A round-up of this month’s big book releases

Book of the month 1: The Launch Party by Lauren Forry (Zaffre, £8.99)

I am writing this review in November 2022, seven months before this book is released – and it is brilliant. Ten people have won a two-week stay at the universe’s most exclusive hotel. I say universe, because the Hotel Artemis is on the moon. Yes, specially equipped spaceships, gravity shoes, moon walks are all up for grabs… it’s truly an invitation you’d die for. Or at least, kill for. They arrive and it’s time to relax and feel awe inspired, looking at Earth from their bedroom windows. But while there’s an arrival party set up, there’s no one welcoming the guests. No one to make meals, turn down rooms or take them on experiences. The ten guests are on their own, on the moon. And then the bodies begin to be found. It takes three days to travel to and from their location, meaning three days in space (where no one can hear you scream, naturally) with a murderer. It’s not about making the most of their holiday, it’s about staying alive long enough to return home. The relationships between characters, the characters’ back stories, the ingenuity… this is a debut that I am delighted to review and hope it gets every recognition it so richly deserves. Out June 23.

Book of the month 2: The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson (Mantle, £18.99)

I have waited for a few years for Laura to publish another historical fiction winner – and she has not disappointed me. Red travels with her father and makes a meagre living predicting fortunes using the Square of Sevens (believe me, you’ll be captivated). But when he died, leaving Red an orphan, she becomes the ward of a gentleman scholar. Life couldn’t be more different for the young woman – now she’s the delight of Georgian society. Fortune telling is a la mode, and there’s plenty of (mainly) women who want to know what lies ahead in their lives. For Red, she’s still got questions about her family, especially her mother and the circumstances surrounding her death. This has all the charm and intricate plotting that we expect from Laura’s books – it is exquisitely, meticulously plotted and you’ll want to curl up and absorb it all in as few readings as possible. For me, it’s reminiscent of Sarah Waters – praise that is richly deserved. Out June 22.

On point characterisation: The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner (Raven Books, £14.99)

Tash needs a story to reignite her journalistic career – but she needs friends as much as the employment boost. Mother to one son, navigating the ups and downs that motherhood brings can often mean she feels alone… until she meets (and is accepted into) a group of mums from her son’s playgroup. A much more refined definition of yummy mummies, they are successful, beautiful and captivating to Tash. Their lives are those about which she can only dream – expect gorgeously decorated houses, happy families and enough money to pay for anything they desire. Quite the opposite to Tash and her husband Tom. However, underneath all the glitz, everyone’s got secrets, and Tash is willing to do a little probing because she’s sure there’s a story there, if she can find it. Who can be trusted in this twisty tale? I was gripped; the writing is on point while the characterisation will have you nodding in agreement. Out June 8.

Wishing for a sequel: The Trial by Rob Rinder (Century, £20)

Yes, this is written by Strictly dancing, law abiding Robert ‘Judge’ Rinder – and it’s really good. Readers will meet Adam Green, barrister-in-training, who is keen to fulfil his pupillage in a prestigious chambers and secure a full-time job. Except he’s in competition with possibly the most perfect pupil ever, his pupil master is more interested in keeping friends then paying attention to every single piece of evidence, and there’s a high profile trial in which to participate. Jimmy Knight has been convicted of multiple offences prior to the poisoning of Grant Cliveden. He is now on trial for Grant’s murder – made all the more agonising because the late policeman was a hero in many eyes. This is Adam’s first case and one he’s unlikely to forget in a hurry. Expect revelations to come to light, not all good, when it’s clear that Grant, however saintly, wasn’t exactly a friend to all… Nicely paced with characters that are fully formed, I hope there’s more to come from Adam. Out June 22.

The reality of social media: The Truth About Her by Annie Taylor (Penguin, £8.99)

Callie rents a remote beach cottage in Whitstable, hoping to get away from it after a life-changing event. Though the cottage is exactly what she wants, she hadn’t realised that its owner is Vanessa Lowe, a lifestyle influencer who has a significant number of followers, and growing. To her fans, Vanessa’s life is exceptionally blessed – with a husband, three children, and a business. But when Vanessa begins to develop a friendship with Callie, the latter realises this perfect life has cracks. When the influencer’s son disappears, in rather murky circumstances, Callie has to decide what she believes about this seemingly flawless family – is Vanessa who she says she is? What’s underneath all the glamour? You’ll fly through this nifty novel and your emotions, and allegiances, will move from character to character. There’s an interesting subplot that is guaranteed to capture your attention. Thoroughly enjoyable. Out June 22.

Impressive follow-up: When They See Me by Gill Perdue (Sandycove, £13.99)

This is the second book from detectives Darmody and Shaw and it’s a ruddy good one. An au pair has disappeared and when her body shows up, the only witness to the abduction is a two-year-old child. A care for expert witness interviewer Laura Shaw, but she’s on maternity leave and is considering leaving her role and her city for the benefit of her family. It’s not long since she and her colleague – and close friend – Niamh Darmody were involved in case that almost broke them both. That said, both are struggling without the other being around every day. Their friendship is as strong as ever, but when the case leads to the discovery of another body, they must accept their professional lives are fractured. There’s a lot to unpick in this very layered novel but it is excellent. I advise you to read it and the first in the series immediately.

