A Scientific Romance by Ronald Wright (Anchor) 

WHAT if....?

What if H.G.Wells' time machine really existed and someone discovered how to use it?

One Moment, One Morning, Sarah Rayner, (Picador)

by Patrick O'Connor

COMMUTERS on the 07.44 train from Brighton to London usually keep themselves to themselves, buried in their books, newspapers or whatever gadget floats their boat.

But in One Moment, One Morning, everything changes for three women when a man collapses and dies from a heart attack. They are forced to confront major changes in their lives.

King Of The Badgers by Philip Hensher (Fourth Estate)

IN a quiet picturesque seaside down in Devon, an eight year old girl disappears and the media hordes swoop westwards looking for a sensational headline or two.

But King Of The Badgers is not a crime thriller, not a whodunnit, instead the author lifts the lid on middle class respectability and carries out a forensic investigation into what lies below the surface.

IF you like your horror blood-splattered and gruesome then this book is for you. 

Thomas Usher seems to be a fortunate guy with a loving wife and a gorgeous young daughter.

Then both are killed in a car crash and whilst recovering from his injuries in hospital, Usher discovers that he can see dead people.

The London Train by Tessa Hadley (Vintage Books) 

HAVE you ever been on a train and wondered what was the purpose of your fellow travellers' journey?   Tessa Hadley's intricate tale The London Train delves into the lives of two people, Paul and Cora, who travel between London and Cardiff.

Trespass, Rose Tremain (Vintage Books)

by Patrick O'Connor

IN the Cevennes region of France, 10 year old Melodie skips away from her school picnic to explore.

To her delight she comes across a 'deep, sea-green pool' and strips down to her knickers to prepare to dive in when 'at the very corner of her vision, she sees something which shouldn't be there...then she starts screaming.'