Family life fiction / Stories about family

Book Synopsis'Funny about death, real about anxiety, witty about the things that worry us the most' Emma Gannon, author of Olive 'So fundamentally kind that you can feel the warmth coming off each page' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Starling DaysGilda cannot stop thinking about death. Desperate for relief from her anxious mind and alienated from her repressive family, she responds to a flyer for free therapy at a local church and finds herself abruptly hired to replace the deceased receptionist Grace. It's not the most obvious job - she's queer and an atheist for starters - and so in between trying to learn mass, hiding her new maybe-girlfriend and conducting an amateur investigation into Grace's death, Gilda must avoid revealing the truth of her mortifying existence.A blend of warmth, deadpan humour, and pitch-perfect observations about the human condition, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a crackling exploration of what it takes to stay afloat in a world where your expiration - and the expiration of those you love - is the only certainty.Trade ReviewWhat an absolutely gorgeous book. Funny about death, real about anxiety, witty about the things that worry us the most, with the most endearing kind-hearted cast of characters. * Emma Gannon, author of Olive *Gilda's overwhelming questions about the nature of existence don't go away; transformed by love, they turn into wonder instead. * New York Times *Darkly humorous... Austin has crafted her oddball heroine so tenderly that you will her on to find a way out of the chaos. * The Times *The perfect blend of macabre and funny * Buzzfeed *As funny as the novel is, it's equally dark and intensely harrowing. This debut is profound for its honest portrayal of mental health in a chaotic modern world, giving space for humour and tenderness while reckoning with the absurdity of the human condition. * The Skinny *I know the title of this book makes it sound like a nihilistic nightmare but it promises to be darkly hilarious, which is exactly the sort of edgy comedy I'm searching for right now. * Refinery29 *Dark, edgy humor and starting to buzz * Library Journal, Spring/Summer Bests *Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a gentle book. This novel prompts the reader to sympathise with all those who are normally looked over or past. Emily Austin's narration is so fundamentally kind that you can feel the warmth coming off each page. * Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Starling Days *Brilliant. I adored this book. Gilda is a beautiful soul - I felt at times that I was reading about myself. A honest, unflinching look into anxiety. It's also funny, sharp and touching. I can't wait to see people fall in love with it. Will be a HIT * Ericka Waller, author of Dog Days *Winner of this summer's unofficial Best Book Title competition, this grim yet funny debut novel from Emily Austin features the adventures of a morbidly anxious young woman who, for reasons too weird to explain, begins impersonating a recently deceased old lady. Recommended for fans of Mostly Dead Things and Goodbye, Vitamin. * Goodreads, 'Summer Reading: The Hottest New Books of the Season' *Her characters are hilarious, relatable, exasperating, and endearing. For all readers of fiction. * Library Journal *At once hilarious and tender, quirky and dark, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a hugely endearing and genuinely moving novel * Ruth Gilligan, author of The Butchers *Introducing the bumbling, anxious, helplessly kindhearted heroine we all need right now. Gilda might be an accidental Catholic, a lapsed lesbian, and an inept receptionist, but she's awfully good at helping us reckon-hilariously, tenderly-with our impending deaths. * Courtney Maum, author of I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You *Anxious death-obsessed lesbians unite! I cackled and cringed in recognition while following the exploits of Gilda, who is plagued by intrusive thoughts about death and the absurdity of the human condition. Emily Austin is a unique and wry writer, and her debut novel manages to be both hilarious and profound, a winning combination. * Celia Laskey, author of Under the Rainbow *For fans of Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Halle Butler, this is a darkly funny, surprisingly tender, and weirdly charming coming-of-age novel about a young woman with so much anxiety she'd rather lie than risk hurting anyone's feelings. A comedic masterpiece of conflict-avoidance, I absolutely loved this book. * LEIGH STEIN, author of Self Care *A luminous novel, whose humour, wisdom and tenderness shine through on every page.Emily Austin writes with a perfectly-gauged lightness of touch, deftly balancing perceptive musings on life and death with scenes that make you laugh out loud. Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead hits that sweet spot: a fun, page-turner of a novel that engages both heart and head. I was captivated by it. * SARAH HAYWOOD, New York Times bestselling author of The Cactus *Gilda is the anxious queer hero who I didn't know that I needed, a delightfully weird reminder that we will one day turn to dust and that yes, this is depressing, but it's also what makes life beautiful, why it's important to say what we mean, do what we want, love as best as our crooked hearts will allow us to while we still can. I will read whatever Austin puts in front of me until I'm six feet under. * JEAN KYOUNG FRAZIER, author of Pizza Girl *As a queer woman whose brain can be a terrifying place, I devoured this novel about a panic-ridden lesbian who hides her sexuality to work at a Catholic Church. While the narrator is anxious beyond measure, the prose is self-assured - brisk and effortless, moving through time and space with ease. At its core, the novel is about the fragility of human life, kept fresh with an intriguing mystery and subtle moments of tenderness. Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a dreary truth but a delightful read. * Anna Dorn, author of VAGABLONDE *We don't deserve an author as insightful and empathetic as Emily Austin. Through the inner dialogue of Gilda, our painfully human heroine, Austin connects us with the best and worst parts of being a person while reminding us that even our darkest moments can lead to extraordinary revelations. I missed Gilda as soon as I finished the last page, and am already counting down to Austin's next book. * ANNE T. DONAHUE, author of Nobody Cares *Everyone in this book will touch your heart. Austin's writing is spare yet exciting, each page sparkles with keen observation about the fleeting nature of life, yes, but also our profound ability to make lasting impact on those around us. I already can't wait to read what she writes next. * Steven Rowley, New York Times bestselling author of The Editor *There's some strange magic at play here. A book about the anxiety of being someone else that possesses a genuine warmth and comfort? A book about death and depression that's laugh-out-loud funny? A book written in straightforward unadorned prose that nonetheless feels entirely distinctive? I don't know how Emily Austin does what she does, and honestly I don't care. I just want more. * Sean Adams, author of The Heap *Emily Austin's protagonist, Gilda - an atheist, animal-loving lesbian who has worried about death since childhood-spoke directly to the deepest, darkest parts of myself. Did I mention that she's also hilarious? This is not just a tender-hearted story, it swerves like a thriller, and I couldn't put it down. * SARA QUIN, band member of Tegan and Sara, co-author of New York Times bestseller High School *Gilda, Emily Austin's anxious and endearing hero, is a dream. It's impossible not to root for her as she navigates love, religion, mental health and everything in between. Too often our heroes are bigmouths who take up outsized space in the world. Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead redefines bravery....Turn to any page in this lovely debut and you'll meet a tsunami of joy * ANDREW DAVID MACDONALD, author of When We Were Vikings *

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZEIRISH TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLERSHORTLISTED FOR NOVEL OF THE YEAR AT THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS, THE DALKEY LITERARY AWARDS AND THE KERRY GROUP AWARDSA BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, NEW STATESMAN, TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT, BIG ISSUE, i, THE ATLANTIC and LITERARY HUB'A true wonder' Max Porter'Beautifully written' GuardianIt's late one night at the Spanish port of Algeciras and two fading Irish gangsters are waiting on the boat from Tangier. A lover has been lost, a daughter has gone missing, their world has come asunder - can it be put together again?Trade ReviewA blackly comic journey into the abyss . . . Beautifully written . . . Barry is a clarvoyant narrator of the male psyche and a consistent lyrical visionary . . . What distinguishes this book beyond its humour, terror and beauty of description is its moral perception . . . It is a plunging spiritual immersion into the parlous souls of wrongful men -- Alan Warner * * Guardian * *I devoured Night Boat to Tangier. I loved the potent truth of it all, drenched in damage and romance. The Barry turn of phrase is a true wonder of this world -- MAX PORTERIt's a Kevin Barry novel, so the brilliance is expected; everything else is a brilliant surprise -- RODDY DOYLEThe novel 2019 has been waiting for - a masterpiece delivered by a glittering talent at the peak of his powers. It leaves the rest of the class looking somewhat underpowered and unambitious, perhaps even a bit shop-worn . . . If Beatlebone was his breakout work, Night Boat to Tangier should cement the Irishman's place among the literary elite * * Big Issue * *If prose were gold and diamonds there'd be thousands of hell-bent prospectors heading for the Black Hills of Kevin Barry's glistening, sparkling novel -- SEBASTIAN BARRYBarry is riding the waves with Night Boat to Tangier . . . Reminiscent of Waiting for Godot * * The Times * *I had to quit reading this book the first day I had it in my hands, just so I could have it to read the next day. It's that good -- RICHARD FORDExtremely talented creator, Kevin Barry, has a fine instinct for the sweet spot where the comforting familiarities of genre blend into the surprises and provocations of art . . . Powerfully evoked * * New York Times Book Review * *Brilliantly funny and terrifying at once, I was completely lost inside its dark craziness. Barry blends glorious voluptuous prose with entrancing storytelling -- TESSA HADLEYCaptures male friendship with rare brilliance . . . The pair's vaudevillian patter, dancing back and forth with an irrepressibly buoyant Irish rhythm, reminds you of Didi and Gogo in Beckett's Waiting for Godot, while their gleefully ominous threats of violence bristle off the page in a way that recalls Harold Pinter or Martin McDonagh . . . Startlingly good * * Independent * *Two ageing Irish drug smugglers sit in a Spanish ferry terminal trading absurd jokes and quasi-philosophical banter in this tautly written novel * * New Yorker * *A rogue gem of a novel . . . The seedy underbelly of a Spanish port and a stony Irish town are the backdrop for a story of misdeeds, madness and loss that swells with poetry and pathos -- BOOKER PRIZE JUDGES 2019Loved this! Made me nostalgic for people I've never met, places I've never been. Life distilled -- GRAHAM NORTONKevin Barry is still young, but in this novel he has found a deep and aged maturity; all the recognisable Barry phraseology and wit is still there, but there's also now a lovely melancholic kindness. Perhaps even a sentimentality, in the best sense of that word. Kevin Barry loves you; the least you can do is read this wonder of a novel -- JON McGREGORIn this latest novel, the Irish writer has almost invented a new genre, a fascinating hybrid of poetry, prose and drama . . . Mesmeric, exquisite . . . Night Boat to Tangier draws on the terrific vernacular energy in Irish English that is animating the best of Irish writing at present . . . This is a remarkably achieved novel which shows a writer in full command of the possibilities of the form * * Irish Times * *Lyrical, elegiac, taut and strange -- IAN RANKINBarry tells his grim story in Beckettian flashes of poetry . . . The relationship between Maurice and Charlie drives this often hilarious novel -- Kate Saunders * * The Times * *Lines that make me want to punch the air like I'm singing the final song from an 80s power ballad . . . Night Boat to Tangier suggests the past comes in waves, relentlessly, always different and yet always the same, and all we can put against it are the shifting sands of our present self * * Herald * *Infused with a uniquely Irish mixture of melancholy and myth, and written in a prose rich with the cadences of poetry, Barry's fifth work of fiction is witty, gritty and wise; it offers a sense of what it means to be fallible, to be human and to love. Sublime * * Irish Mail on Sunday * *Kevin Barry is one of the most original, daring, and seriously funny writers ever to come out of Ireland. I'd walk a hundred miles for a new Barry book and I would make the happy journey home, laughing -- COLUM McCANNStunning. One of the most affecting love stories I have ever come across -- MIKE McCORMACKA bloody mighty novel. It's audacious, but also it's Kevin Barry at his most tender. The novel carries a beautiful, mournful undertow to it, which is particularly affecting in a book so heavy with old myth and new poetry. May he keep twisting literature forever -- LISA McINERNEYBarry writes with real exuberance * * Sunday Times * *Barry's prose, which melds violence, profane comedy and tender lyricism, will be warmly embraced by those who read and loved the dystopian nightmare that was City of Bohane, his breakthrough book. Newcomers will, I'm sure, relish getting swept up in Barry's twisted universe for the first time * * Spectator, best summer reads for 2019 * *There's plenty of sex, drugs, death and magic in Night Boat to Tangier, but above all it is a biting, black comedy of manners, driven by the profane dance of gangster etiquette -- COLIN BARRETTBarry's ear for dialogue remains tip-top * * Daily Mail * *Thrilling * * Daily Telegraph * *Haunting . . . A sharply comic meditation on male friendship and the true cost of crime on the soul * * i, best books of 2019 * *The gods of literature, who have so much love for Ireland, are sweet on Kevin Barry -- RICHARD BEARDKevin Barry is one of the best. The essence of humanity and its many facets is buried deep in his bones, ready to be unearthed and exhibited in signature Barry style * * Irish Examiner * *One of the most abundantly talented novelists writing today * * Daily Telegraph * *Buoyant . . . Barry is such a deft and generous writer * * New York Times * *Utterly compelling . . . Reading him, I am given the feeling that I've achieved something, done something good and am being justly remunerated. The brain lights up and grins -- Niall Griffiths * * Spectator * *Kevin Barry's way with language is unique. The spring and bounce of it. The dark poetry. The cheek. And then there's the sheer joyful recklessness of his imagination. There's really no one to rival him -- RUPERT THOMSONExcellent -- DAVID NICHOLLSA desolate ferry terminal on the Spanish coast isn't a place where you'd expect to encounter sharp-edged lyricism or rueful philosophy, but thanks to the two Irish gangster antiheroes of Barry's novel, there's plenty of both on display . . . Their banter is a shield against the dark, a witty new take on Waiting for Godot * * New York Times, Books of the Year * *Heir to Beckett and O'Brien . . . Barry is a truly astonishing writer . . . Although the sheer bravado of the prose is a marvel, page after page, it is the emotive core behind it all which makes it remarkable -- Stuart Kelly * * Scotland on Sunday * *Barry, arch-divil of Irish literature and a feverishly unique mangler of the English language, is back with a third novel . . . The Barry brew of mayhem, violence and tenderness is still undeniably potent. He is out on his own in the broad scheme of things, and so much here reminds you of why this is so and what he can do when airborne * * Irish Independent * *Briskly told, in short paragraphs, with a dark wit and deftly managed suspense * * Literary Review * *Vivid * * New Statesman * *Heartfelt yet darkly hilarious and simmering with menace, written with the kind of earthy lyricism only Kevin Barry can pull off - I loved it -- PAUL HOWARTHIt is an understatement to say that nobody writes quite like Kevin Barry; in truth, there's nobody else in the same phylum. In Night Boat to Tangier you'll find all the Barry hallmarks - that inimitable style of his, both riotous and lyrical, the sly humour, and his seemingly effortless ability to create characters who spring to glorious life within a few short pages. I imagine you'll love this book just as I did, and wish, if anything, that you could spend just a little more time in the world Barry conjures -- CRAIG DAVIDSONAmong the next generation of writers - Zadie Smith, Michael Chabon, Jonathan Safran Foer and so on - the one that stands above the rest for ambition, language and sheer verve is Barry . . . If you haven't heard of him yet, you soon will. I'd wager he'll wind up with the Nobel Prize for Literature before he's done * * Evening Standard * *It's Barry's voice that propels us through the work, through paragraphs punctuated by turns of phrase that deliver little jolts of pleasure . . . Maurice and Charlie aren't just career criminals; they're comedians, philosophers, poets, and social critics. Their conversation has rhythm and snap; it's funny, lyrical, obscene, metaphysical, unflaggingly alive * * New York Review of Books * *Entertaining . . . Kevin Barry channels the music in every voice, from lowlife philosopher to slow-footed thug, ponderous wit to fluting child - and the comic genius in everyone, whether unfunny fool or God's own comedian * * Washington Post * *The work of a genuine artist: a writer who surprises and enlightens with everything he does * * Sunday Business Post * *The male codependents in his latest novel, Night Boat to Tangier, are proudly reptilian. As they announce with indecent pride, they wear excellent fucking shoes. Barry specialises in character pairings - death-driven, addicted to each other - in a way reminiscent of Beckett -- Nicole Flattery * * London Review of Books * *Deeply satisfying . . . Magical . . .Barry's narrative pacing creates and then brilliantly settles the tensions between his characters. For all readers of literary fiction * * Library Journal * *A darkly incantatory tragicomedy of love and betrayal, haunted lineage and squandered chances . . . Beautifully paced, emotionally wise. Spare in its prose, capacious in its understanding, it's as eerily attuned as his last one, Beatlebone * * Boston Globe * *Full of foreboding and of ghosts, not least that of Samuel Beckett, and is continuing proof of this writer's ability to pack more personality and mordant wit into a single sentence than most writers can manage in a novel * * Literary Hub * *You read this, and you can tell Barry doesn't take his sentences lightly. It'd kill him to mess one up. And he doesn't waste them. So what you get is his style's flawless, and yet it isn't soft. There isn't anything nice about the story, just that it's told beautifully -- NICO WALKER, author of CHERRYA meditation on love and crime, in which two elderly Irish gangsters await their reckoning in Algeciras * * i, Best Books of the Year * *One of the most gifted fiction writers to emerge from the English-speaking world in the new century * * Paris Review * *Impishly funny, shrewdly affecting, and pays elegant homage to a long literary line. Barry grows in stature with every book * * Big Issue, Books of the Year * *Arguably his finest novel to date, Kevin Barry's violent, elemental Night Boat to Tangier is set between Ireland and an atmospherically rendered Spain * * Irish Independent * *Inventive -- BENJAMIN MYERS * * Big Issue, Books of the Year * *A raw demonstration of the devastating consequences of alienation, regret and destruction that stem from a life in the world of organised crime . . . Beautifully written, in Barry's very specific lyrical style, the reader becomes heavily invested in their story and the story of all of those that they loved -- Rory Geraghty, First Secretary (Madrid) * * Irish Times * *Triumphant . . . Violent and tender, it escaped the long shadow of Beckett to create its own unforgettable dark shape -- Lee Langley * * Spectator * *The story of two Irish criminal biding their time in the Spanish port city of Algeciras, is full of foreboding and of ghosts, not least that of Samuel Beckett, and is continuing proof of this writer's ability to pack more personality and mordant wit into a single sentence than most writers can manage in a novel . . . By far one of my favorite novels of the year * * Literary Hub, Books of the Year * *Barry has a knack for dialogue . . . Night Boat to Tangier is remarkable, a novel that's both grim and compassionate, and it features gorgeous writing on every page. Barry never asks the reader to pity his characters; rather, he makes it nearly impossible not to relate to them, which is a remarkable trick -- NPRA writer of inspired prose, a funny and perceptive artist who can imbue a small story with tremendous depth . . . Night Boat to Tangier is a sad, lyrical beauty of a novel about regret, from a dependably entertaining and perceptive writer * * Star Tribune * *The pleasure to be found in this relatively short book is in the telling, plus the author's clear evocative prose that often deploys lines and paragraphs that suggest music but it's not the speedy pace of step dancing. Rather it is the sad, slow, and beautiful music of time * * Washington Times * *A bone fide Kevin Barry - it's very funny and very beautifully composed. . It's social realism, psychological realism, but with Barry's pointed wit, stupendous dialogue, and unerring tenderness -- BookmunchBarry is a writer of the first rate, and his prose is at turns lean and lyrical, but always precise * * Publishers Weekly * *Booze-soaked and lovelorn . . . with beat-perfect dialogue and the diamond-grade schlock of an HBO script . . . [with] a thousand wicked turns of phrase . . . Night Boat to Tangier is a darkly heady mood, thick enough and sweet enough to drink * * The List * *Beautifully written . . . Skilful * * Forbes * *

