By Cambridge’s own Nikki Crutchley

It all starts with a carefully planned murder. It’s almost Christmas and the killer wants the country folk to feel unsafe in their houses. His plan is to be bigger than Santa this year!

Miller is a journalist. When she first receives an anonymous cryptic note hand delivered to her house she ignores it as it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

But then the body of the woman turns up and she realises she needs to pay attention.

Set during World War II. It is a true story about Jewish Soldier Tolek Klings told by his son in law, Leon Silver.

The story covers six years of Tolek’s life during the Holocaust.

His story is influenced by his want and need to protect his wife Klara and son Juliusz.

He is conscripted to the Polish army and as the German’s invade he faces an unenviable choice – to protect his family or remain a soldier.

Mickey Haller the Lincoln Lawyer is back.

But from the get go, Mickey is in trouble. Pulled over by a single traffic officer for no apparent reason, the overly officious officer asks Mickey to open the trunk after blood is seen dripping on to the road.

Mickey knows it's going to be bad and that for some reason he has been set up.

Hilarious book. If you haven't seen the TV show and if they are as entertaining as in the book, then you need to see that as well.

There was a bit of repetitiveness throughout the book with both lads telling their memories of the events (and repeating the history of story that came with it) and I got a bit over the Sam versus Graham plot, but understood that was the premise of the show ...

Berlin 1943

Susie’s adopted family and the man that she loves, Leo, are at risk. They are torn apart but Susie is determined that one day she and Leo will be together again.

To help them she enlists the help of Julius, a Nazi officer (somewhat of a friend of the family), but it could mean there will no longer be a future with Leo and it will require a level of deception as to their relationship.

Natasha leads a simple life back in Brokenridge with her daughter.

Years earlier she was living in the bright lights of Melbourne having left Brokenridge to study nursing. But she returned after she’d made the decision to break up with musician Kody the father of her then unborn child. Except that she told him she wasn’t keeping it. She drove him away so he would fulfil his dreams.

Captain Tom Moore leapt to instant celebrity during the COVID pandemic for walking one hundred steps around his garden to raise money for charity.

The 99 year old set out to raise 1000 pounds. By his 100th birthday he had raised 32 million to set a new Guinness World Record and was knighted by the Queen for his fundraising efforts.

Tempe is recovering from an aneurysm, but the sleepless nights and the visions are disturbing. And the sense of paranoia – or is it?

Then she receives an anonymous text message with four images – a faceless man, dead. Tempe struggles to find out who sent the messages.

Brighton, Winter 1951.

It's an eerie scene. Two children lie dead beneath the snow surrounded in colourful sweets. It reminds DI Stephens of a scene from Hansel and Gretel. The book starts on the second day of the investigation, when at this stage the children are deemed as missing.

But it soon turns into a murder investigation once the bodies are found and the children appear to have been strangled.

Jane Fonda has been an environmental activist since the 1970s.

She walks the walk and talks the talk. She has a windmill on one property, uses solar energy in another, says no to single use plastic bags. She speaks at rallies and attends Greenpeace marches.

But aside from what she can do herself, she still wants more.

Seven Murders. An Amish family, brutally murdered in their home.

Chief Kate Burkholder is running the investigation. She herself was once a member of the Amish community, but decided not to be baptised and left the community.

The Plank family moved from Pennsylvania, perhaps in an attempt to leave secrets behind. It's Kate' job to uncover them and find the killer.

This is DI Thorne's first case and prequel to Sleephead.

Two friends are in the playground with their children who are the best of friends. They go off to play hide and seek, with Maria set to watch them. Maria takes a moment to catch her breath and a cigarette and takes her eye off them.

She hears a scream, Cat (Kieron's mum) comes running and Maria's son Josh reappears but not Cat's son. He is nowhere to be found.

DI Tom Thorne teams up with Russel Brigstock in this, one of his first, cases. We are also introduced to the likeable larrakin pathologist Phil Hendricks.

Kate's brother is murdered not long after her Uncle has also been murdered. And why does it appear that he has been murdered by someone who appeared to be chained up in his basement.

