Contemporary Fiction Books

Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Sifting through memories, simple scenes nestled into one another like her own beloved wooden doll, the Matryoshka, Maja struggles to unearth her identity. She is marked by a lingering absence - of homeland, mother tongue, mother, warmth. Raised in an unfamiliar country by her taciturn aunt, Maja has brief moments of connection with her fading past such as through her childhood friendship with Marek, a Polish refugee with his own stories of love and loss in the face of war and displacement. An adult Maja finds herself again and again on the outside of her relationships with others, and with herself. This poetic, yet unadorned, account invites an open-ended exploration of the relationship between language and identity.

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Book SynopsisLoodeen Winders - Lewy, six years of age - is growing up sharp. It's the turbulent early 1920s in a market town in the west of Ireland. Free State soldiers patrol in front of the Workhouse. Lewy's worried about his father's car being commandeered again. The nuns loom over Lewy and his classmates, amongst them the orphans - those shadowy figures, 'slobbery and weak and raggy'. Encounters with Violet and 'Brazenface' Rosaleen McInally in the woods play on Lewy's mind, even while he's trying to fathom the death of his beloved Grandfather. For a treat he goes behind the screen at the Pictures where his father creates the sound effects with his 'Jazzdrums' for the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Lewy's mother works magic on the sewing machine and picks up the pieces when things get out of hand - like the time he breaks his arm walking the wire in their backyard circus. On the fortieth anniversary of Eoghan O Tuairisc's death, this is the first appearance in English of the frank, funny voice of Lewy, a vital witness of his place and time.Trade Review‘Eoghan Ó Tuairisc is an Irish writer of the highest importance in 20th century Irish literature, and this excellent and fascinating translation of An Lomnochtán … is a timely and important contribution to the maintenance of his reputation.’ Michael Harding; ‘In language that manages to be flamboyant and yet completely controlled, Ó Tuairisc has taken us right into the mind of a child. Reminiscent of the early chapters of Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist, this sharply observed, funny and moving story is one of Ireland’s great overlooked classics.’ Christine Dwyer Hickey, author of Tatty, Dublin One City One Book 2020; ‘Particularly in times of confusion, like today, writers of quality, like Eoghan Ó Tuairisc, can disappear through the cracks. He is such a good writer that his neglect makes you wonder about the way we evaluate art in our time.’ Thomas Kilroy; ‘An Lomnochtán is one of those experimental but extremely readable novels of childhood but without the usual angst of growing up characteristic of the clichéd novel. It captures the wonder and puzzlement of a young child cast into the world but not quite knowing what it is about. It is humorous, quirky and all too understanding about a period in life which we have all experienced. One feels that Eoghan Ó Tuairisc had fun when writing it, and it must be that Mícheál Ó hAodha had too when working on this translation as it is entirely in the spirit of the original and brings across to us in playful and simple language the wonder of this world.’ Alan Titley, translator (The Dirty Dust; The Dregs of the Day by Máirtín Ó Cadhain); ‘An Lomnochtán is probably the most unusual – and perhaps the most interesting – of Eoghan Ó Tuairisc’s novels. Mícheál Ó hAodha’s translation captures perfectly Ó Tuairisc’s unique take on the voice of the young boy as he negotiates the world around him.’ Áine Ní Ghlinn, Laureate na nÓg; ‘An Lomnochtán is rarely read today in the original Irish and its stylistic revolt against the accepted idiomatic use of native (or near-native) Irish idiom was a Modernistic step too far for most readers at the time. Ó hAodha’s translation will serve to introduce new readers to Ó Tuairisc and hopefully inspire translations of the rest of his remarkable oeuvre.’ Gabriel Rosenstock, poet; ‘A unique portrayal of Irish provincial life as elucidated in one child’s hopes and fears in an Ireland on the cusp of new beginnings. Powerful, dreamlike – Ó Tuairisc’s An Lomnochtán is a fascinating exploration of one boy’s sexual and metaphysical awakening, the complexities of history and its legacy, and the tribal secrets frequently left unspoken.’ Adrian Duncan, novelist

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Book Synopsis“Beattie explores our humanity in its beauty and brokenness through women’s voices. Fictional voices of the marginalised have been inserted in the recorded history of the country, not to create an alternative history but to add to its rich, multi-faceted texture.” (Chiedza Musengezi, Zimbabwean poet and author) “Msasa trees provided dappled shade for Jenny’s tea party. April sunshine dribbled through the leaves onto suntanned arms. The frangipanis were in bloom ...” This is the scene that greets Scottish doctor Morag soon after her arrival in Salisbury in the 1950s. Jenny is an English wife and mother trapped in an increasingly violent marriage and secretly in love with another man. Soon, Beatrice will come to work as Jenny’s maid and nanny to her children. Over the next twenty years these three women will form deep bonds of affection, but can their loyalty to one another survive as the façade of white suburban life is shattered by war? In a novel that moves from the Firth of Clyde in Scotland to pre-independence Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia), from the illusory idyll of colonial privilege to the traumas of guerrilla war, Beattie explores the hidden lives and untold stories of those caught up in the dying years of white rule in Africa. “Rhodesia is sleep-walking towards its devastating civil war. Three women become entangled in that war and in relationships that harbour the seeds of tragedy. With great sensitivity and insight, Tina Beattie tells a haunting story of love and war that will long linger in the mind.” (Kay Powell, author of Then a Wind Blew). “A compelling and captivating read. The story is a fascinating weave of black and white characters. I loved it despite scenes that deeply disturbed me, having been through those times. Tina Beattie has captured an essence of the time with precise and knowledgeable detail.” (Angus Shaw, Zimbabwean writer and war correspondent)Trade Review“Rhodesia is sleep-walking towards its devastating civil war. Three women become entangled in that war and in relationships that harbour the seeds of tragedy. With great sensitivity and insight, Tina Beattie tells a haunting story of love and war that will long linger in the mind.” (Kay Powell, author of "Then a Wind Blew"); “A compelling and captivating read. The story is a fascinating weave of black and white characters. I loved it despite scenes that deeply disturbed me, having been through those times. She has captured an essence of the time with precise and knowledgeable detail.” (Angus Shaw, Zimbabwean writer and war correspondent)

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Book SynopsisInheritance is the climax of the Landscapes of Love trilogy. The sensual relationships of Charlie, Daniel and Anne Marie intensifies, as they track down the poachers to the gold mines of Western Australia. Charlie lives on the large family estate in the spectacular Yorkshire Dales. Since university, where she was physically abused by a wealthy American fellow student, she has had no interest in developing relationships and has thrown herself into managing the estate and enjoying her successful business as a landscape photographer. Daniel is an independent mercenary who works for governments and wealthy organisations around the world. He uses the financial rewards to run conservation programmes for white rhinos in Kenya and mountain gorillas in Rwanda. When his wife is killed, he uses his business skills to track down those responsible in the whole ‘white gold’ supply chain across the world and destroy them. Anne Marie is a very intelligent and extremely beautiful Afro-American who helps Daniel with his dangerous work. Anne Marie develops a passionate love for Charlie.

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Book SynopsisRetribution is the second book in the Landscapes of Love trilogy. The complex relationship between Charlie, Daniel and Anne Marie moves to the beautiful landscapes of Saudi Arabia. Charlie lives on the large family estate in the spectacular Yorkshire Dales. Since university, where she was physically abused by a wealthy American fellow student, she has had no interest in developing relationships and has thrown herself into managing the estate and enjoying her successful business as a landscape photographer. Daniel is an independent mercenary who works for governments and wealthy organisations around the world. He uses the financial rewards to run conservation programmes for white rhinos in Kenya and mountain gorillas in Rwanda. When his wife is killed, he uses his business skills to track down those responsible in the whole ‘white gold’ supply chain across the world and destroy them. Anne-Marie is a very intelligent and extremely beautiful Afro-American who helps Daniel with his dangerous work. Anne Marie develops a passionate love for Charlie.

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Book SynopsisIt is 1955, and the three Fayette sisters have lived their whole lives in the enchanting French Quarter of New Orleans. Though neglected by their parents, they share a close bond with one another--from afternoons in their small, shared bedroom, to trying to speak with ghosts beneath the sweeping trees in their garden. When the middle sister Constance disappears, the family believes she has run away, as she has done before; it is only the youngest--thirteen-year-old Bonavere (known as Bonnie)--who suspects there is more to it. Met only with grief from her family and resistance from the police, Bonnie embarks on a journey to bring her sister home, venturing through fabled Red Honey Swamp, and the city's vibrant and brutal history. Unravelling the layers of her sister's secret life, Bonnie discovers a pattern of girls found half-mad in the Louisiana swampland, and a connection to the wealthy, notorious Lasalle family. To rescue her sister, she must confront the realities of true violence, and the very nature of insanity.

