Historical Fiction Books

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.A mission calls for a master of disguise, deceit and treachery: there's only one man for the job. When a legendary femme fatale delivers him into the clutches of the dastardly Otto von Bismarck, Flashman will need all the cunning and seductive charm he can muster to escape this plot.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 third volume in the bestselling Wideacre Trilogy of novels. Set in the eighteenth century, they launched the career of Philippa Gregory, the bestselling author of The Other Boleyn Girl and Three Sisters, Three Queens.Meridon, a desolate Romany girl, is determined to escape the hard poverty of her childhood. Riding bareback in a travelling show, while her sister Dandy risks her life on the trapeze, Meridon dedicates herself to freeing them both from danger and want.But Dandy, beautiful, impatient, thieving Dandy, grabs too much, too quickly. And Meridon finds herself alone, riding in bitter grief through the rich Sussex farmlands towards a house called Wideacre which awaits the return of the last of the Laceys.Sweeping, passionate, unique: ''Meridon'' completes Philippa Gregory''s bestselling trilogy which began with ''Wideacre'' and continued with ''The Favoured Child''.Trade ReviewPraise for ‘Meridon’: ‘Compelling… Philippa Gregory reigns supreme as the mistress of historical drama.’Today ‘Subtle and exciting.’Daily Express Praise for ‘The Favoured Child’: ‘For sheer pace and percussive drama it will take a lot of beating.’Sunday Times

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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 SynopsisRejected by fifteenth-century Parisian society, the hideously deformed bell-ringer Quasimodo believes he is safe under the watchful eye of his master, the Archdeacon Claude Frollo. But after Quasimodo saves the beautiful Romani girl Esmeralda from the gallows and brings her to sanctuary in the cathedral, he and Frollo's mutual desire for her puts them increasingly at odds, before compassion and cruelty clash with tragic results.An emotionally stirring story, Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame is rightfully considered to be one of the finest novels ever written, and this beautiful edition, featuring an afterword by John Grant, is the perfect way to experience this unforgettable tale.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.

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Book SynopsisIF YOU DON''T KNOW SIMON SCARROW, YOU DON''T KNOW ROME!THE EAGLE''S PROPHECY is the powerful sixth novel in Simon Scarrow''s bestselling Eagles of the Empire seires. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell. Praise for Simon Scarrow''s gripping novels: ''Ferocious and compelling'' Daily Express The Adriatic Sea, AD 45. Cato and Macro, centurions of the Roman army, are horrified to learn that they face possible execution after the death of their commanding officer. Fortunately, the Emperor''s secretary is willing to offer them an alternative: to join the marines and hunt down a band of brutal pirates who are decimating not only Rome''s reputation, but also a critical supply chain.As they discover the true horror of battle at sea, Macro and Cato must also remember their real mission: to recover from those pirates a set of scrolls that hold secrets vital to the future of the Roman Empire. Rome will do anything to get them back...Trade ReviewPraise for Simon Scarrow's novels: 'I really don't need this kind of competition... It's a great read' -- Bernard CornwellScarrow's [novels] rank with the best * Independent *Gripping and moving * The Times *A satisfyingly bloodthirsty, bawdy romp...perfect for Bernard Cornwell addicts who will relish its historical detail and fast-paced action. Storming stuff * Good Book Guide *Ferocious and compelling * Daily Express *A Rome full of HOUSE OF CARDS treachery... Roman soldiering at its very best - even by Scarrow's high standards - in this winning chunk of historical fiction * Sunday Sport *Rollicking good fun * Mail on Sunday *A fast-moving and exceptionally well-paced historical thriller * BBC History Magazine *

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Book SynopsisEnthralling and ambitious, Sunday Times bestseller Jeffrey Archer’s As The Crow Flies brings to life one man’s rise from rags to riches - a boy who inherits a barrow and ends up with the biggest supermarket chain in the world.Growing up in the slums of East End London, Charlie Trumper dreams of someday running his grandfather’s fruit and vegetable stall. That day comes all too suddenly when his grandfather dies, leaving him his legacy: his barrow.The onset of World War I takes Charlie far from home to the trenches of Normandy, where he learns to deal with any enemy. Returning to the East End, he finds his barrow stolen – and comes straight into conflict with a dangerous enemy, whose legacy of evil will follow him and his family for generations, even as Charlie strives to fulfil the dream his grandfather inspired.In an epic journey set against the turbulent backdrop of a changing century, spanning three continent

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Book SynopsisA moving love story inspired by a true story and perfect for fans of The Help In a time of hate, would you stand up for love? Shalerville, Kentucky, 1939. A world where black maids and handymen are trusted to raise white children and tend to white houses, but from which they are banished after dark. Sixteen-year-old Isabelle McAllister, born into wealth and privilege, finds her ordered life turned upside down when she becomes attracted to Robert, the ambitious black son of her family’s housekeeper. Before long Isabelle and Robert are crossing extraordinary, dangerous boundaries and falling deeply in love. Many years later, eighty-nine-year-old Isabelle will travel from her home in Arlington, Texas, to Ohio for a funeral. With Isabelle is her hairstylist and friend, Dorrie Curtis - a black single mother with her own problems. Along the way, Isabelle will finally reveal to Dorrie the truth of her painful past: a tale of forbidden loTrade Review‘Before I started reading Calling Me Home, I knew that this was Pan Macmillan’s lead fiction debut of 2013, and that Warner Bros had snapped up the film rights, but nothing prepared me for the overwhelming roller coaster of emotions induced by the astonishingly talented Julie Kibler’s debut novel . . . I cried, and I cried, and after I’d finished crying I cried a bit more. And when people asked what was wrong when I arrived at Fabulous HQ the next day, complete with puffy eyes and blotchy skin, I muttered something incomprehensible about a book that I’d finished reading the night before. In short: Calling Me Home left me speechless. So be prepared to embark on a heart-rending journey during which you will laugh, cry and stare astonished at the very words on the page. No words can quite pinpoint the magic and resonance of this incredible novel, so all that I can say is: you must read this!’ Fabulous magazine'A beautiful story, beautifully told. The quality of the writing is first class. Whenever I put it down, I always looked forward to coming back to it and I'm sad to have finished it. What I particularly liked was the lack of mawkishness in the book. Both the main characters are very likeable and not in the least martyred despite all they've been through. By the end, they felt like friends to me; two women whose company and whose stories I thoroughly enjoyed. The difficult subject of racism was dealt with face-on, but at the same time handled with the lightest of touches.I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am already recommending it to friends' Louise Douglas, Bestselling Author‘You’d never guess that Calling Me Home is a debut novel, Julie Kibler’s writing is so wise and assured. Although the two strong women she’s created come from completely different backgrounds, the bond that grows between them is extraordinary, touching and believable. I laughed out loud in places and had tears in my eyes as I turned the last page. I can’t wait to watch Julie Kibler’s star rise!’ Diane Chamberlain‘If Julie Kibler's novel Calling Me Home were a young woman, her grandmother would be To Kill a Mockingbird, her sister would be The Help and her cousin would be The Notebook. But even with such iconic relatives, Calling Me Home stands on her own; this novel uncovers a painful past that tells us so much about who we are, where we're going, and the people who are traveling with us’ Wiley Cash, bestselling author of A Land More Kind Than Home'A wonderful debut; thought provoking, heart breaking yet redemptive. Utterly compulsive' Irish Examiner‘This touching tale covers the same difficult subject of racism and segregation in 20th-centuary America as The Help. But it’s a much more human and personal book… A sad but life-affirming book’ Bella‘Based on a true story, fans of the The Help will be enthralled by this emotional read' Prima'A devastating tale of forbidden love' Woman & Home

