Top 12 books for your summer holiday

1 THE BUTTERFLY SUMMER

LOVE YOU DEAD Peter James Gorgeous gold-digger Jodie has no trouble marrying for money. Her only problem is how to get rid of the unwanted husband. Settle down in your deckchair for a treat – Brighton’s Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is back, in a riveting tale from a master storyteller. Macmillan, £20; ebook, £10.99

3 MY ITALIAN BULLDOZER Alexander McCall Smith A car-hire mix-up leaves Paul Stewart with a bulldozer as his only transport when he escapes to Tuscany to make a fresh start. Blissfully relaxing, this is a summer read with everything you could ask for: warmth, wonderful characters and plenty of laughs. Polygon, £14.99

4 SIDNEY CHAMBERS AND THE DANGERS OF TEMPTATION

5 THE BACHELOR Tilly Bagshawe Henry Saxton-Brae – titled millionaire, castleowner and fiancé of a supermodel – seems to have it all. But is his life quite as perfect as it seems? Of course not – and that’s when the fun begins in this jodhpur-clad, deliciously Jilly-Cooperstyle romp. Harper, £7.99; ebook, £3.99

6 A DIVIDED SPY Charles Cumming When ex-MI6 officer Thomas Kell seeks revenge against his Russian nemesis he sets off a plot so twisty you won’t know who’s playing whom. Dubbed the heir to John Le Carré, Cumming sets a rattling pace – and you’ll want to finish this gripping thriller in one sitting. Harpercollins, £14.99; ebook, £9.99

1 THE SHARK AND THE ALBATROSS

2 UNTIE THE LINES
Emma Bamford Tired of the rat race, Emma Bamford bought a one-way ticket to the Far East and took a job on a yacht with a man she’d never met. That story was told in her first book, Casting Off. There’s still plenty of escapism in this sequel but now Emma returns to London – where she must reassess what really matters in life. Bloomsbury, £8.99; ebook, £8.99

3 CAPTURING THE WORLD
Nick Rains Award-winning photographer Nick shows how to take your travel photos up a notch, using his own spectacular shots as examples. Amateur snappers will love it, but you don’t even have to own a camera to enjoy wallowing in the fabulous images of this lavish coffee-table book. Hardie Grant, £25

4 LIGHTHOUSES OF THE WORLD

5 AFRICA SOLO
Mark Beaumont He did it alone but you’ll want to stay with Mark every step of the way as he cycles among elephants and giraffes, bounces over treacherous mountain tracks and tackles the endless grasslands of Tanzania. It was a heroic, gruelling effort but the book is a sheer pleasure to read. Bantam, £14.99; ebook, £9.99

6 TICKET TO RIDE
Tom Chesshyre “Most people seem to have a soft spot for rail travel,” notes Chesshyre, and if you’re among them you’ll love this evocative mix of thrill-rides and gentle journeys worldwide. Even if locomotives and rolling stock leave you cold, you’ll enjoy the author’s trademark dry humour. Summersdale, £9.99; ebook, £5.99