Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisAugust is an average twelve year old - he likes dogs and fishing, and doesn't even mind early morning chores on his family's farm. When his parents' marriage falls apart and he has to start over in a new town, he tries hard to be an average teen - playing football and doing his homework - but he struggles to form friendships, and when a shocking act of violence pushes him off course once more, he flees to rural Montana. There, as he throws himself into work on a ranch, he comes to learn that even the smallest of communities have secrets and even the most broken of families have a bond. Beautifully written and unfolding against an epic American landscape, August is a compelling, authentic and poignant story of the joys and traumas that irrevocably shape us all.

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Book SynopsisAn old woman is awoken in the dead of night by knocks at her front door. The woman opens it to find her daughter, Doruntine, standing there alone in the darkness. She has been brought home from a distant land by a mysterious rider she claims is her brother Konstandin. But unbeknownst to her, Konstandin has been dead for years. What follows is chain of events which plunges a medieval village into fear and mistrust. Who is the ghost rider?Trade ReviewHis fiction offers invaluable insights into life under tyranny - his historical allegories point both to the grand themes and small details that make up life in a restrictive environment. He is a great writer, by any nation's standards. -- Ben Naparstek * * Financial Times * *One of the most important voices in literature today. -- Alan Chadwick * * Metro * *One of the great writers of our time. * * Scotsman * *A master storyteller. * * John Carey * *Ismail Kadare is one of Europe's most consistently interesting and powerful contemporary novelists, a writer whose stark, memorable prose imprints itself on the reader's consciousness. * * Los Angeles Times * *Spooky and intellectually challenging. * * The Herald on Sunday * *

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Book SynopsisA jagged, propulsive story of guilt and youth spinning off its axis in the wake of a drowning.

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Book Synopsis'Terrific... Highly recommended' Adrian McKinty, author of The ChainEven in the vast outback, the past can't stay buried for everDeath follows Tommy McBride everywhere. Five years ago his family was murdered, now a freak accident sends him fleeing into the wilderness of the Australian outback with a man lying dead in his wake. But Tommy is haunted by even worse - as children, he and his brother Billy witnessed the state-sanctioned massacre of the Kurrong people, and they haven't seen each other since. When an official enquiry is launched into the massacre, the successful life that Billy has built for himself comes under threat. He desperately needs to find Tommy, long disappeared into the bush. And he's not the only one - ruthless Inspector Noone, the man with perhaps the most to hide, is on Tommy's trail as well. From the author of Only Killers and Thieves

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Book SynopsisThe public think Ava’s a monster. Ava thinks she’s blameless. In prison, they called her Butcher Bird – but Ava’s not in prison any more. Released after 25 years to a new identity and a new home, Ava finally has the quiet life she’s always wanted. But someone knows who she is. The lies she’s told are about to unravel.Trade Review‘Disquieting, clever and captivating – I loved it.’‘Sensationally sinister, stunning from the first to the last page. I devoured it.’A fantastic read… Had me guessing till the last pages! * NetGalley *Eerie and unsettling... this little beauty was fab. * Instagram *Compelling... a really well written book that I couldn’t put down. * NetGalley *Claustrophobic… Very well done. * GoodReads *

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Book SynopsisNorth-east India, 1945. Tensions are rising, but fourteen-year-old Joya doesn't pay much attention to 'political business' - she is more concerned with doing well at school and having fun with her best friends. Yet when her father disappears without a trace, Joya's life falls apart. Forced to drop out of school and support her mother by working in a garment factory, she refuses to accept that her father is gone forever, spending her nights sewing him a suit from scraps of fine material. But as political unrest grows and rumours of corruption spread, Joya questions the true nature of her father's disappearance. And who is the sinister figure known only as the two-tailed snake?Trade Review'An accomplished and deeply imagined story of familial love and separation, set in an India of looming independence and partition. One gains a child's-eye view of an interwoven society fatally sundering along the fault lines of politics, caste and religion' -Mike Fox Author of 'The Violet Eye'; 'Ghosh combines her uniquely lush, lyrical prose with a compelling story rich in the political upheaval of late twentieth century India' -Eileen Merriman, author of 'The Silence of Snow'; 'The Two-Tailed Snake is our elusive and chimeric guide as one girl comes of age during the Partition of India and Pakistan. Through Ghosh's deft storytelling, Joya's resilience becomes the resilience of a country' -Shobha Rao author of 'Girls Burn Brighter'

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE?International Bookernominated virtuoso Hwang Sok-yong is back with another powerful story an epic, multi-generational tale that threads together a century of Korean history. Centred on three generations of a family of rail workers and a laid-off factory worker staging a high-altitude sit-in, Mater 2-10 vividly portrays the lives of ordinary Koreans, starting from the Japanese colonial era, continuing through Liberation, and right up to the twenty-first century. It is at once a gripping account that captures a nation's longing to be free from oppression, a lyrical folktale that manages to reflect the realities of modern industrial work, and a culmination of Hwang's career a masterpiece thirty years in the making. A true voice of a generation, Hwang shows again why he is unmatched when it comes to depicting the struggles of a divided nation and bringing to life the trials and tribulations of the Korean people.

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Book Synopsis'The kind of book that gives you hope and courage. I loved it' Kit de Waal'Insightful, thoughtful' Carys Bray'I relished every word' Shelley Harris'Such a warm and touching novel' Lissa Evans A moving and courageous exploration of belonging and finding home in a rapidly-changing world from the critically acclaimed author of Shelter.Jo grew up in the Forest of Dean, but she was always the one destined to leave for a bigger, brighter future. When her parents retire from their butcher's shop, she returns to her beloved community to save the family legacy, hoping also to save herself. But things are more complex than the rose-tinted version of life which sustained Jo from afar.Tessa is a farrier, shoeing horses two miles and half a generation away from Jo, further into the forest. Tessa's experience of the community couldn't be more different. Now she too has returned, in flight from a life she could have led, nursing a secret and a past filled with guilt and shame.Compelled through circumstance to live together, these two women will be forced to confront their sense of identity, and reconsider the meaning of home.Trade ReviewA tender story about finding your place in the world, about ordinary lives, belonging and being brave. The kind of book that gives you hope and courage. I loved it. * Kit de Waal *In this insightful, thoughtful novel about a farrier and a butcher, Franklin explores the meaning of home and the importance of belonging. It's replete with gorgeous descriptions of forest life * Carys Bray *Sarah writes intimately about the forest and the lives it sustains, exploring the human condition with forensic tenderness; we feel every step of Tessa and Jo's journeys. It's a big-hearted novel about how we learn to belong despite ourselves, and I relished every word * Shelley Harris, author of Jubilee *This novel is perfect for anyone who has left home, returned, and found that they are a little out of place everywhere. Sarah Franklin deals sensitively and thoughtfully with her subject matter - two women adrift in places that used to be their homes - and creates an involving, thought-provoking story * Stephanie Butland *This set up - the farrier and the butcher - is so unusual, and so engaging. I was VERY curious to see how this relationship between Jo and Tessa would unfold, and Sarah Franklin's skilful weaving of their backstories into the captivating present keeps up a constant, subtle tug of intrigue, as well as thematic poignancy. It's thoughtful, and fresh, and such a vibrant setting. The place feels completely alive - I can walk through it and practically smell those horses, that forest, the butcher's shop, the woodsmoke. And the wider community is also wonderfully colourful and alive. It's just a pleasure to read! * Lucy Atkins *How to Belong is set in the Forest of Dean and is steeped in the spirit of the place. Such a warm and touching novel * Lissa Evans *Life-affirming and compelling . . . Sarah Franklin is a breath of fresh air * Clare Mackintosh, on Shelter *Its characters pulse with life and energy * Daily Mail, on Shelter *This beautifully crafted tale of survival and solace reveals that you can find a home in the most unusual places * Sunday Express, on Shelter *An accomplished debut from Sarah Franklin . . . with humour, warmth and a real sense of place * Daily Record, on Shelter *Beautiful * Adele Parks, on Shelter *Powerful and moving * Essie Fox, on Shelter *A wonderful, affecting debut novel about the redemptive power of nature * Red, on Shelter *Beautifully written and filled with complex, real characters, it's about hope, loss, family and dreams. Deeply profound and moving, it was also laugh-out-loud funny * Bridget Christie, on Shelter *This atmospheric read is simply beautiful * Woman and Home *

