Dystopian & Alternative History Fiction Books

Book Synopsis'Unputdownable ... I was blown away' Angus Donald, bestselling author of the Outlaw ChroniclesTwo kings. Two nations. One crown. The start of an epic historical espionage series by master authors A.J. Mackenzie.1328. After years of civil unrest between England and France, Charles IV dies, leaving no apparent heir. His closest heir to the throne is Edward III of England, but it passes instead to Charles' cousin, Phillip, spurring both countries on to war.1346. Landing at Normandy, Edward's immense army makes inroads into French territory, burning everything in their path. But the mysterious assassination of an English knight reveals a terrible truth: there is a traitor in their midst. The king charges Simon Merrivale, the Prince of Wales’ herald, with solving the case.As the army marches on towards its destiny, at the awesome scenes of the Battle of Crécy, Simon will uncover a conspiracy that goes to the heart of the warring nations. Among the ashes and the rubble, their fate will be decided: on the battlefield... and in the shadows.A scintillating medieval adventure of warfare and espionage, steeped in years of research, perfect for fans of David Gilman and Conn Iggulden.Praise for A Flight of Arrows Like one of those exquisite tapestries with interlacing strands in an array of vivid colour [...] a truly enthralling account of the events leading up to Crécy. Compulsory reading for all who enjoy that most fascinating period of English history' Paul Doherty, author of The Nightingale Gallery'Fast-paced, action-packed and full of adventure [...] one of the best reads this year' Parmenion Books'A rip-roaring story and devilish plot with outstanding historical detail [...] Mackenzie has created a character who will surely take his place in the canon of historical literary detectives' C. B. Hanley, author of the Mediaeval Mysteries series'Espionage, treachery and long-buried sins come to the fore in the blood-stained fields of fourteenth-century Normandy. A compelling story of courage and betrayal - I loved it' Katherine Stansfield, author of the Cornish Mystery series

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Book SynopsisAn old enemy, a new threat, and a secret that could tear the world apart.Hostage negotiator Ethan Munroe is called urgently to a developing crime scene. A serial killer is holding a young girl hostage, and, inexplicably, demands his attendance.Events quickly spiral out of control, and the security of Ethan's life is stripped away, as he is thrown headlong into a perilous world of deception, espionage and danger, lurking deep within the shadows of political power.Ethan will discover things about himself he could never have suspected, come face-to-face with a terrifying foe, and uncover an unthinkable truth that could not only shatter his own future but that of the world… The enigma that is Project Icarus.A totally gripping conspiracy thriller with a twist you will never see coming, perfect for fans of Lee Child, Scott Mariani, and Adam Hamdy.

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Book SynopsisDiscovery means certain death. And he’s running out of time.It’s 1990, and Dmitry Kalyagin is about to attain membership in Gorbachev’s politburo when his long-dormant status as a “mole” for the British is suddenly reactivated.English intelligence man George Parker, feeling indebted to Kalyagin, initiates a covert effort to pull the agent out before his identity can be uncovered by the Soviets.But as the body count starts to rise, Parker’s attempts to protect Kalyagin are hampered by both Russian ruthlessness and British indifference. As desperation begins to set in, the battle to save Kalyagin will lead to a climactic showdown in the Moscow streets, between two networks of spies.A taut, suspense-filled Cold War thriller from an author who reported from the heart of Moscow, perfect for fans of John le Carré, Ken Follett and Frederick Forsyth.Praise for The Spy in Question ‘Fast-paced, exciting reading, set in the real Moscow of grime and icy grit’ Washington Post‘A pulsating thriller… a great read, an authentic feel’ Irish Press

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Book SynopsisAmongst the scholars, secrets and soporifics of Victorian Oxford, the truth can be a bitter pill to swallow…Jesus College, Oxford, 1881. An undergraduate is found dead at his lodgings and the medical examination reveals some shocking findings. When the young man’s guardian blames the college for his death and threatens a scandal, Basil Rice, a Jesus College fellow with a secret to hide, is forced to act and finds himself drawn into Sidney Parker’s sad life.The mystery soon attracts the attention of Rhiannon ‘Non’ Vaughan, a young Welsh polymath and one of the young women newly admitted to university lectures. But when neither the college principal nor the powerful ladies behind Oxford’s new female halls will allow her to become involved, Non’s fierce intelligence and determination to prove herself drive her on.Both misfits at the university, Non and Basil form an unlikely partnership, and it soon falls to them to investigate the mysterious circumstances of Parker’s death. But between corporate malfeasance and snake-oil salesmen, they soon find the dreaming spires of Oxford are not quite what they seem…An intriguing first installment of The Oxford Mysteries series by master crime writer, Alis Hawkins. Perfect for fans of Laura Shepherd-Robinson, S.G. MacLean and Kaite Welsh.Praise for A Bitter Remedy ‘An excellent historical mystery dripping with atmosphere that exposes the chauvinism, misogyny and bigotry of late Victorian England’ The Times‘Her inventiveness is prodigal’ Financial Times‘Fearlessly tackles taboo attitudes of the era, taking aim at misogyny, homophobia, and sexual politics. An excellent addition to the historical mystery canon. Marvellous!’ Vaseem Khan, author of Midnight at Malabar House‘A Bitter Remedy is a perfect tonic for our times.’ S. G. MacLean author of The Seeker‘Absolutely brilliant! Thoughtful, complex and engrossing’ Chris Lloyd, author of The Unwanted Dead‘A superb atmospheric mystery to the last page’ Rachel Lynch, author of Dark Game‘I can’t wait for Non and Basil’s next case!’ Katherine Stansfield author of Falling Creatures

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Book SynopsisUncover the traitor. End what you started.Rejoining the English army laying siege to Calais, Simon Merrivale discovers that the conspiracy against the thrones of England and France has regrouped and gathered force. New allies have joined their ranks, including a dark secret society known as the Pilgrims, and the Holy Roman Empire and the Knights of Saint John have also been drawn in. Ambush and murder in the war-torn fields of Flanders, clandestine meetings in ruined castles and assassination attempts in the streets of Bruges and Paris all follow, as Merrivale relentlessly hunts the conspirators, in an attempt to finally reveal the turncoat at its heart.The awe-inspiring finale to the Hundred Years’ War series, perfect for fans of Andrew Taylor, Bernard Cornwell and C. J. Sansom.

