Are you looking for your next great read? Why not try out the books from across the pond? Despite from what governments say, books are essential and are needed now, more than ever. So if you are need of a variety and want to read diverse stories, then I suggest you try out some British and Irish titles!
We may have left 2024 behind, but the pain and struggles of last year are still being faced, especially independent bookstores. Continue to support indie bookstores by shopping on Bookshop.org and Hive.co.uk.
Waterstones currently ships to the United States but there will be an international shipping fee. You can also try with the British bookstore, Blackwell’s, also with Wordery.com. Now on with the recommendations!
Featured Book of the Month
What Happens In The Dark by Kia Abdullah
Expected Publication Date: June 19
Lily and Safa were best friends growing up. Now, Lily is the nation’s favourite breakfast TV presenter and Safa, once a renowned journalist, is reeling from a recent fall from grace.
When news breaks about suspicious bruises on Lily’s body, Safa attempts to rekindle their old friendship. But Lily claims the bruises are nothing to worry about.
And then one night the police are called to Lily’s home. Lily is strangely calm – and a body lies dead at her feet.
Lily pleads not guilty, and then says nothing more. Driven by her desire to give a voice to all victims, Safa begins her own investigation into what happened that night.
But Safa is not prepared for what her quest for justice will uncover … (Credit: HarperCollins)
A Box Full of Murders by Janice Hallett
When siblings Ava and Luke discover a mysterious notebook in their dad’s attic they are instantly intrigued. And, as they read through letters, diary entries, newspaper cuttings and notarised secret recordings, they realise that a decades-old, still unsolved, murder case is unfolding right in front of them . . .
Determined to discover what really happened, Ava and Luke turn detective to try and crack the case. But soon they realise that the killer might still be out there – and might be closer than they think…
YOU know the facts. YOU have all the clues. Can YOU solve the mystery before they do? (Credit: Penguin Random House UK)
Cold Turkey by Simon James Green and illustrated Tosin Akinkunmi
Former bestmates Kit and Hamza must deliver a cooked turkey across town, but can they tolerate one another for that long? A hilarious caper from bestseller Simon James Green.
Can a TURKEY bring best friends Hamza and Kit back together?
Kit is furious following a betrayal by his oldest friend, Hamza –over a girl?! He wants nothing to do with him until the boys are offered a lot of money to do a job for one of their neighbours.
The job is to deliver a turkey to an address across London before it gets cold. Weird but pretty simple, right? But that’s before it turns into a hilarious, hysterical race against time, the police, the bomb squad and a scary street gang.
Can Kit and Hamza make it in time, and will they ever speak to each other again if they do?
Particularly suitable for readers aged 11+ with a reading age of 7. (Credit: HarperCollins UK)
Exit Stage Death by Ava Eldred
Livi Campbell’s summer to-do list is simple:
1. Have the best final summer at Camp Chance.
2. Prove to her parents that acting is an acceptable career choice.
3. Smash all her rehearsals and get the lead in the senior showcase.
But when a fellow camper shows up dead under mysterious circumstances and Livi finds a note suggesting all is not as it seems, she must team up with her camp-mates to catch the culprit before they kill again.
Enter Juliet, the social media influencer with everything to prove; Aaron, the nepo baby who isn’t sure he wants to be in Hollywood at all; Daisy, the inexperienced newbie trying to find her place; and Sam, the leading man who broke Livi’s heart last summer.
The players are in place. The stage is set. Curtain up. (Credit: Fox & Ink Books)
Run Away With Me by J.L. Simmonds
Two teenage runaways. One vintage Mustang. A life-changing road trip. So strap in, because this is going to be one hell of a ride.
Jessie ‘Mouse’ Swift needs to get the hell out of Seattle. A few days ago she admitted to wanting her abusive stepfather dead, only to come home and find his murdered body. So when a girl from school offers Jessie a ride in her vintage red Mustang, they embark on an unexpected road trip across America.
Brooke Summer is everything Jessie isn’t: popular, confident, wealthy and heart-stoppingly beautiful, and Jessie has been in love with her from afar for years. But Brooke is hiding her own secrets . . .
With the cops and other sinister figures on their tail, how long can Jessie and Brooke stay on the run before they’re caught? And as their friendship blossoms into something more, can they find a future worth running to together?
A coming-of-age thriller-romance, perfect for fans of Holly Jackson, Casey McQuiston and Tess Sharpe, with a nod to Drive-Away Dolls. (Credit: Penguin Random House Children’s UK)
Can You Solve the Murder? by Antony Johnston
In this interactive crime novel, step into the shoes of a detective and investigate the most mysterious crime of your career.
