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
And Other Stories Oldladyvoice
Book SynopsisWhile her mother is in the hospital with a grave but unnamed illness, Marina spends the summer with her grandmother, waiting to hear whether she'll get to go home or be bundled off, newly orphaned, to a convent school. There are no rules at Grandma's, but that also means there are no easy ways to fend off the visions of sex and violence that torment and titillate the girl. Presenting a unique and vivid take on the coming-of-age novel, Oldladyvoice reimagines childhood through the eyes of its one-of-a-kind, hilarious, perceptive and endearing narrator.Trade Review‘Sad, funny, sharp, and poetic: the best possible ingredients for a book. The perfect chronicle of a smart girl in a stupid world.’ Ben Brooks----‘Perfectly captures what it was like to be a kid in the mythologised ’90s.’ Vice ----‘Elisa Victoria handles the child’s narration dexterously . . . Relying on short, declarative sentences, Victoria has a knack for bringing characters to life in few words.’ New York Times ----‘As a general rule, I am opposed to fiction written from the perspective of a child. It’s not that I’m uninterested in childhood as a concept, or even in children themselves – far from it – but some writers use childhood as a lazy shortcut, an easy way to introduce such broad themes as “innocence lost.” . . . Happily, the Spanish writer Elisa Victoria’s debut novel, Oldladyvoice (translated by Charlotte Whittle), is the exact opposite of this. . . Childhood makes a lot more sense when you remember that children are basically madcap little degenerates, fascinated by their own filth, and I love that Victoria isn’t shy about portraying this.’ Phrasebook ----‘A tender and poignant story, full of light and just the right amount of wickedness.’ El Mundo ----'From the first page, a seductive universe comes into view. It's similar to love at first sight, and there's no need for hesitation, just for the most innocent surrender.' Elvira Linda, El País ----'Good novels find their protagonist's voice and make the reader feel close to them. Such is the case of Oldladyvoice. [...] The magic of Oldladyvoice also lies in its supporting characters (the grandmother, mother and mother's boyfriend) and the conversations they have with Marina, which can make you smile and break your heart in the same line.' Paula de Aguirre, Le Cool Barcelona ----'Marina is firing the last bullets of her childhood, and she does it in a clean, powerful shot of poetry, hope, and zest for life.' Cesar Prieto, Efe Eme music magazine
£10.79
Penguin Putnam Inc Head Witch in Charge
Book Synopsis
£14.44
Peninsula Press Ltd Haunted Houses
Book SynopsisFrom the author of Weird Fucks, a witty, bleak, and outrageous account of American girlhood. Haunted Houses is the story of three young women. Jane’s occasionally violent father reads her the Gettysburg Address at bedtimes, while Emily’s parents are FDR Democrats who only privately concede she may be normal. Grace believes her dolls come alive at night and talk against her, and has a mother who likes animals more than people. Tillman charts the girls’ unsteady drift into womanhood, revealing the multiple forms of inheritance – family, gender, culture – that a girl must swallow or rebel against. Haunted Houses is about the past within the present, the inescapability of private memory and public history. In prose that is uncanny and precise, it showcases Lynne Tillman at her boldest and most trenchant.Trade Review'Lynne Tillman's Haunted Houses is as vivid as it is compelling. Events and details arrest your reading on every page, conjuring experience in all its shades of feeling. Haunted Houses is a modern classic, so sharp, so clever, so rich in acuity and open to witness. For me the book ranks alongside Truman Capote's writing at its best – that lucid foraging for motive, that astute understanding of atmosphere and place. And it's like an album that everyone should have in their collection – one of those records they say "launched a thousand bands". That Tillman is a major writer, and has been for decades, is so obvious.' Michael Bracewell; 'Kathy Acker once said that Tillman’s extraordinary and unprecedented novel Haunted Houses was "a building made of sentences." Thirty five years on, it reads as a vivid, contemporary telling of the complicated lives of three young American women – a novel that laid the living foundation for a whole generation of writers.' Stephanie LaCava; 'Tillman’s exacting and hyperreal language – clean, controlled, sharply defined – is the equivalent of the glass case in novel form. She traces the shape of each of these characters' lives with the hard edges of words, etching them onto the page.' Azareen Van Der Vliet Oloomi; 'A true force in American literature.' George Saunders; 'A new thought in every sentence.' Lydia Davis
£10.44
Peninsula Press Ltd The Baudelaire Fractal
Book Synopsis‘Raised from babydom into doubt, I’m as feminine as Rousseau. I, Hazel Brown, eldest daughter of a disappearing class, penniless neophyte stunned by the glamour of literature, tradeless, clueless, yet with considerable moral stamina and luck, left my family at seventeen to seek a way to live. It was the month of June in 1979. I was looking for Beauty: I didn’t exactly care about art, I simply wanted not to be bored and to experience grace. So I thought I would write.’ One morning, Hazel Brown wakes in a badly decorated hotel room to find that she’s written the complete works of Charles Baudelaire. In her bemusement the hotel becomes every cheap room she ever stayed in during her youthful perambulations in 1980s Paris. This is the legend of a she-dandy’s life. Woven into the reminiscences of Hazel’s early life are episodes from Baudelaire’s youth, as well as reflections on the history of tailoring, the passion of reading and 19th century painting. Lisa Robertson’s debut novel is an exploration of life lived in pursuit of beauty, and a celebration of the mind of a girl.
