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
Penguin Putnam Inc The Secret Chord
Book Synopsis“A page turner. . .Brooks is a master at bringing the past alive. . .in her skillful hands the issues of the past echo our own deepest concerns: love and loss, drama and tragedy, chaos and brutality.” – Alice Hoffman, The Washington PostA rich and utterly absorbing novel about the life of King David, from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of People of the Book and March. With more than two million copies of her novels sold, New York Times bestselling author Geraldine Brooks has achieved both popular and critical acclaim. Now, Brooks takes on one of literature’s richest and most enigmatic figures: a man who shimmers between history and legend. Peeling away the myth to bring David to life in Second Iron Age Israel, Brooks traces the arc of his journey from obscurity to fame, from shepherd to soldier, from hero to traitor, from beloved king to murderous despot and into his remorseful and dim
£15.30
Penguin Putnam Inc The Invention of Wings
Book Synopsis
£15.72
HarperCollins Publishers Christmas Stories Collins Classics
Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.Trade Review‘Dickens demonstrates triumphantly that a meaningful Christmas is possible even in the most contemporary and urban of settings.’ Guardian ‘The Man Who Invented Christmas.’ Daily Telegraph, 1988
£4.81
HarperCollins Publishers Spandau Phoenix
Book SynopsisThe New York Times No.1 bestseller delivers a scorching read' (John Grisham). One of the great unsolved mysteries of World War II is to some people a secret worth killing forThe greatest remaining mystery of World War II will be solvedWest Berlin, 1987: Spandau Prison is being torn down. Amongst the rubble, the diary of enigmatic Nazi Rudolph Hess is found, and the secrets it reveals plunge the world into chaos.The Spandau Diary- what was in it? Why did the secret intelligence agencies of every major power want it? Why was a brave and beautiful woman kidnapped and assaulted to get to it? And why did a chain of deception and violent death lash out across the globe, from survivors of the Nazi past to warriors in the new conflict now about to explode?Trade ReviewPraise for Greg Iles: ‘A scorching read’ John Grisham ‘Iles is a phenomenal thriller writer’ Independent on Sunday ‘An engrossing page-turning ride’ Jeffery Deaver ‘A rarity. A thriller that really thrills’ Stephen King ‘Alarming, believable, and utterly consuming’ Dan Brown ‘Splendidly creepy … compulsive’ Daily Telegraph ‘An incredible web of intrigue and suspense, an avalanche of action from first page to last’ Clive Cussler
£11.39
HarperCollins Publishers Blood and Steel Throne of the Caesars Book 2
Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of WARRIOR OF ROME comes the second book in an epic new series set in third century Rome; a dramatic era of murder, coup, counter-rebellions and civil war.In a world of battle and betrayal men will fight and kill to sit on the Throne of the Caesars.Rome, AD238Emperor Maximinus' reign hangs in the balance. At the helm of an empire that is bleeding manpower and money to sustain his wars in the north, rebellions flare in the far reaches of its territories.In Africa, Gordian the Elder and Younger are proclaimed as the new Augusti. A family descending from the imperial bloodline, they represent a chance for the establishment to take back the empire.In Rome, the first blood of the revolt is shed when an assassin murders Maximinus' prefect and announces to Rome that their ruler is dead and the Gordians have taken the throne. Still bitter at having a soldier from the barracks wearing the imperial purple, the Senate endorses the rebellion: the Gordiani are hailed as Emperors.But as chaos descends on the capital, news reaches Maximinus of the betrayal. A man of war, he acts with decisive brutality and violence. On the dusty plains outside Carthage, bloody battle will determine the fate of the Roman empire.Trade ReviewPraise for BLOOD & STEEL: ‘Absorbing, rich in detail and brilliant’ THE TIMES Praise for IRON & RUST: ‘An amazing story of bloodlust, ruthless ambition and revenge’THE TIMES Praise for Harry Sidebottom: ‘Sidebottom’s prose blazes with searing scholarship’ THE TIMES ‘Superior fiction, with depth, authenticity and a sense of place’ TLS ‘A storming triumph…wonderful fight scenes, deft literary touches and salty dialogue’ DAILY TELEGRAPH
£13.29
HarperCollins Publishers The Mirror and the Light Longlisted for the
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£20.00
HarperCollins Publishers Azincourt
Book SynopsisAn extraordinary and dramatic depiction of the legendary battle of Agincourt from the number one historical novelistAzincourt, fought on October 25th 1415, St Crispin''s Day, is one of England's best-known battles, in part through the brilliant depiction of it in Shakespeare''s Henry V, in part because it was a brilliant and unexpected English victory and in part because it was the first battle won by the use of the longbow a weapon developed by the English which enabled them to dominate the European battlefields for the rest of the century.Bernard Cornwell's Azincourt is a vivid, breathtaking and meticulously well-researched account of this momentous battle and its aftermath. From the varying viewpoints of nobles, peasants, archers, and horsemen, Azincourt skilfully brings to life the hours of relentless fighting, the desperation of an army crippled by disease and the exceptional