Fiction Books

Book Synopsis'At that time I could not imagine what would become of me, and I didn't care. It was not judgement day, but another morning'This is the story of Jeanette, adopted and brought up by working-class evangelists in the North of England to be one of God's elect. Passionate, headstrong and shielded by her mother's grand disapproval of a sinful world, she seems destined for life as a missionary. And then she meets Melanie.At sixteen, Jeanette faces a world of uncertainty as she breaks from the church and her community for the young woman she loves. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a warm, witty and daring novel that gives voice to irrepressible desire.Meet ten of literature's most iconic heroines, jacketed in bold portraits by female photographers from around the world.Trade ReviewYou'll find everything you need to know about mustering the courage to embrace your true self and live life without fear in Winterson's hugely engaging semi-autobiographical novel -- Mariella Frostrup * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisNew to the Vintage Classics Woolf series, this is Woolf's groundbreaking experimental novel.Jacob's Room is Virginia Woolf's first truly experimental novel. It is a portrait of a young man, tracing his life from childhood, to Cambridge University, and to his early adult life in artistic London. Jacob always yearns for something greater, and embarks on a voyage to the Mediterranean before the war begins and his fate is forever altered. Impressionistic in style, the narrative is as inspired now as it was when it first appeared.'A remarkable achievement' New StatesmanTrade ReviewJacob, of whom people speak, of whom they think, but who is never shown. And yet that denial of presence on the part of the author makes of him one of the most living presences in world literature. It’s a remarkable achievement.—New StatesmanVirginia Woolf stands as the chief figure of modernism in England and must be included with Joyce and Proust in the realisation of experimental achievements that have completely broken with tradition—New York Times

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Book SynopsisA beautiful hardback edition of Angela Carter's feminist retelling of fairy tales - masterful, seductive and luminous. From familiar fairy tales and legends - Red Riding Hood, Bluebeard, Puss in Boots, Beauty and the Beast, vampires and werewolves - Angela Carter has created an absorbing collection of dark, sensual, fantastic stories.'Magnificent set pieces of fastidious sensuality' Ian McEwan'A quirky, original, and baroque stylist' Margaret AtwoodVINTAGE QUARTERBOUND CLASSICS: Bound to be beautifulINTRODUCED BY HELEN SIMPSON

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Book Synopsis'It is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black...'Under Milk Wood tells the story of a Welsh village during one spring day. It is populated by some of the best-loved characters in British literature. Lyrical, funny, moving, it is rooted in place but with a universality that has spoken to generations of readers. A Welsh epic, a work of poetic genius, a modern classic.'A tour de force of oral poetry which oozes word pictures and onomatopoeic musicality' GuardianTrade ReviewA tour de force of oral poetry which oozes word pictures and onomatopoeic musicality * Guardian *A dazzling combination of poetic fireworks and music-hall humor * New York Times *Dylan Thomas...was the most musical of poets. His work is so full of rhythm and melody that one of life's great pleasures is to read him aloud, feeling those syllables roll around your mouth while the rhythms find their ebb and flow -- Cerys MatthewsThomas stretches out his sentences into great, rolling, relentless waves, or crushes words together into compound coinages as the voices whisper and declaim: the play is bawdy, tragic, lyrical, sly, odd, familiar, broad and deep by turns * Guardian *I'm not sure anyone really needs my opinion on 'Under Milk Wood' as Thomas wrote it. But for what it's worth I think it's brilliant - time hasn't dimmed it, his language remains bracingly wild, elemental and weird * Time Out *

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Book SynopsisGripping, authentic novel set in Roman Britain from bestselling historian, Adrian Goldsworthy. AD 98: VINDOLANDA. A FORT ON THE EDGE OF THE ROMAN WORLD. The bustling army base at Vindolanda lies on the northern frontier of Britannia and the entire Roman world. In just over twenty years time, the Emperor Hadrian will build his famous wall. But for now defences are weak as tribes rebel against Rome, and local druids preach the fiery destruction of the invaders. It falls to Flavius Ferox, Briton and Roman centurion, to keep the peace. But it will take more than just a soldier's courage to survive life in Roman Britain. This is a hugely authentic historical novel, written by one of Britain's leading historians. 'A thrilling and engrossing novel' HARRY SIDEBOTTOM. Trade ReviewAn instant classic of the genre. No historian knows more about the Roman army than Adrian Goldsworthy, and no novelist better recreates the Classical World. Flavius Ferox, Briton turned Roman Centurion is a wonderful, charismatic hero. Action and authenticity combine in a thrilling and engrossing novel -- Harry SidebottomAn authentic, enjoyable read * The Times *A well-written and authoritative novel that is always enjoyable and entertaining * For Winter Nights *Don't be surprised if you see Vindolanda in the starting line-up for Historical Fiction Book of the Year 2017 * Weekend Sport *Much more accurate than the usual action fiction about legionaries and Rome... Vindolanda brings the reader closer to the true nature of Roman Britain' * New Books Magazine *Complex and interesting, Vindolanda is definitely worth a read if you like history - and if you like your mystery with a solid dollop of action. Go Rome! * Roaring Bookworm *Gritty and realistic... Goldsworthy's characters are authentically ancient and his descriptions of Roman Briton ring true' -- Troy Lennon, Daily Telegraph (Sidney)Feels like an incredibly authentic view of life on the far reaches of the Roman Empire. Plenty of action and a cracking read for lovers of historical fiction or fans of Roman history * What Cathy Read Next *

