Narrative theme: sense of place

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Book SynopsisThe instant New York Times bestseller!“Sublime…Colgan infuses her latest book with humor, wit, suspense and a perfectly cast love triangle.”--USA TodayThe Christmas Bookshop is literary hot chocolate with a bourbon shot: hot, sweet but with a surprising emotional kick.--The Times (UK)Perfect for the holidays! A brand-new heartwarming Christmas novel from the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop on the Corner and Christmas at the Island Hotel. Laid off from her department store job, Carmen has perilously little cash and few options. The prospect of spending Christmas with her perfect sister Sofia, in Sofia’s perfect house with her perfect children and her perfectly ordered yuppie life does not appeal.Frankly, Sofia doesn’t exactly want her prickly sister Carmen there either. But Sofia has yet another baby on the way, a mother desperate to see her daughters get along, and a client who needs help revitalizing his shabby old bookshop. So Carmen moves in and takes the job.Thrown rather suddenly into the inner workings of Mr. McCredie’s ancient bookshop on the picturesque streets of historic Edinburgh, Carmen is intrigued despite herself. The store is dusty and disorganized but undeniably charming. Can she breathe some new life into it in time for Christmas shopping? What will happen when a famous and charismatic author takes a sudden interest in the bookshop—and Carmen? And will the Christmas spirit be enough to help heal her fractured family?

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Book SynopsisJoette''s life brings new meaning to the phrase paycheck to paycheck. Struggling to afford her mother''s sky-high medical bills and also keep the lights on in her trailer home, Joette needs a break.So, when she spies a briefcase full of money amongst the fiery wreckage of a fatal car accident, she knows she can''t just let it be. Inside is a bounty better than she could have dreamed-just shy of $300,000 in neatly stacked hundreds and fifties. Enough to pay off her debts, give her mother the care she deserves, and maybe even help out a few of her friends.But, of course, the missing briefcase didn''t go unnoticed by the original owner, Travis-a ruthless dealer that''ll stop at nothing to get back what''s his.Joette is way out of her depth, but can''t seem to stop herself from participating in this cat-and-mouse chase. But can she beat Travis at his own game?

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Book SynopsisIn this standalone, Edgar-award winning author, Joe R. Lansdale, whom 'few can match' (Booklist) beams a light on an East Texas town where a QAnon-style, evangelist cult is brewing trouble.  Charlie Garner has a bad feeling. His ex-wife, Meg, has been missing for over a week and one quick peek into her home shows all her possessions packed up in boxes. Neighbors claim she’s running from bill collectors, but Charlie suspects something more sinister is afoot. Meg was last seen working at the local donut shop, a business run by a shadow group most refer to as ‘The Saucer People’; a space-age, evangelist cult who believe their compound to be the site of an extraterrestrial Second Coming.   Along with his brother, Felix, and beautiful, randy journalist Amelia “Scrappy” Moon, Charlie uncovers strange and frightening details about the compound (read: a massive, doomsday storehouse of weapons, a leashed chimpanzee!) When the body of their key informer is found dead with his arms ripped out of their sockets, Charlie knows he’s in danger but remains dogged in his quest to rescue Meg.   Brimming with colorful characters and Lansdale’s characteristic bounce, this rollicking crime novel examines the insidious rise of fringe groups and those under their sway with black comedy and glints of pathos.

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Book SynopsisA warm and uplifting story of how a woman falls in love with a place and its people: a landscape, a community and a fragile way of life. A rural idyll: that''s what Catherine is seeking when she sells her house in England and moves to a tiny hamlet in the Cévennes mountains. With her divorce in the past and her children grown, she is free to make a new start, and her dream is to set up in business as a seamstress. But this is a harsh and lonely place when you''re no longer just here on holiday. There is French bureaucracy to contend with, not to mention the mountain weather, and the reserve of her neighbours, including the intriguing Patrick Castagnol. And that''s before the arrival of Catherine''s sister, Bryony...Trade ReviewPraise for Rosy Thornton's previous novels: 'A refreshing twist on the romantic novel * She *Something of an achievement * Daily Telegraph *A love story with a difference * Woman's Weekly *She is skilled at drawing out the poignancy of ordinary life * Guardian *A sparkling, intelligent story - I loved it * Adele Geras *Thornton's debut is charming and funny * Glasgow Evening Times *A warm, witty and sharp-eyed look at what happens to real people * Emma Darwin *A charming well-written book, full of sweet anecdotes and humorous stories * Belfast Sunday Life *

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Book SynopsisGaile Parkin was born and raised in Zambia, and studied at universities in South Africa and England. She has lived in many different parts of Africa, including Swaziland, where When Hoopoes go to Heaven is set. She is currently a freelance consultant in the fields of education, gender and HIV/AIDS.Trade ReviewWith gentle humour and a gift for detail, [Gaile Parkin] brings Rwanda to life, with its physical beauty, food and customs... [Baking Cakes in Kigali] is fluent and deeply moving * Independent *With a lightness of touch, and a cast as colourful as one of Angel's cakes, debut novelist Parkin deftly uncovers the joys and sorrows of the survivors. Fans of Precious Ramotswe will love this * Marie Claire *

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Book SynopsisA roofing family?s bonds of loyalty are tested when they uncover a long-hidden secret at the heart of their blue-collar town?from Amy Jo Burns, author of the critically acclaimed novel ShinerIt?s 1990 and seventeen-year-old Marley West is blazing into the river valley town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. A perpetual loner, she seeks a place at someone?s table and a family of her own. The first thing she sees when she arrives in town is three men standing on a rooftop. Their silhouettes blot out the sun.The Joseph brothers become Marley?s whole world before she can blink. Soon, she is young wife to one, The One Who Got Away to another, and adopted mother to them all. As their own mother fades away and their roofing business crumbles under the weight of their unwieldy father?s inflated ego, Marley steps in to shepherd these unruly men. Years later, an eerie discovery in the church attic causes old wounds to resurface and suddenly the family?s survival hangs in the balance. With Marley as their light, the Joseph brothers must decide whether they can save the family they?ve always known?or whether together they can build something stronger in its place.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[Paul Harding] writes with the gravitas of a mythmaker…The pace of Harding’s storytelling is stately, his descriptions, even of small events, gorgeous…This Other Eden is beautiful and agonizing—rather like the real place that inspired it." -- Claire Messud - Harper's Magazine"[This Other Eden] is a harrowing tale of paradise lost and a lyrical examination of people in isolation just trying to get by…[It] is a novel that is both devastating and meditative, a combination that is characteristic of [Paul] Harding’s work." -- MJ Franklin - New York Times"Stunning…You could imagine lots of ways a historical novel about this horror might be written, but none of them would give you a sense of the strange spell of This Other Eden—its dynamism, bravado and melancholy. Harding’s style has been called ‘Faulknerian’ and maybe that’s apt, given his penchant for sometimes paragraph-long sentences that collapse past and present…[An] intense wonder of a historical novel." -- Maureen Corrigan - NPR"Tender, magical, and haunting, Paul Harding’s This Other Eden is that rare novel that makes profound claims on our present age while being, very simply, a graceful performance of language and storytelling. Here is prose that touchingly holds its imagined island community in a light that can only be described as generous and dazzling. I have not read a novel this achingly beautiful in a while, nor one in which the fate of its characters I will not soon forget." -- Major Jackson, author of The Absurd Man"Harding, who won a dark-horse Pulitzer Prize for Tinkers, again demonstrates his gifts for concision and compassion in a narrative that balances historical fact with fully drawn characters...[S]ure to be a standout of 2023." -- Bethanne Patrick - Los Angeles Times"This Other Eden is a story of good intentions, bad faith, worse science, but also a tribute to community and human dignity and the possibility of another world. In both, it has much to say to our times." -- Rachel Seiffert - Guardian (UK)"Beautiful, brooding…Harding paints a rich, unvarnished portrait of Apple Island and its residents…Long, cascading sentences sometimes loop back on themselves to add salient details; others rush forward to encapsulate as much complexity as they can…Harding’s finely wrought prose shows us a community that refuses to see itself through the judgmental eyes of others, a society composed of people who give their neighbors the same latitude to go their own way that they claim for themselves. It closes on a note of determined hope, with an emblem of continuity and endurance held high above the waters that separate Apple Island from the censorious mainland." -- Wendy Smith - Washington Post"With gorgeous, often antique prose, Harding takes us into the prelapsarian world of the islanders…Harding has a gift for using language with intense precision that evokes his characters’ points of view." -- Carolyn Kellogg - Boston Globe"Frequent lyrical passages, which are as epic, forceful and sweeping as the floods the book depicts and recalls…Just as wonderful are the book’s frequent small touches." -- Clifford Thompson - Times Literary Supplement (UK)"There is no writer alive anything like Paul Harding, and This Other Eden proves it: astonishingly beautiful, humane, strange, interested in philosophy and the heart, stunningly written. It’s about home, love, heredity, cruelty, and the very nature of art, so completely original it’s hard to know how to describe it in a mere blurb, by which I mean: you must read this book." -- Elizabeth McCracken, author of The Souvenir Museum"In boldly lyrical prose, This Other Eden shows us a once-thriving racial utopia in its final days, at a time when race and science were colliding in chilling ways. In the stories of the Apple Islanders—especially that of Ethan Honey, spared a destructive fate because of his artistic gifts and his fair skin—we are made to confront the ambiguous nature of mercy, the limits of tolerance, and what it means to truly be saved. A luminous, thought-provoking novel." -- Esi Edugyan, author of Washington Black"Harding’s third novel revisits an appalling moment in Maine history…[A] brief book that carries the weight of history. A moving account of community and displacement." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"Pulitzer winner Harding (Tinkers) suffuses deep feeling into this understated yet wrenching story…It’s a remarkable achievement." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)"A superb achievement…Harding combines an engrossing plot with deft characterizations and alluring language deeply attuned to nature’s artistry. The biblical parallels, which naturally align with the characters’ circumstances, add depth, and enhance the universality of the themes…[T]his gorgeously limned portrait about family bonds, the loss of innocence, the insidious effects of racism, and the innate worthiness of individual lives will resonate long afterward." -- Booklist (starred review)

