Contemporary Fiction Books

Book Synopsis ‘Chillingly compelling and expertly assembled. An immersive piece of thriller writing of the sort late-night-reading binges are made of’ B. P. WALTER  ‘Dark, intense, and expertly crafted. Kate Rhodes delivers exactly what I look for in a gripping thriller’ RACHEL ABBOTT She thinks she understand stalkers. Until she becomes a target . . .  Elly is an expert in stalking – an academic at Cambridge University and a popular media pundit. She knows the subject intimately: what motivates a stalker, how they behave, how to rehabilitate them. But now it’s personal. Someone is following her, making silent phone calls and sending her ominous notes. The message is always the same – me or you. Elly can’t trust anyone – not her family, her friends or her colleagues. She knows that her stalker must be someone close to her. And when the

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Book Synopsis ‘Chillingly compelling and expertly assembled. An immersive piece of thriller writing of the sort late-night-reading binges are made of’ B. P. WALTER  ‘Dark, intense, and expertly crafted. Kate Rhodes delivers exactly what I look for in a gripping thriller’ RACHEL ABBOTT She thinks she understand stalkers. Until she becomes a target . . .  Elly is an expert in stalking – an academic at Cambridge University and a popular media pundit. She knows the subject intimately: what motivates a stalker, how they behave, how to rehabilitate them. But now it’s personal. Someone is following her, making silent phone calls and sending her ominous notes. The message is always the same – me or you. Elly can’t trust anyone – not her family, her friends or her colleagues. She knows that her stalker must be someone close to her. And when the

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Book Synopsis''Reid is the talent to whom every smart young novelist who follows her will be compared - or hope to be.'' - Meg MasonMichaela and Eve are two bright, bold women who befriend each other in their first year at a residential college at university, where they live in adjacent rooms. They could not be more different; one assured and popular - the other uncertain and eager-to-please. But something happens one night in Orientation week - a drunken encounter, a foggy memory that will force them to confront the realities of consent and wrestle with the dynamics of power.Initially bonded by their wit and sharp eye for the colleges'' mix of material wealth and moral poverty, Michaela and Eve soon discover how fragile friendship is, and how capable of betrayal they both are.Written with a strikingly contemporary voice that is both wickedly clever and incisive, Love & Virtue explores issues of consent, feminism, class, and institutional privilege, aTrade ReviewDiana Reid will be called the new Sally Rooney - you're certain of it by the end of page one. By the end of this real, raw and startling novel, you know Reid is the talent to whom every smart young novelist who follows her will be compared - or hope to be. * Meg Mason, author of Sorrow and Bliss *Reid's prose interrogates everything we think we know about love. Heartfelt and unputdownable, this is a remarkably self-assured debut. * Victoria Hannan, author of Kokomo *It is not enough to say Love & Virtue heralds the arrival of a new literary talent: Reid is intensely incisive and brilliant. * Sarah Schmidt, author of See What I Have Done *A fierce new voice at just the right moment, shining a light on consent and class with clarity and grace. * Inga Simpson, author of Where The Trees Were and Understory *I have been chewing on this book for days now. Compelling reading. So well written. Complex. I keep turning it over in my mind and I want to talk about it! * Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites *

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Book SynopsisMy arrogant fake fiancé? I can''t stand him. Cocky and charismatic Emmett Rhodes isn''ta relationship kind of guy, but now that he''s running for mayor of our small town, his bachelor past is hurting the campaign. Thankfully, I''m the last woman who would?everfall for him. We''re total opposites-he''s a golden retriever and I''ma black cat, but he''ll co-sign on my restaurant loan if I play his devoted fiancée. Between romantic dates, a prom night re-do, and visits to a secret beach, things heat up, and the line between real and ruse is lit on fire. I''m starting to see another side of Mr Popular, and now I wonder if I was all wrong. We can''t keep our hands off each other, but it''s all for show... right? A hilarious, enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating romantic comedy with lots of spice and an HEA. This is the first book in the Queen''s Cove series and can be read as a standalone.

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Book Synopsis''A meaty comedy with a bleeding heart, highly recommended for all animals who read''Joshua Cohen, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The NetanyahusHerschel Caine is a soon-to-be master of the universe. His hedge fund, built on the miracle of machine learning, is inches away from systematically extracting obscene profits from the market.But on the night of 12 May, at his elegant Brooklyn townhouse, he has something else on his mind - the dinner party he and his wife have devised to woo their new A-list neighbours. When the evening fizzles, Herschel indulges in a devilish prank that goes horrifically awry, plunging him into a tailspin of guilt and regret. As his tightly constructed world starts to unravel, he clings to the moral clarity he finds in the last place he''d expect: a sudden connection with a neighbourhood dog.In The Vegan, Andrew Lipstein challenges our notions of virtue with a brilliant tale of guilt, greed, and how far we''

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Book SynopsisCollected for the first time, these three previously unpublished Dune novellas by bestselling authors Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson shine a light upon the darker corners of the Dune universe. Spanning space and time, Sands of Dune is essential reading for any fan of the series.The world of Dune has shaped an entire generation of science fiction. From the sand blasted world of Arrakis, to the splendor of the imperial homeworld of Kaitain, readers have lived in a universe of treachery and wonder.Now, these stories expand on the Dune universe, telling of the lost years of Gurney Halleck as he works with smugglers on Arrakis in a deadly gambit for revenge; inside the ranks of the Sardaukar as the child of a betrayed nobleman becomes one of the Emperor''s most ruthless fighters; a young firebrand Fremen woman, a guerrilla fighter against the ruthless Harkonnens, who will one day become Shadout Mapes.

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Book SynopsisSad, happy, deluded, genius:meet Kimberly.''Unique and smart'' Emma Gannon''I loved it'' Laura Kay''Weird and witty'' Chloë Ashby''Comic'' GuardianMaybe my main character will slowly lose their mind too. Novels usually need an abandoned woman going crazy in them. An Australian expat in Berlin, Kim is jobless, rootless, and - as she''s slowly discovering - somewhat useless.That is until a chance encounter with Matthew, a hotshot New York literary agent, gives Kim the direction she''s been craving. This year she will:* Finally write her novel* Decide what said novel is actually about* Romantically pin down the increasingly flighty Matthew* Be less jealous of sharing attention with best friend Bel''s baby* Convince her therapist that the amount of artichokes she eats doesn''t classify as an eating disorder* Stay sane in the process of achieving tTrade ReviewTake Hannah Horvarth's endearing naivety and Kirstin Wiig's loveable kookiness and you have the hilarious new protagonist Kim - you can't help but root for her. Unique and smart with wry humour that will make you laugh out loud. I enjoyed following (and re-living) the trials and tribulations of being a 20-something writer desperate to prove herself to the world -- Emma GannonPip Finkemeyer has drawn such a unique, funny and painfully astute character in Kim. I could keep reading her inner monologue forever. It is rare to pick up a novel so simultaneously hilarious and moving. I loved it. -- Laura Kay, author of The SplitWhat a voice - weird, witty, wonderfully unique. SAD GIRL NOVEL will make you laugh and move you, too. A winning combination. -- Chloe Ashby, author of Wet PaintWhile Kimberley Mueller spends a lot of time wondering whether she's talented, Finkemeyer need have no such doubts. Finkemeyer's narrator--with her gift for both self-delusion and self-awareness--is a stroke of genius. Sad Girl Novel achieves all we can ask of contemporary fiction: it mocks and sympathises in equal measure. I closed it feeling better able to laugh at myself -- Diana Reid, author of Love & VirtueTold through the eyes of Kim, a twenty-something Australian navigating the complexities of love, friendship, and mental health in Berlin, this novel will have you laughing, crying and wanting more. A book about finding yourself, losing yourself and everything in between, Finkemayer will draw you in with her stark realism and heartbreaking honesty. * The Urban, Australia *A captivating novel . . . Finkemeyer has an irreverent voice that will have you reaching for a pen to underline every second sentence. Sad Girl Novel will appeal to literary fiction readers who enjoyed Ottessa Moshfegh's My Year of Rest and Relaxation and Sally Rooney's Beautiful World, Where Are You. * Books + Publishing *

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Book SynopsisTaylor and Travis.Jennifer and A-Rod.Marilyn and Joe. When a professional athlete and a megawatt star fall in love, the world becomes obsessed...Now it''s time to meet Lacey and Jimmy.With four chart-topping albums, Lacey Logan is a superstar whose life no longer feels like her own, her every move photographed, videoed and dissected. Lacey skilfully governs her narrative throughout it all, an expert at showing fans and paparazzi only exactly what she wants them to see. But when she discovers her boyfriend is hiding some devastating secrets, she begins to lose her confidence, and her control over her own story.Then big shouldered baseball player Jimmy Hodges walks into the bar where she''s venting to a friend. With his shaggy beard and unfashionable button-down, Jimmy is the opposite of the picture-perfect guy Lacey thinks she wants. And yet she finds herself drawn to him. For the first time in her life, Lacey''s doing thin

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Book SynopsisSometimes the truth is found in a folktale.1932. Cumberland Island off the coast of Southern Georgia is a strange place to encounter the opulence of the Gilded Age, but the last vestiges of the famed philanthropic Carnegie family still take up brief seasonal residence in their grand mansions there. This year’s party at Plum Orchard is a lively group: young men from some of America’s finest families who come to experience the area’s hunting beside a local guide, a beautiful debutante expecting to be engaged by the week’s end, and a promising female artist who believes she has meaningful ties to her wealthy hosts. But when temptations arise and passions flare, an evening of revelry and storytelling goes horribly awry. Lives are both lost and ruined.1959. Reclusive painter Cleo Woodbine has lived alone for decades on Kingdom Come, a tiny strip of land once occupied by the servants for the great houses on nearby Cu

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Book SynopsisWhen a mysterious teenager shows up in Nub’s life in rural Alabama, he learns that family, forgiveness, and kindness can be found in the most unlikely of places.Trade ReviewKinfolk is the Southern story you've been waiting for. * Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea *Dietrich's latest gem combines his trademark wit and compassion. Using short, unadorned sentences, there is a timeless universality to the way in which he conjures ordinary people scarred by hardscrabble lives. His prose has a familiarity and gentle reverence for his cast members, allowing each their moment in the sun. Minnie's artistic coming-of-age is profound and uplifting, while Nub's life-changing decision puts him back in touch with his feelings and those of everyone around him. Reminiscent of his previous novels, and skillfully date-stamped in the early Seventies, Dietrich's keen observations of his native Alabama underscore a natural love of life-affirming storytelling. * Historical Novel Society *Sean Dietrich has a lovely, seasoned voice that's anchored by his deep understanding of the charm and depth of the South. Kinfolk, the latest in his oeuvre, is a heartwarming and well-told tale with lyrical writing that's as rich as my mother's grits casserole. I'm left satisfied, uplifted, and perhaps a little homesick too. * Boo Walker, bestselling author of A Spanish Sunrise *Sean Dietrich is a master at creating Southern characters who are relatable in their brokenness, hope, and perseverance. Laugh-out-loud colloquialisms bring sincerity and realism to small-town life. Kinfolk spins both a heartbreaking and heartwarming tale about family, redemption, second chances, and the power of love that moves us all. * Jennifer Moorman, bestselling author of The Baker’s Man *

