Buried

Lynda La Plante

A BURNT-OUT cottage, a dead body, and over a million pounds worth of charred bank notes linked to a notorious train robbery… it can only mean one thing. The queen of crime is back!

Wallow in a gripping, escapist tale of crooks, cops and cunning plot twists as Liverpool-born screenwriter and author Lynda La Plante, one of the nation’s favourite police procedural writers, dazzles readers with her crime-cracking new series.

After film director Steve McQueen took his movie Widows, based on La Plante’s original story, to the big screen last year, the award-winning author has brought us a series of gripping tie-in novels including Widows’ Revenge and She’s Out.

Both books picked up the plot of a group of robbers’ widows – led by indomitable gang boss Dolly Rawlins – who took up the mantle of their crooked, and now deceased, husbands. And now we fast forward 25 years to discover not just what happened to those nefarious gangsters’ molls but to meet intriguing new star, DC Jack Warr, a young detective struggling to find his place in the Met after a move from rural Devon, and discovering links to the past that, even in his wildest dreams, he could never have imagined.

QUEEN OF CRIME: Lynda La Plante

Thirty-six-year-old Jack Warr and his girlfriend Maggie, a trainee doctor, have just moved to London to start a new life together. Maggie is a potential high-flyer with her sights set on being an orthopaedic surgeon while Jack, though charming, can’t seem to find his place in the world.

Jack feels he is at a crossroads in his life. He should by now have been a detective inspector rather than a lowly detective constable but he has no ambition and is still unsure whether he really wants a career in policing.

Fortunately, his boss, DCI Simon Ridley, recognises Jack’s exceptional eye for detail and his natural ability to get information out of people and is prepared to give him a chance in the Serious Crime Squad. And when a badly charred body is discovered, along with the burnt remains of millions of stolen, untraceable bank notes in the aftermath of a fire at isolated Rose Cottage near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, Jack is drawn into an investigation that turns his uneventful life upside down. It seems the notes can be connected to a notorious crime dating back to 1995… the biggest train robbery the country has ever seen and for which no one has ever been arrested.

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Just as Jack finally discovers details of his birth parents from his dying adoptive father, his enquiries into the arson fire lead him deep into a murky criminal underworld… a world he finds himself surprisingly good at navigating. But as the line of the law becomes blurred, how far will Jack go to find the answers… and what will it cost him?

Packed with revealing flashbacks, fast-paced action, an unforgettable cast of characters, including the restless, unpredictable Jack Warr, and La Plante’s dark, satirical brand of northern humour, Buried is a masterclass in visual storytelling.

Jack’s professional development from clever but unambitious cop to maverick investigator is set to lie at the heart of this atmospheric new series which once again will delight crime fans who like their thrillers to come with plenty of authentic police and forensic detail.

In trademark style from this gifted writer, entertainment value is guaranteed as past and present are threaded seamlessly together by a brutal murder, and we are left wondering in which direction our fascinating hero is headed. Ideal as a standalone, or as a tasty treat for La Plante’s army of Widows fans, this is the perfect page-turner for the long days of lockdown.

(Zaffre, hardback, £14.99)

The House at Silvermoor

Tracy Rees

RAISED in small villages at the heart of South Yorkshire’s tough mining country, Tommy Green and Josie Westgate are destined to be a pair of star cross’d friends.

Born on opposite sides of rival pit communities, the two young people have always been marked out to live, marry and work by rules and traditions that were laid down decades ago… but it’s the dawn of the 20^th century and changes lie ahead that will break down class barriers and turn expectations on their head.

Welsh author Tracy Rees – whose debut novel Amy Snow won the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller Competition in 2015 – is acclaimed for her acutely perceptive and compassionate writing, and her fifth book sets the seal on her reputation as an accomplished and imaginative historical novelist. Inspired by the experiences of her own collier grandfather, Rees brings us an exquisitely written, hard-hitting and powerfully emotional tale of family, friendship, love, loss, cruelty and kindness set against the privations, inequalities, social struggles and sometimes blind prejudices of tight-knit mining communities.

 EMOTIONAL TALE: Tracy Rees

In the spring of 1898, 12-year-old Josie Westgate has never questioned her life in the South Yorkshire mining village of Arden. She has always accepted that, as a miner’s daughter, she will one day be a miner’s wife and her home will always be in Arden. But everything changes when she meets 12-year-old Tommy Green from the neighbouring pit village of Grindley. Tommy, who has been destined for a life working underground since the moment he was born, has far more ambitious dreams for his future and gives Josie ‘the gifts of questions and dreaming and laughter.’

