Fiction: literary and general non-genre

Book SynopsisA gripping psychological thriller from bestselling author, L. H. Stacey!A woman on the run…Madeleine Frost knows she has to get away from her partner Liam. His behaviour has become increasingly controlling and Maddie fears for her safety and that of her young daughter Poppy.Desperation leads Maddie to the hotel owned by her estranged father – the extraordinarily beautiful Wrea Head Hall. The reunion is tense, but Maddie’s father agrees to her staying as his guest for as long as she needs.Maddie’s whereabouts must stay a secret; but as she spends time getting to know her new home, she discovers the house has its own shocking past and secrets of its own. Secrets that could cost her dearly…And when Liam makes it clear he wants Maddie back, she has to reassess everything. Because when Liam wants something, he gets it - no matter who he hurts…Perfect for fans of Teresa Driscoll, Sue Watson, Jackie Kabler and Kendra Elliot.‘Dark and dramatic, with an explosive ending’ Diane Saxon 'An atmospheric thriller with a knockout ending!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️' **Bestselling author Diana Wilkinson 'The plot twists kept me guessing right until the end' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Please Note: this book was previously published as The House of Secrets.

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Book SynopsisNo place left to run...After the shocking events of last Christmas, Jess Croft is determined this festive season will be the one to remember, for all the right reasons.But when a stranger turns up on her doorstep claiming to be her estranged father, Jess is shocked. Moreso, when the man claims that the little girl with him is none other than Jess’s sister - a child she knew nothing about.Jess isn’t sure she wants these strangers to stay, but she can’t turn them away, especially when she learns that their lives are in danger.Now Wrea Head hall isn’t just Jess’s home, it’s the only safe place for her new family to hide.Perfect for fans of Teresa Driscoll, Sue Watson, Jackie Kabler and Kendra Elliot.Please note: This book was originally published as The House of Christmas Secrets

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Book SynopsisA deathbed oath leaves the lives of two infants hanging in the balance...Tamworth AD833After successfully rescuing her husband Lord Coenwulf from the Isle of Sheppey, Icel hears the deathbed confession of Lady Cynehild which leaves him questioning what he knows about his past, as well as his future.In the unenviable position of being oath sworn to protect their two atheling sons when Lord Coenwulf is banished for his treason against the Mercian ruler, King Wiglaf, Icel is once more torn between his oaths and the life changing secret he now knows.When the two children are kidnapped, Icel, good to his word, and fearing for their safety, pursues their abductors into the dangerous Northern lands.He fears whose powerful and deadly royal gamesmanship is behind the audacious attempt on their young and innocent lives.Alone in the Northern lands, Icel finds himself facing his worse fears.Can he rescue the children from their captor, or will he fail and lose his own life in the process?Praise For MJ Porter'MJ Porter recounts a sensitive, reluctant hero's coming-of-age within a Dark Age realm riven by chaos and conflict' - Matthew Harffy‘Refreshing… I was reluctant to put the book down’ - Historical Novel Society'No lover of Dark Age warfare is going to be disappointed. Personal, real, fascinating and satisfying.' - S.J.A. Turney'If you love history, fiction, adventure and great stories - You won’t regret it!" - Eric Schumacher⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'So real I felt I was there!... A page-turner' - **Reader Review **⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'Wonderful to read and hard to put down' - **Reader Review **⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 'I found the pages flying by... A great book' - Reader Review

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Book SynopsisSingle mum Ellie is shown a missing person post on Facebook. It’s of her three-year-old son, Tyler… But he’s right there, holding her hand. Surely this is some kind of prank – she knows her friend Louise can go too far with her jokes sometimes. And Ellie is used to the other mums gossiping at the school gates…But now the other parents are questioning whether Tyler is really her child.Ellie does everything she can to prove the post is fake, but the longer it goes on she knows it is malicious. Who would do this to her? And why?It could be her ex, Darren, but deep down she knows it must be linked to what happened all those years ago – the night she’s been doing her best to forget…All she knows is that she has to keep her son safe – no matter what.-'I loved it, couldn't put it down and read it in two sittings...' Rebecca De Winter, author of Best Friends‘Ruby Speechley takes the essential elements of a thriller - suspense, action and a touch of darkness - and deftly mixes them into an immensely readable story... Fast-paced and engrossing, Missing is a great page-turner.’ Sarah Edghill, author of The Bad Wife‘I thoroughly enjoyed this gripping and twisty page-turner’ Caroline England, author of The Stranger Beside Me‘The very epitome of page-turner with a chilling storyline that grips from the first and kept me guessing right up to the heart-racing denouement.’ A. A. Chaudhuri, author of The Final Party'A dark and disturbing thriller that had me desperate to read just one more chapter. A cast of shady characters, a secret Ellie doesn't want to expose, and an unseen threat to her son all make for a twisted thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed.' M A Hunter, author of Adrift'I raced through this pacy thriller in two days and it was a wild ride. I had no idea where the author was taking me, but I knew I wanted to follow her there.' Laura Pearson, author of The Last List of Mabel Beaumont'The reader will keep the pages turning until the very end for the answers to this addictive psychological suspense where absolutely no one can be trusted. Each reveal is more shocking than the last...' Louise Mangos, author of Strangers on a Bridge'Such a tense, assured & compelling thriller. Gripped from the first page, I was holding my breath and rooting for poor Ellie as I raced to the end... highly recommended!' Jane Isaac, author of In the Shadows

