Contemporary Fiction Books

Book Synopsis'[A] warm and witty exploration of our hidden vulnerabilities' - Catherine Simpson Ellis’s life has crumbled without warning. Her boyfriend has fallen in love with someone else, her job’s insecure, her bank account’s empty and she has a mouthful of unreliable teeth. Forced back to her childhood home, there is little in the way of comfort. Her mum is dating a younger man (a dentist, no less) and is talking of selling the house, her sister, Lana, is furious all the time, and a distant cousin has now arrived from the States to stay with them. During a long, hot Edinburgh summer, Ellis’s world spins out of control. She’s dogged by toothache, her ex won’t compensate her for the flat and somehow she’s found herself stalking his new lover on Facebook. Will Ellis realise before it’s too late that the bite she was born with is worth preserving? 'There's a huge emotional punch packed into this deceptively light novel' - Sally Morris, Daily Mail For fans of Sally Rooney, Meg Mason and Marian Keyes.Trade Review'There's a huge emotional punch packed into this deceptively light novel ... May's darkly funny take on vulnerability, responsibility and complicated relationships promises more to come' -- Sally Morris * Daily Mail *'An agreeably light novel which is also a serious examination of human relationships ... it treats the everyday world of common experience as serious matter for fiction. This is refreshingly unusual today' -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *'Compulsively readable, darkly funny... May has a keen eye for the manifestation of emotional complexity in all human interaction and a talent for dramatising it.' -- Venezia Castro * The Skinny *'A truthful, funny, beautifully-written and compulsive read. Lynsey May dissects the everyday traps women manage to set for ourselves with forensic wit and a fine eye for detail.' -- Kirstin Innes'Instantly gripping with details that place you right there, in Ellis’s disintegrating life. Weak Teeth is an emotional exploration of the aftermath of a breakup, and how grief can linger on for years, shaping everyday decisions. A beautiful, compelling story that will stay with me.' -- Rachel Greenlaw, author'In her debut fiction novel Weak Teeth, Lynsey May pulls up the roots of trauma, both in relationships and the body. It probes what can happen when life confronts you in unmistakeable ways that force you to take back control' -- Jenni Fagan'Full of pin-sharp observations about human nature and shot through with May’s pitch black, glorious sense of humour - as well as compassion for her flawed characters - May uses the fragility of our teeth to craft a tender metaphor for the human heart. I was blindsided by the wisdom, savagery and tenderness in it' -- Lucy Ribchester, author of The Hourglass Factory'Weak Teeth is a warm and witty exploration of our hidden vulnerabilities, our unspoken disappointments, the embarrassing subtext of our lives. Sharply observed and hugely enjoyable' -- Catherine Simpson'Weak Teeth marks the debut of an individual and original new voice in Scottish writing, a book which leaves you wanting more' -- Alistair Braidwood * Scots Whay Hae! *'Comparing a story to toothache might not seem like a compliment, but for this debut coming-of-age novel about finding yourself after heartbreak, it really is' -- Lily Lindon * LoveReading *'The most striking debut of the year, an original and new voice in Scottish writing, a book that leaves you wanting more' * Snack Magazine, Top 10 Books of 2023 *'Lynsey May’s debut Weak Teeth comes with a bite that belies its title' * Sunday Post *'Explores themes of grief, family and mental illness with lightness of touch and plenty of warmth' * The Bookseller *'Weak Teeth is a fresh telling of one family's clash with grief. Packed to the neck with little chewable sentences. A wonderful read.’ -- Tish Delaney, author of The Saint of Lost Things'There are some books, some characters whose company is pure happiness. I’m thinking of Diary of a Bookseller, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, The Rosie Project, and this. The characters are endearing, the outlook is positive, the humour dry. All good stuff. Enjoyed every second' * Audiobooks Nest Reviews *'an enjoyable and thought-provoking novel that can be read at different levels depending on your preferred approach' -- Ken Lussey * Undiscovered Scotland *'a sharp, witty and warm read' * Bookmark Book Festival, Book of the Month *'an excellent debut... an emotional, darkly humorous tale of a world spinning out of control' * The List *

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Book SynopsisPresenting a diverse and dazzling collection from all over the continent, from Morocco to Zimbabwe, Uganda to Kenya. Helon Habila focuses on younger, newer writers - contrasted with some of their older, more established peers - to give a fascinating picture of a new and more liberated Africa. These writers are characterized by their engagement with the wider world and the opportunities offered by the end of apartheid, the end of civil wars and dictatorships, and the possibilities of free movement. Their work is inspired by travel and exile. They are liberated, global and expansive. As Dambudzo Marechera wrote: 'If you're a writer for a specific nation or specific race, then f*** you." These are the stories of a new Africa, punchy, self-confident and defiant. Includes stories by: 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature Winner Abdulrazak Gurnah; Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; Fatou Diome; Aminatta Forna; Manuel Rui; Patrice Nganang; Leila Aboulela; Zoë Wicomb; Alaa Al Aswany; Doreen Baingana; E.C. Osondu.

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Book SynopsisA nameless barman tends a decaying bar in Hollywood and takes notes for a book about his clientele. Initially, he is morbidly amused by watching the regulars roll in and fall into their nightly oblivion, pitying them and their loneliness. In hopes of uncovering their secrets and motives, he establishes tentative friendships with them. He also knocks back pills indiscriminately and treats himself to gallons of Jameson's. But as his tenure at the bar continues, he begins to lose himself, trapped by addiction and indecision. When his wife leaves him, he embarks on a series of squalidly random sexual encounters and a downward spiral of self-damage and irrational violence. To cleanse himself and save his soul, he attempts to escape ...

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Book SynopsisJack is a teenager who wants nothing more than to be normal - even if being normal means having divorced parents and a rather strange best friend. But when Jack's father takes him out rowing on a lake and tells his son that he's gay, nothing will ever be normal again. Out of Jack's struggle to redefine 'family', comes a work of enormous humour, charm and resonance, the most convincing, funny and insightful novel about adolescence since The Catcher in the Rye.