Detective AJ Janek is on the case and reveals that she already knew Kate's brother. She also has a connection with the author of a book called A Brief History of Evil.

Journalist Jack McEvoy is back.

It's been a few years now since The Poet and a couple of best sellers and he's now working for online company Fair Warning who investigate consumer protection issues.

He soon becomes embroilled in a murder investigation after police find out about his one night fling with a murdered woman.

It’s Christmas time, but all is not well in the town of St Albans in outer London. The body of a young year old girl is discovered under an ice covered lake.

Jenny, our main character, seems to have had visions that might be related to the murder, but can the visions of an exhausted mother be trusted? And does this in some way relate to the death of her mother?

David Wilson is a Scottish professor of criminology at Birmingham City University. A former prison governor, he is known for his work as a criminologist specialising in serial killers.

Rather than delving too much into the horrors of the crimes themselves, this is more of a narrative on David Wilson's time working with these offenders, working out why they have done what they have done and the system that they now find themselves a part of.

Matt Calman has conquered the Coast to Coast, but also faces another challenge. And that's his fight against depression.

From an early age Matt's battle against anxiety and other problems was by using alcohol. In his late thirties he decided to take a stand against this and to stand up and fight against the darkness caused by depression.

It is a frank and heart-wrenching account and a heartwarming story of the love he has for his family and their love for him.

This memoir has been written by Diane Keaton as she endeavours to explore how her brother who was raised in the same house under the same values as her ended up on what she calls ‘ the other side of normal’.

As children they were best friends, but as Randy grew up he became troubled, then reclusive. He suffered a failed marriage and alcoholism and was unable to hold down a full time job.

Stone Barrington is a former NYPD police detective who was forced out of police work. He is also an attorney by profession. He has a house in New York and a house in England. He is living a life of luxury.

Stone by chance finds himself in MI-6 training in Scotland with the promise of being able to return by driving an Aston Martin back to England. But after a week things don’t go to plan and Stone is in a high speed accident.

All doctors are recommended to log their clinical experiences during their time practicing. It’s known as reflective practice.

After being struck off the register after not practising for 5 years Adam Kay decided to go through his recordings initially with a view to cleaning out his spare room.

What it turned into was a diary of experiences of a Junior doctor.

Naomi Pine is missing. It's the second time in as many weeks. She is an unpopular high school student and the subject of needless bullying by the 'cool kids'.

Matthew is Hester Crimstein's nephew and when she first disappears he goes to Wilde, the so-called 'boy from the woods', but he is no longer a boy, but the sometimes partner of Matthew's mother.

Hester, the infamous Attorney from a number of Coben's previous books has a large role to play in this novel, even going so far as to delve into her private life.

MasterChef UK finalist, cookbook author, and sometime lawyer Hannah Miles has come up with more creative and yummy things to do with baked potatoes than you can shake a spatula at. They range from simple, no-cook topping options like tuna mayo, sour cream & chives, and of course, the classic cheesy potato, right through to more unusual possibilities such as ratatouille with goat's cheese, haggis with whiskey sauce, and the intriguing combination of mackerel, beetroot and horseradish.

This lovely little book is mainly pictorial and features beautiful photos of all kinds of tiny homes, in all kinds of locations around the world.

From cosy cottages in Scandinavia and rustic cabins in the US, to a houseboat on the Noosa River, tiny houses are everywhere.

Eleanor leads a simple life. Wears the same clothes to work, eats the same meal deal for lunch, buys two bottles of vodka for the weekend. She's happy. But what's missing?

Gradually little pieces of her past are revealed.

This is the story of the daughter of the BTK killer (or BTK Strangler), Dennis Rader. Rader gave himself the name "BTK" (for "bind, torture, kill)].

His daughter Kerri shares her shock at discovering her beloved father was one of the most wanted killers in America.

Set in the Victorian era, Shakespeare's time, and the 90's.

This book focuses on Bookseller Peter and his wife Amanda. Peter struggles with even the easiest of human interactions. Amanda draws him out and into the world. But when his wife dies, his life is shattered.