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Book SynopsisThe blistering Glasgow crime novel from the award-winning author of the Glasgow Trilogy.Trade ReviewThis is a writer who has had critics attempting to come up with new adjectives to praise him * Independent *Mackay is a natural storyteller, able to jump from one hurtling train of action to another * Washington Post *Gripping and vivid . . . Mackay succeeds magnificently * Guardian *The plot is meticulous, the dialogue sharp, the emotions edgy. Mackay turns in another mesmeric performance * The Times *Another Scottish crime-writing star is born * Mark Billingham *

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Book SynopsisA nostalgic, insightful and poignant story of women''s lives in the 1970s. ''Raw, nostalgic, utterly compelling and very, very cool... A mind-blowingly impressive debut'' Eva RiceThere are books that stay with you long after you''ve read them. This is one of those. Katie has been hanging around Comanche Street for three years and there are still times when it feels like she is watching a movie starring everyone in the world, except her.Through sun-kissed days by the ocean and hazy nights in drifter bars, through love and death and pain, while the Vietnam war rages distantly and yet disturbingly close, she yearns to belong and never dreams that all the others want is to escape.Night after night, they wait for something to happen. It''s summer, and anything is possible . . .A powerful coming-of-age tale reminiscent of Anne Tyler, Alice Hoffman and Melissa Banks.* Author interview includedTrade Review'A really wonderful book that will capture your heart and occupy your thoughts' * SUNDAY MIRROR *Raw, nostalgic, utterly compelling and very, very cool... A mind-blowingly impressive debut -- Eva Rice'Tender and brave storytelling' * GRAZIA *Despite the dark sides, If I Knew is gorgeous and thoughtful; a compelling, wonderful look at a particular point in time * EMERALD STREET *Chicurel's novel has its dark moments, but the overriding sentiment is one of acceptance, resilience and the enduring power of friendship. A coming-of-age-tale with a haunting quality 4* * The Lady *The story hooked me in so I felt the characters' pain and hope * WOMAN & HOME *Beautifully written prose... Rarely do books evoke so viscerally a place, so tangibly a time and such a broad sweep of big themes * Hannah Beckerman *Beautiful and heart-breaking at once. A mesmerising, compulsive combination -- Adele ParksThis book will haunt you long after you've finished * harpersbazaar.co.uk *'A thought-provoking debut novel' * CLOSER *'This love story set in 70s Long Island is guaranteed to have you gripped' * NOW *Beautifully evocative * Observer *Chicurel [is] a gifted and versatile writer, and always draws you in * Sunday Express *

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Book SynopsisExplores how novelists of the mid-century US South invented small towns to aesthetically undermine racial segregationInvestigates the role of writing in the civil right movementExplores neglected writersUncovers new readings of canonical textsModels a new form of critical reading based on close textual analysisInterrogates the relationship between literary production and social protestAnalysing the ubiquity of the small town in fiction of the mid-century US South, Living Jim Crow is the first extended scholarly study to explore how authors mobilised this setting as a tool for racial resistance. With innovative close readings of Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Wright, Lillian Smith, Byron Herbert Reece, Carson McCullers, William Faulkner and William Melvin Kelley, the book traces the relationship between activism and aesthetics during the long civil rights movement. Lennon reframes a narrative of southern literature during the period as one as one characterised by an aesthetics of protest, identifying a new mode of reading racial resistance and the US South.

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Book SynopsisSet in LA against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crash, this is the story of Rudy Reyes (a.k.a. Glasses), a gangster-turned-double-agent who wants out of the high-stakes high-risk life criminal life, and Ricky Mendoza, Junior (a.k.a. Ghost), a DEA safe-cracker with terminal cancer who's got nothing to lose. When Ghost goes rogue and steals thousands of dollars from a safe that belongs to an LA crime lord who happens to be Glasses' boss, he endangers a deal Glasses had with the DEA. As Ghost sets out to steal as much money as he can get his hands on - all with the plan to give it to those hit hardest by the crash - and the Mob gets ever closer to catching him, Glasses tries desperately to keep his plans on track.Fast-paced and gritty, Safe by Ryan Gattis is both a moving and human morality tale and an utterly immersive and heart-stoppingly suspenseful thriller.Trade ReviewA thrilling heist novel with a big beating heart -- Paula Hawkins, author of Girl on the trainWithout glamorizing his subject, there’s a lyricism in the vernacular and street language that makes it hard not to be moved * GQ *Safe is an immensely satisfying crime thriller, but it is also a deeply moving novel about one flawed man’s attempt to create good in a corrupt world. Ryan Gattis has a great ear for the patois of the street, and he reminds us that in 21stcentury America the worst predators often wear suits and work in offices. -- Ron Rash, author of SerenaSAFE is a propulsive thriller that confirms Ryan Gattis as one of our most gifted novelists. The book has unstoppable momentum yet is as finely layered and detailed with the gritty truth of life and the streets as I’ve ever read. It shoots you down a path that is fraught with surprise and insight, and you can’t ask for more than that. -- Michael Connelly, creator of the Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller series.Engrossing ... Gattis's refreshingly smart characters doggedly try to do the right thing in this satisfying upbeat tale of the drug world. * Publisher's Weeekly *Combining All Involved's facility for tenderness in the midst of stories of brutality, Safe is the perfect read to have in your suitcase * GQ *Ryan Gattis has a feel for street slang and nimble characterisation. A bobby-dazzler of a thriller. * Metro *Inherently compelling. This macho, faster-than-a-speeding-bullet novel benefits from the extensive research Gattis has done on the L.A. gang scene and that deep knowledge informs electrifying plot twists. * Time *A literary novel and a thriller with more twists than a DVD box-set make quite a combination. There is a lathed quality to Ryan Gattis’s prose, which is reminiscent of Raymond Carver or Ernest Hemingway. Gattis is superb with the staccato sentence, honed to a few words. I have previously been enthusiastic about Gattis’s polyphonic All Involved; this duet shows he is as assured on a closer frame. * The Scotsman *No ordinary gangster cat-and-mouse chase . . . While the gangsters-with-a-heart story might sound improbable, Gattis compensates with whip-smart vernacular and a narrative that zips along. Gattis has created a gripping novel about opportunity, transformation and hope. * Observer *