bravery of the English soldiers.Trade ReviewPraise for Azincourt ‘If Bernard Cornwell was born to write one book, this is it. No other historical novelist has acquired such a mastery of the minutiae of warfare in centuries past. No one else could hope to take Shakespeare’s Henry V, strip it of its rhetoric and tell the unvarnished truth about the Battle of Agincourt’Telegraph ‘A runaway success’Guardian 'Nobody in the world does this stuff better than Cornwell – action set six hundred years ago is a fresh and vital as six days ago, with rough, tough men at war, proving once again that nothing changes – least of all great storytelling’Lee Child ‘An extrordinary and dramatic description of the legendary battle of Agincourt from the number one historical novelist’Hampshire View ‘a vivid, breathtaking and meticulously well research account’Paisley Daily Express Praise for Bernard Cornwell and Sword Song: ‘This is typical Cornwell, meticulously researched, massive inscope, brilliant in execution’ The Sun 'Great action scenes, rich in period detail, are underpinned by a feeling for the passions that shaped the Britain we know today' Sunday Telegraph, Seven Magazine Bernard Cornwell is a literary miracle. Year after year, hail, rain, snow, war and political upheavals fail to prevent him from producing the most entertaining and readable historical novels of his generation' Daily Mail 'Cornwell's narration is quite masterly and supremely well-researched' Observer
£9.49
Alfred A. Knopf Homegoing
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£22.50
Bonnier Books Ltd The Pilots Wife
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£8.99
Bolinda Publishing The Little Friend
Book SynopsisThe setting is Alexandria, Mississippi, where one Mother''s Day a little boy named Robin Cleve Dufresnes was found hanging from a tree in his parents'' yard. Twelve years later, Robin''s murder is still unsolved and his family remains devastated.So it is that Robin''s sister Harriet unnervingly bright, insufferably determined, and unduly influenced by the fiction of Kipling and Robert Louis Stevenson sets out to unmask his killer. Aided only by her worshipful friend Hely, Harriet crosses her town''s rigid lines of race and caste and burrows deep into her family''s history of loss.Filled with hairpin turns of plot, The Little Friend is a work of myriad enchantments by a writer of prodigious talent.
£14.24
Mira Books The Henna Artist
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£14.25
Penguin Books Ltd Warrior of Rome III Lion of the Sun
Book SynopsisDiscover explosive action and white-knuckle drama in the spectacular second instalment in Harry Sidebottom''s vivid five-part series, perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell Mesopotamia, AD 260 Betrayed by his most trusted adviser, the Roman Emperor Valerian has been captured by the Sassanid barbarians. The shame of the vanquished beats down mercilessly like the white sun, as the frail old emperor prostrates himself before Shapur, King of Kings. Ballista vows to avenge those who have brought the empire to the brink of destruction with their treachery.One day, maybe not soon, but one day, I will kill you . . .But first he must decide what price he will pay for his own freedom. Only the fearless and only those whom the gods will spare from hell can now save the empire from a catastrophic ending. Ballista, the Warrior of Rome, faces his greatest challenge yet . . . Praise for Harry Sidebottom <
£10.44
Academic Studies Press On a Clear April Morning: A Jewish Journey
Book SynopsisOn a Clear April Morning, by Marcos Iolovitch, is a lyrical and riveting coming of age story set among early twentieth-century settlers brought to an almost unknown Jewish farming experiment in an isolated corner of Brazil. This autobiographical novel is filled with drama, joy, disasters, romance, and humor. It travels from farms where the crops won't grow to towns where the Yiddish-speaking protagonist falls in love, befriends sons of German immigrants, studies philosophy with the Jesuits, and becomes an important member of Brazil's literary world. This first English edition includes elucidating historical notes on the origin of Jewish farming communities in the U.S., Canada and South America by the translator, Merrie Blocker, a retired U.S. Foreign Service officer.Trade ReviewMarcos Iolovitch's On a Clear April Morning is an autobiography—first published in Portuguese in 1940 with a second edition in 1987, and now introduced to English readers by Merrie Blocker. A series of short memories arranged in twenty-seven chapters of chronological order and without an overarching dramatic arc, the book becomes a chronicle rather than a novel—a chronicle of a specific time and a specific Jewish immigrant experience. Nevertheless, these are often delicately described, and the book is beautifully translated as Blocker manages to transmit the Portuguese into an English that flows naturally even through paragraph-length sentences, successfully keeping the translation as close as possible to the original phrasing without losing the musicality of Iolovitch's writing."—Eva Wissting, Asymptote"An oft-cited fact of history isthat the first Jewish community in colonial America consisted of Jews fromBrazil who were fleeing the long arm of the Inquisition. Beyond that, however,we hear very little of the place where they came from. That's why On a ClearApril Morning, a novel written in Portuguese by the late Marcos Iolovitch,first published in Brazil in 1940 and only recently translated into English byMerrie Blocker, is such an exceptional book. … The book is considerablyenriched by the foreword, preface and afterword that appear in Blocker'stranslation. Yet, even with the enriching efforts of Merrie Blocker and other contributors to the English edition, Marcos Iolovitch is truly and fullyhimself, a writer who wins us over completely."—Jonathan Kirsch, the JewishJournalTable of Contents Acknowledgements Preface to the Second Edition by Moacyr Scliar, 1987 Translator's Preface On a Clear April Morning Afterword Notes References
