Historical Fiction Books

Book SynopsisA visceral reimagining of 1780s London, showcasing the untold stories of African-American soldiers grappling with their post-war freedom ''Remarkable'' David DabydeenIn the years just after the American revolution, London was the unlikely refuge for thousands of black Americans who fought for liberty on the side of the British.Buckram, Georgie and William have earned their freedom and escaped their American oppressors, but on the streets of London, poverty awaits with equal cruelty.Ruthless, chaotic and endlessly evolving, London forces them into a life of crime, and a life on the margins. Their only hope for a better future is to concoct a scheme so daring, it will be a miracle if it pays off.Bursting with energy and vivid detail, Incomparable World boldly uncovers a long-buried narrative of black Britain.''Adventurous and exuberant . . . a rollicking thriller [that] pulsates with vivacity'' Bernardine ETrade ReviewRemarkable -- David DabydeenAdventurous and exuberant . . . a rollicking thriller [that] pulsates with vivacity -- Bernardine EvaristoA brilliant singular work -- Irenosen Iseghohi-Okojie

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Book SynopsisA beautifully designed graphic novel bringing to life Kitty, Anne Frank's imaginary confidant, as she searches for her missing friend in the modern world. ___________________I had no clue when I came back to life, or how it happened. I just know there was a terrible storm outside the house . . . It''s the middle of the night at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, when a thunderbolt shatters the glass case holding history's most famous diary.Magically, Anne''s imaginary friend, Kitty, comes to life. But when Kitty learns that Anne and her beloved sister Margot died in the war 75 years earlier, she decides to run away, taking the diary with her.Following the path of the sisters all the way to where they met their fatal end, Kitty encounters the European refugee crisis and Anne's legacy. Join Kitty on her journey of discovery in Where Is Anne Frank . . .___________________Praise for Anne Frank''s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation''A stunning, haunting work of art . . . The comedy of the diary - one of the book''s most charming and often overlooked aspects - shines in this form'' New York Times Book Review''Faithful to the spirit and often the language of the diary . . . the beautiful artwork offers a charming and convincing view of Anne on the page'' Economist''A modern classic'' The TimesTrade ReviewFervent, heartfelt and visually wonderful -- Peter Bradshaw * Guardian *Superb . . . Weaves together excerpts from the diary with the quest of Kitty - the imaginary friend to whom Anne addressed much of it - to locate the young writer in present-day Amsterdam -- Wendy Ide * Observer *...fanciful tale that extends Anne’s legacy to the contemporary refugee crisis in Europe and is carried off with graceful drawings by Israeli artist Guberman * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisA BERNARD SAMSON NOVEL''The plotting is masterly, the atmospheric descriptions superb ... absolute bliss'' Sunday TelegraphSummer 1987, the final years of the Cold War. Bernard Samson has been sent to East Germany to make contact with a KGB defector, codename VERDI, who claims to have access to top intelligence secrets. But something goes wrong, and Bernard must struggle to stay in the game. Fighting to keep his job and rebuild his shattered marriage, kept in the dark by London Central, he has no one he can trust, and nothing to depend on but his own faith. This is the first part of the ''Faith, Hope and Charity'' trilogy.''A string of brilliantly mounted set-pieces ... superbly laconic wisecracks'' The TimesTrade ReviewLike lying back in a hot bath with a large malt whisky - absolute bliss ... The plotting in Faith is masterly, the atmospheric descriptions superb. * Sunday Telegraph *A string of brilliantly mounted set-pieces ... superbly laconic wisecracks. * The Times *Deighton's outstanding achievement is the nine-volume series chronicling the life and times of Bernard Samson ... Deighton's Samson trilogies are as much about the elusiveness of human interactions as espionage. Spying is not a secret world sealed off from ordinary life but an extension of the world we all live in. -- John Gray * New Statesman *The self-conscious cool of Deighton's writing has dated in the best way possible; bear in mind that the man was almost single-handedly responsible for brinfging coffee culture to the British Isles. Stone-cold Cold War classic. -- Toby Litt * The Guardian *

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Book Synopsis''The sheer charge of the writing swept me into another world'' The TimesDecember 1943. A group of US fighter pilots is camped at a windswept air base in Norfolk. Their job is to escort bombers over Germany, and each mission could be their last. Among them are cocky Lieutenant Mickey Morse (nicknamed ''Mickey Mouse''), who is almost on his way to becoming a Flying Ace, and reserved Captain Jamie Farebrother, who is starting to fall in love with an English woman. All they have in common is their courage - until the day their lives converge in ways they could never have imagined.''Truly astonishing in its recreation of a time and place ... it is a novel of memory, satisfying on every imaginable level'' Washington PostTrade ReviewIt is a novel of memory, satisfying on every imaginable level, but truly astonishing in its recreation of a time and place through minute detail ... The only way you could know more about flying a P-51 Mustang, after reading this book, is to have flown one. * Washington Post *He writes, as usual, with authority and a superb sense of period. * Daily Telegraph *The sheer charge of the writing swept me into another world all the while I was reading, and now that piece of the past is a piece in my mind. -- HRF Keating * The Times *

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Book SynopsisA BERNARD SAMSON NOVEL''A master of fictional espionage'' Daily MailWhen Bernard Samson is woken in the middle of the night and discovers an injured man on his doorstep, he knows it will only bring trouble. It is the start of a dangerous journey to Zurich, rural Poland and the heart of a mystery that has tormented both him and his wife Fiona since they left East Berlin. Thrown into conflict with his superiors, and forced to question his job and his marriage, Bernard will learn, in the second part of the ''Faith, Hope and Charity'' trilogy, whether treachery can ever be forgiven.''He can still set the nerve ends jangling with a thriller set in the Cold War ... his sense of pace is extraordinary, as is his sense of mood'' Sunday TelegraphTrade ReviewAs fresh and brisk as ever ... a feast to be wallowed in. * Sunday Express *Deighton's outstanding achievement is the nine-volume series chronicling the life and times of Bernard Samson ... Deighton's Samson trilogies are as much about the elusiveness of human interactions as espionage. Spying is not a secret world sealed off from ordinary life but an extension of the world we all live in. -- John Gray * New Statesman *For sheer readability he has no peer. * Evening Standard *Like lying back in a hot bath with a large malt whisky - absolute bliss. * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis''The poet of the spy story'' Sunday TimesA sunken U-Boat has lain undisturbed on the Atlantic ocean floor since the Second World War - until now. Inside its rusting hull, among the corpses of top-rank Nazis, lie secrets people will kill to obtain. The sequel to Len Deighton''s game-changing debut The IPCRESS File, Horse Under Water sees its nameless, laconic narrator sent from fogbound London to the Algarve, where he must dive through layers of deceit in a place rotten with betrayals.Trade ReviewLively, exciting, ingenious. * Observer *Len Deighton's spy novels are so good they make me sad the Cold War is over. -- Malcolm GladwellWhat raises Deighton's genre to art is not only his absorbing characters but his metaphoric grace, droll wit, command of technical detail, and sure sense of place. -- Andy Solomon * Washington Post *Deighton's fiction has stood the test of time. His habitually acerbic narrative voice still has much to say to contemporary readers ... Now a fresh generation have the chance to sample Deighton's wares as Penguin republishes many of his books. -- Vanessa Thorpe * The Observer *Mr Deighton is really something special. * Sunday Times *For sheer readability he has no peer. * Evening Standard *Fleming made spy fiction globally popular, but it took Deighton in the Sixties to make it hip. * The Telegraph *With this, his second bestseller in as many years, Len Deighton really hit his stride. Multiple deceits defy a full plot summary. Suffice to say that with a succession of startling revelations linked by sharp dialogue, the book effortlessly acquires classic status. -- Barry Turner * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis''Deighton is a marvel ... a tale told by an author at the height of his power'' Chicago TribuneWorld-weary agent Bernard Samson is losing control of his personal and professional life. Sent to Mexico to aid the defection of a KGB agent to the West, he has a chance to prove his worth. Instead he is torn between conflicting loyalties, and lost in a maze of double-dealing and duplicity. The second novel in the Game, Set and Match trilogy is a gripping portrayal of a man who can trust no one, not even those closest to him. A BERNARD SAMSON NOVELTrade ReviewDeighton is back in his original milieu, the bleak spy world of betrayers and betrayed. * Observer *Deighton's outstanding achievement is the nine-volume series chronicling the life and times of Bernard Samson ... Deighton's Samson trilogies are as much about the elusiveness of human interactions as espionage. Spying is not a secret world sealed off from ordinary life but an extension of the world we all live in. -- John Gray * New Statesman *Deighton is a marvel ... few authors writing in the rigorous and finite genre of spy fiction have mastered the craft as well as Deighton ... Mexico Set is a pure tale, told by an author at the height of his power. * Chicago Tribune *For sheer readability he has no peer. * Evening Standard *Like lying back in a hot bath with a large malt whisky - absolute bliss. * Sunday Telegraph *Len Deighton's spy novels are so good they make me sad the Cold War is over. -- Len Deighton

