Contemporary Fiction Books

Book Synopsis'Riveting work' Patti Smith'Vivid . . . it communicates a real power' Sunday Times'A wild ride of a book' MetroActor William Harding has been caught cheating on his rock star wife and the press have descended upon him. Amid the headlines and worldwide disdain towards him, he takes on the part in Henry IV. He must examine himself, and who he has become, under the brightest of lights and the keenest of eyes.'A considered meditation on the evil of celebrity and the demanding yet restorative power of theatre' New Statesman'An emotional ode to theatre as medicine for heartbreak, and an interesting meditation on fame' Radio Times'A witty, wise heartfelt novel' Washington PostTrade ReviewEthan Hawke is a true writer and his duality as an artist is skilfully reflected in A Bright Ray of Darkness. Hawke circles, descends, and crawls into his characters' skin. Grimy shadows pass over the footlights, into the bowels of the theatre, where a struggling actor, perhaps mirroring the writer, seeks the vine of redemption, and claws his way into becoming. Bright Ray is a riveting work. -- Patti SmithWilliam is the star of this vivid drama from Ethan Hawke ... this is ultimately a book about the transcendent value of great art ... it communicates a real power. * Sunday Times *Film star William Harding is fed up with having his personal life examined in public. The protagonist of this novel, the first in five years from Hawke (best known for his acting role in Richard Linklater's Before trilogy), is also disgusted at the ways in which he has allowed his marriage to collapse around him. His debut Broadway role offers him a chance at redemption and turns this bracing book into a considered meditation on the evil of celebrity and the demanding yet restorative power of theatre. * New Statesman *Ethan Hawke, whose acting career has combined celebrity wattage with indie integrity, brings hard-won experience to his latest literary endeavour ... [A] wild ride of a book ... Written with real fire & originality. Not many novels combine scenes of lying semi-conscious by a motel toilet with thoughts on the perfection of the iambic pentameter. * Metro *An emotional ode to theatre as medicine for heartbreak, and an interesting meditation on fame. * Radio Times *Ethan Hawke has got a lot of nerve. But he's also got a lot of talent ... What's most irritating about A Bright Ray of Darkness is that it's really good ... A novel that explores the demands of acting and the delusions of manhood with tremendous verve and insight ... Hawke is a genius at conjuring the hush of the auditorium, the thrill of live actors, the magical sense of a performance moving through time. Amid the endless pandemic lockdown, reading this novel with its spirited scene-by-scene re-enactments is the closest I've gotten to live theatre in 10 months ... I want to be immune to Hawke's charms, but I admit it: He's written a witty, wise and heartfelt novel about a spoiled young man growing up and becoming, haltingly, a better person. A Bright Ray of Darkness is a deeply hopeful story about the possibility of rising above one's narcissism. Bravo. * Ron Charles, Washington Post *Hawke blurs the boundaries between past roles and autobiography and brings a world of fame, longing and oblivion into sharp focus. * BuzzMag *William Harding is a successful film star whose life is in turmoil. Outed by the press as an adulterer, he is now holed up in a New York hotel, divorcing his popstar wife while preparing to make his Broadway debut in Henry IV. In his first novel for 20 years, Hawke has obeyed the adage 'write what you know', bringing the theatrical world, from first rehearsal to final performance, thrillingly to life. * Mail on Sunday *...a fine book, full of narrative drive, illuminating information about the power of the stage, and a storyline that goes at quite a pace, but still has much room for humanity, showing that however big the mistakes people make, and however many people know about those mistakes, there is still the chance of redemption, if you look for it. * NB *This enjoyable literary outing is in the American tradition of writers like Saul Bellow ... The Bellow vibe comes with Harding's active wrestling with his own conscience and it is never a sterile or bloodless reflection as he's a charged-up, sex-driven, cocaine-fuelled, whiskey drinking bloke with chips on his shoulder ... it is Harding's failures as a person that make him real for the reader ... a highly engaging and enjoyable read ... lively and spirited ... As we get on with lockdown after lockdown and a world without plays, gigs, and the community of shared experience this is a novel reminding us to cherish what we are missing. * Irish Examiner *A rather easier read is Ethan Hawke's A Bright Ray of Darkness: a smart novel about Broadway, acting, marriage, love and fame. -- David MitchellDelightfully, Hawke goes full throttle, conjuring a world of thespian grandiosity, engorged egos, brittle self-doubt and callow celebrity with a bravura performance. * Financial Times *A thumpingly accomplished novel about art, the heart, the Way of the Actor and scandal in the social media age. Whip smart and dripping with one-liners, A BRIGHT RAY OF DARKNESS is an urbane, uplifting blast of a write-what-you-know novel. -- David Mitchell

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Book SynopsisFamily, obsession, and privilege boiled down by the icy-hot Swiss-Italian master stylist Fleur Jaeggy. Even among Jaeggy’s singular and intricate works, The Water Statues is a shiningly peculiar book. Concerned with loneliness and wealth’s odd emotional poverty, this early novel is in part structured as a play: the dramatis personae include the various relatives, friends, and servants of a man named Beeklam, a wealthy recluse who keeps statues in his villa’s flooded basement, where memories shiver in uncertain light and the waters run off to the sea.Fleshed out with Jaeggy’s austere yet voluptuous style, The Water Statues delivers like a slap an indelible picture of the swampiness of family life. ‘Reading Jaeggy is not unlike diving naked and headlong into a bramble of black rose bushes, so intrigued you are by their beauty: it’s a swift, prickly undertaking, and you emerge the other end bloodied all over’ -Daniel Johnson, The Paris ReviewTrade Review‘Stark, surprising prose. It’s hard to capture in a line or two the strange precision of Jaeggy’s prose. Darkness seems never far away.’ Martin Riker, New York Times Book Review ---- ‘It is hard not to be impressed by Jaeggy’s own spiritual and aesthetic grandeur, which casts her stories in such a compellingly cool light. She, too, has a startling ability to go beyond: beyond the sentimental heart, the writerly niceties, the conventions that bind us, and the messy effusions of contemporary life. She once said, in an interview, “One should be in one’s own void. Void is silence. Solitude. An absence of relationships. . . . The void is a plant that must continually be watered.” It is our good fortune that she sits at her swamp-green typewriter, watering it.’ Sheila Heti, The New Yorker ---- ‘Jaeggy’s astute compression of narrative detail is at once serene and startling. Beneath a placid, opalescent surface lurks a threat of violence that may or may not be realised, but which contributes to the profound impression that people and their lives are unpredictable, coursing with icy, barren wildness.’ Emily Labarge, Los Angeles Review of Books ---- ‘Jaeggy seems to have crushed a glass in her palm and tweezed out a few shards for the page. Her prose is indeed extraordinary – it is also frightening.’ The Rumpus ---- ‘Reading Jaeggy is not unlike diving naked and headlong into a bramble of black rose bushes, so intrigued you are by their beauty: it’s a swift, prickly undertaking, and you emerge the other end bloodied all over.’ Daniel Johnson, The Paris Review ---- ‘It is thrilling to live in Jaeggy’s worlds, which are so intense they threaten to boil over.’ Publishers Weekly ---- ‘A beautiful but inscrutable book about disconnection and the passage of time.’ Kirkus ---- ‘In this strange and shimmering nonlinear text from Swiss writer Jaeggy, the lonely children of the wealthy and their eccentric employees negotiate the boundary between companionship and solitude...In short, enjoyably expressionistic sections, Jaeggy sketches the emotional lives of people marooned but not content to remain entirely alone. What emerges is a fascinating and memorable portrait of a milieu obsessed with the passing of time.’ Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisIf you loved The Haunting of Hill House, welcome to ThistlecrookIt's 1923 and at Thistlecrook House, a forbidding home on the Scottish border, the roaring twenties seem not to have arrived. But Simon Christie has a young man who can't believe his luck when he gets a job cataloguing the infamous art collection of the Mordrake family. Yet from the moment he gets off the train at the deserted village station he can't shift a headache and a sense that there's more to the House and its gruesome selection of pictures.Simon's host is glad of his company, but he gets the feeling the house is not so welcoming. As his questions about the Mordrakes grow, he finds answers in surprising places. But someone is not pleased that old secrets are stirring.As night falls each evening, and a growing sense of unease roils in the shifting shadows around him, Simon must decide what he can trust and ask if he can believe what he sees in the dusk or if his mind is poisoned by what has happened before in this Trade Review"I don't believe in reincarnation, but Mathew West seems the very spirit of M.R. James. With urbane wit and an ever-lurking dread, The House of Footsteps broods to an unsettling climax, choking with atmosphere." A.J. West, author of The Spirit Engineer

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Book Synopsis'Little Bramble is the perfect country village. Brimming with community spirit and warmth. I loved it.' Phillipa Ashley, author of A Perfect Cornish EscapeA feel-good, uplifting summer read for fans of Heidi Swain and Cathy Bramley. Emma Patrick's life is spiralling out of control. On the cusp of her 50th birthday, she realises that she's been so focused on work that she's lost any real connection to people.When Emma's ageing father needs her help, she decides to go back home to the countryside to spend some time with him. But returning to Little Bramble after years away is filled with complications and people she'd rather avoid.To her surprise, as Emma settles in she finds herself loving village life. When the opportunity to get involved in the running of the summer fête comes her way, soon she's embracing jam making, cake baking and bunting. And with romance brewing, Emma begins to doubt the glamorous city life that she worked so hard to build . . . 'A heartwarming and charming story about love, friendship and village life.' Holly Martin, author of Ice Creams at Emerald Cove'A lovely summery read full of family, friendship and the feel good factor!' Bella Osborne, author of One Family Christmas Return to Little Bramble this winter in The Country Village Winter Wedding and The Country Village Christmas Show, available now. - - - - - - - - - - - Readers are loving The Country Village Summer Fete:'If you like village life, family, friends, re-kindled love and dogs then this is the book for you.' Netgalley reviewer 'A wonderful feel good book.' Netgalley reviewer'I loved this fun, uplifting feel good book.' Netgalley reviewer'This book made me dream of the warmer weather and being outside with the sun on your face. Emma's story is a relatable whatever age you are.' Netgalley reviewe - - - - - - - - - - - - Praise for The Country Village Christmas Show: 'A gorgeous festive treat of a story, glowing with warmth and Christmas spirit.' Phillipa Ashley 'A fabulous slice of village life!' Heidi Swain 'A gorgeous, uplifting festive read. I loved it.' Holly Martin, author of Christmas at Mistletoe Cove'A great read full of festive magic. One to enjoy this Christmas.' Bella Osborne, author of Escape to Willow Cottage'As warm as a hot chocolate on a winter night.' Laura Kemp, author of The Year of Surprising Acts of Kindness'A joyous read celebrating love, community and Christmas spirit.' Julie Caplin, author of The Little Cafe in Copenhagen'Everything you need for entertainment of the best possible kind . . . I loved it.' Raven McCallen'A heartfelt and uplifting read - the perfect book to get into the festive spirit!' Andrea Michael, author of The Book of Us Trade ReviewA heartwarming and charming story about love, friendship and village life. * Holly Martin *'A fabulous slice of village life!' * Heidi Swain on The Country Village Christmas Show *Little Bramble is the perfect country village. Brimming with community spirit and warmth. I loved it. * Phillipa Ashley *A gorgeous, uplifting festive read. I loved it. * Holly Martin, on The Country Village Christmas Show *A great read full of festive magic. One to enjoy this Christmas. * Bella Osborne on The Country Village Christmas Show *A lovely summery read full of family, friendship and the feel good factor! * Bella Osborne, author of One Family Christmas *As warm as a hot chocolate on a winter night. * Laura Kemp, author of The Year of Surprising Acts of Kindness on The Country Village Christmas Show *A joyous read celebrating love, community and Christmas spirit. * Julie Caplin, author of The Little Cafe in Copenhagen on The Country Village Christmas Show *Everything you need for entertainment of the best possible kind . . . I loved it. * Raven McCallen on The Country Village Christmas Show *A heartfelt and uplifting read - the perfect book to get into the festive spirit! * Andrea Michael, author of The Book of Us on The Country Village Christmas Show *A gorgeous festive treat of a story, glowing with warmth and Christmas spirit. * Phillipa Ashley on The Country Village Christmas Show *

