Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisThese twins give ''sibling rivalry'' a whole new meaning . . . Just because twins look exactly the same doesn''t mean they''re anything alike - and Tabitha and Harper Frost have spent their whole lives trying to prove this point. When a family crisis forces them to band together - or at least appear to - can the twins overcome their own prejudices and realise that the special bond that they share is more important than the resentments that have driven them apart?**************Praise for The Identicals''I read this one in a single sitting; it had me sucked in for the entire afternoon! If you are a fan of Hilderbrand and are looking for your next summer beach read, this one is a no-brainer. I think it''s her best one yet!'' - Clues and Reviews''A compelling read'' - New York Journal of Books''I could hardly look away'' - New York Times**Trade ReviewThe Queen of the Summer Novel * People *Elin Hilderbrand might as well be the queen of the beach read . . . [THE RUMOUR] is nothing short of a gift. * Glamour USA *'Takes the chick-lit trope of reclaimed friendship and updates it with a timely twist . . . Hilderbrand throws in a handful of plot twists that bounce the story along . . . SILVER GIRL [is] the kind of safe investment beachgoers should adore' * Boston Globe *It provides a pacey read, with colourful characters that have fascinating motivations. I couldn't get them out of my head for days * Sunday Express on SILVER GIRL *So deliciously addictive that it will be the 'It' beach book of the summer * Kirkus Review on THE ISLAND *An honest, raw tale of friendship and love * Cosmopolitan on THE CASTAWAYS *'This book was a great read - you really care what happens to the characters. Perfect holiday reading. I didn't want to put it down' * Candis on BAREFOOT *'A gem of a summer read with a glamorous location, elite lifestyle, and Hilderbrand's appealing take on the constant stress that fills the lives of women everywhere' * Booklist on A SUMMER AFFAIR *Signifies the start of summer to readers * The Book Reporter *The queen regent of the easy-breezy summer read * New York Post *

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Book SynopsisThe mesmerising new novel by Iceland's internationally renowned writer Sjón - 'the trickster that makes the world, and he is achingly brilliant' Junot Díaz, 'an extraordinary and original writer' A.S. Byatt.Trade ReviewSjón's prose is never histrionic or overwrought, balancing rage and hallucination . . . with a gentleness of spirit, an affection for precision and the small scale. The result is sure to delight his fans and convert many new ones. -- Hari Kunzru * Guardian *Moonstone is Sjón's slim, simmering masterpiece. Vibrant and visceral, briskly paced but meditative, unsettling yet droll and flecked with beauty, it is a pitch-perfect study of transgression, survival and love. * David Mitchell *A work of miniaturist perfection: a brief, brilliant jewel of a book in which each paragraph is precision-cut, each sentence burnished. -- Sarah Crown * Guardian *I always enjoy Sjón's books, but Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was is an experience like no other. The author confronts his own limits, and raises the bar for the reader too. His portrayal of Reykjavik in 1918 is magical. The scene where a movie theatre falls silent, because all the musicians have succumbed to an outbreak of Spanish flu, is marvellous and very amusing. The novel has given me my best reading experience this year. -- Eka Kurniawan * Best Books of 2016, Financial Times *Tender, elegiac and occasionally surreal -- Angel Gurria-Quintana * Financial Times, Summer Books *A magical book, the work of a great illusionist. You see the historical moment unfurl, luminous with desire and imagination and the flames of an erupting volcano, dark with repression, disease and death. You see it all through the poetic, poignant images of Máni Steinn's story. And then in a final flourish you see it all vanish in a way that makes it unforgettable. * Adam Foulds *Sjòn's Moonstone is a marvel of a novel, queer in every sense of the word - an impeccable little gem * Rabih Alameddine *When the meaning of the book's subtitle is finally explained, the effect is powerful. MOONSTONE is about human decency, courage and respect for the individual. It is a small book with a large heart. -- Chris Power * New Statesman *Moonstone takes its place among the great works of literature that have documented life during the Spanish-flu epi­demic . . . Sjón is one of our era's great writers. Like Ovid, Kafka, and Bulgakov, he is fascinated by metamorphosis and, from apparently limitless resources of the imagination, can convey what it must feel like. -- Charles Baxter * The Nation *

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Book SynopsisA lyrical novel about family and relationships from the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award winnerTrade ReviewA superior work of character-driven literary fiction in the spirit of Bernard MacLaverty or Tessa Hadley . . . if The Art of Falling doesn't make a prize shortlist or two this year, we should riot * The Times *A gripping novel and a sharp, entertaining examination of the nature of art and its power to inspire and corrupt * Roddy Doyle *There are very few writers who can craft characters with the depth and subtlety Danielle McLaughlin brings to her writing. The Art of Falling is a delicate slow burn of a novel. It is a big novel sitting within a close and small frame; a book of unspoken regrets and long-kept secrets and the slow revelation of humanity. There are shades here of Alice Munro at her finest. Like Munro, McLaughlin is best when writing those quiet moments which resonate long after the event * Jan Carson *In The Art of Falling, McLaughlin adds to literature something fresh and vital: a real, unbeautified narrative about a woman's career and life. Truths withheld are part of that life, as they are part of the narrative . . . but none are withheld from the reader. The truths hit home, powerfully. A propulsive, disquieting, arrestive novel by a master of social realism * Caoilinn Hughes *McLaughlin's first novel delivers everything I hoped it would. Lush with finely-drawn characters, delectable detail and immaculate sentences, this is an elegant novel about secrets and lies and, ultimately, forgiveness. It's brilliant * Louise Kennedy *Second books come with a sense of heightened expectation. Danielle McLaughlin's Dinosaurs on Other Planets was one of the best debut collections of the decade. Having since won the Windham Campbell Award and Sunday Times Short Story Award, a lot is expected of her debut, The Art of Falling, and she does not disappoint * Irish Times *A compelling exploration of the ethics and emotional contours of marital affection and sexual infidelity . . . McLaughlin is a master of charting the volatility of characters' perceptions of themselves * FT *Remarkable . . . This engaging and evocative work will stay with readers * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *The rarest of novels as it's both a page-turner and an affecting meditation on love, art, truth and faithfulness in all its forms * Sunday Business Post *The strength of the book lies in its slow-building picture of the way that intimacy and estrangement can coincide . . . moving and quietly uplifting * Guardian *Imaginative and intriguing * Irish Examiner *Her work reads like that of an old master. Her details are perfectly plucked, her images crystalline. And there's a sensethat what she's really saying is tucked between the lines. Whole worlds appear in words she hasn't written * Sunday Business Post *

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Book SynopsisIn 1938, two rival expeditions set off for a lost Mayan temple in the jungles of Honduras, one intending to shoot a screwball comedy on location there, the other intending to disassemble it and ship it back to New York. A seemingly endless stalemate ensues, and twenty years later, when a rogue CIA agent learns that both expeditions are still out in the wilderness, he embarks on a mission to exploit the temple as a geopolitical pawn. But the mission hurtles towards disaster when he discovers that the temple is the locus of grander conspiracies than anyone could have guessed.Trade ReviewDazzling . . . his best to date . . . If there is one adjective that describes Beauman's prose it is 'buoyant' - a quality which allows the reader to get through a long book with little effort, and the author to carry the considerable heft of his intelligence lightly. And it is a roaming intelligence. -- David Patrikarakos * Spectator *Madness is Better than Defeat is a Swiss watch: there isn't a single moving part out of place . . . The jokes are superb . . . a zestful romp? Undoubtedly. But that doesn't quite do justice to the experience of reading Madness is Better than Defeat. The book is certainly a literary performance of a high order . . . The clockwork runs beautifully. Every paragraph gives pleasure. -- Kevin Power * Literary Review *Almost perfect . . . This is one of the most purely enjoyable novels I've read in years - by turns sad, moving, thoughtful, intriguing, clever, enlightening, surprising and laugh-out-loud funny - which is more than enough. I can't think of any type of reader who wouldn't enjoy it: whether your thing is genre, literary or, like this, a fizzling, sparking, sparkling mixture of the two. -- Darragh McManus * Irish Independent *A teaming shaggy-dog comedy of megalomania and obsession . . . Beauman is a sparkling writer, and his book bustles with diverting micro-narratives . . . A novel of great intelligence and humour, cleverly structured and brimming with tricks . . . a tremendous rainbow -- Tim Martin * New Statesman *Beauman has a gift: he's a natural comic writer. (I've only read one funnier book this year) -- Cal Revely-Calder * Guardian *It reminded me of a Coen brothers film . . . I found it enchanting, and I was happy to turn every page . . . I really enjoyed it -- Tom Sutcliffe * BBC Radio 4 Saturday Review *I am really enjoying it . . . I have no clue what's going to happen when I turn the page -- Inua Ellams * BBC Radio 4 Saturday Review *Wildly plotted, comedic . . . One senses that behind the vivacious plotting and baroque characterisation, Beauman's purpose is to question the "madness" of artistic endeavor . . . he emerges from his latest expedition triumphant. -- Carl Wilkinson * Financial Times *Beauman's fourth novel provides his usual humour, oddities, convolutions and impressive writing. * Mail on Sunday *A fun madcap mystery * Daily Mail *Wildly original . . . Madness could easily become a confusing mess but Beauman manages to keep the narrative consistently focused and engaging. This madcap ride about the eccentricities of humans will keep you entertained till the last page * Bookriot *Typically quirky . . . Zany and sprawling * Tatler *Beauman writes with rare and bizarre brilliance * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisA thrilling standalone novel from New York Times bestselling novelist Jennifer L. Armentrout, author of the Covenant and Lux series.He''s arrogant, domineering, and... To. Die. For.Hunter is a ruthless killer. And the Department of Defense has him firmly in their grasp, which usually doesn''t chafe too badly because he gets to kill bad guys. Most of the time he enjoys his job. That is, until he''s saddled with something he''s never had to do before: protect a human from his mortal enemy.Serena Cross didn''t believe her best friend when she claimed to have seen the son of a powerful senator turn into something...unnatural. Who would? But then she witnesses her friend''s murder at the hands of what can only be an alien, thrusting her into a world that will kill to protect their secret.Hunter stirs Serena''s temper and her lust despite their differences. Soon he''s doing the unthinkable - breaking the rules he''s lived by, goiTrade ReviewPraise for Jennifer L. Armentrout:Armentrout's latest offering is beyond thrilling. It contains all of the amazing elements her fans have come to expect, from smart-mouthed heroines to sulky and monosyllabic heroes to truly exciting action and adventure. * RT Book Reviews *'A laugh-out-loud, sizzling romance with sassy, stubborn leads. Prepare to read in a sitting!' -- Natalie Anderson, USA TODAY bestselling author'The chemistry sizzles off the page!' -- Katee Robert, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author'A drum-tight sense of suspense and sexual tension' * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisAlana Gore is in danger. A take-no-prisoners publicist, her way with people has made her more than a few enemies over the years, but a creepy stalker is an entirely different matter. She needs a bodyguard, and the only man she can ask is not only ridiculously hot, but reputed to have taste for women that goes beyond adventurous.Chandler Gamble has one rule: don''t protect anyone you want to screw. But with Alana, he''s caught between his job and his increasingly hard libido. On one hand, Alana needs his help. On the other, Chandler wants nothing more than to take the hot volcano of a woman in hand. To make her writhe in pleasure, until she''s at his complete mercy.She needs protection. He needs satisfaction. And the moment the line is crossed, all hell will break loose...

