Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisOprah.com raved that Asa Larsson's Rebecka Martinsson is a crime fighter who has all the needed gut insticts," and listed the series as "Mysteries Every Thinking Woman Should Read." In Until Thy Wrath Be Past the body of a young woman surfaces in the River Torne, in the far north of Sweden. Meanwhile, Rebecka Martinsson is working as a prosecutor in nearby Kiruna. Her sleep has been disturbed by haunting visions of a shadowy, accusing figure. Could the body be connected to the ghostly young woman in her dreams?Joining forces once again with Police Inspector Anna-Maria Mella, Rebecka is drawn into a murder and missing-person investigation that becomes entangled with old rumors of a German supply plane that mysteriously disappeared in 1943. Shame and secrecy shroud the locals' memories of the war, with Sweden's early collaboration with the Nazis still a raw wound. And on the windswept shore of a frozen lake lurks a faceless killer determined to keep the past buried forever beneath half a century's silent ice and snow. With its psychologically complex twists and turns, this harrowing thriller captivates from the very first page.Trade ReviewLarsson's laid-back style makes her unflinching probing of the icy depths of the human heart all the more chilling * Telegraph *In a world awash with female coppers, there aren't many as interesting and human as Rebecka * Wall Street Journal *

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Book Synopsis'HILARIOUS' ISABELLE BROOMEmily has it all: a good job, awesome friends, a great boyfriend, and a wonderful flat exactly 411 miles away from her nightmarish family.But when her boyfriend Robert dumps her mere days before Christmas, Emily's devastated. Knowing there's no way she can face her family alone, Emily enlists the help of her party-boy neighbour Evan. All he needs to do is pretend to be Robert.The only trouble is Evan's not exactly boyfriend material. He likes flirting, loud music, and louder sex. Can Emily handle Evan and her family, or is she heading straight for disaster?WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR'Laugh-out-loud funny' 5* reader review'The best book I have read in ages' 5* reader review'Hilarious and heart-warming' 5* reader review'Full of wonderful humour and laugh-out-loud moments' 5* reader reviewTrade ReviewBloody hilarious. Give yourself an early Christmas treat and read this book over the weekend. We promise you won't regret it! * Isabelle Broom, Heat *The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is Joanna Bolouri's third novel, and third that I had a pleasure to read. And also third that I am rating with 5 stars - I've no idea what I've done before without her books! * On My Bookshelf *A truly magnificent and hilarious read that will make you think twice about love this Christmas. A book that had tears streaming down my face with laughter! * The Writing Garnet *The day a new Joanna Bolouri book is released truly is the most wonderful time of the year for me . . . [I'm] addicted to her wit, relatable characters and laugh out loud writing * Novelicious *Every bit as funny as Joanna's previous books - definitely worth the read! * Woman's Way *

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Book Synopsis THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Cosy crime of a superior order' Sunday TimesWords can be dangerous. Sometimes they kill...Natalka and Edwin are running a detective agency in Shoreham, Sussex. Despite a steady stream of minor cases, Natalka is frustrated, longing for a big juicy investigation to come the agency's way. Then a murder case turns up. Local writer, Melody Chambers, is found dead and her family are convinced it is murder. Edwin, a big fan of the obit pages, thinks there's a link to the writer of Melody's obituary who pre-deceased his subject. The trail leads them to a slightly sinister writers' retreat. When another writer is found dead, Edwin thinks that the clue lies in the words. Seeking professional help, the amateur investigators turn to their friend, detective Harbinder Kaur, to find that they have stumbled on a plot that is stranger than fiction.The unmissable new novel from the bestselling author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries.*****************************Praise for The Last Word'Outstanding and hugely entertaining' Irish Independent 'Twisty' Crime Monthly'The characters show real light and shade and there are ample comedic one-liners' Belfast Telegraph'This mystery will have you hooked' Candis'Kept me guessing to the end' SagaTrade ReviewThe characters show real light and shade and there are ample comedic one-liners. I hope Elly brings the foursome back to our pages very, very soon * Belfast Telegraph *Elly Griffiths' latest is outstanding and hugely entertaining * Irish Independent *Twisty * Crime Monthly *Elly Griffiths' latest novel is cosy crime of a superior order * Sunday Times *With a twisty plot to draw the reader in, this mystery will have you hooked * Candis *Kept me guessing to the end * Saga *

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Book SynopsisFrom National Book Award Finalist Laird Hunt, a masterful collection of interwoven stories capturing one summer's day in Reagan-era Indiana.Candy Wilson has forgotten to buy the paprika. Turner Davis needs to get his zinnias in. Della Dorner told her mother she was going to Milky Freeze, but that's not where she's really headed on her new Schwinn five-speed.Float Up, Sing Down is the story of a single day. But in that day, how much teeming life! The residents of this rural town have their routines, their preferences, their joys, grudges, and regrets. The old-timers savor past triumphs, cast back to lives circumscribed and defined by the World Wars, wonder what might have been. Youngsters covet cars, karate moves, kissing; they writhe in the first blushes of love or pain or independence. Gossip is paramount. Lives are entwined. Retired sheriffs climb corn bins and muse on lost love, French teachers throw firecrackers out of barn windows, and teenagers borrow motorcycles to ride the back roads.Each of the fourteen stories of Float Up, Sing Down follows one character's 'day-in-the-life' in one of Hunt's most beloved and enduring landscapes. As the book unfolds these lives echo and glance off of one another with elegance and warmth, a tenderness born of strength. In the tradition of Willa Cather, Sherwood Anderson, Elizabeth Strout, and Edward P. Jones, this is a symphony of souls, a masterful portrait of both loneliness and community by one of our great limners of American experience.Trade ReviewWhat a delight to spend a day with the inhabitants of Bright Creek, their longings and lusts, their memories. Laird Hunt writes so brilliantly about the quotidien - why a woman would leave a tin of paprika on a gravestone; why a boy would be devoted to this headband - and in doing so, he reveals so much else. Float Up, Sing Down is a shimmering, magical book. -- Margot LiveseyAn entertaining work of exceptional vitality. * Kirkus Starred Review *An ingeniously structured depiction of small-town life in rural Indiana, Float Up, Sing Down dignifies the ordinary people at the center of its stories, illuminating their secrets and desires in gently comedic ways that manage, too, to pierce us. Reminiscent of Joan Silber's work, this is a hopeful and poignant portrait of the intertwined lives that make a community. A miraculous puzzle of a collection. * Cara Blue Adams, author of You Never Get It Back *One of Laird Hunt's many gifts is his ability to transport readers to small towns filled with the most fascinating, yet ordinary, characters. He has done it again in this brilliant collection, which is skillfully linked by time and place. In the pages of Float Up, Sing Down, you'll meet a retired farmer closely observing his neighbors while thinking back on war days, a woman who finds great comfort in spending time in a cornfield, and a host of other complex and memorable people. I love this book. * De'Shawn Charles Winslow, author of DECENT PEOPLE and IN WEST MILLS *Hunt has mastered a style that feels both traditional and fresh. * Financial Times *An absolute delight . . . Brimming with easy-going charm, there's real heart and hurt here, too, as Hunt unspools the hopes and dreams of his beguiling characters. * Daily Mail *Prize-winning material . . . If it is first-hand experience that gives his stories such authenticity, it is his literary skills that shape them so seamlessly into such an entertaining and rewarding collection. * Irish Examiner *Brimming with charm . . . an absolute delight * Daily Mail *The stories in Float Up, Sing Down are compassionate and universal. * TLS *

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Book SynopsisAre the parents always to blame? Rachel Jensen has it all: a husband she adores, fulfilling work in art restoration, a terrific teenage daughter and finally a new baby on the way. So when she worries about mysterious changes in her daughter Kate's behaviour, friends reassure her it's just normal teen angst.But then a terrifying accident involving Kate and her infant brother sets off a series of events that threaten to destroy everything Rachel has worked so hard to build.From the beloved author of SIGNAL FIRES and BLACK & WHITE, FAMILY HISTORY is a visceral, ferociously paced novel about one mothers nightmarish realisation that she cannot protect her own child.‘Riveting’ Harper's Bazaar ‘Graceful’ Glamour‘A poised, absorbing book’ New York Times Book ReviewTrade ReviewElegantly written, wry and unsettling. * NPR *Shapiro has both a best-selling writer's instinct for plot and pacing and a fine literary sensibility... A powerful, penetrating illumination of the hidden agendas and consequences of family relationships * Elle *FAMILY HISTORY is virtually impossible to put down -- Jennifer EganShapiro is an abundantly emotional writer with a deep understanding of life's banal blessings * Los Angles Times *Shapiro's suspenseful novel movingly explores the fragility of family life... the overall effect is to create a web that lures readers in, curious to find out who is guilty of what and whether the ending will be happy * People *

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Book SynopsisA terrifying ghost story by the bestselling author of The Woman in Black.A mysterious depiction of masked revellers at the Venice carnival hangs in the college rooms of Oliver's old professor in Cambridge. On this cold winter's night, its eerie secret is revealed by the ageing don. The dark art of the Venetian scene, instead of imitating life, has the power to entrap it.To stare into the painting is to play dangerously with the unseen demons it hides, and become the victim of its macabre beauty...

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Book SynopsisA terrifying ghost story by the bestselling author of The Woman in Black. Late one summer evening, antiquarian bookseller Adam Snow is returning from a client visit when he takes a wrong turn. He stumbles across a derelict Edwardian house and, compelled by curiosity, approaches the door. Standing before the entrance, he feels the unmistakable sensation of a small cold hand creeping into his own, 'as if a child had taken hold of it'.At first he is merely puzzled by the odd incident but then begins to suffer attacks of fear and panic, and is visited by nightmares. He is determined to learn more about the house. But when he does, he receives further, increasingly sinister, visits from the small hand.

