5 new books to read this week

A hotel becomes an incredible entry point to understand Afghanistan, and Richard Osman returns with the Thursday Murder Club…

Fiction

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman is published in hardback by Viking, priced £22 (ebook £11.99). Available September 25

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The gang are all back together – enigmatic Elizabeth, chatty Joyce, gruff Ron and thoughtful, measured Ibrahim – for a fifth Thursday Murder Club novel. The Impossible Fortune sees Richard Osman’s elderly and incredibly popular sleuths once again tackling a complex case after Elizabeth is accosted at a wedding by someone who claims their life is under threat. This time around, Osman delves into the paralysing impact of grief – Elizabeth’s – and what it takes to continue after loss, while Ron’s family life is knocked thoroughly off kilter. As with the wildly successful previous novels in the series, the warmth, wit and charm of the characters makes the whole thing canter along pleasantly – especially the faintly ridiculous but loveable Joyce. Fans will be delighted with it.
8/10
Review by Ella Walker

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai is published in hardback by Hamish Hamilton, priced £25 (ebook £13.99). Available September 25

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The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, which has taken Man Booker prize winner Kiran Desai two decades to complete, is a complex and incredibly layered novel. Sonia, a budding novelist, and Sunny, a journalist, were once badly matched by their grandparents, but then re-find each other on a train and embark on a complicated love story. Desai’s attention to detail brings you wonderfully close to the characters who are so richly developed you almost find yourself calling out to them when they make decisions. The humour used to bring their extended Indian families to life is also joyous. The novel is, however, over-long, bogged down by some of that detail at times. Yet, its beautiful use of language makes the 20 years Desai spent on it, more than worth it.
8/10
Josh Sparke

Well, This is Awkward by Esther Walker is published in hardback by Bedford Square Publishers, priced £16.99 (ebook £8.99). Available now

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Well, This is Awkward is podcaster, journalist and wife of Times critic Giles Coren, Esther Walker’s debut novel. Starting with a bad date, 40-year-old Mairead is forced to consider loneliness and the fact she hasn’t got kids, again, against her will. Then her carefully constructed life begins to fray at the edges slightly, thanks to her sister having a supposed accident and asking Mairead to look after her daughter, 11-year-old Sunshine, aka Sonny. A multigenerational tale of what it means to be a parent (Mairead’s own mother is more interested in political activism than being present for her kids), the family of friends we build ourselves and what it means to live outside the realms of ‘normal’ family life, it’s a deftly written, relatable and cosy autumn read.
7/10
Review by Ella Walker

Non-fiction

The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet is published in hardback by Hutchinson Heinemann, priced £25 (ebook £9.99). Available now

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The Finest Hotel in Kabul gives a unique, human insight into Afghanistan’s history, weaving together the stories and lives of those who worked at one particular hotel during the country’s turbulent history. The Inter-Continental in Kabul opened in 1969 – an era of spectacular fashion shows and lavish parties – before playing host to the powers on high, from the Soviets to the Taliban. Its walls and staff were not exempt from the devastation of war and violence, and as the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet does well to present individual tales of resilience, ambition, hope and grief, giving a deeper account of the Afghanistan we mostly know from headlines. This is well worth a read for a compassionate understanding of modern Afghanistan and its people, through the lens of the daily interactions at a hotel still standing today. 9/10
Review by Anahita Hossein-Pour

Children’s book of the week

Tiger’s Last Roar by Harriet Howe, illustrated by Katie Cottle, is published in paperback by Templar Books, priced £7.99. Available now

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The death of a pet can be devastating, no matter how old you are. But how you process the loss of a beloved furry friend in childhood can become a blueprint for how you handle grief later on. Which puts a lot of pressure on parents to get it right. Tiger’s Last Roar is a moving story of Mae and her best friend, Tiger the cat, who she goes on jungle adventures with, until one day Tiger doesn’t leap up when teatime is called. The pages that tackle Mae’s anger and sadness are particularly powerful, without being cloying, although the constant font changes are a tad distracting. The book also comes with additional resources – a page to help children save memories of their own pets, and a guidance section of dos and don’ts for parents when a family pet dies. Useful, touching and also beautiful to look at, Katie Cottle’s vibrant jungle scenes against the muted colours used for Mae in grief, are really striking.
7/10
Review by Ella Walker

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 20

HARDBACK (FICTION)
1. The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
2. Uncharmed by Lucy Jane Wood
3. Hekate by Nikita Gill
4. The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith
5. What We Can Know by Ian McEwan
6. Clown Town by Mick Herron
7. Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
8. Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross
9. Among the Burning Flowers by Samanatha Shannon
10. The Summer War by Naomi Novik
(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)
1. Eat Yourself Healthy by Jamie Oliver
2. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and Sawyer Robbins
3. Heartbeats: A Memoir by Björn Borg
4. Fly, Wild Swans: My Mother, Myself and China by Jung Chang
5. Poems & Prayers by Matthew McConaughey
6. Guinness World Records 2026
7. The Finest Hotel in Kabu by Lyse Doucet
8. Night People:How to Be a DJ in ‘90s New York City by Mark Ronson
9. The Cocktail Diaries by Sam Heughan
10. Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy
(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NONFICTION)
1. The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
2. The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith
3. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
4. Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell
5. Clown Town by Mick Herron
6. The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer
7. The Names by Florence Knapp
8. The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
9. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
10. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Book 1 by J.K. Rowling
(Compiled by Audible)