Local talent: Let Me In by Claire McGowan (Thomas & Mercer, £8.99)

This is a renovation story with a dark difference. Helen and George are hoping for a new start when they move to remote Cornwall (we do mean ‘remote’) and being fixing and upping their much in need of repair fixer-upper. However, there’s something unsettling about the process, the location and the feeling Helen has that she’s been there before. As the renovation continues, the builders are less than pleased to be there, finding dolls hidden in walls and getting injured all over the place. Helen feels obliged to look into the location’s past – what will she make of the news that the previous owner not only was rumoured to be a witch, but was imprisoned for multiple murders 30 years earlier? George too has his own issues, however, he prefers – perhaps understandably – to keep them from his wife. The book twists and turns as husband and wife realise they can barely trust each other, let alone anyone they met around their new home. Suddenly, the dream life has become a nightmare… Out June 20.

What would you do? The End of Us by Olivia Kiernan (Riverrun, £16.99)

It’s a story that at least at the beginning will draw sympathy for homeowners. Myles and Lana Butler live in a gorgeous development and are the embodiment of the good life (ie, the costly life). Their mortgage is just within reach but when one of Myles’ investments fails, it looks like their curated life could come crashing down. Step forward new next-door neighbours, the Wrights. Gabriel and Holly have the life that the Butlers could only dream of – they look and appear to be tremendously wealthy and really nice to boot. As the two couples become friends, secrets are shared and it’s not long before someone suggests a solution to the Butlers’ incoming financial issues. Something as simple and completely illegal as life insurance fraud. It’s all talk, though, right? No one would actually consider following through with it… until one day when Lana doesn’t come home and Myles doesn’t know what to do… Out June 22.

Fast paced plot: Conviction by Jack Jordan (Simon & Schuster, £14.99)

This was the sort of book that kept me up at night – I wanted to finish it before doing anything else. Barrister Neve Harper knows she’s got talent when it comes to the legal world but is unaware of entangled she’ll become with her most current case. Wade Darling is charged with murdering his wife and their two teenage children before attempting to burn the family home to the ground. It may be a career-making case for Neve, but not before she’s threatened by someone who is more than ready to tell the world something that would alter her life permanently. Can she be professional knowing that her personal safety – and that of others’ – is in jeopardy? The plot whizzes along and drips with detail, with plenty of courtroom drama for those who love watching it on the small screen. Definitely one to take your time with and savour. Out June 22.

Cosy crime: A Death in the Parish by Rev Richard Coles (W&N, £18.99)

The sequel to Murder Before Evensong is every bit as intriguing at the Rev Coles’ debut. A few months after grisly murders in Champton, Canon Daniel Clement has enough on his hands when the parish is joined with Upper and Lower Badsaddle, and there’s a new religious family in town. Not that they’re anything like Daniel and his mother Audrey, who is quite clearly scheming (and keeping it from him). Just when everything is reasonably quite, murderwise at least, another murder comes along. This is not your common or garden cosy crime death, however; think ‘ritualistic killing’ and you’re on the right track. Can Daniel figure out who is responsible without bringing some nasty consequences to his nearest and dearest? Nicely paced, this whodunnit will leave you on tenterhooks. Out June 8.

Secrets and lies: The Couple in the Photo by Helen Cooper (Hodder & Stoughton, £22)

Lucy and her husband have been friends with his closest friends Cora and Scott for years. Their children have grown up together, they’ve all gone on holidays (even buying a beach house) together and it’s clear this is not just friendship, it’s family. But when Lucy’s colleague shows off her honeymoon photos, Lucy recognises one a face. Scott – in the Maldives. But he couldn’t have been there, as he was meant to be at a conference in Japan, not cosied up to another woman. Then news breaks that the new woman has disappeared and Lucy is convinced one of her closest friends isn’t telling the truth, not just to her but his family. What is he hiding and why is he hiding it? As the true begins to unravel – expect quite a few bumps along the road – Lucy can’t quite believe what she’s learning about the people she loves most in the world. Out June 22.

Ones to watch

Standing in the Shadows by Peter Robinson (Hodder & Stoughton, £22)

In late 1980, Nick Hartley returns from a lecture to find his house full of police officer. His ex-girlfriend, who lived in the top floor flat, has been murdered and her new boyfriend was missing. Nick is held as a suspect for his ex-girlfriend’s death, not having a good alibi for the time of her murder. In late 2019, a dig in Yorkshire unearths a skeleton which had not been buried long. DS Alan Banks and his team are called in to investigate and find that the happenings in 1980 have a bearing on their current investigation. This is the final Alan Banks novel due to Peter Robinson’s death in 2022. A work of tension and intrigue with a classic ending. Out June 8.

The Interpreter by Brooke Robinson (Harvill Secker, £14.99)

This is an interesting take on a courtroom drama, or a police station thriller. Reveller is an interpreter, a polyglot who is confident in 10 languages. She’s skilled at translating the words of others, whether that’s reporting what a passer-by to a crime noticed or helping a victim share their deepest thoughts. In each room, she is the only person who can report truthfully and accurately what her client is saying. But events come about that cause her to make a lifechanging decision: after all, what is one word of difference really mean? A lot if you’re changing not guilty to guilty… Couple with that, Revelle has family issues – as in trying to create one for herself while dealing with past relationships – and money worries. She’s willing to risk it all to get justice for what’s right. But someone knows what she has done and they want to reap their own version of justice. Cleverly written, definitely one to savour in one go. Out June 8.

River Clarified Filtered Soft by Richard Ruxton (Mosaique Press, available from Amazon)

Let Richard take you on a journey of the places and characters who helped shape his life while growing up in Arklow in the 1950s and 1960s. The devotee of Joyce and Beckett will no doubt raise some laughs as he recounts those in high places – the Beatles, JFK, Robert Mitchum – and their effect on his life. It’s an engaging read and one that may take some readers back to their youth – and of course, it’s full of plenty of devilment and humour.