Historical Fiction Books

Book SynopsisYoung D''Artagnan arrives in Paris to join the King''s elite guards, but almost immediately finds he is duelling with some of the very men he has come to swear allegiance to - Porthos, Athos and Aramis, inseparable friends: the Three Musketeers. Soon part of their close band, D''Artagnan''s loyalty to his new allies puts him in the deadly path of Cardinal Richlieu''s machinations. And when the young hero falls in love with the beautiful but inaccessible Constance, he finds himself in a world of murder, conspiracy and lies, with only the Musketeers to depend on. A stirring nineteenth-century tale of friendship and adventure, The Three Musketeers continues to be one of the most influential and popular pieces of French literature. Richard Pevear''s introduction investigates the controversy of Dumas'' literary collaborators, and how important serialisation was to the book''s success. This edition also includes notes on the text.

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Book Synopsis''A coming-of-age story filled with magic in language and plot: beautiful and devastating''Observer, Books of the Year''I felt consumed by this book. I loved it, you will love it''Daisy Johnson, author of Sisters''A page-turning Appalachian coming-of-age story told in undulating prose that settles right into you''Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times ''Vivid and lucid, Betty has stayed with me''Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies''I loved Betty'' Fiona Mozley, author of Hot Stew''Breahtaking''Vogue ''A GIRL COMES OF AGE AGAINST THE KNIFE''So begins the story of Betty Carpenter. Born in a bathtub in 1954 to a white mother and a Cherokee father, Betty is the sixth of eight siblings: the world they inhabit in the rural town of BreathTrade ReviewBreathtaking. * Vogue *Despite the beauty of the landscape and the poetry of the language, this is not an easy read. Yes, it flows beautifully, but there are depths to explore and layer upon layer of meaning. It is worth the journey... At one stage, I put the novel aside but Betty kept calling me back. I wanted to know what happened. I'm glad I did. Once I had finished the book, I wanted to start again simply so that I could savour some of the language and the Cherokee wisdom. (I also wanted to give Betty a hug and tell her it would be OK.) This is a book that will stay with you. * Irish Independent *There's a good chance you haven't read a family saga like Betty... Their story is simultaneously extraordinary (they are subjected to unthinkable racism, financial hardships, and untimely deaths) and run-of-the-mill (at the heart, they are a family like any other). Each day in their life is supplanted with the mysticism and interconnectedness of their father's traditions, offering a light at the end of a very dark plot tunnel. * Entertainment Weekly *Vivid. * Los Angeles Times *So engrossing! Tiffany McDaniel's Betty is a page-turning Appalachian coming-of-age story steeped in Cherokee history, told in undulating prose that settles right into you. * Naoise Dolan, Sunday Times bestselling author of EXCITING TIMES *I felt consumed by the ambitious enormity and sadness of this book. Betty is about the power of words and the language it is written in rings with this. I loved it, you will love it. * Daisy Johnson, Booker Prize shortlisted author of EVERYTHING UNDER and SISTERS *I loved Betty: I fell for its strong characters and was moved by the story it portrayed. McDaniel deals with the passage of time with subtlety and skill and the descriptions of the rolling hills of Ohio were really beautiful. * Fiona Mozley, Booker Prize shortlisted author of ELMET *Betty is woven of many things, light and dark, and most of all it is life in all its shades: all its brilliances and disappointments, sadnesses and hopes. Vivid and lucid, Betty has stayed with me. * Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of THE MERCIES *Tiffany McDaniel has given us a vivid and haunting portrait of the writer as a young girl. Betty Carpenter survives the brutality of her childhood through her father's stories and his steadfast belief in her own. A novel of tragedy and trouble, poetry and power, not a story you will soon forget.Magical, densely lyrical and often disturbing. Tiffany McDaniel follows in the tradition of The Color Purple with her unflinching portrayal of the generational ripples of racism, poverty, and abuse. Shot through with moonshine, Bible verses, and folklore, Betty is about the cruelty we inflict on one another, the beauty we still manage to find, and the stories we tell in order to survive. * Eowyn Ivey, author of THE SNOW CHILD *This novel broke my brain. The lush, hypnotic prose, the voice, so authentic and compelling, as Betty Carpenter holds your hand and leads you through a world filled with familial tragedy. Each more haunting than the last, until you're left holding your breath, with a tourniquet on your heart. This is powerful, relentless storytelling at its best. * Jamie Ford, author of HOTEL AT THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET *Betty is Betty Carpenter's gripping coming of age story and is bold, inventive and profoundly moving. It is not a story blind to the character's abuse, but also reveals the love, sweetness, and magic in her life. Betty is too brown, too female and too poor for the world, but her story reminds us that despite all obstacles there are those blessed times when we can still manage to find our voices and sing. A triumph! * Stephanie Powell Watts, author of NO ONE IS COMING TO SAVE US *A painful, powerful, transcendent story . . . Tiffany McDaniel's distinctive, poetic prose lets us know at the outset that something unique is going on in these pages. Bit by bit, she draws us into her 'other world' with amazing skill; and, before we realize it, we are like wide-eyed children, enthralled as we once were, as we listened to a story from Grimm's Fairy Tales. Yet, this is no fairytale for children. Rather, it is an intricate, complex mosaic of myths that explores the ways in which the imagination can bring hope into our lives during difficult times. With her depth as a poet and her boldness as a storyteller, the author has created an unforgettable novel. It stays in our imagination, long after we've read the last word. * Gwyn Hyman Rubio, author of THE WOODMAN'S DAUGHTER *Tiffany McDaniel gives voice to those on the fringes. Betty is a coming-of-age novel that has the courage to look into the darkness and to find the light. Betty Carpenter tells the story of her family with empathy and passion and heart. This is a book for anyone who's ever stood on the outside looking in, or for anyone who's ever scorned the unfortunate. It's a book for our uncertain times, one that has much to show us about family, about want, about love. * Lee Martin, author of THE BRIGHT FOREVER *Betty is an unforgettable story about the bonds that bind families and the power of words when it feels like all hope is lost. * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisThe bestselling Reese Witherspoon Book Club PickSoon to be a major motion picture, The Nightingale is a multi-million copy bestseller across the world. It is a heart-breakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the endurance of women.This story is about what it was like to be a woman during World War II when women’s stories were all too often forgotten or overlooked . . . Vianne and Isabelle Mauriac are two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals and passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path towards survival, love and freedom in war-torn France.Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.‘A rich, compelling novel of love, sacrifice and survival’ - Kate Morton‘Movingly written and plotted with the heartless skill of a Greek tragedy, you’ll keep turning the pages until the last racking sob’ - Daily Mail‘I loved The Nightingale . . . great characters, great plots, great emotions, who could ask for more in a novel?’ - Isabel Allende, author of The House of the Spirits‘A gripping tale of family, love, grief and forgiveness’ - Sunday ExpressTrade ReviewI loved The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, a talented writer of American stories; great characters, great plots, great emotions, who could ask for more in a novel? -- Isabel Allende, bestselling author of The House of the SpiritsBeautifully written . . . packed with action and emotion. -- Sara Gruen, bestselling author of Water for ElephantsThe real horrors of war; the deprivations; the risks are all there... This is a hauntingly tragic yet sympathetic novel * The Cape Times *An unforgettable portrait of love and war. * People *The suspense builds slowly in this thought-provoking and absorbing novel. * Choice *The bestselling author hits her stride in this page-turning tale about two sisters, one in the French countryside, the other in Paris, who show remarkable courage in the German occupation during WWII . . . The author ably depicts war’s horrors through the eyes of these two women, whose strength of character shines through no matter their differences. * Publishers Weekly *A respectful and absorbing page-turner. * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisElizabeth Jane Howard was the author of fifteen highly acclaimed novels. The Cazalet Chronicles The Light Years, Marking Time, Confusion, Casting Off and All Change have become established as modern classics and have been adapted for a major BBC television series and for BBC Radio 4. In 2000 she was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, and in 2002 Macmillan published her autobiography, Slipstream. She died, aged ninety, at home in Suffolk on 2 January 2014.