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Book Synopsis The instant New York Times bestseller'An unbelievable debut' New York TimesRacism, but "managed" through virtual reality Black Friday, except you die in a bargain-crazed throng Happiness, but pharmacological Love, despite everythingA Publisher's Weekly Most Anticipated Book for Fall 2018 Friday Black tackles urgent instances of racism and cultural unrest, and explores the many ways we fight for humanity in an unforgiving world. In the first, unforgettable story of this collection, The Finkelstein Five, Adjei-Brenyah gives us an unstinting reckoning of the brutal prejudice of the US justice system. In Zimmer Land we see a far-too-easy-to-believe imagining of racism as sport. And Friday Black and How to Sell a Jacket as Told by Ice King show the horrors of consumerism and the toll it takes on us all.Fresh, exciting, vital and contemporary, Friday Black will appeal to people who love Colson Whitehead's Underground Railroad, the TV show Black Mirror, the work of Kurt Vonnegut and George Saunders, and anyone looking for stories that speak to the world we live in now.'An excitement and a wonder' George Saunders'The writing in this outstanding collection will make you hurt and demand your hope' Roxane Gay'The fiction debut of the year. Bravo young man. We await your encore' Mary KarrTrade ReviewAn unbelievable debut, one that announces a new and necessary American voice . . . A dystopian story collection as full of violence as it is of heart. To achieve such an honest pairing of gore with tenderness is no small feat . . . Violence is only gratuitous when it serves no purpose, and throughout Friday Black we are aware that the violence is crucially related to both what is happening in America now, and what happened in its bloody and brutal history . . . In smart, terse prose, Adjei-Brenyah is unflinching, and willing, in most of these 12 stories, to leave us without any apparent hope. But the hope is there or if it isn't hope, it's maybe something better: levelheaded, compassionate protagonists, with just enough integrity and ambivalence that they never feel sentimental. Each of these individuals carries a subtle clarity about what matters most when nothing makes sense in these strange and brutal worlds he builds . . . Adjei-Brenyah's voice here is as powerful and original as Saunders's is throughout Tenth of December . . . [Adjei-Brenyah] is here to signal a warning, or perhaps just to say this is what it feels like, in stories that move and breathe and explode on the page. In Friday Black, the dystopian future Adjei-Brenyah depicts - like all great dystopian fiction - is bleakly futuristic only on its surface. At its center, each story - sharp as a knife - points to right now. * New York Times *This pitch-dark, brutal, occasionally - mercifully! - funny collection of stories takes on the insidious nature of racism and the horrors of capitalism in equal measure and somehow ends up hopeful on the other side. Friday Black is enraging, it's inventive . . . Much like living through this year, the experience of reading Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's debut can be harrowing, but it's ultimately a pleasure to be in the company of a new voice as exciting as this. * Vogue *Reading Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's debut short story collection Friday Black is like being shaken awake. These stories exist in a sort of hyperreality, ordinary characters living in the not-so-unbelievable, Black Mirror-esque future of a culture that doesn't hesitate to commodify cruelty or monetize revolution . . . Adjei-Brenyah skewers the ways we brush past racism and injustice, making the absurdity of the rhetoric around both impossible to ignore. * Buzzfeed *Yes, anyone who likes Saunders should read Friday Black right away. Anyone who could take or leave Saunders should, too...No comparison can convey a book's intellectual heft, and Friday Black is as intellectually hefty as fiction can get. In these twelve stories, Adjei-Brenyah turns over ideas about racism, about classism and capitalism, about the apocalypse, and, most of all, about the corrosive power of belief. His work is fiercely, spikily funny. And no matter how supernatural his stories get, no matter how zombie-ish or futuristic, every one of them takes place in the world we know...Adjei-Brenyah has some serious powers himself. The energy in his fiction is wild, barely controllable yet perfectly controlled. Short stories, as a form, tend to compress big emotion into small action, but not these. Adjei-Brenyah fits big emotion, big action, and big thought into each story. His violence is never gratuitous, his ghosts never too chain-rattling to believe...Adjei-Brenyah speaks in more voices than seems possible, and those voices will follow you off the page...They will assert themselves, over and over. I'm here, these stories say. Sit up. Pay attention. I'm here. * NPR *Like Kurt Vonnegut, the debut author introduces readers to worlds adjacent to our reality. They're familiar enough for us to recognize ourselves within them - until Adjei-Brenyah takes the tough-to-stomach parts of humanity to extremes, like Black Friday shoppers turning into violent, materialistic murderers. The stories wrestle with racism, mob mentality, police violence, and unrestrained consumerism. They're quick to read, and incredibly hard to forget. * Elle "Best Books of the Year so Far" *Imagine a cross between Get Out and Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, and you'll have a sense of what awaits readers of this audacious debut: darkly absurdist tales that take the horrors of racism to surreal new levels. * O, the Oprah Magazine *Adjei-Brenyah dissects the dehumanizing effects of capitalism and racism in this debut collection of stingingly satirical stories... Adjei-Brenyah has put readers on notice: his remarkable range, ingenious premises, and unflagging, momentous voice make this a first-rate collection. * Publishers' Weekly (Starred Review) *An absolutely unmissable debut * Stylist *Friday Black has the thrilling strangeness of George Saunders but driven by a deep and justified anger about the racism and violence that constitute the bedrock of American society. It's a rollercoaster ride -- Mark Haddon * Observer *A spiky stand-out new voice among young American writers ... funny, satirical, Friday Black was Big Issue's 2019 Book of the Year. * Big Issue *Dark and mind-bending . . . inventive and stirring . . . topical and devastating. * Observer *

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Book SynopsisThe unmissable TikTok sensation! The perfect opposites attract, grumpy x sunshine romance to fall in love with this summer. Fans of Abby Jimenez will love this bingeable, fresh, and deliciously spicy romance.'PAIGE TOON, Sunday Times bestselling author of Seven Summers''Sweet and spicy . . . a fabulous addition to the romance genre!''ABBY JIMENEZ, New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer''Equal parts playful and poignant, as satisfyingly spicy as it is sweet. I dare you not to fall in love with Lark and Callum''CHLOE LIESE, bestselling author of Two Wrongs Make a Right- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - He has to marry by his thirty-fifth birthday. She's sworn off lovePainfully shy Callum Flannelly would rather dive into an open grave than take a stranger to dinner. But he can only inherit the family undertaking business under on

