5 new books to read this week

An electrifying debut and Reverend Richard Coles has another cosy crime story to regale us with…

Fiction

The Bombshell by Darrow Farr is published in hardback by Atlantic Books, priced £17.99 (ebook £4.31). Available June 5

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Darrow Farr’s debut novel takes us to Corsica in the early Nineties. Séverine Guimard, 17, is the French-American daughter of an ambitious politician, and dreams of Hollywood stardom; she is filled with a self-assuredness that it is only a matter of time before her destiny is realised. But her life changes course the night she is kidnapped by three men bent on achieving independence for the island, and who – unbeknownst to them – have just found the new face of their cause. Farr’s whip-smart tale intertwines the personal and the political as Séverine tries to take back control but must face the devastating consequences of the decisions in front of her. Cinematic in scope, electrifying in its telling, The Bombshell contains a dazzling array of ideas and announces Farr as a writer to watch.
9/10
Review by Ian Parker

Bring The House Down by Charlotte Runcie is published by The Borough Press, priced £16.99 (ebook £8.99). Available June 5

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Hurt people, hurt people – Bring The House Down examines this in a clever and witty way. A one star review of a one-woman show at the Edinburgh Festival, paired with an ill-advised one-night stand with the show’s performer, sparks the rapid downfall of infamous critic Alex Lyons. Spurned lover Hayley changes her environmental show into a character assassination of Alex and his scruples, and her show becomes the talk of the Festival. The three-week descent into despair is seen through the eyes of fellow journalist Sophie, who is spending her Festival flatsharing with Alex and reassessing her home life with her husband and young son. As the old adage goes, two wrongs don’t make a right. But in this case it makes an exceedingly addictive read.
9/10
Review by Rachel Howdle

A Death on Location by Richard Coles is published in hardback by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, priced £22 (ebook £11.99). Available June 5

Always a gratifying moment to see your new book out in the world for the first time. A Death On Location, in bookshops very soon or even now @ToppingsBath pic.twitter.com/q7AbrzXiB5

— Richard Coles (@RevRichardColes) May 25, 2025

The residents of Champton can’t quite believe they have been hired as extras in a Hollywood film being made in their village, starring one of the biggest names in the acting world. But their excitement turns to horror when a popular local woman is murdered on the set. The mystery deepens, with no-one believing she could have been stabbed to death in front of them. It’s another case for rector Canon Daniel Clement and his friend Detective Sergeant Neil Vanloo, and after painstaking police work and a delve into the background of some of those hired for the film, they end up with two dramatically different suspects. Fans of the previous Canon Clement mysteries will love the trademark humour of Coles, the former Communards pop star turned vicar and radio host who now writes easy-to-read, funny, clever crime novels. His previous books in the Canon Clement series have all been bestsellers, this one is sure to join the list.
8/10
Review by Alan Jones

Non-fiction

Picky: From Fussy Child to Professional Gourmet by Jimi Famurewa is published in hardback by Hodder & Stoughton, priced £20 (ebook £11.99). Available now

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Food is more than nourishment; it has the power to shape who you are. In his new memoir, journalist and food critic Jimi Famurewa discusses how his identity inherently relates to the food he has eaten throughout his life. Growing up the youngest child in a Nigerian household in suburban London, food has been a constant source of love and belonging for the writer. He connects each phase of his life to the foods that defined him: the code-switching kid that wanted to fit in was drawn to “safe” foods that were often processed, while the adult Jimi is open-minded, exploring more of Nigeria and other types of cuisine as a food critic. This book may not be a guide for overcoming personal pickiness, but it will help in understanding more about yourself through the food you eat.
7/10
Review by Erica Szulc

Children’s book of the week

Marching Band by Kael Tudor, illustrated by Kate Hindley, is published in paperback by Nosy Crow, priced £7.99. Available June 5

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Port Talbot-based writer Kael Tudor presents an entertaining picture-book for pre-school aged children, filled with rich and inviting illustrations from multi-award winning illustrator, Kate Hindley. Rhythmic language transports the reader right into the heart of this story, as we follow a marching band on an adventure through the town, to the zoo, into space, and beyond. Left-right, left-right go their feet, as we hear sounds from roaring tigers and wrecking balls, exciting and involving children throughout. With repeating words and sounds, this engaging, sensory story will encourage toddlers and preschoolers to read along and absorb patterns too.
8/10
Review by Holly Cowell

CHARTS

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING MAY 31

HARDBACK (FICTION)
1. Never Flinch by Stephen King
2 The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
3. By Your Side by Ruth Jones
4. Quicksilver by Callie Hart
5. Silver Elite by Dani Francis
6. The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
7. Onyx Storm by Yarros, Rebecca
8. Nightshade by Michael Connelly
9. A Fate Forged in Fire by Hazel McBride
10.The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)
1. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and Sawyer Robbins
2. Live to Eat by Emily English
3. Big Dunc by Duncan Ferguson
4. The Buried City:Unearthing the Real Pompeii by Gabriel Zuchtriegel
5. Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane
6. Ocean: Earth’s Last Wilderness by Sir David Attenborough and Colin Butfield
7. Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson
8. Don’t Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen
9. Sword:D-Day – Trial by Battle by Max Hastings
10.The New Age of Sexism by Laura Bates
(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NONFICTION)
1. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
2. By Your Side by Ruth Jones
3. Never Flinch by Stephen King
4. The Salt Path by Raynor Winn
5. I Love You, Byeee by Adam Buxton
6. The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
7. Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson
8. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Book 1, by J.K. Rowling
9. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
10. Atomic Habits by James Clear
(Compiled by Audible)