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Book Synopsis2023 Target Book of the Year FinalistPerfect for fans of Rebecca Serle''s One Italian Summer and Josie Silver''s The Two Lives of Lydia Bird.Can the entire course of a life be traced back to a single instant? And can hope be found in every moment after?On a coveted two-week beach vacation, working mom Kate Baker''s nine-year-old daughter, Olivia, vanishes suddenly among the waves--a heart-dropping incident that threatens to uproot her entire reality. But in the next moment, Olivia resurfaces, joyously splashing.What would I do if she didn''t come up? Kate wonders. How would I live without her?In another set of circumstances that hold a different fate, Kate doesn''t have to wonder. Because in that other world, in the pulse-pounding seconds after Olivia goes under, she doesn''t come back up.Told in parallel timelines, Kate begins to live two lives--one in whTrade ReviewIntriguing, thought-provoking . . . Rea Frey breathes life into universal themes concerning love, family, parenthood, forgiveness, grief, and second chances. * The New York Journal of Books *

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Book SynopsisA small Southern town. An ordinary Saturday night. A little boy disappears without a trace.Everyone in Wynotte, North Carolina, knows the name Davy Malcor. Knows the video clip of him juggling four balls, All at the very same time! Knows the Marty McFly jacket his mother made for his birthday that he wore proudly, and often. But no one knows what happened to him the night he went missing more than twenty years ago.When the jacket is unexpectedly uncovered, the cold case reopens, and Davy''s family is thrust into yet another media storm. But at the heart of the story are four people forever changed by one single night: Thaddeus Malcor, Davy''s older brother, created the life of his dreams by writing a bestselling memoir about his family''s experience and is enjoying success and notoriety as a result, even if the memoir doesn''t quite reveal the whole story. Tabitha Malcor, his mother, is divorced and living alone, advocating for victims'' rights and fai

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND RADIO 2 SUMMER BOOK CLUB PICK''The new Little Fires Everywhere . . . The perfect summer read'' STYLIST''Stunning! An absolutely brilliant, gorgeously-written novel. A must-read for our time'' LISA TADDEO''Immersive and deeply moving'' ANNA HOPE''I absolutely adored it'' LIANE MORIARTY*Features an extract from Mary Beth Keane''s new novel The Half Moon!*_____________Two ordinary families. One life-changing day . . .When the Gleesons and the Stanhopes become neighbours, lonely Lena Gleeson wants a friend. But Anne Stanhope - cold, elegant, unstable - wants to be left alone.It''s left to their children - Lena''s youngest, Kate, and Anne''s only child, Peter - to find their way to one another.To form a friendship whose resilience and love will be almost broken by the fault line dividing both families, and a Trade ReviewStunning! An absolutely brilliant, gorgeously-written novel by a fearless writer. Ask Again, Yes is both haunting and hopeful, like life itself. It's the consummate epic family story, one I can't stop thinking and talking about. A must-read for our time * Lisa Taddeo, author of Three Women *The new Little Fires Everywhere . . . Exploring mental health, grief, forgiveness and love, this conjures up the work of Celeste Ng and Anne Tyler - and we can't give higher praise than that. The perfect summer read * Stylist *Immersive and deeply moving -- Anna Hope, author of ExpectationA wonderful novel about a lifetime of love . . . Focusing on a small cast over several decades allows Keane to explore universal themes: marriage, family, betrayal and forgiveness. Above all, what is a good life well lived? * Daily Mail *One of the most exceptional novels of the summer . . . Has the makings of a future classic. Keane's prose is spare and elegant and she writes about mental illness and alcholism with compassion. It's a remarkable achievement * Sunday Express *I adored this book. I sank completely into the world of this novel and loved being there from beginning to end. Ask Again, Yes reminds us that after happily-ever-after comes the grit and grief of everyday love: in-laws, illnesses, betrayals and, scariest of all, the flaws that each partner will uncover in the other. It's an absolute stunner, an ode to family and forgiveness that has been crafted with compassion and insight * Sara Collins, bestselling author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton *Compelling . . . it is neighbourly conflict, not love, that drives this quietly devastating story . . . There are multiple twists skilfully delivered. The novel raises a series of profound questions . . . [and] as an exploration of parent-child relationships, the novel is both thoughtful and powerful * Hannah Beckerman, i news *This is one beautiful book. I was wowed by Keane's writing and narrative skill - and by what she knows about trouble -- Stephen KingI absolutely adored Ask Again, Yes. I was only a few chapters in when I knew Mary Beth Keane was about to become one of my favourite authors. I'll read everything she writes * Liane Moriarty *A pleasantly accessible novel that will be popular with book clubs ... Keane is a nuanced observer * The Sunday Times *A novel of great compassion and understanding . . . rich with story * John Boyne, Irish Times *Powerful and moving . . . Mary Beth Keane is a writer of extraordinary depth, feeling and wit. Readers will love this book, as I did * Meg Wolitzer, bestselling author of The Female Persuasion *One of the most exceptional novels of the summer . . . Has the makings of a future classic * Daily Mirror *Leaves one shaking one's head in frank admiration. A triumph * Matthew Thomas, bestselling author of We Are Not Ourselves *Keane takes on one of the most difficult problems in fiction - how to write about human decency . . . a compelling case for compassion over blame, understanding over grudge, and the resilience of hearts that can accept the contradictions of love * Louise Erdrich, National book award winning author of The Round House *A shocking tragedy turns what had been a portrait of domestic tension into a profound story of trauma and blame. Keane's gracefully restrained prose gives her characters dignity * Vogue *A beautiful novel, bursting at the seams with empathy * Elle *A powerful tale * Woman & Home *A captivating, authentic and intricately-woven story . . . Immensely affecting, this book poses big questions. Can we ever escape our history? Are we prisoners of our bloodlines? Ultimately, this book is an examination of love - familial and romantic. It is an epic story, quietly told. And it is all the better for that * Irish Sunday Independent *A story with real heart - moving and subtle and often very touching * Literary Review *If tense family dramas are your thing, you'll love this. I found this story hugely engrossing and the characters so well-drawn, I became completely invested in their lives * Good Housekeeping *A candidate for one of my best books of the year. I savoured every word of this eloquent, lyrical novel, which explores how the secrets that families carry can effect future generations . . . I was swept up in the drama * Prima *An explosive study of family dynamics . . . moving and thought-provoking . . . a gripping family saga that tackles mental illness and addiction and explores how childhood can inescapably shape the future * Daily Express *Fans of Liane Moriarty, meet your new favourite author * Red *Family ties are stretched to breaking point in the baking hot New York summer of 1973 . . . A book that's full of life lessons for people in a particular stage of their lives * Mariella Frostrup, BBC Radio 4 Open Book *Keane draws two families in sharp, moving detail, effortlessly peeling back decades of history to look at friendship, mental health, and the changing and sometimes warped face of love * Sunday Post *A rare example of propulsive storytelling infused with profound insights about blame, forgiveness and abiding love * People *Displaying impressive reach . . . Keane delivers an epic of domestic emotional turmoil . . . Tender and patient, the novel avoids excessive sweetness while planting itself deep in the soil of commitment and attachment. Graceful and mature. A solidly satisfying, immersive read * Kirkus, starred review *An immersive read about family secrets and redemption * Editor's Choice, Bookseller *A gut-wrenching tale centered around the families of two rookie, next-door neighbor NYPD cops and a tragedy that reverberates over four decades. The book revolves around the bond between their children, the daily intimacies of marriage and the power of forgiveness * Good Morning America Summer Reads *One of the most unpretentiously profound books I've read in a long time . . . As a writer, Keane reminds me a lot of Ann Pratchett; Both have the magical ability to seem to be telling "only" a closely-observed domestic tale that transforms into something else deep and, yes, universal. In Keane's case, that "something else" is a story about forgiveness and acceptance - qualities that sound gooey, but are so hard to achieve in life . . . Modestly magnificent * Maureen Corrigan, NPR Fresh Air *An Updikean epic of intertwined families destabilized by grief and estrangement following a mother's breakdown, then redeemed by their enduring compassion for one another * Best Books by Women Summer 2019, OPRAH Magazine *10 new books to read this August * SheerLuxe *A powerful tale of two neighbouring families forever entwined by love and tragedy. . . A touching read * Woman's Weekly *Mary Beth Keane draws two families in sharp, moving detail . . . With hints of Curtis Sittenfeld about it - the way it effortlessly unspools years, but buffets you with a huge amount of detail - it considers friendship and mental ill health, how love changes and warps, and despite a fairly slow start, does so beautifully * The Herald *Poignant and powerful * Image *A miniature epic . . . like Elizabeth Strout, Keane is good at creating distinctive characters - flawed, empathetic men and women whose inner landscapes she captures in powerful, pared-down prose. The novel is a nuanced portrait of the impact of mental illness and addiction, the limitations and endurance of love and of how 'we repeat what we don't repair' * Belfast Telegraph *A thought-provoking read exploring mental illness, alcoholism and violence * Candis *Fans of Celeste Ng will love this modern American novel based on two families linked by tragedy and passion . . . A lovely mix of childhood memories growing in to adulthood, and its really powerful * Stellar *With the author's deftness of touch, characters are rendered as real as those you encounter in daily life, and it's hard not to think about them even after reading the last pages * Connaught Telegraph *An engrossing drama about family, forbidden love, the toll of mental illness and the power of mercy * People Magazine *A powerful novel about mental illness, alcoholism, love and redemption * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisFall in love with the most heartwarming and uplifting story of love and second chances set between London and Dublin, from the author of BABY IT''S COLD OUTSIDE''A beautifully poignant read. I thoroughly enjoyed every page'' 5***** Reader Review''I adored this book. Beautiful, heartbreakingly sad, laugh-out-loud funny and scorchingly romantic. This will be a huge hit this winter'' 5***** Reader Review**WINNER OF ROMANTIC NOVEL AWARD FOR BEST FESTIVE ROMANTIC NOVEL**________When Celeste loses her best friend Hannah, she''ll do anything to keep her spirit alive.So when she uncovers her friend''s old list of New Year''s resolutions, Celeste vows to complete them all.One adventure at a time, she rediscovers how wonderful life can be.But when one resolution leads her to someone from her past, Celeste can''t help but wonder . . .Could the biggest adventure of all be falling in love?Trade ReviewPraise for Emily Bell * - *A refreshing romance filled with holiday spirit and second chances. The descriptions of Dublin at Christmas time alone will leave you longing for your very own trip . . . * Woman & Home *Cosy up with this fab festive read! * Sun *Tremendous fun, with a big heart and gorgeous locations to get lost in - it's the perfect uplifting Christmas read, unashamedly romantic and beautifully written. Emily is this year's Queen of Christmas! * Veronica Henry *The perfect festive treat! I really enjoyed Emily Bell's believable, sympathetic characters and her sensitive and wise writing about friendship and bereavement which deliver richness and depth to a charming love story * Kate Eberlen, author of Miss You *Captures the magic of Christmas in Dublin perfectly! A heartfelt and irresistibly romantic read to cosy up with over the festive season * Carmel Harrington *