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Book Synopsis**AS SEEN ON BBC BETWEEN THE COVERS**AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4**THE NUMBER ONE IRISH BESTSELLER**When the Nazis take Rome, thousands go into hiding. One priest will risk everything to save them.September 1943: German forces occupy Rome. SS officer Paul Hauptmann rules with terror.An Irish priest, Hugh O'Flaherty, dedicates himself to helping those escaping from the Nazis. His home is Vatican City, a neutral, independent country within Rome where the occupiers hold no sway. He gathers a team to set up an Escape Line.But Hauptmann's net begins closing in and the need for a terrifyingly audacious mission grows critical. By Christmas, it's too late to turn back.Based on a true story, My Father's House is a powerful thriller from a master of historical fiction. It is an unforgettable novel of love, sacrifice and what it means to be human in the most extreme circumstances.'A spectacular, thrilling novel...suspense crackles...celebrates triumphant against-the-odds camaraderie' Sunday Times'A masterwork... so urgent, so incredibly alive... A searing and beautiful example of storytelling's infinite importance' Donal Ryan'Impressive and pleasurable...the diverse ventriloquism of O'Connor's novel evokes a city in peril with wonderful vitality' Financial TimesLONGLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2024Trade ReviewA spectacular, thrilling novel...suspense crackles...celebrates triumphant against-the-odds camaraderie. * Sunday Times *O'Connor is on stellar form with this ensemble thriller ...while the story's inbuilt tension urges you on, it's the sheer vigour of O'Connor's beautifully turned phrases that really makes the book sing...an expert storyteller * Daily Mail *A literary thriller of the highest order. The incarnation of O'Flaherty, the Irish Oskar Schindler, is sublime. What often elevates a writer is compassion, and O'Connor has it in spades... Beautifully crafted, his razor-sharp dialogue is to be savoured, and he employs dark humour to great effect. The plot twists keep on coming * Observer *Breathtakingly good writing - O'Connor puts you right there, centre stage in the story and never lets you goThe novel's evocative scene-setting, its propulsive narration and its powerful depiction of bravery and unity in extremis, all make for an engrossing read. * Telegraph *Thrilling... Based on true events, this tense, gripping narrative is rendered in beautifully evocative prose * Mail on Sunday *Impressive and pleasurable...the diverse ventriloquism of O'Connor's novel evokes a city in peril with wonderful vitality * Financial Times *A tale worth re-telling, adorned as it is by the brilliants of O'Connor's impressionistic writing * The Times *A powerful portrait of extraordinary courage * Irish Independent *Precisely choreographed... We eagerly follow the characters through uncertainty and disappointment as well as high-stakes jeopardy. O'Connor is playing with the possibilities of multiple narrators, and thinking also about plurality, reliability and the historical record * Guardian, Book of the Day *Gripping...a hugely satisfying book, from its explosive opening to its bittersweet end * Washington Post *So beautifully written, a masterclass in 'voices' and an extremely tense thriller. It's magnificent.A masterwork... so urgent, so incredibly alive... A searing and beautiful example of storytelling's infinite importanceFor all its thrills...primarily-and triumphantly-an intimate drama that illuminates both the fragility and the wonder of unlikely human connections forged in adversity and, in some cases, enduring for a lifetime * Wall Street Journal *I cannot say enough good things about this World War II thriller... Told from different perspectives of people in the movement, as well as the Gestapo villain, readers will hold their breath if the Choir will fulfill their critical mission. It's the first of a trilogy and a must read * BookRiot *O'Connor's work is hugely impressive and utterly haunting * Sunday Mirror *Riveting, immersive, synesthetic, linguistically dazzling, funny and dark, this novel is blessed with a kind of magical grace. Sprezzatura springs from every page * SMF Bookclub *O'Connor's writing is always intensely atmospheric...O'Connor succeeds in integrating into the suspenseful plot numerous narrative voices that intersect class, gender, nationality and religion * Literary Review *Gripping, compelling and utterly brilliant. O'Connor's gift for exquisite language shines throughA thriller of engrossing urgency * Irish Independent *Joseph O'Connor is a very great artist and storyteller

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Book SynopsisThe story of a life. The story of the year.'Lessons shows [McEwan] at the very peak of his powers. He has written his masterpiece' Daily TelegraphWhen the world is still counting the cost of the Second World War and the Iron Curtain has descended, young Roland Baines's life is turned upside down. Stranded at boarding school, his vulnerability attracts his piano teacher, Miriam Cornell, leaving scars as well as a memory of love that will never fade.Twenty-five years later Roland's wife mysteriously vanishes, and he is left alone with their baby son. Her disappearance sparks of journey of discovery that will continue for decades, as Roland confronts the reality of his rootless existence and attempts to embrace the uncertainty - and freedom - of his future.'Ian McEwan is a masterful storyteller' Elif Shafak'A beautiful book about love, loss and regret' Observer'Luminous, beautifully written... about lives imperfectly lived' Vogue'A whole, unruly life between the covers of a single book: a literary feat' Spectator'A tour de force... A single life is silhouetted against global happenings' Sunday Times* A Book of the Year for The Times, Sunday Times, Financial Times, Spectator, New Statesman, Washington Post, Vogue and New Yorker *Trade ReviewLessons is easily McEwan's most accomplished novel since Atonement... he offers intelligent reflection on his novel's evergreen themes. * The Times *I loved Lessons... Deep, life-affirming and A-grade storytelling. * The Times *Thoughtful, tender and both universal and timeless in its depiction of the follies of the human heart... Ian McEwan is a masterful storyteller who weaves destiny and self-determination, the past and the future, youth and age, and above all, the loss and memory of love. -- Elif ShafakCaptures youthful lust and late-age regret with equal power. * Financial Times *Superb... another mesmerising, memorable novel. * Independent *

