Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisFrom Sunday Times Top Ten bestselling author, Katherine Webb, The English Girl is perfect for fans of Dinah Jefferies, Kate Morton and Santa Montefiore.In a land full of secrets, you can make your own rules.Joan Seabrook has fulfilled her lifelong dream to travel to Arabia and has arrived in the ancient city of Muscat with her fiancé, Rory. Desperate to escape the pain of a personal tragedy, she longs to explore the desert fort of Jabrin and unearth the wonders held within. But Oman is a land lost in time, and gaining permission to explore could prove impossible. Joan''s disappointment is only eased by the thrill of meeting her childhood heroine, pioneering explorer Maude Vickery, and hearing the stories that captured her imagination as a child. The friendship that forms between the two women will change everything. Both have desires to fulfil and secrets to keep. As their bond grows, Joan is inspiredTrade ReviewI loved THE ENGLISH GIRL. I was really drawn to both Maude and Joan and was completely absorbed by their exotic adventures. I thought it was a really original working of a dual narrative historical story and felt as authentically and thoroughly researched as The Night Falling. I've loved all Katherine Webb's books and this is a wonderful addition to my collection. After I finished, I found myself miss the searing heat and huge blue skies of the Omani desert. * Kate Riordan *A vivid tale of adventure, love and friendship set in '50s Arabia. * HEAT MAGAZINE *A compelling and beautifully written tale of adventure, mystery and love, The English Girl enthralled me from the first page. Set against the exotic backdrop of Arabia, which is both unforgiving and romantic, Webb brings her world to life with skill and passion. * Santa Montefiore *Katherine's writing is rich, vivid and evocative and her characters breathtakingly real * Iona Grey *With memorable characters and wonderful detail, Katherine evokes a little-known episode of British history to give a fascinating perspective on a region so much in the news today. Her depiction of the desert kingdom captures all its beauty and danger. * Vanessa Lafaye *

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Book SynopsisThe perfect book group read for fans of Kate Morton, Rachel Hore and Santa Montefiore.A secret buried so deep, only a liar could uncover it''..towards the end, comes a twist in the plot so bold it will leave you blinking...A thoroughly satisfying read.'' WI LifeOne hot summer in 1922.A house at the heart of the village. A crime that will shock the community. A man accused and two women with everything to lose. When Donny Cartwright is accused of murder, his sister Pudding is determined to discover the identity of the real killer. Together with newcomer, Irene, she begins to uncover the truth - a secret that has been buried for years. But when they happen upon a strange object, hidden in the past, they realise it will change everything . . .Your favourite authors love Katherine Webb: ''An enormously talented writer'' Santa Montefiore''I''Trade ReviewAn enormously talented writer * SANTA MONTEFIORE *Webb has a true gift for uncovering the mysteries of the human heart and exploring the truth of love * KATE WILLIAMS *Katherine Webb's writing is beautiful * ELIZABETH FREMANTLE *I've loved all of Katherine Webb's books * KATE RIORDAN *A truly gifted writer of historical fiction * LUCINDA RILEY *This isn't your usual country house mystery. It's a vivid portrait of rural life at a time of great change, especially for the women. In its Wiltshire setting and depth of research, it reminded me of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, but Katherine's wonderful descriptions and characters make it sing. And I guarantee that the ending will surprise. Her legion of fans will be delighted with this immersive, beautifully written tale of secrets and betrayals that echo down the generations * Vanessa Lafaye on The Hiding Places *Katherine's writing is rich, vivid and evocative and her characters breathtakingly real * IONA GREY *Brilliant and absorbing drama * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *A haunting novel of betrayal * WOMAN & HOME *Katherine Webb is such a reliably good storyteller and this beguiling mystery, set so vividly in the glorious Wiltshire countryside, is no exception. It will keep you guessing right to the end. -- Kate Riordan on The Hiding PlacesPlucky heroines and tangled secrets kept hidden for generations make for an involving tale of passion and deceit. * Mail on Sunday *A sleepy Wiltshire village is rudely awakened when a man is found murdered. His widow and a local teenage girl join forces to root out the killer in this engrossing story of betrayal, secrets and lies. * Woman & Home *

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Book SynopsisThe day that Hilary and David have been waiting for has finally arrived and as the church bells ring out for the arrival of the bride, everyone''s fingers are crossed for the day to go without a hitch. The festivities set the tone for the year ahead and there''s more love in the air in Burracombe as planning continues for both Dottie and Joe''s and Frances and James''s nuptials. There''s nothing like a wedding to bring the village together.Times are changing in Burracombe and as young and old embark on new adventures it''s time to say goodbye. But with friends like these, a goodbye is rarely for ever, so instead we''ll say a very fond farewell.Return to Burracombe in Lilian''s next book, A Child in Burracombe, a prequel to the series that will show you where it all began...Trade ReviewThis wonderfully nostalgic novel will evoke strong memories for those who were around in the 1950s ... A heart-warming story ... Lilian Harry is an outstanding storyteller - MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS

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Book Synopsis''One Cornish Summer captured my heart and didn''t let it go until long after I''d finished it. A heart rending story about secrets, lies and the power of love'' Cathy BramleyAgainst the beauty of Cornwall, a story of two women struggling with their past: one cannot remember hers, the other cannot forget...When Hebe receives a life-changing diagnosis at only 53, she struggles to make sense of what it will mean for her, her job and the man she loves. With memories slipping away by the day, she flees to the one place she has always felt safe and peaceful - Cornwall, and the house her family spent so many summers in. Lucy is having her own crisis, and seizes the chance to follow her aunt to Cornwall. Curious about what has driven Hebe there after so many years, she also has to battle with the secret she has kept since her family''s last summer there more than ten years ago. Both women wilTrade ReviewOne Cornish Summer captured my heart and didn't let it go until long after I'd finished it. A heart rending story about secrets, lies and the power of love -- Cathy BramleyA moving and heartfelt story * The Lady *Liz Fenwick's writing is vivid, satisfying and descriptive...her characters are perfectly formed...full of wisdom, warmth and compassion * Daily Express *Fenwick brings us her best novel yet in One Cornish Summer as she casts her humane and discerning eye over family bonds, relationships, the nature of love, and the power of the landscape to inspire, console and renew... Immaculately researched and emotionally astute, this is a fabulous holiday read with heart, drama, history and humour * Lancashire Post *Liz Fenwick, known for her absorbing and often heart-breaking novels, explores how one must confront the past in order to manage the future * Sunday Express *Set against an atmospheric West Country backdrop, this emotional read follows singleton Hebe as she finds herself having to come to terms with a diagnosis that will change the course of her life * Woman's Own *

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Book SynopsisThe first in a series of wartime sagas from a talented new voice. Set in 1940s Coventry, The Spark Girl is packed full of adventure, romance, heartbreak and friendship.Trade ReviewPraise for THE SPARK GIRL - a heart-wrenching wartime saga:A compelling first novel by Fiona Ford, which I promise you won't be able to put down -- Daisy Styles, bestselling author of THE BOMB GIRLSa fabulous debut from an immensely talented author -- Annie GrovesFord gets to the heart of what it was like to live through the dangerous war years in this warm, captivating, down-to-earth story which is brimming with engaging characters, adventure, romance and heartbreak. * Lancashire Post *'an enjoyable read with a twist towards the end to keep the reader engaged until the next one!' * Jera's Jamboree *

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Book Synopsis''Twist follows twist and nothing is what it seems'' ALEX MICHAELIDES''Exhilarating, addictive, fierce'' BRIDGET COLLINS''A psychological thriller you can''t put down'' HARLAN COBEN''Dark, Gothic, and propulsively readable'' RUTH WARE''A dark and richly enjoyable novel that already feels like a classic'' ELLY GRIFFITHS* * * * *Now I''m in charge, the gates are my gates. The rules are my rules. It''s an incendiary moment for St Oswald''s school. For the first time in its history, a headmistress is in power, the gates opening to girls.Rebecca Buckfast has spilled blood to reach this position. Barely forty, she is just starting to reap the harvest of her ambition. As the new regime takes on the old guard, the ground shifts. And with it, the remains of a body are discovered. But Rebecca is here to make her mark. She''ll bury the past so deep it will evade even her own memory, just like she Trade ReviewJoanne Harris's assured hand leads you into a psychological maze, deeper and deeper into a dark world of emotional complexity and betrayal, where twist follows twist and nothing is what it seems. A masterful narrative voice, and a compulsive thriller from one of our greatest writers. I absolutely loved it * Alex Michaelides *Watch out for the quiet ones. Clever and terrifying. * Maggie Gee *

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Book SynopsisThe captivating new drama of family secrets and second chances, from Sunday Times bestselling author Erica JamesIt''s the autumn of 1962 in the idyllic Suffolk village of Melstead St Mary. Evelyn Devereux''s husband Kit is planning their 20th wedding anniversary party. But as they prepare to celebrate, Evelyn receives an anonymous letter that threatens to unravel the secrets she''s kept hidden for many years - secrets that reach back to the war and her days at Bletchley Park.Evelyn''s sister-in-law, Hope, has brought joy to countless children with her bestselling books, but despite having a loving husband and caring family, happiness has never come easily to her. Then in an instant her fragile world is turned upside down when she too receives an anonymous letter.Across the village, up at Melstead Hall, Julia Devereux has married into a life beyond anything she could have dreamt of, not realising until it''s too late that it comes with a heavy pTrade ReviewA glorious summer story which sizzles with passion; idyllic location, compelling characters and lives so interwoven, that their secrets have the power to change everything. I wanted it to go on forever -- Cathy BramleyA glorious summer story which sizzles with passion; idyllic location, compelling characters and lives so interwoven, that their secrets have the power to change everything. I wanted it to go on forever -- Cathy Bramley

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Book SynopsisIRRESISTIBLE AND PULSE-POUNDING Karin SlaughterA TENSE, PACY PAGE-TURNER GUARDIANBRILLIANT AND RELENTLESS Don WinslowThe unmissable new thriller from the bestselling author of THE CHAIN.YOU DON''T KNOW WHAT YOU''RE CAPABLE OF UNTIL THEY COME FOR YOUR FAMILY.After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working vacation overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they''re deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom.When they discover a remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry, taking a chance on an adventure far from the reach of iPhones and Instagram. But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong. Then a shockinTrade ReviewUnforgettable * DON WINSLOW *Heart-stoppingly tense and unpredictable, The Island twists a family vacation to a nightmarish breaking point. Adrian McKinty has written another irresistible and pulse-pounding thriller about the surprising places evil hides and just how far we'll go for those we love. * KARIN SLAUGHTER *A pulsating, nerve-shredding thriller. I loved it! * M.J. ARLIDGE *Wow, this book left me breathless and on the edge of my seat from the very first page-this is thriller writing of a high order. Gripping and unpredictable, prepare to be hooked and pumped full of adrenaline as McKinty deftly weaves a compulsively readable plot with characters that you are rooting for. No one does high- stakes tension like McKinty. Put The Island at the top of your TBR-you won't regret it. * SARAH PEARSE, Bestselling author of THE SANATORIUM *Extraordinary * T.J. NEWMAN *A haunting masterpiece * STEVE CAVANAGH *McKinty delivers another skillful, blade-sharp page-turner. * JAMES SWALLOW *Expertly choreographed and breathlessly exciting . . . both the peril and the family are like no other. The Chain was McKinty's breakthrough novel and this one could be every bit as big. * Booklist (starred review) *Exciting . . . Pulls readers compulsively onward * Kirkus Reviews *Exquisite prose at blistering pace. McKinty strikes again. Absolutely riveting. * Paul Finch *With more than a touch of the gothic, this seat-of-the-pants ride sees an Australian woman bring her American family to an island off the Victorian coast. But a fatal road accident leaves them falling foul of the Deliverance-like family that rules the island and in a battle for survival. (Top 10 Books You Should Read in June) * Sydney Morning Herald *The Baxters fight for survival in this tense, pacy page-turner from the author of The Chain. * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisA laugh-out-loud funny, emotionally charged and ultimately uplifting book about a man trying to reconnect with his son after they've both lost the woman they loved.Trade ReviewA joyous, uplifting story of a father and son finding their way back to each other * Daily Mail *This hits that sweet spot between being properly funny and gut-punchingly emotional * Sun *An uplifting tale about a dad reconnecting with his son * Woman's Weekly *Moving effortlessly from comedy to poignancy . . . Reading it made me want to dance. An absolute gem of a book * Katie Marsh *Touching and funny * Bella *A delightful story about fatherhood and childhood * Owen King *An uplifting and moving tale * Woman’s Own *Funny, touching and surprising * Choice Magazine *If you want feel-good with a distinctive, funny, supporting cast, then this is the book for you * Irish Daily Mail *Uplifting * Woman & Home *Touching and often hilarious... A truly joyful read * Press & Journal *I couldn't resist this delightful, feel-good novel * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis''If you like gothic mystery, buckle up! This atmospheric read has it all'' Woman magazine''An historical novel dripping with menace''Shari Lapena, author of The End of Her***********England, 1925. Louisa Drew lost her husband in the First World War and her six-year-old twin sons in the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. Newly re-married and seven months pregnant, Louisa is asked by her employer to travel to Clewer Hall in Sussex where she is to photograph the contents of the house for auction.She learns Clewer Hall was host to an infamous séance in 1896, and that the lady of the house has asked those who gathered back then to come together once more to recreate the evening. When a mysterious child appears on the grounds, Louisa finds herself compelled to investigate and becomes embroiled in the strange happenings of the house. Gradually, she unravels the long-held secrets of the inhabitants and what reallTrade ReviewA creepy, evocative mystery * Heat *An historical novel dripping with menace, featuring a sympathetic heroine, seances, and family secrets-there's so much to love about The Quickening! * Shari Lapena, author of The End of Her *If you like gothic mystery, buckle up! This atmospheric read has it all * Woman magazine *Utterly brilliant... full of secrets and deliciously creepy, I raced through it * Lisa Hall, author of The Perfect Couple *A spooky treat, which had me turning the pages faster and faster -- Cass Green, author of In a Cottage in a WoodA powerful, spine-tingling, beautifully written gothic mystery full of real, complex characters, smart, dark twists and utterly immersive historical detail. -- Hayley WebsterIt's twisty and atmospheric, seriously creepy, and has an inspiring central character I was rooting for. * Cressida McLaughlin *

