Fiction in translation
Other Press LLC Article 353
Book SynopsisThis atmospheric noir novel retraces the steps that led to a murder off the coast of Brittany, probing the relationship between law and justice.
£14.39
Seven Stories Press,U.S. Babylon
Book SynopsisWinner of the Prix Renaudot, this literary novel about a murder straddles the line between the tragic and the absurd - from the author of the plays Art and God of Carnage.
£12.34
Grove Press / Atlantic Monthly Press America
Book SynopsisFrance and the United States have long shared a special relationship, defined both by occasional puzzlement and endless fascination. François Busnel, one of France's most prominent literary critics, seeks to bridge this gap with America, his journal of literature and politics, launched in the wake of the 2016 election and now available to English readers for the first time. In this collection of pieces from the magazine, Alain Mabanckou sketches the outlines of his Los Angeles, where he finds a sense of belonging far from his home country of the Republic of the Congo. Leïla Slimani considers the ways #MeToo is shaping a new discourse of consent on college campuses. Philippe Besson travels through the American heartland, driving from Chicago to New Orleans. Featuring interviews with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Louise Erdrich and original work in English by Richard Powers and Colum McCann, America celebrates the enduring relationship between France and the United States and offers a testament to the essential power of literature to unite in times of division.Trade ReviewA kaleidoscopic reading list of a divided nation. * Columbia Journalism Review *Lucid and humanist, a political literary magazine in which today's most prestigious writers witness, each in their own ways, a disillusioned country. * L’Expres *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Francois Busnel 1: Los Angeles by Alain Mabanckou 2: From Chicago to New Orleans by Philippe Besson 3: Orange Is the New Black by Richard Powers 4: The Outskirts of the City by Marie Darrieussecq 5: The Yellowstone Chronicles by Joël Dicker 6: Hitchhiking along the Border by Sylvain Prudhomme 7: Four Letters from America by Laura Kasischke 8: Chocolate-Colored Washington by Abdourahman Waberi 9: Trans-America by Alex Marzano-Lesnevich 10: A Hat in Manhattan by Francois Busnel 11: Miss Gulliver in America by Leïla Slimani 12: The Home(less) of the Free and the Brave by Lee Stringer 13: Will Evangelicals Save Trump? by Philippe Coste 14: Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Yann Perreau 15: We Must Fight for Our Memory, an interview with Louise Erdrich 16: Among the Amish by Philippe Claudel 17: Las Vegas by Alice Zeniter 18: A Call to Young Writers on the Eve of the Trump Presidency by Colum McCann
£12.34
Interlink Publishing Group, Inc Poison In The Air: A Novel
Book Synopsis
£15.29
Interlink Publishing Group, Inc The Baghdad Villa
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£15.29
World Editions Ltd The Farm
Book Synopsis
£12.34
Academic Studies Press Farewell, Aylis: A Non-Traditional Novel in Three
Book SynopsisThe three novellas ofFarewell, Aylis take place over decades of transition in a country that rather resembles modern-day Azerbaijan. In Yemen, a Soviet traveler takes an afternoon stroll and finds himself suspected of defecting to America. In Stone Dreams, an actor explores the limits of one man's ability to live a moral life amid conditions of sociopolitical upheaval, ethnic cleansing, and petty professional intrigue. In A Fantastical Traffic Jam, those who serve the aging leader of a corrupt, oil-rich country scheme to stay alive. Farewell, Aylis, a new essay by the author that reflects on the political firestorm surrounding these novellas and his current situation as a prisoner of conscience in Azerbaijan, was commissioned especially for this Academic Studies Press edition.Trade Review“Reading Farewell, Aylis is like sitting by the fire at night with the older men of the village and listening to their stories, which in truth are the oral history of a people and a region, which in truth could turn out to be prophecies of our own lives. … In [the essay Farewell, Aylis, Aylisli] writes, ‘And I want to serve my motherland not as a patriot but as a writer.’ And that is what he has done with these stories, making him perhaps the true patriot who does what is truly needed for his country and not what pleases and flatters. One, however, needs to read him first and foremost as a writer and be enamored of the allure of his storytelling.” —Poupeh Missaghi, Asymptote -- Poupeh Missaghi * Asymptote *“Working from Russian translations of the original Azeri (two by the author himself), Young has given great attention to Aylisli’s unique style that combines elements of socialist realism, Middle Eastern and Persian tales, and social satire. Each piece is set in a different time and place and is populated by different protagonists, yet a continuity exists across the whole. What unites these four works is their engagement with historic trauma and the way hushed-up violence and wrongdoing are transmitted through generations, destroying not only individual lives but also the character of the village, region, and country that guilty people inhabit. … A writer, Aylisli teaches us, has no allegiances to a country, an ethnicity, a religion, not even to his own birthplace. ‘But he’s always responsible for the moral appearance of his own people, for the spiritual state of his own fellow citizens.’ And this writer has found the spiritual state of his fellow citizens to be in a dire condition. … As Farewell, Aylis concludes, it leaves a reader with a sense that an individual voice trying to resist the culture of violence is powerless against the status quo; nonetheless, Aylisli’s voice feels necessary and urgent.” —Olga Zilberbourg, The Common -- Olga Zilberbourg * The Common *
£14.24
Catapult My Heart
Book Synopsis
£22.09
American University in Cairo Press The House of the Coptic Woman: A Novel
Book SynopsisA Notable African Book of 2023 (Brittle Paper)Tightly plotted and taboo-breaking, this explosive story takes readers to the roots of religious strife where the smallest of sparks can start a bonfire Nader, an idealistic public prosecutor at the outset of his career, leaves Cairo to start a new posting in rural upper Egypt. On his first night, a mysterious woman named Hoda shows up at his lodgings. She is on the run from an abusive husband and, harboring a dark secret, seeks a new start in this small village and hopes to escape her harrowing past.Nothing is to be easy for Hoda or Nader, and the dramatic circumstances of their first meeting signal the disquiet to come. It is not long before tensions between Copts and Muslims, already on a knife-edge, spiral into a spate of unexplained killings and arson attacks. The locals blame the trouble on the supernatural, and Nader is thrown into a quagmire of sectarian conflict and superstition that no amount of formal training could have prepared him for. His investigations are thwarted at every turn, by uncooperative witnesses and an obstructive police force. As Nader and Hoda each pursue happiness and justice, their parallel journeys struggle against the forces of ignorance, poverty, hatred, and greed. With its echoes of Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Diary of a Country Prosecutor, this is a powerful and personal tale of conflict, crime, and upheaval in rural Egypt.Trade Review“The House of the Coptic Woman is intelligent, complex and rich.”—Arab News“A provocative story of religious strife, justice, and tragedy. . . with a tinge of macabre humor. . . unnerving, and courageous.”