Family life fiction / Stories about family

Book SynopsisA beautifully atmospheric new tale from the prize-winning, bestselling novelist Elizabeth Buchan.In the Eternal City, no secret stays hidden forever...Lottie Archer arrives in Rome excited newly married and ready for change as she takes up a job as an archivist. When she discovers a valuable fifteenth-century painting, she is drawn to find out more about the woman who left it behind, Nina Lawrence. Nina seems to have led a rewarding and useful life, restoring Italian gardens to their full glory following the destruction of World War Two. So why did no one attend her funeral in 1978? In exploring Nina's past, Lottie unravels a tragic love story beset by the political turmoil of post-war Italy. And as she edges closer to understanding Nina, and the city draws her deeper into its life, she is brought up against a past which will come to shape her own future.Praise for Elizabeth Buchan:'It's a gem of a book... Beautiful, elegant.' Marian Keyes'Intricately plotted and beautifully written.' Katie Fforde'An amazing, emotive, heartbreaking but also ultimately uplifting novel. I really loved it.' Laura BarnettTrade ReviewThis evocative story captures the highs of love and the lows of betrayal... A compelling book, full of intrigue * Women’s Weekly *Buchan is always brilliant on love and this gorgeously written novel has as many twists and shadows as the baroque city in which it is set. * Wendy Holden, Daily Mail *Buchan is a skilful writer ... captivating * Sunday Times *A beautifully atmospheric, elegant and emotive story ... intricately plotted and transportive -- Adele Parks * Platinum *Tragic, romantic, gripping and utterly fascinating. Rome is vividly present, the characters real, imperfect and endearing -- Katie FfordeElizabeth Buchan's new novel transports us to Rome in the 1970s and Rome today. Two women caught up in a tangled net of sex and espionage. If you enjoy a good spy story set in the alluring world of La Dolce Vita, Buchan's gripping read will not disappoint. * Carol Drinkwater *Impeccable writing and a fascinating exploration of women's lives. Rome is so richly depicted I could almost feel the heat of its pavements beneath my feet as I read and smell the incense in the cool interiors of its churches. The beauty of the city and its surrounding landscapes is threaded through with an ominous sense of danger for the young protagonist, Lottie, as she digs into the past and unpicks its secrets. A wonderfully enigmatic and vivid read, I couldn't recommend this novel more highly. * E.C. Fremantle *A feast for the senses - love, intrigue, danger and tragedy set against the swooning beauty of the Eternal City of Rome. A gripping mystery interwoven with Elizabeth Buchan's customary deep understanding of passion and human frailty. Her most stunning novel yet. * V. B. Grey *An exquisite story about the beauty of art and the secrets that lie beneath all our surfaces. Elizabeth Buchan's new novel is both tensely plotted and utterly immersive. The atmosphere of Rome and its buried past rises from every page. * Jane Thynne *Elegant and atmospheric, with two complex interlocking stories than join past and present. An excellent read. * Fanny Blake *So beautifully steeped in the spirit of a place, Two Women in Rome completely transported me to the city. Art, passion, and mystery - expertly layered, this is a rich and gorgeous book. -- Eve ChaseBuchan racks up the tension, while vividly evoking the city of the Vatican and Versace, frescoes and Frascati, in all its sublime and seedy complexity. * Saga *

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Book SynopsisThrilling and absorbing, Cometh the Hour is the sixth novel in international bestseller Jeffrey Archer’s the Clifton Chronicles and sees the Clifton and Barrington families navigate the 1970s in an epic tale of tragedy and hope.There are devastating consequences for Harry and Emma Clifton, her brother Giles Barrington and their arch enemy Lady Virginia when a suicide note is read out in court.Having fallen in love, Giles must decide if he should withdraw from politics to try and rescue the woman he loves from behind the Iron Curtain.Lady Virginia faces bankruptcy, and can see no way out of her financial problems, until she is introduced to a rich, hapless American. Harry and Emma’s son, Sebastian Clifton, now the Chief Executive of Farthings Bank, falls in love with the wrong girl even as his rivals plot to overthrow him. Meanwhile, his father remains determined to free a fellow author from a gulag in Siberia, following the internatiTrade ReviewArcher continues his storytelling magic to create characters of spellbinding substance, and readers can count on his surprising twists and shocking conclusion. Here, just when the end seems too tidy, Archer provides a killer cliffhanger * Publishers Weekly *

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Book Synopsis'A brilliant, original read' – Daily Mail'Totally absorbing, this is a story that will keep you gripped' – Janice Hadlow, author of The Other Bennet SisterThe case is unexceptional, that is what I know. A house full of stuff left behind by a dead woman, abandoned at the last . . .When trauma cleaner Essie Pound makes a gruesome discovery in the derelict Edinburgh boarding house she is sent to clean, it brings her into contact with a young policewoman, Emily Noble, who has her own reasons to solve the case.As the two women embark on a journey into the heart of a forgotten family, the investigation prompts fragmented memories of their own traumatic histories – something Emily has spent a lifetime attempting to bury, and Essie a lifetime trying to lay bare.Emily Noble’s Disgrace is the third novel from Mary Paulson-Ellis, the bestselling author of The Other Mrs Walker, a Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year.Trade ReviewPaulson-Elis writes with poetry and compassion about the forgotten and overlooked . . . A brilliant, original read * Daily Mail *Totally absorbing, this is a story that will keep you gripped through all its unexpected twists and turns -- Janice Hadlow, author of The Other Bennet SisterThis book is a swoon and slither of silk with the grit of salt underneath. Mary Paulson-Ellis is a genius at peeling away the layers and slowly, skilfully putting flesh on the bones of an extraordinary, sinuous story -- Sarah Hilary, author of FragileSuperb -- Wendy Holden * Daily Mail *The territory of the dead — and the objects they leave behind — is the subject of this beautifully written, compelling contemporary gothic novel. Mary Paulson-Ellis strips back the secrets and lies hiding within one house with a deft touch -- Andrew Wilson, author of I Saw Him DieThe author writes with such compassion about people and there is poetry in her prose * Prima *A richly rewarding, gripping page-turner -- Val McDermid on The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing

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Book SynopsisGorgeous. Very, very funny in a knowing wry way but so tender, so beautiful. I loved all the characters.' Marian KeyesWarm, witty, touching and frequently hilarious' David Nicholls, author of Sweet SorrowYou put the book down and feel glad to be alive' India Knight, Sunday Times Duncan is charming, handsome and Jane falls in love with him easily.But he has also slept with nearly every woman in Boyne City. Jane sees Duncan''s old girlfriends everywhere at restaurants, at the grocery store and his ex-wife, Aggie, still has him mow her lawn.But everything changes with one tragic accident. Now her life is permanently intertwined with them all and she knows she will never have Duncan to herself.But is it possible that a deeper kind of happiness is right in front of her eyes?Trade Review‘Gorgeous. Very, very funny, but so tender, so beautiful. I loved all the characters, I cared deeply’ Marian Keyes, author of Grown Ups ‘Glorious. I love how it evokes the rhythm of life in all its joy and ordinariness and chaos. I loved the dialogue, the relationships. I love the one-liners, the humour, the gorgeous detail, the food, the innermost thoughts, and the love.’ Nina Stibbe, author of Reasons to Be Cheerful ‘Charming and tender, an offbeat and original gem that cracks your heart wide open’ Pandora Sykes, author of How Do We Know We’re Doing It Right? 'Wise, sad and barkingly funny. Katherine Heiny writes brilliantly about what we mean by the word 'family' and her novel is loving without being soppy and warm without being cosy – I didn't want it to end’ Lissa Evans, author of V for Victory ‘Katherine Heiny’s books feel like spending time with a smart, funny and beloved friend who always has a million interesting things to talk about but always wants to know about you, too. She is a charming and insightful and unique writer and Early Morning Riser is every bit as good as Standard Deviation, if not better’ Lisa Jewell, author of Invisible Girl ‘Warm, witty, touching – and frequently hilarious’ David Nicholls, author of Sweet Sorrow ‘Heaven. Everything I have ever craved in a novel’ Daisy Buchannan, author of Insatiable ‘Heiny has smart and serious things to say about care and responsibility, even as she keeps things bubbly with a steady stream of comedy provided by the novel's gossipy close-knit community’ DAILY MAIL ‘Early Morning Riser is tender, funny and affecting, a charming friend of a book to ease the Covid blues’ THE BIG ISSUE ‘It’s a heart-warming tale of flawed, fragile, funny characters who battle unruly emotions and disappointments to seize the chance of happiness when it comes their way’ DAILY EXPRESS

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Book Synopsis*#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* *#1 USA TODAY BESTSELLER*Escape to Hotel Nantucket for a summer of sunshine, secrets and scandal... The ultimate summer page-turner from the internationally bestselling Queen of Beach ReadsReeling from a bad break-up, Lizbet Keaton is desperately seeking a fresh start. When she''s named the new general manager of the Hotel Nantucket, a Gilded Age gem whose glamour has been left to tarnish, she hopes that her local expertise and charismatic staff can transform the hotel''s fortunes - and her own.All she needs to do is win over their new billionaire owner from London, Xavier Darling - and the wildly popular Instagram influencer, Shelly Carpenter, who can help put them back on the map. But behind the glossy façade, complete with wellness centre and celebrity chef-run restaurant, a perfect storm is brewing.Hotel Nantucket can''t seem to shake off the scandal of 1922, when a tragic fire killed ninetee

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Book SynopsisFrom the multi-million copy bestselling author of BIG LITTLE LIES and NINE PERFECT STRANGERS, discover this irresistible story of love, lies and obsession . . .________Hypnotherapist Ellen O''Farrell has been single for a while, which is why she''s so taken with her handsome new boyfriend, Patrick.But Patrick has a confession: he has a stalker, an ex-girlfriend who won''t leave him alone.Ellen is a little disturbed - yet also curious. Who is this woman, and what would drive her to this obsessive behaviour? In fact, Ellen almost thinks she''d quite like to meet her.What she doesn''t realise is that she already has . . .________AN INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLLERThe world can''t get enough of Liane Moriarty...''Moriarty writes vividly, wittily and wickedly'' Sunday Express''Mistress of the razor-sharp observation'' Kate Morton'Trade ReviewA complex, nuanced look at relationships, and the nature of romantic attachment * Telegraph *In this gripping novel, best selling author of Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty, will explore obsession and love. Exceptional * Chat Special *This is a compelling story with lots of twists. Made me laugh and also think -- Jane Correy's June Bookshelf * Midweek Herald *Another excellent, engaging read from Moriarty, who specialises in changing the way you see everything * WI Life *A breezy thriller * Sunday Mirror *Praise for Liane Moriarty * - *Every single one of her books is a great read * E! Online *Moriarty writes vividly, wittily and wickedly * Sunday Express *One of the few writers I'll drop anything for -- Jojo MoyesKeeps you guessing until the very end -- Reese WitherspoonStaggeringly brilliant, literally unputdownable -- Sophie HannahThe writing is beautiful: sometimes funny, sometimes sad but always compelling * Good Housekeeping *So well written that it pulls you in from the first page * Sunday Mirror *A hell of a good book -- Stephen KingA tense, page-turning story * Mail on Sunday *

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Book Synopsis* The literary debut that everyone is talking about *Trade Review'A firecracker debut. Seriously impressive... The writing is incandescent, the range of styles and voices remarkable... There’s so much dazzling stuff here.' -- The Sunday Times'Inventive, heartbreaking and acutely funny.' -- Observer'Here is something new, a first novel with the wisdom and tenderness of a masterwork; an unflinching look at the down-and-outs that continue to rise and rise. The Rabbit Hutch is addictive, mesmerizing and unforgettable.' -- Marlon James, author of Black Leopard, Red Wolf'Every now and again a debut novel comes along which is so accomplished you almost suspect the writer's name is a pseudonym for a mischievous literary veteran. Sure-footed, richly imagined and highly original, you could say The Rabbit Hutch is 2022's The Secret History… a profound novel full of clever, thought-provoking ideas.' -- The Big Issue'Original and incisive... Breathtaking, compassionate and spectacular.' -- The Irish Times'Throughout, tension is mixed with hilarity, heartbreak with hope. It all makes for a gripping, memorable debut full of peculiar wonders.' -- Mail on Sunday'Philosophical, and earthy, and tender and also simply very fun to read.' -- Rivka Galchen, author of Little Labours'Gunty writes with a keen, sensitive eye about all manner of intimacies.' -- Raven Leilani, author of Luster'Just when everything seemed designed for a brief moment of utility before its planned obsolescence, here comes The Rabbit Hutch, a profoundly wise, wildly inventive, deeply moving work of art whose seemingly infinite offerings will remain with you long after you finish it. Each page of this novel contains a novel, a world.' -- Jonathan Safran Foer, author of Everything is Illuminated'The Rabbit Hutch balances the banal and the ecstatic in a way that made me think of prime David Foster Wallace. It's a story of love, told without sentimentality; a story of cruelty, told without gratuitousness. Gunty is a captivating writer.' -- Guardian'Author Tess Gunty has the scope and acuity of David Foster Wallace, without the obscurantism and wilfully slow pace... Brilliant.' -- Financial Times, The Best Debut Fiction round-up'Strange, exuberant... Stylish.' -- The Times

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Book SynopsisCasey McQuiston is the New York Times-bestselling author of One Last Stop, Red, White & Royal Blue, and I Kissed Shara Wheeler, as well as a pie enthusiast. Born and raised in southern Louisiana, Casey now lives in New York City with Pepper, a poodle mix and semipro personal assistant.Trade ReviewRed, White & Royal Blue is outrageously fun. It is romantic, sexy, witty, and thrilling. I loved every second -- Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The SixI took this with me wherever I went and stole every second I had to read! Absorbing, hilarious, tender, sexy – this book had everything I crave. -- Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners

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Book SynopsisA feel-good tale of unlikely friendship, community and learning to live life in the slow lane, perfect for fans of Clare Pooley and Hazel Prior Daniel isn’t used to living life in the slow lane. So when he finds himself unexpectedly jobless and back in his old Cornish hometown, he can’t sit still. Hazel used to be adventurous too. But now widowed and in her eighties, she barely leaves the house. When she sees an advert for Daniel’s new walking club, she grabs at the chance of some excitement. Daniel’s heart sinks when he sees that the only person who’s turned up for his walking club is the crazy old lady from two doors down. But what he doesn’t expect is to discover that Hazel is one of the most fascinating people he’s ever met . . .A gorgeous, warm and uplifting story about friendship, community, adventure and the joy of walking. 

