Contemporary Fiction

A beautiful woman scarred by a hateful past. A compassionate cop haunted by a childhood blighted by poverty. Violence brought them together. An unspeakable abomination may tear them apart.Bruno Frye nightly succumbs to the malicious lullaby of the whispers. Losing himself in the nightdreams of their rustling cries, he is deafened by whispers more piercing than any scream. In the dark recesses of his mind no act is too violent, no deed too shocking . . .

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'One of the major fictional achievements of our century' The Times On the edge of Fort de France, the capital of Martinique, squats a shanty town. It goes by the name of Texaco. One dawn, a stranger arrives - an urban planner, bearing news. Texaco is to be razed to the ground. And so he is lead to Marie-Sophie Laborieux, the ancient keeper of Texaco's history, who invites her guest to take a seat and begins the true story of all that is to be lost. Texaco is a creole masterpiece. Told in a newly forged language, it is a riotous collage of indigenous Caribbean and colonial European influences; a kaleidoscopic epic of slavery and revolution, superstition and imagination; a story of human deceits and desires played out to the backdrop of uncontrollable, all powerful History. First published in 1992, it was awarded France's highest literary award, the Prix Goncourt, and remains an unequivocal classic of Caribbean literature.

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-- Previously published in 2008 as 'Happy Endings' --The witty, weird and wonderful abound in this early romantic comedy by Sunday Times bestselling author Trisha Ashley.Tina Devino makes more money teaching people to write than writing herself. A middling romance novelist who dreams of penning a bestseller, she’s increasingly forced to compete with younger, blonder debut authors for her publisher and agent’s attention. Feeling forgotten, Tina realises the only way up is to take her career and destiny in hand and build her own happy ending; which is perfect because, for a romance writer, Tina isn’t the most traditional of women… Although she does see her long term partner lover friend, Sergei, once a week which is ‘quite enough, thank you very much’. But her uncomplicated love life might soon need some unravelling when a mysterious Tube Man, unwelcome ex-husband and a shadowy figure in a butterfly mask waltz into the picture. Only Tina can work through the drama and claim the life she’s always wanted… but will she succeed? Hilariously warm, quirky and feel-good, Trisha Ashley's writing is perfect for fans of romantic comedies by Milly Johnson and Jill Mansell.

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Professor Peyton Wilde has an enviable life teaching sociology at an idyllic liberal arts college--yet she is troubled by a sense of fading inspiration. One day an invitation arrives. Peyton has been selected to attend a luxurious all-expense-paid seminar in Iceland, where participants, billed as some of the greatest thinkers in the world, will be charged with answering one perplexing question. Meeting her diverse teammates--two neuroscientists, a philosopher, a dance teacher, a collage artist, and a farmer--Peyton wonders what she could ever have to contribute. The ensuing journey of discovery will transform the characters' work, their biases, and themselves. This suspenseful novel shows that the answers you seek can be found in the most unlikely places. It can be read for pleasure, is a great choice for book clubs, and can be used as unique and inspiring reading in qualitative research and other courses in education, sociology, social work, psychology, and communication.

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It’s Sarah and her brother against the world… When Sarah Jepson’s mother Annie dies, Sarah is left with her little brother Tommy to care for. Alone in the world, the two of them must make a life for themselves in the wake of the terrible upbringing they have endured. But when Tommy is struck down by illness, Sarah’s new life collapses. Lost in grief, she turns to the handsome Roger to save her – only to find that he is not who he seems… Waiting in the wings is George – kind, but brutally scarred, Sarah’s never seen him as anything more than a friend. But could all that be about to change? The Sunday Times bestseller is back in a heartbreaking, moving tale of triumph against all the odds.

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The exquisite last novel from Nobel Prize-winning author Yasunari KawabataIneko has lost the ability to see things. At first it was a ping-pong ball, then it was her fiancé. The doctors call it 'body blindness', and she is placed in a psychiatric clinic to recover. As Ineko's mother and fiancé walk along the riverbank after visiting time, they wonder: is her condition a form of madness - or an expression of love? Exploring the distance between us, and what we say without words, Kawabata's transcendent final novel is the last word from a master of Japanese literature. 'Lusciously peculiar' Paris Review

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For fans of Scandinavian crime, Intrigo is the gripping collection of Håkan Nesser’s best novellas and short stories, three of which have been adapted into major motion pictures.Set in the fictional city of Maardam, each story is linked by themes of secrets coming to light, lies being exposed, and pasts coming back to haunt the people who thought they had fled them – all told in Håkan Nesser’s signature style of dark, cutting prose that displays a true understanding of human nature.The collection is the basis for a trilogy of international films - Dear Agnes, Death of an Author and Samaria - directed by Daniel Alfredson and starring Ben Kingsley and Gemma Chan.

