Contemporary Fiction Books

Book SynopsisThe fierce and funny international bestseller about a young Turkish-Dutch woman rebelling against her strict religious upbringing and searching for her own pathTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER''Electrifying ... Gül''s is a singular voice, one demanding our fullest attention'' Ali Millar, author of The Last Days and Ava Anna AdaBüsra is living a double life. At home with her parents, life is an endless argument - about what time she comes home, about what she wears, and most of all, about how the rules apply only to her, while her brother Halil enjoys free rein.But out in the world, everything is different. Büsra is studying Dutch literature at university, and she reads everything she can get her hands on. She works at a restaurant, where she wears tight dresses and serves alcohol. And her biggest secret of all: she has a boyfriend, and she is passionately and sinfully in love with him.Fiery, erotic and furious,

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Book SynopsisThe year is 1328 and Hell has overrun Bruges. Demons stalk the streets and revenants swarm the walls. The city''s men have fallen and only widows remain. But Hell should fear them. Margriet de Vos killed her first soldier when she was eleven. She has buried six children and will fight for the daughter left to her. Their only wealth is gone, taken into the inferno. And she will not be stolen from. The Devil be damned.Together with a man-at-arms with unfinished business, a widow and her forgehammer, and analderman''s wife who escapes with her children, Margriet will raise a raiding party like Hell has never seen--Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR THE CHATELAINE ‘The novel is written with arresting detail and challenges literary tropes about women. Its roster includes half a dozen complex female characters and one trans male character, all of them captivating, sympathetic, repulsive, flawed, dangerous, selfless, determined, and damaged. They and Heartfield's powerful battle scenes make this well worth the price of admission’ Publishers Weekly, starred review PRAISE FOR HEARTFIELD ‘Armed in Her Fashion is Kate Heartfield’s debut novel, and what a strange, compelling, genre-bending debut it is. Part horror, part fantasy, part history, and part epic, it combines all of its elements into a commentary on gender, power, and patriarchy…enormously fun…’ Liz Bourke, Tor.com ‘An absorbing novel … Heartfield sustains a fine balance between history and fantasy’Guardian ‘Where fantasy and history meet … an entertaining and dark read’Stylist ‘Reminded me in places of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. I loved the depth of characterisation and the feel of the magic … beautifully written’Elizabeth Chadwick, bestselling and award-winning author of The Summer Queen ‘Richly imagined and skilfully told, The Embroidered Book is an intricate and spellbinding tale’JJA Harwood, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Shadow in the Glass ‘The Embroidered Book is superb from its opening scene to its heartbreaking end … Politics, magic, love, and sacrifice compete on equal terms in a sweeping, absolutely splendid epic novel about two sisters and familial love. If you like historical feminist fantasy, you will love The Embroidered Book’Lisbeth Campbell, author of The Vanished Queen ‘Sacrifice, family, dreams, and deep, dark magic, The Embroidered Book is a triumph’Julie E. Czerneda, author of The Gossamer Mage

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Book Synopsis1914, Belfast. William is a sceptic, but one night during a séance something happens that places doubt in his heart and a seed of obsession in his mind. Could the spirits truly be communicating with him or is this one of Kathleen's parlour tricks gone too far?Trade Review'A fiendishly clever tale of ambition, deception, and power' Derren Brown'Is Goligher a fraud? Is Crawford himself a reliable narrator?... West answers these questions with ingenuity and invention' The Sunday Times‘I adored this book. Haunting, witty and deeply moving, The Spirit Engineer is surely set to become a gothic classic. I was instantly drawn into the mystery and swept along by the shocking twists and turns. A beautifully written novel’ Jodie Whittaker‘A.J. West has history at his fingertips and writes brilliantly - so clever it makes your head spin! The Spirit Engineer is a work of true invention and drama that moves at a cracking pace from the very first page and keeps you guessing. A compelling and daring book’ Jeremy Vine'Such a deliciously creepy, unsettling read… a melancholic gothic triumph. Gave me all the same feelings as one of my most favourite books ever, Frankenstein' Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of Ariadne'Based on an absolutely astonishing true story, it kept me guessing right till the end' Frances Quinn, author of The Smallest Man‘Set in a historical moment where science and spiritualism meet, The Spirit Engineer is an ingeniously plotted debut novel’ Sarah Burton, author of The Strange Adventures of H‘With a skilful misdirection that any Edwardian spirit medium would be proud to demonstrate, A.J. West soon turns the screw in this fascinating novel… Obsession builds until the stunning climax of the final shocking séance and its awful repercussions. Was William rights to be convinced? Did he prove ghosts exist?’ Essie Fox, bestselling author of The Fascination'It’s clever, it’s quirky, highly entertaining, but carries a chill as cold as the grave' Annie Garthwaite, author of Cecily‘A marvellous and menacing gothic chiller, filled with secrets and soaked in atmosphere, in which the ghouls and fiends are not of the other world, but this one...’ Neil Blackmore, author of The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle'Dark, powerful and twisting – The Spirit Engineer will leave you wondering what is real and what is illusion' W. C. Ryan, author of A House of Ghosts'A delight of a debut, an atmospheric and entirely gripping chiller that calls to mind the best of M.R. James and E.F. Benson, without in any way paling in comparison' Billy O'Callaghan, author of Life Sentences'Gripping from the outset – A.J West immerses readers in the spiritualism of 1914 Belfast with great skill. A wonderful debut' Sam Hurcom, author of Letters from the Dead‘A spooky tale of frustrated ambition, hidden loyalties, and desperation, told with wit, charm and devastating twists. A gothic novel that also manages to make you laugh, even if you shouldn't’ Jonathan Harvey, playwright‘A gripping, gothic story anchored in the political and spiritual chaos of Edwardian Belfast. Part horror, part history, The Spirit Engineer is a chilling and thought-provoking tale of exploitation, faith, deception, fraud, séances, hubris, and prejudice… accomplished and page-turning. Fans of Penny Dreadful and The Nevers will love it’ Gareth Russell, historian and author of The Ship of Dreams

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Book SynopsisA mile outside the Cotswolds, everyone knows everyone in Honeystone, and for many years the villagers have lived quiet, steady lives. But a wind of change is here... Anthea is the new owner of Spindle Hall. A renowned perfumer who lost her sense of smell, she''s not interested in making new friends. Yet somehow that seems impossible in this idyllic village.Years ago, Peony left Honeystone with a broken heart, and now she has returned with it freshly bruised. Her single father, Robert, is struggling with slow business at the Hare and Thistle pub. Perhaps this time they can help each other?Izzy has never known what she wants to do in life other than be at Raspberry Hill Farm and care for her little niece, Clover. But when a new doctor shows up in town, she starts to wonder...A story about the magic of ordinary people, no one does heartwarming stories like Kate Forster. Welcome to Honeystone, you can rest here.

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Book SynopsisA powerful, unsettling portrait of ordinary family life in Cuba, Carlos Manuel Álvarez’s debut novel The Fallen is a masterful portrayal of a society in free fall. Diego, the son, is disillusioned and bitter about the limited freedoms his country offers him. Mariana, the mother, is unwell and forced to relinquish her control over the home to her daughter, Maria, who has left school and is working as a chambermaid in one of the state-owned tourist hotels. The father, Armando, is a committed revolutionary who is sickened by the corruption he perceives all around him. In meticulously charting the disintegration of a family, The Fallen offers a poignant reflection on contemporary Cuba and the clash of the ardent idealism of the old guard with the jaded pragmatism of the young.Trade Review‘A beautiful and painful novel that demonstrates the power of fiction to pursue the unutterable.’ — Alejandro Zambra, author of Multiple Choice‘The Fallen is the story of a family; not a romanticized saga, but a tale of unconditional love and friendship. Through careful and subtle prose, the strain and suffering in every voice emerges loud and clear. Carlos Manuel Álvarez has painted a powerful, burning image of illness, isolation and harrowing rancour.’ — Laila Obeidat, the London Magazine‘Álvarez does a neat job in this very short but nutritious novel of establishing the personalities of his characters firmly enough that it comes as a real shock when he upends our expectations of how they might behave.’ — Jake Kerridge, the Telegraph‘A war foretold that never takes place. A death foretold that never takes place. And in the middle of this is the inevitable collapse of a family and a country. The Fallen is a subtle, intelligent and profoundly moving novel which sketches, in elegant and thoughtful prose, a rarely seen Cuban landscape.’ — Alia Trabucco Zerán, author of The Remainder‘In chapters which alternate between the perspectives of the four family members, Álvarez slowly and cleverly builds up a picture of a family unit on the brink of collapse.’ — Roger Cox, The Scotsman‘The best in Latin American literature is here: with the precocious skill of someone who is a paragon of narrative resources and sensitivity, Carlos Manuel Álvarez vividly portrays the only identity that really matters: not national, but human. The Fallen is a museum of solitude and of the cracks separating our inner world from the one we live in and from those with whom we coexist.’ — Emiliano Monge, author of Among the Lost