'The startling story of Exclusive Brethren life'

Ngaire Thomas left the Exclusive Brethren in 1974 after being born into it in 1943. This is her story written against a background of potentially being sued.

She uses a mix of real or changed names where privacy needs to be protected.

True stories of death and murder from a New Zealand pathologist.

This book is written by Dr Cynric Temple-Camp a South African pathologist who moved to New Zealand for a change in lifestyle. The book talks about why he moved away from being a doctor to a pathologist and some of the stories of death and murder in New Zealand.

This book is about two couples and a child going away for Christmas together. 

The parents of the child take their new partners away with them and its a bit stressful even though they try not to let it show. 

The Casketeers, which is on TV, follows the daily life of  the business Tipene Funeral Home which NZ audiences have enjoyed watching.

It was interesting reading finding out bits and pieces that you don't know from the programme.

You don't own me is an easy going mystery.

It is the final book in the a series of six books, 'Under Suspicion'.

I loved the characters in the book and you really get to know them over the six books.

The Doubt Factory is a young adult novel.

There's a lot to love about it - lots of action, a bit of romance, and a few twists to keep things interesting!

The numbers game is about three generations of women. But interestingly enough, it’s not quite the impression you get once you starting reading if you haven't read the synopsis.

Without having read this before choosing 'Borrow', I was intrigued as to where this novel would lead and how all the characters would tie in together in the end.

It’s 1917, Devon.

After Betty’s husband Martin comes back from the war broken and haunted she finds herself living with Martin’s mother and grandfather.

After wanting an ordinary life in the small village all she now wants is escape. As the storm starts to devastate the village it gives Betty her route of escape. She leaves for Bristol and changes her name seeking a new life.

She is Seth’s legal wife, but he has two others – in the beginning referred to as Monday and Tuesday. Her day is Thursday. He is gone for the other 5 days of the week.

From the get go you want to know more. Why he has so many wives and how they all carry on knowing there are others.

She starts to wonder too.

In 2004, Schapelle Corby was arrested in Bali after 4.2 kilograms of marijuana was found in a plastic bag inside her boogie bag case. She professed her innocence.

In 2005 she was sentenced to 20 years by the Denpasar District Court and imprisoned in Kerobokan Prison. In 2012 her sentence was reduced by 5 years after an appeal for clemency was made.

The first edition of My Story was released in 2006. This edition includes details of her mental illness and her return to Australia.

Sunnie lives on Goat Island. She used to be a cop but there was an incident and a man died. That was 6 years ago.

Beau, also on the force, thinks she’s hiding herself away, but he has a case for her. The case of a missing girl, whose parents had been slaughtered and whose grandmother is happy to pay for her to be found.

An historical novel set in 1399, based on real characters of the time. Lady Despenser is part of the House of York.

It’s a dysfunctional family and she’s surrounded by power hungry men including her husband and brothers.

Set in Lake Kissel, Virginia, Terri is the daughter of the owner of a resort.

While the unspoken rule is that employees aren’t allowed to date visitors to the lake, the man exiting the water in front of her peaks her interest. Even more so when she sees him entering her house.

Diana Davies has been head of the family business since the death of her husband. She’s developed a fierce reputation of her own and faces the prospect of handing over the reins to her only son Angus.

While she slowly hands over control she keeps an eye on proceedings through his minder Roy.

John Carreyrou is a French/American reporter and received the 2018 Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award for the investigative reporting, culminating in this publication of this book. Theranos a start-up bio-tech company, headed by Elizabeth Holmes claimed to be developing high tech, blood testing technology that would revolutionise blood testing in third world countries as well as making blood testing through simple technology available at chemists.

The scene is set very much from the get go. There used to be four friends, now there were three and they are all dealing with the consequences 20 years on.

They have kept the secret, not had contact with one another and not spoken about what happened.

By acclaimed Te Awamutu Author, Heather Morris.

This is Heather's follow up novel to the The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

Cilka is just 16 when she was taken to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in 1942.

With long beautiful hair Cilka stood out from the other women and was noticed by the commandant who separated her from the other women prisoners.

Starts in Western Australia in 1960, which is full of wonderful detailed descriptions of outback Australia.