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Book SynopsisBook threein the heartwarming Lancashire-based Gibson series by beloved saga author Anna Jacobs.It''s 1848 and preparations are underway for Annie Gibson''s wedding to Bilsden''s wealthy millwoner, Frederick Hallam. But not everyone is as pleased as they are. Frederick''s daughter, Beatrice, is horrified at the prospect of a new attractive stepmother arriving at the house on Ridge Hill. Even Annie''s own family feels threatened. The only person who seems pleased is Tom, Annie''s brother. Soon, however, real troubles begin to pile up for the Gibsons. Tom''s happiness is jeopardised by the news that he is father to a child he never knew about. Annie''s son, William, is devastated to find out that his real father is not the man who brought him up. And even Annie''s joy cannot last. Because someone has uncovered the secrets she has fought so hard to keep hidden...Trade ReviewAnna Jacobs' books are deservedly popular. She is one of the best writers of Lancashire sagas around. * Historical Novels Reviews *Catherine Cookson fans will cheer! * Peterborough Evening Telegraph *Anna Jacobs' books have an impressive grasp of human emotions. * The Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisThe fourth novel in the Lancashire-based Gibson series by beloved saga writer Anna Jacobs.In 1858 Annie Hallam has at last found complete happiness. She has three healthy babies and adores her husband Frederick. After years of struggling to make a living in the small Lancashire town of Bilsden, Annie knows she deserves to sit back and enjoy her life - after all, she''s not yet forty, and still in her prime. But worries - at first faint clouds on the horizon - are imminent. Frederick has been looking pale and ill lately. Her brother Tom hasn''t moved on after the death of his wife. Rebecca, her half-sister, is longing for something more than her work in the salon. And William, her son, isn''t happy at university. In spite of Frederick''s gentle urging not to take the entire burden of the Gibson family on her shoulders, Annie can''t help feeling concerned. And something much more dangerous is looming - a threat not only to Annie''s peace of mind, but to Trade ReviewAnna Jacobs' books are deservedly popular. She is one of the best writers of Lancashire sagas around. * Historical Novels Reviews *Catherine Cookson fans will cheer! * Peterborough Evening Telegraph *Anna Jacobs' books have an impressive grasp of human emotions. * The Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisIn bestseller Elin Hilderbrand''s first Christmas novel, a family gathers on Nantucket for a holiday filled with surprises.Kelley Quinn is the owner of Nantucket''s Winter Street Inn and the proud father of four - Patrick, Kevin, Ava and Bart, all of them grown and living in varying states of disarray. As Christmas approaches, Kelley is looking forward to getting the family together for some quality time at the inn. But when he walks in on his wife Mitzi kissing Santa Claus - or the guy who''s playing Santa at the inn''s annual party - utter chaos descends. With the three older children each reeling in their own dramas and Bart (a Marine) unreachable in Afghanistan, it might be up to Kelley''s ex-wife to save Christmas at the Winter Street Inn. Before the mulled cider is gone, the delightfully dysfunctional Quinn family will survive a love triangle, an unplanned pregnancy, a federal crime, a small house fire, many shots of whiskey, and endless rounds oTrade ReviewA page-turner. - Coastal Living[Her] straightforward style pulls the reader into the minds of her characters, and all the secrets and sorrows that create the universal messiness of major family events. - Publishers WeeklyIt provides a pacey read, with colourful characters that have fascinating motivations. I couldn't get them out of my head for days. - Sunday Express on SILVER GIRL

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Book SynopsisThe final novel in the heartwarming Lancashire-based Gibson Family series by beloved saga author Anna Jacobs.It is 1860 in Bilsden, the Lancashire mill town, and Frederick Hallam is dying. But first he makes secret plans to smooth the future path for his beloved wife Annie. Her sister, Joanie, is fed up with everything until a dshing new admirer crosses her path. But a spurned suitor is determined that Joanie will be his, whatever the cost. And he is not the only one who wants to harm the Gibson family. Meanwhile the Civil War in America cuts off cotton supplies, so that times are hard in Bilsden and unemployment is rife. Annie had to rebuild her life after her husband''s death and plans to create Spinners Lake, an extraordinary project that will keep her workers from destitution and assuage her own grief. Tian Gilchrist is caught up in the American war and nearly dies there. He fights his way back to Bildsen, to Annie, whom he has never forgotten. Trade ReviewAnna Jacobs' books are deservedly popular. She is one of the best writers of Lancashire sagas around. * Historical Novels Reviews *Catherine Cookson fans will cheer! * Peterborough Evening Telegraph *Anna Jacobs' books have an impressive grasp of human emotions. * The Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisA captivating, slyly brilliant debut by the award-winning author of East of the WestTrade ReviewAn intelligently mapped plot complements the skilful blend of familial relationships with religious commentary . . . This is a historically rich study of borders: those imposed by cartography and those that are self-constructed. -- Zoë Apostolides * Financial Times *Penkov uses classic narrative forms as a springboard for a dark, dreamlike debut novel steeped in Balkan history and legend . . . The characters' lives are beautifully interwoven with ancient tales and family histories, all deeply rooted in the landscape of the Strandja Mountains, home of black storks, fire dancers, and worshippers of pagan saints . . . a beautiful and haunting novel -- Hilary Rice * Chicago Review of Books *To the honor roll of the Bulgarian literary diaspora, add Miroslav Penkov, who writes sumptuous English . . . what the Great Bulgarian Novel could be if it could be rendered in English. -- Stephen G Kellman * Dallas Morning News *Wildly ambitious . . . thoughtful and thought-provoking, with a passionate faith in the redemptive powers of art. -- Wendy Smith * Boston Globe *[A] searing, heartfelt novel . . . rich, enmeshing the personal with the political and historical, told in strange and vertiginous language that seems fitting for a tale of such passion. * Publishers Weekly *A Bulgarian Don Quixote fighting windmills, his Sancho Panza a lost American grandson, and Dulcinea a Turk overfond of smoking dope. Add a smattering of Christian firewalkers, a touch of Muslim clerics, thousands of hysterical storks who deliver more secrets than babies. What you get is a marvel of a novel. Penkov has written a rollicking, poignant delight. * Rabih Alameddine, National Book Award Finalist and author of An Unnecessary Woman. *I can't speak to Miroslav Penkov's standing among Bulgarian novelists, but now that I've read STORK MOUNTAIN, it is easy to say that Penkov is my favorite novelist publishing in America. * Kyle Minor, author of Praying Drunk *Miroslav Penkov writes with warmth, wit and emotional precision, and STORK MOUNTAIN is a gorgeous and big-hearted novel that manages to be both a page-turning adventure story and a nuanced meditation on the meaning of home . . . a fantastic book. * Molly Antopol, author of The UnAmericans *STORK MOUNTAIN is a timely novel when Europe - its entangled past and its uncertain future - occupies the headlines; it is a timeless tale too about the undying and undead, about dreams not paled by reality, and above all, about a young man's search for an answer by searching for the right question. What a tremendous achievement from one of the best young international writers. * Yiyun Li, author of Kinder Than Solitude *

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Book SynopsisThe debut novel by Pete Townshend, one of the world's greatest rock stars

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Book SynopsisOn the island of St Helena in the south Atlantic ocean, Napoleon spends his last years in exile. It is a hotbed of gossip and secret liaisons, where a blind eye is turned to relations between colonials and slaves.The disgraced emperor is subjected to vicious and petty treatment by his captors, but he forges an unexpected ally: a rebellious British girl, Betsy, who lives on the island with her family and becomes his unlikely friend.Based on fact, Napoleon''s Last Island is the surprising story of one of history''s most enigmatic figures and a British family who dared to associate with him. It is a tale of vengeance, duplicity and loyalty, and of a man whose charisma made him dangerous to the end.Trade ReviewThe outspoken Betsy is a terrific character . . . [There are] some glorious moments . . . lit with Keneally's trademark impish humour. He is a magpie, as preternaturally inquisitive as Napoleon himself, and the book has a cast of characters to rival Dickens. -- Clare Clark * Guardian *Immersive and charming . . . Keneally's Betsy is a vivid, attractive portrait of a young girl brinking on young womanhood and a thoroughly useful device. Through her he can view the emperor clearly - as an absurd figure, a joker, a voracious devourer of food, women, information. But there is so much more here, too. The flora and geography of the island are beautifully evoked, the inhabitants drawn in sharp, succinct strokes . . . a pure pleasure to read. -- Nick Curtis * Evening Standard *Through Betsy, Keneally beautifully resurrects a voice of the sort lost in official versions of history -- Claire Allfree * Daily Mail *A typically polished yarn by a grand master of historical fiction. -- Max Davidson * Mail on Sunday *One of the most enjoyable, high spirited and technically accomplished works of a long career. * The Australian *He succeeds, with touches of brilliance, in bringing to life characters in more detail than history ever possibly could * Philip Dwyer, Sydney Morning Herald *Writing Napoleon's Last Island from Betsy's perspective allows Keneally to entertain readers with his trademark verve and impishness. Few can match him as a storyteller * Meredith Jaffe, Guardian (Australia) *