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Book SynopsisGet ready for small towns stirred by mystery and desire in The Eden series, heart-pumping fifth story . . .Lyla Eden has spent the last few years sitting on the sidelines, watching her siblings fall in love. Meanwhile, she''s married to her job. It''s on her hundredth consecutive workday that her sister stages an intervention, kicking Lyla out of her own coffee shop. With nothing else to do, Lyla sets out on her favorite hiking trail.It''s there that she spots a man washing blood from his hands in a stream. One moment she''s staring at the jagged scar on his face. The next, his hand is around her throat. But by some miracle, he lets her go.Shaken to her core, Lyla reports the incident to the local police. Two days later, Vance Sutter arrives in town, armed with endless questions and a tarnished badge.Vance may be ruggedly handsome but he''s as mysterious as the man he''s hunting. And he''ll be gone from Quinc

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Book SynopsisLet it burn. Let everything burn. One day Cerys walks out of her comfortable life, never to return. Standing on a hillside at night with no phone and no possessions, watching her car set alight, she believes this is the end. And then Lily walks into her life.Lily is desperate for a new start for herself and her child. More than that, she knows she has to disappear in order to keep them both safe. The two women strike a fierce bond, and are both running from things that soon threaten to catch up with them. Can these two women keep each other safe... Can they trust each other ? Or are the pasts they''ve escaped too much for either of them to bear?A deeply emotional and complex thriller that explores motherhood, love and the desperate need to protect it... at any cost.

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Book SynopsisBlack Country Orphan is a moving story of the courage and strength of women, by the Sunday Times bestselling author Annie Murray.The early 1900s: Cradley Heath, a town in the Black Country near Birmingham and centre of the world’s chain-making trade. Lucy Butler, a young girl crippled by a cruel accident, lives with her two brothers and widowed mother, a chain-maker barely making ends meet. When tragedy strikes, the Butler family is separated and Lucy is taken in by Bertha Hipkiss, another impoverished chain maker, struggling to look after her own family.Lucy, while feeling the loss of her own family, relies on the company of Bertha’s two sons, charming Clem and straight-laced John. Though clever at school, Lucy knows she must leave and earn her keep, working many hours in the backyard forge. The five women toiling side by side, inevitably have their own friendships and squabbles. But they’re united in their hatred of loathsome middleman Seth Dawson, who treats the women with contempt, and keeps their pay punishingly low. But by the 1910s, there is a movement stirring, as across the country workers begin unionising for their rights. For Lucy, Bertha and the women of Cradley Heath, the promise of a better life seems almost too much to hope for – and the fight may end up costing them everything . . .Trade ReviewThis heart-warming story is a gripping read, full of drama, love and compassion (Soldier Girl) * Take a Break *This epic saga will have you gripped from start to finish (Chocolate Girls) * Birmingham Evening Mail *Just the right mix of mystery and nostalgia (Birmingham Friends) * Parents' Magazine *A tale of passion and empathy which will keep you hooked (Birmingham Blitz) * Woman's Own *

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Book Synopsis** SHORTLISTED FOR THE RATHBONES FOLIO PRIZE 2023**** WINNER OF THE 2022 GOVERNOR GENERAL'S LITERARY AWARD IN FICTION**Named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vulture, The Times Literary Supplement, and moreWhat if this world is just a first draft, made by some great artist in order to be destroyed?In this first draft, a woman named Mira leaves home to study. There, she meets Annie, whose tremendous power opens Mira's chest like a portal - to what, she doesn't know. When Mira is older, her beloved father dies, and she enters that strange and dizzying dimension that true loss opens up.Pure Colour tells the story of a life, from beginning to end. It is a contemporary bible, an atlas of feeling and a shape-shifting epic that is celestially bright and streaked with beauty.'Beautiful and impossible to put down. Sheila Heti is a genius.' Avni Doshi'This one-of-a-kind novel... feels nothing less than vital.' Observer'An original, a book that says something new for our difficult times.' Anne Enright, Guardian'A treat.' Stylist_______________________PRAISE FOR SHEILA HETI:'Exhilarating...it made me want to write' Sally Rooney, on How Should a Person Be?'Sheila Heti has broken new ground' Rachel Cusk, on Motherhood'Complex, artfully messy and hilarious' Miranda July, on How Should a Person Be? 'Thrilling, very funny, and almost unbearably moving' Garth Greenwell, on Motherhood'Courageous, necessary, visionary' Elif Batuman, on MotherhoodTrade ReviewAn impressive spectrum of meaning and feeling, both abstract and tangible... This one-of-a-kind novel... feels nothing less than vital. -- Anthony Cummins * Observer *Pure Colour is the apocalypse written as trance, a sleepwalker's song about the end of all things... There is also Heti's lovely prose to enjoy, her beautifully sustained tone, the way she is, as a writer, earnest, funny and sweet... Pure Colour is an original, a book that says something new for our difficult times. -- Anne Enright * Guardian *Exemplifies both originality and sharpness... the kind of book that you start reading again as soon as you finish it, to see how on earth the author pulled it off... Descriptions of grief that are so surprising and true they made me gasp. -- Hadley Freeman * Guardian *Pure Colour is not just a novel, it's a creation myth, a fairy tale, a story about making art and living on this planet. A story about death and the irresistible inner stirrings that bring us back to life. Beautiful and impossible to put down. Sheila Heti is a genius. -- Avni DoshiWonderfully entertaining... a treat to read. Expect to take in the work of a true wordsmith. -- Kiran Meeda * Stylist *What makes Heti's novels so compelling is... the questions her characters need answering at moments of flux in their lives... [Pure Colour] left me full of admiration and wonder. -- Johanna Thomas-Corr * New Statesman *An explicitly mystical book... So new...This book, so full of argument, feels weightless. -- Parul Sehgal * The New Yorker *Just like that, there's magic. Like Iris Murdoch's novels, Heti's are philosophically intense, although Heti's work is pared down where Murdoch's was Rabelaisian. Heti owns a sharp axe. In Pure Colour the wood chips that fall are as interesting as the sculpture that gets made. -- Dwight Garner * The New York Times *Buoyed by a dazzling assortment of questions, curiosities and wild propositions that betray the author's agile and untamed mind...[Pure Colour] brings into view a certain organic and ecstatic wholeness: bright splashes of feeling and folly, of grief and loss...[it] defies classification. -- Alexandra Kleeman * New York Times Book Review *Heti excels at small moments, delicately revealed. * Daily Telegraph *Heti is brilliant at nailing down universal cultural experiences. * Sunday Times *A philosophical fable about art, death, faith and the perilous state of the universe. * Daily Mail *It isn't often that a novel dares to rethink the order of the universe we live in, yet in Pure Colour, Sheila Heti aims for just that. Making new sense of our cracked world through a vulnerable meditation on love and art that feels both personal and cosmic, this is a book that takes good care of its reader, and heals. -- Livia FranchiniThe most timely, urgent book of 2022... It feels both as thrillingly inventive as [Heti's] ever been and also defiantly and satisfyingly middle-aged... Genius. -- Lynn Steger Strong * Los Angeles Times *Pure Colour is unabashedly metaphysical and completely outlandish...Yet neither grief nor theology can suppress Heti's oddball wit and affection for wildly inappropriate sexual metaphors, for which a reader should be grateful... Heti is the rare mystic with a sense of humor. -- Judith Shulevitz * The Atlantic *Sheila Heti has the innate ability to capture feelings and thinkings that can seem so mercurial, and to provoke new avenues of thought on social codes, with challenge, care, and clarity. Her writing is both a relief and an invigoration. -- Anna Cafolla * AnOther, *Books to Look Out For 2022* *Pure Colour will make you question life and choices in the same philosophical and lyrically written way. -- Alice Snape * Cosmopolitan, *Books to Look Our For 2022* *Heti has evolved the leanest, more powerful, playful, and entirely unique form for writing ideas. With one foot in the everyday and another in the floating world, Pure Colour is a pure feat. -- Joanna WalshPure Colour...[is] a honed gem, a surreal bildungsroman... With its philosophical meditations, poetic vignettes and absurdist comedy, it is...a bracing reminder that the novel is the literary form where a writer is free to do anything... Heti...[is] an original and influential voice in contemporary fiction -- Max Liu * i *Heti's... writing is beguiling, funny and wise. The novel's surreal elements invite as many interpretations as an abstract painting -- Alastair Curtis * Prospect *Heti's work is always original - that Pure Colour is also deeply moving makes it all the more remarkable * New Statesman, *The best books of 2022 so far* *Compelling -- Emily Witt * London Review of Books *A philosophical novel as timely as the fictions of Camus and Hesse were for another generation. Heti's voice, however, is entirely her own: bold, searching, hilarious, simultaneously artful and artless... her grandest...novel yet * Times Literary Supplement, *Books of the Year* *