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By far the cleverest boy at the village school, Tommy wants to leave Grindley, meet people who talk of things other than mining, and find rooms that are filled with books. But his schoolmaster warns him, in no uncertain terms, that ‘the world’s realms and reaches are not for the likes of you.’ United by their desire for something better and by their fascination with the local gentry, Josie and Tommy become firm friends even though their families would frown on their relationship as they come from different communities and work for different mine owners. Tommy’s family are employed by the wealthy and glamorous Sedgewicks of Silvermoor who inhabit a world that is utterly forbidden to Tommy and Josie, but have always proved to be fair and philanthropic employers.

Meanwhile, Josie’s father and brothers work for the Barridges, a family that ‘work their men harder than dogs’ and once lived in the grand mansion, Heston Manor, which they closed up and left chained and unlived in when their eldest son and heir died in a riding accident.

As an escape from their grim lives, Tommy and Josie have found a way to sneak into the grounds

The Bramble and the Rose

Tom Bouman

WHEN a headless body is found in woodland in the wild mountains of Pennsylvania, all the signs point to a marauding bear…

But when Officer Henry Farrell, from the ‘one-man police department’ at the local small town of Wild Thyme, discovers the victim was a private investigator, the inquiry soon escalates into one of the most sinister and dangerous murder cases he has ever had to tackle.

Readers of US author Tom Bouman’s bleak and brilliant Henry Farrell series – not least his Edgar and LA Times Book Award debut Dry Bones in the Valley – will have already fallen under the spell of this outstanding writer’s elegiac, elegant novels.

Bouman’s home is in north-eastern Pennsylvania where the once-quiet valleys of the shale-rich Appalachian mountains have become victims of the hungry, land-guzzling, fracking industry. And it is in the shadow of this landscape – overtaken by torn-up trees, access roads, colossal machines and the drone of drills – that he sets his haunting tales of drugs, greed, desolation, old secrets, and feuds that divide families and neighbours and stretch back down the generations.

BRILLIANT SERIES: Tom Bouman

With complex, multi-faceted plots, exquisitely wrought characters, a powerful and very personal connection to both the history and people of this corner of the world, these riveting, haunting stories have become much-loved literary treats.

When the premature death of his wife ‘let the black dog in,’ Somalia war veteran Henry Farrell left Wyoming and headed back to his home town of Wild Thyme in the mountain region of Pennsylvania, a place of natural beauty that has been blighted by fracking and an influx of outsiders.

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Now, he has got the lie of the land, is recently married to local girl Julie Meagher and enjoying the ‘sunny goodness’ of his new wife. The only things getting in the way of his happiness are his own proclivity for anxiety and depression, and his affair with a local married woman, Shelly Bray, which ended in her acrimonious divorce and angry departure from Wild Thyme. Farrell hasn’t seen her since but there are rumblings that she is back and he hasn’t had the heart to tell Julie about the whole messy affair. His peace is shattered when a decapitated body is found in the woods. All the signs point to a man-killing bear, and Farrell would just as soon leave this hunt to the Game Commission and bear biologist Dr Mary Weaver.

But the case becomes even more serious when it is discovered that the victim was retired private

Maybe One Day

Debbie Johnson

By Bridget Rowan

PART fairy tale, part love story and wholly exceptional, Maybe One Day starts with a funeral and ends with… well that would be telling. No spoilers. But it is without doubt a journey well worth making.

Jess’s carefully controlled little world is rocked by the discovery of an old box of letters hidden carefully away in her mother’s dusty attic. After her initial bewilderment and shock, Jess determines to right old wrongs and find absolution for herself as she embarks on a deeply personal double odyssey.

POIGNANT TALE: 
Debbie Johnson 

First, though, she has to find the courage to face a daunting spiritual pilgrimage into her own damaged past before embarking on a physical journey across England, Ireland and beyond in the quest for redemption that will test her grit and fortitude.

Like any fairy-tale heroine, Jess finds some helpful companions along the way in the unlikely shapes of her sweet – but closeted – cousin Michael, repressed by his stuffy, hidebound parents, and activist solicitor Belinda, a whip-smart and kickass-tough cookie whose prickly carapace hides a heart of pure softened ghee.

While award-winning novelist Debbie Johnson may be justly acclaimed as the author of the Comfort Food Cafe series, in her new novel she moves away from the bubbly feel-good and into the darker, skewed world of dysfunctional families, mental breakdown and shattered lives.

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Maybe One Day veers sharply between optimism and despair, comedy and tragedy in a deeply emotional story that goes in moments from laugh-out-loud funny to heart-rendingly sorrowful. With this poignant tale of love, hope and fortitude and full of finely rounded eccentric characters, Debbie Johnson has a real winner on her hands.

(Orion, paperback, £7.99)

My One True North

Milly Johnson

COULD you ever comfortably laugh along with a story involving bereavement, loss and grief? When much-loved Barnsley author Milly Johnson is writing the script, anything is possible... so get your hands on this funny, poignant new tragicomedy and enjoy one of the North of England’s best feel-good novelists at the top of her game.

