Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisHOW FAR WOULD YOU GO FOR A SECOND CHANCE?*THE SUN'S 5* PICK OF THE WEEK*FOR FANS OF EMMA CLINE, BLAKE CROUCH AND RILEY SAGER COMES CHILDREN OF THE SUN - THE CULT NOVEL THAT EVERYONE IS RAVING ABOUT. 'Gripping' HEAT'Dazzling' CRIME MONTHLY'A cult novel with a difference' GUARDIAN'If you love Stranger Things, read Children of the Sun' STYLIST'Lewis does an excellent job of ratcheting up the tension' DAILY TELEGRAPH'Chilling, moving and original . . . I loved it' CHRIS WHITAKER*****Summer 1982. Deep in the wilderness, over three hundred people live off-grid in a secret community. Founded by the enigmatic Sol, Atlas is a refuge for broken souls who believe they will soon cross into another world where their past decisions never ended in tragedy. James Morrow is a rookie New York City reporter who secures an invitation to the camp on the condition he tell the world of its wonders. Although he's sceptical, James understands better than most the desperate nature of their beliefs. But James soon finds there is a darker side to the cult beyond the prayers and yellow robes. A group of children are treated like gods, there are iron strips embedded in the earth, and nobody talks about what's behind the gates of Sol's private sanctuary. As the final ceremony draws near, James must ask himself, what will it cost to reach this other life? And is that a price he's willing to pay?WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:'I would give this book ten stars if I could . . . Incredibly clever . . . Heartbreakingly perfect' 'This was an incredible read . . . I loved it''Beth Lewis never fails to grab my attention and hold it for every single bit of every single page of her books. This one was no different''A really interesting, gripping read'Trade ReviewA cult novel with a difference . . . An intriguing mystery with a wholly unexpected ending, and a moving exploration of loss, trauma, belief and unintended consequences. -- GuardianLewis does an excellent job of ratcheting up the tension: her portrayal of the cult gradually evolves from comic to sinister. -- Daily TelegraphCompelling and chilling -- Pick of the Week * Sun *If you loved Stranger Things, read: Children of the Sun * Stylist *Gripping * Heat *One of the hottest holiday reads for cool seasonal nights * Belfast Telegraph *Dazzling * Crime Monthly *Dazzling, chilling, moving and original. CHILDREN OF THE SUN defies genre in a way that is both fresh, and now to be expected from the brilliant Beth Lewis. I loved it -- Chris WhitakerBeth Lewis excels at turning her characters' best intentions into a destructive force that ultimately threatens their very lives. Vividly painted and laced with Americana, this haunting, unpredictable story leaves the reader racing through the pages to find the truth. A riveting, eerie and impossibly captivating novel -- Inga VesperA captivating depiction of love and loss and the lengths we will go to start again -- Sophie WardA beautifully crafted mystery that asks if we ever truly get a second chance, CHILDREN OF THE SUN plays brilliantly with the reader's assumptions, building in atmosphere and emotion towards an ending that changes everything -- Catriona SilveyChildren of the Sun is that rare thing - an utterly propulsive, heart-pounding, pacy narrative, with the kind of depth and resonance that makes it linger in the mind long after you've finished reading . . . A beautifully wrought and haunting tale. -- Cailean SteedA really original and captivating book, with atmospheric writing that immediately drew me in. Full of mystery and tension, with clever twists and reveals, all building to a surprising yet satisfying ending -- Philippa EastA brilliant, clever and addictive story with characters you really root for. I couldn't put it down. -- Carly ReagonBeautifully written, unique, and utterly unforgettable -- Louise BeechA literary thriller with a speculative twist, complex and finely crafted * Image Magazine *Clever and chilling. Engaging characters and setting. And a scary cult. What more could you ask for? -- Michael J Malone

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Book SynopsisEighteen international writers respond to the open-ended period of social distancing, closures, and illness caused by Covid-19. Compiled during the initial lockdown in Europe, this special collection is a meteoric publishing project with contributions from some of the most exciting and innovative authors working today. Original work by Enrique Vila-Matas, Olivia Sudjic, Jon Fosse, Inger Wold Lund, Vi Khi Nao, Patricia Portela, Lucie Elven, Mara Coson, Christina Hesselholdt, Jean-Baptiste Del Amo, Naja Marie Aidt, Michael Salu, Joanna Walsh, Jakuta Alikavazovic, Anna Zett, Emilio Fraia, Frode Grytten, and Olga Ravn Translations by Margaret Jull Costa, Zoe Perry, Martin Aitken, Denise Newman, Paul Russell Garrett, Damion Searls, and Rahul Bery Meditating on notions of distance and closeness, sameness and alterity, extinguishing and kindling, Tools for Extinction considers how a common pause might give rise to new modes of domesticity and shift experiences of time. What gestures and actions are we willing to perform to make ourselves, and each other, feel at ease - or at work? What tools and objects are useful, or unprecedentedly useless, to us in the process? And as our species' trademark proclivity for projecting ourselves into the future is disrupted, might we come to see the buildings, animals, plants, and foodstuffs around us in a new light? The anthology takes its name from Steven Brand's Whole Earth Catalog, a 1960s counterculture compendium of product reviews, essays, and articles on the themes of self-sufficiency, ecology, and alternative education. By giving "access to tools", a new social order and a more sustainable Earth was imagined. Compiled, edited and with a foreword by Denise Rose Hansen. Praise for Tools for Extinction The strongest lockdown literature - Michael La Pointe, TLS All the pieces here feel like they could end abruptly. They often do. This gives the collection a start and stop quality that feels appropriate. Our newsfeed minds are often diving in and self-ejecting out of intimate scenes from others' lives. Reading this book is akin to wandering around the authors homes, seeing if they've got any grand truths on the mantelpiece or in the basket on the landing. But there's often no lesson to be learned from solitude other than the experience of it. The hope carried in this book is that we can lean on fiction even beyond its breaking point - and our own - Republic of Consciousness Tools for Extinction grapples with the grief, trauma and anxiety of Covid-19 without presenting these phenomena as something entirely new. It is not a time capsule or a pandemic diary. It is not meant to be a record of an aberration to be read in libraries and schools in 2021 that look just like those of 2019. Tools for Extinction is meant to show that artists will have to adapt. The fact that the book came together in a few short months during a lockdown shows it can be done. And the resonance that the writing has for a reader still in lockdown shows that art still matters - Artist Books Reviews Tools for Extinction is acute literature. . . it signals the emergence of crisis-responsive fiction - Klaus Rothstein, Weekendavisen

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Book Synopsis*THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 2024*Here is the feel-good read you have been looking for... The big-hearted novel brimming with warmth, humour and heart. It''s not too late to live the life you want...''Gorgeous! Warm and funny and brimming with tenderness and heart'' GRAHAM NORTON''Full of Sara Cox''s natural warmth and wit'' PRIMA''Relatable, observant and funny'' WOMAN & HOME Josie''s life is fine. Absolutely, completely fine.Nice husband, brilliant best friend, a gorgeous kid at uni. The big house of her dreams on its leafy London street is a lifetime away from the Lancashire farm of her childhood. So what if her mother is tricky, and James isn''t in love with Josie any more, and maybe she''s not in love with him either? It''s great to have time to herself now Chloe''s flown the nest . . . isn''t it? This is the life Josie never believed possible. The life she

