Contemporary fiction titles are those which focus on the present or near past. Stories rooted in the current cultural, social, and political landscape which feature characters we can all recognise.
Contemporary Fiction Books
Little, Brown Book Group Jane and Dan at the End of the World
Book SynopsisA hilariously insightful take on midlife and marriage by US bestselling novelist Colleen Oakley
£14.44
Dialogue Loving with Demons
Book Synopsis''I have no words. It is definitely one of the best books I have ever read. It was written so beautifully and it was like seeing the reflection of my last relationship on every page. Truly amazing'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐My heart let down its hundreds of walls. But all I was loving were his demons.I met him at a party, staring at me from across the room; eyes the colour of midnight. Like I was an undiscovered species that had fallen in his lap at the exact moment he was searching for his prey. The way he pursued me was fatal.Our minds and souls were attracted like magnets. I had no idea I was selling my soul to the devil.At first, our love burned beautifully. Furiously. But then the fire grew out of control. It destroyed everything we created.The flames uncovered the truth about the man I gave my heart to. They exposed the demons hiding in the darkest parts of him.Nero. The
£9.49
Dialogue Alter Ego
Book Synopsis''Powerful, joyful, heartbreaking and so funny all at once'' SARA NISHA ADAMS''Every now and then a book comes along that changes the way you see the world, and this is one of them'' FREYA SAMPSONHattie has a plan.Step 1: Leave her life in London behind and never look back.Step 2: Move to a cabin in the middle of nowhere, with only the endless woods and starry skies for neighbours.Step 3: Start her new life where nobody knows the truth about her.But there''s a major problem with Step 3... When Hattie starts a new job and makes new friends, her lies start slipping through her fingers. As her carefully built façade begins to crack, she has no choice but to face the person she''s been running from all along: herself.If you''ve ever felt a little lost or struggled to accept yourself, you will see yourself in the pages of this book. Just as hilarious as it is heartbreaking, this unputdownable page-turner is perfect for fans of Kirsty Capes and Daisy Buchanan.''An uncompromising, sharp and funny novel that took me from laughter to heart-aching tenderness... A fresh voice on the contemporary scene full of sharp insight and deeply funny bones'' Abigail Mann, author of The Lonely Fajita''Filled with heart and depth, this joyous book will stay with me for a very long time!'' Tess Amy, author of The Confidence Games''Sharp, witty and raw... This is a book everyone should pick off the shelves'' Rebecca Netley, author of The Whistling''Alter Ego was impossible to put down. Joyful and sad, profound and moving, I laughed and cried'' Ella Allbright, author of The Last Charm''Eye-opening, moving and highly original'' Laura Price, author of Single Bald Female
£18.00
Dialogue Alter Ego
Book SynopsisJust as heartbreaking as it is heartwarming, this is gripping and totally unique page-turner is for anyone who has wanted to disappear for a little while, and is about learning to love yourself instead of trying to fit in.
£9.49
Dialogue The Impersonators
Book SynopsisA thrilling and unputdownable high-concept novel about two out-of-work actors who set up an impersonator's agency - but then things go horribly wrong...
£18.70
Little, Brown Book Group The Housemaids Secret
Book Synopsis
£17.00
Little, Brown Book Group Where the Trees Were
Book Synopsis''All in?'' Kieran pulled me up, and the others followed. We gathered around the bigger tree. No one asked Matty - he just reached up and put his right hand on the trunk with ours. Kieran cleared his throat. ''We swear, on these trees, to always be friends. To protect each other - and this place.''When Jay and her four childhood friends find a group of ancient trees carved by an Aboriginal tribe to identify sacred land, their eyes are opened to an older world. The tightly-knit group are at their most free on the river that runs through the farm, near the trees, and their childhood has a magical quality as they grow always closer, protected from the adult world. But as tension over land rights flickers in the grown-ups'' lives, the children''s attempt to protect the grove ends in disaster. Seventeen years later, Jay finally has her chance to make amends. Not every wrong can be put right, but sometimes looking the other way is no lon
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Quarry
Book Synopsis''A quietly incendiary piece of writing, at times heartbreaking, at other times really wonderfully funny... a profoundly humane, funny and smart novel'' IndependentA dying man and his only son. Six old friends. A missing videotape. And a reunion in a crumbling house on the edge of The Quarry. Praise for Iain Banks: ''The most imaginative novelist of his generation'' The Times''His verve and talent will always be recognised, and his work will always find and enthral new readers'' Ken MacLeod, Guardian''His work was mordant, surreal, and fiercely intelligent'' Neil Gaiman''An exceptional wordsmith'' ScotsmanTrade ReviewShot through with Banks' trademark humour, political engagement and hope -- Louise Welsh * The Times *A quietly incendiary piece of writing, at times heartbreaking, at other times really wonderfully funny... a profoundly humane, funny and smart novel * Independent *Wonderfully exuberant... written with the life-enhancing verve characteristic of Banks' best work * Scotsman *Infallibly entertaining * Telegraph *In Banks we had a novelist of supreme subtlety and one who, in fiction as in life, and for all the concentrated horror of his debut novel, all the epic estrangements of his 'skiffy' (sci-fi), and all the grimness of his final months, had an irrepressible sense of fun that is evident on every page of The Quarry * Independent *This is a novel that's perched at the dangerous edge of things, looking down. It's an urgent novel and an important one * Observer *Vintage Banks, full of heart, black comedy and vitriol * Mirror *A compelling, raw book -- William Leith * Evening Standard *Banks' handling of big, complex themes is skilful and satisfying, and he concludes on a quietly moving note of compassion * The List *Banks's relaxed fluency - the direct, funny, unpretentious intelligence of his writing... along with his teeming imagination, made him perhaps Britain's best-loved major contemporary novelist * Guardian *A quietly incendiary piece of writing, at times heartbreaking, at other times really wonderfully funny ... a profoundly humane, funny and smart novel. * Independent *A novel shot through with Banks's trademark humour, political engagement and hope. -- Louise Welsh * The Times *Wonderfully exuberant ... written with the life-enhancing verve characteristic of Banks's best work. * Scotsman *Vintage Banks, full of heart, black comedy and vitriol. * Mirror *A compelling, raw book -- William Leith * Evening Standard *Banks' handling of big, complex themes is skilful and satisfying, and he concludes on a quietly moving note of compassion. * The List *Infallibly entertaining * Telegraph *Banks's relaxed fluency - the direct, funny, unpretentious intelligence of his writing, which, along with his teeming imagination, made him perhaps Britain's best-loved major contemporary novelist. * Guardian *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Book of Fate
Book SynopsisA teenager in pre-revolutionary Tehran, Massoumeh is an ordinary girl, passionate about learning. On her way to school she meets a local man and falls in love - but when her family discover his letters they accuse her of bringing them into dishonour. She is badly beaten by her brother, and her parents hastily arrange a marriage to a man she''s never met. Facing a life without love, and the prospect of no education, Massoumeh is distraught - but a female neighbour urges her to comply: ''We each have a destiny, and you can''t fight yours.''The years that follow Massoumeh''s wedding prove transformative for Iran. Hamid, Massoumeh''s husband, is a political dissident and a threat to the Shah''s oppressive regime and when the secret service arrive to arrest him, it is the start of a terrifying period for Massoumeh. Her fate, so long dictated by family loyalty and tradition, is now tied to the changing fortunes of her country. Spanning five turbulent decades of Iranian his
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Steep Approach To Garbadale
Book Synopsis''As good as anything Banks has ever written, if not better'' Sunday Telegraph After years of exile, Alban Wopuld has been summoned back to his family''s highland estate, Garbadale. The Wopuld clan are closing ranks. They have built their fortune on the boardgame Empire! - which has become a hugely successful computer game - and now the Americans want to buy them out. As the family gathers for their Extraordinary General Meeting, old grudges, forbidden passions and dark secrets emerge. What drove Alban''s mother to take her own life? And is Alban over Sophie, his bewitching cousin and teenage love?Praise for Iain Banks:''The most imaginative novelist of his generation'' The Times''His verve and talent will always be recognised, and his work will always find and enthral new readers'' Ken MacLeod, Guardian''His work was mordant, surreal, and fiercely intelligent'' Neil GaimanTrade ReviewAs good as anything Banks has ever written, if not better * Sunday Telegraph *Chock-a-block with the author's inimitable quirky magic * Financial Times *What Banks serves up is both unanticipated and terrifying. The fates of his characters are genuinely affecting * Evening Standard *Compellingly, beautifully crafted... A fascinating read * New Books Magazine *Banks still has the ability to make the reader smile with pleasure * Scotland on Sunday *A novel that could easily replace The Crow Road as his career highlight * Maxim *Banks begins his most consistent book since The Crow Road with slight-of-hand tricks displaying the master in rude form... These shifts in voice are so perfect, so clean and witty that when Alban comes to the fore, we feel he's one of us * Waterstones Books Quarterly *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Crow Road
Book Synopsis''One of the best opening lines of any novel'' Guardian ''It was the day my grandmother exploded. I sat in the crematorium, listening to my Uncle Hamish quietly snoring in harmony to Bach''s Mass in B Minor, and I reflected that it always seemed to be death that drew me back to Gallanach.''Prentice McHoan has returned to the bosom of his complex but enduring Scottish family. Full of questions about the McHoan past, present and future, he is also deeply preoccupied: mainly with death, sex, drink, God and illegal substances...Praise for Iain Banks:''The most imaginative novelist of his generation'' The Times''His verve and talent will always be recognised, and his work will always find and enthral new readers'' Ken MacLeod, Guardian''His work was mordant, surreal, and fiercely intelligent'' Neil Gaiman''An exceptional wordsmith'' ScotsmanTrade ReviewHis masterpiece ... it's got a beating heart, and you want to keep reading -- Jay Rayner Daily Express
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group Sunshine on Scotland Street
Book SynopsisScotland Street witnesses the wedding of the century of Angus Lordie to Domenica Macdonald, but as the newlyweds depart on honeymoon Edinburgh is in disarray. Recovering from the trauma of being best man, Matthew is taken up by a Dane called Bo, while Cyril eludes his dog-sitter and embarks on an odyssey involving fox-holes and the official residence of a cardinal. Narcissist Bruce meets his match in the form of a sinister doppelganger; Bertie, set up by his mother for fresh embarrassment at school, yearns for freedom; and Big Lou goes viral. But the residents of Scotland Street rally, and order - and Cyril - is restored by the combined effects of understanding, kindness, and, most of all, friendship.Trade ReviewA joyous, charming portrait of city life and human foibles * Sunday Express, Praise for the 44 Scotland Street series *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Whit
Book Synopsis''Fierce contemporaneity, an acrobat imagination, social comment, sardonic wit... the peculiar sub-culture of cult religion is a natural for Banks'' The Times A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing... Innocent in the ways of the world, an ingenue when it comes to pop and fashion, the Elect of God of a small but committed Stirlingshire religious cult, Isis Whit is no ordinary teenager. When her cousin Morag - Guest of Honour at the Luskentyrian''s four-yearly Festival of Love - disappears after renouncing her faith, Isis is marked out to venture among the Unsaved and bring the apostate back into the fold. But the road to Babylondon (as Sister Angela puts it) is a treacherous one, particularly when Isis discovers that Morag appears to have embraced the ways of the Unsaved with spectacular abandon...Praise for Iain Banks:''The most imaginative novelist of his generation'' The Times''His verve and talent wi
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Walking On Glass
Book Synopsis''Establishes beyond doubt that Iain Banks is a novelist of remarkable talents'' Daily Telegraph Graham Park is in love. But Sara Fitch is an enigma to him, a creature of almost perverse mystery. Steven Grout is paranoid - and with justice. He knows that They are out to get him. They are. Quiss, insecure in his fabulous if ramshackle castle, is forced to play interminable impossible games. The solution to the oldest of all paradoxical riddles will release him. But he must find an answer before he knows the question.Park, Grout, Quiss - no trio could be further apart. But their separate courses are set for collision.Praise for Iain Banks:''The most imaginative novelist of his generation'' The Times''His verve and talent will always be recognised, and his work will always find and enthral new readers'' Ken MacLeod, Guardian''His work was mordant, surreal, and fiercely intelligent''Trade ReviewEstablishes beyond doubt that Iain Banks is a novelist of remarkable talents * Daily Telegraph *A feast of horrors, variously spiced with incest, conspiracy, and cheerful descriptions of torture... fine writing * The Times *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Bridge
Book Synopsis''A stunning book. Banks'' powerful imagination is joined to a rare ability to be truly funny while exploring a nightmare world'' Sunday Times A man lies in a coma after a near-fatal accident. His body broken, his memory vanished, he finds himself in the surreal world of the bridge - a world free of the usual constraints of time and space, a world where dream and fantasy, past and future, fuse. Who is this man? Where is he? Is he more dead than alive? Or has he never been so alive before?Praise for Iain Banks:''The most imaginative novelist of his generation'' The Times''His verve and talent will always be recognised, and his work will always find and enthral new readers'' Ken MacLeod, Guardian''His work was mordant, surreal, and fiercely intelligent'' Neil Gaiman''An exceptional wordsmith'' ScotsmanTrade ReviewGreat artistry, great virtuosity... great exuberance * New Statesman *The Bridge is serious, but playful; it is full of throwaway jokes, minor tangles for the reader/writer to sort out, political/cultural references to the kind of reality that rarely gets into British literature, and nuggets of surprising truth juxtaposed with outrageous lies... convincing in a way too little fantasy or mainstream literature is * City Limits *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Canal Dreams