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Book SynopsisBlending banalities of everyday human routines and dilemmas with elements of fairy tales, magic, the macabre and the downright inventive, Katherine Fawcett''s fiction is anything but predictable.In this collection, reimagined folktales appear alongside stories entirely new, serving to defamiliarize us from the undeniably odd tales we continue to pass down generation after generation, and lend a vague familiarity to the stories of Fawcett''s invention.One of the three little pigs launches a line of high-end, easy-to-prepare, wolf brothbased meals. The Devil is on a mission to steal a child''s soul, but is distracted when he develops a massive crush on the day-care worker. A man stands in the shower contemplating his future when he discovers tiny mushrooms growing in his body''s various nooks and crannies.Fawcett''s wry humour and prodigious imagination are an addictive mix. The weird becomes normal, and the normal, fascinating. Subverting expectations at every turn, her matter-of-fact style and narrative skill make this collection a must-read for any lover of short fiction.

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Book SynopsisSophisticated, playful, and extremely funny, this collection begins the career of one of Canada's best humorists and storytellers. Featuring the adventures of Patchouli the Passionate, Sweet William, Paleologue, Passquick, Purlieu, Jasper, and Angus, with guest cameos by G.K. Chesterton and painter Raphael Santi, these odd Acadian episodes have delighted for decades.Table of ContentsThe Age of Innocence Secrets from Beyond the Pale Colours Cape Breton is the Thought-Control Centre of Canada Passion A Cynical Tale Peril The Galoshes The Dwarf in His Valley Ate Codfish Raphael Anachronic Smoke

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Book SynopsisAn A.V. Club Book to Read for June 2019 In moments of exile and self-exile, exodus and return, Elise Levine’s uncanny narratives lay bare the secret grammar of their characters’ psyches. An ill-tempered divinity-school candidate refuses to minister to a dying man’s wife; a couple fails to connect as they tour an ersatz cave in the south of France; holy women grieve in medieval England, and a pregnant runaway hitches a ride with a Church leader of dubious intentions. Propelled by their longing for pasts that no longer exist, these reluctant Adams and contemporary Eves confront the unspoken, the maligned, the abject aspects of their inner geographies, mining them for gems that glint and scatter in the light. Uncompromising and honest, lyrical and wry, This Wicked Tongue dares to tell the truth about the places we have come from and the new ones we might find.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR THIS WICKED TONGUE “It’s been a long wait for fans of Elise Levine’s delicious short stories. But the wait was well worth it...[This Wicked Tongue] delivers in spades. From the get-go, Levine demonstrates a boisterous command of language and an ability to seize the reader’s attention...her stories pry us open, revealing our secretly wounded places, finally acting as balm and salvation. Lucky us.” —Toronto Star “Sit back and let the language, distilled to its most pristine, wash over you with the force and effect of poetry.” —Hamilton Review of Books “Expertly crafted, impressively original, inherently riveting...very highly recommended.” —Midwest Book Review “Levine offers a vision and a language so poetically visceral and fiercely poignant—so uniquely intelligent—that story after story I was in awe of her courage and artistry.” —Barbara Gowdy "Edgy...convey[s] themes of yearning and loss...Levine demonstrates her ability as a wordsmith par excellence." —Winnipeg Free Press “Elise Levine writes with a new and exciting type of lyric rhythm. These are stories with the beating heart of poems.” —Rion Amilcar Scott, winner of the 2017 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction “Each story in This Wicked Tongue is powerful and vivid and packed with an emotional punch to the heart.” —Quill & Quire (starred review) “Elise Levine’s startling sentences alternate between serrated sentiment and lyrical reverie, offering readers that rarest commodity—genuine surprise.” —Jeff Jackson, author of Destroy All Monsters “Elise Levine uses language like a scalpel to cut to the nervy core of our inner life. There’s a restless desolation in these stories, perfectly poised against a wily, wry wit. This Wicked Tongue is wicked smart.” —Dawn Raffel, The Strange Case of Dr. Couney “Taut, musical sentences...a stylish, experimental collection.” —Kirkus Reviews “Levine shines, furnishing a mental space with language that juggles colloquial and classical vocabulary, complete with verbs that feel freshly minted. In other hands, such an inward turn might give rise to feelings of claustrophobia, but here one has the sense of a widening.” —Literary Review of Canada “Wonderfully dark, eerily atmospheric...sharp, smart, thoughtful, and rendered in Levine's customary powerhouse prose.” —Open Book PRAISE FOR ELISE LEVINE “Reading Elise Levine is akin to a wild ride down a dark road at night...Bold and startling...Precipitous and exhilarating.” —Globe and Mail “As immersive, hyper-vivid and true as fiction ever gets.” —Lisa Moore “A dazzling wordsmith, a lexical tease, Levine is like a kid let loose in a leaf pile, kicking up words for the sheer joy of watching them spin.” —Toronto Star “A cutting-edge literary sensation.” —NOW Magazine “One of Canada’s finest fiction writers…Levine demonstrates a kind of incandescent knowing about human affairs which she deploys in stunningly nuanced passages…A sensitive, cagey dominatrix of literary form and human psychology.” —George Elliott Clarke, Mail Star “Audacious…There’s hardly a word in [these stories] that doesn’t weigh heavily, or doesn’t have a bristling edge to it.” —Toronto Star “Levine’s vivid language and unflinching exploration of people living on the edge of society will stay with you long after each story is read … Levine is unafraid to experiment with language, voice, and form. Her explorations of humanity and the adventurous spirit of her work will keep the reader hooked, hesitating to turn the page but unable to resist the pull of her prose.” —St. John’s Evening Telegram “Levine’s writing is adventurous and brave…Tautly constructed and rigorously controlled…” —Quill & Quire “Levine is, undeniably, an outstanding wordsmith. Her writing style moves in multiple directions, making high stakes out of small movements while turning panic into poetry.” —Winnipeg Review “Taut and direct, Elise Levine’s writing compresses the distance between art and audience, drawing a reader experientially through her fiction. Levine is a visceral imagist. Her fiction renders event indistinguishable from emotion, affecting the gut as fully as the mind.” —Ottawa Citizen “Levine uses raw, hallucinatory prose to tell this curious story of a woman becoming undone…The novel’s visceral wordplay, rough sexuality, and anguished depiction of survivor’s guilt are bound to captivate its audience. A transgressive, gut-wrenching portrayal of grief that asks what it’s like to drown.” —Kirkus Reviews "Levine’s spare language works brilliantly to capture both the vastness of the open water and the claustrophobic chaos of underwater caverns [as well as] a heightened, stylized canvas for Marilyn’s addictive nature...The result is a tale of self-destruction and hubris...absolutely gripping.” —Numero Cinq “A vibrant mixture of intimate moments...Blue Field is an exploration of two selves coming together with the sea. Levine’s aquatic language is gorgeous, displaying her literary prowess.” —THIS Magazine “No reader can make his or her way through these stories and retain any kind of complacency.” —Calgary Herald “Reading the novel is a sensation akin to drifting weightlessly beneath the surface of the text...dazzling, textured, tightly woven.” —Music and Literature “Levine exposes the roughness and the crude pain of life. It’s a rare writer who can write bluntly about the raw side of life while subtly leaving room for her readers to make their own, often disturbing connections.” —Books in CanadaTable of Contents Money’s Honey The Riddles of Aramaic All We Did Princess Gates Armada Made Right Here Public Storage, Available Now Death and the Maiden The Association This Wicked Tongue As Such Alice in the Field