£16.14
Vintage Publishing Atonement
Book SynopsisIan McEwan is the critically acclaimed author of seventeen books. His first published work, a collection of short stories, First Love, Last Rites, won the Somerset Maugham Award. His novels include The Child in Time, which won the 1987 Whitbread Novel of the Year Award; The Cement Garden; Enduring Love; Amsterdam, which won the 1998 Booker Prize; Atonement; Saturday; On Chesil Beach; Solar; Sweet Tooth; The Children Act; and Nutshell, which was a Number One bestseller. Atonement and Enduring Love have both been turned into award-winning films, The Children Act and On Chesil Beach are in production and set for release this year, and filming is currently underway for a BBC TV adaptation of The Child in Time.Trade ReviewHe is this country's unrivalled literary giant...a fascinatingly strange, unique and gripping novel * Independent on Sunday *Ian McEwan’s highly-charged story of sin and forgiveness is masterfully told. Tense, shocking and heart-breaking in equal turn. * Grazia *Atonement is a masterpiece...it is also an elegy to a time which, however volatile, still had certainties * The Times *A beautiful and majestic fictional panoramaA deft and brilliant exploration of guilt, family and the rippling repercussions of a single moment in life * Red *
£9.49
Vintage Publishing Arthur George
Book SynopsisJulian Barnes is the author of thirteen novels, including The Sense of an Ending, which won the 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction, and Sunday Times bestsellers The Noise of Time and The Only Story. He has also written three books of short stories, four collections of essays and three books of non-fiction, including the Sunday Times number one bestseller Levels of Life and Nothing To Be Frightened Of, which won the 2021 Yasnaya Polyana Prize in Russia. In 2017 he was awarded the Légion d'honneur.Trade ReviewA beautiful and engrossing work * Independent on Sunday *Richly accomplished... Dazzling * Sunday Times *Excellent... Meticulously researched and vividly imagined, both gripping and thoughtful * Sunday Telegraph *From the first paragraphs we know ourselves to be in the hands of a major novelist... A compelling narrative, beautifully controlled... This novel is Barnes at his best -- P D James * The Times *As ever, Barnes serves up a master-class in character observation, lavishing attention on the minutiae of personality, the subtle and conflicting impulses that drive men and women. Barnes seems equipped to write with humour and elegance about anything he turns his attention to * Financial Times *
£9.49
Vintage Publishing The Camomile Lawn
Book SynopsisBehind the large house, the fragrant camomile lawn stretches down to the Cornish cliffs. Here, in the dizzying heat of August 1939, five cousins have gathered at their aunt''s house for their annual ritual of a holiday. For most of them it is the last summer of their youth, with the heady exhilarations and freedoms of lost innocence, as well as the fears of the coming war.The Camomile Lawn moves from Cornwall to London and back again, over the years, telling the stories of the cousins, their family and their friends, united by shared losses and lovers, by family ties and the absurd conditions imposed by war as their paths cross and recross over the years. Mary Wesley presents an extraordinarily vivid and lively picture of wartime London: the rationing, imaginatively circumvented; the fallen houses; the parties, the new-found comforts of sex, the desperate humour of survival - all of it evoked with warmth, clarity and stunning wit. And through it all, the cousins and tTrade ReviewProvides equal does of sex and repression in war-torn Britain with panache and pace * The Times *A very good book indeed...rich in detail, careful and subtle in observation, mature in judgement -- Susan HillExtraordinarily accomplished and fast-moving * Financial Times *It's hard to overpraise Mary Wesley's novel...so tingling and spry with life that put a mirror to the book and I'll almost swear it will mist over with the breath of the five young cousins * The Times *
£9.49
Inanna Publications and Education Inc. Tamarind Sky
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£10.40
Vintage Publishing Nephthys