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Book Synopsis**LITTLE ROT - THE NEW NOVEL FROM AKWAEKE EMEZI - IS AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW**SHORTLISTED FOR THE DYLAN THOMAS PRIZESHORTLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD''Astonishing.'' Stylist''Electrifying.'' O: The Oprah Magazine''Brilliant and heartbreaking.'' Marie Claire''Propulsive and resonant.'' EsquireThey burned down the market on the day Vivek Oji died.One afternoon, a mother opens her front door to find the length of her son's body stretched out on the veranda, swaddled in akwete material, his head on her welcome mat. The Death of Vivek Oji transports us to the day of Vivek's birth, the day his grandmother Ahunna died. It is the story of an over protective mother and a distant father, and the heart-wrenching tale of one family's struggle to understand their child, just as Vivek learns to recognize himself.Teeming with unforgettable characters whose lives have been shaped by Vivek's gentle and enigmatic spirit, it shares with us a Nigerian childhood that challenges expectations. This novel, and its celebration of the innocence and optimism of youth, will touch all those who embrace it.What readers are saying:''The book is so beautifully written and I''ve never read anything like it ever before.''''This is a gorgeously written story of identity, sexuality, love, grief, friendship, and the need to live the life you want, even in a country where doing so might be deadly . . . This was emotional, beautiful, and so poignant, and their storytelling took my breath away.''''This book is both so joyful and so devastating.''''The way Emezi made me care so deeply about these characters was just incredible, so that when the whole truth of Vivek''s death was revealed I felt so personally affected by it. This book is about so many things all at once . . . The writing is so simple yet beautifully emotive. And I cried.''''FIVE HUGE STARS . . . The Death of Vivek Oji is a poignant and tantalizing novel that wraps you up in its web of characters and feeds on you with carnivorous force, all while softening your heart and mind to a world outside of the normal social constraints we have been conditioned to.''(Goodreads reader reviews)Trade Review'Emezi's surreal prose shines...extraordinary.' - Ayobami Adebayo, on FRESHWATER, Guardian'This book lured me in from the first sentence. It shook me to the core. This book forges its own glorious path. Read it now. Give it to everyone you know. Read it again.' - Daisy Johnson, on FRESHWATER

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Book SynopsisTHE EMOTIONAL, JAW-DROPPING SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING THRILLER.AND DON''T MISS CLARE''S NEW BOOK OTHER PEOPLE''S HOUSES - OUT NOW.''Hypnotically good'' LEE CHILD''Jaw-dropping twists'' LUCY FOLEY''The book of the summer'' SUNIt''s twenty hours to landing. A lot can happen in twenty hours . . .You''re on board the first non-stop flight from London to Sydney. It''s a landmark journey, and the world is watching. Shortly after take-off, you receive a chilling anonymous note.There are people on this plane intent on bringing it down - and you''re the key to their plan.You''d never help them, even if your life depended on it.But they have your daughter . . . So now you have to choose.DO YOU SAVE HUNDREDS OF LIVES? OR THE ONE THAT MATTERS MOST?''Feels like a blockbuster movie'' LISA JEWELL''The queen of nail-biting suspense'' IRISH INDEPENDENT''A nail-biter of a thriller'' SHARI LAPENA''A rip-roaring finale'' GUARDIAN''Propulsive - will have you questioning what would you do? at every turn'' KARIN SLAUGHTER''Mackintosh is a pro'' NEW YORK TIMES''Taking the locked room mystery to a new, white-knuckle extreme, this is electrifying'' HEAT''When Clare Mackintosh goes high concept, she doesn''t mess around'' LINWOOD BARCLAY''An incredibly tense read that has a satisfyingly clever ending'' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING''A thrilling rollercoaster of a story. It''ll leave you breathless'' JANE FALLON''A smart pay-off'' THE TIMES, THE BEST THRILLERS FOR JUNE''A tense, convincing, nail-biter of a thriller'' ADELE PARKS, PLATINUM MAGAZINE''A banger of a book with a truly agonising what would you do?'' RUTH WARE''A thrilling, chilling gut-punch of a book'' RED''Why did no one warn me how bloody addictive it is?'' TAMMY COHEN''I dare anyone to read this high-octane, tense thriller on a flight'' PRIMA''I got wrong-footed, then I got whiplash! Mind-blowing'' SANDIE JONES''The year''s most intriguing high-concept plot'' DAILY EXPRESS''Full of mystery, tension and emotion. An incredible thriller'' ALLIE REYNOLDS''Buckle up for some edge-of-your-plane-seat action'' FABULOUSTrade ReviewHypnotically good -- LEE CHILDMackintosh builds [the] dilemma into a rip-roaring finale * GUARDIAN *Tightly plotted, tense and with an unexpected twist, it's the book of the summer * SUN *An utterly riveting read - with so many jaw-dropping twists and turns you won't dare unfasten your seatbelt -- LUCY FOLEYA nail-biter of a thriller with an unexpected gut-punch at the end - a fantastic read! -- SHARI LAPENATaking the locked room mystery to a new, white-knuckle extreme, this is electrifying * HEAT *Feels like a blockbuster movie; edge of seat, nail biting, propulsive, compulsive, thrilling and just so beautifully done -- LISA JEWELLA propulsive read - Hostage will have you questioning 'what would you do?' at every turn -- KARIN SLAUGHTERI dare anyone to read this high-octane, tense thriller on a flight * PRIMA *When Clare Mackintosh goes high concept, she doesn't mess around . . . A true page-turner that will have producers lining up with movie offers -- LINWOOD BARCLAYA thrilling, chilling gut punch of a book * RED *A thrilling rollercoaster of a story. It'll leave you breathless -- JANE FALLONThis is an incredibly tense read that has a satisfyingly clever ending * GOOD HOUSEKEEPING *Always a compelling storyteller, ex-cop Clare Mackintosh has devised the year's most intriguing high-concept plot * DAILY EXPRESS *A smart pay-off * THE TIMES, THE BEST THRILLERS FOR JUNE *The ultimate modern take on the classic locked-room thriller . . . proves why [Mackintosh] is the queen of nail-biting suspense * IRISH INDEPENDENT *A tense, convincing, nail-biter of a thriller -- ADELE PARKS * PLATINUM MAGAZINE *A banger of a book with a truly agonising 'what would you do?' -- RUTH WAREWe're right there with Mina as she agonizes over what to do. Mackintosh is a pro * NEW YORK TIMES *Chilling! * BELLA *Why did no one warn me how bloody addictive it is? -- TAMMY COHENBuckle up for some edge-of-your-plane-seat action with this read-in-one-sitting thriller! * SUN ON SUNDAY, FABULOUS MAGAZINE *Hostage has everything: fascinating characters, amazing writing, perfect pace, full of mystery, tension and emotion. An incredible thriller -- ALLIE REYNOLDSI am still on the floor! I thought I knew where it was going, then I got wrong-footed, then I got whiplash! A mind-blowing read -- SANDIE JONESA truly gripping and terrifying story * WOMAN'S WEEKLY *Fasten your seatbelts. Hostage is a white-knuckle ride that takes the classic locked-room thriller airborne . . . Gripping * HERALD *Surprising twists propel the story to an unexpected finale. Mackintosh has raised her game * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY STARRED REVIEW *A chilling read that you won't want to put down * CLOSER *Page after page of unrelenting suspense . . . hard to put down as readers are willingly lured on by one plot twist after another . . . A gifted writer with a captivating voice * NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS *Clare Mackintosh has an enviable talent for creating credible families and putting them in enough jeopardy to make the story fly while stirring up emotions of all kinds * LITERARY REVIEW *Heart-stopping * CRIME FICTION MONTHLY *An impossible situation which Clare Mackintosh tackles masterfully * WOMAN'S WAY *The queen of intensely paced thrillers is back with another gripping read * NEW *Incredibly gripping, incredibly brilliant and incredibly frightening . . . Definitely one of my reads of the year * NB MAGAZINE *The most perfectly fabulous holiday read . . . clever yet entertaining, thoughtful yet provocative * LOVEREADING *Fasten seatbelts for a deliciously turbulent ride with an ace story pilot! * PETERBOROUGH TELEGRAPH *So tense you'll feel you're on board - get ready for this thrill ride * REAL PEOPLE *Keeps the reader guessing until the final chapter * EAST ANGLIAN DAILY TIMES *Clare Mackintosh is one of the most reliably excellent authors of domestic thrillers ... I read this book so, so quickly - it was hard to put down and one of those books that made it a real challenge to not flick to the end to see what was going to happen * BOOKBRUNCH *

