Bertie Plays the Blues by Alexander McCall Smith £16.99

Once more, we catch up with the delightful goings-on in the fictitious 44 Scotland Street. With customary charm and deftness, the author gives us another instalment in this popular series, currently running in The Scotsman. Anything could happen to Bertie and the gang, especially with an invitation to one of Scotland's premier jazz festivals…..

The Blue Book by A L Kennedy £16.99

Elizabeth Barber is crossing the Atlantic with her perfectly adequate boyfriend, Derek. In fleeing the UK, she is also in flight from her past and the charismatic Arthur, her partner in a series of crimes. The pair still meet occasionally for weekends of sexual oblivion. She hadn't, though, expected him to be on the boat. As her voyage progresses, Elizabeth's past is revealed, and it is time for her to discover who are the deceivers and who are the deceived.

Solace by Belinda McKeon £14.99

Mark Casey has left his rural Irish home to study for a doctorate in Dublin. Having escaped the daily grind of farming life, he leads a life without responsibility, until he meets the irresistible Joanne. She too has a past to escape from and for a brief time they share the chaos and rapture of a new love affair, until the lightning strike of tragedy changes everything. Solace is a work to be admired for its spare, intense lyricism, its range, and its deeply compassionate portrayal of life.

Awakening by William Horwood £17.99

Jack is born of the Hyddenworld but lives in our reality. His daughter is also a child of two worlds and although she knows her destiny, she is tortured by it. While she tries to come to terms with her future, the world is starting to deteriorate around her. Jack knows that the four gems need to be reunited soon and that his daughter needs to be ready to wield them. But if she can't accept her destiny, or the gems can't be found, then both the Hydden world and the human are threatened with extinction.