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Book SynopsisA NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 'Stylish, beautiful and strange' Jessie Greengrass As featured on BBC Open Book: 'poses questions about whether we can love AI and whether AI could love us ... I couldn't help but develop a soft spot for Mother' -- Johny Pitts Lena has always lived in the jungle with Mother. There they look after a holiday home in surroundings that burst with colour and crawl with danger. Lena's only other friend is Isabella, who once visited regularly with her wealthy parents and security drone, Anton. But Isabella and her family haven't been seen in years. Mother is not like other mothers. She gets angry when Lena draws her with a face. When Lena challenges her to portray herself, she paints a tiny yellow dot surrounded by swirling black. She is a bastion of light, she says, against an army of darkness. Outside, rebels are fighting to take over the country. Mother is determined nothing will change inside the security fence, nothing to threaten her bond with Lena, or endanger the family. But there are secrets that need to emerge. How did Lena end up here? And what has happened to the family who no longer visit? What has Mother been planning, and what is gathering around them to change their lives forever?Trade ReviewInsightful and very alive ... Pachico's alternative universe is a world of its own here, animated beyond what is possible in most fiction now * Guardian *An affecting AI mystery * i weekend *A bewildering and compelling novel that explores the tensions between town and country, danger and safety, rich and poor, and above all the human and the non-human... like Lord of the Flies fed through an episode of Black Mirror * Literary Review *Skilfully plotted * Telegraph *'Dazling and horrifying - this is Louise Bourgeois' Maman in a novel for the age of AI. Spectacular punchy prose and big thinking on the emotions of machines. We need writers like Pachico to help us think into the future -- Anna Metcalfe, author of ChrysalisCompelling, atmospheric and sultry -- Olivia Sudjic, author of Asylum RoadThe robots are here, and they're touchy and insecure. At least, that's so in Julianne Pachico's brilliant AI mystery, Jungle House. With its remote setting, survival theme, and exploration of the possibilities and limitations of technology, it's a harmonious counterpoint to Naomi Alderman's apocalypse thriller, The Future -- Madeleine Feeny * the Bookseller, Editor's Pick *Jungle House is excellent at suspense, constantly weaving terror through beguiling descriptions of the tropical landscape, and delivering well-earned plot twists throughout ... A fresh, darkly witty reminder that technology and nature still have some kinks to work out * Strong Words Magazine *One of the most talked-about releases this month and it's easy to see why ... a highly imaginative concept novel for our AI age * The Gloss, Irish Times *Jungle House is extraordinary, a charming and ominous and utterly riveting story that reads partly like a fable, and partly like a premonition of our future -- Phil Klay, author of RedeploymentStylish, beautiful and strange, Jungle House looks with clear eyes at the complicated nature of embodiment, at our relationships both to ourselves and to others, and the delicate balance of love -- Jessie Greengrass, author of The High HouseAs enchanting as a fairy tale, and equally sinister, Jungle House takes us to the primordial forest and a future where AI manages the every need of a wealthy elite. Pachico's captivating novel is both a provocative conjuring of a future that's almost upon us, and a moving exploration of the mother-daughter bond -- Victoria Gosling, author of Bliss and BlunderConstantly seems to pose questions about whether we can love AI and whether AI could love us ... I couldn't help but develop a soft spot for Mother -- Johny Pitts, author of AfropeanJulianne Pachico's smart plotting means you're never quite certain what's going to happen next but you're left rooting for Mother and Lena, 2023's unlikeliest literary duo. Intriguing and beautifully written, Jungle House is totally recommended * the Crack *Tense, poignant and atmospheric * the Bookseller, Editor's Pick *Intense and insightful ... a superb imagining on a topical subject matter - one which will leave you questioning developments about the impact of artificial intelligence, and its future * Buzz Magazine *This AI mystery is one to watch ... Gripping * Sunday Post *Well written with strong characters ... if The Jungle Book was about an abandoned baby girl who was looked after by two robots and an all-seeing, all-hearing and all-knowing "Mother", instead of a lovable black bear and a grumpy panther * Birmingham Mail *Thought-provoking and hauntingly atmospheric, Pachico's second novel is a gripping account of unravelling domestic dystopia and a timely reflection on what it means to be human in a world increasingly run by machines * Mail on Sunday *There's an element of Hal 9000 transported to terra firma in Pachico's latest ... a smart novel that mines fearmongering about the dangers of AI for bleak satire * Irish Times *Praise for Julianne Pachico * : *A millennial's view of the complexities of Colombia, full of existential angst and funny details ... Go to Pachico's Colombia * The New York Times *Superb * Kelly Link, author of Get in Trouble *Pachico is a gripping writer * The Times *Thrilling ... remarkably inventive * Atlantic *Pachico lays bare the trauma of life in post-peace Columbia * Ingrid Persaud, author of Love after Love *

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Book Synopsis'A twisted masterpiece' Guardian 1939. In a grotty corner of London, in a flat above a shop, a private eye known as Wolf keeps his office. The city is in the throes of a very British Fascism, and Wolf is far from the life he left behind in Germany, before the Fall. Business hasn't been good, so when a glamorous Jewish heiress comes through his door, he has no choice but to take on her case. It's a decision Wolf will soon regret. For in another time and place, a man lies dreaming. Once a Yiddish pulp writer, but now imprisoned in a hell of humanity's making, Shomer creates lurid tales of revenge in his sleep... Prescient, darkly funny and wholly original, the award-winning A Man Lies Dreaming is a modern fable for our time.Trade ReviewA twisted masterpiece... A Holocaust novel like no other, Lavie Tidhar's A Man Lies Dreaming comes crashing through the door of literature like Sam Spade with a .38 in his hand. This is a shocking book as well as a rather brilliant one' * Guardian *Tidhar tightropes between fantasy, farce, and historical fiction, all while grounding things in brisk, gritty noir. Parallels to our current state of affairs abound, but if anything, they're simply symptoms of how the past can recycle itself in frightening new ways – a process that Dreaming compellingly picks apart and rewires. History isn't written by the winners or the losers, Tidhar illustrates, but by those who know how to shroud it and spin it the most entertainingly. Which only makes Dreaming all the more chilling * NPR *Tidhar knows how to say a great deal in very little. There is eloquence and gravitas in the sparseness and brevity of noir fiction when it is good, and Tidhar's is quite incredible * TOR.com *Tidhar truly is one of the key literary voices of the modern age... A Man Lies Dreaming is a masterpiece' * The Fantasy Hive *

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Book SynopsisShapers – an underground community of scientists and mystics – must take subtle action in a time of political tyranny in Rhonda. Continuing her search for the Real, the rebellious young Ana recasts as Mesa, centuries ahead to Rhonda, AD 2450, where Governors uphold a law that inhibits emotions as the solution to crime. As anarchy looms, Mesa navigates her soul bond with Ana and Cara. Mesa, an agent of the Ypocs, a genetically enhanced species, is re-called by Cassia, the Shaper oracle, from a future timeline to alleviate the crisis in Rhonda. As Mesa aids the survival of Rhondeans and Shapers, she must also explore the origin and myth of her being and her tribe of Ypocs to find clues as to why time is slowing in her utopian world. Time is a bridge that Ana, Mesa and Cara traverse towards the realisation that they are a triple soul, existing in different places at once. Each bears the urgent task to mend relationships across parallel epochs. As they encounter each other, they must explore the myth of past, present and future...

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Book Synopsis'When the rains fell, the world burned...' After a childhood spent in the foster care system, failed PhD student Amy Weston attracts trouble wherever she goes. Acid rain is destroying London's trees, brain lesions are turning once-harmless pets into killer dogs, and her new work colleague, Professor Joel Harket, is the most infuriating man she has ever met. But when the media continue to insist that autumn has simply come early, and humans begin to experience the same symptoms as the killer dogs, Amy must work alongside Joel in order to convince the world of the seriousness of the situation, before it is too late. From the UN Air Health summit in Beijing to the abandoned tunnels beneath the city of London, Amy and Joel search for answers to prevent the end of the world, and as Nelson's Column crumbles and zombie-like 'howlers' wreak havoc worldwide, they discover that the only way to survive the apocalypse is to set aside their differences... and learn to trust each other.

