The It Girl

By Ruth Ware,

Book cover of The It Girl

Book description

*** PRE-ORDER RUTH WARE'S THRILLING NEW NOVEL, ZERO DAYS, COMING IN PAPERBACK SPRING 2024 ***

THE RICHARD & JUDY PICK

'Deliciously dark and utterly addictive - my favourite Ruth Ware yet' LUCY FOLEY

Everyone wanted her life
Someone wanted her dead

It was Hannah who found April's body ten years…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

3 authors picked The It Girl as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I love a good mystery, so I often turn to this author for an enjoyable read. Her Agatha Christie-type mysteries never disappoint and The It Girl is no exception.

This story is set at university in Oxford, England, where Hannah Jones first meets roommate April Clarke-Cliveden, the ultimate “it” girl with a vivacious, outgoing personality. The two girls easily make friends, and their group includes Hugh, Ryan, Will, and Emily. But, by the end of the first term, April is found dead. Who among them would murder her?

Was it really the somewhat creepy porter, John Neville, who was found…

The It Girl is set at Oxford University. The story alternates between two timelines: the past, showing Hannah’s studies at Oxford, culminating in the murder of her best friend and roommate; and the present, in which Hannah starts to wonder if the wrong person was convicted of the crime.

Each timeline has its own unique feel – hedonistic and edged with darkness, versus anxious and full of doubt – making it easy to keep the two strands distinct in your mind as you race towards the clever final denouement.

I’d recommend any of Ruth Ware’s beautifully written page-turners, but this…

Life throws us many curves. How some of us deal with them at times forces an action that is unforgivable. Others take pains to hide the act and watch as another is punished for it.

However, in some cases circumstances recall the unforgivable act and the realization that the ‘guilty’ one who died in prison was also a victim. No matter how much time may pass, or how close the friendship, the threads of secrets unravel. No protagonist crime fighter here, just a friend searching for the truth to discover the real who and the why.

Trans-Mongolian Express

By David L. Robbins,

Book cover of Trans-Mongolian Express

David L. Robbins Author Of War of the Rats

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve penned (so far) seventeen novels, most set during some historical conflict or other, all of them revolving around intense personal relationships (loyalty, love, betrayal, those sorts of profound truths). I tend to read the sorts of books I wish to write. I also teach creative writing at a university (VCU); I tell my students that if they want to really know what a character is made of, shoot at them or have them fall in love. In my own work, I do both.

David's book list on love and war and describing both battlefields

What is my book about?

In the harrowing aftermath of Chornobyl's meltdown in 1986, the fate of Eastern Europe hangs by a thread.

From Beijing, American radiation scientist Lara, once a thorn in the Russian mob's side, is drawn back into the shadows of the Soviet Union on the Trans-Mongolian Express. She isn't alone. Anton, a Soviet scientist exiled for predicting Chornobyl's catastrophe, is on a quest to expose the truth. Amidst them, Timur, a Chechen giant fueled by vengeance, plots to destroy the already crumbling Soviet Union.

Suddenly, a murder on the remote tracks of the Gobi thrusts them into a deadly game of cat and mouse. As Chief Sheriff Bat races to solve the murder, their lives are thrown into jeopardy. Lara finds an unexpected ally in Gang, a reluctant assassin sent to end her life, and an illicit romance blooms amidst the chaos. But Gang isn't the only killer onboard. A hidden menace lurks, threatening to unravel all their plans.

In this electrifying ride across a historical backdrop, suspense and passion collide in an unyielding dance of survival and redemption. Who will survive the Trans-Mongolian Express?

Trans-Mongolian Express

By David L. Robbins,

What is this book about?

In the harrowing aftermath of Chernobyl's meltdown in 1986, the fate of Eastern Europe hangs by a thread.

From Beijing, American radiation scientist Lara, once a thorn in the Russian mob's side, is drawn back into the shadows of the Soviet Union on the Trans-Mongolian Express. She isn't alone. Anton, a Soviet scientist exiled for predicting Chernobyl's catastrophe, is on a quest to expose the truth. Amidst them, Timur, a Chechen giant fueled by vengeance, plots to destroy the already crumbling Soviet Union.

Suddenly, a murder on the remote tracks of the Gobi thrusts them into a deadly game of…


Want books like The It Girl?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 66 books like The It Girl.

Browse books like The It Girl

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in pregnancy, murder, and murder mystery?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about pregnancy, murder, and murder mystery.

Pregnancy Explore 106 books about pregnancy
Murder Explore 915 books about murder
Murder Mystery Explore 479 books about murder mystery