Book SynopsisBrilliant and meticulously researched I loved it.' Santa MontefioreSister. Rival. Protector. Quiet and reserved, Clemmie is happy in the background. Although her parents may overlook her talents, her ability to read hieroglyphs makes her invaluable at the Egyptian relic parties which have made her father the toast of Victorian society. But at one such party, the words Clemmie interprets from an unusual amulet strike fear into her heart. The beautiful and dangerous glyphs she holds in her hands will change her life forever. Five years later, Clemmie arrives in Egypt on a mission to save what remains of her family. The childhood game she used to play about the immortal sisters, Isis and Nephthys, has taken on a devastating resonance and it is only by following Nephthys' story that she can undo the mistakes of the past. On her journey up the Nile she will meet unexpected allies and enemies and, along with long-buried secrets and betrayals, Clemmie will be forced to step into the light. Reveal the secret symbol of Nephthys when you take off the book jacket. Only available on the first printing. A dazzling debut and an irresistible page-turner. With an unforgettable heroine you cannot help but root for' Susan Stokes-Chapman, author PandoraAn intoxicating tale of adventure and obsession, told in prose that shimmers like the Nile' Emilia Hart, author of WeywardSo beautifully descriptive that I could imagine myself drifting down the Nile with Clemmie. A joy of a book to read' Fiza Saeed McLynn, author of The Midnight Carousel
£15.29
Penguin Books Ltd The Widows Shillings
Book SynopsisLove, Lies, and Survival: The Unforgettable Conclusion to the Cavanagh Family series!Will Kitty and her family break free from the mills of Blackburn and seize their chance at a new life in America?It's been several years since Kitty Cavanagh's life was turned upside down when her family made the perilous journey across the Irish Sea to Blackburn and she became a widow. After facing near destitution she's finally making enough to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.Until, that is, the day she is out rag collecting and finds a bag of coins coins that turn out to be counterfeit and Kitty soon finds herself caught up in a police investigation. If found guilty, Kitty could end up losing everything she's worked so hard to protect.Questioned by charming Constable Westwell, Kitty doesn''t know if she can really trust him. Dare she open her heart to him? But will the truth damn, or save, her?Readers love The Cavanah Family SeriesA really sad story but one of survival through the hard times. The determination of Kitty made a very enjoyable read' 5 ***** Reader ReviewWhat a story, full of hardship for a family of Irish immigrants, proving that above all Family is everything, as it should be!' 5 ***** Reader ReviewA wonderful story' 5 ***** Reader Review
£9.49
Diversified Publishing Junie
£20.95
Troubador Publishing Iceni
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£9.49
Seven Seas Entertainment, LLC My Dear Detective Mitsukos Case Files Vol. 1
Book SynopsisGet ready to solve the case with Japan's first woman detective and her assistant in this Showa-era manga!
£11.69
Zaffre The Stasi Game: The sensational Cold War crime
Book SynopsisThe Stasi and MI6 clash in this gripping Cold War crime thriller, from the award-winning author of Stasi Child.______________________Dresden, East Germany, 1980 - A man's body is found buried in concrete at a building site in the new town district. When People's Police homicide captain Karin Müller arrives at the scene, she discovers that all of the body's identifiable features have been removed - including its fingertips.The deeper Müller digs, the more the Stasi begin to hamper her investigations. She soon realises that this crime is just one part of a clandestine battle between two secret services - the Stasi of East Germany and Britain's MI6 - to control the truth behind one of the deadliest events of World War II.The Stasi Game brilliantly fictionalises the true story of how Britain's wartime leaders justifed the fire-bombing of German city of Dresden, which many have since condemned as a war crime.
£7.59
Simon & Schuster Ltd Mister Wolf
Book SynopsisThe new novel from the author of the highly acclaimed The Butchers of Berlin, soon to be a TV seriesBerlin, July 1944, a world of illicit jazz clubs, sexually generous young women, suspect art dealers, last-ditch zealots and a city defined by crumbling infrastructure, advanced terror, dirty secrets and deep politics — and then there is August Schlegel, caught askance in a web of totalitarian mayhem.Everybody knows what happened on 20 July: Führer Adolf Hitler miraculously survived an assassination attempt when a bomb failed to kill him. Schlegel, a reluctant employee of the Gestapo, finds himself in the foolhardy position of questioning the official version, knowing it is the last thing he should be thinking. Was it a propaganda stunt, or a deception or was something more extreme going on, perhaps a cover-up connected to the mysterious burning down of a Berlin clinic? A deadly political dance takes Schlegel all the way up to Party
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers Mr American
Book SynopsisRepackaged to tie-in with hardback publication of The Reavers' and to appeal to a new generation of George MacDonald Fraser fans, Mr American' is a swashbuckling romp of a novel.Mark Franklin came from the American West to Edwardian England with two long-barrelled .44s in his baggage and a fortune in silver in the bank. Where he had got it and what he was looking for no one could guess, although they wondered at Scotland Yard, in City offices, in the glittering theatreland of the West End, in the highest circles of Society (even King Edward was puzzled) and in the humble pub at Castle Lancing. Tall dark and dangerous, soft spoken and alone, with London at his feet and a dark shadow in his past, he was a mystery to all of them, rustics and royalty, squires and suffragettes, the women who loved him and the men who feared and hated him. He came from a far frontier in another world, yet he was by no means a stranger even old General Flashman, who knew men and mischief better than most, never guessed the whole truth about Mr American.Trade ReviewPraise for ‘Black Ajax’: ‘Mr Fraser is a great historical novelist and in Black Ajax he is at the very top of his form. Damme if he ain’t.’Christopher Matthew, Daily Mail ‘This is not a flashy novel, wearing its learning noisily. It’s rigorous, intelligent, meticulously horrifying. Wonderfully well done.’Nicci Gerrard, Observer