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Book SynopsisWinner of the An Post Irish Novel of the Year 2020Longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award'You have to truly love people to write like this' RACHEL JOYCE'One of the greatest novels of this century' SUNDAY INDEPENDENT'Gorgeously wrought' GUARDIANIn 1973, twenty-year-old Moll Gladney takes a morning bus from her rural home and disappears.Bewildered and distraught, Paddy and Kit must confront an unbearable prospect: that they will never see their daughter again.Five years later, Moll returns. What - and who - she brings with her will change the course of her family's life forever.Beautiful and devastating, this exploration of loss, alienation and the redemptive power of love reaffirms Donal Ryan as one of the most talented and empathetic writers at work today._________'Outstanding ... Tender and beautifully written' INDEPENDENT'All the beauty and sorrow of life can be found in these pages' KATHLEEN MACMAHON'Exquisite . . . Beautiful' ANNE GRIFFIN, author of WHEN ALL IS SAID'Ryan gathers together the fragments of broken lives and makes us something new and beautiful from them' RÓNÁN HESSION, author of LEONARD AND HUNGRY PAULTrade ReviewHere is love as a weapon and a balm. Love as faith, fate and redemption ... a gorgeously wrought book - compassionate without dissolving into nostalgia * Guardian *Endlessly surprising and incredibly moving * David Nicholls *A triumph ... Ryan slowly and beautifully reveals the way that even broken people can open the door fully to the truth of themselves * Independent, Best Books of 2020 *His moving story of love and loss deserves to win a host of awards. It's an outstanding read * Sunday Express *I think you have to truly love people to write like this * Rachel Joyce *A triumph of quiet but devastating power, by some distance the best novel I've read so far this year -- Joseph O'ConnorA big-hearted, beautiful work of art, full of truth and intensity * Kit de Waal *Classic Ryan; poignant and atmospheric storytelling ... quiet but intermittently explosive * Observer *I knew Donal Ryan's latest would be good and I was right - it's a risky act of imagination that works, and the sentences are as beautiful as ever -- Sarah Moss * The Times *The lyricism of Ryan's prose, laced with compassion, is astonishing -- Best Irish Novels of the Year * Irish Independent *With each new novel Donal Ryan's ink seems to sink deeper into the page. In Strange Flowers he gathers together the fragments of broken lives and makes us something new and beautiful from them * Rónán Hession, author of Leonard and Hungry Paul *A book so exquisite in its language it pushes me to want to write better ... you will love the quiet world of Paddy & Kit Gladney and all it is their daughter Moll brings to their door. Beautiful * Anne Griffin, author of When All Is Said *A beautiful, almost unbearably moving novel. Donal Ryan's compassion shines through every word he writes * Louise O’Neill *This is a novel to savour, for its mastery of language, its power of storytelling and its sure hand as it covers the sweep of time. Irish fiction was in a great place already, but Donal Ryan has gone and raised the bar again. All the beauty and sorrow of life can be found in these pages -- Kathleen MacMahonThe lyricism of the prose can be pitch perfect, placing Ryan among the great writers of rural Ireland such as John McGahern and Mary Lavin * Sunday Times *It is the sweetest, gentlest story of love ... each character so tenderly evoked * Saga Magazine *Ryan's beautifully written story reads like coming home and is a breath of fresh air -- Best Novels of 2020 * Image Magazine *Tender and beautifully written ... We read this outstanding book in one sitting and will definitely return to it again * Independent *What a beautiful book, I loved it * Sinéad Morrissey *Beautifully observed Tipperary setting and tenderly created characters telling a story of loss and redemption ... Love permeates Ryan's work * Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis**WINNER OF THE BOLLINGER EVERYMAN WODEHOUSE PRIZE FOR COMIC FICTION****A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR**A stunning first graphic novel by a Cape/Comica/Observer graphic short story competition winner - a tale of a skirmish in the ice-cream wars that is worthy of Alan BennettIn the small seaside town of Dobbiston, Howard sells ice creams from his van, just like his father before him. But when he notices a downturn in trade, he soon realises its cause: Tony Augustus, Howard's half-brother, whose ice-cream empire is expanding all over the North-West...Flake, Matthew Dooley's debut graphic novel, tells of how this epic battle turns out, and how Howard - helped by the Dobbiston Mountain Rescue team - overcomes every obstacle and triumphs in the end.Trade ReviewIf Alan Bennett made graphic novels, they might look like this... But Dooley deserves to be recognised for his own talents and they are all on display in this fine, funny graphic novel that is full of sly humour and facial hair, set against a world of pub quizzes, crazy golf and crosswords. His flat drawing style has a deadpan comedy all its own, but it's the world he conjures up that stays with you. Lovely. -- Teddy Jamieson * Herald Scotland *50 best books to give at Christmas* *Full of irresistible puns… A meld of Alan Bennett and the American comic-book artist Chris Ware…and also Tom Gauld. -- Tim Lewis * Observer *The first graphic novel to win the Wodehouse prize for comic literature. It's a cheerfully nostalgic trip into a north-western English town of pub quizzes, crazy golf and crosswords, and a testament to the powers of salt water and friendship in a crisis. Dooley's merrily inventive ice lollies are worth a book of their own. -- James Smart * Guardian *Books of the Year* *Dooley is deft at employing a Chris Ware-like sense of ennui… Flake is principally comedic, comedic in the way that Magnus Mills is comedic or Wallace and Gromit… We will watch to see what he does next with baited breath. * Bookmunch *[Matthew Dooley] handles this gloomy trifecta of middle age, limited financial prospects and an English costal resort in the melancholy style familiar to fans of Chris Ware, but unlike that great prophet of emptiness, restores a sunburst of optimism to this dismal corner of the nation by book's end. * Strong Words *

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Book SynopsisA BBC Between the Covers Book Club pick and Sunday Times Historical Fiction Book of the Month, for fans of PANDORA, THE ESSEX SERPENT and THE NIGHT CIRCUS.Longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction 2023 and the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2023.'I just fell in love with it within the first two sentences . . .' - Ruth Jones'One of the best books I've read this year . . . completely unforgettable' - Bonnie Garmus------Zachary Cloudesley is gifted in a remarkable way. But not all gifts are a blessing...Leadenhall Street, London, 1754.Raised amongst the cogs and springs of his father's workshop, Zachary Cloudesley has grown up surrounded by strange and enchanting clockwork automata. He is a happy child, beloved by his father Abel and the workmen who help bring his father's creations to life.He is also the bearer of an extraordinary gift; at the touch of a hand, Zachary can see into the hearts and minds of the people he meets.But then a near-fatal accident will take Zachary away from the workshop and his family. His father will have to make a journey that he will never return from. And, years later, only Zachary can find out what happened.A beautifully crafted historical mystery of love and hope, and the adventure of finding your place in the world.------'Packed with intrigue, vividly drawn characters and heartstopping emotion, this beautifully written, ingeniously crafted debut is absolutely enthralling' - Sunday Express'Really transports you to a different time and place' - Sara Cox, Radio Times'A dashing, magical debut . . . intricately plotted, and peopled with intriguing characters' - Daily MailWhat readers are saying:'an excellent historical, magical realist novel''beautifully written''full of love and humour''original and rich in historical detail''my best book of 2022''totally engrossing . . . unforgettable'Trade Review[A] transporting, beguiling historical mystery fans of Anna Mazzola will devour * Woman's Weekly *A classic tale of adventure...chock full of brilliant characters, atmospheric descriptions and fascinating facts. The result is a joy to read * Dorset Magazine *A superb historical novel... Sean Lusk has a bright future ahead of him. * William Ryan *A rich detailed and vibrant tale of a young man finding himself against the backdrop of 18th century London and Constantinople * Scottish Book Trust, Book of the Month *

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Book SynopsisEsme: eldest child, control-freak, perfect wife. In fact, her husband has run off with his dentist and their teenage daughter is live-tweeting the entire mess to her 3,000 followers. Liv: middle child, fiancé stealer, squatter. Holed up in her ex-husband's apartment with her acupuncturist and a bottle of whiskey.Ru: youngest child, writer, runaway. Hopes to find inspiration for her second novel whilst fleeing her fiancé. One-by-one the siblings return to the family home, where a box of old letters awaits them containing the answer to the mystery they have all lived with, until now: who was their father, and why the hell did he disappear?Trade ReviewSimilar to Nick Hornby... Asher's novel rewards readers with an engrossing plot rich in witty and frank dark humor... Thoughtful and provoking. * Booklist *Asher's newest title spotlights her unique voice plus an affinity for quirky, wounded characters that are both realistic and likeable... An entertaining yet astute look at family, self, story and connections. * Kirkus *The Rockwell siblings... won me over completely, and their story twists and turns in such fascinating, hilarious, heartfelt ways, that it left me in awe of Asher's abilities. -- Kevin Wilson, author of The Family Fang

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Book SynopsisFrom the double Man Booker prize-winning author of Wolf Hall' and Bring Up the Bodies', this is an epic yet subtle family saga about broken trusts and buried secrets.Ralph and Anna Eldred live in the big Red House in Norfolk, raising their four children and devoting their lives to charity. The constant flood of good souls and sad cases', children plucked from the squalor of the East London streets for a breath of fresh countryside air, hides the growing crises in their own family, the disillusionment of their children, the fissures in their marriage.Memories of their time as missionaries in South Africa and Botswana, of the terrible African tragedies that have shaped the rest of their lives, refuse to be put to rest and threaten to destroy the fragile peace they have built for themselves and their children.This is a breathtakingly intelligent novel that asks the most difficult questions. Is there anything one can never forgive? Is tragedy ever deserved? Can you ever escape your own pasTrade Review‘A beautifully crafted novel’ Guardian ‘There are very few novels that not only bristle with ideas but leave you asking questions about those ideas, again and again, your world turned upside down. Mantel has managed to do this.’ Sunday Times ‘The best book she’s written … She writes about punishing subjects so freshly it is as if they had never been written about before.’ Observer ‘It has the tension of a first-rate thriller and the breadth of a family saga … Its compassion and its intellectual energy mark her as the novelist of her generation who will achieve a lasting greatness.’ Literary Review ‘A complex and highly intelligent portrayal of injustice, bereavement and the loss of faith … Hilary Mantel has created that rare thing, a page-turner with a profound moral dimension.’ Daily Telegraph ‘A work of exquisite craftsmanship that asks enormous questions.’ Independent

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Book SynopsisEscape to the beautiful Greek island of Santorini for the wedding of the yearAnna has the perfect life on the island of Santorini with her gorgeous vineyard-owning boyfriend Nikos, and she travels the world for work. So why does she feel that something is missing?When Anna's best friend Elena gets engaged, she should be celebrating with her, but instead it seems to cause cracks in her own relationship that she never saw coming.Nikos is thrilled that Anna''s career is going from strength to strength, but being without her so much has left him feeling disconnected in ways that could have devastating consequences for their future.As celebrations get underway for the wedding of the summer, secrets will be revealed, and ultimatums will be given. In the end, Anna and Nikos must decide whether their love story can have the happy ever after they both desperately wantReaders LOVE Samantha Parks! Wow, what an amazing debut book. Samantha Parks's writing style had me gripped from the very first pTrade ReviewReaders LOVE Samantha Parks! ‘Wow, what an amazing debut book. Samantha Parks’s writing style had me gripped from the very first page’ Faith, Twitter ‘Will 110% make you want to visit Santorini!’ Stacey, The Cosiest Corner Book Blog ‘Gorgeous… thank you Samantha Parks for delightful book!’ Margaret, Netgalley ‘Perfect beach or pool read’ Bee, Netgalley ‘Lovely and heartfelt’ Cheryl M-M’s Book Blog ‘Perfect chick lit!’ Christie, Instagram ‘A glorious summer holiday read’ Ruth, top 100 Amazon reviewer ‘A lovely romance set among rustic villages and white sandy beaches. What more could you ask for?’ Angela, Goodreads

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Book SynopsisIan McEwan is the critically acclaimed author of nineteen novels and two short story collections. 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; Nutshell; Machines Like Me; and Lessons. Atonement, Enduring Love, The Children Act and On Chesil Beach have all been adapted for the big screen.Trade ReviewPowerful... Unforgettable * Sunday Telegraph *His best yet, which I should make clear is saying a great deal * Observer *Brilliant...a meditation on the intoxications of violence and the redemptive power of love * New Yorker *Superbly evocative prose... The novel's vision of Europe is acute and alive, vivid in its moral complexities * New York Times Book Review *Compassionate without resorting to sentimentality, clever without ever losing its honesty, an undisguised novel of ideas which is also Ian McEwan's most human work * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisStella Gibbons was born in London in 1902. She went to the North London Collegiate School and studied journalism at University College, London. She then worked for ten years on various papers, including the Evening Standard. Stella Gibbons is the author of twenty-five novels, three volumes of short stories, and four volumes of poetry. Her first publication was a book of poems, The Mountain Beast (1930) and her first novel Cold Comfort Farm (1932) won the Femina Vie Heuruse Prize for 1933. Among her works are Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm (1940) Westwood (1946), Conference at Cold Comfort Farm (1959) and Starlight (1967). She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1950. In 1933 she married the actor and singer Allan Webb. They had one daughter. Stella Gibbons died in 1989.Trade ReviewStella Gibbons is the Jane Austen of the 20th century -- Lynne TrussA biting, witty tale of inappropriate presents and family traditions that fans of the original Cold Comfort Farm will love * Good Housekeeping *Oddly comforting and amusing collection * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisNow a major BBC drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch''Only Ian McEwan could write about loss with such telling honesty'' Benedict CumberbatchOn a routine trip to the supermarket with his daughter one Saturday morning, Stephen Lewis, a well-known writer of children''s books, turns his back momentarily. When he looks around again, his child is gone. In a single moment, everything is changed. The kidnapping has a devastating effect on Stephen''s life and marriage. Memories and the present become inseparable - as Stephen gets lost in daydreams of the past - and time bends back on itself, dragging Stephen''s own childhood back into the present.Trade ReviewSpooky...a wonderful novel * Observer *The Child in Time is an extraordinary achievement * Guardian *It is marvellously written, moving, serious, readable... If you want to be appalled, refreshed, exhilarated, enlivened - read it * Sunday Times *His masterpieceArtistically, morally, and politically, he excels * The Times *

