WORDS: ZOE WEST AND EMMA SHACKLOCKBOOK club
TheThingsWe
LeftUnsaid
byEmmaKennedy
(£12.99,HB,
Cornerstone)
In this life-affirming
novel,we meetRachel
and her mother,
Eleanor,who was a
talentedartistin the SwingingSixties.
Theirrelationshiphasn’talwaysbeen
easy,so whenRachelfindsherself
livingbackat homeafter beingjilted
onher weddingday, a ratherhot and
stiflingsummerensues.But could
delvinginto the past be just whatshe
needsat this point?A poignantread.Thursday
Nightsat The
BluebellInn
byKitFielding
(£16.99,HB,
Hodder& Stoughton)
Everyweek,six
womenmeetto play
darts– and it’s here
amidthe banterand chat we discover
who they reallyare. Eachof themhas
astoryto tell; of love,loss and hidden
secrets.As they get to knoweach
otherthroughtheir love of dartsthese
meetingsserveto bindthemtogether
in this heartwarming tale of friendship.Tidelands
byPhilippaGregory
(£20,HB,
Simon& Schuster)
Settowardstheendof
theEnglishCivilWar,in a
worldwhereanindependent
woman’spathis treacherous
at everyturn,midwifeAlinor
strugglestokeepherhome
andchildrentogetherafterher
shiftlesshusbanddesertsthe
family.Puttingherownlifein
danger,shehelpsa handsome
renegadepriestwho’slanded
secretlyfromFrance.Thisdark,
grippingstoryis a powerful
portrayalofwartimelove,
betrayalanddividedloyalties,
witha chillingbackdrop
of witchcraft and suspicion.BOOK
OFTHE
WEEK
DID
YOU
MISS...Our pick of the best reads aroundÉAftertheEnd
byClareMackintosh
(£12.99,HB,Sphere)
A beautifullywritten
andthought-provokingtale.
PipandMaxfaceanagonising
dilemmaoverwhetherfurther
treatmentwouldhelptheir
terminallyillson,Dylan.But
willthedecisionwrenchthem
apartorbringthemcloser?
Thenovel’scarefullystructured
‘before’and‘after’formatis
originalandimmersiveasit
reflectsonhowchoicescan
takeyouin drasticallydifferent
directions. A must-read.A CHAT WITH... LOUISE CANDLISHy latest
ovel,Those
eople,is
boutbad
eighbours
verybad!
ys a suburban
paradisebeforeDarrenand
Jodiearrive,buteveryone’s
peaceisshatteredwiththeir
music,theirDIYandthe
second-handcarbusiness
theyrunfromtheirdrive.
Reasonable complaintssoonescalateintomore
chillingsolutions.
I’minterestedinputting
ordinarypeopleinsituations
ofterriblecrisis.Soit’s
importanttheyfeel
recognisable.Havingsaid
that,someofthecharacters
inthebookarepretty
unlovable,soI wouldsay
theyaredefinitelynot based
onanyoneI know!
Iknewwewerea nation
obsessed with property, but,Iwasstillamazedbythe
responsetoOurHouse.It’s
beenwonderfultoconnect
withthousandsofnew
readers– andtosurprise
loyaloneswithsomething
moreinnovativeandintense.
Atthemoment,I’mreading
HeretoStaybyMark
Edwards.It’saboutthe
in-lawsfromhellwhomove
inandrefusetomoveout.
It’sduetobepublishedin
September – look out for it!Iadmiresomanywriters,
includingMargaretAtwood
andKateAtkinson,butmy
favouriteisTomWolfe.
✿ThosePeoplebyLouise
Candlishwillbepublishedby
Simon&Schusteron 27 June.
✿TheCapitalCrime
Festivalwillbeon
26-28September,
attheGrand
ConnaughtRooms,
London.Booktickets
at capitalcrime.org.