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Book Synopsis''The ultimate house party mystery . . . old secrets and new dangers collide in this deliciously thrilling tale'' Lisa Gardner, No.1 New York Times bestselling author''Anyone yearning for a page-turning gothic story with a big house - and a shocking family secret - at its heart should gatecrash The Perfect Guests immediately!'' Eve Chase, Sunday Times bestselling authorEight strangersOne deadly invitationWelcome to Raven Hall . . .After years of abandonment, Raven Hall has been restored to its former glory. For one night only, it is playing host to an evening of murder mystery.The guests have gathered. The roles have been cast.But someone is playing a sinister game, one with devastating consequences.And as the guests are about to discover, the truth is much darker than fiction.Raven Hall is waTrade ReviewClever and engaging. Rous creates the ultimate house party mystery. A room full of strangers - or are they? Whispers of an old tragedy - or is it? An elaborately plated dinner - until one by one the guests fall ill. Old secrets and new dangers collide in this deliciously thrilling tale -- Lisa Gardner, No.1 New York Times bestselling authorA richly atmospheric time-slip mystery with the pulse of a thriller, The Perfect Guests is deliciously evocative and absolutely spellbinding. Set up like a game of Cluedo, the story alternates between two narratives, one in the past, the other in the present, each chapter winding the tension higher as you discover the pieces you need to solve the puzzle. With vividly drawn characters, gorgeous prose, and an electric sense of place and time, I was sucked in from the very first page. The Perfect Guests is a fun and immensely satisfying treat! -- Christina McDonald, USA Today bestselling authorAnyone yearning for a page-turning gothic story with a big house - and a shocking family secret - at its heart should gatecrash The Perfect Guests immediately! -- Eve ChaseShocking revelations and murderous intentions . . . this is a party suspense fans are advised to crash * Booklist (starred review) *As seductive but secretly treacherous as Raven Hall itself, this novel delivers devour-in-a-day diversion.. Rous has upped her game with this one * Publishers Weekly *The Perfect Guests is an engaging, unsettling tale of suspense, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley * BookReporter *A large, old house with a tragic past; a murder mystery weekend turning sinister; strange games of pretend being played within a family . . . What's not to love? Gripping from start to finish, with lots of gorgeous descriptions of the Fens -- Helen Cooper, author of The Downstairs NeighbourThere's a glamorous murder-mystery weekend at the heart of this wonderfully atmospheric novel - and as the game begins, we're enmeshed in a page-turning tale full of suspense, secrets and shocking revelations. Set against the desolate landscape of the Fens and the gothic splendour of Raven Hall, The Perfect Guests is a deliciously compulsive read -- Saskia Sarginson, bestselling author of The TwinsA fabulously atmospheric setting, a cast of intriguing characters, and layer upon layer of mystery - this is a brilliant read -- C. J. Cooper, bestselling author of The Book ClubThe Perfect Guests invites readers behind the doors of Raven Hall to uncover a labyrinth of dark lies and slippery secrets. Twisty and utterly engrossing, I raced through it in one sitting and didn't stop until I reached the jaw-dropping ending -- Lindsay CameronTwisty and gripping, with a deliciously sinister murder mystery backdrop, The Perfect Guests had me utterly hooked, from its intriguing start right up until its heart-in-mouth ending. Dark, thrilling and expertly layered with secrets and suspense, it's a story you'll find impossible to put down -- Holly Miller, bestselling author of The Sight of YouThe Perfect Guests is a Gothic mystery with an intriguing sense of place and a story that slowly unfurls with sinister tension. This page-turning novel, where games are always dangerous, takes on a life of its own -- Lisa Ballantyne, Richard & Judy bestselling authorStunningly written, simmering with secrets and tension, I cannot recommend The Perfect Guests highly enough -- Jenny Ashcroft, bestselling authorSpine-chilling fun -- Morning Star

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Book SynopsisGeorge and Serena Pemberton arrive in the wilds of the North Carolina mountains to build a life together in a rural logging town. But Serena Pemberton is unlike any woman this town has ever seen: overseeing crews, hunting rattlesnakes and even saving her husband in the wilderness. So when Serena learns that she will never bear a child, she is determined that her intensely passionate marriage will not unravel. A course of events unfolds that will change the lives of everyone in their rural community and bring this riveting tale of love and revenge to its shocking reckoning.Trade ReviewA bloody - and bloody brilliant - story of passion and revenge. Terrific * * The Times * *Bitter and brilliant . . . it could sit comfortably on any bookshelf beside Cormac McCarthy or Charles Frazier . . . the plot moves with precision, beautifully wrought. The author's acute sense of place is evident on every page * * Guardian * *A stunningly effective novel that is stark, fierce, dramatic and gripping from its unforgettable opening paragraph -- Janet Maslin * * New York Times, Top Ten Books of 2008 * *It's too hypnotic to break away from. Innocent people are in peril, and calamity seems as unstoppable . . . The final chapter is as flawless and captivating as anything I've read this year * * Washington Post * *Rash's evocative rendering of the blighted landscape and the tough characters who inhabit it recalls both John Steinbeck and Cormac McCarthy, while the malignant character of Serena, who projects a "stark unflinching certainty" about her actions, propels his finely paced story * * New Yorker * *If Serena becomes famous as the basis for a coming Jennifer Lawrence-Bradley Cooper movie, never forget that it began as a fierce, breathtaking book, one of the greatest American novels in recent memory * * New York Times * *In an age when literary fiction is so intent on subtlety that it often winds up virtually inert, a novel with this much uncomplicated gusto and narrative drive is a rare thing; in the case of Serena, it's also a welcome one * * Salon * *A searing tragedy of Shakespearean proportions - or, in simpler terms, a damn good book that will keep you awake far too late and, well after you've finished it, haunt your dreams -- Julia Glass, author of THREE JUNESA gorgeous, brutal novel -- Richard Price, author of LUSH LIFE

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Book SynopsisWhat would you sacrifice for your children? Ballymor, Ireland, 1847 As famine grips the country Kitty McCarthy is left widowed and alone. Fighting to keep her two remaining children alive against all odds, Kitty must decide how far she will go to save her family. Present day Arriving in Ballymor, Maria is researching her ancestor, Victorian artist Michael McCarthy – and his beloved mother, the mysterious Kitty who disappeared without a trace. Running from her future, it’s not only answers about the past that Maria hopes to find in Ireland. As her search brings her closer to the truth about Kitty’s fate, Maria must make the biggest decision of her life. What readers are saying about The Girl from Ballymor: ‘Spellbinding!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I loved this book.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wonderful… Was hard to put it down.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Swept me away… I was totally engaged… Highly recommended.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fantastic!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘An excellent read… Compelling.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Trade Review Readers love The Girl From Ballymor! 'The two timelines were woven seamlessly and I found myself riveted with them both… I was hooked from page one' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I absolutely loved this book… It is written with such feeling and emotion' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I loved reading this book and didn't want it to end. The two timelines are woven together in a seamless way and you are hooked immediately' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I found myself gripped by this novel. Evocative writing bringing time and place fully to life. The character of Kitty remained with me long after I reached the end' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Loved it so much, it will be read again and again' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Book SynopsisFrom the USA Today bestselling author of The Marriage Lie, don''t miss this gripping thriller from Kimberly Belle, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Shari Lapena.A DREAM HOLIDAYStella and her husband Adam are on the trip of a lifetime, a three-week tour across Europe. But then the unthinkable happens. On the last day of their holiday, a Parisian café explodes with Adam inside.A SHOCKING ACCUSATIONWhat initially looks like a gas leak turns personal when the gendarmerie identify Adam as the target of the explosion, and they confront Stella with some startling allegations about her beloved husband.A RACE TO UNCOVER THE TRUTHDetermined to find out who the man she married really was, Stella follows the threads he left behind. But the more Stella discovers, the more she is forced to believe that Adam's killers might be coming for her next. Can Stella expose the truth before she becomes the next target?Praise for Kimberly BelleA smart mystery that takes readers on a wild ride. Fans of do

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Book Synopsis''A vivid depiction of how easy it is to get trapped by other people''s expectations. Full of heartbreak but also hope, I really rooted for the women in this novel.'' Louise Hare Can you ever escape your past?Cat knows she should be more grateful for her partner James. As a young woman struggling to care for her alcoholic mother, he whisked her away from the violence and addiction of her council estate home and offered her a taste of middle-class comfort.But twenty years later, the escape he offered has begun to feel stifling. Surrounded by immaculate white carpets and scented candles, everything has its place in James''s house, except it seems, Cat. She had a place to study at university after finishing school, but her mother was too unwell for Cat to take it. She begins to dream of the opportunities education could offer her.At a university open day, Cat finds herself standing before teenage boyfriend, Daniel, noTrade ReviewI devoured Ungrateful in one sitting and immediately wanted to read it again. Angela Chadwick breathes life into a complex and overlooked heroine who you will root for with every inch of you. It is clever, gripping, heartbreaking but also ultimately hopeful. I want to read this book again and again and again.' -- Cat WhiteI loved it. As soon as I started reading, I was in. Ungrateful expertly explores the physical, emotional and intellectual repercussions of being born into poverty. Yet, with such strong characters, it is very a hopeful read. -- Lynne VoyceKept me on the edge of my seat, courageously challenging mainstream conceptions of class with an empowering message for positive change. Gets hold of the working-class stereotype and smashes it to bits. -- Shaun WilsonA vivid depiction of how easy it is to get trapped by other people's expectations. Full of heartbreak but also hope, I really rooted for the women in this novel. -- Louise HareI inhaled this book! A powerful, realistic working class novel that asks if you can ever really escape from your past. I adored Cat and Bernice, recognised so much of my own life and just want to read it all over again. -- Eve AinsworthVery few heroines in contemporary fiction are as aspirational and resourceful yet torn and burdened as Catherine Brandon in Angela Chadwick's Ungrateful. With quiet clarity, Chadwick brings the undercurrents of class, race, debt and addiction to the surface, creating a vivid and fragile web of human interactions haunted by the price of self-reinvention and independence. It is a soul-questioning novel that helps us understand the currency of gratitude in our deeply imbalanced and transactional world in which to change one's life is to be indebted to someone else's. -- Kit FanAbsolutely loved Ungrateful by Angela Chadwick. I resonated with the themes in all the ways - returning to education was the best thing I ever did for myself. Tried resisting until I'd finished book 2 but I am terribly easily led & this was a total pleasure.Such a great read - so much of it touched me deeply and my own experience of starting again and struggling to feel worthy. Thank you Angela Chadwick for a beautiful read in a sunny corner -- Juno RocheAn elegy to unrealised potential, Ungrateful is a masterful exploration of class identity. Angela Chadwick navigates that liminal, cramped space between the roadblocks imposed upon us, and the ones we erect for ourselves. Compulsively readable with huge heart. -- Alex Allison

