Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisIn the middle of a sultry summer heatwave, the inhabitants of Barleybridge find love, conflict and much more...When Kate worked at the Barleybridge practice, she had thought herself in love with Scott. But that was years ago and she is over him now - or so she thinks. When she returns to the practice, she is alarmed to discover that suddenly, yet again, she is completely besotted with him. Some things at the practice have changed: there''s a new vet, Virginia, who seems to go out of her way to criticise and upset Kate, not to mention upsetting the clients. But Virginia is not all she seems. Scott, very much in love with his wife Zoe, hates the idea that they have not yet had a second child. Convinced that the fault is not his, he refuses to seek help. The ensuing rows with Zoe drive a wedge between them. Will he look to someone else for comfort? Kate hopes that he might...

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis*#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**#1 USA TODAY BESTSELLER*There''s a new couple in town . . . and they''re shaking things up. After thirty-five years as the Chief of Police on Nantucket, Ed Kapenash''s heart can no longer take the stress. But his plans to retire are thwarted when, with only three days left on the job, he receives a phone call. The Richardsons'' 22-million-dollar summer home has been burned to the ground. The couple are far from hurt - they were out on the water at one of their lavish yacht parties. But their dependable personal assistant has vanished. To solve the case, the Chief will have to contend with small town gossip for one final act of service to the community he knows and loves. A propulsive sun-soaked drama featuring some of Elin Hildebrand''s most beloved characters - and of course, the beautiful and timeless island of Nantucket itself.

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Book SynopsisMoving, complex, romantic, and beautifully written, Karen Campbell's saga is a triumph' Allan Massie, ScotsmanDivided by loyalties, brought together by warSeptember, 1943. Tuscany, Italy. In the hilltop town of Barga, everyone holds their breath. Even the bells fall silent. Everything Vittoria Guidi knows and loves is at risk. German troops occupy the mountains around her home, as America's Buffalo Soldiers prepare to invade. As Vittoria's country is torn in two, so is her conscience. Should she side with her Scots-Italian father or her Fascist mother? Should she do what she is told or what she believes in?Frank Chapel, a young, black American soldier fighting with the Buffalo soldiers for a country that refuses him the vote, is unlike anyone Vittoria has ever met. In the chaos, they find each other but can their growing love overcome prejudice and war?Trade ReviewA rich and thoroughly enjoyable novel: a love story, a war story, a story of divided loyalties ...It is a work of considerable complexity with a powerful narrative drive … She has the ability, rarer in fiction today than it used to be, to make you care about her characters … This is an ambitious novel, and one of rare scope and understanding ... It is the kind of novel which is likely to have you thinking it ought to be filmed, and then realising that a film would be unlikely to do justice to its amplitude and complexity. But it will surely win prizes -- Allan Massie * Scotsman *A beautifully written and moving love story * Woman *The Sound of the Hours is a beautiful and important book. Karen Campbell's gorgeous prose and epic, page-turning story swept me away to a beautiful place during its worst moment in history. Brava! -- HELEN FITZGERALD, author of The CryGenerous-spirited, big-hearted -- Praise for 'This is Where I Am' * Daily Mail *A story of tragedy told with such eloquence and elegance as to renew our faith in the resilience of the human spirit -- Praise for 'This is Where I Am', Kerry Young

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Book SynopsisFifteen-year-old Gale is desperate to get out of Whitehorse, a fact that is immediately clear to counsellor Helen Cotillard when Gale walks into her office with her reluctant stepmother. It''s 1995, and one counselling agency for kids and families serves all of the Yukon. Gale has been having anxiety attacks, the last one so severe it landed her in the hospital.Helen soon begins to realize that Gale''s distress at being separated from her little sister Buddie too closely parallels a calamity from her own past. This tragic similarity leaves Helen uneasy about her profession and her ability to help her clients. When Gale does escape back to her home in Cobalt, Ontario, to protect Buddie from their brutal mother, she risks her own future.Through arresting, compelling images, Jill Frayne shows both the fierce beauty of the Yukon, and the damaged, enduring landscapes of two human hearts.

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Book SynopsisTim Cleverley inherits a failing pub in Wales, which he plans to rescue by enlisting an American pulp novelist to concoct an entirely fabricated "mystery" about Gerald Manley Hopkins, who composed "The Wreck of the Deutschland" nearby. Blending the real stories of Hopkins and the shipwrecked nuns he wrote about with a contemporary love story, while casting a wry eye on the Dan Brown industry, The Hopkins Conundrum is a highly original mix of commercial fiction, literary biography, and satirical commentary.Trade Review"Genuinely funny and deeply poignant" - Daily Express; "Edge wears his Hopkins learning lightly, sprinkling the book with snippets while avoiding didacticism or handholding... it's a merry page-turner" - The Spectator; "A comedy with a touching emphasis on the importance of truth in human relationships." - The Tablet; "A witty satire... By turns gripping and laugh-out-loud funny" - Press and Journal; "Hugely entertaining... Edge's excoriating analysis is an utter delight" - WI Life

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Book SynopsisIt is 1777, and England's second-greatest portrait artist, Thomas Gainsborough, has a thriving practice a stone's thrown from London's royal palaces. Meanwhile, the press talks up his rivalry with Sir Joshua Reynolds, the pedantic theoretician who is the top dog of British portraiture. Fonder of the low life than high society, Gainsborough loathes pandering to grand sitters, but he changes his tune when he is commissioned to paint King George III and his large family. In their final, most bitter competition, who will be chosen as court painter, Tom or Sir Joshua? Two and a half centuries later, a badly damaged painting turns up on a downmarket TV antiques show being filmed in Suffolk. Could the monstrosity really be, as its eccentric owner claims, a Gainsborough? If so, who is the sitter? And why does he have donkey's ears? Mixing ancient and modern as he did in his acclaimed debut The Hopkins Conundrum, Simon Edge takes aim at fakery and pretension in this highly original celebration of one of our greatest artists.Trade Review`The way in which the eighteenth century is rendered in this novel is witty, observant and joyously gossipy. The characterisations are sharp and Simon Edge has the painter's eye for detail. It is paced beautifully and nothing is wasted' - NB magazine, `The more of Simon Edge you read, the more you realise that every element of his stories is hand-selected and glued to the bigger picture - it's whimsical, farce-like... scrapbooky, in the best possible way' - Buzz Magazine, `The rivalry between Thomas Gainsborough and Sir Joshua Reynolds is at the heart of this larky novel' - Saga Magazine, `It hooked me straight in from the beginning. It's brilliant' - Lesley Dolphin, BBC Radio Suffolk, 'A masterpiece!' - Books are Cool, `With sheer comedy and a lot of ambition, this short novel combines excellent writing, seemingly effortless historical research and a great understanding of people to create a really enjoyable read' - Northern Reader, `A deft and exuberant satire that is pointed whilst avoiding cruelty' - Never Imitate

