Contemporary fiction titles are those which focus on the present or near past. Stories rooted in the current cultural, social, and political landscape which feature characters we can all recognise.
Contemporary Fiction Books
Pushkin Press One True Word
Book SynopsisWhy did she do it? After a day of simmering tension, Júlía snaps and abandons her husband Gíó on an uninhabited island in a freezing fjord in the depths of the Icelandic winter. When she returns the next morning, he is nowhere to be found. The police launch a manhunt, but soon their suspicion falls on Júlía. She spins them a story to hide her involvement, but she can feel the net closing in. Is Gíó alive or dead? In hiding or hunting her down? And can Júlía get to the truth before it destroys her?
£17.09
ACA Publishing Limited Souls Left Behind
Book Synopsis1985 France, David Zhang's disappearance prompts his half-Chinese daughter, Anne, to delve into his history within the Chinese Labour Corps. Exploring the lives of 140,000 men who worked behind the scenes in the Great War, Anne's answers lingering childhood questions, revealing the weight of war's trauma and a past fraught with regret.
£14.39
Atlantic Books The Book of George
Book SynopsisThis is the story of one life. But George is a thousand men.
£15.29
Dedalus Ltd The Tower at the Edge of the World
Book Synopsis
£11.78
Atlantic Books Lucky Red
Book SynopsisClaudia Cravens grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a BA in Literature from Bard College and lives in New York City. Lucky Red is her first novel.
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton What A Time To Be Alive
Book SynopsisA fresh, sexy coming of age story, from the author of Okay Days, for fans of Sally Rooney and Mieko Kawakami.
£16.14
Little, Brown Book Group The Spider Covenant
Book SynopsisFrom the author of the critically acclaimed Reich Trilogy comes a hair-raising new political thriller.
£18.70
Everyman The Code Of The Woosters
Book SynopsisNothing but trouble can ensue when Bertie Wooster's Aunt Dahlia instructs him to steal a silver jug from Totleigh Towers, home of magistrate and hell-hound, Sir Watkin Bassett. First he must face the peril of Sir Watkin's droopy daughter, Madeleine, and then the terrors of would-be Dictator, Roderick Spode and his gang of Black Shorts. But when duty calls, Bertram answers, and so there follows what he himself calls the 'sinister affair of Gussie Fink-Nottle, Madeleine Bassett, old Pop Bassett, Stiffy Byng, the Rev. H. P. ('Stinker') Pinker, the eighteenth-century cow-creamer and the small, brown, leather-covered notebook'. In a plot with more twists than an English country lane, it takes all the ingenuity of Jeeves to extract his master from the soup again.
£999.99
Dialogue The Manor of Dreams
Book SynopsisMexican Gothic meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in this unputdownable gothic, sapphic novel about the dangerous secrets that lie in wait in a crumbling mansion in the Hollywood Hills and the intertwined fates of the two Chinese-American families fighting to inherit it.
£18.70
Everyman Summer Lightning
Book SynopsisThe Honourable Galahad Threepwood has decided to write his memoirs and England's aristocrats are all diving for cover, not least Galahad's formidable sister Lady Constance Keeble who fears that her brother will ruin the family reputation with saucy stories of the 1890s. But Galahad's memoirs are not the only cause for concern. Yet again Lord Emsworth's prize pig has been stolen and, as usual, the castle seems to be buzzing with imposters all pretending to be one another. Love and natural justice triumph in the end, but not before Wodehouse has tangled and unangled a plot of Shakespearean complexity in a novel which might as well be subtitled 'The Price of the Papers'.
£12.34
Boldwood Books Ltd The Daughter of the Fens: The BRAND NEW utterly
Book Synopsis'Very highly recommended.’ Louise DouglasAD 61Brittania is in the hands of the Romans but when the conquering army betray the dead King Prasutagus by defiling his daughters, his Queen, Boudicca, is determined to regain her land.Iceni slave Brea remembers little of the time before the Romans, and has grown used to their louche and indulgent customs. She diligently goes about her duties looking after the artless Aurelia, wife-to-be of the handsome war hero Marcellus, but her longing for freedom and her desire to find her lost father, are never far from her mind.Present DayWhen Hanna returns to Norfolk from years working abroad, the strange dreams of her adolescence return: indistinct figures in tunics, mighty soldiers in armour, gladiators, temples, an Iceni warrior woman leading her people. Gradually Hanna’s dreams begin to slip into the present as visions in the famous mists rolling across the fens, and as shocks of recognition when a new face moves to her childhood home.As Hanna realises that she has a connection with a tragedy that occurred many years before, so Brea has to understand that her fate is bound up with her Roman master. And as the drumbeat of rebellion gets ever closer Brea must make the fatal choice between love and loyalty while Hanna has to find a way to make peace with the past.USA Today bestselling author Judy Leigh writing as Elena Collins, brings you this heart-breaking and unforgettable timeslip novel, perfect for fans of Barbara Erskine, Diana Gabaldon and Louise Douglas.Praise for Elena Collins:'Very highly recommended.’ Louise Douglas'The Lady of The Loch held me spellbound from the first page to the last. With two storylines beautifully woven together to create a seamless tale of love, loss, betrayal and, above all, hope, it’s a must-read. Collins’s detailed knowledge of the period trickles through the tale wrapping the reader in a vivid shifting world as it moves between the 14th century and present day. Cleverly researched and exquisitely written, The Lady of The Loch is a timeless story of hope, family and love. I loved it.' Alexandra WalshWhat readers are saying about Elena Collins:'Loved this book, didn't want it to end well worth 5 stars. I will definitely read more books by this author.I love the duel story line and this author writes a lot like my other favorite author Barbara Erskine.''I really enjoyed The Witches Tree also written by Elena Collins ... and The Lady of the Loch was just simply amazing! The characters will stay with me for a long time..and that's a sign of a great book!''This was fabulous, I couldn’t put it down, read in two days and was so sorry that I’d finished it! Loved her first book but this was something else, I was totally gripped, beautiful story and I actually felt like I was back in 1307, best book I’ve read in a long time, hope I don’t have to wait too long for the next one.''This was such an evocative and atmospheric story, it was truly engrossing to the point that on a very sleepless night I ended up reading until 4am to finish the book, because I was thinking about it so much! I loved being whisked away to Scotland in 1307, and enjoyed the way the story came full circle in the present day.'