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Book Synopsis''Thrilling, chilling, heart-stopping . . . impossible to put down'' CHRIS WHITAKER''Terrifying, dark and original with a brilliantly shocking ending - loved this book'' CATHERINE COOPER ''Non-stop thrills. Perhaps the best psychological thriller I''ve read'' 5* READER REVIEW ''A full-tilt thriller . . . original, timely and very clever. Lia''s best yet!'' EMILY FREUD ''Bristles with dread and threat it is not for a dark autumn night'' DAILY MAIL''Fast-paced and topical . . . a total page-turner'' ALLIE REYNOLDS WELCOME TO THE CONFESSION ROOM.An online forum for admitting your sins.Some people confess to affairs, others to stealing. Some admit deep, dark wishes. And former police officer Emilia Haines, reading strangers'' secrets is the perfect distraction from the past.But one day, Emilia stumbles on the darkest confession yet:MURDER.Trade ReviewA thrilling, chilling, heart-stopping read. With a killer premise and twists that leave you shaken, The Confession Room is impossible to put down -- Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the EndBristles with dread and threat – it is not for a dark autumn night * Daily Mail *Gripping * Heat *Terrifying, dark and original with a brilliantly shocking ending - loved this book -- Catherine Cooper, bestselling author of The CruiseLia Middleton's latest crime thriller gives us a glimpse of the dark side of the web - and it's terrifying! Fast-paced and topical, The Confession Room is a total page-turner! -- Allie Reynolds, author of ShiverA full-tilt thriller which is truly unforgettable. The chilling premise is original, timely and very clever. After reading this book, you'll think twice before sharing your secrets online. Lia's best yet! -- Emily Freud, author of What She Left BehindLia Middleton has crafted the most unsettling and unique of premises, utilising the anonymity of the Internet to build tension. Mixing serial killer crime and edge-of-your-seat mystery, it's a book that's absorbing and chilling in equal measure * Culturefly *Praise for Lia Middleton * : *Tense, jaw-dropping, clever -- Claire DouglasKeeps you guessing from start to finish -- Jane FallonI loved it. Huge twists -- Gillian McAllisterBrilliantly written . . . I'll be recommending it to everyone I know -- Sarah PearseA stand-out psychological thriller -- Ashley AudrainSuperb. Assured, elegant and utterly gripping -- Will DeanCouldn't put it down -- Catherine CooperAbsorbing and chilling. Middleton has crafted the most unsettling and unique of premises, mixing serial killer crime and edge-of-your-seat mystery * Culturefly *

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Book SynopsisHavana, 1950. As the beautiful daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Cuba, Esmeralda knows the importance of marrying well. But when her father takes her on a business trip to London, she falls in love with a young merchant named Christopher. When Christopher visits her father''s sugar farm, Esmeralda knows that they must keep their love affair hidden at all costs. Then the country falls into revolution and Esmeralda is faced with an impossible choice. London, present day. Claudia is rebuilding her life. But when her mother asks for to trace her grandmother''s history, her curiosity is piqued. Her only clue is the Diaz family crest, once one of the wealthiest dynasties in Cuba. Impulsively Claudia books a ticket to Havana, to uncover her family''s true story. Arriving in the vibrant city she meets Mateo, a chef who loves nothing more than to cook his family''s recipes. As they grow closer, Mateo reveals that h

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Book SynopsisA poignant coming-of-age story and a gripping novel of natural wonder, rejacketed to coincide with the publication of Jim Lynch's new novel, Border SongsTrade Review'***** This novel is so very special. If you reach the last page without having laughed out loud, felt tears well up or at least once sat back in wonder at the extraordinary descriptions of the sea and its creatures, then you may, quite simply, be inhuman' Independent on Sunday 'Original and appealing. His love of the ocean is infectious Even the most hard-hearted readers will finish this book wishing they had their own bay to explore' Matt Thorne, Sunday Telegraph 'The Highest Tide is one of the best novels it has been my pleasure to read for many a day Buy it you should. It is lyrical, moving, funny and breathtakingly well written This is a great novel which you will want to reread' Susan Hill, Spectator 'Poetic yet lean, restrained, lucid and radiant. The metaphors are sharp and newly minted, and the beautifully observed and described details of marine life suffused with a Wordsworthian sense of wonder' The Times

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Book SynopsisIlluminates a place and people and describes the overlapping worlds of an extended Pakistani landowning family. This title includes stories that reveal the complexities of Pakistani class and culture, as they describe the loves, triumphs, misunderstandings and tragedies of everyday life.Trade Review'In Other Rooms, Other Wonders may be fiction but it is of such an authentic stamp that it is history as well, more so by the day, and deserves to be read as such' The Times 'An astonishing collection of tales' William Dalrymple 'These stories are so engrossing that there is a wrench when one ends and the next must begin ... Mueenuddin's stories are intense with emotion' Sunday Times 'Each of the stories opens a door on to a life you had never expected, shines a light for a while and quietly closes the door again ... Mueenuddin writes with the freshness of an exile and the intimacy of an insider about Pakistani culture' Observer

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Book SynopsisPresents a saga in which scandalous affairs rage behind closed doors, broken hearts are tossed aside, fires rip through the wings of the house and paparazzi lie in wait outside the front door for the tragedy.Trade Review'Frank Lloyd Wright's three dramatic love affairs, with all the elaborate deceptions, abandoned children, scandalised headlines and cruel conflagrations, real and metaphorical. The prose is sparkling, the narrative gripping, and the material to die for' The Times 'Gripping, enormously entertaining, and written with deliberately melodramatic gusto' Lionel Shriver, Daily Telegraph 'Boyle ratchets up every ounce of tension from the story. A stunning achievement' Daily Mail 'Riveting ... Despite dozens of writers' attempts to capture Wright's story, it seems safe to say that none has rendered it with more crackling life than Boyle' Wall Street Journal

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Book SynopsisOne May evening in London, as a result of a chance encounter and a split-second decision, the young climatologist Adam Kindred loses everything - home, job, reputation, passport, credit cards, money - never to get them back. With the police and a hit man in merciless pursuit, Adam has no choice but to go underground.Trade Review'A storm of a story ... London has never looked so threatening' Daily Mirror 'Thriller lovers will discover a superior satisfaction in Ordinary Thunderstorms, in which a brush with a stranger leaves his hero homeless and hunted through the fringes of London' Guardian 'I can't remember when I had a more exciting read than Ordinary Thunderstorms ... It's about a nightmare that might happen to any of us' Antonia Fraser, Mail on Sunday Books of the Year 'A compelling fugitive chase through the dark side of modern-day London' Evening Standard Books of the Year

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Book SynopsisMajor Ernest Pettigrew is perfectly content to lead a quiet life in the sleepy village of Edgecombe St Mary, away from the meddling of the locals and his overbearing son. But when his brother dies, the Major finds himself seeking companionship with the village shopkeeper, Mrs Ali. Drawn together by a love of books and the loss of their partners, they are soon forced to contend with irate relatives and gossiping villagers. The perfect gentleman, but the most unlikely hero, the Major must ask himself what matters most: family obligation, tradition or love? Funny, comforting and heart-warming, Major Pettigrew''s Last Stand proves that sometimes, against all odds, life does give you a second chance.Trade Review‘A beautiful little love story ... told with skill and humour' * Alexander McCall Smith *‘A wise comedy of manners proves that loving well is the best revenge ... This delightful debut is as much a gently P.C. look at the British class system tucked inside a sly comedy of manners as it is a love story' * Oprah magazine *‘It's gentle and charming, but these words can't convey the slow-burning pleasure of this novel' * The Times *'A charming, funny and absorbing debut' * Wendy Holden, Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisAugust, 1968: Babo Patel arrives in London from Madras, with curly hair, jhill mill teeth and dreams of becoming a success. When he meets the beautiful, auburn-haired Siân Jones, he falls in love instantly. She, like him, is in search of something bigger than what the home she left behind can offer.But when Babo''s parents learn of his intention to marry some girl from God knows where'' he is given an ultimatum: he can only marry Siân if they agree to live in Madras for two years before returning to London. As the years pass by, the calamities, quirks and heartaches of first love, lost innocence, and old age unfold across cultures and generations of this mixed-up family in a topsy-turvy world. Trade Review'This is a captivating, delightful novel. I was totally engaged by Tishani Doshi's people and by their world, and the language often rises - when speaking of the great matters, life, death, and above all love - to powerful metaphorical heights' * Salman Rushdie *‘Brimming with tender humour ... the novel dances its people across barriers of race and nation' * Independent *‘Intensely charming ... a seductive and lovable novel: it is about pleasure sought and, more importantly, pleasure found' * Guardian *‘Cross-cultural love story that spans three decades . . . Laced with charm, and instantly familiar, this is top drawer comfort reading' * Financial Times *

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Book Synopsis_______________Richly imagined, suspenseful and surprisingly poignant ... a reminder of how Spanish history might have taken a dramatically different turn'' - Financial TimesPersuasive, brilliant and absorbing'' - Economist''Cercas is a master storyteller'' - Independent_______________A suspenseful, dramatic novel by the author of Soldiers of Salamis, translated from the Spanish by Anne McLeanIn February 1981, just as Spain was finally leaving Franco''s dictatorship and during the first democratic vote in parliament for a new prime minister, Colonel Tejero and a band of right-wing soldiers burst into the Spanish parliament and began firing shots. Only three members of Congress defied the incursion and did not dive for cover: Adolfo Suarez, the then-outgoing prime minister, who had steered the country away from the Franco era; Guttierez Mellado, a conservative general who had loyally served democracy; and SantiTrade Review‘A brilliant reconfiguring of a key event in contemporary European history. Audacious and wholly fascinating' * William Boyd *‘Persuasive, brilliant and absorbing' * Economist *‘Richly imagined, suspenseful and surprisingly poignant ... a reminder of how Spanish history might have taken a dramatically different turn that evening thirty years ago' * Financial Times *‘An almost Shakespearean account of soldiers, politicians, mixed motives and the lust for power' * Anne Chisholm, Sunday Telegraph *Cercas is a master storyteller * Independent *A mesmerising achievement * Literary Review *Cercas forces us to abandon the fiction, the legend of the coup, and look at the pictures and story anew in all their complexity * Michael Eaude, Independent *Always a nimble dancer on the edge of history and fiction, the Spanish writer returns with a closely researched but always dramatic account of the failed coup in 1981 that almost vanquished his country's fragile post-Franco democracy * Boyd Tonkin, Independent *