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Book Synopsis''A master of fictional espionage'' Daily Mail''In Deighton''s best books - like this one - the narrative glides forward on rollers, and the scenes and characters fit perfectly into place. The result is marvellous'' IndependentMillions of pounds have gone missing, and the Department have sent agent Bernard Samson to Washington to track them down. But this mission is just the start of something far deeper and darker. It will take him from the English suburbs to Berlin, the South of France to Los Angeles and the heart of a maelstrom. In the first part of the Hook, Line and Sinker trilogy, friends become enemies, pursuer becomes victim and no one - not even Bernard himself - is above suspicion.A BERNARD SAMSON NOVELTrade ReviewIn Deighton's best books - like this one - the narrative glides forward on rollers, and the scenes and characters fit perfectly into place. The result is marvellous entertainment. * Independent *Vintage, treble-crossing, East-West intrigue ... written with Deighton's usual punch and economy. * Daily Mail *Len Deighton is the Flaubert of the contemporary thriller writers. -- Michael Howard * Times Literary Supplement *Deighton's outstanding achievement is the nine-volume series chronicling the life and times of Bernard Samson ... Deighton's Samson trilogies are as much about the elusiveness of human interactions as espionage. Spying is not a secret world sealed off from ordinary life but an extension of the world we all live in. -- John Gray * New Statesman *

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Book Synopsis''This is vintage Deighton'' Sunday Times''Spy Line is vigorous and sleazy, psychologically complex and action-packed. And it is always exciting'' Daily MailBernard Samson is a spy on the run. But in the murky streets of Berlin, he knows where to hide. Wanted for an act of treachery he has not committed, he must not only escape the grasp of London Central, but get to the bottom of a tangled conspiracy that is about to change everything. In the thrilling penultimate instalment of the Hook, Line and Sinker trilogy, Bernard''s personal and professional life collide with devastating consequences.A BERNARD SAMSON NOVELTrade ReviewSpy Line is vigorous and sleazy, psychologically complex and action-packed. It is always exciting. * Daily Mail *This is vintage Deighton. * Sunday Times *No one can evoke the city of Berlin better than Deighton. * Sunday Telegraph *Deighton's outstanding achievement is the nine-volume series chronicling the life and times of Bernard Samson ... Deighton's Samson trilogies are as much about the elusiveness of human interactions as espionage. Spying is not a secret world sealed off from ordinary life but an extension of the world we all live in. -- John Gray * New Statesman *

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Book Synopsis''Dazzling ingenuity and cleverness'' Independent''Chilling ... the writing is crisp and brutal'' Daily TelegraphOf all the mysteries Bernard Samson has encountered, the greatest is his wife Fiona. Dedicated agent of the Service and a woman of secrets, she will risk everything to play the long game. As the truth about the decision that shattered their marriage is gradually revealed, the web of deception that has snared Bernard for ten years begins to unravel. In the gripping, tragic finale of the Hook, Line and Sinker trilogy, everything we thought we knew is brought into question.A BERNARD SAMSON NOVELTrade ReviewAll done with the chilling competence we expect from Mr Deighton ... No padding, no slowing of pace, and the writing is crisp and brutal. * Daily Telegraph *Dazzling ingenuity and cleverness. * The Independent *The poet of the spy story. * Sunday Times *Deighton's outstanding achievement is the nine-volume series chronicling the life and times of Bernard Samson ... Deighton's Samson trilogies are as much about the elusiveness of human interactions as espionage. Spying is not a secret world sealed off from ordinary life but an extension of the world we all live in. -- John Gray * New Statesman *

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Book Synopsis''Len Deighton''s spy novels are so good they make me sad the Cold War is over'' Malcolm GladwellAfter six weeks in a nuclear submarine gathering computer data on Soviet activity, the mysterious, bespectacled spy known as Patrick Armstrong is desperate to return home. But when he arrives at his London flat, it appears to be occupied by someone who looks just like him - and he finds himself propelled into the heart of a conspiracy stretching from the remote Scottish highlands to the Arctic ice. Revisiting some of the characters from The IPCRESS File, Spy Story shows military games played out for real, and the Cold War turning dangerously hot. ''Menacing, beguiling ... a vintage Len Deighton thriller'' The Times Literary SupplementA PATRICK ARMSTRONG NOVELTrade ReviewThe spy story at its best. * The Times *His best so far. * Observer *Cool, intricate plotting ... excitement and applied violence ... exactly how entertainment should be written. * Daily Mirror *A cracking story. * Evening Standard *Len Deighton's spy novels are so good they make me sad the Cold War is over. -- Malcolm GladwellAuthentic thrills of chase and capture ... impressive. * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis''The master at his peak'' Daily TelegraphA Russian scientist is defecting to the West, in order to realize his dreams of contacting extra-terrestrial life among the stars. But when an insubordinate British agent and a top CIA operative are sent to the Sahara desert to bring him in, things don''t go to plan. The result is a violent chase stretching across three continents, where loyalties - between spies, partners, nations and lovers - become fatally divided.''Classic, world-ranging, marvellously knowledgeable ... in a word, quality'' The Times''Tightly and complicatedly plotted, so credible in detail'' Financial TimesA PATRICK ARMSTRONG NOVELTrade ReviewThe master at his peak. * Daily Telegraph *Classic, world-ranging, marvellously knowledgeable ... in a word, quality. * The Times *For sheer readability he has no peer. * Evening Standard *

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Book Synopsis''A monumental work ... brilliantly executed'' Daily Telegraph''The pace and tension leave one almost breathless. A frightening yet compelling novel'' Sunday TelegraphPeter and Paul, the two sons of German businessman Harald Winter, are bonded together by a childhood trauma. But as they grow up the brothers also grow apart. When the shadow of the Third Reich falls they become divided by war and their differing ideals - only to meet again years later at the Nuremberg trials. An epic prelude to the Bernard Samson Game, Set and Match trilogy, Winter is a rich, tragic portrait of the fortunes of a family, and a nation, over half a century.Trade ReviewDeighton's research and plotting are as surefooted as ever, while the pace and tension leave one almost breathless. A frightening yet compelling novel. * Sunday Telegraph *A monumental work ... brilliantly executed. * Daily Telegraph *Deighton is a fearless observer of the deceptive human world. -- John Gray * New Statesman *Deighton's most ambitious and subtle book to date, an epic fiction. * Evening Standard *

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Book Synopsis''A stunning spy story ... incomparable'' GuardianIt is the most dangerous secret of the Second World War, one that could destroy Britain''s reputation forever. In 1940, a clandestine meeting took place between Churchill and Adolf Hitler. All records of it have been hidden, and anyone who discovers the truth dies - their file stamped XPD; Expedient Demise. But now what was buried is threatening to come to light, and SIS agent Boyd Stuart must stop it falling into the wrong hands, no matter how high the price.''Deliciously sharp and flawlessly accurate dialogue, breathtakingly clever plotting ... a splendidly strongly told story'' The TimesTrade ReviewA stunning spy story ... Deighton remains the incomparable entertainer. * The Guardian *Exciting and well made. * Daily Telegraph *Deliciously sharp and flawlessly accurate dialogue, breathtakingly clever plotting, confident character drawing ... a splendidly strongly told story. * The Times *The poet of the spy story. * Sunday Times *

