Narrative theme: sense of place

Book SynopsisAnd the Land Lay Still is the sweeping Scottish epic by James RobertsonAnd the Land Lay Still is nothing less than the story of a nation. James Robertson''s breathtaking novel is a portrait of modern Scotland as seen through the eyes of natives and immigrants, journalists and politicians, drop-outs and spooks, all trying to make their way through a country in the throes of great and rapid change. It is a moving, sweeping story of family, friendship, struggle and hope - epic in every sense.The winner of the Saltire Society Scottish Book of the Year Award 2010, And the Land Lay Still is a masterful insight into Scotland''s history in the twentieth century and a moving, beautifully written novel of intertwined stories.''Toweringly ambitious, virtually flawlessly realized, a masterpiece and, without a doubt, my book of the year'' Daily Mail''A jam-packed, dizzying piece of fiction'' Scotland on Sunday''GTrade ReviewWonderful, brilliant, panoramic, illuminating. A joy to read -- Irvine Welsh * Guardian *Gripping, vivid, beautifully realized * The Times *Powerful and moving. A brilliant and multifaceted saga of Scottish life in the second half of the twentieth century * Sunday Times *Toweringly ambitious, virtually flawlessly realized, a masterpiece and, without a doubt, my book of the year * Daily Mail *Big, ambitious, intricately organised . . . it's some achievement * New Statesman *Dizzying . . . subtle and profound . . . And The Land Lay Still reads like an alternative history of Scotland told by its everyday people instead of its movers and shakers . . . eminently readable * Independent on Sunday *Both epic and domestic, it delivers a wonderful lifelikeness * Scotsman *A hugely ambitious and compassionate novel . . . a jam-packed, dizzying piece of fiction . . . already it's being spoken of as the most important novel about Scotland since Lanark * Scotland on Sunday *

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Book Synopsis''Threads of romance, social comment, country lore and intrigue both above and below stairs are cunningly worked together to create a brilliant tapestry'' Sunday TelegraphIt is 1913 - a breath away from the Great War - and Edwardian England is about to vanish into history. An assorted group of men and women gather at Sir Randolph Nettleby''s estate for a shooting party. Opulent, adulterous, moving assuredly through the rituals of eating and slaughter, they are an era''s dazzlingly obtuse and brilliantly decorative finale.A quiet, elegant meditation on class frustration and the transience of human concern, The Shooting Party is also the inspiration behind one of the great landmarks of popular culture - Downtown Abbey.Trade ReviewThreads of romance, social comment, country lore and intrigue both above and below stairs are cunningly worked together to create a brilliant tapestry... I have seldom enjoyed a book so much * Sunday Telegraph *Colegate has found a perfect metaphor for the passing of a way of life * Spectator *A modern classic * The Times *A minor masterpiece * Daily Mail *

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Book SynopsisIn this 1950s coming-of-age story, two sisters are left reeling when their father is accused of being a member of the Communist party. Bertha finds a haven with the All-American Girls Baseball League. Flossie finds herself in an unexpected friendship. Both are about to discover how much good there is in the world--even in the hardest of circumstances.