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers Unknown Shore
Book SynopsisThe second book Patrick O’Brian wrote about the sea and a brilliant sequel to The Golden Ocean.Trade 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 ‘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 ‘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 ‘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 ‘The story has in it something like greatness. It is naive, matter-of-fact; tragic, richly funny; closely detailed but with a bold sweeping action. It goes on that very small shelf reserved for authors who, disregarding aptitudes spin a story out of the heart and soul of their experience and the joy of living.’TLS 'As always, the author's erudition and humour are on display…the attention to period speech and detail is uncompromising and while the cascades of natural love can be dizzying, both aficionados and newcomers will be swept up by the richness of Mr O'Brian's prodigious imagination.'Scott Veale, New York Times
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Surgeons Mate
Book SynopsisLoving someone, in a time of war and divided loyalties, can be the greatest risk of all.Ordered home by despatch vessel, Captain Jack Aubrey and ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin have been tasked with bringing the news of the latest victory in the war with America back to the government in Britain. But Maturin is a marked man for the havoc he has wrought upon the French intelligence network in the New World, and the attentions of two privateers who pursue their ship soon become menacing.In this man''s world of seamanship and war, will a dangerous but fascinating woman redress the balance?I have no particular interest in the sailing or fighting of square-rigged ships, but I've never been so attached to any fictional characters in my life.'MAILE MELOYA swelling tide of intrigue and adventure in the best tradition.'GuardianTrade 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 A LONG WAY FROM HEAVEN
Book SynopsisSheelagh Kelly’s famous first novel is also the first volume of her bestselling ‘Feeney’ saga.Trade Review‘Genuinely perceptive portrayals of human relationships’Irish Independent ‘Sheelagh Kelly surely can write’Sunderland Echo
£14.24
HarperCollins Publishers Pay the Devil
Book SynopsisIn his first new paperback for HarperCollins, master storyteller Jack Higgins displays all his customary skills in a heart-pounding adventure with a less familiar setting 19th-century rural Ireland and featuring a swashbuckling new hero.At the end of the American Civil War, Confederate Colonel Clay Fitzgerald escapes to Ireland, where his uncle has left him an estate, only to find that Ireland is caught up in a civil war of its own. The struggle between the wealthy landlords and the impoverished tenant farmers is growing in intensity, and having just fought and lost a terrible war, Clay wants to avoid the coming conflict. But after witnessing the atrocities that the landowners visit upon the people, Clay is unable to stand by. Taking the guise of a legendary night-riding outlaw, he joins the fight against the landlords and wages a rebellion of his ownTrade Review‘Higgins is the master.’TOM CLANCY ‘A compulsively readable storyteller.’Sunday Express ‘Higgins makes the pages fly.’New York Daily News ‘Higgins is a master of his craft.’Daily Telegraph
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers The Wise Woman
Book SynopsisReissue of Philippa Gregory’s disturbing novel of passion and betrayal in Tudor England.Trade ReviewPraise for ‘The Wise Woman’: ‘Compulsively readable.’Andrea Newman, Sunday Express ‘Gregory’s principal feat in this elaborate novel is the irrefutable artistry with which she lends her prose a constant sense of history…Success results from the tense, almost shocking contrast between serious issues – religious doctrine, political integrity, social dynamics – and flights of erotic fancy.’Sunday Times ‘Compelling… Philippa Gregory reigns supreme as the mistress of historical drama.’ Today
£9.89
HarperCollins Publishers The Gate of Angels
Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Booker Prize.It is 1912, and at Cambridge University the modern age is knocking at the gate.Fred Fairly, a Junior Fellow at the college of St Angelicus, where for centuries no female, not even a pussy cat, has been allowed to set foot, lectures in physics. Science, he is certain, will explain everything.Until into Fred's orderly life come Daisy. Fred is smitten. Why have I met her? he wonders. How can I tell if she's quite what she seems? Fred is a scientist. To him the truth should be everything. But even scientists make mistakes.Trade Review‘Reading a Penelope Fitzgerald novel is like being taken for a ride in a peculiar kind of car. Everything is of top quality – the engine, the coachwork and the interior all fill you with confidence. Then, after a mile or so, someone throws the steering-wheel out of the window.’ Sebastian Faulks ‘Wise and ironic, funny and humane, Fitzgerald is a wonderful, wonderful writer.’ David Nicholls ‘A book which delights, amuses, disturbs and provokes reflection, in equal measure. It is a triumph of craftmanship, intelligence and sensibility.’ Scotsman ‘Contains more wit, intelligence and feeling than many novels three times its length.’ Observer ‘Formidable… no writer is more engaging than Penelope Fitzgerald.’ Spectator ‘Penelope Fitzgerald writes books whose imaginative wholeness and whose sense of what language can suggest is magical. Whichever way you twist the lens of this kaleidoscopic book, you see fresh things freshly.’ Evening Standard ‘The book is short and full of activity. The story moves swiftly in unexpected directions. It is inspiring, funny and touching.’ LRB ‘Gilbert could have written this and Sullivan set it to music. It shows an Edwardian university at Cambridge at its eccentric best. There are so many characters that are a delight. So many foibles and so much fancifying. Fitzgerald is the only author I know who regularly gets reviews pleading her to write longer books.’ Daily Mail
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The American Boy
Book SynopsisTHE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER AND AWARD-WINNING RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICKAn atmospheric and deeply absorbing literary historical crime classic featured in The Times Top Ten Crime Novels of the Decade'.England 1819: Thomas Shield, a new master at a school just outside London, is tutor to a young American boy and the child's sensitive best friend, Charles Frant. Helplessly drawn to Frant's beautiful, unhappy mother, Thomas becomes entwined in their family's affairs.When a brutal murder takes place in London's seedy backstreets, it is not certain who either the victim or the killer is. But all clues seem to lead back to the Frant household, and Shield is tangled in a web of lies, money, sex and death that threatens to tear his new life apart.And what of the strange American boy at the heart of these macabre events what is the dark secret of young Edgar Allan Poe?Trade Review‘Hugely entertaining, beguiling and atmospheric’ Observer (Books of the Year) 'A wonderful book, richly composed and beautifully written, an enthralling read from start to finish' The Times (Top Ten Crime Novels of the Decade) 'Creates an atmosphere close to Sarah Waters' Fingersmith … Deeply absorbing and beautifully written' Independent 'A most artful and delightful book, that will both amuse and chill, and it will have you desperate to search out a quiet corner to continue your acquaintance with it' Daily Telegraph (Books of the Year)
£10.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Kaisers Last Kiss
Book SynopsisA fictionalised account of the Kaiser Wilhelm’s last years in Nazi-occupied Holland.Trade Review‘This is a story that shows us how the nastiest regimes are composed of real people. Judd has taken some unlikely ingredients – a bitter, senile old git, a brash young SS officer and Heinrich Himmler -and, briliantly, fashioned them into a touching, poignant story.’ Daily Telegraph ‘A haunting tribute to a near-forgotten figure… and an unusual and intelligent treatment of the Third Reich.’ Evening Standard, Books of the Year ‘Judd’s engrossing tale, rooted in actuality, teases out the mixed responses that can exist between, and within, people.’ Sunday Times, Books of the Year
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers The Queen of Subtleties
Book SynopsisA tremendously vivid, page-turning and plausible novel that depicts the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, the most spirited, independent and courageous of Henry’s queens, as viewed from both the bedrooms and the kitchens of the Tudor court.Trade Review'The Queen of Subtleties’ offers a stunningly refreshing way of retelling an old story. I often abandon historical novels nowadays, but I really could not put this one down. It brings Anne Boleyn to life as never before, and, probably for the first time ever in fiction, Henry VIII emerges as a truly credible character in an authentic setting.' Alison Weir, author of The Six Wives of Henry VIII ‘A remarkable writer, a lyricist of ordinary life and ordinary people transfigured by extreme emotions.' Daily Telegraph 'Suzannah Dunn is that rarity among contemporary novelists: a genuine stylist. Her prose is like truffles – rich, rare, dark, but never cloying.' Wendy Perriam ‘Her ear for the rhythms of speech is unerring, her feeling for the minutiae of experience acute. It takes a good deal of artistry to create the illusion of real life, and she has managed something more difficult still, which is to who us how strange real life can be.' The Times
£10.44
HarperCollins Publishers Patrick
Book SynopsisSet in an era of brutal conflict and turmoil, this epic adventure is the first novel to tell the full story of the slave who became a saint, of the man who rose to the challenge of his time and changed the course of history.In the summer of 405AD, Irish raiders attack the western coast of Wales, carving a fiery swathe through the peaceful countryside. Among the survivors who are rounded up and taken back to Ireland is Succat: an impulsive sixteen-year-old son of a powerful Roman family.Succat is sold as a slave and put to work tending sheep. Repeated escape attempts lead to ever more brutal and savage beatings, until he comes to the attention of Cormac, a young novice druid. The two strike up an unlikely friendship and, as Succat learns the ways of the Irish people, he is given a new name by the druid: Patrick.With a new name begins Patrick's new life: he is married, and returns to his home to claim his inheritance, only to find his father's estate in ruins. So begins a calamitous jourTrade Review‘An enjoyable, sweeping and often touching tale of bravery ’SFX ‘This is a rip-roaring adventure story; the pace rarely flags. There’s scheming, murder and betrayal aplenty’Interzone ‘A vivid historical setting and a lengthy and satisfying plot’Publishing News
