Mary Paulson-Ellis:

I’m a sucker for good old fashioned storytelling, and stories about family told over multiple timescales, so The Other Mrs Walker by Mary Paulson-Ellis ticked all these boxes for me. Margaret Penny, whose life hasn’t quite turned out as she’d wished, heads back to Edinburgh to see her mother Barbara. Their relationship is uncomfortable and both are full of secrets. Once there, Margaret  lands a job searching for family and paperwork of a recently deceased woman called Mrs Walker…

Harry Parker:

o read a book in January and know it will be on my personal books of the year means it’s great. Anatomy of a Soldier by Harry Parker is a truly remarkable book. It tells the story of Tom, a soldier, blown up when he steps on an IED. His story is told from the viewpoint of 45 different objects. The harshness of war and of Tom’s recuperation is told so cleverly through the objects, such as boots, dog tags, and medical equipment. I’m a huge fan of stories told from multiple viewpoints and this one is unique…

Read more from the Waterstones website here.