Annette Shaw is a freelance journalist with 30 years of experience, and has a regular column in Devon Life, sharing her pick of brilliant books with Devon connections. With her reputation for championing books and authors around the county, we’re delighted to have the opportunity to showcase her reviews here.

Deception by Lesley Pearse
Her 30th novel. Now that’s an achievement! As a global bestselling author, there’s never any doubt that Lesley’s books will challenge, engage and feel totally satisfying to the reader. And so it is with Deception. Interviewing Lesley is always a pleasure and she’s one of those people who gives a great deal in conversation. I asked her why she found the subject of bigamy, as the central theme, so interesting. “Ah…why would anyone take such a risk? What lies behind it?” As with her other novels, Lesley embarks on a study of human behaviour. “There are a variety of reasons as to what makes someone want, or need, to become a different person.” In the case of Sally Kent, aka Fleur Faraday and Janet Masters, the life cards she was dealt are complex, the tentacles reaching back to childhood. Only on her death does the truth surface. A complex and gripping relationship drama.

Artisan Ropework by Jessica Geach
Coiling, spiralling and stitching cotton rope is an exciting and relatively unexplored technique for creating baskets, vessels, wall hangings and much more. This year, Liberty in partnership with the Crafts Council, curated a selection of work from independent makers, showcasing the range and breadth of contemporary craft in the UK today. However, there is only one way to fully appreciate the quality and expertise and that’s to feel it. Jessica and I managed a rendezvous at the Nkuku café in Harbertonford and I seriously yearned for the beach bag. “People use my baskets for all sorts of reasons,” says Jessica, smiling and simultaneously handing me a lidded bowl. “This one proved popular on hall tables as a facemask store.” Jessica’s work can be bought locally in the Cider Press Gallery at Dartington and from the Rebecca Furze studio in Totnes. Workshop dates in Devon can be found at rubycubes.co.uk

The Secret of Bubble Bay by Jojo Webb
I was attracted to the cover of this book for children age seven plus. It looks like a summer book and has a nostalgic air of family holidays at the beach. Mother of two, author Jojo is a teacher at Exeter College specialising in creative technologies for pupils with additional needs. Children’s literature is a new venture for her. “I started writing during our first lockdown and three books later I’m still going strong!” she says. “I wanted to encourage independence of reading so the text is clear and bold, interspersed with illustrations that add to the experience.” The story is a modern take on a good old-fashioned adventure – all you need is a pair of flipflops, some sandwiches, ginger beer, an exciting mystery to solve and your best friend. Enter Lucy and Thomas. They’ve discovered a secret, the possibility of treasure, and nothing will stop them…

From Coast & Cove by Anna Koska
Part memoir and part observation of the natural world, Anna’s book is beautifully uplifting. Perfect for anyone who needs a Devon fix, or simply enjoys an amble around the South Hams with a virtual companion and her dog. Acclaimed illustrator Anna walks us through the seasons with a style that is contemplative and deeply personal. She combines emotive and evocative tales of life beside the sea with her intricate illustrations of the plants and wildlife found along the coastline. She draws inspiration for her artwork in the ebb and flow of the tide throughout the year, the flotsam and jetsam washed up on the shore and the creatures spotted in the air, on land and tucked away in rockpools. The haunting cry of the curlew heard while kayaking along the River Dart, the mussel shells discarded by an oystercatcher, and the kelp, wrack and eelgrass strewn along the beach – enjoy the sea breezes!

Reputation by Sarah Vaughan
Sarah has impeccable timing. Or a crystal ball. Hot on the heels of the Netflix adaption of Anatomy of a Scandal, starring Sienna Miller, Michelle Dockery and Rupert Friend, Reputation is a first-class thriller. From an early life in Devon, Sarah has moved from Guardian news reporter and political journalist to become a most accomplished fiction writer. “In Reputation I wanted to consider the pressures women are under, particularly those in the public eye – if they raise their head above the parapet.” Having said that, some issues are a dark reflection on constituency surgeries, such as keeping bottled water at hand in the event of an acid attack. “I’ve received comments of dismay, but that’s what creates talking points,” says Sarah. “This is real, along with online abuse, lack of accountability, trolling and teenage angst.” As a condensed snapshot of life in 2022, both societal and in Westminster, it’s a jaw-dropping read.

Create a Mediterranean Garden by Pattie Barron
I’d just visited The Old Well Garden Centre, near Uffculme, in search of pots when this book arrived. Exactly what I needed on all counts. As a source of ideas for container gardening, The Old Well is fabulous. Terracotta urns, olive jars and the textured Atlantis range, looking for all the world as if just brought up from the seabed – it’s a remarkable place. Now for the planting…Pattie Barron is a gardening journalist and author. She had a long-running weekly column in the London Evening Standard and was the gardening editor for Good Housekeeping magazine. She tackles everything from design to maintenance. The result is an outdoor room – one many of us longed for during lockdown, a need I sense will endure. I love the romance of decorative, open-air living and Pattie devotes a whole chapter to the ultimate alfresco experience. Intoxicating, aromatic, succulent, colourful, Gorgeous whatever the weather!