£10.44
Headline Publishing Group From Shetland With Love at Christmas
Book Synopsis''A warm, funny, uplifting writer to celebrate!'' KATIE FFORDEIf you love Lucy Diamond, Phillipa Ashley, Sue Moorcroft and Holly Martin, you''ll LOVE Erin Green''s novels of love, life and laughter!''A lovely, heart-warming story of three very different women trying to change their lives for the better . . . I was hooked! I hope there will be many more books in this lovely series!'' CHRISTINA COURTENAY''A delicious Shetland setting and the exquisite writing of Green, come together for a delightful tale of friendship, family and love'' JENNI KEERReaders are enchanted!''A lovely Christmas read . . . made me feel good. Excellent''''An essential for anyone''s pre-Christmas light and relaxing reading list''''I couldn''t put this book down it was that good. . . 10 stars at least''''A wonderful festive read that makes you wish you were there''''This was a beaut
£10.99
Charco Press Southerly
Book SynopsisShort stories of subtle menace and Lydia Davis-esque humor.On the eve of an important battle, a colonel is visited in his tent by an indigenous woman with a message to pass on. A man sets about renovating the house of his childhood, and starts to feel that he might be rebuilding his own life in the process. At a private clinic to treat the morbidly obese, a caregiver has issues of her own…These are stories of immigration, marginality, history, intimacy and obsession. They each present their own distinctive view of the world through the lives of their respective characters – who are as dissimilar as they are complex – and the profound transformations they undergo. As reflections on the uncontrollable nature of life, as depictions of how even the most innocent detail can become a threat, these stories do not offer neat endings but rather remain open to the reader’s sense of inquisitiveness.Southerly is a perfect introduction to what has been called ‘the Consiglian logic of story-telling’ (Cabezón Cámara), in which events don’t always occur sequentially, and where the reader quickly learns to tiptoe between the tiniest of details, as if walking through a minefield.Trade Review"Employing a language that is sharp, concise and visceral, it proves his talent as a natural storyteller and as a social chronicler and poet of some refinement." —Morning Star"There is a timeless quality to Consiglio’s prose...a storyteller of rare ingenuity." —Splice"Glimmering." —Publishers Weekly"[Consiglio] carves out a singular space by focusing on characters who do not quite have a place of their own." —Full Stop"His stories are told with dispassionate realism while being varnished with a surrealist gloss, creating his own in-between style...Occasional poetic turns reminiscent of Pablo Neruda erupt within the narrative." —Culture Trip**********Praise for Jorge Consiglio"A moving testament to the beauty and banality of human relationships." —Publishers Weekly"A masterpiece that refuses to stay still." —Culture Trip"Fate could be likened to a pointillist painting by Seurat, with each dab of colour and each descriptive passage contributing to what is finally a beautifully structured and brilliantly shimmering whole." —New York Magazine (The Strategist UK)"In the realm of fiction, an author has total authority over their characters, and they can inject interactions with meaning and pattern-play in a way therapists warn us not to in our day to day lives. It takes a particular level of craftsmanship to do this at the level of the sentence, with the effortlessness that Consiglio seamlessly achieves, and to sweep a reader so tenderly into the progress." —White Review"A muted and unhurried novel that insists on the validity of the imperfect present." —Kirkus"The beauty of this novel...is that it provides no answers, but many questions. It can be reflected upon, re-read, and reconsidered." —BookBlast"The language of Fate has teeth and claws." —Books and Bao"Fate is a rich tapestry of language, a sharp depiction of the vagaries of fate and a thoughtful meditation on the human condition." —The Monthly Booking"Consiglio’s writing aches with poetry through its attention and complexity." —The Skinny"Packed full of sensuality and written in fresh, candid prose." —The Quietus"Employing a language that is sharp, concise and visceral, it proves his talent as a natural storyteller and as a social chronicler and poet of some refinement." —Morning Star"There is a timeless quality to Consiglio’s prose...a storyteller of rare ingenuity." —Splice"His stories are told with dispassionate realism while being varnished with a surrealist gloss, creating his own in-between style...Occasional poetic turns reminiscent of Pablo Neruda erupt within the narrative." —Culture Trip"[Consiglio] carves out a singular space by focusing on characters who do not quite have a place of their own." —Full Stop
£10.79
Cinder House The Muslim Cowboy
Book SynopsisIn the aftermath of the Iraq war, an odd Iraqi man entranced by Americana and old Western movies dresses in double denim and roams a lawless landscape in search of his own Western story. Amidst the disorder he meets a young girl, and together they set out across the tank strewn desert on his trusty camel to find safety. Written with a simplicity of direction that captivates like a film, The Muslim Cowboy is an extraordinary and mesmerising literary debut about the search for identity, the struggle to reconcile conflicting values, and sacrifice as that great virtue we all must embrace in order to find meaning and purpose in a world of chaos.