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Book Synopsis⭐ NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND OPRAH''S BOOK CLUB PICK⭐ CHOSEN BY BARACK OBAMA AS A FAVOURITE READ⭐ TOP TEN BOOKS OF THE YEAR, NEW YORK TIMES & WASHINGTON POST''Brilliantly imagined, larger than life, a tragicomedic epic of intertwined lives.'' JOYCE CAROL OATES''Deeply felt, beautifully written and profoundly humane.'' JUNOT DIAZ, New York Times Book ReviewThe year is 1969. In a housing project in south Brooklyn, a shambling old church deacon called Sportcoat shoots - for no apparent reason - the local drug-dealer who used to be part of the church''s baseball team. The repercussions of that moment draw in the whole community, from Sportcoat''s best friend - Hot Sausage - to the local Italian mobsters, the police (corrupt and otherwise), and the stalwart ladies of the Five Ends Baptist Church.DEACON KING KONG is a book about a community under threat, about theTrade ReviewThe sheer volume of invention in Deacon King Kong commands awe...And the sentences! The prose radiates a kind of chain-reaction energy. * NEW YORKER *Deacon King Kong is full of heart, humor, and compassion...I say we give him another National Book Award for this one. It's that good. * NPR *Deacon King Kong reaffirms James McBride's position among the greatest American storytellers of our time. * BOOKPAGE *Hilarious...A rich and vivid multicultural history. * TIME *Perhaps you wouldn't expect your next great read to be a sort of comic opera set in a Brooklyn housing project circa 1969 starring a drink-addled church deacon named Sportcoat, his best friend Hot Sausage and a melancholic amateur gardener with mafia ties known as the Elephant. Best put on your seat belt, because McBride (The Good Lord Bird, Five-Carat Soul) will take you on a fast, funny, farcical ride. * WASHINGTON POST *McBride is operating in the realm of social allegory, a lineage that extends back through generations of writers: Ralph Ellison, Terry Southern, Darius James. Like them, he telegraphs his intentions through the use — or better yet, the reinvention — of history, which as Deacon King Kong progresses becomes a kind of floating opera, touching but not always overlapping with events as they occurred. * LA TIMES *Deacon King Kong cements McBride as a master storyteller. * SHELF AWARENESS *Dazzling, spiritually rich. * OPRAH magazine *Peopled with wondrously quirky and charismatic individuals...both hilarious and affecting, the patter a treat, and in wise, drunk, old Sportcoat James McBride has given us a character for the ages. * BIG ISSUE *

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Book SynopsisScottish Stories is a treasury of great writing from a richly literary land, where the short story has flourished for over two centuries. Here are chilling supernatural stories from Robert Louis Stevenson, Eric Linklater and Dorothy K. Haynes; side-splittingly funny stories from Alasdair Gray and Irvine Welsh; a stylish offering from urban realist William McIlvanney. Iain Crichton Smith evokes the Gaelic-speaking highlands, George Mackay-Brown the Orkney islands, Andrew O'Hagan working-class Glasgow; while Leila Aboulela, originally from Sudan, ponders the relations between colonizers and colonized from her home in Aberdeen. Though there is no one 'Scottishness' that binds the authors together, writes editor Gerard Carruthers, each has a Scottish footprint or accent. And perhaps more importantly, all are masters of their form.

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Book SynopsisKaren Swan began her career in fashion journalism before giving it all up to raise her three children and to pursue her ambition of becoming a writer. She lives in the forest in Sussex, writing her books in a treehouse overlooking the Downs. Her debut novel Players, has since been followed by several further novels including Christmas in the Snow, The Perfect Present, Christmas on Primrose Hill and the sequel to Christmas at Tiffany's Summer at Tiffany's.Her books are known for their evocative locations and Karen sees travel as vital research for each story. She loves to set deep, complicated love stories within twisting plots.

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Book SynopsisA story of love, laughter and happily ever after, Summer at Tiffany's by bestselling Karen Swan is the captivating and romantic sequel to Christmas at Tiffany's, perfect for fans of Santa Montefiore and Veronica Henry.A wedding to plan. A wedding to stop. What could go wrong? Cassie loves Henry. Henry loves Cassie. With a Tiffany ring on her finger, all that Cassie has left to do is plan the wedding. It should be so simple but when Henry pushes for a date, Cassie pulls back.Henry's wild, young cousin, Gem, has no such hesitations and is racing to the aisle at a sprint, determined to marry in the Cornish church where her parents were wed. But the family is set against it, and Cassie resolves to stop the wedding from going ahead. When Henry lands an expedition sailing the Pacific for the summer, Cassie decamps to Cornwall, hoping to find the peace of mind she needs to move forwards. But in the dunes and coves of the no

