Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisSally Parker''s family has lost it all... But can they find what matters?''I enjoyed it HUGELY. A real treat'' MARIAN KEYES*** SHORTLISTED FOR THE COMEDY WOMEN IN PRINT PRIZE 2021 ***TREAT YOURSELF TO THE DELICIOUSLY WARM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING NOVEL FROM THE MUCH-LOVED MEL GIEDROYC. ''I enjoyed it so, so much - a brilliant cast of characters and properly funny!'' GRAHAM NORTON''This book is a riot! Delicious in its detail'' SOPHIE KINSELLA''The Best Things is funny and fresh. No soggy bottoms here'' CLARE MACKINTOSH''Exactly like Mel herself: engaging, uproarious and gleeful. A stonking good read'' JO BRAND''A warm, honest and humorous look at a family and what really matters in life. Brimming with hilarious scenes and one-liners, it is also a redemptive book, and one of hope'' WOMAN & HOME''Wonderfully warm and uplifting, full of unfor

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Book Synopsis'I didn't want this book to end... Beautiful' DAISY JOHNSON'A natural storyteller' PATRICK GALE'A gorgeous folkloric novel of water and love' ZOE GILBERT London, 1985. Joe, father to eleven-year-old Matty, has disappeared, and nobody will explain where he's gone, or why.In the long, hot summer that follows, Matty's hunt for Joe leads to the ponds at Hampstead Heath. Beneath the water, there is a new kind of freedom. Above the water, a welcoming community of men offer refuge from an increasingly rocky home life.Fourteen years later, a new revelation sees Matty set off alone in a campervan, driving westwards through Ireland, swimming its wild loughs and following the scant clues left behind about Joe. The trip takes a dangerous turn, and Matty is forced to rely on the kindness of strangers. But safety comes at a price, and with desire and fear running high, the journey turns into an explosive, heart-rending reckoning with the past.*A 'BOOKS OF 2021' PICK IN i NEWSPAPER*'Artfully paced, with queer undercurrents, this novel is tender and totally enveloping' AttitudeTrade ReviewA gorgeous folkloric novel of water and love... You should read this and you should also read Kerry's Swansong. It's a rare thing to see folklore woven into beautiful, tender human reality with such delicacy and skills -- Zoe Gilbert, author of Folk and Mischief ActsKerry Andrew is that rare thing, a natural storyteller with one of those quietly confident voices that takes you by the cuff and leads you down unexpected passages. In the finest tradition of quest tales, Skin's protagonist sets out in search of one thing and ends by discovering quite another and both they and the reader grow a little as a result -- Patrick GaleAndrew's wonderful second novel is the deeply involving story of a difficult childhood, a search for a long-missing parent, how we view our bodies and the secrets we keep even from those who know us best. -- 75 Books for 2021 * i Newspaper *A sweeping coming-of-age narrative whose on-point themes of gender and sexuality are embedded in evocative descriptions of London during the 1980s, and of boomtime Ireland a decade later * Mail Online *This evocative and sensitive tale is grounded by the authentic complexity of its characters... Inspired. -- Stephanie Cross * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis*** THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER *** Treat yourself to a glorious novel full of food, sunshine, friendship and love!   Things haven’t always been straightforward in Poppy’s life but her dreams are finally within her reach.   She's moving into a cottage in beautiful Nightingale Square, close to the local community garden, where she can indulge her passion for making preserves and pickles. She may not have the best relationship with her family but she is surrounded by loving friends, and feels sure that even her grumpy new neighbour, Jacob, has more to him than his steely exterior belies.   But the unexpected arrival of Poppy's troubled younger brother soon threatens her new-found happiness and as the garden team works together to win community space of the year, Poppy must decide where her priorities lie and what she is prepared to fight for …Readers everywhere are falling in love

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Book SynopsisThe compelling, heart-wrenching and uplifting story of one mother''s love and loss''Life-affirming, tender and wise. Wonderful'' Josie Lloyd''Filled with hope and humanity'' Araminta Hall''Truly moving. I''ve just finished wiping away the tears'' Joanna Nadin_______The hardest thing about love is saying goodbye . . .On a beautiful late-summer''s morning, Cate Challoner''s daughter, Beth, heads to the beach with her best friend. The girls will spend the day flirting with boys and enjoying the thrill of being young. Beth is eighteen and soon leaving home for college. Her mother is already missing her.That afternoon, the doorbell rings. Cate immediately knows something is wrong. CPR. Resuscitation. What do these words have to do with two teenagers enjoying an afternoon at the beach?Cate''s daughter is her everything. Beth''s presence at home is inescapable. How can a child stop existing? How can a moTrade ReviewLife-affirming, tender and wise. After Beth is a vivid, often heart-wrenching exploration of grief and how we learn to carry on after the worst has happened. Get your tissues at the ready - this book is wonderful -- Josie Lloyd, author of the 'The Cancer Ladies’ Running Club'A story of devastating loss, told so keenly and perfectly. But it is also a book filled with hope and humanity, showing people in all their wonderful complexity. It will stay with me for a very long time -- Araminta Hall, author of 'Perfect Strangers'Heartrending in its depiction of a mother grappling her way through her worst nightmare, yet the overriding feeling is one of hope in the transformative powers of love and loss. A wonderful novel -- Sasha Bates, author of 'A Grief Companion'A compelling, compassionate, completely relatable read -- Sue Teddern, author of 'Annie Stanley, All At Sea'Explores love, loss, and how to live with both tenderly and with great insight -- Bethan Roberts, author of 'My Policeman'Beautiful, uplifting and wise. I surfaced from the last page, feeling as comforted as I was moved -- Alison Macleod, on 'Ivy & Abe'A beautiful story that explores what it is to have a soul mate, and love in all its many guises. It made me cry a lot - in a good way! - but it also made me think, as all the best books do' -- Veronica Henry, on 'Ivy & Abe'

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Book SynopsisI was completely captivated' Barbara ErskineThe spellbinding new historical novel from the Sunday Times bestseller Anne O'Brien.England, 1444. Three women challenge the course of historyKing Henry VI's grip on the crown hangs by a thread as the Wars of the Roses starts to tear England apart. And from the ashes of war, the House of Paston begins its rise to power.Led by three visionary women, the Pastons are a family from humble peasant beginnings who rely upon cunning, raw ambition, and good fortune in order to survive.Their ability to plot and scheme sees them overcome imprisonment, violence and betrayal, to eventually secure for their family a castle and a place at the heart of the Yorkist Court. But success breeds jealousy and brings them dangerous enemiesAn inspirational story of courage and resilience,The Royal Game,charts the rise of three remarkable women from obscurity to the very heart of Court politics and intrigue.A wonderfully immersive and intriguing read, meticulously researched. I was completely captivated' Barbara ErskineTrade Review‘A gorgeously insightful, inspiring and courageous read’ Frost Magazine ‘An engrossing story of one family’s attempts to gain land and power in fifteenth century England … an eye-opening insight into how wealth was gained and lost in late medieval England as well as a pleasure to read’ Mick Finlay ‘Fast paced, immersive historical fiction that breathes life into the figures that populated our Medieval past – I thoroughly enjoyed it!’ Anita Frank ‘A gripping historical novel that captures the turbulent rise of one of the most influential families of the Middle Ages in rich and exciting detail’ Nicola Cornick ‘A wonderfully immersive and intriguing read, meticulously researched. I was completely captivated’ Barbara Erskine Praise for Anne O’Brien: ‘A compelling story of divided loyalties and family betrayals. Dramatic and highly evocative’ Woman & Home ‘There are historical novels and then there are the works of Anne O’Brien – and this is another hit’ Sun ‘O'Brien manages to reinvent historical fiction’ My Weekly ‘Dramatic and highly evocative’ Woman’s Weekly ‘One of the best writers around … she outdoes even Philippa Gregory’ Sun ‘O’Brien is a terrific story teller’ Daily Telegraph ‘O’Brien cleverly intertwines the personal and political in this enjoyable, gripping tale’ The Times ‘This thrilling historical novel has it all – high politics, drama, emotion, excellent writing … It's a rollercoaster of a read’ Carol McGrath ‘A deftly woven journey. Impeccable research shines through’ Matt Lewis ‘A gripping story of love, heartache and political intrigue’ Woman & Home ‘The characters are larger than life … and the author a compulsive storyteller’ Sunday Express ‘This book has everything – royalty, scandal, fascinating historical politics’ Cosmopolitan

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Book SynopsisPraise for The Cornish Cream Tea series:A warm, cosy festive joy' Alex BrownThe perfect festive treat' Cathy BramleyEvocative and gorgeous' Phillipa AshleyWarm hearted fun, with a sprinkle of love.' Holly MartinCan she spread Christmas cheer in Cornwall this year?All Meredith Verren has ever wanted is to escape the holiday season without having to wear a Christmas jumper. Her new job at the cosy gift shop in a picturesque Cornish tourist spot is making it impossible for her to maintain her scrooge-like manner.With their seasonal hampers on everyone's wish list, Meredith must paste on a smile and fake some holiday cheer. Then she meets handsome new arrival, Finn, who wishes it could be Christmas every day and wants her to feel the same way too.Can she embrace the holly and the ivy before the decorations are packed away for another year?PRAISE FOR CRESSIDA McLAUGHLINPerfect sweet as a cream scone' Cathy BramleyI loved it!' Sarah MorganA ray of reading sunshine' Heidi SwainI absolutely loTrade ReviewPraise for Cressida McLaughlin: ‘A wonderfully warm and witty novel from one of our favourite women’s fiction stars.’ – Heat ‘Warm and wonderful’ – Woman’s Own ‘If you love romance, you’ve GOT to read this’ – Zara Stoneley ‘The perfect summer treat; as sweet as a cream scone and just as moreish’ – Cathy Bramley ‘I loved it! Cressida's characters are wonderful. So warm and relatable… A delicious summer treat!’ - Sarah Morgan ‘A lovely warm gem’ – Alex Brown ‘Beautiful… heartwarming. Drew me in.’ – Zara Stoneley ‘Warm and wonderful… bursting with characters you’ll adore’Miranda Dickinson ‘A ray of reading sunshine’ – Heidi Swain ‘Oh, I just LOVED this story. All the characters are wonderful.’ – Isabelle Broom ‘A sweet read with real heart and soul’ – Sara Manning ‘Captivating’ – Heat ‘Gorgeous, romantic and witty – a perfect comfort read’ – Kirsty Greenwood ‘I absolutely love Cressida’s warm-hearted, romantic stories – they’re the perfect escape’ – Rachael Lucas ‘A little slice of a Cornish cream tea but without the calories’ –Bella Osborne ‘Had me glued to the pages’ – Holly Martin ‘A total hands-down treat. Funny, smart and completely swoony, McLaughlin skilfully carries you away with her gorgeous descriptions [and] seduces with her snappy dialogue.’ – Pernille Hughes ‘A pure joy to read’ – Lisa Hall ‘Perfect read for a night in front of the fire or a duvet day.’ – Helen Fields ‘My go-to comfort read’ – Jane Casey ‘Heart-meltingly romantic and tugs at all the strings’ – Jules Wake

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1972, Ann Quin’s fourth and final novel was a radical break from the introspective style she had developed in Three and Passages: a declaration of independence from all expectations. Brashly experimental, ribald, and hilarious, Tripticks maps new territories for the novel – aspiring to a form of pop art via the drawings of the artist Carol Annand and anticipating the genre-busting work of Kathy Acker through collage and gory satire. Splattering its pages with the story of a man being chased across a nightmarish America by his ‘first X-wife’ and her ‘schoolboy gigolo’, Tripticks was ground zero for the collision of punk energy with high style.