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Book SynopsisA deft parody of the American fame factory and a piercing portrait of young and old desire, WONDER BOYS is a modern classic from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of THE ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY. Grady Tripp is an over-sexed, pot-bellied, pot-smoking, ageing wunderkind of a novelist now teaching creative writing at a Pittsburgh college while working on his 2,000-page masterpiece, WONDER BOYS. When his rumbustious editor and friend, Terry Crabtree, arrives in town, a chaotic weekend follows – involving a tuba, a dead dog, Marilyn Monroe’s ermine-lined jacket and a squashed boa constrictor. A novel of elegant imagination, bold humour and undeniable warmth, WONDER BOYS firmly established Michael Chabon as a force to be reckoned with in American fiction.Trade Review‘The natural exuberance and extravagance of Chabon’s writing is matched by dazzling wit.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘A deliriously funny novel…Chabon’s elegant style, perfectly realised characters and comic vision combine to make the most enjoyable novel of the year.’ Esquire ‘A wonderfully teasing comic novel…Chabon juggles all these preoccupations with a quirky deftness he employs in his first novel.’ Independent ‘“Wonder Boys” is a superb creation, a raucously comic yet deeply lyrical work. Chabon has evolved into a seriously funny writer, a master of the comic set-up.’ Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisThis Book Will Save Your Life is an uplifting story about one man's efforts to bring himself back to life. Richard is a modern-day everyman, a middle-aged divorcee trading stocks out of his home in Los Angeles who needs no one. His life has slowed almost to a standstill until two incidents conspire to hurl him back into the world. One day he wakes up with a knotty cramp in his back, which rapidly develops into an all-consuming pain. At the same time a wide sinkhole appears outside his living-room window, threatening the foundations of his house. A vivid novel about compassion and transformation, This Book Will Save Your Life reveals what can happen if you are willing to open yourself up to the world around you. Since her debut in 1989, A. M. Homes has been among the boldest and most original voices of her generation, acclaimed for the psychological accuracy and unnerving emotional intensity of her storytelling. Her keen ability to explore how extraordinary the ordinary can be is at the heart of this touching and funny novel, which was shortlisted for the Richard & Judy Book Club in 2007.Trade ReviewA. M. Homes' new novel is weird and warm and wise and really rather wonderful -- Mark HaddonWitty and well written while in pursuit of the spirits living inside the machine * Times *Homes is excellent on the inner workings of men * Time Out *There's weird and there's dark and there are the stories of this highly original and terrifying writer ... impressive stories -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times *Makes you laugh out loud, then finally breaks your heart. That's why she has and deserves her A-list status * Independent *This book is a gentle, entertaining antidote to the over-achievements of much of modern life.It is fantstical, anti-American, anti-consumerist, anti-individualist ... it shifts your perspective on life in the most darkly entertaining way * Observer *This book is inspirational. It shows that with a little bit of courage you can change your life -- Georgia Foster * Woman Weekly *

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Book SynopsisThe thrilling saga of a man who must battle against the odds to reunite the family he has split asunder, from the Number One bestselling author Josephine Cox.Can he find his children, and the woman he loves, before everything is lost?Unable to cope with raising his children alone, Robert Sullivan abandons them to others, until he has a change of heart and decides to go back for them. But on the way there, he is involved in a horrific accident.Jack and Nancy are placed in the brutal regime of the Galloway Children''s Home, where Jack''s devotion to his sister and fiery temper land him in more trouble. The children find themselves at the mercy of the corrupt Clive Ennington, who splits them up and sells Nancy off to the highest bidder.Meanwhile Mary, Robert''s only love, is forced to seek a new life for herself. She decides to marry Paul Marshall, the handsome owner of a seaside guesthouse but her chance of happiness is threatened by his e

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Book SynopsisIt’s 1970s Ireland: Jack O’Connell saves the life of an American sailor, Troy, who repays him by unwittingly stealing the love of his life, Kate O’Rourke. Jack fights to win Kate back, but his perfect life falls apart when she dies. In the fall out, he loses custody of their son, Cathal, to his embittered sister-in-law, but many questions remain unanswered. Twenty years later, Cathal goes missing in the US and Jack is drawn back – secrets and all – into the family that ostracised him after Kate’s death. Heritage of Secrets echoes Thomas Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd in more than just the name of the American sailor, Troy, but it is unmistakeably of a new age of sexual politics in a small town that frowns on any deviation from long-established norms.

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Book SynopsisSrinivas, an elderly Brahmin, has been living in a south London suburb for thirty years. After the death of his son, and later his wife, this lonely man is befriended by an Englishwoman in her sixties, whom he takes into his home. The two form a deep and abiding relationship. But the haven they have created for themselves proves to be a fragile one. Racist violence enters their world and Srinivas's life changes irrevocably - as does his dream of England as a country of tolerance and equality. First published in 1972, The Nowhere Man depicts a London convulsed by fear and bitterness. A recent re-appraisal of her work in the Paris Review said: "With The Nowhere Man, Markandaya wrote a British state of the nation novel whose acuteness and depth of understanding , unsung at the time, resounds eerily today.' Truly shocking, The Nowhere Man is as relevant today as when it was first published almost fifty years ago.Trade Review`It's great that this lost gem has been rediscovered, and at a time when Markandaya's acute delineation of displacement, alienation, and the scapegoating of immigrants is so pertinent once again. Perhaps for a decade or two, the novel might have seemed `dated' to many, falsely believing that we inhabit a `post-racial' world. It is, in fact, a novel that will endure not only because of the depth of understanding it brings about the immigrant experience, but also because Markandaya has, in Srinivanas, created a remarkable, indelible character. Monica Ali; `It's a travesty that this novel has been erased from British and international literary history. It is just as relevant today as when it was published - perhaps even more so. It has absolutely vital things to say about England and Englishness, race and racism, identity, belonging and prejudice. It struck many chords as I read it. Anyone who loves literature and cares about diversity in our cultural life - and is perturbed by what is happening in our country today - should read it immediately.'Bidisha; `A book for our times written half a century ago is a fair definition of a classic. This brilliant if unjustly forgotten London novel combines the moral clarity of To Kill A Mockingbird with Markandaya's own understanding that words are all it takes to set a society ablaze.' Maya Jaggi; `This is a compelling, delicate portrayal of a brutalising time. A love story between a couple who defy caricature confronted by hatred rooted in stereotype. Powerful, human, engaging and appalling.' Gary Younge; `The Nowhere Man was Kamala Markandaya's favourite of all her works - no doubt because the story featured something she observed frequently in England, her adopted country: racism. By addressing that issue frontally, she paved the way for novelists like Salman Rushdie and Nadeem Aslam. The novel is a richly rewarding and compelling narrative - I will leave you to discover for yourself its hellish ending.' Charles R. Larson; With The Nowhere Man, Markandaya wrote a British state of the nation novel whose acuteness and depth of understanding, unsung at the time, resounds eerily today.' Paris Review; `Markandaya’s writing grabs hold and doesn’t let go. She weaves the reality of racial politics as a lived experience, as well as themes of community, conquest, belonging and love. Character interiority and complexity are exploited to the full, fostering empathy, even when people should be despised. Cultures clash, generations are divided by gaps, there are private and political rebellions, families are ripped apart, much goodness prevails, but when immigrants are made scapegoats, innocent people suffer. The Nowhere Man is worryingly topical in our unsettled times with hate crimes on the rise and anti-foreign sentiment stoked by the Brexit agenda. Unfortunately, Markandaya died in 2004 and isn’t around to witness renewed interest in the book she considered her greatest. Generations of readers lost out on reading this gem.’ Bernardine Evaristo, THE OBSERVER