—The New Arab“People's houses mysteriously burn, lands change hands and old grudges are never settled. . . . This can be seen as a disquieting novel. It is primarily a portrait of how hard it can be to be human in the midst of other human beings who don't know how to live and let live.”—Daily Kos"These are credible characters and they really ground the story of upheaval and conflict, giving it heft and poignancy, elegantly told, slowly building on the passion behind the story."—Crime Time FM“[An] intricate legal drama. Two disparate narrators—a public prosecutor and a brutalized runaway woman—take turns relating the events in Upper Egypt, where religion-driven politics engender antagonism and violence. . . . . El-Ashmawi's fiction proves to be a sobering exposé of the multilayered abuses of ominous power.”—Shelf Awareness"Captivating yet painful, this story unfolds like a beautiful mosaic around the entrance of an abandoned palace.”—Ibrahim Abdel Meguid, author of Clouds Over Alexandria“This masterpiece will remain one of the best Arabic novels of the past fifty years and it shall live for another fifty years.”—Amad“This excellent book shows incredible courage . . . fast-paced and very realistic. The novel is a cry against injustice.”—Shorouk“Ashraf El-Ashmawi breaks down the three deep-seated taboos in Arab writing: religion, sex, and politics.”—Reuters (Arabic edition)"Ashmawi drills deep into the soul of Egypt. Reminiscent of Alaa Al Aswany's The Yacoubian Building, The House of the Coptic Woman uncovers a complex web of religious conflict, abuse of power, and competition over land in the crammed Nile Valley."—Magdi Abdelhadi, formerly of the BBC"An allegorical tale of religious strife. . . . Much of the story can be read as a thinly veiled critique of the last years of the Mubarak regime, marked by sectarian violence and official corruption."—Kirkus Reviews“Full of pain, tears, and blood, as well as the bitterness of broken dreams, this book fires a warning shot, drawing our attention to the absence of justice, law, and freedom.”—al-Ahram“[A] creative testimony to one of the darkest, most bitter chapters in modern history.”—al-Masry al-YoumPRAISE FOR EL-ASHMAWI'S PREVIOUS NOVEL, THE LADY OF ZAMALEK:"A grand family drama set in a society at once strange and familiar, rife with surprise revelations that keep the reader fully engaged. . . .It deserves to be a bestseller."—Washington Independent Review of Books"There's something very compelling about opening a book to read about a place you've never visited before, from the eyes of an author who knows it well." —LitReactor"Set in the confines of one toxic family as its members, over decades, perpetually attempt to outmaneuver one another, the narrative creates a sense of vicious hopelessness. In the family, as, it’s implied, the country around them, this cycle swallows all; even acts of extreme insurrection feed back into a negative cycle."—LitHub"The sweep of Egyptian history and the portrait of class, social norms, and values are fascinating."—Historical Novels Review"A brilliantly spun tale. . . playing with politics and powerful people. El-Ashmawi paints a story where money comes and goes, power changes hands, and where both can disappear in an instant."—Arab News"A bold attempt to reimagine not only the transformations of the Zamalek district of Cairo, but also those of the Egyptian nation itself."—al-Dostoor"Ashraf El-Ashmawy holds a scalpel to dissect the classes of Egyptian society over more than half a century.” —al-Youm al-Sabe'
£999.99
Astra Publishing House Sunrise: Radiant Stories
Book SynopsisA collection of contemplative, lyrical stories examining the visible and invisible consequences of atomic power on Japanese society Sunrise is a collection of interconnected stories continuing Erika Kobayashi's examination of the effects of nuclear power on generations of women. Connecting changes to everyday life to the development of the atomic bomb, Sunrise shows us how the discovery of radioactive power has shaped our history and continues to shape our future. In the opening, eponymous story "Sunrise," Yoko, born exactly two years and one day after Nagasaki was decimated, mirrors her life to the development of nuclear power in Japan. In "Precious Stones," four daughters take their elderly mother to the restorative waters of a radium spring, exchanging tales of immortality. In "Hello My Baby, Hello My Honey," a woman goes into labor during the final days of WWII. And finally, "The Forest of Wild Birds" shows Erika visiting the site of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster, touring grounds that were once covered in green. Translator Brian Bergstrom returns in this collection, bringing to life Kobayashi's unsettling, lasting, and striking prose. The stories in Sunrise force a reckoning with the lasting effects of known and unknown histories and asks how much of modern life is influenced by forces outside of our control.Trade Review"Like a brilliant and rare gem, Erika Kobayashi's Sunrise: Radiant Stories stuns with layered intelligence and powerful prose. Each story offers a type of familial intimacy charged with profound historical clarity. How thankful I am to Brian Bergstrom for this indelible translation from one of Japan's brightest stars. This book feels like it's made of magic; that it's made of light." -Kali Fajardo-Anstine, bestselling author of Woman of Light "Reading Erika Kobayashi's stories is almost like getting to know modern Japan through a poetry-science lab experiment. Kobayashi mixes her fascination with the aftermaths and consequences of WWII and the social issues of contemporary Japan with a kind of child-like curiosity that make her story both complex and accessible. Nearly every story gives the impression of a mysterious chemical reaction that is happening before the reader's eyes. A mesmerizing collection." -Prabda Yoon, author of The Sad Part Was "Kobayashi's uncanny stories probe for the contacts between our most intimate lived experience and the awesome yet subtle cosmic forces that permeate it, from atomic radiation to the ruthless arrow of time. Bergstrom's rich, graceful translation offers us the chance to peer over Kobayashi's shoulder as she works these experiments, holding our breath for the next fraught and wonderful discovery." -Theodore McCombs, author of Uranians "Combining a sense of daring with a sense of wonder, Erika Kobayashi's Sunrise: Radiant Stories presents boldly speculative visions side by side with intense and finely wrought everyday moments. Throughout this striking collection, Kobayashi creates surprising space for her reader to eavesdrop on intergenerational conversations between the past, the present, and imagined futures that seem to glow just over the horizon." -Lee Conell, author of The Party Upstairs "Erika Kobayashi's stories are told with so little artifice that one might think them fairy tales, did they not float like islands adrift on a dark sea of history." -John Whittier Treat, author of First Consonants "I loved Erika Kobayashi's Trinity Trinity Trinity, so I am lining up for her collection of strange and reflective connected stories about nuclear power and its effect on Japanese people and society, especially its women." -Karla J. Strand, Ms. Magazine
£13.49
The New York Review of Books, Inc Käsebier Takes Berlin
Book Synopsis
£11.90
Hermits United The Red Detachment of Women
Book SynopsisWriters talk about literature on the Singapore River. Distinct and displaced pasts meet. Individual encounters with a revolutionary ballet carry a generation’s lost youth and unspoken tragedy. Laureate of innumerable literary prizes, Jiang Yun leaves no reader indifferent. Annelise Finegan teaches at the NYU. Her translations have been nominated for the International Booker Prize and won the Best Translated Book Award. Mingyuan Hu is an historian; she translates French, English and Chinese literatures.