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Book Synopsis"MacMahon writes with such beautiful simplicity, conjuring real and complex people straight off the page ... subtle and authentic" - Claire Fuller On opposite sides of the world, half-siblings Cassie and Christo have built their lives around work, intent on ignoring their painful past.When a dramatic storm in Galway hits the headlines, they're drawn back there to revisit a glorious childhood summer, the last before their mother died. But their journey uncovers memories of a far less happy summer - one that had tragic consequences.Confronted with the havoc their mother left in her wake, Cassie and Christo are forced to face their past and - ready or not - to deal with the messy tangle of parental love and neglect that shaped them.The Home Scar is a luminous and precise story about the inheritance of loss and the possibility of finally making peace with it._________"Her beautifully simple style belies psychological complexity ... and her tone is wryly accepting" - Big Issue "Quiet and bleakly beautiful ... like the siblings and Ireland, it will leave a permanent mark on those who venture into its depths" - Buzz "Picks at the wounds only a mother can inflict ... ambitious ... intricate" - Sunday Independent "An exceptional novel about a brother and sister returning to the west of Ireland and to a summer of their past." - Anne Griffin, Sunday Independent "A powerful story about legacy and loss and the possibility of reconciliation" - Irish Times Trade ReviewA powerful story about legacy and loss and the possibility of reconciliation * Irish Times *Her beautifully simple style belies psychological complexity . . . and her tone is wryly accepting * Big Issue *Quiet and bleakly beautiful . . . like the siblings and Ireland, it will leave a permanent mark on those who venture into its depths * Buzz *Picks at the wounds only a mother can inflict . . . ambitious . . . intricate * Sunday Independent *An exceptional novel about a brother and sister returning to the west of Ireland and to a summer of their past. -- Anne Griffin * Sunday Independent *

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Book SynopsisThomas Mann's first great novel, written at the age of 25, is an epic study of decadence among the merchant families of Hamburg at the end of the nineteenth century. The novel is based on Mann's own experience as the son of a German merchant prince, but it goes far beyond his own experience in its sweep and comprehensiveness.

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Book SynopsisTHE TIN DRUM presents Hitler's rise and fall through the eyes of the dwarfish narrator whose magic powers become symbolic of the dark forces dominating the German nation in the period. Like Thomas Mann's DOCTOR FAUSTUS, Grass's novel explores the dark roots of power and creativity. An early advocate of 'magic realism'. Gunter Grass is the most powerful and celebrated novelist to appear in post-war Germany. His home city of Danzig is a powerful presence in this novel.

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Book SynopsisA collection of short stories

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Book SynopsisThe brand new and unforgettable coming of age story from Sunday Times bestselling author Freya North

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Book SynopsisVictor Frankenstein driven by the mad dream of creating his own creature, experiments with alchemy and science to build a monster stitched together from dead remains. Once the creature becomes a living breathing articulate entity, it turns on its maker and the novel darkens into tragedy.Trade ReviewShelley’s speechifying, lonely, Miltonic monster remains one of the greatest characters in all of literature… The book may also be the greatest meditation on birth I have ever read. -- Siri Hustvedt * The Week *

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Book Synopsis''Magnificent.'' New York Times''Unforgettable.'' Times Literary Supplement''Exquisite.'' New YorkerFrom the Sunday Times bestselling author of Call Me by Your Name and Find Me, now available to preorder in paperback.From a youthful infatuation with a cabinet maker in a small Italian fishing village, to a passionate yet sporadic affair with a woman in New York, to an obsession with a man he meets at a tennis court, Enigma Variations charts one man's path through the great loves of his life. Paul's intense desires, losses and longings draw him closer, not to a defined orientation, but to an understanding that heartache, like love, like low-grade fevers, like the longing to reach out and touch a hand across the table, is easy enough to live down'.André Aciman casts a shimmering light over each facet of desire, to probe how we ache, want and waver, and ultimately how we sometimes falte

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Book SynopsisA devilish psychological thriller from the widely loved GJ Minett, for fans of The Girl Before and Lie with Me.You'd do anything for the one that got away . . . wouldn't you?When Billy Orr returns home to spend time with his dying sister, he bumps into his ex-girlfriend Aimi, the love of his life. He might not have seen her in eleven years, but Billy's never forgotten her. He'd do anything for her then, and he'd do anything for her now.When Aimi tells him that she wants to escape her abusive husband, Billy agrees to help her fake her own death. But is she still the Aimi that Billy remembers from all those years ago? Once Aimi disappears, Billy has to face the possibility that perhaps she had different reasons for disappearing - reasons that might be more dangerous than she's led him to believe . . .Sometimes trusting the one you love is the wrong thing to do. Trade ReviewAn exciting, twisty read that had me hooked from the first page . . . a brilliant summer read * Lisa Hall, #1 Bestselling author of Between You and Me *This was brilliant. Great writing, layered characters and a cracking mystery - and that twist! 5 mega stars * Alex Caan *This is one incredibly clever novel * Bibliomaniac on Lie in Wait *A really clever and complex story. Immensely entertaining * Goodreads review on Lie in Wait *Deserves to be read in one sitting . . . His books are some of the best I've ever had the pleasure to read * The Quiet Knitter on Lie in Wait *Bloody hell, what a thrilling ride that was!...5-well-deserved-stars....This book was incredibly addictive. The plot was absolutely brilliant and the characters, oh those wonderfully-developed characters. The twists and turns in this story kept me on the edge of my seat and the ending, well that was the icing on the cake. That bloody ending managed to make me feel things I wasn't ready to feel; needless to say I loved it * Bookishly Ever After *Do yourself a favour give this author a read, you won't be disappointed * Worcester Source *I really liked this story of a nice guy caught up in a situation way out of his control...brings true meaning to the phrase no good deed goes unpunished' * For The Love Of Books *I absolutely loved the tangle of lies and deceit I became tangled in. I was hooked very quickly and thoroughly enjoyed the author's style of writing which I found moved the story on at a very exciting and thrilling pace. A thoroughly compelling read from start to finish I recommend this very highly to fans of thrillers and psychological thrillers! * Not Left On The Shelf *This is a complex, intricate and incredibly well executed plot full of hidden layers, twists, sub plots and emotional journeys, all masterfully brought together in a highly readable and extremely satisfying thriller. Anything For Her is ambitious, dark, fascinating and deeply rewarding. Minett's prose is also exquisite. This is a compelling crime fiction thriller yet it is also full of beautifully written, detailed descriptive passages. The quote below is from the opening but there are numerous other paragraphs which helped to establish tension or created a moment to pause and reflect on a character...Yes you should read it. * Bibliomaniac UK *What a book. So many secrets. so many lies, so much betrayal...Tense, and intriguing, this book held my focus from start to finish and I can't wait to read more from this author. a highly recommended read * Jen Med Book Reviews *The plot line by G. J. Minett was excellent, the barebones of the story...exciting. * Book Reviews By Shalini *For me personally, every book that G.J Minett releases is better than the previous one so his third offering is definitely his best book so far! This was a twisty and intelligent read, skilfully written with well crafted and rounded characters. G.J Minett weaves a tale full of lies and deceit, playing a game of manipulation to rival Aimi, with the perfect ending! If you've never read anything by this author before, give yourself a treat over the festive period and be prepared to lose some sleep as you won't be able to put it down! * My Chestnut Reading Tree *I love this author. This is a thriller that is dramatic, full of twists and is action packed. This is a clever plot and the writing is superb I loved it. * Postcard Reviews *'Anything For Her' is a fascinating and thrilling read that kept me hooked till the very last page. * Maureen's Book Reviews *A great ending to a book of family secrets, past relationships and manipulative people * Off The Shelf Books *Wow, what a ride! G.J. Minett sure knows how to spin a web of deceit and lies. Anything For Her has an incredibly intricate plot which is brilliantly constructed. I've read all three of G.J. Minett's books and I think this is his best one yet. Utterly compelling and absorbing throughout with the most satisfying conclusion. If you've not read anything by this author before, I heartily recommend you fix the error of your ways. * Novel Deelights *Anything for Her is a gripping page-turner...a very well-written psychological drama. I would recommend this novel for those looking for lighter tension, with dark and emotionally manipulated characters carrying baggage with them every day. * Romantics, Rebels and Reviews *They say that love is blind,well that is certainly true in this gripping,twist packed,roller coaster ride of a thriller. I was hooked by this riveting thriller from the first page, right through to the shocking, unexpected conclusion. I highly recommend this twist packed tale of families,relationships,lies secrets,deception and manipulation.As the old saying says `There's none so blind as those who will not see. * Nicki's Life Of Crime *If you haven't read this author's previous work, I would urge you to do so, each one so different yet at the same time the complex plots are effortlessly read leaving a sense of deep satisfaction * Cleopatra Loves Books *an absolute roller-coaster of a read where you think you've worked out what's happening before you are hit with a new angle to the story. I absolutely loved it * Beauty Balm Blog *Helping faking someone's death sounds like a great storyline for an ever greater thriller * 5171 Miles Book Blog *Intriguing, addictive and very well written... a suspenseful, gripping and enjoyable read * Nudge Books *Anything For Her has a cleverly woven plot, I had no idea where it was heading and G.J. Minett has created some really complex characters who pull the reader into the story... a real corker of a book * Hooked from Page One *I found this to be an unputdownable book which I wanted to finish as soon as possible to find out how it all worked out * Nudge Books *