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Book SynopsisDon''t miss the first book in the sensational new series from the number one bestselling author Santa Montefiore!''Remarkable and compelling'' JULIAN FELLOWES''Fantastic, moving and beautifully written'' TRACY REES''Enjoyable and engaging, I loved it!'' BARBARA ERSKINE''A love story to break your heart!'' LIZ FENWICK''Beautifully written, haunting and enchanting'' FIONA VALPY''Irresistible! Full of passion, love and loyalty'' CAROL KIRKWOOD''A sweeping, romantic mystery I couldn''t put down!'' ANTON DU BEKE''Original, suspenseful and intriguing, the perfect holiday read'' RACHEL HOREA FORBIDDEN LOVE. AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE...When Pixie Tate is summoned to the wild Cornish coast to unravel a curious mystery at the stately St Sidwell Manor, she knows that something quite extraordinary must be hiding in its shadows.Over one hundred years ag

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Book SynopsisAfter achieving her lifelong dream of solving a murder, Beatrice Steele feels like everything is finally falling into place. Accompanied by her ever-trusty chaperone, Miss Bolton, she''s traded her small town for London and opened a new office with prickly, annoyingly logical Inspector Drake to solve the city''s brutally thrilling crimes.However, nothing is turning out how Beatrice imagined it would. Famed gentleman inspector Sir Huxley is considered the real investigator in London, so the only cases left for Beatrice and Drake are lost pets and spectacles. Not that Beatrice has much time for crime-solving, anyways, as her mother still expects her to find an eligible husband to protect their family from destitution. That is until a string of murders thrusts Beatrice and Drake into the center of a scandal that spreads fear and chaos throughout the city. As they follow the trail through bewildering ballrooms, secretive shops, and odd operas, Beatrice must break the case--before it''s too late.

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1947, a young priest, Petter, his wife and baby daughter, arrive by mail boat at a tiny island. They are to take over its drafty homestead from where Petter is to minister to the scattered community. In this evocative tale, Ulla-Lena Lundberg draws us into the minutiae of an austere yet purposeful life where the demands of self-sufficiency - cows to milk and sheep to graze - are tempered by the kindness of neighbours. With each season, the family's love of the island grows and when the winter brings ice a new and tentative link is created. Told through the eyes of Petter, the wholehearted if naive novice priest, and Mona, his tough-minded wife, a story unfolds that is as immersive as it is heartrending. Winner of the Finlandia prize and nominated for the Nordic Critics Prize, Ice was a huge bestseller in Finland.

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Book Synopsis SELECTED FOR THE BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB WINNER OF THE MSLEXIA NOVEL COMPETITION ''Beautifully written . . . I raced through it'' HILARY MANTEL''As exquisitely and tenderly rendered as a Gainsborough painting'' TRACY CHEVALIER''Convincing, engaging, transporting'' GUARDIAN ''A wonderfully powerful and haunting novel with a hugely gripping plot'' DEBORAH MOGGACH1759, Ipswich. Sisters Peggy and Molly Gainsborough are the best of friends and do everything together. They spy on their father as he paints, they rankle their mother as she manages the books, they tear barefoot through the muddy fields that surround their home. But there is another reason they are inseparable: from a young age, Molly has had a tendency to forget who she is, to fall into confusion, and Peggy knows instinctively that no one must find out.When the family move to Bath, Thomas Gainsborough finds fame as a portrait artist, while h

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Book SynopsisAn ambitious, epic dystopian novel - part political thriller and part satire. From the Fatherland, with Love is set in an alternative, dystopian present in which the dollar has collapsed and Japan's economy has fallen along with it. The North Korean government, sensing an opportunity, sends a fleet of rebels in the first land invasion that Japan has ever faced. Japan can't cope with the surprise onslaught of Operation From the Fatherland, with Love . But the terrorist Ishihara and his band of renegade youths - once dedicated to upsetting the Japanese government - turn their deadly attention to the North Korean threat. They will not allow Fukuoka to fall without a fight. Epic in scale, From the Fatherland, with Love is laced throughout with Murakami's characteristically savage violence. It's both a satisfying thriller and a completely mad, over-the-top novel like few others. Translated by Ralph McCarthy, Charles De Wolf and Ginny Tapley Takemori, and published by Pushkin Press 'A troubled meditation on the soul of modern Japan... Alarmingly pertinent in light of current British politics... A morbidly funny comedy... Above all, it is a phenomenal feat of storytelling 700 pages, dozens of characters and scores of ideas woven into one gripping whole.' Andrzej Lukowski, Metro 'This is a novel by the other Murakami. Not Haruki... If Haruki is The Beatles of Japanese literature, Ryu is its Rolling Stones... [From the Fatherland, with Love] has a Tolstoyan cast of characters, from crack North Korean commandos and hapless Japanese bureaucrats to a gang of hoodlums who eventually decide to save Japan. It unfolds with the pace of a thriller...' David Pilling, Financial TImes 'Massively ambitious and uncompromising... prescient in unexpected ways' Joanne Hayden, Sunday Business Post ''[Mixes] the thrills of a spy novel with some national soul-searching' Lionel Barber, Financial Times, Summer Books 'Definitely edgier and darker than Haruki [Ryu Murakami] has a worldwide following and is regarded by many as one of the most thrilling writers of contemporary Japanese fiction... [He] offers a thrilling insight - with a geopolitical panoramic view - into national character, human relationships, chaos and disorder' - Tatevik Sargsyan, Hunger Magazine 'Like nothing else out there... a Japanese Tarantino... Highly addictive' Morpheus Tales Born in 1952 in Nagasaki prefecture, Ryu Murakami is the enfant terrible of contemporary Japanese literature. Awarded the prestigious Akutagawa Prize in 1976 for his first book, a novel about a group of young people drowned in sex and drugs, he has gone on to explore with cinematic intensity the themes of violence and technology in contemporary Japanese society. His novels include Coin Locker Babies, Sixty-Nine, Popular Hits of the Showa Era, Audition and In the Miso Soup. Murakami is also a screenwriter and a director; his films include Tokyo Decadence, Audition and Because of You.Trade ReviewA troubled meditation on the soul of modern Japan... Alarmingly pertinent in light of current British politics... A morbidly funny comedy... Above all, it is a phenomenal feat of storytelling 700 pages, dozens of characters and scores of ideas woven into one gripping whole. -- Andrzej Lukowski Metro This is a novel by the other Murakami. Not Haruki... If Haruki is The Beatles of Japanese literature, Ryu is its Rolling Stones... [From the Fatherland, with Love] has a Tolstoyan cast of characters, from crack North Korean commandos and hapless Japanese bureaucrats to a gang of hoodlums who eventually decide to save Japan. It unfolds with the pace of a thriller... -- David Pilling Financial Times Massively ambitious and uncompromising... prescient in unexpected ways -- Joanne Hayden Sunday Business Post [Mixes] the thrills of a spy novel with some national soul-searching -- Lionel Barber Financial Times, Summer Books ...a truly unhinged bit of satire... this long and very strange political novel by the "other" Murakami seems even more beady-eyed after Fukushima... Sunday Telegraph