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Book Synopsis''A satire of our times. Very funny indeed'' Sunday Times ''My comfort read. The best diaries ever written - with apologies to Samuel Pepys, Bridget Jones and me'' ADAM KAYFEATURED IN ''THE 100 BOOKS THAT SHAPED OUR WORLD'' BBC ARTS The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 is the first book in Sue Townsend''s brilliantly funny Adrian Mole series. Friday January 2ndI felt rotten today. It''s my mother''s fault for singing ''My Way'' at two o''clock in the morning at the top of the stairs. Just my luck to have a mother like her. There is a chance my parents could be alcoholics. Next year I could be in a children''s home.Meet Adrian Mole, a hapless teenager providing an unabashed, pimples-and-all glimpse into adolescent life. Writing candidly about his parents'' marital troubles, the dog, his life as a tortured poet and ''misunderstood intellectual'', Adrian''s painfully honest diary is still hilarious and compelling reading thirty years after it first appeared._________NOW A MAJOR MUSICAL ''I not only wept, I howled and hooted and had to get up and walk around the room and wipe my eyes so that I could go on reading'' Tom Sharpe''We laugh both at Mole and with him. A wonderful comic read, that, like all the best comedy, says something rather meaningful'' HeatTrade ReviewImpeccable comic timing, evergreen comic writing. I had more pure reading pleasure than from any other book I read this year -- John Self * The Times *One of literature's most endearing figures. Mole is an excellent guide for all of us * Observer *Townsend has held a mirror up to the nation and made us happy to laugh at what we see in it * Sunday Telegraph *An exquisite social comedy * Daily Telegraph *A satire of our times. Very funny indeed * Sunday Times *Marvellous, touching and screamingly funny . . . set to become as much a cult book as The Catcher in the Rye

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of the award-winning HBO sensation BIG LITTLE LIES comes a captivating story of family, love, and the secrets that refuse to stay in the past . . .One abandoned baby. Two sisters with a secret. A last chance to rewrite the past.______________70 years ago, the Munro family disappeared without a trace, leaving behind their newborn baby.When sisters Rose and Connie Doughty found her, they took her in and raised her as their own. Since then, the unsolved ''Munro Baby Mystery'' has brought fame and fortune to their small island.But years later, after her sister''s death and the arrival of newcomer Sophie Honeywell, Rose begins to wonder if she and Connie made the right decision all those years ago.How much longer can she cover up the lie that has sustained their community for generations?And what other secrets are hiding on the island?______________Praise fTrade ReviewThere's some real grit here, seamlessly mingled with the frothier, more everyday elements, and the central mystery * Telegraph *A stunner several shades darker than typical chick lit . . . Moriarty's prose turns from funny through poignant to frightening in an artful snap * Publishers Weekly *Praise for Liane Moriarty * - *Staggeringly brilliant, literally unputdownable -- Sophie HannahThe writing is beautiful: sometimes funny, sometimes sad but always compelling * Good Housekeeping *Moriarty writes vividly, wittily and wickedly * Sunday Express *One of the few writers I'll drop anything for -- Jojo MoyesSo well written that it pulls you in from the first page -- Reese WitherspoonKeeps you guessing until the very end -- Reese WitherspoonA hell of a good book -- Stephen KingA tense, page-turning story * Mail on Sunday *Every single one of her books is a great read * E! Online *

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Book SynopsisEnthralling'' ObserverA spectacular read'' Sunday Express''An award-winning writer at the top of her game'' TelegraphA moving story of overlapping lives from the Orange Prize-winning author of Bel CantoTip and Teddy are becoming men under the very eyes of their adoptive father, Bernard Doyle. A student at Harvard, Tip is happiest in a lab, whilst Teddy thinks he has found his calling in the Church, and both are increasingly strained by their father''s protective plans for them.But when they are involved in an accident on an icy road, the Doyles are forced to confront certain truths about their lives, how the death of Doyle''s wife Bernadette has affected the family, and an anonymous figure who is always watching...Trade Review‘Enthralling ... It's a skilled piece of writing, a jigsaw narrative that leaps from one character to another with apparent seamlessness' * Observer *‘A spectacular read ... Full of suspense, exciting and unpredictable, this is a novel that keeps you guessing until the end' -- Viv Groskop * Sunday Express *‘Her books are so warm, so overflowing with love and affection, that when you've finished reading one your first inclination is to embrace it' -- Patrick Ness * Guardian *‘Patchett's mastery means there are no slips on the ice for her readers ... It is a long time since I have read such a delicately nuanced novel, where the overall pleasure lies simply in reading an award-winning writer at the top of her game' * Sunday Telegraph *Patchett’s novels are remarkable for their generosity of spirit and deep sympathy for their characters … Covering issues of race and class, nurture and nature, Run is a touching exploration of America’s melting pot * Sunday Times *Humane and sympathetic … All the magic is in the way Patchett enables us to enter the lives of this group of people and to appreciate the kinship that runs through their society * Daily Telegraph *Deeply moving and absorbing … Patchett has once again written an intelligent, thoughtful novel that oozes emotional intensity. She is the kind of storyteller who makes the reader sad to come to the last page * Financial Times *Patchett tells this complex story of inheritance and loss with accomplished ease -- Helen Dunmore * The Times *Engaging, touching and satisfying * Evening Standard *In deftly plotted, graceful prose, Patchett reflects on the binds of both family and community * Daily Mail *A gentle, finely observed book that stays with you long after you have finished it * Harper's Bazaar *Run is a novel with timeless concerns at its heart – class and belonging, parenthood and love ... The book is lovely to read and is satisfyingly bold in its attempt to say something patient and true about family -- Andrew O'Hagan

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Book Synopsis''One of the funniest novels I''ve read in a long time!'' Evening Standard''For fans of Dolly Alderton, this is an absolute must!'' The Lady''Engaging, uplifting and empowering. And very funny!'' Samantha Tonge''I love, love, LOVED this book!'' Amazon reviewerChloe Usher has had enough of men.After breaking up with the love of her life, Chloe''s friends tell her she needs to get back out there, and find another man before it''s too late. But after a particularly disastrous date and one too many gins, Chloe has a revelation - she doesn''t need a man to make her happy. It''s up to her to do it herself.Never one to do things by halves, Chloe decides to make the ultimate commitment to self-love - she''ll marry herself! But planning a solo wedding isn''t easy, and soon Chloe finds herself on a bumpy journey of self-discovery. Will she finally get her happy ever after? A feel-good, fun read for anyone in neeTrade ReviewEngaging, uplifting and empowering. And very funny! * Samantha Tonge *A terrific read! Best book I've read in a long time. * Jane Gilley, author of The Woman Who Kept Everything *'One of the funniest novels I've read in a long time. I loved Tanner's witty one-liners and brisk fresh style. There's a powerful message here too about the importance of self-respect and loving oneself in order to be happy that we can all learn from.' * Evening Standard *...touching and refreshing story [...] a truly funny and at times poignant book - a gem of a read! * The Lady *I absolutely adored this book, I wasn't sure at first and worried that maybe it might be a corny story of self-love but I love Sophie Tanner and was committed to giving this a good go. I sat down with a cuppa and finished it in one sitting, I couldn't have been further from the truth with my worries, it was brilliant. Such a funny and poignant story that I think we can all learn a lot from. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend. -- Sapphire Bates * The Coven Girl Gang *

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Book SynopsisNOW A NETFLIX LIMITED SERIES, COMING VALENTINE''S DAY 2022 ''An absolute scorcher'' Evening Standard''The book about infidelity that has shaken up Italy''The Times''Intimate and ultimately moving... completely absorbing''Daily Mail''A gripping novel exploring the tensions in an apparently idyllic marriage'' Financial Times''A must-read''Sydney Morning Herald''Devotion thrilled me, made me think and moved me deeply... Irresistible''Jonathan Safran FoerCarlo, a part-time professor of creative writing, and Margherita, an architect-turned-real estate-agent: a happily married couple in their mid-thirties, perfectly attuned to each other''s restlessness. They are in love, but they also harbour desires that stray beyond the confines of their bedroom: Carlo longs for the quiet beauty of one of his students, Sofia; MargherTrade ReviewFidelity thrilled me (I read it in one sitting), made me think, and moved me deeply. It manages to be as deep as any literature, and as irresistible as any gossip. It is a brilliant work by a brilliant writer. * Jonathan Safran Foer *The book about infidelity that has shaken up Italy. * The Times *Missiroli's erotically charged novel is currently being made into a Netflix series, but this intimate and ultimately moving analysis of desire and the long-term legacy of betrayal deserves to be read - moving seamlessly between perspectives, we're brought up close to the lives of its sympathetically imagined characters in a way that's completely absorbing. * Daily Mail *An absolute scorcher... Clever structured with characters criss-crossing through one another's lives and the streets of Milan, with the second half of the book taking place nine years later, Fidelity teems with pain and pleasure, blood, sweat, and semen... Its descriptions of gory fight scenes between both dogs and men pulse with a kind of brutal machismo I'm not sure you'd find in an English novel today... Read Fidelity before the end of the year. Books are almost always better than their TV adaptations. * Evening Standard *A gripping novel exploring the tensions in an apparently idyllic marriage, where a couple in their thirties is tested by their attraction to others, and by their own accumulation of desires and disappointments. * Financial Times *A must-read... Marco Missiroli, with intelligence and empathy, considers how and why such people might find themselves wandering beyond the boundaries of promises they have made... This subtle novel has been lauded as a revealing study in marital infidelity, but it also moves beyond the theme of fidelity in traditional marriage to explore different kinds of sexual fidelity. And it touches on more abstract notions of loyalty and betrayal, including the idea of faithfulness to a family, an idea, a place, or a sense of one's true self. * Sydney Morning Herald *A writer of pure excellence. * Emmanuel Carrère *Missiroli cuts right through to the darkness of our inner lives. * Roberto Saviano *Powerful, delicate, exquisite. * Claudio Magris *Masterful: Missiroli's words are fire... The ending - chilling - is just as good as that of Joyce's The Dead. * Corriere della Sera *You'll feel like taking refuge in the pages of this book and never leaving its confines. * La Stampa *With all-encompassing writing, Marco Missiroli opens the rooms of his characters and the streets of Milan, the thoughts and the concealed desires, makes dialogue and silences reverberate with the spontaneity of great narrators. * Il Foglio *

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Book SynopsisFor fans of Jodi Picoult and If Only I Could Tell You, Penny Hancock's The Choice is an engrossing, thought-provoking novel about family secrets and the way that even the smallest decisions can sometimes have far-reaching consequences.An estranged daughter. A missing grandson. A mother faced with an impossible choice . . .Renee Gulliver appears to have it all: a beautiful house overlooking a scenic estuary on England’s East Coast, a successful career as a relationship therapist, three grown-up children, and a beloved grandson, Xavier. But then Xavier vanishes after Renee fails to pick him up from school, and the repercussions are manifold.Renee is wracked with remorse; the local community question her priorities, clients abandon her; and, as long-held grievances surface, her daughter Mia offers her a heartbreaking ultimatum.Amid recriminations, misunderstandings and lies, can Renee find a way to reunite her family?Trade ReviewA perfect evocation of the complex modern family . . . I found myself holding my breath while reading it, hoping that Xavier would be found unhurt, and identifying with the beautifully drawn characters, as past mistakes come home to roost . . . A real tour de force -- Kate RhodesA hugely readable, carefully perceptive story of family dynamics tough and tender. Rife with entrenched positions, assumptions and gut-wrenching mistakes, it is ultimately loving and redemptive -- Louise FoxcroftThe Choice is an emotional and thought-provoking novel which explores the nature of love and guilt, and the impact of the decisions we make on others and ourselves, through compelling characters and sensitive and absorbing prose -- Jenny QuintanaA gut-wrenching story about the power of our decisions * Woman's Own *Beautifully written, thought-provoking, and brimming with powerful and recognisable emotions, Hancock’s superbly wrought story speaks straight from the heart * Blackpool Gazette *