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Book SynopsisTHE ONE WHERE MMA POTOKWANI SAVES THE DAYGrace Makutsi''s husband, Phuti, is in a bind. An international firm is attempting to undercut his prices in the office furniture market. To make matters worse, they have a slick new advertising campaign that seems hard to beat. Nonetheless, with Mma Ramotswe''s help, Phuti comes up with a campaign that may just do the trick. Meanwhile, Mma Makutsi is approached by an old friend who has a troubled son. Grace and Phuti agree to lend a hand, but the boy proves difficult to reach, and the situation is more than they can handle on their own. It will require not only all of their patience and dedication, but also the help of Mma Ramotswe and the formidable Mma Potokwani. ''The novels of Alexander McCall Smith aren''t yet prescribed on the NHS, but it might not be a bad idea'' Daily Telegraph''Hugely enjoyable'' Sunday Times''A clever, hilarious and sometimes poignant mysTrade ReviewMcCall Smith is an author who sees his characters and their world, fully and tenderly. And that makes for a book that is as comforting to sink into as a well-worn armchair * New York Journal of Books *A delightful addition to one of the most endearing and readable series in the world of fiction... ensures that this series fully deserves all the accolades it has received * LoveReading *Another irresistible slice of Botswana-set cosy crime * Waterstones *A story that possesses all the cosiness of your own, very comfortable armchair... captivating * Oakville News *McCall Smith is a master orchestrator of multiple plotlines and currents of influence... a clever, hilarious and sometimes poignant mystery tale * Book Reporter *As they would sink into one of Phuti's large, overstuffed, extremely comfortable armchairs, so will readers delightedly immerse themselves in descriptions of the Botswana landscape; in Precious and Grace's conversations over mugs of red bush tea; and in the doings of the rest of the cast of comic characters... Another delight from the prolific McCall Smith * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. A doctor looks back on the patient whose dark secret changed his understanding of what makes us human.

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Book SynopsisHe is on the brink of the next step - very close to achieving intellectual credibility and some serious celebrity. However, Henry has - unwittingly - become an important part of the life of recently-divorced Kristin: someone who is also on the brink.

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Book SynopsisThe latest instalment from the beloved THE NO. 1 LADIES'' DETECTIVE AGENCY seriesCatch up on the latest from Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi and other favourites in this new instalment of Alexander McCall Smith''s The No. 1 Ladies'' Detective Agency series.As the temperature rises in Gaborone, Precious Ramotswe, founder of the No. 1 Ladies'' Detective Agency, wonders whether the heat could be the reason that business is particularly slow. Luckily, a slower pace in life is her natural preference, unlike her colleague Mma Makutsi, who is alert to every passing observation and inclined to making snap decisions. With fewer cases to handle, Precious has time to contemplate her new neighbours, a couple who, by the sounds of it, have a rather volatile relationship . . .But then a distant cousin of Mma Ramotswe''s comes to the agency with a plea for help, and the ladies decide to pursue the issue together. Armed with Mma Ramotswe''s circuTrade ReviewBlake may have been able to see the world in a grain of sand, but McCall Smith can encapsulate the human condition in a plate of stewed pumpkin. His talent is to see the god in small things * Sunday Times Scotland *Nothing will dim the charm of McCall Smith's series, with its portraits of goodness, its sorrow over greed and its profound love of Africa. They are among the greatest comfort-reads of all time, written in plain, elegant prose * Sunday Times *The hypnotic ease of McCall Smith's style makes everything clear almost instantly . . . Throughout the Botswana landscape is richly evoked. Happiness and quiet wisdom prevail * Daily Telegraph *Everything about [McCall Smith] is appealing. He's just full of delight - it just bubbles out of him * Sunday Herald *

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Book SynopsisFrom the Booker-shortlisted author of Narcopolis, in prose of extraordinary power, a novel about the women whose roles were suppressed, reduced or erased in the Gospels.''Dazzling, smouldering . . . It is literally a tale that''s waited a thousand years to be told.'' MARLON JAMES, WINNER OF THE 2015 MAN BOOKER PRIZENames of the Women begins with Christ on the cross addressing Mary of Magdala, asking her to bear witness to his death. As the novel unfolds, it tells the stories of fifteen women whose lives overlapped with the life of Christ. Lydia and Assia, Martha and Mary of Bethany, Junia the Widow of Jerusalem, Susanna the Barren, Ariamma the Canaanite, and others whose names have been spoken only in passing or not at all. Women who stayed with Christ through the crucifixion, when his disciples had abandoned him, and who spread his radical message - one that made them equals and a profound threat to power within the church.Together, the

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2023SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2023AN OBSERVER BEST DEBUT NOVEL OF THE YEARIt’s time to dance, to love, to be free…‘Mesmerising’ BERNARDINE EVARISTO, author of Girl, Woman, Other‘Fabulous’ MAGGIE O'FARRELL, author of Hamnet‘Beautiful’ CALEB AZUMAH NELSON, author of Open WaterYamaye lives for the weekend, when she can go raving with her friends at The Crypt, an underground club on the outskirts of London. Then everything changes. Yamaye meets Moose, who she falls deeply in love with, and who offers her the chance of freedom and escape.After their relationship is brutally cut short, Yamaye goes on a dramatic journey of transformation that leads her to Jamaica, where past and present collide with explosive consequences.***A SUNDAY TIMES BEST NOVEL AND GUARDIAN BEST FICTION BOOK OF 2023***‘A wonderfully literary, musical and original novel about a culture and era that rarely makes the pages of fiction’ TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT‘Scorching… We follow Yamaye through love, loss and peril, as she chases her dreams and connects with her heritage’ GUARDIAN‘Ambitious, atmospheric… A novel of passion and anger’ SUNDAY TIMES‘A rich and rhythmic story about love and music’ ITrade ReviewRemarkable... In terms of sheer lyrical force it stands head and shoulders above most debuts * Daily Telegraph *I was blown away by Fire Rush - an exceptional and stunningly original novel by a major new writer... Her mesmerising, imaginative and incantatory writing leaves us swaying to the bass of the visceral rhythms she so powerfully describes. By the end of the novel, I felt charged and changed and already longed to reread it -- Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize-winning author of GIRL, WOMAN, OTHERFew have channelled so well the skittering beats and transcendent air of dub music as Crooks does in her semi-autobiographical debut... Startlingly vivid reading * Daily Telegraph, *Summer Reads of 2023* *A heady swirl of a novel that pulls the reader in from the first page... A fabulous, absorbing read -- Maggie O'Farrell, author of THE MARRIAGE PORTRAITA window into the dub scene at the time, with rhythmic, lyrical writing and a story about raving, love and the impact of police violence... Both a page turner and a literary novel... Truly remarkable * Vogue *A hypnotic journey into the dub reggae scene * Guardian, *Books of the Year* *This beautiful, sprawling narrative is wrought with an incredible precision and a musicality which carries every sentence. Crooks' novel haunts but make space for hope as well -- Caleb Azumah Nelson, author of OPEN WATERA colourful, immersive debut... Throughout, a passion and anger resound as we gain a glimpse into a rarely observed British subculture * Sunday Times, *Summer Reads of 2023* *A brilliant, exuberant novel. Full of beauty, musicality and feminist power -- Irenosen Okojie, author of NUDIBRANCHA scorching, lyrical debut, soaked in dub reggae * Guardian, *Summer Reads of 2023* *

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Book SynopsisClover Brooks has forgotten how to live. It might be because she spends her time caring for people in their final days, working as a death doula in New York City.Or it might be because she has a regret of her own - one she can''t bring herself to let go of.But then she meets Claudia: a feisty old woman who has one last wish . . .As Clover begins a new adventure, will she remember how to live her own big, beautiful life?A big-hearted story about figuring out what you want from life - and then finding the courage to go after it. Perfect for fans of Sally Page, Ruth Hogan and Clare Pooley.-----Readers are loving The Collected Regrets of Clover ... ''A beautiful, uplifting novel about unexpected friendship, a decades-old love story, and finding the courage to live your best life'' LUCY DIAMOND''I fell in love with Clover, longed for her world to open up and cheered when she finally realised that comfort zones are designed to be stepped out of'' JILL MANSELL''Charming, delightful and quietly powerful . . . this will warm your heart and change your life'' VERONICA HENRY''Beautiful, poignant and the literary antidote to when life feels a little stationary'' JESSICA GEORGE''A tender, charming delight, perfect for anyone who loved The Authenticity Project or Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine'' KJ DELL''ANTONIA''This book will be one that I remember for a long time'' RUTH HOGAN''Warm, profound, and expertly told, The Collected Regrets of Clover explores how befriending death can help enrich our lives. This is one of those special books that will leave a handprint on your heart'' EMMA BRODIE''Heartfelt and delightful . . . You will turn the last page with a fresh zest for life and absolutely no regrets'' ANNABEL MONAGHAN''An evocative, bustling setting, an intriguing cast of characters and a brave, caring heroine make this a book to read and read again'' CELIA ANDERSON''Poignant and big-hearted, [this] is the kind of book that reminds you how to live, and is one to usher into the hands of everyone you know'' i News