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Book Synopsis''A startling heroine'' SARAH MOSS, author of Summerwater ''A vividly female perspective on the Wars of the Roses'' IMOGEN HERMES GOWER, author of The Mermaid and Mr Hancock''Wolf Hall for the 2020s'' MANDA SCOTT, author of Boudica ''Absorbing'' TIMES __________________________________ 1431 is a dangerous time for a woman to be defiant. England has been fighting France for 100 years. At home, power-hungry men within a corrupt government manipulate a weak king - and name Cecily''s husband, York''s loyal duke, an enemy. As the king''s grasp on sanity weakens, plots to destroy York take root... It will take all of Cecily''s courage and cunning to save her family. But when the will to survive becomes ambition for a crown, will she risk treason to secure it? Inside closed bedchambers and upon bloody battlefields, CECILY portrays war as women fight it.TO COTrade ReviewA startling heroine -- Sarah MossIn vigorous, direct prose Garthwaite grippingly resurrects a remarkable woman * Sunday Times *Utterly compelling, this brilliant novel shines a light into a dark corner of our history and reclaims the voice and story of a powerful and forgotten woman. A phenomenal read. I loved it -- Liz Hyder, author of The GiftsHas the new Hilary Mantel arrived? * Sunday Telegraph *I look forward to hearing more from Annie Garthwaite and Cecily * Times *Cecily is a vivid and compelling portrait of a formidable figure from the 15th century and a heroine for our times * Big Issue *In Garthwaite's hands, Neville proves as Machiavellian, manipulative and era-defining as any man * Noon *Cecily stalks the corridors of power like a female Thomas Cromwell. A vividly female perspective on the Wars of the Roses - what a feat -- Imogen Hermes GowarAn extraordinary achievement . . . I could touch and breathe Cecily's world as if I was walking in her shadow -- Carol McGrathCECILY is the WOLF HALL for the 2020s... marks the start of a stellar career -- Manda ScottI loved it . . . Annie Garthwaite writes about the past with a kind of restrained, earthy vim, and with the sort of intimacy and immediacy - and empathy - that can only come from graft and craft -- Toby Clements

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Book SynopsisThe gripping historical debut about a family separated by the Berlin wall - perfect for fans of All the Light We Cannot See, In Memoriam and Alone in BerlinSHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2024'A tautly plotted, deeply involving novel that packs a real emotional punch I can't recommend this novel highly enough' Laura Barnett, author of The Versions of Us'A hauntingly beautiful exploration of love, family and societal unrest all set against the backdrop of the Berlin Wall' Glamour_____Imagine waking up and a wall has divided your city in two. Imagine that on the other side is your child... Lisette is in hospital with her baby boy. The doctors tell her to go home and get some rest, that he'll be fine. When she awakes, everything has changed. Because overnight, on 13 August 1961, the border between East and West Berlin has closed, slicing the city - and the world - in two. Lisette is trapped in the east, while her newborn baby is unreachable in the west. With the streets in chaos and armed guards ordered to shoot anyone who tries to cross, her situation is desperate. Lisette's teenage daughter, Elly, has always struggled to understand the distance between herself and her mother. Both have lived for music, but while Elly hears notes surrounding every person she meets, for her mother - once a talented pianist - the music has gone silent. Perhaps Elly can do something to bridge the gap between them. What begins as the flicker of an idea turns into a daring plan to escape East Berlin, find her baby brother, and bring him home.... Based on true stories, The Silence in Between is a page-turning, emotional epic that will stay with you long after you finish reading. ______BOOKSELLER LOVE for THE SILENCE IN BETWEEN:Without a doubt one of the best books I have read this year I can't recommend this book enough'Abbey RowlinsonAbsolutely heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. A must-read'Dominika A sublime story, told beautifully'Kurde, HorshamA truly compelling and moving novel with two incredible female characters I won't forget in a hurry'Tilly Fitzgerald Kind, thoughtful and poignant an uplifting and hopeful story'LaurenA powerful and emotional book'Neil Challis, Windsor A thought provoking, ultimately kind and beautifully researched debut'Beth, Chesterfield I genuinely loved this it's definitely a stand out novel of 2024'Helen, Scarborough A cracking debut from this talented new author'Jen Mackay, Windsor This truly has the potential to be the next big story, so full of heart as it is!'Libby LowA powerful story of human resilience and family bonds'Emma Smith, Bedford A beautiful but heart-breaking read from a wonderful new voice in historical fiction'Victoria, Aviemore An excellent novel a sensitive retelling of two critical and terrible periods of Berlin history'Sean FarrellAn incredible book full of heartbreak, hope, unbreakable love I don't think this book will ever leave me. I will be recommending it to customers as a must read'Hayley Ralls, St Neots

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Jhalak Prize 2023.‘An incredibly important book . . . a beautifully crafted, compelling story . . . which will undoubtedly break your heart but also make it sing’ - Mike GayleTwo children trapped in the same attic, almost a century apart, bound by a secret.1907: Twelve-year-old Celestine spends most of his time locked in an attic room of a large house by the sea. Taken from his homeland and treated as an unpaid servant, he dreams of his family in Africa even if, as the years pass, he struggles to remember his mother’s face, and sometimes his real name . . .Decades later, Lowra, a young orphan girl born into wealth and privilege, will find herself banished to the same attic. Lying under the floorboards of the room is an old porcelain doll, an unusual beaded claw necklace and, most curiously, a sentence etched on the wall behind an old cupboard, written in an unidentifiable language. Artefacts that will offer her a strange kind of comfort, and lead her to believe that she was not the first child to be imprisoned there . . .Lola Jaye has created a hauntingly powerful, emotionally charged and unique dual-narrative novel about family secrets, love and loss, identity and belonging, seen through the lens of Black British History in The Attic Child.‘This is important storytelling about issues of race and privilege . . . that will stay with me for a long time’ - Tracy Chevalier‘Just brilliant’ - Dorothy Koomson‘Powerful and emotional’ - Lisa JewellTrade ReviewBruising, yet hopeful epic novel. . . Emotional and evocative, The Attic Child is a powerful tale of trauma, identity and survival. * Daily Mail *An incredibly important book giving breath to voices we sadly seldom hear, Lola Jaye’s The Attic Child is a beautifully crafted, compelling story crossing continents and time which will undoubtedly break your heart but also make it sing. -- Mike Gayle, author of Dinner for TwoThe Attic Child is an impressive feat of imagination, and a great example of how one photograph can inspire a whole world. The interlinked stories of two children moved and upset me in all the right ways. This is important storytelling about issues of race and privilege and abuse, and a book that will stay with me for a long time. -- Tracy Chevalier, author of A Single ThreadThe Attic Child could be Lola’s best book yet. Her writing is on another level, with characters and a story that grab you from the first page and don't let go until the very end. Just brilliant. -- Dorothy Koomson, author of My Other HusbandI was definitely in tears by the end! There is so much to say about this story. Lola Jaye has given us such a creative way of examining privilege, identity, trauma and whiteness in both eras. -- Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish)A powerful and emotional journey, that will break your heart and put it back together again. -- Lisa Jewell, author of The Family RemainsHeart-breaking and timely - Lola Jaye's first epic historical novel is an emotional roller coaster of a ride -- Trisha Ashley, author of The Wedding Dress Repair ShopAn evocative, emotional, beautifully written and captivating novel. -- Rowan Coleman, author of The Red MonarchStrong, memorable characters and an unputdownable story . . . Powerfully affecting -- Gill Paul, author of The Manhattan GirlsAs educational as it was exceptional. I was nowhere near ready for it to end. It was heartbreakingly sad yet life affirming and full of hope. One of the most important books you’ll read all year. -- John Marrs, bestselling author of the Netflix sensation The OneWith The Attic Child, Lola Jaye has created something truly special. An epic, historical novel that is as informative and fascinating about a period in history, as it is deeply moving. Above all, it’s a beautiful testament to the strength of the human spirit. I’ve been telling everyone I know about it. -- Katy Regan, author of How to Find Your Way HomeAn ambitious novel carried out to perfection. This epic tale had me utterly engrossed from first page to last. It's heart-breaking yet powerful and inspiring and so, so wonderful. Dikembe is a hero I will never forget -- Tracy Rees, Bestselling author of Amy Snow and The Rose GardenA powerful and timely book, compelling, heart-breaking yet hopeful and very, very special. -- Alex Brown, author of A Postcard from CapriHauntingly powerful. * New Magazine *