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Book SynopsisSun, sea and a sexy stranger – a whole lot of fun just got a lot more complicatedCapable, confident and career-driven, Ellen had her dream job and a marriage proposal from boyfriend Ross. Life was good, her future set. Until it wasn’t and everything fell apart…Whisked off to the beautiful island of Corfu to plan her sister Lacey’s big, fat, Greek wedding, Ellen is hoping some time out will help clear her head and heal her heart. But letting go of her past is not going to be easy.With Lacey in full-on Bridezilla mode, Ellen is soon distracted from her own problems. And when the all-inclusive treats on offer at hotel Blue Vue include one gorgeous, brooding Adonis – Yan – Ellen finds him difficult to resist.But Ellen isn’t looking for love or lust, or anything involving too much ouzo…or is she?'A really cool story with poignant moments and lots of sunshine. Loved it!' Patricia Wilson, author of An Island PromiseOriginally published in 2015

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Book SynopsisBOOK ONE IN THE SHIRES MYSTERIES - A TWISTY NEW WHODUNNIT. When Sam Dee moves to the beautiful Wiltshire village of Bishops Well, he expects a quiet life of country walks and pub lunches. OK, so his new neighbour, Maggie Kaye, is a little peculiar, but she's very nice - and his old pal Richard Ruta lives just down the road.But when Richard throws one of his famous parties, things take a sinister turn. Sam, Maggie and the rest of the guests are dumbfounded when Richard falls down dead. A horrible tragedy - or a cunningly planned murder? With a village full of suspects - and plenty of dark secrets - just who exactly would want to bump off their host? Is there a connection to another mysterious death, nearly twenty years before? Armed with her local knowledge, Maggie - with Sam's reluctant but indispensable help - is soon on the case. But when the body count starts to rise, will sleepy Bishops Well ever be the same again?A GRIPPING NEW COSY CRIME MYSTERY, FOR FANS OF BETTY ROWLANDS, FAITH MARTIN AND JOY ELLIS.What readers are saying about Anna Legat:'Brilliant. I didn't want to put it down!''It's a rare author who can keep me guessing until the end - and the ending was a shocker''Plenty of twists and turns''A brilliantly complex spaghetti of unrelated sub-plots to challenge any armchair sleuth''I thoroughly enjoyed this book, reading it cover to cover in a weekend''I shall look out for more from Ms Legat'

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Ondaatje PrizeShortlisted for the Highland Book PrizeShetland: a place of sheep and soil, of harsh weather, close ties and an age-old way of life. A place where David has lived all his life, like his father and grandfather before him. A place that Alice has fled to after the death of her husband. A place where Sandy, a newcomer but already a crofter, may have finally found a home. But times do change, and the valley that they all call home must change with them, or be forgotten. The debut novel from one of our most exciting new literary voices, The Valley at the Centre of the World is a story about community and isolation, about what is passed down, and what is lost between the cracks.Trade ReviewWhat I've been waiting for: a moving, authentic novel of the Scottish islands in the twenty-first century -- AMY LIPTROT, Sunday Times Bestselling author of THE OUTRUNUtterly beguiling * * Sunday Times * *Life-affirming . . . [Tallack] is a careful and precise writer . . . Given that Mackay Brown and Crichton Smith were two of the best Scottish writers of fiction in the second half of the 20th century, a first novel that sits comfortably alongside their work is a considerable achievement -- Allan Massie * * Scotsman * *Tallack's concern here is with the push and pull of larger forces - love, grief, guilt, need, the idea of home itself. They're potent themes that could, but rarely do, overshadow characters about which he writes with palpable tenderness . . . A sharp-eyed and evocative painter of place * * Daily Mail * *Lyrical . . . Wonderfully atmospheric and moving * * Sunday Express * *In this intense debut novel Malachy Tallack takes us to an isolated world inhabited by a community of utterly believable folk. He is great on the nature of work, how it is done, how it exhausts, how it shows our humanity. And when he gets this right other things naturally follow - like love and empathy and understanding. This book leaves us wanting his next -- BERNARD MACLAVERTY, author of GRACE NOTES and MIDWINTER BREAKA vivid closeup of island life . . . Captures the emotional journey of a man who returns home to remote Shetland and the viewpoints of the people who live there -- Ian Sansom * * Guardian * *A desperately beautiful novel. Tallack writes with such tenderness for his characters and quiet awe for the patch of earth he places them upon. Now that I've turned the last page, I find myself experiencing a strange kind of loneliness -- SARA BAUME, author of SPILL SIMMER FALTER WITHER and A LINE MADE BY WALKINGA vivid novel which immediately lands you in Shetland. It wrestles with big questions about land, community and belonging and how place shapes character. It lingers in the mind long after you have finished reading -- MADELEINE BUNTING, author of LOVE OF COUNTRYBeautiful writing, totally believable characters and a really evocative sense of place. A triumph -- NICOLA STURGEON, First Minister of Scotland

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Book SynopsisAll animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.George Orwell's fable of revolutionary farm animals - the steadfast horses Boxer and Clover, the opportunistic pigs Snowball and Napoleon, and the deafening choir of sheep - who overthrow their elitist human master only to find themselves subject to a new authority, is one of the most famous warnings ever written. Rejected by such eminent publishing figures as Victor Gollancz, Jonathan Cape and T.S. Eliot due to its daringly open criticism of Stalin, Animal Farm was published to great acclaim by Martin Secker and Warburg on 17 August 1945. One reviewer wrote 'In a hundred years' time perhaps Animal Farm ... may simply be a fairy story: today it is a fairy story with a good deal of point.' Seventy-five years since its first publication, Orwell's immortal satire remains an unparalleled masterpiece and more relevant than ever.The Authoritative Text. With an introduction by Christopher Hitchens.*The jacket of this stunning hardback edition features period artwork by Elizabeth Friedlander, one of Europe's pre-eminent 20th-century graphic designers. Look out for complementary editions of Orwell's essential works Nineteen Eighty-Four and Down and Out in Paris and London.*