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Book SynopsisSELIN IS THE LUCKIEST PERSON IN HER FAMILY:The only one who was born in America and got to go to Harvard. Now it''s her second year, 1996, and Selin knows she has to make it count. The first order of business: to figure out the meaning of everything that happened over the summer. Why did Selin''s elusive crush, Ivan, find her that job in the Hungarian countryside? What was up with all those other people in the Hungarian countryside? Why is Ivan''s ex-girlfriend now trying to get in touch with her? On the plus side, her life feels like the plot of an exciting novel. On the other hand, why do so many novels have crazy, abandoned women in them? How does one live a life as interesting as a novel-a life worthy of becoming a novel-without becoming a crazy, abandoned woman oneself?Guided by her literature syllabus and by her more worldly and confident peers, Selin reaches certain conclusions about the universal importance of parties, alcohol, and sex, and res

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Book SynopsisCan we ever be wholly free? In this book of breathtaking imaginary leaps that conjure dystopias and magical islands, Margaret Atwood holds a mirror up to our own world. The reflection we are faced with, of men and women in prisons literal and metaphorical, is frightening, but it is also a call to arms to speak and to act to preserve our freedom while we still can. And in that, there is hope.Selected from The Handmaid’s Tale and Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood.VINTAGE MINIS: GREAT MINDS. BIG IDEAS. LITTLE BOOKS.A series of short books by the world’s greatest writers on the experiences that make us human

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Book SynopsisAN EMOTIONAL AND UPLIFTING NOVEL FROM THE FRENCH MARIAN KEYES FOR FANS OF RUTH HOGAN, VERONICA HENRY AND SARAH MORGANEmma and Agathe are sisters. They grew up together yet are very different. Agathe, the youngest, messy, and ardent, has always taken up all the space in the bath, in the bedroom, and in Emma''s heart.After five years of unexplained silence, Emma arranges to meet Agathe in the family's holiday home. After their beloved grandmother passed away, the place must be emptied, and the memories revisited.The two sisters have a week to tell each other everything and make up for the time they spent apart. Will they be able to fix the past in the beauty of the summer in the Basque Country, where their childhood is knocking at the door?READER REVIEWSWonderful. Sat in bed reading ''til two o''clock last night or rather this morning!!! ?Jane (Books on the Hill)Grab this book for your next summer read! ?Dame Twich (Amazon)

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Book SynopsisWITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY RACHEL CUSKWriter, Samson Young, is staring death in the face, and not only his own. Void of ideas and on the verge of terminal decline, Samson's dash to a decaying, degenerate London has brought him through the doors of the Black Cross pub and into a murder story just waiting to be narrated. At its centre is the mesmeric, doomed Nicola Six, destined to be murdered on her 35th birthday. Around her: the disreputable men who might yet turn out to be her killer. All Samson has to do is to write Nicola's story as it happens, and savour in this one last gift that life has granted him. 'A true story, a murder story, a love story and a thriller bursting with humour, sex and often dazzling language' Independent

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Book Synopsis'Marvellous' Bridget Collins, The Sunday Times bestselling author of The BindingSometimes the greatest spectacle hides the darkest secrets . . . In an alternate London, the city's Theatre District is a walled area south of the river where an immersive production - the Show - has been running for centuries, growing ever bigger, more sprawling and lavish. The Show is open to anyone who can afford a ticket but the District itself is a closed world; even the police have no jurisdiction within its walls.Juliet's mother died when she was a baby. Brought up by her emotionally distant father and even more distant stepmother, she has never felt wanted. It's only when her father passes away that Juliet - now nineteen - learns her birth was registered in the District. Desperate to belong somewhere at last, she travels to London where she hopes to unearth the truth about her identity, her mother's death and her

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Book SynopsisLiverpool 1981. As the city burns during inner city riots, Paul meets two people who will change his life: Nadezhda, an elusive poet who has fallen out of fashion; and her daughter Sarah, with whom he shares an instant connection. As the summer reaches its climax his feelings for both are tested amidst secrets, lies and the unravelling of Nadezhda's past. It is an experience that will define the rest of his life. The Outsiders moves from early-80s Liverpool, via Nadezhda's clandestine background in war-torn Europe, through to the present day, taking in the global and local events that shape all three characters. In a powerful story of hidden histories, lost loves and painful truths ambitiously told against the backdrop of Liverpool's fall and rise, James Corbett's enthralling debut novel explores the complexities of human history and how individual perspectives of the past shape everyone's present.Trade Review'A gripping debut novel with surprising twists that is part love story, part mystery and part love letter to a city, and also asks profound questions about the very nature of identity'. Nick Harris, Mail on Sunday. 'An evocative paean to a city and its people. A fantastically crafted debut'. James Montague, author of 1312: Among the Ultras. 'It's a page-turner with a tremendous character at its heart. Skilful weaving of fact and fiction, and impressive scope and scale'. David Bevan, author of The Unbelievables. 'The Outsiders is so good. Utterly love it. Can't recommend highly enough'. Damon Minchella. 'A novel full of intrigue, where the past is weaved with the present, forms the basis to this superb debut. Liverpool - its history, culture and atmosphere - shines brightly within the pages. This has leapt into my list of favourite reads'. Buzz Magazine. 'It's fabulous. A great read and a great story, by one of our own'. Sean Styles, BBC Radio Merseyside

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Book SynopsisA listless aristocrat, Lord Jones, finds himself in London during the Blitz, attending to insurance matters. A zebra and her foal, having escaped from the London Zoo during a bombing, cross his path, and he decides to take them back to his estate in Pembrokeshire. Little loved by his fascist-sympathiser parents, something in Lord Jones softens, and he realises he is lost, just like these zebras. The arrival of the zebras sparks a new lease of life on the Pembrokeshire estate, and it is not only Lord Jones but the families his dynasty has displaced that benefit from the transformation. Full of heart and mischief, The Zebra and Lord Jones is a hopeful exploration of class, wealth and privilege, grief, colonialism, the landscape, the wars that men make, the families we find for ourselves, and why one lonely man stole a zebra in September 1940 - or perhaps why she stole him.Trade Review'I loved The Zebra and Lord Jones - it's quirky, touching, original and heartfelt; a real breath of fresh air in the publishing landscape.' (Joanne Harris) 'The pages of Saving Lucia are so joyous and full of life that they seem about to flap away.' (Andrew Gallix, Irish Times)

