Sidney Chambers and The Shadow of Death by James Runcie

A vicar becomes drawn into murder mysteries where his knowledge of human nature serves him well

The Toffee Man and the Kingdom of Ends by L.K. Quinn

An intriguing title for an intriguing book about an imaginative girl called April at a key time in her life

Seville by Paul A. Mendelson

A light, humorous book, set in Seville which examines the marriage of William and Luisa as they relive their honeymoon 30 years later

Gabriel’s Moon by William Boyd

The first in a trilogy of books about Gabriel Dax, which charts his progression from orphaned boy to popular writer – but is he really sought for his writing talent?

Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms by Katherine Rundell

A story of a girl taken from all she knows and her fight to survive in a world where she doesn’t fit

Of Lions and Unicorns by Michael Morpurgo

A collection and selection of Morpurgo’s work, including complete short stories and excerpts from his most applauded novels

Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce

A tale of friendship, reconciliation with the past, and adventure, with two unlikely women searching for a beetle on the other side of the world

Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon

There are exploits; I’m not sure how glorious they are but this book doesn’t need glory to make it a triumph

The Woman who Walked into the Sea by Mark Douglas-Home

A tense tale set in coastal Scotland where enquiries about the mystery of a baby’s abandonment and her mother’s suicide stir up trouble