Fiction
Dark Music
David Lagercrantz
MacLehose Press, £20 (ebook £11.99)
A crime thriller inspired by Sherlock Holmes, written by the author who successfully continued writing Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy sounds like a dream. But it's happened, and Stockholm-based David Lagercrantz has penned a classic murder mystery bringing together two unlikely allies, needing each other's expertise to uncover an international conspiracy. Local community police officer Micaela Vargas opens the story after being drafted into a murder inquiry, because she knew the suspect. She teams up with Professor Hans Rekke, a specialist in interrogation techniques, who is brought in to help obtain a confession. Bringing together a well-educated man from the upper classes with a young local police officer from Stockholm's suburbs is an ingenious idea, and you'll love the massive contrast in styles of the two main characters, as they cope with the ups and downs of a complicated investigation - one Holmes himself would have loved to solve.
8/10
The Last White Man
Mohsin Hamid
Hamish Hamilton, £12.99 (ebook £7.99)
This latest novel by Mohsin Hamid is a parable-like account of a town whose inhabitants abruptly begin to change skin tone from white to brown. Hamid relates in a detached, rolling manner the tensions, conflicts and near societal breakdown that result, with a particular focus on the impact on the lives of yoga instructor Oona and gym trainer Anders, some of the first to change. It is in recounting the relationship between Oona and Anders, their thoughts and feelings, their struggles with loss - of family members, identity and community - that the novel is strongest, to the extent that wider consequences of the changes, the conspiracy theories and the riots, almost fade from view. The personal experience of difference and assimilation, a familiar theme from Hamid's other work, is movingly evoked, and gives this novelistic fable its emotional root.
7/10
Girlcrush
Florence Given
Brazen, £16.99 (ebook £7.99)
When artist Eartha finally dumps her unfaithful and fairly useless boyfriend, she is excited to be her true self and try dating women as well as men. She soon finds relationships can be tricky, regardless of who they are with, and life gets even more complicated when her drunken coming out video makes her a social media celebrity. Given's enjoyable first novel looks at how people interact with each other in person and online, and considers how real life differs from the constructed social media images people create. The easy-to-read story also provides an interesting perspective on the price influencers are sometimes expected to pay to make a living.
7/10
Non-fiction
Forgiveness: An Exploration
Marina Cantacuzino
Simon & Schuster UK, £14.99 (ebook £8.99)
What does it really mean to forgive? Is it an act of kindness, selfishness, or something else entirely? That's what Cantacuzino's ongoing Forgiveness Project sets out to discover. As such, Forgiveness is less a self-help book than an in-depth case study of what exactly it means to forgive. Bringing together a series of personal stories and expert insights to present and challenge various definitions of forgiveness from across the world, applying science, religion and spirituality to refine the concept, it offers readers a more objective understanding of how forgiveness can help us overcome trauma and live free from resentment. A tentative warning: the personal stories Cantacuzino has chosen are often extreme and sometimes harrowing, and can often make the sentiment of forgiveness difficult to engage with as an average reader. Approach with care and do not necessarily expect to feel more forgiving when you turn the final page.
5/10
Children's book of the week
Peter Rabbit: Hide And Seek!
Rachel Bright, illustrated by Nicola Kinnear,
Puffin, priced £7.99 (ebook £5.99)
The world's most beloved bunny is back on the childhood agenda with Hollywood films, an animated TV show, and now a new adventure thanks to author Rachel Bright. Peter Rabbit: Hide And Seek! is the second in this new series of adventures for the floppy-eared hero, and sees him playing tricks on Mr Tod the fox, and inventing a cloak of leaves to shield him from view. But when Peter becomes boastful, he attracts unwanted attention that puts him in danger once more. Bright presents a fresh story that feels in keeping with the original books, and is peppered with characters from the Beatrix Potter canon, but with a sweetness that departs from Potter's franker tone. With an encouraging and playful narrative complimented by luscious illustrations by Nicola Kinnear, this lyrical tale is a welcome addition to any young child's bookshelf.
8/10
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