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERVienna, 1913. Lysander Rief, a young English actor, sits in the waiting room of the city''s preeminent psychiatrist as he anxiously ponders the particularly intimate nature of his neurosis. When the enigmatic, intensely beautiful Hettie Bull walks in, Lysander is immediately drawn to her, unaware of how destructive the consequences of their subsequent affair will be. One year later, home in London, Lysander finds himself entangled in the dangerous web of wartime intelligence - a world of sex, scandal and spies that is slowly, steadily, permeating every corner of his life...Trade ReviewA truly gripping, hugely atmospheric and vastly complicated spy thriller * Daily Mirror *A book which immerses the reader in the coffee-house capital to create a highly accomplished romantic thriller -- Christian House * Independent on Sunday *A pacy and involving page-turner that explores the myriad ways we lie to ourselves and others * Daily Mail *Superb; hand-on-heart, may-the-Lord-strike-me-down-terrific -- Charles Cumming * Spectator *An intricately plotted world of spies, lies and the double cross * Sunday Telegraph *A gleeful celebration of storytelling - sly,clever, frequently hilarious,always involving ... the literary event of the year * The Times *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE ORANGE PRIZE FOR FICTION 2012Iasi, Romania, the early 1950s. A nameless man is found on the steps of a hospital. Deaf and mute, he is unable to communicate until a young nurse called Safta brings paper and pencils with which he can draw. Slowly, painstakingly, memories appear on the page. The memories are Safta''s also. For the man is Augustin, son of the cook at the manor house which was Safta''s family home. Born six months apart, they grew up with a connection that bypassed words. But while Augustin''s world remained the same size Safta''s expanded to embrace languages, society - and a fleeting love, one long, hot summer. But then came war, and in its wake a brutal Stalinist regime, and nothing would remain the same.Trade ReviewConjures a tale that recalls vintage Michael Ondaatje ... delicate and sweeping * Daily Mail *This is fiction of the most graceful kind ... a quiet storm of imagery and emotions -- Christian House * Independent on Sunday *I loved Painter of Silence. It was like entering a dream world that became more and more real, until I actually needed to get back to it. Her writing is so gentle and beautiful and takes you so confidently on a journey. I let myself be carried away. Heaven * Esther Freud *Painter of Silence insists on being recommended because of its unassertive originality, its sense of history, its knowledge of the unsaid and the unsayable, and - not least - its delightfully surprising ending -- Paul Bailey * Independent *Harding writes with exquisite restraint ... Her deceptively simple prose gives a startling beauty to the ordinary, and evokes great depth of suffering * Guardian *Harding's writing has a careful, lilting fluency which nourishes a slow-burning momentum ... an adroit examination of our need for a home, and the terrible consequences of its loss -- Philip Womack * Daily Telegraph *A must-read ... Hauntingly beautiful, for fans of The English Patient -- Viv Groskop * Red *

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Book SynopsisNadine Gordimer is one of our most telling contemporary writers. With each new work, she attacks - with a clear-eyed lack of sentimentality, and an understanding of the darkest depths of the human soul - the inextricable link between personal life and political, communal history. The revelation of this theme in each new work, not only in her homeland South Africa, but the twenty-first century world, is evidence of her literary genius: in the sharpness of her psychological insights, the stark beauty of her language, the complexity of her characters and the difficult choices with which they are faced. In No Time Like the Present, Gordimer brings the reader into the lives of Steven Reed and Jabulile Gumede, a ''mixed'' couple, both of whom have been combatants in the struggle for freedom against apartheid. Once clandestine lovers under racist law forbidding sexual relations between white and black, they are now in the new South Africa. The place and time where freedom - the ''betteTrade ReviewGordimer fashions a grand, state-of-her-nation novel about South Africa from Presidents Mandela to Zuma ... A mightily serious and impressive book * Daily Mail *Nadine Gordimer is a towering figure in South African literature, and, at 88, remains a vital, productive force * Metro *At best her free-style, high-velocity storytelling [Gordimer] delivers a visceral immediacy and intensity that lets us inhabit the minds, and share the views, of her characters with the minimum of novelistic fuss ... Written with a ferocious, high-definition attentiveness ... Gordimer, a nonpareil observer of the outer and inner life alike, sustains her heroic mission of witness and warning * Independent *A complex book and a pained examination of the difficulties posed by a freedom that was won by imperfect human beings * Guardian *This is a book of great thematic richness and quiet brilliance * Sunday Times *This is an important and highly topical book about how hard it is to sustain hope and idealism in the wake of a revolution ... Gordimer has written an angry, melancholy, brave book * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisWinner of the International IMPAC Dublin Literary AwardWinner of the Alfaguara PrizeWinner of the Gregor von Rezzori Prize''A powerful, humane novel about a man trying to make sense of a war he didn't choose to fight'' The Times''The story is compelling but through Vásquez's vivid prose (rendered brilliantly into English by the award-winning translator Anne McLean) it also becomes haunting A poignant and perturbing tale about the inheritance of fear in a country scrabbling to regain its soul'' Financial TimesNo sooner does he get to know Ricardo Laverde in a seedy billiard hall in Bogotá than Antonio Yammara realises that the ex-pilot has a secret. Antonio''s fascination with his new friend''s life grows until the day Ricardo receives a mysterious, unmarked cassette.Shortly afterwards, he is shot dead on a street corner.Yammara''s investigation into what happened leads back to the early 1960s, marijuana smuggling and a time beforTrade ReviewA powerful, humane novel about a man trying to make sense of a war he didn’t choose to fight * Kate Saunders, The Times *The story is compelling but through Vásquez’s vivid prose (rendered brilliantly into English by the award-winning translator Anne McLean) it also becomes haunting … A poignant and perturbing tale about the inheritance of fear in a country scrabbling to regain its soul * Financial Times *Compelling ... He holds his narrative together with admirable stylistic control as he shows a world falling apart and the powers of love and language to rebuild it * Anita Sethi, Observer *A compelling and original psychological thriller * Daily Telegraph *Excellent ... Vasquez follows Balzac's maxim that "novels are the private history of nations" -- Alastair Smart * Sunday Telegraph *A gripping novel, absorbing right to the end * Edmund White, New York Times Book Review *The narrative escalates, the mystery deepens, and the scope of the story widens with each page. This terrific novel draws on Colombia’s tragic history and cycles of violence to tell the story of a troubled man trying to come to grips with the distant forces and events that have shaped his life * Khaled Hosseini, Books of the Year 2013 *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL IMPAC DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2015LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2013SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2013''It is, simply, perfect'' Irish Examiner''Majestic'' Sunday Times''Quite simply one of the best, most sustained pieces of fiction I've read in some time'' Independent____________________In 1919 Emily Ehrlich watches as two young airmen, Alcock and Brown, emerge from the carnage of World War One to pilot the very first non-stop transatlantic flight from Newfoundland to the west of Ireland.In 1845 Frederick Douglass, a black American slave, lands in Ireland to champion ideas of democracy and freedom, only to find a famine unfurling at his feet.And in 1998 Senator George Mitchell criss-crosses the ocean in search of an elusive Irish peace.Stitching these stories intricately together, Colum McCann sets out to explore the fine line between what is real and what iTrade ReviewIt is, simply, perfect * Irish Examiner *Majestic * Sunday Times *Quite simply one of the best, most sustained pieces of fiction I’ve read in some time ... A novel of true resonance and power * Independent *His vivid, reactive and heartfelt fiction lives and breathes, sighs and weeps -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times *Beautifully hypnotic … Those who can’t see the point of historical novels will find their answer here -- Emma Donoghue, author of RoomA very gifted, charming writer; in full, rhapsodic-onrush mode, he is hard to resist * Guardian *Beautifully poignant -- Andrew Marr * Mail on Sunday *

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Book Synopsis_______________''Kerry Young is a standalone talent in the new emerging generation of writers from the Caribbean region. Read her if you want to know about the Caribbean'' - Monique Roffey, winner of the OCM BOCAS Prize for Caribbean Literature''A vivid portrayal ... Kerry Young''s heartfelt, sparky and affecting debut novel is a chronicle of multicultural Jamaica, both in its cultural richness and in its strife and tensions'' - Guardian''A pacy but absorbing saga of domestic struggle and gangland manoeuvring set against the violent backdrop of postwar Jamaican politics'' - Independent on Sunday_______________From the author of the Costa and Commonwealth Prize-shortlisted PaoJamaica, 1938. Gloria Campbell is sixteen years old when a single violent act changes her life forever. She and her younger sister flee their hometown to forge a new life in Kingston. As all around them the city convulses with political change, Gloria's desperTrade ReviewKerry Young is a stand alone talent in the new emerging generation of writers from the Caribbean region. Her stories are gritty and also funny and very real. Read her if you want to know about the Caribbean. Kerry Young is unique * Monique Roffey, winner of the OCM BOCAS Prize for Caribbean Literature *Gloria is a brilliant, observant, sometimes complex read, but with clear and simple messages, it speaks to the feminist and equal rights campaigner in all of us ***** * Western Mail *A very authentic portrayal of a woman’s lot in 1950s, 1960s Jamaica. I fell in love with Gloria and was turning over the pages rapidly, willing her to conquer her situation. A triumph * Alex Wheatle, author of Brenton Brown *Impressive ... With grace, authenticity and humour, Young lets Jamaica's political history shine through the life story of her charming yet fallible hero. Brilliant * Daily Mail on Pao *A vivid portrayal ... Kerry Young's heartfelt, sparky and affecting debut novel is a chronicle of multicultural Jamaica, both in its cultural richness and in its strife and tensions * Guardian *A pacy but absorbing saga of domestic struggle and gangland manoeuvring set against the violent backdrop of postwar Jamaican politics * Independent on Sunday *Kerry Young tells the absorbing, uplifting story of a young woman’s escape from the brutal poverty of rural Jamaica to a new life in the violent world of its capital, Kingston ... Written in the gentle, hypnotic patois and encompassing the birth pangs of Jamaican independence, this is a highly evocative portrait of a country in transition, and of one woman’s search for self-awareness and self-respect * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisBuenos Aires, 1976. Osvaldo Ferrero, a distinguished doctor, and his wife Yolanda escape the city with their daughters, sensible Julieta and wilful Graciela, who is nineteen and madly in love. On their return, the Argentine military stages a coup. Friends disappear overnight, and Osvaldo is forced to flee to Europe. When her fiancé is abducted, Graciela goes into hiding, then she vanishes in turn. As Yolanda fights on the ground for some trace of their beloved daughter, she soon realises she may be fighting for an unknown grandchild as wellTrade ReviewThe story honors the heroism of the mothers and grandmothers of the missing … The first half is tense and dramatic, yet the story becomes truly remarkable later on * Booklist *Brothers, who as a journalist spent time in Latin America, is at her best capturing the pitched atmosphere of Buenos Aires as the coup unfolds … Enjoyable * Kirkus Reviews *A sublimely told and heartbreaking story. While devastating in its depiction of the depths to which humanity can sink, its evocative language and splendid characters make it a pleasure to read * Better Reading *Heart-wrenching … a story all of us should read * Daily Mail on Hinterland *A moving account ... Brothers’ elegant prose holds sentimentality at bay, complementing some impressive reportage * Financial Times *Intensely evocative … Impressively accomplished * Independent *An illuminating and timely story … a book that haunts and shames in equal measure * Guardian *There is poetry on every page, as well as pity, and the poetry is not always in the pity but in the joy of being alive on this earth * Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis''Very funny and unexpected, a material response to our times, plush as velvet'' Rachel Cusk''A wickedly funny and emotionally expansive novel'' Jenny OffillIt is the Saturday after the 2016 presidential election, and in a plush weekend house in Connecticut, a group of New Yorkers has gathered to recover from what they consider the greatest political catastrophe of their lives. Liberal and like-minded, the friends have come to the countryside in the hope of restoring the bubble in which they have grown used to living.Moving through her days accompanied by a carefully curated salon, Eva Lindquist is a generous hostess with an obsession for decorating. Yet when, in her avidity to secure shelter for herself, she persuades her husband to buy a grand if dilapidated apartment in Venice, she unwittingly sets off the chain of events that will propel him to venture outside the bubble and embark on an unexpected love affair.A slyly comic look at the shelter industry, Shelter in Trade ReviewThere is an art to writing about unlikeable people while still engaging the reader to invest in their indulgence, vanity and, yes, happiness. Leavitt unfurls a droll drawing-room pastiche that evokes la dolce vita as Seinfeld episode … It’s Aaron Sorkin on steroids. And surprisingly compelling ... Leavitt, cleverly crafting a New Yorker cartoon in words, proves there is still some navel-gazing worth reading. * New York Times Book Review *An amusing satire ... The joy lies in how gently Leavitt lets air out of the catty micro-climates his characters inhabit, from publishing to interior design -- Anthony Cummins * Daily Mail *A wickedly funny and emotionally expansive novel about all the bewildering ways we seek solace from the people and things that surround us -- Jenny OffillVery funny and unexpected, a material response to our times, plush as velvet -- Rachel CuskShelter in Place is a poignant, funny, wonderful novel, a pleasure and a joy -- Donald AntrimI’ve long been a fan of David Leavitt’s work, for its range, its depth, its smarts and its humour. He is a phenomenal and prescient writer -- Justin TorresLeavitt is a master stylist ... An important writer. He is the rarest of all birds – a man of letters -- Edmund WhiteDavid Leavitt is a masterful writer and his dialogue, his innate sense of the rhythm of how people talk to each other, both in public and in private, is absolutely incredible. It's impossible not to be pulled into this novel, to see the epicentre of chaos in the lives of these characters, and listen to them try to talk themselves into a new imagining of the world. With precision and humour, Leavitt has created something amazing -- Kevin Wilson, author of 'Nothing to See Here'

