Contemporary fiction titles are those which focus on the present or near past. Stories rooted in the current cultural, social, and political landscape which feature characters we can all recognise.
Contemporary Fiction Books
Austin Macauley Publishers Talent Show
Book Synopsis
£10.44
Austin Macauley Publishers Go East
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£7.59
Austin Macauley Publishers Lisas Ream
Book Synopsis
£12.39
Austin Macauley Publishers The Zodiak Assassins
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£6.99
Austin Macauley Publishers The Zodiak Assassins
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£10.44
Austin Macauley Publishers Hood 2 Good
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£6.99
Austin Macauley Publishers Tangled Web
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£16.99
Austin Macauley Publishers Tangled Web
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£11.69
Austin Macauley Publishers In Your Arms I Belong
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£14.11
Austin Macauley Publishers Let Life Intervene
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£10.79
Austin Macauley Publishers Two Baggy Suits an Accordion and the Alfa
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£9.49
Austin Macauley Publishers The Colour of Covid
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£11.69
Austin Macauley Publishers The World According to Dog and Cat
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£7.59
Austin Macauley Publishers The System
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£9.79
Austin Macauley Publishers Five Days in February
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£11.52
Austin Macauley Publishers The Wide Flat Land
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£9.49
Austin Macauley Publishers Crossing the Lagan
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£7.59
Austin Macauley Publishers All That Glisters
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£7.59
Austin Macauley Publishers When Life Changes
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£8.54
Austin Macauley Publishers Winds of Change
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£15.29
Austin Macauley Publishers Guru Pi
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£11.69
Austin Macauley Publishers In Every Season
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£10.66
Austin Macauley Publishers Die Zeit der Frau The Time of the Woman
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£8.54
Austin Macauley Publishers Adeodata
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£6.99
Austin Macauley Publishers Class Conflict
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£13.26
Austin Macauley Publishers Daisy Chain
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£11.69
Austin Macauley Publishers Der Wache Mann The Awake Man
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£5.99
Penguin Putnam Inc Tin Camp Road
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£13.59
WW Norton & Co Such Kindness
Book SynopsisA full-hearted parable of aspiration, loss and redemption from a literary master of working-class New England
£14.24
Simon & Schuster Ltd Into the Flames
Book Synopsis‘A ruthlessly efficient, consistently surprising whodunnit. The depiction of the glowering inferno is so realistic you’re surprised to find your eyebrows aren’t singed’ Mark Sanderson, The TimesA town under fire. A detective with something to prove. A killer hiding in plain sight. The small town of Rislake in the picturesque Blue Mountains is about to be engulfed by a major bushfire. The order has been given for the residents to clear out. But a last sweep uncovers one person is missing: Tracey Hilmeyer, wife of one of the firefighters tackling the blaze. Detective Kennard is in town to help with crowd control, but instead he finds himself driving straight towards the inferno to look for Tracey at the Hilmeyer home. When he gets there, he finds her dead at the bottom of the stairs, and it’s clear she was murdered. With the evacuation almost complete there
£10.44
Simon & Schuster Ltd Eye of the Beholder
Book Synopsis'Eerie, atmospheric' Louise Jensen'A haunting tale of intrigue' Emily Freud'Ruth Ware fans will eat this up' Publishers Weekly'Intricate and impressive' Daily MailIf beauty is in the eye of the beholder, how much can you trust what you see? When Maddy Wight is hired to ghostwrite the memoir of world-renowned cosmetic surgeon Angela Reynolds, she jumps at the chance to get her career back on track. But the deeper she digs, the more elusive the doctor becomes. Confined to Angela’s glass-walled house in the Scottish Highlands, Maddy can’t shake the unsettling feeling of being watched. As a result, she is drawn ever closer to Angela’s enigmatic business partner Scott, whose mercurial moods change as quickly as the darkening moors outside. Returning to London once the book is finished, Maddy is ex
£17.00
Orion Publishing Co Love Me Love Me Not
Book SynopsisDon''t miss the new novel from the Women''s Prize longlisted author of Careless''An emotional rollercoaster'' GRAZIA''A rare new talent'' THE GUARDIAN''''So real, and so very moving'' JESSICA RYN''A second heartfelt triumph'' ANSTEY HARRISLucy Banbury is fine. Until she isn''t...Lucy Banbury isn''t the sort of person that everyone gets along with - she''s prickly and secretive, and she likes things ordered ''just so''. But things couldn''t be going better for her - she swims three times a week, she''s on the cusp of a huge promotion at work and she''s dating someone perfect on paper.But when she discovers at a family wedding that she''s adopted, her whole world is shattered. Those cracks she''s taken years to plaster over are beginning to surface and she''s not sure how much longer she can keep all her secrets hidden,
£13.49