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Book Synopsis'An engaging clever read' The TimesA thrilling new novel of conspiracy, intrigue and rapier-sharp wit starring William ShakespeareVenice, 1586. William Shakespeare is disguised as a steward to the English Ambassador. He and his friends Oldcastle and Hemminges possess a deadly secret: the names of the catholic spies in England who seek to destroy Queen Elizabeth. Before long the Pope's agents will begin to close in on them and fleeing the city will be the players' only option.In Verona, Aemelia, the daughter of a Duke, is struggling to conceal her passionate affair with her cousin Valentine. But darker times lie ahead with the arrival of the sinister Father Thornhill who is determined to seek out any who don't conform to the Pope's ruthless agenda . . .Events will converge in the forests around Verona as a multitude of plots are hatched and discovered, players fall in and out of love and disguises are adopted and then discarded. Will Shakespeare and his friends escape with their secrets - and their lives?Bursting with breathless action, swaggering charm and rapier-sharp dialogue, The Assassin of Verona is the gripping new novel from the acclaimed author of The Spy of Venice. Praise for Benet Brandreth"Playful and inventive . . . The dialogue is wonderful, and Will's banter with his fellow actors sparkles." Antonia Senior"Entertaining and ebullient . . . The author knows his Shakespeare backwards (the Venice setting has been carefully chosen), rejoices in its wordplay, loves his allusions and has a good time with his characters. So did I." Elizabeth Buchan, Daily Mail"A Venetian romp" Telegraph'Strong, well fleshed-out and colourful characters, a fast-moving and interesting plot and some good set-piece scenes, plus Brandreth's stylish writing, which rejoices in its wordplay and his love of allusions, will keep you guessing to the dramatic, blood-soaked end...a unique and compelling thriller' Crime ReviewTrade Review...the chief pleasure here is in the way Brandreth - who works with the Royal Shakespeare Company as an authority on Shakespeare - honours the spirit of the period's language with a richly baroque hybrid style that is, almost inevitably, littered with references and allusions to the plays William Shakespeare will eventually settle down to write. * The Irish Times, Best of New Crime *There are twists, disguises, pledges to bloody vengeance and plenty of fair Shakespearing: "You may play the knight, but you will never play a mouse." Brandreth keeps the pace high and an eyebrow nicely arched * South China Morning Post *Brandreth's style of writing draws you into the world of intrigue and conspiracy he has so wonderfully crafted immediately which sets the tone of the book very nicely. His extensive knowledge of Shakespeare and in particular his language flows beautifully onto the page creating the perfect atmosphere all the way through. Even his characters have a satisfying roundness to them - you can easily picture all of these characters in a Shakespeare play. Not only is Brandreth's knowledge of Shakespeare extensive, but also his unique approach to creating a story about the great man is one to be admired * Chris High *This book will surely be a delight to readers on every level; Shakespeare buffs, lovers of literature, but perhaps most of all those who simply enjoy really exciting and well-plotted historical thrillers... I really didn't want to finish it and am very glad Benet Brandreth has left himself an opportunity to continue Shakespeare's Venetian adventures a while longer * SHOTS magazine *I absolutely adored the book! Shakespeare is represented so roguishly and charming and I instantly fell in love with his character. A wonderful and thrilling adventure with lots of rogues and sass. Highly recommended * Noonlight Reader *The Assassin of Verona has all the linguistic vigour of its predecessor... an engaging, clever read * The Times *Brandreth packs this sparkling, all-action adventure with those essential Shakespearean ingredients - romance, tragedy, history, comedy - served up with a liberal sprinkling of tantalising references to the plays and poems, and lashings of the great man's wit....Written with the passion, the knowledge and the razor-sharp use of language that are fast becoming Brandreth's hallmarks, this is an exciting and entertaining reimagining of both Shakespeare and his world * Lancashire Evening Post *The Assassin of Veronais a novel that is full of wit and charm. It's quite clear that the author has a love for all things Shakespeare, with his enthusiasm for the subject evident in every word, every page. Yes there is a certain type of language used throughout, but it is written in a very accessible fashion, making this book a very engaging and appealing read for all. The Assassin of Veronais a novel of pure escapism. So with that in mind grab your sword, throw off your cape - an exciting adventure awaits!! * Swirl and Thread *a unique and compelling thriller, full of a swaggering charm, some breathless action and rapier-sharp dialogue... Strong, well fleshed-out and colourful characters, a fast-moving and interesting plot and some good set-piece scenes, plus Brandreth's stylish writing, which rejoices in its wordplay and his love of allusions, will keep you guessing to the dramatic, blood-soaked end...there are many engaging moments, lovely descriptions and nice touches of narrative technique to keep everyone entertained. * Crime Review *A wonderful novel: enjoyable characters, exciting, funny, startling and ultimately, thought-provoking. Highly recommended. * Historical Novel Society *A swashbuckling adventure... a page-turner and very funny * The i newspaper *

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Book SynopsisThe countdown to the millennium has begun, and people are losing their heads. A so-called Y2K expert gives a presentation to Scotland's eccentric Tech Laird T.S. Mole's entourage in Edinburgh, and soon long hours, days, weeks and months fill with seemingly chaotic and frantic work on the 'bug problem'. Soon enough it'll be just minutes and seconds to go to midnight. Is the world about to end, or will everyone just wake up the next day with the same old New Year's Day hangover? A book about what we know and don't know, about how we communicate and fail to, My Book of Revelations moves from historical revelations to the personal, and climaxes in the bang and flare of fireworks, exploding myths and offering a glimpse of a scandal that will rock Scotland into the twenty-first century. As embers fall silently to earth, all that is left to say is: Are we working in the early days of a better nation?Trade Review'This novel is driven by an inexhaustible stream of imagination and Hood’s fearless desire to leave narrative conventions behind and fly unfettered into a realm of pure ideas. There are definite echoes of Lanark… and a sense that the Glasgow-born Hood is joining in, and extending, a conversation that’s been going on in the more adventurous Scots literature for the past century.' — Alastair Mabbott, The Herald

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Book SynopsisIf you had the power to change the past. . . where would you start? Cassie has never really fitted in. She remembers everything. Understands nothing. And consistently says the wrong thing.So when she gets dumped, fired AND her local café runs out of banana muffins - all in one day - it feels like the end of the world.But then Cassie discovers she has the power to go back and change things.With endless chances to get it right, can she stop it all from going wrong?As featured on Woman''s Hour, BBC Radio 2 Book Club, The Times & Daily Mail_________________________''A time-twisting delight'' REESE WITHERSPOON''Utterly brilliant!'' ZOE BALL''Everyone should read it and everyone will love it'' LINDSEY KELK''Totally absorbing'' GRAEME SIMSION''Sharp, funny, quirky, insightful and so very, very relatable'' JOANNE HARRIS''Hilarious and heartwarming'' WOMAN''S

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Book Synopsis__________________________________'A remarkable novel, elegant, wise, and beautifully constructed.' Roddy DoyleTommy Mays, Titan Records' biggest act, is verging on a mid-life crisis; learning the hard way that a life of fame and fortune comes at a price. But things are looking up for his support band, The Burn, which could be a career-changer for Theo, Titan's young A&R executive. Meanwhile, secretary Cynthia has her eyes on Titan's latest rising star, singer-songwriter Lenore Lamont. But with a billboard in Times Square, is Lenore starting to feel the pressure?Set in the sleek offices, high-tech recording studios and hip downtown clubs of New York, The Words of Every Song depicts the realities of making it in an industry where glamour and fame can often conceal the harsh realities for those hoping to hit the big-time.Trade ReviewThis is a remarkable novel, elegant, wise, and beautifully constructed. I loved the book, and admired the work and spark that went into it.Impressive ... Moore crafts a clever cycle of interconnected short stories about players in New York City's music industry. * People *The kind of book you want to read twice. The first time you read it for the well-told story, the second time for another look at the inventive way [Moore] tells it. * Boston Now *Imagine having happened upon Dylan singing in Harvard Square, or having caught one of Joni Mitchell's early shows at an empty club. This is how I felt reading Liz Moore's lyrical and powerful debut novel, like I was witnessing a timeless artist on the verge of transcendence. The Words of Every Song is a virtuoso performance. These beautifully rendered characters are melodies that echo in your head, chords that reverberate in your heart, and, long after you've turned the last page, you can still hear the audience calling for an encore.Sweet, wistful, artfully arranged: like the best mix tape anyone ever made for you. * Kirkus starred review *

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Book Synopsis''Profound . . . Faulks evokes a deep compassion'' OBSERVER''Does what a good novel should - it unsettles, it moves, and it forces us to question who we are'' SUNDAY TIMES''A delight . . . moving and exciting'' DAILY TELEGRAPH Five lives overlap across two centuries. School teacher Geoffrey's war takes him to the brink of sanity; Billy's fortitude lifts him from the Victorian slums in London; Elena and Jeanne interrogate the notion of the soul, from opposite points of view, a century apart. And for Anya, a young American singer-songwriter, only her producer Jack can understand the depths of their bond as art and life collide.In a symphony of fiction, A Possible Life defies the boundaries of the novel, to explore the deepest questions of how we are connected to one another.''A Possible Life is more than the sum of its parts . . . the stories acquire power as resonances between them accrete. Only at the e

