BookNookers Book Club

The Black Loch by Peter May

THE RETURN OF FIN MACLEOD, PETER MAY'S MUCH-LOVED HERO OF THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING LEWIS TRILOGY. A MURDER The body of eighteen-year-old TV personality Caitlin is found abandoned on a remote beach at the head of An Loch Dubh - the Black Loch - on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis. A swimmer and canoeist, it is inconceivable that she could have drowned.
A SECRET Fin Macleod left the island ten years earlier to escape its memories. When he learns that his married son Fionnlagh had been having a clandestine affair with the dead girl and is suspected of her murder, he and Marsaili return to try and clear his name.
A RECKONING But nothing is as it seems, and the truth of the murder lies in a past that Fin would rather forget, and a tragedy at the cages of a salmon farm on East Loch Roag, where the tense climax of the story finds its resolution.
The Black Loch takes us on a journey through family ties, hidden relationships and unforgiving landscapes, where suspense, violent revenge and revelation converge in the shadow of the Black Loch.

What a Way to Go by Bella Mackie

Thoroughly enjoyable, like Succession rewritten by Agatha Christie’ MAIL ON SUNDAY ‘Mackie has assembled a gloriously repugnant cast… A dark, funny story of a very dysfunctional family’ OBSERVER Meet the Wisterns. Rich. Powerful.
Morally bankrupt. Anthony is dead. His wife and four children each have a motive.
And there’s a true crime-obsessed outsider ready to expose the killer… With a family like this, who needs enemies? ‘Ferociously entertaining’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ‘Gripping, sharp and funny, this window on the mega-wealthy is perfect for fans of Succession’ WOMAN & HOME ‘Another caustic satire from the million-copy bestseller of How to Kill Your Family’ i NEWS 'Still not over Succession? A dysfunctional family with four inheritance-obsessed children gives the Roy clan a run for its money, with a murderous twist'

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

Sally Diamond cannot understand why what she did was so strange. She was only doing what her father told her to do, to put him out with the rubbish when he died. Now Sally is the centre of attention, not only from the hungry media and police detectives, but also a sinister voice from a past she cannot remember.

As she begins to discover the horrors of her childhood, Sally steps into the world for the first time, making new friends and big decisions, and learning that people don't always mean what they say. But who is the man observing Sally from the other side of the world? And why does her neighbour seem to be obsessed with her? Sally's trust issues are about to be severely challenged . .

. *****'In Sally Diamond, Nugent has given us an astounding creation with a singular voice . .

. an absorbing, twisty, compulsive psychological thriller with surprising humour and pathos' Sunday Independent'Strikingly well-observed and consistently surprising' The Times'Incredible' Sara Cox'Strange indeed . .

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving father, a former linguist who now shelves books in a university library. His mother Margaret, a Chinese American poet, left without a trace when he was nine years old. He doesn't know what happened to her-only that her books have been banned-and he resents that she cared more about her work than about him.
Then one day, Bird receives a mysterious letter containing only a cryptic drawing, and soon he is pulled into a quest to find her. . Our Missing Hearts is an old story made new, of the ways supposedly civilized communities can ignore the most searing injustice.
It's about the lessons and legacies we pass on to our children, and the power of art to create change.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Everything, somehow, fit together; some sly and benevolent Providence was revealing itself by degrees and I felt myself trembling on the brink of a fabulous discovery, as though any morning it was all going to come together---my future, my past, the whole of my life---and I was going to sit up in bed like a thunderbolt and say oh! oh! oh!'

Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries. But their search for the transcendent leads them down a dangerous path, beyond human constructs of morality...