There’s been a murder at Elysium, a wellness retreat set in an English country manor. You arrive to find the body of a local businessman on the lawn – with a rose placed in his mouth. It appears he was stabbed with a gardening fork and fell to his death from the balcony above. But that balcony can only be accessed through a locked door, the key is missing, and everyone in Elysium is now a suspect…
Gather the evidence and examine the clues. Choose who to interview next, and who to accuse as your prime suspect. But remember that every decision you make has consequences – and some of them will prove fatal…
Do you have what it takes? Can YOU solve the murder?
Experience a gripping new type of story, unlike anything you’ve read before, from Antony Johnston, award-winning crime author and veteran games writer. (Credit: Transworld Publishers Ltd)
Logging Off: The Human Cost of Our Digital World by Adele Zeynep Walton
We live in a digital world. In the 30 years since we’ve been online, we’ve created connections, crossed boundaries and discovered new worlds. We have done things generations before us could never have imagined.
But at what cost?
Growing up as a Gen Z, Adele spent endless hours as a teenager on social media, shaping her view of herself and the world. As a freelance journalist, she has used her social media platforms and digital technology to develop a career in an unfamiliar and competitive industry, benefitting from the opportunities that these spaces can offer. But after losing her sister to online harms, she realised that our current digital world is failing us.
We are an anxious and discontent generation. Our lived realities and our online vulnerabilities are inextricably linked, and this means big business for social media tycoons who want us to stay scrolling at any cost. As Big Tech barons make their billions, capitalising on our emotions, instincts, insecurities and desires, everyday people are losing out.
From workers being fired by algorithms, to online forums dedicated to revenge porn and encouraging suicide, to censorship of marginalised voices and the turbulent impacts of AI, Logging Off reveals that our digital world is currently fuelling crises that only empathy, agency and humanity can resolve. This book is a call for a radical reclamation of our digital world, for a more humane future that empowers us all. (Credit: Orion Publishing)
The Dawn of Adonis by Phil Earle
A tale of loyalty, loss, betrayal, and rebirth.
It is 1911 and London’s docks thrum with underhand deals, none so great as the arrival of a valuable, rare and exotic animal, smuggled from the depths of the Congolese rainforest.
The baby gorilla stands to make one man, the shady Goliath Deeds, very, very rich: he and his right-hand man, juvenile pickpocket, Toff Squabble. Heaven help anyone who dares stand in their way, not least the brave and innocent twelve-year-old Nettie Beecroft, who finds herself embroiled in a dangerous rescue attempt where she encounters toshers, bone grubbers and gangsters.
Whom can Nellie trust? And can she save the life this very special creature? (Credit: Andersen Press)
Naeli and the Secret Song by Jasbinder Bilan
Naeli longs to know her English father, who abandoned her when she was little. All she has is his name – and his precious violin. Her chance comes when a ticket to England arrives mysteriously. Leaving behind her beloved India, Naeli embarks on an adventure that will take her from the streets of Victorian London to the wilds of Northumberland to discover the truth of her musical inheritance. (Credit: Chicken House)
It’s Not Banter, It’s Racism: What Cricket’s Dirty Secret Reveals About Our Society by Azeem Rafiq
Green grass, blue skies, white flannels and the gentle thwack of leather on willow: the quintessential image of Englishness that heralds the start of the cricket season. A so-called gentleman’s game developed with the principle of fair play at its heart. All well and true – unless you’re a person of colour living in Britain today. Azeem Rafiq, the former Yorkshire cricketer and England youth captain, learnt this the hard way.
When, on 16 November 2021, Azeem stood up and courageously spoke out about his experiences of racism at Yorkshire County Cricket Club he was coolly dismissed, told that it was “friendly banter” and that he was a troublemaker. The case blew up, and millions of people voiced their support for Azeem.
It’s Not Banter, It’s Racism will provide a bracing look at the moments that led up to and defined the watershed meeting where Azeem shared his truth. As well as interviewing key figures involved in the case, Azeem illustrates how the continual denial of racism is sending us backwards as a society, and how pervasive polarisation has become. It is with great sensitivity and determination that Azeem will also unpack his own biases, while also building forgiveness and understanding with the communities he has impacted.
Giving voice to the voiceless, Azeem’s book stands for accountability and honesty in a world that would prefer to cancel and silence. (Credit: Orion Publishing)
Heir of Storms by Lauryn Hamilton Murray
I am the girl who wove the storm that shook the world.
And I’m coming for my crown.
When Blaze came into the world, she almost drowned it.
Blaze, a Rain Singer, is born into one of the most powerful fire-wielding families in the empire. Her birth summoned a devastating storm that resulted in the deaths of thousands, and she has spent her life as an outsider, reviled and feared.
