Historical Fiction Books

Book Synopsis'A brilliant, original read' – Daily Mail'Totally absorbing, this is a story that will keep you gripped' – Janice Hadlow, author of The Other Bennet SisterThe case is unexceptional, that is what I know. A house full of stuff left behind by a dead woman, abandoned at the last . . .When trauma cleaner Essie Pound makes a gruesome discovery in the derelict Edinburgh boarding house she is sent to clean, it brings her into contact with a young policewoman, Emily Noble, who has her own reasons to solve the case.As the two women embark on a journey into the heart of a forgotten family, the investigation prompts fragmented memories of their own traumatic histories – something Emily has spent a lifetime attempting to bury, and Essie a lifetime trying to lay bare.Emily Noble’s Disgrace is the third novel from Mary Paulson-Ellis, the bestselling author of The Other Mrs Walker, a Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year.Trade ReviewPaulson-Elis writes with poetry and compassion about the forgotten and overlooked . . . A brilliant, original read * Daily Mail *Totally absorbing, this is a story that will keep you gripped through all its unexpected twists and turns -- Janice Hadlow, author of The Other Bennet SisterThis book is a swoon and slither of silk with the grit of salt underneath. Mary Paulson-Ellis is a genius at peeling away the layers and slowly, skilfully putting flesh on the bones of an extraordinary, sinuous story -- Sarah Hilary, author of FragileSuperb -- Wendy Holden * Daily Mail *The territory of the dead — and the objects they leave behind — is the subject of this beautifully written, compelling contemporary gothic novel. Mary Paulson-Ellis strips back the secrets and lies hiding within one house with a deft touch -- Andrew Wilson, author of I Saw Him DieThe author writes with such compassion about people and there is poetry in her prose * Prima *A richly rewarding, gripping page-turner -- Val McDermid on The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing

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Book SynopsisFrom bestselling historian Adrian Goldsworthy, the second book in his authentic, action-packed City of Victory series set on the frontiers of the Roman Empire. AD 114: NICOPOLIS In the arid plains beyond the empire's Eastern Frontier, a Roman legion lays siege to the city of Nicopolis. Estranged from his beloved Enica to keep her safe, centurion Flavius Ferox is still working for the emperor's cousin, the calculating and ruthless Hadrian. Sent to uncover corruption in the army, Ferox has killed a tribune and is under suspended sentence of death – but he knows more traitors are at large. As the siege builds, Ferox will have to figure out who can be trusted, and just what it is that Hadrian really wants... Gritty, gripping and profoundly authentic, The City is the second book in the City of Victory trilogy, set in the Roman empire from bestselling historian Adrian Goldsworthy. Praise for Adrian Goldsworthy: 'No one knows the Roman army better than Adrian Goldsworthy, and no one writes more convincing Roman fiction.' Harry Sidebottom 'Gritty and realistic.' Daily Telegraph 'Brings the reader closer to the true nature of Roman Britain.' NB MagazineTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR ADRIAN GOLDSWORTHY: 'No one knows the Roman army better than Adrian Goldsworthy, and no one writes more convincing Roman fiction' Harry Sidebottom, on Brigantia. 'Gritty and realistic... Goldsworthy's characters are authentically ancient and his descriptions of Roman Briton ring true' Daily Telegraph (Sydney). 'Incredibly authentic... Plenty of action and a cracking read for lovers of historical fiction or fans of Roman history' What Cathy Read Next. 'An authentic, enjoyable read' The Times. 'Much more accurate than the usual action fiction about legionaries and Rome... Brings the reader closer to the true nature of Roman Britain' * New Books Magazine *

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Book SynopsisCollecting the fifth volume of the classic comic adaptation of Michael Moorcock's bestselling fantasy saga! With his reluctant companion Moonglum in tow, the albino emperor embarks upon a perilous quest in search of the dark sorcerer Theleb K'aarna. But in order to achieve his goal, he must first prove himself against the many horrors of the Young Kingdoms and form an unlikely pact with the beautiful and mysterious, Myshella - the Empress of the Dawn. Based on Michael Moorcock's most popular work. Essential reading for all fans of the novels - the epic tales brought to life with luxuriant imagination! Perfect for fans ofFables, Sandman, Elfquest, andA Game of Thrones. Elric's antihero protagonist will also appeal to readers looking for an alternative to Tolkienesque Fantasy. Praise for Michael Moorcock Library Previous Volumes: "This spectacular, resplendently flamboyant adaptation is a deliciously elegant, savagely beautiful masterpiece of the genre effortlessly blending blistering action and gleaming adventure with the deep, darkly melancholic tone of the cynical, nihilistic, Cold-War mentality and era that spawned the original stories." - Comics Review "Fantasy of the highest order, with dragons, pirates and magic swords coming together into an incredibly epic and robust world"- Adventures In Poor Taste Captures all the weird and terrible beauty of Moorcock's novels, and the new edition is a perfect companion to Titan's other Elric offerings."- Ron Marz (Silver Surfer, Green Lantern) "Unforgettable action and intrigue...a must-read for any fans of science fiction, sorcery or sword-and-sorcery epics!"- Comics Bulletin "Richly deserves to be back in print...can't wait to return to the dreaming city!"- SFX "Working together, these three creators made an adaptation that remains faithful to the original novel but never feels like a mere adaptation or retelling of the source material. They made Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melnibone novel into their great comic book."- Newsarama"

