Narrative theme: interior life / psychological fiction
Hodder & Stoughton MR Gandys Grand Tour
Book SynopsisTimothy Gandy has kept his lifetime''s ambition secret for forty years.Now, suddenly (if tragically) released from the hen-pecked tedium of his ordinary existence, he is unexpectedly free to realize his dreams.He will embark on a Grand Tour of Europe, following in the footsteps of the aristocrats of the eighteenth century.He anticipates high art, culture and pleasant weather. He never expected to encounter new friendships - and possibly even love - along the way. It seems that Mr Gandy has embarked on the journey of a lifetime . . .READERS ARE LOVING MR GANDY''S GRAND TOUR:''Another heartwarming story from Alan Titchmarsh'' - 5 STARS''Well worth reading'' - 5 STARS''What a sweet tale this was'' - 5 STARS''Loved it!'' - 5 STARS''Enchanting'' - 5 STARSTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR ALAN TITCHMARSH:A perfect love story * Katie Fforde on THE HAUNTING *It's just brilliant - full of poetry * Jilly Cooper on THE SCARLET NIGHTINGALE *A pleasurable read which fans will lap up * Daily Mail *The story brims with intrigue * Daily Express on THE HAUNTING *Art, antiques and romance are the ingredients: Titchmarsh boils the pot to a fine froth. * Saga Magazine on THE FOLLY *
£8.99
Vintage Publishing What Red Was: ‘One of the most powerful debuts
Book Synopsis'An urgent story told beautifully' - Dolly Alderton'Gripping, unflinching and elegant' - Sophie MackintoshA powerful, unforgettable story about modern love, privilege and a young woman's journey after her life falls apart.******When Kate meets Max in the first week of university, a life-changing friendship begins. Over the next four years, the two become inseparable. But loving Max means knowing his family: the wealthy Rippons, all generosity, social ease and quiet repression.Theirs is not Kate's world, and yet she finds herself drawn quickly into their gilded lives, and the secrets that lie beneath. Until one summer evening at the Rippons' home, just after graduation, her life is shattered in a bedroom while a party goes on downstairs.******An Observer Hottest-Tipped Debut Novelist and Elle One To Watch'Unforgettable...subversive and sophisticated' Elle'Outstanding...brilliantly told' Observer'A writer with a voice as fresh as new paint... Beautiful' The Times'One of the most powerful debuts you'll ever read' Stylist'Scorching and original' Sunday Times, Style'Dazzling... Enthralling' Alexandra Kleeman'Unputdownable... A powerful and haunting tale' Independent'If you like David Nicholls, Elizabeth Day, Donna Tartt...it's exceptional' Pandora Sykes'Compelling... Price's prose glimmers' Mail on SundayTrade ReviewMoving, vivid, confronting and bold, What Red Was is an urgent story told beautifully * Dolly Alderton *Subversive and sophisticated… [Rosie Price’s] exploration of sexual violence and class makes for an unforgettable read * Elle, **Books to Look Out for in 2019** *Bringing together themes of survival, agency, complicity, self-denial and, ultimately, courage, this assured book is one of the most powerful debuts you’ll ever read. * Stylist *An incredibly nuanced exploration of the complexities of sexual violence, WHAT RED WAS heralds the arrival of a major new literary talent. This is an important book. * Louise O'Neill, author of ASKING FOR IT and ALMOST LOVE *WHAT RED WAS is a gripping novel that shines an unflinching light on trauma and its prismatic impact. A deeply necessary book, elegant and assured even as it burns at the centre with cool, clear-eyed rage. * Sophie Mackintosh, author of THE WATER CURE *
£8.99
Amazon Publishing Killman Creek
Book SynopsisA #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller. Every time Gwen closed her eyes, she saw him in her nightmares. Now her eyes are open, and he’s not going away. Gwen Proctor won the battle to save her kids from her ex-husband, serial killer Melvin Royal, and his league of psychotic accomplices. But the war isn’t over. Not since Melvin broke out of prison. Not since she received a chilling text… You’re not safe anywhere now. Her refuge at Stillhouse Lake has become a trap. Gwen leaves her children in the protective custody of a fortified, well-armed neighbor. Now, with the help of Sam Cade, brother of one of Melvin’s victims, Gwen is going hunting. She’s learned how from one of the sickest killers alive. But what she’s up against is beyond anything she feared—a sophisticated and savage mind game calculated to destroy her. As trust beyond her small circle of friends begins to vanish, Gwen has only fury and vengeance to believe in as she closes in on her prey. And sure as the night, one of them will die.
£8.54
Quercus Publishing The Deception of Harriet Fleet: Chilling
Book Synopsis'An utterly thrilling gothic tale' KIRSTY WARK'Rich in atmosphere and suspense' BELLA ELLIS'Two unforgettable heroines' ELLY GRIFFITHSDark and brimming with suspense, an atmospheric Victorian chiller set in brooding County Durham for fans of Stacey Halls and Laura Purcell1871. An age of discovery and progress. But for the Wainwright family, residents of the gloomy Teesbank Hall in County Durham the secrets of the past continue to overshadow their lives.Harriet would not have taken the job of governess in such a remote place unless she wanted to hide from something or someone. Her charge is Eleanor, the daughter of the house, a fiercely bright eighteen-year-old, tortured by demons and feared by relations and staff alike. But it soon becomes apparent that Harriet is not there to teach Eleanor, but rather to monitor her erratic and dangerous behaviour - to spy on her.Worn down by Eleanor's unpredictable hostility, Harriet soon finds herself embroiled in Eleanor's obsession - the Wainwright's dark, tragic history. As family secrets are unearthed, Harriet's own begin to haunt her and she becomes convinced that ghosts from the past are determined to reveal her shameful story.For Harriet, like Eleanor, is plagued by deception and untruths.'Terrific characters' ELIZABETH BUCHAN'A deliciously unsettling tale' SONIA VELTON'Gothic ingredients given a modern twist' HOPE ADAMSTrade ReviewAn utterly thrilling Gothic tale of two women, secretly striving to break free from the female conventions of Victorian England -- Kirsty WarkRich in atmosphere and suspense, The Deception of Harriet Fleet is a deliciously dark and Gothic tale that transports you into the Victorian age -- Bella Ellis, author of THE BRONTË MYSTERIESThis book could have been written especially for me as it contains all my favourite things: Gothic setting, wild landscape, family secrets and not one but two unforgettable heroines. A richly enjoyable read that has a lot to say about women's lives, then and now -- Elly Griffiths, author of THE DR RUTH GALLOWAY MYSTERIESI so enjoyed this. With terrific characters and a deep feeling for the Gothic, this is quite a debut. Helen Scarlett is obviously a writer who will go far -- Elizabeth Buchan, author of THE MUSEUM OF BROKEN PROMISESI was completely transported to bleak Teesbank Hall where the corridors echo with murder and madness. The Deception of Harriet Fleet is a deliciously unsettling tale with women, and their quest for truth, independence and fulfilment, at its dark, Gothic heart -- Sonia Velton, author of BLACKBERRY AND WILD ROSERaced through this engrossing debut. It's a tale full of familiar Gothic ingredients given a modern twist. Just the ticket for a chilly January night -- Hope Adams, author of DANGEROUS WOMENA fabulously engrossing mystery - a richly woven tale of Victorian Gothic suspense that's spine-tingling, riveting and keeps you guessing to the end. The Secret Garden meets Jane Eyre -- Lulu Taylor, author of A MIDWINTER PROMISEA haunting, richly imagined novel, suffused with dread. Harriet Fleet's is the poignant story of a brave woman fighting to break free from the constraints of society and the grip of demons past and present. A captivating book -- Miranda Malins, author of THE PURITAN PRINCESS
£8.54
Hodder & Stoughton Starling Days
Book Synopsis''A singular novel from the poetic and painterly mind of Rowan Hisayo Buchanan.'' Sharlene Teo, author of Ponti''An exquisite rendering of love, sadness, and misunderstanding . . . I want to share this book with everyone I know.'' The Paris Review ''A quiet triumph - tenderly and disarmingly exploring the responsibility of love, loneliness, what it is to feel lost'' Sophie Mackintosh, author of The Water CureMina is staring over the edge of the George Washington Bridge when a patrol car drives up. She tries to convince the officers she''s not about to jump but they don''t believe her. Her husband, Oscar is called to pick her up.Oscar hopes that leaving New York for a few months will give Mina the space to heal. They travel to London, to an apartment wall-papered with indigo-eyed birds, to Oscars oldest friends, to a canal and blooming flower market. Mina, a classicistTrade ReviewA poetic, hypnotic exploration of mental health...It's a strangely mind-expanding read that's a must for anyone who's struggled with depression or loves someone who does. * Stylist *Unravelling the truth is one of the considerable pleasures of this beautifully written novel. * Spectator *The significant thing is that this is a novel that takes depression seriously . . . it is affecting and melancholy . . . Buchanan is a novelist of talent and grace. * Scotland on Sunday *An exquisite rendering of love, sadness, and misunderstanding . . . Starling Days is an exploration of depression without clear resolution, but it is all the more precious for that refusal. I want to share this book with everyone I know. * Paris Review *Tender * Daily Mail *A beautifully weird portrayal of being alone together, millennial ennui, bisexuality and hybrid identity. It captures the brilliance and isolation of big cities as well as the struggle and strength to keep on going. A singular novel from the poetic and painterly mind of Rowan Hisayo Buchanan. * Sharlene Teo, author of Ponti *Starling Days is a quiet triumph - tenderly and disarmingly exploring the responsibility of love, loneliness, what it is to feel lost, and whether another person, indeed whether any one person, is capable of making us feel found. It illuminates both the difficulties and joys of being with others, but also those of being inside our own skins. * Sophie Mackintosh, author of The Water Cure *For readers looking for a 'relatable' tale of struggle and survival, the book offers consolation. * Guardian *
£8.54
Hodder & Stoughton The Swap
Book SynopsisTwo women. Two children. But whose is whose?''An emotionally charged and thought-provoking read that any parent will relate to'' Woman''s WeeklyWhen two strangers, Tess and Annie, undergo IVF at an American clinic, their embryos are mixed up and each woman gives birth to the wrong child.The women only discover the devastating error three years later. Tess wants to swap the children back; Annie doesn''t. As the pair wrangle, neither of them expect what unfolds.*******PRAISE FOR THE SWAP''A gripping, heartbreaking and original story which asks some important questions about motherhood and keeps you guessing until the very end, absolutely loved it.'' - Clare Empson, author of HIM''A wonderfully written, thought provoking and moving read. I raced through the pages, desperate to know the outcome. Such a clever, originalTrade ReviewPraise for The Swap * : *An emotionally charged and thought-provoking read that any parent will relate to * Woman's Weekly *A gripping read. * CLOSER *An insightful and emotionally charged read * Woman's Own *A thought-provoking and tense tale * Woman & Home *This is a real heartbreaker of a read. * HEAT *Gripping * BELLA *I read the book in one weekend and emerged wanting to hug my loved ones a little bit tighter. A compelling, thought-provoking, emotional thriller of a book -- Katie MarshA gripping, heartbreaking and original story which asks some important questions about motherhood and keeps you guessing until the very end, absolutely loved it. -- Clare Empson, author of HIMA wonderfully written, thought provoking and moving read. I raced through the pages, desperate to know the outcome. Such a clever, original idea. I loved it. * Claire Douglas *Oh how it was worth the wait! Fiona has crafted an emotive and credible read . . . Harrowing in parts, but uplifting in others, Fiona keeps the pace constant . . . deeply moving and beautifully written. -- Louise Jensen, author of THE SURROGATE and THE DATEThe hook on the cover - Two Women. Two Children. But Whose is Whose? - would grab anyone, but it's the gorgeous writing, the stunning attention to detail, and the searingly difficult themes explored that kept me. I read this in just two days. The impossible dilemma is so sensitively addressed, and yet Mitchell has still created an addictive, page-turner. An unforgettable book. -- Louise Beech, author of THE LIONJust finished the brilliant THE SWAP by Fiona Mitchell and my heart aches. It explores the gut-wrenching dilemma of two women following an IVF mix-up. A gripping tale written with great sensitivity and humour, even in its darkest moments. Book club gold. * Francesca Jakobi, author of BITTER *Praise for The Maid's Room:A modern-day The Help * Emerald Street *A brilliant and eye-opening read * Prima *A beautifully written and deeply moving novel . . . crafted with a mixture of grim detail, dark humour and poignancy, at times it's hard to believe that this book is a work of fiction. Genuinely excellent. ***** * Heat *I loved The Maid's Room with its exquisite writing, married with a shocking and powerful story line that had me gripped and moved until the uplifting conclusion. A fascinating read about survival and the strength and resilience of the human heart. * Katie Marsh, author of A LIFE WITHOUT YOU and THIS BEAUTIFUL LIFE *
£8.54
Amazon Publishing Lie to Her
Book SynopsisLies from the heart lead to a dangerously intimate case for Sheriff Bree Taggert in #1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh’s novel of revenge and fatal deceptions.When a digital marketer is found murdered in his backyard—hands bound and face smothered by plastic wrap—Sheriff Bree Taggert and criminal investigator Matt Flynn respond to the call. Their investigation focuses on the man’s dating-app profile and the word liar carved into his forehead.One day later, the killer strikes again.Both victims are players in the internet dating scene. In their wake, they leave a trail of hurt—and angry—women. But Bree and Matt aren’t convinced the motive is as simple as it appears. Everyone they interview seems to be lying or hiding something.As the list of suspects grows, the killer’s rage escalates, and he leaves a personal and deadly warning for Bree. They must act fast. Because someone Bree loves is targeted as the next to die.