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Book SynopsisIn the mountainous city of Nevers, there lives a professor of literature called Q. He has a dull marriage and a lacklustre career, but also a scrumptious collection of antique dolls locked away in his cupboard. And soon Q lands his crowning acquisition: a music box ballerina named Aliss who tantalizingly springs to life. Guided by his mysterious friend Owlish and inspired by an inexplicably familiar painting, Q embarks on an all-consuming love affair with Aliss, oblivious to the sinister forces encroaching on his city and the protests spreading across the university that have left his classrooms all but empty. Thrumming with secrets and shape-shifting geographies, Dorothy Tse’s extraordinary debut novel is a boldly inventive exploration of life under repressive conditions.Trade Review‘[A] surreal fantasy and the reading experience is demanding ... you might ask yourself if it's worth the effort. On reaching the end you will surely conclude that it is...a very brave book.’ — David Mills, The Times‘It’s tempting to call Owlish a fantasy, or an anti-fairytale. The book is not shy of drawing in references, including to Mephistopheles, Kant, the Brothers Grimm, Lewis Carroll, Kafka, Orwell and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. However, Tse’s acerbic, freewheeling spirit is generically flirtatious, rather than genre-bound. She steals from the western canon with chutzpah and panache to create a subversive tale about perilous desire, high-rise bureaucracy and sophisticated corruption in a defenceless city under siege… Owlish wittily captures a recent crisis moment in Hong Kong, exploring a discombobulating state caught between civilization and its discontents.’ —Kit Fan, Guardian‘In Owlish, nimbly translated by Natascha Bruce, there are several nods to Franz Kafka and Tse offers a powerful vision of government repression.... Tse combines the banal and the fantastic to terrific effect. Full of striking imagery, Owlish is a vertiginous tale of a people sleepwalking into catastrophe.’ — Lucy Popescu, Financial Times‘Beguilingly eerie, richly textured, the pages of Owlish are drenched in strange beauty and menace. Like all the best fairy tales, it reveals the dark truths that we would rather not look at directly, and does so with a surreal and singular clarity.’ — Sophie Mackintosh, author of Cursed Bread‘Dorothy Tse is a magnificent historian of unreal places. Her sage and serious characters are cast adrift in realities that are neither sage nor serious at all – and possibly impossible. Her parallel worlds and paradoxes brilliantly illuminate our own reality, with all its fictions masquerading as facts (and vice versa). Boundlessly creative, richly philosophical – I loved this book.’ — Joanna Kavenna, author of Zed‘A magical and potent tale for these tyrannical times.’ — NoViolet Bulawayo, author of Glory‘Tse joins the ranks of artists currently remaking the world, from Yoko Tawada to César Aira.’ — Joyelle McSweeney, author of Toxicon and Arachne‘Owlish is so delightfully creepy, wonderful and strange.’ — Camilla Grudova, author of Children of Paradise‘A bold, brilliantly absorbing read. This clever, mercurial portrait of an alternate Hong Kong lingers long after the last page.’ — Irenosen Okojie, author of Nudibranch‘Owlish [is] a darkly sexual sociopolitical fable…Tse’s excellent novel becomes increasingly bizarre.’ — Hal Jensen, TLS‘Owlish is the story of a city as much as it is the story of Q. Between his correspondence with a strange figure known only as Owlish and a ballerina figurine who has come to life, the professor is immersed and distracted enough not to notice the city and his university emptying out around him as the political situation deteriorates and falls into chaos. Tse’s style in Owlish, with its magical elements, suggests a more overtly political Italo Calvino, or Salman Rushdie with a lighter touch…the story is engrossing and the prose, translated by the always satisfying Natascha Bruce, a delight.’ — Jessa Crispin, Telegraph‘Owlish … has been translated into a playful and sinuous English by Natascha Bruce… the book, with its ellipses and obstructed messages, were depicting the reality-warping effects of an uncanny, constraining force—a force like state censorship.’ — Katy Waldman, New Yorker‘[A] brilliantly unsettling fairytale.’ — Katie Goh, i-D‘In Owlish Tse makes a compelling spectacle; demonstrating the price of apathy during oppressive administrations, suggesting how we might resist the unspeakable mechanisms of regime. She crafts a wondrous hinterland in her writing, imagining the waiting worlds we might dream ourselves into – if we try.’ — Annie Hayter, BIG ISSUE‘Owlish bears witness to a dream state, to a place where language doesn’t always work quite how it should, where the boundaries of deviance, obedience, and desire blur. Caught within these shades of reality, the automata whirs. A cranking becomes faintly audible. Tse weaves a kind of visceral, bodily syntax full of openings and shrouded things; tantalising always, whether for us or for our hero.’ — Marguerite Carson, The Skinny‘In short, glimmering chapters, Owlish; nimbly translated by Natascha Bruce, reveals how the loss of freedom divides people from one another and from themselves. Tse’s novel is playful, poetic and devastating – a reminder that surrealist writing is not unreal, but the most real way of depicting the nightmare of living under tyranny.’ — Irina Dumitrescu, Times Literary Supplement

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Book SynopsisIntroducing Jonas Flynt. Gambler. Thief. Killer. Man of honour.Longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize 2023'Fast, furious and with a glint of gallows humour, this is high-octane historical fiction' Daily Mail'Swashbuckling action against a vivid historical backdrop. I loved this book' Ian Rankin‘High adventure meets espionage thriller as Jonas Flynt battles the tide of history and the deadly secrets of his own past…’ D. V. Bishop, author of City of Vengeance1715. Jonas Flynt, ex-soldier and reluctant member of the Company of Rogues, a shady intelligence group run by ruthless spymaster Nathaniel Charters, is ordered to recover a missing document. Its contents could prove devastating in the wrong hands.On her deathbed, the late Queen Anne may have promised the nation to her half-brother James, the Old Pretender, rather than the new king, George I. But the will has been lost. It may decide the fate of the nation.The crown must recover it at all costs.The trail takes Jonas from the dark and dangerous streets of London to an Edinburgh in chaos. He soon realises there are others on the hunt, and becomes embroiled in a long overdue family reunion, a jail break and a brutal street riot.When secrets finally come to light, about the crown and about his own past, Jonas will learn that some truths, once discovered, can never be untold…An atmospheric and utterly compelling blend of crime, history and thriller, to delight fans of S. J. Parris, Andrew Taylor and C. J. Sansom.Praise for An Honourable Thief 'Reads like a genuine eighteenth century spy novel. I see a long future for Jonas Flynt' Ambrose Parry, author of The Way of All Flesh'Anyone who enjoys a good historical mystery and likes an edgy, charismatic protagonist is going to love the adventures of Douglas Skelton’s new hero, Jonas Flynt’ S.G. MacLean, author of The Seeker'An absolute triumph ... Five stars from me, and I look forward to reading more of Jonas's adventures' James Oswald, Sunday Times bestselling author'Historical crime fiction at its absolute best. I loved it!’ Marion Todd, author of the Detective Clare Mackay series'Pitch-perfect stuff. Like all great historical novels you'll feel you're there! This is a departure for Skelton, who seems born to write high-end historical fiction’ Denzil Meyrick, author of the DCI Daley thrillers'Uniquely combines a page-turning thriller with a perfectly evoked sense of time and place. Powerful stuff from a master of his craft' Craig Russell, author of Hyde'Skelton’s mastery of time and place inhabited with richly drawn characters is a delight. It held me to the last tantalising page’ David Gilman, author of The Englishman‘Jonas Flynt is one of those characters you’ll be rooting for from the very first chapter ... it looks like Skelton has found a new home writing first-class historical fiction’ Alison Belsham, author of The Tattoo Thief'This is a fascinating, totally engrossing historical novel. Flynt is a most attractive, three-dimensional character and the same is true of the world he moves through. A brilliant, most enjoyable read’ Paul Doherty, author of The Nightingale Gallery‘A cracking historical drama with breathless pacing and knuckle-chewing tension, all shot through with Skelton’s deft characterisation and flashes of pitch-black humour. The perfect read to lose yourself in’ Neil Broadfoot, author of Falling Fast

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Book SynopsisFrom bastions of freedom… to fallen saints.DSV, the elite secret service tasked with fighting Daedalus, the descendants of the Nazis, are winning. They have captured more of their agents and assets in the past six months than the previous twenty years, and the plans for a Fourth Reich appear to be crumbling.But all is not as it seems. A whistleblower has identified a mole high up in the DSV hierarchy. But more worrying still is the identity of that informant… ruthless Daedalus commander Hans Bauer. Why would he give up such a valued operative?When word reaches them of a devastating Daedalus operation, codenamed Steel Thunder, Ethan Munroe, elite DSV operative, is tasked with only one mission: find the Daedalus core and bring them to justice, ending this seventy year-long cat and mouse game once and for all.But with a cataclysmic attack on the horizon, one that will eclipse anything the world has seen before, he is running out of time.A nerve-shattering conspiracy thriller with a devastating twist that will leave you reeling, perfect for fans of Scott Mariani, Clive Cussler and Adam Hamdy.