£10.44
Little, Brown & Company Tied
Book SynopsisHoly dark and delicious angst. Carian Cole did not hold back. I dare you not to shed a tear.?L.J. Shen, USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author of VICIOUSMy innocence was stolen when I was abducted at five years old. For eleven years I held on by clinging to childhood fairytales. I waited for a prince to someday save me and carry me off to a happily ever after.I had no idea my saviour would come as a scarred recluse, covered in tattoos, who can''t-or won''t-speak a word. Nevertheless, the moment our eyes met I knew he was the one.? My prince.With his bare hands, he killed the monster who kept me captive. But people have a way of distorting the truth when the hero looks like a villain. As it turns out, Tyler Grace is many things: A myth. An outcast. A nightmare. Haunted by tragedy, he lives secluded in the forest. Some say they see him ride through town at night-straddling a black motorcycle, his face covered
£13.49
Scribe Publications The Dream Builders: a novel
Book SynopsisA stunning, multi-perspective epic about class division, the contraints of gender roles, and the history of India. After living in the US for years, Maneka Roy returns home to India to mourn the loss of her mother and finds herself in a new world. The booming city of Hrishipur where her father now lives is nothing like the part of the country where she grew up, and the more she sees of this new, sparkling city, the more she learns that nothing — and no one — here is as it appears. Ultimately, it will take an unexpected tragic event for Maneka and those around her to finally understand just how fragile life is in this city built on aspirations. Written from the perspectives of ten different characters, Oindrila Mukherjee’s incisive debut novel explores class divisions, gender roles, and stories of survival within a society that is constantly changing and becoming increasingly Americanised. It’s a story about India today, and people impacted by globalisation everywhere: a tale of ambition, longing, and bitter loss that asks what it really costs to try to build a dream. Trade Review‘The Dream Builders is a novel of epic proportions that follows Maneka Roy and those around her as they each ponder the power of forgiveness and learn none of them can wield that power without first forgiving the self. Oindrila Mukherjee allows full life for these characters who are often real enough to remind us of ourselves, even as they betray one another … even as they betray themselves. This is a lovely debut.’ -- Jericho Brown, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Tradition‘Oindrila Mukherjee’s The Dream Builders is such an impressive feat of storytelling, a novel that examines the constraints of class, of gender, of history, while showcasing the sheer expansiveness of the endeavour, skillfully shifting the point of view amongst a group of characters who each demand a claim on the story. It’s a marvel of a structure, built by a great talent.’ -- Kevin Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Nothing to See Here‘Mukherjee has written a funny, moving, and often deliciously cynical novel about the illusive ideal we sometimes call the New India. Written from almost every angle imaginable, the novel demonstrates how each of us might be a hero in our own narratives while being the potential villain in someone else’s.’ -- Tiphanie Yanique, author of Monster in the Middle‘A multitude of voices and visions — arresting, wrenching, desiring — come together to create an astonishing, and astonishingly accurate, portrait of contemporary India. Oindrila Mukherjee has done a superb job.’ -- Chitra Divakaruni, bestselling author of The Mistress of Spices‘The Dream Builders showcases a vibrant cast of characters whose complex lives are a testament to India’s astonishing diversity. Oindrila Mukherjee has written a soulful novel that’ll break your heart with its truth.’ -- Samrat Upadhyay, author of Mad Country‘A sweeping debut … [Mukherjee] does a great job capturing the setting and exploring the fateful power dynamics … a penetrating look at the fast-growing country’s shaky facade.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘Epic … A promising first novel.’ * Booklist *‘Losses great and small haunt the denizens of a glittering new city in India … Mukherjee artfully demonstrates that even a new civilisation can have its discontents.’ * Kirkus Reviews *‘Sweeping.’ -- Foreword Reviews, starred review‘Reminds me of a Robert Altman film … You’ll want more of every single character.’ * Good Morning America *‘A winning tale … with sensitivity, beauty and depth … that derives its heat and heart from its characters’ humanity.’ * Star Tribune *‘A kaleidoscope of characters narrates this story of tragedy and grief. Mukherjee understands how to make characters leap off the page.’ * Debutiful *‘Mukherjee’s writing style is refreshingly direct … keeping you tethered to a strong narrative thread while the perspective shifts and glides … [The Dream Builders is] funny, deep, challenging and heartfelt all at once.’ * Better Reading *‘With themes of class, gender and globalisation, this compelling debut by Oindrila Mukherjee pairs incisive social commentary with a memorable cast of diverse characters.’ * The Herald Sun *‘In this astonishing debut, Oindrila Mukherjee tells a grand tale of class, gender and globalisation. This is a character-driven story of India today, masterfully told through ten alternating perspectives. While the perspective constantly shifts, you never feel lost or disoriented. Achieving this sense of ease within such an ambitious and innovative narrative structure reveals Mukherjee’s true talent.’ -- Cheryl Akle * The Australian *
£9.49
Bedford Square Publishers The Last Days of Johnny Nunn
Book SynopsisIt's 2011 and Detective Sergeant Max Lomax is reluctantly drawn out of the back office of Special Operations to investigate the death of a campaigning lawyer.
£9.49
Interlink Publishing Group, Inc Murjana
Book SynopsisA tale of love and passion in medieval Baghdad.It is spring of the year 830. Baghdad, the capital of a vast Islamic empire, is one of the world’s glorious cities. There, a powerful, forward-thinking Sunni caliph champions reason, knowledge, and creativity against forces of ignorance and superstition. A hub of scientific, philosophical, and artistic discovery, the city is home to an Islam of free debate and philosophical inquiry. The Caliph’s court has become a dazzling academy of poets, musicians, philosophers, and theologians, a picture of a vibrant, self confident, fun-loving society. Yet, it bears the fateful seeds of future strife. For its leader’s rule is austere and ruthless, as he quells discontent, division, and rebellion in the surrounding lands. Then the Caliph is afflicted by a mysterious illness. Akin to madness, his condition worsens as physicians desperately search for a cure. Only Abu Mansour, Baghdad’s most famous doctor, is able to diagnose the cause. The malady turns out to be the Caliph’s passion for a humble, beautiful, young woman named Murjana (“Small Pearl”). It is an affliction that only one remedy can cure—marriage. But Murjana is from a Shia family, and it is discovered that her brother was executed for insurrection against the caliphate. Such a union could reopen wounds, posing many dangers. The controversial marriage of Murjana and the Caliph captures Baghdad under its spell. A tribute to a treasured ancient city, the story of their night journey becomes an ode on the power of love to erase boundaries. At the same time, it reveals the power of passion and vengeance to erect dividing lines, and the futility of conflict that can destroy all sides.
