Contemporary Fiction Books

Book Synopsis_______________''Unexpectedly funny'' - New York Times''Full of imagination, humour and invention ... A glorious debut'' - Irish Times''Mesmerising ... She writes with a heartbreaking clarity ... and is dexterously able to evoke emotional extremity through pitch-perfect narrative compression'' - The Times_______________THE EXQUISITE DEBUT NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF WEATHER, SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN''S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2020To eight-year-old Grace Davitt, her mother, Anna, is a puzzling yet wonderful mystery. This is a woman who has seen a sea serpent in the lake, who paints a timeline of the universe on the sewing-room wall, and who teaches her daughter a secret language which only they can speak. For Grace''s father, however, the only truth is science, and increasingly he finds himself shut out by Anna as she draws Grace deeper and deeTrade ReviewOffill creates for Grace a mesmerising imaginary world ... She writes with a heartbreaking clarity ... and is dexterously able to evoke emotional extremity through pitch-perfect narrative compression * The Times *Engaging, funny, full of imagination, humour and invention ... A glorious debut * Irish Times *Offill's remarkable first novel is crisply written, economically constructed and so inventive that you read without a clue as to what anyone will say or do next ... If "last things" means things that will last, then this novel is one of them * New York Times *The unsentimental honesty means that the humour and the charm of the novel - both heavily in evidence - come exclusively from the writing * Express on Sunday *The charisma and damage of madness lend a desperate glamour to Last Things * ELLE *A pleasure the read and a tender evocation of childhood ... Full of myth, historical anecdote, scientific fact, cosmology and philosophy ... A gem of a book * Tatler *Brilliantly captures the confusion of childhood * Red *

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Book SynopsisNext, dive into TOM LAKE the breath-taking new novel from Ann Patchett''Dazzling life-affirming and compulsively readable'' Sunday Times''Patchett blends wisdom and humanity jointly with the icy forensic gaze of someone not afraid to expose the frailties of human behaviour ... Read it'' Jojo Moyes''An outstanding novel ... a master of her art'' ObserverIt is 1964: Bert Cousins shows up at Franny Keating's christening party uninvited and notices a heart stoppingly beautiful woman. When he kisses Beverly Keating, his host's wife, he sets in motion the joining of two families, whose shared fate will be defined on a day seven years later.In 1988, Franny Keating, now twenty-four, is working as a cocktail waitress in Chicago. When she meets the famous author Leon Posen one night at the bar, and tells him about her family, she unwittingly relinquishes control over their storyTrade ReviewPatchett blends wisdom and humanity jointly with the icy forensic gaze of someone not afraid to expose the frailties of human behaviour ... Read it -- Jojo MoyesPart of Patchett’s design is to curve every type, bend every cliché, adulterate every formula … Subtle, startling and painful ... Commonwealth is one of the most discerning novels about siblings I can recall … Alive with provocative insights that sum up entire relationships -- Sarah Churchwell * Guardian *Stunning -- India Knight * Sunday Times *Hugely entertaining and an unsettling joy to read -- Roddy Doyle * Irish Times *An outstanding novel ... The opening is a show stopper … Patchett is a pleasure to read: there is a no-fuss casualness to the prose that is only possible when a writer is in control of every word and she is master of her art * Observer *The opening scene …. is a faultless set piece ... Her prose is equally powerful when she’s evoking a 1970s summer in Virginia … Patchett deftly summons up a simmering childhood anger and dangerously ricocheting energy * The Times *Patchett writes excellently and seemingly artlessly * Daily Mail *Dazzling … sharply observed, ripe with humour, laden with significance … Her characters shimmer with life-likeness, and she pulls you into every one of her vibrantly drawn scenes with great ease … The combination of lightness, warmth and remarkable incisiveness creates a novel that is life-affirming and compulsively readable * Sunday Times *The book flows easily between narrators, constantly switching from past to present, and slowly revealing what happened that summer, allowing Patchett to play with memory and perspective to surprisingly moving effect ... Commonwealth is a book about relationships and the obligations they bring .. Poignant ... funny ... An engaging novel that draws you in with sharp observation, a gin-fuelled plot written in beautiful prose and convincing dialogue. You miss the characters once it’s over * Evening Standard *She achieves the great novel of American domestic life with a spare hand and a demotic prose that seems to come from the mouths of her characters, even when they aren’t speaking … Her unshowy account of public and private stories addresses the great puzzle of what our lives are really made of ... This novel convinces me she’s wiping the floor with her heftier competitors -- Linda Grant * Daily Telegraph *Commonwealth is full of heart, and is Patchett’s most complex and emotionally suspenseful novel. She never hits a wrong note although she conjures with many deftly drawn characters. The opening chapter is one of the best party-scene seductions ever written -- Louise Erdrich, author of The Beet QueenShe is one of those rare writers, like Anne Enright or Anne Tyler, who is able to convey poignancy and humour in the space of a single sentence -- Elizabeth Day * Irish Times *So clear and clean and at the top of her game ... It is just so masterfully done. The sweep of it and the subtlety of the ideas -- Esther FreudBeautiful -- Katie Roiphe * Observer *From the mesmerising first chapter to the final page, Ann Patchett’s new novel is utterly brilliant. This domestic drama deals in loyalties, sibling rivalries, jealously and heartbreak in an effortlessly graceful style that makes for unputdownable reading * Sunday Express *Gorgeously evocative writing and complex characters ... Patchett is a writer of exceptional talent, and this is one of her best yet * Good Housekeeping *A deft craftsman … Patchett ultimately wins the reader over with her perceptive qualities, alluring characters and undertone of humour … In Commonwealth, Patchett’s nimble storytelling floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee * Literary Review *This delicate exploration of the ties that bind us never seems to lose focus * Stylist *An absorbing, brilliantly observed novel * Women & Home *Rich and engrossing … her observations about people and life are insightful; and her underlying tone is one of compassion and amusement … Patchett also skilfully illustrates the way that seemingly minor, even arbitrary decisions can have long-lasting consequences and the way that we often fear the wrong things -- Curtis Sittenfeld * New York Times *Delicious. From the moment a kiss at a christening ends up sparking the divide and re-merging of two families, I was drawn into the minutiae of the drama ... Patchett makes you feel like you’ve lived among it and have been subsumed into the newly drawn clan * Grazia *Humourous and heartbreaking, this quietly brilliant collage of a novel also happens to be semi-autobiographical itself * Mail on Sunday *Life-affirming and compulsively readable * Sunday Times *Told with great sympathy and even greater wit – it should be said that Commonwealth is very funny indeed – this is a book to savour * The Lady *At the heart of a novel is a family story that is appropriated by another character – an author – the consequences of which ripple out to every family member * Guardian Readers' Books of the Year *I want to tell you how good Ann Patchett is. She’s classy. She reminds me of Anne Tyler – superb at domestic details and very ambitious * Evening Standard *Patchett moves through the gears very smoothly, from sexual attraction to disease and violent death. Exciting, and also poignant * Independent *When the tragic power of the story hits the reader, the effect is breathtaking. Patchett sucker-punches you, but leaves you feeling you had it coming – whether for underestimating her, her characters, or humanity, it is hard to say’ -- Sarah Churchwell * Guardian *An outstanding novel … The opening is a show stopper ... Patchett is light, incisive and all-seeing ... She lets readers reflect on what is involved in stealing from life: emotional copyright is, in this unpushy and brilliant novel, more powerful than anyone dared suppose * Observer *Ann Patchett's cleverly crafted Commonwealth is one of her best, which for this writer is saying a great deal -- Geraldine Brooks * Sydney Morning Herald, Books of the Year 2017 *

