Adventure / action fiction

Book SynopsisSet amongst the snow-covered mountains of the Austrian Alps, Midnight in the Snow is the story of a forbidden attraction that will reveal long-buried secrets, from Sunday Times bestselling author of Christmas at Tiffany's, Karen Swan.Award-winning director Clover Phillips is riding high when she encounters Kit Foley; a surfer and snowboarder as well-known for controversy as he is for winning championships.Involved in an accident that had devastating consequences for a bitter rival, Kit has never spoken about what really happened that day. Determined to find out the truth, Clover heads to the snowy wilderness of the Austrian Alps, sharing a romantic winter wonderland with a man who can’t stand her.But as she delves deeper, Clover finds herself both drawn to Kit, and even more convinced he’s hiding something. Is Kit Foley really as cold as he seems?***What readers are saying about Midnight in the Snow:‘Heartwarming, romantic, uplifting. Great writing that wraps you like a blanket’‘Real and wonderfully, subtly painted so that, yet again, her novel makes you stay up until silly o’clock’‘An amazing gift for taking you to fabulous locations & gradually unwrapping secrets about her characters’‘Glamorous, thrilling and unashamedly romantic’Trade ReviewA charming, well-crafted tale of love, loss and reinvention -- Marie Claire on The Hidden BeachDeliciously glamorous, irresistibly romantic -- Hello! on The Hidden BeachA stunning journey -- Sunday Express on The Hidden Beach

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Book SynopsisA mysterious set of swords have fallen from the sky, and a group of unlikely heroes from far and near must band together to save their world in The Swords of Glass, a Studio Ghibli-influenced story for adults.In a world threatened by the imminent death of its sun, young Yama lives a relatively happy and peaceful life as the daughter of the chief of the village. But everything changes the day a sword of glass falls from the sky, just as the prophecy had announced. Anyone who touches the sword is instantly turned to glass and dies. Orland, the local lord of war, comes to take possession of the unique weapon but fails to retrieve it. In the process, Yama’s father is killed and her mother taken away. Yama, however, escapes and survives with only one thought: when she grows up, she will return to get the sword of glass and avenge her parents. The Swords of Glass Volume 1 contains Books 1 and 2 of the acclaimed saga from visionary, award-winning creators S

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Book SynopsisThere’s never a dull day at the office when you’re a magical girl!Are you looking for something new? Something challenging? Something very highly paid? Exterminating monsters is an exciting, fast-paced field that will get you out from behind a desk and into the action. With over 500 magical girl companies now in operation, you’re sure to find a position—and a uniform—that fits. Start your career as a magical girl today!Kana Sakuragi is an excellent candidate for the job. Any job! She’s motivated and organized, and has a fantastic memory. So why has she interviewed at over 15 companies without receiving a single offer? She’s trying to keep a positive attitude, but it seems like her bad luck is only getting worse when a monster crashes her latest interview. As havoc ensues, she finds herself helping the magical girl who comes to their rescue and ends up with more than just her life in return. Meet the newest magic

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Book SynopsisBased on the troubadour culture that rose in Provence during the High Middle Ages, this panoramic, absorbing novel beautifully creates an alternate version of the medieval world.The matriarchal, cultured land of Arbonne is rent by a feud between its two most powerful dukes, the noble troubador Bertran de Talair and Urte de Miraval, over long-dead Aelis, lover of one, wife of the other and once heir to the country''s throne.To the north lies militaristic Gorhaut, whose inhabitants worship the militant god Corannos and are ruled by corrupt, womanizing King Ademar. His chief advisor, the high priest of Corannos, is determined to irradicate the worship of a female deity, whose followers live to the south.Into this cauldron of brewing disaster comes the mysterious Gorhaut mercenary Blaise, who takes service with Bertran and averts an attempt on his life. The revelation of Blaise''s lineage and a claim for sanctuary by his sister-in-law sets the stage for a brutal clash between the two cultuTrade ReviewPraise for A SONG FOR ARBONNE: ‘For anyone who appreciates that rarest of literary treasures: the ideal novel’ Charles de Lint ‘This panoramic, absorbing novel beautifully creates an alternate version of the medieval world of love and music, magic and death’ Publishers Weekly ‘A richly ornamented and tightly woven tapestry… War, love, assassination, deception, kindness, heroism, loyalty, friendship, and magic mix…in startling, unexpected, and satisfying ways’ Locus ‘An exhilarating epic…a powerful tale of great events in a richly drawn magical kingdom’ Kirkus Reviews 'Flair, glamour and unstudied romance' Sunday Express Praise for Guy Gavriel Kay: ‘A fine, intelligent series. Probably the best of its kind’ British Fantasy Society

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Book SynopsisThe third novel in the epic Seeds of Destiny series.After being pulled from the fighting pits where the Emperor's spymaster Loku sent him to die, Brann emerged a different man. He might have survived, but he became a killer in doing so.Now more determined than ever to stop the spymaster, Brann and his companions travel to the lands of the North where Loku's depraved cult is spreading. But the truths they uncover there will force them to reconsider everything they thought themselves to be fighting against.Brann and his friends face enemies more powerful than they could have ever imagined. But it is only in great danger that true heroes can rise.Trade ReviewPraise for Hero Born:‘Livingstone has crafted a compelling debut. I’ll be looking out for more from this author in future. Andy Livingstone has my attention with his first novel. I look forward to discovering where he, and Brann, go next. Hero Born sets things up nicely, contains a host of colourful characters and promises an ongoing series that will deliver an absorbing tale’ The Eloquent Page

