Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisFrom National Book Award–nominated writer Andrea Lee comes Red Island House, a travel epic that opens a window on the mysterious African island of Madagascar, and on the dangers of life and love in paradise, as seen through the eyes of a Black American heroine.“People do mysterious things when they think they have found paradise,” reflects Shay, the heroine of Red Island House. When Shay, an intrepid Black American professor, marries Senna, a brash Italian businessman, she doesn’t imagine that her life’s greatest adventure will carry her far beyond their home in Milan: to an idyllic stretch of beach in Madagascar where Senna builds a flamboyant vacation villa. Before she knows it, she becomes the reluctant mistress of a sprawling household, caught between her privileged American upbringing and her connection to the continent of her ancestors. So begins Shay’s journey into the heart of a remote Af

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Book SynopsisA Richard & Judy Book Club Pick, Mum & Dad is a heartwarming family drama set in the vineyards of Spain. From the number one bestselling author of An Unsuitable Match, Joanna Trollope, and told with all her trademark wit and wisdom.'Trollope’s bestselling novel brings elegance and warmth to a painfully familiar dilemma' – Daily MailWhat happens when family roles are reversed and the children must look after mum and dad?It’s been twenty-five years since Gus and Monica left England to start a new life in Spain, building a wine business from the ground up. However, when Gus suffers a stroke and their idyllic Mediterranean life is thrown into upheaval, it’s left to their three grown-up children in London to step in . . .As the children descend on the vineyard, it becomes clear that each has their own idea of how best to handle their mum and dad, as well as the family business. But as long-simmering resentments rise to the surface and tensions reach breaking point, will the family finally fall apart?'No-one dissects the intricacies of family relationships quite like Joanna Trollope' - Good HousekeepingTrade ReviewNo-one dissects the intricacies of family relationships quite like her -- Good HousekeepingTrollope's mastery of the family saga means this tightly plotted tale makes for a thoughtful, absorbing read -- Daily MailA meticulous family drama, bristling with resentment and regret -- Mail on SundayTrollope is an extremely assured writer, with a brilliant eye for detail and a finely tuned emotional intelligence . . . she writes absorbing, wise stories that dramatize the dilemmas we face * Sunday Times *With her compassion for her characters, Trollope cuts to the quick of family life, and the difference between men and women -- Fanny Blake * Woman & Home *Joanna Trollope's novels address the issues and emotional journeys that face women today * Sunday Express *Trollope writes about family relationships with intelligence and clear-eyed sympathy * The Times *Nobody writes about family tensions better than Joanna Trollope * Good Housekeeping *Trollope’s bestselling novel brings elegance and warmth to a painfully familiar dilemma * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisThe acclaimed international bestseller now a MAJOR MOTION PICTURE starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh and Gemma Chan!When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars and that she is about to encounter the strangest, craziest group of people in existence. Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider's look at the Asian jet set; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money - and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.Trade ReviewOriginal and fun, Crazy Rich Asians is quite a roller coaster trip. I loved it! -- Jackie CollinsMordantly funny -- Anna WintourUnputdownably funny... a Chinese Dallas meets Pride and Prejudice -- Plum Sykes, bestselling author of BERGDORF BLONDESThis summer's Bergdorf Blondes, over-the-top funny and a novelty to boot. Mr. Kwan delivers nonstop hoots about a whole new breed of rich, vulgar, brand-name-dropping conspicuous consumers -- Janet Maslin, New York TimesIf your definition of a beach read is a book version of Vogue, then this is the book for you -- Emma G Keller, 'Best Beach Reads' 2013 * Guardian.co.uk *This is fun, superficial escapism that hooks and reels in even the reluctant reader: Dynasty among the filthy-rich Chinese community -- Independent

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Book SynopsisA BBC BETWEEN THE COVERS BOOKER PRIZE GEMFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF MOTHERING SUNDAY AND LAST ORDERS, and reissued for the first time on the Scribner list, The Light of Day is both a gripping crime story and a remarkable love story. On a cold but dazzling November morning George Webb, a former policeman turned private detective, prepares to visit Sarah, a prisoner and the woman he loves. As he goes about the business of the day he relives the catastrophic events of two years ago that have both bound them together and kept them apart.   Making atmospheric use of its suburban setting and shot through with a plain man’s unwitting poetry and rueful humour, The Light of Day is a powerful and moving tale of murder, redemption and of the discovery, for better or worse, of the hidden forces inside us. ‘A real in-depth study of humanity’ Alex Jones, BBC

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Book Synopsis''I lost my own father at 12 yr. of age and know what it is to be raised on lies and silence...''To the authorities in pursuit of him, outlaw Ned Kelly is a horse thief, bank robber and police-killer. But to his fellow ordinary Australians, Kelly is their own Robin Hood. In a dazzling act of ventriloquism, Peter Carey brings the famous bushranger wildly and passionately to life.

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Book SynopsisTHE FIRST INSPECTOR TERESA BATTAGLIA NOVELA TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTHAn idyllic village in the Alps. A legacy of sin. An evil hiding in the shadows.Trade ReviewSuperintendent Teresa Battaglia, a criminal profile expert, is in her sixties, overweight, lonely, diabetic, full of the ailments of ageing - and delightful. It's rare that such a character enters crime fiction for the first time, and with such gripping impact. * Marcel Berlins, The Times *Creepy and evocative... but what gives this novel particular appeal is the sixty-something central character, whose abrasive manner hides a warm heart * Guardian *This book has all the right ingredients: a brilliant protagonist, an eerie setting and a community hiding dark secrets * Dead Good (Debut crime novels to watch out for in 2019) *Superintendent Teresa Battaglia is an Italian cop in her mid-sixties and as such a rather unique character in crime fiction where the leading protagonists are normally younger. She's overweight, diabetic and has been saddled with a new, younger sidekick, city inspector Massimo Marini which whom she initially doesn't hit it off too well despite all his own goodwill. A naked man with his eyes gouged out is found in an isolated forest and the two conflicting cops are assigned the case, which inevitably becomes so much more complicated when echoes from the past swiftly intervene in the investigation. The first volume in an Italian trilogy with these two characters proves a fast, enjoyable read with all the right police procedural elements, monsters in plain sight and even killers who might intriguingly provoke some form of sympathy amongst the reader, a clockwork plot and a suitable sense of place which verges on both the ominous and the exotic, this was a major hit back in its own country and one understands why. Impeccable crime writing. * Crime Time *If you are looking for a chilling murder mystery set in a landscape so majestic that it takes your breath away and fills your soul, head off to the Alps with the intriguing Detective Superintendent Teresa Battaglia, an Italian police chief who is set to give Tyneside's Vera a run for her money... Flowers Over the Inferno is Ilaria Tuti's stunning and atmospheric debut novel - translated into English by the talented Ekin Olap - and the first book in the Teresa Battaglia trilogy. Tuti lives in Friuli, in the far north-east of Italy, and she has harnessed all the harsh, wild beauty of this mountainous region near the border with Austria for a bone-chilling story of dark crimes and hidden evils festering in a small, claustrophobic community... Tuti's fast-paced, taut and gripping thriller has more than a touch of creepy Gothic as the Alpine scenery becomes the jaw-dropping stage set for a gruesome murder mystery where nature is red in tooth and claw, and a deadly menace threatens to engulf a village with too many destructive secrets... The battling Teresa Battaglia is the undoubted star of the show, a charming enigma who fills the pages with her compassion, good sense, empathy and tenacity but who can put a person in their place with either a look or a word... Her crusty sarcasm and razor sharpness hides a lonely, fast-ageing woman who refuses to surrender to her mental and physical vulnerabilities and instead uses every ounce of her determination and inner strength to fight on... Exciting, ice-coated, chilling and thrilling, Flowers Over the Inferno welcomes readers to the deepest, darkest shades of Italian Noir. * Lancashire Post *Exhilarating... Teresa Battaglia, who must deal with casual and constant sexism in her position of authority, is an unforgettable character readers will want to see a lot more of. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Small towns filled with secrets and an unlikely detective duo go together like an Aperol spritz before pasta - which is to say, very well... One of the best parts of Flowers Over the Inferno is the older, gruff superintendent Teresa Battaglia. She is out of shape, diabetic and busy fighting the early stages of Alzheimer's disease - on top of handling a complex case. We sympathise with Battaglia quite naturally, and it's nice to see a cop who isn't slim and sexy chasing after serial killers. * NPR *In the seclusion of a cloistered location in the Italian Alps, bloody violence is being done... Ilaria Tuti - who lives in the far north-east of Italy - has produced in Flowers over the Inferno a debut novel of real skill. While the mechanics of the plot itself may be familiar territory, the real accomplishment here lies in the distinctive heroine, with the beleaguered Teresa not just engaged in a struggle with a ruthless killer but also with her own body, as age and diabetes take their toll, and even put her once impeccable memory under strain. It is this dual struggle that gives the book its real impetus. * European Literature Network *Ilaria Tuti's Flowers Over the Inferno is a stunning debut; a deliciously dark and action-packed thriller that is also deeply moving, even profound. With a heroine unlike any other and a beautifully crafted sense of place, Tuti's gorgeous prose paints a compelling portrait of a small Alpine town's secrets and the woman tasked with uncovering them. I loved this book -- Karen Dionne, internationally bestselling author of HOMETuti has managed the near impossible in creating a genuinely unique character in Teresa Battaglia. I was rooting for her from the start as she expertly steers a creepy murder investigation in an atmospheric Alpine setting -- Sarah Ward, author of IN BITTER CHILLI loved Flowers Over the Inferno with its beautifully creepy setting - and I totally fell for the tough-but-vulnerable detective, Teresa Battaglia. Great to see an older woman in this role. * Roz Watkins, author of THE DEVIL'S DICE *Teresa Battaglia is one of the most interesting detectives to emerge in recent years; flawed but full of heart, sarcastic yet still commanding loyalty from her team. Flowers Over The Inferno is an astonishing debut. * M. W. Craven, author of THE PUPPET SHOW *With Teresa Battaglia, Ilaria Tuti hasn't just created a mere character, but an authentic, three-dimensional person who overbearingly pushes the boundaries of the printed page thanks to her immense energy. Teresa Battaglia is the best gift any author can offer his or her readers: someone they will come to care for * Donato Carrisi, author of THE GIRL IN THE FOG *The writer, like the killer and detective, is perfectly at ease in the Friuli environment, and knows how to render its profile, its iciness, its woods and swarming wild animals in a way that leaves the reader with a feeling of warmth. * Corriere della Sera *The most awaited (female) noir debut of 2018 in Italy. * Repubblica *A story full of dramatic turns of events; the writing is tight and fast, and makes the most of the environment it depicts; the mountains, primitive nature and the woods * Wired Italia *A thriller that enters into the corners of the soul and introduces an author to watch. * Marie Claire (Italy) *

