Scrittrici e scrittori italiani presentano le proprie opere al Circolo dei lettori.

Scritture italiane di oggi

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'One of my favourite detectives…it reminded me of some of the old Sherlock Holmes cases' 

 November 1930

After accepting an invitation to attend the ballet in snowy Salzburg, Miss Atalanta Ashford is shocked when a convicted jewel thief is found dead in the concert hall where the theft occurred a decade ago.

Did he return to the scene of the crime because he wanted to prove his innocence? Is the real culprit among the high-society guests? In her quest for the truth, Atalanta uncovers dangerous secrets about the European elite that put her own life in mortal danger…

The smell of Glühwein and spiced Lebkuchen from the Austrian winter markets fill the air, but for Atalanta there’s an intriguing puzzle to be solved in this cosy historical mystery for 2024.

Look out for more Miss Ashford mysteries and get your passports ready as you travel with her to some of the most sought-after destinations on the continent…

Book 1: Mystery in Provence

Book 2: Last Seen in Santorini

Book 3: A Fatal Encounter in Tuscany

Book 4: Last Dance in Salzburg

Book 5: Death on the Rhine

Readers love this series!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This is a series which allows me to enjoy the delights of travel from my armchair…For me, an easy five stars'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'A unique story and I enjoyed how good the characters were'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Atalanta was a really interesting and smart character…The time period and place were perfect'

⭐⭐⭐⭐'A delightful mix of intrigue, romantic angst, looking back, wishing things had been different, finding oneself…And, I didn't even mention that murder is involved'

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A terrific series, filled with human emotion and interesting crimes to solve'

⭐⭐⭐⭐'Plenty of twists and turns with so many suspects that I wasn't sure who the guilty person was right until the end'

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A delightful blend of historical intrigue, picturesque European settings, and a fiercely independent protagonist'

⭐⭐⭐⭐'I couldn’t wait to find out the villain…There were twists & turns & I was kept guessing until all was revealed'

⭐⭐⭐⭐'Family secrets, lies and a good old fashioned murder mystery'

⭐⭐⭐⭐'What I love about this series are the glamorous settings and interesting people…This story really has you wondering who the murderer is and there are plenty of red herrings to confuse you'

Last Dance in Salzburg, By Vivian Conroy, Read by Jessica Whittaker

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Marriage Lie comes a brand new gripping domestic crime thriller from Kimberly Belle, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Shari Lapena 

 Rayna Dumont is getting a fresh start in Amsterdam. Following a nasty divorce, she takes a jet-setting new job and embraces the single life. All seems to be going well until she wakes up in the bed of Xander van der Vos, her one-night stand from the night before, only to find him brutally murdered in the room next door. To make matters worse, millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds are missing from his safe. Quickly, Rayna becomes the prime suspect and is thrown into a deadly game of cat and mouse with forces beyond her wildest imagination.

From her lavish home in the heart of the city, Willow Prins is enraptured by the case. The wife of Thomas Prins, CEO of the House of Prins and Xander’s former boss, Willow is too familiar with what it’s like to be the outsider in the elite world of luxury goods. But as the House comes under scrutiny, tensions rise in her already strained marriage and Willow starts to wonder if Rayna might be the solution she’s been looking for.

As both women dive into the dark underbelly of the diamond industry, their hope for survival hinges on navigating a web of power and revenge. And as Rayna fights to clear her name, will she unravel the truth or find herself another victim?

Readers LOVE Kimberly Belle!
'When a book catches your attention from page 1, you know it's going to be great. It was compelling to read until the very last page. A thriller unlike anything else' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'An absolute page-turner! Keeps you hooked' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'My favourite of hers yet! You won’t be able to put this one down as you zoom through Europe with them and follow the cat-and-mouse game of who the good folks are are who the bad are… Highly recommend!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'An irresistible, fast-paced read set in some of Europe’s most inviting locales… An intense story that leads the reader through mystery and danger' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'The search for answers kept me enthralled. The ending was perfect' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Twisty-turny thriller. Suspense, fear, love, heartbreak, mystery, confusion, betrayal, loyalty, danger, secrets, it’s all there' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Expat Affair, By Kimberly Belle, Read by Jennifer Jill Araya and Marni Penning

In this special episode for Mental Health Awareness Week, host Jade Hunter is joined by Professor John Tomaney, Dr. Dimitrios Panayotopoulos-Tsiros, and James Fildes, founder of Space North East. Together, they explore a growing public health crisis: rising rates of male suicide in the UK, particularly in post-industrial regions like the North East.

