The Girl You Lost by Kathryn Croft

A compulsive read and a really thrilling thriller, full of suspense and excitiement. It is well written with engaging, sympathetic characters and an excellent, original plot. Well worth reading.

Mend the Living, by Maylis de Keringal

An extraordinary, exceptional and enthralling story covering 24 hours and the people who are touched by Simon's heart.  The writing is beautifully poetic and the translation superb (by a French Canadian so not an absolutely perfect fit with English English, but nearly so).  It is a story of a tragedy and of a triumph, a series of moments exquisitely observed and described.  I was immensely moved by this work, and will be adding it to my own library when it is published in book form later in the year: it is currently being made available on Kindle.

The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths

I've been missing Elly Griffith's heroine, archeologist Ruth Galloway, for a while, so was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this new tale in the series.  Time surely flies, as her little Kate is now old enough to go to school and they are blessed with a very flexible childminder so that Ruth can pursue her academic career as well as getting involved in helping to solve murder cases in close co-operation with Kate's father, Harry Nelson and their druid pal, Cathbad,  There is more suspense than archeology in this adventure, except that Ruth comes up with a pivotal piece of evidence in the course of her investigations.  The book is atmospheric and well written, and the developing background story of the character's relationships develops in counterpoint to a threatening series of crimes that kept me guessing.

Viral by Helen Fitzgerald

Stupendous, topical novel: beautifully if strongly written, heart-rending and thought provoking.  I  believe this book would make an excellent book club choice because it raises so many important, discussion-worthy issues and questions as well as being a jolly good read.   A twenty-first century nightmare that feels so close to home, a conundrum of who is a victim and what is a crime, an exploration of nature versus nurture, a coming of age story - Viral encompasses all of this and more.  Brilliant.

The Promise by Alison Bruce

I have been missing Gary Goodhew, Alison Bruce's unusual, maverick police detective and his Cambridge-based crime solving. The Promise has been a while coming but this story is a cracker: a pacey thriller which makes compulsive and rewarding reading. There is a complex mystery to be solved as a murder is discovered, and meanwhile the characters we have come to know in this excellent series of novels develop in new and interesting directions. I couldn't put it down.