Book Synopsis''Banks once again demonstrates his extraordinary dark powers of imagination'' Sunday TimesHisako Onada, world-famous cellist, refuses to fly. And so she travels to Europe as a passenger on a tanker bound through the Panama Canal. But Panama is a country whose politics are as volatile as the local freedom fighters. When Hisako''s ship is captured, it is not long before the atmosphere is as flammable as an oxy-acetylene torch, and the tension as sharp as the spike on the cello...Praise for Iain Banks:''The most imaginative novelist of his generation''The Times''His verve and talent will always be recognised, and his work will always find and enthral new readers'' Ken MacLeod, Guardian''His work was mordant, surreal, and fiercely intelligent'' Neil Gaiman''An exceptional wordsmith''ScotsmanTrade ReviewExtraordinary, brilliant, bloody * Fay Weldon *Currents of dark wit swirl through Banks' writing, enriching its buoyancy... and, like Graham Greene, he can readily open the reader's senses to the 'foreignness' of places * Scotland on Sunday *Short, compact and brilliantly crafted * Scotsman *His technical facility with language now matches his instinct for storytelling, and the combination makes him one of the best British novelists * Guardian *What makes Banks a significant novelist is the love and effort that go into his works, and his acute sense of the ways in which people can suffer * Independent on Sunday *Banks is a phenomenon: the wildly successful, fearlessly creative author of brilliant and disturbing non-genre novels (The Wasp Factory, Complicity), he's equally at home writing pure science fiction (like Feersum Endjinn) of a peculiarly gnarly energy and elegance. I suspect we have actual laws against this sort of thing in the United States, but Iain Banks, with the "M" or without, is currently a legal import * William Gibson *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Transition
Book Synopsis''A book that makes you look at the world around you in a different light... properly thrilling'' Independent on Sunday Imagine a world that is one of infinite parallel worlds, between the dismantling of the Wall and the fall of the Twin Towers, in the shadow of suicide terrorism and financial collapse. Presiding over this world is the Concern, an all-powerful organisation whose operatives possess extraordinary powers. There is Temudjin Oh, an unkillable assassin who journeys from the high passes of Nepal to a version of Victorian London or a wintry Venice; Adrian Cubbish, restlessly greedy City trader; and the Philosopher, a state-sponsored torturer who moves between the time zones with sinister ease. Transition is a high-definition, hyper-real apocalyptic fable for terrible times.Praise for Iain Banks:''The most imaginative novelist of his generation'' The Times''His verve and talent will always be r
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon
Book SynopsisTHE FOURTEENTH BOOK IN THE BELOVED NO. 1 LADIES'' DETECTIVE AGENCY SERIESThe one with the one hundred per cent new addition . . . There are joyful tidings at the No. 1 Ladies'' Detective Agency with the arrival of Mma Makutsi''s baby. However, while her assistant is busy with motherhood, Mma Ramotswe must tackle tea-making and detective work alone. Well-known troublemaker Violet Sephotho may or may not be behind a smear campaign against the Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon, and a dispute over the will of a local dignitary points to a shocking family secret. But the agency is resilient, adaptable and open to useful lessons - in particular, that our enemies and allies are not always obvious.Trade ReviewBlake may have been able to see the world in a grain of sand, but McCall Smith can encapsulate the human condition in a plate of stewed pumpkin. His talent is to see the god in small things * Sunday Times Scotland *The magnificent Mma Ramotswe is a delightful original and a reminder of a calm, leisured way of life that still exists in parts of post-colonial Africa * Guardian *Unalloyed pleasure * Sunday Telegraph *A small slice of heaven * Scotsman *
£8.99
Little, Brown Book Group The Hive
Book SynopsisIt''s the start of another school year at St Ambrose. But while the children are in the classroom colouring in, their mothers are learning sharper lessons on the other side of the school gates. Lessons in friendship. Lessons in betrayal. Lessons in the laws of community, the transience of power... and how to get invited to lunch.Beatrice - undisputed queen bee. Ruler, by Divine Right, of all school fund-raising, this year, last year and, surely, for many years to come.Heather - desperate to volunteer, desperate to be noticed, desperate just to belong.Georgie - desperate for a fag.And Rachel - watching them all, keeping her distance. But soon to discover that the line between amused observer and miserable outcast is a thin one.Wickedly funny and brilliantly observed, The Hive is a fascinating and subtle story about group politics and female friendship. From the joys and perils (well, mainly perils) of the Lun
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Sunday Philosophy Club
Book SynopsisBOOK ONE IN THE MUCH-LOVED ISABEL DALHOUSIE SERIESIsabel Dalhousie knows that behind Edinburgh''s Georgian facades, its moral compasses spin with greed, dishonesty and lust. As a philosopher, editor of the Review of Applied Ethics and founder of the Sunday Philosophy Club, her business is to map the intricacies of human behaviour. But when she sees a man tumble from the balcony at the Usher Hall, it''s her instinct that tells her strongly that he didn''t fall: he was pushed. Isabel turns amateur sleuth in a bid to solve the mystery of the falling man, and what she lacks in official status she makes up for in contacts and informants, including her housekeeper Grace, her beautiful niece Cat, and Cat''s ex-boyfriend Jamie, whose charms are causing Isabel to review her own ethics.PRAISE FOR THE ISABEL DALHOUSIE NOVELS:''Isabel Dalhousie''s charm is undeniable'' Sunday Times''The No. 2 Lady Detective . . . anyone who Trade ReviewBrimming with Discreet charm * Mail on Sunday *Like [Barbara] Pym, McCall Smith believes that the small stuff in life matters * Scotsman *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Friends Lovers Chocolate
Book SynopsisIsabel Dalhousie thinks often of friends, sometimes of lovers, and on occasion of chocolate. As an Edinburgh philosopher she is certain of where she stands. She can review a book called In Praise of Sin with panache and conviction, but real life is . . . well, perhaps a bit more challenging - particularly when it comes to her feelings for Jamie, a younger man who should have married her niece, Cat. Jamie''s handsomeness leaves Isabel feeling distinctly uneasy, and ethically disturbed. ''I am a philosopher'', she thinks, ''but I am also a woman''. And more disturbance is in store. When Cat takes a break in Italy, Isabel agrees to run her delicatessen. One of the customers, she discovers, has recently had a heart transplant and is now being plagued by memories that cannot be rationally explained and which he feels do not belong to him. Isabel is intrigued. So intrigued that she finds herself rushing headlong into a dangerous investigation. But she still has time to think about the thingsTrade ReviewLike [Barbara] Pym, McCall Smith believes that the small stuff in life matters * Scotsman *Brimming with discreet charm * Mail on Sunday *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group McCall Smith A Careful Use Of Compliments
Book SynopsisFor philosophically minded Isabel Dalhousie, editor of the Review of Applied Ethics, getting through life with a clear conscience requires careful thought. And with the arrival of baby Charlie, not to mention a passionate relationship with his father Jamie, fourteen years her junior, Isabel enters deeper and rougher waters. Late motherhood is not the only challenge facing Isabel. Even as she negotiates a truce with her furious niece Cat, and struggles for authority over her son with her formidable housekeeper Grace, Isabel finds herself drawn into the story of a painter''s mysterious death off the island of Jura. Perhaps most seriously of all, Isabel''s professional existence and that of her beloved Review come under attack from the machiavellian and suspiciously handsome Professor Dove. A master storyteller whether debating ethics in Edinburgh or pursuing lady detectives in Africa, here Alexander McCall Smith is as witty and wise as his irresistibly spirited heroine.<
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The May Bride
Book SynopsisI didn''t stand a chance: looking back over thirteen years, that''s what I see. In the very first instant, I was won over, and of course I was: I was fifteen and had been nowhere and done nothing, whereas Katherine was twenty-one and yellow-silk-clad and just married to the golden boy...Jane Seymour is a shy, dutiful fifteen-year-old when her eldest brother, Edward, brings his bride home to Wolf Hall. Katherine Filliol is the perfect match for Edward, as well as being a breath of fresh air for the Seymour family, and Jane is captivated by the older girl. Over the course of a long, hot country summer, the two become close friends and allies, while Edward is busy building alliances at court and advancing his career.However, only two years later, the family is torn apart by a dreadful allegation made by Edward against his wife. The repercussions for all the Seymours are incalculable, not least for Katherine herself. When Jane is sent away, to serve Katharine of ATrade Review[The May Bride] gives the doomed Jane a new and fresh voice, with plenty of fascinating period detail * Sunday Mirror *A cut above the rest * Independent *Thoughtful and original . . . Dunn's writing is sharp and often surprising and her characterisation is excellent * History Today *Frankly, I'm tiring of the Tudor industry - but this delightful novel stands out from the mob . . . Dunn lights up one of history's forgotten corners -- Kate Saunders * Saga *Dunn skilfully transports the reader to the oppressive atmosphere of Wolf Hall, seat of the Seymour family in Tudor England, and the heavy-handedness with which men treat their womenfolk * Lady *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Plague and Cholera
Book SynopsisParis, May 1940. Nazi troops storm the city and at Le Bourget airport, on the last flight out, sits Dr Alexandre Yersin, his gaze politely turned away from his fellow passengers with their jewels sewn into their luggage. He is too old for the combat ahead, and besides he has already saved millions of lives. When he was the brilliant young protégé of Louis Pasteur, he focused his exceptional mind on a great medical conundrum: in 1894, on a Hong Kong hospital forecourt, he identified and vaccinated against bubonic plague, later named in his honour Yersinia pestis.Swiss by birth and trained in Germany and France, Yersin is the son of empiricism and endeavour; but he has a romantic hunger for adventure, fuelled by tales of Livingstone and Conrad, and sets sail for Asia. A true traveller of the century, he wishes to comprehend the universe. Medicine, agriculture, the engine of the new automobile, all must be opened up, examined Trade ReviewA fascinating novel about one of the undercelebrated heroes of science * The Times *Cool, clever . . . unlike anything I've read for a long time and something genuinely out of the ordinary -- Richard Benson * Big Issue *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group A Private Place
Book SynopsisKnotshead is a school catering for the children of the rich, famous, liberal - and deluded. With its progressive curriculum, complacent staff and beautiful grounds, it looks like Paradise. But the clever, the odd and the bookish are relentlessly persecuted as pupils make their own rules in a bubble of privilege and prejudice. When Alice, the Headmaster''s intellectual step-daughter, and the much-expelled American millionaire Winthrop T Sheen join forces against the school bully, Grub Viner, a gifted pianist and school joker, has to choose between love and loyalty, and black comedy escalates to murder.Trade ReviewA genuinely gripping novel * Spectator *A genuinely gripping novel * Spectator *A viciously clever satire on progressive schools . . . Will cause distress in liberal circles * Independent *A viciously clever satire on progressive schools . . . Will cause distress in liberal circles * Independent *Bitingly funny and horribly accurate * Telegraph *Bitingly funny and horribly accurate * Telegraph *Craig writes with ruthless honesty and jet black wit * Cosmopolitan *Craig writes with ruthless honesty and jet black wit * Cosmopolitan *
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group One More Thing
Book SynopsisA boy wins $100,000 in a box of Frosted Flakes - only to discover that claiming the winnings may unravel his family. An acclaimed ambulance driver seeks the courage to follow his heart and throw it all away to be a singer-songwriter. A school principal unveils a bold plan to permanently abolish arithmetic. A new arrival in heaven, overwhelmed by infinite options, procrastinates over his long-ago promise to visit his grandmother. We meet a vengeance-minded hare. We learn why wearing a red T-shirt is the key to finding love; how February got its name; and why the stock market is sometimes just . . . down.Finding inspiration in questions from the nature of perfection to the icing on carrot cake, from the deeply familiar to the intoxicatingly imaginative, ONE MORE THING finds its heart in the most human of phenomena: love, fear, family, ambition, and the inner stirring for the one elusive element that might make a person complete. The stories in this collection are like nothing Trade ReviewPlayful and inventive ... One More Thing is a special read Shortlist A teller of funny, skew-whiff tales ... Novak has, like, totally been compared to David Sedaris and Woody Allen, which is insane but also kinda true New Statesman Lively, sweet-natured ... Novak is best when he reaches beyond a punchline... My favourite piece, 'Dark Matter'... feels profound Sunday Telegraph One More Thing is very funny ... Novak adds emotional depth to some well-crafted, often explosive pay-offs Financial Times Remarkably good. There's a wildly eclectic range on display, from personal meditations to flights of absurdist whimsy Guardian Brilliant surreal stories, full of unexpected twists and turns The List B.J. blew me away. He just keeps kicking short fiction in the rear, making it run ahead clutching its ass, and then he runs up and kicks it some more, and the result is one of the most aggressively, insanely awesome debuts in a while Gary Shteyngart, author of Super Sad True Love Story Everyone knew that B.J. Novak was smart and sexy, but funny, too!? Wow, screw that guy. I haven't laughed at words this hard since I read Joshua Ferris author of The Unnamed and Then We Came to the End ONE MORE THING is a funny and inventive debut collection, infused with a deadpan absurdist wit reminiscent of Woody Allen and Ian Frazier. B.J. Novak's stories are sly and playful, but they can pack a real emotional wallop Tom Perrotta, author of Nine Inches Dark and hilarious, like the fudge Grandma used to make during her 'special' period. Deliciously funny! Jack Handey, author of Deep Thoughts and The Stench of Honolulu A funny writer with a great ear, but also a genuine storyteller with an observant eye and finely tuned emotional radar New York Times - Michiko Kakutani
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Berties Guide to Life and Mothers
Book SynopsisAs summer blooms in Edinburgh''s gardens and Bertie Pollock''s birthday appears on the horizon, all at 44 Scotland Street is not cake and sunshine. Newlywed Angus Lordie has been booked by his bride into what he must not call the loony bin; Bruce''s first encounter with hot wax brings more anguish than he bargained for; and Bertie''s birthday dreams of scout camp and a penknife look set to be replaced by a game of Royal Weddings and a gender-neutral doll. But fate, an amorous Bedouin and the Dubai Tourist Authority conspire to transport Bertie''s mother Irene to a warmer - if not a better - place, and once again in Scotland Street the triumph of human kindness over adversity gives cause for celebration.Trade ReviewFor an author to entertain and instruct with such effortless simplicity is one thing, but to achieve this effect upon readers is remarkable. I can think of no author save Dickens who has achieved it, and no author now writing currently more deserving of an enormous audience * New Statesman *Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers lets us immediately relax, secure in the knowledge that we are in a safe pair of hands as McCall Smith is an engaging and a witty guide to the goings on (and comings off) at fictional 44 Scotland Street * Sunday Express *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Girl Who Wasnt There
Book SynopsisA smart, chilling tale of truth, deception and the reach of the law, THE GIRL WHO WASN'T THERE is the latest crime thriller from the acclaimed author of The Collini Case, a Waterstones Book Club pick.
