5 new books to read this week

This week’s new releases are full of gripping thrillers…

Fiction

1. The Summer We Lied by Rebecca Hardy

Eighteen years ago, Shawn Weston was convicted of the murder of a mother and child. A determined journalist has always thought that there is more to the story, and as the conviction is on the verge of being overturned and new DNA evidence points to a new suspect, he tracks down two witnesses who were teenagers at the time of the event. The Summer We Lied by Rebecca Hardy jumps between the narratives of Alex, Rachel and Jonathan – the three friends involved, as their adult selves pick apart what really happened on that fateful day. Secrets are unveiled and stories that were previously unknown to the investigation are shared. Hardy has constructed a fragmented tale that is hard to predict where it will go next. With observations of police corruption, sexual abuse, small town conspiracies and broken friendships, The Summer We Lied is a dark and emotional story full of intrigue.

2. The First House by Avni Doshi

A woman is in shock after her husband abruptly ends what she describes as a happy marriage. In her follow-up to the Booker Prize-shortlisted Burnt Sugar, Avni Doshi guides us through the ensuing grief, starting with an intense unravelling as the woman struggles to function at home with her two daughters. The story goes to dark places as the unnamed protagonist recognises the red flags that were always there and starts to unpick her own motivations. But it is also about asserting independence and forging an identity distinct from both marriage and family history. Doshi peels back the layers of the character, an aspiring writer, by drawing parallels with the old myths and vengeful goddesses she is fixated on, and though this can feel disjointed at times, the sharp writing, astute observations and evocative language keeps the story compelling and draws the reader into her journey.

3. The Kill Switch by Robert Peston

Political journalists Gil Peck and his partner Jess secure an interview with the Prime Minister Stella Barnsbury for their podcast, promising an insight into her views on the growing influence of artificial intelligence as well as anecdotes on their times together as friends years ago. But instead of talking politics, the journalists have an unexpected scoop on their hands when the Prime Minister becomes unwell, collapses mid-interview, and later dies. The race to find out what happened turns into a murder hunt, revealing a murky, violent world of finance, high tech – and crime. The journalists discover that the PM had blocked a contract for a major tech company to manage public sector systems, including the NHS, which they suspect led to her assassination. But the deeper they delve into the story, the more danger they face, with devastating consequences for them and their family.

Non-fiction

4. The Land And Its People by David Sedaris

As the author of multiple books – mostly collections of personal essays – you would be forgiven for thinking American humorist David Sedaris does not have much left to say. But even when he is describing an imagined conversation between rams on a farm in Sussex or a seemingly simple scene about playing music out loud on public transport, his insights are as razor sharp as ever. In his latest offering, The Land And Its People, Sedaris gives us 28 more chapters of his ever-exciting life, describing moments like making his boyfriend cook Christmas dinner after hip-replacement surgery, meeting the Pope and buying a bespoke priest’s cassock, unsympathetically getting bitten by a dog, and his latest obsession – learning German via a moody AI teenager on Duolingo. It feels like a sardonic gay uncle sitting around the dinner table hilariously, and sometimes bitterly, regaling the rest of the family with stories of his life and travels. Honest and unflinching.

Children’s book of the week

5. The Last Nigel by Becky Wilson, illustrated by Scott Wilson

Children’s books are always more fun when they’ve got whimsy, and The Last Nigel has that in spades. It tells the story of (you guessed it), a turtle called Nigel. He believes he’s the last Nigel in the world, so makes all of the other creatures dote on him because he’s special – until, one day, a polar bear also called Nigel turns up, and asks him to join the Nigel Club. All of the original Nigel’s perks evaporate when his friends realise he’s not the last Nigel on Earth – which, as you can probably imagine, doesn’t best please him. With a heartwarming end, this is a funny tale with a healthy dose of silliness, along with imaginative illustrations.