Contemporary Fiction Books

Book Synopsis''The best book I have read in a long long time'' - Amazon reviewThe twisty, gripping novel about a shocking secret at the heart of a family, and a mother desperate to keep it hidden - perfect for fans of Kathryn Hughes'' The Letter, Amanda Prowse''s My Husband''s Wife, and Liarby K L SlaterAfter decades in a deeply unhappy marriage, Annie Doyle can barely bring herself to care that her husband Vince is finally about to die.But as the family gathers to see out his final days, Vince utters a single word that will change everyone''s lives completely: ''Martha.''Who is Martha? And why is Annie so quick to dismiss the mention of her name?As Annie''s long-held secrets start to emerge, the lives of everyone she holds dear will be changed forever...If you like Kathryn Hughes, Jodi Picoult, Amanda Prowse, Katie Marsh, Kerry Fisher, Jenny Blackhurst, Rachel Abbott or Camilla WayTrade ReviewPraise for THIS MUCH IS TRUE by Jane Sanderson, the twisty, gripping novel about the shocking secret at the centre of a family, and a mother desperate to keep it hidden - for fans of Kathryn Hughes and Jodi Picoult:This Much is True is hugely enjoyable, with a wonderful twist at the end, that I never saw coming. If you love family dramas and books that explore why people act the way they do, then this is the book for you * Brew and Books Review *What I loved most about this book was the characters, particularly Annie herself and the wonderful, terrible Michael who looms over the story like a big black hawk * EMMA CURTIS, author of One Little Mistake *This is a very special book and I greatly recommend it! * JC, Amazon reviewer *Shades of Joanna Trollope... But it turns into something much more mysterious as we ask: why doesn't the dutiful Annie love her dying husband? * DAILY MAIL *

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Book SynopsisThe dead don''t always rest in peace . . . Discover the gripping Richard and Judy pick, and first thriller in the bestselling Inspector McLean seriesFrom the Sunday Times bestseller comes an electrifying crime thriller for fans of Ian Rankin, Peter James and Stuart MacBrideEdinburgh is horrified by a series of bloody killings.Deaths for which there appears to be neither rhyme nor reason, and which leave the city''s police stumped.DI Tony McLean is focused on the investigation, but his attention is drawn by a chilling cold case:A young girl, ritualistically murdered.Her remains hidden for sixty years.It seems impossible that there could be any connection between the cases, but McLean starts to wonder . . .Because if it''s true, they might be facing an evil beyond anything they ever imagined.Praise for James Oswald:''Crime fiction''s next big thing'' Sunday TeleTrade ReviewCrime fiction's next big thing * The Sunday Telegraph *Literary sensation...James' overnight success has drawn comparisons with the meteoric rise of EL James and her Fifty Shades of Grey series * Daily Mail *Fifty Shades of Hay * The Times *Oswald is among the leaders in the new batch of excellent Scottish crime writers * Daily Mail *The new Ian Rankin * Daily Record *The hallmarks of Val McDermid or Ian Rankin: it's dark, violent, noirish * The Herald *A star of Scotland's burgeoning crime fiction scene * Daily Record *

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Book SynopsisExquisite a clear head and shoulders above the rest' Sunday IndependentCompelling I can't recommend this one highly enough.' Gill PaulThis exquisite, thoroughly researched book places (Gaynor) a clear head and shoulders above the rest. Sunday IndependentA splendid read Not to be missed.' Kate Quinn ( New York Times Bestselling Author of The Alice Network)1838: when a terrible storm blows up off the Northumberland coast, Grace Darling, the lighthouse-keeper's daughter, knows there is little chance of survival for the passengers on the small ship battling the waves. But her actions set in motion an incredible feat of bravery that echoes down the century.1938: when nineteen-year-old Matilda Emmerson sails across the Atlantic to New England, she faces an uncertain future. Staying with her reclusive relative, Harriet Flaherty, a lighthouse keeper on Rhode Island, Matilda discovers a discarded portrait that opens a window on to a secret that will change her life forever.Trade Review‘Atmospheric’ My Weekly ‘Shines a brilliant light on female courage and endurance…A splendid read’ Kate Quinn, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Alice Network ‘This exquisite, thoroughly researched book places her a clear head and shoulders above the rest.’ Sunday Independent ‘Beautiful, heart-wrenching yet life affirming – I loved it.’ Fionnuala Kearney author of You, Me and Other People ‘A compelling read, the best kind of historical fiction.’ Portobello Book Blog ‘So absorbing, I couldn’t put it down.’ Book Chat ‘Hazel delivers a cast of strong, courageous women for readers to fall in love with.’ writing.ie Praise for Hazel Gaynor: ‘This is a gorgeous, uplifting, magical book that will have you hooked from the start.’ Gill Paul author of The Secret Wife ‘Peopled with unforgettable characters…Once begun, I dare you to put it down.’ Kathleen Tessaro, author of The Perfume Collector ‘Beautiful, heart-wrenching yet life affirming – I loved it.’ Fionnuala Kearney, author of You, Me and Other People ‘Hazel delivers a cast of strong, courageous women for readers to fall in love with.’ writing.ie ‘Her pages pulse with luxurious language and fine detail… an emotive and accessible read' Gloss Magazine ‘Gorgeously written’ Irish Independent

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Book Synopsis A poignant story of three young adults trying to make a future for themselves in war-torn Damascus Syria - a country at war. Amal, Hammoudi and Youssef are young and ambitious, the face of modern Syria. But when civil war tears through their homeland, they are left with a horrifying choice: risk death by staying in the country they love, or flee in search of a new life elsewhere? From one of Germany's most talented literary voices comes this intricately woven story of brutality, loss, and how hope can shine through when darkness feels overwhelming.Trade Review‘Grjasnowa’s measured undemonstrative writing style (the book is beautifully translated from German by Katy Derbyshire) is central to the novel’s success... A significant literary and moral success.’ * Big Issue *‘There are few authors writing in German as sensuously and vividly as Grjasnowa.’ * KulturSpiegel *‘Grjasnowa provides a close-as-skin understanding of what it's like to suffer bombardment, torture, and dislocation while remaining human and hopeful... Highly recommended.’ * Library Journal, Reading Around the World: 12 Top Spring Titles for the Library Market *‘An important and painful book.’ * Deutschlandradio Kultur *‘Olga Grjasnowa's sentences crack like a whip.’ * Süddeutsche Zeitung *‘It is wonderful that there are writers like Grjasnowa who can write brilliantly and decisively about the real world.’ * Brigitte *‘A dark, tragic story with the resilient light of humanity shining through it... It truly spoke to my soul.’ * Marjorie's World of Books, blog review *‘Olga Grjasnowa writes from the nerve center of her generation.’ * Die Zeit *‘Grajsnowa’s extraordinary novel offers an opportunity to reacquaint ourselves with one of the great tragedies of our time - to remember what that nation once was, why and how the conflict began and what it has led to…Grajsnowa’s measured undemonstrative writing style (the book is beautifully translated from German by Katy Derbyshire) is central to the novel’s success…The reader isn’t patronised or manipulated, and the emotional impact is all the greater. Characters come and go and live and die as the novel heads for its masterly, shattering denouement. A significant literary and moral success.’ * Big Issue *‘A truly gifted writer...[who] has a very bright future ahead of her.’ * Yahoo! Voices *

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Book SynopsisWelcome to the retirement home of Henry and Frances, ex-New Yorkers and professional assassins: a luxury hotel suite in an idyllic, tequila-drenched Caribbean hideaway.It's supposed to be all cocktails and sex on the beach. But when a job icing a Mafioso godfather goes awry, trouble hits paradise . . . in the form of a cross-dressing capo, a debauched Irish hard man and a slew of incompetent but vicious US marshals.Trade ReviewA caper of murder and mayhem that reads like Carl Hiaasen on holiday with Elmore Leonard and goes out with a bang like a tequila slammer * * The Times * *A sparkling read * * Daily Telegraph * *Sharp and funny - if it's gangster rap you want to read then Bourdain is your man * * Daily Express * *A cross between The Sopranos and Baywatch * * Crimetime * *This wise-cracking, snappy tale refreshes like a Caribbean breeze * * Herald * *This sassy story of murder mayhem and Caribbean cocktails . . . is a superior read for the beach this summer -- Lucy Knox * * Tribune * *