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Expatriates
Book SynopsisA MAJOR AMAZON PRIME TV SERIES RELEASING 24TH JANUARY 2024, STARRING NICOLE KIDMAN, SARAYU BLUE AND JI-YOUNG YOO.I raced through this enthralling story'' Liane Moriarty''Brilliantly plotted and written, utterly absorbing'' Daily Mail''An emotionally gripping page-turner'' ElleFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Piano Teacher, a searing novel of marriage, motherhood and the search for connection far from home.Expats come to the glittering city of Hong Kong for myriad reasons - to find or lose themselves in a foreign place, and to forget or remake themselves far from home. Three women''s lives to collide in ways that rewrite every assumption of their privileged world:Mercy, a young Korean American and recent Columbia graduate, once again finds herself compromised and adrift, trying to start her life anew.Hilary, a wealthy housewife,Trade ReviewI raced through this enthralling story of three very different American women living in the same small expat community in Hong Kong. One devastating moment has irreversible consequences for all three. I kept saying 'no, no, no' as I read the description of that moment. My husband said, 'What?' - and I said, 'Be quiet. Let me read.' * Liane Moriarty *A female, funny Henry James in Asia, Janice Y. K. Lee is vividly good on the subject of Americans abroad...vibrant social satire: Inside these dark materials lies the sharpness of a comic novelist, and Lee's eye for the nuance and clash of culture, class, race and sex is subtle and shrewd * New York Times Book Review *Brilliantly plotted and written, utterly absorbing, often heartbreaking, The Expatriates looks set to be one of the books of the year * Daily Mail *An emotionally gripping page-turner * Elle *We found ourselves racing through this exotic, sexy, heartbreaking book. . . . We couldn't wait to find out what happens to each of the women * Glamour *Beautiful and heartbreaking * Hello *We imagine we know these [expatriate] women, who are distanced from their work, friends, and family, but we don't. Janice Y. K. Lee does. Set in Hong Kong, The Expatriates looks inside the lives of three women . . . all in crisis, all needing one another in ways they, and we, can't imagine * Vanity Fair *Gorgeously wrought * Marie Claire *Irresistible . . . Lee's wizardry is her ability to whip drama, pathos and humor into a scrumptious page-turning blend. * USA Today, 4/4 stars *Lee has written a book that manages to shine a penetrating light on both the ups and downs of the expat experience and the resilience of human spirit...A perceptive and compelling tale. By laying bare three lives and dishing out a series of hard knocks, Janice Lee expertly demonstrates how "small decisions lead to big effects" * Literary Review *Lee excels at conveying the claustrophobic atmosphere of expat life. Despite their various degrees of privilege and wealth, Hilary, Margaret and Mercy are all forced to operate within a tight framework of expectations. . . shrewd and moving -- Anna James * Financial Times *A remarkably touching and quite, quite beautiful read. Set in Hong Kong, the prologue is teeming with people making their way to this remarkable city...Janice Y. K. Lee writes with an exquisite, startling intensity...There is a real depth and energy to the writing, yet the thread of compassion that weaves through the pages ensures a delicate balance. The Expatriates' is wonderfully fascinating, compelling and profound, and I absolutely loved it * Lovereading, January 2016 Book of the Month *Offers sharp insights into the tensions between moneyed expats and the impoverished locals who serve them * People, “The Best New Books” *One chief pleasure of The Expatriates is watching how the lives of Hilary, Mercy and Margaret converge and are changed by that convergence, and how they each metabolize grief. A more subtle yet lingering benefit is getting to know Lee's acutely observed Hong Kong, a city on the cusp of change that must eventually affect the lives of expatriates and locals alike * Los Angeles Times *Powerful [and] nuanced . . . poignant and compelling . . . The Expatriates moves with urgency, but also takes time to slowly reveal a complex story. Lee's storytelling is intricate, precise and rich enough to keep the reader seduced until the end * Seattle Times *Janice Y. K. Lee nails family drama and gentrified Hong Kong * New York Magazine *A novel about displacement and belonging . . . A thoughtful portrait of motherhood trade-offs, the book also offers sharp insights into the tensions between moneyed expats and the impoverished locals who serve them * People, 'The Best New Books' *
£8.54
Little, Brown Book Group Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist
Book SynopsisA TIME Magazine Best Book of 2016An Amazon Best Book of 2016A heart-stopping debut about protest and riot . . . 1999. Victor, homeless after a family tragedy, finds himself pounding the streets of Seattle with little meaning or purpose. He is the estranged son of the police chief of the city, and today his father is in charge of one of the largest protests in the history of Western democracy. But in a matter of hours reality will become a nightmare. Hordes of protesters - from all sections of society - will test the patience of the city''s police force, and lives will be altered forever: two armed police officers will struggle to keep calm amid the threat of violence; a protester with a murderous past will make an unforgivable mistake; and a delegate from Sri Lanka will do whatever it takes to make it through the crowd to a meeting - a meeting that could dramatically change the fate of his country. In amongst the fray, Victor and his father are heTrade ReviewA gorgeous riot against injustice * Guardian *Huge ambition . . . impressive * Sunday Times *Yapa writes like a pro * Independent *Beautifully written. Astonishing * Elle *Yapa shines in the thickness of the here-and-now, amid the gas, fear, courage and flawed humanity of the street battle, in passages that are cinematic . . . moving * New York Times *Fast-paced and unflinching . . . As these characters encounter one another in a fog of tear gas and pepper spray, Yapa vividly evokes rage and compassion * New Yorker *A vital, powerful read, Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist is an absorbing, multifaceted, acutely hopeful novel * Patrick deWitt, author of The Sisters Brothers, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize *A great wrenching beautiful book * Laline Paull, author of The Bees, shortlisted for the Baileys Prize for Fiction *A symphony of a novel. In the contemporary tradition of Aleksandar Hemon and Philipp Meyer, with echoes of Michael Ondaatje and Arundhati Roy, Yapa strides forward with a literary molotov cocktail to light up the dark * Colum McCann, National Book Award-winning author of Let the Great World Spin *Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of Fist is an enthralling street-level vision of the 1999 WTO riots, a story visceral, horrifying harrowing, and often heroic. But above all, this book is a full-throated chorus of voices on all sides - protestors, cops, delegates, politicians, and ramblers - as democracy runs headlong into the machinery of global power. Sunil Yapa has achieved something special, a story that is as tragic as it is relevant, as unflinching as it is humane. Watch out * Smith Henderson, author of Fourth of July Creek *Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist is a stunningly orchestrated work of narrative power. This novel marshals all the vital forces of our existence - from the domestic to the political - and offers them to the reader with equal doses of compassion and beauty * Dinaw Mengestu, author of All Our Names *There is nothing to say about Sunil Yapa's debut novel that its wonderful title doesn't already promise - its heart beats and bleeds on every page, in prose so powerful it feels built of muscle and tissue and sinew and sweat. This book is delightfully, forcefully alive, and I feel more alive for having read it * Eleanor Henderson, author of Ten Thousand Saints *Explosive * Entertainment Weekly *An achingly compassionate fiction debut * Oprah Magazine *Yapa's lyrical prose brings the conflicted internal lives of a multitude of characters vividly to the page * Scotsman *Electrifying . . . will make you think and feel * Good Housekeeping *As electric a novel as I've ever read * Esquire *Sunil Yapa is a writer of great compassion * NPR *Chilling . . . A memorable, pulse-pounding literary experience * Publisher’s Weekly *[A] gripping debut . . . Yapa is a skilled storyteller, revealing just enough about his characters and the direction of his plot to engage his readers, yet effectively building dramatic impact by withholding certain key details. In the style of Colum McCann's Let the Great World Spin, Yapa ties together seemingly disparate characters and narratives through a charged moment in history, showing how it still affects us all in different ways * Booklist *Yapa's writing is visceral and unsparing. Noteworthy, capital-I Important and a ripping read, his novel will be on many "best" lists in 2016 * Library Journal (Starred Review) *A fantastic debut novel . . . What is so enthralling about this novel is its syncopated riff of empathy as the perspective jumps around these participants - some peaceful, some violent, some determined, some incredulous . . . Yapa creates a fluid sense of the riot as it washes over the city. Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist ultimately does for WTO protests what Norman Mailer's Armies of the Night did for the 1967 March on the Pentagon, gathering that confrontation in competing visions of what happened and what it meant * Ron Charles, Washington Post *If you're looking for a novel that moves with heat this winter, look no further * Flavorwire *The energy and sheer humanity of Sunil Yapa's debut will grab you, wrap you in, and won't let you go - and that's just the start of why you're going to love this. Seven characters narrate this charged book, which centers on a protest. It's so layered, you'll finish this wondering how Yapa pulled off what he did * Bustle *An open-armed love letter to humanity, this glorious novel loops around a burning center encompassing the warmth of parents and the coolness of patriarchy. Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist will compel you to look and then to witness. 'We are mad with hope' the narrator says early on, and by the end the reader is too * Tiphanie Yanique, author of Land of Love and Drowning *In this beautifully written, kaleidoscopically shifting novel . . . Yapa penetrates to the human connections and disconnections at play between the lines of history in the era of the global village * Chicago Tribune *It's not often that a novel takes a fraught event from the recent past, one that most of us only experienced in the flash of the cable news cycle or the static of print headlines, and imbues it with so much heart and soul that we do something we almost never do in the constant crush forward and faster - we pause and reconsider. That is the power of literature. Sunil Yapa's Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist does just this for the momentous protests of the 1999 World Trade Organization's (WTO) . . . Yapa does a heroic job of journeying into the heart of this complex set of events, illustrating how they grow out of and impact the character's lives. And while the heart may be the size of a fist, here it paradoxically seems to encompass the whole world and all of its citizens, who pulse with its every beat * The Rumpus *[A] gripping, profoundly humane first novel . . . An absolutely compelling read * Bookpage *Like magic, Yapa uses this handful of perspectives to create snapshots that allow the reader to imagine who else was there that day and what they were doing, thinking, and feeling . . . I can't imagine a better book to have kicked off my year in reading * Bookriot *Yapa's melding of fact and fiction, human frailty and geopolitics, is a genuine tour de force, and an exciting literary debut * Seattle Times *
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Little, Brown Book Group The Slaves of Solitude
Book Synopsis''All his novels are terrific, but this one is my favourite'' Sarah WatersPatrick Hamilton''s novels were the inspiration for Matthew Bourne''s new dance theatre production, The Midnight Bell.Measuring out the wartime days in a small town on the Thames, Miss Roach is not unattractive but no longer quite young. The Rosamund Tea Rooms boarding house, where she lives with half a dozen others, is as grey and lonely as its residents. For Miss Roach, ''slave of her task-master, solitude'', a shaft of not altogether welcome light is suddenly beamed upon her, with the appearance of a charismatic and emotional American Lieutenant. With him comes change - tipping the precariously balanced society of the house and presenting Miss Roach herself with a dilemma.Trade ReviewDark, hilarious & utterly brilliant -- Val Hennessy * Daily Mail *Patrick Hamilton's tale of life in a wartime boarding house strikes the perfect balance between poignancy and dark hilarity -- Rachel Cooke * Guardian *A claustrophobic, drily comic classic -- Fiona Wilson * The Times *
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Little, Brown Book Group The Dog Who Dared to Dream