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Book SynopsisPatrick Gale''s FACING THE TANK is a witty, eccentric novel of clergy, scandal and English eccentrics - ''Made me laugh out loud'' Sunday Times''''Gale speedily unleashes his merrily black mischief. The uncovering of the sadness behind the doilies and twinsets is in the best tradition of black humour'' ObserverAmerican Professor Evan Kirby, moving to Barrowcester to research Paradise after a successful book on Hell, expects a very English cathedral society of gentle clergymen and coffee mornings. What he finds instead is a town thrown into chaos by strange, supernatural events, scandalous pregnancies and a Satanic summoning of a young feral girl.Trade ReviewGale speedily unleashes his merrily black mischief. The uncovering of the sadness behind the doilies and twinsets is in the best tradition of black humour * Observer *Gale is intoxicated with words and feeds upon them with a kind of manic relish . . . The sheer funniness of Facing the Tank made me laugh out loud. Its optimism delighted me * Sunday Times *Original and amusing. An elegant, witty writer with an engagingly bizarre imagination * Sunday Telegraph *A commendably intelligent, entertaining and moving novel * TLS *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis powerful novel evokes the works of Gabriel García Marquez ... vivid and beautifully expressive * Kirkus *A "rich, heartbreaking novel. . . . Benedetti's tender yet unflinching portrait of a family in the crushing straits of history is a welcome addition to the small (and hopefully growing) catalogue of his work that has been translated into English * Publishers Weekly *Equal parts funny and tragic [...] a wise, lonely novel about political exile * New Yorker *An exercise in empathy and a visceral record of the ravages of exile, torture and incarceration on revolutionaries and their families ...moments of descriptive grace are overshadowed by devastating details ... Interspliced with the family story are accounts of exiles around the world, including Benedetti's own, highlighting the documentary value of this book, which will continue to grow with time. * The New York Times *Springtime in a Broken Mirror is written like a psalm; a beautiful meditation on exile, dictatorships and the lives elevated and isolated by the struggle against both. -- Fatima BhuttoThis is the perfect way to enter the rich and luminous world of Mario Benedetti, one of the great Latin American writers of the past century. He was a prolific poet, novelist, journalist, and master of the short story form, and this sad and beautiful novel brings all of his many talents into focus. It's the portrait of Santiago, a prisoner of conscience, a man separated not only his family but cut off from the possibilities of taking a relevant stand in the face of political winds that seem destined to tear him apart. And yet hope keeps pushing through what Benedetti calls "the tiny jungle of his astonishment." Despite the note of alienation that inevitably haunts this novel, Springtime in a Broken Mirror left me in a mood of exultation. The human spirit presses through the cracks in history here, and this novel feels wonderfully fresh, its hero unbowed in the face of exile and bereavement -- Jay Parini, author of THE LAST STATION and THE DAMASCUS ROAD

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Book SynopsisPages of a weathered original sonata manuscript - the gift of a Czech immigrant living in Queens - come into the hands of Meta Taverner, a young musicologist whose concert piano career was cut short by an injury. The gift comes with the request that Meta find the manuscript's true owner - a Prague friend the old woman has not heard from since the Second World War forced them apart - and to make the three-part sonata whole again. Leaving New York behind for the land of Dvorák and Kafka, Meta sets out on an unforgettable search to locate the remaining movements of the sonata and uncover a story that has influenced the course of many lives, even as it becomes clear that she isn't the only one seeking the music's secrets.Trade ReviewTwining music history with the political tumults of the 20th century, The Prague Sonata is a sophisticated, engrossing intellectual mystery... [Morrow's] captivating, hopeful book presents a vision of the broken past, restored. * Wall Street Journal *Bradford Morrow is an astonishing writer. -- Joyce Carol OatesA treasure of a novel, a deliciously enveloping musical mystery which I read with marvel and gusto. -- Diane AckermanBradford Morrow is remarkable. The Real Thing, which is rare on this earthly plane. -- Michael CunninghamThis rich, masterful novel brilliantly explores the complex tumble of history, the human capacity for good and for evil, the fragile but redeeming glory of art. Morrow has long been one of America's finest novelists. And this humanely epic tale is his finest book. -- Robert Olen ButlerBradford Morrow has written his masterpiece. The Prague Sonata is a rich, joyous, complex journey into the city of Prague, the claims made upon us by music, and several dark, dark corners of human experience. -- Peter StraubAn elegant foray into music and memory. * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisKhoury is one of the greatest writers of our times and perhaps the greatest Arabic-language writer of this generation, definite Nobel Prize material Avraham Burg, HaaretzWho is Adam Dannoun?Until a few months before his death in a fire in his New York apartment - a consequence of smoking in bed - he thought he knew.But an encounter with Blind Mahmoud, a father figure from his childhood, changed all that. From Mahmoud he learned the terrible truth behind his birth, a truth withheld from him for fifty-seven years by the woman he thought was his mother.This discovery leads Adam to investigate what exactly happened in 1948 in Palestine in the city of Lydda where he was born: the massacre, the forced march into the wilderness and the corralling of those citizens who did not flee into what the Israeli soldiers and their Palestinian captives came to refer to as the Ghetto.The stories he collects speak of bravery, ingenuityTrade ReviewElias Khoury is an artist giving voice to rooted exiles and trapped refugees, to dissolving boundaries and changing identities, to radical demands and new languages. -- Edward W. SaidA writer of panoramic scope and ambition. -- Azadeh Moaveni * Financial Times. *The finest living Arabic novelist. * World Literature Today. *

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Book Synopsis''The very definition of a page-turner, it''s suburban noir at its finest'' HARRIET TYCEDo you have any idea what the people you know are capable of? Bestselling author of All My Lies Are True, Dorothy Koomson, asks how well you can really know your neighbours. Fans of Lisa Jewell and Louise Candlish will rip through the pages of this addictive new thriller.What if all your neighbours'' secrets landed in a diary on your doorstep?What if the woman who gave it to you was murdered by one of the people in the diary?What if the police asked if you knew anything?Would you hand over the book of secrets?Or ... would you try to find out what everyone had done?I Know What You''ve Done is the unputdownable thriller from the Queen of the Big Reveal.Readers love Dorothy Koomson:''Koomson just gets better and better'' Woman & Home''An instantly involving psycholoTrade ReviewThe very definition of a page-turner, it's suburban noir at its finest. A perfect holiday read * Harriet Tyce *This is a total page-turner. There are a lot of psychological thrillers out there but you'd be hard pressed to find many writers with the skill and talent of Dorothy Koomson. Go get it now, or pre-order the paperback. It's sensational -- Steve CavanaghA brilliant, super-pacy thriller that asks whether you really know what goes on behind closed doors * Fabulous Magazine *From Queen of the Big Reveal, her 17th novel is the best yet . . . Snappy chapters each with different viewpoints, and choppy parts, filled with chills, twists, make this the pacey domestic noir read * My Weekly *Another delightfully twisty thriller from the 'queen of the big reveal' * Heat *A superb thriller from one of our favourite authors * Bella *The bestselling Queen of Big Reveals, never disappoints. . . Koomson hooks us from the very first page . . . This is another Koomson novel you won't be able to put down * Refinery29 *We loved this twisting tale of deception and we know you will, too * Take a Break *Dorothy Koomson has crafted the ultimate moral dilemma in this twisty and thought provoking mystery thriller set in Brighton * Culturefly *A heart pounding thriller of pace and menace * The British Blacklist *a Brighton-set page-turner from the ever-reliable Dorothy Koomson * Choice *Just like Desperate Housewives, but even darker and more devious * Woman & Home *This clever thriller will keep you guessing until the end * Candis *[A] twisty thriller * Cosmopolitan *Intriguing and addictive slice of suburban noir which leaves readers guessing right through to the very last page. . . Packed with Koomson's trademark stunning twists and turns. . . you'll be racing to the end for a final reveal that ensures the Queen of the Big Reveal won't be losing her crown any time soon! * Lancashire Evening Post *This compelling thriller will have you asking how well you really know anyone, most of all your neighbours * Sun *PRAISE FOR DOROTHY KOOMSON:A story about love, obsession, secrets and the effects of coercive control, this is devastatingly good * Heat *One of the best books I've read this year * The Sun *An immersive and complex story, handling distressing subjects with wisdom and courage. Characters you care deeply for, a twisty, shocking story, but also emotionally astute and very moving -- Araminta HallThe suspense and drama was on another level. No one does it like Dorothy -- Black Girls Books ClubA pacy, addictive tale * Candis *Such a gripping and pacy thriller with a clever, twisty plot. . . I couldn't put it down -- Claire DouglasDark and tightly plotted with a thrilling climax * S Magazine *Written with verve and insight * Stylist *

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Book SynopsisIt's 1999 and Thera Wilde is NOT a victim . . . From the award-winning author of Golden Boy, Dead Girls tells a story of Girl Power, murder and revenge.'Tarttelin is a natural storyteller' Matt HaigA quiet community is shocked by the murder of an eleven-year-old girl. As police swarm the village, fear compels parents to keep their children indoors. Unbeknown to her Mum and Dad, though, one girl roams free.That girl is Thera Wilde.Thera was the murdered girl’s best friend. Together they were unstoppable and, even alone, Thera is not afraid: it’s 1999. Girls can do anything. And Thera reckons she can find the killer before the police do.'Sometimes brutal, often tender, and always compelling' Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven, on Golden BoyTrade ReviewHarriet the Spy is all grown up – and readying herself to take on the darkness of the adult world. This somehow manages to combine mystery, thriller, horror, and a lovely elegy to lost friendship . . . Completely unforgettable -- Emma Flint, author of Little DeathsFeminist, bold, shocking, packed with little epiphanies -- Shelley Harris, author of Jubilee and VigilanteThe things we tell young girls to keep them safe might be the most dangerous of all . . . An utterly compelling page-turner that will stay with me for a long time -- Samantha BainesEnid Blyton meets Stephen King -- Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Harmless Like You and Starling DaysTerrific. A poignant, brave and important book -- S J Watson, author of Before I Go to Sleep, on Golden BoySometimes brutal, often tender, and always compelling -- Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven, on Golden BoyGripping. Tarttelin is a natural storyteller -- Matt Haig, author of The Humans and How to Stop Time, on Golden Boy

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE EDGE HILL SHORT STORY PRIZE 2019LONGLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2019Mothers is peopled by men and women who find themselves at crossroads or dead ends characters who search without knowing what they seek. From remote and wild Exmoor to ancient Swedish burial sites and hedonistic Mexican weddings, these stories lay bare the emotional and psychic damage of life and love in a stunning debut collection.