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Book SynopsisOfficial tie-in to the Netflix Original Film featuring Idris Elba (Thor, Prometheus and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom) and directed by Cary Fukunaga (Jane Eyre).Agu is just a boy when war arrives at his village. His mother and sister are rescued by the UN, while he and his father remain to fight the rebels. ''Run!'' shouts his father when the rebels arrive. And Agu does run. Straight into the rebels'' path. In a vivid, sparkling voice, Agu tells the story of what happens to him next; his life as a child-soldier. His story is shocking and painful, and completely unforgettable.Beasts of No Nation gives us an extraordinary portrait of the chaos and violence of war.For a sneak peak of the Netflix Original Film of Beasts of No Nation, have a look at the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRsaclO0VbUTrade ReviewA work of visceral urgency and power: it heralds the arrival of a major talent * Amitav Ghosh *Extraordinary . . . you don't come across writing like this very often * Bookseller *So scorched by loss and anger that it's hard to hold and so gripping in its sheer hopeless lifeforce that it's hard to put down * Guardian *A harrowing and compelling vision . . . the narrator's voice is so authentic you have to check you are still reading fiction . . . This is a novel which leaves an impression like a blood-soaked hand print, disturbing not only for the terror around this cleaving, pulverising slayer, but the terror turning to 'ennui' within him. To call it shocking would be to do it a disservice. To call the writing beautiful would hardly be praise. To call the book staggering would be an understatement * Waterstones Books Quarterly *The power of his material and its hideous relevance rolls all before it . . . This book about children that is in no sense a children's book deserves to be read * Independent *An extraordinary book . . . horrifying expose . . . vivid . . . . It casts a powerful, if gruesome spell * Sunday Telegraph *Iweala makes a compelling story from experience which in its nature defies articulation . . . Uzodinma Iweala's is a confident and promising new voice * Times Literary Supplement *Gives a name, a voice and a heart to one of Africa's innumerable child soldiers . . . This is urgent writing, starkly unsentimental and convincing * Observer *Compelling . . . perturbing, painful and powerful * Irish Independent *Stream-like sentences that convey irrestible, rushing activitiy . . . Iweala's powerful debut recalls Saro-Wiwa's first-person masterpiece of a soldier-boy * The Times *A simple and brutal account of war . . . Beasts of No Nation is a raw, compelling first novel * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisA timely, courageous and powerful novel about faith, the church, conscience and celibacy.Trade ReviewThe force and resonance of the issue in question - together with Keneally's wise and thoughtful treatment of it - make for another hugely satisfying read from one of the world's great writers. -- James Walton * Spectator *A provocative and powerful study of abusers and the abused. It captures the honourable priests determined to expose the outrage and the church hierarchy equally determined to discredit them. Most poignantly, it depicts ordinary Catholics caught in the crossfire . . . The writing is most powerful when it conveys the raw pain of the victims and the twisted psyches of their abusers . . . Above all, Keneally exposes the cynical casuistry of a church determined to fight critics down to "its last lawyer", an institution that puts its survival above its soul. -- Michael Arditti * Guardian *Characteristically brave and unflinching . . .Keneally's theme is sadly familiar, but in the hands of a world-renowned writer - still, on this evidence, at the height of his powers, and with a long record of shining a light on human frailty and injustice - Crimes of the Father goes way beyond the familiar. It questions what makes a good priest and, therefore, what makes a bad one. And that, Keneally concludes, isn't only to do with individual make-up, circumstances or choices, but also down to institutional Catholicism and "emotional dwarfism" . -- Peter Stanford * Observer *A compelling novel . . . One of the strengths of the novel is Keneally's depiction of the abuser. A chilling portrait is drawn of a man who despises his own actions . . . but who nevertheless seems incapable of stopping. The scenes between him and Docherty, who has uncovered the truth, are compulsive . . . Keneally is one of the great chroniclers of his country's history . . . Here he recognises the injustices done to his fellow countrymen and women by an uncaring establishment . . . to the growing body of work devoted to this most dispiriting of subject, Crimes of the Father is a welcome addition, not least for the dignity that Keneally lends to the good priest's voice as well as to those of the victims of abuse. -- John Boyne * Irish Times *A convincing argument for the power of fiction to get under the skin of a great contemporary controversy. -- James Marriott * The Times *The divine alchemy of Thomas Keneally is to take something real and make it truer still . . .Docherty is a powerful creation . . . Keneally explores the human condition almost forensically, though with an uplifting charity . . . he is extraordinarily perceptive on the pain of both the victims and those in the Church who have watched these scandals unfold with horror . . . the novel points to the pain of those who trusted and who were abused, those who gave faith and were rewarded in the coin of unspeakable criminality. It also offers the merest glint of optimism. -- Hugh MacDonald * The Herald *Pulsing with rage at ecclesiastical complacency, it's a deeply discomfiting (but never prurient) quest for redress, narrated with clarity and urgency. -- Anthony Cummins * Daily Mail *Keneally is a superb writer who tackles a complex subject calmly but incisively, creating a compelling read. * Choice *Crimes of the Father has something of the feel of John Grisham's courtroom thrillers . . . It is not an easy read, but nor should it be . . . it is a worthwhile attempt to explore how a devoted priest with a clear understanding of humanity can if not atone for, then at least fully address, the crimes of others. -- Matt Thorne * Catholic Herald *Keneally's fiction has returned again and again to the themes of thwarted justice and human opportunism. Crimes of the Father is the work of a richly experienced and compassionate writer. It has an honest understanding of a deeply wounded culture. * Sydney Morning Herald *It turns Catholicism from a matter of interest to insiders and the curious to a febrile topic for the general public . . . Apart from the fictional pleasures of the chase, the novel provides a first-rate summary of the thinking and manoeuvres of all parties caught up in the crisis. * Australian *Nuanced and relevant . . . an excellent example of fiction's capacity to pull apart and explore polarising contemporary problems. * BMA Magazine, Canberra *

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Book SynopsisIF THE GOVERNMENT IS AGAINST YOU, WHO CAN YOU TRUST?'Gripping' CHARLES CUMMING 'Tight, pacy and strong on atmosphere' MICHAEL PALIN 'Completely unputdownable' SEB EMINA'Hugely accomplished' IRISH INDEPENDENTVeteran BBC reporter William Carver is in Cairo, bang in the middle of the Arab Spring. 'The only story in the world' according to his editor. But it isn't. There's another story, more significant and potentially more dangerous, and if no one else is willing to tell it, then Carver will - whatever the consequences. A Single Source tells two stories, which over a few tumultuous months come together to prove inextricably linked. There are the dramatic, world-changing events as protests spread across North Africa and the Middle East, led by a new generation of tech-savvy youngsters challenging the corrupt old order. And then there are two Eritrean brothers, desperate enough to risk everything to make their way across the continent to a better life in Europe. The world is watching, buTrade ReviewThis hugely accomplished political thriller, brilliantly plotted . . . is written with all the dash and verve shown in Hanington's stunning debut * Irish Independent *Topical, authoritative and gripping * Charles Cumming *Tight, pacy and strong on atmosphereCompletely unputdownable - grippingA compelling story set against some of the global forces shaping our timesPeter Hanington has a gift for fast-paced narrative, atmospheric location and authentic, often hilarious dialogue . . . people trafficking, gun smuggling, murder and betrayal are all conjured in a shifting interplay that draws you in from the first line and keeps you guessing until, literally, the very last.If you love le Carré, were gripped by Homeland and couldn't get your nose out of A Dying Breed, Hanington's first novel about war reporters, here's another thrilling read for you . . .The anti-hero in both novels is hard-bitten hack William Carver - a classic Lunchtime O'Booze figure - who is, miraculously, still alive. Carver fans will look forward to meeting the old curmudgeon again in Hanington's next cracking tale.A fascinating, atmospheric read. Peter Hanington weaves a page-turning tale that is both compulsive and terrifying in equal measure. Will keep you up till the early hours. * Kate Hamer, author of THE GIRL IN THE RED COAT *It's such a pleasure to read a novel by a writer who is the real deal. Peter Hanington is entirely in command of this thrilling story and tells it with great verve. * Kirsty Wark, author of THE LEGACY OF ELIZABETH PRINGLE *One of the most assured pieces of writing I have read for a very long time. Peter Hanington's characters come completely alive, and you feel he knows them intimately. The sense of setting out on a journey in safe hands makes it all the more shocking when the plot takes its gut-wrenching twists. A foreign correspondent's life is, like a soldier's, made up of long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror; my advice to Peter's BBC colleagues is 'pack this in your grab bag, and the dull hours will fly by'. It's very good indeed. * Edward Stourton *Hanington has a knack for telling the stories of the lives behind the news headlines in a way that invites you, the reader, to care about his characters. It is an invitation I am happy to accept. It is one of his many talents as a writer. * Fi Glover, the Fortunately podcast *A Single Source is a considered, almost deceptively suspenseful thriller with a host of well-drawn characters, including hard-bitten foreign correspondents, young idealistic Egyptian girls, creepy public relations men, a grotesque (and totally credible) arms-dealer and a wonderfully slimy Cairo hotelier. It is written by a journalist whom you feel has been there and done that - or at least some of it - with skill and humanity, and no unnecessary pyrotechnics. * Shots Mag *A Single Source is a considered, almost deceptively suspenseful thriller with a host of well-drawn characters . . . written by a journalist whom you feel has been there and done that - or at least some of it - with skill and humanity. Ingenious and, dare I say it, rather Ambler-esque. * Mike Ripley, author of the Angel series *An enthralling read that answers the question everyone asks of journalists: how do you get your stories? * Roy Greenslade *Passion and politics . . . extremely well-written and an excellent read * Crime Pieces *A highly readable conspiracy theory * Morning Star *An intelligent spellbinding thriller * NB Books *Convincingly told * Choice *It's topical, authoritative and gripping, tight-paced and strong on atmosphere, full of vivid characters and so clearly mined from Hanington's own experiences as to make it feel totally authentic. The initiated may pose nods to le Carré, Greene and Ambler, but this impressive and atmospheric story, punctuated with interludes of hilarious dialogue, does entirely its own thing - and is far the stronger for it . . . There have been many books about journalism in war or near war zones. But this tale of investigative reporting, shady deals, intelligence men and conflicted diplomats is another absolutely outstanding addition from an author who spins an almost Kipling-esque story with insight, humanity, humour and, at times, near fury. * Crime Review *A fine read * Women's Weekly (Australia) *Convincingly atmospheric * Country and Town House *This hugely accomplished political thriller, brilliantly plotted . . . is written with all the dash and verve shown in Hanington's stunning debut * Irish Independent *Topical, authoritative and grippingTight, pacy and strong on atmosphereCompletely unputdownable - grippingA compelling story set against some of the global forces shaping our timesPeter Hanington has a gift for fast-paced narrative, atmospheric location and authentic, often hilarious dialogue . . . people trafficking, gun smuggling, murder and betrayal are all conjured in a shifting interplay that draws you in from the first line and keeps you guessing until, literally, the very last.If you love le Carré, were gripped by Homeland and couldn't get your nose out of A Dying Breed, Hanington's first novel about war reporters, here's another thrilling read for you . . .The anti-hero in both novels is hard-bitten hack William Carver - a classic Lunchtime O'Booze figure - who is, miraculously, still alive. Carver fans will look forward to meeting the old curmudgeon again in Hanington's next cracking tale.A fascinating, atmospheric read. Peter Hanington weaves a page-turning tale that is both compulsive and terrifying in equal measure. Will keep you up till the early hours. * Kate Hamer, author of THE GIRL IN THE RED COAT *It's such a pleasure to read a novel by a writer who is the real deal. Peter Hanington is entirely in command of this thrilling story and tells it with great verve. * Kirsty Wark, author of THE LEGACY OF ELIZABETH PRINGLE *One of the most assured pieces of writing I have read for a very long time. Peter Hanington's characters come completely alive, and you feel he knows them intimately. The sense of setting out on a journey in safe hands makes it all the more shocking when the plot takes its gut-wrenching twists. A foreign correspondent's life is, like a soldier's, made up of long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror; my advice to Peter's BBC colleagues is 'pack this in your grab bag, and the dull hours will fly by'. It's very good indeed. * Edward Stourton *Hanington has a knack for telling the stories of the lives behind the news headlines in a way that invites you, the reader, to care about his characters. It is an invitation I am happy to accept. It is one of his many talents as a writer. * Fi Glover, the Fortunately podcast *A Single Source is a considered, almost deceptively suspenseful thriller with a host of well-drawn characters, including hard-bitten foreign correspondents, young idealistic Egyptian girls, creepy public relations men, a grotesque (and totally credible) arms-dealer and a wonderfully slimy Cairo hotelier. It is written by a journalist whom you feel has been there and done that - or at least some of it - with skill and humanity, and no unnecessary pyrotechnics. * Shots Mag *A Single Source is a considered, almost deceptively suspenseful thriller with a host of well-drawn characters . . . written by a journalist whom you feel has been there and done that - or at least some of it - with skill and humanity. Ingenious and, dare I say it, rather Ambler-esque. * Mike Ripley, author of the Angel series *An enthralling read that answers the question everyone asks of journalists: how do you get your stories? * Roy Greenslade *Passion and politics . . . extremely well-written and an excellent read * Crime Pieces *A highly readable conspiracy theory * Morning Star *An intelligent spellbinding thriller * NB Books *Convincingly told * Choice *It's topical, authoritative and gripping, tight-paced and strong on atmosphere, full of vivid characters and so clearly mined from Hanington's own experiences as to make it feel totally authentic. The initiated may pose nods to le Carré, Greene and Ambler, but this impressive and atmospheric story, punctuated with interludes of hilarious dialogue, does entirely its own thing - and is far the stronger for it . . . There have been many books about journalism in war or near war zones. But this tale of investigative reporting, shady deals, intelligence men and conflicted diplomats is another absolutely outstanding addition from an author who spins an almost Kipling-esque story with insight, humanity, humour and, at times, near fury. * Crime Review *A fine read * Women's Weekly (Australia) *Convincingly atmospheric * Country and Town House *

