Narrative theme: sense of place

Book SynopsisTrade Review“One antidote to the darkness, I have found, is a warm, hopeful novel. Louis Edwards has written such a book with his latest, “Ramadan Ramsey” . . . Edwards, a critically acclaimed writer who has received both a Guggenheim fellowship and a Whiting Award, hasn’t published a book-length work in nearly two decades. His new book was worth the wait.” — New York Times Book Review “An immediate global classic, Ramadan Ramsey joins the ranks of Sula, Oliver Twist, and Moll Flanders, as a tale named for a character that invites readers into a world both hyper-local and universal. New Orleans has never been more vivid on the page.” — Alice Randall, author of Black Bottom Saints “Ramadan’s resilience, quick wit, and steadfast spirit render him something of a 21st-century update on the characters of Dickens and Twain. . . . This will have readers enthralled with the beauty of life, despite all its tragedies and sorrows.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A young Southern boy travels to the Middle East to find his father in this delightful and intimate modern epic. . . . A novel that is as exhilarating as it is moving; a fine achievement.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Returning to fiction after a long hiatus, Edwards masterfully conveys the sights, smells, and tastes of each setting from the Ninth Ward to Istanbul and Aleppo. Surrounding Ramadan with a Dickensian array of churchgoers, fortune tellers, and hustlers as well as a kind-hearted Turkish cabdriver and Middle Eastern teens obsessed with American sports and music, Edwards vividly dramatizes every turn in his hero's quest to discover who he is.” — Booklist (starred review) “Ramadan Ramsey is a rollicking and exhilarating novel.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune

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Book SynopsisWhen the Americans make an offer to buy land in Iceland to build a NATO airbase after the Second World War, a storm of protest is provoked throughout the country. Narrated by a country girl from the north, the novel follows her experiences after she takes up employment as a maid in the house of her Member of Parliament. Her observations and experiences expose the bourgeois society of the south as rootless and shallow and in stark contrast to the age-old culture of the solid and less fanciful north.''The Atom Station is the work of someone who has seen every cherished dream sold down the river, but who loves humanity too much to despair. His heroine refuses to be bullied or bought, a feminist before her time, full of curiosity and spirit'' GuardianTrade ReviewThe Atom Station is the work of someone who has seen every cherished dream sold down the river, but who loves humanity too much to despair. His heroine refuses to be bullied or bought, a feminist before her time, full of curiosity and spirit * Guardian *Laxness is a poet who writes to the edges of the pages, a visionary who allows us a plot. * Daily Telegraph *An extraordinary book, brimming with little wisdoms, funny episodes, sharp phrases...and a determined optimism of spirit * The Times *Laxness was a genius * New York Review of Books *Magnus Magnusson's translation reads smoothly and skilfully renders Laxness's dry and quirky wit * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book Synopsis''THRILLING...a terrific book, accomplished in its poised, imaginative storytelling and its vivid, sensual rendering of landscape and character, emotion and memory'' The TimesIn a silent valley in southern France stands an isolated stone farmhouse, the Mas Lunel. Its owner is Aramon Lunel, an alcoholic haunted by his violent past. His sister, Audrun, alone in her bungalow within sight of the Mas Lunel, dreams of exacting retribution for the unspoken betrayals that have blighted her life. Into this closed world comes Anthony Verey, a wealthy but disillusioned antiques dealer from London seeking to remake his life in France. From the moment he arrives at the Mas Lunel, a frightening and unstoppable series of consequences is set in motion...Trade ReviewTaut ...full of suspense...bewitching -- Ruth Scurr * Observer *THRILLING...a terrific book, accomplished in its poised, imaginative storytelling and its vivid, sensual rendering of landscape and character, emotion and memory * The Times *An intelligent and terrifyingly plausible meditation * Sunday Telegraph *A sumptuously shaded portrait of a private, lonely place and its stranded people * Independent *Tremain is a writer of particular elegance and control, and her story unfolds from its arresting first scene to its luminous final image as gracefully as a ballet * The Telegraph, Review Magazine *

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Book SynopsisFrom renowned writer Paul Theroux comes a dazzling novel following a big-wave surfer in Hawaii as he confronts ageing, privilege and mortality''It was as if in surfing he was carving his name in water, invisibly, joyously.''Joe Sharkey knows he is passed his prime.Now in his sixties, the younger surfers around the breaks on the north shore of Oahu still revere him as the once-legendary ''Shark'', but his sponsors have moved on, and Joe wonders what new future awaits him on the horizon. Uninterrupted quality time with the ocean, he hopes.Life has other plans.When he accidentally hits and kills a man near Waimea while drunk-driving, he fears he will never rebound. Under the direction of his stubbornly loyal girlfriend Olive, he throws himself into uncovering his victim''s story. But what they find in Max Mulgrave is entirely unexpected: a shared history - and refuge in the sea.Set on the stunning Hawaiian coast, TherTrade ReviewKaleidoscopic. Extraordinary. A frightening ride to the bottom of the soul of a man with a previously unexamined life. This is contemporary Hawaii as it's rarely evoked, with surfing strangely near its troubled heart -- William Finnegan, author of “Barbarian Days”, winner of the Pulitzer PrizeTheroux's new novel is a full-fat epic -- John Self * The Observer *Superb... Under the Wave at Waimea immerses you so elaborately in its watery world that you may start seeing surfing as just another guise for life itself... This probing tale of a man who's come undone and the strong, stark woman who thinks she can reassemble him is one of Theroux's best novels -- Michael Upchurch * The Seattle Times *

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Book SynopsisDISCOVER THE TRUTH ABOUT THE GOOD DAUGHTER IN THIS UNPUTDOWNABLE THRILLER . . .''A stark, stunning and deeply affecting thriller. The Good Daughter takes a tender, chilling look at family and fear, the illusion of safety and the power of inner-resolve. I loved it''CHRIS WHITAKER''A powerful Southern Gothic thriller about the dangers of blind faith, the strength of women, and the deceptive nature of memory'' ANNA BAILEY''Laure Van Rensurg has established herself as a master of the literary thriller. An eerie, chilling, gorgeously written novel that is unafraid to challenge and question its subject matter'' LAURIE ELIZABETH FLYNNAbigail is a proud member of the New America Baptist Church. Living miles away from the nearest town in South Carolina, she is safe from the depraved modern world.She is a good daughter. A valued member of the community.So when she is the sole survivor of a fire that burns hTrade ReviewA stark, stunning and deeply affecting thriller. The Good Daughter takes a tender, chilling look at family and fear, the illusion of safety and the power of inner-resolve. I loved it. -- CHRIS WHITAKERA thrilling read that really gets you thinking * Prima *A powerful Southern Gothic thriller about the dangers of blind faith, the strength of women, and the deceptive nature of memory -- ANNA BAILEYA powerful literary thriller charting a woman's complicated & brutal struggle to escape a puritanical modern-day cult. Immersive vividly-realised settings + beautiful prose. An unflinching spotlight on patriarchy, coercive control & the thorny paths to liberation -- PHILIPPA EASTLaure Van Rensurg has established herself as a master of the literary thriller with her sophomore novel, The Good Daughter. Intricate and carefully nuanced, this story will grip readers as it explores themes of family, faith, and the power of memory. An eerie, chilling, gorgeously written novel that is unafraid to challenge and question its subject matter. -- LAURIE ELIZABETH FLYNN, author of THE GIRLS ARE ALL SO NICE HEREAn atmospheric, vividly-told story of belief and betrayal, of family bonds stretched to breaking point - and beyond -- T. M. LOGAN

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Book SynopsisPhil Rickman was born in Lancashire and lives on the Welsh border where he writes and presents the book programme Phil the Shelf on BBC Radio Wales. He is the acclaimed author of Dr Dee, The Bones of Avalon, Midwinter Spirit (now a major ITV series), the Merrily Watkins Mysteries and the John Dee papers. Visit his website at: www.philrickman.co.ukTrade ReviewLies, cover-ups, danger and the unexplainable. The pace is fast and plot twists await the reader around every corner. Even sceptics will shudder. * Publishers Weekly *A can't-put-it-downer. Magnificent in its evocation of the sinister countryside along the Welsh border. -- Prof. Bernard Knight * Tangled Web *Highly-entertaining . . . delivered with a panache we have come to expect. * Crimetime *Mysteries in the classic sense . . . cleverly combining the supernatural and criminal elements to illuminate the darkest corners of our imaginations. * John Connolly *

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Book SynopsisBurial of Ghosts is a page-turning standalone novel from Ann Cleeves, author and creator of the three astounding TV series: Shetland, Vera and The Long Call.Abandoned as a baby, twenty-five-year-old Lizzie Bartholomew spent her childhood moving between foster homes and has had more than her fair share of troubles.Now a holiday in Morocco seems to be the perfect escape. Especially when she meets Philip, a fellow tourist. After a brief affair, Lizzie returns to England, only to find a solicitor's letter waiting for her.Philip Samson has died and in his will, has left Lizzie a gift of £15,000. But there are conditions attached to this unexpected legacy that will soon force Lizzie to confront terrifying secrets from her past life . . .Trade ReviewHad me hooked – a promising beginning to another fine chapter in the Ann Cleeves story * The Times *A traditional mystery of the best sort * Guardian *Cleeves combines a flair for evoking sense of place with a thoughtful, complex plot * Mail on Sunday *Hauntingly written, it evokes every possible emotion with Ann’s gripping narrative’ * Woman *Brilliant, thoughtful and deeply engaging -- Sara Paretsky, New York Times bestselling author of the V. I. Warshawski seriesAnn Cleeves is a phenomenal talent. With unfailing skill, gorgeous setting, flawless plot and seamless voice, she brilliantly conjures new worlds in crime fiction. -- Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of The Murder ListCleeves writes of the left-behind and the unfortunate with intelligence and compassion’ * Literary Review *