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Book SynopsisFinalist for the Lambda Literary Award, 2019Finalist for the Publishing Triangle Award, 2019 A New Yorker Book of the Year, 2018 A Huffington Post Book of the Year, 2018 A Buzzfeed Book of the Year, 2018 'Quite simply extraordinary... Imagine if Maggie Nelson, Daphne du Maurier and Daniel Defoe collaborated.' Sarah Perry, author of The Essex SerpentJack Sheppard - a transgender carpenter's apprentice - has fled his master's house to become a notorious prison break artist, and Bess Khan has escaped the draining of the fenlands to become a revolutionary mastermind. Together, they find themselves at the center of a web of corruption leading back to the dreaded Thief-Catcher General ... ...Or so we are told in a mysterious manuscript unearthed by one Professor R. Voth. Voth traces the origins and authenticity of the manuscript as Jack and Bess trace the connections between the bowels of Newgate Prison and the dissection chambers of the Royal College, in a bawdy collision of a novel about gender, love, and liberation.SHORTLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZETrade ReviewQuite simply extraordinary... Imagine if Maggie Nelson, Daphne du Maurier and Daniel Defoe collaborated. * Sarah Perry, author of 'The Essex Serpent' *Jordy Rosenberg is a total original - part scamp, part genius - who has written a rollicking page-turner of a first novel. Hang on for the ride. * Maggie Nelson, author of 'The Argonauts' *An extraordinary and brilliant work... At once a queer love story, a history of horrors, and a thrilling page-turner. * China Miéville, author of 'The City and the City' *Confessions of the Fox is so goddamned good. Reading it was like an out-of-body experience. I want to run through the streets screaming about it. It should be in the personal canon of every queer and non-cis person. Read it. * Carmen Maria Machado, author of 'Her Body and Other Parties' *A cunning metafiction... An action-adventure tale with postmodern flourishes; an academic comedy spliced with period erotica; an intimate meditation on belonging that doubles as a political proof. * New Yorker *Hot damn! Jordy Rosenberg is one of the finest new talents I've seen in many years, and Confessions of the Fox is a startlingly good debut novel. * Victor LaValle, author of 'The Changeling' *An astonishing, bawdy, dazzling triumph of a book. * Kelly Link, author of 'Get in Trouble' *A bawdy, ticklish, witty book * Guardian *A genre-bending, high-octane thrill from beginning to end... I couldn't put it down. * Lidia Yuknavitch, author of 'Book of Joan' *This novel is fantastically engaged with the dark, the smelly, the wild and the cool. * Eileen Myles, author of 'Chelsea Girls' *An intellectual thrill-ride, a queer historical romance, and the sexiest book I've read in a long, long time. It is everything I want in a novel and maybe out of life itself. * Melissa Febos, author of 'Whip Smart' *Beauty and violence go together; and what it is to live and practice that entanglement, under the duress of the cops in our streets and in our heads, is what Confessions of the Fox shows with lively, sexy brilliance. * Fred Moten, author of 'Black and Blur' *This story is charming and the characters endearing from start to finish. Fascinating and above all magical. * Yas Necati, Independent *A revelation: a book that allows queer and trans characters - and readers - to experience something new. * Time *Debut novelist Jordy Rosenberg hits the ground with confidence and verve... Rosenberg has established himself here as an important new voice. * The Observer *Brilliant... Rosenberg's novel wants us to think about the possibilities of coalition, the possibilities of a collective becoming. * Paris Review *Looking to get lost in a big, juicy historical novel? Look no further. Jordy Rosenberg's debut tracks the Bonnie and Clyde of 18th-century London and the academic who's obsessed with reading and heavily annotating an account of their lives... A delight. * Vulture *A mind-bending romp through a gender-fluid, 18th-century London, Rosenberg's debut novel is a joyous mash-up of literary genres shot through with queer theory and awash in sex, crime and revolution. * New York Times Book Review, Editor's Choice * An epic queer love story... A singular, daring, and thrilling novel: political, sexy, and cunning as a fox. * Kirkus (starred review) *Resonant of George Saunders, of Nikolai Gogol, and of nothing that's ever been written before, professor of literature and queer/trans theory Rosenberg's debut is a triumph. * Booklist Online *Astonishing and mesmerizing * Publishers Weekly *At once a glee-inducing caper, a touching love story and a deadly serious critique of colonialism and the prison-industrial complex. The result is a richly allusive and emotionally profound. * Brixton Review *It's hot as fuck, said the friend who handed me Confessions of the Fox, a faux-memoir set in eighteenth-century London. I was a little sceptical. After all, this was Jordy Rosenberg's first novel. A queer theorist and historian of this period, he has re-written an eighteenth-century life from a trans perspective - a fool's errand, murmured the cynic in me, to claim a world dominated by heteropatriarchy. Yet I found that as well as being hot as fuck, it was also something of a masterpiece. * White Review *

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Book Synopsis''Beautiful prose, even-handed magic and all the pains and triumphs of intergenerational bonds'' KILEY REID, author of Such A Fun Age and Come and Get It ''Undeniably beautiful'' Sunday Times Flor has a gift: she can predict, to the day, when someone will die. So when she decides to throw her own living wake, her sisters are concerned. What has she foreseen?Planning the celebration brings further complications for the Marte family, because Flor isn''t the only person with secrets: her sisters are hiding things, too. And the next generation, cousins Ona and Yadi, face tumult of their own.Family Lore traces the intertwining stories of five women: sisters and cousins, mothers and daughters, aunts and nieces, to ask the ultimate question - what does it take to live a good life, for yourself and those you love?

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Book SynopsisA FINANCIAL TIMES BEST NEW DEBUT Olga Pavic''s house has been requisitioned.The council will bulldoze it.Her home will become a monument to a massacre.But Olga cannot ascertain which massacre. Three different architects visit, each with a proposal to construct a different monument, to memorialise a different horror.Olga can''t allow them to unearth the secrets held in this space, not until she reunites with her children for a final dinner. Her aspirational, distant daughter, Hilde, and her secretly queer son, Danilo, both reluctantly agree to fly back to Belgrade.Within an atmosphere of razor-sharp political surreality, Lara Haworth spins a tender, magical story of familial love and loss. Via a panoply of perspectives Monumenta compellingly and playfully explores remembrance and how tragedy can be the catalyst for remarkable transformation.