My One True North is Johnson’s seventeenth novel and it’s a dazzling, contemporary masterpiece, full of heart, soul and humour, and just what you might have expected from the winner of the RoNA Best Romantic Comedy Novels of 2014 and 2016.

This is a writer whose wide-ranging experiences as a columnist, joke-writer, poet and after-dinner speaker have made her a consummate ‘people person,’ enabling her to fill her clever stories with people we all recognise and to seamlessly blend heartfelt emotion with laugh-out-loud comedy, gritty reality with gorgeous romance, and moments of sheer magic with the downright prosaic.

WIT AND WISDOM: Milly Johnson

Here we meet two star players struggling to cope with the raw grief of losing their loved ones, and discovering friendship, solace, love and understanding in a quaint little teashop tucked away on a quiet northern street.

Lawyer Laurie De Vere and fireman Pete Moore should never have met but fate has pushed them together for a reason which they have yet to discover. Six months ago, Pete was on fire duty when he was called out with his team to a terrible ten-vehicle pile-up on a dual carriageway heading out of town.

It was the worst imaginable nightmare for Pete because his wife Tara was among the victims and now the memories of that night are ‘like a big, knotted ball of barbed wire’ inside his skull.

Laurie is still reeling after her partner, Alex, also died in a car crash. Thoughts ‘rolled into her brain like a cold, dark fog’ and she is struggling to get past the ‘armour-plating’ she has welded around herself. To help manage their grief, they have both joined the same counselling group at Molly Jones-Hoyland’s teashop where tea, cakes, compassion and good advice are dispensed.

From their overwhelming sadness, Pete and Laurie find happiness growing and sense a fresh new beginning. But the more they talk, the more they begin to spot the strange parallels in their stories. And then Pete discovers a truth that changes everything.

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But, as surely as a compass points north, some people cannot be kept apart…
Johnson’s sensitive exploration of what it means to grieve for a loved one lies at the heart of this

Rules for Perfect Murders

Peter Swanson

WHEN book shop owner Mal Kershaw wrote a blog listing his eight perfect crime fiction murders, he little suspected it would become the template for a real-life serial killer. Fans of classic murder mysteries will be in seventh heaven as American master of the psychological thriller, Peter Swanson, serves up a feast of literary fun and fiendishly clever conundrums in his gripping and hugely entertaining new novel.

Best known for spine-tingling page-turners like The Girl with a Clock for a Heart, The Kind Worth Killing and All the Beautiful Lies, Swanson turns his sharp eye and prodigious imagination to the Golden Age of crime writing in this contemporary whodunnit with a magical, murderous twist. Expect a nostalgic roll-out of fiction’s most ingenious murders, a loaded pistol full of dark, dangerous secrets, an unpredictable storyline, and an atmosphere as tense and as taut as a coiled spring.

Years ago, Mal Kershaw, mystery aficionado and now owner of the Old Devils Bookstore in Boston, compiled an online list of his favourite and most unsolvable Golden Age murders – killings that seem almost impossible to crack – and titled them Eight Perfect Murders. His best of the best included Agatha Christie’s ABC Murders, Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train, A. A. Milne’s Red House Mystery, Anthony Berkeley Cox’s Malice Aforethought, James M. Cain’s Double Indemnity, and Donna Tartt’s A Secret History.

GEM OF A READ: Peter Swanson

But no one is more surprised than Mal when FBI agent Gwen Mulvey comes knocking on his door one snowy day in February, looking for information about a series of unsolved murders that look eerily similar to the killings on Mal’s old list.

Mal still specialises in mystery books but, if truth be known, he has lost interest in them now. However, the FBI agent isn’t the only one interested in this bookseller who spends almost every night at home reading, and is haunted by a dream that people are ‘coming after’ him.

There is killer is out there, watching his every move, someone who knows way too much about Mal’s personal history, especially the secrets he has never told anyone, even his recently deceased wife. To protect himself, Mal begins looking into possible suspects and sees a killer in everyone around him. But Mal doesn’t count on the investigation leaving a trail of death in its wake. Suddenly, a series of shocking twists leaves more victims dead… and the noose around Mal’s neck grows so tight he might never escape.

Swanson’s own love and knowledge of the works of legendary crime writers shines through in this gripping, mind-bending gem of a read for all crime mystery fans. Mal proves to be an intriguing narrator… his own story is as full of glaring gaps and unreliable evidence as the investigation into the series of murders which is taking place around him.

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There are thrills, chills, brilliant twists, and puzzles to fathom as hidden truths emerge and readers try desperately to second and third guess what, why and, of course, whodunnit.

