Narrative theme: sense of place
Orion Publishing Co The Darkest Season
Book Synopsis ''In the top flight of crime writing'' SUNDAY TELEGRAPHIn the dead of winter, even brothers become strangers... A CHILLING WINTER THRILLER PERFECT FOR FANS OF FARGO*FROM AN AWARD-WINNING INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER*Running from a troubled childhood, Jack Devereaux left home as soon as he could and never looked back - until the day a stranger calls, begging him to return to his hometown of Jasperville, Quebec.Jack''s brother Calvis - the little boy he left behind more than twenty years ago - has viciously attacked a man and left him for dead. Nobody knows why he did it, though Jack suspects it has something to do with the Jasperville girls who were lost all those years ago.But as he begins the long journey home through the frozen, unforgiving landscape, Jack isn''t wondering why his little brother lost his mind. He''s wondering why it took so long . . .''The master of the genre'' CLIVE CUSSLERTrade ReviewA uniquely gifted, passionate, and powerful writer * ALAN FURST *The master of the genre * CLIVE CUSSLER *A powerful talent * INDEPENDENT *
£10.44
Pan Macmillan Between Sisters
Book SynopsisTender, funny, bittersweet and moving, Kristin Hannah's Between Sisters skilfully explores the profound joys and sorrows shared in a close relationship, the mistakes made in the name of love, and the promise of redemption.We all make mistakes, but for Meghann Dontess the terrible choice she made some years ago cost her everything, including the love of her sister, Claire. Meghann is now a highly successful attorney, and has put all thoughts of love completely behind her – until she meets the one man who believes he can change her mind. Claire has fallen in love for the first time in her life, and as her wedding day approaches she prepares to face her strong-willed older sister. Reunited after two decades, these two women who believe they have nothing in common will try to become what they never were: a family.Trade ReviewHannah is superb at delving into her main characters’ psyches and delineating nuances of feeling * Washington Post *Bestselling author Hannah writes witty dialogue . . . bringing snap and a lot of warmth to a familiar lesson: that contentment comes from accepting each other’s flaws * People *
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Come Death and High Water
Book SynopsisAnn Cleeves Classic Crime - engaging mysteries to savour, beloved characters to meet again.Come Death and High Water is the second mystery novel featuring George and Molly Palmer-Jones by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope crime series.The picturesque privately owned island of Gillibry off the North Devon coast turns out to be the perfect site for a murder . . .A routine weekend visit by the Gillibry Bird Observatory Trust is made memorable by the owner’s announcement that he is going to sell the island. A sale would mean the end of the Observatory, which for some of the birders makes life worth living. A fire in Charlie Todd’s cottage adds to their distress. And when, next morning, after a fierce storm, they find Charlie dead in a bird hide, their pleasant September weekend assumes a dangerous new face.Charlie Todd’s murder could have been the deed of any member of the Trust. And it falls to one of their own, George Palmer-Jones, to unravel the identity of a killer within their midst . . .Trade Review[A] perfectly fresh, contemporary crime story meshing interesting characters with plenty of fascinating ornithological detail * Crime Fiction Catalogue *A fine writer * Sunday Telegraph *Cleeves is quietly carving out a reputation as the new Queen of Crime * Sunday Mirror *Ann Cleeves is a skilful technician, keeping our interest alive and building slowly up to the denouement. Her easy use of language and clever story construction make her one of the best natural writers of detective fiction * Daily Express *Nobody does unsettling undercurrents better than Ann Cleeves -- Val McDermidAnn Cleeves has an enviable talent . . . I love these books * CrimeSquad *
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Dead Water
Book SynopsisA journalist working on a story. Now his murder is a headline. Inspector Jimmy Perez is called in to investigate in Dead Water, the fifth Shetland mystery from Ann Cleeves.Now a major BBC One drama, Shetland, starring Douglas Henshall.When the body of a journalist is found in a traditional Shetland boat, Detective Inspector Willow Reeves is drafted in to head up the investigation.Jimmy Perez has been out of the loop, but his local knowledge is needed and he decides to help the inquiry. Originally a Shetlander, the journalist had left the islands years before to make a name for himself in London, leaving a scandal in his wake. He had few friends in Shetland, so why was he back?When Willow and Jimmy dig deeper, they realize that he was chasing a story that many Shetlanders didn't want to come to the surface. One that must have been significant enough to kill him for . . .Continue the captivating crime series with Thin Air.Trade ReviewFinely crafted and satisfying * The Times *Beautifully written and cleverly plotted thriller, made all the more special by the setting * Sunday Mirror *
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers A Summer Surprise at the Little Blue Boathouse
Book SynopsisFull of warmth, fun and feel-good factor' Sunday Times Bestseller Katie FfordeLove Heart Lane where friends are there for you no matter what When Bea Fernsby discovers her fiancé's eyes have been wandering, she calls off the wedding and hits the road. The village of Heartcross in the Scottish Highlands is about as far away from home as she can get, and when she stumbles into the ideal summer job at The Little Blue Boathouse and meets gorgeous vacationer Nolan Hemingway, things finally start looking up.Now, as an old mystery surfaces and Bea and Nolan band together to find out what happened to his late grandfather's one true love, fate throws Bea some unexpected curveballsand promising opportunities.Bea's stay is only supposed to last a couple of weeks, but as the old saying goes: Once you arrive in Heartcross, you never want to leave'Trade Review‘Christie Barlow is one of the best writers in this genre’ Lorraine Rugman – The Book Review Café ‘Christie is an immensely talented author with the ability to spin words into heart-warming comedy gold’ Caroline Mitchell #1 bestselling author ‘Well-observed, highly-relatable and wickedly-funny’ Sunday Times bestseller Cathy Bramley ‘There’s always love, laughter and a happy-ever-after with Christie Barlow’s books!’ Mandy Baggot ‘What I absolutely love about the authors books is her attention to her characters, they are a joy to read about. they are so well developed by the end of the book you really do feel you are saying “goodbye” to old friends’ Lorraine Rugman – The Book Review Café
£8.09
Headline Publishing Group Neverwhere
Book SynopsisThe extraordinary first novel by the master of storytelling.Trade ReviewA very fine and imaginative writer * The Times *'Gaiman has a rich imagination...and an ability to tackle large themes' * Philip Pullman *
£8.49
Pan Macmillan Blue Lightning
Book SynopsisA remote island on lockdown. A killer on the loose. There is no escape for Inspector Jimmy Perez in Blue Lightning, the fourth Shetland mystery from Ann Cleeves.Now a major BBC One drama, Shetland, starring Douglas Henshall.Shetland detective Jimmy Perez knows it will be a difficult homecoming, as he returns to Fair Isle to introduce his fiancée to his parents. With the autumn storms raging, the island is cut off from the rest of the world. Then a woman’s body is discovered at the renowned bird observatory, with feathers threaded through her hair. Perez has no support from the mainland and must investigate the old-fashioned way – alone. He soon realizes that this is no crime of passion, but a murder of cold and calculated intention.There will be no way to escape the island until the storms abate. And so the killer is also trapped, just waiting for the opportunity to strike again . . .Ann Cleeves will be donating her royalties from the sale of this edition of Blue Lightning to support the Fair Isle Bird Observatory.Continue the thrilling crime series with Dead Water.Trade ReviewAn excellent series * Guardian *Cleeves is excellent not just on the mystery, but on the atmosphere of Fair Isle * Independent *
£9.49
Scholastic US The Tryout
Book SynopsisSTAND TALL.BE LOUD.GAME FACE ON.This pitch perfect graphic memoir about courage and competition, friendship and belonging is perfect for fans of Smile, New Kid, Rollergirl, and Real Friends.A captivating middle-grade gem. The New York Times Book ReviewFunny, relatable, and genuine. Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewCaptures every nuanced emotion. School Library Journal, starred reviewGenuinely nail-biting. Publishers Weekly, starred reviewCringe-worthy in the best possible way...inspiring and insightful. Shelf Awareness, starred reviewDelightfully expressive...a standout. BooklistIllustrated and told in a way that every middle school student can relate to. Captures the poignancy of the emotional rollercoaster that [t
£9.49
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Kite Runner
Book SynopsisThe number one bestseller, chosen as a Book of the Decade by The Times, Daily Telegraph and Guardian ‘Devastating’ Daily Telegraph ‘Heartbreaking’ The Times ‘Unforgettable’ Isabel Allende ‘Haunting’ Independent Afghanistan, 1975: Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the local kite-fighting tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. But neither of the boys can foresee what will happen to Hassan that afternoon, an event that is to shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return to Afghanistan under Taliban rule to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption.Trade ReviewA gripping read and a haunting story of love, loss and betrayal. Guaranteed to move even the hardest heart * Independent *Shattering … devastating and inspiring * Observer *Hosseini is a truly gifted teller of tales … he’s not afraid to pull every string in your heart to make it sing * The Times *Rings true with tenderness and truth * Daily Mail *A devastating, masterful and painfully honest story of a life crippled by an act of childhood and cowardice and cruelty … It speaks the harrowing truth about the power of evil, personal and political, and intoxicates, like a high-flying kite, with the power of hope * Daily Telegraph *Stunning and heartbreaking in its quiet intensity * Guardian *This is one of those unforgettable stories that stay with you for years. All the great themes of literature and of life are the fabric of this extraordinary novel: love, honour, guilt, fear, redemption … It is so powerful that for a long time after, everything I read seemed bland * Isabel Allende *The novel that made Afghanistan the talking-point of every book group * Guardian, 50 Books that Defined the Decade *
£6.99
Pan Macmillan A Prey to Murder
Book SynopsisAnn Cleeves Classic Crime - engaging mysteries to savour, beloved characters to meet againA Prey to Murder is the fourth mystery novel featuring George and Molly Palmer-Jones by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope crime series.The huge and powerful hawk dominated the scene. Its talons pierced the woman’s flesh and the beak pointed towards her eyes . . .The sight is a particularly horrible shock for George Palmer-Jones, ornithologist and amateur detective, as he was an old friend of the victim Eleanor Masefield. George and his wife Molly are staying at Eleanor’s family-run hotel, and whilst George believed Eleanor was a beautiful and charming widow, Molly has other ideas.Is Molly a little jealous? Or was Eleanor more a black widow – a ruthless manipulator of all those caught in her far-reaching web? Can Molly prove it in time to prevent another death?Trade ReviewA fine writer * Sunday Telegraph *Cleeves is quietly carving out a reputation as the new Queen of Crime * Sunday Mirror *Ann Cleeves is a skilful technician, keeping our interest alive and building slowly up to the denouement. Her easy use of language and clever story construction make her one of the best natural writers of detective fiction * Daily Express *Nobody does unsettling undercurrents better than Ann Cleeves -- Val McDermid, author of the Tony Hill & Carol Jordan and Karen Pirie seriesAnn Cleeves has an enviable talent . . . I love these books * CrimeSquad *
