Northern Life Book Club Jan/Feb 24
by Laura Storey
Calling northern bookworms, it's time to turn off the telly, crank up the fire and snuggle down with one of our favourite winter reads of 2024.
THE NARCISSIST
BY ANNE WEDGWOOD
Anne Wedgwood lives in the East Yorkshire town of Beverley, where her not-so-cosy crime novels are set. When famous actress Vanessa Forsyth is found dead in her dressing room, with a bullet hole in her head and a gun on the floor, everyone assumes she has taken her own life. It is only a matter of time, however, before DI Ronnie Twist and her sergeant, Luke Carter, discover that the film star was murdered.
£10.99. Published by Troubadour. Out now.
THE JUGGLER’S BOX
BY CLIO GRAY
A body is found in a salt hedge with a crate of purloined books. Ruon Peat is on the case. Hela believes she has the means to achieve Hungarian independence if only she can get her hands on it. No one will be allowed to stand in her way. Born in Yorkshire, Clio Gray has won many awards for her writing, including the Harry Bowling First Novel Award. She has been Man Booker Nominated, Long Listed for the Baileys, and Shortlisted for the Cinnamon Prize.
£16.45. Published by Clio Gray. Out now.
THE GIRL AND THE GOLDCREST
BY STEVE DRAPER
Sheffield author Steve Draper was inspired by the natural world and the growing climate crisis to write The Girl and the Goldcrest, a captivating story that plunges youngsters into a fantastical world where animals have Guardians that protect them from extinction, and these Guardians can communicate with some humans. Believing the future of our natural world is in the hands of the next generation, this novel has been written to inspire children to do their bit to fight climate change.
£8.99. Published by Cranthorpe Millner Publishers. Out now.
THE OTHER
SANDY HOGARTH
Twins Clemmy and Helen, named by their father after the heroines of Greek mythology, live in a dilapidated cottage in the forest, having little contact with the outside world. Sandy Hogarth’s third novel is a story of love in all facets: the unique love of identical twins who find love outside that bond and the complex shared love for a child. She lives in North Yorkshire.
£8.99. Published by Troubadour. Out now.
30 STEPS TO FINDING YOURSELF
BY SALLY HALL
An empowering, step-by-step workbook for women to help them build self-esteem, grow in confidence and rediscover a sense of self. The author, Sally Hope, is a recovery coach from Lancashire who specialises in supporting women who have experienced domestic abuse. The book is inspired by the work she does in her groups after realising that many women, not just those who have experienced abuse, often don’t have a particularly strong sense of self.
£12.99. Summersdale Publishers. Out now.
THE GRASSINGTON MURDER
BY MARK BRIDGEMAN
The story of the murder of Dr Petty by the notorious local villain and highwayman Tom Lee is surely one of the best-known legends in the Yorkshire Dales. But how much of the story is true and merely a myth, based on local folklore and a romanticised Victorian version written for the burgeoning tourist market? Mark Bridgeman, best-selling author of The Dark Side of the Dales, seeks out to unearth the truth.
£9.99. Published by Brindle Books. Out now.
Read an extract from the Grassington Murder here.
NorthernLife Jan/Feb 24