Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisFrom the author of international bestseller Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 ''Cho’s complex, humane, and by its end utterly transfixing novel shows that it is in community that we find resilience.' i newspaper 'Like Bong Joon-ho's Academy Award-winning film Parasite and the popular Netflix series Squid Games, Saha points to the increasing inequality and lack of social mobility in South Korea. ... With global inequality on the rise, Saha’s theme of human dignity quashed by the interests of mega-corporations resonates widely.' Guardian '[A]n affecting portrait of people doing their best to survive in a world that would rather pretend they didn’t exist.' New York Times In a country called ‘Town’, Su is found dead in an abandoned car. The suspected killer is presumed to come from the Saha Estates.   Town

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE RNA POPULAR ROMANTIC NOVEL AWARD 2023. 'Grab a hot chocolate and lose yourself in this heart-warming story of romance, community and secrets. The perfect story to read by the fire!' PHILLIPPA ASHLEY ‘Brimming with warmth and Christmas cheer’ SARAH MORGAN When Paige turns up unannounced at Wynthorpe Hall, she discovers the place she knew when she was growing up has changed beyond all recognition. She’s only planning to stay for a short time, but is quickly pulled into local life.   One night while driving home after delivering library books and shopping to residents she stumbles across an isolated cottage and meets Albert, its elderly and rather grumpy owner. She quickly realises there’s more to Albert than meets the eye and the same can be said for the other man she can’t seem to help running into, handsome but brooding Brodie.   All three Trade Review'Grab a hot chocolate and lose yourself in this heart-warming story of romance, community and secrets. The perfect story to read by the fire!' -- Phillipa Ashley‘Dive head-first into some festive spirit with this gorgeous read’ * Fabulous Magazine *‘An uplifting read’ * Woman’s Weekly *‘Brimming with emotion, drama, romance and friendship, Swain’s magical tale of love, community, cheer and charm is guaranteed to leave readers with a special snow-sprinkled glow that wraps itself around you like a cosy blanket of love and laughter. With its tasty festive concoction of real life, heart-fluttering romance, laugh-out-loud comedy and heart-warming happy-ever-after, this is the perfect Christmas book hug for winter nights’ * Lancashire Evening Post * ‘this is the magic season for optimism, self-forgiveness and love’ * Woman & Home *‘A heart-warming read’ * HELLO *‘…if you love Christmas and romantic stories, this is definitely going to be one of your favourite reads this festive season’ * Simply Cards and Papercraft *'... A heart-warming read packed with seasonal cheer.' * Daily Express *'Paige stumbles across an isolated cottage and meets Albert. She realises there's more to Albert than meets the eye - and the same can be said for the other man she keeps running into - handsome Brodie. All have a desire to hide from the world, but is that the best way to celebrate the festive season?' * Take A Break Monthly *"Swain's latest sparkles with joy and wisdom." * Heat *‘Heidi Swain has become a go-to author when it comes to fun and festive reads’ * Culturefly *

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Book SynopsisRed Riding Nineteen Eighty is set against an evolving backdrop of power, corruption and lies. The nightmare continues during the winter of 1980 when the Ripper murders his thirteenth victim and the whole of Yorkshire is terrorised. Assistant Chief Constable Hunter struggles to solve the hellish crimes and bring an end to the horror, but is drawn ever deeper into a world of bent coppers and sleaze. After his house is burned down, his wife is threatened and his colleagues turn against him, Hunter's quest becomes personal as he has nothing left to lose. Nineteen Eighty is a compelling battle between two desperate men, each determined to destroy the other. This third volume of the Red Riding Quartet displays Peace's unique voice which places him as one of the UK's finest crime writers.Trade ReviewThe slow-burning, word-of-mouth success story of British publishing... These four books recreated the pervasive sense of terror and corruption with a hammering, semi-magical style loosely reminiscent of James Ellroy, but steeped in something far more bleak and English... the evil twin of Life On Mars... Peace may have succeeded in creating an enduring literature for a curiously undocumented area of Britain -- Justin Quirk * Guaridan Guide *Singular and memorable -- Ian Jack * Guardian *Bleakly brilliant * Radio Times *Compelling * Sunday Times *He's in a class of his own in terms of ambition. He's trying to write these alternative histories of events we know quite well in a challenging way. The fact that he's dealing with very English subjects from Japan is very interesting -- Alex Clark * editor of Granta Magazine *A British crime master work. Required reading... * Maxim *Original, difficult, brilliant * Observer *Haunting evocations of 70s and 80s Yorkshire - interlinking tales of very fallible coppers, very noir hacks, very human killers -- Euan Ferguson * Observer *

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Book SynopsisIn the middle of Kigali is a swimming pool at the Hôtel des Mille-Collines. It is a magnet for a privileged group of residents, a place where middle-class Rwandans drink with melancholy expatriates and prostitutes. But beyond the walls of the hotel exists a chaotic society in which millions live in poverty, surrounded by violence and disease. In this troubled world, Valcourt, a Canadian journalist, falls for Gentille, a beautiful Hutu waitress.A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali is a poignant love story, a stirring hymn to humanity and a modern classic of spellbinding power, confronting the nightmare that ravaged Rwanda in the 1990s.Trade ReviewExceptional . . . you must read it * * Sunday Times * *A Heart of Darkness for today -- YANN MARTELIntense and gut-wrenching, poetic and disquieting * * Observer * *Illuminating and horrifying, compassionate and scathing * * Times Literary Supplement * *Astounding . . . It's no surprise that this book has won so many prizes * * Daily Mail * *Courtemanche's time in Rwanda, where he worked as a journalist, may have produced the first great novel of the catastrophe that befell that country * * Guardian * *Haunting, graceful . . . with a journalist's unblinking eye and an appreciation of bitter irony * * New York Times * *An intense affair, urgent and nerve-wrackingly ominous, with a surprisingly boisterous humour * * Financial Times * *Courtemanche's work has an enormous quality . . . Read this book * * Spectator * *Very powerful . . . I urge you to read it * * Literary Review * *

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Book Synopsis'An original, radical and vital new voice in Irish writing ... [The Cruelty Men] should propel an already proven and prodigious talent to the forefront of contemporary Irish letters.' THE IRISH TIMES 'This is savagely compelling ... There's an incandescent rage at the heart of The Cruelty Men that burns so brightly, it will sear itself into the consciousness of all who read this powerful and moving novel.' THE SUNDAY BUSINESS POST `Emer Martin has written a beautiful alternative history of Ireland ... a book that traces the meaning of storytelling, mislaid culture and the boundless quest for belonging. The prose is captivating and seductive, it left me exhilarated and breathless, with new eyes on what it means to be Irish.' - JUNE CALDWELL *** Abandoned by her parents when they resettle in Meath, Mary O Conaill faces the task of raising her younger siblings alone. Padraig is disappeared, Sean joins the Christian Brothers, Bridget escapes and her brother Seamus inherits the farm. Maeve is sent to serve a family of shopkeepers in the local town. Later, pregnant and unwed, she is placed in a Magdalene Laundry where her twins are forcibly removed. Spanning the 1930s to the 70s, this sweeping multi-generational family saga follows the psychic and physical displacement of a society in freefall after independence. Wit, poetic nuance, vitality and authenticity inhabit this remarkable novel. The Cruelty Men tells an unsentimental tale of survival in a country proclaimed as independent but subjugated by silence.Trade Review‘The Cruelty Men is a tidal wave that drags you like a piece of debris through Irish history from the ice age to gangland Dublin. A bible of f–cked up Irishness.’ -- Irvine WelshThe Cruelty Men is a tidal wave that drags you like a piece of debris through Irish history from the ice age to gangland Dublin. A bible of f–cked up Irishness. -- Irvine WelshMartin is a natural storyteller with a finely tuned ear for language and symbolism. -- Hilary A. White * The Independent *The long-time California resident has come full circle, training her acutely dissecting gaze on her homeland, with an epic family saga of 20th-century Ireland. -- Desmond Trayner * The Irish Times *The sinister title and monochrome cover suggest a horror story from the Stephen King playbook. It is indeed horror; albeit historical horror, well-trodden ground in Ireland, yet Emer Martin’s new work manages to present Irish history in a striking way. -- Katie Binns * The Sunday Times *Emer Martin’s new novel The Cruelty Men is an epic read – and it’s also an epic journey through Irish history. -- Aoife Barry * The Journal *‘The Cruelty Men is a tidal wave that drags you like a piece of debris through Irish history from the ice age to gangland Dublin. A Bible of fucked up Irishness.’ – IRVINE WELSH ‘Emer Martin has written a beautiful alternative history of Ireland ... a book that traces the meaning of storytelling, mislaid culture and the boundless quest for belonging. The prose is captivating and seductive, it left me exhilarated and breathless, with new eyes on what it means to be Irish.’ – JUNE CALDWELL

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Book SynopsisThe Nothing is Hanif Kureishi's powerful new work: a tense and captivating exploration of lust, helplessness, and deception.