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Book Synopsis'A marvellous novel. I absolutely adored it ... So subtle, funny, tender and so miraculously observed ... Utterly brilliant' Jilly Cooper'Amazing . . . chillingly brilliant' RED'A superbly disquieting psychological thriller ... Mordantly funny, yet chilling, this tale of an ordinary woman inveigling her way into a position of power is compulsive reading' SPECTATORThey have everything she wants...Frances is a thirty-something lowly sub-editor, but her routine, colourless existence is disrupted one winter evening when she happens upon the aftermath of a car crash and hears the last words of the driver, Alys Kyte.When Alys's family makes contact in an attempt to find closure, Frances is given a tantalising glimpse of a very different world: one of privilege and possibility. The relationships she builds with the Kytes will have an impact on her own life, both professionally and personally, as Frances dares to wonder whether she might now become a player in her own right ...'A suspensful portrait of the outsider and a satisfyingly bitchy send-up of literary London' GUARDIAN 'Frances is a fascinating creation: determined, deceitful, intriguingly complex and believably drawn ... This deeply unsettling but eminently readable story is one that will linger in the memory' OBSERVER'Lane's take on contemporary class is so sharply observed that it becomes almost satirical: the perennial theme of social climbing gets a superb new treatment in her highly entertaining, slightly chilling tale of a cuckoo in the nest' SUNDAY TIMES'Superbly, even poetically written with an almost feverish hyper-realism, this All About Eve for our times misses no telling detail of the difference between the entitled and unentitled classes... A brilliant idea, brilliantly realised. I loved it, I loved it. I've run out of superlatives and all that remains to say is that I wish I was you; I wish I hadn't read it and had that pleasure to come' Wendy Holden DAILY MAIL Trade ReviewA marvellous novel. I absolutely adored it... So subtle, funny, tender and so miraculously observed... Utterly brilliant -- Jilly CooperUnsettling, unfussy and unputdownable -- David BaddielA clever and original story by an amusing and interesting new novelist -- Nina BawdenUnputdownable -- Jenni Murray * Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 4 *Hugely enjoyable debut about 30-something Frances Thorpe, a lowly sub-editor on the books pages of a Sunday paper who suddenly and unexpectedly comes into contact with the family of a Man Booker prize-winning author - and there sees an opportunity. Barbara Vine-esque stuff * THE BOOKSELLER *If I could have a novel made to order; like a Savile Row suit, it would probably be this one... Superbly, even poetically written with an almost feverish hyper-realism, this All About Eve for our times misses no telling detail of the difference between the entitled and unentitled classes... A brilliant idea, brilliantly realised. I loved it, I loved it. I've run out of superlatives and all that remains to say is that I wish I was you; I wish I hadn't read it and had that pleasure to come -- Wendy Holden * DAILY MAIL *Harriet Lane's Alys, Always is a superbly disquieting psychological thriller...Lane is a formidable wordsmith, and the literary world is conjured up in all its delicious, gossipy hierarchy...Mordantly funny, yet chilling, this tale of an ordinary woman inveigling her way into a position of power is compulsive reading -- Leyla Sanai * THE SPECTATOR *this novel begins with a bang and delivers all sorts of surprises, but also manages some acute and moving observations about bereavement and grief. A very fine debut. Lane works out her dramatic premise with great originality -- Kate Saunders * THE TIMES *Wonderfully observed... Lane has her landscape forensically mapped. This is a gripping, psychologically complex achievement, whose greatest success is the lingering sense of unease -- Sheena Joughin * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *This chilling and accomplished debut is in classic Ruth Rendell territory. Crucially, the author knows the trick of what to leave out, and of how to tantalise...Frances finds herself admitted to the inner sanctum of London literary life, about which the author, who knows whereof she writes, is most amusing... Lovely, sensuous prose -- Rachel Hore * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *Harriet Lane's exceptional first novel matches the twisted motivations of Sophie Hannah to the social satire of Amanda Craig's A Vicious Circle. In Frances she has created a character Daphne du Maurier might have been proud of: vulnerable, manipulative, resourceful, chippy, but one of us -- Adrian Turpin * FINANCIAL TIMES *Harriet Lane's take on contemporary class is so sharply observed that it becomes almost satirical: the perennial theme of social climbing gets a superb new treatment in her highly entertaining, slightly chilling tale of a cuckoo in the nest * THE SUNDAY TIMES *Frances is a fascinating creation: determined, deceitful, intriguingly complex and believably drawn...This deeply unsettling but eminently readable story is one that will linger in the memory * THE OBSERVER *Lane's narrative voice is captivating, absorbing the reader almost immediately and throughout the novel's various episodes of entanglement, separation and high drama...and her characters are quirky and believable individuals. Alys, Always is a fine portrayal of how people deal with loss and learn to accept "the tinpot vulnerability of human existence" -- Kirsty Hewitt * TLS *this book really is that rarest of creatures, a sort of literary unicorn: a stunning debut... The writing is tight, it's compulsively readable and brilliantly controlled. Harriet Lane has a deft economy when it comes to recording scenes descriptions and dialogue. It is utterly believable in all respects -- Rachel Johnson * THE LADY *Dark, cynical and unpredictable * SUNDAY EXPRESS *A gripping debut. Frances Thorpe leads a mundane life until the day she stops to help at a roadside accident. But, as this clever novel unfolds, it becomes clear that the seemingly boring Frances is capable of seizing an opportunity * GRAZIA *Amazing; chillingly brilliant -- Lindsay Frankel * RED MAGAZINE *Harriet Lane brilliantly skewers the sycophancy that surrounds the wealthy and successful, allowing their inner circle to bask in the same intoxicating glow. The reader is reeled in hook, line and sinker -- Charlotte Heathcote * SUNDAY EXPRESS *a suspenseful portrait of the outsider and a satisfyingly bitchy send-up of literary London * THE GUARDIAN *Worthy of Daphne du Maurier, this is the book I wish I'd written. -- Julie Burchill * MARIE CLAIRE *One of the literary debuts of 2012, Harriet Lane's stylish thriller combines an unreliable female narrator with some sly satire at the expense of literary London. * THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *A brilliant debut novel about a disturbed hack. -- Kate Kellaway * THE OBSERVER *Alys, Always is Lane's debut novel. Her ability to build suspense and to slowly reveal aspects of character makes her one to watch. * EMERALD STREET *Lane's take on contemporary class is so sharply observed that it becomes almost satirical: the perennial theme of social climbing gets a superb new treatment in her highly entertaining, chilling tale of a cuckoo in the nest. * THE SUNDAY TIMES *A dark and delicious thriller, Alys, Always, the first novel by Harriet Lane, is a book you immediately want to pass on to all your friends. * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *This seductive novel is as sinuous, sharp-eyed, shrewd and controlled as its opportunistic heroine - a terrific read. -- John Koski * THE MAIL ON SUNDAY *Spot on social satire, chilling psychodrama and terrific writing - Lane knows of whereof she speaks. * THE INDEPENDENT *The novel has the momentum of a thriller but not at the expense of an economical lyricism - there is a lovely assurance to the writing... It is a novel that will unsettle and make your heart dip, long after you have put it aside. -- Kate Kellaway * THE OBSERVER *This is a creepy, cold novel in the tradition of Patricia Highsmith. It's perfectly executed. * EVENING STANDARD *Horror, mystery and romance coalesce magically in this impressive debut. * CHOICE *A compelling fiction debut about a family tragedy. Patricia Highsmith would be proud. Mysterious and suspenseful -- Sebastian Shakespeare * TATLER *Mesmerisingly told * SAINSBURY'S MAGAZINE *A gripping portrait of the lengths to which one woman will go to improve her lot * WOMAN & HOME *This accomplished debut is a fantastic read * STAR magazine *This intriguing first novel, set in the leafy groves of bookish Highgate in North London is a morality tale with a dark sinister undercurrent to rival that of Alan Hollinghurst's "The Line of Beauty -- Tina Gaudoin * THE WALL STREET JOURNAL EUROPE *Both clever satire on the (north) London literary scene and compelling thriller worthy of Patricia Highsmith, [Alys, Always] is unshowy and modest... Highly recommended -- Jonathan Main * THE TRANSMITTER *It's uneasy but intriguing reading thanks to the accurate illustration of her middle class characters. * BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH *Harriet Lane's novel of deceit and opportunism proves to be a dark delight. * THE SUNDAY BUSINESS POST *highly entertaining and squirm-inducing..."Howards End" meets "All About Eve" * INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE *As this subtle, ingenious, completely absorbing tale progresses, a chilling and uneasy menace develops just below the surface. * GOOD BOOK GUIDE *This is a very concise and acute psychological study, at times drily funny...always expertly observed, perfectly paced and smoothly finished off...a novel of skill, elegance and flair, one in which cool calculation and subtle manipulation move, as a cloud in front of the sun, to chill and unsettle, that suddenly cast shade revealing what in full light had been carefully concealed. What is not hidden is Harriet Lane's talent - this is a brilliant debut! * www.cornflowerbooks.co.uk *Chilling and compulsive, this psychological novel immediately draws you in... Brilliantly crafted and sharply observed, this first novel with its sense of unease and apprehension holds your attention from the beginning to the end. It will stay with you for a long time. * TELEGRAPH & ARGUS *This darkly subtle debut impresses with its du Maurieresque style. * HAM & HIGH *An un-putdownable novel that forces you to revise your initial assumptions. * THE DISCARDED IMAGE *She writes with both elegance and clarity, she balances suspense with acute observation, and she understands her characters, their relationships, the worlds they move in absolutely perfectly. * FLEUR FISHER IN HER WORLD blog *A subtle, beautifully observed and exquisitely written novel - the sort of book you read in one beguiling go. * HOUSE WITH NO NAME blog *

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Book SynopsisOne day can change your life...A heartwarming novel set during a street party for the Queen's jubileeIt's 1977, the day of the Queen's Silver Jubilee, when a photographer captures a moment forever: a festive street party with bunting and Union Jacks fluttering in the breeze and, right in the centre of the frame, a small Asian boy staring intensely at the camera. The photo becomes infamous when it is adopted as a symbol of everything that is great and good about Britain, but what is the real story behind it? Relationships between the neighbours on Cherry Gardens are far from easy, and minor frictions threaten to erupt as the street party begins...Fast forward to the present and that boy, Satish, is now a successful paediatric heart surgeon, saving lives and families every single day. But he's living with a secret - he's addicted to controlled prescription drugs. A message about a proposed reunion of the children in the photograph throws his life into turmoil as he thinks back to Jubilee Day, and the events that changed his life for ever.Trade ReviewSharply observed and richly characterised...Unfinished business, both personal and national, shadows a perceptive story of family and nation in transition -- Boyd Tonkin * THE INDEPENDENT *Period detail and sharply observed dialogue contribute to a taut novel with plenty of ethical resonance for contemporary cultural relations -- James Urquhart * FINANCIAL TIMES *An extremely well-crafted story * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *Satish's experiences are truly anguishing. As you're slowly let into his dreadful secret, it's an arresting read. Unputdownable -- Judy Finnigan * WOMAN'S OWN *