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Book Synopsis___________________Anything written by Celia Imrie is guaranteed to put a smile on your face' - Good Housekeeping___________________The beautiful town of Bellevue-sur-Mer, tucked between glitzy Monte Carlo and the plush red carpets of Cannes, is home to Theresa, Carol, William, Benjamin and Sally: five retired expats who have pooled their resources to set up La Mosaïque, a divine little restaurant.But there is trouble in paradise: the friends are desperately struggling to make ends meet, and when the much hoped for sale of their Picasso mosaic falls through they realise it will take every bit of their talent and gumption to save La MosaïqueThe witty and enchanting third novel from the well-loved actress and Sunday Times-bestselling author of Not Quite Nice and Nice Work (If You Can Get It), perfect for fans of Katie Fforde and Fern Britton___________________Praise for thTrade ReviewA fun read ... There’s a deranged energy that sweeps you along * Daily Mail *Breezy, lightly comic … peppered with delicious recipes * Radio Times *Well-loved TV and movie actress Celia’s third novel, following the fortunes of five expats in the South of France who open a restaurant together * Love It! *Praise for the Nice series: ‘Fun … 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 and funny … A keenly observed, rollicking tale of mature expats reinventing themselves on the French Riviera * 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 *Celia Imrie reveals herself to be a gifted novelist … Witty and engaging * 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 *Peppered with local dishes, the novels are as light and frothy as the îles flottantes with crème anglaise * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThe spellbinding story of Lady Chatterley's Lover, and the society that put it on trial; the story of a novel and its ripple effects across half a century, and about the transformative and triumphant power of fiction itself.A hugely daring, intrigue-packed, decade-jumping doorstopper that teasingly blends fiction and actuality with wit and panache' DAILY MAILA triumph ... it will conquer your heart'' ELIF SHAFAK''Glorious and arresting ... A widescreen novel'' OBSERVER''A passionate, epic joy'' MADELINE MILLER''Powerful, moving, brilliant ... An utterly captivating read'' ELIZABETH GILBERT________________________D. H. Lawrence is dying. Exiled in the Mediterranean, he dreams of the past. There are the years early in his marriage during the war, where his desperation drives him to commit a terrible betrayal. And there is a woman in an Italian courtyard, her chestnut hair red with summer. Jacqueline and her husband have alreaTrade ReviewAlison MacLeod has conjured a hugely daring, intrigue-packed, decade-jumping doorstopper that teasingly blends fiction and actuality with wit and panache * DAILY MAIL *Weaving together fact and fiction with impressive skill, MacLeod marshals a number of very different but interlinked narratives * THE TIMES, Best paperbacks of 2022 *It’s an ambitious sprawl of a book, splendidly extreme in its magnitude, yet always elegant; a defence of complicated thinking and embodied life * GUARDIAN *What a triumph of skill and imagination is this powerful, moving, brilliant novel! I’ve never read anything quite like Tenderness, and I doubt I ever will again. This is more than a book about a book; this is a book about living - about really living, at the most dangerous and beautiful edges of the human experience. I stand in awe of Alison MacLeod. She is a novelist operating at the peak of her powers ... Tenderness is an utterly captivating read, and I came away from it with this astonished thought: There’s nothing this writer can’t do -- ELIZABETH GILBERTTenderness is a triumph and it will conquer your heart. Stunning, illuminating, but also, profoundly moving -- ELIF SHAFAKA propulsive, addictive, joyous read -- Barney Norris * GUARDIAN *Weaving together fact and fiction with impressive skill ... Tenderness is a significant achievement, as life-affirming as Lawrence’s own fiction always aimed to be * SUNDAY TIMES, Historical Fiction Book of the Month *Gripping new novel... shows a mastery of her craft… a thrilling read * HARPER'S BAZAAR *Glorious and arresting ... A widescreen novel * OBSERVER *A work of huge imagination * THE TIMES *A compelling read … keen and elegant prose * LITERARY REVIEW *With a powerful mixing of the personal and the political, of fact and fiction, Alison MacLeod’s latest novel is a sweeping and immersive literary treat * LIVING MAGAZINE *As sublimely crafted as a novel could ever be. I’m in awe of Alison MacLeod’s powers. Tenderness is an intricate, mesmerising tapestry of love and regret, prudery and desire, loneliness and togetherness, loyalty and betrayal, and the enigmas and conundrums involved in the art of committing these experiences to the page -- ISABELLA TREEGorgeously written and meticulously conceived, Alison MacLeod’s Tenderness presents history as it didn’t happen, and in so doing casts a new light on history as it did happen -- DAVID LEAVITTTenderness is a passionate, epic joy. It's a paean to artistic imagination and freedom, and also to the messy complexity of humanity. The characters leap from the page with astonishing life that is all the more impressive given their historical fame. MacLeod's prose is a masterclass - gripping, lyrical, witty, razor-sharp and filled with, yes, tenderness. I will never forget it -- MADELINE MILLERAlison MacLeod has bored deep into significant cultural fault-lines of the twentieth century: D. H. Lawrence’s grappling with Edwardian England’s psychological timidity; America’s moment of political optimism with the Kennedys; the trial of Lady Chatterley’s Lover. She has disentangled connections - roots - between them and their participants, and emerged with a great sweeping symphony of a novel -- TIM PEARSShe has produced a meticulously researched account ... This is a vol-au-vent … and it will change forever the way we read Lady Chatterley -- Francis Wilson * SPECTATOR, Books of the Year *Magnificent … MacLeod covers an astonishingly broad range of incidents, eras, and themes in vivid prose, and depicts Lawrence’s supporters and opponents with equal insight and empathy … Triumphant … This places MacLeod among the best of contemporary novelists * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *Sprawling and ambitious ... Completely engrossing * GOOD READING MAGAZINE *Fans of Curtis Sittenfeld’s American Wife will love the epic Tenderness * VOGUE AUSTRALIA *Tenderness is daring and innovative … MacLeod’s Tenderness has many tendrils, but throughout is a constant incantation about the power of fiction. The structure is unexpected and the story is epic and bold, and to quote from the book, it is also big-spirited and alive * ABC NEWS, Best New Books to Read in September *An exploration of society’s reaction to the infamous Lady Chatterley’s Lover, and the transformative and triumphant power of fiction itself * BETTER READING *A joyous celebration of the artistic life by a writer who takes courageous flight * TABLET *

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Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR_______________'A masterpiece' SCOTSMAN'A wise, refreshing novel ... Runcie has an expert imagination' HILARY MANTELA masterclass in writing about the power of music and grief' THE TIMES, 100 best books for summer 2022_______________Love and Death. Grief and Joy. Music that lasts forever. Leipzig, 1726. Eleven-year-old Stefan Silbermann has just lost his mother. Sent to Leipzig to train as a singer in the St Thomas Church choir, he is rescued from his homesickness and grief by the Cantor: Johann Sebastian Bach himself. Stefan is brought into the Bach household as an apprentice - until a devastating loss brings his period of sanctuary to a close. Something is happening, though. In the depths of his loss, the Cantor is writing a new work. As Stefan watches the work rehearsed, he realises he is witness to the creation of one of the most extraordinary pieces of music that has ever been written. _______________Brilliant ... Readers will be enriched bTrade ReviewA beautifully calibrated novel ... Bach emerges as an intense, flawed, deeply religious man, and through a poignant exploration of grief and love, Runcie brings his glorious music thrillingly to life * MAIL ON SUNDAY *A riveting meditation on grief and the possibilities of music * SUNDAY TIMES, Best Books of 2022: Historical Fiction *A novel which deserves to last and will surely do so. It is surely James Runcie’s masterwork, a novel written with love and understanding * SCOTSMAN *Runcie is brilliant at chronicling Bach’s mission to take the messiness of grief and love and turn them into something beautiful and sacred. Even readers as tone-deaf as I am will be enriched by this novel and its glimpse at genius * THE TIMES, Historical Fiction of the Month *This wise, refreshing novel takes us to the heart of Bach’s life and work. James Runcie’s expert imagination makes his picture of Leipzig specific and convincing, and behind the music’s echo lies a touching human story. It offers a glimpse into a world more faithful and attentive than our own, but not alien to us: "we listen to music as survivors," the great Cantor says -- HILARY MANTELTo conjure him as a man, a writer needs to focus very sharply, and, whether in his bestselling Grantchester stories or award-winning documentaries, Runcie is expert at focus … Warmly, reverently, Runcie bring s alive what it is like to take part, for the very first time, in one of the most extraordinary pieces of music ever written * DAILY TELEGRAPH *In this moving and fascinating portrait of a rare moment in musical history, Runcie turns a legend into a real man, compellingly unveiling the intricate connection between passion, grief and the greatest art. Careful research and beautiful writing make this a memorable and rewarding read -- LUCY JAGOThe Great Passion is a novel revering the life and work of JS Bach, as told by a young boy soprano in Leipzig * IRISH INDEPENDENT, BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2022 *This is historical fiction of the highest order ... intricate and accessible * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review *I loved this book. Runcie’s description of the familiar music being rehearsed and performed for the first time is extraordinary * CHURCH TIMES *Like the St Matthew Passion, this is a novel filled not just with loss and lamentation but with transcendent joy. Runcie’s prose sings. Soli Deo gloria! * SAGA MAGAZINE *Wonderfully imagined * COUNTRY LIVING *A delightful novel filled with warmth, music, and an obvious love of Bach * KIRKUS *Praise for James Runcie: ‘Runcie has the gift of the born storyteller * DAILY MAIL *Tremendous: shrewd, compelling and full of insight -- WILLIAM BOYDA triumph of inspired imagination * FINANCIAL TIMES *It’s a warm, tender novel, brimful of emotion and empathy, as the fascinating characters grapple with faith, feelings and fellowship. But it’s Runcie’s description of the music that is truly marvellous. Intoxicating, insightful and revelatory, he brilliantly tackles the difficult task of using words to capture the intricacies of Bach’s fervent work on the beautiful, groundbreaking masterpiece, St Matthew Passion * DAILY MAIL *Runcie ... has a gift for capturing the past * INDEPENDENT.CO.UK *

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Book SynopsisAn Observer, Guardian, Financial Times, Sunday Times South Africa, Irish Times, Irish Independent, Big Issue and Strong Words Pick of the Year An Irish Times and The Times Summer Reading Pick Shortlisted for the Saltire Society Fiction Book of the Year AwardShortlisted for the London Magazine Debut Fiction Prize 2020Longlisted for HWA Debut Crown 2020Beautifully written and emotionally devastating' Daily MailA beautiful and heart-breaking story set in South Africa where two mothers - a century apart - must fight for their sons, unaware their fates are inextricably linked.Orange Free State, 1901. At the height of the Boer War, Sarah van der Watt and her six-year-old son Fred can only watch as the British burn their farm. The polite invaders cart them off to Bloemfontein Concentration Camp promising you will be Trade ReviewPowerful -- MAGGIE O'FARRELLAn exceptional book * SUNDAY TIMES SOUTH AFRICA *Remarkable * OBSERVER *Beautiful -- MAX PORTERStunning -- JOHN BOYNEBarr has achieved something remarkable – a powerfully moving tale that weaves dazzlingly -- ALEX PRESTON * OBSERVER *Eye-opening * SPECTATOR *An incredible novel -- NATALIE HAYNES * i *This is a book that tilts the world … Full of heart and emotion * STYLIST *Epic … Immersive, moving, horrifying and beautiful. You will LOVE it -- MARIAN KEYESI want you to read this -- PHILIPPA PERRYA gripping, heartbreaking tale of uncomfortable histories and the resilience of love -- GRAHAM NORTONBarr has a keen eye for wincingly evocative detail ... Lyrical * NEW STATESMAN *Brutal, haunting, redemptive and with not an ounce of fat left on it. Beautiful -- JOJO MOYESEye-opening and meticulously researched -- EMILY RHODES * SPECTATOR *Both a damning indictment of one of the most ignoble periods in British history and a haunting portrait of modern South Africa * METRO *Funny, tender, and heartbreaking ... A gifted storyteller * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *Epic … Immersive, moving, horrifying and beautiful. You will LOVE it -- MARIAN KEYESSkilfully interweaves interlocking stories from the Boer War and contemporary South Africa as it unflinchingly brings the horrors of hidden colonial history into the light of day and shows how hurt seeps down the generations -- Anita Sethi * Scotland on Sunday *This would be an achievement for a third or fourth novel; for a first, it’s an astonishing one. Barr’s handling of his bravely chosen material - the conjoined shames of British and Afrikaaner history - is deft and the results will haunt you -- PATRICK GALEDevastating and formally ingenious, it traces the paths by which historical grief engenders present violence … A vitally brave and luminously compassionate book -- GARTH GREENWELLIt’s rare for a novel to go so deep that you come out of reading it a different person from when you went in. Damian Barr’s investigation of a part of South Africa’s history the British have been trying to forget for many many years is such a book. It was a very brave book to write, and parts of it call for some courage to read, but nothing more unusual and impressive has appeared for years -- DIANA ATHILLDamian Barr has written a novel concerned with single strain of human history, of how a people are made and unmade and how they go on to make and unmake others, of the stories they tell themselves to allow such things to pass. In so doing he has captured the threads of all of human history. You Will Be Safe Here is as unexpected as it is unsettling, both in the telling and in the way that telling works to reveal hidden trails through the points of light and darkness, such that the reader arrives at the end to stand before a view over one hundred years in the making and says, I see it now -- AMINATTA FORNAYou Will Be Safe Here is eviscerating in its rendering of violence and masculinity in South Africa [and] exquisite in its depiction of suffering and love. You will see the world differently after reading this – it speaks so eloquently and compassionately against a world defined by dominance and brute force and the blind repetition of history. It brought me to tears – the beauty of the language, Barr's tenderness with his characters, and the horror that is done in the name of power -- MARGIE ORFORD[Barr] has achieved something remarkable – a powerfully moving tale that weaves dazzlingly between the Boer war and contemporary South Africa -- PICKS FOR 2019 * OBSERVER *Few writers can wind you with a word. But Damian Barr doesn't just do that, he tickles and then floors you, delights only to devastate, within a single phrase -- PATRICK STRUDWICKDamian Barr splits open lost history, sunlit moments of love and all private grief with this novel, a chisel at one end and a telescope at the other. Insightful and compassionate, open-hearted and unblinking, Barr gives us three unforgettable stories in this powerful, groundbreaking book -- AMY BLOOMWonderful. I finished the book in tears ... [Barr] writes beautifully, emotively and yet cleanly, without pressing any point so hard that it becomes polemic instead of truth -- JESSICA FELLOWESSweeping yet intimate, heart-breaking yet often very funny … This book confirms Barr as one of our most brilliant and big-hearted writers -- ALEX PRESTONBrave, compassionate and beautifully written -- FANNY BLAKEA gorgeously written novel * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *Barr proves that the future has the power to reshape the past. He also reminds us of the effects of time mean people living in the same place can inhabit different worlds … Time is almost too quaint itself, too neutral a concept if we think about it only in terms of measurement, to properly capture what Barr sets out to achieve. This is a book about time as the accumulation of experience, both personal and collective. Experience is the same as history and history is the things people do. This is a book about the things people do to each other * HERALD *Pulls you in, breaks your heart and then ultimately repairs it. -- JOJO MOYES * OBSERVER BOOKS OF THE YEAR *There is pain on these pages and poetry too. I left this book bruised yet somehow better for it -- TAYARI JONES * OBSERVER, BOOKS OF THE YEAR *