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Book SynopsisBy the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in LiteratureAbbas has never told anyone about his past; about what happened before he was a sailor on the high seas, before he met his wife Maryam outside a Boots in Exeter, before they settled into a quiet life in Norwich with their children, Jamal and Hanna. Now, at the age of sixty-three, he suffers a collapse that renders him bedbound and unable to speak about things he thought he would one day have to.Jamal and Hanna have grown up and gone out into the world. They were both born in England but cannot shake a sense of apartness. Hanna calls herself Anna now, and has just moved to a new city to be near her boyfriend. She feels the relationship is headed somewhere serious, but the words have not yet been spoken out loud. Jamal, the listener of the family, moves into a student house and is captivated by a young woman with dark-blue eyes and her own, complex story to tell. Abbas''s illness forces both children home, to the dark silenTrade Review‘Gurnah is a master storyteller ... A subtle and moving tale of a family coming to terms with itself: one to read at leisure and absorb at length' * Aminatta Forna, Financial Times *‘Gurnah writes with wonderful insight about family relationships and he folds in the layers of history with elegance and warmth' * The Times *‘A well-made novel about identity and, at a time of forbidding public rhetoric about immigration, Gurnah's sensitive and sympathetic portrayal of his cast feels welcome.' * Sunday Times *'Stories and identities are rarely what they seem in The Last Gift, which is full of carefully guarded secrets. Beneath these multiple clandestine narratives, is a story replete with black humour and contemplative politics, told with great generosity' * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisSunshine, warmth, lemon blossom . . .Springtime in glorious Southern Italy can go to your head. Especially if you are escaping an overbearing husband, the embarrassingly public loss of your company, an interfering mother who still tries to run your life or the pain of a husband's affair with a girl young enough to be his daughter.As the Italian sun ripens the lemons in the groves that tumble down the hillsides and the Mediterranean dazzles beneath them, assertive Angela, extrovert Sylvie, unconfident Claire and mousy Monica find burgeoning friendship and begin to blossom in quite unexpected ways. Packed with memorable characters - from the acid-tongued Grand Old Man of Modern Art who lives next door - to the aspiring gigolo who thinks nothing of a forty year age gap, Maeve Haran's An Italian Holiday is a witty and entertaining reminder of why going a little mad in the sun can sometimes be exactly what you need. Trade ReviewMake sure of a happier holiday by packing this lovely novel in your suitcase. -- Jilly CooperFull of optimism and Italian sunshine this is a great summer read . . . Funny, wise, relaxing and full of lovely lifestyle detail * Daily Mail *As bubbly and enjoyable as a glass of Italian fizz. * Sunday Express *A sunny entertaining read * Woman & Home *The frank, funny tale of four women who strike up a friendship in sun-soaked southern Italy, all escaping their troubled pasts. * Daily Express *

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Book Synopsis''An endlessly ingenious writer of compelling, brilliantly crafted thrillers'' Peter JamesNew York Times bestseller Brenda Novak''s fourth novel in the Evelyn Talbot series sees the return of psychiatrist Dr Evelyn Talbot. When you''re studying America''s most terrifying psychopaths, can you ever really be safe? This is SILENCE OF THE LAMBS meets Karen Rose...SOMETIMES THE DARKEST DEEDS HAPPEN IN BROAD DAYLIGHT With her tortured past finally behind her - and her tormentor, Jasper Moore, locked up, where she can study him along with the other psychopaths at Hanover House - psychiatrist Evelyn Talbot is looking to the future. She''s about to have a baby and marry her long-time love, Amarok, the only police presence in Hilltop, Alaska. But when she''s snatched from her own driveway, she can only guess at who''s taken her captive...and why. Struggling to survive in a tiny, airless cel

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Book Synopsis‘The Alan Banks mystery-suspense novels are the best series on the market. Try one and tell me I'm wrong’ – Stephen KingCold is the Grave is the eleventh novel in Peter Robinson's Inspector Banks series, following on from In A Dry Season.A runaway girl. An inescapable past. Banks is pulled into a perilous world. With his personal life in turmoil DCI Banks is considering his options. But then late one night the architect of his professional misfortune, Chief Constable Riddle, summons Banks to his house for his daughter Emily has run away and compromising photos have appeared online. Riddle wants Banks to use his unorthodox methods to find her without a fuss.Banks, a father himself, cannot refuse and he follows the trail to the dark heart of London. But when a series of gruesome murders follows soon after, Banks finds himself pulled into the dangerous world of his most powerful enemy, Chief Constable Jimmy Riddle.Cold is the Grave is followed by the twelfth book in this Yorkshire-based crime series, Aftermath.Trade ReviewA writer at the very height of his powers -- Ian RankinThe master of the police procedural * Mail on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisThe Interview is a gripping locked-room thriller from C. M. Ewan, the acclaimed author of A Window Breaks and the half-a-million-copy bestseller Safe House.It’s 5 p.m. on a Friday.You have been called to an interview for your dream job.In a stunning office thirteen floors above the city below, you are all alone with the man interviewing you.Everyone else has gone home for the weekend.The interview gets more and more disturbing.You’re feeling scared.Your only way out is to answer a seemingly impossible question.If you can’t . . . what happens next?What authors are saying . . .‘C.M. Ewan never once drops the pace in this heart-pounding rollercoaster of a thriller that had me up all night’ - Clare Mackintosh, author of Hostage‘A brilliant hook, a breakneck game of cat and mouse, and twists galore’ - Tim Weaver, author of The Shadow at the Door‘A fast-paced twisty read that races along like an action movie’ - Sarah Pinborough, author of Insomnia‘I can’t stop thinking about The Interview. I loved it’ - Sarah Hilary, author of Fragile‘I couldn’t put The Interview down. Totally brilliant’ - B A Paris, author of The Therapist‘A terrifying, heart-stopping ride’ - Sharon Bolton, author of The Split‘So tense and twisty. An absolute nail-biter of a novel!’ - Gilly Macmillan, author of The Long WeekendWhat readers are saying . . .‘Oh boy did I enjoy this book! The definition of a keep you up all night, read in one sitting thriller’‘I read this beauty in a day, had so much else to do but just couldn't put it down’‘Wow, this book blew me away! I was hooked immediately and found the concept, both exciting and highly original’‘YOU GUYS! If you haven't read this book, DO IT NOW!’Trade ReviewC M Ewan never once drops the pace in this heart-pounding rollercoaster of a thriller that had me up all night. -- Clare Mackintosh, Sunday Times bestselling author of The HostageA brilliant hook, a breakneck game of cat and mouse, and twists galore: Ewan always delivers . . . -- Tim Weaver, author of the David Raker seriesA fast-paced twisty read that races along like an action movie -- Sarah PinboroughA terrifying, heart-stopping ride and a highly original and deeply disturbing thriller. I've been a Chris Ewan fan for a while, but in this book he soars to another level entirely. -- Sharon Bolton, author of The SplitI couldn't put The Interview down. Totally brilliant -- B A ParisC. M. Ewan has created the most incredible cat and mouse game in his propulsive novel, The Interview. He is an absolute master of the knife-edge thriller. -- Liv Matthews, author of The PrankI can't stop thinking about The Interview. I loved it -- Sarah Hilary, author of FragileCM Ewan has a well-deserved reputation as one of Britain’s best thriller writers. The Interview is a tense, twisting novel that will keep you gripped until the very last page. -- Adam Hamdy, author of Black 13 and Red WolvesA fast-paced and incredibly tense locked room thriller. Kept me guessing all the way to the end. It makes the job interviews in The Apprentice look like a walk in the park . . . -- John Marrs, author of The OneThis was so tense and twisty! An absolute nail biter of a novel. It inspires me to double down on the writing career as I'm never, ever going to a job interview again! -- Gilly Macmillan, author of To Tell You The TruthA slick, adrenalin-soaked corporate thriller that will keep you right on the edge of your seat -- Catherine Ryan Howard, author of 56 DaysIt's brilliant. This startling novel upends the reader’s cocky expectations. I have never found it so difficult to resist flipping ahead to see if what I think is happening is happening. Don’t do it! You’ll be wrong and you’ll miss half the fun. -- Hart Hanson, the creator/showrunner of BonesGripping. * Choice Magazine *

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Book SynopsisThe slow-burning, brilliantly twisty mystery from Jane Harper, the international bestselling Number One author of The Dry'A fantastic crime writer' - Bella MackieIn Exiles, Investigator Aaron Falk finds himself drawn into a complex web of tightly held secrets in South Australia's wine country.A mother disappears from a busy festival on a warm spring night.Her baby lies alone in the pram, waiting for a return that never comes.A year later, Kim Gillespie’s absence still casts a long shadow as her friends and loved ones gather to welcome a new addition to the family.Joining the celebrations on a rare break from work is federal investigator Aaron Falk, who begins to suspect that all is not as it seems.As he looks into Kim’s case, long-held secrets and resentments begin to come to the fore, secrets that show that her community is not as close as it appears.Falk will have to tread carefully if he is to expose the dark fractures at its heart, but sometimes it takes an outsider to get to the truth . . .Exiles is a New York Times and Sunday Times Top 10 bestseller and the final Aaron falk mystery********Praise for Jane Harper'An avalanche of suspense' - David Baldacci'Addictive storytelling' - Ann Cleeves‘A hugely gifted writer’ - Marian Keyes'Exceptional' - Jane Casey'Outstanding' - C.L. Taylor‘Spellbinding’ - Ian Rankin‘A stunningly atmospheric read’ - Val McDermid‘Brilliantly paced’ - Susie Steiner‘I devoured it in a day. Her best yet!’ - Liane Moriarty‘Phenomenal’ - Chris WhitakerTrade ReviewOnce again Harper proves that she is peerless in creating an avalanche of suspense with intimate, character-driven set pieces that are as exquisitely engineered as the inner workings of a Steinway. Harper’s legions of fans will exult in reading Exiles -- David Baldacci, bestselling author of MercyWhile so much egregiously repetitive, flatly written fare holds sway in the crime fiction idiom, it’s a cause for celebration when genuinely accomplished writers energise things. A prime example? Antipodean star Jane Harper... she remains incontrovertibly the reigning queen of Aussie crime fiction. * Financial Times *‘This is a softer, gentler Harper, but with the same fine writing and addictive storytelling’ -- Ann Cleeves, bestselling author of the Vera Stanhope seriesHarper skillfully ratchets up the tension in this powerful, slow-burning portrait of small-town life. . . high quality, atmospheric crime fiction * The Mail on Sunday *I loved Exiles, Jane is a hugely gifted writer and her depiction of the relationships in it is masterful -- Marian Keyes, bestselling author of Rachel's HolidayJane Harper is laying the foundations of a very clever plot that is built on character rather than carnage. . . Only a writer sure of her considerable abilities would dare to proceed so leisurely. . . the final hundred pages are thrilling and devastating. -- The Times Book of the MonthThe possibility of Falk finding love is a tender counterpoint to the murder mystery in this worthy conclusion to one of the most outstanding of recent crime series * Daily Express *A truly wonderful read. Rich in detail, landscape and character and deeply satisfying on all levels. -- Sarah Hilary, Author of Someone Else's Skin Exiles is the kind of crime novel you move into rather than just reading it - a wholly absorbing set of mysteries. . . Aaron Falk is the still centre of the novel, a quiet presence like no other in crime fiction. Exceptional in every way. -- Jane Casey, Author of The Burning Exiles is an outstanding crime novel. . . Utterly immersive, captivating and beautifully written; I lost myself completely within its pages and was bereft when it ended. Jane Harper is a rare jewel of an author and Exiles deserves to be huge. It blew me away. It's my book of the year so far. -- C. L. Taylor author of The Guilty Couple'Jane Harper has once again produced an ingenious, moving and hugely satisfying mystery. This is crime writing perfection' -- C. M. Ewan, author of The InterviewAtmospheric, beautifully observed and fluently written, this is Harper back at her very best * Daily Mail *Falk’s investigation is a terrific one, but what makes the book memorable is Harper’s skill at plumbing personal mysteries — for instance, why a friendship has ebbed, or how not knowing the fate of a loved one affects a family. * New York Times *A murky, unsolved crime in the past; an Australian setting so dramatic it’s almost a character in itself; a tall, thin Melbourne federal agent with close-cropped, white-blond hair and invisible eyelashes: These are the hallmarks of Jane Harper’s Aaron Falk mysteries * Washington Post *I have loved every thriller Australian author Jane Harper has written, and Exiles is no exception -- Alison Flood, The ObserverIf you're a fan of Jane's The Dry and The Lost Man, you won't be surprised to hear this is another must-read, one that you'll reluctantly leave to do life things like eating and tidying * Belfast Telegraph *The only disappointment in this outing for Aaron Falk is that Harper is adament it is to be his last. A powerful and affecting novel -- SJ WatsonThe tight-knit group has rifts so deep nobody might have imagined * SimpleNews *Atmospheric, beautifully observed and fluently written, this is Harper back at her very best * Mail Online *