£9.49
Charco Press Of Cattle and Men
Book SynopsisAnimals go mad and men die (accidentally and not) at a slaughterhouse in an impoverished, isolated corner of Brazil.In a landscape worthy of Cormac McCarthy, the river runs septic with blood. Edgar Wilson makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of a cow, then stuns it with a mallet. He does this over and over again, as the stun operator at Senhor Milo’s slaughterhouse: reliable, responsible, quietly dispatching cows and following orders, wherever that may take him. It’s important to calm the cows, especially now that they seem so unsettled: they have begun to run in panic into walls and over cliffs. Bronco Gil, the foreman, thinks it’s a jaguar or a wild boar. Edgar Wilson has other suspicions. But what is certain is that there is something in this desolate corner of Brazil driving men, and animals, to murder and madness. Trade Review"This short sharp shock of a book brings a surprise with every new page...a fresh and spirited report on how civilisation has done nothing to tame humanity’s worst instincts." —The Guardian"Brutal yet gripping, as if Cormac McCarthy penned an anti-meat noir." —Kirkus"Intense and provocative….This goes straight for the jugular." —Publishers Weekly"In Perry’s visceral, understated translation…the narrative unfolds with the compulsiveness of a psychological thriller." —The Times Literary Supplement"Maia’s stark style lends her novella a chilling, detached quality, allowing the violence and viscera to be all the more overwhelming." —Jeremy Garber, Powell's Bookshop"Biblical in scale and language, Of Cattle and Men is a book to squirm beneath; to measure oneself against." —Southwest Review"Of Cattle and Men is an excellent book of many dark, quiet questions." —World Literature Today
£10.79
Pan Macmillan I Heard the Owl Call My Name
Book SynopsisWith an introduction by author Cynan JonesWhen Mark Brian, a young priest, is sent to the Indian village of Kingcome in British Columbia, he finds himself in an astonishing place of salmon runs and ancient totems. Yet amidst the beauty, the old culture is under attack, slowly being replaced by prefab houses and alcoholism. Mark has not long to live, and so he sets about sharing the hunting and fishing, the festivals and funerals, the joys and sorrows of a once proud tribe. Perhaps here he will learn enough of life to be ready to die.With all the qualities of a legend or fable, I Heard the Owl Call My Name is a journey of discovery, and a story about the transforming power of love. Exploring the clash of old and new, it is an outstanding modern classic, both wise and tragic.Trade ReviewIt is a long time since I was so moved by a story, touching in its dignity and wise in its folklore * Daily Telegraph *An epic quality . . . an entrancing chemistry * New York Times *Rare and beautiful . . . you'll never be the same again * Seattle Times *
£9.89
HarperCollins Publishers Grand Hotel Europa
Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERIlja Leonard Pfeijffer's moving and addictive masterpiece of European identity, nostalgia and the end of an era.A masterpiece: grandiose style, brilliant and rich. It will defy the ages' Trouw (The Netherlands)The love of my life lives in my past. That is, despite the alliteration, a terrible sentence to write. I do not want to come to the conclusion that, as it is the case for the hotel where I am staying and the continent after which it is named, the best time is behind me and that I have little more to expect from the future than to live on my past.'A writer takes residence in the illustrious but decaying Grand Hotel Europa, to think about where things went wrong with Clio, with whom he fell in love in Genoa and moved to Venice. He reconstructs a compelling story of love in times of mass tourism, about their trips to Malta, Palmaria, Portovenere and the Cinque Terre and their thrilling search for the last painting of Caravaggio. Meanwhile, he becomes fascTrade Review‘It wants to impress, and it impresses. It is that big-bigger-biggest grip which makes the novel into an astounding masterpiece. It is also a wonderful book, which you will read with increasingly feverish eagerness. Pfeijffer captures the zeitgeist and serves it up irresistibly. He wrote the novel of the year’ NRC Handelsblad (The Netherlands) ‘A masterpiece: grandiose style, brilliant and rich. It will defy the ages’ Trouw (The Netherlands) ‘Grand Hotel Europa is not only an overwhelming reading experience, but Pfeijffer also gives you lots of food for thought. Who else in contemporary Dutch literature could do what he does, to turn up the heat on our zeitgeist in such a great way and to thumb the nose at all those timid, tiny novels full of first world problems?’ De Morgen (Belgium) ‘A pageturner. The most admirable thing about the novel is Pfeijffer’s fascination with these subjects, his involvement. […] Grand Hotel Europa is not only an reflection on our identity, but also a contribution to its continuation’ de Volkskrant (The Netherlands) ‘A lively, clever and sometimes malicious book. […] Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer conceived his Grand Hotel Europa not only as a homage to the aged, mythically charged continent, but also as a stage and forum for debate for the contradictions and upheavals of our time. […] The pleasure of reading it all for yourself, right up to the amazing end, shouldn’t be taken away from you anyway’ Süddeutsche Zeitung (Germany) ‘The new Magic Mountain is perhaps called Grand Hotel Europa’ Neue Ruhr Zeitung (Germany) ‘A powerful and intriguing novel that one doesn’t forget easily’ La Stampa (Italy) ‘A great novel, brilliantly told and absolutely worth reading’ Ruhr Nachrichten (Germany)
£10.44
Penguin Books Ltd The Bastard of Istanbul
Book SynopsisOne rainy afternoon in Istanbul, a woman walks into a doctor's surgery. 'I need to have an abortion', she announces. She is nineteen years old and unmarried. What happens that afternoon will change her life. Twenty years later, Asya Kazanci lives with her extended family in Istanbul.Trade ReviewUnquestionably an ambitious book, exuberant and teeming . . . a novel crammed with characters and themes, not unlike Istanbul itself * Guardian *Wonderfully magical, incredible, breathtaking . . . will have you gasping with disbelief in the last few pages * Sunday Express *Heartbreaking . . . the beauty of Islam pervades Shafak's book * Vogue *A writer whose artistry matches her ambition . . . she has taken on a subject of deep moral consequence * New York Times *A brave and passionate novel * Paul Theroux *Tremendous exuberance . . . I do like a writer with a purpose * Margaret Forster *An astonishingly rich and lively story ... handled with an enchantingly light touch' * Kirkus Reviews *Overflows with a kitchen sink's worth of zany characters ... an entertaining and insightful ensemble novel that posits the universality of family, culture and coincidence -- (starred review) * Publishers Weekly *
£9.49
Allen & Unwin Red Dust
Book SynopsisRed Dust opens with Gemma Sinclair grieving the death of her husband, Adam, in a horrific plane crash and learning she's inherited the ten thousand hectare station his family has worked for generations.Despite huge scepticism from surrounding landowners, Gemma decides not to sell Billbinya, disregarding Adam's dying words that he's in trouble and she must sell the station.As if the job of keeping the station going isn't enough, a wave of innuendo sweeps through the local community about Adam's involvement in cattle and sheep duffing. There are even whispers the plane crash was no accident. A visit from the police confirms the rumours, with Gemma discovering that not only was Adam involved, but has indirectly implicated her by using Billbinya as a holding station for the stolen stock.Intent on clearing her name, Gemma determines to get to the bottom of what was going on. In the process, she's shocked to discover the masterminds behind the duffing are two former school friends, and that a trusted stock agent and good friend are somehow involved.When Gemma is finally cleared of any wrongdoing, she decides to put the past behind her and return to the family farm - a new love by her side.Trade ReviewA page-turner. * Weekend Herald *An impressive debut... It's lively, spirited and warm-hearted... A great read. * Gloss Magazine *
£7.59
Pan Macmillan Cold Earth
Book SynopsisA body is found in the wreckage of a destroyed home. Consumed by the investigation, Inspector Jimmy Perez struggles for the truth in Cold Earth, the seventh Shetland mystery from Ann Cleeves.Now a major BBC One drama, Shetland, starring Douglas Henshall.In the black days of a Shetland winter, torrential rain triggers a landslide that crosses the main road and sweeps down to the sea.At the burial of his old friend Magnus Tait, Inspector Jimmy Perez watches the flood of peaty water and mud smash through a croft house in its path. Everyone thinks the croft is uninhabited, but in the wreckage he finds the body of a dark-haired woman wearing a red silk dress. Perez becomes obsessed with finding out her identity and what she was doing there. Then it emerges that she was already dead when the landslide hit the house and, suddenly, Perez finds himself with a murder to solve . . .Continue the atmospheric crime series with Wild Fire, the final Shetland novel.Trade ReviewThe new queen of crime * Sunday Mirror *One of the most memorable entries in the series * Financial Times *
£7.99
Allen & Unwin China Rich Girlfriend
Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians, now a MAJOR MOTION PICTURE starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh and Gemma Chan, comes a deliciously fun story of family, fortune, and fame in Mainland China. It's the eve of Rachel Chu's wedding, and she should be over the moon. She has a flawless oval-cut diamond, a wedding dress she loves, and a fiancé willing to give up one of the biggest fortunes in Asia in order to marry her. Still, Rachel mourns the fact that her birth father, a man she never knew, won't be there to walk her down the aisle.Then a chance accident reveals his identity. Suddenly, Rachel is drawn into a dizzying world of Shanghai splendor, a world where people attend church in a penthouse, where exotic cars race down the boulevard, and where people aren't just crazy rich... they're China rich.Trade ReviewJust as Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice gave us insight into the English class system of the Regency era, Kevin Kwan uses biting social commentary to illuminate the lives of Asia's modern-day wealthy elite. Except he's 10 times funnier than Austen. * Herald Sun *His novels are the equivalent of a Bubble Tea concoction laced with Henry James extracts and Jackie Collins sprinkles - tracking a level of wealth that makes even Downton Abbey look more like Downton Arriviste. * The Daily Beast *To be let loose into the decadent playground of the filthy rich offers the reader a heady taste of vicarious escapism. Yet to dismiss this book as merely a soulless lark would be a disservice to Kwan and his impeccable writing. * Sunday Age *Deliciously fun... Comic satire at its best. * Who Weekly *His novels are comedies of bad manners; a Far-Eastern mash-up of Trollope, Austen and Gossip Girl. * Financial Review *High jinks, high living and hilarity * Sydney Morning Herald *
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Benediction
Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Folio Prize'Unforgettable' - Anne Tyler'Stunningly original' - GuardianOne long last summer for Dad Lewis in his beloved town, Holt, Colorado. As old friends pass in and out to voice their farewells and good wishes, Dad's wife and daughter work to make his final days as comfortable as possible, knowing all is tainted by the heart-break of an absent son. Next door, a little girl with a troubled past moves in with her grandmother, and down town another new arrival, the Reverend Rob Lyle, attempts to mend strained relationships of his own.Utterly beautiful, and devastating yet affirming, Kent Haruf's Benediction explores the pain, the compassion and the humanity of ordinary people.Trade Review"The precious ordinary," is the central concern of this remarkable book. Benediction is quiet and nearly uneventful, but it is also unforgettable . . . In the very best sense, it is an old-fashioned novel-virtuous and kind-hearted, dealing with issues that are timeless -- Anne TylerIn Benediction, a fine contender for the inaugural Folio Prize, Kent Haruf's beautifully spare prose charts the events of that summer with unpretentious aplomb . . . Sensual descriptions of landscape and weather create an impression of timelessness * Daily Telegraph ***** *Haruf handles human relationships with fierce, reticent delicacy, exploring rage, fidelity, pity, honour, timidity, the sense of obligation . . . his courage and achievement in exploring ordinary forms of love - the enduring frustration, the long cost of loyalty, the comfort of daily affection - are unsurpassed by anything I know in contemporary fiction . . . A stunningly original writer in a great many ways . . . He's careful to get the story right. And it is right, it's just right; it rings true * Guardian *I wrote to Kent Haruf to tell him how much I liked his novels, for the precision of his vocabulary, for the grace that runs through his books, and for the realism . . . I thought, I wrote, of Laura Ingalls Wilder overlaid with Cormac McCarthy. American Wild implies loss, as well as exhilaration, and danger. All of that is there in Haruf, along with a measure of grace and peace of mind -- Sigrid Rausing * Independent *A brilliant end to his brilliant Plainsong trilogy. -- Lucy Mangan * Stylist *Kent Haruf describes Dad Lewis's last summer with beautiful simplicity . . . Haruf's existing fans have been waiting patiently for Benediction for years. They won't be surprised by how fine this book is, but newcomers to his writing will be reaching for his previous novels to catch up. * Sunday Express *In spare, Cormac McCarthy-like prose, Kent Haruf writes about facing death in modern America. * Independent on Sunday *Haruf is the master of what one of his characters calls "the precious ordinary". . . . With understated language and startling emotional insight, he makes you feel awe at even the most basic of human gestures. -- Ben Goldstein * Esquire *Benediction is as richly laced with metaphysics as its title suggests . . . The most affecting moments of this supremely graceful novel are conjured by farewells to the quotidian. * Times Literary Supplement *Benediction suggests there’s no end to the stories Haruf can tell about Holt or to the tough, gorgeous language he can summon in the process. * New York Times *Truly showcases the novel as an art form. * Psychologies *We’ve waited a long time for an invitation back to Holt, home to Kent Haruf’s novels. . . He may be the most muted master in American fiction [and] Benediction seems designed to catch the sound of those fleeting good moments [with] scenes Hemingway might have written had he survived. -- Ron Charles * Washington Post *His finest-tuned tale yet. . . . There is a deep, satisfying music to this book, as Haruf weaves between such a large cast of characters in so small a space. . . . Strangely, wonderfully, the moment of a man's passing can be a blessing in the way it brings people together. Benediction recreates this powerful moment so gracefully it is easy to forget that, like [the town of] Holt, it is a world created by one man. -- John Freeman * The Boston Globe *Reverberant… From the terroir and populace of his native American West, the author of Plainsong and Eventide again draws a story elegant in its simple telling and remarkable in its authentic capture of universal human emotions. -- Brad Hooper * Booklist *Haruf is maguslike in his gifts. . . to illuminate the inevitable ways in which tributary lives meander toward confluence. . . . Perhaps not since Hemingway has an American author triggered such reader empathy with so little reliance on the subjectivity of his characters. . . . [This] is a modestly wrought wonder from one of our finest living writers. -- Bruce Machart * The Houston Chronicle *Grace and restraint are abiding virtues in Haruf's fiction, and they resume their place of privilege in his new work. . . . For readers looking for the rewards of an intimate, meditative story, it is indeed a blessing.' -- Karen R. Long * The Cleveland Plain Dealer *As Haruf's precise details accrue, a reader gains perspective: This is the story of a man's life, and the town where he spent it, and the people who try to ease its end. . . . His sentences have the elegance of Hemingway's early work [and his] determined realism, which admits that not all of our past actions or the reasons behind them are knowable, even to ourselves, is one of the book's satisfactions.' -- John Reimringer * The Minneapolis Star-Tribune *There's something of the tone of Joyce's Dubliners in Haruf's simply-told tale of elderly Dad Lewis, diagnosed with cancer and living out his last summer. An elegiac tone, of someone who has already gone, gives Haruf's prose its extraordinary dignity and humanity. * Sunday Herald *
£9.89
Pan Macmillan Thin Air
Book SynopsisA woman disappears under ghostly circumstances, and Inspector Jimmy Perez must separate fact from fiction in Thin Air, the sixth Shetland mystery from Ann Cleeves.Now a major BBC One drama, Shetland, starring Douglas Henshall. A group of old university friends leave the bright lights of London, travelling to Shetland to celebrate the marriage of one of their friends to a local. But late on the night of the wedding party, one of them, Eleanor, disappears – apparently into thin air. Detectives Jimmy Perez and Willow Reeves are dispatched to investigate. Before she went missing, Eleanor claimed to have seen the ghost of a local child who drowned in the 1920s. Jimmy and Willow are convinced that there is more to Eleanor’s disappearance than they first thought. Is there a secret that lies behind the myth? One so shocking that many years later someone would kill to protect it? Continue the thrilling mystery series with Cold Earth.Trade ReviewWhat a fine writer she is * Sunday Times *Ann’s characterization is worthy of the best writers in the field * Daily Express *
£9.49
Orenda Books Someone Like Her: The exquisite, heart-wrenching,
Book SynopsisA young Pakistani woman is the victim of an unthinkable act of vengeance, when she defies convention for love, facing seemingly insurmountable challenges and danger as she attempts to rebuild her life. ‘Stunning, shocking, compulsive reading … A breathtaking masterpiece’ Hazel Prior ‘Pacy, gripping and fast-moving … I literally could not put it down!’ Edel Coffey ‘Rarely has a writer affected me so deeply. Someone Like Her is an epic story of love, power and extraordinary courage’ A.J. West –––––––––––––––––––– Multan, Pakistan. A conservative city where an unmarried woman over the age of twenty-five is considered a curse by her family. Ayesha is twenty-seven. Independent and happily single, she has evaded an arranged marriage because of her family's reduced circumstances. When she catches the eye of powerful, wealthy Raza, it seems like the answer to her parents' prayers. But Ayesha is in love with someone else, and when she refuses to give up on him, Raza resorts to unthinkable revenge… Ayesha travels to London to rebuild her life and there she meets Kamil, an emotionally damaged man who has demons of his own. They embark on a friendship that could mean salvation for both of them, but danger stalks Ayesha in London, too. With her life thrown into turmoil, she is forced to make a decision that could change her and everyone she loves forever. Exquisitely written, populated by unforgettable characters and rich with poignant, powerful themes, Someone Like Her is a story of love and family, of corruption and calamity, of courage and hope … and one woman's determination to thwart convention and find peace, at whatever cost… –––––––––––––––––––– ‘Khan brings passion and a clear eye to this compelling story of female defiance in the face of corruption and violence. If you’re a fan of Khaled Hosseini … this is for you’ Paul Waters ‘A heart-rending and compelling story. Khan treats his characters with love and respect. I couldn’t put it down’ Alice Clark-Platts ‘Breaks your heart but then gradually heals it’ Mira V Shah ‘A dark and frightening story of corruption, oppression, possession and violence yet is beautifully and sensitively written by a brave, bold author’ Michael Wood ‘Tackles deep-rooted societal issues with brutal yet touching honesty’ A.A. Chaudhuri ‘An excellent storyteller’ Soniah Kamal ‘An epic story of love, abuse and revenge … an emotional rollercoaster as Awais Khan confronts societal injustices with unflinching honesty’ Eve Smith ‘Khan lays bare the trauma of women, relegated to second-class citizenship in this compelling tale of brutality and bravery. First-class writing’ Marion Todd ‘Tender and powerful … his best yet’ Sonia Velton ‘Compelling, painful and defiant’ Elyse John ‘Arguably Khan's best work’ Pakistan Daily ‘Kept me turning the pages late into the night’ Aliya Ali-Afzal ‘A gripping and emotive story of ambition, resilience and love’ Heleen Kist ‘Insightful storytelling’ Faiqa Mansab ‘Both timely and timeless’ Saba Karim Khan
£9.49
Pan Macmillan The House on Cold Hill
Book SynopsisPeter James is a UK No.1 bestselling author, best known for his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, now a hit ITV drama starring John Simm as the troubled Brighton copper.Much loved by crime and thriller fans for his fast-paced page-turners full of unexpected plot twists, sinister characters, and accurate portrayal of modern day policing, he has won over 40 awards for his work including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award and Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger. In 2024, it was announced that he is the creator of Her Majesty Queen Camilla's favourite fictional detective.To date, Peter has written an impressive total of 20 Sunday Times No. 1s, sold over 21 million copies worldwide and been translated into 38 languages. His books are also often adapted for the stage, with his six stage shows grossing over 17 million at the box office the most recent being Wish You Were Dead.Trade ReviewImpeccable . . . * Sunday Times *Superbly creepy modern horror story. -- Book of the Week * Sunday Mirror *This novel from the brilliant Peter James had the hairs standing up on our arms from the first page. -- Book of the Week * Heat Magazine *James is a compelling storyteller and he ratchets up the tension in increments, so that his readers will be suitably terrified. By the time you want to scream 'Look behind you!', it's already too late. -- Halloween Chillers * Daily Mail *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Girls Of Slender Means
Book SynopsisMuriel Spark was born and educated in Edinburgh. She was active in the field of creative writing since 1950, when she won a short-story writing competition in the Observer, and her many subsequent novels include Memento Mori (1959), The Ballad of Peckham Rye (1960), The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1961), The Girls of Slender Means (1963) and Aiding and Abetting (2000). She also wrote plays, poems, children's books and biographies. She became Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1993, and died in 2006.