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE THEAKSTON OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR AWARD 2021''Anyone wanting smart and compelling crime fiction with razor-sharp social comment should read Eva Dolan. In fact, EVERYONE should read her.'' Mark Billingham''A new read from Eva Dolan is always a pleasure and her latest is as dark and gritty as ever Dolan puts troubling contemporary themes at the heart of her fiction, creating a compelling mystery about the treatment of vulnerable immigrants in a secretive establishment'' Sunday Times As the country bakes under the relentless summer sun, a young doctor is found brutally murdered at his home in a picturesque Cambridgeshire village.Is his death connected to his private life or his professional one? Dr Joshua Ainsworth worked at an all-female detention centre, one still recovering from a major scandal a few years before. Was he the whistle-blower or an instigator?As Detective Sergeant Ferreira and Trade ReviewA new read from Eva Dolan is always a pleasure and her latest is as dark and gritty as ever … Dolan puts troubling contemporary themes at the heart of her fiction, creating a compelling mystery about the treatment of vulnerable immigrants in a secretive establishment * Sunday Times *Yet again, Eva Dolan has produced a compelling and often dramatic whodunit that tells you more about the state of the nation than a sheaf of newspapers * Sunday Express *Smartly plotted and intriguing * Sunday Mirror *Dolan depicts the breakthroughs and drawbacks of an investigation, the feint and parry of interviews, in engrossing detail and with great skill * The Times *A real state of the nation novel -- Barry Forshaw * Financial Times *Dolan infuses old-fashioned police work with contemporary issues to paint a disturbing picture of our times * Daily Mail *Gripping from the first page, this is crime fiction with heart, a social conscience and an ending that packs a powerful emotional punch. I was a fan before. Now I’m in awe -- Paul BurstonAnyone wanting smart and compelling crime fiction with razor-sharp social comment should read Eva Dolan. In fact, EVERYONE should read her -- Praise for Eva Dolan, Mark BillinghamA master of pace ... [Dolan writes] richly imagined, cleverly plotted and socially aware stories, which will also have you turning the pages well into the small hours -- Praise for Eva Dolan * Independent *Dolan is expert at the orchestration of tension -- Praise for Eva Dolan * Guardian *Eva is a brilliant storyteller and the stories she tells are as compelling as they are important. She's a star -- Praise for Eva Dolan, Will Dean

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Book Synopsis_______________SELECTED BY THE INDEPENDENT AND THE OBSERVER AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018_______________''An immensely talented young writer ... Her fearlessness renews one''s faith in the power of literature ' - George Saunders, winner of the 2017 Man Booker PrizePoetic' - Independent The language is scintillating, the emotional heft remarkable' - Observer Daring' - Sunday TimesFerocious, startling, all-consuming' - Daisy Johnson, author of Fen_______________Peach is a teenage girl like any other. She has college, and her friends, and her parents and the new baby, and her gorgeous boyfriend Green. She has her friend Sandy, and Sid the cat, and homework to do. But something has happened something unspeakable and her world has become unfamiliar, fractured into strange textures and patterns. Reeling through her refracted universe, Peach knows that the people she loves arTrade ReviewAn immensely talented young writer ... Her fearlessness renews one's faith in the power of literature -- George Saunders, author of Lincoln in the Bardo, winner of 2017 Man Booker PrizeEmma Glass’s fictional debut – a novella-cum-prose poem – packs one hell of a punch … Glass’s commitment to the visceral is like nothing else I’ve read … Peach inhabits a strange, horror-story realm of the hyperreal, and Glass’s vision goes a long way towards portraying an experience that’s near-impossible to articulate * Observer *Addressing an all-too-relevant issue, the novel charts the physical and psychological effects on Peach through stylised, poetic prose, self-confessedly informed by James Joyce’s experiments with language. Referenced variously as “the new Jane Eyre”, “intimately weird” and “exhilaratingly bold” * Independent, Books to look out for in 2018 *Glass’s tale of a girl neglected by her parents and abused by others is a dark poetic read that is a visceral in its telling. It’s an extraordinary debut that we urge you to seek out * Stylist, 'Books to read this Spring' *Peach by Emma Glass is a short and brutal tale of sexual assault and its resulting traumas that carries clear echoes of Eimear McBride ... The language is scintillating, the emotional heft remarkable * Observer, The best fiction for 2018 *Peach is shocking, revealing and deals with a subject most authors would shy away from. It is uncomfortable, worthy and brave …Glass deserves recognition for her bravery regarding both the topic and style * Independent *A visceral work … Glass uses fragmented, sensory language to evoke the lasting trauma of a sexual assault, from dissociative episodes to body dysmorphia. But for all its emotional insight, the book’s boldest choice is its suspension between fantasy and reality * New Statesman *Genre-defying and brilliantly surreal novella ... Barely 100 pages, and somewhere between poetry and prose, this is a book to be devoured in a single sitting. Glass is an exciting new author to know * Vogue *An impressive achievement. There are obvious Joycean and Eimear McBridean influences on her writing, which is rich with onomatopoeia, musical rhythm and graphic, bloody imagery …A truly original voice for the future. Peach is a meeting place for expressionist poetry and Cronenberg-style body horror that’s not something you come across every day * Big Issue *A debut of consistently visceral writing ... The dark poetic world of Emma Glass’s debut, Peach, immerses the reader in a young woman’s personal hell … Through prose that is lyrical, mythic and yet wonderfully clear, Peach expounds on themes of good versus evil, and the base nature of desire, consumption and carnality … There is a spoken word vibrancy to Glass’s prose … Not since Patrick McCabe’s The Butcher Boy has such symbolism been used so effectively to make clear one woman’s brutal experiences * Irish Times *Surreal and unsettling, experimental and lyrical * Big Issue *A daring novel * Sunday Times *Powerfully felt, sinister, vivid * Literary Review *Related in an urgent, rhythmic unspooling of language … Peach’s voice is unsettling, idiosyncratic and discomforting, as well as being moving and utterly absorbing … This sense of radical domestic fantasy gives the novel a raw power, as well as provoking multiple interpretations. It may occasionally confound, but Peach is a bold, memorable novel – gripping, strange and utterly singular * Spectator *Challenging fiction that disrupts narrative forms, provocatively outlandish stream of consciousness set in the aftermath of a sexual assault … A gutsy, discomfiting experiment * Metro *It’s apt to see that this debut author cites James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, Kate Bush and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) in her acknowledgements. Peach is a hypnotic, visceral read ... Lyrically and visually driven, Glass’s sentences read like powerful poems, and they encompass so much emotion, you’ll find it hard to put this novel down once you start * Lithub, 15 books you should read this January *What it lacks in pages (Peach has just 98), it makes up for in uniqueness * Red, Most Hotly Anticipated Books of 2018 *This startling book uses hypervisceral prose to detail how a woman tries to move through ordinary life after being raped. An explosive dramatization of trauma, Glass' short but harrowing Peach provides a propulsive, unforgettable read that's impossible to shake * Entertainment Weekly *Choose wisely the moment when you pick up Peach; because once you do you'll be unable to put it down until the very last sentence -- Kamila Shamsie, author of Home FireImpossible to categorise, intimately weird and exhilaratingly bold, Peach shares literary DNA with Gertrude Stein, Hubert Selby Jr, and Eimear McBride, but Emma Glass’s massive talent is all her own -- Laline Paull, author of The BeesPeach is ferocious, startling, all-consuming ... it has changed the way I see the world -- Daisy Johnson, author of FenPeach is a work of genius. So lonesome and moving, so gruesome, wry, tender and plaintive. It is the new Jane Eyre, and one wild, thrilling ride. Swallow it in one gulp, and carry a spare copy in your pocket. Always -- Lucy Ellmann, author of MimiA mesmerising, deeply disturbing and stylistically daring debut, Peach reads almost like an incantation of dread and fear ... A visceral and unflinching journey through one woman's internal life. Like A Girl is a Half -formed Thing before it, this is a ground-breaking work of experimentation * NetGalley, ‘Netgalley UK’s Top Ten Books, December 2017 – January 2018’, *Glass ... aptly portrays Peach's real and mythical struggles between emotion and reason, power and trauma in this darkly arresting debut * Booklist *Glass’s prose is capable of breathtaking deftness ... A terrifying window into a freshly traumatized psyche. With paragraphs that read like poems, this is a memorably crafted entry into the canon of revenge narratives * Kirkus *