Rules for Perfect Murders is a triumphant gear change for this exciting author... superbly imagined, cleverly plotted, and perfectly executed, it’s a fascinating and fabulous feast of literary conundrums. The ideal gift for any new crime fiction fan, and a chance for all seasoned addicts to revisit some of their tried, trusted and much-loved favourites...
(Faber & Faber, hardback, £12.99)

To Keep You Safe

Kate Bradley 

WHEN you’re a teacher, how far should you go to protect a pupil who is in danger? This moral conundrum lies at the heart of a hard-hitting and gripping debut novel from an exciting author whose career has taken her into the real lives of those at the margins of society.

After working in prisons, mental health hospitals, and alongside the homeless, Kate Bradley has used both her experience and writing skills on this torrid tale of a mentally scarred teacher determined to save a damaged teenage girl from those who seek to use and abuse her.

But this extraordinarily tense and addictive story is not what it first appears as readers are constantly bamboozled and sidetracked by the gobsmacking twists and turns of a high-octane plot and two fascinating and unreliable narrators. When 40-year-old maths teacher Jenni Wales sees 15-year-old pupil Destiny Mills’ black eye and cut face, she is immediately worried about her safety. The school knows that Destiny is vulnerable… she lives in a children’s home, is unsuitable for foster care because of her behaviour, and rarely turns up for class. But that isn’t the only reason why Destiny isn’t your average student. She’s smart and has a genius IQ, and could really make something of her life, given the chance.

GRIPPING DEBUT NOVEL: Kate Bradley

Jenni, who is a keen Ironman triathlete and spent years in the army until she left under a shadow, finds emotional communication difficult because of a condition called alexithymia. It leaves her unable to ‘read’ people, rather like ‘being dropped into an unknown land where everyone else had a map, and I did not.’

But she does recognise the ‘unadulterated fear’ experienced by Destiny when the teenager takes a call on her mobile phone, and when Jenni witnesses an attempt by two men to abduct her from school, she must make a decision – and make it quickly – because the staff at the school are not taking the threat seriously.

Jenni doesn’t know who the men are and why they are hunting Destiny but she knows the girl is in danger and, always one for a challenge, she does the only thing she can think of to keep Destiny safe… she takes her. It’s a decision that will change not just her life, but the lives of those around her. There are thrills, chills and spills to relish in this clever, compelling debut which delivers shocks at every turn and a plot that moves rapidly from the normality of a school classroom to the murky corners of a brutal criminal underworld.

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As the lost teenager and the mentally fragile Jenni embark on a terrifying journey, readers must try to work out who is telling the truth, and who is in most need of rescue. Along the way, Bradley explores some gritty and sensitive issues, and poses serious questions about how far experiences outside of our control shape who we are and how we lead our lives.

Emotionally harrowing, page-turningly compulsive, and graphically, viscerally real, To Keep You Safe is a powerful opener from an intriguing new voice in suspense fiction.
(Zaffre, paperback, £8.99)

The Women of Primrose Square

Claudia Carroll

PRIMROSE Square might seem like a cosy corner of the busy, bustling city of Dublin but behind the doors of its solid old houses, human dramas are played out with the most unexpected results.

Welcome back to the charming city square – and its rich assortment of eclectic characters ­– where loves, losses, dramas and dilemmas sprung to vivid life last year in Claudia Carroll’s warm and witty novel The Secrets of Primrose Square.

And now we are back to meet up with a few familiar names, and get to know some intriguing new ones, in a return visit to the leafy, lovely street where an outward tranquillity hides a hotbed of shocking secrets and distressing human stories.

Frank Woods, the quiet and unassuming man who lives at number seventy-nine Primrose Square, is supposed to be having a 50^th birthday party at home but no one seems able to come… not even his wife and two children who all claim to be occupied elsewhere that evening. Nicknamed ‘Mr Cellophane’ at work because his colleagues don’t notice whether he’s in the room or not, Frank decides he will instead celebrate at home in a completely different way. What he hadn’t reckoned on was arriving home to his family’s surprise party… only to find that it’s his guests who get the real surprise.

DRAMAS AND DILEMMAS: Claudia Carroll

Across the road lives cantankerous, acid-tongued neighbour, Violet Hardcastle (better known as ‘Violent’ to some). A piano teacher with a rapidly dwindling number of pupils, Violet is a keen observer of what goes on in the square and likes nothing better than to send out letters of complaint to her neighbours.

Finding himself alone and believing that he has failed his family, Frank moves in as a lodger with Violet who hasn’t left her home for decades and is badly in need of some money to help the upkeep of her crumbling house. And before long, there’s another lodger moving in to suffer Violet’s long list of house rules… 40-year-old recovering alcoholic Emily Dunne is fresh out of rehab, embarking on ‘the first day of the rest of her life of sobriety,’ and desperate to make amends to her loved ones.