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Book SynopsisNAMED A FALL 2020 MUST-READ AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF FALL 2020 BY TIME, VULTURE, THE BOSTON GLOBE, COSMOPOLITAN, WIRED, TOR AND MOREElectrifying and provocative, visceral and profound, a powerful literary debut novel about a young woman whose compulsion to eat earth gives her visions of murdered and missing people?an imaginative synthesis of mystery and magical realism that explores the dark tragedies of ordinary lives.Set in an unnamed slum in contemporary Argentina, Eartheater is the story of a young woman who finds herself drawn to eating the earth?a compulsion that gives her visions of broken and lost lives. With her first taste of dirt, she learns the horrifying truth of her mother?s death. Disturbed by what she witnesses, the woman keeps her visions to herself. But when Eartheater begins an unlikely relationship with a withdrawn police officer, word of her ability begins to spread, and soon desperate members of her community beg for her help, anxious to uncover the truth about their own loved ones.Surreal and haunting, spare yet complex, Eartheater is a dark, emotionally resonant tale told from a feminist perspective that brilliantly explores the stories of those left behind?the women enduring the pain of uncertainty, whose lives have been shaped by violence and loss.Translated from the Spanish by Julia SanchesTrade Review“One of the most outstanding Latin American short novels of the year.” — New York Times “A powerful story whose narrator wields brutally honest observations on the intersections of class, poverty, and gender. Reyes’ debut is a strong addition to the growing body of Latin American crime fiction in the U.S. market. A stirring genre blend of fantasy and crime fiction that combines graceful prose and magic realism.” — Booklist (starred review) “Reyes succeeds in making the feisty Eartheater and her visions both persuasive and affecting.” — Library Journal (starred review) “In a voice that is terse, blunt, and biting, the narrator reckons with the impact of her visions on her health and relationships, as she witnesses more and more the ways fear and violence shape the experiences of the women in her community. Compelling and visceral, Reyes’ debut combines mystery and coming-of-age to evoke the stories of the victims of femicide.” — Kirkus Reviews “A raw and vital literary debut, Eartheater takes an unwavering and visceral look at systems of power through the perspective of a young woman caught in the crosshairs.” — Shelf Awareness "In Reyes' hands, this coming-of-age novel flowers into a meditation on death, and the earth all children will eat in the end." — New York Observer “Dolores Reyes’s writing is visceral and urgent. It’s also connected to a powerful tradition of fantasy and crime, and it reflects on violence against women with enormous lucidity.” — Mariana Enriquez, author of Things We Lost in the Fire "With its own shining light and singular voice, Eartheater follows in the footsteps of such essential authors as Juan Rulfo and Sara Gallardo.” — Selva Almada, author of The Wind That Lays Waste “Dolores Reyes’s harsh and sensitive lyricism explodes in your hands.” — Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, author of The Adventures of China Iron

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Book Synopsis''Vivian is one of the most fascinating characters I''ve read in contemporary fiction: self-aware and lost, cutting and wounded, resilient and vulnerable - all those misfit bits that add up to the whole of a real human being. Reading Post-Traumatic feels like an illicit thrill.'' Dawnie Walton, author of The Final Revival of Opal & NevCan Vivian find happiness after what has been done to her?To the outside observer, Vivian is a success story - a dedicated lawyer who advocates for mentally ill patients at a psychiatric hospital. Privately, Vivian contends with the memories and after-effects of her bad childhood, compounded by the everyday stresses of being a Black, Latinx woman living in a white society. She lives in a constant state of hypervigilant awareness that makes even a simple train ride a heart-pounding drama.For years, Vivian has self-medicated with a mix of dating, dieting, dark humour and smoking weed with her besTrade ReviewDeeply original, socially important, psychologically revelatory, propulsively and idiosyncratically readable. Post-Traumatic is a gem -- Elif Batuman, author of The IdiotStunning and riotous, Post-Traumatic took me right under and then revived me, like only the best fiction can do. Johnson's delicious, meticulous prose delivers such intimacy and hilarity on the page, I laughed and cried all the way through. This is a raw, brilliant, and unforgettable debut. I love everything about it! -- Deesha Philyaw, author of National Book Award Finalist The Secret Lives of Church LadiesChantal V. Johnson has blessed us with a cool, stylish, and violently funny novel about survival. It made me smile, laugh, cringe, shiver, and think. Like life, Post-Traumatic is richly triggering and highly recommended -- Myriam Gurba, author of MEANWhether she's fighting for her clients or falling apart at a wedding, POST-TRAUMATIC's Vivian is one of the most fascinating characters I've read in contemporary fiction: self-aware and lost, cutting and wounded, resilient and vulnerable - all those misfit bits that add up to the whole of a real human being. And Chantal V. Johnson writes her with a startling intimacy that makes reading feel like an illicit thrill -- Dawnie Walton, author of The Final Revival of Opal and NevWith searing intelligence, wicked humor, and an utterly captivating heroine, this brilliant debut shows us what it means to live with, and beyond, trauma. I felt such kinship with Vivian that I sometimes felt like Johnson was reading my mind -- Jessamine Chan, author of THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD MOTHERSPost-Traumatic is swift, caustic, charismatic, beautiful, terrifying, and so incredibly funny. It learns and unlearns itself continually, propelled by a restless main character whose gaze withers the world, the reader, and more achingly, herself. Johnson composes such precise, pathologically consumable prose that I couldn't stop reading, even if it was the way I'd watch a scary movie: through my fingers -- Tommy Pico, author of IRL and JUNKPost-Traumatic is astonishingly funny, intimately neurotic, and so honest and necessary that I can't stop thinking about it. From the first sentence, we are thrust into the hyper-awareness of a character whose boundless vigilance makes us feel like both observer and observed. Johnson's attention to detail is so salient that it's simultaneously shocking and familiar. This book is a mirror I couldn't put down -- Jill Louise Busby, author of UNFOLLOW MEChantal V. Johnson is a brilliant documentarian of the unstable. She writes with a forensic and unsentimental sense of justice, in sentences that spark with life -- Vanessa Veselka, author of THE GREAT OFFSHORE GROUNDSBeautifully written story . . . Holding up to the light what it means to be a woman * Stylist *

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Book SynopsisThe battle for Empire rages across EgyptThe thrilling second novel in the William John Hazzard series, following Napoleon's Run.Malta, June 1798. Captured by the French after hurling himself into enemy ranks, Hazzard is now a prisoner of his arch-nemesis, spycatcher Citizen Derrien, but has uncovered the true purpose of Napoleon’s armada: the conquest of Egypt. Their bold plan is to cut open the ancient Suez Canal to the Red Sea and attack India, the jewel in England’s crown. The survival of nations in the balance, Nelson scours the Mediterranean for the French in vain. If Hazzard can’t convince Admiralty Intelligence of a desperate plan, an ancient world will be lost for ever. But help comes from an unexpected quarter: the missing Admiralty agent…As French cannons roar in the desert sands and the Mamluk cavalry sweeps in to attack, Hazzard fights to prevent a lost cause turning into tragedy.From the shores of Malta to the epic encounter at the Battle of the Nile – this is the explosive beginning of the French conquest of Egypt. Never give up the boat.Praise for Jonathan Spencer‘Stupendous... Lords of the Nile has such a breathtakingly frenetic plot that I found myself getting faster and faster in my reading, tearing through the pages, only to realise that I was trying to match the pace of the characters and the plot. It is so immersive you can’t help but be sucked into it, swept away by it, pushed to tears by it and utterly enthralled by it.‘Jonathan Spencer is now one of my “Must read” authors, a drop-what-you’re-doing-(or whatever else you are reading)-and-read-it-now writer. My favourite book this year.’ Parmenion Books on Lords of the Nile‘This is an outstanding novel, made even more remarkable by its début status. Better than Sharpe, gripping and intense, Napoleon’s Run deserves to be a runaway success’ Ben Kane, Sunday Times bestselling author of Lionheart on Napoleon's Run'Hornblower meets Mission: Impossible. A thrilling, page-turning debut packed with rousing, rip-roaring action' J. D. Davies, author of the Matthew Quinton Journals on Napoleon's Run

