Following graduation, Mel doesn’t really have any idea what to do next, and falls into a short term tutoring job in glamorous Courchevel, France. Her client, Kata, is a wealthy Russian who wishes to ensure her daughter Alex secures a place at a prestigious English boarding school. Once this is secured, Mel returns to help Alex at key points of GCSEs and A levels, in the fabulous locations of Monaco and The Maldives. As Mel gets to know Alex, Kata, her husband Ivan and their entourage, however, the veneer of happiness and security we assume wealth provides is seen to be spectacularly thin. Kata is utterly consumed by a keen desire to be accepted into high social circles, and assumes her ongoing exclusion relates to her husband’s modest roots, despite his political connections. Aided by the glamourous and well connected Brits Tatiana and Oliver, Kata’s attempt to break into the art world leads to devastating consequences. I really enjoyed this book, with it’s shrewd observations of just what drives us, regardless of our wealth. I found the characters extremely believable, each with their own demons to fight and being a citizen of two countries myself I could really identify with the sense of displacement Kata and Alex experience as they try to navigate life and society in both England and Russia. Huge thanks to the publishers for an advance copy.

Reading Queen K is like indulging in your favourite TV show about the 1%. It’s delightfully unputdownable, scandalous at just the right moments, and surprisingly empathetic. The storyline follows Mel work as a live-in private tutor for Alex, an oligarch’s daughter. We know from the first page that Kata, the mother of the family, will disappear - but we don’t know why or when. And though this creates overarching suspense in the background, so much more goes on that we forget, which allows us to care for all the characters and be intrigued by all that is to come. I loved how, because the plot is divided into 3 parts that recount the subsequent times that Mel rejoins the family staff as a tutor, we get to see how each character develops (or doesn’t) over time. And while the story is told mainly through Mel’s perspective, we get to hear her remember Alex’s stories, allowing us access into the private lives of other characters as well. In doing these, the author creates the perfect balance between judging the ultra rich and inevitably empathising with them - though at times both the narrator and we feel frustrated by the seemingly nonsensical problems that these characters are faced with, the more we know them the more we can’t help but care about just how real their struggles are. Alongside this emotional aspect to the story, and the nerve wracking need to know what potentially horrible thing might happen next, there’s also the thrill of just being along for the ride in the first place. It’s a fairly easy read that manages to pack a lot in, and it’s just… delicious. Anyone who’s ever enjoyed a show like Gossip Girl or Succession will know what I mean - and if you’re into that vibe, let me just tell you know that you’ll love this book. There’s a reason it’s featured in this month’s British Vogue. Just keep in mind some TWs include self harm and emotional abuse.

Gorgeous, simple sentences are paired with the bizarre luxuries of the ultra-rich in this intriguing, gentle thriller. Queen K is a compelling account of a young tutor's experience working for a Russian oligarch. During her time with the family, she becomes our eyes and ears to the slowly unfolding drama and its resulting tragedy. In addition to her well crafted prose, Thomas draws upon her personal experience as a tutor for the ultra rich in the creation of this daring debut.

A suspenseful, biting read that zips along at a pace, and keeps you fascinated by the threads that are unravelling. Mel is a tutor for the super-rich, namely Russian oligarch, Ivan and his aspirational wife Kata, for whom she helped coach their daughter Alex to a place at an English boarding school. Through Mel we see a world of luxury and privilege, but also one of a lonely child, craving attention, and also that of woman, desperate for acceptance into high society despite the reluctance of a controlling husband. The story begins after the conclusion to Kata’s story, we are told that something happened to her, so there is always a sense of suspense and mystery. Like Alex, Mel has a complicated relationship with her own mother, but despite the story being told from her point of view, she remains an enigmatic and never fully glimpsed character. There is always the feeling that her narrative, or any of the other narratives might not be quite reliable. The characters all seem to have secrets, and nobody is quite how they initially appear to be. Reading of the luxury and veiled power of a Russian oligarch during the war with Ukraine is a loaded experience. Ivan is ruthless, demanding obedience from his wife, and his ‘business’ away from Russia remains shadowy and somehow suspicious. I do enjoy a good thriller, and the characters within this one provide a great psychological pull. A great debut from Sarah Thomas, and one to relish.