‘A Plot to Die For’ by Ardal O’Hanlan

Hbk, Simon & Schuster, £20

The first in a warm, witty and wonderfully twisty new mystery series from much-loved Irish actor, writer and comedian Ardal O’Hanlon.

When celebrity gardener Finn O’Leary returns to his Irish hometown of Abbeyford to care for his ageing mother, he is quickly roped into the local ‘Tidy Towns’ committee. With the competition fiercely fought for by every town and village in the country, Finn’s best friend’s sister, Aoife, is determined that this will finally be their year.

Finn has barely unpacked before an alto-baritone drops dead during his mother’s choir practice, midway through a rendition of ‘What the World Needs Now’.

Soon, there is far more at stake than flowerbeds and civic pride. With his mother, her carer, Happiness, and Aoife in tow, Finn sets out to discover who has brought murder to Abbeyford.

Perfect for fans of Graham Norton, Richard Osman and Robert Thorogood.

‘The Midnight Train’ by Matt Haig

Hbk, Hutchinson, £22

When your life flashes before your eyes, what will matter most?

For Wilbur it was his time with Maggie, the love of his life. Their honeymoon in Venice. Before he threw it all away.

Years later, on the brink of his own death, a train arrives. It can take Wilbur back in time, to relive his most important moments.

‘He just wanted to live inside that moment of life with her for ever, to pluck it like a flower and press it in a book, and just stay on that page until the ned of time.’

Soon he realises just how much he would have changed. An adventure through time, a magical story to touch the soul and soothe the mind. The Midnight Train is a story of love and second chances, from the world of The Midnight Library, another masterpiece in story telling from Matt Haig.