A gritty, grubby tale of family secrets; an adventurer learns about his own neighbourhood; and historian Bettany Hughes explores the impact of the wonders of the world
Rabbit Hole
Kate Brody
Bloomsbury, £16.99, pp384
Kate Brody’s debut has all the trappings of a true crime podcast. When a man dies 10 years after his daughter disappeared in mysterious circumstances, dormant Reddit groups of amateur sleuths refresh their salacious hypotheses. But Rabbit Hole is far more complex than a run-of-the-mill whodunnit. By focusing on destructive younger sister Teddy, it becomes a gritty, grubby tale of grief, family secrets and addiction.
Local
Alastair Humphreys
Eye Books, £12.99, pp368 (paperback)
He’s been on adventures all over the world, but in Local, Humphreys limits himself to exploring the 20km around his suburban English home over a calendar year. In imposing that restriction, he discovers far more about the place in which he lives – and the way he approaches the world. Thanks to some genuinely thoughtful writing about planet, place and political purpose, Humphreys finds beauty in the scruffy margins and makes readers look anew at what might easily be familiar or forgotten.
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Bettany Hughes
W&N, £25, pp416
Of the great wonders of the ancient world, only the Pyramid of Giza remains. So a trip to modern-day Egypt is an appropriate starting point for Bettany Hughes’s fascinating exploration of the impact such structures have had on our history and imagination. Mixing the latest archaeological and historical research with a bright, inquisitive style makes these places – and their peoples – come alive. Perhaps Hughes could have included more of her own travels, but Seven Wonders is still quite the adventure.