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Book Synopsis'Like A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD written by Tina Fey' Sam Baker, RED MAGAZINEShortlisted for the 2013 Women's Prize for FictionA NEW YORK TIMES bestsellerCOMING SOON: The film adaptation, directed by Richard Linklater and starring Cate Blanchett, Kristen Wiig and Billy Crudup Bernadette Fox is notorious. To Elgie Branch, a Microsoft wunderkind, she's his hilarious, volatile, talented, troubled wife. To fellow mothers at the school gate, she's a menace. To design experts, she's a revolutionary architect. And to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, quite simply, mum. Then Bernadette disappears. And Bee must take a trip to the end of the earth to find her.WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE is a compulsively readable, irresistibly written, deeply touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's place in the world.Trade ReviewIt's intelligent but easy to read; eccentric but never twee. * ELLE UK *I love the extraordinarily well-drawn characters, the plot, the tender, lovely relationship, the humour, and the courage to do daring things -- Nina StibbeWhere'd You Go, Bernadette is a wonderful piece of satire that pinpoints so many of the flaws in our current society. [Semple's] writing is sharp and witty but also incredibly heart-warming. * DOG EAR DISCS *It has had a strong hardback life, it's had some great reviews, now it's got to really capture the masses. I normally don't like books written in emails, journals, notes form, and had not realised this was - just as I hadn't realised Salmon Fishing in the Yemen was! This has the same feel, same contagious look, same wacky scenario (well, not quite), same relentless pull. From page one I was smitten, my dislike for emails forgotten. It is the mother/daughter relationship which is so brilliant, that and the character of Bernadette - a prize-winning architect who doesn't realise that what she needs in life is a new project Clever, witty and hugely satisfying * THE BOOKSELLER *it's a very enjoyable read and the satirical look at modern life * THE BOOKBAG *Laugh-out-loud funny and bitingly satirical * DAILY EXPRESS *a breathtakingly original comedy * ES MAGAZINE *Maria Semple's witty, engaging novel takes the form of a collage of documents, emails, transcripts, liveblogs, FBI reports and magazine articles, all strung together by Bee Branch, a smart and articulate 15-year-old girl, but beneath this surface playfulness is a fascinating story of one woman's retreat from the world...refreshing in its honesty and complexity * THE OBSERVER *a novel full of honesty and heart * CNN *The funniest book I've read in a decade. I laughed to the point of crying on an airplane. My wife thought I'd lost my mind until she read it a few days later. -- John Green * MARIE CLAIRE *an invigorating, hilarious, addictive ride of a novel -- Maggie O'FarrellLocal menace, genius architect, recluse, mother: meet Bernadette Fox and her Mensa-level teenage daughter Bea as they travel from silicon valley-Seattle to Antartica and back again. With the kind of sharp, wish-I-wrote-it dialogue you'd expect from a former Saturday Night Live scriptwriter, this is like Tina Fey wrote Welcome to the Goon Squad. I can't say enough about this book, I loved it. -- Sam Baker * HARPERS BAZAAR *Witty and compelling. * THE SUN ON SUNDAY *This fiercely sophisticated novel... whips us around in the maelstrom that is Bernadette Fox: a woman on the edge. * SAINSBURY'S MAGAZINE *full of quirky charm about the mother/daughter bond * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *This novel, shortlisted for the 2013 Women's Prize for Fiction, uses email correspondence to hilarious and heartbreaking effect. The disappearance of Bernadette Fox drives the engaging plot, with the mother/daughter relationship across geographical divides at its core * METRO *When eccentric ex-architect Bernadette goes AWOL, her 15-year-old daughter, Bee, goes all Sherlock and reads her mum's emails for some answers - and a secret past. Surprisingly, I found myself seriously LOLing too. No wonder it's being turned into a movie! * COMPANY *It is extremely funny, and Semple has a way of combining a technologically savvy, ice-cool wit with a stealthy ability to show gradually a character's warmer side. -- Tom Cox * THE SUNDAY TIMES *This is an extraordinary novel - a fresh, funny, perceptive voice, and an exhilarating read. * GOOD BOOK GUIDE *it's refreshing in its honesty and complexity -- Natasha Tripney * THE OBSERVER *Semple is a TV comedy writer, and the pleasures here are the pleasures of the best American TV: plot, wit and heart. It's refreshing to find a female misunderstood genius at the heart of the book, and a mother-daughter relationship characterised by unadulterated mutual affection. -- Justine Jordan * THE GUARDIAN *compulsively readable comedy... packed with wit, honesty and charm * MUMSNET *Refreshing, honest and witty, this novel about motherhood zips and fizzes along, from start to end -- Janine Cook * THE INDEPENDENT '50 Best Beach Reads' *Delivered from multiple perspectives through letters, telephone calls, magazine articles and emails, it is cleverly plotted and compulsively readable. -- Ian Wall * PROPERTY WEEK *Semple's exuberant tale is buoyed up by deft plotting and pitch-perfect characters, whose idiosyncrasies and wrong-headed interactions are by turns comic, tender and craven. Excellent stuff. -- James Urquhart * FT *This light relief on the Women's prize shortlist has warmth and bite in equal measure. Brilliant, troubled Bernadette - a visionary architect who's started a family but lost the plot - is a fantastic creation, and Semple's picaresque comedy, told through letters, emails and even a live blog, skewers the absurdities of American privilege while drawing a heartfelt portrait of mother-daughter love * THE GUARDIAN *I've been devouring the savagely funny Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. A TV comedy writer, Semple's wide array of targets include parenting, over-achievement, schoolgates rivalry, creativity, Seattle, Canadians, Microsoft, Antarctica and marital love... Semple is funny, smart and deeply touching -- Rowan Pelling * THE DAILY TELEGRAPH *Where'd You Go, Bernadette is my favorite novel so far this year. It's funnier than a season's worth of Modern Family, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Justified episodes; it's also the most original and imaginative fiction I've read since The Invention of Hugo Cabret -- James Patterson * NEW YORK TIMES *...this book is highly enjoyable. -- David Hebblethwaite * FOLLOW THE THREAD *...wonderfully eccentric * MUMSNET *This is an extraordinary novel - a fresh, funny, perceptive voice, and an exhilarating read. * GOOD BOOK GUIDE *This novel, written in the form of emails, notes and phone calls, is original and funny and you'll learn a lot about Antarctica. -- Joanna Czechowska * WOMAN *An extremely funny and ultimately moving farce about a quirky American family falling apart over a holiday to Antarctica -- Alex von Tunzelmann * EVENING STANDARD *A dazzling comic novel about a misunderstood architect. It's an eccentric and brilliantly accomplished story with a real screenplay quality to it -- Viv Groskop * THE OBSERVER *My happy summer holiday book was the funny, quirky and surprisingly moving Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. It's the kind of book you read and want to buy for friends -- Alison Starling * THE GUARDIAN *

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Book Synopsis'An unsettling, haunting story...memorable, atmospheric and tense' THE LADY'Well-written, well-crafted and constantly gripping' DAILY MAIL'A disquieting and atmospheric psychological novel' DAILY EXPRESS'A grippingly dark thriller...Great writing from a master storyteller' RED MAGAZINENorman Stokoe has just been appointed Children's Czar by the new government. He sells his flat and moves up north to take up the position. However before his first salary cheque has even hit his bank account, new priorities are set for the government department for which he works. The Children's Czar network is put on hold but it is too late to reverse the decision to employ Norman. So he is given a P.A. and a spacious office in a new business park on the banks of the Tyne.He settles down in his new leather chair behind his new desk, to wait for the green light to begin his mission. The green light never comes. What does happen is that two children go missing. As Children's Czar, surely this case should fall within his remit, but Norman has built a career on doing nothing, on stamping pieces of paper with 'send to the relevant department'. Now, faced with a campaigning journalist and a distraught mother, he is forced to become involved. The search will take him to dark places and will make him ask questions about the system he is supposed to uphold.Trade ReviewA grippingly dark thriller...Great writing from a master storyteller -- Viv Groskop * RED MAGAZINE *Torday has blended some excellent social satire and even a dollop of the supernatural...this is an excellent mash-up, well-written, well-crafted and constantly gripping * DAILY MAIL *A great story, and very dark in places * ESSENTIALS MAGAZINE *A disquieting and atmospheric psychological novel * DAILY EXPRESS *An unsettling, haunting story...Torday has created some strong characters in this memorable, atmospheric and tense novel...His prose is controlled, elegant and measured and his totally unexpected conclusion is very powerful * THE LADY *A well-crafted novel...there is momentum, and there is excitement * SPECTATOR *We move from comedy, through pain, to a greater mystery than the mystery with which, on the ordinary level of crime and detection, the author has gripped us * THE SCOTSMAN *Tautly written, the tone acid and angry * EVENING STANDARD *Torday's exploration of human anguish and pain, interspersed with the dark haunting rural environment, provides the template, while his biting social comment showcases a writer at the very top of his game * YORKSHIRE POST *This is a terrific read in Mr Torday's simple and effective prose style, which should alert us all to what is happening in Britain * COUNTRY LIFE *

