Contemporary Fiction Books

Book Synopsis''This is an old and wicked island. An island of Phoenicians and merchants, of bloodsuckers and frauds''Expelled from her convent school for kicking the prioress, and abandoned by her father when her mother dies, rebellious teenager Matia is sent to live with her domineering grandmother on the island of Mallorca. In the hot, oppressive stillness of an adolescent summer, she learns to scheme with her cousin Borja, and finds herself increasingly drawn to the strange outsider Manuel. But civil war has come to Spain, and it will teach Matia about the adult world in ways she could not foresee.This powerful, lyrical coming-of-age novel depicts Mallorca as an enchanted island, a lost Eden and a Never Land combined, where ancient hatreds and present-day passions collide.''brilliant, devastating . . . every character is remarkable and captivating'' The Times Literary Supplement''a feverish, dramatic brew . . . the style is intoxicating . . . itTrade Reviewbrilliant, devastating . . . every character is remarkable and captivating * The Times Literary Supplement *a great book, unruly and passionate and brutal -- Jonathan Gibbs * Tiny Camels *a feverish, dramatic brew . . . the style is intoxicating . . . it offers a unique view of a part of Spain usually overlooked by literature * The Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisFrom the writer whose novels inspired the BBC''s Dublin Murders TV series... ''One of the most compulsive psychological mysteries since Donna Tartt''s The Secret History'' THE TIMES ''An engrossing, unpredictable, beautifully written mystery'' SOPHIE HANNAH ''Dark and twisty'' SUNDAY TIMES''Mesmerising'' GILLIAN FLYNN''I''m a big fan of Tana French'' IAN RANKIN________________________________________WHAT DO WE HIDE INSIDE OURSELVES?One night changes everything for Toby. He''s always led a charmed life - until a brutal attack leaves him damaged and traumatised, unsure even of the person he used to be. He seeks refuge at his family''s ancestral home, the Ivy House, filled with memories of wild-strawberry summers and teenage parties with his cousins.But not long after Toby''s arrival, a discovery is made: a skull, tucked neatlyTrade ReviewA truly great writer -- Gillian FlynnThe Wych Elm is her best novel yet -- Erin KellyLyrical, suspenseful, unpredictableMy favourite novel of last year -- Sophie HannahTerrific - terrifying, amazing, and the prose is incandescent -- Stephen KingA masterpiece -- John BoyneThe finest crime writer around right now * Mail on Sunday *One of the most compulsive psychological mysteries since Donna Tartt's The Secret History...impossible to put down * The Times *The Wych Elm should cement French's place in the first rank of great literary novelists * Observer *Her storytelling skills are incredible -- Sarra Manning * Red *Gripping and suspenseful, with more twists than a rollercoaster, The Wych Elm is a magnificent novel -- John BoyneFrench offers a masterclass in unreliability . . . dissolving the boundaries between genre and literary fiction * Sunday Times *Her best book. Really, it is not a crime novel: as ever, Tana's scope is so much broader than that. It's a book about identity, childhood, luck and family...I absolutely loved it. -- Gillian McAllisterInspires cultic devotion in readers...most crime fiction is diverting; French's is consuming * The New Yorker *A brilliant examination of male privilege and family secrets -- What to Look Forward to in the World of Books 2019 * Guardian *A darkly addictive story of family secrets -- Best Books of 2019 * i paper *Tana French's writing is lyrical but sharp, her eye for detail exquisite, her storytelling skills incredible - I need to read her backlist right away! -- Sara Manning * Red Magazine *Another one of her rich psychological thrillers that will work its way under your skin -- Lucy Mangan * Stylist *French is a poet of mood and a master builder of plots -- Maureen Corrigan * The Washington Post *A spectacularly talented writer -- Louise O'Neill, author of 'Asking for It'Tana French is one of those rare writers whose publication date you put in your diary. Her effortless verve, insight and black wit still glimmer from every page. -- Kate Riordan, author of 'The Girl in the Photograph'A hugely satisfying door-stopper of a novel, full of ambiguity, nuance and building menace. To read French is to experience that sense of utter disorientation that comes from the ground shifting constantly beneath your feet. Totally absorbing -- Tammy CohenTana French's best and most intricately nuanced novel yet. . . Get ready for the whiplash brought on by its final twists and turns * New York Times *A beautifully written, highly intelligent meditation on family relationships, the human mind, social politics and much more, often leavened with good jokes * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis morose little gem boasts its share of sensuous depravity * Wall Street Journal *Mishima was one of literature's great romantics, a tragedian with a heroic sensibility, an intellectual, an esthete, a man steeped in Western letters who toward the end of his life became a militant Japanese nationalist * New York Times *Mishima is the Japanese Hemingway * Life Magazine *A writer of immense energy and ability * Time Out *A sexually and psychologically complex novel... in a honed translation by Andrew Clare -- Damian Flanagan * TLS *

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Book Synopsis''She understands Karma, she says: What I do, I reap''Her name means sadness, yet Tristessa, a prostitute and morphine addict, lives without cares in her shabby room with a menagerie of pets and an altar to the Virgin Mary. Based on Jack Kerouac''s own real-life love affair in Mexico city, this is the story of a man''s ill-fated relationship with a woman he portrays with tenderness and dignity, even as her life spirals out of control. ''A narrative meditation studying a hen, a rooster, a dove, a cat, a chihuaha dog, family meat, and a ravishing, ravished junky lady, first in their crowded bedroom, then out to drunken streets, taco stands, and pads at dawn in Mexico City slums'' Allen Ginsberg

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Book SynopsisJack Kerouac was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1922. Educated by Jesuit brothers in Lowell, he decided to become a writer at the age of seventeen and developed his own writing style, which he called 'spontaneous prose'. He used this technique to record the life of the American 'traveler' and the experiences of the Beat Generation, most memorably in On the Road and also in The Subterraneans and The Dharma Bums. His other works include Big Sur, Desolation Angels, Lonesome Traveler, Tristessa and a book of poetry called Mexico City Blues. Jack Kerouac died in 1969.Trade ReviewMy best most serious sad and true book yet. -- Jack Kerouac

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Book SynopsisThis exciting collection celebrates the richness and variety of the Spanish short story, from the nineteenth century to the present day.Featuring over fifty stories selected by revered translator Margaret Jull Costa, it blends old favourites and hidden gems - many of which have never before been translated into English - and introduces readers to surprising new voices as well as giants of Spanish literary culture, from Emilia Pardo Bazán and Leopoldo Alas, through Mercè Rodoreda and Manuel Rivas, to Ana Maria Matute and Javier Marías. Brimming with romance, horror, history, farce, strangeness and beauty, and showcasing alluring hairdressers, war defectors, vampiric mothers, and talismanic mandrake roots, the daring and entertaining assortment of tales in The Penguin Book of Spanish Short Stories will be a treasure trove for readers.Trade ReviewAn inspiring, interesting, thorough, beautifully-translated collection. The range - stylistic and thematic - of the volume is fascinating ... There isn't really a dud story in the book ... In presenting these and other wonderful things, Jull Costa has carried out a great service to English readers * Literary Review *

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Book Synopsis'An exquisitely observed story of passion and friendship' ObserverCate is a stage designer in Chicago, caught up in an unconventional web of friends and lovers, when her life is suddenly overturned. Walking into her best friend's kitchen one day, she witnesses an act of violence that forces her to do something she never thought she could do. Nothing will ever be the same again. Wry, compassionate and startlingly beautiful, Right After the Weather explores the mess of trauma and love, and the reverberations of our actions. 'Smart and often funny, perceptive and brilliantly observed. I loved being submerged in Cate's chaotic life' Claire Fuller'I loved it so much. Thought-provoking, emotionally intelligent and beautifully written' Daily Mail'An exquisitely written, psychologically sophisticated novel, rich in insight and sensitivity to human vulnerability' NY Journal of Books

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Book SynopsisThe brilliant debut novel from Emilie Pine, author of the international bestseller NOTES TO SELFDublin, 7 October 2019One day, one city, two women: Ruth and Pen. Neither knows the other, but both are asking the same questions: how to be with others and how, when the world won''t make space for you, to be with yourself?Ruth''s marriage to Aidan is in crisis. Today she needs to make a choice - to stay or not to stay, to take the risk of reaching out, or to pull up the drawbridge.For teenage Pen, today is the day the words will flow, and she will speak her truth to Alice, to ask for what she so desperately wants.RUTH & PEN is the fictional debut from Emilie Pine, author of the international bestseller NOTES TO SELF. Deeply involving, poignant and radiantly intelligent, it is a portrait of the limits of grief and love, of how we navigate our inner and outer landscapes, and the tender courage demanded by the simple, daily quest of living.