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Innocent Graves: The 8th novel in the number one
Book Synopsis‘The Alan Banks mystery-suspense novels are the best series on the market. Try one and tell me I'm wrong.’ - Stephen King.Innocent Graves is the eighth novel in Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks series, following on from Dry Bones That Dream.A murdered girl. Dark Secrets. Deadlier lies.One foggy night, Deborah Harrison is found lying in the churchyard behind St Mary’s, Eastvale. She has been strangled with the strap of her own school satchel.But Deborah was no typical sixteen-year-old. Her father was a powerful financier who moved in the highest echelons of industry, defence and classified information. And Deborah, it seemed, enjoyed keeping secrets of her own . . .With his colleague Detective Constable Susan Gay, Inspector Alan Banks encounters many suspects, guilty of crimes large and small, in his search for the killer. And as he does so, plenty of sordid secrets and some lethal lies begin to emerge . . .The Inspector Banks series became the British ITV drama DCI Banks. Innocent Graves is followed by the ninth book in this Yorkshire-based crime series, Dead Right.Trade ReviewAn expert plotter with an eye for telling detail * New York Times *If you haven't caught up with Peter Robinson already, now is the time to start * Independent on Sunday *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Island of Missing Trees
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN''S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2022 THE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER & REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK*****You don''t fall in love in Cyprus in the summer of 1974. Not here, not now. In 1974, two teenagers, from opposite sides of a divided Cyprus, meet at a tavern in the city they both call home. The tavern is the only place that Kostas, who is Greek, and Defne who is Turkish, can meet in secret, hidden beneath the leaves of a fig tree growing through the roof of the tavern. This tree will witness their hushed happy meetings, and will be there when the war breaks out and the teenagers vanish.Decades later in north London, sixteen-year-old Ada has never visited the island where her parents were born. She seeks to untangle years of her family''s silence, but the only connection she has to the land of her ancestors Is a fig tree growing tin the garden of their home . . .*****''This book moved me to tears . . . in the best way. Powerful and poignant'' Reese Witherspoon''A brilliant novel -- one that rings with Shafak''s characteristic compassion'' Robert Macfarlane''This is an enchanting, compassionate and wise novel and storytelling at its most sublime'' Polly Samson*** ELIF SHAFAK''S NEW NOVEL, THERE ARE RIVERS IN THE SKY, IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW ***Trade ReviewAn outstanding work of breathtaking beauty -- Lemn SissayA writer of important, beautiful, painful, truthful novels -- Marian KeyesLovely heartbreaker of a novel centered on dark secrets of civil wars & evils of extremism: Cyprus, star-crossed lovers, killed beloveds, damaged kids -- Margaret Atwood on TwitterElif Shafak is a unique and powerful voice in world literature -- Ian McEwanOne of the best writers in the world today * Hanif Kureishi *A wise novel of love and grief, roots and branches, displacement and home, faith and belief. The Island of Missing Trees is balm for our bruised times -- David Mitchell, author of Utopia Avenue
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Far From the Madding Crowd
Book SynopsisFar From the Madding Crowd was the first of Hardy’s novels to give the name of Wessex to the landscape of south-west England and is set against the backdrop of the unchanging natural cycle of the year. The story both upholds and questions rural values with a startlingly modern sensibility.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 features original illustrations by Helen Allingham and an introduction by Professor Mark Ford.Gabriel Oak is only one of three suitors for the hand of the beautiful and spirited Bathsheba Everdene. He must compete with the dashing young soldier Sergeant Troy and respectable, middle-aged Farmer Boldwood. And while their fates depend upon the choice Bathsheba makes, she discovers the terrible consequences of an inconstant heart.Trade ReviewFar From the Madding Crowd is the first of Thomas Hardy's great novels, and the first to sound the tragic note for which his fiction is best remembered -- Margaret DrabbleI have always loved this author whose writing so romantically and evocatively captures the essence of that part of England * The Australian *The imagined Wessex . . . appealed to a nostalgic appetite for vanishing pastoral traditions among the urbanized population of Victorian Britain -- Dinah Birch * Guardian *Hardy’s natural modesty and reticence were such that he stood at the back of the crowd until he was noticed and escorted to a place of honour * Guardian *
£11.39
HarperCollins Publishers Death Knocks Twice (A Death in Paradise Mystery,
Book Synopsis‘For fans of Agatha Christie’ Mail on Sunday The new DI Richard Poole mystery Two dead bodies. A family of suspects. And one very disgruntled detective. Reluctantly stationed on the sweltering Caribbean island of Saint-Marie, Detective Inspector Richard Poole dreams of cold winds, drizzly rain and a pint in his local pub. Just as he is feeling as fed up as can be, a mysterious vagrant is found dead in the grounds of the historic Beaumont plantation. Immediately assumed to be suicide, DI Poole is not so convinced and determined to prove otherwise. Never mind that the only fingerprints on the murder weapon belong to the victim. Or that the room was locked from the inside. Before long, death knocks twice and a second body turns up. The hunt is on to solve the case – despite the best efforts of the enigmatic Beaumont family… Praise for Robert Thorogood: ‘Very funny and dark with great pace. I love Robert Thorogood’s writing’Peter James ‘This second DEATH IN PARADISE NOVEL is a gem’DAILY EXPRESS ‘Deftly entertaining … satisfyingly pushes all the requisite Agatha Christie-style buttons’Barry Forshaw, THE INDEPENDENT ‘For fans of Agatha Christie’MAIL ON SUNDAY ‘A treat’RADIO TIMES ‘This brilliantly crafted, hugely enjoyable and suitably goosebump-inducing novel is an utter delight from start to finish’HEAT ‘Plenty of red herrings and twists to keep readers guessing’ DAILY EXPRESS 'Fans will enjoy returning to DI Richard Poole… just switch off and relax'LOVE READINGTrade Review‘Very funny and dark with great pace. I love Robert Thorogood’s writing’Peter James ‘This second DEATH IN PARADISE NOVEL is a gem’DAILY EXPRESS ‘Deftly entertaining … satisfyingly pushes all the requisite Agatha Christie-style buttons’Barry Forshaw, THE INDEPENDENT ‘For fans of Agatha Christie’MAIL ON SUNDAY ‘A treat.’RADIO TIMES ‘This brilliantly crafted, hugely enjoyable and suitably goosebump-inducing novel is an utter delight from start to finish’HEAT ‘Plenty of red herrings and twists to keep readers guessing’ DAILY EXPRESS 'Fans will enjoy returning to DI Richard Poole… just switch off and relax'LOVE READING
£8.54
Pan Macmillan Christmas at Tiffanys
Book SynopsisKaren Swan began her career in fashion journalism before giving it all up to raise her three children and to pursue her ambition of becoming a writer. She lives in the forest in Sussex, writing her books in a treehouse overlooking the Downs. Her debut novel Players, has since been followed by several further novels including Christmas in the Snow, The Perfect Present, Christmas on Primrose Hill and the sequel to Christmas at Tiffany's Summer at Tiffany's.Her books are known for their evocative locations and Karen sees travel as vital research for each story. She loves to set deep, complicated love stories within twisting plots.
£9.49
Pan Macmillan The Muse
Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times Number One Bestseller and Richard and Judy Book Club Pick.Sweeping from London in the sixties to 1930s rural Spain, The Muse is an unforgettable novel about love, obsession and a mysterious painting. From Jessie Burton, the million-copy bestselling author of The Miniaturist.'Those who loved The Miniaturist will find here all the cliffhangers, twists and heart-stopping revelations they expected, and in two evocative settings' – Daily TelegraphA picture hides a thousand words . . .On a hot July day in 1967, Odelle Bastien climbs the stone steps of the Skelton gallery in London, knowing that her life is about to change forever. Having struggled to find her place in the city since she arrived from Trinidad, she has been offered a job as a typist under the tutelage of the glamorous and enigmatic Marjorie Quick. But though Quick takes Odelle into her confidence, and unlocks a poTrade ReviewBurton's multi-layered story is never less than engaging . . . she has an undoubted gift for seizing the reader's attention and holding it . . . powerful . . . genuinely surprising * Sunday Times *Deftly plotted, a masterclass in pacing, tension and suspense, and richly characterised . . . exquisitely written, evocative and suspenseful * Sunday Express *Those who loved The Miniaturist will find here all the cliffhangers, twists and heart-stopping revelations they expected, and in two evocative settings . . . as a study of female creativity, it triumphs * Daily Telegraph *An exhilarating read, Jessie Burton can expect more awards to soon be coming her way * The Herald *Tremendous vitality . . . her craftsmanship and surefooted prose ensure a satisfying conclusion * Daily Mail *Rich and gripping . . . excellently explores the writing process itself . . . Burton breathes life into her words * Independent *An intricate story of imposture . . . strong on the emotional and sensual . . . who would bet against it selling a million copies like its predecessor? * Guardian *Readers who enjoyed The Miniaturist won't be disappointed * The Times *Richly atmospheric and engrossing . . . you'll turn the pages feverishly * Daily Express *Impressive . . . It takes all the promise of The Miniaturist - the complex female characters, an entrancing mystery, a lush and evocative sense of place - and executes it with wit and style. My book of the summer * Elle *A painterly writer with an eye for the telling detail . . . suspenseful . . . when the postman rang the doorbell bang in the middle of the denoument, I sprinted back up six flights of stairs to know who was going to get out of Arazuelo alive * The Spectator *Burton is also adept at generating atmosphere and a sense of place (both Spain and London are vividly realised) and she brings her characters' lives a degree of commitment, imaginative compassion and detail that brings them palpably and affectingly to life * The National *Clever and complex, with a shocking climax . . . Seductive, exhilarating and suspenseful . . . a masterpiece * Belfast Telegraph *Delves deep into another world . . . the must-read of summer 2016 * Glamour *Jessie Burton's gripping new novel follows a young London art-gallery employee whose discovery of a lost masterpiece draws her into the mystery surrounding its provenance * Harper’s Bazaar *A deeply involving and thought-provoking read * Woman & Home *Another surefire bestseller * Fabulous *I found it to be one of the most powerful and beautiful and original things I have read in a very long time. It is exquisite in every way -- Claire Kendal, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Book of YouA beautifully crafted, simmering love story * Glamour (10 Best Novels of 2016) *Jessie Burton’s The Muse is both elegant and as gripping as a thriller, even better than her first -- SJ Watson * Guardian *
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers The Bookshop
Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Booker Prize.In a small East Anglian town, Florence Green decides, against polite but ruthless local opposition, to open a bookshop.Hardborough becomes a battleground. Florence has tried to change the way things have always been done, and as a result, she has to take on not only the people who have made themselves important, but natural and even supernatural forces too. Her fate will strike a chord with anyone who knows that life has treated them with less than justice.Trade Review‘Reading a Penelope Fitzgerald novel is like being taken for a ride in a peculiar kind of car. Everything is of top quality – the engine, the coachwork and the interior all fill you with confidence. Then, after a mile or so, someone throws the steering-wheel out of the window.’ Sebastian Faulks ‘Wise and ironic, funny and humane, Fitzgerald is a wonderful, wonderful writer.’ David Nicholls ‘Its stylishness, and this low-voiced lack of emphasis are a pleasure throughout, its moral and human positions invariably sympathetic. But it is astringent too: no self-pity in its self-effacing heroine, who in a world of let-downs and put-downs and poltergeists, keeps her spirit bright and her book-stock miraculously dry in the damp, seeping East Anglian landscape.’ Isabel Quigley, Financial Times ‘Penelope Fitzgerald’s resources of odd people are impressively rich. Raven, the marshman, who ropes Florence in to hang on to an old horse’s tongue while he files the teeth; old Brundish, secretive as a badger, slow as a gorse bush. And this is not just a gallery of quirky still lives; these people appear in vignettes, wryly, even comically animated…On any reckoning, a marvellously piercing fiction.’ Valentine Cunningham, TLS
£8.54
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC This Is Happiness