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Book SynopsisHOW DID THE GOOD LIFE GO SO WRONG? Amy Connell and Lan Honey are having the best childhood. When their families make the leap from city living to a farm in the West Country they have untold freedom. The adults are far too busy to keep an eye on them, and Amy and Lan would never tell them about climbing on the high barn roof, or what happened with the axe that time, any more than their parents would tell them the things they get up to. Adult things, like betrayal, that threaten to bring the whole fragile idyll tumbling down...'Funny and moving' Elizabeth Day'A fabulous thing: vivid and funny, sometimes heart-rendingly sad' Guardian'I couldn't put it down' Esther FreudTrade ReviewI adore Sadie Jones' writing... [Amy and Lan is] funny, moving, and really goes to the heart of why trying to change for the better isn't as simple as it sounds -- Elizabeth Day, *Day's Delights*Jones's fictional landscape is jam-packed, abundant, and her smallholding as thick with intrigue as the Borgias' court... I don't think I've read another recent novel that better captures the pure sugar-rush of childhood; the sense of a life so exhilarating and ecstatic that it is almost too much to bear -- Xan Brooks * Guardian *I couldn't put it down. Amy and Lan is a love letter to nature, to the seasons, to the ideal of simple living with all its human complications. It's a beautifully evoked story, full of empathy and hope -- Esther Freud, author of I COULDN'T LOVE YOU MOREAchingly poignant... This is a novel of quiet beauty, vividly evoking the magnitude of childhood loss and the capacity for hope -- Stephanie Merritt * Observer *A bright, bittersweet novel * Evening Standard, *Summer Reads of 2022* *

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Book SynopsisPERFECT FOR FANS OF THE DRY AND MAKING A MURDERER'Outstanding . . . an absorbing thriller told with heart and wit. Morality and ambition clash on a journey full of twists as [this] takes readers from the cut-throat media landscape to a sleepy town full of secrets'Jane Harper, bestselling author of The Dry and Force of NatureFour years ago Eliza Dacey was brutally murdered.Within hours, her killer was caught.Wasn't he?So reads the opening titles of Jack Quick's new true-crime documentary.A skilled producer, Jack knows that the bigger the conspiracy, the higher the ratings. Curtis Wade, convicted of Eliza's murder on circumstantial evidence and victim of a biased police force, is the perfect subject. Millions of viewers agree.Just before the finale, Jack uncovers a minor detail that may prove Curtis guilty after all. Convinced it will ruin his show, Jack disposes of the evidence and delivers the finale unedited: proposing that Curtis is innocent.But when Curtis is released, and a new victim is found bearing horrifying similarities to the original murder, Jack realizes that he may have helped a guilty man out of jail. And, as the only one who knows the real evidence of the case, he is the only one who can send him back...'A hugely-original premise, a guilt-ridden protagonist, a plot that won't lie down. A great debut'Chris Hammer, author of ScrublandsTrade ReviewAn outstanding debut from an exceptional new talent, [this] is an absorbing thriller told with heart and wit. Morality and ambition clash on a journey full of twists as [this] takes readers from the cut-throat media landscape to a sleepy town full of secrets. Confident, compelling and with a surprise around every corner, I loved it * Jane Harper, bestselling author of The Dry and Force of Nature *A hugely-original premise, a guilt-ridden protagonist, a plot that won't lie down. A great debut -- Chris Hammer, author of ScrublandsSuch an assured, intricately plotted novel full of mind-bending twists and turns * Candice Fox, bestselling author of Redemption *A gripping, densely knotted debut that kept me guessing until the very last page * Mark Brandi, the award-winning author of Wimmera *A killer premise, genuinely surprising twists and turns and an original, deeply memorable protagonist * Dervla McTiernan, bestselling author of The Ruin *

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Book SynopsisBlack Creek, South Carolina: a small town in the swamps that convinces itself that nothing bad has ever happened and nothing bad ever will. Black Creek is the sort of place where young girls roam the streets free to imagine who they are and who they’ll become. Where women sell pies and plants at the courthouse square. Where the fire department rescues cats from the tops of electric poles. And what trouble there is, they’ll tell you, stays past the town limits, in the run-down house-turned-strip-club and Lake Darpo, where certain birds are going extinct. These eleven closely related portraits show that the real threats have long taken root. Black Creek is a place of poignancy and absurdity, love and loss, loneliness and the brief charges of connection. Its residents will do almost anything to protect what they think is theirs.Trade Review"The unforgettable characters in Living Things are trying their best, against the odds, to make their own good in a so-called nowhere town in rural South Carolina. With great empathy and the voice of a poet, Landon Houle puts this town and the lives lived there on the map. She has pointed her pen at a forgotten America and said: These people matter. Here are their stories." —Nicholas Montemarano, author of The Senator’s Children "Houle is a writer to watch. This stunning debut is filled with fresh, affecting stories connected by character and place. In the small town of Black Creek, we meet women and girls toiling ceaselessly to outrun or outsmart their own pasts, to operate just beyond their current abilities, poignantly reminding us that everyone wants the same thing—love, belonging, more. Charged with moments of grace and strength, the book is best summed up by Miriam in 'Some Threat of Explosion': 'So much had happened to all of them, and it didn’t matter that you tried to be careful . . . all any of them could do was hold out their hands even as they showed their teeth.'" — Barb Johnson, author of More of This World or Maybe Another "I love the way that Landon Houle writes. She is a stunning painter of unforgettable images, and she creates characters that I can swear I’ve met before, that I’ve known my whole life. Living Things is just that—totally alive and as real as your own memories. This is a writer to watch." — Dan Chaon, author of Ill Will

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Book SynopsisAn emotional novel about a small-town Texas family, forgiveness, and coming to terms with the past by New York Times bestselling author Carolyn Brown.Angela Marie has spent all of her thirty-five years on Meadow Falls, the farm that?s been in her Texas family for generations. It wasn?t her plan. It was an obligation. Now that her parents?less loving kin than strangers?have passed, the whole shebang belongs to Angela. And a legacy she never wanted is hers to uphold.She can?t forsake it now. Her beloved nanny, Mandy, who was always more of a mother, needs a caregiver herself. And Mandy?s great-granddaughter, as close to Angela as a sister, has returned to roost. When a handsome veteran arrives seeking work as a farmhand, Angela thinks the future might not be half-bad after all.But it?s the past that proves enlightening. Mandy is revealing secrets Angela never knew about her parents. As the clouds on her family history begin to part, the inheritance feels more like a precious gift, and Meadow Falls more like the home Angela?s been looking for her whole life.

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Book SynopsisAfter a hunting trip one fall, a family in the far reaches of so-called Canada's north return to nothing but an empty space where their home once stood. Finding themselves suddenly homeless, they have no choice but to assimilate into settler-colonial society in a mining town that has encroached on their freedom.An intergenerational coming-of-age novel, This House Is Not a Home follows K????, a Dene man who grew up entirely on the land before being taken to residential school. When he finally returns home, he struggles to connect with his family: his younger brother whom he has never met, his mother because he has lost his language, and an absent father whose disappearance he is too afraid to question.The third book from acclaimed Dene, Cree and Metis writer Katłįà, This House Is Not a Home is a fictional story based on true events. Visceral and embodied, heartbreaking and spirited, this book presents a clear trajectory of how settlers dispossessed Indigenous Peoples of their land - and how Indigenous communities, with dignity and resilience, continue to live and honour their culture, values, inherent knowledge systems, and Indigenous rights towards re-establishing sovereignty. Fierce and unflinching, this story is a call for land back.

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Book Synopsis'This atmospheric read is simply beautiful.' Woman & Home How can home be found, when you are lost?When two very different women find themselves sharing a home, they must confront their pasts in order to work out who they each are, and how they will survive.Disillusioned with her high-flying London career, Jo has returned to the remote rural community of her childhood. Taking over her parents' beloved butcher shop, she works hard to save the family legacy, hoping toalso save herself.Tessa has returned too, fleeing a chance of happiness to come to terms with a life filled with secrets and shame. Now her livelihood as a farrier is under threat from a mysterious and debilitating condition.How to Belong is a delicate, honest portrayal of unexpected friendship, the power of memory and what it trulymeans to come home.'This gentle, thoughtful novel will warm your heart and nourish your soul' Red Magazine'(A) thoughtful, original novel . . . Detailed, descriptive, transporting prose.' Adele Parks, Platinum Magazine 'A big-hearted novel about how we learn to belong despite ourselves.' Shelley Harris'It really touched me, I can't stop talking about it. Your words spoke to somewhere deep inside me.' Warwick BooksTrade ReviewIn this insightful, thoughtful novel about a farrier and a butcher, Franklin explores the meaning of home and the importance of belonging. It's replete with gorgeous descriptions of forest life * Carys Bray *A tender story about finding your place in the world, about ordinary lives, belonging and being brave. The kind of book that gives you hope and courage. I loved it. * Kit de Waal *Sarah writes intimately about the forest and the lives it sustains, exploring the human condition with forensic tenderness; we feel every step of Tessa and Jo's journeys. It's a big-hearted novel about how we learn to belong despite ourselves, and I relished every word * Shelley Harris, author of Jubilee *This set up - the farrier and the butcher - is so unusual, and so engaging. I was VERY curious to see how this relationship between Jo and Tessa would unfold, and Sarah Franklin's skilful weaving of their backstories into the captivating present keeps up a constant, subtle tug of intrigue, as well as thematic poignancy. It's thoughtful, and fresh, and such a vibrant setting. The place feels completely alive - I can walk through it and practically smell those horses, that forest, the butcher's shop, the woodsmoke. And the wider community is also wonderfully colourful and alive. It's just a pleasure to read! * Lucy Atkins *How to Belong is set in the Forest of Dean and is steeped in the spirit of the place. Such a warm and touching novel * Lissa Evans *This atmospheric read is simply beautiful. * Women and Home Magazine *A meditative read about second chances, friendship and belonging that feels perfect for these uncertain times...This gentle, thoughtful novel (...) will warm your heart and nourish your soul. * Red Magazine *(A) thoughtful, original novel... Detailed, descriptive, transporting prose. * Adele Parks, Platinum Magazine *Such a warm novel with a clear sense of place. * Chepstow Books *When Jo rents Tessa's spare bedroom, a tentative friendship develops; but Jo's need to be helpful just might be a poisoned chalice. * Saga Magazine *It really touched me, I can't stop talking about it. Your words spoke to somewhere deep inside me * Warwick Books *Life-affirming and compelling . . . Sarah Franklin is a breath of fresh air * Clare Mackintosh, on Shelter *Its characters pulse with life and energy * Daily Mail, on Shelter *This beautifully crafted tale of survival and solace reveals that you can find a home in the most unusual places * Sunday Express, on Shelter *An accomplished debut from Sarah Franklin . . . with humour, warmth and a real sense of place * Daily Record, on Shelter *Beautiful * Adele Parks, on Shelter *Powerful and moving * Essie Fox, on Shelter *A wonderful, affecting debut novel about the redemptive power of nature * Red, on Shelter *

