Fiction in translation

Book SynopsisWinner of the Schlegel-Tieck Prize for German Translation'Both a great anti-war novel and a love story, full of tenderness – as around it the world shatters.' – Der Spiegel, 'Novel of the Year'The year is 1944 and Veit Kolbe, a young German soldier, injured fighting in Russia, is recovering in a small village below Drachenwand mountain in Austria. Here he meets Margot and Margarete, two young women who share his hope that sometime, sooner or later, life will begin again.The war is lost but how long will it take before it finally comes to its end? Arno Geiger’s Hinterland, translated from the German by Jamie Bulloch, tells of Veit’s nightmares and the strangely normal life of the village, of the Brazilian who dreams of returning to Rio de Janeiro, of the landlady and her rallying calls, of Margarete the teacher with whom Veit falls in love, but who doesn’t return his affection.But when Veit’s wounds are healed his next call-up orders arrive. The military outlook for Germany and Austria looks increasingly grim and Veit’s luck has run out . . .Translated from the German by Jamie BullochTrade ReviewA great anti-war novel, in the middle of which a love story . . . develops, full of tenderness - as around it the world shatters . . . This impressive, subtle book * Der Spiegel *A profound, distinctive and timeless investigation into what concerns everyone of us: aging and illness, home and family. A meditation on the things we find hard to deal with. A great work of literature about what makes life worth living no matter what * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *A book about the search for a lost world, a lost home and a character presumed lost, as well as about a rediscovered relationship. A powerful, grown-up, curious, and touchingly delightful book -- Die Welt

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Book SynopsisNow an Amazon Prime Original series, Red Queen is the first in Juan Gómez-Jurado's internationally bestselling thriller series, translated by Nick Caistor. Winner of the Cognac Prize 2022 with more than two million copies sold in Spain alone.Sunday Times - Best Thriller Books of the Year'A Spanish spin on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo . . . A female Sherlock Holmes' – The Times'Fizzes with energy . . . echoes of Lisbeth Salander, but the crackling interplay . . . adds an extra layer of originality . . . sparkling' – Best Books of 2023, Financial TimesYou've never met anyone like her . . .Antonia Scott is special. Very special. She is not a policewoman or a lawyer. She has never wielded a weapon or carried a badge, and yet, she has solved dozens of crimes.But it's been awhile since Antonia left her attic in Madrid. The things she has lost are much more important to her than the things awaiting her outside.She also doesn't receive visitors. That's why she really, really doesn't like it when she hears unknown footsteps coming up the stairs.Whoever it is, Antonia is sure that they are coming to look for her.And she likes that even less.Praise for Red Queen:'Often compared with Lisbeth Salander . . . Antonia Scott looks destined to leave every bit as lasting an impression' – Daily Mail'One of the most extravagantly entertaining novels I’ve ever read. It's an electrifying serial-killer thriller . . . I loved every word' – A.J. Finn, bestselling author of The Woman in the WindowTrade ReviewBest thriller books of 2023 . . . What impresses is the brainy brio of Gómez-Jurado's storytelling, as well as his striking depiction of Madrid as two cities, an elegant baroque facade concealing a gothic underworld * Sunday Times *Fizzes with energy and lively scene-setting, switching . . . There are obvious echoes of Lisbeth Salander, but the crackling interplay between Scott and Inspector Gutiérrez, a gay Basque policeman, adds an extra layer of originality, as does Nick Caistor’s sparkling translation. * Financial Times *An electrifying serial-killer thriller, a fiendishly clever puzzle mystery . . . Red Queen tops even The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as a thinking reader’s thriller. -- A.J. Finn, bestselling author of The Woman in the WindowA Spanish spin on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo . . . stylish and stylised . . . A female Sherlock Holmes * The Times *Often compared with Lisbeth Salander from The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Antonia Scott looks destined to leave every bit as lasting an impression. * Daily Mail *What Gómez-Jurado excels at, as conveyed in Nick Caistor’s brisk translation, is pacing of the breakneck variety. Short chapters, funny asides, lethally potent descriptions: They all contribute to a frenetic page-turning momentum . .. you’ll have great fun reading it. * New York Times *This thriller is going to have you gripping that wine glass tight as you race through the pages. * Glamour Magazine *Fast paced, memorable characters and a cinematic story that draws you in hook, line and sinker. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next in the series. -- John Marrs, author of The OneJuan Gomez-Jurado has written a fast, exciting page-turner and it’s the first in a trilogy featuring Antonia and Jon. You’ll be wanting more. * The Record *Fans of Scandinavian crime thrillers might want to broaden their horizons with the first book in a Spanish trilogy featuring a mismatched duo . . . Already an international hit, Gómez-Jurado’s smart page-turner has been made into an Prime Video series that will debut later in 2023 * Washington Post *A fast-paced thriller . . . giving us a mash-up of Nordic noir and an old-school detective with a neurodivergent mind . . . Red Queen works because along with a genius-protagonist, Gomez-Jurado has successfully wo­ven in the other ingredients that thrill a mystery reader: a diabolical antago­nist, a twisty game and a ticking clock. * Open The Magazine *A labyrinth of mystery, crisply plotted and paced, way ahead of the pack. -- Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Kaiser's WebSuspenseful and terrifying . . . A bit of Clarice Starling and a lot of Lisbeth Salander make Antonia a thoroughly compelling character, who will return in two more translations to complete Gómez-Jurado’s trilogy, -- Jane Murphy * Booklist starred review *Exciting . . . a nice balance among character, action, and setting . . . The next two, Loba Negra (Black Wolf) and Rey Blanco (White King), must be translated into English, because thriller fans will be waiting. Fast-moving and quirky fiction from Madrid. * Kirkus Reviews *Nail-biting . . . tantalizing . . . Lizbeth Salander fans will find much to like. * Publishers Weekly *This has all the velocity and thrills of Stieg Larson’s Millennium series but none of the eyeroll-inducing misogyny . . . it's all-engrossing. * First Clue (starred review) *Fresh and appealing to those that enjoy interesting characters and stories that constantly move forward and tales that end in unexpected ways. * Mystery and Suspense *Red Queen is a smart, addictive thriller, beautiful in both its complexity and devotion to characterization. Between the stunning plot twists, bold structural choices and surprising moments of wry humour, you won’t be able to put this one down -- Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author of Find MeThis terrific novel has all the page-turning elements of the very best thrillers, but what makes it truly remarkable is the writing itself. Engaging and heartbreaking, witty and wry and immersive . . . Juan Gómez-Jurado has written an instant classic -- Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of Her Perfect LifeReaders are going to fall for Antonia Scott. This character is, without a doubt, the best thing that has happened to the international thriller in the last ten years * ABC *Red Queen is terrific – a complex story that unfolds at breakneck speed, a compelling plot filled with twist after twist, a story told with rich, fluid language, and a fascinating, well-realized unlikely pair of characters, especially the brilliant Antonia Scott. -- David Morrell, New York Times bestselling author of Murder as a Fine ArtThe most compelling and original detective since Lisbeth Salander * The Times South Africa *

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Book SynopsisPowerful and compelling' Guardian'Mathieu, a wonderful writer, echoes the grittiness and compassion of Émile Zola in Germinal' Sunday TimesAfter the closure of a small-town factory is announced, the local community is hit by the prospect of mass unemployment. With nothing left to lose, the desperate workers take matters into their own hands. Martel, a former trade union rep, and Bruce, a bodybuilder on steroids, resort to extreme measures. And after an attempted kidnapping goes horribly wrong, they are dragged into a spiraling frenzy of crime. In the political tradition of Balzac and Zola, Of Fangs and Talons announces Nicolas Mathieu as one of the most urgent contemporary voices in French literature.'Nicolas Mathieu has written one of the best crime novels of the year'Le MondeTrade ReviewBefore Nicolas Mathieu won the Prix Goncourt in 2018 for And Their Children After Them he wrote this remarkable novel about two small-town scallies who resort to crime when the local factory closes down . . . Mathieu, a wonderful writer, echoes the grittiness and compassion of Émile Zola in Germinal * Sunday Times *There are several intersecting stories in this bleakly uncompromising portrait of working-class life in the Vosges . . . this tale of helpless, resentful people with nothing to lose is powerful and compelling. -- Laura Wilson * Guardian *Award-winning novelist Nicolas Mathieu portrays how the destruction of working-class communities has fed cynicism and despair. -- Conrad Landin * Jacobin Magazine *A first novel of rare power * Le Figaro Littéraire *Nicolas Mathieu has written one of the best crime novels of the year * Le Monde *