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Book SynopsisSometimes we must look to the past to survive the future.Q wants a simpler and safer life. His work as a quantum cryptographer for the government has led him to believe a crisis is imminent for civilisation and he's looking for somewhere to ride out what's ahead.He buys a ruined farmhouse in Cornwall and begins to build his own self-sufficient haven. Over the course of this quest he meets the eccentric characters who already live on the moors nearby - including the park ranger in charge of the reintroduced lynxes and aurochs that roam the area; a holy man waiting for the second coming on top of a nearby hill; an Arthurian knight on horseback and the amorous ghost of an Edwardian woman who haunts the farmhouse.As life in the cities gets more complicated, and our systems of electronic control begin to fall apart, Q flourishes in the wild Cornish countryside. His new way of life brings him back in tune with his teenage children, his ex-wife, and his own sense of who he is. He also grows close to Eva, energetic and enchanting, who is committed to her own quest for love and meaning.In this entertaining and heart-warming novel Louis de Bernières makes us reconsider what is really precious in our short and precarious lives.‘Marked by de Bernieres’ customary light touch and wry humour...This quirky novel is timely... a feelgood story about friendship and love – vintage de Bernieres.’ Daily MirrorTrade ReviewBeguiling...Set in a jollier dystopia than the norm, it tells the tale of “Q”, a cryptographer who takes refuge from the madding crowd in Cornwall * Observer *Marked by de Bernieres’ customary light touch and wry humour...This quirky novel is timely... a feelgood story about friendship and love – vintage de Bernieres. * Daily Mirror *A knockabout satire with twists aplenty * Mail on Sunday *A wonder worthy of Wyndham...wry, wise * Daily Mail *Heaps of old-fashioned adventure * The Times *

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

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Book Synopsis** WINNER OF THE LAUREL PRIZE 2021 ****A SPECTATOR AND IRISH TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020****SHORTLISTED FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES / UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK YOUNG WRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD 2020****SHORTLISTED FOR THE JOHN POLLARD FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL POETRY PRIZE 2021****SHORTLISTED FOR THE DALKEY LITERARY EMERGING WRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD 2021**A remarkable first collection by an important new poetIn this collection, Seán Hewitt gives us poems of a rare musicality and grace. By turns searing and meditative, these are lyrics concerned with the matter of the world, its physicality, but also attuned to the proximity of each moment, each thing, to the spiritual. Here, there is sex, grief, and loss, but also a committed dedication to life, hope and renewal. Drawing on the religious, the sacred and the profane, this is a collection in which men meet in the woods, where matter is corrupted and remade. There are prayers, hymns, vespers, incantations, and longer poems which attempt to propel themselves towards the transcendent. In this book, there is always the sense of fragility allied with strength, a violence harnessed and unleashed. The collection ends with a series of elegies for the poet's father: in the face of despair, we are met with a fierce brightness, and a reclamation of the spiritual. 'This is when / we make God, and speak in his voice.'Paying close attention to altered states and the consolations and strangeness of the natural world, this is the first book from a major poet.Trade ReviewSeán Hewitt soars... His poetry will stand the test of time, for...the sheer musicality of the language, the lightness on his metrical feet, and his keen ear for "the music of what happens" charm the reader into submission. This is an astonishingly assured debut delivered in a poetic voice that has eloquence, compassion, and serenity in equal measure...in the pantheistic tradition of Wordsworth, Whitman, John Clare, and Seamus Heaney... When it comes to nascent talent, we Irish have a tendency to mistake the fifth or sixth month of pregnancy for the ninth, thrusting premature greatness upon the liveliest embryos. By contrast, Hewitt seems to have sprung fully formed into the literary world and, on this showing, nothing seems beyond him. -- Bert Wright * Sunday Times *It is extraordinary to encounter a debut collection that feels as established as Seán Hewitt’s… These unmediated poems are, at the same time, charged: they pull you in swiftly, you become immersed… In ‘Tongues of Fire’, the title piece and last in the collection, the present is burning. It is an exceptionally moving poem – impossible to read without a lump in the throat… He grafts the people and circumstances of his life on to nature with unerring brilliance… This is, above all, a devotional collection and will lift the spirits of all who read it…. He has a gift for gravity, rootedness, calm… Hewitt has the confidence to relax and to allow his poems, in an unaffected and sometimes conversational way, to speak to the heart. -- Kate Kellaway * Observer *Poetry Book of the Month* *I fell into [Tongues of Fire] one morning and read the whole book through and it truly warmed my soul. He's an exquisitely calm and insightful lyric poet, reverential in nature and gorgeously wise in the field of human drama. It's a stunning collection of poems. -- Max Porter * Irish Times *Best Books of 2020* *Very accomplished poems. -- Sebastian Faulks * Spectator *Books of the Year* *This is an extraordinary collection - heart-bruising, tender - one to cherish, and live by. Though Hewitt moves us through anguish and destruction, love still glows; and in the dark undoings of these poems, decay lights the wildwood with its strange, ethereal foxfire. As Hewitt writes, "it is hard to tell where heaven starts"; I find it in these poems, which are beyond-gorgeous, beyond-glorious, blood-felt, feral, luminous. -- Fiona BensonSeán Hewitt understands that poetic form is sacred and mysterious. In these godforsaken times his reverent procedures are food for the soul. -- Michael LongleyI fell in love with these wild, heartsore, ecstatic poems. They lead us to deep, hushed places - in the woods and heaths, in our hearts and bodies - and unearth such tenderness and dark treasure. Tongues of Fire is a beautiful book and Seán Hewitt is an extraordinary writer. -- Liz BerryIn Tongues of Fire, Hewitt crafts poems of intense beauty and endless range, which glisten with queer desire... Considered and poised, every line in this stunning compilation surprises and nurtures. -- Uli Lenart * attitude, *Books of the Year* *