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Book Synopsis'Smart, perceptive, elegant, sad, surprising and addictive. And it's also FUNNY.' Nick Hornby'What We Run the Tides probes so poignantly is the volatility of female adolescence... Knowing and powerfully enigmatic.' ObserverTeenage Eulabee and her magnetic best friend, Maria Fabiola, own the streets of Sea Cliff, their foggy oceanside San Francisco neighbourhood. They know Sea Cliff's homes and beaches, its hidden corners and eccentric characters - as well as the upscale all-girls' school they attend. One day, walking to school with friends, they witness a horrible act - or do they? Eulabee and Maria Fabiola vehemently disagree on what happened, and their rupture is followed by Maria Fabiola's sudden disappearance - a potential kidnapping that shakes the quiet community and threatens to expose unspoken truths.Suspenseful and poignant, We Run the Tides is Vendela Vida's masterful portrait of an inimitable place on the brink of radical transformation. Pre-tech boom San Francisco finds its mirror in the changing lives of the teenage girls at the centre of this story of innocence lost, the pain of too much freedom, and the struggle to find one's authentic self. Told with a gimlet eye and great warmth, We Run the Tides is both a gripping mystery and a tribute to the wonders of youth, in all its beauty and confusion.'We Run the Tides is hypnotic, knowing, and propulsive as it examines girlhood, friendship, and the strong pull of the past.' Meg WolitzerTrade ReviewWe Run the Tides is hypnotic, knowing, and propulsive as it examines girlhood, friendship, and the strong pull of the past. * Meg Wolitzer *We Run the Tides is smart, perceptive, elegant, sad, surprising and addictive. And it's also FUNNY. Who knew that you could combine all of those qualities into one slim volume? Not many writers, that's for sure. I loved every single page, and was sorry when I had to say goodbye to Eulabee and her family. * Nick Hornby *There's violence lurking here, but also humor (it's funny!), also love. This is one of the best novels about girlhood and female friendship I've ever read. * Mary Beth Keane, author of Ask Again, Yes *The dreamy yearning and turmoil of youth are evoked here so vividly as to seem supernaturally conjured. However long ago you were a teenager, We Run the Tides will bring the quandaries and sensations right back. Vendela Vida has written a novel of absorbing, exquisite economy and percipience. She has also written an intimate allegory of our unravelling tether to truth. * Lisa Halliday, author of Asymmetry *From the first page, We Run the Tides is captivating. A story about girlhood, friendship, and the pathologies of innocence and victimhood, it reminds me of Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend, but set against the furious backdrop of San Francisco's Sea Cliff neighborhood. Its scope, ferocity, and main characters are unforgettable. Vendela Vida is masterful at constructing the nuances and complications of how young girls become aware of their power, and the choices they make once they wield it. * Sally Wen Mao, author of Oculus *The girls in this book are everything, all of us: shape-shifters and outcasts, predators and prey, they lean into and away from the world that claims to know them. Vendela Vida is an astoundingly good writer and the ideas she's wrestling with in these pages-about sexuality and seeing, storytelling and identity-are profound. * Danzy Senna, author of New People *I didn't want it to end * Tom Stoppard *Set in a pre-tech boom San Francisco that feels moody, foreboding, and magical, this enigmatic tale of adolescent friendship, a disappearance, and coming-of-age is smart, sly, and as knowing about the mind and heart of a teenage girl as an Elena Ferrante novel. * O, The Oprah Magazine *As consistently surprising as it is hauntingly resonant (not to mention often very funny), Vida's chronicle of female friendship is a fast, addictive read. * Entertainment Weekly *Vida excels at capturing the insidious kinds of sexual harassment that are omnipresent in girlhood that they become dangerously invisible.... Manages to make that subject matter both deadly serious and laugh-out-loud, as appropriate and important a read for a real-life middle schooler as for a grown-up adult-lady book club. * Glamour *A tough and exquisite sliver of a short novel whose world I want to remain lost in. * NPR *Four 13-year-old girls in 1980s San Francisco are bound together 'like paper dolls' after the tragic death of one of their fathers. The girls are poised between innocence and experience, and it is a testament to Vida's great skill that she is so thoroughly rooted in their milieu. A scandal concerning one of the girls unfolds along compelling lines. * Mail on Sunday *What We Run the Tides probes so poignantly is the volatility of female adolescence... Knowing and powerfully enigmatic. * Observer *Vida expertly presents female teenage sexuality as a crazy fever dream of conspiracy, fear and make-believe in this enigmatic novel which never quite does what you expect it to. Eulabee is an irresistible narrator; subversive, witty, vulnerable and entirely memorable, with the faintest whiff of Holden Caulfield. Strange, startling and rather brilliant. * Daily Mail *Capricious, dark and often very funny. Blending the satire of the cult film Clueless with the melancholy of Jeffrey Eugenides' The Virgin Suicides and the shock tactics of Joyce Carol Oates' Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang, the book is a shimmering, self-conscious work about the mysteries and betrayals of adolescence... We Run the Tides memorably details the cruelty and unintentional wisdom of adolescence - the horror of being excluded, along with the suppression of individuality that comes as part of being a gang. * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisIt is a variable early summer's day, and there is an unusual bustle in the grounds of Pointz Hall, a country house in a remote village in the very heart of England. The local community is all astir, intent on putting the finishing touches to preparations for the annual pageant, which is to be performed there that evening. Among the medley of attendees are Mr Oliver, the owner of the house, the flirtatious Mrs Manresa and her friend William Dodge, who is rumoured to be homosexual, the troubled married couple Giles and Isa, as well as the eccentric spinster Miss La Trobe, the author of the pageant - an ambitious journey through England's past and literature. Highly symbolic, and dealing with many of the themes that were most dear to Virginia Woolf, such as the condition of the individual in the current of history, sexual ambiguity and the tension between life and art, Between the Acts was the author's final novel, offering a tantalising glimpse of the direction her fiction might have taken.

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Book Synopsis'Original, thought-provoking' - Elizabeth Macneal'a delightful read . . . beautifully observed' - Daily MailMona and Wolfie have lived on Victoria Park for over fifty years. Now, on the eve of their sixty-fifth wedding anniversary, they must decide how to navigate Mona's declining health. Bookended by the touching exploration of their love, Victoria Park follows the disparate lives of twelve people over the course of a single year. Told from their multiple perspectives in episodes which capture feelings of alienation and connection, the lingering memory of an acid attack in the park sends ripples of unease through the community. By the end of the novel, their carefully interwoven tales create a rich tapestry of resilience, love and loss.With sharply observed insight into contemporary urban life, and characters we take to our hearts, Gemma Reeves has written a moving, uplifting debut which reflects those universal experiences that connect us all.Trade ReviewI really love multiple-voice novels with interlinking components that feel like they could be short stories. Victoria Park is one such. Mona and Wolfie have lived near the park for most of their lives, and we meet the other local residents through them. A beautiful read about a diverse community. -- Nina Pottell * Prima *With shades of Elizabeth Strout, Gemma Reeves's riveting portrait of intertwining lives in London is what makes literary fiction great. Tackling life moments we can all recognise and relate to (from identity to longing), it's a portrait of a community underscored with genuine warmth for humans. -- Francesca Brown * Stylist *The month of October finds ex-deli owner Wolfie smoking salmon for a party to celebrate 65 years of marriage to Mona. She is a Kindertransport survivor, like Wolfie himself, and if she is half lost to dementia, the half that remains is smart as paint. Over nine months, the lives of Wolfie and Mona play out alongside those of their neighbours around Hackney's 'People's Park'. All London life is in these pages, with human kindness, IVF, LGBT, and an acid attack, leading up to a touching ending. An exciting debut. -- Rose Shepherd * Saga Magazine *A writer who exudes a generous playful intelligence, such bright, wise wit. Everything on the page is alive, each paragraph a fresh adventure - her writing gives a pure and rare pleasure. -- Samantha Harvey, bestselling author of THE WESTERN WIND * Samantha Harvey, bestselling author of THE WESTERN WIND *I absolutely loved Victoria Park. It's a stunning portrayal of a London community, where moments of heartbreak, sympathy and joy cast deep reverberations. A triumph of compassion and redemption, the lives of the characters are so finely observed, they might be our own. It reminded me of Elizabeth Strout and Jennifer Egan, and I know I'll be thinking about Wolfie and Mona for months to come. -- Elizabeth Macneal (author of THE DOLL FACTORY)Hugely empathetic, utterly absorbing and beautifully told, Victoria Park really captures something so bittersweet and so true about the struggles and joys that ebb and flow through all of the relationships that hold us together. -- Naomi Ishiguro, author of ESCAPE ROUTES * Naomi Ishiguro *A book that drew me in with its charming concept only to reveal its darker side at the last minute. I was thoroughly enthralled with the inhabitants of Victoria Park, and couldn't help myself from curtain twitching into each one of their intriguing, moving, and complex lives. A fantastic book, and a wonderful achievement. -- Nick Bradley, author of THE CAT AND THE CITYThis kaleidoscopic debut portrays a London community reeling from an acid attack. Following rapid gentrification, the old East Enders rub along with the new - gangsters, tailors, yuppies and yogis. -- Madeleine Feeny * Mail on Sunday *A complete joy of a debut, bright, observational and incredibly intimate, this book has lodged itself in my heart. Take twelve independent yet linked stories over twelve months about people who are connected to a London park community. The focus changes with each month, allowing individual stories to shine, yet they add up to a vibrantly wonderful whole. Gemma Reeves is beautifully eloquent, she has the ability with a few words, to give you admittance to someone's soul. While she creates penetrating access to each person, there isn't always a conclusion, instead life carries on, suggesting potential pathways. I fell in love with this powerfully blended infusion of life. The variety of characters, in age, personality, and beliefs crackle with energy. A new character might wander in for a few moments and then star in the next tale. Some connections may be obvious and linger, others lightly touch before moving on. The stories themselves tug at heartstrings and encourage thoughts to roam, the ending is simply divine and brought tears to my eyes. Thought-provoking and emotionally intelligent, Victoria Park slips with glorious ease onto our LoveReading Star Books list and is a Liz Pick of the Month, it really is very special indeed. -- Liz Robinson * Love Reading *Told from the multiple perspectives of 12 characters whose lives revolve around the park, this is a delightful read that takes place over one year. [...] Tying them together is the park itself, month in, month out, beautifully observed over the seasons. -- Fanny Blake * Daily Mail *A sharply observed debut novel that looks at the lives of 12 people over the course of a year. Big themes, such as dementia and the trials of IVF, are told with great sensitivity and insight. -- Zoe West * Woman's Weekly *

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Book SynopsisPast Perfect is a heartwarming, magical story of an unexpected friendship spanning a century, from the world's favourite storyteller, Danielle Steel.Sybil and Blake Gregory live a well-ordered, predictable Manhattan life, she as a cutting-edge design authority and museum consultant, he in high-tech investments, raising their children. But when Blake is offered a dream job as CEO of a start-up in San Francisco, he accepts it, without consulting his wife, and buys a magnificent, historic mansion as their new home in Pacific Heights.Past and present collide at their elegant mansion, when they meet the large and lively family who lived there a century ago. All long dead but very much alive in spirit – visible to the Gregorys and no one else. Within these enchanted rooms, it is at once 1917 and a century later.The Gregorys been given a perfect gift; but does living in the past prevent them from embracing their future?