£20.69
Boldwood Books Ltd The Golden Gals French Adventure
Book SynopsisLet MILLION COPY bestselling author Judy Leigh whisk you off to the beaches and beauty of Brittany. Warmhearted, funny and uplifting.Sixty-nine-year-old Fliss has lived a life!A career running her own successful business, a beautiful home, a wardrobe full of designer clothes Fliss has everything she ever wanted. So why does she feel so lonely?Sixty-six-year-old Shirl didn't expect to be looking after a baby again, let alone a grown woman who should know better. But with her daughter Gemma struggling to adapt to motherhood, and her boss Fliss increasingly reliant on Shirl to run her life, Shirl never gets a moment to herself. Fliss might not be great at life's chores, but she is great at seizing opportunities, so when the chance for a jaunt to France's beautiful Brittany comes her way, she decides it's just what she and Shirl need. And as the sun-soaked town of Plouvannec-Sur-Mer begins to work its magic on the women, they realise there's another way to live. From cake-laden patisseries, to joyous local fetes, from food, views and beaches to die for, to a community quick to embrace them, not to mention some rather fine French men for company, perhaps it's not too late for Fliss and Shirl to embrace a new adventure and look forwards to a totally different future. The perfect feel-good story from besteller Judy Leigh. A must read for all fans of Maddie Please, Dawn French and Caroline James. Readers love Judy Leigh!Brilliantly funny, emotional and uplifting' Miranda Dickinson'Lovely . . . a book that assures that life is far from over at seventy' Cathy Hopkins'Brimming with warmth, humour and a love of life a wonderful escapade' Fiona Gibson'I loved this book. It's funny, emotional and a book that fills you with determination not to let life pass you by as you get older' Jennifer BohnetThis is another one of Judy's terrific reads that is more than thoroughly enjoyable. It's more than a story- it's perhaps a message to all of us about Carpe Diem and taking hold of life with both hands whilst we can. The characters are wonderful and leap from the page like old friends' ?????????? Reader ReviewThis was a book I had trouble putting down! Thoroughly enjoyed the twist and turns. Can recommend for a good read' ?????????? Reader ReviewI've loved every one of the author's contemporary second chance romances, but I really think I might have found my new favourite. The characters were simply wonderful and soon found their places in my heart, their wealth of life experience and paths to future happiness so very easy to identify with, and the whole story had a warmth and lightness of touch that I found totally adorable' ?????????? Reader Review
£20.69
Everyman The Inimitable Jeeves
Typical. Just when Bertie thinks that God's in his heaven and all's right with the world, things start to go wrong again...There's young Bingo Little, who's in love for the umpteenth time and needs Bertie to put in a good word for him with his uncle; Aunt Agatha, who forces Bertie to get engaged to the formidable Honoria Glossop; and the troublesome twins, Claude and Eustace, whose antics when let loose in London know no bounds.Add to that some friction in the Wooster home over a red cummerbund, purple socks and some snazzy old Etonian spats, and poor Bertie's really in the soup...Only one man can save the day - the inimitable Jeeves.Characters Bertie Wooster - Narrator who went to school with Bingo. Won a prize at his first school for the best collection of wild flowers. Jeeves - Bertie's valet who has an aunt who loves the romantic novels of Rosie M. Banks Bingo Little - Mortimer's nephew who loves Mabel. Tells his uncle that Bertie is really Rosie M. Banks. Mabel - Waitress in a tea shop Mortimer Little - Retired fat businessman who owned Little's Liniment - "It Limbers Up the Legs." He is a gourmet. Jane Watson - Mortimer's cook engaged to Jeeves, but not for long
£12.34
Europa Editions (UK) Ltd. Fathers and Fugitives
Book SynopsisDaniel is a queer journalist living in London. His relationships appear to be sexually fulfilling but sentimentally meagre. He has no relationships outside of sexual ones, and can seem at once callow and, at times, cold to the point of cruel with his lovers. Emotionally distant from his elderly father, Daniel returns to South Africa to care for him during his final months. Following his father's death, Daniel learns of an unusual clause in the old man's will: he will only inherit his half of his father's estate once he has spent time with Theon, a cousin whom he hasn't seen since they were boys, who lives on the old family farm in the Free State. Once there, Daniel discovers that the young son of the woman Theon lives with is seriously ill. With the conditions bearing on Daniel's inheritance shifting in real time, Theon and Daniel travel to Japan for an experimental cure and a voyage that will change their lives forever.S J Naudé's masterful novel is many things at once: a literary page page-turner full of vivid, unexpected characters and surprising twists; a loving and at times shockingly raw portrayal of its protagonist's complex psyche; and a devastatingly subtle look into South Africa's fraught recent history.
