Narrative theme: politics / economics

Book SynopsisA PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick With extraordinary relevance and renewed popularity, George Orwell’s 1984 takes on new life in this hardcover edition. “Orwell saw, to his credit, that the act of falsifying reality is only secondarily a way of changing perceptions.Trade ReviewOne of the BBC's 100 Novels that Shaped the World “Orwell saw, to his credit, that the act of falsifying reality is only secondarily a way of changing perceptions. It is, above all, a way of asserting power.”—The New Yorker “1984 is a profound, terrifying, and wholly fascinating book. It is a fantasy of the political future, and like any such fantasy, serves its author as a magnifying device for an examination of the present.”—Lionel Trilling —

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Book SynopsisTHE PHENOMENAL INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERAn anti-fascist history lesson disguised as a novel'New York TimesExtraordinary'TLSA masterpiece' Roberto SavianoA startling look into the fascist mindset, a portrait of unrelenting determination, and an impeccable work of historical fiction. M tells the story of the rise of fascism from within the mind of its founder. A gripping and masterful exposé, it explores Benito Mussolini's rise to power and a movement that, amidst a failing democracy, came to shape the world.Panoptic and polyphonic, Scurati's book gives us the experiences of the fearful and the feared, the rhetoric of both the revolutionaries and the reactionaries an immense mosaic' Lucy Hughes-Hallett, New StatesmanAn indisputable literary achievement Italo Calvino would have loved it' El PaìsTrade Review‘An anti-fascist history lesson disguised as a novel’ New York Times ‘A masterful historical account, an extraordinary and stimulating book. A portrait of Benito Mussolini all the more accurate and powerful as it is factual and rigorous. An audacious, fluid, dazzling production. A brilliant story’Le Figaro ‘An indisputable literary achievement. Scurati carefully examines history, with an experienced prose rich in literary allusions. Like Yourcenar, Gore Vidal, Sebald, Echenoz or Fences. Italo Calvino would have loved it’El Paìs ‘Resembles a political thriller … surprisingly modern. A must read’ Die Zeit ‘The novel Italy has been waiting for. A masterpiece.’ Roberto Saviano ‘Panoptic and polyphonic, Scurati’s book gives us the experiences of the fearful and the feared, the rhetoric of both the revolutionaries and the reactionaries … a multitude of short fragments that collectively add up to an immense mosaic’ Lucy Hughes-Hallett, New Statesman

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Book SynopsisOne of the first twenty-first century Russian novels to probe the legacy of the Soviet prison camp system by one of Russia's finest young writers. A young man travels to the vast wastelands of the Far North to uncover the truth about a shadowy neighbour who saved his life, and whom he knows only as Grandfather II. What he finds, among the forgotten mines and decrepit barracks of former gulags, is a world relegated to oblivion, where it is easier to ignore both the victims and the executioners than to come to terms with a terrible past. This disturbing tale evokes the great and ruined beauty of a land where man and machine worked in tandem with nature to destroy millions of lives during the Soviet century. Emerging from today's Russia, where the ills of the past are being forcefully erased from public memory, this masterful novel represents an epic literary attempt to rescue history from the brink of oblivion.Trade ReviewA Dantean descent... In a steely translation by Antonina W. Bouis, Oblivion is as cold and stark as a glacial crevasse, but as beautiful as one, too, with a clear poetic sensibility built to stand against the forces of erasure' * Wall Street Journal *Astonishing... Ingeniously structured around the progressive uncovering of memories of a difficult personal and national past [...] with a visceral, at times almost unbearable, force' * Times Literary Supplement *Opening in stately fashion and unfolding ever faster with fierce, intensive elegance, this first novel discloses the weight of Soviet history and its consequences... Highly recommended for anyone serious about literature or history' * Library Journal (starred review) *Sergei Lebedev opens up new territory in literature. Lebedev's prose lives from the precise images and the author's colossal gift of observation * Der Spiegel *

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Book SynopsisThe mega-bestseller with more than 1.5 million readers that is soon to be a major television seriesOne of five Summer 2019 reading picks by Bill GatesThe novel buzzes with the energy of numerous adventures, love affairs, [and] twists of fate. —The Wall Street Journal He can’t leave his hotel. You won’t want to. From the New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Civility—a transporting novel about a man who is ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel. In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel’s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery. Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count’s endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.

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Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.The animals at Manor Farm have had enough of Farmer Jones he's drunk, reckless and cares little for their welfare. When the boar, Old Major, shares his revolutionary plans, the animals are convinced they can thrive on their own once the despot Jones is overthrown. But as the pigs vie for power, they begin to bear an uncanny resemblance to the tyrants they have overthrownGeorge Orwell's renowned fable became an instant success on publication after the Second World War. The novel has continued to captivate readers of all ages, and has secured Orwell's position as one of the great writers of the twentieth century.Trade Review‘[Orwell’s] wit is both edged and human. Few writers of any period have been able to use the English language so simply and accurately to say what they mean, and at the same time to mean something’ The New Republic (1946) ‘The book for everyone and Everyman, its brightness undimmed after fifty years’ Daily Telegraph ‘Orwell … has written in a prose so plain and spare, so admirably proportioned to his purpose, that Animal Farm even seems very creditable if we compare it with Voltaire and Swift’ The New Yorker ‘A prophet who thought the unthinkable and spoke the unspeakable, even when it offended conventional thought’ Daily Express ‘Matchlessly sharp and fresh … The clearest and most compelling English prose style this century’ Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Literary FictionShortlisted for the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction and the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Science Fiction Book of the Year.2074. America's future is Civil War. Sarat's reality is survival. They took her father, they took her home, they told her lies . . . She didn't start this war, but she'll end it.Omar El Akkad’s powerful debut novel imagines a dystopian future: a second American Civil War, a devastating plague and one family caught deep in the middle. In American War, we’re asked to consider what might happen if America were to turn its most devastating policies and deadly weapons against itself.Trade ReviewAmerican War creates as haunting a post-apocalyptic universe as Cormac McCarthy did in The Road, and as devastating a look at the fallout that national events have on an American family as Philip Roth did in The Plot Against America. -- Michiko Kakutani * New York Times *So sharply observed . . . hard to resist. * Sunday Times *This is extremely good . . . Basically was hoping for my train to be delayed -- Sarah PerryThis is an outstanding book – 1984 meets The Handmaid’s Tale – that feels closer to reality than it possibly should. * Prima *America’s tortured present lends unsettling believability to American War, the dystopian debut from journalist Omar El Akkad with its late 21st-century picture of a second civil war, fought over fossil fuel in a US devastated by environmental disaster. Brilliantly imagined, it’s both a timely tale and a salutary warning. -- Mariella Frostrup, Guardian ‘Best Books of 2017’Terrifying . . . moving . . . Convincing, compelling and very bloody scary. * Metro *Future dystopias always tell us a great deal about our most pressing contemporary anxieties and this is a novel that imagines the cracks currently emerging in US society widening into ravines. -- Alex Preston ‘Best Fiction of 2017’ * Observer *[An] exciting debut . . . what sets this impressive book apart from other dystopian novels is the fully realised plausibility of the scenario El Akkad’s created, the roots of which can be all too easily identified in the world around us today… As diverting a read as this engrossing novel is, American War should no doubt also be read as a cautionary tale. * Independent *Informed by writer El Akkad's experiences working as a journalist in Afghanistan and Egypt's Arab Spring, this is a timely and haunting book that reflects our uncertain era. * Stylist *It is an ambitious concept and El Akkad . . . pulls it off in an imaginative feat of world building . . . American War is an assured debut and El Akkad’s experience as a war reporter lends a grisly realism to proceedings . . . A vivid and nightmarish vision of an all-too-conceivable future. * Express *American War is an extraordinary novel. El Akkad’s story of a family caught up in the collapse of an empire is as harrowing as it is brilliant, and has an air of terrible relevance in these partisan times. -- Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven[A] striking debut . . . El Akkad is well equipped to speculate on the way in which our present predicaments might spark brutal conflict: he has seen those conflicts for himself . . . the book’s politics and its situations are all too believable. * New Statesman *Disturbingly plausible . . . a tale of a future America torn asunder by its own political and tribal affiliations . . . The novel’s thriller premise notwithstanding, Akkad applies a literary writer’s care to his depiction of Sarat’s psychological unpacking and the sensory details of her life . . . Whether read as a cautionary tale of partisanship run amok, an allegory of past conflicts or a study of the psychology of war, American War is a deeply unsettling novel. The only comfort the story offers is that it’s a work of fiction. For the time being, anyway. -- Justin Cronin * New York Times *The comment being made on the Trump administration is impossible to miss in this engaging novel . . . It paints a bleak picture pf the future of humanity if climate change and the divisions of our society are not addressed now. * i *American War is the most impressive new novel I’ve read this year. Set in a scarily plausible future scarred by civil strife and climate change, it’s thrilling for the sheer transporting force of its storytelling. Its lasting power, though, lies in its complex account of moral disintegration, both individual and societal. -- Garth Greenwell, 'Best holiday reads 2017' * Guardian *Follow the tributaries of today’s political combat a few decades into the future and you might arrive at something as terrifying as Omar El Akkad’s debut novel, American War . . . Poignant and horrifying . . . El Akkad demonstrates a profound understanding of the corrosive culture of civil war, the offenses that give rise to new hypocrisies and mythologies, translating terrorists into martyrs and acts of despair into feats of heroism. * Washington Post *American War is a worthy first novel, thought-provoking [and] earnest . . . It is at its best depicting the lives of ordinary people caught up in terrible circumstances and how those ordinary people are, in the crosshairs of crisis, forever changes, and how some can become extraordinary or at least affect history. * Los Angeles Times *Unsettling and horribly plausible * Psychologies Magazine *In American War, [Omar El Akkad] has crafted a most unusual novel, one featuring a gripping plot and an elegiac narrative tone, but also an oppressively grim vision of a divided, selfdestructive nation that becomes a victim of its darkest impulses and actions. * Boston Globe *El Akkad’s debut novel transports us to a terrifyingly plausible future in which the clash between red states and blue has become deadly . . . Part family chronicle, part apocalyptic fable, American War is a vivid narrative of a country collapsing in on itself, where political loyalties hardly matter given the ferocity of both sides and the unrelenting violence that swallows whole bloodlines and erodes any capacity for mercy or reason. This is a very dark read; El Akkad creates a world all too familiar in its grisly realism. * Publishers' Weekly *Omar El Akkad’s topically minded tale deals with climate change, drone warfare, refugee crisis and the use of torture . . . Compelling. * SFX *El Akkad has created a brilliantly well-crafted, profoundly shattering saga of one family’s suffering in a world of brutal power struggles, terrorism, ignorance, and vengeance. American War is a gripping, unsparing, and essential novel for dangerously contentious times. * Booklist (starred review) *American War is Omar El Akkad’s first novel and it is masterful. Both the story and the writing are lucid, succinct, powerful and persuasive . . . Over the course of the novel, we will discover how the narrator came to know and love Sarat, how he suffered to see her suffer and how he witnessed good and evil do battle for her soul. But, more importantly, we come to reflect once more on the egotism and idiocy of war, and on the millions of people it makes homeless, and on the unfortunate way that those who still have the means to live inside locked homes tend to hate others who show up en masse at their doorstep, shoeless and hungry and desperate. * Toronto Globe and Mail *A plausible, terrifying chronicle of the fracture and subsequent annihilation of the US . . . A thrillingly complex adventure that moves from the American south to Alaska and on to the Middle East and North Africa . . . At its heart and most movingly, the novel also becomes a coming-of-age narrative about how easily a curious child faced with horror and powerlessness can transform into a weapon intent on obliteration. As we learn at the end of the prologue, “This isn’t a story about war. It’s about ruin.”’ * The Australian *