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Book SynopsisA TIMES BOOK OF THE MONTH AND STYLIST BOOK OF THE WEEKA BAD FORM REVIEW PAPERBACK BOOK OF THE MONTH'Sharp, swiftly moving, darkly funny . . . [a] compassion filled delight' The Times'[A] sharp, assured debut' Daily Mail'A sensitive, sharp-eyed, slyly funny novel of venturing back into the foreign country that is your past— and discovering that you can never really shake the places and people that shaped you' Celeste Ng, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Our Missing Hearts'Delia Cai fully renders the uneasy marriage between past and present. Central Places is honest about the strangeness and revelation of returning home' Raven Leilani, New York Times bestselling author of LusterAudrey Zhou left Hickory Grove, the tiny central Illinois town where she grew up, as soon as high school ended, and she never looked back. She moved to New York City and became the person she always wanted to be, complete with a high-paying, high-pressure job and a seemingly faultless fiancé. But if she and Manhattan-bred Ben are to build a life together, in the dream home his parents will surely pay for, Audrey can no longer hide him, or the person she's become, from those she left behind.But returning to Hickory Grove is . . . complicated. Over the course of one disastrous week, Audrey's proximity to her family and to Kyle, her unrequited high school crush, forces her to confront the past and reexamine her fraught connection to her roots before she undoes everything she's worked toward and everything she's imagined for herself. But is that life really the one she wants?Trade ReviewDelia Cai’s sharp, swiftly moving, darkly funny debut novel….[is a] compassion filled delight * The Times, Book of the Month *[A] sharp, assured debut * Daily Mail *A sensitive, sharp-eyed, slyly funny story of venturing back into the foreign country that is your past--and discovering that you can never really shake the places and people that shaped you . . . This book will resonate with anyone who's tried to navigate the confusing terrain of family tensions, lost friendships, or embarrassing memories of youth: in short, pretty much everyone. * Celeste Ng, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Our Missing Hearts *Delia Cai fully renders the uneasy marriage between past and present. Central Places is honest about the strangeness and revelation of returning home. * Raven Leilani, New York Times bestselling author of Luster *An incandescent debut shedding light on old friendships, half-forgotten selves, and ferocious longings past and present, Central Places is a revelation, disquieting and so very moving, and dazzling with insight. * R. O. Kwon, author of The Incendiaries *A moving, nuanced novel about race, class, and the unspoken power dynamics of an interracial relationship, Central Places negotiates the personal and the political with unsparing precision. Delia Cai has created an indelible cast of uniquely complicated characters. A spiky, intelligent narrator leads the story--readers will root for Audrey to win, even as her definition of triumph shifts with every chapter in this masterful debut. * Jean Chen Ho, author of Fiona and Jane *Burns with complexity and compassion . . . A fiercely narrated and deeply affecting novel about imperfect love, the willingness to try again, and generosity?to ourselves and to each other. Audrey's unforgettable story of self-discovery will speak to anyone who has ever stood on the precipice of change, who has ever felt in between, and who has ever wondered if looking back is part of moving forward. * Elaine Hsieh Chou, author of Disorientation *Sharply observed and humorous, and filled with Cai's trademark pop cultural geekiness. * Stylist, Book of the Week *

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Book SynopsisA terrifying ghost story by the bestselling author of The Woman in Black.From the foggy streets of Victorian London to the eerie perfection of 1950s suburbia, the everyday is invaded by the evil otherworldly in this unforgettable collection of ghost stories from the author of The Woman in Black.In the title story, on a murky evening in a warmly lit club off St James, a bishop listens closely as a paranormal detective recounts his most memorable case, one whose horrifying denouement took place in that very building.In 'The Front Room', a devoutly Christian mother tries to protect her children from the evil influence of their grandmother, both when she is alive and when she is dead.A lonely boy finds a friend in 'Boy Number 21', but years later he is forced to question the nature of that friendship and to ask whether ghosts can perish in fires.This is Susan Hill at her best, telling characteristically flesh-creeping and startling tales of thwarted ambition, terrifying revenge and supernatural stirrings that will leave readers wide awake long into the night.

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Book Synopsis*Shortlist, Debut Fiction, 2023 Nero Book Awards * The Sunday Times Novel of the Year *London, 1894. John and Henry have a vision for a new way of life. But as the Oscar Wilde trial ignites public outcry, everything they long for could be under threat.'Beautifully written' Graham Norton'Subtle, sexy and beautifully crafted' Sarah Waters'Lavishly imagined' Sunday Times______________After a lifetime spent navigating his desires, John has finally found a man who returns his feelings. Meanwhile, Henry is convinced that his new unconventional marriage will bring freedom.United by a shared vision, they begin work on a revolutionary book arguing for the legalisation of homosexuality.Before it can be published however, Oscar Wilde is arrested and their daring book threatens to throw them, and all around them, into danger. How high a price are they willing to pay for a new way of living?______________'A very fine new writer' Kate Atkinson'I loved this book' Zadie Smith'Some of the best writing on desire I've read' Douglas Stuart'Extraordinary' Jonathan Bailey'Filled with nuance and tenderness . . . charting the lives of men and women who inspired not only political progress but an entire new way of living and loving' Colm TóibínTrade ReviewI loved this book -- Zadie SmithCompletely engrossed by this fascinating story of gay life in the London of the 1890’s. Beautifully written with fantastically complicated characters -- Graham Norton'Tom Crewe inhabits the minds, lives and bodies of his visionary late-nineteenth century characters with almost eerie precision and intensity. The result is subtle, sexy and beautifully crafted - a wonderful book' * Sarah Waters *'Clever and kind, The New Life is a book of wonderful generosity and compassion' * Alice Winn, author of In Memoriam *It is a pleasure to discover a young novelist with such a wise sensibility - and also, one who can construct such convincing characters. * Sunday Times *This is a corker... one of the literary debuts of the year * The Times, *Books to Look Out For 2023* *'Extraordinary in its depiction of reform and liberalism in Britain in the late-1800s' * Jonathan Bailey, star of Bridgerton *The New Life is filled with nuance and tenderness, steeped in the atmosphere of late nineteenth century London, a world on the brink of social and sexual change. Tom Crewe's brilliant novel dramatizes the relationship between the visionary and the brave, charting the lives of men and women who inspired not only political progress but an entire new way of living and loving. -- Colm Tóibín'A beautifully written debut set in Victorian London... some of the best writing on desire I've read' * Douglas Stuart *[Tom Crewe is] a very fine new writer -- Kate AtkinsonElectrifying. Tom Crewe's forensic love of the physical puts the body back into history and makes the past a living, changing place -- Anne EnrightAn excellent debut . . . It's extraordinary to think that this impeccably crafted, lyrically phrased and muscular book is Crewe's first . . . a brilliant evocation of the radical politics of turn-of-the-century Britain * Michael Donkor, Guardian *Emotionally vivid and erotically charged, The New Life brilliantly reveals a 'seething and boiling' world of 'loneliness and anger and lust,' as Crewe's complicated, compelling protagonists battle the restrictive mores of the day * Daily Mail *Powerful themes and lovingly polished prose . . . a fictional debut of rare quality and promise * Daily Telegraph *Intense and precise . . . It is refreshing to find any contemporary novel, let alone a debut, which is first and foremost one of ideas * Financial Times *[An] excellent new novel * Independent *'[An] intricate and finely crafted debut novel . . . The New Life brims with intelligence and insight, impressed with all the texture (and fog) of fin de siècle London' * New York Times *'Crewe distinguishes himself both as novelist and as historian . . . He has, more unusually, found a prose that can accommodate everything from the lofty to the romantic and the shamelessly sexy' * New Yorker *Unflinchingly bold . . . Crewe's language is striking in its originality, his protagonists are colourful and passionate, and their principles are brilliantly drawn * i paper *Sexy, cerebral and moving * Mail on Sunday *'Atmospheric . . . Extraordinary . . . Crewe's taut prose is shot through with descriptive vividness' -- James Cahill * TLS *Exhilarating . . . An adroit novel of ethics * New Statesman *'Lyrical, piercing . . . The New Life is a fine-cut gem, its sentences buffed to a gleam . . . [Crewe's book] brims with élan and feeling, an ode to eros and a lost world, and a warning about the dangers ahead' * Hamilton Cain, Washington Post *'Crewe deserves applause for his vivid scene-setting . . . There's much to admire in this meticulously researched, boldly envisioned debut' * Prospect *'Nothing less than remarkable . . . A beautiful, brave book that reminds us of the terrible human cost of bigotry; this is a novel against forgetting' * Michael Schaub, Boston Globe *'Rich and engrossing . . . blending the graceful ambiguity of literary fiction with the deftness of a page-turner . . . A smart, sensual debut' * Kirkus (starred review) *A few established novelists continue to write first-class literary fiction on LGBTQ themes... The debut novel by Tom Crewe...reveals a new talent in the field. It is underpinned by extensive research... [with] a great story at its heart. * Literary Review *The New Life drives with a satisfying pace and a pleasing sense of both conclusion and open endings... how impressive it is that Crewe has synthesised a coherent and compelling fiction from his elements * Critic *Superb . . . Remarkably sensuous and intimate * Spectator *Crewe demonstrates rare promise in this beautifully crafted story about two real-life pioneers who tried to make a case for homosexuality in Victorian Britain... Crewe brings this era pungently to life * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling, Booker-shortlisted chronicler of Italy, a classic novel about a man's emotional reckoning in a changed world far from homeFrank's reclusive existence in a leafy part of London is shattered when he is summoned to Milan for the funeral of an old friend. Preoccupied by this sudden intrusion of his past, he flies, oblivious, into the epicentre of a crisis he has barely registered on the news.It is spring, his luxury hotel offers every imaginable comfort; perhaps he will be able to weather the situation and return home unscathed? What Frank doesn't know is that he's about to make a discovery that will change his heart and his mind.Hotel Milano is a universal story from a unique moment in recent history: a book about the kindness of strangers, and about a complicated man who, faced with the possibility of saving a life, must also take stock of his own.Trade ReviewHotel Milano is one of Tim Parks' most engaging and satisfying books * Scotsman, *Summer Reads of 2023* *Tim Parks, a long-time resident in Italy, is an accomplished writer of both fiction and non-fiction, and this deft and affecting short novel combines his skills * New Statesman *A compelling mix of emotional introspection and pressing drama * Mail on Sunday *Excellent and quietly devastating... While recent pandemic novels such as Sarah Hall's Burntcoat and Sarah Moss's The Fell gave us the claustrophobia and forced intimacy of the pandemic, Hotel Milano comes closest to evoking what it was really like to watch the world be redrawn in real time * Guardian *Parks writes with an appealing wry elegance, and his quirky, erudite narrator finally finds solace not so much in the grand themes of European culture as in a shredded balloon stuck in a tree or the yellow beak of a blackbird * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisDivision Street is full of secrets. And one night in particular has been kept buried.'Lyrically examines the ways a single event can alter many lives for ever . . . wonderful' Good HousekeepingAn impulsive lie – told with the best intentions – consumes the Wilf family. Even as they change and grow, each is haunted by what they choose to forget. Then the Shenkmans move in across the street: a couple with their own secrets and a lonely, brilliant son.As their stories collide in ways they never could have imagined, the past comes hurtling back to Division Street, setting in motion a spellbinding chain of events that will transform both families forever.A heart-stopping story about human connection, for fans of THE PAPER PALACE and LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE‘A fantastic writer’ Dolly Alderton‘Stunning’ Lisa Taddeo‘Tender and philosophical’ Hannah Beckerman, Observer* READERS LOVE SIGNAL FIRES * 'Was both devastated and wowed at the end''The best novel that I've read all year! I couldn't put it down''Profoundly moving, deeply relatable and so beautifully written''Gorgeous, deeply moving and captivating''Beautiful, full of emotion and magic'Trade ReviewSignal Fires is a great novel, but it's also something rarer: a good novel, one that shines with deep truths about what it is to love someone, lose them, and live on * Financial Times *A stunning future classicTender and philosophical * Observer *Gripping * People Magazine *Lyrically examines the ways a single event can alter many lives for ever . . . wonderful * Good Housekeeping BOOK OF THE MONTH *