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Book Synopsis'A taut, sharp, funny book about being young now. It's brutal—and brilliant.' - Zadie SmithWinner of the Dylan Thomas Prize Shortlisted for the British Book Awards Fiction Debut of the YearLonglisted for the Women's Prize For FictionEdie is just trying to survive. She’s messing up in her dead-end admin job in her all-white office, is sleeping with all the wrong men, and has failed at the only thing that meant anything to her, painting. No one seems to care that she doesn’t really know what she’s doing with her life beyond looking for her next hook-up.And then she meets Eric, a white middle-aged archivist with a suburban family, including a wife who has sort-of-agreed to an open marriage and an adopted black daughter who doesn’t have a single person in her life who can show her how to do her hair. As if navigating the constantly shifting landscape of sexual and racial politics as a young black woman wasn’t already hard enough, with nowhere else left to go, Edie finds herself falling head-first into Eric’s home and family.Razor-sharp, provocatively page-turning and surprisingly tender, Luster by Raven Leilani is a painfully funny debut about what it means to be young now.‘A book of pure fineness, exceptional.’ – Diana Evans, GuardianA BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Guardian, New York Times, New Yorker, Boston Globe, Literary Hub, Vanity Fair, Los Angeles Times, Glamour, Time, Good Housekeeping, InStyle, NPR, O Magazine, Buzzfeed, Electric Literature, Town & Country, Wired, New Statesman, Vox, Shelf Awareness, i-D, BookPage and more.One of Barack Obama’s Favourite Books of the Year.Trade ReviewLeilani’s story of Edie, a broke 23-year-old black woman who gets involved with a wealthy older white couple, cuts to the quick of the often grim realities of being young and black in the US today. But it’s wincingly funny, too . . . Leilani’s prose mesmerises; you go with her, wherever she decides to take you . . . A remarkable portrait of the artist as a young woman. * Observer *[Leilani] is a caustic, funny and skilful storyteller, taking us deeply and convincingly inside the head of a millennial woman frantically trying to make sense of the world and her place within it. * Sunday Times *In this cutting, hot-blooded book, the entanglements that unfold are as complicated as they are heartbreaking. * New Statesman *With deadpan wit and remarkable talent, Raven Leilani effortlessly exposes the chasms between generations, faces and genders. * Vogue *A taut, sharp, funny book about being young now. It's brutal—and brilliant. -- Zadie Smith, author of Swing TimeLuster is entirely remarkable, and the most delicious novel I’ve read. I couldn’t get enough of Raven Leilani’s starkly accurate portrayal of the nuances of being a young woman today. -- Candice Carty-Williams, author of QueenieEvery so often, a debut novel so dazzling in its brilliance renders you unable to see the world in quite the same way for some time. Raven Leilani’s Luster illuminates the world anew, like a firework . . . it is truly a work of art. * i *A darkly funny, hilariously moving debut from a stunning new voice. Raven Leilani crafts a beautiful, bighearted story about intimacy and art that will astound and wound you. I couldn’t put this one down. -- Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing HalfI was blown away by this debut novel . . . Every sentence is a treat to read, even when it is plumbing the bleakest truths of society and humanity. It is political and emotional, tender and sharp, absurd and relatable, heartbreaking and funny. The writing is packed with sharp observations of the most eccentric human behaviour, all propelled with an addictively page-turning plot. It is exquisite. -- Dolly Alderton, author of GhostsWritten in cool prose as brittle as glass, Luster throws down the gauntlet to a politicised contemporary moment eager to see blazingly affirmative stories of black lives in literature . . . [Edie's] voice . . . is unforgettable. More novels like this please. * Daily Mail *This wild dark comedy is absolutely the real deal . . . Leilani’s live-wire sentences are a giddy joy, crafted with mischievous perfection and full of smart things to say on hot-button issues. * Mail on Sunday *You could stay in there all day, swathed in the magnificence of its language, the surprises of the sentences and their psychedelic, uncharted destinations . . . This is a book of pure fineness, exceptional. -- Diana Evans * Guardian *Raven Leilani is a writer of unusual daring, with a voice that is unique and fully formed. There is humor, intelligence, emotion, and power in her work. I cannot think of a writer better suited to capture our contemporary moment. -- Katie Kitamura, author of A SeparationLuster is ridiculously good: gorgeous, dark, and funny, with sentences that'll wreck you. I will follow this author anywhere she wants to take me. -- Carmen Maria Machado author of In the Dream HouseTension that keeps the reader hooked until the very last page . . . Leilani observes the dissatisfactions of Edie’s 21st-century life with a brutal and beautiful keenness. * Harper's Bazaar *The narrative voice of this startling novel is layered, complex, pitch-black comic, and deadly earnest, even ardent in its will to sift through the chaos and idiocy of our madhouse culture and find some glimpse of human reality. Raven Leilani has made a truly lustrous piece of art. -- Mary Gaitskill, author of This Is PleasureIf you like Normal People, you’ll love Luster . . . a squirm inducing marvel * Buzzfeed Books *Raven Leilani’s style is a truly original mix of the new and the wise, of wit and despair. She has poignantly captured the obsession that drives, and often destroys, every true artist. I adored Luster for its honesty and weird beauty. -- Sara Baume, author of Spill Simmer Falter WitherA beguiling fever dream of a novel, shot through with wistfulness, humor, and a kind of breathless, furious verve. You’ll find it impossible to put down. -- Ling Ma, author of SeveranceHilarious, honest, bursting with desire and cutting insight, Luster is absolutely captivating. I didn’t so much read it, as gulp it down. There’s so much to learn here, so much to admire. Leilani is an irreverent, impeccable stylist—a voice we need right now. -- Justin Torres, author of We the AnimalsA coming-of-age story that’s sure to keep you turning pages * Refinery29 *Spinning fresh commentary on both race and class, tensions in the house rise as Raven Leilani propels her lost protagonist on a darkly funny journey of self-discovery. * Time *Raw, racy, and utterly mesmerizing, Luster is among the most dazzling novels of the year, marking the arrival of a major new voice . . . Dreamlike, tender, and big-hearted, Luster is a must-read * Esquire *This book is luminous, glorious. From the first sentence I knew there was word-magic here and that I would read any sentence Leilani cares to write. What a marvel. -- Daisy Johnson, author of Everything UnderI adored this wry, vital, mesmeric novel. In glorious, exhilarating sentences, Leilani crafts a story that is both deeply moving and brimming with originality and insight. -- Megan Hunter, author of The HarpyLuster is a headlong carousel of a novel. With liquid prose and a painter's eye for colour, texture and light, Luster grapples vigorously with what it means to make art in a world pumping out racism-induced cortisol. -- Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting TimesLuster is as close to perfect a book as you’ll read this year. I promise you - Raven Leilani is about to become your new obsession. -- Louise O'Neill, author of Asking For ItA big, bold novel, visceral and unsettling, about a young Black woman desperate to find herself but looking in all the wrong places. * Red magazine *Brilliant in terms of voice, Luster is equally strong on plot and structure. In her leavening of cynicism with hope, Raven Leilani writes as if she were three books wise, at least. * TLS *

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Book SynopsisAN OBSERVER BEST DEBUT NOVEL OF 2023WINNER OF THE 2021 #MERKY BOOKS NEW WRITERS' PRIZE'Secrets spill and relationships sour, sacrifices are made and promises are broken, as plot twists propel the narrative forward to a dramatic finale.'- The Guardian'An assured debut from a vital new voice. About family, grief and belonging, Patel weaves an intricate story that will stay with you.' - Nikesh Shukla, author of Brown Baby and The Good ImmigrantNik has lots of questions about his late father but knows better than to ask his mother, Avani. It's their unspoken rule.When his grandfather dies, Nik has the opportunity to learn about the man he never met. Armed with a key and new knowledge about his parents' past, Nik sets out to unlock the secrets that his mother has been holding onto his whole life.As the carefully crafted portrait Avani has painted for her son begins to crack, and painful truths emerge, can the two of them find their way back to each other?The Things That We Lost is a beautifully tender exploration of family, loss and the lengths to which we go to protect the ones we love.'Brilliant.' - Candice Brathwaite, author of I Am Not Your Baby Mother and Sista Sister'Incredibly moving, this is an immersive novel focusing on grief but also love and relationships. I fell in love with Avani and Nik, characters so real I could hardly believe they're fictional. Jyoti Patel is a hugely exciting new writer.' - Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City and Miss Aldridge Regrets'A thoughtful meditation on family, grief and the lengths we'll go to protect the ones we love.' - Good Housekeeping 'A deftly assured debut novel about a fractured family and how words left unspoken can be more devastating than the truth.' - Red Magazine'One of the best books I've read this year.' - gal-demTrade ReviewAn assured debut from a vital new voice. About family, grief and belonging, Patel weaves an intricate story that will stay with you. * Nikesh Shukla, author of Brown Baby and The Good Immigrant *Brilliant. * Candice Brathwaite *Incredible. * Guz Khan *Effortlessly weaving intricate intergenerational stories across time, Jyoti has written a poignant debut. * Christian Adofo, author of A Quick Ting on #Afrobeats *A big book, full of assured and affecting writing. . Secrets spill and relationships sour, sacrifices are made and promises are broken, as plot twists propel the narrative forward to a dramatic finale. * The Guardian *One of the best books I've read this year. * gal-dem *A thoughtful meditation on family, grief and the lengths we'll go to protect the ones we love. * Good Housekeeping *A deftly assured debut novel about a fractured family and how words left unspoken can be more devastating than the truth. * Red Magazine *Patel's novel revolves around the lingering trauma of bereavement and shows the lengths we go to to protect those closest to us. Sensitively written with a deep, emotional undercurrent. * Mr Porter *Highly recommended. * Huffington Post *The debut novel from 2021 Merky Books New Writers' Prize winner Jyoti may be one of the best books you read this year. The Things That We Lost is an achingly tender and heartfelt exploration of family, loss, and the lengths to which we go to protect the ones we love... Jyoti Patel is an exciting new writer, deftly exploring deep family intricacies, love and grief in equal measure. * Platinum *An invigorating narrative centred around family, loss and protection. * The Handbook *There is an immersive and intimate quality about Patel's writing - from its portrayal of London teenage slang to the detailed depiction of British-Gujarati culture. Her characters have a depth that brings a poignant reality to issues around coping with grief, abuse and racial prejudice, and navigating family and friendship dynamics. An enthralling read." * Breaking News.ie *Immeasurably moving, a poignant and touching story about love and family bonds, and an especially tender portrait of a mother and son. * Huma Qureshi *A deeply reflective, searching depiction of grief. * Rabeea Saleem, The Times Literary Supplement *The Things That We Lost took me by the hand and guided me through my worst ever reading slump! Patel writes about the complexities of family life with such wisdom and heart. * Sairish Hussain *Captivating and deeply moving. * Mohsin Zaidi *Frank, funny and light on its feet, it's a novel about generations, hopes and grief. A writer with a deft turn of phrase. * Ali Smith *A beautiful novel; it feels real and honest, with characters that seem to lift off the page and come alive…[it] is a book bursting with love * The List *Immeasurably moving, a poignant and touching story about love and family bonds, and an especially tender portrait of a mother and son. * Huma Qureshi *

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Book Synopsis'This unsparing debut novel portrays the unromantic side of Cornwall few visitors see and which so many novelists choose to overlook. Charlie Carroll inhabits his damaged heroine completely' Patrick Gale 'A moving and affecting novel about life on the edge, with a very special flavour of wild and rugged Cornwall.' Emma Stonex, author of THE LAMPLIGHTERSAway from the hotels and holiday lets, there is an unseen side of Cornwall, where the shifting uncertainties of the future breed resentment and mistrust. Melody Janie is hidden. She lives alone in a caravan in Bones Break: a small cliff-top on Cornwall's north coast. She spends her time roaming her territory, spying on passing tourists and ramblers, and remembering. She sees everything and yet remains unseen. However, when a stranger enters her life, she is forced to confront not only him but the terrible tragedies of her past. The Lip is a novel about childhood, isolation and mental health, told in the unique and unforgettable voice of Melody Janie. 'All of this is Bones Break. All of this is mine. I know every inch of it; I know it as intimately as the seagulls. I stand at dead-centre, my feet teetering on the edge of the lip. Below, the thundering tattoo of waves on rock. Wind catches the tips of my hair, lifting them above my ribs: less force than it takes to knock me down; enough to make me right myself with a step to the left, and then another back again. Here on the lip, it is vital to know where my feet are.'Trade ReviewThis unsparing debut novel portrays the unromantic side of Cornwall few visitors see and which so many novelists choose to overlook. Charlie Carroll inhabits his damaged heroine so completely, and with so little trace of first-novel-ego that I can't wait to see what he writes next; I suspect his publishers have backed a winner. * Patrick Gale *Atmospheric, haunting writing, a heroine you instantly love. * Ilona Bannister, author of When I Ran Away *Viscerally described... I'm still thinking about it. * The Daily Mail *[Melody Janie's] life weaves intimately close to this place, vesting a lyrical magic over these weather-beaten landscapes. * The Telegraph *A novel as much about isolation as it is grief, mental health and enforced change, it builds to a moving conclusion with a mighty twist. With The Lip now added to his repertoire, Carroll is proving to be very much like a modern-day Orwell, with social awareness and humanity at the core of what he writes. * Buzz Magazine *A moving and affecting novel about life on the edge, with a very special flavour of wild and rugged Cornwall. * Emma Stonex, author of The Lamplighters *Beautiful. . . the last time I read a book that affected me as much as this one it was The Loney. * The Bookbag *Beautifully complex, heartbreaking and atmospheric. I was completely immersed in Melody Janie's world and really 'got' the possessive charge of her land and the past that she was trying so desperately to save. Fabulous read. * LV Matthews, author of The Prank *Redeeming and beautiful and full of brave characters and heart. . . I bloody loved it. The story grew roots that went far deeper than I expected. I found myself racing to the climax and it was executed perfectly. A triumph.' * Ericka Waller, author of Dog Days *Really enjoyed the story of Melody Janie, a young Cornish woman struggling to come to terms with a recent bereavement in an environment which, although wild and beautiful, only echoes her grief and isolation. . . I loved The Lip and particularly the mental health story line which is such an important one. Brilliantly written, too.' * Mary Karras, author of The Making of Mrs Petrakis * A moving meditation on making judgements, on place, home and independence. * Zoe Somerville, author of The Night of the Flood *I loved this story of Melody Janie, and her life lived on the very edge. The sense of connection after disconnection is so movingly and subtly evoked, as we see distrust and fear turning, eventually, to understanding and tenderness. The Lip is a stirring reminder that each of us has the capacity to make a big difference in small ways. Throughout, the Cornish coast is powerfully conjured, as beautiful as it is brutal, and perfectly in keeping with a story that manages to be both uplifting and uncompromising. * Emylia Hall, author of The Book of Summers *A powerful story, poignant, and beautifully told. Melody Janie's past and present come alive in a voice that moved me and will stay with me for a long time. * Matson Taylor, author of The Miseducation of Evie Epworth *