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Book Synopsis'Baldacci is the master' Jeffery ArcherAs darkness falls, evil comes to light...Memory man FBI agent, Amos Decker, returns in this action-packed thriller to investigate the mysterious and brutal murder of a federal judge and her bodyguard at her home in an exclusive, gated community in Florida from international bestselling author David Baldacci.Things are changing for Decker. He’s in crisis following the suicide of a close friend and receipt of a letter concerning a personal issue which could change his life forever. Together with the prospect of working with a new partner, Frederica White, Amos knows that this case will take all of his special skills to solve.Judge Julia Cummins seemingly had no enemies, and there was no forced entry to her property. Close friends and neighbours in the community apparently heard nothing, and Cummins’ distraught ex-husband, Barry, and teenage son, Tyler, both have strong alibis. Decker must first find the answer to why the judge felt the need for a bodyguard, and the meaning behind the strange calling card left by the killer.Someone has decided it’s payback time.***********KILLER TWISTS. HEROES TO BELIEVE IN. TRUST BALDACCI.‘One of the world’s thriller masters’ Daily Mail‘Baldacci is still peerless’ Sunday Times‘One of the all-time best thriller authors’ Lisa Gardner, author of FIND HER‘Baldacci delivers, every time!’ Lisa Scottoline‘A master storyteller.’ Associated Press‘Baldacci cuts everyone’s grass – Grisham’s, Ludlum’s, even Patricia Cornwell’s – and more than gets away with it’ PeopleTrade ReviewSinewy, and written with Baldacci’s consummate skill, this is a thriller from the top drawer -- Daily Mail on Walk the WireDavid Baldacci is one of the all-time best thriller authors -- Lisa GardnerA riveting brain-teaser as well as serving up vivid action scenes -- Sunday Times on Daylight

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Book Synopsis'Brilliant' – V. E. Schwab, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Darker Shade of MagicFor one apprentice assassin, the clock is ticking . . .Pyrre Lakatur doesn’t like the description skullsworn. It doesn’t capture the beauty of her devotion to Ananshael, God of Death. And she’s not an assassin, but a priestess. Or she will be, if she can pass her final trial. The problem isn’t killing, as Pyrre has spent her life training for this. The problem is love. To pass the trial, she will have fourteen days to kill seven people detailed in an ancient song, including one true love, ‘who will not come again’. However, Pyrre has never been in love, time is short, and if she fails she’ll be given to her god. Pyrre’s not afraid to die, but she hates to fail. So a month before the trial begins, she returns to the violent city of her birth, where she once offered an abusive father to the god. Here Pyrre hopes to find love – and end it with the edge of her knife.'Pleasantly grim and emotionally complex' – Kirkus Reviews'Lush, evocative descriptions . . . remarkably intimate' – Publishers WeeklySkullsworn is a thrilling standalone set in the world of the Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne by Brian Staveley.Trade ReviewBrilliant -- V. E. SchwabPleasantly grim and emotionally complex . . . an accessible entree for new readers, who will undoubtedly go on to consume the rest of the series -- Kirkus ReviewsLush, evocative descriptions sharpen the setting . . . Visceral action scenes and memorable characters bring this tale to life. Despite the outsize aspects of this adventure, it still feels remarkably intimate -- Publishers WeeklyBrian Staveley deftly weaves a fast-paced and compelling tale filled with excellent characterization, vivid world-building, and high personal stakes, making this one an outstanding novel on every level -- BibliosanctumSkullsworn is a fantastic standalone book with a very satisfying conclusion -- TheBookBagSkullsworn displays Staveley’s signature bleak style, characters that are teeming with conflict and inner turmoil and exciting small and large-scale fight scenes that should keep every fan of the genre entertained . . . it makes me look forward to my next foray into this exciting universe and makes it easy to give this one a very high recommendation -- FantasyFactionThis is a warm, funny, character focused novel which is also darkly charming, bloody, and lethal. It was very, very hard to put down, and had an emotional punch to match its high adrenaline moments. If you enjoyed the Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne, this is a more than worthy successor text – and if you’ve never read those, you can pick this up, and know you’re in for a fantastic (if sometimes violent) journey -- SF&FReviewsHighly recommend, especially for fans of female characters that like to kick ass -- SpeculativeHeraldA highly engrossing fantasy world -- FantasyBookReviewBrian Staveley is a must-read author -- TheBookGeekKept me mesmerized from start to finish . . . Unique, bold, and exciting, Skullsworn is not to be missed -- Qwillery

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Book SynopsisA mother faces a terrible choice in this explosive literary sensation about a dystopian IrelandTrade Review'Lynch pulls off feats of language that are stunning to witness... This is a triumph of emotional storytelling, bracing and brave.' Esi Edugyan, Chair of Judges, The Booker Prize 2023'If there was ever a crucial book for our current times, it's Paul Lynch's Prophet Song... A brilliantly haunting novel.' Observer'With...Prophet Song, the judges have chosen perhaps the most timely and urgent book on the shortlist... it’s also the very intimate, elemental story of one woman’s love for her family, and her desperate attempts to hold on to the immediate world around her in the face of rising chaos.' Guardian'Prophet Song is composed of masterful sentences, and packs a profound emotional punch.’ Gaby Wood, Chief Executive of the Booker Prize Foundation'I haven't read a book that has shaken me so intensely in many years... The comparisons are inevitable – Saramago, Orwell, McCarthy – but this novel will stand entirely on its own.' Colum McCann, author of Apeirogon'Powerful, claustrophobic and horribly real... Lynch's depiction of Eilish is nuanced and sympathetic, and in the fiercely embodied quality of her love for her children, entirely successful.' Guardian'Surely one of the most important novels of this decade.' Ron Rash, author of Serena'A compassionate, propulsive and timely novel that forces the reader to imagine — what if this was me?' FT'The fifth novel from one of the most acclaimed Irish writers of his generation… As an adventure story-cum-political warning, it’s being touted as "Ireland’s 1984".' Telegraph'In his typically lyrical, lulling style, Lynch pulls off a masterstroke… The chill, so close to home, is blood curdling.' Big Issue'Chillingly plausible.' Irish Times‘Thunderously powerful... In Prophet Song Paul Lynch asks us to face some of our darkest fears, and if he offers no comfort, and little hope, then we must surely recognize his true purpose: that the furious reader should return to the real world determined to find a better ending for this story.' TLS'One of the most harrowing, minatory and provocative novels I have read in a while. It has the sharp cut of reality despite being set in an alternate version of our world, except for when it is all too recognisable. The final and penultimate chapters are truly shuddersome.' Scotsman'Eilish is a wonderful creation… Lynch does an excellent job of showing just how swiftly – and plausibly – a society like ours could collapse. Certain sequences read like a thriller – readers will find themselves literally holding their breath – while others are rendered in beautiful, lyrical prose.' Irish Independent'The work of a master novelist, Prophet Song is a stunning, midnight vision whose themes are at once ancient and all too timely: fear, complicity, resistance, and what becomes of us when hell rises to our homeland.' Rob Doyle, author of Threshold'A profoundly human story that brings to life the horror of living in a modern war zone. Deft, subtle and written in strikingly beautiful prose, with this stunning novel Paul Lynch has joined the ranks of Atwood, Orwell and Burgess.' Christine Dwyer Hickey, author of The Narrow Land'While much of the book’s sinister power lies in how Lynch hints at the steps by which democracy gives way to totalitarianism, its real energy comes from how he portrays the continuing everyday pressure of Eilish's obligations to her children and frail father amid the deepening turmoil… [A] provocative thought experiment.' Daily Mail'A tremendous achievement... This is one of the most important novels of 2023. Paul Lynch is a fearless writer – unafraid of taking on large themes and tackling them face to face.' Irish Examiner'Lynch renders this almost-Ireland in fluid, poetic prose, moulding sentences as if they were made of plasticine. It's no surprise that since his debut he has been compared with the American writer Cormac McCarthy.' The Sunday Times (Ireland)'Gripping, brilliantly realised... A masterly novel that reminds us that democracy is always fragile.' Literary Review'Lynch's writing bristles with tension… While Lynch's novel is a laudable addition to a genre that serves as a warning about how easy it is to lose the freedoms we take for granted, perhaps its greatest achievement is that at no point do the events depicted feel too improbable to be realistic… Prophet Song is entirely original.' Sunday Independent (Dublin)'A prophetic masterpiece.' Washington Post'A chilling cautionary tale of war, parenthood and loss. Tender and terrifying.' Economist, 'Best Books of 2023'

