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 Magnolia Palace
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£14.39
Penguin Putnam Inc The Pilots Daughter
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£11.99
Penguin Putnam Inc That Summer in Berlin
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£14.39
Penguin Putnam Inc A Most Clever Girl
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£11.69
Penguin Random House Group A Map to Paradise
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£21.75
Penguin Random House Group Lets Call Her Barbie
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£14.25
Penguin Putnam Inc The Woman with the Cure
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£14.44
Penguin Putnam Inc Horses of Fire
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£13.49
Penguin Random House Group The Stolen Queen
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£22.09
Penguin Putnam Inc Shoot the Moon
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£21.24
Random House USA Inc I Am Rome
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£15.29
Random House USA Inc Finding Margaret Fuller
Book SynopsisA ?sweeping? (Entertainment Weekly) novel of America?s forgotten leading lady, the central figure of a movement that defined a nation?from the New York Times bestselling author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post?Soul-stirring . . . brings to life the epic and inspiring story of an incredible woman who should never be forgotten.??Kristin Harmel,author of The Paris DaughterIn the company of Ralph Waldo Emerson and his circle of enlightened friends, the young, beautiful, and brilliant Margaret Fuller becomes ?the radiant genius and fiery heart? of the Transcendentalists. She inspires Louisa May Alcott, sparks Nathaniel Hawthorne to create Hester Prynne, and forms close bonds with Henry David Thoreau and Emerson himself. However, Margaret?s soul yearns for more than poetry and drama, leading her on a journey of adventure and self-discovery. From hosting a women-only literary salon in Boston to becoming the first woman permitted entry to Harvard?s library, Margaret defies societal conventions as an activist for women?s rights and a champion for humanity. On the gritty New York streets, she spars with Edgar Allan Poe and reports on the work of Frederick Douglass. And when offered an assignment in Europe by editor Horace Greeley, Margaret becomes the first female foreign news correspondent, mingling with the likes of Frédéric Chopin, William Wordsworth, and George Sand. In Rome, she embarks on a passionate love affair with a Roman count, causing an international scandal. As a mother and a countess, Margaret enters a new fight for Italy?s unification. With a star-studded cast and an epic sweep of historical events, this is a story of an inspiring trailblazer, a woman who loved big and lived even bigger?a fierce adventurer who transcended the rigid roles ascribed to women and changed history for millions, all on her own terms.
£13.49
Penguin Putnam Inc An Inquiry into Love and Death
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£10.79
Random House Publishing Group The Summer We Started Over
Book SynopsisTwo sisters reconnect and pursue their dreams on the beautiful island of Nantucket, overcoming life?s challenges and finding new love, in this heartwarming and hopeful novel by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer.Eddie Grant is happy with her life and her work as a personal assistant to Dinah Lavender, one of the most famous and renowned romance authors in the business. But being a spectator to notoriety and glamour isn?t as fulfilling as she once thought. Thankfully, Eddie has the perfect excuse for a vacation: Her hardworking younger sister, Barrett, is opening her gift shop on Memorial Day weekend, and could use all the help she can get. But going home to the beautiful island of Nantucket means facing the family?s difficult past. Shortly after the death of Eddie and Barrett?s brother, their mother left them and their father made the spontaneous decision to buy a small farm. Eddie stayed there for only a year before her family?s grief threatened to consume her as well, and had been living in Manhattan ever since. Now that she is back, Eddie must face all she left behind: her father?s increased eccentricities, which has led to a house bursting at the seams with books; her sister?s resentment over Eddie?s escape; and a past love connection, one that is still undeniable and complicated, all these years later. But the Grant sisters are nothing if not resilient and capable, opening a used bookstore in their father?s abandoned barn to manage his hoarding, and navigating the discovery of a long-buried family secret that will change all of them forever. In The Summer We Started Over, beloved storyteller Nancy Thayer transports readers with a moving story about family, courage, and the resiliency of young women.
