Summer books

Just in time for the Summer holidays, why not take advantage of a number of book sales which are running throughout the month of July? That beach bag, or carry-all simply isn’t complete without an engrossing Summer read.  I, for one, am already enjoying sitting out in this wonderful June weather and reading (to find out what, read on).

On-line you can find both Reconquista and The Village at half price in the Smashwords Summer Sale, only $1.50 per ‘e’ copy.  From 1st July go to Smashwords Reconquista Page or to The Village Page and use the coupons you will find there to obtain your 50% off per ‘e’ copy. The sale runs until 31st July 2018. From 1st July for seven days over in the Kindle store on Amazon.com and on Amazon UK you can find The Village in a countdown deal for half price.

If you live in SW London there are printed books aplenty at knock-down prices on the second-hand book stall at Abbeville Fete this Saturday. Many of them are as new, almost straight from the publishers, donated by Clapham writers.  The book stall is in the Church of the Holy Spirit, Narbonne Avenue, SW4. And, while you are there, why not pick up the flyers for the Clapham Book Festival events at this year’s Lambeth Country Show – Thriller in the Park and The History Girls.  Kate Williams, one of the latter, is appearing on BBC2 in this week’s editions of Richard Osman’s House of Games.

You can also get a physical copy of the Clapham Literary Trail, a self-guided walk around historic Clapham and Clapham Common, based on the famous (and infamous) writers who have lived and worked in that part of South London. ( To download an ‘e’ copy go to www.claphamwriters. )

So, what am I reading in the garden during this spell of hot weather?  Well, thrillers, as my blog post on Monday would suggest.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the policier, Good Girls Don’t Die (Quercus, 2014) by Isabelle Grey, the first in her series featuring DI Grace Fisher, a very human protagonist within a densely woven, tightly plotted thriller.  I will read the later ones, I want to see how this thoroughly modern policewoman develops amid the murders. At the moment I am half way through Lie With Me (Mulholland, 2016) Sabine Durrant’s best seller and one can see why it proved so popular. Her narrator is a remarkable creation, one of the most unpleasant characters to tell a tale and beautifully captured, as is the distinctly uncomfortable Greek island holiday.  I cannot say more, there are so many plot twists, but I can recommend this too. Both Isabelle and Sabine have new novels out, the former’s Wrong Way Home (Quercus) has already been named a Times Crime Book of the Month. Sabine’s Take Me In also promises to be intriguing. They will be discussing these books and others at the Lambeth Country Show

Still on my ‘to read’ pile are The Orphans (Hutchinson, 2017) by Annemarie Neary, Edge of the Fall (Orion, 2016) by Kate Williams and Term Limits by Steve Powell (Claret Press, 2018). I’ll report back on these too.  If they are as gripping as the first two thrillers, I’ll be through them before the weekend!

For more about what Clapham Writers are up to this Summer see                      Out and About                  Clapham Book Festival: How’d It Go?                Clapham Book Festival: How’d We Do?