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Book SynopsisI'm stranded on Mars. I have no way to communicate with Earth. I'm in a Habitat designed to last 31 days. If the Oxygenator breaks down, I'll suffocate. If the Water Reclaimer breaks down, I'll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches, I'll just kind of explode. If none of those things happen, I'll eventually run out of food and starve to death.Trade ReviewAndy Weir's masterpiece! -- Tom Hanks * Twitter *Watney's gallows humour and his brushes with death as he uses every ounce of his intelligence and astronaut's training to claw his way out of the pit will have you laughing and gasping by turns. I read this book in a weekend. I didn't think I'd have the time to - but Andy Weir's edge-of-the-seat storytelling didn't leave me any choice. -- Richard Madeley, Richard and Judy Book ClubAndy Weir's terrific 'lost in space' novel is an absolute page turner from first to last ... Tautly-written, full of extraordinary and fascinating detail about life in a frozen red desert so far from home, The Martian is one of the best thrillers either of us has read in years. Highly recommended. -- Judy Finnigan, Richard and Judy Book ClubThe best book I've read in ages. Clear your schedule before you crack the seal. This story will take your breath away faster than a hull breech. Smart, funny, and white-knuckle intense, The Martian is everything you want from a novel. -- Hugh Howey * New York Times bestselling author of Wool *Accomplished…believable but suspenseful as [Watney] battles against the odds for survival * The Guardian *like Gravity meets Robinson Crusoe – utterly nail-biting and memorable. -- James Lovegrove * FT *A book I just couldn’t put down! It has the very rare combination of a good, original story, interestingly real characters and fascinating technical accuracy…reads like MacGyver meets Mysterious Island. -- Astronaut Chris Hadfield * Commander of the International Space Station and author of An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth *The amount of research here is astounding. We’re suckers for well-grounded fiction, and on the technical side, The Martian is exemplary ... witty ... funny * SFX *The Martian kicked my ass! Weir has crafted a relentlessly entertaining and inventive survival thriller, a MacGyver-trapped-on-Mars tale that feels just as real and harrowing as the true story of Apollo 13. -- Ernest Cline * New York Times bestselling author of Ready Player One *Weir’s debut is easily the best SF novel of the year so far * Financial Times *An impressively geeky debut novel ... the technical details keep the story relentlessly precise and the suspense ramped up * Entertainment Weekly *Strong, resilient, and gutsy. It's Robinson Crusoe on Mars, 21st century style. Set aside a chunk of free time when you start this one. You're going to need it because you won't want to put it down. -- Steve BerryThink Apollo 13 ... on Mars! ... A saga of courage, ingenuity and humour - and utterly convincing thanks to superb research. The best space disaster story since Clarke's A Fall of Moondust. -- Stephen Baxterjaw-clenchingly gripping ... a modern-day Apollo13 * Stuff Magazine *Brilliant…a celebration of human ingenuity [and] the purest example of real-science sci-fi for many years…Utterly compelling. * Wall Street Journal *Don’t be put off thinking this is a sci-fi book – it’s so much more than that. Utterly brilliant. * Bella *One of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time, an incredible story about an astronaut marooned on Mars. This is no science fiction tale: the technology is beautifully researched and based on what is currently envisioned for a manned flight to Mars. It feels so real it could almost be nonfiction, and yet it has the narrative drive and power of a rocket launch. This is Apollo 13 times ten. I could not put this book down. -- Douglas Preston * #1 New York Times bestselling author of Impact and Blasphemy *Gripping…shapes up like Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe as written by someone brighter. -- Larry Niven, multiple Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author of the Ringworld series and Lucifer’s HammerThe tension simply never lets up, from the first page to the last, and at no point does the believability falter for even a second. You can't shake the feeling that this could all really happen. -- Patrick Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Breach and Ghost CountryWeir has fashioned in Mark Watney one of the most appealing, funny and resourceful characters in recent fiction ... gripping * Huffington Post *one of the best survival stories you’ll ever read (think Robinson Crusoe on Mars only more extreme). -- Martin Sorenson * Publishers Weekly *Sharp, funny and thrilling, with just the right amount of geekery. * Kirkus *Apollo 13-meets-Robinson-Crusoe-on-Mars, and I guess for those who enjoyed the films Gravity or Moon, this one will be a literary equivalent ... I was, in the end, totally won over by this book in its celebration of how humans can deal with anything the harshness of science and extreme environments can pose, and it kept me reading longer than I meant to * SFFworld.com *one of the most thrilling and absorbing novels I have ever read * Sfcrowsnest *Riveting...a tightly constructed and completely believable story of a man's ingenuity and strength in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. * Booklist *Weir combines the heart-stopping with the humorous in this brilliant debut novel... the perfect mix of action and space adventure. * Library Journal (starred) *An exciting, insightful science- based tale [that] kept me turning the pages to see what ingenious solution our hero would concoct to survive yet anotherimpossible dilemma * Terry Brooks *