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Book Synopsis''Are You Enjoying?'' is emotional, equally hilarious, and gutting. I couldn''t put this book down because I''d been welcomed into the most intimate parts of these characters'' lives'' Rupi KaurFresh, intelligent, and bold: Mira Sethi's stories open up fascinating slices of contemporary life in Pakistan' Mohsin Hamid''Complex, delicate stories, alert both to the comic and the tragic. And while they focus on characters changing in a changing society, there is a timelessness about Sethi''s work that I think comes from her precise observations that a reader will remember like lines of poetry, for their beauty'' Kiran Desai Childhood best friends decide to marry in order to keep their sexuality a secret. A young heiress embarks on a secret affair, ending in devastation but not for the party who was braced for it. A glum divorcee reaches out to his American neighbour. A radicalised student''s preparations for his sister''s wedding in Lahore involve beating up the grooTrade ReviewFresh, intelligent, and bold: Mira Sethi’s stories open up fascinating slices of contemporary life in Pakistan -- MOHSIN HAMIDAre You Enjoying? is emotional, equally hilarious and gutting. I couldn't put this book down because I'd been welcomed into the most intimate parts of these characters' lives. -- RUPI KAURThese are complex, delicate stories, alert both to the comic and the tragic. And while they focus on characters changing in a changing society, there is a timelessness about Sethi's work that I think comes from her precise observations that a reader will remember like lines of poetry, for their beauty. * KIRAN DESAI *Best new books to read in 2021 * Vogue US *50 Best New Books to Read in 2021 * Refinery29 *In Sethi’s striking debut collection, strong women face myriad challenges. * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisYvonne and Huda have come a long way. Attractive, successful and glamorous, their brilliant ascent has flung them far from Lebanon, and each other. Now it's only on their rarely snatched holidays that the friends can catch up. As they swim, drink and talk by the glittering Italian Riviera, Huda and Yvone ponder just how complicated it is to be free and the eternal mysteries of love, sex, and getting a guy to call you back. Then, amid the glitz and chatter of London's Mayfair, a chance encounter brings their past rushing back. But Huda has a wicked trick her sleeveTrade ReviewBrilliant … Wise, witty and unexpectedly profound * Alberto Manguel *One of the Arab worlds most important voices … The story of two women looking for love and discovering what they're prepared to do for it * Net a Porter Magazine, Top 10 Beach Reads *Hanan Al-Shaykh is a sensation … Captures effortlessly the fearsome frankness with which women can talk to women about sex * Sydney Morning Herald *Romantic and outrageous … Brilliant * The National *

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Book SynopsisA bold, thought-provoking novel that will compel and disquiet in equal measure, about the moral lines we tread, the stories we tell ourselves and the secrets we bury; ''the best novel of 2018, by far'' (Cressida Connolly, Spectator)A BOOK OF THE YEAR 2018 - CHOSEN BY THE OBSERVER, NEW STATESMAN AND SPECTATOR1970s London. Ralph, an up-and-coming composer, has gone to visit Edmund Greenslay in his riverside home. At the heart of the house's wild bliss he finds Edmund's nine-year-old daughter Daphne, flitting, sprite-like, through the house's colourful rooms and unruly garden. From the moment their lives collide Ralph is consumed by an obsession to make Daphne his. Decades later, Daphne watches her own daughter come of age and is confronted with the truth of her own childhood and a devastating act of violence that has lain hidden for decades.Trade ReviewCertain books worm their way into your soul, grabbing you from the opening paragraph and holding you in their grip until the final page has been turned. Sofka Zinovieff’s Putney is just such a book, compelling the reader from its atmospheric opening until its bruising, bittersweet end -- Sarah Hughes * i *Smart and gripping -- Alex Preston * Observer, Books of the Year *Among the hottest books of this blazing summer -- Allison Pearson * Daily Telegraph *Accomplished, timely and unusually well-wrought -- Sarah Moss * Guardian *Zinovieff handles this difficult subject with control, insight, wisdom and sympathy … For anyone who came of age in that era, this can be an uncomfortable read, as well as an utterly fascinating one. I think it’s the best novel of 2018, by far -- Cressida Connolly * Spectator, Books of the Year 2018 *Sofka Zinovieff writes about this moral minefield with the necessary sensitivity, inhabiting her characters so convincingly that the conclusion is all the more chilling -- Kate Saunders * The Times *Delves deep into the discussions surrounding consent and abuse of power. Zinovieff has written a contemporary Lolita in which the rules of engagement have changed, women are speaking out about the ways they have been misused and the Humbert Humberts face prosecution and disgrace … Zinovieff is skilled at evoking the shifting moral and social terrain ... Richly drawn and convincingly realised * Observer *This superb novel from the highly regarded Zinovieff dissects every moral ambiguity ... Zinovieff twists the reader’s sympathy to and fro, until the final revelation. Over and above the central subject, this is a finely nuanced study of the way different people make subjective sense of the past, and a reminder that the novel (like the analyst’s couch) is a great space for thinking about the unthinkable * Sunday Times *Zinovieff’s dark and disturbing novel delicately probes the lines between abuse and consent in this atmospheric, intelligent and ambiguous story * i, 30 best books to take on holiday in summer 2018 *Unputdownable: a modern classic * The Lady *A disturbing, well-structured, nuanced story that provides no simple answers – an important addition to an urgent, current conversation * Financial Times *Involving, beautifully written, and subtle … There are terribly difficult questions here, dealt with sensitively and intelligently * Spectator *Lolita for the age of #MeToo ... It delves deep into the discussions surrounding consent and abuse of power … Zinovieff is skilled at evoking the shifting moral and social terrain while never letting us forget that none of that can be an excuse … the two main players are richly drawn, the strange, sad bond that exists between them convincingly realised * Observer *I read this greedily over the course of a day ... On obsession, abuse and atonement via three memory threads with complex and provocative consequences. A powerful - and timely - examination of desire and permission, innocence versus experience. "All children liked secrets, didn’t they..?" -- Laura Bailey * Vogue *Zinovieff writes with poise and sophistication * Times Literary Supplement *The ultimate taboo brought to life in a way that’s thrillingly disturbing and evocative. I couldn’t leave it * Mary Portas *This is a really important book. I loved it. Thought provoking, emotionally complex, and tackling the topic of the day - the blurred area between consent and abuse -- Esther FreudThis book is truly memorable and thought-provoking; throughout, Zinovieff sustains wonderfully perplexing and complex ambiguities. What is love, and what is exploitation? What is truth and what is self-deception? What is righteousness and what is hypocrisy? Can contradictions be simultaneously true? It’s a great story and a riveting read. I’ll remember the characters forever -- Louis de BernièresI read it at one go, unable to put it down, until 2am ... It's remarkable, a brilliant novel, jolting and shocking and right -- Michèle RobertsSuperb ... It is really something. Zinovieff treats the tricky subject with admirable dispassion -- Piers Paul ReadI read this novel with huge enjoyment … It is a terrific novel and I look forward to reading it many more times * The Oldie *The reader is as deftly manipulated as the child. Pacy and illuminating * The Week *

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Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES, NEW STATESMAN AND SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR''Vivid, illuminating and unbearably tense ... A masterly meditation on trauma, on beauty, on the idea of home and the limits of love'' GuardianCharlie's experiences at the Battle of Kohima and the months he spent lost in the remote jungles of Nagaland during the Second World War are now history. Home and settled on a farm in Norfolk and newly married to Claire, he is one of the lucky survivors. Starting a family and working the land seem the best things a man can be doing. But a chasm exists between them. Memories flood Charlie's mind; at night, on rain-slicked roads and misty mornings in the fields, the past can feel more real than the present. Though hidden even to himself, the darkest secrets of Charlie's adventures in the strange and shadowy ridges of the Nagaland mountains, his dream-like encounters with the mysterious and ancient tribesmen, leak and bleed through his consciouTrade ReviewVivid, illuminating and unbearably tense, Land of the Living is a masterly meditation on trauma, on beauty, on the idea of home and the limits of love * Guardian *Georgina Harding’s beautiful novels tell of wars, and troubled homecomings as traumatised fighting men try to re-enter interrupted marriages and homes grown strange ... Land of the Living is as wise and haunting as its predecessors * New Statesman, Books of the Year *Georgina Harding’s beautiful novels tell of wars, and troubled homecomings as traumatised fighting men try to re-enter interrupted marriages and homes grown strange … Her Land of the Living is as wise and haunting as its predecessors -- Lucy Hughes Hallett * New Statesman, Books of the Year *A quietly powerful novel * Observer *Audacious and moving … Elegiac, often elliptical vignettes that immaculately simulate Charlie’s shame, regret and grief … Masterly * Sunday Times *Remarkable and rare * Daily Mail *Elegant and precise, Georgina Harding wonderfully describes Charlie’s sense of dislocation, his emotional unease and the impossibility of communicating complex feelings to those who haven’t experienced war * Sunday Express *Tremendously imaginative, really compassionate … Manages to make them almost tangibly real, really immersive -- Frances Macmillan * BBC Radio 4 ‘Open Book’ *A lyrical novel about war and memory * Guardian, Ones to Watch 2018 *In sombre, elegant prose, Harding wonderfully describes Charlie’s sense of dislocation, his emotional unease and the impossibility of communicating his complex feelings and fears to those closest to him -- Eithne Farry * Mail on Sunday, The Best New Fiction *Revelatory in many ways, shining a light on the darker aspects of war … Quiet power and unexpected grace … Adds to Harding’s reputation as an incisive chronicler of war and its aftermath * Financial Times *Written with an admirable precision, and the dark of the narrative has to be teased out … It is a novel of ideas, for it invites you to think of questions of responsibility, exploitation, cruelty, brutality ... One of those rare novels which has you thinking, when you reach the end, that there is much you have passed over which demands a second reading to be fully felt and understood -- Allan Massie * Scotsman *Over several restrained, poetic novels, Georgina Harding has carved out a space for herself as one of the most incisive explorers of physical adversity and its psychological effects … Harding’s graceful style and self-control illuminate the crushing weight of history on the individual, and how different strategies for survival can cause a lifetime of pain and regret … Land of the Living is a poised and carefully crafted novel of powerful, submerged emotions, taking an under-explored aspect of Britain’s war and finding in it something graceful and strange, mythic as well * Herald *Disquieting * Times Literary Supplement *Perfect – a flawless gem of a novel from start to finish … Wonderful, strange and wise -- Patrick McGrath