£11.69
HarperCollins Publishers The Yiddish Policemens Union
Book SynopsisFor sixty years, Jewish refugees and their descendants have prospered in the Federal District of Sitka, a temporary safe haven created in the wake of revelations of the Holocaust and the shocking 1948 collapse of the fledgling state of Israel. Proud, grateful, and longing to be American, the Jews of the Sitka District have created their own little world in the Alaskan panhandle, a vibrant, gritty, soulful, and complex frontier city that moves to the music of Yiddish. For sixty years they have been left alone, neglected and half-forgotten in a backwater of history. Now the District is set to revert to Alaskan control, and their dream is coming to an end: once again the tides of history threaten to sweep them up and carry them off into the unknown. But homicide detective Meyer Landsman of the District Police has enough problems without worrying about the upcoming Reversion. His life is a shambles, his marriage a wreck, his career a disaster. He and his half-Tlingit partner, Ber
£23.19
HarperCollins The Yiddish Policemens Union
Book Synopsis
£15.99
HarperCollins Publishers A CUPPA TEA AND AN ASPIRIN
Book SynopsisA powerful new novel, heart-breaking but ultimately uplifting, from the author of the classic Twopence to Cross The Mersey.Trade Review‘Records of hardship during the Thirties or earlier are not rare; but this has features that make it stand apart’Observer ‘Remarkable that from so bleak and unloving a background came a writer of such affectionate understanding and unsettling honesty’Sunday Telegraph ‘…should be long and widely read as an extraordinary human story and social document’Observer
£14.24
HarperCollins Publishers The Linden Walk
Book SynopsisThe new novel from the author of A SCENT OF LAVENDER and ONE SUMMER AT DEER''S LEAP follows the secrets and passions of the Sutton family as Britain tries to find its way following the end of World War 2.The war is over, but the battle for happiness has just begun After six long years the Second World War is finally finished. Rationing may remain, but hopes and dreams are in good supply.At Rowangarth, deep in the Yorkshire countryside, there is more good news for the Sutton family and wedding preparations are underway. Lyndis Carmichael has finally won the heart of Drew Sutton, the man she has secretly cherished for years. Still, Lyndis has doubts. Haunted by the memory of Drew''s fiancée Kitty killed during the Blitz she wonders if she can ever take her place in Drew''s heart, and if she truly belongs in the close-knit Sutton clan.And other ghosts still linger. Keth Purvis, back from France after a high-risk mission, is compelled to return overseas to search for the young girl who sTrade ReviewPraise for Elizabeth Elgin: 'A story of passion, faith and class in Yorkshire. Unforgettable characters.'Daily Express 'A poignant, powerful saga that will stay in your memory long after you've read it.'Woman and Home
£15.19
HarperCollins Publishers CAMELOTS SHADOW
Book SynopsisA stunning tale of romance and magic set against the legendary backdrop of King Arthur’s court.Trade ReviewPraise for Sarah Zettel: ‘Powerful … a strong and passionate vision’ Time Out ‘A triumph of storytelling … rich, compelling and exciting’ Amazon
£14.24
HarperCollins Publishers OHARAS CHOICE
Book SynopsisDuty to country, love for family, and a doomed passion intertwine in the last epic novel from the bestselling author of Exodus and Battle CryTrade Review‘He can weave an epic cast of characters into the pattern of a historical plot and make the whole design a solid one’ Tribune Magazine
£11.39
HarperCollins Publishers DAUGHTER OF MINE
Book SynopsisA heartrending and heartwarming saga of the Birmingham blitz, from the author of DANNY BOY.Trade Review‘[Anne Bennett is] blessed with a vivid imagination and a natural aptitude for writing’ Daily Post ‘The beauty of Anne’s books is that they are about normal people and are sewn through with human emotions which affect us all’ Birmingham Post
£14.24
HarperCollins Publishers Souls of Angels
Book SynopsisA classic tale of love, redemption and revenge from the bestselling author of St Agnes StandTrade ReviewPraise for Thomas Eidson and his books: ‘Eidson writes clean and lean, with a hint of sage incense, and can strike a lingering chord’ Kirkus Reviews ‘Compelling…a powerful feat of storytelling’ Irish Times ‘Spare, violent and exciting…recreates an unforgiving world in which a moment’s distraction can prove fatal’ Times Literary Supplement ‘The pace and tension are unremitting, but there’s also time for some heart-wrenching emotion’ Daily Express
£11.39
HarperCollins Publishers HEIRS OF RAVENSCAR
Book SynopsisThe dramatic new Ravenscar novel from the international bestselling author of Woman of Substance.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
£16.19
HarperCollins Publishers Being Elizabeth