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Book SynopsisMark Haddon is a writer and artist. His bestselling novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, was published simultaneously by Jonathan Cape and David Fickling in 2003. It won seventeen literary prizes, including the Whitbread Award. In 2012, a stage adaptation by Simon Stephens was produced by the National Theatre and went on to win 7 Olivier Awards in 2013 and the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play. In 2005 his poetry collection, The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea, was published by Picador, and his play, Polar Bears, was produced by the Donmar Warehouse in 2010. The Pier Falls, a collection of short stories, was also published by Cape in 2016. To commemorate the centenary of the Hogarth Press he wrote and illustrated a short story that appeared alongside Virginia Woolf's first story for the press in Two Stories (Hogarth, 2017). His most recent novel, The Porpoise, was published by Chatto & Windus in 20Trade ReviewWondrous...brilliantly inventive...dazzling. Not simply the most original novel I've read in years - it's also one of the best * The Times *Exceptional by any standards. Both funny and deeply moving * Sunday Telegraph *Outstanding. Heartening as well as richly entertaining. A stunningly good read * Independent *Superbly realised. A funny as well as a sad book. Brilliant * Guardian *A remarkable book. An impressive achievement and a rewarding read * Time Out *A magical book. It's one of those books that makes you feel as though you have been on an emotional rollercoaster. * Carrie Grant, Sunday Express *Brilliantly empathetic. Believe the hype: a brilliant, heart-warming book * Scotsman *In telling a painful story in the voice of a 15-year-old boy with Asperger's, Haddon broadens ordinary minds and helps to understand how they work, too. * Daily Telegraph *Mark Haddon's portrayal of an emotionally dissociated mind is a superb achievement. He is a wise and bleakly funny writer with rare gifts of empathy -- Ian McEwanI have never read anything quite like Mark Haddon's funny and agonizingly honest book, or encountered a narrator more vivid and memorable. I advise you to buy two copies; you won't want to lend yours out * Arthur Golden, author of 'Memoirs of a Geisha' *

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Book SynopsisSir Arthur Conan Doyle was born on 22 May 1859 in Edinburgh. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and began to write stories while he was a student.Over his life he produced more than thirty books, 150 short stories, poems, plays and essays across a wide range of genres.His most famous creation is the detective Sherlock Holmes, who he introduced in his first novel A Study in Scarlet (1887). This was followed in 1889 by an historical novel, Micah Clarke. In 1893 Conan Doyle published 'The Final Problem' in which he killed off his famous detective so that he could turn his attention more towards historical fiction. However Holmes was so popular that Conan Doyle eventually relented and published The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1901. The events of the The Hound of the Baskervilles are set before those of 'The Final Problem' but in 1903 new Sherlock Holmes stories began to appear that revealed that the detective had not died after all. He was finalTrade ReviewA rollicking adventure story * Glasgow Herald *Hugely influential... A classic adventure yarn about a dinosaur-infested South American plateau...The irascible Professor Challenger - Doyle's own favourite among all his characters - blusters his way through with his Assyrian beard and booming voice * Scotsman *A science fiction masterpiece * Washington Post *Conan Doyle gives Jules Verne a run for his money * Daily Telegraph *A brilliantly entertaining story of old-fashioned derring-do * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisNick Harkaway is the author of The Gone-Away World and Angelmaker, and of an even better and more exciting novel whose name will probably end up being Tigerman, or possibly Man, Island, Boy. Contrary to what you may have heard, the title really is the hard part. When he's not writing, he spends his time being the husband of a brilliant lawyer and the dad of two small children who are secretly bent on world domination. He likes Italian red wine and lives in a bit of London where the taxis still have a horse at the pointy end.Trade ReviewAngelmaker is another cracking book from Nick Harkaway. It’s a mix of sci-fi, steampunk, adventure and romance and the mix of genres work really well together … Harkaway’s Angelmaker is a brilliant piece of escapism. It’s a wonderful example of how an irreverent approach to much loved genres can lead to a truly great story. * Nudge *Splendid cornucopia of a novel * The Big Issue (Wales) *Nick Harkaway's joyfully reckless invention is as intricate as clockwork ... Edie has a tangled history, the uncovering of which is one of the chief pleasures of Nick Harkaway's novel ... is one of the most enjoyable books I've read in ages ... brilliantly entertaining, and the last hundred pages are pure, unhinged delight. What a splendid ride. -- Patrick Ness * Guardian *What kind of a mind dreams up Angelmaker … It could only be Nick Harkaway: bonkers, brilliant and hilarious … clever and entirely fantastic. * Sunday Times *An entertaining tour-de-force that demands to be adored. * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisFourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it''s like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the ''Flock'' - Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel - are just like ordinary kids - only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time - like when Angel, the youngest member of the ''Flock'', is kidnapped and taken back to the ''School'' where she and the others were genetically engineered by sinister scientists. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, California, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare - this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf ''Erasers'' in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb - now her betray

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Book SynopsisDespite their initial hesitation, living with Anne has softened the flock, so Max is keenly aware that it''s time to leave. With Thanksgiving so near, though, all of them want to stay, at least until they''ve had their first ever Thanksgiving turkey! But danger is on the horizon as Jeb''s plan advances, and while the flock''s new school seems normal and safe, secrets are hidden beneath its prestigious facade...

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Book SynopsisJAMES PATTERSON is one of the best-known and biggest-selling writers of all time. Among his creations are some of the world's most popular series including Alex Cross, the Women's Murder Club, Michael Bennett and the Private novels. He has written many other number one bestsellers including collaborations with President Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, stand-alone thrillers and non-fiction. James has donated millions in grants to independent bookshops and has been the most borrowed adult author in UK libraries for the past fourteen years in a row. He lives in Florida with his family.

