Whether your passion is The Ancient Greeks, The Wars of The Roses or The Russian Revolution, you'll find stories of life during these eras and every other, often using factual accounts to build a fictional narrative.
Historical Fiction Books
John Murray Press The Railwaymans Wife
Book SynopsisFor fans of Kate Morton andThe Light Between Oceans, this exquisitely written, a true book of wonders (Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author) explores the aftermath of World War II in an Australian seaside town, and the mysterious poem that changes the lives of those who encounter it.Trade ReviewExquisitely written and deeply felt, The Railwayman's Wife is limpid and deep as the rock pools on the coastline beloved by this book's characters and just as teeming with vibrant life. Ashley Hay's novel of love and pain is a true book of wonders. * Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of YEAR OF WONDERS *A fine evocation of place and time - a vivid love letter to a particular corner of post-war Australia. Ashley Hay writes with subtle insight about grief and loss and the heart's voyage through and beyond them. It's a lovely, absorbing, and uplifting read * M.L. Stedman, author of THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS *A beautifully attentive study of what comes after - after a funeral, after a war - and Ashley Hay is a wise and gracious guide through this fascinating territory. This is a book in which grief and love are so entwined they make a new and wonderful kind of sense. * Fiona McFarlane, author of THE NIGHT GUEST *Ashley Hay's beautiful romance of grief and love [is] set in the escarpment landscape that once enchanted D.H. Lawrence Everything about this novel - sudden loss, unexpected love, misdirected hope and desire, as well as the mysterious power of the written word and the candescence of the coastal landscape itself - is expressed with a profound understanding of every nuance of emotion. The Railwayman's Wife illuminates the deepest places of the human heart. * Debra Adelaide, author of Letter to George Clooney *A beautifully rendered and psychologically acute picture ... Finally, though, Thirroul itself emerges as a central presence in the novel ... we know D.H. Lawrence got in first ... Yet it is fair to say Hay, who spent her childhood in the same town, brings her own poetry to bear... in a manner that recalls the sour-sweet best of Michael Ondaatje's fiction. Another author, Ford Madox Ford, began his The Good Soldier by claiming, "This is the saddest story." It isn't. That title rightly belongs to The Railwayman's Wife. * Geordie Williamson, The Australian *A book that overflows with gratitude for the hard, beautiful things of this world, and for the saving worlds of our imagination. * Helen Garner *I love Ashley Hay's writing ... it's so poised and beautiful. And I know Ashley, and she writes as she is. I always like that in a person: when the writing that they do is very much the person that you get, it has an integrity about it that I enjoy ... She can't write a bad sentence * Guardian *Melancholic, but in the best possible way * Lady *
£6.74
Michael O'Mara Books Ltd Medieval Woman: Village Life in the Middle Ages
Book SynopsisA year in the life of a peasant woman in medieval England is vividly evoked in this extraordinary portrait of Marion, a carpenter’s wife, and her extended family. Based on years of research, Ann Baer brings to life the reality of a world that has been lost.Rising before dawn in a tiny village to a day of gruelling hard work, Marion and her husband face the daily struggle for survival. Starvation is never far away and travel to the next village is virtually unheard of. Existing without soap, paper or glass and with only the most basic of tools, sickness, fire and natural disaster ever threaten to engulf the small, tightly knit community.At the mercy of the weather and the Lord of the Manor, each equally unpredictable and inescapable, Marion’s life is burdensome but also displays an admirable dignity and fortitude in the face of adversity.The little village is at one with the natural world around it and each member has a role to play and a place in the hierarchy.Simple people, living unrecorded lives in remote villages not on the way to anywhere are brought back into focus in Medieval Woman. Ann Baer defines and celebrates the woman at the heart of the community.This is a unique approach to history, compressing decades of in-depth research on the Middle Ages into one single, immersive, compelling narrative.Trade Review[A] month-by-month account of a medieval woman's life, completely persuasive and ringing with truth. If a medieval peasant woman had ever written a diary it would be like this. -- Philippa Gregory * The Times *It is history at its readable best * Yorkshire Gazette & Herald *
£9.49
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Weight of Ink
Book SynopsisAn intellectual and emotional jigsaw puzzle of a novel for readers of A. S. Byatt's Possession and Geraldine Brooks's The People of the Book
£14.30
Amazon Publishing The Beekeeper's Promise
Book SynopsisAn RNA Romantic Novel Award nominee. Heartbroken and hoping for a new start, Abi Howes takes a summer job in rural France at the Château Bellevue. The old château echoes with voices from the past, and soon Abi finds herself drawn to one remarkable woman’s story, a story that could change the course of her summer—and her life. In 1938, Eliane Martin tends beehives in the garden of the beautiful Château Bellevue. In its shadow she meets Mathieu Dubosq and falls in love for the first time, daring to hope that a happy future awaits. But France’s eastern border is darkening under the clouds of war, and history has other plans for Eliane… When she is separated from Mathieu in the chaos of German occupation, Eliane makes the dangerous decision to join the Resistance and fight for France’s liberty. But with no end to the war in sight, her loyalty to Mathieu is severely tested. From the bestselling author of Sea of Memories comes the story of two remarkable women, generations apart, who must use adversity to their advantage and find the resilience deep within.