£8.54
Pan Macmillan Objects of Desire
Book Synopsis'Sestanovich’s elegant prose takes seriously the quiet unrest that can ravage a life' - Raven Leilani, author of LusterA Best Book of the Summer in The Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly,Vogue, Esquire and Refinery29A university student is flying home to visit her family when she strikes up an odd, ephemeral friendship with the couple next to her on the plane. A mother prepares for her son's wedding, her own life unravelling as his comes together. A long-lost stepbrother's visit prompts a family's reckoning with its old taboos.In these eleven powerful stories, thrilling desire and melancholic yearning animate women’s lives – from the brink of adulthood, to the labyrinthine path between twenty and thirty, to middle age, when certain possibilities quietly lapse. Tender, lucid and piercingly funny, Objects of Desire is a collection pulsing with subtle drama, rich with unforgettable scenes, and alive with moments of recognition, each more startling than the last - a spellbinding debut that announces a major talent.'A debut story collection of the rarest kind . . . you wish that every single entry could be an entire novel.' — Entertainment WeeklyClare Sestanovich named one of The National Book Foundation's '5 under 35'.Trade ReviewSestanovich’s elegant prose takes seriously the quiet unrest that can ravage a life, and makes room for the pleasure and discovery that can be found in that ruin -- Raven Leilani, author of LusterSublimely polished . . . collectively probe the gap between how we’re seen and how we might long to appear. -- Hephzibah Anderson * Observer *Sestanovich's steady hand and bone-clean prose recall such foremothers as Joan Didion, Zadie Smith, and Jhumpa Lahiri -- Elinor Hitt * The Paris Review *Sestanovich is an extraordinary noticer. Carefully, sparely, she parses layers of feeling and attitude; of the tiny ways we admit or refuse love; of incremental, almost invisible, losses of self * Guardian *Bold and beguiling -- Chloe Aridjis, author of Book of CloudsThe summer's most buzzed about book * Sunday Times *As far as writing pedigrees go, it doesn’t get much more impressive than The New Yorker and The Paris Review . . . A smart, incisive look at the complexities of being a woman right now * Stylist *Smart and accomplished . . . Sestanovich’s prose is poised and understated, sensorily precise . . . her gift is to make ordinary moments shine brightly * The New York Times Book Review *Astonishing - one of the best story collections I’ve read in a long time . . . I feel like I've found a new favorite writer - Clare Sestanovich is stylish and skilled, an astute chronicler of contemporary life -- Brandon Taylor, Booker-shortlisted author of Real LifeNuanced, beautifully shaped . . . In Sestanovich’s hands, the mundane feels surprising—mesmerizing, even * Refinery29 *Clare Sestanovich’s stories compelled me like gravity, and offered sharp, surprising, singular bursts of grace -- Leslie Jamison, author of The Recovering and The Empathy ExamsExtraordinary * Esquire *Clare Sestanovich is a gifted observer and writes a sentence sharp enough to cut yourself on . . . A magnificent debut -- Nathan Englander, author of Dinner at the Center of the EarthA debut story collection of the rarest kind: One in which you wish that every single entry could be an entire novel. * Entertainment Weekly *Objects of Desire is a marvel . . . I loved this book -- Miranda Popkey, author of Topics of ConversationLuminous . . . Sestanovich writes with a kind of bracing cold-plunge clarity. Objects of Desire taps into the peculiar, primal struggle of becoming who you are, and all the stories you have to tell yourself to get there. -- Leah Greenblatt * Entertainment Weekly *A fun read [that] reminds us that we’re all human -- Kaia Gerber, quoted in The Wall Street JournalSestanovich is a skilled craftswoman, each sentence a carefully positioned tile in a mosaic * Vulture *A mesmerizing, exquisite debut -- Dana Spiotta, author of Innocents and Others[Sestanovich's] characters always seem poised at the brink of some great, terrifying, wondrous unraveling * Electric Literature *Sestanovich’s intelligent debut collection demonstrates a gift for pithy detail that encapsulates the whole of a character’s personality or era of lived experience * Publishers Weekly *Exquisitely observed, and sure to stay with you long after you’ve finished * Bustle *Wry and knowing and deeply funny -- Mira Sethi, author of Are You Enjoying?Sestanovich’s writing is clever and rich with layers, just like her characters. And the textures of her sentences are as nuanced as desire itself * Fiction Writers' Review *Sestanovich expertly places you in the mind of different women, young and old, rich and poor, single and in relationships. The stolen glimpses into the complex minds of her characters will leave you unable to resist writing the rest of their story in your head * Reaction *These stories are restrained, nearly aloof, despite the fact that the characters are constantly and messily butting up against the futility of their desires * Kirkus *
£9.49
Charco Press Brickmakers
Book SynopsisTwo young men, Pájaro Tamai and Marciano Miranda, are dying in a deserted amusement park. The story begins almost at its end, just after the two main characters have faced off in a knife fight: the culmination of a rivalry that has pitted them against one another since childhood. The present in Brickmakers is a state of impending death, at moments marked by dream-like visions: Marciano is visited by the ghost of his father, who was murdered when he was a teenager, a father he had sworn to avenge, in a promise he could not keep. Pájaro is also visited, in a recurring nightmare, by his abusive father who disappeared years earlier.Narrated with fury and passion, reminiscent of William Faulkner or Katherine Anne Porter, Brickmakers is a rural tragedy in the great American tradition, a story of love, honour and violence where everything is at stake. Reprising the powerful imagery and the filmic landscape of The Wind That Lays Waste, and the threatening atmosphere of Dead Girls, Brickmakers is yet another proof of Almada’s extraordinary talent.Trade Review"A successful riff on a classic Shakespearean tale." —Publishers Weekly"Such is Almada’s command of shape and pace, and the clean-edged vigour of the style McDermott voices with such skill, that we take Brickmakers on its own uncompromising terms – as pulp, tragedy and epic all at once." —The Arts Desk"Almada is forceful in her depictions of sex, violence, and rage. I feel her prose in my body: a punch in the gut, the sharpness of glass. McDermott’s translation captures the bite of Almada’s sentences, which render both tenderness and violence with devastating clarity." —Chicago Review of Books"Almada's breathtaking multigenerational tragedy is a haunting, unforgettable examination of the lasting consequences of careless inhumanity." —Shelf Awareness, starred review"Best books of 2021" —The Financial Times"There is a tremendous carnality to Almada’s writing, vividly captured in McDermott’s translation" —LA Review of Books"A rich, confident and urgent read." —Lunate"Brickmakers is one of the best books I've read this year ... It’s a brilliant, sizzling, unmissable treat" —Translating Women**********Praise for Selva Almada"Almada combines reportage, fiction, and autobiography to explore femicide in Argentina in her acute, unflinching latest." —Publishers Weekly, starred review"Almada’s prose is sparse, but the details count. Her ear for dialogue and especially gossip is pitch perfect. Her eye for detail is hawkish."** —LA Review of Books**"Part journalism, part history, part autobiography, part relentless nightmare."** —Shelf Awareness, starred review**"Not an easy book, but it feels like an important one – a work of investigative writing about how easily women’s lives are obscured."** —The Scotsman**"An unassuming yet intensely felt narrative. (4 stars)"** —The Arts Desk**"This is a powerful read...[Almada's] effective use of fiction ensures a deep empathy in her readers which strict reportage sometimes fails to evoke."** —The Big Issue**"Genre-defying, with beautifully crafted and reflective prose."** —The F Word**"You’ll walk away from this book with a vivid memory of where you were, how you were feeling, and what the weather was like on the day that you read Dead Girls."** —Books and Bao**"The literary quality of the text shines."** —Sound and Vision**"The prose strikes a perfect tone – clinical and punchy when necessary, angry and lyrical, brutal yet humanistic."** —TN2**"Exquisite prose that vibrates with a deep, melodious rage."** —The Monthly Booking**"It’s crisp, bracing, and beautiful."** —White Review**"It is a profound novel and call to action still relevant as activists continue to take to the streets throughout Latin America to decry, ‘ni una más’ (not one more)."** —The Skinny**"A tense, precise chronicle that treats seriously a still serious subject."** —El Cultural**"A powerful read, shedding a stark light on the horrors of gender violence."** —The Big Issue**"This is not a book that will make you feel at peace with the world, but that is precisely where its strength and persuasion lie."** —Translating Women**"Challenge[s] the true crime obsession in an indirect way. "** —Pendora Magazine**"What makes the book compelling is how the author explores issues of domestic violence, state complicity, machismo and family negligence, along with class and social inequalities, in a non-sentimental prose which is all the more effective as result."** —Morning Star**"Part coming-of-age, part detective work, partly a web of rumors, Almada’s story fuses a variety of genres to create a work that splits the seams of personal narrative, journalism, and fiction."** —NACLA**"The devastating conclusion of the narrator is that the women who survive are unlikely to have made it unscathed but they are lucky ones – lucky to be alive."** —NB Magazine**"Fate has in Dead Girls the perfume of a Greek tragedy: immutable, irreversible, lethal."** —El País**"Far from the detective story, this is an intimate tale, a certain negative of the autobiography of a young woman looking at other young women and how all of them are perceived by a society where misogyny and violence against them is still an everyday affair."** —Pagina/12**"Selva Almada reinvents the imaginative rural world of a country. She is an author gifted with a very uncommon power and sensitivity."** —Rolling Stone (Argentina)"Dead Girls is a brutal, necessary story in which Almada describes the crimes, states the facts and lays bare the horror of these femicides." —Tony's Reading List**"Gripping, shocking and sad."** —The Book Satchel**** Edinburgh International Book Festival First book Award (Winner)**** Book Cover of the Year (Saltire Awards) (Winner)"Like Flannery O’Connor and Juan Rulfo, Almada fills her taut, eerie novel with an understanding of rural life, loneliness, temptation and faith." —BBC Culture**"Billed as a ‘promising voice’ in Latin American literature, this tale delivers readily on that promise."** —Booklist**"The drama of this refreshingly unpredictable debut . . . smolders like a lit fuse waiting to touch off its well-orchestrated events. . . . A stimulating, heady story."** —Publishers Weekly**"The story packs a punch in its portraits of a man who exalts heaven and another who protests."** —Kirkus**"A dynamic introduction to a major Latin American literary force."** —Shelf Awareness, starred review**"[The Wind That Lays Waste] delivers exactly that compressed pressurised electricity of a gathering thunderstorm: it sparks and sputters with live-wire tension."** —TANK Magazine**"The Wind That Lays Waste is elegant and stark, a kind of emblem or vision fetched from the far edges of things, arrested and stripped to its essence, as beautiful as it is unnerving. ""** —Paul Harding**, author of TINKERS"The Wind That Lays Waste is a mesmerizing novel, at once strange and compelling.""** —Bonnie Jo Campbell**, author of MOTHERS, TELL YOUR DAUGHTERS"The quality and resolve of her prose produce a power of suggestion that is unique to Selva Almada."** —El País**"The best novel written in Argentina in the last few years? Don’t know, and don’t care, but you must read Selva Almada."** —El País**"Almada’s prose has a touch of the Faulkner of As I Lay Dying but passed through the filters of the dirty light of the cotton fields and the clean clothes worn by country people to Sunday mass.""** —Germán Machado**"A distinctive debut: atmospheric, tension-packed, and written in vivid, poetic language."** —Books from Scotland**"Perhaps most powerful in the book is Almada’s focus on detail―she skillfully renders the story of a day in brief chapters that reveal the thoughts and fleeting encounters of characters, who are largely living inside themselves."** —Ploughshares**"Almada’s nuanced approach leaves room to explore her characters’ pasts in some detail, but, crucially, these individuals . . . are not defined by their mistakes."** —ZYZZYVA**"What seems fantastical soon turns hyper-realistic, in a style that is reminiscent of Juan Rulfo or Sara Gallardo."** —La Nación************
£9.99
HarperCollins Publishers Dont Just Stand There Pray Something