It then skips to London in 2005.

Andy Larkham is our main character.

He is late for a funeral - his favourite teacher, Mr Furnivall. His death had shocked Andy and he is even more surprised to turn up to find almost nobody there until he realises he is in the wrong chapel. But he is asked to sign the attendance book which he duly does.

Julie Andrews made her screen debut in Mary Poppins closely followed by The Sound of Music. These are now considered to be amongst the classics.

This also brought Julie overnight success and the beginning of a career that would make her an icon of her time.

Robin Lockwood is a former MMA fighter and now lawyer.

Two women come to see her. The woman’s daughter has been raped and apparently the perpetrator is in custody. They’re looking to sue. The accused is the football star of rich parents and due a trust fund. He denies it but the police have DNA evidence.

From one of Australia’s favourite authors and one of our libraries’ most popular authors too!

Her latest novel starts with Grace. To begin with she had the perfect life – job, family.

But then one night it all falls apart and they lose seemingly everything in a fire. Grace realises how little control she has had over anything to do with their life including their finances, possessions and property. In the midst of it all Lawrence has her inheritance property listed with asking her.

Set after the second world war in Sydney, this is Tara Moss's first novel featuring private investigator Billie Walker.

Billie's husband is missing presumed dead and she has returned to Sydney to head up her own agency following in her late father's footsteps.

From famed author of Gorky Park, this novel is also set in Russia.

Arkady Renko works for the prosecutor's office under Zurin, his boss who dislikes him and asks him to travel to Siberia to bring charges against Aba who his boss claims tried to kill him.

Meantime he is also on the lookout for his part-time girlfriend Tatiana who hasn't returned from her latest journalistic assignment, though this is a common occurrence.

As part of Britain’s’ mobility Anne Glenconner’s early life was spent at Holkham Hall in the company of the landed gentry and her royal relatives and friends. She was asked to be part of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth the second, the links to the royals very much part of her long life.

The debutante season and her coming out did not result in the engagement and marriage that was expected so Anne was encouraged to learn the retail pottery trade allowing her the freedom to travel and interact with all sorts of people.

This is a debut novel by Delia Owens however as a retired wildlife biologist her background enables her to write with exquisite detail of the birdlife, sea life and marshes which are the fabric of this novel set in the Northern Carolina swampland.

The main character is Kya Clark called by the locals ‘Marsh Girl’ and she lives a solitary life but a rich life with the wildlife around her providing the essentials for food and nourishment.

Jack and his two sisters are sitting in a stifling hot car even though the windows are down. Their mother has told them to wait there until she returns. She tells them that Jack, 11, is in charge and she won’t be long. His sisters are 9 and 2.

Ten minutes turns into 10 hours, and Jack makes the decision to leave the car with his sisters in tow to look for their mother.

This story is a continuation of the Millenium series. This is number 6 in the series.

Lisbeth Salander is the girl with the dragon tattoo. She has disappeared and she’s told no one where she is. She's sold her apartment in Stockholm but she’s still keeping an eye on it from afar.

She’s trying to stay one step ahead, and still has the feeling that she is being watched despite covering her tracks. And she wants to strike before the enemy strikes first.

This is a story about a Father’s quest to rescue his daughter from a downward spiral into drugs and other outside influences.

His daughter Paige had left home 6 months prior after being asked to leave. Simon had been on the hunt for her since without his wife’s knowledge.

There was Paige before she had met Aaron and Paige now.

A mystery surrounding Stephanie Plum and her Grandma Mazur's dead (new) husband doesn't sound like a laugh a minute. But it was.

Grandma married a mob wise guy who died 45 minutes later and the mob wants his keys back.

The wise guys think Grandma has the keys, bad stuff happens and Stephanie's mum irons and drinks her 'iced tea' a lot.  

As the cover states this is the story of what happened to MH17 over Ukraine and the lives of those who were on board.

MH17 was the second Malaysian airlines flight to be struck with disaster in 2014. This came 4 months after MH370 went missing (and is still yet to be found).

MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people on board were killed when the plane came down. The deceased covered 10 nationalities, including one New Zealander. The bodies of some of the passengers have never been recovered.