£15.29
Orenda Books Death Flight
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Penguin Random House Group Andromeda
Book Synopsis
£13.59
Simon & Schuster Bugsy Other Stories
Book SynopsisFrom the author of Confidence and The Comedown comes a wildly imaginative story collection about queerness, neurodivergence, sexuality, and self-discovery. Frumkin’s latest book is a deliciously entertaining collection of five genre-defying stories that range from downright hilarious to brilliantly unhinged. Taken together, they celebrate a wide variety of human experiences. In the title story, a queer young adult with bipolar disorder drops out of college in a fog of depression, aimlessly drifting between maintaining their job at a fast food restaurant and dodging their mom’s texts. But when they fall in with a group of sex workers starring in BDSM films, they find radical freedom, love, and community. In other stories, we meet a psychiatrist whose meticulously-maintained life is upended by an Alex Trebek-like voice in his head, an e-girl celebrity who is being courted by a delusional fan, a young boy on the spectrum at o
£9.49
Muswell Press Close to the Edge
Book SynopsisMorning rush hour on the London tube. Laurie Bateman witnesses a terrible accident. Life had been looking up - she's dating a new man and finally getting praise at work. But after the accident everything seems to plummet downhill. In the space of a few days her flat is burgled and her flatmate assaulted - she loses her phone and then her job. Are these events linked? Perhaps what she had seen was something more sinister?Compelled to investigate, Laurie finds herself in serious danger and is soon fleeing for her life through tube tunnels in the dead of night - the hunter has become the hunted.Trade Review'Quirky and Compelling' Val McDermid. 'Fascinating, accessible and enjoyable' Tracy Chevalier.
£8.54
Other Press LLC Akikos Quiet Happiness
£15.29
Pocket T'en souviens-tu mon Anais ?
Book Synopsis
£10.40
Semiotext (E) Lee and Elaine
£15.29
Amphorae Publishing Group, LLC My Dear Antonio
Book SynopsisMy Dear Antonio is inspired by the love story of Byrnes' great-grandparents' children of the Sicilian diaspora separated from their families on the Mediterranean coast who loved, parted, and found each other again seven years and three continents later. In 1912, after barely surviving a near-fatal asthma attack, Sicilian emigrant Anna DiNicola leaves her family in Brooklyn to seek a cure in the balmy climate of Tunisia. Detesting her dependency on her aunt, she works towards independence by weaving wedding shawls for the Sephardic Jewish community. However, her apprenticeship comes with an expectation that she will marry her mentor's son while her heart lies with someone else. Antonio Orlando, a Sicilian native, dreams of working in his father's barber shop, but mafia force his father to close the shop and emigrate to America, abandoning Antonio. To avoid the mafia, Antonio moves in with his uncle, a barber in Tunisia. He befriends Anna during her regular haircuts and begins to won
£13.56
DC Comics Absolute Power Task Force VII
Book SynopsisSee DC s blockbuster event Absolute Power from the perspective of the villains, as the Trinity of Evil s living weapons target powerless heroes in seven stories from all-star comics talent!
£15.29
Canongate Books The Needle's Eye
Book SynopsisSimon Camish, a resentful insecure barrister in a stifling marriage, would not have particularly noticed Rose Vassiliou had he not been asked to drive her home one night after a dinner party. Now, separated from her Greek husband, Rose lives alone with her three children. Despite all the efforts and sneers of her friends, she refuses to move from her crumbling house in a decaying neighbourhood to which she has become attached. Gradually drawn further and further into her affairs, Simon becomes aware that Rose is a woman of remarkable integrity and courage. 'Though I have admired Miss Drabble's writing for years, I will admit that nothing she has written in the past quite prepared me for the depth and richness of this book' - Joyce Carol OatesTrade ReviewAn extraordinary work . . . nothing she has written in the past quite prepared me for the depth and richness of The Needle's Eye * * New York Times * *The Needle's Eye is that rare thing, a book one wishes were longer than it is * * New York Review of Books * *Probing, entertaining, dazzling * * Boston Globe * *Praise for Margaret Drabble: One of the most thought-provoking and intellectually challenging writers around * * Financial Times * *I have learned so much from Margaret Drabble's work. Her prose is very beautiful, very funny, and at the same time very serious. Novels like The Millstone and Jerusalem the Golden have helped me to understand what great writing can be -- SALLY ROONEYShe was one of the most assiduous chroniclers of female experience in Britain during that time. Drabble's work has always been characterised by astute social observation * * Guardian * *Each of Margaret Drabble's novels has been an extraordinary leap forward * * New York Times * *One of the most versatile and accomplished authors of her generation * * New Yorker * *One of our foremost women writers * * Guardian * *
£8.79
Bonnier Books Ltd Hold Back the Night
Book Synopsis'ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE' KATE SAWYER'WILL GET UNDER YOUR SKIN AND LODGE ITSELF IN YOUR HEART' ERIN KELLY'HEARTBREAKING AND LIFE-AFFIRMING' LOUISE HARE'POWERFUL, TIMELY, IMPORTANT' BETH UNDERDOWNBEAUTIFUL, COMPLEX AND MOVING' PLATINUM MAGAZINE'POWERFUL AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING' RED'I URGE EVERYONE TO READ THIS NOVEL' ERICKA WALLER'THESE CHARACTERS WILL WRAP AROUND YOUR HEART' ARAMINTA HALL From the Observer debut novelist of the year, comes a blistering, heart-wrenching new novel of complicity and atonement, delving into one nurse's experience of the little-known history of conversion therapy and the heart-breaking betrayal of the AIDS crisis. March 2020. Annie is alone in her house as the world shuts down, only the ghosts of her memories for company. But then she receives a phone call which plunges her deeper into the past. 1959. Annie and Rita are student nurses at Fairlie Hall mental hospital. Working long, gruelling hours, they soon learn that the only way to appease their terrifying matron is to follow the rules unthinkingly. But what is happening in the hospital's hidden side wards? And at what point does following the rules turn into complicity - and betrayal?1983. Annie is reeling from the loss of her husband and struggling to face raising her daughter alone. Following a chance encounter, she offers a sick young man a bed for the night, a good deed that soon leads to another. Before long, she finds herself entering a new life of service - her home a haven for those who are cruelly shunned. But can we ever really atone?The powerful and captivating new novel from the celebrated author of KEEPER and YOUNG WOMEN, HOLD BACK THE NIGHT is Jessica Moor's most powerful and commercial book to date. A darkly compelling character-led novel, drawing on themes of complicity and betrayal, it is bursting with talking points and absolutely perfect for reading groups. Praise for HOLD BACK THE NIGHT and Jessica Moor:'The literary sensation . . . heart-breaking' My Weekly'Absolutely incredible. Intricate, heart-breaking, with