Orion Publishing Co The Clockwork Girl
Book Synopsis''Historical fiction with a fantastical twist, done with verve and skill'' IAN RANKIN''An atmospheric and constantly surprising thriller'' SUNDAY TIMES''Kept me guessing until the end. An absolute masterpiece'' JENNIFER SAINT''A deliciously dark historical novel of thrilling originality'' ESSIE FOX''Spellbinding, gripping, immersive and deliciously gothic'' ERIN KELLY''Evocative, chilling, compelling'' TAMMY COHEN''Breathtakingly good'' ABIR MUKHERJEEParis, 1750.In the midst of an icy winter, as birds fall frozen from the sky, chambermaid Madeleine Chastel arrives at the home of the city''s celebrated clockmaker and his clever, unworldly daughter.Madeleine is hiding a dark past, and a dangerous purpose: to discover the truth of the clockmaker''s experiments and record his every move, in exchange for her own chance of freedom.For as children quietly vanish fTrade ReviewIt's rarely I come across a book that astounds me. The Clockwork Girl byAnna Mazzola is one such book. Engrossing plot, vivid characters, attention to historical detail, and above all the beauty of its prose. It is breathtakingly good * Abir Mukherjee *This book has everything I love. A deliciously dark historical novel of thrilling originality. Immensely clever and entertaining, this is a dazzling gothic novel where science, sin and subterfuge are as intricately rendered as the workings of a clock * Essie Fox *Evocative, chilling, compelling. Anna Mazzola brings 18th Century Paris vividly to life in all its stinking, disease-ridden brutality. Tremendous * Rachel Rhys/Tammy Cohen *The Clockwork Girl instantly draws you in, immersing the reader in a Paris of filth and greed, money and sin. Madeleine is a clever, captivating guide to this world, her story dark and bewitching. I loved itRarely have I been so utterly swept away by the opening pages of a novel as I was with The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola - this book hooked me in and didn't let go. 1750 Paris was exquisitely wrought, from the freezing and fetid underbelly of the back streets and brothels to the glittering decadence of Versailles. This intricate and twisting story kept me guessing until the end. An absolute masterpiece! * Jennifer Saint *Unbelievably immersive - from the first page you are plunged into 18th century Paris and you won't want to leave. It is a gripping, gothic tale... three unforgettable women caught in a web of intrigue and murders. You really won't want to miss this. * Elodie Harper *Deliciously creepy, alive with the rustling silks, rotten smells and lethal egos of a divided Paris. Loved it * Sarah Hilary *'Anna Mazzola's new novel is a macabre tale of social upheaval and aristocratic skullduggery set against a beautifully evoked 1750s Paris. Mazzola immerses us in the political intrigues of the period, weaving a dark tale of vanished children, an obsessive genius, and courtly machinations. Told through the voices of three very differing women this is another accomplished slice of historical noir from a sure-footed exponent of the genre * Vaseem Khan *A superb historical novel set in a brilliantly evoked 18th century Paris, The Clockwork Girl will delight and enthral and leave you wanting more * William Ryan *Drawing you into 18th century Paris from the very first page, this book is a dark delight. Anna is uniquely amazing at letting you into her characters' heads & hearts, so you carry on thinking about them long after you stop reading... A Gothic gem * Beth Underdown *A treat in store for lovers of historical fiction next March. The Clockwork Girl is vivid & meticulously detailed. From the filth of Paris to the surprisingly squalid salons of Versailles in 1750, Anna Mazzola has crafted this dark jewel of a novel with the precision of a watchmaker...Glittering macabre * Kate Griffin *Spellbinding, gripping, immersive and deliciously gothic, I was happy to lose a whole weekend to THE CLOCKWORK GIRL. Beautiful prose brings the smells of 18th century Paris to life so vividly that you almost read the book with a scented handkerchief under your nose. No one gets under history's skin like Anna Mazzola. * ERIN KELLY *A chilling tale * WOMAN & HOME *Chilling and compelling, this is a gothic masterpiece that fans of historical fiction will love * S MAGAZINE, SUNDAY EXPRESS *Conjuring up a world of sin and danger, this intoxicating historical mystery is brilliantly original * HEAT *An inventive historical mystery. Gloriously gothic. * BEST *Captivating * THE I *
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co The Favourite
Book Synopsis''WOW! If this isn''t a book to brag about I don''t know what is... I started The Favourite late last night. Never did I anticipate I would be closing the book at 3am left in complete shock... This book was insane! It was twisted, it was heart-breaking but it was so darn good! A must-read... I strongly encourage you to pre-order this book!'' Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Her teacher''s pet, or his worst nightmare?Jessica Mooney seems like any other student at her university. She''s talented, driven, and looks set to be this year''s ''favourite'' in charismatic Professor Crane''s Law and Literature class. But unlike the other students competing for his good opinion, Jessica isn''t what she seems. She''s carrying a dark secret.Her sister is dead. Crane''s to blame. And she''s the only one who can bring him to justice.Will Jessica be able to get the answers and justi
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co The Queens Governess
Book SynopsisThe revealing story of Queen Elizabeth II's beloved governess, Marion Crawford, who spent sixteen years of her life in loyal service to the royal family and was later shunned by those she has loved and served. Perfect for fans of The Crown and Lady in Waiting by Anne Glenconner.