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Book Synopsis**DISCOVER THE THRILLING NOVEL FROM THE WORLDWIDE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR** ''Liane Moriarty is a genuine GENIUS. Here One Moment is off the scale brilliant'' Marian Keyes''A master story teller . . . brilliant and satisfying'' Bella Mackie ''An absolute masterclass. I treasure every word Liane writes, because she has such a rare and deep understanding of people and human behaviour'' Joanna Cannon''A compulsive plotline, intriguing characters, great writing, surprises, humour and tragedy. It''ll stay with me'' John Boyne''You will devour this doorstop of a book'' The Times, Book of the Month''Easily my favourite Liane Moriarty book so far . . . it is just perfection!'' ***** Reader Review ''Funny, frightening, heartbreaking and life-affirming . . . I adored it'' Chris Whitaker''A genre-defying gem'' Woman & Home''A real page-turner. . . Gripping, well-executed, with fascinating characters'' Grazia ''Keeps you guessing right to its satisfying conclusion'' Heat''A gem of a book, unique and compelling'' ***** Reader Review ----We're all so busy, caught up in life''s moments, big and small . . .The flight attendant working on her birthday.The mother struggling with two young children.The newlyweds off to their tropical honeymoon .The overworked father missing his kid's big show.The young man returning from his best friend's funeral.The ER nurse wondering what retirement will bring. All strangers. All unsuspecting. All on their own journey or so they imagine. Because they are each about to encounter an elderly woman. In just a few words, she will make a prediction, tying herself to them all. And, in being bound to her, these disparate strangers will be drawn together . . . Who is this woman? Is she a clairvoyant? A charlatan? The answer to prayers, or a harbinger of nightmares?They are about to find out here one moment . . .---''Brilliant, thought-provoking'' Fabulous''A tense read that asks many questions about what we want to know about the ends of our lives'' Prima ''We drop everything for a Liane Moriarty read!'' Bella''A riveting story so wild you don't know how she'll land it, and then she does, on a dime'' Anne Lamott''An absolute masterclass in storytelling. I treasure every word Liane writes, because she has such a rare and deep understanding of people and human behaviour'' Joanna CannonPRAISE FOR LIANE MORIARTY ''One of the few writers I''ll drop anything for'' Jojo Moyes ''An engrossing mashup of family drama and psychological suspense that offers a mystery. Complex and satisfying. Perfect holiday reading'' Guardian ''Keeps you guessing until the very end'' Reese Witherspoon''Moriarty writes vividly, wittily and wickedly'' Sunday Express''Had me utterly hooked'' Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisIn John le Carré''s electrifying novel Our Kind of Traitor, innocents abroad are drawn into the darkest recesses of the financial world.Britain is in the depths of recession. A left-leaning young Oxford academic and his barrister girlfriend take an off-peak holiday on the Caribbean island of Antigua. By seeming chance they bump into a Russian millionaire called Dima who owns a peninsula and a diamond-encrusted gold watch. He also has a tattoo on his right thumb, and wants a game of tennis.What else he wants propels the young lovers on a tortuous journey through Paris to a safe house in the Swiss Alps, to the murkiest cloisters of the City of London and its unholy alliance with Britain''s Intelligence Establishment.''If you want to know about the state of Britain today, forget the Booker shortlist. Just read John le Carré''s latest thriller'' Evening Standard''Few recent plays have had dialogue as good, and few recent literary n

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Book Synopsis''With A Delicate Truth, le Carré has in a sense come home. And it''s a splendid homecoming . . . the novel is the most satisfying, subtle and compelling of his recent oeuvre'' The TimesA counter-terror operation, codenamed Wildlife, is being mounted in Britain''s most precious colony, Gibraltar. Its purpose: to capture and abduct a high-value jihadist arms-buyer. So delicate is the operation that even the Minister''s Private Secretary, Toby Bell, is not cleared for it.Suspecting a disastrous conspiracy, Toby attempts to forestall it, but is promptly posted overseas. Three years on, summoned by Sir Christopher Probyn, retired British diplomat, to his decaying Cornish manor house, and closely watched by Probyn''s daughter Emily, Toby must choose between his conscience and his duty to the Service.If the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing, how can he keep silent?__________________''No other writer has charted - pitilessly for politicians but thrillingly for readers - the public and secret histories of his times, from the Second World War to the ''War on Terror'''' Guardian''The master of the modern spy novel returns . . . John le Carré was never a spy-turned-writer, he was a writer who found his canvas in espionage'' Daily Mail ''A brilliant climax, with sinister deaths, casual torture, wrecked lives and shameful compromises'' Observer