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Book SynopsisTender and humorous novel of second chances and life-changing new friendship for fans of Rachel Joyce, Clare Chambers and Barbara Pym'Life-affirming and funny' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'Anne Youngson's witty and elegant novel is a celebration of friendship and a timely reminder that it is never too late to take on a life-changing new challenge' DAILY MAILMeet Eve, who has departed from her thirty-year career to become a Free Spirit; Sally, who has waved goodbye to her indifferent husband and two grown-up children; and Anastasia, a defiantly independent narrowboat-dweller, suddenly vulnerable as she awaits a life-saving operation.Inexperienced and ill-equipped, Sally and Eve embark upon a journey through the canals of England, guided by the remote and unsympathetic Anastasia. As they glide gently - and not so gently - through the countryside, the eccentricities and challenges of canalboat life draw them inexorably together, and a tender and unforgettable story unfolds. Disarmingly truthful and narrated with a rare wit, THREE WOMEN AND A BOAT is a journey over the glorious waterways of England and into the unfathomable depths of the human heart by an inspirational new talent now in her seventies.**********What customers are saying:'Moving, tender and just a balm for the soul' *****'Perfect for those in need of an uplifting read' ****'A warm and enjoyable read' *****Trade ReviewA gentle meander down England's waterways with bittersweet charm * Mail on Sunday *Life-affirming and funny * Good Housekeeping *A tender story of friendship amidst the challenges and glory of canal-boat life * Woman's Weekly *A joy to read * CultureFly *Gentle and charming. A chance to think about what really matters * Reader's Digest *

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Book Synopsis'It's a long time since I have enjoyed a novel so much. Fresh, witty and smart it also has a heart.' KATE ATKINSON 'Sizzles with uproarious fun, from its snout to the sting in its tale.' INDEPENDENT'The perfect tonic for testing times.' GUARDIANWe all know politics is absurd. But could a Republican be brought down by a stuffed aardvark? Republican congressman Alexander Paine Wilson is determined that nothing will stop him in his campaign for re-election. Not the fact that he is a bachelor, not the fact that his main adversary Nancy Beavers - married, with children - is rising in the polls. Nothing. That is, until one hot day in August, he receives a large parcel via FedEx. Inside is a gigantic taxidermied aardvark. This aardvark has a surprising history - from the Victorian naturalist who discovered it to the taxidermist who deemed it his finest creation. But for Wilson, the entrance of the aardvark sets off a chain of events that threaten to ruin his entire career. Constantly surprising, brilliantly comic and piquantly provocative, Enter the Aardvark is a tale for our times, a biting satire with a tender underbelly. ____________________________________________'Sometimes, a paragraph near the start of a novel is so perfect and funny that you read it over and over, laugh every time, and know you're in for a treat...I'm loving this. Completely insane but utterly hilarious'. JOHN BOYNE'Spry, slim, clever...the inventiveness is impressive and the story has heart' THE SUNDAY TIMES'What begins as a topical takedown of the American political system deepens into a hugely enjoyable romp through history.' OBSERVER'Fresh, astute and mouthwateringly sharp, this is a rare thing; a political satire that tugs on the heartstrings in unconventional ways.' IRISH TIMES'Sharp, inventive and very funny, it's an entertainingly bizarre political satire.' TATLER'Part 21st-century political satire, part unexpectedly affecting 19th-century love story...It's every bit as strange as it sounds, and yet somehow it works' DAILY MAIL'Old, dead creature brings down flash, vain senator... Out in front as the most fizzing and amusing novel of the year.' STRONG WORDS magazine'A blisteringly innovative and outrageous novel.' NY OBSERVER'Weird, wonderful, and very much of the moment, Enter the Aardvark is a landmark political novel of the Trump era...With heart and humor, Anthony expertly skewers our current political climate.' ESQUIRE'Inventive and darkly funny...as Anthony connects characters from today with those from 19th-century England, she offers an original and unsettling lens through which to view male power as it has evolved over time.' TIME'Enter Jessica Anthony. With her highly inventive, ever attentive, and morally serious (as all great comedy must be) Enter the Aardvark, she estranges all over again our deplorable political moment, and thereby helps make it bearable.' JOSHUA FERRIS'Mischievously zoological and darkly satirical - a brilliant novel' JOHN IRONMONGER, author of NOT FORGETTING THE WHALE'A feverish, rollicking beast of a book. Totally assured, completely unpredictable, Jessica Anthony has created a true original.' SIMON WROE, author of CHOP CHOP and HERE COMES TROUBLETrade ReviewIf you are anything like me, you will end up loving the actual aardvark...and relish the world of taxidermy that Anthony brings to life. Enter the Aardvark sizzles with uproarious fun, from its snout to the sting in its tale. * INDEPENDENT *[An] ingenious political satire…The perfect tonic for testing times…deliciously astute, fresh and terminally funny. * GUARDIAN *Spry, slim, clever...the inventiveness is impressive and the story has heart. * THE SUNDAY TIMES *What begins as a topical takedown of the American political system deepens into a hugely enjoyable romp through history...Madcap and satirical without ever being flippant, Anthony’s novel is totally unrealistic yet completely truthful. * OBSERVER *Fresh, astute and mouthwateringly sharp, this is a rare thing; a political satire that tugs on the heartstrings in unconventional ways. * IRISH TIMES *‘Part 21st-century political satire, part unexpectedly affecting 19th-century love story…It’s every bit as strange as it sounds, and yet somehow it works: there’s a pleasing symmetry to the parallel plots, and Anthony’s writing is evocative enough to snare the imagination.' * DAILY MAIL *'Old, dead creature brings down flash, vain senator... Out in front as the most fizzing and amusing novel of the year.' * STRONG WORDS magazine *‘Jessica Anthony’s Enter the Aardvark was exactly the smart, funny and poignant pick-me-up that I needed…Anthony entwines her two narrative threads with seamless precision...Riotously entertaining’ * i-news *Sharp, inventive and very funny, it’s an entertainingly bizarre political satire. * TATLER *‘A joyfully weird, compulsive political satire' * MAIL ON SUNDAY *Inventive and darkly funny...as Anthony connects characters from today with those from 19th-century England, she offers an original and unsettling lens through which to view male power as it has evolved over time. * TIME *‘Weird, wonderful, and very much of the moment, Enter the Aardvark is a landmark political novel of the Trump era.’ * ESQUIRE.COM Best Books of 2020 *The scope of Anthony’s imagination can sometimes beggar belief. What a mind she has. As the narrative twists between the past and the present, it seems like anything could happen at any time….a hilariously poisonous evisceration of the cowardly, disingenuous politicians running rampant through Trump’s Washington. * CULTUREFLY *‘Sometimes, a paragraph near the start of a novel is so perfect and funny that you read it over and over, laugh every time, and know you’re in for a treat…I'm loving it. Completely insane but utterly hilarious’ * JOHN BOYNE *‘A curious, surprising and moving story about two men who— to put it one way — become involved with an aardvark and thereby condemn themselves to death.’ * THE CRITIC *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE AUTHOR'S CLUB FIRST NOVEL AWARD, THE RSL CHRISTOPHER BLAND PRIZE and THE HWA DEBUT CROWN AWARD'A new classic' SARA COLLINS, author of THE CONFESSIONS OF FRANNIE LANGTON'Impassioned. Lyrical and affecting' GUARDIAN_____________Brixton 1981. Sixteen-year-old Michael is already on the wrong side of the law. In in his community, where job opportunities are low and drug-running is high, this is nothing new. But when Michael falls for Ngozi, a vibrant young immigrant from the Nigerian village of Obowi, their startling connection runs far deeper than they realise.Narrated by the spirit of an African woman who lost her life on a slave ship two centuries earlier, her powerful story reveals how Michael and Ngozi's struggle for happiness began many lifetimes ago.Through haunting, lyrical words, one unforgettable message resonates: love, hope and unity will heal us all._____________'A searing, rhapsodic novel. Filled with beauty, devastation and the power of ancestral connections that ripple through the ages' IRENOSEN OKOJIE, author of NUDIBRANCH'A gorgeous book' ALEX WHEATLE, author of BRIXTON ROCK_____________Readers love THE BOOK OF ECHOES:'A powerful and honest debut which is going to stay with me for a long time' *****'You can feel Amaka's passion rising off the page' *****'BRILLIANT, thoughtful and masterfully crafted' *****'Oh my goodness, the book itself is even more beautiful and haunting than the cover' *****Trade ReviewBEST NEW FICTION: A beautifully written testament to oppression that reverberates across the centuries. * DAILY MAIL *Searing and rhapsodic. Filled with beauty, devastation and the power of ancestral connections that ripple through the ages * IRENOSEN OKOJIE *Bewitching. I almost felt like I time-travelled back into Brixton 1981. A gorgeous book - totally recommended. * ALEX WHEATLE, author of BRIXTON ROCK *An absorbing debut * SUNDAY EXPRESS *Impassioned. Lyrical and affecting * GUARDIAN *Powerfully redemptive * INDEPENDENT *Fierce and poignant * TATLER *BEST BOOKS for FEBRUARY * COSMOPOLITAN MAGAZINE *Powerful, impassioned, thought-provoking * DAILY MAIL Staycation Sensations *A beautiful rich story that shows how hope can get people through the worst of times * PRIDE MAGAZINE *A breath-taking read. Both intimate and sweeping * LOUISE HARE, author of THIS LOVELY CITY *Bewitching. I almost felt i'd time-travelled back to Brixton in the 1980s. Highly recommended * ALEX WHEATLE, author of BRIXTON ROCK *

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Book Synopsis'A modern scream of female outrage. A masterpiece' ELIZABETH GILBERT'Astoundingly original . . . belongs on the shelf with your Margaret Atwood' NEW YORK TIMESHaunting, intense and irresistible, The Illness Lesson is an extraordinary debut about women's minds and bodies, and the time-honoured tradition of doubting both.In 1871, at an elite new school designed to shape the minds of young women, the inscrutable and defiant Eliza Bell has been overwhelmed by an inexplicable illness.Before long, the other girls start to succumb to its peculiar symptoms - rashes, tics,night wanderings and fits.As the disease takes hold, teacher Caroline Hood tries desperately to hide her own symptoms, butthe powers-that-be turn to a sinister physician with dubious methods.Does Caroline have the courage to confront the all-male, all-knowing authorities of her worldand protect the young women in her care?'You want to know how horrifying things happened while decent people looked on and did nothing? Read this novel' MARY BETH KEANE'Subtle, clever, suspenseful . . . builds to a shocking climax' DIANE SETTERFIELD'A Sunday Times Book to Read in 2020: A classic ghost story for fans of Picnic at Hanging Rock, Deborah Levy, Jeffrey Eugenides' SUNDAY TIMES STYLETrade ReviewAstoundingly original, this impressive debut belongs on the shelf with your Margaret Atwood and Octavia Butler collections. * New York Times *The Illness Lesson is a brilliant, suspenseful, beautifully-executed psychological thriller. With power, subtlety, and keen intelligence, Clare Beams has somehow crafted a tale that feels like both classical ghost story and like a modern (and very timely) scream of female outrage. I stayed up all night to finish reading it, and I can still feel its impact thrumming through my mind and body. A masterpiece. * Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love *‘Subtle, clever, suspenseful . . . builds to a shocking climax’ * Diane Setterfield *Alcott meets Shirley Jackson, with a splash of Margaret Atwood. It’s dark, quirky and even titillating . . . on the edge between realism and ghost story * The Washington Post *A top pick for the coming year . . . this haunting novel blends historical fiction with a timely comment on women’s bodies and minds, and those who think they can control them. Unmissable. * Stylist *

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Book SynopsisIn the dead of night, with blood on her hands, she made her escape. Accused of murder, Alejandra flees her home, escaping to the southern edge of Spain, where she faces a life of poverty and destitution. Seduced by the power of the rich and the anonymity that waits across the water in Tangier, Ale makes a bid for a new start. But it will come at a cost: a life of deception. Because Ale's new friends want to know what she is running from, they want to know who she is and whether they can trust her.Fifty years later, a young American writer wanders the streets of Tangier, searching for inspiration. When he stumbles across a trace of Ale's life, he finds himself tangled in a story of scandal, love and danger that has not yet reached its end.

