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
Everyman This Side Of Paradise
Book SynopsisScott Fitzgerald's first novel, written when the author was twenty-four, appeared in 1920 and immediately established him as a leading literary figure in the brilliant and dangerous world of 1920s America. The novel tells the story of a spoilt child in search of happiness. Pampered as a child, wealthy, brilliant at school, Amory Blaine looks for the love of others but only finds himself. A short, sharp masterpiece with an intriguing religious undertow, this is also a touchingly autobiographical novel which reflects ominously on Fitzgerald's own future.
£11.69
Everyman Midnight's Children
Book SynopsisA history of India since independence seen through the eyes of characters born on that independence was granted. Often hailed as a classic of magic realism, this is a many-layered and entralling narrative in which the complexities of the sub-continent are projected through the minds of its many characters, comic, tragic and fantastic by turns, this is the novel which revolutionized English literature in one fell swoop. MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN was voted in the Booker of Bookers in 1993.
£14.24
Brewin Books Spider
Book Synopsis
£9.45
Vintage Publishing Where I'm Calling From: The Selected Stories
Book SynopsisShortly before he died, America's laureate of the dispossessed made his own selection from his short stories, revised the texts and published them in this authorative edition.The stories in Where I'm Calling From are selected from the full range of the author's work including Furious Seasons, Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?, What We Talk about When We Talk about Love, and Cathedral and include all seven stories from his last collection, Elephant.
£999.99
Vintage Publishing The Tale of the Unknown Island
Book Synopsis"A man went to knock at the king's door and said, Give me a boat. The king's house had many other doors, but this was the door for petitions. Since the king spent all his time sitting by the door for favours (favours being offered to the king, you understand), whenever he heard someone knocking on the door for petitions, he would pretend not to hear..." Why the petitioner required a boat, where he was bound for, and who volunteered to crew for him and what cargo it was found to be carrying the reader will discover as this short narrative unfolds. And at the end it will be clear that what night appear to be a children's fable is in fact a wry, witty Philosophical Tale that would not have displeased Voltaire or Swift.Trade ReviewSaramago writes possibly the most beautiful but certainly the most precise and differentiated Portuguese prose of our time -- Walter Haubrich * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *Saramago is a writer, like Faulkner, so confident of his resources and ultimate destination that he can bring any improbability to life -- John UpdikeNo candidate for a Nobel Prize has a better claim to lasting recognition than this novelist -- Edmund WhiteHe was the equal of Philip Roth, Günter Grass, Thomas Pynchon and Don DeLillo. His genius was remarkably versatile - he was at once a great comic and a writer of shocking earnestness and grim poignancy -- Harold BloomSaramago is a writer of formidable talent and extraordinary imagination * La Repubblica *
£13.49
Little, Brown Book Group Affinity
Book Synopsis'Affinity is the work of an intense and atmospheric imagination . . . Sarah Waters is such an interesting writer, a kind of feminist Dickens' Fiona Pitt-Kethley, Daily TelegraphSet in and around the women's prison at Milbank in the 1870s, Affinity is an eerie and utterly compelling ghost story, a complex and intriguing literary mystery and a poignant love story with an unexpected twist in the tale. Following the death of her father, Margaret Prior has decided to pursue some 'good work' with the lady criminals of one of London's most notorious gaols. Surrounded by prisoners, murderers and common thieves, Margaret feels herself drawn to one of the prisons more unlikely inmates - the imprisoned spiritualist - Selina Dawes. Sympathetic to the plight of this innocent-seeming girl, Margaret sees herself dispensing guidance and perhaps friendship on her visits, little expecting to find herself dabbling in a twilight world of seances, shadows, unruly spirits and unseemly passions.Trade ReviewRefined, repressed and simmering... a delicious tale of Victorian spiritualism -- Mel Steel * Independent on Sunday *Spooky, spellbinding, exquisitely written... I do believe Waters is on the way to becoming a major literary star * Val Hennessy *Beautifully, atmospherically written, this is a tale to thrill your very soul * Metro *An exquisitely sad, pseudo-ghost story... it is a novel that takes countless risks -- Matt Thorne * Independent on Sunday *Affinity is the work of an intense and atmospheric imagination... Sarah Waters is such an interesting writer, a kind of feminist Dickens -- Fiona Pitt-Kethley * Daily Telegraph *Sarah Waters is such a brilliant writer that her readers would believe anything she told them -- A.N. Wilson * Daily Mail *Extraordinary... written in a subtly caricatured period style... So well researched is this novel that both diaries seem grotesquely authentic * The Times *Sexy, spooky, stylish, Affinity is a wonderful book * Guardian *Waters displays her incredible talent for the Gothic historical novel in this splendid book about a Victorian women's prison and the affair there between an inmate and a lady visitor * San Francisco Chronicle *Gothic tale, psychological study, puzzle narrative... superbly suspenseful... This is gripping, astute fiction that feeds the mind and senses * Seattle Times *Unfolds sinuously and ominously... a powerful plot-twister... a truly suspenseful tale of terror; and a piece of elegant, thinly veiled erotica. Like a Ouija board, Affinity offers different messages to different readers, scaring the shrouds off everyone in the process * USA Today *A richly detailed exploration of the mysterious affinity that appears to unite two lonely women... Waters has found a superb metaphor for the love that dares not speak its name, and developed it with remarkable ingenuity and power: another stunning performance * Kirkus *
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group Red Dust
Book SynopsisThere was probably only one person who could make Sarah Barcant, successful prosecutor, leave New York and return home to Smitsrivier, the small town in South Africa she left years before. Ben. Her lawyer mentor and inspiration; the man who encouraged her to get out and know the world now needs her back, to help him with one last case, part of the Truth Commission. In the back of a van, handcuffed, Dirk Hendrickes is being driven to the police station where once he was proud to call himself deputy. Later, down the same hot,dry road, will come Alex Mpondo, alternating between cursing Dirk and feeling sick at the idea of facing him, his torturer. And in Smitsrivier: James Sizela, who has passed years waiting for the moment when the man he is certain killed his son, will be forced to tell where the body lies. The people who are about to meet their pasts will not experience the real truth-telling in the court room, at the public show. The real truth will be felt offstage...Trade ReviewA rich, ambitious and powerful novel. * THE TIMES *This is a beautifully written novel, with the pace and twists of a thriller and the atmosphere, scents and space of Africa. * GUARDIAN *Covers the territory of Bernard Schlink's post-Holocaust novel The Reader as well as J.M. Coetzee's Booker-winning Disgrace. * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *Red Dust follows Gillian Slovo's remarkable memoir Every Secret Thing. The novel tells the story of what happens to Smitsrivier, a small town in the Karroo when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission comes to visit. Sarah Barcant, a successful prosecuto * Not just any man, Alex Mpondo. Alex who was smart in a black suit and a flash yellow shirt that looked like it might have been sewn from silk ... The changes covered every aspect of the man. He seemed taller, more confident, more at ease and even slightly *