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Book SynopsisLondon, 1716. Revenge is a dish best served ice-cold…’An immersive, action-packed thriller with intrigue in the air and threats around every corner’ The Herald’Great fun ... the language is colourful and the action never stops’ Laura Shepherd-RobinsonThe city is caught in the vice-like grip of a savage winter. Even the Thames has frozen over. But for Jonas Flynt – thief, gambler, killer – the chilling elements are the least of his worries…Justice Geoffrey Dumont has been found dead at the base of St Paul’s cathedral, and a young male sex-worker, Sam Yates, has been taken into custody for the murder. Yates denies all charges, claiming he had received a message to meet the judge at the exact time of death.The young man is a friend of courtesan Belle St Clair, and she asks Flynt to investigate. As Sam endures the horrors of Newgate prison, they must do everything in their power to uncover the truth and save an innocent life, before the bodies begin to pile up.But time is running out. And the gallows are beckoning...A totally enrapturing portrayal of eighteenth-century London, and a rapier-like crime thriller, perfect for fans of Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Antonia Hodgson and Ambrose Parry.

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Book SynopsisPride comes before the fall.DSV, the elite secret service tasked with fighting Daedalus, the descendants of the Nazis, are on the run. Framed for a crime they didn’t commit, they are pursued not just by their mortal enemies, but the combined might of world government, as global public enemies number one.Led by special operative Ethan Munroe, the broken and bruised remnants of the once brilliant task force must evade capture across the world in their relentless pursuit of justice, redemption, and the architect of their downfall, Daedalus Commander Hans Bauer.Everything will, finally, come to a head in the ruins of a once great city, the site of DSV’s terrible defeat. Among the ashes and the rubble, a war that has been waged for decades will be decided once and for all. For a victor must prevail.The shattering finale to the hundred-mile-an-hour thriller series, perfect for fans of Lee Child, Adam Hamdy and Mark Greaney.

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Book SynopsisA young girl’s disappearance hints at a disturbing truth...When novice Emma Thorgold goes missing from Godstow Abbey in the summer of 1353, the hunt is on throughout the Oxfordshire countryside for any sign of where she could have gone. Bookseller Nicholas Elyot and scholar Jordain Brinkylsworth are anxious to help the girl, but her stepfather has other, more sinister intentions.Why is he so determined to shut her away for life? Or worse? And will she be found unharmed?A truly gripping historical mystery with twists and turns aplenty, perfect for fans of S. W. Perry, Graham Brack and Ellis Peters.

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Book SynopsisIntroducing Jonas Flynt. Gambler. Thief. Killer. Man of honour.Longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize 2023'Fast, furious and with a glint of gallows humour, this is high-octane historical fiction' Daily Mail'Swashbuckling action against a vivid historical backdrop. I loved this book' Ian Rankin‘High adventure meets espionage thriller as Jonas Flynt battles the tide of history and the deadly secrets of his own past…’ D. V. Bishop, author of City of Vengeance1715. Jonas Flynt, ex-soldier and reluctant member of the Company of Rogues, a shady intelligence group run by ruthless spymaster Nathaniel Charters, is ordered to recover a missing document. Its contents could prove devastating in the wrong hands.On her deathbed, the late Queen Anne may have promised the nation to her half-brother James, the Old Pretender, rather than the new king, George I. But the will has been lost. It may decide the fate of the nation.The crown must recover it at all costs.The trail takes Jonas from the dark and dangerous streets of London to an Edinburgh in chaos. He soon realises there are others on the hunt, and becomes embroiled in a long overdue family reunion, a jail break and a brutal street riot.When secrets finally come to light, about the crown and about his own past, Jonas will learn that some truths, once discovered, can never be untold…An atmospheric and utterly compelling blend of crime, history and thriller, to delight fans of S. J. Parris, Andrew Taylor and C. J. Sansom.Praise for An Honourable Thief 'Reads like a genuine eighteenth century spy novel. I see a long future for Jonas Flynt' Ambrose Parry, author of The Way of All Flesh'Anyone who enjoys a good historical mystery and likes an edgy, charismatic protagonist is going to love the adventures of Douglas Skelton’s new hero, Jonas Flynt’ S.G. MacLean, author of The Seeker'An absolute triumph ... Five stars from me, and I look forward to reading more of Jonas's adventures' James Oswald, Sunday Times bestselling author'Historical crime fiction at its absolute best. I loved it!’ Marion Todd, author of the Detective Clare Mackay series'Pitch-perfect stuff. Like all great historical novels you'll feel you're there! This is a departure for Skelton, who seems born to write high-end historical fiction’ Denzil Meyrick, author of the DCI Daley thrillers'Uniquely combines a page-turning thriller with a perfectly evoked sense of time and place. Powerful stuff from a master of his craft' Craig Russell, author of Hyde'Skelton’s mastery of time and place inhabited with richly drawn characters is a delight. It held me to the last tantalising page’ David Gilman, author of The Englishman‘Jonas Flynt is one of those characters you’ll be rooting for from the very first chapter ... it looks like Skelton has found a new home writing first-class historical fiction’ Alison Belsham, author of The Tattoo Thief'This is a fascinating, totally engrossing historical novel. Flynt is a most attractive, three-dimensional character and the same is true of the world he moves through. A brilliant, most enjoyable read’ Paul Doherty, author of The Nightingale Gallery‘A cracking historical drama with breathless pacing and knuckle-chewing tension, all shot through with Skelton’s deft characterisation and flashes of pitch-black humour. The perfect read to lose yourself in’ Neil Broadfoot, author of Falling Fast

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Book SynopsisAmongst the scholars, secrets and soporifics of Victorian Oxford, the truth can be a bitter pill to swallow…Jesus College, Oxford, 1881. An undergraduate is found dead at his lodgings and the medical examination reveals some shocking findings. When the young man’s guardian blames the college for his death and threatens a scandal, Basil Rice, a Jesus College fellow with a secret to hide, is forced to act and finds himself drawn into Sidney Parker’s sad life.The mystery soon attracts the attention of Rhiannon ‘Non’ Vaughan, a young Welsh polymath and one of the young women newly admitted to university lectures. But when neither the college principal nor the powerful ladies behind Oxford’s new female halls will allow her to become involved, Non’s fierce intelligence and determination to prove herself drive her on.Both misfits at the university, Non and Basil form an unlikely partnership, and it soon falls to them to investigate the mysterious circumstances of Parker’s death. But between corporate malfeasance and snake-oil salesmen, they soon find the dreaming spires of Oxford are not quite what they seem…An intriguing first installment of The Oxford Mysteries series by master crime writer, Alis Hawkins. Perfect for fans of Laura Shepherd-Robinson, S.G. MacLean and Kaite Welsh.Praise for A Bitter Remedy ‘An excellent historical mystery dripping with atmosphere that exposes the chauvinism, misogyny and bigotry of late Victorian England’ The Times‘Her inventiveness is prodigal’ Financial Times‘Fearlessly tackles taboo attitudes of the era, taking aim at misogyny, homophobia, and sexual politics. An excellent addition to the historical mystery canon. Marvellous!’ Vaseem Khan, author of Midnight at Malabar House‘A Bitter Remedy is a perfect tonic for our times.’ S. G. MacLean author of The Seeker‘Absolutely brilliant! Thoughtful, complex and engrossing’ Chris Lloyd, author of The Unwanted Dead‘A superb atmospheric mystery to the last page’ Rachel Lynch, author of Dark Game‘I can’t wait for Non and Basil’s next case!’ Katherine Stansfield author of Falling Creatures

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Book SynopsisAn eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.‘A wonderful novel. Big ideas wrapped in a plot that moves like a freight train’ Stuart Turton'Compelling and complex, but still emotionally charged and devastating' Helen Fields'A Clockwork Orange for the modern cohort. A terrifying near future imagined perfectly' Imran MahmoodThe future of law enforcement has arrived, courtesy of private health contractor Janus Justice. Their ground-breaking ‘Offender Treatment Programme’ has been hailed as the most effective way of tackling crime yet.As offenders move through the four-tiered system, their needs are dealt with, each tier more drastic in its methods:Tier One: Low-risk crimes. Physical therapy encouragedTier Two: Trauma and addiction. Emotional and psychological reasons for offending are examinedTier Three: Aversion therapy & moral punishmentTier Four: Siberia, where all hope is lostBut Grace Gunnarsson, one of Janus’ most highly regarded rehabilitation psychiatrists, has uncovered a terrible flaw in the system, one that is allowing people to get away with murder...‘A high-octane, spine-shivering thriller, in which neuropsychology, crime, ethics and justice are melded in a mind-stretching concoction’ Philippa EastPraise for The Treatment 'My favourite kind of thriller: intriguing, intelligent and with a complex moral question at its core' Simon Lelic'Tense and thought-provoking, The Treatment has a bold narrative that's startlingly relevant' Sarah Ward'In The Treatment, Sarah Moorhead takes a stunningly original and frighteningly plausible premise of a twisted criminal justice system, and creates a page-turning thriller with characters readers will love and hate. Brilliantly done!' Guy Morpuss‘Thoughtful and chilling, The Treatment offers a terrifying glimpse into a wholly believable dystopian future of crime and the justice system' Brian McGilloway'A great plot, very nasty villains but more importantly tackles moral and societal issues you rarely see in crime fiction' Trevor Wood'Intelligent futuristic thriller writing at its very best. The central idea is mind-blowing and the characters beautifully realised' Victoria Dowd'Intense and unsettling, this Orwellian tale had me gripped to the very last page' Marion Todd