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE HWA DEBUT CROWN THE BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD THE MCKITTERICK PRIZE THE PAUL TORDAY MEMORIAL PRIZE THE WAVERTON GOOD READ AWARD A ZOE BALL ITV BOOK CLUB PICK''REMARKABLE'' Sarah Perry''EXTRAORDINARILY IMMERSIVE'' Guardian''A REALLY, REALLY GOOD READ'' BBC R2 Book Club''''LYRICAL'' Stylist''POETIC'' Daily Mail1627. In a notorious historical event, pirates raided the coast of Iceland and abducted 400 people into slavery in Algiers. Among them a pastor, his wife, and their children.In her acclaimed debut novel Sally Magnusson imagines what history does not record: the experience of Asta, the pastor''s wife, as she faces her losses with the one thing left to her - the stories from home - and forges an ambiguous bond with the man who bought her. Uplifting, moving, and sharply witty, The Sealwoman''s Gift speakTrade ReviewFrom the first, it leaps from the page... I found myself absolutely persuaded by Ásta's extraordinary journey from the harsh Icelandic coast to the strange and splendid palaces of Algiers. I enjoyed and admired it in equal measure * Sarah Perry, author of THE ESSEX SERPENT *A remarkable feat of imagination that transports the reader to 17th-century Iceland and Algiers ... an extraordinarily immersive read that emphasises the power of stories, examining themes of motherhood, identity, exile and freedom. Through her deft storytelling, Magnusson takes us on a journey that not only crosses continents, but encompasses tragedy and rich sensuality. -- Sian Norris * Guardian *An evocative, striking new novel ... which brings an Icelandic historical tragedy, and in particular, Icelandic woman Asta Egilsson, back to pulsing life. -- Stephen McGinty * Times *Moving, accomplished ... Richly imagined and energetically told, The Sealwoman's Gift is a powerful tale of loss and endurance * Sunday Times *Magnusson has certainly done her research, and she has found in the silences of the historical record the space for a novel that moves gracefully between what is known and what must be imagined...Much of the pleasure of reading The Sealwoman's Gift is that of a good yarn well told. * TLS *Fascinating ... a really, really good read * BBC Radio 2 Book Club *Sally Magnusson has turned this grim true story into a page-turner...beautifully told. * Radio Times *Sally Magnusson has taken an amazing true event and created a brilliant first novel. It's an epic journey in every sense: although it's historical, it's incredibly relevant to our world today. * Zoe Ball Book Club *Sally Magnusson writes compellingly of the psychological and physical shocks of being uprooted. Impeccably researched, this is a poetic retelling of Icelandic history. * Daily Mail *Sally Magnusson's wonderfully accomplished first novel is an enthralling mixture of recovered history and the imagining of lost lives. It's a delightful piece of storytelling which is also a story about telling stories ... In short, this is the best sort of historical novel * Scotsman *This is the best sort of historical novel. It respects the past and brings it alive. * The Scotsman *Icelandic history has been brought to extraordinary life. I was swept up in the story and the vivid plight of people taken away from everything they knew and understood. An accomplished and intelligent novel. * Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, author of WHY DID YOU LIE? *'Sally Magnusson has taken a little-known historical event - the Barbary corsair raid on Iceland in 1627 - and produced a moving story of suffering and redemption. Her tale of Ásta, the Reverend's wife, indomitable survivor of tragedy and heartbreak, is vivid and compelling' -- Adam NicholsA rich, captivating work * Mail on Sunday *Engrossing, atmospheric * Sunday Express *Compelling stuff * Good Housekeeping *A lyrical tale full of the Icelandic stories that Asta tells her children and her kidnappers * Stylist *Remarkably accomplished...The true story behind the novel is almost preposterously epic, yet she brings it to life by inhabiting the minds of her characters -- David Robinson * The Scotsman *Sally Magnusson's wonderfully accomplished first novel is an enthralling mixture of recovered history and the imagining of lost lives. It's a delightful piece of storytelling which is also a story about telling stories. * Yorkshire Post *A compelling read...While a historical novel, it also contains contemporary resonances, particularly in the way it examines how different people integrate into a society that is completely foreign to them -- Caroline Sanderson * The Bookseller *An astonishing novel that will stay with me for a long time...Asta Thorsteinsdottir is a truly remarkable and resourceful heroine -- Waterstones Book BlogAn impressive debut from Magnusson who seems to have inherited her Icelandic ancestors' talent for beguiling storytelling * The Herald *Magnusson's prose never falters ... What an exceptional and moving fiction debut this is. * Elle Thinks blog *An engrossing and accomplished novel * The Last Word Book Review *There's something so wonderful about being wholly drawn into a richly imagined historical novel that both illuminates a somewhat forgotten or not-widely-known period of history and gives voice to people who are only glancingly referred to in the history books ... this novel brilliantly engages with many of the heartrending conflicts a woman in Asta's position must have faced while also powerfully illuminating the cultural importance of storytelling and the complicated dynamics of love * Lonesome Reader *Packed with detail and characters, Sally's immersive prose and precise observations entwine you in the action and emotion of this dramatic tale. An absolute triumph of imagination * Press Association *Inspired by the country's literary sagas, the novel's heart-wrenching fiction is built around the bloodied bones of fact, words hauled from written records of the 17th century * Sunday Post *Much more than simply a vividly-imagined historical novel, but a personally touching meditation on the choices we're forced to make in life * Lonesome Reader *Captivating * Scots Magazine *This psychological depth, along with engaging prose and meticulous research into the history on which this novel is based, makes The Sealwoman's Gift another contender for my books of the year * Annethology *Excellent * Dumfries and Galloway Life *accomplished...enthralling...This is the best sort of historical novel -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *I have been banging the drum for The Sealwoman's Gift for a solid year now, still recommending it to every person I possibly can - and it was the first book on this list, the only absolute certainty from the beginning. A stunning debut novel, it is based on the true story of 17th century Icelanders who were kidnapped and sold as slaves in North Africa. The writing is beautiful, the sense of time and place once again at the top of the author's list of many talents, and the magical-realism of the Sealwoman utterly convincing. * Cultured Vultures *

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Book SynopsisA new edition of Orwell''s savage satire of the Soviet Revolution, introduced and annotated by his biographer, D.J. TaylorFirst published in 1945, just as the allied forces had begun to parcel up the post-war world, Orwell''s satire of the Soviet Revolution was instantly acclaimed as a Cold War classic. Set in the English countryside in the early years of the twentieth century, this is the story of a rebellion that fails, carried out by revolutionaries who all too swiftly turn into the thing they were trying to destroy.This new edition includes an introduction and extensive end-notes, and an appendix containing original responses to the novel as well as letters and documents from the period in which Animal Farm was written.

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Book Synopsis‘Donald is a writer not only at the top of his game, but of the game’ Giles Kristian, author of the Raven series‘Donald delivers a masterclass’ Theodore Brun, author of A Burning Sea'A gory, gleeful treat' The TimesThe greatest warriors are forged in the flamesTwo pagan fighters771AD, Northern Europe. Bjarki Bloodhand and Tor Hildarsdottir are journeying south into Saxony. Their destination is the Irminsul, the One Tree that links the Nine Worlds of the Middle-Realm. In this most holy place, they hope to learn how to summon their animal spirits so they can enter the ranks of the legendary berserkir: the elite frenzied fighters of the North.One Christian kingKarolus, newly crowned King of the Franks, has a thorn in his side: the warlike Saxon tribes on his northern borders who shun the teachings of the Church, blasphemously continuing to worship their pagan gods.An epic battle for the soul of the NorthThe West’s greatest warlord vows to stamp out his neighbours’ superstitions and bring the light of the True Faith to the Northmen – at the point of a sword. It will fall to Bjarki, Tor and the men and women of Saxony to resist him in a struggle for the fate of all Europe.Praise for The Last Berserker ‘Donald has taken the legendary berserkers, those frothing-at-the-mouth shield-biters, and made them human, which once again proves that Donald is a writer not only at the top of his game, but of the game ... It is a wonderful, rich and violent brew. I welcome Angus Donald to the shield wall of Viking fiction like a thirsty man welcomes a mead-brother to the feast ... A tale worthy of the skalds’ Giles Kristian, author of the Raven series‘With The Last Berserker, Donald has given us the first cut of some serious Dark Age beef. By turns heart-racing, intriguing, and touching, this is not a book for the faint-hearted – I can’t wait for more’ Theodore Brun, author of A Burning Sea‘The Last Berserker strikes with the thundering power of Thor's hammer... rich with the earthy depth, historical detail, intrigue, violence and adventure that we expect from Donald. But it is Bjarki and Tor that make The Last Berserker stand out... Donald's masterful creations will live on in the imagination long after the final page’ Matthew Harffy, author of the Bernicia Chronicles'A wonderful, blood-soaked tale of redemption and revenge, set amidst the eighth century clash of civilisations between Pagan Vikings and Christian Franks, by a master of the genre’ Saul David, author of Zulu Hart'Loved this tale of a berserker facing up against the tidal wave of Charlemagne’s expansion. Great characters, brilliantly paced and explosive, gritty battle-scenes. Highly recommended' John Gwynne, author of Malice‘Well researched detail and stunning battle scenes make The Last Berserker a white knuckle ride. A thrilling, up-all-night read’ C. R. May, author of The Day of the Wolf'I loved it. Bjarki and Tor are great characters, instantly relatable. The depth of the immersion in their world and their values gives the book authenticity and weight' Cecelia Holland, author of The Soul Thief

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Book Synopsis⭐”Keeps the shocks coming right up to the climatic end…” Lisa Gardner⭐ The DNA results are back. And there’s a serial killer in her family tree… Trade ReviewPraise for The Family Tree: “This thriller keeps the shocks coming right up to the climatic end.” Lisa Gardner, author of Before She Disappeared “A cracking debut, a very original take on the serial killer theme with plenty of jaw-dropping moments” Alex Pine, author of The Christmas Killer “A fresh, inventive take on the thriller. Brilliant and deliciously dark, it’ll keep you enthralled until the very last page” Jeneva Rose, author of The Perfect Marriage “Such a great premise, with characters to root for and tension that escalates, leaving you longing for the next instalment. The Family Tree is pacey, compellingly creepy and at times blackly funny” Sharon Dempsey, author of Who Took Eden Mulligan? “Chilling from page one, this twisted and twisty thriller is sure to keep you up at night – either because you can’t stop reading, or because you’re too afraid to sleep” Megan Collins, author of The Winter Sister “Mesmerizing and chilling, The Family Tree simmers with tension. Expertly paced, it will keep you turning the pages right up to the stunning conclusion.” Daniela Petrova, author of Her Mother’s Daughter “Packed with a fresh plot and page-turning pacing, you’ll have a chilling new perspective of DNA matching after reading The Family Tree. From the first page I was hooked as it ventures into the worst-case scenario of an ancestry search…right into the arms of a serial killer. One word captures it all: unputdownable.” Pamela Crane, author of One Perfect Morning “A fast-paced thrill ride, with dark twists and clever plotting that had me up way past my bedtime – and triple-checking the locks before I could finally fall asleep” Andrea Bartz, author of The Herd