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Book SynopsisA Guardian, Financial Times, The Millions, Vulture, and Buzzfeed's Most Anticipated of 2020'An immigrant’s view conveyed with authority and wit . . . Adiga is a startlingly fine observer, and a complicator, in the manner of V.S. Naipaul.’ New York TimesFrom the bestselling, Booker Prize-winning author of The White Tiger and Selection Day, Aravind Adiga, comes the story of an undocumented immigrant who becomes the only witness to a crime and must face an impossible moral dilemma.Danny – Dhananjaya Rajaratnam – is an undocumented immigrant in Sydney, denied refugee status after he has fled from his native Sri Lanka. Working as a cleaner, living out of a grocery storeroom, for three years he’s been trying to create a new identity for himself. And now, with his beloved vegan girlfriend, Sonja, with his hidden accent and highlights in his hair, he is as close as he has ever come to living a normal Australian life.But then one morning, Danny learns a female client of his has been murdered. When Danny recognizes a jacket left at the murder scene, he believes it belongs to another of his clients — a doctor with whom he knows the woman was having an affair. Suddenly Danny is confronted with a choice: come forward with his knowledge about the crime and risk being deported, or say nothing, and let justice go undone? Over the course of a single day, evaluating the weight of his past, his dreams for the future, and the unpredictable, often absurd reality of living invisibly and undocumented, he must wrestle with his conscience and decide if a person without rights still has responsibilities.Suspenseful, propulsive, and full of Aravind Adiga’s signature wit and magic, Amnesty is both a timeless moral struggle and a universal story with particular urgency today.Trade ReviewThe kind of sharp social anthropology at which Adiga excels . . . Brimming with empathy as well as indignation, this novel . . . extends Adiga’s fictional concern with deprivation and injustice. * Sunday Times *What makes Amnesty an urgent and significant book is the generosity and the humanity of its vision. The abstract issue of immigration, fodder for cheap politics, comes starkly alive in the story of this one man, his past troubles and his present conflict. Amnesty is an ample book, pertinent and necessary. It speaks to our times. -- Juan Gabriel Vásquez * New York Times *A mesmerising, breakneck quest of a novel; a search for the true sense of self, for the answer to a moral dilemma which damns either way. The scope and profundity of Victor Hugo, the humour and wit we’ve come to expect from Adiga, and a novel which suggests the impossibility of keeping a sense of the self in a globalised world which either forces assimilation or exile. -- Andrew McMillan[Adiga] has more to say than most novelists, and about 50 more ways to say it . . . Adiga is a startlingly fine observer, and a complicator, in the manner of V.S. Naipaul . . . This novel has a simmering plot . . . You come to this novel for . . . its author’s authority, wit and feeling on the subject of immigrants’ lives. -- Dwight Garner * New York Times *Adiga is one of the great observers of power and its deformities, showing in novels like his Booker Prize winning White Tiger and Last Man in Tower how within societies, the powerful lean on the less powerful, and the weak exploit the weaker all the way down. Telling the tale of Danny’s immigration along the story of one tense day, he has built a forceful, urgent thriller for our times. -- John Freeman * Lit Hub *A forceful, urgent thriller for our times * Lit Hub *Danny's voice, in its sheer everyday ordinariness, will stay with you a long time. * Daily Mail *Scrutinizes the human condition through a haves-vs.-have-not filter with sly wit and narrative ingenuity . . . Adiga's smart, funny, and timely tale with a crime spin of an undocumented immigrant will catalyze readers. * Booklist *Engrossing . . . vivid . . . Adiga’s enthralling depiction of one immigrant’s tough situation humanizes a complex and controversial global dilemma. * Publishers Weekly *A taut, thrillerlike novel . . . A well-crafted tale of entrapment, alert to the risk of exploitation that follows immigrants in a new country. * Kirkus, starred review *

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Book Synopsis'The lives of the characters get entangled in this powerful read' WOMAN'S OWN'A pacy, gripping tale of secrets, love and betrayal in 1950s Catalonia, written with skill and colour. It gave me enormous pleasure to read such a satisfying novel.' SANTA MONTEFIORE 'If you're in desperate need of a far-Flung getaway, indulge in this slice of escapist fiction' HEAT'Being transported to a Spanish summer in 1951... I feel the cool of the shadows under the trees and hear the sea as it glistens in the rippling heat. I think you might like it too!' FERN BRITTON'As colourful, rich and mesmerising as one of Dali's paintings, this absorbing, poignant rollercoaster of a read is utterly satisfying and will stay with you long after you've put it down.' PATRICIA SCANLAN 'a tale of intrigue, love, politics and scandal. Mixing fact and fiction The Diver and The Lover keeps up the pace and excitement to the very end.' JOAN BAKEWELL'This tale intrigued me and captured my imagination in equal measure. I loved being whisked back to the 1950s and felt the heat of the Spanish sun as I fell in love with the sisters' unique relationship. Be prepared to be taken on a dramatic journey confronting pain, tragedy and passion along the way ' SARA COX'We'll never look at one of the world's best known paintings in the same way again. [Jeremy Vine] has managed to weave truth and fiction together to bring us a most unexpected love story.' FIONA BRUCE'A touching love story set in General Franco's postwar Spain is hallmark Vine - fresh, well-researchedand packed with female protagonists.' - COUNTRYSIDE MAGSoaked in sunlight, love and the mysteries surrounding a famous artist The Diver and the Lover is a novel inspired by true events.It is 1951 and sisters Ginny and Meredith have travelled from England to Spain in search of distraction and respite. The two wars have wreaked loss and deprivation upon the family and the spectre of Meredith's troubled childhood continues to haunt them. Their journey to the rugged peninsula of Catalonia promises hope and renewal. While there they discover the artist Salvador Dali is staying in nearby Port Lligat. Meredith is fascinated by modern art and longs to meet the famous surrealist. Dali is embarking on an ambitious new work, but his headstrong male model has refused to pose. A replacement is found, a young American waiter with whom Ginny has struck up a tentative acquaintance. The lives of the characters become entangled as family secrets, ego and the dangerous politics of Franco's Spain threaten to undo the fragile bonds that have been forged. A powerful story of love, sacrifice and the lengths we will go to for who - or what - we love.

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Book SynopsisA heartwarming small-town romance about high school sweethearts who return home and discover that first loves sometimes do get a second chance...Jay Wynter has avoided his hometown longer than he cares to admit. All he's ever wanted was to be successful on his own merit, but when his grandfather suffers a stroke, Jay is named successor to the family winery. The new gig would be a dream job if it hadn't been handed to him on a silver platter. And if it didn't come with strings attached, like having to work closely with the former love of his life.Leyna Milanis no stranger to the pitfalls of reviving the family business. She rallied for her grandfather to entrust her with his restaurant, and revamping it has left her flat broke. Though Leyna is determined to make the place her own, a clause in her grandfather's will forces her into a partnership with a local winery. When she discovers her business partner is the man who broke her heart, all bets are off. Unfortunately, his quick wit and sexy grin are impossible to ignore.Jay and Leyna have to put the past behind them if they're going to honor their grandfather's wishes. On the cusp of a second chance, they'll find out if true love ages as gracefully as a fine wine.

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Book SynopsisAshley Howland Scott has no time for romance as she grieves the loss of her husband, cares for her young son, and runs Magnolia Harbor's only bed and breakfast. Ashley never imagined she'd notice-let alone have feelings for-another man after her husband was killed in Afghanistan five years earlier. But slowly, softly, Rev. Micah St. Pierre has become a friend . . . and now maybe something more. Despite her reluctance, Ashley has to admit that Micah is kind, thoughtful, and handsome to boot. All the more reason to steer clear of him. She can't risk her heart again.After becoming the center of Magnolia Harbor's rumor mill once, Micah St. Pierre has no interest in letting the members of the local quilting club play matchmaker for him. Besides, the only woman he's interested in is the one he can never have. Micah is not allowed to date a member of his congregation, so there's no point in sharing his feelings with Ashley, no matter how much he yearns to. But the more time they spend with each other, the more Micah wonders whether Ashley is his match made in heaven.

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Book SynopsisDr. Charlotte Rodriguez is single-again-and she blames Jane Austen. She made brooding, aloof men sound oh so dreamy. But after years of failing to find her own Mr. Darcy, Charlotte decides it's time to swear off dating. She's going to lavish all her love and affection on someone who actually deserves it: her new puppy, Bingley.And there's no one better to give her pet advice than her neighbor and coworker George Leneghan. He's quiet and patient and, best of all, way too sweet to ever be her type. But as their friendly banter turns flirty, the unimaginable happens-Charlotte starts catching feelings.Just as Charlotte is trying to untangle what it is she truly wants, George announces he's contemplating a cross-country move. Suddenly, Charlotte wonders if she's kept her soulmate in the friend zone so long that she's entirely missed her chance at a happily ever after. Dear Reader, could it be possible she's had it wrong all this time?

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Book SynopsisDr. Charlotte Rodriguez is single-again-and she blames Jane Austen. She made brooding, aloof men sound oh so dreamy. But after years of failing to find her own Mr. Darcy, Charlotte decides it's time to swear off dating. She's going to lavish all her love and affection on someone who actually deserves it: her new puppy, Bingley.And there's no one better to give her pet advice than her neighbour and co-worker George Leneghan. He's quiet and patient and, best of all, way too sweet to ever be her type. But as their friendly banter turns flirty, the unimaginable happens-Charlotte starts catching feelings.Just as Charlotte is trying to untangle what it is she truly wants, George announces he's contemplating a cross-country move. Suddenly, Charlotte wonders if she's kept her soulmate in the friend zone so long that she's entirely missed her chance at a happily ever after. Dear Reader, could it be possible she's had it wrong all this time?

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Book SynopsisGabriella Monroe is doing her best to pretend that everything is fine, but her life is a mess. Sales are down at her vintage dress shop, her beloved grandmother isn't her usual spunky self, and Gabby desperately misses the closeness she had with her sisters, Margaret and Emma-who were once so inseparable that their family called them the Monroe Musketeers. When the sisters stumble across a stash of letters that reveals their grandmother's secret life, Gabby sees an opportunity to bring the sisters back together again and best of all, raise her grandmother's spirits. And sure, this new project makes it easier to pretend her own life isn't crashing around her, but concentrating on helping everyone else and ignoring her own feelings is what Gabby does best.Except when it comes to Jake Maddox. Once the boy next door she crushed on-hard-he's grown into an even more intriguing man, and her attraction to him isn't so easy to hide. It's clear he's just as interested in her, but dating Jake would only muddy up her already complicated life. Or is it finally time to put herself first and risk it all for a chance at happiness?