£13.49
Orion Publishing Co The Lifeline
Book Synopsis''I loved this book - could not put it down'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''A joy to read... I really did love every page of this book'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''An easy five stars'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Everybody needs saving sometimes...For Kate, having a newborn baby means she is almost never alone. But that doesn''t mean she isn''t lonely. The move from London to Somerset with her husband Jay was supposed be the start of an exciting new chapter. But sometimes she can''t help but wonder if she turned the pages too soon . . . Phoebe needs help. As a mental health nurse serving her community, the wellbeing of her patients has always come before her own. Yet there''s only so long she can pour from an empty cup. Looking for a lifeline, Kate and Phoebe find a sense of community - and each other - through their local river swimming group. But when things get tough, th
£999.99
Orion Publishing Co The Bell Tower
Book Synopsis LIFE ON DEATH ROW TAKES ITS TOLL.UNTIL YOU CAN''T TAKE IT ANYMORE... Death Row duty comes with three simple rules: Do not make it personal Do not question the system Do not take justice into your own handsGarrett Nelson will break every one of them. Injured during a drug bust, Deputy Garrett Nelson finds himself out of the Sheriff''s Department. Uncertain of his future, he takes a job at a Florida Penitentiary. Situated on the grounds of an old Spanish mission, the bell tower is now an execution chamber. After a dangerous manhunt for escaped convicts through the Everglades, Nelson''s belief in the justice system is tested to the limit. In a heartbreaking conflict of duty versus conscience, he must decide whether he''s willing to let the State execute an innocent man, or risk his own life and family in order to find the truth.Gripping and heart-breaking by turns, and beautifu
£18.70
Orion Publishing Co Sylvias Second Act
Book Synopsis''Hilarious, heartwarming and delightfully refreshing'' CAROL KIRKWOOD''I loved this joyous romp about starting afresh late in life'' DAILY MAIL''Will put a twinkle in your eye and a spring in your step. Fabulous fun!'' VERONICA HENRY''A feel-good tale of second chances. Heartwarming!'' THE TIMESGrowing older doesn''t just mean growing wiser.But it does mean a lot of fun...When 63-year-old Sylvia finds her husband in bed with another woman, she''s shocked and furious . . . at first. But by the time her head stops spinning, Sylvia realises she hates the retirement community she''s living in - it''s for old people. And she certainly doesn''t feel old!So, she enlists the help of her best friend, glamorous 70-year-old widow Evie, and the pair flee to Manhattan to start a new life in the city that never sleeps. Sylvia''s husband may have lost her life savings, but they''re scrappy
£17.00
Orion Publishing Co A Court of Betrayal
Book Synopsis'Anne O'Brien gets right inside the heads of her characters!' JOANNA HICKSON'A terrific storyteller' THE DAILY TELEGRAPHALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR...The Welsh Marches, 1301 Strong-willed heiress Johane de Geneville is married to Richard Mortimer, Earl of March, at just fifteen years old. Soon Johane finds herself swept up in a world of treacherous court politics and dangerous secrets as her husband deposes Edward II and rules England alongside Queen Isabella. Yet when Richard is accused of treason, she is robbed of her freedom and must survive catastrophic events in her fight for justice - with her life, and her children's, hanging in the balance...Will she pay for her husband's mistakes, or will she manage to escape from a terrible fate?,
£17.00
Orion Publishing Co There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
