Fiction books to excite, provoke and spark a conversation. Debut authors, award winners, bestsellers & lost gems - our range of fiction titles will leave you spoilt for choice.
Fiction Books
Simon & Schuster Ltd Sleeping Dogs
Book SynopsisAVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW – THE NEWEST THRILLER IN THE DS ADAM TYLER SERIES, FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF FIREWATCHING 'Clever and ingenious, I was gripped’ SAM HOLLAND ‘One of the best detective novels I’ve read in a long time . . . Russ Thomas is an exceptional talent’ LESLEY KARA_____________________________THE LIES OF THE PAST . . . When an anonymous tip lands on his desk, DS Adam Tyler is intrigued in spite of himself. The disappearance of a young mother twenty-four years ago was big news, but the case was never solved – this tantalizing new lead is something he simply can’t ignore. But the letter has set in motion a dangerous chain of events, and Tyler’s search for the truth soon leaves him fighting for his life. . . . LIVE IN THE PRESENT With Tyler out of action, DC M
£9.49
Titan Books Ltd Daggers Drawn
Book SynopsisNINETEEN CWA DAGGER AWARD-WINNING SHORT STORIES FROM THE BEST OF THE BEST IN CRIME FICTION Maxim Jakubowski has edited all the great names in crime fiction and stories from his anthologies have won the CWA Dagger six times. Now he has collected 19 Dagger award-winning stories in one volume, making it the first retrospective deep dive into the CWA's archive of Dagger Award winners. Bringing together the greatest crime fictions authors such as Ian Rankin, Jeffery Deaver, John Connolly, Denise Mina, John Harvey and many more. Edgy, twisted and disturbing, Daggers Drawn is a visceral and thrilling collection showcasing the very best modern crime fiction has to offer. Contributors include: Ian Rankin Jeffery Deaver John Connolly John Harvey Denise Mina Julian Rathbone Martin Edwards Peter Lovesey Lauren Henderson Stella Duffy Peter O'Donnell (writing as Madeleine Brent) Danuta Reah Cath Staincliffe Margaret Murphy L.C. Tyler Phil Lovesey Larry Beinhart Richard Lange Jerry SykesTrade Review"A well written sharp, incisive crime story (much like a dagger thrust should be) is a thing of beauty. There are many in this anthology. Read and enjoy."– Frost Magazine"Quality and variety... are guaranteed."– Morning Star"Chilling and crafty, and full of devious characters. Not all of the victims are innocent, and the effects of each story will linger long after you close the volume."– The Girl Who Reads"It’s good to see earlier contributions from such luminaries as Peter O’Donnell, Julian Rathbone and Larry Beinhart among the star-studded cast which features Ian Rankin, Jeffrey Deaver, Denise Mina and John Harvey."– Shots Mag"The daggers are drawn, business ends out. An absolute must read for all crime fiction fans."– Advance the Plot"Edgy, twisted and disturbing, Daggers Drawn is a visceral and thrilling collection showcasing the very best modern crime fiction has to offer."– Book Lover's Boudoir"[A]n overall entertaining tale of short stories with quite a few enjoyable tales to entice the reader."– Run Along the Shelves"I'd definitely recommend this great collection for anyone who is a crime fiction fan."– Snazzy Books"[A]n engrossing and entertaining read."– Annarellix Review
£16.19
HarperCollins Publishers Prisoners of the Sun
Book SynopsisOne of the most iconic characters in children's literatureHergé's classic comic book creation Tintin is one of the most recognisable characters in children's books. These highly collectible editions of the original 24 adventures will delight Tintin fans old and new. Perfect for lovers of graphic novels, mysteries and historical adventures.The world's most famous travelling reporter journeys to South America on a mission to save Professor Calculus.When Professor Calculus is kidnapped, Tintin and a desperate Captain Haddock set off to Peru on a rescue mission, braving runaway train carriages, yellow fever and avalanches. Then they must find an ancient Inca tribe if they are to find their great friend.Join the most iconic character in comics as he embarks on an extraordinary adventure spanning historical and political events, and thrilling mysteries. Still selling over 100,000 copies every year in the UK and having been adapted for the silver screen by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson iTrade ReviewTintin shows young readers that the world in all its complexity is theirs to bestride. (The Wall Street Journal) I became enthralled with the way Hergé told his stories. Grand, epic, global adventures about a young reporter who goes all around the world looking for stories to tell. (Steven Spielberg, 'The Adventures of Spielberg: An Interview', The New York Times, 2011) Top 100 Children’s Book – Time Out (2022) Terrific world-straddling adventures. (Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Ten Essential Children’s Books, Books for Keeps, 2020) The Red Sea Sharks was named one of Young Bond author Charlie Higson’s favourite books in The Daily Express: “Tintin was a huge inspiration being a young person in an adult world.” (2015) Explorers of the Moon was named one of comedian Milton Jones’ favourite books in The Daily Express (2018) Explorers of the Moon was named one of screenwriter and best-selling crime novelist Peter May’s favourite books in The Daily Express: “A childhood favourite…it encouraged me to create my own cartoon series.” (2016) The Calculus Affair was named one of author and foreign correspondent Christian Jennings’ favourite books in The Week (2017)
£11.69
Headline Publishing Group The Invention of Wings