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Book SynopsisIda has a secret: she is in love with her best friend. But any time she gets close to intimacy, Ida faints or loses her voice. She needs a shrink. Or so her philandering father thinks.Immediately wise to the head games of her new shrink, Siggy, Ida - and alter-ego Dora - hatch a plan to secretly film him. But when the film goes viral, Ida finds herself targeted by unethical hackers.Dora: A Headcase is a contemporary coming-of-age story based on Freud's famous case study, retold and revamped through Dora's point-of-view. Yuknavitch's Dora is radical and unapologetic - you won't have met a character quite like her before.Trade ReviewIn Dora: A Headcase, Lidia Yuknavitch gives voice to a Freud patient who famously couldn't speak, and presents her as a radical everywoman . . . Yuknavitch possesses a great well of empathy for misfits and a great passion for radical art * * Boston Globe * *Yuknavitch has exhibited a rare gift for writing that concedes little in its quest to be authentic, meaningful and relevant -- Jeff VanderMeer * * New York Times * *In Dora, [Yuknavitch] takes the most classic model of Thera-tainment, personal-crisis-as-content and she re-imagines it wonderfully reversed. The world of Dora is not just possible, it's inevitable. It's revenge as the ultimate therapy -- CHUCK PALAHNIUKDora is too much for Sigmund Freud but she's just right for us - raunchy, sharp and so funny it hurts -- KATHERINE DUNN author of GEEK LOVEYuknavitch reimagines the girl, the woman, at the heart of Sigmund Freud's breakthrough case study and unleashes this character's fury against a backdrop of hypocritical adulthood . . . I'd like to think she wrote parts of this novel just for me, but so many readers will feel that way -- MONICA DRAKE author of CLOWN GIRLDora is unlike any girl you'd ever dare to dream up, and Yuknavitch's full-bodied style of narrative, wrought with twisted grammar and jarring language, is disordered, unapologetic, and the only thing that could bring her to life . . . Yuknavitch has steered a new giant onto a literary genre's roster of teen anti-heroes, and created ten new meanings to the word "bad-ass" -- Electric Literature[An] audacious first novel . . . Yuknavitch nails the whip-smart angst of a teenage girl trapped in a world both familiar and unique, and her ease with language makes her a prose stylist to envy * * Publishers Weekly * *There's no reason for a novel to exist unless it's dangerous, provocative and not like anything that's come before. Dora: A Headcase is that kind of novel. It's dirty, sexy, rude, smart, soulful, fresh and risky -- KAREN KARBO, author of HOW GEORGIA BECAME O'KEEFFEAn irreverent portrait of a smart seventeen year old trying to survive. It channels Sigmund Freud and his young patient Dora and is both a hilarious critique and an oddly touching homage. With an unerring ear and a very keen eye, Lidia Yuknavitch casts a very special slant of light on our centuries and our lives -- CAROLE MASO author of DEFIANCESnappy and fun. I can pretty much guarantee you haven't met a character quite l like Ida before -- BLAKE NELSON author of GIRL

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Book SynopsisNights of the Creaking Bed is full of colourful characters involved in affecting dramas: a girl who is rejected in love because she has three brothers to look after; a middle aged housewife who finds love again but has an impossible decision to make; a young man who can't get the image of his naked, beautiful mother out of his mind; a child so poor he has to hawk onions on Christmas day - and many others. Some, initially full of hope, find their lives blighted by the cruelty of others, or by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or by just not knowing the "right" people. Corruption, religious intolerance, gratuitous violence, the irresponsible attitudes of some men to their offspring and the importance of joy are some of the big themes that underlie this memorable collection.Trade Review"This is a cohesive, stylish collection, with atmospheric scenes and noir elements. Toni Kan's stories look behind shuttered window to express the unspeakable in the everyday." - Molara Wood, writer and cultural critic; “Beginning with deliberate brevity and ending on a note of lush lyricism, these fascinating vignettes of Lagos life showcase an array of peripatetic characters who are hopelessly stuck in their dilemmas.” - Sefi Atta, author of Everything Good Will Come;Table of ContentsStrangers 1 The Passion of Pololo 13 My Perfect Life 20 Broda Sonnie 35 The Harbinger 47 Nights of the Creaking Bed 56 The Echo of Silence 62 God is Listening 69 Ahmed 87 Buzz 94 Onions 107 The Devil’s Overtime 113 The Car They Borrowed 134 Sad Eyes 145 The Phone Call Goodnight 150

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Book SynopsisWhen a travelling salesman is found murdered in a basement flat, killed by a bullet from a Colt .45, the police initially suspect a member of the Allied occupation force.

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Book SynopsisA collection that shows us ourselves as we truly are***AN IRISH TIMES 2024 DEBUT WRITER TO LOOK OUT FOR***''A major new talent'' I''So precise and articulate'' SUNDAY TIMESTwo teenage girls fixated on each other''s bodies enter into a destructive competition; a woman''s encounter with her ex forces her to reflect on the women''s group that saved her; a couple''s future is called into question after the damp expert they hire for their bathroom offers them free counselling; an older man''s buried grief emerges during an altercation with a mother driving a 4×4; and over the course of a bitter winter a waitress lacks the money to fix an impacted tooth as the cracks begin to show in her precariously balanced life.Free Therapy takes us into the inner lives of women and men who are versed in the language of therapy, possessed with the self-knowledge needed to change their lives, but finding themselves unwilling to d

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Book SynopsisA Sunday Times historical fiction book of the year 'A moving study of an unlikely friendship and the healing power of the natural world'?Sunday Times 'A tender portrait of wartime youth'?Guardian_______ Frida is a twelve-year-old evacuee from the East End, sent to stay with a farming family deep in the lonely landscape of the Fens. Philip is an artist and a conscientious objector, living in a remote lighthouse on the shores of the Wash. Amid the wild beauty of the wetlands, as the world is consumed by war, they form a friendship that will change the course of both their lives.

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER REESE BOOK CLUB PICK BBC BIG JUBILEE BETWEEN THE COVERS READ'It reminds me of Where the Crawdads Sing . . . it's an amazing book' Rhys Stephenson on BBC's Between the Covers'You won't be able to put this one down!' Reese WitherspoonThey say a tiger that devours too many humans can take the form of a man and walk among us... In 1930s colonial Malaya, a dissolute British doctor receives a surprise gift of an eleven-year-old Chinese houseboy. Sent as a bequest from an old friend, young Ren has a mission: to find his dead master's severed finger and reunite it with his body. Ren has forty-nine days, or else his master's soul will roam the earth forever. Ji Lin, an apprentice dressmaker, moonlights as a dancehall girl to pay her mother's debts. One night, Ji Lin's dance partner leaves her with a gruesome souvenir that leads her on a crooked, dark trail. As time runs out for Ren's mission, a series of unexplained deaths occur amid rumours of tigers who turn into men. In their journey to keep a promise and discover the truth, Ren and Ji Lin's paths will cross in ways they will never forget.Captivating and lushly written, The Night Tiger explores the rich world of servants and masters, ancient superstition and modern ambition, sibling rivalry and unexpected love. Woven through with Chinese folklore and a tantalizing mystery, this novel is a page-turner of the highest order.'An exuberant medley of magic, romance and weirdness' The Times'[A] highly imaginative and a spellbinding read' Woman's Weekly 'I was willingly propelled into a fascinating and exotic world' Daily MailReaders love The Night Tiger'Gripping, enchanting' 5* Reader Review'Captivating from the very beginning' 5* Reader Review'Simply beautiful' 5* Reader Review'Profound' 5* Reader Review'A real feel-good and warming novel' 5* Reader ReviewTrade Review'The two main characters will captivate you as their paths are destined to cross... you won't be able to put this one down!' * Reese Witherspoon *Mazey, bewildering, and absolutely brilliant - I loved it * Natasha Pulley, author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street *An irresistible page-turner * Saga *A fascinating and exotic world where perception and truth can be interpreted in many ways * Daily Mail *The tale's various twists and beautifully written interpersonal relationships are a pleasure to read * Irish Examiner *An exuberant medley of magic, romance and weirdness * The Times *[A] highly imaginative and a spellbinding read * Woman's Weekly *Takes the reader on a vivid journey through 30s Malaysia * Independent *Takes the reader on a vivid journey through 1930s Malaysia... a beautifully written, twisty tale * Sunday Post *Choo is a thrilling writer, evoking high emotion, gripping suspense, and an exquisite sense of time and place with her lyrical, sensual writing and her powerful evocation of the soaring, sizzling landscape * Lancashire Post *Takes the reader on a vivid journey through 1930s Malaysia * Woman's Way *This coming-of-age mystery is beautifully written with lush descriptions, characters suffused with the surreal, and a multi layered plot * Historical Novel Society *[The] beautifully written interpersonal relationships are a pleasure to read... Paints a luscious view of Malaysian natural surroundings and historical culture * Press Association *Riveting . . . Mythical creatures, conversations with the dead, lucky numbers, Confucian virtues, and forbidden love provide the backdrop for Choo's superb murder mystery * Publishers Weekly *A work of incredible beauty. . . astoundingly captivating and striking in its portrayal of love, betrayal, and death, The Night Tiger is a transcendent story of courage and connection * Booklist *A sumptuous garden maze of a novel * Kirkus *Sumptuous... full of longing, the pages practically sigh as you turn each one * Oprah.com on The Ghost Bride *Beguiling * USA Today on The Ghost Bride *The lyrical prose transports the reader to a dreamlike landscape... Balancing good writing and strong attention to historical detail, the author has created something that is clever and unique * The Lady *