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Book Synopsis*LONGLISTED FOR THE 2022 INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE*An epic, deeply moving novel about the power of love and loving with courage - from the Man Booker International Prize-winning author of A Horse Walks into a Bar.On a kibbutz in Israel in 2008, Gili is celebrating the ninetieth birthday of her grandmother Vera, the adored matriarch of a sprawling and tight-knit family. But festivities are interrupted by the arrival of Nina: the iron-willed daughter who rejected Vera''s care; and the absent mother who abandoned Gili when she was still a baby.Nina''s return to the family after years of silence precipitates an epic journey from Israel to the desolate island of Goli Otok, formerly part of Yugoslavia. It was here, five decades earlier, that Vera was held and tortured as a political prisoner. And it is here that the three women will finally come to terms with the terrible moral dilemma that Vera faced, and that permanently altered the course o

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Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERAn unexpected offer threatens the bond between Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi as the two Jedi navigate a dangerous new planet and an uncertain future.A Jedi must be a fearless warrior, a guardian of justice, and a scholar in the ways of the Force. But perhaps a Jedi’s most essential duty is to pass on what they have learned. Master Yoda trained Dooku; Dooku trained Qui-Gon Jinn; and now Qui-Gon has a Padawan of his own. But while Qui-Gon has faced all manner of threats and danger as a Jedi, nothing has ever scared him like the thought of failing his apprentice.Obi-Wan Kenobi has deep respect for his Master, but struggles to understand him. Why must Qui-Gon so often disregard the laws that bind the Jedi? Why is Qui-Gon drawn to ancient Jedi prophecies instead of more practical concerns? And why wasn’t Obi-Wan told that Qui-Gon is considering an invitation to join the Jedi Council—knowing it would mean the end of their partnership? The simple answer scares him: Obi-Wan has failed his Master.When Jedi Rael Aveross, another former student of Dooku, requests their assistance with a political dispute, Jinn and Kenobi travel to the Royal Court of Pijal for what may be their final mission together. What should be a simple assignment quickly becomes clouded by deceit, and by visions of violent disaster that take hold in Qui-Gon’s mind. As Qui-Gon’s faith in prophecy grows, Obi-Wan’s faith in him is tested—just as a threat surfaces which will demand that Master and Apprentice come together as never before, or be divided forever.

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Book SynopsisBASH - an intergalactic game of basketball played by superstar athletes from across the cosmos. Young Rudy comes from the poor neighborhood of Nevilia, but dreams of a being a BASH star, and his talent might just make it happen: but can he make it while threats come from every corner of the galaxy? Throughout the universe, there's one sport that everyone's a fan of: BASH! A brutal, high-octane version of basketball: its players are rockstars, legends, gods, and for young Rudy, a poor kid from Nevilia, his only dream is to be one of them. Rudy's got talent, but talent is nothing without practice and so he sets out to become the best BASH player in the galaxy, always training, always reaching for jut one more dunk. And while Rudy is starting to get noticed by the teams and the talent scouts, other, more sinister forces have started to creep out from the shadows, jealous of this rising young star.Trade Review"A teenage athlete discovers hidden potential within himself in Bash!, an exciting, entertaining graphic novel." PETER DABBENE, FOREWORD REVIEWS "An exciting read [...] This futuristic basketball story is elevated by the art and will likely engage science fiction and sports fans." - CARLA RIEMER, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

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Book SynopsisWhen you have a past as long as this, something’s bound to come back to bite you! A lone female vampire, Helena, stumbles into an alliance with Marcus, an unwitting human, when she’s attacked by a rival coven on the streets of Sao Paulo. But when what seems at first to be a simple fight over hunting territory quickly turns into a lethal game of cat and mouse, Helena is forced to confront a shocking past betrayal and battle for her very existence.Trade Review"Danilo Beyruth's storytelling and draftsmanship is some of the finest I've ever seen, and it's on full display with Love Kills." - Dan DiDio

