Stone and Sky, by Ben Aaronovitch

Wizard and Detective Sergeant Peter Grant, his river goddess partner Beverly and their two-year old twins are meant to be on holiday, but find themselves accompanied on a trip to Scotland by his parents, his Dad’s jazz band and the Folly team for investigating weird bollocks. They are looking into reports of a large black panther, possibly supernatural, and find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation. The victim had gills and is connected to the water-based fae communities in and around Aberdeen. The disappearance of an academic who is researching extending the life of fossil fuel resources may also be connected. Luckily Peter gets to work with the usual pragmatic local copper, smoothing the path, but his apprentice cousin Abigail’s blooming romance could prove to be hindrance or help. These dark fantasy stories, grounded on a base of routine police work, are always a delight, although occasionally get a bit bogged down in descriptive detail. The alternating POV between Peter and Abigail adds to the tale, but gets a tad confusing at times.

Your Friend and Mine, by Jessica Dettmann

Twenty years after the death of her best friend Tess, Margot receives a legacy and a quest. Leaving her busy Sydney restaurant and complacent husband for a short visit to London to chase a lost dream, Margot finds a new friendship and the space to question her life and dare to think of a different future. It’s a bit of a leap to believe that the young women could have forged such a deep and enduring friendship in six months of knowing each other, but after suspending that disbelief much else rings true. It is refreshing that the story does not pursue the obvious romance, but the twist at the end again stretches credulity and undermines the integrity of the main narrative, which deals movingly with grief and paths not taken.

The Listeners, by Maggie Stiefvater

The Avallon Hotel in the mountains of Virginia is a luxury spa resort that caters to every whim of the rich and infamous. Protégé of its owners, the Guilfoyle family, June Hudson has been the General Manager for 10 years, devoting her entire life to keeping the magical waters sweet and the hotel in balance. When the attack on Pearl Harbor draws the US into the war, the Avallon is commandeered to house enemy diplomats prior to their deportation. June is stretched to her limit, dealing with the FBI, the Feds, her unwelcome guests and the staff, many of whom she is losing to the draft. Can she keep it all together until the hotel is rid of its enemy aliens and will life ever return to what passes as normal at the Avallon? War changes everything, including June, and she finds herself questioning her priorities and her future. This is a strange tale, based on true events but with a magical twist and a very engaging heroine.

The Names, by Florence Knapp

Cora is married to a violent and controlling man, Gordon, who presents to the world as a charming and lovable GP. They have a 9-year-old daughter, Maia, who is already showing signs of damage from this toxic relationship. Gordon has instructed Cora to register the birth of their new son with his name and that of his father before him. But Cora wants to break that tradition and call her son Julian, while Maia would like him to be called Bear. What follows is three versions of the same story with quite different outcomes that hinge on the naming decision. They trace the fate of the family every seven years – Sliding Doors meets 7-Up. The children take very different paths in each story, but suffer consequences of domestic violence in all of them. The dark subject matter is written with sensitivity and intelligence, capturing the voices of Cora, Maia and the three boys and examining the impact on their family and those around them with clarity and empathy. A film version would be interesting.

Clown Town, by Mick Herron

Slow Horse River Cartwright is still waiting for medical clearance to return to MI5’s Slough House repository for failed spies, following his Novichok poisoning. Meanwhile Louisa is considering an opportunity to go private. All plans are disrupted by First Desk Diana Taverner’s need to address a threat from the past and at the same time rid herself of her bête noir, Johnsonesque ex Tory Minister and constant troublemaker Peter Judd. As usual her machinations put the Slow Horses in the line of fire and it is up to their boss, the execrable Jackson Lamb, to sort it out. The action jumps around multiple points of view within chapters, which can get confusing. Herron has never been afraid to kill off his horses, but the long drawn out teaser as to which has been put down this time is an unnecessary and annoying cliffhanger. His withering and succinct analysis of the current state of UK politics and the intelligence service is chilling confirmation of the book title.

Beautiful Lies, by Lisa Unger

Freelance writer Ridley Jones has lived a charmed life in New York, with loving parents and a promising career. That starts to change after a heroic act puts her in the spotlight and she receives a message that makes her question her whole identity. A sexy new neighbour helps her out, but what are his true motives and who can she trust? The opening preamble, set in 1972, is suspenseful and ominously sets up the story. The opening chapter jumps forward 30 years, reverting to first person in an expository mess. This improves as the action heats up and the tale of corruption and violent exploitation unfolds, but the characters are just not credible and the epilogue is as dully expository as chapter one.

The Incandescent, by Emily Tesh

Dr Walden is director of magic at Chetwood School, a cross between Rowling's Hogwarts and Novik's Scholomance, where she is charged with keeping students safe from ravening demons who would like to feast on their burgeoning abilities. When ambitious A-level students summon a demon beyond their powers to contain, Walden has to draw on everything she has to save them and protect the school. Unfortunately this drags up demons from her own past at the school, putting herself and everything she cares about at risk. After a slow and heavily expository beginning this tale develops into an interesting psychological examination of magical teachers and students, with an appropriate British touch of class, wealth and status. The characters and their relationships are well developed and credible. The ending is a little pat, but offers some optimism and the possibility of redemption with a possible sequel.