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of THE MAYFLY comes a dark and compulsive thriller, perfect for fans of M. J. Arlidge and Katerina Diamond. A secret buried for two thousand years. The rise of an ancient evil.An invisible killer who will stop at nothing. When a brutal serial killer defies all known methods, the police call in prolific lawyer and former homicide detective, Charlie Priest, to assist the hunt. Working together they soon discover a link to a lost scripture that contains a secret so devastating that its custodians are prepared to die to keep it. Tangled in a dark world of fanaticism, chaos and deadly secrets, Priest comes up against a nemesis more formidable and deranged than any he has previously encountered. There is no Judgement Day. There is something far worse. 'You ain't never gonna meet another hero like Charlie Priest' Mark Hill'[Charlie Priest is] a character who is complicated and compelling' Adam HamdyTrade ReviewJames Hazel grabs you from the off and doesn't let go until the very end. This is his first novel. It's definitely not his last * Martyn Waites on The Mayfly *A compelling mystery that has you tearing through the pages. Charlie Priest is a genius creation. He's brilliant and border-line dysfunctional but you can't help liking him. Highly recommended * J. S. Carol on The Mayfly *Occasionally horrifically shiver inducing, never less than irresistible, The Mayfly is really top notch. Intelligently constructed, characters to die for and a truly sterling opening to what I hope will be a long running series. Charlie Priest. Remember the name * Liz Loves Books on The Mayfly *Addictive. There is something wonderfully macabre about Hazel's debut thriller. It may well be the motley crew that surrounds Priest, (who isn't exactly without his own difficulties), who entranced me . . . With this marvellous cast, Hazel's thriller certainly keeps rolling along at a cracking pace . . . I can honestly say that I haven't completed a book in such double quick time as I did The Mayfly. Having been reviewing for over twelve years now, I can sense a good thriller. You will be guaranteed to be on to a winner with The Mayfly * CrimeSquad on The Mayfly *Most dramatic yet ... Written with verve. * Daily Mail *Characters are delightful...the progress of the plot is tackled intelligently and cinematically...I thoroughly enjoyed the pace, the dialogue, the characters and the concepts....An easy fast read which I found myself devouring with enthusiasm. * CrimeReview.co.uk *