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Book SynopsisA chilling supernatural tale, The Survivor is an unforgettable horror by master of the genre James Herbert, the author of The Rats and The Fog.One of the worst crashes in airline history. 300 dead. One survivor. Keller walked out of the flaming wreckage, driven on by unseen forces, seeking the answer to his own survival.Now the dead are buried in the town of Eton and its inhabitants are trying to forget. Until the town is forced to face the shocking, dreadful evil that is now buried in the old graveyard. A truth Keller does not want to know but will be forced to confront . . .Trade ReviewBrisk and ingenious horror story * Sunday Times *The horror master * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisJeanette Garland, missing Castleford, July 1969. Susan Ridyard, missing Rochdale, March 1972. Claire Kemplay, missing Morley, since yesterday. Christmas bombs and Lord Lucan on the run, Leeds United and the Bay City Rollers, The Exorcist and It Ain't Half Hot Mum. It's winter, 1974, Yorkshire, and Eddie Dunford's got the job he wanted - crime correspondent for the Yorkshire Evening Post. He didn't know it was going to be a season in hell. A dead little girl with a swan's wings stitched into her back. In Nineteen Seventy Four, David Peace brings the passion and stylistic bravado of an Ellroy novel to this terrifyingly intense journey into a secret history of sexual obsession and greed, and starts a highly acclaimed crime series that has redefined how the genre is approached.Trade ReviewHaunting evocations of 70s and 80s Yorkshire - interlinking tales of very fallible coppers, very noir hacks, very human killers * Observer *1974 is raw and furiously alive, the literary equivalent of a hard right to the jaw -- George P. PelecanosQuite simply, this is the future of British crime fiction * Time Out *Stunning...a brilliant first novel, written with tremendous pace and passion * Yorkshire Post *A brilliant, unique voice -- John SimmPeace has found his own voice - full of dazzling, intense poetry and visceral violence * Uncut *The slow-burning, word-of-mouth success story of British publishing... These four books recreated the pervasive sense of terror and corruption with a hammering, semi-magical style loosely reminiscent of James Ellroy, but steeped in something far more bleak and English... the evil twin of Life On Mars... Peace may have succeeded in creating an enduring literature for a curiously undocumented area of Britain * Guardian *Bleakly brilliant * Radio Times *Compelling * Sunday Times *He's in a class of his own in terms of ambition. He's trying to write these alternative histories of events we know quite well in a challenging way. The fact that he's dealing with very English subjects from Japan is very interesting -- Editor of Granta MagazineA British crime master work. Required reading... * Maxim *Original, difficult, brilliant * Observer *Singular and memorable * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis*** CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS AUTHOR OF THE YEAR 2022***THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF GROWN UPS, MARIAN KEYES''JUST BRILLIANT'' SUNDAY TIMES___________''Myself and Hugh . . . We''re taking a break.''''A city-with-fancy-food sort of break?''If only.Amy''s husband Hugh says he isn''t leaving her.He still loves her, he''s just taking a break - from their marriage, their children and, most of all, from their life together.Six months in South-East Asia. And nothing she says can stop him.But when does a break become a break-up?A lot can happen in six months. And it''s enough to send Amy and her family of gossips, misfits and troublemakers teetering over the edge.When Hugh returns, if he returns, will he be the same man she married?Will Amy be the same woman?BecaTrade ReviewInvolving and beautifully told . . . There's a reason why Marian Keyes is the queen of commercial women's fiction * i Newspaper *Classic Marian Keyes: a blizzard of wit and wisecracks. Mercilessly funny * The Times *There is such a variety of stories and the characters are believable and relatable. She writes funny parts, but then there are those moments that knock you down with sadness * Libby Page, bestselling author of The Lido, Woman & Home *An addictive book . . . lust and desire is described brilliantly * Independent *The Break races along with Keyes' trademark energy, lightness of touch and plenty of laughs * Sunday Express *The Break is Marian Keyes at her funniest, wisest, glorious bestThe Break makes me laugh out loud * Sunday Express *Breathlessly entertaining * Connaught Telegraph *Keyes writes extremely well about modern women. A breezy, candid and deeply felt account of a wife, mother and career woman rediscovering herself * Metro *Girl-power at its best. I laughed . . . I cried * Daily Mail *Another belter. Full of brilliantly fun characters, genuine emotion and heaps of charm. We loved it! * Heat *A snappy narrator and a raucous cast of characters make The Break another classic from Marian Keyes * Sunday Express *Fabulously entertaining. Classic Keyes. The queen of intelligent women's fiction * Sunday Mirror *A pleasure. Keyes writes women who are absolutely themselves, even when society tries to insist they be something else * Irish Times *Hilariously wise * Prima *Marian Keyes's latest novel will have you enraged one moment. Half laughing. Half crying the next. While nodding in recognition * Psychologies *Marian Keyes writes about modern relationships and families with brutal yet endearing honesty, wonderful humour and astonishing acumen * Ruth Hogan, author of The Keeper of Lost Things *There is no finer writer than Marian Keyes and The Break is her at the top of the game; funny, real, with characters that speak to all of us. Only Keyes can combine pathos and humour with such effortless skill, to produce a novel that stays with you long after you've turned the final page * Rowan Coleman, author of The Summer of Impossible Things *Underline Keyes' status as an international treasure. The ultimate choice for a binge read * Stylist *A gripping story with great heart, intensity and wisdom * Sunday Business Post *Hilarious and moving, a zeitgeisty look at how couples splinter or stay together in the face of life's obstacles * Irish Times *I bloody loved it. Many moments of comic genius, empathy and heartbreak. She really is unparalleled when it comes to making serious points with the lightest of touches. * The Pool *I absolutely LOVED The Break - such energy, wit and good humour * Fanny Blake, author and books editor, Woman & Home *One of the most reliably brilliant novelists writing with humour and insight about women's lives, I think Keyes gets better and better * Alice O’Keeffe, The Bookseller *Hilariously warm and wonderful * Image *Amy's husband Hugh has run away to 'find himself'. But will he ever come back? 'Myself and Hugh . . . We're taking a break.''A city-with-fancy-food sort of break?'If only. * from the publisher's description *September's best pulse-quickening pager-turner. Marian Keyes at her most classic and brilliant best * Red *The ultimate choice . . . filled with the author's signature themes, think turbulent relationships, tricky families and the need for self-belief. Keyes' [is] an international treasure * Stylist *Fabulously entertaining, classic Keyes . . . a delightful reminder of why best selling Keyes has earned her crown as the queen of intelligent woman's fiction * The People *Cause for celebration . . . An engrossing novel full of wit and warmth. The humour never once detracts from the emotional depth. * Red *Cause for jubilation . . . This proves her to be the reigning queen of British chick lit . . . insightful, funny and poignant * Daily Mail *Praise for Marian Keyes -- -Gloriously funny * The Sunday Times *Funny but poignant * Marie Claire *A total triumph * Daily Mail *Not only is it a great story with funny, loveable characters, it made me laugh out loud * Stylist *

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Book SynopsisDon't miss the heartwarming, moving novel from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author Dilly Court!Rockwood was home and she would do anything she could to stop it being stolen from them.Abandoned by their parents and left to fight for themselves, headstrong Rosalind Carey has no choice but to take charge of her younger brothers and sister in Devonshire's grand Rockwood Castle. But their once much-loved home is crumbling like the family that lives within it. Living hand to mouth and desperate to provide for the estate that depends on them, the Carey family are one debt away from ruin. Until the day comes when the dashing Piers Blanchard appears on their doorstep from Cornwall, claiming he is Rosalind's distant cousin and that Rockwood Castle is his.Piers says he wants to help pay off the family's debts. But how can Rosalind be sure he isn't out to take what is his and leave them all homeless? Only a closely-guarded secret will convince Rosalind she can trust Piers to protect her familTrade Review Praise for Dilly Court: ‘Feisty female characters to fall in love with in a spirited, adventurous novel’ Sunday Express ‘Dilly Court’s latest novel is another page-turner that will keep you gripped to the end – 5 stars’ The People’s Friend ‘As always Dilly keeps you absorbed right to the end’ Choice ‘A rollicking, fast-paced adventure with a hint of romance!’ My Weekly ‘Spellbinding . . . you just keep turning the pages’ Daily Mail ‘A fast-paced, riveting read’ Sunday Express ‘A heart-warming, fast-paced story that will keep you gripped till the end’ The People’s Friend ‘Feisty female characters to fall in love with in a spirited, adventurous novel’ Sunday Express ‘Atmospheric, vivid and compelling’ My Weekly ‘An excellent, well-researched read’ People’s Friend ‘Perfect for Downton Abbey fans … heart-tugging’ Peterborough Telegraph

