It seems only appropriate to open our regular round up of newly published books with novels from two of Britain’s finest thriller writers. P. D. James’ new book The Lighthouse is an evocative and powerful exploration of the more bizarre and brutal side of humanity. Meanwhile Ruth Rendell’s latest, End in Tears, delves further into the life of Chief Inspector Wexford as his professional and private worlds collide in an enthralling and dark tale.

Moving on from crime, some topping debut novels have hit the book shelves lately, including the engaging Disobedience by Naomi Alderman. Joining the all-new canon of London-inspired novels, it is set in the non-literary landscape of the suburb of Hendon. A story of Jewish lore and screwy relationships, Disobedience is a witty and passionate slice of life in one of the capital’s most close-knit communities. In Nicola Monaghan’s The Killing Jar the action moves out of London to the seedier side of Nottingham. Lyrical, startling and at times harrowing, it is the tragic story of a young girl’s attempts to defy her birthright. The rhythm and intensity of Lucy Caldwell’s Where They Were Missed makes for a poignant rites-of-passage tale exploring the impact of a troubled Belfast childhood on the life of one woman.

It was with great sadness that we read of the death of Muriel Spark, a supreme prose stylist who ironically always thought of herself as a poet first and foremost. Published by Carcanet All the Poems is a fine collection of poetry that is both witty and dark. John Burnside’s Selected Poems is an adventurous and authoritative account of his work over recent years. One of the UK’s most highly regarded poets; this draws from his earlier collections and clearly reflects his interest in science, metaphysics and the everyday world around us. Owen Sheers’ second collection Skirrid Hill follows hot on the heels of his Forward Prize short-listed debut The Blue Book. This is a more confident and finely honed collection than The Blue Book and builds on ideas around geography, identity and ageing with an elegant subtlety.

Salley Vickers shot to fame with Miss Garnett’s Angel, a gentle novel of self-discovery and redemption. In her new book, The Other Side of You, she tackles huge themes of love and loss, life and death, suffering and anguish with an astonishing lack of sentimentality. Exploring the complex relationship between therapist and patient, this is an unusually affecting novel. David Mitchell’s latest, Black Swan Green, is an ambitious study of a troubled adolescence told from the perspective of a teenager struggling to come to terms with his parent’s divorce. Mitchell’s previous novel, Cloud Atlas, was a huge success and it looks like Black Swan Green is set to follow in its footsteps. Until recently Sarah Dunant was best known as a writer of thrillers. Her first historical novel The Birth of Venus was set in Renaissance Florence and elegantly explored the limited and difficult choices that women at that time struggled with. In the Company of the Courtesan revisits some of this territory. Set in Rome during the early 1500s, it tells the story of the irresistible courtesan Fiammetta who is forced to flee the city for Venice when Rome is sacked by Habsburg mercenaries. Colourful characters, detailed research and a rollicking plot all conspire to create one of the most satisfying novels of the year.

And finally, a new book by the award-winning David Almond is always worth a mention; his novels continue to impress for the quality of the writing, the humanity of his characters and his subtle mingling of reality with the supernatural. In Clay he tells the story of two altar boys, Davie and Geordie and the profound affect on their friendship of the arrival of a strange new boy in the village. Although aimed at children and teens, Almond’s novels deserve to be read by anyone who enjoys good fiction.