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Book SynopsisOnce again, Goranson channels the epics of the past to take the reader on a journey filled with adventure, danger, and forbidden love I would highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, Viking tales, and mythology!' ? ? ? ? ? reader reviewWIFE.DAUGHTER.DREAMER.Anja Freydisdottir has always heard whispers of her mother's adventures in Vinland. All she longs for is to spread her wings and follow them but she's trapped by the expectations of 11th-century society.Liberation comes from an unexpected source when she is helped to flee across the Atlantic on a Viking longboat bound for Vinland shores.Haunted by the ominous shadows of a family history she does not know, Anja must seek a perilous path into an unfamiliar wilderness to find her answersThe Flight of Anja is an unmissable historical novel of epic adventure and forbidden love perfect for fans of Vikings and Outlander.What readers are saying:I really enjoyed this book, it was beautifully written, almost lyrical in its Trade 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 SynopsisI couldn''t put it down, read it cover to cover in a day A fabulous chilling thriller.' NetGalley reviewer, ?????A mysterious figure. A whispering community. A deadly secretWhen Stina and Jack move to an old rural cottage, they're hoping for a fresh start. Their new home is run-down compared to their neighbour's, but generous Mrs Barley quickly becomes a friend.Until Stina sees a mysterious figure in the widow's garden, and her happy new life begins to unravel. And when she hears strange noises in the night, she is forced to question if Mrs Barley is what she seems.Why do the other villagers whisper about her? Why is she so eager to help the couple? And what is she hiding in her picture-perfect home?A haunting, twisty story about the power of secrets and rumours, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware's The Turn of the Key and Lucy Atkins's Magpie Lane. Readers are gripped by Whisper Cottage: Unputdownable. I loved it! Had me hooked Great, fast paced mystery.' NetGalley reviewer, ?????Full of twists and turns you just don't see coming Read it in one sitting.' NetGalley reviewer, ?????Super suspenseful book with lots of twists and could it be you moments Keeps the reader guessing until the end.' NetGalley reviewer, ?????Excellent Gripping I raced through it.' NetGalley reviewer, ?????Brilliant! Suspenseful, gripping, compulsive It would make an amazeballs Netflix film (hint, hint)!' NetGalley reviewer, ?????I was shocked to the core and that doesn't happen often! It's one of those stories that you're dying to figure out (but can't!) 5/5, loved it.' NetGalley reviewer, ?????Creepy, claustrophobic and compelling! A beautifully written thriller that kept me glued to my Kindle' Miranda RijksI devoured this book in a couple of sittings because I needed to find out what was going on! Twists and turn to keep the reader enthralled!' NetGalley reviewer, ?????Trade Review‘Creepy, claustrophobic and compelling! A beautifully written thriller that kept me glued to my Kindle’ Miranda Rijks, author of The Visitors ‘Haunting psychological suspense… Will send shivers down your spine’ Alice Hunter, author of The Serial Killer’s Wife “Whisper Cottage was a dark and atmospheric thriller that pulled me in from the very first page.” Stephanie DeCarolis, author of The Guilty Husband 'Chilling and wonderfully atmospheric, with an ending that took me surprise – I couldn’t put it down' Amanda Brittany, author of Her Last Lie

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Book Synopsis**NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES STARRING SAM NEILL AND ANNETTE BENING**THE NO. 1 BESTSELLER AND RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK THE DELICIOUSLY DARK SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF NINE PERFECT STRANGERS AND HBO''S BIG LITTLE LIES''Perfect holiday reading'' GUARDIAN''Smart, sharp and utterly riveting'' DAILY MAIL''Stunning'' SUNDAY TIMES''A tour de force'' GRAZIA''A masterclass'' SUN________Joy and Stan Delaney have four grown-up children, a successful family business and their golden years ahead of them.Then Joy vanishes.Questions are asked. The police get involved.Scratch the surface and this seemingly happy family has much to hide . . .________''Deliciously dark'' COSMOPOLITAN''Utterly and completely wonderful . . . A hugely engaging, sometimes very funny, page-turner'' MARIAN KEYES''Moriarty''s expert storytelling will have you turning page after page'' i''A corker of a mystery'' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH''If you want a book to see you through on your beach towel this summer, I highly recommend Liane''s latest, Apples Never Fall. There''s a lot of truth in it. Something we really do need right now'' FI GLOVER, Waitrose Weekend''I loved it. An absolute page-turner with all the wit and nuance that put Liane Moriarty head and shoulders above the crowd. Liane Moriarty shows once again why she leads the pack'' JANE HARPER ''One of the few writers I''ll drop anything for'' JOJO MOYESTrade ReviewA fantastic storyteller. Apples Never Fall is gripping, getting to the dark underbelly of a seemingly perfect family. A cracking read * ITV's Lorraine Kelly *An engrossing mashup of family drama and psychological suspense that offers a mystery. Complex and satisfying. Perfect holiday reading * Guardian *Enthralling * i *Moriarty's portrait of a tennis-mad family is convincing . . . And she keeps a stunning revelation up her sleeve until the final pages * Sunday Times *This is a tour-de-force of a novel; brilliantly plotted and superbly written . . . No detail of family life and marriage escapes Moriarty's all seeing eye, and every sentence is packed with wit and insight. The tension builds to a conclusion alive with ingenious twists. Smart, sharp and utterly riveting * Daily Mail *Moriarty's expert storytelling will have you turning page after page to discover truths lurking beneath the surface. The ending is witty and satisfying, but comes with a dark twist. Apples Never Fall is full of intrigue, suspense and surprises, sure to delight both readers and viewers of the TV adaptation already in the pipeline * i *Moriarty excels in the way all of her characters spring from the page so fully formed. A witty tale of domestic suspense and a satisfying, layered family drama * New York Times *A deliciously dark story set in suburbia * Cosmopolitan *Clever and relatable * Woman *Her writing is smart, her plots are clever, her dialogue believable and you can be sure that when you pick up one of her books you're in safe hands . . . If you want a book to see you through on your beach towel this summer, I highly recommend Liane's latest, Apples Never Fall. There's a lot of truth in it. Something we really do need right now -- Fi Glover * Waitrose Weekend *I loved it. An absolute page-turner with all the wit and nuance that put Liane Moriarty head and shoulders above the crowd. Liane Moriarty shows once again why she leads the pack -- Jane HarperA corker of a mystery * Sunday Telegraph *Another sinister thriller to see us into the autumn * New! Magazine *A wonderfully noirish dissection of domestic dysfunction * iNEWS *Magnificent, pyrotechnic, deliciously theatrical * Guardian *Her best yet, a gripping family saga that sees her tackle female rage, ageism, mental health, sibling rivalry and the frailties of technology with incisive wit and verve. Quintessential Moriarty: suspenseful and funny, full of twists and as binge-worthy as the finest box set * Mail on Sunday *Utterly and completely wonderful: an intelligent, forensic portrait of a family. A thrillingly honest depiction of a long marriage and an unsentimental look at the lives of their four children, which also happens to be a hugely engaging, sometimes very funny, page-turner -- Marian KeyesLiane Moriarty is back with another tour de force * Grazia *Acutely observed and often poignant, this is a brilliant portrayal of a long marriage, warts and all. Just as compelling [as Big Little Lies] - the story of a family that appeared perfect but is unravelling at top speed * Sunday Express *Full of realistic characters and sharp human insights * Good Housekeeping *Deliciously dark . . . An utterly absorbing mystery that will hook you in * Real People *[A] sharp and perceptive tale of ambition, pressure and family politics * Daily Mail *Moriarty is excellent - amusing and astute - on the small indignities that make up a marriage, a family and a life . . . Possesses the insight and warmth that Moriarty brings to all her books * Guardian *The latest book from one of your favourite authors * Prima *Thrilling, a masterclass * Sun *Clever & relatable . . . Explores sibling bonds, parental relationships & how events can change your future forever * Woman & Home *A real pleasure to read * Daily Mail *With heart, humour and a killer plot - this is another smash hit read * Best *The perfect mix of edge-of-your-seat plotting, well-crafted characters and a satisfying ending * Good Housekeeping *A deliciously dark tense mystery drama * Good Housekeeping *Thrilling * Grazia *This will keep you guessing until the end * Red *If you love a good mystery with deep emotion at its heart, this is the novel for you * Living North *Ingenious . . . This is one book you can't miss out on. Moriarty has an extraordinary talent. Thrilling * Female First *There is not a word wasted. I could not put it down * Today UK News *The ending is witty and satisfying, but comes with a dark twist. Apples Never Fall is another enjoyable offering full of intrigue, suspense and surprises, sure to delight * Press Association *Praise for Liane Moriarty * - *Wise, honest, beautifully observed. One of the few writers I'll drop anything forStaggeringly brilliant, literally unputdownableKeeps you guessing until the very end - perfect summer readMoriarty writes vividly, wittily and wickedly * Sunday Express *Straight-from-life characters, knife-sharp insight and almost unbearable suspense will have you racing through it * Good Housekeeping *As brilliantly accomplished as it is dark, twisty and compulsive * Heat *A hell of a good book. Funny and scaryRiveting drama packed with suspense and secrets * Woman & Home *Like drinking a pink Cosmo laced with arsenic . . . a fun, engaging and sometimes disturbing read * USA Today *Perfect * Hello *Fascinating and compassionate * Daily Telegraph *I loved every line of itFunny and captivating * Closer *A cracking story cleverly told * Fabulous *

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Book SynopsisNumber One New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich returns with the launch of a blockbuster new series that blends wild adventure, hugely appealing characters, and pitch-perfect humour, proving once again why she’s 'the most popular mystery writer alive' (New York Times). Lost something? Gabriela Rose knows how to get it back. As a recovery agent, she’s hired by individuals and companies seeking lost treasures, stolen heirlooms, or missing assets of any kind. She’s reliable, cool under pressure, and well trained in weapons of all types. But Gabriela’s latest job isn’t for some bamboozled billionaire, it’s for her own family, whose home is going to be wiped off the map if they can’t come up with a lot of money fast. Inspired by an old family legend, Gabriela sets off for the jungles of Peru in pursuit of the Ring of Solomon and the lost treasure of Cortez. But this particul

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Book Synopsis** WINNER OF THE 2022 WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE **THE TIMES'' THRILLER OF THE MONTH''A heart-pounding survival thriller set in the starkly beautiful far north of Norway. Gripping and adrenalin-fuelled, yet also written with a tenderness that warms even the most chilling of chases.'' LUCY CLARKE, author of The CastawaysErik Amdahl and his spirited daughter, Sofia, have embarked on a long-promised cross-country ski trip deep into Norway''s arctic circle. For Erik, it''s the chance to bond properly with his remaining daughter following a tragic accident. For Sofia, it''s the proof she needs that her father does care.Then, far from home in this snowbound wilderness, with night falling and the mercury plummeting, an accident sends them in search of help - and shelter. Nearby is the home of a couple - members of Norway''s indigenous Sami people - who they''ve met before, and who welcome them in. Erik is rTrade ReviewA high speed avalanche of a thriller. * THE SUN *Stunning . . . spell-binding tension. * DAILY MAIL *A terrific winter chiller set in the unforgiving Norwegian mountain landscape, Where Blood Runs Cold depicts exactly how far we will go to survive - and to protect the ones we love. Utterly gripping. -- AMY McCULLOCH, author of BreathlessRiveting . . . Kristian gives this extended chase a nightmarish intensity.' -- John Williams * MAIL ON SUNDAY *'Where Blood Runs Cold is a heart-pounding survival thriller set in the starkly beautiful far north of Norway. Gripping and adrenalin-fuelled, yet also written with a tenderness that warms even the most chilling of chases.' -- LUCY CLARKE, author of The Castaways

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Book SynopsisWhen Shirin bumps into Kian at a house party in Brixton, she is taken aback by the feelings that resurface.They last saw one another ten years ago as sixteen-year-olds at school in Hull. And the weight of everything left unsaid since then still hangs between them.But now they're back in each other's lives, it's harder to run from the past.There's nothing worse than losing the person you trust with your deepest secrets.Can it be different second time around?People Change is a moving and thought-provoking exploration of two people overcoming the past, re-finding each other and discovering their place in the world.__________________________________Praise for People Change:'People Change is simply brilliant - unflinching, and completely captivating' Beth Reekles'This book expresses so many different types of love, and the affirmation we find in the deep truths of ourselves. It's so beautiful' Tice Cin'Two brilliant characters navigating their twenties... Deftly touches on race and mental health' Taylor Dior Rumble'This powerful book evokes perfectly the agony of young love while also exploring darker themes' People's Friend'A wonderful, moving read - Sara Jafari has such a perceptive eye and the most brilliant way of rendering the unspoken things between two people' Emma Hughes'A gorgeous novel that explores the complexities of the life. Deft, funny, and thoughtful on friendship, family, work, race, and dating' Kirsty Capes'People Change is a brilliant book that will leave you with a longing for seizing the day and shrugging off the cobwebs of stagnancy. . .' Bad Form 'Funny and well observed' Country and Townhouse 'A thoughtful, moving tale' Woman's Own