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'Left me giddy with laughter. I loved it' JOJO MOYES-------------------------------------------------------Those we think we know best can sometimes surprise us the most . . .After being together for ten years, Sylvie and Dan have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, beautiful twin girls, and communicate so seamlessly, they finish each other's sentences. They have a happy marriage and believe they know everything there is to know about each other. Until it's casually mentioned to them that they could be together for another sixty-eight years... and panic sets in.They quickly decide to create little surprises for each other, to keep their relationship fresh and fun. But in their pursuit of Project Surprise Me - anything from unexpected gifts to restaurant dates to photo shoots - mishaps arise with disastrous and comical results.Gradually, the surprises turn to shocking discoveries. And when a scandal from the past is uncovered, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other after all. . .***** EVERYBODY LOVES SOPHIE KINSELLA: *****'One of the most relatable books I've read in a long time, I couldn't put it down' LOUISE PENTLAND (SprinkleofGlitter)'This is Sophie Kinsella at her heart-warming and hilarious best' COSMOPOLITAN'Life doesn't get much better than a new Sophie Kinsella novel' RED'This is the funniest book Sophie Kinsella has ever written' JENNY COLGAN'Kinsella at her put-a-smile-on-your-face best' GOOD HOUSEKEEPINGOUT NOW the joyful new standalone novel from Sophie Kinsella: THE PARTY CRASHER

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Natalia Ginzburg (1916-1991) is today recognized as one of the foremost woman writers to emerge from twentieth-century Italy. The Complete Short Stories of Natalia Ginzburg brings together in English translation for the first time the eight short stories that Ginzburg wrote between 1933 and 1965. These early works are significant in the context of Ginzburg's wider repertoire. The key themes and ideas occurring therein would come to characterize much of her later work, particularly in terms of her exploration of the difficulties implicit in developing and sustaining meaningful human relationships. Her short stories also provide intriguing insight into the development of her trademark literary style. Including an introduction by the translator and extensive contributions from Alan Bullock, Emeritus Professor of Italian at the University of Leeds, The Complete Short Stories of Natalia Ginzburg encourages a deeper understanding of Ginzburg's life's work and compliments those other collections and individual works which are already widely available in English.

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The international bestseller, longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award 2021. Fernando Aramburu's Homeland is an epic and heartbreaking story of two best friends whose families are divided by the conflicting loyalties of terrorism.‘It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that was so persuasive and moving’ – Mario Vargas Llosa, author of Time of the Hero.The Basque Country, Spain, 2011.Miren and Bittori have lived side by side in a small Basque town all their lives. Their husbands play cards together, their children play and eventually go out drinking together. The terrorist threat posed by ETA seems to affect them little.When Bittori’s husband starts receiving threatening letters – demanding money, accusing him of being a police informant – she turns to her friend for help. But Miren’s loyalties are torn: her son has just been recruited as a terrorist and to denounce them would be to condemn her own flesh and blood. Tensions rise, relationships fracture, and events move towards a tragic conclusion . . . ‘Is Aramburu the Tolstoy of the Basque country, author of a Spanish language War and Peace?’ – Guardian

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An Amazon Charts, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post bestseller. In this gorgeously stunning debut, a mysterious child teaches two strangers how to love and trust again. After the loss of her mother and her own battle with breast cancer, Joanna Teale returns to her graduate research on nesting birds in rural Illinois, determined to prove that her recent hardships have not broken her. She throws herself into her work from dusk to dawn, until her solitary routine is disrupted by the appearance of a mysterious child who shows up at her cabin barefoot and covered in bruises. The girl calls herself Ursa, and she claims to have been sent from the stars to witness five miracles. With concerns about the child’s home situation, Jo reluctantly agrees to let her stay—just until she learns more about Ursa’s past. Jo enlists the help of her reclusive neighbor, Gabriel Nash, to solve the mystery of the charming child. But the more time they spend together, the more questions they have. How does a young girl not only read but understand Shakespeare? Why do good things keep happening in her presence? And why aren’t Jo and Gabe checking the missing children’s website anymore? Though the three have formed an incredible bond, they know difficult choices must be made. As the summer nears an end and Ursa gets closer to her fifth miracle, her dangerous past closes in. When it finally catches up to them, all of their painful secrets will be forced into the open, and their fates will be left to the stars.