£9.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC A Maid on Fifth Avenue
Book SynopsisA Maid on Fifth Avenue is a heart-stopping new dual timeline novel, from the bestselling author of The Belladonna Maze.Annie thinks she has found the answer when she leaves her home on the west coast of Ireland and boards a ship for New York. Irish maids are in demand in the 1920s, and she finds work with the wealthy Cavendish family in their opulent Fifth Avenue mansion.Annie soon makes a friend, an Italian waitress named Elena. As their friendship deepens into something more passionate and dangerous for them both, however, Annie's past rises up to haunt her. Once again she will be forced to flee.A century later, in post-pandemic Ireland, Emer is also running, and finds a haven in her family's home in West Kerry. But here, too, the past is refusing to die, and as Annie and Emer's lives intertwine, long buried secrets are about to be revealed...Readers LOVE A Maid on Fifth Avenue:''I highly recommend this book - I couldn''t put it down!'' - 5* reader review''Beautifully written... I couldn''t get enough of it. Such a wonderful novel'' - 5* reader review''I''m so in love with this story.... emotional, so beautifully written and I couldn''t put it down'' 5* reader review''A dual timeline mystery, full of unexpected twist and turns... five stars from me'' 5* reader review
£9.49
Everyman French Leave
Book SynopsisThree American sisters leave their chicken farm on Long Island for a holiday in Europe. In France they encounter the charming but penniless Marquis de Maufringneuse, his writer son Jeff, and the marquis’s tough American ex-wife. When they all find themselves together at the exclusive resort of St. Rocque - one of the sisters in search of a husband, the marquis in search of a fortune, the writer in search of love - Wodehousian complications ensue.
£12.34
Boldwood Books Ltd Healing Hearts at Bumblebee Barn: A feel-good
Book SynopsisA feel-good novel from MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER Jessica Redland, guaranteed to leave a smile on your face.Welcome to Bumblebee Barn, home to wonderful animals, stunning views and spectacular sunsets - and resident young farmer, Barney.While Barney loves his life at Bumblebee Barn - a farm that has been in his family for generations - he's struggling to find someone to share it with. The early mornings quad biking through muddy fields and the long hours looking after the crops and animals are proving to be a deterrent to finding love.So when his sister, Fizz - desperate for Barney to find his soulmate - sees an advert for Love on the Farm, a new reality TV show to help farmers find love, he has nothing to lose by applying. After all, he isn't meeting anyone suitable down the traditional route and surely he won't be picked anyway...?Thrown into the chaos of reality TV, Barney could never have expected that his whole life would be turned upside down, with buried secrets to be uncovered and his heart on the line. With his family and friends rooting for him, could the magic of Bumblebee Barn heal his broken heart and help him find love on the farm?Join top 10 bestseller Jessica Redland for a story of love, family and second chances.'Redland takes you on a heart-warming ride that navigates broken hearts and painful secrets, but ultimately restores your faith in the power of love. I absolutely adored it.' Jenni KeerPraise for Jessica Redland:'Jessica Redland writes from the heart, with heart, about heart' Nicola May'I loved my trip to Hedgehog Hollow. An emotional read, full of twists and turns' Heidi Swain'The Hedgehog Hollow series is a tonic I'd recommend for everyone. There is so much to make you smile in Jessica's stories and they are always uplifting reads, which will make you really glad you decided to pick up a copy.' Jo Bartlett‘An emotional, romantic and ultimately uplifting read. Jessica always touches my heart with her sensitive handling of difficult subjects. The gorgeous community she has built around Hedgehog Hollow is one I hope to visit again and again.’ Sarah Bennett'A beautifully written series that offers the ultimate in heartwarming escapism.' Samantha Tonge on the Hedgehog Hollow series'Hedgehog Hollow is a wonderful series that has found a special place all of its own deep in the hearts of readers, including mine.' Jennifer Bohnet'I fell in love with this story from page one.' Helen Rolfe on Snowflakes Over The Starfish Café'A tender love story, full of sweet touches and beautiful characters.' Beth Moran on Snowflakes Over The Starfish Café'A warm-hearted and beautiful book. Jessica Redland doesn’t shy away from the fact that life can be very difficult, but she reminds us that we all can find love, hope and joy again.' Sian O'Gorman on Snowflakes Over The Starfish Café'Achingly poignant, yet full of hope.' Sandy Barker on Snowflakes Over The Starfish Café'A heartwarming story of true friendship, love and romance set in the gorgeous backdrop of the Lakes. A cosy hug of a read that left me feeling warm inside.’ Julie Caplin on The Start of Something Wonderful'A heartwarming story set in a beautiful location... Love, friendship and the power of letting go are all covered in this gorgeous, beautifully written story.' Katie Ginger on The Start of Something Wonderful'An emotional but uplifting page turner. The Secret to Happiness is a beautiful story of friendship and love' Fay Keenan
£20.69
Everyman Florence Stories