Book SynopsisDon''t miss the extraordinary new novel from Sue Monk Kidd, The Book of Longings - published on 21st April 2020, and available to pre-order nowThe Invention of Wings: The No. 1 New York Times bestseller. A powerful and extraordinary novel about the unlikely friendship between two exceptional women during the last years of slavery in the US. From the celebrated author of the multi-million-copy-bestselling novel The Secret Life of Bees. ''Fascinating... A splendid tribute to a pair of true heroines'' The Times''Wonderful - well-written, moving and engaging by turns, and always compelling'' Daily Mail''A remarkable novel that heightened my sense of what it meant to be a woman - slave or free'' Oprah Winfrey''A resonant, illuminating novel'' Observer Sarah Grimké is the middle daughter. Her mother says she''s difficult and her father says she''s remaTrade Review'The fascinating story of real-life abolitionist sisters, Sarah and Angelina Grimke... A splendid tribute to a pair of true heroines' - The Times'Wonderful - well-written, moving and engaging by turns, and always compelling' - Daily Mail'Unflinchingly depicts the brutality of slavery... a resonant, illuminating novel' - Observer'This year's The Help - but even better' - Fabulous Magazine (supplement to The Sun)'A moving tale of slavery in the Deep South' **** - Heat'Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees was every book group's must-read novel. The Invention of Wings... promises to repeat the trick' - Guardian'An exploration of slavery already singled out by Oprah Winfrey for her game-changing book club' - Sunday Express'A poignant tale set in America's Deep South in the last days of slavery' - Good Housekeeping
£9.49
Faber & Faber The Barracks
Book SynopsisThe iconic debut novel by ''one of the greatest writers of our era'' (Hilary Mantel) and ''the Irish novelist everyone should read'' (Colm Tóibín).Elizabeth Reegan, after years of freedom - and loneliness - marries into the enclosed Irish village of her upbringing. The children are not her own; her husband is straining to break free from the servile security of the police force; and her own life, threatened by illness, seems to be losing the last vestiges of its purpose. Moving between tragedy and savage comedy, desperation and joy, John McGahern''s first novel is one of haunting power.''Marvellous.'' Susan Hill, Times''Wise and compelling ... Elegiac and graceful.'' David Mitchell''I have admired, even loved, John McGahern''s work since his first novel.'' Melvyn Bragg''Reminds one of the young Joyce ... McGahern is the real thing.'' Spectator
£9.49
Profile Books Ltd The Visiting Privilege
Book Synopsis'How to tell the story of a 500-page collection of stories spanning more than forty years? Especially when I really want to just exclaim, "Oh, Oh, OH!" in a state of steadily mounting rapture' Geoff Dyer, Observer Williams' uniquely devastating portrayals of modern life have been captivating readers and writers for decades. Here, for the first time, Williams' thirty-three best stories are available in a single volume, together with thirteen new stories that show a writer continuing to mould the form into something strange and new. Bleak but funny, real but surreal, domestic but dangerous, familiar but enigmatic, Joy Williams' stories fray away the fabric at the edge of ordinary experience to reveal the loneliness at the heart of human life. In 'The Lover', a girl suffers a spiritual and physical wasting away; in 'The Visiting Privilege', a visitor finds refuge in her friend's psychiatric ward; in 'Charity', a woman gives a poor family gas money and finds herself marooned in their peculiar world; in 'Another Season' an itinerant man cleanses an island of roadkill; in 'Craving' an alcoholic couple head towards a car crash. The Visiting Privilege represents the culmination of Williams' career and cements her place as the most singular artist of short fiction writing today.Trade ReviewPerhaps the greatest living master of the short story ... easily taking her place among the ranks of Mavis Gallant, Flannery O'Connor, Grace Paley, John Cheever and Raymond Carver -- Neel Mukherjee * Guardian Books of the Year *Joy Williams is a stone-cold 100% American original ... a treasure trove of high-octane prose and surreal wit -- Rupert Thomson * Herald Books of the Year *An electric and dangerously human volume -- Philip Hensher * Spectator Books of the Year *The literary heir to Anton Chekhov * Washington Post *Williams is a flawless writer, and The Visiting Privilege is a perfect book * NPR *Joy Williams is simply a wonder -- Raymond CarverShe belongs in the company of Céline and Flannery O'Connor -- James SalterHow to tell the story of a 500-page collection of stories spanning more than 40 years? Especially when I really want to just exclaim, "Oh, Oh, OH!" in a state of steadily mounting rapture -- Geoff Dyer * Observer *The Visiting Privilege cements Williams's position not merely as one of the great writers of her generation, but as our pre-eminent bard of humanity's insignificance * New York Times Magazine *Powerful, important, compassionate, and full of dark humor. This is a book that will be reread with admiration and love many times over * Vanity Fair *One of the most fearless, abyss-embracing literary projects our literature has seen ... ruthless, hilarious work that holds our human folly to the fire ... you can't much pin Joy Williams down with any obvious dark masters. She is American and contemporary and strange, comfortable in the skin of domestic realism, even if that mode is a kind of misleading costume for a far more sinister project not often seen in American, or any, short fiction -- Ben Marcus * New York Times Book Review *Deep, dazzling, disconcerting -- Adam FouldsDark, funny, spare and unsparing ... wonderful ... Williams is fully alive to the tragicomedy of our transient lives. -- Eithne Farry * Sunday Express *Revisiting the edgy, perceptive, provocative stories of Joy Williams make The Visiting Privilege a celebration. From the opening story, 'Taking Care', Williams confirms her ironic pathos and consummate timing, and rarely falters. -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times *Williams's short stories portray the edges of modern life in vivid, staccato detail and make for compelling reading. The narrative threads move forward in unpredictable, exciting and often unsettling detail. * Guardian, readers' BOTY 2016 *One of the great American short story writers -- Jay McInerneyThe bright-bleak grand master of short stories -- Lauren Groff * New Yorker *How had Joy Williams been missing from my life for so long? What a writer. What a voice. What a way of seeing. -- Laura Barnett * Twitter *
£10.44
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Spells Strings and Forgotten Things