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the 2022 Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction 'Utterly, utterly perfect and brilliant - I think it is, simply, a new classic, and the book every woman will be able to trust to make her happy when she picks it up' - Caitlin Moran 'Utterly wonderful ... full of love. Enormously uplifting, funny and witty and wry' - Marian Keyes 'A glorious, outrageously funny retelling of E.M. Delafield's Diary of a Provincial Lady. At once, a celebration of the joy of family life and a cry of anguish at the utter hell of it. Laugh out loud, compulsive reading' - Nina Stibbe Meet Liz: all she wants is some peace and quiet so she can read a book with her cat Henry, love of her life, by her side. But trampling all over this dream is a group of wild things also known as Liz's family. Namely: Richard - a man, a husband, no serious rival to Henry. Thomas - their sensitive seven year old son, for whom life is a bed of pain already. Evie - five year old acrobat, gangster, anarchist, daughter. And as if her family's demands (Where are the door keys? Are we made of plastic? Do 'ghost poos' really count?) weren't enough, Liz must also contend with the madness of parents, friends, bosses, and at least one hovering nemesis. Are We Having Fun Yet? is a year with one woman as she faces all the storms of modern life (babysitters, death, threadworms) on her epic quest for that holy grail: a moment to herself.Trade ReviewUtterly wonderful ... full of love. Enormously uplifting, funny and witty and wry -- Marian KeyesI read everything by Lucy Mangan, she is one of the funniest writers in Britain. -- Jenny ColganUtterly, utterly perfect and brilliant - I think it is, simply, a new classic, and the book every woman will be able to trust to make her happy when she picks it up. Lucy Mangan is a fucking genius. SO MUCH WISDOM IN IT. SO MUCH ANGER. SO MUCH LOVE. SO MUCH LOL. It's just exquisite -- Caitlin MoranCompelling, connecting humour from start to finish ... motherhood made funny -- Helen LedererWarm, witty and invigorated by righteous anger -- Amber Pearson * Mail on Sunday *A comic update on EM Delafield's Diary Of A Provincial Lady that will hit home with anyone who hates the verb "to multitask" -- 'Books to make people laugh' * Stylist *Family life under the microscope - scalpel sharp and gloriously real. Pure Mangan: witty and wickedly funny -- Jenny EclairLucy Mangan nails the absurd pitfalls of modern life/marriage/small children so completely and honestly, but with a lightness of touch that means the overall effect is calming and nourishing and feels like having a really good chat with a kind and loving friend. And so funny! I was shaking the bed with my laughter. -- Cathy RentzenbrinkA glorious, outrageously funny retelling of E.M. Delafield's Diary of a Provincial Lady. At once a celebration of the joy of family life and a cry of anguish at the utter hell of it. Laugh out loud, compulsive reading. -- Nina StibbeI was crying with laughter reading so much of it ... full of pure simmering rage -- Emma Barnett * BBC Woman's Hour *This romp through the chaos of family life will have you wincing and rejoicing in equal measure -- Susie Mesure * iPaper *

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Book Synopsis‘Gloriously romantic, the perfect summer escape!’ Cathy Bramley ‘Beach House Summer is a perfect slice of joyful summer escapism from Sarah Morgan, the master of the genre’ Clare Pooley, The Authenticity Project ‘Sarah Morgan has the ultimate golden touch for me – no other author makes me lose myself in a world like she does. Beach House Summer might just be her best summer novel yet: emotional, heart-warming, and deliciously escapist’ Laura Jane Williams, The Lucky Escape ‘The perfect blend of drama, friendship and heart-melting romance: sumptuous, escapist fiction at its finest’ Cressida McLaughlin, The Staycation * * * A marriage in the spotlightJoanna Whitman’s high-profile marriage held more secrets than she cares to remember, so when her ex-husband dies, she doesn't know what to feel. But when she discovers that he’s left behind a pregnant young woman, Joanna is forced to act. She knows exactly how brutal the spotlight on them both will be…unless she can find a way for them to disappear. A beach house hideaway Ashley Blake is amazed when Joanna suggests they lie low at her beach house in her sleepy Californian hometown. Joanna should be hating her, not helping her. But alone and pregnant, Ashley needs all the support she can find. A summer of new beginningsJoanna's only goal for the summer is privacy. All Ashley wants is space to plan for her and her baby's future. But when an old flame reappears, and secrets spill out under the hot summer sun, this unlikely friendship is put to the test… * * * Readers are falling hard for Beach House Summer! ‘Beach House Summer is the most delightful novel that will warm your heart and make you smile’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I loved this book – it's definitely one of my favourites that I've read by Sarah Morgan! I could barely put this down – an easy 5 stars for me’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The perfect blend of drama, love and friendships, this is fiction at its best’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Moving, heartwarming, romantic . . . The perfect summer escape’ Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Trade Review Praise for Beach House Summer ‘Gloriously romantic, the perfect summer escape!’ Cathy Bramley ‘Beach House Summer is a perfect slice of joyful summer escapism from Sarah Morgan, the master of the genre’ Clare Pooley, The Authenticity Project ‘Sarah Morgan has the ultimate golden touch for me – no other author makes me lose myself in a world like she does. Beach House Summer might just be her best summer novel yet: emotional, heart-warming, and deliciously escapist’ Laura Jane Williams, The Lucky Escape ‘As with all Sarah’s books, Sarah is so good at hooking you from the first page and keeping you there. I fell easily into the story, and never wanted to leave. Nobody does heartfelt, sexy romance quite like Sarah, and Joanna’s reinvention – rebirth, really – was so brilliantly done, I felt like cheering at the end. Beach House Summer is the book everyone needs on their summer TBRs. It’s a perfect blend of drama, friendship and heart-melting romance: sumptuous, escapist fiction at its finest’ Cressida McLaughlin, The Staycation ‘A lovely read’ Platinum ‘A captivating romance about facing the past’ Woman’s Own ‘The perfect escapist read’ The Sun Praise for Sarah Morgan ‘Joyful, uplifting and overflowing with love. Sarah’s writing speaks straight to my heart’ Cathy Bramley, Sunday Times bestselling author ‘Warm-hearted, tender and wise, a truly uplifting story’ Miranda Dickinson, author of The Start of Something ‘Sunshine in a book! Joy and optimism infuse every word of this delicious novel – I couldn’t put [it] down’ Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author ‘Big-hearted book from bestseller Morgan’ My Weekly ‘The cast of lively characters instantly draws you in’ Woman & Home

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Book SynopsisMaman was exigeante—there is no English word—and I had the benefit of her training. Others may not be so fortunate. If some other young girl, with two million dollars at stake, finds this of use I shall count myself justified.Trade Review"A staggeringly intelligent examination into the nature of truth, love, respect, beauty and trust...This is that rare thing, or merle blanc, as maman might say: a perfect book. I've read it four times, which you can do between breakfast and lunch." -- Nicola Shulman - The Times Literary Supplement"Weighing in at just 64 pages, Helen DeWitt’s The English Understand Wool is a delight." -- Mia Levitin - The Irish Times"This is a short, sharp sliver of a story—only 64 pages—but every single word is pitch perfect… Think of it as the literary equivalent of a shot of ice-cold vodka—Belvedere or Grey Goose only, of course." -- Lucy Scholes - Prospect"For a wonderfully sideways take on the complex intersections between class, wealth and power—intersections that invariably favour those who have most of them already—I recommend reading The English Understand Wool, by the American writer Helen DeWitt." -- Alex Clark - The Observer"The English Understand Wool is Helen DeWitt’s best and funniest book so far – quite a feat given the standards set by the rest of her work… Its pages are rife with wicked pleasures. It incites and rewards re-reading." -- Heather Cass White - The Times Literary Supplement"Readers of Helen DeWitt’s limited previous output—two novels and a collection of stories in twenty-two years—will fall greedily on anything new. Her novella The English Understand Wool exceeds expectations." -- John Self - The Critic

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Book SynopsisThe mountain remained, unclimbed, for the first year that they lived there. Bell and Sigh, a couple in the infancy of their relationship, cut themselves off from friends and family. They turn their backs on a city divided by scores of streets and hundreds of sterile cherry trees, by a foul river and a declining population of house sparrows. Them in and the world out. From the top of the nearby mountain, they are told, you can see seven standing stones, seven schools, and seven steeples. All you have to do is climb. Taking place in a remote house in the south-west of Ireland, this rich and vivid novel spans seven years and speaks to the times we live in, asking how we may withdraw, how better to live in the natural world, and how the choices made or avoided lead us home.

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Book SynopsisA humorous, big-hearted romp through the apocalypse, where even a cowardly crow can become a hero. Perfect for fans of Dawn of the Dead and Isaac Marion''s Warm Bodies.''A thoroughly enjoyable account of the end of the world as we know it. The Secret Life of Pets meets The Walking Dead.'' Karen Joy Fowler''It''s transformative, poignant, and funny as hell. S.T. the irrepressible, cursing crow is my new favourite apocalyptic hero.'' Helen Macdonald, New York Times bestselling author of H Is for HawkS.T. is a domesticated crow. He is a bird of simple pleasures: hanging out with his owner Big Jim, trading insults with Seattle''s wild crows (those idiots) and enjoying the finest food humankind has to offer: Cheetos.But when Big Jim''s eyeball falls out of his head, S.T. starts to feel like something isn''t right. His Trade ReviewHollow Kingdom is a nature book for our own age, an exuberant, glittering, hard-hitting mashup of Dawn of the Dead and The Incredible Journey. It's an adventure lit by strange myths, brand-names, television and smartphone screens, a fable with teeth and claws about animals making new lives amongst the ruins of humanity. It's transformative, poignant, and funny as hell. S.T. the irrepressible, cursing crow is my new favourite apocalyptic hero. * Helen Macdonald, New York Times bestselling author of H Is for Hawk *Part ecological fable and part adventure story, but it's all very good * SciFi Now, ***** *A quirky zombie apocalypse romp * SFX *A plucky hero, a boisterous tale, startling prose and eerie events combine for a thoroughly enjoyable account of the end of the world as we know it. The Secret Life of Pets meets The Walking Dead. * Karen Joy Fowler, PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves *A funny and heartwarming book that stays with you long after you finish it * Gill Sims, author of Why Mummy Drinks *A wholesome and humorous tale of unlikely heroism. * Daily Express *Funny and sad, Buxton's fable is also full of purpose and meaning, and ultimately hopeful * Morning Star *Beguilingly different * Booklist, starred review *One of our favourite wacky reads this year * Magic Book Club *I love this book so much! I wanted to set it on fire while hugging it. I wanted to hasten the apocalypse just to see how my own pets fare in a more humane world without humans. Kira Jane Buxton's voice is fresh, like a newly dug grave, but so joyful and honest you'll laugh out loud, and then check to make sure you haven't lost an eyeball. Hollow Kingdom is a wildly original debut and a paean to my favorite city. * Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet *Everything you're hearing about Kira Jane Buxton's Hollow Kingdom--that it's wildly original and inventive, funny and profane--is wonderfully true. But even better, this book is timely, smart, movingly written, and beautifully concluded. * Laurie Frankel, author of This is How It Always Is *If you've ever thought that humans were the ones in charge, Kira Jane Buxton's groundbreaking novel will have you thinking otherwise. Full of unforgettable humor, insight and beauty, Hollow Kingdom enriches our human experience by inhabiting the minds (and bellies!) of our non-human animal companions and reminding us that we're not alone here on this earth. * Ruth Ozeki, nationally bestselling author of A Tale for the Time Being *Buxton's quirky ideas and compelling nonhuman characters will satisfy literary fiction and zombie genre enthusiasts alike who are looking for something beguilingly different. * Booklist, starred review *The human apocalypse as only a crow can tell it. * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of In an Instant comes a heartrending story about the power of friendship during the most challenging moments in life. It’s been eight years since a tragic accident changed Mo Kaminski’s and Chloe Miller’s lives forever. Now in their midtwenties, they’re sharing an apartment in San Francisco and navigating the normal challenges of early adulthood. Along with their roommate, Hazel, they are making their marks on the world—Mo revolutionizing the news with her media start-up, Hazel using her big brain to anticipate the future, and Chloe rescuing abandoned strays in the city. But when Hazel disappears after being sexually assaulted, Mo’s and Chloe’s lives are again suddenly ripped apart. And when the perpetrator turns up drugged and beaten, the mystery of where Hazel is deepens. Intensely worried and desperate to discover the truth, they set out to find Hazel and bring her home. Mo and Chloe are no strangers to tragedy, but this journey will test them in ways they never imagined. The stakes are high; the future uncertain; the need for justice essential. Will their commitment to their friend bring them closer together—or ultimately drive them apart?Trade Review“In her latest novel, Redfearn tackles a timely, thought-provoking topic with sensitivity and grit. Moment in Time reunites Chloe and Mo (In an Instant) with other familiar cameos on a journey through enduring friendship and life’s greatest challenges. Redfearn fans will devour this one in a single sitting.” —Rochelle B. Weinstein, author of This Is Not How It Ends “Shining a light on a topic that certainly needs more attention, Suzanne Redfearn’s Moment in Time is a wonderfully told tale that burns brightly with damaged characters climbing out of their own wreckage. Redfearn is such a talent, with very clever ideas, a sly hand at trickery, and an unmistakable voice; her new book is no exception.” —Boo Walker, bestselling author of The Singing Trees