Book SynopsisFlorence's world-famous Renaissance is brought to life in this anthology through the eyes of its most illustrious chroniclers. Beginning with Dante's vision of Inferno, teeming with his Florentine enemies, to the artist Cellini's swashbuckling adventures in High Renaissance Italy, and including the pioneering writings of Boccaccio, Ficino, Guicciardini and Vasari, this selection shows that in literature, as in art, Florence was a trailblazer. The city's long tradition of mesmerizing foreigners is celebrated in selections from Tobias Smollet, Henry James, D.H. Lawrence and Stendhal (whose rapturous impressions gave name to 'Stendhal syndrome'), while indigenous writers such as Curzio Malaparte and Vasco Pratolini paint a far grittier portrait of Florence under the looming cloud of Fascism and World War II. Salman Rushdie's dazzling novel The Enchantress of Florence takes inspiration from the city's gilded Renaissance past, while Mary McCarthy's masterful travelogue captures a bustling 20th century market city. George Eliot, Rainer Maria Rilke, Iris Origo and Penelope Fitzgerald are among the other brilliant writers whose stories illuminate the many faces of this fascinating city.
£12.34
Boldwood Books Ltd Wicked Girls: The addictive gangland thriller
Book SynopsisCousins Valerie and Toni McVay have been best friends forever, and when you’re a McVay you need all the friends you can get.When Toni’s twelfth birthday is marred by a terrible crime, the wicked path of the girls looks set. A decade later, the McVay family aren't the unstoppable force they once were in the Glaswegian criminal underworld but Frankie McVay, the up-and-coming prince, is determined to restore the family to its former glory by whatever means necessary. And the whole family are expected to help.His sister Toni shares her brother’s blood lust but Valerie dreams of a quieter life, and when she meets and falls in love with Seb, as straight as Frankie is bent, as kind as Frankie is wicked, Val sees her way out.Can she escape a family that is determined to own the city, and to keep Valerie firmly in their violent grasp? And will Toni ever let her best friend Val turn her back on the bloody secret they have shared for all these years…Heather Atkinson is back with a treat for all gangland fans. If you love Kimberley Chambers, and Jessie Keane, you’ll love Wicked Girls, and readers of Heather’s Gallowburn series can look forward to bumping into some old friends… What readers are saying about Heather Atkinson:'Another brilliant book from Heather...she really is one the best in the business''I have read ALL Heather Atkinson's books. They are all fantastic''All Heather's books are action packed and have you on edge''I stumbled upon Heather's books and I'm so glad I did, characters excellent and storylines are great, I find myself searching the book stores for more of them to read the minute I finish one'
£20.69
Boldwood Books Ltd Ten Dates: An enemies-to-lovers romance from
Book SynopsisThe emotional and heart-warming page turner from bestselling author Rachel Dove!Perfect for fans of Beth O’Leary, Kathryn Freeman, Emily Houghton and Josie Silver!Is it the end of their love story or just the beginning?Callum Roberts and Alice McClaren have spent two wonderful years building a life and a home and making plans for a future together. But when Alice is involved in a car crash, Callum fears that he has lost her forever. As he sits by her bedside he promises he’ll do anything if only she’ll open her eyes…But when Alice does finally wake up, she has absolutely no memory of being in love with Callum or the life they once shared. In fact, all she remembers about him is how incredibly annoying he once was! How can she have forgotten him if she really did love him so deeply?Callum is determined to prove to Alice that what they had was special, so he makes her a deal: he’ll recreate their first ten dates and make her fall in love with him all over again!Alice isn’t sure Callum can fill in all the gaps in their story.And what if going back to the start only means the end?Readers LOVE Rachel Dove!'Another wonderful, emotional read from the fantastic Rachel Dove. I couldn't put it down.' Bestselling author Portia MacIntoshLeft me begging for more!… Fun and enjoyable read. Highly recommend!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘I loved this romantic book!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘Read in one sitting. Really enjoyable read. Totally recommend.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘This book had me gripped from the start… A great page turner that has you guessing and waiting to see just what happens.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘I expected a cute summer type rom-com, but what Rachel Dove gave us is a thousand times better… A book that touched on those very real and heavy emotions, without rushing through them to get to the happily ever after.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‘A heartwarming single-parent romance book… Andrew Brody is the perfect gentle giant… Had me smiling throughout the whole read.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
£20.69
Everyman Scottish Stories
Book SynopsisScottish Stories is a treasury of great writing from a richly literary land, where the short story has flourished for over two centuries. Here are chilling supernatural stories from Robert Louis Stevenson, Eric Linklater and Dorothy K. Haynes; side-splittingly funny stories from Alasdair Gray and Irvine Welsh; a stylish offering from urban realist William McIlvanney. Iain Crichton Smith evokes the Gaelic-speaking highlands, George Mackay-Brown the Orkney islands, Andrew O'Hagan working-class Glasgow; while Leila Aboulela, originally from Sudan, ponders the relations between colonizers and colonized from her home in Aberdeen. Though there is no one 'Scottishness' that binds the authors together, writes editor Gerard Carruthers, each has a Scottish footprint or accent. And perhaps more importantly, all are masters of their form.