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Book Synopsis''Rumpole, like Jeeves and Sherlock Holmes, is immortal'' P. D. JamesHorace Rumpole - dishevelled barrister at law, drinker of claret and smoker of cigars, inveterate quoter of Wordsworth and eternal defender of the underdog - is one of the greatest English comic characters ever created. This is the original volume of Rumpole stories, introducing us to the legal triumphs that first made the Old Bailey Hack''s name, along with a host of choice villains, frequent forays to Pommeroy''s wine bar and, of course, his formidable, magisterial wife Hilda, She Who Must Be Obeyed. ''I thank heaven for small mercies. The first of these is Rumpole'' Clive James''A fruity, foxy masterpiece, defender of our wilting faith in mankind'' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewI thank heaven for small mercies. The first of these is Rumpole. -- Clive James * Observer *Rumpole is worthy to join the great gallery of English oddballs ranging from Pickwick to Sherlock Holmes, Jeeves and Bertie Wooster. * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisPenguin presents the audiobook edition of Agent Running in the Field written and read by John le Carré.Nat, a 47 year-old veteran of Britain''s Secret Intelligence Service, believes his years as an agent runner are over. He is back in London with his wife, the long-suffering Prue. But with the growing threat from Moscow Centre, the office has one more job for him. Nat is to take over The Haven, a defunct substation of London General with a rag-tag band of spies. The only bright light on the team is young Florence, who has her eye on Russia Department and a Ukrainian oligarch with a finger in the Russia pie. Nat is not only a spy, he is a passionate badminton player. His regular Monday evening opponent is half his age: the introspective and solitary Ed. Ed hates Brexit, hates Trump and hates his job at some soulless media agency. And it is Ed, of all unlikely people, who will take Prue, Florence and Nat himself down the path of political anger thaTrade ReviewA fine piece of storytelling. It is a neat, compact, slow-burning tale with just the right amount of twisting and turning and misdirection. Divided loyalties, uncertain motives, Russian agents, bureaucratic infighting, jaded spies, tatty offices - all of the things you want and expect from a high-quality le Carré thriller are here * The Times *A very classy entertainment about political ideals and deception . . . laced with fury at the senseless vandalism of Brexit and of Trump. Le Carré is the master of the spy genre. * Guardian *Le Carré delivers a tale for our times, replete with the classic seasoning of betrayal, secret state shenanigans and sad-eyed human frailty, all baked into an oven-hot contemporary thriller . . . Agent Running in the Field is right on the money, in psychology as much as politics, a demonstration of the British spy thriller at its unputdownable best * Robert McCrum, Observer *As ingeniously structured as any of le Carré's fiction, skilfully misdirecting the reader for much of the time * Evening Standard *A masterpiece * Mick Herron, TLS *Master of the game * Sunday Times *Le Carré's troubled new protagonist is developed with the author's customary skill . . . an impeccable piece of writing * i *No other writer has charted - pitilessly for politicians but thrillingly for readers - the public and secret histories of his times * Guardian *The master is back on form in this tale of Russian subterfuge and a middle-aged spy 's suspicious badminton partner * The Times *A rich, beautifully written book studded with surprises. Narrative is a black art, and Le Carré is its grandmaster * Andrew Taylor, Spectator *The master espionage novelist takes on Brexit and Trump in this tense and chilling portrait of today * Evening Standard *Wonderful . . . sophisticated entertainment from an author who, at 88, remains sharper than most of us * Church Times *John le Carré is as recognisable a writer as Dickens or Austen * Financial Times *A bang-up-to-date investigation of some of the big issues of our time * Sunday Express *Le Carré demonstrates once again his sublime elegance as a writer, and his delicate touch when portraying human failings in the shadowy world of espionage . . . subtle, wry and seamless, it's an utter joy, from first page to last * Daily Mail *A literary master for a generation * Observer *Blisteringly contemporary . . . Each new book from le Carré is refreshingly different and uniquely compelling * Economist *One of those writers who will be read a century from now * Robert Harris *Astute state-of-the-nation commentary * The Guardian Books of the Year *Classic, unmistakeable le Carré . . . it has the added bonus of some wonderfully vitriolic rants * Shots magazine: Book of the Month *The master of the espionage novel returns with a perfectly nuanced story of a spy on the scrapheap at the age of 47 and uncertain who to trust in the world of Brexit and divided loyalties * Daily Mail, Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisA LAUGH-OUT-LOUD NOVEL FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF A SHORT HISTORY OF TRACTORS IN UKRAINIANAfter walking out on his wife to shack up with ''Brexit Brenda'' next door, George Pantis thinks he''s got it made - especially when he wins millions on a Kosovan lottery he barely remembers entering.Unfortunately, he can''t access the money because he''s forgotten his password. What is he meant to tell all the forceful people who keep appearing at his doorstep desperate to know his mother''s maiden name?The situation is shadier than he thinks, and George is need of rescue. But will his dysfunctional family be able to save him, and in the process, can they save each other? ______________________________________________________''Lewycka has carved out a reputation for tackling Big Topics with wit and humour'' Radio Times''Warmly funny'' Daily Mail''Her state-of-the-nation novel crackles with zingTrade ReviewLewycka has carved out a reputation for tackling Big Topics with wit and humour * Radio Times *Her state-of-the-nation novel crackles with zingy one-liners and shrewd humour * Mail on Sunday *This brisk Brexit fable is warmly funny * Daily Mail *Lewycka is a seriously talented comic writer * Time Out *Lively . . . a joy to read * The Times, on The Lubetkin Legacy *Delightful, funny, touching . . . A rare treat, all too easy to gulp down in one greedy sitting * Spectator, on A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian *Immensely appealing. All but sings with zest for life . . . could hardly be more engaging, shrewd and winningly perceptive * Sunday Times, on Two Caravans *Extremely funny, closely observed insights, scenes of farce, tragedy and horror * The Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisLeah Konen is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied journalism and English literature. She's the author of several young adult novels, including Love and Other Train Wrecks and The Romantics.She lives in Brooklyn and Saugerties, NY, with her husband, their daughter, Eleanor, and their dog, Farley. One White Lie is her first thriller.

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Book SynopsisThe problem with telling tales is that you might get caught out by the twist: read the most original literary thriller of 2024, from the author of the sensational Eight Detectives''A spectacularly crafty puzzle with characters who come more and more to life as the stakes get higher'' Mail on Sunday''More fun than Eight Detectives'' The TimesToday''s greatest exponent of playful detective fiction' Guardian -----Six friends gather at a country house for a birthday weekend. They decide to play a game.All six names go in a hat. Choose two, and imagine one murdering the other.Write it down. Type it up. Read it out.Points are given for making the murders sound convincing.Of course, when given such a task, it's only natural to use what you know.Secrets. Grudges. Affairs.But once you've put it in a story, that secret is out.So with each fictional murder, someone gets a motive for a real one.Which leads to the most important question:When a real murder comes, will you be able to spot it in time?----The master puppeteer of literary crime' Janice HallettPraise for the sensational bestseller Eight DetectivesOne of the year''s most entertaining crime novels' Sunday Times Crime Book of the MonthSo, so clever . . . Agatha Christie would take her hat off to this one - bravo!' Sarah PinboroughA wonderfully tricksy debut and a loving tribute to the golden age of crime fiction' Mail on SundayA box of delights . . . Pavesi''s revelations are completely unexpected, right up to the end' New York Times

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Book SynopsisThe first ever graphic novel adaptation of George Orwell''s timeless dystopiaWinston Smith, an outwardly obedient citizen of Airstrip One, dreams secretly of truth and freedom - but his rebellion will come at a terrible cost. George Orwell''s dark masterpiece has enthralled readers for over seventy years. Now the dystopian world of Big Brother, telescreens, the Thought Police and Room 101 is vividly brought to new life in this first ever graphic novel adaptation, illustrated by acclaimed artist Fido Nesti.Trade ReviewFido Nesti has done a grand job of depicting Orwell's dystopian nightmare ... The writer himself, you like to think, would have been most proud of this new graphic interpretation * Buzz Magazine *Hand this to readers who are new to 1984 or hesitant to take up a classic * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisTHE BOOK THAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT . . . THE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER''Again, Rachel is fabulous. Beautifully written, pure 5-star Keyes - clever, lively, funny, compelling'' NINA STIBBE''Funny, heartbreaking, achingly real - Keyes has dones it again. Gorgeous. I absolutely loved it'' JANE FALLON''Beautifully written, funny, heart-breaking and always wise. A proper treat'' DAILY MAIL''An entertaining, growingly poignant contemporary tale'' SUNDAY TIMES''No other author marries heartbreak and hilarity so seamlessly'' MAIL ON SUNDAY''Marian''s mastery of story and character is as impressive as ever'' HEAT ''BOOK OF THE YEAR''***CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS AUTHOR OF THE YEAR 2022***SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOLLINGER EVERYMAN WODEHOUSE PRIZE FOR COMIC FICTION_________Back in the long ago nineties, Rachel Walsh wa

