John Bowen: The Girls [2026]

First comes motherhood. Then comes murder.

In their lovely Cotswolds village, Janet and Susan are known simply as 'the girls'. Partners in love and work, co-proprietors of a picturesque shop, they lead an enviably peaceful life.

But after one moment of surprising passion, the girls' lives take a deeply unsettling turn.

Part-dark comedy, part-crime thriller, part-cosy love story, The Girls will ensure you never look on Middle England quite so quaintly again.

'Startlingly offbeat' Gore Vidal

'Absolutely wicked' Armistead Maupin

'[For] those who feel Barbara Pym-ish on some days and Stephen King-ish on others . . . The Girls charms us as only certain tales 'of village life' can' Washington Post