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Book Synopsis'Humorous, sad and clever... A passionately written meditation on motherhood' Sunday Times Anna Bennett hasn't slept in months. She also has an insomniac toddler, a precocious, death-obsessed seven-year-old, and a frequently-absent ecologist husband who has brought them all to a desolate island in the Hebrides so he can count the puffins. When her son finds a baby's skeleton buried in the garden, Anna must confront the island's troubled past, while finding a way to live with the complex demands of motherhood. Night Waking is a deeply moving and blackly funny tale from one of the great feminist observers of modern family life. 'Sarah Moss writes the kind of books that are difficult to put down' Louise Welch, Financial Times 'Moss writes marvellously (and often hilariously)' The TimesTrade ReviewTartly humorous, sad and clever ... a passionately written meditation on motherhood, with all the monotony, desperation and visceral feelings faithfully recorded -- Elizabeth Buchan * Sunday Times *Moss writes marvellously (and often hilariously) about the clash between career and motherhood. Allison Pearson for intellectuals -- Kate Saunders * The Times *Fresh and illuminating... [Sarah] Moss is a wry, winning guide * Guardian *Highly enjoyable... The upbeat conclusion to this blend of middle-class satire, historical fiction and campus novel does not soften Moss's withering take on sexism and her stark view of motherhood -- Anthony Cummins * Daily Telegraph *An original and accomplished novel * Daily Mail *Sarah Moss's debut, Cold Earth, was a stylish thriller set on a remote archaeological dig in Greenland. Here she takes the emotional isolation of early parenthood as her subject, intensifying the experience by transplanting a young family to a remote Scottish island ... In her previous book, a character noted that there was "some peace in having a kind of room of my own, even if it is a grave." This latest work explores the concept further with some startling results' -- Emma Hagestadt * Independent *Sarah Moss weaves in perceptions about motherhood, attitudes to children and attempts to improve the world... she demonstrates that she can handle a darkly comic narrative with the best of them - although Night Waking is much more than that -- Tina Jackson * Metro *Witty with dark humour ... Moss manages to wave the threads together quite expertly at the end -- Alastair Mabbott * Herald *The prose is flawless and elegant... [A] well-crafted, and intelligent read, and enlightening at times. It inspired me to find out more about the horrendous Highland Clearances * Matthew James Hunt blog *There are many layers to this book - political, feminist, artistic... beautifully written * Magnet Magazine *

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Book SynopsisA compelling, compact novel about a woman who walks out of her life and washes up in an out-of-season seaside town - from a powerful new Canadian-British voice After a sudden, devastating loss, Mara flees her family and ends up adrift in a wealthy coastal town. Mired in her grief, Mara's first few days are spent alone, surviving on what scraps of food she can find, and swimming at night in the ocean. When her money runs out and the tourist season comes to a close, Mara finds a job in a local wine store and meets its owner, Simon, a man whose loneliness she immediately recognises as a mirror to her own. As Mara dances around her growing attraction to Simon, she is forced to reckon with both her present desires and her past errors, and with the compulsion she feels to both make and unmake herself. Tides is a spare, visceral portrait of a woman nearly pulled under by loss and desire. It is an unforgettable introduction to a debut writer of uncommon literary power.Trade ReviewBrilliant, elegant and unsparing, Tides is a lyrical meditation on selfhood: Sara Freeman illuminates, with a poet's eye, the shifting interior landscape of a woman adrift * Emma Cline *A tale of internal exile, of a woman on the lam from her own loved ones and from the memories that cage her. Tides is a marvel - lyrical and suspenseful at the same time -- Jonathan Dee, Pulitzer Prize finalist author of The PrivilegesBody and soul, heart and mind, spirit and ground: in this astonishingly moving, taut debut, Sara Freeman gives us a woman on the edge of her own emotional survival. A thrilling, visceral story of grief and renewal * Stacey D'Erasmo, author of Wonderland *To read Sara Freeman's Tides is to witness the stunning aftermath of an intimate disturbance-a wave glowing in the dark. As readers we watch the exquisite beauty of its surface and are plunged inside its startling depths. Freeman reminds us of the grandeur and terror of being alive with others in whose company we might luminesce -- Jennifer TsengIt's one of the most carefully written, brave, honest, devastating books I've read for a long time. There were lines in it so emotionally accurate and merciless they made me squint up my eyes. It's explosive. But the effect is the inside-your-body, barely-heard-properly percussive receipt of a detonation felt at a distance -- Cynan JonesSara Freeman goes about her business in Tides with such cool composure that I didn't fully register the serious heat of the thing until my eyebrows had started to sizzle. I'm amazed that this is a first novel. There is something very large to be found in this wonderfully compressed work -- Laird HuntSara Freeman is such a gifted writer, and she maps with great beauty and precision the territory of loss. This novel is lovely, dark, troubling, and deep -- Alix OhlinA compulsive read - this story and its characters seeped into me, so that I often thought of them between spells of reading... From the crystalline prose to the plot's syncopated rhythm, Tides is an incisive, memorable debut -- Eliza Robertson, author of Demi-Gods and Wallflowers[Freeman has] a honed lyricism * Daily Telegraph *Freeman hammers her paragraphs down into perfected, indivisible units... A poignant evocation of a woman adrift in the wake of tragedy * Guardian *As well as being beautifully atmospheric, Tides is an intriguing exploration of the effect of sheer propinquity on romance * Financial Times *Mercurial.... Freeman's prose is taut and illuminating, a style that manages to be both detached and emotionally devastating...[A] beautifully observed, elegantly written debut... * Irish Times *Taut and affecting, Tides proceeds in fragments... The reader proceeds as if scanning a littered foreshore in the wake of high tide, uncertain as to whether the next object will be alluring, lurid, or both... the overall effect is quietly seductive. * TLS *Tides is irresistible... I read it in an afternoon, but I'll be thinking about it for a long time * Douglas Stuart *Tides' fragmented chapters gleam like pearls strung on a powerful narrative of grief and survival, some only a line or so long, a page given to each... A beautifully crafted story of a woman learning to live again * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisAn astonishing debut novel of motherhood and loss in the dying days of the Second World War 'Moving, graceful... Violets has a compelling, quiet power all the way to its exquisitely affecting end' Megan Hunter, author of The Harpy and The End We Start From 'Stunning and original... Written in pristine prose, it reminded me of the possibilities of language' Elizabeth Macneal, author of The Doll Factory A young woman, Violet, lies in a hospital bed in the closing days of World War Two. Her pregnancy is over and she is no longer able to conceive. With her husband deployed in Burma and her friends caught up in transitory love affairs, she must find a way to put herself back together. In a small, watchful town in the Welsh valleys, another Violet contemplates the fate she shares with her unborn child. Unwed, an overseas posting offers a temporary way out. Plunged into the heat and disorder of Naples, her body begins to reveal the responsibility it carries even as she is drawn into the burnished circle of a charismatic new friend, Maggie. Between these two Violets, sung into being like a babe in a nursery rhyme: a son. As their lives begin to intertwine, a spellbinding story of women's courage emerges, suffused with power, lyricism and beauty, from an exhilarating new voice in British fiction. 'Beautiful, inventive and deeply moving' Liz Berry 'A novel of taut symmetry and dissonance... Alex Hyde's prose is rhythmically acute and emotionally layered. This is a subtle and daring book' Margo JeffersonTrade ReviewHypnotic... its accumulative power will have you sobbing by the end * Evening Standard *I loved this moving, graceful novel, which writes through the years with a rare deftness of touch. Violets has a compelling, quiet power all the way to its exquisitely affecting end -- Megan Hunter, author of The HarpyGraceful... inventive... Babies - unborn, unwanted, mourned, impossible to conceive - link both Violets in a narrative that is skilfully progressed over the course of this quietly surprising book * The Irish Times *[An] assured debut... Hyde's ingenious plotting is matched by the inventiveness of her buoyant, verse-like, subtly rhyming prose -- Stephanie Cross * Daily Mail *Short, expressionist... profound... * Financial Times *A tender meditation on motherhood...lyrical ... Hyde has found a way to make the past speak presciently to our times while also maintaining a playful relationship to a story that becomes unexpectedly moving, warm-hearted despite its flinty poetic prose -- Lara Feigel * Guardian *I was deeply moved by Violets, a stunning and original portrayal of womanhood and life's many iterations. Written in pristine prose, it reminded me of the possibilities of language, of the beauty, heartbreak and extraordinary courage found in everyday life -- Elizabeth MacnealAn intricately composed and thoroughly corporeal portrait of the intertwined lives of two women during the war. Hyde is clearly a writer of talent and ambition: Violets suggests a glittering career ahead -- Alex Preston * Observer *[W]onderfully lyrical and insightful * i Newsletter *One of the most beautiful, haunting, heart breaking and hopeful books I have read in quite some time. It is a book that made my cry, frankly... I have experienced nothing like the main characters in these pages...I couldn't put it down -- A ‘New Favourite Book’ by Simon SavidgeViolets is a touching tribute, deftly written, to all women left struggling in similar situations -- Susie Mesure * Spectator *A beautiful, inventive, and deeply moving book about the secrets and sacrifices women make on their journeys to motherhood. Through lucid, lyrical prose, unafraid of the body and all its messiness and longing, the stories of these two courageous Violets, conjuring a child into being in the last days of wartime, captured my heart and imagination. -- Liz BerryViolets is a novel of taut symmetry and dissonance. War, marriage, affairs, death, childbirth: all are here, dissolving the gender divisions we still impose on these subjects. Alex Hyde's prose is rhythmically acute and emotionally layered. This is a subtle and daring book. -- Margo JeffersonLoosely based on the adoption of the author's father, this lyrical, affecting début weaves together the stories of the two women involved...In stripped-back prose that focuses on the women's interior lives, this notable début is one for fans of Max Porter and Megan Hunter. -- Alice O'Keeffe, Editor's Choice * Bookseller *A story of motherhood and loss told in lean, spare prose * Bookseller *Breathtaking... powerful and poignant * Sunday Post *A brilliantly constructed novel that says more by saying less... the poetic heartbeat of the narrative means that this is very much more than a partially fictionalised family memoir -- Bill Borrows * Radio Times *A thoroughly humane, intimate, even celebratory novel... Its interwoven form and sympathetic tone, insists on connection * TLS *

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Book SynopsisAn electrifying debut novel about a young woman and her desire for sleaze, whose idyllic summer on a remote Alaskan homestead takes a disturbing turn. "Sexy and dark and strange and absolutely perfect." Carmen Maria Machado "Puppy love meets jaded lust to dance their death spiral inside a young woman's head ... I ate it up." Nell Zink Tourists arrive all summer, by boat or seaplane, at Stu and Maureen Jenkins's Lavender Island Wilderness Lodge in the Kodiak Archipelago, expecting adventure. But the spontaneity of their authentic Alaskan wilderness experience is meticulously scripted, except when real danger rears its head. Stu and Maureen's lodge is failing, as is their marriage. Mira has been hired for the season as the lodge's baker and housekeeper. But she's also busy gleefully nursing twin obsessions: building a working theory of what constitutes 'sleaze' and pursuing a young fisherman she deems the embodiment of all things deliciously sleazy. Her plans become more perverse and elaborate, even as life on Lavender Island starts to unravel. By midseason, it becomes clear that Stu, the jovial, predatory patriarch of the lodge, has turned his sexual attentions to another young employee. As the mood of the lodge spirals into chaos, the inhabitants realize just how isolated Lavender Island really is. Hilarious, sensual, and charged with menace, The Seaplane on Final Approach brilliantly illuminates the mirage-thin line between the artificial and the feral. In this daring and psychologically razor-sharp debut, Rukeyser's characters tear aside the facade of good manners to reveal all of our deepest needs and naked desires.Trade ReviewI didn't realize how much I needed this lusty, funny, heart-breaking book until I devoured it in a single sitting... A sharp, flawless debut -- Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other PartiesAn age-old story-puppy love meets jaded lust to dance their death spiral inside a young woman's head-told with the shameless authenticity of 2022. I ate it up -- Nell ZinkOriginal and adventurous, horny and hilarious-it's everything I want from a book. -- Rachel Yoder, author of NightbitchBrilliant and possibly the horniest thing I've ever read. But this is Advanced Horniness, the kind that can see the sex in phone book listings, vicarious jealousy, five thousand dollars, and the cold devouring ocean -- Tony Tulathimutte, author of Private CitizensA tender trickster of a novel, told with humor, insight and just the right amount of raunch ... Read it now. -- Angela Flournoy, author of The Turner HouseA kind of anti-coming of age ballad, a celebration of taking the wrong paths in life, the beauty of what mistakes can teach us about ourselves -- Jean Kyoung Frazier, author of Pizza GirlFunny, sensual, elegiac, and phenomenally perceptive ... this novel is not to be missed -- Tom Drury, author of PacificThe Seaplane on Final Approach is so much fun; astute, and so evocative of the obsessive yearning of young adulthood, the narratives we devise then hopelessly fall into as we're trying to make sense of the world -- Lisa McInerney * author of The Glorious Heresies *There's plenty of comedy here... the humour gains a more mature and melancholy edge... When the end comes, it's catastrophic, as well as lengthy, gruesome fun * Daily Telegraph *Painfully recognisable adolescent yearning... A deftly juggled mix of mercilessly sharp character judgment and gentle compassion for each person's failings... definitely one for readers who enjoy the sort of dive into dysfunction championed by Ottessa Moshfegh * The Times *Assured, elegant... [Rukeyser] create[s] a taut atmosphere * Irish Times *An illuminating and magical coming-of-age story * Daily Mail *Arresting... a jaunty, perfectly paced and exceptionally well-written coming-of-age story... Slyly funny, with just the right touch of darkness to take the edge off * TLS *

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Book SynopsisDinslaken, Germany 1945. The war is over, leaving behind a broken nation. As the allied forces begin to uncover the horrors of the Holocaust, a war photographer makes the decision to capture the lives of the ordinary German people. Accompanied by his driver, the young and vulnerable O'Leary, the pair set off on a journey, one that changes both their lives forever. The Invisible Land is a story of the moral and emotional repercussions of violence, complicity and its aftermath.

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Book SynopsisA survivor of the atomic bombs dropped in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Mr Watanabe has evaded the memory for most of his nomadic life. When the 2011 earthquake strikes, triggering the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the past becomes the present, and Mr Watanabe begins a journey that will change everything. Written with intimacy and compassion, Fracture is a remarkable novel about collective trauma, love and the complexities of human life.

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Book Synopsis>p>An off-kilter darkly ironic novella about a boy's strange obsession with the Japanese crested ibis, from a Japanese literary star Seventeen-year-old Haruo spends all his waking hours online, fixated on the endangered Japanese crested ibis, Nipponia Nippon. Alone in his Tokyo apartment, living off his parents' indulgence, he descends into a fantasy world where he alone shares a bond with the last of these noble birds, their lives caged in the national conservation centre. Haruo's destiny becomes clear. He will free the birds-alive or dead-from an undeserving civilization. As Haruo's emotional state grows increasingly erratic, he searches the internet for weapons and prepares for the night of reckoning.