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Book SynopsisEvery act has a consequence. Every marriage has a breaking point.Beth Rogers and her family have settled well into their new life in New Zealand, far from the stifling containment of the life they knew at home in Ireland.Everything is idyllic.The children are happy and settled. Beth''s marriage to Steve, and their love for each other, seems solid. Until a bombshell lands, in the form of a letter Steve receives from a woman from his past. In the envelope is a photograph of a three-year-old girl -- Beth and Steve''s papered-over past has caught up with them, in the shape of this child ...Beth forgave Steve once before -- can she do it again? Does Steve want her to?Listen for the Weather is the story of a marriage. It''s a story about consequences. And how we make our own weather.Trade ReviewA heart-breaking, utterly involving new novel - Newstalk 106FM - Eason Book of the Month for May 2016The Difference is at its sharpest when observing human behaviour ... Ismae's struggle to have what healthy babies and their parents take for granted is the life blood of the novel, and makes for a moving story - The Irish TimesRead it, read it! A beautiful piece of original fiction from a new Irish author. - Fiona Ness on The DifferenceHeartrending and well written, Justine Delaney Wilson's The Difference is a novel about one Dublin woman's quest for an authentic life ... a moving, convincing story of courage and burgeoning hope. - Nuala O'ConnorThis novel conveys mother-love in all its sad, happy fierce power - Sunday Independent

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Book SynopsisA modern-day Sleeping Beauty story of love and hope, perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes. ''A rare and beautiful novel'' (Daily Mail)Elsa has been in a coma for five months. With all hope of reviving her gone, her family must face the devastating fact that it might be time to turn off her life support.What they don''t know is that in the past few weeks Elsa has regained partial consciousness - she just has no way of telling them.Thibault is in the same hospital visiting his brother and, seeking a retreat, finds his way into Elsa''s room. When he begins to talk to her, he doesn''t realise she can hear every word - and that he is giving her a reason to wake up.And so begins a love story that might just save both their lives...Trade ReviewA viscerally moving love story. I'M STILL HERE beautifully shows how the steady, quiet power of the heart can sustain anyone who takes on impossible odds. -- Sarah Pekkanen, author of The Perfect NeighborsMagnifique! With charming characters, a unique premise and a delightful, fresh voice, Clelie Avit's debut novel will have you cheering for life and love while you hungrily turn its pages. I'M STILL HERE (Je Suis La) is a gift, and Clelie Avit is a writer to watch. -- Julie Lawson Timmer, author of Five Days Left and UntetheredA rare and beautiful novel * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisCalifornia Bureau of Investigation Special agent Kathryn Dance is an expert in kinesics: the science of interpreting behaviour. It makes her a brilliant interrogator. But she's up against Daniel Pell, a master of control who mesmerises, seduces and exploits people for his own murderous ends. A convicted killer who is known as The Son of Manson for the chilling parallels between him and the notorious ritual murderer. To track down Pell before he destroys yet more lives, Kathyn Dance must enlist the help of four people from the killer's past. The three women who lived under his sadistic sway in the cult he once headed. And the young girl known as the Sleeping Doll, the only survivor of her family's slaughter at Pell's hands . . .Trade ReviewThis is a novel that will chill your blood on the warmest day of any summer holiday. Keep looking over your shoulder ... * Independent on Sunday *The best psychological thriller writer around. * The Times *If you want thrills, Deaver is your man. * Guardian *A master of misdirection. * Evening Standard *One of the world's best plotters. * Daily Mail *Grand master of the ticking-clock thriller. -- Kathy Reichs

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Book SynopsisThe second of the Rune thrillers - set in New York.Trade ReviewDeaver is a terrific storyteller, and he takes the reader on a rollercaoster of suspense, violence and mystery . . . Good entertainment * Susanna Yager, Daily Telegraph *Jeffery Deaver's fiendish new suspense thriller . . . Amazing as it sounds, Deaver makes the intellectual puzzle the most thrilling part of his high-anxiety drama, which twists, turns and leaves us weak * The New York Times Book Review *Principal characters unusually vivid and sympathetic.... Rapidly paced, wholly engrossing tale * Publisher's Weekly *A truly engrossing thriller. Psychological thriller writers do not come much better than Deaver. His cogent plotting, smooth characterisation and (best of all) psychological profiling of his villains is all nonpareil * The Times Crime Supplement *

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Book SynopsisLose yourself again in the heady, mythical expanse of the Vorrh.Trade ReviewBrian Catling's The Vorrh blew me away (along with my ideas of what fantasy novels should do) when it came out in 2012. I've just finished the second of the trilogy - The Erstwhile - and it's even better. Set in London, Germany and Africa, the book features William Blake alongside its cast of monsters and adventurers. These are luminous and visionary novels - Gormenghast reimagined by Alan Moore on opium. -- Alex Preston * The Observer *The Erstwhile almost revels in its status as the hiatus between Genesis and Apocalypse. It applies the sleight of hand that many of the best middle-books do, for a shift of focus...Even in the most extreme moments Catling has an eye to the wry, to the momentous absurdity of just being a thing made of flesh in a world that is not. In something as fluorescently psychedelic as this novel and its predecessor, the reader still requires an affective hook; and in Schumann's explorations of why the past seems clearer to the elderly than the future, we get just that. * The Guardian *A fascinating world to get lost in. * SciFiNow *Brian Catling's great trilogy The Voorh, The Erstwhile and The Cloven are for me the most exciting literary fantasy novels since Peake's. Influenced by Raymond Roussel's surrealistic writing, it is full of images that won't leave your mind and is like Guillermo del Toro in print. -- Michael Moorcock * SFX Magazine *

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Book SynopsisAn epic and engrossing novel set at the beginning of the twentieth century, THE ODESSANS is the story of three families from Odessa in the Ukraine: the Russian Petrovs, the Jewish Geibers, and the Teslenkos, who are of Ukrainian and Polish descent. Throughout years of war, famine, political struggle and incredible hardship, their deep friendships sustain each of the families. Their lives are rent by tragedy; some friends are hounded by anti-Semites, while others join opposite sides in the Civil War or are forced to flee to Odessa. But through it all, their characteristic good humour and faith in each other enable their close circle to survive.

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Book Synopsis''Will put fear in your heart''Sunday Times''For fans of The Handmaid''s Tale, this is a must''Independent''''Does the world seem right, to you?''Years ago, Dana Mayer had a vision of a better world: one where women are in charge. Now her manifesto, The Quickening, has established the rules for a new order, designed to elevate and protect women. A genteel and peaceful society that prioritises nature, good manners and aesthetics. Of course, in order for women to maintain control, the freedoms of men have been necessarily limited. Arthur Alden loves Dana Mayer but hates the world she has created. But can he find a way to resist, without losing everything? And with Dana intent on making men pay reparations for their past crimes, can Arthur be allowed to live without punishment?***''I LOVED this story . . . A necessary read'' ⭐⭐⭐Trade ReviewFor fans of The Handmaid's Tale, this is a must * Independent *No matter how often you've fantasised of a world ruled by women, this will put fear in your heart! * The Sunday Times *A daring, dystopian tale * 1883 Magazine *The rarest of all literary beasts * The Times *The provocative novel by Riley . . . imagines a future in which women dominate and men are enslaved and emasculated * Daily Mail *A fluid and engaging love story with a truly unique heroine * Heat *A bold story of love and deception, with a fascinating main character * Woman's Own *A refreshing love story about the importance of independence and destiny * Marie Claire *'Talulah Riley is an absolute force of nature. As is her lead character. Read and revel' -- Eva Rice, author of The Lost Art of Keeping SecretsRiley is obviously super smart and has an old-fashioned, modernist sort of style that makes you think. I loved it. * Daily Mail *Praise for Acts of Love * : *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 2017 AUTHORS'' CLUB FIRST NOVEL AWARDWINNER OF A BETTY TRASK AWARD''Announces a startling talent'' Guardian''This brilliant debut novel is cause for celebration'' Lorrie Moore''A refreshing, bold book'' Sunday TelegraphWritten in startlingly beautiful prose, HARMLESS LIKE YOU is set across New York, Berlin and Connecticut, following the stories of Yuki Oyama, a Japanese girl fighting to make it as an artist, and Yuki''s son Jay who, as an adult in the present day, is forced to confront his mother who abandoned him when he was only two years old.An unforgettable novel about the complexities of identity, art, adolescent friendships and familial bonds, offering a unique exploration of love, loneliness and reconciliation.SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2017 DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE 2016 BOOKS ARE MY BAG BREAKTHROUGH AUTHOR AWARDLONGLISTED FOR THTrade ReviewImpressive . . . Rowan Hisayo Buchanan [is] a 27-year-old with a very big literary career in front of her . . . Slick and intelligent... it's the subtle brilliance of Buchanan's back-to-front tale that really left me reeling. * Stylist *Elegant, accomplished debut... Although this is a dark novel, it is also as rich and vivid as the chapter headings' descriptions of paint colours * Express *Lyrical and endearing * New York Times Book Review *This beautiful novel explores creativity and the complicated relationships between parents and children. * Psychologies *This elegant and moving novel burns slowly, building in intensity as it develops to explore the subjects of identity, alienation and desire. * Fanny Blake, Daily Mail *Harmless Like You is a refreshing, bold book about understatement. * Sunday Telegraph *It's pretty rare that a book takes my breath away. But I guarantee Rowan Hisayo Buchanan's beautiful debut, Harmless Like You, will do just that . . will leave your heart hurting. * Sam Baker, The Pool *Combines a wry, sardonic voice with an assured knack for comic set-pieces. * TLS *Stylishly written . . . exceptional * Literary Review *Buchanan's prose is visceral, startling and mind-bendingly gorgeous. . . .worth reading for the beauty and originality of the prose, for the questions Buchanan raises about art and heritage, and for the characters who are sometimes as maddening as they can be magnificent. * Boston Globe *Rowan Hisayo Buchanan's debut is a beautifully textured novel. . . Yuki's story feels compellingly immediate, as prickly and unpredictable as its protagonist. * Washington Post *A serious, sad and beautifully written debut. * South China Morning Post *A well written, unique and engrossing debut novel . . . a great achievement * The Bookbag ***** *This is a book I've been waiting for since before its author was born. And yet I could never have predicted it. It is a book about beauty and belonging, suffering and being lost, a book that takes into account history, the implications of separation and disorientation. Rowan Hisayo Buchanan cleaves to her idiosyncrasies, foregoing whitewash in favor of her ownglittering vision. She is "the seer, not the seen." The result is a gift-unassuming, elegant, vividly prismatic. Not since Sigrid Nunez's A Feather on the Breath of God has a book shone such a moving light on multiracial, interracial, and transnational relationships. Regardless of your flesh tone, Rowan Hisayo Buchanan's study of color-its history, its strangeness, its allure, and its consequences - will dazzle you. * JENNIFER TSENG, author of Mayumi and the Sea of Happiness *Rowan Hisayo Buchanan writes with beauty and sensitivity about what it means to be an artist, a parent, and an outsider in a foreign culture. * New York Journal of Books *

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Book SynopsisThe perfect companion to Lauren Oliver's New York Times bestselling Delirium trilogy about forbidden love, revolution and the power to choose.Trade ReviewPraise for the Delirium Trilogy -- :Lauren Oliver is the rising star of young adult fiction * The Sunday Times *Amazing, unputdownable! * Grazia *Lauren Oliver masterfully creates new worlds and characters that leave the reader little choice but to be swept up and away. * New York Journal of Books *Lauren's Oliver's futuristic vision, set in an alternate but recognisable America, is chillingly realised. * Marie Claire *