perfect prose and characterisation. This is an author stepping into her power and it is a privilege to behold' Kate Sawyer, Costa shortlisted author of The Stranding and This Family'Beautifully written and authentic, this novel shines an unflinching light on the darkest episodes of recent medical history. Hold Back The Night will get under your skin and lodge itself in your heart' Erin Kelly'Powerful, at times gut-wrenching' Peter Tatchell'Heart-breaking and life-affirming in equal measure. Dealing with the horrors of conversion therapy in the 1950s and the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, this is a story of redemption and hope as much as it is grief and shame. I absolutely loved it' Louise Hare'Jessica Moor is a new young writer I believe in' Jeanette Winterson'Heartbreaking and beautifully written' Heather Darwent'A shocking, vital story that will never let you go. I urge everyone to read this novel. Jessica does not flinch away from the themes in this book, but writes with purposeful intent. She does not linger on the suffering, but shines a light on hope. An outstanding achievement' Ericka Waller'Hold back the Night is a book about fear and power, the stories we tell ourselves and the people we hope to be. Beautiful and lyrical, these characters will wrap around your heart. I loved it' Araminta Hall
£9.49
Honford Star Cannibals
Book Synopsis
£12.59
Canelo An Isolated Incident
Book SynopsisDo you know who''s knocking at your door?After a violent home invasion in the remote wilds of Glen Coe leaves a family of four dead, DCI Jack Logan and his team are brought in to lead the manhunt.But, when one of the victims is revealed to be one half of legendary 1980s Glasgow-based comedy double act, Neeps & Tatties', Logan is forced to leave the Highlands and head back to his old stomping ground.He may have spent his career dealing with the worst humanity has to offer, but to find out who killed Archie Tatties and his family, Logan will have to confront his most terrifying challenge yet - the seedy world of Scottish light entertainment.An Isolated Incident is the eleventh book in JD Kirk's internationally bestselling DCI Logan crime fiction series. Perfect for fans of Chris Brookmyre, Stuart Macbride, and Alex Smith.
£9.49
Renard Press Ltd Americanitis
Book SynopsisFollowing the death of his wife, Miles, an academic and hypochondriac suffering from acute anxiety, is told by his therapist to write a fictionalised version of his life in order to pinpoint the sources of his anxiety. Americanitis is an extraordinary work that mercilessly blends fact with fiction and leaves the reader scrabbling for truth.
£9.50
HopeRoad Publishing Ltd The Tainted
Book SynopsisIt's spring 1920 in the small military town of Nandagiri in southeast India. Colonel Aylmer, commander of the Royal Irish Kildare Rangers, is in charge. A distance away, decently hidden from view, lies the native part of Nandagiri with its heaving bazaar, reeking streets, and brothels. Everyone in Nandagiri knows their place and the part they were born to play--with one exception. The local Anglo-Indians, tainted by their mixed blood, belong nowhere. When news of the Black and Tans' atrocities back in Ireland reaches the troops, even their priest cannot cool the men's hot-headed rage. Politics vie with passion as Private Michael Flaherty pays court to Rose, Mrs. Aylmer's Anglo-Indian maid, but mutiny brings heroism and heartbreak in equal measure. Only the arrival of Colonel Aylmer's grandson Richard, some 60 years later, will set off the reckoning, when those who were parted will be reunited, and those who were lost will be found again.Trade Review'A wonderful story by a very wonderful writer' Sebastian Barry;'Cauvery Madhavan's evocative narrative spins together the intriguing lives of her characters over nearly seven decades and makes The Tainted a riveting read. A moving story, compellingly told' Shashi Tharoor; 'A treat of a novel, deliciously detailed, full of living, breathing characters, transporting you effortlessly through time. Cauvery Madhavan has written another unmissable book' Maggie Gee; 'Utterly mesmerising and engrossing, beautifully crafted' Mita Mistry, Eastern Eye; A compelling and assured novel of conflicting loyalties and conjoined pasts that resurrects forgotten histories of the Irish in India' Namita Gokhale; 'Loved it, an incredible book! This hugely accomplished novel shows all the shades of Indian society' Sue Leonard; ' Beautifully written...gripping and moving. A natural talent!' Mary Stanley ; 'A beautifully crafted Indo- Irish novel which is both compassionate and heart wrenching in equal measure. Want a 'diverse book' to read in 2020? This fits the bill. It is a must read' Leela Soma ; 'An absolute triumph, which uses a little-known episode in Irish history - the mutiny of the Connaught Rangers in 1920 - to bring a fictional recreation of colonial and modern India to life. It is another important piece in a century-long legacy that continues to shape both Indian and Irish identity' Dr Mario Draper, Lecture in military history; 'This beautifully written novel tells the tragic story of two people caught in a no man's land of identity and how trauma can transmit itself from one generation to the next often in ways that we never fully understand' Ronan McGreevy, Irish Times; 'Madhavan's characters are so compelling that I was drawn into the love triangle she portrays and found myself falling for May, an Anglo-India beauty like her grandmother Rose (don't tell my wife). The elegance of the writing, the vivid evocation of India in two different eras and the strength of the characters all drew me in and kept me turning the pages. I was sorry when the novel was over' BOOKS IRELAND; 'Cauvery Madhavan' meticulous new novel is based on the aftermath of a real-life mutiny by Irish troops in India. Her novel has been compared with Sebastian Barry's A LONG LONG WAY. Amid the vivid historical and political account, there lies a beguiling love story. Anglo-Indians tended to be seen as "evidence of sexual transgression within the ranks", Madhavan knows all too well the parallels between Ireland and India in that regard' INDEPENDENT IE
£9.49
Pushkin Press Edith Holler
Book SynopsisA witty and entrancing story of a young woman trapped in a ramshackle English playhouse and the mysterious figure who threatens its very survival, from the author of Little 'Extraordinary... funny, troubling, playful, magical and vastly energetic' A.L. KennedyNorwich, 1901: Edith Holler spends her days among the eccentric denizens of the Holler Theatre, warned by her domineering father that the playhouse will literally tumble down if she should ever leave. Fascinated by tales of the city she knows only from afar, young Edith decides to write a play of her own about Mawther Meg, a monstrous figure said to have used the blood of countless children to make the local delicacy, Beetle Spread. But when her father suddenly announces his engagement to a peculiar woman named Margaret Unthank, Edith scrambles to protect her father, the theatre, and her play-the one thing that's truly hers-from the newcomer's sinister designs. Teeming with unforgettable characters and illuminated by Carey's trademark illustrations, Edith Holler is a surprisingly modern fable of one young woman's struggle to escape her family's control and craft her own creative destiny.