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Book Synopsis‘A sublime gift’ MEG MASONA taut, ground-breaking new novel about a writer's relationship with her larger-than-life mother - and about the very nature of writing.Ten months after her mother’s death, the narrator of The Hero of This Book walks across London on a quiet Sunday. The city was a favourite of her mother’s, and as the narrator wanders the streets, she finds herself recalling all that made her complicated mother extraordinary. Even though the woman, a writer, wants to respect her mother’s nearly pathological sense of privacy, she must decide whether making a chronicle of this remarkable life constitutes an act of love or betrayal.* A New Yorker, Time, Washington Post, Oprah Daily and NPR Book of the Year *‘I absolutely loved it. A moving portrayal of daughterhood…suffused with warmth and love’ MEGAN HUNTER, author of The Harpy‘Confirms McCracken as among the finest contemporary chroniclers of everyday life… wonderful’ GUARDIAN‘Tender, funny, heartbreaking… a writer who always delights’ RUMAAN ALAM, author of Leave the World BehindTrade ReviewInto a single, most singular novel, McCracken fits everything we adult daughters know and feel and love and fear about our beautiful, complicated mothers, and could never say. A sublime gift. -- Meg Mason, author of Sorrow and BlissWhat could be better value than a book set over one day that you can read in one day, but that will stay in your heart and refuse to go... One of the greatest memoirs of a parent. * The Times *Confirms McCracken as among the finest contemporary chroniclers of everyday life. Like Elizabeth Strout and Ann Patchett, she combines a blistering intelligence with deep humanity. * Guardian *Easily one of the best novels (or is it actually a memoir?) that will be published this year... It is touching and funny, and full of sharp-eyed observations about family life and parents and how your childhood forms you. * The Times *A more loving and moving tribute to its subject is hard to imagine. * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisShe will breathe a new empire into life – but all worlds can escape their creator…‘Full of adventure… A celebration of the power of storytelling’ GUARDIANIn the wake of an unimportant battle between two long-forgotten kingdoms, a nine-year-old girl has a divine encounter that will change the course of history. Pampa Kampana becomes a vessel for a goddess, who tells her that she will be instrumental in the rise of a great city called Bisnaga, ‘victory city’.Over the next two hundred and fifty years, Pampa Kampana’s life becomes deeply interwoven with Bisnaga’s as she attempts to make good on the task that the goddess set for her: to give women equal agency in a patriarchal world. But all stories have a way of getting away from their creator, and Bisnaga is no exception.‘Mesmerising’ ELIF SHAFAK, author of The Island of Missing Trees‘A total pleasure to read’ SUNDAY TIMES‘One of the planet’s greatest writers’ EVENING STANDARD‘A triumph… Enthralling’ I***A FINANCIAL TIMES AND THE TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR******A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK***Trade ReviewIn its haunting, uncanny, predictive power Victory City shows once again why his work will always matter. * New York Times *A novel by a man who still, in his eighth decade, derives delight in his talent and all that he can do with it. The book is a total pleasure to read, a bright burst of colour in a grey winter season. * Sunday Times *A joyfully extravagant alternative Mahabharata... a mashup of myth and fairytale, comedy and melodrama, celebrating women's agency and the enduring power of storytelling. * Guardian, *Summer Reads of 2023* *Victory City is full of life and colour, and some of Rushdie's key themes: female strength, the importance of storytelling, the danger of censorship. * Sunday Times, *Summer Reads of 2023* *What of Rushdie's powers? We cannot know if they are god-given, but on the evidence of this profoundly entertaining tale... Rushdie certainly still has the gift of alchemy. * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2023SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2023AN OBSERVER BEST DEBUT NOVEL OF THE YEARIt’s time to dance, to love, to be free…‘Mesmerising’ BERNARDINE EVARISTO, author of Girl, Woman, Other‘Fabulous’ MAGGIE O'FARRELL, author of Hamnet‘Beautiful’ CALEB AZUMAH NELSON, author of Open WaterYamaye lives for the weekend, when she can go raving with her friends at The Crypt, an underground club on the outskirts of London. Then everything changes. Yamaye meets Moose, who she falls deeply in love with, and who offers her the chance of freedom and escape.After their relationship is brutally cut short, Yamaye goes on a dramatic journey of transformation that leads her to Jamaica, where past and present collide with explosive consequences.***A SUNDAY TIMES BEST NOVEL AND GUARDIAN BEST FICTION BOOK OF 2023***‘A wonderfully literary, musical and original novel about a culture and era that rarely makes the pages of fiction’ TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT‘Scorching… We follow Yamaye through love, loss and peril, as she chases her dreams and connects with her heritage’ GUARDIAN‘Ambitious, atmospheric… A novel of passion and anger’ SUNDAY TIMES‘A rich and rhythmic story about love and music’ ITrade ReviewRemarkable... In terms of sheer lyrical force it stands head and shoulders above most debuts * Daily Telegraph *I was blown away by Fire Rush - an exceptional and stunningly original novel by a major new writer... Her mesmerising, imaginative and incantatory writing leaves us swaying to the bass of the visceral rhythms she so powerfully describes. By the end of the novel, I felt charged and changed and already longed to reread it -- Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning author of GIRL, WOMAN, OTHERFew have channelled so well the skittering beats and transcendent air of dub music as Crooks does in her semi-autobiographical debut... Startlingly vivid reading * Daily Telegraph, *Summer Reads of 2023* *A heady swirl of a novel that pulls the reader in from the first page... A fabulous, absorbing read -- Maggie O'Farrell, author of THE MARRIAGE PORTRAITA window into the dub scene at the time, with rhythmic, lyrical writing and a story about raving, love and the impact of police violence... Both a page turner and a literary novel... Truly remarkable * Vogue *

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Book SynopsisAn original graphic novel based on rock music legend Pete Townshend's 1970 screenplay of the same name, which inspired The Who’s 1971 globally bestselling and universally beloved album, Who’s Next. Set in a Dystopian future where music has been outlawed, Life House follows a small band of rebels who stage an underground concert in an effort to undermine a tyrannical leader... and free Britain and all of humanity. This graphic novelization is co-written by Doom Patrol's James Harvey and Spider-Man Noir's David Hine with art by both Harvey and Australian visual artist Max Prentis, lettering by Michah Myers, and inks by Eisner Award winning artist Mick Gray. It is edited by the former Editor-in-Chief of Bleeding Cool, Hannah Means-Shannon, and features a massive Vinyl LP format (12.25" x 12.25"). This is a must-have for any serious music collectors, rock fans, and pop culture aficionados! Originally envisioned as a sci-fi rock epic to follow-up The Who's chart-topping song, “Tommy,” and put aside 50 years ago—in favor of Who’s Next songs like “Baba O’Riley,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” and “Behind Blue Eyes”—Life House will finally take center stage.

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Book SynopsisFor fans of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan series comes a captivating family saga focused on a willful young woman’s struggles against her oppressive small town by acclaimed Italian author Rosa Ventrella. In old Bari, everyone knows Maria De Santis as “Malacarne,” the bad seed. Nicknamed for her dark features, volcanic temperament, and resistance to rules, the headstrong girl can only imagine the possibilities that lie outside her poverty-stricken neighborhood. Growing up with her mother, two brothers, and a tyrannical father, Maria must abide. She does—amid the squalid life to which she was born, the cruelties of her small-minded neighbors, and violence in a constant threat of eruption. As she reconciles her need for escape with the allegiance she feels toward her family, Maria has her salvations: her secret friend, Michele, son of a rival family and every bit the outsider she is, and her passion for books, which may someday take her far, far away. In this exquisitely rendered and sensory-rich novel, Rosa Ventrella explores the limits of loyalty, the redeeming power of friendship and love, and the fire in the soul of one woman who was born to break free.Trade Review“Ventrella’s narrative examines themes of class and gender expectations, accompanied by enough nostalgic detail to make the ‘old country’ more appealing in memory than it was in reality. Inevitable comparisons of Ventrella’s work with that of Elena Ferrante…will be propelled by Goldstein’s fluid translation of this novel in the wake of her work on Ferrante’s juggernaut. Ventrella’s ambitious attempt to convey Marí’s struggle echoes Ferrante’s epic approach to chronicling women’s lives…Ventrella reveals the many ways in which the sins of the fathers are visited upon the sons—and the daughters.” —Kirkus Reviews “In the town of Bari, all the locals refer to Maria De Santis as “Malacarne,” the bad seed. Growing up in squalid conditions with small-minded neighbors, Maria allows herself to dream big—beyond the confines of her village. Great for fans of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan series.” —New York Post

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Book SynopsisAn Amazon Charts, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller. From the author of The Art of Inheriting Secrets comes an emotional new tale of two sisters, an ocean of lies, and a search for the truth. Her sister has been dead for fifteen years when she sees her on the TV news… Josie Bianci was killed years ago on a train during a terrorist attack. Gone forever. It’s what her sister, Kit, an ER doctor in Santa Cruz, has always believed. Yet all it takes is a few heart-wrenching seconds to upend Kit’s world. Live coverage of a club fire in Auckland has captured the image of a woman stumbling through the smoke and debris. Her resemblance to Josie is unbelievable. And unmistakable. With it comes a flood of emotions—grief, loss, and anger—that Kit finally has a chance to put to rest: by finding the sister who’s been living a lie. After arriving in New Zealand, Kit begins her journey with the memories of the past: of days spent on the beach with Josie. Of a lost teenage boy who’d become part of their family. And of a trauma that has haunted Kit and Josie their entire lives. Now, if two sisters are to reunite, it can only be by unearthing long-buried secrets and facing a devastating truth that has kept them apart far too long. To regain their relationship, they may have to lose everything.Trade Review“An emotional story about the relationship between two sisters and the difficulty of facing the truth head-on.” —Today “There’s a reason Barbara O’Neal is one of the most decorated authors in fiction. With her trademark lyrical style, she’s written a page-turner of the first order. From the very first page, I was drawn into the drama and irresistibly teased along as layers of a family’s complicated past were artfully peeled away. Don’t miss this masterfully told story of sisters and secrets, damage and redemption, hope and healing.” —Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author “More than a mystery, Barbara O’Neal’s When We Believed in Mermaids is a story of childhood—and innocence—lost, and the long-hidden secrets, lies, and betrayals two sisters must face in order to make themselves whole as adults. Plunge in and enjoy the intriguing depths of this passionate, lustrous novel, and you just might find yourself believing in mermaids.” —Juliet Blackwell, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Carousel of Provence, Letters from Paris, and The Paris Key “In When We Believed in Mermaids, Barbara O’Neal draws us into the story with her crisp prose, well-drawn settings, and compelling characters, in whom we invest our hearts as we experience the full range of human emotion and, ultimately, celebrate their triumph over the past.” —Grace Greene, author of The Memory of Butterflies and The Wildflower House series “When We Believed in Mermaids is a deftly woven tale of two sisters, separated by tragedy and reunited by fate, discovering that the past isn’t always what it seems. By turns shattering and life affirming, as luminous and mesmerizing as the sea by which it unfolds, this is a book club essential—definitely one for the shelf!” —Kerry Anne King, bestselling author of Whisper Me This

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of Daughters of the Dragon comes an epic novel of a star-crossed couple who must defy tradition, war, and prejudice to keep their love alive. At the urging of a Los Angeles detective, international rights lawyer Anna Carlson assists in a murder investigation. It’s a personal request from Suk-bo Yi, a ninety-nine-year-old woman questioned in a mysterious death at a Koreatown nursing home. A stranger to Anna, Suk-bo has a tale to tell. For reasons of her own, she’s chosen Anna—only Anna—to hear it… Suk-bo’s story begins in 1937, when the Japanese occupying Korea force her to marry one of their own, named Hisashi. In spite of their differences, they fall madly in love, pitting them against two violently opposing cultures. When Hisashi joins the Japanese Imperial Army and disappears, Suk-bo embarks on a quest through years of war, bigotry, and poverty to find him. But Suk-bo’s unfolding history reveals more than Anna can imagine: an heirloom comb bearing an intricately carved two-headed dragon binding her to Suk-bo’s past. Soon Anna will discover her own legacy at the heart of Suk-bo’s epic love story.