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Book SynopsisFrom an award-winning author - an epic novel of love, betrayal, and finding where you truly belong.1943Lidia De Angelis has kept a low profile since Mussolini’s laws wrenched her from her childhood sweetheart. But when the Germans occupy Venice, she must flee the city to save her life.Lidia joins the partisans in the Venetian mountains, where she meets David, an English soldier fighting for the same cause. As she grows closer to him, harsh German reprisals and her own ardent patriotic activities threaten to tear them apart.Years laterWhile sorting through her grandmother’s belongings after her death, Charlotte discovers a Jewish prayer book, unopened letters written in Italian, and a fading photograph of a group of young people in front of the Doge’s Palace.Intrigued by her grandmother’s refusal to talk about her time in Italy, Charlotte travels to Venice in search of her roots. There, she learns not only the devastating truth about her grandmother’s past, but also about her own...Perfect for readers of Rhys Bowen, Fiona Valpy and Victoria Hislop.What real readers are saying:‘…a beautiful story with a compelling historical storyline that you won’t want to put down.’ Ann Bennett, bestselling author of The Orphan House.‘Siobhan Daiko will tug at your heartstrings, and leave you desperate for more.’ The Coffee Pot Book Club.‘One of my absolute favourite books and a must read for those who love a great escape into historical fiction.’ Goodreads Reviewer.

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Book SynopsisFrom an award-winning author - an epic novel of love, betrayal, and finding where you truly belong.1943Lidia De Angelis has kept a low profile since Mussolini’s laws wrenched her from her childhood sweetheart. But when the Germans occupy Venice, she must flee the city to save her life.Lidia joins the partisans in the Venetian mountains, where she meets David, an English soldier fighting for the same cause. As she grows closer to him, harsh German reprisals and her own ardent patriotic activities threaten to tear them apart.Years laterWhile sorting through her grandmother’s belongings after her death, Charlotte discovers a Jewish prayer book, unopened letters written in Italian, and a fading photograph of a group of young people in front of the Doge’s Palace.Intrigued by her grandmother’s refusal to talk about her time in Italy, Charlotte travels to Venice in search of her roots. There, she learns not only the devastating truth about her grandmother’s past, but also about her own...Perfect for readers of Rhys Bowen, Fiona Valpy and Victoria Hislop.What real readers are saying:‘…a beautiful story with a compelling historical storyline that you won’t want to put down.’ Ann Bennett, bestselling author of The Orphan House.‘Siobhan Daiko will tug at your heartstrings, and leave you desperate for more.’ The Coffee Pot Book Club.‘One of my absolute favourite books and a must read for those who love a great escape into historical fiction.’ Goodreads Reviewer.

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Book Synopsis'I will never forget what the Nazi did to me. Never'1940, Nazi-occupied Paris. A powerful story of love, tragedy and incredible courage, about one woman whose life is ripped apart by war and risks everything to seek justice. Brand new from the bestselling author of The Resistance Girl.As Nazis patrol the streets of the French capital, Tiena is alone, desperate and on the run. After defending herself against the force of an officer, she must find a new identity in order to survive.An accidental meeting with members of the Resistance gives her a lifeline, as she is offered the chance to reinvent herself as perfumer Angéline De Cadieux.However Angéline will never forget what happened to her, and will do everything she can to seek revenge. But vengeance can be a dangerous game, and Angeline can only hide her true identity for so long before her past catches up with her, with some devastating consequences...Paris, 2003. When the opportunity arises for aspiring journalist Emma Keane to interview world renowned perfumer Madame De Cadieux about her life during World War Two, she is determined to take it. There are secrets from her own family history that she hopes Angéline may be able to help unlock.But nothing can prepare Emma for Angéline's story, and one thing is for certain - it will change her own life forever…An absolutely heartbreaking, unforgettable historical novel of war, sacrifice and survival. Perfect for fans of Suzanne Goldring, Ella Carey and Catherine Hokin.