Book SynopsisFrom the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic For as long as history can remember, there have been three Petridi sisters. Three sisters whose legacy is to protect the town from dark magic and other covens of ill-intent. For where magic gathers, there will be those who seek to claim it. It's a thankless task for a town that knows nothing of magic, and the price of the sisters'' magic is great: memories. The more powerful the magic, the greater the memory required. Luckily, all Calliope Petridi wants to do is forget. Forget her judgmental oldest sister, Thalia, who refuses to do magic because of the cost. Forget how her other sister Eurydice only uses small magic for small memories, yet her spells are still more powerful. Forget about growing up with a grimoire that was more of a parent than their mother or father. Forget about the very cost of her magic. An
£9.87
Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) People Places and Things
Book SynopsisMacmillan doesn't shy away from difficult questions about addiction and recovery and, rightly, doesn't answer them ... this is a bold, timely and searching play - Financial TimesEmma was having the time of her life. Now she's in rehab. Her first step is to admit that she has a problem. But the problem isn't with Emma, it's with everything else. She needs to tell the truth. But she's smart enough to know that there's no such thing. When intoxication feels like the only way to survive the modern world, how can she ever sober up?People, Places & Things premiered at the National Theatre in 2015 before transferring to London's West End and St. Ann's Warehouse in New York. This edition is published to coincide with the return to the West End in June, 2024
£10.99
Orion Publishing Co The Lifeline
Book Synopsis''I loved this book - could not put it down'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''A joy to read... I really did love every page of this book'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''An easy five stars'' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Everybody needs saving sometimes...For Kate, having a newborn baby means she is almost never alone. But that doesn''t mean she isn''t lonely. The move from London to Somerset with her husband Jay was supposed be the start of an exciting new chapter. But sometimes she can''t help but wonder if she turned the pages too soon . . . Phoebe needs help. As a mental health nurse serving her community, the wellbeing of her patients has always come before her own. Yet there''s only so long she can pour from an empty cup. Looking for a lifeline, Kate and Phoebe find a sense of community - and each other - through their local river swimming group. But when things get tough, they realise
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The New Penguin Book of Love Poetry
Book SynopsisLove itself might be blind, but over millennia it has inspired some of the most perceptive and visionary poetry ever written. From the fragments of Sappho, to the sonnets of Shakespeare and the Romantic verses of Byron, Keats and Shelley, right through to Simon Armitage and Carol Ann Duffy, The New Penguin Book of Love Poetry collates and curates the very finest poems on this subject from across cultures and ages. Whether it''s the burning passion of two young lovers, the steady companionship of a married couple, the unconditional love of a parent for a child or the enduring affection of lifelong friendship, this is Penguin''s definitive collection of the most treasured writing on the most universal of themes.
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd Julius Caesar
Book Synopsis''Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war, That this foul deed shall smell above the earth With carrion men, groaning for burial''Fearful that Caesar will become a tyrant, his friends plot to assassinate him in order to save Rome. But the conspirators'' high principles clash with personal malice and ambition, and as they vie to manipulate the mob, the nation is plunged into bloody civil war. A taut, profound drama exploring power and betrayal, Julius Caesar exposes the chasm between public appearance, political rhetoric and bitter reality.Used and Recommended by the National TheatreGeneral Editor Stanley WellsEdited by Norman Sanders Introduction by Martin Wiggins
£7.99
HarperCollins Publishers Magic
Book SynopsisA final collection of original short fantasy stories assembles previously uncollected tales, stories about the two-centimeter demon Azael, several fairy tales, and a humorous adventure about Batman's old age from the grandmaster of science fiction.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Jacobs Room Virginia Woolf Classic 20thCentury
Book SynopsisJacob Flanders is a young man passing from adolescence to adulthood in a hazy rite of passage. From his boyhood on the windswept shores of Cornwall to his days as a student at Cambridge, his elusive, chameleon-like character is gradually revealed in a stream of loosely related incidents and impressions: whether through his mother's letters, his friend's conversations, or the thoughts of the women who adore him. Then we glimpse him as a young man, caught under the glare of a London streetlamp. It is 1914, he is twenty-six, and Europe is on the brink of war... This tantalizing novel heralded Woolf's bold departure from the traditional methods of the novel, with its experimental play between time and reality, memory and desire.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres a
£8.54
Vintage Publishing Zone One
Book SynopsisFrom the author of the Man Booker longlisted The Underground RailroadA pandemic has devastated the planet, sorting humanity into two types: the uninfected and the infected, the living and the living dead.Trade ReviewA dark futuristic satire laced with fiendish humour * The Times *Exhilarating, heartbreaking -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday *Profoundly thoughtful... Zone One is a dark mirror, to be sure, but there is no doubt it is our own age that is being scrutinised here * New Statesman *A zombie story with brains... Whitehead can spin gore into macabre poetry * Washington Post *As satirical and gut-wrenchingly emotional as it is horrific, Zone One is the zombie tale at its literary best * SciFi Now *A cool, thoughtful and, for all its ludic violence, strangely tender novel * New York Times Book Review *Punchy cocktail of horror, comedy and social critique * Metro *Often simultaneously arch and sombre, Whitehead's narrative flares with a sociological intelligence -- Benjamin Evans * Daily Telegraph *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Middlemarch Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition
Book SynopsisGeorge Eliot’s beloved masterpiece in a Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition with a foreword by Rebecca Mead, author of the bestselling memoir My Life in Middlemarch A triumph of realist fiction, George Eliot’s Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life explores a fictional nineteenth-century Midlands town in the midst of sweeping change. The proposed Reform Bill, the new railroads, and scientific advances are threatening upheaval on every front. Against this backdrop, the quiet drama of ordinary lives is played out by the novel’s complexly portrayed characters—until the arrival of two outsiders further disrupts the town’s equilibrium. Every bit as powerful and perceptive in our time as it was in the Victorian era, Middlemarch displays George Eliot’s clear-eyed yet humane understanding of characters caught up in the mysterious unfolding of self-knowledge. In this elegant Penguin Classics Deluxe EditiTrade Review“Middlemarch, the magnificent book which with all its imperfections is one of the few English novels written for grown-up people.”—Virginia Woolf“The most profound, wise and absorbing of English novels . . . and, above all, truthful and forgiving about human behaviour.”—Hermione Lee"No Victorian novel approaches Middlemarch in its width of reference, its intellectual power, or the imperturbable spaciousness of its narrative...I doubt if any Victorian novelist has as much to teach the modern novelists as George Eliot...No writer has ever represented the ambiguities of moral choice so fully".—V. S. Pritchett"Middlemarch is probably the greatest English novel."—Julian Barnes"It is possible to argue that Middlemarch is the greatest English novel."—A. S. Byatt "Certainly the greatest [English] novel."—Martin Amis
£13.49
Dover Publications Inc. Blake W Songs of Innocence and Songs of
Book SynopsisClassics of English poetry, alternately describing childhood states of innocence and their inevitable ensnarement in a corrupt and repressive world. Contains the full texts of all the poems in the original 1794 edition of both collections. Includes a selection from the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
£5.32
Faber & Faber Faith Healer
Book SynopsisA profound, harrowing excavation of the past that stands amongst Brian Friel''s masterpieces.Faith healer faith healing. A craft without an apprenticeship, a ministry without responsibility, a vocation without a ministry.Frank Hardy, a travelling healer, offers the promise of redemption to the sick. But his is an unreliable gift, a dangerous calling, bringing him into conflict with his wife, Grace, and his manager, Teddy.Faith Healer premiered at the Longacre Theatre, New York, 1979.The night of Faith Healer is one that still blazes in recollection for me, as religious experiences of art do. And it became a sort of touchstone for me . . . for defining the elusiveness of great art and the pain of the artist who creates it.' BEN BRANTLEY, NEW YORK TIMESThe writing is beautiful, supple, rhythmical, charged with the slow, sure throb of despair and enchantment . . . Brian Friel is the most pr
£10.44
Pushkin Press The Formidable Miss Cassidy
Book Synopsis
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers The Wickedest
Book Synopsis''Atmospheric and intoxicating'' CANDICE CARTY-WILLIAMS''A joyous, lyrical read'' YOMI ADEGOKE''Hypnotic and freewheeling'' GUARDIANA Guardian Book of the YearCaleb Femi returns with a landmark, life-affirming new poetry collection, The Wickedest.This is a minute-by-minute depiction of a typical night at a legendary monthly house party known as ''The Wickedest''. Here, we meet a vivid cast of characters, young and old, all surfing a revelry steeped in camaraderie, community, desire and a spirit of jubilant defiance.A modern epic, The Wickedest explores the institution of shoobs or house parties and their vital role within working-class communities. The poems range from classical English sonnets to experimental forms and are immersively interwoven with photographs, text messages and ephemera. The collection playfully dissembles parties in space, sound, law and bureaucracy to document the precarious existence of our nightlife venues.In Caleb Femi''s inimitable, cinematic style the book builds to a crescendo that is at once euphoric and grief-soaked. The Wickedest calls us to cast our minds to the moments we stood surrounded by our loved ones on a dancefloor, arms outstretched, and freed ourselves from the weight of reality to float.One of London's most renowned poets' SALMA EL-WARDANY, BBC Radio LondonI love the collection so much' NICK GRIMSHAW, BBC Radio 6''A near-holy experience'' JONATHAN ESCOFFERY''This is poetry that moves and is felt in the body'' ANDREW MCMILLANCaleb Femi''s collection, Poor, won the Forward Prize''s Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection in 2021
£13.49
Hodder & Stoughton The Templar Legacy
Book SynopsisThe first explosive thriller in the Cotton Malone series from a New York Times megaselling author.The ancient order of the Knights Templar possessed untold wealth and absolute power, until the Inquisition destroyed them and their riches were lost forever.But some people don''t believe in ''forever''.Ex-agent Cotton Malone used to work for Stephanie Nelle in the US Justice Department. Now Nelle wants his help to crack a series of puzzles that have confounded experts for centuries - and could lead to the legendary lost treasure of the Knights Templar.But someone else is on the trail - someone prepared to commit the ultimate crime to win the ultimate prize. Malone and Nelle find themselves in a heart-stopping race through the villages, castles and cloisters of Europe in pursuit of a secret that, in the wrong hands, could bring the world to its knees.Trade ReviewNot to be missed. Anagrams and complicated symbology abound, and comparisons to The Da Vinci Code are inevitable, but Berry distinguishes himself with a complex, well-written, and extremely readable story. * Library Journal *A major