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Book SynopsisTHE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 2024 THAT EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT!''Keyes is a powerhouse'' The Sunday Times''What heaven . . . wish it could go on forever'' Nigella Lawson''Unbelievable . . . so much talent'' Chris Evans---Anna has just lost her taste for the Big AppleShe has a life to envy. An apartment in New York. A well-meaning (too well-meaning?) partner. And a high-flying job in beauty PR. Who wouldn't want all that?Anna, it turns out.Trading a minor midlife crisis for a major life event, she switches the skyscrapers of Manhattan for the tiny Irish town of Maumtully (population 1,217), helping old friends Brigit and Colm set up a luxury coastal retreat.Tougher than it sounds. Newflash: the locals hate the idea. So much so, there have been threats and violence.Anna, however, worked in the beauty industry. There's no ugliness she hasn't seen. No wrinkle she can't smooth over.There's just one fly in the ointment old flame Joey Armstrong.He's going to be her wingman.Never mind their chequered history. Never mind what might have been.Because no matter how far you go, your mistakes will still be waiting for you . . .---''Much to love . . . eye-wateringly comical ''Observer ''Warmhearted and deftly plotted page-turner. A celebration of kindness: that of family and friends'' Sunday Telegraph''You are all in for a treat. My Favourite Mistake is by turns hilarious and heart-breaking, with a very satisfying mystery at the heart of it too'' Elly Griffiths''Explodes with joyful humanity on every page'' Sara Pascoe''A great, big mystery romance that will make you laugh on every page. A marvel'' Catherine Newman''We love Marian for her humour, relatable style and wisdom - all of which are present here. A big-hearted read full of big feelings'' Woman & HomeFuriously funny and stealthily profound. There's so much depth, but reading it made me feel happier and lighter than I have in ages it's sexy, smart, wise, touching and fun'' Daisy Buchanan''A great read from this much-loved author'' PrimaPraise for Marian Keyes''Delightfully funny'' Daily Telegraph''Funny, tender, completely absorbing!'' Graham Norton''An entertaining, growingly poignant contemporary tale'' Sunday Times''Funny, heartbreaking, achingly real'' Jane Fallon''Beautifully written, funny, heartbreaking and always wise - a proper treat'' Daily MailReaders are loving My Favourite Mistake This book is hilarious, relatable, sexy and moving by turn and I inhaled it within a day. Fabulous' ***** Reader ReviewI was absolutely overjoyed to be able to read and review this book and I left abandoned housework, children and much more behind as I indulged myself with this book. I literally did not want to put it down at all' ***** Reader ReviewOMG it's good to have these lovely characters back!' ***** Reader ReviewThe most magical of storytellers has done it again, the world would be a far sadder place without Marian Keyes' ***** Reader Reviewit was engaging, funny, sad and everything in between with that wonderful familiarity certain book characters just have brilliant' ***** Reader ReviewMarian Keyes, Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, April 2024 (UK)Marian Keyes, Number 1 bestseller, Republic of Ireland and Number 1 bestseller, South Africa [Nielsen Bookscan, April 2024]

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Book Synopsis''Irreverent, spirited ... a seriously funny novel'' New York Review of BooksSitting in his cramped basement room in Brixton, Battersby dreams of money, women, a T-bone steak - and a place to call his own. So he and a group of friends decide to save up and buy a house together. But amid grasping landlords, the temptations of spending money and the less-than-welcoming attitude of the Mother Country, can this motley group of hustlers and schemers, Trinidadians and Jamaicans, men and women make their dreams a reality? ''Selvon''s meticulously observed narratives of displaced Londoners'' lives created a template for how to write about migrant, and postmigrant, London for countless writers who have followed in his wake, including Hanif Kureishi and Zadie Smith'' Caryl PhillipsTrade ReviewA unique and wonderful novel, comic and serious, cynical and tender-hearted ... With its surprisingly happy ending and irreverent, spirited wit, The Housing Lark goes against the grain of much postcolonial literature ... Funny, serious, innovative, multilingual, musical, The Housing Lark shows how literary expression can create community across race, gender, place, and time -- Dohra AhmadSelvon's meticulously observed narratives of displaced Londoners' lives created a template for how to write about migrant, and postmigrant, London for countless writers who have followed in his wake, including Hanif Kureishi and Zadie Smith ... The Housing Lark is a a fine, and unfairly neglected, companion novel to The Lonely Londoners -- Caryl PhillipsA vibrant comic classic ... perfectly observed * Observer *The Housing Lark is both spry and strikingly resonant ... Ultimately, as much as its lovable characters and its caper-strewn quest, what makes The Housing Lark so special are the music and melodies of Selvon's prose. * Guardian *Sam Selvon is known for The Lonely Londoners. But it is The Housing Lark in which his brilliance truly shines.Funny, subversive and lyrical ... Selvon's garrulous comically-gifted narrator feels like a friend, spinning surreal yet familiar tales in a late-night drinking den. Yet his stories have a sharp edge. The dark side of the Windrush experience lurks between the laughs and this deeply enjoyable book hides serious literary intent.

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIntense, gorgeous, troubling, seductive - a novel that has to be surrendered to rather than read -- Sarah Waters, Booker-shortlisted author of Fingersmith, The Night Watch and The Little StrangerA tour de force * Le Figaro *Haunting, spell-binding, luminous * Lire *An incandescent writer * Les Echos *Magnificent... a captivating autobiographical novel * Elle *A deeply personal exploration of cultural and personal identity, sexuality and belonging. Raw and sensual, readers will be enraptured by the narrator's intense evocations of guilt, desire and longing * Scotsman *

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Book SynopsisTHE TENSE, ATMOSPHERIC AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING THRILLER ABOUT THE AFTERMATH OF ONE FATAL FRIENDSHIP'A gripping tale that left me guessing' 5***** Reader Review'Entirely addictive . . . A dramatic, escapist read' 5***** Reader Review Nothing ever happened here . . . Until the first girl died. ______ Ten years ago, Mo arrived at the white cliffs of Dover, befriended by teenagers Cali and Jude. They thought they'd save each other, yet within months their friendship would see two of them dead and the third scarred for life. Now documentary maker Tarek and his film crew are in town, asking difficult questions about what happened that summer. Because in the shadow of the white cliffs it's easy for people and their stories to get lost . . . And as Tarek will discover, the truth is something that must be unburied carefully. Or it might just it bury you . . . This Nowhere Place is a tense and atmospheric mystery about the aftermath of a fateful and fatal friendship, perfect for

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Book Synopsis''Cartarescu is one of the great literary voices of Central Europe'' Olga Tokarczuk, Nobel Prize winner and author of Flights''A Danubian Narnia. . . his writing delivers a rainbow-hued riot of fantasy, imagination and invention'' Boyd Tonkin, SpectatorA dreamlike novel of memory and magic, Nostalgia turns the dark world of Communist Bucharest into a place of strange enchantments. Here a man plays increasingly death-defying games of Russian Roulette, a child messiah works his magic in the tenements, a young man explores gender boundaries, a woman relives her youth and an architect becomes obsessed with the sound of his new car horn - with unexpected consequences. Blending reality and symbolism, time and myth, this is a cult masterwork from Romania''s most celebrated writer.Trade ReviewCartarescu is one of the great literary voices of Central Europe. He daringly questions our usual way of looking at the world, suggesting that rationalism is merely an attempt to create order. In fact, the world is made up of the nuances of our fantasies -- Olga Tokarczuk, author of FlightsA Danubian Narnia. . . his writing delivers a rainbow-hued riot of fantasy, imagination and invention. . . If you looked for the perfect director to film Nostalgia, a joint effort by Guillermo del Toro and Terry Gilliam might just do the trick -- Boyd Tonkin * Spectator *Fiendishly clever, devilishly humorous and stunningly ambitious. . . one of Romania's most eminent novelists has finally reached Britain. It's been long overdue -- Miriam Balanescu * Prospect *Of a rare and wondrous brilliance . . . Julian Semilian's translation of this masterpiece is a heroic achievement -- Paul Bailey * Literary Review *Cartarescu is not only a sophisticated, compelling storyteller but a first-class wordsmith . . . Between them these stories bring forth a fabulous narrative universe, a place where the ordinary and extraordinary intermingle and miracles are a matter of routine -- Costica Bradatan * TLS *Visionary and tormented. . . mixes history, autobiography and magic realism. There are hints of Bulgakov as well as an aura of Donald Cammell's and Nicolas Roeg's cult 1970 film Performance; a whirlwind of seedy glamour and despair that is itself a reflection of a nightmarish totalitarian state, as well as a scintillatingly detailed portrait of adolescence and retrospective longing -- Catherine Taylor * Irish Times *A timeless invitation to dream and embrace the comforting power of personal memory, the only sure bulwark against the effects of totalitarian control. . . Gripping, impassioned, unexpected -- the qualities that the best in literature possesses -- Thomas McGonigle * Los Angeles Times *If mind-warping literature is your thing, read this book, then read it again -- Christopher Byrd * San Francisco Chronicle *A bright star on the firmament of European literature * Le Monde *Creator of a universe that's caught between dream and reality, Cartarescu is a revelation * El Pais *Romania's leading novelist and poet. . . Cartarescu's phantasmagorical world is similar to Dalí's dreamscapes * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisDON''T MISS THE MOST GRIPPING AND SHOCKING DEBUT OF THE SUMMER''Pulled me in from the first page'' STEPHEN KING''Utterly authentic and full of twists. A remarkable debut'' SUNDAY TIMES''One of the best books you''ll read this year'' SHARI LAPENA''Keeps you guessing until the end'' 5***** Reader Review_______Sometimes, the true story is the hardest to believe.TONY has always looked out for his younger brother, Nick. So when Nick is badly hurt and it looks like he was the victim of sexual assault, Tony''s anger flares.JULIA is alarmed by her husband Tony''s obsession with Nick''s case. She''s always known Tony has a temper. But does she really know what he''s capable of?NICK went out for a drink. After that, everything''s a blank. When he woke up he found himself in a world of confusion and pain, and the man who hurt him doesn''t deny doing it. But he sa