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Book Synopsis**Sunday Times Number One Bestseller**A classic tale of murder and deceit from one of the world's best storytellers - 'a masterpiece' The TimesTrudy has betrayed her husband, John. She's still in the marital home - a dilapidated, priceless London townhouse - but not with John. Instead, she's with his brother, the profoundly banal Claude, and the two of them have a plan. But there is a witness to their plot: the inquisitive, nine-month-old resident of Trudy's womb.'An astonishing act of literary ventriloquism unlike any in recent literature. A bravura performance, it is the finest recent work from a true master...' Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewAn astonishing act of literary ventriloquism unlike any in recent literature. A bravura performance, it is the finest recent work from a true master… Told from a perspective unlike any other, Nutshell is a shocking tale of murder and treachery from one of the world’s master storytellers. * Daily Telegraph *A creative gamble that pays off brilliantly…Witty and gently tragic, this short, bewitching novel is an ode to humanity’s beauty, selfishness and inextinguishable longing. * Mail on Sunday *Ian McEwan’s embryonic spin on Hamlet is a virtuoso feat of wordplay … Virtuoso entertainment. * Observer *While the literary device of an unborn baby narrating a novel from the womb is hardly original… Ian McEwan employs it with aplomb... Here everything is tightly controlled and the tension ratchets up as our all-knowing unborn watches helplessly from his watery sack while the dastardly plan progresses through a series of nail-biting moments… The ending is beautifully contrived… The book is elegantly written with plenty of pungent, topical observations upon the world. * Daily Mail *At once playful and deadly serious, delightful and frustrating it is one of McEwan’s hardest to categorise works, and all the more interesting for it. * The Times *

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Book Synopsis'A bold and remarkable novel...full of heart and compassion' Dinaw MengestuA bad-tempered grandfather, now living abroad, is back in Stockholm to see his adult children. The son is a failure, the daughter is having a baby with the wrong man, and their mother is a heartless deserter. Only he, the patriarch, is perfect - according to himself, at least. Over ten intense days, the strained relationships of this chaotic but entirely normal family unfold, and painful memories begin to resurface. Something has to give. But the son is duty-bound to his father by a murky, years-old agreement - can it be renegotiated, or will it bind everyone to the past for ever?'The dynamics of each relationship are superbly complex, and Khemiri's wry, comic touch gives a lightness to the inevitability as the children follow in their father's footsteps' Guardian'Excellent...the complex portrait of a family that is both identifiable and distinctive, normal and strange' TLSTrade ReviewA beautiful study of familial need and mess, in which the universal and the particular play footsie with each other. Deft, artful, but above all insightful till it hurts, this is Khemiri’s best yet. -- Nikita LalwaniA bold and remarkable novel - a marvel of form and imagination that is also miraculously full of heart and compassion. -- Dinaw MengestuAbsent fathers, wayward children, generational strife and the sheer fatigue of new parenthood... Khemiri's prose has a zing and bite stylishly served by Alice Menzies's pacy, idiomatic translation...The Family Clause [has] an epic, as well as a comic, buoyancy. -- Boyd Tonkin * Spectator *The dynamics of each relationship are superbly complex, and Khemiri's wry, comic touch gives a lightness to the inevitability as the children follow in their father's footsteps. -- Catherine Menon * Guardian *Excellent... Exquisitely translated by Alice Menzies... What Khemiri achieves is not just an engrossing narrative but the complex portrait of a family that is both identifiable and distinctive, normal and strange. -- Tabish Khair * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisArthur Maxley is a tense and listless young man. One day he receives a letter from his long-estranged father. Arthur's fear and aversion to the man is powerful, yet his compulsion to see his father is irresistible. After their meeting, Arthur is propelled into a night of drinking and spontaneous intimacy with a beautiful young woman. But as the memories of childhood trauma surface and disorientate, Arthur's night out rises towards the pitch of disaster.

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Book SynopsisPRAISE FOR SARUM 'A high-speed cavalcade of our island story' DAILY EXPRESS'Supremely well crafted and a delight to read' CHICAGO TRIBUNE'A thundering good read' THE BOOKSELLER'A richly imagined vision of history' SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE _______________________________FIVE INTERCONNECTED FAMILIESSarum weaves an enthralling saga of five families - the Wilsons, the Masons, the family of Porteus, the Shockleys, and the Godfreys - who reflect the changing character of Britain.CENTURIES OF TURMOIL AND TYRANNYIn a novel of extraordinary richness, the whole sweep of British civilization unfolds through the story of one place, Sailsbury, from beyond recorded time to the present day. The landscape - as old as time itself - shapes the destinies of the five families.AN EPIC SAGATracing historical moments from the Ice Age through to the present day, all set against the backdrop of an ever-changing England, Sarum is a novel of breathtaking scope, perfect for fans of Ken Follett and Diana Gabaldon.Trade ReviewA heck of a story ... a grand read * Daily Mail *A high-speed cavalcade of our island story ... a heady and sometimes sexy brew * Daily Express *Bursts with action, encyclopedic in historic detail ... supremely well crafted and a delight to read * Chicago Tribune *A richly imagined vision of history, written with genuine delight * San Francisco Chronicle *A thundering good read … a great achievement * The Bookseller *

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Book SynopsisVenice was where it all began…Libby and Will spent a glorious honeymoon in this magical city. They didn’t have much money, but they had a whole lot of love and a bright future ahead of them.And Venice was where it all went wrong…Two kids and twenty-five years later, they are struggling with money problems but somehow Will manages to fulfil his promise to Libby to take her back to Venice for their anniversary. This time, they are doing it in style and a masked ball awaits. But among the beautiful buildings and romantic canals, Libby learns that her husband has a secret that breaks her heart.The trust is broken and the marriage is over. But there are decades of love and two grown sons between them.Can they ever find their way back to each other or have they missed their chance forever?A funny and heartwarming second-chance romance, perfect for fans of Milly Johnson and Julie Caplin.Readers are falling in love with My Heart is in Venice:'A believable story with laugh-out-loud moments...so relatable and true to life! Loved it!' Harriet J. Kent'Funny, heartwarming and addictive.' Susan Buchanan'I would highly recommend this fabulous book which is full of the trials and tribulations of family life, love, drama and intrigue together with lovable characters that you don't want to leave behind when the book ends.' Rosy Gee‘I did not want it to end, I fell in love with the characters and this is my favourite rom com of the year!...I am absolutely in love with this book... This story reached into my heart, broke it and put it back together.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘I loved the characters...A really sweet book with some twists and turns, and a perfect ending. Highly recommend for curling up on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘Love how this author writes about real people and relatable issues and targets those in their 40s and 50s in their stories. This was so much more than just a romantic read.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader ReviewPraise for Helga Jensen:‘I simply couldn’t put this down. I laughed out loud several times before I’d even finished the first chapter.’ Jules Wake‘A joyous tale of rediscovering your dreams, love and sense of self. Sheer fun and absolute UpLit!’ Pernille Hughes‘I love this book so much! All I wanted was for it not to end! It’s right there on my top romcoms list now.’ Natalie Normann‘A charming, funny story… Ideal sunshine reading.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘I loved every page and still think about the characters… lots of laugh-out-loud moments to be enjoyed’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘A beautiful story … well worth 5 stars and I recommend this great summer read.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review‘Wow, just wow … It’s funny, cute and romantic and that twist… What more can you ask for?’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Reader Review

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Book Synopsis'Masterful . . . has much to say to our times' Guardian'Begs to be read' Spectator'A luminous, thought-provoking novel' Esi Edugyan, author of Washington BlackIn 1792, formerly enslaved Benjamin Honey and his Irish wife, Patience, discover an island where they can make a life together. More than a century later, the Honeys' descendants remain, with an eccentric, diverse band of neighbours. But during one tumultuous summer at the dawn of the twentieth century, one prejudiced missionary lands on the island's shores, disrupting the community's fragile balance with everlasting consequences.Full of lyricism and power, Paul Harding's This Other Eden explores the hopes and dreams and resilience of those seen not to fit a world brutally intolerant of difference.Trade ReviewThe Pulitzer prize-winning author's gifts have found their fullest expression . . . [This Other Eden] impresses time and again because of the depth of Harding's sentences, their breathless angelic light * Observer *Masterful . . . This Other Eden is a story of good intentions, bad faith, worse science, but also a tribute to community and human dignity and the possibility of another world. In both, it has much to say to our times * Guardian *Harding's new novel is suffused with the tremulous imagery and soaring imagination that won him the Pulitzer Prize . . . Exquisite -- Financial TimesMasterful . . . This Other Eden is a story of good intentions, bad faith, worse science, but also a tribute to community and human dignity and the possibility of another world. In both, it has much to say to our times. * Guardian *Harding's new novel is suffused with the tremulous imagery and soaring imagination that won him the Pulitzer Prize . . . Exquisite. * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisThe perfect Mother's Day gift, from the author of About Us, Seven Letters and The Baby Trail_______________________What's a few more branches on the family tree?Things are finally looking up for Anna. Seventeen miserable years of marriage to man-child Connor have left her drained and ready for a new start. So when they separate, she couldn't be more thrilled to move in with James, a handsome lecturer who is everything her ex-husband is not: kind, thoughtful, and above all, reliable.But Anna and James's kids hate living with the loved-up couple and the new set-up. Their teenage daughters - one a studious high achiever and the other a cool rich girl unbothered by grades or exams - have nothing in common. And Anna's wild football-mad nine-year-old son declares war on bookish James.Nobody said step-parenting was easy; Anna and James are about to find out exactly how complicated it can be. With exes, new partners-of-exes and money all in the mix, home life is fast becoming a minefield and their new-found happiness hangs in the balance. Do they have what it takes to make their blended family work?________________________'Yours, Mine, Ours is her best to date . . . a hopeful book, full of love' MARIAN KEYES'A great read, lots of twists and turns, lots of humour' CLAIRE BYRNE'A story filled with heart and wit. It's impossible not to root for the characters' RACHAEL ENGLISH'Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant . . . I was on the edge of my seat to know whether it would all work out in the end . . . Sinéad is a true national treasure' CLAUDIA CARROLLTrade ReviewSinéad Moriarty writes consistently EXCELLENT novels about contemporary life - Yours, Mine, Ours is her best to date. A thoughtful, nuanced exploration of the very real dilemmas of a blended family. There are no trite solutions but it's still a hopeful book, full of love -- Marian KeyesA great read, lots of twists and turns, lots of humour -- Claire ByrneA story filled with heart and wit. It's impossible not to root for the characters -- Rachael EnglishEmpathy, humour and wisdom on every page. A terrific, though provoking, immersive read -- Patricia ScanlanWith her trademark wit and wisdom, Sinéad gets to the core of what makes a family, what breaks a family and what can put it back together. Thoroughly engaging and entertaining, a delightful read -- Liz NugentI really loved Yours, Mine, Ours. Sinéad is such a brilliant writer. It's utterly charming and life-affirming. Full of wisdom about love's imperfections and all of the everyday obstacles that can get in the way of love . . . very grown-up love story about finding love - and ourselves - as parents. I think people will really fall in love with Anna, as I did -- Edel CoffeyBrilliant, brilliant, brilliant. There is no living author who writes about the intricacies of family life quite like Sinead . . . It's funny and wonderfully well observed and gripping too - I was on the edge of my seat to know whether it would all work out in the end. Yours, Mine, Ours really is masterly and Sinéad is a true national treasure -- Claudia Carroll