Book SynopsisShortlisted for Best Novel in the Irish Book Awards Longlisted for the 2020 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction From the acclaimed author of Man Booker-longlisted History of the Rain ‘Lyrical, tender and sumptuously perceptive’ Sunday Times ‘A love letter to the sleepy, unhurried and delightfully odd Ireland that is all but gone’ Irish Independent After dropping out of the seminary, seventeen-year-old Noel Crowe finds himself back in Faha, a small Irish parish where nothing ever changes, including the ever-falling rain. But one morning the rain stops and news reaches the parish – the electricity is finally arriving. With it comes a lodger to Noel’s home, Christy McMahon. Though he can’t explain it, Noel knows right then: something has changed. As Noel navigates his coming-of-age by Christy’s side, falling in and out of love, Christy’s buried past gradually comes to light, casting a glow on a small world and making it new.Trade ReviewAdmirers of Niall Williams’s Booker-longlisted History of the Rain will not be disappointed to learn that his latest novel is possibly even better … What makes this so compelling and enjoyable is Williams’s transparent love of his characters and delight in his setting -- Alexander Larman * Observer *Charming is one word for Williams’ prose. It is also life-affirming and written with a turn of phrase that makes the reader want to underline something on every page. I suggest we all buy his books, pushing him into that realm of globally fashionable Irish writers, but more importantly, sharing with a vast audience his humane and poetic world view -- Isabel Berwick * Financial Times *Williams has the eye of a poet and the raconteur’s knack for finding a tale in the most unpromising nook of everyday life, as a now-adult Noel, summoning the Faha of his nostalgic imagination, narrates an elegiac novel that’s careful always to offset the antic rural eccentricity with darker notes of loss * Daily Mail *This is Happiness returns to the beguiling gloom of Faha … [A] wise and redemptive novel … It dares, in addition, to be wildly comic … With his silver ear for speech and extreme attentiveness to the Heaneyesque “music of everyday”, Mr Williams treads softly on the dreams of youth and memories of old age -- Caroline Jackson * Country Life *Lovingly written, the text is brimming with humanity, truth and humour – and then there’s the pitch perfect language, with not a word out of place … Magnificent -- Sue Leonard * Irish Examiner *Sharp as a tack, bright as a button, and engorged with rich humour, this is a love letter to the sleepy, unhurried and delightfully odd Ireland that is all but gone * Irish Independent *A surge of language, beautiful and enchanting, a novel that weaves a love of literature into its own moving tale -- Praise for 'History of the Rain' * Guardian *Extremely moving, poignantly capturing Ruth’s doomed childhood relationship with her twin brother. By the final chapter I was weeping -- Praise for 'History of the Rain' * Sunday Times *Deeply allusive, infectiously hopeful … Somewhere between bildungsroman, epic and family saga, History of the Rain is an unashamedly unfashionable, lyrical paean to the pleasure of reading and to serendipity -- Praise for 'History of the Rain' * Daily Telegraph *A delicate and graceful love story that is also an exaltation of love itself . . . A luminously written, magical work of fiction -- Praise for 'Four Letters of Love' * New York Times Book Review *
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Summer at Tiffanys
Book SynopsisA story of love, laughter and happily ever after, Summer at Tiffany's by bestselling Karen Swan is the captivating and romantic sequel to Christmas at Tiffany's, perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore and Veronica Henry.A wedding to plan. A wedding to stop. What could go wrong? Cassie loves Henry. Henry loves Cassie. With a Tiffany ring on her finger, all that Cassie has left to do is plan the wedding. It should be so simple but when Henry pushes for a date, Cassie pulls back.Henry's wild, young cousin, Gem, has no such hesitations and is racing to the aisle at a sprint, determined to marry in the Cornish church where her parents were wed. But the family is set against it, and Cassie resolves to stop the wedding from going ahead. When Henry lands an expedition sailing the Pacific for the summer, Cassie decamps to Cornwall, hoping to find the peace of mind she needs to move forwards. But in the dunes and coves of the no
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Night Train to Marrakech
Book SynopsisThe desert hides dark secrets'MARRAKECH 1966Vicky Baudin steps onto a train winding through Morocco, looking for the grandmother she has never met.It's an epic journey that'll take her to the edge of Atlas Mountains and closer to the answers she's been craving all her life.But dark secrets whisper amongst the dunes. And in unlocking the mystery of Clemence's past, Vicky will unearth great danger too . . .Five-star reader reviews for Night Train to MarrakechA love story and a thriller all in one' ?????Epic storytelling' ?????Utterly spellbinding' ?????A book to lose yourself in' ?????Fabulous, heart-stopping read, absolutely unputdownable in places' ?????Full of mystery and drama' ?????Political tensions, murders and love, this book has them all.' ?????Full of twists and turns' ?????A historical novel, this is also a suspenseful thriller'' ?????Atmospheric, drew me into the souks of Marrakech' ?????This is a story of family, friendships, love and war' ?????A gripping story of love, betrayal and danger'Woman's Weekly An enthralling story' WomanAn utterly atmospheric, gripping read that transports you to Marrakech . . . a real page-turner' SUSAN LEWISA world of stunning beauty and extreme danger . . . Dinah Jefferies is at the top of her game' GILL PAULA mouthwatering read, intense and emotional. I loved it. Its characters hooked me irresistibly and stole my heart . . . a wonderful, heart-wrenching tale of love, danger and bone-chilling secrets' KATE FURNIVALL'The seductive colours, sights, sounds and aromas of Marrakech, with a hidden, darker side, are so powerfully evoked that you are instantly transported there' LIZ TRENOW'A tense, thrilling story full of murders and mysteries . . . this atmospheric story will transport you to the heart of Morocco'Daily RecordTrade Review‘A wonderfully evocative and sensual writer’ SANTA MONTEFIORE ‘A warm and engrossing tale of passion and courage. I loved it’ RACHEL HORE ‘Love, grief, abandonment, betrayal and secrets … I adored it’ LIZ NUGENT ‘A stirring, richly-imagined novel about bravery and love and family loyalty tested to its limits’ RACHEL RHYS ‘As layers of long-hidden family secrets emerge, you are sure to be hooked to the very last page’ LIZ TRENOW ‘Rich in courage, love and sacrifice, but chilling and taut in its portrayal of the horrors of war’ KATE FURNIVALL ‘Lushly descriptive, exciting and vivid, this is a warm and exciting tale that will pull you in and refuse to let you go’ TRACY REES ‘A tender, moving and at times heartbreaking story’ SINEAD MORIARTY ‘Completely swept me away to another place and time. Dinah is the queen of sumptuous settings, transporting the reader effortlessly from chocolate-box Devonshire to the cabaret clubs of 1920s Paris and war-torn Malta. A marvellous, multi-layered story, populated with characters to really care for’ HAZEL GAYNOR ‘Dinah Jefferies wields her storytelling magic on the island of Malta . . . It’s engrossing and sensual, full of the heat of the Mediterranean sun’ GILL PAUL ‘Sweeping and sumptuous with a gorgeous described sense of place. A marvellous adventure’ TRACY REES
£8.54
Faber & Faber Golden Child Winner of the Desmond Elliot Prize
Book SynopsisA TIMES AND EVENING STANDARD BOOK OF THE YEARWINNER OF THE DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZE 2019WINNER OF THE AUTHORS'' CLUB FIRST NOVEL AWARDWINNER OF THE MCKITTERICK PRIZE 2020ONE OF THE BBC''S ''100 NOVELS THAT SHAPED OUR WORLD''LONGLISTED FOR THE JHALAK PRIZE AND THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FIRST BOOK AWARDWINNER OF BARNES & NOBLE''S 2019 DISCOVER NEW WRITERS PRIZESo hard to put down.' Daily MailStartling . . . Remarkable.' EconomistRight away I was utterly absorbed.' Sarah Jessica ParkerOne father. Two sons. An impossible choice.When thirteen-year-old Paul doesn''t return home one afternoon, even his twin brother, Peter, doesn''t know where he is. So their father, Clyde, must set out into the dark Trinidadian bush with a torch, to search for him on foot. And when the reasons for Paul''s disapp
£8.99
HarperCollins Publishers The Waves Collins Classics
Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics.There was a star riding through clouds one night, and I said to the star, Consume me'Six friends traverse the uneven road of life together in Virginia Woolf's most unconventional classic. Bernard, Jinny, Louis, Neville, Rhoda and Susan first meet as children by the sea, and their lives are forever changed.A poetic novel written in a lyrical way only Woolf could master, these narrators face both triumph and tragedy that touches them all. Throughout their lives, they examine the relationship between past and present, and the meaning of life itself.A landmark of innovative fiction and the most experimental of Virginia Woolf's novels, The Waves is still regarded as one of the greatest works ever written in the English language.
£5.62
Charco Press Not a River
Book SynopsisThree men go out fishing, returning to a favourite spot on the river despite their memories of a terrible accident there years earlier. As a long, sultry day passes, they drink and cook and talk and dance, and try to overcome the ghosts of their past. But they are outsiders, and this intimate, peculiar moment also puts them at odds with the inhabitants of this watery universe, both human and otherwise. The forest presses close, and violence seems inevitable, but can another tragedy be avoided?Rippling across time like the river that runs through it, Selva Almada’s latest novel is the finest expression yet of her compelling style and singular vision of rural Argentina.This masterful novel reveals once again Selva Almada's unique voice and extraordinary sensitivity, allowing its characters to shine and express in action what the depths of their souls harbour.One of the Best Books of 2020 in Clarín and La NaciónShortlisted for the Mario Vargas Llosa Novel PrizeTrade Review"A virtuoso literary work. […] Flashbacks and side scenes deepen the story which curls and twines like a thrusting tropical vine through the past, roping in sisters, wives, old lovers, boyhood adventures, and jealousies."" —Annie Proulx , author of THE SHIPPING NEWS"Told with the hallucinatory atmosphere of a dream, this astonishing, stark novel doesn’t turn away from the hypnotic and disturbing effects of violence. Not a River plunges us straight into the depths of its silences, bracingly so—the longer the quiet goes, the more terrible the rupture."" —Manuel Muñoz , author of WHAT YOU SEE IN THE DARK"Selva Almada constructs a lyric of roughness, of few words, a lyric in which the strong, calloused hands of her characters hardly need to be described to make themselves felt. They touch you. "" —Gabriela Cabezón Cámara , author of THE ADVENTURES OF CHINA IRON"Whether we are on an island or not, water is displacement, and reading this novel gently carries us through characters and places. " —Agencia Paco Urondo"Selva Almada’s voice has made its own mark on contemporary Argentinean literature, to such an extent that situating her as a writer by referring to the Southern Gothic of authors such as Faulkner, O’Connor or McCullers are superfluous. With Not a River, she establishes her own way of looking at things in order to create literature. " —Pagina/12"Almada is not a folkloric writer, but even so, she knows how to capture the idiosyncrasy of a region. Her characters reveal, in their parsimony, a dense inner life, plagued by existential concerns. Perhaps silence and the voices of nature take the place of possible answers. " —La Nación"This is a narrative of great depth in which the settings (the river, fishing, the island) emerge from a very powerful poetic narration that keeps quiet more than it says aloud, that omits more than it recounts, a dreamlike voice marked by an infinite and familiar wound anchored in a dialectic between dreams and an indestructible future. " —El periódico"In some passages of the novel, Almada seems to whisper what she is recounting rather than saying it out loud: her asymptomatic, almost invisible writing, punctuates the breathing of the sentences to create brief, beautiful images. " —El Tiempo"It is worth asking ourselves whether, as has often been said, Selva Almada’s literature has reinvented the rural imaginary of a region of our country, or whether her task is rather to point out the contrasts and contradictions of the dominant culture, in order to indirectly confront it. " —Revista Otra Parte************Praise for Selva Almada"I always read Selva Almada with devotion but NOT A RIVER is something else. I had to stand up and read it out loud in my living room. It is that good." —Samanta Schweblin."A major Latin American literary force." —Shelf Awareness"Almada is forceful in her depictions of sex, violence, and rage. I feel her prose in my body: a punch in the gut, the sharpness of glass." —Chicago Review of Books"There is a tremendous carnality to Almada’s writing, vividly captured in McDermott’s translation" —LA Review of Books"Almada combines reportage, fiction, and autobiography to explore femicide in Argentina in her acute, unflinching latest." —Publishers Weekly, starred review"An unassuming yet intensely felt narrative. (4 stars)" —The Arts Desk"Not an easy book, but it feels like an important one – a work of investigative writing about how easily women’s lives are obscured." —The Scotsman"Part journalism, part history, part autobiography, part relentless nightmare." —Shelf Awareness, starred review"This is a powerful read...