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Book SynopsisFrom the prize-winning author of Reasons to be Cheerful comes a story about the ebb and flow of female friendship over half a lifetime''A true gift of a novel, I utterly adored it. For as long as I could make it last, the world just felt a bit nicer'' Meg Mason''Stibbe turns out more perfect, sharp, unique sentences than anyone else'' Caitlin Moran''Stibbe has an extraordinary gift'' Marian Keyes''Nina Stibbe makes being funny look easy, but that''s just because she''s very, very good at it'' Clare Chambers________________________________________________Susan and Norma have been best friends for years, at first thrust together by force of circumstance (a job at The Pin Cushion, a haberdashery shop in 1990s Leicestershire) and then by force of character (neither being particularly inclined to make friends with anyone else). But now, thirty years later, faced with a husband seeking immortality and No

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Book SynopsisFrom the prize-winning author of Reasons to be Cheerful comes a story about the ebb and flow of female friendship over half a lifetime''A true gift of a novel, I utterly adored it. For as long as I could make it last, the world just felt a bit nicer.'' Meg Mason''Wonderful . . . Her best yet'' Kathy Burke''I loved it so SO much! Funnier than ever but with a new depth and maturity'' Marian Keyes_______________________________________Susan and Norma have been best friends for years, at first thrust together by force of circumstance (a job at The Pin Cushion, a haberdashery shop in 1990s Leicestershire) and then by force of character (neither being particularly inclined to make friends with anyone else). But now, thirty years later, faced with a husband seeking immortality and Norma out of reach on a wave of professional glory, Susan begins to wonder whether she has made the right choices about life, love, work, and, most importantly, friendship.Nina Stibbe''s new novel is the story of the wonderful and sometimes surprising path of friendship: from its conspiratorial beginnings, along its irritating wrong turns, to its final gratifying destination._________________________________________________''A lovingly observed testament to the complexities and profundities of female friendship'' Elizabeth Day''Nina Stibbe is not just very funny but absolutely life-affirming'' Jenny Colgan''Stibbe writes some of the best-turned comic sentences in contemporary writing. Like Susan, she makes it look easier than it must be'' Sunday Times''Nina Stibbe is one of our funniest novelists - it''s time to take her seriously'' Daily Telegraph''Stibbe is one of the all-time greats'' Daisy Buchanan''Clever and funny, it takes a sharp look at the intricacies of marriage, friendship, work and driving. As with all Stibbe''s writing there is a pleasingly perfect balance of wisdom with jokes'' Cathy Rentzenbrink''For beautifully funny and well-observed comic writing, Nina Stibbe is your go-to author. In her latest release, a tale of lifelong friendship between Susan and Norma, she explores the mistakes, rivalries and love we all experience in life'' Stylist''One of the great comic writers of our time'' Irish TimesTrade ReviewNina Stibbe is one of our funniest novelists - it's time to take her seriously * Daily Telegraph *Stibbe writes some of the best-turned comic sentences in contemporary writing. Like Susan, she makes it look easier than it must be. * Sunday Times *The funniest person who owns a computer -- Ann PatchettI love Nina Stibbe and her new novel, One Day I Shall Astonish the World, is such a lovingly observed testament to the complexities and profundities of female friendship -- Elizabeth DaySue Townsend's heir . . . A moving ode to marriage and friendship and the great joke of agency in a world where everything can turn upside down in a heartbeat * Irish Times *Wonderful . . . Her best yet -- Kathy BurkeTender and comical * New York Times *I loved it so SO much! Funnier than ever but with a new depth and maturity -- Marian KeyesNina Stibbe's latest novel, One Day I Shall Astonish the World buttresses her position as the Kingsley Amis of the twenty-first century. . . . Stibbe's genius, like Amis's, is for noting the cadences of ordinary speech and the idiotic platitudes we all spout. In the anatomy of English conversation, Stibbe (born 1962) takes up where Amis (died 1995) left off. There are echoes of Adrian Mole, Alan Bennett and Victoria Wood - but with no copying or pastiche. Stibbe makes the everyday funny. If a Martian asked me to explain the tragicomedy of normal English life, I would direct him to Stibbe -- Harry Mount * Spectator, 2022 Books of the Year *As a comic novelist, Stibbe is so truly incomparable, I can only describe this perfect novel as Stibbe meets Stibbe, with a touch of Stibbe. (And if you love Nina Stibbe...you'll love this.) For as long as I could make it last, the world just felt a bit nicer. A true gift of a novel, I utterly adored it -- Meg MasonNina Stibbe takes on female friendship and ambition in a novel that has all its predecessors' gossipy bookishness and quirky charm * Observer *It's darker than Stibbe's previous novels, but her trademark wit is still in evidence and her odd and eccentric characters remind us that we are odd and eccentric too! * Red, Book of the Month *Darkly funny and wry story is full of nostalgia and friendship * Sun *Warm and wonderfully well-observed . . . One Day I Shall Astonish The World reminds us that the richness of life is in its small details, not the grand plans. This is author Stibbe at her entertaining and heartwarming best * Sunday Express *Nina Stibbe is one of our most beloved comic writers: One Day I Shall Astonish The World, about the lifelong friendship between two women, will cement that reputation further * Daily Mail, 2022 Sure Fire Blockbuster *While there may be echoes of previous greats, however, Stibbe's voice is utterly her own . . . One Day I Shall Astonish the World is, unsurprisingly, very funny. But it might also be Stibbe's most moving novel yet . . . so hilarious and rewarding * Irish Business Post *Funny, kind, sad, relevant, and raucous in all the right places. I loved it so much -- Daisy BuchananNina Stibbe is not just very funny but absolutely life-affirming -- Jenny ColganClever and funny, it takes a sharp look at the intricacies of marriage, friendship, work, and driving. As with all Stibbe's writing there is a pleasingly perfect balance of wisdom with jokes -- Cathy RentzenbrinkI started off highlighting all the brilliant observations and one-liners but had to give up because there were so many. Nina Stibbe makes being funny look easy, but that's just because she's very, very good at it -- Clare Chambers, author of Small PleasuresHer best yet and it's a delight to watch this gifted comic writer go from strength to strength . . . You'll be rooting for Susan on every page of a novel packed to the gills with perceptive, laugh-out loud observations and idiosyncratic turns of phrase, putting the quirks of ordinary life under the microscope * Daily Express *For beautifully funny and well-observed comic writing, Nina Stibbe is your go-to author. In her latest release, a tale of lifelong friendship between Susan and Norma, she explores the mistakes, rivalries and love we all experience in life * Stylist, Best Novels for 2022 *The true heir to Sue Townsend -- Caitlin Moran[Stibbe's] new novel is Elena Ferrante re-scripted as English comedy * Daily Telegraph *Delicious * Oldie *Funny of course but also a real departure as it packs most of a life and a long, messy marriage into barely 300 pages and its humour springs from a deep understanding of social pain. This acute portrayal of frienmity is up there with Cats Eye and as nourishing as Anne Tyler on top form -- Patrick GaleI absolutely loved every single page of it! I honestly think it's the funniest thing she's ever written -- Garth Jennings, writer and director of 'Sing' and 'Sing 2'From the comic voice of her generation comes a suburban tale of dysfunctional relationships full of charm, wit and lightly told wisdom * i *A master wielder of dry British humour, Stibbe here chronicles 30 years in the lives of frenemies Susan and Norma - a tangle of sweetness, snubs and secrets from their university days to middle age. There's an LOL moment on almost every page, which makes the pandemic ending astonishingly moving * People Magazine *Very funny . . . Nina does gentle wisdom well -- Nell ZinkAnother wonderful, funny slice of fiction from the author of best-seller, Love Nina. Her latest novel explores a decades-long friendship between two women and what happens when your paths diverge * Good Housekeeping, Books We're Looking Forward to in 2022 *Nina Stibbe's very funny novels are full of charm, and her latest brilliantly captures the mordant humour of British suburban life. Through the 90s to the present day, it follows Susan from her job in a haberdashery shop to working at the local university, and the ebbs and flows of her relationships with her husband and best friend * Evening Standard, Best Fiction Books to Look Forward to in 2022 *The wayward, wildly original and beautifully noticing sentences are perfectly cadenced . . . Despite the sparkling, satirical voice, and her laughter at the littleness of Little England, Stibbe creates a world in which tolerance and forgiveness are the key, even in these dark and scary times, to the possibility of a happy life * Daily Telegraph *It's a rare novel that makes me laugh out loud but Stibbe has a knack for extracting humour from everyday moments * Good Housekeeping, Books of the Month *In One Day I Shall Astonish The World by gifted comic writer Nina Stibbe, Susan and Norma have been best friends for 30 years, but when Norma's life takes an unforeseen turn, Susan begins to wonder if she's followed the wrong path in life- and in friendship * Daily Mirror, Brilliant Books in 2022 *One Day I Shall Astonish the World by the always entertaining Nina Stibbe is a story of female friendship * Irish Times, Books To Look Out For In 2022 *In April look out for...Love, Nina writer Nina Stibbe's One Day I Shall Astonish The World * Daily Mirror, What's Hot in 2022 *Nina Stibbe is one of the great comic writers of our time * Irish Times *Stibbe is one of the all-time greats * Daisy Buchanan *Very few writers can find the delicate balance between heartbreak and hilarity like Nina Stibbe * Red Magazine *Funny, charming, odd-in-the-best-way and gorgeously uplifting! A delight from start to finish * Marian Keyes on ‘Reasons to be Cheerful’ *Joyful. Stibbe's comedy probes what it means to become an adult * Daily Telegraph on ‘Reasons to be Cheerful’ *Pitch perfect vintage comedy * Guardian on ‘Reasons to be Cheerful’ *I love everything Nina Stibbe writes and this was my favourite of the novels. It's so sharp and painful and brilliantly funny. There are sentences you could eat for Christmas dinner. If you haven't read it already - you probably have but just in case - I really do think you'd love it -- Katherine Rundell