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Book SynopsisFrom award-winning writer David Park, an absorbing account of the lives of the women most important to three poets: William Blake, Osip Mandlestam and an imagined contemporary Irish poet''An outstanding novel, written in luminous accessible prose, thoroughly enjoyable and much deeper even than the sum of its excellent parts'' Irish Times''The Poets' Wives is a marvellous triptych: lyrical, respectful of creativity but also sharply sceptical'' Sunday Times__________________Three women, each destined to play the role of a poet's wife: Catherine Blake, the wife of William Blake a poet, painter and engraver who struggles for recognition in a society that dismisses him as a madman; Nadezhda Mandelstam, wife of Russian poet Osip Mandelstam, whose poetry costs him his life under Stalin's terror; and the wife of a fictional contemporary Irish poet, who looks back on her marriage during the days after her husband's death as she seeTrade ReviewHe writes prose of gravity and grace ... Line for line, it is hard to think of a more skilful contemporary Irish novelist. He shares with John McGahern a refusal of cheap flamboyance, with Dermot Bolger a sense of suppressed fury … There is a Coetzeean accuracy to the writing * Joseph O’Connor, Guardian *Recent years have seen an explosion of books about wives of famous men ... The Poets’ Wives ... Is a fine contribution to this genre ... The Poets’ Wives is a marvellous triptych: lyrical, respectful of creativity but also sharply sceptical * David Grylls, Sunday Times *Sparse, lyrical and yet clear-headed prose leaves no room for false notes, nostalgia or self-serving mythologies. One of the quiet men of Irish writing, he also possesses one of its truest voices and has built up a deeply impressive oeuvre without fuss or pyrotechnics ... infused with the depth of character and emotion that are hallmarks of his work as a novelist of enormous sensitivity -- Dermot Bolger * Irish Mail on Sunday *Marvellous * Sunday Times Must Reads *Intriguing and impressive ... With its stylistic felicity ... its concern with integrity and with upholders of humane, and humanistic values, The Poets' Wives displays without ostentation its author's resourcefulness and versatility * Patricia Craig, Times Literary Supplement *An outstanding novel, written in luminous accessible prose, thoroughly enjoyable and much deeper even than the sum of its excellent parts * Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, Irish Times *Beautifully wrought -- Holly Williams * Independent on Sunday *Intensely evocative, thought-provoking -- Anita Sethi * Observer *

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Book SynopsisA sparkling comedy of rural life, high and low''Very, very funny'' Independent''I loved it. I couldn''t put it down ... Raffaella Barker is so good at drawing her characters and making them likeable that within about ten pages you know them intimately and a few pages later you are almost as concerned about them as you are your real friends ... Very, very well done'' Daily ExpressAfter one year of being buffered from single-motherhood' by her boyfriend, David, Venetia Summers suddenly finds her life unravelling as he is sent to the Brazilian jungle and she is left alone in Norfolk.As chaos reigns in her home and her three children run wilder than ever she finds her life further complicated by a bad-mouthed green parrot, a burgeoning fashion career designing demented cardigans and her brother's outrageous wedding.As emails languish unanswered, phone lines cut out and long-distance relationships prove both vexing and bewildering, lifTrade ReviewVery, very funny * Independent *I loved it. I couldn't put it down ... Raffaella Barker is so good at drawing her characters and making them likeable that within about ten pages you know them intimately and a few pages later you are almost as concerned about them as you are your real friends ... Very, very well done * Daily Express *My advice is not to read Summertime in public. You'll giggle, you'll snort, you'll make an exhibition of yourself ... I loved Hens Dancing, and this is better yet * Country Life *The comic voices are virtuoso ... Summertime is a mood-altering book: as light and bright and optimistic as the days it celebrates * Independent *

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Book SynopsisA Richard & Judy Summer Book Club pickA whirlwind romance. A perfect marriage.Hannah Reilly has seized her chance at happiness. Until the day her husband fails to come home . . .And can you ever really know what happened before you met?Trade ReviewLoved Gone Girl? (Who didn’t?) This is the Brit version; another relationship that’s not as it seems, but with a London flavour. Warning: you won’t want to put it down * Glamour *A creepily effective thriller, Whitehouse ramping up the chills with her dark wintry weather and her glimpses into the creation of a disturbed mind ... She marshals her creations to an enjoyably nail-biting, spine-tingling denouement * Observer Thriller of the Month *A classic psychological thriller * Mark Billingham *Before We Met by Lucie Whitehouse gets down and dirty in Hannah and Mark’s marriage and is as tense a read as Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl ... Read in one sitting * ASOS Magazine *A fiendishly spun tissue of lies and charm eventually gives way to a bloody showdown * Independent *You start off walking as the story unravels, then you’re jogging along, and by the end you’re hurtling towards the climax; and the ending is spectacular * Kate Mosse *Layer upon layer of paranoia and suspicion make this novel a compulsive read. This is a thriller that plays on deep human vulnerabilities and emotions, carrying the reader from chapter to chapter **** * The Lady *The tension builds revelation by revelation and barely loosens its grip throughout * Independent *The delicate unravelling of relationships in ‘Chick Noir’ is a new guilty pleasure. Enjoy * Grazia *

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG BREAKTHROUGH AUTHOR AWARDKae Tempest's critically acclaimed debut novel, the literary companion to their Mercury-Prize nominated album Everybody Down, takes us into the beating heart of the capital in this multi-generational tale of drugs, desire and belonging''Soaring Tempest's flair for language is tempered by their sense of rhythm and pace Deeply affecting: cinematic in scope; touching in its empathic humanity Tempest's voice by turns raging and tender never falters'' New York TimesYoung Londoners Becky, Harry and Leon are leaving town in a fourth-hand Ford Cortina with a suitcase full of money. They are running from jealous boyfriends, dead-end jobs, violent maniacs and disgruntled drug dealers, in the hope of escaping the restless tedium of life in south-east London the place they have always called home.______________Trade ReviewWonderful * Lauren Laverne *Soaring … Tempest’s flair for language is tempered by [their] sense of rhythm and pace … Deeply affecting: cinematic in scope; touching in its empathic humanity … Tempest’s voice – by turns raging and tender – never falters * New York Times *This is a bold, bright, beguiling novel; a lustrous pageant that dazzles and grips … An irresistible, immersive snapshot of a changing world, delivered in woozy, staccato sentences … There’s great pleasure to be taken from Tempest’s debut … [They] may well be unstoppable * Sunday Telegraph *One of the leading wordsmiths of our time … [They] turn [their] raw, observational skills in book form to the urban young growing up poor – sex, drugs and increasing poverty amid the looming threat of gentrification * Jon Snow *It’s hard not to be blown away by Tempest … A stirring, post-Dickensian lens trained on London’s lonely underbelly * Evening Standard *This book is almost everything I hoped it would be. That is praise indeed, as I had high hopes ... As lyrical as it is gritty, and as devoted to (south-east) London as it is to humanity, with all its foibles * New Statesman *Tempest has a knack for the devastating throwaway line – a skill-honed, no doubt, from years of rapping and spoken-word performances. [Their] work is rich with underlinable lines … Captivating * New Yorker *Everything Tempest does comes from the same gnawing desire to tell stories and change the world ... The book covers come-ups, comedowns, gender identity, parents torn apart by activism and the brutal, beautiful face of survival against the odds ... Blistering **** * NME *Explosive … Fresh and vivid visions of a familiar world … It recalls two other great, recent, experimental novels about being young: Jon McGregor’s If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things and Eimear McBride’s A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing. There’s the same sense of daring and linguistic inventiveness, the same feeling of language pushed to its limits … It fairly flies off the page * Observer *A story of accidental adventure and loss in what feels like London’s boiling crucible of race, class and sexuality … This novel requires giving oneself over to its linguistic world … It seems not just to describe a contemporary world but chart the migratory and class movements that has led it to its current state * Andrew McMillan, Independent *Angst-ridden lyricism captures the energy and loneliness of London life in this dizzying, genre-busting debut ... A remarkable piece of writing, filled with verbal echoes and half-rhymes ... [One reads] for the pinpoint evocation of a milieu, its texture and contours, all delivered with an intensely gathered and focused energy ... Transformative * Guardian *The passion, pace and pulsing narrative of [their] novel is like an extended Arctic Monkeys track … London emerges as the beating heart, a melting pot of race, class, sexuality and drugs. Tempest is a clearly talented writer with a distinctive and engaging voice … Passionate and political * Irish Times *Tempest is a worthy champion for a generation of disillusioned youth … [Their] lyrical talent comes through * Sunday Times *Tempest’s words really soar from the grime of London … Smart, lyrical observations of city life won me over … Tempest proves [their] witty, unique take on the world **** * Stylist *Tempest is brilliant at capturing a distinctly contemporary state of mind, one hollowed out by drugs, ennui and too many late nights, but also one bursting with frustrated feeling and desire. [They] have a poetic sensibility that feels physically hewn from London's unloved corners ... [Their] writing has a startling, unmediated freshness reminiscent of Jack Kerouac ... Full of beauty * Metro *[Their] characters sing … This is yet another impressive achievement for Tempest, and one which leaves this Generation Xer understanding the woes of millennials much better * Scotland on Sunday *A novel of discontentment, rage and good intentions … Tempest sharpens [their] tongue to good effect * The Times *A startling debut novel … The call-to-arms urgency with which Tempest writes about the issues affecting [their] generation – from social prejudice and unemployment to modern love and selfies – has earned [their] comparisons to the Beat poets * Vogue *A whirlwind journey through modern city life ... You'll be gripped from start to finish * Elle *There’s plenty of inspiration and perspiration in the literary world, but Tempest’s sense of urgency is rare ... Tempest does come across as an enemy of beige prose … [They] depict their interior worlds as roiling; the intensity of their inner lives explodes on the page * National Post *Tempest portrays the lives of generations of Londoners with an unflinching but sympathetic eye * Big Issue *A lager-stained, rain-soaked love letter to London … Flows like a prose poem about drugs, dual carriageways and desire * Red *A novel about youth and drugs and desire and dancers … It’s also about the changing face of the capital city. About gentrification and its costs * Herald *Tempest has a gift for making you feel you’re walking on the edge of something: between text and sound, or between a great night and the worst one … Many bursts of lyrical prose, heavy and kaleidoscopic * Saturday Paper *Tempest gets at foundations: If families are houses, then each family member is a cracked brick … This might be Tempest’s first novel, but it’s also poetry … By artfully intertwining the stories of people who are broken by the city they love, The Bricks That Built the Houses creates a complex narrative that rarely falters and eventually coheres into a strong and lyrical whole * The Millions *

