We Are Reading

“Unusual, unsettling yet a compelling read. Translated from the Swedish, The Eighth House is Linda Segtnan’s fascinating deep-dive into the unsolved murder of a young girl in rural 1940s Sweden. As the 2020 pandemic hits, Linda finds that the increasing pull that this cold case has over her provides some haunting experiences whilst she’s pregnant with her second child.”

The Eighth House
Review by Rachel White

“If you want an elevator pitch then this is The English Patient meets The Goldfinch. It’s a joy. Derek B Miller has thrown everything into this novel. His storytelling is wonderful, drawing you into the world of a young child who loses its parents and witnesses the catastrophe of the Destruction of the Monastery Montecassino in the Allies’ advance on Italy in 1943. The child is taken under the wing of the enigmatic Pietro Houdini Mussolini. They struggle to survive and collect a band of misfits along their Odyssey. Miller’s writing is mesmeric. It makes you despair as you come to the end of the book. I didn’t realise that my life would involve worrying about the fate of a mule called Ferrari. But Derek B Miller deals out episodes of love, war, history, art and humour in exquisite prose, leaving you craving for more.”

The Curse of Pietro Houdini
Review by Patrick Neale

“There was a lot of excitement at Jaffe & Neale earlier this year as we were fortunate enough to receive an advanced reading copy of ‘The God of the Woods’. And the verdict is that we all loved this book and have been championing it with a big display in the shop since it was published in early July. It ticks all the boxes for a great summer read: an intriguing page-turning mystery, a family riddled with long-held secrets, an atmospheric setting in the Appalachians and some beautifully written prose to hold it all together.”

The God of the Woods
Review by Rachel White

“A mash up of Richard Powers’ Overstory and the film Arrival. This highly accomplished novel takes us from the depths of the Atlantic to a journey to Mars. It follows the life of Leigh, a young Dutch woman, from her scientific research into extra terrestrial life to the attempts to resolve the climate crisis. Throughout the novel her connection with the earth, desert and sea makes this a spellbinding novel. It’s not science fiction, it’s not a thriller, it’s more.”

In Ascension
Review by Patrick Neale

“A fun and engrossing novel that has the feel and pace of a thriller. It takes us into the world of publishing in the 21st century, covering such moral quandaries as ‘should you really steal a friend’s unpublished manuscript and pass it off as your own’? Kuang also takes aim at how we, and the media, address cultural appropriation and how ‘taking a stance’ on a particular issue can very easily unravel when prodded.”

Yellowface
Review by Rachel White

“If anybody was going to tell John Deakin’s story, then it had to be Iain Sinclair. Blending biography and fiction (“psychobiographic fiction” — yup, that’s a new one on me too…) ‘Pariah Genius’ follows the infamous photographer from the bombed out ruins of 1940s Malta to the drunken debauchery of ’50s and ’60s Soho, and ultimately his most famous subject, Francis Bacon.”

Pariah Genius
Review by David Faulds

“Well, watch out Bob Mortimer, this is an hilarious crime caper set on the Scottish island of Mull. The characters are intriguing and the internal monologue of officer Ivor Punch is a joy to witness. There’s a severed hand, a missing airplane and a depressed detective and yet it’s full of laughs. The Lead singer of Mull Historical Society has shown the deeper depths of his talents. Looking forward to more in this series. (Patrick is delighted to recount he heard about this book while attending a Mull Historical Society Gig, highly recommended)”

When The Needle Drops
Review by Patrick Neale

“I came to this novel not knowing much about it or really having read the blurb. I’m so glad that I discovered it, and also to see it now on the Booker Prize longlist for 2024. Dutch author, Yael van der Wouden, creates a tautly written story around the life of Isabel in the 1960s who lives a seemingly quiet life in a provincial backwater. But there are secrets to be gradually revealed, which implicate not only Isabel’s family, but also reflect on the politics and culture of Dutch post-war life.”

The Safekeep
Review by Rachel White

“In 1760, royal astronomer Guillaume Le Gentil sets sail for India to observe the passage of Venus across the sun, a rare event that will happen in 1761, 1769, and then not until 2004 and 2012. In 2012, Xavier Lemercier removes a bronze telescope from an apartment he’s sold and, looking through it at other apartments, spots a zebra. This is a lovely book which is perfect summer reading!”

An Astronomer In Love
Review by Hattie Williams