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Book Synopsis“A beautiful story about epic love, loss, and hope with a gorgeous, speculative twist. Meet Me On The Bridge gave me all the feels.” —Becky Hunter.“All the romance of About Time with an added dollop of delicious mystery…I loved it.” —Isabelle Broom, author of The Beach Holiday.Can true love ever survive across time?Everyone says falling in love is supposed to be easy. But what happens when you meet the perfect man…in your dreams?Especially when you find out he was real and died one year ago - on the bridge you had agreed to meet on for your first date. Wouldn’t you try to go back in time and change the course of destiny to create your very own happy-ever-after?But the path to true love is never without complications, and meddling with the past can have unexpected consequences…The must-read time travel romance for fans of Maybe in Anot

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Book Synopsis The Sunday Business Post Fiction Book of the Year | Shortlisted for Popular Fiction Book of the Year – An Post Irish Book Awards A heart-warming and hilarious novel about life, love, and the weight of all we leave unsaid, Duffy & Son is a quietly moving masterpiece from one of Ireland’s most gifted comic writers.Trade Review‘Funny, sweet, charming and just a little bit heart-breaking’ – Dara O’Briain “Enormously entertaining … a universal story told in a uniquely Irish way” ’ – Liz Nugent

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Book SynopsisThe gripping thriller from the bestselling author of VOX and QA compelling, fast paced read.' GuardianThe queen of dystopia' Nina Pottell, PrimaExplosive' Heat''Provocative, sinister, and fascinating'' Stephanie Wrobel, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Recovery of Rose GoldClever and chilling and all too plausible' Carole Johnstone, author of Mirrorland* * * * * * * * * * *Miranda Reynolds has lost her home, her job and her husband all thanks to an economic collapse that has brought America to its knees.The shops are empty; the streets no longer safe. Miranda and her daughter Emma have nowhere left to turn.There is one final hope, a self-sufficient haven for women who want to live a life free from men. Femlandia.For Miranda, the secluded Femlandia is a last resort. Life outside the gates is fraught with danger, but there's something just as sinister going on within.Welcome to Femlandia It's no place like home.* * * * * * * * * * *What readers are saying about FEMLANDIA''I felt Trade Review‘Dalcher is adept at writing genuinely scary high-concept fiction’ SFX ‘The queen of dystopia.’ Nina Pottell, PRIMA ‘[Dalcher] knows how to hit the emotional buttons…this is a compelling, fast paced read.’ GUARDIAN ‘ I read it with my breath held, unable to stop until I'd reached the explosive ending. You will definitely want to discuss this one with your book club.’ STEPHANIE WROBEL, author of THE RECOVERY OF ROSE GOLD ‘Equally as chilling and gripping as her debut, VOX’ RED ‘Clever and chilling – and all too plausible – Femlandia is a timely story about survival and the corruptive nature of power. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it!’ CAROLE JOHNSTONE, author of MIRRORLAND 'Shocking, provocative, subversive, FEMLANDIA is a fantasy of female empowerment that curdles into a nightmare.' KIA ABDULLAH, author of NEXT OF KIN ‘A real page-turner’ BELLA 'Another superb novel from the author of VOX and Q’ BELFAST TELEGRAPH 'Both gripping and terrifyingly disturbing in equal measures.' LISA HALL, author of THE WOMAN IN THE WOODS ‘A no-holds-barred thriller and thought-provoking read for fans of Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID’S TALE, NaomiAlderman’s THE POWER, and Kim Liggett’s THE GRACE YEAR.’ Library Journal ‘Engrossing. Dalcher’s novel is imaginative, urgent, and compulsively readable, not mention incredibly cool.’ AMANDA MONTELL, author of CULTISH ‘This wildly provocative glimpse into the future is sure to spark lively discussions…Dalcher remains a writer to watch’ PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

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Book SynopsisThe Top 10 Sunday Times bestsellerAn immersive, romantic historical saga' Hello MagazineCongratulations, you are now officially out in society.'The words made her spirits plummet. Out in society. On the market. And firmly set on a well-worn path that had only one destination. Marriage.London 1865When one act of rebellion costs Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott her place in society, her life is swept onto a new course. One that will test her courage and resilience.From the drawing rooms of Victoria's court to the grand country houses of Ireland, and the bustling streets of New York City; Margaret embarks on a journey of self-discovery where she will meet like-minded, and equally spirited, companions who shape her world.But as she navigates the challenges of forging her own path in life, will she find the greatest courage of all, to follow her heart against all odds?Praise for Her Heart for a Compass:A tale of daring and determination.'Sir Julian Fellowes creator of Downton AbbeySarah Trade Review‘A tale of daring and determination, set against the glamorous heights, and the harsh restrictions of aristocratic society in the middle years of the British nineteenth century.’Sir Julian Fellowes, creator of Downton AbbeyPraise for Her Heart for a Compass: ‘Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York has looked deep into her own generous impulsive heart to write a compelling story of a young woman who rebels against the restrictive Victorian conventions of her time to find self-fulfilment and love’Internationally bestselling author Jeffrey Archer ‘A story of courage, adventure and heartbreak leading to a satisfying ending.’Linda Finlay Author of The Girl With The Silver Bangle ‘A brilliant and glittering jewel of a novel, replete with fascinating historical detail, lush lyrical language, and compelling, complex characters who leap from the page.’Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Queen’s Fortune

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Book SynopsisPRINCESS PROBLEMSAfter their showstopping defeat of the crystal life-forms, Hiro and the gang head to the imperial capital for Hiro?s award ceremony. No shortage of trouble awaits them in the heart of the empire, from Elma?s overly affectionate brother crashing the party, to a reunion with Chris, to the emperor liking Hiro a little too much. Just when the crew thinks they?ve seen it all, they learn that the imperial princess…is the spitting image of Mimi?!

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Book SynopsisAbhi, a Bengali boy, spends his school holidays at his uncle''s home in Calcutta, trying to make sense of the often confusing world of adults around him. Heatwaves, thunderstorms, mealtimes, prayer-sessions, shopping expeditions and family visits create the shifting tectonic plates that will eventually shape the family''s life.Delicate, nuanced, full of exquisite detail, A Strange and Sublime Address is also a paean to the city, with nine short stories that illustrate the world of Amit Chaudhuri''s imagination.With a foreword by Colm Tóibín

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Book Synopsis ‘A superb novel, evoking a bygone era when women could not afford to put a foot wrong’SUNDAY TIMES ‘This isn't just a mystery novel: it's a window into a vanished world’TANA FRENCH Some stories demand to be told. They keep coming back, echoing down through the decades, until they find a teller . . .Dublin, 1943 Actress Julia Bridges disappears. Her body is never found.  Dublin, 1968 The bones of Julia Bridges are discovered in a back garden. Nicoletta Sarto, an ambitious junior reporter for the Irish Sentinel, investigates the mystery of Julia’s disappearance, drawing her into the tangled underworld of the illegal abortion industry.But some stories remain a mystery for a reason, and it’s not long before this one stirs up buried secrets from Nicoletta’s own past. Secrets that pe