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Book SynopsisCan the Woolworth girls achieve their dreams in time for their futures to begin? The Woolworths Saturday Girls is the seventh instalment in Elaine Everest's much-loved Woolworths series.1950. The Second World War is over and life has moved on for the Woolworth girls, Sarah, Maisie and Freda. In a new world the Woolworth women have high expectations of their daughters, wanting them to seize opportunities they didn’t have themselves.Ready to take on Saturday jobs at Woolworths, budding friends Bessie, Claudette, Clementine and Dorothy are faced with unforeseeable challenges, as the real world comes into focus. Their bond can only be strengthened as they overcome the darkest times. Perhaps their lives are not as clear-cut as their mothers wished them to be . . .When Bessie finds love in the wrong crowd and falls pregnant, the image of her future and ambitions become skewed and she relies on the Saturday girls to help her see her problems through – but how will they find a home for the baby when it arrives?With wild imaginations, it is up to the Woolworth girls, new and old, to save the day – and their futures . . .Trade ReviewA warm, tender tale of friendship and love . . . sweet as a Woolies pick’n’mix -- Milly Johnson, author of The Teashop on the Corner, on The Woolworths GirlsA heart-warming story about finding strength in the hardest of times * Woman’s Own *

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Book SynopsisInternational Booker Prize finalist and "one of the Arab world's most innovative novelists" (Roger Allen) delivers a brilliant retelling of the Muslim wars of conquest in North AfricaThe year is 693 and a tense exchange, mediated by an interpreter, takes place between Berber warrior queen al-Kahina and an emissary from the Umayyad General Hassan ibn Nu'man. Her predecessor had been captured and killed by the Umayyad forces some years earlier, but she will go on to defeat them.The Night Will Have Its Say is a retelling of the Muslim wars of conquest in North Africa during the seventh century CE, narrated from the perspective of the conquered peoples. Written in Ibrahim al-Koni's unique and enchanting voice, his lyrical and deeply poetic prose speaks to themes that are intensely timely. Through the wars and conflicts of this distant, turbulent era, he addresses the futility of war, the privilege of an elite few at the expense of the many, the destruction of natural habitats and indigenous cultures, and questions about literal and fundamentalist interpretations of religious texts.Al-Koni's masterly account of conquest and resistance is both timeless and timely, infused with a sense of disaster and exile—from language, the desert, and homeland.Trade Review"I loved The Night Will Have Its Say. Ibrahim al-Koni weaves a magical tale of a world where female power and the polyphony of the feminine are a given, where the earth and the heavens are in constant dialogue, and where ancestors and scriptures are alive and present."—Nadia Wassef, author of Shelf Life“A rich text. . . with gripping scenes and confrontations, and some fascinating underlying conflicts, in particular concerning attitudes towards life, freedom, and conquest . . . . an unusual kind of historical fiction, but certainly worthwhile.”—The Complete Review"[W]estern readers will be rewarded with insights into the rise of Islam and some lesser-known but important leaders . . . [and] find triggers here that cause one to examine, at least for a while, eternal questions about who we are and where we fit in the larger tides of life." —Historical Novels Review"One of the most acclaimed writers in the Arabic world . . . his most recent novel, The Night Will Have Its Say . . . placed during the Muslim conquest of North Africa in the seventh century CE, written from the perspective of the conquered, he once again returns to the desert that has remained his spiritual home."—AramcoWorldPRAISE FOR IBRAHIM AL-KONI“A magnificent novelist”—Marilyn Booth, translator of the International Booker Prize winner, Celestial Bodies“One of the Arab world’s most innovative novelists”—Roger Allen, University of Pennsylvania“The desert setting is al-Koni's strength: its expanse, desolation, and mystery are powerfully evoked.”—Banipal"Al-Koni's story, simply and elegantly told, has all the inevitability of a Greek tragedy--or, better, all the tribulations of Job."—Kirkus Reviews“Al-Koni’s novels are aesthetic renderings of the passions of the desert and of the rich legends and cosmology of his people. An encyclopedic writer who has digested mythologies of the ancient world and literature of the modern world, al-Koni has both a poetic bent and a mystical inclination.”—Al Ahram Weekly“A true journey into the human psyche”—Cairo Magazine“Imagine Cormac McCarthy’s savage lyricism in a Paul Bowles desert landscape and you begin to enter the bleakly beautiful world of this mesmerizing, fable-like novel.”—The Independent

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Book Synopsis Two young women find the bond of lifelong friendship gives them the strength to hold on to their dreams, in the hardship of 1920s Liverpool. In Friends Forever, Lyn Andrews weaves an unforgettable saga of friendship overcoming life''s hardships. Perfect for fans of Nadine Dorries and Joan Jonker.In 1928 Bernie O''Sullivan and Molly Keegan catch their first glimpse of the bustling city they''re about to call home. Both seventeen, and best friends since childhood, the girls have left Ireland behind to seek an exciting new life in Liverpool.They are dismayed to discover that the relatives they are to stay with have barely two pennies to rub together; the promised grand house is a run-down building in one of Liverpool''s worst slum areas. Desperate to escape, Bernie secures a position as a domestic servant, while Molly is taken on as a shop assistant. Soon they have settled and find themselves in love with local mTrade ReviewPraise for Lyn Andrews: 'An outstanding storyteller' * Woman's Weekly *A vivid portrayal of life * Best *A compelling read * Woman's Own *Gutsy...a vivid picture of a hard-up, hard-working community...will keep the pages turning * Daily Express *The Catherine Cookson of Liverpool * Northern Echo *

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Book SynopsisAn emotional, rousing novel inspired by the incredible true story of two giraffes who made headlines and won the hearts of Depression-era America. “Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes…” Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave. It’s 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California’s first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world’s first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes. Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it’s too late.Trade ReviewA Texas Center for the Book Great Read Selection “A delightful read.” —The New York Times Book Review “West with Giraffes is truly a fun read…I [can’t] imagine a reading list that would not contain Lynda Rutledge’s astonishing novel.” —Old Naples News “Every year I find at least one book that soars above all the others. This year West With Giraffes is that book.” —Florida Times Union “A flawless novel.” —Austin American-Statesman “A perfect balance between history and fiction.” —POPSUGAR “[A] larger-than-life story about the power of both animal magnetism and human connection…witty, charming, and heartwarming.” —Booklist