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Book SynopsisForced back to her remote hometown by the war, Giulia is immediately drawn to a couple in a similar situation: graceful, spontaneous Ada and her husband Paolo, a sickly teacher and partisan in hiding. Joined from Turin by Giulia's husband Stefano, the two couples form an intense bond; as the Germans begin to occupy Italy, a subtle dance of attractions begins, intensified by their shared isolation and the muffled hum of threat over a long, hard winter. In prose of subtle, enigmatic atmospheres and acutely precise images, Lalla Romano evokes both the tension and the stillness of life in occupied Italy. Translated into English for the first time, A Silence Shared is a captivating classic novel that inhabits the silent spaces between historic events, depicting the mysterious luminosity of human relationships in extraordinary circumstances.Trade Review “Thanks to this new translation… another unveiling of a great Italian writer is about to begin… Her writing fascinates because so much of it circles around how we construct and remember the lives we lead, those moments and elements that are mysterious and impossible to communicate.” --Los Angeles Review of Books“Her work deserves to be read alongside other titans of 20th-century Italian literature such as Natalia Ginzburg, Cesare Pavese and Italo Calvino (all of whom knew and revered her)… Told with magnificent restraint, and without the tensions ever breaking the novel’s serene, crystalline structure, A Silence Shared is a wonderful taste of Romano’s work.” --The Spectator“When a book is praised by three of Italy’s greatest 20th-century writers – Giorgio Bassani, Italo Calvino and Natalia Ginzburg – you pay attention... through short scenes and spare dialogue, Romano successfully creates a mood of stasis, anticipation and guilt.” --The Guardian “Reading this beguiling book was not unlike watching light and shadow complicate the surface of a still, deep pool of summer water. Hats off to Brian Robert Moore for the stunning translation.” --Sunjeev Sahota, Lithub“Exquisite.” --Irish Times"Romano writes in a dreamlike present, which is to say the present that appears to us in dreams... clear and full of shadows, concrete and out of reach."--Natalia Ginzburg"A subtle and captivating story... An incredibly complex and tough knot of human ties, [explored] with a heightened sensitivity that never falters."--Italo Calvino

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Book SynopsisFEATURED ON BARACK OBAMA'S 2019 READING LIST SHORTLISTED FOR THE SWANSEA UNIVERSITY DYLAN THOMAS PRIZE 'SPECTACULAR' Guardian'A WONDER' Daily Mail'SPARKLING' The Times'EXQUISITE' Observer'MAGNIFICENT' TLS'EPIC' Entertainment Weekly'A TRIUMPH' LitHub'INFECTIOUS' Financial Times'A MASTERPIECE' Sunday Express Nora is an unflinching frontierswoman awaiting the return of the men in her life, biding her time with her youngest son - who is convinced that a mysterious beast is stalking the land around their home - and her husband's seventeen-year-old cousin, who communes with spirits. Lurie is a former outlaw and a man haunted by ghosts. He sees lost souls who want something from him, and he finds reprieve from their longing in an unexpected relationship that inspires a momentous expedition across the West. Mythical, lyrical, and sweeping in scope, Inland is grounded in true but little-known history. It showcases all of Téa Obreht's talents as a writer, as she subverts and reimagines the myths of the American West, making them entirely - and unforgettably - her own.NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY: Guardian, Time, Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, The New York Public Library 'Should have been on the Booker longlist' Claire Lowdon, Sunday Times'Magnificent... Brings to mind Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude or Toni Morrison's Beloved' Times Literary Supplement'Exquisite ... The historical detail is immaculate, the landscape exquisitely drawn; the prose is hard, muscular, more convincingly Cormac McCarthy than McCarthy himself' Alex Preston, ObserverTrade ReviewA tremendously talented writer * Ann Patchett *Magnificent . . . brings to mind similar effects in, say, Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude or Toni Morrison's Beloved. * Times Literary Supplement *This free-ranging tale of an American frontierswoman should have been on the Booker longlist... I'm already looking forward to whatever Obreht writes next. -- Claire Lowdon * Sunday Times *This exquisite frontier tale from the author of The Tiger's Wife is a timely exploration of the darkness beneath the American dream ... The historical detail is immaculate, the landscape exquisitely drawn; the prose is hard, muscular, more convincingly Cormac McCarthy than McCarthy himself ... [The] paranormal element reminds us strongly of George Saunders's Lincoln in the Bardo ... Inland also feels of a piece with another recent novel, Sarah Perry's Melmoth, a brilliantly eerie gothic tale in which the horrors of history are condensed into a single ghostly figure -- Alex Preston * Observer *[Obreht] has used the little-known existence of the Camel Corps as the inspiration for Inland, her propulsive second novel ... Infectious storytelling ... Obreht is as engrossing with her depiction of the colourful and disparate encounters experienced by Lurie and Burke as she is on the claustrophobia of small-town rivalries -- Catherine Taylor * Financial Times *It's a voyage of hilarious and harrowing adventures, told in the irresistible voice of a restless, superstitious man determined to live right but tormented by his past. At times, it feels as though Obreht has managed to track down Huck Finn years after he lit out for the Territory and found him riding a camel. She has such a perfectly tuned ear for the simple poetry of Lurie's vision... Sip slowly, make it last. -- Ron Charles * Washington Post *Set against a backdrop of hardship and saturated with magic and myth, this ambitious novel is a modern masterpiece, culminating in an unforgettable ending -- Rosie Hopegood * Sunday Express *"Obreht is the kind of writer who can forever change the way you think about a thing, just through her powers of description . . . Inland is an ambitious and beautiful work about many things: immigration, the afterlife, responsibility, guilt, marriage, parenthood, revenge, all the roads and waterways that led to America. Miraculously, it's also a page-turner and a mystery, as well as a love letter to a camel, and, like a camel, improbable and splendid, something to happily puzzle over at first and take your breath away at the end. -- Elizabeth McCracken * O Magazine *Obreht is superb at tracing such inescapable wounds, both personal and national. Her 2011 Orange prize-winning debut, The Tiger's Wife, mapped the aftermath of civil conflict in an unnamed "Balkan country still scarred by war", which was based on her native Serbia ... The fictional territory of Inland is as vivid and as violent: Arizona in the second half of the 19th century, populated by "cowpokes and prospectors", gunslingers and cattle kings - and, yes, cameleers ... Exquisitely panoramic ... compelling ... On every page gorgeously tinted images conjure the otherworldliness of this desert existence ... Obreht's narrative skill here is part of the magic of Inland, which succeeds spectacularly at reinventing a well-worn genre and its tropes. There are no stereotypes in this western, only ferociously adroit writing that honours the true strangeness of reality in its search for the meaning of home -- Elizabeth Lowry * The Guardian *As it should be, the landscape of the West itself is a character, thrillingly rendered throughout... Here, Obreht's simple but rich prose captures and luxuriates in the West's beauty and sudden menace. Remarkable in a novel with such a sprawling cast, Obreht also has a poetic touch for writing intricate and precise character descriptions. * New York Times Book Review (Editor’s Choice) *At a time when old-fashioned storytelling seems to be in decline, Téa Obreht is a class apart ... a bustling, bravura adventure that's part Western, part Cormac McCarthy and part Obreht's unique blend of spiritual realism ... This is not a novel to gulp down, but to savour, as Obreht fleshes out every possible detail in language that tastes both of the soil and of the skies. The final chapter, meanwhile, rich in poignant symbolism, is a wonder -- Claire Allfree * Daily Mail *Set at the end of the 19th century, it has dual narratives of a frontierswoman and a former outlaw. Suspenseful, atmospheric, near mythical in tone, and lyrically written * I paper *With Inland Obreht makes a renewed case for the sustained, international appeal of the American West, based on a set of myths that have been continually shaped and refracted through outside lenses . . . Discovering the particular genre conventions that Obreht has chosen to transfigure or to uphold soon becomes central to the novel's propulsive appeal. * New Yorker *Sparkling descriptions ... Obreht is alive to the sharp, enduring pain of grief and how it alters even the most mundane aspects of life - and she convincingly conjures the jagged anxiety of clinging on to life and livelihood in the face of terrible odds -- Siobhan Murphy * The Times *It's eight years since Obreht's debut, The Tiger's Wife, made her the youngest winner of the Orange Prize. Inland, her second novel, is an equally skilful exploration of myth and fable, and histories both forgotten and elaborated -- Sophie Ratcliffe * Daily Telegraph *Téa Obreht was just 25 when she wrote her Orange Prize-winning debut The Tiger's Wife, a lush and magical retelling of the bloody history of the Balkans. Her new book ventures into the Wild West for an intricate, slow-burn two-hander that, while more sober and rugged, by no means ditches her interest in the supernatural -- Anthony Cummins * Metro *What Obreht pulls off here is pure poetry. It doesn't feel written so much as extracted from the mind in its purest, clearest, truest form * Entertainment Weekly *The landscape of the West itself is a character, thrillingly rendered throughout in phrases such as "red boil of twilight" and "a stillness so vast the small music of the grasses could not rise to fill it." Here, Obreht's simple but rich prose captures and luxuriates in the West's beauty and sudden menace. Remarkable in a novel with such a sprawling cast, Obreht also has a poetic touch for writing intricate and precise character descriptions... Inland has the stoic heroic characters and the requisite brutal violence of the western genre, but the decision to place an immigrant and a middle-aged mother at its center is a welcome deviation... In Obreht's hands, this is an era that overflows with what the dead want, and with wants that lead to death. Her two central characters may not be who we have been conditioned to think of when we conjure the old American West, but they, too, are America. * International New York Times *Inland is a classic story, told in a classic way - and yet it feels wholly and unmistakably new... Obreht offers a new representation of the West, both in the characters she chooses and the emotional rigor and range with which she writes. The result is at once a new Western myth and a far realer story than many we have previously received - and that's even with all the ghosts. * NPR *Téa Obreht's M.O. is clear: She's determined to unsettle our most familiar, cliché-soaked genres . . . Inland can feel like Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian turned inside out: contemplative rather than rollicking, ghostly rather than blood-soaked . . . giving so much of the novel's stage to Nora makes this a less familiar woman's western, one that's more about resilience, wit and family than frontier justice. * Minneapolis Star Tribune *There is so much to admire and enjoy here: the interplay of magic and reason, the threats of progress, the tribalism of a nation forming. Above all the difficulty of simply living alongside one another, evoked in Obreht's masterful language, variously lyrical, hilarious, and profound -- Francesca Steele * The Spectator *Refreshing ... plenty of fine descriptive writing to admire -- Max Davidson * Mail on Sunday *Obreht has a gift for vivid language and deft stories-within-stories ... She gives words fresh purposes, to great effect; verbs sizzle ... haunting. * Economist *This book is everything you'd expect the literary event of 2019 to be: sweeping, confident, ambitious, well-researched and difficult ... it really packs a punch ... it is moving and learned, and it reminds us how the history of America has always been about trying to create a home in a hostile place -- Niamh Donnelly * Irish Times *A captivating, sweeping novel * Grazia *Every page is a triumph - even if you don't think you like Westerns. Trust me, this book will make you a believer. * Lit Hub *It will enchant lovers of lyrical prose and the myth of the American West. * Harper's Baazar *Obreht's novels are capital-E Events - big, ambitious, provocative reading experiences...At last we have Inland, a bracingly epic and imaginatively mythic journey across the American West in 1893, in which the lives of a former outlaw and a frontierswoman collide and intertwine. * Entertainment Weekly *Obreht uses her prodigious writing gifts to create a new mythology for the American West, one that glimmers with the intensity of a desert mirage. * Nylon *Obreht brings her extraordinarily intricate worldview, psychological and social acuity, descriptive artistry, and shrewd, witty, and zestful storytelling to another provocative inquiry into the mysteries of place, nature, and human complexities... As her protagonists' lives converge, Obreht inventively and scathingly dramatizes the delirium of the West-its myths, hardships, greed, racism, sexism, and violence-in a tornadic novel of stoicism, anguish, and wonder. * Booklist (starred review) *The most thrilling discovery in years * Colum McCann *The unrelenting harshness of existence in the unsettled American West sharply focuses what Obreht refers to as 'the uncertain and frightening textures of the world' in this mesmerizing historical novel spun from two primary narrative threads . . . The novel's unforgettable finale, evocative and grimly symbolic, crystallizes its underlying themes of how inconsolable grief and unforgivable betrayal shape the circumstances that bind its characters to their fates. Obreht knocks it out of the park in her second novel. * Publisher's Weekly *A frontier tale dazzles with camels and wolves and two characters who never quite meet. Eight years after Obreht's sensational debut, The Tiger's Wife, she returns with a novel saturated in enough realism and magic to make the ghost of Gabriel García Márquez grin. She keeps her penchant for animals and the dead but switches up centuries and continents. Having won an Orange Prize for The Tiger's Wife, a mesmerizing 20th-century Balkan folktale, Obreht cuts her new story from a mythmaking swatch of the Arizona Territory in 1893 . . . Obreht throws readers into the swift river of her imagination . . . [A] deep stoicism, flinty humor, and awe at the natural world pervade these characters. [Lurie and Nora] are both treacherous and good company . . . The final, luminous chapter is six pages that will take your breath away. * Kirkus *

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Book SynopsisQuest for Kimchi is the story of Rachel See, an Asian-American lawyer living in New York who abandons her prestigious legal job after a bad breakup and spontaneously moves to Ireland. Can she create the life she’s always wanted and defy cultural norms?Rachel See thinks she has it all figured out, until her boyfriend breaks things off and she’s left with a job she dreads. Taking a leap, she decides to move abroad to Ireland, where she takes a position at a company without really knowing what the business does or what the job entails. While there, with the help of a new crew of international friends and her old buddy in New York, Magda, she finally learns to let go of stability and ambition to experience life with all its ups and downs. It’s My Big Fat Greek Wedding meets Eat Pray Love—with a side of kimchi that accompanies each adventure. Rachel ultimately quits her job to venture off on a soul-searching journey filled with pizza, pasta, prosciutto, and everything in between. There is some praying, a little bit of loving, and a whole lot of healing; a love story between two people you’d least expect; one too many Guinnesses; a lot of crack—err, craic; and a big fat Greek wedding complete with big, phat Greeks.