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Book SynopsisA gripping and poignant novel about a mysterious romance from one of Latin America''s greatest writers.''Splendid, suspenseful and irresistible.'' New York Times''Immensely moving.'' SpectatorWhen the beautiful teenage Lily arrives in Lima in 1950, fifteen-year-old Ricardo falls instantly in love with her. She claims to be from Chile, but vanishes the moment it becomes clear that she has lied about both her name and her nationality. A decade later, now living in Paris, Ricardo falls in love with a woman named Comrade Arlette, who is incredibly similar to Lily but refuses to acknowledge that she is the same person. For his whole life, Ricardo seems doomed to keep running into ''Lily'', and to keep falling in love with her. Will he ever discover who she really is?

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Book Synopsis*THE PERFECT UP-LIT SUMMER READ, RECOMMENDED BY THOUSANDS OF READERS*THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER & WINNER OF THE RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB*''One of the most charming novels either of us has read. Don''t lose it. Keep it'' Richard & JudyMeet the ''Keeper of Lost Things'' . . . Once a celebrated author of short stories now in his twilight years, Anthony Peardew has spent half his life collecting lost objects, trying to atone for a promise broken many years before.Realising he is running out of time, he leaves his house and all its lost treasures to his assistant Laura, the one person he can trust to fulfil his legacy and reunite the thousands of objects with their rightful owners.But the final wishes of the ''Keeper of Lost Things'' have unforeseen repercussions which trigger a most serendipitous series of encounters . . . ''Touching, funny and romantic'' Daily MailTrade ReviewCharming, quirky, heart-warming * Ruth Langsford *Charming, quirky, heart-warming * Ruth Langsford *This is the first book I read in 2017 - and if another as good comes along in the next 12 months, I'll eat my special gold reviewing spectacles... Wonderful stuff and the perfect cure for the New Year blues * Daily Mail *This is the first book I read in 2017 - and if another as good comes along in the next 12 months, I'll eat my special gold reviewing spectacles... Wonderful stuff and the perfect cure for the New Year blues * Daily Mail *Psychological realism, whimsy and magic are a winning combination in this quirky, exquisitely crafted novel... It's a charming read, perfect for the holidays: you will want to share it when you get home * The Lady *Psychological realism, whimsy and magic are a winning combination in this quirky, exquisitely crafted novel... It's a charming read, perfect for the holidays: you will want to share it when you get home * The Lady *A really beautiful, tender book. Heartbreaking in parts, but lovely. I got sucked in and read the whole thing in one afternoon, unable to tear myself away. I sobbed for a good hour afterwards! * The Londoner *A really beautiful, tender book. Heartbreaking in parts, but lovely. I got sucked in and read the whole thing in one afternoon, unable to tear myself away. I sobbed for a good hour afterwards! * The Londoner *When this book first appeared I said it was the perfect cure for the New Year blues. But it could apply just as well to any summer blues... This touching, funny and romantic debut is that rare and precious thing - a real story with brilliant characters * Daily Mail - Best Summer Books 2017 *When this book first appeared I said it was the perfect cure for the New Year blues. But it could apply just as well to any summer blues... This touching, funny and romantic debut is that rare and precious thing - a real story with brilliant characters * Daily Mail - Best Summer Books 2017 *The back stories, real or imagined, of lost-and- found objects form the centrepiece of this exquisite, absorbing novel, a potent cocktail of insightful psychological realism, whimsy and glittering magic, where hopes and new beginnings glint off the sharp edges of grief and loss. It grabs you right from its intriguing opening scene... Hogan's prose is considered, expressive and vivid, but never overwritten. Her characters reveal themselves gradually, much as the found objects acquire layers of meaning as we become acquainted with their provenance and history. A charming read that seems bound to become a book club favourite. * The Lady *The back stories, real or imagined, of lost-and- found objects form the centrepiece of this exquisite, absorbing novel, a potent cocktail of insightful psychological realism, whimsy and glittering magic, where hopes and new beginnings glint off the sharp edges of grief and loss. It grabs you right from its intriguing opening scene... Hogan's prose is considered, expressive and vivid, but never overwritten. Her characters reveal themselves gradually, much as the found objects acquire layers of meaning as we become acquainted with their provenance and history. A charming read that seems bound to become a book club favourite. * The Lady *A debut to watch for... I was hugely impressed by this flawlessly written, most humane novel. * Ronald Frame, Sunday Herald (Books of the Year) *A debut to watch for... I was hugely impressed by this flawlessly written, most humane novel. * Ronald Frame, Sunday Herald (Books of the Year) *A charming story of fresh starts and self-discovery that warms the cockles * Woman & Home *A charming story of fresh starts and self-discovery that warms the cockles * Woman & Home *A warm and heartfelt debut. * Prima *A warm and heartfelt debut. * Prima *A charming whimsical novel about holding on to what is precious * Red *A charming whimsical novel about holding on to what is precious * Red *This mystical and spiritual tale is a joyous read that will broaden your imagination and warm your heart * OK! *This mystical and spiritual tale is a joyous read that will broaden your imagination and warm your heart * OK! *It's charming, beautiful and full of heart * Fabulous Magazine *It's charming, beautiful and full of heart * Fabulous Magazine *One is beguiled by its old-fashioned sweetness * Mail on Sunday *One is beguiled by its old-fashioned sweetness * Mail on Sunday *Magical and moving * Heat *Magical and moving * Heat *A charming story, warmly and wittily written with wonderful characters * My Weekly *A charming story, warmly and wittily written with wonderful characters * My Weekly *A lovely read - quirky, fun and plenty of gallows humour * Bedfordshire on Sunday *A lovely read - quirky, fun and plenty of gallows humour * Bedfordshire on Sunday *From the attention-grabbing opening paragraph, to the joyful conclusion, Ruth Hogan has stirred together a charming fairy tale in which the people may be more lost than the things; and generosity and compassion may be the key to finding a way home. Also there are dogs. Delightful. * Helen Simonson, author of MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND *From the attention-grabbing opening paragraph, to the joyful conclusion, Ruth Hogan has stirred together a charming fairy tale in which the people may be more lost than the things; and generosity and compassion may be the key to finding a way home. Also there are dogs. Delightful. * Helen Simonson, author of MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND *A sometimes poignant, sometimes funny but always heartfelt page-turner, The Keeper of Lost Things turned out to be exactly the book I was looking for. * Chrissie Manby, author of A PROPER FAMILY HOLIDAY *A sometimes poignant, sometimes funny but always heartfelt page-turner, The Keeper of Lost Things turned out to be exactly the book I was looking for. * Chrissie Manby, author of A PROPER FAMILY HOLIDAY *Ruth Hogan captures perfectly and heartbreakingly the small moments on which a life can turn. We can all recognise something of ourselves in these pages. * Kirsty Wark, author of THE LEGACY OF ELIZABETH PRINGLE *Ruth Hogan captures perfectly and heartbreakingly the small moments on which a life can turn. We can all recognise something of ourselves in these pages. * Kirsty Wark, author of THE LEGACY OF ELIZABETH PRINGLE *A beautiful story of love, loss and the redemptive power of friendship * Catherine Hall, author of DAYS OF GRACE *A beautiful story of love, loss and the redemptive power of friendship * Catherine Hall, author of DAYS OF GRACE *Wonderful and heartwarming * Nina Pottell aka Matinee Girl *Wonderful and heartwarming * Nina Pottell aka Matinee Girl *The premise for this story is wonderful... The range of characters is handled beautifully, and they all feel like real individuals... It's a great bedtime read, though difficult to put down, so keep an eye on the clock!' * Bookbag *The premise for this story is wonderful... The range of characters is handled beautifully, and they all feel like real individuals... It's a great bedtime read, though difficult to put down, so keep an eye on the clock!' * Bookbag *Totally and completely gorgeous * Lovereading *Totally and completely gorgeous * Lovereading *Warm and quirky characters and the mystery of each lost item impel the reader forward. In the end, Hogan's first novel reveals how even discarded items have significance and seemingly random objects, people, and places are all interconnected. * Booklist *Warm and quirky characters and the mystery of each lost item impel the reader forward. In the end, Hogan's first novel reveals how even discarded items have significance and seemingly random objects, people, and places are all interconnected. * Booklist *Whimsical... characters have spunk and wit to spare, and [...] Hogan's writing has the soothing warmth of the cups of cocoa and tea her characters regularly