£12.34
Cornerstone Early Sobrieties
Book Synopsis''Suberb . . . vivid'' TELEGRAPH''The arrival of a writer of considerable gifts'' TLS ''Michael Deagler is the real deal . . . a truly intelligent work from a clearly intelligent writer'' PERCIVAL EVERETT''Illuminating and moving'' AIMEE BENDER***Dennis Monk is about to spend his first summer sober. At twenty-six he is ready to re-join sensible adult life, but just when Dennis needs stability, his uptight parents kick him out into a world of couch-surfing.Everything around him has changed and everyone he knows seems to be doing better than he is. At every street corner, former classmates, estranged drinking buddies, and prospective lovers threaten to burst the bubble of his recovery. And Dennis Monk is about to learn the difference between getting sober and staying sober in this new world.Early Sobrieties is a devastatingly witty novel about coming of age a second time. Deagler's debut marks the arrival of an astonishing new voice in American fiction.
£9.49
Cornerstone Operation Wandering Soul
Book Synopsis''If you have children or will have children, if you know children or can remember being a child, dare to read Operation Wandering Soul ... it is bedtime reading for the future'' USA TODAYIn the paediatrics ward of a public hospital, a group of sick children gather, their lives brightened only by the power of imagination. The surrogate parents of this group - Kraft, a tired, overworked surgical resident, and Espera, a dedicated therapist - are charged with prolonging their lives using storytelling and make-believe alone.Using the boundless reach of imagination, Operation Wandering Soul is a novel that celebrates the wonder of childhood. Both social indictment and emotional account of intimate needs, it asks how we might keep alive a little longer the enduring magic of childhood dreams.
£9.49
Canongate Books Agamemnon's Daughter
Book SynopsisIn his compelling prequel to The Successor, Kadare draws us into a land deprived of choice, a country under a reign of terror. The spellbinding Agamemnon's Daughter was written in Albania in the 1980s and smuggled into France a few pages at a time. It reveals a world where fear is an instrument of power, but the individual survives despite the odds.From the winner of the first Man Booker International Prize comes a searing story of love denied, then shattered under the chilling wheels of the state. Through the impeccably crafted, incisive tale of a thwarted lover's odyssey through a single day, we are given a true sense of how hard it can be to remain human in a world ruled by fear and suspicion.Trade ReviewKadare brilliantly recreates the atmosphere of shadowy fear, rumours and recrimination in Albania . . . a mesmerically readable parable about the abuse of state power * * Observer * *Suffused with the power of thought and feeling . . . Above all, Kadare creates a haunting sense of the absurd * * Sunday Times * *Dream and reality melt together, as in Kafka, making it difficult to identify where the nightmares really begin * * Times * *
£9.49
Boldwood Books Ltd Shout Out To My Ex: A BRAND NEW completely
Book Synopsis‘The Devil wears Prada meets Emily in Paris ... a fabulously original romcom, full of humour’ Julie CaplinFashion designer Elle Bliss is unlucky in love.She's still hung up on her first love, Leo, who ended things abruptly, then mysteriously disappeared – and a decade on, no one else can measure up.But Elle's all-time dream of showing in Paris Fashion Week is about to become a reality, and she has no time to dwell on her dismal love life. That is until Leo – now going by Lorenzo – comes back into her life.An up-and-coming shoe designer, ‘Lorenzo’ is nothing like the man she fell in love with. Rude, brash and with an ego the size of Paris, he’s too caught up in his own celebrity.But as they constantly cross paths in the city of love, Elle begins to question how much of 'Lorenzo' is an act – a persona for the cameras. Because deep down, she can see glimpses of the man he was, and feelings from all those years ago become impossible to ignore…Join Elle in the most romantic city in the world in this laugh out loud enemies-to-lovers romance, perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Emily Henry.'...another brilliant romcom - a series set in a matchmaking agency is a match made in heaven and I am fully signed up!' Pernille Hughes'Sandy Barker’s books are the bookish equivalent of a perfect serve: two parts romance, one part humour with a generous dash of escapism. I can never wait to dive in!' Nina Kaye'Full of fun - a fast-paced, exciting new series with love, heart, friendship and joy.' Kim Nash'You can’t really go wrong with a Sandy Barker romcom - charm, romance and humour.' Julie Houston'I love Sandy's writing and end up falling in love with all of her heroes!' Katie Ginger'...warm, witty and wonderfully romantic. Knowing there are more to come definitely makes me happy ever after.' Kathleen Whyman'This series is witty, fun and, of course, wonderfully romantic.' Anita Faulkner