£13.49
Random House USA Inc Summer Light on Nantucket
Book SynopsisA touching novel about parenthood, first love, family bonds, and rekindled relationships from the New York Times bestselling author and beloved Nantucket storyteller Nancy Thayer.Blythe Benedict is content. Her life didn?t end when her marriage did. In fact, she?s more than happy living in her comfortable house in Boston, working as a middle school teacher, and raising four wonderful children. With three of her kids in the throes of teenagerhood and one not too far behind them, Blythe has plenty of drama to keep her busy every single day. But no amount of that drama could change the family?s beloved annual summer trip to Nantucket. Blythe has always treasured the months spent at her island home-away-from-home, and has fond memories of her children growing up there. But this summer?s getaway proves to be much more than she bargained for. Yes, there are sunny days enjoyed at the beach. But Blythe must contend with teenage angst, her ex-mother-in-law?s declining health, and a troubling secret involving her ex-husband. Meanwhile, Blythe reconnects with her first love, her former high school sweetheart Aaden. But their second-time-around romance becomes complicated when another intriguing man enters the picture.It?s all a bit out of Blythe?s comfort zone. This particular island summer may not be as relaxing as Blythe had hoped, but she?s never felt that life has given her more than she can handle?especially when she has the love and support of her family around her.
£22.50
Random House USA Inc It Girl
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£21.25
Random House USA Inc The Quarter Queen
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£21.25
iUniverse Blood Of Montenegro
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£18.99
iUniverse Brotherhood
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£11.99
iUniverse ON A PEDESTAL
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£9.16
iUniverse One Night
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£15.50
iUniverse Tune of the Hickory Stick A Novel
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£21.85
iUniverse Prairie Crossing A Novel of the West
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£15.00
iUniverse John Adair Path of a Patriot
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£13.81
Michael G. Bergen Empire and Tyranny
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£10.55
Michael Walmer Seven for a Secret
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£13.25
The Clearing
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£11.96
Sistership Press Pty Ltd Destinys Gold
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£6.71
Sistership Press Pty Ltd Destinys Freedom
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£6.39
Penguin Random House India China Room
Book SynopsisLonglisted for Booker Prize 2021, China Room by Sunjeev Sahota intertwines the stories of a young bride in 1929 Punjab and a man in 1999 England, exploring themes of love, oppression, and freedom. Sahota's lyrical prose captivates readers in this multigenerational novel set in India.
£11.07
Penguin Books Ltd The Seamstress
Book SynopsisMaría Dueñas''s million copy best-selling tale of adventure, tragedy, love and war, The Seamstress, a Richard and Judy 2012 book club pick.Spain, 1936 and the brink of civil war.Aged twelve, Sira Quiroga was apprenticed to a Madrid dressmaker. As she masters the seamstress''s art, her life seems to be clearly mapped out - until she falls passionately in love and flees with her seductive lover.But in Morocco she is betrayed and left penniless. As civil war engulfs Spain, Sira finds she cannot return and so turns to her one true skill - and sews beautiful clothes for the expat elite and their German friends.With Europe rumbling towards war, Sira is lured back to Franco''s Nazis-friendly Spain. She is drawn into the shadowy world of espionage, rife with love, intrigue and betrayal. And where the greatest danger lies. . . ''María Dueñas is a true storyteller. Read this book and prepare to be transported'' Kate Morton, author of Trade ReviewMaría Dueñas is a true storyteller. Read this book and prepare to be transported -- Kate Morton, author of * The House at Riverton *María Dueñas's ambitious debut belongs to that increasingly rare genre: the historical epic...a richly satisfying novel -- David Evans * Financial Times *A magnificent novel that flawlessly brings together history and intrigue -- Juan Gómez-Jurado, author of * The Moses Expedition *A wonderful novel with intrigue, love, mystery and tender, audacious and clean-cut characters -- Mario Vargas LlosaA literary cocktail that mixes adventure, espionage, glamour, aristocracy and passion * La Vanguardia *How can a novel be both cruel and tender, dark and luminous all at the same time, and keep the reader glued to its pages with a complex, captivating narrative? María Dueñas's novel manages to make this possible with a tale that is destined to become a literary classic -- Javier Sierra, bestselling author of * The Secret Supper and The Lady in Blue *
£9.99
Penguin Books Ltd All That I Am
