Molly & the Captain by Anthony Quinn review – art and obscurity
This deft century-hopping novel follows the fortunes of a Regency portrait and a series of artists
Running Up that Hill by Tom Doyle review – Kate Bush in pieces
A fragmentary guide to the musical genius offers fresh insights to the creative process – but the personal remains private
Bournville by Jonathan Coe review – a bittersweet slice of Britishness
Coe is a compassionate witness to key moments in the life of a family and a nation
A Horse at Night: On Writing by Amina Cain review – reading as a sensual act
The novelist’s atmospheric evocation of favourite scenes from others’ books strips them of their weight
The Sleeping Sword review – Morpurgo fable transformed into scrapbook of wonder
Michael Morpurgo’s novel about a boy’s Arthurian adventure is inventively brought to life in an inclusive production
The Romantic by William Boyd review – a swashbuckling adventure
Boyd’s absorbing ‘whole-life’ novel transports its 19th-century hero around the globe for encounters with real-life figures and endless incident
The Philosophy of Modern Song by Bob Dylan review – an enlightening listen-along
Dylan meditates on 66 songs he holds dear in an eclectic collection of essays that breathes new life into groundbreaking hits while relishing obscurities and oddities
In brief: The Good Drinker; The Blue Flames; Exit Stage Left – reviews
Adrian Chiles gives entertaining advice on moderation, AM Burrage’s spooky short stories get their dues and Nick Duerden tells of the tolls of pop stardom
When McKinsey Comes to Town: The Hidden Influence of the World’s Most Powerful Consulting Firm – review
Walt Bogdanich and Michael Forsythe’s devastating investigation into the consulting firm uncovers a story of secrecy, delusion and untold harm
The best recent crime and thriller writing – review roundup
Former cases, former boyfriends and former tenants return to haunt new works by Louise Penny, Nicci French, Charlotte Northedge and BA Paris
Bournville by Jonathan Coe review – hugely impressive state-of-the-nation tale
The arch-Europhile examines Britain’s postwar history through the eyes of a Birmingham clan in this warm and poignant novel featuring several familiar characters
The Ascent by Stefan Hertmans review – a Nazi ghost in my house
In this powerful hybrid of history and fiction, a Booker nominee investigates the SS recruit who once owned his house in Ghent
Playing Under the Piano by Hugh Bonneville – note-perfect self-deprecation
The Downton star is happy to be the butt of his own jokes in this tremendously entertaining account of the ups and downs of his career
Show Me the Bodies: How We Let Grenfell Happen review – damning account of deregulation
In writing that is clear and moving, Peter Apps shows how decades of rhetoric against ‘red tape’ set the scene for the fire that killed 72 people – and how some lessons have yet to be learned
The Trump Tapes: Bob Woodward’s chilling warning for US democracy
The Washington Post Watergate veteran’s 20 interviews with the now former president prove to be must-listen material