With so many new releases coming up, here’s Love London Love Culture’s guide to some that might take your fancy when they are released next month…
1. The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz: (released 24th August) this is a brand new detective series based in London by the acclaimed author featuring plenty of buried secrets, unexpected death and a trail of bloody clues to solve in this new thriller.
A wealthy woman strangled six hours after she’s arranged her own funeral.
A very private detective uncovering secrets but hiding his own.
A reluctant author drawn into a story he can’t control.
What do they have in common?
2. The Last Tudor by Philippa Gregory: (released 8th August) in this final Tudor Court novel, Philippa Gregory concentrates on the lives of Katherine and Jane Grey who were intertwined with the Tudor court in tragic ways…
Jane Grey was Queen of England for nine days. Using her position as cousin to the deceased king, her father and his conspirators put her on the throne ahead of the king’s half-sister Mary, who quickly mustered an army, claimed her crown and locked Jane in the Tower. When Jane refused to betray her Protestant faith, Mary sent her to the executioner’s block. There Jane turned her father’s greedy, failed grab for power into her own brave and tragic martyrdom.
3.Insidious Intent by Val McDermid: (released 24th August) a brand new novel involving Tony Hill and Carol Jordan sees the crime solving pair drawn into a story of fear and revenge that has them questioning their own ideas of justice.
A quiet night on a country road. The stillness shattered by a car engulfed in flames, and a burned body discovered in the driver’s seat. As the investigation unfolds, DCI Carol Jordan and psychological profiler Tony Hill quickly realise that this is more than just a tragic accident. And so begins the hunt for a truly terrifying killer, someone who believes he is invisible, untraceable and untouchable.
4. A Time of Love and Tartan by Alexander McCall Smith: (released 3rd August) this is the latest novel in the author’s acclaimed 44 Scotland Street series – filled with as much humour and life as ever.
If only Pat Macgregor had an inkling of the embarrassment romantic, professional, even aesthetic that flowed from accepting narcissistic ex-boyfriend Bruce Anderson’s invitation for coffee, she would never have said yes. And if only Matthew, her boss at the art gallery, hadn’t wandered into his local bookshop and picked up a particular book at a particular time, he would never have knocked over his former English teacher or attracted the attentions of the police.
Whether caused by small things such as a cup of coffee and a book, or major events such as Stuart’s application for promotion and his wife Irene’s decision to go off and study for a PhD in Aberdeen, change is coming to serial fiction’s favourite street.
5. Kingmaker: Kingdom Come by Toby Clements: (released 24th August) this is the fourth and final instalment of the Kingmaker series set against the backdrop of England’s bloody and brutal War of the Roses.
The recent tensions between King Edward and his great ally the Earl of Warwick lie forgotten these past months, but even as winter tightens her grip on the land, the peace is shattered by a vicious attack on one of the King’s allies.
Long buried secrets are brought to the surface, and Thomas and Katherine must finally decide where their loyalties lie and to choose between fight or flight, knowing either choice will incur a terrible price.
From Lincoln to Bruges, from Barnet to the great battle at Tewkesbury, both must play their part in one of the most savage wars in history.