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Book Synopsis· Winner of the Dylan Thomas Prize 2020 ·· One of Barack Obama's "Favourite Books of the Year" ·· A New York Times Critics' Top Books of 2019 ·'A superb book' Max Porter, author of Lanny____________________________________Stories of a young man finding his place among family and community in Houston, from a powerful, emerging American voice.In an apartment block, the son of a black mother and a Latino father is coming of age. He's working at his family's restaurant, trying to dodge his brother's fists and resenting his older sister's absence. He's also discovering he likes boys...All around him his friends and neighbours experience the tumult of living in the margins. Their stories - of living, thriving and dying across the city's myriad neighbourhoods - are stitched throughout the boy's life to reveal a young woman caught out in an affair, the fortunes of a rag-tag baseball team and a group of young hustlers, a local drug dealer who takes a Guatemalan teen under his wing, and the fate of a camera-shy mythical beast. With brilliant and soulful insight into what makes a community, a family and a life, Lot is about love in all its unsparing and unsteady forms.Trade ReviewAudacious... Profound * New York Times *Enthralling... Subtle but bruising * Guardian *Gut-wrenching and powerful * Cosmopolitan *An astonishing debut... Extraordinary * Alan Hollinghurst, New York Review of Books *A superb book * Max Porter, author of 'Lanny' *A treat and an inspiration to witness * Ocean Vuong, author of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous *Stunning... one of the strongest literary debuts in several years. * NPR *Washington cracks open a vibrant, polyglot side of Houston about which few outsiders are aware * New York Times *Washington's prose sings with vibrancy * The Rumpus *Phenomenal * Justin Torres, author of 'We the Animals' *Lot spills over with life - funny, tender, and profane * Entertainment Weekly *Generous, powerful, deeply engrossing * R.O. Kwon, author of 'The Incendiaries' *A brilliant display of raw talent * Nicole Dennis-Benn, author of 'Here Comes the Sun' *Unflinching... a prodigious talent. * Mat Johnson, author of 'Loving Day' and 'Pym' *Raw, soulful and moving * Jami Attenberg, author of 'The Middlesteins' *A thrilling new voice in American fiction and one to watch * Amelia Gray, author of 'Isadora' *Raw, empathic and wise... achingly intimate and brilliantly panoramic * Stefan Merrill Block, author of 'The Story of Forgetting' *Will stay with you for a very long time... powerful * Jamel Brinkley, author of 'A Lucky Man' *Depicts its author's hometown of Houston with empathy, tragedy, and exceptional specificity * Entertainment Weekly *Washington's debut reads like a love letter to Houston * New York Times *Empathetic and honest, tender and brutal at once, Lot quips with humour and explores grief and each stop in between. Lot feels like a living, breathing book... As debuts go, these characters and prose leap from the page. * Heather McDaid, The Skinny *Extraordinary * Southern Living *Lot belongs foremost to its characters, who ask to be remembered, even long after their pages have turned. * Paris Review *[F]unny, sad, wise & very alive in the best way * Curtis Sittenfeld, author of Sisterland (Twitter) *Stellar... a remarkable collection from a writer to watch. * Publishers Weekly, Starred Review *Brutal, raw and blisteringly brilliant... Outstanding. * Attitude *Compassionate, observant, tough; often funny, always authentic * The Big Issue *Visceral and raw... beautifully delicate prose... A terrific read! * Irish Times *Ambitious but never forced... Washington makes the place sing with his sharp, rap-style lyricism. * Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis'Stunning... will long remain in the reader's mind' - Kristin HannahTHE UNMISSABLE NEW NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO AND SONGBIRDS - NOW AVAILABLE IN HARDBACK, EBOOK & AUDIOBOOK.______________________ AMONG THE ASHES, THEY FOUND HOPE . . . In a tiny, beautiful Greek village, deep in an ancient forest, live a family - Irini, Tasso and their daughter, sweet Chara. One day their world is rocked when a forest fire consumes the village, leaving houses burned and lives irreparably damaged. But while Tasso and Chara struggle to find the courage to bear what has happened, Irini is tormented by guilt for her part in the fate of the man who started the fire . . .A captivating, moving novel of survival, hope and redemption, as epic as it is intimate, and set against the tormented landscape of our changing world, THE BOOK OF FIRE is the blazing new book from the international bestselling author of THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO and SONGBIRDS. PRAISE FOR THE BOOK OF FIRE'Christy Lefteri is a magician when it comes to the written word, and although the story is about a devastating event, beauty pours forth from her prose, and this, and the storyline will stay with me for some time to come.' 5* Reader Review 'This book made me feel every emotion. I love Christy Lefteri's writing. The Beekeeper of Aleppo is an amazing book but The Book of Fire is an outstanding read' 5* Reader Review'Christy Lefteri has crafted a story of such grief and pain, but also one of hope and love.' 5* Reader Review 'Beautifully written, atmospheric, moving and entrancing, all at once' 5* Reader Review 'The author's vivid descriptions of the forest, both before and after the fire, help the reader to get a real sense of the loss which these devastating fires bring about. A passionate and emotive story which drew me in from the very first page. Stunning!' 5* Reader ReviewTrade ReviewChristy Lefteri is a writer of huge power, who writes with great delicacy and urgency, making us see the world around us through fresh eyes. * Heather Morris, international bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz *The Book of Fire is the work of a seasoned and wise storyteller who is as masterfully attuned to the nuances of trauma as she is adept at uncovering hope and resilience. Christy Lefteri is at the height of her powers with this radiant and moving novel. * Adrienne Brodeur, bestselling author of Wild Game and Little Monsters *Christy Lefteri's beautiful new novel, The Book of Fire, is a compelling story of love, loss, and redemption in the face of unimaginable tragedy. As with The Beekeeper of Aleppo, Christy transports the reader to a once lush and now destroyed world, where a community-and a mother-- must fight to regain what has been lost. Uniquely crafted and full of both stunning imagery and human emotion, The Book of Fire is a story that will long remain in the reader's mind. * Kristen Hannah *The Book of Fire is a wonderfully engrossing and moving novel that explores with great tenderness the need for answers in the face of terrible loss and the desire for recovery from environmental devastation. * Peter Stott, author of Hot Air *A compelling, at times anguished, at-a-sitting exploration of trauma, complicity, justice and how to live in our rapacious, heating age' * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis'Wonderful and mad' Roddy Doyle'Sparks with tender charm and humour . . . Fresh, bleakly funny' Sunday Times'Tender, laugh-out-loud funny and deeply moving' Louise O'Neill'GAS and beautiful and truthful and touching' Marian Keyes, author of Grown Ups'A novel for anyone who's ever felt lost in the world' John Boyne, author of The Heart's Invisible Furies'Sharp, clever and affecting' The Independent'Beautifully written . . . emotionally intelligent and thought-provoking' Daily Mail'Astonishing' Stacey Halls, author of The FamiliarsDebbie's brain isn't perfect. Debbie's thoughts aren't unique. Debbie's dreams are all too real.Debbie White lives on a dairy farm with her mother, Maeve, and her uncle, Billy. Billy sleeps out in a caravan in the garden with a bottle of whiskey and the stars overhead for company. Maeve spends her days recording her dreams, which she believes to be prophecies.This world is Debbie's normal, but she is about to step into life as a student at Trinity College Dublin. As she navigates between sophisticated new friends and the family bubble, things begin to unravel. Maeve's eccentricity tilts into something darker, while Billy's drinking gets worse. Debbie struggles to cope with the weirdest, most difficult parts of herself and her small life. But if the Whites are mad, they are also fiercely loving, and each other's true place of safety.Startling, fresh and utterly unique, Snowflake is a story of messy families, messier friendships and how new chapters often mean starting right back at the beginning.A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK AT BEDTIME PICKTrade Review'A novel for anyone who's ever felt lost in the world' John Boyne, author of The Heart's Invisible Furies'Sharp, clever and affecting' The Independent'Beautifully written . . . emotionally intelligent and thought-provoking' Daily Mail'Sparks with tender charm and humour . . . Fresh, bleakly funny' Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisHOW MUCH IS THE TRUTH WORTH?When Detective Harry McCoy arrives at the scene of a double shooting in the middle of a busy Glasgow street, he is sure of one thing. This was not a random act of violence.McCoy must enlist the help of his criminal underworld connections to find out the truth. How long will it be before McCoy himself ends up on the wrong side of the law?Trade Review1970s Glasgow hewn from flesh and drawn in blood -- PETER MAYBloody and brilliant. This smasher from Alan Parks is a reminder of how dark Glasgow used to be -- LOUISE WELSHAn old-school cop novel written with wit and economy . . . Think McIlvanney or Get Carter -- IAN RANKINThe latest star of Tartan noir - perhaps even a successor to the late, great William McIlvanney . . . Gripping, utterly authentic and nerve-jangling, this novel announces a fine new voice in crime writing * * Daily Mail * *A potent tale of death . . . Alan Parks's excellent first novel propels him into the top class of Scottish noir authors . . . Detective Harry McCoy . . . is so noir that he makes most other Scottish cops seem light grey * * The Times, Book of the Month * *[McCoy] is a great character and his patch and period are vividly and skilfully portrayed. Denise Mina and Ian Rankin had better watch out * * Evening Standard * *Gripping and violent, dark and satisfying. I flew through it -- BRET EASTON ELLISSeriously good. It's brilliantly evocative of the 1970s in Glasgow (and I should know as I was there!). I loved Alan Parks' characters and I want to read a lot more of Detective Harry McCoy! -- ALEX GRAYA thrilling debut from a very promising talent -- RAGNAR JÓNASSONA blistering plot, unforgettable characters and writing so sharp it's like it's been written with a knife . . . Detective McCoy is a true noir antihero and the perfect guide through the vice and violence of Glasgow's underbelly. Bloody January firmly sets Alan Parks in the same league as Ian Rankin and Louise Welsh -- SARAH PINBOROUGH, bestselling author of BEHIND HER EYES

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Ondaatje PrizeShortlisted for the Highland Book PrizeShetland: a place of sheep and soil, of harsh weather, close ties and an age-old way of life. A place where David has lived all his life, like his father and grandfather before him. A place that Alice has fled to after the death of her husband. A place where Sandy, a newcomer but already a crofter, may have finally found a home. But times do change, and the valley that they all call home must change with them, or be forgotten. The debut novel from one of our most exciting new literary voices, The Valley at the Centre of the World is a story about community and isolation, about what is passed down, and what is lost between the cracks.Trade ReviewWhat I've been waiting for: a moving, authentic novel of the Scottish islands in the twenty-first century -- AMY LIPTROT, Sunday Times Bestselling author of THE OUTRUNUtterly beguiling * * Sunday Times * *Life-affirming . . . [Tallack] is a careful and precise writer . . . Given that Mackay Brown and Crichton Smith were two of the best Scottish writers of fiction in the second half of the 20th century, a first novel that sits comfortably alongside their work is a considerable achievement -- Allan Massie * * Scotsman * *Tallack's concern here is with the push and pull of larger forces - love, grief, guilt, need, the idea of home itself. They're potent themes that could, but rarely do, overshadow characters about which he writes with palpable tenderness . . . A sharp-eyed and evocative painter of place * * Daily Mail * *Lyrical . . . Wonderfully atmospheric and moving * * Sunday Express * *In this intense debut novel Malachy Tallack takes us to an isolated world inhabited by a community of utterly believable folk. He is great on the nature of work, how it is done, how it exhausts, how it shows our humanity. And when he gets this right other things naturally follow - like love and empathy and understanding. This book leaves us wanting his next -- BERNARD MACLAVERTY, author of GRACE NOTES and MIDWINTER BREAKA vivid closeup of island life . . . Captures the emotional journey of a man who returns home to remote Shetland and the viewpoints of the people who live there -- Ian Sansom * * Guardian * *A desperately beautiful novel. Tallack writes with such tenderness for his characters and quiet awe for the patch of earth he places them upon. Now that I've turned the last page, I find myself experiencing a strange kind of loneliness -- SARA BAUME, author of SPILL SIMMER FALTER WITHER and A LINE MADE BY WALKINGA vivid novel which immediately lands you in Shetland. It wrestles with big questions about land, community and belonging and how place shapes character. It lingers in the mind long after you have finished reading -- MADELEINE BUNTING, author of LOVE OF COUNTRYBeautiful writing, totally believable characters and a really evocative sense of place. A triumph -- NICOLA STURGEON, First Minister of Scotland

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Book SynopsisIn thirteenth-century Ireland, a woman with power is a woman to be feared. When a young Alice Kyteler sees her mother wither under the constraints of family responsibilities, she vows that she won''t suffer the same fate. Soon Alice discovers she has a flair for making money, and builds a flourishing business. But as her wealth and stature grow, so too do the rumours about her private life. By the time she has moved on to her fourth husband, a blaze of local gossip and resentment culminates in an accusation that could prove fatal. Inspired by the first recorded person in Ireland to have been condemned as a witch, Bright I Burn gives voice to a woman lost to history, who dared to carve her own space in a man''s world.

