Pile by the Bed reviews The Secret Hours by Mick Herron a top shelf stand alone espionage novel set in Herron’s Slough House continuity.

Pile by the Bed reviews Gods of the Wyrdwood by RJ Barker (Forsaken #1), a ferocious piece of world building and a great set up for the rest of his third fantasy trilogy.

Pile by the Bed reviews The Detective by Ajay Chowdhury, the third book in his crime series about a disgraced Indian policeman who starts again in London with the help of his family and their restaurant

Pile by the Bed reviews and recommends Cuddy by Benjamin Myers an exploration of the life and legacy of St Cuthbert and the Cathedral built to house his remains in Durham over a period of 1300 years.

Pile by the Bed reviews Airside by Christopher Priest a novel that explores the starnge “null space” of airports through the eyes of a film critic.

Pile by the Bed reviews Kill for Me Kill for You a stand along thriller from Steve Cavanagh that takes a familiar crime trope and turns it on its head.

Pile by the Bed reviews and recommends The Beasts of Paris by Stef Penney, a compelling historical novel that takes readers to the 1870 seige of Paris during the Franco-Prussian war.

Pile by the Bed reviews The Housekeepers by Alex Hay an engaging heist/caper novel set in the upstairs downstairs world of Edwardian London.

Pile by the Bed reviews The Traitor by Anthony Ryan – the final book in his medieval fantasy-style Covenant of Steel trilogy

Pile by the Bed reviews Small Worlds the second book from British author Caleb Azuma Nelson, focussing on the experience of the Ghanaian community in London in the early 2010s.

Pile by the Bed reviews The Ghost Theatre by Mat Osman an Elizabethan fantasy in the tragedian tradition but with a punk sensibiity

Pile by the Bed reviews And Put Away Childish Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky, the third in his Terrible Worlds: Destinations series, this one dealing with English mid-century fantasy worlds.

Pile by the Bed reviews Perilous Times by Thomas D Lee an ejoyable and satirical mashup of Arthurian legend and day-after-tomorrow dystopia.

Pile by the Bed reviews Winter’s Gifts by Ben Aaronovitch an American-based novella with a new protagonist set in the Rivers of London universe.

Pile by the Bed reviews The Interpreter by Brooke Robinson an intriguing crime fiction debut centring around a criminal law interpreter who decides to take justice into her own hands.

Pile by the Bed reviews Hopeland by Ian McDonald a clifi novel that is also about the power of human connection.

Pile by the Bed reviews and recommends Titanium Noir by Nick Harkway in which a classic noir detective deals with a world where the ultrawealthy have become literal titans thanks to an exlusive genetic treatement.

Pile by the Bed reviews Descendant Machine by Gareth L Powell, the second book in his Continuance series. A stand alone space adventure that exceeds the promise of the first volume of the series.

Pile by the Bed reviews Adrian Tchaikivsky’s return to fantasy with an urban uprising novel City of Last Chances

Pile by the Bed reviews Infinity Gate by MR Carey the start of a new science fiction duology that explores a multiversal empire known as the Pandominion.