Book SynopsisDiscover the incredible power of intercessory prayer. Ronald Dunn demonstrates how anyone can pray with more purpose and power. Ronald Dunn is a gifted teacher who specializes in helping believers pray more effectively. Don''t Just Stand There, Pray Something is an inspiring look at how you can pray with greater purpose and power--for your own needs as well as the needs of others. Here is an eye-opening book that dispels the myth that only super saints can pray successfully, lends a fresh perspective on how God answers prayer, demonstrates why our position is more important than our petition, and reveals the secret weapon God has provided for praying believers. Prayer changes things--and us! As you delve into this exciting book, be prepared for a radical difference in your prayer life. With fascinating insights into prayer and spirituality and a fresh perspective on how God answers prayer, this guide presents practical Christianity at its best.Trade Review"This is not only the most encouraging book I have ever read on the subject of prayer. It is quite simply one of the best books I have ever read." Richard Bewes, Rector: All Souls, Langham Place "This is the most helpful book on intercessory prayer which I have read in years and I warmly recommend it. It has the ring of reality about it." Gilbert Kirby, Former Principal of the London Bible College
£11.67
Random House The Smile of the Lamb. David Grossman
Book SynopsisUri and Katzman are Israeli soldiers occupying a Palestinian village in the West Bank. Uri is idealistic and full of hope, feels the injustice of the occupation keenly, and becomes close to Khilmi, the village storyteller. Katzman on the other hand is ''a contracted muscle'' - he has taught himself not to feel. And Shosh, Uri''s wife, daughter of liberal immigrant parents and juvenile psychiastrist, is succumbing to her own struggles with power and truth. When Khilmi''s adopted son is killed in a ''security operation'' and when Uri discovers how far deception and injustice have penetrated into his own life, their reactions are drastic and unforseen.Trade ReviewAn extraordinary achievement...moving, many-layered, powerful, yet written with beautiful delicacy of touch, is a work of redemption... Combining the compassionate wisdom of the moralist with a true artist's creative imagination, this book deserves the widest possible audience * Indepdendent *Bold, grand, mad, an astonishing meditation on art, religion, love, politics and war, despatched in language which is funny, ferocious and enraptured * Observer *A courageous novel, the first attempt by an Israeli author of the post-1967 generation to come to terms with the consequences of the Occupation, to articulate how 'the conqueror is also the conquered, and injustice has teeth in its tail' * Guardian *Extreme, enormous, almost embarrassingly good, a first novel whose very last page somehow fuses together the political and spiritual currents running through modern day Israel * Time Out *At once sensitive, humane, elegiac and devoid of optimism, save a vague faith in love * Sunday Times *
£14.39
Cornerstone Jeeves and the Wedding Bells
Book SynopsisSebastian Faulks has written nineteen books, of which A Week in December and The Fatal Englishman were number one in the Sunday Times bestseller lists. He is best known for Birdsong, part of his French trilogy, and Human Traces, the first in an ongoing Austrian trilogy. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked as a journalist on national papers. He has also written screenplays and has appeared in small roles on stage. He lives in London.Trade ReviewIt is a wonderfully happy book. * Guardian *This light-hearted romp is delightfully witty, packed with puns and boasts a few phrases that Wodehouse himself would have deemed top-hole. Splendid stuff. * Sunday Mirror *The finished product resembles, in all but cover, a traditional Wodehousian yarn. Harking back to the summer of 1926, it is a gentle, jolly tale – of farce and mistaken identity, of love lost and found, of cricket matches, village fetes and the eccentric upper classes. * Telegraph *At two memorable moments in Jeeves and the Wedding Bells I did indeed laugh until I cried… Jeeves and the Wedding Bells is a masterpiece… This is a pitch-perfect undertaking: proof, almost a century after his debut, that Jeeves may not be so inimitable after all. * Spectator *The plot is satisfyingly convoluted in the best Wodehouse tradition . . . A genuine addition to my growing Wodehouse collection and there is no higher tribute. * Daily Express *He catches the Wodehousean idiom, periphrasis, surreal similes and bally silliness to a T, all done with love. Please commission a dozen more, Hutchinson. * Literary Review *From the first page of Sebastian Faulks’s entirely delightful book . . . we are transported to Wodehouse land. All the details, of plot, of character, and of setting, are lovingly drawn. The hours spent reading Jeeves and the Wedding Bells are pure pleasure. * Financial Times *Faulks has caught the mood and the dialogue perfectly * Sunday Express *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Victim Penguin Modern Classics
Book SynopsisLeventhal is a natural victim; a man uncertain of himself, never free from the nagging suspicion that the other guy may be right. So when he meets a down-at-heel stranger in the park one day and finds himself being accused of ruining the man''s life, he half believes it. He can''t shake the man loose, can''t stop himself becoming trapped in a mire of self doubt, can''t help becoming ... a victim.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Actual Penguin Modern Classics
Book SynopsisThe story behind The Actual belongs to Harry Trellman, an aging, astute businessman who has never belonged anywhere.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd After the Fall
Book SynopsisQuentin is a successful lawyer in New York, but inside his head he is struggling with his own sense of guilt and the shadows of his past relationships. One of these an ill-fated marriage to the charming and beautiful Maggie, who went from operating a switchboard to become a self-destructive star - a singer everyone wanted a piece of. With tremendous psychological acuity and depth, and a brilliant, dreamlike structure, After the Fall is a literary masterpiece, drawing on Miller''s own life - the story of a man striving to comprehend his feelings for his friends, family and the women he has loved.
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Original of Laura
Book SynopsisThe Original of Laura is Vladimir Nabokov''s final, incredible unfinished novel in fragments. Dr Philip Wild, a man of brilliance, wit, fortune and tremendous bulk, is used to suffering humiliations at the hands of his wife, the younger, slender, and rudely promiscuous Flora. But in a novel, a ''maddening masterpiece'' documenting her infidelities, written by one of her lovers and given to the doctor, she appears as My Laura. Dishonoured, Wild still finds pleasure in life, by indulging in self-annihilation, beginning with the removal of his toes.
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd Look at the Harlequins Penguin Modern Classics
Book Synopsis''He did us all an honour by electing to use, and transform, our language'' Anthony Burgess''Look at the harlequins ... Play! Invent the world! Invent reality''. This is the childhood advice given by an aunt to Russian born writer Vadim Vadimovich, who emigrates to England, then Paris, then Germany and then the US, and, now dying, reconstructs his past. He remembers Iris his first wife, Annette his long-necked typist and Bel his daughter, as well as his own bizarre ''numerical nimbus syndrome''.Trade Review'He did us all an honour by electing to use, and transform, our language'
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd A Hologram for the King
Book SynopsisNew from Dave Eggers, National Book Award finalist A Hologram for the King.In a rising Saudi Arabian city, far from weary, recession-scarred America, a struggling businessman pursues a last-ditch attempt to stave off foreclosure, pay his daughter''s college tuition, and finally do something great. In A Hologram for the King, Dave Eggers takes us around the world to show how one man fights to hold himself and his splintering family together in the face of the global economy''s gale-force winds. This taut, richly layered, and elegiac novel is a powerful evocation of our contemporary moment - and a moving story of how we got here.Praise for A Hologram for the King: ''Absorbing . . . modest and equally satisfying: the writing of a comic but deeply affecting tale about one man''s travails that also provides a bright, digital snapshot of our times'' Michiko Kakutani, New York Times''A fascinating novel'' New Yorker''A spare but moving elegy for the American century'' Publishers Weekly''Eggers understands the pressures of American downward-mobility, and in the protagonist of his novel, Alan Clay, has created an Everyman, a post-modern Willy Loman . . . The novel operates on a grand and global scale, but it also is intimate'' Chicago Tribune''Completely engrossing'' Fortune''Eggers can do fiction as well as he likes'' Los Angeles TimesDave Eggers is the author of six previous books: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, How We Are Hungry, You Shall Know Our Velocity, What is the What, The Wild Things and Zeitoun. Zeitoun was the winner of the American Book Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and What is the What was a finalist for the 2006 National Book Critics Circle Award and won France''s Prix Médicis. Eggers is the founder and editor of McSweeney''s, an independent publishing house based in San Francisco. A native of Chicago, he lives in Northern California with his wife and two children.Trade ReviewA fascinating novel * New Yorker *A spare but moving elegy for the American century * Publishers Weekly *Completely engrossing * Fortune *Dave Eggers is a prince among men when it comes to writing deeply felt, socially conscious books that meld reportage with fiction. [Hologram] is a strike against the current state of global economic in justice -- Elissa Schappell * Vanityfair.com *
£999.99
Penguin Books Ltd The Ark Sakura
Book Synopsis''One of Japan''s most venerated writers'' David MitchellIn this unnerving fable from one of Japan''s greatest novelists, a recluse known as ''Mole'' retreats to a vast underground bunker, only to find that strange guests, booby traps and a giant toilet may prove even greater obstacles than nuclear disaster.''As is true of Poe and Kafka, Abe creates an unexpected impulsion. One continues reading, on and on'' New Yorker''Abe''s depiction of the deadly game of survival is hilarious but at the same time leaves us with a chilling sense of apprehension about the brave new world that awaits us'' Los Angeles TimesTrade ReviewA large, ambitious work about the lives of outcasts in modern Japan and such troubling themes as ecological destruction, old age, violence and nuclear war * The New York Times Book Review *Abe's depiction of the deadly game of survival is hilarious but at the same time leaves us with a chilling sense of apprehension about the brave new world that awaits us * Los Angeles Times *As is true of Poe and Kafka - two writers whose influence does seem apparent - Abe creates on the page an unexpected impulsion. One continues reading, on and on * New Yorker *
£8.54
Penguin Books Ltd A Private View
Book Synopsis''Seated at a café table, in the syrupy warmth of out-of-season Nice, he reviewed his life and found it to be alarmingly empty.''George Bland had planned to spend his retirement in leisurely travel and modest entertainment with his friend Putnam. When Putnam dies George is left attempting to impose some purpose on the solitary end of his life. Then Katy Gibb appears as a temporary resident, perhaps even squatter, in a neighbouring apartment. Greedy, selfish, sometimes alluring, often manipulative, Katy exerts a strange influence on George, forcing him to recognize that his own careful, fastidious life has shown a distinct lack of passion and daring. As the realization takes hold, George must decide how much - or how little - he can do to transform the status quo.Trade ReviewA beautiful book that one is impelled to read at one sitting * Evening Standard *Anita Brookner is our Henry James. She is as subtle as James at conveying emotional nuances by what is left unsaid, and by indirections finding directions out. * The Times *
£14.39
Penguin Books Ltd Our Secrets and Lies