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Book SynopsisWith a new introduction by DIANA EVANS''A writer of huge compassion and acute observation, and also of dazzling style . . . Her work is more relevant than ever'' Diana Evans''Timelessly cinematic, with painterly visual descriptions and pitch-perfect dialogue that ranges across class, region, race, age, and gender'' Emma Garman, Paris ReviewSet on a bucolic Martha''s Vineyard in the 1950s, The Wedding tells the story of life in the Oval, a proud, insular community made up of the best and brightest of the East Coast''s black bourgeoisie. Within this inner circle of ''blue-vein society'', we witness the prominent Coles family gather for the wedding of their loveliest daughter, Shelby, who could have chosen from ''a whole area of eligible men of the right colors and the right professions.'' Instead, she has fallen in love with and is about to be married to Mead Wyler, a white jazz musician from New York. A shock wave breTrade ReviewIn The Wedding, West brilliantly portrays the ferocity of class, race, and gender distinctions within family, groups, and generations - Entertainment WeeklyWest published her second novel, The Wedding (1995), at the age of 87. It received an ecstatic reaction ... Set on the Vineyard on a single summer weekend, The Wedding is narrated by an irresistibly droll omniscient voice that veers across centuries to trace the knotty, reverberating heritage of an affluent African American family ... timelessly cinematic, with painterly visual descriptions and pitch-perfect dialogue that ranges across class, region, race, age, and gender - PAris ReviewThe tranquility of a late summer weekend in 1953 is shattered by a tragic accident in this spare, affecting novel by one of the last surviving members of the Harlem Renaissance ... Through the ancestral histories of the Coles family, West subtly reveals the ways in which color can burden and codify behavior. The author makes her points with a delicate hand, maneuvering with confidence and ease through a sometimes incendiary subject ... a triumph. - Publisher's WeeklyYou have only to read the first page to know that you are in the hands of a writer, pure and simple. At the end, it's as though we've been invited not so much to a wedding as to a full-scale opera, only to find that one great artist is belting out all the parts. She brings down the house - New York TimesWest is a wonderful storyteller, painting vivid and memorable scenes of the life and plight of African Americans from slavery to the fifties. The Wedding is an engrossing tale - USA Today

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Man Booker Prize 2018Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2018'An engrossing, unpredictable, beautifully crafted novel' RODDY DOYLEFarouk's country has been torn apart by war.Lampy's heart has been laid waste by Chloe.John's past torments him as he nears his end.The refugee. The dreamer. The penitent. From war-torn Syria to small-town Ireland, three men, scarred by all they have loved and lost, are searching for some version of home. Each is drawn towards a powerful reckoning, one that will bring them together in the most unexpected of ways._________'A thing of such beauty and compassion, a reminder of what the very finest sentences can do to shatter and then reassemble our hearts' KAMILA SHAMSIE'I struggle to think of a writer who has been so prolific and consistent in quality as Ryan ... Brutally honest, moving and often hilarious' GUARDIAN'Donal Ryan has not only bounded over a wall into new territory, but built himself a castle there . . . This is a superb novel.' JOHN BOYNE'Beautiful and affecting' DAVID NICHOLLS'Donal Ryan writes characters so well that as a reader you think 'I've met that man', or 'I know that woman.' But as a writer you simply wonder 'how does he do it?' From a Low and Quiet Sea is brutal and beautiful, carefully crafted portraits, deep and real, tied together, fashioned by a true artist. I absolutely loved it.' KIT DE WAALTrade ReviewA thing of such beauty and compassion, a reminder of what the very finest sentences can do to shatter and then reassemble our hearts * Kamila Shamsie *Beautiful and affecting * David Nicholls *I struggle to think of a writer who has been so prolific and consistent in quality as Ryan . . . Brutally honest, moving and often hilarious * Guardian *An engrossing, unpredictable, beautifully crafted novel; Donal Ryan is giving us characters - their angles and their language - that we haven’t seen in Irish literature before. -- RODDY DOYLEDonal Ryan has not only bounded over a wall into new territory, but built himself a castle there . . . This is a superb novel. -- JOHN BOYNEFrom a Low and Quiet Sea is not only very cleverly constructed, but deeply moving too. I loved it. * Louis de Bernières *Donal Ryan writes characters so well that as a reader you think ‘I’ve met that man’, or ‘I know that woman.’ But as a writer you simply wonder ‘how does he do it?’ From a Low and Quiet Sea is brutal and beautiful, carefully crafted portraits, deep and real, tied together, fashioned by a true artist. I absolutely loved it. -- KIT DE WAALThemes of kindness and humanity are the binding thread…and Ryan writes of them with characteristic warmth and insight. * Sunday Times *The book has stayed with me -- Jonathan Franzen * Guardian, Best Books of 2018 *It’s a beautiful, luminous kind of piece - full of mystery, compassion, woven with such skill; heartbreaking and restorative. I will carry these splintered men around with me for a long time, along with the women who have loved them. -- RACHEL JOYCEFrom a Low and Quiet Sea is beautifully written, compassionate and almost unbearably moving. I loved it. I would struggle to think of any other Irish author working today who writes with as much compassion as Donal Ryan. -- LOUISE O'NEILLDonal Ryan writes with such sharp observation and humanity, that he makes us sit up and wonder at the tiny quiet internal lives of strangers. His writing is a wonderful gift to all of us. From a Low and Quiet Sea is another short and perfect novel to be inhaled in one heart-lurching gulp. -- LIZ NUGENTRyan is not the first Irish writer indebted to Joyce, but his work reminds me of something Sylvia Beach said about Joyce: “He told me that he had never met a bore.”…Wonderful * Irish Times *Deft and devastating…this book is both hard-hitting and uplifting: it serves as an indictment of the care industry, but also as a tribute to the way that humans care for one another. * The Observer *The denouement, which comes in breathless bursts, is devastating. From a Low and Quiet Sea leaves you with that sense of discombobulating enlightenment that so often characterises the quiet epiphanies of great short stories. * Sunday Times *A masterly portrait . . . the confidence with which Ryan dons the clothing of another culture marks a departure for his writing . . . a successor to John McGahern . . . It is exciting to see his subject matter move beyond his country’s borders, with the prospect of more of this to come.’ * The Spectator *Haunting ... utterly persuasive -- Joseph O'Connor * Irish Times, Books of the Year *The lives and stories, loves and tragedies, animating From a Low and Quiet Sea are wonderfully individual and finely alive. This is a brief book: yet one that lingers long in the reader’s mind. * New Statesman *As moving as anything written about Syria * Mail on Sunday *It is vomit-inducing, it’s so good. * Kit de Waal, Observer *

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Book SynopsisBy the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in LiteratureLONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE''One scarcely dares breathe while reading it for fear of breaking the enchantment'' The TimesGurnah is a master storyteller'' Financial TimesOn a late November afternoon Saleh Omar arrives at Gatwick Airport from Zanzibar, a far away island in the Indian Ocean. With him he has a small bag in which lies his most precious possession - a mahogany box containing incense. He used to own a furniture shop, have a house and be a husband and father. Now he is an asylum seeker from paradise; silence his only protection. Meanwhile Latif Mahmud, someone intimately connected with Saleh''s past, lives quietly alone in his London flat. When Saleh and Latif meet in an English seaside town, a story is unravelled. It is a story of love and betrayal, seduction and possession, and of a people desperately trying to find stability amidst the maelstrom of their times.Trade ReviewRarely in a lifetime can you open a book and find that reading it encapsulates the enchanting qualities of a love affair ... one scarcely dares breathe while reading it for fear of breaking the enchantment * The Times *

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Book Synopsis‘The Alan Banks mystery-suspense novels are the best series on the market. Try one and tell me I'm wrong’ Stephen KingFrom the master of police procedural and bestselling author of Standing in the Shadows comes Past Reason Hated, book five in Peter Robinson’s the Inspector Banks series.A BRUTAL KILLING. NUMEROUS SUSPECTS. BANKS MUST UNCOVER THE TRUTH.It should have been a cosy scene – log fire, sheepskin rug, Vivaldi on the stereo, Christmas lights and tree. But appearances can be deceptive. For Caroline Hartley, lying quietly on the couch, has been brutally murdered.Inspector Alan Banks is called to the grim scene. And he soon has more suspects than he ever imagined. As he delves into her past, he realizes that for Caroline, secrecy was a way of life, and her death is no different. His ensuing investigation is full of hidden passions and desperate violence . . .Past Reason Hated is followed by Wednesday’s Child in the Inspector Banks series.