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Book SynopsisThis sexy cowboy is nothing but a complication...but he's also impossible to resist.As the new horticulturist at Rancho Lindo, Nora Torres is determined to make the garden a success and prove to the Ortega family that they made the right decision in hiring her. Plants take patience and care, and that should be Nora's focus, not Gabe Ortega, who is back home on his family's ranch after an injury abruptly ended his military career. A long time ago, Nora made the mistake of believing a promise from Gabe, and she's determined not to make that mistake twice. His family hopes he's home for good, but Gabe has always wanted something else-something more-than working at Rancho Lindo. So he can't allow himself to be sidetracked by his feelings for Nora when he knows he'll be leaving again. But soon, rather than keeping his distance from the garden and the talented horticulturist, Gabe finds what he really wants is to change Nora's mind about him.

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Book SynopsisFake dating isn't supposed to lead to real feelings....Highland Falls police officer Emma Scott is a workaholic who doesn't do small talk, hugs, or anything else touchy-feely. Ever since her fiancé's death over a year ago, Emma's been sleepwalking through life, and her family is growing increasingly worried about her. Enter Josh Callahan, her brother's best friend. Josh is obnoxiously good-looking and, even more annoyingly, in a perpetually cheerful mood. Though he may drive her crazy, his suggestion to fake date him is brilliant because there are no feelings involved. At least, not at first.High school football coach and volunteer firefighter Josh Callahan is a fun-loving guy who is all about friends, family, and community. After his wife left him, he committed to staying uncommitted, except now he's earned the nickname "Heartbreaker of Highland Falls." Spending time with Emma will improve his rep while she can remember what it means to get out and enjoy life again. And his plan works...until Josh realizes that the feelings he has for Emma are all too real. But is Emma ready to share her heart again?

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Book SynopsisA heartwarming story of sisterhood, second chances, and falling in loveGabriella Monroe is doing her best to pretend that everything is fine, but her life is a mess. Sales are down at her vintage dress shop, her beloved grandmother isn't her usual spunky self, and Gabby desperately misses the closeness she had with her sisters, Margaret and Emma-who were once so inseparable that their family called them the Monroe Musketeers. When the sisters stumble across a stash of letters that reveals their grandmother's secret life, Gabby sees an opportunity to bring the sisters back together again and best of all, raise her grandmother's spirits. And sure, this new project makes it easier to pretend her own life isn't crashing around her, but concentrating on helping everyone else and ignoring her own feelings is what Gabby does best.Except when it comes to Jake Maddox. Once the boy next door she crushed on-hard-he's grown into an even more intriguing man, and her attraction to him isn't so easy to hide. It's clear he's just as interested in her, but dating Jake would only muddy up her already complicated life. Or is it finally time to put herself first and risk it all for a chance at happiness?

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Book SynopsisFans of Christina Lauren and Maggie Knox will adore this fun and festive romcom featuring a grumpy/sunshine duo who find themselves stuck together over the holidays, where the weather outside is frightful-but inside, things are heating up in this sexy holiday story.Sorority mom Becca Fairfield is used to guys not taking her seriously. She's too blond, too quirky, or Just. Too. Much. So she's ditched dating to focus on her job and a house filled with drama and plenty of tea. Now with the holidays and a major blizzard on her doorstep, Becca has everything she needs to survive the next two weeks on her own. Hot cocoa, plenty of books . . . and the memory of a steamy kiss with a certain sexy, grumposaurus next-door neighbor to keep her warm.Only Becca's seriously underestimated this Snowpocalypse. So when the power goes out and Harrison Cooper-football coach, master crank, and the guy who acted mega-awkward after said steamy kiss-offers her shelter, it only makes sense to accept. They'll just be Blizzard Buddies. Hang out, stay safe, and maybe indulge in a little R-rated cuddling. Becca knows that Harrison isn't the dating kind, and what happens during the storm lasts only as long as the storm. But are they keeping warm . . . or playing with fire?

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Book SynopsisNever cut the drugs--leave them pure. Guns are meant to be shot--keep them loaded. Family is everything--betray them and die.Harley McKenna is the only child of North County's biggest criminal. Duke McKenna's run more guns, cooked more meth, and killed more men than anyone around. Harley's been working for him since she was sixteen--collecting debts, sweet-talking her way out of trouble, and dreading the day Duke would deem her ready to take over his command. Now time's running out. A terminal cancer diagnosis leaves Duke with six months to live, and their business rivals, the Springfields, are circling. If Duke's illness is revealed, a bloody war will break out through North County and Harley will be the one left to pay the price. With her father secretly in hospice care, she makes a choice: to sabotage his business and frame Carl Springfield for it.Blowing up meth labs is dangerous business and getting caught will be the end of her, but Harley has one advantage: she is her father's daughter. And McKennas always win. BARBED WIRE HEART is a novel set in the mountains of rural Northern California that explores the meth trade through the eyes of a kingpin's daughter hell-bent on destroying everything her father's built in order to save her town, her life, and the battered women she protects.

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Book SynopsisIn this sweet second-chance love story, two opposites discover their once-in-a-lifetime chemistry has only gotten stronger.May Wu is no longer the shy teen who skipped out of her small North Carolina town right after graduation. Now she's a successful travel writer who can handle any challenge. Until her latest assignment sends her home to Blue Cedar Falls, where, of course, she runs straight into Han Leung, a.k.a. the guy who got away. How dare he still be so good looking, funny, and easy to talk to?Han always does the responsible thing, which is why he put aside his dreams of opening his own restaurant to run his family's business. But when May re-enters his life, he can no longer ignore his own wants and desires. Garden gnomes are stolen, old haunts are visited, and sparks fly between the pair, just as they always did. But Han and May broke up because they wanted vastly different lives, and that hasn't changed-or has it?

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Book SynopsisA delightful small-town romance between a daycare teacher and single dad who must overcome their differences to help plan the ultimate wedding.They've driven each other crazy for years, but were they fighting each other-or the chemistry between them?As the youngest in her loving, overprotective family, Savannah Lowe has always gone with the flow instead of going out on a limb...until now. Her new job running a preschool requires her to be all in. If only the father of one of her students wasn't her brother's incredibly infuriating, impossibly attractive best friend. Savannah has no clue what she ever did to make him dislike her, and now they're stuck spending even more time together planning her brother's wedding. Single father Noah Adams has his hands full between his job as a paramedic and caring for his young daughter. The last thing he needs is a complication like Savannah in his life-a girl he remembers being constantly pampered by her family. But the more he gets to know her, the more he sees how kind and compassionate she really is. Now their long-ignored, off-the-charts chemistry has them on a collision course...with each other.

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Book SynopsisFans of the Hallmark Channel and Gilmore Girls will adore this delightful rom-com about a city girl who goes in search of small-town happiness, only to discover life-and love-are nothing like the TV movies.Emerging journalist Adina Gellar is done with dating in New York City. If she's learned anything from made-for-TV romance movies, it's that she'll find love in a small town-the kind with harvest festivals, delightful but quirky characters, and scores of delectable single dudes. So when a big-city real estate magnate targets tiny Pleasant Hollow for development, Adi knows she's found the perfect story-one that will earn her a position at a coveted online magazine, so she can finally start adulting for real . . . and maybe even find her dream man in the process. Only Pleasant Hollow isn't exactly "pleasant." There's no charming bakery, no quaint seasonal festivals, and the residents are more ambivalent than welcoming. The only upside is Finn Adams, who's more mouth watering than the homemade cherry pie Adi can't seem to find-even if he does work for the company she'd hoped to bring down. Suddenly Adi has to wonder if maybe TV got it all wrong after all. But will following her heart mean losing her chance to break into the big time?

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Book SynopsisEmerging journalist Adina Gellar is done with dating in New York City. If she's learned anything from made-for-TV romance movies, it's that she'll find love in a small town-the kind with harvest festivals, delightful but quirky characters, and scores of delectable single dudes. So when a big-city real estate magnate targets tiny Pleasant Hollow for development, Adi knows she's found the perfect story-one that will earn her a position at a coveted online magazine, so she can finally start adulting for real . . . and maybe even find her dream man in the process. Only Pleasant Hollow isn't exactly "pleasant." There's no charming bakery, no quaint seasonal festivals, and the residents are more ambivalent than welcoming. The only upside is Finn Adams, who's more mouthwatering than the homemade cherry pie Adi can't seem to find-even if he does work for the company she'd hoped to bring down. Suddenly Adi has to wonder if maybe TV got it all wrong after all. But will following her heart mean losing her chance to break into the big time?