This conversation examines how non-clinical, community-led interventions are filling critical gaps in mental health support for working-class men in the North East of England. Drawing on lived experience, academic research, and grassroots activism, this episode highlights the importance of belonging, place-based identity, and social infrastructure in men’s mental wellbeing.
 
Featured in this episode:
Host: Jade Hunter – Coordinator, UCL’s Grand Challenge of Mental Health & Wellbeing
With special thanks to our guests: 
Professor John Tomaney – UCL Bartlett School of Planning, Pro-Provost for Regional Communities
Dr. Dimitrios Panayotopoulos-Tsiros – Research Associate and Honorary Research Fellow, UCL
James Fildes – Founder and Managing Director, Space North East
 
Resources:
Learn more about UCL Grand Challenges https://www.ucl.ac.uk/grand-challenges/
Visit Space North East https://spacenortheast.org/
Read about the project’s progress and future outputs via the Grand Challenges Mental Health and Wellbeing page https://www.ucl.ac.uk/grand-challenges/themes/mental-health-wellbeing

Local Solutions, National Crisis: New Insights on Men’s Mental Health from the North East

On sale May 20th, 2025

From the New York Times bestselling author of Washington's Spies, "a page-turning thriller" (James M. Scott) about ​one of the greatest heists in history: the U.S. Navy’s clandestine capture of a Nazi U-boat at the climax of World War II.

Shortly before noon on June 4, 1944, the sonar operator on a destroyer prowling off the coast of West Africa heard a sharp, metallic ping. The sound could mean only one thing: The German submarine that their hunter-killer group had been tracking, U-505, was lurking somewhere below. The ensuing struggle between exhausted hunter and venomous prey would make history when American sailors boarded an enemy warship at sea for the first time since the War of 1812.

That day’s victory was the culmination of an unrelenting campaign against the Nazi submarine threat by the U.S. Navy’s “Tenth Fleet”—a mysterious unit that could predict the locations and movement of Hitler’s U-boats. Run by Commander Kenneth Knowles, Tenth Fleet had guided Captain Dan Gallery to U-505; to repay the favor, Gallery was going to steal an Enigma machine for him.
 
Now all they had to do was to make an entire U-boat, its crew, and its secrets vanish into thin air . . .
 
In this swashbuckling adventure story, bestselling historian Alexander Rose draws on long-classified encrypted documents and intercepted German transmissions to reveal in full, for the first time, how an owlish egghead and a glory-seeking buccaneer teamed up to score the richest prize on the high seas.

Listen Here

Phantom Fleet By Alexander Rose, Read By Jonathan Todd Ross (Audiobook Excerpt)

On sale May 27th, 2025

Beauty and the Beast meets Supernatural in the first book of this new urban fantasy detective series!

Jericho James is in over her head. 

She's a Private Investigator famed for debunking mythical creature sightings, and she expects her latest case in Stillbridge, Maine to be just another instance of "town who cried wolf." But instead of finding a poorly judged animal in the Northeastern woods, Jericho discovers a family of reclusive scientists. Handsome scientists, no less, working on a cure for a mystery virus.

Intrigued by the virus and utterly captivated by Benjamin--a man with cheekbones that must have been chiseled by God himself--Jericho finds she's dying to learn more about the family and their work. 

And when she accidentally discovers the family's secret, she might just get her wish. 

Follow Jericho James as she solves cyrptid crimes, stops mythical misdeeds, and blocks otherworldly outrages. And maybe, if she has time, find love along the way. 