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Book Synopsis''Deighton at his best'' Evening StandardSteve Champion - flamboyant businessman, former leader of an anti-Nazi network in the Second World War - is a man surrounded by mysteries. There are rumours he is still in the spying business. And suspicions that his fortune may be built on something nefarious; something he''d rather stayed secret. The Department are nervous, so Champion''s oldest wartime ally is sent to the South of France to investigate. It''s time to re-open the file on yesterday''s spy, whatever the consequences. ''Tough, well-written and extremely readable'' Daily MailA PATRICK ARMSTRONG NOVELTrade ReviewTough, well-written and extremely readable. * Daily Mail *Len Deighton is the Flaubert of the contemporary thriller writers. -- Michael Howard * Times Literary Supplement *Splendid bluffs and lots of pleasing violence. * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisTransport yourself to mid-century New York in this compelling and evocative story of secrets, jealousy and hidden love''BOOK OF THE MONTH'' WOMAN & HOME''DAZZLING DEBUT'' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING''SUPERLATIVE'' RED''SO VIVIDLY EVOKED'' CLARE CHAMBERS, AUTHOR OF SMALL PLEASURES''I WAS GRIPPED FROM THE FIRST PAGE'' SARA COX ''BROKE ME, PUT ME BACK TOGETHER. JUST BUY THIS. YOU WON''T REGRET IT'' 5* READER REVIEW _________1955In an apartment on the Lower East Side, school teachers Dovie and Gillian live as lodgers. Dancing behind closed curtains, mixing cocktails for two, they guard their private lives fiercely. Until someone guesses the truth . . .1975Twenty years later in the same apartment, Ava Winters is keeping her own secret. Her mother has become erratic, haunted by something Ava doesn''t understand - until one sweltering

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewMysterious, menacing, enthralling and mind-bending ... a masterpiece of compression -- Mohsin HamidPereira Maintains is small only in size. Its themes are great ones?courage, betrayal, fidelity, love, corruption; and its treatment of them is subtle, skillful, and clear. It's so clear, in fact, that you can see a very long way down, into the heart of a flawed but valiant human being, into the sickness of a nation, into the depths of political evil. It's the most impressive novel I've read for years, and one of the very few that feels truly necessary -- Philip PullmanGripping and unexpected * The Times *Brilliant ... you'll go on thinking about the characters for weeks * Guardian *A work in the high aesthetic mode, a historical novel cast in delicately evocative prose and filled with witty references to the great figures of modern European literature. In it Italians could examine their political consciences through an artful image of another country's past. The pleasures to be had from Pereira Maintains are rich and varied, but best of all it's very enjoyable * The New York Times *Tabucchi's prose creates a deep, near-profound and sometimes heart-wrenching nostalgia and constantly evokes the pain of recognizing the speed of life's passing which everyone knows but few have the strength to accept -- Alan Cheuse * NPR *A stunningly good novel, and it goes on getting better in one's head after one has stopped reading it - it works as an experience - something that has happened to one, which is of course the proof of great writing -- Diana AthillA brilliant, profound book that also manages to be a thriller -- Roddy Doyle

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Book SynopsisA TALE OF A TRAGEDY SEEPING THROUGH GENERATIONS, AND A FAMILY FRACTURED BY HISTORY AND DESIRE ''Bad Relations is an amazing achievement and one of the most satisfying books you''re likely to read this year'' The Times''Haunting and beautiful... In recent British fiction I can think only of Tessa Hadley who rivals Connolly in exacting such intricate, compelling drama from close-knit families... I don''t often wish a book were longer, but this one I did'' ObserverOn the battlefields of the Crimea, William Gale cradles the still-warm body of his brother. William''s experience of war will bring about a change in him that will reverberate through his family over the next two centuries.In the 1970s, William''s descendants invite Stephen, a distant relation, to stay in their house in the English countryside - but their golden summer entanglements will end in a shocking fall from grace.Half a century later, a confTrade ReviewA ravishing novel from the great family saga-teller Cressida Connolly and an honourable tribute to the past * The Times, Best Books for the Summer *Connolly's vivid characterisation, supple prose and striking imagery sweep you along, in an absorbing and affecting saga that uses one family's story to anatomise the different stages of grief * Daily Telegraph *In recent British fiction I can think only of Tessa Hadley who rivals Connolly in exacting such intricate, compelling drama from close-knit families . . . I don't often wish a book were longer, but this one I did * Observer *Masterful . . . a joy to see it garnering the ecstatic reviews it deserves -- Polly Samson, author of A Theatre for DreamersMoving [and] powerful . . . Connolly's vividly drawn characters grapple with trauma, unkindness and greed in an intriguing novel where past actions reverberate in the present * Daily Mirror *Connolly, like Anne Tyler and Tessa Hadley, is a master of fluidly shifting perspectives, a sharply witty observer of social class, and a champion of imaginative empathy * Daily Mail *Bad Relations is an amazing achievement and one of the most satisfying books you're likely to read this year * The Times *Elegantly written, this subtle, satisfying, well-observed novel is a delight * Country and Town House, Books of 2022 *Another fascinating, moving story from the author of After the Party * Good Housekeeping *This clever novel set across three timelines tells the story of a family haunted by tragedy. A skilfully written, powerful drama * BEST *The plot is neat, tight and unexpected but the novel's deep satisfaction comes from Connolly's total immersion in historical atmosphere and profound understanding of human pain * Literary Review *A gripping story of love, loss and tragic betrayal * Country and Townhouse *What if you could write a novel whose main plot points are a death in combat, a suicide and the breakdown of family relations, and make it beautiful? What if you dared not to show the grimmest bits, but let them happen off-stage, while using elegant, beautiful prose to paint the spaces around them? Cressida Connolly is that brave writer and Bad Relations is her latest masterpiece . . . ravishing * The Times *Haunting * Observer *The characters in Bad Relations are so brilliantly real, so wonderfully compelling at their best, and at their worst, that I can't get them out of my head. A wonderful novel -- Nina StibbeA writer who seems able to peer directly into the human heart -- John PrestonUncanny, evocative, atmospheric * Sunday Times on 'After the Party' *Connolly is a terrifically subtle writer... [she] slyly sweeps her readers into the period drama as tensions tauten between families and social classes * Daily Telegraph on 'After the Party' *Profound and moving and completely original, with a storyline that is completely satisfying. It'll be one of those novels that stays in my mind forever... it's a work of art -- Craig Brown on 'After the Party'I finished it in two days flat and I've never read anything quite like it -- Hilary Spurling on 'After the Party'A wonderfully subtle and interesting account of the Mosley women, with a compelling voice -- Linda Grant on 'After the Party'Fascinating, moving * Good Housekeeping *A gripping story of love, loss and tragic betrayal * Country & Townhouse *A compelling family saga * Sunday Times *