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Book SynopsisMidwinter. As former farmhand Jake, a widower in his seventies, wanders the beautiful, austere moors of North Yorkshire trying to evade capture, we learn of the events of his past: the wife he loved and lost, their child he knows cannot be his, and the deep-seated need for revenge that manifests itself in a moment of violence. On the coast, Jake's friend, Sheila, receives the devastating news. The aftermath of Jake's actions, and what it brings to the surface, will change her life forever. But how will she react when he turns up at her door? As beauty and tenderness blend with violence, this story transports us to a different world, subtly exploring love and loss in a language that both bruises and heals.Trade Review'It's a one-off. What makes it so special is Robinson's descriptions of nature. Poetic and beautifully brutal - no "hello, trees" mimsy. The dialogue is no-nonsense Yorkshire demotic. A heady mix' - Robbie Millen, The Times; 'A wonderfully empathetic account...full of candour, lyricism and compassion' - The Spectator; `Rich, compelling stuff' - Metro; 'This extraordinary novel gets under the skin from the first paragraph. Robinson never goes for the trite or the neat. Hope and humanity emerge against the odds in a bittersweet and starkly beautiful tale that lingers long in the memory' - Yorkshire Post; 'This is a whydunnit, a lyrical mix of nature notes, traditional song and tragic narrative, peopled with compelling characters' - Saga Magazine; ‘Ray Robinson’s novel of revenge and counter-revenge, of reconciliation, and of love and growth in the thawing of an iron landscape, is a masterwork of unforgiving beauty’ - Yorkshire Times

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Book SynopsisUnder tennis courts in the ruins of a great abbey, archaeologists find the remains of St Edmund, once venerated as England's patron saint, but lost for half a millennium. Culture Secretary Marina Spencer, adored by those who have never met her, scents an opportunity. She promotes Edmund as a new patron saint for the United Kingdom, playing up his Scottish, Welsh and Irish credentials. Unfortunately these are pure fiction, invented by Mark Price, her downtrodden aide, in a moment of panic. The only person who can see through the deception is Mark's cousin Hannah, a member of the dig team. Will she blow the whistle or help him out? And what of St Edmund himself, watching through the prism of a very different age? Splicing ancient and modern as he did in The Hopkins Conundrum and A Right Royal Face-Off, Simon Edge pokes fun at Westminster culture and celebrates the cult of a medieval saint in another beguiling and utterly original comedy.Trade Review'Guaranteed to have you laughing out loud' - The i Paper, 'Hilarious and painfully believable' - The Lady, 'A wildly inventive romp, rich in history and bunk' - Saga Magazine, 'A hugely enjoyable page-turner written with parodic panache' - Yorkshire Times, 'Brilliant - very funny' - Lesley Dolphin, BBC Radio Suffolk, 'This mix of satire, mystery and a few supernatural goings-on makes an entertaining and intriguing read' - Suffolk Magazine

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Book SynopsisAt thirty-two, Faith Frankel has returned to her suburban hometown where she works in the fundraising department of her old school, writing thank-you notes to benefactors. Keen to get her life back on track, she buys a sweet but dilapidated bungalow on Turpentine Lane. Never mind that her fiance is currently 'finding himself' while walking across America and too busy to return her texts, that her witless boss has accused her of fraud, or that her father is going through a mid-life crisis that involves painting fake old masters and hooking up with a much younger woman - Faith is looking forward to a peaceful life in her new home. But when a policeman knocks on her door asking to look in the basement, she discovers that the history of 10 Turpentine Lane is anything but peaceful. On Turpentine Lane is a madcap comedy from one of America's most acclaimed novelists.Trade Review‘Elinor Lipman is the best writer you’ve never heard of – imagine if Elizabeth Strout wrote romantic comedies. On Turpentine Lane is whimsical but also gently savages the frailties of the human condition‘ – Red magazine, `Elinor Lipman applies her singular brand of warm zaniness to Faith's dilemma... She has taken lessons from our great chroniclers of the quotidian, from Geoffrey Chaucer to Jane Austen. The result provides a light but serious antidote to what ails us all these days' - Washington Post, `Light and tight, On Turpentine Lane is constructed with an almost scary mastery. Not a single thread dangles, not a single character is left without a place. The story folds out and back in as neatly as an origami flower, and Faith recounts it all with a raised eyebrow and plenty of cheek' - New York Times, `With a witty cast of characters and her usual delightful dialogue and insightful observations of human behavior, she captures the complications of modern love' - Publishers Weekly, `Delightful and amusing... reminiscent of madcap romantic comedies of 1940s Hollywood. A highly engaging, charming read' - New York Journal of Books

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Book SynopsisAs a child in Australia in the Fifties, Katrina Klain is taunted in the playground as a Nazi, long before she knows what the word means. Her German mother and her Austrian father seem to be ordinary people who simply ended up on the wrong side of history, but Katrina yearns to know more about her origins. Leaving the New World behind as soon as she can, she heads to Vienna, where she imagines her Germanic name will no longer be a burden, armed with what turns out to be an inexhaustible list of questions. Is the sleazy uncle exiled to Spain a crook or a hero of the anti-Nazi resistance? Why does her father insist his brother is dead? And is her cousin in East Germany really a Stasi agent? Decades later, during a long flight back to Australia, Katrina attempts to reassemble the pieces of the puzzle she has spent so long researching. In her dream-like version of an in-flight movie, a mysterious other-worldly guide seems to know – and have control over – her own future. Told in a thrillingly inventive narrative style, Sylvia Petter’s debut novel is a powerful, pacy tale about making peace with the past, which also paints a richly evocative picture of Central Europe in the early decades after the war.Trade Review‘A stylistically daring, hurricane-paced and genuinely impressive feat of the imagination’ - Billy O’Callaghan, ‘A mosaic primarily made of a family memoir, with its mesh of relationships, past and present, the unravelling of decades-old secrets from a Europe that includes Nazi Germany, paced like a thriller. A compelling read’ - Meg Stewart, ‘Explores truth and memory with a compelling subtlety’ - Jason Goodwin, ‘Sylvia Petter’s language is the star. The prose is stunning, rhythmic and visceral’ - Ivy Ngeow, ‘A well written, intriguing story that reads like an actual memoir which I thought very clever. I didn’t want to put it down’ - Over the Rainbow, ‘An absorbing, addictive ancestry... As each player in the life drama tells their side of the story, the atmosphere, characters and events of the time come to life’ - Jane Hunt, ‘I absolutely loved this book. It reaches into the past in an indelible way, blending facts and fiction so skilfully that the reader becomes engrossed’ - Lock and Load Brides of Christ, ‘A stunningly unusual novel, and the opening left me wondering, captivated, and desperate for more’ - Radzy Reviews

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Book SynopsisMidsummer, 1968. When Frank Banner and his wife Gail move to the Suffolk coast to work at a newly built nuclear power station, they are hoping to leave violence and pain behind them. Gail wants a baby but Frank is only concerned with spending time in the gleaming reactor core of the Seton One power station. Their new neighbours are also 'Atomics' - part of the power station community. But Frank takes a dislike to the boorish, predatory Maynard. And when the other man begins to pursue a young woman who works in the power station's medical centre, Frank decides to intervene. As the sun beats relentlessly upon this bleak landscape, his demons return. A vicious and merciless voice tells him he has an obligation to protect the young woman and Frank knows just how to do it. Radiation will make him stronger, radiation will turn him into a hero... The Atomics is a Gothic story of madness, revenge and Uranium-235.Trade Review'A terrifically compulsive slice of post-war domestic noir: a vivid psychological thriller that unfolds into a strange and powerful study of male violence' - Michael Hughes; 'Very, very good' - Jon Wright, BBC Radio Suffolk; 'A tense and evocative unpeeling of the male psyche with a deliciously chilling denouement. Frank Banner is a fascinating, terrifying creation'- Never Imitate; 'A compulsive study of a mind sliding from troubled to deranged. I really enjoyed the "buzzing hum of radiation" with which the text is infused'- Lizzy Siddal; 'A hugely enjoyable novel that's not quite like anything else I've read. It's dark and eerie with a delicious hint of Gothic, looking at toxic masculinity and predatory behaviour, with a wonderful twist at the end' - Jo's Book Blog; 'Without the nuclear setting, this psychodrama would still be a compulsive piece of domestic noir, but the power station, Frank's unhealthy obsession with his work and the dynamics of being stuck in the sterile 'Atomics' village all add to the sense of horror' - Annabookbel