Hunted by by Abir Mukherjee

 It’s a week before the presidential elections when a bomb goes off in an LA shopping mall…In London, armed police storm Heathrow Airport and arrest Sajid Khan. His daughter Aliyah entered the USA with the suicide bomber, and now she’s missing, potentially plotting another attack. But then a mysterious woman called Carrie turns up at Sajid’s door after travelling halfway across the world. She claims Aliyah is with her son Greg, and she knows where they could be. Back in the US, Agent Shreya Mistry is closing in on the two fugitives. But the more she investigates, the more she realises this case is far from as simple as it seems. Hunted by the authorities, the two parents are thrown together in a race against time to find their kids before the FBI does and stop a catastrophe that will bring the world to its knees.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Marking twenty years of Kazuo Ishiguro's modern classic, in which he imagines the lives of a group of students growing up in a darkly skewed version of 1990s England.                                              Narrated by Kathy H, as she tries to come to terms with her childhood at the seemingly idyllic Hailsham School, it is a story of love, friendship and memory, charged throughout with a sense of life's fragility.                                                                                        Readers adore Never Let Me Go: 'A masterpiece . . . a beautifully written, skilfully crafted story that reveals what lies in the core of the human heart.''Touches the depths of your intellect and your soul.''A genuinely moving illustration of an aspect of human nature that we usually like to ignore.''I guarantee it will move you and probably bring you close to tears.' 'A masterful read: gripping, thought-provoking, and immensely sad .

James by Percival Everett

The Mississippi River, 1861. When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a new owner in New Orleans and separated from his wife and daughter forever, he flees to nearby Jackson’s Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father who recently returned to town. So begins a dangerous and transcendent journey along the Mississippi River, towards the elusive promise of the free states and beyond. As James and Huck navigate the treacherous waters, each bend in the river holds the promise of both salvation and demise. And together, the unlikely pair embark on the most life-changing odyssey of them all . . .

The Sunday Times Bestseller/Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction/Winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction/Shortlisted for the Booker Prize/Shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award/Finalist for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

A civil servant is offered a lucrative job in a mysterious new government ministry gathering 'expats' from across history to test whether time-travel is feasible. Her role is to work as a 'bridge': living with, supporting and monitoring expat '1847' - Commander Graham Gore, a former Victorian polar explorer. Gore, an adventurer by trade, soon adjusts to this bizarre new world of washing machines, feminism and Spotify; and during a long, sultry summer the pair move from awkwardness to friendship to something more. But as the true shape of the project that brought them together begins to emerge, Gore and the bridge are forced to confront their past choices and imagined futures. Can love triumph over the histories that have shaped them? And how do you defy that history when it is living in your house?

Terms of Restitution by Denzil Meyrick

Chosen as a mark of respect after the sad passing of Denzil in Februrary 2025.

GANGLAND BOSS ZANDER FINN DISAPPEARED AFTER THE BRUTAL MURDER OF HIS SON.

He fled to London, seeking salvation by walking away from his money, his career and his legacy. But when his old second-in-command Malky Maloney tracks him down, Finn knows he must return. Both his real family and his crime family face an existential threat from Albanian mobsters hellbent on taking control of the Scottish underworld and the forces of law and order determined to inflict their own retribution. Finn's fight for survival is a rollercoaster ride of brutality, misplaced loyalties and the utterly unexpected. The road to redemption is perilous - and paved with blood.Item description

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

Birnam Wood is on the move... Five years ago, Mira Bunting founded a guerrilla gardening group: Birnam Wood. An undeclared, unregulated, sometimes-criminal, sometimes-philanthropic gathering of friends, this activist collective plants crops wherever no one will notice, on the sides of roads, in forgotten parks, and neglected backyards.

For years, the group has struggled to break even. Then Mira stumbles on an answer, a way to finally set the group up for the long term: a landslide has closed the Korowai Pass, cutting off the town of Thorndike. Natural disaster has created an opportunity, a sizable farm seemingly abandoned.

A gripping psychological thriller from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Luminaries, Birnam Wood is Shakespearean in its wit, drama and immersion in character. A brilliantly constructed consideration of intentions, actions, and consequences, it is an unflinching examination of the human impulse to ensure our own survival.

The Sunshine Cruise Company by John Niven

Susan Frobisher and Julie Wickham are turning sixty. Susan has just discovered that her recently deceased husband was not only a swinger but had run up a fortune in debts in pursuing his extravagant double life. Julie's not faring better: living in a council house and working in an old people's home, she's desperate for excitement.

When the bank threatens to take Susan's beloved home to clear the debt, the women seek the help of an octogenarian gangster named Nails. Rather than let the bank take everything Susan has, they're going to take the bank. With the help of Nails and a thrill-crazy, wheelchair-bound friend they pull off the daring robbery, and discover that getting away with it is not so easy and that the adventure is only just beginning.