twist midway through the story . . . the puzzles are so much fun . . . radical thinking of the Gospels that's sure to spark some lively debate . . . pretty grabby stuff * Wall Street Journal *'A major twist midway through the story . . . the puzzles are so much fun . . . radical thinking of the Gospels that's sure to spark some lively debate . . . pretty grabby stuff' * Wall Street Journal *'Not to be missed. Anagrams and complicated symbology abound, and comparisons to The Da Vinci Code are inevitable, but Berry distinguishes himself with a complex, well-written, and extremely readable story.' * Library Journal *'Writes with the self-assured style of a veteran' * Dan Brown on Steve Berry *Steve Berry is a writer on the rise. * David Morrell, author of NIGHTSCAPE and CREEPERS *Conspiracies and plots abound . . . Berry handles his thriller tradecraft skilfully, [and] his descriptions are stellar. * Booklist on THE THIRD SECRET *Sexy, illuminating . . . my kind of thriller. * Dan Brown on THE AMBER ROOM *International intrigue, swashbuckling action, indestructible hero from the American South. . . . Not to be missed. * Kirkus Reviews, on THE ROMANOV PROPHECY *'Pure intrigue. Pure fun.' * Clive Cussler on Steve Berry *Pacy, action packed and intriguing * Adelaide Advertiser *Steve Berry has a knack for tackling historical mysteries...Fabulous! * Woman's Day, Australia *A seamless blend of fact and fiction...a first-class thriller...gripping...enlightening * Waikato Times, NZ *
£9.49
Transworld Publishers Ltd A Scandal at Christmas
Book Synopsis'Catherine Cookson soars above her rivals' Mail on Sunday'Her characters have the grit of real life' Sunday Times'Queen of raw family romances' Telegraph_____________________________At fifteen years old, Gail Blenheim is the truly the apple of her father, Harry's, eye. Sweet, mild-mannered, with the promise to grow into a true beauty, she'll always bring her father joy, which is something he'll never take for granted. But Gail knows that her father is unhappy. Stuck under his odious father-in-law's thumb and resigned to a near-loveless marriage, Gail can see that he feels trapped. But when Harry lets his loneliness get the better of him at a Christmas party, he sparks a scandal with such far-reaching repercussions that he may lose everything, including his own daughter. But Gail's devotion for her father is stronger than he realises and she refuses to give up on the man she's looked up to for her whole life. Can a daughter's love save her father from ruin?________________________
£8.54
Orion Publishing Co The Paris Affair
Book SynopsisMarch 1941. As the war rages on, the Buckingham Hotel has become a microcosm of the world. Its ballroom and restaurant are peopled with exiled royal families, politicians and dignitaries, but the beating heart of the Buckingham remains its hardworking, talented staff. With the heroic Raymond de Guise away fighting in North Africa, his beloved wife Nancy must balance her new position in life- as Head of Housekeeping at the Buckingham, but also as a new mother to their child. And all the while, mysterious new figures are beginning to take centre stage: a secretive new bandleader from across the Atlantic, an unknown thief pilfering luxury goods from the Buckingham's larders, and a charismatic ghost from Raymond's past, stirring up old memories from his time on the circuit in 1920s Paris. As tensions flare and dark secrets rise to the surface, it's all the Buckingham staff can do to retain their trademark elegance a
£9.49
Little, Brown & Company No Game No Life Vol. 1
Book SynopsisIn a world where games decide everything - even national borders - a genius brother-sister duo aim to put their gamesmanship to the test...to save humanity!
£11.39
International Marine Publishing Co The Marlinspike Sailor
Book SynopsisHervey Garrett Smith was the foremost marine illustrator of the 1950s and 1960s, and his wonderful drawings of traditional ropework quickly propelled The Marlinspike Sailor to cult classic status when it was published in 1956. With the addition of a section on modern, synthetic rope in the 1970s, its popularity has continued undiminished to this day. It teaches a few basic knots--the bowline, sheet bend, and rolling hitch, among others--and splices in three-strand and braided rope. But its real business is decorative rope and canvaswork--the traditional arts of the sailor--and here it has no equal. For a rope mat, a rope ladder, a sea chest, a ditty bag, a canvas bucket, a mast boot, and the best-looking rope fenders or heaving line in the marina, this is the book of choice.Trade Review"[Smith's] original illustrations are a marvel of clarity and charm." Cruising World "The art of creating a 'boaty' boat. If you don't have this title, now is the time to get it." WoodenBoatTable of ContentsForewordIntroductionMaking Rope BehaveKnot, Bend, or Hitch?Anyone Can SpliceThe Short SpliceThe Long SpliceThe Stowage of RopeHow to Lay Up a GrommetWhippingsThe Heaving LineSome Notes on SeizingWorming, Parcelling, and ServingThe Running Turk's HeadThe Star KnotThe Tack KnotThe Lanyard KnotMatthew Walker's KnotA Simple Rope MatLadder Mat and Block MatA Russian or Walled MatA Sword MatA Rope Ladder with a New Twist and Some Remarks on the Making of BaggywrinklePlaited SennitsCrown SennitsRope HandlesCoachwhippingGrafting, Pointing and HitchingCockscombingThe Sea ChestDeadeyes and LanyardsDecorative Wall BagTom Crosby's Ditty BoxThe Rigger's Little HelperWooden Bilge PumpsPalm and Needle PracticeThe Ditty BagThe Sea BagThe Bell RopeWooden CleatsRope FendersStropped BlocksCanvas Deck BucketRigging a JacklineSail Stop BagSome Notes on the Use of "Taykles"A Lanyard for a CannonThe Catboat RaceMaking a Mast BootThe Water JugRegistration Numbers, They Too Can Be BeautifulArt and Yacht DesignSynthetic Fibres and Their CharacteristicsBasic Eye SpliceStandard End for EndBack SpliceIndex
£14.24
Ian Fleming Publications Diamonds are Forever
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£17.00
Titan Books Ltd A Palace Near the Wind
Book SynopsisFrom a rising-star author, winner of the both the Bram Stoker and Nebula Awards, a richly inventive, brutal and beautiful science-fantasy novella. A story of family, loss, oppression and rebellion that will stay with you long after the final page.
