Shelf Indulgence

Shelf Indulgence review of Solitude, by Anthony Storr. This is a book to return to at different times in life for solace, reassurance, and wisdom.

All The Light We Cannot See is one of those seductive books you don’t want to finish. Doerr’s use of language, though spare, is shot through with exquisite images.

If, like me, you feel the need to escape the claustrophobic world of domestic noir and glimpse a broader vista, this Shelf Indulgence choice, Sweet Little Lies could be just the ticket.

Having read Shannon Kirk’s previous works, I expected a wild ride, packed with originality, humanity, and energy. Tenkill delivers on all counts. REad the Shelf Indulgence review

Tess Gerritsen plays deliciously with form and genre in this novel : part mystery, part psychological suspense. Read the Shelf Indulgence review.

The Bees, by Laline Paull is informative, entertaining – and truly compelling. Read the Shelf Indulgence review.

Compelling and harrowing, this tense debut also had some very funny moments. Read the full review at Shelf Indulgence.

This is a thrilling adventure story, packed with suspense, and perfect for fans of Philip Pullman. See the full review at Shelf Indulgence!

The Craftsman begins with the burial of a coffin-maker and convicted serial killer who imprisoned his victims in caskets he'd made. Shelf Indulgence review.

Of its time, Jane Eyre was considered daring, and even contentious. Brontë completely immerses the reader in the orphaned Jane’s world. Shelf Indulgence review.

Rooted in the Golden Age fiction of Agatha Christie, Fatal Inheritance is a pleasing tale of mystery, adventure, and romance. Full review at Shelf Indulgence.

A Little Death provides a strong sense of time and place which has become a trademark for Wilson’s later works. A spell-binding mystery.

Professor Oliver Sacks once said the brain ‘is the most incredible thing in the universe’. This highly recommended book is all the proof you need.

First published in 1934, A Pin To See The Peepshow was inspired by the notorious ‘Ilford Murder’ of 1922, and this witty, insightful, seductive novel retains its power to shock – and is recognised as a modern classic.

Pre-social media as we know it today, this Shelf Indulgence subject demonstrates the power of the media to taint and condemn in criminal investigations.

Winterson’s honesty is searing in this memoir, but never self-indulgent. There’s also playfulness here, a sage look back at a life lived to the full.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time does what great fiction does – entertains, thrills, excites, provokes thought and incites learning which adjusts our perceptions of complex and ‘difficult’ subjects in a positive way.

It’s not often a book keeps me up till after midnight; Good Me, Bad Me was one of the rare exceptions.

When Massachusetts State Trooper, Bobby Dodge ‘takes a life to save two lives’, he finds himself alone – pitted against a powerful judge and a wealthy Bostonian family.

The courageous, mind-blowing work of Obermayer and Obermaier and the anonymous information who blew the worldwide use and abuse of the shadow economy wide open.

Mystic River is Dennis Lehane's most compelling novel in a truly impressive oeuvre.

Reaching Down the Rabbit Hole examines some of the more bizarre mysteries of the malfunctioning brain.

Lippman’s talent for seeing the world through her characters’ eyes is seductive and persuasive . . . A richly rewarding tale with psychological depth and hints of classic noir.

In this edition of Shelf Indulgence, Margaret Murphy reviews Margaret Atwood's Negotiating With The Dead.

Louisa May Alcott's classic, Little Women, is revisited by Margaret Murphy in this Shelf Indulgence review.

Sharp Objects, by Gillian Flynn, was for me the most outstanding crime & mystery debut of the last two decades.

Straight Man, by Richard Russo is a telling satire of academic life, writing, and – dare I say it? – writers. It’s also irreverent, funny, and thought provoking. Recommended.

Scrublands evokes vividly the devastation of a seemingly endless drought, the desperation of a dying town, and the destructiveness of journalists out for a story at any cost.

One of the BBC's '100 Novels That Shaped Our World', Cannery Row is set in Monterey, California in the Great Depression era, but it's far from depressing.

Paul Simon: The Life provides astonishing insights into a complex song-writing process, as well as many instances of Simon's integrity as a musician and as a man.

Twelve Women Detectives is an eclectic selection of stories with female detectives as central characters. Terrific for reading groups!

November Road: In this clever, stylish, atmospheric and immersive novel, Lou Berney explores the influence of the past on our future, the redemptive power of goodness, and the possibility of second chances. Masterfully written, beautifully filmic, this is a must-read.

In this Shelf Indulgence review Margaret Murphy discovers Shannon Kirk, a new and exciting voice in crime fiction.

This weird and wonderful creation combines the wicked charm of Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter and the visceral shock of Tarantino’s work.

With a roll call of film classics including Double Indemnity, Some Like it Hot, Ace in the Hole and Sunset Boulevard, Billy Wilder was destined to be listed as one of the Top 40 Greatest Directors of All Time. But...

At thirty-eight, Violet is a ‘surplus woman’, doomed to spinsterhood. But turning her back on a life of domestic servitude, she takes a bold and perilous step.

Winnie M Li’s Dark Chapter, which examines the devastating effects of violent crime on the victim, is brave, raw and visceral.

In this Shelf Indulgence review, I dive into Delia Owens’s debut novel, Where the Crawdads Sing, which was a worldwide phenomenon.

Between 1993 and 2007 Woods was among the first to infiltrate drug gangs, working undercover, befriending and gaining the trust of some of the most violent, unpredictable criminals in Britain.

Sara MacDonald’s Cornish novels evoke the place brilliantly; it’s her home, and her love of Cornwall in all seasons is evident in her dazzling descriptions.

A serial killer, dubbed the “Whistler”, is stalking Norfolk’s quiet lanes in this Adam Dalgleish mystery by P D James.

The master of the spy thriller pulls no punches over the dubious goings-on post-WW2 between the British, US and German governments.

During the rise of the Third Reich, the world is in turmoil, friendships are tested beyond their limits and trust is destroyed.

The story A group of people toil across a scorching desert towards a weird shelter on stilts: the ‘shuck’ they call home. Shimmering on the horizon, silhouettes, recognisable as once-thriving cities from disparate continents. Now abandoned and derelict, subject to...

ISBN: 9781408808979, Bloomsbury Patricia Highsmith is best known for her morally ambiguous suspense novels, including Strangers on a Train. Her biographer, Joan Schenkar, said Highsmith’s characters were so psychologically threatening that even her most devoted readers hoped never to recognise...

Shelf Indulgence review of John le Carre's first George Smiley novel, by crime writer, Margaret Murphy

Arrow Books (2017), ISBN-10: 9781784756260 It’s a rare writing talent that can compel you to read on when you know that the worst has already happened. Ellie was fifteen, her mother Laurel’s golden girl. Then, in the blink of an eye,...

Black Swan (2019), ISBN-10: 1784163635 Although Once Upon a River is set in Victorian England, it often seems to belong to an older, darker, more magical time. The tale begins on a dark midwinter’s night on the upper reaches of the...

Lisa is back! The heroine of Method 15/33 is all grown up and kick-ass cool. And in Viebury Grove, she is on a mission—so hold on tight—it’s going to be a hell of a ride. Lisa Yyland has an enviable...

Canongate, ISBN-13: 978-1-78689-376-5 A Costa Award winner, Kidd has been nominated for many more, and judging by Things in Jars, the accolades are well-deserved. She clearly delights in the written word—its rhythms, cadence and music, and her audacious playfulness with language bring to...