FROM gripping page-turners to cheerful romances, bookshops are awash with great reads for the summer.

Whether you like your holiday books funny and fluffy or thrilling and creepy, there are some fantastic titles up for grabs.

Here’s our guide to the best books for the beach as holiday season gets underway.

THE BOOKSHOP ON THE SHORE, by Jenny Colgan (Sphere)

Heartwarming holiday read from the author of numerous bestsellers. It’s the story of Zoe, a single mum battling to raise her son, who moves from a London flat to the Scottish Highlands to help run the local bookshop.

THE HIDING GAME, by Naomi Wood (Picador)

Definitely one for those who like a bit of suspense with their sun, sea and sand, this is a powerful story of love and friendship set against the backdrop of a precarious Europe between the wars. It’s a Secret History for the Roaring Twenties, full of intrigue and drama.

WHISPER NETWORK, by Chandler Baker (Sphere)

A thriller for the #MeToo era, this has been described as Big Little Lies meets Working Girl and it is a proper page-turner. It’s set in a legal office, where four women are contemplating the sudden death of the CEO, which means their boss is tipped to take over. Whispers about this man persist – and these women know some of them, at least, are true.

THE DOLL FACTORY, by Elizabeth Macneal (Picador)

Sharp, scary literary thriller (definitely one to read in bright sunshine) about Iris, an apprentice doll-maker in 1850s London, who dreams of becoming a painter and Silas, a curiosity collector with ambitions of founding a museum dedicated to his macabre obsessions. It’s an intoxicating tale of art, obsession and possession.

VERY NICE, by Marcy Demansky (Bloomsbury)

Very funny novel, all about money, sex, race and bad behaviour in the post-Obama era, featuring a wealthy Connecticut divorcée, her college-age daughter, and the famous American novelist who is seduced by them both. Lots of laughs, keenly-observed characters and some wicked takes on the way we live today.

THE CORSET, by Laura Purcell (Bloomsbury)

Who doesn’t love a bit of Gothic drama while sunbathing? This is a heart-pounding tale of murder and mystery. Is prisoner Ruth Butterham mad or a murderer? Victim or villain? Bound to send chills down your spine, even on the hottest of days...

THE ART OF DYING, by Ambrose Parry (Canongate)

The second gripping novel starring Will Raven and Sarah Fisher, set in the dark days of 19th-century Edinburgh, co-written by husband and wife Chris Brookmyre, bestselling author, and consultant anaesthetist Dr Marisa Haetzman. Full of twists and turns – a great read.

AND ONE FOR YOUNGER READERS…

JULIAN IS A MERMAID, by Jessica Love (Walker Books)

Julian is on his way home with his Nana when he spots some mermaids – and it’s enough to spark his imagination. At home, he puts on some make-up, styles his hair and fashions himself a mermaid tail – but what’s Nana going to think? Lovely, lovely picture book which has picked up a raft of literary prizes and shortlistings for its beautiful portrayal of gender acceptance and inclusivity.