Book SynopsisFROM THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR SUN-MI HWANG This is the story of a dog named Scraggly. Born an outsider because of her distinctive appearance, she spends most of her days in the sun-filled yard of her owner''s house. Scraggly has dreams and aspirations just like the rest of us. But each winter, dark clouds descend and Scraggly is faced with challenges that she must overcome. Through the clouds and even beyond the gates of her owner''s yard lies the possibility of friendship, motherhood and happiness - they are for the taking if Scraggly can just hold on to them, bring them home and build the life she so desperately desires. The Dog Who Dared to Dream is a wise tale of the relationship between dog and man, as well as a celebration of a life lived with courage. Translated into English for the first time, it is a classic from Sun-mi Hwang, the international bestselling author.Trade ReviewBewitching ... a fabular bestseller ... will make grown men and women cry Independent on The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly I was completely sucked into this story bursting with originality ... an instant classic Guardian on The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly An adroit allegory about life ... in the vein of classics like Charlotte's Web and Jonathan Livingston Seagull ... A subtle morality tale that will appeal to readers of all ages Kirkus Reviews on The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly A very special little book. I absolutely loved it, and I find myself still thinking about Sprout. She embodies all the best characteristics of deep-hearted mother-love: loyalty, sacrifice, and courage Lisa See, author of the New York Times bestsellers Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Peony in Love, and Shanghai Girls on The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly Sometimes the simplest character, expressed in the sparest prose, embarks upon life's most heroic journey. Meet Sprout, a plucky hen whose modest dream to hatch a single egg will take her down a path that leads to her true place in the natural world. Heart, determination, and empathy are the only skills Sprout needs to navigate this perilous passage in Sun-mi Hwang's lovely The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly, a novel uniquely poised at the nexus of fable, philosophy, children's literature, and nature writing Adam Johnson, author of the Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestseller The Orphan Master's Son on The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly Everything wonderful about the world is contained in this small gem of a novel, which brims with dream-fulfilling adventures and the longing that underlies love Kyung-sook Shin, New York Times bestselling author of Please Look After Mom on The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly [A] simply told but absorbing fable ... Spare but evocative line drawings ... add to the subtle charm Publishers Weekly on The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly Recalling Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1970), this slim but powerful tale will resonate with readers of all ages, who can take it at face value or delve deeper into its meditations on living courageously and facing mortality... The English translation moves smoothly and straightforwardly and is aided by graceful black-and-white illustrations Booklist on The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly
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Little, Brown Book Group The Dry
Book SynopsisIn a town without rain, some secrets are never washed away...Trade ReviewMy crime novel of the year is Jane Harper's The Dry...The savage beauty of the landscape makes an unforgettable setting' * Joan Smith, Sunday Times Crime Book of the Year 2017 *A book that has atmosphere to spare, as well as a pleasing number of twists and turns. Elegant and gripping * Ian Rankin, Guardian Best Books of 2017 *Australian first-timer Jane Harper suggested a potential torrent of talent with The Dry, in which a man returns to the outback town from which he had been summarily exiled as a teenager. He is there to attend the funeral of a childhood best mate who is believed to have killed his wife and son, before turning the gun on himself. But the case is clearly not as simple as that and, in the tense setting of a landcape where it hasn't rained for two years, Harper slowly but thrillingly reveals where the truth lies. * Mark Lawson, Guardian Best Crime Books and Thrillers of 2017 *Jane Harper's The Dry has a protagonist returning from a self-imposed exile to a tiny hometown riven with fear, though the backdrop here is the drought-plagued Australian outback. Harper depicts it so well that the book would have reduced me to a sweaty, crumpled heap on the floor had I not been energised by her diabolically clever plotting * Jake Kerridge, the Best Thrillers and Crime Fiction of 2017, Telegraph *It is hard to believe that this accomplished piece of writing, which returns again and again to the savage beauty of the landscape, is Harper's first novel * Sunday Times, Crime Book of the Month January 2017 *Harper's debut novel is The Dry, a crime thriller making its way up The Sunday Times Bestsellers charts as steadily as the mercury rises each day in the stricken agricultural town of Kiewarra, in which it is set...It feels like an Ur-Australian novel, a whodunit that evokes the punishing landscape and searing aridity so convincingly, you expect a heat haze to shimmer above the page -- Patricia Nichol * Culture, Sunday Times *Wonderfully atmospheric, The Dry is both a riveting murder mystery and a beautifully wrought picture of a rural community under extreme pressure * Mail on Sunday Thriller of the Week, January 2017 *I devoured it in just over 24 hours...Spellbinding * Ian Rankin *A stunningly atmospheric read * Val McDermid, bestselling author of Out of Bounds *A cracking small-town thriller wound tight by desperation in a deadly Australian drought * Hilary Spurling, Spectator Books of the Year *An award-winner in its native Australia, in this first book from journalist Harper a local cop investigates the murder of a family in a small town enduring the worst drought in 100 years. This could be the start of an Antipodean wave that will overtake Scandi noir -- Nick Curtis * Evening Standard, The Most Talked About Books of the Summer *This superb debut from a British-born, Australia-based journalist grips like a vice from the first paragraph to the last, atmospherically evoking the isolated town of Kiewarra, outside Melbourne, which has been rocked by a horrific murder/suicide...Told with heartbreaking precision and extraordinary emotional power, it reveals the prejudices, secrets and lies of small-town life against the background of emotions inflamed by heat * Daily Mail, Best Books for the Summer 2017 *The writing is fantastic, and the plot - where many mystery/thrillers fall short these days - was completely unpredictable in the best ways possible... Aaron Falk, returns to his hometown in Australia to mourn, and inevitably investigate, his best friend's apparent suicide. What comes next is a series of twists and turns that will keep you guessing all the way until the end. I repeatedly found myself shocked and pulled in by Harper's fast paced and engrossing writing. Truly a fantastic read and hopefully the first of many to come from Ms. Harper * An Amazon Best Book of January 2017, Amazon.com *A sad, beautifully told tale of lives regretted * The Times *'Jane Harper's fleet novel about a triple killing is packed with sneaky moves and teasing possibilities that keep the reader guessing...The Dry is a breathless page-turner...The dryness that gives the book its eerie title looms large in the novel's finale, when certain kinds of weapons become even more terrible than those used to butcher the Hadlers...The Dry has caught the attention of Reese Witherspoon, who has a solid track record for spotting novels with strong movie potential. (Want some evidence? Gone Girl.) But Ms Hadler has made her own major mark long before any film version comes along -- Janet Maslin * New York Times *Read The Dry by Jane Harper. Gripping murder mystery; brilliant sense of place * India Knight, Sunday Times magazine *Praise for this book has been 'resounding', and rightly so: it's truly 'remarkable'. Exploring the tensions of small-town life and 'the limits of human endurance', The Dry is a 'chilling murder mystery', said The Mail on Sunday * The Week *Solid storytelling that, despite a plethora of flashbacks, never loses momentum, strong characterisation and a sense of place so vivid that you can almost feel the blistering heat add up to a remarkably assured debut * Laura Wilson, Guardian *One of the most assured crime debuts I've encountered in many years . . . It grips like a vice from first paragraph to last, atmospherically evoking the small town of Kiewarra . . . Told with heart-breaking precision and emotional power . . . If you read only one crime novel this year make it this one * Daily Mail *Like True Detective set in the Australian outback...Amid the worst drought in a century, the tension and stifling heat running through the small town of Kiewarra crackle off the pages * Stylist magazine, this month's most exciting new novels *Set in a small Australian town during a blistering drought, this creepy and tightly woven tale about a detective investigating a brutal triple-murder is getting huge global attention for all the right reasons - it's brilliant! * Heat magazine *Pulse-thumping suspense... Building from the first page, rammed with atmosphere, suspicions, lies and tension, this is a first-class crime debut' * Fanny Blake's Great Reads, Woman & Home *Harper brilliantly captures the claustrophobia of small-town Australia during a relentless drought. This is an eminently readable debut with characters you'll love and characters you'll love to hate * Express *Settle in a comfy chair and read . . . The Dry by Jane Harper. This gripping novel charts a policeman's unwilling participation in the investigation of a terrible murder in the town of his youth, and is set to be the biggest crime release of 2017 * GQ magazine *Tipped to be one of the biggest novels of the year . . .a gripping read * Hello magazine *A welcome antidote to all those Nordic crime novels that make you feel the cold in your bones, this excellent debut set in the Australian outback had me constantly wiping the sweat from my forehead * Sunday Express *From the searing opening, heat, dust and tension rise from the pages of this fast moving, tightly plotted and involving thriller * Choice *The earth is like a tinderbox, animals lie dead in the fields and the rolling river where Aaron and his friends use to swim and hang out is "nothing more than a dusty scar in the land"...The denouement yet again brings us face to face with the pitiless heat and its ramifications...Skilfully written and absorbing * Financial Times *I can't remember another first novel that was greeted with such unanimous enthusiasm from readers and reviewers all over the world...I share the universal approval of this book: it is gripping, atmospheric and original * Literary Review *Jane Harper creates an atmosphere of simmering tension right from the off. Her version of High Noon in the Outback flickers between past and present to slowly reveal what actually happened between characters who are far more engaging than the cogs usually found in clockwork thrillers * Evening Standard *One of the most stunning debuts I've ever read. I could feel the searing heat of the Australia setting. Every word is near perfect. The story builds like a wave seeking the purchase of earth before it crashes down and wipes out everything you might have thought about this enthralling tale. Read it! * David Baldacci *One of the best crime debuts of 2017 - literary Broadchurch meets Top of the Lake * Joseph Knox, author of Sirens *There is something about isolated communities and secrets and lies that just really intrigues me and this is one heck of a thriller with all of those things and more . . . [this thriller] slowly bubbles like a pan on a stove and you think you can guess the moment when the pan lid is just going to explode. But it's only been a little while since the water started to bubble, it'll be ages yet.....then BOOM. I had my eye on that pan lid from the start and I didn't guess what would happen. My heart is still beating like mad days after finishing the book * The Book Trail (via NetGalley) *You can almost feel the searing heat of the Australian drought in this intense, gripping, atmospheric tale. A compulsive read. * Kate Hamer, bestselling author of The Girl in the Red Coat *Put up your tray table, buckle your seatbelt, and sit back: you've found the right book for this flight. Set in the flash-ready tinder of a town going under, The Dry is a cracking good read that will have you hoping the pilot decides to circle the airport before landing. A hit by land or air. * Laura McBride, author of We Are Called to Rise *You will feel the heat, taste the dust and blink into the glare. The Dry is a wonderful crime novel that shines a light into the darkest corner of a sunburnt country * Michael Robotham, CWA Gold Dagger Winner, bestselling author of Life or Death *Every so often a debut novel arrives that is so tightly woven and compelling it seems the work of a novelist in her prime. That's what Jane Harper has given us with The Dry, a story so true to setting and tone it seemed I fell asleep in Virginia only to wake in Australian heat. It's rare, that sense of transportation, and I loved every minute of it * John Hart, New York Times bestselling author of Redemption Road *Terrific characters, unique and evocative setting, knockout plot construction. This book has it all * John Lescroart, New York Times bestselling author of The Fall *Every now and then an Australian crime novel comes along to stop your breath and haunt your dreams...There is about The Dry something mythic and valiant. This a story about heroism, the sins of the past, and the struggle to atone * Sydney Morning Herald *[A] devastating debut...From the ominous opening paragraphs, all the more chilling for their matter-of-factness, Harper ...spins a suspenseful tale of sound and fury as riveting as it is horrific * Publishers Weekly, starred review *A mystery that starts with a sad homecoming quickly turns into a nail-biting thriller about family, friends, and forensic accounting. Debut author Harper plots this novel with laser precision, keeping suspects in play while dropping in flashbacks that offer readers a full understanding of what really happened. The setting adds layers of meaning. Kiewarra is suffering an epic drought, and Luke's suicide could easily be explained by the failure of his farm. The risk of wildfire, especially in a broken community rife with poverty and alcoholism, keeps nerves strung taut... A chilling story set under a blistering sun, this fine debut will keep readers on edge and awake long past bedtime * Kirkus, starred review *A stunner...It's a small-town, big-secrets page-turner with a shocker of an ending... * Booklist, starred review *The Dry is one of the most talked-about debuts of the new year....Harper's story is tightly plotted and moves briskly, the tension as brittle and incendiary as the dried-out crops on the Kiewarra farms. But it is the beautifully evoked landscape and the portrayal of a gloomy outpost on the edge of a desert that are the stars of the show * BookPage *A firecracker debut . . . Journalist Jane Harper proves literary is often mysterious, with her thriller The Dry capturing readers' attention both for its final twist and its depiction of a hostile small Australian town beset by drought * West Australian *It's extremely rare and exciting to read a debut that enthralls from the very first page and then absolutely sticks the landing. Told with heart and guts and an authentic sense of place that simply cannot be faked, The Dry is the debut of the year * C.J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Off The Grid *A razor-sharp crime yarn dripping in the sights, sounds