Contemporary Fiction Books

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA spellbinding novel about marriage, passion, loss, renewal, and the healing power of love from the number one bestselling author of Songs of Love and War. Married couple, Miranda and David, move out of London into a beautiful country house with an idyllic garden. But reality turns out to be very different from their bucolic dream. Soon the latent unhappiness in the family begins to come to the surface, isolating each family member in a bubble of resentment and loneliness. Then a mysterious Frenchman arrives on their doorstep. With the wisdom of nature, he slowly begins to heal the past and the present. But who is he? When Miranda discovers his secret in the cottage by the garden, the whole family learns that a garden, like love itself, can restore the human spirit, not just season after season, but generation after generation. Wise and winsome, poignant and powerfully moving, The French Gardener combines the savvy of contemporary women's fictTrade Review‘This is Santa Montefiore at her best – an enchanting read overflowing with deliciously poignant moments. If you love a heartfelt, epic trilogy this is for you. I loved it and can’t wait for more’ -- Dinah Jefferies, author of The Tea Planter's Wife, on Songs of Love and War‘Nobody does epic romance like Santa Montefiore. Everything she writes, she writes from the heart’ -- Jojo Moyes‘A multigenerational banquet of love: falling in, falling out, rediscovering,rekindling. The Beekeeper’s Daughter features sophisticated, irresistible backdrops and brilliantly drawn characters that made it one of the most engrossing reads of my year’ -- Elin Hilderbrand, author of The Matchmaker, on The Beekeeper's Daughter‘I raced through this feel-good romantic story, which spans continents and decades’ -- Fanny Blake * Woman & Home on The Beekeeper's Daughter *‘This deeply romantic saunter is an ideal summer read. Laced with secrets and forbidden liaisons, it is sure to keep you turning the pages’ * The Lady on The Beekeeper's Daughter *‘Santa Montefiore is the new Rosamunde Pilcher’ * Daily Mail *‘A superb storyteller of love and death in romantic places in fascinating times’ * Vogue *‘A gripping romance . . . it is as believable as the writing is beautiful’ * Daily Telegraph *‘Anyone who likes Joanne Harris or Mary Wesley will love Montefiore’ * Mail on Sunday *‘One of our personal favourites and bestselling authors, sweeping stories of love and families spanning continents and decades’ * The Times *‘Engaging and charming’ -- Penny Vincenzi

Read more less

Book Synopsis** A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2024 **NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN, THE SUNDAY TIMES, AND THE FINANCIAL TIMESA searing debut set in a modern India simmering with the tension of growing religious intolerance, by a major new international voice This shockingly powerful ?psychological thriller? and ?riveting murder mystery? is ?a magnificent work of literary fiction? perfect for fans of AGE OF VICE and WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING (Kiran Desai, Booker Prize winning author)Teetapur, an unassuming village just a few hours outside of bustling Delhi, is famous for nothing?until one of its children, 8-year-old Munia, is found dead, hanging from the branch of a Jamun tree.In the largely Hindu village, suspicion quickly falls on an itinerant Muslim man, Mansoor Suspicion ignites like wildfire, fueled by religious tensions that simmer beneath the surface.The responsibility of uncovering the elusive truth ? and prevent the lynching of the prime suspect ? now rests on the weary shoulders of Sub-Inspector Ombir Singh. With only one other officer beneath him, and just a single working revolver between them, can he bring justice to a grieving father and an angry village ? or will Teetapur demand vengeance instead?Offering readers a gripping mystery and a sweeping state-of-the-nation saga, Black River stands as a searing critique of modern India, weaving an intricate narrative that captures the essence of a nation grappling with its own complexities and contradictions.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE THIRD COLD-CASE INVESTIGATION FOR ENZO MACLEOD, FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE RICHARD AND JUDY MEGASELLER THE BLACKHOUSE.FRANCE. A death sentence.Diagnosed with a terminal illness, Enzo Macleod is running out of time to crack the most confounding of unsolved French murders. A death threat.His daughter is nearly killed, Enzo is mugged - and then he is arrested. Someone is trying to destroy his character. Someone is framing him for murder. A deathly enemy.Killers from the past will stop at nothing to halt Enzo, who must use all his forensic skills to solve the case - before they succeed.Trade ReviewA rip-roaring thriller . . . thoroughly enjoyable * Mail on Sunday *A wonderfully complex bookHe is a terrific writer doing something differentFrom the first page I knew I was in safe hands. I knew I could trust this writerWonderfully compellingWestern France - now May's own stamping ground - is as much a character in the book as the Hebrides were in his formidable Isle of Lewis sequence * Guardian *Peter May is a writer I'd follow to the ends of the earth * New York Times *One of the best regarded crime series of recent years * Independent *Lyrical, empathetic and movingMay's novels are strong on place and the wounds left by old relationships * Sunday Times *Dark, exciting and atmospheric * Scotland on Sunday *Powerful and authentic * Glasgow Sunday Herald *Fast, exciting ... an entertaining read that will also give food for thought * Irish Times *A tense and atmospheric thriller with a heart-stopping ending * Tangled Web *Truly the best of May's series so far, this is not to be missed * The Good Book Guide *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW – THE NEWEST THRILLER IN THE DS ADAM TYLER SERIES, FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF FIREWATCHING  'Clever and ingenious, I was gripped’ SAM HOLLAND ‘One of the best detective novels I’ve read in a long time . . . Russ Thomas is an exceptional talent’ LESLEY KARA_____________________________THE LIES OF THE PAST . . .   When an anonymous tip lands on his desk, DS Adam Tyler is intrigued in spite of himself. The disappearance of a young mother twenty-four years ago was big news, but the case was never solved – this tantalizing new lead is something he simply can’t ignore. But the letter has set in motion a dangerous chain of events, and Tyler’s search for the truth soon leaves him fighting for his life.  . . . LIVE IN THE PRESENT   With Tyler out of action, DC M

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR ''Picoult is a master manipulator, weaving gripping, dramatic plotlines. We defy you not to be gripped.'' GlamourFor eighteen years the Hartes and the Golds have lived next door to each other, sharing everything from takeaways to school drop-offs. So it''s no surprise when teenagers Chris and Emily, soul mates since they were born, start dating. When the late-night call comes in from hospital, no one is prepared for the appalling truth: Emily has died from a gunshot wound to the head as part of an apparent suicide pact. The gun holds a single unspent bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But the local detective has his doubts, and in the wake of this unthinkable act, two devastated families must ask themselves: how well do we ever really know our children?MAD HONEY, the stunning and compelling Sunday Times bestseller by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is availablTrade ReviewYou will find this novel impossible to put down - and if you take it on holiday with you, just don't plan on doing any sightseeing until you've finished it! * Daily Mail *You will find this novel impossible to put down - and if you take it on holiday with you, just don't plan on doing any sightseeing until you've finished it! * Daily Mail *The novelist displays an almost uncanny ability to enter the skins of her troubled young protagonists. * New York Times *The novelist displays an almost uncanny ability to enter the skins of her troubled young protagonists. * New York Times *It's riveting . . . This is a brilliant read, filled with twists and turns * Woman Magazine *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''A gripping and satisfyingly scary'' (Sunday Telegraph) bumper collection of RIVETING, DARK STORIES from the No. 1 bestselling master of the form, now with a stunning new cover look.Just after sunset, as darkness grips the imagination, is the time when you feel the unexpected creep into the every day. As familiar journeys take a different turn, ordinary objects assume extraordinary powers.A blind intruder visits a dying man - and saves his life, with a kiss. A woman receives a phone call from her husband. Her late husband. In the emotional aftermath of her baby''s sudden death, Emily starts running. And running. Her curiosity leads her right into the hands of a murderer . . . and soon her legs are her only hope for survival.Enter a world of masterful suspense, dark comedy and thrilling twists which will keep you riveted from the first page.Enter the world of No. 1 bestseller Stephen King.Stories includeTrade ReviewSpooky, mysterious, gripping and satisfyingly scary * Sunday Telegraph *King has the ability to capture the reader's imagination from the first page of each tale with his clever and terrifying storytelling. It is impossible to put the book down * Sun *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Vintage King'', a delightful suspense novel in which King''s ''trump card is his ability to arouse empathy for the plight of his young heroine'' (Independent on Sunday), now with a stunning new cover look.The world had teeth and it could bite you with them anytime it wanted. Trisha McFarland discovered this when she was nine years old. Lost in the woods. Trisha has only veered a little way off the trail. But in her panic to get back to her family, she takes a turning that leads deeper into the tangled undergrowth. At first it''s just the bugs, midges and mosquitoes. Then comes the hunger. For comfort she tunes her Walkman into broadcasts of the Red Sox baseball games and the performances of her hero Tom Gordon. But as darkness begins to fall, Trisha realises that she is not alone. There''s something else in the woods - watching. Waiting . . .Trade ReviewA compelling battle for survival that you dare not put down * DAILY MAIL *Moving, gripping. One of his best . . . A literary home run * MIRROR *Vintage King . . . the quality of the prose is consistently impressive and his trump card is his ability to arouse empathy for the plight of his young heroine * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *

