Bestselling author Adele Parks MBE shares her picks of the month, including two female-led whodunnits, a “cosy” crime caper, and a gripping debut novel about family love and sacrifice.
PLATINUM EXPERT Adele Parks MBE
AGREATR EAD
Adele Parks MBE is the author of 23 bestselling novels including Just Between Us, Lies Lies Lies and Just My Luck. She writes compelling, twisty psychological thrillers that are popular all over the world, with five million English language editions sold. She is dedicated to spreading the joy of reading and is a proud ambassador of The National Literacy Trust. She loves hearing from readers so keep in touch with her via X (formerly Twitter) @adeleparks or at instagram.com/adele_parks.
THE EXCITEMENTS
by C J Wray (Harper Collins, £19.99)
I enjoy dipping into cosy crime where everyone is debonair and charming and the reader knows that villains will be not only justifiably despatched, but that it will be accomplished with flair.
The Williamson sisters are among Britain’s remaining treasured World War II veterans. Now in their 90s, Josephine and Penny are often invited to commemorative events, rubbing shoulders with celebrities and royalty. They are heading to Paris to receive the Légion d’honneur. They are to be accompanied by their great-nephew, Archie, a gay art-historian who is devoted to them. He believes his great aunts had minor roles in the Women’s Royal Navy and the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, but that’s not the full story. Scandal and crime have stalked the sisters since the war. Now armed with new information about an old foe, these decorated veterans intend to settle scores, avenge lost friends, and pull off a final heist worthy of their illustrious careers. I chuckled while reading this uplifting and gentle mystery about two droll, dynamic national treasures, hiding official secrets and living fabulous double lives.
★★★★★
A MAID ON FIFTH AVENUE
by Sinead Crowley (Aria, £20)
Annie runs away from her home on the west coast of Ireland and boards a ship for New York. Irish maids are in demand in the 1920s and she finds work with the wealthy Cavendish family in their opulent Fifth Avenue mansion. Her friendship with Elena, an Italian waitress, deepens into something more; that’s risky for them both. Once again, she must flee.
A century later, Emer is also running away. She finds a haven in her family’s home in West Kerry. Annie and Emer’s lives intertwine and long hidden secrets are about
