Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisHow do you solve a murder when you can't ask any questions? The gripping new thriller from the bestselling, award-winning author of Stasi Child.East Germany, 1975. Karin Müller, sidelined from the murder squad in Berlin, jumps at the chance to be sent south to Halle-Neustadt, where a pair of infant twins have gone missing.But Müller soon finds her problems have followed her. Halle-Neustadt is a new town - the pride of the communist state - and she and her team are forbidden by the Stasi from publicising the disappearances, lest they tarnish the town's flawless image.Meanwhile, in the eerily nameless streets and tower blocks, a child snatcher lurks, and the clock is ticking to rescue the twins alive . . .'This fast-paced thriller hooks the readers from the start' The Sun'A masterful evocation of the claustrophobic atmosphere of communist era East Germany . . . an intricate, absorbing page-turner' Daily Express'The perfect blend of action, suspense and excitement. This is top notch crime! I will be shouting about this book to everyone, everywhere. Northern Crime'One of the most fascinating and original detectives in contemporary crime fiction . . . a hugely accomplished novel' (For Winter Nights)'For me David Young has cemented his place on the bookshelf alongside my Cold War thrillers by John le Carré and Len Deighton' The Quiet KnitterTrade Review'Willkommen back to Oberleutnant Karin Müller, who debuted last year in the acclaimed Stasi Child. She's landed another complicated case, made even more tricky by the fact that we're in East Germany in 1975, and second-guessing the dreaded Stasi is a matter of life and death, even for the police. Against the grim background of a socialist-paradise new town - which makes Milton Keynes look like St Mary Mead - Müller is on the trail of a child-kidnapper.' -- Karen Robinson * The Sunday Times Crime Club *I think this is a genuinely beautiful cover, which works well alongside the first in the series. The way the background becomes impossible to see in the distance is completely appropriate in a world where political machinations continually obscure the truth, and the icy coldness of the whole scene reminds me of the brutality at the heart of the East German regime. Perfect * Buried under Books *'A cracking little read...Young is a master at evoking a sense of place and time...He also captures something of the vague sense of menace that surrounded socialist Germany in the 1970s, when the book is set...His writing is fantastic and his story lines hook you in and keep you entertained.' * Social Bookshelves *'The perfect blend of action, suspense and excitement. The era is captured magnificently. Young is a superb storyteller, weaving in more of the backstory of Karin Muller with a highly emotive story. This is top notch crime! I will be shouting about this book to everyone, everywhere.' * Northern Crime *'one of the most fascinating and original detectives in contemporary crime fiction. Incredible as it seems, Stasi Wolf is even better, taking us back into the dangerous, chilly setting of the DDR, where spies hide among neighbours and Stasi eyes keep watch. Stasi Wolf is a hugely accomplished novel, scoring high as both historical fiction and crime fiction. I love both genres and so I couldn't have been more entertained by it. This is a series with legs and we're very lucky to have it.' * For Winter Nights *'we are treated to a series of inspired twists and turns including the surprising secret of Muller's origins...masterful evocation of the claustrophobic atmosphere of communist era East Germany...intricate, absorbing page turner.' * The Daily Express *'Historically accurate, this fast-paced thriller hooks the readers from the start.' * The Sun *'history, politics, crime, thrills- all here in this budding series' * Sport Newspaper *'David Young has the ability to transport his reader to the setting of his books and allow them to explore the vastness through his words, the vivid details in this book bring to mind the atmosphere and surroundings of Cold War Germany so effortlessly. For me David Young has cemented his place on the bookshelf alongside my Cold War thrillers by John le Carré and Len Deighton.' * The Quiet Knitter *'Young's descriptives are brilliant, there isn't a word too much or too little to allow the reader to be swept away and into the pages. All in all this was a really great and enjoyable read. I would really recommend this book, Young's depth of writing and descriptives make for a thrilling read!' * Emma the Little Bookworm *'David Young has crafted an engaging story which I found utterly compelling and wholly absorbing. I know nothing of 1970's Germany but the world was expertly woven around me as I read Stasi Wolf. David Young can tell a cracking story, Stasi Wolf should be on your reading list.' * Grab This Book *'Stasi Wolf is yet another great police procedural thriller from David Young. It's gripping and well paced, with a good mix of action and tension, and an authentic multi-layered plot.' * Off the Shelf reviews *'What is most impressive in this novel is the way the author evokes the cold war era, both visually and emotionally. David Young skillfully brings the repressive (terrifying) threat of the Stasi organization and the institutional feel of the new city into vivid existence. David Young has created a memorable character in Karin Muller and an unforgettable atmosphere of life in a bleak and repressive regime.' * Book Garden *'a glimpse into East Germany in the 1970s and its social relations and paranoia and resistance...and the character of Karin Müller, who is determined to succeed as a murder detective despite widespread misogyny and difficult internal politics.' * View from the Blue House *'There is little to fault in the author's masterly recreation of the claustrophobic atmosphere and all-pervasive sense of suspicion, typical in any totalitarian state. The tone and feel of everyday life in the GDR is pitch-perfect, from the Wartburgs and S-Bahns to the Vita Colas and lengthy party meetings in the workplace. The author has been very diligent about doing his research and many of the least believable plot details are based on true facts, as you will discover if you read the afterword. The dialogue is full of tension, nearly always full of hidden menace and double speak, and each of the characters has learnt not to take anything at face value.' * Crime Fiction Lover *David Young has captured the characters well, and the hints he leaves about some of the characters creating a well-thought out sense of mystery, and his backdrop of the Stasi controlled East Germany ensured a story that had many twists and turns, and complex and flawed characters, in a world where knowing who to trust was hard. It was a great novel, and I hope the series will continue. * The Book Muse Australia *Young's research is meticulous and he is scrupulous in taking a neutral-ish approach. I hope there will be more in this series. * Cafe Thinking *The narrative neatly moves between 1975 and preceding years and as the book progresses these latter years come ever closer, a nice touch to slowly, teasingly disclose the truth behind the disappearances...As with "Stasi Child", Young describes the former DDR with clarity and realism, as he does the atmosphere which clearly existed... An enjoyable read. * The Journal of the Law Society of Scotland *

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Book SynopsisThe most life-affirming and uplifting story you will read this year. Perfect for fans of Jill Mansell, Fiona Gibson and Clare Pooley.What would Lily Bennett do?This is the question Lydia Grey finds herself repeatedly asking ever since she discovers Lily's bucket list at the bottom of her shopping trolley. Lily clearly knows how to live life and it's about time Lydia started to live hers. And what better start than to tick off all Lily's life-long dreams . . .1. Ride a horse2. Jump off the 10m diving board3. Climb a mountain4. Go camping5. Ride a rollercoaster6. Learn to surf7. Go stargazing8. Get a tattoo9. Do the scariest thing you can think ofAfter all, how hard can it be to complete the list? Except number nine means that Lydia must open herself up to her past to move on with her future . . .Readers love Lily Bennett's Bucket List . . .Such a great premise and an intriguing story line' ?????Never before have I felt like I was part of a story until this book' ?????Phenomenal . . . I

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Book SynopsisThe glittering new uplifting Christmas read from bestselling author Cressida McLaughlin.A wonderfully cosy festive treat' My weeklyOllie Spencer has started a new life in the idyllic Cornish seaside town of Port Karadow. Throwing herself into her job at the town's bookshop, A New Chapter, is one way to make friends. The shop is glitzing up for first Christmas and Ollie hopes her inspired ideas will give the shop the edge it needs to dazzle the town.But far from being the Sugar Plum fairy the place needs, Ollie is fast becoming its Christmas pudding. With the bookshop's success at stake, Ollie turns to twinkly-eyed café owner Max for help. Can he help Ollie to turn the page, and put the sparkle back into her Cornish dream?Praise for the Cornish Cream Tea series:Gorgeous!' Phillipa AshleyPerfect' Cathy BramleyWarm-hearted fun with a sprinkle of love' Holly MartinTrade Review Praise for Cressida McLaughlin: ‘One of our favourite women’s fiction stars’ – Heat ‘A warm and wonderful read’ – Woman’s Own ‘The perfect summer treat; as sweet as a cream scone and just as moreish’ – Cathy Bramley ‘Gorgeously romantic’ – Rachael Lucas ‘Cressida's characters are wonderful. So warm and relatable… A delicious summer treat!’ – Sarah Morgan ‘Evocative and gorgeous’ – Phillipa Ashley ‘Warm and wonderful… bursting with characters you’ll adore’ – Miranda Dickinson ‘So many perfect romantic moments that made me melt.’ – Jules Wake ‘You’ll want to cancel plans and stay in’ – Pernille Hughes ‘Sizzingly romantic and utterly compelling’ – Alex Brown ‘I just LOVED this story. All the characters are wonderful’ – Isabelle Broom ‘Real heart and soul’ – Sarra Manning ‘I absolutely love Cressida’s warm-hearted, romantic stories – they’re the perfect escape’ – Rachael Lucas ‘A wonderful ray of reading sunshine’ – Heidi Swain ‘A little slice of a Cornish cream tea but without the calories’ – Bella Osborne ‘Perfectly pitched between funny, sexy, tender and downright heartbreaking’ – Jane Casey 'A lovely warm gem’ – Alex Brown ‘McLaughlin writes so warmly and vividly, the rest of the world melts away!’ – Kirsty Greenwood ‘Beautiful, heartwarming. Drew me in and I didn’t want to leave!’ – Zara Stoneley ‘As hot & steamy as a freshly made hot chocolate, and as sweet & comforting as the whipped cream & sprinkles that go on top’ – Helen Fields