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Romantic, old-time Rajasthan leaps to life in the skilled hands of Alka Joshi. The Henna Artist brims over with richly drawn customs, locations, and characters. I can hardly wait for Alka Joshi’s next masterpiece.” --Sujata Massey, internationally bestselling author of The Satapur Moonstone and The Widows of Malabar Hill “Rich in detail and bright with tastes and textures, The Henna Artist is a fabulous glimpse into Indian culture of the 1950s.”—Bookpage, Starred Review“Eloquent debut…moving… Joshi masterfully balances a yearning for self-discovery with the need for familial love.” –Publishers Weekly"Vibrant characters, evocative imagery, and sumptuous prose create an unforgetable tale."--Christian Science Monitor “Joshi has constructed a bewitching glimpse into the past with a tough heroine well worth cheering on.”--Booklist"The Henna Artist is a bold, ambitious, beautifully written novel about India in the decade after independence, and about class, identity, love and deceit. The broad cast of characters will etchthemselves into your psyche." --Tom Barbash, author of Stay Up With Me"Fantastic, so evocative and beautiful and full of life and light.... The Henna Artist is detailed and sumptuous, vivid in its characters and deeply satisfying in its storytelling."--Leah Franqui, author of America for Beginners"Alka Joshi's superb first novel is unforgettable.... Read this book slowly and savor it: Every page is rich with intricate pleasures for both the mind and the heart."--Anita Amirrezvani, author of The Blood of Flowers"Like a brilliant, magical kaleidoscope, bursting with color, The Henna Artist kept me riveted from start to finish."--Lauren Belfer, NYT bestselling author of After the Fire and City of Light"Everything a great novel needs is here: The protagonist balancing impossible burdens with her bountiful talents; the many other characters, each so colorful and complex, each necessary to the intricate and delicate plot, Such a satisfying novel!"--Sandra Scofield, author of The Last Draft"Alka Joshi's debut novel is a richly drawn design of love and the many hungers that drive human beings...a lush, gorgeous journey that any reader will be sorry to see end."--Erin McGraw, author of The Good Life and The Seamstress of Hollywood"The Henna Artist is a delicious, old-fashioned tale about timeless heartaches. There's something elemental and mythic about Lakshmi and her knowledge of spices, roots, oils, and barks that drew me into the kind of world I gladly lived in when reading fairy tales as a child, a place inhabited by powerful queens, talking birds, magical drinks, orphans, sad princesses, clever servants, and dangerous poisons. I'm in awe of Joshi's storytelling and a little jealous of the character who winds up with the talking bird. “Namaste!” as he says. “Bonjour! Welcome!”---Laura McNeal, author of The Practice House

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Book SynopsisIan McEwan's celebrated novel, now an unmissable film starring Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, Brooklyn) It is July 1962. Edward and Florence, young innocents married that morning, arrive at a hotel on the Dorset coast. At dinner in their rooms they struggle to suppress their private fears of the wedding night to come and, unbeknownst to them both, the events of the evening will haunt them for the rest of their lives.Trade ReviewWonderful...exquisite...devastating * Independent on Sunday *On Chesil Beach is more than an event. It is a masterpiece * Times Literary Supplement *Superb... The protagonists have everything to lose, and their faltering journey towards a point of no return is conjured into life my McEwan with irresistible subtlety, tact and force * Financial Times *Exquisitely crafted * Evening Standard *Written with a fierce pursuit of the truth and an utterly modern self-awareness, what a confidant tour de force this turns out to be * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisThe thrilling sequel to Alistair MacLean's masterpiece of World War II adventure, The Guns of Navarone. Now reissued in a new cover style.The guns of Navarone have been silenced, but the heroic survivors have no time to rest on their laurels. Almost before the last echoes of the famous guns have died away, Keith Mallory, Andrea and Dusty Miller are parachuting into war-torn Yugoslavia to rescue a division of Partisans and to fulfil a secret mission, so deadly that it must be hidden from their own allies.Trade Review‘Compulsively exciting.’Daily Telegraph ‘Cliff-hanging suspense.’Sunday Telegraph ‘Terrific dambusting climax.’Evening Standard ‘A smash hit.’Daily Mirror

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Book SynopsisA tale of family secrets and forgotten pasts from the international number one bestselling author of the Seven Sisters series, Lucinda Riley.Trade ReviewThe Angel Tree packs a real psychological punch, exploring the fall-out from troubled childhoods and how events in the past impact on not just our perception of the world but on how we handle our relationships with other people . . . Sweeping, absorbing, beautifully written and utterly compelling, this is a saga to sit back and savour on long winter nights * Lancashire Evening Post *A brilliant page-turner just soaked in glamour and romance -- Daily Mail, on The Seven SistersA masterclass in beautiful writing -- The Sun, on The Sun Sister

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Book Synopsis'Here ends one of the finest achievements of recent crime fiction' - Sunday Telegraph'Outstanding' - The Times*Winner of the 2022 CWA Historical Dagger and Gold Dagger*Los Angeles. Christmas, 1967. A devil is loose in the City of Angels . . .A young nurse, Kerry Gaudet, travels to the City of Angels desperate to find her missing brother, fearing that something terrible has happened to him: a serial killer is terrorising the city, picking victims at random, and Kerry has precious few leads.Ida Young, recently retired Private Investigator, is dragged into helping the police when a young woman is discovered murdered in her motel room. Ida has never met the victim but her name has been found at the crime scene and the LAPD wants to know why . . .Meanwhile mob fixer Dante Sanfelippo has put his life savings into purchasing a winery in Napa Valley but first he must do one final favour for the Mob before leaving town: find a bail jumper before the bond money falls due, and time is fast running out.Ida’s friend, Louis Armstrong, flies into the city just as her investigations uncover mysterious clues to the killer’s identity. And Dante must tread a dangerous path to pay his dues, a path which will throw him headlong into a terrifying conspiracy and a secret that the conspirators will do anything to protect . . .Completing his American crime quartet, Ray Celestin's Sunset Swing is a stunning novel of conspiracy, murder and madness, an unforgettable portrait of a city on the edge.Trade ReviewCelestin’s debut The Axeman’s Jazz immediately attained cult status, and successive books also impressed. But this is his most dizzying accomplishment, a truly epic crime chronicle. Set in a pulsing 1960s Los Angeles, Celestin creates a joint picture of the histories of organised crime and jazz, full of coruscating detail. -- Barry Forshaw * Financial Times *Sunset Swing concludes Ray Celestin's outstanding City Blues quartet . . . Celestin's most perfectly wrought portrait, however is of the City of Dreams itself, soaked in corruption and empty of heart. Sunset Swing may be an ode to the classics of hard-boiled noir, but it has more than enough rhythm of its own to take its place beside them * The Times *Magnificent and moving * Sunday Times Crime Club *Over four books, beginning with The Axeman’s Jazz in 2014, Ray Celestin has constructed a riveting saga of music, the mafia and murder in four American cities from 1919 to the 1960s. Sunset Swing, unfolding in Los Angeles in 1967, brings his City Blues Quartet to a triumphant conclusion . . . Brilliantly combines the page-turning tension of the best crime fiction with a panoramic portrait of a city in the midst of profound social change -- Nick Rennison * Sunday Times *Here ends one of the finest achievements of recent crime fiction, Ray Celestin’s City Blues Quartet . . . Throughout this series, the counterpoint to Celestin's stark portrayal of a fundamentally corrupt and gangster-ridden America has been his rare ability to capture in prose something of the glory of the music made by Armstrong and his fellow jazz-men. Here he rises to the final challenge of Armstrong's last comeback . . . Few artists have combined greatness and lovability to the extent Armstrong did, and these outstanding hard-boiled thrillers double as a worthy tribute to him -- Jake Kerridge * The Sunday Telegraph *Sunset Swing brings Ray Celestin’s brilliant City Blues Quartet to an end in quite some style. This outstanding series has tracked its characters across four major American cities and over half a century . . . Each of the four books is an epic in its own right, but here, as winter wildfires rage at the end of the continent, the feel is almost apocalyptic . . . The section . . . where Amstrong is first confounded by, then finds a new way to understand and interpret, Bob Thiele’s lyrics for ‘What A Wonderful World’, is as fine and nuanced a piece of writing about music as you’ll find anywhere. It’s one of several superb and moving moments in the best book in a quite remarkable series. Start here if you want, but to get the full effect, put The Axeman’s Jazz, Dead Man's Blues, and The Mobster's Lament on your Christmas list as well. It would almost be a crime not to. * The Quietus *Celestin’s crime quartet – set against the evolution of jazz in 20th-century America – comes to a superb close in this final volume, which also serves as tribute to the genius of Louis Armstrong * The Daily Telegraph *The series is a delight * The Times *This lively, jazz-based series can only be cause for celebration * Sunday Times *Not only a satisfying and multi-layered mystery, but also a well researched and dynamic portrait of a teeming city, rife with corruption * Guardian *A vividly written crime thriller which is a contender for book of the year -- Daily Mirror on The Mobster's LamentOne of the most ambitious and riveting works of crime fiction in years . . . -- Sunday Express on The Mobster's LamentCaptivating -- Spectator on Dead Man's BluesAn absolute must for true crime fanatics * Refinery 29 *Outstanding -- Daily Telegraph on The Axeman's Jazz