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'A total delight. Witty and fresh - I absolutely loved it!' MILLY JOHNSONIn the modern tech-fuelled world of dating, is it possible to find true love? Hannah lives life on the edge. Never one to pass up on a new adventure, she has truly been living her best life. But once the adrenaline wears off, she wishes she had someone to spend the quieter moments with too. Learning that her best friend’s online dating business has taken a hit, she comes up with an idea that just might solve both of their problems... Jess has been with her husband for twenty years. They have a stable marriage, great kids and run their own businesses. But what looks like a perfect life from the outside has its own problems within, and with her business on the brink Jess can’t help but wonder where the spark has gone in her life, and whether settling down is all it’s cracked up to be. When Hannah embarks upon her latest scheme: finding a man using Jess’s dating app and meeting him for the first time at the altar, both women start to realise the grass isn't always greener. Can Hannah help her friend save her failing business or will Jess stop her from making what could be the biggest mistake of her life? 'A very funny, feel-good read' HOLLY MILLER‘Fun, feelgood, fab!’ KATE EBERLEN'Refreshing, brilliantly-written and highly addictive! HELLY ACTON'A witty, warm, wonderful read!' SOPHIE COUSENS'Fresh, funny, and wonderfully timely – it's feel-good fiction at its finest!' LAURA JANE WILLIAMS'Funny, feel good and full of warmth, love and friendship' LAURA KEMP'A witty, tender story that packs a real emotional punch. I loved it!' NICOLA GILL‘A heart-warming and joyous page-turner. Impossible to put down!’ HOLLY MARTIN'If you’re looking for a story to make you giggle, shed a few tears and cheer, this is the one!' MIRANDA DICKINSON'Enthralling and entertaining!' HEIDI SWAIN'I couldn’t put it down. What a wonderful, warm, wise and witty book!' ALEX BROWN'Fresh, funny and romantic, I totally loved it' SARAH MORGAN'Fresh, funny, and the perfect tonic for these gloomy times' LIA LOUIS'Witty, fun and fresh, Married at First Swipe is the perfect book to lift your spirits and put a smile on your face' PHAEDRA PATRICK'A fabulously fun, heart-warming novel' ANNA BELL'Heartwarming, insightful and very, very funny' KATIE MARSH

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WINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZEWINNER OF THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD'Utterly compelling' Irish Times'Original, funny, disarmingly oblique' CLAIRE KILROY'A triumph.' GuardianIn an unnamed city, where to be interesting is dangerous, an eighteen-year-old woman has attracted the unwanted and unavoidable attention of a powerful and frightening older man, 'Milkman'. In this community, where suggestions quickly become fact, where gossip and hearsay can lead to terrible consequences, what can she do to stop a rumour once it has started? Milkman is persistent, the word is spreading, and she is no longer in control . . .SHORTLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTIONSHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL FICTION

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'A brilliant, powerful elegy from a living brother to a lost one, yet pulsing with rhythm, and beating with life' Marlon James, Winner of the Man Booker Prize NOW A FILM STARRING LAMAR JOHNSON AND AARON PIERRE WINNER OF THE ROGERS WRITERS' TRUST FICTION PRIZE WINNER OF THE TORONTO BOOK AWARD LONGLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL FICTION LONGLISTED FOR THE SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR Michael and Francis are the bright, ambitious sons of Trinidadian immigrants. Coming of age in the outskirts of a sprawling city, the brothers battle against careless prejudices and low expectations. While Francis aspires to a future in music, Michael dreams of Aisha, the smartest girl in their school, whose eyes are firmly set on a life elsewhere. But one sweltering summer night the hopes of all three are violently, irrevocably cut short. In this timely and essential novel, David Chariandy builds a quietly devastating story about the love between a mother and her sons, the impact of race, masculinity and the senseless loss of young lives.

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Faber Stories, a landmark series of individual volumes, presents masters of the short story form at work in a range of genres and styles. 'My only concern', John McGahern once said, 'is that I get the sentence right and describe my world clearly and deeply.''The Country Funeral' witnesses three brothers, John, Philly and Fonsie Ryan, as they travel west from Dublin to Gloria Bog - the heart of the territory where so many of McGahern's stories take place - to attend the funeral of their uncle. Depicting the customs and rituals of the day, McGahern exquisitely traces how the brothers react to the area in unexpected and tender ways, and face their own feelings about the transience of life.Bringing together past, present and future in our ninetieth year, Faber Stories is a celebratory compendium of collectable work.

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As featured on BBC Radio 4 Good Reads 'The work of a novelist in her prime' Daily Telegraph'Wise and witty' Sarah Hughes, Observer'Essential . . . Evans is a brilliant storyteller' Stylist'A timely, bittersweet comic novel' Guardian'A thoughtful, funny, companionable novel' Sunday Times_______________________________What do you do next, after you've changed the world?It is 1928. Matilda Simpkin, rooting through a cupboard, comes across a small wooden club - an old possession of hers, unseen for more than a decade.Mattie is a woman with a thrilling past and a chafingly uneventful present. During the Women's Suffrage Campaign she was a militant. Jailed five times, she marched, sang, gave speeches, smashed windows and heckled Winston Churchill, and nothing - nothing - since then has had the same depth, the same excitement.Now in middle age, she is still looking for a fresh mould into which to pour her energies. Giving the wooden club a thoughtful twirl, she is struck by an idea - but what starts as a brilliantly idealistic plan is derailed by a connection with Mattie's militant past, one which begins to threaten every principle that she stands for.Old Baggage is a funny and bittersweet portrait of a woman who has never, never given up the fight.