£20.69
Little, Brown Book Group The House On The Strand
Book SynopsisFROM THE BESTSELLING WRITER OF REBECCA'The House on the Strand is prime du Maurier . . . ' NEW YORK TIMES'She wrote exciting plots . . . a writer of fearless originality' GUARDIAN 'No other popular writer has so triumphantly defied classification . . . ' MARGARET FORSTER When Dick Young's friend, Professor Magnus Lane offers him an escape from his troubles in the form of a new drug, Dick finds himself transported to fourteenth-century Cornwall. There, in the manor of Tywardreath, the domain of Sir Henry Champerhoune, he witnesses intrigue, adultery and murder.The more time Dick spends consumed in the past, the more he withdraws from the modern world. With each dose of the drug, his body and mind become addicted to this otherworld and his attempts to change history bring terror to the present and put his own life in jeopardy.Trade ReviewThe House on the Strand is prime du Maurier ... She holds her characters close to reality; the past she creates is valid, and her skill in finessing the time shifts is enough to make one want to try a little of the brew himself * New York Times *She wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *No other popular writer has so triumphantly defied classification ... She satisfied all the questionable criteria of popular fiction, and yet satisfied the exacting requirements of "real literature", something very few novelists ever doHistorical science-fiction with heightened emotional drama, a very Oultander-like novel, if you will * Medium *The House on the Strand is prime du Maurier. . . . She holds her characters close to reality; the past she creates is valid, and her skill in finessing the time shifts is enough to make one want to try a little of the brew himself * New York Times *
£8.99
Bedford Square Publishers Sipsworth
Book SynopsisOver the course of a single week, a woman who is ready to die finds an unexpected reason to live
£9.49
The Book Guild Ltd The Boy the Sand and the Flower
Book SynopsisThe epic story following six young people as they struggle to survive and pursue their dream of independence.
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group The Echoing Grove
Book SynopsisTwo sisters: Madeleine and Dinah. One husband: Rickie Masters. For many years now, Dinah, exotic and sensual, has conducted a clandestine affair with Rickie. Madeleine, calm and resolute, has accepted that her marriage has been of limited success. Rickie's sudden death makes widows of both sisters in this highly imaginative novel that explores with extraordinary insight the sublimity, the rivalry and the pain of personal relationships. 'She makes a mood, an atmosphere, which is never forgotten ...The inner voice of women talking to themselves about their love affairs, knowing that it is hopeless, having to go ahead anyway, expecting the end as soon as it begins. That, of course, is what Rosamond Lehmann does best' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewShe makes a mood, an atmosphere, which is never forgotten . . . The inner voice of women talking to themselves about their love affairs, knowing that it is hopeless, having to go ahead anyway, expecting the end as soon as it begins. That, of course, is what Rosamond Lehmann does best * Sunday Times *Full of her sensibility, her funniness, her own peculiar acumen -- Elizabeth Jane HowardLehmann legitimised a type of writing that took on deep personal themes -- English PENA novelist in the grand tradition . . . The first writer to filter her stories through a woman's feelings and perceptions -- Anita BrooknerLehmann has always written brilliantly of women in love -- Margaret Drabble
£10.44
Troubador Publishing Catherine
Book SynopsisIn a busy café in Hove, a chance meeting brings Matthew and Catherine together for the first time. Matthew is retired and struggling in his quest to become a writer, while Catherine has had a successful career as an actress. Born in Brighton in 1947, Catherine was fascinated from an early age by film stars and yearned to be an actor. An advert in the local paper asked for two local teenage girls to be extras in a film being shot in Brighton. She auditioned and successfully got her chance. From that point on, her acting career blossomed. Catherine's story fascinates Matthew, not only her film and television roles, but her relationships with her parents, the friendship with her two best friends, and the men she fell in love with throughout her life. From Brighton to London, to Dorset, and finally back to Brighton, covering over seventy years, Catherine is a thrilling story of fulfilling your dreams, friendships, love and loss.