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Book SynopsisLondon, 1716. Revenge is a dish best served ice-cold…’An immersive, action-packed thriller with intrigue in the air and threats around every corner’ The Herald’Great fun ... the language is colourful and the action never stops’ Laura Shepherd-RobinsonThe city is caught in the vice-like grip of a savage winter. Even the Thames has frozen over. But for Jonas Flynt – thief, gambler, killer – the chilling elements are the least of his worries…Justice Geoffrey Dumont has been found dead at the base of St Paul’s cathedral, and a young male sex-worker, Sam Yates, has been taken into custody for the murder. Yates denies all charges, claiming he had received a message to meet the judge at the exact time of death.The young man is a friend of courtesan Belle St Clair, and she asks Flynt to investigate. As Sam endures the horrors of Newgate prison, they must do everything in their power to uncover the truth and save an innocent life, before the bodies begin to pile up.But time is running out. And the gallows are beckoning...A totally enrapturing portrayal of eighteenth-century London, and a rapier-like crime thriller, perfect for fans of Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Antonia Hodgson and Ambrose Parry.

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Book SynopsisVan Jennings, a sociology student, and his two friends, Terry Nicholson and Jeff Margrave, set out one day to explore an uncharted area said to be home to a colony consisting entirely of women. Their biplane suitably hidden in the surrounding forest, the men begin their search for civilisation. But it is not long before they are discovered, and they are captured and taken in by the society they set out to study. As boundaries are broken down and the web of mystery is brushed aside, the men soon begin to realise that there is much to be envied about this society, and perhaps it is they that have some reckoning to do. Dealing with the powerful themes of consent, consumerism and colonialism, Herland is a thought-provoking tale that trains a lens on our own concepts of society.Trade Review'So radical that more than fifty years passed before society began to catch up with its feminism.' (Radio Times) 'Prepare for a feminist lecture, but one that does not lose sight of the need to entertain.' (Guardian) 'An important feminist work, long forgotten.' (David Pringle)

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Book SynopsisNOW THE NO.1 DRAMA IN THE HISTORY OF APPLE TV+The much anticipated prequel to bestseller Wool that takes us back to the beginnings of the silo. In a future less than fifty years away, the world is still as we know it. Time continues to tick by. The truth is that it is ticking away.A powerful few know what lies ahead. They are preparing for it. They are trying to protect us.They are setting us on a path from which we can never return.A path that will lead to destruction; a path that will take us below ground.The history of the silo is about to be written.Our future is about to begin.________________'We have been mesmerised with Hugh Howey's silo stories since we first laid eyes on book one in the trilogy...' Grazia Daily'An epic feat of imagination. You will live in this world.' Justin Cronin

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An epic story of survival at all odds, now a major Apple TV series. NOW THE NO.1 DRAMA IN THE HISTORY OF AppleTV+ In a ruined and hostile landscape, in a future few have been unlucky enough to survive, a community exists in a giant underground silo. Inside, men and women live an enclosed life full of rules and regulations, of secrets and lies. To live, you must follow the rules. But some don't. These are the dangerous ones; these are the people who dare to hope and dream, and who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple and deadly. They are allowed outside. Jules is one of these people. She may well be the last. _________________ 'The next Hunger Games' SUNDAY TIMES 'Well written, tense, and immensely satisfying, Wool will be considered a classic for many years in the future.' WIRED 'Howey's Wool is an epic feat of imagination. You will live in this world.' JUSTIN CRONIN 'Wool is frightening, fascinating, and addictive. In one word, terrific.' KATHY REICHS 'Thrilling, thought-provoking and memorable...one of dystopian fiction's masterpieces alongside the likes of 1984 and Brave New World.' DAILY EXPRESS Silo, No.1 drama in the history of Apple TV as of May 2023.

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Book Synopsis**WINNER OF THE WALES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023****WATERSTONES WELSH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022**'Truly beautiful and haunting, and an incredible feat of storytelling' DONAL RYAN'A tender, unusual and gorgeously wrought love story' RACHEL JOYCE'In times of war, Lewis finds resilience, redemption and hope...DRIFT feels perfectly judged' OBSERVER THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEBUT FROM THREE-TIME WINNER OF WALES BOOK OF THE YEAR CARYL LEWIS: A STORY OF LOVE, MAGIC AND THE IRRESISTIBLE LURE OF THE SEA.Nefyn has always been an enigma, even to her brother Joseph with whom she lives in a small cottage above a blustery cove.Hamza is a Syrian mapmaker, incarcerated in a military base a few miles up the coast.A violent storm will bring these two lost souls together - but other forces will soon try to tear them apart...Moving between the wild Welsh coast and war-torn Syria, Drift is a love story with a difference, a hypnotic tale of lost identity, the quest for home and the wondrous resilience of the human spirit.'A truly magical and transformative novel. I loved it.' KIRSTY CAPES, author of CARELESS Trade ReviewA truly beautiful and haunting novel, and an incredible feat of storytelling * DONAL RYAN *A tender, unusual and gorgeously wrought love story that weaves the magic of folk lore, the wonder of the sea, and the depths of human cruelty. It moves between the worlds it inhabits like the finest piece of driftwood. * RACHEL JOYCE *In times of war, Lewis finds resilience, redemption and hope...DRIFT feels perfectly judged * OBSERVER *Captivating from the off * Huw Stephens, BBC Front Row *A truly magical and transformative novel. I loved it. * Kirsty Capes *

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Book SynopsisThe One State is the perfect society, ruled over by the enlightened Benefactor. It is a city made almost entirely of glass, where surveillance is universal and life runs according to algorithmic rules to ensure perfect happiness. And D-503, the Builder, is the ideal citizen, at least until he meets I-330, who opens his eyes to new ideas of love, sex and freedom.A foundational work of dystopian fiction, inspiration for both Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four and Huxley's Brave New World, WE is a book of radical imaginings - of control and rebellion, surveillance and power, machine intelligence and human inventiveness, sexuality and desire. It is both a warning and a hope for a better world.This new edition also includes Ursula K. Le Guin's essay 'The Stalin in the Soul' on the enduring influence of Zamyatin's masterpiece, and George Orwell's 1946 review of WE.Trade ReviewThe best single work of science fiction yet written -- URSULA K. LE GUINTwo of the most iconic novels in the English language - Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and 1984 by George Orwell - owe an enormous debt to Zamyatin. We is the ur-text of science-fiction dystopias . . . the product of a powerful imagination * * Wall Street Journal * *The prototype . . . Zamyatin is a major artist * * New York Times * *This new edition, which contains Orwell's review as well as an introduction by Margaret Atwood, an afterword by Ursula Le Guin and an absorbing comment by the translator Bela Shayevich, who grew up in the former Soviet Union, will be the definitive version in English for the foreseeable future * * New Statesman * *[A] fine new translation . . . In a market of competing editions . . . Shayevich's stands out, and for very good reason . . . truly excellent . . . Shayevich's [translation] retains the novel's bold, jagged, elemental energy [and] remains true to the spirit of the work in a way that the author himself would have applauded * * Times Literary Supplement * *A seminal dystopian classic . . . This timely and thoughtful edition is a fitting tribute to book of lasting influence * * Irish Times * *It is in effect a study of the Machine, the genie that man has thoughtlessly let out of its bottle and cannot put back again -- GEORGE ORWELL