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Book SynopsisIs her new husband really who she thinks he is? When young doctor Lauren Matheson meets Joe, an older divorced businessman, at a glittering poolside in California, it’s a chance encounter that seems life-changing for them both. Back home in London, their feelings only strengthen. But Lauren soon discovers that building a happy future with Joe is going to be an uphill struggle… She’s determined to be a good stepmother to his children, four-year-old Toby and complicated teen Grace. But under the watchful eye of Meredith, Joe’s intimidating ex-wife, Lauren can’t seem to do a thing right. Why won’t Joe ever take her side against Grace? And what really happened between him and Meredith? As her husband retreats into a cold, secretive version of the dashing man she met in California, Lauren starts to wonder if she’s made a costly mistake. Was Joe ever the man she thought she married?Trade Review“Page-turning pleasure!” —Catherine McKenzie, USA Today bestselling author “Mason is so gifted at exploring relationships and delving deep into her characters, and this books is truly one of her best. Between You and Me features the perfect blend of loveable and complex characters, which kept me hooked until the end!” —Soraya M. Lane, bestselling author of Wives of War and The Last Correspondent

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Book SynopsisThe assassins of Barry Eisler’s #1 bestseller The Killer Collective are back—and this time, it’s chaos. Assistant US Attorney Alondra Diaz hates traffickers. And she’s determined to put one of America’s most powerful financiers, Andrew Schrader, in prison forever for his crimes against children. But Schrader has videos implicating some of the most powerful members of the US national security state. To eliminate Diaz, the powers that be bring in a contractor: Marvin Manus, an implacable assassin whose skills have been forged in intelligence, the military, and the hardest prisons. Enter former Marine sniper Dox and black-ops veteran Daniel Larison with an unusual assignment: not to kill Diaz, but to keep her alive. A lot of players are determined to acquire the videos and the blackmail power they represent. But with Seattle sex-crimes detective Livia Lone, “natural causes” killer John Rain, and ex-Mossad honey-trap specialist Delilah, the good guys might just have a chance. They’re not going to play by anyone else’s rules. They’re not going to play by any rules at all. They want a different kind of fight. The chaos kind.Trade Review“Another high-fatality, high-spirited revenge fantasy.” —Kirkus Reviews “Eisler juggles the complicated plot and large cast, imbuing his diverse characters with robust backstory and emotional motivation.” —Publishers Weekly “Eisler’s eleventh novel to star John Rain is a spectacular revenge story. Eisler, who was briefly a covert operative for the CIA, has an energetic writing style: his dialogue gets right to the point, and his action scenes are clean and vividly rendered. The John Rain novels seem to fly under the radar of many genre fans, even though they deserve to sit alongside Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels and Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills’s Mitch Rapp thrillers.” —Booklist

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Book SynopsisA man follows another man’s trail of lies in a compelling psychological story about the search for identity, by Japan’s award-winning literary sensation Keiichiro Hirano in his first novel to be translated into English. Akira Kido is a divorce attorney whose own marriage is in danger of being destroyed by emotional disconnect. With a midlife crisis looming, Kido’s life is upended by the reemergence of a former client, Rié Takemoto. She wants Kido to investigate a dead man—her recently deceased husband, Daisuké. Upon his death she discovered that he’d been living a lie. His name, his past, his entire identity belonged to someone else, a total stranger. The investigation draws Kido into two intriguing mysteries: finding out who Rié’s husband really was and discovering more about the man he pretended to be. Soon, with each new revelation, Kido will come to share the obsession with—and the lure of—erasing one life to create a new one. In A Man, winner of Japan’s prestigious Yomiuri Prize for Literature, Keiichiro Hirano explores the search for identity, the ambiguity of memory, the legacies with which we live and die, and the reconciliation of who you hoped to be with who you’ve actually become.Trade Review“Hirano’s English-language debut, a shape-shifting psychological thriller…As back-alley gritty and entertaining as a Raymond Chandler novel, the book asks what it means to be ‘you,’ and suggests that the answer means nothing at all. Hirano’s stylish, suspenseful noir should earn him a stateside audience.” —Publishers Weekly “Keiichiro Hirano’s A Man has all the trappings of a gripping detective story: a bereaved wife, a dead man whose name belongs to someone else, mysterious coded letters, a lawyer intent on uncovering the truth. Together with a willfully understated title, however, these features belie a deeply thoughtful novel whose mystery premise gives way to an examination of the most profound questions of identity and artistic creation. In a work so rooted in Japanese cultural history, the questions posed by the author become distinctly literary, moving ultimately to address the very practice of novel-writing.” —Arts Desk “What sort of novel is A Man? Hirano dangles a number of possibilities before the reader, from existential thriller to full-on spy novel. That a novel that deals so thoroughly with the ambiguities of identity should have its own identity be in question is utterly fitting. Did I mention it’s also a gripping read?” —Words Without Borders “As an added bonus to the sympathetic characters and a well-constructed narrative is the detailed exploration of the complexities of the Japanese family registration system that made deception possible…Particularly appealing is author Keiichiro Hirano’s compelling portrayal of Kido…A Man may not end on a happy note, but the reader can take satisfaction in seeing Kido accomplish his mission. The puzzle is unraveled and his client and her children obtain closure. Mostly, though, it’s Kido’s many admirable qualities that shine through and carry the story.” —Japan Times “Hirano has continued to grapple with new themes ever since his debut. In this work, he has arrived at the primal question of what validates human existence.” —Yoko Ogawa, author of The Memory Police “A riveting examination of desire and identity, A Man patiently unpicks the nature of unfulfilled aspirations. Keiichiro Hirano has written a multilayered tale of human reinvention, at once eminently readable and deeply moving.” —Tash Aw, author of The Harmony Silk Factory and Five Star Billionaire “There is no doubt that Keiichiro Hirano is an author with an extremely pioneering and modern spirit. His works have opened up a very imaginative space in analyzing and exploring the spiritual world of humanity.” —Sheng Keyi, author of Northern Girls and Death Fugue

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Book SynopsisThe author of In an Instant delivers a heart-pounding and emotional roller-coaster ride of self-discovery in the tradition of Thelma and Louise. Needing to escape her abusive marriage, Hadley flees with her two kids, knowing it might be her only chance. A woman who can’t even kill a spider, Hadley soon finds herself pushed to the limits as she fights to protect her family. Grace, new mother of baby Miles, desperately wants to put her rough past behind her for good, but she finds it impossible when her path crosses with Hadley’s, and her quest for a new start quickly spirals out of control and turns into a terrifying flight for survival. Stronger together than apart, the two find their fates inextricably entwined, and as the danger closes in, each must decide how much she is willing to risk for the other. A powerful story of self-discovery, Hadley and Grace is the heart-racing tale of two women facing insurmountable odds, racing to stay one step ahead of the trouble that is chasing them, and discovering new kinds of love and family along the way.Trade Review“Redfearn (In an Instant) tips a hat to Thelma & Louise in this entertaining, fast-paced romp about an unlikely friendship formed during a heist…Redfearn keeps the reader rooting for her engaging heroines. This rollicking tale of crime, friendship, and love delivers the goods.” —Publishers Weekly “Redfearn’s latest (after In an Instant) starts as a domestic drama but quickly morphs into an unexpected Thelma & Louise–style adventure. The quickly moving story and well-drawn characters will keep readers turning pages even if the madcap road chase and happy ending seem unlikely.” —Library Journal “Redfearn’s characters are sympathetic and appealing, and she highlights the strengths that both women bring to life-or-death decisions, as well as the ways the journey transforms everyone involved. This is tense, affecting relationship fiction with elements of domestic suspense, ideal for readers of Sally Hepworth and Kimberly Belle.” —Booklist “A thrilling novel from start to finish featuring two strong female characters. Just when you [think] things can’t get any worse, they do, but twists and turns make this a great story right to the very end.” —Red Carpet Crash “Hadley and Grace is a novel that defies easy categorization…This is also a novel that runs the full gamut of emotion, from horror to joy…Hadley and Grace pulses with energy and urgency, sucking us in fast and carrying us along at a swift pace, making it a fantastic choice for any upcoming book clubs.” —Criminal Element “Three children, two women, and one goal: freedom. Suzanne Redfearn takes us on a wild and highly entertaining cross-country romp with two lovable female fugitives hell-bent on starting anew. I cheered, I whooped, I cringed and cowered…this book captures every emotion. If you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced story with hilariously humane characters you grow to love, look no further than Hadley and Grace. Move over, Thelma and Louise…Hadley and Grace have arrived!” —Lori Nelson Spielman, New York Times bestselling author of The Life List “What a ride! Better get comfortable, because you will not be able to put this book down once you pick it up. The action hurtles forward at the speed of a bullet train, capturing the reader with not only plot but also characters who take us captive as we follow along on their wild journey. I adored both Hadley and Grace and the crazy crew of children, and I was rooting for them every second. One of the best books I’ve read in ages!” —Barbara O’Neal, bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids “Buckle in tight for the high-speed adventures of Hadley and Grace, the unlikely duo of diaper bag–toting outlaws who will go to harrowing lengths to protect their children. Full of humor, heartbreak, and charming acts of kindness, the twists in Redfearn’s road trip tale will have you dashing through its pages to the unpredictable finale.” —Glendy Vanderah, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Where the Forest Meets the Stars “I always enjoy a book that is different from what else is out in the market. Hadley and Grace was just that kind—an exciting read where every chapter left me with a ‘What will happen next?’ feeling. Two women on the run, three kids in tow, but not all is as it seems. Filled with heart, suspense, adventure, and thrills, this is a story that would equally feel at home on a screen.” —Camille Di Maio, bestselling author of The Memory of Us “Hadley and Grace is as much an adventure story of two women on the road as it is an exploration of the families we create versus the families we leave behind, and the journeys we take to find our true potential.” —Kristin Fields, author of A Lily in the Light

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Book SynopsisAre some white lies simply too big to forgive? Eve and Leah are identical twins—but beyond that, they’re polar opposites. Struggling journalist Leah envies Eve’s seemingly perfect life—the loyal husband, the beautiful twin daughters, the stellar career—little knowing that what Eve longs for most is Leah’s independence. When a shocking event upends their world, one woman seizes a split-second chance to change everything and follow her sister down a different life path. It’s a spontaneous choice, but there’s no going back. How will she deal with the fallout when covering up one untruth means lying to everyone—about everything? One thing is clear: both twins have secrets, and both just want to be happy. But what price will they pay to live the life they’ve always wanted? Revised edition: This edition of A Life Worth Living includes editorial revisions.

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Book SynopsisA young man seeks redemption from his past in the third novel from the No More trilogy by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kerry Lonsdale. After serving six months in a juvenile detention center, Lucas Carson returns home irrevocably changed by what happened there. Traumatized, Lucas shuts himself out from everyone he loves, even his younger sister, Lily, who ran away from home when she was pregnant at sixteen. When Lily resurfaces years later, Lucas can’t cope with his guilt about not being there for her. He takes off, only to cross paths with Shiloh Bloom—fifteen, homeless, and, like Lucas, escaping the past. All Lucas sees in her is the little sister he neglected. Believing this is his chance to absolve past mistakes, he takes Shiloh in. He gives her food and shelter. She gives him a purpose. Together they invent a background for her and form a bond. But the risk of discovery grows. Lucas’s sisters aren’t the only ones looking for him. So are Shiloh’s mother and the police. If Lucas wants to heal and have a future, he must stop running and face everything he’s left behind.