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Book SynopsisA GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR''A thrilling, razor-sharp critique of US foreign policy Red Birds is an incisive, unsparing critique of war and of America's role in the destruction of the Middle East. It combines modern and ancient farcical traditions in thrilling way'' Guardian________________American pilot Major Ellie has crashed his plane in the middle of a desert. Lucky for him there's room for him at the very refugee camp he was supposed to bomb. Teenage Momo doesn't see it that way: the camp is a trap, not a refuge. His brother's missing, his parents are in a rage, and an aid worker won't stop trying to interview him for her book on the Teenage Muslim Mind. Savage, irreverent and deliciously dark, Red Birds is a masterful unravelling of intertwined fates in a forgotten war-scape and a brilliant satire about satire about the absurdity of war and the impossibility of peace.''Funny, dark, compassionate and angry'' Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewThe funniest tragedy I’ve read in years -- Hanif KureishiFunny, dark, compassionate and angry * Daily Telegraph *A novel at once funny, sad and disturbing * Mail on Sunday *A marvel -- Pankaj Mishra * Guardian, Summer Reading 2018 *A razor-tongued critique -- Dina Nayeri * Guardian *Irreverent, dripping with exuberant disdain -- Ben East * Observer *Skewers the entrenched insanity of conflict … Hanif’s bleak, formidable use of irony burns deeply -- Claire Allfree * Daily Mail *A savagely surreal satire of US foreign policy -- Justine Jordan * Guardian, Books of the Year *Irreverent, anarchic, comic, savage and humane -- Kamila ShamsieA blistering, savage, tragicomic satire about the cruelty of war and the impossibility of peace … Hanif writes of violence and bitterness with flashes of hilarity that underline his anger and his humanity * The Times *Defiant … The outrage is all too real * Sunday Times *Hanif has a talent for taking the most serious subjects – convoluted wars or paranoid dictators – and, in a style indebted to Joseph Heller's Catch-22, emphasising their fundamental absurdity through satire ... Hanif's authorial gifts are undeniable and Red Birds is written with ambition and powerful satirical anger * Literary Review *Like a highly charged political chamber opera -- Claire Armitstead * Guardian *The set-up is terrific: a US pilot crash lands in the Middle East and seeks shelter in the camp he was meant to bomb. Written with wit and a tilt towards the absurd, what follows is a highly original satire on US foreign policy which highlights the monstrousness of war * i *His new novel, set in and around a refugee camp, exhibits his trademark black comedy … an absurdist riff on modern conflict with shades of Catch-22 * Guardian, Best books of autumn 2018 *Terrific … A highly original satire on US foreign policy which highlights the monstrousness of war * i *Vivid and clever -- Ali Bhutto * Times Literary Supplement *The wit comes in sharp riffs…considered, otherworldly * Irish Times *The more you read of Pakistani novelist Mohammed Hanif’s exuberant, spirited prose, the more you fall in love with him. … A wry, brutal satire, with many laugh-out-loud moments, and the dialogue fizzes like Alka Seltzer. But there is also much to tug at the soul in yet another contemporary fiction which looks at the current state of the planet and sees rage, madness and sadness all around -- Jane Graham * Big Issue *An impressive multi-voiced performance that straddles bitter tragedy and pungent black comedy, grounded realism and flighty absurdity … Red Birds thrums with rambunctious energy. Hanif’s narrators are compelling forces, their wild accounts capable of gripping, moving and entertaining the reader … this is writing with guts, satire with bite * The National *

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Book SynopsisLet the magic of J.K. Rowling's classic series take you back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Issued to mark the 20th anniversary of first publication of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, these irresistible House Editions celebrate the noble character of the four Hogwarts houses. Featuring gorgeous house-themed cover art and interior line illustrations by Kate Greenaway Medal winner Levi Pinfold, each book will also have vibrant sprayed edges in the house livery. Entertaining bonus features exclusive to each house accompany the novel. All seven books in the series will be issued in these highly collectable House Editions. A must-have for anyone who has ever imagined sitting under the Sorting Hat in the Great Hall at Hogwarts waiting to hear the words, Better be HUFFLEPUFF!'You'll always find a home at Hogwarts!

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Book SynopsisA beautiful and powerfully-told story of buried secrets, set between the 1930s and the present day, on the wild Yorkshire Moors. The perfect book club read for fans of Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale.Trade ReviewAn absorbing mystery story, really evocative of the Yorkshire Moors and the mill. I loved the character of Billy Shaw! The story kept me engrossed and flipping the pages right to the end -- Katherine Webb, bestselling author of The LegacyThe Companion is beautifully written and so evocative of time and place, you can almost hear the roar of the roller skates at Potter's Pleasure Palace as you turn the page. Billy Shaw leaps off the moors into our hearts while Jasper Harper lurks ominously at his shoulder throughout this haunting debut. The strange goings on at High Hob are vividly brought to life by Dunnakey's wonderfully crafted novel. If you thought the Brontes were the most intriguing literary family in Yorkshire, wait until you meet the Harpers. -- Linda Green, author of the No.1 bestseller, While My Eyes Were ClosedSarah writes with warmth, wit and wisdom AND she makes you want to turn the page. A rare combination. -- John HumphrysAn engaging and totally compelling mystery * Yorkshire Post *Utterly absorbing...a great Yorkshire tale -- Stephen MayA compelling tale * My Weekly *Utterly charming, wonderfully creepy and rich with mystery. The Companion is a rare treat. -- CL Taylor, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Escape

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Book Synopsis Award-winning author Eric Schlich’s Eli Harpo’s Adventure to the Afterlife isan accessible and big-hearted novel that explores belief and forgiveness as a boy grapples with his faith and sexuality on a rollicking family road trip to Bible World.   When Eli Harpo was four, he underwent emergency open-heart surgery, flatlined on the operating table, and for a brief time, went to heaven and met Jesus. Or at least that’s what his father, a loving but devout Baptist minister, has raised him to believe.   Nine years later, Eli isn’t so sure. His rounds with his father to evangelize at hospices and sell his father’s self-published book, Heaven or Bust!, feel inauthentic and strange, especially now that he’s started having sex dreams about Jesus. Between that and his mother’s terminal breast cancer diagnosis, Eli feels further from heaven than ever. But when the famous televangeliTrade Review“Schlich’s acerbic yet poignant debut novel tackles queerness and monetized religious fervor . . . Sharp satire blends with powerful emotion and a considerate if skeptical­ approach to religious faith. This delectable send-up is full of heart.” * Publishers Weekly *"Eli Harpo's Adventure to the Afterlife is a hilarious sendup of the spaces where capitalism meets Christianity. But more than that, Eli Harpo is a character to root for as he tries to figure out which parts of his childhood were real, and which are a story that's been told for so long, and so famously, that no one seems to know where the family faith ends and the truth of Eli begins. Schlich is hilarious, compassionate, and cinematic on the page. His readers will gleefully follow Eli Harpo to the afterlife, or anywhere his search for the truth of himself takes him." * CJ Hauser, author of Family of Origin *Moving skillfully between farce and pathos, this tale of entangled allegiances keeps raising its stakes in surprisingly affecting ways. What initially appears to be a deliciously comic takedown of a clueless family of religious nitwits (or are they actually canny grifters?) quickly turns into something messier, more complicated—an empathetic and tender look at an all-too-believably human cast of characters in deep trouble and coming apart at the seams . . . and that's before things get really bad, as young Eli, the Harpo family's golden ticket, begins to realize that essential parts of himself don't conform to the script he's supposed to follow. Without ever forfeiting its deft satire, Eli Harpo's Adventure to the Afterlife plumbs unexpectedly moving emotional depths. The result is a big-hearted, wistfully funny, and bracingly wise account of the always painful journey toward self-discovery. * Paul Russell, author of The Salt Point and The Coming Storm *"Eric Schlich is one of the most imaginative writers I've ever read. In Eli Harpo's Adventure to the Afterlife, Schlich introduces us to a boy-turned-adult looking back on a near-death experience that may or may not have shown him heaven. This novel takes readers on a family road trip to Bible World, a religious theme park brought to kaleidoscopic life on the page, and on Eli's lifelong quest to unveil the truth of his own life. Narrated with humor, heart and pathos, this is a boisterous and beautiful book." * Anne Valente, author of The Desert Sky Before Us *"This is a true gem of a novel. Schlich delivers on the brilliant premise—a parallel-universe version of the life of the boy behind Heaven Is for Real—with divine comedy and devastating heartbreak. This beautiful meditation on childhood and its long afterlife is nothing short of miraculous." * Daniel Hornsby, author of Via Negativa *Crackling with humanity, wit, bravery, and heart, Eli Harpo's Adventure to the Afterlife is a bold debut that touches the center of what it means to discover who you really are, even if it means challenging what you've always been told was the truth. This book is for anyone who survived childhood and lived to tell the tale—immersive and rich, layered and complex, a thrilling exploration of sexuality, faith, and love. * Chelsea Bieker, author of Godshot and Heartbroke *“Hilarious and big-hearted, Eli Harpo's Adventure to the Afterlife is both a delicious romp through a fictional theme park and a nuanced exploration of why we cling to our own lore, and what it takes to let it go. I actually did both laugh and cry. Eric Schlich’s satire of evangelism is pitch-perfect, coaxing out absurdities while maintaining the integrity of his well-drawn, complex characters. An ideal selection for book clubs!” * Shelby Van Pelt, author of Remarkably Bright Creatures *Eric Schlich brilliantly examines how we reconcile the past as we struggle to imagine the future, and he does it with humor and tenderness and, above all, grace. In the process, he resists any possibility of caricature or falsehood, instead leading us to something profound. * Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here *Eli Harpo's Adventure to the Afterlife is a bighearted, highly entertaining odyssey in the tradition of Little Miss Sunshine, at turns madcap and touching. Schlich writes about big subjects—sexuality, family, faith—with great warmth, humor, and pathos. * Jonathan Evison, author of Again and Again *Schlich's novel was such a thrill to read, not only because the writing is by turns emotionally powerful and funny, but also because I so rarely encounter an authentic rendering of Evangelical thought and its complications. This book feels as though it was written directly to the queer kid I was growing up in Arkansas with a Baptist pastor for a father. This novel is a gift. * Garrard Conley, author of Boy Erased *"Eli Harpo’s Adventure to the Afterlife is an exuberant, rich, lively, and thoroughly entertaining novel, and I adored it. Eric Schlich is a wonderful writer and you’ll admire his prose, but you’ll love the novel most for its big honkin’ heart." * Annie Hartnett, author of Unlikely Animals and Rabbit Cake *