dispense. Readers looking for some old-fashioned storytelling with a sprinkling of magic will find it here. * Kirkus *Whimsical... characters have spunk and wit to spare, and [...] Hogan's writing has the soothing warmth of the cups of cocoa and tea her characters regularly dispense. Readers looking for some old-fashioned storytelling with a sprinkling of magic will find it here. * Kirkus *Interlacing plots join this cozy, clever, contemporary English story, unveiling the layers of four lives brought together by the discovery of a biscuit tin full of human ashes found on a train... Hogan's debut pulls in readers with each crafty chapter. Memorable minor characters add to the plot in this excellent selection for discussion groups. * Library Journal *Interlacing plots join this cozy, clever, contemporary English story, unveiling the layers of four lives brought together by the discovery of a biscuit tin full of human ashes found on a train... Hogan's debut pulls in readers with each crafty chapter. Memorable minor characters add to the plot in this excellent selection for discussion groups. * Library Journal *In The Keeper of Lost Things, debut novelist Ruth Hogan ties together the lives of her characters and the objects they discover. It's a quiet but beautifully intricate novel that will remind readers that we are each other's points of connection. When life becomes confusing or sad, showing a bit of kindness and appreciation for each others' stories can lead to redemption * BookPage *In The Keeper of Lost Things, debut novelist Ruth Hogan ties together the lives of her characters and the objects they discover. It's a quiet but beautifully intricate novel that will remind readers that we are each other's points of connection. When life becomes confusing or sad, showing a bit of kindness and appreciation for each others' stories can lead to redemption * BookPage *A charming novel ... It covers love and loss, friendship and pain through beautifully written prose -- Carol SampsonA charming novel ... It covers love and loss, friendship and pain through beautifully written prose -- Carol SampsonExquisitely crafted ... A tale of grief and loss leavened with hope and new beginnings. * The Lady *Exquisitely crafted ... A tale of grief and loss leavened with hope and new beginnings. * The Lady *My absolute favourite book to read so far this year . . . It has love, mystery and true-to-life human hardship * Kokomo Tribune *My absolute favourite book to read so far this year . . . It has love, mystery and true-to-life human hardship * Kokomo Tribune *A hoarder's paradise turned into a great story with purpose and meaning * The Candid Bookclub *A hoarder's paradise turned into a great story with purpose and meaning * The Candid Bookclub *A wonderfully multilayered, descriptive story, The Keeper of Lost Things is full of sorrow and joy that weaves the life stories of its characters, exploring relationships, illness and loss * Manchester Weekly News *A wonderfully multilayered, descriptive story, The Keeper of Lost Things is full of sorrow and joy that weaves the life stories of its characters, exploring relationships, illness and loss * Manchester Weekly News *Clever, unusual and moving story of love and loss...It's a life-affirming read you will want to read -- Five Book Group Favourites * Sunday Post *Clever, unusual and moving story of love and loss...It's a life-affirming read you will want to read -- Five Book Group Favourites * Sunday Post *There's a reason that this book has been on the bestsellers list for weeks on end . . . charming * Marie Claire *There's a reason that this book has been on the bestsellers list for weeks on end . . . charming * Marie Claire *It's such a pure novel, filled with tiny moments of joy, emotion, sadness, excitement, fear . . . I couldn't put it down! * Upon My Desk *It's such a pure novel, filled with tiny moments of joy, emotion, sadness, excitement, fear . . . I couldn't put it down! * Upon My Desk *It was such a delicious book! There is no other way to describe it. I did not want it to end. -- Preeti Shenoy, author of THE RULE BREAKERSIt was such a delicious book! There is no other way to describe it. I did not want it to end. -- Preeti Shenoy, author of THE RULE BREAKERSI've recommended The Keeper of Lost Things to everyone. * Woman's Way, MY LIFE IN BOOKS *I've recommended The Keeper of Lost Things to everyone. * Woman's Way, MY LIFE IN BOOKS *Hogan's touching, funny and romantic debut is that rare and precious thing: a real story with brilliant characters * Daily Mail *Hogan's touching, funny and romantic debut is that rare and precious thing: a real story with brilliant characters * Daily Mail *This is the first book I read in 2017 - and if another as good comes along in the next 12 months, I'll eat my special gold reviewing spectacles... Wonderful stuff and the perfect cure for the New Year blues * Daily Mail *Psychological realism, whimsy and magic are a winning combination in this quirky, exquisitely crafted novel... It's a charming read, perfect for the holidays: you will want to share it when you get home * The Lady *A really beautiful, tender book. Heartbreaking in parts, but lovely. I got sucked in and read the whole thing in one afternoon, unable to tear myself away. I sobbed for a good hour afterwards! * The Londoner *When this book first appeared I said it was the perfect cure for the New Year blues. But it could apply just as well to any summer blues... This touching, funny and romantic debut is that rare and precious thing - a real story with brilliant characters * Daily Mail - Best Summer Books 2017 *The back stories, real or imagined, of lost-and- found objects form the centrepiece of this exquisite, absorbing novel, a potent cocktail of insightful psychological realism, whimsy and glittering magic, where hopes and new beginnings glint off the sharp edges of grief and loss. It grabs you right from its intriguing opening scene... Hogan's prose is considered, expressive and vivid, but never overwritten. Her characters reveal themselves gradually, much as the found objects acquire layers of meaning as we become acquainted with their provenance and history. A charming read that seems bound to become a book club favourite. * The Lady *A debut to watch for... I was hugely impressed by this flawlessly written, most humane novel. * Ronald Frame, Sunday Herald (Books of the Year) *A charming story of fresh starts and self-discovery that warms the cockles * Woman & Home *A warm and heartfelt debut. * Prima *A charming whimsical novel about holding on to what is precious * Red *This mystical and spiritual tale is a joyous read that will broaden your imagination and warm your heart * OK! *It's charming, beautiful and full of heart * Fabulous Magazine *One is beguiled by its old-fashioned sweetness * Mail on Sunday *Magical and moving * Heat *A charming story, warmly and wittily written with wonderful characters * My Weekly *A lovely read - quirky, fun and plenty of gallows humour * Bedfordshire on Sunday *From the attention-grabbing opening paragraph, to the joyful conclusion, Ruth Hogan has stirred together a charming fairy tale in which the people may be more lost than the things; and generosity and compassion may be the key to finding a way home. Also there are dogs. Delightful. * Helen Simonson, author of MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND *A sometimes poignant, sometimes funny but always heartfelt page-turner, The Keeper of Lost Things turned out to be exactly the book I was looking for. * Chrissie Manby, author of A PROPER FAMILY HOLIDAY *Ruth Hogan captures perfectly and heartbreakingly the small moments on which a life can turn. We can all recognise something of ourselves in these pages. * Kirsty Wark, author of THE LEGACY OF ELIZABETH PRINGLE *A beautiful story of love, loss and the redemptive power of friendship * Catherine Hall, author of DAYS OF GRACE *Wonderful and heartwarming * Nina Pottell aka Matinee Girl *The premise for this story is wonderful... The range of characters is handled beautifully, and they all feel like real individuals... It's a great bedtime read, though difficult to put down, so keep an eye on the clock!' * Bookbag *Totally and completely gorgeous * Lovereading *Warm and quirky characters and the mystery of each lost item impel the reader forward. In the end, Hogan's first novel reveals how even discarded items have significance and seemingly random objects, people, and places are all interconnected. * Booklist *Whimsical... characters have spunk and wit to spare, and [...] Hogan's writing has the soothing warmth of the cups of cocoa and tea her characters regularly dispense. Readers looking for some old-fashioned storytelling with a sprinkling of magic will find it here. * Kirkus *Interlacing plots join this cozy, clever, contemporary English story, unveiling the layers of four lives brought together by the discovery of a biscuit tin full of human ashes found on a train... Hogan's debut pulls in readers with each crafty chapter. Memorable minor characters add to the plot in this excellent selection for discussion groups. * Library Journal *In The Keeper of Lost Things, debut novelist Ruth Hogan ties together the lives of her characters and the objects they discover. It's a quiet but beautifully intricate novel that will remind readers that we are each other's points of connection. When life becomes confusing or sad, showing a bit of kindness and appreciation for each others' stories can lead to redemption * BookPage *A charming novel ... It covers love and loss, friendship and pain through beautifully written prose -- Carol SampsonExquisitely crafted ... A tale of grief and loss leavened with hope and new beginnings. * The Lady *