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An impassioned plea for freedom and justice, set in a world uncomfortably like our own.

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THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR One year after movie star Joseph Strike swept schoolteacher Alice off her feet, they are spending Christmas together in snowy Cambridge. But despite the romantic setting Alice can't help but question whether life in the spotlight is really what she wants. Will a Christmas provide some perspective? Or will the life she’d be leaving behind be too much to lose? In this irresistible collection, bestselling author Paige Toon reunites a much-loved cast from across her fifteen novels, including Johnny Be Good, The One We Fell In Love With and Thirteen Weddings. Fall in love with nine witty and heartfelt romantic stories, published in print for the very first time. Praise for Paige Toon: 'Tender, heartbreaking and magical' GIOVANNA FLETCHER 'You'll love it, cry buckets and be uplifted!' MARIAN KEYES 'Poignant and lovely, warm and wise' MILLY JOHNSON 'Wonderfully heartfelt' HEAT 'Gave me all the feels . . . I loved it' LINDSEY KELK 'A warm, wise novel that is romantic and yet real' ADELE PARKS 'Filled with warmth and poignancy' CATHERINE ISAAC 'Witty, fun and impossible to put down' CLOSER'Yet another stunning read from Paige Toon . . . I couldn't put it down' HEIDI SWAIN 'A wonderful book that will gently break your heart' DANI ATKINS 'For smart, romantic fiction look no further than the new book from bestselling Paige Toon' RED MAGAZINE 'A heart-thumping, breath-taking, tear-inducing love story' PENNY PARKES 'Simply gorgeous' SUN*Includes A Christmas Wedding, One Perfect Christmas and Johnny's Girl, previously published as eBooks* *Includes content previously exclusive to The Hidden Paige*

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'Wonderfully poetic ... extraordinary freshness ... a Virginia Woolf quality' Margaret DrabbleIt is Spring. A young woman, left by her husband, starts a new life in a Tokyo apartment. Territory of Light follows her over the course of a year, as she struggles to bring up her two-year-old daughter alone. Her new home is filled with light, streaming through the windows, so bright you have to squint, but she finds herself plummeting deeper into darkness; becoming unstable, untethered. As the months come and go, and the seasons turn, she must confront what she has lost and what she will become. At once tender and lacerating, luminous and unsettling, Territory of Light is a novel of abandonment, desire and transformation. It was originally published in twelve parts in the Japanese literary monthly Gunzo, between 1978 and 1979, each chapter marking the months in real time.'There is something deeply seductive about being drawn into the intimate thoughts of a woman who otherwise would tell them to no one. [ . . . ] This portrait of an imperfect mother who strives to provide a good life for her child feels painfully relevant.' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan

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Edward Leithen is the closest of Buchan's protagonists to theauthor's own experience and imagination. A prosperous Scots lawyer andMP in London, Leithen seeks adventure to relieve the tedium ofrespectability. In The Power House he is forced by event and accident to see civilisation as a thin veneer over the human jungle; in John Macnab he makes his own adventure by playing the poacher; in Sick Heart River, seeking a lost friend he meets death and redemption in the wastes of Canada.Each book contrasts with the others; each pulls us into Buchan's world and holds us there.

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_______________ 'Beautifully written in cunning, punning, glancing prose' - Independent 'A whirlwind … Owes plenty to Salman Rushdie and some to Hollywood … Exuberant, knowingly exotic and deceptively serious' - Guardian 'Kamila Shamsie has created a rich, bright world' - Times Literary Supplement _______________ BY THE ACCLAIMED WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION The Dard-e-Dils are characterised by their prominent clavicles and love of stories. Aliya may not have inherited her family’s patrician looks, but she is prey to their legends that stretch back to the days of Timur Lang. There is a sting to most of these tales, for the Dard-e-Dils consider themselves cursed by their ‘not-quite’ twins. Amidst her growing attraction to a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, Aliya begins to believe that she is another ‘not-quite’ twin, linked to her scandalous aunt Mariam in a way that hardly bodes well… _______________ 'A funny, clever and romantic story' - Barbara Trapido 'The stories within the stories describe Pakistani society, its peoples and its mores, better than anything that has come from the Other Side for a long time. This is a good read' - India Today

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The Stag and Hen Weekend is the story of Phil and Helen, a couple in their thirties about to commit their lives to one another . . . that is of course if they can just manage to get through their respective stag and hen weekends (his: Amsterdam; hers: a country house and day spa in the Peak District) without falling apart. Told in the unique form of two separate stories that have common characters as well as themes and conclusion, The Stag and Hen Weekend can be read from front to back or from back to front putting the reader in the driver's seat as to which story they wish to read first. Feisty, fun and thought provoking.

