The Drowned

John Banville

THE mysterious disappearance of a woman on a wild stretch of coast in the deepest reaches of rural 1950s Ireland is the catalyst for a murder enquiry that brings police detectives hot-footing it down from Dublin.

But this is a far from straightforward case, with some dangerously unpredictable characters at its heart, and the two men in charge face a complex investigation with repercussions that ripple back to events from the recent past.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that one of Ireland’s most gifted novelists would be tempted to rest on his many laurels (not least the Man Booker Prize in 2005) now that he is into his seventy-ninth year... what you might not expect is that this extraordinary author – with a gift for words that raises crime writing to dizzy heights of literary excellence – is producing some of his best work yet. The evidence is there to see in Wexford-born John Banville’s (pictured below) brilliant, award-winning Strafford and Quirke Mystery series which is based in Dublin in the Fifties and features an uneasy double act between two flawed, fallible and fascinating men... pathologist Dr Quirke and Detective Inspector St John Strafford.

This is a series mired in dirty politics, religious tensions between Protestants and Catholics, and crimes that perfectly reflect the debates and concerns of this post-war period in Ireland... all brought to vivid and visceral life by an assortment of exquisitely imagined characters, perfectly nuanced stories, and intriguing mysteries with a delightfully dark edge.

In The Drowning – the fourth in the series – Quirke and Strafford return for a complex case at a time when their already strained relationship threatens constantly to become untenable.

Loner Denton Wymes – who lives with his dog in a caravan near the coast in County Wicklow – doesn’t like getting ‘caught up among people,’ regarding them as ‘the bane of his life’ but, returning from an afternoon fishing trip, he comes across a mysteriously empty Mercedes sports car with its engine running and seemingly abandoned in a field. Knowing deep down that he shouldn’t approach but, unable to hold back, Wymes turns off the car engine but is accosted by the car’s owner, a man called Ronnie Armitage, who seems more excited than distressed, and asks for help because he and his wife Deirdre had been arguing and he fears she may have thrown herself into the sea and drowned.

The two men head off to find help at a nearby house, which is being rented by odd couple, Charles and Charlotte Ruddock, but their arrival seems to Wymes as if ‘the whole thing had been rehearsed, and that everyone was acting, even himself.’

Much against his instincts to avoid contact with people, never mind strangers, Wymes finds himself embroiled in a troubling missing person’s case which now involves two investigators from Dublin, pathologist Dr Quirke and Detective Inspector St John Strafford. It’s an awkward police pairing with the two men barely on speaking terms after Quirke’s wife Evelyn was shot during an investigation and was made worse by the pathologist’s belief that Strafford – whose own wife has walked out on him ­– could have saved her.

And there’s a further complication because Strafford is now seeing Quirke’s daughter Phoebe, a fact which has enraged her father. But there’s a case to solve... are they investigating a runaway, a suicide, or a murder, are the Ruddocks connected to Deirdre’s disappearance... and could there be a link to the recent murder of Rosa Jacobs, a young Jewish history scholar, in Dublin?

The Drowning can easily be read as a standalone but it would enhance the reading pleasure to have already made acquaintance with these two lonely, introspective investigators from opposite sides of the religious divide... Strafford, who relishes his solitude and struggles with relationships, and Quirke, an introverted, driven man who is restless and bitter since the death of his wife.

As always, Banville’s classy crime mystery plays out slowly and tantalisingly against a multi-layered and authentic backdrop in which plot lines – some threading back to a previous murder – become entwined and the reader’s carefully considered whodunit guesswork is rent asunder by some shocking revelations. But this is also very much a tale of people in a certain time and place; Banville has the gift of creating characters that spring from the page... what makes them tick, the causes that drive them, their complexities and nuances, their dark secrets and insecurities, all eloquently laid bare for readers to revel in.

Filled with the author’s rich and descriptive power, his masterful storytelling and his insights into the politics, social history and dubious justice system of Ireland in this post-war period, this is a compelling and exquisitely written murder mystery which no discerning crime fan should miss.
(Faber & Faber, hardback, £18.99)

Icons of Style: in 100 Garments

Josh Sims

‘There is an element of fashion which,
in fact, doesn’t change. It’s the bedrock on
which everything else is built, the fundamental component through which experimentation occurs.’

A FREELANCE style writer and author of several fashion books, including Rock/Fashion, A Dictionary of Fashion Designers and Mary, Queen of Shops, Josh Sims has his finger firmly on the pulse of fashion, both past and present, so who better to explore not just some of the most iconic garments ever worn, but the stylish figures who helped make them eternally popular classics.

Focusing on the origins of one hundred definitive pieces – from the T-shirt to the trench coat, and the leather jacket to the little black dress – Sims (pictured below) brings us this captivating book, full of fabulous fashions and phenomenal photography, and shows  how these garments captured the spirit of their time and evolved over the years into timeless fashion staples.

Fashion moves in cycles of revolution and consolidation but its primary remit is still constant change because that is what drives consumption in what is, after all, an industry. But there is also an element of fashion which doesn’t, in fact, change... the ‘classics’ or ‘wardrobe staples.’

Behind nearly every item in the modern wardrobe is a first of its kind, the definitive item, often designed by a single company or brand for specialist use, and on which all subsequent versions have been based (and originals of which are now collector items in the booming vintage market). The T-shirt, for example, may now be an innocuous, everyday item, but it was created by American company Hanes for US Navy personnel at the turn of the 20th century and was subsequently adopted by sportsmen and bikers. Other items have been designed for sport, farm work or protection, and made their way into everyday usage.

That these classics have survived largely unchanged for as long as they have – often a century or more, and most are at least many decades old – is remarkable in a business that is generally perceived to thrive on newness.

Icons of Style examines, garment by garment, the most important and famous of these products... their provenance and history, the stories of their design, the brand or company that started it all, and how the item shaped the way we all dress today. As traditional definitions of men’s and women’s clothes are fast changing, Icons of Style combines all the key garments for everyone. Inspiring images of the best examples of the garment – from the 1930s to contemporary times, and from Marlene Dietrich to Mick Jagger – show the timeless beauty of these classics that are the basics of the stylish.