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Book Synopsis?With her dreams of being a wedding dress designer suddenly over, Arianna Bell isn't expecting a holly jolly Christmas. Instead, her heart feels about three sizes too small. That is until her high school sweetheart Connor Gallagher returns to town and she finds his mere presence still makes her pulse race. But just when she starts dreaming of kissing under the mistletoe, he announces that he will be her opponent in the upcoming mayoral race....Hot-shot attorney Connor Gallagher has something to prove. He's tired of playing runner-up to his high-achieving brothers. So when the opportunity to enter the campaign comes up, he takes it. Even if it means running against the only woman he's ever loved. But with a little help from Harmony Harbor's local matchmakers and a lot of holiday cheer, Connor and Arianna may just get the happy ever after they both deserve.

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Book Synopsis“Reading Lee Smith ranks among the great pleasures of American fiction . . . Gives evidence again of the grace and insight that distinguish her work.” —Robert Stone, author of Death of the Black-Haired GirlIt’s 1936 when orphaned thirteen-year-old Evalina Toussaint is admitted to Highland Hospital, a mental institution in Asheville, North Carolina, known for its innovative treatments for nervous disorders and addictions. Taken under the wing of the hospital’s most notable patient, Zelda Fitzgerald, Evalina witnesses cascading events that lead up to the tragic fire of 1948 that killed nine women in a locked ward, Zelda among them. Author Lee Smith has created, through a seamless blending of fiction and fact, a mesmerizing novel about a world apart--in which art and madness are luminously intertwined.Trade Review“[An] elegant historical novel . . . Lee Smith is an assured and accomplished writer, and her use of Zelda as a subject in Guests on Earth is brilliant . . . This is a carefully researched, utterly charming novel. By the time you finish it, you fall in love with these fascinating lives, too.” —The Washington Post“Guests on Earth is a mesmerizing novel about a time and place where creativity and passion, theory and medicine, fact and fiction, are luminously intertwined.” —BookPage“Indeed, most of the high spirited, rebellious, outspoken women who populate Guests on Earth would not now be considered insane at all. Smith’s imaginative, layered story illuminates the complexity of their collective plight—to be put in towers until they had no choice but to behave—and rescues them one by one.” —The Atlanta Journal-Constitution“[An] engaging and engrossing novel . . . Smith’s well-developed characters, rich historical detail and easy prose create a novel that some may call her best yet, and which it just may be.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune“Those who enjoyed Smith’s previous work (e.g., Fair and Tender Ladies; The Last Girls) will certainly appreciate this absorbing book, as will those interested in the history of treating mental illness in the United States and fans of Southern or Appalachian fiction.” —Library Journal“With Guests on Earth, Lee Smith shines new light on a shadowy, complex subject . . . She offers a broader historical perspective--and with it, a captivating, inimitable voice.” —The Raleigh News and Observer“Treading the fine line between sanity and insanity, this historical novel imagines the 12 years proceeding the 1948 fire that engulfed a North Carolina mental hospital and killed F. Scott Fitzgerald’s estranged wife, Zelda.” —Ms. Magazine“Engaging . . . Touching.” —Publishers Weekly“This is Lee Smith at her powerful best, writing the South she knows through the eyes of a woman who lived it.” —Adriana Trigiani, author of Big Stone Gap and The Shoemaker's Wife“In Guests on Earth Lee Smith gives evidence again of the grace and insight that distinguish her work. Her characters are realized with singular intensity, the most vivid interior life, and flawless dialogue. Reading Lee Smith ranks among the great pleasures of American fiction.” —Robert Stone, author of Death of the Black-Haired Girl and Dog Soldiers * Review quotes *“[An] elegant historical novel . . . Lee Smith is an assured and accomplished writer, and her use of Zelda as a subject in Guests on Earth is brilliant . . . This is a carefully researched, utterly charming novel. By the time you finish it, you fall in love with these fascinating lives, too.” —The Washington Post“Guests on Earth is a mesmerizing novel about a time and place where creativity and passion, theory and medicine, fact and fiction, are luminously intertwined.” —BookPage“Indeed, most of the high spirited, rebellious, outspoken women who populate Guests on Earth would not now be considered insane at all. Smith’s imaginative, layered story illuminates the complexity of their collective plight—to be put in towers until they had no choice but to behave—and rescues them one by one.” —The Atlanta Journal-Constitution“[An] engaging and engrossing novel . . . Smith’s well-developed characters, rich historical detail and easy prose create a novel that some may call her best yet, and which it just may be.” —Minneapolis Star Tribune“Those who enjoyed Smith’s previous work (e.g., Fair and Tender Ladies; The Last Girls) will certainly appreciate this absorbing book, as will those interested in the history of treating mental illness in the United States and fans of Southern or Appalachian fiction.” —Library Journal“With Guests on Earth, Lee Smith shines new light on a shadowy, complex subject . . . She offers a broader historical perspective--and with it, a captivating, inimitable voice.” —The Raleigh News and Observer“Treading the fine line between sanity and insanity, this historical novel imagines the 12 years proceeding the 1948 fire that engulfed a North Carolina mental hospital and killed F. Scott Fitzgerald’s estranged wife, Zelda.” —Ms. Magazine“Engaging . . . Touching.” —Publishers Weekly“This is Lee Smith at her powerful best, writing the South she knows through the eyes of a woman who lived it.” —Adriana Trigiani, author of Big Stone Gap and The Shoemaker's Wife“In Guests on Earth Lee Smith gives evidence again of the grace and insight that distinguish her work. Her characters are realized with singular intensity, the most vivid interior life, and flawless dialogue. Reading Lee Smith ranks among the great pleasures of American fiction.” —Robert Stone, author of Death of the Black-Haired Girl and Dog Soldiers—Review quotes

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Book Synopsis"Smith's latest is as delicious as a slice of key lime pie - and gone just as fast." - People"It's very different and it's very special and it's very good! I loved it." - Dolly PartonA driving force in literature, Lee Smith returns with a road trip novel, a story full of hope and humour about not going away quietly-at any age. Herb's charmed life with his dear wife Susan in their Key West house is coming undone. Susan, in her 70s, now needs constant care, and Herb is in denial about his own ailing health. The one bright spot is the arrival of an endlessly optimistic manicurist calling herself Renee. She sings to Susan during manicures, gets her to paint, and brings her a much-needed sense of contentment.Then Herb and Susan's adult children arrive to stage an intervention with their stubborn, independent father, and as a consequence, Renee's gig with Susan-and her grand plans for her own life-start to unravel as well. Herb isn't ready to let go of all that he has ever had, and it turns out that Renee is not the happy, uncomplicated girl she pretends to be. She is not even Renee; she is really Dee Dee, and she, too, has reasons of her own to hit the road. So Herb suggests one last joy ride in his Porsche with her riding shotgun; and they light out for parts north, setting off a Silver Alert.As the unlikely friendship between Herb and Dee Dee deepens, we see how as one life is closing down, another opens up. This time that Dee Dee has spent with Susan, this time in Key West, and this time in the Porsche with the elderly Herb reveals to Dee Dee how much more truly lies ahead.In this buoyant novel, the masterful Smith asks: What life do we deserve? And how do we make it our own? Sometimes, you just have to seize the wheel.Trade Review"Smith's latest is as delicious as a slice of key lime pie – and gone just as fast."—People“Silver Alert is Lee Smith at the top of her game, and that is a high bar indeed. It’s brilliantly paced with some of the most energetic prose I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. The characters of Herb Atlas and Dee Dee are a pair for the ages, who you will long remember after the fall of the last page.”—David Baldacci, author of Dream Town"There are many ways to read Lee Smith’s excellent new novel Silver Alert, but I view it as the toll old age has taken on her characters, with all its indignities and absurdities, as well as a wry view of America itself. Staged in iconic Key West, the improviser’s Paradise, it’s an implied prayer for our expressing kindness in gestures large and small."—Ann Beattie, author of The Accomplished Guest“Lee Smith’s Silver Alert doesn’t just soar. It seems at times to defy the laws of literary gravity. That a book so full of hope should emerge right now is truly remarkable.” —Richard Russo, author of Empire Falls and Chances Are…."This hilarious, timely and emotional novel will reframe the way you think about the golden years. Herb and Renee's friendship leads to a high-octane twist that will leave you breathless. Silver Alert is a shimmering arrow that aims straight for the heart." —Adriana Trigiani, author of The Good Left Undone“Smith skillfully pivots from wry humor to real tenderness toward her quirkily engaging characters. Beneath the novel’s occasionally frothy surface beats a compassionate, generous heart. A warmhearted story of improbably matched characters trying to reclaim their lives.”—Kirkus Reviews“Silver Alert is classic Lee Smith: laugh-out-loud funny and deeply moving, full of endearing, complex characters who become real people to the reader. ...a lovely, raucous look at life in Key West, growing old, and unlikely friendships.”—Garden Gun, The Best New Books for Southerners in 2023“Silver Alert is classic Lee Smith: laugh-out-loud funny and deeply moving, full of endearing, complex characters who become real people to the reader. ...a lovely, raucous look at life in Key West, growing old, and unlikely friendships.” —Silas House—Garden Gun, The Best New Books for Southerners in 2023“Silver Alert is rich with Lee Smith’s gift for vivid storytelling and memorable asides … at once lively, grim, funny, and poignant.”—Chapter16.org“Likely to resonate with fans of Marian Keyes, Lynda Rutledge, and Andrew J. Graff, Smith's novel is an incisive and heartwarming exploration of life's fragile phases.”—Booklist“With themes of living life to the fullest and second chances, Lee Smith’s Silver Alert would make a perfect 2023 beach read.”—Reader's Digest, 25 Best Fiction Books of 2023 (So Far)“Nobody mines the bittersweet absurdities of Southern family life and living better than prolific, masterful storyteller Lee Smith… Silver Alert…takes readers on a deeply meaningful, unforgettable ride brimming with hope.”—Shelf Awareness“There's plenty of charm...this is a treat.”—Publishers Weekly“Lovable characters and a gripping story.”—The Bookworm“When I hear there is another book by Lee Smith, it brightens my day. There are only a handful of authors who elicit that response.”—Tuscaloosa News"No one has tapped into Southern truths quite like the Virginia-raised author. Just ask the legion of writers who praise her for guiding their own stories."—Garden Gun

