5 new books to read this week

A mysterious historical novel and a thrilling zombie debut to sink your teeth into…

Fiction

The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson is published in hardback by Mantle, priced £18.99 (ebook £9.99). Available now

Georgian London hosts a cat and mouse tale of deception, murder and Italian delicacies, as Bristol-born novelist Laura Shepherd-Robinson – known for the award-winning Blood & Sugar – presents her fourth historical novel. Young widow Hannah Cole is struggling to make ends meet at her confectionery shop, but with an unexpected visit from her late husband’s friend William Devereux informing her of a fruitful bank account she wasn’t aware of, things suddenly look more promising. However, when author and magistrate Henry Fielding begins raising questions, Hannah and William must dig into her husband’s past and unravel the enigma. With changing perspectives, rich historical detail and compelling mystery, The Art of a Lie is as exciting and cunning as its protagonists. It’s going to be a hit this summer.
8/10
Review by Holly Cowell

One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford is published in hardback by Pan Macmillan, priced £22 (ebook £11.99). Available July 17

Leigh Radford’s debut novel depicts an uncanny London dealing with the aftermath of a devastating zombie virus outbreak. Although a team of top scientists have been assigned the task of developing a cure, Kesta Shelley is working against the clock to uncover the true purpose of the underground laboratory and save her secret undead husband locked in the spare room at home. While in premise a work of science fiction, Radford’s London feels all too familiar to the shell the city became during the Covid lockdowns five years ago. Emotions run high in One Yellow Eye: the mix of grief, desperation and brief glimpses of hope make for an invigorating intensity. There are some loose plotlines and flashbacks that read as more filler content, but overall, the novel is a thrilling and emotional experience – an impressive feat of a debut.
8/10
Review by Laura Kee

The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun, translated by Sora Kim-Russell, is published in paperback by Doubleday, priced £16.99 (ebook £7.99). Available July 24

Hye-Young Pyun’s The Hole, winner of the Shirley Jackson award and translated by Sora Kim-Russell, is a psychological thriller that makes the reader experience the same existential dread as Oghi, the main character. The book’s third-person narrator maintains a detached, voyeuristic presence, recounting Oghi’s recovery under his mother-in-law’s care – a woman intent on digging holes – after a car crash. The narrator peels back the layers of his past leading up to the accident, giving a non-chronological telling that sheds light on how Oghi handled a difficult childhood, progressed in his career, fell in love with his wife, and met his ultimate demise in the moments leading up to and after the accident. This book is chilling and draws the reader in deeper with each new revelation.
7/10
Review by Erica Szulc

Non-fiction

Tart: Misadventures of an Anonymous Chef by Slutty Chef is published in hardback by Bloomsbury, priced £16.99 (ebook £7.97). Available July 17

Tart is a rare and sometimes shockingly honest insight into the fast-paced and hedonistic lifestyle of working in the kitchens of high-end London restaurants. An anonymous memoir, the female chef in question (Slutty Chef on social media) gets honest about the high pressure in kitchens, brutally long hours, drugs, alcohol, sexism, and, most of all, her own sex life, which takes some twists and turns as she moves up the ladder and to different places of work, often as the only woman in the male-dominated industry. The preparation and cooking of food, from de-boning Dover sole to slicing hundreds of peaches, is intertwined in such a way that somehow only adds to the raciness, and, after a tepid start, its pace makes it easy to speed through quickly, never staying in the same place for long. Anyone with an interest in the restaurant scene might find it fascinating.
7/10
Review by Lauren Taylor

Children’s book of the week

The Tree of Life by Nalini Nadkarni, illustrated by Kendra Binney, is published in hardback by Neon Squid, priced £14.99. Available now

The Tree of Life is a beautifully imagined and executed book. The illustrations are rich in detail and colour and the flaps give a really lovely interactive feel. Across every page the reader – child or adult – is immersed in the cultural, social and ecological importance of each tree, enhanced by short narrations and descriptions. To call this a children’s picture book doesn’t do it justice; there is something to learn and explore for all ages, and it’s hard not to be immediately immersed. We enjoyed looking for all the animals native to each tree and the glossary at the back is a nice touch.
10/10
Review by Frances Taylor-Cook

CHARTS

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING JULY 12

HARDBACK (FICTION)
1. The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley
2. Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell
3. Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
4. Ascension:Book II in The Summoner’s Circle by S.T Gibson
5. Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
6. Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch
7. Tusk Love:Critical Role by Thea Guanzon
8. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
9. The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
10. The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-Robinson
(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)
1. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and Sawyer Robbins
2. You Need To Exist by Yungblud
3. The Greatest Story Ever Told by Bear Grylls
4. Free Ride by Noraly Schoenmaker
5. Bless Me Father by Kevin Rowland
6. Don’t Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen
7. How Not to Be a Political Wife by Sarah Vine
8. Ikigai:The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles
9. Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane
10. Ocean:Earth’s Last Wilderness by Sir David Attenborough and Colin Butfield
(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NONFICTION)
1. Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell
2. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
3. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
4. Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch
5. By Your Side by Ruth Jones
6. Atomic Habits by James Clear
7. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Book 1 by J.K. Rowling
8. The Names by Florence Knapp
9. The Salt Path by Raynor Winn
10. The Hotel Avocado by Bob Mortimer
(Compiled by Audible)