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Book Synopsis*Winner of the NYPL Young Lions Award**Winner of the CLMP Firecracker Award*Finalist for the NBCC John Leonard PrizeA New York Times Writer to Watch This SummerNamed a Best Book of the Year by Literary Hub and Library JournalIn 1990, three boys are born, unrelated but intertwined by circumstance: Dayo, Iseul and Youssef. They are adopted as infants and live in a shared bedroom perched atop a mosque in Staten Island. The boys are a conspicuous trio: Dayo is of Nigerian origin, Iseul is Korean and Youssef indeterminately Middle Eastern, but they are so close as to be almost inseparable. Nevertheless, Youssef is keeping a secret from his brothers: he has an imaginary double, a familiar who seems absolutely real, a shapeshifting creature he calls Brother. The boys' adoptive father, Imam Salim, is known for his radical sermons extolling the virtues of opting out of Western ideologies. But he is uncharismatic at home, a distant father who spends evenings in his study with whiskey-laced coffee, writing letters to his former compatriots back in Saudi Arabia. Like Youssef, he too has secrets, including the cause of his failing health, the reason for his nighttime excursions from the house and the truth about what happened to the boys' parents. When Imam Salim's path takes him back to Saudi Arabia, the boys will be forced to follow. There they will be captivated by an opulent, almost futuristic world and find traces of their parents' stories. But they will have to change if they want to survive in this new world, and the arrival of a creature as powerful as Brother will not go unnoticed.With stylistic brilliance and intellectual acuity, in Brother Alive Zain Khalid brings characters to vivid life with a bold energy that matches the great themes of his novel - family, capital, power, sexuality and the possibility of reunion for those who are broken.Trade ReviewBeguiling...Khalid's sentences abound with florid, poetic metaphors while maintaining the clipped, declarative tempo of Scripture....a searing collage of the profound and the mundane * New York Times *[An] auspicious debut...Khalid brilliantly reveals new shades of truth from each character's point of view, and perfectly integrates the many ideas about capitalism and religious extremism into an enthralling narrative. It's a tour de force * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *One of the most exciting debuts in recent years...That Khalid executes a novel this intricate, elegant, and compassionate with such masterly prose all but guarantees that this will be one of the finest works of literature this year * Library Journal *This wildly ambitious novel seeks to break new ground in big-issue territory like provenance, race, class, birth and rebirth...that it succeeds in some of its lofty aspirations is impressive. To do so while creating memorable characters is even more of a feat. * Big Issue *Zain Khalid's imagination and talent are a marvel to behold in these pages. Brother Alive bristles with a kinetic, hypnotic energy that also manages to ask profound questions about love, faith, family, and loyalty. Hallucinatory and electrifying, Brother Alive announces the arrival of a writer with an impassioned and fearless vision. -- Maaza Mengiste, author of THE SHADOW KING, shortlisted for the Booker PrizeBrother Alive is a hallucinatory revelation. With beautifully-written prose, characters that truly leap from the pages, and a rendering of love, both familial and romantic, that made my heart ache, Zain Khalid has announced himself as a writer the world needs to sit up and pay attention to. An exquisitely told, breathtaking, revolutionary book, I barely blinked while reading it and was bereft when I finished it. -- Kasim Ali, author of GOOD INTENTIONSA rigorously intelligent, wholly sensitive and quietly rebellious work of art, with prose as profound as it is beautiful. What an inspiring examination of the waywardness of life and the grounding of love this story is. What a wise, thoughtful writer Zain Khalid is. What a gift to humanity this book is. -- Robert Jones, Jr., New York Times-bestselling author of THE PROPHETSBrother Alive is a remarkable work. Zain Khalid creates an immersive world rich in compelling detail. But even more impressively, Khalid achieves a kind of resistance text against our endemic inhumanity. The thrill lies in witnessing such a cogent and powerful intellect tune in to the music of life. An inspiring reminder of the great capacity of novels. -- Sergio de la Pava, author of A NAKED SINGULARITYThis genre-defying novel, and the intelligence, originality, and awareness of the mind that produced it, astonished me. I was reminded of Günter Grass, of Viet Thanh Nguyen. Through the consciousness of an unforgettable narrator, Youssef, Khalid begins by subtly illuminating the contours of a globalized world in which the personal is geopolitical; he ends by turning up the light and refusing to let us look away. -- Vauhini Vara, author of THE IMMORTAL KING RAO

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Book SynopsisA powerful tale of honour, prejudice and the twentieth century's most maltreated hero, by the acclaimed author of THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB.June 8, 1954. Alan Turing, the visionary mathematician, is found dead at his home in sleepy Wilmslow, dispatched by a poisoned apple. Taking the case, Detective Constable Leonard Corell quickly learns Turing is a convicted homosexual. Confident it's a suicide, he is nonetheless confounded by official secrecy over Turing's war record. What is more, Turing's sexuality appears to be causing alarm among the intelligence services - could he have been blackmailed by Soviet spies? Stumbling across evidence of Turing's genius, and sensing an escape from a narrow life, Corell soon becomes captivated by Turing's brilliant and revolutionary work, and begins to dig deeper. But in the febrile atmosphere of the Cold War, loose cannons cannot be tolerated. As his innocent curiosity takes him far out of his depth, Corell realises he has much to learn about the dangers of forbidden knowledge.Trade ReviewLagercrantz neatly intertwines the facts of Turing's life with the fiction of Corell's quest for knowledge to create an unsettling story of state secrets and sexual hypocrisy * Sunday Times *Has the faintest whiff of W.G. Sebald; haunted characters determined to pull others down into turbid, oppressive currents of memory and ideas. You are willingly drawn down with them * Spectator *Swedish crime fiction moves into Britain's heartland in this superbly written espionage and murder novel . . . Lagercrantz has the lingo, the mood and the place down pat. * Globe and Mail (Toronto) *Absorbing . . . Gets the synapses sparking . . . Lagercrantz is at home with a damaged hero who has more of an affinity with computers than humans * Sunday Telegraph *A persuasive evocation of Turing's genius and of a Britain still suffering under rationing and repression * Daily Mail *Perhaps the most signal achievement here is the clever melding of two narrative forms: a sympathetic biography of a real historical figure treated appallingly by the establishment, and a police procedural in which a dogged copper tries to crack a mystery in the teeth of bloody-minded intransigence * Independent *

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Book SynopsisA rich and powerful exploration of desire, sin and redemption, by one of our best chroniclers of faith in the 21st century."I enjoyed it enormously. The story is so interesting, the theme so important and pertinent, and the fluency and lightness of touch so engaging to read" PHILIP PULLMAN"[Arditti] has given us a novel very much for our time, good enough to be for all time, too" The Scotsman"An engrossing, three-dimensional, grown-up narrative" ROWAN WILLIAMS"The perfect combination of matters ecclesiastical and artistic" Financial Times"Bursting with intellectual richness and joyously acidic dialogue" The Spectator"A compelling read" Observer" I loved this book for its lightness of touch about serious subjects and for dialogue that glitters like clashing rapiers" MIRANDA SEYMOUR"An intelligent and entertaining novel that handles lightly problems of great moral weight" GuardianAs a woman in the early 1980s, Clarissa Phipps is unable to pursue her priestly vocation. Instead, she joins the BBC, where she is sent to interview the artist Seward Wemlock about the panels he is painting for an ancient Cheshire church."A serious and important writer" ROSE TREMAIN"Arditti has delivered a complex moral fable with skill and aplomb" Mail on SundayThirty years on, now rector of that same church, she chances upon Brian, the chief bell-ringer and husband of her closest friend, fondling fifteen-year-old David. David claims they are in love, but Clarissa is obliged to act. Will she choose friendship or conscience, sympathy or her duty of care?The fallout from that choice forces her to reflect on past concerns over Wemlock's relationship with his teenage models. Had she heeded the whispers at the time, how many lives - her own included - would have turned out differently?The Choice is a rich and powerful exploration of desire, sin and redemption, questioning whether it's possible, let alone prudent, to separate the art from the artist, which reaches to the heart of the contemporary culture wars. Richly comic and deeply compassionate, it is a remarkable synthesis of the sacred and profane."At a time when British fiction has never been more timorous about tackling novels of ideas, Michael Arditti has produced one worthy of Iris Murdoch and Graham Greene. Brilliantly ambiguous, waspishly witty and thoroughly enjoyable, this is Michael Arditti's own masterpiece to date" AMANDA CRAIGTrade ReviewI enjoyed it enormously. The story is so interesting, the theme so important and pertinent, and the fluency and lightness of touch so engaging to read. -- PHILIP PULLMANPast sins, present values, forgiveness and redemption all inform this subtle modern morality tale . . . A compelling read. -- Peter Stanford * Observer *An absorbing novel, a mature and important work . . . [Arditti] has given us a novel very much for our time, good enough to be for all time, too -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *The Choice is an intelligent and entertaining novel that handles lightly problems of great moral weight. Clarissa faces many hard choices and unearths many horrors, but in the end, for her and for the reader, it is all worth it. -- Christopher Shrimpton * Guardian *A book that probes any number of aggressive varieties of moralism, while testing the reader's own moral alertness for rigour, realism and generosity. An engrossing, three-dimensional, grown-up narrative. -- ROWAN WILLIAMSIn a novel bursting with intellectual richness and joyously acidic dialogue, it's fitting he ends on a deliciously poised note - a question rather than an answer -- Jude Crook * The Spectator *A serious and important writer -- ROSE TREMAINMichael Arditti's magnificent novel is the first to place a woman priest at the centre of what proves to be an irresistibly readable, thoughtful and characteristically witty examination of the quandaries and compromises faced by the Church of England in an era of decline . . . I loved this book for its lightness of touch about serious subjects and for dialogue that glitters like clashing rapiers. -- MIRANDA SEYMOURArditti has delivered a complex moral fable with skill and aplomb -- Max Davidson * Mail on Sunday *At a time when British fiction has never been more timorous about tackling novels of ideas, Michael Arditti has produced one worthy of Iris Murdoch and Graham Greene . . . Brilliantly ambiguous, waspishly witty and thoroughly enjoyable, this is Michael Arditti's own masterpiece to date. -- AMANDA CRAIGArditti's fondness for comic flourishes adds levity to what is not infrequently a discomforting exploration of art, religion and morality - one that, with the fate of artist Eric Gill's oeuvre back In the headlines, feels very current -- Stephanie Cross * Daily Mail *Challenging, mischievous and enormously satisfying. -- Neil Norman * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisA thrilling SOE spy novel by a former special forces officer who is 'poised to inherit the mantle of John le Carré' 'Edward Wilson seems poised to inherit the mantle of John le Carré' Irish Independent'More George Smiley than James Bond, Catesby will delight those readers looking for less blood and more intelligence in their spy thrillers' Publishers WeeklyCambridge, 1941. A teenage William Catesby leaves his studies to join the war effort.Parachuted into Occupied France as an SOE officer, he witnesses remarkable feats of bravery during theFrench Resistance.Yet he is also privy to infighting and betrayal - some of the Maquisards are more concerned with controlling the peace than fighting the war. Double agents and informers abound, and with torture a certainty if he is taken, Catesby knows there is no one he can trust.Passed from safe house to safe house, with the Abwehr on his tail, he is drawn towards Lyon, a city of backstreets and blind alleys. His mission is simple: thwart an act of treachery that could shape the future of France.'Edward Wilson's excellent Portrait of the Spy as a Young Man draws on his own special forces training'Independent'Engaging . . . Dynamic . . . Wilson's fascination is as much with how the spy betrays himself as with howhe manipulates others' The Times Praise for Edward Wilson: 'Stylistically sophisticated . . . Wilson knows how to hold the reader's attention' W.G. Sebald'A reader is really privileged to come across something like this' Alan Sillitoe'All too often, amid the glitzy gadgetry of the spy thriller, all the fast cars and sexual adventures, we lose sight of the essential seriousness of what is at stake. John le Carré reminds us, often, and so does Edward Wilson' Independent

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Book SynopsisSet over the course of one life-changing year, The Best Days of Our Lives is a warm, big-hearted and poignant story, full of hope, heartache and love - the perfect gift this Christmas.The McKenzies are your average complicated family: knotted together by in-jokes, arguments and a few closely-guarded secrets. Thirty-something sisters Leni and Alice became inseparable following the divorce of their parents, Belinda and Tony, with younger brother Will always trying to keep up. They're not perfect, but they love each other - most of the time, anyway.But then one ordinary summer day, an accident changes the family forever. Questions arise, guilt surfaces and secrets begin to emerge. Scattered by grief and seeking comfort in the unlikeliest of places, can the McKenzies find their way back to each other?'Deeply moving' Katie Fforde'Wise and wonderful' Veronica Henry'Compelling and beautifully written' Sarah MorganSEE WHAT EVERYONE'S SAYING ABOUT THE BEST DAYS OF OUR LIVES'So real and so romantic' Laura Kemp'Deeply moving' 5* Reader Review'This book touched my heart' Sarah Morgan'So uplifting and comforting' 5* Reader Review'Poignant, yet uplifting and comforting' My WeeklyTrade ReviewThe Best Days of Our Lives is one of those books that makes you reassess how you live your own life. Deeply moving but ultimately uplifting, you won't regret reading this * Katie Fforde *Wise, moving and heart-warming - this is Lucy Diamond at her very best * Rosie Walsh *Lucy is at the top of her game with this wise and wonderful book. It's deeply moving and truly uplifting. No-one does real life better than Lucy Diamond * Veronica Henry *A compelling and beautifully written tale of love, grief and family. This book touched my heart * Sarah Morgan *So real and so romantic * Laura Kemp *No one writes about family like Lucy does. This is a masterpiece in how broken people negotiate and ultimately survive the worst that life can throw at them. It's an absolutely beautiful book * Milly Johnson *A bittersweet ode to the highs, the lows, and all the shades of living in between, The Best Days of Our Lives is Lucy Diamond at her absolute best. Prepare to be charmed! * Laura Jane Williams *Despite the heavy subject matter which is sure to stir up your emotions, Lucy Diamond's lively and frequently humorous writing ensures you'll laugh as often as you cry * Sunday Express *A heavy subject matter is handled with a deft touch * The Times *Have the tissues at the ready for this poignant, yet uplifting and comforting read * My Weekly *A brilliantly observed slice of family life full of joy, sorrow, happiness and hope, I loved it * Alex Brown *Fabulous, uplifting and life affirming * My Weekly *A bittersweet delight * Heat *Emotional, gentle and, in spite of its serious subject matter, uplifting * Irish Independent *