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Book SynopsisRachel Klein is sacked from her job at the White House after she sends an email criticising Donald Trump. As she is escorted off the premises she is hit by a speeding car, driven by what the press will discreetly call 'a personal friend of the President'. Does that explain the flowers, the get-well wishes at a press briefing, the hush money offered by a lawyer at her hospital bedside? Rachel's recovery is soothed by comically doting parents, matchmaking room-mates, a new job as aide to a journalist whose books aim to defame the President, and unexpected love at the local wine store. But secrets leak, and Rachel's new-found happiness has to make room for more than a little chaos. Will she bring down the President? Or will he manage to do that all by himself? Rachel to the Rescue is a mischievous political satire, with a delightful cast of characters, from one of America's funniest novelists.Trade Review'A sweet, daffy comedy' - Slate, 'The Trump book that could only be published abroad' - Stacy Schiff, 'A deft and funny book. As usual with Elinor Lipman's characters, I can see it all so clearly on screen. Brava, sister!' - Maureen Lipman, ‘A charming love story and a witty, perceptive social satire. It’s a treat’ - Nicholas Clee, BookBrunch, 'Effortlessly plausible.. a masterwork of wit, comic timing and plot. Lipman's sentences fizz with the energy of Updike' - Yorkshire Times, 'A witty and mischievous comic novel [and] a bitingly funny satire on US politics in the age of Trump. Definitely a book of the moment' - The Shelf of Unread Books

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Book SynopsisThe scene is Otisville Prison, upstate New York. A crew of fraudsters, tax evaders, trigamists and forgers discuss matters of right and wrong in a Talmudic study and prayer group, or 'minyan', led by a rabbi who's a fellow convict. As the only prison in the federal system with a kosher deli, Otisville is the penitentiary of choice for white-collar Jewish offenders, many of whom secretly like the place. They've learned to game the system, so when the regime is toughened to punish a newly arrived celebrity convict who has upset the 45th president, they find devious ways to fight back. Shadowy forces up the ante by trying to 'Epstein' - ie assassinate - the newcomer, and visiting poetry professor Deborah Liston ends up in dire peril when she sees too much. She has helped the minyan look into their souls. Will they now step up to save her? Jonathan Stone brings the sensibility of Saul Bellow and Philip Roth to the post-truth era in a sharply comic novel that is also wise, profound and deeply moral.Trade Review'Erudite, trenchant and touching, with a premise that the young Philip Roth would have envied' - Michael Arditti; 'Delectable...glorious...this most cherishably Jewish of books' - Jewish Chronicle; 'Warm, insightful, wise and very funny. Jonathan Stone has created a remarkably appealing community of prison inmates and staff. Quite brilliant'- Abi Silver; 'To the best of my knowledge, The Prison Minyan is the first fiction written about the lives of Jewish criminals that is set in a uniquely Jewish prison. This book has abundant humour and a light touch but it also raises some serious issues, such as the true cost of a life of crime; the meaning of loyalty; antisemitism; morality; and the power of poetry - and words in general - to transform one's life. An intriguing and enjoyable read' - Nora Gold; Praise for Jonathan Stone: ; 'Die Next is the model of a brilliant and stylish thriller! Rich with character development and it's-like-I'm-there settings, the novel is an adrenaline rush between covers. Bravo!'- Jeffery Deaver, author of The Bone Collector and The Goodbye Man, on Die Next ; 'Stone plays cruel and cunning mind games.' - The New York Times Book Review on Die Next; 'Stone belongs with the elite of current mystery writers... He should not be missed.' - Publishers Weekly on Die Next ; 'Crisp, elegant prose distinguishes this exceptional crime thriller from Stone.' -Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Moving Day ; 'A spellbinding ride.' -Library Journal, starred review, on Moving Day; 'A true page-turner, sure to appeal to Harlan Coben and Laura Lippman fans.' -Booklist on Moving Day; 'Stone creates the kind of people who can make a reader turn pages.'-Kirkus Reviews, starred review, on The Heat of Lies; 'Audacity can be a welcome ingredient in a mystery, especially when it's couple with a ferocious literary talent...it's a great, devilish pleasure.' - Chicago Tribune on The Heat of Lies

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Book SynopsisA cow looks out to sea, dreaming of a life that involves grass. Jan is also looking out to sea. He's in Goa, dreaming of the thief who stole his heart (and his passport) forty-six years ago. Back then, fate kept bringing them together, but lately it seems to have given up. Jan has not. In his long search he has travelled the world, tangling with murderers and pick-pockets and accidentally holding a whole Russian town at imaginary gunpoint. Now he thinks if he just waits and does nothing, fate may find it easier to reunite them - if only he can shake off an annoying teenager who won't go away. But then, perhaps an annoying teenager is exactly what Jan needs to help him find his old flame? Featuring a menagerie of creatures, each with its own story to tell, We Are Animals is a comic Homeric odyssey with shades of Jonas Jonasson's Hundred-Year-Old Man. A quirky, heart-warming tale of lost love, unlikely friendships and the mysteries of fate, it moves and delights in equal measure.Trade Review'A debut of magical charm, wit and humour. Echoing the spirit and the style of Jonas Jonasson, Ewins has a wondrous voice of his own' - Yorkshire Times, 'The feel-good story we all need right now' - Popsugar, 'Warm, funny and original - one of my favourite books of the year' - Frances Quinn, 'An amazingly inventive, funny book that deals with fate, love, teenagers and chance. It's like Life of Pi on its gap year. Utterly brilliant!' - Victoria Dowd, 'A heartwarming tale of lost love and unlikely friendships, featuring a menagerie of animals who each have their story to tell' - Waitrose Weekend, 'A witty, engaging, offbeat tale of a decades-spanning love, set in various locations across the world and co-starring several animals' - Bristol 24/7

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Book SynopsisONE TURKEY FARM, FIVE WILD COLLEAGUES AND A BARN FULL OF MYSTERY When jilted crime writer August Saunders returns from London to her roots in rural Wiltshire, she feels lost and lacking in inspiration. Determined to reignite her writing mojo, she responds to an advert for a shared workspace in a converted barn. At the Hub, with its ill-equipped gym, inedible catering and motley array of fellow users, including a matchmaker more interested in her own conquests and a TikToker with a dodgy nocturnal sideline, August is confronted with a real-life mystery to solve. Why is Max Ronson, the handsome but volatile owner of the Hub, so evasive about his past? And who or what is he hiding on the premises? She is determined to find out - but will her curiosity snuff out the spark of romance? Nicola May mixes mischief with mystery in a fast-paced rural romp which will make Futtingbrook Farm as beloved a location as Ferry Lane Market or Cockleberry Bay. Perfect for fans of Beth O'Leary, Sarah Morgan, Jill Mansell and Cathy Bramley.Trade Review'Don't dare forget the name of Nicola May' - Anne Diamond; 'Nicola May writes with heart, soul and a whole lot of sauce'- Kim Nash; 'This book will twang your funny bone & your heartstrings' - Milly Johnson; 'A fun and flighty read' - Sun; 'A funny and fast-paced romp - thoroughly enjoyable!' WOMAN Magazine; 'This book is so addictive that you will literally lose 3 hours of your life, and you won't care!' - Cara's Book Boudoir

