Guy Burgess: The Spy Who Knew Everyone by Stewart Purvis and Jeff Hulbert
Much raked over and pondered: how did Guy Burgess become one of the most successful Soviet spies in history? This new biography examines his exile and how the UK establishment made sure he stayed in Moscow. (Biteback, January 19)
This is London: Life and Death in the World City by Ben Judah
An earnest attempt by a 27-year-old journalist to eschew statistics, instead meeting people to understand the lives of Londoners. An ambitious project to map a world city’s DNA and weigh the effects of globalisation. (Picador, January 28)
The Holy Roman Empire: A Thousand Years of Europe’s History by Peter H Wilson
Single-volume history of the oddity that was the Holy Roman Empire. Wilson argues that for all its vast sprawl, and contrary to popular belief, it was remarkably efficient. An extraordinary achievement in its scope. (Allen Lane, January 28)
Lay Down Your Weary Tune by WB Belcher
In this debut novel, a 30-year-old music writer agrees to ghostwrite the memoir of folk singer Eli Page, someone he has always idolised. Sleuthing and romance follow as Belcher brings the folk scene memorably to life in this ensemble drama. (Other Press, January 26)
The Invoice by Jonas Karlsson
A man lives a very ordinary life in a bedsit in Stockholm. He has few material possessions and a lowly job but he’s completely content. He is only jolted from his happy state when he receives a huge bill from the World Resources Department for “Experienced Happiness”. Funny satire. (Hogarth, January 7)
The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon
When Mrs Creasy goes missing from her home on an unremarkable English avenue one hot summer in 1976, two curious 10-year-olds decide to investigate. Grace and Tilly find more than they bargain for when their questions begin to probe forgotten secrets. Popular fiction. (The Borough Press, January 28)