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Book Synopsis“Susi Holliday is one of our best and most original creators of tense and twisty tales.” —Ian Rankin Three people live. Three people die. You make the choice. Like any mother, Chrissie wants to protect her family. She would do anything to keep them safe. So when a mysterious stranger turns up at her door, offering to prevent the deaths of the people she loves, it sounds too good to be true. The only problem: she must choose someone to die in their place. A substitute. When her daughter Holly has a terrible accident, Chrissie has no option but to enter the programme. In that horrifying moment, she would do anything to save her. But even after Holly makes a miraculous recovery, Chrissie is convinced it’s just a coincidence. After all, who can really control the laws of life and death? But as the dangers to her family escalate and her chosen substitutes begin to disappear, Chrissie finds herself in an underworld of hidden laboratories and secretive doctors. And the consequences of playing by their rules are far deadlier than she ever imagined…Trade Review“Holliday is excellent at creating an atmosphere of unease.” —The Sun “A clever slice of dystopian darkness.” —Heat Magazine “Utterly gripping…” —C.L. Taylor, author of Sleep “I love a book which centers around a moral dilemma, but Substitute brought so much more to the table. It's a real twisting of genres that will blow your mind.” —Caroline Mitchell, author of the DI Amy Winter series “Original, fast-paced, and thought-provoking, this speculative thriller from the peerless imagination of Susi Holliday will keep you hooked from page one. Who would you substitute…?” —Amanda Jennings, author of In Her Wake “Tense, gripping, and terrifyingly plausible, Substitute marries an intriguing high-concept premise with warm storytelling and the most accurate parent-child relationship since The Whisper Man.” —Ed James, author of the Cullen and Bain Scottish Crime Thrillers series “A razor-sharp story that refuses to let you go.” —Quentin Bates, author of the Officer Gunnhilder series “When faced with an impossible choice of who lives and who dies, a mother is caught in a twisty science of the future. I could barely breathe when reading this. Gripping!” —Rachael Blok, author of Into the Fire “If you like chills and thrills with a dark science twist and a big hook, it’ll be right up your street. There is no substitute for Holliday…” —Mason Cross, author of the Carter Blake series “Absolutely loved Substitute. It poses a fascinating question I can’t stop thinking about: if you could save the lives of three loved ones by choosing three others to die in their place, who would they be? Not a wasted word and so compelling.” —Fiona Cummins, author of When I Was Ten “Its future-possible plot and richly drawn characters kept me hooked from start to finish. Easy to devour and hard to forget.” —John Marrs, author of What Lies Between Us “Dark, clever, and thought-provoking, just as you’d expect from Holliday. She puts everyday people through not-at-all everyday situations, and you, the reader, have to watch it all fall apart with your heart in your throat.” —Louise Beech, author of This Is How We Are Human “Loved it. Could you sentence someone to death to save a loved one? A thrilling speculative thriller for fans of Blake Crouch and John Marrs.” —Mark Edwards, author of The Hollows “I always get excited when a new Susi Holliday book comes out and Substitute didn’t disappoint. A wild ride and a highly original story you won’t want to miss.” —C S Green, author of Sleep Tight “Wowzers—I’ve just finished reading a proof of Susi Holliday’s twisty-turny thriller Substitute and it’s epic!! Mind-bending, pulse-pounding, techno-thriller brilliance! Perfect for fans of John Marrs’s The One, JP Delaney, Blake Crouch.” —Steph Broadribb, author of Deep Down Dead “What an absolute belter of a book. I’m loving the slight Sci-Fi edge that her work is taking lately, while still remaining effortlessly cool and relevant. Each new book surpasses the previous, something I thought impossible. Holliday is one of the most exciting authors I’ve come across.” —JM Hewitt, author of The Life She Wants “Susi Holliday knocks it out of the park with this book. It’s everything you want in a thriller—imaginative, credible, and engaging; rocketing relentlessly towards a gut-wrenching conclusion as the stakes grow higher and higher…Brilliant.” —Louise Voss, author of The Last Stage “Absolutely loved it! Original and compelling, with a killer premise and gut-wrenching dilemmas. And I do love a rogue scientist.” —Roz Watkins, author of the DI Meg Dalton thriller series “A chilling and addictive tale of the price of good intentions, devastating choices, and science gone wrong. Frankenstein meets The Chain in Susi’s most powerful thriller yet.” —Heleen Kist, author of Stay Mad, Sweetheart “A cracking premise. If you want something a little different then I suggest you check this out. Read the blurb. Go on. You won’t be able to look away!” —Rebecca Bradley, author of the DI Hannah Robbins series “A twisty, super creepy tale that kept me turning the pages well into the night—be careful what you wish for!” —Emma Haughton, author of The Dark “Deliciously disturbing, thought-provoking, and unforgettable. Everything I want in a thriller.” —Jo Jakeman, author of Safe House “If you’re looking for a pacy, smart, and twisty plot, Substitute is an absolute must read. This is a book that feels terrifyingly real.” —Lisa Cutts, author of Don’t Trust Him “You’d be mad to substitute Susi Holliday’s clever, complex & compelling thriller for anyone else’s: who lives and who dies?” —Claire Seeber, author of The Street Party “Wow! Creepy, compelling, and so thought-provoking! Who would be your three?!” —Karen Cole, author of Deliver Me

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Book SynopsisSundara Ramaswamy’s modern classic, translated from Tamil, is a simply stunning reflection about shared histories, loss, an affinity for nature, and a near-mythic center of life in a village in India. While it lived, the tamarind tree stood at the crossroads of a small village in Southern India. For more than fifty years it was a benevolent observer, offering shade without discrimination. It bore witness to laughter and tears, to tragedy and simple pleasures, and to the history of the village itself as it transformed from the old ways of bullock-led carts to a bustling community of social, political, economic, and ecological change. And for Damodara Asan, an enigmatic philosopher, memory keeper, and master storyteller, the tamarind tree—and everything it inspired—was an endless source of tales that enthralled generations. Unfolding through the bittersweet remembrances of an unnamed narrator who was once beguiled by Asan, The Tamarind Tree is a beautiful and universal story about transition, the compromises of progress, and a long-gone though undying symbol of indestructible dignity, culture, and life.

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Book SynopsisAn unexpected connection becomes the saving grace for two unlikely friends in a heart-stirring novel about love, loss, and moving forward by a New York Times and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author. Never knowing his parents, eleven-year-old Stewie Little and his brother have been raised on a farm by their older sister. Stewie steadfastly tends the chickens left by his beloved late grandmother. And every day Stewie goes door to door selling fresh eggs from his wagon—a routine with a surprise just around the corner. It’s his new customer, Marilyn. She’s prickly and guarded, yet comfortably familiar—she reminds the grieving Stewie so much of the grandmother he misses more than he can express. Marilyn has a reason for keeping her distance: a secret no one knows about. Her survival tactic is to draw a line between herself and other people—one that Stewie is determined to cross. As their visits become more frequent, a complicated but deeply rooted relationship grows. That’s when Stewie discovers how much more there is to Marilyn, to her past, and to challenges that become more pressing each day. But whatever difficult times lie ahead, Stewie learns that although he can’t fix everything for Marilyn or himself, at least he’s no longer alone.

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Book SynopsisUnlikely road trip companions form an unexpected bond in an uplifting novel about the past—lost and found—by the New York Times and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author. Lewis Madigan is young, gay, out of work, and getting antsy when he’s roped into providing end-of-life care for his insufferable homophobic neighbor, Chester Wheeler. Lewis doesn’t need the aggravation, just the money. The only requirements: run errands, be on call, and put up with a miserable old churl no one else in Buffalo can bear. After exchanging barbs, bickering, baiting, and pushing buttons, Chester hits Lewis with the big ask. Lewis can’t say no to a dying wish: drive Chester to Arizona in his rust bucket of a Winnebago to see his ex-wife for the first time in thirty-two years—for the last time. One week, two thousand miles. To Lewis, it becomes an illuminating journey into the life and secrets of a vulnerable man he’s finally beginning to understand. A neighbor, a stranger, and a surprising new friend whose closure on a conflicted past is also just beginning. So Long, Chester Wheeler is an uplifting novel about looking deeper into the heart and soul to form bonds with the last people we’d expect—only to discover that they’re the ones who need it most.Trade Review“Fans of Erica Bauermeister and Jan Karon will appreciate Hyde’s deft handling of the contrast between Chester’s vulnerability and Lewis’s emerging talents as a caretaker. So Long, Chester Wheeler is a testament to unlikely friendships and the power of hidden strengths.” —Booklist “So Long, Chester Wheeler will change you in ways that you can’t imagine a book could... Once you read this story, there is no chance that you will ever forget it. It is a rare treasure that doesn’t come along often.” —Bookreporter

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Book Synopsis“This is a spellbinding page-turner of a book.” —Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale. A mesmerizing novel of dark family secrets and a young woman’s rise and revenge set against the backdrop of the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The eve of destruction. After her mother’s death, penniless May Kimble lives a lonely life until an aunt she didn’t know existed summons her to San Francisco. There she’s welcomed into the wealthy Sullivan family and their social circle. Initially overwhelmed by the opulence of her new life, May soon senses that dark mysteries lurk in the shadows of the Sullivan mansion. Her glamorous cousin often disappears in the night. Her aunt wanders about in a laudanum fog. And a maid keeps hinting that May is in danger. Trapped by betrayal, madness, and murder, May stands to lose everything, including her freedom, at the hands of those she trusts most. Then, on an early April morning, San Francisco comes tumbling down. Out of the smoldering ruins, May embarks on a harrowing road to reclaim what is hers. This tragic twist of fate, along with the help of an intrepid and charismatic journalist, puts vengeance within May’s reach. But will she take it?Trade Review“With a fascinating look at 1900s San Francisco, this historical gothic features a feisty woman-in-peril and a fast-paced story that will keep the reader turning pages.” —Booklist “Megan Chance has done it again! A Splendid Ruin is an astonishing beautiful, richly imagined historical novel about class, betrayal, revenge, and the terrible choices a woman must sometimes make to survive in dangerous times. This is a spellbinding page-turner of a book, full of unexpected twists and turns, told in beautiful prose, and set against the devastating backdrop of the Great San Francisco earthquake. In it, Megan Chance gives us a profoundly intimate look at a city—and a woman—in ruins.” —Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale “A thoroughly enjoyable read highly recommended for fans of Suzanne Rindell, Melanie Benjamin, and Greer MacAllister.” —Library Journal (starred review) “An impeccably researched, brilliantly plotted novel set in Gilded Age San Francisco, a city dripping with wealth yet rife with corruption. Enter May Kimble, a poor relation to the flashy Sullivan clan, who is at first overwhelmed by the generosity of her long-lost family, but must ultimately draw on her deepest strengths to solve the devious mystery at the heart of the book. A Splendid Ruin is twisty in the best of ways, with a story that you will devour.” —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue “Somehow Megan Chance has stepped back in time and delivered a mesmerizing tale that will compel you to turn just one more page, to finish one more chapter as, along with the novel’s fascinating heroine, May Kimble, you try to learn the mystery at the heart of this powerful novel. San Francisco during the Gilded age has never been painted more lovingly or—during its devastating fire—more compassionately. An absorbing, tragic, heart-wrenching historical novel that [is] at once thought-provoking and ultimately so very satisfying. Brava!” —M.J. Rose, New York Times bestselling author of Cartier’s Hope “A thoroughly engrossing historical thriller, full of secrets and surprises. May Kimble is the kind of heroine you can’t help but root for, and the San Francisco setting—from socialite balls to opium dens—is brought vividly to life, thanks to Chance’s impeccable research. If you want to know what it was like to live through the disastrous 1906 earthquake and its aftermath, read this book!” —Elizabeth Blackwell, author of Red Mistress and On a Cold Dark Sea