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Book SynopsisThe sleepy town of Heartsdale, Georgia, is jolted into panic when Sara Linton, paediatrician and medical examiner, finds Sibyl Adams dead in the local diner. As well as being viciously raped, Sibyl has been cut: two deep knife wounds form a lethal cross over her stomach.Trade ReviewDon't read this alone. Don't read this after dark. But do read it * Daily Mirror *This gripping debut novel, filled with unremittingly graphic forensic details, is likely to have Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs glancing nervously in their rearview mirrors because rookie Karin Slaughter is off the starting grid as quickly as Michael Schumacher and is closing on them fast * Irish Independent *Chilling but thrilling * OK! *Slaughter ... brings the story to a shattering climax * Sunday Telegraph *Wildly readable... [Slaughter] has been compared to Thomas Harris and Patricia Cornwell, and for once the hype is justified ... deftly craf ted, damnably suspenseful and, in the end, deadly serious ... Slaughter 's plotting is brilliant, her suspense relentless * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisFormer RAF pilot and investigative journalist Frederick Forsyth defined the modern thriller when he wrote The Day of the Jackal, described by Lee Child as the book that broke the mould', with its lightning-paced storytelling, effortlessly cool reality and unique insider information. Since then, he has written thirteen novels which have been bestsellers around the world: The Odessa File, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fourth Protocol, The Negotiator, The Deceiver, The Fist of God, Icon, Avenger, The Afghan, The Cobra, The Kill List and The Fox. He has also published an autobiography, The Outsider. He lives in Buckinghamshire, England.Trade ReviewBrilliant entertainment and a disquieting book * Guardian *Meticulously researched, highly suspenseful * Chicago Tribune *

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Book SynopsisRalph Hammond Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, on 15 July 1913 and educated at Cranbrook School, Kent. He left school aged eighteen, and worked successively in publishing, teaching and journalism. In 1936, in need of money in order to marry, he wrote a supernatural thriller, The Doppleganger, which was published in 1937 as part of a two-year, four book deal. In 1939 Innes moved to a different publisher, and began to write compulsively, continuing to publish throughout his service in the Royal Artillery during the Second World War. Innes travelled widely to research his novels and always wrote from personal experience - his 1940s novels The Blue Ice and The White South were informed by time spent working on a whaling ship in the Antarctic, while The Lonely Skier came out of a post-war skiing course in the Dolomites. He was a keen and accomplished sailor, which passion inspired his 1956 bestseller The Wreck of the Mary Deare. The equally succesTrade ReviewFrom the first page we are gripped by that sense of tension, mystery and urgency that Hammond Innes so well commands...Gains excitement with every chapter...the climax could not be more tense -- Elizabeth BowenFirst rate * Daily Telegraph *A superbly constructed and atmospheric thriller * Independent *Hammond Innes was a compulsive storyteller... he had an inborn ability to relate a fast-moving narrative with a knack that drove the story on and kept the reader in rapt attention * Scotsman *They say people can’t write stories anymore. Tell that to Hammond Innes * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisAllan Quatermain is a Victorian Indiana Jones - he triumphs over deserts, snowy mountains, tribal warfare and witches, and unearths the mythical treasure of King Solomon''s mines. This faithful but unpretending record of a remarkable adventure is hereby respectfully dedicated by the narrator to all the big boys and little boys who read it. I offer apologies for my blunt way of writing. I can but say in excuse of it that I am more accustomed to handling a rifle than a pen. This is the strange history of our journey into the heart of Kukuanaland; a trek into the interior of the dark continent to find a lost friend and discover the diamond mines of King Solomon.In the course of a long life of close shaves, I never had such shaves as those which I have recently experienced. - Allan Quatermain, of Durban, Natal, Gentleman One of the great page-turners in English literature' GuardianTrade ReviewOne of the great page-turners in English literature -- John Sutherland * Guardian *I can distinctly remember handling the book as if it might somehow give me, a boy in Africa, magical access to the African adventures it contained. It still does now. I need only pick up this book and, like the door to Solomon's treasure chamber, a mass of stone rises from the floor and vanishes into the rock above -- Giles Foden * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisErskine Childers lived a life as adventurous as his novel. Born in London in 1870 but orphaned when he was six, he was brought up by an uncle and aunt in the large Irish country-house. He was known to be incredibly patriotic and became an equally fervent supporter of Irish independence. He ended his life in front of an Irish firing-squad as an IRA rebel in 1922.Trade ReviewUnputdownable… a classic British adventure story, influencing both John Buchan and Ken Follett * Observer *The Riddle of the Sands remains a fine read, enjoyed by people for whom sailing is a mystery and who, just like one of the books' heroes,cannot tell a mainsheet from a marlinspike * Guardian *A ripping yarn, it’s just so exciting * Ben Macintyre *

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Book SynopsisIt's just another day of high school for Zack Lightman. He's daydreaming through another boring math class, with just one more month to go until graduation and freedom-if he can make it that long without getting suspended again. Then he glances out his classroom window and spots the flying saucer. At first, Zack thinks he's going crazy.Trade ReviewA paean to the videogames of a bygone era – a tremendous amount of fun for anyone who remembers that time and played those games. * George R. R. Martin *

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Book SynopsisJohn Buchan (1875-1940) was born in Perth, Scotland and educated at Oxford where he published five books and won several awards, including one for poetry. He went on to be a barrister, a member of parliament, a soldier, a publisher, a historical biographer, and - in 1935 - he became the Govenor-General of Canada. Today he is best remembered as the author of his perennially popular adventure novels.