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Book SynopsisThe breakthrough book from the highly acclaimed author of By the SeaTrade ReviewRich in detail and filled with acute observations, this novel movingly examines the absences eating away at the core of all of its characters * Sunday Telegraph *As beautifully written and pleasurable as anything I've read ... Gurnah's portrait is the work of a maestro * Guardian *This is an impressive and deeply serious book, a careful and often heartfelt exploration of the way memory inevitably consoles and disappoints us * Sunday Times *An absorbing novel about abandonment and loss ... Gurnah writes beautifully, with the satisfying assurance of someone who knows how to achieve his effects without undue fuss but with absolute precision * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisLRB BOOKSHOP'S AUTHOR OF THE MONTH ONE OF THE GUARDIAN'S BEST BOOKS OF 2019'If you haven't read Bernhard, you will not know of the most radical advance in fiction since Joyce ...

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Book SynopsisThe second Fairacre novel, from the bestselling author of VILLAGE SCHOOL.In her first book VILLAGE SCHOOL, Miss Read drew a picture of the small but detailed world of a typical primary school in a remote country area, a world peopled by the children themselves, Miss Clare the venerable infants teacher, glum Mrs Pringle the cleaner, the vicar and other inhabitants of Fairacre. In VILLAGE DIARY, Miss Read describes the people of Fairacre with the same exactitude, sense of comedy and sharp observation. In addition to those characters familiar to readers of VILLAGE SCHOOL there are newcomers, including dictatorial Amy, an old college friend, Mr Mawne, whom the village sees as a possible husband for the unwilling Miss Read; and the earnest new infants teacher. Overshadowing everything, there is the mammoth country pageant over which Fairacre is so sharply and painfully divided...

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Book Synopsis*Escape with the gripping new novel from Lucy Clarke, THE SURF HOUSE, available to buy now*Nothing has felt right since Elle rented out her house . . .I'M IN YOUR HOUSEThere's a new coldness. A shift in the atmosphere. The prickling feeling that someone is watching her every move from the shadows.I'M IN YOUR HEADMaybe it's all in Elle's mind? She's a writer her imagination, after all, is her strength. And yet every threat seems personal. As if someone has discovered the secrets that keep her awake at night.AND NOW I KNOW YOUR SECRETAs fear and paranoia close in, Elle's own home becomes a prison. Someone is unlocking her past and she's given them the keySpine-tingling, chilling, and utterly compulsive, this is the thriller that EVERYONE is talking about right now Brilliantly creepy' Sabine DurrantSuper-believable, super creepy and super-readable (if terrifying!)' FabulousClever, tense, twisty' C.L. TaylorA tour de force' Gillian McCallisterRiveting, atmospheric and unsettling' HeatBrilliant and chilling' Karen HamiltonTrade Review‘Wonderfully atmospheric with a brilliantly creepy setting and deliciously shifty characters. I gulped it in’ – Sabine Durrant ‘Clever, tense, twisty and unpredictable, You Let Me In is Lucy Clarke's best book yet! Brilliant’ – C.L. Taylor ‘Clever, compelling and riveting’ – Prima ‘Utterly compulsive! Twisty, atmospheric, and beautifully written. I couldn’t put it down’ – Claire Douglas ‘A tour de force; both a page-turning suspense novel and a dark look at modern life and the falsehoods we hide behind, with an extremely clever, layered ending: I love it’ – Gillian McAllister ‘An engrossing read with a clever twist’ – Good Housekeeping ‘A satisfying, gripping read that sucked me in and kept me guessing’ – Cass Green 'Lucy Clarke is brilliant at creating a sense of rising panic and fear. Beautifully written and cleverly constructed, You Let Me In conjures up every author's worst nightmare as her heroine's perfect life becomes a trap’ – Jane Casey ‘A wonderfully creepy read, full of suspense and once I started, I had to race through to the end . . . Brilliant and chilling’ – Karen Hamilton ‘Super-believable, super creepy and super-readable (if terrifying!)’ Fabulous ‘Such compulsive reading . . . I was hooked from the first page. A deeply satisfying novel, perfectly structured and paced’ – Emylia Hall ‘The very definition of a page-turner’ – Clare Mackintosh ‘Tense, moody and totally gripping, the scenes felt cinematic and it kept me guessing until the very last pages’ – Fionnuala Kearney ‘Riveting, atmospheric and unsettling, this is a read-in-one-sitting gem of a novel that will grab you right from the first page’ – Heat ‘Another first-class novel from Lucy Clarke. You Let Me In is a masterclass in how to combine a spine-tingling twisty plot with beautiful atmospheric writing. I’m now going to check my windows and doors are locked…’Tracy Buchanan

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Book SynopsisWarm, uplifting & importanta very VERY special book' Marian KeyesBeautifully moving and uplifting' Cecelia AhernMeet Tom. Or Dr O'Grady, as he used to be called. When you pass him on the street, most people don't even give him a second glance. You see, Tom isn't living his best life. Burdened by grief, he's only got his loyal dog, Bette Davis, for company and a rucksack containing his whole world.Then there's Ruth and her son, DJ, who no longer have a place to call home.But Ruth believes that you can change the world by helping one person at a time and Tom needs her helpWhy readers and authors love Carmel Harrington:At 72 years old I have lived a life that encompasses most of your stories and you give a lift to my soul that inspires me' Ruth, NorwichConvincing characters, always gripping, endearing, with a cracking pace' IRISH INDEPENDENTBeautifully written, emotionally intelligent & moving in the extreme' DAILY MAILBrave and original' Liz NugentImportant, life-affirming and bursting with Carmel's trademark warmth and hope. It belongs on everyone's shelf, and in everyone's hearts' Hazel GaynorTimely, moving and FULL of heart' Catherine Ryan HowardA remarkable, special, joyous book that captured my heart' Alex BrownFearless, brave and so full of heartCarmel has written her first number one' Claudia CarrollTrade ReviewConvincing characters, always gripping, endearing, with a cracking pace.IRISH INDEPENDENT A popular voice in Irish publishing, often compared to the beloved Maeve Binchy, Harrington focuses her books on relationships, with a strong emotional overlay.LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW Carmel Harrington is a natural storyteller … with heart, humour & hope. RTE Beautifully written, emotionally intelligent & moving in the extreme. DAILY MAIL UK Heartwarming humour, with tears, laughter & friendship. Immensely enjoyable.IRISH TIMES Will make you see life in a different way. WOMAN'S WAY Her books are like a hug, they envelop you … clever, finely honed, they make you think & make you grateful. IRELAND AM BOOK CLUB An uplifting, relevant must-read. IMAGE MAGAZINE Heartwarming & emotional. IRISH COUNTRY MAGAZINE A nuanced read, but at its heart, warm. SUNDAY INDEPENDENT Get your tissues ready! BEST MAGAZINE Stunning. IRISH TIMES GLOSS MAGAZINE Touching, heart-aching, yet feel good read, full of love & humour. LOVEREADING.CO.UK Will melt even the coldest of hearts. NOVELICIOUS Quietly brilliant, will make you cry, laugh & cry all over again. FEMALE FIRST MAGAZINE Heartwarming & Heartbreaking. EVENING HERALD The lesson A Thousand Roads Home teaches you, is one that will stay in your heart a very long time. SHEMAZING MAGAZINE One of Ireland’s most talked about female authors. THE IRISH WORLD Carmel’s writing is exquisite and she has a real talent for making you believe that you can be extraordinary too. INDULGE ME MAGAZINE

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Book SynopsisTHE WORLD''S FAVOURITE AUTHOR ONE BILLION COPIES SOLDA queen of hearts . . . aloneTo the doctors the woman in the ambulance was just another casualty - just more beautiful than most, more badly hurt, like a delicate damaged butterfly . . . surely someone was waiting for her to come home? Surely a husband or a lover would call?Daphne Fields is loved and known by millions. Her novels turn pain to joy, give her readers hope and the promise of new love when tears blind them. Her stories are drawn from her own struggle: to choose between two men . . . to choose between being a mother, an artist, or a lover.She has now found strength, friendship, passion . . . but now, when she needs it, can she hope to find the reality of true love more than once in a lifetime?An epic and romantic tale from one of the best-loved writers of all time. Perfect for fans of Penny Vincenzi, Lucinda Riley and Maeve BinchyPRAISE FOR DANIELLE STEEL:''Emotional and gripping . . . I was left in no doubt as to the reasons behind Steel''s multi-million sales around the world'' DAILY MAIL''Danielle Steel is undeniably an expert'' NEW YORK TIMESTrade ReviewThere are currently no reviews for this title/product