£15.29
Pushkin Press Clara Reads Proust
Book Synopsis'An elegant and quietly lyrical charting of a life changed by books' Irish Times 'Full of charm, sensitivity and intelligence. Brilliant.' Antoine Laurain, author of The Red Noteboook______Clara is a hairdresser at Cindy Coiffure, a sleepy French salon with an identity crisis. Her relationship is fizzling out. Her tanoholic boss Madame Habib worships Jacques Chirac and talks longingly of her days in Paris. And now Madame Lévy-Leroyer wants to go blonde. Clara can't help but wonder if there's more to life than this . . . Everything changes when a customer leaves behind the first volume of In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. As Clara reads, she discovers a new world. And slowly but surely, she will work out who she wants to be.
£9.49
Scribe UK Fireweather
£11.69
Atlantic Books What Will People Think
Book SynopsisVedashree Khambete-Sharma lives in Mumbai and works in advertising - over the course of her 18-year copywriting career, she has won both Indian and international awards for her work, including a Cannes Lion. What Will People Think? is her fourth novel.
£13.49
Bedford Square Publishers The Little Clothes
Book SynopsisA smart sharp debut with real heart and humour, introducing Audrey Mendes, a clever thirty-eight-year-old lawyer caught in a web of toxic situations, whose past gets pulled out into the light.
£9.49
Inpatient Press The Commune
Book Synopsis
£15.29
Bookouture My Husbands Daughter
Book SynopsisIt''s just past ten o''clock on a cold Friday evening when Rebecca and Jack''s doorbell rings. Outside, a woman holds the hand of a shivering, blue-eyed, four-year-old girl. Who she claims is Jack''s daughter.Rebecca''s world stops. How could Jack not have known his ex-girlfriend Cara was pregnant? Becoming parents has never been part of their life plan.But Cara needs them. Because Cara has a devastating secret that she can''t tell anyone yet. Not even her daughter. A secret with the power to change all of their lives.A secret that will ultimately mean Rebecca has to ask herself - can she find it in herself to welcome her husband''s child into her home, and into her heart?A heartbreaking and powerful emotional women''s fiction novel about love, friendship and what it truly means to be a parent, perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Jodi Picoult and Kate Hewitt.What readers say about My Husband''s Daughter
£9.49
Quercus Publishing A Hero of Our Time
Book Synopsis''I remain in unchanged admiration for this bold, headstrong, carefree undertaking, a first novel published when the author was twenty-five, which proved to be the first prose masterpiece in Russian'' Julian Barnes from his preface.Published in Russian in April 1840, A Hero of Our Time reached English in 1853, under the title ''Sketches of Life in the Caucasus, by a Russe.'' Full of towering landscapes and local colour, it can be read as the travelogue of a poet and serving officer, but also as a portrait of the romantic as self-destructive anti-hero.Vladimir Nabokov''s translation of A Hero of Our Time was published in the United States in 1958, the same year as Lolita: world fame was about to overtake this committed Russian living in America.
£10.44
Troubador Publishing Ltd The Harm We Do Ourselves
Book SynopsisA week in the life of an openly gay man living in Beirut who revisits what it means to be homosexual in todayâs world after a scandal shakes the city. The novel emphasizes how prevailing lifestyles among homosexuals promote self-destruction and highlights the nefarious impact of âœLGBTQ+â politics, especially on gay people living outside the West.