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Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER from Emma Straub, THE ONE MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHORA fiendishly clever, nostalgic, and tender novel about adolescence and middle age, expectation and anticipation, and how we must cherish what we have while there is still time . . .''Will make you laugh, cry, and call the people you love. Exceptional'' EMILY HENRY''Her most emotionally resonant work yet'' VOGUE''Has the makings of a dreamy, witty, contemporary classic'' EVENING STANDARD''I just finished and I''m crying at its message and its honestly and its utter beauty'' JODI PICOULT''A tender, witty David Nicholls-esque tale of familial love'' i''A tender tale of time travel. Straub strips back the layers to reveal what''s important'' STYLIST, ''BOOK OF THE WEEK''________If you could go back, would you do things differently?Alic

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA brilliant display of pyrotechnics, a compelling tour de force that seems to have been built lovingly, word by word, sentence by sentence, by a master jeweller of polished prose -- The New York Times

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA disconcertingly funny book . . . both original and edgily entertaining * The New York Times Book Review *Vivid and spooky * Kirkus Reviews *Original and edgily entertaining. It confirms Abe as the best Japanese novelist (along with Shusaku Endo) since the deaths of Yukio Mishima and Yasunari Kawabata. * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewHer strongest yet... a powerful, beautiful novel that shows us our land as it really is: a place of shelter and cruelty, innocence and experience * The Times *Dark, brilliantly observed and ultimately a tale of love winning the day. * The Sunday Telegraph *An intriguing, moving novel that will make you question assumptions you have about modern life * Tracy Chevalier, author of 'A Single Thread' *Superb...deservedly longlisted for this year's Women's Prize for Fiction * Daily Mail *A moving portrait of a family struggling against time. This book is ultimately about redemption-about the unexpected importance of neighbours, lovers, and friends, and the ways in which we can re-envision our lives for the better * Lucy Tan, author of What We Were Promised *So sharply, so utterly brilliant that I found myself holding my breath while reading it, dazzled by Fuller's mastery and precision. * Lauren Groff, author of 'Fates and Furies' *With sensitivity and intelligence, Fuller unpicks the relentless complexity of the modern world * The Guardian *'The way she writes (with empathy but never sentimentality) moves my heart' * Elizabeth Day, author of Magpie *Fuller is excellent at description, and capturing the twins' awkward interactions with the world. The fate of the illiterate and weak-hearted Jeanie once she loses everything that is safe is particularly unsettling * The Sunday Times *It's merciless in its observation of casual cruelty and merciful in its observation of casual kindness and family love * Richard Curtis *Unsettled Ground is another sly psychological treat from Claire Fuller, who just keeps on getting better with each book -- Laline PaullThese memorable characters will worm their way into your head and heart and the descriptions of the landscape are beautiful. * Jo Finney, Good Housekeeping *An atmospheric thriller that's both heartbreaking and heartwarming * Red *Tender, unusual... these memorable characters will work their way into your head and your heart * Good Housekeeping *Fuller's prose is darkly elegant, her eye for character astute and humane, and her sense of place vividly atmospheric -- here is a writer of great skill, sensitivity and subtlety -- Lucy Atkins, author of Magpie LaneClaire Fuller strikes the perfect balance between beauty and melancholy, in this relevant and powerful exploration of isolation and life on the fringes of society -- Clare Mackintosh, author of HostageUnsettled Ground shares with Fuller's previous works themes of closely guarded family secrets and homes built upon shaky foundations * Financial Times *This literary thriller is as moving and poignant as it is compelling * Express *These memorable characters will worm their way into your head and heart the descriptions of the landscape are beautiful * Good Housekeeping *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE''One of Europe''s great writers'' Karl Ove KnausgaardOne evening Marianne, a suburban housewife living in an identikit bungalow, is struck by the realization that her husband will leave her. Whether at that moment, or in years to come, she will be deserted. So she sends him away, knowing she must fend for herself and her young son. As she adjusts to her disorienting new life alone, what she thought was fear slowly starts to feel like freedom.''Knifelike clarity of evocation ... Handke is a kind of nature poet, a romantic whose exacerbated nerves cling like pained ivy to the landscape'' John UpdikeTranslated by Ralph ManheimTrade ReviewHandke became the enfant terrible of the European avant-garde, denouncing all social, psychological and historical categories of experience as species of linguistic fraud. But [he] has aged well and now...is regarded as one of the most important writers in German -- Richard Locke * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE''Repetition made a great and, as I have since learned, lasting impression on me'' W. G. SebaldFilip Kobal, an Austrian teenager, is on the trail of his missing older brother Gregor, who he never knew. All he has is two of Gregor''s books: a school copy book, and a dictionary in which certain words have been marked. As he enters Slovenia on his journey, Filip discovers something else entirely: the transformative power of language to describe the world, and the unnerving joy of being an outsider in a strange land.''One of the most moving evocations I have ever read of what it means to be alive, to walk upon this earth'' Gabriel JosipoviciTranslated by Ralph ManheimTrade ReviewHandke's eminence, displayed in a substantial oeuvre of plays, novels and poems, is reaffirmed brilliantly by [Repetition] -- Publisher's WeeklyKnifelike clarity of evocation ... Handke is a kind of nature poet, a romantic whose exacerbated nerves cling like pained ivy to the landscape -- John Updike