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Book SynopsisShe''s planned the perfect Christmas. But fate might have other ideas... Krystle didn''t have a normal childhood and longed for warm family Christmases with presents under the tree. Now she makes sure everyone else has the perfect Christmas she never had,bringing beautiful decorations to cheer as many people as possible. With her festive business booming, she decides to celebrate by renting a secluded house in the Lakes, with a plan to make this the ultimate yuletide getaway. But fate immediately throws a spanner in the works in the form of a broken-down car, a flooded river and Max; a man who despises Christmas. Krystle becomes determined to show Max the joys of the holiday. She won''t take no for an answer. Can she melt Max''s Grinch-like heart? And can he show her that life doesn''t need to go to plan to take you somewhere magical--

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Book SynopsisThe latest book in the hugely popular Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series from New York Times bestselling author Faye KellermanA woman with everything to loseTeresa McLaughlin flees to Los Angeles with her two children, trying to escape a messy divorce. But in LA, she is hunted down by ruthless men and beaten. When she wakes, barely conscious, her children are gone.A detective who knows the stakesDetective Peter Decker and his wife Rina are pulled into the situation when their foster son, Gabe, asks them to help. Teresa is his biological mother, and he knows she is in grave danger.A race to save two innocent childrenNow the hunt is on to find the kidnappers before things end tragically. It will end in an explosive confrontation from which no one will emerge unscathedTrade ReviewPraise for Faye Kellerman ‘Kellerman is an excellent writer' The Times 'Very exciting' Daily Mail 'Brutal but thoughtful and well plotted, fast moving and well told' Observer 'Sensational' Mirror 'Kellerman creates a claustrophobic atmosphere, against a background of seediness, violence and distrust' Sunday Telegraph 'Kellerman moves her gritty mean streets LA plot along with breakneck pace' Irish Independent ‘Hands down, the most refreshing mystery couple around’ People

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Book Synopsis''Taut, topical and tense' Adam HamdyMy new favourite crime author' Janey GodleyA compelling written story told with relentless pace' Neil LancasterA gripping crime thriller set in Yorkshire, perfect for fans of Peter Robinson and Ian Rankin.Will the truth be buried with the dead?When DS Joe Romano first meets Ana Dobrescu she's nervous, in serious danger, and clearly needs help. The next time Romano sees her, she's dead.There was nothing more he could have done, but that's cold comfort for Romano. He's determined to catch Ana's killer. Although the prime suspect, her millionaire boyfriend, is in a coma.With the help of his larger-than-life partner Rita Scannon-Aktar, Romano begins to piece together a puzzle that places Ana at the centre of something much bigger than they could have imagined.But while they're hunting a murderer, those higher up are more concerned about the money. So it's up to Romano to get justice for Ana. And whatever she knew, he'll just have to pray that she didn'tTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR TO THE GRAVE ‘John Barlow writes with a style that will keep you hooked. Taut, topical and tense, To The Grave is another gripping outing for DS Joe Romano.’ Adam Hamdy ‘A real deep dive into the post industrial Yorkshire heartland. A compellingly written story told with relentless pace, but lightened by biting Yorkshire wit, and a fantastic relationship between Romano and his formidable sidekick, Rita Scannon-Aktar.’ Neil Lancaster ‘An incredibly fast paced piece of crime fiction that kept me turning the pages. Overall a cracking read!’ Karen Woods ‘Fast paced and relevant . . . will keep you captivated from beginning to end’ Liz Mistry ’Tense, topical, and blisteringly pacy, with a champion, compassionate protagonist you can both admire and relate to, To the Grave has it all – not to mention a nail-biting, showstopping finale. Excellent.’ Rob Parker PRAISE FOR RIGHT TO KILL ‘A striking debut’ Peter Robinson ‘A gritty, uncompromising thriller’ Paul Finch ‘The twisted big brother to Happy Valley’ Michael Wood ‘A modern take on the classic police procedural’ Russ Thomas

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Book SynopsisTHE GRIPPING NEW THRILLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF RICHARD & JUDY PICK THE RECOVERY OF ROSE GOLD''Deliciously dark and so very clever'' CLAIRE DOUGLAS''Slick, smart and terrifying'' 5***** READER REVIEW''Expertly paced, hugely unsettling and perfectly dark'' ASHLEY AUDRAIN''Keeps the reader guessing'' SUNDAY TIMES CRIME CLUB''Totally gripping'' 5***** READER REVIEW________Welcome to WisewoodHere are the rules:1) Only approved guests may stay2) This is your home for the next six months3) No phone, no email - no contact with family or friends4) Always follow the rules5) We expect total honesty at all times6) Conquer your fear7) No one leaves the islandSix months ago, Natalie''s sister Kit went to Wisewood, a retreat on a secluded Maine island.Today, Natalie receives a message:Would you like to come teTrade ReviewThis Might Hurt is a mesmerizing and original ride . . . Expertly paced, hugely unsettling, and perfectly dark, you'll be gripped in this clever exploration of fear and vulnerability right until the flawless ending -- ASHLEY AUDRAINA sharp and intriguing look at reinvention and self-empowerment. This Might Hurt follows three women, each confronting her own set of fears, with revelations and consequences that are unexpected and chilling, right up to the jaw-dropping finale. Dark and twisted in all the right places, I did not want to stop reading this book -- MARGARITA MONTIMOREKeeps the reader guessing * The Sunday Times Crime Club *A genius, ripped-from-the-headlines masterpiece with a cult at its center. Inventive, disturbing, and tense, This Might Hurt hypnotizes the reader, until we realize, too late, what is truly happening. The very definition of suspense, this extraordinary novel will steal your breath away. -- SAMANTHA M. BAILEY, author of Woman on the EdgeA gut wrenching, propulsive story about vulnerability and power. It was impossible to put down -- TARRYN FISHERAn immersive novel about our capacity to both love and destroy, This Might Hurt is genuinely shocking, laced with dark humor, moments of surprising tenderness, and nightmare fodder galore. I read it in 24 hours, but will be thinking about it for much longer -- LAURA HANKINThis Might Hurt has all the ingredients of a great mystery: a remote island, estranged sisters, some whopping secrets and a cult to boot. In the deft hands of sophomore author Stephanie Wrobel, these ingredients mix together to give us a novel that's fun, creepy and incredibly fast-paced. Wrobel is such an observant and clever writer; It's quite the trick to execute plot twists so perfectly that the reader at once doesn't see them coming but then can't believe they didn't catch on. A ridiculously wry and absorbing thriller -- AMY STUARTDark, hypnotic, and mesmerizing, This Might Hurt is a masterwork in family dynamics and the ties that bind--along with the ones that tear us apart. Prepare to be unsettled in the best possible way -- LAURIE ELIZABETH FLYNN, bestselling author of The Girls Are All So Nice HereI don't know if blood is thicker than water, but I know that my blood ran cold at several points reading this book. Filled with menace, this was a gripping and compulsive read from first page to last. I thought I'd never get off that island! -- LIZ NUGENT, bestselling author of Little CrueltiesA riveting exploration of sisterhood, suffering, and secrecy. With its unforgettable characters, spectacular setting, and intricate plot, This Might Hurt will take you on a journey to the heart of fear. -- ROSE CARLYLEA tonic for readers of thrillers * MAIL ONLINE *Original, sinister and compelling, this was a great read * PRIMA *Deliciously dark and so very clever, This Might Hurt is a tense, unsettling and twisty read. I was gripped from beginning to end. I felt like I was on the island with them! A brilliant, heart-thumping and compulsive thriller. -- CLAIRE DOUGLASI loved This Might Hurt! I adore novels set within cults, and the inclusion of the magician element was completely engaging. Stephanie has woven a complex, fascinating novel exploring such an intriguing world. I was hooked from page 1 -- MELANIE GOLDINGSophisticated, tantalising and chilling, This Might Hurt is a masterful exploration of manipulation and deceit. Wrobel has a knack for conjuring worlds and characters that stay with you long after the final page -- ROBIN MORGAN-BENTLEYPraise for The Recovery of Rose Gold * - *Sensationally good - two complex characters power the story like a nuclear reaction, and won't let you forget them. Wrobel is one to watch * Lee Child *It's rare for something genuinely fresh to come along in this genre, but this book has it all - a killer premise, twisty plotting, crisp writing and compelling characters. Dazzling, dark and utterly delicious * J. P. Delaney *A rivetingly nasty psychological duel * Sunday Times *Pacy and vivid, this is a delicate, merciless probing of a topic as unsettling as it is intriguing * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisMala and Ronak are adults now. They've married, begun their own families and moved away from the suffocating world of their first generation immigrant parents. But when they learn their mother has only months to live, the focus of their world returns to her home. Having shown little interest in the Indian cuisine they eat at every gathering, Mala decides to master the recipes her mother learned at her own mother's knee. And as they cook together, mother and daughter begin to confront the great divisions of their lives, and finally heal their fractured relationship. But when Ronak comes up with a plan to memorialise his mother, the hard-won peace between them is tested to its limits. Written with tenderness and wry compassion, Amit Majmudar has captured anew the immigrant experience, the clash of cultures, the conflicts of assimilation, and, most poignantly, the tangled ties between generations.Trade Review"This heartbreakingly lovely novel evocatively captures the often contentious but ultimately loving essence of a cross-generational Indian American family. - Majmudar, author of the highly regarded Partitions, displays an understated flair for imagery and language, communicating the significance of the ties that bind without ever resorting to mawkish sentimentality. Delectable and convincing literary fiction that subtly shines the spotlight on some basic universal truths." Booklist * Booklist *"Majmudar's magnificent fiction debut, Partitions, investigated the wrenching moral dilemmas posed by the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947; here, he trains the same unsparing yet compassionate eye on a contemporary family in the Midwest... 'This is not a book about dying,' the narrator informs us. 'This is a book about life.' Indeed it is, and not life airbrushed by sentimentality, but life as it is actually experienced by flawed hman beings - perfectly rendered by their gifted author. Beautifully written and deeply moving." * Kirkus Reviews (starred review) *"A page-turner to tempt you - A sweet-and-spicy story of parenting across generational and cultural gaps." * Good Housekeeping *"A moving story of motherhood across cultural divides... Powerful in its simplicity and honesty, The Abundance reminds us of the way our roots inevitably shape our adult selves." * Publishers Weekly *""A wonder of lyrical and transparent writing... Its complexity keeps The Abundance feeling so fresh and human: We hurt even when we mean to heal." Cleveland Plain Dealer "Written with grace, compassion, and restraint." * Neel Mukherjee, author of A Life Apart *