Read more less

Book SynopsisEmily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother''s life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realises that mysteries aren''t solved in Mullaby, they''re a way of life. Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbour, Julia Winterson, bakes hope in the form of cakes, offering them to satisfy the town''s sweet tooth - but also in the hope of rekindling a love she fears might be lost forever. Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily''s backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.Trade Review'A real and rare talent . . . an absolutely enchanting read.' * www.novelicious.com *It's a bewitching read in every sense, taking you to a world of regrets, missed opportunities and lost loves found again. Magical * Glamour Must Read on THE SUGAR QUEEN *'A bewitching tale laced with magic, hope and wit, a pure delight' * Bookseller on THE SUGAR QUEEN *This compelling book has it all - passion, romance and sibling rivalry. This is Sarah Addison Allen's first novel - she's definitely one to watch * My Weekly on GARDEN SPELLS *Beguiling . . . leaves a magical spell that enchants as it draws you in. An absolute gem. * Now on GARDEN SPELLS *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDON''T MISS THE STUNNING AND ROMANTIC NEW NOVEL FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR VERONICA HENRY - ORDER THE SECRET BEACH NOW!''Gorgeous. A joy to read from start to finish'' JILL MANSELL''An exquisite story bursting at the seams with summer, hope and love'' MILLY JOHNSONSometimes you have to let your heart rule your head . . .Cherry, Maggie and Rose are mother, daughter and granddaughter, each with their own hopes, dreams and even sorrows. They have always been close, so when, in a moment of impulse, Cherry buys a gorgeous but rundown pub in the village she grew up in, it soon becomes a family affair.All three women uproot themselves and move to Rushbrook, deep in the heart of Somerset, to take over The Swan and restore it to its former glory. Cherry is at the helm, Maggie is in charge of the kitchen, and Rose tends the picturesque garden that leads down to the river.<Trade ReviewAn exquisite story bursting at the seams with summer, hope and love * MILLY JOHNSON *Warm, escapist and utterly uplifting, this is Veronica Henry at her very best * LUCY DIAMOND *Gorgeous. A joy to read from start to finish * JILL MANSELL *Uplifting, inspiring and guaranteed to make you hungry * SARAH MORGAN *A lovely, cosy, delicious read * LIBBY PAGE *Perfect escapism full of warmth, joy and a brilliant cast of characters * ALEX BROWN *Delicious foodie moments, strong relatable characters ... a story of hope for the future * Woman and Home Online *Uplifting and full of soul * FABULOUS *Beautifully described * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *Heartwarming and optimistic ... you will love it * PRIMA *This is the perfect feel-good read to lift readers' spirits, packed with colourful characters in a wonderful setting and accompanied by a feast of food to make the mouth water. Joyful and beautifully written. * Sunday Express *This sparkling read about family, love and hope will inspire you to seize the day and take a chance now and again * MY WEEKLY *This is such a dreamy novel to cosy up with and transport you away from grey winter afternoons! * Platinum *Delicious foodie moments, strong, relatable characters and a story of hope for the future. This feel-good book is the pick-me-up we all need. * Woman's Weekly *Delicious foodie moments and a story of hope for the future * WOMAN *

Read more less

Book Synopsis*THE FIGURINE, the brand-new novel from Victoria Hislop, is available to order now.*''Excellent as ever. Victoria Hislop at her best.'' Reader review''Within a few pages I was back in Greece and almost feeling the sun on my face.'' Reader reviewBeloved author Victoria Hislop returns to Crete in this long-anticipated sequel to her multi-million-copy Number One bestseller, The Island.25th August 1957. The island of Spinalonga closes its leper colony. And a moment of violence has devastating consequences.When time stops dead for Maria Petrakis and her sister, Anna, two families splinter apart and, for the people of Plaka, the closure of Spinalonga is forever coloured with tragedy.In the aftermath, the question of how to resume life looms large. Stigma and scandal need to be confronted and somehow, for those impacted, a future built from the ruins of the past.Number one bestTrade ReviewFast-paced narrative and utterly convincing sense of place * Guardian on The Thread *Hislop brings history to life in this compelling tale * Tatler on The Sunrise *A beautiful tale of love, struggle and redemption * Prima on Cartes Postales from Greece *An eye-opening and moving read * The Mirror on Those Who Are Loved *Immersive storytelling sweeps you along' * Mail on Sunday on One August Night *This dramatic, absorbing and good-natured novel abounds Greek Island atmosphere * Daily Mail on One August Night *A return to Hislop's thyme-scented, Aegean-lapped fictional Greece * The Sunday Times on One August Night *A dramatic story of love, betrayal and allegiances . . . Hislop evokes Greece beautifully * Woman & Home on One August Night *Hislop's love for Greece shines through this wonderfully descriptive and compelling tale * Sunday Express on One August Night *This love letter to Greece will sweep you away to another time and place * The Sunday Mirror on One August Night *A passionate love letter to Greece that will sweep you away to another time and place * The People on One August Night *Hislop expertly delves into the complex history of a fascinating country in this beautifully written family saga * Daily Mirror on One August Night *Compelling and moving, this is a real page turner * Woman's Weekly on One August Night *As ever, the descriptions of Greece leave you feeling like you're right there * Good Housekeeping on One August Night *Expertly portrays the warmth of Greece and its people, delving into the long and complicated history of a fascinating country while spinning a family saga that her fans will devour. A beautifully written story that will enchant the reader * Express on One August Night *Moving and engrossing * Best on One August Night *At no point in this novel of loss and redemption does the pace slacken * The Catholic Herald on One August Night *A dramatic story of love, betrayal and allegiances * Woman on One August Night *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE BOLLINGER EVERYMAN WODEHOUSE PRIZE FOR COMIC FICTION 2016SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILEYS WOMEN''S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2016A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK''an ingenious meditation on the true value of art'' Daily Mail''A deliciously wicked satire ... It's exquisitely written, shimmering with eye-catching detail ... a masterpiece'' Mail on SundayWhen lovelorn Annie McDee stumbles across a dirty painting in a junk shop while looking for a present for an unsuitable man, she has no idea what she has discovered. Soon she finds herself drawn unwillingly into the tumultuous London art world, populated by exiled Russian oligarchs, avaricious Sheikas, desperate auctioneers and unscrupulous dealers, all scheming to get their hands on her painting - a lost eighteenth-century masterpiece called The Improbability of Love'.Delving into the painting's past, Annie will uncover not just an illustrious list of former owners, but some of the darkest seTrade ReviewA deliciously wicked satire ... It’s exquisitely written, shimmering with eye-catching detail, whether describing works of art or the dishes on display at an extravagant banquet. Beneath all that, there’s a serious debate about the value we put on things — whether it’s art or relationships — and the prices we’re prepared to pay. A masterpiece * Daily Mail *Novel of the week … It all adds up to an ingenious meditation on the true value of art – timely indeed at a moment when paintings and sculpture seem to have become just another currency * Mail on Sunday *Though this novel goes into the darkest of dark places, the overall tone is totally delicious; conspicuous consumption on this scale hasn’t been seen since the Eighties -- Kate Saunders * The Times *Part of the novel’s charm is that its characters, rich or poor, are all a mixture of frailties. Like a Rococo painting, this clever, funny, beguiling and wholly humane romance is a treat worthy of its subject -- Amanda Craig * Independent *This frothy confection works on many levels, combining a touching love story with an exciting whodunit sat in a hazardous, thrilling world. The story unfolds slowly at first, building up the tension until towards the end the chapters shorten and the pace quickens with staccato satire worthy of the pen of Evelyn Waugh. A real crowd pleaser **** * Daily Express *Hannah Rothschild is finally coming into her own. Soon to be head of the National Gallery, her novel about the art world is bound to be a bestseller -- Lynn Barber * Sunday Times *Her writing shows brain as well as a heart * Economist *The Improbability of Love is a romp, a joy, and an inspired feast of clever delights. Reading this book is like a raid on a high-end pastry shop – you marvel at the expertise and cunning of the creations, while never wanting the deliciousness to end * Elizabeth Gilbert *Every page is a joy. It's funny, sad, profound. The writing dances. It has panache. It's beautifully structured. It wears its scholarship with a balletic lightness and grace that shadows the Rococo painting at its heart. Its many and varied characters are an exquisite joy. Her range and emotional grasp is wonderful. What more can I say? It's my Book of the Year already * Barbara Trapido *Impishly wicked, ruthlessly frank, touchingly percipient and sometimes laugh aloud funny to boot. Hannah Rothschild captures the contradiction between art as money and art as the soul of humanity really well * Rachel Campbell-Johnston, Art Critic for The Times *Both a satire of the art world and a romance … It’s mischievous, fun and on the money * Tatler *A timely reflection on art’s true value * Observer *What a delightful read – a satirical look at the world of art with some love, mystery and comedy thrown in for good measure. There is a darker element to the plot which I won’t spoil here, but it is tempered by a wonderful cast of characters and has the unusual addition of the painting as an occasional narrator. It’s certainly a clever way of weaving the provenance of the painting into the story * Radio 2 Book Club *Part detective story, part romance, the gripping narrative moves between contemporary London and Nazi Germany, examining along the way the meaning of love and loss, morality and greed, sacrifice and decadence … the central theme of Nazi art theft is deftly handled. An excellent and very funny debut * The Lady *Absorbing … Rothschild cleverly has the painting itself tell part of the story and beautifully marshals a wealth of historical detail * Metro *A novel that is so pleasurable I’ve read it twice, and will read it again * Glasgow Sunday Herald *A bittersweet and highly enjoyable satire * Woman & Home *If you did not know much about the passion and power behind the doors of the great auction houses and art dealers, you will by the end of this enchanting tale … Part well-crafted mystery, part thriller, part love story, Rothschild’s The Improbability of Love takes its readers on a wonderful journey into a rarefied world usually only experienced by the wealthy few * Jewish Chronicle *A capacious and fluently knowledgeable tale that excoriates with mischievously satirical intent the viciously competitive world of high-stakes art collecting ... Captivating ... Rothschild, the first woman to chair London's National Gallery, is a dazzling omniscient narrator giving voice to an irresistible cast of reprobates and heroes ... An opulently detailed, suspensefully plotted, shrewdly witty novel of decadence, crimes ordinary and genocidal, and improbable love * Booklist *A frolicsome art-world caper … Ms. Rothschild writes with such exuberance and spins such a propulsive yarn … Her erudition — about restoration, authentication, art history in general – comes through on page after page, and it’s one of the incidental pleasures of reading The Improbability of Love, as are her mouthwatering descriptions of the feasts Annie makes * New York Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisStrange things always seem to happen when Harry Potter is around. Things that unsettle his guardians, the Dursleys. They strongly disapprove of strangeness. It's only when a letter arrives, delivered by a shaggy giant of a man called Hagrid, that Harry learns the truth that will transform his entire future: his parents were killed by the evil Lord Voldemort, and he, Harry, is a wizard.Whisked away to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, Harry discovers a world of enchantments, ghosts, Quidditch, and friends who will stand, through everything, by his side. But when Harry hears of a stone with great powers, he finds that his school has its own dark secrets and an adventure that will become the stuff of legend begins.These adult editions with glorious jacket art by Andrew Davidson are now available in hardback for the first time.Trade ReviewAnd you thought wizardry was for children. Harry Potter will make you think again. He casts his spells on grown-ups too * James Naughtie *Funny, imaginative, magical … In the 2020s, thirty-something book-lovers will know each other by smug references to Diagon Alley and Quidditch * The Times *The Harry Potter stories will join that small group of children’s books which are read and reread into adulthood * TLS *Rowling uses classic narrative devices with flair and originality and delivers a complex and demanding plot in the form of a hugely entertaining thriller * Scotsman *One of the greatest literary adventures of modern times * Sunday Telegraph *Spellbinding, enchanting, bewitching stuff * Mirror *