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Book Synopsis NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY: Vox * The Paris Review * NPR * Vanity Fair / A FINALIST FOR THE L.A. TIMES BOOK PRIZE FOR FIRST FICTION James Frankie Thomas’s Idlewild is a darkly funny story of two adults looking back on their intense teenage friendship, in a queer, trans, and early-Internet twist on the Manhattan prep school novel. Idlewild is a tiny, artsy Quaker high school in lower Manhattan. Students call their teachers by their first names, there are no grades, and every day begins with 20 minutes of contemplative silence in the Meetinghouse. It is during one of those meetings that an airplane hits the Twin Towers. For two Idlewild outcasts, 9/11 serves as the first day of an intense, 18-month friendship. Fay is prickly, aloof, and obsessed with gay men; Nell is shy, sensitive, and obsessed with Fay. The two of them bond fiercely and spend all their waking hours giddily parsing their environment

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Book SynopsisThe manga edition of the long-awaited sequel to the award-winning classic Ronin by Frank Miller   A cursed Ronin. Psychological manipulation by a sentient AI. A security commander turned savior. And a postapocalyptic biotech war in the demon-teeming pits of a twenty-first century New York inadvertently started by the once benevolent Aquarius Corporation. Eisner Hall of Famer Frank Miller’s Ronin is cited as the inspiration for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Samurai Jack. Now—40 years later—Miller, with the team Philip Tan and Daniel Henriques, returns to the world of Ronin, continuing his story for a new generation in Frank Miller’s Ronin Rising.   With Philip Tan and Daniel Henriques providing pencils and inks for chapters 1, 2, 3, and 5 of the manga, and the masterful Frank Miller himself drawing chapters 4 and 6, Frank Miller’s Ronin Rising is a visua

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Book SynopsisMarianne Dashwood can't understand her sister. How could the attractive, witty, and charming Elinor fall for the quiet, self-effacing, and rather dull Edward Ferrars?

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Book SynopsisMarianne Dashwood can't understand her sister. How could the attractive, witty, and charming Elinor fall for the quiet, self-effacing, and rather dull Edward Ferrars?

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE FOLIO PRIZE 2015One heart, two lives...When a teenager dies in an accident in rural Cambridgeshire, it affords Patrick, a fifty-year-old professor, drinker and womaniser, the chance of a life-saving heart transplant. But as Patrick recovers, he has the odd feeling that his old life ''won''t have him''. He becomes bewitched by the story of his heart, ever more curious about the boy who donated it, his ancestors, the Fenland he grew up in. What exactly has Patrick been given?Trade ReviewImmediately engrossing . . . Dawson navigates this half-mystical territory with a freshness and wit that belie a seasoned novelist's careful skill. In 200 short pages, she seamlessly elides political history and neurophysiological theory with the madness that makes people drive too fast and seduce their students. It seems that the human heart, like the richly evoked Fens which the author knows so well, holds more secrets than we might think. -- Melissa Katsoulis * The Times *Dawson depicts the invasiveness of heart surgery with arresting clarity . . . this deft, intelligent novel explores the human anxiety that replacing a heart is the closest one can come to replacing a soul. And it further expounds Dawson's personal belief in a collective consciousness of the Fens, marginalised and exploited, but undiminished in its sense of identity over time. -- Alfred Hickling * Guardian *Dawson knows how to pluck the heartstrings too. The moment when Drew's mother listens to her dead son's heart beating in Patrick's chest is devastating . . . the flashback leading up to the hanging of one of Drew's forefathers is one of the highlights in a narrative that keeps you guessing. -- Mark Sanderson * Sunday Telegraph *[A] searching and gently philosophical novel poised on the edge of the darkness that surrounds a human life . . . Perhaps a better life has been swapped for a lesser life; but, as this moving and intriguing novel suggests, the final sum amounts to a lot more than zero. -- Suzi Feay * Literary Review *A tender and thoughtful novel which explores some fundamental questions about identity and the symbolism of the heart. -- Carla McKay * Daily Mail *Dawson . . . is an elegant but easy writer. She swiftly hooks the reader in with strong, convincing narrative voices, pacy dialogue, carefully crafted prose and an engagingly dramatic plot. Important too is one of Dawson's trademarks, an evocative, brooding sense of location. As the mysterious and history-steeped landscape of the Fens, an integral part of the boy and the ancestry to which he is now joined, unveils itself to Patrick the reader too is connected to this unique setting . . . it is a thought-provoking [book] about identity, relationships, fate and what we would change if given a second chance. -- Giulia Rhodes * Sunday Express *Dawson's focus is on exploring life's unpredictability, on unexpected parallels and coincidences . . . she weaves in tales from Drew's family history, skilfully tacking back and forth in time, and developing characterisation with a warm, empathetic touch -- David Evans * Independent on Sunday *Jill Dawson, the much celebrated novelist, has produced a work of fiction that I expect, in the not so distant future, will appear on reading lists of many English Literature degrees. Her tale of identity, the symbolic meaning of the heart and the possibility of change is woven together with care like silk through cotton. It is an elegant understanding of how two separate men might think of themselves, their world and those they care for most. As wise as it is witty, Dawson's skilful storytelling constructs a unique look at how one deals with another life, if given a second chance. Split into seven parts, her prose absorbs the reader into a beautifully crafted novel that will extend many a reading afternoon. -- Robert Bradley * Huffington Post *Jill Dawson's writing is simple but powerful, yet her plots are compulsive page turners. She creates characters that stay with you long after you've turned the last page * Essentials *An uncanny and atmospheric novel from a skilful storyteller. * Hilary Mantel *Not since Graham Swift's Waterland has anyone written as passionately about history, education, love and belonging in the Fen region of England. A beautifully crafted novel by an outstanding writer who gracefully enters the heart and soul of all her characters. * Caryl Phillips *

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Book SynopsisSo intelligent and perceptive and so well-written . . . this first novel is a fine achievement, something to savour. When I had finished it, I went back and read it again, and it seemed even better second time round.' Allan Massie, ScotsmanTrade Review'So intelligent and perceptive and so well-written . . . this first novel is a fine achievement, something to savour. When I had finished it, I went back and read it again, and it seemed even better second time round.' Allan Massie, Scotsman'Assured and unsettling.' Amber Pearson, Daily Mail 'A hugely original, unforgettable debut . . . Both gut-churning and beautifully written, this is a must read.' Easy Living'Troubling and hypnotic.' Elle‘Evers is exceptionally good at dialogue: the cascading monologues of a taxi driver, hairdresser and bitter photographer made me simultaneously wince in recognition and smile’ Independent on Sunday'A deft, affecting piece of work about possibility and identity. It heralds a fresh, new voice destined to roll gold bars on the slot machine of literary life.' Sinéad Gleeson, Irish Times‘Evers captures the frustration of adolescence and the lingering pain of careless destruction with sharp, flowing prose and a propulsive structure’ Metro'Adept and inventive . . . A quiet triumph,' Ben East, Observer‘Evers manages to land every dramatic punch, with a final twist that has devastating implications . . . this is a fresh and eccentric novel that isn’t afraid of attending to the broader pleasures.’ Spectator‘Sparky, edgy and bursting with energy . . . an incredibly entertaining read’ Stylist‘Clean and elegant; his sentences are unadorned, downbeat and honest . . . Evers is a talent for the future – of that, I think, there’s little doubt’ Sunday Telegraph'British fiction’s latest great hope . . . Slowly revealing its secrets, this book has a remarkable power to unsettle.' Graeme Allister, The Word‘The novel picks up a thriller-like pace, weaving in the odd, sometimes devastating twist, and marking Evers as an author with storytelling substance’ Timeout'Evers knocks out enviably beautiful prose, and the humming, muffled, air-conditioned neverland of Las Vegas is conjured up with a captivating and woozy effect . . . A compelling book.' Hugo Rifkind, The Times

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Book SynopsisO is for Outlaw is the fifteenth in the Kinsey Millhone mystery series by Sue Grafton.First there was a phone call from a stranger, then a letter showed up fourteen years after it was sent. That's how I learned I'd made a serious error in judgement and ended up risking my life . . .' The call comes on a Monday morning from a guy who scavenges defaulted storage units at auction. Last weekend he bought a stack. They had stuff in them - Kinsey stuff. For thirty bucks, he'll sell her the lot. Kinsey's never been one for personal possessions, but curiosity wins out and she hands over a twenty (she may be curious but she loves a bargain). What she finds amid childhood memorabilia is an old undelivered letter. It will force her to re-examine her beliefs about the break-up of her first marriage, about the honour of her first husband, about an old unsolved murder. And it will put her life in the gravest peril.Trade ReviewGrafton's fans will be thrilled with this knockout Kinsey Millhone mystery . . . One of the very best entries in a long-lived and much-loved series. * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisPat Peoples knows that life doesn't always go according to plan, but he's determined to get his back on track. After a stint in a psychiatric hospital, Pat is staying with his parents and trying to live according to his new philosophy: get fit, be nice and always look for the silver lining. Most importantly, Pat is determined to be reconciled with his wife Nikki. Pat's parents just want to protect him so he can get back on his feet, but when Pat befriends the mysterious Tiffany, the secrets they've been keeping from him threaten to come out . . .The Silver Linings Playbook is a touching and very funny novel, from the author of The Good Luck of Right Now.Trade Review‘A delightful debut . . . a smart, touching, quirky read.’ Scotland on Sunday‘Utterly original and a real word-of-mouth classic’ Easy Living

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Book SynopsisHoward York - self-made man and founder of London's extraordinary Hotel Alpha - is one of those people who makes you feel that anything is possible. He is idolized by his blind adopted son, Chas, and Graham, the inimitable concierge, whose lives revolve around the Alpha. But when two mysterious disappearances raise questions that no one seems willing to answer, Chas and Graham must ask themselves whether Howard's vision of the perfect hotel has been built on secrets as well as dreams . . .Captivating, brilliant and full of surprises, Hotel Alpha is an ingenious novel about the incidental and life-changing ways in which we connect with one another. You can discover more about the hotel and its inhabitants in 100 extra stories at www.hotelalphastories.com.

