Books

• One of the late chef and presenter’s final collaborations is a collection of graphic short horror stories
• The action, set at a dinner party, is delivered with a flair for the culinary macabre

The Kipling File is a well-researched, elegant and highly readable fictional account of the young writer’s life in colonial India

The author tackles technological espionage in his final novel, complete with the palpable tension he has built his career on

With Chinese demand fuelling the illicit trade, the otherwise engaging book’s message would have benefited from a broader perspective

Jarring plot conveniences and overplayed romance aside, the novel sees crime fiction’s newest hero take readers on a reliably entertaining roller coaster

The beloved broadcaster and actor brings the 19th-century Royal Navy ship and its crew to life as he relives the perilous expeditions it undertook, even if routine naval life did not always prove exciting