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Book SynopsisTHE WORLD''S FAVOURITE AUTHOR ONE BILLION COPIES SOLDAt journey''s end would a new life begin? When Liane crossed the Atlantic and arrived in Europe, the future seemed bright and beautiful. Only the image of a face haunted her new life in France. Then the Second World War sent her on a fateful crossing, leaving her husband far behind. Suspended between two worlds, Liane was swept into a passionate affair, a bright brief moment of total happiness. Would the voyage seal her love for ever, or leave her stranded on the shores of heartbreak and despair?PRAISE FOR DANIELLE STEEL:''Emotional and gripping . . . I was left in no doubt as to the reasons behind Steel''s multi-million sales around the world'' DAILY MAIL''Danielle Steel is undeniably an expert'' NEW YORK TIMES

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Book SynopsisThe moving, uplifting novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Sunny Days and Sea Breezes One day she had everything - the next it was gone.William and Amy love their busy city life, but when Will collapses on his way into work he decides enough is enough and moves his family to the country.Three months later, Amy is standing outside Helmshill Grange, a sullen monstrosity of a house, deep in the Yorkshire moors. Within days, Will has traded in the Audi for a Land Rover, and brought home chickens, goats, sheep, a serial-killer cat and a mad dog.But when tragedy strikes, Amy finds herself living a dream that isn''t hers . . .Your favourite authors love Carole Matthews:''A gorgeous novel that will delight''KATIE FFORDE''Fun, fantastic and brimming with Matthews magic''MILLY JOHNSON''A life-affirming story full of joy and hope''CATHY BRAMLEYTrade ReviewAll the warmth and wit we expect from Carole Matthews. Perfect * Bella *Witty, funny and incredibly touching * Heat *Simply brilliant * Closer *Hilarious * OK! *

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Book SynopsisGoodreads finalist 2012 as voted by over 1 million readersMy name is BUDO.I have been alive for 5 years.5 years is a very long time for someone like me to be alive.MAX gave me my name. Max is 8 years old.He is the only human person who can see me.I know what Max knows, and some things he doesn''t.I know that Max is in danger. And I know that I am the only one who can save him.Trade ReviewFrom no. 1 bestselling author Jodi Picoult: 'A novel as creative, brave, and pitch-perfect as its narrator, an imaginary friend named Budo, who reminds us that bravery comes in the most unlikely forms. It has been a long time since I read a book that has captured me so completely, and has wowed me with its unique vision. You've never read a book like this before. As Budo himself might say: Believe me' * Jodi Picoult *Remarkably fun, has adventure and mystery and unlike anything you'll have read before . . . It is undeniably an absorbing story that is more than a little magical * Bookbag blog *An endearing tale of love, loyalty and the extraordinary power of a child's imagination * Glamour *This story is simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting, essentially celebrating the extraordinary power of the mind * Image Magazine *A captivating novel that you'll want to read in one sitting * Bella *This debut is a fantastic idea that'll really capture the imagination * Star *Uplifting..Don't Miss * Woman and Home *An endearing tale of love, loyalty and the extraordinary power of a child's imagination * Glamour *This story is simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting, essentially celebrating the extraordinary power of the mind * Image magazine *An absorbing, moving story * Cosmopolitan *Seriously impressive * Heat *A perfect read for fans of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time * Holiday magazine *Refreshingly different * Woman *

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Book Synopsis''A sheer delight from start to finish'' Sophie Kinsella Come and meet Issy Randall, proud owner of The Cupcake Café . . . ''An evocative, sweet treat'' Jojo Moyes ''Gorgeous, glorious, uplifting'' Marian Keyes ''Irresistible'' Jill Mansell ''Just lovely'' Katie Fforde ''Naturally funny, warm-hearted'' Lisa Jewell ''A gobble-it-all-up-in-one-sitting kind of book'' Mike Gayle ___________________________________Issy Randall can bake. No, more than that - Issy can create stunning, mouth-wateringly divine cakes. After a childhood spent in her beloved Grampa Joe''s bakery, she has undoubtedly inherited his talent.When she''s made redundant from her safe but dull City job, Issy decides to seize the moment. Armed with recipes from Grampa, and with her best friends and local bank manager fighting her corner, The Cupcake Café opens its doors. But Issy has absolutely no ideTrade ReviewSheer indulgence from start to finish * Sophie Kinsella *

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Book SynopsisWhen her beloved grandmother is hospitalised, Jennifer returns to the lakeside home where she spent a magical childhood. There she finds a package of letters addressed to her that tell of passion, intrigue and desire. This is the real tale of her grandmother''s life. It''s a shocking family secret, concealed for decades, and the most moving love story Jennifer has ever heard.Then comes the biggest surprise of all. Jennifer lets her guard down for a moment and is overcome by exhilarating new emotions. It might come with an unbearable cost - but her grandmother''s letters make Jennifer think that love may help her find a way.Trade Review'The novel's structure works brilliantly, with Patterson as usual using brief chapters and simple prose to propel the reader onward... [A tale] that few if any will put down as Patterson again shows how it is done' Publishers Weekly, 7/6/04 * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisHelen Ross, a twenty-nine-year-old biologist, is sent to a sleepy Rocky Mountain ranching town to defend a pack of wolves from those who want to destroy them. For in Hope, Montana, a century ago, the wolf was slaughtered to extinction and though now protected by law as an endangered species, the old hatred runs deep.Alone in this hostile place, bruised by a broken love affair, Helen struggles for self-esteem and survival, embarking on a dangerous alliance with the son of her most ferocious opponent, the brutal and charismatic Buck Calder.Trade ReviewThings aren't going too well for wolf biologist Helen Ross. At 29, she's unemployed (recently retired dishwasher), single (boyfriend of two years left her for Africa), and has just learned that her father is marrying someone younger, richer, and prettier than herself (completely accurate). Back in her lonely log cabin in Cape Cod, frantically chain-smoking, she receives a message from her former lover Dan Prior. Prior, also a biologist, works for the US Fish & Wildlife Service wolf-recovery program. In return for helping him track the lupine posse, Prior will provide her with a cabin, truck, and a snowmobile for good measure in a rustic little town called Hope, just outside of Helena, Montana. Apparently, Ross has never heard the proverb "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is," and happily skips off to Big Sky Country. Within moments of her arrival, she finds out what she's up against: a small town with a long history of wolf fear and loathing, no resources (big surprise) and a powerful rancher who will do whatever it takes to eliminate the wolves. The rancher, testosterone-saturated Buck Calder, has got the community riled up after a wolf stalked his daughter's home and killed the family dog. He won't stop until every last endangered wolf is dead, which proves problematic for Ross when she decides to romance his 18- year-old son, Luke. Cynics be warned: their love affair spawns a trove of gooey pillow talk and syrupy prose. Even so, Evans has made impressive strides as a writer since his debut novel, The Horse Whisperer, and his storytelling has reached a noticeably new level of sophistication: the plot is tight, the characterisation is realistic, and the dialogue is crisp. Rebekah Warren