Book Synopsis''What a lovely quirky read- a romance between a lighthouse keeper and a teacher.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''I fell in love with the characters straight away'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''This was a lovely book which had me laughing and crying.'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐How do you find love . . . when you have the loneliest job in the world?This is the story of Gayle and Martin, who fall in love over the course of ten years- over a yearly visit to a tiny, isolated island off the Welsh coast. Gayle is a teacher and each year she brings her class to the island to see the local flora and fauna, from sea birds to playful seals. Martin, the island''s caretaker and only human resident, lives in and maintains the lighthouse, which opens to the public for just this one day a year. Gayle is effervescent but feels trapped, while Martin is lonely and isolated. As their love slowly builds over tTrade ReviewIt made me laugh out loud, cry, yell at the characters in places (eg Gayle when she was under the spell of awful, soulless Tom)... you get the picture. I also loved it because it was one of those books that's quick and easy to read, yet has substance. I loved the blend of so many different elements: modern humour; great characterisation; a genuinely moving love story; the individual growth of both Gayle and Martin as they struggled to figure out what mattered to them; the beautiful descriptions of the natural world; the heartbreaking theme of humans' attitude to the environment; plus the audaciously whimsical device of Bruce (love Bruce) - it really had it all in spades. And in the right balance so that it was neither depressing nor frothy. It was wonderful * Tracy Rees *This book is heartwarming, captivating and a thumping good love story. David M. Barnett is great at creating relatable characters and celebrating the heroic in ordinary lives * Matt Cain *I truly loved it! It's a gorgeous, sweeping love story, with some fabulous quirks (including the talking seal!) which really makes you think about happiness, love and the potentially devastating impact loneliness can have on your life. It truly was a magical story with light, dark and all the shades in between. A triumph. * Clare Swatman *
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co Im Fcking Amazing
Book SynopsisGenuinely new, bold and fascinating - Deborah Frances-White, author of The Guilty FeministLaugh-out-loud funny, brutally honest - Lisa Hall, author of Between You and MeRaw, funny, visceral and heartbreaking - Cressida McLaughlin, author of The StaycationA narrator you''ll fall in love with - Holly Williams, author of What Time is Love?Maybe fannies and long-term love just don''t work well together . . .Hers used to work perfectly. It found her fingerings, orgasms and love. But now, as she moves into her thirties completely committed to Serious Boyfriend Number Three...It can''t get wet.It hurts.It might be broken.Surely there must be some way to get it going again?Setting off on a desperate quest to fix her fanny, there''s no limit to what she''ll try. But nothing seems to be working...What becomes of happily-ever-after for a w
£17.00
Orion Publishing Co Invitation to Italy
Book SynopsisAbi is distraught when her ex-husband Alex takes their twelve-year-old daughter, Chloe to spend the summer with his glamorous fiancée Marisa and her parents at their home on the beautiful Italian island of Procida. Persuaded by her best friend to book a holiday at the island''s Hotel Paradiso, Abi finally meets the woman she''s been avoiding for so long. Will the two women''s strained relationship survive the summer? One-time teenage swimming sensation, Loretta, has run the Hotel Paradiso since leaving Capri broken-hearted. When childhood friend Salvo comes to stay, Loretta is forced to confront her past and the fears that have kept her away from the water for forty years. But just as she finds the courage to open her heart, she discovers all is not as it seems with Salvo... It''s a summer of new beginnings for Abi and Loretta - and one they will never forget.