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Book Synopsis ‘I liked The Unit very much... I know you will be riveted, as I was.’ Margaret Atwood ‘Echoing work by Marge Piercy and Margaret Atwood, The Unit is as thought-provoking as it is compulsively readable.’ Jessica Crispin, NPR.org Ninni Holmqvist’s eerie dystopian novel envisions a society in the not-so-distant future where men and women deemed economically worthless are sent to a retirement community called the Unit. With lavish apartments set amongst beautiful gardens and state-of-the-art facilities, elaborate gourmet meals, and wonderful music and art, they are free of financial worries and want for nothing. It’s an idyllic place, but there’s a catch: the residents – known as dispensables – must donate their organs, one by one, until the final donation. When Dorrit Weger arrives at the Unit, she resigns herself to this fate, seeking only peace in her final days. But she soon falls in love, and this unexpected, improbable happiness throws the future into doubt. Clinical and haunting, The Unit is a modern-day classic and a spine-chilling cautionary tale about the value of human life.Trade Review‘A haunting, deadpan tale set vaguely in the Scandinavian future… Holmqvist’s spare prose interweaves the Unit’s pleasures and cruelties with exquisite matter-of-factness... Readers actually begin to wonder…is life better as a pampered lab bunny or as a lonely indigent? But then [Holmqvist] turns the screw, presenting a set of events so miraculous and abominable that they literally made me gasp.’ * Washington Post *‘I liked The Unit very much... I know you will be riveted, as I was.’ * Margaret Atwood *‘The message is bold if not on the nose: If you don’t fall into a classic nuclear family, then your value as a human are the spare parts you can give those who do contribute to traditional family structures. The book’s main character, a writer named Dorrit, is forced to think about the meaning of her life. She’d had a lover, but he wouldn’t leave his wife; she’d birthed art, but never a child. Holmqvist’s writing is clear and precise…the clinical tone contributes to the The Unit’s eeriness. The Unit itself is a place of luxury – amenities include a library, a cafe, immaculately manicured gardens – but it feels as much like home to Dorrit as the promotional photos of an upscale condo. Holmqvist’s is a book of quiet cruelty, and perhaps the most harrowing twist of all is that the world outside the walls of the Unit – one with married couples, one with children – seems even worse. In that way, The Unit’s strength is uncovering beauty in bleakness.’ * GQ *‘This haunting first novel imagines a nation in which men and women who haven’t had children by a certain age are taken to a “reserve bank unit for biological material” and subjected to various physical and psychological experiments, while waiting to have their organs harvested for “needed” citizens in the outside world... Holmqvist evocatively details the experiences of a woman who falls in love with another resident, and at least momentarily attempts to escape her fate.’ * The New Yorker *‘Clinical and haunting, The Unit is a modern-day classic and a spine-chilling cautionary tale about the value of human life.’ * Waterstones *‘Holmqvist paces her revelations superbly and the reader is gripped by the atmosphere of slowly mounting claustrophobia.’ * New Internationalist *‘Holmqvist handles her dystopia with muted, subtle care… Neither satirical nor polemical, The Unit manages to express a fair degree of moral outrage without ever moralizing…it has enough spooks to make it a feminist, philosophical page-turner.’ * Time Out Chicago *‘This dystopian world is described with such exquisite balance between its luxuries and cruelties that the reader is emotionally drawn in and made to face up to often uncomfortable and challenging ethical dilemmas. I cannot recommend this novel, nor signal Holmqvist’s evident talent as an author strongly enough; it is an excellent book.’ * What's On UK? *‘Ninni Holmqvist’s The Unit offers a shrewd, timely exploration of gender… The novel has been compared to The Handmaid’s Tale, but where Margaret Atwood’s classic focuses on procreation, Holmqvist’s novel feels broader, holding both capitalism and traditional gender roles under a harsh light. Dorrit is honest about her life, and she wonders whether the freedom she had in her youth was worth the price she pays now. Any woman – young or old – will relate to her plight.’ * Washington Post *‘[A] chilling, stunning debut novel… Holmqvist’s fluid, mesmerizing novel offers unnerving commentary on the way society devalues artistic creation while elevating procreation, and speculation on what it would be like if that was taken to an extreme. For Orwell and Huxley fans.’ * Booklist *‘Orwellian horrors in a Xanadu on Xanax – creepily profound and most provocative.’ * Kirkus *‘An exploration of female desire, human need, and the purpose of life.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘I found this one riveting from start to finish. It could happily find a place on school reading lists alongside Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. Chilling, humorous, poignant, thought-provoking, and immensely readable, this is perfect reading-group material which cannot fail to provoke discussion.’ * New Books *‘Beautifully haunting… This is one of the best books I’ve read over the past two years… Thought-provoking and emotionally-moving, The Unit is a book you’ll be discussing with others long after you’re done reading it.’ * Orlando Sentinel *‘Savagely dystopian…remarkably deft.’ * Barnes and Noble Review *‘Ninni Holmqvist’s book The Unit, newly reissued, imagines a world in which people who haven’t procreated are forced to make a different – ultimate – contribution to society... The Unit feels like an inversion of Margaret Atwood’s Gilead, where fertile women are forcibly impregnated under biblical sanction. Here, the justification for horror – the extraction of human tissue from the childfree – is secular, a capitalist democracy demanding its toll... The Unit contains elements that echo a number of different speculative and dystopian works. The domed environment and omnipresent cameras seem to predict Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games trilogy; the prospect of forcible organ donation brings to mind Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go... Holmqvist’s intention isn’t realism – it’s to unravel and critique assumptions about the meaning of life. Is it criminal, she wonders, to live a quiet life dedicated only to self-actualization? Do artists who never achieve greatness have value? Does every citizen have a responsibility to contribute to their society? In exploring such questions, Holmqvist takes liberal assumptions about Scandinavian paternalism versus American individualism and flips them upside down... Holmqvist’s writing is spare in style, elegantly succinct, but the layers of the world she’s created are manifold. Other dystopian stories like The Handmaid’s Tale might seem particularly chilling in a moment when democracy feels like it’s under threat, but The Unit is haunting in its assertion that democracy itself isn’t enough. The tyranny of popular sentiment can be just as dangerous, Holmqvist argues, presenting scene after scene of intelligent, compassionate citizens indoctrinated into doubting their own worth.’ * TheAtlantic.com *‘Echoing work by Marge Piercy and Margaret Atwood, The Unit is as thought-provoking as it is compulsively readable.’ * NPR *‘A remarkably thought-provoking novel.’ * Reading Matters *‘This Swedish novel imagines a dystopian future for the childless in which literally offering pieces of yourself is a legitimate contribution to society… Not only is it an intimate portrait of creative, single individuals coming to terms with a graphic and imminent death, but their apparent willingness to accept it for the good of others... This begs the question: what does it mean to be a good citizen? To whom are we ultimately responsible? How do we, as well as our society, measure worth? What is the value of one life or the cost of another?’ * Buzz Magazines *‘The Unit raises issues of love, gender, freedom, and social mores through the perspective of how we assess an individual’s contribution to society… Holmqvist’s ability to invest the reader in both the story and the characters is exceptional. It is a book you hesitate to put down… The Unit deserves a wide readership.’ * Blogcritics.org *‘For a debut novel I thought it was stunning.’ * Bookbag *Margaret Atwood has a line on the cover, and no surprise – this dystopian tale of childless men and women relocated in middle age to “a reserve bank unit for biological material” rivals The Handmaid’s Tale for a weirdly believable future in which the childless support families with children giving up parts of their bodies until, at last, they make their “final donation” and disappear altogether. The reasonableness of this system feels very Scandinavian, certainly very Canadian... Holmqvist has written the sci-fi novel of our narcissistic era, when many people choose to focus on themselves and their art (Dorrit, the heroine of this novel, is a literary fiction writer) or their career over marriage and family. Not being needed by others is a boon when one is young but a death sentence for the middle aged.’ * Hudson Review *‘Like Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, this novel imagines a chilling dystopia: single, childless, midlife women are considered dispensable. At 50 the narrator, Dorrit, is taken to a facility where non-vital organs will be harvested one by one for people more valued by society; she knows that eventually she’ll have to sacrifice something essential like her heart. Dorrit accepts her fate – until she falls in love and finds herself breaking the rules.’ * More Magazine *‘The Unit rattled me in a way few dystopian novels have… It’s a story that will stick with me.’ * shelflove.wordpress.com *‘Holmqvist gives us a lesson in human nature and social engineering through a story that is spare, compelling, and all too human.’ * Psychiatric Services *‘The power of The Unit is its subtlety. Highly recommended.’ * Readmorebooks.wordpress.com *‘Compelling, chilling in spots, and at times heartbreaking.’ * Flashlight Worthy *