The Midnight Pack By Jasmine Kuliasha, Read By Sarah Beth Goer (Audiobook Excerpt)

On sale May 20th, 2025

Two workplace enemies find themselves in close proximity on a tropical company retreat that challenges their assumptions—and just might make them to fall for each other—in this romcom by a by a beloved TikTok author.
 
Engineer Trishara Malik once dreamed of being the first woman of color to smash the glass ceiling at WMC Purcell, but after years of dealing with white male privilege and blatant nepotism, she watches her hard-earned promotion go to her nemesis, Rafe Gallagher—the boss’s son. Teetering on the edge of burnout, Tris is stunned when she’s picked to attend WMC's corporate leadership retreat in Hawaii. It’s a chance to revive her stalled career and compete for a coveted spot in an executive training program—plus, three weeks in paradise! The only downside? Rafe is her co-attendee.

Tris plans to avoid Rafe entirely, but when she arrives in Maui, a booking error has them stuck sharing the honeymoon suite. Sure, it’s not all torture. Rafe is a smoldering ten—okay fine, an eleven—but after years of competition, they can barely stand being in the same time zone. As they vie against each other during aptitude tests and team-building exercises, Tris begins to realize Rafe might not be the villain after all. With her dreams at stake, can she learn to trust the man who might have been standing in her corner all along?

Not Safe for Work By Nisha J. Tuli, Read By Soneela Nankani (Audiobook Excerpt)

On sale May 20th, 2025

Rooted in the story of his own transformative journey, a monk and internationally beloved founder of Yoga of Immortals shares the methods he uses to help us tap into our unlimited potential.

Ishan Shivanand was born into an ancient lineage of yogis spanning twenty-one generations, and spent the first twenty years of his life in a Himalayan monastery. Grounded in the traditions of yoga, meditation, martial arts, storytelling, and herbal medicine, he developed the Yoga of Immortals (YOI) protocol, which is designed to help followers combat stress, anxiety, depression, and create healthy individuals and healthy communities. The Practice of Immortality shares these lessons and practices. ​In a world suffering the effects of fear, competitiveness, and anger, Ishan encourages us to take a step back.

Structured as a thoughtful narrative with practices based in the true intentions and meaning of yoga, The Practice of Immortality will help you achieve that which you never thought possible.

The Practice of Immortality By Ishan Shivanand (Audiobook Excerpt)

The old unit will reunite to complete one last mission in honour of their fallen comrade. But all she wants is revenge …  

 When their old comrade, retired veteran and decorated Royal Marine Frankie Chapman, dies during a home invasion, the 11/06 club come back together to recover his stolen military medals. After they find out the medals have fallen into the hands of a wealthy billionaire who dabbles in human trafficking, they form a plan to steal the medals back – and Frankie’s daughter, Josie, wants in on the action.

But Josie wants more than just her father’s medals returned. She wants retribution, and she’s out for blood …

* * * *

No Mercy, By Max Connor, Read by David Rintoul and Catrin Walker-Booth

On sale May 20th, 2025

Pulitzer Prize winning writer, editor and TV host Jonathan Capehart recounts powerful stories from his life about embracing identity, picking battles, seizing opportunity and finding his voice.

MSNBC anchor Jonathan Capehart is one of the most recognizable faces in cable news. But long before that success, Capehart spent his boyhood growing up without his father, shuttling back and forth between New Jersey and rural Severn, North Carolina, and contemplating the complexities of race and identity as they shifted around him. It was never easy bridging two worlds; whether being told he was too smart or not smart enough, too Black or not Black enough, Capehart struggled to find his place. Then, an internship at The Today Show altered the course of his life, bringing him one step closer to his dream. From there, Capehart embarks on a journey of self-discovery. 

Yet Here I Am takes us along that journey, from his years at Carleton College, where he learns to embrace his identity as a gay Black man surrounded by a likeminded community; to his decision to come out to his family, risking rejection; and finally to his move to New York City, where time and again he stumbles and picks himself up as he blazes a path to become the familiar face in news we know today.   