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Book SynopsisAlmost from the moment of its publication in 1863, Nikolai Chernyshevsky's novel, What Is to Be Done?, had a profound impact on the course of Russian literature and politics. The idealized image it offered of dedicated and self-sacrificing intellectuals transforming society by means of scientific knowledge served as a model of inspiration for...Trade ReviewNo work in modern literature, with the possible exception of Uncle Tom's Cabin, can compete with What Is to Be Done? in its effect on human lives and its power to make history. For Chernyshevsky's novel, far more than Marx's Capital, supplied the emotional dynamic that eventually went to make the Russian Revolution. * The Southern Review *In the Russian revolutionary movement, no literary work can compare in importance with Chernyshevsky's What Is to Be Done?.... Katz and Wagner have provided us with a version that is worthy of the novel's importance. Katz's translation is faithful to the original, yet cast in words that bring Chernyshevsky's meaning alive to modern readers.... Wagner, in turn, provides abundant notes, explaining obscure references, making connections between parts of the novel that could easily be missed on first reading, and alerting the reader to those many passages where Chernyshevksy hinted at what he could not say outright. * Russian History *

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Book Synopsis''Provocative, compassionate and beautiful'' - Joy Harjo, US Poet Laureate A moving story of a Maori community''s fight for survival, from one of New Zealand''s most prominent and celebrated authorsOn the remote coast of New Zealand, at the curve that binds the land and the sea, a small Maori community live, work, fish, play and tell stories of their ancestors. But something is changing. The prophet child toko can sense it. Men are coming, with dollars and big plans to develop the area for tourism. As their ancestral land becomes threatened, the people must unite in a battle for survival. Weaving together myth and memory, Patricia Grace''s prize-winning novel is a spellbinding portrait of a defiant community determined to protect their way of life at any cost.Trade ReviewA searching examination of human nature [by] a canonical figure in postcolonial and Maori literature . . . a timely arrival, praising the strength and the resilience of the human spirit whilst capturing, in moments of crystallising clarity, the tragic masochism of its pain and sorrow. * Arts Desk *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE 2023 WORLD FANTASY AWAY FOR BEST NOVELNothing complicates life like Death.Lanie Stones, the daughter of crown-appointed killers, was born with a gift for necromancy—and a literal allergy to violence. For her own safety, she was raised in isolation in a crumbling mansion by the family’s mouldering revenant.When Lanie’s parents are murdered, she and her psychotic sister Nita must settle their extensive debts or lose their ancestral home. When Liriat’s ruler, too, is murdered, it throws the whole nation’s future into doubt.Hunted by Liriat’s enemies, terrorised by family ghosts and tortured by a forbidden love for a childhood friend, Lanie will need more than luck to get through the next few months—but when the goddess of Death is on your side, anything is possible.Trade Review“Wildly inventive.”—Buzzfeed * Buzzfeed *“Cooney’s prose is beautiful and intricate and glowing.”—The Colorado Sun * The Colorado Sun *“Every character arrives in a burst: fully-realized, always finding their mark, dripping with detail and a fire in their heart.”—Tor.com“Saint Death’s Daughter exemplifies what fantasy can do in the best of ways.”—Strange Horizons“Grisly, dark, lovely, funny, heartfelt.”—Kirkus, starred review“I can usually predict story beats long before they happen but the author managed to surprise me with the depth and complexity of the characters, especially the antagonists.” -- The Southern Bookseller Review“Strange and magical adventures in a colorful world where most people are gender fluid, the gods are strange and death is not an ending.” -- Thornwell Books“This is the weirdest book I have read in a long time – and yet it’s weirdness is charming. Somewhat reminiscent of What We Do in the Shadows or The Addams Family.” -- Booknest“The novel complicates and recomplicates, always to its benefit. There’s a puppy! And there is suspense, and twists, and a satisfying resolution that gives no one all they want.” -- Black Gate“I don’t want to tell you much about this book. I want you to experience it the way I did; a cake whose every layer is more delicious than the last; a gemstone that always has another glittering facet when you turn it over in your hands; a gift that never stops giving. This is a book you should go into unprepared – and unarmed.” -- Every Book a Doorway“The broad aesthetic here is ‘whimsical gothic’: early chapters have a real Ghormengast-y vibe, which Cooney balances with a story that builds increasing nuance. Saint Death’s Daughter has gone straight to the favourites list, and I can’t wait to see where the adventures of Lanie take her.” -- Nerds of a Feather“A beautiful, stunning work of literature, more art than words, and something that I recommend everyone reads.” -- Just Geeking By“Lanie’s journey from a young woman to adulthood is compelling; the rise of her necromantic power and how she learns to wield it is enthralling. The world the author has built around Lanie is intricate and beautifully realised. It is a story that rewards the time invested in it.” -- British Fantasy Society“I’ve never met a book that is so completely sure of itself. Cooney could have gone off on any tangent and I would have completely believed it. I loved Saint Death’s Daughter for its complexities and characters and chaos and I think this will remain one of my top reads of the year.” -- FanFiAddict

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Book SynopsisA brilliantly twisty, 80-page novella from the No. 1 bestselling author of the Logan McRae series. Including an extract from his new Logan novel, THE MISSING AND THE DEAD.It's the night of the big Referendum, and all Acting Detective Inspector Logan McRae has to do is find a missing No' campaigner. Should be easy enoughBut, as usual, DCI Steel has plans of her own. As the votes are counted there's trouble brewing in the pubs and on the streets of Aberdeen.Logan's picked up a promising lead, but all is not quite what it seems, and things are about to go very, very wrongTrade ReviewPraise for Stuart MacBride: ‘MacBride is the natural heir to the late and much lamented Reginald Hill’ Andrew Taylor, Spectator ‘MacBride is a damned fine writer – no one does dark and gritty like him’ Peter James ‘Fierce, unflinching and shot through with the blackest of humour; this is crime fiction of the highest order’ Mark Billingham ‘Some of the grittiest crime-writing in the field’ Independent ‘Admirers of tough, modern crime novels will be in seventh heaven – or should that be hell?’ Express ‘Ferocious and funny’ Val McDermid ‘Hard-hitting prose with a bone-dry humour and characters you can genuinely believe in, Stuart MacBride’s novels are a real treat’ Simon Kernick

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Book SynopsisSalman Rushdie is the author of sixteen novels, including Midnight's Children (for which he won the Booker Prize and the Best of the Booker), The Satanic Verses, and Quichotte (which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize). A former president of PEN American Center, Rushdie was knighted in 2007 for services to literature and was made a Companion of Honour in the Queen's last Birthday Honours list in 2022.Trade ReviewA brilliant symphony... Exceptional... One of Rushdie's best novels yet * Independent *Extraordinary... Worth engaging with at every level; a thrilling story told in thrilling language * The Times *Shalimar the Clown is Rushdie's most engaging book since Midnight's Children. It is a lament. It is a revenge story. it is a love story. And it is a warning * Observer *Deeply disturbing and immensely moving... An exquisite, broken thing of pain and beauty * Independent *Excellent... A characteristically daring walk along the tightrope of fiction * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis''Pavese''s novels are works of an extraordinary depth where one never stops finding new levels, new meanings'' Italo CalvinoJune, 1943. Allied aircraft are bombing Turin; fascist Italy is on its knees. Every evening, after a day''s teaching in the city, Corrado returns to the safety of the hills and the care of his two doting landladies. He has no attachments, no obligations. Yet against his better judgement he is drawn to the easy warmth of a circle of anti-fascists who congregate at a nearby tavern, and confronted with a painful choice: emotional and political commitment, with all its dangers - or devastating retreat. Pavese''s extraordinary semi-autobiographical novel is a lucid portrayal of missed opportunities and human weakness, set against the seductive intensity of the Italian countryside.Translated with an introduction by Tim ParksShortlisted for The Society of Authors Translation Award 2022Trade ReviewPavese is one of the few essential novelists of the mid-twentieth century -- Susan SontagPavese's nine short novels make up the most dense, dramatic, and homogeneous narrative cycle of modern Italy ... But above all they are works of an extraordinary depth where one never stops finding new levels, new meanings -- Italo CalvinoCesare Pavese's cool, contemplative voice was the most important among postwar Italian writers -- W. S. DiPieroInsinuating, haunting and lyrically pervasive * The New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisThe pulse-pounding new thriller featuring Cotton Malone. Perfect for fans of Dan Brown, Sam Bourne and Scott Mariani. The pope is dead. Cardinals are beginning to arrive at the Vatican to select his replacement, but one has fled for Malta in search of a document that dates back to the 4th century and Constantine the Great.Former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone is in Italy, on the trail of legendary letters between Winston Churchill and Benito Mussolini that could re-write history. But someone else is after the same letters and, when Malone obtains and then loses them, he's plunged into a hunt that draws the attention of the legendary Knights of Malta.The knights are the only warrior-monks to survive into modern times. Now they are a global humanitarian organization, but within their ranks lurks the Secreti - an ancient sect intent on affecting the coming papal conclave. Malone races the rogue cardinal, the knights, the Secreti, and the clock to find what has been lost for centuries. Meanwhile, the election of the next pope hangs in the balance.Trade ReviewPraise for Steve Berry * - *My kind of thriller * Dan Brown *Berry raises this genre's stakes * The New York Times *