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Book Synopsis''A beautiful book, story, piece of history. From the haunting tones of the flamenco to a country ravaged by fanaticism. Hardly a day goes past since finishing this book that I don''t think about some aspect of it. One of the best books I have read in a long time'' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐Granada''s cobbled streets resonate with music and secrets and Sonia Cameron is here to dance. She knows nothing of the city''s past. But in a quiet café, a chance conversation and a collection of photographs draws her into the tale of Spain''s devastating civil war. Seventy years earlier, the café is home to the Ramírez family, when Franco''s army coup shatters the fragile peace and they witness the worst atrocities of conflict. Divided by politics and tragedy, everyone must take a side, as Spain rips itself apart.Discover for yourself why 10 million readers and critics worldwide love Victoria Hislop''s books . . .''The Return aims to open the eyes and tug the heartstrings . . . Hislop deserves a medal for opening a breach into the holiday beach bag'' The Independent''The Return should be required holiday reading for anyone going to Spain'' Daily Mail''Executed with verve and sensitivity'' Sunday Telegraph''A gripping read'' Woman & Home''Dramatic and immediate . . . keeps you reading at breakneck speed right to the end'' Sunday Express''A powerful read'' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐''Victoria Hislop spins the emotional tale of one family and the horrors the war caused to them, and other families . . . a great story of hope, determination and love'' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐''A vivid story . . . interwoven with history and human resilience and determination'' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐''A wonderfully evocative tale of life before, during and after the Spanish Civil War . . . Fantastic'' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐*Victoria Hislop''s most recent novel, THE FIGURINE, is out now.*Trade ReviewThe Return aims to open the eyes, and tug the heartstrings, of readers . . . Hislop deserves a medal for opening a breach into the holiday beach bag * Independent *The Return should be required holiday reading for anyone going to Spain * Daily Mail *The Return may be a beach book, but it also goes inland and rummages around in the cellars * The Times *Fear not, Hislop fans, there was more where [The Island] came from... The story of the Spanish Civil War is...executed with verve and sensitivity * Sunday Telegraph *Like a literary Nigella, she whips up a cracking historical romance mixed with a dash of family secrets and a splash of female self-discovery... What sets Hislop apart is her ability to put a human face on the shocking civil conflict that ripped Spain apart for three bloody years . . . Stirring stuff * Time Out *Brilliantly recreates the passion that flows through the Andalusian dancers and the dark creative force of duende . . . Hislop has written another worthy candidate for the "best holiday read" category * Scotland on Sunday *Brilliant * Mirror *A gripping read * Woman & Home *

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Book Synopsis''Make no mistake, there is magic at work'' Elizabeth Buchan, Sunday Times''Oh, the bliss ... Maeve''s back, on top form ... The heart is the theme, literally and metaphorically, and this is heartwarming stuff'' The TimesClara Casey has more than enough on her plate: two difficult daughters, a demanding new job running a heart clinic and an ex-husband who wants something from her . . . For Ania, meeting Clara is a miracle. She never intended to leave Poland - but perhaps a new country will mend her broken heart? Then there''s Father Flynn, whose life is turned upside down when his reputation is threatened; and the beautiful, troubled nurse, Fiona, who can''t leave the secrets of her past behind . . .Trade ReviewMaeve Binchy's latest novel is packed as usual with wonderful characters ... Full of warmth, caring and commonsense. * CHOICE *She knows how to fashion a minor drama into a crisis, and book rattles along from one gripping story to another, leaving the reader with a satisfying glow ... It does exactly what it says on the tin: gives and heart and soul. * DAILY MAIL *Oh, the bliss ... Maeve's back, on top form ... The heart is the theme, literally and metaphorically, and this is heartwarming stuff - sweet but never cloying. * THE TIMES *Maeve Binchy's comfy prose is as warming as cocoa. * METRO *To read it is like being wrapped up in pink blanket with a hot-water bottle - but, make no mistake, there is magic at work. -- Elizabeth Buchan * SUNDAY TIMES *HEART AND SOUL is another instant classic, infused with Maeve's trademark warmth, charm and compassion. ... she is the Queen of Fiction and one of the funniest and and best-loved storytellers in the world. ... once you read Maeve you are hooked for life. * IRISH TIMES *Maeve Binchy is a master storyteller * NEW YORK TIMES *Warm, witty and with a deep understanding of what makes us tick, it's little wonder that Maeve Binchy's bewitching stories have become world-beaters * OK MAGAZINE *