£14.39
Comma Press Fire Ready
Book Synopsis
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group Cousin Rosamund Virago Modern Classics
Book SynopsisCousin Rosamund unfolds the final chapters of the saga that began with The Fountain Overflows, Rebecca West''s acknowleged masterpiece, and continued with This Real Night.As the glitter of the 1920s gives way to the Depression, Rose and Mary find themselves feted and successful pianists. But their happiness is diminished by their cousin''s unfathomable marriage to a man they perceive as grotesque. Lacking her cousin Rosamund''s intuitive understanding, Rose looks to the surrogate wisdom of Mr Morpurgo, while quiet days with Aunt Lily and the Darcys at their pub on the Thames offer respite from the tensions of foreign concert tours. With approaching middle age Rose gains in perspective. Yet the most exciting development still awaits her: the discovery of and delight in her own sexuality...Trade ReviewA lastingly important English writer * Marghanita Laski *Rich, generous and consoling in spirit * Hilary Spurling, OBSERVER *Rebecca West highly intelligent, highly gifted, vital, original, combative, formidable and kind was a great woman * Victoria Glendinning *
£10.44
Comma Press He Used To Do Dangerous Things
Book Synopsis
£10.44
Major Books Water A chronicle
Book Synopsis
£11.39
Penguin Books Ltd The Sundial
Book SynopsisIn The Sundial Shirley Jackson, author of We Have Always Lived in the Castle, blends family politics and apocalyptic terror to create a disturbing world of sinister relations and the macabre.''An amazing writer'' Neil GaimanMrs Halloran has inherited the great Halloran house on the death of her son, much to the disgust of her daughter-in-law, the delight of her wicked granddaughter and the confusion of the rest of the household. But when the original owner - long dead - arrives to announce the world is ending and only the house and its occupants will be saved, they find themselves in a nightmare of strange marble statues, mysterious house guests and the beautiful, unsettling Halloran sundial which seems to be at the centre of it all. Shirley Jackson''s chilling tales have the power to unsettle and terrify unlike any other. She was born in California in 1916. When her short story The Lottery was first published in The New Yorker in 1948, readers were so horrified they sent her hate mail; it has since become one of the greatest American stories of all time. Her first novel, The Road Through the Wall, was published in the same year and was followed by five more: Hangsaman, The Bird''s Nest, The Sundial, The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, widely seen as her masterpiece. Shirley Jackson died in her sleep at the age of 48.''The world of Shirley Jackson is eerie and unforgettable ... It is a place where things are not what they seem; even on a morning that is sunny and clear there is always the threat of darkness looming, of things taking a turn for the worse'' A. M. Homes''Shirley Jackson is unparalleled as a leader in the field of beautifully written, quiet, cumulative shudders'' Dorothy Parker''Shirley Jackson''s stories are among the most terrifying ever written'' Donna TarttTrade ReviewShirley Jackson's stories are among the most terrifying ever written -- Donna TarttA pioneer of the supernatural horror genre * Observer *She is the finest master...of the cryptic, haunted tale * The New York Times Book Review *
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group Pathways
Book SynopsisFrom the award-winning author of Girl Reading, a brilliant novel for fans of Kate Atkinson.
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers Nuclear Family
Book Synopsis
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group The Stolen Crown
Book Synopsis''A superb book, illuminating a fascinating and turbulent era. It is the figure of Matilda who rightly commanded the stage in all her power and complexity'' Nicola Cornick''Packed with romance, real history, a cast of superbly imagined characters . . . The Stolen Crown is an entertaining tour-de-force'' Lancashire Post''A well-researched adventure about a strong medieval woman fighting the odds against her'' Historical Novels ReviewWhen Empress Matilda is eighteen years old, tragedy strikes the royal family, and she becomes the only child of the king of England - the de facto heir to the throne. As her dying father persuades the barons to pledge allegiance to her, Matilda returns to England - but the lords and clergy do not like an independent woman. And Matilda is nothing if not headstrong . . .When the old king dies, the country is plunged into instant chaos. So begins a fierce battle beTrade ReviewAs two women's lives entwine, the daughter of the King and the illegitimate daughter of a baron, they both battle for their place in the world, one as queen and one as mistress of her own fate. Carol McGrath weaves a tale of two unlikely friends, taking you deep into their worlds as they strive to protect each other and those they love * Alexandra Walsh, author of The House in Crete *A triumph. A superb use of authentic historical detail lifts the life of Matilda off the page and involves the reader in a struggle for power that is both engrossing and exciting * Liz Harris *The Stolen Crown features Carol McGrath's best heroine yet. Anyone who loves accurate portrayals of medieval life will delight in this skilful re-telling of history * Deborah Swift *A superb book, illuminating a fascinating and turbulent era. It is the figure of Matilda who rightly commanded the stage in all her power and complexity * Nicola Cornick *McGrath has given this remarkable star of the Anarchy period the perfect stage on which to prove her impressive credentials. Packed with romance, real history, a cast of superbly imagined characters . . . The Stolen Crown is an entertaining tour-de-force -- Pam Norfolk * Lancashire Post *A well-researched adventure about a strong medieval woman fighting the odds against her -- Kate Pettigrew * Historical Novels Review *
£10.44
Headline Publishing Group Hermit
