Double lives

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKCHESHEC/bulletins/39a0e27

Double Lives

This month’s selection of books focus on family secrets and subterfuge; all hand-picked by library staff.

Fiction

End of Story
A. J. Finn

'I'll be dead in three months. Come tell my story.' This is the chilling invitation from Sebastian Trapp, renowned mystery novelist, to his long-time correspondent Nicky Hunter, an expert in detective fiction. Welcomed into his lavish San Francisco mansion, Nicky begins to unravel Trapp's life story under the watchful eyes of his enigmatic wife and plainspoken daughter. But Sebastian Trapp is a mystery himself. And maybe - probably - a murderer. Two decades ago, his first wife and son vanished - the case never solved. Is the master of mystery playing a deadly game - and if so, who will be the loser? And when a body surfaces in the family's koi pond, they all realize the past isn't buried - it's waiting.

The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle
Matt Cain

Albert Entwistle was a postman. It was one of the few things everyone knew about him. And it was one of the few things he was comfortable with people knowing. 64-year-old Albert Entwistle has been a postie in a quiet town in Northern England for all his life, living alone since the death of his mam 18 years ago. He keeps himself to himself. He always has. But he's just learned he'll be forced to retire at his next birthday. With no friends and nothing to look forward to, the lonely future he faces terrifies him. He realises it's finally time to be honest about who he is. He must learn to ask for what he wants. And he must find the courage to look for George, the man that, many years ago, he lost - but has never forgotten. Join Albert as he sets out to find the long-lost love of his life, and has an unforgettable and completely life-affirming adventure on the way.

Blood Roses
Douglas Jackson

September 1939. A city ruled by fear. A population brutalised by restrictions and reprisals. Amid the devastation, another hunter begins to prowl. What are a few more deaths amid scores of daily executions? Former chief investigator Jan Kalisz lives a dangerous double life, forced to work with the occupiers as he gathers information for the fledgling Polish resistance. Even his family cannot be told his true allegiance. When the niece of a Wehrmacht general is found terribly mutilated, Jan links the murder to other killings that are of less interest to his new overlords. Soon, he finds himself on the trail of a psychopathic killer known as The Artist. But, shunned as a Nazi collaborator, can he solve the case before another innocent girl is taken?

Holly
Stephen King

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl's desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down. Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harbouring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie's disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Over Sharing
Jane Fallon

Iris is happy: decent job, good friends, her own flat. Everything but her own family. She and her husband Tom were trying for a baby when he left her for his life coach, Maddy, four years ago. One day Iris' best friend Fay sends her an Instagram video of Maddy, now a successful family influencer with a huge following, posting wholesome videos with her husband Lee and their three-year-old twins. Tom is nowhere in sight. So what did Iris end her marriage for? Needing answers, she delves into Maddy's life. Just how much can you hide behind an online persona?

Death Comes to the Costa Del Sol
M. H. Eccleston

It's the end of the summer season in the harbour town of Estepona. The holidaymakers are heading home, leaving the British expats to reclaim their little corner of paradise. Art restorer Astrid Swift has sailed into town to reunite with her estranged father, but has instead been tasked with catching an internet troll who's been threatening his wife. Soon Astrid is entwined in the lives of all the expats, from the boozy local heckler to the socially awkward beachcomber. And then she discovers a body in the bunker of the golf course... Can Astrid uncover the 'Costa del Troll' behind the poison-pen campaign before they reveal everyone's secret past? Or will they tear this cosy community - including Astrid and her father - even further apart?

The American Roommate Experience
Elena Armas

Rosie's just quit her well paid job to focus on her secret career as a romance writer. She hasn't told her family and now has terrible writer's block. Then, the ceiling of her apartment literally crumbles on her. Luckily, she's Lina's spare key while she's out of town. But Rosie doesn't know that her friend's already lent her apartment to her cousin Lucas, who Rosie has been stalking on Instagram for the last few months. Lucas seems intent on coming to her rescue like a Spanish knight in shining armour. He offers to let Rosie stay with him, at least until she can find some affordable temporary housing. And then he proposes an outrageous experiment to bring back her literary muse and meet her deadline. Rosie has nothing to lose. Her silly, online crush is totally under control - but Lucas's time in New York has an expiration date, and six weeks may not be enough - for either her, or her deadline!

A Secret Life
Christobel Kent

A girls' night out. A bad decision. A life, unravelling. When Georgie is persuaded to join two old friends for Ladies' Night, she intends to have fun, to behave like the Georgie she was before marriage and motherhood changed her life. But one drink too many and Georgie's not sure what happened the night before. Now she's starting to wonder just what she's invited in to her life.

The Secret Life of Mr Roos
Hakan Nesser

At 59-years-old, Valdemar Roos is tired of life. Working a job he hates, with a wife he barely talks to and two step-daughters he doesn't get on with, he doesn't have a lot to look forward to. Then, one day, a winning lottery ticket gives him an opportunity to start afresh. Without telling a soul, he quits his job and buys a hut in the remote Swedish countryside. Every day he travels down to this man-made oasis, returning each evening to his unsuspecting wife. Life couldn't be better, until a young woman arrives in paradise. Anna Gambowska is a 21-year-old recovering drug addict. On the run from the rehab centre she hated and an abusive relationship she can't go back to, all Anna's prayers are answered when she comes across a seemingly vacant hut in the Swedish woodland. But it's not long before Anna's ex discovers her location.

The Talented Mr Ripley
Patricia Highsmith

Tom Ripley is struggling to stay one step ahead of his creditors and the law, when an unexpected acquaintance offers him a free trip to Europe and a chance to start over. Ripley wants money, success and the good life and he's willing to kill for it. When his new-found happiness is threatened, his response is as swift as it is shocking.

Have a browse of our book lists

More double lives

New Books

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

To manage your preferences or unsubscribe please visit Subscriber Preferences.