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Book SynopsisAn old shoe factory in a costal New England town is up for sale again. When a private equity mogul with a fondness for the factory’s shoes buys it, he sets in motion a story with profound implications for the way we live today. The people of Bealport depend on Norumbega. Their livelihoods, their self-respect and their interconnectedness are all at stake. The shadow of the factory’s fate looms over the people of the town. Idiosyncratic and humane, the cast is the kind that small communities under threat produce. Bealport is a portrait of a place, at once sympathetic, mordant, unsparing, comic, tragic and universal, and of a way of life that is passing. It is a novel of a town, and to no small degree of every town in America and beyond.Trade ReviewComprising short vignettes, the book aims to capture to character and consciousness of Bealport itself, flitting between individual lives, mock sociological overviews and the commentary of a Greek chorus of characters who meet at McDonald’s for their pre-shift breakfast. . . The portraits of the townspeople are endearing, drawn in well-chosen, economical details . . . The story is tightly and neatly constructed, and the hermetic nature of Bealport––where people live for the demolition derby, snowmobiling playoffs, the annual seaside picnic and the dignity of a day’s work––is deeply appealing, drenched in sympathetic nostalgia, folksy charm and pithy one-liners. Times Literary Supplement; “[Jeffrey Lewis's] prose is fluent and beautiful, with a light, witty touch and he can evoke a character in just few lines. . .a hugely satisfying read.” Times Literary Supplement; "Lewis has created a rich tapestry of life. In lean, poetically precise prose he lays bare the realities of a town in decline and reveals the fears, secrets and aspirations that animate ordinary lives. This highly accomplished short novel is a moving and humane portrait of small town contemporary America, a vision of Trump’s Republic in miniature.” Daily Mail on Sunday; Jeffrey Lewis... proves that you can wrest compelling, strange, funny, and surprising character-driven fiction out of town-crushing industrial demise. He is, without question, the most recent writer to do it well. New York Journal of Books; "Bealport is a tight, successful novel; Lewis is a master of literary economy. This is as good a book about a small town as you are likely to read. Bealport provides proof, if any were needed, that small towns can experience big heartaches.” Yale Alumni Magazine; "A fascinating story about a small town facing economic ruin and an uncertain future. . . . Lewis's fiction is just as sharp, edgy and fast-moving as a cop drama. Bealport is tragic and funny, poignant and inspiring, as resilient, hardworking people demonstrate pride and hope in the face of economic disaster." Centralmaine.com; `Though Lewis’s tone is measured, plenty of righteous anger lies just below the surface. It’s the little details that make this novel sing, however – and it’s what makes its conclusion that much more crushing, however inevitable.’Tobias Carroll, Portland Press Herald.

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Book SynopsisA Western coming-of-age-novel

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Book Synopsis**THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**''Written with such love and heart. Sarah has done an exceptional job of marrying her trademark comedy with deep and raw emotion. I loved it!'' GIOVANNA FLETCHER''A glorious novel about family, grief, changing expectations and, ultimately, love.'' The SunBeth has never stuck at anything.She''s quit more jobs and relationships than she can remember and she still sleeps in her childhood bedroom. It''s not that she hasn''t tried to grow up, it''s just that so far, the only commitment she''s held down is Friday drinks at the village pub. Then, in the space of a morning, her world changes. An unspeakable tragedy turns Beth''s life upside down, and she finds herself guardian to her teenage niece and toddler nephew, catapulted into an unfamiliar world of bedtime stories, parents'' evenings and cuddly elephants. Having never been responsible for anyone - o

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Book Synopsis'Nightshade is a glorious novel... full of twisted sexuality, art and power' ObserverFamily life. Reputation. They took a lifetime to build and a second to wreck. Eve Laing, once the muse of an infamous painter, is now - forty years later - an artist herself. But she has sacrificed her career for her family and she resents the global success of her old college roommate. When Eve embarks on her most ambitious work yet, she takes a wrecking ball to her comfortable life, jettisoning her marriage for a beautiful young lover, a drifter half her age, who seems to share her single-minded creative vision. This brilliant and timely novel explores sexual politics and asks if the true artist must relinquish the ordinary human need for love and connection. Can the creative urge be the most destructive - even deadliest - impulse of all?'Brilliant and biting' Financial Times

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Book Synopsis“AN INCENDIARY PORTRAIT OF THE VOLCANIC CURRENTS OF SEX AND BETRAYAL.”—Mail on Sunday THE INTERNATIONAL No. 1 BESTSELLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF MY BRILLIANT FRIEND A BBC2 Between The Covers Book Club Pick BRITISH BOOK AWARDS 2021 – SHORTLISTED FOR FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR Soon to be a NETFLIX original series 18M OF ELENA FERRANTE'S BOOKS SLOD WORLDWIDE Giovanna’s pretty face has changed: it’s turning into the face of an ugly, spiteful adolescent. But is she seeing things as they really are? Where must she look to find her true reflection and a life she can claim as her own? Giovanna’s search leads her to two kindred cities that fear and detest one another: the Naples of the heights, which assumes a mask of refinement, and the Naples of the depths, a place of excess and vulgarity. Adrift, she vacillates between these two cities, falling into one then climbing back to the other. Set in a divided Naples, The Lying Life of Adults is a singular portrayal of the transition from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER “This is no amiable coming-of-age tale… the most intense writing about the experiences and interior life of a girl on the cusp of adulthood that I have ever read. It is brilliant.”—The Financial Times “An astonishing, deeply moving tale.”—The Guardian “Ferrante confronts female sexual awakening with such an absence of romantic enchantment it leaves you gasping.”—The Daily Mail WHAT READERS ARE SAYING: “Brilliant as always.”—Jan on Amazon “A tightly crafted and gripping story.”—Maxwell on Goodreads “Excellent book. My only complaint was that it ended too soon!”—Mhairi on Amazon “I woke up eagerly looking forward to reading more of this novel every single day.”—Violet on Goodreads “Fans of Elena Ferrante will not be disappointed.”—Lesley on AmazonTrade Review"Modern, urgent, truthful." -- Lucy Hughes-Hallett * The Telegraph *"Elena Ferrante is an expert chronicler of adolescence and its many indignities, as well as its erratic, overwhelming passions." * The Observer *"Ferrante is unbeatable at pulling you inside the mind of a teenage girl, making you see how everything that looks irrational from the outside - the moods, the silences, the jealousy, tears, fears and resentments - are utterly logical and reasonable." * The Times *“Layer by layer, piece by piece, with her customary deftness, Ferrante builds up her story, introducing new characters and bits of information, as Giovanna’s once safe and sane world becomes ever more slippery…. Ferrante has a voice very much her own.” * The TLS *“The most intense writing about the experiences and interior life of a girl on the cusp of adulthood that I have ever read.” -- Isabel Berwick“Exquisitely moody.” -- Merve Emre * The Atlantic *“Elena Ferrante is so good.… an astonishing, deeply moving tale of the sorts of wisdom, beauty and knowledge that remain as unruly as the determinedly inharmonious faces of these women.” -- Lara Feigel * The Guardian *“Ferrante’s page-turner talent for suspenseful storytelling and scenes teeming with vivid characters finds terrific scope … From this gorgeous and squalid two-tier city that haunts her imagination comes another compulsive novel.” -- Peter Kemp * The Sunday Times *“The accurate and evocative depiction of adolescence is also a significant factor in the fierce devotion inspired by the works of the Italian writer Elena Ferrante … Ann Goldstein, who has translated all of Ferrante’s works into English, does so again here with precision and poise.” -- Miranda Collinge * Esquire *“An incendiary portrait of the volcanic currents of sex and betrayal rumbling away beneath polite society.” -- Anthony Cummins * The Mail on Sunday *“Ferrante is a hypnotist.” -- Frances Wilson * The Spectator *“Compulsive.” -- Alex O'Donnell * The Times *“Ferrante is finally back. Her new novel, the first since her blockbusting Neapolitan Quartet finished, takes us back to Naples.” * The Times *“The Lying Life of Adults simply enriches a magnificent canon which began with Troubling Love nearly 30 years ago. There’s not a weak page, let alone a weak novel, among the eight to date.” -- David Nice * The Arts Desk *"The Lying Life of Adults has the magnitude of great literature - from Balzac to Stendhal to the always beloved Proust. It is a necessary book." * Il Manifesto *“A must for Ferrante fans.” * The Times *

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Book SynopsisA wickedly observed novel about falling in love at the end of your life, by the Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Finkler Question. *SHORTLISTED FOR THE WINGATE LITERARY PRIZE 2020*At the age of ninety-something, Beryl Dusinbery is forgetting everything - including her own children.