Featuring over one hundred of the most iconic fashion items, Sims’ fascinating book brings us everything from brogues to Breton tops, twinsets to mini-skirts, jeans to blazers, and denim jackets to the classic white shirt through stunning photography of style icons like Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Audrey Hepburn, Zendaya, Grace Kelly, Harry Styles, Ryan Gosling and Marilyn Monroe. With categories covering outerwear, dresses, and swimwear, and sub-chapters featuring the pea coat, empire-line dress, and swimming trunks, Icons of Style is a dazzling exploration of style down the years... and a tailor-made gift for your own fashionistas!
(‎Laurence King Publishing, paperback, £30)

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Horrors, hauntings and hilarious romps for Halloween reading

Monsters, ghosts, vampires, werewolves and witches... the spooky season is looming like a dark and delicious shadow so prepare to indulge your children’s Halloween dreams – and nightmares! – with this chilling, thrilling selection of
super-scary and frighteningly funny books

Age 9 plus
Midnight Treasure
Piers Torday 

IF there is one thing vampirs crave as much as blood,
it’s ... treasure! As Halloween approaches, soak up the ghostly atmospherics and immerse yourself in a thrilling world of werwolves and vampirs with award-winning author Piers Torday. Torday, whose first book for children, The Last Wild, was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Award and nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, stuns his fans once again with Midnight Treasure, this talented storyteller’s first foray into the ever-popular fantasy genre. And what an adventure it is as we are swept away to a breathtakingly imagined world full of marvels, myths and magic where readers will be mesmerised by a maze of clues, spells, imprisonments and escapes, fights and betrayals... and, perhaps most importantly, the inspirational courage and hope of two youngsters on a terrifying quest.

In an empire of vampirs and werwolves, Tibor is a werwolf, adopted from an orphanage by his guardian, Baron Ambrus, a powerful vampir. Tibor and his best friend Roza, once a vampire but now transformed into a black Alsatian dog, are living in the Age of Darkness, a time when immortals are supreme beings, and they are on the deadliest of quests, a race against time that will test their own immortality. But they’re not the only ones hunting for the Midnight Treasure. They face battling with bears, wrestling with vampirs and a host of other amazing characters with supernatural powers. Tibor and Roza must decide who to trust... and whether they will dare reveal the secrets of the Midnight Treasure. Midnight Treasure is the perfect balance between spooks and scares and fun and laughter as our two plucky friends summon up the blood for a fantastical treasure hunt that delights with its blend of vampirs and werwolves, high stakes drama, stunning world-building, and bold, unforgettable characters. Don’t miss the ride!
(Quercus Children’s Books, hardback, £14.99)

Age 12 plus
Escape Castle Dracula: A Gothic Puzzle Adventure
Sam Fern and Adam Allori

THE bloodthirsty Count Dracula has trapped you inside his castle! Can you escape his clutches? Youngsters will be locking themselves away to solve the fiendishly wicked challenges in this stunningly illustrated gothic puzzle adventure... perfectly created for the Halloween season! With devilishly good fun guaranteed on every page, readers are transported into the pages of fourteen classic horror stories in the quest to escape from Count Dracula’s castle. Help Victor Frankenstein create his monster, deduce the correct chemical formula to rescue Dr Jekyll from the murderous Mr Hyde, join forces with Sherlock Holmes to reveal the mastermind behind the murder of Sir Charles Baskerville and lay to rest forever the vicious ghost of the headless horseman. To vanquish the final villain and escape Count Dracula, readers must race their way through labyrinthine mazes and solve intricate puzzles, learning about some of the most terrifying tales in literature as they go. Illustrated in astonishing detail by concept artist and designer Adam Allori, and inspired by the works of Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Mary Shelley, Arthur Conan Doyle and Gaston Leroux, this stylish and entertaining book is the perfect introduction to the ever-popular genre of horror stories.
(Big Picture Press, hardback, £14.99)

Age 9 plus
Mallory Vayle and the Curse of Maggoty Skull
Martin Howard and Pete Williamson

THERE will be gruesome giggles, spooky sniggers and creepy cackles when youngsters get their hands on this hilarious ‘horror’ story from the top team of comedy king and author Martin Howard, and creative illustrator Pete Williamson. With deliciously dark humour, hellish hags, a gloriously ghoulish girl, a wig-loving skull and a spine-chilling, fast-paced adventure to devour, this spectacular spooky season romp (rightly!) comes with a warning that readers might just die of laughter! Mallory Vayle would list her interests as being normal... books about ponies and very definitely NOT talking to dead people. But when her parents’ carriage takes a leap off Gibbett Bridge – an accident for which there appears to be no explanation – she is taken in by a strange aunt that the family disowned years ago and brought to her new, and very spooky, home. The ghosts of her parents also take up residence in the house but are cruelly snatched away by the shadow of Hellysh Spatzl, the grimmest, wickedest necromancer in all of history. To get them back, Mallory will have to learn how to use the talents she hates and raise the old hag from the dead. And her teacher will be a talking skull called Maggoty who wants some favours in return for his help... not just a gorgeous blond wig and some sparkly earrings, but also for Mallory to break the curse that has left his spirit locked inside his own skull for 500 years. Mallory will have to plug into who she is and what she can do, make a pact with the evil Hellysh Spatzl... and put on a sensational Halloween spectacular at Nightmare Castle! Budding horror fans will love Howard’s gleefully spooky and very, very funny adventure which stars the chattiest, wig-wearing skull in the whole of Halloween history, and is brought to hilarious pictorial life through the creative power of master illustrator Pete Williamson’s prodigious imagination. Dangerously good!
(Nosy Crow, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
A Girl Called Corpse
The Lonely Lighthouse
of Elston-Fright
Reece Carter and Eleonora Asparuhova

WELCOME to Elston-Fright, a forgotten town where witches lurk, sea monsters roam and a girl is on the hunt for answers! A high-profile Australian nutritionist, Reece Carter has always had an appetite to write children’s fiction so – abracadabra – he cooked up the magical Elston-Fright books and their gloriously spooky tales of ghost-girls and ghouls. The first of the series – which is illustrated by Eleonora Asparuhova – is A Girl Called Corpse and stars a ‘kid ghost’ who has no memory of who she was before she was taken by the Witches. 