£12.74
Pan Macmillan I Would Die For You
Book SynopsisSANDIE JONES has worked as a freelance journalist for more than twenty years and has written for publications including The Sunday Times, Woman's Weekly and Hello magazine. She lives in London with her husband and three children. She is the author of The Other Woman, a Reese's Book Club x Hello Sunshine pick.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd (UK) I am a Bird from Paradise
Book Synopsis
£5.99
Hodder & Stoughton Garden Spells
Book SynopsisWelcome to Bascom, North Carolina, where it seems that everyone has a story to tell about the Waverley women. The house that''s been in the family for generations, the walled garden that mysteriously blooms year round, the rumours of dangerous loves and tragic passions. Every Waverley woman is somehow touched by magic.Claire has always clung to the Waverleys'' roots, tending the enchanted soil in the family garden from which she makes her sought-after delicacies - famed and feared for their curious effects. She has everything she thinks she needs - until one day she waked to find a stranger has moved in next door and a vine of ivy has crept into her garden . . . Claire''s carefully tended life is about to run gloriously out of control.Trade Reviewmesmirising * Choice magazine *'An unusual but mesmirising read' * Choice *A lovely tale of desire and gastronomy * Irish Tatler *'Definitely one to put in your suitcase this summer - a warm, sunny holiday read.' * newbooks magazine *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Haunting of Hill House
Book SynopsisA stunningly creepy deluxe hardcover edition with spot gloss, black sprayed edges, black-stained pages, and black endpapers.Part of a six-volume series of the best in classic horror, selected by Academy Award-winning director of The Shape of Water Guillermo del Toro. Filmmaker and longtime horror literature fan Guillermo del Toro serves as the curator for the Penguin Horror series, a new collection of classic tales and poems by masters of the genre. Included here are some of del Toro?s favorites, from Mary Shelley?s Frankenstein and Ray Russell?s short story ?Sardonicus,? considered by Stephen King to be ?perhaps the finest example of the modern Gothic ever written,? to Shirley Jackson?s The Haunting of Hill House and stories by Ray Bradbury, Joyce Carol Oates, Ted Klein, and Robert E. Howard. Featuring original cover art by Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley, these stunningly creepy deluxe hardcovers will be perfect additions to the shelves of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal aficionados everywhere.The Haunting of Hill HouseThe classic supernatural thriller by an author who helped define the genre. First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson''s The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a ?haunting;'' Theodora, his lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers?and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.Trade ReviewPraise for Penguin Horror Classics:“The new Penguin Horror editions, selected by Guillermo del Toro, feature some of the best art-direction (by Paul Buckley) I've seen in a cover in quite some time.” – Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing"Each cover does a pretty spectacular job of evoking the mood of the title in bold, screenprint-style iconography." – Dan Solomon, Fast Company
£18.69
Bonnier Books Ltd I Found a Body
Book SynopsisDetective Sergeant Mona Hendricks has enough on her plate: she's separated from her husband, her teenage daughter is punishing her for it, and she's having to babysit. When her daughter's favourite influencer, Kylie May, finds a dead body and broadcasts it to the world, Mona is thrown into a very public murder investigation. What ensues are two duelling investigations between a seasoned detective and an ambitious influencer, one using good old-fashioned police work, and the other using sensational tactics to keep spotlight on the case - and on herself. Nine years later, Mona is estranged from her daughter, relying on a cane to walk, and bitter towards Kylie, whilst the murder remains unsolved. When Kylie, now a sleek TV contrarian (think: young, female Piers Morgan), approaches Mona with a well-paid offer to investigate the cold case, Mona has no option but to accept . . .
£9.49
Ortac Press The Punk Rock Birdwatching Club
Book SynopsisFollowing his debut, Flower Factory, Richard Foster presents a new batch of psychedelicized, autofictive fairy tales from the Netherlands. The Punk Rock Birdwatching Club introduces a diverse cast of voices, who narrate eight stories dealing with major social changes that occurred in this part of Europe during the mid-2000s.
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers No Mercy
Book SynopsisThe old unit will reunite to complete one last mission in honour of their fallen comrade. But all she wants is revenge
£11.12
Vintage Publishing In a Dark Dark Wood
Book SynopsisNora hasn't seen Clare for ten years. Not since the day Nora walked out of her old life and never looked back. Until, out of the blue, an invitation to Clare's hen party arrives. A weekend in a remote cottage - the perfect opportunity for Nora to reconnect with her best friend, to put the past behind her. But something goes wrong. Very wrong.Trade Review"A slickly plotted, whip smart thriller - genuinely chilling and totally compulsive" Sunday Mirror, Book of the Week "[A] chilling psychological thriller...a tense, claustrophobic marriage of secrets, tequila shots and shotguns" Sunday Express "If the premise might be the sort that Agatha Christie would have toyed with had she been a 21st-century graduate, Ware's analysis of the power-games some women revel in - and the toxicity in the undertow of some female friendships - is more reminiscent of Sophie Hannah, Christobel Kent, or even Gillian Flynn and Harriet Lane" -- Patricia Nicol Independent "You won't be able to put down this creepy page-turner" Closer "Thrilling, gripping & well-written" Metro, Book of the Week "Toxic friendships, an isolated house, a dark snowy wood... Everyone's worst nightmare, and the perfect ingredients for this tense, terrifying novel" -- Clare Mackintosh, author of I Let You Go
£9.49
Quercus Publishing The Winter Visitor
Book SynopsisEssex in February. Cold enough to catch your death.
