New British Books This Week + An Uncommonly Prolific British Author

July 04, 2025

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For most authors, quality work takes a bit of time—but Enid Blyton was a rare exception. At the height of her career, she was producing over 50 books a year, sometimes turning out an entire Famous Five novel in a single week.

Her secret? A strict routine, remarkable focus, and an ability to write thousands of words a day for many, many years. Over her lifetime, she wrote more than 700 books and around 10,000 short stories, making her one of the most prolific—and most translated—authors in history. She was never quite as popular in the US as in the UK, but millions of children grew up on books and series like The Faraway Tree, The Secret Seven, or Malory Towers.

If you’ve ever dreamt of writing a book and those stats intimidate you, no worries - If you can pull off just 500 words each day, you could STILL write two 80,000-word drafts in a year (with 45 days left over to edit).

Even at 250 words/day (an average of 10-20 sentences per day), you’d have a manuscript the length of a typical novel in less than a year.

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New British Books This Week

The Red Queen by Martha Grimes

When a man is shot in a Twickenham pub, Superintendent Richard Jury uncovers a web of secrets—and a mysterious American double—while his partner Wiggins follows a personal lead that may connect to the case in unexpected ways.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

The White Crow by Michael Robotham

When a bloodied child and a bomb-strapped jeweler turn up on the same night in London, police officer Philomena McCarthy is pulled into a case that threatens her career, her marriage, and her loyalty to both her criminal family and the force she serves.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

Death at a Paris Hotel by Verity Bright

While honeymooning in Paris, Lady Eleanor Swift and her new husband Hugh witness a man fall to his death—thrusting them into a mystery involving a stolen brooch, a past love affair, and a race to clear their names before their romantic getaway turns deadly.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

Folded Corners by Jean Grainger

In the winter of 1942, as war rages and hearts falter, pen-friends Grace and Richard face life-altering decisions—one sparked by a letter from afar, the other by a dangerous journalistic pursuit in London—in this poignant tale of love, loyalty, and sacrifice.

Get it: Amazon 

An Enemy in the Village by Martin Walker

When a real estate agent is found dead near the Vézère valley, Bruno, Chief of Police in the idyllic town of St. Denis, suspects foul play—leading him into a web of secrets, village gossip, and personal risk as he searches for the truth.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

Can You Solve the Murder? by Antony Johnston

When a man is found murdered at a wellness retreat in an English country manor, YOU take the lead as the detective—examining clues, questioning suspects, and making the choices that will determine whether justice is served or the killer walks free.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

Miss Veal & Miss Ham by Vikki Heywood

In 1951 Buckinghamshire, two elderly postmistresses—secret lovers for decades—face a day of reckoning as post-war change threatens the quiet life they’ve built in this poignant, intimate story of love, resilience, and dignity.

Get it: Amazon

Dear Miss Lake by AJ Pearce

In July 1944, advice columnist Emmy Lake relocates to the English countryside with her magazine team to boost morale during wartime—until tragedy upends her plans and she must rely on friendship, community, and courage to carry on.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

Tiny Daggers by Caroline Corcoran

When London expat Holly Jones runs into her seductive, long-estranged schoolmate in Miami, a chance reunion spirals into a tense psychological game—forcing her to confront buried secrets and question which Holly is really the threat.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

A Tale of Two Tails by Nilla Nilsson

When Elly and Merlot leave England for a new life in rural France, they’re met with unexpected adversity—but through it all, their two observant Labradors, Paddington and Victoria, provide grounding, humour, and a unique perspective in this heartfelt tale of cultural clashes and canine wisdom.

Get it: Amazon

Readymoney Cove by Mark Butterworth

As Cabinet minister Henry Fitzjohn’s private scandals collide with Cold War tensions, a Soviet plot draws him—and former Israeli agent Hannah Devon—into a high-stakes conspiracy that could ignite war and destroy reputations across Britain.

Get it: Amazon

The Love Leap by Heather Grace Stewart

When romance author Mills Sutherland meets a charming Highland sailor in modern-day Scotland, a magical portal in Loch Ness throws them back to 1645—where clan rivalries, mistaken identities, and unexpected love challenge everything they thought they knew.

Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)

The Block Room by Lloyd Harvey

In a quiet Lancashire town, a war veteran and a woman with a troubled family history uncover century-old secrets buried in a former mill—forcing them to confront betrayal, hidden love, and the weight of the past that binds them.

Get it: Amazon 

The Little Cottage by the Cornish Sea

After a breakup and career setback, Kate retreats from London to the seaside village of Starry Cove—where unexpected pregnancy, new friendships, and a guarded manor owner lead her to reconsider what home and love truly mean.

Get it: Amazon

“I said to myself, ‘He has done this and he has paid for it. Isn’t that enough? Is a man to be condemned forever? Why do I go to church and repeat the Lord’s Prayer if I don’t hold to it, if there is no forgiveness? Is our own behavior higher than the founder of Christianity, that we should set a higher standard for others?”

Winston Graham, Ross Poldark

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