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Set in the steamy coastal Alabama town of Sea Breeze, an group of older teens hook up, break up . . . and much, much more. Preston Drake is one bad boy. He has a different girl in his bed every night, which is just how he likes it - no strings, no issues, just fun. The problem is, he keeps finding himself thinking about one girl he shouldn't…his best friend's little sister, who's suddenly all grown-up. Amanda Hardy has had a crush on Preston for ever, but his reputation always kept her away. Now that it seems the attraction might be mutual, it's getting harder to ignore her feelings… No one wants them to be together - but their attraction is too strong to keep them apart.

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Welcome to the retirement home of Henry and Frances, ex-New Yorkers and professional assassins: a luxury hotel suite in an idyllic, tequila-drenched Caribbean hideaway.It's supposed to be all cocktails and sex on the beach. But when a job icing a Mafioso godfather goes awry, trouble hits paradise . . . in the form of a cross-dressing capo, a debauched Irish hard man and a slew of incompetent but vicious US marshals.

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This fourth thrilling Tracers romantic suspense novel from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Laura Griffin features Sophie Barrett and Jonah Macon from Unforgivable. Sophie is witness to a campus shooting, and only police detective Jonah believes it was more than just a random gun crime.After being caught in the crossfire of a deadly campus shooting, Sophie Barrett counts herself lucky to escape with her life. As details of the incident begin to emerge, though, she realizes there is more going on than a senseless act of violence. Now she just has to convince a team of investigators that they’ve got it all wrong. Homicide detective Jonah Macon knows Sophie has a knack for crossing paths with trouble. He’s saved her butt before, and he’s more than happy to do it again. After all, she’s beautiful, sexy, and fearless. But when she takes on an entire task force of experienced cops, he thinks she’s

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`Do you have to stare like that?' I asked. `Think about the actors in porn. They've got no problem showing themselves off.' `Think about when I broke your nose,'I replied.Ellinor is thirty-six. She wears soft black sweatpants and a Michelin Man jacket. She fights. Smart and unsentimental, she tries her hand at online dating, only to be stranded by a snowstorm in Stockholm, far from her village in the south of Sweden. Ellinor finds herself at the heart of an intrigue involving an ex-wife who happens to be a blind medium, an overweight literary critic with a Houellebecq obsession, and a manuscript: a very important manuscript. Cut to Max Lamas, its author, who dreams of a polyglot lover, a woman who will understand him, in every tongue. His search takes him to Italy, where he befriends a marchesa on the brink of ruin, and where her granddaughter, Lucrezia, brings this tale to its final, shocking conclusion. The Polyglot Lovers, winner of the 2016 August Prize, Sweden's most prestigious literary prize, is a masterclass in comic plot and timing, as well as a delight for readers, thanks to Wolff's trademark deadpan wit.

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Murder is rarely cut and dried. Usually it follows its own unique, twisted logic... Deputy Chief Constable Bob Skinner has a failed marriage on his hands, and a death on his conscience. He faces the biggest challenge of his career within the secret corridors of Westminster, where dark power is wielded. Meanwhile, back in Edinburgh, Skinner's daughter is being harassed by a stalker. Can he protect her? A bookmaker has taken one gamble too many and paid his debt in a gruesome fashion. Is it an underworld vendetta, or something more sinister? Alongside it all a casual call to the Chief Constable sets him on a personal crusade which quickly points to a bigamist at work. Or is it worse? Four crimes, four crises: can Skinner and his people solve them? Indeed can they survive them?

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What if the person you love most in the world was in terrible danger . . . because of you?Three years ago, Toni's five-year-old daughter Evie disappeared after leaving school. The police have never been able to find her. There were no witnesses, no CCTV, no trace. But Toni believes her daughter is alive. And as she begins to silently piece together her memories, the full story of the past begins to reveal itself, and a devastating truth.Toni's mind is trapped in a world of silence, her only chance to save herself is to manage the impossible. She must find a way to make herself heard. She must find her daughter. A compelling, gripping thriller with a breathtaking twist that will keep you awake until the early hours. Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, Behind Closed Doors and The Sister. 'Brilliant, very clever . . . I absolutely recommend it' B. A. Paris, author of Behind Closed DoorsWhat readers are saying about Blink:'Once I started I couldn't stop. I devoured it. Chomped away chapter by chapter until I had hoofed the whole damned lot and you know what? It left me hungry for more ... An absolutely stonking 5 stars from me.' Jen Med's Book Reviews'A novel that those who liked The Girl on The Train and Behind Closed Doors won't want to miss' My Little Book Corner'I finished this book in nearly one day. I was completely unable to put this book down. Everything about this book sucks you in and doesn't let go.' Bombshell Reads'Just BRILLIANT' It's All About Books'A thrilling roller coaster of a read that will have you gripping on for dear life' By the Letter Book Reviews'The book had me from the very first sentence and kept hold of me until I finished it. There are twists galore but on one occasion my jaw actually dropped open as I realised that all was not as it seemed. Fantastic writing, excellent characterisation that has left me salivating for book number three! Five stars.' Angela Marsons'Five stars! This book had me hook line and sinker ... this author's mind is very very clever.' Sue and her Books'WOW, what a corker of a book, gripping story, believable untrustworthy characters and not just one but two totally jaw dropping unexpected twists' Nicki's Life of Crime'What a read ... The ending took me completely by surprise! In most books, I end up guessing the ending, but this book was spectacular. The book had me gripped from word 'go'. I couldn't stop reading ...a brilliant brilliant book' Any Excuse to Read'A fantastic psychological thriller and I was kept hooked throughout. Lots of twists and turns, an excellent pace and so much suspense and surprise, I didn't quite know where the book was going at times ...couldn't be anything other than five stars!' Donna's Book Blog'With bucketfuls of suspense and intrigue Blink is guaranteed to keep the most hardened psychological thriller love on the edge of their seats. Five Stars' The Book Review Cafe'Pure genius!! Blink is everything a psychological thriller should be! K L Slater is in a class of her own ... Just when you think you have it figured out, you are knocked out of the park! One of the most mind-bending twists ever, just simply stunning!' What Rachel Read Next 'The twist towards the end took me completely by surprise. I actually had to put the book down for a moment and stop before I could carry on. It really took my breath away. K. L. Slater pulled this off brilliantly!' Hooked from Page One 'K.L. Slater has done it again with her latest book, Blink. From a creepy beginning to the twisty end, this book keeps the reader on the edge of his or her seat. Hang on for the ride' Shelf Knowledge