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Book SynopsisShe can run, but she can’t hide...Bailey Morgan is being HUNTED.Someone is out to murder Detective Constable Bailey Morgan before she can testify in an upcoming trial.Using her undercover skills, Bailey embarks on a dangerous mission to help the police catch this elusive killer before it’s too late. But it won’t be easy for she’s up against a cunning and ruthless adversary who will stop at nothing to eliminate her.A tense game of cat and mouse ensues, leading to a shocking revelation at the heart of which lies the key to Bailey’s survival.

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Book Synopsis‘This book, about deep and complex family love from this accomplished author, is told with true passion’ Family CircleThe Harrison family, gathering for Christmas at their big country house, inhabit a tight safe world of privilege and tradition. But this year, time is catching up with the elderly Pamela and John, while troubles are brewing in the lives of their four children: Cassie, the cosseted youngest, is in the throes of a secret affair with a married man, while awkward Elizabeth struggles with a faltering second marriage. Peter, who will inherit Ashley House, is beginning to meet resistance to the idea from his career-orientated wife, Helen. Only carefree Charlie and his wife, Serena, seem truly content, with nothing to vex them but their adolescent twin girls and the simpler teething troubles of their toddler. But tragedy, of the most unforeseeable and devastating kind, is lying in wait. The family, so apparently secure, is rocked to its core. Hidden turmoil, secrets past and present, are forced to the surface, laying bare the fragility of human happiness and the myriad faces of love in an imperfect world.Praise for Amanda Brookfield:‘There should have been a trumpet fanfare when this book was launched, for Amanda Brookfield is, surely, the queen of the relationship novel. I have read (and enjoyed) all her previous books but this one is - in my opinion - the best. It is the story of how apparently even secure relationships can fall apart. Is there a happy ending? I'm not going to spoil your enjoyment by saying another thing. Just buy and read and enjoy this splendid book.’‘I savoured every second of this deeply satisfying book. Amanda Brookfield goes from strength to strength’Patricia Scanlon‘Few contemporary British novelists writing today explore the messy tangles of close human relationships with quite such warm perceptiveness as Brookfield’ Daily Mirror‘What is refreshing here is the author’s conspicuous sanity and her sharp line in defence of reason… It could be sentimental, but it isn’t.’ Guardian‘Penetrating insights into the ordinary female condition’ Woman's Own

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Book SynopsisWhen Delia's family moves away, Delia goes to live with her grandmother in a farmhouse in the Irish countryside. Here, she experiences the happiest years of her life as she watches the seasons come and go until, one November day, she stands poised for independence - and Spain.Trade ReviewLaverty was the most versatile female Irish writer between 1940 and the mid-1960s. Her varied work was very popular. She is a storyteller of note * Irish Times *As wholesome as brown bread * Irish Independent *A remembering eye keen enough and a heart warm enough to have plenty to tell that we enjoy hearing, and the skill to tell it -- Sean O’Faolain

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Book SynopsisDelia spends her early years living in the village of Ballyderring on the edge of the Bog of Allen, her life enriched by the beauty of the Irish countryside. Then one cold November day, Delia stands poised for independance and Spain.Trade ReviewLaverty was the most versatile female Irish writer between 1940 and the mid-1960s. Her varied work was very popular. She is a storyteller of note * Irish Times *As wholesome as brown bread * Irish Independent *A remembering eye keen enough and a heart warm enough to have plenty to tell that we enjoy hearing, and the skill to tell it -- Sean O’Faolain

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Book SynopsisMatter of fact Judy Corder, a 26 year old doctor, is travelling with her cousin Stewart on a slow ship to Singapore. Incarcerated with their fellow passengers, at 107 degrees in the shade, they fall in with the hearty Mrs Mardick and Arnold Ainger, and intriguing, somewhat pompous married man. Then plague breaks out. Under cover of darkness, all four flee the ship for the terrors of the jungle. In the depths of the jungle, civilisation abandoned, the true natures of all four assert themselves . . .