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Book SynopsisThe fourth book in Marsali Taylor''s thrilling Shetland Sailing Mysteries series. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Val McDermid, Faith Martin, J.R. Ellis, LJ Ross and Ann Cleeves!''This series is a must-read for anyone who loves the sea, or islands, or joyous, intricate story-telling.'' ANN CLEEVESSailing skipper and amateur detective Cass Lynch has been persuaded to spend a quiet Christmas in the Highlands with her former adversary, DI Gavin Macrae, but neither of them can dodge trouble for long. Their peaceful walk by the loch is interrupted when they discover a skeleton among the bracken. Back home in Shetland, Cass is drawn to the case of Ivor Hughson, who left his wife and failed business months ago and hasn''t been heard of since. As she continues to ask questions about Hughson''s disappearance, it becomes clear that someone will stop at nothing to cut Cass''s investigation - an

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Book Synopsis“Bold and imaginative.” —Tananarive Due “This stunning allegory will spark much discussion.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A truly powerful and riveting story.” —Booklist In a world without white people, what does it mean to be Black?One day, a cataclysmic event occurs: all of the white people in America walk into the nearest body of water. A year later, Charlie Brunton is a Black man living in an entirely new world. Having served time in prison for a wrongful conviction, he’s now a professor of electric and solar power systems at Howard University when he receives a call from someone he wasn’t even sure existed: his daughter Sidney, a nineteen-year-old left behind by her white mother and step-family. Traumatized by the event, and terrified of the outside world, Sidney has spent a year in isolation in Wisconsin. D

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Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR NETFLIX FILM, STARRING ANA DE ARMAS, ADRIEN BRODY, BOBBY CANNAVALE AND JULIANNE NICHOLSON, DIRECTED BY ANDREW DOMINIKA torrentially imaginative, compulsively readable tour de force' Sunday TelegraphA fabulous reinvention of the life of a fabulous reinvention, and a cracking page-turner to boot' Evening StandardBlonde is a mesmerising novel about the most enduring and evocative cultural icon of the 20th century: the woman who became Marilyn Monroe. A fragile and gifted young woman, Norma Jeane Baker makes and remakes her identity: she is the orphan whose mother is declared mad; the woman who changes her name to be an actress; the fated celebrity, lover and muse. Told in her voice, Blonde shows a culture hypnotised by its own myths, and the devastating effects it had on Hollywood's greatest star.This masterpiece about Marilyn Monroe's life is audacious, gripping and clever' Rose TremainIf you haven't read Joyce Carol Oates before, start here, and now' IndependentTrade Review’Nobody has ever caught Marilyn more brilliantly in words than Oates’ Sunday Times ‘This masterpiece about Marilyn Monroe’s life is audacious, gripping and clever. A meditation on fame, exile and lovelessness, but most importantly a siren shriek against the commodification of women through the decades’ Rose Tremain ‘A fabulous reinvention of the life of a fabulous reinvention, and a cracking page-turner to boot’ Evening Standard ‘A torrentially imaginative, compulsively readable tour de force’ Sunday Telegraph ‘A mighty – and a mesmerizing – book’ Elaine Showalter, Literary Review ‘If you haven’t read Joyce Carol Oates before, start here, and now’ Julie Myerson, Independent ‘Blonde is an epic achievement, a masterpiece, a piece of art so shatteringly well-conceived and lavishly-wrought that at times it almost does not seem like a mere book’ Independent on Sunday ‘Novelists such as John Updike, Philip Roth, Tom Wolfe and Norman Mailer slug it out for the title of the Great American Novelist. But maybe they’re wrong. Maybe, just maybe, the Great American Novelist is a woman’ Herald

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Smart and funny and all sorts of raunchy in the best way. . . Dazzles, entertains and squeezes in more than a few laughs. . . Razzmatazz is another success for Christopher Moore.” — San Francisco Chronicle “Moore and his merry band of miscreants are firmly on the right side of history—and they will make you laugh until it hurts.” — BookPage (starred review) "There is literally a laugh on every page of this book (several, on some pages), and with its fast-paces, deliberately helter-skelter storyline, it sinks its hooks deeply and never lets go." — Booklist "A humorous romp. . . . Moore’s fans and those who like their noir with a side of slapstick and the supernatural will enjoy." — Publishers Weekly “Razzmatazz is marked with the same sort of coarse charm that permeates all of Moore’s books. . . . There’s chaos at play throughout—there’s a LOT going on—yet Moore handles it deftly, resulting in a book whose myriad fractured storylines ultimately come together in a delightfully droll denouement.” — The Maine Edge "Razzmatazz is Christopher Moore once again at his unique best. Bravo!" — Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star "Moore’s trademark humor is on full display with his cast of strangely lovable characters. This is Shakespeare with an edge and will not only appeal to Moore’s fans but garner new ones." — Library Journal (starred review) on Shakespeare for Squirrels “This book is so funny, so full of gloriously ludicrous characters and plausibility-defying goings-on that reading it in public should only be undertaken if you don’t mind making a spectacle of yourself. Because you will laugh. Out loud.” — Winnipeg Free Press “Buckle in for Shakespeare for Squirrels, an uproarious take on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream—transformed into a murder mystery. . . A funny, fast-paced, and wild read.” — Huffington Post "It takes a certain amount of guts and wild abandon to recast a Shakespeare comedy as a hard-boiled detective story, but if anyone can pull it off, it’s master satirist Moore, whose gift for funny business apparently knows no bounds. . . . A welcome return of a fan-favorite character in a romp of a tale that will delight not only mystery buffs but also fantasy fanatics, and, of course, Bard lovers." — Booklist (starred review) on Shakespeare for Squirrels “Christopher Moore gives us dizzy dames and shadowy gangsters in Noir. Sammy, Moore’s comic revision of Sam Spade, will take you on a silly-thrilly ride through late-1940s San Francisco, and you’ll be laughing all the way.” — Washington Post “[A] pedal-to-the-metal, exquisitely written comic romp through a neon-lit San Francisco that may never have actually existed, but that, in Moore’s supremely talented hands, sure feels like it could have.” — Booklist (starred review) on Noir

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Book SynopsisFamily secrets never stay buried

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Book SynopsisWith an introduction by Lynne Tillman 'The last literary outlaw in mainstream American fiction' Bret Easton Ellis Physically beautiful and strangely passive, George Miles attracts his fellow students' attention, like a wallet lying on the street. One after another, his teenage friends rifle through George, ransacking him for love, secrets or anything else they can plausibly extract. Closer follows the subterranean connections that drag George into the arms of men like John, an artist who drains his portraits of humanity in order to find what lies beneath; Alex, fascinated by splatter films and pornography; and Steve, an underground entrepreneur who turns his parents' garage into a nightclub. Boys and men pass George from hand to hand, fascinated by the nightmarish intensity of his detachment, but soon he will be confronted by desires he may find harder to endure. Closer is an unflinching exploration of the very limits of experience. Still shocking after more than two decades, here is a provocative classic that assaults the senses as it engages the mind.Trade ReviewExtraordinary. . . . One of the few new American writers with a completely distinctive voice -- Edmund WhiteA story about how desire can persist to the brink of self-destruction and beyond. . . . A work of considerable courage -- Thomas R. Edwards * The New York Review of Books *Closer translates the moments and feelings for which we don't really have a vocabulary. Cooper taps the ineffable, the murky underside of sexual and human relations -- Lynne TillmanAn incredibly beautiful and daring book -- Kathy AckerDennis Cooper, God help him, is a born writer -- William S. BurroughsWithout a doubt one of the most vital and important writers to emerge in the past fifty years, and his genius goes far beyond mere taboo-breaking . . . Cooper's books are dissection tables of desire; they take a bone saw to the dreams, sexual fantasies, obsessions, youthful delusions, and myths of fame and individuality that have come to define our private and public selves' Interview * Interview *A master of transgressive literature featuring all manner of minutely observed depravity . . . each novel is a brilliantly crafted piece of transgressive literature -- Tony O’NeillHis work belongs with the likes of Poe, the Marquis de Sade, Charles Baudelaire and Georges Bataille, other writers who argued with mortality. * San Francisco Chronicle *Cooper is a profoundly original American visionary, and the most important transgressive literary artist since Burroughs . . . An American master * Salon *My generation is very much marked by Dennis Cooper's George Miles cycle: in the 1990s, everyone read these books; I was awed by them -- Rachel Kushner, author of The Mars RoomA queer cult writer ... Cooper is unflinching in his exploration of the seedy depths of underground American queer life -- James Hodge * Attitude *

