Whitcoulls Recommends: Meet The Newmans and The Winner

Meet The Newmans by Jennifer Niven. Del and Dinah Newman and their two sons have been the stars of a reality TV series about their family life for two decades, but in 1964 it feels as though the world is changing and America is falling out of love with them. Their on-screen lives portray a perfect family, but in reality their world is imploding and they all have secrets they’re hiding from one another. As the show limps towards its final episode, Dinah hires a young woman to help write the perfect ending, but it turns out they have diametrically opposed views as to what that should look like. This is a real slice of ‘60s life - nostalgic, still relevant, and very entertaining. The Winner by David Baldacci. This was first published back in 1979 and has been reissued and is as good as it ever was. LuAnn Tyler is a young, 20 year old mother, with a life which promises nothing when she’s contacted by someone who tells her that he can rig the national lottery and she can win $100m. There are strings attached of course, but the opportunity is too good to turn down and afterwards she leaves the US for a decade, enjoying her newfound wealth. Ten years on though, its time to come home but an enterprising journalist working on a story about the lottery tracks her down and the FBI are on her trail. Baldacci writes terrific thrillers and this is no exception. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.