Book Synopsis''Both heart-breaking and heart-warming ... a joy to read'' Woman''s Way From the Richard and Judy Book Club author and Number One Bestseller!Lucy Murphy has a single goal in life - to give her children a brilliant future.An unplanned pregnancy forced Lucy to abandon her own dreams, so she is determined that her twin daughter and son will seize every opportunity. When they get a chance to move to a prestigious school, all Lucy sees is the fulfilment of her every wish for them.Loving them as fiercely as she does, Lucy is blind to the risks of taking two seventeen-year-olds away from everything familiar and dropping them into an alien world. Even when warning signs are flashing, she cannot see the dangers of pushing her vision on her children - especially her sensitive daughter - until it''s almost too late.For her family to survive, Lucy has to face up to some surprising and difficult truths - and figure out how to find herself again.''Moriarty [tackles] uncomfortable and painful subjects, weaving them into compelling thought-provoking stories ... heartfelt and deeply moving'' Irish Independent __________Praise for Sinéad Moriarty''s novels''A fascinating exploration of difficult subjects ... Moriarty writes with compelling authority'' Irish Times''There is warmth and heart aplenty in this delicately told story'' Daily Mail''OMG! I''m an emotional wreck after reading this novel, probably not helped by the fact that I pulled an all-nighter to finish it ... I just could not put it down'' Eileen Dunne, RTÉ''Heartfelt and deeply moving ... I couldn''t put it down.'' Susan Lewis''We ate this fabulous story up - 4 stars'' Heat magazine''Beautifully written and sensitive'' Woman''s Way ''Intriguing and thought provoking ... a great read.'' Katie Fforde''Gripping and thought-provoking - I was desperate to discover how it would pan out!'' Paige ToonTrade ReviewHeartfelt and deeply moving but also so gripping it is almost impossible to put down * Irish Independent *A first class novel which I couldn't put down. It was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. The difficult subjects of the novel are dealt with in a sensitive way and the book was a joy to read * Woman's Way *
£14.70
Penguin Books Ltd Ruth Pen
Book SynopsisThe brilliant debut novel from Emilie Pine, author of the international bestseller Notes to SelfDublin, 7 October 2019One day, one city, two women: Ruth and Pen. Neither knows the other, but both are asking the same questions: how to be with others and how, when the world won''t make space for you, to be with yourself?Ruth''s marriage to Aidan is in crisis. Today she needs to make a choice - to stay or not to stay, to take the risk of reaching out, or to pull up the drawbridge. For teenage Pen, today is the day the words will flow, and she will speak her truth to Alice, to ask for what she so desperately wants.Deeply involving, poignant and radiantly intelligent, it is a portrait of the limits of grief and love, of how we navigate our inner and outer landscapes, and the tender courage demanded by the simple, daily quest of living.''Emilie Pine is one of the most important new voices in Irish Literature. Everything she writes is imbued with wisdom'' David Park''Emilie Pine''s debut novel is ambitious, poignant and playful, with a feminist nod to Joyce . . . it is as surprising and playful as it is ambitious and relevant'' Irish Independent''This is an exciting, warm and engaging debut that signals, one hopes, even greater things to come'' The Business PostWINNER OF THE KATE O''BRIEN AWARDTrade ReviewMesmerising . . . I became completely immersed in this emotional, intimate read * Good Housekeeping *[An] uplifting debut novel . . . joy is a vital ingredient in Ruth & Pen * The Observer *The debut novel from the author of the personal essay collection Notes to Self is a poignant, raw exploration of the courage needed to find your space in the world * i *Impressive . . . Pine explores with great acuity and tenderness the restorative, capacious nature of love. A wise and lovely book * Daily Mail *Pine makes her chapters playful, writing with a friendly curiousness that brings to mind Ali Smith . . . Pine's measured yet tender juxtaposition of the women's days doesn't draw overly neat parallels so much as prove that one needs the other - younger needs older, optimist needs pessimist, introvert needs extrovert. And our opposites might help us find clarity * i *[Ruth & Pen] finds heartbreaking beauty in our everyday lives . . . There is a real tenderness in the way in which Pine writes about the teenage girls in the novel * The Irish Times *Pine reinforces her reputation as one of the most empathetic writers in the country * The Irish Examiner *There's no doubting the novel's basic integrity; its warmth, its undogmatic interest in ordinary lives, and the impressive range of its imaginative sympathies -- Kevin Power * The Irish Times *Moving and raw . . . Pine's ability to enter the heads of two such different characters is a sure sign of literary promise * The Sunday Times (Ireland) *This book is an intimate portrait of love and grief, and the tender, fragile courage required just to live each day * Irish Country Magazine *A confident walk through the lives of others, two women seeking their place in the world and a peace in themselves * RTE Guide *
£9.49
Transworld Publishers Ltd The Mistresss Revenge
Book SynopsisYou think you are rid of me. You think you have drawn a line under the whole affair.You are so, so wrong.For five years, Sally and Clive have been lost in a passionate affair. Now he has dumped her, to devote himself to his wife and family, and Sally is left in freefall.It starts with a casual stroll past his house, and popping into the brasserie where his son works. Then Sally befriends Clive''s wife and daughter on Facebook. But that''s alright isn''t it? I mean they are perfectly normal things to do. Aren''t they?Not since Fatal Attraction has the fallout from an illicit affair been exposed in such a sharp, darkly funny and disturbing way.. After all, who doesn''t know a normal, perfectly sane woman who has gone a little crazy when her heart was broken?Trade ReviewThis book is Fatal Attraction with a twist and will grip you from beginning to end * Prima *Gasp in recognition at this cracking tale, narrated by a woman scorned... Sister, we've all been there... * Grazia *If you thought Fatal Attraction was the last word on the fury of a woman scorned, think again...acutely observed, wickedly funny and deftly plotted, with a satisfyingly smart twist at the end. * Mail on Sunday *This is a brilliantly chilling read. All about obsession and delusion and the madness that love can induce. It had me up until 3am, gasping to the end -- Jo WhileyWill keep you guessing about its characters fates until the very end * Candis Magazine *
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group Suzannes Diary for Nicholas
Book SynopsisBook editor Katie is in love with poet, Matt Harrison. He seems to share her feelings, but refuses to talk about his past. All she knows is that Matt was once married. One evening, he suddenly ends their relationship, leaving Katie devastated. A few days later, he sends her a notebook that he promises will explain everything. Katie opens the book to find it is the diary that Matt''s wife, Suzanne, wrote for their baby son. It tells the story of her love for Matt and Nicholas, and reveals the tragedy that haunts Matt''s life today. And Katie realises he needs her to understand his past if she is ever to be a part of his future.Trade ReviewSuzanne's Diary was no.7 in the Observer and the Daily and Sunday Telegraph bestseller lists'An affecting love story awash in tragedy and hope' Publishers Weekly, 7/6/04 * Publishers Weekly *'A moving, and fast-moving fable' Kirkus Reviews'A whimsical romance... more American than cherry pie' MirrorSuzanne's Diary For Nicholas was no.10 in the Sunday Times, Observer and Daily and Sunday Telegraph bestseller lists and no.3 in the Times fastseller list
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group Hes Got to Go
Book SynopsisHE''S GOT TO GO by No. 1 bestselling author Sheila O''Flanagan is a must-read for fans of Freya North and Fern Britton.What do you do when the man in your life lets you down? Show him the door? Chuck his clothes out of the window? Cut the crotch from his trousers? If only it was that easy - especially when you''ve got an eight-year-old daughter to think about and a part-time job that barely pays the milk bill. Nessa Riley, who believes that with her husband, her little girl, and the home she loves, she has it all, is suddenly faced with the hardest decision of her life. Can she ignore what Adam seems to be up to and hang on to the happiness they''ve enjoyed for the past ten years? Can they wipe the slate clean and start again? Or, as her sisters appear to think, has he really got to go?What readers are saying about He''s Got To Go:''So sweet and funny and so beautifully put together'' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars<Trade ReviewA must-read * Woman's Own (Summer Special) *Packed with action, romance and loads of characters to identify with * Evening Herald (Dublin) *
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group Too Good To Be True
Book SynopsisSheila O''Flanagan''s bestseller TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE is a brilliant, feel-good read about love, marriage and what comes next, perfect for readers of Freya North and Catherine Alliott.When Carey Browne decides it''s time for a holiday and flies into New York City - one of her favourite shopping destinations - she knows she''ll have a good time. What she doesn''t know is that she''s about to have the biggest adventure of her life. Within days she''s met and married Ben Russell, and a week later they''re heading back together to Dublin, where they both live, to share the happy news with family and friends. Except not everyone''s thrilled. And not everyone''s convinced this is really more than a holiday romance. Carey and Ben are about to discover whether they''ve found the kind of love that can survive a blast of reality...What readers are saying about Too Good To Be True:''I loved every minute reading Too Good To Be TrueTrade Review'Leaves you guessing right up to the very last page... Written with her usual sensitivity and sparkling wit, Too Good To Be True is possibly Ms O'Flanagan's best one yet' * Irish Independent *'A great read for anyone who has ever been in love - as well as for those still waiting to find it' * Liverpool Echo *
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group Someone Special
Book SynopsisIn this engaging and perceptive novel Romy Kilkenny is living happily in Australia - till she gets the call that brings her home to a family in turmoil... From the No. 1 bestselling author of FAR FROM OVER and IF YOU WERE ME.Trade Review'Another first class "can't put it down" novel from Sheila O'Flanagan' * Woman's Way *'An absorbing and feel-good read' * Sun Herald, Australia *
£10.44
Headline Publishing Group The Perfect Man
Book SynopsisA captivating novel about family ties, romance and leaving the past behind - THE PERFECT MAN by No. 1 bestselling author Sheila O''Flangan. A perfect read for fans of Fern Britton and Veronica Henry.Brit doesn''t believe in love. One painful mistake was all it took. So she''s as surprised as anyone when her novel THE PERFECT MAN becomes a huge bestseller - how did she manage to write so convincingly about love if she really thinks it''s a myth?Heartbreak has never stopped her sister Mia from being a hopeless romantic. She can''t be with the love of her life, but she''s never stopped hoping. They both need to let go of the past to stand a chance of being happy in the future. Could a Caribbean cruise be just what they need to open their hearts?What readers are saying about The Perfect Man:''A soul-bearing story. Beautifully written as always. Two very different sisters at similar points in their lives'' Trade Review'A big, touching book sure to delight O'Flanagan fans' * Daily Mail *'[A] really great read, with a fabulous set of characters as well as great descriptions of some beautiful places. I wholly recommend it!' * chicklitreviews.com *'A big, touching book sure to delight O'Flanagan fans' * Daily Mail *'Another romp of a read from O'Flanagan that will have you turning the pages with speed, eager to know the fate of the McDonagh sisters. Filled with romance, humour and as always a twist in the tale... A definite pick-me-up during the current gloom!' * RTE Guide, Ireland *Acclaim for YOURS FAITHFULLY and BAD BEHAVIOUR: 'A big, comfortable, absorbing book...bound to delight fans and guaranteed to put O'Flanagan on the bestsellers list - yet again' Irish Independent Review; 'A variety of sub-plots keeps the pace going, making for an absorbing page-turner' Irish Mail on Sunday; 'This heart-wrenching story of love, loss, betrayal is captivating... The depth of characters, snappy dialogue, and emotive storyline... should make this...[a] number one bestseller' * North West Evening Mail, Australia *
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group Stand By Me
Book SynopsisIn No. 1 bestselling author Sheila O''Flanagan''s STAND BY ME, abandoned wife Dominique Delahaye could crumble - or she could start to enjoy a whole new life... Not to be missed by readers of Marian Keyes and Freya North. Dominique Brady''s life changed the day she met Brendan Delahaye. He was a man with big dreams and she was the girl he wanted to take with him. Madly in love, she married him without hesitation. Now she''s half of one of the most powerful and glamorous of couples.Then suddenly Brendan disappears without a trace.As her world crashes around her, Dominique must find a way to hold it all together. Will Brendan ever return? And if he does, will Dominique stand by her man?Don''t miss the irresistible new novel from Sheila O''Flanagan, THE HONEYMOON AFFAIR, coming in May.What readers are saying about Stand By Me:''Sheila O''Flanagan reallyexcels at telling stories and I got lost in the book while I was reading it. The perfect read to curl up with'' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars''It''s human, raw and relatable. I fell in lovewith the vulnerability of each character and saw myself in them. I did not want it to end'' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars''I just got lost in the book while reading it. It''s pure mind candy - definitely one of my favourites'' Goodreads reviewer, 5 starsTrade Review'A spectacular read' * Heat *'An evocative and entertaining story' * Irish Post *
