Pinborough and Baldacci among six-strong line-up for Richard and Judy Book Club this spring

Bestselling authors Sarah Pinborough and David Baldacci are among the six-strong line-up for the Richard and Judy Book Club this spring. 

Pinborough has been chosen for Insomnia (HarperCollins). For its main character, Emma, lack of a good night’s sleep is more than just the fear of turning 40. “At the same age her mother lost her mind, she fears she’s heading the same way," Judy Finnigan explains. Paranoia and sleep deprivation drive Emma to the edge, causing her to question whether her children are safe as history looks as if it will repeat itself. It is a book described by Richard Madley as “dark, dense, and visceral”. "The reader can’t trust anyone in the book, including Emma’s own mind," he added.

Returning author Baldacci is back with The 6:20 Man (Macmillan), which introduces readers to Travis Devine, a man who religiously catches the 6:20 commuter train to New York to his job at a ruthless investment bank – a stark contrast to his former life as a battle-hardened army veteran. “His daily journey takes him past a millionaire’s mansion where he fleetingly sees something that his military training and instincts tells him is all wrong,” Madley revealed. The mystery deepens when Devine receives an anonymous message disclosing that his co-worker and former girlfriend is found dead. More deaths, unsettling truths, and bizarre coincidences follow in what is set to be “another guaranteed bestseller from Baldacci".

Victoria Selman has been selected for her first standalone thriller, Truly, Darkly, Deeply (Quercus). Madley and Finnigan praised Selman for this “superb, intense and utterly addictive” story about a serial killer, told through the eyes of Sophie, stepdaughter of Matty, the man imprisoned for the murders. Twenty years on, Sophie receives a letter from Matty asking her to visit him in jail and familiar feelings of doubt, unease and guilt come flooding back. This feeling that something’s slightly off continues throughout the plot as the reader tries to piece together the clues that Selman masterfully leaves behind. 

The next title on the shelves of the spring book club takes readers on an atmospheric trip across a vast Irish landscape. Amanda Geard explores secrets, love, war and sacrifice in her debut novel, The Midnight House (Headline Review). Filled with intrigue and fascinating revelations, the book has been praised by Madley and Finnigan for the effortless way she “draws you into secrets spanning generations”. Jumping between 1939, 1958, and the present day, this historical fiction skilfully blends three different narratives to uncover the tightly woven mystery of a young woman’s disappearance in the shadow of then Second World War. Madley said: ’"t’s a treat—enchanting, with a generous sprinkling of Irish magic.” 

The penultimate title on the list is Tim Weaver’s page-turning suspense novel, The Blackbird (Michael Joseph). Described by Madley and Finnigan as British crime writing at its best, this thriller sees the return of David Raker as he tries to make sense of the confusing circumstances surrounding the disappearance of car crash victims Cate and Aidan, who were nowhere to be found in the wreckage. It falls to the determined detective to uncover the astonishing truth in the 11th novel in the Raker saga. Finnigan said: "The tension rises as you turn the page, and you’ll love the twist at the end".

Stepping Up (Bantam Press), Sarah Turner’s debut novel, is the final includion. In a change of pace to the heart-pounding tension of the other titles in this season’s book club, Turner has hearts jumping for another reason. In this larger-than-life story of how everything can change in an instant, Beth finds herself caring for her teenage niece and toddler nephew as she is thrust into a world of adolescent angst and cuddly toys. Having never been responsible for anyone or anything, stepping up has never felt more impossible. Madley and Finnigan described the book as a joy to read. 

The spring Richard and Judy Book Club launches with another series of podcasts on 9th March. W H Smith customers can purchase exclusive special editions of the titles with bonus content.