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Book SynopsisTHE WORD-OF-MOUTH SENSATIONTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERA RICHARD & JUDY BOOKCLUB SELECTIONNOW A NUMBER ONE NETFLIX SERIES'Timely and compelling' Shari Lapena'Impressive' The Times'Gripping' Observer'Sensational’ Clare MackintoshA high-profile marriage thrust into the spotlight.A prosecutor who believes justice has been a long time coming. A scandal that will rock Westminster.And the women caught at the heart of it. Praise for Anatomy of a Scandal:'Magnificent' Marian Keyes'Intelligent, subtle and thought-provoking' Louise Candlish'The definition of a page-turner' Elizabeth Day'Almost impossible to put down' Louise O’Neill'Once the trial of MP James Whitehouse starts, you could not have pr

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Book Synopsis''Mason has been mainlining Simenon for a while, and it shows'' Mick Herron''The very definition of unputdownable'' David Peace''It''s like the provincial British version of Maigret'' Clare ChambersThe people I work with call me ''Finder''. I''m a specialist, a finder of missing people.July 2015, Sevenoaks. 12-year-old schoolgirl Alice Johnson went missing while doing her paper round, her bag found discarded on the pavement. At 08.00, she was spotted standing in heavy rain at the side of the busy by-pass. At 11.00, she was seen talking to the driver of a black car in Tonbridge. After that, nothing. Alice was never found.Nine years later the body of another schoolgirl, Joleen Price, is pulled from a nearby lake and a local man named Vince Burns detained. Convinced that Burns is guilty in both cases, SIO Dave Armstrong calls in the Finder to investigate the earlier disappearance.Interviewing those w

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Book SynopsisThe Hyena and the Hawk is the conclusion to Adrian Tchaikovsky’s epic fantasy trilogy, Echoes of the Fall, following The Bear and the Serpent.‘A classically brilliant fantasy writer’ – Paul CornellThe unmaking of the world has begun.From the depths of the darkest myths, the soulless Plague People have returned. Their pale-walled camps obliterate villages, just as the terror they bring with them destroys minds. In their wake, nothing is left of the true people: not their places, not their ways. The Plague People will remake the world as though they had never been.The heroes and leaders of the true people – Maniye, Loud Thunder, Hesprec and Asman – will each fight the Plague People in their own ways. They will seek allies, gather armies and lead the charge. But a thousand swords or ten thousand spears will not suffice to turn back this enemy. The end is at hand for everything the true people know . . .

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Book SynopsisOwing a debt to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Barbara Pym’s An Unsuitable Attachment is an elegant and witty comedy of manners from an acclaimed author who Philip Larkin called ‘the most underrated novelist of the century’.‘I'm a huge fan of Barbara Pym’ – Richard Osman, author of The Thursday Murder Club‘The day comes in the life of every single man living alone when he must give a dinner party.’The parish of St Basil, on the fringes of North Kensington, is all of a flutter due to the arrival of Rupert Stonebird, a most eligible bachelor, in the neighbourhood. The local matchmakers are sure he will make a suitable husband for the vicar’s wife’s sister, Penny, or perhaps for local librarian Ianthe Broome?But Ianthe is in danger of forming a most unsuitable attachment to her new library assistant, John, a man of questionable background with not a penny to his name . . .‘Barbara Pym is one of my most favourite novelists. Few other writers have given me more laughter and more pleasure’ – Jilly Cooper, author of The Rutshire ChroniclesTrade ReviewThe most underrated novelist of the century . . . The subtlest of her books – the sparkle on first acquaintance has been succeeded by the deeper brilliance of established art -- Philip LarkinI'm a huge fan of Barbara Pym * Richard Osman, Author of The Thursday Murder Club *[Pym] makes me smile, laugh out loud, consider my own foibles and fantasies, and, above all, suffer real regret when I reach the final page. Of how many authors can you honestly say that? -- Mavis CheekA splendid, humorous writer -- John BetjemanBarbara Pym has a sharp eye for the exact nuances of social behaviour * The Times *The wit and style of a twentieth-century Jane Austen * Harpers & Queen *Barbara Pym’s unpretentious, subtle, accomplished novels are for me the finest examples of high comedy to have appeared in England during the past seventy-five years . . . Spectacular * The Sunday Times *Very funny and keenly observant of the ridiculous as well as the pathetic in humanity * Financial Times *Beneath the gentle surfaces of [Pym’s] novels is a slow-building comedy, salt wit in a saline drip . . . Her work offers the reassurance that we are all as bad and as good, as prickly and as resilient, as any Evensong attendee. It is a useful gratification in grating times * New York Times *Barbara Pym is one of my most favourite novelists. Few other writers have given me more laughter and more pleasure * Jilly Cooper, author of The Rutshire Chronicles *

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Book Synopsis______________ 'Elegant, filthy – and quite possibly the queerest thing you will read all year.' - Guardian 'Intriguing and inventive.' - Electric Literature, "Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Book of the Year" 'A dizzyingly enticing and kaleidoscopic take on the spectrum of sexual experiences.' - Publishers Weekly, starred review _____________ A daring, category-confounding, and ruthlessly funny novel from National Book Award honored author Edmund White that explores polyamory and bisexuality, ageing and love. Sicilian aristocrat and musician, Ruggero, and his younger American wife, Constance, agree to break their marital silence and write their Confessions. Until now they had a ban on speaking about the past, since transparency had wrecked their previous marriages. As the two alternate reading the memoirs they’ve written about their lives, Constance reveals her multiple marriages to older men, and Ruggero details the affairs he’s had with men and women across his lifetime—most importantly his passionate affair with the author Edmund White. Sweeping outward from the isolated Swiss ski chalet where the couple reads to travel through Europe and the United States, White’s new novel pushes for a broader understanding of sexual orientation and pairs humor and truth to create his most fascinating and complex characters to date. As in all of White’s earlier novels, this is a searing, scintillating take on physical beauty and its inevitable decline. But in this experimental new mode—one where the author has laid himself bare as a secondary character—White explores the themes of love and age through numerous eyes, hearts and minds. Delightful, irreverent, and experimental, A Previous Life proves once more why White is considered a master of American literature.Trade ReviewElegant, erudite, raunchy and fun, America’s great Man of Letters is working at the top of his form, giving us a pair of portraits hung against the pattern of history. What a joy to read this master of prose and invention! * Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize winning author of LESS *The best book in Edmund White's long and extraordinary career * Benjamin Moser, Pulitzer Prize winning author of SONTAG: HER LIFE AND WORK *White's project, as always, is to show us the human: the human body as defined by its urges and needs, and the human heart as it evolves through time and experience. In A Previous Life, he also gives us daring experiments of form, of autofiction, and of storytelling. Fresh and inventive and wise * Rebecca Makkai, author of THE GREAT BELIEVERS *An erotically charged and ingenious metafictional story of a married couple … A dizzyingly enticing and kaleidoscopic take on the spectrum of sexual experiences * Publishers Weekly, starred review *Humorous and nearly always irreverent ... An erotically charged literary romp facing the loss of physical beauty and the inevitable passage of time * Booklist *

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Book Synopsis*THE HEARTWARMING KOREAN BESTSELLER**A new transaltion from Shanna Tan, translator of Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop*Situated at the heart of a rapidly gentrifying district of Seoul, the Yeonnam-dong Smiley Laundromat is a place where the extraordinary stories of ordinary residents unfold. It is already a haven of tranquility and reflection for locals, but when someone leaves a notebook behind, the laundromat becomes a place that brings people together. One by one, customers start jotting down candid diary entries, opening their hearts and inviting acts of kindness from neighbours who were once just faces in the crowd. But there is more to the diary than first appears, and before long the laundromat''s regulars are teaming up to solve a mystery and help the notebook''s former owner find peace. A heartwarming, healing debut that instantly captured the hearts of Korean readers, this is a novel about the pr

