More Great Reads from Book Chat

31 July 2026

Books suitable for Turn Up the Heat challenges featured among the books recommended at Flaxmere Book Chat, including trying new genres and single-word titles.

Hemlock and Silver by T Kingfisher is a retelling of the story of Snow White from the point of view of the healer asked by the King to cure his daughter. Healer Anya loves the science of poisons and how to cure them, but the illness affecting young Snow is nothing she’s ever come across before. This was a fascinating read, cleverly reinventing the old fairy tale with its apples and mirrors. Our reader loved it.

Another reader looking for a different kind of read picked up Nonesuch by Francis Spufford which follows Iris, who on the brink of World War Two, has a one-night stand. The encounter leaves her pursued by a creature from another world. This was quite a different kind of novel, a kind of paranormal literary fiction.

False Impression is an earlier book by Jeffrey Archer set just before 9/11 and beginning with the brutal murder of an aristocratic old lady. The FBI and Interpol are soon on the case, which has connections to a stolen Van Gogh painting. Such an easy read, interesting and cleverly plotted.

Continuing with crime and thrillers was Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie which takes our famous Belgian detective to Jerusalem and on to Petra where a bossy matriarch is poisoned. Can it be one of her children, overheard by Poirot exclaiming that her mother must be killed. Or is it someone else entirely? Plenty of red herrings before the ending. Our reader enjoyed the succinct writing that manages to build a world you can easily visualise.

Your Every Move by Sam Blake is based on the world of real estate in London. When estate agent Rosie Kinsella becomes targeted by a mysterious stalker, her wonderful job turns to terror. This ‘Michael’ seems to know where she lives and takes photos inside her house. Only a close group of people know her whereabouts so who could it be? There’s dirty money plus murder all woven together for a gripping mystery.

Stalkers are the theme again in The Final Target by Nora Roberts which describes a stalker who has his sights set on Arden, a woman writer he meets at her book launch. He feels justified in his interest in her, but an alarm bell niggles at her subconsciousness. She will ignore it at her peril. Another engrossing read by this popular author.

The first in a new police detective series, The Devil’s Dice by Roz Watkins takes us to the Peak District where a lawyer is found dead in a cave. DI Meg Dalton is convinced it’s just a cold blooded murder but must tackle rumours of a local curse and an eerie message left on the cave walls above the body. This is an excellent read, and a new author to look out for.

A non-fiction title, Teacher: one woman’s struggle to keep the heart in teaching by Gabbie Stroud describes an Australian teacher’s experience which took her from loving her job to despair. This developed when she found she could no longer teach children according to their individual needs because of education ministry requirements. The book discusses her path to become a teacher, what makes a great teacher, and what kids need from their teacher. Brilliant and heart breaking was the verdict.

The Things That Matter Most is a novel also by Gabbie Stroud. It describes what happens at a school when the needs of the kids are not being met as staff and administration struggle with other issues. Litigation pending, things go from bad to worse. 

Air by John Boyne explores how there can be more than one victim in a situation. The story follows a father and son travelling by plane, the father still dealing with issues that affected him in his youth, and which threatens to hamper his own relationship with his boy. A really compelling story showing life as it is and written with honesty.

Auē by Becky Manawatu follows two brothers, both born into violence but redeemed by love. A raw, compelling story but not an easy read. This book won a Ngaio Marsh Award as well as the Ockham Award for Fiction in 2020.

A Little Unwell by Kerry Jewell is the story of Amy, a doctor who is struggling with disillusionment. Her dreams of saving lives and helping people are at odds with the reality of her city hospital which has much lower expectations and also because people don’t always want to be ‘helped’. There are great funny moments in this story of a doctor experiencing life personally and professionally.

Another story laced with humour, Winifred Peters Is Not Sorry for Her Loss by Louise Jensen Duffy was a real giggle but also realistic in how it shows a character responding to events in her life. It is set in 1933, in an outback town in Australia, where Winifred buries her husband and discovers new opportunities when she receives a surprise inheritance.

The Parisian Chapter by Janet Skeslien Charles takes main character Lily who finds a job at the American Library in Paris, following in the footsteps of her neighbour back home in Montana who was there during WWII. Lily unearths an archive of old documents that take the reader back to what happened in the war. This book was also warmly recommended.

Flaxmere Library Book Chat meets every second Tuesday at 10.30 am - new members most welcome.

Posted by JAM

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