When Blaze and her twin brother, Flint, are selected to compete in the Choosing Rite, the trials which decide the future rulers of the empire, she’s suddenly thrust into the limelight – and into battle.
Threats abound at the Golden Palace, where intrigue and romance await with not one but two handsome suitors: the enchanting Crown Prince and a dangerously alluring newcomer at court.
As her powers strengthen and her fellow competitors fall, the throne is suddenly within her grasp. But in order to take the crown, she’ll have to leave behind the stories that others have told about her and find the courage to write her own. (Credit: Penguin Random House Children’s UK)
Some of This Is True by Michelle McDonagh
On an icy morning in January, a body is discovered at the bottom of the Wishing Steps at Blarney Castle, seemingly the tragic death by falling of a young tourist.
Jessie DeMarco had travelled to the Cork village in search of the father she’d never known. When her bereft mother Dani arrives from America to identify her daughter’s body, she brings with her a story of Jessie’s father’s past – now a pillar of the community – that will soon lead to shocking accusations and fervent denials.
Convinced that her daughter’s death was not accidental, Dani sets about uncovering evidence, as the local community begins to take sides. But who to believe – the local man they have known all their lives, or a devastated mother with nothing to lose? (Credit: Hachette Books Ireland)
Innocent Guilt by Remi Kone
Victim or murderer . . .
Can she discover the truth?
On a misty autumn afternoon, a woman covered in blood clutching a baseball bat walks silently into a London police station. The two officers assigned to her case are DI Leah Hutch and DS Benjamin Randle.
But the woman refuses to speak. She is not injured and the blood on the bat is not hers. What has she done? Is she the victim or the perpetrator? As Leah and Randle start their inquiry, a man is found battered to death in a nearby park. Journalist Odie Reid receives a tip off and is determined to solve the case first, trying to link this death to the woman held in custody.
Leah and Odie have history and very quickly their cat and mouse game becomes personal, leading them both to the very darkest corners of their pasts. (Credit: Quercus Publishing)
Wish You Were Her by Elle McNicoll
18-year-old Allegra Brooks has skyrocketed to fame after starring in a hit television show, and she’s the overnight success that everyone’s talking about. They just don’t know she’s autistic. Now, all she wants is a normal teenage summer.
Her destination for escape is the remote Lake Pristine and its annual Book Festival, organized by the dedicated but unfriendly senior bookseller, Jonah Thorne.
In small towns like Lake Pristine, misunderstandings abound, and before long the two are drawn into high-profile hostility that’s a far cry from the drama-free holiday Allegra was craving. Thank goodness for her saving grace: the increasingly personal emails she’s been sharing with a charming and anonymous bookseller who is definitely not Jonah Thorne . . .(Credit: Pan Macmillan)
Actually, I’m A Murderer by Terry Deary
Expected Publication Date: June 12
Four strangers on a train. An unlikely introduction: ‘Actually I’m a Murderer.’ Set in the north-east of England in the seventies, the lives of an actor, tech pioneer and political advisor are thrown into turmoil when sharing a carriage with an unremarkable little man with round glasses, on the night train back to Newcastle.
By the end of the following day, one of them will be dead, one will turn blackmailer and another forced to commit a crime. And all of them will be under the astute and watchful observation of Aline, the local police officer with her own agenda to fulfil…
And then the body count begins to rise which begs the question – just how many actual murderers are out there… and who will be the next victim? (Credit: Little, Brown Book Group)
Thirst Trap by Gráinne O’Hare
Expected Publication Date: June 12
Sometimes friends hold you together.
Sometimes they’re why you’re falling apart.
Maggie, Harley and Róise are friends on the brink: of triumph, catastrophe, or maybe just finally growing up. Their crumbling Belfast houseshare has been witness to their roaring twenties, filled with questionable one-night stands and ruthless hangovers. But now fault-lines are beginning to show.
The three girls are still grieving the tragic death of their friend, Lydia, whose room remains untouched. Their last big fight hangs heavy over their heads, unspoken since the accident. And now they are all beginning to unravel. (Credit: Pan Macmillan)
The Protest by Rob Rinder
Expected Publication Date: June 19
A world-famous artist. A fatal brush with death.
At a star-studded opening night for the Royal Academy’s celebration of renowned artist Max Bruce, someone is hiding a dark secret.
As the night reaches its climax and Max addresses his admirers, the occasion takes a shocking turn when a protester runs from the crowd and sprays the artist with blue paint.
Max collapses and it soon turns out that the paint was laced with cyanide. Someone has been plotting to kill him.