£11.99
Short Books Ltd Lost Luggage
Book SynopsisChristof, Christophe, Christopher and Cristofol are four brothers - sons of the same father and four very different mothers, yet none of them knows of the others' existence. When they learn that their father has been declared missing, they come together for the first time and attempt to reconstruct his life.Trade ReviewAn ingenious creation... alert to the sheer untidiness of life.Inventive, absorbing and beautifully written. * Daily Mail *An outstanding read. * Daily Express *An astonishing literary artefact. Marvellous. * El Mundo *An utterly absorbing tale of family, friendship, love and loss. * Easy Living *Punti is a sprightly writer, delighting in taking us down byways and through backwaters as the novel circles Gabriel's disappearance. * Financial Times *More than once it feels as though you could be in a Barcelona bar, listening to a friend indulge in a series of Rioja-fuelled anecdotes. * The Times *It's the combination of straight-down-the-line storytelling with Jordi's ingenious inflections in the language and structure that make Lost Luggage feel so rebellious. * Dazed&Confused *
£8.99
Oneworld Publications A Perfect Crime
Book Synopsis A chilling literary thriller about a motiveless murder in provincial China 'One of the most important voices to emerge from the People's Republic in years' Daily Express On a normal day in provincial China, a teenager goes about his regular business, but he’s also planning the brutal murder of his only friend. He lures her over, strangles her, stuffs her body into the washing machine and flees town, whereupon a perilous game of cat-and-mouse begins. A shocking investigation into the despair that traps the rural poor as well as a technically brilliant excursion into the claustrophobic realm of classic horror and suspense, A Perfect Crime is a thrilling and stylish novel about a motiveless murder that echoes Kafka’s absurdism, Camus’ nihilism and Dostoyevsky’s depravity. With exceptional tonal control, A Yi steadily reveals the psychological backstory that enables us to make sense of the story’s dramatic violence and provides chillingly apt insights into a country on the cusp of enormous social, political and economic change.Trade Review‘Doused in blood and gushing with ethical conundrums, A Yi’s A Perfect Crime is a disconcerting medley of misanthropy, escapism, and media monstrosities. Woven from tales garnered in the author’s previous career in law enforcement, Yi’s psychological insights are frequently bookended by realistic renditions of urban China’s legal processes. Where Anthony Burgess sought to conjure a world of abstract flair and inexplicable cruelty in A Clockwork Orange, Yi strikes a far deeper chord, delving into the mind of a youth whose lethal motivations are abundantly and undeniably troubling.’ * World Literature Today *‘A Yi's isolated narrator is equal parts calculating monster and forsaken victim: deserted, neglected and ignored, he finds that his only means of feeling alive is to engender death. This austere English PEN Award winner offers an exponentially more chilling alternative to the plethora of dystopic titles; fans of Mo Yan, Yu Hua, Fuminori Nakamura and even Keigo Higashino will surely find resonating, realistic terror here. * Library Journal *‘Yi, a former police officer, is slowly rising to prominence on the literary scene in China, where this novel was published in 2011. A Perfect Crime is a commentary on both the culture and on the amorality and emotional detachment of one individual in it.’ * Booklist *‘Achieves something we haven’t seen in Chinese fiction for a while – a refreshingly non-verbose, verb-driven, first-person narrative of taut tension (reflected brilliantly in Anna Holmwood’s translation)…[the] writing is pared back, short, driven by pace, and very to the point…a rollercoaster read, so grip the seat, hang on, and be prepared only to relax when you’ve got to the end of the ride.’ * Los Angeles Review of Books *‘Tightly crafted…less a traditional catch-him-if-you-can crime caper and more a psychological probe into a pathological mind.’ * Wall Street Journal *‘Startling…sheds light on a country undergoing huge social, political and economic change…one of the most important voices to emerge from the People’s Republic in years.’ * Daily Express *‘An unlikely page-turner and provides a chilling insight into the mind of a psychopath.’ * Irish News *‘A Perfect Crime...shows A Yi to be one of the most important voices to emerge from the People's Republic in years.’ * International Express *‘Shimmering sentences and jolts of original thinking...break through the taut, descriptive prose like shafts of sunshine in a strip-lit room.’ * Big Issue *‘Disturbingly convincing.’ * The Complete Review *
£10.44
Quercus Publishing Shadows and Sun: A Lola and Ingrid Investigation
Book SynopsisLola Jost is busy fending off boredom with a jigsaw puzzle when she hears the news. Arnaud Mars - a disgraced police divisionnaire on the run after a seismic defence contracts scandal - has been found dead in Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. The gun that killed him belongs to Commandant Sacha Duguin, a former colleague of Lola's. Convinced of Duguin's innocence, Lola throws off her torpor. Together with her occasional partner in crime fighting Ingrid Diesel, she embarks on a quest to clear her old friend's name.Faced by a shadowy adversary determined to keep its past crimes under wraps, Lola and Ingrid must travel as far as Abidjan and Hong Kong to uncover the truth behind their most dangerous case to date.Translated from the French by Nick CaistorTrade ReviewThere is an echo of Chandler's gallant, world-weary Philip Marlowe in grumpy former police commissioner Lola Jost . . . There is also a strong flavour of Simenon in the way she evokes Paris through the inviting fug of its glowing cafés, after-hours clubs and shady denizens with guilty secrets they are reluctant to share. * Glasgow Herald *Dominique Sylvain is not just a careful writer, she also knows exactly how to construct a complex, intricately plotted story -- Christine Ferniot * Télérma *Dominique Sylvain regularly updates us on her unlikely duo through crime novels full of sound and fury . . . Once again, Sylvain explores murky foreign affairs that breed corruption closer to home * M le Magazine du Monde *
£9.99
Quercus Publishing The Dark Meadow
Book SynopsisBavaria, Germany, 1947. At the end of the war, Afra Zauner returns to her parents' cottage on the edge of Mauther Forest. Unmarried, and pregnant. As she struggles to raise her child, her father's shame, her mother's fury and the loud whispers of the neighbours begin to weigh upon her. She doesn't believe in her sin. But everyone else does. And someone brings judgement down upon her. Many years later, Hermann Müller is throwing a drunk out of his tavern. A traveller, who won't stop ranting about a murder left unsolved, about police who never investigated. Out of curiousity, the file is reopened. And in the cold light of hindsight, a chilling realisation creeps upon the community. No-one ever atoned for Afra's death. But her story is waiting to be told. Andrea Maria Schenkel returns to the form of her groundbreaking The Murder Farm, narrating through suspects, victims and investigators to lead the reader to their own awful understanding.Trade Review'A superior slice of German noir. Andrea Maria Schenkel is the supreme exponent of German neo-realism ... Examines the German conscience, as if searching for the psyche behind the Nazi monstrosities ... Allows us to penetrate the intense and horrific emotional reactions of the witnesses - including the murderer ... Schenkel can be considered as a deeply serious writer. Though her books are short, the impact they achieve undoubtedly merit this status' Independent. * Independent *'Packs a lingering punch ... Schenkel - and the wonderful Anthea Bell, in her lucid, unobtrusive translation - is setting out to do something different. The Dark Meadow, in its evocative descriptions of postwar life in a German village, in its lack of sentimentality, pathos or melodrama, is a bleakly real portrait of injustice, poverty and hopelessness. Murder most foul, and shown here in all its pointless, meaningless cruelty' Alison Flood, Observer Thriller of the Month. * Observer *