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Book SynopsisIn this riveting, stand-alone novel from Michael Mammay, author of Planetside, the beginning of a new human colony must face tyrannical leaders, revolution, crippling instability, and an unknown alien planet that could easily destroy them all.In 2108, Colony Ship Voyager departed Earth for the planet of Promissa with 18,000 of the world’s best and brightest on board. 250 years and 27 light years later, an arrival is imminent.But all is not well.The probes that they’ve sent ahead to gather the data needed to establish any kind of settlement aren’t responding, and the information they have received has presented more questions than answers. It’s a time when the entire crew should be coming together to solve the problem, but science officer Sheila Jackson can’t get people to listen.With the finish line in sight, a group of crewmembers want an end to the draconian rules that their forebearers put in place generations before. However, security force officer Mark Rector and his department have different plans. As alliances form and fall, Governor Jared Pantel sees only one way to bring Voyager’s citizens together and secure his own power: a full-scale colonization effort. Yet, he may have underestimated the passion of those working for the other side...Meanwhile, a harsh alien planet awaits that might have its own ideas about being colonized. A battle for control brews, and victory for one group could mean death for them all. Trade Review“Generation Ship is a ferocious story of human desperation, boiling with tension and betrayal.” — Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eaters "Mammay writes compellingly and convincingly about the complex, imperfect, and rocky nature of political and personal change set against the backdrop of a generation ship counting down to its hoped-for destination and what that will mean for everyone aboard." — Kate Elliott, author of Unconquerable Sun “Political sci-fi done right! Generation Ship offers a captivating look at an authentic spaceborne civilization aboard a nascent powder keg. Cleverly written, topical, and compelling with a relatable cast of diverse characters, deeply personal stakes, and twisty plot elements that will keep you on your toes.” — J.S. Dewes, author of the Divide Series "Michael Mammay's Generation Ship is a masterclass in political science fiction. A political chess match filled with absolute page-turning tension that culminates in an ending which manages to be both bittersweet and hopeful. This was a book that will be stuck in my head for a while." — K.B. Wagers, author of the NeoG series "Mammay masterfully balances multiple points of view against one another to chart a sociopolitical puzzle of growing complexity with no easy answers. Succinct prose, deeply human conflicts, and a planet you’ll be flipping pages to race toward alongside the Voyager." -- — Essa Hansen, author of The Graven trilogy "Kim Stanley Robinson meets C J Cherryh in this cutting examination of the fallibilities and frailties of the human spirit." — Richard Swan, Sunday Times Bestselling Author of The Empire of the Wolf Trilogy “Generation Ship has the brilliant political complexity of The Expanse and the American government, while keeping the fun and excitement of Dark Matter. Thoughtful, well-written, deep, and engaging. Familiar to fans of sci fi and of Mike Mammay's voice while watching him take us in a new direction with his craft and storytelling.” — R.R. Virdi, author of The First Binding "A riveting political drama that had me on the edge of my seat wondering if humanity would survive itself. Tense, twisty, and deeply human--my favorite Mammy novel so far!" — Bethany Jacobs, author of These Burning Stars "An excellent novel about a society living inside one ship and the factions that rise out of it, and about the handful of people struggling to keep it all together long enough to reach the planet they've spent their whole lives flying to, before the ship and everyone in it burns down." — Clay Harmon, author of Flames of Mira

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Book SynopsisOne of our finest living authors propulsively entertaining' New York Times''Sly, profound Electrifying'' ObserverWonderfully strange and alive' Jon McGregorA propulsive, seductive new novel about friendship, exploitation and intimacy from the prize-winning author of Where Reasons EndFabienne is dead. Her childhood best friend, Agnès, receives the news in America, far from the French countryside where the two girls were raised the place that Fabienne helped Agnès escape ten years ago. Now, Agnès is free to tell her story.As children in a backwater town, they'd built a private world, invisible to everyone but themselves until Fabienne hatched the plan that would change everything, launching Agnès on an epic trajectory through fame, fortune, and terrible loss.Beguiling A shimmering, unsettling tale of exploitation and manipulation' Daily MailHaunting and strange Li has made her style her own' Tessa Hadley, GuardianA dazzling, subtle, skilful knockout' Charlotte Mendelson, author of Trade Review‘Fans of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan trilogy won’t be disappointed, but the comparison undermines the skill with which Li tells her story, peeling back the layers to reveal the dark truths at the heart of Agnes and Fabienne’s friendship’ Marie Claire ‘[Li] has become … one of our finest living authors: Her elegant metaphysics never elide the blood and maggots … The most propulsively entertaining of Li’s novels… an existential fable that illuminates the tangle of motives behind our writing of stories’ New York Times ‘Beguiling … A shimmering, unsettling tale of exploitation and manipulation’ Daily Mail ‘These two perverse, dangerous, glorious girls are their own creation and their own destiny, captured in the high noon of their lives’ Observer New Review ‘Resonant with echoes of… My Brilliant Friend, as well as authors including Elizabeth Strout and William Trevor … For all its surface lushness, this is a novel of meticulous philosophical inquiry’ Observer ‘Brilliant … A novel of deceptions and cruelty’ Spectator 'Dazzling, subtle, skilful … I loved it' Charlotte Mendelson, author of The Exhibitionist ‘In a story about love and creation, Yiyun Li slips in a satire of the business of marketing authors… deft and delicious’ Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Starling Days ‘Yiyun Li has, again, done something new and gone somewhere wonderfully strange and alive. Beautiful, sad, funny and claustrophobic’ Jon McGregor, author of Lean Fall Stand ‘A haunting novel about loss, friendship and storytelling … Few writers match Yiyun Li’s ability to explore human desire and ambition’ Tash Aw, author of Strangers on a Pier ‘Meet Agnès and Fabienne…Come for the writerly scheming, stay for the exquisitely calibrated examination of how our most tender and important bonds involve the manipulation of power and devotion’ LA Times

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Book Synopsis1880s Sudan. When Akuany and her brother are orphaned in a village raid, they are taken in by Yaseen, a young merchant whose vow to care for them will tether him to Akuany throughout their lives. As revolution brews, Sudan begins to prise itself from its Ottoman rulers, and everyone must choose sides.Yaseen feels beholden to stand against the self-proclaimed Mahdi, a decision that threatens to splinter his family. Meanwhile, Akuany grows into womanhood and travels alone across the fractured country, sold and traded from house to house, with only Yaseen as her intermittent lifeline. Their struggle will mirror the increasingly bloody struggle for Sudan itself: for freedom, safety and the possibility of love.River Spirit is a powerful tale of corruption and unshakeable devotion to a cause, to one's faith and to the people who become family.Trade Review‘A novel of extraordinary sympathy and insight … a wonderful achievement.’ Abdulrazak Gurnah, Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature 'River Spirit had me gripped from the first page. This is real history, imagined in splendid detail – a story of ordinary people caught in extraordinary times. River Spirit is a triumph of storytelling.’ Aminatta Forna ‘Aboulela’s writing soars. She joins writers like Maaza Mengiste, Namwali Serpell and Ayesha Haruna Atta in excavating history, breathing life into it and presenting it in a new light. It is so far my best read this year.’ Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi ‘In rich, evocative detail, Aboulela captures one of the most important moments in Sudanese history. You must read this.’ Dolen Perkins-Valdez ‘Leila Aboulela weaves together strands of Sudan’s history in this fascinating and unforgettable tale. Aboulela uses elegant and poetic prose to create a masterpiece. This is a story that demands to be read.’ Goretti Kyomuhendo ‘Painted with the words of an artist, this novel is a historical portrait of freedom. Aboulela skilfully draws the uncertain colours of what freedom means to different individuals in a Mahdist Sudan to the last full stop.' Zukiswa WannerCaptivating … Through a compelling chorus of voices … Aboulela unspools the fraught story of Sudan, as freedom and faith do battle.' * Daily Mail *‘Dazzling … A love story that endures’ * New York Times *