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Book Synopsis''A compelling tale beautifully told, Mr Mac & Me is as close to a perfect novel as anything I've read in a long time. I loved every page of it'' Ann PatchettSet on the Suffolk coastline in 1914, a compelling story of an unlikely friendship from the Granta Best of Young British author of Hideous Kinky and The Sea HouseThomas Maggs, the son of the local publican, lives with his parents and sister in a village on the Suffolk coast in 1914. He is the youngest child, and the only son surviving. Life is quiet shaped by the seasons, fishing and farming and the summer visitors.Then one day a mysterious Scotsman arrives. To Thomas he looks for all the world like a detective, in his black cape and hat of felted wool, and the way he puffs on his pipe as if he's Sherlock Holmes. Mac is what the locals call him when they whisper about him in the inn. And whisper they do, for he sets off on his walks at unlikely hours, and stops to examine the humbTrade ReviewA compelling tale beautifully told, Mr Mac & Me is as close to a perfect novel as anything I’ve read in a long time. I loved every page of it * Ann Patchett, author of Bel Canto *I was utterly absorbed in the language and the story and the world of it ... You know how it is when a writer draws into a place and you begin to feel it is more substantial than the one around you? That is how this book was for me. I truly loved it * Rachel Joyce, author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry *‘I loved and admired Mr Mac and Me more than I can say’ * Francis Wyndham *Attending to Esther Freud's still, truthful voice becomes not only a pleasure but a necessity * Jonathan Coe *Freud has a precious and remarkable gift * The Times *A superbly gifted writer * New York Times Book Review *The best that art can be: full of exploration, full of intuition, full of generosity - and full of love * Julie Myerson *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE GOLDSMITHS PRIZE 2016''One of Britain''s most original, inimitable writers'' The Times''The field looks completely wrong now,'' she announced, one blustery afternoon. It's all gone out of balance''The Great Field lies in the bend of a broad, meandering river. Bounded on three sides by water, on the fourth side it dwindles gradually into wilderness. A handful of tents are scattered far and wide across its immensity. Their flags flutter in the warm breeze, rich with the promise of halcyon days. But more and more people are setting up camp in the lush pastures and with each new arrival life becomes a little more complicated. And when a large and disciplined group arrive from across the river emotions run so high that even a surplus of milk pudding can't soothe ruffled feathers. Change is coming; change that threatens the delicate balance of power in the Great Field.This simultaneously down to earth and surreal fable cements Magnus Mills' status asTrade ReviewAnother mythic, mercurial world, a utopia that increasingly reveals its own fragility … Fans will revel in his bone-dry comic prose, a narrative voice that is both casual and knowing. In one patch of grass, Mills triumphantly displays his own idiosyncrasies and peculiarities; as literary experiments go, it’s a memorable one * Literary Review *Magnus Mills’s work is always charming, timeless and slightly at a tangent to reality, making us view our own world through fresh eyes. This short, slight novel is, in essence, a parable about our fall from Eden and man’s essential biddability * Daily Mail *Very funny … One of the distinguishing features of Mills’s prose is the way it flirts with whimsy without ever succumbing to it. Like all the great comic stylists – which Mills certainly is – the books are often pretexts for exercises in ‘pure word music’, a phrase coined by Douglas Adams to describe the joy of reading Wodehouse … The Field of the Cloth of Gold is another joyful performance of ‘pure word music’ from one of Britain’s most original, inimitable writers * Spectator *We’ve come to recognise what is distinctively Millsian: a plot that is slightly absurd, possibly allegorical, written in prose that is simple, stylish and deadpan. All is present and correct in this, his eighth novel **** * Daily Telegraph *Another of his trademark, pitch-perfect, blackly funny fables … all this oddness seems to be peculiarly familiar and utterly endearing. It is archetypal Mills, still ploughing his own fabulous literary furrow, which has led Thomas Pynchon to describe him as “a demented, deadpan comic wonder” ... The literary world’s most original voice * Herald *Master of comic deadpan Magnus Mills invites us to observe the nuanced etiquette of settlers in the “Great Field” … The story starts with news of a surplus of milk pudding, and this sets the tone for the texture of the prose itself: emphatically bland, yet surprisingly nourishing if taken with a pinch of salt … It’s quite an achievement * Independent on Sunday *Magnus Mills is unique. There is simply no equivalent of his brand of domestic absurdism. Partly this is a matter of style, the unmistakably deadpan voice concealing the precise construction of each book, each sentence even, under an artless veneer. But the distinctiveness also reflects his preoccupations … Mills is the most British of anarchists, something that his brilliantly crafty seventh novel, The Field of the Cloth of Gold, makes explicit * Independent *He’s original, he’s eccentric – and I predict that Magnus Mills will still be fascinating his admirers 100 years from now … The surrealism works because the story is anchored firmly in human emotions, and told with Mills’ trademark off-the-wall comedy. I loved this bag of bizarreness * Kate Saunders, Saga *Slightly absurd, possibly allegorical, written in simple, stylish, deadpan prose, each as singular, witty and engaging as its predecessor … So what is it all about? Is it a fable? A parable? An allegory? A bit of fun? All four? Part of the pleasure of reading Mills is trying to work out what he is getting at, if he is getting at anything at all. I would say that anyone with a grasp of history will nod along and anyone with a sense of the present will anxiously check the sky for storm clouds * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis''Lyrical as a poem, psychologically rich as a thriller, funny, dark, warm, and as knowing of place as any travel book or memoir, The Sunlit Night marks the appearance of a brave talent'' Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Everything is IlluminatedFrances had read of a man who painted with only the colour yellow. He lived in the north of Norway.In the beautiful, barren landscape of the Far North, under the ever-present midnight sun, Frances and Yasha are surprised to find refuge in each other. Their lives have been upended Frances has fled heartbreak and claustrophobic Manhattan for an isolated artist colony; Yasha, a Russian immigrant raised in a bakery in Brighton Beach, arrives from Brooklyn to fulfill his beloved father's last wish: to be buried at the top of the world'. They have come to learn how to be alone.But in Lofoten, an archipelago of six tiny islands in the Norwegian Sea, ninety-five miles north of the Arctic Circle, they form a bond that fortifiTrade ReviewLyrical as a poem, psychologically rich as a thriller, funny, dark, warm, and as knowing of place as any travel book or memoir, The Sunlit Night marks the appearance of a brave talent * Jonathan Safran Foer *A playful, arresting and enchanting new voice * Liz Jensen *A richly imagined and darkly comic story about loneliness and love at the top of the world * Jenny Offill, author of Dept. of Speculation *Dinerstein has done readers a big favor not only by writing this luminous story about love, family, and the bewilderment of being young but also by bringing them into an otherworldly setting: a nightless Arctic summer on the spectacular Lofoten Islands. Enchanting in every way * Maggie Shipstead, author of Astonish Me *By turns ravishing and hilarious, The Sunlit Night is more than a shining debut - it's the work of a young master. Dinerstein writes of her two lovers with sensitivity and chutzpah: human drama, a nightless summer, the transformative power of nature. Here's an exciting new voice that sings perfectly in key * Darin Strauss, author of Half a Life *The Sunlit Night heralds the beginning of an intriguing career in fiction during which Dinerstein will hopefully continue to take us off the beaten path * Huffington Post *This oddball romance has a magnificent backdrop – a small island near the Arctic Circle where the sun never sets … Funny, sad and sharply observed * Psychologies *Refreshing … Lyrical but it’s observant and witty, too. What made the novel special for me was the striking sense of place and effortless evocation of grief that push the two central characters towards each other * Daily Mail *Luminous … Dinerstein brings a contagious wonder to her storytelling * O, the Oprah Magazine *Quirky, exuberant … The Sunlit Night is a novel about grief, separation and disruption – and the curative qualities of love and landscape * Wall Street Journal *Lush and compelling * Grazia *The Norwegian Arctic of Dinerstein’s imagination is a strange and wonderful place … The constant sunlight of midsummer feeds the book’s dreamy, surreal quality * The New York Times Book Review *Darkly charming … Dinerstein’s prose is detailed, and keeps the novel grounded as the characters face the arctic summer’s end * New Yorker *Extraordinarily captivating … Told against the extraordinary backdrop of sun-filled, endless Norwegian days, of the unique and striking colours that seep out and shine through Dinerstein’s vibrant, precise, sun-splashed prose … This poetic novel is beautifully paced … A compassionate novel * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR FILM STREAMING ON ALL PLATFORMS, STARRING ANYA TAYLOR JOYSHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS ''NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR'' AWARDCHOSEN AS ONE OF ''IRELAND''S 20 GREATEST NOVELS SINCE 1916'' BY HOT PRESS MAGAZINEMeet Matthew, Rez, Cocker and Kearney. Facing the void of their post-school lives, the boys spend their first summer of freedom in a savage apprenticeship on the streets of Dublin. Roaming aimlessly through the city, fuelled by drugs and dark fantasies, the teenagers spiral into self-destruction, fleeing a reality they despise. Here Are the Young Men portrays a chilling spiritual fallout, harbinger of the collapse of a national illusion. Visceral and blackly funny, this debut novel marks the arrival of a powerful literary talent who releases an unnerving anarchic energy to devastating effect.Trade ReviewFor sheer bravery and for style, for its integrity of vision and for its uncompromising tone, I also admired Rob Doyle’s Here Are The Young Men * Colm Toibin, Irish Times Books of the Year *A powerful, passionate and electrifying novel. Many writers try to recreate the traumas and anxieties of teenage years in fiction but very few manage it with as much conviction as Rob Doyle * John Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas *A fine debut. It shines a light into a relatively unexplored region: the psyches of youth adrift in a world where old verities no longer exist ... A rollicking good read. God may be dead, but a new literary star is born * Sunday Times *The language is unflinching, the story uncompromising … A powerful and provocative novel and easily the most honest account of young Irish people for many years * Guardian *A dark and intoxicating debut * Irish Independent *A lament for the blank generation, the literary equivalent of the song from which it takes its name, Joy Division’s Decades … a powerful debut, maybe the first novel since Kevin Power’s Bad Day in Blackrock to interrogate the dark side of the young Irish male’s psyche * Irish Times *A portrait of a jilted generation … a brilliant Dublin novel and an exercise in honesty * Sunday Times *Matthew, the angsty Dublin protagonist of this impressive debut, exemplifies a teenage malaise of worry, hedonism and burgeoning sexual inadequacy … Doyle is excellent at depicting the dangers of drugs on young minds and the ways first-person video games, internet porn, snuff films and booze can fertilise latent personality disorders * Metro *It’s been dubbed the Irish Trainspotting, making a statement about disillusioned and disaffected young people. A new voice to watch * Woman's Way *Unblinking depiction of male desperation * James Kidd, Independent Debuts of the Year *