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Book Synopsis'If the antidote to a year of solitude and trauma is art, then this novel is the answer. It is superb’ SUNDAY TIMES ‘A rare kind of literary celebrity' VOGUE 'A hypnotic disappearing act' OBSERVER The new novel from the Pulitzer Prize-winning, Man Booker Prize-shortlisted author: a haunting portrait of a woman, her decisions, her conversations, her solitariness, in a beautiful and lonely Italian city The woman moves through the city, her city, on her own. She moves along its bright pavements; she passes over its bridges, through its shops and pools and bars. She slows her pace to watch a couple fighting, to take in the sight of an old woman in a waiting room; pauses to drink her coffee in a shaded square. Sometimes her steps take her to her grieving mother, sealed off in her own solitude. Sometimes they take her to the station, where the trains can spirit her away for a short while. But in the arc of a year, as one season gives way to the next, transformation awaits. One day at the sea, both overwhelmed and replenished by the sun’s vital heat, her perspective will change forever. A rare work of fiction, Whereabouts – first written in Italian and then translated by the author herself – brims with the impulse to cross barriers. By grafting herself onto a new literary language, Lahiri has pushed herself to a new level of artistic achievement. A dazzling evocation of a city, its captures a woman standing on one of life’s thresholds, reflecting on what has been lost and facing, with equal hope and rage, what may lie ahead. ‘An unusual literary and linguistic feat' NEW YORK TIMESTrade ReviewOne of the most interesting American writers at work today ... Whereabouts feels like her answer to Matisse’s cut-outs: she has taken her writing apart and reconstructed it, sparely, to make something new, where silence matters … If the antidote to a year of solitude and trauma is art, then this novel is the answer. It is superb * SUNDAY TIMES *Elegantly done, a portrait veiled in quiet melancholy, but which still celebrates the unexpected joys of the quotidian, and how much more sharply you can appreciate them when alone * THE TIMES *Insightful, elegant prose exposing the faults that make us human * I NEWS *Addictive … Sometimes we’re in the mood for intimate novels exploring the intricacies of human emotion … Quietly mesmerising * STYLIST *So timely … Takes daring and to my mind beautiful risks with structure and plot -- ELIZABETH DAY * BBC Radio 4 Open Book *Its sentences are honed to minimalist beauty ... The most exciting moments of the novel are when it becomes a novel of thinking, when it dives down into its sharp, provocative fragments -- MADELEINE THIEN * NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW *A beautifully poised exploration of an interior life * DAILY MAIL *Each chapter an espresso shot of regret and loneliness … This is a book about belonging and not belonging, place and displacement * GUARDIAN *Compelling … Whereabouts feels like a movie … Stylish and therapeutic * GUARDIAN *A quietly bracing work of fiction ... This is arguably Lahiri’s most beautifully written novel * THE NATION *Whereabouts is rendered in short, journal-like fragments so strongly and rightly voiced that other books sound wrong when you turn to them * THE ATLANTIC *An utterly compelling and contemplative story, infused with a fascinating character study, whose presence I still can't seem to shake off. * STYLIST *Lahiri writes with subtlety and delicacy * NPR *Whereabouts signals a new mode for Lahiri, and a daring transformation ... It feels true and wise to the core * LOS ANGELES TIMES *Slim and bewitching … A modern day flaneuse … The author has a talent for capturing the everyday * SPECTATOR *Evokes fleeting but resonant encounters with Chekhovian efficiency, making ordinary memories seem profound … Ms Lahiri has taken risks for her craft, and they have paid off, beautifully * ECONOMIST *Lahiri’s prose is magnetic * MAIL+ *A hypnotic disappearing act ... The book’s peculiar magnetism lies in its clash of candour and coyness * OBSERVER *An unusual literary and linguistic feat … If, in English, Lahiri is an eye, in Italian, she’s an ear * NEW YORK TIMES *Glorious … Written with grace and sensitivity … Magnificent * INDEPENDENT *Jhumpa Lahiri’s writing is wonderful in the literal sense: on every page there is something to take your breath away * SAINSBURY'S MAGAZINE *Subtle and stirring ... A fascinating departure in cadence and form for Lahiri ... The sort of deft hand so few can properly wield: it evokes the sort of slow thrum of despair and loneliness so few can manage well.Lahiri is no ordinary writer ... Poetic as she is and always has been, seemingly innocuous turns of phrase cut to the core, while descriptions of light and darkness take you aback and make you swoon. Elegant, beautiful ... Whereabouts will stay with you longer than you anticipate * USA TODAY *A meditative and aching snapshot of a life in suspension ... Lahiri’s poetic flourishes and spare, conversational prose are on full display. This beautifully written portrait of a life in passage captures the hopes, frustrations, and longings of solitude and remembrance * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *Painterly … exquisitely detailed… [Lahiri’s] language seems to have been sieved through a fine mesh, each word a gleaming gemstone … An incisive and captivating evocation of the nature and nexus of place and self * BOOKLIST *Subtle and stirring ... A fascinating departure in cadence and form for Lahiri. Told in fragments, Whereabouts [is written with] the sort of deft hand so few can properly wield: it evokes the sort of slow thrum of despair and loneliness so few can manage well. But Lahiri is no ordinary writer. There’s a calming sense of comfort one finds in the solitude experienced by our main character, largely due to the exactness of Lahiri’s writing. Poetic as she is and always has been, seemingly innocuous turns of phrase cut to the core, while descriptions of light and darkness take you aback and make you swoon. Elegant, beautiful ... Whereabouts will stay with you longer than you anticipate * USA TODAY *Some books leave you with a feeling for which there are no words, or at least no words in English that you know of. Jhumpa Lahiri’s Whereabouts is one of those books. The feeling closest to what is evoked by this beautifully crafted novel is a stroll during the blue hour on the first warm evening of spring. A jewel of a book * BOOKPAGE *A series of dreamy vignettes, an unconnected shuffle of moments or mornings of encounters that create a window into the life of an educated woman and teacher who is happily single... Beautifully observed and ruminative ... -- Penelope Debelle * SA Weekend *Not one word is wasted. A total absence of exposition ensures each microfiction is surgically edited to its barest, most beautiful bones. And yet there is a warmth here that encourages great affection for the anonymous narrator. Written with intelligence, elegance, empathy and hypnotic power, Whereabouts is destined to become a book of the year. * IRISH TIMES *The storyteller in whose hands we can always expect to find the sacredness of the ordinary and the grace of the mundane constantly unveiled * FINANCIAL TIMES Summer Books 2021: Critics' picks *A novel with radical ambitions … [An] evocation of a life at once painfully precarious and yet full of small, intensely physical pleasures * LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS *This is one to read and re-read * I PAPER, Summer Reading Picks 2021 *Beautiful Italian miniatures, best dipped into when the need for a few pages of calm reflection is required * Otago Daily Times *

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Book Synopsis'I simply couldn’t put this down. I laughed out loud several times before I’d even finished the first chapter.’ Jules Wake, author of The Spark and The Saturday Morning Park RunAmelia might have met The One. But is she twenty years too late?After her husband left her out of the blue, the only relationship 48-year-old Amelia Simpson has enjoyed recently is with Nutella and Pinot Grigio. While her 8-year-old twin boys, Jasper and Rupert, keep her busy, Amelia dreams of a life more than washing muddy rugby kits and weekly chats with best friends Sian and Jamie. Amelia needs some magic back in her life – but magic seems in short supply in her small Welsh town. So when she finds the phone number that was given to her twenty years ago by a handsome stranger in New York, Amelia wonders whether he might be The One That Got Away.But when Sian takes matters into her own hands, launching a worldwide hunt to find the handsome stranger Amelia met outside Tiffany’s two decades ago, Amelia finds herself on a flight to the Big Apple to reconnect with her ‘Perfect Patrick’. But as the two explore the sights of NYC, has Amelia reconnected with The One? Or will she discover that the sparkle she was missing is actually closer to home?A gorgeously funny and heart-warming debut romcom for fans of Sophie Ranald, Jo Watson and Beth O’Leary.Readers are falling in love with Twice in a Lifetime:‘A joyous tale of rediscovering your dreams, love and sense of self. Sheer fun and absolute UpLit!’ Pernille Hughes, Author, Probably the Best Kiss in the World‘I love this book so much! All I wanted was for it not to end! It's right there on my top romcoms list now.’ Natalie Normann, author of Summer Island‘Wow, just wow…Right from chapter one I was hooked…It's funny, cute and romantic and that twist…What more can you ask for?’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review‘Such a cute read I read it in one sitting. This book had me smiling.’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review‘What a fantastic read! I enjoyed the characters in the book and the story line! This was a fun, fast read’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review‘This book is a GEM! It’s painfully funny, totally real and the twists and turns, oh my goodness gracious!...such a feel good book.’ Reader Review‘What an enchanting novel…I certainly laughed out loud numerous times!’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review

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Book SynopsisOn a platform in occupied Paris, a mother whispers goodbye.It is the end. But also the beginning...''What a book... Emotional and heartrending...absolutely phenomenal. I was on tenterhooks throughout. A wonderful achievement'' JILL MANSELL*** THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER ***''I absolutely loved it. An ingenious plot, wonderful believable characters and it moved me to tears. A fabulous read'' LESLEY PEARSE''An amazing story of love, resilience and the human spirit'' TRACY REES''You''ll have your heart in your mouth and tears on your cheeks as it reaches its rich, life-affirming conclusion... Had me completely and utterly enraptured'' LOUISE CANDLISH''Brace yourself for a brilliant read. This will tug at your heartstrings'' BEST''Made me think and cry and rageTrade ReviewWhat a book . . . Emotional and heartrending . . . absolutely phenomenal. I was on tenterhooks throughout. A wonderful achievement -- Jill MansellHistorical fiction fans, rejoice! A new voice has entered the arena and she's one to watch. A heartrending story told from the perspectives of two families living very different lives, it is also one of hope amid tragedy. Perfectly paced and plotted, and evocatively written * Woman & Home *You'll have your heart in your mouth and tears on your cheeks as it reaches its rich, life-affirming conclusion. Both epic and intimate, this unexpected story had me completely and utterly enraptured -- Louise CandlishBrace yourself for a brilliant read. This will tug at your heartstrings * Best *While Paris Slept made me think and cry and rage and smile at mankind's capacity for both beautiful, selfless love and terrible, heartbreaking cruelty. Prepare to be thoroughly engrossed in this compelling book -- Natasha LesterWhat a book, I absolutely loved it. An ingenious plot, wonderful believable characters and it moved me to tears. A fabulous read -- Lesley PearseA heartbreaking debut. The novel delves into eternal questions: How far will we go to protect our child? Is love holding tightly or letting go? -- Janet Skeslien Charles, author of The Paris LibraryA powerful and poignant debut from a brilliant and bold new novelist -- Imogen Kealey, author of Liberation

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Book Synopsis'A knockout of a novel...we predict [Infinite Country] will be viewed as one of 2021's best.' --O, The Oprah Magazine'An exquisitely told story of family, war, and migration, this is a novel our increasingly divided country wants and needs to read.' --R.O. Kwon, Electric LiteratureI often wonder if we are living the wrong life in the wrong country.Talia is being held at a correctional facility for adolescent girls in the forested mountains of Colombia after committing an impulsive act of violence that may or may not have been warranted. She urgently needs to get out and get back home to Bogotá, where her father and a plane ticket to the United States are waiting for her. If she misses her flight, she might also miss her chance to finally be reunited with her family in the north.How this family came to occupy two different countries, two different worlds, comes into focus like twists of a kalei

