The latest edition of The Thursday Book Club was broadcast on 16th July 2026 at 2pm on Phonic FM. Joining hosts Jonathan Posner and Cathy Dodd were Ruth Foster and Jason Mann. Click the names to find out more about them, and use the audio bar below to listen to the full show.
Our book review was Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.
Our thoughts? Listen below to find out.
Available on Amazon.
The second hour featured an interview by Cathy Dodd with author Annabelle Gregory.
Cathy also played some great music – linked to the themes in Annabelle’s memoir, The Art of Becoming.
Listen to the show in full here:
The next show is at 2pm on the 20th August 2026.
Our book review will be The Parkwood Murders by Chris Chibnall.
Why not read along and send your comments in to The Thursday Book Club? Leave a message on our Facebook page or email jo******@jo******************.com before 18th August 2026. We’d love to have your comments and have the opportunity to feed them into our discussion.
GUEST NEWS
Ruth Foster‘s book A Perfect Year? is out now.
**WINNER, COMEDY WOMEN IN PRINT PRIZE 2025**
” This captivating read is perfect… we loved it” Closer magazine
**A Yours book club choice**
” A masterclass in comic precision” Comedy women in print judges
IN PAPERBACK AND EBOOK, AT BOOKSHOPS AND ONLINE
If you thought the round robin letter was dead, think again… It’s 1990s England. In leafy Upley Rising, Ali and Caroline become neighbours but not friends. Ali has a troubled partner, too many children and never enough money. Next door, Caroline rises seamlessly above everything life throws at her, and always gets what she wants. Then there’s respectable Robert, the third neighbour, whose humdrum life takes an unexpected turn.
Jason Mann writes as J.H. Mann. His latest book is The Silver Tide.
WINNER OF THE 2026 HOLYER AN GOF CORNISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD (GENERAL FICTION CATEGORY)
SHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL 2026 SELFIES ADULT FICTION AWARDS
Cornwall, 1863. On a windswept beach, Maggie Pascoe watches in horror as her family is lost to the sea. Her father and three brothers are among dozens of fishermen from the town of St Branok who perish in a summer storm.
Destitute and alone, she finds comfort in her friendship with widow Norah Bray, whose young son also drowned in the disaster.
But the tragedy was no accident. As Maggie battles to uncover the truth, she hides a devastating secret – one that could destroy her bond with Norah forever.
Inspired by a true story, The Silver Tide is a powerful tale of love, betrayal and one woman’s courageous fight for justice.
Available on Amazon.
BOOK NEWS THIS MONTH
BOOKS AVAILABLE IN ALL GOOD RETAILERS
Out on 16th July from Penguin was The Parkwood Murders by Sunday Times bestseller Chris Chibnall, who is best known as the creator of Broadchurch and was a showrunner on Doctor Who – so he probably knows a thing or two about building a compelling mystery. The Parkwood Murders is book two of his Detective Nicola Bridge series. Book one was Death at the White Hart. This new book begins with the discovery of a body floating in the pool at an idyllic woodland retreat in West Dorset. Between the staff and guests, there are hundreds of potential suspects, and each seems to have their own dark secret. Can Detective Nicola Bridge solve the case quickly, all while taking care of her troubled teenage son? It’s slated to be one of the month’s biggest crime releases, and the books are set to be turned into a major ITV series.
Also published by Penguin (on July 2nd) was It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell, author of the Sunday Times bestselling novels None of This Is True and Don’t Let Him In. In her latest gripping thriller, the main character is Jane. Twenty-five years ago, Jane went to a strange man’s house for a nightcap, when a crashing sound and a scream from upstairs sent her fleeing into the night. Now, she finds herself back to the same house, returning a lost dog. And when she catches sight of a terrified-looking woman in the window, she’s drawn in further, compelled to uncover the house’s mysterious, terrifying secrets.
Out on 16th July from Penguin was The First House by Avni Doshi, the Booker Prize-shortlisted author of Burnt Sugar. When a seemingly perfect marriage suddenly falls apart, buried truths begin to emerge, revealing how fragile even the closest relationships can be. It’s an emotionally charged domestic drama that’s already attracting serious critical attention.
Laura Sims’s new book, The Man came out on July 7th from Verve Books It’s a domestic suspense novel that follows Judith Stanley, a 1960s housewife turned amateur photographer who begins to fear for her life when she notices the dark silhouette of a man in the background of her self-portraits. It’s a chilling psychological thriller about obsession, stalking and the frightening consequences of not being believed. Cleverly plotted and deeply unsettling, it’s the sort of novel that gets readers questioning every character’s motives right until the final pages.
Also published on 7th July by Simon and Schuster, was Helpless by Jessica Knoll, the New York Times bestselling author of Luckiest Girl Alive and Bright Young Women. Helpless is a suspense novel centred on a Hollywood producer whose past refuses to stay buried. Mixing glamour with danger, it’s a twist-filled thriller exploring power, ambition and revenge, making it an ideal summer page-turner. According to her fellow author, Lisa Jewell, it’s ‘a dark, twisty and addictive read that you will struggle to put down.’
Country People came out by Daniel Mason on 7th July. Described as ‘The book of the summer’ by Mick Herron and ‘a joyful book… the deeper you dig, the more joyful it becomes’ by the Guardian, Country People follows Daniel Mason’s acclaimed North Woods with a warm, imaginative novel about a family starting over in rural Vermont. What begins as a fresh start gradually develops into a fascinating mystery rooted in local folklore. It’s already been selected for a major US television book club, which is likely to boost international interest.
The Country Road Murders by James Patterson and Mike Lupica comes out on July 30th from Penguin. This is a fast-paced crime thriller packed with short chapters and relentless suspense. Here’s the blurb:
Cross Rivers is the kind of small town where everyone knows your name – and your secrets. Silas Tucker was destined for glory until a devastating accident brought him back to the place where his life fell apart. His father was gunned down on a deserted country road when Silas was just a boy. The killer was never brought to justice. Now, teenage girls are vanishing and the Southern Mafia’s shadow looms over his hometown. The community is terrified. The police need help. And Silas Tucker has nothing left to lose. When the law isn’t enough, sometimes you have to take justice into your own hands…
If you enjoy books you can race through in a weekend, this is classic Patterson – accessible, entertaining and almost impossible to put down.
Here’s a stunning, unpredictable new thriller with breathtaking twists from the Sunday Times and Number One Irish Times bestselling author Jane Casey. It’s called Everything She Didn’t Say, and it came out on July 16th.
This novel promises an intelligent, character-driven mystery from Jane Casey. Combining emotional depth with expertly constructed investigation, this is one for readers who enjoy thoughtful crime fiction as much as dramatic twists.
LOCAL NEWS
Jonathan was at the Chamber of Commerce Big Bash a couple of weeks ago, and saw a great piece of enterprise by the young people of the Deaf Academy in Exmouth. They have written, illustrated and published a book, called Declan and the Magical Processor. It’s a story based on Jack and the Beanstalk, about Declan, a deaf boy, who meets a magical professor. The professor has created a processor which enables him to hear sound. The students from the Deaf Academy took part in Young Enterprise this year, winning 3 awards and getting all the way to the UK finals. They came up with this idea based on their own personal experiences of missing bedtime stories growing up, due to not having access to sound and parents not knowing how to sign. The book has QR codes which link to videos of the students signing the story in British Sign Language. Their aim is to help break down barriers to communication for deaf people, to improve access to stories for deaf young people and teach British Sign Language. The book is available to buy for £5 on the Deaf Academy website, at the-deaf-academy.sumupstore.com.