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Book SynopsisIn Soviet Russia the desire for freedom is also a desire for the freedom to love. Lovers live as outlaws, traitors to the collective spirit, and love is more intense when it feels like an act of resistance. Now entering middle age, an orphan recalls the fleeting moments that have never left him - a scorching day in a blossoming orchard with a woman who loves another; a furtive, desperate affair in a Black Sea resort; the bunch of snowdrops a crippled childhood friend gave him to give to his lover. As the dreary Brezhnev era gives way to Perestroika and the fall of Communism, the orphan uncovers the truth behind the life of Dmitri Ress, whose tragic fate embodies the unbreakable bond between love and freedom.Trade Review'A poignant, poetically charged picture of a repressive society, leavened only by the freedom and possibilities of love' Mail on Sunday. * Mail on Sunday *'Makine's prose is both spare and meditative, and leads us deep into the memories of a world that is now gone' Gillian Slovo, Observer. * Observer *'I would rather read Andreï Makine than any other novelist of our time ... This new short, beautiful book is as good as anything he has written' Allan Massie, Scotsman. * Scotsman *

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Book SynopsisIn Jennifer Egan's highly acclaimed first novel, set in 1978, the political drama and familial tensions of the 1960s form a backdrop for the world of Phoebe O'Connor, age eighteen. Phoebe is obsessed with the memory and death of her sister Faith, a beautiful idealistic hippie who died in Italy in 1970. In order to find out the truth about Faith's life and death, Phoebe retraces her steps from San Francisco across Europe, a quest which yields both complex and disturbing revelations about family, love, and Faith's lost generation.This spellbinding novel introduced Egan's remarkable ability to tie suspense with deeply insightful characters and the nuances of emotion.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------***Jennifer Egan's latest novel THE CANDY HOUSE is coming April 2022, the long-awaited sibling novel to A Visit from the Goon Squad***Trade ReviewA trip that takes the reader through stunning emotional terrain. * The New Yorker *Punches home like a blow to the stomach." * Elle *Mesmerizing....told with great assurance and power....Ms. Egan portrays the sisters with a quiet, heartbreaking clarity. * New York Times Book Review *Elegant and brilliant....spellbinding, heartbreaking, and told by a master. * Cosmopolitan *If there were justice in the world, no one would be allowed to write a first novel of such beauty and accomplishment. -- Pat Conroy

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Book SynopsisWith the country's men at war, it falls to the land girls to pitch in and do their bit...Stella arrives at Hallows Farm in her Rayon stockings, having just waved goodbye to the love of life - naval officer Philip. Agatha has just graduated from Cambridge; life on the Farm is certainly going to offer her a different kind of education. Prue, a hairdresser from Manchester, is used to painting the town red, not manual labour. Joe dreams of leaving the family farm and becoming a fighter pilot. But with the arrival of these three beautiful young women, there's enough to keep him busy on the farm for the time being...Work is hard and the effects of war start to take their toll on the three women. But as the bonds of friendship start to form and excitement builds as the RAF dance looms, maybe life in the countryside isn't so bad after all?Trade ReviewAngela Huth's riveting novel...is evocative and entertaining. * Mail on Sunday *A good story, told with wit and a keen observation of detail. * Times Literary Supplement *Huth is good on the rhythms of long marriages, like that of the Lawrences, and on the texture of life in rural wartime England. * The Times *Huth is a master of this sort of novel, steeped in period atmosphere and gentle irony. * Daily Telegraph *Huth knows how to keep you turning the pages. * Guardian *Huth's controlled, elegant style has been compared to Jane Austen, but her talent is entirely original. -- Penny Perrick * The Times *Piquant, witty and entertaining * Tatler *It has me in its grip and I couldn't rest until the final page...It is satisfying and rare to read a book whose characters are dealt the fates we feel they deserve...A beautifully spun tale that absorbs without the need to address 'issues'. * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisI sat before my tambour hoop but I did not sew. I thought of split lips, flying teeth and red blood on white linen.Born in a Bristol brothel at the end of the eighteenth century, Ruth Webber, her toe upon the scratch, is ready to face all comers.Lady Charlotte Sinclair, scarred with small pox and bullied by her boorish brother, is on the verge of smashing the bonds of convention that have held her for so long.George Bowden, without inheritance or title, is prepared to do whatever it takes to make his way in the world.Let the fight begin . . .Trade ReviewThe Fair Fight is a hugely exciting and entertaining novel, written with warmth, charm, authority and, above all, terrific flair. I loved it. * SARAH WATERS *(A) cracking debut... It is a lively, rambunctious read which captures Bristol street life brilliantly and niftily sets the scene for a memorable collection of characters who are prepared to gamble everything to gain hope and some form of happiness. -- Eithne Farry * SUNDAY EXPRESS *Anna Freeman's familiarity with this rough and raunchy period of history and her wonderfully imagined cast of characters, often down but never out, makes this a brilliant debut novel. -- Rose Wild * THE TIMES *This storming debut is fiction at its most absorbing. It'll be first in line for Freeman's next offering. -- Kat Poole * STYLIST *For lovers of the evocative historical romps of Sarah Waters and Michel Faber this is a visceral and funny debut. * EMERALD STREET *(Anna's) enthusiasm for the subject matter and her skill at creating powerful narrative voices are in strong evidence in this gritty, vividly evoked historical novel. Fans of Sarah Waters and Emma Donoghue, take note. * DIVA MAGAZINE *An accomplished first novel that reminded me somewhat of Peter Carey's Jack Maggs. -- NED DENNY * DAILY MAIL *lively and original * THE SUNDAY TIMES *Passion and pugilism ...(an) original, memorable debut novel. -- Nick Rennison * BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE *Freeman's first novel is shocking but a cracker. The writing is good and the characters totally believable. I loved it. -- LESLEY PEARSE * SAINBURYS MAGAZINE *This truly bears comparison with Michel Faber's THE CRIMSON PETAL AND THE WHITE as first-time author Freeman (a performance poet who has appeared at Latitude and Glastonbury) brings the 18th century to throbbing life, in an immersive novel rich with extraordinary characters and a cracking plot. * THE BOOKSELLER *this highly enjoyable read that packs a punch. * HISTORY REVEALED *A brilliant, bold and unforgettable debut. Freeman transports us to a history we'd never have imagined and makes it viscerally real. * NATHAN FILER *The Fair Fight is, I think, just about the most well-written novel I have read in five years. The depiction of the situation and characters is very clearly done with great economy of effort. Even the title is clever. ..this is an excellent read, and one that will stay with you for a long time. -- Alan Fisk * HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY *'[The] novel, though written in a fashion long past, feels quite natural and free. She [Anna Freeman] has taken the late 18th century, language and all, and pummelled life into it. THE FAIR FIGHT breathes, shouts and swears, confident in its form and bold as brass in its execution. If Anna Freeman ever puts up her fives and takes to milling, I'll not volunteer as an opponent.' * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisA GRAZIA BOOK CLUB PICK, Ghost Girl, Banana is a powerful debut novel about the family secrets unearthed by a surprise inheritance. Set between Hong Kong in the 1960s and London in the 1990s, and revealing the hidden life of a mother to her daughter, it asks questions of identity, race and belonging.''An astounding debut ... written with emotion and astuteness, this deserves to be on book prize lists'' PRIMA1966: Sook-Yin is exiled from Kowloon to London with orders to restore honour to her family. As she strives to fit into a world that does not understand her, she realizes that survival will mean carving out a destiny of her own.1997: Sook-Yin''s daughter Lily can barely remember the mother she lost as a small child. But when she is unexpectedly named in the will of a powerful Chinese stranger, she embarks on a secret pilgrimage to Hong Kong to discover the lost side of her identity and claim the rewar