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Book SynopsisLaisve is a refugee in a destroyed city-island, hunted in Raids and haunted by the spirits of her drowned mother and brother. She dives into the river and finds herself travelling between times and waterways that will connect her with people from the past and future. Among them are a group of workers constructing a colossal monument to freedom for a young and bustling nation. But exactly what - and whom - will that liberty represent?As Laisve drifts into their histories, she schools seekers in the ways of dreams, love and the ultimate aim of liberty: to free the next generation from the chains of this one.Trade ReviewA long, disturbing dream . . . a fascinating, unsettling ride * * Guardian * *There's so much that feels deeply present about Yuknavitch's latest novel: the ever-expanding police state, lower Manhattan under water and a woman on a mission to rescue other vulnerable women. Yuknavitch's words are incantations, and Thrust is a triumph * * Elle * *An indignant and impressive novel * * New York Times * *Moving and incisive * * Time * *This weirdly wonderful [novel] on the surveillance state, climate change, and what it means to have agency as a woman in the world will throw your mind for a loop in the best way * * Good Housekeeping * *[This] powerful, braided fable unites workers of the world across time and space and class to start conceiving of a better world . . . Yuknavitch is firmly in control * * Los Angeles Times * *Thrust is alarmingly trenchant - and a hell of a wild ride. Daring, dazzling and earth-splitting, this is a book to take in wide-eyed -- REBECCA MAKKAI, author of The Great Believers[The] most mind-blowing book about America I've ever inhaled . . . I read Thrust in a state of flustered fascination and finished longing to dream it again * * Washington Post * *A unique dystopian tale, one much more than a straightforward calamity-charged premonition * * Buzz Magazine * *A complex novel of great imagination . . . profound, thought-provoking and deeply beautiful * * Shelf Awareness * *

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Book SynopsisThe gripping story of what it's like to be the daughter of a woman who changed the world - perfect for fans of The Power and VoxA BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK AND KINDLE NO. 1 BESTSELLER 'Engrossing and original. The Silence Project will get people talking' Bernardine Evaristo Mother. Martyr. Murderer. On Emilia Morris's thirteenth birthday, her mother Rachel moves into a tent at the bottom of their garden. From that day on, she never says another word.Inspired by Rachel's example, other women join her and together they build the Community. Eight years later, Rachel and thousands of her followers shock the world as they silence themselves forever.In the aftermath of what comes to be known as the Event, the Community's global influence quickly grows. As a result, the whole world has an opinion about Rachel - whether they see her as a callous monster or a heroic martyr - but Emilia has never voiced hers publicly. Until now. Readers can't stop shouting about The Silence Project: 'A true masterpiece' ***** 'One hell of a book!' ***** 'Had me hooked' ***** 'Red-hot' ***** 'I don't think I've ever read a book as quickly' ***** 'Gave me the shivers' *****Trade ReviewAn utterly compelling page-turner, you'll keep thinking about this novel long after you've put it down. * Glamour *A page-turner * Scotland on Sunday *Carole Hailey has conjured a gripping tale of transformation; its protagonist's clear-eyed, arresting voice is impossible to ignore. This striking debut grounds itself in a world we recognize in order to invite us to imagine both darkness - and hope. The Silence Project marks the arrival of a sophisticated and compelling new voice. -- Erica WagnerTotally unique, gripping, compelling and immersive -- Nell Hudson, author of Just For Today'Multilayered and philosophical ... grippingly compulsive ... reminiscent of writers such as Margaret Atwood, Naomi Alderman and Miriam Toews ... inventive and original * Nation Cymru *A slow burn that leads up to an incendiary conclusion. It holds a mirror up to our cultural compulsion to have a take on every tragedy that passes our screens, and the way that movements can spiral out of control. But it's also a deep dive into the divide between a mother and a daughter, and the struggle to understand who your parents are outside their identity as your parents. * Readers Digest *Compulsive reading ... so timely in its considerations of the ownership of narrative and truth -- Jane Fraser, author of AdventA big novel, a story for our age that asks the central question: how to save an endangered world when there can no longer be heroes? Love and power burn through The Silence Project. A terrifying and beautiful coming of age story. What an achievement! -- Isabelle Dupuy author of Living the DreamReaders who enjoyed The Power or The Handmaid's Tale will be absorbed by the novel's exploration of dystopian themese -- The School LibrarianA gripping, intelligent, multi-layered triumph -- Andy Charman, author of Crow CourtA ferociously smart page turner, exploring how idealism curdles into fanaticism, silence into violence. Brilliantly original and inventive. -- Alan Bilton, author of The Known and Unknown SeaArresting ... pins down the zeigeist as if with a rivet gun and is so good on the subject of cults that it might well become the focus one. Bravo. -- Jon GowerCaptivating ... a nimble and fascinating page-turner * Buzz *A remarkable novel ... illustrates the evil that lies in the heart of men's (and women's) hearts when they decide their way is the only way * Meath Chronicle *

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Book SynopsisAN INSTANT THE TIMES BESTSELLERBLACKWELL'S BOOK OF THE YEAR'Mesmerising' Sunday Times'Magnificent' Guardian'Monumental' The TelegraphLeigh grew up in Rotterdam, drawn to the waterfront as an escape from her unhappy home life and volatile father. Enchanted by the undersea world of her childhood, she excels in marine biology, travelling the globe to study ancient organisms. When a trench is discovered in the Atlantic ocean, Leigh joins the exploration team, hoping to find evidence of the earth's first life forms - what she instead finds calls into question everything we know about our own beginnings.Her discovery leads Leigh to the Mojave desert and an ambitious new space agency. Drawn deeper into the agency's work, she learns that the Atlantic trench is only one of several related phenomena from across the world, each piece linking up to suggest a pattern beyond human understanding. Leigh knows that to continue working with the agency will mean leaving behind her declining mother and her younger sister, and faces an impossible choice: to remain with her family, or to embark on a journey across the breadth of the cosmos.'Utterly compelling' The Times, Books of the Year'Profound and thrilling' New Statesman, Books of the Year'A far-reaching epic' Financial Times, Books of the Year Trade ReviewAstonishing... Beautifully written, richly atmospheric, full of brilliantly evoked detail, never sacrificing the grounded verisimilitude of lived experience to its vast mysteries, but also capturing a numinous, vatic strangeness that hints at genuine profundities about life. Nobody else writes like MacInnes, and this magnificent book is his best yet -- Adam Roberts * Guardian *Monumental... In Ascension rarely slips from G-inducing pace. It's that rare thing: a big, brawny novel of ideas that's actually readable. And for that considerable achievement, MacInnes deserves praise. It's no small thing, after all, to reach for the stars -- Alex Diggins * Telegraph *I would sincerely hope to see In Ascension on various prize shortlists... Its intellectual daring is formidable. This is fiction which is both stellar and grounded; an exemplar of what the novel alone can still do -- Stuart Kelly * The Scotsman *A shattering investigation of nothing less than humanity's place in the cosmos * Daily Mail *A tremendous novel that takes you to surprising places so carefully that you don't notice until everything has changed -- John Self * The Times *Mesmerising... Profoundly humane... In Ascension is epic in scale, diving to the bottom of the deepest ocean and then up to the furthest reaches of the universe * Sunday Times *To the handful of recent classics such as Richard Powers' The Overstory and Kim Stanley Robinson's The Ministry for the Future can be added Martin MacInnes' In Ascension... The richness of the novel is endlessly rewarding. In Ascension is a far-reaching epic that blends a deep scientific knowledge with a wide-eyed wonder at our place in the universe -- Carl Wilkinson * Financial Times *In Ascension finds as much poetry in the human microbiome as it does in the grand revolutions of the planets. It is a love letter to life...a primer to marvel -- Beejay Silcox * The TLS *In Ascension is strewn with jaw-dropping ideas... I'm still chewing over them -- Jamie Collinson * Spectator *Laura Jean McKay, Colson Whitehead and Emily St John Mandel are serious novelists...crafting extraordinary and original speculative fiction. To that list, add Martin MacInnes * SFX *I don't think I've ever read a book that was as profound and moving at every scale - the cell, the family, the universe. In Ascension is a remarkable, expansive, stunning achievement * Karen Joy Fowler, author of Booth *An awe-inspiring and gripping epic * Graeme Macrae Burnet, author of Case Study *Martin McInnes's imagination knows no bounds: he unites the unplumbed depths of the oceans to the infinity of interstellar space in his bravura, breathtaking, audacious In Ascension. No novel I know has conveyed, in such a shiveringly exciting and original way, that old truth: We are all made of stardust. Like Ted Chiang's 'Story of Your Life', and Jeff VanderMeer's 'Southern Reach Trilogy', this is an instant classic. Read it and feel awe and wonder. * Neel Mukherjee, author of A State of Freedom *A gorgeous, sombre epic, worthy of its precursors in Stanislaw Lem, J.G. Ballard, Olaf Stapledon and Stanley Kubrick. It will be of commanding interest to all whose ears prick up at those names, or any reader hungry to see the novel's cosmic and intimate dimensions reconciled with seemingly effortless grace * Jonathan Lethem *Nothing else in contemporary fiction compares to the mind state induced in you by a Martin MacInnes novel. You're simultaneously lulled by his prose, which is noiseless and unerring like some kind of billion-dollar lab tech, and maintained in a state of constant low-level disorientation by his completely unpredictable choices, his mysteries left audaciously unanswered. In Ascension is a wondrous, hypnotic book by one of my favourite working authors * Ned Beauman, author of Venomous Lumpsucker *An absorbing, serious, and wonderful novel. It will stay with you. * Daisy Hildyard, author of Emergency *An extraordinary novel - planetary and beyond planetary. The salt and blood, the tide and the bloom, the stuff of the world, will haunt you * JM Ledgard, author of Submergence *Truly incredible. Beautiful and moving. A masterpiece * Lee Rourke, author of Glitch *