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Book SynopsisA TALE OF A TRAGEDY SEEPING THROUGH GENERATIONS, AND A FAMILY FRACTURED BY HISTORY AND DESIRE''Bad Relations is an amazing achievement and one of the most satisfying books you''re likely to read this year'' The Times''Haunting and beautiful... In recent British fiction I can think only of Tessa Hadley who rivals Connolly in exacting such intricate, compelling drama from close-knit families... I don''t often wish a book were longer, but this one I did'' ObserverOn the battlefields of the Crimea, William Gale cradles the still-warm body of his brother. William''s experience of war will bring about a change in him that will reverberate through his family over the next two centuries.In the 1970s, William''s descendants invite Stephen, a distant relation, to stay in their house in the English countryside - but their golden summer entanglements will end in a shocking fall from grace.Half a century later, a confrTrade ReviewA ravishing novel from the great family saga-teller Cressida Connolly and an honourable tribute to the past * The Times, Best Books for the Summer *Connolly's vivid characterisation, supple prose and striking imagery sweep you along, in an absorbing and affecting saga that uses one family's story to anatomise the different stages of grief * Daily Telegraph *In recent British fiction I can think only of Tessa Hadley who rivals Connolly in exacting such intricate, compelling drama from close-knit families . . . I don't often wish a book were longer, but this one I did * Observer *Masterful . . . a joy to see it garnering the ecstatic reviews it deserves -- Polly Samson, author of A Theatre for DreamersMoving [and] powerful . . . Connolly's vividly drawn characters grapple with trauma, unkindness and greed in an intriguing novel where past actions reverberate in the present * Daily Mirror *Connolly, like Anne Tyler and Tessa Hadley, is a master of fluidly shifting perspectives, a sharply witty observer of social class, and a champion of imaginative empathy * Daily Mail *Bad Relations is an amazing achievement and one of the most satisfying books you're likely to read this year * The Times *Elegantly written, this subtle, satisfying, well-observed novel is a delight * Country and Town House, Books of 2022 *Another fascinating, moving story from the author of After the Party * Good Housekeeping *This clever novel set across three timelines tells the story of a family haunted by tragedy. A skilfully written, powerful drama * BEST *The plot is neat, tight and unexpected but the novel's deep satisfaction comes from Connolly's total immersion in historical atmosphere and profound understanding of human pain * Literary Review *A gripping story of love, loss and tragic betrayal * Country and Townhouse *What if you could write a novel whose main plot points are a death in combat, a suicide and the breakdown of family relations, and make it beautiful? What if you dared not to show the grimmest bits, but let them happen off-stage, while using elegant, beautiful prose to paint the spaces around them? Cressida Connolly is that brave writer and Bad Relations is her latest masterpiece . . . ravishing * The Times *Haunting * Observer *The characters in Bad Relations are so brilliantly real, so wonderfully compelling at their best, and at their worst, that I can't get them out of my head. A wonderful novel -- Nina StibbeA writer who seems able to peer directly into the human heart -- John PrestonUncanny, evocative, atmospheric * Sunday Times on 'After the Party' *Connolly is a terrifically subtle writer... [she] slyly sweeps her readers into the period drama as tensions tauten between families and social classes * Daily Telegraph on 'After the Party' *Profound and moving and completely original, with a storyline that is completely satisfying. It'll be one of those novels that stays in my mind forever... it's a work of art -- Craig Brown on 'After the Party'I finished it in two days flat and I've never read anything quite like it -- Hilary Spurling on 'After the Party'A wonderfully subtle and interesting account of the Mosley women, with a compelling voice -- Linda Grant on 'After the Party'

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Book SynopsisMARIE CLAIRE BEST BOOKS OF 2023''Funny, clever and unexpectedly profound - I couldn''t put it down'' Helena Attlee''It is remarkable how much information she can convey about Kitty's life . . . solely using wall labels'' IndependentPrized, collected, critiqued. One Woman Show revolves around the life of Kitty Whitaker as she is defined by her potential for display and moved from collection to collection through multiple marriages. Christine Coulson, who has written hundreds of exhibition wall labels for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, precisely distils each stage of Kitty''s sprawling life into that distinct format, every brief snapshot in time a wry reflection on womanhood, ownership, value and power.Described with wit, poignancy and humour over the course of the twentieth century, Kitty emerges as an eccentric heroine who disrupts her privileged, porcelain life with both major force and minor transgressions. As human foibles propel each delicately crafted text, Coulson playfully asks: who really gets to tell our stories?''Heartbreaking and funny . . . truly masterful and patient and insane, in the best way'' Leanne Shapton''Wry, humorous, poignant'' SpectatorTrade ReviewFunny, clever and unexpectedly profound - I couldn't put it down -- Helena Attlee * author of The Land Where Lemons Grow *Arch and wholly original, this is a pocket rocket of a novel. The economy with which Coulson manages to capture a life with equal amounts of both vigour and heartbreak is a stunning achievement. An irrepressible and timeless reflection on art, self and female objectification. -- Wiz WhartonA wonderfully clever concept, and a book that lends itself to being read in a single sitting, during which you’ll feel the corners of your lips curl upwards again and again . . . Coulson’s wry, often humorous, occasionally poignant commentary are moments of transgression and longing that show there’s more to our neoclassical heroine than her fine finish -- Chloe Ashby * The Spectator *Brilliant. Christine Coulson's tragicomedy of manners is an immense delight. Condensed into its witty format is the story of a life, a life like some I have known and others about which I have read. Coulson captures her character's gentle decline with the precision of Edith Wharton and evokes the eras she traverses with such clarity, even wisdom, describing a woman's changing (or unchanging) role in the world with an acuity that left this reader astonished time and again. -- Andrew Solomon * author of Far From the Tree *Short, clever . . . it is remarkable how much information she can convey about Kitty’s life . . . solely using wall labels -- Ann Levin * Independent *Heartbreaking and funny . . . Coulson's language is perfection . . . I love the pages of voices, like voices in the galleries, and so many moments made me laugh. Truly masterful and patient and insane, in the best way -- Leanne Shapton * author of Swimming Studies *A delight! This novel's formal audacity is an impressive feat of imagination. One Woman Show is a moving story of privilege, womanhood, and the sweep of the twentieth century told through a single American life. I loved this book -- Rumaan Alam * author of Leave the World Behind *Wildly original…[A] tiny but powerful novel… It’s sometimes snarky, sometimes sad, with enough poignant moments to make me wish it could go on and on. … You can sit down and read it in less time than it takes to drive to the art museum, but you’ll be thinking about it for far longer. If you appreciate truly original structure and storytelling, put this modern masterwork on your reading list. * NPR *Strange, biting, tender, and heartbreaking in turns. AND all at once . . . I read it in one fell swoop. It is brilliant -- Maira Kalman * author of Women Holding Things *A funny and clever take on the interchangeability of women and works of arts as possessions -- Philip Hook * author of Breakfast at Sotheby's *Beautiful, beautiful book . . . the cover is absolutely gorgeous, it would make a delicious Christmas gift * Art Juice Podcast *Coulson tells us Kitty Whitaker’s story stylishly and succinctly through label-length entries * Harper's Bazaar *Compulsive and spry -- Hephzibah Anderson * the Observer *Coulson’s formally inventive, witty novel uses gallery captions to capture Kitty’s journey through the 20th century. At once terse and expansive, this is a literary experiment that intrigues -- Francesca Peacock * the Mail on Sunday *A highly original and imaginative work that captivates and intrigues . . . so brief that it can be read straight through in an hour, but that is not to say it is slight . . . Coulson’s unusual command of language rewards multiple readings * The Irish Times *the writing is clever, witty and deftly – and at times poignantly–executed, and that more than earns One Woman Show its coveted red dot (aka sales sticker) from us’ * Marie Claire Best Books of 2023 *Unconventional… non-narrative paragraphs somehow add up to create mounting tension, with wry social commentary, feminist barbs and psychological insight bursting through the lacquered surface * The Lady *