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Book SynopsisVariations is the debut short story collection from one of Britain's most compelling voices, Juliet Jacques. Using fiction inspired by found material and real-life events, Variations explores the history of transgender Britain with lyrical, acerbic wit. Variations travels from Oscar Wilde's London to austerity-era Belfast via inter-war Cardiff, a drag bar in Liverpool just after the decriminalisation of homosexuality, Manchester's protests against Clause 28, and Brighton in the 2000s. Through diary entries of an illicit love affair, an oral history of a contemporary political collective; a 1920s academic paper to a 1990s film script; a 1950s memoir to a series of 2014 blog posts, Jacques rewrites and reinvigorates a history so often relegated to stale police records and sensationalist news headlines. Innovative and fresh, Variations is a bold and beautiful book of stories unheard; until now.

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Book SynopsisCan you tell a man's preference in women by the music he listens to?

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Book Synopsis‘After many years I had excised myself from the life I had led in town, just as one might cut a figure out of a landscape or group photo. Abashed by the harm I had wreaked on the picture left behind, and unsure where the cut-out might end up next, I lived a provisional existence. I did so in a place where I knew none of my neighbours, where the street names, views, smells and faces were all unfamiliar to me, in a cheaply appointed flat where I would be able to lay my life aside for a while.’ In River, a woman moves to a London suburb for reasons that are unclear. She takes long, solitary walks by the River Lea, observing and describing her surroundings and the unusual characters she encounters. Over the course of these wanderings she amasses a collection of found objects and photographs and is drawn into reminiscences of the different rivers which haunted the various stages of her life, from the Rhine, where she grew up, to the Saint Lawrence, the Hooghly, and the banks of the Oder. Written in language that is as precise as it is limpid, River is a remarkable novel, full of poignant images and poetic observations, an ode to nature, edgelands, and the transience of all things human.Trade Review‘River is an unusual and stealthy sort of book in that it’s the opposite of what it appears to be – which is a rather apt dissimulation, as it turns out. Yes, it rifles through both the rich and rank materials of the world, turning over its trinkets and its tat, in a manner that is initially quite familiar – however, this curious inventory demonstrates an eye for the grotesque and does not hold the world aloft, or in place. Here, details blur boundaries rather than reaffirming them, positing a worldview that is haunted and uncanny. Shifting through unremarkable terrain we encounter the departed, the exiled, the underneath, the other side. We are on firm ground, always; yet whether that ground is here or there, now or then, is, increasingly, a distinction that is difficult and perhaps irrelevant to make. Sea or sky, boy or girl, east or west, king or vagrant, silt or gold; by turns grubby, theatrical, and exquisite, we are closer to the realm of Bakhtin’s carnival than we are to the well-trod paths of psychogeography. Kinsky’s River does indeed force us to stop in our tracks and take in the opposite side.’ — Claire-Louise Bennett, author of Pond ‘Our narrator is an ambulant consciousness open to stimulus, like a video recorder left running. She's not searching for anything. She's just there, enduring in the company of rust, moss, dirt, cracks, puddles, half-dead grass, rubbish, wire, random bricks, concrete without purpose, the blackened ground from past bonfires, holes, fragments of fabric, plastic toys, weeds, saplings and dead animals. […] [River's] main subject is the sense of materiality, and its complement, light, that accompanies the narrator from her childhood on the Rhine through sojourns in other riparians homes-from-home, on the St Lawrence in Canada, on the Vistula in Poland. […] The form of River mirrors its content; its consciousness flows with a sense that, like water to the sea, it will one day lose itself. It is appropriately, seamlessly translated by Iain Galbraith.’ — Lesley Chamberlain, Times Literary Supplement‘Rich in atmosphere, River meanders like its liquid locales […] Iain Galbraith, who has also translated Sebald, gives River, and all its "lumber of cumbersome jetsam", a special English poetry of grunge and grime.’ — The Economist‘A magnificent novel.’ — The New Yorker

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Book SynopsisJanuary, 1939Adolf Hitler makes an infamous speech at the Reichstag threatening ''the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe''. This vile public proclamation is seized upon by his fanatical supporters who christen it ''The Führer''s Prophecy''.November, 1943A sinister plot hatched inside Block 10 of the notorious Auschwitz deathcamp is known only to a handful of Nazis as Operation Gesamtkunstwerk. It''s a plan originated by Hitler, Himmler and Mengele and now, almost eighty years later, it''s finally ready to be actioned by the direct descendants of the Führer.April, 2022As the world emerges from the Covid pandemic, an encrypted zoom call involving five participants, based across four continents, approves a plan that could have unimaginable consequences for the State of Israel. Chief Inspector Nicolas Vargas of the Buenos Aires Police Department and Lieutenant Troy Hembury of the LAPD join forces with Lea Katz, an elite Mossad agen

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Book SynopsisIris has never left the big house in the country she shares with Mammy and the servants. When The Ladies arrive, she finds that she must appease her dead relatives. Other stories in this collection explore themes of motherhood and the fragile body, family dynamics and small town tensions, unusual traditions and metamorphosis. Dead Relatives and Other Stories is the highly anticipated, no-holds-barred short story collection from Lucie McKnight Hardy, and readers can expect more of the suspense and trepidation evident in her debut novel, Water Shall Refuse Them. Not for the faint-hearted, Dead Relatives invites you behind closed doors, and will leave you wondering if it's better that they're kept shut and firmly locked.Trade ReviewLucie McKnight Hardy's writing is compulsively and exquisitely horrifying. - Naomi Booth

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Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES BEST BOOK OF 2024''More fun and wild than you could hope'' Telegraph''A pacy read perfect for this summer'' Mail on SundayAs Tory drawers are caught down yet again, the Opposition takes the chance to pull up its socks.Prime Minister Eric Courtenay, fresh from another scandal, realises he has his work cut out when the Labour offensive kicks off with the charismatic Vicky Tennyson and handsome Christian Eccles at the helm, both dead set on an end to Conservative rule.The desperate Tories resort to hiring maverick strategist Callum Gallagher to get them out of a fix. Gallagher''s methods are unusual in the extreme and kept from his employers. As he and his data geeks sieve through the red-hot web searches of the unsuspecting electorate, it becomes clear that sex sells. Everyone''s at it, but the question is whose fantasy will win the big role play?To top it all, the Houses of Parliament are in desperate need of repair, but everyone''s too busy thinking about ballot boxes and throbbing majorities to care. If WHIPS got you hot under the collar, Cleavage will have you begging for more.