Penance by Eliza Clark

Do you know what happened already? Did you know her? Did you see it on the internet? Did you listen to a podcast? Did the hosts make jokes? Did you see the pictures of the body? Did you look for them? It's been nearly a decade since the horrifying murder of sixteen-year-old Joan Wilson rocked the small seaside town of Crow-on-Sea. Based on hours of interviews with witnesses and family members, and even correspondence with the killers themselves, journalist Alec Z. Carelli has constructed what he claims is the 'definitive account' of the crime.

It's a riveting snapshot of lives scarred by tragedy, and a town left in turmoil. The only question is: how much of Carelli's story is true? .

Calum's Road by Roger Hutchinson
Calum MacLeod had lived on the northern point of Raasay since his birth in 1911. He tended the Rona lighthouse at the very tip of his little archipelago, until semi-automation in 1967 reduced his responsibilities. 'So what he decided to do', says his last neighbour, Donald MacLeod, 'was to build a road out of Arnish in his months off.

With a road he hoped new generations of people would return to Arnish and all the north end of Raasay'. And so, at the age of 56, Calum MacLeod, the last man left in northern Raasay, set about single-handedly constructing the 'impossible' road. It would become a romantic, quixotic venture, a kind of sculpture; an obsessive work of art so perfect in every gradient, culvert and supporting wall that its creation occupied almost twenty years of his life.

In Calum's Road Roger Hutchinson recounts the extraordinary story of this remarkable man's devotion to his visionary project.

And/Or

Starling House by Alix E Harrow
Harrow reimagines Beauty and the Beast in this gorgeously modern Gothic fantasy, perfect for fans of V. E. Schwab and Naomi Novik.

Opal is a lot of things – orphan, high-school dropout, full-time cynic. Most of all, she’s determined to find a better life for her younger brother. One that gets them both out of Eden, a town renowned for bad luck. So when Opal gets the chance to earn a good wage at Starling House, Eden’s very own haunted mansion, she can’t resist. Her new workplace is uncanny and full of secrets ­­– just like Arthur, its brooding heir.

It also feels strangely, dangerously, like something Opal never had: a home. As sinister forces converge on Eden, Opal realizes she might finally have found a reason to stick around. But now she’ll have to fight for it. This is a romantic and spellbinding Gothic fairytale from Hugo, Nebula and Locus Award-shortlisted Alix E. Harrow.

Praise for Starling House: Alix E. Harrow is an exceptional, undeniable talent‘ – Olivie Blake, author of The Atlas Six‘ Alix E.

**A Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick**

Starling House was a No. 6 Sunday Times bestseller 18/11/2023

Orbital by Samantha Harvey
WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE 2024
THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**'A slim, profound study of intimate human fears set against epic vistas'GUARDIAN'Stunning... An uplifting book'SUNDAY TIMESLife on our planet as you've never seen it beforeA team of astronauts in the International Space Station collect meteorological data, conduct scientific experiments and test the limits of the human body. But mostly they observe.
Together they watch their silent blue planet, circling it sixteen times, spinning past continents and cycling through seasons, taking in glaciers and deserts, the peaks of mountains and the swells of oceans. Endless shows of spectacular beauty witnessed in a single day. Yet although separated from the world they cannot escape its constant pull.
News reaches them of the death of a mother, and with it comes thoughts of returning home. They look on as a typhoon gathers over an island and people they love, in awe of its magnificence and fearful of its destruction. The fragility of human life fills their conversations, their fears, their dreams.
So far from earth, they have never felt more part - or protective - of it. They begin to ask, what is life without earth? What is earth without humanity?

And

Butter by Asako Yuzuki
The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story, and translated by Polly Barton. There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine. Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking.
The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back. Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen.
As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought? Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The Konkatsu Killer", Asako Yuzuki’s Butter is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan.