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Book SynopsisDrawing on his fascination with African lore and his love of adventure to create a seminal work of fantasy, H. Rider Haggard''s She is edited with an introduction by Patrick Brantlinger in Penguin Classics.On his twenty-fifth birthday, Leo Vincey opens the silver casket that his father has left to him. It contains a letter recounting the legend of a white sorceress who rules an African tribe and of his father''s quest to find this remote race. To find out for himself if the story is true, Leo and his companions set sail for Zanzibar. There, he is brought face to face with Ayesha, She-who-must-be-obeyed: dictator, femme fatale, tyrant and beauty. She has been waiting for centuries for the true descendant of Kallikrates, her murdered lover, to arrive, and arrive he does - in an unexpected form. Blending breathtaking adventure with a brooding sense of mystery and menace, She is a story of romance, exploration discovery and heroism that has lost none of its Trade Review“A strange book . . . full of hidden meaning.” —Sigmund Freud

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Book Synopsis''The prince of philosophical novels'' John UpdikeIn Candide, Voltaire threw down an audacious challenge to the philosophical views of the Enlightenment to create one of the most glorious satires of the eighteenth century. His eponymous hero is an innocent young man whose tutor, Pangloss, has instilled in him the belief that ''all is for the best''. But when his love for the Baron''s rosy-cheeked daughter is discovered, Candide is cast out to make his own fortune. As he and his various companions roam over the world, an outrageous series of disasters - earthquakes, syphilis, the Inquisition - sorely test the young hero''s optimism, holding a mirror up to all fanatics, zealots and moral reformers of humankind. Translated and Edited by Theo Cuffe with an Introduction by Michael WoodTrade ReviewWinner of the 2012 Fifty Books/Fifty Covers show, organized by Design Observer in association with AIGA and Designers & BooksWinner of the 2014 Type Directors Club Communication Design AwardPraise for Penguin Drop Caps:"[Penguin Drop Caps] convey a sense of nostalgia for the tactility and aesthetic power of a physical book and for a centuries-old tradition of beautiful lettering."—Fast Company“Vibrant, minimalist new typographic covers…. Bonus points for the heartening gender balance of the initial selections.”—Maria Popova, Brain Pickings"The Penguin Drop Caps series is a great example of the power of design. Why buy these particular classics when there are less expensive, even free editions of Great Expectations? Because they’re beautiful objects. Paul Buckley and Jessica Hische’s fresh approach to the literary classics reduces the design down to typography and color. Each cover is foil-stamped with a cleverly illustrated letterform that reveals an element of the story. Jane Austen’s A (Pride and Prejudice) is formed by opulent peacock feathers and Charlotte Bronte’s B (Jane Eyre) is surrounded by flames. The complete set forms a rainbow spectrum prettier than anything else on your bookshelf."—Rex Bonomelli, The New York Times"Drool-inducing."—Flavorwire"Classic reads in stunning covers—your book club will be dying."—Redbook

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Book SynopsisArt restorer and spy Gabriel Allon is sent to Vienna to discover the truth behind a bombing which killed an old friend - a Nazi hunter. While there he encounters something that turns his whole life upside down. Each fact he uncovers only leads to more questions until finally a picture emerges which is more terrible than he could have ever imagined - a portrait of evil stretching across 60 years and thousands of lives into his own personal nightmares.

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Book SynopsisGabriel Allon, art restorer and spy, is about to face the greatest challenge of his life. An al-Qaeda suspect is killed in London, and photographs are found on his computer photographs that lead Israeli intelligence to suspect that al-Qaeda is planning one of its most audacious attacks ever, straight at the heart of the Vatican. Allon warns the Pope's private secretary, his old friend Monsignor Luigi Donati, and rushes to Rome to assist in the security. But what neither he nor Donati knows is that the Vatican has been thoroughly penetrated. An extraordinary enemy walks among them and he's just getting started. In the days and weeks to come, Allon and his colleagues will find themselves in a deadly duel of wits against one of the most dangerous men in the world a hunt that will take them across Europe to the Caribbean and back again. But for them, there may simply not be enough of anything: enough time, enough facts, enough luck. All Allon c

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Book SynopsisIn Amsterdam, an Israeli terrorist analyst is murdered. The police believe the killer is a deranged Muslim extremist, but Israeli intelligence knows better. Art-restorer, assassin and spy Gabriel Allon is dispatched to investigate, uncovering a major terrorist operation in London.Gabriel arrives too late to prevent the kidnapping of the daughter of the US ambassador. With time running out, Allon has no choice but to plunge into a desperate search, both for the woman and for those responsible, but the truth, when he finds it, is more terrible than he could expect. It will endanger his life and shake him to the core.Trade ReviewIt is an exciting and entertaining novel with a terrifying message * Literary Review *Nerve-searing and painfully brilliant. * Patricia Cornwell *In true Bauer fashion, shootouts, kidnappings and international terror plots follow him wherever he goes. * USA Today *It reads like a prediction of continuing terrorism in Europe. * The Wall Street Journal *The summer's best thriller and perhaps most important novel. * Military.com *Nerve-searing and painfully brilliant. * Patricia Cornwell *