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Book SynopsisTHE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERStriking, darkly funny and heartfelt Grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go' Ferdia Lennon, author of Glorious ExploitsCrisp, transportive, uplifting I loved it!' Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in ChemistryA bold, funny and imaginative journey through Tudor England A real treat' Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone TheatreBorn a vagabond, Tibb Ingleby has never had a roof of her own. Her mother has taught her that if you're not too bound by the Big Man's rules, there are many ways a woman can find shelter in this world. But now her ma is gone.As she journeys through the fields and forests of medieval England, Tibb discovers that there are people who will care for her, as well as those who mean her harm. And there are a great many others who are prepared to believe just about anythingSo, when the opportunity presents itself to escape the shackles society has placed on them, Tibb and her new friends conjure an audacious plan: her greatest trickerie yet. But before they know it, their hoax takes on a life of its own, drawing crowds - and vengeful enemies - to their door.A tale of belief and superstition, kinship and courage, A Little Trickerie introduces a ragtag cast of characters and an unforgettable, endearing and distinctly unangelic heroine.Joyful and highly original Rosanna Pike absolutely nails Tibb's voice' The TimesAbsolutely raucous and vividly alive' India Knight[Written] with great panache ... A book [that] is unapologetically itself ... Lovable, fun and emotionally juicy' Guardian

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Book Synopsis A gripping saga of love, betrayal and secrets that can''t stay hidden . . . perfect for fans of Dilly Court, Libby Ashworth and Rosie Goodwin.Kent, 1814 Respectably married Molly Dawson lives with her husband, head gardener Charlie, on the Woodchurch Manor estate, where they have brought up three delightful daughters. Her life appears idyllic . . . but she has suffered the torment of a secret since she was eighteen years old.When a young stranger, fresh out of the Navy, appears at the estate''s annual garden party, Molly''s life is set to change again, and her close-held secret threatens to break free. Could he be a suitable match for one of her daughters? Or is this charming young man a threat to her hard-won happiness? Can Molly ever overcome the consequences of a decision she made long ago to find true joy and fulfilment at last?Praise for Lynne Francis:

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Book SynopsisBook Two in the sparkling Lyndon Sisters duet, by the globally bestselling author of the Bridgerton series

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Book Synopsis‘Exhilarating to read - thoughtful, heart-warming and poignant, with a quiet intelligence and elegance that does its heroine proud’ Bridget Collins Two women Ten years A recipe for success  Eliza Acton, despite never having boiled an egg, became one of the world’s most successful food writers, revolutionizing cooking and cookbooks around the world. Her story is fascinating, joyful and truly inspiring. The award-winning author of The Joyce Girl seamlessly intertwines recipes and meticulously researched history, serving up the most thought-provoking and page-turning historical novel you’ll read this year. Explore the enduring struggle for women’s freedom, the exhilarating power of friendship, and the creative joy of cooking, through the life of Eliza Acton – finally out of the archives and into the public eye.   England, 1835. Eliza Acton dreams of becoming a poeTrade Review‘Best Feel Good Books of 2021' Washington Post ‘Best New Historical Novels’ New York Times“A compelling tale of friendship, freedom and food” BBC History Magazine “Based on real-life events, The Language of Food shines a light on the woman who invented the recipe as we know it today, and whose fascinating story has long been overlooked” History Revealed Magazine “Based on the life of cookbook writer Eliza Acton, this is a really charming historical novel that’s full of gorgeous recipes and descriptions of food. At its core is the heart-warming story of the class-defying friendship between Eliza and Ann Kirby, her kitchen help” GOOD HOUSEKEEPING “This charming story of a friendship that was formed in a kitchen is based on the real life of food writer and poet Eliza Acton, who created one of Britain’s first cookery books. I loved the bond that she and her kitchen help Anna Kirby forge despite the huge difference in their class; they’re both very determined women. A fabulous historical novel” PRIMA “Eliza Acton had never even boiled an egg so how did she become a successful cookery writer? We find out in this beautiful fictionalisation of her life. It is 1835 and poet Eliza is told by her publisher to write a cookery book instead. Disheartened but determined, she hires teenagers Ann Kirby to help her. Over the next 10 years they develop a friendship that sees them change the face of cookery writing forever” WOMAN & HOME "Before Nigella, before Julia Childs, before even Mrs Beeton, there was Eliza Acton who dreams of being a poet but in 1835, the only way for her to get published and to keep her family in funds is to write a cookery book. To this end, Eliza takes on a maid, Ann Kirby, and forge an unlikely partnership even as Eliza embarks on writing what is now considered the first modern cookery book.Told from both Eliza and Ann’s voices, The Language Of Food, is a feast for the senses and also shows that its friendship, rather than food, that nourishes the soul. Julie And Julia but make it Victorian!" RED “Cleverly wearing together the story of how Modern Cookery for Private Families came to be written, the author divides the narrative voice between Acton and Kirby, her housemaid, two women from different backgrounds, but who share the same feelings of frustration and loneliness… The pair are beautifully fleshed out characters, who become adept at the balancing of tastes, textures and unfamiliar spices” COUNTRY LIFE "A feast for the senses, this inspiring book is about friendship, passion and determination. I loved it!" MY WEEKLY "The two women’s exploration of food and friendship is winningly told and we are rooting for Eliza in her quest for independence and publishing success. The novel comes with some of Eliza’s recipes; and I can gluttonously report that the chocolate custards are as delicious as the novel" THE TIMES “Eliza Acton had never even boiled an egg, so how did she become of the top cookery writers of all time? We find out in this beautiful fictionalisation of her life” WOMAN and WOMAN'S WEEKLY'A sensual feast of a novel, written with elegance, beauty, charm and skill in a voice that is both lyrical and unique’ Santa Montefiore ‘I love Abbs’s writing and the extraordinary, hidden stories she unearths. Eliza Acton is her best discovery yet’ Clare Pooley 'A feast for the senses, rich with the flavours of Victorian England, I prepared every dish with Eliza and Ann and devoured every page. A literary - and culinary - triumph!' Hazel Gaynor ‘Exhilarating to read - thoughtful, heart-warming and poignant, with a quiet intelligence and elegance that does its heroine proud’ Bridget Collins 'A sumptuous banquet of a book that nourished me and satisfied me just as Eliza Acton’s meals would have... I adored it' Polly Crosby ‘An effervescent novel, bursting with delectable language and elegant details about cookbook writer, Eliza Acton. Don’t miss this intimate glimpse into the early English kitchens and snapshot of food history’ Sara Dahmen ‘Wonderful... Abbs is such a good story teller. She catches period atmosphere and character so well’ Vanessa Nicolson 'Two of my favourite topics in one elegantly written novel - women’s lives and food history. I absolutely loved it' Polly Russell 'A story of courage, unlikely friendship and an exceptional character, told in vibrant and immersive prose' Caroline Scott ‘Richly imagined and emotionally tender’ Pen Vogler 'Characters that leap off the page, a fascinating story and so much atmosphere, you feel you're in the kitchen with Eliza - I loved it.' Frances Quinn 'I was inspired by Eliza's passion, her independence, her bravery and ambition. Like a cook's pantry, The Language of Food is full of wonderful ingredients, exciting possibilities and secrets. Full of warmth and as comforting as sitting by the kitchen range, I loved it' Jo Thomas 'A delightful read' Nina Pottell 'Clever, unsentimental, beautifully detailed and quietly riveting' Elizabeth Buchan, author of Two Women in Rome ‘A wonderful read’ John Torode