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Strangled Queen The Accursed Kings Book 2
Book SynopsisThis was the original game of thrones' George R.R. MartinThe King is dead. Long live the King.Philip IV is dead and his great kingdom is in disarray. It seems the fatal curse of the Templars is plaguing the royal house of France.His son has been enthroned as Louis X; but with his disgraced wife Marguerite imprisoned in the Chateau Gaillard for her adultery, Louis can produce no heir with which to secure the succession. But neither can he marry again while she livesThe web of scandal, murder and intrigue that once wove itself around the court of the Iron King continues to draw in his descendants, as the destruction of his dynasty continues apace.Trade Review‘Iron kings and strangled queens, battles and betrayals, lies and lust, the curse of the Templars, the doom of a great dynasty – and all of it (well, most of it) straight from the pages of history, and believe me, the Starks and the Lannisters have nothing on the Capets and Plantagenets. Whether you are a history buff or a fantasy fan, Druon's epic will keep you turning pages. This was the original game of thrones’GEORGE R.R. MARTIN ‘Blood-curdling tale of intrigue, murder, corruption and sexual passion’SUNDAY TIMES ‘Barbaric, sensual, teeming with life, based in wide reading and sound scholarship…among the best historical novels’ TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Shining Girls
Book SynopsisThe jaw-dropping, page-turning, critically-acclaimed book of the year: a serial-killer thriller unlike any other from the award-winning Lauren Beukes. GONE GIRL has not exactly gone. But THE SHINING GIRLS have arrived' (The Times).THE SHINING GIRLS is now streaming on Apple TV+, starring Elisabeth Moss and Jamie BellIt's not my fault. It's yours. You shouldn't shine. You shouldn't make me do this.Chicago 1931. Harper Curtis, a violent drifter, stumbles on a house with a secret as shocking as his own twisted nature it opens onto other times. He uses it to stalk his carefully chosen ''shining girls'' through the decades and cut the spark out of them.He's the perfect killer. Unstoppable. Untraceable. He thinksChicago, 1992. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Tell that to Kirby Mazrachi, whose life was shattered after a brutal attempt to murder her. Still struggling to find her attacker, her only ally is Dan, an ex-homicide reporter who covered her case and now might be falling in love with her.As Kirby investigates, she finds the other girls the ones who didn't make it. The evidence is impossible. But for a girl who should be dead, impossible doesn't mean it didn't happenTrade Review‘A powerful thriller – imaginative, disturbing, tense, compelling reading’ The Times ‘I’m all over it’ Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl ‘Brilliant. A book about the duel of two fabulously realized characters. A triumph’ Independent ‘Clever story, smart prose’ Stephen King ‘Extremely creepy’ Mail on Sunday (‘Must Reads’) ‘Very smart, wholly original, completely kick-ass’ William Gibson ‘Engrossing as it is original, as rewarding as it is challenging. Superb – a beautifully layered work of fiction. Take the time to read this, it’s mesmerizing’ Sun ‘Utterly original, beautifully written. This is something special’ Tana French, author of In The Woods ‘Brilliant. Forget GONE GIRL, now it’s all about THE SHINING GIRLS’ Observer ‘Disturbing, smart and beautifully written’ Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night Circus ‘This year’s must-read’ Stylist ‘A new kind of thriller. A dark, relentless, time-twisting, page-turning murder story. It shines’ Matt Haig, author of The Humans
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd The Enchanted April
Book Synopsis''This delicious confection will work its magic on all'' Daily TelegraphThe discreet advertisement in The Times, addressed ''To Those who Appreciate Wistaria and Sunshine'', offers a small medieval castle for rent, above a bay on the Italian Riviera. Four very different women - the dishevelled and downtrodden Mrs Wilkins, the sad, sweet-faced Mrs Arbuthnot, the formidable widow Mrs Fisher and the ravishing socialite Lady Caroline Dester - are drawn to the shores of the Mediterranean that April. As each, in turn, blossoms in the warmth of the Italian spring and finds their spirits stirring, quite unexpected changes occur.The Enchanted April, published in 1922, is a witty and delightful depiction of what it is like to rediscover joy.''Brims with magic and laughter'' Amanda Craig, GuardianIncludes a new introduction by Salley Vickers, author of Miss Garnet''s Angel
£8.54
Vintage Publishing In the Absence of Men
Book SynopsisFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF LIE WITH MEIt is the summer of 1916 and, with German Zeppelins on the skyline, the men of Paris are off at war. For Vincent, the sixteen-year-old son of a prestigious family, the tranquillity of the city sits at odds with the salons and soirees he attends. But, after an electrifying encounter with the enigmatic writer, Marcel P, draws Vincent's desires out into the light, his ever-riskier liaisons with a young solider begin to shape Vincent's future. Translated by Frank Wynne'A short, bold and original novel which beautifully captures the romance and amorality of gilded youth' IndependentElegant novellas-in-translation, VINTAGE EDITIONS celebrate the audacity and ambition of the written word, transporting readers to wherever in the world literary innovation may be found.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Hawksmoor
Book Synopsis''There is no Light without Darknesse and no Substance without Shaddowe''So proclaims Nicholas Dyer, assistant to Sir Christopher Wren and the man with a commission to build seven London churches to stand as beacons of the enlightenment. But Dyer plans to conceal a dark secret at the heart of each church - to create a forbidding architecture that will survive for eternity. Two hundred and fifty years later, London detective Nicholas Hawksmoor is investigating a series of gruesome murders on the sites of certain eighteenth-century churches - crimes that make no sense to the modern mind . . . ''Chillingly brilliant . . . sinister and stunningly well executed'' Independent on SundayPeter Ackroyd was born in London in 1949. A novelist, biographer and historian, he has been the literary editor of The Spectator and chief book reviewer for the The Times, as well as writing several highly acclaimed books including a biography oTrade ReviewChillingly brilliant . . . sinister and stunningly well executed * Independent on Sunday *Extraordinary, amazing, vivid, convincing. [Ackroyd's] view of life questions the role not just of the novel but of art and history, memory, time and much else * Financial Times *A novel remarkable for [its] power, ingenuity and subtlety * London Review of Books *