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As gossip spreads through Primrose Square, tragic secrets from the past tumble out, every relationship is tested, and nothing in this close-knit community will ever be the same again…

Irish writer Carroll, author of a raft of fresh and funny novels, and a star of the Dublin-based TV soap opera Fair City, takes us on another of her emotional rollercoaster rides in a story that will make readers both laugh and cry. Exquisitely drawn characters, serious social and domestic issues, and a fine line in Irish wit have regularly won Carroll a place in the bestsellers lists, and the genuine affection of her army of adoring readers who cannot help but be seduced by her warm and wise way of seeing the world.

The pages of this new story from enchanting Primrose Square come full of insight and compassion as ordinary people experience some of real life’s most emotive, tragic and painful issues. But, in Carroll’s trademark style, there is also love, understanding, humour, community spirit, and the comfort and healing power of friendship.

(Zaffre, paperback, £7.99)

The Prized Girl

Amy K. Green

JENNY Kennedy is the perfect daughter, she’s popular with her school friends and a successful beauty queen… so who would want to kill her? This gripping, small town American murder mystery – a tale full of angst, anger and dark secrets – comes from the pen of exciting debut author Amy K. Green who honed her silky, subtle skills in screenwriting and film production.

With her sharp eye for dysfunctional families, troubled teens and psychological tension – and a wicked brand of black humour – Green takes her readers on a haunting, mind-twisting journey into the shadowy heart of a picture-perfect New England community hiding a seething nest of poisonous truths.

Thirteen-year-old Jenny Kennedy is beautiful and brilliant, and appears to have it all. She’s adored by her parents and is the pageant queen of New England, winning more prizes than any other competitors, and inspiring admiration and envy in equal measure. But then Jenny is found raped and murdered, left to die in woodland… a killing that rocks her estranged half-sister Virginia and the inhabitants of the small town where she grew up.

IMPRESSIVE DEBUT: Amy K. Green 

At first glance, Jenny's death appears clear-cut for police investigators. The most obvious suspect is Benjy Lincoln, one of her fans, ‘a grown man with a child’s IQ’ who had followed Jenny obsessively on the beauty pageant circuit and left his home a few weeks ago.

But Virginia, whose relationship with her half-sister was far from close, isn't so sure of his guilt and, with the help of young, keen and confident police detective Brandon Colsen, she takes matters into her own hands to find the killer.

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Feeling guilty that she was ‘a lousy sister’ to Jenny and haunted by her own troubled teenage years, Virginia begins to suspect that a similar darkness lay beneath the sparkling veneer of Jenny's life… and that maybe things weren’t as perfect for her as they appeared.

Using a dual narrative that alternates between Jenny’s final turbulent weeks and Virginia’s relentless search for the truth behind her sister’s violent death, The Prized Girl follows a harrowing trail of buried secrets and an intriguing and unexpectedly long list of suspects.

Green delivers a series of shocking and often jaw-dropping plot twists and ramps up the tension as readers become privy to a disturbing history of fractured families and child abuse. With its breathtaking insight, chilling atmospherics, a psychologically astute exploration of a town stalked by evil, and a cast of complex, cleverly drawn characters, this is an impressive first novel from an author to watch.
(HQ, paperback, £7.99)

CHILDREN'S BOOKS: Rainforest thrills, a scribble witch and eco warriors

Enjoy an all-action thriller from master storyteller Wilbur Smith, discover a bewitching new middle-grade series, share laughs with a monstrously mucky schoolboy, and head to the seaside with a very clever ladybird in a sparkling selection of spring children’s books

Age 10 plus:

Cloudburst

Wilbur Smith with Chris Wakling

HEAD OFF to the rainforest with a daring teenage boy as the master of adventure, Wilbur Smith, delivers his first all-action series for middle-grade readers. Cloudburst is the first thrilling book in the Jack Courtney Adventure series and stars the youngest member of the world-famous Courtney family which has been at the centre of 87-year-old Smith’s novels since 1964, chronicling their lives from the 1660s through to the 20^th century.

The series, co-written with author Chris Wakling, was inspired after Smith saw the action being taken by young people in the battle against climate change and this first, fantastic rainforest adventure asks questions about conservation as well as addressing the timeless themes of love, betrayal and family which are the hallmarks of his novels.

ON TOP FORM:
Wilbur Smith

Fourteen-year-old Jack Courtney has lived in the UK his whole life. But this summer his parents are travelling to the Democratic Republic of the Congo for an environmental conference on gorillas, and they have promised to take Jack and his friends with them. When his parents go missing in the rainforest, abducted by mercenaries, nobody seems to have any answers. Jack is pretty sure that it has got something to do with the nearby tantalum mines, but he needs to prove it.

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Along with his  friends Amelia and Xander, Jack must brave the jungle to save his parents. Standing in his way is a member of his own family… Caleb Courtney. There are western gorillas, forest elephants and hippos. But there are also bandits, mercenaries and poachers. The three friends will need their wits about them if they are not only to save Jack's parents, but their own lives too.