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Book SynopsisWhen Jack Mercy dies, he leaves behind a ranch worth twenty million dollars. Now his three daughters - each born of a different mother, and each unknown to the others - have gathered to hear the reading of the will. But Jack has one last surprise for them. Before anyone can inherit, they must live together on the ranch for one year.For Tess, a sophisticated city-girl who just wants to collect her cash and get back to LA, it''s a nightmare. For Lily, on the run from her abusive ex-husband, it''s a refuge. And for Willa - who grew up on the ranch - it''s an infuriating intrusion. They are sisters ... and strangers. But when a brutal enemy threatens to destroy them all they must face the impossible challenge: to put their bitterness aside and live like a family.Trade ReviewA fast-paced action adventure . . . With twists and turns in every chapter, you're taken through a rollercoaster journey that will constantly keep you guessing. Lovers, stalkers, killers, High Noon is more than just your average love story * Xeher *You can't bottle wish fulfillment, but Nora Roberts certainly knows how to put it on the page * New York Times *The most successful novelist on Planet Earth * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisWhen Judith Hermann runs into her psychoanalyst in the middle of the night on Berlin's Kastanienallee, it sparks an exploration of the moments and memories that have made a life: an intense friendship with another young mother; an unconventional childhood with long summers spent on the German coast; and the ties of familial trauma that echo through generations. In three interconnected essays at once confessional and lyrical, Judith Hermann explores the life and tasks of the writer when memory is no longer reliable and dreams intrude on reality.

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Book Synopsis''Revolutionary ... An extravagant, finely written tale of ecological sabotage'' The New York TimesAudacious, controversial and hilarious, The Monkey Wrench Gang is Edward Abbey''s masterpiece - a big, boisterous and unforgettable novel about freedom and commitment that ignited the flames of environmental activism. Throughout the vast American West, nature is being vicitimized by a Big Government / Big Business conspiracy of bridges, dams and concrete. But a motley gang of individuals has decided that enough is enough. A burnt-out veteran, a mad doctor and a polygamist join forces in a noble cause: to dismantle the machinery of progress through peaceful means - or otherwise.Trade ReviewThe book that influenced a generation of radical environmentalists * Washington Post *The Monkey Wrench Gang is a magnificent snarl of genres: spaghetti westerns tangled up with the Keystone Cops, the Cervantean romance tradition and Acme cartoon capers * Guardian *A thing of beauty - a wildly funny, infinitely wise, near to tragic tale * Houston Chronicle *A violently revolutionary novel * The New York Times *Launched America's 'eco-defense' movement ... A lasting cult classic * LA Times *Mixes comedy and chaos with enough chase sequences to leave you hungering for more * San Francisco Chronicle *Inspired acts of eco-activism in its day, and remains one of the most passionate pleas in literature to protect our wild places * Independent *A sad, hilarious, exuberant, vulgar fairy tale... It'll make you want to go out and blow up a dam * The National Observer *

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Book SynopsisThe international bestseller from the master of suspense. A mafia conspiracy and one women against the world.Tracy Whitey is on top of the world. Young, beautiful, intelligent, she is about to marry into wealth and glamour until, betrayed by her own innocence, she finds herself in prison, framed by a ruthless mafia gang and abandoned by the man she loves. Beaten and broken, but surviving with her dazzling ingenuity, Tracy emerges from her savage ordeal determined to avenge those who have destroyed her life. Her thirst for revenge takes her from New Orleans to London, from Paris to Madrid and Amsterdam. Tracy is playing for the highest stakes in a deadly game. Only one man can challenge her he's handsome, persuasive and every bit as daring. Only one man can stop her an evil genius whose only hope of salvation is in Tracy's destructionTrade Review‘A master storyteller at the top of his game.’ USA Today ‘Compulsively readable.’ New York Times Book Review ‘Sidney Sheldon is a master of giving the public what it wants’ Los Angeles Times

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Book SynopsisFollowing a convention in the Scottish Highlands, eight social media influencers vanish without a trace, leaving their followers and families in a state of shock, and the police clueless as to their whereabouts.And then, the livestreams begin.Broadcast live from their squalid underground cells, the young influencers are forced into a sadistic battle for survival.With each livestream, their captor pits them against each other in a twisted competition for likes. The influencer with the fewest positive reactions faces a gruesome end live on camera.As the likes increase and the death toll rises, DCI Jack Logan and his team must traverse both the Scottish wilderness and the darkest corners of the internet to try and save the remaining captives.But how do you catch a killer who is always one click ahead?

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Book SynopsisA companion piece to the captivating memoir Giving Up the Ghost by the Man Booker-winning author of Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies and The Mirror & the Light, this collection of loosely autobiographical stories locates the transforming moments of a haunted childhood.This sharp, funny collection of stories drawn from life begins in the 1950s in an insular northern village ''scoured by bitter winds and rough gossip tongues.'' For the child narrator, the only way to survive is to get up, get on, get out.In ''King Billy is a Gentleman'', the child must come to terms with the loss of a father and the puzzle of a fading Irish heritage. ''Curved Is the Line of Beauty'' is a story of friendship, faith and a near-disaster in a scrap-yard. The title story sees our narrator ironing out her northern vowels with the help of an ex-actress with one lung and a Manchester accent. In ''Third Floor Rising'', she watches, dazzled, as her mother carves out a stylish new identity.With a deceptively light toTrade Review'Mercilessly funny' Daily Telegraph ‘Mantel writes with wit, compassion and great elegance.' Independent on Sunday On ‘Giving Up the Ghost’: 'Like Lorna Sage's BAD BLOOD, GIVING UP THE GHOST is a story of childhood that is also a piece of history. Hilary Mantel's self-portrait is a masterpiece of wit, but it conjures up a time and a place and an epoch of female experience with razor-edged sobriety. That past, so thoroughly vanished, is made to live again here – disclosed, cannily and heartbreakingly, as once it too yielded up its author's mind.' Rachel Cusk ‘What a remarkable writer she is. She is piercingly, even laceratingly observant, and every remembered detail has the sharpness of a good photograph. And yet for all its brilliance of detail and its black comedy the memoir is heavy with atmosphere. It's a very startling and daring memoir; the more I read it the more unsettling it becomes.’ Helen Dunmore ‘I was riveted. It’s raw, it’s distressing and it’s full of piercing insights into a novelist’s mind.’ Margaret Forster

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller Damaged, the gripping story of a woman caught in a horrific cycle of abuse - and the desperate lengths she must go to, to escape.When Aisha spots an ad for a ''personal introductory service for professionals'' in the newspaper, she could never have guessed it would lead to such a perfect marriage. But you should be careful what you wish forMark is sorry the first time he hits Aisha. His tears make her all the more determined to be a better wife; not to let herself down again. But however hard Aisha tries, she can''t live up to Mark''s impossible expectations or escape his terrifying, violent temper. Soon she is trapped in a cycle of horrific abuse and imprisonment. And with two young children to protect, Aisha must draw on what strength she has left to find an escape.What follows is something so devastating it plunges Aisha into her darkest days yet. Is the price she must pay for freedom too high?Trade ReviewReviews for The Girl in the Mirror ‘A moving read that Cathy Glass fans will devour.’ The Sun Reviews for Damaged 'Cannot fail to move those who read it.' Adoption-net 'Heartbreaking.' The Mirror 'A truly harrowing read that made me cry.' The Sun 'A true tale of hope. ****.' OK! 'Foster carers rarely get the praise they deserve, but Cathy Glass's book should change all that.****' First Magazine 'A hugely touching and emotional true tale.' Star Magazine

