THE POTTING SHED MURDER

BY PAULA SUTTON

HBK, RENEGADE, £16.99

Welcome to the sleepy village of Pudding Corner where nothing much ever happens… that is until the local headmaster is found, dead in his potting shed, among his allotment cabbages.

Village newcomer, Daphne Brewster, finds herself turning into a super sleuth sneaking into the crime scene and chasing down rumours. This gets her into trouble with the local inspector - until she comes across a faded photograph that unearths a secret buried for forty years.

A truly unputdownable whodunnit by Paula Sutton - otherwise known as Instagram's happiest influencer: @hillhousevintage - an unforgettable new voice in cosy crime.

CATLAND

BY KATHRYN HUGHES

HBK, FOURTH ESTATE, £22

Enter the anthropomorphic world of Edwardian kitten painter, Louis Wain. Where cats sip champagne, drive cars, go for afternoon strolls twirling their parasols and call citizens to rally in World War One.

His drawings were irresistible but “Catland” was more than the creation of one eccentric imagination. It was an attitude – a way of being in society while discreetly refusing to follow its rules. As cat capitalism boomed, prized animals changed hands for hundreds of pounds and an industry sprung up to cater for their every need.

Join prize-winning historian Kathryn Hughes to discover how Britain’s feline obsession ushered in a new era.