Corpse is bound to haunt the rock-that-doesn’t-exist forever... until she learns of a treasure, one that can reunite her with her family and her name. She sets off for answers, on a journey across the stormy sea, battling magic, zombie-skeletons and monsters but the Witches want the treasure too, and they will do anything to get to it first. And in the second book in the series, The Lonely Lighthouse of Elston-Fright, we meet Flip Little whose family have always been Lightkeepers, guardians sworn to protect the town of Elston-Fright from magical, monstrous threats. And Flip is no stranger to magic... only he knows about the two ghost-girls haunting a rock out at sea. When their spider friend, Simon, is spider-napped by ancient Poltergusts, weather ghouls out to cause mayhem, Flip, Girl and Corpse set out to rescue him. But first they must find and return the missing Light to the lighthouse, restoring its magic. Only nothing in Elston-Fright is quite as it seems. Questions bubble up from the deep, dark secrets emerge and soon, Flip and his friends learn that in order to beat the Poltergusts they need to understand what happened in the past. With spooks, spectres, mystery and ghostly goings-on, these deliciously dark adventures are filled with thrills, chills, fun, a big helping of heart and larger-than-life characters as the mysteries of Elston-Fright are slowly but surely revealed. The most bewitching stories you’ll read this Halloween! 
A Girl Called Corpse was previously published in
the UK as The Girl, the Ghost and the Lost Name.
(Usborne Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
Spooksmiths Investigate: The Cinderman
Alex Atkinson

WHEN you’ve grown up loving scary books filled with oddball characters, enjoyed playing murder-in-the-dark and listening to your dad’s blood-curdling bedtime stories, it seems a natural progression to make your debut novel a spooky (but funny) spine-chiller! The Cinderman is the first book of Spooksmiths Investigate, a brilliantly spooky new horror-mystery series from Alex Atkinson who says she still dreams of ghost and zombies. Indigo and Rusty might live in a funeral parlour in the seaside town of Greyscar but they don’t believe in ghosts. That is, until Indigo knocks over an old urn, accidentally releasing the Cinderman, a terrifying ash monster who will smother their town in ashes and turn everyone into zombies unless they can stop him by sunset. Using their newly awakened Spooksmith skills, Indigo and Rusty set out to enlist the help of other ghosts. But can the Blasted Banshee and Chuckles the Phantom Toddler really help them find the Cinderman’s true name and put him in his grave for good before Ashmageddon strikes? Inspired by visits to Saltburn on the North East coast and the gothic vibes of nearby Whitby, Atkinson lets loose her dynamic imagination on this super-spooky and fun-filled adventure which reminds us about the importance of family and friends, finding your true self and not giving up even when you’re scared. A treat for your Halloween tricksters!
(Usborne Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
We Do Not Welcome Our
Ten-Year-Old Overlord
Garth Nix

WHEN a strange and powerful object falls into the wrong hands, a deadly danger is released in a chilling new adventure from master storyteller Garth Nix who lives in Sydney and whose books include the award-winning Old Kingdom fantasy novels. It’s not fair. Twelve-year-old Kim Basalt has always lived in the shadow of his younger sister, Eila... which is not how it’s supposed to be. Ten-year-old Eila is a prodigy and everyone talks about how smart she is but, in Kim’s eyes, she has no common sense and still makes mistakes. One day Kim and Eila are walking in the woods, and Eila finds an enigmatic, otherworldly glowing globe floating in the lake. Kim thinks it’s bad news but Eila is irresistibly drawn to it, especially when the spirit, which calls itself Aster, starts communicating with her and she decides to take it home. Soon Eila is calling the strange object her friend and is able to control the minds of everyone around her... in ways she says is the best for everyone. Kim has every reason to be worried now and needs to put his problem-solving mind to the ultimate test. Can Kim and his friends save Eila from herself before it’s too late, and also save the world from the forces she has unleashed? The stakes are high in this intriguing and spine-tingling sci-fi mystery which is set in what Nix calls ‘an alternate version of Canberra, Australia’ and centres on an object so perilous that it has the potential to destroy the world. With lots of addictive scary vibes throughout, and an exploration of the age-old theme of sibling conflict, this is fantasy with a seductive and suspense-filled edge.
(Hot Key Books, paperback, £8.99)

Age 9 plus
Dread Wood: Terror Tower
Jennifer Killick

IMAGINE a book that serves up all those super-spooky vibes that kids love... horrors galore, a delicious dollop of black comedy and a bunch of spiky classmates with a killer moths mystery to solve. If that menu tickles your taste buds, then you’ll be dining out on queen of chills-and-thrills Jennifer Killick’s sixth and final brilliant adventure in a series which delivers horror and humour in perfect harmony. Perfectly pitched for middle grade readers, Dread Wood: Terror Tower stars the Club Loser team – Hallie, Angelo, Gus, Colette and Naira – and, as fans know, the friends have faced some truly fearsome foes, from mind-controlling parasites and deadly monsters of the deep to giant spiders and vampire birds. And their adventures aren’t quite over yet! Dread Wood High is suffering from an infestation of caterpillars, but these are no ordinary caterpillars. These creepy creatures will grow into giant, mutant, killer moths with a taste for flesh and blood! And on the night the school is ready to unveil its new tower, they start to hatch and will stop at nothing until everything – and everyone – is destroyed. It’s Club Loser’s toughest battle to date. It’s all to play for… and everything is at stake! Killick is a slick and sassy storyteller… she knows just how far to take her heart-stopping tales of cool comedy and scary horror as she pumps up the action and lets loose her rich imagination. The perfect spine-tingling finale for this gorgeously gigglesome chiller-thriller series!
(Farshore, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
Shiver Point: Under a Howling Moon
Gabriel Dylan

ENTER (if you dare!) Shiver Point... the home of spooks, screams and small-town horror! Under a Howling Moon is the third book of a thrilling, chilling and perfectly pitched series from Gabriel Dylan, a teacher and children’s author who is a self-confessed horror fan. So for all those who love having their spines tingled and their goosebumps raised, meet the plucky Shiver Squad and join them for a marvellously menacing new mystery. Oli can’t wait for his birthday camping trip to Howlmoor Forest with his friends. They’re going to toast marshmallows and tell scary stories under the full moon and it’ll be great... that is until the first night when Oli is woken by a terrifying beast slashing at the tent. And then his dad goes missing... All alone in the woods, it’s now up to the Shiver Squad to find him. But with a sense that something sinister is stalking them through the woods, will they succeed? And as the moon rises once again, will they even manage to get out alive? Expect red-eyed werewolves, and humans transformed into monsters... and don’t say you weren’t warned!
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
The Haunting of Fortune Farm
Sophie Kirtley