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Book SynopsisStep right up for the most captivating read of the year . . .Filled with the sights and sounds of Victorian England, Circus of Wonders is the instant Sunday Times bestseller from Elizabeth Macneal, author of The Doll Factory.‘Intensely satisfying’ – Stacey Halls, author of The FamiliarsEngland, 1866. When Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders arrives in a coastal village, Nell soon catches the showman’s eye. Shunned by her community because of the birthmarks speckling her skin, to Jasper she is a prize – she could be his very own leopard girl. But how to make her his?Soon Nell finds herself the star of Jasper’s show. Suddenly she is famous. Crowds rush to watch her soar through the air. Figurines are cast in her image. Even Queen Victoria wants to see her perform. But is Nell free to live and love as she chooses? And when her fame begins to eclipse Jasper’s own, could she be in danger? After all, the higher you fly, the steeper the fall . . .‘Filled with character and life’ – The Times‘Utterly beguiling’ – Daily Mail‘Brilliantly involving’ – Daily Express‘Exhilarating’ – Sunday Times, Books of the Year‘An immersive gem’ – Red‘Joyous, frightening, heartbreaking’ – Independent‘Deliciously vivid’ – Woman & HomeThe Burial Plot, Elizabeth's latest cat-and-mouse thriller, is available to pre-order now!Trade ReviewA glittering follow-up to The Doll Factory . . . a mark of Macneal's subtlety and originality * Guardian *Elizabeth Macneal’s marvellous debut, The Doll Factory, was a bestselling success. This second book, beautifully written and filled with character and life, cements her reputation as a new talent * The Times *Elizabeth Macneal has done it again . . . Entrancing, tender, captivating. A marvel. I couldn’t put it down. -- Sara Collins, author of Costa First Novel Award winner The Confessions of Frannie LangtonWonderful . . . Glitters and gleams with the grimy stories of a travelling circus . . . Utterly beguiling * Daily Mail *Spectacular . . . A brilliantly involving story, vivid with the sights and sounds of Victorian England. A fantastic read * Daily Express *Exhilarating . . . shows the same rich imagination Macneal revealed in her debut novel, The Doll Factory * Sunday Times, Books of the Year *An absolute triumph. Exquisitely written, intensely satisfying -- Stacey Halls, author of The FamiliarsDark but tender, evocative and compelling. I loved it -- Laura Shepherd-Robinson, author of Blood & SugarAn equally satisfying exploration of some of the odder corners of Victorian life . . . a novel that again highlights Macneal’s rich imagination and vivid prose * Sunday Times Ireland, Historical Fiction Book of the Month *A fantastical, absolutely immersive gem of a read * Red *Macneal’s complex characters allow her to question how society treats difference, the price of power and vanity, and the pursuit of self-determination. At turns dark, joyous, frightening and heartbreaking, Circus Of Wonders makes for an absorbing read * Independent *A tremendous read. Richly imagined, vividly rendered, each scene is like an old painting in which light gleams off the detail . . . The story is full-bodied and addictive from the outset, told with pace and verve but never compromising style . . . Circus of Wonders displays in abundance everything readers loved about The Doll Factory . . . an ambitious, enlightening novel -- Emma Stonex, author of The LamplightersDeliciously vivid . . . every bit as atmospheric as you’d expect . . . A hopeful story of a girl taking charge of her destiny * Woman & Home *Set in the same Victorian London as her stunning debut, The Doll Factory, Macneal's second novel is both thrilling and humane, bringing to life the brutal world of the freak show * Mail on Sunday *You can’t help but be drawn into the exciting and sometimes macabre world of the circus, with its colourful cast of characters * Good Housekeeping *Another seductive slice of Victorian noir * Sunday Times Scotland *Circus of Wonders is confident and beautifully written -- Sarah Vaughan, author of Anatomy of a ScandalA glittering, begrimed tale of love and self-determination flush with richly detailed prose. Sumptuous, macabre, enthralling; a perfect slice of Victoriana. -- Jane Healey, author of The Animals at Lockwood ManorElizabeth Macneal's novel is spectacular - a book of wonders! -- Alix Nathan, author of The Warlow ExperimentA beautifully told and immersive look at a complex dance between exploitation and empowerment, and the question of what it really means to have control over your own life. I adored its characters, I was utterly gripped throughout, and I loved having my eyes opened to the troubling yet fascinating world of Victorian circuses -- Naomi Ishiguro, author of Escape RoutesCircus of Wonders is a soaring, tumbling, whip-cracking book. Elizabeth Macneal has brought an extraordinary group of characters together in these pages; the result is a glittering world, a story as moving as it is deeply entertaining -- Daniel Mason, author of The Piano TunerExpansive and tender . . . it really pulls you into this fascinating world. -- Beth Underdown, author of The Witchfinder's SisterI loved The Doll Factory and I loved Circus Of Wonders just as much . . .An intriguing and beautifully written love story as well as an exploration of the journey from rejection to adoration . . . Elizabeth Macneal explores the nature of exploitation, pride and vanity through her vibrant and believable characters -- Jenny Quintana, author of The Missing GirlAt turns dark, joyous, frightening and heartbreaking, Circus of Wonders is an absorbing read * Sunday Life *A glittering, soaring, magical exploration of showmanship, voyeurism and storytelling, Circus of Wonders is also a wonderful, sumptuously-written love story. Visceral & cerebral. I loved it. -- Caroline Lea, author of The Glass WomanEngaging and enjoyable * Scotsman *I loved it. Circus of Wonders is a terrific successor to The Doll Factory. I adored the vibrant cast of characters - they are tenderly drawn yet dazzle off the page -- Rachel Hore, author of Last Letter HomeI was dazzled by it from beginning to end. What a fabulous, riveting, engrossing story! There's such a creepy undercurrent of dread and violence running just beneath the surface of everything she writes, yet there's humanity and kindness, a palpable love for Nell and the other circus performers that makes all the characters come to life -- Whitney Scharer, author of The Age of LightAn enjoyable and engrossing novel, which captivates from beginning to end * Historical Novel Society *The gritty glamour of the circus and the horrors of war. Macneal’s characters are finely drawn, their entwined stories playing out against the backdrop of the big top * Daily Mirror *Wonderful * Woman's Weekly *The author of The Doll Factory returns with more high Gothic Victoriana * i newspaper *Deliciously vivid . . . every bit as atmospheric as you'd expect * Woman's Own *The kaleidoscopic world of the Victorian circus, at once enchanting and grotesque, is vividly brought to life . . . a gripping tale * Northern Echo *Fantastic * Psychologies *Packed with atmosphere * Prima *Wonderful * My Weekly *I loved this story for its plot, its characters and its beautiful writing. The author engages all our senses to explore illusion versus reality, keeps us on a tightrope of emotions and presents us with a truly dazzling show * NFOP Magazine *A gripping exploration of fame, love, hope, friendship and whether we can ever own our own stories * New European *[Macneal's] great strength is in imagining vivid inner lives and narratives for people usually sidelined, who in the historical great-man theory merely provide delicacies and amusements for the rich * Catholic Herald *Brilliantly involving, vivid with the gritty glamour of the circus and horrors of war. * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisThe Forgotten Legion fought against almighty odds at the very edge of the known world - and lost.Now Brennus the Gaul, Tarquinius the Etruscan soothsayer and Romulus, bastard son of a Roman nobleman, are prisoners of Parthia. They dream of escape, but in the brutal fighting which lies ahead, only two will survive.Meanwhile, Fabiola, Romulus's twin sister, is caught up in the vicious eddies of Roman politics. Hunted by slave catchers she flees, hoping to find her lover, Brutus, bound for Alexandria with Caesar.Ben Kane's brilliant second novel plunges his characters into a cauldron of war and terror, as Caesar and the Roman Republic hurtle towards their day of reckoning.Trade ReviewThe Forgotten Legion marches again. On an epic scale, Ben Kane vividly captures the heat and the dust, and the despair of the survivors of a defeated Roman army now forced to fight for their savage captors in the barbarous lands of the east. Three men with nothing left to live for but each other and the memories of a life they fear they will never return to. Tarquinius, Romulus and Brennus battle for their very existence in the face of impossible odds while, back in Rome, Romulus's sister Fabiola is threatened by the same political forces that threaten to destroy the Republic. The Silver Eagle is an utterly engrossing combination of historical fact and believable fiction that draws the reader in and holds his interest to the last page. * Douglas Jackson, author of Caligula *

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Book SynopsisWARRIORS OF GOD, the second volume of the Hussite Trilogy by Andrzej Sapkowski, author of the bestselling Witcher series, depicts the adventures of Reynevan and his friends in the years 1427-28 as war erupts across Europe. Reynevan begins by hiding away in Bohemia but soon leaves for Silesia, where he carries out dangerous, secret missions entrusted to him by the leaders of the Hussite religion. At the same time he strives to avenge the death of his brother and discover the whereabouts of his beloved. Once again pursued by multiple enemies, Reynevan is constantly getting into and out of trouble. Sapkowski''s deftly written novel delivers gripping action full of numerous twists and mysteries, seasoned with elements of magic and Sapkowski''s ever-present - and occasionally bawdy - sense of humour. Fans of the Witcher will appreciate the rich panorama of this slice of the Middle Ages.Trade ReviewSapkowski's love for the period is clear as he touches on notorious historical events and figures, including the Defenestration of Prague and printing press inventor Johannes Gutenberg. The carefully painted landscapes and intricate politics, meanwhile, effortlessly draw readers into Reinmar's life and times. This is historical fantasy done right * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *A ripping yarn delivered with world-weary wit, bursting at the seams with sex, death, magic and madness * Joe Abercrombie *

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Book SynopsisWhen a flight of unidentified fighters is photographed off the Antarctic continent, where no military presence is authorised, the carrier Harry Truman is sent to investigate. After a few reconnaissance flights, Buck and his friends locate a lifeless body on a drifting iceberg, as well as a suspicious cargo ship. Alongside the pilots of the French Navy, Colonel Danny will have to solve that mystery in the land of eternal ice.