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Book SynopsisFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night comes a dreamy reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico. 'ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF 2022' - She Reads'The imagination of Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a thing of wonder, restless and romantic, fearless in the face of genre, embracing the polarities of storytelling' - New York TimesCarlota Moreau: A young woman, growing up in a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula, the only daughter of a genius - or a madman.Montgomery Laughton: A melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol, an outcast who assists Dr Moreau with his scientific experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas with plentiful coffers. The hybrids: The fruits of the Doctor's labour, destined to blindly obey their creator while they remain in the shadows, are a motley group of part-human, part-animal monstrosities. All of them are living in a perfectly balanced and static world which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Doctor Moreau's patron - who will, unwittingly, begin a dangerous chain-reaction.For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and in the sweltering heat of the jungle passions may ignite.Trade ReviewA chameleon writer with incredible writing skills * KIRKUS *A genre-jumping wizard, one of the most exciting and necessary authors writing today * CHARLIE JANE ANDERS, award-winning author of THE CITY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT *Moreno-Garcia is a magician able to switch genres with ease * THE OBSERVER on VELVET WAS THE NIGHT *Cements Silvia Moreno-Garcia's incredible versatility as an amazing writer who moves between genres effortlessly * S.A. COSBY, bestselling author of BLACKTOP WASTELAND on VELVET WAS THE NIGHT *Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing is unforgettable * CHRISTINA HENRY, author of ALICE, on CERTAIN DARK THINGS *With intelligence, energy, and unexpected tenderness, Silvia Moreno-Garcia takes on Wells' classic tale of scientific hubris. Carlota, the mad Doctor Moreau's only child, is a creation more original than anything her father's cruel experiments could ever conjure. At once playful and deadly serious, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is an irresistible and thoroughly satisfying novel * VALERIE MARTIN, author of I GIVE IT TO YOU, on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *The brilliant and unstoppable Silvia Moreno-Garcia continues to weave her magic in The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, a smart, sinister fable about social inequality and exploitation, isolation and abuse of power. In her usual fashion, Moreno-Garcia has given us an extraordinary heroine to root for in Carlota, a young woman who can't know until she's tested how much power is hers to claim. Both lacerating and deeply empathetic, this story satisfies the reader on every page * PAULA McLAIN, New York Times-bestselling author of The Paris Wife, on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *Silvia Moreno-Garcia goes from strength to strength. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is my favourite of her novels so far - a gothic tour-de-force with characters who will keep you glued to the page, and a series of satisfying, surprising riffs on Wells' original story * KELLY LINK, award-winning author of Get in Trouble, on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *Lush, eerie, and compulsively readable. This story got under my skin and stayed there * ALEXIS HENDERSON, author of THE YEAR OF THE WITCHING and HOUSE OF HUNGER, on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *Beautiful, feral, and as sharp as a jaguar's claws . . . I felt the anger and hope in this story down to my very bones. Truly, Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a virtuoso of the anti-imperialist gothic novel * ANNALEE NEWITZ, award-winning author of Autonomous, on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *Paints a vivid picture that is as alluring as it is unsettling, filled with action, romance, and monsters. However, it is Moreno-Garcia's ability to mesh the unease of the scientifically created beasts with the real-life terrors of a life on the margins and the horror of colonialism that elevates this story. Readers will fall into this tale immediately, enchanted * BOOKLIST (starred review) on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *If you love psychological horror and historical fiction, this is the book for you * SHEKNOWS on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *She deftly combines fantasy, adventure, and even romance; the result is hard to classify but definitely a lot of fun. This isn't the first book to riff on H.G. Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), but it's definitely one of the better ones. A fun literary remix * KIRKUS REVIEWS on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *Moreno-Garcia's world-building chops are on display as she creates a distinct, vibrant backdrop to her audacious retelling. Fans of cerebral, atmospheric historical horror won't want to miss this * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *I was swept along from beginning to end, enchanted by this wonderful novel that breathes new life into a classic concept * PARSEC MAGAZINE on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *The imagination of Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a thing of wonder, restless and romantic, fearless in the face of genre, embracing the polarities of storytelling - the sleek and the bizarre, wild passions and deep hatreds - with cool equanimity * NEW YORK TIMES on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *If there are two things I love in this world, it's contemporary reimaginings of Victorian era horror and sci-fi, and joyful genre mashups in literature. Thank the Lord, then, for Silvia Moreno-Garcia, the author of the 1970s Mexico City noir Velvet Was the Night and the postcolonial gothic romance Mexican Gothic, who brings her chameleonic powers to bear on H. G. Wells's 1896 'exercise in youthful blasphemy' * LIT HUB ON THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *Once again the author of Mexican Gothic demonstrates her genius for genre mashups, combining contemporary political awareness with the appeal of a creepy gothic romance * LISA TUTTLE in THE GUARDIAN on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *An evocative slow-burn SF drama about colonialism, heredity and scientific hubris, couched in lush prose * THE FINANCIAL TIMES on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *This is another excellent story by an author who is always worth reading and highly recommended * BIRMINGHAM SCIENCE FICTION GROUP on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *What Moreno-Garcia really does, though, is explore who the real monsters are in the world * WASHINGTON POST on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *A riff on H. G. Well's 1896 SF horror classic The Island of Doctor Moreau, given a feminist slant, but it is much more than that and is often unexpectedly beautiful * CONCATENATION on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *Atmospheric and evocative * CULTUREFLY on THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU *Romance, intrigue and body horror swirl together fantastically . . . an eerie book, in which strange creatures lurk and simmering passions ignite * PRESS ASSOCIATION *Hailed as one of the most anticipated books of 2022 * ESSENTIAL MARBELLA MAGAZINE *Seamlessly blends a sense of the old with the new, creating a new story that respects Wells but will always be in Moreno-Garcia's distinct style and voice * SFBOOK REVIEWS *The Daughter of Doctor Moreau sweeps along in the style of Isabel Allende's fantastical City of Beasts * GEEK CHOCOLATE *

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Book SynopsisAn unforgettable story set off the sun-soaked coast of Sicily for fans of Dinah Jefferies, Faith Hogan and Santa Montefiore'The perfect holiday companion' Heat'The ultimate feel-good read' Candis'Sun-soaked escapism' Best**********When Tess Angel receives a solicitor's letter inviting her to claim her inheritance - the Villa Sirena, perched on a clifftop in Sicily - she is stunned. Her only link to the island is through her mother, Flavia, who left Sicily during World War II and cut all contact with her family.When Tess goes to Sicily, Flavia realises the secrets from her past are about to be revealed and decides to try to explain her actions. Meanwhile, Tess' teenage daughter Ginny is stressed by college, by her blooming sexuality and filled with questions that she longs to ask her father, if only she knew where he was...********SEE WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING ABOUT ROSANNA LEY'An impeccably researched and deftly written narrative that kept me hooked until the end' Kathryn Hughes'Loved it from start to finish. A brilliant holiday read' *****'Perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore, Victoria Hislop and Leah Fleming' Candis'On so many levels a fantastic read' *****'A fascinating story with engaging themes' Dinah Jefferies, bestselling author of The Tea Planter's Wife'Warm, enthralling, one of my favourite authors' *****Trade ReviewA gorgeous, mouth-watering dream of a holiday read * Red *Top escapism * Closer *The Villa will stay with you long after you've devoured this tale of family feuds, secrets and passion, Sicilian-style . . . Romantic, escapist and mouth-watering, it has everything you could wish for in a summer read. Delicious * Veronica Henry *This summer read will keep you enthralled * Bella *Beautifully written, warm and romantic . . . The perfect holiday read * Rachel Hore *

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Book Synopsis'Warm, funny, and bursting with heart' Rebecca Serle'Beautiful, moving, hopeful' Emily StoneGreta James is adrift. Literally.Just after the sudden death of her mother - her most devoted fan - and weeks before the launch of her high-stakes second album, Greta James falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral and she stops playing. Greta's career is suddenly in jeopardy - the kind of jeopardy her father, Conrad, has always warned her about.Months later, Greta - still heartbroken and very much adrift - reluctantly agrees to accompany Conrad on the Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their fortieth anniversary. It could be their last chance to heal old wounds in the wake of shared loss. But the trip will also prove to be a voyage of discovery for them both, and for Ben Wilder, a charming historian who is struggling with a major upheaval in his own life.In this unlikeliest of places - at sea and far from the packed venues where she usually plays - Greta must finally confront the heartbreak she's suffered, the family hurts that run deep, and how to find her voice again.'Gorgeous, heartfelt' Amanda Eyre Ward'Moving and beautiful' 5* reader review'Thoughtful and tender and true' Janelle Brown'Full of warmth, heart and music' 5* reader review'Filled with music, passion, and love of all kinds' Jill Santopolo'Wonderful, inspiring and delightful' 5* reader review'A total delight!' Christine Pride'A heartwarming story reminding you to really live' 5* reader review'Full of hope . . . vibrant' Linda HolmesTrade ReviewThis wry, closely observed romance slowly investigates family, love and fame * Daily Mail *Charming, funny, diverting and a cracking good story * Sunday Independent *A warm-hearted story * Irish Independent *Warm, funny, and bursting with heart. A pitch-perfect story about the ways we recover love in the strangest of places. The Unsinkable Greta James is exactly the book you want to read * Rebecca Serle, New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years *Beautiful, moving, hopeful. I loved this book from beginning to end, and will be thinking about it for a long time. A total triumph * Emily Stone, author of Always, In December *Filled with music, passion, and love of all kinds, The Unsinkable Greta James is an unforgettable exploration of family and the choices we make that shape our lives. A fast-paced, emotional novel * Jill Santopolo, New York Times bestselling author of The Light We Lost *I burst into tears at the end of Jennifer E. Smith's gorgeous, heartfelt The Unsinkable Greta James-tears of surprised happiness. I loved traveling to Alaska with the wild and tender Greta, her escape from her life as a literal rock star an addictive journey. Each evening, I looked forward to opening the novel and re-joining Greta's adventure, and will miss her - and her music - now that I've turned the final, beautiful page * Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of The Jetsetters *Thoughtful and tender and true, The Unsinkable Greta James perfectly captures the messiness of loving and being loved. Smith has written a gripping relationship story that's also a perceptive exploration of what it means to dream. I devoured it * Janelle Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Things *This novel is unabashedly sentimental, in the best possible way. It's about how family can misunderstand us, grief can undo us and our dreams can save us. The Unsinkable Greta James is as transporting and diverting as the Alaskan cruise Greta herself is on in these pages. In short: it's a total delight! * Christine Pride, co-author of We Are Not Like Them *There's a generosity in the drawing of these characters . . . a vibrant sense of its unusual setting * Linda Holmes, New York Times bestselling author of Evvie Drake Starts Over *A tender story * Candis *Tears are likely . . . * Sainsbury's *Poignant and inspiring * Culturefly *

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Book Synopsis'A gorgeous story, full of heart' Jo Thomas'Bursting with sunlight and beauty' Kate FurnivallAmid the sun-soaked hills of southern Italy lies the Romano family olive grove, where Lara lives with her daughter Rose and her granddaughter Bea.Lara has spent a lifetime trying to forget the traumatic events that led to her desperate escape from Dorset seventy years ago. But when she sees Bea - a passionate horticulturalist most at home in nature - being swept off her feet by Matteo, a handsome and charismatic restaurateur, Lara fears her granddaughter is in danger of making the same mistake as Lara did all those years ago.Remembering a promise she once made, Lara asks Bea to travel to Dorset to restore her family's long-lost garden. Bea is torn. She would love to find out more about the mystery of her beloved grandmother's past. But if she leaves Italy, will Matteo wait for her? And when she arrives at the house in Dorset - what will she find?Meanwhile back in Italy, an old flame from Rose's past reappears, threatening to expose a secret that could tear the heart out of the Romano family for good.'A luminous, sun-soaked delight' Woman's Weekly'A real treasure' Tracy Rees 'I loved the way each chapter left me begging for the next' 5* reader review 'Brilliantly paced' 5* reader review 'I was enthralled from the first page' 5* reader review 'Storytelling at its best' 5* reader reviewTrade ReviewBursting with sunlight and beauty . . . a powerful story, superbly told * Kate Furnivall *A gorgeous story, full of heart * Jo Thomas *A luminous, sun-soaked delight * Woman's Weekly *A warm, compelling story of family secrets, complex relationships and exquisite gardens. A real treasure to get lost in * Tracy Rees *With beautiful descriptions of Italy and Dorset, this story explores the secrets of three generations of women who show it's never too late to start again * Candis *The forever Garden is for those of us who want to escape * The People's Friend *

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Book SynopsisSet in post-war Oslo and following on from Echoes of a City, by an author who understands the city like no other."One of Norway's finest writers" GUARDIAN"Profoundly resonant" TLS In Kirkeveien, Oslo, in the year 1956, forty-year-old Maj is worn down by being a homemaker and widowed mother. To the indignation of the Red Cross ladies, she cautiously frees herself from the role she has otherwise fulfilled to the letter. She finds a job that she turns out to be more than good at, and some kind of love, too. Her friend Margrethe is sick of her marriage to the antiquarian bookseller, Olaf Hall, but cannot think of divorce. Jesper gets a girlfriend who opens the door to a new, more liberated environment of vegetarianism and politics. And his best friend Jostein realises that his talent for making money will allow him access to a world that is larger and richer than that of the Oslo slaughterhouse.Friendship is a beautifully orchestrated story about people and their dreams, about social conventions, personal constraints and what it takes to have the courage to realise oneself. In this book brimming with human insight, as in Echoes of the City, in each of these characters we recognise something of ourselves.Trade ReviewSaabye Christensen's writing is rich and elegant, and always easy to read. Burlesque humour that borders on farce, with an underlying layer of melancholy. From the outset, the reader might feel that the book flows a bit too easily, but before you notice the writer has grabbed hold of you and doesn't let go until the last page has been turned * Adresseavisen *Eminent is a big word. Even so, it comes to mind assessing the second volume of this memoir novel, Echoes of the City . . . Lars Saabye Christensen is a master storyteller who is both sharp and affectionate. * Weekendavisen *I just have to repeat how impressed I am with Lars Saabye Christensen. It's like he's just sitting there, almost improvising on his keyboard and suddenly he's composed yet another masterpiece * Dagbladet *A book filled with sorrow and wistfulness for a time torn between faith in the future and the community's need for social control. It's Lars Saabye Christensen on home turf. It's the author at his best * Bok365 *