Smith and Wakling are on top form as they bring young readers an exciting and powerful story brimming with fast-paced action, unexpected twists and turns, an extraordinary backdrop and a cast of inspirational characters. A Wilbur Smith classic for a new generation…

(Piccadilly Press, paperback, £6.99)

Age 10 plus:

Bloom                 

Nicola Skinner

MANY of the new crop of children’s books like to convey important messages to young children… but few can achieve the sheer originality and entertainment value of Nicola Skinner’s glorious debut novel, Bloom.

Climate change and preserving the green spaces on our precious planet are always high on the list of contemporary concerns and Skinner has these topics well and truly nailed in a fun-filled adventure story that can only be described as blooming wonderful! Harsh realities and out-of-this world magic, darkness and light, laughter and tears jostle comfortably together in this perfectly imagined tale of a girl who sows the seeds of a better future in the most surprising and unexpected way.

Sorrel Fallowfield lives at Cheery Cottage with her single mum but in all honesty, their home is anything but cheery. In fact, it exudes a gloomy glumness, a grumpy grimness and a grimy greyness that seeps into everything… even mum. Sorrel can’t fix all the things in the house that are broken so instead, she has decided to be ‘good at being good’ to make her mum smile and to make the broken feeling leave her mum, even if it’s only for a while.

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And Sorrel is so good at being good that teachers come to her when they need help remembering the school rules… and there are lots of them at Grittysnit School. Luckily, Sorrel doesn’t have any trouble following them, until the day she discovers a faded packet of Surprising Seeds buried under a tree in her back yard.

Now she’s hearing voices, seeing things, experiencing an almost unstoppable urge to plant the seeds in some very unusual places… and completely failing to win her school’s competition to find The Most Obedient Child of the School. And all that’s before flowers start growing out of her head…

Skinner, who was inspired to write this charming book after a visit to an overgrown country garden, delivers an enchanting, lyrical story starring a lovable young girl with a funny, feisty narrative voice that cannot fail to win hearts and minds. Sorrel’s amazing story is wacky and wonderfully weird but out of it grow subtle reminders about caring for the environment, guarding our wild places, and standing up to authority, however hard that might seem when you are a child. Exquisitely written and powerfully imagined, Bloom will add meaning and colour to any child’s life…

(HarperCollins Children’s Books, paperback, £6.99)

Age 7 plus:

Scribble Witch: Notes in Class

Inky Willis 

ARE you looking for a really funny, really clever book to keep your youngsters giggling from first page to last? Well, search no more, here’s the answer… a marvellous and magical new series starring a girl and her secret scribble witch from exciting new author and illustrator Inky Willis.

With her vibrant, unique voice, and amazing illustrations to match, Willis brings us a wonderful style of storytelling featuring a variety of narrative devices – including notes, speech bubbles, outrageous spellings and lots of doodles – which are guaranteed to engage the most reluctant young readers.

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When Molly Mills’ best friend Chloe announces that she is moving to a new school, a blue Wednesday becomes the Worst Wednesday Ever. That is until some unexpected magic brightens up Molly’s day. Notes, a tiny paper witch who has been lurking in a pen pot, springs to life… and into action! Some of the things Notes does are absolutely NOT helpful and get Molly into trouble with her grouchbag teacher Mr Stilton who likes stinky coffee and spelling tests. But it’s surprising what one tiny witch, armed with nothing more than a pencil, can achieve before the bell for home time rings...

The hilarious double-act of Molly and Notes – ably assisted by charming Chloe and stinky Mr Stilton – is set to become a firm favourite with mischievous children who cannot help but fall for this enchanting blend of magic and mayhem!

(Hodder Children’s Books, paperback, £6.99)

Age 7 plus:

Autism and Me

Haia Ironside and Ellie O’Shea

AS families, organisations and caregivers get ready to mark World Autism Awareness Day on Thursday April 2, here’s the perfect book to explain just what it means to be autistic. Autism and Me is the latest title in the Mindful Kids series published by Studio Press which has proved invaluable to young people in our busy, pressured world where feelings of anxiety, stress and anger have become increasingly prevalent.

Written for young people with autism – but also a useful learning tool for people of any age who are interested in learning and understanding autism – readers are encouraged to express their emotions through creative activities.

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There are pages to colour, games to play and lots of ideas to think and talk about. Some ideas might also be useful to practise outside of the book in real life, everyday situations. Readers can also share this book with others, especially as some of the questions such as ‘What is autism?’ are just too big to be answered alone. As well as a useful glossary, there is a section for parents and caregivers with expert tips and suggested resources for finding further information.