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Book SynopsisThe discovery of a human foot in an Edinburgh park, the inexplicable circumstances of a dying woman, and the missing daughter of Jenny’s violent ex-husband present the Skelf women with their most challenging – and deadly – cases yet… Book THREE in the addictive The Skelfs series! ‘Simply stunning. Tense, funny and deeply moving’ Mark Billingham ‘If you loved Iain Banks, you’ll devour the Skelfs series’ Erin Kelly ‘Nobody portrays modern Edinburgh better than Doug Johnstone. The Great Silence speaks volumes about the power of story’ Val McDermid ______________ Keeping on top of the family funeral directors’ and private-investigation businesses is no easy task for the Skelf women, and when matriarch Dorothy discovers a human foot while walking the dog, a perplexing case presents itself … with potentially deadly results. Daughter Jenny and grand-daughter Hannah have their hands full too: The mysterious circumstances of a dying woman lead them into an unexpected family drama, Hannah's new astrophysicist colleague claims he's receiving messages from outer space, and the Skelfs' teenaged lodger has yet another devastating experience. Nothing is clear as the women are immersed ever deeper in their most challenging cases yet. But when the daughter of Jenny’s violent and fugitive ex-husband goes missing without trace and a wild animal is spotted roaming Edinburgh's parks, real danger presents itself, and all three Skelfs are in peril. Taut, dark, warmly funny and unafraid to ask big questions – of us all – The Great Silence is the much-anticipated third instalment in the addictive, unforgettable Skelfs series, and the stakes are higher than ever. ______________ ‘This is their third outing and the stories get better each time … Told with a wry humour and affection, the novel underlines just how accomplished Johnstone has become’ Daily Mail ‘The power of this book lies in the warm personalities and dark humour of the Skelfs, and by the end readers will be just as interested in their relationships with each other as the mysteries they are trying to solve’ Scotsman ‘Remarkable’ Sunday Times Crime Club STAR PICK ‘Keeps you hungry from page to page. A crime reader can’t ask anything more’ The Sun ‘Mysteries aplenty … a poignant reflection on grief and the potential for healing that lies within us all. A proper treat’ Mary Paulson-Ellis ‘A thrilling, atmospheric book, set in the dark streets of Edinburgh. That great city really came alive for me in this gripping tale. Move over Ian Rankin, Doug Johnstone is coming through!’ Kate Rhodes ‘An unstoppable, thrilling, bullet train of a book that cleverly weaves in family and intrigue, and has real emotional impact. I totally loved it’ Helen Fields ‘This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief ... more, please’ Guardian ‘Wonderful characters: flawed, funny and brave’ Sunday Times ‘Exceptional … a must for those seeking strong, authentic, intelligent female protagonists’ Publishers Weekly The Skelfs series has been: ***Shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year*** ***Longlisted for Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year*** ***Shortlisted for Amazon Publishing Capital Crime Thriller of the Year***

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Book SynopsisPostal worker Jenny's life is in the doldrums. Her daughter is all grown up and ready to face the world, her marriage is falling apart, and now her best friend and colleague tells her he plans to retire. So, when a postcard from Australia, begging the recipient for forgiveness but marked 'insufficient address', lands on her sorting table, she does the unthinkable - she slips it up her sleeve, with the intention of delivering it herself. Jenny sets off on a journey around the Isle of Wight, determined to find the recipient, and with the help of the locals she hopes to reunite the long-lost lovers. Will she be able to give them the happy ending she didn't allow herself to have? Set against the backdrop of the strikes in the 1980s, 'Missing Words' is a heart-warming journey about self-discovery, the power of family ties, and the strength needed to face whatever life throws your way.Trade Review'This is a divine debut, sublimely written, and we read about an ordinary life made less ordinary, by a simple message, but oh so powerful. I read this straight through and in places shed tears; this moved me and I wholeheartedly recommend it' —Pete Adams, multi-award-winning author; 'A relatable story of family and grief and yearning, wrapped up in a compelling mystery. Without doubt, a writer to watch' —Laura Pearson, author of 'I Wanted You to Know'; 'This is a little gem. Loree Westron can certainly tell a good story, and she also possesses that rare commodity: a tender and wise understanding of the human condition' —Gabrielle Kimm, author of 'His Last Duchess'; 'Like cycling the hills of the Isle of Wight, this book draws you in to its undulating rhythm while propelling you on to see what lies over the next brow' —Josie Dew, cyclist and author of 'The Wind in my Wheels'; 'Missing Words is an utterly human and moving family drama in which we watch one woman double-back into her past to find the future' —Alison MacLeod, author of 'Unexploded', longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2013

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Book Synopsis The new festive, feel-good Christmas read from the Sunday Times and multi-million-copy bestseller''Full of fabulously festive fun!'' ERICA JAMESIT''S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR . . .Christmas is fast approaching at the new Hope Farm. Owner Molly Baker has been convinced to organise an open day to raise some much-needed funds ahead of the New Year, but the nativity tableau is proving challenging. With anti-social sheep, awkward alpacas and a seriously sequined Santa Claus to assemble, Molly is feeling overwhelmed, and in desperate need of some Christmas spirit . . .Despite the chaos of the farm getting in the way of her event planning, Molly is looking forward to spending the holidays with boyfriend Shelby and his son, Lucas, hopeful that a happy family Christmas is exactly what they need to draw them all together. But while she is busy making plans on the farm, Shelby, it seems, has ideas of his own.As the nativity draws near, the team are working hard to pull off a spectacular festive fete - and make sure the animals and humans remain on their best behaviour.Will this Christmas be merry and bright... or is there more than one surprise in store for Molly and Hope Farm?A must-read festive tale from the queen of fun-filled and life-affirming fiction, Christmas for Beginners is the PERFECT winter treat! **Shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists'' Association''s Contemporary Romantic Novel Award**Your favourite authors love CAROLE MATTHEWS:''A gorgeous novel that will delight''KATIE FFORDE''Fun, fantastic and brimming with Matthews magic''MILLY JOHNSON''A life-affirming story full of joy and hope''CATHY BRAMLEY''An irresistibly warm-hearted story''TRISHA ASHLEY''Warm, witty and hopeful - I was charmed''SARAH MORGAN''The queen of funny, feel good fiction''MIKE GAYLETrade ReviewSparkling . . . light-hearted, laugh-packed fun * Sunday Mirror *If you love romance, quirky humour and animals you can't do better than to sink into Happiness for Beginners. -- Katie FfordeJolly [...] charming festive story * The Glasgow Herald *A gorgeous novel that will delight * Katie Fforde on Paper Hearts and Summer Kisses *Fun, fantastic and brimming with Matthews magic... from the first to the last page - an absolute joy -- Milly JohnsonOne of our favourite authors, Carole Matthews always delivers a delicious read, and Million Love Songs is another delightful read. Full of humour and emotional dilemmas, this latest book is perfect to curl up with on the sofa in this unpredictable weather. Highly Recommended! * Hot Brands Cool Places *An irresistibly warmhearted story with a cast of captivating characters, both animal and human -- Trisha AshleyFabulously enjoyable . . . full of heart and fun * Milly Johnson *Warm, witty and hopeful - I was charmed -- Sarah MorganI laughed and cried and marvelled * Cathy Bramley on Paper Hearts and Summer Kisses *Happiness For Beginners once again confirms Carole Matthews as the queen of funny, feel good fiction. Put your feet up, and switch off your phone because you're in for a real treat. -- Mike GayleWitty, funny and incredibly touching . . . perfect for lifting the spirits * Heat *Heartwarming story of new beginnings. * Candis *Heart-warming * Bella *As ever from this author, a lively story that fizzes with fun * Best *Full of quirky characters and often laugh-out loud funny, it's a delightful read. * Choice *Ornery llamas, attack sheep, and a wealth of colourful country characters (including a spectacular hairdresser-to-the-stars who coifs alpacas in his downtime) electrify Matthews's charming tale... Perfect for lovers of small-town romance, this upbeat tale is sweet but not cloying and altogether satisfying. * Publishers Weekly *Sparkling romp * Mirror *Heartwarming * Bella *Heartfelt * Yours *Delightful and humorous... as joyful as its cover * Woman's Weekly *Another lovely tale from bestselling writer Carole Matthews * Hello! *Light-hearted, laugh-packed fun. * The People *One of our favourite authors, Carole Matthews always delivers a delicious read full of humour and emotional dilemmas * Hot Brands, Cool Places *The writing is full of humour, warmth and heart - all the things that are standard in Carole's novels. This is a perfect holiday read. I loved it. * Novel Kicks Blog *

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Book SynopsisHonest and original, Rose Napolitano is a story for every woman for anyone who's wondered what if?, for anyone who's wondered where a different path might lead' Dawn O'PorterONE QUESTION.ONE CHOICE.NINE PATHS TO THE REST OF HER LIFEOne day, Rose Napolitano's marriage ends.Her husband wants a baby but motherhood has never been part of the plan.One day, Rose Napolitano's marriage survives.She loves her husband. Could she reimagine her future?One day.One fight.Nine different lives.Following the butterfly effect of one life-defining choice, nine times over, The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano winds through all the paths and decisions that shape a life. It cuts to the heart of what it means to be a woman. Every expectation, every choice, every path, every outcome every piece of oneself that's lost and found along the wayFor every woman there are many stories.These are Rose's.Trade Review‘Honest and original, Rose Napolitano is story for every woman – for anyone who’s wondered “what if?”, for anyone who’s wondered where a different path might lead’ Dawn O’Porter ‘A thoughtful exploration of the choices that every woman makes . . . such an accomplished novel’ Sheila O’Flanagan ‘I was completely entranced by this beautiful and insightful book, right from page one. It’s for every one of us who's wondered where a different choice or less expectation might’ve taken our lives. I’ll remember this book for a long time… Hard recommend’ Lucy Vine ‘A powerful exploration of motherhood and feminism…thought-provoking and emotionally moving, this novel will have readers examining their own relationships and their own “what-ifs”’ New York Times bestseller, Jill Santopolo ‘Ambitious, compelling, and provocative, The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano delves deep into love, motherhood, and the complicated dance that is navigating the world as a woman—its intricate structure kept me turning pages and the questions posed therein kept me awake at night’ New York Times bestselling author, Claire Lombardo ‘Engaging and precise … This isn’t one to miss’ Publishers Weekly, Starred Review ‘Addictive … highly literate escapism’ Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review ‘[A] heartfelt, thought-provoking novel’ Booklist, Starred Review

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Book Synopsis1970. Fourteen-year-old Tony is seduced by the skinhead movement, sucked into a world of racist violence and bizarre ritual. It's a milieu in which he must hide his homosexuality, in which every encounter is explosively risky. 2003. James a young TV researcher, becomes obsessed with Neo Nazis and British Movement activist Nicky Crane in particular. As he becomes immersed in research, he begins to receive threatening phone calls. Two different worlds, two different eras but two lives that will ultimately and unforgettably collide.Trade Review‘Revel in Schaefer’s truly excellent recreations of our very own sexual-political past’ Guardian

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Book SynopsisDon't miss the third book in the heartwarming six-part series from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author Dilly Court!After the sudden death of her husband, Patricia Greystone is left with nothing, and at twenty-four, she finds herself a penniless widow. As the youngest child of a large family, she has always been headstrong and proud so she's determined not to return to her family cap in hand. Instead she strikes out on her own.The dark streets of London are the perfect place to hide from the world, and Patricia makes her living singing on the streets. But the city is a dangerous place.Without her family around her, will Patricia lose her way?Book Three of The Rockwood ChroniclesTrade 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 ‘Perfect for Downton Abbey fans … heart-tugging’ Peterborough Telegraph

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Book SynopsisReconciliation, published here for the first time in the English language, is an understated masterpiece of the Japanese 'I novel' tradition (a confessional literary form). Naoya Shiga's novella is a quietly devastating reflection on all kinds of reconciliation: from his own familial reunion, to the universal need to reconcile ourselves to the inevitability of ageing, loss and death.Trade ReviewNaoya Shiga's engaging and finely wrought novella of birth, death, illness and a writer's angst opens a window onto a society and milieu that are both distant and relatable. Watching the autobiographical protagonist trip over his flaws as a husband and son is painful, but the resolution still lifts the heart a century after publication. Ted Goossen's nuanced rendition of this miniature classic is a marvel of the translator's art and a service to the Republic of Letters -- DAVID MITCHELLPraise for Naoya Shiga: [Shiga wrote] a number of short stories that are nearly perfect in their simplicity, directness and mastery of subject matter * * New York Times * *

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Book SynopsisPenguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online.Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content.The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers'' story comprehension and develop vocabulary.Visit the Penguin Readers websiteExclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock online resources including a digital book, audio edition, lesson plans and answer keys.White Teeth is the story of three very different families who live close together in London in the 1980s and 1990s. The Bowdens are part-Jamaican; the Iqbals are from Bangladesh; and the Chalfens are white. The story looks at how people''s pasts affect their lives now, and the lives and futures of their children.

