“Murder and mystery features in three highly original titles on EBR February. None of the usual suspects here – no tough guys or “fem jeop” (females in jeopardy), no police procedurals or scandi-noir. The most iconic crime writer of them all – Agatha Christie – features in The Christie Affair and explores what her real-life 11-day disappearance was really about, Death of the Trans-Siberian Express is steeped in Soviet quirkiness, and Cain’s Jawbone offers a fiendishly difficult literary mystery that you as the reader solve by tearing out pages and sorting clues (It’s become quite the social media phenomenon despite being published in 1934!). Unusual reads that will feed your passion for crime-stories in the freshest of ways.” – Batya Bricker – Exclusive Books Marketing, Loyalty and Procurement – General Manager

Exclusive Books 25 recommended titles are merchandised in front of all their stores every month and are carefully curated in different categories – local authors, fiction and non-fiction, plus young adult and children’s. The aim is to assist customers to see at a glance, and in a short space of time, titles that are new, trending and have caught the eyes of the Exclusive Books buyers in among 1000’s and 1000’s of titles. There are choices for all age groups and genre tastes.

All 25 titles are presented on dedicated Exclusive Books Recommends display units where the books are grouped together with shelf talkers in-store for the entire month of the promotion. Fanatics members also earn a whopping 200 bonus points on their purchases from the list during February.

There are 10 fiction titles for February. Again, Rachel is joyful and Marian Keyes has a clever way with words plus extraordinary wit. Cain’s Jawbone by Ernest Powys Mathers is the tale of six murders in one hundred pages and millions of possible combinations… but only one is correct. Can you solve Torquemada’s murder mystery? Death on the Trans-Siberian Express by C J Farrington is an absolute delight, evocative equally of the frozen steppes, bad vodka and worse sausage, and full of larger than life characters. Olga Pushkin is an endearing protagonist, who is hopefully set for a series as long as the Trans-Siberian Railway. The Discovery of Love by Nthikeng Mohlele, love is reflected upon in expansive and unexpected dimensions. It becomes the backdrop against which Mohlele delves into the intricacies of human agency with profound and often unexpected effects. Dreamy, other worldly, smart, swoony, thoughtful, hilarious – all in all, exactly what you’d expect from Casey McQuiston author of One Last Stop.

In Pandora, Susan Stokes-Chapman weaves together Ancient Greek myth with suspenseful mystery and beguiling romance…utterly irresistible. The Postmistress of Paris by Meg Waite Clayton is the haunting story of an indomitable woman whose strength, bravery, and love is a beacon of hope in a time of terror. The Christie Affair by Nina De Gramont is a novel that literally out-Christies Agatha. An exciting, moving and delightful read. Verity by Colleen Hoover is sublimely creepy with a true Hoover pulse. Wahala by Nikki May has bestseller written all over it. Fast-paced, funny, shocking, unputdownable.

There are six non-fiction titles for February. While Deep Collusion by Athol Williams exposes greed and corporate corruption and lifts the lid on foreign profiteering and the weakening of South Africa’s public institutions, it also highlights the lonely burden of the whistleblower and the great personal cost of telling the truth in the face of overwhelming pressure. In Mothers, Father and Others it is Siri Hustvedt’s gift to write with exemplary clarity of what is by necessity unclear. Shepherd and the Beast by Tramayne Monaghan is the hero’s journey for leaders. Unlock your potential by choosing to cross the threshold… A book for leaders and those wanting to grow. Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr Julie Smith is smart, insightful, and warm. Dr. Julie is both the expert and wise friend we all need.

The inspiration behind Restaurant Klein JAN did not come from a desire to create a fine dining experience in the middle of the Kalahari. It came from the heart – from the tables of his childhood – memories that he has taken with him into an unknown land. Klein Jan Cookbook by Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen is testament to his inspiration. In Atlas of the Heart author Brené Brown shares, “I want this to be an atlas for all of us, because I believe that, with an adventurous heart and the right maps, we can travel anywhere and never fear losing ourselves. Even when we have no idea where we are.”

The last six titles are YA and Children’s. Here’s To Us by Adam Silvera is romantic, realistic and sweet, this perfectly captures New York, teenage love and life in that gray area when you’re not quite an adult and not quite a child either. Luntu Masiza Tells the Truth by Penny Lorimer is a series of emails written by Luntu Masiza to his grade 11 English and History teacher, Mr Bali, to fulfil a school-holiday assignment. Brilliantly, through Luntu’s words we also access the life lessons passed on by a remarkable teacher, whose wisdom pulls Luntu back from the brink. Chris Grabenstein author of Smartest Kid in the Universe 02: Genius Camp just might be the smartest writer for kids in the universe.

The Swim Team by Catherine Jarvis is the story of sixteen-year-old Khetiwe who is given a swimming scholarship to a private school where she bumps up against Farrah, the swimming captain. As “the poor girl”, Khetiwe is already struggling to fit in, but Farrah sets out to make her life unbearable. Om Jou Te Ken deur Cliffordene Norton is die storie van Gabby en haar niggie Georgia lyk baie na mekaar en toe hulle jonger was, maar iewers het hulle vreemdelinge vir mekaar geword. Gaan Gabby se verraad die niggies nog verder uitmekaar dryf of sal dit dalk daartoe lei dat hulle mekaar beter begin verstaan?