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Book SynopsisA TLS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023'Marvellously unpredictable . . . by the end of the book you wish it was twice as long' (Daily Telegraph)'Beautifully translated . . . The perfect way into [Ferdinand von Schirach's] oeuvre' TLSHow does the legacy of a family past shape who we are?Ferdinand von Schirach is one of Germany's most eminent criminal defence lawyers and an internationally bestselling crime writer. He is also the grandson of Baldur von Schirach, leader of the Hitler Youth movement.In Coffee and Cigarettes, his most personal book, von Schirach confronts his family history, through autobiographical vignettes and short stories drawn from his life and career. From conversations with imprisoned clients, great writers and supreme court judges; meditations on art, film, writing and smoking; to reflections on Germany's heavy history, Coffee and Cigarettes is a portrait of the author, and our modern world, depicted in von Schirach's signature cool and incisive prose. Revealing, revelatory and thought-provoking, these essays confirm von Schirach as one of the most inimitable writers in Europe today.Trade ReviewVeering between the insightful and the oblique, some of these jottings sear themselves onto your mind instantly [. . .] one quickly develops a taste for von Schirach's unpredictable musings, a taste which has become such a full-blown addiction by the end of the book that you wish it was twice as long -- Jake Kerridge * Telegraph *Beautifully translated . . . the volume thrives on the tension between von Schirach's deceptively simple prose and his profoundly humane view of the ethical calamities of our age. Combining moving character studies with essayistic contemplations of the nature of justice, human dignity and our collective human frailty, von Schirach reflects both on our capacity for cruelty and on our ability to experience healing moments of connection * TLS *

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Book Synopsis'Mesmerising and utterly absorbing' New York Times'A magnificent storyteller' Der Spiegel A retired small-town doctor takes a garden axe to his cruel wife.A woman laces her brother's food with barbiturates.Two men steal a priceless Japanese tea bowl with brutal consequences.What drives a person to commit a crime?Our narrator knows that behind every misdeed is a story waiting to be told. In this collection of chilling cases, a nameless lawyer recounts the love, obsession, selfishness and despair that influenced his clients' irrevocable choices. Drawn from Ferdinand von Schirach's eminent career as a criminal defence lawyer, Crime blends fiction with real life, each story a revealing, unsettling insight into what may compel a person to act beyond the law.Trade ReviewMesmerizing . . . a slim, utterly absorbing collection of 11 stories plucked from [von Schirach's] legal career and told in a cool, patient voice that immediately draws the reader in -- Olen Steinhauer * New York Times *Praise for Ferdinand von Schirach * - *Addictive . . . fascinating * The Spectator *Ice-cool, effortlessly classy prose * Observer *Tantalising and disturbing in equal measure -- Laura Wilson * Guardian *An exceptional prose stylist * New York Times *A magnificent storyteller * Der Spiegel *Psychologically raw . . . delivered in a crisp translation by Katharina Hall, his unfussy prose is icily effective . . . it suggests that all justice systems are flawed, that they are all just processes. And, with immense empathy, von Schirach's stories show what happens to people when they are processed. -- Christian House * Financial Times *The stories are cool, meticulously crafted, pithy and mordantly amusing . . . this is an unsettling, affecting, extremely powerful book. Highly recommended -- Declan Hughes * Irish Times *An impressive page-turner with substance and bite * Bookmunch *Thrilling and edgy, often carrying a twist in the tale -- To the Ends of the Word blog

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Book SynopsisFrom the mind of a psychologist comes a chilling domestic thriller that gets under your skin.**One of Cosmopolitan's 25 of the best books to read this summer 2021**"A wonderful storyteller" Chris Whitaker "Creepy, compelling and very well written" Harriet Tyce"Wonderfully creepy, twisty and compelling" Karen Hamilton"Masterfully paced and hauntingly written" Anna Bailey"Gets under your skin" Jo Spain"I couldn't put it down" Sarah WardAt first it's the lie that hurts.A voicemail from her husband tells Sara he's arrived at the holiday cabin. Then a call from his friend confirms he never did. She tries to carry on as normal, teasing out her clients' deepest fears, but as the hours stretch out, her own begin to surface. And when the police finally take an interest, they want to know why Sara deleted that voicemail.To get to the root of Sigurd's disappearance, Sara must question everything she knows about their relationship.Could the truth about what happened be inside her head?Translated from the Norwegian by Alison McCulloughTrade ReviewA sharply observed thriller with a plot packed full of psychological suspense. I couldn't put it down. -- Sarah Ward, author of Bitter ChillTense and atmospheric, this psychological thriller gets under your skin. Helene Flood keeps presenting questions to her reader, sending us every which way, as she builds towards the stunning and satisfying conclusion. -- Jo SpainMasterfully paced and hauntingly written, The Therapist creeps up on you and leaves you looking over your shoulder long after you've turned the last page. -- Anna Bailey, author of Tall BonesDark, absorbing and richly complex. Helene Flood is a wonderful storyteller and The Therapist kept me guessing till the final, devilish twists. -- Chris WhitakerWonderfully creepy, twisty and compelling, with a rising sense of dread that will keep readers turning the pages right through to the unexpected ending. -- Karen Hamilton, author of The Perfect GirlfriendCreepy, compelling and very well-written. The Norwegian setting and the questions it poses about crime and punishment are particularly interesting. -- Harriet Tyce, author of Blood OrangeTense and atmospheric . . . Well plotted with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. -- Breda Brown * Irish Independent. *A marvellously assured debut thriller. -- Declan Burke * Irish Times. *Flood takes her time but manipulates audience expectations with considerable aplomb. -- Barry Forshaw * Financial Times. *A striking debut. -- Andrew Rosenheim * Spectator *Will have you up all night with the lights on. * Elle. *Don't read this one at night. * Woman’s Weekly. *Chilling * Bella *We all love a Norwegian crime drama, and this is set to be your new favourite * Cosmopolitan *

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Book Synopsis*WINNER OF THE BEST TRANSLATED BOOK AWARD USA**SHORTLISTED FOR THE EBRD PRIZE**SHORTLISTED FOR THE OXFORD-WEIDENFELD PRIZE*"A writer and thinker of ever greater relevance, a voice whose wide-ranging screeds we ignore at our peril" CLAIRE MESSUD"Her work is of such power and scope that had she remained alive, she would have been a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature" JOSIP NOVAKOVICH, Los Angeles Review of BooksAn urgent new novel about death, war and memory, and a bristling follow-on from Belladonna.In this extraordinary final work, Daša Drndic's combative, probing voice reaches new heights. In her relentless search for truth she delves into the darkest corners of our lives. And as she chastises, she also atones.Andreas Ban failed in his suicide attempt. Even as his body falters and his lungs constrict, he taps on the glass of history - an impenetrable case filled with silent figures - and tries to summon those imprisoned within. Mercilessly, fearlessly, he continues to dissect society and his environment, shunning all favours as he goes after the evils and hidden secrets of others. History remembers the names of perpetrators, not of the victims.Ban travels from Rijeka to Rovinj in nearby Istria, from Belgrade to Toronto to Tirana, from Parisian avenues to Italian palazzi. Ghosts follow him wherever he goes: chess grandmasters who disappeared during WWII; the lost inhabitants of Latvia; war criminals who found work in the C.I.A. and died peacefully in their beds. Ban's family is with him too: those he has lost and those with one foot in the grave. As if left with only a few pieces in a chess game, Andreas Ban plays a stunning last match against Death.Translated from the Croatian by Celia HawkesworthTrade ReviewThere is great wisdom, along with dark history, in these pages, for those ready to take on the challenge... E.E.G. reveals Drndic as a writer and thinker of ever greater relevance, a voice whose wide-ranging screeds we ignore at our peril. * Guardian *Funny, angry, informed and intent on the truth, no voice is quite as blisteringly beautiful as that of Daša Drndic . . . a major literary artist, a truthteller and custodian of the collective memory of forgotten European Jews * Financial Times *Her work is of such power and scope that had she remained alive, she would have been a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature * L.A. Review of Books *Her incisive skill and radical style render potentially grim reading compulsive. She was a voice of - and for - our times * T.L.S. *One of the handful of truly great artists of our beleaguered epoch, her historically-based, semi-autobiographical fictions are as exhilarating as they are disturbing; dense, profound and extraordinarily readable * Calvert Journal *Drndic will be remembered for her outspokenness, her refusal to be quiet, her interrogation of history, and her exploration of difficult or taboo topics * White Review *E.E.G. is a monument against the common notion that political convictions soften with age, as you learn to let the world off the hook. Neither Drndic nor her books did any such thing. * Harper's Review *This is a novel of ideas but also of exquisite poetry . . . An elegant search for lost time and a fitting valediction by a superb writer. * Kirkus *Reading Daša Drndic is not for the fainthearted. Anger radiates from Drndic's pages, and perhaps the book's greatest strength is the way in which it gives a voice to those people who are unable to tell their own stories. * Guardian *Drndic has in her own way composed an astonishment that extracts light from darkness * The Jewish Daily Forward *The formidable Daša Drndic has created something like a modern-day Homeric narrative of wars that are anything but glorious. In Celia Hawkesworth, she has a translator of genius who shares her vision. It is difficult to suggest a contemporary English-language novel with which to compare it, or one that might even approach its eloquence and daring. * Los Angeles Review of Books *It has become blurb fodder to describe a writer as "essential", but in the case of Daša Drndic this can be said with seriousness and certainty . . . Read everything by her. -- Ronan Hession