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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 *

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Book Synopsis*SHORTLISTED FOR THE RNA HISTORICAL ROMANCE AWARD 2021**LONGLISTED FOR THE HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE 2020*'Desperately romantic, lyrically written and with a fascinating plot' Katie FfordeChrissie Gillies comes from the last ever community to live on the beautiful, isolated Scottish island of St Kilda. Evacuated in 1930, she will never forget her life there, nor the man she loved and lost who visited one fateful summer a few years before. Fred Lawson has been captured, beaten and imprisoned in Nazi-controlled France. Making a desperate escape across occupied territory, one thought sustains him: find Chrissie, the woman he should never have left behind on that desolate, glorious isle. The Lost Lights of St Kilda is a sweeping love story that crosses oceans and decades, and a testament to the extraordinary power of hope in the darkest of times. 'A gorgeous, melancholy love story.' The Times'An undeniably haunting love story.' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewA gorgeous, melancholy love story * The Times *An undeniably haunting love story * Sunday Times *Desperately romantic, lyrically written and with a fascinating plot. * Katie Fforde, author of A Rose Petal Summer *I loved this book. Beautifully written and descriptive * Sarah Maine, author of The House Between Tides *A real jewel * Gill Paul, author of The Secret Wife *As gorgeously written as it's quietly devastating * Kate Riordan, author of The Girl in the Photograph *Richly detailed and evocative * Kat Gordon, author of An Unsuitable Woman *Atmospheric... moving * Lorna Cook, author of The Forgotten Village *Compelling... beautiful and haunting * Gill Thompson, author of The Oceans Between Us *A beautifully written and heart-rending story of love, loss and redemption * Sophia Tobin, author of The Silversmith's Wife *A glorious novel * Suellen Dainty, author of The Housekeeper *Moving and beautifully told * Tim Pears, author of The Redeemed *Days after finishing this deeply moving story, written with such a simple yet lyrical prose, I still feel haunted by it. * New Books Magazine *Compelling... vivid... powerful * Church Times *

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Book SynopsisTim Winton has published twenty-six books for adults and children, and his work has been translated into twenty-eight languages. Since his first novel, An Open Swimmer, won the Australian/Vogel Award in 1981, he has won the Miles Franklin Award four times (for Shallows, Cloudstreet, Dirt Music and Breath) and twice been shortlisted for the Booker Prize (for The Riders and Dirt Music). He lives in Western Australia.Trade ReviewAll this is dazzling, dazzling. It makes the heart pound. * Los Angeles Times *A moving and powerful elegy . . . Winton writes vividly, and with courage, about serious matters in a cynical world. * Observer *A major work by anyone’s standards . . . mysterious, painful and beautiful. * Washington Post *

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Book Synopsis'The lives of the characters get entangled in this powerful read' WOMAN'S OWN'A pacy, gripping tale... 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.' FERN BRITTON'This absorbing, poignant rollercoaster of a read is utterly satisfying and will stay with you long after you've put it down.' PATRICIA SCANLAN 'Keeps up the pace and excitement to the very end.' JOAN BAKEWELLSoaked 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 death in the family-from-hell bring Detectives Fry and Cooper to a remote and unfriendly rural community in their fourth psychological thriller.Trade ReviewPraise for Blind to the Bones: ‘He has got better with each book. This is another very fine book, masterfully plotted and filled with real flesh-and-blood personalities’ Daily Telegraph ‘Another of Booth’s fine Derbyshire mysteries’ Scotsman Praise for Stephen Booth: ‘Stephen Booth creates a fine sense of place and atmosphere … the unguessable solution to the crime comes as a real surprise’ Sunday Telegraph ‘The complex relationship between [Cooper and Fry] is excellently drawn, and is combined with an intriguing plot and a real sense of place: Stephen Booth is an author to keep an eye on’ Evening Standard ‘Stephen Booth makes high summer in Derbyshire as dark and terrifying as midwinter’ Val McDermid ‘A dark star may be born!’ Reginald Hill 'A leading light of British crime writing' Maxim Jakubowski, Guardian

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Book SynopsisThe new novel from the award-winning writer, Ben Fergusson, author of The Spring of Kasper Meier and The Other Hoffmann Sister.Trade ReviewA compelling story of love and betrayal in the divided Berlin of the 1980s * Sunday Times Best Books of 2019 *A beautifully written, evocative literary thriller set in Berlin shortly before the fall of the Wall * Financial Times Best Books of 2019 *In An Honest Man, Ben Fergusson richly evokes West Berlin in 1989 through his narrator's nineteen-year-old self. Absorption in his own friendships and sexual self-discovery obscures from him his larger community's confusion of hopes and fears, though he is appealingly sensitive to Berlin's natural, geological realities * Times Literary Supplement, Books of the Year 2019 *Love and loyalty in Cold War-era Berlin: an outstanding novel * Sunday Times Must Read *The divided Berlin of the Cold War era is brilliantly resurrected on the cusp of momentous change in Ben Fergusson's An Honest Man...the novel movingly recounts Ralf's painful discoveries about love and loyalty * Sunday Times *During the hot summer of 1989, a group of friends mooch about, fall in love, swim and party. All perfectly normal - except this is West Berlin which is still divided by the Wall and awash with spies and paranoia . . . The author won awards for his debut, The Spring of Kasper Meier. This is equally atmospheric and thought-provoking * Daily Mail *A genre-melding mix of coming of age and spy thriller...Fergusson's prose combines a reporter's eye for detail with poetic scene-setting...But the Cold War and greater forces are in play. The party will soon be over and a profound betrayal is about to turn Ralf's world upside down. A fine summer read * Financial Times *Subtle and intense...a morally complex tale...This is a beautifully written and engaging novel that comes from the heart * NB magazine *The stunning, powerful and addictive new novel by the prize-winning author of The Spring of Kasper Meier... * Attitude magazine *A powerful and moving love story by a writer at the top of his game * John Boyne *I quickly found myself hooked. The character of Ralf and his relationships with both his family and friends (particularly Oz) are beautifully drawn. Ralf's journey from innocence to adulthood is fascinating, surprising and poignant as the plot twists and turns and the reader, along with Ralf, has no idea who to trust. It is a compelling story that held me captive until the last page. And thank God it had a proper ending that left me smiling!' * Ruth Hogan *Profoundly moving - a deftly crafted story of love and loss, I believed every word of it * Jake Arnott *Fiercely beautiful, this tender, yet powerfully told story of love and discovery cradles the reader in the most pleasurable way. A lush, unforgettable read * Kate Mayfield, author of The Parentations *I was completely enthralled by the story of Ralf and the complex friendships and family ties that surround him in the last days of the Berlin Wall. Both a literary thriller and a moving love story, An Honest Man magically captures that strange hinterland between childhood and what lies ahead - and it will keep you guessing until the very last page * Sarah Day, author of Mussolini's Island *Ben Fergusson paints a vivid picture of a divided city . . . An Honest Man stays taut and claustrophobic . . . As well as a poignant love story, it's also a gripping, original thriller; a final twist I definitely didn't see coming sets a powerful climax in motion . . . But this is a novel as much about the end of innocence, the limits of ideology and the pain of realising the people we love are far from perfect - in this case very far indeed -- Jeff Robson * The i *Ben Fergusson's compelling story is as sensitive as it is moving. It vividly evokes Berlin in 1989 and perfectly captures the atmosphere and mood of what was then a tragic city. And his characters are all too believable, their flaws and attributes neatly defining the human condition * Daily Express *A love story at its heart, this unsettling and wonderfully atmospheric historical novel, set in West Berlin in 1989 (the year the wall was torn down), sizzle with suspense and intrigue . . . This is a beguiling read, crackling with tension, unease and anticipation, all of which builds slowly like a gathering summer storm * The Lady *