Read more less

Book SynopsisBefore THE BEACH HUT ... enjoy WILD OATSJamie Wilding''s return home is not quite going to plan. A lot has changed in the picturesque Shropshire village of Upper Faviell since she left after the death of her mother. Her father is broke and behaving like a teenager. Her best friend''s marriage is slowly falling apart. And the man she lost her heart to years ago is trying to buy her beloved family home.As Jamie attempts to fix the mess, she is forced to confront a long-standing family feud and the truth about her father, before she can finally listen to her own heart.Trade ReviewThe perfect summer read, full of glamour and intrigue * NOVELICIOUS *Compulsive reading. * WOMAN & HOME *The perfect summer read, full of glamour and intrigue * NOVELICIOUS *Compulsive reading. * WOMAN & HOME *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFor fans of IN FIVE YEARS and THE SIGHT OF YOU comes a life-affirming story about a woman who lives every year of her life in the wrong orderTrade Review[A] clever debut * Starburst *This witty, fantastical exploration of life's inevitable changes is surprising and touching * Publishers Weekly *The author has faultless control over her complicated plot in this hugely enjoyable book and makes excellent use of the possibilities of its key concept * Morning Star *Something truly lovely * Sci-Fi Now *Must Read * Daily Express *An enjoyable read! * SFX *By turns tragic and triumphant, heartbreakingly poignant and joyful, this is ultimately an uplifting and redemptive read * The Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDON''T MISS THE STUNNING AND ROMANTIC NEW NOVEL FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR VERONICA HENRY - ORDER THE SECRET BEACH NOW!Escape to the coast with this delicious collection of short stories and beach-hut inspired recipes from Sunday Times bestselling author Veronica Henry - the perfect summer treat!****''Beach bliss! A delicious combination of food and fiction'' SARAH MORGAN''The essential accompaniment to summer. A pure delight of a book!'' MILLY JOHNSON''The perfect book to take on beachside holiday or a weekend away'' CRESSIDA MCLAUGHLINOn a shimmering summer''s day, the waves are calling, the picnic basket is packed, and change is in the air. It''s just the start of an eventful day for a cast of holidaymakers: over one day, sparks will fly, the tide will bring in old faces and new temptations, a proposal is planned, and an unexpected romance simmers... This uplifting collection ofTrade ReviewA delicious collection of short stories, transporting you to the golden sands of Everdene. Add in 50 of the author's own recipes that are perfect for a summer's day and this is the beach read you'll want - Woman's WeeklyFabulous feel-good storyteller Veronica Henry is ready to whisk us away to the coastal joys and sunshine food of Everdene Sands, a place that offers comfort to the heart, mind and soul - Lancashire Post

