French and Horowitz in Richard and Judy's 2021's Summer Book Club

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan have returned with their latest Book Club, featuring Dawn French, Jo Nesbo, Anthony Horowitz and Emma Donoghue.

The presenters have launchd 2021's Summer Book Club exclusive to W H Smith with six new recommendations, in conjunction with W H Smith.

French’s Because of You (Michael Joseph) is featured. following two different women who give birth to two similar daughters. Madeley described “book of big emotional themes” as well as “strong and tender, it’s a triumph”.

Joining it is The Kingdom (Vintage) by Nesbo, which the club's organisers described as “a complex thriller packed full of unexpected twists and an ever-growing body count”. Finnigan deemed it a “stunning slow burning thriller” and “a wonderfully deep and dark saga”.

Horowitz’s Moonflower Murders (Cornerstone) follows retired publisher Susan for whom “living the dream isn’t everything she thought it would be and these days the dream seems more of a nightmare", Book Club organisers said. “When everything in Susan’s world pivots and she’s compelled to return to London, it turns out to be the most dangerous thing she has ever done.”

New to the club is debut author Matson Taylor with his modern fairy tale The Miseducation of Evie Epworth (Simon & Schuster). Finnegan praised the coming of age story as “wittingly told and with a terrific cast of supporting characters” while Madeley described it as “an absolute romp of a story”.

Cara Hunter’s The Whole Truth (Penguin) is also featured, exploring the fall-out from a university professor being accused of sexually assaulting a student. “The professor is a woman, her accuser a six-foot male rugby player, and Fawley’s team are up against the clock to figure it out,” the club said. Madeley called it “a modern, fast and twisty thriller, a really great read”.

Concluding the Summer Book Club collection is The Pull of the Stars (Pan Macmillan) by Donoghue. Set in 1918 Dublin, in the advent of Spanish Flu, nurse Julia Power tries to save expecting mothers and their babies at an understaffed hospital. “It’s a story of shining humanity, tenderness, determination, bravery and loss," Finnegan said. “I can’t praise it highly enough."

W H Smith customers can enjoy exclusive special editions of all the recommended titles from the Richard and Judy Book Club as well as with bonus content, including book club discussion points, author Q&As and more recommended reads, available in stores and online.

The Club’s podcast also returns for another series, where the duo will be joined by the authors and celebrity guests. The latest episodes in the new podcast series will be available weekly from 6th May.