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Book Synopsis‘So vivid and true . . . Lampedusa is a beautiful novel, lyrical and wise. Reading it made me feel both melancholy and uplifted.’ David Gilmour, Financial Times ‘Brimming with wise and lyrical insights that make it a worthy heir to its mighty predecessor.’ New York Times In the Sicily of the 1950s, still haunted by memories of Fascism and the war, the last Prince of Lampedusa, Giuseppe Tomasi, struggles to complete his only novel, The Leopard. Tomasi is a veteran of the previous war, while his wife Alessandra is living in exile after her native Latvia is absorbed into the Soviet Union. The childless couple are survivors of a vanishing world of European aristocracy, living in the present, yet nostalgic for the decadent past. Diagnosed with advanced emphysema and with a profound awareness of his doomed lineage, the prince begins working on a novel. When The Leopard is posthumously published, it is to much acclaim; it will come to be considered the greatest Italian novel of the century. Achingly haunting, Lampedusa tells the story of a man’s awakening to the possibilities of life as he nears its end. ‘In subtle and intelligent prose, Price invites us into the mind of a man striving to make sense of memory and mortality.’ Sunday Times SHORTLISTED FOR THE GILLER PRIZETrade ReviewSo vivid and true . . . Lampedusa is a beautiful novel, lyrical and wise. Reading it made me feel both melancholy and uplifted. -- David Gilmour, author of The Last Leopard, A Life of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa * Financial Times *Lampedusa is one of the most powerful depictions of the creative act, and its roots in the wounds of the soul, that a reader is likely to encounter . . . Lampedusa is a marvel, a strange, wonderful, and utterly unforgettable book. * Toronto Star *More striking than the biographical accuracy or even the intricate scaffolding of the story is the texture of images by Price, also a poet. Their beauty casts the same spell as his sensualist subject and the unhurried pleasure of experiencing them. * The Globe and Mail *Price powerfully imagines Tomasi’s final days as the ailing author struggles to complete and publish his treasured manuscript . . . A masterful storyteller, Price conjures Tomasi with language and images that evocatively fix him and his distant world indelibly in our minds. -- Jury Citation, Scotiabank Giller PrizeIn subtle and intelligent prose, Price invites us into the mind of a man striving to make sense of memory and mortality. * Sunday Times *Price’s dignified prose is reminiscent of the venerable classic. Lampedusa is a captivating look at life and legacy. * Irish Times *The prose is superbly controlled, richly textured, brimming with wise and lyrical insights that make it a worthy heir to its mighty predecessor. * New York Times *[Price traces] his protagonist’s path toward death and self-knowledge in an unsparing yet tender portrait that makes Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa as compelling as his great novel. * Washington Post *An ode to writing itself . . . The author’s poetic prose is infused with empathic warmth for the emotional travails of writing . . . An obviously, if quietly, ambitious novel. * Los Angeles Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisThe beloved New York Times bestselling author and Queen of the Culinary Mystery delivers a new mouthwatering Hannah Swensen Mystery with brand new recipes, but it’s not just chocolate bunnies and Peeps on the menu, this year someone is serving up murder for Easter!New York Times and USA Today Bestseller! Spring has sprung in Lake Eden, Minnesota, but Hannah Swensen doesn’t have time to stop and smell the roses—not with hot cross buns to make, treats to bake, and a sister to exonerate . . . Hannah’s up to her ears with Easter orders rushing in at The Cookie Jar, plus a festive meal to prepare for a dinner party at her mother’s penthouse. But everything comes crashing to a halt when Hannah receives a panicked call from her sister Andrea—Mayor Richard Bascomb has been murdered . . . and Andrea is the prime suspect. Even with his reputation for b

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Book SynopsisA gorgeous summer read about new beginnings from the Sunday Times bestseller.Home is where the heart isbut what if your heart is broken?When Judith loses her partner, she loses her life in Malta too including the beautiful view from her sun-warmed balcony of the sparkling blue waters of Sliema Creek.Back in England, Judith finds a spare room in her sister's house where she grew up but with it comes a whole host of family dramas.Nursing a broken heart, Judith knows she must find happiness again and rebuild her life on her own terms. Could an island in the sun be the answer she is looking for?A wonderfully escapist summer read, perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Carole Matthews.**Previously published as Uphill All the Way**I love all of Sue Moorcroft's books!' Katie FfordeEffortlessly engaging!' HeatMust read!' Daily ExpressTrade Review Praise for Sue Moorcroft: ‘Sizzling!’ The People’s Friend ‘Must read!’ Daily Express ‘I love all of Sue Moorcroft’s books!’ Katie Fforde ‘Effortlessly engaging…a magical must!’ Heat

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Book Synopsis''Jodi Taylor is quite simply the Queen of Time. Her books are a swashbuckling joyride through History'' C. K. MCDONNELL''A great mix of British properness and humour with a large dollop of historical fun'' *****BOOK 12 IN THE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING CHRONICLES OF ST MARY''S SERIESFor fans of Jasper Fforde, Doctor Who, Genevieve Cogman and Richard Osman''s Thursday Murder Club---''It''s time, Max.'' And so, a whole new chapter opens up...It''s long been known that if a thing can go wrong, it will. With knobs on, usually. Disasters start to pile up. A new colleague with no respect for the past and a great deal to prove. Historians lost in time. And - worst of all - Rosie Lee on her very first jump. Then there''s the small matter of Max''s dishonourable discharge.From Tudor England to the Tower of Babel - it''s all going horribly wrong.Jobless and homeless, Max receives

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Book SynopsisSheila Heti is the author of ten books, including the novels Pure Colour, Motherhood and How Should a Person Be?, which New York magazine deemed one of the 'New Classics' of the twenty-first century and which was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction. Her novels have been translated into twenty-four languages. She lives in Toronto and Kawartha Lakes, Ontario.Trade ReviewLikely to become the defining literary work on the subject. * Guardian *Probing, psychologically unafraid, witty. -- Catherine Taylor * Financial Times *If you are an underliner, as I am, your pen may go dry . . . Indeed, Heti always seems to be drawing from a paranormally deep well. -- Dwight Garner * The New York Times *Brave and funny... Heti demonstrates the contradictions between freedom and the tyranny of choice and how impossible it is for anyone to ever make the 'right' decision. -- Chris Kraus * The White Review Books of the Year *A brilliant, radical, and moving book, it is sure to cause the cultural riot her earlier work has . . . There's a new quality to Heti's writing in Motherhood. The only way I can describe it is tenderness . . . Beautiful . . . Surprising. -- Claudia Dey * The Paris Review *Heti thinks clearly and originally -- Adam Kirsch * Times Literary Supplement, **Books of the Year** *Motherhood confronts the philosophical questions raised by childbearing and womanhood... Heti's narrator wants to create - specifically, to create something that will honour the memory of her mother and grandmother... Motherhood both documents that desire and fulfils it. -- Sally Rooney * London Review of Books *Motherhood is a poetic, innovative book. It is groundbreaking in its fluidity, in its recognition of the unrecognizability of desire, and in its scrutiny of expectation… she introduces a critical, exhilarating freedom. -- Rebecca Watson * Spectator *Motherhood is subtitled A Novel, though it's one in which the boundaries between fiction and memoir are porous and constantly shifting… Heti is experimenting with literary form even as she wrestles with the form her adult life should take -- Stephanie Merritt * Guardian *Motherhood is a fiercely intelligent and probing read that delves deep into the fundamentals of procreating, motherhood and what it means to be a woman in today's world. -- Sarah Gilmartin * Irish Times *[Motherhood] embed[s] deeply philosophical questions into casual and familiar language… It is about the paralysis a person might feel when given the freedom to create, whether babies, books or oneself. -- Jo Lo Dico * Evening Standard *Motherhood is self-examination elevated to an art form… beautifully written and profound. -- Lucy McLuckie * The Scotsman *Illuminating . . . Intimate . . . Poignant. -- Alexandra Schwartz * The New Yorker *Engrossing . . . Heti approaches the subject with an observer's curiosity. -- Molly Fischer * New York Magazine *This inquiry into the modern woman’s moral, social and psychological relationship to procreation is an illumination, a provocation, and a response - finally - to the new norms of femininity, formulated from the deepest reaches of female intellectual authority. It is unlike anything else I’ve read. Sheila Heti has broken new ground, both in her maturity as an artist and in the possibilities of the female discourse itself. -- Rachel CuskI’ve never seen anyone write about the relationship between childlessness, writing, and mother’s sadnesses the way Sheila Heti does. I know Motherhood is going to mean a lot to many different people - fully as much so as if it was a human that Sheila gave birth to - though in a different and in fact incommensurate way. That’s just one of many paradoxes that are not shied away from in this courageous, necessary, visionary book. -- Elif BatumanAn emotionally complex novel about motherhood that isn't about children. An intricately constructed book based on games of chance. This feels new. -- Jenny OffillReading this beautiful novel, I felt I was watching a brilliant mind invent new tools for thinking. Sheila Heti wrings revelation from the act of asking, again and again, in ever more challenging and innovative ways, impossible questions of existence. Motherhood is a thrilling, very funny, and almost unbearably moving book. -- Garth GreenwellI read this novel more quickly and eagerly than any I've read in ages. Sheila Heti's simple, elegant sentences invariably give pleasure; her thinking is incisive and wholly original as she grapples with the kind of unhappiness that many of us, myself included, prefer to distract ourselves from rather than look at squarely. Reading Motherhood forced me to become a little more honest with myself. -- Adelle WaldmanHere it finally is. A book for all of you who are considering having a baby, who had a baby, who didn’t have a baby, who didn’t want a baby, who don’t know what they want but the clock is ticking anyway. This topic is finally tackled as if it were the most important decision in your life. Because, um. How lucky are we that one of our foremost thinkers took this upon herself, for years, in real time, wrestling every day and living to tell. So fucking ready to live in the world this book will help make. Read and discuss, discuss, discuss. -- Miranda JulyWith each of her novels, Sheila Heti invents a new novel form. Motherhood is a riveting story of love and fate, a powerful inspiration to reflect, and a subtle depiction of the lives of contemporary women and men, by an exceptional artist in the prime of her powers. Motherhood constitutes its own genre within the many-faceted novel of ideas. Heti is like no one else. -- Mark GreifI think of Motherhood as a beautiful, natural, living thing - a rare tree in the car-filled parking lot of literature, offering aesthetic and sustainable pleasures while also bristling with multiple, helpful, compassionate functions in the world. The high stakes, complexity, intensity, playfulness, seriousness, and inter-dimensionality of Motherhood's synthesis of art and life, of the imagination and the universe, makes me excited about both life and literature. I recommend reading and rereading Motherhood. -- Tao LinMotherhood is a gesture towards honesty, bringing much that was dark into light. The book makes it more possible to think the decision, but also to dream, embody and feel it. -- Niki Seth-Smith * OpenDemocracy *A celebration of life, expressed poignantly through her prose - which is playful, funny, ultimately moving. -- Jacqueline Landey * Totally Dublin *[This] novel is astonishing -- Katy Thompsett * Refinery29, **Books of the Year** *I found it totally addictive and read it [Motherhood] in one go * Red *A thoughtful, frank novel... Intellectual yet conversational, it's a meditation on responsibility and freedom, and the purpose of life itself. I found it extremely moving * Week *

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Book SynopsisYou are cordially invited to the wedding of the year! London, 1938.As the festive season approaches at the luxurious Buckingham Hotel, romance is in the air. The hotel staffare preparing for a once-in-a-lifetime event - the marriage of chambermaid Nancy Nettleton to debonair demonstration dancer Raymond de Guise.As wreaths are hung and carols are sung, life at the hotel is busier than ever. Guests arrive from around the world, seeking comfort, relaxation and refuge as tensions build across Europe and whispered rumours of war grow louder.Behind the scenes, the staff work tirelessly, ensuring the smooth operation of the hotel, not only keeping theconfidences of their guests, but also protecting their own secrets . . .As Raymond takes Nancy in his arms for their first dance, one thing is certain - this will be a Christmas to remember.Be swept away by the new breath-taking romantic novel from Sunday Times bestselling author and Strictly Come Dancing star Anton Du Beke.