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Book Synopsis"Both a pleasure and a testament to life in Ukraine, before" Sunday Times"Ukraine's greatest living novelist" New European"A Ukrainian Murakami" GuardianA love letter to the beautiful city of Lviv, by the author of Death and the Penguin and Grey Bees.Strange things are afoot in the cosmopolitan city of Lviv, western Ukraine. Seagulls are circling and the air smells salty, though Lviv is a long way from the sea . . . A ragtag group gathers round a mysterious grave in Lychakiv Cemetery - among them an ex-KGB officer and an ageing hippy he used to spy on. Before long, Captain Ryabtsev and Alik Olisevych are teaming up to discover the source of the "anomalies".Meanwhile, Taras ­- who makes a living driving kidney-stone patients over cobblestones in his ancient Opel Vectra - is courting Darka, who works nights at a bureau de change despite being allergic to money.The young lovers don't know it, but their fate depends on two lonely old men, relics of another era, who will stop at nothing to save their city. Shot through with Kurkov's unique brand of black humour and vodka-fuelled magic realism, Jimi Hendrix Live in Lviv is an affectionate portrait one the world's most intriguing cities.Translated from the Russian by Reuben WoolleyTrade ReviewPlayful and ebullient, shot through with magical twists and supernatural turns . . . A reminder of Kurkov's prodigious storytelling gifts and a throwback to an earlier, happier age * Observer *This beguiling literary postcard from a recent, now supplanted past brims with the bittersweet charm and rueful satire of the books, such as Death and the Penguin, that established Kurkov's international reputation * Financial Times *Both a pleasure and a testament to life in Ukraine, before -- David Sexton * Sunday Times *Entertaining and poignant . . . A multi-layered, Chagal-like picture of modern-day Ukraine. * Glasgow Herald *A craftily constructed novel that undermines and transforms itself in a consistently enjoyable manner without the haze of purple prose. * Irish Times *Charming . . . A love letter to Lviv, Ukraine's linguistic and cultural capital * Guardian *The characters are lovingly drawn and exude the sort of warmth with which the author imbues all of his creations. You enjoy the time spent in their company * The Times *Kurkov draws us with deceptive ease into a dense complex world full of wonderful characters -- Michael PalinA latter-day Bulgakov . . . A Ukrainian Murakami * Guardian *A post-Soviet Kafka * Daily Telegraph *A kind of Ukrainian Kurt Vonnegut * Spectator *Ukraine's greatest living novelist New European -- New European

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Book SynopsisThirteen-year-old Agostino is spending the summer at a Tuscan seaside resort with his beautiful widowed mother. When she takes up with a cocksure new companion, Agostino, feeling ignored and unloved, begins hanging around with a group of local young toughs. Though repelled by their squalor and brutality, and repeatedly humiliated for his weakness and ignorance when it comes to women and sex, the boy is increasingly, masochistically drawn to the gang and its rough games. He finds himself unable to make sense of his troubled feelings. Hoping to be full of manly calm, he is instead beset by guilty  curiosity and an urgent desire to sever, at any cost, the thread of troubled sensuality that binds him to his mother. Alberto Moravia’s classic, startling portrait of innocence lost was written in 1942 but rejected by Fascist censors and not published until 1944, when it became a best seller and secured the author the first literary prize of his career. Revived here in a new translation by Michael F. Moore, Agostino is poised to captivate a twenty-first-century audience.

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Book SynopsisIn this vivid and enchanting novel, Mia Couto masterfully interweaves history with folklore and has managed to create a work of rare originality and imagination.

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Book SynopsisA death, a lie, a secret. For twenty-six summers he didn’t have the courage to face the past. Lee Hanjo is an artist at the peak of his fame, envied and celebrated. Then, on his forty-third birthday, he awakens to find that his devoted wife has disappeared, leaving behind a soon-to-be-published novel she’d secretly written about the sordid past and questionable morality of an artist with a trajectory similar to Hanjo’s. It’s clear to him that his life is about to shatter and the demons from his past will come out. But why did his wife do it? Why now? The book forces Hanjo to reflect on a summer from his youth when a deadly lie irreversibly and tragically determined the fates of two families. From master storyteller J. M. Lee, one of Korea’s most renowned authors, comes an unforgettable novel of hidden truths, denials, and their inevitable repercussions. Everyone still left standing from that terrible summer so long ago must finally reckon with the deceptions that started it all and, twist after shocking twist, reap both the suffering and the vindication that comes with revenge.Trade ReviewPraise for Broken Summer “Few things are as mysterious as what goes on in a marriage, sometimes even one’s own…[in] J.M. Lee’s emotionally wrenching Broken Summer.” —The New York Times “Skillfully rendered into English by translator An, the novel contemplates these issues in a murder mystery notable for its nuanced storytelling…A subtle psychological thriller.” —Kirkus Reviews “Lee excels at psychological realism, and Hanjo’s quest to learn the truth feels naturally driven by deep, painful emotions…This exquisite portrait of minds torn apart by mourning will appeal not just to mystery readers.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “This is an engrossing and beautifully written mystery, with complex characters that Lee delicately strips bare.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Peeling back layers with utmost precision, Lee bares a portrait of an artist as a desperately troubled young man; even more admirable are the masterful manipulations necessary for such decimating exposure.” —Booklist “Broken Summer is an elegiac thriller, a vivid family portrait, a study of guilt, deception and revenge across class divides, and the gifted JM Lee’s most accomplished novel to date.” —David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas and Utopia Avenue Praise for J.M. Lee “Channeling timeless quests from The Odyssey on while highly reminiscent of Vikas Swarup’s contemporary cult classic Q & A (the literary inspiration for celluloid sensation Slumdog Millionaire), Lee’s latest should guarantee exponential growth among savvy Western audiences searching for a universal story with global connections. In a phrase, read this.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Another outstanding thriller from Lee (after The Investigation, 2015), whose novels have garnered massive acclaim in Korea.” —Booklist “Lee’s novel touches on the literary need for character-driven stories that move beyond the strangeness and horror of life under the North Korean state. This, along with its thriller-like pace, make The Boy Who Escaped Paradise worth a read.” —Paste “A smart, riveting read.” —Publishers Weekly “The language is mesmerizing. An exciting adventure added to rich characters, all multiplied by stunning language, equals an unforgettable novel.” —Shelf Awareness