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Book SynopsisWith a foreword by Maggie Nelson, an introduction from Frieze editor Andrew Durbin and afterword from Edmund White 'Unforgettable, heartbreaking' New York Times 'Brilliant' - Dazed 'As brutal as it is elegant' - Neil Bartlett 'Electrifying' - Colm Tóibín 'Dazzling' - Katherine Angel After being diagnosed with AIDS, Hervé Guibert wrote this devastating, darkly humorous and personal novel, chronicling three months in the penultimate year of the narrator's life. In the wake of his friend Muzil's death, he goes from one quack doctor to another, from holidays to test centres, and charts the highs and lows of trying to cheat death. On publication in 1990, the novel scandalized French media, which quickly identified Muzil as Guibert's close friend Michel Foucault. The book became a bestseller, and Guibert a celebrity. The book has since attained a cult following for its tender, fragmented and beautifully written accounts of illness, friendship, sex, art and everyday life. It catapulted Guibert into notoriety and sealed his reputation as a writer of shocking precision and power.Trade Review[Full of] innovation and historical importance, ... breathtaking indiscretion, tenderness and gore. -- Parul Sehgal * New York Times *The father of autofiction, the master of finding that perfect balance of truth and beauty. * Guardian *As much about friendship, intimacy, and betrayal as it is about sickness. ... Brilliant * Dazed *Written with urgency, clarity, controlled rage. ... it is electrifying in its searing honesty -- Colm TóibínA writer of courage, beguiling flair * New Yorker *Relentlessly honest, extraordinarily truthful * Kirkus Reviews *This moving French bestseller ... reads like a personal memoir. Delivered with wit, verve and valor * Publishers Weekly *'Dark and unsettling, yet Guibert manages to find beauty and tenderness in the world around him.' -- Moyra Davey, author of Index CardsThe book is a lightly fictionalized (and magnificently indiscreet) account of the final days of the philosopher Michel Foucault, Guibert's neighbor and friend. Guibert possesses an aloof, silvery style - a cool envelope for scalding material: a homage to a friendship and its betrayal, and a document of the breakdown of his own body. It is an unforgettable, heartbreaking evocation of the early days of the epidemic, when gay men were forced to become their own scientists, lobbyists, archivists. -- Parul Sehgal * New York Times *Outstandingly colloquial and exact translation ... urgent and monitory. ... Restrained and controlled...but full of well-noticed contrasting details that combine to create an effect that Guibert...characterized as "barbarous and delicate." -- Marco Roth * Book Forum *'Reveals a writer of courage, beguiling flair, and sometimes maddening nastiness ... The rare book that truly deserves the epithet "unflinching." Its author may be afraid to die, but on the page his voice doesn't crack, his hand doesn't tremble. ... In Linda Coverdale's masterly translation ...[the book] powerfully evokes the aids epidemic's uncertain early days. * New Yorker *[Guibert's] work has been strangely neglected in the Anglophone world, never mind its innovation and historical importance, its breathtaking indiscretion, tenderness and gore. How can an artist so original, so thrillingly indifferent to convention and the tyranny of good taste - let alone one so prescient - remain untranslated and unread? -- Parul Sehgal * New York Times *One of the most beautiful, haunting, and fascinating works in the French autofictional canon. Guibert grapples with his own AIDS diagnosis, and the death of his friend Muzil, in a dazzling piece of writing. It's a book that gives me goose-bumps every time I open it - I'm thrilled that it's being reissued in the UK, where Guibert's extraordinary writing deserves to be much better known. -- Katherine AngelThirty years on, it can be hard to adequately describe what things felt like when AIDS first swung its wrecking ball. But that's exactly what Guibert achieves. He writes from the inside, and deploys every trick of his famously disinhibited prose to make sure that the squalor and madness of his journey through HIV infection hit us right between the eyes . His testimony is as brutal as it is elegant; shot through with a scalding and necessary rage. -- Neil Bartlett, author * Ready to Catch Him Should He Fall *

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Book SynopsisFrom the #1 bestselling author of Breaking Point and winner of Crime Novel of the Year at the An Post Irish Book Awards.Who is the other woman? That''s for you to decide.Ann devoted years to her mother''s care - and now she''s gone, Ann feels lost.Justin is also grieving but his wife is still alive. Deborah is in a coma and she doesn''t have long left.Ann quickly moves in with Justin and his little girl, making them the perfect family. But just as Ann settles into her new life, Justin''s is turned upside down. Unexpectedly, Deborah has survived. His wife is coming home.Neither knows what to do. But one thing is for certain: Ann has earned the life that Deborah left behind, and she plans to keep it . . .Praise for Breaking Point:''Raw, compelling, and ground-breaking'' Liz Nugent''A gripping, compulsive pageturner about what we expect from women, especially mothers'' Marian Keyes''Prepare to feel devastated and enraged all at once'' Heat''Thought-provoking'' Sun''A rare treat, an emotional thriller steeped in humanity'' John Boyne''Gripping, unswerving, heart-breaking'' Celia Walden, author of Payday''An incredibly powerful thriller with real emotional depth'' TM Logan, author of The Holiday

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Book Synopsis''ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I''VE READ IN RECENT YEARS . . . PACKS A HELL OF AN EMOTIONAL PUNCH'' Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of TimeFrom one of the most imaginative writers of her generation comes an extraordinary vision of the future.Ven was once a holy man, a keeper of ancient archives. It was his duty to interpret archaic texts, sorting useful knowledge from the heretical ideas of the Burning Age - a time of excess and climate disaster. For in Ven''s world, such material must be closely guarded, so that the ills that led to that cataclysmic era can never be repeated.But when the revolutionary Brotherhood approaches Ven, pressuring him to translate stolen writings that threaten everything he once held dear, his life will be turned upside down. Torn between friendship and faith, Ven must decide how far he''s willing to go to save this new world, and how much he is willing to lose.Notes from the Burning AgeTrade ReviewOne of the best books I've read in recent years. Thought provoking, imaginative and packs a hell of an emotional punch * Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of CHILDREN OF TIME *A gripping, utterly involving, dystopian eco-thriller that balances the intimacies of betrayal against global climate collapse * DAILY MAIL *A riveting tale . . . North's convincing view of post-apocalyptic society captivates, and the political intrigues will keep readers hooked right up until the explosive close * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *An impassioned, urgent and compelling new work that burns as bright as the fires of our own burning age. This is not to be missed -- Lavie Tidhar, World Fantasy Award-winning authorClaire North depicts a startling, richly developed postapocalyptic world in this beautiful and riveting novel * BUZZFEED *Notes is compelling because it is beautiful . . . It felt seamless . . . When North was done and Notes reached its explosive conclusion, I just wasn't ready to leave. Her world was such a fragile, beautiful, doomed place, I felt like I should stick around just to make sure it would all be okay * NPR *A passionate and committed vision of what we do to nature, and what it can do to us * LOCUS *Mesmeric, terrifying and wonderful. North is practically her own genre at this point. -- M. R. Carey, author of THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTSAn irresistible, haunting thrill * Joe Hill, author of HORNS and LOCKE AND KEY *A clever and thought-provoking conceit * GUARDIAN *North's latest once again displays her mastery of lyrical prose . . . The author presents a fascinating testament to humanity's fallibility and tendency towards denial, merged with the potency of truth and the power of love * BOOKLIST *Claire North's most ambitious novel to date * LOCUS *Remarkable . . . one of the most moving, horrifying and gut-wrenching novels of the year * NPR *A suspenseful tale of the truths that lie hidden in the human heart . . . This is a world-spanning cat-and-mouse chase that tackles big questions about the nature of truth and whether we can ever really know one another or ourselves. True love, life, and death, what's worth dying - or killing - for: It's all here in this gripping, bloody, and haunting novel * KIRKUS *In rich, compelling prose, North weaves together the threads of imperial control, ideological conviction, love and the thrill of power . . . A lyrical and sometimes surreal approach to espionage and its thrills * SHELF AWARENESS *North's talent shines out -- SUNDAY TIMESClaire North is a true original, a master of ingenious plotting and feats of imagination -- Alex Marwood, author of THE WICKED GIRLSClaire North's writing is terrific, smart and entertaining -- Patrick NessNorth demonstrates skill in creating a terrifying setting that feels rooted to the present day . . . Every aspect of life in Theo's Britain is imbued with a menace that feels both recognizable and urgent, and the decisions the characters make as a result feel uncomfortably real. * RT BOOK REVIEWS on 84K *The truly scary thing about 84K is how convincing this dark, brutal class-divided Britain is * SFX (4 1/2 stars) *North is an original and even dazzling writer, and fans of her work will enjoy this grim tale of capitalism taken to a terrifying extreme * KIRKUS on 84K *Another captivating novel from one of the most intriguing and genre-bending novelists * BOOKLIST on 84K *An extraordinary novel that stands with the best of dystopian fiction, with echoes of The Handmaid's Tale -- Cory Doctorow on 84K

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Book Synopsis''Faultless storytelling . . . Wise, generous, atmospheric'' ObserverGrowing up after the war in Westmere, an English seaside town, Kitty has been sheltered by her parents, but meeting Danny changes all of that. She decides to leave everyone and everything she knows to follow Danny to London, in pursuit of glamour and opportunity, and this sets in motion a series of events that will echo down the generations. Over fifty years later, when Kitty''s body is found in her beach hut with a suicide note by her side, her great-niece will help to unravel all the secrets which the family has kept hidden over the decades.''Explores familial legacy, generational secrets and the effects of long-lasting trauma with a distinct tenderness'' New Statesman''A portrait of sisterhood . . . powerful'' Daily Mail''A writer who never lets you down'' Ali SmithTrade ReviewDuffy is a fearless writer ... A portrait of sisterhood in the wider sense - one that's as powerful and gritty as it is wise and celebratory -- Stephanie Cross * DAILY MAIL *Lullaby Beach explores familial legacy, generational secrets and the effects of long-lasting trauma with a distinct tenderness * New Statesman *Whether it's down to the sure rhythm of Duffy's faultless storytelling or the faded backdrop of the south coast of England, her latest novel is a comforting tale despite some gritty subject matter. It opens as eighty-something Kitty takes her own life, leaving behind not just a gaping hole in the world of her two great-nieces, but a mystery, too. Four dates contained in a note seem to hold the key, concealing secrets that bind three generations of Beth and Sara's family. Wise, generous and atmospheric -- Hephzibah Anderson * Observer *A suicide in a sleepy English seaside town exposes family secrets that have lain dormant for three generations in thisatmospheric novel . . . The action is set in the present day and the 1950s. We meet Kitty as an idealistic young girl keen to escape the monotony of her small-minded seaside existence. She elopes with an unsuitable man and starts a new life in London. But it doesn't quite match up to her expectations and she comes running back home, licking her wounds. The narrative masterfully interweaves her story with that of other women in her family, leading to a dramatic finale * The Lady *A writer who never lets you down * ALI SMITH *First class * MARCEL BERLINS, THE TIMES *Sharp insights and sharper wit * DAILY MAIL *A powerful talent * GUARDIAN *Nobody turns the screw of tension tighter than Stella Duffy * VAL MCDERMID *Duffy writes with a judicious combination of power and subtlety * SUNDAY TIMES *A versatile and gifted novelist * LAURA LIPPMAN *