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Book SynopsisThe remarkable new novel from the author of the multimillion-selling international sensation The Midnight Library''A beautiful novel full of life-affirming wonder and imagination'' BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH''What looks like magic is simply a part of life we don''t understand yet . . .''When retired Maths teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan.Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the Balearics Grace searches for answers about her friend''s life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past.Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.

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Book SynopsisJoin Dostoevsky on his tumultuous honeymoon in this hypnotic cult classic , introduced by Susan Sontag.''A wonderful work of art.'' Jon McGregor''Extraordinary in its confidence and enchantment.'' Chris Power''Addictive, dreamlike and dazzlingly unique.'' Adam Thirlwell''Luminous, melancholy and enraptured.'' Chloe AridjisWhy was I reading this book now, in a railway-carriage, beneath a wavering, flickering, electric light-bulb . . Summer, 1867: The newlywed Dostoevsky and his young wife Anna - his one-time secretary - are travelling to the German spa resort of Baden-Baden on honeymoon. Their love is ecstatic, yet the author is plagued by demons: haunted by his crimes and punishments, consumed by fevers of jealousy, gambling to avoid mounting debts and shaken by epileptic fits. Winter, 1970s: Our Jewish narrator embarks on a pilgrimage from M

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Book SynopsisThe captivating new thriller from the author of The Haven, perfect for fans of SaltburnAbsolutely brilliant, so clever and propulsive' Laura Marshall''Deliciously dark and decadent The uber rich behaving badly at a fabulously over-the-top wedding, overshadowed by toxic secrets from the past'' Tammy CohenWhen Victoria escapes her broken home for university in London, she is determined to reinvent herself and make a fresh start. She falls in love with Nick, who welcomes her into his privileged circle of friends, opening her eyes to a world she only ever dreamt of.But then life takes a darker turn.Twenty-five years later, the circle is reunited alongside a host of glittering guests to celebrate the wedding of Hollywood darling Ingrid Olsson to ruthlessly well-connected Julian Draper. Victoria has spent years trying to forget Nick and put the horror of what happened behind her. Now she has to face the past she tried so hard to bury.As the champagne flows and painful memories resurface, Vic

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Book SynopsisLulu Moore created a perfect book boyfriend in OAR THAN FRIENDS. Oz is the very definition of boy obsessed and his pursuit of Kate is absolutely delicious! This book is sweet and sexy and I didn''t want it to end! ~ New York Times bestselling author Monica MurphyShe''s rowing for Cambridge. He''s rowing for Oxford. But they just can''t keep one another at oar''s length . . .Arthur Osbourne-Cloud has his future mapped out for him graduate Oxford and follow his dreadful father into politics. Except Arthur wants anything but that. He'd rather spend his days rowing for gold at the Olympics,.And this year he has the Boat Race to win. Kate Astley also has her future mapped out. Fly half-way across the world, and win a scholarship at Cambridge University to study medicine. Oh, and crew for the legendary Boat Race. Seems simple enough. But then she meets Arthur. For Arthur, this feisty American challenges everything he''s been taught to believe, while Kate battles between what she''s expected to do, and what she wants to do. The bitter rivalry between their universities ought to destroy them. Or will it just be a matter of time before they surrender to the sizzling chemistry between them?But In The Boat Race, there can only be one winner. Who will sink and who will swim?PRAISE FOR OAR THAN FRIENDS:''I could not put this book down'' Goodreads Reviewer''A breathtakingly unique take on the college rivals and sports romance tropes'' Goodreads Reviewer''5+ stars!'' Goodreads Reviewer''This book gives it all, and I''m not ashamed to say, I laughed, I cried, and I may have bit through my lip because of the tension in the end'' Goodreads Reviewer''It's a 5-star read - if I could give more I would'' Goodreads Reviewer

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Book SynopsisTHE IRISH TIMES BESTSELLERA GUARDIAN SUMMER READIn Barcelona, we meet a cast of characters who live turbulent inner lives. In a Spanish hotel room a marriage unravels as a young wife is haunted by a past love. A father travels to Paris to meet his scientist son and is exposed to his son''s true nature. A woman attends a reading by a famous author and comes to some painful realisations about her own marriage.The stories in Barcelona reveal the underlying disquiet of modern life and the sometimes brutal nature of humanity. Whether on city streets, long car journeys or in suburban rooms, we glimpse characters as they approach those moments of desperation - or revelation - that change or reshape fate.

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Book SynopsisBonsai is the story of Julio and Emilia, two young Chilean students who, seeking truth in great literature, find each other instead. Like all young couples, they lie to each other, revise themselves, and try new identities on for size, observing and analyzing their love story as if it’s one of the great novels they both pretend to have read. As they shadow each other throughout their young adulthoods, falling together and drifting apart, Zambra spins a formally innovative, metafictional tale that brilliantly explores the relationship among love, art, and memory. Trade Review‘The “last truly great book” I read has to be Alejandro Zambra’s Bonsai. A subtle, eerie, ultimately wrenching account of failed young love in Chile among the kind of smartypant set who pillow-talk about the importance of Proust.... A total knockout.’ — Junot Díaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao‘Every beat and pattern of being alive becomes revelatory and bright when narrated by Alejandro Zambra. He is a modern wonder.’ — Rivka Galchen, author of Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch‘Rather than shrink in its conversion to bound covers, as most manuscripts do, Zambra’s text has swelled–and its effect on the world of Chilean literature has been entirely disproportionate to its size.’ — Marcela Valdes, The Nation‘The most talked-about writer to come out of Chile since Bolaño.’ — New York Times‘Strikingly original.’ — James Wood, New Yorker‘There’s a dreamy associative quality of the novella that made it feel true and beautiful and moving. I left Bonsai feeling a little melancholic ache in my ribs, as though some crucial part of me had been taken away.’ — New York Times ‘Bonsai fulfills one of the requirements of the short novel: the search for perfection [...] supremely, effectively ambiguous.’ — J.A. Masoliver Ródenas, La Vanguardia‘When I read Zambra I feel like someone’s shooting fireworks inside my head.’ — Valeria Luiselli, author of Lost Children Archive‘Not a single word is wasted in this powerful, elegantly told story, which traces through a few episodes in the lives of Julio and Emilia, two young people who fall for one another at university—bonding over their love of literature and discussion—then retreat from one another’s lives.’ — Literary Hub

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Book SynopsisOAKLEYI have one goal. To be drafted into the NHL and make my father proud. I''ve never been interested in dating, not when all of my spare time is spent at the rink perfecting my craft. There''s no time for distractions. I can''t afford them.But she came out of nowhere. Octavia Layton, the girl with the pretty smile and the broken heart. One night spent talking beneath the stars and now she won''t get out of my head.I never expected to see her again, but now she''s here in this new city, with ties to my new team, and I don''t think I''m strong enough to fight against her pull.AVAI hate hockey players. After a nasty breakup, I''ve sworn them all off for good. Or so I thought.We met when I had puffy eyes and a broken heart, but I didn''t know who he was until he shows up in my city months later as a new member of our local hockey team. The sweet guy who so easily made the ache in my chest go away with lame jokes and a swoon-wo