Book SynopsisTHE FINAL NOVEL IN THE BESTSELLING RAVENSCAR TRILOGYElizabeth Turner, scion of the fabled Deravenel family, carries the red-gold hair and beautiful English complexion of her ancestors. And it is not just her colouring that she has inherited from Edward Deravenel. Astute and charismatic, she is also bold, daring and fiercely ambitious, with the same ruthless streak.Now, aged just twenty-five, she stands in the position she has dreamed of inheriting the family business, Deravenels. Over eight hundred years old, the company is a bastion of male chauvinism and the challenge that lies ahead of Elizabeth is immense.Cecil Williams acts as Elizabeth''s mentor while navigating the treacherous corridors of power with her. But her greatest ally is her childhood friend, handsome, charming Robert Dunley. Highly intelligent, he is her match in every way and there is a spark between them that is impossible to resist. Yet Robert is already married. When they begin an affair it scandalises those arouTrade ReviewPraise for Barbara Taylor Bradford: ‘The storyteller of substance’ The Times '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 ‘Memorable and moving…a sure-fire winner’ Express
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers A Mothers Blessing In wartime everyone fights
Book SynopsisA captivating saga set on the eve of WW2 in Liverpool, where life is about to change forever for one girl.As war breaks out so too does Molly DeardenMolly is used to living in the shadow of her older sister, June. When their mother died when Molly was just seven years old, June helped their grief-stricken father look after her in their tiny home in the tight-knit Edge Hill district of Liverpool.But as her seventeenth birthday passes, Molly doesn''t realise how much she is going to have to grow up. As the threat of a second world war looms, she must learn to protect herself, her family, and her heart.When hostilities finally break out, Molly finds the courage to enlist in the Women''s Voluntary Service. There, she can help the war effort and finally stand on her own two feet. It''s a terrifying time, but also some of the best days of her life, especially when she meets, and falls for Eddie.The pair live for the precious hours when Eddie is on leave from the Navy and excitedly plan their future together. But then tragedy strikes.Devastated, Molly can take no more. But then the terrible reality of war hits her home town and Molly must find the strength to protect those closest to her heart.Trade ReviewPraise for Annie Groves: ‘An engrossing story.’ My Weekly ‘A stirring and heartrending family saga…Against a backdrop of change when the suffragette movement was coming to the fore, the choices and dreams of a generation of women combine to create this passionate story.’ Liverpool Daily Post ‘Heartwrenching and uplifting in equal measure – a tragic indictment of what can happen when you swap passion for duty. Roll on the sequel!’ Take a Break ‘Exceptionally good within this area, well written and beautifully developed characters.’ Sarah Broadhurst
£13.49
HarperCollins Publishers Some Sunny Day
Book SynopsisForbidden love and family secrets In World War Two Liverpool in the heartrending new saga from the author of Goodnight Sweetheart.Rosie has grown up in the heart of Liverpool''s Italian community, treated as one of their own. With a father away at sea and a mother more interested in other men than her only daughter, the bighearted Grenellis are the closest thing Rosie has to a proper family.But when war breaks out, and Italy becomes the Allies'' adversary, everything changes. The community is torn in two: friends become enemies, neighbours become traitors and Rosie is left uncertain of just who she can trust.As war intensifies, and Liverpool is subjected to relentless bombings, things become more perilous. When a devastating attack leaves her mother dead, Rosie is sent to live with her aunt in Edge Hill. Her father is feared missing at sea and her aunt lets slip a family secret which has unimaginable consequencesFleeing her cruel aunt, Rosie becomes a Land Girl and falls in love with Trade ReviewPraise for Annie Groves: ‘An engrossing story.’ My Weekly ‘A stirring and heartrending family saga…Against a backdrop of change when the suffragette movement was coming to the fore, the choices and dreams of a generation of women combine to create this passionate story.’ Liverpool Daily Post ‘Heartwrenching and uplifting in equal measure – a tragic indictment of what can happen when you swap passion for duty. Roll on the sequel!’ Take a Break ‘Exceptionally good within this area, well written and beautifully developed characters.’ Sarah Broadhurst Bookseller ‘This novel [Some Sunny Day] adds to Annie Groves’ growing reputation as a storyteller…This is an absorbing story, with a delightful heroine’ Historical Novels Review
£16.19
HarperCollins Publishers THE GRAFTON GIRLS
Book SynopsisThe new Liverpool-based World War Two saga from the author of Goodnight Sweetheart is a tale of four very different young women thrown together by war. A unique bond is formed as the hostilities take their toll on Britain.Trade ReviewPraise for Annie Groves: ‘An engrossing story.’ My Weekly ‘A stirring and heartrending family saga…Against a backdrop of change when the suffragette movement was coming to the fore, the choices and dreams of a generation of women combine to create this passionate story.’ Liverpool Daily Post ‘Heartwrenching and uplifting in equal measure – a tragic indictment of what can happen when you swap passion for duty. Roll on the sequel!’ Take a Break ‘Written from the heart’ My Weekly
£14.24