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Book SynopsisShe isn’t looking for trouble – but trouble is coming to find her.Still grieving the death of her watchman husband in a terrorist attack during the Outrages, factory worker Rose is struggling to make ends meet when she encounters middle-class Annie, a newspaperman’s wife who devotes her time to lobbying for better working conditions.Rose is desperate to avoid making waves with three mouths to feed. But she can’t sit back and watch women and young girls continue to work in dangerous conditions, including her desperately sick lodger.Fearing for her daughter’s future and with her husband’s killer still on the loose, all Rose wants is justice.. Just how far is she prepared to go?An enthralling and emotional Victorian saga for fans of Kitty Neale, Libby Ashworth and Emma Hornby.Praise for The Watchman's Widow ‘Joanne Clague writes with such energy, wisdom, compassion and gentle humour, taking me right to the heart of her characters’ lives.’ Suzannah Dunn, author of The Testimony of Alys Twist‘A great read and an enthralling story.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘I loved the fact that there is a mixture of serious and more light-hearted moments. I look forward to the author’s next book.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

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Book Synopsis'I laughed. I cried. I loved it' - Jack Dee This is not what Pete thought middle-age would be like. His marriage is over, his business is on its last breaths and he's spending more time than is healthy in a dressing gown. So when his 23-year-old daughter Susie needs to move back home, it's like a glorious ray of sunshine has found him at last.Except that she brings Niall with her. Niall: the boyfriend. Niall: a druid gardener who inexplicably only works from home. Niall: the annoying shadow that follows Susie everywhere.Getting Niall out of the house becomes Pete's new purpose in life. But as he tries to bring Niall's flaws to the surface, Pete is forced to admit he's far from perfect himself. And spending time with this oddball – as awkward as it may be – is making Pete open up in ways he'd long shut down.Separation for Beginners is a warm and wise novel about facing old heartaches and finding new friends, in the unlikeliest of places . . .This uplifting, laugh-out-loud funny read about new beginnings is perfect for fans of David Nicholls, Beth O'Leary and Marian Keyes. ___________'Sharp-witted, self-deprecating and honest, had me laughing from start to finish' - Daily Mail'Sharp and heart-warming' - Daily Mail, Fiction Books of the Year ___________

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Book Synopsis*Don''t miss Emma Gannon''s brand new novel, Table for One available to pre-order now*Explores such an important topic with a lightness and warmth' Dolly AldertonThoughtful, funny, and honest' Elizabeth GilbertIt''ll give a voice to countless women' Marian KeyesOlive and her friends have shared every milestone.From first loves and first heartbreaks to flatshares and the first scary steps into the real world, they've been through it all together.But in the maze of life, through the winding paths that lead to different choices and different futures, will the bonds of friendship hold strong when Olive needs them most?Moving, memorable and a mirror for anyone at a crossroads, OLIVE is a love letter to the life raft of female friendship and reminds us how, with a little courage, we can all follow our own paths.Trade Review‘It explores such an important topic with a lightness and warmth’ Dolly Alderton ‘This tale of four young women trying to sort out the dilemmas of motherhood … will bring relief and recognition to many. It’s a lovely book — thoughtful, searching, funny, and (most importantly) honest’ Elizabeth Gilbert ‘Funny in parts, painful in others, thoughtful throughout, it explores many dilemmas, with characters who feel utterly real’ Sophie Kinsella ‘It'll give a voice to countless women . . . a profound issue wrapped inside an accessible, highly engaging novel’ Marian Keyes ‘Gutsy and refreshing’ HEAT ‘It's warm and charming and yet VERY brave in its honesty about having children and how that impacts female friendships. I suspect a lot of women will feel relieved and seen when they read it’ Holly Bourne ‘Important themes explored by a true champion of women’ Nina Stibbe ‘Thought provoking with a wonderfully relatable hero’ Good Housekeeping ‘So fresh and funny and utterly distinctive . . . I loved it’ Emma Jane Unsworth ‘A delicate, heartbreaking and delicious story that will bring a pang of delightful recognition to every woman who reads it’ Scarlett Curtis ‘A witty, tender portrayal of female friendship under pressure’ Mail on Sunday ‘Honest, relatable, and incredibly real, Olive is going to resonate with an entire generation of young women’ Louise O’Neill ‘In Gannon’s capable hands, women are not so much divided along their disparate lines – but united’ Pandora Sykes ‘Cuts rights to the heart of conversations around women and the stereotypes we either adhere to – or reject’ Cosmopolitan ‘I raced through this brilliant, brilliant book, feeling more thoroughly seen than I have in years. Olive's story is big and bright and beautiful, and holds up a much-needed mirror to society’ Lucy Vine ‘Incredibly warm and loveable, you won’t be able to put Olive down’ Bustle

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Book SynopsisA captivating debut about defying expectations, hilarious and hopeful in equal measureTrade Review'This fierce young woman's struggle for independence in a city that is way out of step with the time-honoured traditions of the rural village in which she grew up is vivid, witty and utterly absorbing.' Daily Mail'I love this book so much I turned the pages so fast... It's all about the search for independence and being true to yourself and who you really are.' Reese Witherspoon'Mesmerising... This is not a book to read with one eye on a beach volleyball tournament; it’s a story to soak up in silence, on a long, cloudy afternoon when you have time to think.' New York Times'With characters making questionable decisions and a rather brilliant ending, this is a good old-fashion book club read that'll leave you arguing about character motivations and morals.' Stylist'Bursting with warmth, humour and richly drawn characters you can’t help but root for.' Cosmopolitan'A story that kept me tied to the page, told in masterful, seamless prose... Medie depicts a vivid and dazzling Accra, and it's impossible not to root for Afi as she finds her footing within it.' BuzzFeed'A unique and unapologetic marriage story that shines with honesty, humanity, power and grace: once you pick this book up, you won't be able to put it down. Medie's urgent, intimate voice is exactly what the world needs right now.' Mathangi Subramanian, author of A People's History of Heaven'This rich, rewarding debut novel follows a Ghanaian seamstress — forced into an arranged marriage with a wealthy man she has never met — on her journey of self-discovery.' New York Times, Notable Books of 2020'A refreshingly modern Ghanaian love story.' Marie Claire'[A] witty riff on the Cinderella fairytale.' Sainsbury's Magazine'A young Ghanaian woman embarks on a questionable marriage in this entertaining comedy of manners.' i, '30 great books for Easter''Engaging, provocative... A memorable debut from a writer whose frustrations with certain aspects of the culture of her homeland come brilliantly to life.' Irish Times'If you are looking to escape to another country, take a trip to Ghana with His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie... Best of all it's all underpinned by a warm coming-of-age-tale mixed in with a subtle takedown of the patriarchy.' The Sunday Times (South Africa)

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Book SynopsisCloaked strangers and danger abound...Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker are coming to the end of another busy half term as dinner ladies at Summerview Secondary school. The school is abuzz with chatter about the upcoming break, the local harvest festival, and the fact that maths teacher, Mr Weaver, hasn't turned up to work in days.When the pair embark on an evening walk, they discover Mr Weaver’s body in the woods, with a mysterious symbol painted on the tree beside him. Something suspicious is clearly afoot.As the nights grow darker and the mysterious symbols continue to appear around Dewstow, the Dinner Lady Detectives are pulled deeper into the case. Can they solve the mystery as deceit and chaos reigns, or will their killer pull off another deadly trick?A fun and charming cosy mystery, perfect for fans of J.M Hall and Fiona Leitch.Praise for Hannah Hendy‘Hannah is at the top of the tree of modern whodunnits. The characters, bar none, are real; the settings are glorious and the plots are devilishly clever’ Ian Moore, author of Death and Croissants‘Who knew being a dinner lady could be so dangerous - but so much fun?! With a plot that's twistier than school dinner spag bol, Clem and Margery are the only school dinner ladies guaranteed to give you belly laughs rather than indigestion’ Fiona Leitch, author of The Cornish Village Murder‘Hendy is, by far, one of the very best cosy writers we have - and A Frightfully Fatal Affair sees her on sparkling form’ Jonathan Whitelaw, author of The Bingo Hall Detectives‘Twisty, delightful, and laugh-out-loud funny. I fell in love with Margery and Clementine from the first page’ Antony Johnston, author of The Dog Sitter Detective on The Dinner Lady Detectives‘I really enjoyed this - a terrific zesty look at the dark underside of a modern-day secondary school’ J.M. Hall, author of A Spoonful of Murder‘A captivating murder mystery’ Women's Own‘Great to catch up with the dinner ladies and their detective skills. A fantastic read, roll on the next instalment!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘This sucked me in from the beginning with its relatable characters and really original plot! I will be reading more by Hannah Hendy for sure, I love her writing style.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘The characters and descriptions are well written. It’s a fast paced and easy to read book. I was surprised by the ending. I will be recommending this book.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘I love this series and I have a rather big soft spot for Clementine and Margery. This book has the right mix of mystery, laughs and murder. If you are a fan of murder mysteries and cosy crime then please give this series a go.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘It was hard to put this one down before I turned that last page. A really good cozy. I’ll be back for more in this series!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

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Book SynopsisFun, festive and fabulous. A story that sparkles like Christmas snow.' MILLY JOHNSONA page-turner' Woman's WeeklyWhen Sky Terran returns to the village of Middledip after losing the job she loves, she anticipates a quiet Christmas getting used to her new life. However, the annual street decoration competition is coming up and this year, the residents of Winter Street are determined to win.As she is pulled into the preparations, Sky quickly grows to love the quirky, tight-knit community she is now part of. Including the extremely handsome Daz, who soon becomes more than just a friendly neighbour.But when Daz's ex turns up determined to win him back and it seems he might not be the man Sky thought he was, she remembers how much allowing people into her life and heart can hurt. As the snow falls, will she and Daz find a way through and help win a Christmas victory for Winter Street?A gorgeously festive novel about love, family and the power of forgiveness from Sunday Times bestseller Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR SUE MOORCROFT: ‘Fun, festive and fabulous. A story that sparkles like Christmas snow.’ Milly Johnson ‘Evocative, engaging and gloriously romantic.’ Cathy Bramley ‘A glorious adventure… perfect escapism to brighten the greyest of days.’ Fiona Gibson ‘Full of sunshine and secrets.’ Heidi Swain ‘It whisked me off to sun-drenched Italy…I could feel the heat on my face and taste the wine!' Phillipa Ashley ‘Sue’s novels are the perfect escape. You’re guaranteed a warm and cosy read whatever the weather.’ Bella Osborne ‘A magical escape with all the ingredients of a perfect romance.’ Helen Rolfe ’An absolute gem – I just couldn’t put it down!’ Christina Courtenay

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.I pay very little regardto what any young person says on the subject of marriage. If they profess a disinclination for it, I only set it down that they have not yet seen the right person.'Humble and lowly, a young Fanny Price goes to live with her wealthy Aunt and Uncle at their grand house, Mansfield Park. Growing up with her privileged and spoilt cousins, the Bertrams, she lives in the shadows of their glamorous lives, but manages to find an ally in her cousin, Edmund.When Henry and Mary Crawford come to visit, the house is thrown into disarray as romance flourishes between the young people, leading Fanny to finally confront the extent of her true feelings for Edmund.