This is a Bosch and Ballard detective thriller.

Bosch is loosely holding on to his connection with the force with a reserve officer status. He has also recently had an operation on his knee and has been diagnosed with an on the job illness. Ballard is working the night shift and sleeping on the beach during the day in her tent when she does take the time to sleep.

Also published as 'The love letter'.

Lucinda Riley started this novel in 1998 at a time when the monarchy was at an all time low following the death of Diana and then when it was due for release promotions and orders of what was then titled Seeing Double were cancelled.

Riley and her publisher decided on republishing following her recent success and changed the name. She stresses in her opening that it is a work of fiction.

Growing up Zoe is affected by the early death of her younger sister Rose which also tears her family apart.

Zoe moves on, does well at school, marries and then has a child of her own. But how will her childhood affect how she raises her child and what troubles will she face?

This is an historical fiction novel set in London and Australia from the 1940s to the 1960s.

It has been inspired by true events with a mother and son torn apart by the war.

This is the tragic true story about one of Australia's and US's worst predators and serial killers dating back to the early 1960s.

Christopher Wilder managed to evade police in both countries despite using the same modus operandi. He evaded capture for over 20 years.

This is a standalone mystery story set in 1998 in the historic city of Lichfield in Staffordshire and its waterways.

Our main character, Chris is a struggling council officer whose life is about to change.

It's a year after her husband Leo's death and Daisy decides to invite her three adult children to Venice (Leo's home town) for a holiday.

All the children are trying to put on a brave face but they are all hiding the true state of affairs.

This is the story of Pablo Escobar, the infamous Columbian druglord and narcoterrorist.

It is a story from the inside, told from his partner of 16 years Victoria Eugenia Henao.

An historical fiction based in Victorian London in 1850.
The story starts an art exhibition which is being built in Hyde Park.

Life long friends, Maggie, Fran and Rose are turning 60 and want to retrace the steps they took forty years before while backpacking through Europe.

Set in Cornwall. The village is saying goodbye to its parish vicar and his wife.
Newcomer, Reverend Angela Whitehorn wants to make a difference and with her husband wants to shake things up a bit.

Set in Cornwall. Flora is our main character. She is a single mother, divorced for 17 years but is still madly in love with her ex-husband, even though he has been happily married to his second wife for 15 years.

This is about the lives of three women from different continents and how their lives end up influencing each others in the most remarkable and unexpected of ways.

Don’t be swayed by the title, this is a psychological thriller.
Set in London a new resident, Alice, moves into number 1 in the street. Lucy is our main character and becomes instantly paranoid after their first meeting. Perhaps she had an inkling of what was to come.

US trained surgeon Joshua Mezrich, who after training, started transplantation research at Massachusetts General. He is now in Madison performing transplants and running a basic lab studying the immune system.

This is actually a collection of poetry from this young New Zealand author.
How I get ready is just one of the many poems.

This book is divided into two parts – part 1 is a history of Sir Jon’s career. The second is a collection of his thoughts on how he has done things over the years so it might be of use to performers of the future.

This is the story of solitary Icelandic sheep farmer Heida who at age 23 returned home to look after her parent’s farm. She has also been a police officer and a teacher. She has a flock of 500 sheep in remote Icelandic highlands set under the volcano Katla.

This is a true story from the early 1900s in Australia. The husband and wife are found dead lying next to each other in an upstairs room in their house. They have four children at the time.

This is a debut novel from American author Juliet Grames. Stella’s name means lucky star, but her life story is anything but!

It’s the early 80s in Australia. This is the story of discovery for four women who soon become friends.

The setting is Austria in 1933. Hedy Kiesler is a stunning theatre actress. Based on the true story of Hedy Lamarr.

Sometimes a second chance is your only hope. This is the second novel in the End of Forever saga – the first being The Tiger Catcher.
This is the story of Julian and Josephine.

Set in Australia, this is a mystery/thriller where the key character is Abby who is a journalist.

Debut novel by UK writer Holly Watt. This is a detective thriller here which follows reporter, Casey Benedict.