Whether you’re looking for a murder mystery, a light-hearted romcom or a gripping drama, these beach reads are sure to have you hooked over your summer holidays
THRILLER – The Trial by Jo Spain
In 2014, at an elite college on the outskirts of Dublin, medical student Theo gets up one morning, leaving behind his sleeping girlfriend, Dani, and his promising future – never to be seen again. Unable to accept his unexplained disappearance, Dani reports him missing, even though no one else seems concerned, including Theo’s father. A decade later, Dani returns to the college as a history professor, looking for a fresh start. But with her mother suffering from severe dementia, and her past at St Edmunds still haunting her, all is not as it seems behind the cloistered college walls and Dani is hiding secrets of her own.
MURDER MYSTERY – Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum
Described as ‘White Lotus sharp’ and a ‘must-read’ for summer 2024, this satirical debut novel takes you to the idyllic Fire Island where the New York City elite gather every year, trailing kids, their nannies, wine and seafood imported from Manhattan. While none of the characters could be described as ‘good people’, could any of them be an actual murderer? When a body is found under the boardwalk, saucy secrets and outrageous scandals are revealed and it’s suddenly clear that they are all suspects.
ROMCOM – Funny Story by Emily Henry
If you love romantic comedies, it’s highly likely that you’ve already read an Emily Henry novel. But even though you know what’s going to happen at the end, you also know you’re going to have a fabulous time on the journey. In this story, we meet Daphne and Miles, two jilted people whose former lovers have run off with each other. As the only two people who understand their predicament, they move in together and hatch a plan to make their exes jealous. Chaos, hilarity and of course, love, ensues.
LOVE TRIANGLE – The Honeymoon Affair by Sheila O’Flanagan
Izzy is on her honeymoon – alone – after her fiancé broke her heart. While there, she meets and falls for a man who is divorced from, yet still extremely close to, his ex-wife, Ariel. Sheila O’Flanagan’s new novel tells a compelling and thought-provoking story about two strong women, one complicated man, and the secrets and dreams that draw them together – with explosive consequences.
BIOGRAPHY – You Never Know by Tom Selleck
Whether you remember him from Magnum PI, fell in love with him in the Three Men and a Baby/Little Lady movies or followed the drama on his 14-series-long show Blue Bloods, chances are you’re quite familiar with Tom Selleck. But how much do you actually know about his life? In this frank, funny and intimate memoir the beloved actor tells the story of a remarkable life and thoroughly accidental career. As well as documenting his journey to the top in Hollywood, his crushing mistakes and well-earned success, Selleck also clears up an armload of misconceptions and shares never-told stories.
ROMANCE – You Are Here by David Nicholls
Marnie and Michael are both feeling stuck in their lives for very different reasons. When a persistent mutual friend and some very English weather conspire to bring them together, Marnie and Michael suddenly find themselves alone on the most epic of walks and on the precipice of a new friendship. From the author of the wildly successful One Day, this is a novel of first encounters, second chances and finding your way home.
DRAMA – The Happy Couple by Naoise Dolan
If you enjoy stories centred around weddings, you’ll love this second novel from author Naoise Dolan that delves into the very complicated lives of a bridal party – from the ‘happy couple’ to the bridesmaid, the best man and one of the guests. They all have their own agendas when it comes to observing the other members of their party. As the wedding approaches and the five lives intersect, each character will find themselves looking for a path to their happily ever after – but does it lie at the end of an aisle?
SEQUEL – Long Island by Colm Tóibín
If you loved Brooklyn, you’re going to want to get this the minute it’s released on 23 May. In Colm Toibin’s masterful new novel, we are reunited with Eilis Lacey, the heroine of Brooklyn. Twenty years on, in the 1970s, she is living with her husband, Tony Fiorello, and her children in a house in Long Island, rather too close to her Fiorello in-laws. A shocking piece of news propels Eilis back to Ireland, to a world she thought she had long left behind and to ways of living, and loving, she thought she had lost.