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Book Synopsis"One of those rare, transformative novels" KARIM MISKE"Funny and poignant" TIFFANY TSAO, author of The MajestiesInitially a little intrigued, all babies eventually return the security guard's smile.The security guard adores babies. Perhaps because babies do not shoplift.Babies adore the security guard. Perhaps because he does not drag babies to the sales.The 1960s - Ferdinand arrives in Paris from Côte d'Ivoire, ready to take on the world and become a big somebody.The 1990s - It is the Golden Age of immigration, and Ossiri and Kassoum navigate a Paris on the brink of momentous change.The 2010s - In a Sephora on the Champs-Élysées, the all-seeing eyes of a security guard observes the habits of those who come to worship at this church to consumerism.Amidst the political bickering of the inhabitants of the Residence for Students from Côte d'Ivoire and the ever-changing landscape of French immigration policy, Ferdinand, Ossiri and Kassoum, two generations of Ivoirians, attempt to make their way as undocumented workers, taking shifts as security at a flour mill.Sharply satirical, political and poignant, Standing Heavy is a searingly witty deconstruction of colonial legacies and capitalist consumption, an unprecedented and unforgettable account of everything that passes under a security guard's gaze.Translated from the French by Frank Wynne"Inventive and very funny" Guardian"A compact, humane satire" Financial TimesTrade ReviewBeautifully written from the point of view of a Black, Marxist security guard, Standing Heavy is one of those rare, transformative novels. Beware: it might make your next shopping trip somewhat trickier -- KARIM MISKEA funny and poignant intergenerational tale of three Ivoirian men newly arrived in Paris. And a sharp social and political commentary, delivered via the sharp eyes of the black security guards that white Paris relies on to keep itself safe. -- TIFFANY TSAO * author of The Majesties and translator of International Booker-longlisted Happy Stories, Mostly *Dura lex sed... dura! The harsh standing life of an immigrant. A pataphysical ethnography of the consumer society written by an undocumented anthropologist with an exemplary critical humour -- ALBERTO PRUNETTI * author of Down and Out in England and Italy *This inventive and very funny debut novel offers a whistle-stop, whizz-bang tour of Franco-African history * Guardian *This compact, humane satire, deftly translated by Frank Wynne, entertains as much as it informs. -- Lucy Popescu * Financial Times *I ended up laughing out loud * Huffington Post *Gauz castigates the excesses of our society with a humorous first novel in which political satire takes on airs of a poetry slam * Stylist (France) *Brutal, fierce and often awkward, this little book will feel like a body search * Lire *An alert, offbeat and indispensable book * La Nouvelle Vie Ouvrière *A cunning observer and a disenchanted protestor, Gauz makes shopping an ethnological mine, a priceless sketch and a combat sport * Elle *What an eye! Gauz saw everything, observed everything, analysed everything during his experiences as a security guard. He takes a dive in time and into the territory of the Ivorians of Paris. The whole French immigration policy emerges through this book . . . Fresh and witty * L'Express *A powerful book * Huma *Full of hilarious observations * Le Figaro *A formidable keenness of observation and a sarcastic wit * La Croix *A tender and ironic look at our consumer society * Marie-France *Gauz honours the sufferings, pitfalls and joys of the African community in Paris, by painting a grotesque portrait of our consumer society * Pèlerin *Gauz casts a tender, yet lucid gaze on the African community. By devoting a book to the shadowy men of security, Gauz finally gives voice and life to those who, oddly enough, are invisible * Le Matricule des Anges *Under the guise of fun, the author shows the pathos of the buying fever in the West, mixing the madness of the sales with the history of Ivorians in Paris * Nouvel Observateur *No-one is spared in this biting, satirical account of cosmopolitan life -- Conrad Landin * New Internationalist *

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Book Synopsis ''If you''ve ever been in a relationship with another person, if you''ve ever had a family, you need to read this book'' Ann PatchettPolly Solo-Miller Demarest is the perfect flower of the Solo-Miller family.The Solo-Millers have everything: looks, brains, money, a strong, fortified sense of clan, and branches in Boston, Philadelphia, and New York, as well as London, just like a banking house.And Polly, along with Henry Demarest, a big handsome lawyer, has a beautiful household of her own and two nice, sturdy children.But one day - completely unexpectedly - she finds herself entangled in a sweet yet painful love affair with a painter, who loves her in the specific and allows her to cry freely in front of him. Suddenly all the values she has lived by are called into question.From Laurie Colwin, the ultimate chronicler of the human heart, comes a novel about a woman tired of being taken for granted - and a reminder that family, like happ

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Book Synopsis''Dreamy and irresistible!'' JILL MANSELL''A summery tale. I loved it!'' SARAH MORGAN''What an amazing book!'' MILLY JOHNSONNikki has kept her secret safe for twenty years.Now the tide''s about to turn... Nikki finally owns the little coastguard cottage of her dreams - and it''s a few steps away from the hidden beach that means so much to her.But when a handwritten note lands on her doorstep, she realises it''s only a matter of time before the heartbreaking truth of her past is uncovered.Twenty years ago, her whole world was turned upside-down when a terrible storm rolled into the small seaside town of Speedwell.Ever since that night, Nikki has been keeping a secret. One she knows has the potential to destroy the lives of those she loves most.Because as sure as the tide turns, there are no secrets in a small town...Your favourite aut

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Book SynopsisA Financial Times Translated Fiction Book of the YearTranslated from the Japanese by Louise Heal KawaiMinoru Aose is an architect whose greatest achievement is to have designed the Yoshino house, a prizewinning and much discussed private residence built in the shadow of Mount Asama. Aose has never been able to replicate this triumph and his career seems to have hit a barrier, while his marriage has failed. He is shocked to learn that the Yoshino House is empty apart from a single chair, stood facing the north light of nearby Mount Asama.How can he live with the rejection of the work he had put his heart and soul into, the dream house he would have loved to own himself? Aose determines that he must discover the truth behind this cruel and inexplicable dismissal of the Yoshino house and in doing so will find out a truth that goes back to the core of who he is. Plotted with the subtlety of his bestselling masterpiece Six Four

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Book Synopsis''You won''t put this novel down until you''ve uncovered every last skeleton in the closet. I loved it '' Louise CandlishKieran Elliott''s life changed forever on a single day when a reckless mistake led to devastating consequences. The guilt that haunts him still resurfaces during a visit with his young family to the small coastal town he once called home.Kieran''s parents are struggling in a community which is bound, for better or worse, to the sea that is both a lifeline and a threat. Between them all is his absent brother Finn.When a body is discovered on the beach, long-held secrets threaten to emerge in the murder investigation that follows. A sunken wreck, a missing girl, and questions that have never washed away...Praise for The Survivors''A new book by Harper is always an event'' Sunday Times''Once again Harper demonstrates how good she is at portraying the fear and meTrade ReviewThis atmospheric thriller stealthily peels back layers of silence that cover the unspeakable secrets of a tightly knit community * Daily Mail *It's a murder mystery, but also a chronicle of youth, grief and growing up * Richard Madeley, Richard and Judy book club *A new book from Harper is always an event. Starting with The Dry (2016), she has built an international reputation on a series of crime novels set in remote communities in Australia, a genre that has become known as rural noir. For her fourth novel, Harper has turned her attention to a different kind of isolation; a small town battered by the elements on the coast of Tasmania...It is the kind of set-up that Harper handles expertly * Sunday Times Best Crime Novels for January 2021 *Lulling and startling in turn, The Survivors immerses you from the first line in the secret lives of the population of Evelyn Bay. You won't put this novel down until you've uncovered every last skeleton in the closet. I loved it * Louise Candlish *Multi-layered, atmospheric and brilliantly written * Sun *Australian crime author, Jane Harper, has become an automatic must-read writer for me and her fourth novel, The Survivors, is full of her trademark twists and turns and clever, atmospheric writing * Sarra Manning, The Best Books to Read this January, Red *Australian author Harper's debut, The Dry, won a host of awards when it came out in 2017. Her latest, set in a small Tasmanian coastal town, is the same mix of brooding atmosphere and clever plotting * Good Housekeeping, This month's 10 books to read right now! *Full of those secrets within small communities that she writes so well. Set in a coastal town in Tasmania, this tale is full of atmosphere and intrigue * Prima *Brilliant...I read this in one sitting and can't impress upon you enough how well written and engaging it is * Woman's Way *The mistress of Australian noir returns with an emotional story about secrets beneath the surface of apparently respectable small towns...Both a mystery and a subtle examination of character. Once again Harper demonstrates how good she is at portraying the fear and menace that lurk in ordinary lives * Daily Mail *Harper takes on board corrosive issues of guilt, memory and responsibility to mesmerising effect * Financial Times Best Summer Reads 2021 *The Australian novelist Jane Harper is known for her excellent outback noir novels, in which the harsh, sun-bakedexpanses of the landscape play as much a part as her protagonists. Her latest, The Survivors, moves the action to the coast of Tasmania, and shows that Harper doesn't need sun and sand to write a compelling, terrifying thriller...Harper goes from strength to strength * Observer, Thrillers of the Month *Jane Harper's superb new novel The Survivors exhibits all the qualities that make her such a compelling writer: a preoccupation with the clumsy, anxious joys and sorrows of adolescence and the awkward, haunted relationships of old friends who have nothing left in common but the past; an ability to unfold with steady, deliberate, unshowy brilliance a slow-burning family drama that reaches a devastating climax; a deft facility for artful character and plot misdirection; above all, a gift for setting, in this case the cliffside, the beach, the treacherous series of caves, the deserted town itself, all in thrall to the beauty and power and menace of the ocean. Sure-footed, technically impeccable plotting and storytelling ensure the mystery holds until the final pages, when Harper's compassionate eye imbues the novel with a satisfying degree of moral nuance * Irish Times *A gripping read from Jane Harper, the best-selling author of The Dry * Hello *Another brilliant read from the best-selling author * New! *Fundamental to the success of her previous novels such as The Dry has been Jane Harper's subtle mastery of a sense of place, in particular rural Australia...Harper's writing is as unobtrusively effective as ever in setting the scene * The Times *The new crime novel from the Australian author dubbed "the queen of outback noir" by The Sunday Times * The Best Books of 2021 from The Times and the Sunday Times *A dark, Tasmania-set tale of long-ago disaster, barely buried guilt and possible murder * iNews, 75 Best Books for 2021 *Without doubt one of the finest crime writers at work today, a new Jane Harper novel is the highlight of my reading year. She has this knack of painting such beautiful scenes, only to thread them with such menace, such sheer atmospheric terror. Phenomenal * Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin At The End *No one does small town secrets better than Jane Harper. Gripping, moving and absolutely compelling, The Survivors is another triumph * Jane Casey, author of Sunday Times bestseller Cruel Acts *Like in her previous books, the setting is so strong that it's almost a character in itself. For fans like me, a new Harper book is a treat and this is another cracking read * Good Reading *Once again, as in all her crime novels beginning with The Dry, Australian crime writer Jane Harper creates an impressive landscape that serves to illustrate how the experience of place inevitably shapes the lives of those who live there . . . The Survivors is a subtle, quiet book about guilt, grief and growing up. You may find it hard to leave it behind * Sydney Morning Herald *A latest slice of outback noir from Jane 'The Dry' Harper, the queen of Australian crime, in which a man is forced to reckon with the secrets of his past when a body washes up on the beach * Metro, Top Eight Gripping New Novels in 2021 *'Jane Harper returns with another brilliant read. Harper is a compelling writer, her plotting and storytelling will keep you gripped. You will be transported to the coastal town where the community is bound to the ocean, with all its beauty and menace, for better or worse' * Dumfries & Galloway Life *Secrets, guilt and a sunken wreck. More from the Australian bestselling author * The Times, Books to Look Out For in 2021 *

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Book SynopsisA homecoming snares a young woman in a dangerous tangle of lies, secrets, and bad blood in this gripping novel by the bestselling author of An Accusation. Running from a bad relationship, journalist Jo Sharpe heads home to Arthurville, the drought-stricken town she turned her back on years earlier. While some things have changed—her relationship with her ailing, crotchety father, her new job at the community newspaper—Jo finds that her return has rekindled the grief and uncertainty she experienced during her childhood following the inexplicable disappearance of her mother and baby sister. Returning to Arthurville has its unexpected pleasures, though, as Jo happily reconnects with old friends and makes a few new ones. But she can’t let go of her search for answers to that long-ago mystery. And as she keeps investigating, the splash she’s making begins to ripple outward—far beyond the disappearance of her mother and sister. Jo is determined to dig as deep as it takes to get answers. But it’s not long before she realises that someone among the familiar faces doesn’t want her picking through the debris of the past. And they’ll go to any lengths to silence the little bird before she sings the truth.Trade Review“A solid mystery with interesting characters.” —Booklist “A Little Bird is a true feast for lovers of domestic suspense and atmospheric family dramas. Using multiple narrations, Wendy James propels the story forward as a woman seeks to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of her mother and baby sister two decades before. Then she takes us back in time to the unfolding of that mystery. The suspense builds as the secrets unravel, with an ending that is both surprising and deeply satisfying. A compelling, page-turning read!” —Wendy Walker, bestselling author of Don’t Look for Me “Wendy James’s newest novel, A Little Bird, fully immersed me in the modern Australian outback and made me never want to leave. When Jo Sharpe returns home after a tough breakup, she finds herself working at a small-town ‘good news only’ newspaper, covering the ups and downs (but mostly ups) of her hometown. But there is more than good news in Arthurville. As Jo seeks to uncover the reality behind the stories she’s woven over the years about her mother and infant sister’s disappearance, she soon discovers that there is a heart-pounding reason she never knew the truth about her mother’s flight from their family nest. In this beautifully written story of family secrets and the search for the truth, James’s tight prose and brilliant plot twists will have you frantically turning pages till the touching conclusion.” —Emily Bleeker, Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author

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Book SynopsisJean Genet, French playwright, novelist and poet, turned the experiences in his life amongst pimps, whores, thugs and other fellow social outcasts into a poetic literature, with an honesty and explicitness unprecedented at the time.