The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai
The Restaurant of Lost Recipes, translated from Japanese by Jesse Kirkwood, is the second book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese sleuthing series for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, and follows on from The Kamogawa Food Detectives. Tucked away down a Kyoto backstreet lies the extraordinary Kamogawa Diner. Running this unique establishment are a father-daughter duo who serve more than just mouth-watering feasts.
The pair have reinvented themselves as 'food detectives', offering a service that goes beyond traditional dining. Through their culinary sleuthing, they reconstruct beloved dishes from the memories of their customers, creating a connection to cherished moments from the past. Among those who seek an appointment is a one-hit wonder pop star, finally ready to leave Tokyo and give up on her singing career.
She wants to try the tempura that she once ate to celebrate her only successful record. Another diner is a budding Olympic swimmer, who desires the bento lunch box that his estranged father used to make him. The Kamogawa Diner doesn't just serve meals – it revives lost recipes and rekindles forgotten memories.
It's a doorway to the past through the miracle of delicious food. 'Feelgood and foodie themes collide in this follow-up to The Kamogawa Food Detectives' - The Times

And

Beartown by Fredrik Backman
In a large Swedish forest, Beartown hides a dark secret . .
Cut-off from everywhere else, it experiences the kind of isolation that tears people apart. And each year, more and more of the town is swallowed by the forest. Then the town is offered a bright new future. But it is all put in jeopardy by a single, brutal act. It divides the town into those who think it should be hushed up and forgotten, and those who'll risk the future to see justice done.
Who will speak up? Could you stand by and stay silent? Or would you risk everything for justice? Which side would you be on?_________'A mature, compassionate novel' Sunday Times' You'll love this engrossing novel

The Torments by Michael J Malone

We are delighted that Michael is going to come along and join our book club on the evening to discuss this book with you. it will not be an author event in the usual style but instead Michael will join the groups for discussion abut his book.

Annie Jackson and her brother Lewis return to investigate the disappearance of a family friend, leading them to spellbinding mystery that digs deep into a past that should, perhaps, remain undisturbed … A chilling gothic thriller from the critically acclaimed author of The Murmurs… Annie and her brother, Lewis … find themselves uncovering a world of black magic and murder. A creepy tale with the terrifying legend of the ‘baobhan sith’ at its core' Observer `Malone is the master of twists, turns and the unexpected´ Herald Scotland

And

Better the Blood by Michael Bennett

Michael’s recent event at The Book Nook was greatly enjoyed by all.

'A compelling, atmospheric page turner with an authentic insight into Maori culture' Val McDermid Detective Senior Sergeant Hana Westerman is a tenacious Maori detective juggling single motherhood and the pressures of her career in Auckland’s Central Investigation Branch. When she’s led to a crime scene by a mysterious video, she discovers a man hanging in a hidden room.
With little to go on, Hana knows one thing: the killer is sending her a message. As a Maori officer, there has always been a clash between duty and culture for Hana, but it is something that she’s found a way to live with. Until now.

The Future by Naomi Alderman
The latest novel from the Women’s Prize-winning author of The Power, The Future is a white-knuckle tour de force and dazzling exploration of the world we have made and where we are going. Lai Zhen is about to die. As an Internet-famous survivalist, she’s spent her life prepping for the end of the world.
But now, desperate and cornered in a mall in Singapore, she’s mad she might go out not knowing what the hell is going on. If she makes it out alive, what kind of a future will be waiting for her? Across the world, Martha Einkorn works the room at a gathering of mega-rich companies hell-bent securing a future just for them. Covert weapons, private weather, technological prophecy, when Martha fled her father’s compound she may have left the cult behind, but if the apocalyptic warnings of his fox and rabbit sermon are starting to come true, how much future is actually left? Martha and Zhen’s worlds are about to collide.
While a few billionaires assured of their own safety lead the world to destruction, Martha’s relentless drive and Zhen’s insatiable curiosity could lead to something beautiful … or the cataclysmic end of civilization.

And

The Disappearance of Adèle Bedeau by Graeme Macrae Burnet
Introducing Detective Georges Gorski…From twice Booker-listed author of His Bloody Project and Case Study. Manfred Baumann is a loner. Socially awkward and ill at ease, he spends his evenings surreptitiously observing Adèle Bedeau, the sullen but alluring waitress at his local bistro. But one day, she vanishes into thin air.

When Detective Georges Gorski begins investigating her disappearance, Manfred’s repressed world is shaken to its core and he is forced to confront the dark secrets of his past. The Disappearance of Adèle Bedeau effortlessly conjures up an otherworldly atmosphere that simultaneously intrigues and unsettles. A compelling psychological portrayal of a peculiar outsider pushed to the limit by his own feverish imagination, it is by turns haunting, strange and mesmeric – Graeme Macrae Burnet’s acclaimed debut, a literary mystery novel that is well on its way to achieving cult status.