Book SynopsisAnna Funder, winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize and author of Stasiland, offers a thrilling tale and powerful love story that tells the heroic and tragic true story of the German resistance in World War II in All That I Am.When Hitler comes to power in 1933, a tight-knit group of friends and lovers become hunted outlaws overnight. United in their resistance to the madness and tyranny of Nazism, they must flee the country. Dora, passionate and fearless, her lover, the great playwright Ernst Toller, her younger cousin Ruth and Ruth''s husband Hans find refuge in London. Here they take breath-taking risks in order to continue their work in secret. But England is not the safe-haven they think it to be, and a single, chilling act of betrayal will tear them apart...''The strengths of Funder''s writing are emotional and imaginative. In what she has to say about love, loss and betrayal there is profound truth'' The Times''An oftenTrade ReviewSpellbinding ... there are echoes of the best espionage tales * Sunday Telegraph *A superb novel that transcends its setting. This book is a wonder. Do, please, read it * Spectator *The strengths of Funder's writing are emotional and imaginative. In what she has to say about love, loss and betrayal there is profound truth * The Times *Dora is the most attractive fictional heroine in a long time ... a gripping story of love and betrayal * New Statesman *A seamless and powerful tale ... of individual endeavour and survival that examines universal human themes * Independent on Sunday *A remarkable story told with clarity and precision * Guardian *The subtlety of Anna Funder's novel is in the elegance of her precise prose, and in her painstaking portrait of an ordinary woman swept up in extraordinary events ... The result is a strong and impressively humane novel * TLS *A story of courage and betrayal ... she has captured the atmosphere of what it must have been like to have been at the centre of the left-wing movement in post-war Germany * Evening Standard *Anna Funder proved herself a first-rate reporter with Stasiland - now she appears as a compelling novelist in a dark story of German emigres in the 1930s, struggling to warn the indifferent English against the Nazis -- Claire TomalinThe subtlety of Anna Funder's novel is in the elegance of her precise prose, and in her painstaking portrait of an ordinary woman swept up in extraordinary events...The result is a strong and impressively humane novel -- Ruth Scurr * TLS *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Konstantin
Book SynopsisTom Bullough''s Konstantin is a mesmerising novel about how the imagination can inspire the individual to greatness.1867, Ryazan, a Russian city in winter. Ten-year-old Konstantin, deafened by scarlet fever, dreams of flight - escaping to Moscow, fleeing to the silent stars. And his daring visions, pregnant with humanity''s future, will take him further than anyone could believe.Moving from wolf-infested forests to the brothels of Moscow, from village life to the wondrous Age of Steam, from appalling tragedy to the discovery of a great love, Konstantin tells the beguiling story of a man who imagined the unimaginable: turning the dream of space travel into a reality.As vivid and evocative as Hilary Mantel''s Wolf Hall and David Mitchell''s The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, Konstantin is a story of man, nature, and the limitless power of the imagination. Praise for Konstantin:''ConTrade ReviewKonstantin is that rare creature, the practical dreamer, a hero at the dawn of modernity. Beautifully written . . . a real achievement -- Andrew Miller, author of 'Pure'Mesmerizing intensity . . .daring . . . Konstantin fascinatingly brings us an imagined portrait of a boy turning into a man that refuses to give us any simple solutions * TLS *Enchanting, wonderfully eloquent. A very alluring read * Time Out *A charming novel, sensitively told * Prospect *A magnificent piece of writing ... punctuated with moments of beauty and of fascination * Polari Magazine *Bullough succeeds in translating the science of lunar travel into concrete, apposite and lyrical imagery...Here is a writer with a sculptor's sensibility * New Welsh Review *A convincing account, lyrical yet exact, of the making of a scientist. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky may not be a household name, but the author has set him squarely before us as a living, thinking, ingenious human being -- John BanvilleWonderful. Historical fiction that wears history lightly * Observer *Well-written . . . moving and expressive * The Times *
£11.69
Helm House Valley Of The Kings The 18th Dynasty Volume 1
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£11.45
British Library Publishing The Tree of Heaven
Book SynopsisThe Tree of Heaven follows the fortunes of the Harrison family as the children grow up in the shadow of the First World War and Dorothy's brothers go off, one by one, to the trenches, while she becomes involved with the suffrage movement, and later joins a version of the Women's Social and Political Union.
£9.49
British Library Publishing A General History of the Lives Murders and
Book SynopsisOriginally published in folio size complete with fine engravings, this new collection of Captain Charles Johnson's tales of rogues includes the very best of the bunch, along with decorative plates from the British Library collections.