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE''Portrays the breakdown of a murderer in ways that recall Camus'' The Stranger'' The New York TimesJoseph Bloch, a once-famous goalkeeper turned construction worker, commits a random murder without thought or regret. As he wanders the streets, from hotel to bar, cinema to tram stop, experiencing strange and violent encounters on the way, he finds himself, and everything around him, disintegrating. Told in spare and icy prose, Peter Handke''s masterpiece of alienation takes apart our ideas of humanity and reality itself.''A Kafkaesque crime novel'' Los Angeles TimesTranslated by Michael RoloffTrade ReviewA seamless blend of lyricism and horror seen in the runes of a disintegrating world * Boston Sunday Globe *Handke became the enfant terrible of the European avant-garde, denouncing all social, psychological and historical categories of experience as species of linguistic fraud. But [he] has aged well and now...is regarded as one of the most important writers in German -- Richard Locke * The New York Times *One of Europe's great writers -- Karl Ove KnausgaardThe author reports and meditates upon the silent catastrophes that continuously befall the human interior -- WG Sebald

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Book Synopsis''A perfectly formed set of stories about alienation in modern times'' Independent''Mesmerizing - almost ecstatic'' The New York TimesMary Gaitskill''s coolly compelling, quietly devastating stories explore the messy complexity of relationships between lovers, families and friends. An unsettling encounter on a plane; a tentative affair between an older woman and a younger man; the chasm between a father and his daughter: each expresses our longing for, and our fear of, human connection.Trade ReviewI really admire how Mary Gaitskill is willing to think about the problematic with complexity and humanity, and without taking sides or engaging in all the fashionable moral hectoring that passes for serious thought these days. -- Eimear McBrideGaitskill shares Edith Wharton's forensic awareness of what happens just beneath the surface of high-toned encounters in public places * Independent *Gaitskill's brand of brainy lyricism, of acid shot through with grace, is unlike anyone else's. And it constitutes some of the most incisive fiction writing around -- Meghan O'Rourke * New York Times Book Review *What makes her exciting is her ability to evoke the hidden life, the life unseen, the life we don't even know we are living. -- Parul Sehgal * The New York Times Magazine *

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Book SynopsisThe intense, caustically funny first novel from the bestselling author of Bad Behaviour''Dark, menacing and original'' Joanna Briscoe, GuardianDorothy Never - fat - lives alone in New York, eats and works the night shift as a proofreader. Justine Shade - thin - is a freelance journalist who sleeps with unsuitable men. Both are isolated. Both are damaged by their pasts. When Justine interviews Dorothy about her involvement with an infamous and charismatic philosophical guru, the two women are drawn together with an intense magnetism that throws their lives off balance. Mary Gaitskill''s first novel is an intense, darkly funny and caustic portrayal of loneliness and the search for intimacy.''What makes her scary, and what makes her exciting, is her ability to evoke the hidden life, the life unseen, the life we don''t even know we are living'' Parul Sehgal, The New York Times

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2021SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA NOVEL AWARD 2021SHORTLISTED FOR THE WALES BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2022''Chilling and utterly compelling, The Fortune Men shines an essential light on a much-neglected period of our national life'' Sathnam Sanghera, author of EmpirelandMahmood Mattan is a fixture in Cardiff''s Tiger Bay, 1952, which bustles with Somali and West Indian sailors, Maltese businessmen and Jewish families. He is a father, chancer, some-time petty thief. He is many things, in fact, but he is not a murderer.So when a shopkeeper is brutally killed and all eyes fall on him, Mahmood isn''t too worried. It is true that he has been getting into trouble more often since his Welsh wife Laura left him. But Mahmood is secure in his innocence in a country where, he thinks, justice is served.It is only in the run-up to the trial, as the prospect of freedom Trade ReviewGrippingly-paced and full of complex, richly-drawn characters, the novel combines pointed social observation with a deeply empathetic sensibility. The Fortune Men demonstrates what historical fiction can achieve at its best -- Maya Jasanoff, Chair of the Booker Prize 2021[An] expert illumination of real-life racial injustice in the cultural melting pot of 1950s Cardiff -- Justine Jordan * Guardian, Best Fiction of 2021 *Nadifa Mohamed's The Fortune Men is an elegant portrayal of life in the racial, cultural hub of Cardiff's Tiger Bay in the early Fifties. Eschewing a simple morality play for complex vivid characters, it centres on the plight of Mahmood Mattan, who finds himself in the shadow of the hangman's noose for a murder he didn't commit -- Gary Younge * New Statesman, Books of the Year *Smart and devastating, there's a reason it's one of our books of the year * Stylist, Unmissable Fiction Buys From 2021 *A potent, pointed novel . . . Mohamed is a big talent, and she's only getting started * New York Times, Best Books of 2021 *The Fortune Men is a novel on fire, a restitution of justice in prose * FT *Based on real events, Mohamed's novel is panoramic in its scope and rich in period atmosphere, vividly tracing the desperate livers of the victim and the accused * Mail on Sunday *In her determined, nuanced and compassionate exposure of injustice, Mohamed gives the terrible story of Mattan's life and death meaning and dignity * Guardian *A searing and moving look at institutional racism and the helplessness you can feel in the face of prejudice * Independent *A writer of great humanity and intelligence. Nadifa Mohamed deeply understands how lives are shaped both by the grand sweep of history and the intimate encounters of human beings -- Kamila Shamsie, author of Home FireChilling and utterly compelling, The Fortune Men shines an essential light on a much-neglected period of our national life -- Sathnam Sanghera, author of EmpirelandThe Fortune Men describes how innocence is forced to justify itself before gross injustice. A novel of tremendous power, compassion and subtlety, it feels unsettlingly timely -- Pankaj MishraThe Fortune Men confirms Mohamed as a literary star of her generation. When Mohamed's prose - simple and full of soul - illuminated him, Mahmood emerges as a beacon of humour, hope and endurance * Observer *The Fortune Men is that rare novel that breaks your heart and, in so doing, gives you life. Nadifa Mohamed is a revelation - she writes with the fierce compassionate lightning of a truth-teller, lays bare the ghastly colonial condition that afflicts so many of us, where truth cannot overcome injustice. If a novel can be an avenger then The Fortune Men is the one we've all been waiting for -- Junot DiazThe writing carries a depth of humanity that puts the reader right in the shoes of the characters - the clothes they wear, the streets they walk, the emotions they feel . . . [The Fortune Men] is filled with the hope of how things should be and the truth of how things are. All of it, the life of Mahmood Mattan, the system convicting him of this murder, and the community that allows it, all brought painfully into focus with Mohamed's unflinching and gifted prose * San Francisco Chronicle *Mohamed balances colonial history and violence with the evocative interior lives of Mahmood and Violet Volacki, a fictionalized Volpert . . . brilliantly depict[ing] the complexities of community within the Black diaspora . . . [she] manages such tender detail even while zooming out on the British prison and court systems more broadly * New York Times *Mohamed's novel, very much in the US genre of exposing racial injustice, is also an atmospheric account of Tiger Bay in 1952 and of the forgotten multiculturalism that allowed Mattan to marry a local girl, Laura, who for years campaigned to clear his name -- Sameer Rahim * Daily Telegraph *Mohamed is . . . intent on expanding her world, listing its teeming varieties and presenting a wealth of character and language * TLS *Evocative and enlightening * New Statesman *Heaving with life . . . The Fortune Men excavates the forgotten reaches of British colonial history . . . The purposeful detail is an implicit corrective to all the times when the lives of people like Mattan have not been considered at all * Telegraph *A moving work * The Week, Novel of the Week *Nadifa Mohamed's richly evocative novel paints a vivid picture of life in this notorious neighbourhood as she visits a forgotten miscarriage of justice * Vogue *[Mohamed] creates an intriguing snapshot of an era and a complex main character you can't help but root for * The Times *It's unbearably wrenching . . . Mohamed makes the outrage at the book's heart blazingly unignorable by inhabiting Mattan's point of view, a bold endeavour pulled off to powerful effect. Passages from the barbaric climax are still echoing in my head, even as I type * Daily Mail *Just as Half of a Yellow Sun drew out the little documented dramas of the Biafran war, Mohamed describes an East Africa under Mussolini's rule . . . such an accomplished first novel * Independent, on Black Mamba Boy *A first novel of elegance and beauty... a stunning debut * The Times, on Black Mamba Boy *A haunting and intimate portrait of the lives of women in war-torn Somalia * New York Journal of Books, on The Orchard of Lost Souls *Mixing startling lyricism and sheer brutality, this is a significant, affecting book * Guardian, on Black Mamba Boy *With the unadorned language of a wise, clear-eyed observer, Nadifa Mohamed has spun an unforgettable tale * Taiye Selasi, on The Orchard of Lost Souls *A moving and captivating tale of survival and hope in a war-torn country, and confirms Mohamed's stature as one of Britain's best young novelists * Stylist on The Orchard of Lost Souls *