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Book SynopsisMURDER MOST FOUL OR VENGEANCE MOST JUST?An electrifying retelling from Elizabeth Fremantle - the fierce and fearless story of Beatrice Cenci: prisoner, rebel, saint or sinner?An evocative tale of misplaced love and lust A gripping read which gallops to a crescendo of an ending' Melanie CantorA sensationally powerful novel with a rollercoaster of a story that has the dark logic of Greek tragedy' Andrew Taylor, bestselling author of The Ashes of LondonFremantle never misses. Sinners is a fierce and searing feminist retelling of Beatrice Cenci's life and murder trial' Flora Carr, author of The Tower'Dark, passionate and atmospheric, we predict another screen adaptation' Woman & Home--In sixteenth-century Rome, Beatrice Cenci youngest daughter of a powerful nobleman is destined for a life of gilded insignificance. Wealth talks within the city's grand palazzos, and women must remain silent. Then her brother is found murdered by a rival family, and Beatice's domineering, tyrannical father insists they flee to La Rocca. But La Rocca, an ancient and forbidding fortified castle perched on a cliff, is no sanctuary. The villagers are suspicious of the newcomers, considering their arrival an ill omen. Mysterious and terrible events begin to occur within the castle walls even as Beatrice's father's paranoia grows. Isolated and afraid, she befriends the castle's keeper, Olimpio. Yet their secret attraction is dangerous. Were their affair to be discovered, neither might survive. And betrayal lurks behind every corner. In desperation Beatrice devises a plan, one that will see her risk everything for an even greater love . . . Inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, Sinners is the story of a trapped woman determined to live a free life, no matter the cost. Because for Beatrice Cenci saint, sinner, hunter, prey a woman caged is a terrible thing. --I couldn't put this book down!' 5* Reader ReviewI was on the edge of my seat for this entire book!' 5* Reader ReviewThis was one of the most powerful writing I have read in a historical novel in a while' 5* Reader ReviewPraise for Elizabeth Fremantle:'MAGICAL, THRILLING, WONDERFUL, EXCELLENT. HEARTPOUNDINGLY TENSE AND ABSOLUTELY ENGROSSING. CLEVER, AMAZING AND INSPIRING' DAILY MAILElectric' Good HousekeepingRich in atmosphere and period detail . . . An enticing read' StylistBeautifully written and finely observed' RACHEL HORE, author of A PLACE OF SECRETS'An enthralling tale of power and passion, loyalty and betrayal' ELIZABETH WILHIDE, author of ASHENDEN

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Book SynopsisCOME ONE, COME ALL, STEP INTO THE ENCHANTMENT OF JAZZ AGE CHICAGO AND PARIS IN THE MIDNIGHT CAROUSELThe Night Circus meets Water for Elephants in this enchanting, darkly glittering mystery tale of obsession, revenge, and enduring love.''An atmospheric, evocative adventure across the world. Stunning'' JANICE HALLETT''Took hold of my heart and held me captive'' ANYA BERGMAN''I completely surrendered to its magic'' HESTER MUSSON ''The story spins, flashing with vivid prose, entrancing mystery and knock-you-off-your-feet romance. A magical ride with unforgettable characters at the helm'' CARI THOMAS''Fans of The Miniaturist will enjoy this part mystery, part love story'' RED MAGAZINE- Come children, come children from far and near. Come choose your steed, you galloping knights, to enjoy the fun of the carousel . . .Paris, 1914Detective Laurent Bisset has reluctantly closed a most puzzling case. Fairgoers have been vanishing while riding a dazzling carousel. The only man who could be responsible is behind bars but Laurent cannot explain what happened to those still missing.Chicago, 1920Maisie Marlowe acquires a beautiful, antique carousel, and sets up the Silver Kingdom amusement park. It is a place of delight and wonder until a child goes missing on its most famous ride.When rumours of the Chicago disappearance reach Laurent, he crosses the Atlantic in search of new answers to an old mystery.Together, can he and Maisie uncover the carousel's secret before it claims another?Praise for The Midnight Carousel:''It''s hard to believe this enchanting novel is a debut. A story of loss, love and grief, and of a woman forging her way in the world.'' WOMAN & HOME, EDITOR''S PICK ''What a special story this is. A brilliant, absorbing ride'' AMANDA GEARD ''My favourite book of the year. When I wasn''t reading it, it was all I could think about'' SARAH PENNER''A beguiling mystery and a fabulous love story'' GARETH BROWN''Intricate and enchanting'' FREYA BERRY''I adored it . . . Readers are in for a treat'' MELISSA FU''A lavish tapestry that weaves a compelling mystery into a timeless love story. Breathtaking'' HELEN FIELDS''A truly magical book that kept me reading long into the night'' LOUISE HARE ''Not since The Night Circus have I felt so pulled into a story of the wonders and terrors of which humans are capable. A beautifully constructed ride into a dazzling history that feels utterly real'' KATE HEARTFIELD ''Kept me in delightful suspense about what was real and what was fantastical right till the end. Absolutely magical!'' BUKI PAPILLON ''This is THE author to watch! Wow! Gave me all the vibes that The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern did. I was so utterly immersed in the world that Fiza created . . . An absolute work of art'' - 5* READER REVIEW

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Book SynopsisImmersive, captivating, utterly transporting . . . reading Harriet Evans is like coming home' STACEY HALLSMagnificent. It has that vast sweeping sense of a huge story and such a powerfully compelling world. I enjoyed it so much' MARIAN KEYESA gripping family saga, intertwining two families, two big loves, 60s New York and 50s London. If you love the Cazalets you'll love this' DAISY BUCHANAN*** Every family's story starts somewhere. Alice and Tom's begins here. On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, Alice Jansen collects her treasures the keepsakes, figurines and momentoes that help her make sense of her fragile family. But the next day her heart is broken, and the final treasure, a gift from her father, is lost. Two years later, Alice answers a phone call from a stranger and runs away to New York, and tries to forget her last golden summer at the orchard on the banks of the Hudson. Tom Raven can't understand why he keeps losing so many of the things and people that really matter to him, but he knows for certain that something important is missing from his life. One day, he remembers a forgotten letter and makes a phone call, then leaves Sevenstones, the only place that feels like home, for a strange city . . . An enchanting, unputdownable new novel about two people finding one another and the sweeping family story that follows, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wildflowers and The Beloved Girls. ***Summer is the perfect time to curl up with a big family saga and they don't come much bigger and more satisfying than The Treasures . . . a compelling and richly evocative tale' IRISH TIMES'An absorbing, richly imagined tale of one family's beginnings, and the fates and fortunes that ricochet down through generations. Evans' characters are built to love and root for . . . I was gripped and transported by the lives of Alice and Tom' EMMA STONEX Razor sharp . . . an enjoyable family saga with some modern twists . . . quite delicious' THE TIMESFilled with intricate detail, this book will entrance and move you. Harriet Evans is a master storyteller' KATIE FFORDEHarriet Evans is our go-to author for sweeping cross-generational stories' FABULOUSA pure delight from start to finish. You'll be longing for the next book' GOOD HOUSEKEEPINGThe very definition of escape' VERONICA HENRY[Harriet] has such a skill to draw readers in, and any fans of multi-generational stories will love this one' PRIMAAn absolute treat' REDPacked with beautiful characterisation and atmospheric settings' WOMAN & HOME

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Book SynopsisA heartbreaking, enduring and masterfully told story set in the battlefields of the First World War from the international number one bestselling author Lesley PearseWar threatens to take all she has loved and lived for . . .On the outbreak of war, Belle Reilly''s husband Jimmy enlists and heads for the deadly trenches of northern France. But Belle knows she cannot stand idly by when so many are sacrificing their lives.Volunteering to help battlefield wounded, Belle is posted to France as a Red Cross ambulance driver. There, a tragic accident brings her face to face with Etienne - a man from her past she''s never quite forgotten.Torn between forbidden passion, loyalty and love, Belle is caught in an impossible situation.Will she succumb to the dark forces of this most brutal of wars?Or will fate intervene and finally lead her to lasting happiness?_________''Pearse will pull your heartstrings''Trade ReviewFull of love, passion and heartbreak * Best *Glorious, heartwarming * Woman & Home *An emotional and moving epic you won't forget in a hurry * Woman's Weekly *

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Book SynopsisNobel Laureate and two-time Booker prize-winning author of Disgrace and The Life and Times of Michael K, J. M. Coetzee tells the remarkable story of a nation gripped in brutal apartheid in his Sunday Express Book of the Year award-winner Age of Iron. In Cape Town, South Africa, an elderly classics professor writes a letter to her distant daughter, recounting the strange and disturbing events of her dying days. She has been opposed to the lies and the brutality of apartheid all her life, but now she finds herself coming face to face with its true horrors: the hounding by the police of her servant''s son, the burning of a nearby black township, the murder by security forces of a teenage activist who seeks refuge in her house. Through it all, her only companion, the only person to whom she can confess her mounting anger and despair, is a homeless man who one day appears on her doorstep.In Age of Iron, J. M. Coetzee brings his searing iTrade ReviewIt is, quite simply, a magnificent and unforgettable work * Daily Telegraph *A superbly realised novel whose truth cuts to the bone * The New York Times *A fierce pageant of modern South Africa ... A remarkable work by a brilliant writer * Wall Street Journal *Coetzee is one of the greatest writers of our time ... Age of Iron is taut, ironic, grieving and, finally, astonishing * Los Angeles Times *

