Born in Bristol, raised in Lagos, NIKKI MAY is Anglo-Nigerian. She ran a successful ad agency before turning to writing. Her debut novel WAHALA was inspired by a long (and loud) lunch with friends. It will be published around the world in January 2022 and is being turned into major BBC TV drama. She lives in Dorset with her husband, two standard schnauzers, and way too many books.
The Barbecue at No.9 (2026) Jennie Godfrey "I could smell the musky Impulse body spray, taste the cremated sausages, and hear the Live Aid concert. The Barbecue at No.9 sizzles with secrets, suspense, superbly drawn characters, and so much heart. Jennie has done it again. I loved it!"
Kiss Marry Kill (2025) Laura Marshall "Three women (of a certain age) come together in this funny, twisty, dark and clever page-turner. I inhaled it. I loved it. And I want a best friend like Angela. Laura Marshall is on fire."
Cat Fight (2025) Kit Conway "Half thriller, half witty-social-commentary, all fabulous. You think you know what's going on, you're wrong."
The Sunshine Man (2025) Emma Stonex "Spellbinding and beautifully written, The Sunshine Man transcends genre. It's an unbearably tense thriller and a nuanced examination of fractured lives, grief and trauma. Told in glittering and poetic prose with an impeccable sense of place, this is a granular exploration of big questions - revenge, love and redemption. I ---ing loved it!"
The Grapevine (2025) Kate Kemp "Deliciously dark and acutely observed, reading it is like being in the story. I could see the curtains twitch as I uncovered the secrets, and there were lots of them. This is a claustrophobic read with a shocking (and very satisfying) end, I inhaled it."
Pity Party (2024) Daisy Buchanan "I adore Daisy's voice - she's genuinely funny and intensely sensitive, no mean feat when the topic is as complicated as grief. I laughed, I cried, I screamed, I devoured every page. And it's stayed with me, I feel restored. Pity Party made me want to be brave. It's a laugh-out-loud balm."
Maude Horton's Glorious Revenge (2024) Lizzie Pook "Dark, thrilling & completely absorbing, MAUDE HORTON'S GLORIOUS REVENGE is glorious. Lizzie Pook taps into a centuries-long fascination with true crime taking us from the Arctic via gruesome hangings into Madame Tussaud's. I loved Maude and was rooting for her from the get-go. BRAVO!"
The God of Good Looks (2023) Breanne Mc Ivor "Beautiful inside and out, The God of Good Looks is big-hearted, life-affirming, and salty-sweet. A glittering will-they, won't they Bridget Jones re-boot, it transported me to the Caribbean. LOVED IT."
The Girls of Summer (2023) Katie Bishop "Scorching and sexy, it lures you in then shakes you up. A very timely read about consent and control. I LOVED it."
Ghost Girl, Banana (2023) Wiz Wharton "An intriguing, beautifully written study of the stories we inherit. I loved being in Lily and Sook-Yin's heads, my heart breaking for them . . . I loved it!"
Strange Sally Diamond (2023) Liz Nugent "I LOVED IT! Strange Sally strides onto the page, fully formed and funny as hell (this is Liz, we're talking dark funny). I was hooked from the first paragraph and then Liz toyed with me, I held my breath, gasped, laughed and cried. This is twisty, original and pitch-black. I'll go anywhere with Liz but only in daylight."
A Quiet Life (2022) Ethan Joella "I adored A Quiet Life. Soft as silk, powerful as a punch, Ethan Joella doesn't shirk from the trauma of grief but delivers real hope in our capacity to survive. A beautifully written page-turner like this one is hard to find."
Black Cake (2022) Charmaine Wilkerson "So beautifully written I'm struggling to believe it's a debut . . . The cake is the glue that holds all the layers together and the scenes are so well drawn I could almost taste the cake, feel the warm sea on my skin."