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Book SynopsisFor Detective Edgar "Lefty" Mendieta, tormented by past heartbreak and dismayed by all-pervasive corruption, the murder of lawyer Bruno Canizales represents just another day at the office in Culiacán, Mexico's capital of narco-crime.There is no shortage of suspects in a city where it's hard to tell the gangsters from the politicians. Canizales was the son of a former government minister and the lover of a drug lord's daughter, and he nurtured a penchant for cross-dressing and edgy sex. But why did the assassin use a silver bullet? And why, six days later, did he apparently strike again? Mendieta's hunt for the killer takes him from mansions to low-life bars, from gumshoe reporters to glamourous transsexuals. Unearthing the truth can be as dangerous as any drug.Trade ReviewOne of the biggest names in Mexican literature . . . A true novelist . . . No one has captured the exciting and passionate nature of the Mexican vernacular like him -- Arturo Pérez-ReverteIf you are fed up with formulaic noir novels and looking for something fresher, Elmer Mendoza's dazzling Silver Bullets could be the answer * Sunday Times *Presents Mexico in a darkly surrealist light: corrupt politicos, a plague of narco-crime and only battered detective Edgar "Lefty" Mendieta on the side of the angels * Independent *Casts a wide net over modern Mexican life and an array of well-drawn characters, some powerful, some weak, some depraved . . . Mendoza's creation is nothing like standard pulp fiction * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisA darkly hilarious tale of a model family's disintegration. Professor Siem Sigerius - maths genius, jazz lover, judo champion, Renaissance man. When Aaron meets his girlfriend Joni's family for the first time, her multitalented father could hardly be a more intimidating figure, but somehow the underachieving photographer manages to bluff his way to a friendship with the paterfamilias. With his feet under the table at the beautiful Sigerius farmhouse, Aaron feels part of the family. A perfect family. Until, that is, things start to go wrong in a very big way. A cataclysmic explosion in a firework factory, the advent of internet pornography, the reappearance of a forgotten murderer and a jet-black wig-all play a role in the spectacular fragmentation of the Sigerius clan... and of Aaron's fragile psyche. 'One wild ride: a swirling helix of a family saga...a new writer as toe-curling as early Roth, as roomy as Franzen and as caustic as Houellebecq. Don't let me forget to mention Jonathan Reeder's note-perfect English translation.' Anthony Cummins, Sunday Telegraph, 5-stars 'Dutch bestseller about internet porn lives up to hype....a considerable achievement for a seasoned writer, much less a newcomer...' James Kidd, Independent 'Fluent and complex, uncompromising and occasionally shocking...' Daily Mail 'Buwalda writes with ferocious dexterity... Bonita Avenue is a family epic seething with learning and regret, the kind with which commuting becomes a pleasure.' New Statesman 'A brilliantly constructed story, with complex characters tested to the limit' The Lady 'One of the first great European novels of the 21st century' Foyles Bookshop interview with author Highly, highly recommended reading.Savidge Reads If I had to choose one first novel, it would be the addictive bedlam of Bonita Avenue... deserves to be a book, not just a debut, of the year' Independent Books of the Year 'Dripping with sex and bursting with comedy... in a plot of fiendish ingenuity. Buwalda has a cold eye for the hilarity of human disaster that would make Evelyn Waugh blanch. Read this book, love it, and try to ignore the twisting in your gut.' Booktrust 'Great European art: the Dutchman Peter Buwalda explodes the bourgeois family saga. The narrative pyrotechnics alone are a tour de force.' Die Zeit Born in Brussels in 1971, Peter Buwalda is a Dutch novelist, formerly a journalist, editor at several publishers, and founder of the literary music magazine Wah-Wah. Bonita Avenue is his debut novel. Published in 2010 to critical acclaim, it was shortlisted for twelve prizes, going on to win the Academica Prize, the Selexyz Debut Prize, the Tzum Prize, the Anton Wachter Prize and the Leesclubboek van het jaar. It spent two years on the bestseller lists, and has since been translated into seven languages. Bonita Avenue is a suspenseful, incendiary and unpredictable debut-of relationships torn apart by lies, and minds destroyed by madness.Trade ReviewAn instant literary classic, loaded with suspense -- Herman Koch, author of The Dinner [A] dazzling family saga... [Buwalda's] brilliance is unique -- Kate Saunders The Times One wild ride: a swirling helix of a family saga...a new writer as toe-curling as early Roth, as roomy as Franzen and as caustic as Houellebecq. -- Anthony Cummins Sunday Telegraph, Best Novels and Fiction Books of 2014 Fluent and complex, uncompromising and occasionally shocking... Daily Mail Deftly constructed, dark, disturbing and sharply funny, Bonita Avenue is a masterpiece of characterisation and one of the first great European novels of the 21st century Foyles, Best Fiction of 2014 If I had to choose one first novel, it would be the addictive bedlam of Bonita Avenue... [It] deserves to be a book, not just a debut, of the year -- James Kidd Independent, Best Debuts of the Year Buwalda writes with ferocious dexterity... Bonita Avenue is a family epic seething with learning and regret, the kind with which commuting becomes a pleasure. New Statesman Dripping with sex and bursting with comedy... in a plot of fiendish ingenuity. Buwalda has a cold eye for the hilarity of human disaster that would make Evelyn Waugh blanch. Read this book, love it, and try to ignore the twisting in your gut Booktrust Buwalda's magnificent first novel offers proofof Tolstoy's dictum that 'every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way' Publishers Weekly (starred review) A brilliantly constructed story, with complex characters tested to the limit The Lady Highly, highly recommended reading Savidge Reads Dutch bestseller about internet porn lives up to hype... a considerable achievement for a seasoned writer, much less a newcomer. -- James Kidd Independent The Dutch answer to Jonathan Franzen NRC Handelsblad Great European art: the Dutchman Peter Buwalda explodes the bourgeois family saga: the narrative pyrotechnics alone are a tour de force Die Zeit Peter Buwalda's impressive family saga is a genuine page-turner, with a forceful, precise style. The author races with unstoppable speed towards the finish, without getting entangled in the numerous gripping narrative strands, without even steering out of the curve. Libris-Prize Jury Report, 2011 Buwalda's debut novel [is] daring in its linguistic power and freedom, and impressive, even frightening, in its psychological sharpness and precision ... great and outrageous. Frankfurter Rundschau A literary sensation. Bonita Avenue is no less than a phenomenal masterpiece tip berlin Extraordinarily gripping. A dream debut HP/De Tijd The plot orchestration and lively character renderings of "Bonita Avenue" are dazzling The New York Times Book Review A robust dark farce ...Whatever literary benchmark you use, the book's hyperbolic excess and willingness to plunge recklessly to the depths are what make it work The New York Times Book Review A bold and assured debut, Bonita Avenue deftly alternates between narrators and settings to keep readers morally unsettled and in suspense... both sprawling and meticulously constructed... a satisfying, psychologically nuanced read Huffington Post It's a fantastic debut which, at over 500pages, doesn't outstay its welcome Glasgow Herald Buwalda's debut...becomes increasingly compulsivereading as it nears its dark close...This tumultuous saga of a family breakingdown...is an international bestseller and award winner. A significant literaryachievement Booklist, (starred review) This award-winning debut novel is flat-outextraordinary. The rich layer of detail would be impressive if applied to onetopic, but Buwalda creates multiple complex worlds around vastly differentsubjects... An outstanding literary suspense story that will appeal to a widerange of readers Library Journal, starred review Dazzling... [A] giddily twisting family drama Penthouse

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Book SynopsisA partisan fighting with the Red Army in Germany comes across a grand, abandoned house, seemingly untouched by the devastation sweeping the country. Exhausted, he falls asleep in the living room, but wakes to find a German patrol marching up the garden path. His only hope is to pose as the house's owner, but how will he keep up the pretence when the real owner returns? Dazzling, dark and scorchingly violent, with the breakneck pace of a thriller, this timeless classic is a vivid depiction of what happens when the mask of decency is cast aside in the savagery of war.

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Book Synopsis'A rich, surprising and devastating story of a female institution long-forgotten' Marj Charlier, author of The Rebel Nun A heretical text, a vengeful husband, a forbidden love... It's 1310 and Paris is alive with talk of the trial of the Templars. Religious repression is on the rise, and the smoke of execution pyres blackens the sky above the city. But sheltered behind the walls of Paris's great beguinage, a community of women are still free to work, study and live their lives away from the domination of men. When a wild, red-haired child clothed in rags arrives at the beguinage gate one morning, with a sinister Franciscan monk on her tail, she sets in motion a chain of events that will shatter the peace of this little world-plunging it into grave danger.Trade Review'Brilliantly juggles history and fiction' - Le Figaro'Sensitive and subtle in substance, carnal and poetic in form... A luminous novel' - Huffingtonpost.fr'Leads us with brio into a little-known Middle Ages of strong, erudite, supportive, and generous women' - Page des libraires

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Book SynopsisStunning edition of the standalone novella from Proust's great masterpiece, in a new translation When Charles Swann first lays eyes on Odette de Crécy, he is indifferent to her beauty. Their paths continue to cross in the drawing rooms and theatres of Parisian high society, and the seeds of desire in Swann begin to flourish. What follows is a journey through self-delusion, jealousy and delirious fantasy, which will take Swann far from the sedate comfort of his society life. A standalone novella from Proust's monumental masterpiece, Swann in Love is a sublimely witty and poignant story of the illusions of love and desire. Full of the rich social satire and penetrating insight that distinguish Proust's style, it is the perfect introduction to one of the world's great novelists.Trade Review “Where to start with... Marcel Proust.” --Lucy Raitz, The Guardian “If you can’t handle 1.5 million words of Proust, try Swann in Love.” --The Washington Post “Surely the greatest novelist of the 20th century.” --Sunday Telegraph “One of the miracles of European literature.” --Guardian

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Book SynopsisTHE TIMES HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR A FINANCIAL TIMES TRANSLATED FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR AN OBSERVER BOOK OF THE YEAR __________ It is 1941, and Antwerp is in the grip of Nazi occupation. Young policeman Wilfried Wils has no intention of being a hero - but war has a way of catching up with people. When his idealistic best friend draws him into the growing resistance movement, and an SS commander tries to force him into collaborating, Wilfried's loyalties become horribly, fatally torn. As the beatings, destruction and round-ups intensify across the city, he is forced into an act that will have consequences he could never have imagined. A searing portrayal of a man trying to survive amid the treachery, compromises and moral darkness of occupation, Will asks what any of us would risk to fight evil.Trade Review'A brilliant, uncomfortable exploration of the moral compromises necessary to live alongside evil' - The Times, Historical Fiction Book of the Year'I loved this book. Will is a vivid, complex, and captivating novel about the grubby moral compromises of life under occupation' - Bart van Es, author of The Cut Out Girl'A masterful book, a gripping epic, necessary and gorgeously written' - Stefan Hertmans, author of War and Turpentine'Constantly grapples with what the ordinary man might do when faced with a horror so huge that to resist might threaten his very survival. Olyslaegers bravely explores moral compromise, betrayal and collaboration - and throws our polarised times into sharp relief' - Observer'It is Will's inner darkness that drives this book, and it lends a ferocious energy to the narration... Olyslaegers seems intent on pulling the scales from our eyes' - Guardian

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Book SynopsisAn irresistible gift edition of the mindbending thriller that inspired Hitchcock's Vertigo He isn't a cop anymore, but when an old friend asks Flavières to keep an eye on his dazzlingly beautiful wife, how can he refuse? And so he begins to scour the streets of wartime Paris in search of a woman who belongs to no one, not even to herself. Soon, intrigue is replaced by obsession, and dreams by nightmares, as the boundaries between the living and the dead begin to blur... This is the original breath-taking psychological thriller behind Hitchcock's legendary film-the story of a desperate man, tormented by his search for the truth, and ultimately destroyed by a dark, terrible secret.Trade Review'This story of obsession, deceit and human frailty has an almost overpowering intensity... Alongside Patricia Highsmith Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac deserve recognition as part of the great tradition of chilling psychological crime fiction.' - Crime Fiction Lover'Makes a fascinating companion to the Hitchcock film, and is, I think, an amazing book in its own right' - Lit Love'Gallic noir at its most psychologically acute' - Crime Scene'A fantastic book' - Col's Criminal Library'One of the pleasures of reading the book is noting how it compares with, and in places even improves on, the film' - The National

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Book SynopsisA survivor of the atomic bombs dropped in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Mr Watanabe has evaded the memory for most of his nomadic life. When the 2011 earthquake strikes, triggering the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the past becomes the present, and Mr Watanabe begins a journey that will change everything. Written with intimacy and compassion, Fracture is a remarkable novel about collective trauma, love and the complexities of human life.

