BookTalk
Book Talk with Smiffs book & card store , Nerja
Better Off Dead ( h ) by Lee Child and Andrew Child . Reacher never backs down from a problem . And he ’ s about to find a big one , on a deserted road in Arizona , where a car has crashed into the only tree for miles around . Minutes later , Reacher is heading into town . To introduce himself to the shadowy crew who made it happen . Their boss has a terrifying reputation and the stakes are high . Just to get in and meet him , Reacher is going to have to achieve the impossible . To get answers will be even harder . There are people in this hostile , empty place who would rather die , than reveal their secrets . But then , if Reacher is coming after you , you might be better off dead .
Better Off Dead leads off this month ’ s Soltalk Hotlist of titles , some entirely new , others moving into small paperback format for the first time or being reissued , sometimes after years out of print . All are due for publication on dates in November , with availability in print this month or in early December . The Hotlist helps readers to budget for and plan book ordering .
Cold as Hell ( p ) by L . Sigurdardottir . Icelandic sisters Arora and Isafold live in different countries and aren ’ t on speaking terms , but when their mother loses contact with Isafold , Arora reluctantly returns to Iceland to find her sister . But she soon realizes that her sister isn ’ t avoiding her ... she has disappeared , without trace . As she confronts Isafold ’ s abusive , drug-dealing boyfriend Bjoern , and begins to probe her sister ’ s reclusive neighbours - who have their own reasons for staying out of sight - Arora is led into an ever-darker web of intrigue and manipulation .
Once Upon a Crime ( h ) by Fergus Craig . Exeter : a city in decline , East Devon ’ s capital of crime . Detective Roger LeCarre : a man on a quest to rid the world of crime ( starting with Devon and Cornwall and then working outwards ) so he can concentrate on his watercolours . LeCarre runs 10km a day but probably burns more calories shaking his head
at what has become of his city . Now Exeter is set to become the UK Capital of Culture . But when a young man ’ s ( dead ) body is found in the centre of town , things get murky . Can he find out who killed the young man , save the city and change his energy provider before the new more expensive tariff kicks in ?
Christmas Legacy ( h ) by Anne Perry is a festive mystery set in Victorian London .. Gracie Tellman is preparing for Christmas with her husband and three young children when Millie Foster calls upon her . As a maid at Harcourt House , Millie is terrified that sinister goings-on , including the disappearance of food from the kitchens , will lead to her unfair dismissal , and she begs Gracie to investigate the situation . With the promise that she will be back in time for Christmas , Gracie takes Millie ’ s place in the Harcourt household , never imagining the discovery she then makes . For the servants have been keeping a secret and their efforts are about to be rewarded in the most extraordinary way ...
Cotswold Christmas Mystery ( p ) by Rebecca Tope . Christmas is coming to the picturesque Cotswold countryside , and the days are merry and bright at the Slocombe house . Thea ’ s daughter Jessica has come to stay , much to her stepdaughter Stephanie ’ s delight , and the family are looking forward to the festivities . But things soon take a turn for the worse . A local family , the Frowses , find themselves increasingly harassed by an aggressive landlord and his overbearing new wife . When Beverley Frowse suddenly goes missing without a trace , Thea and Stephanie both feel they should help to investigate her disappearance , if only to ease the growing concern of Beverley ’ s son , and Thea ’ s friend , Ant .
By Order of the Peaky Blinders ( p ) by Matt Allen . Featuring brand new material , this is the ultimate companion for the hit TV show , Peaky Blinders . Walk through The Garrison Tavern ’ s saloon bar doors and onto the streets of Birmingham , past the fire-belching factories and away to the horse fairs on the edge of town . Welcome to the world of the Peaky Blinders . Since it first hit our screens in 2013 , Peaky Blinders has evolved from cult
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