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Book SynopsisMeasuring the World recreates the parallel but contrasting lives of two geniuses of the German Enlightenment - the naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt and the mathematician and physicist Carl Friedrich Gauss. Towards the end of the 18th century, these two brilliant young Germans set out to measure the world. Humboldt, a Prussian aristocrat schooled for greatness, negotiates savannah and jungle, climbs the highest mountain then known to man, counts head lice on the heads of the natives, and explores every hole in the ground. Gauss, a man born in poverty who will be recognised as the greatest mathematician since Newton, does not even need to leave his home in Göttingen to know that space is curved. He can run prime numbers in his head, cannot imagine a life without women and yet jumps out of bed on his wedding night to jot down a mathematical formula. Measuring the World is a novel of rare charm and readability, distinguished by its sly humour and unforgettable characterization. It brings the two eccentric geniuses to life, their longings and their weaknesses, their balancing act between loneliness and love, absurdity and greatness, failure and success.Trade Review'A dazzling success ... Fantastically imagined' * Daily Telegraph *'Pulsing with fictional energy ... Here for once is a popular hit as sophisticated as it is engaging' * Sunday Times *'Nothing less than a literary sensation' * Guardian *'This is a masterpiece' * Independent on Sunday *'Kehlmann is one of the brightest, most pleasure-giving writers at work today, and he manages all this while exploring matters of deep philosophical and intellectual import. He deserves to have more readers' * Jeffrey Eugenides *

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Book SynopsisThe eagerly-awaited return to the acclaimed Morland Dynasty series, and the 100th novel by Cynthia Harrod-EaglesEngland, 1936The reign of Edward VIII has begun, but danger for the monarchy already looms on the horizon. At home in Morland Place, Polly Morland feels alone and abandoned, with her brother summoned to France by his old employer. James soon finds himself travelling to Russia, whereas Polly will voyage on the Queen Mary with New York - and a long-lost love - her destination. Soon the family are scattered to the four winds, from Hollywood to war-torn Spain. Working for the Air Ministry on new fighter planes, Jack fears that his children are not taking the increasingly tense situation in Europe seriously enough. The nation is divided over which is the greater thread: Communist Russia, or Fascist Germany. As the storms of war gather, they will threaten to overwhelm the Morlands and destroy all that they have worked for...

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Book SynopsisMightier than the Sword is the fifth gripping novel in the epic Clifton Chronicles series from master storyteller Jeffrey Archer.Trade ReviewA rip-roaring read * Mail on Sunday *If there was a Nobel Prize for storytelling, Archer would win * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisKaren Swan is a Sunday Times top three bestselling author and her novels sell all over the world. She writes two books each year, which are published in the summer and at Christmas. Previous summer titles include The Spanish Promise, The Hidden Beach and The Secret Path and for winter Together by Christmas, Midnight in the Snow and The Christmas Postcards.She lives in Sussex with her husband, three children and two dogs.The Stolen Hours is the second book in the historical Wild Isle series, based on the dramatic evacuation of Scottish island St Kilda in the summer of 1930.

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER! Also known as 2ha, the wildly popular danmei/Boys' Love novel series from China that inspired a multimedia franchise! A historical fantasy epic about a tyrant's second chance at life and the powerful cultivation teacher he can't get out of his mind.

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Book Synopsis'C. J. Sansom’s books are arguably the best Tudor novels going' – The Sunday TimesLamentation is the sixth breathtaking historical novel in C. J. Sansom’s number one bestselling Shardlake series, perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel and Philippa Gregory.England, 1546. King Henry VIII is dying. Meanwhile, his Protestant and Catholic councillors are engaged in a final and decisive power struggle to control the government of Henry’s successor, eight–year–old Prince Edward. As heretics are hunted across London, the Catholic party focus their attack on Henry’s sixth wife, Matthew Shardlake’s old mentor, Queen Catherine Parr, and Shardlake is unexpectedly summoned to Whitehall Palace.For the Queen has a secret. She has written a confessional book, Lamentation of a Sinner, so radically Protestant that if it came to the King’s attention it could bring both her

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Book SynopsisPULITZER PRIZEWINNER?LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD IN FICTION ? A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR ?From one of our most accomplished novelists, a mesmerizing story about a mother and daughter seeking refuge in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War?and a brilliant portrait of family endurance against all oddsA tour de force. ?Tayari Jones, author of An American MarriageIn 1874, in the wake of the War, erasure, trauma, and namelessness haunt civilians and veterans, renegades and wanderers, freedmen and runaways. Twelve-year-old ConaLee, the adult in her family for as long as she can remember, finds herself on a buckboard journey with her mother, Eliza, who hasn?t spoken in more than a year. They arrive at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia, delivered to the hospital?s entrance by a war veteran who has forced himself into their world. There, far from family, a beloved neighbor, and the mountain home they knew, they try to reclaim their lives.The omnipresent vagaries of war and race rise to the surface as we learn their story: their flight to the highest mountain ridges of western Virginia; the disappearance of ConaLee?s father, who left for the War and never returned. Meanwhile, in the asylum, they begin to find a new path. ConaLee pretends to be her mother?s maid; Eliza responds slowly to treatment. They get swept up in the life of the facility?the mysterious man they call the Night Watch; the orphan child called Weed; the fearsome woman who runs the kitchen; the remarkable doctor at the head of the institution.Epic, enthralling, and meticulously crafted, Night Watch is a stunning chronicle of surviving war and its aftermath.