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Book SynopsisSuspicion is cast on two successful crime writers, when their seven-year-old son goes missing. Are they trying to show that they can commit the perfect crime? A mesmerisingly twisty, dark thriller from number-one bestselling New Zealand author Paul Cleave…‘You may think you know where it’s going, but you couldn’t be more wrong. A true page-turner filled with dread, rage, doubt and more twists than the Remutaka Pass’ Linwood Barclay‘Paul Cleave is an automatic must-read for me, and The Quiet People shows why – it grabbed me by the throat, shook me around, and left me breathing hard. Fantastic, and highly recommended’ Lee Child ‘A true page-turner, with an intriguing premise, a rollercoaster plot and a cast of believably flawed characters’ Guardian ‘An absolute BELTER of a book … I’d forgotten how good Paul Cleave is!’ Sarah Pinborough ________________________Can two crime writers get away with murder?Cameron and Lisa Murdoch are successful New Zealand crime writers, happily married and topping bestseller lists worldwide. They have been on the promotional circuit for years, joking that no one knows how to get away with crime like they do. After all, they write about it for a living.So when their challenging seven-year-old son Zach disappears, the police and the public naturally wonder if they have finally decided to prove what they have been saying all this time… Are they trying to show how they can commit the perfect crime?Electrifying, taut and immaculately plotted, The Quiet People is a chilling, tantalisingly twisted thriller that will keep you gripped and guessing to the last explosive page._________________________**Best Indie Novel: Crime Fiction Lover Awards**** 2021 INDIES Book of the Year Award Finalist** ‘The psychological depth of the leads bolsters the complex plot. This merits comparison with the work of Patricia Highsmith’ Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW ‘What is really compelling about The Quiet People is neither its neat twists nor the topical examination of mob rule, but Cleave’s portrait of Cameron as he goes rogue under pressure and tries to use his writer’s skills to save his son’ The Times‘Gripping from the first page and full of deliciously dark twists and turns. You can’t be a true fan of crime fiction if you’re not reading Cleave’s books’ Tom Wood‘The sense of dread builds unstoppably in this gripping page-turner … an intense, chilling read’ Gilly Macmillan‘I don't think I breathed from about halfway through to the end. A masterpiece from a crime genius’ Susi Holliday ‘His best book yet … by the end, readers will find themselves holding their breath’ Bolo Books‘Uses words as lethal weapons’ New York Times‘What starts out as a slow burn, quickly ratchets up the tension and the twists, sending you spiralling down a hill of depravity and desperation’ Kirsten McKenzie‘A cinematic, raging, rollercoaster of a plot … wildly entertaining, and will keep you guessing right to the end’ New Zealand Herald‘Cleave has become one of my go-to authors for a chilling slice of cleverly crafted crime’ LoveReading ‘Super-clever and properly gripping’ The Sun‘A superb novel from a champion storyteller’ Crime WatchPraise for Paul Cleave‘Cleave writes the kind of dark, intense thrillers that I never want to end. Do yourself a favour and check him out’ Simon Kernick‘Tense, thrilling, touching. Paul Cleave is very good indeed’ John Connolly‘Compelling, dark, and perfectly paced’ Booklist‘Relentlessly gripping, deliciously twisted’ Mark Billingham‘An intense adrenaline rush from start to finish’ S J Watson‘A riveting and all too realistic thriller’ Tess Gerritsen‘A gripping thriller …I couldn’t put it down’ Meg Gardiner‘This very clever novel did my head in time and again’ Michael Robotham ‘Cleave’s whirligig plot mesmerises’ People ‘This thriller is one to remember’ New York Journal of Book