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Book SynopsisEVIE EPWORTH IS TEN YEARS OLDER. BUT IS SHE ANY WISER?!‘It’s an uplifting, rip-roaring read, peppered with nostalgic detail and plenty of comic asides.’ Daily Express'A golden ray of sunshine. If you're after a funny, uplifting summer read then this is for you!' Libby Page, author of The Lido 'A joyous way to spend an afternoon.' Joannna Nadin, author of The Double Life of Daisy Hemmings‘Taylor’s writing is sublime, effortlessly combining humour with pathos and spot-on period detail while sensitively exploring themes such as loss, grief, love and death. It’s sure to be another hit.’ Yorkshire Post'A thoroughly uplifting and unputdownable sequel to the bestselling The Miseducation of Evie Epworth.' Waterstones 1972. Ten years on from the events of The Miseducation of E

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Book Synopsis‘Fascinating and immersive… I love a novel that deals with the many ways in which people keep their secrets’ DIANA GABALDON A sweeping love story set against the Jacobite revolution from much-loved, million copy bestselling author Susanna KearsleyAutumn, 1707. Old enemies from the Highlands to the Borders are protesting the new Union with England. As the French prepare an invasion to bring the exiled Jacobite king back to Scotland to reclaim his throne, the streets of Edinburgh are filled with discontent. To calm the situation, Queen Anne’s commissioners are settling the losses and wages owed to those Scots involved in the disastrous Darien expedition eight years earlier. When Lily, widow of a Darien sailor, comes forward to collect his wages, her claim is challenged. One of the men assigned to her case has only days to decide if she’s honest. Are his own feelings making him blind to the truth? Or could he be a pTrade ReviewPraise for Susanna Kearsley's books: ‘A thrilling, haunting and deeply romantic story powerfully told by an engaging heroine…enchanting and beautifully evoked.’ RACHEL HORE 'I've loved every one of her books! She has bedrock research and a butterfly's delicate touch with characters?sure recipe for historical fiction that sucks you in and won't let go!' DIANA GABALDON, bestselling author of Outlander ‘A deeply-engaging romance and a compelling historical novel... a marvellous book.’ BERNARD CORNWELL 'The Vanished Days exhibits Kearsley's ability to deftly balance dual time lines to great dramatic effect, right up to the twist of an ending... this book stands on its own and will find an eager audience among fans of romantic historical fiction' Booklist

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Book SynopsisDemelza is the second book in Winston Graham's hugely popular Poldark series, which has become a television phenomenon starring Aidan Turner.Demelza Carne, the impoverished miner's daughter Ross Poldark rescued from a fairground rabble, is now his wife. But in the events of these turbulent years test their marriage and their love. Demelza's efforts to adapt to the ways of the gentry - and her husbane - bring her confusion and heartache, despite the joy in the birth of their first child. Ross begins a bitter struggle for the rights of the mining communities - and sows the seed of an enduring enmity with powerful George Warleggan.Demelza is followed by Jeremy Poldark, the third title in this evocative series set in 18th century Cornwall. 'From the incomparable Winston Graham...who has everything that anyone else has, then a whole lot more' GuardianTrade ReviewRoss is one of literature's great heroes . . . [with] elements of Darcy, Heathcliff, Rhett Butler and Robin Hood -- Debbie HorsfieldFrom the incomparable Winston Graham . . . who has everything that anyone else has, then a whole lot more. * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisRebellion in the city, and a Royalist spy in his own ranks - Damian Seeker, Captain of Oliver Cromwell's guard, must eradicate both in this twisty, action-packed historical thriller for fans of CJ Sansom, Rory Clements and The Three Musketeers. 'MacLean skilfully weaves together the disparate threads of her plot to create a gripping tale of crime and sedition in an unsettled city' Sunday TimesLondon, 1655, and Cromwell's regime is under threat from all sides. Damian Seeker, Captain of Cromwell's Guard, is all too aware of the danger facing Cromwell. Parliament resents his control of the Army while the Army resents his absolute power. In the east end of London, a group of religious fanatics plots rebellion. In the midst of all this, a stonemason uncovers a perfectly preserved body dressed in the robes of a Dominican friar, bricked up in a wall in the crumbling Black Friars. Ill-informed rumours and speculation abound, but Seeker instantly recognises the dead man. What he must discover is why he met such a hideous end, and what his connection was to the children who have started to disappear from around the city. Unravelling these mysteries is challenging enough, and made still harder by the activities of dissenters at home, Royalist plotters abroad and individuals who are not what they seem...Trade ReviewMacLean skilfully weaves together the disparate threads of her plot to create a gripping tale of crime and sedition in an unsettled city * Sunday Times *Excellent at conveying the insecurities and unsettling memories that bedevil Cromwell's dying Protectorate, the author brings a fresh perspective and gold-plated research to a period which has been unfairly eclipsed by the popularity of the Tudors * Daily Mail *MacLean's light touch portrait of a hard man with a softer core is what makes these books so memorable * The Times *Damian Seeker [is] one of the most appealing heroes I've come across in quite some time . . . [the Commonwealth] is paid full service by S. G. MacLean, a fine writer with a terrific grasp of history and character * For Winter Nights *Damian Seeker really comes into his own in this novel . . . the plot navigates the waters of history with masterful effect -- Waterstones booksellerBrilliantly woven into a thrilling plot . . . MacLean's characters are subtle and convincing . . . could challenge C.J. Sansom for dominion of historical crime * Sunday Times on The Seeker *The best historical crime novel of the year * Sunday Express on The Seeker *MacLean achieves the balance of immersing her readers in a time and place without ever making them feel battered over the head by research, while the central mystery is satisfying and plausibly plotted * Highland News on The Seeker *A first class, compelling debut for MacLean's new hero * Crime Review on The Seeker *

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Book SynopsisA luxury hotel in 1920s Berlin is a microcosm of modern society in this classic that inspired a hit Broadway musical and the classic film starring Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, and John Barrymore. ?Prefigures Downtown Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs by examining multiple characters from different classes.? ?Shelf AwarenessThe luxury Grand Hotel is a revolving door for the stray souls of 1920s Berlin. Among the guests is Doctor Otternschlag, a World War I veteran whose face has been sliced in half by a shell. Day after day he emerges to read the paper in the lobby, discreetly inquiring at the desk if the letter he?s been awaiting for years has arrived. Then there is Grusinskaya, a great ballerina now fighting a losing battle not so much against age as against her fear of it, who may or may not be made for Gaigern, a sleek professional thief. Herr Preysing also checks in, the director of a family firm that isn?t as flourishing as it appears, who would never imagine that Kringelein, his underling, a timorous petty clerk he?s bullied for years, has also come to Berlin, determined to live at last now that he?s received a medical death sentence.All these characters and more, with all their secrets and aspirations, come together and come alive in the pages of Baum?s delicious anddisturbing masterpiece?a Weimar-era bestseller that retains all its verve and luster today.