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Book SynopsisCatherine Vernon is the head of the family bank, reputed in the Home Counties to be 'solid as the Bank of England'. Loved and revered by the people of Redborough, she is nevertheless seen as a none-too-benevolent despot by those of her family who, dependent upon her charity, live in the nearby 'Vernonry'. Catherine is a proud businesswoman, in firm control of her life, her work and her family. She lives with her young cousin Edward, grooming him to succeed her in the bank, loving him like a son. Then fourteen-year-old Hester and her widowed mother join the tenants of the Vernonry and Catherine finds she has met her match in this strong-willed girl. We watch as Hester grows up through the 1860s and 70s and as their silent confrontation comes to a head over their love for the same man: an absorbing struggle which alters forever the fortunes of Hester and the Vernon family.

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Book SynopsisLucy Entwhistle's beloved father has just died, and aged twenty-two, she finds herself alone in the world. Leaning against her garden gate, dazed and unhappy, she is disturbed by the sudden appearance of the perspiring Mr Wemyss.This middle-aged man is also in mourning - for his wife, Vera, who has died in mysterious circumstances. Before Lucy can collect herself, Mr Wemyss has taken charge: of the funeral arrangements, of her kind Aunt Dot, but most of all of Lucy herself, body and soul. Elizabeth von Arnim's masterpiece, VERA is a forceful study of the power of men in marriage - and the weakness of women in love.Trade ReviewElizabeth von Arnim is a mistress of irony * Lisa St. Aubin de Teran *She has a wild sense of comedy and a vision continually thwarted though it was of potential happiness * Penelope Mortimer *

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Book SynopsisIf only I were sure of knowing what to expect!' he caught up at her joke, tossing it back at her across the fascinating silence of their listeners.'Why everything!' she announcedWith the intention of making a suitable match, Undine Spragg and her parents move to New York where her youthful, radiant beauty and ruthless ambition prove an irrestible force. Here Edith Wharton dissects the traditions, pretensions and prohibitions of American and European society - both the ostentacious glitter of the 'nouveau riche' and the faded grandeur of the upper classes - with an eye on all the more exacting for its dispassionate gaze. And in Undine Spragg she has created an unforgettable heroine - a woman taught to dazzle and enslave, but to know nothing of the financial and social cost of the status she so passionately craves.Trade ReviewEdith Wharton is unique in its intimacy and sureness, not to mention the virile and satiric tone, and which she investigates this narrow and declining society * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisJohn Amherst, clever, idealistic and poor, is assistant manager of a cotton mill and has the makings of a working-class leader. While visiting a worker in hospital he encounters a young nurse, Justine, compassionate and principled, a woman who shares his dreams and aims. But Amherst is fatally distracted when he meets Bessy. A widow of great wealth, Bessy is charming, beautiful - and the new owner of the mill. The lives of all three become strangely interwoven as Amherst is forced to choose between sense and sentiment, between his care for the working classes and his infatuation with Bessy - a woman made for passion, but not for its aftermath.

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Book SynopsisHalo Tarrant, abandoning her failed marriage, elopes to Europe with the brilliant young writer, Vance Weston. As they travel around, her only wish is to serve him and his genius. But, ignoring the pain her amiguous status brings, Vance takes her loving attentions for granted and rejects the critical advice he had formerly welcomed. This distinguished novel, companion piece to HUDSON RIVER BRACKETED, first published in 1932, shows a writer's struggle for integrity and maturity, and the difficulties which, even in the most idealistic relationship, beset men and women in a changing but hypocritical moral climate.

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Book SynopsisNaïve young writer Vance Weston, convalescing by the Hudson River, meets Halo Spear and is fired by her passion for literature. They meet again, much later, and, with her rich, cultivated husband, Lewis Tarrant, she introduces him to New York's literary and artistic circles. But an impulsive marriage has brought Vance poverty and unwelcome responsibilities which inhibit his writing until one summer, Halo inspires him to write the novel which makes his name. The conflict between New York sophistication and Midwestern naivety leads to painful dilemmas, involving both couples in perplexity and loss.

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Book SynopsisIn these powerful and elegant tales, Edith Wharton evokes moods of disquiet and darkness within her own era. In icy newEngland a fearsome double foreshadowsthe fate of a rich young man; a married farmer is bewitched by a dead girl; a ghostly bell saves a woman's reputation. Brittany conjures ancient cruelties, Dorset witnesses a retrospective haunting and a New York club cushions an elderly aesthete as he tells of the ghastly eyes haunting his nights.