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewVladimir Sorokin [is] Russia's most inventive contemporary author -- Masha Gessen * New York Times Book Review *Vladimir Sorokin is one of Russia's greatest writers, and this novel is one of his best. Day of the Oprichnik is a haunting and terrifying vision of modern Russia projected two decades into the future - or maybe not the future at all. A joy to read - more entertaining, dynamic, engaging, and deeply hilarious than a dystopian novel has any right to be -- Gary Shteyngart * author of Absurdistan and Super Sad True Love Story *Anyone who wants to learn more about Russia and what could be the outcome of [Vladimir] Putin's rule should read the book. It's dark and dystopian, but it's a part of our life -- Garry Kasparov * Time *Compelling . . . Devastating . . . Powerful . . . In Day of the Oprichnik, [Sorokin] combines futurological invention with political archaism to vicious satirical effect . . . It's as if hi-tech limbs had been grafted onto the torso of early modern statecraft: Wolf Hall meets William Gibson -- Tony Wood * London Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisThe Beating of his Wings by Paul Hoffman is the final instalment in his epic Cale and the Sanctuary of Redeemers series. The Beating of his Wings is the third and final instalment in the epic Paul Hoffman trilogy following Cale and the Sanctuary of the Redeemers. Following The Left Hand of God and The Last Four Things, this climatic ending will bring this sensational narrative to a close, and finally the fate of the angel of death will be revealed.Imagine if Phillip Pullman''s His Dark Materials met Umberto Eco''s Name of the Rose. Fans of epic heroic fiction will love this series.Praise for Paul Hoffman:''This book gripped me from the first chapter and then dropped me days later, dazed and grinning to myself'' Conn Iggulden''Tremendous momentum'' Daily Telegraph''A cult classic . . .'' Daily Express

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Book SynopsisA Sunday Times and New York Times Bestseller!‘A rip-roaring, brilliant page-turner, but it’s also timely, cheeky, important and wonderfully, courageously provocative. What great fun!’ – James Patterson‘Smart and fast and twisty, State of Terror is a dazzlingly unpredictable political thriller. I loved it’ – Kathy ReichsState of Terror is a compelling and critically acclaimed international political thriller co-written by Hillary Rodham Clinton, the 67th secretary of state, and Louise Penny, a multiple award-winning #1 New York Times bestselling novelist.Take a ringside seat in the high-stakes world of international politics . . .After a tumultuous period in American politics, a new administration has just been sworn in. Secretary of State, Ellen Adams, is determined to do her duty for her country. But she is about to face a horrifying international threat . . .A young foreign service officer has received a baffling text from an anonymous source. Too late, she realizes it was a hastily coded warning. Then a series of bus bombs devastate Europe, heralding the rise of a new rogue terrorist organization who will stop at nothing in their efforts to develop their own nuclear arsenal.As Ellen unravels the damaging effects of the former presidency on international politics, she must also contemplate the unthinkable: that the last president of the United States was more than just an ineffectual leader. Was he also a traitor to his country?________________________Praise for State of Terror:‘Clinton and Penny are each a force on their own - put together they are unstoppable’ – Karin Slaughter'This is as close as you’ll get to being in the White House Situation Room with a secretary of state.' – The Times'Fast-paced and packed with insider knowledge.' – Daily Mail'The perfect political thriller . . . a glimpse into the world of our most powerful politicians.' - Ann CleevesTrade ReviewPretty darn good...the real appeal of the novel, apart from a fuel tanker’s worth of political score-settling, is that this is as close as you’ll get to being in the White House Situation Room with a secretary of state. * The Times *Tightly plotted tale of political intrigue...[Clinton and Penny are] a match made in heaven... This is meticulously plotted, intelligent and terrifying... Don’t miss it. -- Alison Flood * The Guardian *Great fun...an unexpected delight * Daily Telegraph *remarkable...Fast-paced and packed with insider knowledge, it superbly conveys the pressures at the heart of the world’s diplomacy. Chillingly plausible and laden with insights, this is a taut account of frantic political manoeuvring in the face of incredible evil. * Daily Mail *I expected a thriller written by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny to be smart, very well-written, and suspenseful . . . But State of Terror is so much more than that. Yes, this novel is a rip-roaring, brilliant page-turner, but it’s also timely, cheeky, important, and wonderfully, courageously provocative. What great fun! -- James PattersonThe nearly 500-page novel combines other details that resonate with recent news... along with explorations of friendship... and, for the writers, the enjoyment of placing women of a certain age at the heart of a political thriller. * Independent (AP News) *State of Terror is an absolutely gripping, utterly believable, heart-stopping thriller that will make readers question how much is fiction and how much is based on reality. Clinton and Penny are each a force on their own – put together they are unstoppable -- Karin SlaughterThis is the perfect political thriller: rollercoaster action, credible heroes and villains, and a glimpse into the world of our most powerful politicians. Add into the mix flashes of humour and fine writing and we have a winning formula! -- Ann CleevesExpectedly, but effectively, the book targets Washington misogyny...The novel is geopolitically thoughtful as well, exploring a moral dilemma worthy of John le Carré... -- Mark Lawson * The Guardian *Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny Deliver a Page-Turner … a romp...political junkies will relish the veiled insults to real-life people. … I’m going to award the prize for Best Clinton Thriller of 2021 to Hillary. * New York Times *Smart and fast and twisty, State of Terror is a dazzlingly unpredictable political thriller. I loved it -- Kathy Reichscracking political thriller... -- Ryan Tubridy, RTEa complex plot with the highest international stakes...State of Terror proves to be a lively ... blockbuster...The geopolitical aspects here are handled with plausible authenticity... * Financial Times *Mrs Clinton's co-author is the splendid Louise Penny, author of the wonderful Inspector Gamache series...lively and readable... * Daily Express *consistently entertaining...Penny and Clinton demonstrate a sure hand at international intrigue and narrative pacing. The real key to “State of Terror,” though, is its secret weapon: female friendship. International terrorists may have all the materials they need for a dirty bomb, but America has these two middle-aged women with a plan. Honestly, it’s not a fair fight. * Washington Post *The thriller follows the journey of new secretary of state and main character, Ellen Adams.... Secretary Adams must navigate a terrorist plot, nuclear weapons and a Trump-like administration. Along the way, Adams battles sexist comments from her male counterparts but also finds friendship and support in the women around her...’State of Terror’ also tackles Washington's misogyny as the main character navigates jabs and sexist comments at the hands of the male antagonists. While the male characters are rude and crass, the women win by outsmarting their counterparts. * USA Today *State of Terror moves at a galloping pace all the while offering tantalizing insight into the mind of the GOAT (greatest of all time) herself. Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny have written us some truly iconic women. We are not worthy! -- Jessica KnollBreathlessly pacy and topical * Evening Standard *John le Carre's mantle was taken up by...Hillary Clinton...slickly enjoyable...fascinating granular detail of how a US Secretary of State sets about tackling an international terrorist plot... * The Telegraph on 'The best new crime fiction and thrillers to buy for Christmas 2021' *To say more would rob readers of the pleasures of discovery in this taut thriller, a story made all the more relevant by the United States’ recent withdrawal from Afghanistan. Possessed of both head and heart, “State of Terror’s” layering of ethical trade-offs, political intrigue, high-level espionage and pure evil perfectly melds Clinton’s intimate knowledge of the State Department and foreign policy with Penny’s mastery of genre mechanics. * L.A. Times *Hillary Rodham Clinton pairs up with powerhouse mystery novelist Louise Penny for State of Terror, a political thriller full of action and intrigue...Clinton and Penny create a heart-pounding mystery about terrorism, corruption and diplomacy, meticulously written with the promise of details only someone on the inside could contribute. * Time *[A] pulsating thriller. * People *With combined expertise, Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny offer a story that is not only artfully written but also rich in its deep knowledge of the complicated global mess that is international politics. With each tick of the clock, the spring is more tightly wound, and readers will find themselves breathlessly expecting in every moment that in the next moment the worst will occur. But wisely and with expert craft, across page after page of heart-in-your-throat moments, these two collaborators draw the reader inevitably toward a truly surprising conclusion. State of Terror is a feast for thriller lovers. -- William Kent Krueger, author of Ordinary GraceAn inspired pairing. Penny’s turn-the-page pacing and Clinton’s wealth of insider details mesh perfectly in this fast, entertaining thriller that also has knowing things to say about national – and international – politics. So authentic it feels like eavesdropping. -- Joseph KanonThis is one of the paciest and most complex political thrillers I’ve read in years * Stylist *This fast-paced thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat! * My Weekly *suspenseful debut...a shrewdly written political thriller, jam-packed with insider expertise. * The Herald *Grips from the first page * Bella *This brilliant read blew us away * Closer *