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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 King.From the master of police procedural and bestselling author of Standing in the Shadows comes A Necessary End, book three in Peter Robinson’s the Inspector Banks series.Peace destroyed. Lives in ruin. Banks must race to find the killer . . .Everyday life in Eastvale is shattered when a policeman is stabbed to death after an anti-nuclear demonstration turns violent. Superintendent ‘Dirty Dick’ Burgess, Banks’s nemesis, descends with vengeful fury on those he deems responsible.Inspector Banks is uneasy about Burgess's mishandling of the case, but despite being warned off he puts his career in jeopardy to continue his search for the truth, knowing if he is to keep his job, he must beat Burgess to the killer . . .Now a major British ITV drama DCI Banks, this novel is followed by the fourth book in this Yorkshire-based crime series, The Hanging Valley.Trade ReviewInspector Banks – a man for all seasons, he knows that often the answers to the clues he seeks are hidden in his own heart -- Michael ConnellyAn award-winning writer with ideas that are imaginative and plots that are refreshingly cliché-free * Time Out *If you haven't caught up with Peter Robinson already, now is the time to start * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisSet in New York's exclusive Hamptons seaside resort, The Summer Without You is a gorgeously escapist read from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Rome Affair, Karen Swan.'Pure escapism' – Marie ClareRowena Tipton isn't looking for a new life, just a new adventure, something to while away the months as her long-term boyfriend presses pause on their relationship before they become engaged. But when a chance encounter at a New York wedding leads to an audition for a coveted houseshare in The Hamptons – Manhattan's elite beach scene – suddenly a new life is exactly what she's got.Stretching before her is a summer with three eclectic housemates, long days on white sandy beaches and parties on gilded tennis courts. But high rewards bring high stakes, and Rowena soon finds herself caught in the crossfire of a vicious intimidation campaign.Alone for the first time in her adulTrade ReviewThe Summer Without You is delicious, glamorous and purely sinful. * I Heart Chick Lit blog *The perfect summer read * Novelicious.com *I truly managed to escape into the novel . . . it's the perfect read for summer day at the beach (or the Hamptons!) * GirlsLovetoRead.com *This is a glamourous, sexy read that you really can't miss, it is absolutely one of this summer's must-reads! * On My Bookshelf blog *Bright, breezy, escapist fun * Sunday Mirror *A perfect read for lazing around the pool * Bella *Great escapism * Red magazine *Great beach read. * Sunday Express *Pure escapism * Marie Claire *

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Book Synopsis**Winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award 2020** 'The great African novel of the twenty-first century' Tade Thompson, author of Rosewater On the banks of the Zambezi River, a few miles from the majestic Victoria Falls, there was once a colonial settlement called The Old Drift. In 1904, in a smoky room at the hotel across the river, an Old Drifter named Percy M. Clark, foggy with fever, makes a mistake that entangles his fate with those of an Italian hotelier and an African busboy. So begins a cycle of unwitting retribution between three Zambian families as they collide and converge over the course of the century, into the present and beyond. 'Extraordinary, ambitious, evocative, dazzling' Salman Rushdie 'Brilliant . . . heartbreaking' Sunday Times 'Charming, heartbreaking and breathtaking' Carmen Maria Machado, author of In the Dream HouseTrade ReviewExtraordinary, ambitious, evocative… The Old Drift is an impressive book, ranging skillfully between historical and science fiction, shifting gears between political argument, psychological realism and rich fabulism…a dazzling debut, establishing Namwali Serpell as a writer on the world stage -- Salman Rushdie * New York Times Book Review *Brilliant...there are moments of such heart-wrenching poignancy that I had to put the book down several times and recompose myself. Serpell writes with the emotional maturity and sardonic smile of one who has lived several times already -- Leaf Arbuthnot * Sunday Times *An intimate, brainy, gleaming epic... The reader who picks up The Old Drift is likely to be more than simply impressed. This is a dazzling book, as ambitious as any first novel published this decade. It made the skin on the back of my neck prickle...she’s such a generous writer. The people and the ideas in The Old Drift, like dervishes, are set whirling -- Dwight Garner * New York Times *From the poetry and subtle humor constantly alive in its language, to the cast of fulsome characters that defy simple categorization, The Old Drift is a novel that satisfies on all levels. Namwali Serpell excels in creating portraits of resilience—each unique and often heartbreaking. In The Old Drift the individual struggle is cast against a world of shifting principles and politics, and Serpell captures the quicksand nature of a nation’s roiling change with exacting precision. My only regret is that once begun, I reached the end all too soon -- Alice SeboldAn impressive first novel… The Old Drift is electric with the sense that Serpell is laying down pieces in a puzzle kept teasingly out of sight... A growing sense that The Old Drift could go on for ever is tribute to its inventiveness -- Anthony Cummins * Observer *