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Book SynopsisThe American psyche is channelled into the gripping story of one man. This is the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Philip Roth at his very best. It is 1998, the year America is plunged into a frenzy of prurience by the impeachment of a president. In a small New England town a distinguished professor, Coleman Silk, is forced to retire when his colleagues allege that he is a racist. The charge is unfounded, the persecution needless, but the truth about Silk would astonish even his most virulent accuser. Coleman Silk has a secret that he has kept for fifty years. This is the conclusion to Roth’s brilliant trilogy of post-war America – a story of seismic shifts in American history and a personal search for renewal and regeneration.'An extraordinary book - bursting with rage, humming with ideas, full of dazzling sleights of hand' Sunday TelegraphTrade ReviewThe Human Stain pulses with the strengths that make Roth a prime contender for the status of the most impressive novelist now writing in and about America * Sunday Times *One of his very best... There are passages of such sustained brilliance here that I found myself going over them again and again in gaping disbelief. An extraordinary book - bursting with rage, humming with ideas, full of dazzling sleights of hand * Sunday Telegraph *A novel so furious in its telling, with a plot so intricate in its construction that it is infused with a kind of diabolic joy. A masterpiece * Mail on Sunday *[A] tender, shocking and incendiary story on the failure of the American dream refracted through the prism of race -- Arifa Akbar * Guardian *One of the most beautiful books I've ever read * Red *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"An electrifying dive into a memorable demimonde." * Publishers Weekly *"There is a charm in the author’s style of writing and the sharp use of wit and humour spreads over the whole story. . . . There is life breathed into every page, for which the credit also goes to the translator." -- Outlook"Witkowski's novel is a king-size achievement in its own right." * Gay & Lesbian Review *

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLERMeet Rosemary, 86, and Kate, 26: dreamers, campaigners, outdoor swimmers...Rosemary has lived in Brixton all her life, but everything she knows is changing. Only the local lido, where she swims every day, remains a constant reminder of the past and her beloved husband George. Kate has just moved and feels adrift in a city that is too big for her. She''s on the bottom rung of her career as a local journalist, and is determined to make something of it. So when the lido is threatened with closure, Kate knows this story could be her chance to shine. But for Rosemary, it could be the end of everything. Together they are determined to make a stand, and to prove that the pool is more than just a place to swim - it is the heart of the community. ''Feel-good and uplifting, this charming novel is full of heart'' LUCY DIAMONDTrade ReviewThis lovely book is about the power of friendship and community.. Heartwarming and uplifting, The Lido is set to make quite a splash. * SUN ON SUNDAY *This summer's poolside must-read... a timeless tale of friendship, love and chilly swims. It may be about freezing-cold water but it will give you a warm glow. -- Andreina Cordani * DAILY MIRROR *A standout hymn to female friendship and the power of collective action * Stylist *Brimming with charm and compassion... It's tender, thoughtful and above all a feelgood celebration of community and life-changing friendship. -- Garry Bushell * DAILY EXPRESS *A beautifully written testament to unlikely friendship, the galvanising pursuit of common goals and lifelong passions which link individuals with their community * DAILY MAIL *A novel of friendship, love and the importance of community - this is an absolute pleasure * WOMAN AND HOME *A testament to kindness and friendship * RADIO TIMES *a joyful celebration of community and friendship * THE OBSERVER *The next Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine * THE INDEPENDENT *a timeless tale of friendship, love and chilly swims * SUNDAY EXPRESS *What will win you over is the story of two women and the strength of their friendship * GRAZIA *Switching mainly between Rosemary and Kate's viewpoints, we quickly come to see that Rosemary is just as lonely as her new friend, steeped in a lifetime's memories of swimming in the lido * SUNDAY TIMES *Uplifting.. the pool is not just a place to swim - it's the heart of the community * BELLA *a feel-good novel about friendship and belonging * SUNDAY EXPRESS *A joyous and uplifting debut - a testament to kindness and friendship * SARAH WINMAN, author of When God Was a Rabbit and Tin Man *This is a wonderful story of friendship and believing in yourself * PRIMA *Feelgood and uplifting, this charming novel is full of heart * Lucy Diamond *Did I #lovethelido? So much my heart broke a little turning the last page. A stunning debut -- Clare MackintoshThis debut is set to be one of the biggest of the year * GRAZIA *A bright, uplifting tale of friendship and community resilience * IRISH INDEPENDENT *Brimming with charm and compassion * DAILY EXPRESS *A lavish depiction of an unlikely friendship, a London community and life-long love, all charmingly told in rich, yet gentle prose * CATHERINE ISAAC, author of You, Me, Everything *A beautiful book. Sweet and heartwarming but also wise with a strong message about the importance of community and friendship. It reminded me of a Richard Curtis film, life-affirming, romantic and impossible to resist. * Francesca Jakobi, author of Bitter *Heart-warming * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *Such a kind and lovely novel, The Lido has a heart that shines from every page * AJ Pearce, author of Dear Mrs Bird *This is a tale of loneliness, belonging and reconnecting with the world and people around us * Bath Magazine *A joyous and uplifting debut - a testament to kindness and friendship * SARAH WINMAN, author of When God Was a Rabbit and Tin Man *The next Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine * Independent *This debut is set to be one of the biggest of the year * Grazia *Brimming with charm and compassion * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisTHE BRAND-NEW NOVEL FROM THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHORTrade Review‘A sweeping tale of deep love lost and found, An Italian Girl in Brooklyn spans many decades and two continents as a woman who lost everything during World War II learns to live again. Filled with the colour and warmth of northern Italy, the pain and salvation of family, and the courage and determination it takes to start life over across an ocean, the talented Santa Montefiore’s latest ripples with longing, fate, and hope. The based-on-a-true-story twists will have you gasping aloud.’ — Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Forest of Vanishing Stars and The Book of Lost Names 'An irresistible page-turner.' - The Toronto Star

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Book SynopsisA Scottish Number One Bestseller and Book of the Month.A novel of family drama and long-hidden secrets, set in the beautiful Scottish countryside, from the bestselling author of The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle. ''Evocatively drawn'' Sunday Times ''Rich, layered and compelling, Wark''s debut was impressive; with this novel she has really hit her stride'' Yorkshire Post ''A deeply satisfying work of pure imagination'' Damian Barr, author of You Will Be Safe Here ''Beautiful and atmospheric'' Alistair Moffat, author of The Hidden Ways ''Rich and pleasing'' Allan Massie, The Scotsman ''Beautifully written'' Daily Mail ''One to savour'' Sunday Express ''An epic masterpiece'' Philippa Perry Scotland, 1950sWalter MacMillan is bewitched by the clever, glamorous Jean Thompson and can''t believe his luck when she agreTrade ReviewLike Wark's bestselling 2014 debut, The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle, this novel's heart lies in the evocatively drawn landscape of southwest Scotland . . . strong on place, dialogue and believable characters * Sunday Times *Rich, layered and totally compelling . . . Wark's debut, The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle, was impressive; with this novel she has really hit her stride * Yorkshire Post *Beautifully written . . . A haunting tale which combines Rebecca and Room At The Top with Fame. Not something you can say about many books. * Daily Mail *Slow burning and richly descriptive, this is one to savour * Sunday Express *Wark's second novel brings to life Galloway - one of the most beautiful and least well-known parts of Scotland, even to many Scots. This sparsely populated but spare and beautiful landscape anchors three generations of one family struggling to come to terms with a dark secret. As with her debut, The House by the Loch draws on real historical incident and some of her own personal history while also being a deeply satisfying work of pure imagination, however real Jean and Walter and their families feel. A multi-generational story that is at once sweeping and intimate. * Damian Barr, author of You Will Be Safe Here *It is a very good story. It holds you. You are eager to know how it will unfold . . . There is much to delight. There is warmth and understanding. It's a very Scottish novel, not only in its setting but in its suggestion of the duality of human nature . . . One test of a novel is whether you almost immediately want to read it again. A second is whether you find still more in it at this second reading. I would guess that for many The House by the Loch will pass both tests, colours flying. * Allan Massie, The Scotsman *How can a book be sad and yet so hopeful and uplifting? Kirsty Wark has written an epic masterpiece (great sense of place and architecture too) * Philippa Perry *Kirsty Wark has woven a brilliant tapestry, pulling together the threads of three generations and setting their lives against the background of one of the most beautiful and atmospheric places in Britain. Many good novelists write well about the inner lives of their characters and some can make the landscape come alive, but very few can do both as well as Kirsty. I loved The House by the Loch and couldn't wait to turn each page. * Alistair Moffat, author of The Hidden Ways *It took me back to the books I adored when I was young - the sheer pleasure of immersing yourself in a single family, past and present, their lives in thrall to the sweep and power of the landscape. You need curiosity and generosity to write like this and Wark has so much of both. Her understanding of family - its mysteries, losses and secrets, and especially the fraught tenderness between mothers and daughters - is masterful. * Julie Myerson, author of SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN *I've been enthralled by the wonderful and atmospheric world Kirsty Wark has created - really powerful and compelling. * Sue Lawrence, author of The Night He Left *Utterly compelling * The Herald *In an atmospheric and moving tale, journalist Kirsty Wark nails the complexities of rural family life, as well as the stark Scottish landscape * Woman *Her love for her homeland shines through every page . . . A warm-hearted novel with vivid depictions of both the landscape and the family inhabiting it * WI Life *With a fine sense of place, the Galloway setting is atmospheric and the characters recognisably real, creating an altogether satisfying read * Choice *Breathtaking * Strong Words *An assured family saga from a talented writer * The Press (York) *

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Book SynopsisIn her brilliantly inventive debut collection, Vanessa Onwuemezi takes readers on a surreal and haunting journey through a landscape on the edge of time. At the border with another world, a line of people wait for the gates to open; on the floor of a lonely room, a Born Winner runs through his life's achievements and losses; in a suburban garden, a man witnesses a murder that pushes him out into the community. Struggling to realize the human ideals of love and freedom, the characters of Dark Neighbourhood roam instead the depths of alienation, loss and shame. With a detached eye and hallucinatory vision, they observe the worlds around them as the line between dream and reality dissolves and they themselves begin to fragment. Electrifying and heady, and written with a masterful lyrical precision, Dark Neighbourhood heralds the arrival of a strikingly original new voice in fiction.Trade Review‘Onwuemezi, who is also a poet, has said she thinks first of rhythm when she writes. When she deploys her considerable skill for sound and metre with purpose, the resulting lyricism makes for compelling reading...she has a rightful place in the tradition of surrealist, nihilistic writers such as Julio Cortázar, Jorge Luis Borges, Silvina Ocampo and Samanta Schweblin.... there are stories here that give shape to incoherence with a precision and style that is dazzling.’ — Baya Simons, Financial Times‘[A] beautiful, vertiginous and enriching first collection ... there is a folkloric power in the way Onwuemezi combines clarity and mystery, evoked in a dramatic, memorable soundworld.’ — David Hayden, Guardian‘Onwuemezi conjures nightmarish urban landscapes that swallow their protagonists. Each story in the book is like a window in an apartment block: lonely squares of light in the dark …The stakes are surreal but precipitously high, which is all that matters really. When you fall from the heights of heaven, you’ll hit the ground with a thud.’ — Susannah Goldsbrough, Telegraph‘Vanessa Onwuemezi’s work makes legible the liminal spaces of contemporary existence: border-zones at once geopolitical, metaphysical and – above all – linguistic. She sends English off on a great line of flight, from which it returns as poetry.’ — Tom McCarthy, author of Satin Island‘Onwuemezi is an exceptionally gifted writer. Her prose is bold, her vision singular. Unnervingly brilliant, Dark Neighbourhood is a phenomenally imaginative collection.’ — Claire-Louise Bennett, author of Checkout 19‘Dark Neighbourhood is a thrill and a challenge. Vanessa Onwuemezi is her own thing, but reading her I experience the same exciting, destabilizing sense of the world being shown anew – being made anew – that I get from Silvina Ocampo, Clarice Lispector or Dambudzo Marechera.’ — Chris Power, author of A Lonely Man ‘Onwuemezi’s writing is a breath of fresh air. This collection is a marvel.’ — Daisy Johnson, author of Sisters ‘With stories of ambiguous embodiments, slick, mordant desires and warping cityscapes, Vanessa Onwuemezi's Dark Neighbourhood offers a new poetics of storytelling. Lyrical clarity combines with formal experimentation alongside hotching, grimaced, and dazzling world-building: a potent, portentous, truly original collection.’ — Eley Williams, author of The Liar's Dictionary‘Every sentence in Vanessa Onwuemezi’s Dark Neighbourhood demands and deserves attention. Each story pulses and throbs with a precise and electric energy, yet there’s still so much space for her characters to explore the depths of themselves, and, in turn, ask the reader to do the same. Onwuemezi is a writer who approaches her craft with real rigour and care, and her voice is unlike any I’ve read.’ — Caleb Azumah Nelson, author of Open Water