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Book Synopsis“AN INCENDIARY PORTRAIT OF THE VOLCANIC CURRENTS OF SEX AND BETRAYAL.”—Mail on Sunday THE INTERNATIONAL No. 1 BESTSELLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF MY BRILLIANT FRIEND A BBC2 Between The Covers Book Club Pick BRITISH BOOK AWARDS 2021 – SHORTLISTED FOR FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR Soon to be a NETFLIX original series 18M OF ELENA FERRANTE'S BOOKS SLOD WORLDWIDE Giovanna’s pretty face has changed: it’s turning into the face of an ugly, spiteful adolescent. But is she seeing things as they really are? Where must she look to find her true reflection and a life she can claim as her own? Giovanna’s search leads her to two kindred cities that fear and detest one another: the Naples of the heights, which assumes a mask of refinement, and the Naples of the depths, a place of excess and vulgarity. Adrift, she vacillates between these two cities, falling into one then climbing back to the other. Set in a divided Naples, The Lying Life of Adults is a singular portrayal of the transition from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER “This is no amiable coming-of-age tale… the most intense writing about the experiences and interior life of a girl on the cusp of adulthood that I have ever read. It is brilliant.”—The Financial Times “An astonishing, deeply moving tale.”—The Guardian “Ferrante confronts female sexual awakening with such an absence of romantic enchantment it leaves you gasping.”—The Daily Mail WHAT READERS ARE SAYING: “Brilliant as always.”—Jan on Amazon “A tightly crafted and gripping story.”—Maxwell on Goodreads “Excellent book. My only complaint was that it ended too soon!”—Mhairi on Amazon “I woke up eagerly looking forward to reading more of this novel every single day.”—Violet on Goodreads “Fans of Elena Ferrante will not be disappointed.”—Lesley on AmazonTrade Review"Modern, urgent, truthful." -- Lucy Hughes-Hallett * The Telegraph *"Elena Ferrante is an expert chronicler of adolescence and its many indignities, as well as its erratic, overwhelming passions." * The Observer *"Ferrante is unbeatable at pulling you inside the mind of a teenage girl, making you see how everything that looks irrational from the outside - the moods, the silences, the jealousy, tears, fears and resentments - are utterly logical and reasonable." * The Times *“Layer by layer, piece by piece, with her customary deftness, Ferrante builds up her story, introducing new characters and bits of information, as Giovanna’s once safe and sane world becomes ever more slippery…. Ferrante has a voice very much her own.” * The TLS *“The most intense writing about the experiences and interior life of a girl on the cusp of adulthood that I have ever read.” -- Isabel Berwick“Exquisitely moody.” -- Merve Emre * The Atlantic *“Elena Ferrante is so good.… an astonishing, deeply moving tale of the sorts of wisdom, beauty and knowledge that remain as unruly as the determinedly inharmonious faces of these women.” -- Lara Feigel * The Guardian *“Ferrante’s page-turner talent for suspenseful storytelling and scenes teeming with vivid characters finds terrific scope … From this gorgeous and squalid two-tier city that haunts her imagination comes another compulsive novel.” -- Peter Kemp * The Sunday Times *“The accurate and evocative depiction of adolescence is also a significant factor in the fierce devotion inspired by the works of the Italian writer Elena Ferrante … Ann Goldstein, who has translated all of Ferrante’s works into English, does so again here with precision and poise.” -- Miranda Collinge * Esquire *“An incendiary portrait of the volcanic currents of sex and betrayal rumbling away beneath polite society.” -- Anthony Cummins * The Mail on Sunday *“Ferrante is a hypnotist.” -- Frances Wilson * The Spectator *“Compulsive.” -- Alex O'Donnell * The Times *“Ferrante is finally back. Her new novel, the first since her blockbusting Neapolitan Quartet finished, takes us back to Naples.” * The Times *“The Lying Life of Adults simply enriches a magnificent canon which began with Troubling Love nearly 30 years ago. There’s not a weak page, let alone a weak novel, among the eight to date.” -- David Nice * The Arts Desk *"The Lying Life of Adults has the magnitude of great literature - from Balzac to Stendhal to the always beloved Proust. It is a necessary book." * Il Manifesto *“A must for Ferrante fans.” * The Times *

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Book SynopsisIn a broken-down Middle American town, the disintegration of a struggling family - its ambitions and emotions worn thin - is laid bare through the cold eyes of its only son. While studying at the local community college to finish his degree, he works what his divorced parents deem to be menial jobs and tries to stay out of their way, keeping his pitiless observations about their lives to himself. He says nothing about his semi-estranged father's doomed attempts to find meaning in strip-mall spirituality. He says nothing about his mother's willingness to subjugate herself to men he deems unworthy. He says nothing about the anonymity and emptiness to which their social classes and places of birth seem to have condemned everyone he knows, robbing them of even the vocabulary to express their grievances. He says nothing about his own pity, disgust, compassion, tenderness, and love - and when his father enters a bodybuilding competition, he swallows his scorn and agrees to help. Instantly relatable, impeccably realized, and grimly hilarious, My Father's Diet is equal parts Kierkegaard, This Side of Paradise, and Pumping Iron: an autopsy of antiquated notions of manhood, and the perfect, bite-sized novel for a world always keen to mistake narcissism for introspection.Trade Review‘My Father’s Diet, Adrian Nathan West’s debut novel, is slim, sad, comic and sharply observed . . . West’s achievement, in this subtle and delightful book, is to have rendered failure in strikingly handsome terms.’ Christopher Shrimpton, The Guardian ---- ‘This debut offers an acute, painfully funny front-row view of a midlife crisis in action.’ Sam Sacks, Wall Street Journal ---- ‘Compact and stirring, [ . . . My Father’s Diet] showcases the recognizable confusion of a changing world.’ Patrick Nathan, New York Times Book Review ---- ‘Our narrator is a product of malls, low-status jobs and faded dreams, and West’s wry, precise tone captures the monotony and inertia of his daily life. But what could have been a cruel satire is elevated by his empathy for his characters and an outlook that’s compassionate rather than condescending.’ Alastair Mabbott, The Herald ---- ‘West’s writing is acute and at times brilliant. His descriptions of bodies that have been transformed into objects of devotion, especially, are luminous and imaginative, often humorous too . . . [My Father’s Diet] is a book of subtle wit and poignancy, the scope of which is far greater than its brief length would suggest.’ Lamorna Ash, Literary Review ---- ‘West has a sharp pen, capable of saying a lot with small details, and the characters feel like fully realised human beings.’ Joshua Rees, Buzz ---- ‘Tender, sardonic, and endearingly grotesque, this coming-of-age body horror makes easy work of the heavy lifting.’ Publishers Weekly ---- ‘West’s dark, slim, emotionally precise debut novel is…consistently poised on a very narrow line between blackhearted contempt for these characters and comic mockery of them. But because he never slips off that line, he generates a certain affection for his characters, even if it’s clear how that body-transformation scheme is going to go.’ Kirkus Reviews (starred review) ---- 'Imagine a precise, refined eye looking at all the grotesque realities of mall life in Middle America and you'll have a sense of My Father's Diet. It's as if the Joyce of Dubliners were looking at Akron.' Edmund White ---- 'My Father's Diet is a wry and blisteringly honest indictment of American grotesquery. It is also - miraculously - tender about the unwinnable game of masculinity in this country. I loved this book for its humour, its clarity, its wicked prose. Adrian Nathan West is a star.' Lauren Groff ---- 'My Father's Diet is a strange, funny, sad, and wonderful novel. With the precision of a translator who has very good taste, West captures the bizarre vividness of America better than anyone I've ever read.' Lauren Oyler ---- 'Adrian Nathan West, one of our best translators, is also one of our best novelists. He gives such solemn care to such mundane American pap and crap even while denying any redemptive power to the effort and it's that denial - sorrowful, but without anger, without delusion - that constitutes his brilliance. My Father's Diet is among the most ruthlessly true chronicles of the culture - of the patrimony - that we, all of us, have ruined.' Joshua Cohen ---- 'In My Father's Diet, Adrian Nathan West does what the giftless memoirists cannot: he alchemizes experience into art. Here is a rare book not only for sons and their fathers but for any reader who still cares about the reach of sentences well made.' William Giraldi ---- 'Very sardonic, insightful and surprisingly tender.' Alice Fisher, The Portobello Bookshop Edinburgh ---- 'Being mindful in America, West suggests, is not to invite wisdom, but to cultivate a boredom that turns even the nation's lunacy into something as rote as weather.' Jeremy Lybarger