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Book SynopsisA beautiful, beguiling novel from the bestselling author of The Librarian and Grandmothers''A lovely book . . . wise at heart and filled with colourful characters'' Joanne Harris, author of ChocolatA compelling story of darkness and light, of traumatic loss and second chances, The Cleaner of Chartres tells of the mysterious and elusive Agnes Morel whose little acts of kindness around a rural French cathedral touch the lives of others with consequences both good and ill. But when her tragic past is exposed, Agnes must face up to the truth of her origins. ''Salley Vickers sees with a clear eye and writes with a light hand and she knows how the world works. She''s a presence worth cherishing'' Philip Pullman''A rich weave of loss and redemption . . . magic and mystery'' Observer, Book of the Year Trade ReviewSalley Vickers sees with a clear eye and writes with a light hand and she knows how the world works. She's a presence worth cherishing * Philip Pullman *Beautifully and brilliantly controlled. A triumph * John Julius Norwich on Miss Garnet's Angel *Reveals itself as a surprising exploration of the mysteries of imagination and faith -- Joanna Trollope * Book of the Year, Daily Telegraph on Miss Garnet's Angel *Subtle and utterly joyous...a contemporary moral and psychological drama every bit as absorbing as Miss Garnet's Angel * Sunday Times *The Cleaner of Chartres is a return to form * Sunday Express *The Cleaner of Chartres touches lightly on the seedy side of human nature * Observer *A magical and at times sinister story about love, loss, secrets and forgiveness...with Chocolat-type charm * Scotland on Sunday *If you're looking for a book to take you by surprise, Salley Vickers' latest is the perfect choice * Psychologies *

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Book Synopsis'A compelling read with a dramatic sense of place and a caring community at its heart' Heidi Swain, bestselling author of A Taste of Home‘A wonderfully wise and beautifully written story about finding the courage to start over … I loved it!’ Isabelle BroomA remote yet beautiful village. A tiny kitchen lunch club. The perfect place to start again.   Anna moves to Crovie, a tiny fishing village on the Moray Firth, for a fresh start. But when she arrives, she realises her new home is really no more than a shed, and the village itself sits beneath a cliff right on the edge of the sea, in constant danger of storms and landslides. Has she made a terrible mistake? Yet as she begins to learn about the Scottish coast and its people, something she thought she’d lost reawakens in her. She rediscovers her love of cooking, and turns her kitchen into a pop-up lunch club. But not all Trade Review'A compelling read with a dramatic sense of place and a caring community at its heart' -- Heidi Swain, author of A Taste of Home‘A gorgeously remote and romantic great escape, brimming with foodie passion, friendship and heart’ -- Laura Kemp, author of A Year of Surprising Acts of Kindness'A magical story set in Scotland...An inspiring book of second chances' * Woman's Own *'A story to make you long to visit our glorious coastlines' * Prima *'With a romance that gently simmers, a plot that flows as fast as the North Sea tides, and some gentle reminders of the need to protect our oceans, The House Beneath the Cliffs provides the perfect holiday getaway' * Lancashire Post *'Thrilling & romantic' * The People's Friend *‘An inspiring book of second chances' * Woman *'Packed full of warmth' * Cumbria Life *