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERThe most anticipated spy thriller of 2020, from the award-winning author of Corpus.Autumn 1941. The war is going badly for Britain and its allies. If Hitler is to be stopped, a new weapon is desperately needed.In Cambridge, professor Tom Wilde is approached by an American intelligence officer who claims to know of such a weapon - one so secret even Hitler himself isn't aware of its existence. If Wilde can smuggle the package out of Germany, the Third Reich will surely fall.But it is only when he is deep behind enemy lines that Wilde discovers why the Nazis are so desperate to prevent the 'package' falling into Allied hands. And as ruthless killers hunt him through Europe, a treacherous question hangs over the mission: if Hitler's secret will win them the war, why is Wilde convinced it must remain hidden?Dramatic, intelligent, and utterly compelling, Hitler's Secret is the Sunday Times bestselling spy thriller of 2020 from the award-winning author of Corpus and Nucleus - perfect for readers of Robert Harris, C J Sansom and Joseph Kanon._____________________________Praise for Rory Clements:'Political polarisation, mistrust and simmering violence' The Times'A standout historical novel and spy thriller' Daily Express'Enjoyable, bloody and brutish' Guardian'A dramatic, twisty thriller' Daily Mail'A colourful history lesson . . . exciting narrative twists' Sunday TelegraphTrade ReviewEngaging...intriguing and plausible and the story is so readable that you will fly through it. * NB magazine *A tense twisty thriller ... [an] enjoyable slice of espionage * Daily Mail *Entertaining, eye-opening ... gripping ... breathtakingly authentic ... And with an ingenious twist in the tail, this is fact and fiction, history and mystery, action and humanity at its heart-thumping best. * Lancashire Evening Post *Beautifully written, extremely well-plotted ... compelling and riveting ... extremely well-written, as we'd expect from master storyteller Rory Clements, and very clever, with its dark and dangerous world brilliantly depicted. * For Winter Nights *Exciting! * Sunday Sport *A rollercoaster ride ... a plausible idea and backed with research, and I found it to be exciting, well-written and full of twists and turns ... it's a thriller that thrills. * Historical Novels Review *A gripping spy thriller with unusual and well thought through plot twists ... A cast of colourful characters, a plot rich in deception and intrigue and a tangled web of espionage and murder offer first-class entertainment. * CrimeReview.co.uk *An exhilarating ride ... The narrative turns come so quick and many that it is only as the final twist is revealed that Clements allows you to draw a deep but satisfied breath. * Historia magazine *Superbly entertaining ... Clements writes historical crime fiction of the first order. * Yorkshire Evening Post *BOOK OF THE MONTH: A plot within a plot, with some devious twists keeping the tension high. * Choice magazine *

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Book Synopsis'A thoroughly gripping and mesmerising work of black comedy and political disaster' - GuardianWinner of the 2017 Prix GoncourtÉric Vuillard’s gripping novel The Order of the Day tells the story of the pivotal meetings which took place between the European powers in the run-up to World War Two. What emerges is a fascinating and incredibly moving account of failed diplomacy, broken relationships, and the catastrophic momentum which led to conflict.The titans of German industry – set to prosper under the Nazi government – gather to lend their support to Adolf Hitler. The Austrian Chancellor realizes too late that he has wandered into a trap, as Hitler delivers the ultimatum that will lay the groundwork for Germany’s annexation of Austria. Winston Churchill joins Neville Chamberlain for a farewell luncheon held in honour of Joachim von Ribbentrop: German Ambassador to England, soon to be Foreign Minister in the Nazi government, and future defendant at the Nuremberg trials.Suffused with dramatic tension, this unforgettable novel tells the tragic story of how the actions of a few powerful men brought the world to the brink of war.Trade ReviewA tightly paced and gripping read . . . Vuillard has written a magnificently entertaining account that manages to capture the wild and uneven emotional climate of the 1930s and speaks too to our own era of liars, demagogues and politics as farce, which, as Vuillard deftly shows us, can slide all too quickly into tragedy. -- Andrew Hussey * Observer *A thoroughly gripping and mesmerising work of black comedy and political disaster. It seems designed single-mindedly to remind us that, as it says, “Great catastrophes often creep up on us in tiny steps. * Guardian *Remarkable . . . It captures the bizarre blend of wishful thinking, clownish self-importance, and cold calculation that characterized many of the Nazis’ powerful enablers. * New Yorker *Gripping . . . The method of [The Order of the Day] is to peel away the veils of dissimulation, disguise and self-justification that conspire to make historical disasters appear as just the way things happen. * Wall Street Journal *Quietly momentous. * Evening Standard *A chilling, gripping novel – it takes a number of key moments in the run-up to the Second World War and uses tremendous skill and verve to dramatize hours and minutes in which often quite ordinary men took decisions that would destroy whole nations. -- Simon Winder, author of GermaniaOffering us a seat at the jolly lunches and country retreats where a handful of men condemned their nations to unthinkable slaughter, The Order of the Day is a powerful warning that cowardice saves no one, not even the coward. -- Alex Christofi, author of GlassBeautifully and economically crafted . . . The Order of the Day is a stark examination of the price of silence, the cost of sticking to the rules to keep the peace, and the human toll when ruling elites not only go along to get along, but support the ravings of a violent and vengeful leader. * Millions *A book whose staggering power lies in its simplicity. * Le Monde *A powerful story you read in one go, with astonishment and dread. * La Presse *Just brilliant. [ . . . ] Vuillard shows what literature is capable of in its moments of greatness: a lightning-like transformation of a tired, old, and far too often told story into a shocking new narrative. * Der Spiegel *Brief and striking . . . history behind the scenes. * L'Express *Snatched from oblivion, these scenes spring to life in our minds like a jack-in-the-box. * Le Figaro Littéraire *A fascinating novelisation of the pivotal meetings that took place in the run up to the Second World War . . . A damning indictment of politicians and those in power, with obvious resonances in today’s global political climate. * Big Issue *Striking imaginative flair . . . Vuillard explores the thoughts and feelings of his protagonists with nimble facility in this tour de force of enhanced realism. * i *Eerily resonant . . . a story of ultimatums and compromises, forced agreements and wishful thinking among European powers. * The Times *Vuillard has a good eye for issues such as war, empire, the fate of colonized peoples, and the gulf between perception and reality…[His] prose – muscular, concrete, richly inventive, ironic, sardonic, opinionated – is no doubt the feature of The Order of the Day that most appealed to the Goncourt jury. Vuillard is expert at black humor. * New York Review of Books *[The Order of the Day] scripts the awful behind-the-scenes march, with all its corporate and foreign complicity, from 1933 to Hitler’s rise to power in ways so closely observed it feels lived. -- Best Books of the Year * Boston Globe *[A] masterpiece . . . [Vuillard] illuminates in glorious and ugly precision how the concentration of wealth and power, a cult of personality, political corruption, bigotry, and narcissism are the necessary but sometimes ignored steps that lead to catastrophe. -- Favorite Books of the Year * Literary Hub *

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Book SynopsisIt is February 1976, and the naked corpse of a young rent boy is fished out of a pond on Hampstead Heath. Since the police don't seem to care, twenty-year-old Tommy Wildeblood - himself a former 'Dilly boy' prostitute - finds himself investigating. Dodging murderous Soho hoodlums and the agents of a more sinister power, Tommy uncovers another, even more shocking crime: the senior politician Jeremy Thorpe has ordered the murder of his former male lover. The trail of guilt seems to lead higher still, and a ruthless Establishment will stop at nothing to cover its tracks. In a gripping thriller whose cast of real-life characters includes Prime Minister Harold Wilson and his adviser Lady Falkender, Adam Macqueen plays 'what if' with Seventies political history - with a sting in the tail that reminds us that the truth can be just as chilling as fiction.Trade Review'After I finished writing A Very English Scandal, I took a solemn vow - that I would rather spit-roast my own offspring than read anything else about the Jeremy Thorpe Affair. Seldom have I gone back on my word with more pleasure. As boldly conceived as it is vividly realised, Beneath the Streets is a delight' - John Preston, The Critic; 'Gripping... this very English scandal has wit and invention to spare' - The Observer; 'Adam Macqueen's excellent debut thriller [has] a thoroughly likeable hero while the plot skilfully mixes fact with fiction' - Mail on Sunday; 'What if Jeremy Thorpe had succeeded in murdering Norman Scott? That's the gripping premise behind this smart story of corruption, murder and establishment cover-up' - iPaper, 40 best books of the year

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Book SynopsisTender and heartwarming, Wedding Bells for Woolworths is the fifth instalment in Elaine Everest's much-loved WW2 saga. July 1947. Britain is still gripped by rationing, even as the excitement of Princess Elizabeth’s engagement sweeps the nation. In the Woolworths’ canteen, Freda is still dreaming of meeting her own Prince Charming. So far she’s been unlucky in love.When she has an accident on her motorbike, knocking a cyclist off his bicycle, it seems bad luck is still following her around. Anthony is not only a fellow Woolworths employee but was an Olympic hopeful. Will his injured leg heal in time for him to compete? Can he ever forgive Freda?Meanwhile, Sarah's idyllic family life is under threat with worries about her husband, Alan. Does he still love her?The friends must rally round to face some of the toughest challenges of their lives together. And although they experience loss, hardship and shocks along the way, love is on the horizon for the Woolworths girls . . .Wedding Bells for Woolworths is the fifth instalment in the Woolworths series. The series continues with the prequel story A Mother Forever, available now.Trade ReviewA lovely read -- Bella on The Woolworths GirlsHeart-warming . . . a must-read -- Woman's Own on The Woolworths GirlsA 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 Girls

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Book SynopsisAnna Jacobs was born in Lancashire at the beginning of the Second World War. She has lived in different parts of England as well as Australia and has enjoyed setting her modern and historical novels in both countries. She is addicted to telling stories and recently celebrated the publication of her one hundredth novel, as well as sixty years of marriage. Anna has sold over four million copies of her books to date.