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Book SynopsisWeaving together the historical and the imagined, China Miéville's The Last Days of New Paris is a surreal and extraordinary work, from the author of The City & The City.1941. In the chaos of wartime Marseille, American engineer and occult disciple Jack Parsons stumbles onto a clandestine anti-Nazi group, including Surrealist theorist André Breton. In the strange games of dissident diplomats, exiled revolutionaries, and avant-garde artists, Parsons finds and channels hope. But what he unwittingly unleashes is the power of dreams and nightmares, changing the war and the world for ever.1950. A lone Surrealist fighter, Thibaut, walks a new, hallucinogenic Paris, where Nazis and the Resistance are trapped in unending conflict, and the streets are stalked by living images and texts - and by the forces of Hell. To escape the city, Thibaut must join forces with Sam, an American photographer intent on recording the ruins, and Trade ReviewA dazzling scholarly fantasy . . . The bestiary of surrealist manifs, or manifestations, that Miéville parades before us is dazzling . . . the effect is exhilaratingly precise and serious, as though Albert Camus had rewritten Raiders of the Lost Ark . . . At the story’s climax it turns out to be satisfyingly horrible, but not as bad as what follows – a brilliantly eerie apparition that it would be invidious to reveal here . . . This intense, scholarly fantasy speaks to our age. * Guardian *Treading the line between beauty and horror, history and fantasy, Miéville filters a clash of art and philistinism through the medium of wartime spy fiction. This dense, clever book’s flights of fancy are grounded in details such as “a miraculously uneaten cat” dashing for cover, the whole thing rounded off with a knowing satirical wink. * Financial Times *[The Last Days of New Paris] has a hallucinatory jeu d’esprit . . . Fun, very inventive and thoughtful, particularly for readers interested in Surrealism’s revolutionary politics. I loved it. * Daily Telegraph *If anyone were to write a sequel to Invisible Cities, Italo Calvino’s dreamlike catalogue of fantastic places, then China Miéville might well be the man for the job . . . Miéville has always had a knack for visions of the uncanny . . . Here he is evoking other people’s imaginings, still with precision and grace. * Times Literary Supplement *Initially joyous, fundamentally chilling book . . . Riotous . . . With its fractured oppositions, bad taste, demagoguery and monstrous alliances it seems all too relevant. * Spectator *There's so much absurd beauty among the fauna in this story of surrealist art come to life in Nazi-occupied France, in fact, that the author's subtler points about imagination and oppression arrive as a surprise . . . The finale of The Last Days of New Paris is both moving and disturbingly timely: Imagination has often been used to puncture fascism; now Miéville asks whether fascism can defeat and subvert art. * Newsday *A fine introduction to [Miéville's] unique imagination * Chicago Tribune *A strange and compelling tale. * New York Post *A novel both unhinged and utterly compelling, a kind of guerrilla warfare waged by art itself, combining both meticulous historical research and Miéville's unparalleled inventiveness. * Los Angeles Times *Hauntingly poetic, strangely beautiful . . . The characters, especially Sam the journalist, are vividly drawn into life. This is a book that deftly balances thumping action with quiet contemplation. * San Francisco Book Review *Miéville’s subtle understanding of politics, married to his sophisticated interest in science and art, gives us a short tale that is packed with ideas and inventions . . . A page-turner whose end left me almost physically applauding. -- Michael Moorcock * New Statesman *Fascinating . . . an unforgettable dreamscape superimposed on the familiar, a manifestation of the mind worth examining. -- Barnes and Noble blogFantasy and historical events intermingle in a visionary tale of war and resistance taking in surrealist André Breton, the Nazi occupation and the forces of hell * Guardian *That you really want to know what side will win says much about the quality of a necessarily strange and uncompromising book that reminds us that the old weird of surrealism still has the power to shock if we remember to look at it with fresh eyes. * SFX *Miéville takes one of the most exhausted tropes of alternate history – a counterfactual Second World War – and breathes joyously vivid life into it. With relish and thoughtful deliberation, he juxtaposes the intentional irrationality of Surrealism with the uglier, bloodier irrationality of warfare . . . The Last Days Of New Paris not only delivers all the fun its premise suggests, but thrills with the sheer depth of its ambition, invention and historical detail. * Sunday Herald (Glasgow) *Beautiful, stunningly realized . . . [The Last Days of New Paris] is a brief vacation in alien latitudes, a midnight layover in an imaginary place. -- NPR

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Book SynopsisHer father died instantly, her mother in the hospital. She has learned to say this flatly and without emotion, the way she says her name (Marina), her doll's name (also Marina) and her age (seven). Her parents were killed in a car crash and now she lives in the orphanage with the other little girls. But Marina is not like the other little girls. In the curious, hyperreal, feverishly serious world of childhood, Marina and the girls play games of desire and warfare. The daily rituals of playtime, lunchtime and bedtime are charged with a horror; horror is licked by the dark flames of love. When Marina introduces the girls to Marina the Doll, she sets in motion a chain of events from which there can be no release. With shades of Daphne du Maurier, Shirley Jackson, Guillermo Del Toro and Mariana Enríquez, Such Small Hands is a beautifully controlled tour-de-force, a bedtime story to keep readers awake.

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Book SynopsisIf you enjoyed How to Keep a Secret, don’t miss Sarah Morgan’s wonderful new summer read, Family for Beginners! * * * * Your fav authors love Sarah Morgan! ‘Joyful, uplifting and overflowing with love’ Cathy Bramley‘Comfort reading at its best’ Veronica Henry ‘A master storyteller’ Laura Jane Williams‘I loved every sparkly, big-hearted, warm-hug moment’ Miranda Dickinson‘Full of warmth, humour and heart’ Katie Marsh * * * * This summer one family will discover that together, they can do anything. Matriarch Nancy knows she hasn't been the best mother but how can she ever tell her daughters the reason why? Lauren and Jenna are as close as two sisters can be and they made a pact years ago to keep a devastating secret from their mother – but is it time to come clean? Lauren's teenage daughter Mackenzie masks her own pain by keeping her mother at a distance. Her mother, aunt and grandmother keep trying to reach her but will it take a stranger to show her the true meaning of family? When life changes in an instant, the Stewart women are thrown together for a summer and suddenly they must relearn how to be a family. And whilst unravelling their secrets might be their biggest challenge, it could also be their finest moment . . . * * * * Praise for How to Keep a Secret: ‘Heart-warming, emotional, funny and real – I adored this book! Jill Shalvis ‘A warm, wonderful rich story told with care and skill that broke my heart and then put it back together again’ Alex Brown ‘A delightful escape’ Woman & HomeTrade Review MORE PRAISE FOR HOW TO KEEP A SECRET: ‘I laughed, I cried, I held my breath. I absolutely adored it’Cathy Bramley ‘Sarah Morgan just gets better and better’Veronica Henry ‘A compelling, gorgeously drawn story with laughter and tears, warmth and so much heart’Miranda Dickinson ‘This sweeping novel will have you questioning all the secrets you've ever kept. I loved it’Penny Parkes, author of Practice Makes Perfect PRAISE FOR SARAH MORGAN: ‘An uplifting and satisfying tale’My Weekly ‘Full of romance and laughter’HELLO! ‘Feel-good fiction – with edge’Heat ‘A joyous and stirring mix of romance, secrets and family’S Magazine ‘Enjoyably escapist romance’Sunday Mirror

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Book SynopsisA transwoman must come to terms with her history after the death of a family member in this Lambda Award-winning novel.

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Book SynopsisThe Prince of Darkness has been given one last chance: he will be readmitted to the company of his fellow angels if he agrees to live out a human life. Highly sceptical (naturally), the Old Deal-maker negotiates a trial period - a summer holiday in a human body, with all the delights of the flesh. The body, though, turns out to be that of Declan Gunn, a depressed writer living in Clerkenwell, interrupted mid-suicide. Making the best of a bad situation, Luce himself takes to writing - to explain, to strip back the Biblical spin, to help us see the whole thing from his point of view. And to knock that Jesus off his perch. Beset by distractions, miscalculations and all the natural shocks that flesh is heir to, Lucifer slowly begins to learn what it''s like to be us. Glen Duncan''s brilliantly written new novel is an investigation of the world of the senses - the seductiveness of evil, and the affection which keeps us human.