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Book SynopsisIn Kafka's powerful and disturbing novel, an innocent man is arrested and repeatedly interrogated for a crime that is never ever explained. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library, a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold-foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is translated from German by Douglas Scott and Chris Waller, and features an afterword by David Stuart Davies.On the morning of his thirtieth birthday, a young bank official named Joseph K is arrested although he has done nothing wrong and is never told what he’s been charged with. The Trial is the chronicle of his fight to prove his innocence, of his struggles and encounters with the invisible Law and the untouchable Court where he must make regular visits. It is an account, ultimately, of state-induced self-destruction presenting in a nightmarish scenario the persecution of the outsider and the incomprehensible machinations of the state. Using the power of simple, straightforward language Kafka draws the reader into this bleak and frightening world so that we too experience the fears, uncertainties and tragedy of Joseph K.Trade ReviewThe Dante of the twentieth century -- W. H. AudenNo other voice has borne truer witness to the dark of our times -- George Steiner

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Book Synopsis''The kind of book that has you screaming Yes! Yes! Yes! Now I get it! on almost every page'' Caitlin Moran''Dr Taylor sets out a compelling case . . . gives voice and agency to women who have experienced trauma and violence'' Morning StarShe asked for it. She was flirting. She was drinking. She was wearing a revealing dress. She was too confident. She walked home alone. She stayed in that relationship. She was naïve. She didn''t report soon enough. She didn''t fight back. She wanted it. She lied about it. She comes from a bad area. She was vulnerable. She should have known. She should have seen it coming. She should have protected herself.The victim blaming of women is prevalent and normalised in society both in the UK, and around the world.What is it that causes us to blame women who have been abused, raped, trafficked, assaulted or harassed by men? Why are we uncomfortable with placing all of the blame on the perpetratorTrade ReviewDr Taylor sets out a compelling case . . . gives voice and agency to women who have experienced trauma and violence * Morning Star *The kind of book that has you screaming "Yes! Yes! Yes! Now I get it!" on almost every page * Caitlin Moran *Not an easy read from a fella's perspective but nor should it be. Using countless, often shocking case histories as well as her own expert analysis, Dr Jessica Taylor seeks time and again to prove the inherent truth of her thesis. Does she succeed? Put it this way: months later, Dr Taylor's words still haunt me . . . * Matthew Wright *This is an important book * Dawn French *

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Book SynopsisMahfouz's last novel, an evocative depiction of life in Egypt in the twentieth century as told through the lives of a group of friends, is now available in paperback for the first time On a school playground in the stylish Cairo suburb of Abbasiya, five young boys become friends for life, making a nearby café, Qushtumur, their favorite gathering spot forever. One is the narrator, who, looking back in his old age on their seven decades together, makes the other four the heroes of his tale, a Proustian, and classically Mahfouzian, quest in search of lost time and the memory of a much-changed place. In a seamless stream of personal triumphs and tragedies, their lives play out against the backdrop of two world wars, the 1952 Free Officers coup, the defeat of 1967 and the redemption of 1973, the assassination of a president, and the simmering uncertainties of the transitional 1980s. But as their nation grows and their neighborhood turns from the green, villa-studded paradise of their youth to a dense urban desert of looming towers, they still find refuge in the one enduring landmark in their ever-fading world: the humble coffeehouse called Qushtumur. The Coffeehouse is a powerful and timeless novel of loss and memory from one of Egypt's most celebrated literary masters.Trade Review"The Arab world's foremost novelist"—The New York Times"Mahfouz's work is freshly nuanced and hauntingly lyrical."—The Los Angeles Times"A towering literary figure"—The Economist"Egypt's greatest living writer and one of the world's most humane literary figures"—Laila Lalami, The Nation"Timeless.' —New Statesman"A master of both detailed realism and fabulous storytelling"—The Guardian"Mahfouz is a storyteller of the first order in any idiom." —Vanity Fair"An affectionate evocation of lost youth and life's passage by a seasoned storyteller."—Kirkus

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Book Synopsis'A tragedy of classical proportions...a magnificent novel' The TimesDiscover the Pulitzer-prize winning novel that confirmed Philip Roth as one of the greatest American writers.'Swede' Levov is living the American dream. He glides through life cocooned by his devoted family, lucrative business, sporting prowess and good looks. He is the embodiment of thriving, post-war America, land of liberty and hope. Until one sunny day in 1968, when Swede's daughter, Merry, commits an outlandishly savage act of political terrorism and the Levov family is plunged into mayhem. Extraordinarily nuanced and poignant, American Pastoral is the first in an eloquent trilogy of post-war American novels that still resonates today._________________PRAISE FOR AMERICAN PASTORAL:'Angry, grieving, witty, acute' Sunday Times'A profound and personal meditation on the changes in the American psyche over the last fifty years' Financial Times'A momentous novel' Observer'Utterly tragic and compelling' TatlerTrade ReviewMarvellous... Raging and elegaic * Guardian *Full of insight, full of sharp ironic twists, full of wisdom about American idealism, and full of terrific fun... A profound and personal meditation on the changes in the American psyche over the last fifty years * Financial Times *A tragedy of classical proportions...a magnificent novel * The Times *Wonderful, rich...entirely gripping * Sunday Telegraph *A momentous novel * Observer *

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Book SynopsisBritish author and screenwriter Adam Hamdy works with studios and production companies on both sides of the Atlantic. As well as creating the Scott Pearce series, which comprises Black 13 and Red Wolves, he is the author of the Pendulum trilogy, an epic series of conspiracy thriller novels. James Patterson described Pendulum as one of the best thrillers of the year', and the novel was a finalist for the Glass Bell Award for contemporary fiction. Pendulum was chosen as book of the month by Goldsboro Books and was selected for the BBC's Radio 2 Book Club. Prior to embarking on his writing career, Adam was a strategy consultant and advised global businesses in the medical systems, robotics, technology and financial services sectors.Trade ReviewEver inventive, ever surprising, Hamdy is fast carving a name as one of the most intelligent and gripping thriller writers of our time -- Peter JamesAdam Hamdy has created a unique protagonist in Scott Pearce. Muscular prose, a pace that doesn’t let up and a setting that feels disturbingly close to the truth make for a thrilling read. Recommended -- Mark DawsonA terrific read. Meticulous in every detail. Another classy thriller from Adam Hamdy -- Mari HannahPure adventure – Red Wolves delivers high stakes, high octane action with a global scope and a devilish threat for Scott Pearce to face down. Thrilling stuff! -- C. M. Ewan, bestselling author of Safe House and A Window BreaksA scorching thriller that will make you question where we are as a country . . . and where we might be heading -- Anthony HorowitzExcellent . . . Packed with relentless pace and hard-edged thrills -- James SwallowMove over Jason Bourne, Scott Pearce is in town . . . A breathless rollercoaster of a ride -- Fiona CumminsHamdy creates smart adrenaline-charged action scenes * The Times *High speed, hi-tech, high octane throughout. Entertaining and thought-provoking -- Amer AnwarIntroduces readers to . . . Scott Pearce who looks set to become the British Jason Bourne or Jack Reacher. A stunning book deserving huge success * Daily Express *A kinetic ride * Financial Times *Bond for the new age . . . Timely, tense, terrifying -- K. J. Howe, international bestselling author of Skyjack

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Book SynopsisAcross the globe, millions of computer screens flicker with the artfully coded world of T'Rain - an addictive internet role-playing game of fantasy and adventure. But backstreet hackers in China have just unleashed a contagious virus called Reamde, and as it rampages through the gaming world spreading from player to player - holding hard drives hostage in the process - the computer of one powerful and dangerous man is infected, causing the carefully mediated violence of the on-line world to spill over into reality. A fast-talking, internet-addicted mafia accountant is brutally silenced by his Russian employers, and Zula - a talented young T'Rain computer programmer - is abducted and bundled on to a private jet. As she is flown across the skies in the company of the terrified boyfriend she broke up with hours before, and a brilliant Hungarian hacker who may be her only hope, she finds herself sucked into a whirl of Chinese Secret Service agents and gun-toting American Survivalists; the Russian criminal underground and an al-Qaeda cell led by a charismatic Welshman; each a strand of a connected world that devastatingly converges in T'Rain. An inimitable and compelling thriller that careers from British Columbia to South-West China via Russia and the fantasy world of T'Rain, Reamde is an irresistible epic from the unique imagination of one of today's most individual writers.Trade ReviewFantastic * Sunday Times *Like Stephenson's most critically acclaimed novel, Cryptonomicon, Reamde combines meticulous observation of the stranger socio-economic effects wrought by technology with rousing fusillade adventure... Outrageously entertaining... a joyride * Guardian *Sometimes when you're reading Neal Stephenson, he doesn't just seem like one of the best novelists writing in English right now; he seems like the only one * Time *