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Book SynopsisThe spellbinding SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER and RICHARD AND JUDY BOOKCLUB PICK about old family secrets''A captivating mystery: beautifully written, with a rich sense of place, a cast of memorable characters, and lots of deep, dark secrets'' Kate Morton, bestselling author of The Clockmaker''s Daughter''Absolutely her best yet'' Lisa Jewell, bestselling author of The Family Upstairs''A wonderful, romantic, compelling mystery. Eve Chase has something of the poet in her: her descriptions of a remote manor house nestling in an ancient forest are worth reading for themselves, but the plotline of The Glass House is utterly absorbing in its own right. We loved it'' Richard and Judy Book Club''The Glass House is not really about a murder, or a creepy house, but about families - the ones we''re born into, the ones we make and especially the ones we flee'' New York Times_______Trade ReviewA captivating mystery: beautifully written, with a rich sense of place, a cast of memorable characters, and lots of deep, dark secrets -- Kate MortonEve Chase is a supremo of this genre . . . An intricately woven novel of suspense and secrets * Red *A beautifully written, atmospheric mystery that will captivate you from the first page to the last * Heat *I adored The Glass House by Eve Chase. Sublime writing, secrets, lovable characters I didn't want to leave, and a ripping twisting plot that kept me guessing. An absolute jewel of a book -- Dinah JefferiesA riveting and richly atmospheric mystery - and one of the best thrillers - and well deserving of its status as one of Amazon's bestselling lockdown titles -- Isabelle Broom, Woman & HomeChase's compelling account of dark family secrets - a Richard and Judy Book Club choice - weaves elements of Gothic suspense into a heartwarming modern story of blended families learning to heal the wounds of the past * Daily Mail *I adored this beautifully-written, riveting mystery. Chase is peerless in her ability to stitch together dark secrets and tantalising twists with unforgettable characters and enthralling imagery. I am a die-hard fan! -- Rosie Walsh * author of The Man Who Didn't Call *Eve Chase's novels are about glamorous families with tragic pasts, set in wonderful locations. Her writing is rich and her stories full of dreamy mystery. This gorgeous meditation on motherhood is one of my favourite reads so far this year * Daily Mail *Absolutely her best yet. No one creates families as complex, loveable and utterly believable as Chase and she is the master of the dual time frame narrative -- Lisa JewellI enjoyed this book so much that every time I put it down, I wanted to pick it straight back up! I was totally invested in the tale * Prima, BOOK OF THE MONTH *Dreamy and atmospheric, this wonderful, moving novel time-slips between the Seventies and the present * Daily Mail *The Glass House is not really about a murder, or a creepy house, but about families - the ones we're born into, the ones we make and especially the ones we flee * New York Times *Terrific sense of place; twists aplenty; characters I cared about; an emotive exploration of mother/daughter relationships from birth to death. But it's the writing that lifts this: lush, lyrical, precise, confident. -- Sarah VaughanIf you like your mysteries atmospheric then I highly recommend The Glass House - it's the kind of book that makes you look up in surprise at your present-day surroundings. Long-fused mysteries in the past and present take tantalisingly long time to weave together but the wait is absolutely worth it. Beautiful, transportive writing -- Erin KellyA cleverly constructed puzzle of a plot whose pieces finally snap together in a truly gratifying manner * Washington Post *This exquisitely written tale about secrets, privilege and what it means to be a family is an absolute treat * Sun *I just love Eve Chase's lyrical writing and evocative sense of place. The Glass House is her best yet, a glorious tangle of family secrets, set deep in the woods of Foxcote Manor. A treat. -- Louise CandlishExquisitely written, this emotional and intriguing novel is a little bit special * Woman & Home *An atmospheric and immersive mystery in which the secrets and lies of the past collide with the present. Chase's writing is, as ever, exquisite -- E.C. FremantleAn emotional thriller steeped in family secrets and the desire to belong * Woman *Beautifully written, with a sinister edge * Best Magazine *Dreamy and atmospheric (...) wonderful, moving * Daily Mail *Eve Chase is right up there with Tana French and Sarah Waters as an author who writes page-turning masterpieces that meld a vibrant sense of place with a heartbreaking cast of characters. I devoured her latest, and will be recommending it to everyone I know. Her plot twists floored me, and this haunting story will stay with me for a very long time -- Fiona Davis * bestselling author of The Chelsea Girls *So beautifully and insightfully written, with characters I grew to love populating a compelling, moving story that kept me turning the pages right to the very last. Chase handles the various unexpected ways our earliest experiences shape and define us with huge empathy and sensitivity. It's an evocative and engrossing read -- Katherine Webb * author of The Legacy *Bewitching and beguiling, The Glass House is as dark and tangled as the forest where it is set. A creeping sense of unease builds to a terrific denouement - as suspenseful as the mistress of psychological drama, Daphne Du Maurier. Eve Chase is simply brilliant. -- Veronica HenryA pacy and suspenseful read * Independent *Rich, gripping, intriguing, beautifully written, diving deep into emotional truths, The Glass House is an assured and lovely novel -- Elizabeth Buchan * author of The Museum of Broken Promises *This is an absolute beauty. Darkly atmospheric and spellbinding -- Jane Fallon, author of Queen BeeThis captivating mystery will certainly whisk you away . . . Exquisitely written, this emotional and intriguing novel is rather special * Woman's Weekly *This exquisitely written tale about secrets, privilege and what it means to be a family is an absolute treat * Fabulous, Sun on Sunday *A beautifully written mystery about family secrets. A gripping and imaginative read * Cotswold Life *A delicious mystery full of labyrinthine curves * Kirkus Reviews *Evocative and beautifully written The Glass House sucked me into a mystery as atmospheric and densely packed with secrets as the forest in which it's set -- Tammy Cohen/Rachel Rhys, author of A Dangerous CrossingBeautifully written mystery * People *An emotional thriller steeped in family secrets and the desire to belong * Woman *We all need a book to get really lost in every now and again, and this captivating mystery will certainly whisk you away. Exquisitely written, this emotional and intriguing novel is a little bit special * Woman & Home *A powerful story of family secrets, lies and the need to belong. Stays in your mind long after you've finished reading * Sunday Express *I heartily recommend Eve Chase's evocative The Glass House * Woman & Home *An atmospheric novel about family secrets . . . I love books with a strong sense of place and time * i *Sinister and gripping * The Leopard *Critical Acclaim for Eve Chase * - *An enthralling story of secrets, sisters and an unsolved mystery * bestselling author of The Clockmaker's Daughter *Simply stunning. Every now and then you read a special book and this is one. Spell-binding, heart-stopping . . . I can't tell you how much I loved it * bestselling author of The Missing Sister *Evocative and filled with intrigue * bestselling author of Let Me Lie *Exquisite and evocative - and the pace and suspense are handled expertly * bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal *One of the most enthralling novelists of the moment. This is the most beautiful book you will read this year * bestselling author of Watching You *Eve Chase is a name to watch * Daily Mail *Addictive and delivers atmosphere in spades * Good Housekeeping *An enticing, chilling plot, captivating characters and prose beautiful enough to totally lose yourself in * Heat *A mystery of nail-biting suspense * Woman & Home *Absorbed me completely. Fabulous * bestselling author of Tell Me a Secret *An engrossing story of fractured families, secrets, lies and misunderstandings * Sunday Express *Magical * Daily Express *Expertly crafted, dark, beautiful and utterly enthralling * bestselling author of The Summer of Impossible Things *Beautifully written with a gripping plot, I couldn't stop reading this * bestselling author of A Rose Petal Summer *

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Book SynopsisA mother's secret past collides with her daughter's present in this intoxicating novel from Jane Healey, the author of The Animals at Lockwood Manor.In the summer of 1973, teenage Ruth and her four friends are obsessed with pre-Raphaelite paintings, and a little bit obsessed with each other. They spend the scorching summer days in the river by Ruth's grand family home, pretending to be the drowning Ophelia and recreating tableaus of other tragic mythical heroines. But by the end of the summer, real tragedy has found them.Twenty-four years later, Ruth is a wife and mother of three children, and moves her family into her still-grand, but now somewhat dilapidated, childhood home following the death of her father. Her seventeen-year-old daughter, Maeve, is officially in remission and having been discharged from hospital can finally start acting like a 'normal' teenager with the whole summer ahead of her. It's just the five of them until Stuart, a handsome photographer and old friend of her parents, comes to stay. And there’s something about Stuart that makes Maeve feel more alive than all of her life-saving treatments put together . . .As the heat of the summer burns, how long can the family go before long-held secrets threaten to burst their banks and drown them all? Set between two fateful summers, The Ophelia Girls is a visceral, heady exploration of illicit desire, infatuation and the perils and power of being a young woman.Trade ReviewThis is a potent, mesmerising portrait of girlhood desire, betrayal, beauty and death, sensuously written and passionately told -- Emma Stonex, author of The LamplightersA knowingly put together page-turner; a potent blend of art, beauty, awakening desire and mortality that seduces the reader as much as the cast * Daily Mail *A bruising and beautiful novel about girlhood and desire. Set over two heady summers, The Ophelia Girls perfectly captures the power and vulnerability of being a teenage girl. Within its flower-strewn pages, girls float carelessly down rivers and fall in love with devastating consequences. It's an immersive and intoxicating summer read with the long-lasting feel of a classic. I was captivated by it -- Molly Aitken, author of The Island ChildSet over the course of two stifling British summers, The Ophelia Girls is a dreamy exploration of the interior life of teenage girls and the tangled relationship between mothers and daughters. In her hypnotic prose Jane Healey captures the slipperiness of the adolescence experience, the thirst young women have for independence, and the sometimes perilous ways they attempt to define themselves. A siren song of a novel, The Ophelia Girls seduces as much as it disturbs -- Ellie Eaton, author of The DivinesThe Ophelia Girls is a novel saturated with beauty, menace, longing, secrets -- and with passions deep enough to drown in. It's a sinister, suspenseful page-turner that gripped me tightly and still hasn't fully let go -- Clare Beams, author of The Illness LessonThis is a vivid, sensuous novel that captures the feelings of passion and devastation of girls on the brink of womanhood and life itself, and I can’t recommend it enough -- Anna Bailey, bestselling author of Tall BonesI absolutely adored this exquisite novel. It is dark and sultry and beautiful and terrible. All the good stuff. The characters get tangled in so many complex strands of love, secrecy and obsession. And it perfectly captures the brilliance and terror of being a teenage girl -- Hazel Barkworth, author of HeatstrokeA compelling story of teenage innocence and infatuation, blended with the illicit desires and murky intentions of adults * Woman's Weekly *This novel has a sinewy, enchanting style that draws us into the reverie-like world of the river and its dangers and, like the characters it has so bewitched, never lets us go: it's powerful stuff * The Big Issue *

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Book SynopsisGreene takes us on a wild, unconventional and enlightening voyage with an ordinary, retired bank manager and his eccentric, daring aunt. Henry Pulling, a retired bank manager, meets his septuagenarian Aunt Augusta for the first time in over fifty years at what he supposes to be his mother's funeral. Soon after, she persuades Henry to abandon Southwood, to travel to Brighton, Paris, Istanbul, Paraguay, and a shiftless, twilight society of hippies, war criminals, CIA men that will help Henry come alive after a dull suburban life.VINTAGE VOYAGES: A world of journeys, from the tallest mountains to the depths of the mindTrade ReviewRich in exactly etched and moving portraits of real human beings...the tragic and comic ironies of love, loyalty and belief * The Times *The most ingenious, inventive and exciting of our novelists - V S Pritchett, The TimesFunny and bizarre... This is a Greene with the lightest touches -- Susan Hill * The Lady *No serious writer of [the twentith century] has more thoroughly invaded and shaped the public imagination than Graham Greene - Time

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Book SynopsisFROM THE BOOKER PRIZE SHORTLISTED AUTHOR OF THIS MOURNABLE BODY and NERVOUS CONDITIONSONE OF THE BBC''S 100 WOMEN FOR 2020As Zimbabwe emerges into independence, Tambudzai Sigauke embarks on her second year at the Young Ladies'' College of the Sacred Heart. Determined to excel, Tambu exhausts herself with her efforts to climb to the top of the school''s honour rolls. The further she pushes herself, however, the farther she feels from any reward; and the roots of colonialism threaten to trip her at every step. The sequel to Nervous Conditions is as moving, darkly witty, and riveting as its predecessor.Trade Review'The whole novel is an examination of Tambu's increasingly warped perspective,achieved through a focused, almost claustrophobic first-person point of view and a masterly deployment of flashbacks. We inhabit Tambu's mind so totally that we often have to pull back to remind ourselves that this is not reality, but the world as Tambu sees it.'- Helon Habila, Guardian'From these novels we not only learnt of but lived through [Tambu's] formative years: being sidelined in favour of her brother; her reaction to his death; and the violence she experienced at school.' - John Self, The Times

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Book SynopsisLOUSIA MAY ALCOTT was born in Pennsylvania, in 1832, the second of four daughters. After a period of serving as an army nurse, she published HOSPITAL SKETCHES in 1863, followed by Gothic Romances and lurid thrillers. In 1868-9 she published LITTLE WOMEN, which proved so popular that it was followed by two sequels and several other novels. She died in 1888.Trade Review"The American female myth."—Madelon Bedell

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Book SynopsisComplete and unabridged. Bleak House is not only a love story and a tightly plotted murder mystery, but also a condemnation of the corruption at the heart of English society. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition has an afterword by David Stuart Davies and original illustrations by H. K. Browne.The inheritance case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce has been going on for generations involving myriad characters from all walks of life. There’s Esther Summerson, Dickens' feisty heroine; Sir Leicester and Lady Dedlock, cocooned in their stately home in Lincolnshire; and Jo, the penniless crossing sweeper. We are drawn in and fascinated by the complex relationships. Indeed in none of Charles Dickens’ other novels is the canvas broader, the sweep more inclusive, the linguistic texture richer and the gallery of comic grotesques more extraordinary.Trade ReviewBleak House is his greatest novel . . . with its backdrop of a legal system more invested in obstruction and obfuscation than resolution, it remains utterly contemporary -- Anna Quindlen * Independent *The greatest novel of the lot. Why? First, the quality of the writing; second, the complexity of the plot; third, the extraordinary insight and honesty of the characterization -- Colin Dexter * Guardian *The story starts at a spine-tingling pace: a young woman cloaked in gray is swept up in a swirl of rain, fog and mud and sped to London by horse-drawn carriage. It is a romantic journey to the most unromantic of places, the chancery courts -- Alessandra Stanley * New York Times *

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Book Synopsis'A gorgeous story of love, loss, best friends and unbreakable bonds. It truly melted my heart' – SHARI LOWA warm-hearted and gripping story of community, secrets and the family we choose that will captivate fans of Lucy Diamond, Cathy Bramley and Jessica Redland.As young women, Lise and Emma had the kind of friendship people dream about. While Lise's own family was distant and disengaged, Emma's was welcoming and warm, and for the first twenty-six years of their life, growing up together in a close-knit community, the duo were inseparable. But when they decide to spend one year living together in Paris, what starts as the adventure of a lifetime becomes a disaster that changes everything. And when Emma returns to Bath the following summer, Lise stays behind in France, their friendship in tatters.Now, sixteen years later, Lise has come back to their hometown, determined to put things right. But to do so, she'll have to face up to the truth about what happened in Paris. And with Emma refusing to talk to her, can she get close enough to share her secret?Join the readers and authors enchanted by Helen Rolfe’s heartwarming stories:‘I really loved this book. I fully intended to save it for the long bank holiday weekend, to be enjoyed leisurely over a few days, but I ended up devouring it all in just two sittings…’ Jo Bartlett‘Helen Rolfe is an absolute specialist at building cosy communities and making me want to live there. I want the characters as my friends!’ Sue Moorcroft‘One to curl up with after a long hard day, and know you are just going to be treated to a cosy atmosphere, realistic characters that you will come to care for’ Rachel's Random Reads'Such a perfect gift of a book!' Reader Review‘Heritage Cove has this wonderful community spirit that I so want to be part of...the balance between the emotional moments, tough relatable topics against the light-hearted fun was done ever so well’ Love Books Actually'What a beautiful story filled with happiness, comedy and lovely characters' Reader Review‘I was gripped by the story from start to finish and the end of the book left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside’ Ginger Book Geek