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Book SynopsisAn unmissable thriller that readers are calling the best book ever' from the Sunday Times Number One bestselling author of Both Of YouLost. Missing. Murdered?And both her husbands are suspectsA darkly compelling thriller that's almost impossible to put down after reading the first page' Sunday ExpressThe entire nation is obsessed with the scandal of bigamist Kylie Gillingham's disappearance. Being married to two different men was a huge risk. But did she run away or was she taken? And is she dead or alive?Both her husbands insist she was their everything, until she vanished. But DC Clements knows love is a shiver away from hate and either can make people do the cruellest things.Only one person knew her secret. Did they want her to pay the ultimate price?The sensational thriller from Number One bestseller Adele Parks will keep you gripped from the first page to the last.Praise for Just Between Us:Another masterfully plotted and jaw-dropping ride from the number one bestseller' i NewsJus

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Book Synopsis‘Candid and complex ­– and ultimately quite hopeful’ Claire Lombardo‘Beautiful and deeply moving’ J. Courtney Sullivan‘A story of abiding hope’ Mary Beth Keane   When Annie Brown dies suddenly, her husband, her four young children and her closest friend are left to struggle without the woman who centred their lives. Bill Brown finds himself overwhelmed, and Annie’s best friend Annemarie is lost to old bad habits without Annie’s support. It is Annie’s daughter, Ali, forced to try to care for her younger brothers and even her father, who manages to maintain some semblance of their former lives for them all, and who confronts the complicated truths of adulthood.   Yet over the course of the next year, while Annie looms large in their memories, all three are able to grow, to change, even to become stronger and more sure of themselves. The enduring power Annie g

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Book Synopsis'Sestanovich’s elegant prose takes seriously the quiet unrest that can ravage a life' - Raven Leilani, author of LusterA Best Book of the Summer in The Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly,Vogue, Esquire and Refinery29A university student is flying home to visit her family when she strikes up an odd, ephemeral friendship with the couple next to her on the plane. A mother prepares for her son's wedding, her own life unravelling as his comes together. A long-lost stepbrother's visit prompts a family's reckoning with its old taboos.In these eleven powerful stories, thrilling desire and melancholic yearning animate women’s lives – from the brink of adulthood, to the labyrinthine path between twenty and thirty, to middle age, when certain possibilities quietly lapse. Tender, lucid and piercingly funny, Objects of Desire is a collection pulsing with subtle drama, rich with unforgettable scenes, and alive with moments of recognition, each more startling than the last - a spellbinding debut that announces a major talent.'A debut story collection of the rarest kind . . . you wish that every single entry could be an entire novel.' — Entertainment WeeklyClare Sestanovich named one of The National Book Foundation's '5 under 35'.Trade ReviewSestanovich’s elegant prose takes seriously the quiet unrest that can ravage a life, and makes room for the pleasure and discovery that can be found in that ruin -- Raven Leilani, author of LusterSublimely polished . . . collectively probe the gap between how we’re seen and how we might long to appear. -- Hephzibah Anderson * Observer *Sestanovich's steady hand and bone-clean prose recall such foremothers as Joan Didion, Zadie Smith, and Jhumpa Lahiri -- Elinor Hitt * The Paris Review *Sestanovich is an extraordinary noticer. Carefully, sparely, she parses layers of feeling and attitude; of the tiny ways we admit or refuse love; of incremental, almost invisible, losses of self * Guardian *Bold and beguiling -- Chloe Aridjis, author of Book of CloudsThe summer's most buzzed about book * Sunday Times *As far as writing pedigrees go, it doesn’t get much more impressive than The New Yorker and The Paris Review . . . A smart, incisive look at the complexities of being a woman right now * Stylist *Smart and accomplished . . . Sestanovich’s prose is poised and understated, sensorily precise . . . her gift is to make ordinary moments shine brightly * The New York Times Book Review *Astonishing - one of the best story collections I’ve read in a long time . . . I feel like I've found a new favorite writer - Clare Sestanovich is stylish and skilled, an astute chronicler of contemporary life -- Brandon Taylor, Booker-shortlisted author of Real LifeNuanced, beautifully shaped . . . In Sestanovich’s hands, the mundane feels surprising—mesmerizing, even * Refinery29 *Clare Sestanovich’s stories compelled me like gravity, and offered sharp, surprising, singular bursts of grace -- Leslie Jamison, author of The Recovering and The Empathy ExamsExtraordinary * Esquire *Clare Sestanovich is a gifted observer and writes a sentence sharp enough to cut yourself on . . . A magnificent debut -- Nathan Englander, author of Dinner at the Center of the EarthA debut story collection of the rarest kind: One in which you wish that every single entry could be an entire novel. * Entertainment Weekly *Objects of Desire is a marvel . . . I loved this book -- Miranda Popkey, author of Topics of ConversationLuminous . . . Sestanovich writes with a kind of bracing cold-plunge clarity. Objects of Desire taps into the peculiar, primal struggle of becoming who you are, and all the stories you have to tell yourself to get there. -- Leah Greenblatt * Entertainment Weekly *A fun read [that] reminds us that we’re all human -- Kaia Gerber, quoted in The Wall Street JournalSestanovich is a skilled craftswoman, each sentence a carefully positioned tile in a mosaic * Vulture *A mesmerizing, exquisite debut -- Dana Spiotta, author of Innocents and Others[Sestanovich's] characters always seem poised at the brink of some great, terrifying, wondrous unraveling * Electric Literature *Sestanovich’s intelligent debut collection demonstrates a gift for pithy detail that encapsulates the whole of a character’s personality or era of lived experience * Publishers Weekly *Exquisitely observed, and sure to stay with you long after you’ve finished * Bustle *Wry and knowing and deeply funny -- Mira Sethi, author of Are You Enjoying?Sestanovich’s writing is clever and rich with layers, just like her characters. And the textures of her sentences are as nuanced as desire itself * Fiction Writers' Review *Sestanovich expertly places you in the mind of different women, young and old, rich and poor, single and in relationships. The stolen glimpses into the complex minds of her characters will leave you unable to resist writing the rest of their story in your head * Reaction *These stories are restrained, nearly aloof, despite the fact that the characters are constantly and messily butting up against the futility of their desires * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisFrom Sarah Moss, the Sunday Times bestselling author of Summerwater and Ghost Wall, comes a story about the circumstances and the consequences of isolation.‘A tense page-turner . . . I gulped The Fell down in one sitting’ - Emma Donoghue‘Her work is as close to perfect as a novelist’s can be’ - The TimesAt dusk on a November evening in 2020 a woman slips out of her garden gate and turns up the hill. Kate is in the middle of two weeks of Covid isolation, but she just can’t take it any more – the closeness of the air in her small house, the confinement. And anyway, the moor will be deserted at this time. Nobody need ever know.But Kate’s neighbour Alice sees her leaving and Matt, Kate’s son, soon realizes she’s missing. And Kate, who planned only a quick solitary walk – a breath of open air – falls and badly injures herself. What began as a furtive walk has turned into a mountain-rescue operation . . .Unbearably suspenseful, witty and wise, The Fell asks probing questions about the place the world has become since the first Covid lockdown in March 2020, and the place it was before. This novel is a story about compassion and kindness and what we must do to survive.‘Gripping, thoughtful and revelatory’ - Paula Hawkins‘This slim, intense masterpiece is one of my best books of the year’ - Rachel Joyce‘One of our very best contemporary novelists’ - IndependentTrade ReviewA slim, tense page turner that captures the precious warmth of human connection. I gulped The Fell down in one sitting -- Emma DonoghueMoss writes so compassionately about human frailty while her own work is as close to perfect as a novelist’s can be * The Times *Gripping, thoughtful and revelatory -- Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the TrainA funny, savage novel * Guardian *Absorbing . . . ingeniously done . . . a humane, thoughtful reflection on the lockdown experience * Scotsman *There is wit, there is compassion . . . This slim, intense masterpiece is one of my best books of the year -- Rachel JoyceA one-sitting read . . . ambitious and immersive * Red *Moss is strong on pastoral lyricism, and her characteristic humour is as piercing here as in her previous novels * The Times *A masterfully tense, deeply empathetic novel . . . [a] tender, insightful exploration of the times we are living through -- Megan Hunter, author of The End We Start FromAlways with steely precision, Moss has mined both the circumstances and the consequences of isolation . . . one of the very best British novelists writing today about contemporary life * Daily Telegraph *She conjures the fretful confinement of the pandemic with colossal skill . . . deft and evocative . . . shrewd and moving * i *The pandemic is spawning some fine writing, and this helter-skelter novel by Moss is one of the best yet -- Mail on SundayMoss perfectly simulates the stifling psychological confinement and ennui of locked-down life . . . a neat, atmospheric novel * Literary Review *[The Fell] leaves the reader on tenterhooks as the story builds to its conclusion . . . Moss makes a strong case for social connection being as important as our physical health for survival * Daily Mirror *Moss steps into other people’s shoes with impressive ease. Her prose is clear, low-key and compelling . . . Feelingly, but without sentimentality, Moss explores what happens when you find yourself teetering on the precipice * Herald *A novel of our time . . . there may be a time when what is described here is, indeed, in the past, and a novel like The Fell will help us to remember * Church Times *It seems ever more important that fiction acknowledge the truths the pandemic has revealed to us: how connected we all are, and how much we fear one another * Guardian *[The Fell] confirms that Sarah Moss is a writer of remarkable power, control and deftness. She's funny, observant and very much of the moment * Oldie *