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Book SynopsisTwo young men, Pájaro Tamai and Marciano Miranda, are dying in a deserted amusement park. The story begins almost at its end, just after the two main characters have faced off in a knife fight: the culmination of a rivalry that has pitted them against one another since childhood. The present in Brickmakers is a state of impending death, at moments marked by dream-like visions: Marciano is visited by the ghost of his father, who was murdered when he was a teenager, a father he had sworn to avenge, in a promise he could not keep. Pájaro is also visited, in a recurring nightmare, by his abusive father who disappeared years earlier.Narrated with fury and passion, reminiscent of William Faulkner or Katherine Anne Porter, Brickmakers is a rural tragedy in the great American tradition, a story of love, honour and violence where everything is at stake. Reprising the powerful imagery and the filmic landscape of The Wind That Lays Waste, and the threatening atmosphere of Dead Girls, Brickmakers is yet another proof of Almada’s extraordinary talent.Trade Review"A successful riff on a classic Shakespearean tale." —Publishers Weekly"Such is Almada’s command of shape and pace, and the clean-edged vigour of the style McDermott voices with such skill, that we take Brickmakers on its own uncompromising terms – as pulp, tragedy and epic all at once." —The Arts Desk"Almada is forceful in her depictions of sex, violence, and rage. I feel her prose in my body: a punch in the gut, the sharpness of glass. McDermott’s translation captures the bite of Almada’s sentences, which render both tenderness and violence with devastating clarity." —Chicago Review of Books"Almada's breathtaking multigenerational tragedy is a haunting, unforgettable examination of the lasting consequences of careless inhumanity." —Shelf Awareness, starred review"Best books of 2021" —The Financial Times"There is a tremendous carnality to Almada’s writing, vividly captured in McDermott’s translation" —LA Review of Books"A rich, confident and urgent read." —Lunate"Brickmakers is one of the best books I've read this year ... It’s a brilliant, sizzling, unmissable treat" —Translating Women**********Praise for Selva Almada"Almada combines reportage, fiction, and autobiography to explore femicide in Argentina in her acute, unflinching latest." —Publishers Weekly, starred review"Almada’s prose is sparse, but the details count. Her ear for dialogue and especially gossip is pitch perfect. Her eye for detail is hawkish."** —LA Review of Books**"Part journalism, part history, part autobiography, part relentless nightmare."** —Shelf Awareness, starred review**"Not an easy book, but it feels like an important one – a work of investigative writing about how easily women’s lives are obscured."** —The Scotsman**"An unassuming yet intensely felt narrative. (4 stars)"** —The Arts Desk**"This is a powerful read...[Almada's] effective use of fiction ensures a deep empathy in her readers which strict reportage sometimes fails to evoke."** —The Big Issue**"Genre-defying, with beautifully crafted and reflective prose."** —The F Word**"You’ll walk away from this book with a vivid memory of where you were, how you were feeling, and what the weather was like on the day that you read Dead Girls."** —Books and Bao**"The literary quality of the text shines."** —Sound and Vision**"The prose strikes a perfect tone – clinical and punchy when necessary, angry and lyrical, brutal yet humanistic."** —TN2**"Exquisite prose that vibrates with a deep, melodious rage."** —The Monthly Booking**"It’s crisp, bracing, and beautiful."** —White Review**"It is a profound novel and call to action still relevant as activists continue to take to the streets throughout Latin America to decry, ‘ni una más’ (not one more)."** —The Skinny**"A tense, precise chronicle that treats seriously a still serious subject."** —El Cultural**"A powerful read, shedding a stark light on the horrors of gender violence."** —The Big Issue**"This is not a book that will make you feel at peace with the world, but that is precisely where its strength and persuasion lie."** —Translating Women**"Challenge[s] the true crime obsession in an indirect way. "** —Pendora Magazine**"What makes the book compelling is how the author explores issues of domestic violence, state complicity, machismo and family negligence, along with class and social inequalities, in a non-sentimental prose which is all the more effective as result."** —Morning Star**"Part coming-of-age, part detective work, partly a web of rumors, Almada’s story fuses a variety of genres to create a work that splits the seams of personal narrative, journalism, and fiction."** —NACLA**"The devastating conclusion of the narrator is that the women who survive are unlikely to have made it unscathed but they are lucky ones – lucky to be alive."** —NB Magazine**"Fate has in Dead Girls the perfume of a Greek tragedy: immutable, irreversible, lethal."** —El País**"Far from the detective story, this is an intimate tale, a certain negative of the autobiography of a young woman looking at other young women and how all of them are perceived by a society where misogyny and violence against them is still an everyday affair."** —Pagina/12**"Selva Almada reinvents the imaginative rural world of a country. She is an author gifted with a very uncommon power and sensitivity."** —Rolling Stone (Argentina)"Dead Girls is a brutal, necessary story in which Almada describes the crimes, states the facts and lays bare the horror of these femicides." —Tony's Reading List**"Gripping, shocking and sad."** —The Book Satchel**** Edinburgh International Book Festival First book Award (Winner)**** Book Cover of the Year (Saltire Awards) (Winner)"Like Flannery O’Connor and Juan Rulfo, Almada fills her taut, eerie novel with an understanding of rural life, loneliness, temptation and faith." —BBC Culture**"Billed as a ‘promising voice’ in Latin American literature, this tale delivers readily on that promise."** —Booklist**"The drama of this refreshingly unpredictable debut . . . smolders like a lit fuse waiting to touch off its well-orchestrated events. . . . A stimulating, heady story."** —Publishers Weekly**"The story packs a punch in its portraits of a man who exalts heaven and another who protests."** —Kirkus**"A dynamic introduction to a major Latin American literary force."** —Shelf Awareness, starred review**"[The Wind That Lays Waste] delivers exactly that compressed pressurised electricity of a gathering thunderstorm: it sparks and sputters with live-wire tension."** —TANK Magazine**"The Wind That Lays Waste is elegant and stark, a kind of emblem or vision fetched from the far edges of things, arrested and stripped to its essence, as beautiful as it is unnerving. ""** —Paul Harding**, author of TINKERS"The Wind That Lays Waste is a mesmerizing novel, at once strange and compelling.""** —Bonnie Jo Campbell**, author of MOTHERS, TELL YOUR DAUGHTERS"The quality and resolve of her prose produce a power of suggestion that is unique to Selva Almada."** —El País**"The best novel written in Argentina in the last few years? Don’t know, and don’t care, but you must read Selva Almada."** —El País**"Almada’s prose has a touch of the Faulkner of As I Lay Dying but passed through the filters of the dirty light of the cotton fields and the clean clothes worn by country people to Sunday mass.""** —Germán Machado**"A distinctive debut: atmospheric, tension-packed, and written in vivid, poetic language."** —Books from Scotland**"Perhaps most powerful in the book is Almada’s focus on detail―she skillfully renders the story of a day in brief chapters that reveal the thoughts and fleeting encounters of characters, who are largely living inside themselves."** —Ploughshares**"Almada’s nuanced approach leaves room to explore her characters’ pasts in some detail, but, crucially, these individuals . . . are not defined by their mistakes."** —ZYZZYVA**"What seems fantastical soon turns hyper-realistic, in a style that is reminiscent of Juan Rulfo or Sara Gallardo."** —La Nación************

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Book Synopsis''A gripping murder mystery and a vivid recreation of Paris under German Occupation.'' ANDREW TAYLOR*WINNER OF THE HWA GOLD CROWN AWARD FOR BEST HISTORICAL FICTION**SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA HISTORICAL DAGGER AWARD*''Terrific'' SUNDAY TIMES, Best Books of the Month''A thoughtful, haunting thriller'' MICK HERRON''Sharp and compelling'' THE SUN* * * * *Paris, Friday 14th June 1940.The day the Nazis march into Paris, making headlines around the globe.Paris police detective Eddie Giral - a survivor of the last World War - watches helplessly on as his world changes forever.But there is something he still has control over. Finding whoever is responsible for the murder of four refugees. The unwanted dead, who no one wants to claim.To do so, he must tread carefully between the Occupation and the Resistance, between truth and lies, between the Trade ReviewA thoughtful, haunting thriller * Mick Herron *A police story with a difference, sepia-painted to match the time and circumstances, with a convincing background and atmosphere, skilfully drawn to encompass the fates of the lead characters as if you were there by their side. Well-written and carefully researched, it is one to stay with you long after you have finished reading * Adrian Magson, SHOTS Magazine *Lloyd's Second World War Paris is rougher than Alan Furst's, and Eddie Giral, his French detective, is way edgier than Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther. Powerful Stuff * Sunday Times Crime Club *Terrific * The Sunday Times *Lloyd's Second World War Paris is rougher than Alan Furst's, and Eddie Giral, his French detective, is way edgier than Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther . . . Ranks alongside both for its convincingly cloying atmosphere of a city subjugated to a foreign power, a plot that reaches across war-torn Europe and into the rifts in the Nazi factions, and a hero who tries to be a good man in a bad world. Powerful stuff. * The Times *Excellent . . . In Eddie Giral, Lloyd has created a character reminiscent of Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther, oozing with attitude and a conflicted morality that powers a complex, polished plot. Historical crime at its finest. * Vaseem Khan, author of Midnight at Malabar House *Such a powerful and morally nuanced crime novel ... Both a gripping murder mystery and a vivid recreation of Paris under German Occupation. * Andrew Taylor *The best kind of crime novel: gripping, thought-provoking and moving. In Detective Eddie Giral, Chris Lloyd has created a flawed hero not just for occupied Paris, but for our own times, too. * Katherine Stansfield *Wartime Paris rises from the page with its seedy bars, gang-ridden train yards, lonely apartments, and across everything falls the terrible shadow of the Great War ... A fantastic novel. * Katherine Stansfield *A terrific read - put me in mind of Alan Furst and Philip Kerr ... Gripping and well-paced. The period atmosphere is excellent. * Mark Ellis *Monumentally impressive . . . I'm blown away. A truly wonderful book. If somebody'd given it to me and told me it was the latest Robert Harris, I wouldn't have been surprised. Eddie Giral is a wonderful creation. * Alis Hawkins *A tense and gripping mystery which hums with menace and dark humour as well as immersing the reader in the life of occupied Paris. * Judges, HWA Gold Crown *

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Book SynopsisThe Kindle No.1 BestsellerThe Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller''You can''t do better than to sink into Happiness for Beginners''KATIE FFORDE''Fun, fantastic and brimming with Matthews magic''MILLY JOHNSON******** Molly Baker is living her best life.Thirty-eight years old, she lives on the twenty-five-acre Hope Farm in Buckinghamshire, surrounded by (mostly) four-legged friends and rolling hills. There''s Anthony the anti-social sheep, Tina Turner the alpaca with attitude, and the definitely-not-miniature pig, Teacup. Molly runs the farm as an alternative school for kids who haven''t thrived in mainstream education. It''s full on, but she wouldn''t have it any other way. So when the well-groomed Shelby Dacre turns up at Hope Farm asking to enrol his son Lucas, Molly isn''t fazed. But Lucas is distant and soon Molly realises he might be more of a handful than she anticipated. And then there''s the added problem that his dad is distractingly handsome. Molly has her beloved farm to think of - could letting Lucas and Shelby in be a terrible mistake, or the start of something wonderful?An absolute must-read from the queen of romance Carole Matthews, Molly''s story will make your heart sing. ''An irresistibly warm-hearted story''TRISHA ASHLEY''Warm, witty and hopeful - I was charmed''SARAH MORGAN''The queen of funny, feel good fiction''MIKE GAYLETrade ReviewSparkling . . . light-hearted, laugh-packed fun * Sunday Mirror *If you love romance, quirky humour and animals you can't do better than to sink into Happiness for Beginners. -- Katie FfordeA gorgeous novel that will delight * Katie Fforde on Paper Hearts and Summer Kisses *Fun, fantastic and brimming with Matthews magic... from the first to the last page - an absolute joy -- Milly JohnsonOne of our favourite authors, Carole Matthews always delivers a delicious read, and Million Love Songs is another delightful read. Full of humour and emotional dilemmas, this latest book is perfect to curl up with on the sofa in this unpredictable weather. Highly Recommended! * Hot Brands Cool Places *An irresistibly warmhearted story with a cast of captivating characters, both animal and human -- Trisha AshleyFabulously enjoyable . . . full of heart and fun * Milly Johnson *Warm, witty and hopeful - I was charmed -- Sarah MorganI laughed and cried and marvelled * Cathy Bramley on Paper Hearts and Summer Kisses *Happiness For Beginners once again confirms Carole Matthews as the queen of funny, feel good fiction. Put your feet up, and switch off your phone because you're in for a real treat. -- Mike GayleWitty, funny and incredibly touching . . . perfect for lifting the spirits * Heat *Heartwarming story of new beginnings. * Candis *Heart-warming * Bella *As ever from this author, a lively story that fizzes with fun * Best *Full of quirky characters and often laugh-out loud funny, it's a delightful read. * Choice *Ornery llamas, attack sheep, and a wealth of colourful country characters (including a spectacular hairdresser-to-the-stars who coifs alpacas in his downtime) electrify Matthews's charming tale... Perfect for lovers of small-town romance, this upbeat tale is sweet but not cloying and altogether satisfying. * Publishers Weekly *Sparkling romp * Mirror *Heartwarming * Bella *Heartfelt * Yours *Delightful and humorous... as joyful as its cover * Woman's Weekly *Another lovely tale from bestselling writer Carole Matthews * Hello! *Light-hearted, laugh-packed fun. * The People *One of our favourite authors, Carole Matthews always delivers a delicious read full of humour and emotional dilemmas * Hot Brands, Cool Places *The writing is full of humour, warmth and heart - all the things that are standard in Carole's novels. This is a perfect holiday read. I loved it. * Novel Kicks Blog *