Honest and endearing, Yet Here I Am is an inspirational memoir of identity, opportunity, and finding one's voice and purpose along the way. 

Yet Here I Am By Jonathan Capehart (Audiobook Excerpt)

On sale May 20th, 2025

In this bittersweet, hilarious, and suspenseful crime debut, a grandmother with a failing memory teams up with her grandson to solve the mysterious murder of her friend and neighbor.

Margaret Winterbottom, 89, has lived on Garnon Crescent her entire life—except for a few years she never talks about. She knows all the neighbors: their lives, their hopes, their heartbreaks. Only recently, Margaret’s memory isn’t what it used to be. She’s sure Barbara, her best friend and neighbor, told her something very important . . . but what?

When Barbara is found dead in an apparent homicide, Margaret is determined to recover the missing memory. Margaret and her grandson, James, begin investigating, but soon strange things begin happening in her home—objects moving and cropping up in odd places, the television turning on by itself. Some believe her memory is worsening, but Margaret knows somebody wants her out of the way because she holds the key to solving the case—if only she could recall where she put it . . .

Perfect for fans of Emma Healey’s Elizabeth Is Missing, Helene Tursten’s An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good, Robert Thorogood’s The Marlow Murder Club, and Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building.

The Margaret Code By Richard Hooton, Read By Maggie Ollerenshaw (Audiobook Excerpt)

Come ripensare al femminismo, quello storico e con la F maiuscola che un po’ spaventa per la sua complessità e un po’ respinge per la sua fermezza, alla luce dei cambiamenti intercorsi fra quegli anni e questi? Qual era il punto di partenza, e quanta strada siamo riuscite a fare grazie a quella rivoluzione? Le autrici di "Le ragazze stanno bene" (Harper Collins) ne discutono con Giulia Muscatelli.

📚 Giulia Cuter e Giulia Perona: "Le ragazze stanno bene" (Harpercollins)

Il 14 agosto del 1962, nel centro esatto del Monte Bianco, viene abbattuto l’ultimo diaframma di granito che separa l’Italia dalla Francia. Gli operai hanno sopportato crolli, ritardi e imprevisti, procedendo palmo a palmo per 5.800 metri, immersi nel fango, esposti alle emorragie d’acqua che frantumano la roccia. Nel ventre della montagna tutti gli uomini sembrano piccoli, piccolissimi. Ma Ettore sente che quell’impresa visionaria lo riguarda, perché c’è un fronte di scavo anche dentro di lui. Con Linda Cottino

🏔️ Sara Loffredi: "Fronte di scavo" (Einaudi)

Alice Allevi, finalmente Specialista in Medicina Legale, ha dovuto affrontare scelte difficili sia sul piano professionale che su quello sentimentale. Dopo un lungo e burrascoso corteggiamento, sembrava che tra lei e Claudio Conforti, l’affascinante e imprevedibile medico legale con il quale ha condiviso ogni disavventura dai tempi della specializzazione, fosse nato qualcosa. Per un attimo, Alice ha creduto finalmente di aver raggiunto un periodo di serenità, almeno al di fuori dell’Istituto di Medicina Legale. Ma in un momento di smarrimento sentimentale chiede un trasferimento. E lo ottiene: a Domodossola.Per sua fortuna, o suo malgrado, Alice non avrà molto tempo per indugiare sul proprio destino, perché subito un nuovo caso la travolge. Durante quella che credeva essere un’autopsia di routine, Alice ritrova un diamante nello stomaco del cadavere. Una pietra di notevole caratura e valore, ma anche una prova materiale importante per il caso. Per questo, Alice si premura di convocare un ufficiale giudiziario a cui consegnarlo in custodia. L’ufficiale che si presenta da lei è un uomo distinto ed elegante, dai modi cortesi ed impeccabili, e Alice non esita ad affidargli il diamante. Ed è a quel punto che il fantomatico ufficiale sparisce nel nulla e i guai per Alice iniziano a farsi enormi…
In dialogo con Elena Masuelli