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Book Synopsis''Immersive, engrossing and ultimately beautiful'' Marian KeyesThe heart-stopping and magical story of a childhood, a house, and the deepest of loves...''A beautifully written family saga which already feels like a classic'' Red magazineThen: Fane Hall Sarah has spent a lifetime trying to bury memories of her childhood: the constant fear, the horror of her school days, and Fane, the vast, crumbling house that was the sole obsession of her mother, Iris, a woman as beautiful as she was cruel.1969: Hampstead Rescuing herself from the shadow of Fane, talented Sarah forges a career as a cellist and marries the love of her life, Daniel. But when they move into a near-derelict house in Hampstead and try to get on with becoming a family, Sarah finds the past will not let her go. Can she break free of the hold of Fane and her mother, and keep the promise she made as a child one magical starryTrade ReviewDelightfully romantic and deliciously escapist * Bookseller (Editor's Choice) *Immersive, engrossing and ultimately beautiful * Marian Keyes *A boldly sombre atmosphere haunts the latest novel by Harriet Evans, the doyenne of [commercial fiction] * Observer *The Stargazers is a gorgeously sweeping novel, so beautifully written, with characters - and an old stately home - that linger long after you turn the last page. I loved it * Eve Chase *A crumbling stately home named Fane is among the evocative settings conjured up in this intricate, darkly romantic novel * Mail on Sunday *The beguiling settings, the unforgettable characters and the thread of danger that runs through this brilliantly crafted plot sent it straight into my favourite books of all time. No one except Harriet Evans writes books like this anymore; The Stargazers is a work of genius and a future classic * Jane Casey *A book to get truly lost in. A book that will capture your heart. Magical and transporting - I didn't want it to end * Veronica Henry *Totally engaging, undeniably beautiful and unputdownable. With characters that will weave their way into your soul with a setting that captures the imagination, this is a story that is both heartbreaking and life-affirming in the best possible way * Becky Hunter *A gripping, atmospheric, multi-layered epic to get lost in * Good Housekeeping *An immersive, beautifully written family saga which already feels like a classic * Red magazine *

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Book Synopsis''A triumph... tender and gut-wrenching... a book of astonishing accomplishment and bravery'' Guardian''I will be thinking about these characters for the rest of my life'' Kaveh Akbar, author of Martyr! A searing, sunlit debut about the powerful bonds that make and break an Iranian-American familyThree young brothers leave Los Angeles in the dead of night for Iran, taken by their father from their mother to a country and an ancestral home they barely recognize. They return to the Valley months later, spit back into American life and changed in inexorable ways. Under the dazzling light of the California sun, our protagonist, the youngest brother, begins to piece together a childhood shattered by his father''s violence, a queer adolescence marked by a shy, secret love affair with a boy he meets on the basketball court, and his ever-changing status as a Muslim in America at the turn of the new millennium. Lyrical and open-hearted, I WILL GREET THE SUN AGAIN is an unforgettable portrait of a family being torn apart, and a boy emerging from its ashes.''Life-affirming... Khabushani is a talented writer'' Sunday Times''Exquisite, heart-breaking, incredibly beautiful'' Caleb Azumah Nelson, author of Open Water and Small Worlds

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Book SynopsisWarming and lighthearted this is a novel that leaves you romanticising crumbling mansions and the brooding bachelors hiding in their mazes' Megan Clawson, author of Falling Hard for the Royal Guard''Charming! Small rural town, rolling hills, and an old manor house, all embraced in a grumpy/sunshine romance all the country comforts you need in a read.' Pernille Hughes, author of Ten Years''Elizabeth Drummond knows how to craft the perfect, broody, swoon-worthy hero, Wolfie had my heart at his first glower.' Camilla Isley, author of Opposites AttractHis house. Her rules. But who's in charge?Pippa Munro had the perfect life plan. What she did not plan, was for her boyfriend to break up with her. Or sell her beloved home. So instead of being blissfully engaged, Pippa finds herself jobless, homeless and single.Wolfie Squires needs someone to look after his family's ancient house. He's too busy with his hot shot city job to deal with a country manor several hundred miles away.Enter Pippa Mu

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Book SynopsisWhen the trunk slammed closed, sealing her fate, a deep cold slithered into the center of Kennedy’s bones. All she could do was pray that her attacker would leave enough of her for her family to identify…Kennedy Farmer, an experienced athlete, never returns after leaving for her usual running route through the dusty mountain trails of New Mexico.While the search for Kennedy begins, Detective Alyssa Wyatt and her squad face a terrifying new case when the body of a young woman, Rheagan Pembroke, is discovered in the desert terrain surrounding Albuquerque.Her wounds horrify even the hardened squad of the Albuquerque P.D. – and the case takes an even darker turn when they discover a polaroid stuffed into the victim’s mouth, showing the body of Gunner Galveston, a murder victim from fourteen years ago. Alyssa was a detective on the case, but the culprit was never caught.As the team are taunted with gruesome packages and blood-curdling phone calls, it becomes evident that a serial killer – whose blood lust is quickly increasing – has been operating in plain sight.To catch a killer, Alyssa and the squad need to understand the savage desires driving them … before Kennedy becomes another life taken at the hands of a psychopath. Meet Alyssa Wyatt: detective, mom … and a serial killer’s worst nightmare. This incredibly addictive detective series will thrill fans of Karin Slaughter, Chris Carter and Kendra Elliot.Readers can’t put The Dying Place down:‘Wow. This was beyond fast-paced…had my pulse racing, heart pounding…I didn’t see the identity of the killer coming.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘A very well written, thrilling and absorbing read that I loved from start to finish …If you like solid police procedurals with relatable, likeable characters I’d highly recommend this series … Just loved, loved, loved this read’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘Holy s*#t...Wow!…I couldn't put it down.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘This book is filled with page-turning action… I've loved this series since book #1’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘This was a very gripping thriller that was hard to put down.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘The Alyssa Wyatt books are one of my favourite series at the moment. They’re such a great blend of characters and also gritty chilling storylines … the writing always keeps me on the edge of my seat'⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘I read this book within a day...The plot moves along fast and I was shocked when I found out who the culprit was.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘My poor heart is still pounding! This book had it all…high suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, a sadistic serial killer, and great police work.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘The fast-paced story hooked me from the start and never let up. I loved the surprising reveal and the emotional responses were really well-written…’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘Unputdownable … a well-executed mystery that had me on the edge of my seat.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘The author plotted this brilliantly as the revelation MAKES SENSE even though you don’t see it coming.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘The suspense and mystery in this one build really well … I was blindsided when the truth revealed itself!’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘Love this series, the characters are all well developed. Can’t wait to see what’s next.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘This book was intense, gruesome and so much fun! I loved it!’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

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Book SynopsisSomething wickedly sexy this way comesA laugh out loud witchy romcom for fans of Lana Harper and Erin Sterling !Spice: ?????????Things you should know about Poppy:1. She's a witch2. She has magical hair like Rapunzel from Tangled3. She lives with Iris, the head of her coven, in a beautiful, ramshackle house next to Highgate cemetery4. She works at Hubble Bubble, a magic shop in Covent Garden. Though none of it is real magic as that would be highly irresponsible. UntilPoppy accidentally sells gorgeous celebrity magician Axl Storm, all six-foot-four of him, a cursed pendant.When all hell breaks loose can the guy with fake magic and the girl with real magic fix the chaos they've caused? Or will sparks fly both in and out of the cauldron?Readers can't get enough of Poppy and Axl:I absolutely adored this' ?????Magic, hunky vikings, time travel, chaos, romance and sentient hair, I mean, what more could you want?!I devoured it in a few days' ?????A hilarious, magical romance I fell in the lovTrade Review Readers 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 SynopsisIn 1958, a small Minnesota town is rocked by a shocking murder, pouring fresh fuel on old grievances in this dazzling novel, an instant New York Times bestseller and “a work of art” (The Denver Post). On Memorial Day in Jewel, Minnesota, the body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. The investigation falls to Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero who still carries the physical and emotional scars from his military service. Even before Dern has the results of the autopsy, vicious rumors begin to circulate that the killer must be Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran who has recently returned to Jewel with a Japanese wife. As suspicions and accusations mount and the town teeters on the edge of more violence, Dern struggles not only to find the truth of Quinn’s murder but also put to rest the demons from his own past. Caught up in the torrent of anger that sweeps through Jewel are a war widow and her adolescent son, the intrepid publisher of the local newspaper, an aging deputy, and a crusading female lawyer, all of whom struggle with their own tragic histories and harbor secrets that Quinn’s death threatens to expose. Both a complex, spellbinding mystery and a masterful portrait of mid-century American life that is “a novel to cherish” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis), The River We Remember offers an unflinching look at the wounds left by the wars we fight abroad and at home, a moving exploration of the ways in which we seek to heal, and a testament to the enduring power of the stories we tell about the places we call home.