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Book SynopsisA bestseller in Germany, Walter Kempowski's autobiographical novel is a sensorial coming of age story during the years of World War II and a chilling exploration of how one family adjusted to life under the Nazis Growing up in Rostock, in the north of Germany, Walter has a comfortable upbringing: quiet and content, he spends his days scheming with school friends and resisting the torment of his older siblings. But, as the country rolls toward war, the attitudes of his teachers, peers and family begin to slide, and it isn't long before the roar of falling bombs, charged silences and mounting intolerance begin to puncture Walter's carefree youth. Following the Kempowski family from the months before the outbreak of war through to the fall of Berlin, An Ordinary Youth is the fascinating story of an ordinary childhood in extraordinary times. Here, Walter's academic struggle sits alongside his father's conscription; his brother's love of jazz burgeons amid the destruction of the barrages. And all the while, the horrors of Nazism loom in the peripheries - communicated in furtive looks or hushed conversations - running alongside the Kempowski family's daily rituals and occasional scandals. A bestseller in Germany on publication, An Ordinary Youth is all the more unnerving for the warmth, humour and empathy with which Kempowski imbues his hometown. Written with a sensorial immediacy, it is a meticulous chronicle of daily life in 1930s Germany, and a discomfiting exploration of the many forms that complicity can take.Trade ReviewFascinating and disturbing. Kempowski plunges the reader into the already running tide of one of history's great horrors so that we see it as if from within... An Ordinary Youth weaves an impressionistic web of nostalgia, complicity, terror, denial, love and dissidence into an unflinchingly honest re-creation of a time and place that still beggars understanding -- Carol BirchCompellingly immersive in all its intensely evocative detail, sometimes very funny, sometimes not funny at all, An Ordinary Youth reveals once again Kempowski's extraordinary gift... The appalling events of mid-twentieth-century Europe have been the subject matter of many fine writers: arguably none more truthful to the unsentimental, unheroic reality of the lived experience than Kempowski -- David Kynaston, author of Engines of PrivilegeDeeply uncanny. Doing justice to both the innocence of the boy he was and the moral judgment of the man he became, Kempowski creates an appealing and appalling case study in the banality of evil -- Adam KirschMesmerising... Intimate and immediate... A hypnotic immersion deep inside one of our continent's darkest periods and a book that from some angles feels chillingly contemporary * New European *

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Book SynopsisAs the head of Swedish Intelligence in Brussels Bente Jensen has many enemies, even among those who ought to be her allies, like Jonathan Green of MI6. In a city heaving with competing espionage agencies he is the person she fears and distrusts most. She has good reason. They share a past.Green has been part of an MI6 conspiracy to hold, interrogate, torture and kill its political prisoners in a safe house in Syria. This explosive information has been leaked to Bente by a conscience-stricken British operative. When it is clear she can expose this operation MI6 uses its full arsenal of dirty tricks to shame her, disgrace her, destroy her relationships and remove her from active service.But Green's private life has more in common with Bente's than he acknowledges. He is far from fireproof himself. Both spies will find themselves targets of the UK establishment's precisely calculated revenge.Like its highly acclaimed predecessor Into A Raging Blaze Andreas Norman's new novel is a morally and politically complex international thriller. Its nail-biting plot and sympathetic characters show the tragic human consequences of private and public treachery.Trade ReviewThis impressive novel shifts between Brussels, London and Syria in a horrifying and moving exploration of different kinds of betrayal. * Literary Review *Norman is an innovative stylist: the fast-paced narrative, fluently rendered in translation by Ian Giles, is written in the third person present tense with an omniscient narrator. This brings a sense of intimacy that is almost claustrophobic, especially at the roller-coaster climax * Financial Times *In this taut, engaging and fascinating thriller . . . the writing is crisp, the action fast paced, the plot is psychology convincing and the subject matter both credible and contemporary. . . Andreas Norman will be one to watch. * Shotmag *With a credible plot and believable characters, this is a high-tension thriller of dirty tricks and calculated revenge * Choice Magazine *

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Book SynopsisPerfect for fans of Neal Stephenson and Peter F. Hamilton: the blockbuster conclusion to the international sci-fi thriller by German's Number One thriller writer.It's 2025, and the Chinese and the Americans are going head to head on the Moon for helium-3, the rare mineral which will solve all the Earth's energy needs. But not everyone is happy.Billionaire Julian Orley's space-elevator revolutionised space travel; now he's taking a group of international movers and shakers on the trip of a lifetime: to the first-ever hotel on the Moon, hoping to woo them into investing in the future of humanity.But not all of Orly's guests are humanitarians: at least one is pursuing his own dark plot - and now there's a time limit. And how is this linked with the cyber-detective Owen Jericho, the dissident hacker Yoyo, oil magnate Gerald Palstein - and the mysterious organisation called Hydra, who have their own - not very charitable - plans for the universe?Trade ReviewEnthralling and visionary * Thomas Reiter, Astronaut *Full of excitement and danger. [A] complex and well-woven thriller [that] combines a thoughtful vision of the future with relics of the present and creates an atmosphere both alien and familiar * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisThe first part in an epic historical trilogy - The Estonian answer to Wolf Hall - by the nation's greatest modern writer Jaan Kross's trilogy dramatises the life of the renowned Livonian Chronicler Balthasar Russow, whose greatest work described the effects of the Livonian War on the peasantry of what is now Estonia. Like Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell, Russow is a diamond in the rough, a thoroughly modern man in an Early Modern world, rising from humble origins to greatness through wit and learning alone. As Livonia is used as a political football by the warring powers of Russia, Sweden, Poland and Lithuania, he continues to climb the greasy pole of power and influence. Even as a boy, Russow has the happy knack of being in the right place and saying the right thing at the right time. He is equally at home acting as friend and confidante to his ambitious patron and as champion for his humble rural relatives. Can anything halt his vertiginous rise? Like most young men he is prey to temptations of the flesh . . .Trade ReviewHe's a marvellous novelist - his scope and depth make him a world writer - and they should just hurry up and give him the Nobel -- Doris Lessing.He deserved a Nobel prize and would probably have got it had he written in any other language but Estonian -- Neil Taylor * Guardian. *He's almost alone in writing in the older European tradition of the large-scale historical novel. I'd argue that Kross is heir to the 'great' Russo-European 19th century novelists; his fiction has Tolstoyan sweep. On reading him, moreover, we rediscover that Estonia was always resolutely in Europe and not some obscure outpost this side of the Urals -- Fiona Sampson.No stranger to oppression himself, Kross writes about it with a poignancy devoid of anger -- Adam Zamoyski.

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Lisbon, late-1940s. The inhabitants of an old apartment block are struggling to make ends meet. There’s the elderly shoemaker and his wife who take in a solitary young lodger; the woman who sells herself for money and jewellery; the cultivated family come down in the world; and the beautiful typist whose boss can’t keep his eyes off her.Poisonous relationships, happy marriages, jealousy, gossip and love – Skylight brings together the joys and grief of ordinary people. One of his earliest novels, it provides an entry into Saramago’s universe but was lost for decades and published, as per his wishes, after his death.

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Book SynopsisAuxilio Lacouture is trapped.For twelve days she hides alone in a lavatory on the fourth floor of her university. Staring at the floor, she begins a heartfelt and feverish tale: she is the Mother of Mexican poetry.A highly charged first-person semi-hallucinatory novella, Amulet is a potent stream of consciousness through which the poets of Mexico rage and swirl. Filled with wild, dark literary prophecies, heroic poets, mad poets, artists choked by the brilliance of youth', Auxilio's passionate narration both heartbreaking and lyrical is suffused with the essence of Roberto Bolaño's art.TRANSLATED BY CHRIS ANDREWS''Encapsulates the violence and tragedy of recent Latin American history'' The TimesRoberto Bolaño redefined the form of the novel in his masterpiece 2666; with the hallucinatory narrative of Amulet, he reimagines what literature can become' New Statesman