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Book SynopsisThe poor boy who made his fortune . . . not just once but twice.Little Jeff Pearce grew up in a post-war Liverpool slum. His father lived the life of an affluent gentleman whilst his mother was forced to steal bread to feed her starving children. Life was tough and from the moment Jeff could walk he learned to go door to door, begging rags from the rich, which he sold down the markets. Leaving school at the age of fourteen, he embarked on an extraordinary journey, and found himself, before the age of thirty, a millionaire.Then, after a cruel twist of fate left him penniless, he, his wife and children were forced out of their beautiful home . . .With nothing but holes in his pockets, Jeff had no alternative but to go back down the markets and start all over again. Did he still have what it took? Could he really get back everything he had lost?A Pocketful of Holes and Dreams is the heartwarming true story of a little boy who had

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Book SynopsisJean Rhys was born in Dominica in 1890, the daughter of a Welsh doctor and a white Creole mother, and came to England when she was sixteen. Her first book, a collection of stories called The Left Bank, was published in 1927. This was followed by Quartet (originally Postures, 1928), After Leaving Mr Mackenzie (1930), Voyage in the Dark (1934) and Good Morning, Midnight (1939). None of these books was particularly successful and with the outbreak of war they went out of print. Jean Rhys dropped from sight until nearly twenty years later she was discovered living reclusively in Cornwall. During those years she had accumulated the stories collected in Tigers are Better-Looking. In 1966 she made a sensational reappearance with Wide Sargasso Sea, which won the Royal Society of Literature Award and the W. H. Smith Award. Her final collection of stories, Sleep It Off Lady, appeared in 1976 and Smile Please, her unfinished auTrade ReviewCompelling, painful and exquisite * Guardian *Brilliant. A tale of dislocation and dispossession, which Rhys writes with a kind of romantic cynicism, desperate and pungent * The Times *Rhys turns a menacing cipher into a grieving, plausible young woman, and one whose story says whole worlds about global mixtures, about the misunderstandings between the colonized, the colonizers and the people who can't easily say which they are * Time *

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Book SynopsisA classic novel of post-war Europe, haunting and timelessly beautiful''The greatest writer of our time'' Peter CareyIn 1939, five-year-old Jacques Austerlitz is sent to England on a Kindertransport and placed with foster parents. This childless couple promptly erase from the boy all knowledge of his identity and he grows up ignorant of his past. Later in life, after a career as an architectural historian, Austerlitz - having avoided all clues that might point to his origin - finds the past returning to haunt him and he is forced to explore what happened fifty years before. Austerlitz is W.G. Sebald''s melancholic masterpiece.''Mesmeric, haunting and heartbreakingly tragic. Simply no other writer is writing or thinking on the same level as Sebald'' Eileen Battersby, Irish Times''Greatness in literature is still possible'' John Banville, Irish Times, Books of the Year''A work of obvious genius'' Literary Review''A fusion of the mystical and the solid ... His art is a form of justice - there can be, I think, no higher aim'' Evening Standard''Spellbindingly accomplished; a work of art'' The Times Literary Supplement ''I have never read a book that provides such a powerful account of the devastation wrought by the dispersal of the Jews from Prague and their treatment by the Nazis'' Observer''A great book by a great writer'' Boyd Tonkin, IndependentW . G. Sebald was born in Wertach im Allgäu, Germany, in 1944 and died in December 2001. He studied German language and literature in Freiburg, Switzerland and Manchester. In 1996 he took up a position as an assistant lecturer at the University of Manchester and settled permanently in England in 1970. He was Professor of European Literature at the University of East Anglia and is the author of The Emigrants, The Rings of Saturn, Vertigo, Austerlitz, After Nature, On the Natural History of Destruction, Campo Santo, Unrecounted, A Place in the Country. His selected poetry is published in a volume called Across the Land and the Water.

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Book Synopsis''As ambitious as it is remarkable. Balances on seesaws of innocence and violence, sanity and lunacy, hilarity and horror'' The Times_____________________________''We will all melt like ice-cream in the sun!''British soldier, East Africa, 1914On the Western Front millions are being slaughtered. But in East Africa a ridiculous and utterly ignored campaign is being waged - one that continues after the Armistice because no one bothers to tell the participants to stop.As the conflict sweeps up Africans and colonials, so those left at home and those fighting abroad find themselves unable to escape the tide of history bearing down on them._____________________________''A towering achievement'' John Carey''Compulsively readable'' Blake Morrison, Observer ''Funny, assured, a seriocomic romp. A study of people caught in the side pockets of calamity that dramat

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Book SynopsisThe beautiful family drama from the international bestselling author of THE MURDERS AT FLEAT HOOUSE and The Seven Sisters series''A beautiful story, brilliantly woven through generations'' 5***** Reader Review''Stunning, enchanting, evocative . . . You can feel the wind in your hair'' 5***** Reader Review''Takes you on a journey . . . Beautifully written'' 5***** Reader Review________How did a secret from 1914 cause a century of heartache? . . .After a devastating loss, Grania Ryan returns home to Ireland and the arms of her loving family.There, she meets young Aurora while walking along the cliffs. Mysteriously drawn to her, Grania discovers that the histories of their families are strangely and deeply entwined.From a bittersweet romance in wartime London, to a troubled relationship in contemporary New York, the two families, past and present, have been entangled for a century.Can Aurora help Grania understand the past, and change her future?Haunting, intriguing and deeply moving, The Girl on the Cliff tells of the triumph of hope over loss.________Praise for Lucinda Riley''Thoroughly addictive storytelling with a moving, emotional heart'' Dinah Jefferies''A brilliant page-turner'' Daily Mail''An absolutely fantastic storyteller'' Katherine Webb''Brilliant escapism'' RedLucinda Riley, Sunday Times bestseller, January 2024Trade ReviewPraise for Lucinda Riley * - *Thoroughly addictive storytelling with a moving, emotional heart -- Dinah JefferiesAbsolutely impossible to put down -- Tracy ReesA brilliant page-turner just soaked in glamour and romance * Daily Mail *An absolutely fantastic storyteller -- Katherine WebbBrilliant escapism * Red *Breathtaking -- Iona GreyAtmospheric, heart-rending and multi-layered * Grazia *One of the strongest authors in this genre . . . excellent historical detail, heart-wrenching romance, and an engaging mystery -- The Historical Novel Society

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Book SynopsisDiscover the heart-warming and uplifting story of a Glasgow tenement urchin finding her way against adversityBorn during the Second World War in Glasgow, Christine Fraser was her mother''s eighth child.Growing up with her siblings in a tiny flat, learning to avoid her hardworking, hard-drinking one-eyed father, making a menace of herself in the streets along with the other urchins, Christine lived an impoverished life but never once cared.Until she was struck down by a terrible illness.Suddenly, her wild days of childhood were over. A long spell in hospital completely changed her life. Now she found herself dependent on others for so many of her needs. And on top of that, her mother and father have died.Yet Christine was always resourceful and never once looked down.She knew that always there, if you looked hard enough, was some blue up above the chimneys . . .Readers are captivated by Blue Above the Chim

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Book SynopsisMuriel Spark was born and educated in Edinburgh. She was active in the field of creative writing since 1950, when she won a short-story writing competition in the Observer, and her many subsequent novels include Memento Mori (1959), The Ballad of Peckham Rye (1960), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961), The Girls of Slender Means (1963) and Aiding and Abetting (2000). She also wrote plays, poems, children's books and biographies. She became Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1993, and died in 2006.Trade ReviewSpark's most celebrated novel * Independent *There is no question about the quality and distinctiveness of her writing, with its quirky concern with human nature, and its comedy -- William BoydA brilliant psychological figure * Observer *

