Good reads

This story is set in the city state of Florence in 1538 in the time of the powerful Medici. Investigator Cesare Aldo is away from Florence when two of the city’s merchants are ritually murdered and dire warnings are proclaimed. Is a presumed bedroom fire and death in the city’s rural hinterland linked? Can fellow investigator Carlo Strocchi overcome his differences with Aldo and work together to stop the destruction?  As with the two previous books in the series, there is a vivid sense of place, strong and interesting characters, and an intriguing plot.

You can buy this book from us from our bookshop or from our Bookshop.org page by clicking: Ritual of Fire

Also recently published is this delightful and deftly written novel from French author, Antoine Laurain, An Astronomer in Love. The story is set across two time periods, joined by a telescope: one is a story of exploration, quests for knowledge and tenacity; the other, a tale of blossoming love across the rooftops of modern-day Paris, where a zebra makes a surprise appearance. It’s a small book that’s expertly paced – a perfect companion for an autumn evening.

You can buy this book from us from our bookshop or from our Bookshop.org page by clicking: An Astronomer in Love

This is the story of Red, who is raised in Georgian high society after her itinerant, fortune-telling father suddenly dies. Red puts herself in great danger when she starts to investigate the mysteries of her early life – how her mother died, and why her father had lived in fear – she puts herself in great danger. It’s an epic story, and brilliantly plotted.

You can buy this book from us from our bookshop or from our Bookshop.org page by clicking: The Square of Sevens

Moving on from Southern England to the Orient, we come to The House of Doors, which is one of the short-listed nominees for this year’s Booker Prize. Set in the 1920s, in Penang, the settled lives of Robert and his society wife Lesley are stirred up when the famed but struggling writer, Willie Somerset Maugham, comes to stay. As friendship deepens, confidences are exchanged and scandalous secrets are revealed.

You can buy it from us from our bookshop or from our Bookshop.org page by clicking: The House of Doors

You might want to put on all the lights for this book, rather than reading it by the light of a candle, as suggested in the flyleaf. A collection of 12 short stories from various and varied writers, including Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Stuart Turton and Jess Kidd, it offers mysteries, ghosts and scares galore.

You can buy this book from our bookshop or from our Bookshop.org page by clicking here:  The Winter Spirits

Christopher’s world is suddenly overrun by an avalanche of mythical creatures, as the spells that had kept them protected wear thin. He and a mysterious girl, Mal, are caught up in an urgent quest to find the truth. Imaginative, marvellous fantasy at its best.

You can buy this book from our bookshop or from our Bookshop.org page by clicking here: Impossible Creatures

This fascinating historical atlas takes readers on a tour through time and place. From the glaciers of the ice age to the settlers of the neolithic. From the Viking invaders and Jacobite supporters, to the great Enlightenment thinkers. From the Highlands, Lowlands and Islands to Scotland’s crofts, castles and cities. Fun and facts galore!

You can buy this book from our bookshop or through our Bookshop.org page by clicking: An Amazing History Atlas of Scotland