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Book SynopsisThe debut novel from the author of My Brilliant Friend in a brand-new edition Following her mother’s untimely death, Delia sets off on a breath-taking odyssey through the chaotic, suffocating streets of her native Naples in search of the truth about her family. Reality is buried in the fertile soil of memory, and Delia digs deep to reconcile the past with the mysterious events leading up to her mother’s death. Spurred by a series of anonymous phone calls, Delia reconstructs her mother’s final days and with every new discovery must face the possibility that her mother was not at all the person Delia believed her to be. To learn the truth and to untangle the knot of lies, passions and memories that bind mother and daughter, Delia must return to the Naples of her childhood.Trade Review“Elena Ferrante has established herself as the foremost writer in Italy - and the world.” * The Sunday Times *“Ferrante’s polished language belies the rawness of her imagery, which conveys perversity, violence, and bodily functions in ripe detail.” * The New Yorker *

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Book SynopsisMagic is forbidden in Myrsina, along with various other abominations, such as girls doing maths. This is bad news for Gretel Mudd, who doesn’t perform magic, but does know a lot of maths. When the sinister masked Huntsmen accuse Gretel of witchcraft, she is forced to flee into the neighbouring Darkwood, where witches and monsters dwell. There, she happens upon Buttercup, a witch who can’t help turning things into gingerbread, Jack Trott, who can make plants grow at will, the White Knight with her band of dwarves and a talking spider called Trevor. These aren’t the terrifying villains she’s been warned about all her life. They’re actually quite nice. Well… most of them. With the Huntsmen on the warpath, Gretel must act fast to save both the Darkwood and her home village, while unravelling the rhetoric and lies that have demonised magical beings for far too long. Take a journey into the Darkwood in this modern fairy tale that will bewitch adults and younger readers alike. Trade Review'Gabby is one of the funniest writers I know' Sarah Millican‘Very funny. If you like Terry Pratchett, or think gothic fairy tales should have more LOLs, ’tis the book for ye’ Greg Jenner'I have read this and it is great. Pratchetty fun for all the family' Lucy Porter'Magical, surprising and funny’ Jan Ravens

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Book Synopsis'Sometimes characters are so lively and entertaining, you don't want to say goodbye to them ... A stunning feat of storytelling in itself' Suzy Feay, Financial Times Growing up in Brooklyn with their Caribbean parents, Zora and Sasha Porter's days were enchanted by stories from the islands - the mischievous spider Anansi both seductive and vengeful; the flame-breathing Rolling Calf who haunts butchers; and ocean-dwelling Mama Dglo, said to be half snake, half human. Now they are teenagers, and life at home has become unbearable. Their parents' tempestuous relationship has fallen apart, their mother Beatrice desperately ill, their father Nigel living with another woman. While an unsettled Zora escapes into her journal, dreaming of being a writer, Sasha discovers sex and chest binding, spending more time with her new girlfriend than at home. But they can't hide forever. The Anansi Stories that captivated them as children begin to creep into the present, revealing truths about the Porter family's past they must all face up to. The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts is an extraordinary debut novel, a celebration of the power of stories that asks - what happens when ours are erased? Do we disappear? Or do we come back haunting? A Today Show Most Anticipated Book of 2023 An Electric Literature Recommendation for 2023 A Goodreads Buzziest Debut of 2023Trade ReviewSometimes characters are so lively and entertaining, you don't want to say goodbye to them. In wild, firecracker prose, Palmer whirls the reader into a realm where the real and unreal are constantly changing places. It's a stunning feat of storytelling in itself. -- Suzi Feay * Financial Times *A beautiful ode to the power of storytelling, this novel is steeped in the folklore of the Caribbean and weaves a powerful narrative of identity, trauma, resilience and hope. Palmer's dynamic and sometimes playful prose had me hooked from the beginning and each character was rounded, nuanced and will stay with me long after reading -- Eleanor Shearer, author of River Sing Me HomeAn all-consuming novel about sisterhood, motherhood, belonging, loss, and self-discovery. Soraya Palmer's characters are unparalleled and her prose is musical. Read this novel with a sibling, a cousin, or a very close friend -- De'Shawn Winslow, author of In the West Mills and winner of Center for Fiction's First Novel PrizeA brilliant, compelling exploration of familial legacies. A mythic and edifying read -- Irenosen Okojie, author of Speak GigantularAt once mischievous and warm, Soraya Palmer's voice will bewitch you from the very first page, leading you through the complexities of sisterhood and motherhood, belonging and loss -- Mina Seçkin, author of The Four HumorsThe Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts envisions family as always in motion, careening through history, connection, attachment, discovery and warmth, with all the pain, loss, and even violence that might include. Expertly paced, deeply imagined, by turns playful and heartbreaking, I love the way this novel understands that sometimes nothing will sustain us except the right story that is truer than true -- Madeline ffitch, author of Stay and FightPlayful and deft -- Daphne Palasi Andreades, author of Brown GirlsPalmer weaves folktales and magical realism in her moving debut ... Palmer brings whimsy to her portrayal of the family even in painful moments-such as when Beatrice tells the girls fables to cheer them up-and nuance to the evolving attitudes of the Black American and Caribbean people in Sasha's orbit toward her exploration of sexuality and gender identity. This will stick with readers -- Publisher's WeeklyVivid and otherworldly, this masterfully told novel brings together many threads of family history, personal memory, collective choices, sexuality, and a realm of mysteries and mythic creatures with deep origins and powers . . . A striking and imaginative debut -- Booklist

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Book SynopsisAn elegant, atmospheric, emotional coming-of-age novel with themes of generational trauma, sexual identity and coping with mental illness at its heart, as well as the silence of women drowning in plain view in their daily lives.'The Polite Act of Drowning is a beautiful and captivating novel, lyrical and sensuous, a precise and faithful evocation of the tumult and trauma of family life, and of emergence into adulthood, and the confrontation of truths about ourselves and the people we love' - Donal RyanMichigan, 1985.The drowning of a teenage girl causes ripples in the small town of Kettle Lake, though for most the waters settle quickly. For sixteen year old Joanne Kennedy, however, the tragedy dredges up untold secrets and causes her mother to drift farther from reality and her family.When troubled newcomer Lucinda arrives in town, she offers Joanne a chance of real friendship, and together the teenagers push against the b

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Book SynopsisIntense, intricate and packed with intrigue...a thrilling and addictive read.' B.A. ParisIt seems too good to be trueWhen struggling writer Sebastian finds a room to let in a palatial Hampstead residence he cannot believe his luck. The rent is ridiculously cheap and he immediately feels a connection with his beautiful widowed landlady, Adriana.It is.Things take a dark turn when he finds out what happened to the last lodger. Could this be why the house is a fortress of security, and why Adriana seems so fragile? Adriana doesn't want to talk about the death and sadness that seem to follow her wherever she goes and Sebastian has secrets of his own.Now someone is watching their every move and there is nowhere to hide.This house of light becomes a dark nightmare as the threat ramps up - what does the watcher want? And how far will they go to get it?A gripping, twisty thriller perfect for fans of B.A. Paris

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