Donut Enter is the second instalment in the Penny Lane Book Club Mystery series, continuing the adventures of the lovable Daisy McCartney as she finds herself embroiled in another unexpected death. This time the stakes are higher, as Daisy finds herself a prime suspect in the murder – not ideal as she tries to figure out where her relationship with a police officer is going, and juggles her responsibilities at law school, the hair salon where she works, and the museum her mother drags her into volunteering for. more

Scone Cold Murder is the first in a series of murder mystery novels by Mary Ann Tippett, whose varied fiction and non-fiction works I have enjoyed over the past few years. This is not a book that keeps you waiting for bodies to start dropping, we commence with the murder and have the rest of the story to join the lovable Daisy and her romantic interest Brett in working out who the culprit is. more

It seems like life hasn’t dealt a great hand to Lizzie Borden. Childhood can be tough when your mum works at the only strip joint in town and you don’t even know who your father is. Luckily, Lizzie has inherited her mum’s tough streak, and makes her way to adulthood as well as she can. Things don’t get any easier – her mum’s sudden death leaves Lizzie in need of a job to make ends meet, and the strip club is the obvious choice. Starting out waiting tables, she soon follows her mother’s footsteps onto the stage and discovers a talent for acrobatic pole-dancing that goes far beyond the simply erotic. more

Tera-Rayna’s life is one of privilege amongst the most powerful and influential people of her city, but despite her hometown’s reputation for openness and freedom, is she really free? Daughter to the all-powerful Librarian, and enclosed by ivory towers, she begins to yearn for more. The discovery of a unique artefact in the library leads her on a journey into the heart of a political struggle, where nothing is as it seems and the lines between friends and enemies become blurred. As war erupts around her, can this inexperienced girl throw off the shackles of her sheltered existence and make a difference in the world? more

Sam Binks is fascinated by pirates, inspired by the stories his grandfather told him about life on the high seas. Of course, you would never meet a real pirate these days… or would you? When not just one but two rival pirate ships appear on the horizon near Sam’s home on Bluemarsh Island, he knows he must do everything possible to defend his territory. Luckily, it might just turn out that not all pirates are the same, and some of the buccaneers who arrive on Sam’s beach might bring with them not just an amazing adventure but also a link to Sam’s past. more

Clara is sick of Vermont. How did she even end up there? The gossiping neighbours have their knives out for her, she can never stick to all the rules, nobody appreciates her dog, and those foggy periods where she can’t think straight are getting worse. All she wants is to get back to Florida, where she was happy – but how to get there? Sure, she has a few friends, but they never seem to back her up on the important stuff, and what could be more important than leaving Vermont? Maybe a new friend is what she needs, someone who will understand what she needs, and get her to the sunshine state without delay. Yes, a new friend seems like just the ticket – and if you can’t trust a brand new friend, who can you trust? more

It’s unromantic, it’s depressing – it’s life, unvarnished. Beth and Brad are good people – or at least, they aren’t bad people. You’d probably like them if you spent a long weekend in Swindon with them. Only problem is, neither of them has chosen that well when picking a spouse. Their partners aren’t bad people either – they just could have done a bit better. Beth’s husband is the life and soul of the party around other people, but goes into his shell when they’re alone. Brad’s wife is attractive, outgoing, and confident – but she’s also a bit superficial and annoying. more

The expression “Life begins at 40” was proving far from accurate for small town teacher Molly Valle in 1960s Mississippi. Feeling like she’s no longer noticed by men, it feels like there’s every chance she’ll be spending the rest of her days in quiet solitude. Then civil rights campaigner John Pressman appears on the scene, and Molly is swept into an amazing adventure which shows her that both romance and finding real purpose in life can happen at any time. The civil rights movement she throws herself into is gathering pace, being with John is a revelation, and life has never looked better – could it all be too good to be true? more

Since leaving Earth many years ago, full of optimism in their quest to make first contact with intelligent life among the stars, Captain Miriam Hunter has been through a lot. Many of the crew are dead – most of them murdered by the very lifeforms they strove so hard to meet. Many times there has been a glimmer of hope that one day they may see their home planet once again, but somehow that goal never seems to get any closer and remains the ultimate longshot. Relationships have been pushed to the brink, friendships lost, and decisions taken that weigh heavily on Hunter’s shoulders. more

Dreams… for the dreamer, they’re a fascinating and magical journey through their own subconscious, but to have someone else tell you about their dreams is notoriously dull. With this in mind, David Naiman has taken something of gamble by giving us a book in which at least half of the action takes place in the dreams of the eponymous Jake. However, it is a gamble that pays off, and the many dream sequences which makes up much of the book are artfully linked to Jake’s waking life to deliver a story which is touching, sad, and funny in equal measure. more

What if you could record your state of mind, and then play it back any time you wanted? Having a good day at work, when you’re ultra-focused and everything falls into place? Why not record that feeling and then recreate it every day? And what if you could play back not just your own mental state, but also those of other people? If you’re anxious, depressed, or stressed out, you could relax by feeding in the zen-like calm of a meditating monk. The benefits for mental health and wellbeing could be immense… couldn’t they? more

