The Best Summer Reads by Local Authors
You may not be sitting by the pool this summer, but it’s the perfect time to relax in your garden with a good book. Here’s our pick of some of the best books from our super-talented local authors – plus, the chance to win signed copies of them all!
The Mother’s Secret
By Clare Swatman, Berkhamsted
£7.99 paperback, £3.99 Kindle
When Georgie discovers a secret about her family’s past it explains a lot about her childhood – but Georgie’s also about to discover that while lies can cause pain, the truth could destroy everything.
The Vanished Bride
By Bella Ellis, Berkhamsted
£12.99 hardback, £4.99 Kindle
The first in a series of novels imagining Emily, Charlotte and Anne as detectives. The three sisters, along with their brother Branwell, decide to investigate the disappearance of a local woman.
The Girl at the Window
By Rowan Coleman, Berkhamsted
£8.99 paperback, £1.99 Kindle
Ponden Hall is a centuries-old house on the Yorkshire moors. After the devastating loss of her husband, Trudy Heaton is returning there with her young son, Will. Trudy must attempt to build bridges with her mother, while the ghosts of the hall reach out to the present…
Little Big Love
By Katy Regan, Berkhamsted
£8.99 paperback, £3.99 Kindle
Liam Jones is the love of Juliet’s life, and the father of her son, Zac. She was happy – until the night he disappeared. Zac is now ten, and wants to know the truth about why his father left – so he decides to find him and give his mum a second chance at happy ever after.
Impossible Causes
By Julie Mayhew, Berkhamsted
£7.99 paperback, £7.41 Kindle
Set on an isolated island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where, the saying goes, nothing bad ever happens. But when newcomers Viola Kendrick and her mother Deborah arrive from the mainland, they discover that, hiding beneath the happy, safe exterior, lies a dark, sinister secret.
The Little Teashop in Tokyo
By Julie Caplin, Tring
Available from Amazon and Tring Bookshop
For travel blogger Fiona, Japan has always been top of her bucket list so when she wins an all-expenses paid trip, it looks like her dreams are coming true. Until she arrives in vibrant, bustling Tokyo and comes face-to-face with the man who broke her heart ten years ago, gorgeous photographer Gabe.
The Little Village of New Starts
By Donna Ashcroft, Tring
£7.99 paperback, £1.99 Kindle
A charming romance set in the Scottish Highlands about being true to yourself, the power of new beginnings and one magical summer that changed everything.
The Way Back
By Jamie Fewery, Berkhamsted
£8.99 paperback, £1.99 Kindle
This lovely, warm story follows estranged siblings Jessica, Patrick and Kirsty as they drive across the British Isles together to scatter their late father’s ashes – but can they find their way back to each other, or have they already drifted too far apart?
In Ink
By Dave Sivers, Ivinghoe
£tba paperback, £2.99 Kindle
A body is found outside a church in a small Hertfordshire town. Alastair Murdoch suffered before he died. But what really disturbs DI Nathan Quarrel is the Tarot card motif adorning the body: The Fool. Then, another body turns up.
I’m a Joke and So Are You
By Robin Ince, Berkhamsted
£7.99 paperback, £4.99 Kindle
Comedian and presenter Robin bares his soul in this funny, touching and fascinating look inside the human brain. Written as part memoir, part scientific study, it’s an entertaining and educational read.
Win a Bundle of Books!
Our very generous local authors have given us signed copies of their books, so we’ve put together two amazing bundles for you to win.
In addition to the books above, the following will also be included: Electrical Venus by Julie Mayhew, Our Life in a Day by Jamie Fewery, Before You Go by Clare Swatman, and Too Long Gone by Dave Sivers.
Each bundle of books comprises 7 or 8 books apiece.
For a chance to win, simply head to our competitions page.