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Book SynopsisFrom international bestselling author Brad Parks comes a new thriller about an ordinary man who may be able to save the world as we know it—but to do so, he must make an impossible choice. Nate Lovejoy is a self-proclaimed nobody, a stay-at-home dad who doesn’t believe he’s important to anyone but his wife and their two daughters. So it’s a shock when members of a powerful secret society kidnap and spirit Nate away to a mansion at the behest of their leader, Vanslow DeGange, who claims to know the future. He’s foreseen that a billion people could die—unless Nate acts. It seems improbable, especially given what DeGange says will set this mass casualty incident in motion: a lawsuit against the biggest power company in Virginia, being brought by Nate’s wife, Jenny. Nate quickly smells a scam being perpetrated by the power company. But at every turn, it becomes apparent there’s more to DeGange’s gift than Nate wants to acknowledge. A billion people really could die, and Nate might be the only one who can save them. All he has to do is the unthinkable.Trade Review“A textbook one-sitting read whose fiendishly inventive details only intensify its remorseless momentum.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Parks makes suspension of disbelief to his premise accessible via solid prose and characterizations. Readers who enjoy jaw-dropping but credible plot twists will be enthralled.” —Publishers Weekly “This fast-paced novel, narrated in alternating chapters by Nate and Jenny, has twists and turns that’ll keep readers guessing.” —Library Journal “Inventive, well written, fast-paced, and filled with twists.” —The Associated Press “The ongoing battle between the concept of free will and predestination makes Unthinkable so intriguing, along with the mystery behind this strange organization and the nature of their true intentions. Parks has created a dynamic, vivid and incredibly interesting world with Unthinkable.” —Culturess “Charm doesn’t usually figure in mystery-thrillers, yet Parks’s story is loaded with it. It’s the kind of charm that could only be found in a plot about a stay-at-home dad written by, well, a stay-at-home dad.” —Jersey’s Best “Unthinkable is a fast, furious, fun and deliciously twisty tale told with the deft and accomplished hand of a veteran storyteller. Nate and Jenny are truly a duo to root for, and there’s a substantive issue at the core of the story about which we should all be better informed. Parks has belted another one out of the park with a focused swing of the bat.” —David Baldacci “A mind bending thriller with a gripping, twisted plot you will second guess until you reach the stunning end. Unthinkable is addictive.” —Melinda Leigh, #1 Wall Street Journal and Amazon bestselling author

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of A Killer’s Wife, Victor Methos’s acclaimed Desert Plains series continues with the saga of two brilliant defense attorneys and a client whose confession may not be what it seems. Two couples cut to bits near a canyon close to the Nevada border. The police pull over blood-soaked Arlo Ward not far from the site of the grisly murders; he fully cooperates with the officers, grinning through a remorseless confession dripping with gory detail. Investigators find no murder weapon, but young, awkward Arlo’s confession is signed, taped, and delivered. Defense attorney Dylan Aster and his partner, Lily Ricci, are two rising legal stars. They’re hesitant about pursuing the Arlo Ward case, as it seems like a slam dunk for the prosecution—Arlo was covered in the victims’ DNA and admitted to everything. But the state psychiatrist shares the impossible with Dylan: Arlo Ward is likely innocent. The man is racked with delusional schizophrenia, seizing on these murders as an opportunity for macabre attention. Dylan can’t resist. He and Lily take on Arlo as their client, but once the trial commences, it’s clear that the real secrets and lies are just beginning.Trade ReviewPraise for Victor Methos An Unreliable Truth “A straight-A legal thriller, with a final scene as satisfying as it is disturbing.” —Kirkus Reviews A Killer’s Wife An Amazon Best Book of the Month: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense “A Killer’s Wife is a high-stakes legal thriller loaded with intense courtroom drama, compelling characters, and surprising twists that will keep you turning the pages at breakneck speed.” —T. R. Ragan, New York Times bestselling author “Exquisitely paced and skillfully crafted, A Killer’s Wife delivers a wicked psychological suspense wrapped around a hypnotic legal thriller. One cleverly designed twist after another kept me saying, ‘I did not see that coming.’” —Steven Konkoly, Wall Street Journal bestselling author “A gripping thriller that doesn’t let up for a single page. Surprising twists with a hero you care about. I read the whole book in one sitting!” —Chad Zunker, bestselling author of An Equal Justice

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of The Girl in the Corner comes a story that asks: what would you risk for a shot at happiness? 1984. Bessie is a confident sixteen-year-old girl with the world at her feet, dreaming of what life will bring and what she’ll bring to this life. Then everything comes crashing down. Her bright and trusting smile is lost, banished by shame—and a secret she’ll carry with her for the rest of her life. 2021. The last thirty-seven years have not been easy for Bess. At fifty-three she is visibly weary, and her marriage to Mario is in tatters. Watching her son in newlywed bliss—the hope, the trust, the joy—Bess knows it is time to face her own demons, and try to save her relationship. But she’ll have to throw off the burden of shame if she is to honour that sixteen-year-old girl whose dreams lie frozen in time. Can Bess face her past, finally come clean to Mario, and claim the love she has longed to fully experience all these years?Trade Review“A touching, believable story, perfect for fans of Sinead Moriarty and Rowan Coleman.” —Candis “A brilliant read.” —Bella “Sometimes funny, sometimes raw but always emotional, this is an honest story of how one mistake can change a life.” —The People’s Friend “A perfect summer’s day read.” —New! magazine “Raw and honest, the author is one who always writes from the heart.” —The Sun

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Book SynopsisIn this life-affirming tale from bestselling author Amanda Prowse, one woman built a new life to escape her humiliation. Now, can she put the shame behind her and finally find happiness? Young and desperately in love, Merrin had the whole world ahead of her. But just as her new life was about to start, the ground beneath her feet was cruelly swept away. Devastated by the humiliation, she ran far away from the beloved fishing village she had always called home to lick her wounds and escape her gossiping friends and neighbours. It hasn’t been easy, but six years later Merrin has forged a new life for herself far from the sea, burying the impulsive girl she once was. But when tragedy strikes, she has no choice but to return to the village she swore she’d never set foot in again. Reluctantly back in the arms of her community, Merrin begins to realise what she’s been missing out on all these years. As she begins to remember the person she used to be, she is forced to make choices about her future, and to question the past. What does she want from her life? Who is important to her? Who is to blame for everything that went wrong? And can she forgive them, let old wounds heal and finally be her true self again?

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Book SynopsisPerfect wives, imperfect lives, and upending the rules of behavior in 1960s America. Law school graduate and newlywed Ruth Appelbaum is acclimating to life and marriage in a posh Philadelphia neighborhood. She’ll do almost anything to endear herself to her mother-in-law, who’s already signed up Ruth for etiquette lessons conducted by the impeccably accessorized tutor Lillian Diamond. But Ruth brings something fresh to the small circle of housewives—sharp wit, honesty, and an independent streak that won’t be compromised. Right away Ruth develops a friendship with the shy Carrie Blum. When Carrie divulges a dark and disturbing secret lurking beneath her seemingly perfect life, Ruth invites Lillian and the Diamond Girls of the etiquette school to finally question the status quo. Together they form an unbreakable bond and stretch well beyond their comfort zones. For once, they’ll challenge what others expect from them, discover what they expect from themselves, and do whatever it takes to protect one of their own—fine manners be damned.Trade Review“This book is an insightful and entertaining glimpse into the many struggles of housewives. Recommended for anyone wanting to know some of the true costs of ‘picturesque’ behavior in suburbia.” —Historical Novels Review “Fans of Amy Sue Nathan’s previous four novels will be delighted with Well Behaved Wives. Nathan introduces us to a group of women who come together in the name of friendship and who each find the courage to stand in their own truth.” —Renee Rosen, USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces and Park Avenue Summer

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Book SynopsisA teenage movie crush set her standards high. Now a real man needs to meet them. Fast. Chicago obstetrician Mackenzie “Mac” Huntress set her standards for men very high early on. It’s been over twenty years since she fell for a fictional movie heartthrob, and Mac’s content to wait for the real version to come along; it’s her nagging mother who’s not happy with the timeline. So Mac falls back on her lifelong Mom-surviving skill—lying. The latest fabrication: a handsome neurologist named Michael. Pity he’s too busy to meet her friends and family. Problem solved. But when Mac’s little sister announces her engagement, Mac is expected to introduce her elusive “plus-one” at the wedding, leaving her with only forty days to find a flesh-and-blood stand-in for the imaginary Michael. And the only potential Mr. Right comes with a big hitch. However, it turns out Mac’s not the only one bringing secrets to the wedding. With expectations high, and shocking truths to be revealed, Mac’s left to find her own happy ending, which isn’t as simple as in the movies…though it’s definitely worth waiting for.Trade Review“As skeletons come out of both of their closets, quirky, foul-mouthed supporting characters add humor and charm. Readers will chuckle their way to the satisfying happily ever after.” —Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisA heartening and uproariously funny novel of high hopes, bad choices, book love, and one woman’s best—and worst—intentions. Without question, Fawn Birchill knows that her used bookstore is the heart of West Philadelphia, a cornerstone of culture for a community that, for the past twenty years, has found the quirkiness absolutely charming. When an amicable young indie bookseller invades her block, Fawn is convinced that his cushy couches, impressive selection, coffee bar, and knowledgeable staff are a neighborhood blight. Misguided yet blindly resilient, Fawn readies for battle. But as she wages her war, Fawn is forced to reflect on a few unavoidable truths: the tribulations of online dating, a strained relationship with her family, and a devoted if not always law-abiding intern—not to mention what to do about a pen pal with whom she hasn’t been entirely honest and the litany of repairs her aging store requires. Through emails, journal entries, combative online reviews, texts, and tweets, Fawn plans her next move. Now it’s time for her to dig deep and use every trick at her disposal if she’s to reclaim her beloved business—and her life.Trade Review“This whimsical tale delivers the goods.” —Publishers Weekly “Green’s debut is a quick, funny read, and fans of Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette will enjoy this story of growth and perseverance.” —Booklist “Charming, witty, and daring—Elizabeth Green’s debut is all that and more. A galloping epistolary novel that takes us along for the adventures (and misadventures) of Fawn, the owner of the Curious Cat Book Emporium, Confessions of a Curious Bookseller is the perfect story for anyone who’s ever wondered if there was more to life. As Green’s novel beautifully demonstrates, there is—you just have to summon the courage to go looking for it.” —Camille Pagán, bestselling author of This Won’t End Well “In Confessions of a Curious Bookseller, Green pays clever homage to Flaubert’s classic Madame Bovary, with an uplifting twist. While creating an imaginary world equal to the romantic stylings of Emma Bovary, Green’s quirky and quixotic Fawn Birchill pulls back just in time—reminding us all that real life can be our greatest adventure and our richest experience.” —Katherine Reay, bestselling author of The Printed Letter Bookshop and Of Literature and Lattes “Confessions of a Curious Bookseller is such a rare treat. Readers will love every single colorful character, but especially Fawn Birchill, the eccentric, dramatic, exceedingly human (and hilarious, though she doesn’t mean to be) bookstore owner. A beautiful story of growth, a book to be savored.” —Suzy Krause, author of Sorry I Missed You and Valencia and Valentine