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'Family secrets, new horizons and a gorgeous continent-crossing romance . . . prepare to be swept away!' LUCY DIAMOND HOW DO YOU FIND WHERE YOU'RE GOING, IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE FROM? Angie has always wanted to travel. But at twenty-seven, she has barely stepped outside the small mining town where she was born. Instead, she discovers the world through stories told to her by passing travellers, dreaming that one day she'll see it all for herself. When her grandmother passes away, leaving Angie with no remaining family, she is ready to start her own adventures. Then she finds a letter revealing the address of the father she never knew, and realises instantly where her journey must begin: Italy. As Angie sets out to find the truth – about her family, her past and who she really is – will mysterious and reckless Italian Alessandro help guide the way?'Heart-warming, wistful and full of joy . . . Paige Toon tugs on the heartstrings like no other; this is a beautiful book about someone searching for her place in the world and finding herself along the way' LINDSEY KELK‘Warm, inspiring, like a holiday mood in book form’ MHAIRI MCFARLANE ‘I LOVED If You Could Go Anywhere. Such a beautiful love story; not just a heady, compelling romance, but a really charming, moving story about how a life is made of so many different kinds of love . . . Will make every reader’s life feel a bit more magical’ DAISY BUCHANAN‘Toon writes beautifully about family, grief and the bravery in turning dreams into reality’ DAILY MAILPraise for Paige Toon: 'You'll love it, cry buckets and be uplifted' MARIAN KEYES 'Tender, heartbreaking and magical' GIOVANNA FLETCHER ‘Poignant and lovely, warm and wise’ MILLY JOHNSON ‘A gorgeous, warm novel’ ADELE PARKS 'For smart, romantic fiction, look no further than the new book from bestselling Paige Toon' RED 'Achingly romantic and brilliantly written . . . Five Stars!' HEAT 'Filled with warmth and poignancy' CATHERINE ISAAC 'Simply gorgeous' SUN 'You won't be able to put down this emotional read' CLOSER 'Paige Toon is the queen of will-they/won't-they romance, setting up an ending that will leave you in bits' SUNDAY EXPRESS 'Full of living-in-the-moment and what-might-have-been contrasts, this tender read pulls at the heart strings' FABULOUS 'A lovely read' BELLA

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A young American woman's journey to track down her missing lover becomes an enthralling adventure of mystery, passion, danger and self-discovery set against the spellbinding backdrop of 1930s Marrakech. Sidonie O'Shea enjoys the quiet life she shares with fiancé Etienne Duverger in upstate New York. But when Etienne suddenly disappears without word, she finds a letter amongst his belongings that turns her world upside down. Refusing to believe that Etienne would abandon her, Sidonie travels to Morocco in search of him, determined to know the truth. But nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover, both about the man she thought she loved and an unknown world of dangerous secrets in a country steeped in mystery...