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Book SynopsisThe number one bestselling author Claudia Carroll returns! Perfect for fans of Marian Keyes and Joanna Trollope.Frank Woods at number seventy-nine Primrose Square is about to turn fifty, and nobody seems to care. His friends are all busy; his wife and children have other plans. After years of being 'Mr Cellophane', he decides, finally, to do something for himself. But when he gets home to a surprise birthday party, it is his guests who get the real surprise.Standing in the doorway is not Frank, but Francesca.As she transitions, Francesca struggles to come to terms with her true self, and her relationship with her family is thrown into turmoil. At a loss of where to turn, she moves in with her cantankerous neighbour Miss Hardcastle, who hasn't left her home for decades. There she befriends fellow lodger Emily Dunne - fresh out of rehab, finally off the drink and desperate to make amends.As gossip spreads through Primrose Square and every relationship is tested, nothing in this close-knit community will ever be the same again . . .Trade ReviewFull of warmth, humour and compassion. A perfectly lovely summer read * Frost Magazine *Challenging perceptions and celebrating friendship. Claudia Carroll's latest read is touching, funny and insightful * Woman's Own *Heart-rending and humorous in equal measures, this story will stay with you long after you read the final chapter. * My Weekly *

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Book SynopsisA beautiful, compelling, utterly original new novel from one of the most important American writers of our time, and winner of the National Book Award for Fiction, 2012Pluto, North Dakota, is a town on the verge of extinction. Here, everybody is connected by love or friendship, by blood, and, most importantly, by the burden of a shared history.Growing up on the reservation is Evelina Harp, witty and ambitious, and prone to falling hopelessly in love. Listening to her grandfather''s tales, she learns of a horrific crime that has marked both Ojibwe and whites. Nobody understands it better than Judge Antone Bazil Coutts, who keeps watch over Pluto''s inhabitants and recounts their lives with compassion and rare insight.Louise Erdrich''s sense of the comic and the tragic sweeps readers along to the surprising conclusion of this stunning novel, a portrait of the complex allegiances, passions and drama of a haunting land and its all-too-human people.Trade Review‘Louise Erdrich’s imaginative freedom has reached its zenith – ‘The Plague of Doves’ is her dazzling masterpiece.’ Philip Roth 'A masterly new novel … Writing in prose that combines the magical sleight of hand of Gabriel Garcia Marquez with the earthy, American rhythms of Faulkner, Ms. Erdrich … has written what is arguably her most ambitious – and in many ways, her most deeply affecting – work yet.' Michiko Kakutani, New York Times ‘Confirms her reputation as a writer able to combine the apocalyptic with the mundane world whose inhabitants are set loose to roam the heavens in spirit but are ballasted always by their defiantly human bodies.' Observer 'You could read Louise Erdrich's latest book for its wisdom … Or you could read ‘The Plague of Doves’ for its poetry … in the end, you’ll read this book for its stories … The stories told by her characters offer pleasures of language, of humor, of sheer narrative momentum, that shine even in the darkest moments of the book.' Boston Globe 'Wholly felt and exquisitely rendered tales of memory and magic … By the novel’s end, and in classic Erdrich fashion, every luminous fragment has been assembled into an intricate tapestry that deeply satisfies the mind, the heart, and the spirit.' O magazine

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Book SynopsisYou don't choose them. They choose you.Tense and atmospheric' Lisa HallChillingly authentic' GuardianTHE THRILLING SEQUEL SHADOW OF FOG ISLAND IS AVAILABLE NOW!Sofia has just finished university and ended a troubled relationship when she attends a lecture about a New Age movement, Via Terra. Its leader is Franz Oswald, young, good-looking, urbane and mesmerizing.When Sofia meets Franz Oswald, the handsome, charming leader of a mysterious New Age movement, she's dazzled and intrigued. Visiting his headquarters on Fog Island, Sofia's struck by the beautiful mansion overlooking the sea, the gardens, the sense of peace and the purposefulness of the people who live there. And she can't ignore the attraction she feels for Franz.So she agrees to stay, just for a while. But as summer gives way to winter, and the dense fog from which the island draws its name sets in, it becomes clear that Franz rules the island with an iron fist. No phones or computers are allowed. Contact with the mainland is severed. Electric fences surround the grounds. And Sofia begins to realize how very alone she is and that no one ever leaves Fog IslandFlowers in the Attic meets The Girls, Fog Island is a gripping combination of fear, sexual tension and lethal fascination.Praise for Fog Island:I loved it tense and atmospheric, slowly drawing the reader in to a reality that is utterly terrifying' Lisa Hall, bestselling author of Have You Seen Her and The Perfect CoupleChillingly authentic' GuardianAn intense, terrifying, and utterly believable journey into the shadowy world of cult leaders and cult members. A just-one-more-page thriller that will have you reading late into the night and holding your breath until the very end. I loved it!' Karen Dionne, internationally bestselling author of HomeAn interesting exposition of the psychology and the insidious methods that govern cults' Daily MailA vivid crime novel' ExpressThis intense thriller completely grips you from the off' HeatTrade Review Praise for Fog Island: ‘I loved it – tense and atmospheric, slowly drawing the reader in to a reality that is utterly terrifying’ Lisa Hall, bestselling author of Have You Seen Her and The Perfect Couple ‘Chillingly authentic’ Guardian ‘An intense, terrifying, and utterly believable journey into the shadowy world of cult leaders and cult members. A just-one-more-page thriller that will have you reading late into the night and holding your breath until the very end. I loved it!’ Karen Dionne, internationally bestselling author of Home ‘An interesting exposition of the psychology and the insidious methods that govern cults’ Daily Mail ‘A vivid crime novel’ Express ‘This intense thriller completely grips you from the off’ Heat ‘Gripping from start to finish’ NetGalley Reviewer ‘This book is hauntingly superb’ Goodreads Reviewer ‘I could not put it down until the very end’ NetGalley Reviewer

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Book SynopsisThe first in the new sweeping historical series from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling authorA warm and engrossing tale of passion and courage. I loved it' Rachel Hore, bestselling author of A Beautiful SpyFrance, 1944.Deep in the river valley of the Dordogne, in an old stone cottage on the edge of a beautiful village, three sisters long for the end of the war.Hélène, the eldest, is trying her hardest to steer her family to safety, even as the Nazi occupation becomes more threatening.Elise, the rebel, is determined to help the Resistance, whatever the cost.And Florence, the dreamer, just yearns for a world where France is free.Then, one dark night, the Allies come knocking for help. And Hélène knows that she cannot sit on the sidelines any longer. But secrets from their own mysterious past threaten to unravel everything they hold most dearThe first in an epic new series from the No.1 Sunday Times bestseller, Daughters of War is a stunning tale of sisters, secrets and bravery in the darTrade Review More praise for Daughters of War: ‘Moving and evocative. A stirring, richly-imagined novel about bravery and love and family loyalty tested to its limits’ Rachel Rhys, bestselling author of Island of Secrets ‘As layers of long-hidden family secrets emerge, you are sure to be hooked to the very last page’ Liz Trenow, bestselling author of The Poppy Factory ‘Rich in courage, love and sacrifice, but chilling and taut in its portrayal of the horrors of war’ Kate Furnivall, bestselling author of The Guardian of Lies ‘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, bestselling author of The House at Silvermoor ‘A tender, moving and at times heartbreaking story’ Sinead Moriarty, bestselling author of About Us ‘A wonderful writer… her story of wartime bravery is a joy to read, full of evocative descriptions of life in rural France’ Daily Express and Daily Mirror ‘Dinah Jefferies weaves a moving tale of sisterhood, courage and betrayal in the ravages of war’ Woman’s Own ‘There is a secret at the heart of the girls’ life in France. . . full of tension’ The Times ‘A joy to read, full of evocative descriptions of life in rural France’ Daily Express and Daily Mirror ‘Full of tensions, this is a richly imagined adventure’ BEST

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Book SynopsisThe brand new romance from the author of Duvet Day. Escape to the Arctic Circle and fall in love under the Northern Lights . . .***The most gorgeous Finnish adventure . . . beautifully evocative and romantic' Rachael Lucas, bestselling author of The Telephone Box LibraryA properly heart-warming read for a cold winter's day' Pernille Hughes, author of Probably the Best Kiss in the World***All it takes is one moment to change your life . . .When a cleverly edited video of radio host Lucy Fairweather goes viral, she knows she needs an escape. And preferably somewhere far away.Where better than Wild Zone a destination for people who want to experience the Arctic Circle? Owned by the gorgeous but brooding Tommi, Lucy agrees to help with the guests in return for her stay. But getting to grips with her skis is proving harder than it looks.Far from home and in a winter wonderland, will an encounter with the breathtaking Northern Lights change her luck, in both life and love?The perfect escapi

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Book Synopsis????? ''An absolutely gripping reflection on the true crime phenomenon, and the various victims of both the initial crime and its exploitation for entertainment.' NetGalley Reviewer The perfect mystery to solve for fans of Holly Jackson and Cara Hunter.***A missing girl. An angry mother. A true crime documentary.Ten years ago, Katy, a promising young journalist, left her desk and was never seen again.Someone knows what happened to herThe controlling boyfriend? The inappropriate professor? The clingy colleague?When Katy went missing, it wasn't just her devastated mother, Grace, whose life was ruined. Now, a new documentary delving into the missing person case threatens to open old wounds.As Grace gets closer to the truth, she discovers just how far people are willing to go to keep the past hidden.Readers have been drawn into the mystery, will you??????'The author did a great job at showing the complexities of life after someone goes missing and the way true crime documentaries that we a