INSPIRED by the wild Irish landscape she knows and loves, and the unexpected discovery of her late grandmother’s mysterious dented locket, Sophie Kirtley’s new novel is a hauntingly beautiful tale is guaranteed to send shivers down readers’ spines. Exploring themes of memory, secrets, family love and the restless spirits that whisper on the wind, The Haunting of Fortune Farm stars a young girl on a thrilling, chilling journey to find a long-lost Viking hoard. Twelve-year-old Edie and her younger brother Pip are spending half-term at Fortune Farm, high in the Irish mountains, with their grandmother Lolly. They haven’t visited Fortune Farm for years and Edie has been dreading it for months. They spent all their holidays there when Dad was alive and Edie doesn’t like thinking about Dad... even the happy memories haunt her too much. When Edie uncovers a clue that could lead her to long-lost Viking treasure, it’s just the adventure she needs to take her mind off Dad. But the adventure soon takes an unnerving and dangerous turn, and Edie discovers that Fortune Farm has more secrets, mysteries and ghosts than she had ever dared to dream of. Kirtley’s choice of a remote farmhouse in the Irish wilderness delivers all the spooky vibes for a ghostly adventure full of powerful, heartfelt emotions and spine-tingling drama that will have youngsters racing to the final page. And with buried secrets waiting to be uncovered, and an ancient mystery to solve, this is a Halloween adventure with a big, big heart!
(Bloomsbury Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 9 plus
Black Gables
Eibhlís Carcione

WELCOME to the world’s creepiest school! If gothic vibes are the thrills and chills you seek this Halloween, enter – if you dare! – the ghostly entrance of a dark and forbidding village school where the air is fetid, the trees are like witches’ fingers, and nothing seems right. Soak up the atmospherics in another spooky adventure from Eibhlís Carcione, a children's writer and poet from Cork city in Ireland, whose gothic debut, Welcome to Dead Town Raven McKay, was a Times Summer read and a bestseller. Rosella’s mother has lost her memory after an accident and her family have returned to Black Gables, where she grew up, in the hope something will stir her memory. But all is not right at Black Gables... in fact everything is wrong. The headteacher, Mr Edge is beyond sinister and he seems to be communicating with the lake ghouls. The school lies at the edge of a dark lake in the village of Black Gables where the hills are haunted by the curlew’s call. The school and village take their name from two looming black gables, all that’s left of an old workhouse where many died. The walls between the gables are all gone and the gables form a ghostly entrance to the school, standing there like the backs of two stone beasts, all overgrown with brambles and with the wind whistling through dead windows. Beyond is the Stygian lake with its strange waters that change colours... and Rosella doesn’t like it one bit! Black Gables is a fantastical feast of gothic, a lush and descriptive mystery adventure perfect for tingling spines and raising goosebumps. At its dark heart is Rosella, thrown into a school full of menacing teachers, a positively ghoulish headteacher, and a host of strange creatures and apparitions. Truly a class act!
This book is published on October 24.
(Everything with Words, paperback, £8.99)

Age 8 plus
Ministry of Mischief
Alex Foulkes and Nikolas Ilic

MAGIC, friendship and some VERY naughty monsters! Alex Foulkes, whose debut series, Rules for Vampires, delighted a host of mischievous young readers, is back with more entertaining mayhem and misbehaviour as she invites youngsters to step into a land where being bad is one BIG adventure. This hilarious new adventure – the first of a new series – is filled with naughty magical creatures and unexpected friendships and comes with the anarchic illustrations of Nikolas Ilic. Joey and Harry do NOT like each other. Stuck together on a school trip to a museum, things couldn’t get any worse... until they meet some incorrigible monsters. The imps are on a field trip of their own, bringing bad luck to the human world. They quickly decide to take the children back to Impland, where they’ve come from, and feed them to their king. But what exactly lies ahead for Joey and Harry at the Ministry of Mischief? Will they make it back home in time for tea, or will they be stuck with these misbehaving imps forever?  Devilishly funny and simply brimming with naughtiness, this is the perfect read for your own young mischief-makers!
(Simon & Schuster Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 7 plus
Kevin the Vampire:
A Fanged and Fearsome Fiend
Matt Brown and Flavia Sorrentino

IT'S Halloween so what better time to catch up with Kevin Aurelius, a vampire of the very nicest kind! Award-winning author Matt Brown and Italian illustrator Flavia Sorrentino fly in for the third book in their frightfully funny series starring the lovable Kevin who’s just like any other (almost) eleven-year-old... well, apart from his fangs and the fact that he’s immortal. And in his new adventure, the time has come for Kevin’s Gloaming. This is a test that every nearly eleven-year-old must pass to show they have all the necessary skills to be a vampire, including facing Bernard the Destroyer, the most fearsome vampire there ever was. Along the way, Kevin will have to show he can transform into a bat, mind-speak and melt into the darkness... which would be fine except he hasn’t quite mastered the melt yet. If Kevin doesn’t pass, he’ll be banished forever. Is there anyone who can help him? Youngsters love getting their teeth into a feast of fiendish fun with Kevin, a reassuring hero who brings with him important messages about empathy, understanding and celebrating our differences. Packed to the fangs with fabulous fantasy and monstrous fun, and brought to life by Sorrentino’s horribly hilarious illustrations, Kevin’s adventures ensure youngsters have the last – and longest – laugh.
(Nosy Crow, paperback, £7.99)

Age 2 plus
Witch’s New Trick
Caroline Crowe and Jess Pauwels

YOU'RE never too young to join in the fun of Halloween so dish up a delicious concoction of fun, fangs and friendships with this bewitching picture book from author Caroline Crowe and illustrator Jess Pauwels. The moon cast long shadows that crept through the park, Pumpkins grinned gruesomely lighting the dark, Inside her cottage, a witch cast a spell, And let out a gigantic hiccup as well! Hazel Broomstick is a witch in a fix because magic and hiccups are not a good mix...  and on the eve of Halloween that could be a disaster! Her hiccups are making her spells do some very funny things. Nobody wants a pink, fluffy witch’s cat, or a cute pumpkin. Luckily her friends are here to help... now what do witches find REALLY scary? Knock, knock... it’s a FAIRY! Crowe’s rhyming romp is a delight to read to little ones and Pauwels casts a spell with her richly detailed and colourful illustrations. Magical mayhem for readers of every age!
(Faber Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Age 2 plus
Old MacPumpkin Had a Farm
Katrina Charman and Georgie Birkett