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Sheila O'Flanagan's bestseller BAD BEHAVIOUR is an irresistible tale of friendship, love and sweet revenge, not to be missed by readers of Lisa Jewell and Marian Keyes. Reviewers love Sheila's books: 'An exciting love story with a deliciously romantic denouement' Sunday ExpressDarcey and Nieve were best friends for life. Until Nieve stole the heart of Aidan, the boy Darcey had fallen in love with while Nieve was travelling. Aidan was going to propose the very night Nieve caught his eye, and Darcey had seen the ring. For the next ten years she's been haunted by the memory of her humiliation. No career success, no comfort her eccentric but loving family can offer, not even (short-lived) marriage to Neil, can console her. And then the invitation comes: to the wedding of Aidan and Nieve, neither of whom she's seen since they left Ireland for life in the USA. They're coming home to have the wedding of a lifetime at Ireland's most expensive hotel. Will Darcey be there? Will there be fireworks? And can the past be put to rest at last?What readers are saying about Bad Behaviour: 'Read it from cover to cover in two days and loved every minute. Excellent' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars'Thoroughly enjoyable - a cut above the ditzy chic-lit. A good bit of substance to the story, excellent characterisation and a damn good read. Keep 'em coming!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars'Wonderful and totally absorbing. This book is a MUST for the romantics' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars'Another lovely book by Sheila O'Flanagan! I love the gentle flow of the book and the characters she creates' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars

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Meet Lucy Evans, the original tomboy. She loves her Doc Martens, heavy metal, and hanging out with her best friend, Ollie. She may have been born on a Tuesday, but graceful she isn't. However, Lucy's world is about to change. Ollie gets engaged, and her new boss wants her to smarten up. Lucy tries to turn herself into the kind of girl she thinks they want her to be - with hilarious and unexpected results.

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Captain Alatriste's latest adventure - a story of skirmishes, privateers, boarded ships, swords and sackings.'This was a time where Spain was revered, feared and hated in the easterly seas; where the devil had no colour, no name and no flag, and where the only thing needed to summon hell on earth (or sea for that matter) was a Spaniard and his sword'Alatriste is back - this time on the high seas! Accompanied by his faithful companion Inigo, the captain joins a Spanish galleon and sets sail from Naples towards the east on a journey that will take them to Melilla, Oran, and finally Malta where they must struggle against the Turk. On board they will have many adventures, including an encounter with The Moor Gurriato. Now seventeen, Inigo is still in love with Angelica but will wisdom come with age and experience?

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'The ardeur made me a sort of living vampire who fed off sex, but with the downsides came some interesting upsides.'Jason is a werewolf. He's one of my best friends and sometimes a lover. And right now he needs me, Anita Blake - not to be a vampire hunter, or a Federal Marshall, or a necromancer, but because his father is dying. I can help make him look like an everyday guy, help him say goodbye to the abusive father he's never loved. How hard can it be? Really, by now, you'd think I'd know better. Because this is the weekend that Marmee Noir, ancient mother of all vampires, picks to make her move. I've got something she wants - and now she's going to take it.

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Post-colonial Africa is dissected with pitiless lucidity in this disturbing novel about an outsider, the young Indian trader, Salim, who has moved from the coastal settlement where he grew up to an unnamed country in the African interior (largely based on the Democratic Republic of Congo), settling on that very bend in the river where Conrad had set his Heart of Darkness some seventy years before. Salim enters a ghost town, once a flourishing European outpost, which is fast returning to the bush. A new dictator 'the Big Man' is about to impose his regime with the assistance of Raymond, 'The Big Man's White Man', whose humanitarian concerns have won him international acclaim, but whose plans for the country's future are arrogant and delusional. Salim becomes obsessed by Raymond's wife, Yvette, and begins and affair with her. Personal and political tragedy follow, civil war returns, and Salim, contemplating the disastrous course of his life since leaving home, speaks for the powerlessness of ordinary people everywhere in the face of historical upheaval: 'I couldn't protect anyone [and] no one could protect me... we could only in various ways hide from the truth... One tide of history has brought us here ... Another tide of history was coming to wash us away.'.

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Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, THE WHITE HOTEL is a modern classic of searing eroticism and sensuality set against the broad sweep of twentieth-century history.Now a BBC radio play starring Anne-Marie Duff and Bill Paterson, dramatised by Dennis Potter.'A novel of blazing imaginative and intellectual force' Salman Rushdie It is a dream of electrifying eroticism and inexplicable violence, recounted by a young woman to her analyst, Sigmund Freud. It is a horrifying yet restrained narrative of the Holocaust. It is a searing vision of the wounds of our century and an attempt to heal them. Interweaving poetry and case history, fantasy and historical truth-telling, THE WHITE HOTEL is a modern classic of enduring emotional power that attempts nothing less than to reconcile the notion of individual destiny with that of historical fate.'A remarkable and original novel . . . there is no novel to my knowledge which resembles this in technique or ideas. It stands alone' Graham Greene'Astonishing . . . A forthright sensuality mixed with a fine historical feeling for the nightmare moments in modern history, a dreamlike fluidity and quickness' John Updike'I quickly came to feel that I had found that book, that mythical book, that would explain us to ourselves' Leslie Epstein, New York Times

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AFTER YOU'D GONE is the groundbreaking debut novel from the Costa-Award winning Maggie O'Farrell, author of HAMNET and I AM, I AM, I AM. It is a stunning, best-selling novel of wrenching love and grief.A distraught young woman boards a train at King's Cross to return to her family in Scotland. Six hours later, she catches sight of something so terrible in a mirror at Waverley Station that she gets on the next train back to London.AFTER YOU'D GONE follows Alice's mental journey through her own past, after a traffic accident has left her in a coma. A love story that is also a story of absence, and of how our choices can reverberate through the generations, it slowly draws us closer to a dark secret at a family's heart.