£9.49
Comma Press The Ghost Who Bled
Book SynopsisSpanning centuries and continents, the stories in this collection amount to a tour de force of literary worldbuilding. From deeply insecure time travellers to medieval mystics and futuristic body modification cults, Norminton’s characters find themselves torn between conflicting impulses – temptation and fortitude, hubris and shame, longing and regret. By turns sad, strange and darkly comic, The Ghost Who Bled reveals a master storyteller of incredible range.Trade Review'Good fiction encourages us to look at the world from another’s perspective, and in his new short story collection, Norminton explores this idea in extremis... Norminton’s host of vivid characters and minutely realised situations transfix; we can’t help but share the “bitter-almond taste of fear” of the various snares of these lives.' - The Guardian; 'This is a sublime collection of short stories by a writer whose breath-taking flexibility of style gives life to an array of different voices... Unfailingly beautiful, deceptively simple and lyrically powerful.' - The Irish Times
£9.49
Quercus Publishing Brodeck's Report: WINNER OF THE INDEPENDENT
Book SynopsisWinner of the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize 2010A murder investigation in post-war France becomes an exploration of the legacy of German occupation.From his village in post-war France, Brodeck makes his solitary journeys into the mountains to collect data on the natural environment. Day by day he also reconstructs his own life, all but lost in the years he spent in a camp during the war. No-one had expected to see him again. One day, a flamboyant stranger rides into the village, upsetting the fragile balance of everyday life. Soon he is named the Anderer, "the other", and tensions rise until, one night, the newcomer is murdered. Brodeck is instructed to write an account of the events leading to his death, but his report delivers much more than the bare facts: it becomes the story of a community coming to terms with the legacy of enemy occupation. In a powerful narrative of exceptional fascination, Brodeck's Report explores the very limits of humanity.Trade Review'A magnificent book' Le Monde. * Le Monde *'This triumph of a book serves as an unsettling reminder that there are no fairy tales and there are certainly no heroes' Buzz. * Buzz *'This extraordinary novel … deeply wise and classically beautiful … is a modern masterpiece' Helen Brown, Daily Telegraph. * Daily Telegraph *'The novel's quiet beauty and scenes of extreme poignancy make it resonate beyond its pages' Daily Telegraph. * Daily Telegraph *'The novel transforms modern history into a fable that merges Kafka and the Grimms' Boyd Tonkin, Independent. * Independent *'Original, brilliant and disturbing... a journey that goes to the heart of what it means to be human' Ruth Scurr, the Times. * The Times *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Unbelievable: Number 4 in series
Book SynopsisIn Rosewood, where the air smells like apples and Chanel No. 5, nothing is as it seems. Five best friends once shared everything - even their deepest, darkest secrets. Back then for Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily it was a dream come true ...until Alison, the most beautiful of them all, suddenly vanished. Now someone named A has turned their charmed lives into a living nightmare. With A's threats turning dangerous and Ali's killer still on the loose, the girls must uncover the truth, but will it bring an end to the horror ...or is this just the beginning?
£9.49
Candlestick Press Holly and Ivy
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£7.41
Daunt Books Life With A Star
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£999.99
Daunt Books Villa Triste
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£9.49
Hawkwood Books Inside Pale Eyes
Book SynopsisFlash Fiction : a dream noir, a fractured narrative of grey twilight where half-glimpsed figures flicker through a deserted city-scape. Connection is everything, but nobody connects.
£5.99
CB Editions Bebe
Book SynopsisA fantasia on the life of Bebe Rebozo, Cuban-American sidekick to President Richard Milhous Nixon, Bebe dives into a swamp of big dicks, bad politics and worse jokes, exploding cigars and lost episodes of I Love Lucy.
£8.54
Bluemoose Books Ltd The Handsworth Times
Book SynopsisMukesh Agarwal sits alone in the Black Eagle pub, unaware that a riot is brewing or that Billy, his youngest son, is still out on his bike ...A mile away in the family home in Church Street, Anila, one of the three Agarwal girls, is reading Smash Hits and listening to Radio One as she sprawls across the bottom bunk, oblivious to the monumental tragedy that is about to hit her family ...It is 1981 and Handsworth is teetering on the brink of collapse. Factories are closing, unemployment is high, the National Front are marching and the neglected inner cities are ablaze as riots breakout across Thatcher's fractured Britain. The Agarwals are facing their own nightmares but family, pop music, protest, unexpected friendships and a community that refuses to disappear all contribute to easing their personal pain and that of Handsworth itself.THE HANDSWORTH TIMES is a story of loss and transition, and pulling together because ultimately, there is such a thing as society.
£8.54
Holland House Books Three Days by the Sea
Book SynopsisIn the Ellis family, no-one talks about Susie but no-one can forget her - until Gina and Robert receive invitations to a family reunion by the sea in Cornwall. As the three days unfold, the stories and secrets of each character are mapped against England's changing society. The truth of Susie's disappearance over twenty years ago is gradually revealed. Three Days by the Sea is a subtle, funny and moving story of hope and renewal. With both dry, sharp humour and warmth, Helen E. Mundler unpicks the trials and tensions of family life.
£11.99
Daunt Books Lillian Boxfish Takes A Walk
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£9.49
Daunt Books Empty Houses
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£9.49
Triarchy Press The Silversnake Project
Book SynopsisAs our relationship with the world around us becomes more fragile and unpredictable, more paraded and more desperate, the role of ecogothic literature is to give voice to some of the growing fears and deepest feelings we have about our environment and climate change. The three ecogothic novellas in this collection show us individuals and societies coming apart at the seams in the face of an eerieness that is often hiding from us in plain sight. The toolkit at the end proposes walking, hypnagogic and ‘new ritual’ practices that draw on the novellas and invite refl ection and reconnection. The whole book was written and devised as part of Phil Smith’s groundbreaking research as a member of the School of Society & Culture at the University of Plymouth (UK).
