In Merivel (Chatto & Windus), Rose Tremain managed to do something that many doubted was possible – come up with a worthy successor to her wonderful 1989 novel, Restoration. Here, her exuberant 17th-century physician hero is older, a little wiser and just as prone to disaster. The result is not just a very funny novel, but also a very moving one. Double Cross (Bloomsbury), Ben Macintyre’s account of how the Allies fooled the Germans about the location of the D-Day landings, is so gripping I found myself reading it in lifts. There is a lot of real-life farce here, but also a reminder that heroism can be found in the most unlikely places.