A coming-of-age tale, wrapped up in a mystery, with a backdrop of state-of-the-nation and politics
When Phyl, a young literature graduate, moves back home with her parents, she soon finds herself frustrated by the narrow horizons of English country life. As for her plans of becoming a writer, those are going nowhere. But the chance discovery of a forgotten novelist from the 1980s stirs her into action, as does a visit from her uncle Chris — especially when he tells her that he’s working on a political story that might put his life in danger.
Chris has been following the careers of a group of students, all present at Cambridge University in the 1980s, now members of a think-tank which has been quietly pushing the British government towards extremism. And now, after years in the political wilderness, they might be in a position to put their ideas into action.
As Britain finds itself under the leadership of a new Prime Minister whose tenure will only last for seven weeks, Chris pursues his story to a mysterious conference taking place deep in the Cotswolds. When Phyl hears that one of the delegates has been murdered, she begins to wonder if real life is starting to merge with the novel she’s been trying to write. But does the explanation really lie in contemporary politics, or in a literary enigma that is almost forty years old?
Darting between decades and genres, THE PROOF OF MY INNOCENCE reimagines the coming-of-age story, the cosy crime caper and the state-of-the-nation novel with Coe’s trademark humour and warmth. From one of Britain’s finest living novelists, this is a witty, razor-sharp novel which explores how the key to understanding the present can often be found in the murkiest corners of the past.
The Proof of My Innocence is a very good read. An interesting blend of mystery, character focus and contemporary and past British politics, I was hooked from early on and read this in a couple of deep-into-the-night sittings. Continue reading
Travis Devine gets an unusual babysitting assignment, which (of course) ends up being far more dangerous than expected…
30 Players, 30 Stories, 30 Years
In January 2026, Atria Books are due to publish The Future Saints, the next book by Ashley Winstead — author of the acclaimed 
I’ve been a big fan of Kyle Mills‘s novels since I stumbled across his Mark Beamon series in, I think, 2002 (I’ve decided to re-read these over the summer, too). At the time, I lived in the UK and his books were strangely difficult to find in stores — I still preferred buying from stores, rather than online, and because I was splitting my time between Cambridge and Durham, I had so very many bookshops to choose from, all within a 10-30 minute walks. I think the events of 9/11 briefly increased British readers’ interest in US political thrillers and, as a result, Mills’s and some others’ books became a little more widely available (e.g., Vince Flynn, Brad Thor). The Beamon novels were gripping, so whenever I popped over the Atlantic to the US, I’d pick up any new novel(s) he’d written.
I’ve been a fan of Claire North‘s books ever since 
Next week (July 17th), 
Later this year, readers will get a new book from Don Winslow! The Final Score is a collection of six never-before-published, all-new short novels. Learning about this book was a very nice surprise, because I had been under the impression that Winslow had retired from writing, after the publication of his 
Some great news: there’s a new novel on the way from Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney! Some bad news: it’s not out until March 2026! I’ve been a fan of D’Aprix Sweeney’s work since her debut, the internationally-bestselling 
Civilian Reader 