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Book SynopsisA bewitching novel by Brenda Lozano, one of the most prominent voices of the new generation of Latin American writers.'You can't really know another woman until you know yourself.'Weaving together two parallel narratives, this is the story of Feliciana, an indigenous curandera (healer), and of Zoë, a journalist: two women drawn together by the murder of Feliciana's cousin Paloma.In the tiny village of San Felipe in Jalisco province, where traditional ways of life and belief are a present reality, Feliciana tells the story of her life, her community's acceptance of her as a genuine curandera and the difficulties faced by her cousin Paloma who is a Muxe (both male and female), in her case a trans woman.Growing up in Mexico City, the heart of modern Mexico, Zoë attempts to find her way in a hostile world made for men, as she reflects on what drew her to Feliciana and Paloma, and her own relationship with the innate powers of a curandera.This extraordinary novel envisions the writer as healer, one who uses El Lenguaje (Language) to read El Libro (The Book) that contains the mystery of the world, and offers a generous and distinctly female way of understanding the complex world we all inhabit.Translated from the Spanish by Heather ClearyTrade ReviewBraiding together the voices of two women - a mystic and a skeptic - Witches, to borrow Brenda Lozano's words by way of Heather Cleary's translation, runs into shadows to bring light. This is a story of the world's repeated failure to control feminine power and the sheer magic of language itself. An enthralling, passionate story about secrets both holy and profane -- Catherine Lacey * author of Pew and Nobody is Ever Missing *Like the language of mushrooms: beautiful, brutal and beguiling, opening a new path to knowledge. -- Chloe AridjisHighly original, beautifully written and graced with a hypnotically compelling narrative style. A remarkable book -- Jon Lee AndersonAlternating between the quotidian and the incantatory, Witches weaves together two personal and political histories, casting a potent spell of fury and curiosity, heartache and healing. Sibylline, rich, and incredibly precise in its construction, Witches exhibits Lozano's total mastery of her art on every page, insisting on the primacy and power of storytelling, and the right of all Others to claim it -- Maryse Meijer * author of The Seventh Mansion *"Though the book chronicles violence against women and those who present as women, it highlights, in both rural and urban communities, an atmosphere of freedom and mobility that is a pleasure to read about" * New York Times *The language that Brenda Lozano invokes in Witches belongs to unknown realms but also builds bridges between worlds-it knits kinships and illuminates ancestral knowledge still present today. In this superb, precise and ethical translation by Heather Cleary, Lozano's language truly becomes a site of revelation -- Gabriela JaureguiThe two women's coming of age tales are simply and subtly told, and made more immediate by the book's structure with its emphasis on oral recall. Lozano manages to portray two disparate worlds convincingly, while persuading us of their parallels . . . [daring] to imagine a Mexico that sees commonalities across cultures and genders -- Patrick Graney * Literary Review *Lozano knows she is gifted and has no shame in showing it -- Margarita García Robayo * author of Fish Soup *Brenda Lozano is among several contemporary Mexican writers whose playfully innovative work has met with acclaim in the UK . . . Let's hope more of [her] work will follow * Guardian *An invitation for readers of all genders to disinherit themselves from their roles and to renounce the omnipresent male narrator * El Economista *An injection of electricity, a music that continues to be heard far beyond its pages * Mauro Libertella *Brenda Lozano is a splendid writer, brilliant, funny, subtly perverse, always moving -- Francisco Goldman

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Book Synopsis 'The Mutual Friend is GREAT. Carter Bays always finds the heart and truth in all of his humour. I just loved it. Put down the phones. Unless you're reading The Mutual Friend on it' Jason Segel 'I love this love story! The dialogue is so good, also it's very funny. What more could I want?' Mindy Kaling New York, 2015. In a city of more than 8 million people, there are always new places to visit, new connections to be made, new experiences to be shared.But not for Alice Quick. Determined to finally take her MCAT exam and become a doctor, this has to be a summer of no distractions. So it's a shame that her chaotic roommate Roxy is persistently getting her into trouble, not the most convenient timing for her millionaire brother Bill to decide to embark upon a spiritual search for the meaning of life and plain inconvenient that Alice just can't seem to put down her phone. And then there's the biggest distraction of all, threatening to permanently derail all of her plans: love.Filled with warmth, humour, and heart, THE MUTUAL FRIEND is an unforgettable debut novel that perfectly captures the choreography of navigating life and love amidst the chaos of contemporary life.Trade ReviewThe Mutual Friend is GREAT. Carter Bays is one of the funniest people I know. More importantly though, he always finds the heart and truth in all of his humour. I just loved it. Put down the phones. Unless you're reading The Mutual Friend on it * Jason Segel *I love this love story! The dialogue is so good, also it's very funny. What more could I want? * Mindy Kaling *The most extraordinary and beguiling novel I've read in years. Carter Bays weaves together a huge, eclectic cast of messy, imperfect and bewitching characters . . . As soon as I put the book down, I wanted to start reading it all over again * Clare Pooley, New York Times bestselling author of The Authenticity Project *Sharply observed, smartly-written, and with a captivating cast of characters, The Mutual Friend is the funniest, cleverest, most original novel I've read in years * Matt Dunn *A completely unique and addictive read with a captivating cast of characters, The Mutual Friend is a memorable, clever novel about connection and love and all the things that make us human. Charming and unforgettable, this story left an impression on my heart. * Holly Miller *A thoroughly modern and entirely captivating exploration of what it means to be alive in the world today. Funny, sad, romantic, perfect. I finished it and told all my friends to go read it immediately. * Marissa Stapley, New York Times bestselling author of Lucky *A hugely clever and thoroughly entertaining magic trick of a novel that shows the ways in which we're all connected, both virtually and in real life. This book - with all its wisdom and humor, its detours and surprises - was a total delight. I loved it! * Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Unsinkable Greta James *A big, heart-squeezing ode to all that matters most, dressed up in the disguise of a fun, juicy ensemble story bubbling over with comically bad dates, career missteps, and awkward adult friendships. You'll laugh; you'll cry; you'll stare out the window and contemplate the meaning of life. I did, anyway * Mary Laura Philpott, author of I Miss You When I Blink *A novel of New York in a strange time that probes its large and foibled cast with humor, real insight, and sparkling charm * John Hodgman, author of Vacationland and Medallion Status and host of the Judge John Hodgman podcast *Through his tapestry of characters, Carter Bays beautifully and hilariously captures the connection and isolation at the heart of being a human being, now. This book is like a modern-day War and Peace, without all the boring war parts * Raphael Bob-Waksberg, author of Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory *A thoroughly modern and entirely captivating exploration of what it means to be alive in the world today. Funny, sad, romantic, perfect. I finished it and told all my friends to go read it immediately * Marissa Stapley, New York Times bestselling author of Lucky *Sharply observed, smartly-written, and with a captivating cast of characters, The Mutual Friend is the funniest, cleverest, most original novel I've read in years * Matt Dunn, author of A Day at the Office *This is a rare thing: an original, intelligent novel that's not just a perfect summer beach read, but one that deserves serious awards consideration as well. Put down your phone and pick it up . . . A major accomplishment * Kirkus *It's a perfect summer read full of warmth, wit and a whole lot of heart * CultureFly *A good read that will leave you in tears * Sun *Filled with warmth, humour, and heart, The Mutual Friend is an unforgettable debut novel that perfectly captures the choreography of navigating life and love amidst the chaos of contemporary life * OX Magazine *

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Book Synopsis'Kit Fielding's debut is a triumph. A story told with brutal honesty, underpinned by humour, love, hope and the inestimable power of friendship.' RUTH HOGAN, author of The Keeper of Lost Things In every pub in every town unspoken stories lie beneath the surface.Each week, six women meet at The Bluebell Inn. They form an unlikely and occasionally triumphant ladies darts team. They banter and jibe, they laugh. But their hidden stories of love and loss are what, in the end, will bind them. There is Mary, full of it but cradling her dark secret; Lena - young and bold, she has made her choice; the cat woman who must return to the place of her birth before it's too late. There's Maggie, still laying out the place for her husband; and Pegs, the dark-eyed girl from the travellers' site bringing her strangeness and first love. And Katy: unappreciated. Open to an offer. They know little of each other's lives. But here they gather and weave a delicate and sustaining connection that maybe they can rely on as the crossroads on their individual paths threaten to overwhelm.With humanity and insight, Kit Fielding reveals the great love that lies at the heart of female friendship.Raw, funny and devastating, all of life can be found at the Bluebell.Trade ReviewA story told with brutal honesty underpinned by humour, love, hope and the inestimable power of friendship. Kit Fielding's debut is a triumph. * Ruth Hogan, Author of bestselling The Keeper of Lost Things *

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Book Synopsis'Askaripour's satire of the tech industry . . . will appeal to fans of Paul Beatty's Booker-prizewinning novel "The Sellout" and Jordan Peele's film "Get Out"' The Economist'Mesmerizing. . . a high wire act full of verve and dark, comic energy.' Colson Whitehead, author of The Underground Railroad'I love this so much. It's effortlessly funny, smart and satisfyingly self-aware' Candice Carty-Williams, author of QueenieMeet Darren. An unambitious twenty-two-year-old living with his mother and working at Starbucks. All that changes when a chance encounter with Rhett Daniels, the silver-tongued CEO of NYC's hottest tech startup, results in Darren joining Rhett's elite sales team.On his first day Darren realizes he is the only Black person in the company, and when things start to get strange, he reimagines himself as 'Buck', a ruthless salesman, unrecognizable to his friends and family. Money, partying, and fame soon follow Buck, and wherever he goes more is never enough. But when tragedy strikes at home, Buck begins to hatch a plan to help young people of colour infiltrate America's sales force, setting off a chain of events that forever changes the game.An earnest work of satire, Black Buck is a hilarious, razor-sharp skewering of office culture; a propulsive, crackling debut that explores ambition and race, and makes way for a necessary new vision of the American dream.'A crackling satire of corporate America' Guardian'A wonderful, riotous romp. A razor sharp, humorous examination of American workplace dynamics in the tech industry' Irenosen OkojieTrade ReviewAskaripour closes the deal on the first page * Colson Whitehead, author of The Underground Railroad *I love this so much. It's effortlessly funny, smart and satisfyingly self-aware -- Candice Carty-Williams * Grazia *A satire about race, work, ambition and power, it's sharp and hilarious. . . Different and fabulous * Daily Mail *A wonderful, riotous romp * Irenosen Okojie *Askaripour's satire of the tech industry-and of the intersection between capitalism and American racial politics-will appeal to fans of Paul Beatty's Booker-prizewinning novel "The Sellout" and Jordan Peele's film "Get Out" * The Economist *A crackling satire of corporate America, it has been compared to other classics of the genre Sorry to Bother You by Boots Riley and Jordan Belfort's The Wolf of Wall Street' * Guardian *Black Buck is as funny as it is smart * Candice Carty-Williams *Sharp and hilarious . . . Different and fabulous * Daily Mail *Energetic . . . Black Buck boasts a brisk pace, ebullient narrator and an inspirational tone * TLS *An entertaining read with much to say about race relations * Daily Express *A fast-paced and dazzling satire of sales, start-up business culture and race inequality told as a mock self-help sales guide * The Bookseller *Sharp, clever and often hilarious * New York Post *Fast-paced, energetic and confident * The Big Issue *An irresistible comic novel * Washington Post *Rhapsodic and incisive * WIRED *Razor-sharp * Vanity Fair *Darkly comic * NPR *Blazing . . . A fast-paced, sharp, hilarious story with a lot of heart. * Buzzfeed *Askaripour wields a sharp satirical blade to deliver social commentary . . . He may have written the first satire that doubles as self-help * Los Angeles Times *This quick-witted, trenchant debut novel starts like a superhero origin story . . . What follows is a harrowing tale that operates at the fraught intersection of capitalism, race, and class * Vulture *

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Book SynopsisTHE HOPEFUL AND BIG HEARTED NOVEL YOU WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS SUMMER'The heartwarming and uplifting book we all need right now, a celebration of the power of connection and kindness' HOLLY MILLER'The characters are endearing and the journey for each of them is as sweet as one of Pearl's Victoria sponges' DAILY MAIL*****Pearl Winter hasn't been outside in forty-three years.Since she arrived on Dartmoor as a girl, an isolated family cottage has been her whole world. A place of safety. But now fifty-nine-year-old Pearl is utterly alone - except for the postman, the local crows, and memories of the summer of 1976.Teenager Connor Matthews feels like a stranger in his own home.Since his mother's death he's been adrift from his remaining family, troubled by the reality of moving on, and unable to see a future ahead. But when Connor begins a summer job as Pearl's gardener, an unexpected friendship opens the door to a fresh start for them both. If only Pearl and Connor can take the first steps . . .*****Readers love Reasons to Go Outside!'A book that will stay with you long after you've finished it'Reader Review'With a few tears and lots of smiles, I loved this story from the very start'Reader Review'One of my top favourite heart-warming reads'Reader Review'A beautiful book inside and out'Reader Review'The message of hope is conveyed brilliantly'Reader ReviewTrade ReviewA touching and moving exploration of courage, friendship, and how hope can be found in the most unexpected places. Reasons To Go Outside is the heartwarming and uplifting book we all need right now, a celebration of the power of connection and kindness. Poignant, absorbing and beautifully written - I loved it * Holly Miller *There is such a warmth to this story . . . The characters flew off the page and I took them instantly to my heart . . . a bittersweet book full of love and hope. Who doesn't need that right now? * Helen Fisher *Gentle writing and great characters . . . I loved this book and would not be surprised to see in this year's bestsellers list! * Goodreads Reviewer *I loved this heartwarming tale about the power of friendship and finding courage within * My Weekly *The gorgeous characters and the believable story make for a joyous read. * Sun *The characters are endearing and the journey for each of them is as sweet as one of Pearl's Victoria sponges * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisBook Three in bestselling sensation Nicola May's gorgeous new series - catch up with Book One, WELCOME TO FERRY LANE MARKET, and Book Two, STARRY SKIES IN FERRY LANE MARKET, now!39-year-old Glanna Pascoe - also known as 'the Rainbow Painter' - runs the Hartmouth Gallery in Ferry Lane Market in Cornwall. She is just getting her head and broken heart around being single, childless, and sober when Cupid flies in, shooting arrows all over the place.Meeting the mysterious and fascinating Isaac Benson, famous local artist, and recluse, allows Glanna's disillusioned heart and attitude to soften, and she begins to learn more about herself than she ever thought possible. Confused by her growing feelings for Isaac, Glanna throws herself into organising a life-drawing class at her gallery, using both male and female nudes - and setting local tongues wagging.A theft from her gallery and the return of ex-love Oliver Trueman cause Glanna to wonder if a pot of gold will be appearing at the end of her rainbow. And will it bring her the happiness, she has sought for so long? Praise for Nicola May!'This book will twang your funny bone & your heartstrings' - Milly Johnson'A fun and flighty read' - Sun'A funny and fast-paced romp - thoroughly enjoyable!' WOMAN Magazine'One of those books that I can't stop thinking about way after I've read it! - Kim The Bookworm'This book is so addictive that you will literally lose 3 hours of your life, and you won't care!' - Cara's Book BoudoirReaders love Nicola May, too!'A FABULOUS must-read' - 5 STARS'An excellent book of friendship - with a little wickedness!' - 5 STARS'Good for the soul' - 5 STARS'I loved it and devoured it in a matter of days' - 5 STARS'A wonderful, feel-good novel with some grit thrown in' - 5 STARS'Marvellous, beautiful and heart-warming' - 5 STARS'Sea, sand and sex - a soppy delight' - 5 STARS'A truly lovely book' - 5 STARS'Fun and whimsy, plus a dog!' - 5 STARSTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR THE FERRY LANE MARKET SERIESFull of heart, hope, friendship, family and laughter, and a plot with a mystery gagging to be solved. WELCOME TO FERRY LANE MARKET is a brilliant start to a wonderful new series. I absolutely adored it. * Kim Nash, author of Sunshine and Second Chances *Emotional, heartwarming and great fun! * Julie Houston, author of A Village Affair *