£9.99
Quercus Publishing The Acid Test
Book SynopsisEgdar "Lefty" Mendieta investigates the death of a notorious stripper in this second sweltering "Narco-lit" noir from the Godfather of Mexican crime fictionAn intelligent, atmospheric police procedural series for fans of John Le Carré and Mick HeronWhen the mutilated body of Mayra Cabral de Melo is found in a dusty field, Detective Edgar "Lefty" Mendieta has personal reasons for bringing the culprit to justice. Mayra, a well-known stripper, had no shortage of ardent, deluded and downright dangerous admirers, and Lefty himself is haunted by the night he spent in her company.As Mexico's drug war ramps up, Lefty's pursuit of a gallery of jealous and powerful suspects, all with a murderous glint in their eye, leads him to Samantha Valdés, the godfather's daughter, who is battling to retain her father's empire. And as the mystery deepens, the bodycount rises.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, Élmer Mendoza . . . 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 *Mendoza conveys a clear sense of life in Culiacan through the violence of the competing cartels and a simmering expectation and acceptance of corruption * Publishers Weekly *Essential reading. * Sunday Express. *A vivid glimpse into an ultraviolent world of macho posturing, unorthodox policing and ruthless criminality. * Guardian. *
£11.22
Quercus Publishing Name of the Dog: A Lefty Mendieta Investigation
Book SynopsisPerfect for fans of Mick Herron and John Le Carré"The most important thing that's happened in Mexican literature in the last thirty years" Gaby Wood, Sunday Telegraph.It's Christmas in Culiacán and Detective Edgar "Lefty" Mendieta can't believe his luck. An old flame has returned with a teenage son he knew nothing about. Happiness seems to finally beckon for our careworn hero. The only snag is that Jason Mendieta wants to follow in his father's footsteps-even as Mexico's drug war descends a slippery slope toward chaos.While Lefty pursues a lunatic who has taken to bumping off dentists with a heavy-calibre pistol, a secret agent infiltrates a meeting of the drug lords and hears Pacific Cartel boss Samantha Valdés implore her underlings to stay out of the war. But an audacious murder provokes Samantha to change her mind and launch a wave of grisly killings across the country.Samantha then persuades Lefty to help her find the killer that pushed her over the edge. The truth he discovers will underline an old adage: revenge is a dish best served cold. No quiet family Christmas for our detective.Trade ReviewPresents 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. -- Barry Forshaw * Independent. *One 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-Reverte.A vivid glimpse into an ultraviolent world of macho posturing, unorthodox policing and ruthless criminality. * Guardian. *If you are fed up with formulaic noir novels and looking for something fresher, Élmer Mendoza . . . could be the answer. * Sunday Times. *Essential reading. * Sunday Express. *Mendoza's style is spare but fast-paced . . . As the plot moves along the reader is swept along with it. Lefty is a likeable character who has somehow managed to find a way to navigate through all the killing aided by a detachment which serves him well. * Irish Examiner. *
£8.99
Cornerstone Adultery
Book SynopsisThe thought-provoking new novel from the international bestselling author whose words change lives. Linda knows she's lucky. Yet every morning when she opens her eyes to a so-called new day, she feels like closing them again.Her friends recommend medication.But Linda wants to feel more, not less.And so she embarks on an adventure as unexpected as it is daring, and which reawakens a side of her that she - respectable wife, loving mother, ambitious journalist - thought had disappeared.Even she can't predict what will happen next...Trade ReviewAdultery perfectly illustrates the faint line between madness and insanity, happiness and unhappiness as well as the eternal search for our own “personal legend” * Daily Express *
£9.67
Oneworld Publications Back Up
Book SynopsisBerlin, 1967: four members of the British rock band Pearl Harbor die at the same time but in separate locations. Inexplicably, the police conclude natural causes are to blame. Brussels, 2010: A homeless man is hit by a car outside the Gare du Midi, leaving him with locked-in syndrome, able to communicate (sometimes) by blinking. An Irish journalist's interest is piqued. How did the members of Pearl Harbor die, and how is this linked to the homeless man in Brussels?Trade Review'A masterpiece.' * Michel Bussi, author of After the Crash *'The rock-and-roll aesthetic of the plot kerrangs through the swift and exciting prose.' * World Literature Today *'An impeccable tale of posthumous detection encompassing a loving look into the minutiae of rock and the atmosphere and background of some of its golden years. Add to that an exemplary mystery plot and you have a potent combination.' * Crime Time *'Engrossing... This best-selling Belgian thriller, which was short-listed for two literary awards, is a treat for fans of dark mysteries and unreliable narrators.' * Library Journal *'Intricate... Those interested in last century’s European rock scene will be enthralled.' * Publishers Weekly *'A vivid and clever story that takes us back to the musical scene swinging Sixties, but has a deeper plot at its heart. Highly recommended.' * Promoting Crime *'A wonderful thriller... I have no qualms about recommending this book to anyone.' * Historical Novel Society, Editor's Choice *'A dark and disturbing thriller.' * Mystery & Detective Agency *'The crime story...takes on fearsome proportions of international scope...the implications are indeed chilling.' * Crime Review *
£12.34
Oneworld Publications The Tiger and the Acrobat
Book SynopsisINCLUDES SPECIALLY COMMISSIONED LINE DRAWINGS Little Tiger is not like other tigers. Not content to spend her days alone, roaming the snow forests of Siberia hunting prey, she prefers instead to ponder the ways of the world. One day, eager to discover her own place within it, she sets out on a remarkable journey to discover the secret of life, and to meet the creatures she has heard most about: humans. A moving tale of bravery and spirit, The Tiger and the Acrobat is a celebration of the power of friendship, and a testament to the courage it takes to be true to ourselves. 'This book is a beaut.' Cecelia Ahern, author of P.S. I Love YouTrade Review'This book is a beaut.' * Cecelia Ahern, author of P.S. I Love You *'Enhanced by enchanting pencil illustrations, best-selling Italian writer Tamaro’s beguiling parable is a paean to the power of friendship and a testament to the resiliency of the individual spirit, whatever form the body takes.' * Booklist *'Susanna Tamaro's prose is soft and welcoming while still indulging in the fantastical, which illuminates and enlivens this testament to the beauty and power of nature and innocence.' * World Literature Today *'Slim but powerful, The Tiger and the Acrobat is rich with reflections on purpose and meditations on what it means to be oneself.' * Shelf Awareness *'Joyful and profound.' * Il Piccolo *'Clear, razor-sharp prose.' * Corriere della Sera *'A poetic and luminous modern fairy tale, imbued with love, tenderness, passion for life…an ode to the human heart.' * Famiglia Cristina *'Tamaro leads us by the hand to the centre of the world, passing through hope and the essence of happiness.' * Eco di Bergamo *'A story that rotates around the meaning of freedom.' * Gazzetta del sud *
£8.54
Oneworld Publications Damnation