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne with You will take you to the very limits of obsession - and introduce you to a hero you''ll never forget . . .One of the bestselling love stories of the century_______Falling in love with Gideon Cross was the easiest thing I''ve ever done.It happened instantly. Completely. Irrevocably.But staying married to him is the fight of my life. Our love is both a refuge from the storm and the most violent of tempests. Two damaged souls entwined as one.We have borne our deepest, ugliest secrets to one another. Gideon has given me everything. Now, I must prove I can be the shelter for him that he is for me.Together, we could stand against those who work so viciously to come between us.Committing to love was only the beginning. Fighting for it will either set us free . . . or break us apart.Daringly sensual and intensely romantic, this is a love story that will have you glued to the paTrade ReviewDay's fifth Crossfire novel brings the story of Gideon and Eva to a satisfying conclusion. Narrating their stories in alternating chapters, Eva and Gideon relate their explosive physical attraction, their appreciation of how they help each other heal old emotional wounds, and their ever-increasing mutual trust. Glamorous people, swanky settings, steamy sex, and passionate married love make this a heartwarming, gratifying conclusion to the series * Publishers Weekly *Gideon and Eva's complicated relationship plays out with hurt, passion, obsession and most importantly, love. Day's writing is flawless and carries readers on the journey of these two broken characters toward each other and the all-consuming emotions that leap out of the book. A wonderful story written by a master storyteller! * RT Book Reviews *Praise for Sylvia Day * - *Several shades darker and a hundred degrees hotter than anything you've read before * Reveal *Move over Danielle Steel and Jackie Collins, this is the dawn of a new Day * Amuse *Steamy sex scenes and intriguing plot twists will have readers clamouring for more * Library Journal *Lots of sex and gripping story lines * Sun *Full of emotional angst, scorching love scenes, and a compelling storyline * Dear Author *They are powerful, sexy and unputdownable * Victoria Loves Books *Boldly passionate, scorchingly sexy * Booklist *Sophisticated, engaging, clever and sweet * Irish Independent *Indulgent fantasy at its most enjoyable * Shelf Awareness *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe international bestseller, longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award 2021. Fernando Aramburu's Homeland is an epic and heartbreaking story of two best friends whose families are divided by the conflicting loyalties of terrorism.‘It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that was so persuasive and moving’ – Mario Vargas Llosa, author of Time of the Hero.The Basque Country, Spain, 2011.Miren and Bittori have lived side by side in a small Basque town all their lives. Their husbands play cards together, their children play and eventually go out drinking together. The terrorist threat posed by ETA seems to affect them little.When Bittori’s husband starts receiving threatening letters – demanding money, accusing him of being a police informant – she turns to her friend for help. But Miren’s loyalties are torn: her son has just been recruited as a terrorist and to denounce them would be to condemn her own flesh and blood. Tensions rise, relationships fracture, and events move towards a tragic conclusion . . . ‘Is Aramburu the Tolstoy of the Basque country, author of a Spanish language War and Peace?’ – GuardianTrade ReviewFew books make me cry these days but by the final page I found my eyes prickling with tears. By examining his society in such close detail, Aramburu encourages us to reflect on the bitter divisions in our own world and the opportunities we have for reconciliation. * Sunday Times *It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that was so persuasive and moving, so intelligently conceived. -- Mario Vargas LlosaIs Aramburu the Tolstoy of the Basque country, author of a Spanish language War and Peace that lays bare the pain of forty pointless years of separatist terrorism? * Guardian *A powerful novel which has a strong claim to be the definite fictional account of the Basque troubles . . . Aramburu skillfully spins their stories in short, punchy chapters that dart back and forth in time. Its message is ultimately redemptive. * Economist *A magnificent novel which is becoming a publishing, political and literary phenomenon. A story imbued with a spine-tingling sense of realism. * Vanguardia *Homeland is, above all, a great and considered novel . . . combing evocation and analysis . . . War and Peace by Tolstoy did it. The work of Fernando Aramburu achieves the same thing. * El País *Homeland is a sweeping novel that explores so many aspects of life . . . Aramburu brings [ethnic nationalism] under the microscope to show its effects on a few individuals. The results are brilliant and unnerving. * Herald *Phenomenal . . . [Aramaburu is as] magnanimous as he is passionate. * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *A work of tremendous power . . . [One is] reminded how overwhelming and powerful literature can be. * Die Zeit *An event: Aramburu masterfully manages to tell of great things in small ways. * Stern *Shedding the occasional tear doesn’t matter. It is in any case difficult to read Homeland and remain dry-eyed. * Corriere della Sera *Gripping . . . A palpable hit. * Spiegel *Worth every page. * Vogue (Germany) *As humorous as it is heartbreaking, Homeland explores how various factions of Basque and Spanish society were violently pitted against one another for fifty years. * Millions *Aramburu recounts the lives of ordinary people shattered by events that are ongoing in Spain today even years after ETA has suspended its armed campaign . . . A humane, memorable work of literature. * Kirkus (starred review) *A brilliant and important book. Our planet is covered with lines of various kind, and Aramburu masterfully examines the bodies and souls those lines cut through like razors. * Nadeem Aslam *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''[Gervase Phinn is] a worthy successor to James Herriot, and every bit as endearing.'' - bestselling author Alan Titchmarsh''A shining light in our dark days'' - 5 STAR reader reviewAfter an eventful start to his first ever teaching post in the sleepy village of Risingdale, Tom Dwyer is hoping for a bit of calm. Nursing a broken heart after a romantic disappointment, he just wants to keep his head down and get on with his job. But it is not to be. A beautiful London artist sets tongues wagging when she moves into the village, and her precocious yet frail son is in Tom''s class. On top of that, his colleague''s malicious ex-husband is back, determined to create mischief, and a tragedy on one of the winding country roads sends the village reeling. And all this alongside a class of children who still seem to know more about farming than fractions. With its colourful mix of characters both old and new and its many laugh-out-loud momentTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR GERVASE PHINN:Good old-fashioned yarn-spinning * The Bookbag *Packed with delightful and authentic characters, juicy gossip, precarious romance and good old-fashioned village drama, this is a warm-hearted and hilarious account of a struggling school in a small community. * Good Book Guide *As Yorkshire's favourite school inspector turns to fiction, you can enjoy memorable characters and turns of phrase. * Choice *Written with all the humour and warmth one has come to expect from this master storyteller. * Countryman *A worthy successor to James Herriot, and every bit as endearing. * Alan Titchmarsh *

Read more less

Book SynopsisLonglisted for the EBRD Literature Prize Since she's been ill, Lalla Fatma has become a frail little thing with a faltering memory. Lalla Fatma thinks she's in Fez in 1944, where she grew up, not in Tangier in 2000, where this story begins. She calls out to family members who are long dead and loses herself in the streets of her childhood, yearning for her first love and the city she left behind. By her bedside, her son Tahar listens to long-hidden secrets and stories from her past: married while still playing with dolls and widowed for the first time at the age of sixteen. Guided by these fragments, Tahar vividly conjures his mother's life in post-war Morocco, unravelling the story of a woman for whom resignation was the only way out. Tender and compelling, About My Mother maps the beautiful, fragile and complex nature of human experience, while paying tribute to a remarkable woman and the bond between mother and son.Trade Review'Ben Jelloun is arguably Morocco's greatest living author, whose impressive body of work combines intellect and imagination in magical fusion' Guardian; 'In any language, in any culture, Tahar Ben Jelloun would be a remarkable novelist' Sunday Telegraph; 'One of Morocco's most celebrated and translated writers' Asymptote; 'A traditional storyteller whose tales have the status of myth ... An important writer.' Times Literary Supplement; 'About My Mother pulses with life, invigorating the reader with every sentence.' World Literature Today; `A beautifully crafted novel' The New Arab

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the grimly gothic Not to Disturb to the razor-sharp dissection of manners The Takeover and the mordantly brilliant The Only Problem, in a panoramic sweep taking in the shores of the Italian lakes to the castles of Geneva, Muriel Spark casts her unflinching gaze over the continent and onto some of the odder specimens of human nature abounding there. By turns savage, witty and profound, Spark's Europe reaffirms Muriel Spark as one of the most important novelists of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewGlittering, Sparkian ice -- ALI SMITHA wholly original presence in modern literature -- ANDREW MOTIONEnchanting, devastating, genius -- HELEN DUNMOREThere can be few novelists who command such a formidable technique * * Financial Times * *She shares with Barbara Pym and Iris Murdoch the magical ability to write about people from whom in life we would run a mile, but who are made fascinating by their author's perceptions * * Spectator * *Muriel Spark's novels linger in the mind as brilliant shards, decisive as a smashed glass is decisive -- JOHN UPDIKE * * New Yorker * *My admiration for Spark's contribution to world literature knows no bounds. She was peerless, sparkling, inventive and intelligent - the crème de la crème -- IAN RANKINThe care with which she uses words is matched by a gloriously carefree attitude. It's all part of her sanity, her breezy authorial self-confidence; and because of this I think that reading a blast of her prose every morning is a far more restorative way to start a day than a shot of espresso * * Daily Telegraph * *A profoundly serious comic writer whose wit advances, never undermines or diminishes, her ideas * * New York Times Book Review * *She has a receptive and wholly distinctive genius -- A N WILSON * * Spectator * *Spark is a natural, a paradigm of that rare sort of artist from whom work of the highest quality flows as elementally as current through a circuit * * New Yorker * *