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Book SynopsisThe bestselling author and historian Lisa Hilton picks up the mythical City of Ladies' where the medieval writer Christine de Pisan left off, continuing a conversation about gender and greatness that began more than six hundred years ago. In 1405 Christine de Pisan took up the pen to defend her maligned sex. Her book, The City of Ladies, was built around preserving women''s reputations from the slights and misunderstandings of history. In it the author is visited by three spirits Justice, Rectitude and Reason who guide her in sifting through countless lives, in search of worthy citizens.Over 600 years later, the historian and novelist Lisa Hilton picks up the book and promptly falls asleep, only to be visited by three great women from history: Cleopatra, Lucrezia Borgia and Catherine the Great. And they aren't happy. Having found themselves barred from the original City of Ladies', they want to know why. And isn't it time, they ask, for a new author to take up the pen?What follows isTrade Review'Clever, droll and fabulous – a thought-provoking blend of history, fable and glamour' Lucy Worsley, historian ‘A witty and wonderful woman's-eye view of three of history's most maligned female power brokers’ Hallie Rubenhold, 2020 Baillie-Gifford-Prize-winning author of The Five

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction.Powerfully told from an all-female perspective, in A Thousand Ships, classicist and author of Divine Might, Natalie Haynes retells the story of the Trojan War – putting the women, girls and goddesses at the centre of the story.For fans of Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles and Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls.'With her trademark passion, wit, and fierce feminism, Natalie Haynes gives much-needed voice to the silenced women of the Trojan War' – Madeline Miller, author of CirceThis was never the story of one woman, or two. It was the story of them all . . .In the middle of the night, a woman wakes to find her beloved city engulfed in flames. Ten seemingly endless years of conflict between the Greeks and the Trojans are over. Troy has fallen.From the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women embroiled in the legendary war.'A gripping feminist masterpiece' – Deborah Frances-White, The Guilty FeministTrade ReviewA gripping feminist masterpiece -- Deborah Frances-White, The Guilty FeministWith her trademark passion, wit, and fierce feminism, Haynes gives much-needed voice to the silenced women of the Trojan War. Her thoughtful portraits will linger with you long after the book is finished -- Madeline Miller, author of CirceNatalie Haynes is swiftly becoming this generation’s Mary Renault; her retelling of the Trojan war from an all-female perspective, A Thousand Ships, is her best yet. * Observer *Haynes is master of her trade . . . She succeeds in breathing warm life into some of our oldest stories * Telegraph *Absorbing and fiercely feminist * Guardian *The forgotten women are vividly brought to life in this moving, intelligent and witty book -- Martha Kearney, BBC Radio 4Elegant, intelligent . . . Haynes combines a wide-ranging knowledge of the original myths with a gift for compelling narrative * The Times *A sparkling narrative . . . A Thousand Ships blows the dust off the classics * Washington Post *Haynes is the nation’s great muse, and her latest retelling of the story of Troy told from the perspective of Helen and the women of The Iliad is beautiful -- Adam Rutherford * The Week *If you are new to myths, then this is a learned, well-fashioned introduction, with many shining moments of subtle power * Spectator *A joy to read: fast paced, cracking with emotion and tension -- Professor Michael ScottHere, in this treat of a book, the women take centre stage - and how brilliantly . . . Natalie Haynes brings them to witty, lyrical, scintillating life . . . A book to both savour and devour -- Suzannah LipscombBreathtaking . . . Her writing isn’t merely clever, or elegant, or (at times) extremely funny - though it is all of those things. It’s also viscerally vivid. -- Catherine NixeyThis subversive reseeing of the classics is a many-layered delight * Guardian *Haynes takes the baton from Renault and runs with it. Her modern take on antiquity is exquisitely informed without ever being research-heavy . . . Glorious! -- Damian BarrHaynes expertly crafts an emotional and vivid historical tale with high stakes and female empowerment at its core * Woman's Own *

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Book SynopsisAn old adage says there are really only two stories: a man goes on a voyage, and a stranger arrives in town. This is the third: a woman breaks the rules . . .Can you uncover the truth when you’re forbidden from speaking it?A Sin Eater’s duty is a necessary evil: she hears the confessions of the dying, eats their sins as a funeral rite. Stained by these sins, she is shunned and silenced, doomed to live in exile at the edge of town.Recently orphaned May Owens is just fourteen, only concerned with where her next meal is coming from. When she’s arrested for stealing a loaf of bread, however, and subsequently sentenced to become a Sin Eater, finding food is suddenly the last of her worries.It’s a devastating sentence, but May’s new invisibility opens new doors. And when first one then two of the Queen’s courtiers suddenly grow ill, May hears their deathbed confessions – and begins to investigate a terrible rumour that is only whispered of amid palace corridors.Set in a thinly disguised sixteenth-century England, Megan Campisi's The Sin Eater is a wonderfully rich story of treason and treachery; of women, of power, and the strange freedom that comes from being an outcast – because, as May learns, being a nobody sometimes counts for everything . . .Trade ReviewA dark and thrilling page-turner that turns a dystopian eye on the past in an unnervingly contemporary way. All hail Megan Campisi -- Emma Donoghue, author of Room and The WonderRich with imaginative and historical details, The Sin Eater is ultimately a timeless story of one woman regaining her power. I loved it from beginning to end -- Christina Dalcher, author of VoxA riveting description of hardwon female empowerment that weaves together meticulous research, unsolved murder -- and an unforgettable heroine. Exhilarating . . . great storytelling . . . reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale * The Washington Post *Magnificent . . . Hillary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies brought new vividness and insight to the court of Henry VIII; in The Sin Eater, Megan Campisi brings as much or more energy to the court of Elizabeth I . . . The only disappointment it offers is the absence of a massive body of work waiting for the reader to devour when this first book ends * New York Journal of Books *The atmospheric, historical fantasy setting combined with May’s jarringly eccentric personality creates a novel as strange as it is captivating * BuzzFeed *Captivating . . . An original melding of mystery and alternate history * Booklist *Richly imaginative and strikingly contemporary [and] very much reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale * Kirkus *[A] rousing, impressive debut . . . Spellbinding -- Publisher's WeeklyDark and evocative * Pop Sugar *

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Book SynopsisA classic novel, turbulent and emotional, from Sunday Times bestselling writer Josephine Cox, ''hailed quite rightly as a gifted writer in the tradition of Catherine Cookson'' Manchester Evening News. The Devil You Know is perfect for fans of Lesley Pearse and Rosie Goodwin. Sonny Fareham''s lover - and also her boss - is the charismatic Tony Bridgeman, a successful and ruthless man who usually gets what he wants. But for Sonny, the affair that has promised a future of hope and happiness must end in desperate fear. Late one evening, Sonny overhears a private conversation between Tony Bridgeman and his wife. Only then does she realise she is in great danger. Pregnant and afraid, Sonny flees her home to make a new life in the north of England, where she meets a gregarious and motherly new friend, Ellie Kenny. When the mysterious and handsome David Langham seems drawn to her, Sonny almost dares to believe that she could be happy again. But ne

