We Solve Murders, by Richard Osman

A private close protection officer has been set up for a series of murders linked to her work and she brings in her ex-cop father-in-law to help protect her reputation and life, along with that of her latest client – a famous writer. It’s all pretty far-fetched, with a new set of characters, but a similar tone to the Thursday Murder gang. When you’re on a good thing…

River of Salt, by Dave Warner

A young mob hitman escapes his dark past in Philadelphia to start a new life on the north coast of New South Wales. A murder disrupts his surf bar serenity and brings his old skills to bear in assisting the local corrupt cop to solve the case. Set in 1961, red herrings abound along with several glaring anachronisms. It's all rather bloddy. but love and music find a way.

Juliet, Naked (2018), directed by Jesse Peretz

Promising musician Tucker Crow disappeared from the public eye after a devastating breakup, leaving his small cadre of dedicated fans desperate for more. Living in an unsatisfactory relationship with one of those superfans, Annie accidentally connects with Tucker online and sparks big changes in both their lives. This low key romcom, based on a Nick Hornby novel, is notable for its lead actors; Rose Byrne’s brand of competent appeal works well for Annie; Chris O’Dowd brings his usual daffiness as the fan; and Ethan Hawke hits the spot as the ageing never-was rock star.

Orbital, by Samantha Harvey

At 136 pages this is barely a novella but the prose is so dense it’s a slow read. Poetic, philosophical and colourfully geographic, it delves into the minds and hearts of six astronauts on the International Space Station. Gently profound on climate change and the folly of humankind, the story celebrates the blue planet and laments its inevitable demise. This year’s Booker winner is narrow, deep and most unusual.

The Dog of the North, by Elizabeth McKenzie

Broke and homeless, Penny has quit her marriage and her job and travelled to Santa Barbara to help with crises in the lives of each of her elderly grandparents. She finds friends in odd places and travels as far as Australia to uncover the mystery of a family tragedy. Teetering on the edge of absurd, this very strange tale celebrates competence in a woman still dealing with childhood and adult trauma.

The Masquerades of Spring, by Ben Aaronovitch

The latest Rivers of London novella goes back in time to see chief London wizard Thomas Nightingale visiting New York in the 1920s to track down magically malign instruments. Seen from the point of view of expat colleague Augustus Berrycloth-Young, this entertaining tale sheds light on the earlier days of Nightingale, although Gussy’s voice gets a bit twee. While the back story short stories and novellas are fun, it must surely be time for a proper novel that takes the saga forward.

Douglas is Cancelled (ITV)

Patience and endurance are required to get beyond the first episode of this program, which seems to be yet another defence of the poor, downtrodden, middle-aged, middle class white male, who just can’t say anything anymore. All of the characters are horrible – the least obnoxious the titular TV presenter who falls foul of cancel culture. But although heavy handed, this twisty critique of the media and entertainment industry has some valid points to make about how the good guys, the not-all men, need to stop turning a blind eye to the monsters and step up as allies to the real victims. Karen Gillan plays the ambitious and manipulative Madeleine and Hugh Bonneville the nice-guy Douglas, who switch our sympathies and keep us guessing about the truth. Alex Kingston is amusing as a terrible tabloid editor and not-so supportive wife. It’s frustrating that there are few consequences for the worst behaved character, who is enabled by the system he works in, but this is probably the most true-to-life element of the story.

You Are Here, by David Nicholls

Two lonely people become a little less lonely when they bond on a hiking trip across the north of England. Survivor of a terrible marriage, Marnie works from home and since COVID lockdowns her world has shrunk. A brutal assault has changed Michael in ways that damaged and destroyed his previously happy marriage. Each chapter alternates bewteen their two very different perspectives. This unlikely pair help each other to break bad patterns and move on with hope. Their coming together is not very credible, but that’s romance.

The Ministry of Time, by Kaliane Bradley

In the near future the British government has acquired a time travel device and has brought forward several people from the past – 1645 to 1916. Each has a civil servant assigned as a bridge – a minder to help acclimatise them to the present day and report on them to the Ministry. But how will the personal relationships formed affect the present and the future? Especially that between charismatic polar explorer Graham Gore and his unnamed Eurasian bridge. It's an intriguing premise, well constructed and imagined, that turns into something of a mindfuck as the time travel elements turn on themselves.

Rogue Protocol and Exit Strategy, by Martha Wells

In Murderbot 3 the independent SecUnit goes in search of evidence against the evil GrayCris company, allying with and protecting a new group of humans and learning a lot about the potential of human relationships along the way. The fourth and concluding novella in the Murderbot series sees the rogue SecUnit on a rescue mission to save Dr Mensah, its mentor and possible friend from the first story, who has been kidnapped by the GreyCris corporation. A satisfying journey arc is completed with trademark humour and humanity.

My Old Ass (2024), directed by Megan Park

Elliott is 18 and about to leave the family cranberry farm for Uni in the big city of Toronto. While taking a mushroom trip with friends she encounters her 39-year-old self, who has words of wisdom that change the way Elliott looks life. It starts slowly but builds to a beautifully sad climax, where it turns out Elliot has things to teach her old ass too. Stunning cinematography is complemented by a lovely performance from newcomer Maisie Stella.

The Alternatives, by Caolinn Hughes

Four sisters have overcome their troubled childhoods to become successful in different ways. When the eldest goes AWOL the others go in pursuit, re-evaluating tricky relationships along the way. A not quite successful meld of dystopian despair and family drama attempts interesting things but is overly didactic.

Artificial Condition, by Martha Wells

Book two in the Murderbot Diaries follows on directly from All Systems Red, with the rogue security unit now on the run from both The Company that owns it and the benevolent former clients trying to help it. It hitches a ride with an unstaffed AI-driven cargo ship to a remote mining station, on a quest to discover the mystery of its past and the origins of its violent self-inflicted nickname. This involves reaching a level of trust with its powerful host and taking on a private security contract with a group of naïve researchers trying to regain their intellectual property from a criminal gang. Literally digging up the past raises as many questions as answers for the troubled SecUnit and the mission is complicated by its sense of obligation to protect its hapless clients, despite no imperative to do so. The tale is action-packed and funny and, although it has few organic parts and an enormous capacity for destruction, the SecUnit demonstrates more humanity than many of the actual humans it encounters.