£18.00
Book Brilliance Publishing A Lot of People Live in This House
Book SynopsisA Lot of People Live in This House follows Rachel as she arrives at the house on the hill alone as Job attends a meditation retreat in India for two weeks to unpack his own grief. She's greeted by housemates who smile, bring her cups of tea, and seem happy she's there. She hates it. Not long after, Job is trapped in India by a virus that's grounded just about every plane in the world. As she falls apart, her new housemates rally to find a way to get Job home. Everything Rachel thought she knew about living with others flies out the window and leaves only one remaining truth: Life can be a lot at once, but you don't have to do it alone.Trade Review"A Lot of People Live in This House challenges us to rethink what family means in these stormy times and offers hope that there are many ways to live a fulfilling life.” -Neal Baer, MD, Executive Producer of ER, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Designated Survivor and Co-Director of the Master's Degree Program in Media, Medicine, and Health at Harvard Medical School
£14.39
Daunt Books All Our Yesterdays
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£10.44
Daunt Books Lord Jim at Home
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£9.49
Daunt Books Take What You Need
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£9.49
The Conrad Press Flid
Book Synopsis'Flid' is a book about a character. A character with a disability. But forget everything you think you know about disability and meet Kevin. What follows is a moving - and sometimes comic - account of a life lived to the max. No arms, no legs - no problem! Watch as Kevin navigates his way through school, the workplace and university, _breaking barriers at every step. An optimistic and ebullient force, it is only when Kevin unexpectedly finds love again, in later years, that he is called upon to reassess a condition he has long come to accept.
£11.39
The Conrad Press The Mind of Sky
Book Synopsis‘The Mind of Sky’ is a deep and illuminating story of friendship and spiritual journeying, showing that the unlikely is always possible in the most surprising of ways. In a remote Cornish village, Valentine Sky is losing his mind, and so is his father. Haunted by an unresolved past, and joined by his companions Marx, Freud, and Woolf, Valentine is forced to take care of his dementing and bad-tempered dad, Douglas. Following the suggestion of his best friend, Valentine encounters an eccentric spiritual master, known as the Bhagwan. Will Valentine heed the teachings of the Bhagwan, and come to terms with his troubled past so that he can realise the new love he craves?
£10.44
Book Guild Publishing Ltd Where Are You Now?
Book SynopsisThis is not the Garden of Eden, but it is my patch of heaven. Steal my apples. Come and get them. When an asylum seeker is discovered sleeping rough at an allotment site, the plot-holders are alarmed and hostile. However, in secret, Walter begins to leave out food for Osama. Thus, a friendship begins on a garden bench, between a grieving widower and an asylum seeker on the run from the authorities. Walter is rooted in his home city; Osama belongs nowhere. Walter has a safe and routine life; Osama’s life is uncertain, risky and vulnerable. Walter feels powerless to help him, while at the same time he struggles to understand his own daughters and their lives. Then, one day, Walter discovers Osama is not who he says he is…
£8.54
Skein Press Why the moon travels
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£11.04
Little, Brown & Company Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took
Book SynopsisAt an all-time low after being rejected by his crush, office worker Yoshida reluctantlyagrees to take in Saya, a runaway high school girl he met on the street. Now, as theyare finally settling into their unusual living situation, Saya has a request—she wants tostart a part time job! Saya has always held back from voicing what she wants, andYoshida is overjoyed at her progress. Meanwhile, Yoshida's one-sided crush invites himto dinner, just the two of them...and now she wants to come over?!
£12.34
UoS Talking Shop Press Suffolk Reflections: An Anthology of Original
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£7.99
Hachette Les Miserables Tome 3 Gavroche (Texte abrege)
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£11.79
Fernand Nathan T'choupi: T'choupi va a la piscine
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£10.49
HarperCollins India Kismat connection
Book SynopsisIs it possible to change your fate? Madhuri Iyer is doomed. Doomed for her upcoming senior year to be a total failure, according to her astrology-obsessed mother, and doomed to a happily-ever-after with her first boyfriend, according to her family curse. Determined to prove the existence of her free will, Madhuri devises an experimental relationship with the one boy she knows she''ll never fall for. Arjun Mehta is also at the mercy of the stars, but he isn''t complaining. His astrological reading destines him for success, and he resolves to use his year of good luck to show Madhuri that they should be more than just childhood best friends. When Madhuri offers him the opportunity to be her relationship lab rat, it feels like the universe is finally on his side, so Arjun puts his heart on the line.
£10.99
World Scientific Publishing Co Pte Ltd Overwhelmed: A Tale Of Cascading Viral Outbreaks
Book SynopsisSince the start of the 21st century, the world has been experiencing numerous infectious disease outbreaks, with little time to breath between events. This fictional novel takes place in various countries across the globe that are dealing with large infectious disease outbreaks due to viruses causing yellow fever, Zika,, Ebola and COVID-19. David Ferguson, in the World Health Organization's Emergency Preparedness Division, attempts to deal with these outbreaks, but must overcome numerous logistical, political and ethical roadblocks while becoming involved in a romantic relationship with Aceline Durand, who works for Medecins Sans Frontiers.
£23.75
Mung Cha Cha Press Price's Price
Book SynopsisStanley Price has dreamt since childhood of exploring the world. But, when the army posts him to Hong Kong in the 1960s, this officer, scoundrel and rake falls for the glamour, the girls and the gung-ho attitude. Swept along and seduced by this free-wheeling city, he is sucked into a delightful vortex of beer, women and bribes. His dreams remain ever-present but out of reach. Until, that is, he falls for a young lady who could be his redemption - or his nemesis.Trade Review"The exploits of an expat, expertly told. Authentic and revealing, an enjoyable romp (or series of romps!) through colonial Hong Kong. Maden tells it like it was... with barely a nod to modern sensitivities." - Stephen Griffiths, author of Kowloon English Club (BlackSmith Books); 'A frank, funny and painfully sharp examination of expat mores and entrepreneurial excesses in late colonial Hong Kong. The narrator's youthful plans for grand expeditions turn inward when he finds himself in Hong Kong, sending him down a rabbit hole of lust and deception from which there may be no escape.' - Peter Humphreys, author of Hong Kong Rocks (Proverse); "Chris Maden stylishly evokes the clipped argot of the ex-serviceman bewildered by Chinese business practice, thieving partners, and dodgy investment brokers. He wastes no time in irrelevancies and gets us right into the heart of the matter ... And every word rings true!" - Lawrence Gray, Founder of Hong Kong Writers' Circle, Screenwriter, Director, Novelist, and now on-line game show host.
