Paperback picks: The Luminaries
Mystery and intrigue in 1800s New Zealand

The Luminaries
by Eleanor Catton (Granta, £9.99)
Gold-Rush fever in 19th century New Zealand is the setting for last year’s Booker Prize winner, and the intricate, vividly written plot makes for a page-turning read lit up by 12 characters who are connected by astrology, murder and mystery.