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Book SynopsisThe twenty-third book in the perennially adored The No. 1 Ladies'' Detective Agency series.Grace Makutsi''s husband, Phuti, is in a bind. An international firm is attempting to undercut his prices in the office furniture market. Phuti has always been concerned with quality and comfort, but this new firm seems interested only in profits. To make matters worse, they have a slick new advertising campaign that seems hard to beat. Nonetheless with Mma Ramotswe''s help, Phuti comes up with a campaign that may just do the trick.Meanwhile, Mma Makutsi is approached by an old friend who has a troubled son. Grace and Phuti agree to lend a hand, but the boy proves difficult to reach, and the situation is more than they can handle on their own. It will require not only all of their patience and dedication, but also the help of Mma Ramotswe and the formidable Mma Potokwani in order to help the child.Faced with more than her fair share of domestic problems, Mma MakuTrade ReviewMcCall Smith is an author who sees his characters and their world, fully and tenderly. And that makes for a book that is as comforting to sink into as a well-worn armchair * New York Journal of Books *A delightful addition to one of the most endearing and readable series in the world of fiction... ensures that this series fully deserves all the accolades it has received * LoveReading *Another irresistible slice of Botswana-set cosy crime * Waterstones *A story that possesses all the cosiness of your own, very comfortable armchair... captivating * Oakville News *McCall Smith is a master orchestrator of multiple plotlines and currents of influence... a clever, hilarious and sometimes poignant mystery tale * Book Reporter *As they would sink into one of Phuti's large, overstuffed, extremely comfortable armchairs, so will readers delightedly immerse themselves in descriptions of the Botswana landscape; in Precious and Grace's conversations over mugs of red bush tea; and in the doings of the rest of the cast of comic characters... Another delight from the prolific McCall Smith * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisJenni Fagan was born in Scotland. Jenni was selected as one of Granta's Best Young British Novelists after the publication of her debut novel, The Panopticon, which was shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize and the James Tait Black Prize. The Sunlight Pilgrims, her second novel, was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Encore Award and the Saltire Fiction Book of the Year Award and saw her win Scottish Author of the Year at the Herald Culture Awards. Luckenbooth was shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize 2021. Jenni Fagan is a Doctor of Philosophy, she lives in Edinburgh with her son.Trade ReviewOne of the most stunning literary experiences I've had in years. LUCKENBOOTH, sprawling the decades with its themes of repression and revenge, brings back something that has long been lacking in the British novel: ambition. If Alasdair Gray's Lanark was a masterly imagining of Glasgow, then this is the quintessential novel of Edinburgh at its darkest. -- Irvine WelshIt's extraordinary. Make sure it's on your radar ... Definitely going to be one of my books of 2021, a gloriously transgressive novel of Edinburgh denizens past and present. -- Ian RankinOver time, 10 Luckenbooth Close sinks from grand residence to condemned squat with secrets seething in its walls ... Luckenbooth is a place of compacted time, where the past manifests as unquiet ghosts and the future bleeds into the present ... There's a force in Luckenbooth's bizarre assemblage. * The Times *With Luckenbooth, [Jenni Fagan] gives us nine of Edinburgh's wildest and loneliest misfits ... Piles on claustrophobia and menace ... As we move between the characters' perspectives, gritty realism takes over from the gothic. This isn't fancy Edinburgh: at No 10 it's cigarettes, cocaine and Benzedrine for breakfast ... There are memorable creations ... Fagan's prose is poetic, high-octane, built on punchy sentences. Arresting descriptions of the city and its weather abound. This is not a novel that lacks energy. * Sunday Times *Jenni Fagan's Luckenbooth reminded me of one of my favourite novels, Georges Perec's Life: A User's Manual. Set in an Edinburgh tenement, it leaps across decades to tell the story of the curse that haunts No 10 Luckenbooth Close and its eccentric inhabitants. -- Alex Preston * Observer *

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Book SynopsisGeorge A. Romero (Author) George A. Romero was an American filmmaker, writer and editor. He is celebrated for his series of gruesome satirical horror films about an imagined zombie apocalypse, including the classics Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead. He died in 2017.Daniel Kraus (Author) Daniel Kraus is a bestselling novelist whose work includes co-authoring, with Guillermo del Toro, both The Shape of Water (which became an Oscar-winning film) and Trollhunters (an Emmy-winning Netflix series). His work has been translated into over 25 languages and he lives in Chicago.Trade ReviewA horror landmark, a work of gory genius marked by all of Romero's trademark wit, humanity, and merciless social observations. How lucky are we to have this final act of grand guignol from the man who made the dead walk. -- JOE HILL, author of NOS4A2A sprawling, timely, scary epic that honours the zombie tradition but also goes in new directions and takes risks that pay off. -- PAUL TREMBLAY, author of A Head Full of GhostsLike a lost Romero classic, which will play out on the inside your skull long after you’ve finished it. -- CLIVE BARKER, author of HellraiserIf Night of the Living Dead was the first word in the dead rising field, The Living Dead is the last word. A monumental achievement. -- ADAM NEVILL, bestselling author of The RitualThe Living Dead expands, clarifies and concludes a tale more than 50 years in the telling, and does so with wit, style and a deep sense of commitment to this frequently unsettling material. * WASHINGTON POST *

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Book Synopsis'Full of hope and love' Emer McLysaght'Warm ... insightful' Rachael EnglishNUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHORGeorge is happy. Mostly. He loves his teaching job and his daughter Suzi, though he wishes he saw her a little more. All the same, it feels like time for a change - getting over Suzi's mum is definitely long overdue. So George sets up an online dating profile ... and waits to see what will happen.Alice was happy. Until she found out her boyfriend was lying to her. So she returns to her hometown determined that this fresh start will work out. All she has to do is say yes to things - yes to a spare room at her aunt's, yes to writing for the local paper, maybe even yes to falling in love again.As Alice and George try to make everyday changes, their lives begin to overlap more and more. And maybe the day they finally meet will be the day everything changes forever ...

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Book SynopsisIt’s 1943 and the war has brought rationing to the Hebridean islands of Great and Little Todday. When food is in short supply, it is bad enough, but when the whisky runs out, it looks like the end of the world. Morale is at rock bottom. George Campbell needs a wee dram to give him the courage to stand up to is mother and marry Catriona. The priest, the doctor and, of course, the landlord at the inn are all having a very thin time of it. There’s no conversation, no jollity, no fun – until a shipwreck off the coast brings a piece of extraordinary good fortune …Trade ReviewWartime food rationing is bad enough, but when the whisky supplies run out on the Hebridean islands of Great and Little Todday, nothing seems to go right. Then the fifty-thousand-bottle cargo of the shipwrecked S. S. Cabinet Minister brings salvation - in its most giddily intoxicating form.

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Book SynopsisPopular Fiction Book of the Year - An Post Irish Book Awards 2023'EXTREMELY funny and refreshingly honest about the unacknowledged complexity of female friendship' Marian Keyes'Her best yet. It's astute, relatable, hilarious, insightful, and utterly impossible to put down' Louise O'Neill'Unputdownable ... a darkly funny, raw story about friendship, vulnerability and honesty' Irish TimesLexi is on top of the worldThe podcast she co-hosts with her ride-or-die bestie is going stratospheric. But will all this fame and success cost them their friendship?Joanne's just had a babyBut her pals keep forgetting that she's no longer available for tequila-fuelled nights out. She loves her son and her boyfriend but the loneliness is killing her.Claire is feeling left outThe Whatsapp chat with her old school friends is ominously quiet these days, which can only mean one thing: a side group without her. Can she convince them to give her another chance, or is it time to move on and seek out new BFFs?Fate brings Claire, Joanne and Lexi together as they navigate the knotty, joyful and occasionally toxic swamp that is female friendship. But how will they each decide which friendships to fight for, and which to let go forever?What people are saying about Sophie's books:Sharp, funny ... with characters you'll fall in love with' BETH O'LEARY'Astutely observed, whip-smart and very, very funny' SARAH BREEN'A modern, witty, razor-sharp page-turner' EMER MCLYSAGHTTrade ReviewMy Hot Friend is most interested in exploring the interplays of female friendship in all its complexities, particularly where the hierarchy of newer and long-standing friendships are concerned * Irish Independent *My Hot Friend is ... a genuinely hilarious read that is also full of heart, grit, and real emotion * Sunday Independent *[Sophie] White has written a book that will appeal to both sides of her readership. There's levity and humour here, but the underlying darkness of her work also comes to a head in this refreshing take on the complications of female friendship * Sunday Business Post *

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Book SynopsisThe Vinland Viking Saga: Book 1History set her fate in stoneMurderer. Mercenary. Temptress.Trickster. Traitor. Thief.But under a hammer that falls like thunder, stone will always shatter.So with her voice she lights the forge.The Voyage of Freydis sings the silenced tale of Freydis Eiriksdottir, the first and only woman to lead a Viking voyage across the Atlantic in this tempestuous retelling of an ancient Icelandic saga set at the dawn of the 11th century.Content notice: spousal abuse.Praise for The Voyage of Freydis:Anyone who loves Vikings and historical fiction definitely should pick up this book' Emily, NetGalley reviewerVery lyrically written, I felt as if I was reading a song' Tiffany, NetGalley reviewerAs a lover of mythology and historical fiction I knew immediately I was going to like this book and I'm pleased to say I not only liked it but I LOVED it!' Libby, NetGalley reviewerTamara Goranson's writing really shines here. I felt the cold, heard the wind, flinched with the blTrade Review‘Anyone who loves Vikings and historical fiction definitely should pick up this book’ Emily, NetGalley reviewer ‘Very lyrically written, I felt as if I was reading a song’ Tiffany, NetGalley reviewer ‘As a lover of mythology and historical fiction I knew immediately I was going to like this book – and I’m pleased to say I not only liked it but I LOVED it!’ Libby, NetGalley reviewer ‘Tamara Goranson’s writing really shines here. I felt the cold, heard the wind, flinched with the blows – that takes a lot of skill’ Dawn, NetGalley reviewer ‘Took me on a rollercoaster of emotions’ Charlotte, NetGalley reviewer