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Book SynopsisNell Leyshon's first novel, Black Dirt, was long-listed for the Orange Prize, and shortlisted for the Commonwealth prize. Her plays include Comfort me with Apples, which won an Evening Standard Award, and Bedlam, which was the first play written by a woman for Shakespeare's Globe. She writes for BBC Radio 3 and 4, and won the Richard Imison Award for her first radio play. Nell was born in Glastonbury and lives in Dorset.Trade ReviewShocking and haunting. Read it, in one sitting * Spectator *Charming, Brontë-esque, compelling, special and hard to forget. I loved it * Marian Keyes *A small tour de force - a wonderfully convincing voice, and a devastating story told with great skill * Penelope Lively *Starts deceptively quietly, describing a life of rural hardships and limited prospects, but bit by bit, letter by letter, it reveals a world of potential that is shattered by human fallibility * Daily Telegraph *Astounding . . . one of the most compelling narrators I've ever encountered * Stylist *It is once in a blue moon that an author creates a voice quite as alive and as startling as Mary's. Leyshon deserves to be showered with awards * Sunday Express *Brilliant, devastating and unforgettable * Easy Living *Spare and beautifully crafted, compelling. Like a love letter to the power of words * Marie Claire *An astounding read. Like the best bits of Hardy's Tess of the D'Ubervilles . . . Mary is one of the most compelling narrators I've ever encountered . . . packs a powerful punch . . . a very British gem * Stylist *I loved it. Charming, Brontë-esque, compelling, special and hard to forget. I loved Mary's voice - so inspiring and likeable. Such a hopeful book * Marian Keyes *Haunting, distinctive voices. Mary's spare simple words paint brilliant pictures in the reader's mind. Leyshon's imaginative powers are considerable * Independent *Leyshon is a master of domestic suspense . . . Slender but compelling, the charm is to be found as much in its spare, evocative style as in the moving candour of its narrator * Observer *

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Book SynopsisDiscover the compelling story of courage, friendship and love from the bestselling author of You''ll Never See Me Again, Lesley Pearse''A heart-warming and evocative tale . . . a real delight to read'' SunCoronation Day, 1953.Molly Heywood slips away from the celebrations and makes a shocking discovery: her friend Cassie is dead and her six-year-old daughter Petal has vanished without a trace.The only clue is a letter from London, where Cassie once lived. Now it is up to Molly to head there and uncover the past that her friend kept so well hidden.The closer Molly gets to the truth, the more perilous her journey becomes.She has given up everything - her home, happiness and a chance at love - all to find Petal . . .But is she also risking her life?________''Epic romantic drama set in post-war London'' Heat Magazine''A narrative that gallops along, this is quiTrade ReviewInternational number one bestselling author Lesley Pearse brings a compelling story of courage, friendship and love in her brand new novel Without a Trace. * from the publisher's description *Epic romantic drama set in post-war London * Heat Magazine *A heart-warming and evocative tale that is a real delight to read * Sun *A narrative that gallops along, this is quintessential Pearse that will delight her army of readers * Daily Mail *Must have * Sunday Express *Yet another great Lesley Pearse novel * Woman Magazine *Evocative, compelling, told from the heart * Sunday Express *Utterly riveting, brilliant * Closer *Full of love, passion and heartbreak * Best *Glorious, heartwarming * Woman & Home *

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Book SynopsisTHE ACCLAIMED TRILOGY FROM THE MASTER THRILLER WRITER''[Philip Kerr''s] Bernie Gunther novels are extraordinary'' Ian RankinThe first three in the Bernie Gunther series, March Violets, The Pale Criminal and A German Requiem are true crime classics that transport readers to the rotten heart of Nazi Berlin, and introduce the cynical, wise-cracking private eye who sought justice within it.MARCH VIOLETSBernhard Gunther is a private eye, specializing in missing persons. And in Hitler''s Berlin, he''s never short of work...Winter 1936. A man and his wife shot dead in their bed. The woman''s father, a millionaire industrialist, wants justice - and the priceless diamonds that disappeared along with his daughter''s life.As Bernie follows the trail into the very heart of Nazi Germany, he''s forced to confront a horrifying conspiracy. A trail that ends in the hell that is Dachau...THE PALE CRIMINALIt is 1938 and Bernie Gunther is back on the mean streets of Berlin with his new partner, Bruno Stahlecker, another ex-police officer. But on a seemingly straightforward stakeout, Bruno is killed, and Bernie suddenly finds himself tapped for a much bigger job.A serial sex murderer is killing Aryan teenage girls in Berlin - and what''s worse, he''s making utter fools of the police. Gunther is forced to accept a temporary post in Obergruppenfuehrer Reinhard Heydrich''s state Security Service, with a team of men underneath him tasked purely with hunting the killer.But can he trust his team any more than he can trust his superiors?A GERMAN REQUIEMIn the bitter winter of 1947 the Russian Zone is closing ever more tightly around Berlin.When an enigmatic Russian colonel asks Bernie Gunther to go to Vienna, where his ex-Kripo colleague Emil Becker faces a murder charge, Bernie doesn''t hesitate for long. Gunther is convinced that shooting an American Nazi-hunter is one crime he didn''t commit.But Vienna is not the peaceful haven Bernie expects it to be. Communism is the new enemy, and with the Nuremberg trials over, some strange alliances are being forged against the Red Menace - alignments that make many wartime atrocities look lily-white by comparison.

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Book Synopsis''One of the greatest books about growing up'' James Wood, Guardian''You girls are my vocation . . . I am dedicated to you in my prime''Miss Jean Brodie is a schoolmistress with a difference. She is proud, cultured and romantic but her educational ideas are highly progressive and even deeply shocking. So when she decides to transform a group of ''special girls'' into the crème de la crème at Marcia Blaine School they are soon known, perhaps suspiciously, as the Brodie set.Introduced to an unsettling world of adult games and curious intrigues, the Brodie Set know that they are privileged. Yet there is a price to pay - they must give Miss Brodie their undivided loyalty . . .''The most gifted and innovative British novelist of her generation'' David Lodge, The New York Times''Spark''s novels linger in the mind as brilliant shards'' John Updike, New YorkerTrade ReviewThe most gifted and innovative British novelist of her generation -- David Lodge * The New York Times *Spark's most celebrated novel. This ruthlessly and destructively romantic school ma'am is one of the giants of post-war fiction * Independent *Spark's novels linger in the mind as brilliant shards -- John Updike * New Yorker *One of the greatest books about growing up -- James Wood * Guardian *"Clever and elegant" is very acute as a catch-all description of Muriel Spark's appeal -- William Boyd * Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisFor lovers of Sherlock, Shardlake and Ripper Street. A gripping and pulse-racing mystery thriller with a great detective double act. ''Splendid, enthralling, an exotic mystery that captivated me.'' Bernard CornwellCalcutta 1837. Young officer William Avery is tasked by his employers-the East India Company-with tracking down disgraced poet and spy Xavier Mountstuart, lost in the jungles of central India. Accompanied by the dissolute and mysterious Jeremiah Blake, Avery is sure the mission is doomed. When their search leads them into Kali-worshipping Thug territory, the pair are soon fighting for their lives, but impelled to solve the horrifying mystery behind their mission. With death and danger on every side, is it too late for them to save themselves?Shortlisted for the John Creasey New Blood Dagger for Best Debut Crime novel of the year 2014, and the HWA Debut Crown for Best Historical Novel 2015, Longlisted for the Theakston''s Old