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Book SynopsisThe poignant and emotive new novel from Katie Marsh, #1 bestselling author of My Everything, A Life Without You and This Beautiful LifeTrade ReviewPraise for The Rest of Me * : *The Rest of Me is an utterly relatable and thought-provoking book, which is tender, peppered with humour,and filled with a cast of characters who are so vividly described it isn't long before they feel like friends. I laughed, I identified, I shed a tear. A lovely story that deserves to fly. I loved it. -- Amanda JenningsVividly written and packed with emotional punches The Rest Of Me is devastating yet uplifting. * The Daily Express *This thoughtful family drama tackles emotive issues head on * Sunday People *This is a book that will make you stop and think * Fabulous Magazine *Katie Marsh is the queen of heartfelt fiction. She will make you laugh, make you cry and make you think. * Heat *We galloped through this intricate tale and shed more than a few tears along the way * Heat *Reading The Rest of Me felt like the equivalent of watching back-to-back episodes of Cold Feet - funny, heartwarming and thoroughly entertaining. A joyous, page-turning read. -- Fiona Mitchell, author of The Maid's RoomA deeply emotional and utterly relatable tale of family life and modern motherhood. I fell quite in love with Alex and her family, and loved every word of this beautifully written book. -- Kelly Rimmer, author of Before I Let You GoThis thoughtful family drama tackles emotive issues head on * Sunday People *A sensitively and beautifully written story that is sure to touch every reader's heart * The Express *[A] compelling story * Woman Magazine *Praise for Katie Marsh * : *Powerful, brave and joyous . . . a truly special story that celebrates life in all its colours, and the far-reaching power of hope. I adored every single page -- Miranda DickinsonWonderful . . . so full of heart and honesty; it's heartbreaking, uplifting and beautiful -- Cressida McLaughlinI found myself laughing and crying, but the overwhelming feeling was one of heartfelt joy * Heat *Extraordinary... a soaring tale of love, survival and music -- Louise Beech, author of How to be BraveEmotional and brilliantly written * Fabulous *Another heart-clangingly powerful stunner of a novel -- Isabelle Broom, HeatA great read - heartwarming and funny in places and poignantly sad in others. A reminder to us all not to take our families or our memories for granted. -- The Unmumsy MumTouching, emotionally charged... A wonderful tale about love and motherhood -- Amanda JenningsAbsolutely LOVED it! Such a beautiful book . . . Heartwarming and funny in places, and very honest. -- Carrie Hope FletcherThis thought-provoking debut novel is both brilliantly funny and sad * Sun *A sensitively and beautifully written story that is sure to touch every reader's heart * The Express *A moving and realistic portrait of life-changing illness...this skilful debut novel offers an inspiring journey through love, loss and second chances * Sunday Express *Katie Marsh is the queen of heartfelt fiction. She will make you laugh, make you cry and make you think. * Heat *A deeply emotional and utterly relatable tale of family life and modern motherhood. I fell quite in love with Alex and her family, and loved every word of this beautifully written book. -- Kelly Rimmer, author of Before I Let You GoReading The Rest of Me felt like the equivalent of watching back-to-back episodes of Cold Feet - funny, heartwarming and thoroughly entertaining. A joyous, page-turning read.' -- Fiona Mitchell, author of The Maid's RoomPraise for This Beautiful Life * : *I found myself laughing and crying, but the overwhelming feeling was one of heartfelt joy * Heat *Wonderful . . . so full of heart and honesty; it's heartbreaking, uplifting and beautiful * Cressida McLaughlin *A beautifully touching story of loving, surviving and living -- Ali McNamara, The Little Flower Shop by the Sea'Extraordinary... a soaring tale of love, survival and music' -- Louise Beech, author of How to be BravePraise for A Life Without You: * - *Emotional and brilliantly written * Fabulous *Another heart-clangingly powerful stunner of a novel -- Isabelle Broom, HeatA great read - heartwarming and funny in places and poignantly sad in others. A reminder to us all not to take our families or our memories for granted. -- The Unmumsy MumTouching, emotionally charged... A wonderful tale about love and motherhood -- Amanda JenningsPraise for My Everything: * - *Absolutely LOVED it! Such a beautiful book . . . Heartwarming and funny in places, and very honest. -- Carrie Hope FletcherThis thought-provoking debut novel is both brilliantly funny and sad * Sun *A moving and realistic portrait of life-changing illness...this skilful debut novel offers an inspiring journey through love, loss and second chances * Sunday Express *Grabs your heart and won't let go -- Miranda DickinsonA heartfelt, warm, touching, brave and very human story. -- Isabelle Broom, author of My Map of You

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Book SynopsisThree couples. One weekend. Everything is about to change...It''s the Bank Holiday weekend and the Cunningham family are escaping to their holiday home by the sea, as they''ve done every summer for many years.Except that now, parents Lily and Charlie are waiting for their divorce papers to come through -- and have their new partners in tow.Their daughter Poll is there with her boyfriend and is determined to make known her feelings for Chloe, her father''s new love. While her brother Thomas also has feelings for Chloe -- of a very different nature...And amid all the drama, everyone has forgotten that this weekend also happens to be Lily and Charlie''s wedding anniversary.Will any of the couples survive the weekend intact?''Just about everything in this good-humoured book will keep you engrossed and in for a satisfying surprise at the end'' Irish Independent

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Book SynopsisParker fears no evil. But evil fears him . . .Trade ReviewThis is a weighty epic, full of cunningly knotted plot strands * Mail on Sunday *This could be Connolly's masterpiece, but who knows what might appear in the future * Buzzmag *Essential reading for any Charlie Parker fan, and a masterclass in juggling multiple styles. 10/10 * SciFi Bulletin *This is a five-star novel. How can Connolly possibly surpass it? I can't wait to find out * Shots Magazine *Connolly's potent, turbulent blend of crime and supernatural fiction is on full display, and there is a new stylistic ease . . . A Book of Bones is a rich mix . . . infused with English folk mythology and an uncanny feel for landscape and setting, with a delirious, propulsive plot -- Declan Hughes * Irish Times *This epic tale deserves all the praise that is coming its way. Phenomenal. * Sun *

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Book SynopsisStep into Paris as you have never seen it before. . . SHORTLISTED FOR THE HAYES & JARVIS FICTION WITH A SENSE OF PLACE, 2018 EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL WRITING AWARD''An engaging debut that throws light on a hidden side of Paris'' Woman and Home''A sensitive, necessary, brave book.'' Laura Barnett, author of The Versions of UsWhat building doesn''t have secrets? How much does anyone know of what goes on behind their neighbour''s doors? On a hot June day, grief-stricken Edward arrives in Paris hoping that a stay in a friend''s empty apartment will help him mend. But this is not the Paris he knows: there are no landmarks or grand boulevards, and the apartment he was promised is little more than an attic room. In the apartments below him, his new neighbours fill their flats with secrets. A young mother is on the brink, a bookshop owner buries her past, and a banker Trade ReviewAn engaging debut that throws light on a hidden side of Paris. * Woman & Home *Confident and brilliant -- Lisa O'DonnellThis book played into my acute nosiness, throwing open the doors to the fictional lives of the residents of number 37 . . . It'll open your heart and your mind. It certainly did mine. * The Pool *A multi-layered novel, elevated by fine writing, in which our traditional view of Paris is debunked to show a less familiar side of the city. Cooper's expertly realised characters, both sympathetic and not, have stories that are interwoven with aplomb. * Daily Mail *Cooper has written a Ship of Fools for today, bringing forth the poetry and pathos of ordinary lives. * The Lady *The Paris of this skillful yet tender debut novel is not the Paris of our Eurostar mini breaks. * Red Online *Cooper's characters are what make this novel so readable. * The Herald *The writing tantalizingly evokes the sights and sounds of Paris while also giving us an eye-opening perspective of a side of the city that we don't know much about. It is a nuanced portrayal of relationships and the whole spectrum of human emotions. * Book Riot *This beautifully written debut is about love and loss. -- Nina Pottell * Prima *Timely and thoughtful, it's perhaps one of the first novels to reflect back the state of our current society. * The Idle Woman blog *I absolutely loved this book and I can't wait to read more from the author who I'm sure has a glittering career ahead of her. * What Cathy Read Next *The writing is exquisite and discursive. -- Isobel BlackthornAn erudite and engaging read * Bookliterati *Cooper's writing is exceptional. ... It's a beautifully crafted novel. * Book and Brew *An enchanting and beautifully written debut * Jo's Book Blog *It's the voices of various neighbours in their apartment block that make this novel special. * AnOther Magazine *In a Paris tense with summer heat, anger and hate drive its people to drastic action, in this intensely satisfying and timely novel of a city in crisis. -- Aileen Smyth, Dubray Rathmines

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Book Synopsis''Grown up, intelligent fiction - she just gets better and better'' Cathy Kelly''One of the smartest writers of popular fiction around'' Irish IndependentWhen handsome American Daniel O''Connell arrives in Ballyanna to research an old cable station for a documentary he is making, he''s hoping that a stay in a sleepy Irish seaside town will help him and his traumatised son move on from a terrible accident. But Daniel soon finds that summer in Ballyanna is anything but quiet ...Meanwhile Annie Sullivan, daughter of the local hotel owner, has moved back home to mend her broken heart, telling everyone that she''s there to figure out her next career move.But as a secret threatens Annie''s dysfunctional family, Daniel''s past is about to catch up with him. Will the two be able to grasp the new future that lies ahead before summer ends?

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Book Synopsis''Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the heart can hold.'' Zelda FitzgeraldLove is not a singular concept. In this collection, seven award-winning authors explore seven concepts of love: from Philautia, self-love, to Agape, love for humanity; and from Storge, a natural affection for family, to Mania, a frenzied, obsessive love. Seven authors; seven short stories; seven flashes of love. This paperback edition of How Much the Heart Can Hold includes the winning short story from the SceptreLoves short story Prize. Trade ReviewWith prose that is occasionally astonishing, these stories muddy the waters of the literature on love in the best possible way. * Financial Times *Startlingly original stories * Sunday Express S Magazine *All seven [stories] score an outright win in the battle to make the ethereal real. * Country Life *Together they assert that love is more heart-breaking and transforming than the word necessarily conveys. * Observer *

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Book Synopsis''[Gervase Phinn is] a worthy successor to James Herriott, and every bit as endearing.'' - bestselling author Alan TitchmarshNewly qualified teacher Tom Dwyer has been given his first post in Risingdale, a sleepy little village at the very top of the Yorkshire Dales. Unsure if he''ll ever fit into this close-knit community, Tom joins a motley staff at the village school. With pupils who know more about sheep than they do arithmetic, Tom has his work cut out for him. Add to that an altercation with the beautiful but stand-offish Miss Janette Fairborn and an argument with the local squire''s son, and Tom''s first term proves a baptism of fire. But Tom soon finds himself growing fond of Risingdale, and with a class of lively and demanding pupils, an end-of-term show to put on, and a jewellery thief at large, he will find himself at the centre of drama, secrets revealed, and plenty of love, laughter and new friendships. Full of colourful characters, andTrade ReviewPraise for The Little Village School series * : *Packed with delightful and authentic characters, juicy gossip, precarious romance and good old-fashioned village drama, this is a warm-hearted and hilarious account of a struggling school in a small community. * Good Book Guide *A worthy successor to James Herriot, and every bit as endearing. -- Alan TitchmarshWritten with all the humour and warmth one has come to expect from this master storyteller. * Countryman *As Yorkshire's favourite school inspector turns to fiction you can enjoy memorable characters and turns of phrase. * Choice *