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Book Synopsis'Unflinching, intelligent and fascinating' Marian KeyesThe lives of two close-knit couples are irrevocably changed by an untimely death in this Sunday Times bestselling novelAlex and Christine and Zach and Lydia have been inseparable since their twenties. From student house-shares and grubby pubs to proper homes and grown-up careers, the two couples' lives have been interlinked for decades. Then one evening, Alex and Christine receive a call from a distraught Lydia. Zach is dead. Inconsolable, Lydia moves in with Alex and Christine. But instead of their loss bringing them closer, the three of them find that love and sorrow give way to anger and bitterness as old entanglements and resentments rise from the past.'A fine-grained novel of friendship, loss and jealousy' Sunday Times, *100 Great 21-Century Novels*Trade ReviewTessa Hadley is one of our finest writers. The sensitivity of her psychological insight and understanding is unmatched by anyone writing today... [in Late in the Day], Hadley comes into her own. It’s glorious stuff: moving, beautiful and so enjoyable. All hail Queen Tessa! -- Robbie Millen and James Marriott * The Times *Books of the Year* *Hadley’s wonderful tale [Late in the Day –] measured, ironic, disarmingly perceptive – picks up on all the contradictions of human existence. With Hadley, you know there’s an adult in the room. * Observer *The quintessential domestic novel in the most elevated sense… excellently insightful on family dynamics and the intricacies of close friendship. * The High Low podcast *With each new book by Tessa Hadley, I grow more convinced that she’s one of the greatest stylists alive… her quietly elegant style and muted wit are triumphs… the everyday tragedies and betrayals of domestic life [are] rendered by Hadley’s prose into something extraordinary… The tone of Late in the Day is perhaps Hadley’s most delicate accomplishment. * Washington Post *You know you are in safe hands with Tessa Hadley who, on a sheer sentence-by-sentence level, delivers more enjoyment than almost any other living writer... you'll be hanging on to every word. -- Claire Allfree * Daily Mail *The Best Holiday Reading* *There may be no historical newness to women’s disenchantment with male authority, but it feels new to write about it with this much raw honesty… It’s to her great credit that Hadley manages to be old-fashioned and modernist and brilliantly postmodern all at once… Unlocking age-old mysteries in ways both revelatory and inevitable. We’ve seen this before, and we’ve never seen this before, and it’s spectacular. * New York Times *My favourite novel of 2019 by a long way was Tessa Hadley's Late in the Day… Hadley is a beautifully descriptive writer and a penetrating observer of human nature. -- James Marriott * Sunday Times *Books of the Year* *Like all Hadley’s novels, Late in the Day enthrals. * Tatler *Tessa Hadley picks apart the stitches of marriage, friendship and self with an almost forensic curiosity [in Late in the Day], cementing her place as one of Britain's finest writers of contemporary fiction. * Vogue *Hadley examines profound areas of life – friendship, marriage, parenthood, grief, love – with a delightful precision, hitting different nails on the head over and over again… Her novel is full of these piercing little moments of revelation… [because of] the crispness of Hadley’s narrative, and the wisdom of her observations: you trust her… [Late in the Day has] a touch of genius. * Mail on Sunday *Another quiet masterpiece from a modern great. -- Robbie Millen and James Marriott * The Times *The Best Books of 2019* *Tessa Hadley is one of your finest writers… [she] approaches her subjects with the sort of attention to detail that a Dutch Golden Age master might bring to a jug and a bowl of fruit… Hadley is the real deal. * The Times *A real triumph… a very fine novel. * Radio 4, Saturday Review *[Hadley] is a gifted anatomist of human relationships... Her particular genius lies in the elegance and precision with which she captures the fleeting emotion, the passing, indefinable perception or tiny epiphany. * Wall Street Journal *I absolutely loved Tessa Hadley's Late in the Day… There are few British writers who are more acute at a micro-level on the psychology of their characters and I was completely engrossed by this novel. -- Andrew Holgate * Sunday Times *Books of the Year* *I loved Tessa Hadley’s Late in the Day. Hadley brings the gifts of a still-life painter to her fiction yet manages to produce satisfying twists and turns to her storytelling. -- Melissa Benn * New Statesman, *Books of the Year* *Hadley’s fiction — both long and short — has, with a delicious, detached clarity, observed the shape of relationships: their unconventionality, their transgressions. She is a superb stylist, with none of the pretensions that have latterly been attached to such a term: dispassionate, yet voluptuous in her prose. * Financial Times *Hadley’s fiction — both long and short — has, with a delicious, detached clarity, observed the shape of relationships: their unconventionality, their transgressions. She is a superb stylist, with none of the pretensions that have latterly been attached to such a term: dispassionate, yet voluptuous in her prose. * Financial Times *With masterly economy, the hallmark of her style… Hadley takes us back and forth in time, and her forensic dissection of friendship, marriage and grief is a mature work by a writer at the top of her game. * Daily Express *Gorgeous, utterly absorbing… More than many of her contemporaries, the British writer Tessa Hadley understands that life is full of moments when the past presses up against the present, and when the present transforms the past. Her brilliant new novel, Late in the Day, explores both with equal urgency. * Boston Globe *

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Book SynopsisNow a Major Film Starring Jodie Comer (Killing Eve)As flood waters close over London, a woman gives birth to a child. Heartfelt and urgently original, The End We Start From is the compulsive debut novel from Megan Hunter.'Engrossing, compelling and hopeful' – Naomi Alderman, author of The Power'Stunning' – Benedict CumberbatchDays after giving birth, mother and child are forced to leave home in search of safety. The journey north with be dangerous – but new life and fresh hope push them on . . .A startlingly beautiful story of a family's survival, The End We Start From is a haunting but hopeful dystopian vision of a familiar world made dangerous and unstable.'Virginia Woolf does cli-fi . . . tremendous' – Independent'I was moved, terrified, uplifted – sometimes all three at once' - Tracy Chevalier'Beautifully spare and haunting' - Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station ElevenTrade ReviewThe End We Start From is strange and powerful, and very apt for these uncertain times. I was moved, terrified, uplifted – sometimes all three at once. It takes skill to manage that, and Hunter has a poet’s understanding of how to make each word count. -- Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl With a Pearl EarringThe End We Start From is a beautifully spare, haunting meditation on the persistence of life after catastrophe. I loved it. -- Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station ElevenA shot of distilled story . . . engrossing, compelling and finally hopeful -- Naomi Alderman, author of The Power, winner of the 2017 Baileys Women's Prize for FictionI can’t remember ever having read a novel quite as sparing or as daring as Megan Hunter’s The End We Start From, or one that delivers so mighty an impact from such delicate materials. It is a moving, wistful and compelling debut. -- Jim Crace, author of HarvestAn exceptional, alarming and beautiful book, which still echoes months after I finished reading it. Megan Hunter is a writer of unnerving power. -- Evie Wyld, author of All the Birds, SingingI'll be recommending this book for years to come. Utterly brilliant, hugely important. Here's the thing: it's perfect. -- Nathan Filer, author of Costa Prize-winning The Shock of the FallExtraordinary. Megan Hunter's prose is exquisite, her depiction of a world descending into chaos is frighteningly real, and yet, it is her portrayal of motherhood - that tender-terrifying experience of bringing a child into a world - that has remained with me. The End We Start From is an incredible, original exploration of all that beauty, boredom and bewilderment. I read it in one sitting, and was deeply moved. -- Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites and The Good PeopleThe End We Start From is relentlessly, achingly personal. Hunter reminds us that disasters are rarely experienced in panorama. Instead, we live bone-deep inside our narrator. This book is fierce, sorrowful, and spiked with moments of bright joy. -- Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Harmless Like YouThe End We Start From is so good and clever: a beautiful, timely book about survival (both domestic and global) shot through with hope and humanity -- Lisa Owens, author of Not WorkingBeautiful . . . Water isn't the thing here, love is. And how we survive as the level of love rises -- Cynan Jones, author of The Dig and The CoveExceptional, stunning. I devoured it -- Megan Bradbury, author of Everyone is WatchingA dystopia that feels utterly convincing as our narrator gives birth to her son in a London under threat of advancing flood waters. She lives in the gulp zone so must head off into a familiar territory that has become terrifying in search of shelter and safety. This slender take on new motherhood has stayed with me – not least in making me think about the UK as a place to flee from rather than to, and to imagine Londoners turned refugees. -- Cathy Rentzenbrink * Stylist *Spellbinding . . . a debut [that] packs a punch that belies its brevity, with the author's background in poetry shining through . . . The End We Start From is a slender novel, but more profoundly moving than novels six times as long. It is perfectly balanced between fear and wonder. The world around them may be falling apart in the most extraordinary way, but ordinary life goes on and, as Hunter makes us understand, what a beautiful life it is. * The Bookseller *Powerful . . . an uplifting celebration of the reality of motherhood in the face of terrifying global disaster * Daily Mail *I held my breath reading this beautiful and timely novel. With precise yet lyrical language Megan Hunter gets to the centre of who we are, where we are, and why it matters. The End We Start From is a work of art -- Christie Watson, author of Tiny Sunbirds Far AwayThis debut is a story of a new mother and her baby who are turned into refugees after a mysterious environmental crisis. The End We Start From is a relevant story of our times which shrewdly ponders the meaning of survival and humanity in desperate times * Wales Arts Review *Startling . . . beautiful and insightful. Everyone who reads this will come away feeling renewed * Elle Magazine *Megan Hunter's slender, startling debut shimmers with light, even as the novel heads into dark territory . . . tender and profound -- Psychologies Book of the MonthExtraordinary . . . The End We Start From is reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, in that it shares the same narrative detachment, and the same precise poetry. It is of course told from the perspective of a mother, rather than a father, and is set in a world that is only beginning to fall into chaos. And in the midst of it all, each parent cradles their child, enchanted by their breathing. “Sometimes he sleeps so quietly it seems that he has gone.” Megan Hunter’s remarkable debut novel feels like the other half of the story * Financial Times *In a future London, a mysterious environmental crisis is causing flooding. On the day a woman gives birth to her first child, Z, her home and the city is submerged, and she and her husband R are forced to leave in search of safety. In a scant 127 pages, Megan Hunter creates a powerful and painful story of love and endurance, and of the experiences of being a mother and a refugee * Stylist *A haunting dystopian tale unlike any you’ve read before. In the aftermath of an environmental disaster, London is submerged by floodwater and the narrator, who remains unnamed, is forced to flee with her newborn baby. Despite the world as they know it crumbling around them, mother and son grow and thrive in this dangerous new Britain, where they’ve been recast as refugees. Poetic, precise, and surprisingly full of warmth, this is a beautiful story about the first months of motherhood and the places where hope springs, even in the darkest of times * AnOther *Brilliant . . . Hunter traces - with expert precision and such lyricism - who we are when life is minimised . . . an echo of Jenny Offill's Dept of Speculation . . . a visceral, poetic confession -- Sinéad Gleeson * Irish Times *Fans of Station Eleven will love this. * Red magazine *The End We Start From is an effective, unusual and ambitious debut, which keeps the reader pinned to the page * Guardian *Set in a post-apocalyptic Britain, Megan Hunter's debut is lyrical, uplifting and unmissable * Stylist *A stunning tale of motherhood. Megan has crafted a striking and frighteningly real story of a family fighting for survival that will make everyone stop and think about what kind of planet we are leaving behind for our children -- Benedict CumberbatchStrange and haunting . . . This isn’t a novel in which exposition is a problem; it’s more Virginia Woolf does cli-fi . . . Good news then that film rights have already been snapped up, by Benedict Cumberbatch’s production company SunnyMarch and Hera Pictures. Let’s just hope they do it justice; the dystopian elements are the easy sell, the beating heart of this tender and tremendous story is without doubt Hunter’s portrait of early motherhood, an all-encompassing world of its own * Independent *Megan Hunter uses words sparingly. In her startlingly poetic debut, The End We Start From, she even rations her letters. She calls her characters R and Z and each paragraph is only a sentence or two long. Hunter tangles the delight and disorientation of new motherhood with scenes of societal collapse. As everything seems to be ending, as London floods, a new life begins, hot and pink and hungry. Hunter writes with delicacy and precision; her imagery is pearlescent in places. It’s a sliver of a novel, but it shimmers. * Observer *Natural disasters and climate-related catastrophes might make for a compelling setting, but to really catch a reader's interest, you need to have the personal touch. And this is a novel that takes that principle down to its sparsest, simplest best, focusing on one woman and her child through a year of turmoil . . . best read in one sitting to fully absorb the haunting, brutal yet loving atmosphere of the narrator's journey . . . does a great job of capturing the intensity of early parenthood . . . a tale of survival in extreme conditions * SFX *Hunter's spare, drumskin-tight prose zings off the page, and ingenious descriptions abound . . . It may only consist of 127 pages of impressionistic, staccato sentences, but this is a book of wide horizons and big ideas, and it's no surprise that Benedict Cumberbatch's company have just acquired movie rights. For Hunter the future looks very bright indeed. * Scotland on Sunday *A story of sheer catastrophe, peppered with endearing experiences and milestones of new motherhood. The element which defines this short piece of dystopian fiction is the unique, elegant writing style . . . The End We Start From is beautiful, thought-provoking and most of all, hauntingly believable. It is a tale of hope at a time when the country truly needs it. A stunning debut. * Manchester Evening News *

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Book SynopsisDaylight is the gripping follow up to Long Road to Mercy and A Minute to Midnight featuring Special Agent Atlee Pine, from one of the world’s most favourite thriller writers, David Baldacci.The huntEver since Mercy was abducted aged six, Atlee has been relentless in her search for her. Finally, she gets her most promising breakthrough yet – the identity of her sister’s kidnapper.The captureAs Atlee and her assistant, Carol Blum, race to track down the suspect, they run into Pine’s old friend and fellow agent, John Puller, who is investigating the suspect’s family for another crime.The killWorking together, Pine and Puller must pull back the layers of deceit, lies and cover-ups that strike at the very heart of global democracy. And the truth about what happened to Mercy will finally be revealed.That truth will shock Atlee Pine to her very core.Continue the gripping series with Mercy.Trade ReviewA riveting brain teaser as well as serving up vivid action scenes -- John Dugdale, Sunday TimesA fabulous new character from a master storyteller. Readers will love Atlee Pine -- Jane Harper, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost ManFBI Agent Atlee Pine is a heroine I'll never forget -- Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling authorIn FBI Agent Atlee Pine, he has envisioned a new kind of heroine, forged in the fire of trauma and driven by a rare kind of strength. It should come as no shock that a thriller writer for the ages has created a character for the ages! -- Gregg Hurwitz, New York Times bestselling author of Orphan X

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