£9.49
Canongate Books The Way
Book SynopsisA man on the run, accompanied by a raven, a cat and a teenage girl, holds the cure to a lethal virus in this postapocalyptic road trip and quest-for-redemption novel
£17.09
Granta Books Eternity Is Temporary
Book SynopsisThis is for anyone who sweated their way through the summer of '76, as well as readers of Jonathan's Coe's The Rotters' Club, Martin Amis's Success and Ian McEwan's The Cement Garden. It's the long, hot summer of 1976 and Adrea is falling in love for the first time, while nursing the decrepit residents of Heron Close, a care home in Chalk Farm. This is the summer that sees Blue Oyster Cult and Supertramp superseded by Patti Smith and the Stranglers, and as the heat rises in and out of the Roundhouse, the lives of Heron Close's residents and carers alike are about to blister and burn. And right in the midst of all this humdrum squalor, like the sun's rays beating back the darkness, are Adrea and Evan, about to let in the light and heat - with inflammatory results.Trade Review"'Full of drifting imagery, heady with the fever of first love, city heat and rock'n'roll, and bursting with off-kilter characterisation...' Metro"
£7.59
Pegasus Elliot Mackenzie Publishers Last Bench
Book Synopsis
£8.54
Profile Books Ltd Ru
Book SynopsisRu: In Vietnamese it means lullaby; in French it is a small stream, but also signifies a flow - of tears, blood, money. Kim Thúy's Ru is literature at its most crystalline: the flow of a life on the tides of unrest and on to more peaceful waters. In vignettes of exquisite clarity, sharp observation and sly wit, we are carried along on an unforgettable journey from a palatial residence in Saigon to a crowded and muddy Malaysian refugee camp, and onward to a new life in Quebec. There, the young girl feels the embrace of a new community, and revels in the chance to be part of the American Dream. As an adult, the waters become rough again: now a mother of two, she must learn to shape her love around the younger boy's autism. Moving seamlessly from past to present, from history to memory and back again, Ru is a book that celebrates life in all its wonder: its moments of beauty and sensuality, brutality and sorrow, comfort and comedy.Trade ReviewKim Thúy writes with equal delicacy and candor about a childhood marked by horrifying brutality, and the pleasures of ordinary peace. A brave and moving book, bringing lucid insight both to the costs of violence, and elusive processes of psychic survival. -- Eva HoffmanThis is an exemplary autobiographical novel. Never is there the slightest hint of narcissism or self pity. The major events in the fall of Vietnam are painted in delicate strokes, through the daily existence of a woman who has to reinvent herself elsewhere. A tragic journey described in a keen, sensitive and perfectly understated voice. -- Governor General's Literary Award jury citation"Life is a struggle," runs a Vietnamese proverb, "in which sorrow leads to defeat." Thúy's fictionalised memoir adopts a similarly unsentimental attitude to a life of extremes. ... The accounts of escape and arrival are exciting, but Ru is more about observation and atmosphere ... Thúy's stories are poetic and powerful. -- James Smart * Guardian *An elegant, lyrical flow of prose . . . It is a difficult, challenging and ultimately rewarding read from an author already at the top of her game. -- Billy O'Callaghan * Irish Examiner *Striking -- Claire Armistead * Guardian *Rendered in exquisite, unsentimental prose. Kim Thúy is a born storyteller, but she rewrites the traditional immigrant narrative in a completely new way, makes it whole and wondrous once more. * Jury Citation for the Gillier Prize Shortlist *
£8.54
Eglantyne Books Class Reunion
Book SynopsisClass Reunion is a short novel published early in Werfel's career, and, as was usual with his works, caused a sensation. It is a savagely satirical, powerful and heart-breaking story about a class reunion in Vienna with revelations about the events of the mens' youths and the lasting consequences of their actions when young.
£9.49
BOTH Press The Beach Cabin
Book Synopsis
£10.44
Birlinn General The Perfect Passion Company
Book SynopsisThe Perfect Passion Dating Company at No. 24 Mouse Lane in Edinburgh's New Town is run by Katie Donald who has an innate instinct for bringing people together. She has developed a skill for finding out what it is that people really want. Along the way, Katie learns profound lessons about her own desires as she works at better understanding others. Although Katie has little in the way of direct experience, with the help of her amiable and handsome office neighbour William Kidd, she soon finds herself making matches for the lonely hearts tired of meeting online – and who want a more personal touch. For fans of Alexander McCall Smith's many beloved series and romantic standalone novels, The Perfect Passion Company shows him at his most perceptive, playful, and generous. In the way that only McCall Smith can, this novel offers a glimpse inside the psychology of matchmaking, the search for love and companionship, and the mysterious spark of attraction that can, at times, catch hold of us all.Trade Review'As always with McCall Smith, expect the kind of dialogue you wish you could have more often, keen observations, comic plot twists, and a main character to cheer for' * Booklist *'There is, as ever in his work, abundant delight ... In his concern for right thought and conduct he is one of the most considerable and satisfying, as well as delightful, novelists working today' -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *'An absolutely gorgeous standalone tale from one of the most astute and compassionate observers of humanity... The Perfect Passion Company is oh-so engaging and enjoyable as it explores our human need for love and companionship.' * LoveReading *
£17.09
Influx Press Landscapes
Book SynopsisRecalling the works of Rachel Cusk and Kazuo Ishiguro, Landscapes is an elegiac and spellbinding blend of narrative, essay, and diary that reinvents the country-house novel for our age of catastrophe, announcing the arrival of an extraordinarily gifted new writer.
£10.79
The Emma Press Wild Boar
Book SynopsisA compelling and poetic debut from Finnish-Swedish author Hannah Lutz about animals and people - and their capacities to grow and to destroy.
