Cancelling social plans for winter? Groundbreaking.
When it’s dark at 4pm and once again, you find yourself trying to tolerate eggnog, that’s your cue to embrace the joy of missing out, fire up the Kindle and demonstrate just how unbelievably good you are at doing nothing.
There’s a bunch of iconic protagonists defrosting as we speak, so add these books to your basket asap and tell your pals that if it’s not pjs, mulled wine and tear-jerking acknowledgements, you don’t want it. With a reading list like this, how could they possibly be mad?
First up, Paula Hawkins is back to make October a spooktacular affair with her brand new thriller, A Slow Fire Burning, then there’s a feel-good festive romance from Mandy Baggot to get you in the Christmas spirit and for December, we’ve got the second instalment of The Magpie Society series to keep you entertained during those lazy hazy Betwixtmas days.
See what we mean? It’s the trio of jomo dreams. If you need any further persuasion to read along with us, keep scrolling for the juicy blurbs.
October – A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins
After four years since her last novel, the author behind the global phenomenon The Girl on the Train is back with her highly anticipated new thriller. A Slow Fire Burning explores the way no tragedy happens in isolation. Expect a dark plot, intensely believable, human characters and explosive gasp out loud twists.
‘What is wrong with you?’
Laura has spent most of her life being judged. She’s seen as hot-tempered, troubled, a loner. Some even call her dangerous.
Miriam knows that just because Laura is witnessed leaving the scene of a horrific murder with blood on her clothes, that doesn’t mean she’s a killer. Bitter experience has taught her how easy it is to get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Carla is reeling from the brutal murder of her nephew. She trusts no one: good people are capable of terrible deeds. But how far will she go to find peace?
Innocent or guilty, everyone is damaged. Some are damaged enough to kill.
Look what you started.
November – One New York Christmas by Mandy Baggot
All we want for Christmas is a reading marathon, punctuated with a box of mince pies. Enter Mandy Baggot’s love letter to New York, a cosy romance guaranteed to get you in the holiday spirit and have you feeling like you’ve seen the city sights with your very own eyes. Yep, the descriptions of The Big Apple are that good.
Will this Christmas romance be just for the holidays?
Lara Weeks is heading to New York with best friend Susie for the Christmas trip of a lifetime.
A festive break in the snowy Big Apple visiting the tourist hotspots, not to mention the shopping, seems like the perfect way for Lara to get over her ex-boyfriend. Or maybe make him so jealous he begs for a second chance.
Enlisting the help of gorgeous actor, Seth Hunt, doesn’t quite go to plan, but there’s something about him that has Lara wishing for a different kind of happy ever after…
December – The Magpie Society: Two for Joy by Zoe Sugg and Amy McCulloch
After one hell of a cliff-hanger in One For Sorrow, the chilling conclusion to the number one bestselling series The Magpie Society is finally here.
A deadly disappearance
A race against time
And, at the eleventh hour . . .
A shocking revelation
Audrey and Ivy, determined to bring their fellow student Lola Radcliffe’s killer to justice, find themselves in the middle of another mystery when a friend disappears in suspicious circumstances.
Their only clue is a mysterious card left by the enigmatic Magpie Society. With time running out and the police baffled, Audrey and Ivy must delve deeper than ever into the dark secrets that their school is hiding.
But someone is playing a deadly game. And to beat them, Audrey and Ivy have to start rewriting the rules…