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How to Blow His Mind in Bed' is written by 'Men's Health' magazine's resident sexpert, Siski Green. In her refreshingly honest new book, she will debunk the myth that a man only cares about his own orgasm, and give the inside knowledge on what they really want in the bedroom. Siski has had unrivalled access to the innermost thoughts of men through her work, and has a unique insight into their worries, desires and needs. But she has also dealt with many women's queries from the 'Men's Health' website, so she understands exactly what they really want to know about how men think. HOW TO BLOW HIS MIND IN BED will offer women inside knowledge on how to make a man excited, what his erogenous zones are, his feelings and concerns, and improving his orgasms and your techniques. It is a must-read for every woman who wants to improve and enhance what they already know, to have even better sex.

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A World ApartKadra is a warrior - a demon slayer from another world. With her highly tuned senses and Amazonian physique she was born to fight, and lives only to protect her people. That is her duty - something she accepts without question, just as she accepts she will always be alone. But when the king of Demons escapes through a mysterious portal, Kadra must follow - and finds herself in modern day New York. This strange and dangerous city is a baffling place, even for a warrior like Kadra. And when she meets Harper Doyle, the handsome and sceptical private investigator destined to help her, things become very complicated. And exciting . . . The Witching HourA kingdom is plagued by tragedy until a wizard-god's spell brings forth a courageous and beautiful young woman who must follow her heart in love and follow her destiny in battle . . .

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The narrator of this novel begins by introducing himself not as a speaker but a listener, spellbound by his friend Caracala's yarns, which blend accounts of youthful mischief with casual references to Cervantes and Laurence Sterne. At first, the spotlight is entirely on Caracala, but the narrator soon begins to distrust his friend, concluding that Caracala is no more than a sham: a performer. Yet the reader will in turn come to doubt the narrator's own pretensions to honesty, until every source of information has become so unreliable as to make the very notion of a "true story" seem like blatant propaganda.

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At some point, maybe twenty minutes after he'd begun refreshing Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Gmail in a continuous cycle - with an ongoing, affectless, humorless realisation that his day 'was over' - he noticed with confusion, having thought it was early morning, that it was 4:46PMTaipei is an ode - or lament - to the way we live now. Following Paul from New York, where he comically navigates Manhattan's art and literary scenes, to Taipei, Taiwan, where he confronts his family's roots, we see one relationship fail, while another is born on the internet and blooms into an unexpected wedding in Las Vegas.From one of this generation's most talked-about and enigmatic writers comes a deeply personal and uncompromising novel about memory, love, and what it means to be alive.

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Treat yourself to this charming, feel-good story from Sunday Times bestseller Veronica Henry!A new home, a new circle of friends, a new chance at happiness? Suzanna and Barney Blake are swapping city life for the countryside, determined to breathe new life into the Honeycote Arms and a marriage touched by tragedy.Recently separated Ginny Tait is also seeking solace in country living, desperate to rein in her rambunctious twin daughters.They all think that moving to a calm, quiet and beautiful village in the Cotswolds will solve their problems. But in Honeycote, things are never quite as they seem . . .Irresistibly good fun and bursting with heart, A Country Life is the second book in the Honeycote series, which includes A Country Life and A Country Wedding. It can be read on its own or as part of the series.** This book was originally published as 'Making Hay' **Your favourite authors love Veronica Henry!'A blissful escape' SARAH MORGAN'The most uplifting getaway' LUCY DIAMOND'Veronica Henry writes like a dream' JILL MANSELL'Irresistibly romantic. I adored it' PHILLIPA ASHLEY'A delicious, dreamy, joy of a book' LIBBY PAGE'The perfect weekend read' FANNY BLAKE

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Samuel Johnson is not in a happy place. He is dating the wrong girl, demons are occupying his spare room, and the town in which he lives appears to be cursed.But there is some good news on the horizon. After years of neglect, the grand old building that once housed Wreckit & Sons is about to reopen as the greatest toyshop that Biddlecombe has ever seen, and Samuel and his faithful dachshund Boswell are to be guests of honour at the big event. A splendid time will be had by all, as long as they can ignore the sinister statue that keeps moving around the town, the Shadows that are slowly blocking out the stars, the murderous Christmas elves, and the fact that somewhere in Biddlecombe a rotten black heart is beating a rhythm of revenge.A trap has been set. The Earth is doomed. The last hope for humanity lies with one young boy and the girl who's secretly in love with him. Oh, and a dog, two demons, four dwarfs and a very polite monster.

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