Books

We're cosying up with tales of family secrets, murder mysteries, and a grumpy-sunshine love story.

- Crystal Matthews

The Conditions of Will
by Jessa Hastings

When Georgia's sister calls to tell her their father has died, she doesn’t pick up. ‘I never answer Maryanne’s calls because she has an undiagnosed narcissistic personality disorder and also, she’s a bitch.’ As you can probably tell, Georgia is not close to her family. After ‘the incident’ a decade ago, her parents shipped her off to boarding school in the UK, and her brother Oliver to military school soon after. Now, she must go back for the funeral and face her wealthy, conservative family in South Carolina — her sociopathic sister, her disapproving mother and her wilfully clueless brother Tennyson. When Oliver shows up with his AA sponsor Sam in tow, Georgia feels an immediate connection, but she also can’t help noticing how her brother looks at Sam. When the will is read, it’s revealed that her father left his lake house to a mysterious stranger, and before long all the family secrets come spilling out, including what really happened 10 years ago.

Jessa Hastings is best known for her Gossip Girl-style series Magnolia Parks, which I've heard good things about — but that’s a five-book commitment. This is her first standalone novel, and I loved it. It’s written in a chatty, accessible way; there’s drama and angst galore; and a compelling love story is woven throughout. And Georgia’s lie-detector skills, courtesy of her behavioural science and psychology degrees, add an interesting layer.

- Liesl Robertson

An Act of Murder
by Tom Eaton