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Book SynopsisA phenomenal bestselling author meets the most magical stories ever told, now in a beautiful clothbound classics editionIn this stunningly designed book of classic fairy tales, award-winning author Philip Pullman has chosen his fifty favourite stories from the Brothers Grimm and presents them in a ''clear as water'' retelling, in his unique and brilliant voice. These new versions show the adventures at their most lucid and engaging yet. Pullman''s Grimm Tales of wicked wives, brave children and villainous kings will have you reading, reading aloud and rereading them for many years to come.

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Book Synopsis''I thank heaven for small mercies. The first of these is Rumpole'' Clive JamesHorace Rumpole, the irrepressible barrister fuelled by cigars, Tennyson, steak-and-kidney pud and the cooking claret from Pommeroy''s wine bar, is back for further misadventures. Amid an unfortunate and temporary downturn in London crime, the Old Bailey Hack sits in Chambers (he never writes at home for fear of She Who Must Be Obeyed) and picks up his pen to recount six classic tales of his recent trials. Here he deals with, among others, a clergyman on a shoplifting rampage, a backstage theatrical murder, a villain with unfortunate sartorial taste and, worst of all, the possibility that he may have to hang up his wig and retire. ''Rumpole, like Jeeves and Sherlock Holmes, is immortal'' P. D. James

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Book Synopsis''A fruity, foxy masterpiece, defender of our wilting faith in mankind'' Sunday TimesHorace Rumpole is in a strange state that could only be described as a kind of air-conditioned purgatory: he has retired to Florida with his wife, Hilda (She Who Must Be Obeyed). It is safely assumed the Old Bailey hack''s wig has been hung up for good. But when a rather unkempt civil servant is mixed up in the mysterious death of a minor aristocrat, Rumpole seizes the opportunity to escape a life of leisure. He is soon back in court (via a budget airline) to do battle once more with Judge ''Mad Bull'' Bullingham.

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Book Synopsis''Impressive and unique. As relevant today as it was over two decades ago'' Bernardine Evaristo, from the IntroductionA gripping, propulsive courtroom thriller following barrister Lee Mitchell as she uncovers the dark secrets of London''s obscenely richLee Mitchell is a thirty-year-old barrister from a working-class Caribbean background: in the cut-throat environment of the courtroom, everything is stacked against her.After she takes on the high-profile case of notorious millionaire playboy Clive Omartian - arrested along with his father and stepbrother for eye-wateringly exorbitant fraud - the line between her personal and professional life becomes dangerously blurred.Spiralling further into Clive''s trail of debauchery and corruption, she finds herself in alarmingly deep waters.Can she survive her case, let alone win it?Selected by Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo, this series rediscovers and celebrates pioneerinTrade ReviewAn exciting legal thriller . . . [Williams] interweaves a textured social commentary * Bad Form *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE SAGA PRIZE 1997: a literary award for trailblazing new Black British novelists''A quietly outstanding work of fiction . . . an exemplary novel'' Bernardine Evaristo A shattering portrayal of family, guilt and unshakable bonds as a family''s deepest secrets explosively unravel When Anita finally returns home to London after a long absence, everything has changed. Her father is dead, her mother is away, and she and her sister Beth are alone together for the first time in years. They share a house. They share a family. They share a past. Tentatively, they reach out to one another for connection, but the house echoes with words unspoken. Dazzling and heart-breaking, Bernard and the Cloth Monkey is a searing portrait of family, a rebellion against silence and a testament to the human capacity for survival.Selected by Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine ETrade ReviewBernard and the Cloth Monkey is the story of navigating adulthood with the weight of a marred and difficult childhood still straining familiar relationships . . . An important contribution to the literary landscape * Bad Form *[Bernard and the Cloth Monkey] crosses boundaries in what it's prepared to talk about, and it does that without melodrama or sensationalism . . . It's absolutely beautifully written. I was so drawn to the prose, to the rhythms of the prose -- Jacqueline Roy * Five Books *A quietly outstanding work of fiction . . . an exemplary novel -- Bernardine Evaristo

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Book SynopsisA groundbreaking novel exploring the intersection between race, class and mental health in the UK''A strong and humane work of fiction'' Jackie Kay''That is the glory of being a mental patient. Nothing is impossible.''It is the 1990s, and Gloria is living in a London psychiatric ward. She is unapologetically loud, audacious and eternally on the brink of bursting into song. After several months of uninterrupted routine, she is joined by another young black woman - Merle - who is full of silences and fear.Unable to confide in their doctors, they agree to journal their pasts. Whispered into tape recorders and scrawled ferociously at night, the remarkable stories of their lives are revealed.In this tender, deeply-moving depiction of mental health, Roy creates a striking portrait of two women finding strength in their shared vulnerability, as they navigate a system that fails to protect them. Life-affirming and fearlessly hopeful, thiTrade ReviewWe need to hear stories like this today more than ever . . . Still as relevant today as it was in the 2000s * Bad Form *

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Book Synopsis''Recalls Orwell''s 1984 and Wells''s The Time Machine ... a revelation'' GuardianOn 4 November 2052, Fremder Gorn is discovered drifting in deep space. He has no spacesuit, no helmet, no oxygen, but he is still alive: the sole survivor from the mysteriously vanished ship Clever Daughter. How did he get here? To find out, Fremder must search through memory, dream and the unknowable fragments of his own mind. ''A wildly imaginative piece of science fiction'' The Times''Unputdownable, moving, ingenious ... it will remain in my head with troubling images and scenes for a long time'' A. N. Wilson, Evening StandardTrade ReviewRecalls Orwell's 1984 and Wells's The Time Machine.... a revelation. * The Guardian *Unputdownable, moving, ingenious... it will remain in my head with troubling images and scenes for a long time. -- A. N. Wilson * Evening Standard *Shot through with Hoban's trademark luminous prose... A book to read and reread. * Financial Times *He displays prodigious storytelling skills and an uncanny talent for fleshing out allegories. The result is an urgent, bitterly ironic but tender evocation of the capacities of the human spirit. * Independent on Sunday *A funky and funny tour de force. * Mail on Sunday *

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