£10.30
HarperCollins Publishers Krondor Tear of the Gods
Book SynopsisBook three of The Riftwar LegacyThe final instalment of Feist's spellbinding Krondor adventure. Now in a brilliant new livery.Feist writes fantasy of epic scope, fast-moving action and vivid imagination' Washington PostA drop in the ocean?A raid upon the high seas signals an attack of unprecedented magnitude by the forces of darkness. For the holiest of holies, the Tear of the Gods has been lost to the Temple of Ishap. After a raid planned by Bear, one of the most brutal pirates to sail the Bitter Sea, goes dramatically wrong, the colossal gems sink below the waves.So begins a story of the Tear of the Gods, the most powerful artifact known to the Temples of Midkemia. For it allows the temples to speak with their gods. Without it, they are lost for a decade, until another gem is formed in the distant mountains.Squire James, William, and Jazhara, new court magician, must seek out the location of this gem, with Brother Solon, a warrior priest of Ishap, and Kendaric, the sole member of the Wreckers' Guild with the power to raise the ship. They are opposed by the minions of Sidi, servant of the Dark God, who seeks to possess the Tear for his own ends, or to destroy it, denying it to the forces of light.This third tale in The Riftwar Legacy is a breathless race for a priceless treasure. It's a race against time, against the myriad sinister and competing evil forces desperate for the all-powerful prize, and ultimately against the fundamentals of nature, which in Midkemia can be as formidable as the Gods themselvesTrade ReviewPraise for Raymond E. Feist: 'File under guilty pleasure'Guardian 'Get in at the start of a master's new series'Daily Sport 'Well-written and distinctly above average… intelligent… intriguing.'Publishers Weekly ' Epic scope…vivid imagination…a significant contribution to the growth of the field of fantasy.'Washington Post
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Kick Back
Book SynopsisThe second gripping thriller in the Kate Brannigan series, from No.1 Sunday Times bestseller Val McDermid.No one can plot or tell a story like McDermid' ExpressPI Kate Brannigan is hired to investigate a series of strange financial scams across Manchester. At first it looks like a discrepancy with the paperwork, but the deeper Kate digs, the murkier the case becomes.Before long she's up to her neck in crooked land deals and murder and her own life is on the lineTrade Review‘Kate Brannigan deserves promotion to the top rank, alongside Kinsey Millhone and V.I. Warshawski. Plot, characterization, pace are all first-rate, and Brannigan is one of the most likeable of all today’s PIs’Sunday Telegraph ‘A satisfying range of villains, Manchester and its environs turn deeply sinister and Brannigan toughs and wisecracks her way to a solution.’The Times Praise for Val McDermid: 'No one rivals Val McDermid’s skill at writing truly terrifying thrillers’ Good Housekeeping ‘The real mistress of psychological gripping thrillers' Daily Express 'McDermid's capacity to enter the warped mind of a deviant criminal is shiveringly convincing' The Times ‘Val McDermid is undoubtedly the queen of British crime’ Observer 'McDermid’s expertly juggled plotlines and masterful handling of pace and tension tick all the best boxes’ Guardian ‘The queen of crime is still at the top of her game’ Independent ‘One of today’s most accomplished crime writers’ Literary Review ‘Her writing is never less than excellent’ Crime Time
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Mothers and Daughters From the Sunday Times
Book SynopsisA sweeping family drama of old secrets and new beginningsA satisfying treat' Adele Parks, PlatinumA compelling family drama' Sarah MorganWise and warm with plenty of twists and turns' Rachel HoreEmotional and uplifting'Veronica HenryCaptivating and vivid' Miranda DickinsonEven happy families have their secretsAnchor House is the coastal home where Naomi and her husband raised their two girls. Now widowed, Naomi is building a new life alone, but the arrival of Ellis next door is bringing some long-awaited fun back too.Naomi's daughters are very different: Martha is determined and driven like her father, while Willow is a free spirit. The three women have always been close, but that doesn't mean they don't have secrets of their own. There are things Naomi has kept from her girls, like the fact that her marriage to their father wasn't quite what it seemedThe Sunday Times bestselling author Erica James returns with this gloriously compelling tale of mothers and daughters, secrets and love.Trade Review Praise for Mothers and Daughters: ‘A beautifully written story that examines the wonderful intimacy between mothers and daughters … a satisfying treat of a novel’ Adele Parks, bestselling author in Platinum ‘A brilliant read. A compelling family drama, full of twists and turns. Completely absorbing’ Sarah Morgan, bestselling author of The Christmas Escape ‘Wise and warm with plenty of twists and turns, you'll love this engrossing family story’ Rachel Hore, bestselling author of A Beautiful Spy ‘You’ll be swept away then brought gently back to harbour in this beautiful portrait of a family and its multigenerational secrets. Emotional and uplifting, it unfolds in the most glorious coastal setting – delightful!’ Veronica Henry, bestselling author of The Impulse Purchase ‘A wonderfully compelling family drama that deftly touches upon some serious issues. Her characterisation is excellent, the setting beautiful and the slow reveals are delicately and sensitively handled. In this warm, escapist and utterly uplifting read, she’s on top form’ Sunday Express ‘Surprising and reassuringly wise, captivating and vivid, beautiful and authentic … Achingly wonderful, peerless storytelling with heart, soul and gentle wisdom – I adored this book’ Miranda Dickinson, bestselling author of Our Story ‘A brilliant and gripping family drama … full of heart – and plenty of drama – this is a brilliantly observational look at the complexities of family life’ My Weekly ‘Deliciously immersive … tracing the complex emotions and dangerous undercurrents that lie beneath the deceptively smooth surface of family life’ Iona Grey, author of The Glittering Hour ‘Glorious … a real treat’ Sunday Post ‘With Mother’s Day just around the corner, we can’t think of a better book to get stuck into … a captivating read’ OK!