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Book Synopsis'A haunting and epic debut with shades of Steinbeck' [GRAZIA] about a makeshift family in the untamed American West. Includes Reading Group Notes.At the turn of the 20th century, in a remote stretch of Northwest America, a solitary orchardist, Talmadge, tends to apples and apricots as if they were his children. One day, two teenage girls steal his fruit at the market. Feral, scared and very pregnant, they follow Talmadge to his land and form an unlikely attachment to his gentle way of life. But their fragile peace is shattered when armed men arrive in the orchard. In the tragedy that unfolds, Talmadge must fight to save the lives of those he has learned to love while confronting the ghosts of his own troubled past.THE ORCHARDIST is an astonishing and unforgettable epic about a man who disrupts the lonely harmony of his life when he opens his heart and lets the world in.Trade ReviewThis is a powerful, wonderfully written first novel. -- Kate Saunders * THE TIMES *Coplin's rendering of place invites comparison with William Faulkner's recreations of Mississippi. -- Lucian Robinson * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *Amanda Coplin follows the path of American epic naturalist writers such as John Steinbeck in her beautifully written debut, in the way she tracks the movement of communities and examines the relationship between people and their environment...From brooding long over deceptively simple ingredients, Coplin has created a psychologically complex novel of considerable emotional power. -- Rachel Hore * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *The Orchardist is a powerful, finely crafted novel. -- Suzi Feay * FINANCIAL TIMES *Amanda Coplin's The Orchardist is a haunting and epic debut with shades of Steinbeck. * GRAZIA *An utterly enthralling, heart-breaking story. * EASY LIVING *I was still thinking about this moving tale, set in early 20th century America, days after reading it. A reclusive man lives alone until two pregnant, feral girls ask for help. As he lets them in, stories of love, loss and revenge unfold. If you like emotional, historical fiction, you'll love this. * ESSENTIALS *A powerful moving novel. * WOMAN & HOME *This is a story about love, often intensely moving but far bigger than your common or garden tear-jerker and gorgeously written...There are echoes of Silas Marner, as the lonely man and the wild girls become an unorthodox family, but the outside world can't be kept out, as strangers on a mission bring violence into this Eden. The writing is vivid and poetic, with a strong sense of emotional wisdom. -- Kate Saunders * SAGA *A beautifully evocative story * MARIE CLAIRE *The prose is rich and slow, the book takes its time to immerse us in the lives of the area's inhabitants. It's an immersive experience, about how over years we shape our lives and the lives of those we love and how every action has consequences, good and bad. * WE LOVE THIS BOOK *This is a stylishly written debut novel of intense imagery and fine storytelling. * CHOICE *Powerful, intense and deeply tender, The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin is set in the American North West at the start of the last century...An original and stunning story by a remarkable new writer. * RED ONLINE *The first big debut of 2013 - and it's a corker. Set in a remote part of north-western America at the turn of the 20th century, reclusive William Talmadge has tended his beloved orchard for years. His peace is disturbed by two young girls, pregnant and desperate, needing help, and his decision to offer them shelter on the farm will prove a brave one when armed men arrive to take the girls back. What unfolds is a compelling story of survival in harsh times - don't miss * THE BOOKSELLER *There is a strong thread of melancholy running through the novel but it is the great sweep of the landscape that lingers and Talmadge, patiently tending his treasured trees as he watches the world change around him. * BOOKOXYGEN *"The Orchardist" is engaging and enthralling. The reader wants to turn each page quickly as the story develops, and wants at the same time to dwell on the lyrical moments of sunshine, soil and love * SEATTLE TIMES (USA) *Amanda Coplin's somber, majestic debut arrives like an urgent missive from another century. Steeped in the timeless rhythms of agriculture, her story unfolds in spare language as her characters thrash against an existential sense of meaninglessness. Confronted by the stark reminder of mortality, one responds, "It didn't matter" - a weary comment any of them might have made. Coplin's saga of a makeshift family unmoored by loss should be depressing, but, instead, her achingly beautiful prose inspires exhilaration. You can only be thrilled by a 31-year-old writer with this depth of understanding * WASHINGTON POST (USA) *Another debut generating buzz is Amanda Coplin's The Orchardist, a novel set in the untamed American West in the early 20th century. We think this well-crafted tale of a makeshift family whose lives are shaped by love, violence, and an indelible connection to the land is immensely affecting. * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (USA) *His face is pitted, his skin oily, his nose bulbous, his ears elephantine. What gives him a reason to live, his earthly salvation from so many grievous human losses, are fruit trees. This is William Talmadge, the unlikely hero of Amanda Coplin's first novel, "The Orchardist," due Aug. 21. Digging a living out of the hardscrabble fields of the Pacific Northwest in the early 20th century, Talmadge is comfortable with his spare, solitary life. But when two feral girls seek refuge with him, he is reluctantly drawn into a crusade and a family. To describe the plot or characters in more detail would undermine one of the many satisfactions of "The Orchardist"-its surprises. But the soul of the book is its landscape, the avenues of apple, plum and apricot trees that produce not just fruit, but bowers in which to hide, branches from which to drop. -- Cynthia Crossen * WALL STREET JOURNAL *"Why are we born?" wonders Della, a question that haunts all the characters. Coplin offers no answers, only the hard certainties of labor and of love that is seldom enough to ease a beloved's pain. Yet the novel is so beautifully written, so alive to the magnificence of the land and the intricate mysteries of human nature, that it inspires awe rather than depression. Superb work from an abundantly gifted young writer * KIRKUS REVIEWS (USA) *There are echoes of John Steinbeck in this beautiful and haunting debut novel set in early-20th-century Washington State. * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY (USA) *The Orchardist is a stunning accomplishment, hypnotic in its storytelling power, by turns lyrical and gritty, and filled with marvels. * NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO (USA) *Many contemporary novelists have revisited the question of what constitutes a family, but few have responded in a voice as resolute and fiercely poetic. * NEW YORK TIMES (USA) *The best first novel of 2012 -- Alan Cheuse * CHICAGO TRIBUNE (USA) *a tender, rich, earthy novel...Coplin tells this story with a sensitivity to the workings of the human heart that manages to be rich with understanding while hardly ever courting condescension. She knows that there are aspects to human motivation about which, to borrow from Henry James, one should never say one knows the last word. By resisting temptation, Coplin has written a novel that is both wonderfully expansive and sharply focused. -- Matthew Adams * LITERARY REVIEW *The novel, which often has an epic feel to it, brings to life a fascinating era in American history and vividly depicts a unique set of characters to tell a story that includes action and excitement while at the same time exploring the soul of its protagonist. -- Jennifer Lafferty * THE EXAMINER (Ireland) *The Orchardist is a good first novel that bodes well for Coplin's future works. * SUNDAY BUSINESS POST *This accomplished debut novel by American writer Amanda Coplin is a powerful and deceptively complex tale of sorrow, yearning and humanity. * BIG ISSUES IN THE NORTH *The Orchardist is a good first novel that bodes well for Coplin's future works. * SUNDAY BUSINESS POST *This accomplished debut novel by American writer Amanda Coplin is a powerful and deceptively complex tale of sorrow, yearning and humanity. * BIG ISSUES IN THE NORTH *

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Book SynopsisA FRANK O'CONNOR AWARD-winning, simply stunning short-story collection by one of America's most critically acclaimed young writers.From the up-and-coming young American writer who has contributed to McSweeney's and written for THE NEW YORKER comes a masterful collection of short stories that has already received rave reviews from many of the most prominent writers working today. Some of the stories are comic masterpieces, some embody as dark a vision of the universe as you are likely to encounter, and all of them showcase a writer grappling with the great questions of modern life.Trade Reviewfew literary works have better demonstrated their veracity lately than this glorious collection -- Pankaj Mishra * FINANCIAL TIMES *Some of these stories are comic masterpieces, some embody as dark a vision of the universe as you are likely to encounter and all of them showcase a writer grappling with the great questions of modern life. * GRANTA *Englander has written a fine collection, as intricately patterned across its length as a novel, although its stories are set in various decades and locations... a book of cautious, crafted, crafty stories that catch you off guard again and again. * THE SUNDAY TIMES *This collection of short stories is covered with enthusiastic quotes from American literati. "This," you may think, "is either going to be fantastic or hyped nonsense." Thankfully, it's the former. * EMERALD STREET *A remarkable collection * THE GUARDIAN *The titular story - a twist on Raymond Carver's, of a similar name - jumps from brilliant Woody Allen-esque dialogue and comedy to darkness. * THE INDEPENDENT *Englander deals with powerful questions of morality, history and vengeance. * THE DAILY TELEGRAPH *His stories are moving and thought-provoking, pwerful and hilarious by turns. * NEWBOOKS magazine *An amusing and moving collection. * THE SUNDAY BUSINESS POST *This collection by one of America's best short-story writers displays his inimitable capacity to shock, sadden and simultaneously entertain in his explorations of Jewish history and politics. * THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH SEVEN Magazine *remarkable precision, agility and depth * BIG ISSUE IN THE NORTH *