📚 Alessia Gazzola: Il ladro gentiluomo (Longanesi)

La quieta ferocia dell’essere madri in un romanzo che racconta come sia inevitabile tradire gli altri, per difendere sé stessi. C’è una donna ferma sulla soglia di un convento. Deve entrare, ma ha paura. Oltre quella soglia, lo sa, avverrà la resa dei conti. Perché è lí che si trova sua figlia, un’adolescente scappata di casa dopo l’ennesima lite con lei. Ed è lì che vive la persona che molti anni prima l’ha abbandonata senza una parola, per seguire la propria vocazione. Una storia che ha come protagoniste tre figure femminili indimenticabili. Una madre, alla quale la figlia rimprovera un’esistenza di rinunce. Una figlia, che la madre ha sempre sentito inaccessibile. E una suora, che ha lasciato tutto, anche la sua piú grande amica, per abbracciare senza riserve il proprio destino. Tre donne profondamente legate tra loro, eppure in costante fuga l’una dall’altra. Perché ogni legame d’amore può diventare un cappio, e ogni distacco trasformarsi in battaglia.
In dialogo con Francesca Manfredi

📚 Emanuela Canepa: Insegnami la tempesta (Einaudi)

«Vi hanno mandato loro?» chiede Tom il Greco ai due sconosciuti che bussano alla porta della sua casa di vacanza in Québec. «Loro» sono gli uomini della Cia, l’Agenzia che Thomas Karamessines, detto il Greco, ha servito per tutta la vita. C’era proprio lui, infatti, a capo della stazione di Roma quando, tra il 1961 e il 1963, con la morte di Mario Tchou, l’attentato a Enrico Mattei, le incriminazioni e le condanne di Felice Ippolito e di Domenico Marotta, l’Italia perdeva di colpo ogni competitività in campo scientifico, politico ed energetico, avviandosi verso il declino attuale. Una semplice coincidenza? O dietro quel punto di svolta così drammatico per il nostro paese si nascondeva la longa manus della Cia e di Tom il Greco? Dopo l’Italia, una lunga carriera avrebbe portato Karamessines a giocare un ruolo anche nei misteri più bui della politica internazionale, dall’assassinio di Kennedy alla cattura di Che Guevara e al golpe in Cile. Ci sono, però, intrighi e segreti di stato che nemmeno gli uomini più scaltri riescono a tenere sotto controllo. Segreti che, in ore estreme, quando quei due sconosciuti bussano alla sua porta, non ha più senso nascondere. A partire da questa figura sfuggente, l’ossessione di un protagonista che ha lo stesso nome dell’autore si trasforma in una lunga indagine, e in un romanzo che intreccia i «fatti» con le zone oscure degli eventi, illuminate dall’immaginazione. Perché, come sostiene Sciascia, non sono tanto i fatti quanto «i fantasmi dei fatti» a costituire la vera materia della letteratura. In dialogo con Monica Bedana

📚 Bruno Arpaia: Il fantasma dei fatti (Guanda)

Un quadro suggestivo dell’evento epocale che ha già segnato il ventunesimo secolo. Come sta già cambiando l’esistenza, quali potranno essere gli effetti politici nel futuro. Il coronavirus è un virus sovrano che aggira i muri patriottici, le frontiere dei sovranisti. Donatella Di Cesare, filosofa, professore ordinario di Filosofia teoretica alla Sapienza Università di Roma, presenta "Virus sovrano?" (Bollati Boringhieri editore) con Marco Revelli.

Circolo dei lettori
2020

📚 Donatella Di Cesare: "Virus sovrano?" (Bollati Boringhieri editore)

Promuove e produce cultura, tutti i giorni, per tutti, nelle sue tre sedi – Torino, Novara e Rivoli – con rassegne e festival. Un progetto di Regione Piemonte

📚 Donatella Di Cesare: "Virus sovrano?" (Bollati Boringhieri editore)

Fondazione Circolo dei lettori

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