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

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Book SynopsisThe Only Child is a shockingly unnerving psychological thriller from bestselling Korean author Mi-ae Seo ‘An eerie, electrifying read.’ Josh Malerman, New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box ‘A chilling, nuanced examination of today’s and tomorrow’s serial killers and the families who spawned them, The Only Child is a valuable addition to the growing list of Korean crime fiction.’ LA Times ‘Fans of Mindhunter and Silence of the Lambs will love this dark, cognitive duel between psychologist and serial killer.’ Jonathan Trigell, author of Boy A Criminal psychologist Seonkyeong has two new people in her life. A serial killer whose gruesome murders shook the world but who has steadfastly remained silent. Until now. A young, innocent looking stepdaughter from her husband’s previous marriage, who unexpectedly turns up at the door after the sudden death of her grandparents. Both are unsettling. Both are deeply troubled. And both seem to want something from her. Can she work out just who is the victim in all of this? Before it’s too late... Trade Review'Wholly absorbing, but without any pandering on the author's part, so that the language, the style, and the mood grow about you, as you slip deeper into the story and realize, quite suddenly, you are immersed. An eerie, electrifying read.' * Josh Malerman, New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box *'A chilling, nuanced examination of today’s and tomorrow’s serial killers and the families who spawned them, The Only Child is a valuable addition to the growing list of Korean crime fiction available to American audiences.' * LA Times *'In this twisted web of coincidence, criminal psychologist Seonkyeong untangles the pasts and motivations of two new acquaintances...as both become increasingly menacing presences in her life.' -- Vanity Fair'Fans of Mindhunter and Silence of the Lambs will love this dark, cognitive duel between psychologist and serial killer.' * Jonathan Trigell, author of Boy A *'This is one creepy book. Come for the serial killers, criminal profilers and spooky children, stay for the twisting character studies and insight into domestic trauma. But check all the locks first.' * Thomas Mullen, author of Darktown *'For fans of Mindhunter, Mi-Ae Seo’s novel The Only Child feels like true crime but is a tour de force of twisty fiction with a shocking ending you won’t be able to stop thinking about. Family secrets abound in this fine novel of psychological suspense.' * Alma Katsu, author of The Deep and The Hunger *'An addictive and shocking psychological thriller... There is a twist here that has to be read to be believed.' -- Refinery29'Korean author Seo’s U.S. debut is a dark dive into the mind-set of serial killers... Fans of Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs, and Zoje Stage’s Baby Teeth will find this admirable.' * Library Journal *‘While much of crime fiction features a parade of children in danger, what about those novels featuring children who are the danger? For those looking to be terrified by sociopathic youths, or those just looking for an all-round nailbiter of a thriller, we recommend The Only Child, in which a behavioural psychologist who studies serial killers becomes the caretaker of a very, very, creepy little girl.’ * CrimeReads best of International Crime Fiction *'With cold precision, Seo creates a chilling and engrossing profile of a next-generation serial killer.' * Kirkus *'The story moves along swiftly; you quickly develop sympathy for the main characters [...] The ending scenes are real page-turners and the final twist was totally unexpected. A gripping psychological thriller which looks at the experiences which make a serial killer, and asks if it's possible to reverse that damage.' * Promoting Crime Fiction *'Korean author Seo makes her debut with a creepy psychological thriller ... Seo stealthily spins an ever-tightening narrative web setting up a doubly shocking climax. It’s a measure of Seo’s skill that she manages to find flashes of humanity in a ruthless murderer. Fans of Netflix’s Mindhunter should feel right at home.' * Publishers Weekly *'This novel feels perfect for fans of the authors Natsuo Kirino and Kanae Minato, plus the films Silence of the Lambs and The Bad Seed. The Korean author’s debut explores nurture vs nature and dark criminal minds as a young and optimistic criminal psychologist is called upon to talk to a convicted killer. It's a great slow-burn read filled with suspense.' * Novel Suspects *'I absolutely loved this debut thriller...expertly plotted, fantastic characters, an absolute pleasure to read... This has a really good chance of being one of my top crime thriller reads this year!' * Independent Book Reviews *'Never in my history of reading thrillers have I ever been invested in the development and safety of every character including the villain...This novel is written with such poise and restraint that I was left all the more speechless in the end.' * Something Bookish *

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Book Synopsis'One of the greatest novels of the Second World War' The Times. 'A remarkable find' Antony Beevor. 'A masterpiece' Mail on Sunday. Stalingrad, November 1942. Lieutenant Breuer dreams of returning home for Christmas. But he and his fellow German soldiers will spend winter in a frozen hell – as snow, ice and relentless Soviet assaults reduce the once-mighty Sixth Army to a diseased and starving rabble. Breakout at Stalingrad is a stark and terrifying portrait of the horrors of war, and a profoundly humane depiction of comradeship in adversity. The book itself has an extraordinary story behind it. Its author fought at Stalingrad and was imprisoned by the Soviets. In captivity, he wrote a novel based on his experiences, which the Soviets confiscated before releasing him. Gerlach resorted to hypnosis to remember his narrative, and in 1957 it was published as The Forsaken Army. Fifty-five years later Carsten Gansel, an academic, came across the original manuscript of Gerlach's novel in a Moscow archive. This first translation into English of Breakout at Stalingrad includes the story of Gansel's sensational discovery.Trade ReviewOne of the greatest novels of the Second World War * The Times *Gerlach's truly magnificent novel [...] is a devastating account of the appalling privations suffered by the German army, left to their fate by the foundering, over-stretched Fatherland. A masterpiece * Mail on Sunday *A remarkable find -- Antony Beevor[It] is so deftly handled and well constructed... It is astonishing that [this] is Gerlach's first attempt at fiction' * The Sunday Times *This excellent book will shine a light on the horrors of the Eastern Front for a new generation of English-speaking readers... An absolute gem of a book' * Soldier magazine *[Written with] raw, vivid immediacy, which piles up compelling images and episodes... It is an exceptional, powerful and moving work' * Sunday Times *Anyone who wants an idea of what Stalingrad was really like should read this book... Gerlach records the lives and feelings of soldiers of all ranks' * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *

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Book Synopsis‘I’m going back to what I was twenty years ago. I’m riding across a terrain of buried curiosity, the adrenaline is starting to flow again, and the old obsessions are coming back: I want to start doing cocaine every day, I want to run after every female who passes, I want to smell the smells of Italy again, I want my old life back. It’s a bit late for all that, I know, but who gives a fuck? I want to die stark naked, drowned in a well of Ballantine’s, surrounded by whores. All this I want, suddenly, I want it very much indeed. But I hide it well.’This is the story of Tony Pagoda, a hero of our time, a man of incredible energies and appetites with a dark secret in his past and a unique perspective on the world.1980s Italy is Tony’s oyster. A charismatic singer, he is talented and successful, up to his neck in money, drugs and women, enjoying an extravagant lifestyle in Naples and Capri. But when life gets complicated, Tony decides it’s time for a change. While on tour, he disappears to Brazil and an existence free from excess, where all he has to worry about are the herculean cockroaches. But after eighteen years of humid Amazonian exile, somebody is willing to sign a giant cheque to bring Tony back to Italy. How will he face the temptations of his old habits and the new century? A huge bestseller in Italy, Everybody's Right is an extraordinary debut novel from the award-winning film director Paolo Sorrentino. It is a book about Italy and a book about the modern world; a book about Tony and a book about all of us. Through Tony’s irresistible voice Sorrentino illustrates his imaginative power and his incredible gifts for drama and satire.Trade ReviewFrequently funny writing... The story speeds along with a fast-moving, Raymond Chandler type plot, although it finishes with a shocking tenderness * Daily Mail *[A] visceral first-person account and fantastically unreliable narration brilliantly capturing the brand of modern-day Italy that Berlusconi exported… A novel of bleak gallows humour * GQ *Flooded with neat aphorisms and winning vignettes…it works as a cock-eyed state-of-the-nation address after the years of Berlusconification… A blackly comic birl through a life of excess, regret and reflection * Glasgow Sunday Herald *A furious, ironic, idiosyncratic, unexpurgated torrent, capturing Italian modernity * Kirkus *Sorrentino uses this novel to deal with Italy's unstoppable descent into today's dazed, corrupted and tragically foolish reality...[in] exceptionally adventurous language * La Repubblica *

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Book SynopsisTense, chilling' MARIANA ENRIQUEZ''Lays bare intergenerational horror, feminine rage and the taking back of power'' STYLIST''Incredible'' FINANCIAL TIMESThe house breathes.The house contains bodies and secrets.The house is visited by ghosts, by angels that line the roof like insects, and by saints that burn the bedsheets with their haloes.Nobody ever leaves.The house was built by a small-time hustler as a means of controlling his wife, and even after so many years, their daughter and her granddaughter can't leave.They may be witches or they may just be angry, but when the mysterious disappearance of a young boy from a local wealthy family draws unwanted press attention, the two isolated women, already subjects of public scorn, combine forces with the spirits that haunt them in pursuit of something that resembles justice.Layla Martínez's eerie debut novel Woodwo

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Book SynopsisA wounded solider vanishes into notoriety.A nose is found in a loaf of bread.Places - like the Nevesky Prospect - are not what they seem. Nikolai Gogol was one of the nineteenth century's greatest and most influential Russian writers, a realist whose witty and acerbic observations and his taste for the absurd give his writing its strange, comic voice. Selected from the work of Constance Garnett, one of Gogol's earliest translators, this edition presents a new, exclusive collection of Gogol's short fiction, selected and lightly revised by Natasha Randall. Contextualized by Randall's preface, and full of the wit of Garenett's work, this edition is the perfect introduction to Gogol, and a must for the enthusiast.