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Book SynopsisNow a major new Netflix film from Noah Baumbach, starring Adam Driver and Greta GerwigHow strange it is. We have these deep terrible lingering fears about ourselves and the people we love. Yet we walk around, talk to people, eat and drink. We manage to function. The feelings are deep and real. Shouldn’t they paralyze us?Jack Gladney is the creator and chairman of Hitler studies at the College-on-the-Hill. This is the story of his absurd life; a life that is going well enough, until a chemical spill from a train carriage releases an ‘Airborne Toxic Event’ and Jack is forced to confront his biggest fear – his own mortality.White Noise is an effortless combination of social satire and metaphysical dilemma in which Don DeLillo exposes our rampant consumerism, media saturation and novelty intellectualism. It captures the particular strangeness of life lived when the fear of death cannot be denied, repressed or obscured and ponders the role of the family in a time when the very meaning of our existence is under threat.‘America’s greatest living writer.’ – ObserverPart of the Picador Collection, a series showcasing the best of modern literature.Trade ReviewAmerica's greatest living writer. * Observer *An extraordinarily funny book on a serious subject, effortlessly combining social comedy, disaster, fiction and philosophy . . . hilariously, and grimly, successful. * Daily Telegraph *An astonishing novel . . . unforgettable . . . nearly every page crackles with memorable moments and perfectly turned phrases . . . dizzying, darkly beautiful fiction. * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisPlayful, moving and wholly remarkable' GuardianA small miracle' New StatesmanMastery of craft, resonance and deep feeling on every page' TelegraphAn introspective young boy, Joseph Coppock squints at the world with his lazy eye. Living alone in an old house, he reads comics, collects birds' eggs and plays with his marbles. When, one day, a rag-and-bone man called Treacle Walker appears, exchanging an empty jar of a cure-all medicine and a donkey stone for a pair of Joseph''s pyjamas and a lamb''s shoulder blade, a mysterious friendship develops between them.A fusion of myth, magic and the stories we make for ourselves, Treacle Walker is an extraordinary novel from one of our greatest living writers.All the exuberance and eccentricity, all the deep thought and resounding mythology of [Garner's] best work' ObserverSpare and allusive luminous and understated' Rowan Williams, New StatesmanCryptic, evocative, sparely told and deceptively simple' Carolyne Larrington, TLSA NEW STATESMAN BOOK Trade Review‘Treacle Walker is a small miracle’ New Statesman Best Books of 2021 ‘Remarkable … there’s mastery of craft, resonance and deep feeling on every one of these 150 pages.’ Daily Telegraph ‘Spare and allusive … luminous and understated. It’s about seeing and healing; any more by way of summary would be useless’ Rowan Williams, New Statesman ‘It’s a strange, austere, uncompromising book, leagues ahead of anything else I’ve read this year’ Peter Thonemann, TLS ‘This seemingly brief tale is a hypnotic wonder, blurring the boundaries of time and spirit… A glorious wonder in its own right. Here is real magic between hard covers’ Erica Wagner, New Statesman ‘Treacle Walker is a circular narrative, made of smaller interlocking circles, with actions and whole paragraphs repeating: in its end is its beginning. This late fiction also works the seam opened up in Garner’s very first novel, inspired by the story handed down to his grandfather about enchanted sleepers under Alderley Edge … Playful, moving and wholly remarkable work … There’s a life’s work inside this little book’ Guardian ‘Sparse yet masterful… This is a mesmerising folktale where every word counts’ Literary Review ‘Garner has always suggested that there is essentially just one story, and this novel … contains all the exuberance and eccentricity, all the deep thought and resounding mythology of his best work … cramming in … more ideas and imagination than most authors manage in their whole careers’ Observer

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Book SynopsisThe Lake House by Kate Morton is the mysterious and enchanting fifth novel from the number one bestselling author of The House at Riverton and The Secret Keeper.June 1933, and the Edevane family’s country house, Loeanneth, is polished and gleaming, ready for the much-anticipated Midsummer Eve party. Alice Edevane, sixteen years old and a budding writer, is especially excited. Not only has she worked out the perfect twist for her novel, she’s also fallen helplessly in love with someone she shouldn’t. But by the time midnight strikes and fireworks light up the night skies, the Edevane family will have suffered a loss so great that they leave Loeanneth forever.Seventy years later, after a particularly troubling case, DC Sadie Sparrow is sent on an enforced break from her job with the Metropolitan Police. She retreats to her beloved grandfather’s cottage in Cornwall, but soon finds herself at a loose end. Until one day, Sadie stumbles upon an abandoned house surrounded by overgrown gardens and dense woods, and learns the story of a baby boy who disappeared without a trace.Meanwhile, in the attic writing room of her elegant Hampstead home, the formidable Alice Edevane, now an old lady, leads a life as neatly plotted as the bestselling detective novels she writes. That is, until a young police detective starts asking questions about her family’s past, seeking to resurrect the complex tangle of secrets Alice has spent her life trying to escape . . .

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTIONA mighty achievement' OCEAN VUONGBeautiful, brilliant' R. F. KUANGDazzling' OBSERVERWill shatter your heart' GLAMOURPowerful' SUNDAY TIMESAn extraordinary story of the journey of one young family through love, loss and unwavering hope.There are the goodbyes and then the fishing out of the bodies everything in between is speculation.One night, not long after the last American troops leave Vietnam, siblings Anh, Thanh and Minh flee their village and embark on a perilous journey in hope of a new life. Separated from their parents and fearing the worst they find themselves travelling alone in the world without a home to return to. After a twist of fate lands them in Thatcher's Britain, they must somehow build new lives there. Will the love they have for each other be enough to keep them together?Wandering Souls is a stunning, life-affirming testament to the healing power of stories.A Time and Guardian book of the yearShortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2023Poignant and lyrical' DAVID NICHOLLSA powerful story of courage, love and unwavering hope' MARIE CLAIREBeautiful I loved every word' PHILIPPA PERRYA deeply affecting reckoning with history' i-DTells one of the most important stories of our times' LUCY CALDWELLSpecial Reading it is like watching a writer at work' NEW YORK TIMESTrade Review‘I raced through it. Beautiful, brilliant, unflinching’ R. F. KUANG ‘This lean, affecting book packs a mighty punch and heralds a dazzling new talent’ OBSERVER ‘Powerful … a bold debut that breaks new ground’ SUNDAY TIMES ‘A deeply humane and genre-defying work of love and uncompromising hope through a long-overdue portrayal of Vietnamese life in the UK’ OCEAN VUONG ‘A heartbreaking novel … a deeply affecting reckoning with history’ i-D MAGAZINE ‘A poignant saga with its grieving, beating heart firmly in the right place, and heralds the arrival of an ambitious and promising new talent’ GUARDIAN ‘A powerful story of courage, love and unwavering hope’ MARIE CLAIRE ‘Something special – a polyvocal novel, an essay on inherited trauma and a quiet metafiction about telling stories we don’t own’ NEW YORK TIMES ‘Meticulously researched and beautifully imagined … deeply affecting’ TASH AW ‘As relevant now as it ever was. You won’t get through this without your heart breaking’ AnOther ‘Deeply moving and deeply generous … I cried reading it’ YARA RODRIGUES FOWLER ‘A searing, sweeping and intimate story of such heart and scope’ RACHEL LONG ‘Historical epic Wandering Souls … [offers] a very different take on the immigrant experience’ VOGUE ‘An enormously evocative portrait of dispossession’ FINANCIAL TIMES

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Book SynopsisThe No. 1 Bestseller ''It twists, it turns, its characters are utterly despicable, and it is a compulsive triumph'' Stylist ''My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.''____________Lydia Fitzsimons lives in the perfect house with her adoring husband and beloved son.There is just one thing Lydia yearns for to make her perfect life complete, though the last thing she expects is that pursuing it will lead to murder. However, needs must - because nothing can stop this mother from getting what she wants . . .____________''What an extraordinary novel ... crackles and snaps like a bonfire on a winter''s night; you shudder even as you draw closer to it. Spellbinding.'' A J Finn, bestselling author of The Woman in the Window''A stunningly talented writer'' Sophie Hannah''Devastating ... exquisitely uncomfortable, utterly captivating'' Publishers Weekly''The intricate plotting and jolting suspense hold you in a vice till the last page'' Sunday Times''Gone Girl fans will love Liz Nugent''s Lying in Wait . . . it twists, it turns, its characters are utterly despicable, and it is a compulsive triumph'' Stylist ''Clear your diary if you pick up this seductively sinister story. The twists come together in a superbly scary denouncement which delivers a final sting in the tail. Brilliantly macabre'' Sunday Mirror''Brilliant plotting ratchets up the tension in this chilling tale of obsessive love, madness and motherhood'' Woman & Home''The wit is sharp and the plot full of punishing twists'' The Times Crime Club''An unputdownable psychological thriller with an ending that lingers long after turning the final page'' Irish Times''Lydia is a Gothic villain for the ages ... a page-turner chock full of lies and betrayals'' Kirkus Reviews''An excellent example of Domestic Noir ... excitement and curiosity mount until you realise you can''t put the book down. Highly recommended'' Literary Review''A tense, taut, almost gothic thriller where the tension tightens to near unbearable proportions ... impossible to stop reading. A brilliantly written, stand-out novel'' Marian Keyes''Deliciously twisted . . . truly chilling'' Sarah Hilary''Liz Nugent''s characters are as unforgettably monstrous as they are believable. A superbly crafted novel and an absorbing portrait of the purest kind of evil'' Jane Casey''It spoils nothing to tell you now that Lydia and Andrew Fitzsimons have murdered a young prostitute. Read this dark, captivating psychological thriller to find out why'' People Magazine''I thought it impossible to match the brilliant Unravelling Oliver, but this Liz has done. Not only is her style beautiful, but she keeps the reader on the edge of their seat from page one until the completely unexpected ending. I read Lying in Wait in one sitting. I just couldn''t bear the suspense. I absolutely loved it'' Amanda Redman''She writes compellingly, creates posh sociopaths like no-one else and doesn''t flinch when the end demands what it demands. Lying In Wait is a story you genuinely should not miss'' Rick O''Shea, RTÉTrade ReviewWhat an extraordinary novel ... Spellbinding -- A J FinnDevastating ... utterly captivating * Publishers Weekly *Gone Girl fans will love Liz Nugent's Lying in Wait ... it twists, it turns, its characters are utterly despicable and it is a compulsive triumph * Stylist *A stunningly talented writer -- Sophie HannahThe intricate plotting and jolting suspense hold you in a vice till the last page * Sunday Times *[A] seductively sinister story. The twists come together in a superbly scary denouncement which delivers a final sting in the tail. Brilliantly macabre * Sunday Mirror *Deliciously twisted ... truly chilling -- Sarah HilaryA tense, taut, almost gothic thriller ... impossible to stop reading. A brilliantly written, stand-out novel -- Marian KeyesThe wit is sharp and the plot full of punishing twists * The Times Crime Club *An unputdownable psychological thriller with an ending that lingers long after turning the final page * Irish Times *A page-turner chock full of lies and betrayals * Kirkus Reviews *Liz Nugent's characters are as unforgettably monstrous as they are believable. A superbly crafted novel and an absorbing portrait of the purest kind of evil -- Jane CaseyExcellent ... You can't put the book down. Highly recommended * Literary Review *"My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it." ... Lydia Fitzsimons lives in the perfect house with her adoring husband and beloved son. There is just one thing Lydia yearns for to make her perfect life complete, though the last thing she expects is that pursuing it will lead to murder . . . * From the Publisher's Description *Gone Girl fans will love Liz Nugent's Lying in Wait ... it twists, it turns, its characters are utterly despicable and it is a compulsive triumph * Stylist *A stunningly talented writer * Sophie Hannah *A tense, taut, almost gothic thriller where the tension tightens to near unbearable proportions. I devoured it in one sitting because it was impossible to stop reading. A brilliantly written, stand-out novel * Marian Keyes *Deliciously twisted, shot through with dark and acid humour and the denouement is truly chilling * Sarah Hilary *A gradual descent from ordinary, straightforward murder to the very heart of darkness. Liz Nugent's characters are as unforgettably monstrous as they are believable ... superbly crafted * Jane Casey *She keeps the reader on the edge of their seat from page one until the completely unexpected ending. I read Lying in Wait in one sitting. I just couldn't bear the suspense. I absolutely loved it * Amanda Redman *

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Book SynopsisFrom million-copy bestselling author Imogen Clark comes a story of two families, two babies and one maddeningly hot day that will change their lives forever. It’s the hottest day of the 1976 heatwave and there’s not a breath of fresh air in the labour ward at Lincoln County Hospital. Michelle is having her fourth child, a girl, while beloved husband Dean is sipping a cold pint in the pub. Their little house is already bursting at the seams, but Michelle is sure they’ll find a way to stretch their budget and continue life as a blissfully chaotic happy family. They name their new baby Donna. In the next bed, exhausted and wearing a perfectly impractical lace-trimmed white nightgown, Sylvie has just given birth to her first child at forty and wants to sleep, while her oblivious husband Jeremy hovers and suggests he sketch this ‘perfect moment’. The midwife thinks she’ll feel more like bonding with her baby when she’s had some rest, but Sylvie isn’t so sure. She and Jeremy call their daughter Leonora. When the two little girls are taken to their respective homes, the date of their birth seems to be the only thing to connect them. But one day, years in the future, their paths will cross again when Michelle comes looking for Sylvie—because something happened that blistering hot day, something they both deserve answers to…

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Book Synopsis'Evocative, emotional and heart-stoppingly romantic' Cathy Bramley The one that she wants...Adam Bowers; handsome, funny and with the charm of a rock star, from the moment she laid eyes on him, teenage Erin was smitten. But first loves don’t always last, and after a whirlwind romance, Erin and Adam go their separate ways. Yet, Erin never lets go of the feeling that Adam may have been her soul mate...The one that she needs...Greg fell in love with Erin in their first week at university. Solid, trustworthy and hopelessly devoted to Erin, he knows he's better for her than the feckless Adam, who is forever leaving Erin broken-hearted, before winning her back with his charm. As far as Greg is concerned, it’s easy to promise the world, but it’s harder to love someone for a lifetime.The one that got away...Years later Greg and Erin are married, and although life hasn’t always been easy, Greg’s love for Erin has never dimmed. But when Adam comes back, in desperate need of Erin's help, everything changes. Erin starts to wonder whether fate is trying to tell her something…Will Erin risk it all for the man she had thought was ‘The One’?From the author of the bestselling Before We Grow Old, Clare Swatman. A Love to Last a Lifetime is for anyone who had a first love, a lost love or a love that lasted forever. Perfect for all fans of Sophie Cousens, David Nicholls and Josie Silver.Reader Reviews for A Love to Last a Lifetime:'What happens when you bump into "the one that got away"...at a point when your marriage is starting to slide? It's such a great idea for a story and I really enjoyed this book' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review'Another book from Clare Swatman that does not disappoint! Easy to get into, easy to lose yourself in. Win win!' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review'A moving and compelling story, engaging, emotionally complex, and a difficult subject handled sensitively and with great authenticity' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader ReviewPraise for Clare Swatman:'I loved The Night We First Met by Clare Swatman. Warm, romantic and wonderfully written, it's an emotional and thought-provoking read with such relatable characters.' Debbie Howells'The Night We First Met is a beautiful love story that vividly evokes time and place, transporting the reader… and leaves you rooting for everyone who is brave enough to follow their heart and not their head.' Victoria Scott'Heart-breaking and life-affirming in equal measures, Before We Grow Old is the tender story of a chance meeting between former childhood sweethearts Fran and Will, and is packed with secrets and revelations. Through her beautiful writing, Clare Swatman delivers a powerful lesson in learning to love with your whole heart and accepting the same, no matter what life throws at you.' Sarah Bennett'Irresistible . . . A delightfully bittersweet story that will appeal to fans of One Day' - Sunday Mirror 'The Night We First Met is a breathless story of enduring love that will fill your heart and give you hope.' Laura Kemp'The Night We First Met is such a special book, filled with broken and relatable characters, who you can't help but love. Just Gorgeous!' Emma Cooper'The Night We First Met' is a gorgeously romantic, sliding doors love story about how The One will find you in the end.' Katy Regan