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Book SynopsisFranny Frisbee is an unhappily married woman. Having left New York to live in Paris with the family of her husband, the Marquis of Malrive, she embarks on an adventure in Paris with her childhood friend John Durham, who wishes her to divorce her husband and marry him. Through Franny's crisis between her rights as a woman and what is best for her family, Edith Wharton explores the clashing cultures of Parisian and American life and the role of women at the turn of the century in this moving novel of love and scandal for an American woman abroad.

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Book SynopsisEdith Wharton (1862-1937), the grande dame of American literature, was also a subtle and spirited critic of its society.These novellas, set in the New York of the mid-1800s are united by Edith Wharton's compassionate and ironic vision. From Lewis Raycie, son of complacent plutocrats, who returns from his Grand Tour with Renaissance masterpieces only to be ridiculed and disinherited, to Lizzie Hazeldean, seen leaving a hotel with a man who is not her husband - honourable but unconventional people are sacrificed to the constraints of a society where appearances count for more than genuine goodness. Here is a fascinating insight into the world from which Edith Wharton came.

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Book SynopsisEdith Wharton (1862-1937), the grande dame of American literature, was also a subtle and spirited critic of its society.Twenty years earlier, Kate Clephane had exiled herself from husband, child and the rigidity of New York society because of her guilty elopement. Now, living quietly on the Rivera, she is overjoyed to be summoned home by her daughter, Anne. But back in the charmed circle, she finds post-war New York, though changed in many ways, still locked into petty and snobbish constrictions. This touching study of complex issues shows how Kate's joy in being with Anne is soon threatened by the reappearance of the only man Kate had truly loved.

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Book SynopsisSilverue -- an enchanting Irish mansion -- is owned by one of the most frightening mothers in fiction -- the indomitable, oppressively girlish Lady Bird. Blessed with wealth and beautiful children she has little to worry about except the passing of the years and the return of her son John's sanity. To help her through the potentially awkward occasion of John's return from the asylum she has enlisted the support of Eliza, a woman she believes to be her confidante. But Eliza has her own secrets and John's homecoming will prove the catalyst for revelations which Lady Bird would much rather leave buried.Trade ReviewShe was . . . marvellous * Guardian *Keane's distinctive blend of elegant savagery and deep affection . . . its human relationships tortured like bonsai by good form, its open-hearted, sensual passion for horses, dogs and landscape * Evening Standard *I admired many authors. But Molly, I loved -- Diana AthillA writer of genius * Wall Street Journal *

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Book SynopsisONE OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY'S MOST GIFTED AMERICAN WRITERS 'Tillie Olsen's is a unique voice. Few writers have gained such . . . reverence' MARGARET ATWOOD'Almost unbearable in its harsh poetry and bitter fidelity to lives that are now forgotten' ALICE WALKER'There's no diminishing its fierce bloody-and-literal-mindedness' KIRKUS REVIEWS Tillie Olsen carved a permanent place in American literature on the strength of a single book, Tell Me a Riddle in 1962. This collection was widely hailed as a work of genius, in which the voices of ordinary Americans, black and white, male and female, were given their own rhythms and forms of expression.Yonnondio, Olsen's only novel, was begun during the depression and completed in 1974. It tells the story of the Hollbrooks, an itinerant working-class family in America during the thirties. Brutalised by poverty, they struggle to find a space to breathe, to dream and to create a bettter life for their children. Told in compelling, haunting prose, it is a profound and timeless story of the human will to survive.Trade ReviewFeminist author famous for helping aspiring women writers to find a voice * Guardian *Almost unbearable in its harsh poetry and bitter fidelity to lives that are now forgotten, or never known -- Alice WalkerTillie Olsen's is a unique voice. Few writers have gained such . . . reverence -- Margaret AtwoodCharged with emotional detail and delivered with an attention to the rhythms of consciousness more rigorous and powerful than most of what is called realism * New York Times *There's no diminishing its fierce bloody-and-literal-mindedness * Kirkus Reviews *Almost unbearable in its harsh poetry and bitter fidelity to lives that are now forgotten, or never known * ALICE WALKER *Tillie Olsen's is a unique voice. Few writers have gained such ... reverence * MARGARET ATWOOD *

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Book SynopsisVivian, a student nurse, chose her profession as a challenge, both to her spirit and to her permanently exhausted body; Mic immerses himself in his work at the hospital to ward off the emotional wounds of an unhappy childhood. Through Jan, Viv's beloved older brother, they meet, and their friendship turns into a secret romance. Secret because, if discovered, it would cost them their jobs.Despite the discipline and rigid hierarchy imposed by the hospital, their passion takes root, but between them hangs the tantalising and enigmatic shadow of Jan.

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