£11.54
Moody Publishers Harvest of Gold
Book Synopsis
£12.59
John Murray Press Sarahs Key From Paris to Auschwitz one girls
Book SynopsisThe Multi-Million Copy International BestsellerReleased in 2010 as a major motion picture starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Sarah''s Key is perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and All the Light We Cannot See. ''A remarkable novel. Like Sophie''s Choice, it''s a book that impresses itself upon one''s heart and soul forever'' Naomi Ragen, author of The Saturday WifeParis, July 1942. Sarah, a ten-year-old Jewish girl, is arrested by the French police in the middle of the night, along with her mother and father. Desperate to protect her younger brother, she locks him in a cupboard and promises to come back for him as soon as she can. Paris, May 2002. Julia Jarmond, an American journalist, is asked to write about the 60th anniversary of the Vel'' d''Hiv'' roundup - the infamous day in 1942 when French police rounded up thousands of Jewish men, women and children, in order to send them to conceTrade ReviewSarah's trials are so riveting, her innocence so absorbing, the book is hard to put down * Publishers' Weekly *Masterly and compelling, it is not something that readers will quickly forget. Highly recommended * Library Journal *A gripping story of loss, family secrets and silence * Warwickshire Telegraph *
£9.49
Pan Macmillan The Allotment Girls
Book SynopsisThe Allotment Girls is an inspiring and heartwarming novel of wartime hardship, friendship and fortitude from Kate Thompson, author of the Secrets of the Sewing Bee.During the Second World War, life in the iconic Bryant & May match factory is grimy and tough. Annie, Rose, Pearl and Millie carry on making matches for the British Army, with bombs raining down around them.Inspired by the Dig for Victory campaign, Annie persuades the owners to start Bryant & May allotment in the factory grounds. With plenty of sweat and toil, the girls eventually carve out a corner of the yard into a green plot full of life and colour. In the darkest of times, the girls find their allotment a tranquil, happy escape. Using pierced dustbin lids to sieve through the shrapnel and debris, they bring about a powerful change, not just in the factory, but their own lives. As the war rages on, the garden becomes a place of community, friendship - and deceit. A
£8.54
Headline Publishing Group Night of the Lightbringer Sister Fidelma
Book SynopsisA stranger murdered in a gruesome ritual. A prophetess foretelling the return of the ancient gods.Sister Fidelma returns in the twenty-eighth gripping Celtic mystery by Peter Tremayne, acclaimed author of THE SECOND DEATH and PENANCE OF THE DAMNED.PRAISE FOR THE SISTER FIDELMA SERIES: ''The background detail is brilliantly defined . . . wonderfully evocative'' The Times, ''A brilliant and beguiling heroine. Immensely appealing'' Publishers Weekly Ireland, AD 671. On the eve of the pagan feast of Samhain, Brother Edulf and the warrior, Aidan, discover a man murdered in an unlit pyre in the heart of Cashel. He has been dressed in the robes of a religieux and killed by the ritualistic ''three deaths''.When a strange woman known as Brancheó appears in a raven-feather cloak foretelling of ancient gods returning to exact revenge upon the mortal world, she is quickly branded a suspect.But in their search for the killer,Trade ReviewThe background detail is brilliantly defined...wonderfully evocative - The TimesA brilliant and beguiling heroine. Immensely appealing, difficult to put down - Publishers' WeeklyDefinitely an Ellis Peter competitor...the background detail is marvellous - Evening StandardTremayne's super-sleuth is a vibrant creation, a woman of wit and courage who would stand out in any era, but brings a special sparkle to the wild beauty of medieval Ireland - Morgan LlywelynThis is masterly storytelling from an author who breathes fascinating life into the world he is writing about - Belfast TelegraphThe detail of the books is fascinating, giving us a vivid picture of everyday life at theis time...the most detailed and vivid recreations of ancient Ireland - Irish Examiner
£9.49
Simon & Schuster Streets Of Laredo A Novel
Book Synopsis
£18.89
Prentice Hall (a Pearson Education company) Dead Mans Walk
Book SynopsisThe first prequel in Larry McMurtry’s beloved Lonesome Dove series features the early adventures of Texas Rangers Augustus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call, two of the most memorable heroes in contemporary fiction.As young Texas Rangers, Augustus McCrae and Woodrow Call (Gus and Call for short) have much to learn about survival in a land fraught with perils: not only the blazing heat and raging tornadoes, roiling rivers and merciless Indians, but also the deadly whims of soldiers. On their first expeditions—led by incompetent officers and accompanied by the robust, dauntless whore known as the Great Western—they will face death at the hands of the cunning Comanche war chief Buffalo Hump and the silent Apache Gomez. They will be astonished by the Mexican army. And Gus will meet the love of his life.
£16.14
Penguin Books Ltd A Ship of the Line
Book SynopsisA Horatio Hornblower Tale of the SeaMay, 1810 - and thirty-nine-year-old Captain Horatio Hornblower has been handed his first ship of the line . . .Though the seventy-four-gun HMS Sutherland is ''the ugliest and least desirable two-decker in the Navy'' and a crew shortage means he must recruit two hundred and fifty landlubbers, Hornblower knows that by the time Sutherland and her squadron reach the blockaded Catalonian coast every seaman will do his duty. But with daring raids against the French army and navy to be made, it will take all Hornblower''s seamanship - and stewardship - to steer a steady course to victory and home . . .This is the sixth of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C. S. Forester''s inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower.''I recommend Forester to every literate I know'' Ernest Hemingway
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd The Commodore
Book Synopsis1812 and the fate of Europe lies in the hands of newly appointed Commodore Hornblower . . .Dispatched to northern waters to protect Britain''s Baltic interests, Horatio Hornblower must halt the advance of Napoleon''s empire into Sweden and Russia. But first he must battle the terrible Baltic weather: fog, snow and icebound waterways; overcome Russian political and commercial intrigues; avoid the seductive charms of royalty as well as the deadly reach of assassins in the imperial palace; and contend with hostile armies and French privateers. With the fate of Europe balanced on a knife edge, the responsibility lies heavy on a Commodore''s shoulders ...This is the eighth of eleven books chronicling the adventures of C. S. Forester''s inimitable nautical hero, Horatio Hornblower.''A recipe for pure pleasure'' Bernard Cornwell
£10.44
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group Birdsong
Book Synopsis
£17.10
Simon & Schuster Ltd The Red Queen
Book SynopsisThe second book in Philippa's stunning new trilogy, The Cousins War, brings to life the story of Margaret Beaufort, a shadowy and mysterious character in the first book of the series - The White Queen - but who now takes centre stage in the bitter struggle of The War of the Roses. The Red Queentells the story of the child-bride of Edmund Tudor, who, although widowed in her early teens, uses her determination of character and wily plotting to infiltrate the house of York under the guise of loyal friend and servant, undermine the support for Richard III and ultimately ensure that her only son, Henry Tudor, triumphs as King of England. Through collaboration with the dowager Queen Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret agrees a betrothal between Henry and Elizabeth's daughter, thereby uniting the families and resolving the Cousins War once and for all by founding of the Tudor dynasty.