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Book SynopsisDan Rhodes is a true original' – Hilary Mantel 'I read this novel right through the day I got my hands on it, laughing like a banshee.' - David Sexton, Sunday Times When the sleepy English village of Green Bottom hosts its first literary festival, the good, the bad and the ugly of the book world descend upon its leafy lanes But the villagers are not prepared for the peculiar habits, petty rivalries and unspeakable desires of the authors. And they are certainly not equipped to deal with Wilberforce Selfram, the ghoul-faced, ageing enfant terriblewho wreaks havoc wherever he goes Sour Grapes is a hilarious satire on the literary world which takes no prisoners as it skewers authors, agents, publishers and reviewers alike.Trade ReviewSour grapes? Oddly not. The narrative tone here is peculiarly benign, as if to explain all these absurdities as helpfully as possible, and the effect is just hilarious. I read this novel right through the day I got my hands on it, laughing like a banshee’ David Sexton, Sunday Times; ‘Piercing and hilarious’ The Times, Best Books of 2021; ‘A book trade romp. The plot is amusingly preposterous’‍ The Spectator; ‘Deeply silly, frequently juvenile’ New Statesman; ‘No one in the publishing industry escapes a brutal skewering in this laugh-out-loud satire. I loved it’‍ Sara Lawrence, Daily Mail; ‘The funniest book since Cold Comfort Farm’ Julie Burchill; ‘A rollicking satire of publishing, writers and book festivals. As broad as the Atlantic but filled with zingers’ Ian Rankin; ‘Dan Rhodes is a true original’‍ Hilary Mantel; ‘Dan Rhodes is totally sick and brilliant in all the right ways’ Douglas Coupland; ‘Dan Rhodes is one of England’s greatest purveyors of eccentric comedies’ John Self, The Times

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Book Synopsis'A FUN AND FLIGHTY READ' THE SUN' 'ANOTHER WILD AND WITTY TALE FROM NICOLA MAY' MILLY JOHNSON From the bestselling author of the Cockleberry Bay and Ferry Lane Market series Dull security or risky freedom - which would you choose? With her marriage in pieces, shy Cali Summers is faced with this decision and hits the world of fast love on an internet dating app. Using room 102 in the hotel where she works as her dating 'lair', she opens herself up to a world of sex, lies, deception, as well as personal discovery and passionate love. With a charming F1 engineer, a handsome army officer and her adulterous ex all on the scene, a predictable love match is far from on the cardsTrade Review'Joyous Escapism' - Milly Johnson; 'A funny and fast-paced romp - thoroughly enjoyable!' WOMAN; 'Nicola May writes with heart, soul and a whole lot of sauce' - Kim Nash; 'This book is so addictive that you will literally lose 3 hours of your life, and you won't care!' - Cara's Book Boudoir

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Book SynopsisSacked from his first job in Dublin, Mark McGuire arrives in the dismal town of Ashcross to take up a new role as customer service assistant for Ireland's second-biggest pet food brand, WellCat. From his initial impressions, it's a toss-up whether he'll die of misery or boredom. He couldn't be more wrong. For starters, the improbably cute receptionist, Kevin, seems willing to audition as the man of Mark's dreams. There's also the launch of a hush-hush new product, Future Fish, on the horizon. Not to mention the ragtag band of exorcists, alien-hunters and animal rights warriors who are all convinced WellCat is up to no good. Why are these crackpots so keen on getting close to Mark? And will their schemes ruin his career prospects? In a deliciously daft comic caper, Conor Sneyd perfectly captures the powerlessness of low-rung office life as well as the seductive zealotry of our times.

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Book SynopsisAs the muse and lover of one of the greatest painters of the late 20th century, Christie McGraw was once a major figure in New York. Now penniless, abandoned and sick, she needs to sell the last thing of any value that she still has in her possession. It's a lost masterpiece by her late lover, and she needs the help of Gabriel Viejo, the world expert on the artist, to authenticate it and get into the market. If he can help, she'll make it well worth his while. Gabriel opens negotiations with a shady Greek tycoon in the hope of saving Christie's life - and boosting his own fortunes into the bargain. But there are some nasty surprises in store. Alan Kane Fraser's devilishly devious debut is a page-turning plunge into the murkier depths of the art world and the age-old relationship between creator and muse.Trade ReviewExpert storytelling, clever plotting and convincing characters make this not only an absorbing and highly entertaining tale, but also a thought-provoking reflection on the truths that art can tell, or hide' Hilary Taylor 'A glorious caper - full of humour, engaging characters and infatuation. A thoroughly enjoyable read' Nicky Downes; 'A witty, well written novel exploring the world of painting, modelling and art-as-commodity, with an unexpected criminal caper at its heart. An exuberant debut that is both fun and thoughtful' Richard Francis 'Alan Kane Fraser's beautiful work about life the other side of the easel - its impact, its anonymity, the inevitable betrayal - both compels and disturbs. He has that unusual ability of allowing characters to collide whilst not being a devotee of either' Jeff Weston

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Book Synopsis'Sun-soaked escapism' BestFor many years Colette has avoided returning to her homeland - the magical island of Belle-Île-en-Mer in Southern Brittany - afraid to confront the painful memories she left behind. She is living on the Cornish coast when she hears about her mother Thea's failing health and realises that the time has come for her to go home. But can Colette ever forgive Thea for what she has done?Despite Colette's wariness, romantic Belle-Île still fascinates her. She takes on the running of her mother's flower shop and makes friends with Élodie from the Old Lighthouse where Thea once worked as a nanny and with the enigmatic Étienne who shares Colette's mixed feelings about the island. As Thea opens up to her for the first time, Colette finds herself softening and being drawn back into the landscape of her past. But can Belle-Île also be a part of her future?The ghosts of that past still linger. What happened all those years ago and how did it cause the rift between mother and daughter? It becomes clear that the beauty of Belle-Île hides a devastating family secret - one that Colette is determined to unravel at any cost.Readers love Her Mother's Secret'The ultimate feel-good read' Candis'A beautifully written story of loss and love, Her Mother's Secret is Rosanna Ley at her best' My Weekly'A must-read' 5* reader review'A real emotional journey with surprising twists and turns' 5* reader review'Beautifully written' Heat'A magical escape' 5* reader review'Another jewel of a read from Rosanna Ley' 5* reader review'A real emotional journey with surprising twists and turns' 5* reader review'Ley is a master storyteller' 5* reader review'A truly heart-breaking, heart-warming story' 5* reader reviewTrade ReviewA beautiful holiday read * Candis *Beautifully written and gently captivating * Heat *A beautifully written story of loss and love, Her Mother's Secret is Rosanna Ley at her best * My Weekly *Her Mother's Secret is the ideal sunshine escape, a moving and magical story brimming with rich, lyrical descriptions * Lancashire Evening Post *A wonderfully descriptive and beautifully crafted tale about love, life and second chances, all with a gorgeous escapist setting. The perfect holiday companion * Heat on The Little Theatre by the Sea *Sun-soaked escapism * Best on The Little Theatre by the Sea *The ultimate feel-good read, perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore, Victoria Hislop and Leah Fleming * Candis on The Little Theatre by the Sea *Reading it will make you want to jump on the first flight out to Sardinia * Hello on The Little Theatre by the Sea *Holiday romance at its most evocative and escapist * The Lady on Little Theatre by the Sea *An immersive holiday read that makes you want to reach for your sunglasses, a quiet spot and a long drink * Dorset Echo *