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Book SynopsisThe second in a delightful new series from bestselling author Gervase Phinn, set in a village at the top of the Yorkshire Dales, and following on from his acclaimed Dales and Little Village School series.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR GERVASE PHINN:Good old-fashioned yarn-spinning * The Bookbag *Packed with delightful and authentic characters, juicy gossip, precarious romance and good old-fashioned village drama, this is a warm-hearted and hilarious account of a struggling school in a small community. * Good Book Guide *As Yorkshire's favourite school inspector turns to fiction, you can enjoy memorable characters and turns of phrase. * Choice *Written with all the humour and warmth one has come to expect from this master storyteller. * Countryman *A worthy successor to James Herriot, and every bit as endearing. * Alan Titchmarsh *

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Book SynopsisThe third in a delightful new series from bestselling author Gervase Phinn, set in a village at the top of the Yorkshire Dales, and following on from his acclaimed Dales and Little Village School series.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR GERVASE PHINN:Good old-fashioned yarn-spinning * The Bookbag *Packed with delightful and authentic characters, juicy gossip, precarious romance and good old-fashioned village drama, this is a warm-hearted and hilarious account of a struggling school in a small community * Good Book Guide *As Yorkshire's favourite school inspector turns to fiction, you can enjoy memorable characters and turns of phrase * Choice *Written with all the humour and warmth one has come to expect from this master storyteller * Countryman *A worthy successor to James Herriot, and every bit as endearing * Alan Titchmarsh *

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Book Synopsis*No.1 bestseller*From a storyteller who combines the warmth of Maeve Binchy with the elegance of Maggie O''Farrell comes an unforgettable novel . . .Boston 1968. Rose Moroney is seventeen, smart, spirited - and pregnant. She wants to marry her boyfriend. Her ambitious parents have other plans. She is sent to Ireland, their birthplace, to deliver her daughter in a Mother and Baby home - and part with her against her will.Dublin 2013. Martha Sheeran''s life has come undone. Her marriage is over, and her husband has moved on with unsettling speed. Under pressure from her teenage daughter, she starts looking for the woman who gave her up for adoption more than forty years before.As her search leads her to the heart of long-buried family secrets, old flame Paudie Carmody - now a well-known broadcaster - re-enters the frame. From Boston to rural Ireland; from Dublin back to Boston, The American Girl is a heart-warming and entTrade ReviewA wonderful portrait of modern families from a true storyteller who keeps you turning the pages - Cathy KellyA thoroughly enjoyable novel about being young and in love and about life coming full circle. Rachael English paints a vivid portrait of what it was to be Irish in America in the 1980s and what it is to be Irish now. Witty and perceptive, she has a voice that is all her own - Kathleen McMahon, authorRichly imagined and searingly empathetic, The American Girl makes for compelling reading - Sunday Business Post[English] weaves a tale with the natural ease of a born story-teller ... I couldn't help but be reminded of Maeve Binchy for her warm style and distinctly Irish voice ... heart-breaking and uplifting all at once and I highly recommend it - RTE CultureAn evocative read ... powerful ... If you read authors such as Diane Chamberlain, Sheila O'Flanagan or Maeve Binchy then you should also check this out - Between My LinesEnchanting, emotional, heart-breaking, ultimately uplifting and just perfect ... Rachael English is a wonderful story-teller - Being AnneSubtle and delicate, it is a passionate and intense family drama ... Filled with sorrow, joy and tenderness and highly recommended by me - Random Things Through My LetterboxA remarkable read with a very captivating story at its core - Swirl and Thread

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Book SynopsisModern fairy tales of magic, outsiders and lost souls from bestselling author and acclaimed book vlogger Jen Campbell.Trade ReviewCampbell's entirely fresh reframing of classic fairytales within modern experiences...really got me thinking. The perfect autumnal read to curl up with. * Stylist *razor-sharp critique of contemporary issues and deeply moving short stories * Stylist *quietly excellent * Stylist *The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night is a gem of a book * Stylist *A darkly clever, beautifully written and deliciously twisted collection of modern fairy tales -- Sarra Manning * Red *'dark, twisted fairy tales' -- Kirsty Logan * The Herald *Full of wonder: brilliantly imaginative, with dark, unsettling undercurrents ... The characters sparkle with a sense of the surreal, but these outcasts, misfits and loners are filled with hopes and dreams, and are as believable as those in any true-life novel. * Psychologies *Interwoven with myth and fairy tale, these stories are surprising, delightful, and by turns dangerous and joyful, like walking through a mirror and discovering a world that you both recognise and have never seen before. -- Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry'Campbell's fairy tales retain a kaleidoscope quality from the first to the last page...a reality coloured by our imagination in which we are as strong as we are vulnerable, as similar as we are different.' Sanja GligoricThere are so many intriguing characters and situations to be enjoyed in The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night...Jen Campbell is clearly a writer to watch. -- Katy Goodwin-Bates * New Books magazine *Visceral, sinister and yet strangely beguiling ... her stories often explore characters, situations and settings caught in that strange area between the known and the unfamiliar, between the normal and the 'monstrous' ... Comparisons could be made to Angela Carter, but Campbell's stories have a quality completely their own; haunting in their imagery and powerful in their brevity. -- Carolyn Percy * Wales Art Review *Interesting and refreshing ... an extremely enlightening read * TN2 Magazine *Funny and poignant and unexpected. A fable for our times. -- Sarah Franklinfantasy, magic, fairy tales, with a sprinkling of reality * Irish Times *A story collection which manages to be magical and sinister at the same time * Kirsty Logan *

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Book Synopsis**Summer Days at Sunrise Farm, the new book in the Animal Ark revisited series, is currently available!**''A stunning, beautiful tale of friendship and love... I laughed and I cried, and cannot recommend it highly enough!'' Books of All Kinds Newly qualified vet Mandy Hope is leaving Leeds - and her boyfriend Simon - to return to the Yorkshire village she grew up in, where she''ll help out with animals of all shapes and sizes in her parents'' surgery.But it''s not all plain sailing: Mandy clashes with gruff local Jimmy Marsh, and some of the villagers won''t accept a new vet. Meanwhile, Simon is determined that Mandy will rejoin him back in the city. When tragedy strikes for her best friend James Hunter, and some neglected animals are discovered on a nearby farm, Mandy must prove herself. When it comes to being there for her friends - and protecting animals in need - she''s prepared to do whatever it takes...<

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Book Synopsis**Summer Days at Sunrise Farm, the new book in the Animal Ark revisited series, is currently available!**Love is in the air in the little village of Welford . . .Mandy Hope is on cloud nine. Hope Meadows, the animal rescue and rehabilitation centre she founded, is going really well. And she''s growing ever closer to handsome villager Jimmy Marsh. What''s more, James Hunter, her best friend, is slowly learning to re-embrace life after facing tragedy.But when an unexpected crisis causes Mandy to lose confidence in her veterinary skills, it''s a huge blow. If she can''t learn to forgive herself, then her relationship with Jimmy, and the future of Hope Meadows, may be in danger. It''ll take friendship, love, community spirit - and one elephant with very bad teeth - to remind Mandy and her fellow villagers that springtime in Yorkshire really is the most glorious time of the year.Trade Review'A stunning, emotional, beautiful tale of friendship, love, and the importance of being who you need to be. I laughed, I cried, and I became completely ensnared, and I cannot recommend it highly enough - it really has got it all!!' -- Books of All Kinds'An adorable read [with] a real sense of village community' -- Bookworms and Shutterbugs'Just the right amount of nostalgia... wonderful and very poignant' -- The World is a Book Blog'An incredibly lovely story' -- Rachel's Random Reads'A lovely story of what it's like to be working with animals and travelling around the beautiful Yorkshire countryside' -- Jaffareadstoo'The romance, tragedy and drama play[s] out alongside some deeply poignant animal stories...an absolute must read for animal lovers' -- The Book BagPraise for the Hope Meadows series * : *

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Book SynopsisThe third in the classic family saga about the Eliots of Damerosehay.Despite the success and acclaim he has found as an actor, David Eliot struggles with the demands of his career. His brittle conversation and seeming arrogance earn him the dislike of his new secretary, Sebastian Weber.But when Sebastian visits David''s family home, he discovers a different side to his employer. As Damerosehay and its inhabitants weave their magic, Sebastian slowly begins to lay his own demons to rest.Trade ReviewGenuine discernment and poignancy - Sunday TimesLively and charming - ObserverLeaves the reader with a warm glow in the emotions - Times Educational SupplementMiss Goudge has the art of presenting men and women, to say nothing of children, as genuinely convincing persons, too human to be either wholly good or wholly bad - Scotsman

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Book SynopsisA wonderfully told story about a community coming to terms with a post-World War Two world, from the bestselling author of Green Dolphin Country and the classic Eliot Chronicles trilogy.Trade ReviewSpring in Devon brings charming solutions to everyone's problems . . . the Wentworths are another of Miss Goudge's delightful families - Daily TelegraphAnother of those blends of fairytale grace, human warmth and spiritual feeling which only Elizabeth Goudge can contrive - The Scotsman