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Book Synopsis''Doyle is as good as everyone from John Boyne to Colm Tóibín says he is'' Daily MailA young man in a dark depression roams the vast, formless landscape of a Dublin industrial park where he meets a vagrant in the grip of a dangerous ideology. A woman fleeing a break-up finds herself taking part in an unusual sleep experiment. A man obsessed with Nietzsche clings desperately to his girlfriend's red shoes. And whatever happened to Killian Turner, Ireland's vanished literary outlaw? Lost and isolated, the characters in these masterful stories play out their fragmented relationships in a series of European cities, always on the move; from rented room to darkened apartment, hitchhiker''s roadside to Barcelona nightclub. Rob Doyle, a shape-shifting drifter, a reclusive writer, also stalks the book''s pages. Layering narratives and splicing fiction with non-fiction, This is the Ritual tells of the ecstatic, the desperate and the uncertain. Immersive, at times dreamlikTrade ReviewI'm tempted to quote Nietzsche back at Rob Doyle: he's not a writer – he is dynamite! Except – like Nietzsche – he’s a tremendous writer too. And I have a suspicion that the author of this provocative and thrilling collection is going to get even better * Geoff Dyer *A world-class writer * Joanna Walsh, author of Vertigo *A masterstroke in experimental short fiction brimming with ideas, vulgarity and intelligence. And Ireland has just gained a cult author of exceptional talent * Sunday Independent *Full of booze, books, sex and despair yet, despite the bleakness of its stories, skewered as they are on broken hearts and broken artistic dreams, Doyle’s cocky passion proves irresistible. He writes with the confidence of a literary giant ... A series of heartening and humane interior struggles. Doyle is as good as everyone – from John Boyne to Colm Toibin – says he is * Daily Mail *One of the most exciting emerging voices in Irish literature * Irish Independent *Doyle’s fiction deals with life’s major themes: sex, death, guilt, shame, the meaning of existence ... Doyle’s storytelling is compelling and engaging, suffused with wit, honesty and emotional intelligence * Irish Times *Doyle displays a ludic sensibility … The stories are gleefully nihilistic … He has a gift for evoking the base and unpleasant aspects of life in vivid and visceral detail ... It creates an almost hypnotic effect; a miasmic fictional space into which the reader slips * Times Literary Supplement *A tremendous talent. Every page fizzes with vitality * Kevin Barry, author of Beatlebone *The mutinous fragments of Rob Doyle's fictions are bilious, provocative and unnervingly compelling * Colin Barrett, author of Young Skins *Bleak, brilliant stories … Don’t be put off by literary allusions. These compelling vignettes stand up for themselves ... They transport us beyond the routines of our daily round, and are visceral, scatological and frequently disturbing ... It’s refreshing to see a young Irish writer keeping up the cloacal tradition introduced by Swift and continued by Joyce * Sunday Times *Bold ... He sets up a metafictional diving board and leaps from it with misanthropic glee ... An authentically manic energy * Guardian *Ireland is producing some of Europe's finest short-story writers. Latest to shine alongside live wires Kevin Barry, Colin Barrett and Claire Keegan is Rob Doyle with a collection of hilarious, sharp-tongued page-turners ... A bright, poetic, erudite new voice. I loved this * Big Issue *Doyle’s characters, and the author himself, tramp and trip over people and places in this fragmented odyssey * RTÉ Guide, ‘The best novels of the coming year’ *Rob Doyle pulls no punches with his uncompromising style * Herald *Relentless nihilism… Doyle has confirmed his status as one of the finest of the new generation of Irish writers * Hot Press *

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Book SynopsisHarry Potter is preparing to leave the Dursleys and Privet Drive for the last time. But the future that awaits him is full of danger, not only for him, but for anyone close to him and Harry has already lost so much. Only by destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes can Harry free himself and overcome the Dark Lord's forces of evil.In this dramatic conclusion to the Harry Potter series, Harry must leave his most loyal friends behind, and in a final perilous journey find the strength and the will to face his terrifying destiny: a deadly confrontation that is his alone to fight.These adult editions with glorious jacket art by Andrew Davidson are now available in hardback for the first time.Trade ReviewAnd you thought wizardry was for children. Harry Potter will make you think again. He casts his spells on grown-ups too * James Naughtie *Rowling has woven together clues, hints and characters from previous books into a prodigiously rewarding, suspenseful conclusion * Guardian *A nail-biting rollercoaster. A finale that ticks every box * Heat *An incredibly gifted novelist … The fact that Harry attracted adults as well as children has never surprised me. J.K. Rowling has set the standard: it’s a high one * Stephen King *Funny, imaginative, magical … In the 2020s, thirty-something book-lovers will know each other by smug references to Diagon Alley and Quidditch * The Times *One of the greatest literary adventures of modern times * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisM.C. Beaton meets Miss Marple in the second book in the charming Laetitia Rodd Mysteries, which sees Kate Saunders' Victorian lady detective on the hunt for a missing Oxford scholar who is soon to be the heir to a fortuneIt is 1851 and Laetitia Rodd is enjoying a well-earned holiday when she receives an urgent request for her services.Wealthy businessman Jacob Welland implores Mrs. Rodd to find his beloved brother, a brilliant Oxford scholar who took to wandering the countryside and one day simply failed to return. The last sighting was in a gypsy camp ten years before where it was rumoured he was learning great secrets that would one day astound the world. Mrs. Rodd travels to Oxford and begins her search for the wandering scholar. But as the investigation unfolds, she discovers something sinister is lurking in this peaceful landscape.Trade ReviewA Dickensian glow pervades this immensely satisfying novel. Hugely enjoyable * James Runcie on The Secrets of Wishtide *Saunders’s prose is precise and a pleasure to read. The plot twists and turns, and Laetitia is a warm and engaging heroine -- Praise for 'The Secrets of Wishtide' * The Times *Pure delight -- Praise for 'The Secrets of Wishtide' * Sunday Times *