£14.39
Random House USA Inc Silent Honor
Book SynopsisFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel, a moving novel of families separated and lives shattered by prejudice during one of the most shameful episodes in American history. A man ahead of his time, Japanese college professor Masao Takashimaya of Kyoto had a passion for modern ideas that was as strong as his wife’s belief in ancient traditions. His eighteen-year-old daughter, Hiroko, torn between her mother’s traditions and her father’s wishes, boarded the SS Nagoya Maru to come to California for an education and to make her father proud. It was August 1941. From the ship, she went to the Palo Alto home of her uncle, Takeo, and his family. To Hiroko, California was a different world. Her cousins had become more American than Japanese. And much to Hiroko’s surprise, Peter Jenkins, her uncle’s assistant at Stanford, became an unexpected link between her old world and her new. O
£9.49
Random House USA Inc The Rose Grower
Book SynopsisWriting with poignancy and mesmerizing detail, Michelle de Kretser has penned a haunting tale set against the madness of the French Revolution -- a wistful, elegantly rendered novel of unrequited love and personal triumph in a world gone tragically awry.The 1789 storming of the Bastille has brought France to the brink of revolution. Yet in the serene heart of the French province of Gascony, little has changed in a hundred years -- and the events in Paris seem but a distant thunder. Indeed, the dramatic crash landing of American artist and amateur balloonist Stephen Fletcher sparks far more excitement. Stephen lands in the pastoral world of a magistrate and his three daughters -- ethereal Claire, pert and precocious Mathilde, and plain, sensible Sophie, who lovingly tends her rose garden as she simmers with unfulfilled longings.As the revolution brings murder, terror, and fear into the remote Gascon countryside, Stephen finds himself enchanted by the angelic Clai
£11.70
Cornerstone The Conqueror
Book SynopsisIf you love Bridgerton, you''ll love Georgette Heyer!''The greatest writer who ever lived'' Antonia Fraser''Fabulously witty'' Stephen Fry''Incisively witty, quietly subversive'' Joanne Harris''If you haven''t read Georgette Heyer yet what a treat you have in store'' Harriet Evans____________Born the illegitimate son of the future Duke of Normandy, William must fight the King of France to regain his Duchy.Spurned in love by the lovely Princess Matilda, William argues hard to make her his bride.Thwarted by the Saxon Earl Harold of a promise of the throne of England, William the Conqueror sails to Hastings to claim the King''s crown and sceptre for his own.Written in Heyer''s inimitable style, The Conqueror dives deep into William''s complex character, his ruthless ambition and both the physical and mental battles he must endure in order to claim King Harold''s croTrade Review'Wonderful characters, elegant, witty writing, perfect period detail, and rapturously romantic. Georgette Heyer achieves what the rest of us only aspire to.' -- Katie Fforde'My favourite historical novelist - stylish, romantic, sharp, and witty. Her sense of period is superb, her heroines are enterprising, and her heroes dashing. I owe her many happy hours.' -- Margaret Drabble'A writer of great wit and style - I've read her books to ragged shreds.' -- Kate Fenton * Daily Telegraph *'Sparkling' * Independent on Sunday *'Georgette Heyer is unbeatable' -- India Knight
£9.49
Seven Stories Press,U.S. The Castle Cross The Magnet Carter
Book SynopsisThe hotly anticipated, award-winning first novel by The Wire writer Kia Corthron
£13.49
Granta Books Water Music
Book SynopsisSet in 1795, "Water Music" is the rambunctious account of two men's wild adventures through the gutters of London and the Scottish Highlands to their unlikely meeting in darkest Africa.
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Inc News of the World
Book SynopsisTrade Review"This Western is not to be missed by Jiles's fans and lovers of Texan historical fiction." -- Library Journal on NEWS OF THE WORLD
£10.78
Vintage Publishing Gate of the Sun
Book SynopsisIn a makeshift hospital in a refugee camp on the outskirts of Beirut, Yunis, an aging Palestinian freedom fighter, lies in a coma. His spiritual son Dr Khaleel - who has no real medical qualifications - nurses the older man, refusing to admit that his hero may never regain consciousness. In an attempt to revive his patient, Khaleel, begins telling Yunis the stories of their people''s exile in Lebanon. He evokes deserted peasant villages, the suffering caused by the Lebanese civil war and the refugees'' hopes to return home with a subtle mixture of anger and compassion. Khaleel also narrates Yunis'' own extraordinary life.Interweaving many true-life tales collected throughout Lebanon and its refugee camps over the course of seven years, Elias Khoury has created a monumental and spellbinding saga.Trade ReviewBrilliant ... Elias Khoury, along with Mahmoud Darwish, is an artist giving voice to rooted exiles and trapped refugees, to dissolving boundaries and changing identities, to radical demands and new languages -- Edward SaidHe creates his very own, and very believable, newly coined mythologies...[the] result is a work of remarkable suspense... poetic and mysterious -- Nicholas Blincoe * Daily Telegraph *Gate of the Sun is an imposingly rich and realistic novel, a genuine masterwork * New York Times Book Review *The word 'brilliant' is etched across Khoury's new novel... It's a novel that will outlive us * Independent *In Gate of the Sun, a character dreams of writing a 'book without a beginning or end... an epic of the Palestinian people'... Khoury's monumental novel is in a sense that groundbreaking book * Guardian *
£11.69
Grub Street Publishing Winged Victory
Book SynopsisThere is no bitter snarl nor self-pity in this classic novel about the air war of 1914-1918, based very largely on the author's experiences. Combat, loneliness, fatigue, fear, comradeship, women, excitement - all are built into a vigorous and authentic structure by one of the most valiant pilots of the then Royal Flying Corps.World War 1REVIEWS 'Beautifully written with a poet's eye as well as a pilot's eye.' Southern Evening Echo'The only book about flying that isn't flannel.' Anonymous Fighter Pilot'Not only one of the best war books but as a transcription of reality, faithful and sustained in its author's purpose of re-creating the past life he knew, it is unique.' Henry Williamson, author of Tarka the Otter."Trade Review"'Beautifully written with a poet's eye as well as a pilot's eye.' Southern Evening Echo; 'The only book about flying that isn't flannel.' Anonymous Fighter Pilot, 1941; 'Not only one of the best war books...but as a transcription of reality, faithful and sustained in its author's purpose of re-creating the past life he knew, it is unique.' Henry Williamson, author of Tarka the Otter, written in 1935"
£11.39
Little, Brown Book Group The Athenian Murders
Book SynopsisTHE ATHENIAN MURDERS is a brilliant, very entertaining and absolutely original literary mystery, revolving round two intertwined riddles. In classical Athens, one of the pupils of Plato''s Academy is found dead. His idealistic teacher suspects that this wasn''t an accident and asks Herakles, known as the ''Decipherer of Enigmas'', to investigate the death and ultimately a dark, irrational and subversive cult. The second plot unfolds in parallel through the footnotes of the translator of the text. As he proceeds with his work, he becomes increasingly convinced that the original author has hidden a second meaning, which can be brought to light by interpreting certain repeated words and images. As the main plot and also the translation of the manuscript advances, there are certain sinister coincidences, and it seems that the text is addressing him personally and in an increasingly menacing manner... THE ATHENIAN MURDERS constitutes a highly compelling, entertaining and intelligent game Trade ReviewA delightfully paranoic read on both ancient and modern planes with enough literary cunning to satisfy fans of Nabokov's PALE FIRE as well as THE NAME OF THE ROSE * INDEPENDENT *Extremely subtle and intelligent...totally absorbing * EVENING STANDARD *It works, superbly * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *This is both a riveting historical novel and a subtle, unpretentious investigation of what happens when writers write and readers read. * SUNDAY TIMES *
