping rosé on Charlotte’s summerhouse veranda. But there’s trouble in paradise… A rising tide of resentment towards second-home owners is heading their way and small acts of criminal damage are escalating into something more menacing. By the end of the summer, families and friend...

Description ' Uplifting, heartwarming and joyful. Restored my faith in humankind ' - Ruth Jones When age makes you invisible, secrets are easier to hide Daphne knows that age is just a number. She also knows that society no longer pays her any attention – something she’s happy to exploit to help her hide a somewhat chequered past. But finding herself alone on her 70th birthday, with only her plants to talk to and neighbours to stalk online, she decides she needs some friends. Joining a Senior Citizen's Social Club she’s horrified at the expectation she’ll spend her time enduring gentle crafting activities. Thankfully, the other members – including a failed actor addicted to shoplifting and a prolific yarn-bomber – agree. After a tragic accident, the local council threaten to close the club – but they have underestimated the wrong group of pensioners...and with the help of a teenage dad and a geriatric, orphaned dog, the incongruous gang set out to prove it. As long as their...

  Description 'I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud, I was rooting for Laura from the first page. Tender, funny, smart and brilliantly observed. The perfect blend of uplifting escapism and social satire, an utter page turner and such a clever, perceptive moving one. I LOVED it!'  DAISY BUCHANAN No one's life is as perfect as it looks. Least of all Laura Morrison's. (Although she's not sure  how  perfect hanging onto your job by a thread and sleeping on an air mattress at your sister's looks, in all honesty.) When Laura gets the chance to trial Cupid - a high-tech new dating service which will draw on everything she's ever done online to find her perfect match - she figures it's got to be worth a try. She can't believe her luck when good-looking, kind considerate Adam turns up for their first date. On paper he's...well...perfect. But when Laura develops feelings for the person who led her to Adam in the first place, familiar doub...

  Description Nell has always known her expiry date. After a psychic predicted her death date twenty years ago, she has lived life accepting she would never see forty – embracing adventure and travelling the world, choosing fun over commitment and laying down roots. So, when the fateful day comes, Nell feels ready. She sends five excruciatingly honest confessions to her sister, parents and past loves, knowing she won’t be around to face the consequences. Then, with her heart laid bare, all that's left to do is check into a glamorous hotel and wait for the inevitable… But when Nell unexpectedly wakes up the next morning broke, single and very much alive, she must figure out exactly how to seize this second chance at life. And then it also hits her: What on earth happens now that everyone knows how she really feels? This is the perfect book club read for fans of David Nicholls, Holly Smale and Beth O’Leary, asking what it is that makes for a life well lived. Review Very funny and de...