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Book Synopsis*As seen on The One Show** A SUNDAY TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH *'Hugely entertaining' - ANN CLEEVES'An outstanding debut' - SUNDAY TIMES____________________________________Ex-detective Kamil Rahman is embroiled in a case that might just change his life - for better or for worse . . . Disgraced detective Kamil Rahman moves from Kolkata to London to start afresh as a waiter in an Indian restaurant. But the peace of his new life is soon shattered. The day Kamil caters an extravagant party, the powerful host, Rakesh, is found dead in his swimming pool.Suspicion falls on Rakesh's young and glamorous new wife, and Kamil is called to investigate for the family. Kamil and Anjoli, his boss's daughter, prove a winning team - yet as the case progresses, and their relationship grows, the events of Kamil's past threaten to catch up with him . . .____________________________________'A rip-roaring mystery that's engrossing from start to finish' - ABIR MUKHERJEE'This detective waiter has all the ingredients for a great crime series' - SUN'[Kamil is a] likeable inspector . . . We shall hear much more of him' - DAILY MAIL'An elegantly constructed thriller' - THE TIMESTrade ReviewA hugely entertaining first novel for lovers of traditional crime fiction, taking us from Kolkata to Brick Lane. I can't wait to read more about disgraced detective Kamil and his wonderfully drawn companion Anjoli. * Ann Cleeves *Superb... Chowdhury paces the novel like an old hand, juxtaposing chapters set in the East End with flashbacks to Calcutta... [an] outstanding debut -- Joan Smith * Sunday Times *From the mean streets of Kolkata to the kitchens of Brick Lane...this is a rip-roaring mystery that's engrossing from start to finish. In Kamil Rahman, Ajay has created a quixotic and all too human protagonist who is a refreshing and welcome addition to the world of detective fiction. One of my favourite reads of the year. * Abir Mukherjee, author of the Wyndham & Banerjee mysteries *The Waiter is a heady mix of murder, intrigue and all things Indian. Weaving together a dual narrative with aplomb, Ajay Chowdhury's neatly-drawn detective Kamil Rahman relives his failure to solve the murder of a Bollywood A-lister in Kolkata whilst trying to solve the killing of an Indian industrialist in London. Could the two murders be connected? An accomplished crime debut that offers something a little different. * Vaseem Khan, author of the Malabar House Baby Ganesh Agency crime series *An authentic and enthralling debut with an original new lead detective. * G.R. Halliday *

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Book SynopsisThe delightful new novel from Jack Sheffield, author of the much-loved Teacher series.York, 1988.Dr Tom Frith is beginning his first term as a tutor at the University of Eboracum. After teaching primary school children for several years, he's sure shaping the minds of young adults will be a welcome change. But that's before considering the pressures he'll face outside the lecture hall, from helping three hapless students who've been surviving exclusively on porridge, to fielding inappropriate propositions from students chasing higher grades.And then there's the particular challenge of Edna Wallop, the Acting Head of Faculty. Edna may have grand plans to overhaul the faculty's finances, but Tom can't help being suspicious of her methods...Meanwhile, Tom meets Inger, an enigmatic Music tutor, and feels an instant spark. One thing's for sure: it's going to be an eventful year on campus, for tutors and students alike!A hilarious, nostalgic and heart-warming novel about the trials and tribulations of life at a fictional Yorkshire university, perfect for fans of James Herriot and Tom Sharpe._Praise for Jack Sheffield:'Wry observation and heartwarming humour in equal measure' - Alan Titchmarsh'Jack Sheffield is certainly top of the class with this heart-warming and feel-good series' - Western Morning News'Reliably entertaining' - Choice

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Book SynopsisJames Joyce’s first published book, which he wrote when he was still in his twenties, Dubliners is far removed from the bold experimentalism of his later work, but is essential for understanding the author’s development as a writer, and endures as a masterly example of the short-story form. Although ranging considerably in tone, mood and milieu, the fifteen short stories included in this collection all centre around the city of Dublin and its inhabitants at the beginning of the twentieth-century. From the unsettling adventure of two truant schoolboys to the crafty schemes of two con-men, from a young woman’s refusal to abandon Ireland and elope with a sailor to a man’s moment of clarity during an annual dance party, these stories offer a moving portrait of an entire world and era which has all but disappeared.Trade ReviewHis writing is not about something; it is that something itself. -- Samuel BeckettIts deep power abides in the inextricability of Joyce’s masterly control of language and the breadth of his vision. -- Eimear McBride