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Book Synopsis''A wonderful book; rich, evocative, original. I loved it'' Joanne HarrisOne in ten trees comes up sweetIn the inhospitable Black Swamp of Ohio, the Goodenough family are barely scratching out a living. Life there is harsh, tempered only by the apples they grow for eating and for the cider that dulls their pain. Hot-headed Sadie and buttoned-up James are a poor match, and Robert and his sister Martha can only watch helplessly as their parents tear each other apart. One particularly vicious fight sends Robert out alone across America, far from his sister, to seek his fortune among the mighty redwoods and sequoias of Gold Rush California. But even across a continent, he can feel the pull of family loyaltiesTrade ReviewPraise for At the Edge of the Orchard: ‘Chevalier’s prose is by turns muscular, raw and sumptuous… a delight’ INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY ‘Chevalier has carved out a middle-point between writing literary fiction and its page-turning, commercial counterpart and this book will serve both those audiences’ INDEPENDENT ‘A rollicking yarn of 19-century America’ THE TIMES ‘A densely packed tale of fruit, roots, family and hardship’ FINANCIAL TIMES ‘A wonderful book; rich, evocative, original. I loved it’ Joanne Harris ‘A stunning read’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ‘A kind of arboreal love song … an absorbing depiction of the harshness of pioneer life and the impossibility of escaping familial ties’ MAIL ON SUNDAY ‘Dark, brutal, moving, powerful’ Jane Harris ‘Powerfully realised … [A] fine novel’ DAILY MAIL ‘It’s her best since Girl with a Pearl Earring, telling the story both of America and a pioneer family with acuity, freshness and zest. I was captivated by it’ Amanda Craig ‘Tracy Chevalier serves up a rollicking yarn of 19th-century America. What Deborah Moggach did for tulips, Chevalier may well do for apples’ THE TIMES ‘This novel of raw beauty touches themes Chevalier explored in her novel, The Last Runaway. It’s a richly rewarding read’ EXPRESS ‘With Chevalier’s excellent storytelling ability and gift for creating memorable characters, this novel paints a vivid picture of the hard and rough-hewn life of American pioneers on their Westward journey’ STARRED LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW ‘Wonderful descriptions of apple grafting and plant-hunting in a 19th century New World America. Chevalier weaves an enthralling, feverish narrative through a backdrop of exploratory horticulture’ TOAST

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Book SynopsisA malicious letterA tragic deathA village filled with suspectsNothing ever happens in the sleepy village of Lymstock.Until letters accusing the villagers of unspeakable acts start to appear.They try to dismiss them as a cruel hoax, but then one of the recipients is found dead. The letter next to her body reads simply, I can't go on'.As fear spreads among the villagers, Jane Marple must uncover who is writing these letters before anyone else is hurt.Never underestimate Miss MarpleMiss Marple is one of the most subversive, the most original, most distinctive characters in fiction. Often underestimated and overlooked, she always triumphs in the end.'Kate MosseBeyond all doubt the puzzle in The Moving Finger is fit for experts.'The TimesTrade Review‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson ‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis ‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci ‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

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Book SynopsisA shocking crimeA mansion filled with suspectsRuth Van Rydock can't shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen to her sister at Stonygates house.Her old school friend Jane Marple decides it's time to pay a visit.But this grand Victorian mansion isn't just a family home it's also a correctional facility for wayward young men.And when something terrible does indeed happen, Miss Marple must face her most eccentric cast of suspects yet.Never underestimate Miss MarpleIf a genius is someone who leaves the field they work in totally different from how they found it, then we should certainly remember Agatha Christie as a genius.'Stephen FryNo one on either side of the Atlantic does it better.'New York TimesTrade Review‘Without a doubt, the greatest mystery writer of all time’ – Ragnar Jonasson ‘A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow’ – Andrew Taylor ‘She gives us an insight into human nature that few, if any, have surpassed’ – Susan Lewis ‘Dame Agatha has sold more books than all besides Shakespeare and the Bible’ – David Baldacci ‘All crime fiction writers around the globe owe Agatha Christie a massive debt’ – Peter James ‘Reading a perfectly plotted Agatha Christie is like crunching into a perfect apple: that pure, crisp, absolute satisfaction.’ – Tana French

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Book SynopsisThe masterful, Pulitzer Prize-winning literary epic about the painful and complex realities of slave life on a Southern plantation. An utterly original exploration of race, trust and the cruel truths of human nature, this is a landmark in modern American literature.Henry Townsend, previously enslaved and now a farmer and bootmaker, is one of the few Black masters in the South. Mentored by William Robbins, one of the most powerful men in Manchester County, Virginia, Townsend has built his plantation with ambition and discipline, while grappling with his place in a society defined by racial oppression.When Townsend dies unexpectedly, the established order falls into disarray. As disruption reverberates throughout the community, a series of events uncovers an intricate web of relationships, power imbalances and betrayals.An astonishing literary epic exploring race, trust and the cruel truths of human nature, Edward P. Jones ' Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Known World is a landmark in m

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERPart whodunnit, part coming of age, this is a gripping debut about the secrets behind every door' RACHEL JOYCECannon is so attuned to other people's stories a chronicler both of the human condition and the quotidian details which speak to who we are'GUARDIANA very special book' NATHAN FILERAn utter delight' SARAH WINMANA delight' PAULA HAWKINSA treasure chest of a novel' JULIE COHENOne of the standout novels of the year' HANNAH BECKERMANI didn''t want the book to end' CARYS BRAYAn excellent debut' JAMES HANNAHGrace and Tilly are my new heroes' KATE HAMERA wonderful debut' JILL MANSELLA modern classic in the making' SARAH HILARYA stunning debut' KATIE FFORDEPhenomenal' MIRANDA DICKINSONEngland,1976.Mrs Creasy is missing and The Avenue is alive with whispers. As the summer shimmers endlessly on, ten-year-olds Grace and Tilly decide to take matters into their own hands.And as the cul-de-sac starts giving up its secrets, the amateur detectives will find much moreTrade Review‘A splendid debut …Forensic period detail and pithy exchanges between characters give the novel the feel of a Seventies sitcom …a wonderful achievement’ DAILY MAIL ‘Cannon specialises, beautifully, in making concrete the abstract … a superior debut’ SUNDAY TIMES ‘Vibrant and funny…imagine Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, set in 1970s English suburbia’ GUARDIAN ‘Successfully capturing the claustrophobia of suburban life… Cannon paints a sympathetic and nuanced portrait of society’s misfits’ THE INDEPENDENT ‘Beautifully written’ DAILY EXPRESS ‘Sweet, nostalgic and funny’ THE SUN ON SUNDAY ‘Wry, acutely observant and brilliantly claustrophobic’ MAIL ON SUNDAY ‘Fresh and vivid, this intriguing debut is a perceptive coming-of-age tale’ SUNDAY EXPRESS ‘A unique and unforgettable debut’ WALL STREET JOURNAL ‘A very special book that makes us think about ourselves and others more deeply … a terrific pageturner’ NATHAN FILER ‘An utter delight. Perceptive, funny, dark, moving. And so beautifully written. I loved it’ SARAH WINMAN ‘A quirky, moving and beautifully written tale of suburban life in 1970s Britain, The Trouble with Goats and Sheep is a delight from start to finish’ PAULA HAWKINS

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Book SynopsisHow do you solve a murder when everyone''s a suspect?Tormented by the recent loss of a colleague, DCI Jack Logan is on the warpath, determined to bring down all those he holds responsible for the officer''s death.His quest for revenge is cut short when a woman''s body turns up on the remote island of Canna, and Jack is summoned to investigate. As a storm closes in, Jack finds himself cut-off from the rest of the world, with no car, no phone signal, and only DC Neish for company.With time running out before the ferries resume, Jack must act fast to crack the case before the killer can escape. But with the victim widely hated on the island, everyone on it is a potential suspect.An unputdownable Tartan Noir novel perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Chris Brookmyre, and Stuart Macbride.