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Book SynopsisWritten in 1899, Grigg's moving, terrifying book describes the Jim Crow era life of a black man inhabiting a living dystopia. Belton Piedmont is from a poor background, he works hard to become educated but is subjected to the full range of discrimination and racism as he grows older. At the point where he has lost all hope he is introduced to the notion of a shadow state, 'Imperium in Imperio', a utopia where black people are treated equally and attempt to bring their values into the heart of government in Texas, altering his life forever. Grigg's unflinching narrative explores nationalism, civil disobedience, voter suppression, poverty and education, all still familiar themes today. FLAME TREE 451: From mystery to crime, supernatural to horror and myth, fantasy and science fiction, Flame Tree 451 offers a healthy diet of werewolves and robots, mad scientists, secret worlds, lost civilizations and escapist fantasies. Discover a storehouse of tales, ancient and modern gathered specifically for the reader of the fantastic. The Foundations titles also explore the roots of modern fiction and brings together neglected works which deserve a wider readership as part of a series of classic, essential books.

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Book SynopsisThe Republic of Gilead offers Offred only one function: to breed . If she deviates, she will, like dissenters, be hanged at the wall or sent out to die slowly of radiation sickness. But even a repressive state cannot obliterate desire - neither Offred's nor that of the two men on which her future hangs...Trade Review'Moving, vivid and terrifying. I only hope it's not prophetic' Conor Cruise O'Brien, The Listener'The Handmaid's Tale is both a superlative exercise in science fiction and a profoundly felt moral story' Angela Carter'Our of a narrative shadowed by terror, gleam sharp perceptions, brilliant intense images and sardonic wit' Peter Kemp, Independent'The images of brilliant emptiness are one of the most striking aspects of this novel about totalitarian blindness...the effect is chilling' Linda Taylor, Sunday Times'Powerful...admirable' Robert Irwin, Time Out

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'A thrilling blend of noir and fantasy.'Guardian.In an unnamed city - a hardboiled pre-Civil Rights New York sort of city -heroine Lila Mae has succeeded in becoming the very first Black female elevator inspector. In Whitehead's darkly comic otherworld, this is a job imbued with an almost mystical significance. But the illustrious Department of Elevator Inspectors is in crisis, bitterly divided between the Empiricists (check the machinery) and the Intuitionists (tune in to the vibes). Lila is an Intuitionist and so much better at her job than anyone else that surely it must be those 'good-old-boy' Empiricists who have set up the serious accident which occurs on her watch - and just before the Departmental elections, too. Lila sets out to clear her name (and discover the secret formula of the Perfect Elevator at the same time), and the author keeps us on our toes guessing the outcome as he cleverly tweaks and twists his plot, catching everybody out. At the same time the story is almost certainly an allegory but of what, exactly, readers may work out for themselves. A teasing, challenging and entertaining read.

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Book SynopsisWaterstones' Books of the YearNick McDonell's electrifying novel tells the story of a fictional drug called Twelve and its devastating effects on the beautiful rich and desperate poor of New York City.From page one, this novel pulsates towards its apocalyptic climax. Twelve is cool, cruel and utterly compulsive. Twelve has been adapted for film by Hollywood director Joel Schumacher starring Chace Crawford,Emma Roberts, and 50 Cent.Praise for Twelve'As fast as speed, as relentless as acid' -- Michiko Kakutani, New York Times'The hype is all true' --Sunday Telegraph'Bret Easton Ellis territory...an extraordinary assured debut' --Harper & Queen'McDonell is an authentic talent and, long after the storms of hype have died away, his novel will endure as a snapshot of his generation' --Observer'Consistently brilliant... One of the most exciting new writers around' --Independent on Sunday'A brilliant satirical debut' --Time Out'A compulsive elegy to wasted, privileged youth, lives up to the hype... lean, elegant and bleakly witty' --ElleTrade Review'Consistently brilliant. Every subtle, thought-provoking poetic moment in this novel fits on top of the last, creating a narrative as precarious and complex as a tower of building blocks. But this tower doesn't fall... One of the most exciting new writers around' -- Scarlett Thomas * Independent on Sunday *'A small masterpiece' -- Germaine Greer * BBC Newsnight Review *Nick McDonell is the real thing... I'm afraid that he will do for his generation what I did for mine. * Hunter S. Thompson *'Twelve is sleek, seductive, tightens like a vice' * Uncut *

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Book SynopsisFROM THE BESTSELLING WRITER OF REBECCA'The House on the Strand is prime du Maurier . . . ' NEW YORK TIMES'She wrote exciting plots . . . a writer of fearless originality' GUARDIAN 'No other popular writer has so triumphantly defied classification . . . ' MARGARET FORSTER When Dick Young's friend, Professor Magnus Lane offers him an escape from his troubles in the form of a new drug, Dick finds himself transported to fourteenth-century Cornwall. There, in the manor of Tywardreath, the domain of Sir Henry Champerhoune, he witnesses intrigue, adultery and murder.The more time Dick spends consumed in the past, the more he withdraws from the modern world. With each dose of the drug, his body and mind become addicted to this otherworld and his attempts to change history bring terror to the present and put his own life in jeopardy.Trade ReviewThe House on the Strand is prime du Maurier ... She holds her characters close to reality; the past she creates is valid, and her skill in finessing the time shifts is enough to make one want to try a little of the brew himself * New York Times *She wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *No other popular writer has so triumphantly defied classification ... She satisfied all the questionable criteria of popular fiction, and yet satisfied the exacting requirements of "real literature", something very few novelists ever doHistorical science-fiction with heightened emotional drama, a very Oultander-like novel, if you will * Medium *The House on the Strand is prime du Maurier. . . . She holds her characters close to reality; the past she creates is valid, and her skill in finessing the time shifts is enough to make one want to try a little of the brew himself * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REBECCA'Daphne du Maurier told of Britain leaving the EU fifty years ago' LUCY SCHOLES, THE TIMES'The spirit of Britannia embodied' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH'She wrote exciting plots ... a writer of fearless originality' GUARDIAN 'It is rather awful, Emma thought as she walked across the fields down to the farm, how this business is leading us all into subterfuge and deception, and we can't really tell who is friend and who is enemy ... 'Emma wakes up one morning to an apocalyptic world. The cosy existence she shares with her grandmother, a famous retired actress has been shattered: there's no telephone, no radio and an American warship sits in the harbour. England has withdrawn from the European Common Market and, on the brink of bankruptcy has decided that salvation lies in a union - political, military and economic - with the United States. Theoretically it is to be an equal partnership, but it soon begins to look like a takeover bid.As the two women piece together clues about the 'friendly' military occupation on their doorstep; family, friends and neighbours come together to resist the interlopers.Trade ReviewShe wrote exciting plots, she was highly skilled at arousing suspense, and she was, too, a writer of fearless originality * Guardian *Consistently entertaining * Sunday Times *Daphne du Maurier told of Britain leaving the EU fifty years ago -- Lucy Scholes * The Times *The spirit of Britannia embodied * Sunday Telegraph *One of the last century's most original literary talents * Daily Telegraph *A diverse and engrossing cast of characters ... provocative, diverting * Chicago Tribune *