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Book SynopsisIn a rundown apartment building, in an unnamed city in Uruguay, a father and daughter close themselves off from the world."The world is this house," says Clara, and the rooftop becomes their last recess of freedom. A pet canary is their only witness. As Clara’s connection to the outside is stripped away—the neighbor who stops coming by, the lover whose existence is only known by a pregnancy—desperation and paranoia take hold. It's a stifling embrace, and we are there with her, our narrator, dreading what we know the future holds.Trade Review"Trías deftly turns her brief fiction into universal parable." —Shelf Awareness"An exceptional novel." —ABC Cultural"Like a constrictor slowly suffocating its prey, Trías already has you well within her grasp long before you even know what’s happening." —Jeremy Garber, Powell's Bookshop"A chilling tour-de-force by one of the most exciting and subversive voices writing today in Latin America." —Morning Star"A short and powerful read, it demands to be re-read and scrutinised." —Lunate"what is most striking about the book is the intensity of the claustrophobia and paranoia" —The Publishing Post"Many read Rooftop like a disturbing love story between a father and his daughter, but this novel is much more than that. It is the genesis of the themes that will be at the centre of everything that Trías would move on to write: fear, violence, loss and freedom." —WMagazín"Masterfully written, with a simplicity and honesty that reminds us of the prose of Flannery O’Connor." —Revista de Letras**********Praise for Fernanda Trías'Fernanda Trías appears from the antipodes of the sterile literature currently in vogue, to show us she is one of the most interesting authors writing in Spanish today.’—Mario Levrero , author of Empty Words

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Book SynopsisSUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021‘Outrageous satire . . . extremely funny, weirdly touching’ – Guardian‘A work of genius’ – Scotsman‘Close-to-the-knuckle farce with a big beating heart’ – Daily MailThis is the story of an unusual family. Though they are nothing like yours, you will recognize them. They are the last Cannibal-Americans. And they have a problem.When their mother dies, twelve children gather to dispose of the body in the traditional manner . . . by eating it. But can they follow the ancient rituals of consumption? Is their unique cultural heritage worth preserving if it's this gross? And what about dietary requirements - one of them is vegan. Surely it can't be this hard to do the right thing?Mother for Dinner is a dark comedy about modern life and its many difficulties.Trade ReviewBad taste has a purpose in this outrageous satire . . . grotesque, extremely funny, weirdly touching and acute * Guardian *Daring, provocative and controversial . . . the outrageous nature of the comedy is done perfectly . . . This is a work of genius * Scotsman *I loved [it] . . . I devoured it in one sitting . . . I recommend you dig in * The Times *Laugh-out-loud funny . . Underlying the dark humour, it is, dare I say, a tender tale * Financial Times *A terrifically funny book . . . Close-to-the-knuckle farce with a big beating heart * Daily Mail *A grotesque family comedy . . . Written in fast-moving, deadpan prose * New Stateman *[A] laugh-out-loud, gravely serious satire * Economist, The Best Books of 2021 *Auslander is an enfant even more terrible than Philip Roth . . . it provides plenty of dark laughs and inspired comic riffs * TLS *A virtuoso humorist, and a brave one * New York Times Book Review *You’re unlikely to read anything funnier this year * Big Issue *Auslander’s greatest strength is the zip and ping of his dialogue . . . uproariously funny * Literary Review *Brilliantly written, often hilarious but also deeply thoughtful * Jewish Chronicle *Consistently funny, consistently wise and consistently disturbing in ways that probably only Shalom Auslander could arrange. It is a rare and agile narrative . . . Perhaps not a perfect gift for Mother’s Day, but then again, it could be just the thing -- A. L. Kennedy, Costa Prize-winning author of DayPortnoy-era Roth couldn't hold a candle to Shalom Auslander * Entertainment Weekly *Blends tragedy, comedy and satire in the mold of Samuel Beckett and Franz Kafka. * The Wall Street Journal *Auslander turns his taboo-shattering satiric gaze to cannibalism in this outrageous, salty take on contemporary culture . . . more effective is the riotous dissection of cultural formation and a community's hunger for meaning * Publishers Weekly *A book that’s funny enough not just to make you nod to show you got the joke, but to make you laugh and laugh * The Critic *Dead funny and dead serious. A deliciously appalling satire on the hazards of tribalism, religion and tradition – and eating your relatives -- Rhidian Brook, author of The Killing of Butterfly JoeIrreverent and written with Auslander's incomparable humor, Mother for Dinner is an exploration of legacy, assimilation, the things we owe our families, and the things we owe ourselves * The Jewish Book World *

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Book SynopsisWould you run, or stay and call an ambulance, if it was you that pushed him?''A terrific premise, delivered with panache'' CLARE MACKINTOSH''Dark and intense . . . an exhilarating, hold-your-breath read!'' PrimaIt''s the end of the night. You''re walking home on your own.Then you hear the sound every woman dreads. Footsteps. Behind you. Getting faster.You''re sure it''s him - the man from the bar who wouldn''t leave you alone.You make a snap decision. You turn. You push. Your pursuer tumbles down the steps. He lies motionless, face-down on the floor.Now what? Call 999Wait for the police to arrive. For judgement, for justice, whatever that may be. You just hope your husband, family and friends, everyone you love, will stand by you.OR:RunStay silent. You didn''t mean to do it. You were scared, you panicked. And no one saTrade ReviewPraise for Anything You Do Say * - *A terrific premise, delivered with panache -- Clare MackintoshDark and intense . . . An exhilarating hold-your-breath read! * Prima *I loved Gillian's latest book. Another winner. One of the most inventive and original thrillers I've read in recent memory. The Sliding Doors structure kept me turning page after page to discover Joanna's destiny. I devoured this book in one sitting. It's official! Gillian McAllister is fast becoming one of my favourite authors! -- Hollie OvertonAn addictive, exciting and devilishly clever book . . . exceptional -- Holly SeddonA Sliding Doors thriller with a moral dilemma at its heart. Brilliant -- Claire DouglasA smartly conceived psychological thriller * Sunday Times *Almost unbearably tense. A granular exploration of secrecy and guilt * New York Times *This gripping thriller will make you wonder: What would I do? We couldn't put this book down! * Take a Break *This clever novel reminds me of Sliding Doors - it will challenge every belief you have * Sun *Joanna has two choices: does she call 999 or run? Ingeniously, the novel's alternating chapters depict both riveting options * Heat *All the hallmarks of a stunning psychological thriller: Pace, twists and turns and the heart-stopping realisation that it could easily be you -- Adam CroftCompletely original. I was gripped -- Jane FallonHard to put down. The two storylines work so well and the balance is perfect . . . A gripping story with real characters -- Emma CurtisA Sliding Doors-style thriller that will keep you gripped until the final page * Closer *The novel is ingenious . . . a beautiful and original book -- Claire KendalAn expertly crafted novel full of drama and tension . . . An impossible feat accomplished with great skill. Bravo -- Imran MahmoodPraise for Everything but the Truth * - *Perfection. Intriguing and compelling. An exceptional debut -- Clare MackintoshWonderful writing and a brilliant story. An amazing debut -- B A ParisPacked with twists and turns that will make it almost impossible to put down * Hello *A beautifully written domestic noir full of secrets and lies -- Claire DouglasThis contemporary love story wrapped up in a thriller is a brilliant read. Compelling and intense * Sunday Mirror *A gripping, compelling page turner that kept me up half the night -- Liz NugentYou won't be able to put it down! -- Hollie OvertonAn utterly unique story . . . my heart was in my mouth the whole time -- Holly SeddonAn assured and gripping debut -- Alex MarwoodTense and compelling -- Paula DalyI found myself wanting to pick it up at every opportunity. Brilliant -- Jenny BlackhurstTop domestic noir * Sun *Once I'd started I was powerless to stop. Brilliantly executed, clever and utterly realistic -- Jill MansellThis is a book to devour -- Elizabeth HaynesStartlingly good. Gillian McAllister is a new star in psychological thrillers -- Miranda DickinsonIntriguing and atmospheric -- Sheila O'FlanaganBreathlessly brilliant * Heat *A thrilling book club read * Prima *Prepare to be gripped by this tense thriller * Fabulous Magazine *

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the 2022 Queen Sofía Spanish Institute Translation Prize Shortlisted for the Premio Valle-Inclan prize for its translation A recently divorced man trying to enjoy himself in one of the trendier districts of Buenos Aires finds himself at the centre a series of strange coincidences. These blips in causality are at first easily rationalised, but soon escalate from the merely implausible to the impossible to the cataclysmic. More, each accident of fate, piling one atop the other, drags a new, rambling tale in its wake, until the very ground beneath the man's feet seems likely to buckle beneath the weight of so many shaggy dogs. And yet, with master storyteller Cesar Aira holding their leashes, what better vacation from reality could any reader-or divorce-desire?Trade Review'The Divorce outlines the process for those wishing to comprehend or to experience the expansive possibilities of a single moment. That is his wondrous gift, and The Divorce is the personification of that gift . . . It is certain that The Divorce will leave you breathless.' Patti Smith ----'Once you've started reading Aira, you don't want to stop.' Roberto Bolano ----'By the time this miraculously dense book has reached its conclusion, Aira has wheeled through the gothic novel, noir, sci-fi, family saga, social satire. It is almost impossible to believe the text occupies only 115 pages . . . Reading The Divorce is like witnessing an explosion, or the birth of an alphabet.' David Kurnick, Public Books ----'His unpredictability is masterful.' Rivka Galchen ----'Sui generis is really the only way to accurately describe Cesar Aira. He's by turns a realist, a magical realist and a surrealist - and therefore not really any of them. Anything can happen in an Aira novel, and almost everything does.' Tyler Malone, Los Angeles Times

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Book SynopsisLimited to a worldwide first printing of just 4,000 copies, this deluxe edition is printed in two colours and is fully bound in cloth and stamped in gold foil. Housed in a matching custom-built slipcase decorated with stunning wraparound artwork, it also features two full-colour removable posters that are unique to this edition.The Silmarillion is the core of J.R.R. Tolkien's imaginative writing, a collection of narratives ranging in time from the Elder Days of Middle-earth, through the Second Age and the rise of Sauron, to the end of the War of the Ring.They are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-earth, and the Elves made war upon him in his impenetrable fortress in Angband for the recovery of the Silmarils, three jewels containing the last remaining pure light of Valinor, seized by Morgoth and set in his iron crown.Accompanying these tales are several shorter works. The Ainulindalë is a myth of the Creation and in the Valaquenta the nature and powers of the gods is described. The Akallabêth recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor at the end of the Second Age and Of the Rings of Power tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age, as told in The Lord of the Rings.Tolkien could not publish The Silmarillion in his lifetime, as it grew with him, so he would leave it to his son, Christopher, to edit the work from many manuscripts and bring his father's great vision to publishable form, so completing the literary achievement of a lifetime. This special edition presents anew this seminal first step towards mapping out the posthumous publishing of Middle-earth, and the beginning of an illustrious forty years and more than twenty books celebrating his father's legacy.Also included is a letter by J.R.R. Tolkien written in 1951 which provides a brilliant exposition of the earlier Ages, and almost 50 full-colour paintings by Ted Nasmith, including some which appear here for the first time.This special slipcased edition is fully bound in cloth and stamped in gold foil; it includes two full-colour removable fold-out posters unique to this edition and is housed in a custom slipcase illustrated with a stunning wraparound painting.Trade Review‘How, given little over half a century of work, did one man become the creative equivalent of a people?’The Guardian ‘Demanding to be compared with English mythologies… at times rises to the greatness of true myth’Financial Times ‘A creation of singular beauty… magnificent in its best moments’Washington Post ‘A grim, tragic, brooding and beautiful book, shot through with heroism and hope… its power is almost that of mysticism’Toronto Globe & Mail