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Book SynopsisThe phenomenal number one bestseller and a major BBC TV series.A Richard and Judy Book Club Pick. Winner of the Specsavers National Book Award and Waterstones Book of the Year.Beautiful, intoxicating and filled with heart-pounding suspense, Jessie Burton's historical novel set in Amsterdam, The Miniaturist, is a story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution.On an autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman knocks at the door of a grand house in the wealthiest quarter of Amsterdam. She has come from the country to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt, but instead she is met by his sharp-tongued sister, Marin. Only later does Johannes appear and present her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. It is to be furnished by an elusive miniaturist, whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in unexpected ways . . .NeTrade ReviewThe kind of book that reminds you why you fell in love with reading -- S. J. Watson, author of Before I Go to SleepA fabulously gripping read that will appeal to fans of Girl With a Pearl Earring and The Goldfinch, but Burton is a genuinely new voice with her visceral take on sex, race and class . . . Burton writes great complex female characters * Observer *A terrific novel: compelling cast, gripping plot, writing to savour -- Nathan Filer, author of The Shock of the FallA remarkable debut - complex, involving and deeply atmospheric -- Deborah Moggach, author of Tulip FeverThe Miniaturist by Jessie Burton is set in 17th century Amsterdam where a trader presents his new wife Nella with a miniature replica of their home. Its tiny occupants mirror their real-life counterparts and show Nella what grave dangers lie in wait. -- Hot Books of 2014 * Daily Express *Utterly beguiling and impeccably written. I am missing the characters already -- Emylia Hall, author of The Book of SummersA delight on every page, The Miniaturist completely immerses the reader in sumptuous but strict seventeenth-century Amsterdam. Burton's novel is lovingly done, and exquisite to read -- Naomi Wood, author of Mrs. HemingwayUtterly transporting . . . My first instinct on finishing this book was to immediately read it again -- Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites

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Book SynopsisA Caribbean celebration of family and food - with a spicy twist!There is not a better smell in the world than Ajee's Cook-up rice. The kitchen fills with the smell of coconut, garlic and spices. Faruq loves his grandmother Ajee, and he loves her cooking. In fact, Faruq would like to cook too - he wants to be a chef, but Ajee says he has to be a doctor like his father. But one day when Ajee is too ill to make the family feast, with the help of his neighbour Mrs Joseph, Faruq picks some hot wiri wiri chilli peppers and cooks up a banquet. Preparing food for his family fills Faruq's heart with love - and sets a different course for his future.This sumptuous story celebrates Caribbean culture and food through Sophia Payne's distinct voice that is reflective of her Indo-Guyanese heritage and is brought to life by Sandhya Prabhat's beautiful artwork. It also includes a recipe for Guyanese Lime cookies for you to try at home!Trade ReviewThis colourful picture-book celebration of Guyanese cooking - including hot wiri wiri peppers - features a little boy desperate to learn to cook, and the joy of sharing food with family. -- Imogen Russell Williams * Guardian *As he watches his grandma prepare her traditional Guyanese cook-up rice with garlic, coconut, and wiri wiri peppers, Faruq dreams of being a chef. With vibrant and exciting illustrations and rich descriptive language, this picture book for younger children is bound to spark an interest in cooking and a love for family mealtimes. A lovely book to read and share. -- Tom Tolkien * School Reading List *This colourful picture-book celebration of Guyanese cooking - including hot wiriwiri peppers - features a little boy desperate to learn to cook, and the joy of sharing food with family. * The Guardian *A Caribbean celebration of family and food - with a spicy twist! There is not a better smell in the world than Ajee's Cook-up rice. The kitchen fills with the smell of coconut, garlic and spices. Preparing food for his family fills Faruq's heart with love - and sets a different course for his future. This sumptuous story celebrates Caribbean culture and food through Sophia Payne's distinct voice that is reflective of her Indo-Guyanese heritage and is brought to life by Sandhya Prabhat's beautiful artwork. It also includes a recipe for Guyanese Lime cookies for you to try at home! * Books for Topics *

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Book SynopsisThrough every family run memories which bind it together - despite everything. The Tulls of Baltimore are no exception. Abandoned by her husband, Pearl is left to bring up her three children alone - Cody, a flawed devil, Ezra, a flawed saint, and Jenny, errant and passionate. Now, as Pearl lies dying, the past is unlocked and with it its secrets.Trade ReviewHer best novel * Guardian *Anne Tyler is a brilliant writer * Observer *A book to be settled into fully, tomorrow be damned. Funny, heart-hammering, wise…superb * New York Times Book Review *The most impressive American novelist of her generation * Sunday Telegraph *A classic of contemporary Americana…variously funny and horrifying and finally, quietly, terribly moving * Los Angeles Times *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE FICTION PRIZE AT THE EAST ANGLIAN BOOK AWARDS 'Captivating and unique' THE STYLIST 'A terrific debut. Brave, unexpected... transfixing and captivating... full of hope, resilience and love.' THE SUNDAY TIMES"Holds the big within the small, the intimate within the epic" - Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies'A captivating read' THE SUN'GORGEOUS and original and captivating' - Marian Keyes, international bestselling author of Grown Ups'A story that is powerfully familiar and yet utterly original.' - Afua Hirsch'A captivating read... (a) beautiful, surprising novel' FABULOUS 'A novel that has stayed with me for weeks afterwards . . . Perceptive and unflinching' - Jessie Burton, author of The Miniaturist'A quiet, piercing contemplation on what really matters when it comes to the end of the world. Strange and beautiful' - Abigail Dean, author of Girl A'Beautiful and harrowing but also optimistic and extremely moving . . . a truly arresting depiction of an unlikely relationship' - Clover Stroud, author of The Wild Other'I didn't want this book to end. It blew me away, and moved me beyond belief' - Bryony Gordon, author of Mad GirlEVERY ENDINGIS A NEW BEGINNING.Ruth is ignoring the news. Like most people, she has relationship problems, job stress, friends and family who need her. Ruth has a life.But the news is about to catch up with Ruth, and her problems are going to be swept away...along with the rest of the world.Only when the comforts and complications of her old existence are gone, does Ruth finally realise how she might be able to live to the fullest.Trade ReviewIt's GORGEOUS and original and captivating . . . Beautiful writing and characters I cared for as if they were my own family * Marian Keyes, international bestselling author of Grown Ups *The Stranding is a breathtaking book about relationships, love and human resilience at the end of the world; it's beautifully written and I know I'll be thinking about it for a very long time! * Lex Croucher, author of Reputation *Powerful, atmospheric and utterly transfixing * Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne *The Stranding is an original, compelling and brilliantly written story. I loved the dual timelines of 'before' and 'after' and could not put it down. It's a thought-provoking and timely read, about hope, survival and the human spirit * Aliya Ali-Afzal, author of Would I Lie To You *I didn't want this book to end. It blew me away, and moved me beyond belief. I want to read it again and again and again * Bryony Gordon, author of Mad Girl *Original, visceral, rich with themes of refuge and redemption, it's a beautifully imagined story about the hiding places in our hearts and minds * Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters. *Beautiful and harrowing but also optimistic and extremely moving . . . a truly arresting depiction of an unlikely relationship * Clover Stroud, author of The Wild Other *A quiet, piercing contemplation on what really matters when it comes to the end of the world. Strange and beautiful * Abigail Dean, author of Girl A *Beautifully written, it's truly something special * Stylist *A terrific debut. Brave, unexpected . . . transfixing and captivation . . . full of hope, resilience and love * The Sunday Times *

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Book Synopsis‘Suspenseful…original…I couldn’t put it down’ Stephen KingTwo brothers. Bound by blood... And a lifetime of secrets.When Roy and Carl's parents die suddenly, sixteen-year-old Roy is left as protector to his impulsive younger brother. But when Carl decides to travel the world in search of his fortune, Roy stays behind in their sleepy village, satisfied with his peaceful life as a mechanic.Years later, Carl returns with his charismatic new wife, Shannon - an architect - full of exciting plans to build a hotel on their family land. But it's only a matter of time before what begins as a jubilant homecoming sparks off a series of events that threaten to derail everything Roy holds dear and family loyalty is stretched to violent ends.*JO NESBO HAS SOLD OVER 55 MILLION BOOKS WORLDWIDE*Watch out for The Night House, the new Jo Nesbo book, out nowTrade ReviewI read THE KINGDOM and couldn't put it down...suspenseful...original...this one is special in every way. * Stephen King *Jo Nesbo remains the king of Scandicrime. * Financial Times *Superbly written and magnificently chilling * Sunday Mirror *This being Nesbo there is plenty of deception, death and partial decapitation to come. No Harry Hole this time, but still a sombre delight. There are shades of a Nordic Ripley, or maybe Virginia Andrews on aquavit. Choose your poison * The Times *The Kingdom is a stunning novel from a storyteller with few equals -- Jon Coates * UK Press Syndication *

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Book SynopsisWhatever the question, the answer is wine!They’ve swapped the dark and lonely baby days for school gate chaos, but Aisha, Sophy and Mel are discovering that there are new parenting pitfalls just waiting for them…Influencer Sophy, is trying to keep on top of home and work life but is finding it all a bit tough! Everyone thinks she’s living her best life, but the pressure to maintain perfection when all she wants to do is cry, is taking its toll.Aisha doesn’t know what to do with all her spare time now her twins are at school. Maybe she could focus on herself and the dreams she’s put on hold? But when her mum suddenly begins to feel unwell, Aisha has to rethink everything.And when Mel is offered a chance to live her dream, she grabs it with both hands. But there’s a catch –an ex-boyfriend who makes it clear that he wants another chance…Can they navigate this new stage of motherhood together and keep their friendship and their sanity? Or could life be about to change for them all over again?Bestselling author Nina Manning is back with a brand-new story of mum guilt, parenting pitfalls and friendship around the clock."All the trials and tribulations of motherhood, served up with real heart and understanding. " Bestselling author Carmen Reid.

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Book Synopsis'Obligatory reading for all parents of teenagers!' NIGELLA LAWSON'Bloody marvellous. Horribly familiar, funny, touching, sad, brutally honest...clutch this book to your stained T-shirt and never let it go.' JO BRAND'Terrific. A remarkable blend of hilarity and heartbreak with a really satisfying plot. Being childless never felt so good.' GRAHAM NORTON'Warm and witty... The competitive mothering, the hell that is other people's children, the fights and accusations of Homeland inquisition all rang deliciously true... a most entertaining read.' KATHY LETTE'Very poignant... A moving read as well as a funny one.' JANE GARVEY 'Honest, hilarious and painful' WOMAN & HOMEWarning!! This novel may lead you to make rash and life-changing decisions!**Probably don't read if you fear you may be ripe for liberation. Or if you sometimes wee when you laugh...First there was Having It All, then there was Bridget Jones' s Diary and I Don't Know How She Does It. Now there is Teenage Punchbag.I'm Just A Teenage Punchbag is a laugh-out-loud, sob-on-the bus journey through the so-called life of a middle-aged woman.Ciara is mother to three ungrateful, entitled teenagers, is married to steady Martin, a man with hairy udders, and is grieving for her mum who now lives in the wardrobe in a cardboard box from the crematorium. She finds solace in her anonymous blog, and in the daily chats she has with her mum's ashes (often the best conversations she has all day.)Despite the menopause, the invisibility of middle age and the daily self-esteem bashings, courtesy of her kids, Ciara manages to navigate the stormy waters of grief and family life - until her mask slips and she is cast out from the family bosom. She embarks on a mission to fulfil her mum's dying wishes to have her remains sprinkled from the top of the Empire State Building, finding company, distraction and - ultimately - herself in the process.If motherhood is a job - who says you can't resign?

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Book Synopsis‘Comfort reading at its best, all wrapped up in a tartan ribbon. Sarah Morgan will make your Christmas!’ Veronica Henry * * * * * Join Sarah Morgan this Christmas and treat yourself to this feel-good festive read about mothers and daughters, romance and drama, and Christmastime in Scotland! It’s not what’s under the Christmas tree, but who’s around it that matters most. All Suzanne McBride wants for Christmas is her three daughters happy and at home. But when sisters Posy, Hannah and Beth return to their family home in the Scottish Highlands, old tensions and buried secrets start bubbling to the surface. Suzanne is determined to create the perfect family Christmas, but the McBrides must all face the past and address some home truths before they can celebrate together . . . This Christmas indulge in some me-time and enjoy this uplifting and heart-warming story from international bestseller Sarah Morgan. Full of romance, laughter and sisterly drama, The Christmas Sisters is the perfect book to curl up with this festive season. * * * * * What readers are saying about The Christmas Sisters: ‘Perfect to snuggle up with in front of a fire with a mug of hot chocolate’ ‘Practically perfect in every way!’ ‘Likeable characters, the dialogue was spot on and it's all wrapped up in the wonderful Scottish Highlands setting’ ‘It's warm and cuddly and cosy – perfect switch-off, feel-good reading’Trade Review PRAISE FOR THE CHRISTMAS SISTERS ‘Comfort reading at its best, all wrapped up in a tartan ribbon. Sarah Morgan will make your Christmas!’ Veronica Henry ‘I loved every sparkly, big-hearted, warm-hug moment of this gorgeous wintry tale’Miranda Dickinson ‘A feast of a book that left me wanting more’Penny Parkes, author of Best Practice ‘An uplifting and satisfying tale’My Weekly ‘a lovely festive tale full of romance and laughter’HELLO! ‘feel good fiction – with edge’HEAT ‘This festive multigenerational family drama set against the glorious backdrop of a wintry Scotland is warming the cockles of many hearts.’The Sunday Post ‘a joyous and stirring mix of romance, secrets and family bickering’S Magazine ‘enjoyably escapist romance’Sunday Mirror MORE PRAISE FOR SARAH MORGAN ‘I laughed, I cried, I held my breath. I absolutely adored it’ Cathy Bramley ‘A warm, wonderful, rich story told with care and skill that broke my heart and then put it back together again’Alex Brown, author of The Secret of Orchard Cottage ‘Jane Green meets Sophie Kinsella. Heart-warming, emotional, funny and real’Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author