[Almada's] effective use of fiction ensures a deep empathy in her readers which strict reportage sometimes fails to evoke." —The Big Issue"Almada’s prose is sparse, but the details count. Her ear for dialogue and especially gossip is pitch perfect. Her eye for detail is hawkish." —LA Review of Books"A tense, precise chronicle that treats seriously a still serious subject." —El Cultural"You’ll walk away from this book with a vivid memory of where you were, how you were feeling, and what the weather was like on the day that you read Dead Girls." —Books and Bao"This is not a book that will make you feel at peace with the world, but that is precisely where its strength and persuasion lie." —Translating Women"The literary quality of the text shines." —Sound and Vision"The prose strikes a perfect tone – clinical and punchy when necessary, angry and lyrical, brutal yet humanistic." —TN2"Challenge[s] the true crime obsession in an indirect way. " —Pendora Magazine"A powerful read, shedding a stark light on the horrors of gender violence." —The Big Issue"What makes the book compelling is how the author explores issues of domestic violence, state complicity, machismo and family negligence, along with class and social inequalities, in a non-sentimental prose which is all the more effective as result." —Morning Star"Genre-defying, with beautifully crafted and reflective prose." —The F Word"The devastating conclusion of the narrator is that the women who survive are unlikely to have made it unscathed but they are lucky ones – lucky to be alive." —NB Magazine"It is a profound novel and call to action still relevant as activists continue to take to the streets throughout Latin America to decry, ‘ni una más’ (not one more)." —The Skinny"It’s crisp, bracing, and beautiful." —White Review"Part coming-of-age, part detective work, partly a web of rumors, Almada’s story fuses a variety of genres to create a work that splits the seams of personal narrative, journalism, and fiction." —NACLA"Exquisite prose that vibrates with a deep, melodious rage." —The Monthly Booking"Recounted with a lyrical simplicity that is almost brutal." —The Oxonian Review"Painstakingly investigated ... imbued with personal connection" —The Oxonian Review"Fate has in Dead Girls the perfume of a Greek tragedy: immutable, irreversible, lethal." —El País"Far from the detective story, this is an intimate tale, a certain negative of the autobiography of a young woman looking at other young women and how all of them are perceived by a society where misogyny and violence against them is still an everyday affair." —Pagina/12"Selva Almada reinvents the imaginative rural world of a country. She is an author gifted with a very uncommon power and sensitivity." —Rolling Stone (Argentina)"Gripping, shocking and sad." —The Book Satchel"Dead Girls is a brutal, necessary story in which Almada describes the crimes, states the facts and lays bare the horror of these femicides." —Tony's Reading List**********Edinburgh International Book Festival First book Award (Winner)Book Cover of the Year (Saltire Awards) (Winner)"Like Flannery O’Connor and Juan Rulfo, Almada fills her taut, eerie novel with an understanding of rural life, loneliness, temptation and faith." —BBC Culture"Billed as a ‘promising voice’ in Latin American literature, this tale delivers readily on that promise." —Booklist"The drama of this refreshingly unpredictable debut . . . smolders like a lit fuse waiting to touch off its well-orchestrated events. . . . A stimulating, heady story." —Publishers Weekly"The story packs a punch in its portraits of a man who exalts heaven and another who protests." —Kirkus"A dynamic introduction to a major Latin American literary force." —Shelf Awareness, starred review"[The Wind That Lays Waste] delivers exactly that compressed pressurised electricity of a gathering thunderstorm: it sparks and sputters with live-wire tension." —TANK Magazine"The Wind That Lays Waste is elegant and stark, a kind of emblem or vision fetched from the far edges of things, arrested and stripped to its essence, as beautiful as it is unnerving. "" —Paul Harding , author of TINKERS"The Wind That Lays Waste is a mesmerizing novel, at once strange and compelling."" —Bonnie Jo Campbell , author of MOTHERS, TELL YOUR DAUGHTERS"The quality and resolve of her prose produce a power of suggestion that is unique to Selva Almada." —El País"The best novel written in Argentina in the last few years? Don’t know, and don’t care, but you must read Selva Almada." —El País"Almada’s prose has a touch of the Faulkner of As I Lay Dying but passed through the filters of the dirty light of the cotton fields and the clean clothes worn by country people to Sunday mass."" —Germán Machado"A distinctive debut: atmospheric, tension-packed, and written in vivid, poetic language." —Books from Scotland"Perhaps most powerful in the book is Almada’s focus on detail―she skillfully renders the story of a day in brief chapters that reveal the thoughts and fleeting encounters of characters, who are largely living inside themselves." —Ploughshares"Almada’s nuanced approach leaves room to explore her characters’ pasts in some detail, but, crucially, these individuals . . . are not defined by their mistakes." —ZYZZYVA"What seems fantastical soon turns hyper-realistic, in a style that is reminiscent of Juan Rulfo or Sara Gallardo." —La Nación**********"A successful riff on a classic Shakespearean tale." —Publishers Weekly"Such is Almada’s command of shape and pace, and the clean-edged vigour of the style McDermott voices with such skill, that we take Brickmakers on its own uncompromising terms – as pulp, tragedy and epic all at once." —The Arts Desk"Almada is forceful in her depictions of sex, violence, and rage. I feel her prose in my body: a punch in the gut, the sharpness of glass. McDermott’s translation captures the bite of Almada’s sentences, which render both tenderness and violence with devastating clarity." —Chicago Review of Books"Almada's breathtaking multigenerational tragedy is a haunting, unforgettable examination of the lasting consequences of careless inhumanity." —Shelf Awareness, starred review"Best books of 2021" —The Financial Times"There is a tremendous carnality to Almada’s writing, vividly captured in McDermott’s translation" —LA Review of Books"A rich, confident and urgent read." —Lunate"Brickmakers is one of the best books I've read this year ... It’s a brilliant, sizzling, unmissable treat" —Translating Women**********
£10.79
Pan Macmillan The Enchanted April
Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1922, Elizabeth Von Arnim's The Enchanted April is a charming and light-hearted novel about unlikely female friendships and the power of a blissful escape.Complete & Unabridged. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, cloth-bound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover.Four mismatched women respond to an advert in The Times offering a beautiful medieval castle to rent on the Italian Riviera. Bashful Mrs Wilkins, cheerless Mrs Arbuthnot, widowed Mrs Fisher and socialite Lady Caroline Dester are each enchanted by the promise of ‘wisteria and sunshine’, and they arrive on the tranquil Mediterranean shores full of hope for a heavenly escape. Tensions mount between the group at first, but, as the idyllic spring days tick by, each is slowly transformed by the warm sunshine and unexpected company.Trade ReviewElizabeth von Armin's most charming novel in every sense: it casts a spell . . . a sun-washed fairytale * Guardian *
£10.44
Orenda Books The Quiet People: The nerve-shredding, twisty
Book SynopsisSuspicion is cast on two successful crime writers, when their seven-year-old son goes missing. Are they trying to show that they can commit the perfect crime? A mesmerisingly twisty, dark thriller from number-one bestselling New Zealand author Paul Cleave…‘You may think you know where it’s going, but you couldn’t be more wrong. A true page-turner filled with dread, rage, doubt and more twists than the Remutaka Pass’ Linwood Barclay‘Paul Cleave is an automatic must-read for me, and The Quiet People shows why – it grabbed me by the throat, shook me around, and left me breathing hard. Fantastic, and highly recommended’ Lee Child ‘A true page-turner, with an intriguing premise, a rollercoaster plot and a cast of believably flawed characters’ Guardian ‘An absolute BELTER of a book … I’d forgotten how good Paul Cleave is!’ Sarah Pinborough ________________________Can two crime writers get away with murder?Cameron and Lisa Murdoch are successful New Zealand crime writers, happily married and topping bestseller lists worldwide. They have been on the promotional circuit for years, joking that no one knows how to get away with crime like they do. After all, they write about it for a living.So when their challenging seven-year-old son Zach disappears, the police and the public naturally wonder if they have finally decided to prove what they have been saying all this time… Are they trying to show how they can commit the perfect crime?Electrifying, taut and immaculately plotted, The Quiet People is a chilling, tantalisingly twisted thriller that will keep you gripped and guessing to the last explosive page._________________________**Best Indie Novel: Crime Fiction Lover Awards**** 2021 INDIES Book of the Year Award Finalist** ‘The psychological depth of the leads bolsters the complex plot. This merits comparison with the work of Patricia Highsmith’ Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW ‘What is really compelling about The Quiet People is neither its neat twists nor the topical examination of mob rule, but Cleave’s portrait of Cameron as he goes rogue under pressure and tries to use his writer’s skills to save his son’ The Times‘Gripping from the first page and full of deliciously dark twists and turns. You can’t be a true fan of crime fiction if you’re not reading Cleave’s books’ Tom Wood‘The sense of dread builds unstoppably in this gripping page-turner … an intense, chilling read’ Gilly Macmillan‘I don't think I breathed from about halfway through to the end. A masterpiece from a crime genius’ Susi Holliday ‘His best book yet … by the end, readers will find themselves holding their breath’ Bolo Books‘Uses words as lethal weapons’ New York Times‘What starts out as a slow burn, quickly ratchets up the tension and the twists, sending you spiralling down a hill of depravity and desperation’ Kirsten McKenzie‘A cinematic, raging, rollercoaster of a plot … wildly entertaining, and will keep you guessing right to the end’ New Zealand Herald‘Cleave has become one of my go-to authors for a chilling slice of cleverly crafted crime’ LoveReading ‘Super-clever and properly gripping’ The Sun‘A superb novel from a champion storyteller’ Crime WatchPraise for Paul Cleave‘Cleave writes the kind of dark, intense thrillers that I never want to end. Do yourself a favour and check him out’ Simon Kernick‘Tense, thrilling, touching. Paul Cleave is very good indeed’ John Connolly‘Compelling, dark, and perfectly paced’ Booklist‘Relentlessly gripping, deliciously twisted’ Mark Billingham‘An intense adrenaline rush from start to finish’ S J Watson‘A riveting and all too realistic thriller’ Tess Gerritsen‘A gripping thriller …I couldn’t put it down’ Meg Gardiner‘This very clever novel did my head in time and again’ Michael Robotham ‘Cleave’s whirligig plot mesmerises’ People ‘This thriller is one to remember’ New York Journal of Book
£8.54
Vintage Publishing The Old Devils
Book SynopsisMalcolm, Peter and Charlie and their Soave-sodden wives have one main ambition left in life: to drink Wales dry. But their routine is both shaken and stirred when they are joined by professional Welshman Alun Weaver (CBE) and his wife, Rhiannon.Trade ReviewA copy should be given out with every bus pass. -- John Sutherland * The Times *A brilliant novel. It is sadly comic and comically sad -- Anthony BurgessHe was a genuine comic writer, probably the best after P. G. Wodehouse ... He had a lasting influence and was a very good novelist -- John MortimerA bloody funny lovely bloody book... A genius at full throttle * Financial Times *In these explicit days, Mr Amis is the laureate of the unsayable, the literary it man * Sunday Telegraph *
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Mum & Dad: The Heartfelt Richard & Judy Book Club
Book SynopsisA Richard & Judy Book Club Pick, Mum & Dad is a heartwarming family drama set in the vineyards of Spain. From the number one bestselling author of An Unsuitable Match, Joanna Trollope, and told with all her trademark wit and wisdom.'Trollope’s bestselling novel brings elegance and warmth to a painfully familiar dilemma' – Daily MailWhat happens when family roles are reversed and the children must look after mum and dad?It’s been twenty-five years since Gus and Monica left England to start a new life in Spain, building a wine business from the ground up. However, when Gus suffers a stroke and their idyllic Mediterranean life is thrown into upheaval, it’s left to their three grown-up children in London to step in . . .As the children descend on the vineyard, it becomes clear that each has their own idea of how best to handle their mum and dad, as well as the family business. But as long-simmering resentments rise to the surface and tensions reach breaking point, will the family finally fall apart?'No-one dissects the intricacies of family relationships quite like Joanna Trollope' - Good HousekeepingTrade ReviewNo-one dissects the intricacies of family relationships quite like her -- Good HousekeepingTrollope's mastery of the family saga means this tightly plotted tale makes for a thoughtful, absorbing read -- Daily MailA meticulous family drama, bristling with resentment and regret -- Mail on SundayTrollope is an extremely assured writer, with a brilliant eye for detail and a finely tuned emotional intelligence . . . she writes absorbing, wise stories that dramatize the dilemmas we face * Sunday Times *With her compassion for her characters, Trollope cuts to the quick of family life, and the difference between men and women -- Fanny Blake * Woman & Home *Joanna Trollope's novels address the issues and emotional journeys that face women today * Sunday Express *Trollope writes about family relationships with intelligence and clear-eyed sympathy * The Times *Nobody writes about family tensions better than Joanna Trollope * Good Housekeeping *Trollope’s bestselling novel brings elegance and warmth to a painfully familiar dilemma * Daily Mail *