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton Lancashire Legacy
Book SynopsisThe new 19th century saga set in Australia and Lancashire, by the author of LANCASHIRE LASS.Trade ReviewCatherine Cookson fans will cheer! * Peterborough Evening Telegraph *'Catherine Cookson fans will cheer!' Peterborough Evening Gazette on Like No OtherBrilliant, no one can match her writing ability - Lancashire Lass is Anna Jacobs' new novel. I have just finished reading it, couldn't put it down, it held me absorbed on every page. * Amazon reader on Lancashire Lass *'A well-told, well paced story' Historical Novel Society on Lancashire Lass'Spectacular saga' Peterborough Evening Telegraph on Lancashire Lass'A powerful absorbing saga' Hartlepool Mail on Spinners Lake'A vivid saga' Northern Lights on Spinners Lake'Impressive grasp of human emotions' The Sunday Time on Spinners lake'A well told, captivating story' Dorset Evening Echo on Jessie'A stirring saga' Peterborough Evening Telegraph on Like No Other
£8.99
Hodder & Stoughton The Strawberry Season
Book SynopsisConcluding the trilogy that began with THE ISLAND WIFE and continued with THE WIND FROM THE HILLS.Trade ReviewShe writes in bright colours with bold, confident strokes. * Glasgow Herald *Jessica Stirling's high reputation is well deserved. * Manchester Evening News *
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers Kingdom of Shadows
Book SynopsisGorgeous repackage of Barbara Erskine's first novel, blending history, family legacy and contemporary passionIn a childless and unhappy marriage, Clare Royland is rich and beautiful but lonely. And fueling her feelings of isolation is a strange, growing fascination with an ancestress from the distant past. Troubled by haunting inexplicable dreams that terrify but also powerfully compel her, Clare is forced to look back through the centuries for answers.In 1306, Scotland is at war. Isobel, Countess of Buchan, faces fear and the prospect of untimely death as the fighting surrounds her. But passionate and headstrong, her trials escalate when she is persecuted for her part in crowning Robert the Bruce, her lover.Duncairn, Isobel''s home and Clare''s beloved heritage, becomes a battleground for passions that span the centuries. As husband Paul''s recklessness threatens their security, Clare must fight to save Duncairn, and to save herself from the powers of IsobelReaders LOVE Barbara ErsTrade ReviewPraise for Barbara Erskine The Warrior’s Princess: ‘An engrossing race against time’ Woman and Home ‘This is one of the most gripping page-turners I’ve read’ Sun Barbara’s many bestsellers: ‘A riveting timeslip novel’ Fanny Blake ‘Her forte is mood, atmosphere and the toe-curling frisson’ Elizabeth Buchan, Sunday Times ‘Stephen King meets Ruth Rendell’ Frank Delaney ‘Barbara Erskine’s storytelling talent is undeniable’ The Times
£11.69
Penguin Publishing Group The Dying Grass A Novel of the Nez Perce War
Book SynopsisFrom the National Book Award-winning author of Europe Central – a dazzling fictional account of the epic fighting retreat of the Nez Perce Indians In this fifth installment in his acclaimed Seven Dreams series of novels examining the collisions between Native Americans and European colonizers, William T. Vollmann tells the story of the epic fighting retreat of the Nez Perce Indians, with flashbacks to the Civil War. Defrauded and intimidated at every turn, the Nez Perces finally went on the warpath in 1877, subjecting the U.S. Army to its greatest defeat since Little Big Horn the previous year, as they fled from northeast Oregon across Montana to the Canadian border. Vollmann’s main character is not the legendary Chief Joseph but his pursuer, General Oliver Otis Howard, the brave, shy, tormented, devoutly Christian Civil War veteran. In this novel, we see him as commander, father, son, husband, friend, and killer. Teeming
£34.00
HarperCollins Publishers The King Without a Kingdom
Book SynopsisThis was the original GAME OF THRONES' George R.R. MartinAvailable for the first time in English, THE KING WITHOUT A KINGDOM is the seventh and final volume of The Accursed Kings series.The reign of the Capetian kings has ended and John II, The Good', takes the throne.Under the leadership of this vain, cruel, incompetent monarch The Hundred Years War escalates and England and France begin to tear each other apart. Warring factions plunder the land, famine threatens the people and the Black Death spreads far and wide. France is bleeding to death around the new kingTrade Review‘Iron kings and strangled queens, battles and betrayals, lies and lust, the curse of the Templars, the doom of a great dynasty – and all of it (well, most of it) straight from the pages of history, and believe me, the Starks and the Lannisters have nothing on the Capets and Plantagenets. Whether you are a history buff or a fantasy fan, Druon's epic will keep you turning pages. This was the original game of thrones’GEORGE R.R. MARTIN ‘Blood-curdling tale of intrigue, murder, corruption and sexual passion’SUNDAY TIMES ‘Barbaric, sensual, teeming with life, based in wide reading and sound scholarship…among the best historical novels’ TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Conspiracy
Book SynopsisThe No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling seriesThe fifth book in S. J. Parris's bestselling, critically acclaimed series following Giordano Bruno, set at the time of Queen Elizabeth IPerfect for fans of C. J. Sansom and Hilary MantelPARIS, 1585A KING WITHOUT AN HEIRHeretic-turned-spy Giordano Bruno arrives in Paris to find a city on the edge of catastrophe. King Henri III lives in fear of a coup by the Duke of Guise and his fanatical Catholic League, and another massacre on the streets.A COURT AT WAR WITH GODWhen Bruno's old rival, Father Paul Lefèvre is found murdered, Bruno is drawn into a dangerous web of religious politics and court intrigue. And watching over his shoulder is the King's mother, Catherine de Medici, with her harem of beautiful spies.A DEADLY CONSPIRACY IN PLAYWhen murder strikes at the heart of the Palace, Bruno finds himself on the trail of a killer who is protecting a terrible secret. With the royal houses of France and England under threat, Bruno must expose the truth or be silenced for goodPraise for S. J. ParrisA delicious blend of history and thriller' The TimesAn omnipresent sense of danger' Daily MailColourful characters, fast-moving plots and a world where one false step in religion or politics can mean a grisly death' Sunday TimesPacy, intricate, and thrilling' ObserverVivid, sprawling Well-crafted, exuberant' Financial TimesImpossible to resist' Daily TelegraphTwists and turns like a corkscrew of venomous snakes' Stuart MacBrideIt has everything intrigue, mystery and excellent history' Kate MosseThe period is incredibly vivid and the story utterly gripping' Conn IgguldenA brilliantly unusual glimpse at the intrigues surrounding Queen Elizabeth I' Andrew TaylorTrade Review‘A delicious blend of history and thriller’ The Times Praise for S. J. Parris: ‘A tight plot combines with subtly-realised characters and an omnipresent sense of danger … My pleasure in the vividly textured backdrop and a cracking story was accompanied by an uneasy shudder’ Daily Mail ‘Colourful characters, fast-moving plots and a world where one false step in religion or politics can mean a grisly death.’ Sunday Times ‘Vivid, sprawling … Well-crafted, exuberant’ Financial Times ‘Successful historical thrillers need three elements: a killer plot that weaves seamlessly into the history; an engaging protagonist; and an atmospheric sense of place. Parris nails all three – Conspiracy is a gem. The Times ‘This latest addition to the series will no doubt repeat its predecessors’ success… The authentically febrile air of suspense that Parris generates, as well as a shoal of red herrings and some impish, what-if plotting. The drawing-room style denouement, conducted as it is in a salon at the Tuileries Palace, is also executed with knowing relish.’ Observer ‘I can thoroughly recommend Conspiracy, which twists and turns like a corkscrew of venomous snakes’ Stuart MacBride ‘Impossible to resist … Parris creates a convincing sense of the past, woven with so much intrigue that the head fairly spins’ Daily Telegraph ‘It has everything – intrigue, mystery and excellent history’ Kate Mosse ‘Parris writes with confident ease of Tudor London … The dialogue balances nicely on a tightrope of period phrases and cut-to-the-chase colloquialisms. More, please’ The Times ‘Full of surprises … an imaginatively satisfying addition to the many real intrigues surrounding the imprisoned Mary Stuart and the threats to Elizabeth’s security’ TLS ‘Fascinating … The period is incredibly vivid and the story utterly gripping’ Conn Iggulden A brilliantly unusual glimpse at the intrigues surrounding Queen Elizabeth I’ Andrew Taylor, bestselling author of The American Boy
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Beyond the Bounty
Book SynopsisFrom the number one bestselling author comes a swashbuckling tale of mutiny and murder in paradise . . .Even Paradise can turn into a nightmare . . .The Mutiny on the Bounty is the most famous uprising in naval history. Led by Fletcher Christian, a desperate crew cast sadistic Captain Bligh adrift. They swap cruelty and the lash for easy living in the island heaven of Tahiti. However, paradise turns out to have a darker side . . .Mr Christian dies in terrible agony. The Bounty burns. Cursed by murder and treachery, the rebels' dreams turn to nightmares, and all hope of seeing England again is lost forever.A story of low treachery and high adventure, murder under the palm trees, trouble in paradise and a lost Eden in the South Seas.Trade ReviewPraise for his novels: ‘Funny and touching’ Woman and Home 'From the author of Man and Boy comes this honest and funny story of a man whose life is transformed when he's given a 19-year-old's heart' Heat 'Tony Parsons is the master of the bittersweet love story' Red 'Parsons has created a much bigger and more compelling book. It's a major achievement' Mirror ‘Funny, serious, tender and honest…Tony Parsons is writing about the genuine dilemmas of modern life’ Sunday Express ‘He takes as his specialist subject contemporary emotional issues which almost every other male writer has ignored’ Guardian ‘Memorable and poignant – nobody squeezes more genuine emotion from a scene than Tony Parsons’ Spectator
£4.42
HarperCollins Publishers Cavendon Hall Book 1 Cavendon Chronicles
Book SynopsisA sweeping saga set around the aristocratic Ingham family of Cavendon Hall and the Swanns who serve them, set on the eve of World War 1.Two entwined families: the aristocratic Inghams and the Swanns who serve them. One stately home: Cavendon Hall, a grand imposing house nestled in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. And a society beauty: Lady Daphne Ingham is the most beautiful of the Earl's daughters, a glittering marriage her destiny.But in the summer of 1913, a devastating event changes her future forever, and puts the House of Ingham at risk. Life as the families of Cavendon Hall know it Royal Ascot, supper dances, grouse season feasts is about to alter beyond recognition as the storm clouds of war gather.Trade Review‘Barbara Taylor Bradford returns to her roots with this 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 ‘A glorious family saga for Downton Abbey fans…This is Barbara Taylor Bradford in her element, terrific stuff full of drama, passion, romance and danger.’ Sarah Broadhurst, Lovereading.co.uk ‘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
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers Fools and Mortals
Book SynopsisA dramatic departure for the #1 bestseller. A gripping story of rivalry and ambition, loyalty and love set in the heart of Elizabethan England.With all the vivid history that is his trademark, Bernard Cornwell transports the readers to the playhouses, backstreets and palaces of Shakespeare''s London with added depth and compassion' Philippa GregoryIn the heart of Elizabethan England, young Richard Shakespeare dreams of a glittering career in the London playhouses, dominated by his older brother, William. But as a penniless actor with a silver tongue, Richard's onetime gratitude begins to sour, as does his family loyalty.So it is that Richard falls under suspicion when a priceless manuscript goes missing, forcing him into a high-stakes game of duplicity and betrayal, and through the darkest alleyways of the city.In this richly portrayed tour de force, Fools and Mortals takes you among the streets and palaces, scandals and rivalries, and lets you stand side-by-side with the men and womenTrade Review‘Sharp and funny … His combination of wit, adventure and deft characterisation succeeds triumphantly’ THE TIMES ‘Fools and Mortals is a delight. Witty and knowledgeable in its evocation of Shakespearean London … highly enjoyable’ BBC HISTORY MAGAZINE ‘Cornwell not only succeeds in creating an engaging story, but also in celebrating the difficulties and delights, at any time in history, of putting on a show’ THE SUNDAY TIMES ‘Cornwell leads us effortlessly through palaces and playhouses with the skill of a master storyteller who loves this period of history’ DAILY EXPRESS ‘With all the vivid history that is his trademark, Bernard Cornwell transports the readers to the playhouses, backstreets and palaces of Shakespeare's London with added depth and compassion, and a likeable hero’ Philippa Gregory ‘A cracking novel … the atmosphere and intrigues of this dangerous time are vividly realised. A smash hit’ THE TIMES ‘Story and characters crackle off the page as do the stink and violence of Elizabethan London. The author of the Sharpe and Last Kingdom bestsellers has pulled off a surprise for his readers — and a terrific one at that’ Elizabeth Buchan, DAILY MAIL The Times Saturday Review Book of the Month ‘Cornwell is an enthusiastic amateur dramatist. His portrayal of the actors’ rivalries and superstitions is sharp and often funny. His combination of wit, adventure and deft characterisation is a triumphant departure from his usual territory’ THE TIMES ‘Cornwell mixes the dark realities of history with pacy dialogue … vividly entertaining’ DAILY EXPRESS Praise for Bernard Cornwell: 'Strong narrative, vigourous action and striking characterisation, Cornwell remains king of the territory he has staked out as his own' SUNDAY TIMES ‘Cornwell draws a fascinating picture of England as it might have been before anything like England existed’ THE TIMES ‘He’s called a master storyteller. Really he’s cleverer than that’ TELEGRAPH
£9.49
SPCK Publishing Redeeming Love
Book SynopsisPublisher’s Weekly bestseller. Soon to be a major motion picture! New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers brilliantly retells the biblical love story of Gomer and Hosea during the California Gold Rush. Angel, living in California’s Gold country, is sold into prostitution as a child and quickly learns that men want only one thing from her and are never to be trusted. It is her burning hatred towards these men that keep her alive and she has no intention of changing her ways until Michael Hosea, a godly man, declares God has called upon him to marry her and love her unconditionally. Angel leaves her difficult life behind and slowly, day by day, her heart starts to warm towards Michael. But with these new feelings of affection come overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. Can Angel overcome these feelings of shame and accept Michael’s love and the love of God who loves her unconditionally? This classic story of God’s unconditional love has captured the hearts of millions worldwide.