and smells of the Australian bush...The storytelling is accomplished, with a bald sparseness to the writing that draws you in and characterization that rings resoundingly true...as the action twists and turns, the pace build[s] to a fantastic finale that will leave you breathless * Australian Women’s Weekly *A tightly plotted page-turner that kept me reading well into the night...Harper shines a light on the highs and lows of rural life - the loyalty born of collective endurance in adversity, as well as the loneliness and isolation, and the havoc wrought by small-town gossip. She also explores the nature of guilt and regret, and the impact of the past on the present. In this cracker of a book Harper maintains the suspense, with the momentum picking up as it draws to its nerve-wracking conclusion * Australian Financial Review *In this exhilarating debut (which won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an unpublished manuscript), Falk goes back to a town ravaged by feelings of resentment and distrust that are exacerbated by drought . . . A community psychologically and socially damaged, Kiewarra resembles Henry Lawson's bush. Australian novelists such as Harper, in a small and select company, are exploring disquieting, imaginative territories, far from the littoral or metropolis * Weekend Australian *In Jane Harper's debut The Dry, long-held grudges are thrown in the mix to make for an absolute tinderbox - and a cracking read. Harper has delivered a tense, evocative thriller that paints a stark picture of what desperate times can do to a community. She slowly reveals the deep-worn tensions between characters in the small town, and it's this that makes The Dry such a good read . . . tension crackles . . . It's not surprising that Reese Witherspoon's production company, Pacific Standard, has already snapped up film rights for The Dry. It has some decidedly Australian aspects but Harper's basic point - about the desperate things people will do in desperate times - is universal * Adeleide Advertiser *Atmospheric and riveting, this remarkable debut announces a significant new talent * Morning Star *Harper's debut is a superior thriller in which the oppressive heat seems to act like a mirage on the very truth itself * Metro *This fine crime debut is set in the searing heat of an Aussie outback town that's described so well you'll find yourself taking cold showers to wash off the imagined dust and sweat...Plenty of secrets lurking and waiting to be unearthed in this tense yarn which will have you thirsting for answers and chilled at the atmosphere. The Dry's a winner on all levels * Weekend Sport, Five Stars *I share the universal approval of this book: it is gripping, atmospheric and original * Literary Review *Forget gloomy, damp Nordic Noir. This is Aussie Arid...A tense, twisting read that Gone Girl producer Reese Witherspoon has already optioned * Event magazine, Mail on Sunday *Best page-turner of 2017 * Allison Pearson, Telegraph *Harper's sinuous, expertly crafted narrative is always on shifting sand, leaving the reader almost seasick with uncertainty * Paul Connolly, Metro *One of the stand-out crime debuts of 2017 * Guardian *I discovered The Dry by Jane Harper earlier this year and felt the extreme heat and parched earth of the story -- Will Dean, author of Black Pines
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Little, Brown Book Group Force of Nature
Book Synopsis''Once again Harper leaves you gagging to know who did what'' Evening Standard''Places Harper in the elevated company of the authors she most admires: Val McDermid, Gillian Flynn and Lee Child'' Daily Mail''Powerful, intriguing and recommended...Harper is wonderful at evoking fear and unease'' The TimesIs Alice here? Did she make it? Is she safe? In the chaos, in the night, it was impossible to say which of the four had asked after Alice''s welfare. Later, when everything got worse, each would insist it had been them.Five women reluctantly pick up their backpacks and start walking along the muddy track. Only four come out the other side.The hike through the rugged landscape is meant to take the office colleagues out of their air-conditioned comfort zone and teach resilience and team building. At least that is what the corporate retreat website advertises.Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk has a particularly keen interest in the whereabouts of the missing bushwalker. Alice Russell is the whistleblower in his latest case - and Alice knew secrets. About the company she worked for and the people she worked with.Far from the hike encouraging teamwork, the women tell Falk a tale of suspicion, violence and disintegrating trust. And as he delves into the disappearance, it seems some dangers may run far deeper than anyone knew.Trade ReviewJane Harper, the new Queen of Crime...Even more impressive than The Dry...Harper makes it look easy but she has to pace two narratives without giving too much away, creating an almost unbearable level of suspense...Nature is a hostile, unpredictable force in both of Harper's novels, but her brilliance lies in making it into a test of horribly fallible human nature * The Sunday Times *Once again Harper leaves you gagging to know who did what. Once again there are plenty of suspects * Evening Standard *With consummate skill, Harper alternates between Falk's investigation and an account of what happened to the five women on their hike, as they rapidly find that the natural world is out to get them and their relations with each other deteriorate . . . Harper has a fine gift for making her readers comfortable in inhospitable territory - psychological as well as physical -- Jake Kerridge * Daily Telegraph *'The most exciting emerging novelist of the last 12 months...As gripping, atmospheric and ingeniously plotted as The Dry, it places Harper in the elevated company of the authors she most admires: Val McDermid, Gillian Flynn and Lee Child * Mail on Sunday *Powerful, intriguing and recommended...Harper is wonderful at evoking fear and unease, and she draws a mesmeric picture of the terrifying Australian terrain * The Times *Jane Harper brings a potent outsider's eye once again to the uncanniness of the Australian bush . . . Like The Dry, this is a deftly assembled and cleverly paced novel, the characters skillfully and nimbly drawn . . . It's stirring to see a writer racing out of the traps with such confidence and storytelling flair. -- Alasdair Lees * Independent *Jane Harper is more from the Patricia Highsmith and Donna Tartt school of mystery: elegant, intelligent and not for the faint-hearted...As chapters swap between the tense outward-bound weekend (where self-hatred, fear and resentment jostle for position) and its subsequent investigation, Harper creates a claustrophobic page-turner that conjures up that other great Australian mystery, Joan Lindsay's Picnic At Hanging Rock * Emerald St *Five women head out on a camping trip, but only four emerge, bruised and traumatised. What follows is a clever twist on a locked-room mystery, set in a forest as alien and hostile as anything in a fairy tale * Sunday Times *This irresistible thriller is a perfect summer read - and a warning against bonding weekends with colleagues you don't like . . . * Mail on Sunday *Jane Harper has high literary credentials - her debut novel, The Dry, one of the big hits of last year, matched critical acclaim with bestselling sales figures. This second novel is just as good...Landscape is a sinister presence in Harper's novels and here it takes on a powerfully disruptive, psychological force...Harper creates an atmosphere of stifling claustrophobia as the novel inexorably telescopes in...This is that rare thing, a whodunnit where the writing is as satisfying as the thrills * Metro *The delight of this spell-bindingly suspenseful thriller lies in the slow revelation of what really happened to the missing woman...This follow-up novel shows Harper is a crime-writing force to be reckoned with * Sunday Mirror *Force of Nature is Jane Harper's eagerly awaited follow-up to her debut novel The Dry, an international bestseller that has won a string of awards....Harper's writing style has no frills but it is clear and beautifully paced. It makes the bushland come alive and the sense of the wilderness closing in is tangible...This thriller will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck and leave you gripped to the final page * Daily Express *Jane Harper's The Dry was a publisher's dream: a critically acclaimed debut novel that became an immediate best seller. Force of Nature is her follow-up, and it arrives without a trace of sophomore slump; if anything it is a better novel than its predecessor...While the plot unfolds at an expertly controlled pace and is resolved in a satisfyingly ambiguous fashion, it is the relationships between the women that drive the novel...thoughtful, moving, troubling * Irish Times *A three-day team-building hike in the Australian bush ends in disaster when the unpleasant Alice Russell disappears. Throw in a serial killer, industrial espionage, and several unreliable narrators and you have a tense thriller that made me feel good about my decision never to go camping * Red magazine *A gripping follow-up to her debut, The Dry * Good Housekeeping, Three Thrillers We Love *We cancelled all our plans when we heard the brilliant Jane Harper was bringing out a follow-up to her fab crime novel The Dry. And we're glad we did, because Force Of Nature is every bit as gripping as its predecessor. . . Don't miss it * NEW magazine *That all-important 'difficult' second novel? Jane Harper has smashed it in spades...Her astonishing first book, The Dry, a sizzlingly tense murder drama set during the Aussie drought, picked up maximum stars in this column last year - but we'll have to empty the star drawer for this one...Throw in a serial killer in the area and you've got a netful of red herrings to sift through before you get to the clever and nerve-jangly ending * Weekend Sport *I loved The Dry. Force of Nature is even better. Brilliantly paced, it wrong-foots the reader like a rocky trail through the bush. I adored it * Susie Steiner, bestselling author of Missing, Presumed and Persons Unknown *I loved The Dry by Jane Harper, I thought it was magnificent, like everybody else did...Fabulous! And her new book Force of Nature...such brilliance. From the first paragraph I was hooked - you just know you're in the hands of a master. She's such an excellent writer and the sense of place is so powerful * Marian Keyes *Lord of the Flies in the Australian outback, with grown women in place of school boys. I loved every chilling moment of it. A blistering follow-up to The Dry from one of the best new voices in crime fiction * Sarah Hilary, author of the bestselling DI Marnie Rome series *Harper's debut, The Dry, was The Sunday Times crime novel of 2017 and won the CWA Gold Dagger award. That makes this second outing from the Australian a very hot ticket indeed * Sunday Times, Books of 2018 *The Dry was one of the standout crime debuts of 2017; Australian author Harper follows it with a story of women hiking in the bush - five go out, but only four come back * Guardian, Books of 2018 *Riveting, tension-driven thriller...Perfect for fans of Tana French and readers who enjoy literary page-turners * Booklist, starred review *Harper's crackerjack plotting propels the story...Harper layers her story with hidden depths, expertly mining the distrust between Alice and her four colleagues, and the secrets that simmer under the surface...A spooky, compelling read * Kirkus *A gripping tale of an elemental battle for survival...Harper once again shows herself to be a storytelling force to be reckoned with * Publishers Weekly *Once again, Harper manages to touch on something mythic in the Australian experience of the land...From Frederic McCubbin's mournful painting...Lost, to Joan Lindsay's Picnic at Hanging Rock...getting lost in the bush was for a while every non-Indigenous Australian's worst nightmare. Force of Nature plays on this fear and then some. Ratcheting up the sense of threat is the shade of a notorious serial killer lurking in the undergrowth * Sydney Morning Herald *Force of Nature proves Jane Harper, author of The Dry, is no one-hit wonder. Its premise is instantly gripping * Herald Sun (Melbourne) *As thick with menace as the bush that seems to swallow the difficult Alice...Force of Nature cuts between past and present, corporate and domestic, and cements its author as one of Australia's boldest thriller writers * Australian Women's Weekly *The narrative is finely constructed, with perfectly measured pace and suspense. So much so that it reminded me of another master of form, Liane Moriarty...Harper has also harnessed what captivates the Australian psyche - the landscape. The Dry is set in a small country town in drought, and this time she takes us into the bush. There are echoes of Picnic at Hanging Rock and Lord of the Flies as any appearance of civility slips away and the women lose direction in a hostile landscape. So does Harper's new book live up to the first? I was thrilled to find that it does. The novel delivers and Harper writes like a dream * The Saturday Paper, Australia *Harper's mastery of pace makes Force Of Nature one of 2017's best thrillers * Elle Australia *[The Dry] was a superbly riveting demonstration of intelligent crime writing, and its successor, Force of Nature, provides further proof: Jane Harper knows all there is to know about detonating the gut-level shocks of a great thriller....There's a distinct Liane Moriarty vibe to Force of Nature...but with a sharper edge. Jane Harper's brilliance in characterisation and evocative prose is on full display here...In a crowded market, Jane Harper shines at the quality end....Force of Nature is masterfully paced, wonderfully rendered, and devastatingly entertaining * Simon Macdonald, Potts Point Bookshop, Sydney *Harper has proved once again that she is a master of the thriller genre. Highly, highly recommended * Watford Observer *Harper's tough but mild-mannered detective Aaron Falk returns for a second outing . . . Flitting between descriptions of Falk's investigation and an account of Alice and her colleagues' adventures before her disappearance, Harper has produced another humdinger of a thriller -- Charlotte Heathcote * Sunday Express *[A] well constructed mystery that's suitably atmospheric with fine descriptions of the Australian bush * Choice magazine *Another superb thriller by the author of The Dry * The Lady *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group English Animals