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Book SynopsisOne of Britain's favourite chroniclers of life and the rural dream returns with a compelling story of a family divided by war''Wonderful writer ... Incredible books'' David Baldacci, New York Times''She writes beautifully ... Combining, with apparent ease, emotion and admirable precision'' Independent on SundayBruised and brutalised by war, Michael returns to England on a troop ship, unable to face the life that awaits him at home. Impulsively he boards a train heading to the western tip of Cornwall. In doing so he changes his destiny. More than fifty years later, Kit, a charming stranger, arrives in a coastal Norfolk village to take up his inheritance a decommissioned lighthouse, half hidden in the shadows of the past. Meanwhile Luisa falters in the flow of her life as her children begin to fly the nest and she is left suspended, without direction. When Kit and Luisa meet, neither can escape the consequences of Michael's split-sTrade ReviewWonderful writer ... Incredible books * David Baldacci, New York Times *Raffaella Barker is the most romantic and generous writer. Her writing manages to be domestic and glamorous simultaneously, and this is her best book yet * Louisa Young bestselling author of My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You *I love Raffaella Barker’s books * Maggie O’Farrell *[A] dreamy poetic novel, full of references to Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse ... Beautifully written ... Perfect for a hammock on a sunny day * Wendy Holden, Daily Mail *She writes beautifully ... Combining, with apparent ease, emotion and admirable precision * Independent on Sunday *Poetic * New York Times *Raffaella Barker is a writer of talent * Times Literary Supplement *To write well and with such open-hearted affection is an achievement * Observer *

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Book SynopsisUnder the hot summer sun, she''s working her way into your family . . . The gripping new psychological thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Girl Unknown_______Abi Holland is worried about her daughter Beth.So when foreign exchange student Corinne comes to stay, it''s a relief to see her daughter making a friend.But the Holland family have lots of secrets, and Corinne is quietly listening to them all.Watching. Waiting. Ready to show them what they should really be worried about . . ._______A really disturbing tale . . . Assured storytelling and neat twists'' Daily MailPraise for Karen Perry''Slick, engrossing, twisted and addictive. Domestic crime drama at its best. Highly recommended'' Jo Spain''Truly remarkable...Grips your heart from the first pages and simply never lets go'' Jeffery Deaver''If you''re a fan of

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Book SynopsisPenny, an artist, has lived in the same apartment for decades, surrounded by the artifacts and keepsakes of her long life. She is resigned to the mundane rituals of old age, until things start to slip. Before her longtime partner passed away years earlier, provisions were made, unbeknownst to her, for a room in a unique long-term care residence, where Penny finds herself after one too many “incidents.” Initially, surrounded by peers, conversing, eating, sleeping, looking out at the beautiful woods that surround the house, all is well. She even begins to paint again. But as the days start to blur together, Penny – with a growing sense of unrest and distrust – starts to lose her grip on the passage of time and on her place in the world. Is she succumbing to the subtly destructive effects of aging, or is she an unknowing participant in something more unsettling?At once compassionate and uncanny, told in spare, hypnotic prose, IaTrade Review'Iain Reid’s We Spread is a taut and frightening read, perhaps best called a thriller. But the true thrill is in how so slender a book tackles such big questions—What does it mean to make art? What happens as we near death?—with such grace' Rumaan Alam 'In We Spread Iain Reid masterfully gets into the psyche of his characters and readers all at once. What a gift' Alma Har'el 'I loved this book and couldn't put it down--a deeply gripping, surreal and wonderfully mysterious novel. Not only has Reid given us a brilliant page turner, but a profoundly moving meditation on life and art, death and infinity. Reid is a master' Mona Awad 'With this latest hypnotic transmission, Reid delves into the strange substructures of psychology, where individual minds blur and a more undifferentiated kind of life teems. With tenderness and mastery, he offers us great insights on the nature of aging and the vertiginous experience of being human' Alexandra Kleeman 'As with all the finest weird fiction, We Spread is infinitely more than just a horror story. Its deceptively simple, deadpan delivery – like the ostensibly similar pieces of Hilbert’s Pando Puzzle – is a screen behind which a multiplicity of interpretations and possibilities, both horrific and mundane, lie cunningly concealed' Guardian 'Reid combines magnetic character development with clipped, eerie prose in this masterfully crafted psychological thriller that will keep the reader guessing until the very last word on the final page' Booklist '[An] exquisite novel of psychological suspense . . . [Leaves] readers contemplating their own mortality and primed to see the sinister behind the mundane . . . This deep plunge into fears about growing old and losing control is unforgettable' Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisWhat does it mean to be silenced, to be censored? Or perhaps, more importantly, what does it mean to break free? This beautifully illustrated anthology celebrates high quality fiction and non-fiction short story writing from authors all over the world. Bringing together 12 exciting and emerging international voices, this collection explores the censoring of the past, present, future, the self, the state, and the effects of censorship on everyday life. As a provocation, this book will provide readers with a diverse, relatable and surprising look at censorship and what it means to be silenced - or, perhaps more importantly, what it means to break free.Trade ReviewAn illustrated collection of short stories that explore the theme of censorship in all its complexity... the pieces not only represent a broad range of lived experiences and viewpoints but also offer a kaleidoscopic rather than myopic perspective on the subject of censorship. * Publishers Weekly *Aiden Shaw´s Penis & Other Stories of Censorship from Around the World is a wide opening testimony that should definitely continue. Only the power of stories about censorship, revealing how naked the king is in fact, can break the long lists of forbidden words of censorships. -- Ilana D. Weissz * wildwritinglife *

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Book SynopsisReaders fell in love with Sarah Addison Allen''s debut novel, GARDEN SPELLS. Now the tale of the Waverley women is to be revisited with a magical sequel.Autumn has finally arrived in the small town of Bascom, North Carolina, heralded by a strange old man appearing with a beaten-up suitcase. He has stories to tell, stories that could change the lives of the Waverley women forever. But the Waverleys have enough trouble on their hands. Quiet Claire Waverley has started a successful new venture, Waverley''s Candies, but it''s nothing like she thought it would be, and it''s slowly taking over her life. Claire''s wild sister Sydney, still trying to leave her past behind, is about to combust with her desire for another new beginning. And Sydney''s fifteen-year-old daughter Bay has given her heart away to the wrong boy and can''t get it back.From the author of the New York Times bestselling sensation GARDEN SPELLS, FIRST FROST is magical and atmospheric, takingTrade ReviewYou will love going to 'Lost Lake' with Sarah Addison Allen and meeting all the fascinating characters that live there. This book is filled with mystery, magic and wonderful surprises! * Fannie Flagg, author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe *[Sarah Addison Allen is a] surefire star of feel-good fiction . . . this endearing tale of surprising second chances may just be her wisest work yet. * Booklist starred review on LOST LAKE *A real and rare talent . . . an absolutely enchanting read * www.novelicious.com on THE GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON *It's a bewitching read in every sense, taking you to a world of regrets, missed opportunities and lost loves found again. Magical * Glamour Must Read on THE SUGAR QUEEN *'A bewitching tale laced with magic, hope and wit, a pure delight' * Bookseller on THE SUGAR QUEEN *Beguiling . . . leaves a magical spell that enchants as it draws you in. An absolute gem. * Now on GARDEN SPELLS *This compelling book has it all - passion, romance and sibling rivalry. This is Sarah Addison Allen's first novel - she's definitely one to watch * My Weekly on GARDEN SPELLS *

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Book Synopsis''Seductive and mysterious...the perfect novel to while away a summer''s afternoon'' Express. Sunday Times bestseller Tasmina Perry is back with a delicious summer read. Unlock the secrets of the mysterious house on Sunset Lake... Casa D''Or, the mysterious plantation house on Sunset Lake, has been in the Wyatt family for over fifty years. Jennifer Wyatt returns there from university full of hope, as summer by the lake stretches ahead of her. Yet by the time it is over her heart will be broken, her family in tatters, her dreams long gone.Twenty years later, Casa D''Or stands neglected, a victim of tragic events. Jennifer has closed the door on her past. Then Jim, the man she met and fell in love with that magical summer, comes back into her life, with a plan to return Casa D''Or to its former glory. Their reunion will stir up old ghosts for both of them, and reveal the dark secrets the house still holds close...Trade ReviewOne of 2016's best summer reads * Red magazine *Seductive and mysterious, this is the perfect novel to while away a summer's afternoon * Daily Express *Gripping... You'll be rooting for Jim and Jennifer, the narrative zips along at a great pace and it's brilliantly written. I loved it * Daily Mail *Buried secrets, lost loves, betrayal and heartbreak fuel this intriguing, atmospheric love story with plenty of twists to keep you turning the pages * Sunday Express S magazine *Beautifully descriptive and achingly romantic, this absorbing tale is a pure delight. ***** * Heat magazine *A classic tale of star-crossed lovers - with a dark twist. Vividly told, with plenty of surprises * Good Housekeeping *Romance with a side order of suspense * Glamour *Mystery, intrigue and romance all come together in one brilliant read * Fabulous magazine *Atmospheric and engrossing * Sunday Mirror *Fantastic reading, an excellent balance of romance and suspense. If you're heading on an end-of-summer break away, pack this one in your bag * Irish Country Living *A stirring and intoxicating story of love and twisted secrets waiting... lurking. The bewitching hot heady Deep South encouraged me to explore the past, so evocatively described and full of promise. Waves of emotion, spilling the ups and downs of life, feeling touchable and realistic wash the pages. Tasmina Perry has the ability to immerse you entirely within the story, I lived in the moment, whether it was 1995 or 2015. 'The House on Sunset Lake' surges towards a climatic ending, it is a moving, and truly very lovely story indeed * LoveReading *A perfect summer read. Very evocative. A super book and I highly recommend it * Linda’s Bookbag *