£17.00
Marion Boyars Publishers Ltd The Distant Lands
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£15.15
Duckworth Books Foretold by Thunder Book 1 in The Book of Thunder
Book SynopsisAnd the war of civilisations shall go on Foretold by ThunderTrade Review'This one unfolds against a broad canvas, the plot expertly controlled, pushing the envelope to the edge and beyond. There's everything I like: action, history, secrets, and conspiracies. You're going to like it too' Steve Berry, author of The Templar Legacy'A cracking good read... a thriller injected with inside nowse as well as well-placed heart-attack inducing paranoia, appealing to all who like their adrenaline rushes fast, engrossing and, at times, bloody' Bookbag, Top Ten Thrillers of 2015'Channeling fantasy, science and even the beliefs of an ancient Italian tribe in a Dan Brown-style action adventure' Islington Gazette'Sensational book. Blew me away. Devoured it in four sittings. Electric paced, action packed, full of fascinating historical facts. Reads like Indiana Jones for the modern age, taking you around the world and back again, dizzy from adventure' Tarn Richardson, author of The Damned'Comparable to Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, Davey's thriller is a fascinating story filled with history's possibility' NewsOK
£7.59
Duckworth Books Stanley and Elsie
Book SynopsisWhen Elsie Munday arrives to take up position as housemaid to the Spencer family, her life quickly becomes entwined with the charming and irascible Stanley, his artist wife Hilda and their tiny daughter Shirin. Elsie does her best to keep the family together even when love, obsession and temptation seem set to tear them apartâTrade Review'An exquisite, lyrical novel' Stephanie Cowell, author of Claude and Camille: A Novel of Monet'Seriously and sensitively imagined, Stanley and Elsie is a work of painterly beauty and deep integrity. Told by housemaid Elsie Munday, the subject of Spencer's painting Country Girl, the story brings to life Spencer's creative and emotional life, illuminating the consolations of art and its costs' Wendy Wallace, author of The Painted Bridge'An intriguing story of artistic temperament, domestic turmoil, and remembrance. Nicola Upson weaves a web of creative and private passions' Katie Ward, author of Girl Reading'A sympathetic and balanced biographical novel... affords a sensitive and valuable insight into the dynamics of the artist's life' Carolyn Leder, Adviser to the Stanley Spencer Gallery and former Trustee
£10.44
Duckworth Books The Master of Measham Hall
Book Synopsis1665. King Charles II has returned from exile but the scars of the English Civil Wars are yet to heal and now the Great Plague engulfs the land. When Alethea is cast out on the streets of London, a longroad to Derbyshire lies ahead of her.Trade Review‘It’s rare for a historical novel to feel so timely’ Jo Baker, Sunday Times bestselling author of Longbourn‘Exciting and immersive. It took me straight into the heart of Restoration England in all its rich and vivid detail. I was gripped! Such beautiful writing too - Anna is a stunning new talent’ Nicola Cornick, international bestselling author of House of Shadows‘Impeccably researched and wonderfully atmospheric, with a heroine you can’t help rooting for’ Frances Quinn, author of The Smallest Man‘A thoroughly engaging romp… By turns entertaining, surprising and thought-provoking, this is an impressive debut’ Jane Johnson, author of The Sea Gate‘A gripping depiction of what people will do to survive, the long-held beliefs and scruples questioned and cast aside as well as the unexpected kindnesses and unusual alliances made. In elegant prose, this enthralling novel puts a human face to the trials, terrors and enduring hopes of the plague years’ Catherine Meyrick, author of The Bridled Tongue'A thrilling and original tale of reinvention! Death in a time of plague is expected. What happens to Abney's heroine Alethea is not. The Master of Measham Hall is a vivid and extraordinary journey of survival, and ultimately an exploration of what we gain and what we lose as we pass through this world' VL Valentine, The Plague Letters‘A powerful and engaging story, full of good characters, satisfying plot turns, and excellent scene-setting. With all the details and insights on offer, it feels like a rich and rewarding panorama of English culture in the 1660s. The transformation of Alethea was wonderful to read, and genuinely gripping’ Richard Hamblyn
£8.54
Duckworth Books The Messenger of Measham Hall