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd One Hundred Years of Solitude
Book SynopsisThough little more than a settlement surrounded by mountains, Macondo has its wars and disasters, even its wonders and miracles. A microcosm of Columbian life, its secrets lie hidden, encoded in a book and only Aureliano Buendia can fathom its mysteries and reveal its shrouded destiny.Trade ReviewGetting lost and succumbing to the mastery of Gabriel García Márquez's storytelling is all part of the joy of this epic tale ... This incredible novel put me under a spell -- Dua Lipa
£9.49
Quercus Publishing The Black Friar: The Seeker 2
Book SynopsisRebellion in the city, and a Royalist spy in his own ranks - Damian Seeker, Captain of Oliver Cromwell's guard, must eradicate both in this twisty, action-packed historical thriller for fans of CJ Sansom, Rory Clements and The Three Musketeers. 'MacLean skilfully weaves together the disparate threads of her plot to create a gripping tale of crime and sedition in an unsettled city' Sunday TimesLondon, 1655, and Cromwell's regime is under threat from all sides. Damian Seeker, Captain of Cromwell's Guard, is all too aware of the danger facing Cromwell. Parliament resents his control of the Army while the Army resents his absolute power. In the east end of London, a group of religious fanatics plots rebellion. In the midst of all this, a stonemason uncovers a perfectly preserved body dressed in the robes of a Dominican friar, bricked up in a wall in the crumbling Black Friars. Ill-informed rumours and speculation abound, but Seeker instantly recognises the dead man. What he must discover is why he met such a hideous end, and what his connection was to the children who have started to disappear from around the city. Unravelling these mysteries is challenging enough, and made still harder by the activities of dissenters at home, Royalist plotters abroad and individuals who are not what they seem...Trade ReviewMacLean skilfully weaves together the disparate threads of her plot to create a gripping tale of crime and sedition in an unsettled city * Sunday Times *Excellent at conveying the insecurities and unsettling memories that bedevil Cromwell's dying Protectorate, the author brings a fresh perspective and gold-plated research to a period which has been unfairly eclipsed by the popularity of the Tudors * Daily Mail *MacLean's light touch portrait of a hard man with a softer core is what makes these books so memorable * The Times *Damian Seeker [is] one of the most appealing heroes I've come across in quite some time . . . [the Commonwealth] is paid full service by S. G. MacLean, a fine writer with a terrific grasp of history and character * For Winter Nights *Damian Seeker really comes into his own in this novel . . . the plot navigates the waters of history with masterful effect -- Waterstones booksellerBrilliantly woven into a thrilling plot . . . MacLean's characters are subtle and convincing . . . could challenge C.J. Sansom for dominion of historical crime * Sunday Times on The Seeker *The best historical crime novel of the year * Sunday Express on The Seeker *MacLean achieves the balance of immersing her readers in a time and place without ever making them feel battered over the head by research, while the central mystery is satisfying and plausibly plotted * Highland News on The Seeker *A first class, compelling debut for MacLean's new hero * Crime Review on The Seeker *
£8.79
HarperCollins Publishers A Secret Affair
Book SynopsisA delightful novella from the internationally bestselling author of A Woman of SubstanceThirty-three-year-old Bill Fitzgerald is an acclaimed American television foreign correspondent. War-weary and exhausted after a long stint in Bosnia, he travels to Venice to meet an old friend and war correspondent.Whilst with his friend at the Gritti Palace Hotel on the Grand Canal, Bill is struck by the dark beauty of a young woman seated alone. The young woman is Vanessa Stewart: a glass designer from New York, visiting Murano.And that evening, full of warmth and comaraderie, the two begin an illicit, though fateful, love affair.A dramatic and inspiring page-turner that illuminates the power of love.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
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Flashman
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.Can a man be all bad? When Harry Flashman's adventures as the reluctant secret agent in Afghanistan lead him to join the exclusive company of Lord Cardigan's Hussars and play a part in the disastrous Retreat from Kabul, it culminates in the rascal's finest and most dishonest turn.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
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Fortune of War Book 6 AubreyMaturin
Book SynopsisBritain and America are newly at war, and Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are caught in the very thick of the action.En route to England and his next command, Captain Jack Aubrey, and his friend, ship's surgeon and secret agent Stephen Maturin, find themselves swept up in the War of 1812. As Aubrey convalesces from his wounds in a Boston hospital, awaiting the next prisoner exchange, Maturin's past activities as a spy return to haunt him and precipitate both men into new and unexpected dangers.Love and betrayal vie for supremacy as the two friends face peril around every corner.The Fortune of War is a marvellously full-flavoured, engrossing book, which towers over its current rivals in the genre like a three-decker over a ship's longboat.'T. J. BINYON, Times Literary SupplementThere is nothing in this century that rivals Patrick O'Brian's achievement.'AMANDA FOREMANTrade Review‘If O’Brian’s novels have become a cult, this is because they are truly addictive. . . They are, quite magnificently, adventure yarns whose superb authenticity never distracts from the sheer thrill of the action.’Caroline Moore, Sunday Telegraph ‘The Aubrey–Maturin novels, by Patrick O’Brian, are so addictive that after I finish one I have to hide the next from myself for a little while in order to do anything else but read.’Louise Erdrich ‘In Aubrey and Maturin, Patrick O’Brian has created two of the most enjoyable characters in twentieth-century fiction. Their relationship sustains an absorbing and thrilling sequence of naval stories, unrivalled in their complexity, full of impeccable detail and psychological insight. O’Brian switches from the intimate to the epic with equal assurance. One of the greatest authors to sail with.’Michael Palin ‘My hero is Patrick O’Brian. It’s basically impossible to write that well.’David Mamet ‘One of the most compelling and brilliant novelists of his time . . . Beyond his superbly elegant writing, wit and originality, Patrick O’Brian showed an understanding of the nature of a floating world at the mercy of the wind and the sea which has never been surpassed.’Max Hastings, Evening Standard ‘I devoured Patrick O’Brian’s twenty-volume masterpiece as if it had been so many tots of Jamaica grog.’Christopher Hitchens ‘Written with most engaging enthusiasm that can’t fail to give pleasure to anybody who enjoys historical adventure flavoured with more than a dash of realism.’The Sunday Times ‘One of the most brilliantly sustained pieces of historical fictional writing this century.’James Teacher, Spectator ‘Patrick O’Brian brings depth to his sea-stories with outstanding dialogue, characterisation, humour and a golden thread of romance. You don’t have to love books about naval battles to become entranced.’Katie Fforde
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Ionian Mission Book 8 AubreyMaturin
