This month’s choices:

Fiction

The Last Devil to Die
By Richard Osman

I became a fan of Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series after reading the first five pages of the first book. In this, the fourth volume, he continues the adventures of four senior citizens in a British retirement community—Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim—who have a knack for solving murders.

When one of Elizabeth’s friends is killed, the foursome immediately set out to unravel the mystery. Specifically, where is the mysterious box that might contain a stash of heroin, but could also point the finger at the killer?

It soon becomes a tangled web involving stolen art, money laundering, drug dealing, and long-buried secrets.

But while the novel delivers the usual clever twists and dry humor we expect from the Thursday Murder Club, it goes much deeper this time into themes of aging, loyalty, and grief. I honestly teared up in a couple of scenes. And yet, even through these moments, Osman never loses the light touch that defines the series.

The Last Devil to Die is fun, satisfying mystery with some quiet meditation on friendship and courage later in life. It’s proof that clever crime fiction can also have a heart.

Find your copy here.

Nonfiction

If you enjoy historical nonfiction, you’ll love this thrilling—and deeply human—portrait of Winston Churchill’s first year as Britain’s prime minister. We see the remarkable strength and courage it took for a nation to stand nearly alone against the might of Nazi Germany.

Erik Larson tells the story through diary entries, letters, and firsthand accounts. The result is an intimate view of leadership under relentless pressure.

Of course, at the center we find Churchill himself—brilliant, stubborn, inspirational, and yet also flawed—as he navigates daily life during the Blitz. It’s an eye-opening portrait of the relentless bombings, shortages, and fear that shaped daily life for Londoners.

But the book also reveals Churchill’s family dynamics, especially with his wife Clementine and his daughter, Mary. Their experiences reveal what it was like to live through this torturous time.

The book also tracks Churchill’s uneasy relationship Franklin D. Roosevelt as America slowly moves toward involvement in the war, showing the balance Churchill had to master between persuasion and patience.

The Splendid and the Vile is a powerful reminder of how leadership, resilience, and resolve can shape the fate of nations during their darkest hours. It was one of my favorite books of 2025.

Find your copy here.

PS: Larson also brought us “The Devil in the White City,” one of my all-time faves.

Last Month’s Picks

The Stand
By Stephen King

People in a post-apocalyptic world must choose between good and evil in this classic.

The Wager
By David Grann

The true story of shipwreck, mutiny, and survival in the 18th century. Masterfully told.

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Happy reading!