A FAVOURITE old rhyme gets an adorably spooky Halloween twist in a terrific ‘trick or treat’ picture book from two award winners, writer Katrina Charman and illustrator Georgie Birkett. Old MacPumpkin had a farm. Eek! Ahh! Eek! Ahh! Ohhh! And on that farm she had... lots of spooky friends! A cat, a bat, a spider, a skeleton, a witch, a ghost and even a monster! Old MacPumpkin is too busy taking care of the farm animals to notice, until... Knock! Knock! Who’s that at the door? With Charman’s playful text, Birkett’s quirky illustrations and a fantastic fold-out trick-or-treat party ending, this is an ideal introduction to the fun season of Halloween.
(Nosy Crow, hardback, £12.99)

Age One plus
Guess Who? Boo to You!
Katie Woolley and Grasya Oliyko

WHAT youngster can resist a game of knock, knock... particularly when there’s Halloween fun behind every door! Meet Ghost and his spooky friends in this split-page picture book with intriguing ‘door’ flaps to lift, surprises at every turn, and a mirror ending that ensures little ones have the last laugh. Knock, knock! Guess who? Join in the Halloween adventure as the friendly characters deliver Halloween treats to one another. Just knock on the door and open it to reveal who has been booed! This not-so-spooky picture book – filled with friendly characters, Katie Woolley’s delightful rhyme and Ukrainian Grasya Oliyko’s bold and colourful illustrations – is the perfect introduction to Halloween for little children. Simply spooktacular!
(Nosy Crow, hardback, £12.99)

Getting Away with Murder: My Unexpected Life on Page, Stage and Screen

Lynda La Plante

‘I’ve seen a lot, and been through a lot in a tough industry. I’ve met the great, the good and the bloody awful. And I hope I’ve gained some wisdom along the way that I can share...’

THE crime-writing queen who gave us Jane Tennison, the all-time female star of TV crime drama, has finally brought us the rollercoaster story of her own incredible life... and it’s as unique, funny, moving and hard-hitting as you would expect!

Liverpool-born Lynda La Plante (pictured below), who was commissioned to write her memoir in her eightieth year, has achieved success and awards beyond the dreams of most crime authors... three BAFTAs, a BAFTA Fellowship, an Emmy award, a British Film Institute Fellowship, a Royal Television Society award, an Edgar, and a CBE to name just some. 

But international fame has not dulled the ambition, humility and charmingly caustic wit of this born storyteller whose career began when she was aged just fifteen and shows no sign of flagging as she works every day, averages two novels a year, and undertakes several TV projects.

An actor, writer and producer as well as author, La Plante is a force to be reckoned with and her list of character creations includes the unforgettable Dolly Rawlins in Widows, the pioneering Prime Suspect police detective Jane Tennison, and Met detective Jack Warr, star of the brilliant Widows spin-off series.

After growing up on Merseyside, La Plante studied drama at RADA with the likes of John Hurt and Ian McShane, and then had a period treading the boards in musical comedy. But, having worked as a jobbing actor, she wanted to write the fierce, flawed and complex roles for women that just weren’t available in the Seventies and Eighties... and in doing so, she broke through the glass ceiling and changed TV drama for ever.

From typing her first ideas to running her own award-winning production company, and from mixing with the mafia in Italy to shadowing a private detective in Los Angeles, La Plante employs her trademark wit, style and raw honesty to bring us her experiences as a producer and writer, alongside a coruscating cache of hilarious and jaw-dropping stories.

Working in the Eighties, a time of entrenched gender inequality and rampant male chauvinism, La Plante faced innumerable obstacles both in front of and behind the camera, and her groundbreaking books and scripts broke down stereotypes and blazed a trail for others along the way.

Getting Away with Murder is an absolute delight from start to finish... it’s a tell-all, entertaining memoir that brims with the author’s addictive enthusiasm, humour and joie de vivre, and reveals how she overcame a mountain of obstacles to create generation-defining television and become a multi-million-copy bestselling author.

And despite her octogenarian status, La Plante remains at the top of her game, still a maverick, still pushing boundaries, and still standing strong where others would wilt. She’s a writer whose work has always fearlessly explored ‘the light and the dark that everyone has within them’ and now she shows us exactly how shedunnit!
(Zaffre, hardback, £22)

A Dance for the King

Anton Du Beke

WARTIME danger is not limited to the fear of bombing raids and enemy invasions in the summer of 1942... there are spies operating in some high society circles and London’s prestigious Buckingham Hotel is suspected to be a hotbed of plotting and subterfuge.

Put on your dancing shoes, polish up the sequins, and glide seamlessly into the glitz and glamour of Mayfair as the dark shadows of conflict once again fall over the luxury hotel which has become the much-loved stage for Strictly Come Dancing royalty and all-round entertainer Anton Du Beke’s richly nostalgic novel series.

The king of dance – and now king of romance – Du Beke (pictured below) returns to sweep us off our feet and waltz us back in time to the upstairs and downstairs dramas of the residents and staff of the Buckingham Hotel in wartime, and the mystery, romance, perils and personalities that have made this series such a winner with readers. A Dance for the King is our seventh trip back in time to the music and magic of the Buckingham’s magnificent Grand Ballroom where dreams and dilemmas are part of everyday life, but where the war is proving the catalyst for changes, some totally unexpected and some – like the arrival of American forces – exciting.

In London in the summer of 1942, the war is far from over for soldier Lieutenant Raymond de Guise when he returns to his family and friends at the Buckingham Hotel after what seems like a lifetime in North Africa. His wife, Nancy, who is in charge of the hotel’s housekeeping department, is overjoyed to be reunited with her husband and to introduce him to Arthur, the baby son that Raymond hasn’t yet met.