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Book Synopsis''A must for Tudor fans everywhere'' Tracy Borman''Thrilling, captivating . . . unforgettable'' Kate Williams''A gripping story that''s underpinned by a wealth of research . . . this is Alison Weir at her best'' Nicola TallisSunday Times bestselling novelist Alison Weir returns with the spellbinding story of Mary I.A DESTINY REWRITTEN. A ROYAL HEART DIVIDED.Adored only child of Henry VIII and his Queen, Katherine of Aragon, Princess Mary is raised in the golden splendour of her father''s court. But the King wants a son and heir.With her parents'' marriage, and England, in crisis, Mary''s perfect world begins to fall apart. Exiled from the court and her beloved mother, she seeks solace in her faith, praying for her father to bring her home. But when the King does promise to restore her to favour, his love comes with a condition.The choice Mary faces will haunt her for years to come - in her all

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Book SynopsisAn existential journey, a tragic farce, a slapstick tragedy: a shockingly original debut novel about exile, diaspora and the search for Black refuge

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Book SynopsisA 'deeply felt and achingly intimate' (Annie Lord) debut novel about the complexities of gender, power, race and fame for readers of Sheena Patel's I'm A Fan and Madeleine Grey's Green DotI made up my mind to meet you. Your book had cast a spell on me the previous night. What better way to stay spellbound than to orbit the magician? You write your favourite author a fan letter and he writes back. An intoxicating, undefinable, all consuming relationship ensues. Ten years later, a slew of allegations emerge that will shatter the story you have told yourself, leaving behind a blank page for something new...Like Happiness is a headfirst dive into a young woman's destructive obsession with a legendary writer. Razor-sharp, delectably witty, and told with blistering emotional honesty, this electric debut novel reckons with the stories we choose to believe, about the past, our relationships and above all about ourselves.'An e

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Book SynopsisSister Fidelma returns in REVENGE OF THE STORMBRINGER, the thirty-fourth Celtic mystery by Peter Tremayne, acclaimed author of DEATH OF A HERETIC, THE HOUSE OF DEATH, and THE SHAPESHIFTER''S LAIR. If you love Ellis Peters, you''ll be gripped by REVENGE OF THE STORMBRINGER and the Sister Fidelma series.Summer, AD 672. Princess Gelgéis has arrived in Cashel with her personal bodyguard, a troop of female warriors called the Daughters of the Storm. When one of them is found slain next to the sleeping chamber of the newly married king and queen and, a short time later, the stewardess of the royal house is poisoned, questions are raised as to everyone''s safety . . .Fidelma and Eadulf must first explain the ''locked room'' mystery of how the attack took place in King Colgu''s specially built secure apartment. Then they must interrogate the growing list of suspects - even Enda, the commander of the household guard, who had formed a romantic attachment to the murderedTrade ReviewA challenging and unusual but deeply satisfying and enjoyable historical thriller * Booklist *The background detail is brilliantly defined...wonderfully evocative * The Times *Tremayne expertly incorporates historical and legal details of the time into the suspenseful plot. This impressive volume bodes well for future series entries * Publishers Weekly *Tremayne's super-sleuth is a vibrant creation, a woman of wit and courage who would stand out in any era, but brings a special sparkle to the wild beauty of medieval Ireland -- Morgan LlywelynThis is masterly storytelling from an author who breathes fascinating life into the world he is writing about * Belfast Telegraph *The detail of the books is fascinating, giving us a vivid picture of everyday life at this time...the most detailed and vivid recreations of ancient Ireland * Irish Examiner *One of the best cases for the complex, enchanting Fidelma * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisThis is a celebration of family - of shifting allegiances, riotous laughter, complicated love. Meet four sisters - Cassandra, Fay, Lela, and Suzette - and their sprawling circle of daughtersand sons, parents and cousins, friends and lovers. Here are strong women and enigmatic men whose quirks are written in their children's faces, whose siblings are always getting their shared stories wrong, whose needs weigh heavily: money, status, a lover, a child - or simply company. Journeying from a glittering soirée to a haunted porch, Company is a multigenerational, joyfully honest expression of belonging - and of how far we sometimes land from home.

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Book SynopsisFrom the award-winning author of the acclaimed bestseller The Last Painting of Sara de Vos comes a radiant new novel tracing the intertwined fates of a silent film director and his muse.The Electric Hotel winds through the nascent days of cinema in Paris and Fort Lee, New Jersey - America's first movie town - and the battlefields of Belgium during World War I. A sweeping work of historical fiction, it shimmers between past and present as it tells the story of the rise and fall of a prodigious film studio and one man's doomed obsession with all that passes in front of the viewfinder.For nearly half a century, Claude Ballard has been living at the Hollywood Knickerbocker Hotel. A French pioneer of silent films, who started out as a concession agent for the Lumière brothers, the inventors of cinema, Claude now spends his days taking photographs of Sunset Boulevard. But when a film-history student comes to interview Claude about The Electric Hotel - the lost masterpiece that bankrupted him and ended the career of his muse, Sabine Montrose - the past comes surging back. In his run-down hotel suite, the ravages of the past are waiting to be excavated: celluloid fragments and reels in desperate need of restoration, and Claude's memories of the woman who inspired and beguiled him.The Electric Hotel is a portrait of a man entranced by the magic of movie-making, a luminous romance and a whirlwind trip through the heady, endlessly inventive days of early cinema.Trade ReviewThe magic and mystery of cinema in its early days are brilliantly evoked in [this] absorbing, multilayered novel...Exhilarating in its evocation of the creativity of early cinema, and melancholy in its acknowledgement of the passing of time and the dying of dreams, The Electric Hotel is an impressive work. * Sunday Times *radiant...a vital and highly entertaining work about the act of creation...so vivid we can imagine every frame * New York Times Book Review *A love letter to the early days of cinema...Smith writes with passion and detail about an extraordinary period in cultural history. * The Times *Smith has the historical grounding of E.L. Doctorow, the character discernment of Alice McDermott and the bold whimsy of Mark Helprin. He is a writer of elegance, rich imagination and propulsive plotting. * Washington Post *a novel of . . . epic scope. [...] He brings home . . . how complex silent movies were to make, and how innovative and daring their makers had to be. * The Australian *Claude Ballard and Sabine Montrose's "Electric Hotel" lives, sadly, only within the pages of this novel. It's the ultimate lost film, unfindable and unseeable no matter how many drawers we open or vaults we scour - and yet so vivid we can imagine every frame, tiger and all. -- Stephanie Zacharek * New York Times *Smith . . . blends history and fiction to create a world where a tale of hope, love and loss all seems real. * The West Australian *Fiendishly clever and beautifully written. * The Times on THE LAST PAINTING OF SARA DE VOS *Smith has pulled off something authentic: a complex novel, full of painterly description, that slides between centuries with surprising fluidity. * Sunday Telegraph on THE LAST PAINTING OF SARA DE VOS *Gliding gracefully from grungy 1950s Brooklyn to the lucent interiors of Golden Age Holland and the sun-splashed streets of contemporary Sydney, the novel links the lives of two troubled, enigmatic, and hugely talented young women, one of them an artist, the other, her forger. A page-turning book with much to say about the pain and exhilaration of art and life. -- Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of PEOPLE OF THE BOOK on THE LAST PAINTING OF SARA DE VOSThe Last Painting of Sara de Vos is a story told in layers of light. From afar, this novel is so beautiful, the prose so clear and vivid, that it seems effortless; on closer examination, one sees the rich thematic palette Dominic Smith has used. This is a novel of love and longing, of authenticity and ethical shadows, and, most compelling, of art as alchemy, the way that it can turn grief to profound beauty. -- Lauren Groff, author of FATES AND FURIES, on THE LAST PAINTING OF SARA DE VOSAn elegant page-turner that carries its erudition effortlessly on an energetic plot. * New York Times Book Review on THE LAST PAINTING OF SARA DE VOS *an absorbing, multilayered novel... The Electric Hotel is an impressive work. * Sunday Times *The Electric Hotel is a love letter to the early days of cinema... Dominic Smith writes with passion and detail about an extraordinary period in cultural history. * The Times (Ireland) *This impressive novel evokes cinema's early days * The Times *