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Book Synopsis The long-awaited reissue of the classic Vertigo miniseries Uncle Sam by Steve Darnall and Alex Ross is a sharp political fever dream praised by Kirkus as a “truly subversive graphic novel” and “a damning account of American political history that also affirms basic democratic ideals”Uncle Sam: Special Election Edition is a vibrant, hallucinatory tour of modern America—the story of a star-spangled, ragged vagrant named Sam who is guided by the voices in his head and his own fractured memories. Absorbed by history-traveling visions of America’s dark past, Uncle Sam struggles to remember his true identity and piece together the scattered clues of his own experiences in this deep and thoughtful look at America’s checkered past. Meticulously researched by Steve Darnall and fully painted by Alex Ross, Uncle Sam returns in print just when it is needed most—in time for th

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Book SynopsisThey will have justice. They will show their power. They will not burn.'Three women's fight for survival in a time of madness' Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The MerciesNorway, 1662. A dangerous time to be a woman, when even dancing can lead to accusations of witchcraft. After recently widowed Zigri's affair with the local merchant is discovered, she is sent to the fortress at Vardø to be tried as a witch.Zigri's daughter Ingeborg sets off into the wilderness to try to bring her mother back home. Accompanying her on this quest is Maren - herself the daughter of a witch - whose wild nature and unconquerable spirit gives Ingeborg the courage to venture into the unknown, and to risk all she has to save her family.Also captive in the fortress is Anna Rhodius, once the King of Denmark's mistress, who has been sent in disgrace to the island of Vardø. What will she do - and who will she betray - to return to her privileged life at court?These Witches of Vardø are stronger than even the King. In an age weighted against them, they refuse to be victims. They will have their justice. All they need do is show their power.'An intricately woven, timeless novel about prejudice, misogyny, freedom and the power and strength we can find within' - Christy Lefteri, author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo'A passionate indictment of the patriarchy ... a vibrant exaltation of the resilience of women ... Anya Bergman summons a historic witch trial with breathtaking detail and immediacy' Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites'Brilliant and powerful. Haunting and beautifully written. A complex and gripping novel reclaiming and retelling the stories of the women accused of witchcraft in Norway. Hugely atmospheric. Read it!' - Liz Hyder, author of The Gifts

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Book Synopsis#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ? ?An epic adventure about a female athlete perhaps past her prime, brought back to the tennis court for one last grand slam? (Elle), from the author of Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo?A heart-filled novel about an iconic and persevering father and daughter.??Time?Gorgeous. The kind of sharp, smart, potent book you have to set aside every few pages just to catch your breath. I?ll take a piece of Carrie Soto forward with me in life and be a little better for it.??Emily Henry, author of Book Lovers and Beach ReadONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Time, NPR, PopSugar, Glamour, Reader?s DigestCarrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. She has shattered every record and claimed twenty Grand Slam titles. And if you ask Carrie, she is entitled to every one. She sacrificed nearly everything to become the best, with her father, Javier, as her coach. A former champion himself, Javier has trained her since the age of two.But six years after her retirement, Carrie finds herself sitting in the stands of the 1994 US Open, watching her record be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan.At thirty-seven years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. Even if the sports media says that they never liked ?the Battle-Axe? anyway. Even if her body doesn?t move as fast as it did. And even if it means swallowing her pride to train with a man she once almost opened her heart to: Bowe Huntley. Like her, he has something to prove before he gives up the game forever.In spite of it all, Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells her most vulnerable, emotional story yet.

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Book SynopsisIntroducing the Collins Modern Classics, a series featuring some of the most significant books of recent times, books that shed light on the human experience classics which will endure for generations to come.Alison Hart, a medium by trade, tours the dormitory towns of London's orbital ring road with her flint-hearted sidekick, Colette, passing on messages from beloved dead ancestors. But behind her plump, smiling persona hides a desperate woman: she knows the terrors the next life holds but must conceal them from her wide-eyed clients. At the same time she is plagued by spirits from her own past, who infiltrate her body and home, becoming stronger and nastier the more she resistsShortlisted for the Orange Prize, Hilary Mantel's supremely suspenseful novel is a masterpiece of dark humour and even darker secrets.Trade Review‘Magnificent…It’s one of the greatest ghost stories in the language, but it’s far more than just a ghost story – it’s a novel of desperate truthfulness – a majestic work, truly’ Philip Pullman ‘Sparkling, sinister and supremely original’ Sunday Telegraph ‘As black as a tar barrel and very, very funny’ The Times ‘Laceratingly observant, a masterpiece of wit, heavy with atmosphere. It is also gloriously insolent and slyly funny: full of robust, uncluttered prose and searing moments' Independent ‘Pins elusive Middle England to the page in all its creepiness: a place blank and disconnected, yet fatally self-absorbed’ Rachel Cooke, Observer ‘An elegant, atmospheric tale and a nuanced portrait, full of ironies’ Tatler 'Chilling, creepy and endlessly inventive' Kate Saunders, The Times ‘Hilary Mantel has done something extraordinary. She has taken the ethereal halfway house between heaven and hell, between the living and the dead, and nailed it on the page’ Fay Weldon, Guardian ‘Has the kind of gallows humour that makes you laugh out loud…A real page-turner, a darkly humorous take on the enduring effects of childhood trauma’ Mslexia 'A deep, disturbing, violently amusing and subversive work’ Daily Telegraph

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Book SynopsisSpellbinding and suspenseful, Jeffrey Archer delivers thrills like no other author in The Prodigal Daughter. A magnificent story of love and politics, a No. 1 worldwide bestseller and the enthralling sequel to the multimillion-selling global phenomenon Kane and Abel.With a will of steel, Florentyna Rosnovski is indeed Abel’s daughter.Inheriting all of her father’s drive but none of his wealth, she is in pursuit of an ambition that far exceeds either her father or his great rival William Kane – to be the first female president.Born into a life of luxury, Richard Kane is determined to carve his own path in the world whilst building a future with Florentyna, the woman he loves.With Florentyna’s ultimate goal only a heartbeat away, both are about to discover the shattering price of power as a titanic battle of betrayal and deception reaches out from the past – a blood feud between two generations that threatens to destroy everything they have fought to achieve.‘If there were a Nobel Prize for storytelling, Archer would win’ - The Daily TelegraphTrade ReviewA master entertainer * Evening Standard *If there was a Nobel Prize for storytelling, Archer would win * Daily Telegraph *Witty, action-filled . . . Archer's masterful narrative produces thrills and surprises * Publisher's Weekly *

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Book SynopsisFrom terrorist conspiracies in Paris to guerrilla warfare in Afghanistan, Lie Down With Lions is the thrilling tale of suspense and deceit from master of the spy story, Ken Follett.A Dangerous RomanceIn Paris, rival spies Ellis and Jean-Pierre both fall in love with Jane, and all three become gripped in a tangled web of lust and deception as they battle terrorist conspiracies. Ultimately Jane can marry only one and chooses Jean-Pierre.A Fight for FreedomIn Afghanistan the Mujahedeen are fighting to free their country of the Soviet invasion and the newlyweds travel to the Valley of the Five Lions to help the cause as doctors. Fierce fighting means they must find a way out of the line of fire.A Perilous EscapeHelp unexpectedly comes in the form of Jean Pierre’s nemesis, Ellis, and knowing both men have dangerous secrets, Jane must once again choose who to trust if she is to make her escape over one of the most remote mountain ranges in the world . . .Trade ReviewSheer suspense * Washington Post *Vintage Follett . . . tense, vivid, exciting * USA Today *A deadly romantic triangle, a clandestine mission with global stakes, an exotic location, a plot as gripping and ingenious as Eye of the Needle . . . engineered to perfection with breathless acceleration . . . I couldn’t put it down * Los Angeles Times *

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Book SynopsisOnly the Brave is a powerful wartime tale of courage and compassion, from billion-copy bestseller Danielle Steel.

