‘The Goddess Queen’ by Alice Roberts
Hbk, Gallery Books, £22
Historical fiction at its absolute best, steeped in research, with a cast list of characters at the start and ending with an elaborate postscript and acknowledgements for those who went to delve further.
This is the story of Cleopatra, the Egyptian queen who confronted and contested the power of Rome, plus Antonius, the soldier who might be her salvation or her downfall.
The Roman Republic is crumbling, torn apart by rivalries. Egypt is a wellspring of wealth, but its rulers have squandered their advantage and ended up hopelessly indebted to the protection racket that called itself Rome.
Now a woman, as Pharaoh, has a chance to reclaim what Egypt has lost. And a disgraced Roman commander has his chance to reclaim his sword and wield it to build an empire unlike anything the world had seen. Their stories collide in a maelstrom of ancient history, high politics and power.
‘Bookish Volume II’ by Matthew Sweet
Hbk, Quercus, £22
Adapted from the major television series created by Mark Gatiss.
Set in London, 1946 - beset by rationing and bomb damage. But for some there are other, more immediate concerns: crimes of a serious and sometimes deadly nature.
Inspector Bliss of Bow Street enlists the services of Gabriel Book, proprietor of Book's Books: antiquarian and amateur sleuth, whose appetite for mystery is rivalled only by his enthusiasm for rare second-hand volumes.
Working alongside Book are his wife and wallpaper shop-owner, Trottie; true crime fanatic Nora; and Jack. They are all overseen by Dog, when otherwise unoccupied by his hunt for ginger biscuits.
Together, they sell books and solve crimes. But Book has his own personal mystery to solve and with each passing day, he draws closer to the truth. Warm-hearted, witty and perfect for book lovers, a surprising, entertaining mystery about books, murder and the lengths we'll go to keep our secrets safe.