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE CWA JOHN CREASY DAGGER AWARD How well do you know your girlfriend? How well do you know your lover? How well do you know yourself? Daniel and Victoria are together. They're trying for a baby. Ruby is in prison, convicted of assault on an abusive partner. But when Daniel joins a pen pal program for prisoners, he and Ruby make contact. At first the messages are polite, neutral - but soon they find themselves revealing more and more about themselves. Their deepest fears, their darkest desires. And then, one day, Ruby comes to find Daniel. And now he must decide who to choose - and who to trust.Trade Review[A] compelling psychological thriller- a terrifyingly plausible story of how everyday failures of empathy, compassion and, most of all, trust, can have fatal consequences. * The Sunday Times *[an] elegantly creepy skin-crawler * The Guardian *Hatch's promising debut is a short, sharp shocker that keeps you guessing to the end * The Times *An intense, oppressive debut, with its dark climax sudden and shocking in its plausibility * Observer *An emotionally raw and compulsively readable psychological thriller. A powerful tale of obsessive love and stealthy betrayal, full of twists that jolt you right up to the end. * Alice Blanchard, award-winning author of The Breathtaker *AS Hatch's first-rate debut is a spare, elegantly written chiller in the true Highsmithian register. Daniel, our damaged, diffident carpenter protagonist, having served a long prison sentence, retraces the steps that led him to captivity, charting his unhappy childless relationship and gradual drift into chaos. The plot is as well turned as the cabinets Daniel makes, the narration is unreliably delirious and there's an inspired use of Brexit, first as an unearthly chill across the land in the referendum's immediate aftermath and then as a frenzied, Brueghelian street party in a seaside town, a fittingly grotesque backdrop to the novel's unsettling progress. * The Irish Times *Carries the reader along with a sense of foreboding, with a shocking twist at the end. * L.F. Robertson, author of Two Lost Boys *A breathless page-turner with gathering tension throughout. * Rebecca Alexander, author of A Baby's Bones *Full of palpable unease and tension creeping down every page. I inhaled this book! I could not put it down! * Prima *[A] dark, well-told, twisting psychological tale * Saga *

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Book SynopsisThis deluxe clothbound boxset contains Mark Twain''s most beloved novels and stories: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur''s Court; The Prince and the Pauper; Tom Sawyer Abroad; Tom Sawyer, Detective; Pudd''nhead Wilson; and The Mysterious Stranger, complete and unabridged. Each hardcover book is bound in high-quality cloth, with a beautifully embossed cover. The bright color scheme and contemporary designs (with matching color endsheets) make this Mark Twain Collection an instant collectible, perfect for both long-time Twain fans or for young adult readers who are just beginning to discover the genius of the famed American humorist. All six volumes fit handsomely into a matching hardcover slip-case with luxurious cloth finishes on the top and bottom, making it perfect gift or collectable for display.

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Book SynopsisWhen an English expat is brutally murdered, his charred corpse left on a Loire Valley hillside, the police turn to juge d'instruction Matthieu Lombard to find the perpetrator.

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Book SynopsisThe truth can be liberating. But at what price?When Sarah Lester discovers the birth certificate of a twin sister her world unravels. Why had her parents never spoken of Suzette? And why are they still lying to her?As Sarah's world becomes increasingly threatening, her determination to trace Suzette increases. Supported by her partner, Ben, and her friend, Jennifer, Sarah's search leads her from the Scottish Highlands to southwest France, via dead ends, hostile encounters with a strange couple and a disturbing childhood memory. What confrontations lie ahead?How do we rebuild a life when it's devastated by reality?

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Book SynopsisA gripping story of danger, intrigue, jealousy and love set in the uncertain world of Oliver Cromwell's post-civil war Republic. When army surgeon, John Lockyer attends the pregnant victim of a street stabbing, saving the child but not the mother, Lady Derryn Barlow, ward of the Earl of Pembroke, his life unravels. Hours later, a hospital laundry maid, Sally, is killed and, pressured to keep quiet by the Earl's henchman, Lockyer and his colleague, Madame O'Brien, search for Sally's sister, Finny, at the Whitecross Street brothel. But she has already fled. What is the link between the dead women? Who has taken the child? What are the brothel's secrets? And will the murderer be found?Infiltrating the exiled Royalists in France, will Lockyer uncover the answers? Will he find favour with Cromwell? And will he meet Madame O'Brien again?In this compelling debut, Tallis Clark deploys her medical expertise and meticulous historical research to deliver a pitch-perfect story of murder, forensic investigation, political high stakes and the search for truth.

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Book SynopsisA very varied and colourful collection. There are numerous poems about love, both personal and perhaps fictional. There is a strong awareness of the real world and Nature in all its varieties (not least in that very fine and unexpected poem ‘The Roses of Heliogabalus’), but nevertheless it is the sense of a strong imagination at work that transforms the Real into Poetry that is so striking about this book. This is not another volume of careful observations that have been workshopped out of existence, but something altogether more wild and meaningful. — Fred Beake What I enjoy most about Clive’s poetry is its capacity to surprise, to lull the reader into the promise of the familiar and then completely change their understanding, their expectations, their view of life itself. These are poems of nuance and feeling, tactile descriptions and human emotion, imagination and inventiveness. — Robert Garnham

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Book SynopsisCursed with love by his step-mother, Culhwch (Pig Boy) is condemned to love and marry Olwen, the daughter of the Hawthorn Giant—pitiless, violent and huge. So begins the quest—first to the court of King Arthur to wins support for the quest. In this earliest and earthiest of Arthurian tales, we are in the grip of the Otherworld, where landscape, nature and doing what we can to make a better future, no matter how impossible that might seem, are everything. Making a future despite the odds and despite the terrible and debilitating pain that afflicts Pig Boy as part of his love of Olwen will see him tested him again and again as he faces each task along the quest, the last to hunt the Great Wild Boar and seize the golden comb and scissors from between its ears so that the Hawthorn Giant can have his beard trimmed and hair combed for his daughter’s wedding. Will the marriage finally be celebrated? And what help will Pig Boy need to summon—not only from the court of Arthur and its warrior class but from everyone in the kingdom and from the non-human realm with it deep magic? An epic tale of ancient myth, the story of Pig Boy continues to resonate today with how we go on making a future, calling on the land and whatever and whoever might help, human and beyond. An ambitious, compelling and powerful debut from master storyteller, Michael Harvey.

