May book of the month

As menacing as it is beautiful, The Outcast is a devastating portrait of small-town hypocrisy from an astonishing new voice. Set in 1950s England, the book centres on 19-year-old Lewis Aldridge, who returns home after serving time for arson to finally confront the grief of his mother's tragic death. His return will trigger the implosion not just of his family, but of a whole community.

Not far away, Kit Carmichael keeps watch. Lewis's grief and burgeoning rage are all too plain, and Kit makes a private vow to help. But in her attempts to set them both free, she fails to predict the painful and horrifying secrets that must first be forced into the open.

Coming in June
The launch of our annual summer reading series, Chatelaine Beach Books. This year, we focus on racy thrillers, just the thing for vacation relaxation. Our first book will be The House at Midnight by Lucie Whitehouse. Quick synopsis: Joanna's best friend inherits an old English manor. Sounds innocent, right? Wrong. This eerie debut oozes secrets, sex and decadence.