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Book Synopsis'As vivid as it is splendid' New York Times'Beautifully written and completely absorbing' Sarah Moss, GuardianA BARACK OBAMA BOOK OF THE YEARWINNER OF THE PEN/HEMINGWAY AWARD FOR DEBUT NOVEL and SHORTLISTED FOR THE KITSCHIES GOLD TENTACLE AWARDA BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR in the NEW YORK TIMES, GUARDIAN, IRISH TIMES, OPRAH MAGAZINE and BBC CULTUREAt seven years old, Nainoa falls into the sea and a shark takes him in its jaws - only to return him, unharmed, to his parents. For the next thirty years Noa and his siblings struggle with life in the shadow of this miracle.Sharks in the Time of Saviours is a brilliantly original and inventive novel, the sweeping story of a family living in poverty among the remnants of Hawai'i's mythic past and the wreckage of the American dream.Trade ReviewThe novel you never knew you were waiting for. Old myths clash with new realities, love is in a ride or die with grief, faith rubs hard against magic, and comic flips with tragic so much they meld into something new. All told with daredevil lyricism to burn. A ferocious debut -- MARLON JAMESSharks in the Time of Saviours is a brilliant novel and one of the most engaging and memorable books I've read this year. Sentences sparkle, the narrative voices remain distinctive and complete, and the deep notes of magic sound under the realism of poverty and loss. I didn't want it to end -- SARAH MOSSAs vivid as it is splendid . . . This may be his debut, but he proves himself an old hand at dissecting the ways in which places - our connections to them, our disconnections from them - break us and remake us . . . With prose that can be breathy and sweaty in one paragraph before gliding softly and tenderly into the next, this passionate writer cries out for us to see Hawaii in its totality: as a place of proud ancestors and gods and spirits, but also of crumbling families and hopelessness and poverty. Of mystery and beauty at every corner -- IMBOLO MBUE * * New York Times * *Sharks in the Time of Saviours bursts with life. It is bright and beautifully noisy. It's so good it hurts and hurts to where it heals. It is revelatory and unputdownable. Washburn is an extraordinarily brilliant new talent. This family saga is shark tooth sharp. Its pages shoot off crackles and sparks, and you come out of it changed. It is sublime -- TOMMY ORANGE, author of THERE, THEREAdjusted my understanding of the world . . . Beautifully written and completely absorbing -- Sarah Moss * * Guardian * *[Hawai'i's] ancient history and lush natural beauty pulses through the book. Washburn is an assured and agile stylist, creating a unique and urgent voice for each member of the family . . . An electrifying, heart-wrenching exploration of how life, hope and goodness persist in the aftermath of loss * * Daily Mail * *Radiant . . . Immediately grips you in its jaws, plunges you into Hawaiian waters, and finally releases you, breathless and changed . . . There's something bewitching, too, in Washburn's prose - the furious, lively spell of it * * O, The Oprah Magazine * *Epic in scope, it throbs with magic realism and urban misery . . . [Written with] style and swagger . . . Told with such loquacious vigour that the reader is swept along, utterly rapt. It marks Washburn out as a writer with talent to burn * * i * *A beautifully written debut novel * * Vogue * *Mixes hardscrabble Hawaiian reality with flights of wonder and the supernatural in a way that is wholly original * * Vanity Fair * *

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Book SynopsisSet in rural Karnataka, Following a Prayer tells the story of three young, inquisitive girls and the one day that changes their lives Thirteen-year-old Kalpana goes missing one morning before school. When she returns, she has gone silent. Nothing and nobody. can get her to speak.What happened in those three days that she went missing? What prevents her from communicating with her parents and sister except through notes and scribbles?And whydoes her grandmother's presence provoke such a strong reaction from her?

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Book SynopsisA BOOK OF THE YEAR IN TIME, EVENING STANDARD and METROWhen Tash, daughter of a Russian oligarch, is sent to an English boarding school, she is new to the strange rituals of the girls there. Theirs is a world of strict pecking orders, eating disorders and Instagram angst.While she spends her time with the other girls at the lake and the stables, a hand-picked few are invited to join the Headmaster at his house for extra lessons. Then her friend Bianca mysteriously vanishes, and quickly the routines of her dorm-mates seem darker and more alien than ever before. Oligarchy is the fierce new novel about power, privilege and peer pressure from the bestselling author of The End of Mr. Y.Trade ReviewEntertaining, irreverent and wrong-hilarious . . . Hugely enjoyable. It's about as menacing as a cool girl's black glitter nail polish - and just as much fun -- BIDISHA * * Observer * *Thomas's humour has a sharp, rhythmic perfection. Her prose is fast-thinking, entertaining and punchy, her dialogue fully authentic . . . Intriguing, fluid and frequently funny * * New York Times Book Review * *Wickedly funny . . . Thomas has great fun with the familiar components of the boarding school yarn, even as she subverts them. Her writing is spikily humorous and controlled . . . This jet-black novel begs to be dramatised * * The Times * *Oligarchy is a delicious slap in the face; stunningly intelligent, alarmingly modern, hilariously funny, deeply pertinent, true, fantastical and several hankies'-worth of poignant -- LOUISA YOUNGRiotously funny . . . There are few more vivaciously original novelists around today, and surely none of them is having as much fun while making serious points . . . Quite brilliant . . . There have been many other notable novels about schools . . . but none so entertaining since Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie * * Spectator * *Wrapping a murder mystery in a wicked comedy of manners, this instantly engaging novel untangles the perverse contradictions of how society contrives to fear, ignore and fetishise teenage girls. Viciously funny, with a killer turn of phrase * * Metro * *An intricate black jewel of a novel. Weeks later I'm still thinking about it -- KIRSTY LOGANGreat fun, a knowing satire of British private schoolgirls, their snobberies and obsessions, and especially their body-image anxieties . . . Thomas clearly knows how to craft a very funny sentence, and has profound insight into the issues she is writing about * * Guardian * *This is the boarding school novel in the age of #thinspo, Instagram, blockchain and the dark web, all written in Thomas's lush and funny style * * Stylist * *Thomas's prose is fast-thinking, entertaining and punchy * * New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice * *

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Book SynopsisLuckily, the parking lot only deleted footage every three months because of the relatively heavy flow of tourism that took place at Cramond Ghost Island during the summer months. The old man in charge of the parking lot security cameras asked us why we needed the footage. Ethan told him that I met someone there at noon on a Saturday in July and that the police needed to verify that this meeting took place on that date. The old man had to review footage of the four Saturdays in July. He grumbled as he escorted us to a small viewing room at the rear end of the parking lot. Ethan and I sat down next to the old man as he began his search. He

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Book SynopsisText in Arabic. María Margarita is a young girl from a small Chilean village who is famous for her strange gift of recreating the stories of movies. When a new film comes to town -- whether the latest Marilyn Monroe movie or Mexican musical the villagers pay her to watch the movie so that she can tell them all about it. Tender, magical and moving, Raweyat Al-Aflam tells the nostalgic tale of South American village cinemas in their full glory.Trade ReviewHernan Rivera Letelier is one of the most original voices of the new Latin American narrative El Mundo, Las Vegas, USA '... the most recognized Chilean narrative today' Clarin, Argentina For the first time and after many years, something new and original in Latin America literature' Le Magazine Litteraire, France