Book SynopsisAs England slides towards invasion by the Protestant forces of Prince William of Orange, Nicolas becomes entangled in conspiracies within King James's court - and soon learns that both truth and love come at a high price.Trade Review‘A great yarn. Recommended!' Leonora Nattrass, author of Blue Water‘Is there anything better than realising a book you adored has a sequel? Immersive, with a cracking plot, The Messenger of Measham Hall draws you in as hero Nicholas seeks answers to questions too dangerous to ask. Full of intrigue and tension, roll on the next instalment!’ Lianne Dillsworth, author of Theatre of Marvels'A gripping mystery full of intrigue with wonderful well researched historical detail. A real page turner with a brilliant twist!' Clare Marchant, author of The Mapmaker's Daughter‘A thrilling adventure exploring complex themes of loyalty, faith and gender. Both a tender coming-of-age story and a tense spy thriller, nothing and no one is as it seems in the mysterious world of Measham Hall’ Miranda Malins, author of The Rebel Daughter‘Beautifully crafted: a portal to the past that feels instantly and entirely real’ A. J. West, author of The Spirit Engineer‘Political subterfuge and family secrets entwine in this tale of historical intrigue. Meticulously researched and alive with intricate period details to savour, I raced through it’ Lucy Ribchester, author of The Amber Shadows'The history is absolutely right, and so is the mystery: every reader is pretty well guaranteed at least two jaw-dropping moments' Ronald Hutton, Professor of History at the University of Bristol
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Queen of the Night
Book SynopsisRecommended by The Observer . . . ''One doesn''t so much read it, as one is bewitched by it. Epic, gorgeous, haunting'' HANYA YANAGIHARA, author of A Little LifeWhen it begins, it begins as an opera should begin: in a palace, at a ball, in an encounter with a stranger, who you discover has your fate in his hands . . . She is Lilliet Berne. And she is the soprano. 1882. One warm autumn evening in Paris, Lilliet is finally offered an original role, though it comes at a price. The part is based on her deepest secret. Only four people could have betrayed her: one is dead, one loves her still, one wants only to own her. And one, she hopes, never thinks of her at all. In taking this role Lilliet is forced to confront her darkest lies but will the truth save Lilliet - or destroy her? ''Brilliantly extravagant'' VOGUE''Terrific'' NEW YORKERTrade ReviewOne doesn't so much read The Queen of the Night as one is bewitched by it -- Hanya Yanagihara, author of the Man Booker shortlisted 'A Little Life'A wild opera of a novel and the perfect summer read: swift, smart, immersive and gorgeous * Guardian *A celebration . . . of creativity, ingenuity, endurance, mastery and grace * New York Times *A more impressive, richly imagined novel I have not read in many years. From its heroine's first entrance, The Queen of the Night grabbed me and kept me rapt as it writhed and contorted its way through love and murder, courtesans and empresses, fates and curses * Financial Times *A masterfully written book. Chee, just, is masterful. I loved this novel -- Roxane GayAn epic novel, brilliantly extravagant * Vogue *Lush and sweeping . . . A moving meditation on the transformative power of fate, art, time, and sheer survival * Publishers Weekly *Sprawling, soaring, bawdy and plotted like a fine embroidery * National Public Radio *It just sounds terrific. It sounds like opera * New Yorker *A night at an opera you'll wish never-ending -- Helen Oyeyemi, author of 'Boy, Snow, Bird' and 'Mr. Fox'An astonishing universe into which its lucky readers can dissolve completely * Karen Russell, New York Times best-selling author of 'Swamplandia' and 'Vampires in the Lemon Grove' *Utterly engrossing. You won't want to miss this * Bookish *A spellbinding story of intrigue and self-reinvention * Buzzfeed *Readers [will be] absorbed until the final aria, waiting to see whom fate will curse and whom it will avenge * Time *Richly researched and ornately plotted * Kirkus, STARRED review *
£11.69
John Murray Press Speak No Evil
Book SynopsisIn the long-anticipated novel from the author of the critically acclaimed Beasts of No Nation, a revelation shared between two privileged teenagers from very different backgrounds sets off a chain of events with devastating consequencesTrade ReviewThat Iweala is a writer of spectacular talent is without question * Observer *A memorable book from an important talent * Guardian *A finely observed coming-of-age story . . . an emotional eloquence that reveals the awful power of love and guilt * Mail on Sunday *The soul of Speak No Evil is the tortuous, exquisitely rendered relationship between Niru and his father * New Yorker *Stunning * Vogue *Tackling race, gender and violence, it's a sharp burst of emotion * Stylist *Speak No Evil is the rarest of novels: the one you start out just to read, then end up sinking so deeply into it, seeing yourself so clearly in it, that the novel starts reading you * Marlon James *A lovely slender volume that packs in entire worlds with complete mastery. Speak No Evil explains so much about our times and yet is never anything less than a scintillating, page-turning read * Gary Shteyngart, author of Little Failure *A wrenching, tightly woven story about many kinds of love and many kinds of violence. Speak No Evil probes deeply but also with compassion