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Book SynopsisFrom the Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling author of The Girls Who DisappearedOne of them lied. One of them died.When one sister dies, the other must go to desperate lengths to survive Haunted by her twin sister''s death, Abi is making a fresh start in Bath. But when she meets siblings Bea and Ben, quickly moving into the townhouse they share with a a group of lodgers, strange things start to happen.Abi''s precious letters go missing, threatening messages are left in her room Is this the work of the beautiful and capricious Bea? Or is Abi hiding something of her own?Is it a dark secret one she thought had died with her sister?Trade Review‘Grippingly claustrophobic and unpredictable on every page: perfect for fans of THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN’ MARIE CLAIRE ‘Humming with anxiety and friction, The Sisters keep readers guessing as to who is doing what to whom until the very end…[A] gripping psychological debut’ SHELF AWARENESS ‘Tension oozes from every page… [an] addictive read that will leave you on the edge of your seat’ THE SUN ‘Unforgettably dark and complex’ WOMAN AND HOME ‘As soon as I finished the first page, I knew I wouldn’t be able to put this down … I thoroughly enjoyed it’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ‘Written with such skill you don’t know who to believe’ SAGA ‘Get drawn into a tangled web of secrets … A dark and complex novel’ HELLO ‘A powerful emotional charge to this examination of grief’ SUNDAY MIRROR ‘The twists and turns in this outstanding psychological thriller will have you questioning what’s going on in every chapter’ FABULOUS ‘A very addictive read’ IRISH EXAMINER ‘A must-read!’ CLOSER

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Book SynopsisA HEART-BREAKING, HOPEFUL NOVEL FROM THE MASTER STORYTELLER WHOSE BOOKS HAVE TOUCHED THE HEARTS OF OVER 40 MILLION READERS''Mitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary'' Cecilia Ahern__________As a child, Charley Benetto was told by his father, ''You can be a mama''s boy or a daddy''s boy, but you can''t be both.'' So he chooses his father, only to see him disappear when Charley is on the verge of adolescence.Decades later, Charley is a broken man. His life has been destroyed by alcohol and regret. He loses his job. He leaves his family. When he discovers that he won''t be invited to his only daughter''s wedding he realises he has hit rock bottom.Charley makes a midnight ride to his small hometown; his final journey before he ends his life. But as he staggers into his old house, he makes an astonishing discovery. His mother - who died eight years earlier - is there to welcome Charley home. What follows is the one seemingly ordinary Trade ReviewMitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary -- Cecilia AhernPowerful . . . Albom has touched the lives of a lot of people he never even knew * Time *Compelling and uplifting * Independent *A writer with soul * Los Angeles Times *Albom breaks hearts with his stories * Mirror *Mitch Albom sees the magical in the ordinary * Cecilia Ahern *Mitch Albom, in this new book, once again demonstrates why he is one of my favourite writers . . . FOR ONE MORE DAY will make you smile. It will make you wistful. It will make you blink back tears of nostalgia * James McBride, author of THE COLOR OF WATER *Another very touching page-turner * STAR magazine *A warm and tender tale * IRISH EVENING HERALD *

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Book SynopsisWhat if one half of a pair of twins no longer wants to live? What if the other can’t live without them? This question lies at the heart of Jente Posthuma’s deceptively simple What I’d Rather Not Think About. The narrator is a twin whose brother has recently taken his own life. She looks back on their childhood, and tells of their adult lives: how her brother tried to find happiness, but lost himself in various men and the Bhagwan movement, though never completely. In brief, precise vignettes, full of gentle melancholy and surprising humour, Posthuma tells the story of a depressive brother, viewed from the perspective of the sister who both loves and resents her twin, struggles to understand him, and misses him terribly.Trade Review‘A unique story of a twin brother and sister, wryly funny and heartbreakingly sad. Her characters desperately try to make sense of our ever more complex world. This is a rare book. And Jente Posthuma is a treasure and a hell of a writer.’ -- Herman Koch, international bestselling author of The Dinner‘The strength here is truly in the minimalist prose — razor-sharp sentences that often slot together perfectly in a seemingly nonchalant way. The result is a powerful story about death, life, and survival.’ * Nederlands Dagblad *‘It is impossible to name everything that is beautiful about this novel. Posthuma needs few words to evoke a feeling or an atmosphere. She writes striking sentences that conjure up poignant images … this book deserves a large readership.’ * Literary Netherlands *‘What makes What I'd Rather Not Think About rise above the average mourning novel is its utter authenticity. Posthuma associates, philosophises, links memories to everyday actions, draws on films and television series and tries to interpret in a laconic, light-footed, and pointed way. “Less is more” with Jente Posthuma. And again, she seems to be saying: nothing is “whole” here, in the subhuman. Everything rumbles, frays, and creaks.’ * De Telegraaf *‘From the opening pages of this novel I had no idea where it was going, but I trusted Posthuma completely. Tender, offbeat, and deftly drawn — I loved it.’ -- Allee Richards, author of The Small Joys of Real Life‘In some ways it is tricky to recommend this book widely because of its difficult subject matter: it revolves around the grief of a twin who is trying to work out how to move forward in her own life after her brother, a long-term sufferer of depression, takes his own. To paraphrase the title, familial suicide and depression are certainly two of the key things many people would rather not think (or indeed read) about, but I want to tell you that this book is gorgeous. It is expertly crafted, moving, and at times startlingly funny, as the narrator tries to navigate the enormity of her loss … This short book contains a beautiful and compelling portrait of the grieving mind, as both storyteller and reader wander through the terrains of disbelief, regret, loneliness, and unending love.’ -- Alison Huber * Readings *‘Despite its melancholic theme, What I’d Rather Not Think About is infused with a similarly subtle, almost self-effacing humour that in this case expresses the narrator’s bewildered, tremulous path through life … This slim novel is packed with allusions to popular and high culture, history, science and current affairs, yet manages to feel simultaneously rich and uncluttered.’ -- Linda Jaivin * The Saturday Paper *‘[An] exquisitely vulnerable novel.’ -- Cameron Woodhead * The Sydney Morning Herald *‘[A] beautifully observed narration.’ -- Marcus Hobson * NZ Booklovers *‘Dutch novelist Posthuma returns with a sharp meditation on grief … The patchworked story of the twins’ bond and the brother’s fruitless search for meaning is woven with reflections … inventive and worthy.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘What I’d Rather Not Think About is a forthright novel in which mental health, sexual orientation, and suicide are subjects of frank, empathetic consideration.’ * Foreword Reviews *‘A beautiful and strangely life-affirming evocation of grief.’ * The New European *‘Tough to read but wonderfully rewarding.’ -- Willow Heath‘Through a delicately woven tale of memory, shared selfhood, and grief, the author takes us into the mind that struggles to understand a world shattered by loss, when one sibling dies and another is left to reconstitute the fragments. Poetic and surprising, Posthuma shows how even in the most intimate of connections, in another person lies the great unknown … Posthuma develops an affecting novel about grief by embracing its full complexity’ -- Daljinder Johal * Asymptote Journal *

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Book Synopsis''With slow, quiet intent Kate Worsley builds a tense atmosphere of looming horror. This book demands to be savoured, even as it clamours to be devoured'' Times''A wonderfully atmospheric and deeply unsettling novel, full of images so vivid they seem to leap off the page. Worsley''s fiction is something to savour'' Sarah WatersWorn out by poverty, Lettie Radley and her miner husband Tommy grasp at the offer of their very own smallholding - part of a 1030s Government scheme to put the unemployed back to work on the land. When she comes down to Essex to join him, her new neighbours greet her. Overbearing and unkempt, Jean and Adam Dell are everything that the smart, spirited, aspirational Lettie can''t abide.As Lettie settles in, she''s hopeful that her past, and the terrible secret Tommy has come to Foxash to escape, are far behind them. But the Dells have their own secrets. And as the seasons change, and a man comes knocking at thTrade ReviewA wonderfully atmospheric and deeply unsettling novel, full of images so vivid they seem to leap off the page. Worsley's fiction is something to savour -- Sarah WatersA rich, wonderfully uneasy pleasure. Exquisitely written and deeply original, with secrets that are tightly layered, always surprising and teased out with impressive control -- Bethan RobertsWith slow, quiet intent Kate Worsley builds a tense atmosphere of looming horror. This book demands to be savoured, even as it clamours to be devoured * The Times *Kate Worsley has a wonderfully fertile imagination. She writes for the senses: the touch of soil; the taste of a home remedy; the whiff of decay. Her wily prose curls around the story she is telling, like a creeper -- Katie WardBeguiling, and written with a piercing eye for style. It burrows under the surface of the rural idyll, exposing a shadowy hinterland -- Eva DolanA spellbinding evocation of the rural uncanny. In deceptively sensual prose Kate Worsley eviscerates the idyll of the smallholding and lays bare the vicious desperation of characters pitted against the elements and themselves * Sarah Bower *I loved the brooding suspense of Foxash - both the unspoken and the fear of speaking dominate its claustrophobic setting. Worsley takes us into a revelatory and revisionist corner of the Twentieth Century. * Jonathan Myerson *Foxash almost pulses with the force of its telling; the prose is lush, with a feverish, seething, darkly erotic edge. All that ripens, soon rots, and what rots must be hidden. What a story Worsley has conjured * Guinevere Glasfurd-Brown *

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Book Synopsis'IT'LL EASILY BE ONE OF MY BOOKS OF THE YEAR' Hannah Beckerman'It's a warm book and a touching one. And did I mention it's funny? Just read it. You'll see' The Times'Funny, tender and sad' Sunday Express'If you liked Meg Mason's Sorrow and Bliss, you'll love this novel' Good Housekeeping'One of the richest explorations of family dysfunction I've read' the i newspaper'Shades of Fleabag in this smart, funny drama' Mail on Sunday'An enjoyably bittersweet novel about a dysfunctional modern family' Independent'Razor-sharp ' Observer'One of the funniest novels you'll read this year' Guardian SHORTLISTED FOR THE NOTA BENE PRIZE 2023THE BOOK THAT YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO PUT DOWNFor Alice and Hanna, saint and sinner, growing up is a trial. There is their mother, who takes a divide-and-conquer approach to child-rearing, and their father, who takes an absent one. There is also their older brother Michael, whose disapproval is a force to be reckoned with. There is the catastrophe that is never spoken of, but which has shaped everything . . .As adults, Alice and Hanna must deal with disappointments in work and in love as well as increasingly complicated family tensions, and lives that look dismayingly dissimilar to what they'd intended. They must look for a way to repair their own fractured relationship, and they must finally choose their own approach to their dominant mother: submit or burn the house down. And they must decide at last whether life is really anything more than (as Hanna would have it) a tragedy with a few hilarious moments.From the author of the Waterstones Book of the Month Our Fathers comes a compelling domestic comedy about complex family dynamics, mental health and the intricacies of sibling relationships.WHAT READERS ARE SAYING5* 'I adored this book'5* 'A brilliant novel about a dysfunctional family'5* 'This book blew me away'5* 'Loved, loved, loved this! Laugh-out-loud funny and beautifully poignant' 5* 'The best book i've read this year'Trade ReviewSO brilliant. A brutally funny and whip-smart novel about dysfunctional families, with some of the best fictional sibling relationships I've ever read. It'll easily be one of my Books of the Year. -- Hannah BeckermanI didn't want it to end. Completely absorbing and brilliant and funny and painful. -- Charlotte DuckworthToxic mothers, absent fathers, angry sisters and enraging brothers - this sharp, wise comedy explores difficult family dynamics, from all-too-relatable emotional patterns to the inexplicable agonies of mental illness; yet it's also one of the funniest novels you'll read this year. * Guardian (50 Hottest New Summer Reads) *Rebecca Wait's highly entertaining fourth novel is a masterclass in familial tensions, told with razor-sharpdialogue, wit and emotional insight. * Observer *You'll struggle to find a better opening sentence in fiction this year . . . I loved the deadpan one-liners . . . The dialogue is excellent and captures the way families try to support one another and end up being accidentally horrible instead . . . But even better than the witty observations are the pure comedy set pieces . . . But it's more than just a farce. Things happen, big dramatic things, and there's love and anguish and good people making terrible mistakes . . . It's a warm book and a touching one. And did I mention it's funny? Just read it. You'll see. * The Times *One of those novels, which is as funny as it's devastating, I'm Sorry You Feel That Way lays bare one family's dysfunction over the decades. * Red Magazine (The 10 best new books out this month) *Wait's deft handling of the intricate web of family connections, as well as her genuinely funny observations of everyday life, land somewhere between the early novels of Maggie O'Farrell and the later work of Barbara Trapido. Like them, she understands that tragedy and comedy go hand in hand * Guardian *Funny, tender and sad... Wait is such a sympathetic writer that her willingness to dive into the emotional nitty gritty of her characters' inner lives makes for riveting reading * Sunday Express *If you liked Meg Mason's Sorrow and Bliss, you'll love this novel ... as it hits that same sweet spot between poignancy and humour * Good Housekeeping *A deep dive into a dysfunctional family and its intergenerational trauma that somehow manages to be both desperately sad and extremely funny... Its exquisitely detailed examination of interpersonal relationships allows it to become furtively compassionate, generous even to the worst offenders and one of the richest explorations of family dysfunction I've read * i newspaper *An enjoyably bittersweet novel about a dysfunctional modern family * Indepedent *This sharp, wise comedy explores difficult family dynamics, from all-too-relatable emotional patterns to the inexplicable agonies of mental illness; yet it's also one of the funniest novels you'll read this year * Guardian Summer Reading *A rich and witty and sad book about family dysfunction. Twins Alice and Hanna are at the heart of it all, but we also glimpse into the life of their overbearing mother and her sister, and the whole thing is knitted together into a tragicomedy that I loved an inordinate amount * The Well Read newsletter *Wait is unflinching in her heartrending exploration of complex family dynamics, from the traumas that tear us apart to the brave decisions that hold us together. * Woman's Own *smart, witty and affecting... the comparisons to Sorrow and Bliss are justified * Stylist *The novel has earned comparisons to Meg Mason's Sorrow and Bliss - aka everyone's favourite book of 2020 - so bona fide hit status surely follows * ES Magazine *From the passive aggressive title to the satisfying ending, this is a smart, sometimes hilarious novel in which blood might prove thicker than water. * Saga *Perceptive, compelling and dryly funny, this unmissable story of a dysfunctional family . . . is a masterful novel, Wait's piercing wit and laser-sharp insight showing how easily family dynamics canspiral out of control. * Daily Express *A funny and moving book that will draw you into its tangled web * Psychologies *This novel made me laugh out loud and also broke my heart; it manages to weave together comedy, childhood trauma, mental illness and deft character observations into a wonderfully readable package. I hoovered it up and then went straight to read Rebecca Wait's previous novel, The Followers, which I also loved. * You *This is the funniest and one of the most underrated novels of the year... snarky and mischievous... it's gently serious and very touching * The Times (Best Fiction of 2022) *This family drama, about twin sisters whose dominant mother rules their lives, hits that sweet spot between poignancy and humour. All three characters are flawed and relatable in their own ways and the dynamic between them is so believable. * Good Housekeeping (Best Books of 2022) *A very funny, emotionally wise story of sibling rivalry and difficult mothers. * Guardian (Best Fiction Books of 2022) *Rebecca Wait's witty tragicomedy is a piercing tale of sibling rivalry and family dysfunction . . . Wait has a talent for bringing a crackle to a scene. * Culture Whisper (Favourite Books of 2022) *Perceptive, poignant and often very funny story of a dysfunctional family . . . a masterful novel that tacklestroubled family dynamics with sparkling wit and searing insight. * Daily Express (Fiction Highlights for 2022) *Had I read Rebecca Wait's I'm Sorry You Feel That Way (riverrun) in time for our books of the year feature, I would have included it . . . Wait is a wonderful farceuse and a natural at comic observation, but does dark as well: I'm Sorry You Feel That Way is about the pain of feeling you haven't found your place in the world, about clinging to people who might ease that pain, and about the further pain that comes when they back off. It's about mental illness, and includes a frighteningly vivid account of a crack-up. It's also warm and generous: this family is trapped, but not without hope of release. * BookBrunch *This was one of the most underrated novels of last year. It's snarky and mischievous right from the opening sentence . . . It's the story of a dysfunctional middle-class family: stuffy Michael, the twins - anxious Alice and troublemaking Hanna - and their narcissistic mother, who can't stop meddling. Bythe end it's surprisingly serious and very touching. * The Times *Laughing - actually laughing - aloud at a novel is a rare pleasure, so don't miss the chance. This was one of the funniest books of 2022 * Sunday Times (Book of the Month, March 2023) *This masterful novel tackles troubled family dynamics with sparkling wit and searing insight. * Sunday Express *It's a compelling, empathetic and laugh-out-loud funny tale. * Daily Mirror *The perfect blend of sad and funny . . . it will stay with me for a long time. * Scottish Field Magazine *

