The Secret Chord (Geraldine Brooks, Hachette)

When Geraldine Brooks’ young son Nathaniel wanted to play the harp, she wondered where his desire came from. The only harpist she knew was the shepherd David in the Bible, who became a harpist, warrior and King of Israel. Taking on the mantle of bard and using archaic sentence structure, Brooks tells this story anew through the voice of David’s councillor, the prophet Natan. It’s a tale of friendship, love, lust and treachery. David is both strong and craven, with many wives who are determined to see their sons become heir. Their confrontations with Natan are powerful and leave him shaken. This legendary story from 1010 BC is violent and rapine—women are chattels and suffer hard lives—so it may not suit everyone. The Secret Chord is a very satisfying read from a master storyteller, which will appeal in particular to fans of Brooks’ Year of Wonders.

Mark Johnson is a retired bookseller