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Book SynopsisA bold mix of realism, allegory, adventure, and progressive politics, this collection features Jack London’s most profound and moving literary works   The Call of the Wild, London’s elemental masterpiece about a dog learning to survive in the wilderness, sees pampered pet Buck snatched from his home and set to work as a sled-dog during the Klondike Gold Rush. White Fang, set in the frozen tundra and boreal forests of Canada’s Yukon territory, is the story of a wolf-dog hybrid struggling to survive in a human society every bit as brutal as the natural world. This volume of London’s famed Northland novels also includes an early feminist story “The Night-Born,” and a pro-labor story “South of the Slot.” These works echo and enrich the themes of The Call of the Wild and White Fang with their unique emphases on the primordial, the instinctual, and the quest for social justice. London’s narr

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Book SynopsisBret Easton Ellis is the author of several novels, including Imperial Bedrooms, Less Than Zero, The Rules of Attraction, American Psycho, Glamorama and Lunar Park, and a collection of stories, The Informers. Less Than Zero, The Rules of Attraction, American Psycho and The Informers have all been made into films. His first work of non-fiction, White, was published in 2019. He is the host of the Bret Easton Ellis Podcast available on Patreon. He lives in Los Angeles.Trade ReviewA murder mystery – a woozy, paranoid, hallucinatory version of LA noir. * Sunday Times *Brilliantly written and coolly self-aware . . . Here, as in Less Than Zero, Ellis is plumbing the depths of human nature, exposing it at its worst. * Observer *The novel is a kind of modern noir and, as in Chandler, the form’s accepted master, atmosphere is king. Paranoia prevails. * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisDavid Lodge (CBE)'s novels include Changing Places, Small World and Nice Work (shortlisted for the Booker) and, most recently, A Man of Parts. He has also written plays and screenplays, and several books of literary criticism. His works have been translated into more than thirty languages. He is Emeritus Professor of English Literature at Birmingham, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and is a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.Trade ReviewLodge's wit... like that of Wodehouse, froths around and out of characters.. hugely enjoyable * Spectator *Clever enough to confirm him as one of the leading comic writers of his generation * Guardian *All funny, clever and beautifully paced * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisSpanning the period between the Chicago World''s Fair of 1893 and the years just after World War I, Against the Day moves from the labour troubles in Colorado to turn-of-the-century New York; from London to Venice, to Siberia, to Mexico during the revolution; silent-era Hollywood, and one or two places not strictly speaking on the map at all. It is a time of unrestrained corporate greed, false religiosity, moronic fecklessness, and evil intent in high places. Maybe it''s not the world, but with a minor adjustment or two it''s what the world might be.Trade ReviewA fine example of a successful marriage between the popular and intellectual, between fiction and science... gloriously, demandingly, daringly, Pynchon has rediscovered vulgarity and continues to prove the novel has never been more vibrant, more various or better able to represent our complex world. Give this book your time - you'll agree its worth it -- Michael Moorcock * Daily Telegraph *The greatest, wildest author of his generation -- Ian Rankin * Guardian *Against the Day is a rollercoaster ride that soars, plummets and often loops the loop.... A fantastic chronicle of how the world came into being... there is a beautifully humane, compassionate energy arcing through the book...Pynchon is the only living American author who unreservedly deserves the Nobel Prize for Literature -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday *It is a serious book and the finest thing Pynchon has done since Gravity's Rainbow. It should be acknowledged, nonetheless that Against The Day is immensely funny, an intricate, wheezing shaggy dog joke holds you in its grip for a thousand pages. Quite a feat -- Tom Adair * Scotsman *It is brilliant...There's a wonderful gathering tenderness - and Pynchon writes some of the most beautiful sentences you are ever likely to come across * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisAlexander Kent is the author of twenty-seven acclaimed books featuring Richard Bolitho. Under his own name, Douglas Reeman, and in the course of a career spanning forty-five years, he has written over thirty novels and two non-fiction books.Trade ReviewOne of our foremost writers of naval fiction...authentic, inspiring, well-characterised and, finally, moving * Sunday Times *

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Book Synopsis''We''re not Christians, Christ stopped short of here, at Eboli.'' Exiled to a remote and barren corner of Italy for his opposition to Mussolini, Carlo Levi entered a world cut off from history and the state, hedged in by custom and sorrow, without comfort or solace, where, eternally patient, the peasants lived in an age-old stillness and in the presence of death - for Christ did stop at Eboli.

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of Flowers in the Attic' comes the first book in the series centred around the Casteel family and its dark and mysterious past.Repackaged to attract a new generation of Andrews' fansHER NAME WAS HEAVEN, HER LIFE WAS ANYTHING BUTHeaven's mother Angel had died in childbirth, and from that moment her father turned against her. Her only allies, it seemed, were her four half-brothers and sisters.When their father, poor and desperate, sold them to strangers, Heaven was left alone and friendless. Her only hope was to reunite her family. But how?So begins the heartbreaking, magical story of the Casteel family, continued in Dark Angel', Fallen Hearts', Gates of Paradise' and Web of Dreams'.Trade ReviewPraise for Viginia Andrews: ‘Beautifully written, macabre and thoroughly nasty… it is evocative of the nasty fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood and The Babes in the Wood, with a bit of Victorian Gothic thrown in. … What does shine through is her ability to see the world through a child’s eyes’ Daily Express ‘Makes horror irresistible’ Glasgow Sunday Mail ‘A gruesome saga… the storyline is compelling, many millions have no wish to put this down’ Ms London ‘There is strength in her books – the bizarre plots matched with the pathos of the entrapped’ The Times

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Book SynopsisThe book that inspired the movie Field of Dreams.The voice of a baseball announcer tells the Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella: If you build it, he will come.He is Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ray''s hero.It is a baseball stadium which Ray carves out of his cornfield.Like the movie FIELD OF DREAMS that was made from this novel, SHOELESS JOE is about baseball. But it''s also about love and the power of dreams to make people come alive.Trade Review‘The movie only captured half the magic of the book. This is a masterpiece.’ Andrew Kaufman ‘Not so much about baseball as it is about dreams, magic, life and what is quintessentially American.’ The Philadelphia Enquirer.

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Book SynopsisMargery Allingham was born in London in 1904. She sold her first story at age 8 and published her first novel before turning 20. She married the artist, journalist and editor Philip Youngman Carter in 1927. In 1928 Allingham published her first detective story, The White Cottage Mystery, and the following year, in The Crime at Black Dudley, she introduced the detective who was to become the hallmark of her sophisticated crime novels and murder mysteries - Albert Campion. Famous for her London thrillers, such as Hide My Eyes and The Tiger in the Smoke, Margery Allingham has been compared to Dickens in her evocation of the city's shady underworld. Acclaimed by crime novelists such as P.D. James, Allingham is counted alongside Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie and Gladys Mitchell as a pre-eminent Golden Age crime writer. Margery Allingham died in 1966.Trade ReviewThe queen of crime writing’s golden age * Daily Telegraph *Always of the elect, Margery Allingham now towers above them * Observer *Margery Allingham deserves to be rediscovered -- P.D. JamesDon't start reading these books unless you are confident that you can handle addiction * Independent *Margery Allingham stands out like a shining light -- Agatha Christie

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Book SynopsisOpening like an early Tom Waits barstool-tale, The Motel Life tells the story of two brothers, Frank and Jerry Lee. Taking to the road in an attempt to escape the hit and run accident caused by Jerry Lee, the novel goes back to tell the story of their unhappy lives. With intense feeling and compassion, Vlautin explores the frustrations and failed dreams of the two brothers - one a natural storyteller, the other an artist - and renders perfectly the sense of entrapment they feel. Will the kid''s death shock them out of their torpor or send them ever deeper into trouble? Can Annie James, a girl from their past, offer them any sort of redemption, however slim?Interspersed with drawings that come to form an integral part of the narrative, The Motel Life is a poetic, moving, beautifully naïve and tragic fictional debut. Alongside such seminal works as Annie Proulx''s Postcards, Raymond Carver''s What we talk about when we talk about love and Denis John

