Excitement: this one’s set in Finland in 1939, when the country was invaded by the Soviet Union, whose army outnumbered the Finnish army 4 to 1, apparently – hardly a fair fight. The Winter War, by William Durbin (240 pages). Sounds disturbing, especially given the title. A psychological thriller about the five Herbert girls who are (unknowingly) watched by a predatory man.

The Missing Girl, by Norma Fox Mazer (288 pages). A thought-provoking dystopic fantasy novel: “evolution’s running wild – and we’re running with it” says the cover. Not a one.), Something in the World Called Love is a novel about “friendship, trust and hope – and what it means to love.”Ĭity of Screams, by John Brindley (384 pages). Written in a free, poetic style (= there are no capital letters. Something in the World Called Love, by Sue Saliba (192 pages). The back cover tells me, “Nettie lives a privileged life… but everything changes when her beloved tutor, Miss Kovachev, vanishes.” The story travels between central London and (interestingly) Bulgaria. Philip Pullman describes this as a “rich and almost gothic drama” (.uk). The Robber Baron’s Daughter, by Jamila Gavin (336 pages). The back page of the book tells me that the saga is going to continue next year, which is good news. Good news for people who really enjoyed Leaving Poppy: Kate Cann is sticking with the spooky genre for her latest book… the words “eerie” and and “spine-chilling” are used to describe the story. Possessing Rayne, by Kate Cann (320 pages). Reviewers say that Blade, the narrator, is engaging and likeable, and that the book has the “capacity to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck” (.uk), which is really a winning combination. Closing In is the second in the Blade series (the first being Playing Dead). Tim Bowler won the Carnegie Medal for River Boy in 1997 (translation = he’s good). Blade: Closing In, by Tim Bowler (192 pages).

The Hoax by Sophie Masson