An Ice Cream War by William Boyd (Penguin)

by Patrick O'Connor

THERE have been plenty of novels which have used the First World War as a backdrop but this offering by acclaimed British writer William Boyd takes a look at the little known East African campaign and shows how it impacted on several characters.

Before conflict erupts, American expat Temple Smith is on good terms with his German half English neighbour Erich von Bishop but then has his plantation burnt by von Bishop and becomes a penniless refugee, forced to join the British forces.

The Light of Day by Graham Swift (Penguin)

by Patrick O'Connor

THE central character here is former cop George Webb who now runs a detective agency from an office above a tanning studio on Wimbledon Broadway.

But if you are expecting a typical 'gumshoe' tale forget it. For this is a story about obsessive love, (although to be fair, there is also a murder).

The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes (Penguin)

by Patrick O'Connor

BE warned – this British road rom-com is as soppy as hell. But it's a delight, a lovely, heart-warming, life-enhancing love story which will captivate you from beginning to end.

The plot is relatively simple. Single mum Jess Thomas is struggling to keep her head above water; her teenage stepson Nicky is a loner who is being bullied at school and daughter Tanzie is a maths prodigy who is offered the chance to compete in a Math Olympiad at the other end of the country.

The Woman Who Went To Bed For A Year by Sue Townsend (Penguin)

by Patrick O'Connor

SUE Townsend, who died last year, was regarded as one of Britain's best comic writers. She was best known for her Adrian Mole books, chronicling the diaries of a schoolboy through to his mature years.

This was her last novel and in it, Townsend explores an emotion many of us may have experienced at some time or other – 'sod it, I'm fed up with all this, I'm going to stay in bed.'

Missing Persons by Nicci Gerrard (Penguin)

by Patrick O'Connor

THE Hopkins are a typical middle class family who live in sleepy East Anglia.

They enjoy a normal life with three teenage children, two girls and a boy and their existence seems to be easy, respectable and normal.

How long can Emperor penguins hold their breath for? Answer here.