Uncommon Ground

Patrick Galbraith
William Collins, £22, pp356

Nature writer Patrick Galbraith’s excellent second book more than fulfils the promise that his equally fine debut In Search of One Last Song suggested. In a series of acutely observed and often very funny vignettes (“it was diverse in the sense that there were people there from almost every Oxbridge college”), Galbraith travels across rural Britain in an attempt to look beyond the usual cliches of country life. In his exploration of everything from economic turmoil to the concept of “belonging”, he proves an erudite guide.

The Pretender

Jo Harkin
Bloomsbury, £18.99, pp452

“Wolf Hall meets Demon Copperhead” is an impressive billing for a first-time novelist, but The Pretender mostly justifies it. Jo Harkin veers closer to the grittiness of Dan Jones’s medieval-set fiction than the visionary sweep of Hilary Mantel, but it is still an auspicious venture into fictionalised history. Loosely based on the real-life royal pretender Lambert Simnel,The Pretender explores the machinations of the wars of the roses with authority, bringing the frightening world she depicts to life.

All That Glitters

Orlando Whitfield
Profile, £10.99, pp336 (paperback)

If Orlando Whitfield’s readable and fascinating memoir-cum-exposé of the art world isn’t turned into a big-budget film, it will be an opportunity missed. The author explores his friendship with the charismatic art dealer-cum-convicted fraudster Inigo Philbrick, detailing how he becomes increasingly successful and ever more grandiose in his ideas. All That Glitters would be a considerable accomplishment for a veteran writer, but the knowledge that it is Whitfield’s debut makes it all the more impressive.

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