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Book SynopsisFrom Kristin Rockaway comes a fun, insightful romance about what can happen when life gets off track but you’re willing to go along for the ride. This summer’s not going as Abby Atkinson planned. A thieving PhD adviser, a screeching halt to her grad program, and zero job offers have left her high and dry. Nothing a little eat, pray, love across the Mediterranean can’t fix, right? Or eat, pray, tutor, more like. Her dissertation might be dead, but she can still teach. She’ll just have to do it for six weeks on a superyacht with a billionaire and his daughter. A playboy billionaire, according to the tabloids—but Abby’s not so sure. As big as his bank account is, his heart’s that much bigger, especially when it comes to his daughter. Their strained relationship could use some mending, though, and Abby can help. She was hired to teach junior high math, but she’ll make room in her lesson plans. Falling for her boss wasn’t part of the plan either, but… Maybe it’s time she let her heart, not her head, teach her something new.Trade Review“Rockaway (Life, Unscheduled) strikes gold with this beachy rom-com. Smart, snappy prose, a lovably nerdy billionaire for a hero, and a complex tween who steals most scenes she’s in, make this instantly appealing. It’s perfect summer reading.” —Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisA heartfelt novel of shedding secrets, facing the past, and embracing the magic of love and family by the Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Where the Forest Meets the Stars. After the untimely deaths of her aunt and mother, young Riley Mays moved from Chicago to her cousins’ Wisconsin farm. Here she found solace in caring for her extraordinary adoptive brother, exploring the surrounding wild nature, and gazing at the mystical moon—a private refuge in which she hides from her most painful memories. But ten years later, now twenty-one, Riley feels too confined by the protective walls she’s erected around herself. When a stranger enters her family’s remote world, Riley senses something he’s hiding, a desire to escape that she understands well. Suffering from writer’s block, bestselling novelist Vaughn Orr has taken to the country roads when he happens upon the accommodating, if somewhat unusual, Mays family. He’s soon captivated by their eccentricities—and especially by Riley and her quiet tenacity. In her, he recognizes a shared need to keep heartbreaking secrets buried. As the worst moments of their lives threaten to surface, Riley and Vaughn must find the courage to confront them if they’re to have any hope of a happy future. With the help of Riley’s supportive family, a dash of everyday magic, and the healing power of nature, can the pair let go of the troubled pasts they’ve clung to so tightly for so long?Trade Review“Set against a backdrop of family and the mysterious, all-encompassing beauty of the natural world, Vanderah’s gloriously readable new novel is a warm story of two damaged people desperate to heal and to find hope, resilience, and—just perhaps—each other. Such a beautifully written tale of buried secrets, dark pasts, and rare courage.” —Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of Pictures of You and With or Without You “Glendy Vanderah’s beautifully rendered The Oceanography of the Moon tackles the enormity of fate, identity, and climate crisis, while tending to the most delicate intricacies of the human heart. Vanderah’s suspenseful and heartbreaking story prods readers to reconsider their preconceived ideas about guilt and redemption, destiny and self-determinism, and magic and unavoidable realities. I couldn’t help but cheer for these characters, who navigate darkness but never fail to recognize the beauty of a moth’s wing or a distant crater on the moon.” —Julie Carrick Dalton, author of Waiting for the Night Song “Steeped in her signature love of nature, Glendy Vanderah weaves the intersecting lives of two strangers into a beautiful twist—one that takes readers from the depths of broken childhood and into the light of healing. This story unwinds the knots that lie buried beneath the surface in an exploration of the meaning of family and the deservingness of love. With lyrical language and characters so unique they leap off the page, it’s a richly told story of deep emotions, haunting regrets, and the hopeful path of redemption.” —Kelley McNeil, author of A Day Like This

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Book SynopsisTwo moms as opposite as a Happy Meal and a quinoa bowl. What a difference a week makes in a heartfelt, laugh-out-loud novel by the Washington Post bestselling author of The Overdue Life of Amy Byler. Celeste Mason is the Pinterest stay-at-home supermom of other mothers’ nightmares. Despite her all-organic, SunButter-loving, free-range kids, her immaculate home, and her volunteering awards, she still has time to relax with a nice glass of pinot at the end of the day. The only thing that ruins it all is her workaholic, career-obsessed neighbor, who makes no secret of what she thinks of Celeste’s life choices every chance she gets. Wendy Charles is a celebrated productivity consultant, columnist, and speaker. On a minute-by-minute schedule, she makes the working-mom hustle look easy. She even spends at least one waking hour a day with her kids. She’s not apologizing for a thing. Especially to Celeste, who plays her superior parenting against Wendy whenever she can. Who do Celeste and Wendy think they are? They’re about to find out thanks to one freaky week. After a neighborhood potluck and too much sangria, they wake up—um, what?—in each other’s bodies. Everything Celeste and Wendy thought they knew about the “other kind of mom” is flipped upside down—along with their messy, complicated, maybe not so different lives.Trade Review“Making a compelling case for moderation in all things, Harms (The Bright Side of Going Dark, 2020) paints her heroines as flawed but loving mothers, each managing in the best way she knows how. The most clever and incisive take on the Mommy Wars since Allison Pearson’s I Don’t Know How She Does It, Harms’s latest captures the messy, complicated, and often all-consuming mindset of motherhood.” —Booklist (starred review) “Freaky Friday for the mom set, this novel by Harms (The Bright Side of Going Dark) is full of fun, relatable, and cringe-worthy moments, as each woman experiences life on the other side of the fence.” —Library Journal “The Seven Day Switch is a must-read for the summer.” —Fort Hood Sentinel “Harms delights in The Seven Day Switch. When polar-opposites Celeste and Wendy chug magical sangria and find themselves literally walking in the other’s shoes, they’ll soon discover that maybe they aren’t so different after all. Heartwarming and hilarious, with an incredibly satisfying ending, we guarantee you will love this book!” —Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, authors of How to Save a Life “Kelly Harms has created a funny, zany story of two moms who drink some sangria with imported vodka and suddenly find themselves inhabiting each other’s bodies. (Think Freaky Friday with two grown women who don’t much like each other.) As she takes us on a ride exploring the ever-present ‘mommy wars’—starring one way-too-busy productivity-expert mom and a stay-at-home mother who has become the neighborhood carpooler—Harms very quietly brings us to some profound and unexpected truths about love and parenting and what makes a satisfying life. Written with Harms’s disarming humor and honesty, The Seven Day Switch is fun and funny—and leaves you with a powerful punch.” —Maddie Dawson, bestselling author of Matchmaking for Beginners

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Book SynopsisBetrayal, war, and the risks of loyalty collide in the epic conclusion of the First Argentines series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Lady’s Ransom. Ransom Barton has served three Argentine kings. The new successor to the throne is the ruthless Jon-Landon, a fallible strategist when it comes to war. After losing against the Occitanian armies, the king forces Ransom to bear the blame and removes him from the council. But Jon-Landon isn’t yet through with humbling the honorable knight of Ceredigion. When a retaliatory battle succeeds, Jon-Landon invites Ransom back into his circle. Though Ransom’s Fountain magic is made stronger by his fealty, he’s once again forced to make a terrible choice. And this time, Ransom’s wife, Claire, and their sons could pay the price for Ransom’s loyalty. But as tensions between Ceredigion and Occitania reignite and alliances at court begin to crumble, a desperate Jon-Landon discovers his only ally is the knight he betrayed. With the future of Kingfountain hanging in the balance, Ransom agrees to help. And as secret enemies reveal their endgame, Ransom knows that he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice for the survival of the Argentine dynasty.Trade Review“The inevitable showdown between two Fountain-blessed antagonists brings this excellent four-part series to a close. Wheeler has woven a grand story based on the actual adventures of William Marshall in the time of King Stephen I of England, recasting the basic themes of King Arthur legends: loyalty and courage in the face of adversity.” —Booklist

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Book SynopsisTheir love is against the laws of a merciless state—but the heart has its own power. For rollercoaster designer Theo, living on the edge is just part of the job. He’s used to wandering the world perfecting thrills, his heart immune to commitment. But then a commission in repressive North Korea exposes him to emotions he’s never dared to feel. Tour guide Min has a soul that wants to soar, but she knows it’s safer to build walls around her heart and mind. Skilled in showcasing the mesmerising beauty of capital city Pyongyang without revealing its darker secrets, she introduces Theo to a country he will never forget—and begins to question her policy of quiet compliance. But forgetting—or pretending to—is the key to survival for Min’s formidable grandmother Cuckoo. After a devastating heartbreak years ago, she learned that passion and oppression just don’t mix. As Min and Theo grow closer and long-held secrets come to light, all three are forced to confront emotions they’ve tried to suppress. In a country where following their hearts will put them in danger, how much are they willing to risk?Trade Review“A heartbreaking yet life-affirming story of forbidden love woven through the extraordinary backdrop of North Korea. I loved everything about it.” —Clare Pooley, author of The Authenticity Project “A beautifully written novel, both page-turning and moving.” —Richard Osman, bestselling author of The Thursday Murder Club

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Book SynopsisTwo high school BFFs reunite and endeavor to fix each other’s lives in this geeky romance from the author of Love, Comment, Subscribe. Tam Doan dumped her boyfriend after he threw away her gourmet cheese. Sure, it’s a little more complicated than that, but the point is, he had it coming. Newly single and unemployed, Tam calls up her best friend from high school and utters the emergency code word—goldfish. Next thing she knows, she’s on a plane back home. Josh O’Malley was a troubled, unconfident teenager. Now he’s the successful owner of a multimillion-dollar ghost kitchen. Tam, his high school BFF and fellow member of the Nerd Herd friend group, was instrumental in building his self-esteem. When she calls him out of the blue, he jumps at the chance to return the favor. Josh and Tam immediately get to work fixing her life—but again, it’s complicated. Their close friendship was always a lifeline between them; a blooming romance might confuse things. Still, at least one thing is for certain: their chemistry is un-brie-lievable.Trade Review“It’s palpable how much Tam and Josh care for each other…Yardley’s fans will gobble up this gentle but steamy romance.” —Publishers Weekly “Yardley’s prose is summery and light—you’ll get swept up as Tam and Josh breezily fall right back into place as the lovably cheesy duo known as Jam. A mouthwatering romance.” —Kirkus Reviews “Addicting.” —Harlequin Junkie, Top Pick (4.5 stars) “This friends-into-lovers with just a slight touch of fauxmance-turned-unexpected-romance was a delight—and the inevitable cheesy lines and even cheesier jokes just added to the fun!…Josh and Tam—and their entire Nerd Herd—are geeky and nerdy in all the best ways, but now they are adults doing their best at adulting and still relying on the friends who have seen them through EVERYTHING in their lives.” —Reading Reality (5 stars) “Watching these two lovable goofs side-step their feelings for each other even as they give into their growing sexual attraction was so fun to watch.” —SmexyBooks (Grade: A)