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Book SynopsisA FINANCIAL TIMES 'BEST BOOK OF THE WEEK' CHOICE A sharp, breath-taking exploration of love and relationships. Pietro and Teresa’s love affair is tempestuous and passionate. After yet another terrible argument, she gets an idea: they should tell each other something they’ve never told another person, something they’re too ashamed to tell anyone. In this way, Teresa thinks, they will remain intimately connected forever. A few days after sharing their shameful secrets, they break up. Not long after, Pietro meets Nadia, falls in love, and proposes. But the shadow of the secret he confessed to Teresa haunts him, and Teresa herself periodically reappears, standing at the crossroads of every major moment in his life. Or is it he who seeks her out? Trust asks how much we are willing to bend to show the world our best side, knowing full well that when we are at our most vulnerable we are also at our most dangerous.Trade Review"Trust unfolds with all the tension of a thriller despite much of the action taking place in the mind of the protagonist." * Big Issue North *

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Book SynopsisAn impassioned novel on the consequences of sexual exploitation and the dead ends of forgiveness 13-year-old Cléo lives a drab existence with her parents in a suburb of Paris. Her life changes when she is offered the chance to obtain a scholarship – issued by a mysterious Foundation - to realise her dream and become a modern jazz dancer. But there is more to the Foundation and their suave representative than meets the eye. Soon Cléo finds a trap has closed in on her, and she’s fallen prey to a sinister system in which she’ll eventually become complicit. Over 30 years later, a cache of images surfaces on the internet and exposes the Foundation’s exploitative, hidden purposes. The police put out a call for witnesses, and Cléo, now with a successful career as a dancer behind her, comes to realise the past has come back to haunt her. As her sense of self diffracts into multiple, contrasting images, there’s no way out but to confront her double burden as victim and predator.Trade Review“The deep relevance and the nuanced portrayal of the myriad effects of abuse on their lives are skilfully done…. Layered and disquieting.” * Kirkus Reviews *“This of-the-moment novel that scrutinises how working-class girls’ ambition to be dancers or excel at sport is used to manipulate them for abuse by wealthy men. That the procuring of these girls is done by a woman makes this novel especially pertinent. But there is, to the author’s great credit, no hint of sensationalism in the presentation of this exploitation.” * Irish Times *“Lafon has done a wonderful job of depicting the structures that enable sexual violence, and its traumatic aftermath on the victims: the shame, the disgust, and the need for forgiveness.” * Asymptote Journal *“Expertly crafted in an immersive, captivating story.” * Buzz Magazine *“The great strength of Reeling is the way Lafon weaves together social failures that, on the surface, seem quite disparate.” * LA Review of Books *“A brilliantly written and unsettling novel about those who have power and those who don’t - be it through age, social standing or money. Lola’s writing is never sentimental, but is so powerful in ensuring understand exactly how these events have shaped Cléo’s life and that the issues of power and consent are never clearly defined. I absolutely loved it.” * Years of Reading Selfishly *"A harrowing, painful story, draped in beautifully melancholy writing.” * Les Échos Week-End *“A beautiful, intense novel.” * Madame Figaro *“A fiercely feminist novel... compulsively readable too.” * The New Yorker on The Little Communist that Never Smiled *“A thought-provoking, surprisingly touching story about a little girl who shook up the world.” * The Big Issue on The Little Communist that Never Smiled *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE 2019 AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER When Gilbert wakes one day from a dream that his wife has cheated on him, he flees - immediately and inexplicably - for Tokyo, where he meets a fellow lost soul: Yosa, a young Japanese student clutching a copy of The Complete Manual of Suicide. Together, Gilbert and Yosa set off on a pilgrimage to see the pine islands of Matsushima, one looking for the perfect end to his life, the other for a fresh start. Playful and profound, The Pine Islands is a beautiful tale of friendship, transformation and acceptance in modern Japan.Trade ReviewMiraculous ... Poschmann has all the air of uncovered greatness -- John Self * Guardian *A remarkably tender exploration of modern life ... Poschmann reveals the still beauty to be found in life beneath a mask of black humour. -- Mia Colleran * Irish Times *A blackly funny novel, in which the rhythms of modern life slowly give way to the restorative poetry of the natural world. -- Claire Allfree * Daily Mail *If you've ever wondered how a writer of imagination and wit might blend Murakami-style mysticism with black-humoured realism, this diverting novel will tell you everything you need to know. * Big Issue *Funny, strange and sad ... a refreshing book for the curious reader * Herald *Really fascinating ... on the face of it a simple story with a sort of surreality to it, a playfulness as well ... interesting, left-field ... we absolutely loved it ... a comic confrontation with mortality -- Bettany Hughes, chair of the 2019 Man Booker International Prize judgesAbsurdly delightful * Straits Times *A masterpiece * Die Zeit *Clever, poetic, funny * Tagesspiegel *A dazzling little novel * Süddeutsche Zeitung *Profoundly serene, flawlessly beautiful * TAZ *Ravishingly funny * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *Simply wonderful * Stern *

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Book Synopsis'What a great novel, its language and storytelling so light but also raw and lyrical. A tremendous writer. Read this book' ADRIAAN VAN DIS. Alan Noland discovers his father's memoirs and learns the truth about the violent man he despised. In this unsparing family history, Alan distils his father's life in the Dutch East Indies into one furious utterance. He reads about his work as an interpreter during the war with Japan, his life as an assassin, and his decision to murder Indonesians in the service of the Dutch without any conscience. How he fled to the Netherlands to escape being executed as a traitor and met Alan's mother soon after. As he reads his father's story Alan begins to understand how war transformed his father into the monster he knew. Birney exposes a crucial chapter in Dutch and European history that was deliberately concealed behind the ideological facade of postwar optimism. Readers of this superb novel will find that it reverberates long afterwards in their memory.Trade ReviewA masterly novel about the violence of colonialism, the war of decolonisation, the repatriation of the collaborators and the consequences all of this has had on the families of those involved * De Groener Amsterdammer *Birney mercilessly exposes a crucial part of Dutch history. This masterful novel will echo in the minds of its readers * De Volkskrant *What a great novel, its language and storytelling so light but also raw and lyrical. A tremendous writer. Read this book -- Adriaan van Dis, author of My Father's War and BetrayalA work of unbridled, incensed storytelling: an assault on the lazy assumptions of parochial, colonial history and a personal quest for redemption * South China Morning Post *

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Book SynopsisSet in the Canadian forest, Feral is a feminist eco-thriller, a passionate love story and an ode to nature's ferocious beauty.Raphaëlle, a forty-year-old forest warden, has been estranged from her family for many years. She lives with her beloved dog, Coyote, in a caravan deep in the Canadian woods. Fiercely independent and cut off from civilisation, she is always armed, protecting herself from bears, coyotes and lynxes who she in turn defends from sadistic, overzealous poachers.Soon after Raphaëlle discovers animal footprints outside her cabin, her dog vanishes and is eventually found severely injured. And then it is not long before Raphaëlle herself becomes the prey of the forest's ultimate predator, which is not animal, but man.Trade Review'A gripping thriller and an ode to nature's preservation' -- Corinne Renou-Nativel, Croix'A breath-taking story' -- Laëtitia Favro, Livres Hebdo

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Book SynopsisSalomé was bullied for years and no one did a single thing to help her. One day she finally snapped. Now at just sixteen years old, she's being held in a secure unit for young offenders Salomé's counsellor, the man whose good opinion is key to her release, is best known for his racist gaffes on reality TV. Her father has recently been diagnosed with liver cancer and her elder sister Miriam's main preoccupation is to get out of their small, close-minded village as soon as possible. Both at home and in the unit, things are unbearably tense. Salomé finds it hard to keep her temper and harder still to think about the crime she is charged with committing. But as time passes, she finds new strength to delve into the reasons for her rage and arrive at her own understanding of punishment, penitence and the paradoxical demands made on her existence as a Black woman. Raw and unsentimental, Confrontations is a powerful depiction of racism and resilience from one of the Netherlands' most exciting new literary voices.Trade ReviewConfrontations unpicks the stitches of a young life prematurely defined by violence. Crime, punishment, privilege and racism are explored with the unsentimental, stark precision of a poet's pen. Simone Atangana Bekono is one to watch. -- Alice Slater, author of Death of a BooksellerOne of the best debuts I've read in years. Atangana Bekono's raw scenes are written with enormous tenderness." Do you see it now?" she asks you. And leaves you with a broken heart -- Hanna Bervoets, author of We Had to Remove This PostA tightly wound, forcefully lyrical debut novel by an award-winning Dutch poet ... A psychological mystery whose solution resides in self-discovery. * Kirkus *Confrontations is a moving study of how quietly pivotal events build over time to fuel rage. Simone Atangana Bekono immerses us in the different worlds Salome navigates, gripping us through the character's distinctive voice. There is a tender stubbornness she possesses, and it sealed my attention from the start. I sighed with Salome, laughed with her, dreamt with her, was frustrated for her. This novel will compel you to reconsider what rehabilitation means, and will follow you beyond the final page. -- Theresa Lola, author of In Search of EquilibriumConfrontations tackles heavy subject matter with nuance and empathy, following its complicated protagonist as she grapples with trauma and her sense of self. -- Jeremiah Emmanuel, author of Dreaming in a NightmareA sensitive, moving, and insightful story about an incarcerated teenage girl coming to terms with her social identity, self-understanding, and dreams. The writing captures, believably, the thoughts of a young person facing the devastation of her confinement and what led up to it. Oscillating between unfiltered expression and philosophical realization, and with moments of utter beauty, Bekono captures the anguish of degradation, the desperation of rage, and the loneliness of Salomé's experience at the margins of two cultures. -- Erin I. Kelly, Pulitzer Prize Winning co-author of Chasing Me to My GraveIn the pages of Simone Atangana Bekono's daring, beautifully-written and incredibly observant novel, Confrontations, you'll meet the main character, Salomé, who pays a high price for standing up for herself and the people she loves. Each of Bekono's characters are drawn with so much acuity and honesty. I love this page turner and the colorful cast of characters who populate it. -- De’Shawn Charles Winslow, author of Decent People and In West Mills