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Book Synopsis"No one writes about love or the American wilderness like Bill Roorbach . . . Thrilling." -Lily King, author of Writers & Lovers and Five Tuesdays in WinterA New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice When sixteen-year-old Cindra Zoeller is sent to a reform camp in Montana after being involved in an armed robbery, she is thrust into a world of mountains and cowboys and miscreants. At Camp Challenge, she becomes transfixed by Lucky, a camp employee of mysterious origin-an origin of constant speculation-and the chemistry between them is instant, and profound. The pair escape together into the wilderness to create an idyllic life far from the reach of the law, living off their resounding love, Lucky's vast knowledge of the wilderness, and a little help from some friends. But they can run from the outside world for only so long, and the consequences of their naïve fantasy of a future together-and circumstances shaped by skin colour-will keep them apart for decades. Will Cindra ever see her soulmate again? Or are the dark whispers true?Page-turning, full of vivid characters, delicious suspense, and ultimately joy, Lucky Turtle is a big- hearted, deeply engrossing love story from one of our most entertaining and perceptive writers.Trade Review“An unforgettable love story.”—People“Fans of Roorbach’s prolific work will appreciate his signature lyricism and sense of place, his sweeping narrative, humor and romance. New readers are walking into the hands of a skilled storyteller who’s not afraid to take on a big, messy tale of love, privilege and abuse.”—New York Times Book Review“Nobody else could have written this gorgeous novel, full to the brim with tragedy but also fun, as well as the best kind of romance —embracing so much more than the couple at its center. Cindra is an impeccably loyal and honest narrator, our perfect guide through the wilds of Montana. Lucky Turtle is an ode and a love letter to our wounded, imperfect, and oh-so-beautiful world.”—Nina de Gramont, author of The Christie Affair“No one writes about love or the American wilderness like Bill Roorbach. A thrilling, blistering tale of young love and old hate and the steady endurance of both.”—Lily King, author of Five Tuesdays in Winter“Look out: Roorbach has created the sexiest man seen in literature in a good long time . . . An epic love story . . . No greater reading pleasure to be had anywhere.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review​“Roorbach is a consummate raconteur skilled in breathing life into his characters. His prose is well-suited to the Montana landscape, capacious yet created with poetic economy, evoking the splendor of nature in language that sparkles like crystal clear mountain water . . . Roorbach’s understated, luminescent novel beautifully evokes an idyllic world created when two hearts are braided together.”—Booklist, starred review?“Roorbach is a consummate raconteur skilled in breathing life into his characters. His prose is well-suited to the Montana landscape, capacious yet created with poetic economy, evoking the splendor of nature in language that sparkles like crystal clear mountain water . . . Roorbach’s understated, luminescent novel beautifully evokes an idyllic world created when two hearts are braided together.”—Booklist, starred review“An engrossing novel with standout characters.”—Library Journal, starred review“Two great love affairs—one between characters, the other with the wilds of Montana as its original inhabitants knew it—surge through this engaging, audacious novel. Every page hums with life and energy.”—Andrea Barrett, author of The Voyage of the Narwhal and Archangel“At once an adventure, a love story, and a profound meditation on the grandeur of the natural world, Lucky Turtle is a novel so full of beauty and heart and pathos that you won’t want it to end, a book that hums with grace, and sings with passion. Roorbach is a national treasure.”—Jonathan Evison, author of Small World“Roorbach delivers a most electric pulse into the hardscrabble dirt and veins in this novel's memorable backdrop of ancient Montana mountains and waters. Lucky Turtle gives us a world where adventure and landscape combine tenderly for a most unforgettable read.”—Aimee Nezhukumatathil, author of World of Wonders“A story of love and heartbreak in a world of breathtaking splendor and deep injustice, Bill Roorbach's Lucky Turtle is a novel of perseverance, brimming with entertaining dialogue and rich details of the flora and fauna of the West.”—Shelf Awareness“A new kind of romance… [and] a love letter to the beauty and power of Montana… The tensions don’t simmer here but roil, making for an emotionally challenging, worthwhile and truly special read.”—BookReporter“An unforgettable love story set starkly against Montana Wilderness.”—Largehearted Boy, starred review

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Book SynopsisOn a frozen January evening in 1944, Nancy Levin, and her three-year-old daughter, Emily, flee their impoverished East London home as an air raid siren sounds. Not far away, 39- year-old Diana Meadows and her own child, three-year-old Abigail, are lost in the black-out as the air raid begins. Finding their way in the jostling crowd to the mouth of the shelter they hurry to the safety of the underground tube station. Mrs Meadows, who has so far sat out the war in the safety of London's outer suburbs, is terrified - as much by the prospect of sheltering in an Eastend tube station as of experiencing a bombing raid first hand.Far away Diana's husband, Gerald Meadows finds himself in a tank regiment in North Africa while Nancy's husband, Joe Levin has narrowly survived a torpedo in the Atlantic and is about to re-join his ship. Both men have their own wars to fight but take comfort in the knowledge that their wives and children, at least, remain safe.But in wartime, ordinary people can find themselves taking extreme action - risking everything to secure their own and their family's survival, even at the expense of others.Trade ReviewMaggie Joel's The Safest Place in London is a beautifully written exploration of desperation and hope in a time of war. The novel captures the essence of the era with subtlety and style, while the shifting new world pushes characters to extreme lengths. A remarkable story of family, survival and how one decision can change lives for better or worse. * Jane Harper, author of THE DRY *Don't let the title fool you, there is nothing safe about Maggie Joel's writing. Transporting the reader from a bomb shelter in London's East End to the deserts of Egypt, Joel's eye for exquisite historical detail combined with her nuanced characterisation will keep the pages turning. With World War II as her canvas, Joel's interest in families is again at the forefront of her new novel. In The Safest Place in London family life can be every bit as dangerous and explosive as the devastated world outside. * Aoife Clifford, author of ALL THESE PERFECT STRANGERS *

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Book SynopsisThe sixth book in the Cliff Hardy seriesIt is just another party in Sydney's eastern suburbs, a routine security job for Cliff Hardy. It leads, though, to an interesting meeting and a dangerous job.No one is more familiar than Hardy with the sleazy back streets and pubs of Kings Cross, and he follows a twisted trail over dangerous ground. As well as a hitman out to get him he deals with politically protected criminals and corrupt journalists - and meets the intriguing Helen Broadway for the first time.Trade ReviewPeter Corris is undoubtedly a major figure in our time. -- Stephen KnightCorris is writing about us and our cities, and doing it with incisive style. * Sydney Morning Herald *Hardy goes from strength to strength. * Adelaide Advertiser *

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Book SynopsisCrest has lost the use of his legs after falling off a walkway while trying to write graffiti on a roadside wall; his best friend, Bean, fell too and died. Now Crest must try to repair his relationship with Vanessa, the mother of his child, whose night-school class is alerting her to a wider world. Crest's older brother Eugene, an ex-con turned born-again Christian, is facing the temptations of his past, while their parents confront their own crisis.Powerful and moving, tender and resonant, Everyday People is an unforgettable novel that vividly captures the experience of the day-to-day struggle that is life in urban America.Trade ReviewHe is a writer who reaches out, both making and bridging worlds. . . . The novel is like a neighbourhood, with chapters about various characters set side by side like so many doors on the same street. * New York Times Book Review *A sad and haunting novel . . . The struggles of the Tolbert family, with love and obligation, with hope and the end of hope, give shape to a plot that does not wholly unspool until the last sentence-about the most dramatic and poignant I have ever read. * Atlantic Monthly *With wit, tenderness, and empathy Stewart O'Nan renders a detailed portrait of life that's more than just a description of hard knocks against the backdrop of urban blight. . . A unique and tantalising novel that celebrates the lives of everyday people in an extraordinary way. * San Francisco Chronicle *Reading this novel will reward you with a profound, sobering realisation of the differences that exist between us while insisting nonetheless that we share a profound sameness. O'Nan accomplishes a rare thing, for he has us mourn a common loss. . . .Everyday People aims at restoring to the sufferer and the victim . . . their full and due humanity. . . . It is not a thing easily done. But Stewart O'Nan has pulled it off in beautiful, heartbreaking, haunting fashion. * Chicago Tribune *