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Book SynopsisFROM THE BOOKER PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR OF GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER LONGLISTED FOR THE ORANGE PRIZE FOR FICTION 2009 WINNER OF THE ORANGE YOUTH PANEL AWARD 2009 FINALIST FOR THE HURSTON WRIGHT LEGACY AWARD 2010 ''A phenomenal book. It is so ingenious and so novel. Think The Handmaid''s Tale meets Noughts and Crosses with a bit of Jonathan Swift and Lewis Carroll thrown in. This should be thought of as a feminist classic.'' Women''s Prize for Fiction Podcast Welcome to a world turned upside down. One minute, Doris, from England, is playing hide-and-seek with her sisters in the fields behind their cottage. The next, someone puts a bag over her head and she ends up in the hold of a slave-ship sailing to the New World . . . In this fantastically imaginative inversion of the transatlantic slave trade - in which ''whytes'' are enslaved by black people - Bernardine Evaristo has created a thought-provoking satire that is as accessible and readable as it is intelligent and insightful. Blonde Roots brings the shackles and cries of long-ago barbarity uncomfortably close and raises timely questions about the society of today.''A bold and brilliant game of counterfactual history. Evaristo keep[s] her wit and anger at a spicy simmer throughout'' Daily Telegraph ''So human and real. Re-imagines past and present with refreshing humour and intelligence'' Guardian ''A brilliant satire whose flashes of comedy make the underlying tragedy all the more poignant'' Scotland on SundayTrade ReviewA hugely imaginative tale that invites important debates, challenging fundamental perceptions of race, culture and history * Independent on Sunday *This brilliant novel will fulfil [Evaristo's] purpose of making readers view the transatlantic slave trade with fresh eyes * The Times *A phenomenal book. It is so ingenious and so novel. Think The Handmaid's Tale meets Noughts and Crosses with a bit of Jonathan Swift and Lewis Carroll thrown in. This should be thought of as a feminist classic. * Women's Prize for Fiction Podcast *Reimagines past and present with refreshing humour and intelligence . . . human and real * Guardian *[Blonde Roots] is a powerful gesture of fearless thematic ownership by one of the UK's most unusual and challenging writers * Independent *As with a Swiftean satire, Evaristo's novel is powerful not for its fantastical elements but for its ability to bring home the horror of historical events * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisOne night in the reform club, Phileas Fogg bets his companions that he can travel across the globe in just eighty days. Breaking the well-established routine of his daily life, he immediately sets off for Dover with his astonished valet Passepartout. Passing through exotic lands and dangerous locations, they seize whatever transportation is at hand - whether train or elephant - overcoming set-backs and always racing against the clock.

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Book Synopsis"Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Thief".

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Book SynopsisPublished in English for the first time, and the only Arabic epic named for a woman, The Tale of Princess Fatima recounts the thrilling adventures of a legendary medieval warrior universally known throughout the Middle East and long overdue to join world literature's pantheon of female heroes.A Penguin ClassicA fearsome, sword-slinging heroine who defeated countless men in stealth attacks on horseback, Dhat al-Himma, or Princess Fatima, was secretly given away at birth because she wasn't male, only to triumph as the most formidable warrior of her time. Known alternately as she-wolf, woman of high resolve, and calamity of the soul, she lives on in this rousing narrative of female empowerment, in which she leads armies of more than seventy thousand men in clashes between rival tribes and between Muslims and Christians; reconciles with her father after taking him prisoner; and fends off her infatuated cousin, who challenges her to a battle for the right to maTrade ReviewA gift and a wonder, deftly capturing the nuance and flavour of these tales for a new generation. As someone who's waited untold years to read these stories: thank you, thank you, thank you -- Jason Porath, author of Rejected PrincessesThis powerful epic with its all-conquering heroine brings the world of Arab chivalry to blazing life, in a wonderful translation with a very informative introduction. -- Humphrey Davies, award-winning translator of Naguib Mahfouz, Elias Khoury, and Alaa Al-AswanyAn emotive, dynamic rendering that exquisitely captures the spirit of the original text, the variety of its characters, and the versatility of its messages. The Tale of Princess Fatima has much to tell us about what it has meant -- in different times and places -- to be a hero -- Rachel Schine, University of Colorado BoulderThis engaging and reader-friendly translation brings to life a very important moment in world history, capturing through epic proportions the timeless social issues of race, gender, and class -- Heidi Morrison, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

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Book SynopsisDickson McCunn, a respectable, newly retired grocer of romantic heart, plans a modest walking holiday in the hills of south-west Scotland. He meets a young English poet and, contrary to his better sense, finds himself in the thick of a plot involving the kidnapping of a Russian princess, who is held prisoner in the rambling mansion, Huntingtower. This modern fairy-tale is also a gripping adventure story.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in the pages of a pulp-fiction magazine, Tarzan of the Apes has gone on to become one of America's most enduring cultural icons. The story of an orphaned child growing up among the apes is here set within its historical and literary contexts, and appendices include readers' letters and selections from related narratives.Trade ReviewThere's something about the way Burroughs tells stories that makes them great fun despite all the many ways he transgresses modern sensibilities. * Leah Galbraith, FictionFan *

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Book Synopsis''there were only seven out of the twenty-six on whom we knew we could rely; and out of those seven one was a boy ...''When a mysterious seafarer puts up at the Admiral Benbow, young Jim Hawkins is haunted by his frightening tales; the sailor''s sudden death is the beginning of one of the most exciting adventure stories in literature. The discovery of a treasure map sets Jim and his companions in search of buried gold, and they are soon on board the Hispaniola with a crew of buccaneers recruited by the one-legged sea cook known as Long John Silver. As they near their destination, and the lure of Captain Flint''s treasure grows ever stronger, Jim''s courage and wits are tested to the full.Stevenson reinvented the genre with Treasure Island, a boys'' story that appeals as much to adults as to children, and whose moral ambiguities turned the Victorian universe on its head. This edition celebrates the ultimate book of pirates and high adventure, and also examines how its tale of greed, mur

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Book SynopsisBucharest, 1938: while Hitler gains power in Germany, the Romanian police start arresting students they suspect of belonging to the Iron Guard. Meanwhile, a man who has spent his life studying languages, poetry, and history - a man who thought his life was over - lies in a hospital bed, inexplicably alive and miraculously healthy.Trade Review"Comparisons with Borges, Cortazar, Calvino, and others...are beside the point. Eliade was always out on a limb of his own." - New York Times "I was excited to discover in this tale by Eliade the key themes that I most hope to understand better: time, consciousness, and the dream-like basis of reality. For me it is indeed a return to the ambitions I had for my work in cinema as a student." - Francis Ford Coppola "A wonderful blend of realism, surrealism, and fantasy, [Eliade's novellas] suggest the importance of the mythic and the supernatural to finding meaning in the everyday. Highly recommended." - Library Journal "Youth Without Youth reads like a surreal collaboration by Jorge Luis Borges, Kurt Vonnegut, and Carl Jung. Mircea Eliade left me with the rare sense that I had been entertained by a genius." - William Allen, author of Starkweather and The Fire in the Birdbath and Other Disturbances"

