Richard & Judy Book Club features Lewis, Hannah and Casey

Novels by Susan Lewis, Kristin Hannah and Jane Casey are among the six-strong line-up for the Richard & Judy Book Club this spring. 

Lewis kicks of the list with her novel I Have Something To Tell You (HarperCollins), described as “a compelling story of betrayal, love, grief and desperation” about a man who claims he had no idea his wife was at home, let along being murdered upstairs in the spare bedroom while he was quietly watching TV downstairs. Judy Finnigan said: “Yes, it’s a whodunit, but it’s so much more, revealing turbulent emotions and astonishing family secrets.” 

Next up is Hannah’s The Four Winds (Macmillan), which follows Elsa in 1920s America, where she is considered by her family to be "on the shelf" at the age of 25. But Elsa kicks back, experimenting with make-up and fashionable clothes, going out alone to jazz clubs, and getting pregnant. Years later, abandoned by her husband and with her two children beside her, she embarks on an epic trek west to California. “This book has, at its heart, a great adventure. You’ll be gripped. We were," Finnigan said. 

Casey’s The Killing Kind (HarperCollins) follows Ingrid Lewis, who loves her job as a criminal barrister, despite encounters with a man she successfully defended on a stalking charge – John Webster. But when her friend and colleague dies just hours after Ingrid lends Belinda her bright red umbrella, she’s convinced that John is responsible. Madeley said: “The Killing Kind is superbly written, powerfully evoking paranoia and fear,” describing it as “an intelligent and thought-provoking thriller that feels totally authentic.” 

Ashley Audrain’s debut novel The Push (Penguin Michael Joseph) explores the darker side of motherhood, following mother and daughter Blythe and Violet. When a second baby comes along, anxiety turns to terror. “Is Blythe herself the damaged one,” poses Madeley, “or is Violet a monster?” 

The penultimate title joining this season’s recommendations is The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman (Bantam Press) from fellow debut author Julietta Henderson. Norman and Jax are a legendary comedic duo in waiting, with a five-year plan to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe by the time they’re 15. But when Jax dies before they turn 12, everything changes. “As a mother of three boys I totally identified with Sadie’s fierce unconditional love for Norman," Finnigan said. “My heart broke when she discovers a life list he has pinned to his bedroom door.” 

Concluding the spring book club collection is The Twins (Welbeck) by L V Matthews. Described by Finnigan as “gripping, full of intrigue and utterly absorbing from the first page," the book revolves around the lives of identical twins with an intense bond yet a bitter rivalry. Margo and Cara plough very different furrows: Margo is a timid live-in nanny for an upper-class family and Cora is a dancer with buckets of confidence on the cusp of a big break. Total opposites, they are bound by the worst secret you can imagine, and when it’s revealed, only one can survive. 

The spring Richard & Judy Book Club launches with another series of podcasts on 24th February. W H Smith customers can purchase exclusive special editions of the book club titles with bonus content.