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Book SynopsisA gripping dark thriller by P.R. Black. Perfect for fans of Kerri Beevis and Lisa Jewell. You can't escape him. He abducts lone joggers and forces them to run for their lives. When he catches them, he pulls out his blade... Now he's locked away and will be in prison for years. They call him a psychopath, a murderer, the 'Woodcutter Killer'. But what if you just found out you're supposed to call him father? Reviews for P.R. Black: 'A slow-burning thriller that builds to a devastating dénouement.' Mail on Sunday 'It's edge-of-the-seat stuff... A cracker.' Bookbag 'Copious amounts of suspense' Novel KicksTrade ReviewA slow-burning thriller that builds to a devastating dénouement * Daily Mail, on The Long Dark Road *

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Book SynopsisShe has the chance for a new life, but will she take it?When their mother dies of pneumonia, Ellie and her younger sister Dora are left alone in the world. Their hard-drinking, womanising father has abandoned them, and they cannot afford the rent on their East End tenement alone. Ellie is proud but she cannot turn down an offer of help from Doctor Lowe, a kindly man who sees Ellie as the replacement for his own recently deceased daughter.Though Doctor Lowe’s motives are misguided, his kindness offers Ellie and Dora an opportunity to escape the poverty of their background and make something of themselves. But will Ellie risk her chance at a new life for revenge on her father? An enthralling Victorian saga of family and female independence, perfect for fans of Maggie Hope and Val Wood.

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the National Book AwardA story of forbidden love and fugitive faith in the nineteenth century Arctic Circle'Transports readers deep into an unfamiliar world, yet with familiar conflicts and desires. I was absorbed and changed. Absolutely beautiful' Tracy Chevalier, bestselling author of Girl With a Pearl EarringIn 1851, at a remote village in the Scandinavian tundra, a Lutheran minister known as Mad Lasse tries in vain to convert the native Sámi reindeer herders to his faith. But when one of the most respected herders has a dramatic awakening and dedicates his life to the church, his impetuous son, Ivvár, is left to guard their diminishing herd alone. By chance, he meets Mad Lasse's daughter Willa, and their blossoming infatuation grows into something that ultimately crosses borders-of cultures, of beliefs, and of political divides-as Willa follows the herders on their arduous annual migration north to the sea. Gorgeously written and sweeping in scope, Hanna Pylväinen's The End of Drum-Time immerses readers in a world lit by the northern lights, steeped in age-old rituals, and guided by passions that transcend place and time.

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Book Synopsis'A fresh new voice in crime fiction' - JANICE HALLETT'A tragi-comic banger' - HARRIET TYCE'Funny, sad, witty and very engaging' - EMMA CURTISEveryone needs a hobby... Things haven't been going well for Beth. Her husband has left her for one of her friends. Her fellow school mums judge her for swearing too much and not shifting the baby weight. And now she's stuck in A&E after her son fell off the climbing wall on the first day of school. In fact, things haven't been going well for Beth since Charlotte died - her best friend, a favourite at the school pick-ups and the only person to ever run an interesting PTA meeting. But after being hit by a car while on an ill-timed evening jog, Charlotte is no longer there to help Beth pick up the pieces of her increasingly difficult life. That is, until Beth discovers that Charlotte left her toddler alone in the house during that fatal run. The Charlotte she knew would never do something so irresponsible, and suddenly Beth is questioning whether Charlotte's death was really an accident. With a newfound purpose and a glass of wine in hand, it's time for Beth to uncover what really happened to her best friend. And what better place to start than the circle of chatty school mums, who can't be as perfect as they pretend. But which of them is hiding something? Beth's determined to find out. Once she's put the kids to bed, of course... 'Darkly funny and deftly plotted' - ALICE CLARK-PLATTS'Riotously funny and searingly observed' - KATE SIMANTS'A twisty-turny mystery that drew me in from the opening lines' - PHILIPPA EAST

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Book Synopsis'A glorious debut' - SUNDAY EXPRESS 'Recommended reading for a long winter night' - GUARDIAN 'A love letter to the classic country house murder mystery' J.M. HALL A snowstorm. A country house. Old friends reunited. It's going to be murder... Torben Helle - art historian, Danish expat and owner of several excellent Scandinavian jumpers - has been dragged to a remote snowbound Northumbrian mansion for a ten-year reunion with old university friends. Things start to go sideways when their host, a reclusive and irritating tech entrepreneur, makes some shocking revelations at the dinner table. And when these are followed by an apparent suicide, the group faces a test of their wits... and their trust. Snowed in and cut off, surrounded by enigmatic housekeepers and off-duty police inspectors, not to mention a peculiar last will and testament, suspicion and sarcasm quickly turn to panic. As the temperature drops and the tension mounts, Torben decides to draw upon all the tricks of Golden Age detectives past in order to solve the mystery: how much money would it take to turn one of his old friends into a murderer? But he'd better be quick, or someone else might end up dead... This witty murder mystery puts a modern spin on the classic country house whodunnit. A must-read for fans of Agatha Christie, Richard Osman and Janice Hallett. 'A solid gold revival of the golden age whodunnit, with a delicious Danish twist' JANICE HALLETT 'Wonderfully descriptive and loaded with atmosphere' IAN MOORETrade ReviewAn ingenious plot, witty asides and lively characterisations... If Carlsberg did whodunnits they would probably be something like this * Saga *A witty repurposing of the Golden Age country house whodunnit for the modern age * Financial Times *Nicely done, with some entertaining asides about the nature of detective fiction: recommended reading for a long winter night * Guardian *Combines classic country house murder mystery with an ensemble comedy caper in a glorious debut * Sunday Express *An entertaining whodunnit in the classic Christie style * Mail on Sunday *Jensen has taken themes from dozens of golden age novels and made something new - and funny - out of them... Self-conscious in the best way, with an array of literary references, this is an excellent cosy crime novel * Literary Review *A spine-chilling, Agatha Christie-esque whodunnit * iPaper *A locked-room mystery that gleefully winks to its form... Full of sharp turns, the plot is equally engaging, reminiscent of the Knives Out films, and drawing from the many mysteries it name-checks. This craftily entertaining novel's surprising conclusion fits comfortably in that lineage * Irish Times *A heart-warming blend of a classic whodunnit with a modern spin * Belfast Telegraph *A glorious feat that intrigues, surprises and delights from page one. This gem is a solid gold revival of the golden age whodunnit, with a delicious Danish twist -- Janice Hallett, author of THE APPEALA love letter to the classic Country House murder mystery... if Agatha Christie had written The Big Chill it would have been very much like this -- J.M. Hall, author of A SPOONFUL OF MURDERA brilliant update on the traditional country house murder. Oskar Jensen has a wonderfully descriptive style, pin-point accurate and loaded with atmosphere. If this is the start of Scandi-Cosy, I'm all for it -- Ian Moore, author of DEATH AND CROISSANTSOskar Jensen is a sparkling new voice in crime fiction. Loved it -- S.J. Bennett, author of THE WINDSOR KNOTA wonderful mix of golden age tributes, scandi not-so-noir, puzzling mystery, and a study of the sort of friendships that linger across the years, often against the odds... A belter of a book, and I'm already anxiously awaiting the sequel -- Katy Watson, author of THE THREE DAHLIASA glittering jewel in the crown of modern country house mysteries. We must have more of Torben Helle! Truly excellent -- Marion Todd, author of OLD BONES LIE