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Book SynopsisThe Circle meets Black Mirror in a thrilling, plausible and gripping debut. Frighteningly inventive.' John Marrs, bestselling author of The OneWow wow wow! What a story that was! An unputdownable thriller Absolutely brilliant read that had me on the edge of my seat!' NetGalley reviewer, 5 starsDon't close your eyes. Don't fall asleep. Don't let them in.Thea is an insomniac; she hasn't slept more than three hours a night for years.So when an ad for a sleep trial that promises to change her life pops up on her phone, Thea knows this is her last chance at finding any kind of normal life.Soon Thea's sleeping for longer than she has in a decade, and awakes feeling transformed. So much so that at first she's willing to overlook the oddities of the trial the lack of any phone signal; the way she can't leave her bedroom without permission; the fact that all her personal possessions are locked away, even her shoes.But it soon becomes clear that the trial doesn't just want to help Thea sleep. ITrade Review ‘An original and action-packed thriller, with a perfectly unnerving premise that hooked me from the start.’ Philippa East, author of Little White Lies ‘A complex, clever novel with memorable characters and a dash of sci-fi. A truly gripping rollercoaster ride through a dark, dystopian land.’ Vikki Patis, author of Girl, Lost 'A tense, unsettling psychological thriller that’ll leave you wondering if there’s something more behind your own sleepless nights!' Karin Nordin, author of Where Ravens Roost

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Book SynopsisFor fans of I MAY DESTROY YOU and FLEABAG and for readers who want to laugh and cry: the brave, beautiful, sometimes brutal story of a young misfit and her rocky road to womanhood, stopping at each year along the way.'I loved Tennis Lessons so much. Susannah is a phenomenally talented writer' ELIZABETH DAY'A raw, fierce, shockingly honest coming-of-age story' LOUISE O'NEILL 'Incredibly funny . . . by turns charming and disgusting and I loved it' NELL FRIZZELL You're strange and wrong. You've known it from the beginning.This is the voice that rings in your ears. Because you never say the right thing. You're a disappointment to everyone. You're a far cry from beautiful - and your thoughts are ugly too.You seem bound to fail, bound to break. But you know what it is to laugh with your best friend, to feel the first tentative tingles of attraction, to take exquisite pleasure in the affront of your unruly body.You just need to find your place.From dead pets and crashed cars to family traumas and misguided love affairs, Susannah Dickey's revitalizing debut novel plunges us into the private world of one young woman as she navigates her rocky way to adulthood.'Brilliant . . . a wonderful writer, hugely talented, very funny and insightful' ALAN DAVIES'Propulsive . . . brilliantly vivid . . . stays in the mind long after reading' IRISH TIMES'A beautifully written and psychologically incisive bildungsroman...the arrival of a young writer to watch' OBSERVERTrade ReviewThis is a raw, fierce, shockingly honest coming-of-age story. Tennis Lessons heralds the arrival of a startling new voice in literary fiction * Louise O'Neill *I loved Tennis Lessons so much * ELIZABETH DAY *An incredibly funny and poignant portrait of what it is to be young, female and human. The whole thing is witty - the narrative voice, the dialogue, the plot and the detail - while also having searing moments of sadness, discomfort and cruelty. Susannah Dickey has created a world and a main character that is by turns disgusting and charming and I loved it. * Nell Frizzell *A beautifully written and psychologically incisive bildungsroman...the arrival of a young writer to watch * Observer *Brilliant . . . a wonderful writer, hugely talented, very funny and insightful. * Alan Davies *

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Book SynopsisThe debut novel - a time-travelling story of love and adventure - from the number one bestselling author of How Not To Be a Boy and star of Peep Show'Part adventure, part love story, part comedy' Sunday Times'Fabulously Nineties and enjoyable' Daily MailFirst Love. Second Time Lucky.All hell has broken loose in Kate Marsden's life. Her husband has died, she's lost her job and now she's pushed the last of her friends away. Then one day, she wakes up in the wrong body - and the wrong year. She's eighteen again and it's her first day of university. Which means today's the day she'll meet Luke, her future husband, for the first time.If they can fall in love again, Kate might just be able to save him second time around.Trade ReviewA genre-defying time-travel tale - part adventure, part love story, part comedy, part dissertation on bereavement . . . a breathtakingly insightful evocation of grief * * Sunday Times * *Takes a familiar what-if scenario and invests it with heart and nostalgia . . . Hugely moving . . . Webb's memoir, How Not To Be a Boy, was a genuinely smart and affecting read; here, he proves that he can write about others as well as he writes about himself * * Observer * *Webb's first book, the memoir How Not To Be a Boy, established that as well as being funny on the telly he could write both sensitively and well. His first novel confirms it: it's well-paced, nicely written and highly entertaining . . . in parts very poignant * * Guardian * *Splendidly bleak, fabulously Nineties and enjoyable * * Daily Mail * *Robert Webb's effortlessly enjoyable debut novel is soaked in and a wry comment on nostalgia . . . his execution is smart, unexpected and full of pop cultural nous. It's also a ripping adventure yarn . . . Tender, thoughtful and terrific fun * * Metro * *[Webb] has a clean, affable style that fits itself around the comedy and tension that the story needs at different points . . . God knows we need a bit of a laugh and a thrill these days, books like this that are driven firmly by characters, setting and story * * The Times * *Funny, brilliant, clever and unpredictable; I gobbled it up -- JENNY COLGANA parable on the allure of nostalgia that also serves as a state-of-Britain satire and knockabout action romp, it moves at warp speed * * Mail on Sunday * *A comforting, pacey mash-up of romance, fantasy, humour and thriller . . . The characterisation, emotional honesty and dialogue ring endearingly true * * Sunday Times * *A beautiful book. Absolutely bonkers, absolutely brilliant -- JAMES O'BRIEN

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Book SynopsisBY ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL INDIAN WRITERS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY''The deftness with which Attia Hosain handles the interplay of manners, class, culture and different forms of female power is gorgeously done . . .'' KAMILA SHAMSIE''An extraordinary novel, with an extraordinary heroine'' MONICA ALI''A masterful examination of class, culture, family and women''s lives set against the backdrop of Partition'' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE ''My life changed. It had been restricted by invisible barriers almost as effectively as the physically restricted lives of my aunts in the zenana. A window had opened here, a door there, a curtain had been drawn aside; but outside lay a world narrowed by one''s field of vision.''Laila, orphaned daughter of a distinguished Muslim family, is brought up in her grandfather''s traditional household by her aunts, who keep purdah. At fifteen she moves to the home of her 'Trade ReviewAn extraordinary novel, with an extraordinary heroine. Laila is a sharp observer of the tumultuous politics, and the cultural, racial, and religious conflicts of the dying days of the Raj. There is such richness here, waiting to be rediscovered -- Monica AliAs if one had parted a curtain, or opened a door, and strayed into the past . . . Hosain's greatest strength lies in her ability to draw a rich, full portrait of her society - ignoring none of its many faults and cruelties -- Anita DesaiA masterful examination of class, culture, family and women's lives set against the backdrop of Partition -- Kiran Millwood HargraveThe deftness with which Attia Hosain handles the interplay of manners, class, culture and different forms of female power is gorgeously done . . . Laila is such a remarkable heroine - sharp, spirited and passionate -- Kamila ShamsieDespite Sunlight on a Broken Column being sixty years old, this book is still so relevant, for its themes of privilege, patriarchy, and the effects of Empire. It deftly handles themes that in lesser hands could feel heavy, and delivers a beautiful story that leaves a lasting impression. -- Saima Mir

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Book SynopsisOne day, the children begin to show up in the subtropical town of San Cristóbal, unwashed and hungry. No one knows where they have come from or where they disappear to each night. And then they rob a supermarket and stab two adults, bringing fear to the town. So begins a thrilling morality tale that retraces the lines between good and evil, the civil and the wild, dragging our assumptions about childhood and innocence out into the light.Trade Review'A Luminous Republic has all the stark power of a folk-tale or a fable. It also raises concerns that are pressing and contemporary-about the function and source of language, about public paranoia and hysteria, about the idea of community and how information spreads. At the book's center is a moving personal story about memory and loss. The narrative is engaging, at times playful, wholly compelling' - Colm Toibin'At first you will feel fear, but what you feel next is something much deeper, disturbing and luminous' - Samanta Schweblin