£8.99
Cornerstone Highland Fling
Book Synopsis_________________Thank goodness for Katie Fforde, the perfect author to bring comfort in difficult times. She really is the queen of uplifting, feel good romance.' AJ PEARCE_________________A change of scene or a change of heart?When your boyfriend calls you impulsive, what do you do? If you're Jenny Porter, you dash off to Scotland determined to save a failing textile mill, of course.That's how Jenny finds herself having awkward encounters with the abrasive but disconcertingly attractive Ross Grant.And then, just as things between Jenny and Ross develop into something more interesting, her boyfriend Henry arrives in Scotland.Should she do the sensible thing and follow Henry back to London? Or might her Highland adventure be more than just a fling?_________________The whole world loves Katie Fforde''s work:''Like a good wedding, it will leave Trade ReviewThe ideal summer read * Choice *The romance fizzes along with good humour and is a good, fat, summery read * Sunday Mirror *Old-fashioned romance of the best sort … funny, comforting * Elle *
£9.49
Orion Publishing Co Jillian
Book SynopsisFrom the author of the ''great'' (Dolly Alderton), ''terrific'' (Zadie Smith) The New Me, comes a subversive, hilarious portrait of two colleagues, each more like the other than they would care to admit.''Wretchedly riveting'' Jia Tolentino, New Yorker''Butler is an essential contemporary voice'' Literary Hub''A master of writing about work and its discontents'' The MillionsMegan is only twenty-four but her life feels like a dead end. Working as a gastroenterologist''s receptionist and resenting the success and happiness of her friends, the only thing that makes her feel better is obsessively critiquing the behaviour of her colleague, Jillian. A grotesquely optimistic thirty-five-year-old single mother, Jillian''s chirpy positivity obscures her mounting struggles - until her downfall is precipitated by the purchase of a dog . . .''Outrageous and amusing ... reads like rubTrade ReviewOutrageous and amusing ... reads like rubbernecking or a junk-food binge, compelling a horrified fascination and bleak laughter * Kirkus *Wretchedly riveting * New Yorker *Butler is an essential contemporary voice * Literary Hub *Butler is an extremely sharp-eyed satirist, and the books are very funny, especially on the deadening banalities of office life -- Alex Clark * Guardian *A master of writing about work and its discontents * The Millions *The funniest book I've read in a long time, but also one of the most important ones * The Rumpus *The feel-bad book of the year ... sublimely awkward and hilarious * Chicago Tribune *Few authors capture the acidic angst of downtrodden millennials like Butler * The Huffington Post *
£9.49
Grey Tiger The Rotten Oasis
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£5.99
Eye Books In the Beginning
Book SynopsisFrom the author of The End of the World is Flat. The Terg wars are over. Now meet the Yerfs. 'Brilliant! Perfectly captures both the absurdity and horror of this madness' - Gareth Roberts When Tara Farrier returns to the UK after a long spell as an aid worker in war-torn Yemen, she’s hoping for a well-deserved rest. But a cultural battleground has emerged while she’s been away, and she’s unprepared for the sensitivities of her new colleagues at an international thinktank. A throwaway reference to volcanic activity millions of years ago gets her into hot water and she discovers she belongs to the group reviled by fashionable activists as ‘Young Earth Rejecting Fascists’, or ‘Yerfs’. Faster than she can say ‘Tyrannosaurus Rex’, she is at the centre of a gruelling legal drama. In the keenly awaited follow-up to his acclaimed The End of the World is Flat, Simon Edge stabs once again at modern crank beliefs and herd behaviour with stiletto-sharp satire.Trade Review'Brilliant! Totally gripping, perfectly capturing both the absurdity and horror of this madness. I laughed out loud lots and I got quite emotional - with both anger and joy' Gareth Roberts, author of Gay Shame; 'The world is not beyond satire. I know this thanks to Simon Edge' Jonathan Kay, Quillette
£9.49
Eye Books Ms Demeanor
Book Synopsis'A joyride with a potent dose of wry social commentary' New York Times 'I never miss one of Elinor Lipman's funny, delightful novels' Judy Blume Jane Morgan is a valued member of her law firm - or was, until a prudish neighbour, binoculars poised, observes her having sex on the roof of her Manhattan apartment building. Police are summoned, and a judge sentences her to six months of home confinement. With Jane now jobless and rootless, trapped at home, life looks bleak. Yes, her twin sister provides support and advice, but mostly of the unwelcome kind. So when a doorman lets slip that Jane isn't the only resident of her building wearing an ankle monitor, she strikes up a friendship with fellow white-collar felon Perry Salisbury. As she tries to adapt to her new circumstances, she discovers she hasn't heard the end of that nosy neighbour - whose past isn't as decorous as her snitching would suggest. Why are police knocking on Jane's door again? Might her house arrest have a silver lining? Can two wrongs make a right?Trade Review'Charm and clever high jinks with a potent dose of wry social commentary. It's not every day that a reader gets to root for an unrepentant middle-aged woman. Lipman makes this envelope-pushing feel like a joyride - but don't be fooled by all the fun. Barriers are being broken. That a scandalous woman's happy ending feels so inevitable turns out to be its own triumph - as much a clap back to sexism as a celebration of guiltless pleasure' New York Times; 'I never miss one of Elinor Lipman's funny, delightful novels' Judy Blume author of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Deenie, and Blubber; 'I love the wit, lightness of touch, dry, wry humour and optimism of Elinor Lipman's writing' Marian Keyes author of Watermelon, Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married, This Charming Man (2008); 'Ms. Demeanor is a complete and utter delight. Of course it is. What Elinor Lipman novel isn't?' Richard Russo, author of Empire Falls and Chances Are...; 'Who knew house arrest could be sexy and fun? Not me, at least not until I read Ms. Demeanor. Written with Elinor Lipman's signature wit and charm, this breezy, engrossing novel tells the story of two people who make the most of their shared confinement' Tom Perrotta author of Election and Little Children; 'Best Lipman work yet! When a neighbour's complaint about consensual al fresco sex turns into house arrest and a suspended legal licence, Jane's recipe for survival involves cooking for another home-arrested tenant (could this be a match made in confinement?) while trying to figure out the whys and hows of her mysterious accuser. Filled with food, family, romance and intrigue, Lipman's novel cooks up a bounty of delights as sparkling as prosecco and as deeply satisfying and delicious as a five-star meal' Caroline Leavitt author of Cruel Beautiful World and With or Without You; 'Lipman, a master chef of literary romantic comedy, cooks up a deliciously entertaining story whose ingredients include wit, sass, sex, and social satire. Ms. Demeanor is Lipman's fourteenth novel and one of her best' Wally Lamb author of She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True