Written by Haia Ironside, who has a Masters degree in Autism Studies and extensive experience working with autistic children, Autism and Me is designed to be accessible to autistic people with an uncluttered, clean and friendly layout. The bright, colourful format also features the charming illustrations of Ellie O’Shea, which will keep young readers entertained and focused as they work through the book. A helping hand in the campaign to understand autism…

(Studio Press, paperback, £9.99)

Age 7 plus:

Eco Rangers: Wildfire Rescue

Candice Lemon-Scott and Aśka

DO you fancy exciting adventures with two young animal fans who meet amazing animals, solve mysteries, and get down to earth with nature? Meet Ebony and Jay, two dynamic eco rangers with a love for wildlife and a nose for trouble, in an action-packed series starring two best friends who rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured wildlife, and help out at their local conservation centre.

Fun and feisty, the two youngsters love helping others and looking after the environment , and in each story, they meet new animal friends, solve mysteries and learn more about nature. Eco Rangers is the imaginative creation of writer Candice Lemon-Scott, an Australian author and trained wildlife carer whose quirky style, fast-paced narrative and originality has a special appeal for reluctant readers.

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In their new adventure – a topical story about the dangers of bushfires – there has been a devastating wild fire in the bushland and Eco Rangers Ebony and Jay are doing their best to find injured animals. As they rescue a cute little possum with burned paws, they also discover that some people have been camping in the area devastated by the fire. What were they doing there? This is a mystery only the Eco Rangers can solve!

Packed with the spirit of adventure and important environmental messages about caring for our endangered world, and with vibrant artwork by children’s book illustrator Aśka, these books are ideal reading for animal lovers and young eco warriors from every corner of the planet.

(New Frontier Publishing, paperback, £5.99)

Age 6 plus:

Dirty Bertie: Trouble!

Alan MacDonald and David Roberts

AND now for something truly hair-raising, foul-smelling and revoltingly wonderful… the brilliant new muck-propelled adventure starring the one and only Dirty Bertie!

Dirty Bertie, the cringe-making creation of writer Alan MacDonald and illustrator David Roberts, is the boy with nose-pickingly disgusting habits who just can’t help getting involved in comic chaos, and has proved to be one of the most enduringly popular and entertaining story book anti-heroes for younger readers. With comic chaos and madcap schemes, these highly-illustrated stories are perfect for new readers.

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Join Bertie here as he concocts a magic potion for Miss Boot to make her forget the dreaded maths test, finds himself at Know-All Nick’s house for the worst sleepover ever, and unexpectedly wins out over the school bully. There are three fully illustrated stories in each book and in these latest hilariously horrid adventures, we join bad, bold Bertie as he concocts a magic potion for Miss Boot to make her forget the dreaded maths test, finds himself at Know-All Nick’s house for the worst sleepover ever, and unexpectedly wins out over the school bully.

With each action-packed, fun-filled story split into chapters with wickedly funny illustrations on almost every spread, Dirty Bertie is ideal for reluctant readers in need of some laugh-out-loud antics, confident young readers to enjoy by themselves, or simply to share with (secretly amused!) parents.

(Stripes, paperback, £5.99)

Age 6 plus:

The Story Puppy

Holly Webb and Sophy Williams

MUCH-LOVED author Holly Webb is back to enchant her young readers with the incredible 45^th heartwarming adventure in her adorable and hugely popular Animal Stories series which has sold hundreds of thousands of copies since the first book hit the shelves in 2006.

Webb is one of the UK’s best-loved children’s authors and has written over 100 books for children, including the Animal Stories, My Naughty Little Puppy and a sequel to Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic 1911 book, The Secret Garden.

In this new book we meet Jack who is having a hard time at school because he can’t read as well as the other children. One day, he visits the animal shelter with his sister and notices a nervous puppy called Daisy. He sits next to her while practising his reading. Jack keeps visiting Daisy at the shelter and as she gets more confident, Jack thinks she is ready to be adopted. But when another family takes an interest in Daisy, Jack is worried that he will lose his friend forever...

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Sophy Williams provides the gorgeous black and white illustrations for this beautifully created and gentle series which has captured the hearts of every animal-loving child. And don’t forget to look out for the free app on App Store and Google Play. It’s jam-packed with exciting activities from fantastic games and puzzles to creative colouring and sticker fun. 

Perfect for children just starting to read alone, youngsters who love to share a book with mum or dad, and any child who can’t resist the sheer magic of animals.

(Stripes, paperback, £5.99)

Age 3 plus:

Unicorn Club

Suzy Senior and Leire Martín

SUZY Senior, author of the entertaining picture book Octopants, swims back into view with a new story starring a club just made for unicorns. Amy is starting a unicorn fan club – with cupcakes and painting and prizes to win. The only problem is that her street is empty and none of her friends have turned up. But, hang on a minute... is that a unicorn up in the treehouse? It’s not just one, it’s a whole herd of them! 