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Book SynopsisJACK LARK: SOLDIER, LEADER, IMPOSTER.The second book in the enthralling military adventure series for fans of Bernard Cornwell, Anthony Riches and Matthew Harffy. ''Brilliant'' Bernard Cornwell ''Jack Lark is an unforgettable new hero'' Anthony Riches ''Page-turning adventure, a hero with issues yet who''s likable, and antagonists you will love to hate... It was hard to put down and a real pleasure to read'' Historical Novel SocietyJack Lark barely survived the Battle of the Alma. As the brutal fight raged, he discovered the true duty that came with the officer''s commission he''d taken. In hospital, wounded, and with his stolen life left lying on the battlefield, he grasps a chance to prove himself a leader once more. Poor Captain Danbury is dead, but Jack will travel to his new regiment in India, under his name. Jack soon finds more enemies, but this time they''re on his own side. Exposed asTrade ReviewPage-turning adventure, a hero with issues yet who's likable, and antagonists you will love to hate... It was hard to put down and a real pleasure to read. If you enjoy books by Bernard Cornwell, you'll want to put this book on your reading list * Historical Novel Society *The story is tightly planned and written, the characters three-dimensional and appropriately sympathetic or hateful, and the language and turn of phrase thoroughly engrossing... Quite simply do yourself a favour and read these books * S.J.A. Turney *The story is well written with some very comprehensive descriptions of both people and their surroundings. In each of the actions the pace is dynamic and brutally described making it one of those books where there is always the tendency to just read one more chapter before putting it down for a while. Well worth reading * ARRSE *It's not since I first picked up Sharpe's Eagle that a single character captured my imagination so totally, this supported by a fast fluid pace of writing, and a vivid portrayal of the Indian country, people, time period, the east India company and as usual the brutal, uncompromising and occasionally morally bankrupt officer corps coupled with the efficiency of the ordinary men of the British army, all this condensed into 336 pages of explosive action, violent emotions, uncompromising unbending discipline and a man with the courage to do what is right * Parmenion Books *

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Book SynopsisThe Highly Unreliable Account of the Brief History of a Madhouse is an ever-expanding novel that moves at a dizzying pace. A literary panorama of Turkey that defies boundaries spatial or temporal: one end in the 19th century, and the other in the 21st. A book of ‘human landscapes’ that startles anew with a completely unexpected turn of events, immediately after deceiving the reader into thinking the end of a plot line might be in sight. The novel starts in a small-town mental asylum with its back to the Black Sea, and weaves its way through a highly entertaining chain of interlinked lives, each link a complex and bewildering personality. The Highly Unreliable Account… follows the trails of political and social milestones left on individual lives across a span of nearly a century.

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Book SynopsisThe prequel to the million-copy bestseller, A Woman of Substance, where, high on the Yorkshire moors, the story of Blackie O'Neill and Emma Harte beginsOrphaned and alone, 13-year-old Blackie O'Neill must leave County Kerry to find work and put food in his mouth. His only chance of survival lies with his mother's brother, far away in Leeds.There, amid the noise and bustle, the mills and manufactories of the clothing industry that have made Leeds one of England's most prosperous cities, Blackie's spark of ambition becomes a flame. Working in his Uncle's business, he nurtures a dream of throwing off the impotence of poverty, of building houses and perhaps even of becoming a gentleman.And then, high on the Yorkshire moors, in the mists of a winter morning, he meets a kitchen maid called Emma Harte. And as the Victorian world gives way to the freedom of the Edwardian age, so a young man and a servant girl seize a chance, against the odds, to build a better lifeHeart-soaring and hopefuly, tTrade Review Praise for Barbara Taylor Bradford ‘An extravagant, absorbing novel of love, courage, ambition, war, death and passion.’New York Times ‘A mighty saga. Little has been so riveting since Gone With the Wind’ Evening News ‘A long, satisfying novel of money, power, passion and revenge, set against the sweep of 20th-century history.’Los Angeles 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 ‘A stately home, a dangerous secret and two families whose fates have been intertwined for generations … a gripping period piece set on the brink of the Great War. Exquisite escapism of the highest order’ The Lady

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Book SynopsisOctober, 1471. Edward IV sits on the English throne; the House of York reigns supreme. With her young son, Henry Tudor, in exile in France, Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, shelters deep in the shadows, secretly plotting for the day when Henry can be crowned the rightful king.But as her supporters are picked off one by one, it becomes clear that a traitor lurks within Margaret''s household. When one of her most loyal henchmen, Jacob Cromart, is murdered in St Michael''s Church, where he had claimed sanctuary, Margaret orders her sharp-witted clerk, Christopher Urswicke, to find out who has betrayed her.How could a man be killed inside a church where the doors are all locked, with no sign of an intruder or weapon? If he is to protect Margaret''s remaining supporters from suffering a similar fate, Urswicke must solve a baffling mystery where nothing is as it first appears.

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Book Synopsis'A masterly achievement, a work of imaginative grandeur and complete artistic control' Ian McEwan'Brilliant and unputdownable' Salman RushdieHe's a trickster, a player, a jester. His handshake's like a pact with the devil, his smile like a crack in the clouds; he's watching you now and he's gone when you turn. Tyll Ulenspiegel is here!In a village like every other village in Germany, a scrawny boy balances on a rope between two trees. He's practising. He practises by the mill, by the blacksmiths; he practises in the forest at night, where the Cold Woman whispers and goblins roam. When he comes out, he will never be the same.Tyll will escape the ordinary villages. In the mines he will defy death. On the battlefield he will run faster than cannonballs. In the courts he will trick the heads of state. As a travelling entertainer, his journey will take him across the land and into the heart of a never-ending war.A prince's doomed acceptance of the Bohemian throne has European armies lurching brutally for dominion and now the Winter King casts a sunless pall. Between the quests of fat counts, witch-hunters and scheming queens, Tyll dances his mocking fugue; exposing the folly of kings and the wisdom of fools.With macabre humour and moving humanity, Daniel Kehlmann lifts this legend from medieval German folklore and enters him on the stage of the Thirty Years' War. When citizens become the playthings of politics and puppetry, Tyll, in his demonic grace and his thirst for freedom, is the very spirit of rebellion - a cork in water, a laugh in the dark, a hero for all time.Trade ReviewThis is a brilliant and unputdownable novel. Kehlmann is the true inheritor of the German fabulist tradition that stretches back to the Brothers Grimm and even further, and in the legendary prankster figure of Tyll Ulenspiegel he has found his perfect avatar * Salman Rushdie *The best novel Kehlmann has ever written . . . Deeply affecting, lively, brutal, wonderfully unreserved, modern, romantic German epic . . . Tyll is Kehlmann's victory over history, his historic triumph * Der Spiegel *A masterpiece . . . the most extraordinary European novel for many years . . . a brilliant book of stories, of great drama, cinematic and poetic . . . Kehlmann is at the height of his powers * Neue Zürcher Zeitung *Kehlmann's best novel so far . . . amidst the destruction, in the places where nothing reflects the former inhabitants anymore, it is the dead who show themselves . . . we owe it to this novel that we can see the dead more clearly, so clearly that it hurts * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung *Kehlmann's storytelling is astonishing * Die Welt *Possibly Kehlmann's best novel since Measuring the World * Süddeutsche Zeitung *A delight * Die Zeit *Tyll proves that Kehlmann is literature's jack-of-all trades. He manages to combine meticulous historical research and virtuoso language mimicry with a frightening exploration of our current sense of dystopia. An incredible educational experience and improbably entertaining. -- Michael HanekeKehlmann's imagination runs deep and wild. It travels with the currents of history, in its cycles of brutality and violence, it reaches into our own solitude and silence, summoning us, it soars far and high, and echoes with the power of myth. -- Valeria LuiselliA beautiful, engrossing and fascinatingly structured novel. Lucid, limpid, savage. Tyll quietly intrudes on our present crisis of European identity. Have four centuries made us any wiser? This novel is a masterly achievement, a work of imaginative grandeur and complete artistic control * Ian McEwan *Daniel Kehlmann's Tyll is a laugh-outloud-then-weep-into-your-beer comic novel about a war... Kehlmann is at the top of his game * The Times *The narrative moves from myth to historical novel to ballad and back. and Ross Benjamin's translation follows it faithfully * The Spectator *A romp through the thirty years' war... This energetic historical fiction, featuring a folkloric jester in a violent, superstitious Europe, is the work of an immense talent * Guardian *Tyll is an absorbing and, for a novel about a prankster, remarkably sincere novel * Literary Review *Like a magician, Kehlmann conjures comedy, farce and badinage, even in a blighted time of war * Financial Times *Vivid . . . Kehlmann, a confident magician himself, plays his bright pages like cards. But he has a deeper purpose, which is revealed only gradually, as the grand climacteric of his chosen war steadily justifies its presence in the novel . . . Kehlmann is a gifted and sensitive storyteller . . . Despite the grimness of the surroundings and the lancing interventions of history, the novel's tone remains light, sprightly, enterprising. Kehlmann has an unusual combination of talents and ambitions-he is a playful realist, a rationalist drawn to magical games and tricky performances, a modern who likes to look backward * New Yorker *Profoundly enchanting but never sentimental, Tyll is a magnificent story . . . Kehlmann is a master of economical, devastating description . . . Chilling . . . In this exquisitely crafted novel, Kehlmann moves just as nimbly through the grimmest of human experiences. The result is a spellbinding memorial to the nameless souls lost in Europe's vicious past, whose whispers are best heard in fables. * The New York Times Book Review *Prodigiously imaginative . . . [A] brilliant, blackly sardonic retelling . . . In Mr. Kehlmann's unforgettable joker we have a picture of humankind in all of its madness and strutting pride * The Wall Street Journal *a dazzling, picaresque romp * The Observer *It's typical Kehlmann, a delicious cocktail of philosophy, adventure and earthy humour * Sunday Express *A skilfully written tale that is darkly entertaining and inventive * Sunday Times (Summer Reads) *'[D]arkly funny' Guardian best books of 2020

