Natalie Xenos

There's no better way to get in the holiday mood than settling down with a Christmassy book. Here are six that are perfect to read over the yuletide season.

If you're a fan of a cliffhanger, few books have thrown a last-minute curveball quite as wickedly as last year's

The only thing James and Johnny Golden have ever had is each other. As twins, they share a deep and unique connection, something that goes beyond intuition. James can genuinely feel what her brother feels. So when he's killed in a seemingly tragic accident, she knows before her phone even rings that Johnny is gone. Now, truly alone for the first time in her life, she must return to the town of her childhood to get answers to the questions surrounding her brother's death.

The story follows Haze and Fox, an outwardly ordinary married couple with a baby living a perfect suburban life. They have it all: the money, the affluent lifestyle, the five-star travel, and the envy of all those around them. They also have one hell of a secret: they're ex-serial killers. Like many couples, they bonded over a shared interest, theirs being the killing of bad men, and they were very good at getting away with murder. But everything changed with the arrival of their daughter, Bibi. They made a pact to leave their murderous lives behind them and for a short while they were content to pack away their knives. Now, with nothing but tedious toddler groups and small-talk with other mums to keep her occupied, Haze has started to feel that itch again.

It's 1898 and Quinn Le Blanc has just five days to pull off the seemingly impossible: trick an eligible duke into marriage and steal his family's fortune. Quinn might be London's most talented and furtive con woman but she's never tried to infiltrate the impenetrable inner circle of an old money family like the Kendals before. Masquerading as a wealthy debutante, Quinn quickly becomes the talk of the season and it's not long before she catches the eye of her mark. But as she sneaks her way into their lives, Quinn realises that the Kendals are even more formidable than she originally thought – and they all have their own secrets to keep.

There are few romance writers that make me fall quite as hard for their characters as B. K. Borison does.

Ever since Queen Moryen of the Others helped the Yorks win the War of the Roses and subsequently took the throne at Hampton Court Palace, England has lived under the immortal fae Queen’s reign.

Evelyn has lived through a thousand lifetimes and in every single one, she’s been murdered before her eighteenth birthday. Hunted across the years and through different countries, she doesn’t understand why Arden – the person she loves and dreads in equal measure – won’t let her live into adulthood.

From a speculative murder mystery and a gothic historical thriller to a bookish tale of community and a swoony rom-com adventure, this month’s book picks span genres and continents and the whole spectrum of human emotions.

Honora ‘Nora’ Holtzfall is the daughter of the most powerful heiress in Gammanix. Her family controls all the money and all the magic in the entire country.