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Book Synopsis''All children, except one, grow up.'' It was Friday night. Mr and Mrs Darling were dining out. Nana had been tied up in the backyard. The poor dog was barking, for she could smell danger. And she was right - this was the night that Peter Pan would take the Darling children on the most breath-taking adventure of their lives, to a place called Neverland, a strange country where the lost boys live and never grow up, a land with mermaids, fairies and pirates - and of course the terrible, evil, Captain Hook. Peter Pan is undoubtedly one of the most famous and best-loved stories for children, an unforgettable, magical fantasy which has been enjoyed by generations.The Penguin English Library - collectable general readers'' editions of the best fiction in English, from the eighteenth century to the end of the Second World War.

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Book SynopsisTravel is good for us. It makes us happy!Escape more, celebrate more, "weekend" more with DK travel guides and create memories that last a lifetime.Each of our books is jam-packed with gorgeous pictures, helpful maps and expert insights, making them totally comprehensive, really easy to use, and full of ideas and inspiration. And we know what we're doing we've been publishing guides for over 30 years. So forget the ordinary. Travel extraordinary.

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Book Synopsis''The poet of the spy story'' Sunday TimesA sunken U-Boat has lain undisturbed on the Atlantic ocean floor since the Second World War - until now. Inside its rusting hull, among the corpses of top-rank Nazis, lie secrets people will kill to obtain. The sequel to Len Deighton''s game-changing debut The IPCRESS File, Horse Under Water sees its nameless, laconic narrator sent from fogbound London to the Algarve, where he must dive through layers of deceit in a place rotten with betrayals.Trade ReviewLively, exciting, ingenious. * Observer *Len Deighton's spy novels are so good they make me sad the Cold War is over. -- Malcolm GladwellWhat raises Deighton's genre to art is not only his absorbing characters but his metaphoric grace, droll wit, command of technical detail, and sure sense of place. -- Andy Solomon * Washington Post *Deighton's fiction has stood the test of time. His habitually acerbic narrative voice still has much to say to contemporary readers ... Now a fresh generation have the chance to sample Deighton's wares as Penguin republishes many of his books. -- Vanessa Thorpe * The Observer *Mr Deighton is really something special. * Sunday Times *For sheer readability he has no peer. * Evening Standard *Fleming made spy fiction globally popular, but it took Deighton in the Sixties to make it hip. * The Telegraph *With this, his second bestseller in as many years, Len Deighton really hit his stride. Multiple deceits defy a full plot summary. Suffice to say that with a succession of startling revelations linked by sharp dialogue, the book effortlessly acquires classic status. -- Barry Turner * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisIt''s hard to beat the satisfaction of travelling on foot - settling into a steady rhythm, surrounded by incredible scenery, with the freedom to stop wherever takes your fancy. This endlessly rewarding - and sustainable - activity is joyously celebrated in Hike, which reveals 125 of the most scenic and spectacular walking trails across the globe. It''s the ultimate inspiration for exploring under your own steam: ramble along coastal paths in Europe, scale soaring mountain peaks in Africa and trek through amber-hued canyons in North America.Compiled by a team of outdoor enthusiasts, this book is packed with ideas for your next hiking trip. Awe-inspiring images and compelling descriptions of each trail will have you itching to get walking, while handy maps, elevation profiles and practical information - including things like distance and total elevation gain - will help you plan the nitty gritty of your trip. We''ve also included the best places to explore en route - wh

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Book SynopsisMy father, without the slightest doubt, was the most marvellous and exciting father any boy ever had.This beautiful edition of Danny the Champion of the World, part of The Roald Dahl Classic Collection, features official archive material from the Roald Dahl Museum and is perfect for Dahl fans old and new.So, enter a world where invention and mischief can be found on every page and where magic might be at the very tips of your fingers . . .The Roald Dahl Classic Collection reinstates the versions of Dahl's books that were published before the 2022 Puffin editions, aimed at newly independent young readers.

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Book SynopsisJ. M. Coetzee was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1940. The author of some fifteen novels and winner of numerous awards, Coetzee is the first author to have been awarded the Booker Prize twice: for Life & Times of Michael K in 1983 and for Disgrace in 1999. In 2003 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. He lives in Australia.Trade ReviewA small miracle of a book...of marvellous intricacy and overwhelming power * Washington Post *A finely honed testament to its author's intelligence, imagination and skill * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisINSPIRATION FOR THE THRILLING AMAZON PRIME SERIES JACK RYAN . . . Jack Ryan Jr. returns in Dead or Alive, the gripping thriller from Tom Clancy. The world''s number one terrorist is about to unleash a holy war. Only one agency, one man, can stop him . . . The Campus was secretly created by President Jack Ryan to covertly eliminate terrorists. Now it faces its greatest threat: a sadistic killer known as the Emir. Mastermind of countless horrific attacks, the Emir has eluded capture by every law enforcement agency in the world. And he is about to unleash a monumental strike at the heart of America.But on the Emir''s trail is intelligence expert Jack Ryan Jr. Following in his legendary father''s footsteps, he and his allies at the Campus are on a manhunt that will take them across the globe, into the shadowy arenas of political gamesmanship, in a race to prevent the fall of the West.Dead or Alive is the nerve-sh