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Book SynopsisNot everything that goes bump in the night brings gifts ... As the nights draw in, the veil between worlds thins, and all sorts of ghosts and ghouls come tumbling in. In the shadows, under the bed, in wind-whipped snowy landscapes and in rooms lit by guttering candles, the dead of winter are waiting for us ... and their hearts are cold as ice. From the mysterious occupant of an ancient tomb to the Christmas visitor who is troubled by violent dreams, these are ten ghost stories from the masters of the genre that will chill your blood and haunt your dreams through the darkest months of the year. With stories from Lennox Robinson, M. Burrage, Ruth Rendell, E.F. Benson, Arthur Conan Doyle, H. Russell Wakefield, M.R. James, Margaret Irwin, Algernon Blackwood and W.W. JacobsTrade ReviewWith Cecily Gayford in charge, we are on safe ground * Daily Mail *Looking forward to Christmas? [The Vintage Murder series] is a fine way to start it. It's a cracker -- Amy MyersPraise for Vintage Murder series -- :Has everything you might want ... take this little book to the beach [and] relax in the sun while reading of battered corpses -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *An excellent collection of short stories by ten top-class writers -- Marcel Berlins * The Times Books of the Year *Perfect for a quick fix of golden-age crime ... this collection of short winter chills is well worth reading by candlelight before turning in on Christmas Eve -- Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal and The Twyford Code * The Sunday Times *Short, clever and puzzling murder tales test the brains of the most avid crime reader ... delectable * On Magazine *An impressive tome by some great names ... there isn't actually a bum note in the entire collection, not a single one you could skip through and not miss it - which is quite some feat. To paraphrase Nick Cook's famous Crimewatch sign off, just don't have nightmares after reading it. -- Sarah Morgan * On Magazine *

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Book SynopsisWhen Sir Arthur Conan Doyle introduced the world to Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson in 1887's A Study in Scarlet, a true icon of literature was born. Since then, their humble address at 221B Baker Street has become almost as famous as the great detective himself, with the incredible popularity of Sherlock Holmes's adventures never wavering over the last 130 years.Bound in a rich, collector's cover, this deluxe and expansive edition, produced in association with The Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221B Baker Street, is the definitive collection for fans of the great detective. It contains all of Conan Doyle's stories – four novels and a colossal 56 short stories – complete and unabridged, encompassing the entirety of the legendary author's Sherlock Holmes work.Table of ContentsFour novels: A Study in Scarlet; The Sign of Four; The Hound of the Baskervilles; The Valley of Fear. And 56 short stories, including: A Scandal in Bohemia; The Red-Headed League; A Case of Identity; The Boscombe Valley Mystery; The Five Orange Pips; The Adventure of Silver Blaze; The Adventure of the Cardboard Box; The Adventure of the Yellow Face; The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk; The Adventure of the Gloria Scott; The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual.