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Book SynopsisJustine is 21 years old and has lived with her grandparents and cousin Jules since the death of her parents. She works as a carer at a retirement home and spends her days listening to her residents’ stories. After bonding with Hélène, an almost 100-year-old resident, the two women slowly reveal their stories to one another. Whilst Justine helps Hélène to relive her memories of love and war, Hélène encourages Justine to confront the secrets of her own past, and the loss she has buried deep within. One day, trouble arrives in the form of a mysterious phone call that shakes the retirement home to its core and uncovers a shocking revelation. At once humorous and melancholic, Valérie Perrin’s debut novel is a story of how the past can shape our present, and the scars of undeclared love.Trade Review"An endearing and original heroine, a surprising setting, a talented author." * ELLE *"A beautiful, intensely atmospheric bittersweet dream of a book." * Matt Haig (on Fresh Water for Flowers) *"What may on the surface of it appear gloomy and morose, in Perrin's hands is an appealing indulgence in nature, food and drink, and, above all, friendships." * The Guardian *“Poignant and hearwarming…. Despite Forgotten On Sunday’s difficult themes, it is an extremely uplifting novel that strives to discover the positives beneath the sadness on the surface. Memories and human connections are a powerful combination in yet another superb story from the French author." * Buzz Magazine *“The poetry and passion of Valérie’s writing will appeal to the romance in everyone’s soul…Humour, melancholy and a shocking revelation from the million-copy bestselling author of Fresh Water for Flowers.” * Muddy Stilettos *"Beautiful." * L’Express *"Valerie Perrin’s delightful Fresh Water for Flowers is a funny and moving story of one woman’s belief that everything will turn out right." * Stylist (on the million copy international bestseller Fresh Water for Flowers) *

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Book Synopsis'A beautiful little novel about books, history, ambition and the importance of literature.' Nick Hornby 'Truly potent ... Adimi confronts us with episodes that are simply never spoken of in France' The New York Times Book Review In 1936, a young dreamer named Edmond Charlot opened a modest bookshop in Algiers. Once the heart of Algerian cultural life, where Camus launched his first book and the Free French printed propaganda during the war, Charlot's beloved bookshop has been closed for decades, living on as a government lending library. Now it is to be shuttered forever. But as a young man named Ryad empties it of its books, he begins to understand that a bookshop can be much more than just a shop that sells books. A Bookshop in Algiers charts the changing fortunes of Charlot's bookshop through the political drama of Algeria's turbulent twentieth century of war, revolution and independence. It is a moving celebration of books, bookshops and of those who dare to dream.Trade ReviewTruly potent ... Adimi confronts us with episodes that are simply never spoken of in France * The New York Times Book Review *If you're in a bookshop browsing, then A Bookshop In Algiers is for you, by definition. A beautiful little novel about books, history, ambition and the importance of literature to everyone, especially people who are trying to find a voice. -- Nick HornbyA Bookshop in Algiers reminds us that in literature, as in life, we belong to a place only temporarily - and we shape it according to our memories * Financial Times *A splendid declaration of love to literature * Elle *Adimi refuses to make Charlot's life a tragedy. Instead, she's told a moving story of his efforts to push so many worthy writers toward posterity's heights. * Harper's *A beautiful and bittersweet book * New Books magazine *

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Book Synopsis'Gets deep under your skin ... Gaitskill is uniquely attuned to the moment.' Sunday Times 'Gaitskill achieves a superb feat. She distils the suffering, anger, reactivity, danger and social recalibration of the #MeToo movement into an extremely potent, intelligent and nuanced account.' Sarah Hall, Guardian 'I don't know why I behaved the way I did, and I kept doing it; he kept doing it. And though I might once have easily brushed it away, suddenly I could not. Nor could I confront him. The conversation moved too quickly.' This is Pleasure is an extraordinary work by one of the world's finest writers, and achieves more in 15,000 words than most full-length novels. Following the unravelling of the life of a male publisher undone by allegations of sexual impropriety and harassment, and the female friend who tries to understand, and explain, his actions, it looks unflinchingly at our present moment and rejects moral certainties to show us that there are many sides to every story. Mary Gaitskill has spent her whole career mining the complexity of human relationships on both an individual and societal scale with wisdom and grace. Here her insights are more piercing and timely than ever.Trade ReviewI really admire how Mary Gaitskill is willing to think about the problematic with complexity and humanity, and without taking sides or engaging in all the fashionable moral hectoring that passes for serious thought these days. This is Pleasure is a breath of intellectual fresh air and badly needed. -- Eimear McBrideAt the heart of this extraordinary, daring, provocative, pitch perfect story lies the idea that, sometimes, we act out a truth, only to run from it. -- Rachel Cooke * The Observer *Mary Gaitskill is just the person to take on the task of questioning #MeToo's harasser vs. victim scenarios in a fictional context ... Whether you agree or disagree, it is time to have these conversations ... Give This is Pleasure to someone you want to talk to. * Washington Post *Gaitskill is enormously gifted * The New York Times Book Review *Gaitskill's willingness to ignore common wisdom and consider controversial and complex questions from different viewpoints is a true literary pleasure * Kirkus starred review *Gaitskill's work feels more real than real life and reading her leads to a place that feels like a sacred space * The Boston Globe *The range of Gaitskill's humanity is astonishing * LA Times *Gaitskill is at the height of her powers in this novella. The empathy we feel for her characters is not despite, but because of, the fierce clarity of her prose. -- Colin Barrett, author of Young SkinsIn fewer than 100 pages, Gaitskill achieves a superb feat. She distils the suffering, anger, reactivity, danger and social recalibration of the #MeToo movement into an extremely potent, intelligent and nuanced account. This Is Pleasure sensitively and confidently holds its fury, momentum, contrary forces and imperfect humanity within a perfect frame. -- Sarah Hall * The Guardian *The work of an expert iconoclast * Metro *This Is Pleasure is a little novella that gets deep under your skin. At 96 pages, it is an exquisitely compressed, morally tangly saga about a charming, middle-aged book publisher who is accused of workplace harassment. Gaitskill writes in clean, rigorous prose but builds in tripwires that keep the reader guessing where her sympathies might lie. -- Johanna Thomas-Corr * The Sunday Times *This is Pleasure is set in an eerie borderland between pleasure and pain, intimacy and exploitation, a truth and a lie. And it is testament to Gaitskill that through her stories we can hope to understand one another. This, it would seem, is the one true pleasure. -- Isobel Shirlaw * iNews *A tale for our time, if ever there was one. -- Katy Thompsett * Refinery 29 *A reminder that fiction is an ideal space for exploring the grey areas that vanish in the online glare -- Rob Doyle * Independent *Gaitskill is the laureate of murky questions of power and consent. This novella about a chronic flirt in his 60s is a nuanced riff on "he said/ she said" * Daily Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis'Duncan brings a new way of seeing to the world of prose' Irish Times Michael has been away from Ireland for most of his life and lives alone in Bilbao after the death of Catherine, his girlfriend. Each day he listens to two versions of the same piece of music before walking the same route to visit Richard Serra's enormous installation, The Matter of Time, in the Guggenheim. As he walks, his thoughts circle around the five-year period of mental agitation spent in Leipzig with Catherine. This 'sabbatical', caused by the stress of his job and the suicide of a former colleague, splits his career as an engineer into two distinct parts. Intensely realistic, mapped out like Michael's intricate drawings, this is a novel of precision and beguiling intelligence.Trade ReviewHe brings a mixture of the exact and the visionary . . . an original voice, a writer who has come to recreate the world on his own terms. * Colm Toibin *One of the most important, original and intriguing writers working now -- Niamh Campbell , author of We Were HappyA book such as W.G. Sebald might have written, had he been an Irish Engineer. A quietly compelling novel from a writer of real daring and poise -- Vona Groarke, author of Other People's HousesHaunting and devastating * Dublin Review of Books *Duncan has a sensibility and a course of investigation utterly his own -- Rob Doyle , author of ThresholdDuncan brings a new way of seeing to the world of prose * Irish Times *Its plainspoken, obsessive commitment to life as an engineering project makes no attempt to bring the reader into a blunt-edged or humanist vision of engineer-as-symbol. It's far, far more intelligent than that. * Niamh Campbell *Delightfully weird ... conjuring a deep and strange sense of stillness * Sunday Times *Highly satisfying to read * Buzz Magazine *