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Book SynopsisMoney can buy you freedom. But what about happiness?When Jocelyne looks at herself in the mirror, she sees a middle-aged, married woman who runs a dressmaking shop in a small provincial French town and lives a very ordinary existence. But what happened to all those dreams she had when she was 17?Then she wins millions on the lottery and has the chance to change her life for ever. So why does she find herself reluctant to accept the money? To help her decide what to do, she begins to compile a list of her heart's desires, never suspecting for one moment that the decision might be taken out of her hands ...Trade ReviewThe List of My Desires is a gorgeous little novel that has sold more than half a million copies in its native France. It is as beautifully written as it is heart-breaking, and is a fable-like tale of how money can't buy happiness. * STYLIST *On the whole, Jocelyne is happy with her life: her dressmaking blog, her factory-worker husband, her children, her friends who dream of winning a fortune. And so when Jocelyne hits the Euromillions jackpot, she keeps it secret, writing a list of simple desires: getting her hair cut, buying a garage door. But while she appreciates the wisdom of being cautious, others don't... * SAINSBURY MAGAZINE *This charmingly Gallic look at how we evaluate our life and the potentially corrosive effects of money is reminiscent of The Elegance of the Hedgehog * THE BOOKSELLER *Gregoire Delacourt's cautionary tale looks at what happens when Jocelyne Guerbette unexpectedly finds herself in possession of a cheque for 18 million euros after winning the EuroMillions lottery. * LIVING FRANCE *This was a really interesting read, with a message about the dangers of money and that money doesn't bring you happiness....I give this book 9/10. * VINTAGE ROSE BOOK REVIEWS *This "gem of a novel" has been a huge success in France with massive sales and rights sold in 27 countries, and it does sound as though its story may 'chime' with many of us. * CORNFLOWER BOOKS *Gregoire Delacourt's fictional The List of My Desires asks what happens when we achieve our heart's desire, after its protagonist Jocelyne wins the EuroMillions lottery. * HARPER'S BAZAAR *This though-provoking debut from Gregoire Delacourt is a huge bestseller in France. * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *Impeccably translated from French by Anthea Bell, it's a sparkling and intriguing read...This is a very elegant novel. Its restraint is wonderful, with not a superfluous word. Grégoire Delacourt's keen eye pans deftly across the inner landscape of desire and longing, presenting a tender homage to almost unfashionable virtues - loyalty, duty, patience - without ever taking the high moral ground...These days, it is regarded as clichéd and hyperbolic to describe a novel as a tour de force. But I can't think of a more appropriate description for this book. * IRISH INDEPENDENT *The story feels very French. I'm not sure exactly what it is that gives it that French flavour. You can tell it's a book in translation, even though it's beautifully translated, but somehow there's something about the characters that oozes French-ness, if there is such a word! It's a lovely, quick read. The chapters are short, enticing you to read just one more, late into the night, and it's a fairly short book overall that fast readers could probably polish off on an uninterrupted sunny afternoon. * THE BOOK BAG *A sweet and poignant novella and its existential themes are redolent of that other French classic, The Little Prince. Beautifully written, readers will devour it in one sitting, turning the final page with one adage in their heads: the other man's grass is not always greener. * IRISH EXAMINER *A massive seller across Europe, this little book of Gallic charm is likely to warm British hearts too. * CHOICE *This moving novel about the search for happiness has already sold more than half a million copies in France. It's the story of 47-year-old Jocelyne, a haberdashery shop owner who lives in a provincial French town with her husband and two children. Her life is enjoyably simple until she wins 3 million euros in the lottery and everything changes when the cheque for her winnings disappears. This heart-breaking book is brilliantly written. -- Francesca Rice * MARIECLAIRE.CO.UK *In a short, bittersweet novel, the desires of the heart and the dilemmas of living are braided together with such tender humour and natural pathos that we become as bereft and beguiled as Jo herself. -- Iain Finlayson * SAGA *A novel about dreams and values, what is important and what is not, what we think we want and what we find we need, this is a sad but touching book...A wistful meditation on values and the search for happiness. * THE GOOD BOOK GUIDE *Brief, vignette chapters entice the reader to persist, persuing questions for potential book club discussion that are universally applicable: What is happiness, what can money buy, what happens to love? * LIBRARY JOURNAL (USA) *

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Book SynopsisA classic thriller set in Dorset after the Second World War, full of Household's signature action and suspense.An afternoon's shooting in the country seems a pleasant prospect to Roger Taine, a respected family man with a distinguished military record. But when he discovers a poacher on his land, he fires a warning blast that stops the intruder dead in his tracks.Investigating further, Taine inadvertently uncovers a new-fascist plot which he is determined to thwart. A series of car chases, aeroplane drops and cross-country scrambles sharpen the mystery, but the adventure takes a new twist when Taine discovers that he himself is being pursued by the police.

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Book SynopsisA brilliant story of espionage and disguise from the original master of spy fiction.From the author of the modern classic ROGUE MALEClaudio Howerd-Wolferstan is neither a communist nor a spy. Yet he breaks into a top-security Government hostel to retrieve the family treasure. With a spot secured on the wanted lists of both the British police and Russian communist leaders, he is forced to run from a charge of high treason. A master of disguise, he bluffs his way out of many a dangerous situation and outwits his pursuers. But how long can his luck last?The speed of Claudio's transformations from Spanish sailor to chimney-sweep, from elephant trainer to Indian guitarist give the chase a comical breathlessness. It is easy to understand why FELLOW PASSENGER is one of Household's own favourites.Trade ReviewThe best in his field since Buchan * OBSERVER *Household ... helped to develop the suspense story into an art form * NEW YORK TIMES *

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Book SynopsisMAX WALKER - BLUE-EYED BOY OR GIRL NEXT DOOR?'Terrific. A poignant, brave and important book. - S J WATSON'A gripping read. Tarttelin is a natural storyteller' MATT HAIG'Tarttelin broaches the topic of intersexuality bravely, describes the crimes committed against Max intensely, and evokes his ensuing emotions poignantly. A highly praised new author' WE LOVE THIS BOOKTo the outside world, Max Walker is a golden boy: a loving son and brother, the perfect student, captain of the football team and every girl's dream boyfriend. But Max was born intersex - neither fully boy nor fully girl. Now something terrible has happened to him, the consequences of which have left him questioning his gender identity. Can the people around him - his girlfriend, his classmates, his ambitious parents - accept him for who he is? Or will Max's secret tear his world apart?Trade ReviewTerrific. A poignant, brave and important book. * S J WATSON, author of Before I Go to Sleep *A gripping read. [Tarttelin] is a natural storyteller. -- Matt Haig * METRO *A warmly human coming-of-age story... [Max's] desperate search for identity is gripping, emotionally engaging, and genuinely unforgettable, as, indeed, is this accomplished first novel. * BOOKLIST (USA) *a coming-of-age story worth seeking out from a young author widely tipped for great things * DIVA *I knew I was really into this when I missed my stop on the bus! It's about gold-star pupil, Max, and his MP dad, who have to deal with a hidden family secret surfacing. * COMPANY *If a book with literary ambition should both inform and entertain, as well as make you see the world in a different way, if only slightly, then Tarttelin has certainly achieved that. -- Peter Raynard * LITRO *An original read about a young person in an extraordinary situation... Unlike anything you will have read before... Brave, unique and utterly compelling. This is a book that will certainly make you think about life. * HEAT MAGAZINE *Tarttelin broaches the topic of intersexuality bravely, describes the crimes committed against Max intensely, and evokes his ensuing emotions poignantly. A highly praised new author, her fresh, modern approach and contemporary writing style result in an inimitably of-the-moment novel which is beautifully matter-of-fact, eloquently meditative and fearlessly action-packed, all at once. * WE LOVE THIS BOOK *Golden Boy is an undeniably one of the most incredible books I have ever read...Such an important novel, one I wish everyone would read, one I feel should be read in schools. It's perfect, and I am so, so glad I've had the opportunity to read it. * www.onceuponabookcase.co.uk *An astonishingly good novel covering a rarely touched topic. * SO SO GAY *An original read about a young person in an extraordinary situation... Unlike anything you will have read before... Brave, unique and utterly compelling. This is a book that will certainly make you think about life. * HEAT MAGAZINE *Tarttelin broaches the topic of intersexuality bravely, describes the crimes committed against Max intensely, and evokes his ensuing emotions poignantly. A highly praised new author, her fresh, modern approach and contemporary writing style result in an inimitably of-the-moment novel which is beautifully matter-of-fact, eloquently meditative and fearlessly action-packed, all at once. * WE LOVE THIS BOOK *Golden Boy is an undeniably one of the most incredible books I have ever read...Such an important novel, one I wish everyone would read, one I feel should be read in schools. It's perfect, and I am so, so glad I've had the opportunity to read it. * www.onceuponabookcase.co.uk *