Read more less

Book SynopsisHerman Koch, born in 1953, is a Dutch writer. He was a renowned television actor on the series Jiskefet and a former columnist for the newspaper Volkskrant. The Dinner is his sixth novel and has already won the prestigious Publieksprijs Prize in 2009. Herman Koch currently lives in Amsterdam.Sam Garrett has translated some 30 novels and works of non-fiction, for which he has won prizes and appeared on shortlists for some of the world's most prestigious literary awards.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBernard Malamud (1914-1986) was an American author of novels and short stories. Along with Saul Bellow and Philip Roth, he was one of the great American-Jewish authors of the twentieth century. His baseball novel, The Natural, was adapted into a 1984 film starring Robert Redford. His 1966 novel The Fixer, won both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.Trade ReviewHis masterpiece * Philip Roth *The Fixer deserves to rank alongside the great Jewish-American novels of Saul Bellow and Philip Roth * Independent *A novel of great power, even grandeur * Life *What makes it a great book, above and beyond its glowing goodness, has to do with something else altogether: its necessity * Jonathan Safran Foer *He writes with wisdom, compassion and humour... in the best tradition of Chekhov, Joyce and Hemingway * New York Times *An absorbing, compelling and deeply human tale of freedom, hate and morality, its deceptively simple style and beautifully wrought sentences hold you captive from its opening... If the term wasn't cheapened by constant use, I'd call it a masterpiece... A novel that could change your life * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisP.G. Wodehouse was, by common consent, the most brilliant writer of English comedy in the 20th century, equally celebrated on both sides of the Atlantic. He achieved the unusual distinction of combining the widest possible popularity with the highest literary standards, attracting both the devotion of readers and the respect of his peers from Hilaire Belloc to Graham Greene. Several of his characters have already entered popular mythology. This anthology includes two novels, fourteen short stories and extracts from Wodehouse's autobiography.The Code of the Woosters was written in 1938 when Wodehouse was at the height of his powers. The vintage plot involves Bertie Wooster attempting to steal a cream jug from a country house at the behest of his aunt Dahlia - or, as Bertiehimself puts it, 'the sinister affair of Gussie Fink-Nottle, Madeleine Bassett, old Pop bassett, Stiffy Byng, the Rev H.P. ('Stinker') Pinker, the eighteenth-century cow-creamer and the small, brown, leather-covered notebook.' The outcome is a dazzlingly intricate plot and a wonderfully satisfying farce.Uncle Fred in the Springtime, published in 1939, brings one of the author's favourite characters, Uncle Fred aka Lord Ickenham, to his most celebrated comic location, Blandings Castle, where the dastardly Duke of Dunstable is again attempting to steal Lord Emsworth's prize pig. Called in to thwart the duke, Uncle Fred poses as pompous 'looney-doctor' Sir Roderick Glossop, with complicated results. The short stories feature all Wodehouse's most famous creations - Jeeves and Wooster, Ukridge, Bingo Little, Mr Mulliner, the Earls of Emsworth and Ickenham. Finally, extracts from Over Seventy, a memoir as amusing and beautifully written as the novels, offer an insight into the attitudes and working habits of a very private man.Trade ReviewHe exhausts superlatives * Stephen Fry *The handsome bindings are only the cherry on top of what is already a cake without compare * Evening Standard *Wodehouse's idyllic world can never stale. He will continue to release future generations from captivity that may be more irksome than our own. He has made a world for us to live in and delight in. * Evelyn Waugh *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisHis whole nation is celebrating what is the worst day of his lifeNineteen-year-old Billy Lynn is home from Iraq. And he''s a hero. Billy and the rest of Bravo Company were filmed defeating Iraqi insurgents in a ferocious firefight. Now Bravo''s three minutes of extreme bravery is a YouTube sensation and the Bush Administration has sent them on a nationwide Victory Tour. During the final hours of the tour Billy will mix with the rich and powerful, endure the politics and praise of his fellow Americans - and fall in love. He''ll face hard truths about life and death, family and friendship, honour and duty. Tomorrow he must go back to war.Trade ReviewThis book will be the Catch-22 of the Iraq War. Instead of skewering the military, however, it skewers the society responsible for sending it to war, namely us. This funny, yet totally sobering, dissection of the American way of watching war will have you squirming at the same time you are laughing out loud; Fountain applies the heat of his wicked sense of humor while you face the truth of who we have become -- Karl MarlantesAstonishingly brilliant . . . The writing crackles off the page -- BERNARD CORNWELL * * Mail on Sunday * *Too often nowadays even rather good novels fail to excite me - I suppose over the years I've read too many of them - which means that those which do are Events in my life. And now I can add Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk to the list. A blazingly good novel and a vital, important book about war and the world we live in -- Diana AthillMy favourite book of the year, a smart, funny, sad tale -- KATE ATKINSON * * Irish Times * *Breathtaking, beautiful, startlingly authentic -- Patrick Hennessey, author of THE JUNIOR OFFICERS’ READING CLUBBen Fountain's novel is an exhilarating, funny, heartbreaking glimpse into the life of a young soldier and into experiences in which we are complicit - but about which we understand nothing. And it finds its mark in an incredibly personal way. The book has left me reeling -- Colin FirthAs close to the Great American Novel as anyone is likely to come these days - an extraordinary work that captures and releases the unquiet spirit of our age, and will probably be remembered as one of the important books of this decade -- Madison Smartt BellPassionate, irreverent, utterly relevant, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk offers an unforgettable portrait of a reluctant hero. Ben Fountain writes like a man inspired and his razor sharp exploration of our contemporary ironies will break your heart -- Margot LiveseyBilly Lynn's Long Halftime Walk is not merely good; it's Pulitzer Prize-quality good . . . A bracing, fearless and uproarious satire of how contemporary war is waged and sold to the American public * * San Francisco Chronicle * *Brilliantly done . . . grand, intimate, and joyous -- Geoff Dyer * * New York Times Book Review * *[An] inspired, blistering war novel...Though it covers only a few hours, the book is a gripping, eloquent provocation. Class, privilege, power, politics, sex, commerce and the life-or-death dynamics of battle all figure in Billy Lynn's surreal game day experience * * New York Times * *A masterful echo of Catch-22, with war in Iraq at the center . . . a masterful gut-punch of a debut novel . . . There's hardly a false note, or even a slightly off-pitch one, in Fountain's sympathetic, damning and structurally ambitious novel. By the novel's end, we're forced to reassess what it means to 'support the troops'. Does it simply mean letting them know they're in our prayers as we send them back into battle and go about our business? Does it mean turning them into gaudy celebrities? Or could there perhaps be a more honorable and appropriately humble way to commemorate their service? Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk asks us to consider the uncomfortable possibility that we don't really know the answer anymore * * Washington Post * *Fountain's excellent first novel follows a group of soldiers at a Dallas Cowboys game on Thanksgiving Day...Through the eyes of the titular soldier, Fountain creates a minutely observed portrait of a society with woefully misplaced priorities. A pitch-perfect ear for American talk drives the satire * * New Yorker * *With an almost perfectly well-judged, surprisingly understated ­ending, the book feels to the reader much as the day feels to Lynn: you leave it with the sense of something spectacular and yet mournful having passed by in an exhilarating rush -- Robert Collins * * Sunday Times * *Fountain has fashioned a novel that speaks, with great comedy and perhaps greater pathos, to the much larger absurdity of the Iraq war . . . Fountain's dialogue and metaphors are often hilarious, and he is sharply observant as well -- Amy Waldman * * Financial Times * *A fierce, exhilarating novel about the Iraq war . . . And it is terrific: eloquent and angry, funny and poignant . . . Fountain, like better-known writers of his generation such as Jonathan Franzen and David Foster Wallace, has dragged this ironic, media-saturated style back in the direction of sincerity, with rich, sharply drawn characters that you care about -- Theo Tait * * Guardian * *Fountain has come up with a clever and imaginative take on the classic American combat novel. He's done it with the kind of ambition that sent shivers down the spine of the young Tom Wolfe. Fountain is a child of the Wolfe generation -- Robert McCrum * * Observer * *The book is lit up by verbal pyrotechnics . . . this is an exhilarating ride; funny, oddly touching, written with garish clarity * * Independent on Sunday * *Brilliant: funny, involving, warm-hearted, a book for our times -- Rachel Cook * * Observer * *It is a masterpiece of war literature, which is always to say, of anti-war literature * * Australian Review * *[T]he shell-shocked humor will likely conjure comparisons with Catch-22 and Slaughterhouse Five...War is hell in this novel of inspired absurdity * * Kirkus Review * *A tour de force * * Sunday Times, best books to read this summer * *It seems like Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk should fall apart in several different ways and descend to the ranks of gimmicky first novels. Books aren't set over the course of a single day because that's generally not enough time to establish characters and provide enough drama and emotional resonance. But Fountain pulls it off by combining blistering, beautiful language with razor-sharp insight...Ben Fountain has written a funny novel that provides skewering critiques of America's obsession with sports, spectacle, and war * * Huffington Post * *Ben Fountain stormed to the front lines of American fiction when he published his astonishing first collection of short stories, Brief Encounters with Che Guevara. His first novel will raise his stature and add to his splendid reputation. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk is both hilarious and heartbreaking * * Pat Conroy * *Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk is funny, damning and calmly devastating . . . Iraq War Fiction may yet be a modest genre, but Fountain's belated debut sets a fine example -- Tim Walker * * Independent * *Ben Fountain's first novel is a barbed satire of America at war...This blurring of fiction, reality and America's epic capacity for the surreal is compelling -- Ben Felsenburg * * Metro * *A boneshaker of a debut novel that is being referred to as the Catch-22 of the Iraq War. It's a blistering satire, and a breathless trip inside one combat soldier's head. An assault on the mind, as much as the land * * Scotsman * *An exhilarating debut * * Wall Street Journal * *Seething, brutally funny...[Fountain] leaves readers with a fully realized band of brothers...Fountain's readers will never look at an NFL Sunday, or at America, in quite the same way * * Sports Illustrated * *Ben Fountain writes with sparkle and dark humour, with lively verbal dexterity and a mimetic ear for dialogue that allows this anti-war diatribe to fizz with as much light as shade * * Express * *A searing satire . . . [Fountain] conveys brilliantly the hollowness of the endless expressions of gratitude -- Miranda Collinge * * Esquire * *A truly wondrous first novel * * Shelf Awareness * *A character driven novel that is highly entertaining, often funny and ultimately moving . . . not only a superbly entertaining book with a memorable central character, but an important book that says a great deal about our age * * Bookbag Online * *Events of the day are so hilariously recounted that the reader is left dizzy with laughter, each extended episode a masterpiece of comic invention, a seething outrage never far from the surface of this brilliant, stunning book -- Allan Jones * * Uncut Magazine * *Each chapter is assembled as ferociously tightly as one of Fountain's stories without seeming self-enclosed; the sentences are expansive and uninhibited and put together with close attention to modulation and register . . . Fountain gets you to believe in the sound on the page -- Christopher Taylor * * LRB * *Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk is startlingly good. Like a reading wake-up call, it feels new and like nothing you've ever read before * * A Little Bird * *Easily the best novel yet written on Iraq -- The National * * Saul Austerlitz * *Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk is a lean, direct and muscular 307 pages, and is almost certainly the first great novel about the Iraq war * * Review 31 * *Dubbed 'The Catch-22 of the Iraq war', this debut novel shows a day in the life of a soldier, who has returned home a hero * * The Times * *[An] impressive, hugely likeable debut... exhilarating * * The Sunday Times * *Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk will eventually be regarded as one of the defining novels of its age... It's satire with a heart, a dazzlingly, sharply written novel which seems to crystallise a moment in time -- Alastair Mabbott * * Herald * *The best new book I have read so far this year... It contains prose so good that it left me purring with delight, not to mention roaring with laughter. The story too is compelling and beautifully constructed -- Sam Jordison * * Guardian Books Blog * *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDon''t miss the extraordinary new novel from Sue Monk Kidd, The Book of Longings - published on 21st April 2020, and available to pre-order nowThe Invention of Wings: The No. 1 New York Times bestseller. A powerful and extraordinary novel about the unlikely friendship between two exceptional women during the last years of slavery in the US. From the celebrated author of the multi-million-copy-bestselling novel The Secret Life of Bees. ''Fascinating... A splendid tribute to a pair of true heroines'' The Times''Wonderful - well-written, moving and engaging by turns, and always compelling'' Daily Mail''A remarkable novel that heightened my sense of what it meant to be a woman - slave or free'' Oprah Winfrey''A resonant, illuminating novel'' Observer Sarah Grimké is the middle daughter. Her mother says she''s difficult and her father says she''s remaTrade Review'The fascinating story of real-life abolitionist sisters, Sarah and Angelina Grimke... A splendid tribute to a pair of true heroines' - The Times'Wonderful - well-written, moving and engaging by turns, and always compelling' - Daily Mail'Unflinchingly depicts the brutality of slavery... a resonant, illuminating novel' - Observer'This year's The Help - but even better' - Fabulous Magazine (supplement to The Sun)'A moving tale of slavery in the Deep South' **** - Heat'Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees was every book group's must-read novel. The Invention of Wings... promises to repeat the trick' - Guardian'An exploration of slavery already singled out by Oprah Winfrey for her game-changing book club' - Sunday Express'A poignant tale set in America's Deep South in the last days of slavery' - Good Housekeeping