the cruelties of a loving home. Iweala's characters confront you in close-up, as viscerally, bodily alive as any in contemporary fiction * Larissa MacFarquhar *A quietly tragic triumph * Financial Times *A craftily written heart-wrencher, it explores what it means to be black and queer in today's USA * Independent, Best LGBT novels to look out for in 2018 *Elegant and elegiac, and evokes Washington DC with subtle power -- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie * Guardian *Uzodinma Iweala . . . reminds his readers of the underlying humanity of his characters, whatever their heritage, race, or sexuality * TLS *Adept storytelling and eye for lucid detail . . . it has the stomach-churning pace of a Greek tragedy * Financial Times *Elegant and elegiac * Bookseller *
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton To Kill a Tsar
Book SynopsisThis tense, gripping novel set in 19C St Petersburg 'confirms Andrew William's place in the front ranks of English thriller writers' (Daily Mail). Shortlisted for the CWA Ellis Peters and the Walter Scott Awards, To Kill a Tsar will appeal to readers of John le Carre, Robert Harris and Alan Furst.Trade Review'Williams contrives an appealing blend of Doctor Zhivago, Conrad's Under Western Eyes and Boris Akunin's 19th-century crime fiction. His ability to bring a past world to life matches Furst's' * John Dugdale, Sunday Times *'This is a dense, meaty affair which pulls off the trick of gripping the reader and bringing a complicated, alien world to life' * Guardian *'He blends historical fact and fiction in a vivid recreation of the world of The Idiot and Crime and Punishment' * The Times *'Elegantly serpentine plotting and finely etched characters confirm his place in the front rank of the new English thriller writers' * Daily Mail *'A very accomplished novel which can be enjoyed as a gripping and moving thriller. Yet it is more than that, for it invites us to reflect on questions of morality, and on that age-old question of when, if ever, violent means may be held to justify worthy ends; whether, indeed, such ends can ever be achieved if the means are inescapably criminal' * Allan Massie, Scotsman *'Exciting . . . an important book for devotees of the spy story' * Shots Magazine *'A gripping thriller set in a world of treachery' * British Fantasy Society *'To Kill a Tsar . . . had me biting my fingernails with the suspense' * Andrew Roberts, Daily Telegraph *'Bravura story-telling... Andrew Williams is the real thing; a writer who can marry popular genres to the sophisticated treatments of political arguments' * Independent *'Williams has done his homework and each setting rings true . . . a well-constructed period thrilller . . . you will get caught up in conspiracy and counter-plot' * Shots magazine *'Sheer escapism . . . To Kill a Tsar is a bold portrait of revolutionaries seeking to assassinate Tsar Alexander II in St Petersburg . . . gripping authenticity' * Oxford Mail *'Authentic, moving, though-provoking, gripping ... as good as historical thrillers get. Don't miss it' * Beverley Guardian *'I was totally absorbed in this very gripping, sensational historical mystery, with a factual basis and with the nail-biting tension of whether the protagonists will be arrested or not. This is only the author's second novel and yet it was shortlisted for both the Walter Scott Prize and the CWA Ellis Peters Award. The depth of research that the author undertook with this book is to be applauded. I was completely captivated by the very tightly plotted depth of this story which I think is the best historical romantic mystery that I have had the pleasure of reading this year. I hope to include it in my top five books of 2011. If you enjoy a marvellously evocative historical mystery then this is the next one to buy if you have not done so already' * Eurocrime *
£10.44
John Murray Press The Meaning of Night
Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award''A novel of fate and free will, forensic detection and blind love, crime and its justifications . . . finely tuned yet extravagantly complex'' Evening StandardA cold October night, 1854. In a dark passageway, an innocent man is stabbed to death. So begins the extraordinary story of Edward Glyver, book lover, scholar and murderer. As a young boy, Glyver always believed he was destined for greatness. This seems the stuff of dreams, until a chance discovery convinces Glyver that he was right: greatness does await him, along with immense wealth and influence. And he will stop at nothing to win back a prize that he now knows is rightfully his. Glyver''s path leads him from the depths of Victorian London, with its foggy streets, brothels and opium dens, to Evenwood, one of England''s most enchanting country houses. His is a story of betrayal and treachery, of death and delusion, of ruthless obTrade ReviewA tale of obsession, love and revenge, played out amid London's swirling smog ... Glyver is an outstanding creation ... Cox lovingly recreates the atmosphere of the