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Book SynopsisTehran, 1983. A city paralysed by fear, its people silenced. And the beating heart of the regime is Evin prison. Yet even within its walls three women dare to dream of a life beyond tyranny. Azar gives birth to her daughter in captivity. One day the guards simply take her child from her. Parisa yearns for her tiny son, growing up a few miles away but completely out of reach. And Firoozeh, broken by cruelty, has turned her back on everything she was fighting for.But even in the most desolate places hope can take root . . .Trade ReviewA brutally honest story of secrets, hope and endurance, revealing some of the truth behind a devastating period in Iran's history * THE GOOD BOOK GUIDE *

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Book SynopsisCommissioned by the BBC, and described by Dylan Thomas as 'a play for voices', UNDER MILK WOOD takes the form of an emotive and hilarious account of a spring day in the fictional Welsh seaside village of Llareggub. We learn of the inhabitants' dreams and desires, their loves and regrets. The play introduces us to characters such as Captain Cat who dreams of his drowned former seafellows and Nogood Boyo who dreams of nothing at all. It is a unique and touching depiction of a village that has 'fallen head over bells in love'. The First Voice narration reveals the ordinary world of daily happenings and events, while the Second Voice conveys the intimate, innermost thoughts of the fascinating folk of Llareggub.There have been myriad productions of UNDER MILK WOOD over the years and Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, Elizabeth Taylor, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Tom Jones have all starred in radio, stage or film adaptations.Dylan Thomas's classic radio play reprinted to celebrate the centenary of his birth. A true masterpiece that has never been out of print.

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Book SynopsisReconstructive facial surgery after a car crash so alters Manhattan model Charlotte that, within the fashion world, where one's look is oneself, she is unrecognizable. Seeking a new image, Charlotte engages in an Internet experiment that may both save and damn her. As her story eerily converges with that of a plain, unhappy teenager - another Charlotte - it raises tantalizing questions about identity and reality in contemporary Western culture.Jennifer Egan's bold, innovative novel, demonstrating her virtuosity at weaving a spellbinding, ambitious tale with language that dazzles, captures the spirit of our times and offers an unsettling glimpse of the future.Trade Review...a comic, richly imagined, and stunningly written exploration of the American obsession with self-invention. * New Yorker *Brilliantly unnerving. . . . A haunting, sharp, splendidly articulate novel. * The New York Times *Egan limns the mysteries of human identity and the stranglehold our image-obsessed culture has on us all in this complicated and wildly ambitious novel. * Newsweek *Ambitious, swiftly paced. . . . Egan writes with such shimmering élan that it?s easy to follow her cast on its journey. * The Wall Street Journal *Dark, hugely ambitious. . . . As riveting as a roadside wreck and noxiously, scathingly funny. * Elle *Egan's ability to move with ease between sincerity and satire sets Look at Me apart. . . . Her authentic-feeling details give a sense of unusual immediacy. * Vogue *Prescient and provocative. . . . The characters . . . jump from the pages and dare you to care about them. . . . The prose is crisp and precise. . . . The pieces fit together at the end with a satisfying click. * Philadelphia Inquirer *Enjoyable and promising. * Financial Times *After the success of Egan's 2011 Pulitzer-winning A Visit From The Goon Squad, this satire of identity and fame in modern culture is another wildly inventive and meticulously crafted piece of brilliance. * Stylist *Sharp, clever, complex... I can't do this 514-page novel justice in 242 words. It's funny and serious, dry, sly and wry. The writing is as pin-sharp as the perceptions. Read it. * Independent on Sunday *A prescient, pre-9/11 study of a society drowning in contrivances. * The Pulse *

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of I Capture the Castle and The Hundred and One Dalmatians, an unusual adventure in which humour and more than a touch of strangeness are inextricably blended. When Jane Minton arrives at Dome House as a secretary-housekeeper, she finds herself sharing the comfortable country home of four attractive young people. Their charming widower father, Rupert Carrington is too occupied with his London business to see very much of them. Richard, the eldest, is a composer; Clare, whose true talents (if they can be called that) have not yet disclosed themselves, dreams of courtly romance; Drew is collecting material for a novel; and Merry, still at school, has her heart set on a stage career. Jane is warmly welcomed into this happy household and feels her luck is too good to be true. However, the private world of Dome House is fated to break up as Rupert flees England under threat of prosecution for fraud. He asks Jane to break the news to the children, who must now fend for themselves, and to do what she can to help them. However, the Carringtons are extremely unusual young people and the story of the eclectic choices they make next is an absorbing and unpredictable one.

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Book SynopsisWritten using Donn Pearce's own experiences of working on a Florida chain gang, Cool Hand Luke is the classic tale of a quiet hero who refused to conform. Forced into a chain gang after a controversial career in the army, Lucas Jackson's outsized feats range from bizarre acts of gluttony and gambling - betting a fellow inmate he can eat 50 eggs - to harrowing escape attempts. Luke's acts of defiance and his refusal to 'git his mind right' soon make him a legend among his fellow convicts - a symbol of hope in a cruel regime designed to break a man's body and spirit. The original rebel, Luke's anti-hero personality makes him one of the seminal non-conformists - born to lose, but full of dignity. Cool Hand Luke was turned into a film in 1967, the year after its initial publication, starring Paul Newman. The screenplay, scripted by Donn Pearce himself, was nominated for an Academy Award.Trade ReviewThe most brutal and authentic account of a road gang that we have * New York Times *Reveals the author's extraordinary gift for rhythmic prose, tragic drama, and realism made larger than life * Publisher's Weekly *Cool Hand Luke is a classic tale of a hero refusing to toe the line. * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisDuring a summer festival in an English spa town Miles Quentin, a distinguished actor, and his devoted wife become friendly with the local MP Geoffrey Thornton, and his young daughters Robin and Kit. All of these attractive, intelligent and busy people seem untroubled at first. But the surface of their lives conceals problems which start to come to light after the Quentin's return to their London theatre world and the Thornton's to their Westminster home. This leads to an unconventional love story in which loyalty may prove more important than love. It Ends with Revelations deals with complex issues of love and commitment, while retaining elements of the light hearted comedy of I Capture The Castle and the nostalgic charm of The Town in Full Bloom. As ever, the vivacity of Dodie Smith's writing and the warmth of her characters will keep readers guessing until the last page.

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Book Synopsis‘All she wants is a new country, a new language, new food. New people, new stories ... She wants all this newness – which is as old as the hills – to encourage her, enclose her, remake her... She feels this, though she doesn’t really believe it.’ In these eleven stories, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne draws us into the lives of characters struggling to find equilibrium. Visited by change and crisis, they are forced to confront the stories that define their sense of themselves and their place in the world. Beautifully written and sharply observed, this dazzling and daring collection is a deft exploration of the complexities of human desire – its darkness, its incoherence, its potential to help us tell a new story.Trade ReviewLittle Red and Other Stories is a treasure chest, full of such jewels. -- Henrietta McKervey * Irish Independent *These stories are rooted in human feeling and authenticity … a gift to her readers -- John Boyne * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisThis collection of eleven stories by one of Ireland’s best writers is a compelling exploration of what comes from moving about the place. In these stories, Evelyn Conlon vividly imagines her characters all over the world: Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Italy, Monaco, in a house with two drills of vegetables in Skerries. A couple spend their lives wandering around the equator because of a lie they told during anti-apartheid days; one person holds out in a border-straddling tree; a woman from Hiroshima makes the decision to get pregnant; an Irishwoman attempts to assassinate Mussolini, another fights for women's suffrage in Australia. Brilliantly written, witty, and full of the sharp observation for which Conlon is well known, Moving About the Place brings together some of the best of her recent work, along with brand-new stories, including a novella, to show how borders, movement and history change and transform people’s lives. ‘A genuinely exploratory writer … her work is excitingly original.’ The Times ‘Sharp sinuous writing, full of controlled anger and suddenly opened passion.’ The Scotsman

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Book SynopsisOne morning a librarian finds a reader who has been locked in overnight. She begins to talk to him, a one-way conversation full of sharp insight and quiet outrage. As she rails against snobbish senior colleagues, an ungrateful and ignorant public, the strictures of the Dewey Decimal System and the sinister expansionist conspiracies of the books themselves, two things shine through: her unrequited passion for a researcher named Martin, and an ardent and absolute love for the arts. A delightful divertissement for the discerning bookworm...Trade Review'We're in Anita Brookner territory here ... Sophie Divry brilliantly captures the voice of a frustrated lady librarian past her prime' Katie Law, Evening Standard. * Evening Standard *'It's funny, sad, and agreeably discursive ... There isn't a dull page or even a dull sentence ... In short, this is a very accomplished and delightful debut' Allan Massie, Scotsman. * Scotsman *

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Book SynopsisMaría Margarita, a young woman who lives in a mining town in the heart of the Chilean Atacama desert in the 1960s, has had the gift of telling movies since she was a child.When a film starring Marilyn Monroe, Gary Cooper or Charlton Heston, or a Mexican feature packed with songs, arrives in the local village cinema, the exact change for a ticket is collected at María's house and she is sent to watch it. When María returns from the cinema, she tells the movie to her father, confined to a wheelchair, and to her four siblings, and soon she is telling the movie to a large and impatient public. Through this tender story, Hernán Rivera Letelier gives us the magical tale of village cinemas in their times of splendor - and of decadence.Translated from Spanish by Margaret Jull CostaTrade ReviewFor the first time and after many years, something new and originalin Latin American literature * Le magazine litteraire *Hernán Rivera Letelier is one of the most original voicesof the new Latin American narrative * El mundo *