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Book Synopsis'Hugely enjoyable' Observer'Wickedly funny' The TimesWhen Tash, daughter of a Russian oligarch, is sent to an English boarding school, she is new to the strange rituals of the girls there. Theirs is a world of strict pecking orders, eating disorders and Instagram angst.While she spends her time at the lake and the stables, a few hand-picked girls are invited to join the Headmaster at his house for extra lessons. Then her friend Bianca mysteriously vanishes, and the routines of her dormmates seem darker and more alien than ever before.Trade ReviewEntertaining, irreverent and wrong-hilarious . . . Hugely enjoyable. It's about as menacing as a cool girl's black glitter nail polish - and just as much fun -- BIDISHA * * Observer * *Thomas's humour has a sharp, rhythmic perfection. Her prose is fast-thinking, entertaining and punchy, her dialogue fully authentic . . . Intriguing, fluid and frequently funny * * New York Times Book Review * *Wickedly funny . . . Thomas has great fun with the familiar components of the boarding school yarn, even as she subverts them. Her writing is spikily humorous and controlled . . . This jet-black novel begs to be dramatised * * The Times * *Oligarchy is a delicious slap in the face; stunningly intelligent, alarmingly modern, hilariously funny, deeply pertinent, true, fantastical and several hankies'-worth of poignant -- LOUISA YOUNGRiotously funny . . . There are few more vivaciously original novelists around today, and surely none of them is having as much fun while making serious points . . . Quite brilliant . . . There have been many other notable novels about schools . . . but none so entertaining since Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie * * Spectator * *Wrapping a murder mystery in a wicked comedy of manners, this instantly engaging novel untangles the perverse contradictions of how society contrives to fear, ignore and fetishise teenage girls. Viciously funny, with a killer turn of phrase * * Metro * *An intricate black jewel of a novel. Weeks later I'm still thinking about it -- KIRSTY LOGANGreat fun, a knowing satire of British private schoolgirls, their snobberies and obsessions, and especially their body-image anxieties . . . Thomas clearly knows how to craft a very funny sentence, and has profound insight into the issues she is writing about * * Guardian * *This is the boarding school novel in the age of #thinspo, Instagram, blockchain and the dark web, all written in Thomas's lush and funny style * * Stylist * *Thomas's prose is fast-thinking, entertaining and punchy * * New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice * *

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Book SynopsisIn Mesa County, Nevada, the tide of history was about to change. A tiny tribe of Indigenous Americans had just beaten the white man in his own court-and won title to some of the richest land in America. But some people were poor losers. And if they couldn't hold onto the land ... they'd simply eliminate its rightful owners.With a handful of poorly armed Native Americans facing a lynch mob led by the county sheriff and backed by corporate millions, Mesa County might be the setting for another Wounded Knee. Until the Black Berets get in on the action and show how professionals handle a massacre.

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Book SynopsisIdoru - a gripping techno-thriller by William Gibson, bestselling author of Neuromancer''Fast, witty and cleverly politicized'' GuardianTokyo, post-event:After an attack of scruples, Colin Laney''s skipped out on his former employer Slitscan - avoiding the rash of media lawyers sent his way - and taken a job for the outfit managing Japanese rock duo, Lo/Rez. Rez has announced he''s going to marry an ''idoru'' by the name of Rei Toi - she exists only in virtual reality - and this creates complications that Laney, a net runner, is supposed to sort out. But when Chai, part of Lo/Rez''s fan club, turns up unaware that she''s carrying illegal nanoware for the Russian Kombinat, Laney''s scruples nudge him towards trouble all over again. And this time lawyers''ll be the least of his worries . . .William Gibson is a prophet and a satirist, a black comedian and an outstanding architect of cool. Readers of Neal Stephenson, Ray Bradbury and Iain M. Banks will love this book. Idoru is the second novel in the Bridge trilogy - read Virtual Light and All Tomorrow''s Parties for more.''Sharp, fast, bright . . . a must'' Arena''A classic technothriller . . . lean, evocative, tense'' Wired''Luxuriate in prose simultaneously as hard and laconic as Elmore Leonard''s and as glacially poetic as JG. Ballard''s . . . an exhilarating ride'' New StatesmanWilliam Gibson''s first novel Neuromancer has sold more than six million copies worldwide. In an earlier story he had invented the term ''cyberspace''; a concept he developed in the novel, creating an iconography for the Information Age long before the invention of the Internet. The book won three major literary prizes. He has since written nine further novels including Count Zero; Mona Lisa Overdrive; The Difference Engine; Virtual Light; Idoru; All Tomorrow''s Parties; Pattern Recognition; Spook Country and most recently Zero History. He is also the author of Distrust That Particular Flavor, a collection of non-fiction writing.

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Book SynopsisIn this dazzling collection, Nam Le takes us across the globe as he enters the hearts and minds of characters from all over the world. Whether it's the story of fourteen-year-old Juan, a hit man in Colombia; an ageing painter in New York mourning the death of his much-younger lover; or a young refugee fleeing Vietnam, crammed in the ship's hold with two hundred others, the result is unexpectedly moving and powerful. This is an extraordinary work of fiction that takes us to the heart of what it means to be human.Trade ReviewThe short story collection is constantly on the endangered list, but this stunning collection . . . shows that it is alive and in the best of health * * The Times * *A superb collection, brimming with humour and compassion * * Daily Telegraph * *Nam Le's lyricism and emotional urgency lend his portraits enormous visceral power . . . A remarkable collection * * New York Times * *Each voice is achingly present and authentic . . . ['Halflead Bay'] is as good as anything Tim Winton has produced about Australian society * * Guardian * *A breathtakingly assured collection of stories - powerful, moving, unsparingly honest - exhibiting a narrative confidence and range that is as remarkable as it is mature. A tremendous debut -- WILLIAM BOYDAn assured and tremendously readable collection from a young writer with rare scope and strength * * Observer * *These are people on the edge, and Nam's prose captures their desperation . . . bold and worthwhile. Memoirists should stick to what they know; the point of literature is to expand the limits of the world -- Aravind Adiga * * Financial Times * *Le has the ability to hit notes of real emotional intensity -- Hari Kunzru * * Scotsman * *A promising and fiercely talented writer * * Telegraph * *Wonderful stories that snarl and pant across our crazed world . . . an extraordinary performance by a fine new talent. Nam Le is a heartbreaker, not easily forgotten -- JUNOT DIAZ

