Quick Reads 2018 - grab them when you can!

Yet again, Quick Reads has launched some brilliant short books by bestselling authors for busy people and less confident readers. There's something for everyone, from crime to women's fiction, taking you on a journey around the world. This year's authors are Fern Britton, Mark Billingham, Kit de Waal, Dorothy Koomson, Tammy Cohen and Vaseem Khan. 

   

I've read two of the Quick Reads 2018 books. Vaseem Khan's Inspector Chopra & the Million Dollar Car and Mark Billingham's Cut Off. These are two very different reads and both are brilliant! I'm now going to buy the others!

Vaseem Khan's Inspector Chopra & the Million Dollar Car (published by Mulholland Books) is a fun cosy crime novel set in India. Inspector Chopra has been asked to investigate the disappearance of a luxury car, stolen in the middle of the night - a locked room scenario. The garage owner is panicking as the car is owned by a gangster who is likely to resort to violence when he realises his car has gone missing.

This book can easily be read as a standalone. You don't need to have read any of the full-length novels in the Inspector Chopra series to enjoy this one. It's a fun read, featuring Inspector Chopra, his baby elephant sidekick and a cast of varied realistic characters.

Mark Billingham's Cut Off (published by Little Brown) is a very twisty psychological thriller. After Louise loses her phone in a local cafe, she's relieved when someone gets in touch to return it. But her nightmare is only just beginning.

This is a chilling tale, filled with dark humour, about friendships, relationships, loneliness and our over-reliance on technology and social media. And as for the ending... well you'll just have to read it to find out for yourself.

Quick Reads, run by the Reading Agency, is now in its 12th year and launched yesterday (1st February). Over 4.8 million of these short, accessible books have been distributed so far in the UK, giving the joys and benefits of reading to hundreds of thousands of people each year. 

The two books I read were less than 100 pages each and the text was in large print, making it easy to read. Perfect for commuters or anyone who wants to get back into reading but is short of time. 

Each book costs you just £1! What bargains!

For more information about Quick Reads, visit The Reading Agency here and follow The Reading Agency on Twitter here. 

Dead Simple - Quick Reads

Dead Simple
(one of 6 Galaxy Quick Reads books for 2017)
Published by Orion Books (2 February 2017)
ISBN: 978-1409169123

Publisher's description

A woman reports a crime to the police, with unexpected results

The grieving widow who finds that she's about to lose more than just her husband

When a man attempts the perfect murder, it's not quite as easy as he thinks

Two men in prison play a deadly game of Scrabble

A young woman tries to trick an old man and gets more than she bargained for

Sometimes crimes are solved in ways you can't explain

A murderer about to be hanged finds that's not the worst thing that can happen

You never know who's going to turn up at your door

Original stories from Mark Billingham, Clare Mackintosh, James Oswald, Jane Casey, Angela Marsons, Harry Bingham, Antonia Hodgson and CL Taylor - specially written for Quick Reads.

My verdict
Quick Reads are an ideal purchase if you love reading but struggle to fit it into your day. And Dead Simple is the perfect choice if you're a fan of crime fiction and psychological thrillers.

Not only is the book itself small, but there are eight fantastic short stories inside, so you can dip in and out of the book to suit your reading time. I loved these twisty tales - all are unique and there's something to appeal to everyone.

Dead Simple is also a great introduction to six top crime writers and certainly left me wanting to check out their novels. It's good fun, with plenty of darkness and humour. And it only costs you £1!!!

About Galaxy Quick Reads

The Reading Agency's six new Galaxy® Quick Reads titles are specifically designed to be easy to read, and are shorter and easier to tackle for adults who are less confident in their reading skills. The accessible, bite-size format means they’re also perfect for people who want a light, easy read to pick up for their commute or to fit into a busy day.

According to the National Literary Trust in 2012, one in six adults in the UK struggles with reading, while one in three doesn't read for pleasure. Sponsored by Galaxy® and run by The Reading Agency, the annual Quick Reads campaign aims to inspire more people to read more often by producing six short books each year, made available for just £1 from most major booksellers or loaned from libraries. 

For more information on Quick Reads and this year's books, visit here. And follow Quick Reads of Twitter - @Quick_Reads