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Book SynopsisIn The Children of Jocasta, Natalie Haynes takes a fresh perspective on an ancient story, reimagining in gripping prose how the Oedipus and Antigone stories would look if the oft-overlooked female characters took centre stage. Retelling the myth to reveal a new side of an ancient story . . .My siblings and I have grown up in a cursed house, children of cursed parents . . .Jocasta is just fifteen when she is told that she must marry the King of Thebes, an old man she has never met. Her life has never been her own, and nor will it be, unless she outlives her strange, absent husband.Ismene is the same age when she is attacked in the palace she calls home. Since the day of her parents' tragic deaths a decade earlier, she has always longed to feel safe with the family she still has. But with a single act of violence, all that is about to change.With the turn of these two events, a tragedy is set in motion. But not as you know it.Trade ReviewNatalie Haynes takes on Sophocles in her vivid and affecting second novel -- Fiction to look out for in 2017 * Observer *Glorious, gripping and brutal . . . I loved it * Victoria Derbyshire *New life is breathed into a powerful ancient story through Natalie Haynes's clever and vivid story telling. * Martha Kearney *Nearly every page of Natalie Haynes's The Children of Jocasta could stand alone as poetry. This is a visceral, engrossing, and meticulously-crafted reimagining of two of the most important stories of all time. A truly remarkable feat * Dr Amanda Foreman *In this gripping novel, Haynes takes us to the breaking heart of one epically dysfunctional family and makes heroines of those previously doomed to be spectators of their own tragedy * Damian Barr, author of Maggie & Me *A fresh, accessible take on a great story * Lionel Shriver, author of We Need to Talk About Kevin *Haynes is master of her trade, crafting perfect sentences and believable characters who speak and think in delicately nuanced language. [She] succeeds in breathing warm life into some of our oldest stories to show how remarkably little basic human relationships and emotions have changed * Telegraph *Haynes’s fascination with this long vanished world is evident in every line . . . Her Thebes... is vividly captured: a place of hard light and sharp shadows, dust, fountains and dry heat. * Guardian *Atmospherically evoking a landscape of longed-for lakes and dark mountains, Haynes also subtly explores the “space between us and them” – between rulers and the people; parents and children; our personas and most secret selves * Observer *A wonderful and inventive take on an ancient tale -- Antonia Senior * The Times *Haynes has written her own version of the tragedy, finding new space in the narrative by looking at it through the eyes of two characters neglected by antiquity: Oedipus’s mother/bride Jocasta and their youngest daughter Ismene . . . Some of this novel’s greatest satisfactions come from the way Haynes translates the story out of the mythic and into a naturalistic register of love, loss and ambition . . . The ancient city state comes vividly alive in Haynes’s hands, and canny deviations from the archetypal outline keep the suspense going. In The Children of Jocasta, Haynes has written a fine new story between the old lines. * Spectator *A passionate and gripping account of a famously dysfunctional family. Haynes balances a fresh take on the material with a deep love for her sources, wearing her scholarship with grace, and giving new voice to the often-overlooked but fascinating Jocasta and Ismene. * Madeline Miller, Orange Prize winning author of The Song of Achilles *

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Book Synopsis*SHORTLISTED FOR THE RNA HISTORICAL ROMANCE AWARD 2021**LONGLISTED FOR THE HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE 2020*'Desperately romantic, lyrically written and with a fascinating plot' Katie FfordeChrissie Gillies comes from the last ever community to live on the beautiful, isolated Scottish island of St Kilda. Evacuated in 1930, she will never forget her life there, nor the man she loved and lost who visited one fateful summer a few years before. Fred Lawson has been captured, beaten and imprisoned in Nazi-controlled France. Making a desperate escape across occupied territory, one thought sustains him: find Chrissie, the woman he should never have left behind on that desolate, glorious isle. The Lost Lights of St Kilda is a sweeping love story that crosses oceans and decades, and a testament to the extraordinary power of hope in the darkest of times. 'A gorgeous, melancholy love story.' The Times'An undeniably haunting love story.' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewA gorgeous, melancholy love story * The Times *An undeniably haunting love story * Sunday Times *Desperately romantic, lyrically written and with a fascinating plot. * Katie Fforde, author of A Rose Petal Summer *I loved this book. Beautifully written and descriptive * Sarah Maine, author of The House Between Tides *A real jewel * Gill Paul, author of The Secret Wife *As gorgeously written as it's quietly devastating * Kate Riordan, author of The Girl in the Photograph *Richly detailed and evocative * Kat Gordon, author of An Unsuitable Woman *Atmospheric... moving * Lorna Cook, author of The Forgotten Village *Compelling... beautiful and haunting * Gill Thompson, author of The Oceans Between Us *A beautifully written and heart-rending story of love, loss and redemption * Sophia Tobin, author of The Silversmith's Wife *A glorious novel * Suellen Dainty, author of The Housekeeper *Moving and beautifully told * Tim Pears, author of The Redeemed *Days after finishing this deeply moving story, written with such a simple yet lyrical prose, I still feel haunted by it. * New Books Magazine *Compelling... vivid... powerful * Church Times *

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Book SynopsisOrphaned. Betrayed. Determined.England, 1820. Angélique Latham grew up in her magnificent country house, Belgrave Castle with her father, the Duke of Westerfield, after the death of her mother. But when he dies, her half-brothers brutally deny her very existence and send her out into the world alone. At eighteen, Angélique has a keen mind, remarkable beauty and an envelope of money her late father pressed upon her. Unable to secure employment, Angélique desperately makes her way to Paris. To survive, she will need all her resources – and one bold stroke of fortune. Angélique takes an unfamiliar and unimaginable path in setting up what becomes a highly successful business. But she lives on the edge of scandal; can she ever make a life for herself? From England to Paris and New York, cosy up with this fan-favourite from Danielle Steel, as she weaves an enchanting story of a woman of unquenchable spirit in The Duchess.