£8.54
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Paradise
Book SynopsisParadise is Abdulrazak Gurnah's fourth novel, a beautiful story of African life.Trade ReviewMany layered, violent, beautiful and strange ... a poetic and vividly conjured book about Africa and the brooding power of the unknown * Independent on Sunday *An aural archive of a lost Africa ... Tangling travel adventures, social documentary, political indictment and a doomed love story ... Paradise is alive with the unexpected. In it, an obliterated world is enthrallingly retrieved * Sunday Times *Gurnah evokes his world in poetic prose which is pure and lucid - a small paradise in itself ... The pleasures, sadnesses and losses in all the shining facets of this book are lingering and exquisite * Guardian *Paradise is that rare thing, a novel that is totally convincing in the vivid physical world it presents, yet transcending that world and reaching into the universal. Folk tale, travel story, drama of love and loss, by turns touching and horrifying, it is a novel to be grateful for * Barry Unsworth *A gently meandering coming-of-age tale -- Michaela Wong * Spectator, Books of the Year *
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Guerrillas
Book SynopsisV.S. Naipaul was born in Trinidad in 1932. He came to England on a scholarship in 1950. He spent four years at University College, Oxford, and began to write, in London, in 1954. He pursued no other profession.His novels include A House for Mr Biswas, The Mimic Men, Guerrillas, A Bend in the River, and The Enigma of Arrival. In 1971 he was awarded the Booker Prize for In a Free State. His works of nonfiction, equally acclaimed, include Among the Believers, Beyond Belief, The Masque of Africa, and a trio of books about India: An Area of Darkness, India: A Wounded Civilization and India: A Million Mutinies Now.In 1990, V.S. Naipaul received a knighthood for services to literature; in 1993, he was the first recipient of the David Cohen British Literature Prize. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2001. He lived with his wife Nadira and cat Augustus in Wiltshire, and died in 2018Trade ReviewImpeccable . . . Guerrillas seems to me Naipaul’s Heart of Darkness: a brilliant artist’s anatomy of emptiness, and of despair. * Observer *
£8.54
Pan Macmillan The Bone People
Book SynopsisPowerful and visionary, Keri Hulme has written the great New Zealand novel of our times.Trade Review'In this novel, New Zealand's people, its heritage and landscape are conjured up with uncanny poetry and perceptiveness' Sunday Times
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd The Flea Palace
Book SynopsisShortlisted for the 2005 Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, Elif Shafak''s The Flea Palace is a moving and highly original novel about a group of individuals who live in the same building and who together become embroiled in a mystery.By turns comic and tragic, The Flea Palace is an outstandingly original novel driven by an overriding sense of social justice.Bonbon Palace was once a stately apartment block in Istanbul. Now it is a sadly dilapidated home to ten wildly different individuals and their families.There''s a womanizing, hard-drinking academic with a penchant for philosophy; a ''clean freak'' and her lice-ridden daughter; a lapsed Jew in search of true love; and a charmingly naïve mistress whose shadowy past lurks in the building. When the rubbish at Bonbon Palace is stolen, a mysterious sequence of events unfolds that result in a soul-searching quest for truth.''Picaresque'' Guardian''Hyperactive and hilarious''
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Assembly
Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE FOLIO PRIZE 2022SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOLDSMITHS PRIZE 2021SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL FICTION 2022 SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG FICTION AWARD 2021SHORTLISTED FOR THE BETTY TRASK PRIZE 2022LONGLISTED FOR THE DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZE 2022''Diamond-sharp, timely and urgent'' Observer, Best Debuts of 2021''Subtle, elegant, scorching'' Vogue''Virtuosic, exquisite, achingly unique'' Guardian''I''m full of the hope, on reading it, that this is the kind of book that doesn''t just mark the moment things change, but also makes that change possible'' Ali Smith''Exquisite, daring, utterly captivating. A stunning new writer'' Bernardine EvaristoCome of age in the credit crunch. Be civil in a hostile environment. Step out into a world of Go Home vans. Go to Oxbridge, get an education, start a career. Do all the right things. Buy a flat. Buy art. Buy a sort of happiness. But above all, keep your head down. Keep quiet. And keep going.The narrator of Assembly is a Black British woman. She is preparing to attend a lavish garden party at her boyfriend''s family estate, set deep in the English countryside. At the same time, she is considering the carefully assembled pieces of herself. As the minutes tick down and the future beckons, she can''t escape the question: is it time to take it all apart?''One of the most talked-about debuts of the year . . . You''ll read it in one sitting'' Sunday Times Style''Expertly crafted, remarkable, astonishing... A literary debut with flavours of Jordan Peele''s Get Out'' Bookseller, Editor''s Choice''Virginia Woolf''s Mrs. Dalloway meets Citizen by Claudia Rankine... As breathtakingly graceful as it is mercilessly true'' Olivia Sudjic''Bold and original, with a cool intelligence, and so very truthful about the colonialist structure of British society'' Diana Evans ''This marvel of a novel manages to say all there is to say about Britain today'' Sabrina MahfouzTrade ReviewDiamond-sharp, timely and urgent... Written in a distilled, minimalist prose, Assembly is illuminating on everything from micro aggressions in the workplace, to the reality of living in the "hostile environment", to the legacy of British colonialism * Observer, Best Debuts of 2021 *A quiet, measured call to revolution. It's about everything that has changed and still needs to change, socially, historically, politically, personally... Its impact is massive; it strikes me as the kind of book that sits on the faultline between a before and an after. I could use words like 'elegant' and 'brilliantly judged' and literary antecedents such as Katherine Mansfield/Toni Morrison/Claudia Rankine. But it's simpler than that. I'm full of the hope, on reading it, that this is the kind of book that doesn't just mark the moment things change, but also makes that change possible -- Ali Smith, author of 'How to be both' and 'Summer'In just 100 pages Natasha Brown delivers a body blow of a book. Assembly is extraordinary, each word weighed, each detail meticulously crafted... Brown is mercilessly clear-eyed in her delineation of how British culture is also "assembled" - its history whitewashed and arguing against it near-impossible when "the only tool of expression is the language of this place". Yet she wields that language like a weapon and hits her mark again and again with devastating elegance * The Times *Incredible. [Assembly] moves the English novel on. Slim book, massive importance -- Max Porter, author of 'Grief is the Thing With Feathers'Stunning, blisteringly eloquent... Assembly heralds a powerful new voice in British literature * The Sunday Times *Assembly is brilliant. Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway meets Citizen by Claudia Rankine. Natasha Brown's ability to slide between the tiniest, most telling detail and the edifice of history, the assemblage of so many lives in so many times and places, is as breathtakingly graceful as it is mercilessly true -- Olivia Sudjic, author of 'Asylum Road'Daring and distilled... A hauntingly accurate novel about the stories we construct for ourselves and others... A completely captivating read you won't be able to put down * Independent *Assembly fulfils, with exquisite precision, Virginia Woolf's exhortation to "record the atoms as they fall upon the mind in the order in which they fall... [It] calls to mind Frantz Fanon's work on the psychic ruptures caused by the experience of being colonised, or W. E. B. Du Bois's idea of double consciousness. Assembly is the kind of novel we might have got if Woolf had collaborated with Fanon... Brown nudges us towards an expression of the inexpressible - towards feeling rather than thought, as if we are navigating the collapsing boundaries between the narrator's consciousness and our own * Guardian *I read it compulsively in a single sitting. Assembly expertly draws out the difficulties of assembling a coherent self in the face of myriad structural oppressions. Casting a wry look at faded aristocrats, financial insiders and smug liberals, Natasha Brown takes the conventional tics of the English novel - the repressed emotion and clipped speech - and drains away the nostalgia. What's left is something hard and true -- Will Harris, author of 'Mixed Race Superman' and 'Rendang'It more than lives up to the hype. Propulsive, devastating, unflinching and deft... This is a heartbreaking novel that offers glimmers of hope with its bold vision for new modes of storytelling... Brown's voice is entirely her own - and Assembly is a wry, explosive debut from a coruscating new talent * inews *A powerhouse of a book * Stylist *Set over 24 hours as an unnamed Black British woman prepares to attend a garden party hosted by her boyfriend's wealthy parents. With a clear eye she assesses her experience of corporate culture with its embedded racism, her awful boss, the myth of true social mobility... A short but exceptionally powerful novel from a gifted new writer * Bookseller (Editor's Choice pick) *In this excoriating indictment of the white supremacy underpinning the office space, Natasha Brown shows us the triple bind under which Black British Women live. How can there be wholeness in a society which demands so often that Black women melt parts of themselves down so that the machinery can shape them anew? I have scarcely read a work of fiction which confronts me so clearly and viscerally with the nature of injustice in our contemporary moment. This is an important work from a writer I hope we'll be hearing from for a long, long time -- Kayo Chingonyi, author of 'A Blood Condition'One of the buzziest debuts of the summer * Vogue *Natasha Brown's exquisite prose, daring structure and understated elegance are utterly captivating. She is a stunning new writer -- Bernardine Evaristo, Booker Prize winning author of 'Girl, Woman, Other'This marvel of a novel manages to say all there is to say about Britain today in the most precise, poetic prose and within the story of one complicated, compelling woman. Formally thrilling, politically captivating, endlessly absorbing... I will never forget where I was when I read it, how I felt at the start of it and by the end - it takes you on a complete carousel of a life lived both in dread and in defiance. Superb. -- Sabrina Mahfouz, poet & playwright, ‘A History of Water in the Middle East’Like the fictional companion to Jamaica Kincaid's nonfiction masterpiece A Small Place... A book like a finely honed scalpel - marking a new and electrifying dawn -- Elaine Castillo, author of 'America is Not the Heart'Tightly conceived and distinctively written, perceptive, precise and unsparing... An elegiac examination of a Black woman's life and an acerbic analysis of Britain's racial landscape. Brown's rhythmic, economic prose renders the narrator's experiences with breathless clarity * New York Times *Stunningly good -- Elizabeth Day, presenter of the 'How to Fail' podcastAssembly is an astonishing work. Formally innovative, as beautiful as it is coolly devastating, urgent and utterly precise on what it means to be alive now -- Sophie Mackintosh, author of 'The Water Cure'Searing... A rousing, inspired voice demanding to be recognized and heard * Washington Post *Deft, essential, and a novel of poetic consideration, Assembly holds (the Black-British) identity in its hands, examining it until it becomes both truer and stranger - a question more than an answer. I nodded, I mhmmed, I sighed (and laughed knowingly, bitterly) -- Rachel Long, Folio Prize-shortlisted author of 'My Darling From the Lions'Bold and original, with a cool intelligence, and so very truthful about the colonialist structure of British society: how it has poisoned even our language, making its necessary dismantling almost the stuff of dreams. I take hope from Assembly, not just for our literature but also for our slow awakening -- Diana Evans, author of 'Ordinary People'Mind-bending and utterly original. It's like Thomas Bernhard in the key of Rachel Cusk but about black subjectivity -- Brandon Taylor, author of 'Real Life'Brilliantly sharp and curiously Alice-like... It centres on a gifted and driven young Black woman navigating a topsy-turvy and increasingly maddening modern Britain... Her indictment is forensic, clear, elegant, a prose-polished looking glass held up to her not-so-post-colonial nation. Only one puzzle remains unsolved: how a novel so slight can bear such weight * Times Literary Supplement *A piercing, cautionary tale about the costs of assimilating into a society still in denial about its colonial past. Brown writes with the deftness and insight of a poet -- Mary Jean Chan, author of 'Flèche'Bold, elegant, and all the more powerful for its brevity, Assembly captures the