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe fourth novel in the Earth's Children series, Jean M. Auel's internationally bestselling epic of life 25,000 years ago when two kinds of human beings, Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon, shared the earth.Trade ReviewJean Auel has an extraordinary appeal to an enormously wide age group and the latest volume of her pre-historic saga is impossible to put down * Rosamunde Pilcher *The authenticity of background detail, the lilting prose rhythms and the appealing conceptual audacity continue to work their spell * Publishers Weekly *On THE CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR:'Beautiful, exciting, imaginative.' * New York Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFROM THE AUTHOR OF THE BESTSELLING MOTHERING SUNDAY AND LAST ORDERS, and reissued for the first time on the Scribner list, this is an intensely moving novel about a night that will change one family beyond recognition. On a June night Paula, a successful art dealer, lies awake, Mike, her husband of twenty-five years, asleep beside her. In nearby rooms their twin teenage children, Nick and Kate, sleep too. The next day, Paula knows, will define all their lives.   As dawn approaches, Paula recalls the years before and after her children were born. Her story is both a celebration of love possessed and a moving acknowledgement of the fear of loss, of the fragilities on which even our most inward sense of who we are can rest.  Graham Swift’s apparently most domestic book is that rare thing in fiction, a novel about happiness, though a happiness that is not all that it seems. An intim

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisPaul Auster''s unsettling tale of chance and gambling from the author of contemporary classic The New York Trilogy: ''a literary voice for the ages'' (Guardian) Paul Auster fuses Samuel Beckett, Franz Kafka and The Brothers Grimm in this brilliant and unsettling parable. Following the death of his father, Jim Nashe takes to the open road in pursuit of a ''life of freedom''. But as the money runs out he finds that his sense of disillusionment has only been compounded by his year on the road. However, after picking up Pozzi, a hitchhiking gambler, Nashe finds himself drawn into a dangerous game of high-stakes poker with two eccentric and reclusive millionaires. Paul Auster fuses Samuel Beckett, Franz Kafka and The Brothers Grimm in this brilliant and unsettling parable. Following the death of his father, Jim Nashe takes to the open road in pursuit of a ''life of freedom''. But as the money runs out he finds that his sense of disillusionment has

Read more less

Book Synopsis''One of those rare nights in the theatre when some strange alchemy takes place in the dark and as a shiver runs down your spine and a bubble of laughter rises in your throat, you remember why theatre really matters and can be such a transforming experience.'' GuardianIncludes the following dramatisations/stories:Blue BeardThe Husband Who Was to Mind the HouseThe Three WishesBeauty and the BeastThe Emperor''s New ClothesToby and the WolfThe Juniper TreeThe Girl and the North WindBeasts and Beauties premiered at the Bristol Old Vic in April 2004.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe iconic debut novel by ''one of the greatest writers of our era'' (Hilary Mantel) and ''the Irish novelist everyone should read'' (Colm Tóibín).Elizabeth Reegan, after years of freedom - and loneliness - marries into the enclosed Irish village of her upbringing. The children are not her own; her husband is straining to break free from the servile security of the police force; and her own life, threatened by illness, seems to be losing the last vestiges of its purpose. Moving between tragedy and savage comedy, desperation and joy, John McGahern''s first novel is one of haunting power.''Marvellous.'' Susan Hill, Times''Wise and compelling ... Elegiac and graceful.'' David Mitchell''I have admired, even loved, John McGahern''s work since his first novel.'' Melvyn Bragg''Reminds one of the young Joyce ... McGahern is the real thing.'' Spectator

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen Glasgow journalist Gerry Conway receives a phone call promising unsavoury information about Scottish Justice Minister Peter Lyons, his instinct is that this apparent scoop won''t warrant space in The Tribune. But as Conway''s curiosity grows and his leads proliferate, his investigation takes him from Scotland to Belfast. Shocked by the sectarian violence of the past, and by the prejudice and hatred he encounters even now, Conway soon grows obsessed with the story of Lyons and all he represents. And as he digs deeper, he comes to understand that there is indeed a story to be uncovered; and that there are people who will go to great lengths to ensure that it remains hidden. Compelling, vividly written and shocking, ALL THE COLOURS OF THE TOWN is not only the story of an individual and his community - it is also a complex and thrilling inquiry into loyalty, betrayal and duty.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSummer, 1972: In the claustrophobic heat, eleven-year-old Byron and his friend begin 'Operation Perfect', a hapless mission to rescue Byron's mother from impending crisis. Winter, present day: As frost creeps across the moor, Jim cleans tables in the local cafe, a solitary figure struggling with OCD.Trade ReviewA near-flawless novel of emotional truth. Joyce executes this story with precision and flair... Its unputdownable factor lies in its exploration of so many multilayered emotions... It is her clever did-I-read-that-right twist at the end that really got to me and had me scrabbling back through the chapters, open-mouthed. * Evening Standard *The power of Joyce's prose lies in small, astute observations... [her] subtle touches give the book an intense, slightly mesmeric feel. Tense and engrossing... readers who loved The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry will not be disappointed. * Sunday Times *Joyce's faith in the essential goodness of humanity and her observation of the comedy in the everyday shine through... This is a darker, more complex novel than Joyce's first but readers will find other points of comparison. Not least a twist that few will see coming and will leave you reeling; and a redemptive ending that is perhaps the sweeter given all the pain that goes before. An instant classic, Perfect confirms Rachel Joyce as a major new British literary voice. * Daily Express *Diana herself is faultless. She is to Perfect what Harold Fry was to [The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry]: a fully rounded hero, someone to fall in love with and argue about, cherish and admonish, as though she were real... If only there were more novelists like Rachel Joyce * Telegraph *What’s right with it? You’ll fall in love with the characters. They’re kind, anxious, flawed, funny and wonderful. Also, knowing that the two stories will have to meet builds a wonderful sense of tension. What’s wrong with it? Nothing. It’s brilliant. Even the fact that Byron is convinced that scientists tried to slip an extra two seconds into time is a wonderful hook for all the decisions he goes on to make. Verdict: Uplifting, engaging, sad and funny. A perfect follow-up to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. * Heat magazine's #1 book to be reading right now (July) *