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Book Synopsis'The Destroyers is a smart, sophisticated literary thriller; for all its originality, it invokes the shades of Lawrence Durrell and Graham Greene' Jay McInerney, author of Bright, Precious DaysWhen Charlie and I were young, we played a game called Destroyers . . . We were sharpening our instincts, jettisoning attachments. We were honing strategies for survival ...  Ian Bledsoe is on the run, broke and humiliated, fleeing the emotional and financial fallout of his father's death. His childhood friend Charlie – rich, exuberant and basking in life on the Greek island of Patmos – is his last hope. At first, Patmos is like a dream – sun-soaked days on Charlie’s yacht and the reappearance of a girlfriend from Ian’s past – and Charlie readily offers the lifeline he desperately needs. But, like Charlie himselTrade Review'The Destroyers is a smart, sophisticated literary thriller; for all its originality, it invokes the shades of Lawrence Durrell and Graham Greene' -- Jay McInerney, author of Bright, Precious Days'Equal parts Graham Greene, Patricia Highsmith and F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Destroyers is at once lyrical and suspenseful, thoughtful and riveting' -- Garth Greenwell, author of What Belongs to You'Superb, a tightly woven and fast-moving narrative set in beautifully crafted prose. A read-all-night book' -- Alan Furst, author of The Foreign Correspondent'Possessed of cold-blooded electricity and a beguiling elegance ... A propulsive, hypnotic portrait of rot at paradise’s heart and of the sprawling, inescapable tendrils of class and avarice' -- Sophie McManus, author of The Unfortunates‘One for those who like their holiday books dark’ * Stylist *‘Beautiful people visiting glamorous places, being wicked enough to bring Patricia Highsmith to mind. It just isn’t summer without this kind of globe-trotting glamour to read about, especially when most of it is set in the Aegean’ * New York Times *‘The ideal summer page-turner’ * Vogue *‘Bollen’s deliciously dark literary thriller, set in the jewel-bright sun-soaked Greek island of Patmos, is the perfect summer read’ * Big Issue *

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Book Synopsis''A brilliantly creepy coming of age novel'' Daily Mirror''A moving fable, brilliantly imagined, about the agony of loss and the pain of young adulthood'' The Times''This is no saccharine fairytale, but an eerie fable that''s perfect for long winter nights'' Daily Mail This illustrated edition includes two new short stories - Cinderella, A Version and The Rat King, the latter introducing the Crooked Man who is central to the world of The Book of Lost Things - and an afterword from the author.''Once upon a time, there was a boy who lost his mother . . .'' As twelve-year-old David takes refuge from his grief in the myths and fairytales so beloved of his dead mother, he finds the real world and the fantasy world begin to blend. That is when bad things start to happen. That is when the Crooked Man comes. And David is violently propelled into a land populated by heroes, wolves and monsters in his quest to find Trade ReviewBrilliantly creepy coming of age novel. * Mirror *Here Connolly steps directly into the enchanted forest, and the journey along its twisting path is as sinister and unsettling as anything invented by the Brothers Grimm . . . Connolly's control of this material is superb; tension, terror and gallows humour make the book a gripping read. But this allegorical coming-of-age story also cleverly shows the way that traditional stories have been used to reflect the sometimes harsh concerns of our world. -- Eithne Farry * Daily Mail *This is no saccharine fairytale, but an eerie fable that's perfect for long winter nights * Daily Mail *What gives THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS such a chilling edge is the way the real and illusory worlds sit so comfortably together . . . and the most wicked of the wicked, who goes by the name of The Crooked Man, at times possesses the kind of guile and plausibility of which modern-day politicians would be proud . . . Even if you aren't normally drawn to stories in which the imagination is given such a free rein, there is something tender, something strangely moving about David's experience of the land called Elsewhere. * Daily Express *Engaging, magical, thoughtful read * Independent *Connolly imagines the emotional cave-in of puberty intelligently, even perceptively * Guardian *The material is grim and gripping, but this remains a poignant and imaginative evocation of the distress of losing a loved one. * Daily Telegraph *A moving fable, brilliantly imagined, about the agony of loss and the pain of young adulthood. * The Times *A powerful, powerful writer. I got a very real chill down my spine. This is an amazing book. -- Jeffery DeaverJohn Connolly has a cult following for his crime novel and can clearly plot twists and turns. He has applied that talent to his own life by producing a very different book . . . a highly original novel using stories that we all know. But think twice before reading his version of Hansel and Gretel to your kids. * The Times *A new interpretation of old fairy tales, it is imaginative and beautifully written. * Choice *It's imaginative, funny, sad and profound - fairy tales within a fairy tale, a child's adventure, a fantasy journey; it's about growing old and has the last word on dying . . . Each re-reading still brings a sigh and a moment of reflection. * Radio Times *The book's epic villainy, mournful tone and tested morality is the essence of Connolly. Worst of all is the Crooked Man, who ranks with the Travelling Man, the Collector and even Mr Pudd among Connolly's most memorable villains. 'THE BOOK OF LOST THINGS is peculiar and perverse and humane, with an incredibly lyrical finale. * The Irish Times *Charming, disturbing and outrageously imaginative. A tremendously exciting change of pace. * Lawrence Jackson, Producer of BBC Radio 4's adaptations of John Connolly's short stories *

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Book SynopsisThe final installment in Mary Stewart's classic Arthurian Saga, a story of love, betrayal and enchantment by the bestselling author of The Crystal Cave.Trade ReviewMary Stewart's skilful reinterpretation of the Arthurian legend is charming and surprising - a seamless bit of work. * Mail on Sunday *Praise for THE CRYSTAL CAVE:'Vivid, enthralling, absolutely first-class' * Daily Mail *Mary Stewart brilliantly recreates the Britain of the fifth century * Books And Bookmen *Her style is simple yet vivid, displaying a love of words and the sounds they make, and her story is poetically imaginative * Daily Telegraph *A deft colourful . . . re-creation of Merlin's early life * Sunday Times *A fascinating story which lays a firm hold on the imagination * The Scotsman *'Mary Stewart lightens the Dark Ages with legend, pure invention and a lively sense of history. * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author Jessie Keane comes Fearless, a gripping thriller featuring two women who will do anything to win the man they love in the thrilling backdrop of London's underworld.Josh Flynn is the king of the bare-knuckle gypsy fighters. His reputation is un-blemished; his fist a deadly weapon.Claire Milo has always loved Josh, they were destined to be together from the day they met. Two gypsy lovers with their whole lives ahead of them. If only Josh would find a different way of earning a living instead of knocking the living daylights out of another man in the boxing ring. One day, she knew something really bad was going to happen. She could feel it . . . Shauna Everett always wanted what she couldn’t have, and nobody, especially Claire Milo was going to stand in her way. She’s had her eye on Josh Flynn for years and she knew just how to get him. With an insatiable desire to win at any cost, will Shauna dethrone ClTrade ReviewA cracking story -- Mandasue HellerGritty and powerful, Martina Cole fans will love this addictive novel * Closer *

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Book Synopsis"We had been in the cottage for a week when the cormorant was delivered, that October evening." When a young family inherit a remote mountain-side cottage in north Wales, giving them the chance to change the course of their lives and start over, the one condition of the will seems strange but harmless. They are to care for a cormorant until the end of its life. But the bird is no tame pet, and within its natural state of wildness there is a malevolent intelligence and intent towards sharp, unexpected violence. However, it is the fascination it holds for Harry, the couple's precious only child, that really threatens their dreams of rural contentment. A Somerset Maugham Award Winner when it was first published, the tale of The Cormorant continues to exert its considerable power.Trade Review"A first-class terror story with a relentless focus that would have made Edgar Allan Poe proud." New York Times

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Book SynopsisMel Winterbourne's modest map-making charity, the Orange Peel Foundation, has achieved all its aims and she's ready to shut it down. But glamorous tech billionaire Joey Talavera has other ideas. He hijacks the foundation for his own purpose: to convince the world that the earth is flat. Using the dark arts of social media at his new master's behest, Mel's ruthless young successor, Shane Foxley, turns science on its head. He persuades gullible online zealots that old-style 'globularism' is hateful. Teachers and airline pilots face ruin if they reject the new 'True Earth' orthodoxy. Can Mel and her fellow heretics - vilified as 'True-Earth Rejecting Globularists' (Tergs) - thwart Orange Peel before insanity takes over? Might the solution to the problem lie in the 15th century? Using his trademark mix of history and satire to poke fun at modern foibles, Simon Edge is at his razor-sharp best in a caper that may be more relevant than you think.Trade Review‘This sparkling little comic novel is more than playful: it’s a satire of Swiftian ferocity, a thinly veiled parody of a prevailing madness of the hour’ Matthew Parris, columnist, The Times; ‘A bracingly sharp satire on the sleep of reason and the tyranny of twaddle’ Francis Wheen, author of How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered the World; ‘Skewers the trans rights row with some nifty, often snort-inducingly funny satire’ The Times; ‘A biting satire’ Andrew Doyle, author of The New Puritans; ‘I laughed so hard I nearly fell in my cauldron. A masterpiece’ Julie Bindel, author of Feminism for Women; ‘This is Animal Farm for the era of gender lunacy, with jokes’ Jane Harris, author of Sugar Money; ‘A satire that skewers the insanity of gender ideology with the wit and brilliance of a modern-day Swift’ Helen Joyce, author of Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality; ‘Edge holds social foibles and cod science up to ridicule with grace, wit and charm’ Helen Dale, The Critic; ‘Mixes history with a hilarious spoof of identity politics, virtue signalling and cancel culture’ Saga Magazine; ‘More than a clever jab at trans ideology: a warning about the vulnerability of liberal values’ Jo Bartosch, Lesbian & Gay News; ‘This merry romp punctures the idiocy that would turn language and good sense upside down and try to divide us all into either true believers or bigots’ Simon Fanshawe, author of The Power of Difference; ‘Wonderful. A must-read for all’ Julian Vigo, Savage Minds magazine and podcast; ‘This very, very interesting book about the flat-earthers of the world’ Mike Graham, Talk Radio; ‘Turns out I’ve been proven wrong: the world is not beyond satire. I know this thanks to Simon Edge and his very funny book’ Jonathan Kay, Quillette podcast; ‘In a refreshingly pointed reflection on the zeitgeist – a light-hearted lampoon, underpinned with wit and intelligence – Edge crafts an entirely conceivable plot, a parody that is awkwardly close to reality’ Yorkshire Times.

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Book SynopsisPre-order IN BLOOM, the extraordinary new Eva Verde novel, out in paperback Summer 2024. ‘Londoner Eva Verde’s Lives Like Mine explores the theme of a school-run affair and the complications and joys it brings to a dual-heritage mother struggling with her intolerant in-laws’ Independent 'A bitter sweet story of longing and self-discovery, of deceit and regret.  Visceral, authentic and funny, Eva’s prose reads like something between a conversation and a confession.  An exciting new voice and a joy to read' Kit de Waal ‘Eva's writing breaks new ground in a confident and original voice, with a sharp eye for detail, wonderful characterisation and some seriously badass humour’ Yvvette Edwards, author of the Man Booker Prize longlisted novel, A Cupboard Full of Coats‘Lives Like Mine is an

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