Book Synopsis Dead clients are bad for business, something that Tom Winter, head of security at a private Swiss bank, knows only too well. When a helicopter explosion kills a valuable client and a close colleague, Winter teams up with the mysterious Egyptian businesswoman Fatima Hakim to expose the truth behind their deaths. Together they follow the money trail around the world and back into the Swiss mountains, the NSA watching their every move. As they start closing in on the truth, Winter and Fatima turn from being the hunters to the hunted, finding themselves in a deadly, high-stakes race against the clock.Trade Review‘A terrific thriller! Smart and savvy... I had to force myself to stop reading each night.’ * Mark Gimenez, author of The Colour of Law *‘Frankly brilliant. If you're into globe-trotting action, crime and espionage, then get on it – because this is the real deal and up there with the very best of the genre.’ * Robert Parker, author of A Wanted Man *‘Damnation is a brilliant thriller, everything a page turner should be… An extremely good read with a very firm sense of location...certainly up there with the best thrillers I have read.’ * TripFiction *‘Fast, smart and savvy with touches of the Bond laconic coolness. The book is extremely well-researched, especially the behind-the-scenes tensions of the banking world, and this enjoyable thriller, with a good story and plenty of action, marks Beck out as a name to watch in the action thriller genre.’ * Crime Review *‘The action is fast-paced, the high-finance dealings ring true, and Winter is an impressively modern Bond figure.’ * Library Journal *‘Damnation travels along at an enormous pace. With its background of financiers and banks all using fair means and foul to get their hands on Arab oil billions for their equity funds, this book reads like a James Bond film and is just as entertaining.’ * Mystery People *‘Great storyteller.’ * Berner Zeitung *‘Fast, cool and laconic.’ * Sakida Interviewmagazin *‘Captivates readers immediately… Swiss James Bond.’ * Krimikiosk *‘Great arc of suspense… Gripping from the first page to the end.’ * Lebenszeit *‘Fast-paced international thriller.’ * Tourbillon Magazin *‘Breathtaking action.’ * Buchmagazin *‘Breathtaking story… great finale.’ * Buch der Woche *‘Fascinating new hero...everything a good thriller needs: action, suspense and a touch of erotic.’ * Anzeiger von Saanen und Gstaad *
£8.54
Oneworld Publications Lala
Book Synopsis A lyrical and moving Polish family saga set against the turbulent backdrop of twentieth-century Europe Lala has lived a dazzling life. Born in Poland just after the First World War and brought up to be a perfect example of her class and generation – tolerant, selfless and brave – Lala is an independent woman who has survived some of the most turbulent events of her times. As she senses the first signs of dementia, she battles to keep her memories alive through her stories, telling her grandson tales of a life filled with love, faithlessness and extraordinary acts of courage. Sweeping from nineteenth-century Kiev to modern-day Poland, Lala is the enthralling celebration of a beautiful life.Trade Review‘Jacek Dehnel paints prewar Poland – “laced with gilt and stucco in the cities, and heavy with the smell of cow pats and fruit lying in the grass in the countryside” – in the vibrant hues of a fairy tale. A multigenerational epic that spans a century and most of Eastern Europe, Lala is an astounding achievement, particularly considering Dehnel wrote it between the ages of 20 and 22...magical.’ * Chicago Tribune *‘Lala is a wonderful mosaic of stories…outrageous and humorous...spellbinding and captivating.’ * Foreword Reviews *‘Dehnel uses his grandmother's life and reminiscences as a springboard for a sweep through Poland's turbulent 20th century, mingled with musings on the nature of storytelling...[there are] some exceptionally beautiful passages...poignantly alive with loss and love.’ * Kirkus *‘Lush… Tender and droll, rueful and rousing, [Lala’s] stories trace one Polish family’s journey from the 1860s to the present day… [Jacek Dehnel] chronicles her decline with delicate but unabashed realism, as well as great humour, and Lloyd-Jones captures these qualities perfectly.’ * The Quarterly Conversation *‘Lyrical passages, some endearingly eccentric characters, a flyby through twentieth-century history, and a convincing voice for Lala.’ * Booklist *‘A declaration of love for literature and a tribute to an extraordinary woman.’ * Berliner Zeitung *‘Eloquently translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones, Dehnel’s Lala offers an extraordinary insight into historical events... A striking evocation of Poland’s turbulent past.’ * RivetingReviews *‘A masterfully constructed novel…mature and highly entertaining.’ * Polityka *‘Lala is unique – no author displays such maturity of style, knowledge of form and literary erudition at the age of twenty, because nobody is ever as well-read or intellectual at that age. Dehnel – who wrote this book aged twenty to twenty-two – is the exception that proves the rule.’ * Gazeta Wyborcza *‘Dehnel is gifted with superb literary instinct.’ * Czytelnia Onet *
£9.49
Oneworld Publications Solovyov and Larionov: From the award-winning
Book Synopsis 'THE MOST IMPORTANT LIVING RUSSIAN WRITER' New Yorker A groundbreaking and gripping literary detective novel set in Soviet-era Russia, from the award-winning author of Laurus and The Aviator Can we ever really understand the present without first understanding the past? From the winner of the 2019 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Prize, and the author of the multi-award winning Laurus, comes a sweeping novel that takes readers on a fascinating journey through one of the most momentous periods in Russian history. What really happened to General Larionov of the Imperial Russian Army, who somehow avoided execution by the Bolsheviks? He lived out his long life in Yalta leaving behind a vast heritage of undiscovered memoirs. In modern day Russia, a young student is determined to find out the truth. Solovyov and Larionov is a ground-breaking and gripping literary detective novel from one of Russia's greatest contemporary writers. Trade Review‘[A] wry and whimsically humorous historical detective story.’ * Times Literary Supplement *‘Absorbing, darkly witty, history-soaked pages for literary and historical fiction fans.’ * Library Journal: Reading Around The World: 12 Top Spring Titles for the Library Market *‘Vodolazkin has produced a romanticized hero's quest that affirms the "indivisibility and harmony" of history and personal fate. In the face of overwhelming death tolls, he insists on making space for mythology.’ * Wall Street Journal *‘Simply cannot be ignored... A smart and often humorous account of contemporary Russian life that reminded me several times of his fellow citizen Svetlana Alexievich’s nonfiction.’ * LitHub *‘There is sprightly, funny satire here and, beneath it, a surprising vein of poignancy.’ * Kirkus *‘An ambitious first novel. It is to Vodolazkin’s credit that he pulls it off, creating a substantial, beguiling work that engages the reader on several levels, encompassing a detective story, historical events and even a little romance.’ * The Herald, Scotland *‘More than a beautifully written coming-of-age story...one of the finest novels I have read in years.’ * World Literature Today *‘Third-person narration, circular structure, and archetypal characters lend this beautifully written literary mystery the feel of a modern fable. [We] recommend Vodolazkin’s slowly unfolding story to readers who prefer detailed research, artfully layered descriptions, and character epiphanies to thrills.’ * Booklist *‘A very unique blend of literary genres... I became captivated by this Russian tale with all of its stories within a story. This is a true Russian novel.’ * Marjorie’s World of Books *'Solovyov's and Larionov's careers are interwoven so deftly that the novel can be enjoyed as part academic satire, part historical romp... Solovyov and Larionov contains some hilarious character sketches and set pieces, from academic jousting for precedence to conflicts over property in a communal apartment.' * L.A. Review of Books *‘Award-winning author Vodolazkin seamlessly weaves together the lives of his two heroes... [but] this coming-of-age story offers the reader a much richer experience than mere biography.’ * Historical Novel Society *‘I couldn't put it down.’ * A Bookish Type blog *‘Vodolazkin is one of the most interesting contemporary writers.’ * Russia Beyond, '5 great Russian books for your summer reading list' *‘I found Solovyov and Larionov to be just as good a book as The Aviator in its beautiful writing, its thought-provoking narrative and its wonderfully atmospheric sense of place and time. I can see that I'm going to be pondering on it for quite some time to come...’ * Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings *
£9.49
Oneworld Publications Wake Me Up at Nine in the Morning
Book Synopsis A thrilling journey through China's dark criminal underworld, from a celebrated voice in Chinese literature When Hongyang is found dead after a night of debauched drinking, it looks as if his reign of terror has finally come to an end. Few in this insular community have much reason to mourn his passing: Hongyang is an infamous mob boss, a man with plenty of enemies. But now it seems that his years of crime have also earned him some very dangerous friends. As his funeral draws near, those who knew him come together to look back on a life characterised by corruption, deceit and a flair for violence. Their recollections will keep Hongyang's legacy alive, with terrifying consequences. From the master of Chinese noir fiction comes this explosive new novel about the power of one man, unravelled by a tangled web of secrets. Trade Review'A Yi describes [power] in prose that flies at the reader like sparks from a knife being sharpened. But there's also exquisite precision… Nicky Harman's translation is superb, not a sentence out of place… It's tempting to view the book as A Yi's unflinching take on a moral vacuum at the heart of contemporary China, but he is also lowering his bucket into a much deeper well of delicious literary misanthropy.' -- New Internationalist
£13.49
Bonnier Books UK Days at the Torunka Café
£15.20
Legend Press Ltd Around the World in 80 Days (Legend Classics)
Book SynopsisTo go around the world...in such a short time and with the means of transport currently available, was not only impossible, it was madness.The latest edition of the classic novel from Jules Verne, featuring Phileas Fogg and his quest to circumnavigate the world in 80 days to win a bet. Following an argument at the Reform Club over the opening of a new railway section in India, Fogg agrees to the outlandish bet. Setting off at 8:45pm on Wednesday, 2nd October, Fogg must return no later than Saturday, 21 December. What follows is one of the most famous journeys in fictional history. Around the World in Eighty Daysgripped audiences on its publication and remains hugely popular, combining exploration, adventure and a thrilling race against time.The Legend Classics series:Around the World in Eighty DaysThe Adventures of Huckleberry FinnThe Importance of Being EarnestAlice''s Adventures in WonderlandThe MetamorphosisThe Railway ChildrenThe Hound of the BaskervillesFrankensteinWuthering HeightsThree Men in a BoatThe Time MachineLittle WomenAnne of Green GablesThe Jungle BookThe Yellow Wallpaper and Other StoriesDraculaA Study in ScarletLeaves of GrassThe Secret GardenThe War of the WorldsA Christmas CarolStrange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeHeart of DarknessThe Scarlet LetterThis Side of ParadiseOliver TwistThe Picture of Dorian GrayTreasure IslandThe Turn of the ScrewThe Adventures of Tom SawyerEmmaThe TrialA Selection of Short Stories by Edgar Allan PoeGrimm Fairy TalesThe AwakeningMrs DallowayGulliver's TravelsThe Castle of OtrantoSilas MarnerHard Times
£8.99
Flame Tree Publishing Two Lives: Tales of Life, Love and Crime. Stories
Book SynopsisSeven stories, seven whispers into the ears of life: A Yi’s unexpected twists of crime burst from the everyday, with glimpses of romance distorted by the weaknesses of human motive. A Yi employs his forensic skills to offer a series of portraits of modern life, both uniquely Chinese, and universal in their themes. His years as a police officer serve him well as he teases the truth from simple observation, now brought into the English language in a masterful translation by Alex Woodend. The stories include Two Lives, Attic, Spring, Bach, Predator. The first in the new Flame Tree Press series, Stories from China. FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launching in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.Trade Review"His years as a police officer serve him well as he teases the truth from simple observation, now brought into the English language in a masterful translation by Alex Woodend."
£9.45
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Friend
Book SynopsisA gripping international thriller, perfect for fans of Homeland. Trust. Betrayal. Conspiracy. Jacob Seger is a trainee diplomat who dreams of changing the world. But on his first posting, in Beirut, he meets a handsome stranger at a party and is swept up in a passionate, obsessive, affair. His relationship with Yassim eclipses everything – until one day Jacob recognises his own face in the newspaper. He is wanted on terrorism charges. Has Yassim set him up? Is he now a pawn in a murderous plot? Jacob is being pulled into a dangerous and complicated game. He needs to learn the rules, and escape Beirut – and he needs to do it fast. At once a moving love story and a gripping adventure, The Friend is an intelligent, urgent thriller that casts light on the dark threats facing the world today. WORLDWIDE REVIEWS FOR JOAKIM ZANDER: 'Fresh, raw and exciting' Sunday Times (UK). 'A thriller of rare ambition' Daily Mail (UK). 'Gripping and urgent' Irish Independent (UK). 'Timely and relevant' Literary Review (UK). 'Both forceful and subtle... Powerfully orchestrated tension set against a strong dose of social commentary' Independent (UK). 'An absorbing thriller in a complex world of spies, politics, terrorism and assassination... Excellent' The Times (UK). 'A multi-layered thriller full of style, drive and immediacy' Göteborgs-Posten (Sweden). 'Wonderfully written... A superb thriller' Metro (Croatia). 'Intrigue, action and adrenaline mixed to perfection' Librería Reconquista (Spain). 'A terrific page-turner rich with complex conflicts and a big, meaty, chillingly credible conspiracy' Chris Pavone (USA). 'A riveting thriller with a great plot. What more can you ask for?' Lokalavisen (Denmark). 'An explosive, thrilling dance fuelled by authenticity' Il Giornale (Italy). 'A multi-layered, action-packed thriller' Dorstener Zeitung (Germany).Trade ReviewA moving love story and a gripping adventure, The Friend is an intelligent thriller that untangles the complexities of international politics and reveals the dark threats facing the world today * The Bookseller *The continued theme of Russian stirring of disaffection in Europe is certainly very topical, and with non-stop action and memorable characters the book could appeal to a wide audience * Crime Review *
£8.99
ACA Publishing Limited All Quiet in Peking: Final Curtain Call: 3
Book SynopsisAll reigns must end, All storms must pass. The crisis in Peking reaches its endgame as the Communists encircle the city. The future looks uncertain for all sides. Inflation is rampant, food is scarce. The battered Nationalist forces find themselves in a never-ending fight for resources, with corruption claiming what little is left. With Cui Zongshi dead, anything can happen. The old capital's few remaining brave souls do what they can to stem the chaos. Liang Jinglun and Fang Buting at the Central Bank resort to the last vestiges of their power to prop up a crumbling economy, while Fang Meng'ao has been tasked with securing transportation of important cargo to Tianjin. As Meng'ao and his devoted pilots take to the skies once again, they fly over the future leaders of China on the march. Plans must be made as the fighting draws to a close. Where will everyone land? And at what cost?