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Book Synopsis'[A] masterly novel' - The Sunday Times'Strong echoes of George Smiley' - Financial Times'A novel of real quality. Top brass' - The Times Thriller of the Month*****Beware of Russians bearing gifts.Defectors are not always welcome.Is the information they bring worth the cost of protecting them for the rest of their lives? Is it even genuine? Might they be double agents? These are some of the questions facing MI6 when a Russian agent hands himself in to them in Denmark.As a team begins to assess his value, his former employers in the Kremlin develop a brutal plan to show that no defector will ever be safe.And they know where to find him. Which means there must be a mole in MI6.So it is that the cavaliers of Six find themselves being interrogated by nondescript Jonas Merrick of Five - the man called back from retirement and his beloved caravan, the man the young guns call the Eternal Flame because 'he never goes out.'But while he may be grey, Jonas is also ruthless. As he quietly works through the suspects in London, and violent mayhem breaks out in Denmark, Jonas plans not just to unmask a traitor, but to hit back at the Russians with deadly force.First encountered in The Crocodile Hunter, Jonas Merrick is set to become one of the great figures of modern spy fiction.*****Readers love THE FOOT SOLDIERS:'I was completely gripped by the plot and interdepartmental jealousies and rivalries. I couldn't put it down!'*****'A book that fans of the George Smiley series will love' *****'A brilliant, suspenseful and contemporary thriller . . . A wonderfully complex and unputdownable tale of defectors, traitors, internal politics . . . and assassination'*****'Seymour continues to carry the flame for the espionage genre, and his sublime creation, Jonas Merrick, a 21st-century George Smiley . . . is slowly but surely becoming a classic literary creation'****Trade ReviewA cleverly nuanced climax in which tables are unexpectedly turned more than once . . . marks this as a novel of real quality. Top brass * The Times *Seymour's finger is always on the current socio-political pulse, and the new book is a welcome return for his curmudgeonly MI5 man Jonas Merrick * i news *This is multi-layered spy-fi at its best, with Seymour showing that even after thirty-seven novels he has lost none of his talent for thrilling plots and creating credible and sympathetic characters, nor his journalist's eye for modern espionage tradecraft and techniques * Shots Magazine *Supreme spy writer * Peterborough Telegraph *If le Carré had written about spies on the front line . . . Seymour makes more than le Carré of treachery's potential impact on frontline personnel. [A] masterly novel * The Sunday Times *There are strong echoes of George Smiley in Merrick's mild and unprepossessing manner, which disguises a razor-sharp brain and considerable courage when necessary * Financial Times *

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Book Synopsis Set in the final days before a shocking tragedy forces an elite boarding school to shut its doors for good, Ellie Eaton's The Divines is a razor-sharp debut that asks the question: were you really as good as you remember?I am Divine. My mother was Divine and her mother before that, which isn't uncommon. Although that was at a time when being Divine meant something . . .The girls of elite English boarding school, St. John the Divine, were notorious for flipping their hair, harassing teachers, chasing boys and chain-smoking cigarettes. They were fiercely loyal, sharp-tongued, and cutting in the way that only teenage girls can be. But for Josephine, now in her thirties, her time at St. John feels like a lifetime ago. She hasn't spoken to another Divine in fifteen years, not since the day the school shut its doors in disgrace . . .But an impromptu visit reawakens blurry recollections of those doomed final weeks that rocked the community. With each memory that resurfaces, she circles closer to the ugly secret at the heart of the school's scandal. But the more Josephine recalls, the further her life unravels, derailing not just her marriage and career, but her entire sense of self.With the emotional power of My Dark Vanessa and the reflective haze of The Girls, The Divines is a compulsive debut exploring the intoxicating, destructive relationships between teenage girls. 'A cool, chilling and elegant novel' Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent'Perfectly twisted . . . Impossible to put down' Refinery29'Captivating' Vulture'An explosive debut' StylistTrade ReviewA dark delight . . . The Divines is perfectly twisted in its reflection of an utterly toxic environment, making it impossible to put down till you get to its end. * Refinery29 *Chilling and twisty, this story will have you at once compelled, and cringing at the awfulness of teenage girls * Cosmopolitan *Exploring the destructive relationships of teenage girls and the echoes they have on our grown lives, this is an explosive debut * Stylist *This elegant tale of class privilege and bullying at an exclusive girl's boarding school in the 90s makes you feel as though you are trapped alongside conflicted protagonist Josephine * iNews, Best Books of 2021 *Remembering the girls of St. John the Divine, Josephine, in her 30s, ruminates on her bullying days at boarding school. In this captivating debut novel, Ellie Eaton traces adolescent female sexuality, class divides, and the weight of formative memories on adults * New York Magazine *Compelling and very atmospheric. Really interesting on how we remember the past and carry it with us * Kate Sawyer, author of THE STRANDING *THE DIVINES is a cool, chilling and elegant novel that intrigues and compels the reader, while filleting the absurdities of British class hierarchy with a very, very sharp knife. In Eaton's stylish and controlled prose, the oppressive atmosphere of a girls' boarding school becomes the site of a violent and mysterious act, but also a lens through which to examine the intoxicating and unnerving power of adolescent sexuality, the dangers and consolations of friendship, and the toxic nature of the class divide. It's a terrific, entertaining and astute work and one of considerable relevance to the way we live now. * Sarah Perry, author of THE ESSEX SERPENT *A potent novel about what it means to remember and how responsible we are for the actions of our youth. Seething with teenage sexuality, friendship and that peculiarly British obsession, class, this is an absorbing read * Araminta Hall *'Girls are vicious,' a character in The Divines says towards the end, and Ellie Eaton has given us every ounce of that viciousness, meticulously portioned and weighed, the pain of it held up to the light. Seductive and uncomfortable in equal measure, the real raw strange runs through this book, that indigestible part of the human experience we all choke on from time to time * Rufi Thorpe, author of The Knockout Queen and The Girls from Corona Del Mar *The Divines is an absorbing, sharp exploration of the ways our adolescent secrets, relationships, and cruelties shape and haunt us into adulthood. Ellie Eaton's writing is thrilling and intoxicating, whether about the inexplicable power teenage girls have over one another or the challenges of defining a self outside of long-held traditions. A compulsively readable book; I couldn't put it down * Alexandra Chang, author of Days of Distraction *From the very first page, The Divines throws the reader headfirst into the crucible of adolescent girlhood, in all its insecurity and entitlement, brittle vulnerability and callous cruelty. Eaton turns a keen eye toward class, privilege, and trauma, but this novel is above all a ruthlessly compassionate exploration of the stories we tell ourselves about the past-our drive to assuage our regrets, even as we are reluctant to reckon with their repercussions. A confident, nuanced, impeccably paced debut * Micah Nemerever, author of These Violent Delights *The Divines is a scintillating coming-of-age story about the brutal bonds of female boarding school friendships, class prejudices, and the ways in which false memories can take the place of truth. Sephine is an unflinching and utterly convincing narrator. I lapped up every delicious detail * Susie Yang, author of White Ivy *A nostalgia filled story, full of the intensity of adolescent friendships * Best Magazine *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE WRITERS' GUILD BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE HOLYER AN GOF LITERARY FICTION AWARD LONGLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD'This unsparing debut novel portrays the unromantic side of Cornwall few visitors see and which so many novelists choose to overlook. Charlie Carroll inhabits his damaged heroine completely' Patrick Gale'A moving and affecting novel about life on the edge, with a very special flavour of wild and rugged Cornwall.' Emma Stonex, author of THE LAMPLIGHTERSAway from the hotels and holiday lets, there is an unseen side of Cornwall, where the shifting uncertainties of the future breed resentment and mistrust.Melody Janie is hidden. She lives alone in a caravan in Bones Break: a small cliff-top on Cornwall's north coast. She spends her time roaming her territory, spying on passing tourists and ramblers, and remembering. She sees everything and yet remains unseen.However, when a stranger enters her life, she is forced to confront not only him but the terrible tragedies of her past.The Lip is a novel about childhood, isolation and mental health, told in the unique and unforgettable voice of Melody Janie.'All of this is Bones Break. All of this is mine. I know every inch of it; I know it as intimately as the seagulls. I stand at dead-centre, my feet teetering on the edge of the lip. Below, the thundering tattoo of waves on rock. Wind catches the tips of my hair, lifting them above my ribs: less force than it takes to knock me down; enough to make me right myself with a step to the left, and then another back again. Here on the lip, it is vital to know where my feet are.'Trade ReviewThis unsparing debut novel portrays the unromantic side of Cornwall few visitors see and which so many novelists choose to overlook. Charlie Carroll inhabits his damaged heroine so completely, and with so little trace of first-novel-ego that I can't wait to see what he writes next; I suspect his publishers have backed a winner. * Patrick Gale *Atmospheric, haunting writing, a heroine you instantly love. * Ilona Bannister, author of When I Ran Away *Viscerally described... I'm still thinking about it. * The Daily Mail *[Melody Janie's] life weaves intimately close to this place, vesting a lyrical magic over these weather-beaten landscapes. * The Telegraph *A novel as much about isolation as it is grief, mental health and enforced change, it builds to a moving conclusion with a mighty twist. With The Lip now added to his repertoire, Carroll is proving to be very much like a modern-day Orwell, with social awareness and humanity at the core of what he writes. * Buzz Magazine *A moving and affecting novel about life on the edge, with a very special flavour of wild and rugged Cornwall. * Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters *Beautiful. . . the last time I read a book that affected me as much as this one it was The Loney. * The Bookbag *Beautifully complex, heartbreaking and atmospheric. I was completely immersed in Melody Janie's world and really 'got' the possessive charge of her land and the past that she was trying so desperately to save. Fabulous read. * LV Matthews, author of The Prank *Redeeming and beautiful and full of brave characters and heart. . . I bloody loved it. The story grew roots that went far deeper than I expected. I found myself racing to the climax and it was executed perfectly. A triumph.' * Ericka Waller, author of Dog Days *Really enjoyed the story of Melody Janie, a young Cornish woman struggling to come to terms with a recent bereavement in an environment which, although wild and beautiful, only echoes her grief and isolation. . . I loved The Lip and particularly the mental health story line which is such an important one. Brilliantly written, too.' * Mary Karras, author of The Making of Mrs Petrakis * A moving meditation on making judgements, on place, home and independence. * Zoe Somerville, author of The Night of the Flood *I loved this story of Melody Janie, and her life lived on the very edge. The sense of connection after disconnection is so movingly and subtly evoked, as we see distrust and fear turning, eventually, to understanding and tenderness. The Lip is a stirring reminder that each of us has the capacity to make a big difference in small ways. Throughout, the Cornish coast is powerfully conjured, as beautiful as it is brutal, and perfectly in keeping with a story that manages to be both uplifting and uncompromising. * Emylia Hall, author of The Book of Summers *A powerful story, poignant, and beautifully told. Melody Janie's past and present come alive in a voice that moved me and will stay with me for a long time. * Matson Taylor, author of The Miseducation of Evie Epworth *

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Dayton Literary Peace PrizeShortlisted for the Prix Femina 2022Shortlisted for the Prix Médicis 2022'An impressively realistic novel of German soldiers on the Eastern Front' Antony Beevor'Starritt's daring work challenges us to lay bare our histories, to seek answers from the past, and to be open to perspectives starkly different from our own' New York TimesWhen a young British man asks his German grandfather what it was like to fight on the wrong side of the war, the question is initially met with irritation and silence. But after the old man's death, a long letter to his grandson is found among his things. That letter is this book. In it, he relates the experiences of an unlikely few days on the Eastern Front - at a moment when he knows not only that Germany is going to lose the war, but that it deserves to. He writes about his everyday experience amid horror, confusion and great bravery, and he asks himself what responsibility he bears for the circumstances he found himself in. As he tries to find an answer he can live with, we hear from his grandson what kind of man he became in the seventy years after the war.We Germans is a fundamentally human novel that grapples with the most profound of questions about guilt, shame and responsibility - questions that remain as live today as they have always been.Trade ReviewAn impressively realistic novel of German soldiers on the eastern front, raising the fundamental questions of individual and collective guilt * Antony Beevor *A remarkable and audacious novel that is harrowingly real and, at the same time, asks the most searching questions about men at war * William Boyd *This may be only his second novel, but Alexander Starritt is already showing striking signs of ambition ... a visceral examination of guilt, collective and individual, centred on a small group of bedraggled German soldiers on the eastern front . . . individual episodes are vividly done, and the book has a gritty realism. Its arguments about the equivocal nature of guilt on the battlefield can be arresting * The Times *Daringly, in what is only his second novel, Alexander Starritt climbs into the skin of one of the most appalling archetypes of the 20th century: a Nazi soldier as he marauds across eastern Europe during the second world war * Financial Times *A stirring work that reads like a developing photograph, the lines slowly clarifying, the light steadily emerging from the dark . . . an unflinching reckoning with guilt, accountability and shame and a tender portrayal of the weight of memory carried through the generations * TLS *[A] thoughtful, unsettling chronicle . . . a fascinatingly enigmatic addition to the literature of Germany's coming to terms with the past * Publishers Weekly *Starritt's prose is riveting. It unspools like a roll of film-raw, visceral, and propulsive, rich with sensory detail and unsparing in its depictions of cruelty . . . We Germans feels eerily timely . . . Starritt's daring work challenges us to lay bare our histories, to seek answers from the past, and to be open to perspectives starkly different from our own * New York Times *Tackles issues such as collective guilt and Germany's silent suffering after the war with sensitivity and nuance * Herald *

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