Book SynopsisWhether close to home or far away, there are no safe harbours while Napoleon seeks to dominate the known world.Jack Aubrey, veteran of numerous battles, has been promoted to senior captain commanding a ship that has been sent out to reinforce the squadron blockading Toulon. Compared to the early days of the Napoleonic conflict, the action is slow, cold and dull. But a sudden turn of events takes Aubrey, and ship's surgeon and spy Stephen Maturin, off on a hazardous mission to the Greek Islands, where the skill, daring and, indeed, luck of both men will be tested to the utmost.With so much at risk, will a Turkish alliance carry the day?I envy those who have never read Patrick O'Brian: an enormous pleasure awaits you.'Irish TimesWonderfully spacious, generous, funny, intelligent books.'JOHN LANCHESTERTrade Review‘If O’Brian’s novels have become a cult, this is because they are truly addictive. . . They are, quite magnificently, adventure yarns whose superb authenticity never distracts from the sheer thrill of the action.’Caroline Moore, Sunday Telegraph ‘The Aubrey–Maturin novels, by Patrick O’Brian, are so addictive that after I finish one I have to hide the next from myself for a little while in order to do anything else but read.’Louise Erdrich ‘In Aubrey and Maturin, Patrick O’Brian has created two of the most enjoyable characters in twentieth-century fiction. Their relationship sustains an absorbing and thrilling sequence of naval stories, unrivalled in their complexity, full of impeccable detail and psychological insight. O’Brian switches from the intimate to the epic with equal assurance. One of the greatest authors to sail with.’Michael Palin ‘My hero is Patrick O’Brian. It’s basically impossible to write that well.’David Mamet ‘One of the most compelling and brilliant novelists of his time . . . Beyond his superbly elegant writing, wit and originality, Patrick O’Brian showed an understanding of the nature of a floating world at the mercy of the wind and the sea which has never been surpassed.’Max Hastings, Evening Standard ‘I devoured Patrick O’Brian’s twenty-volume masterpiece as if it had been so many tots of Jamaica grog.’Christopher Hitchens ‘Written with most engaging enthusiasm that can’t fail to give pleasure to anybody who enjoys historical adventure flavoured with more than a dash of realism.’The Sunday Times ‘One of the most brilliantly sustained pieces of historical fictional writing this century.’James Teacher, Spectator ‘Patrick O’Brian brings depth to his sea-stories with outstanding dialogue, characterisation, humour and a golden thread of romance. You don’t have to love books about naval battles to become entranced.’Katie Fforde
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Nutmeg of Consolation
Book SynopsisOn foreign shores, and far from home, a friend can become a foe in a heartbeat.Shipwrecked on an uninhabited island in the Dutch East Indies as the Napoleonic Wars rage on, circumstances look far from promising for Captain Jack Aubrey and his crew. And yet, having overcome the odds and contrived their escape, still further peril awaits in the fiercely tidal waters of the Salibu Passage and the penal settlements of New South Wales.What fresh dangers lie over the horizon and will Jack Aubrey prevail?In a highly competitive field it goes straight to the top. A real first-rater.'MARY RENAULTI've read [Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin nautical novel-cycle] three times now, not least for its beautiful portrayal of a long-term male friendship.'ROBERT MACFARLANETrade Review‘If O’Brian’s novels have become a cult, this is because they are truly addictive. . . They are, quite magnificently, adventure yarns whose superb authenticity never distracts from the sheer thrill of the action.’Caroline Moore, Sunday Telegraph ‘The Aubrey–Maturin novels, by Patrick O’Brian, are so addictive that after I finish one I have to hide the next from myself for a little while in order to do anything else but read.’Louise Erdrich ‘In Aubrey and Maturin, Patrick O’Brian has created two of the most enjoyable characters in twentieth-century fiction. Their relationship sustains an absorbing and thrilling sequence of naval stories, unrivalled in their complexity, full of impeccable detail and psychological insight. O’Brian switches from the intimate to the epic with equal assurance. One of the greatest authors to sail with.’Michael Palin ‘My hero is Patrick O’Brian. It’s basically impossible to write that well.’David Mamet ‘One of the most compelling and brilliant novelists of his time . . . Beyond his superbly elegant writing, wit and originality, Patrick O’Brian showed an understanding of the nature of a floating world at the mercy of the wind and the sea which has never been surpassed.’Max Hastings, Evening Standard ‘I devoured Patrick O’Brian’s twenty-volume masterpiece as if it had been so many tots of Jamaica grog.’Christopher Hitchens ‘Written with most engaging enthusiasm that can’t fail to give pleasure to anybody who enjoys historical adventure flavoured with more than a dash of realism.’The Sunday Times ‘One of the most brilliantly sustained pieces of historical fictional writing this century.’James Teacher, Spectator ‘Patrick O’Brian brings depth to his sea-stories with outstanding dialogue, characterisation, humour and a golden thread of romance. You don’t have to love books about naval battles to become entranced.’Katie Fforde
£9.49
Atlantic Books The Cellist of Sarajevo
Book Synopsis'A universal story, and a testimony to the struggle to find meaning, grace, and humanity, even amid the most unimaginable horrors.' Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite RunnerSnipers in the hills overlook the shattered streets of Sarajevo. Knowing that the next bullet could strike at any moment, the ordinary men and women below strive to go about their daily lives as best they can. Kenan faces the agonizing dilemma of crossing the city to get water for his family. Dragan, gripped by fear, does not know who among his friends he can trust. And Arrow, a young woman counter-sniper must push herself to the limits - of body and soul, fear and humanity. Told with immediacy, grace and harrowing emotional accuracy, The Cellist of Sarajevo shows how, when the everyday act of crossing the street can risk lives, the human spirit is revealed in all its fortitude - and frailty.Trade ReviewGalloway's style is sparse, pared down; his prose has the deceptive simplicity of a short story. The work of an expert, The Cellist of Sarajevo is a controlled and subtle piece of craftsmanship. * Observer *Startlingly good... With prose as unsentimental and deadly as gunfire, Galloway superbly captures the tense existence of a city under siege where daily tasks become a gamble between life and death, yet where a single note of music can exert a power equal to any bomb or bullet. * Metro *
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers March
Book SynopsisWinner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and Richard and Judy pick.From the author of the acclaimed Year of Wonders' and People of the Book', a historical novel and love story set during a time of catastrophe on the front lines of the American Civil War.Set during the American Civil War, March' tells the story of John March, known to us as the father away from his family of girls in Little Women', Louisa May Alcott's classic American novel. In Brooks's telling, March emerges as an abolitionist and idealistic chaplain on the front lines of a war that tests his faith in himself and in the Union cause when he learns that his side, too, is capable of barbarism and racism. As he recovers from a near-fatal illness in a Washington hospital, he must reassemble the shards of his shattered mind and body, and find a way to reconnect with a wife and daughters who have no idea of the ordeals he has been through.As Alcott drew on her real-life sisters in shaping the characters of her little women, sTrade Review‘Clarity of vision, fine, meticulous prose, the unexpected historical detail, a life-sized protagonist caught inside an unimaginably huge event. It shows the same seamless marriage of research and imagination.’ Washington Post ‘Brooks’s considerable historical research for “March” is pleasingly lightly worn. Her efforts have borne a rich fruit. It is a big, generous romp that manages to make clever use of “Little Women” without suffocating beneath it.’ Sunday Times ‘A tightly controlled novel in which, you sense, every sentence has been carefully weighed and calculated, and Brooks successfully balances narrative leanness with luxuriant language. “March” is that rare species: a serious popular novel that is not afraid to grapple with big ideas.’ Waterstones Books Quarterly 'Researched with great historical thoroughness, “March” hews faithfully to the spirit of Alcott's original … Louise May Alcott would be well pleased.' The Economist ‘This fascinating, beautifully written book both illuminates Alcott's classic and is a moving, gripping work of fiction in its own right.' Image