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Book SynopsisNumber One bestselling author Philippa Gregory's new historical novel tracks the rise of the Tidelands family in London, Venice and New England.  Praise for Tidelands, the first in the Fairmile series: ‘A gripping and intelligent portrait of a woman fighting to survive in a hostile world’ The Times ‘The first in a planned series . . . The author crafts her material with effortless ease. Her grasp of social mores is brilliant, the love story rings true and the research is, as ever, of the highest calibre’    Elizabeth Buchan, Daily Mail ‘Vivid and beguiling – Philippa Gregory at her best’  Woman & Home‘A compelling novel that shines a light on the struggles of 17th century women’ Daily Mirror‘The novel's power lies in GreTrade Review‘A gripping read spanning London, Venice and New England, all beautifully observed by Gregory’ * Woman & Home *

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Book SynopsisStunningly-designed new editions of Toni Morrison's best-known novels, published by Vintage Classics in celebration of her life and work.WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY BOOKER PRIZE WINNING AUTHOR MARLON JAMESSoon after a local eccentric leaps from a rooftop in a vain attempt at flight, Macon 'Milkman' Dead III is born. Brought up by his well-off black family to revere the white world around him, Milkman strives to make sense of his conflicting identities. Always seeking flight in some way, he leaves his Michigan home for the South, retracing the steps of his forebears in search of his own buried heritage and is introduced to an entire cast of strivers and seeresses, liars and assassins; the inhabitants of a fully realised black world.Evocative and kaleidoscopic, Song of Solomon is a brilliantly imagined coming-of-age tale.Trade ReviewToni Morrison makes me believe in God. She makes me believe in a divine being, because luck and genetics don’t seem to come close to explaining her * Guardian *The poetry of the language. The vernacular and the rhythms of speech... It's eavesdropping on a slice of life. You care for every character. You love them, you bleed for them. It's a masterclass in narrative fiction. It's a book that not only makes me want to be a better writer, but a better person as well -- Sarah Winman * Good Housekeeping *Stunningly beautiful... Full of magnificent people... They are still haunting my house. I suspect they will be with me forever * Washington Post *Song of Solomon…profoundly changed my life * Guardian *A rhapsodic work... Intricate and inventive * New Yorker *

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Book SynopsisWritten by 'a sublimely elegant historical novelist as addictive as crack' (Daily Telegraph), the Inspector Troy series is perfect for fans of Le Carré, Philip Kerr and Alan Furst.Vienna, 1934. Ten-year-old cello prodigy Meret Voytek becomes a pupil of concert pianist Viktor Rosen, a Jew in exile from Germany.The Isle of Man, 1940. An interned Hungarian physicist is recruited for the Manhattan Project in Los Alomos, building the atom bomb for the Americans.Auschwitz, 1944. Meret is imprisoned but is saved from certain death to play the cello in the camp orchestra. She is playing for her life.London, 1948. Viktor Rosen wants to relinquish his Communist Party membership after thirty years. His comrade and friend reminds him that he committed for life...These seemingly unconnected strands all collide forcefully with a brazen murder on a London Underground platform, revealing an intricate web of secrecy and deception which Detective Frederick Troy must untangle.Trade ReviewJohn Lawton finds himself in the same boat as the late Patrick O'Brian - a sublimely elegant historical novelist as addictive as crack but overlooked by too many readers for too long. * Daily Telegraph *Admirable, ambitious and haunting, this is the sort of thriller that defies categorisation. I look forward with enthusiasm to the next one. * Spectator *John Lawton's books contain such a wealth of period detail, character description and background information that they are lifted out of any category. Every word is enriched by the author's sophistication and irreverent intelligence, by his meticulous research and his wit. * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisThe most heartwarming new wartime series of 2019.Hampshire, 1939, and three young women are about to get the break of a lifetime.Rainey Bird, Ivy Sparrow and Bea Herron all love to sing. For Rainey, music has been a solace during the upheaval of starting a new life with her mother, away from her abusive dad. Bea finds a confidence when she sings that she cannot get from anything else. Ivy sees it as her best chance of making a life away from Gosport and a dead-end job. The three of them sing in a choir run by the strict but kind Mrs Wilkes. The choir provides a couple of hours of stardust each week, away from school and work and family worries.When war breaks out, though, dreams must be put on hold. It seems that local pantomimes and charity shows are as far as the girls will be able to go, despite Mrs Wilkes's faith in their talent. That is, until a mysterious stranger arrives with a proposition that just might change their lives...Trade ReviewBrimming with nostalgia, real-life drama, romance and friendships ... will delight Archer's army of fans * Lancashire Evening Post on The Narrowboat Girls *A heart-warming wartime story about friendship, hope, motherhood and music's ability to heal * Culturefly *

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Book SynopsisSet amid the decadence of Victorian England, A Dangerous Fortune tells of the dramatic highs and lows of the wealthy Pilaster family in Victorian England, from the author of The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett.A Tragic Accident1866: at an exclusive school, a student drowns in a mysterious accident. His death and its aftermath will have repercussions for decades to come . . .A Fierce RivalryThere on that fateful day were Hugh Pilaster and his older cousin Edward, heirs of a powerful banking dynasty with connections that reach from London to far-afield colonies.A Lethal SecretThe cousins find themselves locked in a vicious competition for the top job at the bank. But the respectable veneer of the family, and even Victorian England itself, looks to shatter as the deadly event from their schooldays threatens everything the Pilasters have built.'A compulsively readable, enjoyable thriller-cum-saga' – Sunday Times'Banks, brothels, and a high body count . . . it's all there' – Financial TimesTrade ReviewBanks, brothels, and a high body count . . . it's all there * Financial Times *A compulsively readable, enjoyable thriller-cum-saga * Sunday Times *A full-blooded melodrama, complete with moustache-twirling villains, saintly heroes, wronged women, and a lot of plot * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisA delicious and heartwarming novel featuring the girls working at the nation's favourite wrapped chocolate factory.At sixteen years old, Irene Reenie' Calder is delighted to land a seasonal job at Mackintosh's Quality Street factory but trouble seems to follow her around and it isn't long before she falls foul of the strict rules.Diana Moore runs the Toffee Penny line and has worked hard to secure her position, but Diana has a dark secret which if exposed, could cost her not only her job at the factory but her reputation as well.When a terrible accident puts supply of Quality Street at risk, Reenie and Diana know that everything rests on them, if they are to give everyone a Christmas to rememberTrade Review‘This novel will give you a craving for toffee pennies’ Sunday Express ‘A lovely nostalgic read’ My Weekly

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Book SynopsisWith his compelling Centurions trilogy complete, Anthony Riches returns to his bestselling Empire sequence of novels with his storytelling skills polished to perfection.Set in the second century AD, The Scorpion''s Strike continues the story of Marcus Aquila''s fight for justice for a family ripped asunder by imperial assassins. Still seeking revenge, Marcus finds himself thrown back into the heart of the chaos that is shaking the Roman Empire to its roots.Fresh from their close escape from imperial betrayal in the German forest, Marcus and the Tungrians are ordered to Gaul, where an outlaw called Maturnus is wreaking havoc. Havoc that may be more than mere banditry, as deserters and freed slaves flock to his cause: rebellion is in the air for the first time in a generation. And if escape from Rome''s memories is a relief for the young centurion, he soon discovers that danger has followed him west to Gaul. Trade ReviewPraise for Anthony Riches * : *A masterclass in military historical fiction * Sunday Express *A master of the genre * The Times *This is fast-paced and gripping "read-through-the-night" fiction, with marvellous characters and occasional moments of dark humour. Some authors are better historians than they are storytellers. Anthony Riches is brilliant at both. -- Conn IgguldenA damn fine read . . . fast-paced, action-packed. -- Ben KaneStands head and shoulders above a crowded field . . . real, live characters act out their battles on the northern borders with an accuracy of detail and depth of raw emotion that is a rare combination. -- Manda ScottA master of the genre * The Times *This is fast-paced and gripping "read-through-the-night" fiction, with marvellous characters and occasional moments of dark humour. Some authors are better historians than they are storytellers. Anthony Riches is brilliant at both. -- Conn IgguldenA damn fine read . . . fast-paced, action-packed. -- Ben KaneStands head and shoulders above a crowded field . . . . real, live characters act out their battles on the northern borders with an accuracy of detail and depth of raw emotion that is a rare combination. -- Manda Scott

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Book SynopsisFor readers of Jeffrey Archer and Clive Cussler, Blood in the Dust is a fast-paced adventure story and the winner of a Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize.'Essential reading for all adventure fans.' Wilbur Smith 1853, Victoria, Australia. Five bushrangers led by the murderous outlaw Warrigal Anderson raid a small homestead. When they ride away, nineteen-year-old Toby O'Rourke's life is changed forever. His parents lay dead at his feet and his brother, Patrick, is badly wounded.But Toby O'Rourke is made of steel forged in the hardship of colonial life. Forced into adulthood, he and Patrick will seek to restore the family fortunes and outwit not only the rich businessman who conspired to rob them of their birth right, but the vicious men who murdered their parents . . .