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group All For You
Book SynopsisSheila O''Flanagan''s No. 1 bestseller ALL FOR YOU is a wonderfully engaging read not to be missed by fans of Lisa Jewell and Jane Green. ''A good summer read'' HeatAs TV''s favourite weather forecaster, Lainey is good at making predictions. But what she doesn''t foresee is that her own life is about to hit a stormy patch. With a string of failed relationships behind her, surely history isn''t about to repeat itself with her beloved Ken? To add fuel to the fire, her career-woman mother is returning to Dublin. Deanna has never approved of Lainey''s decisions about men, and her mother''s views are the last thing Lainey wants to hear now!Yet is there more to her mother than she knows? Uncovering some long-concealed family secrets, Lainey begins to reassess her life. Is the happy-ever-after she''s always dreamed of really what she wants after all?What readers are saying about All For You: ''ATrade Review'O'Flanagan's latest offering deserves its place on the bestseller list - it entertains, surprises and provokes' * Irish Independent *'A good summer read' * Heat *'O'Flanagan uses her considerable skills as a writer to keep the reader absorbed throughout - expect another huge success' * Irish Examiner *
£10.44
WW Norton & Co The Latinist
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Ingenious.... a superb literary suspense novel that calls to mind an earlier such debut, Donna Tartt’s The Secret History.... Like the classics that inspire it, The Latinist is an inventive wedding of the elegant and the barbaric." -- Maureen Corrigan - Washington Post"Smart and fast-paced.... [A] sparkling debut.... A contemporary classic." -- Clea Simon - Boston Globe"Prins’s confident, engrossing debut novel.... contains more than enough twists to keep you turning the page until the very end." -- Chris Murphy - Vanity Fair"A devilishly clever and terrifically entertaining campus novel/philological whodunnit that also happens to be a brilliantly sly riff on Ovid’s Apollo & Daphne.... A remarkably polished and skillful first novel." -- Daniel Mendelsohn"It would have taken me a single night to read the book except that I kept pausing to pursue tantalizing nuggets of information, ranging from choliambic verse to amputation practices of yesteryear. [A] cleverly plotted adventure about an American student who falls prey to the schemes of her malevolent adviser—a tale of passion, suspense and archaeology. (That’s what I call a ‘triple threat’!)" -- Molly Young - New York Times"Oxford University graduate student Tessa Templeton trusts her dissertation adviser, Christopher Eccles—but should she? ... The Latinist, which twists around the Daphne and Apollo myth from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, culminates with a deeply satisfying blow to the treachery of academia." -- Jason DeRose - NPR, Best Books of 2022"An engrossing psychological thriller.... an absorbing drama about obsession, abuse of power and intimate violence." -- Sharmila Mukherjee - Minneapolis Star Tribune"Brilliant.... Delves deep to question the blurring line between love and obsession, between a yearning for truth and a desire of power." -- Jianan Qian - The Millions"Propulsive.... a campus novel turned psychological thriller.... The novel invites us to see Tessa as Daphne, manipulated by but ultimately escaping Eccles’s Apollo, yet it also asks us: what happens to her humanity along the way?" -- Ayelet Haimson Lushkov - Los Angeles Review of Books"This cerebral thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat.... Prins’ analysis of the toxic relationship between advisor and student is nuanced and thoughtful.... The Latinist succeeds as both literary fiction and thriller; it is every bit as suspenseful as it is intellectually intriguing, with many of the features of A.S. Byatt’s Possession." -- Hannah Joyner - Washington Independent Review of Books"Within the first few pages of this book, I knew I was in the hands of a masterful storyteller. The Latinist is imaginative, propulsive, and wildly intelligent. What a joy to encounter a thrilling and singular new voice in fiction." -- Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, author of The Nest and Good Company"A novel about love and scholarship, ego and obsession, coercion and consent—a brilliant, marvelously infuriating puzzle of a book that combines the globe-trotting exploits of The Da Vinci Code with the smarts and literary gifts of A. S. Byatt. A terrific debut!" -- Julie Schumacher, author of Dear Committee Members and The Shakespeare Requirement"Brainy and deftly plotted, The Latinist enchants with its deft inversions of power, its witty poetic inventions, and its passion for languages old and new. A lovely debut." -- Andrea Barrett, author of Archangel and The Air We Breathe"Mark Prins weaves together an extremely contemporary plot—an American academic caught up in the machinations of her advisor at Oxford—with a much older plot—the discovery of a second-century Roman poet. The two thrillingly intertwine and the result is a wonderfully suspenseful novel. The Latinist is a brilliant debut." -- Margot Livesey, author of The Boy in the Field" The Latinist is a whip-smart tale of obsession that teeters on the knife-edge of suspense and literary fiction; Mark Prins is a worthy successor to Patricia Highsmith, Donna Tartt, and Ian McEwan." -- Alexandra Andrews, author of Who Is Maud Dixon?"With its ambitious young scholar, an ancient tomb, and a scheming advisor, The Latinist is a twisty and memorable new addition to the campus-novel genre. Mark Prins propels you through his tale of breakthroughs and retribution while delivering a sharp commentary on power dynamics in academia. A cunning and insightful read—I couldn’t put it down." -- Maria Hummel, author of Still Lives and Lesson in Red"Darkly disturbing and luminously told.… Every twist is delicious and every turn breathtaking as Mark Prins’s devilish debut revels in a scholarly world of cunning, ruthlessness, and dangerous obsession. Funny, erudite, and utterly absorbing, this is a merciless tale to be relished like a guilty pleasure." -- Christopher J. Yates, author of Black Chalk and Grist Mill Road"Prins’s riveting tale of love, power, and possession matches deep characterization with an intriguing plot involving ancient texts, necropolises, and archaeological sites. Fans of academic thrillers will dig this." -- Publishers Weekly
£12.34
Penguin Books Ltd The Perfect Escape
Book SynopsisYOU WON''T BE ABLE TO STOP READING. BECAUSE YOU''LL NEVER GUESS WHAT HAPPENS NEXT . . .''Gripping. Kept me guessing right till the end and the final twist was brilliant!'' 5***** READER REVIEW''Pulls you in from the get-go and refuses to let go until the final page. Tense, exciting and intriguing'' 5***** READER REVIEW________When her husband Harry walks out after just six months, a girls'' weekend away with two friends seems like just what Sam needs.But they aren''t even halfway to their destination when things start to go wrong: car trouble that just happens to leave them stranded in the town where Harry lives.And that''s only the beginning.Because there are three things Sam doesn''t yet know:One of her friends is lying about why they''re there.One is lying about who she is.And one of them will never make it home . . .________''Thrilling . . . ThisTrade ReviewClever, complex and expertly planned -- Rachel AbbottWhat a clever book, I inhaled every chapter, desperate to find out what was going on. I absolutely loved it! Those cliffhangers! -- Andrea Mara, bestselling author of All Her FaultA brilliantly addictive, tense and twisty thriller about toxic relationships, secrets and lies -- Alice HunterFull of secrets and twists, The Perfect Escape is a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller about a group of friends who may not know one another as well as they think. With its eerie setting, unsettling plot, and shocking reveals, this book had me completely captivated from the first page to the very last -- Megan Miranda, author of Such a Quiet PlaceWhen three women embark on a trip to forget their broken lives, they become embroiled in the centre of a murder investigation. The Perfect Escape is a clever, locked room mystery that is compulsively readable and impossible to put down! -- Wendy Walker, author of Don't Look for MeNobody writes twists like Leah Konen-this woman puts Hitchcock to shame. The Perfect Escape is somehow even more fantastic than her stunning debut, One White Lie; her sophomore effort is a gripping, whip-smart, and unforgettable pulse-pounder that left my head spinning. With its intricate plotting and truly shocking reveals, this thriller is both an addictive page-turner and a brilliant examination of female friendship, shame, and betrayals. Thriller lovers: You need this book -- Andrea BartzThe Perfect Escape is the type of captivating, masterfully-constructed thriller you'll consume in a breathless rush-and then flip right back to the beginning to figure out how the author pulled it all off. Konen keeps the shocking twists coming while wringing nail-biting tension out of even the smallest moments. I couldn't put it down! -- Layne FargoThis addictive read has all the elements of a perfect thriller - action packed, creepy and full of twists, it's unputdownable! * My Weekly *A smart thriller that really keeps you guessing * Heat *Praise for Leah Konen -- :It's rare that a novel keeps me guessing until the very last page - but One White Lie delivers in a big way. If you crave an escape from the real world, this is the book for you. It's absolutely terrific -- Sarah Pekkanen * bestselling co-author of The Wife Between Us *Hooked me from the start, with an ending that will blow you away -- Samantha Downing, bestselling author of My Lovely WifeIntense, unpredictable and completely addictive... everything a great psychological thriller should be -- TM Logan * bestselling author of The Holiday *
£9.49
Pan Macmillan The Extra Ordinary Life of Frank Derrick Age 81
Book SynopsisFrank Derrick is eighty-one. And he's just been run over by a milk float. It was tough enough to fill the hours of the day when he was active. But now he's broken his arm and fractured his foot, it looks set to be a very long few weeks ahead. Frank lives with his cat Bill (which made more sense before Ben died) in the typically British town of Fullwind-on-Sea. He watches DVDs, spends his money frivolously at the local charity shop and desperately tries to avoid cold callers continually knocking on his door. Then a breath of fresh air comes into his life in the form of Kelly Christmas, home help. With her little blue car and appalling parking, her cheerful resilience and ability to laugh at his jokes, Kelly changes Frank's extra ordinary life. She reminds him that there is a world beyond the four walls of his flat and that adventures, however small, come to people of all ages. Frank and Kelly's story is sad and funny, moving, familiar, uplifTrade ReviewWarm and funny, this book will leave you with a satisfied smile. -- Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg, bestselling author of The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the RulesIf you want a novel with some laugh out loud lines and a truly endearing central character, look no further -- frannyandperksThe novel rescues the elderly for us, paints them as just older versions of ourselves, with the same anchors in shared popular culture and the same wish to be interested, involved, inspired -- Lloyd ShepherdFrank's story is not only very funny, it's touching and warm too. J B Morrison has a way with words that draws the reader in so completely, and Frank becomes the centre of your world * randomthingsthroughmyletterbox *
£10.44
Headline Publishing Group The View Was Exhausting