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Book SynopsisThis is a modern-day adventure story featuring Paulo’s supernatural encounter with angels – who appear as warrior women and travel through the Mojave desert on their motorbikes.Trade Review‘Coelho’s writing is beautifully poetic but his message is what counts… he gives me hope and puts a smile on my face.’DAILY EXPRESS ‘One of the few to deserve the term“publishing phenomenon”’INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY ‘His books have had a life-enhancing impact on millions of people.’THE TIMES

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Book SynopsisThe Multi-Million Copy International BestsellerReleased in 2010 as a major motion picture starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Sarah''s Key is perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and All the Light We Cannot See. ''A remarkable novel. Like Sophie''s Choice, it''s a book that impresses itself upon one''s heart and soul forever'' Naomi Ragen, author of The Saturday WifeParis, July 1942. Sarah, a ten-year-old Jewish girl, is arrested by the French police in the middle of the night, along with her mother and father. Desperate to protect her younger brother, she locks him in a cupboard and promises to come back for him as soon as she can. Paris, May 2002. Julia Jarmond, an American journalist, is asked to write about the 60th anniversary of the Vel'' d''Hiv'' roundup - the infamous day in 1942 when French police rounded up thousands of Jewish men, women and children, in order to send them to conceTrade ReviewSarah's trials are so riveting, her innocence so absorbing, the book is hard to put down * Publishers' Weekly *Masterly and compelling, it is not something that readers will quickly forget. Highly recommended * Library Journal *A gripping story of loss, family secrets and silence * Warwickshire Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisIt is four years since the virus came, killing every adult in its path. Not long after that the electricity failed. Food and water started running out. Fires raged across the country. Now Anna cares for her brother alone in a house hidden in the woods, keeping him safe from 'the Outside'. But, when the time comes, Anna knows they must leave their world and find another. By turns luminous and tender, gripping and horrifying, Anna is a haunting parable of love and loneliness; of the stories we tell to sustain us, and the lengths we will go to in order to stay alive.Trade ReviewAmmaniti sets a new standard in post-apocalyptic fiction . . . This story of children running wild in Sicily brilliantly manipulates the usual models even as it transcends their limits . . . In the midst of wonderfully detailed disorder, one girl named Anna struggles to survive, fighting off feral dogs and crazed children and enduring one of recent literature's most nightmarish visions of hell on earth as she tries to feed and protect her young brother, Astor -- John Burnside * * Guardian * *From The Lord of the Flies to The Road, we do love a dystopian tale of survival. And it's apt that in these uncertain modern times, here comes arguably the best one yet . . . Complex, moving and scary, this one will stay with you long after the last page * * Sunday Telegraph * *Ammaniti's Italian bestseller has been compared to . . . Lord Of The Flies and The Road . . . It's a powerfully disturbing and thought-provoking read * * Daily Mail * *One of Italy's foremost literary talents . . . Combines the wayward fantasy of J.G. Ballard with comic-strip adventure . . . Ammaniti has lost none of his gift for landscape description -- Ian Thomson * * Times Literary Supplement * *Brave and uncompromising writing . . . A brutal but moving post-apocalyptic tale set in a world where adults have all been wiped out . . . reminiscent of Lord of the Flies or Cormac McCarthy's The Road . . . written with such heart and compassion for the plight of the characters that you can't help but get sucked in and root for them. Compelling and moving writing -- Doug Johnstone * * Big Issue * *Unbeatable storytelling - an immediate and engaging study of humanity at its best and worst * * Financial Times * *A gripping tale of resilience, friendship and sibling love in a brutal and dangerous world. I loved it! -- MEGAN BRADBURY, author of EVERYONE IS WATCHINGAmmaniti won the Italian Strega Prize for I'm Not Scared, and Anna has the same taut narrative, with straight-from-the-bow suspense, but its mark is philosophical . . . concerned not only with the will to live but also with what makes us alive * * Irish Times * *Ammaniti has an enviable ability to keep readers thoroughly absorbed * * The Herald * *Anna has pretty much everything you could hope for from a post-apocalyptic picaresque adventure story * * London Review of Books * *

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Book SynopsisI invited her in and she took everything'A gripping story of friendship and betrayal from the Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author, Adele ParksReally REALLY good absolutely brilliant' Marian Keyes, No.1 bestselling author of Grown UpsWhen Mel hears from a long-lost friend in need of help, she doesn't hesitate to invite her to stay. Mel and Abi were best friends back in the day, sharing the highs and lows of student life, until Mel's unplanned pregnancy made her drop out of her studies.Now, seventeen years later, Mel and Abi's lives couldn't be more different. Mel is happily married, having raised her son on her own before meeting her husband, Ben. Now they share gorgeous girls and have a chaotic but happy family home, with three children.Abi, meanwhile, followed her lover to LA for a glamorous life of parties, celebrity and indulgence. Everything was perfect, until she discovered her partner had been cheating on her. Seventeen years wasted, and nothing to show for it. So what Abi needTrade Review Praise for I Invited Her In: ‘Really REALLY good… absolutely brilliant’ Marian Keyes ‘Packed with secrets, scandal and suspense, this is Adele Parks at her absolute best’ Heat ‘Wow! What a read. Intense, clever and masterful’ Lisa Jewell 'Original and compelling. I read it in one sitting’ Jane Fallon ‘Fabulously gripping. Superb’ Ruth Jones ‘A beautifully written tale of revenge and retribution, full of unexpected plot twists’ The Daily Mail ‘Weaving together the emotions and ties that bind female friends with a cracking paced twist of a tale’ Stylist ‘This chilling domestic noir tale is full of revenge, betrayal and gasp-out-loud moments’ Fabulous Magazine ‘A tale of revenge and retribution that I read in a single, mesmerised sitting’ Woman & Home ‘A gripping read from the brilliant Adele Parks’ HELLO ‘Entertaining domestic noir’ Sunday Mirror ‘The bestselling domestic noir chiller… Dark and delicious’ HEAT ‘Beautifully written, dark, twisty tale of revenge and retribution filled with unexpected plot twists’ MAIL ONLINE Praise for Adele Parks ‘Tightly plotted, brilliantly conceived and totally gripping’ Lisa Jewell ‘Twisty, unputdownable and utterly engrossing’ Jenny Colgan ‘Gripping, twisty and heartbreaking, this standout story is a triumph’ Isabelle Broom ‘Unpredictable and gripping until the end’ The Lady ‘The plot twists and turns… the reader is left frantic to know how it's going to work out’ Woman ‘The secrets, lies and suspense kept me engrossed’ Daily Mail

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Book SynopsisThe provocative novel by ''one of the greatest writers of our era'' (Hilary Mantel) and ''the Irish novelist everyone should read'' (Colm Tóibín).A writer of pornographic fiction, creates an ideal world of sex through his two stock athletes, Colonel Grimshaw and Mavis Carmichael, while he bungles every phase of his entanglement with an older woman who has the misfortune to fall in love with him. But his insensitivity to this love is in direct contrast to the tenderness with which he attempts to make his aunt''s slow death in hospital tolerable, while his employer, Maloney, failed poet and comic king of pornographers, comes gradually to preside over this broken world. Everywhere in this rich novel is the drama of opposites, but, above all, sex and death are never far from each other.''Wise and compelling ... Elegiac and graceful.'' David Mitchell''I have admired, even loved, John McGahern''s work since his first novel.'' Melvyn Bragg

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Book SynopsisThe Japanese believe that until the age of three, children are gods, each one an okosama, or ''Lord Child''. On their third birthday they fall from grace and join the rest of mankind. Narrated by a child - from the age of two and a half up until her third birthday - this novel reveals how this fall from grace can be a very difficult thing indeed from which to recover.''Nothomb potently distils from the state of infancy the intensity of beginnings, the precariousness, the trailed clouds of glory - that grow indistinct as childhood approaches.'' New York Times''Amélie Nothomb, like an urchin about to pick your pocket, has frighteningly clear eyes and a disarming voice with a wicked snap.'' Luc SanteTrade Review"'French literary lioness Nothomb imagines the inner life of her first two years of childhood, richly depicting this wondrous secret universe.' Elle; 'Potently distills from the state of infancy the intensity of beginnings, the precariousness, the trailed clouds of glory.' New York Times"

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Book SynopsisSMALL, WELL APPOINTED FUTURE. SEMI DETACHED.If the end of the world is nigh, then surely it''s only sensible to make alternative arrangements. Certainly the Earth has its points, but what most people need is something smaller and more manageable. Of course there are those who say that''s planetary treason, but who cares what the weirdos and terrorists think? Not Nathan. All he cares is that his movie gets made and that there''s somebody left to see it.In marketing terms the end of the world will be very big. Anyone trying to save it should remember that.

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Book SynopsisBecky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) is in Hollywood! She''s hanging out with celebs . . . or at least she will be, once her husband Luke introduces her to his new A-list client Sage Seymour.Becky sets her heart on a new career she''s going to be a stylist to the stars! And when a chance encounter thrusts her into the limelight, she grabs her opportunity. But in between choosing clutch bags and chasing celebrities, Becky loses touch with her family and her best friend . . . Caught up in the whirlwind of Tinseltown, has Becky gone too far this time?Everybody loves Sophie Kinsella:I almost cried with laughter Daily MailHilarious . . . you''ll laugh and gasp on every page Jenny ColganProperly mood-altering . . . funny, fast and farcical. I loved it Jojo MoyesA superb tale. Five stars! HeatTrade Review"Great fun...Kinsella had me laughing from page one." -- Fanny Blake Woman & Home "Frothy, fast-paced fun." Glamour "Another delightful page-turner from the author of the best-selling Shopaholic series." Closer "Fans of Sophie Kinsella will love this effervescent story." Sunday Express

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Book SynopsisNo book is more associated with the city of Glasgow than No Mean City. First published in 1935, it is the story of Johnnie Stark, son of a violent father and a downtrodden mother, the ''Razor King'' of Glasgow''s pre-war slum underworld, the Gorbals. The savage, near-truth descriptions, the raw character portrayals, bring to life a story that is fascinating, authentic and convincing.