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Book Synopsis''My life suddenly made sense when I encountered Alice Walker''s fiction'' Tayari Jones''Remarkable'' New York TimesMeridian Hill, the brilliant and inquisitive daughter of a working-class Black family in the American south, comes of age against the turbulent backdrop of the 1960s civil rights movement. Life starts out hard - at seventeen, she finds herself married with a child and denied an education because of it. But Meridian is passionate and resolute, determined to improve the lives of those around her, even in the face of oppression and uncertainty, heartbreak and failing health. And amid the chaos of social upheaval, Meridian discovers who she is - a woman capable of great courage, resilience and hope.Charting the story of the civil rights movement through one woman''s struggle, Meridian is a powerful meditation on community, womanhood and self-discovery from the Pulitzer-prize winning author of The Color Purple.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"It takes a certain amount of guts and wild abandon to recast a Shakespeare comedy as a hard-boiled detective story, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s master satirist Moore, whose gift for funny business apparently knows no bounds. . . . A welcome return of a fan-favorite character in a romp of a tale that will delight not only mystery buffs but also fantasy fanatics, and, of course, Bard lovers." — Booklist (starred review) "Moore’s trademark humor is on full display with his cast of strangely lovable characters. This is Shakespeare with an edge and will not only appeal to Moore’s fans but garner new ones." — Library Journal (starred review) "Nobody writes mystery novels quite like Christopher Moore . . . . As hilarious as A Midsummer Night’s Dream is to begin with, Moore adds a contemporary dose of sly humor that I think would impress the Bard." — Bookpage (starred review) “Buckle in for Shakespeare for Squirrels, an uproarious take on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream—transformed into a murder mystery. . . A funny, fast-paced, and wild read.” — Huffington Post "Christopher Moore has written a wonderful diversion for hard times. Even Shakespeare would have appreciated the jokes." — Wall Street Journal "A hilariously noir tale of love, magic and murder." — USA Today “Manic parodist Moore…returns with a rare gift for Shakespeare fans who think A Midsummer Night’s Dream would be perfect if only it were a little more madcap. . . . A kicky, kinky, wildly inventive 21st century mashup with franker language and a higher body count than Hamlet.” — Kirkus Reviews “This cheeky homage will please lovers of Shakespeare and camp.” — Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisOne of the most popular role-playing properties in the world gets new life with this trio of horror novellas set in Vampire: The Masquerade''s World of Darkness by three brilliant talents: Genevieve Gornichec, Cassandra Khaw, and Caitlin StarlingThe subtle horror and infernal politics of the World of Darkness are shown in a new light in Vampire: The Masquerade: Walk Among Us, an audio-first collection of three novellas that show the terror, hunger, and power of the Kindred as you''ve never seen them before. In Genevieve Gornichec''s A SHEEP AMONG WOLVES, depression and radicalization go hand-in-hand as a young woman finds companionship in the darkness... In Cassandra Khaw''s FINE PRINT, an arrogant tech bro learns the importance of reading the fine print in the contract for immortality... And in Caitlin Starling''s THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY, ideals and ethics bump heads with appetite on a blood farm. Three very different stories from three amazing, distinct voices, but all with one thing in common: the hunger never stops, and for someone to experience power, many others are going to have to feel pain.Trade Review"Each author has their own style; all are immersive and terrifying...There is no need to know anything about the RPG in order to enjoy these modern, original, women-focused novellas of vampire menace that take the old trope in exciting new directions." — Library Journal

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Book SynopsisTHE END OF ALICE treads the wafer-thin line between the evil and the everyday, following the correspondence of two paedophiles. One, the narrator, is a child-killer, serving his twenty-third year in prison. The other, his seemingly sweet admirer, is a nineteen-year-old woman, intent on seducing a young neighbourhood boy. Teetering on the knife's edge between the American Dream and the American Nightmare, THE END OF ALICE unpicks the darkness of inconceivable desire, and the destruction and horror left in its wake.Trade ReviewA.M. Homes never plays it safe and it begins to look as if she can do almost anything -- Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The HoursIf the first major literary marker of the American dream of aspiration, potential and never-ending youth was F. Scott Fitzgerald's lyrical piece of doomed yearning, The Great Gatsby, its postmodern flipside [is] Homes's The End of Alice, whose paired literary voices made a grotesque harmony of two yearners after the dream of youth -- Ali Smith * Guardian *Homes instructs us about ourselves and shows us what we are blighted with, and cringe from, our compulsions, repressions, longings, glimpses of madness -- Ruth RendellWith all the cunning and control of a brilliant lover, she takes us places we dare not go alone * Los Angeles Times *Not all readers will want to see Homes's vision, but those who do will find themselves unmistakably in the presence of the Other * TLS *Undeniably shocking... Superbly achieved by a writer who is a true artist in words * Vogue *Chillingly precise and almost beautiful -- Will SelfI recently read [The End of Alice] and thought it was incredible. -- Joe Dunthorne, summer books round up * Observer *Table of Contents'A.M. Homes never plays it safe and it begins to look as if she can do almost anything' - Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Hours'If the first major literary marker of the American dream of aspiration, potential and never-ending youth was F. Scott Fitzgerald's lyrical piece of doomed yearning, The Great Gatsby, its postmodern flipside [is] Homes's The End of Alice, whose paired literary voices made a grotesque harmony of two yearners after the dream of youth' - Ali Smith, Guardian

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Book SynopsisFrom Joyce Carol Oates, literary icon and author of BLONDE, now a major motion picture, come four psychologically daring and chillingly suspenseful stories where women face threats both past and present. A Pennsylvania academic unearths a terrifying trauma from her past after inheriting a house in Cardiff, Maine from a stranger. A lonely pubescent girl befriends a feral cat that protects her from the increasingly aggressive men that surround her. A brilliant but shy college sophomore realizes she is pregnant and, distraught, allows a distinguished visiting professor to take her under his wing. And a widower remarries, but finds his young bride haunted by his dead wife's voice dancing in the wind. 'A stylish, suspenseful quartet of novellas tinged with the supernatural.' Daily Mail Reviews for Joyce Carol Oates: 'A writer of extraordinary strengths.' Guardian 'Oates chillingly depicts the darkness lurking within the everyday.' Sunday Express 'Both haunting and sublime.' Literary Review 'Splendidly chilling.' Financial Times 'Visceral, psychologically involving, and socially astute.' BooklistTrade ReviewA splendidly chilling quartet... Oates' world is full of iniquities, and grisly ways to rectify them. But it's a world sharp with reality, for all its ghouls and sorrows * Financial Times *The admirably unflagging Oates returns with a stylish, suspenseful quartet of novellas tinged with the supernatural * Daily Mail *PRAISE FOR JOYCE CAROL OATES: 'Both haunting and sublime' Literary Review. 'An unsettling read worth every resulting jump in the night... [Oates is a] literary goddess' Daily Mail. 'As usual with Oates, it is horribly readable, but driven by something disturbingly like genuine misanthropy' Sunday Times. 'Oates chillingly depicts the darkness lurking within the everyday' Sunday Express. 'A writer of extraordinary strengths' * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisCharles Singleton had a secret. Geneva Settle is about to be murdered for it. Can Lincoln Rhyme catch a killer who leaves no trace? The sixth novel in Jeffery Deaver's bestselling series. Now a NBC TV series.Trade ReviewDeaver's investigators are two of crime fiction's most enduring characters, and once again he spins a fascinating and intriguing story. A certain hit. * Independent on Sunday *The pace is terrific, the suspense inexorable, and there is an excellent climax . . . If you want thrills, Deaver is your man. * Guardian *One of the masters of the thriller art * Daily Mail *The most creative, skilled and intriguing thriller writer in the world . . . [Deaver] has produced a stunning series of bestsellers with unique characterisation, intelligent characters, beguiling plots and double-barrelled and sometimes triple-barrelled solutions. * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisSam and Lucy seem like the perfect couple. Successful, happy and in love. But life isn''t that simple. Lucy thinks thinks Sam is a sad, cold sensitivity-exclusion zone who would rather read a newspaper than have an emotion. Sam thinks Lucy is blaming him because she can''t walk past Mothercare without getting all teary. The problem is that they might be infertile. And in more ways than one.Lucy wants a baby. Sam wants to write a hit movie. And given that the average IVF cycle has about a one in five chance of going into full production, Lucy''s chances of getting what she wants are considerably better than Sam''s.What Sam and Lucy are about to go through is absolutely inconceivable. The question is, can their love survive? Or are the odds stacked against them once again?Trade ReviewMoving and thoroughly entertaining * Daily Express *A very funny book about a sensitive subject...Ben Elton the writer might be even funnier than Ben Elton the comic * Daily Mail *A tender, beautifully balanced romantic comedy * Spectator *Extremely funny, clever, well-written, sharp and unexpectedly moving...This brilliant, chaotic satire merits rereading several times -- Nicholas Coleridge * Mail on Sunday *This is Elton at his best - mature, humane, and still a laugh a minute. At least * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisIn this darkest of fairy tales, a young woman sets off to pick berries in the depths of the forest, but can't find her way home again. Or perhaps she has fled or abandoned her family. Or perhaps she's been kidnapped, and set loose to wander in the dense woods of the north. Alone and possibly lost, she meets another woman who offers her help. Then everything changes. On a journey that will take her to the depths of the witch-haunted woods, through a deep well wet with the screams of men, and on a living ship made of human bones, our heroine may find that the evil she flees has been inside her all along.

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Book SynopsisWow I fell a little bit in love! In these dark days, this book is a beacon of light!' ????? Netgalley reviewerIt's the most magical time of year, and anything can happenNia Maddison has always believed that wishes come true on Nutcracker Lane. So, when she gets the opportunity to run her own Christmas gift shop on the most magical street in town, it feels like her wishes have been finally granted.But working late one night, Nia discovers yet another boyfriend has cheated on her. As she trudges home alone, again she passes the (supposedly) magical nutcracker and half-joking thinks a wish can't hurt. Cracking a nut in its mouth, she wishes to find Prince Charming.The next day Nia gets to work to find another decoration shop has opened directly across the lane from her own, and she can't resist having a nose around.Whilst there, she accidentally backs into a human-sized Nutcracker, knocking it over and breaking it. Mortified, she flees from the store but when she gathers her resolve to

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Book SynopsisAt the close of the nineteenth century in Sudan, freed slave Bakhit is let out of prison with the overthrow of the Mahdist state. On the brink of death, the memory of his beloved Theodora is all that has sustained him through seven years of grim incarceration-that and his vow to avenge her killing.Set against a backdrop of war, religious fervor, and the massive social and political upheavals of the time, The Longing of the Dervish is a love story in the most unlikely of circumstances.Lyrical and evocative, Hammour Ziada's masterfully crafted novel confronts sorrow, hope, and the cruelty of fate.Trade Review"Neither starry-eyed nor cynical, Ziada constructs, in exquisitely lyrical language, the story of Bakheet's love for the white woman who finds solace in his company but cannot imagine marrying a slave. A rich and sensitive novel, Longing of the Dervish reflects on tolerance, prejudice and freedom in ways that transcend its historic setting."--Financial Times"Explores a seminal moment in the region's history"--The Guardian