£10.44
Bonnier Books Ltd What Lot's Wife Saw
Book SynopsisIt's been twenty-five years since the Overflow flooded Southern Europe, drowning Rome, Vienna and Istanbul, and turning Paris into a major port. At the Dead Sea, the earth has opened up to reveal a strange violet salt to which the world has become addicted, and a colony has been established by the mysterious Consortium of Seventy-Five to control the supply. Run by murderers, fugitives and liars, the Colony is a haven to those fleeing Europe - especially the privileged "Purple Stars". But when the governor of the Colony dies suddenly and mysteriously, the six officials turn on each other, sparking a terrifying chain of events which threatens the very existence of the Colony. In Paris, Phileas Book, the greatest crossword compiler of his age and creator of the Epistleword, is recruited by the sinister Consortium. Presented with the epistolary confessions of the six, he is ordered to sift truth from lies to find out who killed the unpopular Governor Bera. But as Phileas starts to unravel the mystery, he begins to realise that these are no ordinary letters and that nothing less than the course of human history is at stake.What Lot's Wife Saw is an astonishing and beautifully written novel about the fear, sin and guilt that lurks in the dark corridors of the human conscience. It is a story on an epic scale about betrayal, sacrifice and unconditional love, and a darkly humorous parable recalling the Biblical tales of God's terrible rage and the fate that befell those who suffered it. But, above all, it is an enthralling vision of a nightmarish world which only the power of humanity can change.
£10.79
Darf Publishers Ltd Suslov's Daughter
Book SynopsisAs a young man growing up under communism in South Yemen, Imran finds himself drawn to Hawiya, the daughter of an official in the Marxist party. He departs Aden to study in Paris, returning years later to Hawiya again; he finds that she is now a niqab-wearing Salafist, calling on people to join the conservative Islamist movement. The novel spans the 1960s to the early 21st century, from the independence of southern Yemen and the subsequent establishment of The People''s Democratic Republic of Yemen, to the Unification of Yemen in 1990 and the Arab Spring.
£8.54
Darf Publishers Ltd Zainab
Book SynopsisZainab, a name which aptly reflects the beauty of this tale''s protagonist is also the title of the first modern Egyptian novel written in native vernacular. Crafted in 1910 by a privileged member of society and a student at the time living in Paris, Mohamed Hassein Heikal later rose through the ranks of Egyptian politics and media. Heikal successfully humanises and contextualises Egypt''s societal issues without too reproachful a voice. As Heikal wrote in his room in Paris he was undoubtedly influenced by his nostalgia and depicts Egyptian scenes as only an Egyptian could.
£8.54
Protea Boekhuis Jonkvrou
Book Synopsis
£13.25
Auckland University Press Puripaha: Te Pane Kaewa / Bulibasha: King of the
Book SynopsisHe whakamaoritanga i te pukapuka o Puripaha na Witi Ihimaera mo etahi whanau hoariri e rua ki Te Tairawhiti. Ko Puripaha te tapanga ka tukuna ki Te Pane Kaewa, a, ki Te Tairawhiti o Aotearoa e pakanga ana etahi kokoro tokorua kia whakawahia hai pane. Ko Tamihana te upoko o te whanau toa o Mahana, he whanau kuti hipi, he whanau hakinakina hoki. Ko Rupeni Poata tona ito. He rite tonu te tutakitaki a nga whanau nei i nga mahi hakinakina, i nga whakataetae a-ahurea me te whakataetae Piriho Koura e kitea ai te mapu kuti hipi toa katoa o Aotearoa. I waenganui pu, ko te taitama, ko Himiona, ko te mokopuna a te kokoro raua tahi ko tona kuia, ko Ramona, e pakanga ana i ona ake kare a-roto, i ona ake whakapono ano hoki i te riri e tutu ana i nga wahi katoa. Ko te toa o te 1995 Montana New Zealand Book Award, kua whakatinanatia hirahiratia ki te kiriata o Mahana, a, e aroha nuitia ana e nga whakareanga kaipanui maha. Ma tenei whakamaoritanga e tutaki ai tetahi minenga hou ki a Puripaha, ki tetahi o nga tino pukapuka o roto i tona momo. ________ A te reo Maori translation of Witi Ihimaera's award-winning novel about two rival Maori families on the East Coast, Bulibasha. Bulibasha is the title given to the King of the Gypsies, and on the East Coast of New Zealand two patriarchs fight to be proclaimed the king. Tamihana is the leader of the great Mahana family of shearers and sportsmen and women. Rupeni Poata is his arch enemy. The two families clash constantly, in sport, in cultural contests and, finally, in the Golden Fleece competition to find the greatest shearing gang in New Zealand. Caught in the middle of this struggle is the teenager Simeon, grandson of the patriarch and of his grandmother Ramona, struggling with his own feelings and loyalties as the battles rage on many levels. Winner of the 1995 Montana New Zealand Book Award, brilliantly realised in the film Mahana and loved by generations of readers, this powerful te reo Maori translation of a New Zealand classic will introduce Bulibasha to a whole new audience.
£37.95
Dedalus Ltd Night of Amber
Book Synopsis
£8.99
21 Publishing Ltd Against Nature: with illustrations by William
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£22.50
Dedalus Ltd Architect of Ruins
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£9.99
Dedalus Ltd Seraphita (and Louis Lambert & the Exiles)
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£9.99
Dedalus Ltd Hidden Lives
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£9.99
Bitter Lemon Press The Stronger Sex
Book SynopsisYoung lawyer Alex Zabel defends industrialist Herbert Klofft in a case for wrongful dismissal being brought against him by his former employee and mistress. She is thirty-four, he seventy-eight, a despot, now wheelchair bound and dying of cancer. Alex must deal with a hopeless case, his growing empathy with a repulsive client and his sexual attraction to Klofft's elderly wife.Trade ReviewPraise for Kettenbach: Reading Kettenbach means taking a look into the individual's soul laid bare, into its abyss and its hopeless entanglements. Those who read his books will gain a better understanding of why human beings do the things they do, even the most absurd and horrendous things. The result is stories told along the razor-sharp edge of reality.A" Die Zeit Kettenbach provides answers that are either darkly humorous or melancholically tragic, depending on how black the reader's heart proves to be.A" Booklist
£8.54
Bitter Lemon Press Hotel Bosphorus
Book SynopsisKati Hirschel, in her thirties, is the proud owner of Istanbul's only crime bookshop. When the German director of a film starring an old school friend is found murdered in his hotel room Kati cannot resist the temptation to start her own maverick investigation. After all her friend Petra is the police's principal suspect and reading all those detective novels must have taught Kati something. This is a crime story but also a wonderful book about Istanbul and Turkish society. It uses humour, social commentary and even erotic fantasy to expose Western European prejudices about Turkey as well as Turkish stereotyping of other Europeans.Trade ReviewA wonderful novel about Istanbul. The Turkish way of life, prejudices, men, politics, corruption-Esmahan Aykol writes about all these with a light and humorous touch.A" Petros Markaris, author of Che Committed Suicide and Zone Defence. Bubbling with hedonism, enthusiasm, love of life and books, this should be mandatory reading for those holidaying in Turkey, visitors to Istanbul and lovers of crime novels.A" Hamburger Abendblatt
£8.54
Bitter Lemon Press Nights of Awe