But a new kind of covert war is opening up for Raymond on his return to the city, a war that will mean he has to keep secrets from Nancy. Under the auspices of Maynard Charles – once the director of the Buckingham Hotel and now an officer with MI5 – Raymond must undertake espionage and surveillance work at the hotel.

Not only has a wave of American GIs arrived in London, but now spies have reportedly infiltrated the upper echelons of British society. Raymond’s orders are to return to his role as the hotel ballroom’s professional dancer and discover the dark secrets held by some of the glittering figures who frequent the Buckingham. And it’s on the dance floor that Raymond uncovers a dangerous relationship that could not only change the course of the war, but also threaten his marriage. With his safety – and that of Nancy, too – now threatened, can Raymond protect his King and his family before it’s too late?

A Dance for the King delivers the same heady mix of real social and British history with a story full of nostalgia, suspense, romance and intrigue as Raymond dices with danger while the music plays and the dancers dance. And Du Beke – whose research and inspiration for the series came from speaking to war veterans – doesn’t put a foot wrong in this new hotel drama as he whisks readers round the opulent ballroom, through the humble staff quarters, and into the lives of wealthy guests for another helping of mystery, dance and romance.

As always, the cast of flamboyant characters from all walks of life – not least dapper dancer Raymond, the feisty Nancy, the ballroom’s feted black American bandleader Max Allgood and now his wayward nephew Nelson – take centre stage as deadly secrets are unearthed.

Enjoy music, rhythm and some of the author’s trademark fancy footwork in this captivating story but readers can also expect some hard-hitting themes and Du Beke’s sharp insight into a country and its people coping with the daily realities of a far-reaching conflict. A time-travelling dance of delights!
(Orion, hardback, £20)

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: A medical marvel, flying feats and curious cooks

Laugh at the crazy capers of the world’s youngest doctor, enjoy a dizzying, dazzling journey with tales of sky-high derring-do, cook up a storm with a leading chef, and discover the amazing story of our planet as told by Earth itself in a sparkling selection

Age 8 plus
Dexter Procter the
10-Year-Old Doctor
Adam Kay and Henry Paker

IF reading this book makes you giggle so much that it hurts, you’d better book an appointment with the author! Former doctor Adam Kay, and his partner in all things yucky, aka illustrator Henry Paker, take youngsters on a pooey, frequently disgusting but entertaining and quietly educational adventure through medical marvels and mishaps in their outrageously funny new book. Dexter Procter the 10-Year-Old Doctor is the first middle grade fiction title from the winning author/illustrator team which created the bestselling non-fiction titles, Kay’s Anatomy and Kay’s Marvellous Medicine, and brilliant picture book Amy Gets Eaten which followed a piece of sweetcorn on a fascinating but squelchy journey through the human digestive system. And it’s pleasing to report that Kay and award-winning comedian, writer and illustrator Paker are on their best writing and illustrating form in this laughter-filled romp which blends riotous humour with some fascinating facts.

It was clear from an early age that Dexter Procter was different. He started speaking at four seconds old. By the age of three, he had 87 A-levels, from Afrikaans to Zoology, and by ten, he was working as a paediatrician at Lilydale General Hospital. Despite a loving but annoying family, and a couple of good friends (Rupi and Otto), Dexter has always struggled to fit in. But now he’s got a mortal enemy (Dr Drake) and there’s a major problem at his old school (all the teachers have been struck down with awful diarrhoea!) Will Dexter be able to save his job, save the school and find his place in the world? (Spoiler alert: yes!) All the family will be laughing (painfully!) as the world's youngest doctor peppers his madcap adventures with some eye-opening medical truths and proves that the functions of the human body can be intriguing as well as rather gruesome. Ideal as a teaching tool, great fun to read... and perfect to share with parents who might learn a little bit too!
(Puffin, hardback, £14.99)

Age 9 plus
Flight

From a Balloon to the Moon – and Beyond

David Long and Terri Po

TAKE flight and enjoy the dizzy heights of raw courage and success with this collection of astonishing true stories charting the advances in aviation. Written by award-winning author David Long and fabulously illustrated by Hong Kong-born Terri Po, Flight takes readers from a hot air balloon to holidays on the Moon through 190 pages of sky-high achievements and derring-do. For hundreds of years people have been reaching for the stars and, in less than a lifetime, technology has enabled us to progress from the Wright Brothers’ first, brief twelve-second flight to actually walking on the Moon.  From a medieval monk with home-made wings to the first real aeroplanes, and from barnstormers performing in flying circuses to astronauts in space, this book tells the stories of the people who made it happen. But Flight is also about the courage and ingenuity of the men and women who made such rapid progress possible, about the romance of soaring above the clouds, and perhaps most of all about the exciting and exhilarating realisation of a dream which is literally centuries old. Success involved breathtaking feats of engineering, some truly astonishing machines and raw courage on the part of the men and women (and one ten-year-old boy) who risked everything to turn those dreams of flying into reality. A truly uplifting account which is guaranteed to intrigue, enchant and inspire!
(Faber Children’s Books, hardback, £18.99)

Age 9 plus
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Wrath of the Triple Goddess
Rick Riordan

FANS of outstanding US author and global bestseller Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians fantasy series – which brings Greek mythology alive for contemporary readers – will be sky high with joy when they land on this brand new epic adventure. For those yet to be initiated into this bestselling phenomenon, the novels are set in a world with the Greek gods in the 21st century, and follow the protagonist Percy Jackson, a young demigod who has saved the world not once but multiple times. And in this new epic adventure, we meet up again with Percy who – after battling monsters, Titans, even death himself – should now find graduating high school a breeze... right? Wrong. Percy needs three recommendation letters from the gods before his final year in high school comes to an end. And one thing Percy knows, the gods on Mount Olympus don’t do anything for free. To secure his second letter, Percy and his friends Annabeth and Grover agree to a new quest – pet-sitting for the goddess Hecate while she’s away over Halloween. They just need to follow her simple rules: 1. Look after the pets like their lives depend on it (because they do) 2. Don’t touch anything – especially Hecate’s magic potions! 3. See points 1 and 2. But when Grover’s curiosity gets the better of him, the trio find themselves with a giant goat, a destroyed house, and Hecate’s (terrifying and potentially deadly) pets on the loose in New York City. Now the trio have twenty-four hours to find the pets and restore the mansion to order... or face the full fury of Hecate and her horrifying three heads. This gripping new adventure sees Percy on another enthralling, high-octane and thrilling adventure, full of legendary heroes, mythical creatures, ancient Greek gods and enduring friendships... a truly Titanic outing that is guaranteed to keep young readers hooked from first page to last.
(Puffin, hardback, £16.99)

Age 9 plus
Why Your Parents Are Hung-Up on Your Phone and What To Do About It
Dean Burnett

‘Can you get off your phone/ PS5/ Xbox!? NOW!’ 