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Book Synopsis‘There is much to enjoy in a sumptuous novel that slips between present day and 1557.’ Sunday Mirror “My name is Mary Seymour and I am the daughter of one queen and the niece of another.” Browsing antiques shops in Wiltshire, Alison Bannister stumbles across a delicate old portrait – supposedly of Anne Boleyn. Except Alison knows better… The woman is Mary Seymour, the daughter of Katherine Parr who was taken to Wolf Hall in 1557 as an unwanted orphan and presumed dead after going missing as a child. The painting is more than just a beautiful object from Alison’s past – it holds the key to her future, unlocking the mystery surrounding Mary’s disappearance, and the enigma of Alison’s son. But Alison’s quest soon takes a dark and foreboding turn, as a meeting place called the Phantom Tree harbours secrets in its shadows… ************************************************************* Readers love Nicola Cornick: ‘Alluring and hypnotising… I was hooked from page one.’ ‘A haunting and mesmerising story.’ ‘Atmospheric and filled with tension and danger.’ ‘Full of dark twists and spooky turns. Brilliantly written, unguessable and page-turning.’ ‘Spellbinding, with a narrative that left me bewitched. Not to be missed!’ ‘A fabulous read. I was completely enthralled, and kept guessing throughout.’Trade ReviewPraise for Nicola Cornick: ‘A fascinating tale with intriguing twists.’ Barbara Erskine ‘I was hooked from the first pages.’ Gill Paul ‘You just can’t put it down. Brilliant!’ Katie Fforde ‘A gorgeous novel, so fresh and original. And the tension! I was on the edge of my seat.’ Jenny Ashcroft ‘There is much to enjoy in a sumptuous novel that slips between present day and 1557.’ Sunday Mirror ‘Ms. Cornick is first-class, queen of her game.’ Romance Junkies ‘A rising star.’ Publishers Weekly ‘Fans of Kate Morton will enjoy this gripping tale.’ Candis ‘This compelling yet poignant and at times frightening story calls out to every historical fiction lovers out there to read it and enjoy its glory forever’ Book Stop Corner ‘Her books are fabulous’. New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn ‘A sumptuous, spell-binding story’ Sara Manning, Red Online

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Book Synopsis‘An eerie masterpiece’ Christina Dalcher ‘Think Black Mirror with a comic twist’ OK! When everyone is watching you can run, but you can’t hide… 2051. Marlow and her mother, Floss, have been handpicked to live their lives on camera, in the closed community of Constellation. Unlike her mother, who adores the spotlight, Marlow hates having her every move judged by a national audience. But she isn’t brave enough to escape until she discovers a shattering secret about her birth. Now she must unravel the truth around her own history in a terrifying race against time… An explosive and unsettling novel set in the near-future, perfect for fans of Station Eleven, Black Mirror, The Circle and Friend Request. Everyone is talking about Followers ‘A first-rate dystopian tale’ The I ‘A compelling look at the power of technology and social networks. You won’t be able to put it down’ Vogue.com ‘Megan Angelo’s debut novel will have you hooked…think Black Mirror with a comic twist’ OK! ‘Suspenseful, thought-provoking and terrifying’ Daily Mail ‘One of 2020’s most anticipated books. Looking for a razor-sharp take on the future of humanity and social media? Meet Followers’ Entertainment WeeklyTrade Review‘A compelling look at the power of technology and social networks. You won’t be able to put it down’ Vogue.com ‘Suspenseful, thought-provoking and terrifying’ Daily Mail ‘One of 2020’s most anticipated books. Looking for a razor-sharp take on the future of humanity and social media? Meet Followers’ Entertainment Weekly ‘Social media, celebrity and tech are explored with biting wit in MEgan Angelo’s fiction debut’ SciFi Now ‘An addictive treat’ Kirkus Reviews ‘Witty dialogue, thoughtful observations and a pacy, gripping plot’ SFX Magazine ‘Spectacular. A fascinating debut that builds to a terrifyingly believable climax’ Publishers Weekly ‘An intricate and brave story’ Booklist

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Book SynopsisAs far his men are concerned, Vivian is fully recovered from his accident and long coma. An opinion that is not fully shared by Rachel, the team's new psychologist... and Vivian's ex-girlfriend! Personal entanglements aside, the team leader does still have those disturbing apocalyptic dreams - and then there's that 'Blue Parrot' sign that seems to haunt him. A new mission to the Middle East might bring some answers at last... but will they be welcome? Ages 12+

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Book SynopsisFar future lawman Judge Dredd has been a mainstay of the British comics scene for over thirty years and now you can follow his earliest cases in this vast collection of graphic novels.This second volume features the very first Dredd epic The Cursed Earth, written by comic legends Pat Mills (Marshal Law) and John Wagner (A History of Violence) and featuring the art of Mike McMahon (The Last American) and Brian Bolland (Batman: The Killing Joke).

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Book SynopsisThree years ago, the sun began to die. In a desperate attempt to reignite the failing star, the United States had joined the rest of the planet in unloading its nuclear arsenal at the flickering ember. The missiles burst from silos in Wyoming and Bangladesh, cocooning the earth in tendrils of smoke as they began their two-and-a-half year journey into space. When they finally reach their target, it’s thirty degrees in July and getting colder. Lisa and her husband, Guy, sit shivering on a Southern hilltop, watching as humanity’s last hope at survival shimmers faintly...and then disappears below the horizon. A group of militant rebels called the Minutemen take advantage of the ensuing chaos to knock out power grids, cloaking the freezing earth in near darkness. Seizing control. To escape this ruthless new world order, Lisa and Guy join a reluctant band of refugees crossing the snow-covered South in search of shelter and answers. From an icy parking lot in Atlanta to the Minutemen’s makeshift headquarters at Asheville’s Biltmore Estate, only one thing is certain: in a world with little light, nothing is guaranteed—least of all survival.Ember is the 2016 winner of the South Carolina First Novel Prize as judged by novelist Bridgett M. Davis.Trade Review"With fascinating concept and a shocking twist, Ember is an eerie apocalypse that will keep you guessing until the end." -- Katherine Arden"Against a haunting, apocalyptic southern landscape, and with a panoply of rich characterizations, this beautiful novel is a cautionary tale about the power-hungry who rise from the ashes of a lost and dying world. With page-turning twists, the writer makes us care deeply about the small band of survivors making their way against violence and fear and the unknown – toward a brave new world. Emberbegins with a small, glowing flame of intrigue and originality, then grows into a fireball of dazzling plot and prose, bursting into a literary tour de force." -- Bridgett M. Davis"Ember burns with imagination and wrestles with chaos, and combines these two to create a visionary novel of a world gone mad, where the line between good and bad is smeared with gray, and hopeful points of light rage against the darkness." -- Michael Farris Smith

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