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Book SynopsisBritain and America are newly at war, and Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are caught in the very thick of the action.En route to England and his next command, Captain Jack Aubrey, and his friend, ship's surgeon and secret agent Stephen Maturin, find themselves swept up in the War of 1812. As Aubrey convalesces from his wounds in a Boston hospital, awaiting the next prisoner exchange, Maturin's past activities as a spy return to haunt him and precipitate both men into new and unexpected dangers.Love and betrayal vie for supremacy as the two friends face peril around every corner.The Fortune of War is a marvellously full-flavoured, engrossing book, which towers over its current rivals in the genre like a three-decker over a ship's longboat.'T. J. BINYON, Times Literary SupplementThere is nothing in this century that rivals Patrick O'Brian's achievement.'AMANDA FOREMANTrade Review‘If O’Brian’s novels have become a cult, this is because they are truly addictive. . . They are, quite magnificently, adventure yarns whose superb authenticity never distracts from the sheer thrill of the action.’Caroline Moore, Sunday Telegraph ‘The Aubrey–Maturin novels, by Patrick O’Brian, are so addictive that after I finish one I have to hide the next from myself for a little while in order to do anything else but read.’Louise Erdrich ‘In Aubrey and Maturin, Patrick O’Brian has created two of the most enjoyable characters in twentieth-century fiction. Their relationship sustains an absorbing and thrilling sequence of naval stories, unrivalled in their complexity, full of impeccable detail and psychological insight. O’Brian switches from the intimate to the epic with equal assurance. One of the greatest authors to sail with.’Michael Palin ‘My hero is Patrick O’Brian. It’s basically impossible to write that well.’David Mamet ‘One of the most compelling and brilliant novelists of his time . . . Beyond his superbly elegant writing, wit and originality, Patrick O’Brian showed an understanding of the nature of a floating world at the mercy of the wind and the sea which has never been surpassed.’Max Hastings, Evening Standard ‘I devoured Patrick O’Brian’s twenty-volume masterpiece as if it had been so many tots of Jamaica grog.’Christopher Hitchens ‘Written with most engaging enthusiasm that can’t fail to give pleasure to anybody who enjoys historical adventure flavoured with more than a dash of realism.’The Sunday Times ‘One of the most brilliantly sustained pieces of historical fictional writing this century.’James Teacher, Spectator ‘Patrick O’Brian brings depth to his sea-stories with outstanding dialogue, characterisation, humour and a golden thread of romance. You don’t have to love books about naval battles to become entranced.’Katie Fforde

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Book SynopsisWhether close to home or far away, there are no safe harbours while Napoleon seeks to dominate the known world.Jack Aubrey, veteran of numerous battles, has been promoted to senior captain commanding a ship that has been sent out to reinforce the squadron blockading Toulon. Compared to the early days of the Napoleonic conflict, the action is slow, cold and dull. But a sudden turn of events takes Aubrey, and ship's surgeon and spy Stephen Maturin, off on a hazardous mission to the Greek Islands, where the skill, daring and, indeed, luck of both men will be tested to the utmost.With so much at risk, will a Turkish alliance carry the day?I envy those who have never read Patrick O'Brian: an enormous pleasure awaits you.'Irish TimesWonderfully spacious, generous, funny, intelligent books.'JOHN LANCHESTERTrade Review‘If O’Brian’s novels have become a cult, this is because they are truly addictive. . . They are, quite magnificently, adventure yarns whose superb authenticity never distracts from the sheer thrill of the action.’Caroline Moore, Sunday Telegraph ‘The Aubrey–Maturin novels, by Patrick O’Brian, are so addictive that after I finish one I have to hide the next from myself for a little while in order to do anything else but read.’Louise Erdrich ‘In Aubrey and Maturin, Patrick O’Brian has created two of the most enjoyable characters in twentieth-century fiction. Their relationship sustains an absorbing and thrilling sequence of naval stories, unrivalled in their complexity, full of impeccable detail and psychological insight. O’Brian switches from the intimate to the epic with equal assurance. One of the greatest authors to sail with.’Michael Palin ‘My hero is Patrick O’Brian. It’s basically impossible to write that well.’David Mamet ‘One of the most compelling and brilliant novelists of his time . . . Beyond his superbly elegant writing, wit and originality, Patrick O’Brian showed an understanding of the nature of a floating world at the mercy of the wind and the sea which has never been surpassed.’Max Hastings, Evening Standard ‘I devoured Patrick O’Brian’s twenty-volume masterpiece as if it had been so many tots of Jamaica grog.’Christopher Hitchens ‘Written with most engaging enthusiasm that can’t fail to give pleasure to anybody who enjoys historical adventure flavoured with more than a dash of realism.’The Sunday Times ‘One of the most brilliantly sustained pieces of historical fictional writing this century.’James Teacher, Spectator ‘Patrick O’Brian brings depth to his sea-stories with outstanding dialogue, characterisation, humour and a golden thread of romance. You don’t have to love books about naval battles to become entranced.’Katie Fforde

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and Richard and Judy pick.From the author of the acclaimed Year of Wonders' and People of the Book', a historical novel and love story set during a time of catastrophe on the front lines of the American Civil War.Set during the American Civil War, March' tells the story of John March, known to us as the father away from his family of girls in Little Women', Louisa May Alcott's classic American novel. In Brooks's telling, March emerges as an abolitionist and idealistic chaplain on the front lines of a war that tests his faith in himself and in the Union cause when he learns that his side, too, is capable of barbarism and racism. As he recovers from a near-fatal illness in a Washington hospital, he must reassemble the shards of his shattered mind and body, and find a way to reconnect with a wife and daughters who have no idea of the ordeals he has been through.As Alcott drew on her real-life sisters in shaping the characters of her little women, sTrade Review‘Clarity of vision, fine, meticulous prose, the unexpected historical detail, a life-sized protagonist caught inside an unimaginably huge event. It shows the same seamless marriage of research and imagination.’ Washington Post ‘Brooks’s considerable historical research for “March” is pleasingly lightly worn. Her efforts have borne a rich fruit. It is a big, generous romp that manages to make clever use of “Little Women” without suffocating beneath it.’ Sunday Times ‘A tightly controlled novel in which, you sense, every sentence has been carefully weighed and calculated, and Brooks successfully balances narrative leanness with luxuriant language. “March” is that rare species: a serious popular novel that is not afraid to grapple with big ideas.’ Waterstones Books Quarterly 'Researched with great historical thoroughness, “March” hews faithfully to the spirit of Alcott's original … Louise May Alcott would be well pleased.' The Economist ‘This fascinating, beautifully written book both illuminates Alcott's classic and is a moving, gripping work of fiction in its own right.' Image

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Book SynopsisPre-order BOLEYN TRAITOR now Philippa Gregory's landmark return to the Tudor court, coming Autumn 2025 A dramatic novel of passion, politics and betrayal from the author of The Other Boleyn Girl.They can fear me, and they can hate me. They can even deny me. But they cannot kill me.1568. The Virgin Queen Elizabeth I has ruled England for ten years, but refuses to name a successor, despite the rival claims that threaten her kingdom.Bess of Hardwick, the new Countess of Shrewsbury, has secured her future with her fourth marriage to George Talbot. Ambitious and shrewd, Bess anticipates royal favour when she and the Earl are asked to give sanctuary to the fugitive Mary Queen of Scots.But the Scottish queen rails against house arrest in a desolate castle and plots to regain her throne. The castle becomes the epicentre of intrigue against Elizabeth, the Earl blinded by admiration for the other queen. Even Bess's own loyalty is thrown into question. If Elizabeth''s spymaster William Cecil links the Talbots to the growing conspiracy to free Mary, they will all face the TowerTrade ReviewPraise for Philippa Gregory: ‘Written from instinct, not out of calculation, and it shows.’Peter Ackroyd, The Times ‘For sheer pace and percussive drama it will take a lot of beating.’ Sunday Times ‘Gregory is great at conjuring a Tudor film-set of gorgeous gowns and golden-lattered dining. She invokes some swoonsome images…while the politics are personal enough to remain pertinent.’ Daily Telegraph ‘The contemporary mistress of historical crime fiction is Philippa Gregory. Her novels are filled with strong, determined women who take their fate into their own hands…Gregory brings to life the sights, smells and textures of 16th-century England.’ Kate Mosse, Financial Times

