Mary Lawsom; Solace in Winter. Chatto & Windus/ Vintage, pub date: November 2026 / I read the proof

I absolutely loved this book and it also made me cry,  probably the book of the year that pulled at my heart the most. Mary Larson has been longlisted for the Booker twice and I can see why,  not having read anything by her before. I feĺl in love with her writing and "Solace in winter" which is set in a small town called Solace in Canada in 1969, when fate crosses the life paths of an old man, an injured dog, a wounded American draft dodger and a young mother who is also a nurse. It is a tale of human kindness, decency, love, jealousy and how life can change in a second for better or worse when we least expect it.  I did not want this novel to stop, wanting to know badly how life continues for the main protagonists. It was such a treat to read this book, highly recommend. 

 Patricia Wolf: Hero, Embla Books, I read the eBooks 

On of my recent discoveries are crime novels by Patricia Wolf, set in the Australian outback featuring DS Lucas Walker who in this novel is back home in Queensland after a huge fallout with his corrupt superiors.  He is still icking hus wounds.

When the body of a young man is found hanging upside down from a tree in his new posting in Katima, everything seems to point to suicide but Walker doesn't buy it. I really like the character of DS Wolf, stubborn and not one to get scared off easily by superiors who hate his guts and moral code. His investigation is sidelined when the Cricket hero Caden Conroy is found murdered in his mansion and Walker is the first on the ground. 

Patricia Wolf is an excellent writer who with Jane Harper, Garry Disher and Chris Hammer is one of my favorite Australian  crime authors.  I like returning to this series, HERO is a clever story with many twists, another atmospheric case to be solved by very likeable detective. 

 Lucy Foley: Murder at the Grande Alpine Hotel, Agatha Christie, a Miss Marple Mystery, Harper Collins, 9780008694821, hardback 

As a fan of Agatha Christie, I am a sucker for newly created follow up novels of Miss Marple by current authors, Lucy Foley being the latest one. She has done a fine job with her cast of characters who are all taking a vacation in the early 1950ties when a heavy snow storms grounds everyone in a  grand Swiss hotel: a high caliber British politican and his beautiful wife, a friend from the war who is so unlike himself, a Hollywood actress who happens to be the mistress of the politican, a mysterious doctor and of course Miss Marple, her friend Mrs Bantry and her secretary Diana. When the first male corpse is found and the police cannot get to the hotel due to weather conditions, a French detective on vacation and Miss Marple start to look into the murder. Great, old fashioned Miss Marple fun and vibes throught the novel.

 Sebastian Faulks: Farewell to Eden, Hutchinson Heinemann,9781529153231, c format paperback 

I have never read anything by Sebastian Faulks before but "Farewell to Eden" touched me deeply.   Loved his storytelling  and the character of Philip Deval, an English soldier who experienced WWII, survived Normandie and is sent on a peace keeping mission of the British mandate in Palestine giving this book a very human face of an individual overcoming suffering and loss, or so it seems. 

A constant melancholie hovers over the novel even when Philip starts his private life as a teacher at a girls school in England in 1951. There are several passages in the book which will stick with me; additionally it helped refreshed my memory of historical facts  how the state of Israel was established. Very taken by this wonderful book which will be on my shelf of favorite 2026 reads. Highly recommend.

 Lauren Hough: Monster of a Land: On the Road in Search of Modern America, Pantheon, Penguin Random House Usa

Lauren Hough embarks on a road trip thru modern America with her pitbull Husky mix Woody,  inspired by Steinbecks Travels with Charlie which happens to be one of my favourite books but this is were all similarities stop. Lauren is a gay, 6 foot tall former airforce woman, barkeeper, cable guy and now bestseller author. Her trip from Austin/ Texas around the US in her old rebuilt 2001 Dodge van is a sobering analysis of a very broken country, told in her witty, sarcastic, honest writing,  mixed with her own colorful story. No sugar coating there. 

  What really got to me was the hopelessness and poverty she encounters in previous thriving little communities but also the help she receives from unlikely strangers when stranded. It's a great social study, mixed with personal life experiences which makes "Monster of a Land" a great read. Loved this very different road trip. 

 Laura Sheperd-Robinson: The Art of a Lie, Mantle, paperback 

 "The Art of Lie" is one of the best historical crime novels I have read as of late. Great story, learned a lot about London in the mid 18th century, how society functioned, how many women were independent shopkeepers but yet had virtually  no rights once married and how easy it was to trap windowed women into parting with their money. Loved the main protagonists, widow Hannah Cole who owns a confectionery shop  with her husband who is found murdered.  Hannah discovers that he had 

 secret dealings as the case is being investigated by no one less than Henry Fielding who makes an appearance as the investigating magistrate. Such a twisty wonderful historical crime novel,  where we early know who is the killer which makes it that much more interesting. Highly recommend. Sadly not out in German yet.

 Bokyeong Sunim: One day a cat came to me, Timeless Zen Wisdom from a Cat & Its Monk, Profile books, 

If you are a cat lover and interested in Buddhist wisdom and philosophy,  this is the book for you.

 When a cat shows up near the temple in the mountains where Korean monk Boyyeong Sunim has moved to from the city, he is first intriged by this creature but slowly starts to grow fond of the cat. Of course if you have or had a cat, all whar follows sounds very familiar. Reflecting on

his developing relationship and their growing closeness, incorporating Buddhist teachings, makes this a wonderfully wise and soothing little gem of a book.