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Book Synopsis''A brilliant contemporary novel'' COLM TÓIBÍN''So witty, observant and wise'' MARIAN KEYES''I am fully in awe of Dolan''s talent'' DOUGLAS STUART''A dazzling follow-up to Exciting Times'' KATHERINE HEINY''Beautiful'' PANDORA SYKESMeet the wedding party:THE BRIDE AND GROOM Celine and Luke are meant to get married and live happily ever after. But Celine''s more interested in playing the piano, and Luke''s a serial cheater.THE BRIDESMAID Phoebe, Celine''s sister, is meant to finish college and get a real job. Instead she pulls pints, lives with six flatmates, and has no long-term aspirations beyond smoking her millionth cigarette.THE BEST MAN Archie, Luke''s best friend and ex-boyfriend, is meant to move up the corporate ladder and on from Luke. Yet he stands where he is, admiring the view.THE GUEST Vivian, Luke''s other best frienTrade ReviewSassy and smart and wickedly funny, Dolan's voice is uniquely her own. I inhaled every irreverent page -- Ruth Gilligan, author of The ButchersI just finished The Happy Couple and I loved it - an extremely funny examination of modern love, with depth, bite and poignancy -- Daisy Buchanan, author of INSATIABLEDolan, whose debut novel Exciting Times was a storming success, is sure to bring her sparkling wit and insightful understanding of human relationships to this second outing * Irish Independent *I pure LOVED The Happy Couple. So witty, observant, wise and funny. Nihilistic about heteronormative relationships but so charmingly done I barely noticed. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed it -- Marian KeyesA cracking ensemble, The Happy Couple is a beautiful sonata about our relationships and a sad fugue for fear and loneliness. The book is a tough, all-engrossing love-test. Dolan's acerbic humour is unapologetically analytical. She breaks the rule of intimacy with wit and panache that are second to none. I was kept on tenterhooks till the last few pages and my heart wouldn't stop pounding afterwards. I don't want to say goodbye to Luke and Celine. -- Kit Fan, author of DIAMOND HILLEndlessly funny, endlessly inventive - a bold and stylish novel that slipped down and burned like a shot of something lovely -- Rebecca Wait, author of I’M SORRY YOU FEEL THAT WAYA sophisticated character study of a young couple coming to terms with their relationship, in this biting, whip-smart look at modern love and the tangled messes we leave behind us. I am fully in awe of Dolan's talent. And so glad my twenties are over -- Douglas Stuart, author of YOUNG MUNGO and SHUGGIE BAINThe Happy Couple is a dazzling follow-up to Exciting Times. Dolan spins her magic again with humour and insight and the sharpest of prose. Not a word out of place -- KATHERINE HEINY, author of STANDARD DEVIATION and EARLY MORNING RISERThe Happy Couple is just as satisfying as Exciting Times, and deals with class, money, gender dynamics and bisexuality with similar ease. Set between London and Dublin, it is a beautiful exploration of love, fidelity - and whether either are compatible with marriage -- Pandora SykesThe Happy Couple is one of those rare novels that feel like it's been written just for you. It's precisely what I love to read: engaging, fast-paced, hilarious, but still tender and moving. Also, is Dolan an actual genius? The pages just sparkle with smartness. It's a true joy to read, I adored it from the first page to the last -- Jenny Mustard, author of Okay DaysUsing daring, exciting sentences and close, sharp observation, The Happy Couple is a brilliant contemporary novel -- COLM TÓIBÍNThe Happy Couple hooked me the way that heteronormativity hooks its ambivalent protagonists. Dolan's prose absolutely crackles with wit, humour, and empathy -- Clare Fisher, author of ALL THE GOOD THINGSThe Happy Couple reminded me of Muriel Spark in its precision of language and emotion -- Emma Forrest, author of BUSY BEING FREEFun, addictive and laced with astute observations * Vogue *A deep dive into love, betrayal, monogamy and sexuality. Sensational * Daily Mail *One of the most talked about books for 2023 * Stylist *A funny and perceptive play on the traditional marriage plot that cements Dolan as one of the cleverest, most amusing new writers around. Marriage, it seems, is a laughing matter * The i paper *The Happy Couple rises towards an affecting ending that asks what illusions and armour one has to shed in order to feel free * Observer *The funniest writer you will read this year. Every page crackles -- Irish Independent, on EXCITING TIMESDroll, shrewd and unafraid -- Hilary Mantel, on EXCITING TIMESWitty, compelling, with a razor-sharp social commentary. I guzzled it -- Pandora Sykes, on EXCITING TIMESIt's flawless -- Colm Tóibín, on EXCITING TIMESI found myself purring with pleasure. This is comic writing at the highest level -- Craig Brown, on EXCITING TIMESIce cool, self-aware and very funny. Shares of Lorrie Moore and The Bell Jar -- Graham Norton, on EXCITING TIMESI had real fun with Exciting Times. It is a very funny, spiky, Marxist, feminist comedy and it's really mean -- Zadie Smith, on EXCITING TIMESA sharp, smart, witty modern love story. I loved it -- David Nicholls, on EXCITING TIMESNaoise Dolan's prose accommodates equally well a quickening heart and a mind on fire -- Joshua Ferris, on EXCITING TIMESFiercely intelligent, brutally funny and written with such heart, EXCITING TIMES announces an impressive new voice in literature -- Nathan Filer, on EXCITING TIMES'A taut, witty tale' * Daily Mirror *Sharp, hilarious - and cuttingly observant! * Woman & Home *I loved everything about this ferociously clever contemporary reworking of the marriage plot. Sensational. * Daily Mail *This book confirms her as an artful comic novelist with a distinctive signature style * The Telegraph *I ran through my proof copy in a few greedy hours, enjoying the snark Dolanisms and the way she toys with form * The Times *This is a warm and sympathetic novel, ready to let even its worst offenders off the hook * The Observer *Witty and insightful... a complete winner * Glamour *This novel is a joy to read * Literary Review *Smart and sharp on 21st century love and loneliness * Grazia *A darkly funny, clever look at modern relationships with a wonderful cast of maddening yet endearing characters * Red *

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Book SynopsisOn the Thai island of Koh Samui, Thanikarn, a masseuse with traditional values, has never fallen in love - until she meets Lucas, a dashing French American musician, ten years her junior. After a brief and passionate affair, Lucas returns home and Thanikarn doubts she'll ever see him again

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Book SynopsisEssex, February, 1991. The weather is biting cold. Everyone would rather be somewhere warmer, which is why it's a big surprise when a wanted drug smuggler, Bruce Hopkins, risks a return to his old haunts in Colchester after a decade long exile on the Costa del Sol. Lured back by a letter from the wife Hopkins left behind, no one is more surprised than him when he finds himself abducted and stripped bare only to be sent to a watery grave in the boot of a stolen Ford Sierra. The police wonder if it could be retaliation from a Spanish gang, sending a warning to their English counterparts?DS Daniel Kenton is teamed up with the unorthodox DS Brazier to investigate a crime wave which takes in not only the murder of an expat dope smuggler, but a sophisticated arson attack on a Norman church and the unexpected suicide of an ageing florist. Could there possibly be a thread that connects them?Written with the humour and period detail that have become his trademark, and set in the badlands of his beloved Essex, The Winter Visitor is James Henry at his inimitable best.Trade ReviewA highly readable novel with an entertaining storyline and intriguing characters. * Crime Time *Pacy and expertly engineered, this is a superior police procedural with a wonderful sense of place and time; pitch-perfect period detail range from the start of the "care in the community" policy of deinstitutionalisation, to mis-sold endowment mortgages and Man at C&A. Highly recommended. * Guardian (Best recent Crime and Thrillers) *Extremely well-written . . . let's hope for a swift return of this oddball duo. * Irish Independent *

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Book SynopsisSex and death consume much of thirty-seven-year-old Brett Catlin? s life. Cole, ten years her junior, takes care of the former while her job disposing of roadkill addresses the latter. A cancer diagnosis causes her to question her worth, suspecting the illness is payback for the deaths of her father and sister. Thus begins a challenging journey of alternative healing that she doubts she deserves. Just as Brett surrenders to the prescribed cure, a startling discovery sends her on a more profound exploration of cause and effect. Encounters with animals, both living and dead, help her answer the question: who is worth saving?