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Book Synopsis 'Sexy, fun and smart' BETH O'LEARY, author of THE FLATSHARE'I couldn't put down On Rotation, and you won't be able to, either... I personally couldn't get enough' MEG CABOT Angie has checked off all the boxes for the Perfect Immigrant Daughter: medical school, a suitable lawyer/doctor/engineer boyfriend and a gaggle of successful and/or loyal friends. So when she bombs the most important exam of her medical career and gets dumped by her boyfriend, it is safe to say her parents are more than a little disappointed . . . Just when things couldn't get more complicated, Angie meets Ricky, and he's everything she shouldn't want. But if there's one thing Angie can't plan for, it's matters of her heart. 'Narrated by a strong lead with an unforgettable voice, On Rotation is an original romance novel bursting with charm, humor and the most loveable characters. I'm besotted with Angie and her posse!' LIZZIE DAMILOLA BLACKBURN, author of YINKA, WHERE IS YOUR HUZBAND? Trade ReviewOn Rotation is such a smart, fun rom-com. What I loved most about the book was the fact that the love interest was just as delightfully flawed and three-dimensional as the heroine, and that made me root for their happy ending all the more. Also, the sex scenes? So good. You're going to love this one * BETH O'LEARY, SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of THE NO-SHOW *As a fan of Grey's Anatomy (and Chicago Med!), I couldn't put down On Rotation, and you won't be able to, either. Shirlene Obuobi makes you feel as if you're actually right there with the lovable Angie, and I personally couldn't get enough * Meg Cabot, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author *Narrated by a strong lead with an unforgettable voice, On Rotation is an original romance novel bursting with charm, humour and the most loveable characters. I'm besotted with Angie and her posse! * Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, author of YINKA, WHERE IS YOUR HUZBAND? *On Rotation is a charming story from start to finish. The ending will melt your heart! * Tracey Livesay, award-winning author of AMERICAN ROYALTY *Fresh, romantic, and hilarious... On Rotation is whip-smart and sharply observed, filled with laugh-out-loud moments while not shying away from heavier issues. With On Rotation, Shirlene Obuobi establishes herself as a writer to watch * Brenda Janowitz, author of THE LIZ TAYLOR RING *Humor and honesty leap off the pages of this addictive read. A binge-worthy romance with a hilarious and relatable heroine that will steal your heart from the first sentence * Jane Igharo, author of TIES THAT TETHER *Smart, funny, and utterly swoonworthy, On Rotation is a layered and deeply compassionate novel of navigating life and love in your twenties. Angie Appiah will be your new best friend * Grace D. Li, author of PORTRAIT OF A THIEF *Obuobi's debut features a winning cast of characters who alternatively help and hinder Angie, whose first-person narration is warm and relatable . . . With a strongly depicted Chicago setting, Obuobi ably navigates plot twists and emotional turns while addressing millennial angst and issues facing Black women (working twice as hard to get half as far). A funny, emotional page-turner that will have readers rooting for Angie. * Booklist Starred Review *On Rotation is a brilliant debut rom-com . . . It's relatable and LOL funny * Cosmopolitan *

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Book Synopsis___________________________________________________________________________________"Brilliantly wrought... Wonderful... Catling's expertise, imagination and linguistic flair are well matched by his wit and enthusiasm. Hollow is never less than tremendous fun... Catling is a great and wild talent... a raucous novel that thrills and unsettles in equal measure." - TLS"Prose that's sprinkled with neologisms and archaisms, and as crunchy and bitter-cold as snow... it's a nigh unclassifiable work, and all the better for that." - Financial Times"As with all the best fiction, there is a terrifying inevitability about Hollow ... Let it devour you."Iain Sinclair, author of Ghost Milk"Unsettling and delightful... very clever fun...a sheer, shuddering delight... both frightening and hilarious. Catling is a rare kind of writer.'"Scotland on Sunday____________________________________________________________________________From the author of the Vorrh Trilogy comes an epic odyssey following a group of mercenaries hired to deliver a church's ultimate power-a sacred oracle-as the decadence of carnival gives way to the gravity of lent and the mystic landscape grows ravenous - all set within a Bosch painting.The history of art contains no more imaginative or mysterious paintings that the landscapes of Hieronymus Bosch. Art historians ask where the weird creatures depicted there came from, and so too do the central characters of Hollow as they fight their way across these landscapes and encounter these creatures. Author B Catling is the first novelist to engage fully with Bosch's vision and climb imaginatively into it.In this novel it emerges that Bosch gave colour and form to monsters, 'letting them in' to the real world, and that they were still infesting the landscape when it was painted by Bosch's follower Pieter Bruegel. Now a wild bunch of mercenaries with a mission to deliver an oracle made of cloth, bones and a loud voice take a dangerous journey to the monastery at the base of the Tower of Babel, where the most terrifying secret in the world is kept. As they travel through a country painted first by Bosch and then by Bruegel, they are confronted and seduced by monsters and see scenes painted by them. These include the devil playing dice, a lewd mock wedding with a dirty bride, an unholy being living inside a hollow tree and riding a giant rat, and creatures indulging in inter-species sexual play as depicted in The Garden of Earthly Delights. A local marauding woman called Mad Meg with a small army of looting women from Breugel's Dull Gret is one of this novel's stranger characters. Perhaps it is because B. Catling is himself an artist that he has been able to create a modern narrative masterpiece which brings the painterly genius of Bosch and Breugel alive on the page.

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Book Synopsis'Compelling' GUARDIAN'Incredibly well written . . . I really enjoyed it' MARIAN KEYES'One of the most sophisticated works of science fiction I've read recently' NEW YORK TIMES The promise at Nepenthe is simple: they will erase the memories you cannot live with.After the procedure, psychologist Noor will assess you for two things: your mental wellbeing, and the successful erasure of the memory. But there is no assessment if you choose to delete the memory of the Nepenthe procedure itself. If you do that, you're on your own.And what if one day, out of the blue, your memory is offered back to you - would you want to remember what you've chosen to forget?'Extraordinary' EMMA STONEX 'Riveting' KAREN THOMPSON WALKER 'Utterly captivating' LUCY CLARKE Thought-provoking. I loved it' MARCEL THEROUX Trade ReviewHarkin's characters are drawn with wit and economy, and watching their stories dovetail is pure pleasure * The Times *Incredibly nicely written . . . [Jo Harkin] writes really well about human beings. I really enjoyed it -- Marian KeyesThis compelling cautionary tale is set in an alternative present where it's possible to have painful memories removed . . . Interconnecting narratives by multiple character . . . weave into an ensemble piece that raises fascinating questions about how we use memory both to create and dismantle ourselves, and the ultimate mystery of who, or possibly what, "myself" actually is * Guardian *A narrative that is as page-turning as a thriller, and as thought-provoking as an inquiry into the human mind should be * i Paper *An extraordinary novel-- intelligent and searching, with deep questions about humanity, history and self. Expansive in its scope and themes, but never losing touch with its characters' hearts and minds, Tell Me an Ending is gripping, inventive, and a memory I'll never forget -- Emma Stonex

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Book SynopsisDeidre is a victim, of her family, her society, her history. That is how she sees herself, and so she feels free of all obligations, moral and practical. Until the police take her back to her family home...