£10.44
Hodder & Stoughton Martyr: John Shakespeare 1
Book Synopsis*****Part of the bestselling John Shakespeare series of Tudor spy thrillers from Rory Clements, winner of the Ellis Peters Historical Fiction Award*****'Does for Elizabeth's reign what CJ Sansom does for Henry VIII's' Sunday TimesEngland is close to war. Within days the axe could fall on the neck of Mary Queen of Scots, and Spain is already gathering a battle fleet to avenge her. Tensions in Elizabeth I's government are at breaking point. At the eye of the storm is John Shakespeare, chief intelligencer in the secret service of Sir Francis Walsingham. When an intercept reveals a plot to assassinate England's 'sea dragon', Francis Drake, Shakespeare is ordered to protect him. With Drake on land fitting out his ships, he is frighteningly vulnerable. If he dies, England will be open to invasion. In a London rife with rumour, Shakespeare must decide which leads to follow, which to ignore. When a high-born young woman is found mutilated and murdered at an illicit printing house, it is political gunpowder - and he has no option but to investigate.But why is Shakespeare shadowed at every turn by the brutal Richard Topcliffe, the blood-drenched priest-hunter who claims intimacy with Queen Elizabeth herself? What is Topcliffe's interest in a housemaid, whose baby has been stolen? And where do two fugitive Jesuit priests fit into the puzzle, one happy to die for God, the other to kill for Him? From the splendour and intrigue of the royal court, to the sleek warships of Her Majesty's Navy and the teeming brothels of Southwark, Shakespeare soon learns that nothing is as it seems . . .Trade ReviewThis is a historical thriller to send a shiver down your spine. * Daily Mail *This is a historical thriller to send a shiver down your spine. * Daily Mail *Clements can be seen as doing for Elizabeth's reign what CJ Sansom does for Henry VIII's. * Sunday Times *Clements can be seen as doing for Elizabeth's reign what CJ Sansom does for Henry VIII's. * Sunday Times *John Shakespeare is one of the great historical sleuths. -- Barry Forshaw
£9.49
Atlantic Books Snowdrops
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2011Snowdrops. That's what the Russians call them - the bodies that float up into the light in the thaw. Drunks, most of them, and homeless people who just give up and lie down into the whiteness, and murder victims hidden in the drifts by their killers.Nick has a confession. When he worked as a high-flying British lawyer in Moscow, he was seduced by Masha, an enigmatic woman who led him through her city: the electric nightclubs and intimate dachas, the human kindnesses and state-wide corruption. Yet as Nick fell for Masha, he found that he fell away from himself; he knew that she was dangerous, but life in Russia was addictive, and it was too easy to bury secrets - and corpses - in the winter snows...Trade Review"Snowdrops assaults all your senses with its power and poetry, and leaves you stunned and addicted" Independent, "A superlative portrait... Snowdrops displays a worldly confidence reminiscent of Robert Harris at his best" Financial Times, "Reads like Graham Greene on steroids... Miller's complex, gripping debut novel is undoubtedly the real thing" Daily Mail, "Miller brilliantly showcases Moscow as his novel's strutting, charismatic star... disturbing and dazzling" Sunday Telegraph, "Tight, compelling... A totally gripping first novel" The Times, "A tremendously assured, cool, complex, slow-burn of a novel and a bleak and superbly atmospheric portrait of modern Russia" William Boyd, "Superbly atmospheric...Elegantly written, and spot on its detail" Observer, "A chilling first novel about the slide from relative innocence into amorality. I love the honesty of the writing, and the way the furious cold of a bitter Moscow winter gradually emerges as a character in its own right" Julie Myerson, "Intoxicating... It will whirl you off your feet and set your moral compass spinning... A.D. Miller's sophisticated and many-layered debut novel skewers the relationship between victim and abuser, self-delusion and corruption, love and moral freefall" Spectator
£8.54
Atlantic Books The Incorrigible Optimists Club
Book SynopsisParis, 1959. As dusk settles over the immigrant quarter, 12-year-old Michel Marini - amateur photographer and compulsive reader - is drawn to the hum of the local bistro. From his usual position at the football table, he has a vantage point on a grown-up world - of rock 'n' roll and of the Algerian War. But as the sun sinks and the plastic players spin, Michel's concentration is not on the game, but on the huddle of men gathered in the shadows of a back room... Past the bar, behind a partly drawn curtain, a group of eastern European men gather, where under a cirrus of smoke and over the squares of chess boards, they tell of their lives before France - of lovers and wives, children and ambitions, all exiled behind the Iron Curtain. Listening to this band of survivors and raconteurs, Michel is introduced to a world beyond the boundaries of his childhood experience, a world of men made formidable in the face of history, ideas and politics: the world of the Incorrigible Optimists Club.Trade ReviewExtraordinary... The Incorrigible Optimists Club feels as if you are witnessing the birth of a true, great novelist * Lire *A debut, a door-stopper, a masterpiece * La Parisienne *Powerful, deep, sad and joyful... A debut novel of staggering mastery * L'Express *Masterful... By turns comical, sad and genuine. It captured our hearts. * L'Humanite *A magnificent generational portrait... A novel that occasionally makes you cry and often makes you laugh * Le Figaro *
£11.69
Atlantic Books Purge
Book SynopsisDeep in an Estonian forest, two women, one young, one old, are hiding.Zara is a prostitute and a murderer, on the run from brutal captors - men who know how to punish a woman. Aliide offers refuge but not safety: she has her own criminal secrets - traitorous crimes of passion and revenge committed long ago, during the country's brutal Soviet years.Both women have survived lives of abuse. But this time their survival depends on revealing the one thing history has taught them to keep safely hidden: the truth.A haunting, intimate and gripping story of suspicion, betrayal and retribution against a backdrop of Soviet oppression and European war.
£9.49
Penguin Putnam Inc A Brief History of Seven Killings (Booker Prize
Book Synopsis
£14.82
Penguin Books Ltd The Mists of Avalon
Book SynopsisHere is the tragic tale of the rise and fall of Camelot - but seen through the eyes of Camelot''s women: The devout Gwenhwyfar, Arthur''s Queen; Vivane, High priestess of Avalon and the Lady of the Lake; above all, Morgaine, possessor of the sight, the wise, the wise-woman fated to bring ruin on them all...
£12.34