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Book SynopsisMohawk, New York, is one of those small towns that lie almost entirely on the wrong side of the tracks. Its citizens, too, have fallen on hard times. Dallas Younger, a star athlete in high school, now drifts from tavern to poker game, losing money. His ex-wife, Anne, is stuck in a losing battle with her mother over the care of her sick father. And their son, Randall, is deliberately neglecting his schoolwork - because in a place like Mohawk it doesn''t pay to be smart.Mohawk chronicles over a dozen lives in a decaying leather town in upstate New York. It is a picture of life which is true for the whole world, and once viewed, will never be forgotten.Trade ReviewRusso's natural grace as a storyteller is matched by his compassion for his characters. Mohawk is lively reading; it is a painful story, yet it is told with great mischief - and the triumphs and the tragedies of the characters are enhanced as victories and defeats always are, by wit -- John IrvingRusso writes with sensitivity and insight * Irish Times *Immensely readable and sympathetic... Mr Russo has an instinctive gift for capturing the rhythms of small-time life * New York Times *

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Book SynopsisLisbon has been an extraordinary city for well over a thousand years, rendering it a place of great historical and contemporary interest. The combination of cultural influences in Lisbon--Arabian, African, and European--and the city''s identity as a great seafaring stronghold, has granted it a unique and spirited legacy. Lisbon Tales reflects this legacy in its literary selections. From famous names to new voices, Lisbon Tales describes a city in continuous and vibrant change.Trade ReviewA slice of Lisbon to form a tantalizing tart of tales. * Lonnie Weatherby, Library Journal *Lisbon Tales is another excellent installment in this series of books, and they'd all make the perfect addition to the bookshelves of any armchair travellers you might know! * Karen Langley, Shiny New Books *There are many fine inclusions here, with excellent stories by authors who will be largely unknown in the English-speaking world ... The rendering of the stories in English is fluent, appealing, and ... faithful to the original, with helpful explanatory footnotes added when required ... There is much to enjoy in this collection. * David Frier, Words Without Borders *This panorama, proffered in elegant but natural English, is one of the main strengths of Lisbon Tales, leaving aside the intrinsic merits of the stories and crónicas themselves, and Hopkinson's translations are a welcome addition to the repertoire of Portuguese works available to English-speaking readers. * Patricia Anne Odber de Baubeta, Translation and Literature *Table of ContentsPicture Credits General Introduction, Helen Constantine Introduction, Amanda Hopkinson 1. Alves & Co, Eça de Queiroz 2. A Clerical Afternoon, Fernando Pessoa 3. Lost Refuge, Soeiro Pereira Gomes 4. The Accident, José Rodrigues Miguéis 5. The Whistler, Mario Dionisio 6. The Fiancé, Augustina Bessa-Luis 7. Walking in Lisbon, José Saramago 8. Cais-do-Sodre Station, Orlanda Amarilis 9. Still Life with Head of Bream, Teolinda Gersão 10. Collectors, Mario de Carvalho 11. Metro Zoo, Hélia Correia 12. The Companions, Mauro Pinheiro 13. Kizombar, Kalaf Angelo 14. The Time When, Kalaf Angelo Notes on the Authors Further Reading Publishers Acknowledgements Map of Lisbon

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Book SynopsisDiscover this surprising gem - the sharp, funny and irresistible debut novel from the bestselling author of Exit West and The Reluctant Fundamentalist ''Subtly audacious . . . A steamy and often darkly amusing book about sex, drugs, and class warfare in postcolonial Asia'' Village Voice''You know you''re in trouble when you can''t meet a woman''s eye, particularly if the woman happens to be your best friend''s wife...''In Lahore, Daru Shezad is a junior banker with a hashish habit. When his old friend Ozi moves back to Pakistan, Daru wants to be happy for him. Ozi has everything: a beautiful wife and child, an expensive foreign education - and a corrupt father who bankrolls his lavish lifestyle.As jealousy sets in, Daru''s life slowly unravels. He loses his job. Starts lacing his joints with heroin. Becomes involved with a criminally-minded rickshaw driver. And falls in love with Ozi''s lonely wife.Trade ReviewSharply observed, powerful, evocative * Financial Times *A first novel of remarkable wit, poise and profundity. A treat * Esquire *A vivid portrait of contemporary young Pakistani life, where frustration and insecurity feed not only the snobbery, decadence and aspirations of the rich, but also the resentment of the poor * The Times *A rare glimpse into modern-day Pakistan . . . The voices that emerge are sarcastic and sad, a lively lament . . . reminiscent of V. S. Naipaul and Salman Rushdie * Chicago Tribune *Not often does one find a first novel that has the power of imagination and skill to orchestrate personal and public themes of these consequences and achieve a chord that reverberates in one's mind. Moth Smoke is one of the best novels I have read this year -- Nadine Gordimer * - *Stunning . . . [Hamid] has created a hip page-turner -- Jonathan Levi * Los Angeles Times *

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Book SynopsisAll That is Solid Melts into Air is an exceptionally moving novel of interwoven lives, set amidst one of the most iconic disasters in living memory: Chernobyl. ''Daring, ambitious, epic, moving'' Colm TóibínColoured sheets of paper fall from the sky. This is their first indication that something serious has happened. Each sheet bears a message: you have three hours to evacuate, bring only one suitcase. From their balconies they can see a dark column of smoke rising above the nuclear plant. For the people of Pripyat, these are the last moments they will spend in their homes. For a child piano prodigy, a dissident factory worker, a broken-hearted surgeon and unknowing others, this disaster will change their lives forever . . .''Shocking, vivid . . . sweeps with epic confidence across lives'' Sunday Independent''Astonishing . . . A page-turner'' Irish Times''A stunning debut'' GuardianTrade ReviewThis daring and ambitious novel blends historical epic and love story with a moving description of the Chernobyl disaster and the fall of the Soviet Union. A book rich with resonance far beyond its historical moment -- Colm TóibínBrilliantly imagined, exhilarating in its sweep; McKeon creates a thrilling appearance of ease, while he delves deep and forges new territory for the contemporary novel. Daring, generous and beautifully written, All That is Solid Melts into Air marks the beginning of a truly significant career. I cannot say it loud enough: McKeon is here to stay -- Colum McCannPowerful and moving ... a supremely accomplished social novel ... What makes McKeon's vision so compelling is that the system this novel describes is not merely Russian, nor communist, but universal -- John Burnside * Guardian *His description of the explosion at the Ukrainian nuclear plant is a stylistic high point ... recalls Don DeLillo's Underworld ... disturbing ... convincing ... a tense denouement * Independent *An outstanding debut novel ... portraying inconceivable horrors and acts of incredible beauty in luminously understated prose ... McKeon makes us care ... skilfully drawing us into their worlds before and after the explosion ... devastating * Metro *A book to be devoured, tragic and funny and sad and beautiful and sensual and shocking and, ultimately, utterly transcendent ... crackles with the whip-smart propulsion of a thriller, while immersing its reader in the rich inner turmoils of its characters * Image *Fascinating, with ... the ferocious grip of a rollercoaster thriller ... this book is beautifully written ... generous with elegantly turned phrases ... Skilfully crafted, thoughtful, poetic, well-judged ... [a] flawless pearl * Irish Independent *

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Book SynopsisOwen Mackenzie''s life story abounds with sin and seduction, domesticity and debauchery. His marriage to his college sweetheart is quickly followed by his first betrayal and he embarks upon a series of affairs. His pursuit of happiness, in a succession of small towns from Pennsylvania to Massachusetts, brings him to the edge of chaos, from which he is saved by a rescue that carries its own fatal price.Trade ReviewHats off to the man for negotiating with aplomb the highly compartmentalised facets of the male psyche, and the grey no-go-zones of conjugal life -- Douglas KennedyEnergetic, funny and perceptive * Esquire *

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Book SynopsisSusanna Jones grew up in Yorkshire and studied drama at London University. Her work has been translated into over twenty languages and has won the CWA John Creasey Dagger, a Betty Trask Award and the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. She lives in Brighton.

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Book SynopsisA cosy Dandy Gilver mystery set in 1930s Scotland. For fans of PG Wodehouse, Alexander McCall Smith and Agatha Christie.''McPherson is an exemplary crime writer'' Scotsman BAD LUCK? BAD TIMING? OR GOOD OLD-FASHIONED MURDER? When a circus comes to spend the winter at the neighbouring estate to Gilverton, Dandy Gilver''s two sons are cock-a-hoop and they are not alone in their excitement. The allure of Tumbling Topsy Turvy, Tiny Truman and the Troupe Prebezhensky also draw the attention of the fast set, who would never normally be seen dead with the nouveau riche Mr & Mrs Albert Wilson. ''The name, darling, tells you everything you need to know.''But when Dandy Gilver is asked to investigate a series of nasty tricks taking place in the circus she discovers, under the colourful charms on the surface of circus life, a hotbed of passion and resentment she cannot begin to understand. But, when one of the artTrade ReviewA jaunty romp with a gripping ending... delightful * Observer *'As ever, McPherson's research is exhaustive and she captures the patois of the circus people beautifully . . . At the circus, things don't quite turn out as Dandy expects but this simply makes McPherson's delightful tale all the more enjoyable.' * Herald *Praise for the Dandy Gilver series: * - *Dan Brown meets Barbara Pym . . . Dandy is brisk, baffled, heroic, kindly, scandalised and - above all - very funny * Guardian *McPherson is on to a winner with her 1920s society sleuth Dandy Gilver, who is the most engaging and ingenious crime-cracker I've met in ages. She is gauche but perceptive, married but unromantic (although there's a lovely frisson to her co-solver), sly but endearingly innocent. The period detail is accomplished and convincing, the crime is neatly convoluted and McPherson's prose bristles with clever asides under a lucid surface. I wouldn't be surprised if she is translated on to the small screen soon, and I can't wait for her next adventure. * Scotland on Sunday on AFTER THE ARMISTICE BALL *'Dandy Gilver is an enthralling heroine; part Dorothy Parker, part Miss Marple, utterly engaging. [Catriona] can send chills up your spine and provoke a fit of the giggles in the space of a few short pages. Absolutely wonderful' * Kirsty Scott *McPherson is an exemplary crime writer, effortlessly balancing the driest wit with melodramatic suspense. Her range of reference is seriously literary, her research impeccable, and her exuberance with period detail utterly beguiling. And Dandy herself is wonderful: blundering bravely through this mad and murky tale with perfect aplomb and a drop-dead vocabulary, she is a lesson to us all. * Scotsman *Compelling * Publishers Weekly starred review *A well-paced tale * Scots Magazine *

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Book Synopsis____________________________________________________________Ragley, 1952.Lily has just arrived, ready to begin her first year as a teacher at the village school. There to welcome her is John Pruett, who, after his years in the war, has settled into the role of headmaster. Tom, the local bobby, is also on hand to make her feel at home up north. But Lily has a secret lurking in her past that threatens the new life she's trying to build.Can she move forward and begin to love again?In his new novel, Jack Sheffield invites you to travel back in time. Back to the days when owninga television made you the envy of the neighbours, Woolworth's still had pride of place on thehigh street and the village panto was the height of entertainment.Trade ReviewWry observation and heartwarming humour in equal measure * Alan Titchmarsh *Overflowing with amusing anecdotes * Daily Express *Amusing adventures at the North Yorkshire village school * Choice *Jack Sheffield's in a class of his own * York Press *

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