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Book SynopsisNow a Pedro Almodóvar film - THE ROOM NEXT DOOR - starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore''I was totally overwhelmed by this extraordinary novel. A total joy - and laugh-out-loud funny'' DEBORAH MOGGACHThe New York Times-bestselling, National Book Award-winning author of THE FRIEND brings her singular voice to a story about the meaning of life and death, and the value of companionship. The woman at the heart of this extraordinary novel finds that everyone she meets has a common need: the urge to talk about themselves and to have an audience for their experiences. And so she tries to pay attention, to imagine and listen to what those around her are going through. But then an old friend makes an extraordinary request and draws her into an intense and transformative experience of her own.''I just adore Sigrid Nunez'' PAULA HAWKINS''Brilliant. I loved it as much as The Friend'' SUSIE STEINER''When I open one of [Sigrid Nunez''s] novels, I almost always know immediately: This is where I want to be ... As good as The Friend, if not better'' NEW YORK TIMES''A true pleasure to read, a novel bursting with wit, warmth, and human empathy'' INDEPENDENT''Brilliant ... The narrative control of this novel simply dazzles'' SPECTATORTrade ReviewLove, death, friendship, compassion & SO MUCH wisdom. I just adore Sigrid Nunez * Paula Hawkins *If the meaning of life is that it ends, Nunez gets to the nub of meaning in her brilliant novel. I loved it as much as The Friend * Susie Steiner *I was totally overwhelmed by this extraordinary novel. Even if it weren't about a subject dear to my heart I would be equally thrilled by its grace and profundity. Sentence by sentence it's a total joy - and sometimes, much to my surprise, laugh-out-loud funny * Deborah Moggach *When I open one of [Sigrid Nunez's] novels, I almost always know immediately: This is where I want to be ... "What Are You Going Through" is as good as "The Friend," if not better -- Dwight Garner * New York Times *A true pleasure to read, a novel bursting with wit, warmth, and human empathy * Independent *Profound, moving and brilliant * Mail on Sunday *Beauty, friendship, nature, art: These are the salves to loneliness and despair, and Nunez offers them all in this searching look into life and death -- Janice Y.k. Lee * New York Times Book Review *Brilliant ... The narrative control of this novel simply dazzles * Spectator *A riveting picture of friendship intensifying as it draws to a close ... a rich meditation on companionship, loss and love * TLS *Remarkable ... powerful * Observer *Both wise and unsettling ... This book's quiet discovery is that, no matter how extreme the circumstances, "life must be dealt with" * Wall Street Journal *I was dazed by the novel's grace * New Yorker *A smart look at the bonds and demands of friendship * i Best New Books for Autumn *Fans of Rachel Cusk will love this thoughtful, wise novel ... This complex tale demands the reader's attention, but is all the more satisfying for it * Good Housekeeping *A funny and moving story of two women - one of whom has terminal cancer * Stylist Best Autumn Books 2020 *A touching, poignant illustration of what it means to have empathy for the lives around you * USA Today *A thought-provoking novel about life and death ... Nunez widens and narrows the focus of her lens, from the death of the world, to the death of a close friend and back again, with superb control. Her writing is taut, clear and insightful * Evening Standard *Impossible to put down * People Magazine *Dryly funny and deeply tender * Kirkus Reviews (Starred) *Spectacular * Publishers Weekly *Sigrid Nunez orchestrates a beautiful chorus of humanness here, and the novel asks a question we might all be thinking in these distant times: What does it mean to really be there for someone in times of hardship? * Lithub *With both compassion and joy, Nunez contemplates how we survive life's certain suffering, and don't, with words and one another * Booklist (starred review) *Much as in Rachel Cusk's recent work, the narrator is a conduit and sounding board for the stories of others... Deeply empathetic without being sentimental, this novel explores women's lives, their choices, and how they support one another....Highly recommended for readers who favour emotional resonance over escapism during difficult times * Library Journal (starred review) *Nunez's prose is conspiratorial and elegant, whimsical and wise. Alongside a contemplation of mortality are winks: For all its pain and seriousness, life is absurd, comical; we humans are impossible to figure out - and yet so tender * Oprah magazine (Best books of the year) *

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Book SynopsisWritten during her time as the inaugural fellow in the Beckett archive last year, Eimear McBride''s three short, characteristically brilliant texts collected in one work, Mouthpieces.Each text depicts a fragment of female experience, all of them told in in Eimear''s vivid, original and sharp-witted style. In ''The Adminicle Exists'', we hear the inner voice of a woman who saves her troubled, dangerous partner; in ''An Act of Violence'', a woman is quizzed about her reaction to a man's death; in ''The Eye Machine'', the character Eye' tells of her imprisonment, flickering through a slideshow of female stereotypes.Trade Review'As Anne Enright has said, she is something of a genius.' - Sebastian Barry

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Book SynopsisA WINNER OF THE 2021 BETTY TRASK AWARDSSHORTLISTED FOR THE DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZE 2021__________________________'Joyous' SPECTATOR'Remarkable' SUNDAY TIMES'A playful delight... A glorious novel' OBSERVERSwansby's New Encyclopaedic Dictionary is riddled with fictitious entries known as mountweazels penned by Peter Winceworth, a man wishing to make his lasting mark back in 1899. It's up to young intern Mallory to uncover these mountweazels before the dictionary can be digitised for modern readers.Lost in Winceworth's imagination - a world full of meaningless words - will Mallory finally discover the secret to living a meaningful life?__________________________'Made me almost tearful with gratitude that a book as clever as this could give such uncomplicated pleasure ... And when you find a book like this, you grab it, and you hold it close.' JOHN SELF'A delight ... As funny and vivid as Dickens, as moving and memorable as Nabokov ... An extraordinarily large-hearted work.' THE CRITIC'Deft and clever, refreshing and rewarding ... An assured and satisfying writer, her language rich and intricate and her characters rounded enough to be sympathetic and lampoonist enough to be terribly funny.' LITERARY REVIEW'[The] most exciting of young British writers ... Williams luxuriates in words and wordplay, in definition and precision and invention ...The Liar's Dictionary is a public joy, and Eley Williams a free-spirited literary kook with bags of potential.' BIG ISSUE'A singular, hilarious, word-drunk novel, which I suspect will be seen in the future as a classic comic novel.' DAVID HAYDEN, IRISH TIMES'The Liar's Dictionary is the book I was longing for ... Positively intoxicated with the joy and wonder of language ... Eley Williams brings erudition and playfulness - and lovely sweetness - to every page.' BENJAMIN DREYER, New York Times bestselling author of DREYER'S ENGLISH'This tale of lexical intrigues is an absolute joy to read! It's gloriously inventive and playful, but with just the right amount of heart.' LUCY SCHOLESTrade ReviewI have just read Eley Williams’s forthcoming novel The Liar’s Dictionary, a singular, hilarious, word-drunk novel, which I suspect will be seen in the future as a classic comic novel. -- David Hayden * Irish Times *This tale of lexical intrigues is an absolute joy to read! It's gloriously inventive and playful, but with just the right amount of heart. -- Lucy ScholesThe Liar's Dictionary ... made me almost tearful with gratitude that a book as clever as this could give such uncomplicated pleasure ... Williams's triumph in The Liar's Dictionary is to bring together two people a century apart with a unifying comic vision. In each setting she creates a completed world full of sticky details ... There are pleasingly silly jokes (a series of cats called Tits), delight taken in names (Winceworth's nemesis is Frasham, a man who would now be described as a jock) and brilliant set pieces involving parties and pelicans, all in the service of an inquiry into language and words ... Language is what enables Winceworth and Mallory to communicate indirectly through the entries in Swansby's dictionary, and back to back on the pages of this novel ... Look: it's possible that I am the perfect reader for this book and that no one else will get as much out of it as I do. But it gave me the same joie de livre that I got from the likes of Italo Calvino, Nicholson Baker and Andrew Crumey when I first started reading fancy grown-up novels twenty-odd years ago. And when you find a book like this, you grab it, and you hold it close. -- John Self * The Critic *Eley Williams is enraptured by the metaphysical intimations of language ... A novel that, in addition to everything else it manages to achieve and to be, stands in some ways as an embodiment of, and an affectionate reproach to, Samuel Johnson's definition of the form as "a small tale, generally of love" ...A delight. Williams handles their respective stories with a gripping command of the development of her plot...dazzling clarity of thought and vision, an extraordinarily fecund capacity for imaginative compassion. Some of these qualities lie in the freshness, elegance and lyricism of Williams's prose ... Yet her book is also gloriously full of gently sardonic asides; charmingly deadpan divagations; and an aptitude for the choreography of cartoon and slapstick that is as funny and vivid as Dickens, as moving and memorable as Nabokov ... For all its exuberance, however, this is ultimately a gentle and reflective book whose great preoccupations - the power of language to realise, shape, and deny our natures; the attributes, boundaries and meanings of human connection - are addressed with a care, intelligence and sensitivity that is suffused with an atmosphere of fellow-feeling, shared endeavour, friendship ... By attending so assiduously to the circumstances that propel them to this point, The Liar's Dictionary stands as an extraordinarily large-hearted work of obeisance to the lexicographical belief in the "transformative power of proper attention paid to small things", and as an ennoblingly expansive guide to the plangent lineaments of love. -- Matthew Adams * The Critic *The Liar's Dictionary is deft and clever, refreshing and rewarding ... Words and meaning are of paramount importance in this novel. Williams's naming conventions are Dickensian in their symbolism ... Williams is an assured and satisfying writer, her language rich and intricate and her characters rounded enough to be sympathetic and lampoonist enough to be terribly funny. Her writing owes something to Wodehouse but more to Waugh in his most amusing of disgruntled humours. In both storylines, there is a mystery to be uncovered and a dramatic - and violent - event to be endured. In neither are these the main focus. Rather, it is the connection between Mallory and Winceworth, as we watch each struggle with love, life and speaking their mind, that makes the book so delightful. * Literary Review *

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