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Book SynopsisThe extraordinary first novel from the author of THE OTHER HANDTrade ReviewStunning... a haunting work of art. * Newsweek *Chris Cleave has the ability to create moving and beautiful scenes within a terrifying backdrop. I couldn't put it down; it's subversive, thought-provoking and well-written. * Observer, Books of the Year *Richly sardonic and often disarmingly poignant... How can one fail to be impressed and moved? * Guardian *Cleave's heroine is by turns funny, sad, flawed, sympathetic, both damaged and indomitable, and triumphantly convincing. * Sunday Telegraph *Stunning * New York Times AND International Herald Tribune AND Bookmarks Magazine *This is a compulsive read, sure to stir the dust * CITY AM *Searing.. poignant and compelling.. Utterly believable and mesmerizing * Newsday *Dark, tense and undeniably provocative * Metro *Hilariously sympathetic and convincing * San Francisco Chronicle *Mesmerizing * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisFans of Victoria Hislop, Lucinda Riley and Fiona Valpy will absolutely love this captivating and beautifully atmospheric historical saga rich in romance, adventure and unforgettable characters from international bestselling author Colleen McCullough.''Fast-moving and immensely readable... Back to the open spaces, merciless climate and sheer pioneering stance of the magical THE THORN BIRDS, this book is a page turner from start to finish'' -- Maeve Binchy''A rich, compelling epic'' -- Daily Mail''Graphically created... [McCullough is] at her best when at the heart of a relationship'' -- Daily Express''A good yarn... based on rigorous, historical research'' -- Belfast Telegraph''Colleen McCullough is a great storyteller'' -- Sunday Mail''Spellbinding'' -- ***** Reader review''Beautifully written'' -- ***** Reader review''Absolutely loved this book could not put it down'' -- ***** Reader review*****************************************************************************It was one of the greatest human experiments ever undertaken: to populate an unknown land with the criminal, the unloved and the unwanted of English society.Amid conditions of brutality that paralleled those of slavery, ''The First Fleet'' was sent to a land no European but the legendary Captain Cook had ever seen.These convicts - and their equally isolated guards - were left to live or die on the hostile Australian continent.Richard Morgan - a convicted felon and educated, intelligent, resourceful man - finds the will to survive, experience the joys of love, and finally make an indelible mark upon the new frontier.His story is both inspirational and heartwarming and will stay with you long after you finish the last page...Trade ReviewA rich compelling epic * Daily Mail *A good yarn... based on rigorous historical research * Belfast Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisAlice Munro was born in 1931 and was the author of thirteen collections of stories and the novel, Lives of Girls and Women. She received many awards and prizes, including three of Canada's Governor General's Literary Awards and two Giller Prizes, the Rea Award for the Short Story, the Lannan Literary Award, the WHSmith Book Award in the UK, the National Book Critics Circle Award in the US, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Who Do You Think You Are? (previously published as The Beggar Maid), and was awarded the Man Booker International Prize 2009 for her overall contribution to fiction on the world stage, and in 2013 she won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her stories have appeared in the New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Paris Review and other publications, and her collections have been translated into thirteen languages. Alice Munro died in 2024.Trade ReviewIn these stories lives come into focus through single events or sudden memories which bring the past bubbling to the surface. The past, as Alice Munro's characters discover, is made up not only of what is remembered, but also what isn't. The past is there, just out of the picture, but if memories haven't been savoured, recalled in the mind and boxed away, it's as if they have never been - until a moment when the pieces of the jigsaw re-form suddenly, sometimes pleasurably but more often painfully. Women look back at their young selves, at first marriages made when they were naive and trusting, at husbands and their difficult, demanding little ways. There is in this new collection an underlying heartbreak, a sense of regret in her characters for what might have been, for a fork in the road not taken, a memory suppressed in an act of prudent emotional housekeeping. But at the same time there is hope, there are second chances - here are people who reinvent themselves, seize life by the throat, who have moved on and can dare to conjure up the hidden memories, daring to go beyond what is remembered.

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Book SynopsisThe stunning novel from the million-copy Sunday Times bestseller, a Richard & Judy Bookclub Pick. SECRETS FROM THE PAST, UNRAVELLING IN THE PRESENT…  The night before it all begins, Jude has the dream again . . . Can dreams be passed down through families? As a child Jude suffered a recurrent nightmare: running through a dark forest, crying for her mother. Now her six-year-old niece, Summer, is having the same dream, and Jude is frightened for her. A successful auctioneer, Jude is struggling to come to terms with the death of her husband. When she's asked to value a collection of scientific instruments and manuscripts belonging to Anthony Wickham, a lonely 18th century astronomer, she leaps at the chance to escape London for the untamed beauty of Norfolk, where she grew up. As Jude untangles Wickham's tragic story, she discovers threatening links to the present. What ha

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Book SynopsisMichael Young is a brilliant young history student whose life is changed when he meets Leo Zuckerman, an ageing physicist with a theory that can change worlds. Together they realise that they have the power to alter history and eradicate a great evil. But tinkering with timelines is more dangerous than they can imagine and nothing - past, present or future - will ever be the same again. ''The tensions and resolutions are intrinsically comic, made still more enjoyable by [Fry''s] sinuous invention and cleverness at caricature'' Spectator ''Sprightly and entertaining'' TelegraphTrade ReviewStephen Fry at his twinkling best * Sunday Times *His best novel yet ... an extravagant, deeply questioning work of science fiction * GQ *A sci-fi comedy that is also a time-travel thriller, constantly topical and always surprising... packed with the author's personal enthusiasm and hatreds, the former red-hot and the latter icy-black * Literary Review *A powerful imaginative pull that keeps the pages turning while the tea goes cold and the cat gets the goldfish * The Independent *A sprightly and entertaining read * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisUnsparing and tender' Colm Tóibín, author of Brooklyn A brilliant novel from our most brilliant of writers' Colum McCann, author of Apeirogon 'A quietly stunning achievement' Ocean Vuong, author of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

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Book SynopsisHenry Wilt, tied to a daft job and a domineering wife, has just been passed over for promotion yet again. Ahead of him at the Polytechnic stretch years of trying to thump literature into the heads of plasterers, joiners, butchers and the like. And things are no better at home where his massive wife, Eva, is given to boundless and unpredictable fits of enthusiasm - for transcendental meditation, yoga or the trampoline. But if Wilt can do nothing about his job, he realises he can do something about his wife - and as each day passes, his fantasies grow more murderous and more real.Trade ReviewHis best novel yet ... Mr Sharpe has taken a great stride towards being considered a major craftsman in the art of farce -- Auberon Waugh * Evening Standard *This delightful book ... lives, rises and triumphs by a slicing wit * Daily Mirror *Superb farce ... If you don't laugh your head off, Crippen wasn't guilty * Tribune *Mr. Sharpe's farce has a gritty satirical edge to it, and the world his embattled central character inhabits is all too real * Sunday Times *Tom Sharpe piles slapstick upon slapstick with the ingenious dexterity of a music-hall illusionist * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisThe characters in this extraordinary book are often - on the surface - depraved, vicious, cowardly and manipulative, but their essential humanity is never undermined. Two professors of philosophy turn pugilists; Leith removal men become the objects of desire for Hollywood goddesses; God turns Boab Coyle into a house-fly; and in the novella, ''A Smart Cunt'', the drug-addled young hero spins off on a collision course with his past. The Acid House is a bizarre, disturbing and hilarious collection from one of the most uncompromising and original writers around.Trade ReviewEvery bit as filthy, funny and provocative as the novel that proceeded it [Trainspotting]… Welsh's first collection of short stories is a riot of colourful characters, eye-watering vernacular and imaginative story-telling. This is one of Britain's best writers in his swaggering pomp, and the result is brilliantly addictive. * Esquire *

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Book SynopsisA dramatic new cover look for the bestselling adventures of Kydd in the Great Age of SailTrade Review'The vantage point of the common sailor gives the nautical novel a fresh twist. In Stockwin's hands the sea story will continue to entrance readers across the world.' - Guardian'I was soon turning over the pages almost indecently fast ... Roll on, the promised adventures of Kydd and Renzi.' - Independent'Stockwin paints a vivid picture of life aboard the mighty ship-of-the-line... the harsh naval discipline, the rancid food, and the skill of the common sailor are all skilfully evoked.' - Daily Express

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