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5 new books to read this week

By The Press Association Nov 23, 2024

This week’s bookcase includes reviews of Murder Island by James Patterson and Brian Sitts and The Party by Tessa Hadley.

James Patterson is back with his latest explosive novel…

Fiction

1. Murder Island by James Patterson and Brian Sitts is published in hardback by Century, priced £20 (ebook £10.99). Available November 21

Murder Island by James Patterson and Brian Sitts

A book which opens with a couple running for their lives through an underground tunnel, pursued by operatives from a Russian school for killers, can only be the latest thriller from master storyteller James Patterson. After recent collaborations with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton and Michael Crichton, he has teamed up with creative director and TV writer Brian Sitts for Murder Island, with much of the action taking place on a desert island in the middle of the Atlantic – which is anything but peaceful and safe. Professor-turned-crime-fighter Brandt ‘Doc’ Savage and his girlfriend Kira Sunlight manage to flee from the underground tunnel, but not from danger – particularly as Kira is a top target. The couple are separated, leading Doc to a frantic search, taking him from the coast of Brazil to the jungles of the Congo. It’s hugely impressive that Murder Island is a sea change from some of Patterson’s creations such as Alex Cross and the Women’s Murder Club – and it confirms his position as one of the most popular authors of all time.
8/10
(Review by Alan Jones)

2. The Party by Tessa Hadley is published in hardback by Jonathan Cape, priced £12.99 (ebook £6.99). Available now

In this new novella by Tessa Hadley, two sisters, Moira and Evelyn, find their lives altered in a single night. Invited to a party by two strangers, they are initially hesitant but enticed by the promise of excitement and escape from the monotony of post-war Britain. What begins as a night of curiosity quickly becomes a coming-of-age moment, as the sisters’ innocence is stripped away. Hadley’s writing has a classic, old-fashioned feel capturing the quiet shift from youth to maturity as the story progresses.
8/10
(Review by Jacqueline Ling)

3. The Black Swan Mystery by Tetsuya Ayukawa, translated by Bryan Karetnyk, is published in paperback by Pushkin Vertigo, priced £9.99 (ebook £6.99). Available now

The Black Swan Mystery by Tetsuya Ayukawa, translated by Bryan Karetnyk

Murder mysteries set on railways are a classic genre in of themselves – Agatha Christie has done plenty of them, including Murder On The Orient Express and The Mystery Of The Blue Train. Now, English readers are treated to a translation of Tetsuya Ayukawa’s first-rate addition to the genre from the 1950s: The Black Swan Mystery, which is the first in his mystery series featuring Chief Inspector Onitsura. After a body is found on the railway tracks, Onitsura is eventually called to investigate – and soon, the bodies start piling up as the killer continues to strike all over Japan. Ayukawa paints a fascinating picture of post-war Japan, while intricately weaving a tangled web of lies and deceit as you – and Onitsura – try to figure out who the murderer is. In parts overly detailed, which slows down the action, it still makes for a pacy mystery.
7/10
(Review by Lily Rose)

Non-fiction

4. Unbroken by Katarina Johnson-Thompson is published in hardback by Macmillan, priced £25 (ebook £12.99). Available November 21

What does it really take to be a world champion? That’s exactly what’s revealed in Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s memoir, fresh off winning the women’s heptathlon silver medal at the recent Paris Olympics. She shows that getting to the top in sport is no mean feat – it requires a whole lot of grit and hard work. While the highs are high, the lows are also low – particularly the brutal injuries Johnson-Thompson has had to deal with over her career. It’s also a fascinating look into her backstory and personality – she covers topics like her sense of identity as the daughter of a white mother and black father, how she’s grappled with body image as a female athlete, and more. While Paris might not have brought the gold medal she was hoping for, Johnson-Thompson is still a hugely impressive and inspiring athlete – and this memoir further proves that, as well as highlighting how likeable and real she is on a personal level.
8/10
(Review by Prudence Wade)

Children’s book of the week

5. Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Hot Mess by Jeff Kinney is published in hardback by Puffin, priced £14.99 (ebook £8.99). Available now

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Hot Mess by Jeff Kinney

School is out for Greg Heffley in Hot Mess, the latest installment of the Diary Of A Wimpy Kid series. In his 19th book about antihero teenager Greg, Jeff Kinney brings us a summer holiday mystery which mixes a mission to keep Gramma’s meatball recipe secret with a comedy battle for supremacy between family members who appear to have descended on the vacation island just to cause drama – often with hilarious results. The real joy of Wimpy Kid tales is in Greg’s lack of awareness that his selfish outlook is often the root of most issues. Best friend and foil Rowley is a big miss from Hot Mess, but otherwise it’s more of the silly drawings and wacky adventures that so many kids love to return for book after book.
8/10
(Review by Nicole Cann)

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 16

HARDBACK (FICTION)
1. Throne Of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco
2. Orbital by Samantha Harvey
3. In Too Deep by Lee Child & Andrew Child
4. Killing Time by Alan Bennett
5. The Courting Of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson
6. The Party by Tessa Hadley
7. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
8. Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
9. Murder Under The Mistletoe by Reverend Richard Coles
10. The Christmas Stocking Murders by Denzil Meyrick
(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)
1. Private Eye Annual 2024 by Ian Hislop
2. Guinness World Records 2025
3. Unleashed by Boris Johnson
4. Diddly Squat by Jeremy Clarkson
5. All That Matters by Sir Chris Hoy
6. A Pawtobiography by Ted The Dog
7. Simply Jamie by Jamie Oliver
8. I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest with You by Miranda Hart
9. Jimmy Anderson: Finding The Edge by Jimmy Anderson
10. The Book Of Gifts by Lucy Claire Dunbar
(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)
1. I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest With You by Miranda Hart
2. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
3. Orbital by Samantha Harvey
4. The Hotel Avocado by Bob Mortimer
5. The Theory Of Everything Else by Dan Schreiber
6. Lights Out by Navessa Allen
7. Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
8. Atomic Habits by James Clear
9. Sonny Boy by Al Pacino
10. In Too Deep by Lee Child & Andrew Child
(Compiled by Audible)

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