Book Synopsis''A joy to read'' Amanda Craig''Shades of Cold Comfort Farm...Charming'' GuardianEnglish Animals is a subversive, wry debut that fans of Marina Lewycka''s A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian will love. When Mirka gets a job in a country house in rural England, she has no idea of the struggle she faces to make sense of a very English couple, and a way of life that is entirely alien to her. Richard and Sophie are chaotic, drunken, frequently outrageous but also warm, generous and kind to Mirka, despite their argumentative and turbulent marriage.Mirka is swiftly commandeered by Richard for his latest money-making enterprise, taxidermy, and soon surpasses him in skill. After a traumatic break two years ago with her family in Slovakia, Mirka finds to her surprise that she is happy at Fairmont Hall. But when she tells Sophie that she is gay, everything she values is put in danger and she must learn the hard way whTrade ReviewShades of Cold Comfort Farm . . . Kaye has a keen eye for social observation . . . charming -- Lucy Scholes * Observer *[A] confident novel that engages with love, belonging, prejudice and, above all, quintessential Englishness * Daily Mail *[A] wry and knowing debut * Stylist *It's a long time since I've enjoyed any debut novel as much as English Animals. Its command of tone, narrative and character is so assured, and both its wit and perceptiveness about a certain kind of English life make it a joy to read. I am sure it will win several prizes.I loved the taxidermy ideas and details, and how beautifully they chimed with the human animal scenes presented. The dreadful marriage, the horrific father and above all Mirka herself with her courageous honesty and kindness make this something very special * Amanda Craig *A beautiful and bold debut * M.J. Hyland, author of the Man Booker-shortlisted Carry Me Down *Better than a burst of February sunshine, this is a pitch-perfect story . . . A bubble of pleasurable reading * Sainsbury's Magazine *Kaye offers an engrossing look at the English countryside, complex in friendship, love, violence and with a touch of mystery. Chronicling a Slovakian immigrant's story in the UK, English Animals is an important novel in an uncertain time. Don't be fooled by the spare, quiet prose; Kaye and her characters will do cartwheels over your expectations * Sara Novic, author of Girl At War *Kaye's satire usually hits the mark, coming at the expense of rural gastropubs with names like The Snooty Fox,as well as the world of hipster taxidermy (Mirka starts assembling Dazed and Confused-friendly scenes called things like 'Freelance squirrels' and 'Rats at an office party') . . . Kaye is at her best when she sticks with her scalpel. It's good to see British writers still know how to use it * Daily Telegraph, 'New Year, New Voices' picks of best debuts of 2017 *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Little Breton Bistro
Book SynopsisFrom the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Little Paris Bookshop, an extraordinary novel about self-discovery and new beginnings. ''A life-affirming novel'' Sunday Express ''An enchanting, uplifting read'' Independent on The Little Paris BookshopMarianne Messmann longs to escape her loveless marriage. On a trip to Paris, she throws herself into the Seine, but is rescued by a passer-by. While recovering in hospital, Marianne sees a painting of a beautiful port town and decides to embark on a final adventure.Once in Brittany, she befriends a host of colourful characters who gather in a seaside bistro called Ar Mor. Among food, music and laughter, Marianne discovers a new version of herself - passionate, carefree and powerful. That is until her past comes calling . . .The Little Breton BistroTrade ReviewFrom the author of The Little Paris Bookshop comes a new life-affirming novel . . . the message of this gentle but pacey page-turner is that new loves, new friends and confidence can be found at any stage * Sunday Express *[Nina] George's engrossing novel is as much about indulging the senses with succulent dishes and dazzling sights as it is about romance and second chances. With a profound sense of place and sensuous prose, the novel functions as a satisfying virtual visit to the French Riviera. A luscious and uplifting tale of personal redemption in the tradition of Eat, Pray, Love * Kirkus Reviews *A sweet lifesaver bound to be in huge demand * Library Journal *This charming tale is already a bestseller in Germany. On a beautifully restored barge on the Seine, Jean Perdu runs a bookshop - or as he calls it, 'a literary apothecary', because the owner knows how to use books like medicine. The only person he is unable to cure - of heartache - is himself. For fans of Like Water for Chocolate and Amelie * Red on THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP *As . . . the little floating bookshop sets off for Provence, George uses a heady cocktail of literature and more sensual pleasures to create a wonderfully offbeat romance * Mail on Sunday on THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP *Glowing . . . layered with wit, enchanting writing and a love of books . . . I prescribed it for a cynical friend who has '"seen it all" (and read it all) and she swooned * Daily Mail on THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP *A true gem for fiction lovers * Good Housekeeping on THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP *A captivating curiosity, for those who still believe in love and books, friendship and food, happiness and romance * Saga on THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP *A capricious, meandering journey of love, loss and wonderful food, so beautifully described. I enjoyed every moment -- Carole Matthews, bestselling author of The Cake Shop in the Garden, on THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOPIf you're looking to be charmed right out of your own life for a few hours, sit down with this wise and winsome novel . . . Everything happens just as you want it to . . . from poignant moments to crystalline insights in exactly the right measure * oprah.com on THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP *An enchanting, uplifting read . . . the sort of book that acts as a soothing tonic as you read - so the perfect accompaniment to relaxing in the sun * Independent on THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP *The Little Paris Bookshop is a wonderful tale showing the power of friendship and love * France magazine on THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP *A gentle, heartwarming tale of discover * Candis on THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP *A novel about love and books - what better? * Woman and Home on THE LITTLE PARIS BOOKSHOP *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group My Italian Bulldozer
Book Synopsis''While My Italian Bulldozer certainly advocates a kind, considerate, some might even say old-fashioned approach to resolving affairs of the heart, it also succeeds in subtly, almost imperceptibly ripping up the traditional rules of the romantic comedy and creating something refreshingly original'' ScotsmanWhen writer Paul Stewart heads to the idyllic Italian town of Montalcino to finish his already late book, it seems like the perfect escape from stressful city life. Upon landing, however, things quickly take a turn for the worse when he discovers his hired car is nowhere to be found. With no record of any reservation and no other cars available it looks like Paul is stuck at the airport. That is, until an enterprising stranger offers him an unexpected alternative. While there may be no cars available there is something else on offer: a bulldozer.With little choice in the matter, Paul accepts and so begins a series of laugh out loud adventures tTrade ReviewWhile My Italian Bulldozer certainly advocates a kind, considerate, some might even say old-fashioned approach to resolving affairs of the heart, it also succeeds in subtly, almost imperceptibly ripping up the traditional rules of the romantic comedy and creating something refreshingly original * Scotsman *This novel has the usual combination of light-hearted gentleness and forensic acuity, reminding the reader never to underestimate McCall Smith's fundamental seriousness of purpose * Sydney Morning Herald *
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Little, Brown Book Group Summary Justice
Book SynopsisThe last time Tess de Vere saw William Benson she was a law student on work experience. He was a twenty-one year old, led from the dock of the Old Bailey to begin a life sentence for murder. He''d said he was innocent. She''d believed him.Sixteen years later Tess overhears a couple of hacks mocking a newcomer to the London Bar, a no-hoper with a murder conviction, running his own show from an old fishmonger''s in Spitalfields. That night she walks back into Benson''s life. The price of his rehabilitation - and access to the Bar - is an admission of guilt to the killing of Paul Harbeton, whose family have vowed revenge. He''s an outcast. The government wants to shut him down and no solicitor will instruct him. But he''s subsidised by a mystery benefactor and a desperate woman has turned to him for help: Sarah Collingstone, mother of a child with special needs, accused of slaying her wealthy lover. It''s a hopeless case and the murder trial, Benson''s first, starts inTrade ReviewIntriguing . . . packed with accurate legal detail, the story never loses its grip - it is no surprise it's been optioned for TV -- Geoffrey Wansall * Daily Mail *An all-action court drama * Sunday Times *An elegant, intricate legal thriller with nerve-shredding courtroom action * Sunday Mirror *Benson is a compelling character.The court scenes are irresistible, with as many twists and turns as you could want * Irish Times *I followed his trials, tribulations and eventual triumph with great enjoyment. This unusual courtroom drama is quick-witted and vividly imagined * Literary Review *[Summary Justice] works superbly as a classic courtroom drama, in which nothing is as it seems - even though it really does seem it. Yet what makes the book particularly impressive is that there's far more to it than just brilliant plotting. It also has genuine heart, plenty of interesting things to say about the law and a highly appealing troubled hero. With "a major television drama series" already in the offing, I suspect we'll hear a lot more of William Benson inthe years to come * Readers Digest *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Blind Defence
Book Synopsis'Vivid and exciting' The Times WINNER OF THE PRIX DU MASQUE She was found hanging in a dingy London bedsit with a blood orange in her mouth. Diane Heybridge, a young woman without a past or much of a future, has captured in death the compassion denied her in life. For the prosecution, this seeming suicide is nothing more than a bungled killing and a disgusted public looks to Court 2 of the Old Bailey for justice. Her callous, jilted partner Brent Stainsby stands accused of her murder and he's turned to the maverick legal team William Benson and Tess de Vere to defend him. However, as the trial unfolds it soon becomes clear that there is far more to Diane Heybridge than meets the eye. She wasn't the weak and downtrodden victim now being presented to the jury. She was capable of a sophisticated form of vengeance. By the same token, Brent Stainsby isn't who he seems to be either. He's hiding a motive for murder unknowTrade ReviewAssured storytelling and highly intriguing moral complexity. I tore through it -- Chris BrookmyreVivid and exciting, and the novel raises some important issues to do with prisons and the ethics of the legal system -- Marcel Berlins * The Times *A good mystery, meaty courtroom drama, the ongoing puzzle of Benson's own history and some knowledgeable assaults on the Tories' policy of justice on the cheap add up to a great read * Morning Star *I hope John Fairfax is planning a long series involving Benson. [An] excellent legal thriller * Literary Review *The courtroom scenes are brilliant, and Benson really comes alive under pressure. Stubborn, fitful and contradictory, he's a highly individualised creation * Spectator *Punchy dialogue and devious plotlines . . . compelling * The Times *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Crow Road
Book Synopsis''One of the best opening lines of any novel'' Guardian ''It was the day my grandmother exploded. I sat in the crematorium, listening to my Uncle Hamish quietly snoring in harmony to Bach''s Mass in B Minor, and I reflected that it always seemed to be death that drew me back to Gallanach.''Prentice McHoan has returned to the bosom of his complex but enduring Scottish family. Full of questions about the McHoan past, present and future, he is also deeply preoccupied: mainly with death, sex, drink, God and illegal substances...Praise for Iain Banks:''The most imaginative novelist of his generation'' The Times''His verve and talent will always be recognised, and his work will always find and enthral new readers'' Ken MacLeod, Guardian''His work was mordant, surreal, and fiercely intelligent'' Neil Gaiman''An exceptional wordsmith'' ScotsmanTrade ReviewHis masterpiece... it's got a beating heart, and you want to keep reading * Daily Express *One of the best opening lines of any novel... a warm, witty and ultimately very poignant book * Guardian *Menacing, dark and very funny * Telegraph *Banks keeps death in its place, under the boot of wit which knows that the most significant romance can blossom whilst your youngest brother is up to the elbow in Sugar Smacks looking for the plastic toy * Observer *What makes Banks a significant novelist is the love and effort that go into his works, and his acute sense of the ways in which people can suffer... this is Banks's finest novel * Independent on Sunday *Riveting... exhilarating... its pace, development, intensity and, above all, its hip and sexy humour never allow it to flag. Banks reinforces his credentials as one of the most able, energetic and stimulating writers in the UK * Time Out *The tense horror of the book...is done with considerable imaginative subtlety and a fine touch....This is as fine and ambitious a novel as any from a Scottish writer since the 1960s. It is also unquestionable Bank's best work to date * New Statesman *Banks has woven a warm and funny story, rich with characters and adventures. An utterly enchanting piece of fiction... it marks a return to his brilliant best * New Woman *Tight with detail and closer observation and creates a strong sense of a particular period of growing up * Independent *Magnificent... a poignant, very funny study of life growing up in Bank's native Scotland. At times as wonderfully light and colourful as its setting the west coast of Scotland and as darkly comic as The Wasp Factory * For Him *This substantial novel indicates a restless author very firmly in the driver's seat, back on what appears to be a Scottish route with intriguing potential destinations * Scotsman *Prentice is a most engaging narrator, self-deprecating, funny and hopelessly self-deceiving * Daily Telegraph *