£9.49
Saraband Miss Blaine's Prefect and the Vampire Menace
Book SynopsisFifty-something librarian Shona is a proud former pupil of the Marcia Blaine School for Girls, but has a deep loathing for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, which she thinks gives her alma mater a bad name. Impeccably educated and an accomplished martial artist, linguist and musician, Shona is personally selected by Marcia Blaine herself to travel back in time for an important mission in fin-de-siecle France. But Shona finds this mission very confusing. Why, for example, have so many people been torn to death by wild animals, what are Maman and the mayor up to, and is the reclusive aristocrat really suffering from toothache? It's a race against time to solve the mystery. It is also a very tall order - but as Shona is wont to remind herself: Never underestimate a librarian!Trade ReviewComedy Women in Print prize 2020: LONGLISTED; “Audacious … witty and fun.” Alastair Mabbott, Herald; “Effortlessly blends together a number of genres … Smart, funny and all-round good company, wherever Shona goes, readers will eagerly follow.” Rhona Shennan, Scotsman; “Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Vampire Menace is a marvellous romp through history, myth, and legend, and delights by playing with all of these … often impish and wry … rip-roaring, genuinely thrilling, and laugh-out-loud funny.” Alistair Braidwood, Scots Whay Hae; “The plot is engaging and keeps you turning the page … it is the journey itself that is the reward. Highly recommended.” Undiscovered Scotland; “I couldn’t wait to be reunited with this character. I utterly love her company. So funny, so brisk, and above all, so well educated! More, more, more, please.” Lynne Truss; “Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Vampire Menace is so clever, hugely enjoyable and absolutely hilarious.” Portobello Book Blog; “The genius of Olga Wojtas’ writing is that she is able to combine fact and fiction to delightful effect. Wojtas wears her erudition very lightly and uses it to charm and delight the reader in a whole host of laugh out loud moments … Folklore, legends and historical figures are all used to fabulous effect in a magnificent time-travelling oeuvre that delights and entertains … the sheer brio and delicacy of her writing is a real joy to read. It’s warm, original, funny and irredeemably Scottish without losing its wider appeal.” Live and Deadly; “Witty and enjoyable … well-paced [with] relentless adventure … original, unique.” Jane Hunt Writer blog; “A thoroughly enjoyable romp.” York Press: Book of the Week Praise for Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Golden Samovar: Crimefest Last Laugh Prize 2019, SHORTLISTED; Comedy Women in Print Prize 2019, LONGLISTED; a Kirkus top 10 title of 2018; “A delightful addition to the ranks of comic crime.” Laura Wilson, Guardian (Pick of the Month); “Jane Austen stylings and Stella Gibbons satirical wit.” Scotsman; “Like being trapped inside a Marx Brothers’ film.” David Robinson; “The crème de la crème of crime fiction debuts.” Al Guthrie (author & agent); “Absolutely delightful ... perfect for fans of Jasper Fforde.” Library Journal (starred review); “Marvellous... [a] laugh-out-loud farce.” Publishers Weekly (starred review); “Anna Karenina written by P.G. Wodehouse.” Linda Cracknell
£8.54
Eye Books Dead Writers in Rehab
Book SynopsisThis is a love story. It's for anyone who loves writing and writers. It's also a story about the strange and terrible love affair between creativity and addiction, told by a charming, selfish bastard who finally confronts his demons in a place that's part Priory, part Purgatory, and where the wildest fiction can tell the soberest truth.
£11.69
Oneworld Publications Orchid & the Wasp
Book Synopsis‘A gem of a novel’ Elle ‘A winning debut’ The New Yorker ‘Caoilinn Hughes is a massive talent.’ Anthony Doerr, Pulitzer Prizewinning author of All the Light We Cannot See WINNER OF THE COLLYER BRISTOW PRIZE * SHORTLISTED FOR THE BUTLER LITERARY AWARD * SHORTLISTED FOR THE HEARST BIG BOOK AWARDS 2019 * LONGLISTED FOR THE AUTHORS' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD * LONGLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2020 Orchids are liars. They use pheromones to lure wasps in to become unwitting pollinators. In nature, such exploitative systems are rare. In society, they are everywhere. Gael Foess is a heroine of mythic proportions. Raised in Dublin by single-minded, careerist parents, she learns from an early age how ideals and ambitions can be compromised. When her father walks out during the 2008 crash, her family falls apart. Determined to build a life-raft for her loved ones, Gael sets off for London and New York, proving how little it takes to game the system - but is it really exploitation if the loser isn't aware of what he's losing? Written in electric, heart-stopping prose, Orchid & the Wasp is a dazzlingly original novel about gigantic ambitions and social upheaval, chewing through sexuality, class and politics with joyful, anarchic fury, announcing Caoilinn Hughes as a rising star of literary fiction.Trade Review‘Highly ambitious… Kick-ass, whip-smart and with “a tongue like a catapult”, Gael belongs to a venerable tradition of feisty heroines…readers are going to love her.’ * Sunday Times *‘Fiercely bright and moves like a bullet train.’ * Sebastian Barry, Costa Book of the Year-winning author of Days Without End *‘A remarkable, propulsive debut novel... No precis can adequately convey the novel’s startling, impressionistic prose, nor its corrosive humour. Jewels of observation glitter amid the earthy gags... Exuberant... it zings with energy, ambition and daring.’ * Times Literary Supplement *‘Ireland produces a new literary star at a rate of one a month, it seems; first among equals for 2018, however, has to be Caoilinn Hughes.’ * Irish Echo *'Original, clever, and frequently very funny. Hughes's luminescence is staggering, breezing a determined young Gael from Dublin to London to New York and back again with scarcely a breath drawn. Brilliant.' * Irish Independent, Best Books of 2018 *‘Hugely ambitious and richly inventive.’ * Irish Examiner *‘Orchid & the Wasp is a gorgeous novel told in an onrush of wit and ferocity. Art-forging, smack-talking, long-distance-running Gael Foess, three times smarter than everyone around her, proves to be an unforgettable heroine, and her journey will rattle your most basic assumptions about money, ambition, and the nature of love. Caoilinn Hughes is a massive talent.’ * Anthony Doerr, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All the Light We Cannot See *‘A gem of a debut about the way we live now.’ * Elle *‘Luminous…sparkles with acuity and concision.... [Gael] is an indomitable, highly adaptable character who can navigate through tumultuous times and wildly disparate environments with ingenuity and grit.’ * Los Angeles Review of Books *‘Extraordinary… It's a mesmeric, immersive, often hilarious reading experience, driven by the force of the imagery-rich writing and the cast of distinctive characters… Asking complicated questions about meritocracy, Hughes explores the relationship between art and capitalism, art and ownership, art and authenticity, art and the gatekeepers of art.’ * Irish Independent *‘Orchid & the Wasp is this year's Conversations with Friends... Ambitious, full-bodied and fresh. Hughes casts her unique gaze, her artistic, analytical and emotional intelligence, on us, not just in Ireland, but our capitalist world and the personal, political and social ramifications implicit in our acquiescence to, or indeed, championing of, its values. Bring Gael back, please.’ * Irish Times *‘Orchid & the Wasp is an ambitious, richly inventive and highly entertaining account of the way we live now. Caoilinn Hughes writes with authority and insight, and her novel is as up-to-date as tomorrow's financial-page headlines.’ * John Banville, Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Sea *‘Caoilinn Hughes is the real thing – an urgent, funny, painstaking and heartfelt writer. Orchid & the Wasp is a startling debut full of the moral complexity, grief and strange bewilderments of humanity. As the world spins ever more quickly in response to the demands of grifters, parasites and liars, this book offers a troubling, beautiful and wise response.’ * A. L. Kennedy, Costa Prize-winning author of Day and Serious Sweet *‘A winning debut novel… Hughes, a poet, touches the prose with a comic wand… Orchid and the Wasp delivers a fantasy of competence, the kind that is in dialogue, if not always complete agreement, with morality.’ * Katy Waldman, The New Yorker *‘You won't forget Gael Foess.’ * NPR *‘Dazzling, heady fiction. Hughes is an award-winning poet and it’s barely concealable. She simply dances on the page, her imagination is riotous, her flawed characters have shape and colour and sometimes heartbreaking humanity. When I finished this book I wanted to return to the start. Immediately. Just to savour it all again.’ * Sunday Independent *‘A razor-sharp wit and an astonishing psychological and emotional perceptiveness combine to yield uncommonly rich portraiture in this bracing book by a deadly talented writer, in prose so refined one slows to savour each beautifully unfolding sentence. Unsentimental, yet sneakily moving and given to surprising bouts of joy.’ * Matthew Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of We Are Not Ourselves *‘Luminous…sparkles with acuity and concision... [Gael] is an indomitable, highly adaptable character who can navigate through tumultuous times and wildly disparate environments with ingenuity and grit.’ * Yoona Lee, LA Review of Books *'Smart, weird and sexy.' * Readings, Australia *‘Extraordinary... This is a difficult novel to do justice to, for it is brimming with ideas, and the pace of their arrival and quality of their treatment is noteworthy... Orchid represents an exciting first step into prose for Caoilinn Hughes.' * Oxford Review *‘This arch début novel's...satiric impulse — toward art-world hypocrisy, late capitalism, heterosexual love — is unsparing and ambitious.’ * The New Yorker *‘Orchid & the Wasp is a hugely entertaining novel full of wit, intellect and sharp observations. Reading about a young female character who is not beset by the stereotypical problems that beset a person her age is refreshing... Caoilinn Hughes is definitely one to watch.’ * RTE Culture Magazine *‘Hughes delivers a compelling exploration of what it means to create art, skewering the arbitrary restrictions of art-world gatekeepers along the way. At the emotional heart of this book lies a darker question, though: What does it mean to make a performance of your own life, in service of your family, when the cost might be to lose them forever? As strange, musical, and carefully calculated as its unusual heroine.’ * Kirkus *‘From first glances looks like it might be the smart, funny, scathing and profound take on the whole Celtic Tiger madness we’ve been waiting for.’ * Fintan O'Toole *‘A remarkable debut novel... intellectual fiction that provides a bracing and occasionally withering account of upper echelon Irish life.’ * Sunday Business Post *'The people around me must be just about sick of hearing me rave about this book. I believe Caoilinn Hughes is in the early stages of a career that will see her lauded more and more in decades to come. Reading this book in 2018 was like a slap in the face, reminding me that the rules of fiction can always be rewritten... I don’t know if it made me want to write fiction or give up before I ever started, because she’s just that good.' * Bri Lee, author of Eggshell Skull *‘Beautiful and breathtaking language [is] peppered throughout this wonderful novel... It’s funny as hell in places and the characters will stick with you long after you’ve finished the final page. It’s nothing short of brilliant.’ * Rick O'Shea, RTE broadcaster *‘A supremely funny and uncommonly visual novel by Caoilinn Hughes in that rich comic seam where precocious youth confronts derilect adulthood. A lifetime's supply of witty comebacks in a book that reinvents how everything is described.’ * Rónán Hession, author of Leonard and Hungry Paul *‘Caoilinn Hughes’ sharp and, at times, hilarious observations call to mind the unblinking writing and dysfunctional families not only of Jane Austen, but also Christina Stead and Jonathan Franzen. The full cast of characters is memorable and original, but Gael in particular challenges and charms. Orchid & the Wasp is a deceptively entertaining novel about merit and ambition, society and responsibility, and self-determination and fate, in which Hughes upends expectations and asks big questions, especially about obligation and love, without breaking stride, even for a moment.’ * Readings Monthly *‘Fresh, playful and exuberant: Hughes has arrived with a heady style that is full of surprise and invention.’ * Paul Lynch, Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year-winning author of Grace *‘Debut novelist Hughes, an award-winning poet, employs wry, crackling prose to proffer existential questions about what constitutes a meaningful life... This inventive book will entice readers who prefer the ambiguity of questions to the simplicity of answers.’ * Library Journal *‘Gael, the young heroine of Orchid & the Wasp, is a magnificent and assured creation, breathtakingly smart, never self-pitying, impossible for others to manage, my favorite discovery this year. Hughes' characters are rare, like no one you've read before. This is an entirely original novel, dazzling and beautiful, disturbingly cold and insistent.’ * David Vann, author of Legend of a Suicide *‘An ambitious and lyrical debut with an unforgettable heroine.’ * Largehearted Boy *‘Caoilinn Hughes’s debut novel, Orchid & the Wasp, has the fluid gait of something alive… At once exuberant and incisive, Hughes’s writing escapes simple characterization while somehow remaining welcoming… This is not simply a coming-of-age tale, nor is it an experiment in narrative philosophy. What is it, then? I’m not sure, other than that it’s something new.’ * Taylor Lannamann, Tin House *‘[A] visceral and electrifying debut… In Gael, Hughes has created a mesmerizing and compelling force.’ * Booklist *‘A dark but highly amusing coming-of-age story... Prize-winning Irish poet, Caoilinn Hughes has written a stunningly ambitious debut novel, revealing a considerable talent. If this is a beginning, she is destined for literary greatness.’ * Bookjotter *‘Orchid & the Wasp is a tremendously engaging novel, brimming with sparky humour and astute observations. Caoilinn Hughes' prose fizzes with wit and intelligence. A joy to read.’ * Danielle McLaughlin, Saboteur Award-wining author of Dinosaurs on Other Planets *‘The excellent debut novel from Irish poet Caoilinn Hughes sees a compelling female protagonist navigate social upheaval in the wake of the financial crisis, as well as dealing with a complex family life… Orchid & the Wasp is the antithesis of the Irish coming-of-age story. Far removed from the tale of a young girl learning Catholic guilt before shrugging it off, Hughes upended it right from the first page… The novel also has a Franzenesque flair for showing the interconnectedness of western society.’ * Hot Press *‘In lush, envy-inducing prose we’re introduced to Gael Foess, the spikiest adult-in-training since Lolita, who has parents worthy of a Roald Dahl novel, in their poor caretaking efforts and self-absorption. We can only hang on in wonder as we witness the savvy Gael’s progression through life from such beginnings. Caoilinn Hughes’ crafted, intricate language is a joy and her characters strut their many flaws with panache. Orchid & the Wasp is an up-to-the-minute, radiant debut from a deeply talented writer.’ * Nuala O’Connor, author of Miss Emily *‘Caoilinn Hughes has given us an unforgettable character in Gael – an unflinchingly wise and wise-cracking guide through our fractured times. Hers is a story that holds the fun-house mirror to the society we have built of greed and twisted finance. From the doomed Irish boom to the Occupy movement, the novel lays bare the impoverished spirit that led to economic collapse while providing us a path out of it. By turns poetic, hilarious and raw, this novel gives us hope that love and the retrieval of spirit are not only achievable, but worth pursuing to the very last sentence.’ * Ana Menéndez, Pushcart Prize-winning author of In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd *‘Though the stories she tells work their way through elaborate worlds, it is her characters, detailed with sharp and subtle grace, which power the engine of Caoilinn Hughes's vivid prose.’ * Amelia Gray, author of Isadora and Gutshot *‘Hughes is an exciting writer who has rightfully attracted a lot of buzz for her debut, and this is sure to be one of my novels of the year.’ * Bookish Beck, blogger review *‘The novel showcases Hughes's talent as both a shrewd student of character and an astute observer of contemporary life...[introducing] one of those literary characters whose life is so vividly depicted it's easy to imagine it continuing beyond the last page of this refreshingly honest novel.’ * Shelf Awareness *'Sensational' -- Marie Claire (France)
£8.54
Orenda Books Turbulent Wake
Book SynopsisAs a young man comes to terms with his father’s death, he is forced to face his own demons, and confront the possibility of change… A stark, eye-opening and exquisitely poignant novel spanning the globe and probing the issues that define our times, by the author of the critically acclaimed Claymore Straker series… ‘This is a remarkably well-written, sophisticated novel in which the people and places all come alive on the page…’ Literary Review ‘Searing … at times achieves the level of genuine poetry’ Publishers Weekly ____________________ Ethan Scofield returns to the place of his birth to bury his father. Hidden in one of the upstairs rooms of the old man’s house he finds a strange manuscript, a collection of stories that seems to cover the whole of his father’s turbulent life. As his own life starts to unravel, Ethan works his way through the manuscript, trying to find answers to the mysteries that have plagued him since he was a child. What happened to his little brother? Why was his mother taken from him? And why, in the end, when there was no one else left, did his own father push him away? Swinging from the coral cays of the Caribbean to the dangerous deserts of Yemen and the wild rivers of Africa, Turbulent Wake is a bewitching, powerful and deeply moving story of love and loss … of the indelible damage we do to those closest to us and, ultimately, of the power of redemption in a time of change. ____________________ ‘The quality of Hardisty’s writing and the underlying truth of his plots sets this above many other thrillers’ West Australia ‘Turbulent Wake is moving, it caused me to ache deep inside … a rather beautiful read’ LoveReading ‘The writing is sublime! So different from the Claymore Straker series but just as compelling – a round-the-world journey through a lifetime of regrets. Wow!’ Off-the-Shelf Books ‘If you like literary fiction with heart then you MUST read the stunning Turbulent Wake – powerful, evocative, profound; I savoured every word’ Karen Cole ‘A truly beautiful story … what a special book this is’ Jen Med’s Book Reviews ‘Evocative, compelling, a pull-at-your-heartstrings page turning read! A book that you will absorb into your very soul! Go and get a copy today!’ Crime Book Junkie ‘Powerful, evocative, profound; I savoured every word’ Hair Past a Freckle ‘Compelling and inspiring, it is an adventure, a journey, a exploration of life, a fascinating novel’ Swirl & Thread ‘Heartbreaking, honest, wonderful. This novel needs to be read by many, so they can see what damage they cause’ Steph’s Book Blog Praise for Paul E. Hardisty ‘A stormer of a thriller – vividly written, utterly tropical, totally gripping’ Peter James ‘A fast-paced action thriller, beautifully written’ Tim Marshall, author of Prisoners of Geography ‘Hardisty is a fine writer and Straker is a great lead character’ Lee Child ‘A trenchant and engaging thriller that unravels this mysterious land in cool, precise sentences’ Stav Sherez, Catholic Herald ‘Gripping and exciting … the quality of Hardisty’s writing and the underlying truth of his plots sets this above many other thrillers’ West Australian ‘Beautifully written, blisteringly authentic, heart-stoppingly tense and unusually moving’ Paul Johnston ‘The plot burns through petrol, with multiple twists and turns’ Vicky Newham
£8.54
Bonnier Books Ltd The Divorcees
Book Synopsis'LOVED it. Tightly-plotted elegance, 50s glamour and suspense. Put it on your lists' Jessie Burton'Excellent . . . riveting to the last page' The Times'Filled with evocative period detail and populated with an intriguing tapestry of beautifully drawn characters' Observer'As stylish as it's cover, with razor sharp prose and an atmosphere simmering with tension, I have savoured every word' Jennie Godfrey, author of The List of Suspicious Things'Refreshing . . . Heartbreaking' New York Times'A stunning debut. Tense, dark, and richly layered' Katy Hays'Dark and compelling. Fans of Lessons In Chemistry will adore it' RedLois Saunders thought that marrying the right man would finally cure her loneliness. But as picture-perfect as her husband is, she is suffocating in their loveless marriage. In 1951, though,
£15.29