Book SynopsisTheir kisses write headlines and their fights break the internet. Nobody needs to know it''s not real.''Absolutely the last word on the fake dating trope'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review''The celebrity fake dating book I was waiting for'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review''I felt breathless'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review''I absolutely loved this story from cover to cover'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review''Come for the kissing and the razor-sharp commentary on privilege and fame... stay for the great fake movies and grumpy old cat'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review''It''s impossible not to be drawn into the whirlwind of emotions'' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader review---Everybody''s talking about Whitman ''Win'' Tagore and Leo Milanowski. Their on-offTrade ReviewA pure delight! Effortlessly cool, razor sharp, and crazy fun - I couldn't put it down. It is Notting Hill for 2021, an absolute crowd pleaser -- Taylor Jenkins ReidEscapist, suspenseful, razor sharp and very unusual. I loved the chemistry between the two protagonists and flew through the book because I was dying to know what happens -- Frances ChaAn absolutely stellar debut with tension that crackles and prose that sings, The View Was Exhausting is the complex, Hollywood love story we've all been waiting for. Clements and Datta have crafted a book that's as heartfelt and earnest as it is sharp and surprising - I couldn't get enough -- Emily HenryDeft, funny and tender, The View Was Exhausting is as smart as it is swoon-worthy - this is exactly the book you should be reading right now -- Julia ArmfieldA glittering, swoon-worthy love story that's also about the intersections of power, representation, fame and privilege. It's funny and warm and gorgeously written and I'm calling it now as the beach read of the summer or, if we're all stuck inside, the escapist read of the summer, because reading this I was totally swept away -- Jane HealeyA book to read in the sun with a glass of wine and nothing else to do all day. Fun, sexy and totally gripping -- Laura KayA sexy, scorching treat - fresh and ultra modern, I devoured it -- Victoria GoslingI read it all in one morning and couldn't put it down once . . . The View Was Exhausting is enormously sophisticated, tension held like a net, as it slowly holds the reader closer and closer to a fire, and I laughed many times. It's an absolute tour de force, and Win is now one of my new favorite protagonists ever -- Tamsyn MuirSweeps you up into the tilt-a-whirl of Hollywood relationships, and what happens when the line between fake and real begins to blur. This richly drawn romance is, crucially, also a journey through the unjust rules forced upon women - especially women of color - who dare to play the fame game. It's timely, touching, and a tantalizing love story -- Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (aka The Fug Girls)
£10.44
Headline Publishing Group Voyeur
Book Synopsis''Addictive'' Stylist''Sultry'' Elle''Shimmers with suspense'' Daily Mail''Sizzling'' EsquireSummer in Paris. Leah, bored of tedious dead-end jobs, is intrigued to spot a job advert posted by the famous author Michael Young: ''Writer Seeks Assistant''.After an unconventional interview, Michael invites Leah to spend summer in the south of France with his family. But as she begins her work transcribing his diaries of his debauched youth in 1960s Soho, the lines of past and present, truth and deceit, begin to blur, and Leah has to question what it is that Michael really sees in her.A novel that challenges us to both question what we see, and what others see in us.''A devastatingly compelling new voice in literary fiction'' Louise O''Neill''Devastatingly witty, compulsively readable . . . like Sally Rooney meeting Martin Amis in Paris'' Francine Toon, author of Trade ReviewTense and sultry... addictive... With a complicated love triangle, glamorous settings, a cast of enigmatic characters and a mystery that will keep you guessing right until the end, it's a genuinely thrilling summer holiday read * Stylist *For fans of Naoise Dolan's Exciting Times, this is a sultry antidote to our Groundhog Year * Elle 'Dazzling Debuts' *A sultry novel that shimmers with suspense and a strong sense of period and time * Daily Mail *A smart and sticky exploration of memory, class, ambition and desire -- Chloë AshbyIf your hopes of heading to Provence this summer are looking in jeopardy, Francesca Reece's sizzling summer debut is a one way ticket to the South of France . . . As the title suggests, it's a story about the ways men and women watch one another, and the things we project onto people when we're only seeing what we want to see * Esquire *Unsettling, addictive, and razor-sharp, Francesca Reece is a devastatingly compelling new voice in literary fiction -- Louise O'NeillA sultry, summery book . . . devastatingly witty, compulsively readable . . . like Sally Rooney meeting Martin Amis in Paris -- Francine Toon, author of PINESet to rule the literary summer * Sunday Times Style *Voyeur is a salty, sultry exploration of desire and aspiration. It fractures fragile masculinity and illuminates the traces of the past in the present. It is wry, funny and wild, yet warns us of the dangers of a singular narrative and shows us the importance of being the protagonist of your own story -- Jessica Andrews, author of SALTWATERFrom Paris to the South of France, with narrative strands that wind beautifully through London's Soho and the hot streets of Athens, Voyeur seems as though it may be your standard airport novel: scandals in sunny climes. But Francesca Reece's stirring debut is much more than the sum of its wanderlust parts * Harper's Bazaar *A smart and atmospheric debut, VOYEUR explores class, memory and the male gaze * Big Issue North *A gripping debut * Irish Examiner *An idyllic villa by the sea in the south of France is the setting for much of VOYEUR, a smart debut novel from Francesca Reece * The Gloss *
£10.44
Headline Publishing Group The Golfers Carol
Book SynopsisThis inspirational, uplifting story from Robert Bailey is heart-breaking and ultimately uplifting, showing us all that it is never too late to live a wonderful life...Four rounds. Four heroes. Four life-changing lessons.''A celebration of faith, family and the human spirit, The Golfer''s Carol is a page-turning story of love and second chances that is sure to become a classic'' Winston Groom, author of Forrest GumpWhen Randy Clark wakes up on his 40th birthday, he''s going to go to work, eat the steak dinner his wife prepared him, blow out the candles on his birthday cake. . . And then he''s going to kill himself. With his dreams of a professional golf career long gone, his marriage struggling after the death of his son, and facing financial ruin, Randy has no other option to help his family but to jump off a bridge, and to let the life insurance company Trade ReviewPacked with heart and with hope, golf needed a Christmas classic, and now it has one * Tom Coyne, New York Times bestselling author of A Course Called Ireland *The Golfer's Carol is that rarest of books-one you will read and keep for yourself, while purchasing multiple copies for friends * Andy Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of The Noticer *A celebration of faith, family, and the human spirit, The Golfer's Carol is a page-turning story of love and second chances that is sure to become a classic * Winston Groom, author of Forrest Gump *A hymn to the heroes of golf and a moving fable about what is most important-and enduring-to learn from the game. The moral rings clear: It's never too late to have a Wonderful Life. * James Dodson, author of Ben Hogan: An American Life *A fun, fast read, this novel kind of sneaks its wisdom up on you. I thought it splendid * Homer Hickam, author Rocket Boys *
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group Thirty Things I Love About Myself
Book SynopsisThirty bold steps. One year. Is Nina ready? --------''Fresh, touching... So good!'' JANE FALLON''Feelgood, uplifting storytelling at its best'' SHEILA O''FLANAGAN''A treat!'' LAUREN BRAVO--------Nina Mistry is at rock bottom. She''s just broken up with the love of her life. Her friends are moving on. Her career is tanking. Oh, and she just turned thirty in a prison cell. But her night in prison might change everything. It''s there that she comes across a tatty little self-help book promising to change her life. The book presents her with a question: can she find thirty things she loves about herself? Sceptical but curious, the journalist in Nina can''t resist a challenge. And so begins a radical journey: to accept her flaws and find love.Thirty bold steps. One year. Are you ready? Discover THE novel that your best friend wants you to Trade Review'So good! Funny, fresh, touching. I'm completely in love with Nina' * Jane Fallon *'It may take an impromptu night in a prison cell to kickstart Nina's journey, but it's one we can all learn from' * Glamour *'Just brilliant. I want to give it to every woman I know' * Nimco Ali *'I absolutely loved this book . . . Witty, relatable and heartwarming' * Emma Gannon *'Felt like a big, warm hug! Filled with lots of gems, heartfelt moments and plenty of LOLs. I rooted for Nina all the way' * Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, author of Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? *'Funny, life-affirming - a treat!' * Lauren Bravo *'Funny and charming' * Pandora Sykes *'I adored everything about this hilarious, clever, uplifting novel!Uproariously funny and tenderly touching, it is the perfectantidote for today's stressful world' * Lori Nelson Spielman *'A charming novel. I loved spending time with Nina, Meera, Rupa, Auntie Trish and the whole gang. Typical Sagittarius' * Nell Frizzell *'Witty, warm and, most of all, brave and important' * Catherine Gray *'It is PERFECT - funny and charming and moving all in one . . . I honestly believe everyone will be touched by Nina's story . . . I loved it!' * Harriet Minter *'A heart-warming and uplifting read, exactly what we all need right now . . . This is going to fly!' * Nikki May *'A perfect read . . . Warm, witty and a little bit woo-woo, it's impossible not to root for Nina' * Red *'An uplifting, inspiring read' * Woman’s Own *'Brilliant, clever and funny . . . The self-love and empowerment story we all need. I'm already recommending it to all of my friends!' * Beth Reekles, author of ‘The Kissing Booth’ series and Love, Locked Down *'Heart-warming, affirming . . . An ideal read' * Megan Jayne Crabbe *'Funny, relatable and full of lessons we all need' * Fabulous *'Relatable Nina's rollercoaster ride is entertaining' * Daily Mail *'Heartwarming . . . [a] warm, witty story' * Stylist *
£11.69
Headline Publishing Group I Wish We Werent Related
Book SynopsisFOURTEEN DAYS, THREE SISTERS AND THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES''Radhika has the ability to create characters who make us laugh while pulling on our heartstrings. This book is a joy'' Jane Fallon''A heartwarming novel'' Sheila O''Flanagan''Whip-smart, laugh out loud hilarious, and has so much heart'' Beth Reekles-----Reeva Mehta is thriving. Consumed in her career as one of London''s top divorce lawyers, she doesn''t bat an eyelid when her mum calls to tell her that her dad is dead. Because he''s been dead since she was five . . . hasn''t he?If finding out her dad was alive - until last week - wasn''t bad enough, his last request was for his daughters to spend fourteen days in mourning at his house. Which means Reeva must spend a fortnight stuck with the people who betrayed her when she needed them the most - her sisters.Navigating her absent Bollywood megastar mother, newly deaTrade ReviewI absolutely LOVED I Wish We Weren't Related! It's hilariously funny, totally heartfelt and completely original - a perfect comedy about family, sisterhood and self-discovery. I learned so much about Hindu culture and really related to the stresses of dealing with difficult friendships, family drama and alopecia to boot. Radhika Sanghani is a huge talent! -- Laura Price, author of Single Bald FemaleA heartwarming novel about families and how to survive them -- Sheila O'Flanagan, bestselling author of Three Weddings and a ProposalI absolutely loved it! It was like a glorious warm hug of a book! -- Harriet MinterI Wish We Weren't Related is a knock-out. It's whip-smart, laugh out loud hilarious, and has so much heart and raw emotion that it keeps you gripped with every turn of the page. I adored every moment. This is one that will stay with you long after you finish reading! -- Beth ReeklesRadhika has the ability to create characters who make us laugh while pulling on our heartstrings. This book is a joy -- Jane Fallon
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton The Language of Birds