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Book Synopsis'Brimming with magic, passion and history' New York Times'Captivating from the very first page' Jennifer EganShortlisted for the Fiction category in the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean LiteratureShortlisted for the Kitschies Red Tentacle AwardDiscovered amidst a tangle of sea grape trees, Moshe Fisher's provenance is a thing of myth and mystery; his unusual appearance, with blueish, translucent skin and duo-toned hair, only serves to compound his mystique. Equally feared and ridiculed by peers as he grows up, he finds a surprising kindred soul in the striking and bold Arrienne Christie, but their complex relationship is fraught with obstacles that tear them apart as powerfully as they are drawn together. Beginning in the late 1950s, four years before Jamaica's independence from colonial rule, A Tall History of Sugar's epic love story sweeps between a rural Jamaica, scarred by the legacies of colonialism, and an England increasingly riven by race riots and class division.Trade ReviewA Tall History of Sugar is captivating from the very first page. Mythic in dimension yet movingly human in its details, alive with atmospheric richness, it heralds a fascinating new voice in English-language fiction -- JENNIFER EGANA novel of Jamaica, brimming with magic, passion and history . . . Forbes's writing combines the gale-force imagination of Margaret Atwood with the lyrical pointillism of Toni Morrison . . . This is a book for savouring * * New York Times * *The premise . . . is ingenious, and the novel is an epic modern fairytale that offers the pleasure of being steeped in Forbes's poetic, intoxicating sentences right from the opening line -- SARA COLLINS * * Guardian * *Forbes' novel has the register of a fairytale or a myth; Arriene's narration flows in storytelling fashion and is as intimate as a tale shared around a campfire. Moshe himself becomes a cipher through which Forbes explores issues of racism, heritage, colonialism and identity. Forbes' skilful and instinctual use of local languages and dialects further taps into a rich Jamaican oral culture, in a story that dreams of being read aloud * * Irish Times * *Densely descriptive, linguistically rich . . . its heart is the thread connecting two people who believe they are the halves of a single whole, and the intense, exquisite agonies of their obsessive love * * Herald * *Eclectic, feverish . . . Who [Moshe] is and who he becomes . . . is a riddle that unfolds in episodic bursts and linguistic flourishes * * Vanity Fair * *The strength of Curdella Forbes' prose is her ability to deftly represent characters throughout varying stages of their lives . . . Forbes perfectly captures the essence of her characters throughout the passing time * * The Skinny * *A rich tale of love in trying times. Definitely a book you'll want to savour * * i-D * *A Tall History of Sugar transports you to warm, colourful Jamaica, both in content and in style. It's an antidote to depression, a book to escape with . . . This is a subtle book about racism in a post-colonial world, but it is also a beautiful, piercingly imaginative tale about transcendent love . . . The lyricism makes the story soar . . . each page has something to dwell upon, and every line is a pleasure * * Bookmunch * *Mesmerising mythic writing set in more modern times * * LoveReading * *

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Book SynopsisWhen Oscar Amalfitano begins an affair with one of his students, he has no idea where it will lead.More than his turbulent revolutionary past, or the death of his beautiful wife, the scandalous exposure of this relationship will change him for ever. Forced to flee Barcelona with his seventeen-year-old daughter, Amalfitano finds himself in Santa Teresa, a sprawling, mythical town on the Mexico-US border, populated by mysterious characters and haunted by dark tales of murdered women.Returning to the the world and characters of 2666, Bolaño''s masterpiece, Woes of the True Policeman explores the the power of art, memory and desire - and marks a kaleidoscopic, lyrical and darkly humorous last act in one of the great oeuvres of world literature.TRANSLATED BY NATASHA WIMMERHallucinatory, manic, fearful, comic... Bolaño must be read by anyone who loves the novel' HeraldWe savour all he has written as every offeri

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Book SynopsisKenneth Williams and Hugh Paddick are the notorious resting thespians in this hilarious collection of sketches from Round the Horne.‘Oh, hello. I’m Julian, and this is my friend Sandy...’ Through four series of Round the Horne, Julian and Sandy graced each episode with an encounter with ‘that nice Mr Horne’. Each week they'd be up to new tricks, from filmmaking (Bona Prods) to a travel agency (‘something exciting in a cheap package’) and a ‘bijou restaurantette’ (La Casserole de Bona Gourmet). In these 48 lally-trembling scenarios, Jools and Sand cater for the intimate at ‘omey in Bona Caterers, shake hands with a prospective member in Keep Britain Bona, set themselves up as Bona Tax Consultants and teach the world to talk proper in Bona School of Languages. Plus, they reveal to Mr Horne just what Julian received on his last birthday… This fantabulosa selection of Julian and Sandy sketches is brimming with sparkling repartee, gloriously camp humour and outrageous innuendo. So don’t be strange – come on in, rest your lallies and let your riah down with two of the best pros in the business. Duration: 3 hours 40 mins.

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Book SynopsisWhen he was a boy, Aga Akbar, the illegitimate, deaf son of a Persian nobleman, travelled with his uncle to a cave on nearby Saffron Mountain. Once there, he was to transcribe a cuneiform inscription over three thousand years old. Decades later, his son, Ishmael - a political dissident in exile - attempts to translate a notebook filled with a private language made from this ancient script . . . and in the process tells his father's story, his own, and the story of twentieth-century Iran. My Father's Notebook is at once a masterful chronicle of a culture's troubled voyage into modernity and the heart-rending, timeless tale of a son's enduring love.Trade ReviewThis poignant, affectionate and beautifully told tale reflects a longing for a lost homeland * * Guardian * *Beautifully evoked in often touching and amusing detail . . . My Father's Notebook is an intriguing, complex and often playful novel that deserves attention * * Scotland on Sunday * *My Father's Notebook, a lovely novel, has the cadence of a fairy tale and the clarity of truth * * Wall Street Journal * *A storyteller of utmost subtlety and natural ease * * Times Literary Supplement * *With seamlessly interwoven quotations from Persian and Dutch literature, deft storytelling and affectionate humour, he offers the reader buoyancy as well as weight. My Father's Notebook is a gift to English readers * * Independent * *[A] powerful meditation . . . A moving elegy for a lost father and homeland, but also a voice raised against all forms of repression . . . My Father's Notebook reads like a detective story * * Guardian * *Kader Abdolah weaves Sufi myths, political intrigue and biography into a charming meditation on the relationship between father and son . . . a moving account of one man's life that serves as a fascinating reflection on conflicts between religion and politics, homeland and exile, the past and the present * * The Skinny * *

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Book SynopsisMethods Devour Themselves is a dialogue between fiction and non-fiction. Inspired by Quentin Meillassoux's Science Fiction and Extro-Science Fiction that was paired with an Isaac Asimov short story, this book examines the ways in which stories can provoke philosophical interventions and philosophical essays can provoke stories. Alternating between Benjanun Sriduangkaew's fiction and J. Moufawad-Paul's non-fiction, Methods Devour Themselves is an interstitial project that brings fiction and essay into a unique, avant-garde whole.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2019 Wellcome Book PrizeWinner of the 2019 Republic of Consciousness PrizeShortlisted for the 2018 Goldsmiths PrizeShortlisted for the 2019 James Tait Black PrizeLonglisted for the 2019 Rathbones Folio PrizeTaking its cue from the arrest and legally enforced chemical castration of the mathematician Alan Turing, Murmur is the account of a man who responds to intolerable physical and mental stress with love, honour and a rigorous, unsentimental curiosity about the ways in which we perceive ourselves and the world.Formally audacious, daring in its intellectual inquiry and unwaveringly humane, Will Eaves's Murmur is a rare achievement.Trade ReviewA really extraordinary book, unlike any other -- MAX PORTERThe premise is startlingly ambitious: what if we could think our way into Alan Turing's dreams? . . . Scrupulous, humane, sad and strange, [Murmur] is as bracingly intelligent as it is brave * * Guardian * *Ambitious . . . Boldly different . . . Murmur opens your mind to a different kind of novel, one that forges a dialogue between art and science, one that celebrates the wonder of human consciousness * * The Times * *A novel forged from an immensely beautiful writing intelligence. Murmur is a fully achieved literary experiment, digging deep into all the dimensions of human consciousness, including state sanctioned savagery -- DEBORAH LEVYRemarkable . . . Murmur's transgressive power lies at the level both of language and of structure . . . Will Eaves has achieved one of the pinnacles of novelistic endeavour: he has given deep thought to human experience, and in doing so brought to life the "self-conscious wonder" of thought itself -- Sam Byers * * Times Literary Supplement * *Hugely impressive . . . [Murmur] will grip your mind in the very first pages, break your heart halfway through, and in the end, strangely, unexpectedly, restore your faith in human beings and their endless capacity for resilience . . . A future classic -- ELIF SHAFAK, Wellcome Book Prize chair of judgesAn extraordinary exploration of dreams, consciousness, science and the future * * New Scientist, Books of the Year * *Murmur is a fully achieved literary experiment, digging deep into all the dimensions of human consciousness -- Goldsmiths Prize judgesEndlessly rewarding, it is a shining example of the moral and imaginative possibilities of fiction -- Justine Jordan * * Guardian, Books of the Year * *Astonishing -- GUY GUNARATNE, author of IN OUR MAD AND FURIOUS CITY

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Book SynopsisWhat if Virginia Woolf came back to life in the twenty-first century?Bestselling author Angela Lamb is going through a mid-life crisis. She dumps her irrepressible daughter Gerda at boarding school and flies to New York to pursue her passion for Woolf, whose manuscripts are held in a private collection. When a bedraggled Virginia Woolf materialises among the bookshelves and is promptly evicted, Angela, stunned, rushes after her on to the streets of Manhattan. Soon Angela is chaperoning her troublesome heroine as the latter tries to grasp the internet and scams bookshops with 'rare signed editions'. Then Virginia insists on flying with her to Istanbul, finds a Turkish admirer and steals the show at an International Conference on - Virginia Woolf. Virginia Woolf in Manhattan is a witty and profound novel about the miraculous possibilities of a second chance at life.Trade Review'A witty book ... It's got everything in a novel that I really like' Jacqueline Wilson's Six Best Books, Express 'Audacious, playful and dazzlingly written' The Herald 'This giddily playful novel from Maggie Gee is a cunning what if: what if Virginia Woolf were to suddenly reappear in a library in modern-day Manhattan? - It's a gloriously funny, fleet-footed novel about the relationships between women and the ways literary heroes live on in our imaginations.' Metro 'Gee does a terrific (and puckishly poetic) job with Woolf's wit and acuity, her hoots of laughter and sudden fadings of joy - wickedly funny - this novel contains lines that sparkle' Sunday Telegraph 'Charming and funny ... If Woolf's intellectual discipline is missing, what must have made her a fascinating companion is not, and Gee's novel is a tribute to that aspect of her personality.' Independent 'Imaginative, amusing, masterful ... [Gee's] brilliant writing allows characters to leap off the page. The result is an exceptionally funny, incredibly witty and artfully crafted love letter to Woolf.' The Lady 'I love the work of Maggie Gee: wickedly smart, funny and fearless, plus that rarest of all things, genuinely surprising. Read her' Patrick Ness 'Brilliant - moving and clever, but most often is simply funny - Gee writes about Woolf with wit and affection, and has crafted an amusing and clever novel' Shiny New Books 'Marvellously contemporary ... Virginia Woolf in Manhattan is facetious, creative, and brimming with a plethora of thought-provoking scenes. It is the first of Gee's books which I have read, but I can safely say that it certainly will not be the last.' Nudge Books

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Book SynopsisIn this dazzling story of art and illusion, secrets and schemes, who is to be trusted - and what is real?From the internationally acclaimed author of Optic Nerve *A TLS Book of the Year*'A writer who feels immediately important' ObserverAt a hotel in Buenos Aires, a woman checks in under a pseudonym. She wears a black fur shawl and has no luggage. She is alone.Over the coming days and nights, she tells a story, which begins with a secret shared in a local bath house, revealing art forgery and fraud on a dazzling scale. At its heart is an enigmatic genius who for years forged portraits of the city's elite, before disappearing without trace. It is a story of influence and intrigue, in which nothing is as it seems. We're not to expect 'names, numbers or dates', she cautions, but a more subtle kind of reckoning...Told in a mordant, irresistible voice and full of sharp surprises, Portrait of an Unknown Lady is a captivating enquiry into what we mean by 'authenticity', in life as in art. At once poised and capricious, elegant and bold, it is a thrilling exploration of the relationships between what is lived, what is told, what is remembered, and what is real.Translated from the Spanish by Thomas BunsteadTrade Review'Vividly detailed and saturated with intricate feeling, Gainza's novel is an engrossing exploration of authenticity, obsession, and the enveloping allure of art' -- Alexandra Kleeman, author of SOMETHING NEW UNDER THE SUNThis is a truly exquisite novel... It is moving, clever and written wry precision... As much as the narrator is haunted, the reader will be haunted -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday *Gainza weaves a fascinating, often confounding story about beauty, obsession and authenticity... Gainza is sharp, modern and playful, a writer who multiples the possibilities of fiction -- Johanna Thomas-Corr * Observer *A richly detailed detective novel of sorts that explores authenticity and the distance between the way things appear and they way they really are -- Chiara Rimella * Monocle *Dazzling... [a] clever novel that explores the gap between what's remembered and what's real -- Chloë Ashby * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisThe underbelly of London's Soho has not seen much change in the last century. The disadvantaged face the brunt of society's corruption, and this is becoming more common in the current climate of increasing fascism. Rostant's frank exploration into the lives of those at the heart of bohemian Soho sheds much needed light onto the most pressing issues in society today and the desperate need for change. The honest depiction of the lives of street beggars and bag ladies highlights the side of London that readers don't often see and the protagonist, a Big Issue vendor who suffers delusions and commits suicide, is at the heart of the novel. A novella that examines and contests commonly accepted narratives of exclusion, gender, sexuality and mental health. This is a transgressive piece of work that challenges cultural and religious hypocrisy, encouraging readers to reflect on their own views and perceptions, in particular surrounding poverty and homelessness, and to consider the ways in whic

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Book SynopsisLove can change your life. Can it survive marriage and middle age?'A rare gift and one to be treasured' SUNDAY TIMES‘A profound and vital book’ WILLIAM BOYDLily falls in love with Sam the minute she sets eyes on him. It takes Sam a day or two longer. Curious, because Lily – independent, headstrong, rational – has never quite believed in love; while Sam – confident, passionate, romantic – thought he understood it inside out.Lily is an award-winning television documentary maker. Sam is an award-winning playwright. Both are in relationships that have quietly expired, but their encounter makes Lily and Sam come alive again. As they begin to work together on the page and on screen, an affair takes hold that they are powerless to resist.Arriving in mid-life, their relationship opens unexpected new worlds and, for Lily, offers her a surprising form of liberation. But what will happen to them when familiarity, illness and age begin to take their toll? What will survive? Taking us to the edge of desire, love and betrayal across a lifetime, What Will Survive of Us reveals what is left of us when we strip away every layer.‘A tender love story’ DAILY TELEGRAPHTrade ReviewA rare gift and one to be treasured * Sunday Times *Something more subtle and melancholy than expected. In the best possible way, fans of Jacobson will not be disappointed * Observer *A tender love story... Jacobson’s sentences have always been things of beauty: ornate yet vigorous * Daily Telegraph *Essential human truths are conveyed through humour, melancholy and kinetic dialogue * Mail on Sunday *A wonderfully wise, moving and heartfelt novel. A profound and vital book -- William Boyd, author of Any Human HeartHoward Jacobson at his finest. An intense expression of romantic love and sexual desire -- Linda Grant, author of The Story of the ForestJacobson has lost none of his garrulity and ebullience… What Will Survive of Us powers along with stretches of nimble verbal exchange in which the opponents are equally matched. And you're never far from a profound reflection on life's challenges * Literary Review *

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