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Book SynopsisSOON TO BE A NETFLIX ORIGINAL STARRING REESE WITHERSPOONA REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK''I found myself laughing out loud at Susan''s prickly character'' Reese WitherspoonTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD A RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICKPeople aren''t sure what to make of Susan Green. Family and colleagues find her prickly and hard to understand - but Susan makes perfect sense to herself. Age 45, she thinks her life is perfect. She has a London flat which is ideal for one; a steady job that suits her passion for logic; and a personal arrangement providing cultural and other, more intimate, benefits. Yet suddenly faced with the loss of her mother and, implausibly, with the possibility of becoming a mother herself, Susan''s greatest fear is being realised: she is losing control. And things can only get worse ... at least in SuTrade ReviewThe Cactus will be compared to Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine...there is terrible poignancy -- Patricia Nicol * The Sunday Times *Legal battles, lapses of logic and the joys and fears of motherhood are explored in this astute, funny and moving novel of a woman learning how to let go * Daily Mail *Quirky, poignant and extremely readable * Sunday Mirror *A brilliantly comic novel about the flawed, controlling and utterly endearing Susan, who, while engaging in a family feud with her feckless brother, embarks unwittingly on a journey of personal enlightenment * The Lady *'Funny, compelling, well-written...for fans of Marian Keyes who demand a bit of grit in their comic writing' * Emerald Street *Fans of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine will love The Cactus ... wonderfully funny and astute -- Sarra Manning * Red *This book is charming and easy to read, the perfect tonic to this absurdly grey February * The Pool *Read it if you loved Eleanor Oliphant * Best *An ideal read for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine * Closer *The trend for "up lit" continues to make its mark, in titles including Sarah Haywood's debut The Cactus (rigid, lonely-but-doesn't-realise woman in her 40s falls pregnant and is forced to make connections; great cover) -- Alison Flood * The Bookseller *Hilarious and endearing ... anchored by the splendid character of Susan * Publisher's Weekly *An original, engaging and totally believable character -- Graeme SimsionSusan Green is an independent and endearingly prickly woman whose life is spiralling out of control. You're gonna love her. * Marie Claire AUS *If, like me, you never stopped to think what a child born of The Rosie Project's Don Tillman and Bridget Jones might be like, there's one way to find out. Read Sarah Haywood's The Cactus. Meet Susan Green. She doesn't understand how funny she is, which is delicious. * Julia Claiborne Johnson, author of BE FRANK WITH ME *Equal parts intelligent, funny and devastating, Haywood breathes life into an unlikely heroine in a bold, emotionally-charged debut. * Phaedra Patrick, author of THE CURIOUS CHARMS OF ARTHUR PEPPER *Glorious...it twists and turns through human nature wonderfully. Like Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and The Rosie Project ... a book you just want to read at any opportunity. * Kat Brown *Heartfelt and funny, this big-hearted debut will delight fans of The Rosie Project. * Book Riot *A joyful, funny and very insightful story. Incredibly well written and wonderfully imagined. Effortlessly entertaining with captivating observatoins. * Random Things Through My Letterbox *There's been a trend for 'difficult' female protagonists ... but set-in-her-ways Susan is difficult in her own unique way * Wear and Where *A heartfelt and charming story of one woman's transition from a solitary, orderly existence to a messy life full of love. * Booklist *I adored this book. LOVE LOVE LOVED it. * Debbish.com blog *A warm, witty portrait of a woman finally creating the family she deserves * Kirkus Reviews *A very readable, often funny tale of how sometimes we think we have life under control, but really, that's just impossible; it's better to just go with the flow and actually enjoy ourselves along the way. A very useful life lesson. * Books on the 747 blog *A very compelling and enjoyable read * A Ticket to Everywhere blog *Funny, touching and so beautifully written, with a twist that knocks you off your feet * Years of Reading Selfishly *Best cover. Kick-ass feminist, quirky story within. The definition of win-win. * Lady Sharon blog *Susan is a fantastic character, who you end up loving deeply by the end * Not Maud Gonne blog *I fell in love with the warm, feminist heart of this novel * Where the Books Go blog *Warm, uplifting, funny and bittersweet * Talking About My Shelf blog *Gloriously funny and poignant, The Cactus introduces us to Susan Green, a 45-year-old woman who's seemingly in-control life begins to unravel in a very messy and, er, prickly way. You will love her. * InStyle AUS *Insightful, funny and incredibly entertaining. Haywood has created a character who is both irritating and intriguing in equal measure and I bloody loved her! * A Novel Girl *Wise, witty and introspective The Cactus is a terrific debut that cannot fail to move you ... candid and warm * WHSmith Fresh Talent 2018 *An immense pleasure . . . I loved this novel very much * Mrs B's Book Reviews *Refreshingly different and often unpredictable, yet providing enough hope to keep the reader turning pages * Fredericksburg *Haywood's novel is humorous and reveals the vulnerability of someone who believes she's above all that. It poses the question: do we ever really have control over anything in our lives? * British Weekly *Sarah Haywood's charming, funny, poignant debut, The Cactus, is that rare gem, a story of womanhood and motherhood that is never reductive and seldom predictable * Yakima Herald *A brilliant read * Snazzy Books *If you liked Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, then you'll love The Cactus by Sarah Haywood. Quirky, funny, compelling, you can't help but love, and cheer for, the main character Susan -- Amy Lysette, Deputy Features Editor at Closer and BellaA witty tale of a unique and unforgettable woman who is learning to love and be loved. It is a quirky, warm and entertaining read which certainly packs an emotional punch. * The Curious Ginger Cat *Brilliantly acerbic . . . told with the wit and intelligence of a modern Jane Austen * Linda's Book Bag *One of the best books I've ever read, purely for the main character Susan - one of the best, most likeable, quirky, funny characters in any book I've ever read. I couldn't have been sadder for this book to end. I don't want to give anything away but if you're going through any change in your life, not really sure what you're doing or feel a bit lost, this is the book for you. * The Brighton Girl *I think everyone recognises a little bit of themselves in Susan -- Cari Rosen, author of The Secret Diary of a New Mum * Woman's Hour *

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Book SynopsisA powerful and timely novel from ''South Africa''s Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie'' (Bookseller) .''Heart-wrenching'' Grazia .With urgency and tenderness Evening Primrose explores issues of race, gender and the medical profession through the eyes of a junior doctor.When Masechaba finally achieves her childhood dream of becoming a doctor, her ambition is tested as she faces the stark reality of South Africa''s public healthcare system. As she leaves her deeply religious mother and makes friends with the politically-minded Nyasha, Masechaba''s eyes are opened to the rising xenophobic tension that carries echoes of apartheid.Battling her inner demons, she must decide if she should take a stand to help her best friend, even it comes at a high personal cost.''The best kind of political novel, its turns of emotion are virtuosic. MatlwTrade ReviewHeart-wrenching * Grazia *Tackles more than many books twice its length. . . The pages are raw. This is the best kind of political novel . . . [its] turns of emotion are virtuosic. The novel dances from slapstick to stabbing pain to tentative hope. Matlwa's voice is one we need. * Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Harmless Like You *Slices straight to the heart, deft and clean. * Laura Jane Williams, author of Becoming *Harrowing and vital . . . I read it in one sitting. * London Review Bookshop Summer Picks *Distinctive and engaging * AnOther *

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Book Synopsis''A masterpiece . . . I challenge any author to top it!'' Sigridur Alberstsdottir, Icelandic National Broadcasting Service.Jósef Loewe enters the world as a lump of clay - carried in a hatbox by his Jewish father Leo, a fugitive in WWII Germany.Taking refuge in a small-town guesthouse, Leo discovers a kindred spirit in the young woman who nurses him back to health and together they shape the clay into a baby. But en route to safety in Iceland, he is robbed of the ring needed to bring the child to life. It is not until 1962 that Jósef can be ''born'', only to grow up with a rare disease. Fifty-three years on, it leads him into the hands of a power-hungry Icelandic geneticist, just when science and politics are threatening to lead us all down a dark, dangerous road.At once playful and profoundly serious, this remarkable novel melds multiple genres into a unique whole: a mind-bending read and a biting, timely attack on nationalism.Trade ReviewSjón is a raconteur of talent. He can flick from angelic frolics to seedy violence as if each tale were a smooth refraction of the last. He has a knack for high comedy, too. ... Victoria Cribb deserves equal praise for bringing all this zest into English so well. -- Cal Revely-Calder * The Daily Telegraph *This is a work of great ambition ... above all it feels like a work of virtuoso narrative for its own sake; an Icelandic 1001 Nights. * The Sunday Times *Sjón writes with a poet's ear and a musician's natural sense of rhythm. This extraordinary performance, consisting of three books in one, sets out to entertain, but also to prod the reader towards a stark realisation of human mortality and the games fate plays . . . The influence of Günter Grass's The Tin Drum is evident. Sjón has mastered the earlier fabulist's technique of merging history with high-speed comedy and surreal profundity. With a man made of clay and a bewildered angel struggling to get rid of a symbolic trumpet, there are shades of the Bible as well as Milton. Sjón, an heir of Mikhail Bulgakov and Laurence Sterne, eases literary references into the text as mere suggestions. With the light, fluid touch of Victoria Cribb, a resourceful, often inspired translator who is alert to Sjón's quick-change vocal register and genre-hopping artistry, the effect is hypnotic. The reader becomes a gleeful collaborator in an extravaganza in which Bosch meets Chagall, with touches of Tarantino . . . His wild, subversive imagination is among his great strengths, not only in CoDex 1962 but throughout his work . . . This wayward, exciting odyssey confronts death throughout. Nothing is quite what it seems, and there are no easy answers. Here, instead, is an artist preoccupied with questions. -- Eileen Battersby * Guardian, Book of the Day *This modern-day saga in three novels revolving around the life of Josef Löwe blends genres and illustrates the way stories can bring the most fabulous dreams - and nightmares - to life in a work that feels like The Tin Drum of our time. -- Johhn Freeman, Books of the Year * Boston Globe *Bewitching . . . His stories compound the dreamscapes of Surrealism, the marvels of Icelandic folklore and a pop-culture sensibility into free-form fables. Call it magic realism under Nordic lights . . . Sjón's finale anchors his ingenuity to a moving plea for solidarity Hrolfur, the entrepreneurial geneticist, yearns to "soar heavenwards into a world where imagination is the only law of nature that matters". CoDex 1962 applauds the aim, but distrusts his means and motive. The wild flight remains a mission not for scientists but for story-tellers. * The Economist *One blindingly beautiful section comprises a list of surrealist images, the nightly dreams of a group of townspeople . . . This book is a Norse Arabian Nights. Each section is a honeycomb. Stories are nested in stories and crack open to reveal rumour and anecdote, prose poems, tendrils of myth. This abundance isn't an empty show of virtuosity but rooted in Sjon's belief in the power and obligation of old-fashioned storytelling . . . [It] consumed me for the better part of a week. I can only echo Loewe, with gratitude, exasperation and awe. "This book's a bloody thief of time." -- Parul Sehgal * New York Times *Sure to delight the reader . . . irresistibly sweeps the reader away . . . a masterpiece, meticulously executed from the first page to the last -- Sigridur Albertsdottir * National Broadcasting Service Iceland *I found myself awed by its ambition, its uncommon narrative sophistication, its incredible emotional depth - especially in its concluding chapters - and, finally, most unexpectedly, its profound seriousness of purpose . . . it deserves all the attention and esteem it has received . . . every excess in CoDex 1962 is redeemed, accounted for, and justified by the end of the novel, which not only offers important revelations but also reconfigures everything that has preceded it so that the fantasy elements take on radical new meanings . . . far and away the best thing Sjón has ever written . . . It reads, on every page, like the work of a writer who is stretching his talents as far as they can go. It is one of the best novels of the year in any language - visceral, captivating, intellectually rewarding, and ultimately deeply moving - and its ambition and achievement are unlikely to be equalled by more than a handful of books this decade. -- Alex Dewar * Splice *This book is psychedelic, it's potent and it wants to consume the whole world . . . Sjón is a prodigal storyteller in all senses of the phrase . . . he is a master of atmosphere, a fine observer of the cross-hatchings of human motivation and a vivid noticer of detail. * New York Times Book Review *Sjón's novels are brilliant collisions of history and fable, psychology and fantasy -- Chris Power * Guardian *Dazzlingly funny and entertaining in sections, dramatic and tragic, light and serious, woven with the artistry we recognise in Sjón's other work ... he creates with his inexhaustible imagination a gorgeous and relevant ending -- Fridrika Benonysdottir * Frettabladid *Iceland's literary spell-binder ... A tantalising smoke of marvel and magic drifts through Sjón's work -- Boyd Tonkin * Economist 1843 *Sjón is one of our era's great writers. Like Ovid, Kafka, and Bulgakov, he is fascinated by metamorphosis and, from apparently limitless resources of the imagination, can convey what it must feel like -- Charles Baxter * Nation *An extraordinary and original writer -- A.S. ByattMasterful . . . [it] feels like a noble descendant from Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita . . . Yet as with all such works, it's not the categorising, of course, but the work's own strikingly individual, grounded yet independent streak that is such a delight. . . . Sjón is known as one of Iceland's top writers. With CoDex 1962, his place in English is strengthened, especially with this rigorously empathetic translation by his longtime collaborator, Victoria Cribb. . . . This novel is a wonderwork - and an insistently sheer joy to read. -- Andrew Singer * World Literature Today *

