The Honey And The Sting by EC Fremantle is published by Michael Joseph in hardback, priced £14.99 (ebook £9.99).
EC Fremantle's historical novel follows three sisters in a maze of twists and turns in 1628 England. The narrator, Hester, carries much of the weight of the story, as she's left to raise her illegitimate son to the Duke of Buckingham. The pacing of the plot, the tension that oozes and the occasional flirt with the supernatural grabs your attention, and Fremantle highlights the many issues women faced in the 17th century. It's an engaging read, however Melis - the most interesting of the sisters, who has eerie and often accurate visions of the future - lacks the development she deserves.
CHARLOTTE KELLY
Eight Detectives by Alex Pavesi is published by Michael Joseph in hardback, priced £14.99 (ebook £7.99).
In Alex Pavesi's debut novel, young book editor Julia Hart travels to a remote village in the hopes of convincing Grant McAllister, a reclusive writer, to republish his collection of detective stories. McAllister knows the rules for murder mysteries: there must be victims, suspects, detectives and a murder, and all his stories follow this formula. However, Hart is quick to spot inconsistencies within his work, which point to a real life murder. Eight Detectives is a clever premise, but one that doesn't quite get off the ground and lacks the suspense of a memorable murder mystery. Mini mysteries throughout the book pay homage to some of the best in the genre, however the stories feel rushed and the main two characters are rather underdeveloped, leaving the ending a little unsatisfying.
MEGAN BAYNES
A Dutiful Boy: A Memoir Of A Gay Muslim's Journey To Acceptance by Mohsin Zaidi is published by Square Peg in hardback, priced £14.99 (ebook £9.99).
Mohsin Zaidi's autobiography sets a scene where coming out seems inconceivable. It chronicles the author's coming of age in a devout Shia Muslim community in east London: a community where the expression of his sexuality would lead to instant ostracisation from family members and friends. That Zaidi won the fight is evident in the way he became the first pupil from his school to attend Oxford University, going on to become a distinguished barrister working at The Hague on a war crimes trial. A Dutiful Boy details in a delicate and highly engrossing fashion the battles he was forced to wage every step of the way - both with those around him, and deep within himself.
MARK STANIFORTH
Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer is published by Atom in hardback, priced £20 (ebook £10.99).
The latest installment in the world-famous Twilight saga, Midnight Sun, is a book 12 years in the making. For all its hype, Bella and Edward's romance finally re-told from the vampire's perspective is, disappointingly, a little uninspiring. Though filled with nostalgia for avid Twilight fans, Edward's lengthy and often repetitive narrative may not be enough to hold the attention of a more casual reader until its gripping, action-packed conclusion. The book, previously leaked as an unfinished draft in 2008, shows an insight into Edward's intense, verging-on-obsessive behaviour, that may have been better left to the imagination of its young fans. The young adult novel will satisfy readers itching for more from the vampiric saga, but isn't quite filled with enough untold backstory from the 104-year-old protagonist to make Edward's re-telling of the romance a must-read.
Emily Chudy
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