The Twyford Code, by Janice Hallett

An old phone has turned up in a missing persons case containing 200 deleted audio files that may offer a clue. Ex con Steve Smith has recorded details of his bid to unravel a supposed secret code hidden in a series of mid-20th century children’s books that will unlock a mystery from his childhood. He has enlisted the help of his fellow former remedial English students to find out what happened to their missing teacher, Alice Isles, 40 years ago. But they all have conflicting memories of that fateful excursion and possibly, conflicting agendas. Their story unfolds through transcripts of the audio files and it is a twisted tale indeed, with the boundaries between truth and fiction constantly crossed and blurred. A deprived childhood, London criminal gangs, WWII spy drama, missing gold that may be cursed and an estranged son. What actually happened? Who is real? What is allegory and what is entertainment? There are a few too many convenient coincidences, but this is nevertheless a gripping read that keeps the reader guessing right to the end.

Romantic Comedy, by Curtis Sittenfield

Sally Milz has been a very successful writer on The Night Owls, the premier late night live comedy show, for nine seasons. After a failed ‘starter marriage’ and several romantic misadventures, at 37 she confines herself to acquaintances with benefits and shuts herself off from the possibility of more. When famous musician Noah Brewster is the guest host on the show she feels an instant connection, but why would someone famous and super-hot be interested in her when he could date 22-year-old models? Two years and a pandemic later, Noah gets in touch via email and the two become pen pals. There is a chance to forge the relationship they never had, but can Sally trust that it is real? Sittenfield evokes the behind-the-scenes world of Saturday Night Live, with all the highs and misogynistic lows of the comedy world. Sally embodies the opportunities and misgivings of a woman navigating the scene. Noah is a touch too good to be true, making Sally’s lack of confidence even more painfully relatable. In the end, it’s all in the title.

Am I Being Unreasonable? (BBC)

Dissatisfied in her marriage and lacking confidants, Nicole keeps having flashbacks to an horrific accident in which she lost someone she loved. She strikes up a friendship with newcomer Jen, who has a troubled background and is not quite what she seems. As the short series unfolds, we discover more about each woman’s secrets, eliciting both sympathy and condemnation. We also follow Nic’s discovery of the fate of her missing cat, a tale that travels the gamut from comedy to horror. The tone gets darker with each revelation and sympathies shift and slowly dissipate until the final shock twist ending. Daisy May Cooper and Selin Hizli co-wrote this disturbing tragi-comedy in which they play the damaged and damaging lead characters. There will apparently be a second season, although it is difficult to imagine where it could go.

Fatal Legacy, by Lindsey Davis

Roman informer Flavia Albia chases a debt for a family business and finds herself drawn in to the machinations and shenanigans of a very different family, who are battling over possession of an orchard outside the city. She finds herself digging through a murky history of violence and litigation that has continued since the death of a patriarch 40 years earlier. The case requires negotiating a web of lies, finding a missing will, preventing an elopement and determining whether one of the recalcitrant family members is a freedman or a slave. There are so many characters, most of whom are related, it is difficult to keep track of who is who and how they are connected. The novel is enhanced by the welcome reappearance of Albia’s parents, Falco and Helena. But an unnecessary murder near the end adds to the chaos of too much going on for too little effect.

Black Water Sister, by Zen Cho

After her family falls on hard times, Harvard educated Jess finds herself back in Malaysia living with her parents in the Penang home of her uncle and aunt. There she encounters the ghost of her recently deceased grandmother, who cannot pass to her next life until she sorts out a few things. Unfortunately she wants to use Jess’s body to do the sorting, which brings her into conflict with the fifth richest man in Malaysia and a particularly violent goddess. Jess has her own issues to deal with, such as finding a job and concealing her sexuality from her family, so she really doesn’t need the hassle of vengeful gangsters and clashing religions. Can she appease the gods, lay her grandmother’s ghost to rest and stay alive without upsetting her parents? Well no. This is a wild ride of a novel, combining the supernatural and genuine suspense with a cultural and generational divide to give a fascinating insight into modern and historic Malaysia. The vivid language and sometimes brutal action animate an unusual coming-of-age story with an appealing heroine.

His Dark Materials 3 (HBO)

A recap at the start would have been useful as it has been a while since season 2. It helps to have read the books, as this season is largely based on book three of Philip Pullman’s trilogy – The Amber Spyglass. Lyra has been abducted by her mother, Mrs Coulter, who is keeping her sedated in a misguided attempt to keep her safe. Will is using the subtle knife to cut his way across worlds trying to find her, while the Magisterium is also trying to find and eliminate the ‘Eve’ of prophecy. Meanwhile Lord Asriel is mustering the forces of rebellion against the Authority, both helped and hindered by angels taking sides, and taking little heed of his daughter’s fate. When Will liberates Lyra she persuades him they need to journey to the Land of Dead, so she can make amends to her lost friend Roger, but this entails leaving behind their souls with no guarantee they will be reunited. There is a lot going on in the infinite multiverse; it can be hard to keep track of all the threads, and the Eve theme is a tad heavy handed. The visit to the Land of the Dead brings back some favourites, and ties up a few loose ends. Throughout the cinematography is beautiful and the cast is all class. Ultimately, it’s all about love and sacrifice, with an unexpectedly poignant and heartfelt ending to the series.

Joe Country, by Mick Herron

In the depths of a London winter, life is looking even more bleak than usual for the stable of dud MI5 agents at Slough House. River Cartwright’s venerable grandfather has died and his errant father shows up to spoil the funeral. Louisa has been guilted into chasing up her dead lover’s missing son and Catherine is at risk of falling off the wagon. The latest slow horse, Lech, may be guilty of a heinous crime, or may have been set up. Diana Taverner has finally achieved top dog status at the agency and quickly embodies all the maxims on power, while maintaining her determination to obliterate Slough House. Herron uses recent British history, with its dodgy populist politicians and seedy royals, to highlight the deficiencies of the security services in a declining democracy. One interesting angle is the impact of Brexit, with former European allies not only stopping cooperation but becoming potential antagonists. Almost all of the slow horses are at risk of becoming casualty of the week in this book, and the suspense of who succumbs is maintained until the end. This is a particularly brutal and bloody sequence of events, again ending in a cliffhanger that calls into question the future of the Slough House, with Taverner tempted down a very slippery slope.