£9.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Death Takes Me
Book SynopsisTranslated by Sarah Booker and Robin MyersA labyrinthine masterpiece' New York TimesA subversive twist on the traditional serial killer story' TIMEObsessive, dreamlike and hallucinatory' Layla MartinezA city is always a cemetery.When a professor named Cristina stumbles upon the corpse of a man ina dark alley, she finds a stark warning on the brick wall beside the body, scrawled in coral nail polish: Beware of me, my love / beware of the silent woman in the desert.' After reporting the crime to the police, the professor becomes the main informant of the case, led by a detective with a newfound obsession with poetry and a long list of failures on her back. As the bodies of more men are found, the detective tries to decipher the meaning of the poems, and the stream of violence spreading throughout the city.A dark and dazzling literary thriller that flips the traditional crime narrative on its head, Death Takes Me explores with masterful imagination the unstable terrains of gender and violence, death and desire.A TIME MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK FOR 2025
£15.29
Vintage Publishing Captain Corellis Mandolin
Book Synopsis**AS SEEN ON BBC BETWEEN THE COVERS**25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION - WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY THE AUTHOR''A true diamond of a novel, glinting with comedy and tragedy'' Daily MailIt is 1941 and Captain Antonio Corelli, a young Italian officer, is posted to the Greek island of Cephallonia as part of the occupying forces. At first he is ostracised by the locals but over time he proves himself to be civilised, humorous and a consummate musician.When Pelagia, the local doctor''s daughter, finds her letters to her fiancé go unanswered, Antonio and Pelagia draw close and the working of the eternal triangle seems inevitable. But can this fragile love survive as a war of bestial savagery gets closer and the lines are drawn between invader and defender?''Louis de Bernières is in the direct line that runs through Dickens and Evelyn Waugh...he has only to look into his world, one senses, for it to rush into reality, colours anTrade ReviewA true diamond of a novel, glinting with comedy and tragedy * Daily Mail *A tall tale and a serious work of literature…its reputation suggests that one “should” read it, and so far I would have to agree -- Nigel Rodenhurst * Times Higher Education *Stunning... A high-spirited historical romance...remarkable. * New York Times Book Review *An emotional, funny, stunning novel which swings with wide smoothnes s between joy and bleakness, personal lives and history...it's lyrical and angry, satirical and earnest * Observer *A wonderful epic novel...it has made him a name to conjure with. Both on the large and the small scale it is an absorbing and memorable book...the sweep, invention and warmth of the novel carries one effortlessly along -- Derwent May * The Times *
£9.99
Little, Brown Book Group Rapture In Death
Book SynopsisHe killed himself, Lieutenant. He was hanging there, just hanging there from the ceiling light in the living room. And his face . . . Oh God.''Death follows New York City cop Eve Dallas everywhere - even on her honeymoon with Irish lover Roarke. When one of Roarke''s employees is found dead, the post-mortem confirms suicide. An isolated case, or so Eve thinks.But more suicides follow - strangers with nothing in common. The pathologist''s report states each victim has an unexplained mark on their brain. Is this a genetic abnormality or a high-tech method of murder? With the body count rising, Eve must delve into the world of virtual reality to hunt down a twisted killer. A killer who preys on the minds of the innocent.
£9.49
Little, Brown Book Group It Happened One Autumn The Wallflowers
Book SynopsisFrom the New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas comes the next title in the beloved romance series The Wallflowers - perfect for fans of Sarah MacLean, Julia Quinn and Eloisa James. ''Kleypas can make you laugh and cry - on the same page'' Julia Quinn, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series The Wallflowers: four young ladies at the side of the ballroom make a pact to help each other find husbands . . . no matter what it takesIt happened at the ball . . . Where beautiful but bold Lillian Bowman quickly learned that her independent American ways weren''t entirely ''the thing''. And the most disapproving of all was insufferable, snobbish, and impossible Marcus, Lord Westcliff, London''s most eligible aristocrat. It happened in the garden . . .When Marcus shockingly - and dangerously - swept her into his arms. Lillian was overcome with a
£9.49
Transworld Blackwater VI Rain
Book SynopsisThe electrifying finale in the gothic horror saga that is sweeping across Europe, with over 2 million copies sold''RIVETING, TERRIFYING...JUST ABSOLUTELY GREAT'' STEPHEN KINGEven if the years weigh heavily on their shoulders, the Caskey family now enjoy wealth way beyond their wildest dreams. Parties, lavish receptions and social gatherings give a rhythm to their existence, their days spent in carefree abandonment. But the past is not forgotten and a dark presence looms over Perdido, its inhabitants and its rivers.The time of reckoning has come.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Foe
Book SynopsisJ. M. Coetzee was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1940. The author of some fifteen novels and winner of numerous awards, Coetzee is the first author to have been awarded the Booker Prize twice: for Life & Times of Michael K in 1983 and for Disgrace in 1999. In 2003 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. He lives in Australia.Trade ReviewA small miracle of a book...of marvellous intricacy and overwhelming power * Washington Post *A finely honed testament to its author's intelligence, imagination and skill * The New York Times *
£9.49
Chartwell Books Alices Adventures in Wonderland and Through the
Book Synopsis
£13.49
Panini Publishing Ltd World War Hulk
Book SynopsisFollowing on from the events of Planet Hulk, the Green Goliath returns to Earth seeking revenge against the heroes who exiled him to space.
£21.24