Read more less

Book Synopsis__________________''Anything written by Celia Imrie is guaranteed to put a smile on our faces and her latest book is no exception'' - Good Housekeeping''A dashing roller coaster. She is extraordinary'' - Joanna Lumley''A very witty woman. Hugely entertaining'' - Julian Fellowes__________________The deliciously witty, irresistible new novel from the top ten Sunday Times bestselling author of Not Quite Nice follows the exploits of two women on an Atlantic cruise ship.The phone hasn't rung for months. Suzy Marshall is discovering that work can be sluggish for an actress over sixty even for the former star of a 1980s TV series. So when she's offered the plum role of Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest in Zurich, it seems like a godsend. Until, that is, the play is abruptly cancelled in suspicious circumstances, and Suzy is forced to take a job on a cruise shipTrade ReviewAnything written by Celia Imrie is guaranteed to put a smile on our faces and her latest book is no exception * Good Housekeeping *Hilarious * Daily Mail *A lively, frothy romp, as bright and breezy as the characters she often plays onstage and on screen * Sunday Express Magazine *Forget the cruise. Grab Imrie's novel and have twice as much fun -- Hilary Boyd, author of Thursdays in the ParkCelia Imrie reveals a whole new talent in this irresistible murder mystery caper, packed with wonderful characters that will grip you to the last glorious page -- Maeve Haran, author of An Italian HolidayA dashing roller coaster. She is extraordinary -- Joanna LumleyA hugely enjoyable romp -- Katie Fforde, author of A Secret GardenAn absolute joy * Choice Magazine *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn intense, instantly engaging, hard-hitting, yet beautifully written story of a life destroyed and a life reconstructed.Trade ReviewExcellent ... Frey's storytelling feels compulsive, involuntary ... poignant and tragic. The forthcoming film will almost certainly be a cult hit ... The good thing about Frey is that he writes as if he needs to; I hope his new compulsion thrives * William Leith, Spectator *James Frey's utterly mesmerising account ... [is] easily the most remarkable non-fiction book about drugs and drug taking since Hunter S Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ... As a memoir, it is almost mythic. You can imagine it made epic by Martin Scorsese, the auteur of wayward American maleness in all its extremity ... Utterly compulsive * Observer *Frey really can write. Brilliantly. And if you don't think so, f*** you * Evening Standard *Clear sighted and intellectually honest * Literary Review *A heartbreaking memoir ... inspirational and essential * Bret Easton Ellis *This book is definitely going to be huge ... There is no question that he's a good writer. As soon as you start reading the book, Frey's voice rings out. It's clear and sharp and turbocharged ... We love rehab memoirs. This is a good one. It might even be a great one * Independent *An extraordinary and deeply moving book that will make you think about family, friendship, love, religion, death and perhaps most of all, the human spirit * Irish Sunday Independent *Startling and ultimately breath taking * Kirkus Reviews *Horribly honest and funny ... Read this immediately * Gus Van Sant *Harrowing, poetic and rather magnificent * FHM *James Frey spent ten years addicted to alcohol and crack before going into rehab at the age of 23. This unrelenting memoir of his recovery spares no detail. Luckily, he is a good writer - indulgent and uncompromising * Metro *Frey is selfish, egocentric, violent and pompous . . . What redeems this insufferably bad mannered book is that, at the end of the day, Frey can write. Brilliantly * Scotsman *Frey's writing style vividly conveys the horrors of addiction ... dark humour and sharp observations are evidence of a keen intelligence and an unusual strength of character ... a totally absorbing book * The Magistrate *Harrowing and unflinching ... This is not a book about drugs but about their aftermath ... Though definitely not for the faint hearted, Frey is often darkly and self deprecatingly funny. This is, in essence, a story of redemption and an incredibly moving one. This is a great book * Waterstone's Books Quarterly *This book is a raging, brilliant debut. * Waterstone's Books Quarterly *Crafted from genuine, raw emotion. * Irish Examiner *'Blisteringly written ... The prose is superb' * Daily Express *'James Frey propelled the memoir of dysfunctional life to the top of the bestseller lists' * Daily Telegraph *'Frey's book combined high quality drug porn with memorable characters and a strong narrative arc that describes a modern version of Rake's Progress.' * Druglink Magazine *'The last remarkable book I read... I couldn't put it down.' * Q Magazine, Dave Matthews *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAgu is just a boy when war arrives at his village. His mother and sister are rescued by the UN, while he and his father remain to fight the rebels. ''Run!'' shouts his father when the rebels arrive. And Agu does run. Straight into the rebels'' path. In a vivid, sparkling voice, Agu tells the story of what happens to him next. His story is shocking and painful, and completely unforgettable.Beasts of No Nation gives us an extraordinary portrait of the chaos and violence of war. It is a gripping and remarkable debut.Trade ReviewA work of visceral urgency and power: it heralds the arrival of a major talent * Amitav Ghosh *Extraordinary . . . you don't come across writing like this very often * Bookseller *So scorched by loss and anger that it's hard to hold and so gripping in its sheer hopeless lifeforce that it's hard to put down * Guardian *A harrowing and compelling vision . . . the narrator's voice is so authentic you have to check you are still reading fiction . . . This is a novel which leaves an impression like a blood-soaked hand print, disturbing not only for the terror around this cleaving, pulverising slayer, but the terror turning to 'ennui' within him. To call it shocking would be to do it a disservice. To call the writing beautiful would hardly be praise. To call the book staggering would be an understatement * Waterstones Books Quarterly *The power of his material and its hideous relevance rolls all before it . . . This book about children that is in no sense a children's book deserves to be read * Independent *An extraordinary book . . . horrifying expose . . . vivid . . . . It casts a powerful, if gruesome spell * Sunday Telegraph *Iweala makes a compelling story from experience which in its nature defies articulation . . . Uzodinma Iweala's is a confident and promising new voice * Times Literary Supplement *Gives a name, a voice and a heart to one of Africa's innumerable child soldiers . . . This is urgent writing, starkly unsentimental and convincing * Observer *Compelling . . . perturbing, painful and powerful * Irish Independent *Stream-like sentences that convey irrestible, rushing activitiy . . . Iweala's powerful debut recalls Saro-Wiwa's first-person masterpiece of a soldier-boy * The Times *A simple and brutal account of war . . . Beasts of No Nation is a raw, compelling first novel * Literary Review *'Extraordinary ... you don't come across writing like this very often.' * The Bookseller *This is a work of visceral urgency and power: it heralds the arrival of a major talent * Amitav Ghosh *'So scorched by loss and anger that it's hard to hold and so gripping in its sheer hopeless lifeforce that it's hard to put down.' * Ali Smith, Guardian *'A harrowing and compelling vision ... the narrator's voice is so authentic you have to check you are still reading fiction ... This is a novel which leaves an impression like a blood-soaked hand print, disturbing not only for the terror around this cleaving, pulverising slayer, but the terror turning to 'ennui' within him. To call it shocking would be to do it a disservice. To call the writing beautiful would hardly be praise. To call the book staggering would be an understatement' * Waterstones Books Quarterly *'The power of his material and its hideous relevance rolls all before it ... This book about children that is in no sense a children's book deserves to be read' * Independent *'This is an extraordinary book ... horrifying expose ... vivid ... It casts a powerful, if gruesome spell' * Sunday Telegraph *'Iweala makes a compelling story from experience which in its nature defies articulation ... Uzodinma Iweala's is a confident and promising new voice' * Times Literary Supplement *'Gives a name, a voice and a heart to one of Africa's innumerable child soldiers ... This is urgent writing, starkly unsentimental and convincing' * Observer *'His riveting revelations... make this a truly shocking and unforgettable book.' * Waterstone's Books Quarterly *'First-time novelist Uzodinma Iweala has made a virtue of simplicity and, in beautifully unadorned language, has captured the universal tragedy of war and its victims.' * Telegraph/Seven, Sally Cousins *'Linguistically ingenious, Beasts of No Nation is a remarkable debut, a hugely resonant discourse on an uncomfortable subject.' * Observer, Helen Zaltzman *'This sad, unforgettable novel is a fitting testament to the countless Agus who continue to kill and be killed across that most tragic of continents.' * Daily Telegraph, David Isaacson *'A chilling work of fiction that has visceral impact.' * Guardian/The Guide *'Compelling ... perturbing, painful and powerful' * Irish Independent *'A stunningly mature debut' * Big Issue *'Compelling, haunting and refreshing' * The Review *'Stream-like sentences that convey irrestible, rushing activitiy ... Iweala's powerful debut recalls Saro-Wiwa's first-person masterpiece of a soldier-boy' * The Times *'A searing first novel' * Independent *'Beasts of No Nation is written with the authority of someone who knows what they're talking about' * London Review of Books *'A simple and brutal account of war ... Beasts of No Nation is a raw, compelling first novel' * Literary Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 'Lloyd Jones brings to life the transformative power of fiction . . . This is a beautiful book' Sunday Times 'You cannot pretend to read a book. Your eyes will give you away. So will your breathing. A person entranced by a book simply forgets to breathe. The house can catch alight and a reader deep in a book will not look up until the wallpaper is in flames.' Bougainville, 1991. A small village on a lush tropical island in the South Pacific. Eighty-six days have passed since Matilda's last day of school as, quietly, war is encroaching from the other end of the island. When the villagers' safe, predictable lives come to a halt, Bougainville's children are surprised to find the island's only white man, a recluse, re-opening the school. Pop Eye, aka Mr Watts, explains he will introduce the children to Mr Dickens. Matilda and the others think a foreigner is coming to the island and prepare a liTrade Review'It's clear from the first page that this is prize-winning stuff... Being a truthful writer, Jones sees nothing neither his heroes nor his villains in black and white. His is a bold inquiry into the way that we construct and repair our communities, and ourselves, with stories old and new' * The Times *'In this dazzling story-within-a-story, Jones has created a microcosm of post-colonial literature, hybridising the narratives of back and white races to create a new and resonant fable ... There is a fittingly dreamy lyrical quality to Jones's writing, along with an acute ear for the earthly harmonies of village speech ... Mister Pip is the first of Jones's six novels to have travelled from his native New Zealand to the UK. It is so hoped that it won't be the last' * Observer *'Mister Pip is a poignant and impressive work which can take its place alongside the classical novels of adolescence' * Times Literary Supplement *'A major word-of-mouth bestseller' * Sue Baker, Publishing News *Intriguing and memorable * Glasgow Herald *'Cleverly encapsulating what it is to be an orphan, an immigrant or a person dispossessed of a regular beat of life, this extraordinary story...' * Good Housekeeping *'Exotic locations add a dreamy quality to ... Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones ... Jones' lyrical novel centres around a group of children in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, during the civil war in the Nineties' * Vogue *'Morally subtle, Mister Pip has none of arid cleverness that often mars novels about books, making it a worthy winner of this year's Commonwealth Writers' Prize' * Daily Mail *'Darker and more morally complex than it appears ... Lloyd Jones gives the tired post-colonial themes of self-reinvention and the reinterpretation of classic texts a fresh, ingenious twist but his real achievement is bringing life and depth to his characters' * Sunday Telegraph *'A must-read tale of survival by storytelling' * Image Magazine (Ireland) *'A novel that, with amplitude and ease, affirms the acts of reading and writing as precious pursuits, as acts of survival, escape, renewal' * Scotsman *'The value of moral fiction as a means of dealing with super-heated reality is the theme that gives this book exotic enchantment as a fable for our times' * Saga Magazine *'(A) rather strange, quite wonderful book ... Singular in its vision and muscular in its prose, you won't forget this in a hurry' * thelondonpaper *'An intelligent novel that says as much about the power of reading as it does about bloodshed and loss' * New Statesman *'Mister Pip is a powerful and humane novel from one of New Zealand's top writers' * Financial Times Magazine *A captivating read * Metro London *'Judges described it as a "mesmerising story showing how books can change lives in utterly surprising ways" ' * Independent *'Rarely ... can any novel have combined charm, horror and uplift in quite such superabundance' * D. J. Taylor, Independent *'Lloyd Jones brings to life the transformative power of fiction ... The experience of reading in this book is tangible ...This is a beautiful book. It is tender, multi-layered and redemptive' * Sunday Times *'Magical and enchanting' * Woman Magazine *'A dazzling piece of writing that lives long in the mind after the last page is finished' * Whitefriars Magazine *'A mega-good read' * Dovegreyreader Blog *Moving * Sunday Telegraph *Poignant, haunting and profoundly humane * Sunday Times *Unforgettable * Bookseller *'It's a wonderfully refreshing book which gives you much to think about long after finishing' * Psychologies *'Incredible, one of the best reading experiences I've had' * Janie Dee, Daily Express *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA beautiful woman scarred by a hateful past. A compassionate cop haunted by a childhood blighted by poverty. Violence brought them together. An unspeakable abomination may tear them apart.Bruno Frye nightly succumbs to the malicious lullaby of the whispers. Losing himself in the nightdreams of their rustling cries, he is deafened by whispers more piercing than any scream. In the dark recesses of his mind no act is too violent, no deed too shocking . . .