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Book SynopsisJunior creative Tim Callaghan can hardly believe his luck when he's flown out to Dubai to supervise the filming of an advert for an international charity. He is immediately entranced by the city - a futuristic environment unlike anywhere he's ever been before, with an almost uncanny level of customer service. Shimmering and seductive, it seems as though nothing bad could ever happen in Dubai. But when a crew member is found dead in in mysterious circumstances, Tim learns that if a place seems too good to be true, it probably is . . .

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Book SynopsisInspired by a true unsolved crime, Frog Music is a gripping historical novel by Emma Donoghue, author of the multi-million-copy bestseller Room.San Francisco, 1876: a stifling heat wave and smallpox epidemic have engulfed the City.Deep in the streets of Chinatown live three former stars of the Parisian circus: Blanche, now an exotic dancer at the House of Mirrors, her lover Arthur and his companion Ernest.When an eccentric outsider joins their little circle, secrets unravel, changing everything – and leaving one of them dead.A New York Times bestseller, Frog Music is a dark and compelling story of intrigue and murder.Trade Review‘Time and again, Emma Donoghue writes books that are unlike anything I have ever seen before.’ Ann Patchett‘Emma Donoghue is one of the great literary ventriloquists of our time. Her imagination is kaleidoscopic. She steps borders and boundaries with great ease and style. In her hands the centuries dissolve, and then they crystallize back again into powerful words on the page.’ Colum McCannEmma Donoghue follows her bestseller Room with Frog Music. Set during a smallpox epidemic in San Francisco in 1876 and based on a true story, a burlesque dancer sets out to bring her friend's murderer to justice. -- Hot Books of 2014 * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisA novel of love, deception and desire from the author of Before the FallTrade ReviewA rising literary star * Sunday Times *Vibrant prose and characters . . . So well-drawn, and incredibly topical -- Vanessa Lafaye, author of SummertimeA wonderful writer -- Jessie Burton, author of The MiniaturistMade me miss my stop on the tube . . . -- Lissa Evans, author of Crooked HeartMy favourite Great War novel . . . Incredible writing -- Joanna Cannon, author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, on Before the FallA vivid, compelling tale of confused loyalties, compromises and consequences -- Suzannah Dunn, author of The Sixth Wife and The Confession of Katherine HowardThe Faithful is about many things . . . but mostly it is about love. Juliet West knows how to create an evocative sense of time and place, and then fill it with the most interesting characters, and finally, deliver a story that kept me guessing. I loved it -- Claire Fuller, author of Our Endless Numbered Days and Swimming LessonsA rich, multi-layered story of love, loss and conflict . . . At once heartbreaking and full of hope -- Isabel Ashdown, author of Little SisterA vivid and unforgettable story of love . . . Absorbing, fast-paced, and poignant, the portrait of ordinary people caught up in movements bigger than themselves makes this a must-read for today’s readers -- Ann Weisgarber, author of The Personal History of Rachel DuPree and The PromiseA tightly knotted story of love and divided loyalties that is both rich in period detail and told with warmth, wit and passion. Wonderful -- Jason Hewitt, author of Devastation RoadA compelling and perceptive story of divided loyalties and the complexities of love, friendship and family -- Isabel Costello, author of Paris Mon AmourEnthralling . . . Tugs the reader close to the inner lives of ordinary people, characters whose decisions and dilemmas, loves and losses remain with you long after reading -- Jane Rusbridge, author of Rook and The Devil's MusicA wonderful novel about desire and its consequences, set amongst the sharply divided politics of the 1930s. A page-turner -- William Ryan, author of The Constant SoldierEnthralling . . . Juliet has brought the time and place to life and then peopled it with completely believable characters to play out this wonderful story -- Louise Douglas, author of Your Beautiful Lies and The Secret by the LakeExquisite . . . The story builds beautifully, the plot naturally quickening in pace to a gripping denouement. I was completely drawn into the novel’s world and engaged by its issues of loyalty and loss. Highly recommended -- Martine Bailey, author of An Appetite for Violets and The Penny HeartA story of love across borders, idealism and integrity . . . and a mini-series in the making * Sunday Independent, Ireland *Fans of well-crafted period fiction will gobble down this second novel from the author of Before The Fall * Metro *Wonderfully evocative * Red Magazine *Juliet West writes incredibly moving and atmospheric war-era novels, full of strong women, secrets, conflict and desire. This, her second, is superb * Saga Magazine *Gripping * My Weekly *Compelling, nuanced … suffused with historical detail. West weaves a subtle mystery, luring us towards truths so skilfully exposed that the effect is truly shocking * Historia magazine *A tale of family secrets against a backdrop of war and extremism * Good Housekeeping *Teen Hazel finds love under the watch of Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts. A year later, the pair cross paths. Tom must never know why she broke his heart, but it’s not just Hazel holding secrets * S Magazine *In her second stunning novel, West uses her lyrical prose, acute powers of observation and impressive sense of time and place to explore issues that are as relevant now as they were eighty years ago. The Faithful achieves what many authors aspire to . . . an outstanding follow-up to a successful debut * Lancashire Evening Post *An epic story of star-crossed lovers * Sussex Life *Intelligent, wise, and full of passion and courage . . . A superb read -- Louise Douglas, author of The Secrets Between Us, on Before the FallEvocative and powerful -- Good Housekeeping on Before the FallAs poignant as it is powerful -- Alison MacLeod, author of Unexploded, on Before the FallA stunning debut -- a breathtaking portrayal of life and love in all its complexity. Heartbreaking -- Suzannah Dunn, author of The Confession of Katherine Howard, on Before the FallPoignant and arresting -- Daily Mail on Before the FallA beautiful love story -- Woman on Before the Fall

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Book SynopsisEscape into the Scottish Highlands in this delicious story of friendship, new beginnings and romance. Wildflower Bay is a feel-good story abut village life by Rachael Lucas.This little island has some big secrets . . .Isla has finally got her dream job as head stylist at the most exclusive salon in Edinburgh. But she has been so single-minded in her career that she has forgotten to have a balanced life. This fact completely passes her by – until disaster strikes.Out of options, she heads to the remote Scottish island of Auchenmor to help out her aunt who is in desperate need of an extra pair of scissors at her salon.A native to the island, Finn is thirty-five and reality has just hit him hard. His best friends are about to have a baby and everything is changing. When into his life walks Isla . . .'Such a joy! Spending time within the pages of a Rachael Lucas book is like coming home' – Cathy Bramley,Trade ReviewSuch a joy! Spending time within the pages of a Rachael Lucas book is like coming home -- Cathy Bramley, author of The Plumberry School of Comfort FoodDeliciously sweet, engaging, heartwarming and utterly perfect -- Holly Martin, author of Summer at Rose IslandA warm and entertaining story of village life. I loved it -- Katie Fforde on Coming Up RosesIt's a gorgeous story - funny, touching and hugely warm-hearted. I actually cheered at the end! -- Miranda Dickinson on Coming Up Roses

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Book SynopsisFor fans of Jenny Quintana, Jane Harper and Kate Hamer, The Hidden Girls is the tense and gripping novel from Rebecca Whitney, author of The Liar's Chair.Trade ReviewMoving and terrifying, The Hidden Girls is a page-turning thriller with a compassionate heart that twists and turns on every page. I loved it -- Kate Hamer, author of The Girl in the Red Coat and CrushedAn intriguing and suspenseful psychological thriller with a fascinating protagonist suffering from postpartum psychosis . . . Original and timely -- Jenny Quintana, author of The Missing Girl and Our Dark SecretWhitney is definitely a name to keep your eye on * Stylist *An extremely promising literary newcomer * Grazia *Pacy and pitch-dark -- Sunday Mirror on The Liar's ChairThis impressive debut will cleverly draw you in, then spit you out shivering and on edge -- Sun on The Liar's ChairCompelling and unsettling -- Laura Wilson in the Guardian on The Liar's ChairGripping * Bella *

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Book SynopsisFor fans of The Silent Patient and The Widow, The Hidden Girls is the tense and gripping novel from Rebecca Whitney, author of The Liar's Chair.Trade ReviewMoving and terrifying, The Hidden Girls is a page-turning thriller with a compassionate heart that twists and turns on every page. I loved it -- Kate Hamer, author of The Girl in the Red Coat and CrushedAn intriguing and suspenseful psychological thriller with a fascinating protagonist suffering from postpartum psychosis . . . Original and timely -- Jenny Quintana, author of The Missing Girl and Our Dark SecretWhitney is definitely a name to keep your eye on * Stylist *An extremely promising literary newcomer * Grazia *Pacy and pitch-dark -- Sunday Mirror on The Liar's ChairThis impressive debut will cleverly draw you in, then spit you out shivering and on edge -- Sun on The Liar's ChairCompelling and unsettling -- Laura Wilson in the Guardian on The Liar's Chair

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Book SynopsisThe first novel in the dazzling historical trilogy from bestselling author Joanna Rees. For fans of Lucinda Riley and Penny Vincenzi.Trade ReviewThis is a big-hearted book that leaves you walking on sunshine -- Brighton and Hove Independent on The Girl from Lace IslandAn epic page-turner. It takes you to the height of opulence and the depths of despair, and shows that growing into a life of privilege doesn’t by any means guarantee happiness. Joanna Rees combines some very hard subject matters with wonderful love stories, spectacular locations and an incredible cast of characters -- Novelicious.com on A Twist of Fate

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Book SynopsisA mesmerising emotional thriller for fans of The Virgin Suicides and The Lovely BonesTrade ReviewA gripping and disturbing novel, a fever dream of adolescent desire and adult complicity -- Tom PerrottaDeft, enthralling and intelligent -- Kate Atkinson

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Book SynopsisA stunning new collection of stories from the Man Booker Prize and Whitbread Prize-shortlisted author.Trade ReviewA comic sensibility closer to Alan Bennett or Tom Sharpe. Woodward's rueful amusement isn't frivolity, it's a world view * Financial Times *Gerard Woodward falls squarely between the comic lunacy of American short-form virtuoso George Saunders and the everyday rhapsodies of Raymond Carver * Time Out *Woodward is a skilful writer, with a fertile imagination * Guardian *At his best, Gerard Woodward is one of our finest writers . . . he writes with subtlety and skill * Daily Telegraph *I thought Legoland was incredible. The stories are SO good at capturing the weird nuances of apparently straightforward, everyday interactions. It's not an exaggeration to say that reading them has made me look at the world more carefully. -- Rebbeca Wait, author of THE FOLLOWERSThere are echoes of Milan Kundera and Roald Dahl in these dark and gleeful explorations of the surreal . . . Woodward's stories astonish: they seem to offer a predictable direction, then swerve elsewhere. And just like the toy that lends the title story's playground its name, these narratives are meticulously designed, building into dazzling and surprising structures...the stories range in genre from realism to pseudo-fairytale and in geography from postwar Germany to Colorado...remarkable...a gifted writer * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThe hilarious and poignant final instalment in Minna Lindgren's heart-warming Lavender Ladies trilogy.Trade ReviewThe Finnish Miss Marple * Independent *