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Book SynopsisCoward, scoundrel, lover and cheat, but there is no better man to go into the jungle with. Join Flashman in his adventures as he survives fearful ordeals and outlandish perils across the four corners of the world.Trade Review'Flashman is a wonderful creation, by a master storyteller. We'll forever delight in his evil antics' JEFFREY ARCHER ‘Politically incorrect, lascivious and fiendishly handsome, Flashman is the greatest ’ BORIS JOHNSON ‘Flashman is one of the great characters of modern fiction; a rogue, a lover, and always an irresistible read’ BERNARD CORNWELL ‘Flashman, Sherlock Holmes, Toad of Toad Hall, Bertie Wooster. Any writer would give his eye-teeth to have created a character as good as those. GMF was one of the greats’ CONN IGGULDEN ‘The perfect fictional creation’ TONY PARSONS ‘A first-rate historical novelist’ KINGSLEY AMIS

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Book SynopsisCoward, scoundrel, lover and cheat, but there is no better man to go into the jungle with. Join Flashman in his adventures as he survives fearful ordeals and outlandish perils across the four corners of the world.As the Light Brigade prepare to charge the Russian guns at Balaclava, Flashman assumes his characteristic battle position: sabre rattling, teeth chattering, bowels rumbling in terror and about to bolt.Trade Review'Flashman is a wonderful creation, by a master storyteller. We'll forever delight in his evil antics' JEFFREY ARCHER ‘Politically incorrect, lascivious and fiendishly handsome, Flashman is the greatest ’ BORIS JOHNSON ‘Flashman is one of the great characters of modern fiction; a rogue, a lover, and always an irresistible read’ BERNARD CORNWELL ‘Flashman, Sherlock Holmes, Toad of Toad Hall, Bertie Wooster. Any writer would give his eye-teeth to have created a character as good as those. GMF was one of the greats’ CONN IGGULDEN ‘The perfect fictional creation’ TONY PARSONS ‘A first-rate historical novelist’ KINGSLEY AMIS

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Book SynopsisThe globally bestselling thriller that paved the way for THE DA VINCI CODE and countless copycat conspiracy novels.In the 8th century AD Ibn al''Arabi, the Moorish governor of Barcelona, bestowed a magnificent gift upon Charlemagne, Holy Emperor of half of the known world: a chess set with the power to transform the course of history.New York City, 1970. Catherine ''Cat'' Velis, a computer expert working for one of the world''s largest accountancy firms, is sent on a dangerous assignment to retrieve an object of immeasurable value from somewhere in the remote reaches of Algeria.Montglane Abbey, France 1790, Mireille de Remy and her cousin Valentine are young novices at the fortress-like Montglane Abbey. With France aflame in revolution, the two girls burn to rebel against constricted convent life and their means of escape is at hand. Buried deep within the abbey are pieces of the Montglane Chess Service, once owned by Charlemagne. Whoever reassembles the pieces can play a game of unliTrade Review‘Katherine Neville has a remarkable ability to weave strands of history into one vivid tale. Readers who love culture, travel, and, of course, the detective work of research, will delight in this work.’ Elizabeth Kostova, author of ‘The Historian’ ‘Stellar… The story’s relentless pace is matched by characters both sympathetic and real.’ Publishers Weekly ‘Readers thrilled by The Da Vinci Code will relish the multi-layered secrets of The Eight.’Matthew Pearl, author of ‘The Dante Club’

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Book Synopsis''A wonderful book; rich, evocative, original. I loved it'' Joanne HarrisOne in ten trees comes up sweetIn the inhospitable Black Swamp of Ohio, the Goodenough family are barely scratching out a living. Life there is harsh, tempered only by the apples they grow for eating and for the cider that dulls their pain. Hot-headed Sadie and buttoned-up James are a poor match, and Robert and his sister Martha can only watch helplessly as their parents tear each other apart. One particularly vicious fight sends Robert out alone across America, far from his sister, to seek his fortune among the mighty redwoods and sequoias of Gold Rush California. But even across a continent, he can feel the pull of family loyaltiesTrade ReviewPraise for At the Edge of the Orchard: ‘Chevalier’s prose is by turns muscular, raw and sumptuous… a delight’ INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY ‘Chevalier has carved out a middle-point between writing literary fiction and its page-turning, commercial counterpart and this book will serve both those audiences’ INDEPENDENT ‘A rollicking yarn of 19-century America’ THE TIMES ‘A densely packed tale of fruit, roots, family and hardship’ FINANCIAL TIMES ‘A wonderful book; rich, evocative, original. I loved it’ Joanne Harris ‘A stunning read’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ‘A kind of arboreal love song … an absorbing depiction of the harshness of pioneer life and the impossibility of escaping familial ties’ MAIL ON SUNDAY ‘Dark, brutal, moving, powerful’ Jane Harris ‘Powerfully realised … [A] fine novel’ DAILY MAIL ‘It’s her best since Girl with a Pearl Earring, telling the story both of America and a pioneer family with acuity, freshness and zest. I was captivated by it’ Amanda Craig ‘Tracy Chevalier serves up a rollicking yarn of 19th-century America. What Deborah Moggach did for tulips, Chevalier may well do for apples’ THE TIMES ‘This novel of raw beauty touches themes Chevalier explored in her novel, The Last Runaway. It’s a richly rewarding read’ EXPRESS ‘With Chevalier’s excellent storytelling ability and gift for creating memorable characters, this novel paints a vivid picture of the hard and rough-hewn life of American pioneers on their Westward journey’ STARRED LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW ‘Wonderful descriptions of apple grafting and plant-hunting in a 19th century New World America. Chevalier weaves an enthralling, feverish narrative through a backdrop of exploratory horticulture’ TOAST

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.''I cannot but conclude the bulk of your natives to be the most pernicious race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth.''Shipwrecked on the high seas, Lemuel Gulliver finds himself washed up on the strange island of Lilliput, a land inhabited by quarrelsome miniature people. On his travels he continues to meet others who force him to reflect on human behaviour the giants of Brobdingnag, the Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos. In this scathing satire on the politics and morals of the 18th Century, Swift''s condemnation of society and its institutions still resonates today.