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Book SynopsisAn extraordinary recreation of one of the most enduring and beloved partnerships in cinema history: Laurel & Hardy.Winner of the 2017 Ryan Tubridy Show Listener''s Choice Award at the Irish Book Awards.John Connolly recreates the golden age of Hollywood for an intensely compassionate study of the tension between commercial demands and artistic integrity and the human frailties behind even the greatest of artists.An extraordinary reimagining of the life of one of the greatest screen comedians the world has ever known: a man who knew both adoration and humiliation; who loved, and was loved in turn; who betrayed, and was betrayed; who never sought to cause pain to others, yet left a trail of affairs and broken marriages in his wake . . . And whose life was ultimately defined by one relationship of such tenderness and devotion that only death could sever it: his partnership with the man he knew as Babe.he is Stan LaurelTrade ReviewA fine novel. * The Sunday Times *This is a book about love: love of women, love of men, love of art, love of comedy . . . What catapults the reader straight into Hollywood's Golden Age is the enormous amount of research and passion that lies behind He. When those researched details coalesce, a world of Dickens-like detail leaps off the page. * Irish Times *An entertaining account of early 20th-century celebrity * Daily Express *It's not often you get an evocation of a friendship so deep and tender between two men in fiction . . . A wonderful story of love, of an abiding loyalty. -- Declan Burke * RTE *The life and art of Stan Laurel, from vaudeville and silent movies to the talkies and old age, is explored in this artful novel . . . It's the best tribute to this novel that by the end of it you feel you have been given the full texture of a life. * Kirkus Reviews *Fans of Connolly will be awed at this new literary work in a very different voice * Florida Times-Union *Part-biography, part-cinema history, part-Hollywood gossip columns . . . the ingredients all stirred dexterously together by a highly - even bizarrely - individual narrative hand . . . Wildly original in its methods, it is addictively readable in its outcome * Sydney Morning Herald *Rewarding and uplifting. Connolly has stepped outside the crime genre to publish a literary novel of real merit. * nudgebooks.com *John Connolly's new book is a fascinating look at the Golden Age of Hollywood through the eyes of one of the finest comedians ever to grace the silver screen. This is a book full of history, full of sadness and joy, replete with fascinating characters. Connolly's greatest achievement here is that he makes you forget that this is fiction, that this comes from his imagination. Connolly makes you believe that this is what Stan Laurel must have been like because it is a book that speaks true. I applaud him for that. Read it now. * SHOTS Magazine *An invaluable feel for a period and a fascinating, if awkward personality. Writing the story as a novel rather than just a straight biography gives the tale an extra layer of humanity and reality. -- Maxim Jakubowski * Crime Time *John Connolly has skilfully recreated the unseen side of a perceived golden age and yet it is also a compassionate study of the tensions between commercial demands and popularity and the almost unattainable artistic integrity gifted people destroy themselves in pursuit of; for all that it is no less a love letter to one of the most enduring and beloved partnerships in cinema history. * Malachyconeyblogspot.com *

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Book SynopsisFinfarran Book 4''A sparkling, life-affirming novel -- sunshine on the page'' Cathy KellySummer is on its way, and Lissbeg librarian Hanna Casey has started a club showing films based on popular novels. But soon the club''s members find dramatic twists and turns happening in their own lives on Ireland''s west coast.Hanna''s daughter Jazz finally feels like she can call Lissbeg home. But when her life is turned upside down, will she return to London to make a fresh start?Aideen is afraid that her romance with Conor won''t survive the pressures of their planned double wedding with overbearing Eileen and manipulative Joe. Meanwhile, Saira Khan is determined to help a troubled new arrival to Finfarran.And could Hanna''s own newfound happiness to Brian be threatened by the return of her ex-husband Malcolm?As the club prepares for the first meeting of the summer, they''ll all face hard choices. But will they get the happTrade ReviewPraise for the Finfarran series - :Warm-hearted ... reminiscent of Maeve Binchy and Roisin Meaney - Irish ExaminerA delicious feast of a novel - Cathy KellyA summer read for fans of Maeve Binchy - Sunday IndependentA charming and heart-warming story - Jenny ColganEngaging ... sparkling and joyous - Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisHILARIOUS AND HEARTBREAKING OFFICIAL COLD FEET NOVEL FROM THE HIT TV SERIES.What happened to your favourite characters between series five and six of Mike Bullen''s award-winning TV series?**********Reeling from the sudden death of Rachel, his beloved wife, Adam has no time to grieve. He has to keep going, for the sake of their baby son. Jenny moves back in with ex-husband Pete, eight and a half months pregnant with another man''s child. Can their relationship overcome past jealousies? Karen and David agree to an amicable divorce - but that''s before he sleeps with the divorce lawyer . . .*******THE LOST YEARS is an irresistible chance to catch up on all the laughter, the tears, the life lessons we missed while they were gone.''I loved it. The characters have been captured so well and it just feels so like Mike Bullen''s creation . . . Harrington shoTrade ReviewI loved it. The characters have been captured so well and it just feels so like Mike Bullen's creation. Harrington has understood the characters exceptionally well, and I loved taking the journey with them. Their voices ring out from every page, and I love the fact that I learnt more about them and their journey. Harrington should be very proud - it really is fabulous! * Margaret Conway, Line Producer Cold Feet *The author has captured the essence of the characters so very well that they appear uninterrupted in the imagination and continue as if there had never been any sort of lull in the story. As always, the characters made me laugh out loud and yet, they also made me a little bit sad, but such is the nature of the Cold Feet phenomenon, there's always a clever mix of light and shade which is continued in this novel. * Jaffa Reads Too *Irish author Carmel Harrington was asked to bridge the gap from the original storyline to the current one, in her novel Cold Feet: The Missing Years. New characters are introduced alongside the original ones, adding a dimension to the heart-warming humour. From Manchester to Belfast and back, the novel spans a year of tears, laughter and friendship in true Cold Feet style. Harrington has captured the characters' colloquialisms, personalities and group dynamic. An immensely enjoyable companion to the TV show. * Irish Times *I had a fantastic time reading th[is] book . . . It really felt like it could have been the next series of Cold Feet in its original run . . . The Lost Years is a fantastic adaptation that keeps the essence of everything that made Cold Feet, Cold Feet and for fans of the show, it is a must-read * The Tattooed Book Geek Blog *This book retains the charm . . . [It] was like catching up with old friends and I couldn't put [it] down . . . Good job, Carmel. It's not easy to take on such much-loved characters and continue it on whilst staying true to their personalities but you pulled it off. Any chance of another one? * Novel Kicks Blog *

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Book SynopsisWHY BE YOURSELF WHEN YOU CAN BE PERFECT?**As featured on The High Low podcast** ''MAGNIFICENT. Brutally honest and righteously angry but still HUGELY enjoyable and engaging. I bow down!'' Marian Keyes ''A thoughtful, intelligent, urgent novel women need to read.'' Dolly Alderton The highly-anticipated new novel from Holly Bourne, bestselling author of HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW?_____________He said he was looking for a ''partner in crime'' which everyone knows is shorthand for ''a woman who isn''t real''. April is kind, pretty, and relatively normal - yet she can''t seem to get past date five. Every time she thinks she''s found someone to trust, they reveal themselves to be awful, leaving her heartbroken. And angry. If only April could be more like Gretel. Gretel is exactly what men want - she''s a Regular Everyday MTrade ReviewMAGNIFICENT. The whole sorry mess of gender and sexual politics wrapped up in a compelling story told by an ADORABLE heroine. I feel educated and empowered from reading it. Brutally honest and righteously angry but still HUGELY enjoyable and engaging. I BOW DOWN! -- Marian Keyes'Unsettling and hopeful, enlightening and entertaining. A thoughtful, intelligent, urgent novel women need to read' * Dolly Alderton *Pretending is the most freeing, reassuring book on dating after #MeToo I've ever read. Perceptive. Hilarious. Reassuring. Brilliant. -- Laura Jane WilliamsI love this book! It made me cry and laugh and rage and fall completely in love with the characters and you MUST READ IT! It's beautifully written and completely engrossing but also a really important, timely book. Sheer brilliance. -- Lucy FoleyPretending looks at what it is to be a woman and makes the reader look inwards (or backwards), reflecting on past encounters with more awareness, forgiveness and understanding than ever before. Empowering, thought-provoking, honest, observant, heart-wrenching and uncomfortable - an exposing and healing read * Giovanna Fletcher *I cannot think of a more important modern love story to tell * Dolly Alderton, The High Low podcast *What looks like a lolzy rom-com is actually a punch-in-the-gut brilliant novel about consent and mental health. Don't let this one pass you by * Grazia *The amazing thing about Holly's writing is how she's able to say not just what we're all thinking but what we're even too afraid to admit to ourselves. Her books should be mandatory reading for everyone.Thoughtful, smart and painfully true * Cosmopolitan *A brilliant, hard-hitting, tell-all-your-girlfriends-to-read-it book * Fabulous Magazine *Hugely entertaining rom-com for the post #MeToo generation * Daily Mail *As with all of Holly's books, I was totally hooked from the first page. Her unique voice immediately invites you in and you can't look away. Gritty, funny and poignantWhat a painful, raw, important, hilarious, whip-smart triumph of a book.I adore-love-worship this book. Every page brings another eye-wateringly relatable moment and I couldn't put it down. I was constantly laughing, crying, and nodding aggressively at every page. Holly Bourne is officially my favourite writer and this book is everything.I really, really enjoyed but also really, really admired this bookOne of Holly Bourne's greatest gifts as a writer is her ability to cut to the emotional core of her chosen subject and nowhere is that shown with more deftness than in Pretending. Searingly honest, intense, and insightful, this is a profoundly moving novel, and to my mind, Bourne's best work to dateSo relatable, powerful and thought-provoking. April is a rare and wonderful protagonist, I fell for her instantly, I loved her rage and vulnerability and I constantly rooted for her even when I knew she was doing the wrong thing. This is a vivid, contemporary exploration of the darkest side of relationships, anger and powerlessness, but it's filled with joy too. If we've all been suffering from Gone Girl Cool Girl syndrome, Holly has written the antidotePretending is Holly Bourne at her best. It's a funny, feminist yet challenging read that will make many readers feel validated and seen * Red *Bourne's novels are so witty, so stingingly acute on millennial pop culture, that you only notice by stealth their serious intent * Metro *A funny, feminist and challenging story, which will make readers feel validated and seen. What an accomplishment for a novel * Red Magazine *An extraordinary book. Properly funny, effortless to read and yet it deals with real and visceral trauma in a way that is incredibly effective and true to life. It's feminist and angry and compassionate and hopeful. I would give this book to every woman in her 20s and 30s.Smart, perceptive, funny and touching about modern life for modern women.I just read this in two sittings and I need to reiterate: I love Holly Bourne. Such unbelievably dark themes and brutal cynicism yet Pretending still has a joy and a lightness of touch that makes it easy to breeze through.Devastating, funny and insightful, Holly Bourne's Pretending is a read that will resonate * Stylist *What a brilliant book this is! I felt such lacerating anger, laughed and was incredibly moved all in the space of one book. I hope everyone reads it. Fantastic -- Lucy DiamondA novel about female fragility and female power and about the endless tightrope we all walk as women in the #metoo era. Honest, courageous and fiercely funny. A surefire hit.A brilliant takedown of the rules and expectations of the dating game, with a spot-on analysis of the falseness and contradictions within. Insightful, relatable and excruciatingly honest, with a serious heart. Holly's style is so clear and her pace so perfect, the Things We Don't Talk About Enough are presented in the most accessible way imaginable. That's an exceptional gift. I'm sure thousands of women will find comfort in April's story. I absolutely loved it I inhaled this in two greedy sittings because WOW. What a read - perceptive, unflinching, funny and raw, this story and its characters just leapt from the page.After Bourne's How Do You Like Me Now? became a bestseller, we predict great things * Red *This book will make you laugh, cry, think and feel understood in less than 500 pages * Platinum-mag.co.uk *An author highly attuned to the concerns of 20/30-something women, but writes so engagingly that her readership goes well beyond this demographic * The Bookseller *

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