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Book Synopsis'Part glamorous travelogue, part slow-burn mystery, this full-bodied tale of a runaway is at once formally inventive and heartbreakingly familiar... (It's also insanely funny.)' -- Lena DunhamFrom the acclaimed author of Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name and The Lovers comes a tensely drawn, spellbinding literary thriller that gets to the heart of what defines us as human beings-the singular identity we create for ourselves in the world and the myriad alternative identities that lie just below the surface.In Vendela Vida's taut and mesmerizing novel of ideas, a woman travels to Casablanca, Morocco, on mysterious business. Almost immediately, while checking into her hotel, she is robbed, her passport and all identification stolen. The crime is investigated by the police, but the woman feels there is a strange complicity between the hotel staff and the authorities-she knows she'll never see her possessions again.Stripped of her identity, she feels both burdened by the crime and liberated by her sudden freedom to be anyone at all. Then, a chance encounter with a film crew provides an intriguing opportunity: A producer sizes her up and asks, would she be willing to be the body-double for a movie star filming in the city? And so begins a strange journey in which she'll become a stand-in-both on-set and off-for a reclusive celebrity who can no longer circulate freely in society while gradually moving further away from the person she was when she arrived in Morocco.Infused with vibrant, lush detail and enveloped in an intoxicating atmosphere-while barely pausing to catch its breath-The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty is a riveting, entrancing novel that explores freedom, power and the mutability of identity.Trade ReviewA thriller-taut story of a crisis of identity and opportunity, full of lies, shadows and subterfuge. * Psychologies *Very funny... The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty is also moving, clever and bright as a button. * Independent on Sunday *Full of surprises, it demands to be read in one go. * Good Housekeeping's ‘Ones to Watch’ *This enigmatic psychological thriller... puts the reader squarely in the shoes of the protagonist, making this already taut mystery thriller an even more intense read. * Scotsman *[A]n intimate and understated tale...powerful and empowering, thanks to the author's innate skill. * The Big Issue *Ms Vida's novel portrays with cool wit and suspense the explosive emancipation of a woman who is finally empowered to grab some warmth, drama, magic for herself. * International New York Times *An intoxicatingly strange quest for anonymity... what emerges from this shifting, uncertain terrain is a novel of sublime unease and delicious bewilderment. You are not yourself, and it is wonderful. * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE DIVERSE BOOK AWARDS'Tender, challenging and as warm as it was razor-sharp' Beth O'Leary'If you've read Joanna Cannon I think you'll love this' Simon Savidge'A sublimely witty and touching story' Jonathan Coe The standout new novel by acclaimed author Ayisha Malik - perfect for fans of David Nicholls and Candice Carty-Williams.In the sleepy village of Babel's End, trouble is brewing. Bilal Hasham is having a mid-life crisis. His mother has just died, and he finds peace lying in a grave he's dug in the garden. His elderly Auntie Rukhsana has come to live with him, and forged an unlikely friendship with village busybody, Shelley Hawking. His wife Mariam is distant and distracted, and his stepson Haaris is spending more time with his real father.Bilal's mother's dying wish was to build a mosque in Babel's End, but when Shelley gets wind of this scheme, she unleashes the forces of hell. Will Bilal's mosque project bring his family and his beloved village together again, or drive them apart? Warm, wise and laugh-out-loud funny, This Green and Pleasant Land is a life-affirming look at love, faith and the meaning of home.Trade ReviewI absolutely devoured this book . . . It was tender, challenging and as warm as it was razor-sharp - I was in awe of Ayisha's ability to cut you to the core in one paragraph and make you laugh in the next. Every single character was fascinating, and so many of them stayed with me after finishing the book that I was basically carrying the whole village round in my head for a while . . . * Beth O'Leary, author of The Flatshare *Beautifully written. If you've read Joanna Cannon I think you'll love this * Simon Savidge *A gorgeous, funny, smart, uplifting story about seeking unity during times of division. Wish I could prescribe it to the country * Daisy Buchanan *I have to say it's not often I read a book as thoughtful, funny, excellently written and important as this one. I've always been a fan of Ayisha's writing, but this book takes her work to another level. I really hope this becomes a huge hit, because it deserves to be read by everyone. Witty, insightful, and shot through with pathos, Ayisha Malik's This Green and Pleasant Land is the prescient tale of Bilal, a middle-class British muslim and his quest to fulfil his mother's dying wish that he builds a mosque in the sleepy English village of Babbel's End. This book is laugh out loud funny, but is so much more than that. It challenges out preconceptions and our prejudices about what it means to be British in today's world. As such, in these turbulent times, it is also an important book. It's Malik's best work to date, and more importantly, for me, it's the standout book of the year * Abir Mukherjee *A modern comedy of manners ... Malik's great gift is to present seemingly insoluble issues of faith and intolerance in a light, accessible manner * Guardian *Malik was another of last year's standout discoveries for me . . . she writes about the Muslim experience of living in England from the inside, and in this novel constructs a sublimely witty and touching story . . . It has an Ealing comedy vibe to it, but is of course utterly contemporary, offering many clear-eyed perspectives on the fractured, mutually-uncomprehending country we have somehow managed to create for ourselves * Jonathan Coe *Beautifully written. If you've read Joanna Cannon I think you'll love this. * Simon Savidge, (Savidge Reads) *Warm, funny and thought-provoking...A joy to read. * The People's Friend *

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Book SynopsisThe Hunting Party meets Our House in this gripping, claustrophobic new locked-room thriller. When you're sharing a house with seven murder suspects, you can't lock the danger out . . . Immi think she has found the perfect new home in central London: a shared warehouse with luxury accommodation, a rooftop terrace and daily yoga, all with a surprisingly affordable price tag. The Dye Factory is a 'co-living' community, designed to combat the loneliness of big city life.But soon after she moves into her new haven, Immi realises that it's not quite as idyllic as it appears. No one seems to know who is behind this multi-million pound urban experiment. And her housemates may be hiding a dangerous secret.Then, as a series of pranks escalates into something much darker, Immi is left questioning whether, in this group of strangers, she can ever really be safe . . . ------------------'Twisty, menacing and compelling, you won't be able to put it down' C.L. Taylor, Sunday Times bestseller'Truly creepy . . . I loved it' Elly Griffiths, Sunday Times bestseller'A brilliant book. Beautifully written, brilliantly characterised, and with a wonderful sense of threat. The way the various truths gradually emerge was masterfully handled, too. I was absolutely hooked' Gytha Lodge, Sunday Times bestselling author of She Lies in Wait'Pacy, brilliantly plotted and completely absorbing' Caz Frear, bestselling author of Sweet Little Lies'I loved The House Share. A great premise, compelling characters and a twisty plot kept me totally gripped' Paul Burston'Black Mirror in book form' RED magazine'So intense and sinister we kept getting out of bed to read a bit more' HEAT magazine'Creepy and compelling' Women's Weekly'A book that had me gripped . . .Thoroughly enjoyable, it made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck' Woman's Way------------------Readers are LOVING The House Share:'I loved this book!! Couldn't put it down!''Woah! That was something else... definitely creepy, unsettling, and unpredictable and I couldn't get enough of it''I couldn't put this book down and read it in a matter of hours. A must read''Full of tension with twists and turns, and a dramatic ending which I really didn't see coming!''This original and thoroughly entertaining read had me guessing the entire way through''I loved this novel and rattled through it at break-neck speed'Trade ReviewCreepy and compelling. * Women's Weekly *'So intense and sinister we kept getting out of bed to read a bit more' * Heat magazine *A book that had me gripped for over a day until I finished it . . . Thoroughly enjoyable, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up * Woman's Way *Black Mirror in book form. * Red magazine *A truly creepy premise, lots of tangled relationships and a sinister building with its own secrets. I loved it * Elly Griffiths *Beautifully written, brilliantly characterised, and with a wonderful sense of threat. The way the various truths gradually emerge was masterfully handled, too. I was absolutely hooked! * Gytha Lodge *Pacy, brilliantly plotted and completely absorbing - I TOTALLY felt like The Factory's honorary 8th housemate, watching drama unfold from the sidelines with a growing sense of dread (and appalled excitement)! Loved it * Caz Frear *Twisty and compelling. Deviously plotted, cleverly written and utterly nerve-wracking. You'll never want a flatmate again! * C.L. Taylor *What a cracking read. You're in for a treat! * Cass Green *I loved The House Share. A great premise, compelling characters and a twisty plot kept me totally gripped * Paul Burston *Thoroughly entertaining and a lot of fun. It's well-written, humorous, dark and curious as well as being very hard to put down * For Winter Nights *Pacy yet detailed, with interesting characters and an intriguing setting, this is an absorbing read. But most importantly, it's impossible to second-guess the outcomes * Sussex Life *Fresh, wonderful and unexpected * Lisa Jewell, on The Secrets You Hide *Original and pacy, with intriguing characters and a great back story * Clare Mackintosh, on The Secrets You Hide *I read the whole thing in one huge unstoppable whoosh and it was just so great, hugely original, unexpected and completely fascinating. I loved it * Jill Mansell, on The Secrets You Hide *There aren't enough adjectives to describe how much I loved The Secrets You Hide, but after careful consideration, I'll go with brilliant, original and shocking * Caz Frear, on The Secrets You Hide *An incredible, unique and compelling novel. I tore through this book. So, so good, and I did not see the end coming! A new talent has exploded onto the crime scene * Angela Clarke, on The Secrets You Hide *

