JHB North - July 2021

Lies. Mistakes. And missing children.
Doesn’t get more nerve-shredding
than this. When They Find Her – an
emotional debut by Lia Middleton
– is about a desperate mother, a
tragic accident, and a terrible lie that
spirals out of control. It’s the story of
Naomi, who after making a dreadful
mistake, lost custody of her only
child, a daughter who’s come home
for a visit, giving Naomi a chance to
rebuild her family. But the night
ends in a terrible accident, and
Naomi reports her daughter missing.
Which is a lie. But worse than the lie
is the truth … which is she has no
memory of what really happened.
Penguin Random House.
When no one knows you exist, you don’t have to play by the rules. In Tom
Marcus’ Defend or Die, former MI5 officer Matt Logan is part of a totally deniable
government organisation, with full license to do whatever it takes to neutralise
threats to the UK’s national security. License he takes full advantage of when
intelligence comes through about plans by the Kremlin to launch a terror attack in
London, one which could tear the nation apart. Marcus – not his real name – writes
with complete authority … in his day job, he was hand-picked from the army to be
a surveillance officer for MI5, where he spent a decade on the front line protecting
his country before leaving due to PTSD. His debut book, Soldier Spy, was the first
true ground-level account to be told about the fight on the streets – and had to be
vetted and cleared for publication by MI5. Due to continuing threats, his identity
is hidden, and he continues to work with the security service and other agencies
to ensure he stays safe. Macmillan • There’s never been a David Baldacci we haven’t
loved … so oh joy … a new one’s just hit the bookshelves. A Gambling Man is
set in the late 1940s. Aloysius Archer’s heading west to California. Not yet 30, and
fresh out of prison for a crime he didn’t commit, his wants are fairly simple … a roof
over his head, three meals a day and a steady supply of Lucky Strikes. Oh … and a
profession. Intrigued by a sign as the bus passes in Reno (the biggest little city in the
world), he jumps off, and later that evening, visits a casino, where he meets aspiring
actress Liberty Callahan. Off they go, on a journey that’s filled with more danger and
surprises they could have imagined … corruption, murder in a burlesque club, truth
mixed with lies and massive amounts of small-town-with-tight-lipped-community
intrigue. The era’s perfectly captured, the book thrilling. Macmillan.
Book of the month …
Mother-to-be Helen has it all. Daniel - the perfect husband. Rory - the perfect
brother. Serena - the perfect sister-in-law. And Rachel - the perfect nightmare.
When Helen attends her first antenatal class, she is expecting her loving husband
to arrive, along with charming Rory and his also pregnant wife, the effortlessly
beautiful Serena. What she is not expecting is Rachel. Extroverted, brash, unsettling
single mother-to-be Rachel, who just wants to be Helen’s friend. Who just wants
to get to know Helen and her friends and her family. Who manages to cleverly
find out all the information she needs ... the question is, why does she need it?
Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner is a psychological thriller which really is, in
a month full of exceptional reads, a stand-out. You think you know what’s going
to happen. You don’t. And you won’t put it down. Bloomsbury, available from
Exclusive Books. Fancy winning your choice of books for your next book club
evening? Pop over to Get It Joburg North Magazine on Instagram, find our Book
Club post and enter. There’s a R2000 Exclusive Books voucher up for grabs.
July 21 Get It Magazine 05