If you love watching this, you'll love reading these: Gossip Girl edition

Gorgeous clothing, people and settings - Gossip Girl is a feast for the eyes. The first two seasons are virtually perfect, from the development of the characters (remember how heinous Chuck was in the first episode, and how you grew to love him?) to the beautiful cinematography - I can't think of a more visually stunning scene on television than when Chuck and Blair confront each other, wearing complementary clothing, in a garden in the Hamptons at the beginning of season two, the stunning backdrop a counterpoint to their pain.

And then there are the stories. From the ridiculous (anything involving Georgina) to the sublime (everyone meeting in the Hamptons), from love triangles (Chuck, Blair and Nate being the best) to epic fights (Blair vs Serena, Blair vs Jenny, Blair vs everyone), from stupid (but at least Serena's chasing her father brought Carter Baizen back into our lives) to lovely (all the friendships), Gossip Girl is a treasure trove of amazing stories. Some of that comes from Cecily vin Zeigesar's original books, but, and it's rare I say this, the television programme is so much better.

So if love you love Gossip Girl (and you've tried the books), here are a few novels that should remind you of the drama and fun Blair, Serena and co brought into our lives. xoxo.

Perfect summer reads 2014

Summer - the sun is shining and you're looking for something to read on the beach/on the plane/in the park/in the garden. Here are my top summer reads, some out already, and some coming out in the next couple of months. Most importantly, all are perfect for the hot weather.

1. The Storms of War by Kate Williams
Billed as Downton Abbey meets Atonement, this First World War-set novel is the sweeping first book in a series that, if justice is to be served, will go on to do big things.
Out July 2.

2. Landline by Rainbow Rowell
Rainbow Rowell's second adult novel, Landline, has a tinge of nostalgia perfect for a hazy summer day. Through its ups and downs it'll sweep you away like a warm breeze.
Out July 31.

3. The Secret Place by Tana French
Intrigue, murder, and the vagaries of teenage girls - Tana French brings those ingredients and more together in The Secret Place, the most perfect crime novel I've read for some time. 
Out on August 28.

4. Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little
If you like your news in short sharp snippets and you like you celebrity gossip with plenty of commentary, Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little is the perfect book. Its narrator is full of snark, and its premise will have you guessing to the surprising end, so get your sunglasses and paparazzi face on.
Out on August 14.

5. The Fair Fight by Anna Freeman
Forget everything you know, or don't, about boxing and delve into Anna Freeman's The Fair Fight, a swashbuckling novel about female fighters, feminism and standing up for yourself.
Out on August 28.

6. Her by Harriet Lane 
Chilling enough to help keep you cool through the hot summer months, Harriet Lane's Her is addictive and filled with tension that builds and builds to a horrifying climax.
Out now.

7. Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey
Surprisingly, for a book with an 82-year-old protagonist, Emma Healey's Elizabeth is Missing will have you on the edge of your seat from the beginning.
Out now.

8. The Pink Suit by Nicole Mary Kelby
For fans of fashion, icons and history, The Pink Suit by Nicole Mary Kelby is a brilliant, easy-to-read novel about one of the most famous outfits in memory.
Out now.

Review: The Secret Place by Tana French

Imagine Curtis Sittenfeld's Prep mixed with a pinch of Sherlock, a dash of Midsomer Murders and a subtle hint of The Craft, and you have something approaching Tana French's utterly compelling and slightly chilling The Secret Place.

A year after teenager Chris Harper is found murdered close to a private girls' school in Dublin, student Holly Mackey goes to see Detective Stephen Moran and hands him a picture she has found of Chris, tacked on a school noticeboard called the Secret Place. Under the picture of Chris are glued, like a ransom note, the words "I know who killed him". And so begins the most intense day of Stephen's life, as he and a fellow detective head to Holly's school to try to find a murderer.

The Secret Place is split into two, with chapters alternating between the present day and the past, the latter starting roughly nine months before Chris was murdered and taking us to just after his killing. While we know Chris will die - French makes sure to tell us the exact number of months, weeks and days to his death in each chapter set in the past - what we don't know is how and who is involved, so there's a sense of doom that pervades the past narrative. And in the present, we know that Stephen is drawing ever closer to finding a murderer, so the tension is clear in every chapter.

French's characters are well-formed, and fascinating. Stephen is a clever, determined guy, who knows that helping to solve this murder could get him out of the cold cases squad and into the department he really wants to be in. That's slightly calculating, but his ambition makes him more likeable (for me at least), and his ability to mould his personality and mannerisms to suit the person he is talking to is interesting to watch. He's a people person, and his intuition and ability to read others makes him key to solving this case.

Unfortunately for Stephen, he's stuck working with Antoinette Conway, the lead detective in the Chris Harper case. She's a tough, no-nonsense detective (sort of like Keeley Hawes' Lindsay Denton in Line of Duty) who doesn't fit in with the rest of the murder squad, and who doesn't care that everyone hates her. She's professional, super clever, and frustrated that she hasn't yet found Chris's killer. Watching her develop and form a partnership with Stephen over the course of the novel is great - you just know this is a pairing that could go far if they just stopped underestimating each other.

But the most compelling characters are the teenage girls at the centre of the novel - Holly and her three friends Julia, Becca and Selena, and their rival gang Joanne, Gemma, Orla and Alison. The interactions between these girls - friends, enemies, frenemies - is a bit like reading an account someone has written of watching different species of monkeys living together in the same enclosure. French captures being a teenage girl perfectly - the bitchiness, the insecurity, the rivalries, the distinct yet same personalities. But most of all, French shows an exaggerated version of how teenage girls can feel invincible if they just have a group of friends surrounding them.

The Secret Place is a murder mystery, a psychological thriller and an examination of growing up all in one. It's pacy (even though it's more than 500 pages long), and it's a real page-turner. This is definitely the book that will break French out, and have everyone talking.

•The Secret Place is released in the UK on August 28.

How I got this book: From the publisher, Hodder & Stoughton. This did not affect my review.