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Book SynopsisThe Rain Before it Falls - Jonathan Coe''s heartbreaking novel of family secretsDeeply moving and compelling, The Rain Before it Falls is the story of three generations of one family riven by tragedy. When Rosamund, a reluctant bearer of family secrets, dies suddenly, a mystery is left for her niece Gill to unravel. Some photograph albums and tapes point towards a blind girl named Imogen whom no one has seen in twenty years. The search for Imogen and the truth of her inheritance becomes a shocking story of mothers and daughters and of how sadness, like a musical refrain, may haunt us down the years.''Spectacular, heartbreaking, beautifully written. Rosamund''s story is one of the most extraordinary and compelling you will ever read. Impossible to put down, I loved every minute of it'' Sunday Express''A sad, often very moving story of mothers and daughters'' Guardian''Entirely compelling...the plot will keep you rapt...reminiscent of Ian McEwan at his most effective'' New Statesman Jonathan Coe''s novels are filled with moving, astute observations of life and love, and are written with a revealing honesty that has captivated a generation of readers. His other titles, The Accidental Woman, The Rotters'' Club (winner of the Everyman Wodehouse prize), The Closed Circle, The Dwarves of Death, The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim, The House of Sleep (winner of the 1998 Prix Médicis Étranger), A Touch of Love, What a Carve Up! (winner of the 1995 John Llewellyn Rhys Prize), Middle England (Costa Novel Award), Mr Wilder and Me and Bournville are all available in Penguin paperback. Written with his signature wit, Jonathan Coe''s unmissable new novel, The Proof of My Innocence, is available to order now!Trade ReviewSpectacular, heartbreaking, beautifully written. Rosamund's story is one of the most extraordinary and compelling you will ever read. Impossible to put down, I loved every minute of it * Sunday Express *Entirely compelling . . . the plot will keep you rapt . . . reminiscent of Ian McEwan at his most effective * New Statesman *A sad, often very moving story of mothers and daughters * Guardian *A hauntingly melancholy tale of love and loss...a moving exploration of the inheritance of unhappiness, and the devestating consequences it can have for future generations * Daily Mail *Potent and melancholy, like a short, sad song * Guardian *A male writer who can enter such traditionally female territory and aquit himself with such aplomb * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisNineteen-year-old Gwendolyn Hooper is newly married to a rich and charming widower, eager to join him on his tea plantation, determined to be the perfect wife and mother.But life in Ceylon is not what Gwen expected. The plantation workers are resentful, the neighbours treacherous. And there are clues to the past - a dusty trunk of dresses, an overgrown gravestone in the grounds - that her husband refuses to discuss.Just as Gwen finds her feet, disaster strikes. She faces a terrible choice, hiding the truth from almost everyone, but a secret this big can''t stay buried forever . . .Trade ReviewMy ideal read; mystery, love, heart-break and joy - I couldn't put it down -- Santa MontefioreBeautifully written and heart rending, this has a magical setting with a real sense of period. -- Katie FfordeA gloriously atmospheric and tension-filled novel that centres on the separation of a mother and her child. Immensely enjoyable, poignant and compelling -- Isabel WolffVibrant and compelling - Dinah Jefferies perfectly captures the flavour of colonial Ceylon -- Rosanna LeyI was spellbound from beginning to end -- Deborah RodriguezA wonderful book, deeply touching and an unforgettable read that swept me away. I loved it. -- Kate FurnivallDark secrets lie at every turn, hidden beneath layers of 1920s racism and the fearfulness of a crumbling colonial power, making for a thoroughly gripping tale. But what I loved most of all. . . is the moving way in which Dinah writes about the loss of children and the redemptive power of love. -- Liz TrenowA terrific emotional and atmospheric read -- Elizabeth BuchanDeeply atmospheric and utterly engrossing -- Lucy CruickshanksRich and incredibly evocative, historical fiction at its best...it's just spellbinding * Sunday Express *A full-blown escape into the past * Independent *A gripping tale of love, jealousy, greed and tragedy * Woman and Home *

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Book Synopsis**SHORTLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE 2018**''A surprisingly touching account of hidden lives forced out of the shadows'' Sunday TimesOne day in 1940 Rene Hargreaves walks out on her family and the city to take a position as a Land Girl at the remote Starlight farm. There she will live with and help lonely farmer Elsie Boston.At first Elsie and Rene are unsure of one another - strangers from different worlds. But over time they each come to depend on the other. They become inseparable.Until the day a visitor from Rene''s past arrives and their careful, secluded life is thrown into confusion. Suddenly, all they have built together is threatened. What will they do to protect themselves? And are they prepared for the consequences?''So lovely, gentle yet enthralling'' Claire Fuller''Quietly beautiful and brilliant. This is no bucolic idyll but an unfolding of a plot that constantly twists andTrade ReviewA surprisingly touching account of hidden lives forced out of the shadows * Sunday Times *Part period piece, part courtroom drama, this is also a touching love story * Daily Mail *So lovely, gentle yet enthralling * Claire Fuller *Quietly gripping and intriguing * Elizabeth Buchan *Skilful, persuasive, thoroughly enjoyable, unexpected * Penelope Lively *A breathtaking debut * Prima *A vivid exploration of family secrets uncovered and the effects of trauma, as well as a war story about women doing whatever they had to do to survive * Irish Times *Astonishingly, this is Rachel Malik's debut, and her handling of the richness and simplicity of this story of farming life suggests that she is on the brink of a distinguished literary career * Judges of the Walter Scott Prize 2018 *

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Book SynopsisThe classic World War One novel, available as a Penguin Essential for the first time.Alec and Jerry shouldn''t have been friends: Alec''s life was one of privilege, while Jerry''s was one of toil. But this hardly mattered to two young men whose shared love of horses brought them together and whose whole lives lay ahead of them.When war breaks out in 1914, both Jerry and Alec sign up - yet for quite different reasons. On the fields of Flanders they find themselves standing together, but once again divided: as officer and enlisted man. And it is there, surrounded by mud and chaos and death, that one of them makes a fateful decision whose consequences will test their friendship and loyalty to breaking point.

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Book SynopsisFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE GOOD LIAR, SOON TO BE A MAJOR FILM ''Unbearably tense'' Daily Telegraph ''While her husband prepared to murder a young man he had never met, Bridget O''Neill completed her packing for Christmas with her in-laws.''Francis O''Neill is a terrorist, trained to kill for his cause. Bridget is his wife, expected to be loyal and stand by her husband. She has learned not to hope for much more, until the day she glimpses, for the first time, the chance of a new life. A life without violence, without secrets, and without knocks on the door in the dead of night. A life without her husband.But what if freedom for Bridget means grave danger for Francis? In A Traitor in the Family, bestselling author, Nicholas Searle, tells a story of shocking, intimate betrayal. Can a treacherous act of the most personal kind ever be, in this darkly violent world, an act of mercy?''It reTrade ReviewIn its subtlety it reminded me strongly of John le Carré's wonderful A Small Town in Germany, which also brought home the delicate confusions that lie at the heart of those who work in the shadow of treachery. This is high praise * Daily Mail *Unbearably tense... this is a snapshot of the real world from a man who has lived it * Daily Telegraph *The follow-up to Searle's acclaimed 2015 debut The Good Liar, and the technical aspects of thriller writing are well handled as the tension builds on both sides * Guardian *[A] tale of sordid compromises and agonising choices ... beneath the betrayals and violence Searle's antihero's dilemma unleashes lies a moral message: even the hardest heart is made vulnerable by love' * Observer *The Good Liar was excellent but this book feels more personal and is even better * Sunday Express *Morally chewy and unbearably tense * Daily Telegraph *This is one of those thrillers whose thrills come not just from a fast-paced plot, but also from the fact that we're being given privileged access to a hidden world * Reader's Digest *A taut, compulsive thriller with a dark, intriguing heart. A Mr Ripley for our time -- Jonathan Freedland on 'The Good Liar'A part-thriller, part-human condition novel that packs a tremendous punch -- Financial Times on 'The Good Liar'Added to the fiendishly clever plot, Searle's writing is both drily amusing and elegantly crafted. An absolute treat of a book -- Daily Mail on 'The Good Liar'An incredibly dark, taut thriller... Think of Ruth Rendell morphing into John le Carré -- Daily Express on 'The Good Liar'Searle shows a gift for complex plotting -- Daily Telegraph on 'The Good Liar'Nicholas Searle drew on his own background in intelligence to portray an IRA terrorist and his wife forced into different types of betrayal * Daily Mail Books of the Year *

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