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group Complicity
Book Synopsis''Ingenious, daring and brilliant'' Guardian COMPLICITY N. 1. THE FACT OF BEING AN ACCOMPLICE, ESP. IN A CRIMINAL ACTA few spliffs, a spot of mild S&M, phone through the copy for tomorrow''s front page, catch up with the latest from your mystery source - could be big, could be very big - in fact, just a regular day at the office for free-wheeling, substance-abusing Cameron Colley, a fully paid-up Gonzo hack on an Edinburgh newspaper.Prentice McHoan has returned to the bosom of his complex but enduring Scottish family. Full of questions about the McHoan past, present and future, he is also deeply preoccupied: mainly with death, sex, drink, God and illegal substances... Praise for Iain Banks:''The most imaginative novelist of his generation'' The Times''His verve and talent will always be recognised, and his work will always find and enthral new readers'' Ken MacLeod, GuardianTrade ReviewIngenious, daring and brilliant * Guardian *Fast moving ... tightly plotted * Sunday Times *A stylishly executed and well produced study in fear, loathing and victimisation which moves towards doom in measured steps * Observer *Compelling and sinister . . . a very good thriller * Glasgow Herald *A remarkable novel . . . superbly crafted, funny and intelligent * Financial Times *From the brilliant opening . . . that lands the reader smack in the middle of the first of a series of cold-blooded murders to the final confrontation on a weather-beaten wild island . . . Complicity is irresistibly compelling * New York Times Book Review *Literate, passionate and well-paced, Complicity succeeds as both an absorbing entertainment and a chilling examination of accountability in a morally bankrupt world * San Francisco Chronicle *An ingeniously constructed tale, done with customary ease, wit and panache. Banks may be a classic story-spinner, purveyor of the proverbial Good Read: but in among all the contrasts, the genre-hopping and the fun, there's a small, serious common purpose to his work * Scotsman *Brutal in the nightmarishness of its gruesome murders and sexual explicitness but never less than a no-holds-barred blitz of a thriller * Daily Mail *An excellent nervy book, both cool and terrifying at its dark centre where the perfect logic of the protagonist is devoid of pity. Banks's muscular style and gruesome imagination make this a fast-moving thriller not to be missed * Daily Telegraph *A cocktail of sex, skulduggery and hi-tech mystery, set most convincingly in a Caledonian newsroom. I shall now read everything Banks has written -- Jeremy Isaacs * Financial Times *
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group The Good Son
Book Synopsis''For fans of Jo Nesbo and Patricia Highsmith'' A. J. Finn, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Woman in the WindowYOU WAKE UP COVERED IN BLOODTHERE''S A BODY DOWNSTAIRSYOUR MOTHER''S BODYYOU DIDN''T DO IT. DID YOU?HOW COULD YOU, YOU''VE ALWAYS BEEN THE GOOD SONTHE INTERNATIONAL SENSATION FROM KOREA''S MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR YOU-JEONG JEONG.When Yu-jin wakes up covered in blood, and finds the body of his mother downstairs, he decides to hide the evidence and pursue the killer himself. Then young women start disappearing in his South Korean town. Who is he hunting? And why does the answer take him back to his brother and father who lost their lives many years ago.The Good Son is inspired by a true story. Trade ReviewAn intense, creepy, darkly funny read . . . a book focusing on the claustrophobic dynamics of a mother-son relationship that makes Mrs Bates and her son Norman look well-adjusted * Daily Telegraph *A cool, crafty did-he-do-it thriller buoyed by a rising tide of madness. Provocative yet profound, humming with mood and menace, The Good Son will rivet readers of Jo Nesbo and Patricia Highsmith -- A. J. Finn, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Woman in the WindowRightly compared to Stephen King * Die Zeit (Germany) *The queen of crime . . . You-jeong Jeong is shaking up the world of suspense with her particularly well-executed thrillers * Glamour *Readers will be relieved that this is fiction, not real life. This book will pull you in; as you devour it, you might perhaps resent the author's relentless pursuit of the evil coiled within humans. But this, too, is human * Kyoung sook Shin, New York Times bestselling author of PLEASE LOOK AFTER MOTHER *Gripping and often gruesome . . . a disturbing story of the events that unfold after Yu-jin, 26, wakes up to find his mother in a pool of blood (we did warn you) * Cosmopolitan *Jeong expertly inches up the tension in this crafty, creepy story of a psychopath's coming-of-age * Guardian *Ingeniously twisted * Entertainment Weekly, 'Must List' *Want to read an under-the-radar psychological thriller? Feel smug about pocketing The Good Son * Elle.com, '30 Best Books to Read This Summer' *A slow-burn psychological thriller with plenty of twists and things to think about * BookRiot *The gore is intense, but the psychological terror might never wash off * Vulture *Absorbing . . . An unlikely thriller that we continue to read - thanks to Ms. Jeong's controlled prose . . . with a sickened sort of fascination. It's a testament to the author's skill and seriousness of purpose that she maintains suspense about her inhuman-seeming protagonist's fate until the bitter end * Wall Street Journal *[You-jeong Jeong is] South Korea's Patricia Highsmith, able to convey the internal and manipulative logic of even the most disturbed minds, while spritzing her tales with commentary on the isolation that comes with modern prosperity * Literary Hub *Dark, harrowing, horribly claustrophobic but hard to put down . . . You-jeong Jeong's novel speaks for a facet of the human condition that is more prevalent than we like to think -- Financial Times
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group An Orchestra of Minorities
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2019From the author of the Booker-shortlisted novel, The FishermenFINANCIAL TIMES BEST BOOKS OF 2019 ''Obioma is truly the heir to Chinua Achebe'' New York Times''A major new African writer'' Salman Rushdie ''A profoundly humane epic love story'' Booker Prize Judges 2019A young farmer named Chinonso prevents a woman from falling to her death. Bonded by this strange night on the bridge, he and Ndali fall in love, but it is a mismatch according to her family who reject him because of his lowly status. Is it love or madness that makes Chinonso think he can change his destiny?Set across Nigeria and Cyprus, An Orchestra of Minorities, written in the mythic style of the Igbo tradition, weaves a heart-wrenching tale about fate versus free will.__________________________________________Trade ReviewBrilliantly intertwining the human and spirit worlds. A major new African writer -- Salman Rushdie (Amazon Book Review)A crucial journey into a heartache that is both mythical and real -- Booker Prize Judges 2019[An] impressive, epic second novel . . . Timely, portentous and powerful, [An Orchestra of Minorities] confirms Chigozie Obioma's remarkable talent -- Lucy Scholes * iNews *Told in the wise and watchful, sometimes mischievous voice of the 'chi' or Igbo spirit guardian of Chinonso, a poor poultry farmer, this is a profoundly humane epic love story. Loosely based on the Odyssey, the trials and joys of Chinonso's journey exert a powerful hold on the reader's imagination, head and heart. A magnificent, original and revelatory novel * Booker Prize Judges 2019 *Obioma's frenetically assured second novel is a spectacular artistic leap forwards . . . [it is] a linguistically flamboyant, fast-moving, fatalistic saga of one man's personal disaster . . . Few contemporary novels achieve the seductive panache of Obioma's heightened language, with its mixture of English, Igbo and colourful African-English phrases, and the startling clarity of the dialogue. The story is extreme; yet its theme is a bid for mercy for that most fragile of creatures - a human -- Eileen Battersby * Guardian *Rich and vivid . . . Obioma's absorbing tragicomedy painfully probes the perils of victimhood -- Anthony Cummins * Observer (New Review) *Obioma fashions an allegory of post-independence Nigeria and the cruelties of the contemporary world . . . West Africa, with its pantheon of animist divinities and juju lore, is unforgettably evoked. You can almost smell the hot strong breath of the land in this brave gallimaufry of Greek myth and pre-colonial Igbo cosmology * Evening Standard *An acute, tender, painful and sometimes darkly funny story . . . about love, aspiration, betrayal, greed, dishonesty and the tribulations that the innocent and trusting may suffer -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *Almost every page [of An Orchestra of Minorities] trumpets the gifts of a writer who can make his language soar, wheel and pounce * Spectator *Obioma has a masterful way with words * The Herald *A tale of mythic nature and epic scale at times recalling Homer's Odyssey - a sweeping story about destiny and the power of choice * Vanity Fair *An Orchestra of Minorities is a triumph: a wholly unsentimental epic that unspools smoothly over nearly a decade, it is set with equal success across two continents, employing myth and spirituality to create a vibrant new world . . . an unusual and brilliantly original book * The Economist *Intricately wrought . . . a powerful, multifarious novel that underlines Obioma's status as one of the most exciting voices in modern African literature * FT *An Orchestra of Minorities is a magisterial accomplishment by any measure, and particularly impressive for the way Obioma orchestrates a tableau in which humans and spirits must interact in a complex, emotionally rich-veined story. Few writers can match Obioma's astonishing range, his deft facility for weaving a mesmeric and triumphant fictive canvas in which - reminiscent of the ancient masters - a cohort of gods presides over and negotiates the fates of humans * Okey Ndibe, author of Foreign Gods, Inc. *Every so often - but not often enough - a book comes around to blow away the cobwebs and forget what it means to read a truly immersive story. Chigozie Obioma's An Orchestra Of Minorities is just that * The Pool *An ambitious and immersive tale about love and sacrifice, told by an ancient spirit. A bold new novel from an exciting young writer * Brit Bennett, author of The Mothers *Chigozie Obioma pens a deeply empathetic, complex and gut-wrenchingly human narrative that captures the heart and soul. An Orchestra of Minorities stays with you. With remarkable style and compelling language, he explores what it means to experience blinding love and devastating loss. A truly gifted writer, Obioma has proven yet again that he's a literary treasure * Nicole Dennis-Benn, award-winning author of Here Comes the Sun *Chigozie Obioma is a gifted and original storyteller. His masterful new novel An Orchestra of Minorities is remarkable for its exploration of universal concepts to do with destiny, free will and luck * Jennifer Clement, National Book Award-longlisted author of Gun Love, President of PEN International *An Orchestra of Minorities is a stunning novel which succeeds on so many levels. This time around Obioma deserves every accolade that comes his way * The UAE National *A twist on The Odyssey - [An Orchestra of Minorities is] narrated by a guardian spirit, traversing earth and space, but grounded in the universal themes of love, ambition and loss * Buzzfeed (Most Anticipated Books of 2019 *Fans of Ben Okri will enjoy Obioma's spirited dedication to remembering old beliefs as western modernity encroaches, and the world he creates is pungently real * The Times *The chances that Chigozie Obioma's second novel would match, let alone surpass, The Fishermen were slim. Happily, his follow-up, AN ORCHESTRA OF MINORITIES, is a triumph. . . . In an era of copycats, An Orchestra of Minorities is an unusual and brilliantly original book * Economist *Obioma expands his canvas from the tragic to the epic * Daily Telegraph *Destined to become a classic * HelloGiggles *There's no sign of difficult second novel syndrome here: this is a continent-spanning magical-realist tale of star-crossed love . . . intoxicating * Daily Mail *A modern take on Homer's The Odyssey, this Nigerian love story is filled with plot twists that demonstrate the power of persistence * Essence *Heartbreaking and utterly unique * Vulture (Books You Should Read This January) *Unforgettable . . . A mesmerising page-turner * Image Magazine *The Fishermen was an elegiac state-of-the-nation drama that fused Greek tragedy with Nigerian folklore . . . For his follow-up, Obioma scales up the canvas from tragic to epic, with the Odyssey-like tale of a man adrift from himself and from modern Nigeria * Telegraph *Igbo cosmology, classical western literature and the bitter pressures of globalisation combine for a visionary perspective on migration and the individual's place in the world * Guardian *Perspectives in this novel change at the flap of a wing, darting between the earthly and the supernatural realms, between grand, atemporal ideas and tiny local details, in fluent prose that marries Igbo, pidgin and English . . . This book has both the singular inevitability of classical tragedy and the pellucid sense of injustice found in Chinua Achebe's fiction * Literary Review *Unforgettable second novel . . . Obioma's novel is electrifying, a meticulously crafted character drama told with emotional intensity. His invention, combining Igbo folklore and Greek tragedy in the context of modern Nigeria, makes for a rich, enchanting experience * Publishers Weekly *A fast-moving romantic tragicomedy . . . It tells the heartbreaking story of a lovestruck Nigerian chicken farmer called Chinonso in present-day Nigeria, who sacrifices everything to win the heart of the woman he loves * Independent *A boundary-breaking love story * Daily Mail *Gorgeously written, with a twist of magical realism and a heavy dose of sad reality, this is your big novel of the winter * Washington Post *Invoke[s] older traditions and instances of storytelling and recasts them in a contemporary world, bringing to the fore the experiences and pressures of movement and migration * Guardian *I predict it will be one of the most talked about books of next year. It certainly deserves to be. It surprised me most because it's a challenging read - it is set in Nigeria and the author uses a combination of English, Nigerian Pidgin and untranslated Igbo - and yet it is still a very compelling and emotionally-stimulating story. I couldn't put it down * Bustle *A modern love story that painstakingly examines despair, destiny and human determination . . . The writing is lyrical in places, knife-sharp in others . . . My advice is just to dive straight in * Irish Times *Transcendent . . . Chigozie Obioma's second novel is a rare treasure: a book that deepens the mystery of the human experience * Seattle Times *In his ambitious follow-up, longlisted for this year's Booker prize, Chigozie Obioma scales up the canvas from tragic to epic, with the Odyssey-like tale of a man adrift from himself and from modern Nigeria * Daily Telegraph *[A] rich, rewarding book * Financial Times (Best Books of 2019) *Pungently real * The Times *Intoxicating * Daily Mail *Narrated by a chi, a guardian spirit in Igbo myth, this novel follows Nonso, an ambitious Nigerian graduate who becomes trapped in Cyprus after falling for an education scam * Guardian *An Orchestra of Minorities is a deft reimagining of Homer's Odyssey with Nigerian Igbo traditions at its forefront. This ingenious realignment not only highlights the tensions between Western and African philosophies, but also breathes life back into a vibrant history of "precious African knowledge that has been lost" * Evening Standard *
