Book after Book

By Denise Mina Published by Harvill Secker Synopsis: The morning starts as any other for Anna McDonald. But the moment she opens the front door to her best friend, everything changes. Anna turns to see her husband standing at the top of the stairs, suitcase in hand. They’re leaving, together. And they’re taking Anna’s two daughters with them. With her safe, predictable world suddenly shattered, Anna tries to drown out the pain of their deceit by listening to a true crime podcast. There’s a sunken yacht, a multiple murder and a hint of power and corruption. But when Anna hears the name of one of the victims, she realises that this is a murder she can’t ignore. Her past, so carefully hidden until now, will no longer stay silent. To escape the trauma of her loss, Anna throws herself into investigating the case in the podcast. Little does she know that her past and present lives are about to collide, and throw everything she has worked so hard to achieve into freefall. How did ...

By Jessica Barry Published by Harvill Secker Synopsis: The life that she’s built for herself – her perfect fiancé, their world of luxury – has disappeared in the blink of an eye. Now she must run, not only to escape the dark secrets in her past, but to outwit the man who is stalking her every move.  On the other side of the country, Allison’s mother is desperate for news of her daughter, who is missing, presumed dead. Maggie refuses to accept that she could have lost her only child and sets out to discover the truth.  Mother and daughter must fight – for survival and to find their way through a dark web of lies and back to one another, before it’s too late… How did this book end up in my hands? I have recently read its serialisation on The Pigeonhole . If you don’t know this website yet, you will love it! Was it a page-turner? OMG, yes! I couldn’t have read each instalment any faster as soon as it was released.  Having read the synopsis, di...

By Tim Parks Published by Harvill Secker In Teach Us to Sit Still - A Sceptic's Search for Health and Healing , British novelist, essayist and translator Tim Parks describes his difficult path to wellbeing – both physical and mental. Page by page, Parks details a long series of hospital tests and discussions with doctors and specialists both in Italy and in the UK, he takes us to India for a consultation with an Ayurvedic doctor and, after sleepless nights of Internet research, he shares his enthusiasm for finding a book that seems to promise an end to his pain. The authors of this book, two Californian doctors, suggest that the discomfort in the pelvic area might be caused by muscle tension. Having found nothing wrong with his bladder or prostate – but still in excruciating pain - Parks is willing to believe this new possibility and the more he thinks about it, the more he realises that he’s been thinking too much his whole life. He’s hardly ever felt thoroughly relaxed. He thus e...