Book Synopsis''A deeper look into the loneliness of modern masculinity. Superb.'' DOUGLAS STUART, author of SHUGGIE BAIN''An utter triumph . . . Far and away the best debut novel I''ve read in a very long time'' JOHN NIVEN, author of O BROTHER''A grimly addictive, empathetic novel. Hermit is a visceral examination of the misogynistic rot permeating the minds of young men and putting women at risk. A dreadful - but masterful - read'' ALICE SLATER, author of DEATH OF A BOOKSELLER''A story of shame, transgression and the distances we will travel in order to feel less alone. I was so moved'' ANNIE MACMANUS, author of MOTHER MOTHER''As compelling as doom scrolling'' THE HERALD MAGAZINE''Arguably the most eagerly-awaited novel of the year. McQueer writes with humour and an insight into human nature which is striking.'' SNACK MAGAZINE''HERMIT is brave, bold and ambitious'' SUNDAY POSTSince dropping out of school three years ago with no qualifications, no pals, and no ambition, Jamie Skelton spends most of his days asleep and most of his nights wanking, playing video games with his online friend, Lee, and occasionally making the journey downstairs to the kitchen for a microwave burger. He hasn''t left the house in months, and now he''s not sure he can. Fiona, Jamie''s maw, is trying her best, but since finding the courage to kick out her abusive husband her confidence has never recovered. She goes to work every day, but otherwise she''s not that different from her son - withdrawn from life, without friends. She knows their lives can''t carry on like this, but she''s at a loss to know how to change things. When Fiona tries to get Jamie to apply for a job, he sees her as the cause for all of his problems. Then Lee tells Jamie he''s realised there''s a name for what they are - incels - and that there''s a guy he''s met through the forums they can go stay with in London, to get away from their nagging mams. But in running away from his problems at home, Jamie may actually be running towards something much worse.Praise for Chris McQueer:''Charlie Brooker on Buckfast'' Martin Compston, Line of Duty''[McQueer''s] talent zings off the page'' Guardian''Impressive'' Eric Idle, Monty Python
£17.09
Hodder & Stoughton Grace and Mary
Book SynopsisReaching from late 19th-century Cumbria to the present, this elegiac novel celebrates two spirited women: Grace, a farm labourer''s daughter who fatefully followed her heart, and Mary, the child she was forced to give up. Unsung heroines according to Mary''s son who, as his elderly mother''s mind begins to fail, lovingly recreates their lives and the vanished country of their pasts, linking three generations in a chain of enduring love, loss and courage.Trade ReviewBragg's detailed evocation of the Wigton of his youth, the people that lived there, the beauty of the Cumbrian scenery, the lively sense of the region's long and varied history, is delightful. It's a novel that deserves to be read slowly, the details cherished. -- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *The novel's multiple narratives are skilfully teased out from John's attempts to prolong meaningful life for his mother by stimulating her failing memory . . . For each generation, Bragg suggests, a key component of the quest is coming to terms with the past - a feat that his quietly intense novel pulls off with joy, sorrow and precision. -- David Grylls * The Sunday Times *Beautifully conveys how the past is a continuum that constantly feeds our consciousness of the present, altering its current and direction. It is starkly truthful about the perils of ageing. But it is also a convincing testimony to familial love, and its power to prompt the imagination in the service of a more generous understanding . . . It is a gem. -- Salley Vickers * Independent *A beautiful book, elegant, restrained and full of nuanced meditations on the nature of identity -- Julia Molony * Independent on Sunday *In a contemporary literary landscape of middlebrow experimentalism and over-hyped, over-long soap operas, a Bragg novel will usually remind you of fiction's traditional virtues: plot, psychology, carefully observed descriptions of landscape and people, a thoughtfulness about the passage of time and the damage done by history. The book feels deeply personal; but it moves us, as the best fiction does, because of its universality. It is a rich book and a thoughtful one . . . A remarkable performance. -- Kevin Power * Sunday Business Post, Ireland *I loved it. It's a great achievement to have brought these women so tenderly, compassionately, warmly and respectfully to life * Pat Barker *A little masterpiece. With infinite skill and tenderness he has homed in upon a crucial, contemporary dilemma - the problem of ageing parents with dementia - and has produced a life-affirming work packed with wisdom, insight and profound observations about the human condition. * Val Hennessy *A complex and absorbing meditation on time and memory, made all the more poignant by its refusal to succumb to the temptation of wearing its heart on its sleeve. * Clare Morgan *A beautiful, tender novel that evokes the spirit of Thomas Hardy while dealing with the very relevant issue of dementia. Highly recommended. * Weekly Review, Australia *Bragg's high-profile TV presence has tended to distract from his literary achievements, but this understated tale of three Cumbrian generations is one of his most heartfelt works. * Mail on Sunday *This is memoir in the guise of fiction, and Melvyn Bragg unveils his mother's and grandmother's lives in a way that will live long in the memory. The small Cumbrian town of the writer's youth is vividly evoked, as are the beauty of the scenery and the rich and varied history of that northwestern English county. What stands out most, though, is the loving and respectful way the two brave women at the heart of Bragg's story are brought to life. * Irish Times *
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton Homeseeking
Book SynopsisA GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK''A layered, beautifully written, and deeply moving novel. Karissa Chen masterfully blends love, music, history, and heartbreak to create a sweeping tale that spans decades and continents''Abi Daré''[Homeseeking] weaves expertly between present and past, telling the story of childhood sweethearts who meet again late in life and are torn between looking back and moving on''Celeste Ng''Wonderfully cinematic, gorgeously orchestrated . . . like any tried-and-true epic (think Pachinko or The Joy Luck Club) . . . Homeseeking is just a genuine pleasure to read''San Francisco Chronicle''As I tearfully turned the last page of Homeseeking, I knew that it had earned a place on my top shelf . . . unforgettable''Washington Post''One of the best debut novels of this century''Pittsburgh Post-GazetteSuchi first sees Haiwen in their Shanghai neighbourhood when she is seven years old, drawn by the sound of his violin. Their childhood friendship blossoms into love, but when Haiwen secretly enlists in the Nationalist army in 1947 to save his brother from the draft, Suchi is left with just his violin and a note: Forgive Me.Sixty years later, recently widowed Haiwen spots Suchi at a grocery store in Los Angeles. It feels to Haiwen like a second chance, but Suchi has only survived by refusing to look back. In the twilight of their lives, can they reclaim their past and the love they lost? Homeseeking follows the separated lovers through six decades of tumultuous Chinese history, telling Haiwen''s story from the present to the past while tracing Suchi''s from her childhood to the present, meeting at the crucible of their lives. From Shanghai to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United States, neither loses sight of the home they hold in their hearts.''A love story in more ways than one, Homeseeking is a beautiful, nuanced look at Chinese history, family, young love, and the wisdom of age''Vanessa Chan
£17.09
Quercus Publishing The Island Getaway
Book SynopsisThe brand new sun-soaked novel from the bestselling author of Anything Could Happen - pre-order now!
£14.44
Persephone Books Ltd The Closed Door and Other Stories
Book Synopsis
£16.00