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Book Synopsis'A truly heartwarming return to Blossom Heath!' HEIDI SWAIN 'This feel-good read will truly warm your cockles' heat 'For the ultimate pick-me-up, book a table at the Cosy Cat Café immediately! I adored it!' FIONA COLLINS 'Warm, romantic, uplifting and life-affirming, with friendship, family bonds, community spirit and true love taking centre stage. The purrfect beach read' LANCASHIRE POSTNew Beginnings at The Cosy Cat Café tells the story of Tori who, after being dumped and left stranded by her long-term boyfriend Ryan on a trip of a lifetime to Asia, returns home to the sleepy Sussex village of Blossom Heath with her tail between her legs and her dreams shattered. Donning her frilly apron to help her Mum, Joyce, behind the counter at The Cosy Cup Café, Tori starts to believe – with the help of a hunky fireman and a clowder of

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Book SynopsisThe hero Tungdil Goldhand vanished years ago. Until the gem-carver Goïmron discovers Tungdil''s diary . . . and finds that the last entries are terrifyingly recent. Goïmron gathers a small band of trusted companions, and they set off to find Tungdil and save Girdlegard from the mysterious Albae.But the story''s only half-over. Brabandor''s on the trail of something extraordinary; Rodana is trying to change her fate, and Klaey remains an unknown quantity: his lust for power is unparalleled, and he''ll do anything to get it. And the most worrying question of all . . . will their quest, change Goïmron himself?The epic conclusion to the story begun in The Return of the Dwarves Book 1, filled with action, adventure, and a discovery that might change life in Girdlegard for everyone . . . forever.

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Book SynopsisEscape with the next gripping thriller from Sunday Times bestseller Susan Lewis!A triple murder.A mother, her daughter and a family friend, are brutally killed at Kellon Manse one quiet summer's day.A young girl disappears and has not been seen since.One suspect.All fingers point to the husband of one of the victims. Yet he still walks free.An unsolvable crime.Cristy Ward has discovered the perfect next feature for her true crime podcast. Who really killed the three women at Kellon Manse?And is there a chance the missing girl is still alive?Readers LOVE Nothing to See Here!''A fantastic read that keeps you guessing until the end'' Reader review ?????''Gripping. All through the book I had it in my head who I thought the killer was and was completely shocked to find out the truth. Absolutely amazing.'' Reader review ?????''Suspense and red herrings had me reading frantically into the night'' Reader review ?????''This book was fast paced, thrilling, emotional Everytime I put my book down I couldn't stop thinking about it and was desperate to get back into it!'' Reader review ?????

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Book Synopsis''Absorbing and delightful'' Elizabeth Buchan, Sunday Times''For anyone who likes good storytelling ... it is like being reunited with old friends'' Sunday ExpressEvery table at Quentins restaurant in Dublin has a thousand stories to tell. The staff and customers all have tales of their own, and the restaurant owners themselves have had more than their fair share of trials to cope with. Now Ella Brady wants to make a documentary about the renowned restaurant but as she uncovers more of what has gone on, she questions the wisdom of bringing it to the screen. And when she is forced to confront a devastating dilemma in her own life, Ella wonders if some stories should not be told . . .

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Book SynopsisOn a fated summer getaway in Cape Cod, two families on the verge of fracture contend with the secrets of the past in a powerful and moving novel by the author of April & Oliver.April, her brother-in-law Oliver, and their families reunite in Cape Cod on an exquisite stretch of beach called Dawnland. After eleven summers of building traditions—kayaking, whale watching, bonfires, and ocean swims—this year comes with new threats both on and off the coastline.Before their marriages, April and Oliver had an intense but disastrous fling that they kept hidden. Although they moved on with their lives, their more recent fiery encounter is getting harder to keep secret—especially as the week unravels, revealing fault lines not only between husbands and wives but between brothers, fathers and sons, and children growing up amid discord and lies. Ground zero for conflict is April’s volatile teenage son, Lochlann.The family structure begin

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Book SynopsisThe world is at war, but on the gilded streets of Fifth Avenue, New York, a battle of a different kind is brewingNew York, 1915.Elizabeth Arden has been New York's golden girl since her beauty salon opened its famous red door five years prior. Against all odds, she's built an empire.Enter Helena Rubinstein: ruthless, revolutionary and the rival Elizabeth didn't bargain for.With both women determined to succeed no matter the personal cost a battle of beauty is born. And as the stakes increase, so do the methods: poaching employees, planting spies, copying products, hiring ex-husbands.But as each woman climbs higher, so too does what she stands to lose.Because the greater the height, the harder the fallIn this stunning new novel, internationally bestselling author Gill Paul reveals the unknown history of cosmetic titans Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein and their infamous rivalry that spanned not only decades, but also broken marriages, personal tragedies, and a world that was chaTrade Review Praise for Gill Paul: ‘A great historical read for fans of strong female characters who have something to prove.’ Booklist (US) 'TERRIFIC! Deadly one-liners and killer cocktails combine in this compelling portrait of three fascinating women. Unputdownable.' Veronica Henry, bestselling author of The Impulse Purchase ‘Completely stole me away… Paul slips inside her characters brilliantly, blending fact and fiction so seamlessly it’s impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins. A total treat… I loved it.’ Eve Chase, author of The Birdcage ‘A stunning tour de force. A potent cocktail of brilliant characterisation, pacy elegant writing, and mesmerising drama as four wildly clever, talented women negotiate the perils of Jazz Age New York. LOVED it!’ Tracy Rees, author of The Rose Garden ‘The Manhattan Girls pulled me into the dazzling world of prohibition New York and didn’t let me go… an utterly brilliant, entirely compulsive read. A seductive, heady triumph.’ Jenny Ashcroft, author of Under the Golden Sun ‘If ever we needed escapism it is now, and The Manhattan Girls does that perfectly, whisking you instantly away to the glittering world of 1920s New York… A sparkling read in so many ways!’ Liz Trenow, author of Under a Wartime Sky ‘I loved this funny and moving novel about the bonds of friendship.’ Fiona Valpy, author of The Storyteller of Casablanca