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Book SynopsisIf you're born with nothing you have to make your own luck.When Jared Johnson first meets Clarice Connaught he saves her from the hands of her father, who is brutally beating her in the street. Never one to walk past someone in distress, Jared doesn’t hesitate to help. But who is this girl and what is her story?Jared Johnson started with nothing. At just twelve-years-old he was orphaned and homeless, but eight years later, Jared is a success. Running McGuire’s Rag & Bone Yard and surrounded by friends, all Jared needs now is to find the perfect girl to settle down with.Nothing has come easy for Clarice but still she has dreams of a grander life and the finer things. And if her father isn’t willing to provide them then Clarice will do anything to find someone who is.Jared and Clarice have one thing in common – they are survivors – and in Queen Victoria’s Birmingham you need your wits about you to keep the wolf from the door. But Clarice isn’t everything she seems, and like a bad penny that always shows up, she brings more trouble for Jared and his friends than they could ever have imagined…Lindsey Hutchinson, the top 10 bestseller, Queen of the Black Country Saga, is back with a page-turning and heart-warming story perfect fans of Katie Flynn, Val Wood and Lyn Andrews.What readers are saying about Lindsey Hutchinson:‘I have read most if not all of Lindsey Hutchinson’s books having read a lot of her mother’s as well. She is a super storyteller and seems to be able to write about a multitude of subjects and obviously does a lot of research into her books.’‘I loved this book, such a heart-warming read to the end.’‘The Ragged Orphan was a consuming read that brought history to life under the masterful pen of Lindsey Hutchinson.’‘This book will make you cry in places and laugh in others and like me once you finish a chapter you will want to just hurry on to the next chapter to discover more about Jared and the other characters.’‘Such a cosy book that is gently and easy to read but will keep you wanting to go back to it.’‘Absolutely loved it I couldn't put it down great story great characters ad tears in my eyes at times really enjoyed it.’

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Book Synopsis'Before We Grow Old had me from the first page, and crying buckets by the last!' Katy Regan When seven-year-old Fran first met Will they knew instantly that they were made for each other. For eleven years they were inseparable, but then, at the age of eighteen, Will just upped and disappeared.Twenty-five years later Will is back.Is fate trying to give them a second chance?Still nursing the heart break from all those years ago, Fran is reluctant to give Will the time of day. The price Will must pay is to tell the truth – the truth about why he left, the truth about why he’s back…And Fran has her own secrets to hide. The time has come to decide what Fran and Will really want from life – before it’s too late.Unashamedly romantic, Before We Grow Old is a book full of love, laughter and tears, and you’ll be rooting for Fran and Will from the moment you meet them. Let Clare Swatman whisk you away for the love story of the year. Perfect for fans of Sophie Cousens and Isabelle Broom.Praise for Clare Swatman:'Before We Grow Old is an unashamedly big, life-affirming, tear-jerking love story. Beautifully told, characters Fran and Will had me from the first page, and crying buckets by the last ! Just gorgeous.' Katy Regan'Heart-breaking and life-affirming in equal measures, Before We Grow Old is the tender story of a chance meeting between former childhood sweethearts Fran and Will, and is packed with secrets and revelations. Through her beautiful writing, Clare Swatman delivers a powerful lesson in learning to love with your whole heart and accepting the same, no matter what life throws at you.' Sarah Bennett'Before We Grow Old took me on an intense emotional journey, and I cried at the end (and I rarely cry when I'm reading!) The portrayal of the mother and son bond - with its peaks and troughs of intensity and frustration - felt incredibly real, and the dialogue in particular was brilliantly done.' Victoria Scott 'A beautifully written tale of enduring love' - Rowan Coleman 'Irresistible . . . A delightfully bittersweet story that will appeal to fans of One Day' - Sunday Mirror 'Wonderful' - Sun

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Book Synopsis'One of the greats' - Lucy Caldwell, author of Intimacies'Comic brilliance' - Sinéad Gleeson, author of Constellations'Ingenious' - The Irish Times'Daring, funny, heartbreaking' - ObserverFollowing the prize-winning Sweet Home, Wendy Erskine's Belfast is once again illuminated. Meet Drew Lord Haig, called on to sing an obscure hit from his youth at a paramilitary event. Meet Max as he recalls an eventful journey to a Christian film festival. And Mrs Dallesandro who dreams of being a teenager again as she sits in a tanning salon on her wedding anniversary. In these stories, Erskine's characters' wishes and hopes often fall short of their grasp. Brilliantly drawn, Dance Move is about the hugeness of life as seen through glimpses of the everyday.'A masterpiece' - David Keenan, author of Monument Maker'Wendy Erskine's debut, Sweet Home, was pitch perfect . . . Dance Move is equally brilliant' - The Daily Mail'Erskine's stories open slight, but they contain more than it seems possible for short stories to contain' - Keith Ridgway, author of Hawthorn & Child'She isn’t just one of the leading writers of short fiction at work today but one of the leading writers, period.' - Matt Rowland Hill, author of Original SinsAs Read on BBC Radio 4Shortlisted for the Edge Hill PrizeShortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards Short Story of the YearThe Irish Times Books of the Year 2022Trade ReviewComic brilliance -- Sinéad Gleeson * Guardian *Erskine is less interested in dispensing wisdom than in evoking the ambient pathos of ordinary lives. The understated yet distinctive sensibility first showcased in her 2018 debut collection, Sweet Home, is well honed in this impressive follow-up. * FT *Wendy Erskine has the rarest and most precious of a fiction writer’s gifts: the ability to unveil all the passion, pathos, comedy and beauty just beneath the surface of the most seemingly ordinary lives. She isn’t just one of the leading writers of short fiction at work today but one of the leading writers, period. -- Matt Rowland Hill, author of Original SinsWendy Erskine is the greatest short story writer of her generation. Dance Move is a masterpiece. -- David KeenanNo one writes the bare-knuckle crossroads of sex and class like Wendy Erskine! -- Joanna WalshThe stories are never sentimental, nor do they strain credulity. What grounds them is Erskine’s distinctive style: she is a great noticer, with an eye for microscopic detail, and pays close attention to the syntax and cadences of ordinary conversation. . . She is also extremely funny. * Spectator *A spectacular feat in the short story form . . . Erskine’s Dance Move has such a beautiful deftness of touch that in writing the intricacies and intimacies between people in their most vulnerable moments, there is a tenderness felt by the reader which surpasses words.' * Caught By The River *The people that inhabit Wendy Erskine’s stories are not merely ‘characters’, but instead are living, breathing entities whose lives, you feel, continue beyond the page. Few writers achieve this depth of human understanding so succinctly, and to read Dance Move is to step into their shadowed worlds. It also cements her status as simply one of the very best short story writers around. -- Benjamin MyersDance Move is a triumph, each story so perfectly formed, each character vividly set and startling. I could not put this book down and loved every page. Wendy Erskine is a profound and ingenious story teller, a magnificent writer of the highest calibre. -- Salena GoddenErskine's stories open slight, but they contain more than it seems possible for short stories to contain. Their warmth and depth - even in their depictions of lives that are cold, or shallow, or hopelessly adrift - is testament not only to Erskine's unparalleled skill as a writer of short stories, but also to her humanity. Her characters are astonishingly alive. They rise off the pages of Dance Move and they lodge in the heart, and stay there. -- Keith RidgwayThere are few short story writers I look forward to reading as much as Wendy Erskine. Humane, funny, surprising, profound; in Dance Move she does it all. -- Chris PowerDaring, funny, heartbreaking . . . not to be missed * Observer *So funny and so moving. Erskine's writing is like gentle razor blades, carving blissfully through to the real. -- Ruby CowlingDance Move is the most consummate book of short stories I know. -- Tom Conaghan * Irish Times *No one is writing better stories than Wendy Erskine. -- John MitchinsonI wondered if Dance Move . . . could possibly surpass Erskine’s debut Sweet Home. It does. -- Matt Rowland Hill, author of Original Sins: A MemoirWendy Erskine is like Vermeer, I think. In the same way that supposedly ordinary people and places are illuminated by Vermeer in a way that is technically flawless, but also imbued with something extra that can’t be extracted from the whole. I do think it is genius really, in the both of them. -- Ben Pester, author of Am I In The Right Place?Wendy Erskine’s debut, Sweet Home, was pitch perfect . . . Dance Move is equally brilliant; set in Belfast and brimful of well drawn, compelling characters, these spare, spacious stories pack an emotional punch * Daily Mail *Erskine’s pitch is close to perfect, and as a chronicler of the human condition, she has the most penetrating gaze. * iNews *If there’s a sharper, brighter, truer, funnier, more compelling, more intensely and rewardingly attentive storyteller around I’d like to know who. -- David HaydenExhilarating . . . a vivacious sweep of characters . . . the turn of events ingenious . . . * Irish Times *A remarkable revelation of the everyday extraordinary. Erskine has shown us how the banal can also be epic in its compassion and understated raw beauty. This is a book that carries with it a quiet joy, a reminder of the intensity of life, even at its most quotidian. * Totally Dublin *Superb * Hot Press *Storytelling that is both compelling and original . . . Dance Move is the work of a writer of immense skill * Sunday Independent *A propulsive and unmissable collection of tales full of piercing details and observations. * nb. Magazine *

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Book SynopsisLark Rise to Candleford captures a piece of social history in this ever popular fictional account of an English rural upbringing between the wars. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful hardbacks make perfect gifts for book lovers, or wonderful additions to your own collection. This edition contains all three books – Lark Rise, Over to Candleford and Candleford Green, with an introduction by Bill Gallagher, screenwriter of the hugely popular BBC television adaptation.Laura Timms spends her childhood in a country hamlet called Lark Rise. An intelligent and enquiring child, she is always attentive to the way of life around her – the lives of a farming community and nature as it transforms through the seasons, their working lives together and their celebrations. Whilst much is to be admired and cherished about her community, when she looks back on it as an adult she doesn’t shy away from describing hardship too. Laura attends the village school and leaves at the age of fourteen to work for the postmistress of the village of Candleford. There her eyes are opened to wider horizons.Trade ReviewLark Rise to Candleford is remarkable for its celebratory realism. It neither romanticises poverty nor underplays it -- Richard Mabey * Guardian *Thompson’s timing was perfect. The Second World War was looming and Englishness was being redefined in the face of modernity. -- Alice Spawls * London Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisWilliam Somerset Maugham was born in 1874 and lived in Paris until he was ten. He was educated at King's School, Canterbury, and at Heidelberg University. He spent some time at St. Thomas' Hospital with the idea of practising medicine, but the success of his first novel, Liza of Lambeth, published in 1897, won him over to literature. Of Human Bondage, the first of his masterpieces, came out in 1915, and with the publication in 1919 of The Moon and Sixpence his reputation as a novelist was established. At the same time his fame as a successful playwright and writer was being consolidated with acclaimed productions of various plays and the publication of several short story collections. His other works include travel books, essays, criticism and the autobiographical The Summing Up and A Writer's Notebook. In 1927 Somerset Maugham settled in the South of France and lived there until his death in 1965Trade ReviewReveals many of Maugham's strengths: an understanding of women, meticulous craftsmanship and raw emotion' * Daily Mail *A work of art * Spectator *An expert craftsman... His style is sharp, quick, subdued, casual * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisIan McEwan is the critically acclaimed author of seventeen books. His first published work, a collection of short stories, First Love, Last Rites, won the Somerset Maugham Award. His novels include The Child in Time, which won the 1987 Whitbread Novel of the Year Award; The Cement Garden; Enduring Love; Amsterdam, which won the 1998 Booker Prize; Atonement; Saturday; On Chesil Beach; Solar; Sweet Tooth; The Children Act; and Nutshell, which was a Number One bestseller. Atonement and Enduring Love have both been turned into award-winning films, The Children Act and On Chesil Beach are in production and set for release this year, and filming is currently underway for a BBC TV adaptation of The Child in Time.Trade ReviewA macabre but unforgettable tale * Guardian *One of his very best… Deliciously disturbing. * Big Issue in the North *A macabre but unforgettable tale * Guardian *One of his very best… Deliciously disturbing. * Big Issue in the North *An unforgettable tale * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisToni Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993. She was the author of many novels, including The Bluest Eye, Sula, Beloved, Paradise and Love. She received the National Book Critics Circle Award and a Pulitzer Prize for her fiction and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honour, in 2012 by Barack Obama. Toni Morrison died on 5 August 2019 at the age of eighty-eight.Trade Review'Toni Morrison was a giant of her times and ours... Beloved is a heartbreaking testimony to the ongoing ravages of slavery, and should be read by all'‘I adored her honesty. I admired the way she occupied her space in the world. I believed her’‘[Toni Morrison] led and we followed, and she showed us the beauty of the language, and the power that was unleashed when that beauty was allied to a great heart and a ferocious mind’‘No other writer in my lifetime, or perhaps ever, has married so completely an understanding of the structures of power with knowledge of the human heart’‘Toni Morrison is the greatest chronicler of the American experience that we have ever known’‘Morrison is, to me, the best writer the English-speaking world has ever seen’‘Morrison’s legacy in commemorating slavery’s survivors will endure and uplift for centuries to come'‘Her every word a caress, her every sentence an embrace, her every paragraph, a cupping of her hands around our faces that said: I know you, I see you, we are together’‘I have never read anyone else like her . . . She was an opener of doors, doors that seemed they might always be shut, doors shut so tight they seemed not to be doors at all’‘Her legacy is total excellence . . . she is magnificent, her emotional intelligence is second to none and her bravery was equal to her artistry’‘Morrison almost single-handedly took American fiction forward in the second half of the twentieth century’‘[Toni Morrison’s] irreverence was godly’ * Guardian *A beautiful book and it's beautifully written -- Kit de Waal * Good Housekeeping UK *My favourite book of all time -- Sareeta Domingo * Good Housekeeping *Morrison's stunning trilogy is an evocation of black life over the past four centuries. It defies summary. Completed almost 25 years ago, these novels top anything produced by any American writer including Hemingway, Updike and DeLillo -- Trevor Phillips * Sunday Times *[A] beautiful, haunting novel -- Stig Abell * Sunday Times *More than one of Morrison's books could be classed as masterpieces, but this one is famous for a reason: everyone should read it -- Bernice McFadden, author of SUGAR * Guardian *A triumph -- Margaret Atwood * New York Times Book Review *A magnificent achievement... An American masterpiece -- A. S. Byatt * Guardian *There is something great in Beloved: a play of human voices, consciously exalted, perversely stressed, yet holding true. It gets you * New Yorker *