All evidence points to the protestor – and newly qualified barrister Adam Green is assigned the impossible task of their defence.
But could there be others who wanted Max dead? (Credit: Cornerstone)
The Secret Lives of Women Spies by Charlotte Philby
Expected Publication Date: June 19
Step into the Secret World and discover the women who hid in its shadows.
Charlotte Philby’s grandfather was the most infamous spy in history. Inspired to find out more about his world, Charlotte made a startling discovery when it came to spy stories . . .
Where were all the women?
To her amazement, almost no-one was talking about them. And there were so many incredible tales: from dare-devil skiers delivering top-secret information, to clever codebreakers taking down the world’s biggest criminals, to brave undercover agents fighting alongside the French Resistance.
Find out about these stories, and many more of courage and skill, as you discover the secret lives of women spies.(Credit: Penguin Random House Children’s UK)
The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine
Expected Publication Date: June 19
In The Benefactors we meet Frankie, Miriam and Bronagh – very different women but all mothers to 18-year-old boys. Glamorous Frankie, now married to a wealthy, older man, grew up in care. Miriam has recently lost her beloved husband Kahlil in ambiguous circumstances. Bronagh, the CEO of a children’s services charity, loves the celebrity and prestige this brings her.
They do not know each other yet, but when their sons are accused of sexually assaulting Misty Johnston, whose family lacks the wealth and social-standing of their own, they’ll leverage all the power of their position to protect their children.
From the prize-winning author of Dance Move and Sweet Home, this is an astounding novel about intimate histories, class and money – and what being a parent means. Brutal, tender and rigorously intelligent, The Benefactors is a daring, polyphonic presentation of modern-day Northern Ireland. It is also very funny. (Credit: Hodder & Stoughton)
The New Neighbours by Claire Douglas
Expected Publication Date: June 19
‘You know your neighbours are plotting a crime but no one believes you . . .’
When Lena helps her teenage son gather sounds for her media studies project, she doesn’t expect her boom-microphone to pick up a conversation between her neighbours, the Morgans.
And she’s certain they are planning a crime.
Her family and friends tell her that she must have misheard. After all, the Morgans are a well-respected, upstanding couple in their early sixties. They’ve never been in trouble with the law.
Yet Lena can’t stop thinking about it. Because what if she hasn’t misheard? What if she can prevent something awful happening?
After all, stopping it could help ease her conscience about her own dark past. (Credit: Penguin Books)
A Novel Murder by E.C. Nevin
Expected Publication Date: June 19
Welcome to the Killer Lines Crime Festival!
In the quaint town of Hoslewit, the biggest names in crime writing have congregated to celebrate all things bookish and murderous. With a programme packed with seminars and signings, egos and alcohol, it’s sure to be a thrilling weekend.
Author Jane Hepburn is determined this is going to be her year. She’s not quite reached the heady heights of best-sellerdom yet, but is convinced that if she can just make the right connections at the festival, it could be the start of a whole new chapter for her and her books.
Then her literary agent is killed, and Jane’s plans are derailed. But if she can solve the murder, perhaps it will provide the boost her writing career needs? If she lives to tell the tale, that is.
Set in the world of books, and for fans of Richard Osman and Richard Coles, Janice Hallett and Nita Prose, A Novel Murder is the book you’ll be dying to read. (Credit: Bonnier Books)
Awakened by Kelechi Okafor
Expected Publication Date: June 26
Set in a near-future where technology is fully integrated in our homes, and a humanoid AI is running for London Mayor, Pels is a journalist desperate to get to the bottom of a spate of disappearances of young Black British people who are then found dead by bodies of water. But her boss is uninterested in her pursuit, instead assigning her to cover the “unreasonable” protests that locals in Benin are staging in opposition to white tourists heading to retreats to partake in their sacred Spirit Vine rituals. He thinks Pels will ‘fit right in’ and can show the benefits of this type of tourism.
While Pels is sceptical, she has been having strange dreams in which she sees what seem like celestial beings, who tell her she has an unfulfilled destiny, and so a part of her is intrigued by the ceremonies… She’d rather be helping a friend whose brother has just gone missing back in London, but decides to take her bosses’ assignment as leverage to then pursue the missing kids investigation.
But when she partakes of the Spirit Vine ceremony in Benin, it unlocks a strange power within her. She learns that this has been her destiny, and that the missing children are part of a large otherworldly conspiracy that only she can stop. As she returns home to a London in turmoil as the cases of missing kids increase, before she can fulfil her destiny and help redirect the dark fate of her world-a fate controlled by people closer to her than she thinks-first she must come to understand and control her newly awakened abilities…(Credit: Orion Publishing Co)
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