Beat the January blues with a brilliant book

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Happy New Year

What better way to beat the January blues than with a brilliant book?

Dive into a brand new world with our must-read fiction, explore our British Library Crime Classics, and take a look at our collection of brand new books coming to libraries soon!

Fantastic Fiction

The fine art of invisible detection
Robert Goddard

With her husband recently murdered, Umiko Wada wants to keep her head down. Processing paperwork and doing coffee runs as a private detective's secretary seems perfect.

Until her boss takes a new case. A shadowy case. A case which takes Wada from Tokyo to London.

Nick Miller never knew his father, but when a family friend says there are things Nick needs to know, he has to investigate.

But Wada and Nick couldn't anticipate the series of violent events set off by their investigations.

And when they discover Nick's father might have been the only witness to a dark secret forever buried, they realise there are powerful people who will do whatever it takes to keep it that way.

Bats in the Belfry
E. C. R. Lorac

Bruce Attleton dazzled London's literary scene with his first two novels - but his early promise did not bear fruit.

His wife Sybilla is a glittering actress, unforgiving of Bruce's failure, and the couple lead separate lives in their house at Regent's Park.

When Bruce is called away on a sudden trip to Paris, he vanishes completely - until his suitcase and passport are found in a sinister artist's studio, the Belfry, in a crumbling house in Notting Hill.

Inspector Macdonald must uncover Bruce's secrets, and find out the identity of his mysterious blackmailer.

The book share
Phaedra Patrick

Liv Green loves losing herself in a good book. Her everyday reality is less romantic, cleaning houses for people who barely give her the time of day.

But when she lands a job housekeeping for her personal hero and mega-bestselling author Essie Starling, she can't believe her luck.

When Essie dies unexpectedly, Liv is left with an astonishing last wish - to complete Essie's last ever novel. To do so, change-averse Liv will have to step away from the fictitious worlds in her head, and into Essie's shoes.

As she begins to write, she uncovers a surprising connection between the two women - and a secret that will change Liv's life forever.

Young Mungo
Douglas Stuart

Born under different stars, Protestant Mungo and Catholic James live in a hyper-masculine world.

They are caught between two of Glasgow's housing estates where young working-class men divide themselves along sectarian lines, and fight territorial battles for the sake of reputation.

They should be sworn enemies if they're to be seen as men at all, and yet they become best friends as they find a sanctuary in the doocot that James has built for his prize racing pigeons.

As they begin to fall in love, they dream of escaping the grey city, and Mungo must work hard to hide his true self from all those around him, especially from his elder brother Hamish, a local gang leader with a brutal reputation to uphold.

But the threat of discovery is constant and the punishment unspeakable.

Find her first
Emma Christie

When paramedic Billy King arrives home to find police ramming down his front door, his world fractures.

An anonymous call claimed a woman's body was in his flat and, sure enough, his wife - an artist - is found bleeding heavily in their bathroom.

She survives and says she'd just slipped - but her behaviour becomes increasingly erratic.  When she sets off for an artists' retreat a few weeks later, Billy's convinced she's lying about where she's going - and with whom.

It's only when he starts following his wife that he makes a terrible realisation. He's not the only one observing her.

And when he discovers drawings of his wife's mutilated body, he desperately hopes he can reach her before the horrors of the sketchbook become a reality.

The Heights
Louise Candlish

'The Heights' is a tall, slender apartment building among the warehouses of Tower Bridge, its roof terrace so discreet you wouldn't know it existed if you weren't standing at the window of the flat directly opposite.

But you are.

And that's when you see a man up there - a man you'd recognise anywhere.

He's older now and his appearance has subtly changed, but it's definitely him.

Which makes no sense at all since you know he has been dead for over two years.  You know this for a fact.

Because you're the one who killed him.

The book of beginnings
Sally Page

Jo Sorsby knows she is hiding from her past when she agrees to look after her uncle's stationery shop.

Spending her days glimpsing the lives of her customers as they experiment with what's on offer is a welcome distraction from the life she has left behind.

Yet far from home, Jo feels adrift.

But when she meets Ruth, a vicar running from a secret, and Malcolm, a septuagenarian struggling to write his first book, she realises that she isn't alone.

It's the beginning of a friendship that can transform Jo's life - if only she can let them in.

The winners
Fredrik Backman

Two years have passed since the events that no one wants to think about.

The locals of Beartown struggle to overcome the past and continue to grapple with life's big questions: what is a family, what is a community, and what - if anything - are we willing to sacrifice in order to protect them?

But as the residents try to move on, great change is on the horizon.

Someone is coming home after a long time away. Someone will be laid to rest. Someone will fall in love, someone will try to fix their marriage, and someone will do anything to save their children.  Someone will submit to hate, someone will fight, and someone will grab a gun and walk towards the ice rink.

So what are the residents of Beartown willing to sacrifice for their home?

Everything.

Just my luck
Adele Parks

It's the stuff dreams are made of - a lottery win so big, it changes everything.

For fifteen years, Lexi and Jake have played the same six numbers with their friends, the Pearsons and the Heathcotes.

Over dinner parties, fish & chip suppers and summer barbecues, they've discussed the important stuff - the kids, marriages, jobs, and houses - and they've laughed off their disappointment when they failed to win anything more than a tenner.

But then, one Saturday night, the unthinkable happens. There's a rift in the group. Someone doesn't tell the truth.

And soon after, six numbers come up which change everything forever.

Murder in first class
Helena Dixon

Kitty's wedding planning with her husband-to-be, Captain Matthew Bryant, is derailed when Matt's former comrade-in-arms, Simon Travers, is found dead in his train seat, a dagger in his heart.

Who gave this defenceless man a one-way ticket to the next life? And why? And could Matt’s close connection put him at risk?

Kitty must find out which of the train's passengers is the killer. But when Kitty's prime suspect, the travelling salesman with no merchandise, is found murdered, she is stumped.

Until she makes the connection between the two victims and realises that this murderer has an even more deadly destination in mind.

Can she stop them before they strike again? Or will Kitty’s own next stop be the graveyard?

Check out our book lists

More fantastic 'first' reads

Check out more fantastic 'first' reads for the first month of the year, with titles carefully selected and curated by our friendly staff.

New Books Coming Soon

Take a scroll through our upcoming releases and bestsellers - all available to order.

Everything you need to know about holds:
how to reserve a book

When you're looking for a specific book, it can be disappointing when it's not on the shelf at your local library.  Not to worry - our easy-to-use holds system has you covered.

• When you place a hold on a book, if we have a copy on the shelf at another of our libraries, we'll send it over to your local library for you to collect.
• If all of our copies are on loan, you will join a queue and when it's your turn, we'll send a copy over to your local library for you to collect.
• You'll receive an e-mail when your hold is ready to collect, and you have 13 days after the hold arrives to collect it.
• Holds are free for children, and a small charge is made for adults.  
• You can place up to 20 holds on your library account.
• You can place holds online - all you need is your library card number and password.
• Alternatively, our friendly staff are always happy to place holds for you.
  You can ask in the library, or e-mail us with your request at: libraries@cheshiresharedservices.gov.uk

We hope to see you soon

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