John Stack – Captain Of Rome (HarperCollins, £7.99) ****

The Aquila, powered by galley slaves, is a flagship in the formidable Roman navy. Atticus is the young captain in a battle that is a dismal failure, the casualty list only lowered because he disobeyed his superior’s orders. His superior, Varro, who proves to be cowardly, is anxious that official blame for the disaster should not rest with him when summoned to Rome. Scipio, with the assistance of his scheming wife, aspires to high office in the Roman Senate. Atticus may be used to warfare, but he finds himself out of his depths in the dangers of Roman politics in this gripping historical novel.

Gemma Richards, 32, office worker, Bingley

Iain Gale – Alamein (Harper, £7.99) *****

The Allies, Germans and Italians lost tens of thousands in the battlefields around El Alamein. A waste of lives. Why? There’s no answer, no logic, no fairness in the world, only random death. It seemed to only make fame for the generals and heroes out of the men. Iain Gale tells the story through seven characters.

Ronnie Whitehead, 77, retired social worker, Crossflatts

Boris Akunin – She Lover Of Death (Phoenix, £7.99) *

The year is 1900 and Moscow is experiencing more suicides than usual and the deceased are all young poets. The only thing linking them is a secret society called the Lovers of Death. An investigation takes place and it appears that some of the suicides could be murder. After numerous twists and turns, the truth slowly comes to light in a rather surprising climax. It sounds pretty exciting but this book for me was utterly boring and I really had trouble reading it.

Betty Williams, 81, retired, Heaton, Bradford

Mike Lawson – Dead Man’s List (Harper, £7.99) ****

Joe De Marco became suspicious when investigating the “accidental” death of reporter Terry Finley. The reporter had been making enquiries into the murky background of Senator Paul Morelli. Charismatic Morelli was a dead cert to become the next President of America but Joe uncovered a dark secret as he delved into the world of political intrigue. The author uses all his skills to produce a scintillating thriller with a likable hero, believable characters plus a twist in its tail.

Patricia Roberts, Brighouse