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Book SynopsisIn 1929, Beattie Blaxland had dreams. Big dreams. She dreamed of a life of fashion and fabrics. One thing she never dreamed was that she would find herself pregnant to her married lover, just before her nineteenth birthday. In 2009, Emma Blaxland-Hunter was living her dream. A prima ballerina with the London Ballet, she had everything... Until the moment she lost it all. Separated by decades, both women must find the strength to rebuild their lives. A legacy from one to the other will lead to Wildflower Hill, a place where a woman can learn to stand alone long enough to realise what she really wants.Trade Review'A cosy winter essential and would be a great Christmas gift for anyone who enjoys a good saga' Bookbag. * Bookbag *'Evocatively written story ... about secret pregnancy and forbidden love' Australian Woman's Weekly. * Australian Woman's Weekly *'By the last satisfying scene, you may find yourself reluctantly parting with old friends who will live on once the cover has closed. Highly recommended' Historical Novels Review. * Historical Novels Review *'Beautiful' Image magazine. * Image magazine *'A gorgeous story of family and secrets and the redemptive power of love' Kate Morton. * Kate Morton *'Grips you from the outset ... heart-warming and inspirational ... It will stay with you long after you've turned the last page' Take A Break magazine. * Take A Break magazine *'A story of overwhelming love and heart-cracking loss that will keep you transfixed' Who Weekly. * Who Weekly *

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Book SynopsisTara Jupp is living out all our dreams: a pop star in Sixties London, surrounded by the glitterati. But can she succeed while holding on to who she is?Country girl Tara is whisked off to Sixties London to become a pop star; there she is dressed, she is shown off at Chelsea parties, photographed by the best. She meets songwriters, singers, designers, and records her song, and falls in love. But behind the buzz and excitement of her success, concern about her beautiful, wild sister Lucy and the bitter relationship with their friend Matilda haunts Tara. Their past friendship is broken, and among the deceptions and the strangeness of both their marriages, the buried secrets keep on reappearing. The brilliant new world of fashion and music, of mini skirts and rock 'n' roll, of the Marquee Club and The Palladium, is also one of love and heartache.Trade ReviewBrilliantly written, hugely engaging and full of glorious detail, this book is a must-read * Heat *A swoon of a read ... vintage style drips from every page * Elle *An absolutely smashing read * Marie Claire *Dense with detail and richly filmic in the way it sets vivid scenes and recreates clashes between the old and new * The Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisThe war to end all wars, people said in 1918. Not for long. By 1919, White Russians were fighting Bolshevik Reds for control of their country, and Winston Churchill (then Secretary of State for War) wanted to see Communism 'strangled in its cradle'. So a volunteer R.A.F. squadron, flying Sopwith Camels, went there to duff up the Reds. 'There's a splendid little war going on,' a British staff officer told them. 'You'll like it.' Looked like fun. But the war was neither splendid nor little. It was big and it was brutal, a grim conflict of attrition, marked by incompetence and corruption. Before it ended, the squadron wished that both sides would lose. If that was a joke, nobody was laughing.Trade Review'Brilliantly combines readability [and] pitch-black humour ... A bitterly funny evocation of the lunacies of war' Nick Rennison, BBC History. * BBC History *'A cracking yarn ... his attention to detail in action scenes cannot be faulted' Tina Moran, Daily Express. * Daily Express *'Robinson has a superlative talent for aerial combat ... With such epic action, characters, plot and dialogue, it's hard to believe that Robinson's work has yet to be filmed' Ian Irvine, Independent. * Independent *

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Book Synopsis"Trieste is a monumental feat of the imagination. Impassioned and lucid, it is impossible to read it and not come away with a new understanding of the world. Daša Drndic has given us a masterpiece that is not only brilliant, but uncompromisingly humane. How lucky we are" MAAZA MENGISTE, author of The Shadow King, shortlisted for the Booker Prize"Although this is fiction, it is also a deeply researched historical documentary . . . It is a masterpiece" A.N. Wilson, Financial Times"Trieste is a work of European high culture. Drndic is writing neither to entertain (her novel is splendid and absorbing nevertheless) nor to instruct (its subject, the Holocaust, is too intractable to yield lessons). She is writing to witness, and to make the pain stick" Craig Seligman, New York TimesAn old woman sits alone in Gorizia, north-eastern Italy. She is waiting to be reunited with her son. He was fathered by an S.S. officer and stolen from her sixty-two years before by the Nazi authorities during the German occupation. By focusing on the experiences of one individual, Drndic engages head-on with the traumatic history of WWII and the Holocaust and deals unsparingly with the massacre of Jews in Trieste's concentration camp. A literary collage comprising photographs, scraps of poetry, interviews and testimonies from the Nuremberg Trials, it is a formally daring work of immense power and scope.Translated from the Croatian by Ellen Elias-BursacTrade ReviewTrieste is a work of European high culture. Drndic is writing neither to entertain (her novel is splendid and absorbing nevertheless) nor to instruct (its subject, the Holocaust, is too intractable to yield lessons). She is writing to witness, and to make the pain stick. -- Craig Seligman * New York Times *Trieste is a monumental feat of the imagination. Impassioned and lucid, it is impossible to read it and not come away with a new understanding of the world. Daša Drndic has given us a masterpiece that is not only brilliant, but uncompromisingly humane. How lucky we are. -- MAAZA MENGISTE * author of The Shadow King, shortlisted for the Booker Prize *'Although this is fiction, it is also a deeply researched historical documentary ... It is a masterpiece' A.N. Wilson, Financial Times. * Financial Times *'Original, moving and beautifully translated and produced' Guardian. * Guardian *'A literary tour-de-force' Amanda Hopkinson, Independent. * Independent *'The multifarious elements that comprise Haya's story and its grand context are an incredibly dense and potent mixture' Daniel Dahn, Independent on Sunday. * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisWelcome to Borley Rectory, the most haunted house in England . . . The year is 1926 and Sarah Grey has landed herself an unlikely new job: personal assistant to Harry Price, London's most infamous ghost hunter. Equal parts brilliant and neurotic, Harry has devoted his life to exposing the truth behind England's many 'false hauntings', and never has he left a case unsolved. So when Harry and Sarah are invited to Borley, they're sure this case will be just like any other. But when night falls and still no artifice can be found, the ghost hunters are forced to confront an uncomfortable possibility: the ghost of Borley Rectory may be real . . .'Deliciously creepy' Herald'Another brilliant, all-absorbing tale from Neil Spring' 5* reader review'Prepare to be pleasantly scared' Metro'Chilling and tense' 5* reader reviewNOW A MAJOR ITV DRAMA STARRING RAFE SPALLTrade ReviewA deft, spooky psychological drama based on a true story * Daily Mail *Surprising, serpentine and clever * Sunday Times *A gloriously spooky tale, perfect for dark Autumn nights * Netmums *Prepare to be pleasantly scared * Metro *Genuinely spine chilling . . . an excellent blending of fact and fiction * Light Magazine *I was gripped by the supernatural menace and the gradual revelation of mysteries and secrets * Fortean Times *'Surprising, serpentine and clever' Sunday Times. * Sunday Times *Close the curtains, pull up a chair, open a book - and prepare to be pleasantly scared * Metro *A deft, spooky psychological drama based on a true story * Daily Mail *I was gripped by the supernatural menace and the gradual revelation of mysteries and secrets * Fortean Times *Genuinely spine chilling . . . an excellent blending of fact and fiction * Light Magazine *A gloriously spooky tale, perfect for dark Autumn nights * Netmums.com *

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Book Synopsis'Profoundly imagined characters, spiced with the off-kilter and deliciously mad . . . a work of great empathy and imagination' THE IRISH TIMESThe season's just begun at Seacliff Caravan Park, but none of the residents are having a good time. Frankie is haunted by his daughter's death. Vidas, homeless and far from Lithuania, seeks sanctuary in an abandoned caravan. Anna struggles to shake off the ghost of her overbearing mother. Kathleen struggles to accept her daughter for who she is. Malcolm, a failed illusionist, makes one final attempt to reinvent himself. Agatha Christie-obsessed Alma faces her toughest case yet as she tries to help them all find what they've lost.With trademark wit and playfulness, in this stunning linked short-story collection Jan Carson explores complex family dynamics, ageing, immigration, gender politics, the decline of the Church and the legacy of the Troubles. The Last Resort firmly places Carson as one of the most inventive and daring writers of her generation.'One of the most exciting and original Northern Irish writers of her generation' SUNDAY TIMESTrade ReviewProfoundly imagined characters, spiced with the off-kilter and deliciously mad . . . a work of great empathy and imagination - The Irish Times -- The Irish Times. . . stories filled with wit and humanity - Irish Independent -- Irish Independent

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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