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of Dear Marcus comes a breathtaking novel about a fated love affair that crosses the divides of race and class. Rashid is a young Black man from Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, with a complicated life. Looking for an escape from a neighborhood few ever leave, he finds it in Rachel—married, twenty years his senior, and the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. It begins with a flirtation and a tryst. It becomes an intense romance, exhilarating and enriching, that defies the expectations of Rashid’s friends and family. What draws Rachel to Rashid is his curiosity, his need for intimacy, and his adoration—everything lacking in her crumbling marriage. But as the fault lines of their relationship become more prevalent, so do the inevitable choices one makes when falling in love.Trade ReviewPraise for Bed Stuy An Amazon Best Book of the Month: Literature & Fiction “McGill’s prose can acquire a quick, musical rhythm before settling into more expansive sections that deftly take on questions of race and class. In many ways, the novel is a wonder to behold.” —Kirkus Reviews “Smart and touching…McGill succeeds in depicting love as a universal force, for better or for worse.” —Publishers Weekly “Love defies all odds in Jerry McGill’s lyrical and heartbreaking novel Bed Stuy.” —POPSUGAR “In Bed Stuy, Jerry McGill crafts a love story that is as gritty as a New York sidewalk and as tender as a first embrace. Two people from different worlds grapple with the challenge of how to bridge their divides—made chasms by race, age, and privilege—to connect, to understand, and to forgive. McGill’s knowing gaze is unflinching but compassionate, conveying in all its complexity the terror of love, the fear and doubt that plague it, and the bone-deep need for more.” —W. S. Winslow, author of The Northern Reach Praise for Dear Marcus: A Letter to the Man Who Shot Me “An unforgettable and intriguing journey…Violence, hope, despair, forgiveness, anger, and living with a disability are explored both lightly and deeply, humorously and profoundly, and always honestly.” —Library Journal (starred review) “An inspirational memoir by a writer who refuses to be defined by his paralysis as he comes to terms with the unknown man who shot him.” —Kirkus Reviews “I couldn’t put it down. This is a compelling marriage of remembrance and forgiveness, absolution and compassion, cynicism and understanding.” —Wes Moore, author of The Other Wes Moore “Written with passion, honesty, humor, and a stubborn, rebellious optimism, Dear Marcus is like nothing I’ve ever read. When a bullet in the back told Jerry McGill not to go on, Jerry went on—smiling.” —Shalom Auslander, author of Hope: A Tragedy

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Book Synopsis“A riveting psychological thriller…[will] keep you guessing till the very end.” —Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author The death of a look-alike stranger leads a grieving woman down a troubling path in this riveting novel by A. J. Banner, bestselling author of The Poison Garden. Three years ago mortuary cosmetologist Phoebe Glassman lost her husband in a tragic accident. No longer the hopeful wife and mother she once was, Phoebe is disappearing into her grief and into the quietude of her job—restoring to the dead the illusion of life. Then the body of a woman named Pauline Steele arrives in the mortuary, and for Phoebe, everything changes. Pauline is unmistakably Phoebe’s mirror image and bears an alarmingly familiar tattoo. Even more startling is that among Pauline’s effects is a faded photograph of Phoebe. Aided by an eccentric colleague, her curiosity sparked, Phoebe investigates her doppelgänger’s life and death—and uncovers surprising clues to a shared past. Phoebe’s emotional journey soon leads to shocking revelations about those closest to her…and even herself. When she’s driven to the brink, how much of what she discovers can she trust?Trade Review“The twisty plot builds to a satisfying resolution. Banner knows how to keep the reader guessing.” —Publishers Weekly “What a beautiful…and completely engrossing book this was…It’s a heavy hitter, this book, and one you shouldn’t expect to come out of unaffected…the heavier moments are interspersed with some gorgeous interludes of beautifully written moments of normal life…A. J. Banner has written something very special here.” —Mystery & Suspense Magazine “Blending mystery with a story about grief and trauma, there’s plenty to focus on, and readers who enjoy domestic suspense will love this one.” —The Parkersburg News and Sentinel “Sharply written and psychologically rich, Banner skillfully keeps readers on edge, gripped to the pages with her twisty plot, keeping you guessing—what is factual or speculation? Trust me, you will not see this twist coming.” —#JDCMustReadBooks “In Another Light may well be Banner’s best writing to date. She has cleverly penned a riveting thriller…In Another Light is thoroughly entertaining, as well as emotionally gripping and poignant…” —Colloquium “A riveting psychological thriller that slowly unwinds a woman’s deepest grief and haunted past in a series of shocking discoveries that keep you guessing till the very end.” —Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author “The visceral force of a mother’s grief propels this riveting, hall-of-mirrors thriller, where death and life are never what they seem, and uncertainty leads to a palpable darkness. A gorgeously written page-turner, In Another Light refuses to divulge its secrets until the final chapter.” —Erica Ferencik, author of Into the Jungle and #1 Oprah.com pick, The River at Night “A. J. Banner is at the top of her game with her latest. Equal parts tense and mesmerizing, In Another Light is a masterful depiction of skewed perceptions wrapped in a pulse-pounding, compulsively readable mystery. You’ll stay up late to finish this in one go!” —Kerry Lonsdale, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post bestselling author of Last Summer “Heartrending and utterly compelling from the first page, In Another Light is the poignant and gripping story of a woman on the edge. Consumed with grief over the loss of her family, she clings to her memories of her young daughter and the husband she once had, but when even these are torn away she’s left to wonder how well did she know her husband, really? In her role as a mortuary cosmetologist, she speaks to the dead. Mysteriously, one in particular may hold the key. Deftly plotted and achingly suspenseful, this novel explores the boundaries of grief and betrayal…and lies…those we tell each other and those we tell ourselves.” —Barbara Taylor Sissel, bestselling author of Faultlines and The Truth We Bury

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Book SynopsisThree women form an unbreakable bond in a sexy, suspenseful, and adventurous novel about empowerment and sisterhood through thick and thin. Venus McGee, Draya Carter, and Jackie Benson are coworkers with a lot in common. They’re smart, independent, driven, and deserving of recognition—certainly more than they’ve been handed by a demoralizing boss. He’s the topic of conversation at their impromptu get-together after the company holiday party, where the threesome fantasizes about a life without him. There has to be an alternative to taking a deep breath and sucking it up. There is. It’s just not the one they expected. When morning comes, Venus, Draya, and Jackie are blindsided by murder—a twist of fate that brings a startling new challenge to the table and forces them to navigate a hair-raising detour they never saw coming. For better and (unless they can help it) for worse, it’s going to turn their world upside down. What starts as a necessary bond of mutual trust soon morphs into an empowering and galvanizing friendship that Venus, Draya, and Jackie need now more than ever.Trade Review“This is Homicide: Life on the Streets meets 9 to 5 meets Bridgerton in a story that screams to become a TV series. Part thriller and part mystery, this delightful story of friendship also celebrates sex, love, and family.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Arthur develops each of her main characters so well that readers will root for them all.” —Library Journal “A sexy thrill.” —POPSUGAR “Comical, unique, and heartfelt…The After Party is a smart, tantalizing feat you won’t want to put down.” —Shondaland “The After Party by A.C. Arthur is a thrilling head trip! This seamless blend of beautiful women’s fiction and exciting murder mystery gives the reader everything—homicide, twists, laughs, sisterhood, growth, triumphs, WTH moments and even some romance. The After Party is simply unexpected and fantastic. It’s also your next must read!” —Naima Simone, USA Today bestselling author

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Book SynopsisIn Mansi Shah’s stunning debut novel, a family tragedy beckons a first-generation immigrant to the city of her birth, where she grapples with her family’s past in search of where she truly belongs. After her parents moved her and her brother to America, Preeti Desai never meant to tear her family apart. All she did was fall in love with a white Christian carnivore instead of a conventional Indian boy. Years later, with her parents not speaking to her and her controversial relationship in tatters, all Preeti has left is her career at a prestigious Los Angeles law firm. But when Preeti receives word of a terrible accident in the city where she was born, she returns to India, where she’ll have to face her estranged parents…and the complicated past they left behind. Surrounded by the sights and sounds of her heritage, Preeti catches a startling glimpse of her family’s battles with class, tradition, and sacrifice. Torn between two beautifully flawed cultures, Preeti must now untangle what home truly means to her.Trade Review“A poignant debut novel, reminiscent of Jhumpa Lahiri, that touches on the immigrant experience in America, being caught between two cultures, and finding one’s place in the world.” —Booklist “A refreshingly honest novel that deftly captures the demands and delights of living in between East and West and the status of never quite belonging in either sphere. The need to assimilate in order to survive immigration to America, the bonds and boundaries of race and caste, and the power of privilege and pain of poverty are all explored with large-hearted insight in Mansi Shah’s debut.” —Marjan Kamali, bestselling author of The Stationery Shop “A powerful, thoughtful, and also very accessible book that explores culture and class in both India and America, through the eyes of a winning narrator on a quest to understand both places and where she fits in each. Written with a great sense of curiosity and open-heartedness, it is never judgmental, always thoughtful, and while it gave me a lot to ponder, it also swept me away on an adventure and gave me relief from my everyday life. A beautiful book that deserves a big audience. Well done!” —Barbara O’Neal, bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids “The Taste of Ginger is a compelling exploration of family, identity, and what it means to belong. Told with empathy and warmth, this heartfelt debut is a delight from start to finish!” —Saumya Dave, author of What a Happy Family “The Taste of Ginger is a captivating novel about a young woman caught between cultures—that of her birthland, India, and America, the place she immigrated to as a child. This beautifully crafted story takes the reader on a journey into another world through the eyes of someone who both belongs and doesn’t. Heartrending and complex, it is an honest look into what it feels like to be different and to search for identity and a sense of belonging while struggling between assimilation and tradition—the plight of any immigrant. The Taste of Ginger is a book everyone should read.” —Suzanne Redfearn, #1 Amazon bestselling author of In an Instant “Love stories come in many forms but it’s rare to find one that’s such a beautiful tribute to the importance of tradition, culture, and extended family. Mansi Shah’s intimate exploration of the immigrant experience mirrored against the complex relationship between mothers and daughters touched my heart. Fans of The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri or The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan will adore The Taste of Ginger.” —Jennifer Bardsley, author of Sweet Bliss “The Taste of Ginger is a compelling and multilayered novel that explores the complexities of the immigrant experience and the search for identity. Shah’s empathy and cultural insight is masterfully conveyed as Preeti balances tradition with the pressures of assimilation. An honest and heartfelt debut.” —Paulette Kennedy, author of Parting the Veil

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of Three More Months comes a moving novel about hope, loss, the power of memories, and the enduring bonds of family. It’s been two years and two months since trauma shattered hospital chaplain Isabel Myles’s world. Since that day, she has stopped answering calls. She’s shut out her family, friends, and coworkers. Even her faith seems to have faded. Except for her connection with her younger sister, Chantel, Isabel copes by forgetting. Then she takes on a summer job as a home caregiver for Opal, a dementia patient who is struggling to remember. The more invested Isabel becomes in Opal’s vanishing world—and in her devastated grandson, Evan—the more open she is to forming bonds, old and new. She reaches out to her best friend. She repairs the damage between her and her estranged parents. And with Evan she feels emotions she thought were lost forever. But the trauma Isabel’s kept buried for so long will be rediscovered too. What Isabel learns could change her life again, forever. This time, though, she won’t have to face the past alone.Trade ReviewPraise for Three More Months “A heart-wrenching novel about family and love.” —Booklist (starred review) “Readers will laugh and cry…” —Library Journal “Echavarre (Three More Months, 2021) once again delivers a spectacular novel that will have readers overcome with emotion.…Family, love, trauma, and friendship are themes in this novel, which will appeal to those who like Emily Giffin.” —Booklist “Sarah Echavarre’s debut women’s fiction is a moving story about second chances and the precious time we have with loved ones. This was a page-turner, immersive, and all-consuming…a must-read.” —Tif Marcelo, USA Today bestselling author of In a Book Club Far Away

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