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2017A STORY OF LOVE AFTER DEATHA masterpiece' Zadie SmithExtraordinary' Daily MailBreathtaking' ObserverA tour de force' Sunday TimesThe extraordinary first novel by the bestselling, Folio Prize-winning, National Book Award-shortlisted George Saunders, about Abraham Lincoln and the death of his eleven year old son, Willie, at the dawn of the Civil WarThe American Civil War rages while President Lincoln''s beloved eleven-year-old son lies gravely ill. In a matter of days, Willie dies and is laid to rest in a Georgetown cemetery. Newspapers report that a grief-stricken Lincoln returns to the crypt several times alone to hold his boy''s body.From this seed of historical truth, George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of realism, entering a thrilling, supernatural domain both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln finds himself Trade ReviewA masterpiece -- Zadie Smith * New York Times *Must be one of my favourite novels. What a warm, kindhearted and radical piece of writing. Such delicacy, such serious wit. I love it -- Max PorterAn early contender for 2017's Man Booker, a highly affecting novel about Abraham Lincoln's grief at the loss of his young son * Sunday Times *The much anticipated long-form debut from the US short-story maestro does not dissapoint * Guardian *The debut novel by the short-story supremo George Saunders. Set in 1862 in a cemetery in Washington, it has drawn high praise * New Statesman *A cacophonous, genre-busting book inspired by the death of Abraham Lincoln's young son * Metro *Filled with wit and sadness … It is an immensely powerful work. In the hands of the right imagination, the horror of individual loss can become an extraordinarily humane exploration of the beauty and the value of life, however painful * Guardian *An original father-son tale that expertly blends history and fiction (and even the supernatural), Lincoln in the Bardo explores grief, loss, life, death * Buzzfeed Year Ahead in Books *George Saunders makes you feel as though you are reading fiction for the first time * Khaled Hosseini *A morally passionate, serious writer ... He will be read long after these times have passed * Zadie Smith *He makes the all-but-impossible look effortless. We're lucky to have him * Jonathan Franzen *An astoundingly tuned voice – graceful, dark, authentic and funny * Thomas Pynchon *Saunders is a writer of arresting brilliance and originality, with a sure sense of his material and apparently inexhaustible resources of voice ... Scary, hilarious and unforgettable * Tobias Wolff *There is no one better, no one more essential * Dave Eggers *Few people cut as hard or deep as Saunders does * Junot Diaz *Saunders is a true original - restlessly inventive, yet deeply humane * Jennifer Egan *Reading George Saunders is, it's safe to say, like no other literary experience * Observer *No one writes more powerfully than George Saunders about the lost, the unlucky, the disenfranchised -- Michiko Kakutani * New York Times *Surreal and puncturing -- Margaret AtwoodFunny, poignant – in flashes, deeply moving – light as a feather and consistently weird -- Hari KunzruThere is really no one like him. He is an original – but everyone knows that -- Lorrie MoorePart of the reason it’s so hard to talk about him is the shared acknowledgment among writers that Saunders is somehow a little more than just a writer. . . . [He] writes like something of a saint. He seems in touch with some better being -- Joshua FerrisStunning ... Lincoln in the Bardo is a triumph ... In Lincoln in the Bardo Saunders has reinvented the form * Bookseller *A strange but brilliant study of grief and bereavement * Mail on Sunday, ‘Sizzling summer reads’ *

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisMixing the fascinating and bloody events of the Stuart reign with thrilling historical fiction, the new series from bestselling author of the Outlaw Chronicles, Angus Donald, is perfect for fans of Conn Iggulden, James Forrester, S. J. Parris and The Favourite. In an age of treachery everyone must pick a side . . . It's 1685 and after the victory of Sedgemoor by King James II's men and the Bloody Assizes that followed, the British Isles faces an uneasy time. Many powerful men have grown tired of Catholic James's brutal, autocratic rule and seek to invite William, the Protestant Prince of Orange, to seize the thrones of the Three Kingdoms.When Lieutenant Holcroft Blood, a brilliant but unusual gunnery officer in His Majesty's Ordnance, discovers that a sinister French agent, known only by his code name Narrey, has landed on English soil, he discovers a plan that could threaten the stability of the nation even further.While revolution brews in the gentlemen's clubs of London, Holcroft faces a deadly choice - fight for his king, or fight for his friends.Every decision has a consequence - would you be willing to pay the price? 'Splendid' The Times'Exhilarating adventure' Sunday Express

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Book Synopsis'We lived on a bunk built for four but in times of overcrowding, it slept seven and at times even eight. There was so little space on the berth that when one of us wanted to ease his hip, we all had to turn in a tangle of legs and chests and hollow bellies as if we were one many-limbed creature, a Hindu god or a centipede. We grow intimate not only in body but also in mind because we knew that though we were not born of one womb, we would certainly die together.'Alex Ehren is a poet, a prisoner and a teacher in block 31 in Auschwitz-Birkenau, the children’s block. He spends his days trying to survive while illegally giving lessons to his young charges while shielding them as best he can from the impossible horrors of the camp. But trying to teach the children is not the only illicit activity that Alex is involved in. Alex is keeping a diary…Originally published as THE PAINTED WALL, Otto Kraus’s autobiographical novel, tells the true story of 500 Jewish children who lived in the Czech Family Camp in Auschwitz-Birkenau between September 1943 and June 1944. Trade Review‘Otto B Kraus brings together the strength of his own personal experience in the tiny barracks-school immersed in the darkness of Auschwitz with the story telling powers of an exceptional writer…He will from now on occupy the important place he deserves among writers of the twentieth century’ * ANTONIO ITURBE, bestselling author of THE LIBRARIAN OF AUSCHWITZ *I read Ota Kraus' manuscript and am impressed. Yes, it deserves to be published. * ELI WIESEL, author of NIGHT *

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Book Synopsis? Don't miss the new uplifting historical saga series from Molly Green, set at famous Bletchley Park: Summer Secrets at Bletchley Park available to pre-order now! ?War rages, but the women and children of Liverpool's Dr Barnardo's Home cannot give up hope. A gripping saga about love and loss on the Home Front.LIVERPOOL, 1940When her childhood sweetheart Johnny is killed in action, Maxine Grey loses more than her husband she loses her best friend. Desperate to make a difference in this awful war, Maxine takes a nursing job at London's St Thomas's Hospital.A BROKEN HEARTMaxine takes comfort in the attentions of a handsome surgeon, but Edwin Blake might not be all he seems. And as the Blitz descends on the capital, Maxine returns to Liverpool heartbroken and surrounded by the threat of scandal.A BRAVE SPIRITWhen offered a job at a Dr Barnardo's orphanage, Maxine hopes this is the second chance she has been looking for. And one little boy in particular helps her to realise that she needsTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR MOLLY GREEN ‘Molly Green creates realistic characters and situations that keep you turning the pages.’ Katie Fforde 'A moving, gripping story set during WW2, of a woman's dedication to the orphans in her care and her heart wrenching love.’ Kitty Neale ‘Redolent of wartime Britain and brimming with heartfelt stories from several characters, Molly Green's sure-footed novel shows just how challenging it was to find love and a place to call home in the dark days of the war.’ Terri Fleming ‘A lovely, heartfelt, warming slice of saga fiction … There is a gentleness to the writing as it walks some difficult paths, ensuring AN ORPHAN’S WAR is an engaging, generous read.’ Liz Robinson, LoveReading ‘A gripping read’ My Weekly ‘Memorable characters, a well written, plausible plot and very good descriptions of the time and place. The scenes and details of Dr Barnardo’s are especially interesting as the plight of orphans is rarely considered when we think of World War Two … We often forget the ordinary people surviving day-to-day ‘back home’.’ Discovering Diamonds Blog

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