December delights include new cosy crime books and guides on how to improve your mornings…

Fiction

1. A Will To Kill by RV Raman is published in paperback by Pushkin Vertigo, priced £8.99 (ebook £5.83). Available now

Fans of the film Knives Out and Agatha Christie novels will love A Will To Kill. It’s got all the hallmarks of a classic murder mystery: an ageing millionaire in a remote, haunted mansion, cut off from the world by a landslide, leaving him with his friends and family – many of whom seem to have ulterior motives against him. Good thing an investigator is visiting for the weekend, because there is soon a murder to solve: but who did the deed? And did they even target the right person? The mystery genre tends to be dominated by white writers, so it’s refreshing to read an Indian version – and an extremely fun one at that. It’s camp, dramatic, a bit silly and has plenty of twists and turns – exactly the kind of thing you want to read during this time of year.8/10(Review by Prudence Wade)

2. The Horsewoman by James Patterson & Mike Lupica is published in hardback by Century, priced £20. Available December 30

James Patterson switches his legendary writing from crime to showjumping – and the result is yet another gripping story. The book gallops through the efforts of Maggie Atwood and her daughter Becky McCabe to qualify for the Olympics, with each chapter throwing up physical and personal barriers to their dreams. Any thoughts of showjumping being a sedate world of jodhpurs, funny hats and stirrups are shattered amid clashes with a rich, ignorant horse-owner, injuries, rivalry with other riders, and romance. The book, jointly written by sportswriter Mike Lupica, tracks the ups and downs of a fiercely competitive family fighting against each other to be an Olympic champion – told with Patterson’s trademark drama. It’s an unusual subject for the writer, but one which will enthral his fans until the final hurdle.8/10(Review by Alan Jones)

3. Darkness Falls by Robert Bryndza is published in hardback by Sphere, priced £19.99 (ebook £4.99). Available now

The third novel in the Kate Marshall series, Darkness Falls follows Kate and her partner Tristan as they strike out with their own detective agency – although if this is your first Robert Bryndza thriller, it also works as a standalone novel. Flipping between perspectives, the net soon begins to close around a 12-year-old mysterious cold case. Bryndza expertly weaves personal character developments with the progress of Kate’s murder investigation. His modern take on the classic murder mystery, where a female detective investigates the murder of several young men and a female reporter, is refreshing, easy to read, and entirely unpredictable. Bryndza has produced another crowd-pleasing thriller to delight his fans.7/10(Review by Rebecca Wilcock)

Non-fiction

4. Rise And Shine: How To Transform Your life, Morning By Morning by Kate Oliver & Toby Oliver is published in hardback by Piatkus, priced £9.99 (ebook £6.99). Available now

Many of us could probably make better use of our mornings, mostly spent rushing madly or savouring the maximum number of minutes in bed. Rise And Shine promises to transform readers’ mornings – and therefore their lives – with 30 different practices, organised under five concepts like ‘Happiness’ and ‘Nourishment’. No one’s expecting you to do all of them, but it’s a pleasingly laid out, user-friendly manual full of practical tips, so you can pick and choose what might work to create a new routine. Some suggestions are no-brainers (a healthy breakfast, movement); some seem like a pipe dream (15 minutes of ‘freewriting’, getting a nature fix); some are more difficult to get on board with (‘candle gazing’ – staring at the flickering flame of a candle). But after a week of focusing on ‘creative visualisation’ – spending a few minutes imagining how you want your day to pan out – you do start to feel more positive and ready to tackle what’s ahead. The tone isn’t preachy, but some of the practices feel slightly unrealistic for busy lives. However, it can’t hurt to try…7/10(Review by Lauren Taylor)

Children’s book of the week

5. Jingle Smells by Mark Sperring, illustrated by Sophie Corrigan, is published in paperback by Bloomsbury Children’s Books priced £6.99. Available now

When you think of typically festive animals, a skunk might not immediately spring to mind. However, a skunk named Jingle is the unlikely hero of this Christmas tale. This cute little cartoon isn’t exactly the most popular critter in town due to his almighty stink, but he steps up to the plate when Santa is in trouble – but the question is, will Jingle be able to save Christmas? This kids’ book ticks all the boxes: it’s fun, a bit silly and the illustrations are truly adorable. While it might not be pushing any boundaries, it will certainly get any child ready and excited for Christmas.8/10(Review by Prudence Wade)

BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 11

HARDBACK (FICTION)1. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman2. Silverview by John le Carré3. Dune by Frank Herbert4. The Promise by Damon Galgut5. Better Off Dead by Lee Child & Andrew Child6. Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney7. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa8. Sharpe’s Assassin by Bernard Cornwell9. Klara And The Sun by Kazue Ishiguro10. The Judge’s List by John Grisham(Compiled by Waterstones)

HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)1. Windswept & Interesting by Billy Connolly2. Private Eye Annual: 2021 by Ian Hislop3. And Away… by Bob Mortimer4. Pinch Of Nom Comfort Food by Kay Featherstone & Kate Allinson5. Guinness World Records 2022 by Guinness World Records6. The Lyrics by Paul McCartney7. This Much Is True by Miriam Margolyes8. The Storyteller by Dave Grohl9. Diddly Squat by Jeremy Clarkson10. Viz Annual 2022: The Copper’s Torch(Compiled by Waterstones)

AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)1. Windswept & Interesting by Billy Connolly2. Will by Will Smith & Mark Manson3. This Much Is True by Miriam Margolyes4. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman5. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman6. Black And British by David Olusoga7. Before & Laughter by Jimmy Carr8. Atomic Habits by James Clear9. And Away… by Bob Mortimer10. 12 Rules For Life by Jordan B. Peterson(Compiled by Audible)