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Book SynopsisThe Kingdom is Clive Cussler''s third Fargo Adventure. Whether it''s lost treasure or missing persons, the Fargos find themselves in a heap of trouble every time . . . When Texas oil baron Charlie King contacts Sam and Remi Fargo he has an unusual request. He hired an investigator - and good friend of the pair - to locate his missing father in the Far East. But now the investigator has vanished. Would Sam and Remi be willing to look for them both? Though something about the request doesn''t quite add up, Sam and Remi agree to help out.It''s a journey that takes the Fargos to Tibet, Nepal, Bulgaria, India, and China. They get mixed up with black-market fossils, a centuries-old puzzle chest, the ancient Nepali kingdom of Mustang, a balloon aircraft from a century before its time . . . and an extraordinary skeleton that might turn the history of human evolution on its head. Oh, and not a few unfriendly people with guns and itchy trigger fin

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Book SynopsisThere''s trouble at sea for an ex-war hero in this gripping thriller from the international bestselling author of the Sharpe novelsIn muddy waters, even heroes drown . . .With his father in prison for fraud, his ex-wife bleeding him dry and his spine shattered by a bullet, Falklands war hero Nick Sandman, VC, has no money and no prospects.Only his boat - Sycorax -and his dream of sailing her away from his troubles is keeping him alive. But Sycorax is as crippled as Nick.To rebuild his wrecked and stranded dream, Nick is forced into a devil''s bargain with egomaniacal TV star Tony Bannister. Bannister is the owner of Wildtrack, an ocean racer, and he wants Nick to be part of the crew that will sail the ship to victory.Bannister, though, has made some powerful enemies who are out for revenge, leaving Nick caught in the middle . . .Can he keep Wildtrack and his dreams of escape aboard Sycorax afloat?

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Book SynopsisBernard Cornwell, bestselling author of the Warlord Chronicles and the Sharpe series, is married and lives in Cape Cod, USA.

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Book SynopsisMirage is the new heart-in-the-mouth adventure thriller in the Oregon Files from Clive Cussler.October 1943. A US Navy warship vanishes at sea off the coast of Philadelphia. Its disappearance was rumoured to have been a result of a classified military experiment into the effects of electromagnetic radiation. The story has long since been considered a hoax.But Juan Cabrillo and his colleagues aboard the top-secret spy ship Oregon aren''t convinced.Now, a powerful new weapon is for sale - one linked to genius inventor Nikola Telsa, who was working with the Navy when he died in 1943. Was he responsible for the original Philadelphia experiment? Are his notes in the hands of his enemies?As Cabrillo and his crew race to unearth the truth they discover that stakes are dangerously high. And it may already be too late . . .Offering an irresistible combination of breakneck pace and audacious plotting that Clive Cussler has maTrade ReviewClive Cussler is hard to beat * Daily Mail *The guy I read -- Tom ClancyFrightening and full of suspense . . . unquestionably entertaining * Daily Express *All-action, narrow escapes and . . . unrelenting plot tension * Observer *With daring escapes, heart-stopping action, and last-minute victories, The Jungle is an action/adventure thriller reader's dream. The surprise ending will blow you away * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisThe Tombs is the thrilling fourth Fargo adventure by Clive Cussler. It''s a prize beyond imagination. When an archaeologist excavating a top secret historical site realizes the magnitude of his discovery he requests help from treasure hunters Sam and Remi Fargo. And in rushing to join him, the husband and wife team are thrown into their most daring quest to date.The clues point to the hidden tomb of Attila the Hun, the High King who was reportedly buried with a vast fortune of gold and jewels and plunder, a bounty that has never been found. But as Sam and Remi piece together the puzzle, the trail takes them through Hungary, Italy, France, Russia, and Kazakhstan and not to a single tomb, but five. And into the path of deadly danger. They are not the only ones hunting for the High King''s riches.The Fargos will find themselves pitted against a thieving group of amateur treasure hunters, a cunning Russian businessman, and a ruthless

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Book SynopsisINSPIRATION FOR THE THRILLING AMAZON PRIME SERIES JACK RYAN . . . Jack Ryan Jr. returns in Locked On, the gripping thriller from Tom Clancy. ****The Ryans - father and son - are fighting on two fronts . . . When a deadly terrorist alliance creates the potential to blackmail any world power into submission, it''s got to be stopped before it is too late. That''s just the trigger Jack Ryan Jr needs to take his work for shadowy intelligence agency The Campus from the back room to the sharp end: black ops.Meanwhile, his father, Jack Ryan Sr, campaigning for re-election as US President, is up against a privately funded vendetta to discredit him. Caught at the heart of the conspiracy is former Navy SEAL, John Clark. And Ryan Sr soon discovers that being his friends could have deadly consequences. With the breakneck speed and military action scenes that have made him the premier thriller writer of our time, Tom Clancy delivTrade ReviewThe action comes thick and fast * The Times *There's hardly another thriller writer alive who can fuel an adrenaline surge the way Clancy can * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisJ. M. Coetzee was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1940. The author of some fifteen novels and winner of numerous awards, Coetzee is the first author to have been awarded the Booker Prize twice: for Life & Times of Michael K in 1983 and for Disgrace in 1999. In 2003 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. He lives in Australia.Trade ReviewA small miracle of a book...of marvellous intricacy and overwhelming power * Washington Post *A finely honed testament to its author's intelligence, imagination and skill * The New York Times *

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