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Book SynopsisA LAUGH-OUT-LOUD NOVEL FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF A SHORT HISTORY OF TRACTORS IN UKRAINIANAfter walking out on his wife to shack up with ''Brexit Brenda'' next door, George Pantis thinks he''s got it made - especially when he wins millions on a Kosovan lottery he barely remembers entering.Unfortunately, he can''t access the money because he''s forgotten his password. What is he meant to tell all the forceful people who keep appearing at his doorstep desperate to know his mother''s maiden name?The situation is shadier than he thinks, and George is need of rescue. But will his dysfunctional family be able to save him, and in the process, can they save each other? ______________________________________________________''Lewycka has carved out a reputation for tackling Big Topics with wit and humour'' Radio Times''Warmly funny'' Daily Mail''Her state-of-the-nation novel crackles with zingTrade ReviewLewycka has carved out a reputation for tackling Big Topics with wit and humour * Radio Times *Her state-of-the-nation novel crackles with zingy one-liners and shrewd humour * Mail on Sunday *This brisk Brexit fable is warmly funny * Daily Mail *Lewycka is a seriously talented comic writer * Time Out *Lively . . . a joy to read * The Times, on The Lubetkin Legacy *Delightful, funny, touching . . . A rare treat, all too easy to gulp down in one greedy sitting * Spectator, on A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian *Immensely appealing. All but sings with zest for life . . . could hardly be more engaging, shrewd and winningly perceptive * Sunday Times, on Two Caravans *Extremely funny, closely observed insights, scenes of farce, tragedy and horror * The Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisSet between two fateful summers, Jane Healey's The Ophelia Girls is a heady exploration of illicit desire, infatuation and the perils and power of being a young woman.'An immersive, intoxicating summer read with the long-lasting feel of a classic' - Molly Aitken, author of The Island ChildSummer, 1973. Teenage Ruth and her four friends spend the scorching summer days in the river, recreating tableaus of the drowning Ophelia and other tragic heroines. But as autumn draws nearer, real tragedy has found them.Summer, 1997. Ruth returns to her childhood home with her husband and three children, including her eldest daughter seventeen-year-old Maeve. However when Stuart, an old family friend comes to stay, the uneasy relationship between mother and daughter is pushed to its limit. For Stuart's arrival is a reminder of a death in Ruth's past, while Maeve is feeling more alive than ever . . .As the heat of the summer burns, how long can the family go before long-held secrets threaten to burst their banks and drown them all?'A vivid, sensuous novel . . . I can't recommend it enough' - Anna Bailey, bestselling author of Tall BonesTrade ReviewThis is a potent, mesmerising portrait of girlhood desire, betrayal, beauty and death, sensuously written and passionately told -- Emma Stonex, author of The LamplightersA knowingly put together page-turner; a potent blend of art, beauty, awakening desire and mortality that seduces the reader as much as the cast * Daily Mail *This is a vivid, sensuous novel that captures the feelings of passion and devastation of girls on the brink of womanhood and life itself, and I can’t recommend it enough -- Anna Bailey, bestselling author of Tall BonesA bruising and beautiful novel about girlhood and desire. Set over two heady summers, The Ophelia Girls perfectly captures the power and vulnerability of being a teenage girl. Within its flower-strewn pages, girls float carelessly down rivers and fall in love with devastating consequences. It's an immersive and intoxicating summer read with the long-lasting feel of a classic. I was captivated by it -- Molly Aitken, author of The Island ChildSet over the course of two stifling British summers, The Ophelia Girls is a dreamy exploration of the interior life of teenage girls and the tangled relationship between mothers and daughters. -- Ellie Eaton, author of The DivinesThe Ophelia Girls is a novel saturated with beauty, menace, longing, secrets -- and with passions deep enough to drown in. It's a sinister, suspenseful page-turner that gripped me tightly and still hasn't fully let go -- Clare Beams, author of The Illness LessonI absolutely adored this exquisite novel. It is dark and sultry and beautiful and terrible. All the good stuff. The characters get tangled in so many complex strands of love, secrecy and obsession. And it perfectly captures the brilliance and terror of being a teenage girl -- Hazel Barkworth, author of HeatstrokeA compelling story of teenage innocence and infatuation, blended with the illicit desires and murky intentions of adults * Woman's Weekly *This novel has a sinewy, enchanting style that draws us into the reverie-like world of the river and its dangers and, like the characters it has so bewitched, never lets us go: it's powerful stuff * The Big Issue *Deliciously atmospheric and brilliantly constructed, The Ophelia Girls tugs at the reader from the very first page until its satisfying finish. Engrossing and rich in imagery, Jane Healey writes the way dreams feel. I loved it -- Elissa R. Sloan, author of The Unraveling of Cassidy HolmesSensual and lush, The Ophelia Girls captures the dangerous power of approaching the world with an artist's eye, of seeing others and being truly seen in turn . . . a page-turning exploration of girlhood, secrets, desire, and art -- Sara Flannery Murphy, author of The Possessions

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Book Synopsis'An extraordinarily powerful, deeply moving novel' Amitav GhoshNOW A MAJOR FILM ON NETFLIX In the world of his large family - affluent Tamils living in Colombo - Arjie is an oddity, a 'funny boy' who prefers dressing as a girl to playing cricket with his brother.But as Arjie comes to terms with his own homo-sexuality and with the racism of the society in which he lives, Sri Lanka is plunged into civil war as fighting between the army and the Tamil Tigers gradually begins to encroach on the family's comfortable life. Sporadic acts of violence flare into full scale riots and lead, ultimately, to tragedy. Written in clear, simple prose, Shyam Selvadurai's first novel is masterly in its mingling of the personal and political.WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY NEEL MUKHERJEETrade ReviewAn extaordinarily powerful, deeply moving novel -- Amitav GhoshSelvadurai writes as sensitively about the emotional intensity of adolescence as he does about the wonder of childhood * New York Times Book Review *Glittering and wise... Funny Boy keeps repeating that the human condition can, in spite of everything, be joyful. You are not alone, it says to the reader. I understand you. I too was there. I remember -- Alberto ManguelA quiet masterpiece * Gay Times *At first sight an innocently observed portrait of Tamil family life in seventies Sri Lanka, it metamorphosed into a lucid, serious piece of writing... Selvadurai's world is delightful, frightening, important and he describes it with touching clarity... His novel is a graceful and intelligent account of the random nature of growing up * Observer *Exquisitely written...superb * Independent *The unadorned and simple prose has elegance and great sophistication. Moreover, Selvadurai has a genius for touching a nerve with a feather-light touch... A powerful and beautifully written novel * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisWhen Mercy Garrett moves herself out of the family home, everyone determines not to notice.All she wants is space and silence. No clutter. Not even their cat, Desmond.But it turns out family life is impossible to escape - particularly when it's in your past. For Mercy it all begins in 1959, with a holiday to a cabin by a lake. It's the only one the Garretts will ever take, but its effects will ripple through the generations.The glorious Sunday Times bestseller follows one family's joys and heartbreaks, mistakes and secrets, from the 1950s right up to today'Gorgeous, charming, profound, and written with such lightness of touch' MARIAN KEYES'A perfect work of fiction' MEG MASON'She is and always will be my favourite author' LIANE MORIARTY'Exquisitely crafted, tender, hilarious, devastatingly precise, I loved this powerful meditation on the small and often unvoiced moments that can make up a life' RACHEL JOYCE'Anne Tyler really is the best... Her sheer brilliance makes it all seems so effortless' GRAHAM NORTON'A faultless novel, effortlessly profound. I read it in two sittings, totally immersed' VICTORIA HISLOPTrade ReviewSuch a perfect work of fiction, you want to turn it over like a tapestry to see how it is done; how Tyler can sew gentle humour into a truly heart-wrenching story, and twist all of life's hurts into a family saga that is ultimately life-affirming, and a brisk and thrilling read. We readers are so lucky a writer like Tyler exists -- MEG MASONTyler's sentences are wholly hers, instantly recognisable and impossible to duplicate -- HANYA YANIGIHARAShe is and always will be my favourite author -- LIANE MORIARTYAnne Tyler really is the best . . . her sheer brilliance makes it all seem so effortless -- GRAHAM NORTONOne of my favourite writers -- ALI SMITH

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Book SynopsisDiscover the most popular of Woolf's books during her lifetime - a powerful portrait of a family coping with changes wrought by the new twentieth century. The Years follows the lives of the Pargiters, a large middle-class London family, from an uncertain spring in 1880 to a party on a summer evening in the 1930s. We see them each endure and remember heart-break, loss, radical change and stifling conformity, marriage and regret. Written in 1937, this was the most popular of Virginia Woolf's novels during her lifetime, and is a powerful indictment of 'Victorianism' and its values. WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY SUSAN HILLTrade ReviewInspired throughout - a brilliant fantasia of all Time's problems, age and youth, change and permanence, truth and illusion * Times Literary Supplement *Lovely through The Waves was, The Years goes far beyond and beyond it-expressing Woolf's purpose in the novel more richly than it has ever been done before * New York Times Book Review *

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Book Synopsis''Took me to the sun-kissed beaches and wildness of Cornwall. A beautiful story of love lost, interwoven with family dramas and lasting friendships. I have lived the book with each page turned and was sorry to say goodbye to all of the characters at the end'' Reader review ????? Rosamunde Pilcher''s phenomenal and heart-warming bestseller exploring the nuances of family dramaArtist''s daughter Penelope Keeling can look back on a full and varied life: a Bohemian childhood in London and Cornwall, an unhappy wartime marriage, and the one man she truly loved. She has brought up three children - and learned to accept them as they are.Yet she is far too energetic and independent to settle sweetly into pensioned-off old-age. And when she discovers that her most treasured possession, her father''s painting, The Shell Seekers, is now worth a small fortune, it is Penelope who must make the decisions that will determine whether her family caTrade ReviewA huge warm saga . . . A deeply satisfying story written with love and confidence * Maeve Binchy in The New York Times Book Review *A beautiful, haunting story . . . that will tug at your heart strings * Prima *Her genius is to create characters you really care about * Daily Express *A long, beguiling saga, typically English . . . Splendid * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisLucy, a teenage girl from the West Indies, comes to North America to work as an au pair for Lewis and Mariah and their four children. At first glance Lewis and Mariah are a blessed couple – handsome, rich, and seemingly happy. Almost at once, however, Lucy begins to notice cracks in their beautiful facade.With a mixture of anger and compassion, Lucy scrutinizes the privileged, facile world of her employers while comparing it to the vivid realities of her home in the Caribbean. Lucy has no illusions about her own past, but neither is she prepared to be deceived about where she presently is.In this environment a new person unfolds: passionate, sexually forthright, and disarmingly honest. In Lucy, Jamaica Kincaid has created a startling new character: a captivating heroine possessed with clear-sightedness and ferocious integrity.Part of the Picador Collection, a new series showcasing the best of modern literature.Trade ReviewBeautifully precise prose . . . It leaves the reader with the unforgettable experience of having met a ferociously honest woman on her own uncompromising terms * New York Times *Brilliant . . . Lucy confirms Ms. Kincaid as a both a daughter of Bronte and Woolf and her own inimitable self * Wall Street Journal *A furious, broken-hearted gem of a novel . . . Part of the richness of this book is the way we come to see, as Lucy struggles to do, the connections between those of us who have too much and those who will never have enough - and between 'a sentence for life' (what can't be changed in the self) and that which can be wrestled with and, at least, understood * San Francisco Chronicle *What a writer – elegant, uncompromising, simultaneously direct and layered and complex. * Ali Smith *I’ve read everything by Jamaica Kincaid, and I’ve still never read anyone like her. If you are new to Kincaid, I envy you. -- Jackie kay

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Book SynopsisGraham Greene was born in 1904. He worked as a journalist and critic, and in 1940 became literary editor of the Spectator. He was later employed by the Foreign Office. As well as his many novels, Graham Greene wrote several collections of short stories, four travel books, six plays, three books of autobiography, two of biography and four books for children. He also wrote hundreds of essays, and film and book reviews. Graham Greene was a member of the Order of Merit and a Companion of Honour. He died in April 1991.Trade ReviewThe most ingenious, inventive and exciting of our novelists - V S Pritchett, The TimesThe only book I have ever written just for the fun of it -- Graham GreeneNo serious writer of [the twentith century] has more thoroughly invaded and shaped the public imagination than Graham Greene - Time Rich in exactly etched and moving portraits of real human beings...the tragic and comic ironies of love, loyalty and belief * The Times *

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Book SynopsisFranny Glass is a pretty, effervescent college student on a date with her intellectually confident boyfriend, Lane. They appear to be the perfect couple, but as they struggle to communicate with each other about the things they really care about, slowly their 1 feelings come to the surface. The second story in this book, 'Zooey', plunges us into the world of her ethereal, sophisticated family. When Franny's emotional and spiritual doubts reach new heights, her older brother Zooey, a misanthropic former child genius, offers her consolation and brotherly advice. Written in Salinger's typically irreverent style, these two stories offer a touching snapshot of the distraught mindset of early adulthood and are full of the insightful emotional observations and witty turns of phrase that have helped make Salinger's reputation what it is today.

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