Best holiday books to read this summer

There are fewer things more satisfying on a summer holiday than lying on a beach with a cool drink in one hand and a paperback in the other. But which books should it be? Here are a few choices:

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

This story begins with the death of a newborn child, so be warned, it’s not a feel good book. It is however a very interesting commentary on the affect power and prejudice can have on dividing and uniting people. This book will really make you think.

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

This thriller about a missing child is both grim and engaging. It plays on every parent’s fear and will have you turning the pages very quickly.

This Must Be the Place by Maggie O’Farrell

This is an intriguing story about an American man who lives in Ireland with his reclusive ex-film star wife. He is suddenly thrown back into his past with the discovery of something very interesting about a woman he’d known 20 years ago.

I See You by Clare Mackintosh

A woman finds a classified ad in a local paper that contains a photograph of her. Who has done it? And why? Is someone stalking her or spying on her? There is an unbelievable amount of suspense in this novel.

Conclave by Robert Harris

The Pope is dead and a new leader must be chosen. This novel deals with the rivalry, back stabbing and perhaps not quite as honest as you think dealings which are involved in the process of choosing the most powerful figure within the Catholic church.

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

Set in London in the late 1800s, this is a peculiar romantic tale about an amateur naturalist and a village vicar, exploring love and the many different forms it can take and the difficulties that can arise from it.

The Trespasser by Tana French

This crime thriller involves Murder Squad detective, Antoinette Conway, her difficulty in working with others and the investigation into a killer they call Loverboy. Only when she sees another victim and it’s someone she recognises does it become truly dark.

Miss You by Kate Eberlen

This is a love story about a couple whose paths cross on a holiday to Italy before going their own separate ways. How does this meeting affect their futures? Will they ever meet properly? The book chronicles the next 16 years of their lives.