Pack a thriller in your suitcase

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As well as your bikini, toothbrush, and sunglasses, if you are heading away on holiday this summer, be sure to pack a poolside thriller in your bag.

Offering something a little edgier than chic lit, psychological thrillers have seen a rise in popularity in the past couple of years and there is no end of choice when it comes to great reads.

The Perfect Friend by Barbara Copperthwaite is a truly dark story about the turn Alex’s life takes when her husband leaves her and her children won’t talk to her. All she can do is to turn to her best friend, Carrie, who knows all her secrets and is the only person she can truly trust. Carrie would she’d never let her down, or would she???

Following her divorce, Ali goes out on a date with a new man on Saturday night, but on Sunday morning, she wakes up alone with no memory of what happened to her. And when she looks in the mirror, she doesn’t recognise the face staring back at her. If you loved The Girl on the Train, then The Date by Louise Jensen is for you, and if you haven’t read The Girl on the Train – where have you been?

For a ‘one session read’, it has to be The Dead Ex by Jane Corry. A terrifying attack leaves Vicki suffering from epilepsy and without a husband after he runs away with his mistress. When a call comes to say he’s missing, she starts to believe in karma, but when evidence suggests he is dead, things get real and she needs to prove her innocence.

The Girl Before by JP Delaney is a tense tale full of page-turning twists and turns. When Jane moves into One Folgate Street, she falls in love with her beautiful minimal new, despite the bizarre rules it comes with. As the landlord, and the house, become increasingly strange, Jane becomes curious about Emma, the girl who lived there before her and starts to fear for her safety in her gripping quest to find the truth. Tip, don’t read this if you are home alone, but definitely, do read this.

Secrets in families are never a good idea and that is what is at the heart of Don’t Close Your Eyes by Holly Seddon. Twin sisters Robin and Sarah were separated at a young age and now, in their 30s, one is agoraphobic and lives alone, while the other seemingly has the perfect family and perfect life. When Sarah is accused of something terrible, she needs to track down her twin sister to put together the pieces. A gripping story that will keep you on the edge of your seat right to the very last word.

Back to the husband and wife scenario, and in What Alice Knew, debut author T. A. Cotterell, takes you on a journey of complex web of lies that will have you turning the pages in fear. From the outside, Alice has everything, that is until her husband goes missing one night. After receiving a sinister call, she faces making a tough choice that has her questioning right and wrong and wondering just how far she can go to protect those she loves.

While Then She Was Gone, by best-selling author, Lisa Jewell, isn’t new on the shelves, it is oh so worth a read. Laurel is trying to piece her life back together, 10 years after her daughter, Ellie, disappeared and seven years since her marriage fell apart. When she meets a charming man in a café, their flirtation develops into something deep, fast. Before she knows it, she’s meeting his daughters, and all those unanswered questions that have haunted her about her own child come flooding back.

Pop along to your local bookshop and buy your books before you go away and let us know what you think.

Team Pure Beauty

Your summer reading list is here

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Whether it’s found in a paperback, Kindle or iPad, having a decent book to read can help take the pain out of the commute, give you a focus away from work or help you drift off to sleep at night.

There are some really great reads out there at the moment from some inspiring authors and thought we would share some of our favourites with you.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine might look like a simple read about a women who seems to lead a pretty normal life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, buys the same meal deal for lunch Monday to Friday and has a thing for vodka, but there’s nothing unusual about that. However, as a little bit of kindness and compassion comes into Eleanor’s life, a raw, emotional, compelling story unfolds and the twists and turns keep you turning every page of Gail Honeyman’s first novel, to the very end.

If you are looking for a book you will not want to put down, Gail O’Porter’s, The Cows is the one for you. This brilliant story captures and entwines the lives of three woman all navigating the murky waters of modern-day life in a fun, clever way that will resonate with readers on so many levels. A single mum who becomes an Internet sensation, a world-famous blogger and a grieving twin might not seem like a cocktail for success, but O’Porter has created something very special that must not be missed.

Julie Cohen is a gifted novelist and her latest book, Together, is a bold, breathtaking book that enchants and captives the reader from the first page to the last. Robbie and Emily have been together forever and have a love for one another that has no limit. The story crosses the Atlantic from America to England and Cohen goes back and forth and across the decades with ease and transparency to create a powerful, moving and truly beautiful tale. Be warned, tissues might be needed at the end as secrets and lies are uncovered.

If you are spending a day by the pool, pack your sun cream, glasses and Faking Friends by Jane Fallon and you are good to go. Amy was on the verge of marrying the man of her dreams but when she pays a surprise trip home to London from New York it becomes clear that another woman has been making herself at home in their flat. When the penny drops, and Amy realises her best has taken over her life but rather than go into free fall she sets out on a mission to get her own back and he journey is hilarious, empowering and heartfelt – don’t get sad, get better.

Sophie Kinsella is the goddess of good reads and her latest feel good novel, Surprise Me, will delight fans old and new. This is an emotionally charged, witty read about love and long-term relationship survival and questions just how well we know our nearest and dearest. Funny, poignant and relatable, this can’t put down read will have you laughing, crying and even questioning what you think is oh so safe in your life.

Got a summer read you want to share, let us know, we are all ears.

Team Pure Beauty