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New British Books This Week + Fforde Ffiesta?
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Some people are very, very particular about their reading. They like their writers and books to know their lane and stay in it. Then…there are Jasper Fforde fans.
When it comes to Fforde’s books, you never know quite what you’re getting - but you can be sure it will include a variety of genres. He’s creatively playful. In terms of comparable authors, your best bets would be people like Douglas Adams, Sir Terry Pratchett, and Christopher Moore.
As you might expect, that attracts a diverse and eclectic fan base - and each year, they hold a gathering called the Fforde Ffiesta. The event takes place in Swindon (the home of the character Thursday Next in his books), and it’s a weekend of fun and general silliness.
Fforde himself takes part in the festivities - doing a reading, narrating a bus tour, taking part in judging panels - and it’s not unusual for it to sell out long before it actually happens. You can check out their Facebook page HERE.
Curious about Fforde’s work? There are a few great places to enter his universe…
The Eyre Affair (Book 1 of the Thursday Next series) - In an alternate 1985 where literature is fiercely protected, detective Thursday Next must stop a criminal who’s kidnapping characters from books—beginning with Jane Eyre herself.
Shades of Grey (Shades of Grey, Book 1) - In a rigid society where status is defined by how much color you can see, Eddie Russett begins to question the rules—until forbidden love and buried truths force him to challenge the entire system.
The Last Dragonslayer (Book 1 of The Last Dragonslayer) - In a world where magic is fading, teenage foundling Jennifer Strange becomes the reluctant Dragonslayer, tasked with confronting the last living dragon as kingdoms prepare for its death.
The Big Over Easy (Book 1 of Nursery Crime) - Detective Jack Spratt of the Nursery Crime Division investigates the suspicious death of Humpty Dumpty, uncovering secrets and scandals hidden beneath Reading’s fairy-tale surface.
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New British Books This Week
Murder on the Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood
A body found on the Thames draws Judith Potts and the Marlow Murder Club into the secrets of a village drama society, where everyone had reason to dislike the victim.
Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)
Other People’s Houses by Clare Mackintosh
In Cheshire, a string of break-ins unsettles an exclusive community, while across the border in Wales DC Ffion Morgan investigates a murdered estate agent—two cases that soon collide in dangerous ways.
Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)
Lady Darling Inquires After a Killer by Colleen Gleason
In Victorian London, wealthy widow Lady Darling only wants peace and quiet—until a dinner party ends in murder and she finds herself hunting the killer.
Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)
Uncharmed by Lucy Jane Wood
A perfectionist witch is tasked with mentoring a rebellious teen in a ramshackle cabin, where an unexpected warlock housemate forces her to rethink magic, love, and the cost of always pleasing others.
Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)
The Room of Lost Steps by Simon Tolkien
In 1936 Barcelona, American dreamer Theo joins the fight against Fascism, but betrayal, war, and love drive him from Spain to Oxford and back again, forcing a life-defining choice amid the Spanish Civil War.
Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)
Murder on the Great Northern Railway by Edward Marston
In 1867, Detective Inspector Colbeck investigates a murder and the theft of a silver model of Lincoln Cathedral from a train, a case complicated by the bustling crowds of the city’s annual Horse Fair.
Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)
The New Spy by Michael Dylan
With just days before she officially joins MI5, rookie spy Jo Batten is thrust into a race to stop coordinated terrorist attacks across the UK—while a shadowy enemy with even deadlier plans closes in.
Get it: Amazon
Feast for the Ravens by Sarah Hawkswood
In 1145 Worcestershire, a Templar knight is found murdered in the Forest of Wyre, leaving Hugh Bradecote and his men to untangle myth, betrayal, and long-buried crimes in pursuit of the killer.
Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)
How to Get Murdered in Devon by Stephanie Austin
In Devon, Juno Browne’s new car hides a corpse in the boot, drawing her into a web of missing persons, family secrets, and murder tied to the notorious Horrell clan.
Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)
Christmas for the Village Midwife by Tilly Tennant
In the village of Thimblebury, midwife Zoe juggles a Christmas baby boom, a new romance, and troubling secrets from an old friend that threaten to upend the festive season.
Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)
Cloaked in Deception by Cara Devlin
At a London charity dinner turned deadly, Leonora Spencer and DI Jasper Reid uncover ties between a brutal murder and a long-buried orphanage scandal, drawing them into a dangerous web of secrets and revenge.
Get it: Amazon
The Man in the Stone Cottage by Stephanie Cowell
In 1846 Yorkshire, the Brontë sisters struggle with loss and rejection, until Emily’s secret connection to a mysterious shepherd—and Charlotte’s later discovery of hidden letters—unveil a haunting mystery that blurs love and reality.
Get it: Amazon | Bookshop.org (supports independent bookshops)
Open to Death by Sophie Mattis
In the quiet town of Rucklesby, DI Serena Hunt hunts a killer who leaves cryptic notes on victims, even as her uneasy partnership with a new pathologist adds unexpected tension to the case.
Get it: Amazon
‘She has man's brain--a brain that a man should have were he much gifted--and woman's heart. The good God fashioned her for a purpose, believe me when He made that so good combination.’
Bram Stoker, Dracula
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