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Book SynopsisWritten by 'a sublimely elegant historical novelist as addictive as crack' (Daily Telegraph), the Inspector Troy series is perfect for fans of Le Carré, Philip Kerr and Alan Furst.Vienna, 1934. Ten-year-old cello prodigy Meret Voytek becomes a pupil of concert pianist Viktor Rosen, a Jew in exile from Germany.The Isle of Man, 1940. An interned Hungarian physicist is recruited for the Manhattan Project in Los Alomos, building the atom bomb for the Americans.Auschwitz, 1944. Meret is imprisoned but is saved from certain death to play the cello in the camp orchestra. She is playing for her life.London, 1948. Viktor Rosen wants to relinquish his Communist Party membership after thirty years. His comrade and friend reminds him that he committed for life...These seemingly unconnected strands all collide forcefully with a brazen murder on a London Underground platform, revealing an intricate web of secrecy and deception which Detective Frederick Troy must untangle.Trade ReviewJohn Lawton finds himself in the same boat as the late Patrick O'Brian - a sublimely elegant historical novelist as addictive as crack but overlooked by too many readers for too long. * Daily Telegraph *Admirable, ambitious and haunting, this is the sort of thriller that defies categorisation. I look forward with enthusiasm to the next one. * Spectator *John Lawton's books contain such a wealth of period detail, character description and background information that they are lifted out of any category. Every word is enriched by the author's sophistication and irreverent intelligence, by his meticulous research and his wit. * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisSUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLERSHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2017A once-in-a-generation series, Ali Smith''s Seasonal quartet is a tour-de-force about love, time, art, politics, and how we live now. ''Undoubtedly Smith at her best. Puckish, yet elegant; angry, but comforting'' The Times Daniel is a century old. Elisabeth, born in 1984, has her eye on the future. The United Kingdom is in pieces, divided by a historic once-in-a-generation summer. Love is won, love is lost. Hope is hand in hand with hopelessness. The seasons roll round, as ever . . .Discover all four instalments: Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer. Ali Smith''s new novel, Companion piece, is available now.*****ONE OF THE GUARDIAN''S BEST BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY ''Undoubtedly Smith at her best. Puckish, yet elegant; angry, but comforting'' The Times''Bold and brilliant'' Observer''Terrific, extraordinary, playful . . . There is an awful lot to lift the soul'' Daily Mail Trade ReviewI love Ali Smith's writing, and I've been keeping Autumn for an end-of-book holiday treat * Val McDermid, 'The Observer' *In a country apparently divided against itself, a writer such as Smith is more valuable than a whole parliament of politicians * Financial Times *Bold and brilliant, dealing with the body blow of Brexit to offer us something rare: hope * Jackie Kay *Humour, grace, solace...A light-footed meditation on mortality, mutability and how to keep your head in troubled times * The Guardian *Transcendental writing about art, death and all the dimensions of love. It's not so much 'reading between the lines' as being blinded by the light between the lines - in a good way * Deborah Levy *The novel of the year is obviously Ali Smith's Autumn, which managed the miracle of making at least a kind of sense out of post-Brexit Britain * The Observer *Autumn is a beautiful, poignant symphony of memories, dreams and transient realities * The Guardian *Experimental, thematically complex, associative, time-juggling, powered by a crazed and energetic curiosity * Sunday Times *Pure literary magic * Mail on Sunday *Puckish, yet elegant; angry, but comforting. Long may she Remain that way * The Times *A wonderfully risky project...an ambitious, multi-layered creation...an energising and uplifting story * The Daily Telegraph *A moving exploration of the intricacies of the imagination, a sly teasing-out of a host of big ideas and small revelations, all hovering around a timeless quandary: how to observe, how to be * The New York Times *I wonder: How does she manage to so wonderfully weave in and out of time, to layer time, while creating something that feels like it was written this morning after she read today's newspaper? * PBS News Hour *Publisher's description. Autumn 2016: the UK is in pieces, divided by a historic once-in-a-generation summer. Love is won, love is lost. The seasons roll round as ever. From the imagination of the peerless Ali Smith comes a shape-shifting, light-footed, time-travelling novel. This is a story about right now, this minute; about ageing and time and love and stories themselves. Here comes Autumn. * Penguin *Transcendental writing about art, death and all the dimensions of love. It's not so much 'reading between the lines' as being blinded by the light between the lines - in a good way * Deborah Levy *The book I'd like to receive for Christmas: Ali Smith's Autumn. * Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train *Fantastic writing, big ideas and generosity of spirit * Spectator *[Ali Smith] is Scotland's Nobel laureate-in-waiting - and I can't wait for her new book * Sebastian Barry, Observer *Humour, grace, solace...A light-footed meditation on mortality, mutability and how to keep your head in troubled times * Guardian, Best Fiction 2016 *Autumn is a beautiful, poignant symphony of memories, dreams and transient realities * Guardian *[Ali Smith] is simply incapable of writing a dull paragraph * New Statesman *Bold and brilliant, dealing with the body blow of Brexit to offer us something rare: hope. * Jackie Kay, poet *The novel of the year is obviously Ali Smith's Autumn, which managed the miracle of making at least a kind of sense out of post-Brexit Britain. * Olivia Laing, Observer *Ever-inventive...Autumn is the first serious Brexit novel...In a country apparently divided against itself, a writer such as Smith is more valuable than a whole parliament of politicians. * Financial Times, Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisTHE MOST IMPORTANT NOVEL YOU'LL READ THIS YEARHarrowing and heartening in equal measure, this book is a breathtaking tale of racial fissures, fury and friendship' David Lammy, MP and author of TribesA powerful story about friendship, race, love, forgiveness, and justice and the stunning ways they intersectEmpathetic, riveting, and authentic' Laura Dave, bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told MeA painfully amazing read teaching us that sometimes, when it comes to race, the real enemy is ignorance' Rhys Stephenson, actor and TV presenter Provides a starting point for conversations which are crucial, at times uncomfortable, but long overdue' Ruth Hogan, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things* * *Not every story is black and white.Riley and Jen have been best friends since they were children, and they thought their bond was unbreakable. It never mattered to them that Riley is black and Jen is white. And then Jen''s husband, a Philadelphia police officer, is invTrade Review‘A tough but necessary read as it seeks to find meaning for all affected by the tragedy it depicts…a powerful debut’ Andi Osho, actress and author of Asking for a Friend ‘We Are Not Like Them is the best kind of book, one that manages to educate readers as it entertains them. Riveting, timely and honest, this powerful page-turner explores the complexity of friendship and race – and will stay with you long after its stunning conclusion’ Greer Hendricks, Sunday Times bestselling co-author of The Wife Between Us ‘A timely, evocative read about what tests us as friends, as partners, and ultimately, as humans, and will have you rethinking your own perspectives and experiences. A perfect read for 2021’ Allison Winn Scotch, bestselling author of Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing ‘Books have the power to make changes, start conversations – this is one of those books. Powerful, authentic and relevant, this brilliantly written story will stay with me, always’Louise Jensen, bestselling author of The Family ‘Pacy and immersive, We Are Not Like Them skillfully merges the personal and political in this truly illuminating read’ Kia Abdullah, author of Take It Back ‘This is one of those books that is guaranteed to get people talking’ Joanne Finney, Good Housekeeping ‘A powerful story race, compassion, friendship and justice[…] a challenging and important read’ Daily Mail ‘I rarely say this, but I think everyone should read this’ Platinum ‘Don’t miss this powerful read’ Fabulous, Sun on Sunday ‘A powerful book’ Bella ‘Powerful, accessible and wholly relatable’ Stylist​ ‘A powerful and thought-provoking emotional rollercoaster of a novel’ My Weekly 'An absolute must-read'​ The Upcoming ‘[A] propulsive, deeply felt tale of race and friendship’People magazine

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Book SynopsisThomas Pynchon is the author of V., The Crying of Lot 49, Gravity's Rainbow, Slow Learner, a collection of short stories, Mason and Dixon, Against the Day and Inherent Vice. He received the National Book Award for Gravity's Rainbow in 1974.Trade ReviewA major political novel about what America has been doing to itself, to its children, all these many years...One of America's great writers has, after long wanderings down his uncharted roads, come triumphantly home -- Salman Rushdie * New York Times Book Review *Vintage stuff - funny, fantastically inventive, packed with improbable erudition * Times Literary Supplement *A essential novel of our fin de siecle, a finger pointing the way out of the 1980s * USA Today *His descriptive powers are breathtaking...Pynchon proves once again to be the master of what might be called the highbrow conspiracy thriller * Wall Street Journal *One of the funniest, most cleverly written, superbly characterised and beautifully structured books that I have read by a living author * Time Out *