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Book Synopsis______________**A SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER*****A BOOK CLUB PICK FROM THE QUEEN CONSORT''S READING ROOM***______________Stunning' - Lisa Taddeo, author of THREE WOMENWarm and wise'' - Stephanie Merritt, ObserverGlamorous, sexy, compelling' - Dolly Alderton, Sunday TimesI fell in love with Vivian from page one' - Daisy BuchananAn education in love, and an iridescent delight' - Rowan Pelling, Spectator______________New York, 1940. Young, glamorous and inseparable, Vivian and Celia are chasing trouble from one end of the city to the other. But there is risk in all this play that's what makes it so fun, and so dangerous. Sometimes, the world may feel like it's ending, but for Vivian and Celia, life is just beginning.City of Girls is about daring to break conventions and follow your desires: a celebration of glamour, resilience, growing up, and the joys of female friendship and aTrade ReviewA glamorous, sexy, compelling romp of a novel about showgirls in New York in the 1940s. It is an addictive story, with vivid, brazenly drawn female characters, that brims with fascinating historical details of the time … Radical and refreshing to read -- Dolly Alderton * Sunday Times *I adored this story, I fell in love with Vivian from page one, she has an utterly singular voice, and I was captivated by tcombination of glamour and grit - it's a dazzling escapist fantasy with characters and emotions that are thrillingly real -- Daisy BuchananA glorious, multi-layered, emotionally astute celebration of womanhood … An eloquently persuasive treatise on the judgment and punishment of women, and a heartfelt call to reclaim female sexual agency -- Sam Baker * Guardian *Glamorous and vivid * Independent, Top 15 novels of the year so far *Breezily funny and vividly written, City Of Girls is a quietly radical celebration of feminine sexual inhibition that slips down as easily as a gin martini. Expect to see it on multiple beaches this summer -- Claire Allfree * Metro *A rollicking, beautifully rendered ride of glitter and fun … Gilbert’s novel is something of a masterpiece of flapdoodle itself … Gilbert has a knack for storytelling and her plot doesn’t so much twist as twirl, high-kicking all the way … A rambunctious anthem to living a life joyous and satisfyingly full — and that deserves an ovation * Evening Standard *City of Girls will be a hit ... Readers will adore its bolstering message of hope * Sunday Times *Written with such wit, verve and emotional honesty that you feel you've washed down 100 life lessons within a vodka martini … There are some of the most brilliant and truthful evocations of youthful sexual exploration that you'll ever read … She has triumphed. City of Girls is an education in love, and an iridescent delight -- Rowan Pelling * Spectator *Brilliant on female friendship, desire and the influence a good mentor can bring to enrich a young woman's life * Grazia Summer Reads *Compelling … works with themes of freedom, responsibility and empowerment that feel both timeless and timely. In a moment when women’s desires are still being governed, this is a story about a woman who recognises – and embraces – hers * Time *There is so much to love in City of Girls. Vivian’s voice is strong and leaves you yearning for more time with her * Independent *A romantic misadventure written with such wit, verve and emotional honesty that you feel you’ve washed down 100 life lessons within a vodka martini … She has triumphed. City of Girls is an education in love, and an iridescent delight -- Rowan Pelling * Spectator *City of Girls is about women throwing off the shackles of marriage and convention in order to explore their desires … What I loved about Vivian, is that she seizes the day * BBC Radio 4 *The self-portrait of a woman whose truest intimacy is with her own being … It’s the story of a woman who’s made an independent life as best she can. If the usual narrative shapes don’t fit most lives – neither she nor her creator seems to be worrying about it * New York Times *Expect to spot a copy on every beach towel come June * Vogue, Must-Reads *Hugely enjoyable and goes down with a smacking of lips while bringing a sparkle to the eye * i *Her wise, funny, ballsy voice is one that's given countless women the courage to change their lives… A glamorous romp of a tale that dazzleswith sequin-clad showgirls -- Clover Stroud * Red *Wherever Liz Gilbert goes, we’ll follow * Oprah magazine, Best book releases, 2019 *Fizzy, fabulous … As bubbly as a champagne cocktail but with a real kick in the tail * Sunday Express *Funny, bittersweet … Explores female desire in a radically refreshing way * independent.co.uk *‘For years, I have wanted to write a novel about women who have a lot of sex, and who like it, and whose lives aren’t destroyed by it,” says Eat Pray Love author Gilbert. This is that book, set across the glittering fabric of a lost New York * Red, The books we can’t wait to read 2019 *I freaking adored this book. Its heroine, Vivian Morris, will absolutely steal your heart and probably do a good job of breaking it, too -- Sarra ManningThe Eat Pray Love author transports us to New York in the summer of 1940 and a vibrant theatre scene studded with raucous showgirls * Net-a-Porter.com, Best Summer Reads *Young women come of age in war time New York, in the new novel from the author of Eat, Pray, Love * Guardian, 2019 in books: what you’ll be reading this year *This cracker of a book manages to be funny, playful and thoughtful all at once … A real joy to read … A frothy sequin clad frolic … a dazzling read * Good Housekeeping, ‘10 Books to Read Right Now’ *Sensational * Cosmopolitan *A classic coming-of-age story * Daily Express *A fizzing portrait of a giddy young female hedonism * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisAddictive' GuardianA febrile, urgent tale' Sunday TimesA sizzling new thriller' New York Times She knows your mind, she possesses your thoughts. What will she take next?I think I can help you'Beth lives by Camden Lock with her partner Sol and their daughter Fern. Life is peaceful, but Beth is troubled by increasing unease.So she goes to therapy with Dr Tamara Bywater. Soon their sessions become the highlight of Beth's week. But Beth is in over her head before she realises that Tamara might not be all she seems...A classy, compulsive tale of desire and obsession' Mail on SundayAn addictive, macabre fairground ride of a novel' GuardianThis is seduction of the most insidious kind' SpectatorTrade ReviewPage-turning … As Briscoe folds generous swirls of melodrama into the mix, the novel’s temperature rises from feverish to volcanic * Daily Mail *A probing, sometimes uncomfortable, always gripping study of erotic obsession -- Jonathan Coe * Observer Books of the Year *A gripping thriller * independent.co.uk *A tense, skilfully plotted and emotionally perceptive story * Observer *A classy, compulsive tale of desire and obsession, it glitters with menace * Mail on Sunday *Through this addictive, macabre fairground ride of a novel, Briscoe reminds us to value the quieter forms of love * Guardian *The author has a fine eye for aesthetic detail and an even finer one for parental relationships … this is seduction of the most insidious kind * Spectator *A febrile, urgent tale * Sunday Times *Juicy and thrilling * Heat *Joanna Briscoe is one of those writers who manages to pull off that combination of pin-sharp prose with the pull of a plot that keeps you turning the pages. Richly observed, The Seduction is a rewardingly moreish read * Living *A vivid and evocative tale of obsession and deception * Sunday Mirror *A clever, nuanced, elegantly written exploration of obsession * Saga *

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Book Synopsis____________________''An illuminating and timely story that highlights the plight of refugees A book that haunts and shames in equal measure'' - Guardian''This short but heart-wrenching book ... brings home the terrible human consequences of war. Caroline Brothers' stark, unsentimental novel is one everyone should read'' - Daily Mail''Intensely evocative The emotional as well as geographical borderlands are sensitively delineated in this visceral and moving debut'' - Independent____________________The inspiration for Flight, the stunning play coming to the Bridge Theatre, from the creatives behind Harry Potter and the Cursed Child____________________Two young boys cross a river in the middle of the night. The river is also a border, and their lives depend on this journey. With nothing but the clothes on their backs, Aryan and his little broTrade ReviewAn illuminating and timely story that highlights the plight of refugees … A book that haunts and shames in equal measure * Guardian *This short but heart-wrenching book presents us with the tragic reality behind the words “refugee” and “asylum-seeker” and brings home the terrible human consequences of war. Caroline Brothers’ stark, unsentimental novel is one everyone should read * Daily Mail *Intensely evocative … Hinterland harrowingly exposes the hidden world of migrants … The emotional as well as geographical borderlands are sensitively delineated in this visceral and moving debut * Independent *A forceful account of two prototypical lost boys as they hazard ‘the great lottery’ of a journey across Europe. Brothers has the seasoned journalist’s eye for idiosyncratic detail and a sense for the riveting turnabouts that keep readers as off balance as her characters * New York Times Book Review *

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Book Synopsis___________________''A delicious piece of entertainment'' - The Times''A very witty novel by a very witty woman. Hugely entertaining'' - Julian Fellowes''If you''re not already on holiday reading this, it will make you want to pack your bags!'' - Best___________________Somewhere on the French Riviera, tucked between glitzy Monte Carlo and Cannes' red carpets, lies the pretty town of Bellevue-Sur-Mer. Sheltered from the glittering melee, it is home to many an expat including an enterprising team who plan to open a new restaurant.Snapping up a local property and throwing themselves into preparations, Theresa, Carol, William and Benjamin's plans are proceeding unnervingly well. But when Theresa encounters a mysterious intruder, she begins to wonder what secrets the building is concealing.Meanwhile Sally, an actress who gave up the stage to live in quiet anonymity, has decided not to be involved. The famous Cannes Film Festival is on and shTrade ReviewFun … Her work has definite joie de vivre and a sunny, good-natured feel -- Wendy Holden * Daily Mail *A hugely enjoyable romp of a novel with eccentric characters, a delightful background and a savoury tang of crime -- Katie FfordeWith its lively plot and eccentric characters, this is a light-hearted, fun read * Daily Express *A very witty novel by a very witty woman. Hugely entertaining -- Julian FellowesA warm, light-hearted, fast-paced tale that fans of Peter Mayle will enjoy -- Joanne HarrisUtterly delicious in every way -- Joanna LumleyA delicious piece of entertainment … The characters are a hoot and their antics are hilarious; even better, Theresa is a fabulous cook and Imrie includes the recipes of her signature dishes * The Times *Wonderful and very amusing -- Helen Lederer * Good Housekeeping *Sunny, funny debut novel … A keenly observed, rollicking tale of mature expats reinventing themselves on the French Riviera … Quickfire dialogue and the strong characterisation * Mail on Sunday *In a delicious touch, the action is punctuated with recipes for the local dishes that are cooked by the characters so that readers can, if they wish, cook along with the action * Daily Telegraph *It’s lots of fun, with adventure at a certain age as its driving force, and sun-kissed recipes * Sainsbury's Magazine *A comic caper set among the tangled lives of a group of expats in a southern French village * Observer *Fast-paced and refreshingly frill-free, the text keeps you on edge without the unnecessary embellishment. If you’re not already on holiday reading this, it will make you want to pack your bags! * Best *Celia Imrie reveals herself to be a gifted novelist in the witty and engaging Not Quite Nice * Choice *A pacy, light-hearted romp around the Riviera … Imrie is on a roll with her Nice stories: they’re sharp, witty, with a nice plot twist and, like her recipes, leave you with an appetite for more * Scotland on Sunday *Imrie’s portraits of expats are vivid * Mail on Sunday *Peppered with local dishes, the novels are as light and frothy as the îles flottantes with crème anglaise she gives a recipe for near the end of the first book * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis''A masterful exploration of love, loss and the healing power of the natural world. Heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure'' ObserverLONGLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS'' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD 2018Jonah roams Kew Gardens trying to reassemble the shattered pieces of his life after the death of his wife, Audrey. Weathering the seasons and learning to love again, he meets Chloe, an enigmatic origami artist who is hesitant to let down her own walls.In the gardens he also meets ten-year-old Milly, and Harry, a gardener, both of whom have secrets of their own to keep and mysteries to solve.Trade ReviewA masterful exploration of love, loss and the healing power of the natural world. Like Max Porter’s Grief is a Thing With Feathers, it uses fable, mystery and a poetic sensibility to get at the nub of loss … Heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure * Observer *Kew Gardens proves an abundant and richly suggestive backdrop for this unusual story ... Udall weaves a complex story about the mysterious ways a life can linger, like a scent, and how grief and love can sometimes feel so vast and overwhelming that no earthly landscape can contain them * Daily Mail *A rich and intricate debut, at once subtle and powerful, intent and reflective, lyrical and visceral, expertly cultivating an abundance of life from all that remains after death -- James Hannah, author of 'The A to Z of You and Me'A moving story as intricate and elegant as the origami birds that Chloe, one of the characters, folds. I loved this whimsical debut novel * Red, Summer Reads *Unputdownable fiction ... Poetic and finely wrought * Sunday Express *A story of death and its aftermath, which lingers long after the last page * Independent *An extraordinary, enchanting book. Writing as fine and precise as a botanical sketch, gorgeously arty themes, powerful yet fragile imagery and a brilliant story – this is a book to love and treasure -- Tracy Rees, author of 'Amy Snow'This novel is all about seeing a ‘scarred loveliness’ in a damaged world * Psychologies *A poetic exploration of those most difficult of topics, grief and love, against the backdrop of Kew Gardens … Udall deftly leads the reader through the tangled web of relationships binding each of these four people to Audrey, whose own story comes to be revealed through her diaries * Scotsman *Magical, memorable and one I will treasure -- Ali Land, author of 'Good Me Bad Me'A delicate and beautiful unfolding of grief, loss, love and the way that lives intersect. Insightful and inventive -- Ann Morgan, author of 'Beside Myself'Absolutely wonderful. It has the emotional integrity of One Day and the complexity and character depth of Cloud Atlas ... An incredible achievement -- Deborah Install, author of 'A Robot in the Garden'

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