The Taper Man by Nick Harkaway, Hardback, £22
Nick Harkaway didn’t realise quite what tricky ground he was on when he initially agreed to write a continuation of his father John le Carré’s George Smiley novels. After all, the much-loved spymaster had entertained generations of fans and not everyone likes a sequel. However, 2024’s Karla’s Choice was a triumph and The Taper Man is even better. The unassuming but relentless Smiley goes to the US, somewhere le Carré never sent him, on the trail of a mole at the highest levels of the CIA. Amid murder, betrayal and intrigue, it’s clear The Circus is in safe hands with Harkaway.
This is spy writing of the very highest quality and, put up against the originals, I suspect it would be tough to tell them apart. Harkaway has seamlessly captured his father’s voice and made it his own. Long may the ‘Smileyverse’ continue. An absolute must-read. 9/10 MN
The Bells of Fortune by Leonora Nattrass, Hardback, £18.99
Historical fiction is having a bit of a purple patch and Leonora Nattrass is one of its most interesting voices. Having made her name with her Black Drop trilogy, 2024’s The Bells of Westminster introduced Susan Bell, daughter of the Dean of Westminster and as appealing a heroine as you could imagine. Now it’s 1774 and, having lost his post after a scandal, the family has been exiled to its country seat in rural Leicestershire.
From such bucolic surroundings, Nattrass conjures a gripping mystery when a visiting surveyor goes missing, presumed drowned. Susan’s not so sure. But with a love rival ready to pounce, can she keep hold of her fianceé and solve the puzzle? A fabulously humorous and entertaining read. 8/10 MN
Broken Rival by Tessa Bailey, Paperback, £9.99
Magnolia’s mother and father have broken the law, but not in the way that you may think. They experimented with time travel – leaving their only daughter on an entirely different timeline – and now they’re facing the consequences of their actions. But Magnolia has to live with the fact she’s from 50 years in the future and navigate her life as an 18-year-old despite struggling to fit in. Initially, time travellers had good intentions, trying to evade future consequences, but they ended up making many situations a whole lot worse.
Best known for romantic fiction, this story is so different from Bailey’s sickly sweet love stories and the new direction is a welcome change. This novel proves she’s way more than a one-trick pony author. 7/10 DKW
Kill Shot by Jo Nesbo, Hardback, £22
A serial killer is staging horrifying murders based on iconic scenes from films, each one more shocking than the last. The man with the knowledge and skills to stop the killer, Harry Hole, has left Oslo police and is working as an insurance investigator. His stepson, Oleg, is now part of the homicide team investigating the murders, so Harry tries to keep his distance. But as the body count rises Harry is inexorably drawn back into working with former partner Katrine Bratt and Oleg to catch a killer revelling in terrifying his city.
Nesbo wrote Kill Shot while working on the Netflix adaptation of his book series, Detective Hole, and was clearly inspired by being on film sets. In Kill Shot, the King of Nordic Noir has created another unbearably tense, pulse-pounding thriller. 9/10 JC