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Book SynopsisJohn Berry is a son of a hapless dreamer, brother to a cadre of eccentric siblings, and chronicler of the lives lived, the loves experienced, the deaths met, and the myriad strange and wonderful times encountered by the family Berry.Trade ReviewA hectic gaudy saga with the verve of a Marx Brothers movie * The New York Times Book Review *Literate, ingenious and original * Observer *Irving is the wisest, most anguished and funniest novelist of his generation and The Hotel New Hampshire is his best work * Chicago Sun-Times *An American masterpiece -- Anthony Burgess

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Book SynopsisAs seen on ITV in the Zoe Ball Book Club''Beautifully written, thought-provoking and completely charming.'' Ruth Hogan''Mike Gayle is the king of touching, human stories, and this big-hearted book is his best yet'' Heat, 5* This is the stunning novel from bestselling author Mike Gayle, for fans of The Keeper of Lost Things and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. A powerful and bittersweet story of an unexpected male friendship and an unlikely love story, a thought provoking storyline told with Mike''s distinctive wit and insight, touching on issues which affect us all. This uplifting tale reminds us of the simple courage at the heart of every human being.Ever since The Incident, James DeWitt has stayed on the safe side.He likes to know what happens next.Danny Allen is not on the safe side. He is more past the point ofTrade ReviewThe Man I Think I Know by Mike Gayle is amazing! Really uplifting and a jolly good read to boot -- Katie FfordeThat rarest of things; a moving, beautifully written novel about male friendship. The Man I Think I Know is a truthful, wise and wonderfully redemptive story about men stripped bare of the traditional ideals of masculinity - success, strength, power - learning to face up to the real world. I absolutely loved it. -- Lisa JewellThe Man I Think I Know by Mike Gayle is amazing! Really uplifting and a jolly good read to boot -- Katie FfordeBeautifully written, thought-provoking and completely charming. Mike does a wonderful job of tackling a tricky subject (ABI) with sensitivity, wit and humour. His story reminds us that the everyday things we take for granted without realising how precious they are, can be snatched away in an instant with catastrophic consequences. But I think the thing that struck me most about this book were the voices of Danny Allen and James DeWitt. They were pitch-perfect and helped to create a pair of characters I was rooting for from the start and cheering for by the end. -- Ruth HoganBeautifully written, thought-provoking and completely charming. Mike does a wonderful job of tackling a tricky subject (ABI) with sensitivity, wit and humour. His story reminds us that the everyday things we take for granted without realising how precious they are, can be snatched away in an instant with catastrophic consequences. But I think the thing that struck me most about this book were the voices of Danny Allen and James DeWitt. They were pitch-perfect and helped to create a pair of characters I was rooting for from the start and cheering for by the end. -- Ruth HoganLoved this novel - insightful, moving and funny. Read it -- Freya NorthLoved this novel - insightful, moving and funny. Read it -- Freya NorthMike is always wise and wonderful, but this is a whole new departure for him - read it! -- Jenny ColganA very special book. A moving, thought-provoking storyline told with humour and insight. I loved the distinctive voices of James and Danny and really missed them when I finished it! -- Tracy ReesMike is always wise and wonderful, but this is a whole new departure for him - read it! -- Jenny ColganA very special book. A moving, thought-provoking storyline told with humour and insight. I loved the distinctive voices of James and Danny and really missed them when I finished it! -- Tracy ReesThe Man I Think I Know is gloriously good. Touching, uplifting, brave and funny, it's a story of life, second chances and daring to believe in better things. James and Danny's friendship is beautifully portrayed: I was rooting for them from the start and cheering them to the finish. I defy anyone not to fall in love with this book. Downright wonderful! -- Miranda DickinsonMike Gayle is the king of touching, human stories, and this big-hearted book is his best yet. 5* * Heat *The Man I Think I Know is gloriously good. Touching, uplifting, brave and funny, it's a story of life, second chances and daring to believe in better things. James and Danny's friendship is beautifully portrayed: I was rooting for them from the start and cheering them to the finish. I defy anyone not to fall in love with this book. Downright wonderful! -- Miranda DickinsonMike Gayle is the king of touching, human stories, and this big-hearted book is his best yet. 5* * Heat *Powerful * Hello magazine *You'll be both laughing and on the edge of tears with this brilliant read * Fabulous magazine *Powerful * Hello magazine *You'll be both laughing and on the edge of tears with this brilliant read * Fabulous magazine *That rarest of things; a moving, beautifully written novel about male friendship. The Man I Think I Know is a truthful, wise and wonderfully redemptive story about men stripped bare of the traditional ideals of masculinity - success, strength, power - learning to face up to the real world. I absolutely loved it. * Lisa Jewell *

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Book SynopsisOne of the most beloved and bestselling novels of spiritual adventure ever published, Ishmael has earned a passionate following. This special twenty-fifth anniversary edition features a new foreword and afterword by the author. “A thoughtful, fearlessly low-key novel about the role of our species on the planet . . . laid out for us with an originality and a clarity that few would deny.”—The New York Times Book ReviewTeacher Seeks Pupil.Must have an earnest desire to save the world. Apply in person.It was just a three-line ad in the personals section, but it launched the adventure of a lifetime.So begins an utterly unique and captivating novel. It is the story of a man who embarks on a highly provocative intellectual adventure with a gorilla—a journey of the mind and spirit that changes forever the way he sees the world and humankind’s place in it.&

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Book SynopsisPig Tales is a brilliant satirical novel about a stunning young woman working in a beauty ''massage'' parlour. She enjoys extraordinary success at bringing home the bacon (in part due to her increasingly rosy and irresistible backside) until she slowly metamorphoses - into a pig. Rejected by her boyfriend, left to wander the sewers and forage for food in public parks, she takes up with a werewolf with insatiable appetites. They share everything (pizza is a particular favourite; she gets the pizza, he gets the delivery boy) until someone alerts the authorities and tragedy strikes . . . Gender, politics and social hypocrisy all come under scrutiny in this entertaining and enlightening novel. Pig Tales is a Metamorphosis for the present day, a dark fable of political and sexual corruption, and a grim warning of what can happen in a society without a soul.

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Book SynopsisBrilliant.' New York TimesRemarkable.' Irish TimesAugust 1946. One year on from surrender and Tokyo lies broken and bleeding at the feet of its American victors.Against this extraordinary historical backdrop, Tokyo Year Zero opens with the discovery of the bodies of two young women in Shiba Park. Against his wishes, Detective Minami is assigned to the case; as he gets drawn ever deeper into these complex and horrific murders, he realises that his own past and secrets are indelibly linked to those of the dead women and their killer.A feat of prodigious and intense imagination.' The TimesA chilling tale of murder, corruption and post-war devastation.' Observer Books of the YearPart historical stunner, part Kurosawa crime film, an original all the way.' James Ellroy

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Book SynopsisExtraordinary.' New York TimesSavagely beautiful.' The TimesTokyo, January 26th, 1948. As the third year of the US Occupation of Japan begins, a man enters a downtown bank. He speaks of an outbreak of dysentery and says he is a doctor, sent by the Occupation authorities. Clear liquid is poured into sixteen teacups. Sixteen employees of the bank drink this liquid according to strict instructions. Within minutes twelve of them are dead, the other four unconscious. The man disappears along with some, but not all, of the bank''s money. And so begins the biggest manhunt in Japanese history.In Occupied City, David Peace dramatises and explores the rumours of complicity, conspiracy and cover-up that surround the chilling case of the Teikoku Bank Massacre.Marvellous.' Daily TelegraphGenuinely hypnotic.' Harper's Magazine