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Book SynopsisKate Foster has been a national newspaper journalist for over twenty years. Growing up in Edinburgh, she became fascinated by its history and often uses it as inspiration for her stories. Her previous novels include The Maiden, which won the Bloody Scotland Crime Debut of the Year in 2023 and was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2024, and The King's Witches. The Mourning Necklace is her third novel. She lives in Edinburgh with her two children.

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Book Synopsis A beautiful tale of endurance, identity, and memory in WWII Singapore, for fans of Min Jin Lee's Pachinko and Nguyen Phan Que Mai's The Mountains Sing Singapore, 1942. As Japanese troops sweep down Malaysia and into Singapore, a village is ransacked. Only three survivors remain, one of them a tiny child. In a neighbouring village, seventeen-year-old Wang Di is bundled into the back of a troop carrier and shipped off to a Japanese military rape camp. In the year 2000, her mind is still haunted by her experiences there, but she has long been silent about her memories of that time. It takes twelve-year-old Kevin, and the mumbled confession he overhears from his ailing grandmother, to set in motion a journey into the unknown to discover the truth. Weaving together two timelines and two life-changing secrets, How We Disappeared is an evocative, profoundly moving and utterly dazzling novel heralding the arrival of a new literary star. Shortlisted for the 2020 Singapore Literature Prize * Longlisted for the HWA Debut Crown 'A heartbreaking but hopeful story about memory, trauma and ultimately love.' New York Times Trade Review‘Deeply affecting.’ * Financial Times *‘A sweeping epic and...an essential read... It's incredibly beautifully written.’ * Sharlene Teo, author of Ponti *‘A heartbreaking but hopeful story about memory, trauma and ultimately love.’ * New York Times *‘This heartbreaking story explores shame and secrecy through two timelines, woven together in this deeply moving novel. A quite extraordinary book.’ * Kirsty Wark, BBC Talking Books *‘Fascinating, horrifying, powerful, and quite beautifully told.’ * Irish Examiner *‘A powerful tale of wartime Singapore and the shame of silence...haunting... Read it and weep, read it and marvel, but above all, read it.’ * South China Morning Post *‘Culturally authentic…the writing has grace.’ * Sunday Times *‘The brilliance of the writing makes it harder to bear. It’s powerful and profound.’ * Irish Independent *‘A haunting and vivid account of Singapore's fall...beautifully crafted... A writer to watch from a fascinating part of Asia where great civilisations meet.’ * Prospect *‘Compelling... a visceral yet tender exploration of truth and its consequences, and the redemptive power of memory.’ * Irish Times *‘A beautifully written, suspenseful story of redemption and healing.’ * Booklist (Starred Review) *‘An elegiac and at times extremely harrowing novel... How We Disappeared bears unflinching testimony to war crimes that are still on the brink of living memory.’ * The Straits Times, Singapore *‘A beautifully controlled novel that tells an utterly compelling and important story. Jing-Jing Lee's prose is crystal clear, the narrative scope is sweeping and devastating, and the story is as deeply felt and well observed as it is captivating.' * Caoilinn Hughes, author of Orchid & the Wasp *'Lee's harrowing novel ventures into one of Singapore's darkest periods... This novel bears unflinching, vital testimony to war crimes and those who have fallen through the cracks of history.' * The Straits Times, Best Books of 2019 *'This novel unflinchingly examines the horrific acts carried out in Singapore during the Second World War, but manages to be hopeful and uplifting, too.' * Sunday Express *‘Raises poignant questions regarding multi-generational trauma, accelerated modernization, and changing identity… Lee vibrantly describes life in pre-occupation Singapore, managing to cinch both the particularity and the universality of oppression.’ * Singapore Unbound *'Jing-Jing Lee writes like a poet... This was a hard story to tell, to hear and to read, but it is also an important story which demands to exist and Jing-Jing Lee has brought it to life... Congratulations. Every single hour I spent reading this was an hour which could not have been better spent.' * Catherine Chanter, author of The Well *‘Heartbreaking and meticulously researched, this novel is a meditation on the legacy of violence.’ * Book Riot *‘A heartbreaking story told with such humanity and grace. The details of How We Disappeared are so vivid they return to me in dreams.’ * Marti Leimbach, bestselling author of Dying Young and Daniel Isn't Talking *'A shattering, tender and absorbing novel… Meticulously researched, exquisitely written, with characters that will live and breathe in your heart long after you finish the last page... I’m reeling from its power—what an absolute triumph.' * Fiona Mitchell, author of The Maid’s Room *‘The dazzling storytelling illuminates the brutalities of life in Japanese-occupied Singapore... Haunting, harrowing, sweeping and compelling, this is a courageous story of survival, memory, and how we deal with trauma.’ * LoveReading *'How We Disappeared is a masterpiece of storytelling. Evocative and heart rending, it tells of one woman’s survival in occupied Singapore, and the quest of a child to solve a family mystery. It is beautifully written, exquisitely crafted, and utterly compelling.' * Mary Chamberlain, author of The Dressmaker of Dachau and The Hidden *‘Based on true events, which Lee gives a dignified voice to. Deeply affecting.’ * Australian Women's Weekly *‘This is a brilliant, heartbreaking story with an unforgettable image of how women were silenced and disappeared by both war and culture.’ * Xinran, author of The Good Women of China *'How We Disappeared is a remarkable, original novel that uncovers the long-silenced atrocities that the ‘comfort women’ in Singapore suffered at the hands of the Japanese during WWII. Through gorgeous prose, tremendous pathos, and even humor, Jing-Jing Lee portrays the intersection of past and present and the courage to bear witness. How We Disappeared is an important, spell-binding debut.” * Spencer Wise, author of The Emperor of Shoes *'An exquisite mystery, an enthralling novel. Equally touching and intriguing, How We Disappeared is a soaring debut of surviving the unsurvivable [and] a searing and shocking reminder of a history many would like to forget, and of the endurance of the human spirit.' * Eoin Dempsey, author of White Rose, Black Forest *‘Jing-Jing Lee's novel is a testament to...strength in the face of profound cruelty.’ * OUTinPerth *‘Memory and forgetting are at the heart of How We Disappeared... Lee's novel shines a light into the darkest chapter of Singapore's history.’ * SA Weekend *‘A powerful and confronting story... How We Disappeared puts a blowtorch to our emotions.’ * Qantas magazine, Travel Insider *‘A story of survival and endurance in Japanese-occupied Singapore.’ * Deccan Herald *