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Book Synopsis'Beautifully atmospheric' Woman's Own. 'Startlingly original' The Tablet. Rule CXX. No resident of Cala is to be out gallivanting after nightfall. This is to protect all women from feelings of jealousy and abandonment. And to protect them from the prying eyes of the villagers. The four women of Cala live in near-perfect isolation. Their leader, Muireall, has rules and rituals they must follow to keep themselves safe. Eighteen-year-old Euna hasn't left the farm in a decade. She hasn't wanted to. But one day she spies a stranger – a man – who sees her and waves. And now she wants to know what the world has to offer her. Cala is a brilliantly original coming-of-age story. Perfect for readers of Sophie Mackintosh's The Water Cure and Daisy Johnson's Everything Under. Trade ReviewBeautifully atmospheric settings and a spirited protagonist in literary heroine Euna make this original tale one to remember' * Women's Weekly *It's a magical picture of the strength of women's friendship, and Legge's language is startlingly original * The Tablet *Beautifully atmospheric settings and a spirited main character make this tale one to remember' * Woman's Own *

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Book SynopsisWhen three troubled people find themselves snow-bound in Inverness, it's more than bad weather that they have to come to terms with...

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Book SynopsisCursed with love by his step-mother, Culhwch (Pig Boy) is condemned to love and marry Olwen, the daughter of the Hawthorn Giant—pitiless, violent and huge. So begins the quest—first to the court of King Arthur to wins support for the quest. In this earliest and earthiest of Arthurian tales, we are in the grip of the Otherworld, where landscape, nature and doing what we can to make a better future, no matter how impossible that might seem, are everything. Making a future despite the odds and despite the terrible and debilitating pain that afflicts Pig Boy as part of his love of Olwen will see him tested him again and again as he faces each task along the quest, the last to hunt the Great Wild Boar and seize the golden comb and scissors from between its ears so that the Hawthorn Giant can have his beard trimmed and hair combed for his daughter’s wedding. Will the marriage finally be celebrated? And what help will Pig Boy need to summon—not only from the court of Arthur and its warrior class but from everyone in the kingdom and from the non-human realm with it deep magic? An epic tale of ancient myth, the story of Pig Boy continues to resonate today with how we go on making a future, calling on the land and whatever and whoever might help, human and beyond. An ambitious, compelling and powerful debut from master storyteller, Michael Harvey.

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Book Synopsis'Great characterisation and plenty of genuine suspense in a psychological thriller par excellence' Guardian 'Absorbing and original ... The writing is pitch perfect. A very smart tale packed with jeopardy' Daily Mail 'Terrifying and amusing ... keeps you guessing till the very end' The Times A nephew. An uncle. A psychopath - but which of them is it? Gil knows his nephew Matthew is dangerous. The signs were there early - on a family holiday Gil's daughter was discovered nearly drowning at the bottom of a swimming pool, while Matthew looked on from the deck. Now seventeen, Matthew is orphaned when his parents die in a car crash. He must leave his life on the Upper East Side of Manhattan behind, to live with Gil, his wife and daughters in rural Vermont. He is insolent, bored, disconnected. At least that's Gil's take. To the women in the family he is charming, intelligent, wry. But when he disdainfully joins Gil's writing classes at the local university, Matthew's fiction shows a vivid and macabre imagination spilling onto the page. Matthew is clearly announcing his intentions to Gil, taunting him before he does something awful to his family. But why is Gil the only one who can see this? As Gil begins to follow Matthew around, his own behaviour becomes increasingly unstable. Is he losing his mind? Could it be that he is really the one his family need to fear?Trade ReviewAn absorbing and original plot. The writing is pitch-perfect and the observations of family dynamics are quietly excruciating. Oates has produced a very smart tale packed with jeopardy * Daily Mail *Great characterisation and plenty of genuine suspense in a psychological thriller par excellence * Guardian *Terrifying and amusing ... keeps you guessing till the very end * Times *

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Book SynopsisPeople come to the guest house for fresh air and views across the Atlantic. But if they''re lucky, they might just leave with the second chance they didn''t know they needed...Esme has run the guest house for as long as anyone in Ballycove can remember. But in her declining years, her sight is failing, and when she has a fall on the eve of the summer season, she is forced to take a back seat for the first time in her life.From her chair in the entry hall, not much passes Esme by. There''s Cora, the wife visiting indefinitely... without her husband; Niamh, the city professional with a life-changing decision to make; and Phyllie, the grandmother whose family is slipping away from her.Esme''s guests provide the colour that helps her keep her grip on the world. All of them have something they want to escape or to hold on to. But can Esme help them find their way before the summer is over?From bestselling Irish writer Faith Hogan comes a new, up

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Book SynopsisFleeing persecution in Indochina, the young Ho Chi Minh arrived in Paris as World War I was sputtering to a close. A painfully shy twentysomething, he joined the shadowy figures of the demimonde, the radicals, poor artists, prostitutes, the luckless, and rebellious.Six years later, he boarded a train bound for the young Soviet Union as the fiery, passionate leader of the Vietnamese independence movement and a founder of the French Communist Party. He had lived under various pseudonyms in a succession of seedy apartments. There had been arrests and beatings, jobs in restaurants and photo shops, revolutionary writing in the Bibliothèque nationale, and meetings with Chaplin and Colette, all while being dogged by French spies—much of what we know about the young man’s Paris years is thanks to that surveillance.Searching for traces of the past in the streets of today, Joseph Andras hears echoes of other angry histories, from terror attacks to tent encampment