It’s time for some magic, so come and join in! This galloping, giggling story is perfect for young unicorn fans.

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Senior’s bright, beautiful and heartwarming adventures of a little girl who thought her hopes of starting a unicorn club were dashed until the arrival of a host of colourful unicorns is sure to win the hearts of young readers. Spanish illustrator Leire Martín’s dazzling and multi-coloured illustrations bring energy and charisma to a tale which encapsulates the joy and excitement of meeting new friends and enjoying new experiences. From the horns of a dilemma to a magical unicorn adventure!

(Little Tiger, paperback, £6.99)

Age 2 plus:

What the Ladybird Heard at the Seaside

Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks

TWO of the best-known names in children’s books are on top form in the fabulous follow-up to their hugely successful What the Ladybird Heard, What the Ladybird Heard Next and What the Ladybird Heard on Holiday, joyously child-friendly books which have sold millions of copies worldwide.

With a cast of wonderful sea creatures, including a magical mermaid and an adorable sea lion, and plenty of seaside fun, this new ladybird adventure is another raucous, rhyming, ribald feast of fun and sea frolics from the stellar picture book partnership of Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks.

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Here we find the clever little ladybird flying off on a trip to the seaside, but those two crafty crooks, Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len, are also back and they are up to their wicked ways again. This time they are planning to steal the mermaid’s long, luscious hair and sell it to a famous star… but fortunately, the quiet, crime-busting, little ladybird and her seaside animal friends have another cunning plan to stop the thieves and save the day!

Youngsters will love joining in the mischief, mayhem and rhymes as the hapless thieves meet an aquatic team that is more than their match. The book comes complete with a gorgeously glittery eye-catching cover and there’s the added fun of spotting the sparkly ladybird on every page. With slapstick action, sea-filled antics, and a sharp-toothed shark, What the Ladybird Heard at the Seaside is destined to become yet another classic in the Donaldson and Monks collection.

(Macmillan, hardback, £12.99)

Age 2 plus:

Cook With Me: Bunny Makes Breakfast

Kathryn Smith and Sebastien Braun

ARE you ready for breakfast? Here’s the chance to help make your own with a tasty first recipe book for curious little fingers… the first in an inventive new Cook with Me series from Little Tiger Press. Help Little Bunny make a delicious meal with Big Bunny in a gorgeous board book that features 35 flaps to lift, food to source, and a delicious child-friendly recipe.

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Peek inside kitchen cupboards, under bushes and into the henhouse as you help Little Bunny gather ingredients for a delicious surprise breakfast. Then discover the recipe at the back of the book to cook the yummy breakfast yourself.

Little ones are guaranteed a feast of fun as they help Little Bunny to make a delicious breakfast, searching under the flaps for the right ingredients, and at the same time learning about where our food comes from and adopting healthy eating habits. And don’t forget to spot the ladybird on every page. Read the story, find the ingredients and tuck into a tasty meal!

(Little Tiger, board book, £7.99)

Age one plus:

Poppy and Sam and the Bunny: Finger Puppet Book

Sam Taplin and Simon Taylor-Kielty

POPPY and Sam of Apple Tree Farm are back for a spring adventure which will have little ones hopping with joy! The Poppy and Sam books, written by the late Stephen Cartwright, have been a family favourite for over 30 years and after relaunch celebrations by children’s publisher Usborne last year, the bright and colourful makeover for these evergreen stories has been winning the hearts of a new generation of children.

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In this adorable finger puppet book, we join Poppy and Sam as they follow their new friend the bunny around the farm. Toddlers will love pushing their finger through the hole to bring the bunny to life and make simple actions from sniffing the flowers to nibbling a carrot and snuggling with other bunnies. Poppy and Sam and the Bunny is full of that special child-appeal which has made the Poppy and Sam stories so popular, and there is still the added fun of finding the hidden Little Yellow Duck on every page.

The new-look selection also includes the original artwork of Stephen Cartwright as well as the 

gorgeous illustrations of Simon Taylor-Kielty, perfectly created to honour Stephen’s legacy.

Fun, laughter and learning in one beautiful book!

(Usborne, board book, £7.99)

Age one plus:

Where’s My Llama?

Kate McLelland and Becky Davies

WHERE'S my llama hiding? She was here a moment ago. Can you find her? Help your curious little ones get interactive with this sturdy touch-and-feel board book which comes loaded with fun, discovery, word recognition development, and lots of visual and tactile appeal.

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A tantalising trail of colourful hoofprints will lead children past a touch-and-feel giraffe, a fox with a cute tail, and a long-eared rabbit as we go in search of the woolly llama. With Kate McLelland’s bright, appealing illustrations, discoveries on each spread, and a surprise flap ending, this enchanting series is ideal for young children. The perfect sharing book for babies and toddlers finding their way in the big, wide world!

(Little Tiger Press, board book, £6.99)