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group The Golden Rule Longlisted for the Womens Prize
Book Synopsis''A highly enjoyable story about female resilience... with a twist that is all the more compelling for its unexpectedness'' Sunday Times''She''s such a skilful storyteller, who vividly dramatizes our lives with wit, wisdom and compassion'' Bernardine Evaristo''Amanda Craig anatomises the state of the nation with wit and empathy'' Jonathan Coe''An irresistible summer read'' Guardian''A typically sharp and hugely satisfying page-turner'' Daily MailWhen Hannah is invited into the first-class carriage of the London to Penzance train, she walks into a spider''s web. Now a poor young single mother, she once escaped Cornwall to go to university, but after marriage to Jake her dreams turned to bitter disillusion. Her husband has left her for a rich woman, and Hannah has survived by working as a cleaner. Jinni is equally angry, and in the course of their journey the two women agree to murdeTrade ReviewA highly enjoyable story about female resilience and finding fulfilment on your own terms, with a twist that is all the more compelling for its unexpectedness * Sunday Times *An irresistible summer read: a rollicking plot, a heroine who is more than a match for anything the author throws at her and meaty social issues * Guardian Book of the Day *The plot becomes so gripping - the sort of story where you want to pull the heroine out of the pages away from danger * The Times *A typically sharp and hugely satisfying page-turner about two women who decide to murder each other's husbands * Daily Mail *Such an interesting read! . . . A story of lies - and learning that people aren't always who they appear to be -- Nina Pottell * Prima *A pacy state-of-the-nation drama that tackles issues from domestic abuse to workplace harassment, gentrification to the gig economy * Mail on Sunday *Clever and compelling, The Golden Rule is a modern mash-up of Rebecca and Strangers on a Train * Red *The Golden Rule does what her novels do best, wrapping the reader in a tight, lean narrative, showing the strangeness that lies at the heart of normal-seeming lives * Observer *An acute and passionate observer of society in both town and country, and among rich and poor. She is harrowingly good at portraying the corrosive effects of poverty, particularly on vulnerable women with children to protect. Her prose is a delight...Best of all, Craig has the knack of creating interesting characters and of making one care about what lies in store for them. If you can do that, nothing else really matters -- Andrew Taylor * Spectator *Perceptive and wise, particularly on the ever-growing gap between the rich and the poor * Independent *She's such a skilful storyteller who vividly dramatises our lives with wit, wisdom and compassionStrangers on a Train meets #MeToo * Sunday Times *Craig's ninth novel is one of her best. A clever take on Beauty and the Beast and Patricia Highsmith's Strangers on a Train, it is also an astute commentary on life in Cornwall and the widening gap between the city rich and rural poor * The i *Addictive . . . a wide-ranging, incisive portrait of contemporary Britain * Independent *We reckon this cracker of a novel about the "haves" and the "have-nots" will whip you into a page-turning frenzy * Sunday Post *If you like your novels wide-ranging, ambitious, socially panoramic, and engaged in the most important issues of the day, Amanda Craig is the writer for you. For more than twenty years now she has been anatomising the state of the British nation with wit and empathyI just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed The Golden Rule - evening reading that I looked forward to for days. Such a strong narrative, constantly taking you by surprise, persuasive setting, Hannah a sympathetic central figure - and the clash between different lifestyles. Very much a novel of our times -- Penelope LivelyI really enjoyed The Golden Rule. I still love novels that have proper, well-constructed plots and Amanda Craig is a delicious storyteller -- Rose TremainA tight, lean thriller about two women who decide to murder each other's husbands. Dotted throughout are Craig's acute observations of society, in particular the corrosive effects of poverty. Yet this skilful storyteller is never preachy. We are swept along because of her knack of creating characters we care about. Only on closing the book do we realise we've not just been entertained but made to think too -- Rachel Kelly * The Tablet *
£8.54
Little, Brown Book Group Fatal Proof
Book SynopsisUnputdownable...This writer gets better and better' A.N. Wilson The Hither Green murder... William Benson knows what it's like to be accused of something you didn't do - the fear, the vulnerability and the nightmare of watching your life unravel. Now he speaks on behalf of those who have no voice, defending anyone who claims to be innocent. This time, it's Karmen Naylor, estranged daughter of a south London crime boss, fighting a murder charge and desperate to be believed. But Benson becomes trapped into a grudge match between two rival clans, endangering himself and those he loves. Tess de Vere is by Benson's side but she's keeping something from him. A stranger on the trail of a secret death squad operating in Northern Ireland during the Troubles brings a terrible secret into the heart of her own life. And he won't go away. Can Tess and Will find their way through all the secrets and the lies? Should justice Trade ReviewJohn Fairfax is a master of the courtroom drama and these Benson and de Vere stories are unputdownable. At one point Benson says to a gangland thug: 'I belong to that peculiar class of people who have died in this life and come back, not caring.' He's fearless, which makes him scary, not only to the criminals, but also his legal colleagues. A five star bravura performance. This writer gets better and better * A.N. Wilson, The Tablet *If you love legal thrillers don't miss Fairfax, our answer to John Grisham. This is the fourth outing for William Benson, a defence barrister who fights for the innocent with little chance of clearing their name. But, he could be on a loser defending Karmen Naylor who's on a murder charge. It doesn't help her case that her estranged father's a London crime boss. Getting involved puts Benson in grave danger. Meanwhile sidekick lawyer Tess de Vere has learned a dangerous secret involving the Troubles in Northern Ireland * Peterborough Telegraph *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Forgotten Country
Book Synopsis''A richly emotional portrait of a family that had me spellbound from page one'' Cheryl Strayed, bestselling author of WildThe night before Janie''s sister, Hannah, is born, her grandmother tells her a story: Since the Japanese occupation of Korea, their family has lost a daughter in every generation, and Janie is told to keep Hannah safe. Years later, when Hannah cuts all ties and disappears, Janie goes to find her. It is the start of a journey that will force her to confront her family''s painful silence, the truth behind her parents'' sudden move to America twenty years earlier, and her own conflicted feelings toward Hannah.Weaving Korean folklore with a modern narrative of immigration and identity, Forgotten Country is a gripping story of a family struggling to find its way out of silence and back to one another.Trade ReviewIn Forgotten Country, Catherine Chung tells an inexpressibly beautiful story about a Korean family with a complex history... The story builds quietly, meticulously, and Chung does a masterful job of weaving the past with the present, incorporating mythology and memory in ways that both captivate and haunt * Roxane Gay, at The Rumpus *Luminous and surprising.... Chung brings a gentle, special gravity to this Korean family's tale of endurance... Forgotten Country is an impressive, memorable debut * San Francisco Chronicle *In her gorgeous debut, Chung offers a heartbreaking story about sisters, family, and keeping traditions alive * People magazine *Catherine Chung's wonderful first novel is a moving and deeply personal story of a family caught between two very different countries and very different lives * Alison Lurie *It is a rare novel - debut or otherwise - that can sing at once with such tenderness and ferocity, with such intense feeling and exquisite restraint. Forgotten Country is just that book, poetically crafted, shimmering with hard-won emotion, and wholly absorbing. A superb performance * Chang-rae Lee *A heartbreaking debut novel that will leave you quietly shattered in its wake. Forgotten Country is an exquisitely rendered account of a Korean immigrant family divided by two sisters, two countries and a curse that spans generations. Catherine Chung has written a haunting meditation on family loyalty and the lingering legacy of war * Julie Otsuka, author of The Buddha in the Attic *Chung delves with aching honesty and beauty into large, difficult questions - the strength and limits of family, the definition of home, the boundaries (or lack thereof) between duty and love - within the context of a Korean experience. Chung's limpid prose matches her emotional intelligence. * Kirkus Reviews (starred) *In this beautiful debut novel...Woven with tender reflections, sharp renderings of isolation, and beautiful prose...Chung simultaneously shines light on the violence of Korean history, the chill of American xenophobia, and the impossibility of home in either country * Publishers Weekly, starred review *Chung indelibly portrays a Korea viciously divided but ever bound to history, myth, and hope * O, The Oprah Magazine *A] lovely, elegiac novel . . . both heartbreaking and redemptive * Boston Globe *Published in the UK for the first time, this debut novel by Catherine Chung, author of The Tenth Muse, weaves together folklore and family ties. When Janie is a child, her grandmother tells her a story: since the Japanese occupation of Korea, their family has lost a daughter every generation. Years later, her sister Hannah disappears. Janie is left to unpick the truth about the brooding resentment and unspoken sacrifices that have led to history repeating itself * Herald (30 best beach and holiday books) *
£8.54
Little, Brown Book Group The Talented Mr Varg A Detective Varg novel
Book SynopsisThe second book in Alexander McCall Smith''s new DETECTIVE VARG series . . .''Reading the novel feels like a form of meditation . . . There is much to enjoy'' ScotsmanSpring is coming slowly to Sweden - though not quite as slowly as Detective Ulf Varg''s promised promotion at the Department of Sensitive Crimes. For Varg, referred by his psychoanalyst to group therapy at Malmö''s Wholeness Centre, life now seems mostly a circle of self-examination, something which may or may not be useful when it comes to the nature of his profession and the particularly sensitive cases that have recently come to light.All in a day''s work for Detective Varg, except that one of his new investigations involves fellow detective Anna; it will require every ounce of self-discipline he has in order to remain professional. The other, more curious case is centred around internationally successful novelist Nils Personn-Cederström. According to his girlfrienTrade ReviewHighly enjoyable . . . [Alexander McCall Smith] has a supreme talent for sketching truly likeable characters. His novels are full of human quirks and the bizarre minutiae of everyday life * Independent *This offering is the second in Alexander McCall Smith's 'Scandi Blanc' series. The Edinburgh-based author created the genre not only as an antidote to the violent crime novels Scandinavia has become known for but also the sometimes terrifying realities of modern life * Sunday Post *Reading the novel feels like a form of meditation. That said, McCall Smith's deceptively sharp wit is ever-present. There is also a real sense of immediacy to the interactions between characters - at times, it is almost as if you are personally involved in the conversations between Varg and his colleague, Blomquist. There is much to enjoy in this book * Scotsman *
£8.54
Little, Brown Book Group The Geometry of Holding Hands
Book SynopsisTHE THIRTEENTH INSTALLMENT OF THE MUCH-LOVED ISABEL DALHOUSIE SERIESWhen Isabel Dalhousie and her husband Jamie book a table at an expensive Edinburgh restaurant, she finds herself battling with her conscience. Lately, there has been a lull in work for the Review of Applied Ethics, and the care of their young sons, Charlie and Magnus, is often undertaken by their housekeeper Grace. Is Isabel deserving of such a luxurious dinner?But Isabel holds herself to impossible moral standards. Not so, the parents of one of Jamie''s students, who have no qualms about ensuring their son''s place in the school orchestra, despite his mediocre talent. In the restaurant, Isabel witnesses a row between local businessmen; another reminder that thoughtless ambition is too often second nature to others.Compelled to intervene in the aftermath, Isabel''s sense of integrity is observed by a fellow diner, Iain Melrose, who seeks out her help. He must decide which of hisTrade ReviewWelcome back to the wholesome world of Isabel Dalhousie. McCall Smith lifts the spirits with his delightful latest offering. The tale opens with Isabel questioning if she deserves dinner at a fancy Edinburgh restaurant. That decisions leads to another - can she help Iain Melrose who is trying to decide who should inherit his estate? And what about her niece? * Sunday Post *
£8.54