NEUROSCIENTIST and bestselling author Dean Burnett puts his wit and wisdom to excellent use in this invaluable book exploring the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to youngsters and their mobile phones. ‘I bet that you and your parents argue about phones,’ Burnett counters as he helps answer some burning questions like should phones be banned in schools, what is ‘too much’ screentime, and how old do you need to be before you can have a phone? Burnett shows youngsters why parents are sometimes wrong about phones (and why, annoyingly, they can be a bit right), how you can understand them a bit better, and (even better!) how you can stop arguing about them. Using an informal and accessible style, he also explains why turning off TikTok can be so hard, how video games can change your brain for the better, and how Snapchat can make us sad (and lots of other complicated feelings). Screens, he says, can be a good thing, and a bad thing, but they’re definitely not worth getting hung up about. Packed with expert and engaging guidance, this straight-talking book helps youngsters understand their phones, why their parents are so ‘strange’ about them, and what they can do to make things better. The perfect book to unpack the science and tell you what REALLY matters!
(Penguin, paperback, £9.99)

Age 8 plus
Planet Earth: My Life So Far
Mike Barfield and Jess Bradley

DISCOVER the amazing story of our planet... as told by Earth itself! This quirky, comic-style, first-person ‘autobiography,’ featuring Earth telling its own life story, is the work of creative and award-winning duo, author Mike Barfield and illustrator Jess Bradley. So welcome to the planet we call home and enjoy the ultimate world tour through Earth’s history, habitats and unique line-up of life forms past and present. From its very earliest beginnings 4.5 billion years ago to the birth of life, rise of biodiversity and the myriad creatures and lush landscapes that cover its surface... it’s ALL here! Planet Earth: My Life So Far comes with fact-packed pages, terrific timelines, earth-shattering shocks and some gigantic ‘guest stars,’ as well as explorations of the formation of Earth and the Moon, Earth’s geographical and geological features, and the challenges it faces today. Written in Barfield’s trademark comedy style and accompanied by Bradley’s engaging and colourful comic-strip illustrations, this is a global adventure you won’t want to miss!
(Buster Books, paperback, £10.99)

Age 7 plus
Chefs Wanted! 
Allegra McEvedy and Alice Bowsher

IF the kitchen is your kids’ happy place, then help them cook up a storm with this brilliant, inspirational book from Allegra McEvedy, chef, writer, cookery teacher and co-founder of LEON, the popular, healthy, fast-food restaurant group. McEvedy is aiming to inspire children to be passionate about cooking by presenting children’s TV programmes, such as Junior Bake Off and Step Up To The Plate, and now she has carefully prepared this tasty blend of top techniques and tips and delicious recipes for 45 restaurant-grade dishes, with the added bonus of lashings of full-on fun. Chefs Wanted! covers all areas of the kitchen and includes specialised techniques pages to help young chefs become more professional. With simple, step-by-step instructions, mouthwatering photographs of every dish, and Alice Bowsher’s quirky, colourful illustrations, this magnificent cookbook takes youngsters’ skills to the next level. From family favourites like cannelloni and chilli, street food like spring rolls, and sweet treats like profiteroles, to exciting and sometimes challenging food from around the globe like maki rolls, sunshine scones, gyozas, and paneer masala, McEvedy helps children bring new flavours to their cookery. So what are you waiting for? Wash your hands, put on your apron... and get cooking!
(DK Children, hardback, £16.99)

Age 7 plus
The Wild Robot
Peter Brown

WHAT happens when the natural world collides with technology? Bestselling author and illustrator Peter Brown’s heartfelt novel, The Wild Robot, has become a modern classic since it was first published in 2016. Described by one critic as a ‘fable for our age,’ the story has been adapted as a major DreamWorks animation film due to be released this month and to celebrate the big day, this new edition of Brown’s book includes eight pages of fantastic full-colour art from the movie. When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is... but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a fierce storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realises that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island’s unwelcoming animal inhabitants. As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home... until, one day, her mysterious past comes back to haunt her. Packed with action, drama and heartwarming messages about friendship, family, love, and the importance of balancing technological advance with the need to protect nature, this is a tale of our times you won’t want to miss!
(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £7.99)

Age 3 plus
The Safari: An Alphabet Story from A to Z!
Joanna McInerney and Jana Glatt

JOIN a little frog as he travels the world and meets new friends in a bright and busy alphabet book from editor and writer Joanna McInerney and exciting talent Jana Glatt who was born in Rio de Janeiro and has been described as Richard Scarry for a new generation. Youngsters are guaranteed fun on every page as they search for animals from A to Z in scenes full of colour, rich detail and vivid characters. Our friendly frog is on a quest to say hello to as many animals around the world as possible! From the wildest savannahs to the depths of the ocean, each spread is jam-packed with animals to find. But, there’s a catch! Can you find the animals which begin with the correct letter? The Safari is a picture perfect alphabet book designed to spark the imagination and with an adorable rhyming story that is perfect for early learning. Who will you meet along the way... don’t miss the fun of finding out!
(Big Picture Press, hardback, £14.99)

Age 3 plus
Patrick and Flippa
Wendy Meddour and Merle Goll

MEET Patrick the polar bear and Flippa the seal... Flippa is Patrick’s best friend but something’s not quite RIGHT and it’s going to test their friendship! Award-winning children’s writer Wendy Meddour and German-born illustrator Merle Goll have fun with a heart-melting picture book about friendships and setting boundaries. Patrick and Flippa love watching clouds together. Every day, Flippa dives for their dinner and makes sure that Patrick’s tummy is full of fish... so why does he always have that empty bear feeling? Is it because Flippa is always in charge or is because he’s hungry and needs to start catching his own fish? Meddour’s gently educational story delivers important messages at the same time as making us smile, while Goll’s artwork brings the adorable  creatures to vibrant life. Perfect to dive in and enjoy with your little ones... the water might be icy but a warm hug awaits!
(Oxford University Press, paperback, ££7.99)

Age 2 plus
CLANG!
Sam Usher

‘When I woke up this morning, Penguin was missing!’ 

