Secret Book Swap | No. 15 - North Berwick October 2026
Books we swapped:
My Sister, the Serial Killer – Oyinkan Braithwaite
Korede has always been the practical one in her family, especially when it comes to cleaning up after her younger sister, Ayoola, who has a rather alarming habit of killing her boyfriends. But when Ayoola sets her sights on the doctor Korede secretly loves, she faces an impossible choice between protecting her sister and saving the man she cares about. A darkly funny thriller about family loyalty, jealousy and murder.
Mr Murdoch Is Dead – Mamie Philp
When the body of popular history teacher Raymond Murdoch is discovered in a cupboard at Riverwood Academy, the small Ayrshire town of Ayr is thrown into turmoil. Newly promoted Detective Inspector Kim Berry takes charge of the investigation, uncovering a growing list of suspects, hidden connections and secrets that may hold the key to solving the murder. A Scottish crime mystery introducing a determined new detective.
The Wishing Game – Meg Shaffer
Lucy Hart dreams of giving seven-year-old Christopher, an orphaned boy she cares deeply about, a loving family of his own. When reclusive children's author Jack Masterson announces a competition on the mysterious Clock Island, with the chance to win his one-of-a-kind new book, Lucy enters a magical contest that could change both their lives. A heartwarming story about books, belonging and the power of wishes
The Fk It! List – Melanie Cantor
Daisy's life is falling apart: she's just caught her boyfriend cheating at her fortieth birthday party, she's back living in her childhood bedroom, and her dream of having a baby seems to be slipping away. Deciding it's time to stop worrying about what everyone else thinks, she sets out to create a very different future for herself. A funny, uplifting story about starting over and taking life into your own hands.
Rivers of London – Ben Aaronovitch
Probationary police constable Peter Grant is hoping to become a detective, but his career takes an unexpected turn when he interviews a witness who happens to be a ghost. Soon he's apprenticed to England's last practising wizard and investigating crimes involving magic, supernatural beings and a dark force threatening London. A witty, fast-paced blend of police procedural, urban fantasy and folklore.
Lord of the Flies – William Golding
When a plane crash leaves a group of schoolboys stranded on a remote island without adults, they attempt to build their own society. But as fear grows and their fragile rules begin to collapse, their struggle for survival reveals the darker side of human nature. William Golding's classic novel is a chilling exploration of power, civilisation and the thin line between order and savagery.
Station Eleven – Emily St. John Mandel
A devastating flu pandemic brings civilisation to its knees, wiping out most of the world's population. Twenty years later, Kirsten travels between scattered settlements with the Travelling Symphony, a troupe of actors and musicians determined to keep art alive. Moving between the world before the pandemic and the fragile communities that follow, this atmospheric novel explores memory, connection and what makes life worth living.
The Housemaid – Freida McFadden
Millie is desperate for a fresh start when she takes a job as a housemaid for the wealthy Winchester family. Living in a tiny room beneath their beautiful home, she cleans, cooks and cares for their daughter while trying to ignore the increasingly strange behaviour of her employer, Nina. But the Winchesters have secrets of their own, and Millie soon discovers that appearances can be dangerously deceptive. A twist-filled psychological thriller.
The Vanished Bride – Bella Ellis
Yorkshire, 1845: rumours spread across the moors after Elizabeth Chester appears to have been murdered in her own home, yet her body has vanished. Intrigued by the mystery, the Brontë sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, begin investigating, determined to uncover the truth. But as they pursue the case, they find themselves in danger, in this atmospheric historical mystery imagining the famous literary sisters as amateur detectives.
A remote tropical island seems like paradise, but for the people stranded there after a plane crash, survival is only the beginning. With danger all around them and secrets hidden among the survivors, the island becomes a place of fear and uncertainty rather than escape. A tense, atmospheric thriller that explores how far people will go when everything they know has been taken away.
The Yellow Wallpaper – Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Written as a series of journal entries, this unsettling classic follows a woman taken to a country house by her physician husband to recover from what he calls a nervous condition. Confined to a room and forbidden from working or writing, she becomes increasingly obsessed with the room's disturbing yellow wallpaper. A powerful short story about women's autonomy, mental health and the damaging consequences of being denied a voice.
Guest writer, Angela C Nurse
A lifelong storyteller, Angela writes crime fiction featuring strong female protagonists, intricate mysteries and unexpected twists, exploring the complexities of human nature while keeping readers guessing until the final page.
Her work has been recognised with a nomination for Best Author at the Crime Fiction Lovers Awards. She has also twice been a Top 100 finalist in the Black
Spring Press Opening Gambit competition, judged by Lee Child and Val McDermid.
Thank you Angela for joining us and chatting about creating your characters, inspiration, forensic linguistics and about your book, the first in the Rowan McFarlane mysteries:
Jack in a Box
When single mother Rowan joins her Uncle Jack’s detective agency she doesn’t expect his murder to be her first case.
To find out who is responsible for his death she will need to solve another mystery, the disappearance of Jack’s best friend 30 years earlier.
Someone doesn’t want her digging up the past and they’re prepared to go to any lengths to keep their secrets hidden.
Can she stand up to the danger, protect her daughter and bring a murderer to justice?
Banned Book Reading
This month, our talk was inspired by Banned Books Week, which takes place in both the UK and the US.
We looked at the latest figures from PEN America, which recorded 11,982 instances of books being banned in US public schools during 2025–26, up from 6,870 the previous year, an increase of around 74%. The bans covered 7,370 different titles, including more than 4,500 appearing on the list for the first time.
Among them were some familiar titles, including Jane Eyre (one of my all time favourite books!) and Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, a book that has been brought to Secret Book Swap several times and is well loved by our group.
Published in 2022, Lessons in Chemistry was a bestseller, won several major book awards and was one of the most borrowed books from US public libraries in 2023 and 2024. We read an extract from the novel, revisiting the wit and warmth that have made it so popular, while reflecting on its appearance on PEN America's list of newly banned books.
We talked about the difference between deciding a book isn't for you and deciding that other people shouldn't be able to read it either. We won't all enjoy the same books, and some subjects can be uncomfortable, but readers should have the freedom to make their own choices.
After all, that's part of what we love about Secret Book Swap: sharing books, discovering new stories and giving someone else the chance to find a book they might love.
Join us at future secret book swaps: