Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisWealth ... or death. Those were the choices Gateway offered. Humans had discovered this artificial spaceport, full of working interstellar ships left behind by the mysterious, vanished Heechee. Their destinations are preprogrammed. They are easy to operate, but impossible to control. Some came back with discoveries which made their intrepid pilots rich; others returned with their remains barely identifiable. It was the ultimate game of Russian roulette, but in this resource-starved future there was no shortage of desperate volunteers.Winner of the Hugo, Locus, Nebula and John W. Campbell awards, Gateway begins Pohl''s space operatic Heechee saga. He was hugely influential in SF as an author but also an agent and editor, and his career spanned decades.''A masterpiece of the genre'' - Tordotcom''Gateway deserves its reputation as a classic'' - Gareth L. Powell''One of the best Hugo winners I have read'' - Guardia

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Book Synopsis30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EDITION, WITH A NEW FOREWORD BY THE AUTHORThe lyrical, timeless tale of the Lisbon sisters, from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Middlesex and The Marriage Plot.The five Lisbon sisters beautiful, eccentric and, now, gone had always been a point of obsession for the entire neighbourhood.Although the boys that once loved them from afar have grown up, they remain determined to understand a tragedy that has defied explanation. The question persists why did all five of the Lisbon girls take their own lives?This mesmerising tale of sex and suicide that transforms and mythologises middle-American life announced the arrival of one of the greatest American novelists of the last thirty years.A flare from my own secret world, all the inchoate longings and obsessions of being a teenager somehow rendered into book form' Emma Cline, author of The GirlsTrade Review‘One of the finest novels in many years – a Catcher in the Rye for our time' Observer ‘Eccentric, amusing, moving … Eugenides’s assured mixture of heartfelt nostalgia and dark humour makes for a mesmerising read’ Independent ‘A flare from my own secret world, all the inchoate longings and obsessions of being a teenager somehow rendered into book form’ Emma Cline, author of The Girls 'Entire and unstoppable … a sparkling work' The Times ‘Eugenides is blessed with the storyteller's most magical gift, the ability to transform the mundane into the extraordinary’ New York Times ‘Uncannily evokes the wry voice of adolescence and a mixture of curiosity, lust, tenderness, morbidity, cynicism and naivety surrounding these bizarre events’ Wall Street Journal

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Book SynopsisSweetpea TV series starring Ella Purnell now on Sky Atlantic!Everyone's favourite serial killer is back, and she's more unpredictable than everReaders LOVE Thorn in My SidePerfect for fans of a snarky narrative' NetGalley reviewer ?????I absolutely loved it' NetGalley reviewer ?????Sometimes, you can be your own worst enemyRhiannon Lewis thought she finally had it all: thanks to the pandemic she's had to keep a much lower profile but has found happiness with her fiancé Rafael and his family. For once, she is surrounded by people who love her for who she is (or who they think she is).After over 800 days without murdering anyone, the woman formerly known as the Sweetpea Killer thinks she might have finally turned over a new leaf. That is until her soon-to-be sister-in-law has a run in with her abusive ex, and Rhiannon rediscovers her taste for revenge. This time, with a loving family in tow, the stakes are much higher. Wedded bliss and life as a normal person are finally within Rhiannon''s reach, but you can never keep a good serial killer down.Can you?Praise for CJ Skuse:This darkly comic novelhas the potential to become a cult classic' Daily MailDark, depraved and devilishly delicious. A full throttle savage and satirical thriller' John MarrsTrade Review'Another twisty, turny page-turner with a fantastically dark main character and a corker of an ending. Loved it.' Suzy K. Quinn Praise for C.J. Skuse ‘This darkly comic novel…has the potential to become a cult classic.’ Daily Mail ‘Filthy and funny… a compulsive read’ Sunday Times ‘This isn’t a book for the squeamish or the faint-hearted … think Bridget Jones meets American Psycho’ Red ‘Dark, depraved and devilishly delicious. A full throttle savage and satirical thriller’ John Marrs ‘Hilarious, refreshing, dark and memorable. It doesn’t disappoint, I loved it’ Phoebe Morgan ‘You MUST read this book especially if you like your (anti) heroes dirty-mouthed, deadly and dark, dark dark. ADORED IT' Fiona Cummins, author of Rattle ‘Pitch dark, laugh-out-loud hilarious – the Sweetpea series is pure genius escapism’ Susi Holliday ‘Fascinating, intriguing and twist after twist in the tale’ Suzy K Quinn ‘Dark and wickedly funny, and as dry and acerbic as Fleabag, it’s hard not to love Rhiannon Lewis’ Claire Allan ‘Sweetpea hits all the right buttons. A dark, twisted read about a female serial killer with dollops of humour, sarcasm and a lightweight approach…keeping you gripped and on the hook, both smiling and squirming.’ Maxim Jakubowski, Lovereading ‘Witty, vulgar, sweary, darkly funny, but enthralling – a must-read for thriller fans’ My Weekly ‘This book is OUTRAGEOUS’ Compulsive Readers ‘This anti-hero is psychotic without doubt, sexually voracious and incredibly funny’ Shots magazine

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Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERAN OPRAH BOOK CLUB PICKDeeply moving' Sarah Winman, author of Still LifeRemarkable' Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish)A sweeping epic Outstanding' Daily MailImmerse yourself in a celebration of Black womanhood and an epic tale of the stories that span generations.Ailey Pearl Garfield grows up between the City in the north and summers spent in her mother's small hometown of Chicasetta, Georgia. From an early age, she finds herself in a battle for belonging that's made all the more difficult by a hurt in her past, as well as the whispers of womenher mother, Belle, her sister, Lydia, and a maternal line reaching back two centuriesthat urge Ailey to succeed in their stead.To come to terms with her identity, Ailey embarks on a journey through her family's past, uncovering the shocking tales of generations of ancestorsIndigenous, Black, and whitein the deep South. In doing so Ailey must learn to embrace her full heritage, a legacy of oppression and resistance, bondTrade Review‘Prepare to be wholly engrossed… Phenomenal’ Observer ‘Utterly essential’ iNews ‘Intimate, considered, beautifully written and perceived, ambitious and ultimately satisfying. Outstanding’ Daily Mail ‘Astonishing… I lived in this novel for three weeks. It is long. It is a journey. It is something so remarkable I’m not sure we collectively ever even dreamed it.’ Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple ‘Beautifully, and traumatically, weaves a spell of a story about more than ten generations of an American family―indigenous, African and European… Remarkable’ Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish) ‘Breath-taking … A book I urge everyone to read. It is deeply moving and deeply informative. It is magnificent’ Sarah Winman, author of Still Life ‘Exceptional in the way it engages so deeply and emphatically with history’ Guardian ‘Epic and intimate… an extraordinary achievement’ The Spectator ‘A work of profound beauty’ Irish Times ‘Extraordinary … moving and evocative’ TLS ‘The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois is the kind of book that comes around only once a decade … Simply magnificent’ Washington Post ‘Quite simply the best book that I have read in a very, very long time’ New York Times ‘Just as brilliant as it is necessary, just as intimate as it is expansive. An outstanding portrait of an American family and in turn, an outstanding portrait of America’ Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give ‘Masterful and stunning … These Love Songs make for a frank, feminist, and unforgettable read’ Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

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Book SynopsisSo what can happen when Tove Jansson turns her attention to her own favourite subjects, love and work, in the form of this novel about two women, lifelong partners and friends? Expect something philosophically calm - and discreetly radical. Its publication is cause for huge celebration.(Ali Smith, from her Introduction to Fair Play) What mattered most to Tove Jansson, she explained in her eighties, was work and love, a sentiment she echoes in this tender and original novel. Translated for the first time into English, Fair Play portrays a love between two older women, a writer and artist, as they work side-by-side in their Helsinki studios, travel together and share summers on a remote island. In the generosity and respect they show each other and the many small shifts they make to accommodate each other''s creativity we are shown a relationship both heartening and truly progressive.Trade ReviewI absolutely loved FAIR PLAY. Tove Jansson has that magical gift of communicating directly with her reader through seemingly effortless prose. Writing of this calibre is a rare thing, to be treasured. -- Philip ArdaghA book about love - tender, eccentric and fiercely independent. It feels a privilege to read it. -- Esther FreudJansson's prose is wondrous: it is clean, deliberate; an aesthetic so certain of itself it's breathtaking. * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisDON''T MISS MIKE''S NEW NOVEL A SONG OF ME AND YOU - AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW!Shortlisted for the British Book Awards Book of the Year: Pageturners. The 2021 recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Romantic Novelists'' Association.A heart-warming novel about family, friendship and human connection.''Hubert Bird stole my heart'' Beth O''Leary, author of The Flat-Share and The Switch''Lovely, emotional, uplifting'' Libby Page, author of The Lido''A heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting look at isolation'' GuardianIn phone calls to his daughter in Australia, widower Hubert Bird paints a picture of the perfect retirement, packed with fun and friendship.But Hubert Bird is lying.Something has made him turn his back on people, and he hardly sees a soul.So when his daughter announces Trade ReviewA heartwarming story about the power of community and human connection. Hubert Bird stole my heart. * Beth O’Leary, author of The Flat-Share and The Split *A lovely, emotional, uplifting book about loneliness and community * Libby Page, author of The Lido *Mike takes ordinary people and makes them extraordinary. Hubert Bird is a gentle hero and I loved him. All The Lonely People is a book that is perfect for the times we live in, but also one to treasure for many years to come * Ruth Hogan, author of The Keeper of Lost Things *A tremendous read, as always. A funny, warm, heartbreaking, wonderful story about family and friendship and the power of caring in an imperfect world. Hubert, Ash & the gang are unforgettable characters * Tracy Rees *I'm such a fan of Mike's, and think this is absolutely his best yet. The characters are so warm and so real, and the issues of loneliness and displacement are so very topical and important * Clare Mackintosh *Mike Gayle is on World Beating Form with All the Lonely People. It's the right book at the right time and you're going to love it * Jenny Colgan *A moving and uplifting story about unknown, possibly unsung heroes. I loved it * Katie Fforde *An uplifting read of family, love and overcoming isolation * Prima *This author's books just get better and better - this thoughtful novel is warm, funny and gives you all the feels * Good Housekeeping *Mike Gayle is on a winning streak . . . a keen reminder that the smallest gestures are the most powerful. Heart-warming * Magic Radio Book Club *A lovely uplifting and heartening read that feels incredibly relevant to our current times * Culturefly *Mike Gayle strikes a chord with this novel . . . it feels relevant to our times * On Magazine *A moving, thought-provoking story about the power of friendship and community, with characters you'll fall in love with. A timely exploration of family, loss and loneliness that's full of humour and heart * Holly Miller, author of The Sight of You *Timely and poignant . . . Mike Gayle's writing is beautiful and engaging and All the Lonely People is both heartbreaking and uplifting, devastating and thought-provoking. It is the kind of book you will want to press into the hands of everyone you know and tell them to read immediately * Press Association *Tender, funny and uplifting, it's the ideal isolation antidote * Fabulous *Heartbreaking, yet also uplifting and thought-provoking * The i *Tender, humorous and uplifting - reading this is the uplift we all need * Women's Weekly *The loveliest story - we want to be friends with Hubert! * Bella *A charming story packed with endearing characters and plenty of humour and insight * Candis *As always, Mike Gayle's characters wrap around you like a cosy cardigan, while threads of love, race, friendship, community and old age weave through the pages and into your heart . . . thought provoking * My Weekly *Outstanding... Despite heartbreak and pain, this is a heartwarming story of community and connection * Daily Mirror *Mike Gayle is on fine form in this moving novel . . . A great summer read * Independent *I defy you not to cry . . . funny and sincere, sweet and emotional, this is the sort of thing to read in one sitting, and it'll make you more appreciative of the people around you * Woman's Way *Make sure, like Hubert, you have a nice clean hanky; you'll need it * Saga *Charming . . . it'll warm your cockles * That's Life *The author tackles racism, addiction and dementia, weaving a heart-warming, hopeful story of community and connection. Outstanding * Mirror *

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Book Synopsis1891. Seventeen-year-old Léonie Vernier and her older brother abandon Paris for the sanctuary of their aunt''s isolated country house near Carcassonne, the Domaine de la Cade. But when Léonie stumbles across a ruined sepulchre she uncovers a timeless mystery and a unique deck of tarot cards that seem to hold power over life and death.2007. Meredith Martin arrives at the Domaine de la Cade to research a biography. But Meredith is also seeking the key to her own complex legacy and becomes immersed in the story of a tragic love, a missing girl, a quest for revenge and the haunting events of one cataclysmic night a century ago . . . ''Brilliantly absorbing . . . richly evocative and full of compelling twists and turns'' Red''A powerful storyteller with an abundant imagination'' Daily TelegraphBOOK TWO OF THE LANGUEDOC TRILOGY. Now fully revised and updatedTrade ReviewSEPULCHRE is a compulsive, fantastical, historical yarn. Mosse's skill lies in the precise nature of her storytelling * OBSERVER *Ghosts, duels, murders, ill-fated love and conspiracy ... addictively readable * DAILY MAIL *[Mosse is] a powerful storyteller with an abundant imagination * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Brilliantly absorbing ... Richly evocative and full of compelling twists and turns * RED *Mosse's gifts for historical fiction are considerable ... Mosse does what good popular historical novelists do best - make the past enticingly otherworldly, while also claiming it as our own * INDEPENDENT *The best of the Brits ... Where Mosse really wins is in the writing department. She's the real role model there * DAILY MIRROR *Her narrative lyricism, beautifully drawn female characters and deft journey from the past to the present day, are also a cut above * SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY *A sure, deft momentum . . . the secrets begin to slip out thick and fast * Daily Express *The latest from the author of bestselling Labyrinth, this adventure will keep you engrossed * Eve *

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis''A brilliantly and preposterously funny book'' Guardian''A flawless comic novel ... I loved it then, as I do now. It has always made me laugh out loud'' Helen Dunmore, The TimesJim Dixon has accidentally fallen into a job at one of Britain''s new red brick universities. A moderately successful future in the History Department beckons - as long as Jim can stave off the unwelcome advances of fellow lecturer Margaret, survive a madrigal-singing weekend at Professor Welch''s, deliver a lecture on ''Merrie England'' and resist Christine, the hopelessly desirable girlfriend of Welch''s awful son Bertrand. Inspired by Amis''s friend, the poet Philip Larkin, Jim Dixon is a timeless comic character, adrift in a hopelessly gauche and pretentious world, in a witty campus novel that skewers the hypocrisies and vanities of 1950s academic life.With an introduction by David Lodge

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Book Synopsis*The sequel to The Last Mrs Parrish New York Times bestseller The Next Mrs Parrish is out now!*A Reese Witherspoon book club pick!Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Lisa Jewell and Shari LapenaHow far would you go to make all your dreams come true?Amber Patterson is tired of being a nobody: an invisible woman who melts into the background. She deserves more. She deserves a life of wealth, luxury and leisure.Daphne Parrish is the golden girl of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut. With her model looks, her picture-perfect mansion and her millionaire husband, Jackson, she has everything Amber wants.Amber's envy could eat her aliveif she didn''t have a plan. Before long, she has become Daphne's closest friend, and is catching the eye of Jackson. But a skeleton from her past could destroy everything, and if discovered, Amber's well-laid plan may end in disasterPraise for The Last Mrs ParrishThe Last Mrs Parrish is an addictive and twisty debut' Karin SlaughterDeliciously chilling and creepy' Lee ChildA great reading escape. And there is a thrilling twist at the end!' Reese Witherspoon in StylistKept me turning the pages' Jane Green, bestselling author of When We Were FriendsA twisted and compelling tale' Katerina Diamond, bestselling author of The SilenceWill keep readers up all night' Karen Dionne, author of The Marsh King's DaughterImpossible to put down' Huffington PostTrade Review‘The Last Mrs Parrish is an addictive and twisty debut’ Karin Slaughter ‘Wonderfully plausible, hypnotically compelling, and deliciously chilling and creepy – some of the best psychological suspense you’ll read this year’ Lee Child ‘It's a great reading escape. And there is a thrilling twist at the end!’ Reese Witherspoon in Stylist ‘A wonderfully clever story, filled with suspense and a shocking twist, that kept me turning the pages’ Jane Green, bestselling author of Summer Secrets ‘A twisted and compelling tale from a fresh voice in crime fiction. Couldn't put it down!’ Katerina Diamond, bestselling author of The Teacher ‘A beautifully constructed set piece with a seductive “just one more chapter” urgency that will keep readers up all night. Giving new meaning to the adage “be careful what you wish for”, The Last Mrs Parrish proves that the worst can happen just when you get what you want. Addictive!’ Karen Dionne, author of The Marsh King’s Daughter ‘An extraordinary debut and gripping psychological thriller that is full of unexpected twists. Readers will become obsessed with these chilling characters who pull you in and refuse to let go’ Sara Blaedel, Denmark’s award-winning internationally bestselling “Queen of Crime” ‘A victorious romp of revenge’ Jenny Milchman, USA Today bestselling author of Cover of Snow, Ruin Falls, and As Night Falls ‘A Gone Girl-esque confection with villainy and melodrama galore’ Kirkus Reviews ‘A devilishly ingenious debut thriller’ Publishers Weekly ‘Part psychological thriller, part suspense, all of it impossible to put down. Be prepared to keep reading non-stop ‘til the end’ Huffington Post ‘Don't take our word for it, try Reese Witherspoon's: "Filled with envy, deception, and power, it's a great reading escape. And there is a thrilling twist at the end!"’ Elle

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Book SynopsisChuck Palahniuk is the bestselling author of fifteen fictional works, including Fight Club, Invisible Monsters, Survivor, Choke, Lullaby, Diary, Haunted, Rant, Pygmy, Tell-All, Damned, Doomed, Beautiful You, and most recently Make Something Up. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.Trade ReviewA comedy of horrors, a pantomimic romp through America's obsession with secrets and confessions * Arena *Maybe our generation has found its Don DeLillo * Bret Easton Ellis *Immensely entertaining...an extremly funny account of an outsider stuck inside America * Independent on Sunday *Survivor comes bowling forth out of the same dark corner of the mind as Fight Club... Like its predecessor, it is a terminal novel, a novel that applies the firing-squad principle to extort tortured eloquence from its doomed narrator * Esquire *Brilliant satire and savagely funny, Survivor offers much to admire. Palahniuk displays a swiftian gift for satire, as well as a knack for crafting mesmerizing sentences that loom with stark, prickly prose and repetitive rhythms * San Francisco Chronicle *

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Book SynopsisPreorder Mhairi''s new novel YOU BELONG WITH ME coming soon!Two strangers.One big coincidence.Driving each other crazy is just the beginningHarriet Hatley is running away from everything.Getting married.Her boyfriend's family.Her past.A dream house-share seems like the perfect place to hide, but her unlikely housemate Cal is no stranger to running away himself. And he''s also hiding secrets of his own . . .Can these two take a crazy risk, face the past and finally find a reason to stay?____________________I love, love, love Mhairi . . . I read this with delight and envy' MARIAN KEYESGorgeous, funny, life-affirming' JENNY COLGANFunny, poignant, full of insight . . . a triumph' KATIE FFORDE'Mhairi's writing is always just super witty with layered, emotional depth . . . Loved. Adored. All-star.' LIZZY DENTA compelling, clever story, while still being so ridiculously funny and heartwarming' LUCY VINEA plot that gets under your skin, and one scene in particular that will have women everywhTrade Review'My heart always soars at a new Mhairi novel, I love love love her. She's so great at treading the narrow line between humour and loss. I read this with delight and envy' Marian Keyes, Again, Rachel ‘I ADORED IT! So funny, so sad in parts, and just so sharp and heartwarming. Mhairi at her absolute finest with an exquisite balance of light and shade’ Lia Louis, Eight Perfect Hours ‘It's so funny, so moving, so perfectly paced, so everything. She is absolutely brilliant, the kind of writer you feel lucky to be around … I'm in awe of her talent’ Emma Hughes, No Such Thing As Perfect ‘Mhairi McFarlane just gets better and better. Mad About You was such a joy to read – it’s laugh out loud funny, devastatingly moving, and delightfully swoony, all at once. McFarlane is in a league of her own’ Louise O’Neill, Idol ‘I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a book so much. A hero and heroine to root for, a plot that races along with the pace of a thriller and the heart of a romance, and an ending I will never forget’ Gillian McAllister, That Night ‘What a gorgeous, funny, life-affirming writer Mhairi is. She just makes me laugh’ Jenny Colgan, The Christmas Bookshop Praise for Mhairi McFarlane 'Brilliant on relationships, friendships and emotions… I loved, loved, loved this book’ Marian Keyes, #1 bestselling author of Grown-Ups ‘Gorgeously romantic, as well as a story about friendship and grief and loss; I never wanted it to end’ Beth O’Leary, #1 bestselling author of The Flatshare ‘A luminous, heart-achingly beautiful love letter to friendship’ Josie Silver, #1 bestselling author of One Day in December ‘An effortlessly brilliant read – will have you laughing when you shouldn’t and sobbing when you least expect it’ Giovanna Fletcher

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Book SynopsisLibrarian-spy Irene's assistant has been kidnapped by the Fae – a fairy faction who will stop at nothing to cause utter chaos. The Masked City is the second entry in the Invisible Library series from Genevieve Cogman. Irene is working undercover when disaster strikes. Her assistant, Kai, is snatched away by the dangerous Fae faction, unveiling his secret identity. Kai is a dragon prince – with this act of aggression, the Fae are determined to trigger a war that will hurl all dimensions into havoc.With the stakes higher than ever before, Irene must navigate a treacherous path into the heart of enemy territory – a dark, alternate Venice under the grim control of the Fae. To prevent the Fae from triggering armageddon, she must find and rescue Kai. She will be forced to blackmail, fight and make an unlikely alliance – or face death . . .This book also includes a extra, bonus section – with fascinating insights into Trade ReviewA book very much in the humorous and satirical tradition of Discworld * Guardian *The Masked City is a joy to read and Cogman makes it look effortless. She knows her characters, understands how to pace the action and the world she has built is intricate and compelling. Lovers of literature will adore this universe . . . You simply can't get more fun than this * SciFiNow *

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Book Synopsis THE NINETEENTH BOOK IN THE BELOVED NO. 1 LADIES'' DETECTIVE AGENCY SERIESThe one with the election . . .When Ramotswe enters politics to oppose the construction of the dubious-sounding ''Big Fun Hotel'', her opponent turns out to be local troublemaker, Violet Sephotho. But the general air of excitement cannot eclipse important matters of detection. Charlie, assigned a mysterious hit-and-run case, strives to prove his worth to his superiors as well as Queenie-Queenie, the woman who has captured his heart.Mma Makutsi is meanwhile in danger of being outwitted by a local bigwig property developer.Twists and turns abound in the latest adventures from the No. 1 Ladies'' Detective Agency.

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Book SynopsisHunt, trek, and feast among Neanderthals in this stunning novel by the radical Nobel Laureate and author of Lord of the Flies, introduced by Ben Okri.This was a different voice; not the voice of the people. It was the voice of other.When spring comes, the people leave their winter cave, foraging for honey, grubs, and the hot richness of a deer''s brain. They awaken the fire to heat their naked bodies, lay down their thorn bushes, and share pictures in their minds. But strange things are happening: inexplicable scents and sounds. Imaginable beasts are half-glimpsed in the forest; upright creatures of bone-faces and deerskins. What the people do not know is that their day is already over ...''Extraordinary ... Genius ... Remarkable in the literature of the twentieth century.'' Ben Okri''A stun gun to read ... Truly a masterpiece.'' Monique Roffey''An earthquake in the petrified forests o

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Book SynopsisAn enchanting new twist on a classic tale' Elodie Harper When the snow falls, she will be freeThe invitations always arrive the same way without warning, appearing around the city on the first snowfall of the year, simply inscribed with Tonight.'When struggling artist, Forster, finds an invitation, he's bewitched by the magic of the evening, swept up in the glamour of this notorious annual party and intrigued as to who is behind them.Determined to find out more about the mysterious host, Forster discovers an abandoned manor house silent with secrets and a cursed woman who is desperate to be freeFrom the bestselling author of Midnight in Everwood, comes another spellbinding literary fairy tale that's The Great Gatsby meets Swan Lake. Tropes:?? Finding the magic of Christmas?? True love?? Festive fun!Readers LOVE Upon A Frosted StarA delightful dark fairy tale' ??????????Perfect for snuggling up in the winter evenings' ??????????A brilliant read' ??????????Enchanted me' ??????????

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Book SynopsisThis spooky season curl up with the perfect witchy romcom for fans of Gilmore Girls, Hocus Pocus and Charmed. An absolute must-read if you love Erin Sterling's The Ex Hex and Lana Harper's Payback's a Witch!It's just a bunch of hocus pocusEssie Winterscale lives in a huge and ever-changing house in the village of Good Winter, in deepest, darkest Essex. She lives with various witches of various ages, one of whom is still a bit salty about being hanged in the 1700s, one who keeps accidentally casting fertility spells, and one who knits things that create the future.All Essie ever wanted was to have a normal life but in the end she found herself drawn back to Beldam House because she just can't stop her witchiness (although the ability to instantly chill wine is pretty awesome, even she has to admit).Into this coven of chaos stumbles gorgeous, clueless Josh, their new landlord and he's just discovered his tenants haven't paid rent since the 1700s! As Josh is drawn further into the lives of the inhabitants of Beldam House, Essie is determined to keep him at broomstick's length. That is, until a family secret, lying hidden for centuries, puts Josh firmly under her spellFunny, smart and sassyNo one creates such brilliant worlds quite like Kate does' Julie CaplinReaders have been bewitched by Hex Appeal:If I could rate this book 10 stars I totally would' ?????SO much fun a must read for spooky season' ?????Great characters, a wonderful setting and a story that will keep you engaged to the very end' ?????Genuine laugh-out-loud moments' ?????Charming I loved the close-knit coven' ?????An amazing and fun ride the story just sucked me in' ?????Fast-moving plot, sharp humour compulsively readable' ?????So much fun, definitely a good read for fall' ?????I love all the witchy vibes' ?????Full of magic and cosy comfort gripping and entertaining' ?????Enemies to lovers with magical and witchery powers' ?????

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Book SynopsisIt's never been easier to attack Attack on Titan than with these new, giant-sized 3-in-1 omnibus editions! If you've been waiting for the final anime season to check out the do-or-die shonen adventure that defined a decade, now's your chance. These new books tuck almost 600 pages of manga behind a specially-embossed cover, all in a larger size than the regular version. Includes Vol. 1-3 of Attack on Titan. For eons, humans ruled the natural world. But a century ago, everything changed when the Titans appeared. Giant, grotesque parodies of the human form, these sexless monsters consumed all but a few thousand human beings, who took refuge behind giant walls. Today, the threat of the Titans is a distant memory, and a boy named Eren yearns to explore the world beyond the wall. But what began as a childish dream will become an all-too-real nightmare when a Titan finally knocks a hole in the wall, and humanity is once again on the brink of extinction…

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Book SynopsisDream job. Dream house. Fake fiancé. A year in a gorgeous Italian castleWhen Anna Roberts' life implodes, an online search leads her to an ad for the ultimate dream job management of a gorgeous castle on the shores of Lake Como, accommodation included. The only catch? Anna can't do it aloneWith the last man on earth she'd choose!The castle owners will only accept a couple as caretakers, which means Anna needs a man on her arm at the interview. Enter her neighbour, Jake Tucker. Though Anna and Jake have never seen eye-to-eye, Jake's had a rough few years and an escape to Italy sounds ideal. Yet, when they get the job and jet off, Anna and Jake face an unexpected challenge. Pretending to be a couple is difficult but pretending the tension simmering between them doesn't exist is quickly proving impossible!Readers are loving Anna and Jake's romance:I see fake dating, I see Italy, I readIt felt like the author had gone into my brain and pretty much wrote the romantic comedy of my dreams' Trade Review Readers can’t get enough of The New Guy: ‘Seriously love this twist on an office romance’ Christina Parker, Netgalley ‘Their chemistry was off the charts’Mad Mom Life ‘Better than most rom coms I’ve watched and read!’ Jennifer Arnold, Netgalley ‘Reads like the perfect rom-com movie’ Sinead, Librarian ‘Very sexy and very sweet’ Morgan Shulman, Goodreads ‘Warmed my heart and read like a movie…What a beautiful sweet surprise this was’ Kelsey Peterson, Goodreads ‘You have yourself a page turning, don’t want it to end story, in essence an absolutely cracking read!’ Margaret Harris, Netgalley ‘A gorgeously sweet romance!’ From Rachael Claire ‘It's got laugh out loud moments, heart wrenching moments but most important that feel good factor’ Chantiece Bates, Goodreads

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Book SynopsisA new edition of Tolkien's famous illustrated Letters from Father Christmas to his children is presented in a stunning hardback format, complete with full colour illustrations. This classic festive book of Tolkien's amazing Father Christmas letters written to his children between the 1920s and the 1940s has been reworked into a new hardback edition to match other beloved Tolkien titles. It contains high-quality digital reproductions of his beautiful letters and pictures.My dear children, I am more shaky than usual this year. The North Polar Bear's fault. It was the biggest bang in the world, and the most monstrous firework there has ever been. It turned the North Pole black!'Every December an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for J.R.R. Tolkien's children. Inside would be a letter in strange spidery handwriting and a beautiful coloured drawing or some sketches. The letters were from Father Christmas.They told wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: How all the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place How the accident-prone Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas's house into the dining-room How he broke the Moon into four pieces and made the Man in it fall into the back garden How there were wars with the troublesome horde of goblins who lived in the caves beneath the house!Sometimes the Polar Bear would scrawl a note, and sometimes Ilbereth the Elf would write in his elegant flowing script, adding yet more life and humour to the stories. From the first note to Tolkien's eldest son in 1920 to the final poignant letter to his daughter in 1943, this book collects all the remarkable letters and pictures in one enchanting edition. No reader, young or old, can fail to be charmed by the inventiveness of Tolkien's Letters from Father Christmas.Trade Review PRAISE FOR LETTERS FROM FATHER CHRISTMAS: ‘Will appeal to any kids whose appreciation of new worlds hasn’t been blighted by Action Man and enlightened schoolteachers.’ TERRY PRATCHETT, Bath and West Evening Chronicle ‘Tolkien at his relaxed and ingenious best.’ The Times

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Book SynopsisThe latest in the hugely popular 44 Scotland Street series from the worldwide bestselling author, Alexander McCall SmithIt''s the most anticipated event of the decade: Big Lou and Fat Bob''s wedding and everyone is invited! After a wonderful day, Big Lou crashes back down to earth and finds that she is a victim of her own success. The lure of those famous bacon rolls is preventing her from leaving hungry customers without their daily dose of deliciousness - even to go for a long-awaited honeymoon. Will Big Lou find the happiness she so richly deserves? Everyone in Scotland Street hopes so, but, as Burns warned, the best laid plans...The relative peace and tranquillity of 44 Scotland Street is about to be disrupted. Irene is to return for a two-month stay, consigning Bertie to a summer camp. Not satisfied with that, she somehow manages to come between the enigmatic nun, Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiori di Montagna, and her friend, the hagiographer, Antonia Collie.<Trade ReviewShines with wisdom and humour about the human heart * Country Life *Many plots are artfully woven into this instalment of the 44 Scotland Street series, proving to be as reflective and reliable as ever. Devour this on a winter's eve * Scottish Field *McCall Smith's impressive literary output shows no sign of slowing as he publishes the latest volume in the 44 Scotland Street series and celebrates 25 years of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency * Dundee Courier *

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Book SynopsisPRE-ORDER THE LAST DAYS OF KIRA MULLAN, COMING JANUARY 2025! 'One of their very best. Compelling, moving and beautifully written . . .  an absolute winner' Observer ‘Classic Nicci French: an unputdownable missing-persons thriller that’s also a searing examination of family, memory and grief. A big-skied, full-blooded, broken-hearted book' Erin KellyShe’s loved by all who meet her. But someone wants her gone . . .Then  When beautiful and vivacious Charlotte Salter fails to turn up to her husband Alec’s 50th birthday party, her kids are worried, but Alec is not. As the days pass and there’s still no word from Charlie, her daughter, Etty, and her sons, Niall, Paul and Ollie, all struggle to come to terms with her disappearance. How can anyone just vanish without a trace? Left with no answers and in limbo

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Prix Goncourt Winner of the Goncourt du Premier Roman Winner of the Prix des Cinq Continents Winner of the Prix François Mauriac THE NOVEL THAT HAS TAKEN THE INTERNATIONAL LITERARY WORLD BY STORM He was the brother of ‘the Arab’ killed by the infamous Meursault, the antihero of Camus’s classic novel. Angry at the world and his own unending solitude, he resolves to bring his brother out of obscurity by giving him a name – Musa – and a voice, and by describing the events that led to his senseless murder on a dazzling Algerian beach. A worthy complement to its great predecessor, The Meursault Investigation is not only a profound meditation on Arab identity and the disastrous effects of colonialism in Algeria, but also a stunning work of literature in its own right, told in a unique and affecting voice.Trade Review'A splendid achievement...Daoud has an angry and loquacious register...both beguiling and arresting. It's reminiscent of Italo Calvino: magical, labyrinthian, rhetorical and playfully dark'. * The Tablet * 'Daoud has created his own memorable fiction in which he brilliantly exposes the rise of Islamism in Algeria and his nation's failures post-independence.' * Huffington Post *'[A] wonderfully entangled novel. Establishing a conversation across time, Daoud not only uses Camus's words to expose the hypocrisy and inherent violence of the French 'civilising mission', but also deploys them in order to convey the cultural, political and social suffocation that is the lot of so many contemporary Algerians. This is a crucial novel for our times' * Literary Review * 'Daoud's work stands on its own as it tackles grief, growing up, post-independence Algeria and conservative Islam today...a clever and suspenseful work that is a masterpiece in its own right'. * The Times (Saturday Review) *'A tour-de-force... Daoud has performed a great service for his country: he has taken a western classic and used it to illuminate the Algerian mind'. * The Sunday Times (Culture) *'Wholly astonishing...There are no illusions to be found in this wonderfully embittered, beautiful book.' * Observer *'An indispensable companion to Camus...superlative writing, beautifully translated...brilliantly metaphorical. For its incandescence, its precision of phrase and description, and its cross-cultural significance, The Meursault Investigation is an instant classic.' * Guardian *'A dazzling appropriation of L'Etranger' * London Review of Books *'An accomplished work of fiction, the anger of Daoud’s hero convinces' * Spectator *‘There is far more to his book than a clever deconstruction of a canonical novel… suspenseful…its narrative vitality never flags…beautifully taut…Despite the gravity of its concerns, Daoud’s writing maintains a wryness that makes its moments of sharp insight even more arresting. It is a testament to Daoud’s subtle, profound talent that his story works both as a novelistic response to Camus and as a highly original story in its own right. The Meursault Investigation is perhaps the most important novel to emerge out of the Middle East in recent memory’ * FT *'An impressive, provocative undertaking...that might not prove easy to put down...the polemic is balanced by artistic ingenuity...A relentlessly adroit blend of fire and clinical precision ensures that Kamel Daoud's iconoclastic deliberation is about far more than a renowned novel by Albert Camus' * Irish Times *‘[An] extraordinary novel.’ * London Review of Books *'A tour de force.' * The New Yorker *‘Clever… Daoud is in equal measure a thoughtful and provocative writer’ * Times Literary Supplement *'[Kamel Daoud’s] book, The Meursault Investigation, is a retelling of Albert Camus’s classic The Stranger, from an Algerian perspective. Within its 160 pages, Mr. gives voice to the brother of the nameless Arab murder victim who is shot five times on a beach in Algiers by the antihero, Meursault.' * New York Times *‘A thrilling retelling of Albert Camus’s 1942 classic … ingenious.’ * New York Times Magazine *‘a scorching debut novel that is sure to become an essential companion to Camus’s masterpiece.’ * The Economist *‘Daoud’s novel has the magnetism of its forebear, but its themes of voicelessness and vengeance feel utterly present day’ * Vogue (US) *‘[A] mesmerizing first novel … The Meursault Investigation has an inescapable topical resonance, given the role played by political Islam in Algeria in recent times … an absorbing, independent story and a shrewd critique of a country trapped in history’s time warp.’ * Wall Street Journal *‘Humour erupts in The Meusrsault Investigation every time there is tragedy, and this recipe for the Algerian absurd gives Daoud’s book its literary sting.' * The Nation *‘Give Kamel Daoud credit for audacity. In his debut novel, The Meursault Investigation, the Algerian journalist goes head-to-head with a pillar of 20th century literature…The true measure of the novel…is that Daoud realizes critique is not enough…the power – and, yes, the beauty – of The Meursault Investigation is that it moves … to an unexpected integration in which we recognize that for all the intractable divides of faith or nationality, our humanity remains (how can it not?) essentially the same.’ * Los Angeles Times *‘Mr. Daoud’s writing is like a live wire flowing with anger. It sparks fresh insights, raises important questions about the links between literature and politics, and challenges us to view the literary past and political present in new ways.’ * Pittsburgh Post Gazette *‘Camus’s The Outsider is vividly reimagined in Daoud’s intensely atmospheric novel … readers will be captivated.’ * Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) *‘In the hands of Algerian journalist Kamel Daoud, The Outsider has become the springboard for another novel that serves as both homage and rebuke to Camus’ masterpiece … It is a brilliant, infinitely rich tour de force of the imagination that never mentions Camus by name but gives Meursault’s victim not only a name – Musa – but a history, a family and a would-be future … Its originality of vision carries the book a long way toward mastery of its form … The Meursault Investigation stirs our imagination, showing that literary classics are never finished.’ * Wichita Eagle *‘Very beautiful writing, original, located between suppressed anger and bursts of elation.’ * Les Echos *‘A breathtaking and effectively realized novel. The Outsider becomes a palindrome ... The Meursault investigation approaches the incredible, in that it reverses the perspective and point of view not without an emphatic ferociousness, all while playing with the prose and perspective of The Outsider.’ * La Croix *‘A remarkable homage to its model.’ * Le Nouvel Observateur *‘Fiction with a strong moral edge, offering a Rashomon-like response to a classic novel.’ * Kirkus *‘A superb novel … In the future, The Outsider and The Meursault Investigation will be read side by side.’ * Le Monde des Livres *‘An intense and surprising story.’ * La Montagne *'A labyrinth of dilemmas, absurdities and personal crisis. Camus started it and Daoud finished it. you’ll think of The Stranger in a different way after reading this book.' -- World Translations Review

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Book Synopsis'This is is explicitly, and joyously, a book about books, about what can be learned from them and what is lost when they are lost' GUARDIAN'Full of stylish writing, Gothic atmosphere and love letters to 19th-century novels' WASHINGTON POSTBarcelona, 1957. It is Christmas, and Daniel Sempere and his wife, Bea, have much to celebrate. They have a beautiful new baby son, and their close friend Fermín Romero de Torres is about to be wed. But their joy is eclipsed when a a mysterious figure with a porcelain hand enters the Sempere bookshop, threatening to divulge a terrible secret that has been buried for two decades.His appearance plunges Fermín and Daniel into a dangerous adventure that will take them back to the 1940s - the early days of Franco's dictatorship and the very heart of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books.The Prisoner of Heaven is a rich, labyrinthine tale of love, literature, passion, and revenge set in a dark, gothic Barcelona, in which the heroes of The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game must contend with a nemesis that threatens to destroy them.Trade ReviewZafón combines sincere engagement with genre tradition, with clever touches of the literary post-modern . . . This is explicitly, and joyously, a book about books, about what can be learned from them and what is lost when they are lost * Guardian *Full of stylish writing, Gothic atmosphere and love letters to 19th-century novels * Washington Post *The story has heart, menace, torture, kindness, cruelty, sacrifice, and a deep devotion to what makes humans tick . . . The Prisoner of Heaven moves like a bullet train. There are few stops along the way, and the end of one section jumps headfirst into the next, leaving you no choice but to leap and not stop running * New York Journal of Books *The Prisoner of Heaven is the third part of the story and, like the first, is narrated by Daniel Sempere. But it too contains stories within stories, and the real narrative here belongs to the irrepressible Fermín Romero de Torres . . . Zafón's characters and dialogue are as lively and full-blooded as ever * Observer *There is an air of magical realism to Zafón's tales. The prose is robust and the dialogue rich with smart irony. But mostly, reading Zafón is great fun * Miami Herald *A deep and mysterious novel full of people that feel real . . . This is an enthralling read and a must-have for your library. Zafón focusses on the emotion of the reader and doesn't let go * Seattle Post-Intelligencer *Carlos Ruiz Zafon's writing is atmospheric, descriptive and totally compelling. His words draw such solid pictures in the head of the reader that the sounds, sights and smells of underground Barcelona jump from the page. * NEWBOOKS magazine *This wonderfully atmospheric, historical mystery is an adventure story of the highest class - fast paced and stylishly written. * THE GOOD BOOK GUIDE *

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Book Synopsis 'I'm in story heaven with this book.' Cecelia Ahern, author of P.S. I Love You A charming tale of friendship, love and loneliness in contemporary Japan Sentaro has failed. He has a criminal record, drinks too much, and his dream of becoming a writer is just a distant memory. With only the blossoming of the cherry trees to mark the passing of time, he spends his days in a tiny confectionery shop selling dorayaki, a type of pancake filled with sweet bean paste. But everything is about to change. Into his life comes Tokue, an elderly woman with disfigured hands and a troubled past. Tokue makes the best sweet bean paste Sentaro has ever tasted. She begins to teach him her craft, but as their friendship flourishes, social pressures become impossible to escape and Tokue’s dark secret is revealed, with devastating consequences. Sweet Bean Paste is a moving novel about the burden of the past and the redemptive power of friendship. Translated into English for the first time, Durian Sukegawa’s beautiful prose is capturing hearts all over the world.Trade Review‘Simply delicious.’ * Guardian *‘I'm in story heaven with this book.’ * Cecelia Ahern, author of PS, I Love You *‘Charmingly written, the plot is a continual surprise. A tale of sorrow that feels uplifting by its end.’ * i (The Independent) *‘As wise as it is moving, Sukegawa’s novel beguiles and seduces the reader from evocative opening to compassionate close.’ * The Herald *‘A poignant, poetic fable.’ * Denis Thériault, author of The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman *‘Sweet Bean Paste is a subtle, moving exploration of redemption in an unforgiving society... Sukegawa’s writing style, delicately translated by Alison Watts, is well-matched to the subject matter: a slow, muted movement that gently guides the reader, while leaving the unnecessary unsaid... It is an original twist on the “odd couple” genre, in which two unlikely companions find they have much to offer each other, and retains much of the humour that genre entails. A book with deceptive heft and lingering resonance.’ * Japan Times *‘Enthralling...This is that rare book that leaves readers truly humbled, reminding us of everything we should be thankful for, and that it is never too late to do something with our lives.’ * The Bookbag *‘A polished piece of work, and a decent, touching read.’ * Complete Review *‘A beautifully rendered tale of outsiders coming together.’ * B&N Reads *‘Charming and uplifting.’ * Press Association *‘Sukegawa – enabled by Watts's lucid translation – tells an endearing, thoughtful tale about relationships and the everyday meaning of life... Readers in search of gently illuminating fare – e.g., Shion Miura's The Great Passage, Jeff Talarigo's The Pearl Diver – will appreciate this toothsome treat.’ * Library Journal *‘Although Tokue’s past is a reflection of a dark chapter of Japanese history, her wisdom, patience, and kindness shape this touching and occasionally wistful novel. Through Tokue’s story, Sukegawa eloquently explores the seeds of biases and challenges us to truly listen to the natural world and the messages it artfully hides.’ * Booklist *‘A perfect example of cover and content in total harmony – I love this little masterpiece.’ * Gary Powell, Foyles *‘An ode to cuisine and to life. Poignant, poetic, sensual: a treat.’ * Lausanne Cités *‘Sweet Bean Paste is a short book that can be read quickly, yet it unfolds at a relaxed pace. The changing seasons provide reference points for the changes in the characters, but never in a way that seems forced.’ * The Japan News *‘This mixture of grief and solace, cherry blossoms and red beans is a recipe for happiness.’ * Radio SRF 2 Kultur Kompakt *‘Sweet Bean Paste is a book for your heart, mind...and appetite... It feels important, significant and far-reaching. It really is a moving and inspiring story which is as heart-warming as a delicious dorayaki, well maybe with a bit of salt. It is not often that a book touches your very soul and, therefore, Sweet Bean Paste deserves the highest of marks.’ * Thoughts on Papyrus blog *

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Book SynopsisSweetpea TV series starring Ella Purnell now on Sky Atlantic!She's back and killing for twoRhiannon Lewis should be happy.Her cheating fiancé is in jail framed for the depraved killing spree she committed. Her ex-lover is chopped up and buried where no-one will find him.But there's one small problem. She's pregnant.And as much as Rhiannon wants to continue working her way through her kill lists, a small voice inside is trying to make her stop.Now Rhiannon has to choose motherhood or murder.Readers are LOVING In Bloom:Alright, buckle up, folks, because this book is a rollercoaster of dark and twisted hilarity!' NetGalley reviewer ?????I would give 10 stars if I could!' NetGalley reviewer ?????Outrageous, hilarious and smart' NetGalley reviewer ?????Trade Review Praise for C.J. Skuse ‘This darkly comic novel…has the potential to become a cult classic.’ Daily Mail ‘Filthy and funny… a compulsive read’ Sunday Times ‘This isn’t a book for the squeamish or the faint-hearted … think Bridget Jones meets American Psycho’ Red ‘Dark, depraved and devilishly delicious. A full throttle savage and satirical thriller’ John Marrs, author of The One ‘Hilarious, refreshing, dark and memorable. It doesn’t disappoint, I loved it’ Phoebe Morgan ‘You MUST read this book especially if you like your (anti) heroes dirty-mouthed, deadly and dark, dark dark. ADORED IT' Fiona Cummins, author of Rattle ‘Pitch dark, laugh-out-loud hilarious – the Sweetpea series is pure genius escapism’ Susi Holliday ‘Fascinating, intriguing and twist after twist in the tale’ Suzy K Quinn ‘Dark and wickedly funny, and as dry and acerbic as Fleabag, it’s hard not to love Rhiannon Lewis’ Claire Allan ‘Sweetpea hits all the right buttons. A dark, twisted read about a female serial killer with dollops of humour, sarcasm and a lightweight approach…keeping you gripped and on the hook, both smiling and squirming.’ Maxim Jakubowski, Lovereading ‘Witty, vulgar, sweary, darkly funny, but enthralling – a must-read for thriller fans’ My Weekly ‘This book is OUTRAGEOUS’ Compulsive Readers ‘This anti-hero is psychotic without doubt, sexually voracious and incredibly funny’ Shots magazine

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Book SynopsisCelebrating Fifty Years of Picador BooksThe world just goes along. Nothing much matters, you know? I mean really matters. but then sometimes, just for a second, you get this grace, this belief that it does matter, a whole lot.With an introduction from Lydia DavisLucia Berlin’s stories in A Manual for Cleaning Women make for one of the most remarkable unsung collections in twentieth-century American fiction. With extraordinary honesty and magnetism, Lucia Berlin invites us into her rich, itinerant life: the drink and the mess and the pain and the beauty and the moments of surprise and of grace, with a voice is witty, anarchic, compassionate, and completely unique. Part of the Picador Collection, a series showcasing the best of modern literature.Trade ReviewThis selection of 43 stories . . . should by all rights see her as lauded as Jean Rhys or Raymond Carver. -- John Self * Independent *In A Manual for Cleaning Women we witness the emergence of an important American writer, one who was mostly overlooked in her time. She is the real deal. * New York Times *Lucia Berlin's collection of short stories, A Manual for Cleaning Women, deserves all of the posthumous praise its author has received . . . Her work is being comp­ared to Raymond Carver, for her similar oblique, colloquial style; her mordant humour; the recurrence of alcoholics; and her interest in the lives of working-class or marginalised people. But only Carver's very final stories share Berlin's eye for the sud­den exaltation in ordinary lives, or her ability to shift the tone of an entire story with an unexpected sent­ence. -- Sarah Churchwell, 'Best Books of 2015' * Guardian *Some short story writers - Chekhov, Alice Munro, William Trevor - sidle up and tap you gently on the shoulder: Come, they murmur, sit down, listen to what I have to say. Lucia Berlin spins you around, knocks you down and grinds your face into the dirt. You will listen to me if I have to force you, her stories growl. But why would you make me do that, darlin'? . . . Berlin's stories are full of second chances. Now readers have another chance to confront them: bits of life, chewed up and spat out like a wad of tobacco, bitter and rich. * New York Times Book Review *[Berlin's] stories are peopled with sharp, unpredictable, vital characters (often drunk!). They hit you with a force the moment you happen upon them. -- Jackie Kay * Observer *Raw and funny and breathtakingly great. -- Lauren Groff * New Yorker *Berlin's stories . . . alternate between light and dark so seamlessly and suddenly that a certain emotion barely fades before you feel something abruptly different . . . The result is a fictional world of wide-ranging impact, a powerful chiaroscuro that manages to encompass the full spectrum of human experience . . . [Berlin] deserves to be ranked alongside Alice Munro, Raymond Carver, and Anton Chekhov. She excels at pacing, structure, dialogue, characterization, description, and every other aspect of the form. * The Boston Globe *[Berlin's] writing really soars. * Literary Review *There is a seemingly effortless style to these beautifully observant tales of detoxing, lapsing and old affections. * Sunday Express *This career-spanning volume should reward readers who return to it for months, years, even decades . . . Berlin's stories offer few answers, and no easy routes to redemption, but empathy pulses. -- Max Liu * Independent *Berlin writes about extremities of shame, humiliation and degradation with a ferocious elegance that allows neither bleakness not sentimentality . . . The editorial arrangement by Berlin's friend Stephen Emerson is particularly sensitive to the jazzy musicality of the stories . . . These perfectly poised cadences are the work of a writer who knew exactly how good she was. -- Jane Shilling * New Statesman *Full of humor and tenderness and emphatic grace . . . Those not lucky enough to have yet encountered the writing of Lucia Berlin are in for some high-grade pleasure when they make first contact. * Washington Post *A Manual for Cleaning Women is a miracle of storytelling. * Elle *Here's prose to fall hard for, from the first beautifully candid paragraph to the last. As Berlin's characters confide in the reader and in each other, somehow, through the "ifs" and "buts," laundry and flower clocks, grace and catastrophe, a mesh is woven that captures life itself. I'm bowled over by her. -- Helen OyeyemiWhat a thrilling, welcome discovery this collection is. These are stories to beguile, fascinate and surprise. You are never sure what will happen next. As soon as I'd finished this book, I had to turn back to the beginning and start again. -- Maggie O'FarrellBerlin's writing is characterised by an enormous appetite for life, for humour and for love . . . This almost chatty style is undercut by brutal one-liners and swift reversals that, along with skilful narrative shaping, remind you that these are painstakingly crafted stories. -- Catherine O’Flynn * Guardian *Berlin's literary model is Chekhov, but there are extra-literary models too, including the extended jazz solo, with its surges, convolutions, and asides. This is writing of a very high order. -- August Kleinzahler on Where I Live Now * London Review of Books *[The stories] are set in the places Berlin knows best: Chile, Mexico, the Southwest and California, and they have the casual, straightforward, immediately intimate style that distinguishes her work . . . [They] are told in an easy conversational voice and they go from start to finish with a swift and often lyrical economy . . . Berlin's stories capture and communicate these moments of grace and cast a lovely, lazy light that lasts. She is one of our finest writers. -- Molly Giles on So Long * San Francisco Chronicle *Lucia Berlin might be the most interesting person you've never met . . . Every detox ward, dingy Laundromat, and sunbaked Mexican palapa spills across the page in sentences so bright and fierce and full of wild color that you'll want to turn each one over just to see how she does it. And then go back and read them all again. * Entertainment Weekly *[Lucia Berlin] may just be the best writer you've never heard of . . . Imagine a less urban Grace Paley, with a similar talent for turning the net of resentments and affections among family members into stories that carry more weight than their casual, conversational tone might initially suggest . . . Berlin's offbeat humor, get-on-with-it realism, and ability to layer details that echo across stories and decades give her book a tremendous staying power . . . [A Manual for Cleaning Women] goes a long way toward putting Berlin, who died in 2004, back in the public eye. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Lucia Berlin has long been overlooked as one of America's best short story writers, and it only takes readers the first couple of pages to recognize that . . . Reminiscent of Raymond Carver with a dash of survivor's humor, which makes even the bleakest tales thoroughly enjoyable. * Nylon *A major talent . . . A testament to a writer whose explorations of society's rougher corners deserve wider attention. * Kirkus (Starred Review) *Berlin's posthumous, highly semiautobiographical collection will catapult her into a household name. * Marie Claire *How a writer with this much appeal slipped under the radar is unfathomable . . . Anyone who loves the stories of Grace Paley and Lorrie Moore will find another master of the form here . . . Just go get the book and start reading them for yourself. * Newsday *Berlin's ability to gaze into a person's soul is reflected in her writing it is incisive, and the boldness of the prose jumps off the page . . . Poignant, comic and beautifully observed. * The Lady *[The stories] reel you in with their warmth, humour and a cast of ordinary women leading very real, very messy lives. * Red *This was a brilliant woman. [Berlin's] work transcends funny and shows us the absurd. She doesn't let her characters hide behind artifice or sensationalism or substances, as much as they might like to. Reading these stories, you get the sense that this is what she wanted for herself: to let go of the bullshit. As a result, the transformation she provides is visceral and startling. -- Kelly Luce * Electric Lit *Begin reading a Berlin short story and you know immediately that you are in the presence of a unique and searing literary force . . . This revelatory volume now brings her forward to stand beside her peers. * Booklist *

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Book SynopsisThe thrilling climax to the Ibis trilogy that began with the phenomenal Booker-shortlisted Sea of Poppies.It is 1839 and tension has been rapidly mounting between China and British India following the crackdown on opium smuggling by Beijing. With no resolution in sight, the colonial government declares war. One of the vessels requisitioned for the attack, the Hind, travels eastwards from Bengal to China, sailing into the midst of the First Opium War. The turbulent voyage brings together a diverse group of travellers, each with their own agenda to pursue. Among them is Kesri Singh, a sepoy in the East India Company who leads a company of Indian sepoys; Zachary Reid, an impoverished young sailor searching for his lost love, and Shireen Modi, a determined widow en route to China to reclaim her opium-trader husband''s wealth and reputation. Flood of Fire follows a varied cast of characters from India to China, through the outbreak of the First Opium War and China''s devastating defeat, to Britain''s seizure of Hong Kong.Flood of Fire is a thrillingly realised and richly populated novel, imbued with a wealth of historical detail, suffused with the magic of place and plotted with verve. It is a beautiful novel in its own right, and a compelling conclusion to an epic and sweeping story - it is nothing short of a masterpiece.Trade ReviewA masterpiece . . . Flood of Fire is not just a work of literary imagination but also an exercise in deep and original historical reflection * Chris Clark, author of Sleepwalkers *A masterpiece . . . Flood of Fire is not just a work of literary imagination but also an exercise in deep and original historical reflection * Chris Clark, author of Sleepwalkers *For the past weeks, [Amitav Ghosh] has been holed up in his Goa home, putting the finishing touches to Flood of Fire, the third part of his epic Ibis trilogy. The project has taken a decade. The three novels, starting with Sea of Poppies . . . have cemented his reputation * Financial Times *For the past weeks, [Amitav Ghosh] has been holed up in his Goa home, putting the finishing touches to Flood of Fire, the third part of his epic Ibis trilogy. The project has taken a decade. The three novels, starting with Sea of Poppies . . . have cemented his reputation * Financial Times *Totally absorbing * Literary Review *Totally absorbing * Literary Review *As ever for Mr Ghosh, language is a great tumasher, and it is not surprising that he is on the shortlist for the biennial Man Booker International Prize . . . He swims with relish in a lexicon he has made his own, a rich brew of English, Bangla, Hindi, Parsi, Malay, Cantonese and pidgin at a time when free trade and imperialism were recombining Asian cultures and tongues . . . Mr Ghosh's genius is to paint this world from its teeming heart, rather than from the perspective of metropolitan centres of power in London, or, for that matter, Peking * The Economist *As ever for Mr Ghosh, language is a great tumasher, and it is not surprising that he is on the shortlist for the biennial Man Booker International Prize . . . He swims with relish in a lexicon he has made his own, a rich brew of English, Bangla, Hindi, Parsi, Malay, Cantonese and pidgin at a time when free trade and imperialism were recombining Asian cultures and tongues . . . Mr Ghosh's genius is to paint this world from its teeming heart, rather than from the perspective of metropolitan centres of power in London, or, for that matter, Peking * The Economist *It is a testimony to Ghosh's great skills that he can both teach us history and create believable fictional characters . . . What makes Ghosh's characters come alive all the more is the use of language . . . Ghosh, occasionally, translates, but often does not, yet pulls off this presentation of the medley of tongues his characters use with great aplomb * Independent *It is a testimony to Ghosh's great skills that he can both teach us history and create believable fictional characters . . . What makes Ghosh's characters come alive all the more is the use of language . . . Ghosh, occasionally, translates, but often does not, yet pulls off this presentation of the medley of tongues his characters use with great aplomb * Independent *The final instalment of an extraordinary trilogy . . . Ghosh's story roars along, constantly flipping between high seriousness and low humour. It is simultaneously wrong-footing and delightful, riveting and diverting . . . His expansive trilogy has, in fact, advanced his story by only a few years; but the ground it has covered is almost immeasurable * Guardian *The final instalment of an extraordinary trilogy . . . Ghosh's story roars along, constantly flipping between high seriousness and low humour. It is simultaneously wrong-footing and delightful, riveting and diverting . . . His expansive trilogy has, in fact, advanced his story by only a few years; but the ground it has covered is almost immeasurable * Guardian *Ghosh's scrupulous depiction of army life is just one part of this tour de force of historical description. Together, the novels are a weighty and precious chronicle of those times, a compendium of lost habits, languages and attitudes . . . Flood of Fire has all the romance, subterfuge and ingenious plotting to keep Ghosh's audience firmly lagowed. But it is the integrity of his historical vision that will ensure his books outlast other literary dumbpokes * FT Weekend *Ghosh's scrupulous depiction of army life is just one part of this tour de force of historical description. Together, the novels are a weighty and precious chronicle of those times, a compendium of lost habits, languages and attitudes . . . Flood of Fire has all the romance, subterfuge and ingenious plotting to keep Ghosh's audience firmly lagowed. But it is the integrity of his historical vision that will ensure his books outlast other literary dumbpokes * FT Weekend *The best bits of the trilogy, however, do not merely satirize the greed and hypocrisy of the foreign traders; but allow crosscurrents of sympathy . . . full of unforgettable vignettes * The Spectator *The best bits of the trilogy, however, do not merely satirize the greed and hypocrisy of the foreign traders; but allow crosscurrents of sympathy . . . full of unforgettable vignettes * The Spectator *A huge, sprawling, rumbustious novel . . . rich and engrossing . . . a splendid adventure story, full of rich and varied characters and romantic entanglements . . . In the last chapters Amitav Ghosh pulls the strings of his enthralling trilogy together. It's a remarkable achievement: an adventure novel full of feeling, but one which also invites - even compels - you to think about the assumptions which men act upon * Scotsman *A huge, sprawling, rumbustious novel . . . rich and engrossing . . . a splendid adventure story, full of rich and varied characters and romantic entanglements . . . In the last chapters Amitav Ghosh pulls the strings of his enthralling trilogy together. It's a remarkable achievement: an adventure novel full of feeling, but one which also invites - even compels - you to think about the assumptions which men act upon * Scotsman *The star of the proceedings is the historical detail that really brings it all alive. Anyone who knows me knows my love of historical factoids and Amitav provides enough for us to luxuriate in them. The difference between the treatment of British and Indian soldiers, the colonial structure, the importance of China and the opium fields, not to mention the rituals surrounding taking opium - it's all here with much more besides, simultaneously entertaining and educating. I will definitely be going back to the beginning of the trilogy and look forward to catching up * Bookbag *The star of the proceedings is the historical detail that really brings it all alive. Anyone who knows me knows my love of historical factoids and Amitav provides enough for us to luxuriate in them. The difference between the treatment of British and Indian soldiers, the colonial structure, the importance of China and the opium fields, not to mention the rituals surrounding taking opium - it's all here with much more besides, simultaneously entertaining and educating. I will definitely be going back to the beginning of the trilogy and look forward to catching up * Bookbag *Amply justifying the hype and expectation, this is a thrillingly realised and richly populated novel, imbued with a wealth of historical detail, suffused with the magic of place and plotted with great verve: Flood of Fire is a beautiful novel in its own right, and a compelling conclusion to an epic and sweeping story, one of the greatest literary works of our time. For Amitav Ghosh, the glittering literary prizes beckon * Nudge Book *Amply justifying the hype and expectation, this is a thrillingly realised and richly populated novel, imbued with a wealth of historical detail, suffused with the magic of place and plotted with great verve: Flood of Fire is a beautiful novel in its own right, and a compelling conclusion to an epic and sweeping story, one of the greatest literary works of our time. For Amitav Ghosh, the glittering literary prizes beckon * Nudge Book *Graphic and gripping * New Statesman *Graphic and gripping * New Statesman *A terrific read. I wish Amitav Ghosh could live forever, like Ganesh, the Hindu patron god of writers and complete what he once planned. Flood of Fire, alas, will have to do * The Times *A terrific read. I wish Amitav Ghosh could live forever, like Ganesh, the Hindu patron god of writers and complete what he once planned. Flood of Fire, alas, will have to do * The Times *If you fancy a rip-roaring story with history, an erudite critique of colonialism, funny and full of contemporary parallels, you could try Amitav Ghosh's third in his Ibis trilogy, Flood of Fire * i *If you fancy a rip-roaring story with history, an erudite critique of colonialism, funny and full of contemporary parallels, you could try Amitav Ghosh's third in his Ibis trilogy, Flood of Fire * i *Flood of Fire sweeps Amitav Ghosh majestically to the pinnacle of historical fiction writers and fittingly completes his Ibis trilogy . . . Ghosh has long set a standard for the kind of fine historical fiction writing that paints perfect pictures of what life was like for ordinary people as the world changed around them at breakneck pace. What sets him apart from other writers in this genre is his knowledge of the subject and his detailed descriptions and minute detail * Dundee Courier *Flood of Fire sweeps Amitav Ghosh majestically to the pinnacle of historical fiction writers and fittingly completes his Ibis trilogy . . . Ghosh has long set a standard for the kind of fine historical fiction writing that paints perfect pictures of what life was like for ordinary people as the world changed around them at breakneck pace. What sets him apart from other writers in this genre is his knowledge of the subject and his detailed descriptions and minute detail * Dundee Courier *Unexpectedly comic * Sunday Times *Unexpectedly comic * Sunday Times *Ghosh's ebullient fluency in the colorful argot of the contentious worlds he brings forth distinguishes this passionately researched series as much as his wily and zealous exposure of entrenched discrimination pertaining to race, religion, gender, caste, and class. Once again Ghosh proves himself to be a virtuoso scene-setter and action writer . . . This feverishly detailed, vividly panoramic, tumultuous, funny, and heartbreaking tale offers a vigorous conclusion to Ghosh's astutely complex and profoundly resonant geopolitical saga * Booklist *Ghosh's ebullient fluency in the colorful argot of the contentious worlds he brings forth distinguishes this passionately researched series as much as his wily and zealous exposure of entrenched discrimination pertaining to race, religion, gender, caste, and class. Once again Ghosh proves himself to be a virtuoso scene-setter and action writer . . . This feverishly detailed, vividly panoramic, tumultuous, funny, and heartbreaking tale offers a vigorous conclusion to Ghosh's astutely complex and profoundly resonant geopolitical saga * Booklist *A rip roaring story rich with history, an erudite critique of colonialism, funny and full of contemporary parallels * Independent *A rip roaring story rich with history, an erudite critique of colonialism, funny and full of contemporary parallels * Independent *Sweeps Amitav Ghosh majestically to the pinnacle of historical fiction writers * Oxford Times *Sweeps Amitav Ghosh majestically to the pinnacle of historical fiction writers * Oxford Times *Exuberant * Guardian *Exuberant * Guardian *This doorstopper of a novel, thick as curry with Anglo-Indian patois and with a bundle of rattlingly good narratives, makes one desperate that he does continue * The Times, Books of the Year *This doorstopper of a novel, thick as curry with Anglo-Indian patois and with a bundle of rattlingly good narratives, makes one desperate that he does continue * The Times, Books of the Year *A rollicking wordfest that sprawls across land, sea, social class and ethnicities, sweeping us along in its narrative drive * Guardian *A rollicking wordfest that sprawls across land, sea, social class and ethnicities, sweeping us along in its narrative drive * Guardian *By an ingenious hotchpotch of different languages and registers, Ghosh's story roars along, constantly flipping between high seriousness and low humour. It is simultaneously wrong-footing and delightful * Guardian *By an ingenious hotchpotch of different languages and registers, Ghosh's story roars along, constantly flipping between high seriousness and low humour. It is simultaneously wrong-footing and delightful * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisText in Arabic. Afghanistan in the 1970s: Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the local kite-flying tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. What happens to Hassan that afternoon will shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return, to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption.Trade ReviewThe Kite Runner is a first novel of unusual generosity, honesty and compassion The Guardian, UK 'A devastating, masterful and painfully honest story ... it is a novel of great hidden intricacy and wisdom, like a timeless Eastern tale. It speaks the most harrowing truth about the power of evil' Daily Telegraph 'The shattering first novel by Khaled Hosseini... a rich and soul-searching narrative ... a sharp, unforgettable taste of the trauma and tumult experienced by Afghanis as their country buckled' Observer

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Baileys Women''s Prize for Fiction 2015Longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize for New Fiction 2015Enter a whole new world, in this thrilling debut novel set entirely within a beehive.Born into the lowest class of her society, Flora 717 is a sanitation bee, only fit to clean her orchard hive. Living to accept, obey and serve, she is prepared to sacrifice everything for her beloved holy mother, the Queen.But Flora is not like other bees. Despite her ugliness she has talents that are not typical of her kin. While mutant bees are usually instantly destroyed, Flora is removed from sanitation duty and is allowed to feed the newborns, before becoming a forager, collecting pollen on the wing. She also finds her way into the Queen's inner sanctum, where she discovers secrets both sublime and ominous.But enemies are everywhere, from the fearsome fertility police to the high priestesses who jealously guard the Hive Mind. And when Flora breaks the most sacred law of all her instinct to serve is overshadowed by an even deeper desire, a fierce love that will lead to the unthinkable . . .Laline Paull's chilling yet ultimately triumphant novel creates a luminous world both alien and uncannily familiar. Thrilling and imaginative, The Bees' is the story of a heroine who, in the face of an increasingly desperate struggle for survival, changes her destiny and her world.Trade Review‘[A] gripping Cinderella/Arthurian tale with lush Keatsian adjectives’ Margaret Atwood, via Twitter ‘Beautifully written and unusual … Captivating … A brave and original story that highlights our modern environmental crimes, and offers a fascinating glimpse into the intricacies of bee world … Any book that changes the way we see our world surely deserves to be a success’ Lucy Atkins, Sunday Times ‘Ambitious and bold … told with such rapturously attentive imagination … The tale zooms along with such propulsive and addictive prose … Few novels create such a singular reading experience. The buzz you will hear surrounding this book and its astonishing author is utterly deserved’ New York Times ‘One wild ride. A sensual, visceral mini-epic about timeless rituals and modern environmental disaster. Paull's heartpounding novel wrenches us into a new world’ Emma Donoghue ‘This unusual and cunningly imagined thriller hurtles us through the very bizarre life and adventures of Flora 717 … Strangely thought-provoking’ Angus Clarke, The Times ‘A rich, strange book, utterly convincing in its portrayal of the mindset of a bee and a hive. I finished it feeling I knew exactly how bees think and live. This is what sets us humans apart from other animals, that our imagination can allow us to create a complete, believable world so different from our own’ Tracy Chevalier ‘It is the best novel of its kind since “Watership Down”. All the tension of a palace intrigue and the heart of a small, undaunted hero. An astonishing achievement’ Martin Cruz Smith ‘What Laline Paull has accomplished here is multivalent: a rumination on nature; a portrait of the struggle between individual and the stifling matrix of society; and a depiction of how humanity might organize itself along different lines. I’d call it, in the end, science fiction at its best.’ Paul Di Filippo, Locus

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Book SynopsisFor lovers of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, a new book about the beauty of humble objects, the power of writing, and reconnecting with those you have lost.Write your story, heal your heart . . . Hidden away in a corner of the Ginza neighbourhood is a venerable stationery shop. To venture inside is to find everything your stationery-loving heart desires, from the most delicate paper to fountain pens that fit exactly to the shape of your hand to gorgeously coloured inks. The shop owner intuits your every need, inviting you to take a seat at a small wooden table on the top floor, where you'll find the words flowing, helping you unlock repressed memories, secret longings and your own mysteries.To this shop comes a young company employee, uncertain in his career and needing a connection back to his past; the hostess of an elegant club; the vice-captain of a high-school archery team, an ageing busines

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Book SynopsisA searing and coruscating novel about marriage and how it makes liars out of us all, for fans of Jenny Offill's Dept. of Speculation, Elena Ferrante's The Days of Abandonment and Claire Messud's The Woman Upstairs.

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Book SynopsisFANS OF ALI HAZELWOOD WILL CHEER. Grace Reilly, USA Today bestselling authorTHE OPPOSITES ATTRACT LOVE STORY OF MY DREAMS. B. K. Borison, USA Today bestselling authorA swoony, steamy, STEM romance in which two curators at a science museuma handsome but grumpy astronomer and an anxious but sunshine-y entomologistrealize they are the perfect match. Now with exclusive bonus content!Millie has never taken the expected path. Her childhood love for bugs and science led her to entomology, and her role as a curator, inspiring museum visitors every day. It's her dream to run her own departmentso when a rare director position opens, she is determined nothing will distract her from her goal. Especially not Finn, her grumpy coworker with his permanent scowl, electric blue eyes, and endless supply of astronomy ties. . . . Not that she's spent time noticing any of those things. Finn doesn't mean to glare at everyone, but he's juggling his role at the museum, navigating the grief of losing his sister, attempting to make his nieces smile, and trying not to ruin dinner for the fifth night in a row. He can't afford to let anything slip, and certainly doesn't need more to deal withespecially not Millie literally stumbling into him, with her bright smile and sunny optimism. He bugs her. She's too starry-eyed for him. They want nothing to do with each other. But with Finn on the interview committee, avoidance is impossible. And Millie soon realizes it's one thing when a job is on the line. It's quite another when it's her heart. Give Me Butterflies is a sweet and sexy STEM romance, featuring:Grumpy x SunshineHeroine in STEMSlow burnOpen door spiceFound familyNerdy banter

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Book SynopsisFormer RAF pilot and investigative journalist Frederick Forsyth defined the modern thriller when he wrote The Day of the Jackal, described by Lee Child as the book that broke the mould', with its lightning-paced storytelling, effortlessly cool reality and unique insider information. Since then, he has written thirteen novels which have been bestsellers around the world: The Odessa File, The Dogs of War, The Devil's Alternative, The Fourth Protocol, The Negotiator, The Deceiver, The Fist of God, Icon, Avenger, The Afghan, The Cobra, The Kill List and The Fox. He has also published an autobiography, The Outsider. He lives in Buckinghamshire, England.Trade Review"In a class by itself. Unputdownable." Sunday Times "Mr Forsyth is clever. Very clever and immensely entertaining." Daily Telegraph "I was spellbound ... riveted by this chilling story." Guardian "It is no exaggeration to say The Day of the Jackal has influenced a generation of thriller writers... Before, thrillers were self-evidently works of the imagination. Forsyth changed all that; never before had a popular novelist created a world that seemed indistinguishable from real life... Few writers can claim to have changed the literary landscape. Forty years ago, a penniless British journalist, unwittingly or not, did just that" Guardian

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Book SynopsisCollects Right Ho, Jeeves; Joy in the Morning; and Carry on, Jeeves''If you haven''t read PG Wodehouse in a hot bath with a snifter of whiskey and ideally a rubber duck for company, you haven''t lived [...] A book that''s a sheer joy to read.'' INDEPENDENT''To dive into a Wodehouse novel is to swim in some of the most elegantly turned phrases in the English language.'' BEN SCHOTT______________________Jeeves may not always see eye to eye with Bertie Wooster on ties and fancy waistcoats, but he can always be relied on to whisk his young master spotlessly out of the soup (even if, for tactical reasons, he did drop him in it in the first place).The paragon of Gentlemen''s Personal Gentlemen shimmers through the pages in much the same way he did through the first Jeeves Omnibus. This volume contains one brilliant collection of short stories and two hilarious novels: Right Ho, Jeeves, Joy in Trade ReviewThe greatest comic writer ever * Douglas Adams *The funniest writer ever to put words to paper -- Hugh LaurieP.G. Wodehouse wrote the best English comic novels of the century -- Sebastian FaulksSublime comic genius -- Ben Elton

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.''I want I want somehow to get away with you into a world where words like that categories like that won''t exist. Where we shall be simply two human beings who love each other, who are the whole of life to each other; and nothing else on earth will matter.'Newland Archer, a successful and charming young lawyer conducts himself by the rules and standards of the polite, upper class New York society that he resides in. Happily engaged to the pretty and conventional May Welland, his attachment guarantees his place in this rigid world of the elite.However, the arrival of May's cousin, the exotic and beautiful European Countess Olenska throws Newland's life upside down. A divorcee, Olenska is ostracised by those around her, yet Newland is fiercely drawn to her wit, determination and willingness to flout convention. With the Countess, Newland is freed from the limitations that surround him and truly begins t

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Book SynopsisOne of the finest short story writers I've ever read' Amy TanWINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZEWINNER OF THE PEN/HEMINGWAY AWARDWINNER OF THE NEW YORKER PRIZE FOR BEST FIRST BOOKJhumpa Lahiri's prize-winning debut collection explores the lives of Indians in exile of people navigating between the strict traditions they've inherited and the baffling New World they must encounter every day.Whether set in Boston or Bengal, these sublimely understated stories, imbued with umour and subtle detail, speak with eloquence to anyone who has ever felt the yearnings of exile or the emotional confusion of an outsider.Lahiri is a writter of uncommon elegance and poise, and with Interpreter of Maladies she has made a precocious debut' New York TimesTrade Review‘Lahiri has an extraordinary voice’Salman Rushdie ‘Jhumpa Lahiri is the kind of writer who makes you want to grab the next person you see and say“Read this!”She’s a dazzling storyteller with a distinctive voice, an eye for nuance, an ear for irony. She is one of the finest short story writers I’ve read.’AMY TAN ‘Jhumpa Lahiri’s strong, subtle short story collection is a debut to relish.’Guardian

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Book SynopsisRussia, 1915: Sixteen year old farmer's son Georgy Jachmenev steps in front of an assassin's bullet intended for a senior member of the Russian Imperial Family and is instantly proclaimed a hero.Trade ReviewBoyne is a skilled storyteller... his novel is an exciting, fast-paced story... absorbing and richly satisfying * The Times *John Boyne has a talent for bringing big historical events to life... Boyne has skilfully drawn a living, breathing character who not only witnessed one of the greatest events of the 20th century but also had his own part to play in how the dramatic tale unravels * Daily Express *Boyne writes with consumnate ease, and is particularly good at drawing the indecently rich world of the pre-revolutionary Romanovs * Independent *A wonderful, many-layered novel, written with thought and tenderness... mesmerising * The Irish Examiner *Boyne exercises total control over pace and revelation. A work that chimes perfectly with our times * The Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis*Join Harry Potter on the magical journey of a lifetime in the sixth book in J.K. Rowling's multi-award-winning series.When Dumbledore arrives at Privet Drive one summer night to collect Harry Potter, his wand hand is blackened and shrivelled, but he does not reveal why. Secrets and suspicion are spreading through the wizarding world, and Hogwarts itself is not safe. Harry is convinced that Malfoy bears the Dark Mark: there is a Death Eater amongst them. Harry will need powerful magic and true friends as he explores Voldemort's darkest secrets, and Dumbledore prepares him to face his destiny J.K. Rowling's internationally bestselling Harry Potter books continue to captivate new generations of readers. Harry's sixth adventure alongside his friends, Ron and Hermione, invites you to explore even more of the wizarding world; from the comforting cosiness of The Burrow to the brutal squalor of the Gaunt house. This gorgeous hardback edition features a spectacular coTrade ReviewI’ve yet to meet a ten-year-old who hasn’t been entranced by its witty, complex plot and the character of the eponymous * Independent *Spellbinding, enchanting, bewitching * Mirror *Teachers say a chapter can silence the most rowdy of classes * Guardian *One of the greatest literary adventures of modern times * Sunday Telegraph *The Harry Potter stories will join that small group of children’s books which are read and reread into adulthood * TLS *

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Book SynopsisCatharina Ingelman-Sundberg is a Swedish author who has written numerous books in several genres, including popular science, cartoon, children's and historical fiction.Her individual writing style, featuring depth of insight, and sense of surprise and humour, gives her books a special appeal. So much so that in 1999 she won the prestigious Widding Prize as the best writer of popular history and historical novels.Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg is a former journalist and marine archaeologist. She now works full-time as an author and her books include the Little Old Lady series.Trade ReviewA good-natured, humorous crime caper * Independent on Sunday *A quirky, offbeat delight and a heart-warming reminder that one is never too old for some mischief and adventure -- Tom Winter, author of Lost & Found‘A shining expression of how joyous life is. It is not dangerous to grow old if you are like Märtha and the gang’ Hyllan, blogg‘The funniest book this year!’ Magazine Familjen, Norway‘A book which should be read by people of all ages’ Radio P4‘A hilarious farce . . . highly entertaining with very well crafted characters’ Frettabladid newspaper, Iceland‘It has humour, brilliant dialogue, irony and warmth. A light-hearted and enjoyable detective comedy with breath-taking events, which provide many smiles but also reflection on life’ PRO Pensionären‘Criminally fun!’ Bonniers Bokklubb‘Very imaginative, fun and filled with gallons of humour!’ Katarina Mazetti

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Book SynopsisThe number one bestselling phenomenonJULY 1209, Carcassonne. Seventeen-year-old Alaïs Pelletier is given a mysterious book by her father, which he claims contains the secret of the true Grail. Although Alaïs cannot understand the strange words and symbols hidden within, she knows that her destiny lies in keeping the secret of the labyrinth safe.JULY 2005. Archaeologist Alice Tanner discovers two skeletons in a forgotten cave in the French Pyrenees. Puzzled by the labyrinth symbol carved into the rock, she realises she has disturbed something that was meant to remain buried. Soon, a link to a shocking secret - and her own past - is revealed . . . ''LABYRINTH is a reader''s Holy Grail . . . a heart-wrenching, thrilling tale'' Val McDermid''An action-packed adventure of modern conspiracy and medieval passion'' IndependentBOOK ONE OF THE LANGUEDOC TRILOGYTrade ReviewThe author has combined an ingenious adventure story with a wonderfully detailed account of the historical background of the Languedoc ... the result is entirely compelling and full of incidental pleasures -- Christina Koning * THE TIMES *Pacey and addictive -- Kate Saunders * THE TIMES *Saturated with a passionate understanding of the region's past in a way that puts more conventional historical accounts to shame. Mosse wears her learning so lightly, knitting her historical research so neatly into her narrative . . . reminiscent of those twin goddesses of popular historical fiction, Jean Plaidy and Mary Renault * GUARDIAN *A gripping holy grail quest ... the story line runs on knowledge and fun - Carcassonne never looked so good -- Anthony Sattin * SUNDAY TIMES *This is a novel clearly fuelled by an authorial obsession with a history, region and concept. The settings are evocative and... there are also some powerful dramatic scenes: the climactic moments where the good and evil women meet and battle it out are particularly compelling... [An] intriguing...passionate book * SUNDAY TIMES *A spellbinding adventure story * REAL *LABYRINTH is very much a Girl's Own story: a grail quest in which women aren't helpless creatures to be rescued, or decorative bystanders, but central to the action, with the capacity to change history * OBSERVER *An elegantly written time-slip novel set in France. There's medieval passion and modern-day conspiracy, all revolving around three hidden books * INDEPENDENT *A thumping read: Mosse creates a world so complete I began to miss it before the last page. More intriguing than Dan Brown, a conundrum with lasting depth and vigour, LABYRINTH captivates from the first page until the final twist -- Denise MinaLabyrinth is a reader's Holy Grail, mixing legend, religion, history, past and present in a heart-wrenching, thrilling tale. Eat your heart out, Dan Brown, this is the real thing -- Val McDermidThis year's gripping romp . . . intelligently written. Her love of the location around Carcassonne . . . is evident from her generous descriptions of the city and the surrounding countryside; and her research into the details of the Cathar's lives and language is evidently extensive . . . LABYRINTH will fulfil everyone's expectations, not least because of Mosse's passion for the subject matter and her narrative verve * Observer *LABYRINTH has all the ingredients of a summer blockbuster * Daily Mail *It is the freedom to luxuriate in a fully realised work that makes Mosse's novel such a pleasurable read . . . Mosse infuses each scene with such depth of atmospheric detail that full immersion is inevitable . . . Mosse wields admirable control over the vast body of her material and manoeuvres through it with subtlety and grace * Mxlexia *Prepare to be chilled by Kate Mosse's archaeological thriller * RED *There is nothing like a lovely long luscious journey through the French Pyrenees, and that is what Kate Mosse provides in her latest novel, Labyrinth . . . a spellbinding novel that slips between the present day and the thirteenth century . . . Mosse mixes a Grail adventure with passion and great writing in a book that for once features two feisty lead women * NEW BOOKS *A lovely, intelligent novel of discovery and loss, generous in its historical scope and intimate in its tender details -- Nicci GerrardSaturated with a passionate understanding of the region's past in a way that puts more conventional historical accounts to shame. Mosse wears her learning so lightly, knitting her historical research so neatly into her narrative, that we never get the slightest sense of being preached or lectured to... [conveying] the texture of various patches of the past with such rich complexity * GUARDIAN *An action packed adventure of modern conspiracy and medieval passion ... a Grail gripper [and] elegantly written timeslip novel set in France * INDEPENDENT *

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Book Synopsis*Join Harry Potter as he sets out on the magical journey of a lifetime in the first book in J.K. Rowling's multi-award-winning series.Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!J.K. Rowling's internationally bestselling Harry Potter books continue to captivate new generations of readers. Harry's first adventure alongside his friends, Ron and Hermione, will whisk you away to Hogwarts, an enchanted, turreted castle filled with disappearing staircases, pearly-white ghosts and magical paintings that flitTrade ReviewI’ve yet to meet a ten-year-old who hasn’t been entranced by its witty, complex plot and the character of the eponymous Harry * Independent *Spellbinding, enchanting, bewitching stuff * Mirror *Teachers say a chapter can silence the most rowdy of classes * Guardian *One of the greatest literary adventures of modern times * Sunday Telegraph *The Harry Potter stories will join that small group of children’s books which are read and reread into adulthood * TLS *

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