Frances Quinn read English at Cambridge, and is a journalist and copy-editor. She completed the Curtis Brown Creative Course in 2015. The Smallest Man is her debut novel.
A Fatal Love (2026) Louisa Treger "With forensically detailed research and beautifully atmospheric writing, Louisa Treger puts a human face on the woman they called a monster, and asks who was really the victim in the toxic love affair that led her to murder. Devastatingly sad and utterly compelling, this is a story that demands to be read, discussed and remembered. Perfect for book club reading, it will stay in my mind for a very long time."
The First Act of Summer (2026) Joanna Glen "A beautiful story that exquisitely captures the bittersweet pain of being a teenager in love, and the power of that time in our lives to haunt us down the years. Poignant yet hopeful, with a deliciously subversive sense of humour, this book is as good for the soul as a summer at the seaside."
The Last Witch (2025) C J Cooke "Utterly chilling and almost unbearably poignant...A beautifully written book that will stay with me for a long time.'"
The Day I Left You (2025) Caroline Bishop "An intriguing mystery, a moving love story and a fascinating glimpse of life in Cold War East Germany, all wrapped up in Caroline Bishop's beautiful, evocative writing. I loved it."
The Blackbirds of St Giles (2025) Lila Cain "Full of twists and turns, peopled with characters to care about and shining a light on a little-known area of history."
Circus of Mirrors (2024) Julie Owen Moylan "A tale of two sisters and a city, all three of them so vividly drawn, I felt I knew them. An almost unbearably poignant story of missed chances, long-hidden lies and women fighting the odds to grab happiness where they can. Superbly atmospheric, with convincingly flawed characters that just leap off the page."
Dead Mile (2024) Jo Furniss "A super-smart 21st century reinvention of the classic locked room mystery - kept me gripped from start to finish."
The Nightingale's Castle (2024) Sonia Velton "An enthralling retelling of the story of the Blood Countess, with all the unsettling mystery of a dark fairytale, yet populated by utterly believable characters. A book to lose yourself in."
Leave No Trace (2024) (Kat and Lock, book 2) Jo Callaghan "It goes without saying that a crime thriller should keep you on the edge of your seat, but when it also makes you laugh out loud AND cry, you know you're in the hands of an amazing writer. An absolutely brilliant read."
The Secret Photographs (2024) Jacquie Bloese "Compelling and beautifully drawn characters, an intriguing setting and tons of atmosphere - I felt I was right there, seeing, hearing and even smelling the sea in fin-de-siecle Brighton. I loved this book and want to read more by Jacquie Bloese."
The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou (2023) Eleni Kyriacou "You know those books where you read a bit and then you have to stop to do life stuff but the characters are still in your head and you can't wait to get back to it? This is one of those and it's brilliant."
The Other Side of Mrs. Wood (2023) Lucy Barker "Think All About Eve, but set in the spellbinding world of Victorian mediums - a brilliantly witty twist on the rivalry between an ageing star and a wide-eyed ingenue who isn't all she seems."
The Fascination (2023) Essie Fox "What a read! Deliciously dark and Gothic, with a cast of characters Dickens would be proud of."
Vita and the Birds (2023) Polly Crosby "A thoroughly compelling mystery meets a poignant love story, all wrapped up in beautifully lyrical writing."
You Can Run (2023) Trevor Wood "A good thriller needs more than just a compelling plot, I want to care about the characters too. Trevor Wood pulls that off superbly in You Can Run with a cast of characters I was sorry to say goodbye to at the end."
If I Let You Go (2023) Charlotte Levin "Utterly gripping, almost unbearably poignant yet warm, wise and full of hope - a story I'll remember for a long time."
Needless Alley (2023) (William Garrett, book 1) Natalie Marlow "Needless Alley is great - dark, gritty and full of unexpected twists and turns."
The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels (2023) Janice Hallett "I was absolutely mesmerised by The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels - stupendously clever, but also brilliant fun, with characters that just jump off the page."
Theatre of Marvels (2022) Lianne Dillsworth "Fresh, original and full of atmosphere - a compelling story with a heroine I'll remember for a long time."
Miss Aldridge Regrets (2022) (Canary Club Mystery, book 1) Louise Hare "Glamour and grit combine in this smartly plotted, wonderfully atmospheric historical murder mystery, with a heroine I won't forget. I loved it."
The Spirit Engineer (2021) A J West "Based on an absolutely astonishing true story, it kept me guessing right till the end."
On the Edge (2021) (Jen Shaw Mystery, book 1) Jane Jesmond "Thoroughly original - hooks you in from the start and keeps you guessing."
Black Drop (2021) (Laurence Jago, book 1) Leonora Nattrass "Nattrass writes so beautifully. Absolutely compelling, and so atmospheric I felt I was there, following Jago around the mean streets of eighteenth-century London."
The Hidden Child (2021) Louise Fein "An astonishing story about an aspect of British history that's long been swept under the carpet – surprising, moving and poignant."
The Stranger From Berlin (2021) Melissa Amateis "I love historical fiction that takes a period we think we know, and finds an unexplored element - this is an intriguing glimpse into smalltown America in WWII, wrapped up in a thoroughly gripping mystery."
On Hampstead Heath (2021) Marika Cobbold "Just finished and loved On Hampstead Heath by Marika Cobbold clever and funny with a splinter of melancholy running through it. It's a superb read."