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Book SynopsisTwo happy couples. One dead body. A whole load of secrets. Married life wasn't meant to start like this.On honeymoon in Bali, you hit it off with another newlywed couple and celebrate your last night at a fancy cliff-side restaurant.No one predicted the evening would end with a dead body. But it was an accident, right? A tragic accident.The honeymoon may be over but it soon becomes clear that there's another side to this story . . . and your life depends on uncovering it.Many marriages can survive anything – but when it starts on a lie is it really 'til death do us part? ___________'This sizzling summer read is a breathtaking exploration of obsession and betrayal' - S Magazine'A page-turner full of secrets and lies, this is a totally addictive read' - Heat, 5-star review'Full of suspense and a whole load of secrets' - Prima'Atmospheric' - Candis'A wonderful twisty thrill ride' - Crime Monthly, lead review, 4 stars'Secrets, lies and the mother of all cover-ups...' - Louise Candlish, bestselling author of Our House and The Only Suspect'An addictive, jaw-dropping read. I loved it.' - Claire Douglas'Fantastically atmospheric and suspenseful ... Set to be one of the biggest sizzling reads of the summer!' - L.V. Matthews'A nerve-jangling tale of tension, suspicion and betrayal' - T.M. Logan'Tense, pacy, twisty and ingeniously plotted, it's going to be HUGE this summer!' - Isabelle Broom'Clever, twisty and tense, I'll be recommending The Honeymoon to friends looking for the perfect summer read.' - Nicole Kennedy'Brilliantly plotted, full of suspense and atmosphere, it had me turning the pages long after I should have been asleep.' - Lia Middleton'I really loved this book. Gripping. Atmospheric. Couldn't put it down.' - Imran Mahmood'Dark, devilish and deliciously addictive. The Honeymoon hooked me from page one and delivered twist after twist. The perfect summer thriller.' - Chris WhitakerTrade Review'A page-turner full of secrets and lies, this is a totally addictive read' * Heat, 5-star review *'Full of suspense and a whole load of secrets' * Prima *'Atmospheric' * Candis *'A wonderful twisty thrill ride' * Crime Monthly, lead review, 4 stars *'Secrets, lies and the mother of all cover-ups ... I was gripped by this twisty tale of two couples' honeymoons colliding' -- Louise Candlish, bestselling author of Our House and The Only Suspect'An addictive, jaw-dropping read. I loved it' -- Claire Douglas'Fantastically atmospheric and suspenseful ... Set to be one of the biggest sizzling reads of the summer!' -- L.V. Matthews'A nerve-jangling tale of tension, suspicion and betrayal' -- T.M. Logan'Tense, pacy, twisty and ingeniously plotted, it's going to be HUGE this summer!' -- Isabelle Broom'Clever, twisty and tense, I'll be recommending The Honeymoon to friends looking for the perfect summer read' -- Nicole Kennedy'Brilliantly plotted, full of suspense and atmosphere, it had me turning the pages long after I should have been asleep' -- Lia Middleton'I really loved this book. Gripping. Atmospheric. Couldn't put it down' -- Imran Mahmood'Dark, devilish and deliciously addictive. The Honeymoon hooked me from page one and delivered twist after twist. The perfect summer thriller' -- Chris Whitaker'I was gripped from the very beginning ... Keeps you guessing all the way' * The Breakfast Book Club *'Tense, twisty and expertly plotted' * The Unmumsy Mum *

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Book SynopsisWhen the Great Depression hits Liverpool hard, can Weaver Street's close knit community keep each other safe?As Liverpool and its residents begin to heal from the wounds and memories of World War I, life on Weaver Street in 1924 is blessedly peaceful. At number eleven, widow Kitty Conlon is dreaming about her upcoming wedding to John, while at number nine her best friend Maggie is cursing her bad luck as she juggles the demands of her cantankerous mother, stroppy daughter and fly-by-night beau. At number fifteen, Mavis has a mysterious new lodger, while further along the street the O Malley family are missing their beloved Ireland.But as the Depression begins to bite, and the arrival of the Muller family on Weaver Street signals the worrying drumbeats of conflict coming from Germany, the fragile happiness and peace Liverpool has been enjoying looks destined to end. And as the neighbours pull together in the toughest of times, the women on Weaver Street face the prospect of waving their menfolk off to war.If you love Lyn Andrew, Katie Flynn and Pam Howes, you'll love Chrissie Walsh. What readers say about Chrissie Walsh’s stories:‘This was a very, very, very good read from start to finish I didn't want to put it down, the storyline is amazing.’‘I really enjoyed this book, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in two days. Such a great author, I do hope there will be follow on books on Weaver Street following the lives of all the people I’ve now come to know.’‘Great book with brilliant characters Kitty, Tom, Maggie, Beth and lots more. One of the best books I've read this year. Can't wait until next one comes out to see what happens to Kitty and her family.’‘Loved this story couldn’t put it down a fab read. Kitty showed what a strong character she was. I can’t wait for next one. Have a try you’ll not be disappointed.’

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Book SynopsisThe conclusion to the enthralling and lyrical fantasySumerianstrilogy, retellingThe Epic of Gilgamesh, that will captivate readers of Madeline Miller, Jennifer Saint and Lucy Holland.

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Book SynopsisPerfect for fans of Stephen King and the 1980s nostalgia of Stranger Things. A gripping suburban nightmare from the New York Times-bestselling, Bram-Stoker Award-winning master of horror fiction. It's Halloween night, 1984, in Coventry, Massachusetts, and two families are unravelling. The Barbosas have opened their annual Haunted Woods attraction in the forest behind their house-the house they're about to lose. The Sweeneys are fighting about alcoholism and infidelity on their front lawn. Up the street, high-school senior Vanessa Montez is about to have her secrets exposed during the violent end to the neighbourhood's block party, while down the street, the truth about Ruth and Zack Burgess turns out to be even more horrifying than the rumours ever were. And all the while, mixed in with the trick-or-treaters of all ages, four children who do not belong are walking door to door, merging with the kids of Parmenter Road. Children in vintage costumes with faded, eerie makeup. Children who seem terrified, and who beg the neighbourhood kids to hide them away, to keep them safe from The Cunning Man. There's a small clearing in the woods now that was never there before, and a blackthorn tree that doesn't belong at all. These odd children claim that The Cunning Man is coming for them...and they want the local kids to protect them. But with families falling apart and the community splintered by bitterness, who will save the children of Parmenter Road? New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning author Christopher Golden is best known for his supernatural thrillers set in deadly, distant locales...but in this suburban Halloween drama, Golden brings the horror home.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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