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Book SynopsisWhen a young woman vanishes from an exclusive oceanfront community in the middle of the night, Detective Casey Wray’s takes on a case that leads her in chilling, unexpected directions … A twisty, breath-taking police procedural. First in a heart-pounding new series. ‘Urgent, thrilling and richly imagined. Without doubt his best yet' Chris Whitaker, author of We Begin at the End ‘Reynolds captures the claustrophobic feel of a small town … a tense slice of American noir’ Vaseem Khan, author of Midnight at Malabar House 'If you were hooked on Mare of Easttown, this will be right up your street … I read this obsessively' Nina Pottell, Prima ‘Rod Reynolds makes the most of this desolate, windswept location … a thrillingly complex narrative develops at speed … his superior cop saga is just the first instalment of a projected series’ The Times ____________________ Don’t trust ANYONE… When a young woman makes a distressing middle-of-the-night call to 911, apparently running for her life in a quiet, exclusive beachside neighbourhood, miles from her home, everything suggests a domestic incident. Except no one has seen her since, and something doesn’t sit right with the officers at Hampstead County PD. With multiple suspects and witnesses throwing up startling inconsistencies, and interference from the top threatening the integrity of the investigation, lead detective Casey Wray is thrust into an increasingly puzzling case that looks like it’s going to have only one ending… And then the first body appears…For fans of Susie Steiner, Peter Swanson, M J Arlidge, James Lee Burke and Tana French ___________________**LONGLISTED for the CWA Steel Dagger for THRILLER of the YEAR** ‘Electrifying’ Crime Monthly ‘An awesome read. A turn of the screw in every chapter’ Oscar de Muriel ‘If you love Harlen Coben and Lee Child, you will love this … cinematic, epic, you will forget to breathe’ Miranda Dickinson ‘Compelling and stylish, with devious twists and a cleverly crafted ending. Very, very impressive’ G J Minnett ‘A twisty, high-stakes, high-voltage murder mystery’ Tim Baker ‘In Casey Wray he has created a series character with an engaging mix of guts and vulnerability ably supported by a strong supporting cast. His prose style is crisp with the occasional touch of the poetic that lifts noir writing out of the pulps’ Shots Magazine ‘Beautifully written, deeply atmospheric and cleverly plotted, with a brilliant new protagonist’ Andrea Carter ‘Utterly gripping and packs one hell of an emotional punch. Perfect for fans of Bosch’ Steph Broadribb ‘There’s something particularly special about Black Reed Bay and it’s Detective Casey Wray … I felt like I’d known her all my life’ Joy Kluver

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Book Synopsis''A truly gripping chiller of a thriller. Sensational '' PETER JAMES''A white-knuckle-ride through a dangerous world full of deadly ambition'' ERIN KELLY''A knife-sharp locked room mystery'' HARRIET TYCE''An exciting, twisty page-turner that will keep you guessing all the way to the end'' C.L. TAYLORREAD THE MOST EXHILARATING THRILLER OF THE YEARThey don''t know what I did. And I intend to keep it that way.How far would you go to win? Hyper-competitive people, mind games and a dangerous natural environment combine to make the must-read thriller of the year. Fans of Lucy Foley and Lisa Jewell will be gripped by spectacular debut novel Shiver.When Milla is invited to a reunion in the French Alps resort that saw the peak of her snowboarding career, she drops everything to go. While she would rather forget the events of that winter, the invitation comes from Curtis, the one person she canTrade ReviewShiver is a tour-de-force, a truly gripping chiller of a thriller, genuinely impossible to put down and a sensational debut -- Peter JamesA white-knuckle-ride through a dangerous world full of deadly ambition -- Erin KellyA deliciously dark locked room mystery about competitive snowboarders who find themselves stranded at the top of a snowy mountain. Throw in a dead woman, shameful secrets, years of resentment and someone out for revenge and you have an exciting, twisty page-turner that keeps you guessing all the way to the end -- C. L. TaylorIn Shiver, Allie Reynolds manages to combine the excitement of a clever, compelling story with all the thrills of competitive snowboarding. I loved it. -- Rachel AbbottAn intriguing, intelligent, imaginative and immersive thriller. I have run out of adjectives. This debut is going to be huge -- Mari HannahExhilarating. A brilliant combination of knife-sharp locked room mystery with a will they/won't storyline. So cleverly done - I felt like I was there -- Harriet TyceAn absolutely gripping read and genuinely unputdownable. I also loved the insight into the competitive snowboarding world. I found it really fresh, thrilling and original with complex, believable characters. -- Karen HamiltonAbsolutely superb. I loved the claustrophobic setting, the cast of characters and the mysterious past. It was paced beautifully and I flew through it in one cold, creepy weekend. It's an astonishingly accomplished debut and I can't wait to see what's next from Allie -- Jo SpainI found it such a chilling read - it was gripping from the off and really kept me guessing. A fantastic, thrilling debut full of atmospheric twists and turns - I can't wait for her next book! -- Sarah PearseBuckle up - this chilling thriller will have you feeling like you're hurtling down a black run. An unforgettable debut * Woman & Home *This stunning debut, set against an original and very cool snowboarding backdrop, will chill you to the bone. A twisted, haunting, nail-biting journey through a terrifying weekend... I could not put this book down -- Samantha M. BaileyA sharp, keep-you-guessing mystery * Platinum *Shiver sent chills up my spine! This taut and twisty thriller follows five former snowboarding champions trapped in a deserted ski resort, each hiding dark secrets about their shared past that pit them against one another. Cancel all your plans because once you pick up this page turner, you won't be able to put it down until you've reached its shocking conclusion! -- Katherine St JohnA high-velocity heart-in-your-mouth whodunnit that delivers not just twists and turns but McTwists and aerial spins, SHIVER is a total joy to read - and the closest you'll get to throwing yourself down a black run without actually leaving the house. I absolutely loved it. Perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware -- Anna DownesA thrilling ride ***** * Crime Monthly *Every character is a suspect in this cleverly plotted page-turner. Reynolds' writing is so atmospheric; I could feel the snow in my eyes, the wind on my face! All hail the chiller thriller -- Stephanie WrobelTense and chilling, this fast-paced, wild ride of a thriller had me turning the pages until late in the night -- Ann GosslinBrilliantly atmospheric and tense - will keep you guessing to the very end -- Catherine CooperCould not turn the pages of this book fast enough to find out what had happened. Gripping! * Natasha Lester, author of The Paris Secret *a nail-biting, wintry thriller * Daily Mail *Chilling in every way: the atmosphere is so evocatively written * Woman's Way *A new and immersive take on a classic locked-room murder mystery, Shiver is hugely enjoyable and will keep readers guessing until the end. The perfect thriller for a cold winter's night * S Magazine *This chiller-thriller combines the world of competitive snowboarding with murder to create a book you won't be able to put down * Fabulous Magazine *A brilliant chiller from a former snowboarding championship contender * Saga *A gripping puzzle * Peterborough Evening Telegraph *Deftly plotted and gripping * The Herald *A thoroughly compelling and deliciously twisty thriller with a terrific atmosphere. I flew through it -- B P WalterA hugely enjoyable locked-room mystery that will keep readers guessing until the end, it's the perfect thriller for a cold winter's night * S Magazine, Sunday Express *Buckle up - this chilling new thriller from professional snowboarder-turned-author Allie Reynolds will have you feeling like you're hurtling down a black run from page one . . . For sheer page-turning power, this mystery had us gripped * Woman & Home *

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