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Book SynopsisA gripping and chilling suspense novel about the deadly intentions of office life, for fans of Lesley Kara's The Rumour and Michelle Frances' The Temp.What if a prank leads to murder?When Freya arrives at her dream job with the city's hottest start-up, she can't wait to begin a new and exciting life, including dating her new colleague Jay. However, Nicole, Jay's ex and fellow employee, seems intent on making her life a misery. After a big deadline, where Nicole continually picks on her, Freya snaps and tells Jay about the bullying and together they concoct a revenge prank. The next morning, Nicole is found dead in her apartment . . .Is this just a prank gone wrong? Or does Freya know someone who is capable of murder - and could she be next? Trade ReviewWith plenty of twists and turns throughout, this thriller will keep you guessing. You'll be gripped right up until the last page * Heat Magazine's 'Read of the Week' *A great thriller about a situation that will be oh so familiar to many people - but taken to a very dark extreme. It's pacy and shocking, but written with real heart too * Phoebe Locke *Timely and pacy, with a devastating and totally unexpected twist, I devoured this in one sitting * Chris Whitaker *Highly entertaining and brilliantly written * JO SPAIN on Shame on You *The dark heart of obsession is laid bare in this terrifying debut . . . [She] writes with passion and ferocity * JS CAROL on Shame on You *Dark, original and thoroughly gripping . . . a breathless ride through the dark side of social media * T M Logan, bestselling author of Lies *The Pact should go straight to the top of your must-read list. Dark, twisty and original. I loved it * James Carol *A cleverly twisted tale . . . highly addictive because you are never quite sure where it's going and the ending is ultimately satisfying. I love how this author plots and the writing is brilliant * Liz Loves Books *The #MeToo movement has inevitably sparked a wave of books and other media that addresses these issues [of harassment]. The Pact is the best I've read yet . . . manages to hit all the requirements for a riveting, explosive and involving thriller while also being an acutely observed commentary on some of the most harrowing, difficult and important issues we face. I was left with my jaw on the floor when the author delivered the coup de grace * Emma’s BiblioTreasures blog *A fabulously fast-paced story . . . compelling and riveting reading that had me turning those pages as fast as I could . . . A very relevant, very current, very exciting book * Short Book and Scribes blog *A real page-turner . . . a great thriller, the perfect book to break those reading slumps we sometimes find ourselves in * Always Need More Books blog *A twisted and gripping tale. Completely unexpected in many ways and left me feeling chilled to the bone . . . highlights the everyday reality of this world for so many people . . . There are plenty of twists and turns and unexpected revelations and I'm sure The Pact will appeal to psychological thriller readers everywhere * Books of All Kinds blog *I could not put this down! It's the perfect holiday read . . . It's a 5-star read. I loved it! * Jans Book Buzz *

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Book Synopsis'Had me hooked from the first page' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'I felt myself dreaming of being there... until the body count started piling up!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'The twists along the way were great and so unexpected right up to the end' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Highly recommended for a brilliant summer book' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐For fans of The Beach, The Sanatorium and Catherine CooperESCAPE TO PARADISE.Scuba diving instructor Cass leads her students out for their first dive off the beautiful coast of Koh Sang, Thailand's world-famous party island. It's supposed to be a life-changing experience, but things quickly spiral out of control...LEAVE YOUR SECRETS BEHIND.By the time she gets back to the shore, one of her students is dead, another badly injured, and she knows that her idyllic life is about to be smashed to pieces on the rocks.BUT DON'T GET LOST FOREVER...Because there's a killer in paradise - and Cass has a feeling she might be next...Take a deep breath, before you dive into the summer thriller of 2023...'A compelling and accomplished debut, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.' STEVE CAVANAGH'The Dive is an escapist, up-all-night thriller that holds you under and doesn't let you surface for air until the very final page. Utterly compelling!'' LUCY CLARKE'The Dive turns paradise into a nightmare... and I loved every minute of it.' AMY McCULLOCH'A hot contender for best travel thriller of 2023.' JANICE HALLETTTrade Review'The Dive by Sara Ochs is as stunning as the tropical island on which it is set. A pacy and accomplished murder mystery, its deep, sinister and intriguing plot draws you into a flawed paradise where everyone has a tale to tell... and one they keep to themselves. It really is The Beach for a new generation - a hot contender for best travel thriller of 2023.' * Janice Hallett, the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Appeal *'The Dive is an escapist, up-all-night thriller that holds you under and doesn't let you surface for air until the very final page. Utterly compelling!' * Lucy Clarke, the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Castaways *'A compelling and accomplished debut, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.' * Steve Cavanagh, Sunday Times bestselling author of Thirteen *'The Dive turns paradise into a nightmare... and I loved every minute of it. Amongst the diverse cast of characters, there is no one you can trust and everyone has a secret to hide. I was captivated by Sara's writing and can't wait to see what she does next.' * Amy McCulloch, author of Breathless *'A deadly, dangerous, beautiful nightmare. The Dive will leave you breathless yet gasping for more.' * Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End *

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Book Synopsis'Absorbing, intelligent and atmospheric... Genius' Elizabeth Haynes_________________________Fortune favours the fraud...When she was thirteen years old, Ada Howell lost not just her father, but the life she felt she was destined to lead. Now, at eighteen, Ada is given a second chance when her wealthy godmother gifts her with an extravagant art history trip to Italy.In the palazzos of Venice, the cathedrals of Florence and the villas of Rome, she finally finds herself among the kind of people she aspires to be: sophisticated, cultured, privileged. Ada does everything in her power to prove she is one of them. And when a member of the group dies in suspicious circumstances, she seizes the opportunity to permanently bind herself to this gilded set.But everything hidden must eventually surface, and when it does, Ada discovers she's been keeping a far darker secret than she could ever have imagined...'Intelligent, elegant and immersive' Claire Kendal'A compulsive story, written with steely intelligence and wicked prose' Elizabeth BuchanTrade ReviewA treat ... excellent insights ... elegant prose * Daily Mail *With a frisson of uneasiness throughout, this intensely captivating thriller will cast its spell, leaving you on edge with unexpected twists. * Heat Magazine *Intelligent, elegant and immersive. I found myself absorbed by the voice and story, and fascinated by a complex narrator who made me feel both empathy and horror. -- Claire Kendal, bestselling author of 'The Book of You'Absorbing, intelligent and atmospheric, full of cool, incisive observations on class, loyalty and friendship - and oh my goodness, a razor-sharp twist. Genius. -- Elizabeth HaynesAmbition, lust, family secrets and lashings of Italian art - what could go wrong? A compulsive story, written with steely intelligence and wicked prose, that should propel the author into the bestseller lists. -- Elizabeth BuchanA heady tapestry of desires, secrets and entitled cruelties, suffused with the heat and shimmer of Italy... beautifully written, intoxicating... Fab! -- Philippa EastGlamour and art with a very dark underbelly of deceit and jealousy, that kept me guessing (and gasping) to the very end. -- Cressida McLauglinThe Favour is a refreshing, fun and compelling read about deception and consequences that had me hooked from the start. Ada is a wonderful creation who will stay with me for some time. * Lisa Ballantyne *Intense and intelligent, with a deliciously dark and dangerous atmosphere, and a story suffused with secrets and lies. Not to mention the intrigue of Italy, a fascinating central character and a killer twist. I loved it! * Jenny Quintana, author of The Missing Girl *Devious and manipulative, she pulls the reader through this tale of gilded youth misbehaving and paying the price. The tension comes not so much from whether the truth about the crime will emerge as from whether or not Ada will ultimately get what she wants or the punishment she so richly deserves. * Literary Review *Riveting ... an enormously engrossing, satisfying book - darkly funny, sharply ironic, keenly observed and elegantly written * Western Mail *A gripping plot, fascinating characters and a glorious backdrop ... a hugely ambitious debut that delivers handsomely on its promise * Irish Times *

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