Kylie is used to the good life – a luxurious home, a buzzing social scene, and plenty of money for whatever she needs. Her Dad isn’t around much, but pays for everything she could want, and best of all, never tells her “no”. OK, her relationship with her mum could be better – the woman needs to lighten up and appreciate what she has, right? Still, she has her cute little sister, she has some great friends around her, she’s done with school and planning some time in Europe – life is pretty sweet. more

Susan Snow is a weight loss guru, running a support group for people looking to get in shape and taking great pleasure from creating amazing, tailored recipes to help each of her members with their own specific dietary challenges. With a good home life and her daughter being an academic and sporting superstar at school, life is pretty great, and her next goal of getting her class through a 7K run looks sure to be a big success. However, are there dark clouds on the horizon for Susan? What if the foundations of her happy life prove to be less solid than she thought? more

The year is 1960, and strange events are occurring in the small border town of Galina. Is it a new disease, a toxin or something else that is affecting half the residents? Anza Kearney and her friends find themselves in a desperate race to get to the source of the problem before their hometown tears itself apart. Meanwhile, sixty years later in the present day, the old affliction has come back to haunt a new generation, who must discover what links the sufferers to the events of the past. more

Cassie’s teenage world is turned upside down when her mother dies, entrusting her care to old friends from California whom Cassie has no memory of. The affluent and comfortable lifestyle of her new family is in stark contrast to the financial difficulties she has experienced for as long as she can remember, having spent her childhood sharing a tiny New York apartment with her mother and working at an Italian restaurant to help make ends meet. more

Life is going well for criminal psychology student Brooke Douger – she gets her big break in the courtroom, getting to give expert testimony for the first time, and also helps her best friend Jacob land a new job nearby that will allow her to see more of him. At the same time, romance could be in the air when she meets someone new through her involvement in a high profile trial. However, even as all these good things are happening, could she be on the verge of being drawn into something more sinister? more

Analise is living a quiet life, with a sensible if unrewarding job and a place of her own in a nice, peaceful little town. However, after facing some career uncertainty and health problems, her calm existence begins to unravel at a terrifying pace. Worst of all, she becomes haunted by dark dreams, which start to blur with reality. Are they really just the workings of her fevered mind, or some sort of message from her subconscious about the strange mysteries of the past that she finds herself drawn into? more

Does everyone have a perfect soulmate out there, whom they just need to find? And can a dating app really match you up with the right person, based purely on your answers to a series of personal questions? These are the question explored in Mary Ann Tippet’s latest book, Pairs with Pinot. more

A thought provoking and sometimes chilling story, stylishly told with a dash of youthful exuberance. Somewhere between horror, thriller, and dark scifi, this novel had me intrigued from the start and didn't disappoint as it unfolded. more

The 3rd instalment in the engaging Bona Dea series is all about the struggle against inner demons. Captain Hunter has to keep her decimated and demoralised crew united amid growing pressure to drop her commitment to reaching home without resorting to violence. Meanwhile, unexpectedly becoming a pawn in an inter-planetary conflict drags navigator Gypsy Cumberland into a disastrous downward spiral as her mental health deteriorates. more

A heartfelt collection which is both touching and funny in places, and rings true throughout - First Rhyme Mom is a collection of poems about pregnancy and the first year of motherhood. Each poem is fairly short (averaging maybe 4-6 verses) and deals quite concisely with a particular aspect of being a first time mother. more

This Time is a demon-hunting adventure with a touch of dark romance. Nadira Holden is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Renowned for her skills as a demon hunter, she finds herself a misfit in a world where demons have made peace with humans and hunting them is illegal. more

A battle for survival in a dark and oppressive world, Fever Rising is the set in a dystopian future where a small ruling elite is in control of the lives of all those who serve them. “Challengers” are essentially slaves who are bought and sold for the sole purpose of fighting each other to the death in arenas for the entertainment of their owners. Kaden Valens is one such Challenger, and the book follows his attempts to survive and ultimately destroy the dangerous world into which he is born. more

Skin 2.0 is a scifi short story, and tells the tale of a cyborg called Amy-341 who strives to escape her assigned role in life. more

When I first picked up Clara and Pig I thought it might be a children’s book, because of the name, and then seeing the cover my expectations changed to “quirky romance”. In fact it is neither of these things, it’s the intriguing story of Clara, a feisty older lady who has been forced to move from Florida to Vermont to be closer to her son. Clara has been driven to make this change by the onset of dementia, coupled with the loss of loved ones closer to home. more

A young girl experiences life at summer camp in a throwback to more innocent times. more

This is the second book in the series, and sees the women of the Bona Dea facing more danger as they pursue their dream of getting safely back to earth in their badly damaged spaceship. more

Love is the Punch Line, Kathleen Jones' debut novel, is not your average romance. more

This interesting new take on space exploration sees an all-female crew journeying into unknown regions of the universe in a bid to become the first humans to make contact with intelligent life beyond our solar system. more