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co Disturbance
Book Synopsis''Wonderfully witchy and emotionally astute'' Chloë Ashby''Unsettling and atmospheric'' Harriet Tyce ''Bloody brilliant'' Clare PollardPropulsive and wry, this razor-sharp debut is perfect for fans of Boy Parts and My Year of Rest and Relaxation explores all the ways that relationships and trauma can haunt our lives.As the sun sets on a feverishly hot July evening, a young woman spies on her teenage neighbour, transfixed by what looks like an occult ritual to banish an ex-boyfriend. Desperate to expel the claustrophobic memories of her own ex that have followed, the narrator decides to try to hex herself free from her past. She falls in with the neighbour and her witchy friend, exploring nascent supernatural powers as the boundaries of reality shift in and out of focus. But when the creaks and hums of her apartment escalate into something more violent, she realizes that she may have brought her boyfriend''s pr
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co Open Season
Book SynopsisA breathtaking novel that gets under the skin of the complexities of love, sex and human nature-Katie Bishop, author of THE GIRLS OF SUMMERA perceptive book about intimacy and desire that feels zingy, original, fresh-Chloë Ashby, author of SECOND SELFTender, shimmering, elegant, and true... thoughtful and sensual, sexy and cerebral-Laura Barnett, author of THE VERSIONS OF USEvery relationship has rules. What if they all changed?Hura and Cillian have a happy, secure marriage and are on the brink of planning a family. But when Hura''s teaching career gets derailed, they decide it''s time to explore a fantasy: opening up their relationship.Roses has never been monogamous. Her connection with elusive James-who works all hours as a junior doctor-is electric, and they''re falling for each other. But both have secrets that make intimacy feel dangerous, and in a bid to reassert her independen
£17.00
Orion Publishing Co One of Our Kind
Book Synopsis''Your bookclub will be discussing this one for DAYS''-Jodi Picoult, author of SMALL GREAT THINGSGet Out meets The Stepford Wives in #1 New York Times best-selling author Nicola Yoon''s first adult novel. When Jasmyn Williams and her husband King realise they''re expecting their second child, they decide to move to the town of Liberty, California hoping to find a community of like-minded people, where their growing family can thrive in a majority-Black environment. King settles in at once, embracing the Liberty ethos, including the luxe wellness centre at the top of the hill which proves to be the heart of the community. But Jasmyn struggles to find her place. She expected to find liberals and social justice activists striving for racial equality, but Liberty residents seem more focused on booking spa treatments and ignoring the world''s troubles. Then, as Jasmyn gets further into her pregnancy, she discovers a terrible secret that turns
£17.00
Orion Publishing Co Fifty Minutes
Book SynopsisThis is one helluva read. Incredibly raw and visceral - Harriet Tyce, author of BLOOD ORANGEThought-provoking and honest - Winnie Li, author of COMPLICITA page-turner - Louise Dean, author of BECOMING STRANGERSI couldn''t put it down - Tasha Coryell, author of LOVE LETTERS TO A SERIAL KILLERA riveting study of power and control... - Louisa Reid, author of THE POETKeeps the reader on their toes in the best way - Kate Riordan, author of THE HEATWAVETherapy was meant to solve her problems, not make them worse...Smart twenty-year-old Dani is desperate to overcome her eating disorder, leave her dead-end job and return to her hard-won place at university. Using her limited earnings, she decides to start seeing a psychotherapist.Richard Goode is educated, sophisticated and worldly-everything Dani aspires to be. As he intuitively unpicks her self-loathi
£18.70
Orion Publishing Co A Love Like the Sun
Book Synopsis''Extraordinary... a raw, vulnerable, breath-stealing love you can feel as you read'' Emily Henry''Dazzling, tender, and romantic'' Carley FortuneWe''ve always been best friends... but what if we were more?Laniah and Isaac have been best friends since childhood, and they couldn''t be more different. She''s a homebody who runs a small natural hair store with her mum. He''s an international influencer with the paparazzi on his tail. When Issac comes home for the first time in months and discovers Laniah and her mum are struggling to keep their business afloat, she refuses to take a dime from him. And so, he does what any self-respecting best friend would do: tells the world they''re dating.Suddenly business is booming, and Laniah reluctantly agrees to pretend to be lovers for the course of the summer. Just long enough to catch the eye of an investor and get her dream back on track.But as the lines betwe
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co In Your Dreams Holden Rhodes
Book SynopsisThe deal is simple: the grumpy guy will pay off my debt if I find him a wife.Holden Rhodes is grouchy, unfairly hot, and has hated me for years. He''s the last person I''d choose to inherit an inn with. As we renovate the inn and put his dating skills to practice, though, I see a different side of him. What if I was all wrong about Holden?When we add ''friends with benefits'' to the deal, our chemistry is so hot the sparks could burn down the inn. Holden''s a secret romantic, and I''m secretly falling for him. I''m terrible at bartending, a video of a bear stealing my?toywent viral, and everyone in this small town knows my business, but Holden Rhodes is so much more than I expected. I don''t want him to find love with anyone but me. A grumpy-sunshine, friends-with-benefits, small-town romantic comedy with lots of spice and an HEA. This is book 3 in the Queen''s Cove series but can be read as a standalone.
£9.49