WELCOME to a wild and wonderful adventure with a little boy and his grandad as they head off on a voyage around the world on an old steamship. CLANG! is the second title in author and illustrator Sam Usher’s Adventures with Grandad (Transport Quartet), starring his much-loved Boy and Grandad double act. Boy has lost his beloved toy penguin. He and grandad have looked all over the place but she’s nowhere to be seen. Boy thinks he might know where she’s gone but if they’re going to find her, they need to build a big boat! Little ones will love seeing Boy and Grandad use their ingenuity to turn an old bath into a seaworthy vessel and navigate all the way to the South Pole. Along the way, they encounter a variety of ships, submarines... and even pirates! Usher’s warm-hearted, original and inspirational stories celebrate the special bond between children and their grandparents, and are must-reading for pre-schoolers. With themes of creativity, resourcefulness and shared adventures, and some subtle science facts, Usher’s quirky and charming story is complemented by a palette of gloriously funny watercolour illustrations which add extra character and texture to an enchanting and life-affirming adventure. Don’t miss the boat!
(Templar Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age 2 plus
Bird Bath
Steve Antony

BATHTIME is splashing good fun in the second book of award-winning writer and illustrator Steve Antony’s lively and lovely pre-school picture book series that puts the focus on familiar childhood moments, emotions and milestones. Simple, playful stories blend with gorgeous illustrations in a style that is full of visual and verbal appeal for babies and toddlers. In Bird Bath, Antony explores the joys and frustrations of bath time... a source of hilarity, mischief – and stress for parents! Stars of the show are four mucky birds, all desperately in need of a bath! They’ve got soap, shampoo and a BIG bottle of bubble bath, but can they be trusted not to use it all? Will they keep the water inside the bath? And how many birds can you fit in the tub? Because when bath time is this much fun, EVERYONE wants to get in. A squeaky clean pleasure to share with your own little bathtime mischief-makers!
(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £7.99)

Operation Tulip

Deborah Swift

WHEN the Battle of Arnhem failed to create an Allied invasion route into German-held territory in northern Holland in September of 1944, it left the Dutch facing winter without food or fuel... and as many as 18,000 people starved to death.

With the Nazis purloining food stocks, destroying ports, and terrorising the civilians, it was a desperate time for those who were trapped but the work of the Resistance movement continued, with undercover operatives seeking ways to disrupt or report back on German activities.

And it is this deadly end-of-war period – known to the Dutch as the Hunger Winter – which forms the thrilling backdrop to the final book in bestselling Lancashire-based author Deborah Swift’s gripping Secret Agents trilogy which has included The Silk Code and The Shadow Network. Swift (pictured below), who lives in Warton, near Carnforth, used to work backstage as a scenographer in many North-West theatres, including Liverpool Playhouse and The Duke’s theatre , Lancaster, and it is her imaginative flair, painstaking research, and keen eye for drama and authenticity, that has made her novels so viscerally real and exciting.

In this page-turning last chapter of what has been an outstanding and hugely popular series, we meet up again with fearless SOE agent and fluent Dutch and French speaker Nancy Callaghan whose dicing-with-death missions and love affair with coding expert Tom Lockwood in London has won the hearts of readers.

In her tense new undercover mission in the autumn of 1944, we find Nancy in northern Holland where the Germans are clinging on ‘like an angry toddler with a toy’ after Allied airborne troops failed in their brave attempt to capture the bridge at Arnhem and forge a critical invasion route. Unable to contact other networks or Tom Lockwood, the man she loves, Nancy is one of the few agents left and faces her toughest case yet in The Hague. A key member of the Dutch resistance has been captured and they need to locate where he is and find out how much the Nazis know about the Resistance networks.

Nancy – who is ’not the crumbling type’ – is assigned to play the role of Danique Koopman, wealthy widow of a Nazi sympathiser, and win over notorious SS officer, Detlef Keller, who is in charge of the records that log crucial information about Resistance prisoners and their transportation.

Meanwhile in London, Tom is devastated to learn that the Allies have failed to push back the Nazis, leaving northern Holland completely cut off from the rest of Europe... and also leaving him cut off from his beloved Nancy. Tom isn’t supposed to even know that Nancy is an agent but, desperate to rescue the love of his life, he devises Operation Tulip, an audacious plan to bring Nancy home by heading off to Europe alone and making his way into Holland through the Allied lines.

But as Nancy infiltrates the Dutch SS, she finds herself catching the eye of an even more senior member of the Nazi Party. Is she now too deep in the enemy camp, and can Tom reach her before she gets caught? One of the secrets of Swift’s success as a historical novelist is the depth and rich detail of her research, an aspect of her writing which she finds the most enjoyable and rewarding. And the immaculate wartime backdrop she paints for this atmospheric and heart-pounding tale brings to life German-occupied Holland and all its breathtaking darkness, danger and menace.

It’s an eye-opening story of undying love, and immense bravery and sacrifice set against the harsh realities faced by Dutch people north of the Rhine in the last agonising months of the Second World War. The country’s proximity to Germany meant many residents agreed with the Nazi regime, and betrayal by neighbours and friends was not uncommon. With starvation ravaging many urban areas, death or transportation from a vengeful and rampant enemy a constant threat, and trust something that can’t be taken for granted, Holland is now cut off from the Allies and at the mercy of the Nazis.

And it’s through Nancy’s work as an undercover operative, and the deadly perils of her high-risk assignment to infiltrate the Dutch SS, that Swift shows us just how courageous were those selfless wartime agents who put their lives on the line every moment of every day spent in enemy territory. With real history in the raw, heart-pounding drama, bone-chilling cruelty, plot twists, and the sheer power of true love, this is a terrific finale to an unforgettable series.

And there is a chance to learn more about Swift’s research for the Secret Agents series and the work of the women of the wartime Dutch Resistance when she gives an author talk at Carnforth Bookshop in Carnforth, Lancashire, at 2pm on Saturday, October 5. 
⧭ Lancs novelist reveals wartime research: See full story below.
(HQ, paperback, £9.99)