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Book Synopsis''The funniest book in the English language .'' Richard Osman''It made me laugh so much I fell out of bed.'' Sebastian FaulksMichael Frayn''s classic novel is set in the crossword and nature notes department of an obscure national newspaper during the declining years of Fleet Street, where John Dyson dreams wistfully of fame and the gentlemanly life - until one day his great chance of glory at last arrives. Michael Frayn is the celebrated author of fifteen plays including Noises Off, Copenhagen and Afterlife. His bestselling novels include Headlong, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, Spies, which won the Whitbread Best Novel Award and Skios, which was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize. ''Still ranks with Evelyn Waugh''s Scoop as one of the funniest novels about journalists ever written.'' Sunday Times ''A sublimely funny comedy about the ways newspapers try to

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Book SynopsisThis gripping thriller about a supernatural pandemic is one you will not want to put down. Sometimes you can only fight fire with fireNobody knew where the virus came from. FOX News said it had been set loose by ISIS, using spores that had been invented by the Russians in the 1980s. MSNBC said sources indicated it might''ve been created by engineers at Halliburton and stolen by culty Christian types fixated on the Book of Revelation. CNN reported both sides. And while every TV station debated the cause, the world burnt.Pregnant school nurse, HARPER GRAYSON, has seen lots of people burn on TV, but the first person she saw burn for real was in the playground behind her school. But when she realises she has become infected, she is determined to find a way to survive - at least long enough to see her child born. No matter what is left of the world for them to live in.With the epic scope of THE PASSAGE and the emotional impact of THETrade ReviewIf you haven't yet grabbed a copy of Joe Hill's THE FIREMAN, you need to. Original and gripping, a page-turner * George R.R.Martin *I devoured this book as if the pages themselves were on fire...an end of the worldtale with a blazing heart of hope at its core. A contender for book of the year * Sarah Pinborough, author of 13 MINUTES *Joe Hill really could set the world on fire with this book: cleverly imagined and a compulsive read * Katherine Cowdrey, The Bookseller *Joe Hill has always been good, but he's created something incandescent here, soaring and original. He's a master storyteller who writes with fire in his veins * Lauren Beukes, author of Broken Monsters *'Very well-drawn characters, some serious shocks, a great sense of humour and a willingness to break hearts as well as raise pulse rates.' * SciFiNow *I would put money on this being huge. Can't put it down * Sam Baker, The Pool *You'll be instantly hooked if you're obsessed with The Walking Dead. It's got the whole post-apocalyptic world nailed...there is a brilliant humour amid the darkness, and the action scenes feel like a movie * Cosmopolitan *Taps into fears we all have about the world coming to an end, as Donald Trump stokes the fires of racial hatred in America, wars continue across the planet and diseases such as Zika and Ebola spread with shocking speed. * The Mail on Sunday *Hill's writing has matured along with his ideas. He plays out the apocalypse so quickly and efficiently, through small-town witnesses and television broadcasts, that it feels absolutely devastating. And in the aftermath, he juggles a huge cast of characters with aplomb, giving each their time to shine, yet still managing to keep the tension high throughout * The Guardian *Original, compulsive and very frightening * Woman & Home *Clever - but The Fireman isn't just clever, it's also a book with real soul... the deeper truths of The Fireman lie in the way it explores how we slowly build connections with those closest to us...a brave, bold and big hearted take on the end of the world * SFX *Set to blaze through bestsellers lists....exhilarating * Stuff *Beautiful and aching and striking, a poignant exploration of human relationships and an ode to the simple things * Ars Technica *A Lord of the Flies for the Twitter generation. Clever, gripping and packs a hell of a punch * Joanne Harris *Ominously superb * Nick Harkaway *This book is incredible * Lev Grossman *Joe Hill (aka Stephen King Jnr) proves he's a chip off the old block with this epic post-apocalyptic adventure * The Sunday Mirror *The Fireman by Joe Hill is a thrilling, long-lingering, morally-striking book that set my heart and mind alight. A must read. * Delve into Dystopia *Breathless adventures, pulsing emotions, things that go bump in the night and so much more, with surprises lurking on the corner of every page * Lovereading.co.uk *This is a huge cauldron of a novel that pulses with life, hope and decency as well as extreme fear and constant devastation * BestChickLit.co.uk *The Fireman is a large book but you hardly notice the pages turning and you certainly wouldn't want to rush it. There are moments of extreme and violent action, fought by real people, there are other passages that are so evocative, memorable and beautifully written, with characters to match. There are also jawdropping moments. It's the most atmospheric read I've had in a long time. * For Winter's Nights *Even though The Fireman is primarily an Apocalyptica, the human issues of corrupt power, personal strength, family, friendship and forgiveness added a level that enhanced my ability to feel invested in the story.Forget The Walking Dead- a book where you actually care for the characters' survival, The Fireman is the next big thing in Dystopian Fiction. * The Book Addict *this is a book about engagement with the world, about love, and about the need to survive in the worst of circumstances. Hill has been well known in the genre community for a while now, but I'd love to see him break out with this one. It's a terrific book, one which deserves to be read. * The Afterword *In our opinion, this book is right up there with the likes of Swan Song, Blood Crazy and, yes, even The Stand. (Yup, we went there, it's that damn good.) * The Eloquent Page *The Fireman is an exceptional novel, it's moving and thoughtful, drawing you in and not letting you go right up to the superb ending. It's an engaging, emotional journey written by a master of their craft. * SF Book *Hill creates a fast paced thriller, with twists in every chapter * The Sunday Express *A Fantastically compelling read, Hill making the end of the world into a real and visceral thing with the deftest of touches. * OBSERVER *The book most likely to be spotted on sun loungers this Summer... a gripping end-of-the-world epic. * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *A sprawling post-apocalyptic thriller * THE TELEGRAPH *A fast-paced thriller, with twists in every chapter. * i (PAPER) *Joe Hill has inherited many literary traits from his father Stephen King, including an easy-going authorial voice and a knack for creeping out readers. * THE FINANCIAL TIMES *This is a book that starts with a bang and then relentlessly builds. Joe managed to make my skin crawl in the first chapter, turning what should be a time for celebration into something decidedly creepy. At the mid-point of a lengthy book it became near un-putdownable, in that horrifying 'can't look away from a car crash' kind of way. Although the details are dark and even horrible, the narrative pull is relentless and unstoppable. -- Mark Yon * SFFWORLD.COM *Take the ideas, characters, and tone of Station Eleven (2014) and add a large helping of the action, villains, and unrelenting menace from Doctor Sleep (2013) and you have The Fireman, an excellent example of the very best that genre fiction has to offer readers today -- BooklistLike his father, Stephen King, Hill has a talent for depicting fascinating characters caught in terrible situations . . . With a full cast of characters and multiple story lines to keep the reader hooked, Hill's enthralling fourth thriller hits another home run -- Starred Library Journal ReviewJoe Hill has always been good, but he's created something incandescent here, soaring and original. He's a master storyteller who writes with fire in his veins * Lauren Beukes, author of Broken Monsters *Every decade must have a great story of how we fail, how our society comes apart. Joe Hill has just written ours - which makes us all refugees seeking a safe haven in the wreckage of a world made brutal and hostile. Ominously superb * Nick Harkaway *If you haven't yet grabbed a copy of Joe Hill's THE FIREMAN, you need to. Original and gripping, a page-turner * George R. R. Martin *

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Book SynopsisA brilliant novel about one family's experiences in the Crimean war

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Book SynopsisTimothy Gandy has kept his lifetime''s ambition secret for forty years.Now, suddenly (if tragically) released from the hen-pecked tedium of his ordinary existence, he is unexpectedly free to realize his dreams.He will embark on a Grand Tour of Europe, following in the footsteps of the aristocrats of the eighteenth century.He anticipates high art, culture and pleasant weather. He never expected to encounter new friendships - and possibly even love - along the way. It seems that Mr Gandy has embarked on the journey of a lifetime . . .READERS ARE LOVING MR GANDY''S GRAND TOUR:''Another heartwarming story from Alan Titchmarsh'' - 5 STARS''Well worth reading'' - 5 STARS''What a sweet tale this was'' - 5 STARS''Loved it!'' - 5 STARS''Enchanting'' - 5 STARSTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR ALAN TITCHMARSH:A perfect love story * Katie Fforde on THE HAUNTING *It's just brilliant - full of poetry * Jilly Cooper on THE SCARLET NIGHTINGALE *A pleasurable read which fans will lap up * Daily Mail *The story brims with intrigue * Daily Express on THE HAUNTING *Art, antiques and romance are the ingredients: Titchmarsh boils the pot to a fine froth. * Saga Magazine on THE FOLLY *

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