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Book SynopsisA decades-old disappearance, and a quest to find the truth . . . Big Lies in a Small Town, by the bestselling author Diane Chamberlain, is an emotional novel about two women connected by a painting that holds many dark secrets.‘Fans of Jodi Picoult’s style will love how Diane Chamberlain writes’ - CandisNorth Carolina, 2018: Morgan Christopher’s life has been derailed. Taking the fall for a crime she did not commit, she finds herself serving a three-year stint in the North Carolina Women’s Correctional Centre. Her dream of a career in the arts is put on hold – until a mysterious visitor makes her an offer that will see her released immediately. Her assignment: restore an old post office mural in a sleepy southern town. What she finds under the layers of grime is a painting that tells the story of madness, violence and a conspiracy of small-town secrets.North Carolina, 1940: Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey, wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. Alone in the world and desperate for work, she accepts. But what she doesn’t expect is to find herself immersed in a town where prejudices run deep, where people are hiding secrets behind closed doors and where the price for being different might just end in murder.What happened to Anna Dale? Are the clues hidden in the decrepit mural? Can Morgan overcome her own demons to discover what exists beneath the layers of lies?From the auhor of The Last House on the Street.Trade ReviewChamberlain puts so much grit, emotion and drama into her books that it’s impossible to stop thinking about the plot * Heat *Totally amazing. I love Diane’s writing -- Cathy KellyDiane Chamberlain’s gift for storytelling never fails * My Weekly *An excellent read that will be loved by her fans and anyone who enjoys reading -- Jodi Picoult

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Book SynopsisNow a major BBC TV drama, starring Tamara Lawrance, Lenny Henry and Hayley Atwell.A Sunday Times bestseller (2011), shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, The Long Song by Andrea Levy is a hauntingly beautiful, heartbreaking and unputdownable novel of the last days of slavery in Jamaica, for those who loved Homegoing, The Underground Railroad, or the film 12 Years a Slave.''A marvel of luminous storytelling'' Financial TimesYou do not know me yet. My son Thomas, who is publishing this book, tells me, it is customary at this place in a novel to give the reader a little taste of the story that is held within these pages. As your storyteller, I am to convey that this tale is set in Jamaica during the last turbulent years of slavery and the early years of freedom that followed.July is a slave girl who lives upon a sugar plantation named Amity and it is her life that is the subject of thiTrade Review'THE LONG SONG is is told with irresistible cunning; it is captivating, mischievious and optimistic, generating new stories and plot lines throughout the tale' * Daily Telegraph *'Bittersweet and mischievous, Levy's keenly awaited new novel is worth the wait for all fans of her SMALL ISLAND' * Daily Mail *'Slavery is a grim subject indeed, but the wonder of Levy's writing is that she can confront such things and somehow derive deeply life-affirming entertainment from them... Levy's aim, she says, was to write a book that instilled pride in anyone with slave ancestors and THE LONG SONG, though "its load may prove to be unsettling", is surely that book' * Sunday Telegraph *'This is a terrific book: beautifully written and imagined, and full of surprises' * A. N. Wilson, Reader's Digest *'As well as being beautifully written THE LONG SONG is a thoroughly researched historical novel that is both powerful and heartbreaking' * Daily Express *'Thoroughly captivating' * Guardian *'A novel such as SMALL ISLAND is a hard act to follow, but in her new book Levy has moved into top gear... She dares to write about her subject in an entertaining way without ever trivialising it and THE LONG SONG reads with the sort of ebullient effortlessness that can only be won by hard work' * Observer *Beautifully written, intricately plotted, humorous and earthy... Those who enjoyed SMALL ISLAND will love THE LONG SONG, not just for the insights on the "wretched island", but as a marvel of luminous storytelling' * Financial Times *'Levy brings her distinctive lightness of touch to what is otherwise unrelentingly bleak subject matter... This is a beautifully written and cleverly constructed novel that projects convincing personal relationships on to the feral backdrop of the Jamaican plantations' * The Times *'Levy has a rare ability to channel the maelstrom of history into the most intimate of human dramas' * New Statesman *'[Levy] has painted a vivid and persuasive portrait of Jamaican slave society, a society that succeeded with bravery, style and strategic patience both to outsmart its oppressors and to plant the seeds of what is today a culture celebrated worldwide' * New York Times *'A tumultuous tale, superbly evoked' * Woman & Home *'Levy has slipped through the cracks of history and beautifully animated a subject about which, on a human level, we know depressingly little' * Metro *'A vivid, sometimes brutal and incredibly absorbing story' * Good Housekeeping *

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Book SynopsisFrom the internationally bestselling author of A Woman of Substance comes the continuing story of indomitable heroine, Emma HarteEmma Harte is now eighty years old and ready to hand over the reins of the vast business empire she has created.To her favourite grandchild, Paula McGill Fairley, Emma bequeaths her mighty retailing empire with these heartfelt words: I charge you to hold my dream.'A towering international success, this is the powerfully moving tale of one woman's determination to hold the dream' which was entrusted to her, and in so doing find the happiness and passion which is her legacy.Trade Review Praise for Barbara Taylor Bradford: 'Queen of the genre.' Sunday Times ‘Few novelists are as consummate as Barbara Taylor Bradford at keeping the reader turning the page. She is one of the world’s best at spinning yarns.’ Guardian ‘A classic saga of loyalty, secrets, passion and intrigue…if you’ve been suffering withdrawal symptoms from Downton, this is for you’ Daily Mail ‘As romantic and thrilling as the rest’ Independent on Sunday ‘Another great yarn from the ultimate storyteller’ The Sun ‘The storyteller of substance.’ The Times

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Book SynopsisFilled with drama and battle, tragedy and romance, Sharon Penman’s The Land Beyond the Sea tells the epic tale of a clash of cultures that will resonate with readers today.1172. The Kingdom of Jerusalem, also known as Outremer - the land beyond the sea.A young realm, Outremer was baptized in blood when the men of the First Crusade captured Jerusalem from the Saracens in 1099. The crusaders who stayed have adapted to an utterly new world: a landscape of blazing heat, exotic customs and enemies who are also neighbours.Seeking retribution for the massacre in 1099, Saladin, leader of the vast Saracen army, launches a campaign to reclaim the sacred land from its current ruler, Baldwin IV. But while the young king proves to be intelligent, courageous and dedicated to the welfare and protection of his people, he lives his life under the terrible affliction of leprosy which has plagued him from an early age.While the scheming of rivTrade ReviewPenman brings the teeming—and scheming—world of the brief, blazing Crusader kingdom to vibrant life, with a cast of characters that includes the royal houses of Europe, the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller, the lords of the Church, Crusader nobility, and the surrounding Saracens. With her shining gift of storytelling, she makes this tapestry a colorful one, one that weaves all the richness of its setting and striving personalities into a stunning and meaningful whole. Elegant, detailed, and panoramic—like the world it describes -- Margaret GeorgePenman has created a saga of epic proportions. She has given us insight into the inner workings of the minds of the great men and women of the time. There is a lot here to savor * Historical Novel Society *From fierce battle maneuvers to the emotional corridors of an unexpected love story, readers will feel intimately drawn into the characters’ dramatic lives in Penman's splendid historical novel * Booklist *A riveting page-turner, and Penman’s well-honed skill for weaving deeply researched details into epic tales is on full display. Fans of medieval historical fiction won’t want to miss this * Publishers Weekly *Penman excels at depicting medieval warfare and the unintended, often disastrous consequences of the best-laid strategies. She is equally adept at depicting the rivalries and internecine strife that roil Baldwin's court—peopled by characters who are mostly related to each other by some degree of kinship—finding credible motives for everyone's grudges * Kirkus *Praise for Time and Chance: Sharon Kay Penman is the strongest historical novelist working the medieval period at present -- George R. R. MartinShe manages to illuminate the alien shadowland of the Middle Ages and populate it with vital characters whose politics and passions are as vivid as our own * San Francisco Chronicle *As one of Ms. Penman's oldest and most ardent fans, I believe The Land Beyond the Sea ranks as one of her three most accomplished and compelling books. Her books should never be gulped, only savored, and readers will be thrilled to both read and reread her latest -- Priscilla Royal