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Book Synopsis''Exquisitely written ... Be prepared to be swept away on an incredible journey'' Brad Thor, #1 bestselling author of Black Ice''A story about magical maps that lead to your heart''s desire [and] the people who would do anything to find them ... A vastly rich experience'' Charles Soule, author of The Oracle Year*Some places you won''t find on any maps. Others, are only on maps . . .Nell Young hasn''t spoken to her father, the world-respected cartographer Dr. Daniel Young, in years - but this morning he was found dead in his office at the New York Public Library.When they last met, Dr Young fired Nell after an argument over a seemingly worthless mass-produced highway map. Now every copy of this map is being found and destroyed . . .To find out why, Nell will embark on a dangerous journey into the heart of a conspiracy beyond belief, discovering her family''s darkest secrets and the true pTrade ReviewPeng Shepherd has done it again! The Cartographers is an exquisitely written, brilliantly plotted, absolutely fantastic novel. A story like this reminds us of why we all fell in love with reading to begin with. Be prepared to be swept away on an incredible journey that will stay with you long after you turn the final page * Brad Thor, bestselling author of BLACK ICE *The Cartographers is a story about magical maps that lead to your heart's desire, the sort of people who would do anything to find them, and the joy, regret, and possibility they bring. A vastly rich experience. I loved this book. * Charles Soule, author of THE ORACLE YEAR *One of those brilliant books you have to read twice ... The Cartographers is, at its heart, about three things: family, found and otherwise; how much of one's life can be built and balanced on a single lie; and the transformative nature of cartography. Its examination of this last aspect is what takes the book from an enjoyable, fast-paced (and fantastical) thriller to something you want to put down and think about before rereading it - snarling viciously at anyone who tries to pick it up before you can get that second pass. * Washington Post *Shepherd's convincing blend of magic from old maps with the modern online world both delights and thrills. * Publishers Weekly *An engrossing tale involving maps, murders, and rooms that are not there ... Readers will be hooked and find their imaginations sparking as they turn the pages. * Library Journal *With an elaborately realized plot, fanatic cartographers, maps with surreal powers generated by phantom settlements (intentional errors), and many-faceted suspense, Shepherd contrasts science and art, obsession and love in a bedazzling metaphysical tale of lost and found * Booklist *The Cartographers is wildly imaginative and totally mind-bending in the best possible way. Shepherd has crafted a juicy mystery masquerading as a grown-up scavenger hunt filled with astonishing twists and revelations. The result is a romp that's pure pleasure to read and will keep readers guessing-and gasping-as the map's true power and beguiling history are brought to light * Bookpage *

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Book SynopsisA dazzling novella from a rising star of Indonesian literature that explores what it means to be a woman — whoever you are, wherever you are, and whenever it is in history and time. In today’s Jakarta, an unnamed man tells the story of his lifelong friend Nastiti, and what happened on the day she vanished. In the Dutch East Indies’ Semarang, a young Indo-Dutch girl, Rukmini, is captured by the Japanese military and is forced into prostitution. Years later, Arini travels to the Netherlands to share her mother’s dark past with a researcher. After the American occupation of Japan in WWII ends, a former war photographer revisits his memories of Hanako, the wife of a traumatised ex-Imperial soldier, but can’t escape his own darkness. And in present-day Osaka, a young Indonesian woman, Dara, haunted by her past and struggling to conceive, becomes obsessed with a Japanese porn star. Through these interconnected narratives, in stunning prose, Dias Novita Wuri explores generational legacies, lost loves, the damage that war does to men, and the damage that men do to women.Trade Review‘The ground beneath the reader is constantly shifting … Birth Canal jumps in time and moves between places of security and insecurity, hiding and transit, literal and metaphorical light and dark … In the end, this extraordinarily accomplished and profound novel, translated from Indonesian by the author, is about how difficult love can be, and how precious.’ -- Linda Jaivin * The Saturday Paper *‘Indonesian author Dias Novita Wuri is a rising literary star. Her novella Birth Canal writhes with talent compressed into a forceful and beguiling suite of interconnected stories … Wuri’s gift for metaphor is matched by a supple and sidewinding narrative construction that follows women across time and place.’ * The Sydney Morning Herald *‘Birth Canal was written with a dripping golden pen. Captivating and devastating, the stories of these women are told with truth and love.’ -- Laura McPhee-Browne, author of Cherry Beach and Little Plum‘[Dias Novita Wuri] confronts the reader with the realisation that often it’s too easy for us to simply look away. [Birth Canal] consists of expertly and beautifully crafted interconnected stories, its narrative jumping back and forward in time as echoes in a chamber where no trauma ever goes away entirely, but rather returns in another configuration … the spare dialogue allows stillness and solidarity to seep in through the violence.’ -- Angelique Kasmara * Listener *‘Impressive.’ * Tony's Reading List *‘[N]othing short of genius … For such a short work, it contains multitudes. Expertly translated by the author Birth Canal reveals the triumphs and tribulations of several generations of Indonesian women, each dealing with their own personal struggles with their lovers, humanity, and the course of world events.’ * Driftless Area Review *‘Crossing multiple timelines and cities in Indonesia and Japan to establish the links among its six female protagonists, this compact yet far-reaching novel endeavours to make visible both the female body and the structure of storytelling by using the idea of the birth canal as a site of conflicts and thwarted possibilities. Failed conception — stillbirth, miscarriage, filicide, abortion and suicide — thus represents both an acknowledgment of female trauma and a form of political protest. In exploring women’s sexuality, mental health, reproductive choice, and domestic violence, this gifted Indonesian author deftly explores topics that impact women in a Muslim-majority country.’ -- Thúy Ðinh, book critic and editor-at-large of Asymptote

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Book SynopsisI romped through Why Mummy Drinks at Christmas', and I absolutely adored it' Jilly CooperTis' the season to get trollied!Mummy has always loved Christmas. Sure, the kids turn into demons, the dinner gets burnt to a crisp and Aunt Louisa's general staggering inappropriateness sends Mummy reaching for the nearest maximum-strength festive tipple, but nevertheless, for her, Christmas is always special.This year, she wants nothing more than to perfectly fig up the pudding and sit by the fire reading aloud from A Christmas Carol to a rapt, rosy-cheeked audience. But, just like all Mummy's best-laid plans, this year's Festive Vision is in danger of being totally derailed by her chaotic family. There's not much chance of any action under the mistletoe, and the kids are just not playing ball.Can Mummy find her silver lining after all and bring the whole family together for one moment of harmony, so they can finally proclaim Verily You Are the Queen of Christmas'? Or should she get stuck into the festive spirits and just let it all go?Trade Review‘Such a great writer’ Jilly Cooper

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Book SynopsisAn unforgettable story about the intertwined lives of two wronged women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of VersaillesSan Francisco, 1906. In a city bustling with newly minted millionaires and scheming upstarts, two very different women hope to change their fortunes: Gemma, a golden-haired, silver-voiced soprano whose career desperately needs rekindling, and Suling, a petite and resolute Chinatown embroideress who is determined to escape an arranged marriage.Their paths cross when they are drawn into the orbit of Henry Thornton, a charming railroad magnate whose extraordinary collection of Chinese antiques includes the fabled Phoenix Crown, a legendary relic of Beijing's fallen Summer Palace.His patronage offers Gemma and Suling the chance of a lifetime, but their lives are thrown into turmoil when a devastating earthquake rips San Francisco apart and Thornton disappears, leaving behind a mystery reaching further than anyone could have Trade ReviewPraise for Kate Quinn: ‘Recommend it to all lovers of smart historical fiction’ Booklist ‘Exciting . . . historical fiction fans will be riveted’ Publishers Weekly ‘Readers looking for a new and unique viewpoint of World War II with a mystery to solve and a light touch of romance will dive deep into this story’ Library Journal ‘A fascinating read . . . if you’re a fan of 20th-century history then look no further’ Altrincham Today ‘A remarkable story filled with heart, intrigue [and] breathtaking drama’ Allison Pataki ‘Quinn weaves humanity and emotional depth through the narrative’ Sarah Penner ‘Beautifully rendered . . . utterly absorbing’ Natasha Lester ‘Kate Quinn takes expert aim at one of history’s forgotten heroines to bring us a story that will pull you in from the very first sentence’ Alix Rickloff

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Book SynopsisSet in Kent Haruf’s fictional landscape of Holt County, Colorado, Plainsong is a story of simple lives told with extraordinary empathy.‘Beautifully crafted, alive and quietly magnificent’ – Roddy Doyle, author of The Commitments‘So delicate and lovely that it has the power to exalt the reader’ – The New York TimesTom Guthrie is struggling to bring up his two young sons alone and, in the same town, school girl Victoria Roubideaux is pregnant and homeless. Brothers Harold and Raymond McPheron – gentle, solitary, gruff and unpolished – agree to take Victoria in, unaware that their lives will change forever.Part of the Picador Collection, Plainsong is an undeniable classic that explores the grace and hope of every human life and mankind’s infinite capacity for love. It is a novel of haunting beauty from one of America’s greatest wri

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