£10.44
Alma Books Ltd The Old Curiosity Shop
Book SynopsisThe beautiful Nell is a thirteen-year-old orphan who lives with her grandfather in a London bric-a-brac shop. Worried about his charge's future, the old man secretly gambles at night in order to provide an inheritance for her, but finally loses the little he has and is evicted from the shop by the evil hunchback and loan shark Daniel Quilp, suffering a breakdown as a result. Forced to leave the city, the young girl is left to take care of her grandfather and protect herself from the scheming villains who are hot on their heels.Dickens's fourth novel, initially serialized in his magazine Master Humphrey's Clock between 1840 and 1841, The Old Curiosity Shop proved to be a huge hit on publication and is still regarded as one of its author's major works, featuring one of his best-loved and most memorable heroines.
£8.54
Orenda Books Shatter Creek
Book SynopsisFresh from the scandal at Hampstead County PD, Detective Sergeant Casey Wray works a complex double-homicide that points to a killer on a murderous rampage and a shattering series of discoveries that could end her career … The shocking sequel to the addictive, twisty, bestselling Black Reed Bay… Hampstead County Police Department is embroiled in scandal after corruption at the top of the force was exposed. Cleared of involvement and returned to active duty, Detective Sergeant Casey Wray nonetheless finds herself at a crossroads when it becomes clear not everyone believes she’s innocent. Partnered with rookie Billy Drocker, Casey works a shocking daytime double-homicide in downtown Rockport with the two victims seemingly unknown to one another. And when a third victim is gunned down on her doorstep shortly after, it appears an abusive ex-boyfriend holds the key to the killings. With powerful figures demanding answers, Casey and Billy search for the suspect, fearing he’s on a murderous rampage. But when a key witness goes missing, and new evidence just won’t fit, the case begins to unravel. With her career in jeopardy, Casey makes a shattering discovery that threatens to expose the true darkness at the heart of the murders… with a killer still on the loose…
£9.49
Everyman The Charterhouse Of Parma
Book SynopsisA story of passion and political intrigue in which the young and impulsive Fabrizzio finds himself caught between the love of two women and the wars of their aristocratic factions. "The Charterhouse of Parma" is a study of disillusion and a testament to Stendhal's love-affair with Italy.
£12.34
Bonnier Books Ltd Junction of Earth and Sky
Book Synopsis'Remarkable' Charmaine Wilkerson'Heartbreaking' Ericka Waller'Moving and hopeful' Imogen Crimp'Beautifully crafted' Ania Card___A sweeping and emotional debut from a dazzling new voice - for fans of The Paper Palace, The Dutch House and Betty. Coming of age in 1940s England, Alice's life is thrown into chaos under the shadow of the war. Forced to let go of her hopes and dreams, she finds herself uprooted to America and a life she never could have imagined. Decades later, it is the 1990s and Alice's granddaughter Marnie is living out of a worn-out Chevy Nova, running heroin and cocaine along the New England coastline. Yet she carries with her memories of a nurtured childhood in hardscrabble Rhode Island, where all the disappointments of her young parents were eclipsed by her grandmother's love. Spanning six decades and two continents, from the shores of WWII England to the underside of 1990s America, JUNCTION OF EARTH AND SKY unfolds -in multiple timelines -the enduring bond of grandmother and granddaughter, plagued by the past but determined to find their place in the world against all the odds.
£9.49
Atlantic Books Scenes from a Tragedy
Book SynopsisThe new novel from the author of BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick The Silence Project. A literary thriller with a heart of darkness about the ripple effect of one person's inability to form meaningful human connections.
£16.19
Everyman Mrs Dalloway
Book SynopsisTracing a day in the life of society hostess Clarissa Dalloway, Virginia Woolf triumphantly discovers her distinctive style as a novelist. First published in 1925, MRS DALLOWAY is her first complete rendering of what Woolf described as the 'luminous envelope' of consciousness: a dazzling display of the mind's inside as it plays over the brilliant surface and darker depths of reality.
£12.34
ACA Publishing Limited My Sisters Red Shirt
Book SynopsisFirst published in 1984 and written by China's leading female author, this bestselling semi-autobiographical novella offers an examination of youthful rebellion in an age where anything seems possible, and the close-knit relationship between two sisters simultaneously separated by less than a decade in time and an epoch in history.
£13.49
Pushkin Press So People Know Its Me
Book Synopsis
£10.44
Everyman Love In The Time Of Cholera
Book SynopsisThere are novels, like journeys, which you never want to end: this is one of them. One seventh of July at six in the afternoon, a woman of 71 and a man of 78 ascend a gangplank and begin one of the greatest adventures in modern literature. The man is Florentino Ariza, President of the Carribean River Boat Company; the woman is his childhood sweetheart, the recently widowed Fermina Daza. She has earache. He is bald and lame. Their journey up-river, at an age when they can expect 'nothing more in life', holds out a shimmering promise: the consummation of an amor interruptus spanning half a century. LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA is one of the most uplifting romances of our times. An epiphany to late-flowering love, it holds out the subversive promise that you can have what you wish for: you may just have to wait. Set on the Colombian coast in the early part of this century, it is, arguably even more so than ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE which won him the Nobel Prize, the crowning work of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. 'My best, ' he says of it. 'The novel that was written from my gut. ' Publication is timed to tie in with the launch of Marquez' new novel, NEWS OF A KIDNAPPING, by Jonathan Cape on 3 July.
£14.24