Book SynopsisDrawing on the infamous Lord Lucan affair, this compelling novel explores the roots of a shocking murder from a fresh perspective and brings to vivid life an era when women''s voices all too often went unheard. In the summer of 1974, Mandy River arrives in London to make a fresh start and begins working as nanny to the children of one Lady Morven. She quickly finds herself in the midst of a bitter custody battle and the house under siege: Lord Morven is having his wife watched. According to Lady Morven, her estranged husband also has a violent streak, yet she doesn''t seem the most reliable witness. Should Mandy believe her? As Mandy edges towards her tragic fate, her friend Rosemary watches from the wings - an odd girl with her own painful past and a rare gift. This time, though, she misreads the signs.Trade ReviewMandy is a gorgeous creation, a character so warm and vivid you half wish you could take her out for a drink . . . Dawson is good at delineating class, particularly as it manifested itself in the '70s . . . every detail is perfect, from children's toys to mealtimes . . . it's impossible to tire of Mandy, or of Neville, the West Indian man with whom she falls in love -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *In a class of its own . . . A glimmeringly intelligent, vital and compassionate exploration of nature,nurture and female desire, it also taps a deep vein of anger and sorrow at the fate of innumerable abused and murdered women. Timely, devastating and superbly realised. -- Stephanie Cross * Daily Mail *[Dawson has] an extraordinary facility with language and mood . . . her unsettling novel combines the suspense of a thriller and a haunting sense of melancholy with none of the queasy excess of the true crime genre. -- Catherine Taylor * Financial Times *Poignant and heartbreaking. -- Louise Doughty * Cosmopolitan *Gripping . . . This dazzling novel combines the pace of a thriller with moving, poetic writing. -- Joanne Finney * Good Housekeeping Book of the Month *The complex intersections of the mother-baby-nanny triangle and the loneliness of childcare are beautifully depicted . . .The narrative's progress towards the terrifying evening in the dark basement kitchen has the ineluctable pull of tragic myth. We know what must come, but this knowledge never detracts from the memorable beauty and intelligence of the novel. By focussing on the victim, Dawson allows us to completely rethink the original story in a way that honours Sandra Rivett's short life. * Sofka Zinovieff, Guardian *Highly engrossing . . . Dawson gives powerful voice to someone silenced in history . . . She delves unflinchingly into themes of domestic violence, mental illness and murder with sensitivity and skill. Her greatest achievement is to make Mandy live from these pages not only as a victim of murder but as a young woman filled with an energy too cruelly cut short. * Anita Sethi, The i *Lady Morven and Mandy are superbly drawn . . . a sensitive and often beautifully written novel that examines the case thoroughly without making you feel like a rubbernecker. Dawson's greatest achievement is to breathe life into Sandra, emphasising that she would deserve our attention even if she had not met such a tragic end. * Jake Kerridge, Daily Telegraph *Dawson has a great talent for turning real people into fictional characters . . . By viewing the drama through the eyes of two nannies - the watchful Mandy and her more gullible friend Rosemary - Jill Dawson introduces an intriguing new perspective on the well-known tale. The cold, knowing world of upper-class entitlement is captured with fresh eyes. Dawson is particularly sharp on the nanny's conflicting thoughts about her neurotic employer. -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *Compelling . . . it's a heartbreaking read * Eithne Farry, Sunday Express *Refusing to get distracted by the largely spurious mystery of Lucan's disappearance, this imaginative and often poetic novel keeps itself grounded in the no-nonsense realities of social class and domestic violence. * Phil Baker, Sunday Times *Addictive and moving * Emerald Street *I loved it. It's a brilliant riposte to all the Lucan myth-making that has developed over the years - so moving and so righteously angry. -- Paula Hawkins, author of THE GIRL ON THE TRAINJill Dawson explores the [Lucan] case from the nanny's perspective, bringing her to life as a fictional yet vivid character. And, in the process, she takes on the British class system, misogyny and domestic violence. Even though we know the tragic ending, the novel is curiously uplifting. -- Liz Hoggard * Radio Times *Glorious and exquisitely written. And - for a book that takes one of the most famous murders of the 20th century as its inspiration - astonishingly full of life and joy. -- Emma Flint, author of LITTLE DEATHSJill Dawson has always had a knack for spotting sensational true-life stories and making from them intelligent, thought-provoking and terrifically absorbing page-turners. Her latest is no exception . . . The sights and sounds of vibrant Seventies London pop off the page, and the whole thing crackles with life, ideas and - hurrah - unapologised-for female desire. -- Summer Holiday Reads * Daily Mail *The nanny's-eye view of these posh, emotionally stunted people is entirely effective . . . this beautifully written novel achieves its aim: it gives the victim back her voice. -- Andrew Taylor * Spectator *Atmospheric and genuinely riveting, with a huge feminist heart. -- Alexandra Heminsley * Grazia *Dawson's fictionalised take on the Lord Lucan murder case eschews sensation to explore questions of nature and nurture, and celebrate female friendship and desire. It's fantastic on Seventies London, too. -- Christmas Books * Daily Mail *Imaginative and poetic -- The Pick of the Best Paperbacks * Sunday Times *A vibrant and compelling literary creation . . . Dawson tackles themes of class, culpability, sex and violence in a powerful and affecting novel * Observer *This novel is based closely on the events surrounding the disappearance of Lord Lucan following the murder of the family nanny, Sandra Rivett, in 1974. Focusing as much on the nanny's life as that of her aristocratic employer, it's strangely dreamlike, sometimes surreal and always enthralling. * Sunday Express S Magazine *
£9.49
Hodder & Stoughton The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna
Book SynopsisFrom Calabria to Connecticut: a sweeping family saga about sisterhood, secrets, Italian immigration, the American dream, and one woman's tenacious fight against her own fate.Trade ReviewA compulsive, huge-hearted novel about family, home and how women move through the world; you don't read this book, you live it. -- Erin Kelly, author of HE SAID/SHE SAIDA sweeping story of immigration, family, betrayal and most importantly, one extraordinary woman. This book is gorgeous, harrowing and magical -- Julie CohenThanks to gorgeous writing from Grames, it's full of beautiful passages and is the perfect book to take with you on holiday . . . a messy, complex and convincing story of women struggling to find their true power -- Francesca Brown * Stylist *This is wonderful storytelling, seamlessly capturing the love and horror at the heart of family. Juliet Grames's novel, tracing the extraordinary life - and deaths - of an ordinary woman, sits the reader down at a well-laden table, and offers a hugely satisfying feast. Delightful -- Mick HerronA sumptuous inter-generational saga . . . heart-wrenching * Observer *Packed with family secrets and their repercussions, the novel memorably pins down the American immigrant experience. It's an impressive achievement. * Daily Mail *Superbly enjoyable . . . a darkly funny story about two sisters . . . A class act - don't miss it. * Woman *I loved this meaty family saga . . . I couldn't help rooting for the complicated and unstoppable hero -- Joanne Finney * Good Housekeeping *Fresh and intriguing . . . gripping -- Sabine DurrantThe Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna achieves what no sweeping history lesson about American immigrants could: It brings to life a woman that time and history would have ignored * Washington Post *[Its] emotional force . . . illuminates every page. A beautifully painted portrait, majestic and masterful; a very fine novel indeed. -- Laura CarlinBy turns captivating, shocking, heartbreaking and life-affirming. This is no ordinary family epic; it is the story of generations of women who, in conformity and non-conformity, blaze with strength, compassion and formidable will . . . An extraordinary debut -- Vaseem KhanA magnificent debut . . . a deeply felt, richly imagined world . . . Moody, original and profound. Brava! -- Adriana TrigianiReading The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna is like listening to the rollicking stories of your Italian grandmother - full of memorable characters and speckled with fascinating bits of history. This is a fantastic and timely family story -- Jessica ShattuckJuliet Grames's epic novel . . . is rich in eccentric characters and unlikely encounters, and she inhabits a world that is tinged with magic but still limited by patriarchal values - and she carries with her a dark family history. It's an extensive, often cheeky, exploration of lineage, fate, and womanhood. * Buzzfeed *Paint[s] sensually intricate portraits of Calabria and Connecticut. With her story of an "ordinary" woman who is anything but, Grames explores not just the immigrant experience but the stages of a woman's life. This is a sharp and richly satisfying novel * Publishers Weekly *Compelling * Kirkus *Readers who appreciate narratives driven by vivid characterisation and family secrets will find much to enjoy here . . . [Grames is] an author to watch * Booklist *While the subject matter isn't always easy . . . the Fortunas are so lively and sharply drawn that you'll eagerly follow their journey from pre-World War II Italy to early aughts Connecticut * Vulture *Twisty and complicated, but wholly original * Electric Literature *Witty and deeply felt * Entertainment Weekly *
£8.54
Amazon Publishing Every Single Secret: A Novel
Book Synopsis“A true psychological thriller that will leave you breathless.” —Wendy Walker, bestselling author of All Is Not Forgotten and Emma in the Night Emotionally guarded Daphne Amos always believed she’d found a kindred spirit in her fiancé, Heath. Both very private people, they’ve kept their pasts hidden from the world, and each other, until Heath’s escalating nightmares begin to put an undeniable strain on their relationship. Determined to give their impending marriage the best chance of succeeding, Heath insists that Daphne join him on a seven-day retreat with Dr. Matthew Cerny, a psychologist celebrated for getting to the root of repressed memories. Daphne reluctantly agrees—even though the past is the last place she wants to go. The retreat’s isolated and forbidding location increases her unease, as do the doctor’s rules: they must relinquish their keys and phones, they’ll be monitored at all hours by hidden cameras, and they’re never to socialize with the other guests. One sleepless night, Daphne decides to leave her room—and only then does she realize that the institute is not at all what it seems—and that whatever’s crying out from Heath’s past isn’t meant to be heard. It’s meant to be silenced.Trade Review“Creepy, twisty, and masterfully crafted. Emily Carpenter nailed the dark and disturbing characters that make up this rich and provocative gothic thriller. Every Single Secret is one of my favorite reads so far this year. I can’t recommend it enough.” —Kerry Lonsdale, Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Everything Series “Emily Carpenter begins Every Single Secret on a creepy premise: couples therapy in a remote mountain resort, where every room has eyes—hidden cameras watching every move. Buckle up because this is one hell of a ride, a rocket-paced, edge-of-your-seat story you’ll want to devour in one sitting. A knockout, easily one of my favorite books of the year.” —Kimberly Belle, bestselling author of The Marriage Lie “A complex, riveting novel of psychological suspense that holds a mirror to the darkest human impulses. A must-read.” —A. J. Banner, USA Today bestselling author of The Twilight Wife “Emily Carpenter has once again crafted a story full of complicated characters who will keep you guessing until the last page. Every Single Secret deftly explores the risks of hiding from our pasts and the desperation—and danger—of falling blindly into love. A wild, tense ride.” —Victoria Helen Stone, #1 Amazon bestselling author of Evelyn, After “Every Single Secret is a taut thriller that will keep you turning pages well into the dark and quiet hours of the night. Its strong female narrator, evocative setting, and closed door mystery can be likened to Wuthering Heights meets The Fall. Emily Carpenter does a beautiful job of blending the keystones of gothic romance with the tension of modern storytelling, creating a world that you won’t want to leave even as it fractures before you.” —Amber Cowie, author of Rapid Falls “If you have darkness lurking in your soul—a troubled childhood, scars that won’t heal—what happens when you meet your soulmate? That’s the premise behind this perfectly gothic novel, a story harboring secrets that hide in dark corners of a crumbling mansion in the remote Georgia woods where a couple has retreated for therapy to help them confront the demons of their pasts. This heart-stopping, exquisitely plotted psychological thriller will keep you breathless until the very last page—and beyond.” —Wendy Webb, bestselling author of The End of Temperance Dare
£8.54
Pan Macmillan Players
Book SynopsisIn this remarkable novel of menace and mystery, Pammy and Lyle Wynant are an attractive, modern couple who seem to have it all. Yet behind their 'ideal' life is a lingering boredom and quiet desperation: their talk is mostly chatter, their sex life more a matter of obligatory 'satisfaction' than pleasure. And still they remain untouched, 'players' indifferent to the violence that surrounds them, and that they have helped to create.Originally published in 1977, Players is a fast-moving yet starkly drawn socially critical drama that demonstrates the razor-sharp prose and thematic density for which Don DeLillo is renowned today.Trade ReviewA witty, harrowing and superbly controlled novel about modern alienation and violence. * Washington Post *
