CULTURE CLUB
CAMBRIDGE EDI T ION
GET YOUR LITERARY FIX WITH A ROUND-UP OF NEW FICTION TO ENJOY THIS FEBRUARY
WORDS BY CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS
BY C L TAYLOR HER LAST HOLIDAY
BY GYTHA LODGE LIE BESIDE ME
Sometimes you just need a book that you can chomp into and finish in one sitting, and if that’s what you’ve been looking for – C L Taylor is the author for you. A new book from this megastar of the thriller world is always a hotly anticipated event, and Her Last Holiday is no exception: it’s packed with dynamic, highly developed characters, brilliantly unexpected twists that just keep on coming, as well as a totally bizarre – but therefore completely believable – set-up. Two years ago, Fran’s sister Jenna disappeared while on a wellness retreat in Malta, and is presumed dead. Two other people died the same day due to the negligence of the charismatic Tom, the ‘Soul Shrink’ who led the life- changing experience. Having now served his time in prison, he’s busily setting up a new retreat in Wales, so – encouraged by her grief-stricken mother – Fran conceals her identity and signs up for the Soul Shrink’s latest experience, to try and reach the truth about Jenna. But who’s actually calling the shots? Grab a blanket and your favourite bar of chocolate, and settle in for a ride…
Cambridge-based author Gytha Lodge also has a new novel that hits the shelves this spring. Lie Beside Me is the next chapter in her series featuring detective Jonah Sheen, and is just as compelling as you’d expect from any work by this masterful plotter. The stage for Lie Beside Me is brilliantly set when a young woman wakes up hungover and discovers a man lying next to her. There are two things that immediately alarm her about this situation: firstly, the man isn’t her husband and, secondly, he appears to be dead. From that explosive opening, this pacy and intricately- woven thriller continues at speed. The bewildered wife Louise quickly becomes Detective Sheen’s main suspect – but did she actually do it? Lies pile on lies as the detective digs deeper and deeper into the complicated web of this poor young woman’s life, uncovering uncomfortable truths via tricky questions that prod at readers as well as the characters, leaving everyone feeling guilty, though not perhaps of the crime being investigated… And if Louise didn’t kill him, then the big question is, who did?
THE STARTUP WIFE BY TAHMIMA ANAM
This rollercoaster of a book begins with computer scientist Asha Ray and her friend Jules pitching their concept for a new social media platform to Utopia, a cutting-edge business incubator in downtown NYC. Their platform is loosely based on her PhD research, expanded by her enigmatic and charismatic husband Cyrus’ interest in a replacement for organised religion. The site creates new rituals for people based on their own beliefs and experiences – generating an appropriately alternative take on a marriage, or a funeral for a pet, or whatever ritual was requested – which can then be shared with others with similar passions. Though that concept might sound interesting enough on its own, it’s the relationships and challenges faced by the trio that make this book such a hit: questions like choosing business over academia, working with friends and partners, and surviving the media whirlwind that accompanies stratospheric success. It’s perfect reading for those involved in start-up life, or anyone who works alongside loved ones.
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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 21
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