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Book SynopsisThis was the original game of thrones' George R.R. MartinNo man is impervious to the poisons of the crownHaving murdered his wife and exiled his mistress, King Louis X of France becomes besotted with Princess Clemence of Hungary and makes her his new Queen.However, though the matter of the succession should be assured, it is far from so, as Louis embarks on an ill-fated war against Flanders.Where his father, Philip IV, was strong, Louis is weak, and the ambitions of his proud, profligate barons threaten his power and the future of a kingdom once ruled by an Iron King.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

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Book SynopsisThird volume in the bestselling Starbuck Chronicles. The battle for control of Richmond, the Confederate capital, continues through the hot summer of 1862.Captain Nate Starbuck, yankee fighting for the Southern cause, has to survive and win in the bitter struggle not only against the formidable Northern army but equally in opposition to his own superiors who would like nothing better than to see Nate Starbuck dead and dishonoured.Starbuck's courage is tested to the limit in his desperate manoeuvres to retrieve his own and the Legion's honour in this the thrid narrative of Bernard Cornwell's sweeping epic of the American Civil War.Trade ReviewPraise for BATTLE FLAG: ‘A humdinger of a blood-and-guts battle’ Daily Mail ‘Admirably catches the chaotic and bloody nature of the action . . . it’s a state-of-the-art swashbuckler’ Sunday Times Cornwell unerringly hits his form . . . battle-scenes of exceptional grandeur pictured in brisk, pungent prose’ Mail on Sunday Praise for Bernard Cornwell: ‘The best battle scenes of any writer I’ve ever read, past or present. Cornwell really makes history come alive.’ George R.R. Martin

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Book SynopsisThe fourth volume of Bernard Cornwell's bestselling series on the American Civil War and featuring rebel Nathaniel Starbuck a yankee fighting for the Southern cause.It is late summer 1862 and the Confederacy is invading the United States of America.Nate Starbuck, a northern preacher's son fighting for the rebel South, is given command of a punishment battalion a despised unit of shirkers and cowards. His enemies expect it to be his downfall, as Starbuck must lead this ramshackle unit into a battle that will prove to be the bloodiest of the Civil War.Trade ReviewPraise for THE BLOODY GROUND: ‘The best so far in Cornwell’s American Civil War series . . . The cacophony of the cornfield slaughter is stunningly conveyed’ Daily Mail ‘A very fine novel indeed; Bernard Cornwell at his disticntive best . . . builds to a gripping climax . . . stirring stuff’ Sunday Telegraph ‘Cornwell is as masterly as ever at conjuring up the grisly nature of nineteenth-century campaigning and the terrifying adrenaline surge experienced on a battlefield reeking of black powder and blood’ The Times Praise for Bernard Cornwell: ‘The best battle scenes of any writer I’ve ever read, past or present. Cornwell really makes history come alive.’ George R.R. Martin

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.The wolf thought to himself, What a tender young creature! what a nice plump mouthful she will be better to eat than the old woman. I must act craftily, so as to catch both.'Collected by the German Grimm brothers, these folk tales have captured the imaginations of children and adults alike since they were first published in 1812. The best-known stories such as The Golden Goose, Hansel and Gretel, The Frog Prince, and Snow-White and Rose-Red remain as popular today as when first told, although there is an underlying darkness and violence to the original stories that has softened over time.

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.That these man-like creatures were in truth only bestial monsters, mere grotesque travesties of men, filled me with a vague uncertainty of their possibilities far worse than any definite fear.Edward Prendick, the sole survivor of a shipwreck in the South Pacific, is set ashore on an island where he meets the mysterious Doctor Moreau. Horrified by the discovery that Moreau is performing vivisection on animals to form monstrous human hybrids, Prendick flees into the jungle. But he soon realises that the island is populated with Moreau's terrible creations, and not all are divested of their savage habits . . .H. G. Wells pioneered ideas of society, science and progress in his works, which are now considered modern classics. Written in 1896, The Island of Doctor Moreau is an imaginative exploration of the nature of cruelty and what it means to be human.Trade Review‘The Island of Doctor Moreau takes us into an abyss of human nature. This book is a superb piece of storytelling’ V. S. Pritchett ‘[Wells’ work is] astonishingly rich in human and historical interest … he foresaw the invention of, among other things, television, tanks, aerial warfare and the atom bomb’ David Lodge ‘I personally consider the greatest of English living writers [to be] H. G. Wells’ Upton Sinclair ‘The father of science fiction’ Guardian

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Book SynopsisThe new novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author.Taking one last look around her attic room in Covent Garden Nettie knows there is no turning back, they must run for their livesLondon, 1875. Thanks to her hapless father, Nettie Carroll has had to grow up quickly. While Nettie is sewing night and day to keep food on the table, her gullible father has trusted the wrong man again. Left with virtually nothing but the clothes they stand up in, he's convinced that their only hope lies across the English Channel in France.Nettie has little but her dreams left to lose. Even far from home trouble follows them, with their enemies quietly drawing closer. But Nettie has a secret, and it's one with the power to save them.Can she find the courage to trust in herself and pave the way for a brighter future?Trade Review Praise for Dilly Court: ‘Feisty female characters to fall in love with in a spirited, adventurous novel’ Sunday Express ‘Dilly Court’s latest novel is another page-turner that will keep you gripped to the end – 5 stars’ The People’s Friend ‘As always Dilly keeps you absorbed right to the end’ Choice ‘A rollicking, fast-paced adventure with a hint of romance!’ My Weekly ‘Spellbinding . . . you just keep turning the pages’ Daily Mail ‘A fast-paced, riveting read’ Sunday Express ‘A heart-warming, fast-paced story that will keep you gripped till the end’ The People’s Friend ‘Feisty female characters to fall in love with in a spirited, adventurous novel’ Sunday Express ‘Atmospheric, vivid and compelling’ My Weekly ‘An excellent, well-researched read’ People’s Friend ‘Perfect for Downton Abbey fans … heart-tugging’ Peterborough Telegraph

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Booker Prize Winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for FictionCaryl Phillips' ambitious and powerful novel spans two hundred and fifty years of the African diaspora. It tracks two brothers and a sister on their separate journeys through different epochs and continents: one as a missionary to Liberia in the 1830s, one a pioneer on a wagon trail to the American West later that century, and one a GI posted to a Yorkshire village in the Second World War.Epic and frequently astonishing' The TimesIts resonance continues to deepen' New York TimesTrade ReviewA compassionate, forceful and profoundly moving revelation * Scotland on Sunday *[T]here are gems of impassioned writing quilted within this ambitious cross-cultural novel of loss and reconciliation * Sunday Times *Epic and frequently astonishing * The Times *Crossing the River is dense with event and ingeniously structured. It requires concentration and is worth it * Independent *An ambitious exploration of oppression, loss and reconciliation that employs a collage of styles and ranges across continents and centuries -- Nicci Gerrard * Observer *

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Book SynopsisLet multi-million copy bestselling author Lindsey Davis transport you back to 71 A.D. in this captivating mystery, full of political intrigue, twists, turns and romantic tension. Fans of S. J. Parris, Donna Leon, Steven Saylor, C. J. Sansom will not be disappointed...''A tumultuous Ancient Rome with a delightful modern eye'' -- Sunday Times''Fast-moving, funny and full of atmosphere'' -- Mail on Sunday''An exciting and gripping mystery'' -- ***** Reader review''Couldn''t put the book down'' -- ***** Reader review''Gripping right from the beginning'' -- ***** Reader review''Very addictive'' -- ***** Reader review''My advice is BUY IT and READ IT as you will not regret it'' -- ***** Reader review*************************************************************************************LOVE, DEATH AND POLITICS UNDER VESUVIUSTrade ReviewOne of the best of the current writers in this field * Donna Leon, The Times *Surely the best historical detective in the business * Mike Ripley, Daily Telegraph *A tumultuous Ancient Rome with a delightful modern eye * Sunday Times *

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