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Book SynopsisGothic, fantasy-tinged historical fiction, delving back into the teenage years of Mary Shelley to find the inspiration for Frankenstein

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Book Synopsis'Funny, sexy and glamorous' JOJO MOYES  'Jackie Collins’s daring, unapologetic stroke of the pen, combined with her glorious wit, has single-handedly given creative license to new generations of authors and storytellers.' COLLEEN HOOVERFeaturing a new introduction from bestselling author, Jo Thomas, talking about what Jackie and her books mean to her!  ‘Jackie’s skill as a writer is enviable. Rereading Chances I was totally hooked in from the start, into all the lives that were playing out in front of me’ JO THOMAS The book that made Jackie Collins one of Britain's favourite authors sweeps you from the sophisticated playgrounds of Europe to the glittering gambling palaces of Las Vegas. It plunges you into the reckless, dangerous world of the Santangelo crime family. It introduces you to Gino Santangelo, the street kid who makes it all the way

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Book SynopsisThree strangers, all in need of a little kindness in their lives, and this beautifully poignant and uplifting novel shows us the world through their eyes whilst highlighting the power of human connection.FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF HOPE NICELY'S LESSONS FOR LIFE'I loved it so much . . . gave me all the feels' JESSICA RYN, author of The Imperfect Art of CaringFriendship can bloom in the unlikeliest of places . . .Kiki grew up in New Zealand, dreaming of one day going to Glastonbury Festival. Now, mourning the loss of her beloved Yaya - the woman who raised her - she travels to the UK to follow that dream. It is only when she leaves home that she realises just how sheltered her life has been up until now.Ned lives an active and exciting life. Well, he did until the accident. Now, he's woken from his coma and no one knows. He can hear everything happening arou

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Book SynopsisWhen he fails his exams, 16-year-old Frieder is forced to stay with his grandparents for the summer, leading to an unforgettable and profound series of experiences that will change him forever.   ‘Ewald Arenz writes with gentle joy’ Iona Gray   'A tender and profound coming-of-age story that’s also a gripping page-turner. Gorgeously written … an absolute tour de force' Louisa Treger   ‘A summer of joys and sadness  … funny, touching, troubling’ Saga magazine  **German Independent Booksellers’ Book of the Year**  **Tasting Sunlight is a BBC World Service WORLD BOOK CLUB PICK**   _____ Sixteen-year-old Frieder’s plans for the summer are shattered when he fails two subjects. In order to move up to the next school year in the Autumn, he must r

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Book Synopsis'Lynda La Plante practically invented the thriller' Karin Slaughter  Everybody has a story to tell . . . Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison has moved up the ranks, fighting every step of the way to break through Scotland Yard's glass ceiling. Now, on her first day as the head of the Vice Squad, a high-profile case threatens to destroy everything she has worked for. When Tennison's latest investigation reveals an influential public figure as her prime suspect – a man with connections to politicians, judges and Scotland Yard – she's given a very clear message about the direction her investigation should take. In a case defined by murky details, one fact becomes indisputably clear – that for Tennison, going after the truth will mean risking her happiness, and maybe her career.Based on the award-winning TV series starring Helen Mirren. 

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Book SynopsisJoanna. Jeannine. Janet. Jael.Four women, four worlds, four vastly different societies.When these women are suddenly able to communicate with each other through the boundaries of dimensions, they are confronted with what could have been if one thing changed in history. And they find themselves looking at their own worlds with new eyes. Acclaimed as one of the essential works of science fiction, The Female Man examines gender roles in society and remains a work of great power. It won a retrospective James Tiptree Jr. Award and a 2002 Gaylactic Spectrum Hall of Fame award.''A stunning book, a work to be read with great respect. It''s also screamingly funny'' - San Francisco Review of Books''She was brilliant in a way that couldn''t be denied''- The New Yorker''It''s a gorgeous book, frankly, and well worth any reader''s time'' - Tor.comWelcome to The Best Of The Masterworks: a selection of the finest in science

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Book Synopsis''Heart-warming and unputdownable'' Carmel HarringtonEmily loves the festive season. This year she''s hosting a special Christmas lunch at her restaurant to celebrate with family and friends. But as the big day draws near, her plans begin to unravel ...Emily and her partner Bill are happily raising his grandson Pip when Bill''s troubled daughter Christine turns up out of the blue. She wants to pick up the pieces of her life, and to reclaim her son. Can Emily give up the boy she''s come to love as her own? And how can she ask Bill to choose between the two women he loves?Emily''s best friend Heather is also dealing with unexpected arrivals: the mother she left behind as a teenager, who now needs her help, and a man she thought she''d never see again. But Heather wonders if these reunions will heal past wounds, or only disrupt the happiness she has now.As Emily and Heather''s lives become more and more complicated, will they find their wayTrade ReviewMany of Meaney's characters have featured in previous novels so readers who already know and love the individual women will enjoy the continuation of their stories * Sunday Independent *

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Book SynopsisThe brand new festive romance from Debbie Macomber, the #1 New York Times bestselling author and the queen of Christmas fiction!Will they find their happy-ever-after this Christmas? Peter and Hank are lifelong friends, but when it comes to their jobs they couldn''t be more different. Peter is a small-town pastor and is devoted to helping the community, while Hank runs the local pub and is never too far from a party. But this Christmas, everything is about to change . . . Having never settled down, Peter and Hank believe their demanding jobs are keeping them from finding love. Convinced that the other has it easier, they hatch a plan to swap places the week before Christmas to put their theories to the test and find time for themselves. But as Hank quickly becomes overwhelmed by nativity plans, and Peter struggles to control the rowdy festive pub-goers, they each begin to worry they''re in over their heads. Luckily, church assistan

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Book Synopsis''A beautiful book so filled with sharp longing and perfectly phrased vulnerability that I read it in a reverent hush'' Torrey Peters, author of Detransition, Baby''Exceptional . . . has flashes of Sally Rooney''s CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS, or Halle Butler''s THE NEW ME. Sometimes it''s erotic, sometimes it''s devastating'' New York TimesMallory sees the woman for the first time at her college gym and is immediately transfixed. As a naturally reserved person who is now reeling from the loss of her mother, Mallory finds herself compelled by the woman''s assurance, and longs to know her better. Despite the discovery that she is a professor at the college, Mallory finds herself falling into a complicated love affair with the woman, the stakes of which she never quite understands.In the years that follow, Mallory must come to terms with how the relationship shaped her, for better or worse, and learn to become a part of the world that Trade ReviewMichelle Hart's first novel is a haunting study of solitude and connection, moving and memorable -- Meg Wolitzer, author of THE FEMALE PERSUASIONA gorgeous storyteller, Hart is gifted with a poet's precision, blending image and idea. Sensual and wise, this novel channels the melancholic exhilaration of dangerous love -- Tayari Jones, author of AN AMERICAN MARRIAGEA beautiful book so filled with sharp longing and perfectly phrased vulnerability that I read it in a reverent hush -- Torrey Peters, author of DETRANSITION, BABYIn Michelle Hart's debut novel, she tackles vulnerability, attachment, and the purpose relationships serve in our increasingly isolated lives * Buzzfeed *Seductive and lyrical with poetic detail, this is an unforgettable account of a forbidden romance made extraordinary by Hart's precision and lyrical touch. A compulsive read that satisfies and haunts -- Nicole Dennis-Benn, author of PATSYAt the heart of this sensual debut novel is the story of yearning between young Mallory and a married college professor. Theirs is a transactional desire on the surface, but Hart delves into the motivations of both Mallory and the professor, referred to in the text only as The Woman, to reveal important truths about what our closest relationships say about us, and what they help us conceal * Oprah Daily *Transfixing . . . Mallory's intense interiority and self-consciousness will remind readers of Sally Rooney's work, and Hart's prose is delicate and piercing. This is auspicious and breathtaking * Publishers Weekly *Does something exceptional . . . Has flashes of Sally Rooney's CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS, or Halle Butler's THE NEW ME. Sometimes it's erotic, sometimes it's devastating. . . But the writing always crackles, written by someone who clearly knows what it's like to desire another woman in ways you just barely understand * New York Times *Michelle Hart's coming-of-age novel skillfully depicts forbidden romance and the shame it can foster * Time Magazine *An electric debut * Marie Claire *

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Book SynopsisThe brand new small-town romance from New York Times bestselling author, Brenda Jackson. Brenda Jackson writes romance that sizzles and characters you fall in love with.' Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling authorWill they be able to keep their past a secret?Two years ago, Zara Miller found herself heartbroken and stranded in a New Orleans hotel bar with an attractive stranger called Saint.' They shared a no strings one night stand, and contact info wasn't exchanged but Zara hasn't been able to stop thinking about him since.Though Saint and Zara both grew up in Catalina Cove, they''d never crossed paths. Now all of a sudden they can't seem to avoid each other. Despite an enduring attraction, Zara and Saint decide to keep their spicy secret in the past. They don't need everybody knowing especially since they've both been burned before.But what will happen when their intense desire becomes impossible to ignore?Readers love Brenda Jackson:I love all of the books I have read from Bre

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Book Synopsis2 best friends. 1 perfect match.Could you solve the equation for love if you've never had it yourself?Twenty-six-year-old Penny Webber has never had a boyfriend, but she's about to launch a new dating app with her best friend, Rory, designed to make dating less shallow. What could possibly go wrong?As soon as LEVEL launches, it's an immediate hit. Challenged by her team, but discouraged by Rory, she hits download on her very own app to prove a point. Alongside dating, she juggles her brother''s wedding plans, mediating between divorced parents and supporting her flatmate through heartbreak. All while navigating her increasingly complicated partnership with RoryAs LEVEL sends her further down a rocky path of failed dates, Penny's faith in her ability to help others find love falters. But what if Penny is wrong about her ability to crack the equation for love? What if, all this time, it's been where she least expected it?

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