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Joyous – a treat of a tale that whisks your heart away to the beautiful shores of Orkney. Prepare to fall in love with this fantastic series!' MIRANDA DICKINSON On paper, Merina Wilde has it all: a successful career writing the kind of romantic novels that make even the hardest hearts swoon, a perfect carousel of book launches and parties to keep her social life buzzing, and a childhood sweetheart who thinks she’s a goddess. But Merry has a secret: the magic has stopped flowing from her fingers. Try as she might, she can’t summon up the sparkle that makes her stories shine. And as her deadline whooshes by, her personal life falls apart too. Alex tells her he wants something other than the future she’d always imagined for them and Merry finds herself single for the first time since – well, ever. Desperate to get her life back on track, Merry leaves London and escapes to the windswept Orkney Islands, l

Read more less

Book Synopsis'How to tell the story of a 500-page collection of stories spanning more than forty years? Especially when I really want to just exclaim, "Oh, Oh, OH!" in a state of steadily mounting rapture' Geoff Dyer, Observer Williams' uniquely devastating portrayals of modern life have been captivating readers and writers for decades. Here, for the first time, Williams' thirty-three best stories are available in a single volume, together with thirteen new stories that show a writer continuing to mould the form into something strange and new. Bleak but funny, real but surreal, domestic but dangerous, familiar but enigmatic, Joy Williams' stories fray away the fabric at the edge of ordinary experience to reveal the loneliness at the heart of human life. In 'The Lover', a girl suffers a spiritual and physical wasting away; in 'The Visiting Privilege', a visitor finds refuge in her friend's psychiatric ward; in 'Charity', a woman gives a poor family gas money and finds herself marooned in their peculiar world; in 'Another Season' an itinerant man cleanses an island of roadkill; in 'Craving' an alcoholic couple head towards a car crash. The Visiting Privilege represents the culmination of Williams' career and cements her place as the most singular artist of short fiction writing today.Trade ReviewPerhaps the greatest living master of the short story ... easily taking her place among the ranks of Mavis Gallant, Flannery O'Connor, Grace Paley, John Cheever and Raymond Carver -- Neel Mukherjee * Guardian Books of the Year *Joy Williams is a stone-cold 100% American original ... a treasure trove of high-octane prose and surreal wit -- Rupert Thomson * Herald Books of the Year *An electric and dangerously human volume -- Philip Hensher * Spectator Books of the Year *The literary heir to Anton Chekhov * Washington Post *Williams is a flawless writer, and The Visiting Privilege is a perfect book * NPR *Joy Williams is simply a wonder -- Raymond CarverShe belongs in the company of Céline and Flannery O'Connor -- James SalterHow to tell the story of a 500-page collection of stories spanning more than 40 years? Especially when I really want to just exclaim, "Oh, Oh, OH!" in a state of steadily mounting rapture -- Geoff Dyer * Observer *The Visiting Privilege cements Williams's position not merely as one of the great writers of her generation, but as our pre-eminent bard of humanity's insignificance * New York Times Magazine *Powerful, important, compassionate, and full of dark humor. This is a book that will be reread with admiration and love many times over * Vanity Fair *One of the most fearless, abyss-embracing literary projects our literature has seen ... ruthless, hilarious work that holds our human folly to the fire ... you can't much pin Joy Williams down with any obvious dark masters. She is American and contemporary and strange, comfortable in the skin of domestic realism, even if that mode is a kind of misleading costume for a far more sinister project not often seen in American, or any, short fiction -- Ben Marcus * New York Times Book Review *Deep, dazzling, disconcerting -- Adam FouldsDark, funny, spare and unsparing ... wonderful ... Williams is fully alive to the tragicomedy of our transient lives. -- Eithne Farry * Sunday Express *Revisiting the edgy, perceptive, provocative stories of Joy Williams make The Visiting Privilege a celebration. From the opening story, 'Taking Care', Williams confirms her ironic pathos and consummate timing, and rarely falters. -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times *Williams's short stories portray the edges of modern life in vivid, staccato detail and make for compelling reading. The narrative threads move forward in unpredictable, exciting and often unsettling detail. * Guardian, readers' BOTY 2016 *One of the great American short story writers -- Jay McInerneyThe bright-bleak grand master of short stories -- Lauren Groff * New Yorker *How had Joy Williams been missing from my life for so long? What a writer. What a voice. What a way of seeing. -- Laura Barnett * Twitter *

Read more less