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Book Synopsis'Help Wanted is like a great nineteenth-century novel about now, at once an effervescent workplace comedy and an exploration of the psychic toll exacted by the labour market' Elif Batuman, author of The Idiot'Help Wanted held me from its first page. Waldman transmits, through narrative tension and beautifully rendered heartbreak, the exact way that capitalism turned on the very lives it was there to boost and instead corroded' Taffy Brodesser-Akner, author of The Long Island Compromise 'Poignant, funny, stealthily ambitious' The New York Times'Eliot-like ... . It is simultaneously a joke, a homage, and a provocation for our unequal age. Help Wanted washes labour in a stately, almost Steinbeckian light, emphasizing its difficulty but also its dignity' New YorkerTightly plotted, slyly caustic and often very funny' Daily MailAt a superstore in a small town in upstate New York, the members of Team Movement clock in every day at 3.55 am. Under the red-eyed scrutiny of their self-absorbed an

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Book SynopsisTroubled by an inability to find any meaning in his life, the 25-year-old narrator of this deceptively simple novel quits university and eventually arrives at his brother's New York apartment.In a bid to discover what life is all about, he writes lists. He becomes obsessed by time and whether it actually matters. He faxes his meteorologist friend. He endlessly bounces a ball against the wall. He befriends a small boy who lives next door. He yearns to get to the bottom of life and how best to live it.Funny, friendly, enigmatic and frequently poignant - superbly naive.Trade ReviewLoe certainly has some of Salinger's lightness of touch, and often comic voice of his unnamed narrator recalls Salinger's Holden Caulfield. A charming debut novel. * * The Times * *it displays a canny lightness of touch and a great deal of charm. An effortlessly hip and savvy antidote to the rainy day blues. * * Sleazenation * *It is fascinating, how much depth this young author can convey in a simple language - a major talent. * * Oldenburgische Volkzeitung, Germany * *A book overflowing with creative talent on just about every page. Well calculated naivety. * * Dagbladet, Norway * *

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Book SynopsisA construction worker is chased through the night by a shady local businessman whose dog he has stolen; a Wild West re-enactor is engaged in a long-running affair with the Indian 'squaw' who slays him on the battlefield every year; a boy is tasked by his father to rid the farm of cats. Playing out against the rugged backdrop of the untamed West, these stories are populated by characters who are toughened by life but still tender enough to bleed, to cry, to care, and to dream. With its taut plotting and calloused sensibility, Dog Run Moon is written deep in the American grain, and yet Callan Wink's humour, empathy and layered storytelling creates a fictional world entirely his own. This remarkable debut reminds you just how effortlessly powerful good writing can be.

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Book SynopsisA thrilling, prescient debut set in a near-future flooded Ireland.

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Book SynopsisThe rich seam that is Jansson's adult prose continues with this penultimate collection of short stories, written in her seventies at the height of her Moomin fame and translated into English for the first time. In these light-footed, beautifully crafted yet disquieting stories, Jansson tells of discomfiting encounters, unlooked for connections and moments of isolation that span generations and decades. Letters From Klara proves yet again her mastery of this literary form.Trade ReviewA treat of a collection * Mail on Sunday *Delightful ... Jansson is by turn funny, melancholy and slyly mischievous - qualities brilliantly evident in the titular story * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisFlights, a novel about travel in the twenty-first century and human anatomy, is Olga Tokarczuk’s most ambitious to date. It interweaves travel narratives and reflections on travel with an in-depth exploration of the human body, broaching life, death, motion, and migration. From the seventeenth century, we have the story of the Dutch anatomist Philip Verheyen, who dissected and drew pictures of his own amputated leg. From the eighteenth century, we have the story of a North African-born slave turned Austrian courtier stuffed and put on display after his death. In the nineteenth century, we follow Chopin’s heart as it makes the covert journey from Paris to Warsaw. In the present we have the trials of a wife accompanying her much older husband as he teaches a course on a cruise ship in the Greek islands, and the harrowing story of a young husband whose wife and child mysteriously vanish on a holiday on a Croatian island. With her signature grace and insight, Olga Tokarczuk guides the reader beyond the surface layer of modernity and towards the core of the very nature of humankind.Trade Review‘A magnificent writer.’ — Svetlana Alexievich, Nobel Prize in Literature laureate 2015 ‘A writer on the level of W. G. Sebald.’ — Annie Proulx, author of The Shipping News‘One among a very few signal European novelists of the past quarter-century.’ — The Economist‘Flights works like a dream does: with fragmentary trails that add up to a delightful reimagining of the novel itself.’ — Marlon James, author of A Brief History of Seven Killings‘The best novel I’ve read in years is Olga Tokarczuk’s Flights (trans. Jennifer Croft): Most great writers build a novel as one would a beautiful house, brick by brick, wall by wall, from the ground up. Or using another metaphor, a writer gathers her yarn, and with good needles and structure, knits a wonderful sweater or scarf. I tend to prefer novels where a writer weaves her threads this way and that, above and below, inside outside, and ends up with a carpet. Flights is such a novel.’ — Rabih Alameddine, author of An Unnecessary Woman‘Flights could almost be an inventory of the ways narrative can serve a writer short of, and beyond, telling a story. The book’s prose is a lucid medium in which narrative crystals grow to an ideal size, independent structures not disturbing the balance of the whole … Much of the pleasure of reading Flights comes from the essay clusters embedded between sections of narratives ... The cascades of concise interstitial passages are often satisfying riffs on time and space, bodies and language, repetition and uniqueness … Jennifer Croft’s translation is exceptionally adventurous … she can give the impression, not of passing on meanings long after the event, but of being present at the moment when language reached out to thought.’ — Adam Mars-Jones, London Review of Books‘Olga Tokarczuk is a household name in Poland and one of Europe’s major humanist writers, working here in the continental tradition of the “thinking” or essayistic novel. Flights has echoes of WG Sebald, Milan Kundera, Danilo Kiš and Dubravka Ugreši?, but Tokarczuk inhabits a rebellious, playful register very much her own.... Flights is a passionate and enchantingly discursive plea for meaningful connectedness, for the acceptance of “fluidity, mobility, illusoriness”. After all, Tokarczuk reminds us, “Barbarians don’t travel. They simply go to destinations or conduct raids.” Hotels on the continent would do well to have a copy of Flights on the bedside table. I can think of no better travel companion in these turbulent, fanatical times.’ — Kapka Kassabova, Guardian‘It’s a busy, beautiful vexation, this novel, a quiver full of fables of pilgrims and pilgrimages, and the reasons — the hidden, the brave, the foolhardy — we venture forth into the world.... The book is transhistorical, transnational; it leaps back and forth through time, across fiction and fact. Interspersed with the narrator’s journey is a constellation of discrete stories that share rhyming motifs and certain turns of phrase.... In Jennifer Croft’s assured translation, each self-enclosed account is tightly conceived and elegantly modulated, the language balletic, unforced.’ — Parul Sehgal, New York Times‘Tokarczuk is one of Europe’s most daring and original writers, and this astonishing performance is her glittering, bravura entry in the literature of ideas.... A select few novels possess the wonder of music, and this is one of them. No two readers will experience it exactly the same way. Flights is an international, mercurial, and always generous book, to be endlessly revisited. Like a glorious, charmingly impertinent travel companion, it reflects, challenges, and rewards.’ — Eileen Battersby, Los Angeles Review of Books

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Book SynopsisThe Big Short meets Succession in this blisteringly smart, darkly funny thriller about mining, money, and moral compromise. When Peter Mount, CEO of a small British mining company, places his bets on a rare-earths bonanza in Oregon, he sets off a chain of events that spans continents - and threatens to unravel his life. But while shareholders chase profit and bankers sharpen their knives, a disillusioned New Yorker and a restless Native American activist begin to fight back. Keith Carter's debut novel is a gripping exposé of corporate greed, environmental peril, and the fragile moral compasses of those at the top. Unflinching, insightful, and wickedly entertaining, The Umbrella Men will change the way you look at the suits behind the scandals - and the cost of digging too deep.

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Book Synopsis

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