sickening weightlessness which a Black British woman, who has been obedient to and complicit with the capitalist system, experiences as she makes life-changing decisions under the pressure of the hegemony -- Paul Mendez, author of 'Rainbow Milk'This is a stunning achievement of compressed narrative and fearless articulation * Publisher's Weekly *One of the most talked-about debuts of the year . . . you'll read it in one sitting * Sunday Times Style *Thrilling... Brown gets straight to the point. With delivery as crisp and biting into an apple, she short-circuits expectation... This is [the narrator's] story, and she will tell it how she wishes, unpicking convention and form. Like The Drivers' Seat by Muriel Spark, it's thrilling to see a protagonist opting out and going her own way * Scotsman *A nuanced, form-redefining exploration on class, work, gender and race * Harper’s Bazaar *Across 100 lean pages, Brown deftly handles a gigantic literary heritage... Her style rivals the best contemporary modernists, like Eimear McBride and Rachel Cusk; innocuous or obscure on a first reading, punching on a second... Assembly is only the start * Daily Telegraph *There's something of Isherwood in Brown's spare, illuminating prose... A series of jagged-edged shards that when accumulated form an unhappy mirror in which modern Britain might examine itself * Literary Review *A debut novel as slender and deadly as an adder * Los Angeles Times *A razor-sharp debut... This powerful short novel suggests meaningful discussion of race is all but impossible if imperialism's historical violence remains taboo * Daily Mail *Bold, spare, agonisingly well-observed. An impressive debut * Tatler *Excoriating, unstoppable... The simplicity of the narrative allows complexity in the form: over barely a hundred pages, broken into prose fragments that have been assembled with both care and mercilessness * London Review of Books *Beguiling and beautifully written, this is the work of an author with a bright future * Tortoise *Coruscating originality, emotional potency, astonishing artistic vim... This signals the arrival of a truly breathtaking literary voice... A scintillating tour de force * Yorkshire Times *Fierce and accomplished, Assembly interrogates the high cost of surviving in a system designed to exclude you * Economist *I was blown away by Assembly, an astonishing book that forces us to see what's underpinning absolutely everything -- Lauren Elkin, author of 'Flaneuse'Coiled and charged, a small shockwave... Sometimes you come across a short novel of such compressed intensity that you wonder why anyone would bother reading longer narratives... [Assembly] casts a huge shadow * MoneyControl *A masterwork . . . it contains centuries of wisdom, aesthetic experimentation and history. Brown handles her debut with a surgeon's control and a musician's sensitivity to sound -- Tess Gunty * Guardian *An extraordinary book, and a compelling read that had me not only gripped but immediately determined to listen again... Highly recommended * Financial Times on 'Assembly' in audiobook *'As utterly, urgently brilliant as everyone has said. A needle driven directly into the sclerotic heart of contemporary Britain. Beautiful proof that you don't need to write a long book, just a good book' -- Rebecca Tamas, author of 'Witch'Every line of this electrifying debut novel pulses with canny social critique * Oprah Daily *Devastatingly eloquent, bold, poignant * Shelf Awareness *An achievement that will leave you wondering just how it's possible that this is only the author's very first work... Brown packs so much commentary and insight inside of every single sentence... Original and startling all at once. After reading Assembly, I cannot wait to see what Natasha Brown does next * Shondaland *[Brown's] work is like that of an excellent photographer - you feel like you are finally seeing the world sharply and without the common filters. That is hypnotising -- Rowan Hisayo Buchanan * Guardian *A brilliantly compressed, existentially daring study of a high-flying Black woman negotiating the British establishment -- Guardian, 'Best Fiction of 2021' * Justine Jordan *
£9.49
Atlantic Books The Cat and The City: 'Vibrant and accomplished'
Book SynopsisA BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick'A love letter to Japan and its literature' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan'Ingenious... Touching, surprising and sometimes heartbreaking' Guardian'An ideal tonic for anyone craving far-flung adventure' Mail on Sunday'If you're itching to read a new novel by David Mitchell...try this' The Times_______________In Tokyo - one of the world's largest megacities - a stray cat is wending her way through the back alleys. And, with each detour, she brushes up against the seemingly disparate lives of the city-dwellers, connecting them in unexpected ways.But the city is changing. As it does, it pushes her to the margins where she chances upon a series of apparent strangers - from a homeless man squatting in an abandoned hotel, to a shut-in hermit afraid to leave his house, to a convenience store worker searching for love. The cat orbits Tokyo's denizens, drawing them ever closer.'Masterfully weaves together seemingly disparate threads to conjure up a vivid tapestry of Tokyo; its glory, its shame, its characters, and a calico cat.' David Peace, author of THE TOKYO TRILOGYOne of the Independent's best debutsLonglisted for the DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD, 2021Trade ReviewNick Bradley's ingenious choreography of a constantly moving city, is touching, surprising and sometimes heartbreaking. * Guardian *The key pleasure of reading this book is its sprightly vigour - cool but not hipsterish, ambitious but not pretentious - that evokes a similar liveliness in the reader. It makes you feel young again. * John Self, The Times *Inventive, beguiling. * Sunday Times *An ideal tonic for anyone craving far-flung adventure. * Mail on Sunday *Intriguing...explores the dark underbelly of Japan. * Independent *I wolfed down these interlocking stories of cats, Tokyo, loneliness and redemption. Congratulations to Nick Bradley on this vibrant and accomplished debut. * David Mitchell, via Twitter *The Cat and The City is a love letter to Japan and its literature. Bradley's passion for everything from onigiri to Tanizaki's short stories is woven into this book. Bradley was for a time an ex-pat and his insight into their perching state is particularly intriguing. He is also very clearly a man with a great tenderness for cats. * Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of HARMLESS LIKE YOU *In a very impressive, finely observed debut, Nick Bradley masterfully weaves together seemingly disparate threads to conjure up a vivid tapestry of Tokyo; its glory, its shame, its characters, and a calico cat. * David Peace, author of THE TOKYO TRILOGY *An inventive, clever and beguiling read. With Tokyo as the backdrop, this is a beautifully written novel about belonging and loneliness, about escape and destruction, where the enmeshed narratives (and a magical cat) bind the city together. * Elizabeth Macneal, author of THE DOLL FACTORY *Like the street cat that slinks through this, Nick Bradley is endlessly resourceful, full of invention, full of surprises. * Andrew Cowan, author of PIG *Tender, delicate, and surprising, The Cat and The City is a lovely, rare progeny of a meeting between the English and the Japanese imagination. * Amit Chaudhuri, author of THE IMMORTALS *The Cat and The City is fiercely vivid, darkly comic and exquisitely mesmerising. Prepare to be transported across a sprawling metropolis; intercepting lives, as culture, history and identity interweave in a novel that will stay with you indelibly. Utterly brilliant writing. * Ashley Hickson-Lovence, author of THE 392 *Reading The Cat and The City is a rare experience of immersion in a world so complete that you will feel you know Tokyo like a character all its own, and feel homesick for it once you turn the final page. I loved the playfulness of form, the patience and skill of the storytelling and above all, the jolts of delighted and poignant recognition as narratives connected in subtle and powerful ways. * Eleanor Wasserberg, author of FOXLOWE *Bradley has produced a vivid urban map where "lifers" of all nationalities are trapped in a dark place. Hosts of readers will already be looking forward to what he serves up next in the fiction stakes. * Japan Today *Bradley's storytelling is artful and thickly allusive... For those who love tales of cats, cities or both, it makes for a charming wander. * Straits Times *
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd The Bastard of Istanbul
Book SynopsisOne rainy afternoon in Istanbul, a woman walks into a doctor''s surgery. ''I need to have an abortion'', she announces. She is nineteen years old and unmarried. What happens that afternoon will change her life.Twenty years later, Asya Kazanci lives with her extended family in Istanbul. Due to a mysterious family curse, all the Kaznci men die in their early forties, so it is a house of women, among them Asya''s beautiful, rebellious mother Zeliha, who runs a tattoo parlour; Banu, who has newly discovered herself as clairvoyant; and Feride, a hypochondriac obsessed with impending disaster. And when Asya''s Armenian-American cousin Armanoush comes to stay, long hidden family secrets connected with Turkey''s turbulent past begin to emerge.''Wonderfully magical, incredible, breathtaking...will have you gasping with disbelief in the last few pages'' Sunday Express''A beautiful book, the finest I have read about Turkey'' Irish Times''Heartbreaking...the beauty of Islam pervades Shafak''s book'' VogueTrade ReviewA brave and passionate novel * Paul Theroux *Tremendous exuberance . . . I do like a writer with a purpose * Margaret Forster *An astonishingly rich and lively story … handled with an enchantingly light touch' Kirkus Reviews Overflows with a kitchen sink's worth of zany characters … an entertaining and insightful ensemble novel that posits the universality of family, culture and coincidence -- (starred review) * Publishers Weekly *
£8.54
Allen & Unwin Everybody's Fool
Book SynopsisRichard Russo's new novel takes place in the decaying American town of North Bath over the course of a very busy weekend, ten years after the events of Nobody's Fool. Donald 'Sully' Sullivan is trying to ignore his cardiologist's estimate that he has only a year or two left. Ruth, his long-time lover, is increasingly distracted by her former son-in-law, fresh out of prison and intent on making trouble. Police chief Doug Raymer is tormented by the improbable death of his wife, while local wiseguy Carl Roebuck might finally be running out of luck. Filled with humour, heart and hard-luck characters you can't help but love, Everybody's Fool is a crowning achievement from one of the great storytellers of our time.Trade Review[T]he roguish, ragtag residents of North Bath, New York, still prove a diverting lot, even if you've not previously made their acquaintance...there's never a dull moment as the tragi-farcical events gradually snowball, with lightning strikes, an escaped cobra and attempted murder along the way. * Daily Mail *A delightful return . . . to a town where dishonesty abounds, everyone misapprehends everyone else and half the citizens are half-crazy. It's a great place for a reader to visit, and it seems to be Russo's spiritual home. * New York Times *The Fool books represent an enormous achievement, creating a world as richly detailed as the one we step into each day of our lives. . . . Sully in particular emerges as one of the most credible and engaging heroes in recent American fiction. -- T.C. Boyle * New York Times Book Review *A madcap romp, weaving mystery, suspense and comedy in a race to the final pages. * Wall Street Journal *Richard Russo can write like Edith Wharton leavened with a touch of David Lodge * The Economist *A writer of great comedy and warmth, Russo's living proof that a book can be profound and wise without aiming straight into darkness. * USA Today *
£10.44
Pan Macmillan A Bird in the Hand
Book SynopsisAnn Cleeves Classic Crime - engaging mysteries to savour, beloved characters to meet againA Bird in the Hand is the first novel featuring George and Molly Palmer-Jones by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland and Vera Stanhope crime series.In England’s birdwatching paradise, a new breed has been sighted – a murderer . . .Young Tom French is found dead, lying in a marsh on the Norfolk coast, with his head bashed in and his binoculars still around his neck. One of the best birders in England, Tom had put the village of Rushy on the birdwatching map. Everyone liked him. Or did they?George Palmer-Jones, an elderly birdwatcher who decides quietly to look into the brutal crime, discovers mixed feelings aplenty. Still, he remains baffled by a deed that could have been motivated by thwarted love, pure envy, or something else altogether.But as he and his fellow ‘twitchers’ flock from Norfolk to Scotland to the Scilly Isles in response to rumours of rare sightings, George – with help from his lovely wife, Molly – gradually discerns the true markings of a killer. All he has to do is prove it . . . before the murderer strikes again.Trade ReviewA fine debut . . . Watertight and exciting -- Susan HillIt’s splendid . . . a classic whodunnit -- Bill OddieCleeves is carving out a reputation as the new queen of crime * Sunday Mirror *Nobody does unsettling undercurrents better than Ann Cleeves -- Val McDermidAnn Cleeves is a skilful technician, keeping our interest alive and building slowly up to the denouement. Her easy use of language and clever story construction make her one of the best natural writers of detective fiction * Daily Express *Ann Cleeves has enviable talent . . . I love these books * CrimeSqaud *A fine writer * Sunday Telegraph *
£9.49