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Book SynopsisA glimpse into the world of young people, modern nomads, roving in search of a new and promising life.The Moon in Foil traces the stories of Petra, Natália, Anka, Mika, Juliana, and Jackie as they go out into the world in search of a better life—or maybe just a different one. In post-communist Europe, they have the freedom to study and work in places their parents couldn’t even have visited—Paris, London, Helsinki, and Budapest. But the reality of that “freedom,” they soon discover, is often nothing more than tedious work and poor living conditions. From close looks at the work of a housekeeper at a French hotel, a bartender at an Irish pub, a snowboarding instructor in Slovakia in the winter and an office worker in London in the summer, and a programmer in Helsinki, to explorations of larger topics such as marriage, divorce, and relationships, Zuska Kepplová’s novel is a millennials’ odyssey—a search for the self by the post–Cold War generation.Table of ContentsPetra, ParisAnka, LondonMika, HelsinkiNatália, ParisJuliana, BudapestTrianon–Delta

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Book SynopsisThe terrifying new psychological thriller by internationally bestselling phenomenon Sebastian Fitzek. Walk Me Home is Fitzek's most enthralling work to date. The Walk Me Home telephone helpline service has proved indispensable. Staffed by volunteers, it provides a reassuring voice at the end of the phone, helping to protect lone women as they walk home at night. Jules has only been working for Walk Me Home for a short time and has never had to deal with a truly life-threatening situation. But that all changes one Saturday night when Klara calls. The young woman is terrified. She thinks she is being followed by a man. A man from her past. A man who drew a date in blood on her bedroom wall. And that day dawns in less than two hours... For Klara – and Jules – the stakes have never been higher. Will either of them ever make it home again? Reviewers on Sebastian Fitzek: 'Fitzek's thrillers are breathtaking, full of wild twists' Harlan Coben 'Fitzek is without question one of the crime world's most evocative storytellers' Karin SlaughterTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR SEBASTIAN FITZEK: 'Fitzek's thrillers are breathtaking, full of wild twists.' Harlan Coben. 'Sebastian Fitzek is without question one of the crime world's most evocative storytellers.' Karin Slaughter. 'Sebastian Fitzek is simply amazing. I truly hope that one day I will be able to create suspense and plot twists in the way only Sebastian can. A true Master of his craft.' Chris Carter. 'Spine-chilling... Masterful... Brilliant.' The Times. 'Dazzling.' * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE BERNARD SHAW PRIZEA woman's life, erupting with brilliance and promise, is fissured by betrayal and the pressures of duty. What had once seemed a pastoral family idyll has become a trap, and she struggles between being the wife and mother she is bound to be and yearning for so much more. The woman in question is Sylvia Plath in the final year of her life. As Plath's marriage to Ted Hughes unravels, Sylvia turns increasingly to writing to express her pain and loss, yet also her resilience and power. She has decided to die, but the art she creates in her final weeks will set her name, and the world, ablaze.Trade ReviewAn audacious, gripping novel . . . a book for our times * * Guardian * *Euphoria is about the fissures between motherhood, love and creativity but is also a celebration of Plath's power * * Evening Standard * *Compelling and visceral * * Irish Examiner * *A novel about the conflicted emotional underbelly of female experience - including childbirth, desire, envy, rage, insecurity, ambition . . . Brave * * Times Literary Supplement * *A sensitive and artistic account of a woman attempting to write herself out of oblivion . . . not a book about death, it is a book about art, more specifically, female art, and its resilience and endurance * * Sunday Business Post * *Compelling * * BBC History Magazine * *Imagines the hopes, fears, dreams and memoirs of [Plath's] final months, as well as the growing tensions between the worlds of creativity and domesticity. Based on archival research but explicitly a work of fiction, Elin Cullhed's book aims to focus not on Plath's death but instead on the complexities and contradictions of her life * * History Revealed * *

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Book SynopsisCollected here are Gogol's finest tales - stories which combine the wide-eyed, credulous imagination of the peasant with the sardonic social criticism of the city dweller - allowing readers to experience anew the unmistakable genius of a writer who paved the way of Dostoevsky and Kakfa. All of Gogol's most memorable creations are here: the minor official who misplaces his nose, the downtrodden clerk whose life is changed by the acquisition of a splendid new overcoat, the wily madman who becomes convinced that a dog can tell him everything he needs to know. The wholly unique blend of satire and realism that Gogol crafted established his reputation as one of the most daring and inventive writers of his time.

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Book SynopsisFour Meals is the extraordinary story of Zayde, his enigmatic mother Judith and her three lovers.When Judith arrives in a small, rural village in Palestine in the early 1930s, three men compete for her attention: Globerman, the cunning, coarse cattle-dealer who loves women, money and flesh; Jacob, owner of hundreds of canaries and host to the four meals which lend the book its narrative structure; and Moshe, a widowed farmer obsessed with his dead wife and his lost braid of hair which his mother cut off in childhood.During the four meals, which take place intermittently over several decades, Zayde slowly comes to understand why these three men consider him their son and why all three participate in raising him.Trade ReviewIt's as though the Song of Solomon had been rewritten by Gabriel Garcia Marquez . . . a master class in the storyteller's art. * * Daily Telegraph * *Shalev's novel, plump with incident and character, is structured around the four meals that Jacob, a candidate father, prepares for Zayde, but in between Shalev brings on side dishes of interlocking stories that keep the reader sated. * * Guardian * *This is a literary novel that succeeds in being neither incomprehensible nor humourless. The author writes with a light touch and an eye for amusing quirks of character. * * The Historical Novels Review * *This delicious novel . . . has been wonderfully translated. -- Penny Perrick * * The Times * *

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Book Synopsis'She came in like a shadow. She slid and bore herself into my eye, between my eyelids which blinked against the dust.' She is Maud Gonne, the muse of writer William Butler Yeats. Yeats here returns as a ghost, after having been buried in France in 1939 in the cemetery of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, to be returned to Ireland a decade later. He emerges from his grave to recount his thwarted love with Maud, a story that merges with that of the independence movement of Ireland, of which they were both emblematic actors. Yeats' ghost has suddenly arisen because diplomatic documents long kept secret have resurfaced, casting doubt on the contents of the coffin brought back into Ireland for a state funeral. Where did the poet's body go? Does he still hover, as he wrote, 'somewhere above the clouds'? What remains of our loves and our deaths, if not their poetry? Besserie's exciting new novel follows on from Yell, Sam, If You Still Can (Le Tiers Temps), translated by Cliona Ni Riordain. In Maylis Besserie's second novel, she turns her attention from Samuel Beckett to another iconic Irish writer, W. B. Yeats. The connection between France in Ireland is once again explored in the context of art, culture and the days at the end of life.Trade Review'Scattered Love is a haunting and immersive read, written with the kind of lyricality and depth of tone appropriate for a novel infused with the presence of Yeats. Besserie is almost painterly in the way she employs words, drawing her readers deep into the story she's telling. This is a poem of a novel; the perfect vehicle for capturing Yeats in all his rich complexity.' JAN CARSON 'Maylis Besserie's beautiful novel casts a brilliant light on life and love and death and what remains of us ... The elegant prose and fluid translation have a balming, soothing quality. It is strange and fascinating to read Yeats's sublimely ventriloquised voice, and Madeleine's quest is absorbing, comedic, touching and true. The magic of Yeats has new life here.' DONAL RYAN 'A truly beautiful literary novel from a wonderful storyteller.' JOSEPH O'CONNOR

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2019 A brilliant collection of fictions in the vein of Roald Dahl, Etgar Keret and Amy Hempel. These are stories of what the world looks like from a child's pure but sometimes vengeful or muddled perspective. These are stories of life in a war zone, life peppered by surreal mistakes, tragic accidents and painful encounters. These are stories of fantasist matadors, lost limbs and perplexed voyeurs. This is a collection about sex, death and the all-important skill of making life into a joke. These are unexpected stories by a very fresh voice. These stories are unforgettable.

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Book SynopsisA major work by one of France’s most important authors of the twentieth century, London Bridge is a riotous novel about the London underworld during the First World War. Picking up where its predecessor Guignol’s Band left off, Céline’s narrator recounts his disastrous partnership with an eccentric Frenchman intent on financing a trip to Tibet by winning a gas-mask competition; his uneasy relationship with London’s pimps and whores and their common nemesis, Inspector Matthew of Scotland Yard; and, most scandalous of all, his affair with a colonel’s daughter. Written in Céline’s trademark style – a headlong rush of slang, brusque observation and quirky lyricism, delivered in machine-gun bursts of prose and ellipses – London Bridge recreates the dark days during the Great War with sordid verisimilitude and desperate hilarity.Trade ReviewWriting as alive as speech. -- Simone de BeauvoirIf the French demand bad behaviour from their novelists, they got more than they bargained for with the antisemitic Céline. But they were also getting the prose stylist of the century. -- Tibor Fischer * The Guardian *The most blackly humorous and disenchanted voice in all of French literature… * London Review of Books *

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