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Our Dark Secret
Book SynopsisFrom the author of The Missing Girl, Jenny Quintana’s gripping novel, Our Dark Secret, tells the story of two girls, two deaths and two decades of silence . . . As a teenager in the late 1970s, Elizabeth was clever, overweight and something of a loner. When Rachel and her family moved to town, though, Elizabeth was drawn to the bright and beautiful Rachel like a moth to a flame. She would do anything for Rachel. Anything.Then the first body was discovered.Twenty years on, Elizabeth wants nothing more than to keep the secrets of her teenage years where they belong: in the past. But another body has been found, and she can’t keep running from what happened . . .Can she?‘Darkly compelling’ – Jane Shemilt, author of Daughter.Trade ReviewEmotional and gripping: Our Dark Secret confirms Jenny Quintana as the mistress of the heartbreaking thriller -- Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said and Stone MothersDarkly compelling, tender characterisation — I read this in a few greedy gulps -- Jane Shemilt, author of Daughter and The PlaygroundBittersweet, full of growing menace, yet poignant and full of longing . . . Fans of The Missing Girl will fall in love with this! -- Karen Hamilton, author of The Perfect GirlfriendJenny Quintana is a rare talent . . . Superb plotting, razor-sharp characterisation, and a creeping sense of dread makes Our Dark Secret a novel that you won’t be able to put down -- Caz Frear, author of Sweet Little Lies and Stone Cold HeartA compulsive page-turner; a beautifully written coming-of-age story; a murder mystery peopled with characters who live and breathe . . . and a brilliant read -- Fiona Cummins, author of Rattle and The NeighbourExcellent – a dark and moving mystery, woven from the tales of truly memorable characters -- Rachel Edwards, author of Darling
£8.54
Pan Macmillan The Girl Who Reads on the Métro
Book SynopsisThe Girl Who Reads on the Métro is the French phenomenon by Christine Féret-Fleury ready to charm book-lovers everywhere, for fans of The Little Paris Bookshop and The Elegance of the Hedgehog.When Juliette takes the métro to her loathed office job each morning, her only escape is in books – she avidly reads on her journey and imagines what her fellow commuters’ choices might say about them. But when, one day, she decides to alight the train a few stops early and meets Soliman – the mysterious owner of the most enchanting bookshop Juliette has ever seen – she is sure her life will never be the same again . . . For Soliman also believes in the power of books to change the course of a life – entrusting his passeurs with the task of giving each book to the person who needs it most – and he thinks Juliette is perfect for the job. And so, leaving her old life behind, Juliette will discover the true power a book can have . . .Trade ReviewAn enchanting story made of literary references that would convince anyone to become a reader, even the most reluctant ones. * Avantages *A delightful novel! * Madame Figaro *A beautiful tale, wonderfully crazy, for everyone who likes to end a book with a smile on their face. * Lire *A charming, cheery read crammed with literary references that will delight book lovers and Paris passionnes alike. * France Magazine *
£11.69
Graphic Arts Books Crime and Punishment
Book SynopsisA seemingly well-reasoned justification of murder comes to pieces as the murderer is forced to confront the true nature of his crime. After much thought Rodion Raskolnikov determines that certain special people deserve the right to step outside of normal law and order to accomplish difficult deeds for the good of others and even humanity as a whole. Trapped in desperate poverty, he justifies his plan to rob and kill a rich, unpopular pawnbroker, reasoning that he will take the money, survive and go on to do good things for others. The terrible act of murder, and the unstoppable cascade of events that follow, throw Raskolnikov into a nightmare of mental unbalance and moral torment. One situation after another arises that drives home his guilt and shows how his brutal act has resulted in nothing but destruction and pain. A surprise visit from family and a policeman who seems teasingly, sardonically aware of his guilt thrust Raskolnikov into a position where he can’t tell if even confession will supply meaningful redemption. First published in 1866, Crime and Punishment stands as one of the most acclaimed novels of all time and remains unsurpassed in its penetrating psychology and raw glimpses of a mind wracked by moral confusion and fundamental questions of how to do the right thing. With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Crime and Punishment is both modern and readable.
£20.69
Pan Macmillan Mountain Road, Late at Night
Book Synopsis'Through sharply drawn characters, Rossi achieves a clear-eyed and poignant view of a family in crisis' - Sydney Morning HeraldA fatal car crash. A young boy orphaned. Who should now become his parents?Nicholas and April are driving home from a party when their car crashes on an empty road high up in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As they lay on the roadside slowly dying, their four-year-old son, Jack, waits for them at home. In the days after their deaths, their grieving relatives begin to descend on the family home. There, they are forced to decide who will care for the child Nicholas and April left behind. Nicholas’s brother Nathaniel and his wife Stefanie aren’t ready to be parents, but Nicholas’s mother and father have issues of their own. And April’s mother Tammy is driving across the country to claim her grandson. Spanning a few traumatic days in the minds of each family member, Mountain Road, Late at Night, is a masterly portrait of grief, the pain of sudden loss and a family in utter crisis. Gripping, affecting and extremely accomplished, Alan Rossi's unforgettable debut asks one crucial question: what do you do when the worst happens?Trade ReviewAn extraordinary debut for an extraordinary new talent -- Frederick Barthelme, author of There Must Be Some Mistake Compassionate and profound, this is the kind of novel that puts even difficult things into perspective -- Isabel Costello, The Literary SofaThrough sharply drawn characters, Rossi achieves a clear-eyed and poignant view of a family in crisis * Sydney Morning Herald *Gripping * Happy Mag *A minor miracle . . . a deeply compelling novel -- David Shields, author of Salinger
£8.54
Pan Macmillan The Golden Couple
Book SynopsisFrom Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, the authors of the top ten bestseller The Wife Between Us, comes The Golden Couple – a compelling psychological thriller that will keep you guessing to the very end.Marissa and Mathew Bishop seem like the golden couple, until Marissa cheats. She wants to repair things – both because she loves her husband, and for the sake of their eight-year-old son. After a friend forwards an article about Avery, Marissa takes a chance on this maverick therapist, who lost her licence due to controversial methods.If Avery Chambers can’t fix you in ten sessions, she won’t take you on as a client. She helps people overcome everything, from anxiety to domineering parents. Her successes almost help her absorb the emptiness she feels since her husband’s death.When the Bishops glide through Avery’s door, all three are immediately set on a collision course. Because the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it’s no longer simply a marriage that’s in danger.‘The Golden Couple is propulsive and thrilling. It grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go. A page-turner that will keep you guessing until the very end’ - Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Daisy Jones and The Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
£13.49
Pan Macmillan A Shock
Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZE FOR FICTION 2022‘Remarkable' - Colm Tóibín, author of Brooklyn'Like Finnegans Wake, only readable' - The TimesIn A Shock, a clutch of more or less loosely connected characters appear, disappear and reappear. They are all of them on the fringes of London life, often clinging on – to sanity, solvency or a story – by their fingertips. With this deftly conjured high-wire act, Ridgway achieves a fine balance between drama and fidelity to his characters. The result is pin-sharp and breathtaking.Book of the Year Selection in the Guardian, New York Times, Spectator, Hot Press and The White ReviewShortlisted for The Goldsmiths Prize Trade ReviewKeith Ridgway offers his London a luminous glow, but his competing narratives are also rooted in a real place, with a remarkable sense of character and the shifting systems that make up his contemporary urban space -- Colm TóibínLike Finnegans Wake, only readable. * The Times *Ingeniously slippery . . . an expertly constructed house of mirrors -- Lucy Scholes * New York Times Book Review *A sultry, steamy shock of a novel . . . a provocative collection of nine interlinked stories, jostled together like neighbours on a London street or regulars in a pub, which is where most of his characters cross paths * The Spectator *Keith Ridgway's gifts as a writer are many: his complex, vivid characters, his ability to create a humane and tender cityscape in an unfeeling metropolis, and to dig into our fallibilities and desires with such humour and compassion -- Sinéad GleesonEndlessly interesting -- Anthony Cummins * The Observer *Keith Ridgway is an incredible writer and A Shock is a wonder . . . There were times, reading this book, that I never wanted it to end -- Chris Power, author of Mothers A Shock is a meticulously crafted diorama * Vanity Fair *A great and generous book, an incomparable achievement -- Richard BeardSimply imagine being as good at anything as Keith Ridgway is at writing -- Nicole Flattery on Keith RidgwayReaders are instantly involved in the action of Ridgway's worlds, the characters he writes with great compassion and clarity, and always with an awareness of the fuzziness of being alive -- Sarah Gilmartin * Irish Times *Flows over with invention and imagination -- John Self * The Irish Times *In this playful yet deeply sincere novel, Ridgway squeezes into the gaps of realism and makes something beautifully new * Guardian *A Shock is a perfect, living circle of beauty and mystery; clear-sighted and compassionate, and, at times, wonderfully funny. The radiance and vitality of the writing, and its, frankly amazing, control and precision, reminded me of Henry Green but with a warmth and reflective quality that deserves to reach many readers -- David HaydenLike Lewis Carroll or Muriel Spark, the author is not content with the normal measly amount of dimensions: he goes in for bewitchment as a narrative art -- Barbara Epler * TANK Magazine *A Shock is an experiment that pays off: deeply funny, in a morose sort of way, oblique but never frustrating; and with a realism in dialogue that lends its characters depth and reliability * Business Post *Superb . . . Elizabeth Strout meets Bret Easton Ellis * Sunday Times Ireland on Hawthorn & Child *A Shock, Keith Ridgway’s mesmerizing new novel-in-stories, portrays a London on the edge of the edge, precarious, strange and enthralling. Haunting each other and life itself, these characters and their stories will haunt you too! -- John KeeneA masterful polyphonous portrait of modern London * Literary Review *Profane, god-dappled, transcendent, even gently poetic and funny – all those things at once -- Rivka GalchenThis modern look at (dis)connection is stunning, in all its story parts, and as a whole, it's a brilliant mind fuck. Political, pertinent, spunky and funny, A Shock is a grand sweep of modern storytelling. Hold out for the mice . . . -- June CaldwellOften hilarious, sometimes scary, always fearlessly assured. Each chapter is an intimate snapshot, a peek through the window into the life of one of the loosely linked characters living in one area of London . . . these characters vibrate at a frequency that we can all hear, feel, taste and see . . . Ridgway provides a crystal clear shot of grief, loss and loneliness * Irish Independent *There is a canny empathy running through A Shock. This is a masterfully crafted, highly intriguing novel that delivers the shock of its title with the slow, steady build-up of anxiety and dread that often characterizes dreams * Books Ireland *A fascinating and marvellously accomplished piece of work from a great and hugely under-rated Irish author -- Pat Carty * Hot Press *Once this novel clicks into place, its blend of the heady and the visceral is immersive and compelling * Kirkus *This novel will leave the reader with lots to think about, laugh about, cry about * Sunday Independent *Sex, lies, and drugs shape the interlocking and recursive narratives in Irish writer Ridgway’s marvelous latest (after Hawthorn & Child), revolving around a set of neighbouring London houses * Publishers Weekly *A Shock is a provocative collection of nine interlinked stories, set in south London’s sultry streets. In writing about characters many would overlook, Ridgway reminds us that everyone has a story * The i *
£9.49