Book SynopsisDuring the period known as the Days of Awe that lead up to Yom Kippur, Ariel Kafka, inspector in the Violent Crime Unit of the Helsinki police and one of two Jewish policemen in Finland, is confronted with the most difficult case of his career. Two Arabs are killed near the capital and, shortly after, Kafka discovers two more bodies at an Iraqi-owned garage. Are these deaths evidence of gang warfare or international terrorism? When it transpires that an Israeli Minister will make an unofficial visit to Helsinki, matters become truly complicated. The Finnish Security Police and Mossad all have a role to play and Kafka is on a trail that leads back to his youth.Trade Review"An outstanding plot, an entertaining read. Give us more Inspector Kafka novels from the far North" Frankische Zeitung "Nykanen writes clever dialogue and his laconic humour is an enjoyment for every reader" Aamulehti "Unlike his Scandinavian contemporaries, Nykanen delights with an eccentric hero and a wonderful sense for dialogue. This is a tight thriller with an unexpected, explosive end." Hamburger Nachrichten
£8.54
Bitter Lemon Press The Tyrant
Book SynopsisA haunting work, reminiscent of Albert Camus, which portrays with exquisite psychological detail the emotional crisis in the life of a young Swiss schoolteacher. His father's prodigious vitality and virility had crushed his family and ruined his son's childhood. Even after his death the parental ogre haunts his son, sucking him into a vortex of despair. Fits with the contemporary success of autobiographical novels, focused on a tormented childhood, parental persecution and the loneliness of the outlier. Chessex's book is based on the character of his own father, his totalitarian and austere Calvinist upbringing and his escape to the sensual world of serial seduction. These motifs and the meditation on death have informed most of his fiction, especially "The Tyrant", his most successful book by far with 450,000 copies sold.Trade Review'So many pages of rich prose, upsetting, but reflecting the warm essence of life in this novel--a meditation on death.' Express 'A disturbing novel but a realistic one, anchored in the daily, the concrete, a savvy mixture of life and death, landscapes and short thoughts, obsessed by the father's role in a son's life. A novel to be devoured in one go.' Le Monde 'Chessex, a prominent Swiss writer, died in 2009 at age 75. He was the first non-French citizen to win the Prix Goncourt, France's most prestigious literary award. Readers of this particular novel, which is one of Chessex's many, will quickly understand why he was so honored. Read him for the historical context and for the sheer beauty of his prose'. Booklist
£8.54
Bitter Lemon Press No Sale
Book SynopsisMust each man kill the thing he loves? For Victor Cox, a professor of film history, the Hollywood films noirs of the 1940s and 1950s are more real than his daily life. When his wife is found drowned, Cox is the first murder suspect. He falls in love with a student who looks like the 1920s film star Louise Brooks, but she disappears at a Belgian seaside resort. Smeared in lipstick in their hotel room are the words "No Sale", the same words Elizabeth Taylor wrote on a mirror in Butterfield 8 (she won her first Oscar in that film). Subsequently, a series of gruesome killings of young women, all modeled on violent deaths in films that he knows and loves, lead the police back to Cox, who starts to doubt his own sanity and innocence. With its stylish writing, pointed references to cinema classics, and blend of horror and humor, this is a powerful psychological thriller. It won the Diamond Bullet Award, the Dagger award for Belgium.Trade ReviewPraise for Patrick Conrad's "Limousine": "Unremitting black humour." - Literary Review "Exquisite, exciting, stomach-churning, sombre, gruesome, hilarious." - De Morgen - Review "The punishment has rarely been made to fit the crime with such horrifying literalism as in this novel." -- The Times
£8.54
Quercus Publishing The Pianist's Hands
Book SynopsisAs in so many cities in the heat of growth, Breda, Spain, is home to a modest construction company that wants to take advantage of the booming times to construct a luxury housing-complex in the suburbs. Although between the business partners there are differences of opinion and fears about such an ambitious project, the expectation of the sumptuous benefits push them to go through with the scheme. Then suddenly one day, the corpse of one of the partners appears inside one of the newly constructed buildings. Detective Ricardo Cupido delves into a passionate investigation where the alibis matter less than the dark and desolate description of the human condition.Trade ReviewPraise for Blood of the Angels (1900850834, GBP11.99):'A new novel by the Spanish author of Depths of the Forest, which received outstanding reviews. A man facing various crises discovers that a gun has been stolen from a safe-deposit box containing his late mother's effects' - Nicholas Clee, The BooksellerPraise for Depths of the Forest (1905147481, GBP7.99):'Utterly absorbing and brilliantly translated, this should appeal even to those not normally attracted to crime fiction' - Guardian 'A most welcome addition, not just to crime fiction, but to literature in general' - The Independent 'Fascinating modern Spanish baroque from an enterprising small publisher' - DJ Taylor, Books of the Year, The Independent
£11.39
Quercus Publishing The Serbian Dane
Book Synopsis'Davidsen writes like an assassin. Brilliant! More, more!' Fay Weldon'One of Denmark's top crime writer' Joan Smith, Sunday TimesLISE CARLSEN, a successful arts journalist trying to smooth over the cracks in a failed marriagePER TOFTLUND, a crack member of Denmark's secret service, a lone wolf: unattached, without a family and fanatically committed to his workVUK, a highly skilled political assassin who has lost everything in the bloody collapse of the former Yugoslavia.As plans are made for a controversial Iranian author to make a rare public appearance in Copenhagen, these three separate and lonely lives suddenly find themselves on a collision course. Trapped in a world of secret deals and private passions, organized crime and uncontrolled media frenzy, Lise, Per and Vuk struggle to confront a tainted past, a compromised present and an extremely uncertain future. One man protects an author, while another signs up for murder.From its terse beginnings to its unnerving, blood-splattered climax, Leif Davidsen has written a taut political thriller that will not only entertain and enlighten but chill to the bone.Translated from the Danish by Barbara J. HavelandTrade ReviewOne of Denmark's top crime writers, Davidsen puts a cop and a journalist against the assassin, throwing them together in an unexpected relationship as they try to outwit the killer. This is the dark side of globalisation, in which ideology and greed forge a grim international alliance against democracy and freedom of speech -- Joan Smith * Sunday Times *Resonates because one can't dismiss its frightening truth -- Paul Binding * Independent *I believed every word of it - the danger, the action, the politics of power and fear. Davidsen writes like an assassin. Brilliant! More, more! -- Fay WeldonDavidsen's taut, disciplined thriller pits professional assassin Vuk, a Serbian raised in Denmark, against Detective Insp. Per Toftlund -- Publishers Weekly
£8.99
Quercus Publishing The Blood of the Angels
Book SynopsisJulian Monasterio has suffered three severe blows: his wife walking out on him; his mother dying; and his 6-year-old daughter displaying signs of psychological damage. Then his father's old pistol is stolen, and so begins much more than a straightforward murder novel. As the novel delves into the private and professional lives of its characters, the layers of the mystery are revealed. Linked to it all, is the slow love that develops between sad and lonely Julian and his daughter's young teacher, brought together by their love of his emotionally withdrawn daughter.Trade Review'His writing style is literary, elegant, almost formal. His crime books weave the investigations of his gentle private eye, Ricardo Cupido, with an analysis of the dark side of remote Spain' - Observer
£7.99