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Man Booker Prize 2018Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award 2018'An engrossing, unpredictable, beautifully crafted novel' RODDY DOYLEFarouk's country has been torn apart by war.Lampy's heart has been laid waste by Chloe.John's past torments him as he nears his end.The refugee. The dreamer. The penitent. From war-torn Syria to small-town Ireland, three men, scarred by all they have loved and lost, are searching for some version of home. Each is drawn towards a powerful reckoning, one that will bring them together in the most unexpected of ways._________'A thing of such beauty and compassion, a reminder of what the very finest sentences can do to shatter and then reassemble our hearts' KAMILA SHAMSIE'I struggle to think of a writer who has been so prolific and consistent in quality as Ryan ... Brutally honest, moving and often hilarious' GUARDIAN'Donal Ryan has not only bounded over a wall into new territory, but built himself a castle there . . . This is a superb novel.' JOHN BOYNE'Beautiful and affecting' DAVID NICHOLLS'Donal Ryan writes characters so well that as a reader you think 'I've met that man', or 'I know that woman.' But as a writer you simply wonder 'how does he do it?' From a Low and Quiet Sea is brutal and beautiful, carefully crafted portraits, deep and real, tied together, fashioned by a true artist. I absolutely loved it.' KIT DE WAALTrade ReviewA thing of such beauty and compassion, a reminder of what the very finest sentences can do to shatter and then reassemble our hearts * Kamila Shamsie *Beautiful and affecting * David Nicholls *I struggle to think of a writer who has been so prolific and consistent in quality as Ryan . . . Brutally honest, moving and often hilarious * Guardian *An engrossing, unpredictable, beautifully crafted novel; Donal Ryan is giving us characters - their angles and their language - that we haven’t seen in Irish literature before. -- RODDY DOYLEDonal Ryan has not only bounded over a wall into new territory, but built himself a castle there . . . This is a superb novel. -- JOHN BOYNEFrom a Low and Quiet Sea is not only very cleverly constructed, but deeply moving too. I loved it. * Louis de Bernières *Donal Ryan writes characters so well that as a reader you think ‘I’ve met that man’, or ‘I know that woman.’ But as a writer you simply wonder ‘how does he do it?’ From a Low and Quiet Sea is brutal and beautiful, carefully crafted portraits, deep and real, tied together, fashioned by a true artist. I absolutely loved it. -- KIT DE WAALThemes of kindness and humanity are the binding thread…and Ryan writes of them with characteristic warmth and insight. * Sunday Times *The book has stayed with me -- Jonathan Franzen * Guardian, Best Books of 2018 *It’s a beautiful, luminous kind of piece - full of mystery, compassion, woven with such skill; heartbreaking and restorative. I will carry these splintered men around with me for a long time, along with the women who have loved them. -- RACHEL JOYCEFrom a Low and Quiet Sea is beautifully written, compassionate and almost unbearably moving. I loved it. I would struggle to think of any other Irish author working today who writes with as much compassion as Donal Ryan. -- LOUISE O'NEILLDonal Ryan writes with such sharp observation and humanity, that he makes us sit up and wonder at the tiny quiet internal lives of strangers. His writing is a wonderful gift to all of us. From a Low and Quiet Sea is another short and perfect novel to be inhaled in one heart-lurching gulp. -- LIZ NUGENTRyan is not the first Irish writer indebted to Joyce, but his work reminds me of something Sylvia Beach said about Joyce: “He told me that he had never met a bore.”…Wonderful * Irish Times *Deft and devastating…this book is both hard-hitting and uplifting: it serves as an indictment of the care industry, but also as a tribute to the way that humans care for one another. * The Observer *The denouement, which comes in breathless bursts, is devastating. From a Low and Quiet Sea leaves you with that sense of discombobulating enlightenment that so often characterises the quiet epiphanies of great short stories. * Sunday Times *A masterly portrait . . . the confidence with which Ryan dons the clothing of another culture marks a departure for his writing . . . a successor to John McGahern . . . It is exciting to see his subject matter move beyond his country’s borders, with the prospect of more of this to come.’ * The Spectator *Haunting ... utterly persuasive -- Joseph O'Connor * Irish Times, Books of the Year *The lives and stories, loves and tragedies, animating From a Low and Quiet Sea are wonderfully individual and finely alive. This is a brief book: yet one that lingers long in the reader’s mind. * New Statesman *As moving as anything written about Syria * Mail on Sunday *It is vomit-inducing, it’s so good. * Kit de Waal, Observer *

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Book SynopsisDeep in an Estonian forest, two women, one young, one old, are hiding.Zara is a prostitute and a murderer, on the run from brutal captors - men who know how to punish a woman. Aliide offers refuge but not safety: she has her own criminal secrets - traitorous crimes of passion and revenge committed long ago, during the country's brutal Soviet years.Both women have survived lives of abuse. But this time their survival depends on revealing the one thing history has taught them to keep safely hidden: the truth.A haunting, intimate and gripping story of suspicion, betrayal and retribution against a backdrop of Soviet oppression and European war.

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Book SynopsisWritten by 'a sublimely elegant historical novelist as addictive as crack' (Daily Telegraph), the Inspector Troy series is perfect for fans of Le Carré, Philip Kerr and Alan Furst.1963.England is a country set to explode but Troy, now Britain's most senior police detective, is fighting his own battle against ill-health. While he is on medical leave, the Yard brings charges against an acquaintance of his, a hedonistic doctor with a penchant for voyeurism and young women, two of whom just happen to be sleeping with a senior man at the Foreign Office as well as a KGB agent.But on the eve of the verdict a curious double case of suicide drags Troy back into active duty. Beyond bedroom acrobatics, the secret affairs now stretch to double crosses and deals in the halls of power, not to mention murder.Trade ReviewFlawlessly re-creates the tensions of a society . . . teetering on the brink of a social and sexual revolution . . . Lawton's trick is to take the threads of history and weave them into his own tapestry. * The Times *Unputdownable narrative of spying, sexual intrigue, political scandal, and murder . . . a haunting novel transcending the bounds of genre fiction. * Daily Telegraph *John Lawton is so captivating a storyteller that I'd happily hear him out on any subject . . . Meticulous artistry . . . The Chekhovian echo brilliantly captures the end-of-days significance of every sordid indictment in this sprawling story. * New York Times Book Review *

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Book Synopsis'Will keep you turning the pages late at night' - Pierce Brown on The Emperor's BladesWar is coming, secrets multiply and betrayal waits in the wings . . .The Empire's ruling family must be vigilant, as the conspiracy against them deepens. Having discovered her father's assassin, Adare flees the Dawn Palace in search of allies. But few trust her, until she seems marked by the people's goddess in an ordeal of flame.As Adare struggles to unite Annur, unrest breeds rival armies - then barbarian hordes threaten to invade. And unknown to Adare, her brother Valyn has fallen in with forces mustering at the empire's borders. The terrible choices facing each of them could make war between them inevitable.Fighting his own battles is their brother Kaden, rightful heir to the throne, who has infiltrated the Annurian capital with two strange companions. While imperial forces prepare to defend a far disTrade ReviewA complex and fast-moving fantasy set in a world where treachery and intrigue are everywhere -- L. E. Modesitt, Jr. on The Emperor's BladesA richly imagined world and vibrant characters . . . an exhilarating adventure -- Elspeth Cooper on The Emperor's BladesThe Emperor's Blades is a promising start to a new voice in fantasy . . . a fantastic and compelling fantasy world -- Io9 on The Emperor's BladesI was hooked from the first page -- TheBookPlank on The Emperor's BladesFollowing in the footsteps of George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie and the like . . . Brutal, intriguing and continuing to head toward exciting events and places unknown -- Kirkus ReviewsI loved every second of it . . . As more and more people discover what a talent Staveley has for creating a full, immersive, magical and exciting world, with characters to match, his popularity will soar -- FantasyFactionDon't wait until HBO or some film producer pick up the rights before you read this - it's that good . . . Superbly written, sublimely enchanting, utterly engrossing -- TheBookGeekI just loved this book, couldn't put it down. This incredible sequel to The Emperor's Blades was everything I hoped for . . . As a reader, you just can't ask for more than that * Bibliosanctum.com *With The Providence of Fire he proves once again that he is the next big Epic Fantasy writer. There are some big names out there, George R. R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson and Steven Erikson to name a few, but they have to be careful. Brian Staveley might knock them of their place. And I do mean this . . . Get started on this amazing series! -- TheBookPlankIf you haven't read Staveley yet, then you are missing out. This is a must read series . . . The Providence of Fire builds brilliantly on the foundations laid by The Emperor's Blades -- TheCivilianReaderThis. Book. Does. Not. Stop . . . it very hard to put down, and to me that is a huge indicator of a great read . . . The end of this book will leave you wanting to grab for the next one immediately, but it's so good, I don't recommend putting off reading it either. Just go read it -- TheTenaciousReaderIn a stunning follow-up to The Emperor's Blades, Brian Staveley builds upon the character-driven adventure of the first book, expanding the history, mythology, and world-building to suitably epic proportions. More than that, The Providence of Fire reveals the treachery of the first book to be merely the opening gambit in a complex, wide-ranging game of conquest and rebellion . . . Most definitely recommended -- BeautyinRuinsUnexpected plot twists, fascinating characters, brilliant writing . . . It feels like a cross between Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy and Daniel Abraham's Dagger and the Coin series -- TheSciFiFanLetterSheer quality . . . just keeps giving the reader more and more -- FalcataTimes

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2015 David Gemmell Award for Best Fantasy Debut.An explosive fantasy debut, The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley is a fast-paced, thrilling epic. If you like Joe Abercrombie and George R. R. Martin, you'll love this.'Will keep you turning the pages late at night' - Pierce Brown, Sunday Times bestselling author of Red RisingThe circle is closing. The stakes are high. And old truths will live again . . .The Emperor has been murdered, leaving the Annurian Empire in turmoil. Now his progeny must prepare to unmask a conspiracy. His son Valyn, training for the empire's deadliest fighting force, hears the news an ocean away. And after several 'accidents' and a dying soldier's warning, he realizes his life is also in danger. Yet before Valyn can act, he must survive the mercenaries' brutal final initiation. The Emperor's daughter, MiTrade ReviewAn enchanting union of old and new, Staveley's debut will keep you turning pages late into the night -- Pierce BrownA vividly imagined story of conspiracy and empire -- Col BuchananA richly imagined world and vibrant characters . . . an exhilarating adventure -- Elspeth CooperA complex and fast-moving fantasy set in a world where treachery and intrigue are everywhere, accomplished through ferocious brutality, subtle intrigues, and everything in between -- L. E. Modesitt, Jr.Well-written and fat with promise, and we look forward to book two -- SFXHe's constructed a fantastic and compelling fantasy world and has started an interesting story that rests on the strengths of its characters. He's proven to be an excellent author, and he's set up a compelling narrative -- Io9Brian Staveley does true justice to the term fantasy with his The Emperor's Blades . . . It has everything that you seek when you read an epic fantasy story, from great, relatable characters all throughout the solid storyline, interesting environments and a lot of pretty darn cool action! -- TheBookPlankIf you love traditional epic fantasy, but would like to see a more updated version, then The Emperor's Blades is a book you'll want to read -- AFantasticalLibrarianA blistering narrative and keen sense of both action and wonder . . . Brian Stavely is one to watch and if you enjoy epic fantasy I think that The Emperor's Blades is definitely worth checking out -- KingoftheNerdsVery readable, hard to put down, and flat-out entertaining -- NethspaceAn amazing debut . . . Highly recommended -- SpeculativeBookReviewReally great writing, tight world building, and complex characters. Truly, the author is on to something special with this series and I can't wait for it to continue -- AgelessPagesReviewsThis was a book that reminded me, in different ways . . . of Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss. It managed to feel fresh and original, yet familiar at the same time . . . This is epic fantasy for a new generation, gritty and grim at times, but never losing sight of the awe and the wonder -- BeautyinRuinsThis book made my heart happy. If you like fantasy it will probably make yours happy as well -- BetweenthePagesA well-imagined tale rife with violence and Machiavellian scheming that hits all the right notes -- FantasySmorgasbordI cannot wait to read the sequel . . . Fans of epic fantasy novels featuring conspiracies and fighting for the throne will enjoy reading it -- BookwormDreams