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Book Synopsis‘Lauren Bravo is one of my very favourite writers’ Dolly Alderton Gwen is coasting through life. She’s in her mid-thirties, perpetually single, her friends are busy procreating in the countryside and conversations with her parents seem to revolve entirely around the council’s wheelie-bin timetable.  And she’s lonely. But then, isn’t everyone?   When she’s made redundant from a job she hardly cares about, she takes herself out for a fancy dinner. There she has the best sticky toffee pudding of her life and realises she has no one to tell. She vows to begin living her life fully, reconnect with her friends and family, and finally book that dentist’s appointment.    Gwen decides to start where all things get a second chance: her local charity shop. There, with the help of the weird and wonderful people and donated items bursting with untold storiesTrade ReviewPreloved is one for your keeper shelves. * Red *An absolute gem of a novel, like finding vintage Dior in your local chazza. It's hard to believe that this tender-hearted, wryly observed and exquisitely written story is a debut and its heroine Gwen, as lost as the unwanted donations she prices up, will resonate with so many readers. Preloved is one for your keeper shelves. -- Sarra ManningI think I’ve been waiting for a novel like Preloved for my whole reading life. This is a luscious, shimmering book of depth and delicacy. It’s sad, hilarious, sad, tender, brutal, brilliantly observed – there is a sense of magic on every page. -- Daisy Buchanan, author of InsatiablePreloved is full of sharp observations on life, loss, regret and self-preservation... spilling over with wit and hope. Cleverly interwoven with stories of the myriad reasons items find their way into charity shops, the joy, friendship and ultimate enlightenment Gwen discovers offers a quirky and poignant reminder that one person's trash is always somebody else's treasure. -- Julietta Henderson, author of The Funny Thing about Norman ForemanPreloved has taken up residence in my heart and I will be recommending it to everyone I know. It's completely enchanting, completely captivating, completely brilliant, I adored everything about it. It has so much heart and warmth, while Gwen is so well-written and relatable. I was already a fan of Lauren Bravo's writing, and now I'm officially obsessed. -- Lucy VineLaugh-out-loud funny but also poignant and tender, Preloved is an absorbingly special debut novel. I devoured in equal measure the delicious descriptions of food and the moving vignettes of preloved treasures peppered throughout the book, while the nineties and noughties nostalgia had me gasping with pleasure. -- Laura Price, author of Single Bald FemaleFull of relatable anecdotes, lively, funny and modern, Preloved is a moving tale of emancipation and friendship. I loved it! -- Margaux Vialleron, author of The Yellow KitchenBeautifully considered and wonderfully crafted with characters who feel true to life. Full of witty observations and dazzling retorts and withering reactions… it won’t disappoint. -- Justin Myers/The GuylinerPreloved is a beautiful, funny novel full of pitch perfect insight and detail. In a world of fast fashion, fast friendships and fast opinion, this is a refreshing and relatable alternative, celebrating and challenging our ideas about objects and ownership. For anyone (like me) who has ever stood behind the counter of a charity shop, it will spark particular joy. Political, delightful and very very funny. -- Nell Frizzell

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Book Synopsis''Nikola''s best yet . . . I was immediately drawn into the story, rooting for the characters all the way to the end. Atmospheric and compelling. I loved it!'' Lorna Cook''A fascinating novel packed with intrigue, heart and emotion . . . brought the realities and attitudes of post-war London to life through a complex and delightful character for whom I was rooting all the way'' Louise Fein''This beautiful story stole my heart. A compelling read for anyone who loves great stories, love and romance, mysteries and secrets . . . I tore through it!'' Lizzie PageIt''s 1953. Memories of the war are beginning to fade. Young Queen Elizabeth has just ascended to the throne. Isobel McIntyre is a doctor-in-training at a London teaching hospital. It''s not easy being a woman working in medicine. And Isobel carries the additional burden of a shocking secret . . . OneTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR THE LIFE I STOLE:Nikola's best yet: 1950s London, a female doctor, family mystery, identity theft. I was immediately drawn into the story, rooting for the characters all the way to the end. Atmospheric and compelling. I loved it! * Lorna Cook *A fascinating novel packed with intrigue, heart and emotion. The author brought the realities and attitudes of post-war London to life through a complex and delightful character for whom I was rooting all the way. As with all her novels, Scott's historical detail from extensive research shines through on every page, transporting her reader through time and place. Most importantly, this is a story of innocent lives destroyed by harsh, prejudiced social norms, the power of love, and forgiveness. I loved it! * Louise Fein *This beautiful story stole my heart. A compelling read for anyone who loves great stories, love and romance, mysteries and secrets, the early years of the NHS and women in medicine. I tore through it! * Lizzie Page *Praise for NIKOLA SCOTT:'A clever, wonderful, expertly woven story. I enjoyed every second of it!' * Lorna Cook, author of THE GIRL FROM THE ISLAND *'Full of intrigue, fascinating historical detail and brilliant characterisation, I had no idea what was coming next . . . Truly fabulous!' * Louise Fein, author of PEOPLE LIKE US *'Beautifully twisty . . . Like unwrapping a pass-the-parcel with a wonderful gift at its heart' * Lizzie Page, author of WHEN I WAS YOURS *'An atmospheric and gripping read' * My Weekly *'A well-written, intriguing read full of family secrets... Brilliant' * Fabulous *'Characters you won't forget' * Sunday Express *'Wonderful characters and a very moving storyline' * The Sun *

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Book SynopsisPagans tackle the Knights of St John with terrible consequences in the new medieval thriller by Queen of the Dark Ages, Karen Maitland. Set on the wilds of Dartmoor, this is a ghostly tale for fans of The Essex Serpent, C. J. Sansom''s Shardlake series and The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse. ''A dark read... fear and hysteria are portrayed with claustrophobic skill'' The Times on THE PLAGUE CHARMER1316. On the wilds of Dartmoor stands the isolated Priory of St Mary, home to the Sisters of the Knights of St John. People journey from afar in search of healing at the holy well that lies beneath its chapel.But the locals believe Dartmoor was theirs long before Christianity came to the land. And not all who visit seek miracles. When three strangers reach the moor, fear begins to stir as the well''s waters run with blood.What witchcraft have the young woman, the Knight of St John and the blind child brought with theTrade ReviewA brilliant writer, with a real sense of history -- Susanna GregoryRecommended both as a historical novel that shines a light on the harsh conditions endured by ordinary people in the 14th century, and also as a very well-crafted piece of folk horror * Irregular Fiction *Maitland excels at creating twists and turns, presenting conflicting viewpoints and unexpected outcomes * Bookbag *[Maitland's] trademark blend of history, fiction and supernatural is at its electrifying best * Lancashire Evening Post *

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Book Synopsis'The ideal summer escape' Woman's WeeklyGorgeous' WomanPraise for the Cornish Cream Tea series:Gorgeous!' Phillipa AshleyPerfect' Cathy BramleyWarm-hearted fun with a sprinkle of love' Holly MartinIt's going to be an unforgettable Cornish summerThea Rushwood was looking forward to exploring the beautiful Cornish tourist spot of Port Karadow, but when her friend drops out at the last minute, she is forced to go solo. Arriving at her cosy holiday cottage to discover a building site next door, Thea and the annoyingly attractive, but grumpy builder, Ben, don't get off to the best start.Thea starts to wonder if her perfect escape wasn't meant to be. That's before she realizes there is more to Ben and to the community than she first thought. As a magical Cornish summer stretches out in front of her, Thea discovers this is one holiday that she never wants to endTrade 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 SynopsisBy the Costa Award-winning author of Pure, a profound and tender tale of guilt, a search for atonement and the hard, uncertain work of loving.'The writing is near perfect. But the novel's excellence goes far beyond this . . . You read [it] . . . with your pulse racing, all your senses awake' Guardian'A beautiful, lambent, timely novel' Sarah HallAn ex-soldier and recovering alcoholic living quietly in Somerset, Stephen Rose has just begun to form a bond with the daughter he barely knows when he receives a summons - to an inquiry into an incident during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. It is the return of what Stephen hoped he had outdistanced. Above all, to testify would jeopardise the fragile relationship with his daughter. And if he loses her, he loses everything. Instead, he decides to write her an account of his life; a confession, a defence, a love letter. Also a means of buying time. But time is running out, and the day comes when he must face again what happened in that faraway summer of 1982.Trade ReviewThe theme is handled in a way that is bolder and more exquisitely menacing than anything he's done before . . . It's all real, and all fictional, gorgeously so. You read what might have been a perfectly commonplace story of failure and redemption with your pulse racing, all your senses awake . . . restrained, beautifully written -- Elizabeth Lowry * Guardian *I spent the first half of The Slowworm's Song in a sort of ecstasy, marvelling at Miller's masterful characterisation; his confident evocation of army life and sensitive depiction of the Troubles; the nuanced exploration of alcoholism; the clean, well-made prose style studded with moments of descriptive beauty . . . Stephen is an unforgettable character, and Miller has pulled off the miraculous feat of sketching a full human life in a few hundred pages -- Claire Lowdon * Sunday Times *A beautiful, lambent, timely novel that admits our worst capacities while insisting on accountability and our ability to improve. Andrew Miller is among those brave male writers steering a progressive course. Yet he remains, as ever, unique, visionary, a master at unmasking humanity * Sarah Hall *Gorgeously written . . . it approaches the Troubles from a unique angle . . . Since his debut, Ingenious Pain, Miller has shown a knack for historical immersion, and he continues to excel in it here -- Ethan Croft * Literary Review *The focused interiority of Stephen's narration, together with the slowburning fuse of a plot, make for a quiet intensity that stretches the nerves . . . this empathic and artful novel is about both the mysteries we are to ourselves, and the power of speech -- Stephanie Cross * Daily Mail *A painful yet beautiful novel . . . Miller is a wonderful storyteller, as comfortable writing about the Napoleonic wars as the Troubles . . . In this novel, Stephen's reckoning may be extreme but his message is universal -- Susie Mesure * Spectator *The multiple award-winning author of Pure returns with a tender, compelling and exquisitely written novel of extraordinary power . . . Exploring a brutal chapter in the unhappy and sometimes shameful history of Northern Ireland, this wonderful novel is also a story of atonement and redemption -- Edward Argyle * Daily Express *Miller tackles big themes and weaves a profound and poignant tale about shame, trauma and the possibility of redemption -- Lucy Popescu, Summer Reading * Tablet *Andrew Miller's gentle, beautifully crafted sentences belie the often brutal truths behind the narrative. The image of the slowworm, silent and sinister, finding its way into the precious earth, is set against a song of light and life that won't be silenced -- Victoria Barry * Scotsman *Andrew Miller is one of our finest writers. Few can match his sensitivity of touch, eye for telling detail and acute feel for setting . . . The passages describing Rose's military duty are impeccably researched and viscerally real -- Peter Carty * i *The sections detailing Stephen's army life, and particularly those covering his tour of duty in Belfast, are excellent: immersive in their detail and atmosphere . . . [Miller] has sufficient decorum, talent and sensitivity to do justice to his delicate subject matter -- Rob Doyle * Observer *His evocation of squaddie life rings absolutely true . . . It's deeply moving to see how this self-torturing individual gradually learns that he's surrounded by helpers, often in the unlikeliest of guises, while tiny flowers of grace spring up in stony places -- Suzi Feay * Tablet *There is no easy resolution, and that is why The Slowworm's Song . . . is so affecting. It is about truth, objective or otherwise, and about the attempts of flawed human beings to live with it -- Nicholas Clee * Times Literary Supplement *A poignant and profound tale of a man seeking atonement -- Joanne Finney * Good Housekeeping *A stunning work of fiction, a beautifully written tale of conflict and family fracture . . . The Slowworm's Song is a sublime reminder of how a great novel can have such a deep impact -- Martin Chilton * Independent *Moving and compassionate * Reader's Digest *It's difficult not to be moved by Stephen's heartfelt words as he comes face to face with what happened in that 1982 summer * Belfast Telegraph *It reads truer than memoir . . . A state-of-the-nation novel, in elegiac prose * New York Times Book Review *Expertly paced . . . as taut as a thriller . . . Miller, with his acute eye for detail and his practiced sense of timing, describes these Belfast streets and this soldier's experience so plainly and yet so evocatively that both become new again * Wall Street Journal *A stunning work of fiction, a beautifully written tale of conflict and family fracture . . . The Slowworm's Song is a sublime reminder of how a great novel can have such a deep impact. -- Martin Chilton * Independent *[A] painful yet beautiful novel . . . Miller is a wonderful storyteller, as comfortable writing about the Napoleonic wars as the Troubles . . . Stephen's reckoning may be extreme but his message is universal. -- Susie Mesure * Spectator *Few novelists are as virtuosic and as varied as Andrew Miller . . . Meticulous research, reinforcing the narrative, never swamping it, is another Miller trademark, so it's no surprise that his evocation of squaddie life rings absolutely true . . . It's deeply moving to see how this self-torturing individual gradually learns that he's surrounded by helpers, often in the unlikeliest of guises, while tiny flowers of grace spring up in stony places. -- Suzi Feay * Tablet *Andrew Miller is one of our finest writers. Few can match his sensitivity of touch, eye for telling detail and acute feel for setting . . . The passages describing Rose's military duty are impeccably researched and viscerally real. -- Peter Carty * i *Miller - a much-awarded writer stepping out of his comfort zone of omnisciently narrated historical fiction - has sufficient decorum, talent and sensitivity to do justice to his delicate subject matter. -- Rob Doyle * Observer *A tender, compelling and exquisitely written novel of extraordinary power . . . Written with searing honesty, [Stephen's story] is a confession but, above all, it is a letter of love. -- Edward Argyle * Daily Express *

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