period, from grand dinner parties to assignation with ladies of the night ... Yet he never allows period detail to swamp the human drama at the novel's heart' * Daily Mail *'Spellbinding Victorian mystery . . .Dark atmospheric storytelling with wicked twists and turns' * Good Housekeeping *'A handsome slice of Victoriana... a rewarding, sinister yarn wrapped around an austere meditation on fate, faith and privilege' * Observer *'A novel of fate and free will, forensic detection and blind love, crime and its justifications. The atmosphere crackles, but beneath all is a sly sense of humour. The plotting is second to non - a finely tuned yet extravagantly complex piece of clockwork' * Evening Standard *'An unadulterated pleasure. In prose as flamboyant as a bespoke smoking jacket, Cox's metropolis comes to life, teeming with hearty whores and weasily clerks ... As thrilling as a Hansom cab chase and as guilty a pleasure as a nocturnal turn at a gentleman's "introducing house"' * Independent on Sunday *'Like Charles Palliser, Michel Faber and Sarah Waters, Cox is making the Victorian era a switchback ride for the reader's mind... a rich and complicated tale ... a journey into darkness' * Independent *'A brooding, sinister work ... seeps with questions about good and evil, fate, inheritance, love and, above all, faith' * Scotsman *'The pages teem with wit and erudition and the plot thickens like a good minestrone soup . . . Thrilling' * Courier Mail *'An enthralling journey into the depths of Victorian London and the psyche of a man obsessed, Michael Cox's The Meaning of Night will have you hooked from [the] stunning opening line to the thrilling final revelation' * InStyle *'Resonant with echoes of Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens, Cox's richly imagined thriller features an unreliable narrator, Edward Glyver, who opens his chilling 'confession'; with a cold-blooded account of an anonymous murder that he commits one night on the streets of l854 London...Cox's tale abounds with startling surprises that are made credible by its scrupulously researched background and details of everyday Victorian life. Its exemplary blend of intrigue, history and romance mark a stand-out literary debut' * Publishers Weekly *'Impressively fluent first novel' * Sunday Telegraph *'Cox creates a strong sense of place, a complex narrative full of unexpectedly wicked twists, and a well-drawn cast of supporting characters. His language is mesmerizing, and his themes of betrayal, revenge, social stratification, sexual repression, and moral hypocrisy echo those of the great 19th-century novelists. Written in the tradition of Michel Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White and Sarah Waters's Fingersmith, Cox's masterpiece is highly recommended for all fiction collections' * Library Journal *'This is a gripping page-turner for dark winter evenings' * Good Book Guide *'A remarkably entertaining treat which begs comparison with the world of Patricia Highsmith' * Kirkus *'Unusual and remarkable... Key to the convincing nature of this confession is Cox's grasp of the minutiae of the times and the language of the period, so that the reader at times forgets this isn't a contemporary of Dickens' * South China Sunday Morning Post *
£10.44
John Murray Press Sea of Poppies
Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2008''Sea of Poppies boasts a varied collection of characters to love and hate, and provides wonderfully detailed descriptions . . . utterly involving and piles on tension until the very last page'' Sunday TimesAt the heart of this epic saga, set just before the Opium Wars, is an old slaving-ship, the Ibis. Its destiny is a tumultuous voyage across the Indian Ocean, its crew a motley array of sailors and stowaways, coolies and convicts. In a time of colonial upheaval, fate has thrown together a truly diverse cast of Indians and Westerners, from a bankrupt Raja to a widowed villager, from an evangelical English opium trader to a mulatto American freedman. As their old family ties are washed away they, like their historical counterparts, come to view themselves as jahaj-bhais or ship-brothers. An unlikely dynasty is born, which will span continents, races and generations. The vaTrade ReviewRipping post-colonial yarn . . . Ghosh spins a fine story with a quite irresistible flow, breathing exuberant life ... an absorbing vision * Guardian *This is a panoramic adventure story, with a Dickensian energy and scope * Sunday Telegraph *The fantastic Anglo-Asian language they speak is infectious, and the sombre yet uncertain conclusion leaves one eager for the second novel in the trilogy * Daily Telegraph *Massively entertaining and narratively compelling * London Review of Books *There can be fewer more exciting settings for a novel than a sea-tossed sailing ship ... Ghosh piles detail upon detail in a rumbustical adventure * The Times *
£10.44
Joffe Books The Pride of the Morning
Book Synopsis
£14.99
Joffe Books The Wind from the Sea
Book Synopsis
£14.99