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Book SynopsisThe forgotten story of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York. A strong woman who claimed the throne for her family in a time of warA compelling story of divided loyalties and family betrayals. Dramatic and highly evocative' Woman & HomeEngland, 1459. One family united by blood. Torn apart by warThe Wars of the Roses storm through the country, and Cecily Neville, Duchess of York, plots to topple the weak-minded King Henry VI from the throne.But when the Yorkists are defeated at the battle of Ludford Bridge, Cecily's family flee and abandon her to face a marauding Lancastrian army on her own.Stripped of her lands and imprisoned in Tonbridge Castle, the Duchess begins to spin a web of deceit. One that will eventually lead to treason, to the fall of King Henry VI, and to her eldest son being crowned King Edward IV.O'Brien manages to reinvent historical fiction' My WeeklyThis thrilling historical novel has it all high politics, drama, emotion, excellent writing It''s a rollercoaster of a read' Trade Review‘A compelling story of divided loyalties and family betrayals. Dramatic and highly evocative’ Woman & Home ‘O'Brien manages to reinvent historical fiction by thrusting an untold story into the spotlight’ My Weekly ‘Dramatic and highly evocative’ Woman’s Weekly ‘This thrilling historical novel has it all – high politics, drama, emotion, excellent writing … It's a rollercoaster of a read’ Carol McGrath ‘Anne O’Brien leads us on a deftly woven journey through the endlessly fascinating life of Cecily Neville, Duchess of York. Impeccable research shines through in the depth of detail to pull the reader into the highs and lows of the House of York’s journeys around Fortune’s Wheel’ Matt Lewis Praise for Anne O’Brien: ‘One of the best writers around … she outdoes even Philippa Gregory’ The Sun ‘O’Brien is a terrific story teller’ Daily Telegraph ‘O’Brien cleverly intertwines the personal and political in this enjoyable, gripping tale’ The Times ‘A gripping story of love, heartache and political intrigue’ Woman & Home ‘The characters are larger than life … and the author a compulsive storyteller’ Sunday Express ‘[A] fast-paced historical novel’ Good Housekeeping ‘This book has everything – royalty, scandal, fascinating historical politics’ Cosmopolitan ‘O’Brien’s page-turner vividly brings to life the restriction of women, and the compassion and strength of this real-life figure from medieval times’ Woman ‘A gripping historical drama’ Bella ‘Historical fiction at its best’ Candis ‘Packed with drama, danger, romance and history … the perfect reading choice for the long winter nights’ The Press Association

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Book SynopsisZen Cho was born and raised in Malaysia and now lives in London. She was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer for her short fiction and also won the Crawford Award. Sorcerer to the Crown was Zen Cho's debut novel, followed by her standalone set in the same world, The True Queen. Trade ReviewAn enchanting cross between Georgette Heyer and Susanna Clarke, full of delights and surprises -- Naomi NovikZen Cho’s Sorcerer to the Crown is inventive, dangerous, brilliant, unsettling, and adorable, all at the same time. It shatters as many rules as its characters do. Historical Britain will never be the same again, and I can’t wait for the next book -- Courtney MilanA warm, funny debut novel by a brilliant new talent -- Charles StrossCompulsively readable and wickedly funny, this magical marriage of Jane Austen and P. G. Wodehouse delivers love, laughs, and a thoroughly modern sensibility, and will keep you reading long into the night. I loved it -- Lavie TidharFabulous! If you like Austen or Patrick O'Brian, or magic and humor like Susannah Clarke, or simply a very fun read, you will really, really, enjoy this -- Ann LeckieA delightful and enchanting novel that uses sly wit and assured style to subvert expectations while it always, unfailingly, entertains. I loved it -- Kate ElliottSorcerer to the Crown is fast-paced and witty, and should appeal to fans of Mary Robinette Kowal and Gail Carriger -- Elizabeth BearA deliciously true tale of politics and power in a charming, cruel world – it demands and deserves to be read again and again. Cho has humor and flair to match Pratchett and Heyer plus her own marvelous style -- Karen Lord

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Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller ‘Brutal yet beautiful, heartfelt yet harrowing, this is one compulsive read’ Susan Stokes-Chapman Amara has escaped her life as a slave in Pompeii’s most notorious brothel. She now has a house, fine clothes, servants – but all are gifts from her patron, hers for as long as she keeps her place in his affections. As she adjusts to this new life, Amara is still haunted by her past. At night she dreams of the wolf den, and the women she left behind. By day, she is pursued by her former slavemaster. In order to be truly free, Amara will need to be as ruthless as he is. She knows she can draw strength from Venus, the goddess of love. Yet falling in love herself may prove to be Amara’s downfall. Praise for The House with the Golden Door: 'Beautiful, moving, captivating... A brilliant sequel to The Wolf Den' Jennifer Saint 'Vivid, unsentimental and compelling' The Times '[A] gripping sequel... Harper's recreation of this ancient world continues to thrill' Observer 'Gripping and richly imagined, this is spellbinding storytelling' Louise O'Neill 'A spell-binding novel that brings Pompeii back to life and explores enslavement in all its forms' Anna Mazzola 'Absolutely stunning and utterly gripping!' Buki PapillonTrade ReviewSo beautiful, moving, captivating and thrilling. The House with the Golden Door is a brilliant sequel to The Wolf Den -- Jennifer Saint, author of AriadneVivid, unsentimental and compelling * The Times *Vivid, gripping, and richly imagined, this is spellbinding storytelling -- Louise O'Neill[A] gripping sequel... Harper's recreation of this ancient world continues to thrill * Observer *A gripping and spell-binding novel that brings Pompeii back to life and explores enslavement in all its forms -- Anna MazzolaAbsolutely stunning and utterly gripping! -- Buki PapillonRichly evocative, and reeling with drama and the determined passion and conflicts of its unforgettable heroine, this is historical fiction at its most thrillingly entertaining * LoveReading *Beautifully written with great heart... Addictive reading * NB Magazine *Meticulously researched, it's another brilliant look at the inhabitants of this fascinating ancient city * Woman & Home *Ancient Pompeii comes to life in the second installment in Elodie Harper's Wolf Den trilogy... with Harper's clear prose and modern dialogue * Historical Novel Society *

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