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Book SynopsisErasmas, 'Raz', is a young avout living in the Concent, a sanctuary for mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers. Three times during history's darkest epochs, violence has invaded and devastated the cloistered community. Yet the avout have always managed to adapt in the wake of catastrophe.But they now prepare to open the Concent's gates to the outside world, in celebration of a once-a-decade rite. Suddenly, Erasmas finds himself a major player in a drama that will determine the future of his world - as he sets out on an extraordinary odyssey that will carry him to the most dangerous, inhospitable corners of the planet...and beyond.Trade Review"'The only catch to reading a novel as imposingly magnificent as this is that for the next few months, everything else seems small and obvious by comparison.' Christopher Brookmyre, Guardian 'Anathem is a brilliant, playful tour of the terrain where logic, mathematics, philosophy and quantum physics intersect, a novel of ideas par excellence, melding wordplay and mathematical theory with a gripping, human adventure.' The Times 'I think this novel is wonderful... Anathem is a call to move into the world.' Andrew McKie, Daily Telegraph 'Neal Stephenson's vertiginous new novel [holds], for me, a boundlessly engaging fascination that comes at the price of being made to feel infinitesimally small: not merely as a human being, but as a writer, too... The only catch to reading a novel as imposingly magnificent as this is that for the next few months, everything else seems small and obvious by comparison.' Christopher Brookmyre, Guardian 'You find yourself enveloped in the atmosphere of a good library, one populated by a cast of characters whose talking is anything but annoying - and often illuminating. Fabulous.' Jonathan Wright, SFX Magazine"

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Book Synopsis- 5 STARS"The drama never lets up - it is gripping" - 5 STARS"I'm just gutted to have finished it!" - 5 STARS"Verrens rules, ok?"Trade ReviewScourge of Rome is a compelling and urgent account of one of the darkest events in Roman history. Douglas Jackson brings history to life in a compelling way. -- Kate Atherton * SUNDAY EXPRESS *A writer at the top of his game, his books are the complete package, filled with intrigue, action and adventure. But more than that they are filled with history, with heart and emotion and characters that will make you bleed and cry and love . . . I cannot recommend this highly enough. * PARMENIONBOOKS *

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Book SynopsisTwenty years after the end of the Second World War, an Italian general is despatched to Albania to recover his country's dead. Once there he meets a German general who is engaged upon an identical mission, and their conversations brings out into the open the extent of their horror and guilt, newly exacerbated by their present task.Trade ReviewHe has been compared to Gogol, Kafka and Orwell. But Kadare's is an original voice, universal yet deeply rooted in his own soil * Independent on Sunday *A novelist of dazzling mastery -- Paul Binding * Independent *Astonishing...his finest work -- Azar Nafisi, Man Booker judge and author of 'Reading Lolita in Tehran' * Guardian *With its metonymic realism and fidelity to its characters, The General of the Dead Army reminds us why his work is so valued * New Statesman *Literary gold dust - haunting, bleakly comedic and ultimately horrific * The Times *

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Book SynopsisThe hilarious 1980s political satire by Jonathan Coe, published as a Penguin Essential for the first time.It is the 1980s and the Winshaw family are getting richer and crueller by the year: Newspaper-columnist Hilary gets thousands for telling it like it isn''t; Henry''s turning hospitals into car parks; Roddy''s selling art in return for sex; down on the farm Dorothy''s squeezing every last pound from her livestock; Thomas is making a killing on the stock exchange; and Mark is selling arms to dictators.But once their hapless biographer Michael Owen starts investigating the family''s trail of greed, corruption and immoral doings, the time growing ripe for the Winshaws to receive their comeuppance. . . This wickedly funny take on life under the Thatcher government was the winner of the 1995 John Llewellyn Rhys Prize''A sustained feat of humour, suspense and polemic, full of twists and ironies'' Hilary Mantel, Sunday Times''A riveting social satire on the chattering and all-powerful upper classes'' Time Out''Big, hilarious, intricate, furious, moving'' GuardianWritten with his signature wit, Jonathan Coe''s unmissable new novel, The Proof of My Innocence is available now!

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Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR TV ADAPTATION STARRING DAVID WALLIAMS & SAMANTHA BONDThe Queen and I is a hilarious satire on modern Britain and an exploration of what it really means to be human, by the bestselling author of the Adrian Mole series.____________The Royals, they''re just like us . . . THE MONARCHY HAS BEEN DISMANTLEDWhen a Republican party wins the General Election, their first act in power is to strip the royal family of their assets and titles and send them to live on a housing estate in the Midlands. Exchanging Buckingham Palace for a two-bedroomed semi in Hell Close (as the locals dub it), caviar for boiled eggs, servants for a social worker named Trish, the Queen and her family learn what it means to be poor among the great unwashed. But is their breeding sufficient to allow them to rise above their changed circumstance or deep down are they really just like everyone else?____________''No other author could imagine this so graphically, demolish the institution so wittily and yet leave the family with its human dignity intact'' The Times''Absorbing, entertaining . . . the funniest thing in print since Adrian Mole'' Daily Telegraph''Kept me rolling about until the last page'' Daily MailTrade ReviewNo other author could imagine this so graphically, demolish the institution so wittily and yet leave the family with its human dignity intact * The Times *Kept me rolling about until the last page * Daily Mail *Laugh-out-loud funny * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisDon't Miss the Original Series Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Starring John Krasinski!Tom Clancy reveals the details of Jack Ryan's first days with the CIA in this #1 New York Times bestseller.It’s the early 1980s—and historian, teacher, and recent ex-Marine Jack Ryan is now a CIA officer on loan to the British SIS. On his very first day, an extraordinary document crosses his desk. Because of government repression in Poland, the new Pope, John Paul II, has threatened to resign his papacy.   In Moscow, another man is contemplating the very same document. Yuriy Andropov, the chairman of the KGB, does not like what he reads, does not like what it means for him or for his nation. All it takes is one man to cause everything he has worked for to crumble. All it takes is one man to stop him. The Pope is very powerful, but he is also mortal....Trade ReviewPraise for Red Rabbit“An impressive achievement.”—The Washington Post“Demonstrate[s] what Tom Clancy does best.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram “An entertaining tale of well-matched wits and high-tech gadgetry.”—The Tallahassee DemocratMore Praise for Tom Clancy“He constantly taps the current world situation for its imminent dangers and spins them into an engrossing tale.”—The New York Times Book Review“A brilliant describer of events.”—The Washington Post“No one can equal his talent for making military electronics and engineering intelligible and exciting...He remains the best!”—Houston Chronicle

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Book SynopsisThe rise and fall of Henry''s notorious minister - the most corrupt Chancellor in English history''Gripping... Hutchinson tells his story with infectious relish and vividly evokes the politics and personalities of this extraordinary decade'' LITERARY REVIEW''Hutchinson tells the horrible story admirably and compellingly, acknowledging Cromwell''s rare abilities, while making no excuses for his character'' OBSERVERThe son of a brewer, Cromwell rose from obscurity to become Earl of Essex, Vice-Regent and High Chamberlain of England, Keep of the Privy Seal and Chancellor of the Exchequer. He maneuvered his way to the top by intrigue, bribery and sheer force of personality in a court dominated by the malevolent King Henry.Cromwell pursued the interests of the king with single-minded energy and little subtlety. Tasked with engineering the judicial murder of Anne Boleyn when she had worn out her welcome in the royal chamber, he tortured her servants and relations, then organised a ''show trial'' of Stalinist efficiency. He orchestrated the ''greatest act of privatisation in English history'': the seizure of the monasteries. Their enormous wealth was used to cement the loyalty of the English nobility, and to enrich the crown. Cromwell made himself a fortune too, soliciting colossal bribes and binding the noble families to him with easy loans. He came home from court literally weighed down with gold.Trade ReviewHutchinson tells the horrible story admirably and compellingly, acknowledging Cromwell's rare abilities, while making no excuses for his character * OBSERVER *Absolutely compelling narrative and, though I never thought I'd say this of a book on Thomas Cromwell, one that is impossible to put down. He is one of the few authors who keep you up till 3am. * BOOKSELLER *Gripping... Hutchinson tells his story with infectious relish and vividly evokes the politics and personalities of this extraordinary decade * LITERARY REVIEW *A rollicking good read * THE HERALD *Vigorous, pacey and focused... an effective portrait of "Henry VIII's most notorious minister" * BBC HISTORY *Anyone who sees history as boring should be given Robert Hutchinson's book post haste. Without sacrificing facts and research, he has the ability to construct and absolutely compelling narrative and, though I never thought I'd say this of a book on Thomas Cromwell, one that is impossible to put down. He is one of the few authors who keep you up till 3am. -- Sue Baker * THE BOOKSELLER *

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