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Book Synopsis'One of the sparest, most elegant spy novels I have come across in a long time . . . Written in glistening prose - with not a word wasted - it proves Steinhauer truly is John le Carré's rightful heir.' – Daily MailNow a major film on Prime Video starring Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton and Jonathan Pryce.Celia used to lie for a living. Henry still does. Can they ever trust each other?Six years ago, Henry and Celia were lovers and colleagues, working for the CIA station in Vienna, until terrorists hijacked a plane at the airport. A rescue attempt, staged from the inside, went terribly wrong. Everyone on board was killed.That night has continued to haunt all of those involved; for Henry and Celia, it brought to an end their relationship. Celia decided she'd had enough; she left the agency, married and had children, and is now living an ordinary life in the Californian suburbs. Henry is still a CITrade ReviewThis sneaky little gem . . . Steinhauer sustains the difficult balancing act of melding a heart-racing espionage plot with credible dinner table conversation. He never violates the book's basic premise, not even when his characters begin to have the darkest suspicions about each other . . . Steinhauer specializes in tough showdowns. And the more innocently they begin, the more devastatingly they end * New York Times *All the Old Knives has a disarmingly quiet start, but good spy novels are like good spies: they draw you in, earn your trust, and then grab hold with both hands. By the last 100 pages Steinhauer's hook is firmly embedded and it's hard not to race to the finish. And the ending? I can sum it up in one word - brilliant * Amazon (‘Best Book of the Month’) *This is one of the sparest, most elegant spy novels I have come across in a long time . . . Written in glistening prose - with not a word wasted - it proves Steinhauer truly is John le Carre's rightful heir. * Daily Mail *A splendid tour de force. The mystery here works with the dexterity and precision of Agatha Christie's best. * Washington Post *This terrific standalone thriller . . . Steinhauer is a very fine writer and an excellent observer of human nature * Publisher's Weekly (starred review) *Compelling . . . Delivers intrigue, suspense, and a heart-stopping finale . . . You'll devour it in one night * Booklist (starred review) *Masterfully plotted . . . Even readers well-versed in espionage fiction will be pleasantly surprised by Steinhauer's plot twists and double backs * Kirkus (Starred Review) *This genre-bending spy novel takes Hitchcockian suspense to new heights * Library Journal (starred review) *There are few writers alive who can transform the mundane with such possibility . . . All The Old Knives remains coiled and alive until the very last page . . . The plot of Steinhauer's novel retains a reader's attention until its final images. The night has closed in, danger has asserted itself in warm, placid Carmel. The meal is finished. Who will pay? * New York Times Book Review *Reminiscent of the best of Deighton and John Le Carré. Like those masters of the genre, Steinhauer manages to make the reader care desperately for his characters even as the realities of the spy game mock their every hope of happiness * Los Angeles Times *

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Book SynopsisThis stunning keepsakeperfect for fans of the mysterious and macabrecomprises Mary Shelley's classic tale of a botched experiment in immortality, The Mortal Immortal, and On Ghosts: An Essay, her appraisal of popular ghost legends.

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Book SynopsisHandsome, clever, and rich, Emma Woodhouse delights in interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protégée, Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected.

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Book SynopsisJames Joyce's semi-autobiographical first novel explores the author's own love-hate relationship with Ireland through Stephen Dedalus, Joyce's literary alter ego. Dedalus yearns to be an artist, but must first overcome the aspects of Irish society, like school and the church, that he feels restrains his creativity and stifles his soul.

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Book SynopsisA pitch-perfect exploration of modern married life, Jessica Saunders's deliciously readable novel embraces the truth that some old flames can't be snuffed out, no matter how many years go by. Rachel Miller is a lawyer and mother of two who's just as comfortable in a courtroom as she is on the sidelines of a soccer field. Sure, her marriage is on autopilot, her parents are overly involved, and the other suburban moms are just a little bit catty. But if you ask Rachel, life is good. That is until her world is upended when racy photos of her and her high school boyfriend, the famous actor Jack Bellowalong with his love letters to herare published in a tabloid, unexpectedly thrusting Rachel into the spotlight. This newfound attention calls into question her marriage, her career, and her superstar ex. Betrayed by someone she trusted and reunited with the man she tried so hard to forget, Rachel must ask herself, How did I get here? And what do I really want?

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Book SynopsisEvan Saatchi can't keep his eyes off his new co-worker, Dalisay Ramos. Newly arrived from Manila to lead their travel app's Asia division, nothing matters more to Dalisay than tradition and family. When Evan asks her out, she soundly rejects him for his cheek. Evan learns from his Filipino friends that Dalisay expects more from potential suitors. If he wants a chance with her, he's going to have to go through the Five Stages, the same courtship ritual that lovers in the Philippines have performed for generations. At first, Evan is skepticalwhat, exactly, does servitude entail? And he has to sing?! But when Dalisay bets Evan that he doesn't have the nerve to make it through the stages, the game is on. As Evan attempts to prove to Dalisay that he can win her heartand the betDalisay is driven to distraction by Evan's sexy labors, and soon their courtship turns into a sizzling secret. But when modern love and family expectations collide, Dalisay and Evan must find a way to c

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Book SynopsisA vicious hit, a vengeful enemy, a drug addled Colombian club owner and a sex crazed Italian family… the ever powerful Lucky Santangelo has to deal with them all. Meanwhile Max - her teenage daughter - is becoming theIt girl in Europe''s modeling world. And her Kennedyesque son, Bobby, is being set up for a murder he didn''t commit. But Lucky can deal. Always strong and unpredictable, with her husband Lennie by her side, she lives up to the family motto - Never fuck with a Santangelo. Lucky rules … the Santangelos alwayscome out on top. The Santangelosis an epic family saga filled with love, lust, revenge and passion.

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Book Synopsis‘This book will give even the greyest of Mondays a sheen of glamour’ Heat THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Los Angeles, 1935. Loretta Young meets Clark Gable on the set of The Call of the Wild. Though he's already married, Gable falls for the stunning and vivacious young actress instantly. Far from the glittering lights of Hollywood, Sister Alda Ducci has been forced to leave her convent. Becoming Loretta's secretary, the innocent and pious young Alda must navigate the wild terrain of Hollywood with fierce determination and a moral code that derives from her Italian roots. Over the course of decades, Alda and Loretta forge an enduring bond of love and loyalty. But it will be put to the test when they face the greatest obstacle of their lives.As thrilling and beguiling as Hollywood itself, All the Stars in the Heavens brings together a magnificent cast of characters, real andTrade ReviewPraise for Adriana Trigiani ‘A gorgeous piece of escapism’ The Times 'A comedy writer with a heart of gold' New York Times 'Trigiani is a master of palpable and visual detail' Washington Post 'One of my all-time favourite novels' Whoopi Goldberg 'Utterly addictive' Glamour 'Exquisite writing and a story enriched by the power of abiding love' USA Today 'Full of romance, drama and snappy dialogue' People 'Eminently readable and richly imagined' Publisher's Weekly 'Trigiani is a seemingly effortless storyteller' Boston Globe 'Hilarious and romantic. I couldn't put it down' Sarah Jessica Parker

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Book Synopsis''Poignant'' Liane Moriarty ''A great storyteller'' Adriana Trigiani Lisa St Clair knows a thing or two about weathering storms. A dedicated nurse with a great sense of humour, she single-handedly raised her daughter Marianne after her ex walked out twenty-four years ago, sending only a lottery ticket once a year as support. Then he reappeared and persuaded their daughter to support his business venture. Now mother and daughter aren''t speaking. So when Kathy Harper, Lisa''s favourite patient, loses her battle with cancer, Lisa finds herself drawn to Carrie and Suzanne, the devoted friends who were always by Kathy''s side. They talk about family, and share problems but somehow their conversations always return to the enigma of Kathy. Did they really know her at all? Gradually, as they uncover the truth about Kathy''s life and unfurl plans to secure their own futures, fate steps in to show them that being single doesn''t mean you are alone and that friend

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Book Synopsis‘A dazzling anthology uniting the written word with the visual’ STEPHEN FRYINCLUDES NEW STORIES BY RUSSELL TOVEY AND BOOKER PRIZE NOMINEE SOPHIE WARD, AND ARTWORK BY TRACEY EMIN, EXCLUSIVE TO THIS EDITION This vibrant collection brings together twenty original short stories by giants of the form alongside exciting new voices, including two new stories by Russell Tovey and Sophie Ward. Simon Oldfield, curator and editor, combines the best in contemporary short fiction with remarkable illustrations by Tracey Emin and other artists from the Royal Academy of Arts. Illuminating, beautiful, haunting and always interesting, A Short Affair brings you the very best in short story writing.Writers include: Russell Tovey, Elizabeth Day, Bethan Roberts, Nikesh Shukla, Claire Fuller, Ben Okri, Anne O'Brien, A. L. Kennedy, Anna Stewart, Craig Burnett, Douglas W. Milliken, Will Self,

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Book SynopsisLauren wouldn’t change a thing about The Moonlight Hotel. She loves its vintage glamour, lakeside setting and, above all, its precious memories from back when her late dad ran the place.   But handsome entrepreneur Joe is the new owner. And he has big plans.   When Lauren comes face to face with Joe after signing up to dance classes in its gorgeous ballroom, she can’t hide her hostility.   She’s not going to change her views. He’s not going to alter his project.   But could learning to salsa spark the chemistry they need to finally see eye to eye?  An enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity rom-com that will warm your heart and make you laugh out loud!  ‘As entertaining as Strictly, but with a lot more romance’ KATIE FFORDE   ‘Hilarious and romantic – Jane Costello’s best book yet’ Trade Review‘As entertaining as Strictly, but with a lot more romance’ -- Katie Fforde‘Hilarious and romantic – Jane Costello’s best book yet’ * Bella *

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