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Book SynopsisA young Pakistani woman is the victim of an unthinkable act of vengeance, when she defies convention for love, facing seemingly insurmountable challenges and danger as she attempts to rebuild her life. ‘Stunning, shocking, compulsive reading … A breathtaking masterpiece’ Hazel Prior ‘Pacy, gripping and fast-moving … I literally could not put it down!’ Edel Coffey ‘Rarely has a writer affected me so deeply. Someone Like Her is an epic story of love, power and extraordinary courage’ A.J. West –––––––––––––––––––– Multan, Pakistan. A conservative city where an unmarried woman over the age of twenty-five is considered a curse by her family. Ayesha is twenty-seven. Independent and happily single, she has evaded an arranged marriage because of her family's reduced circumstances. When she catches the eye of powerful, wealthy Raza, it seems like the answer to her parents' prayers. But Ayesha is in love with someone else, and when she refuses to give up on him, Raza resorts to unthinkable revenge… Ayesha travels to London to rebuild her life and there she meets Kamil, an emotionally damaged man who has demons of his own. They embark on a friendship that could mean salvation for both of them, but danger stalks Ayesha in London, too. With her life thrown into turmoil, she is forced to make a decision that could change her and everyone she loves forever. Exquisitely written, populated by unforgettable characters and rich with poignant, powerful themes, Someone Like Her is a story of love and family, of corruption and calamity, of courage and hope … and one woman's determination to thwart convention and find peace, at whatever cost… –––––––––––––––––––– ‘Khan brings passion and a clear eye to this compelling story of female defiance in the face of corruption and violence. If you’re a fan of Khaled Hosseini … this is for you’ Paul Waters ‘A heart-rending and compelling story. Khan treats his characters with love and respect. I couldn’t put it down’ Alice Clark-Platts ‘Breaks your heart but then gradually heals it’ Mira V Shah ‘A dark and frightening story of corruption, oppression, possession and violence yet is beautifully and sensitively written by a brave, bold author’ Michael Wood ‘Tackles deep-rooted societal issues with brutal yet touching honesty’ A.A. Chaudhuri ‘An excellent storyteller’ Soniah Kamal ‘An epic story of love, abuse and revenge … an emotional rollercoaster as Awais Khan confronts societal injustices with unflinching honesty’ Eve Smith ‘Khan lays bare the trauma of women, relegated to second-class citizenship in this compelling tale of brutality and bravery. First-class writing’ Marion Todd ‘Tender and powerful … his best yet’ Sonia Velton ‘Compelling, painful and defiant’ Elyse John ‘Arguably Khan's best work’ Pakistan Daily ‘Kept me turning the pages late into the night’ Aliya Ali-Afzal ‘A gripping and emotive story of ambition, resilience and love’ Heleen Kist ‘Insightful storytelling’ Faiqa Mansab ‘Both timely and timeless’ Saba Karim Khan

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Book SynopsisSam Lloyd grew up in Hampshire, where he learned his love of storytelling. These days he lives in Surrey with his wife, three young sons and a dog that likes to howl. His first three thrillers, The Memory Wood, The Rising Tide and The People Watcher were published to great critical acclaim.Trade ReviewBeautifully told, with two superbly drawn young protagonists, Lloyd is a rare new thriller talent. * Daily Mail *Remarkable. Stunning prose and compulsive reading. It's undoubtedly the best thriller I've read in a long, long time. * Lesley Kara *What makes this book special is the marvellously executed subterranean power game. Superbly creepy, with an unexpected twist, this is a very grim modern fairytale. * Guardian *I was pulled into The Memory Wood from the very first page—it grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let you go. It’s an intense, atmospheric, and truly original thriller. Put everything else aside when you enter the Memory Wood, including your expectations… * Shari Lapena *Forget everything you think you know about thrillers. The Memory Wood is a compulsive page-turner where visceral horror meets Grimm fairytale – a story that’s guaranteed to burn itself into your brain . . . Every twist and distortion evokes a physical response – you’ll be breathless with anticipation, tingling with hope, and numb with dread from beginning to end. * Press Association *

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Book Synopsis''Leon is a skilful plotter . . . Brunetti is a nicely shaded creation, a moral man who is also all too human'' The ObserverA sudden act of vandalism has been committed in the chill Venetian dawn and Commissario Guido Brunetti soon finds out that the perpetrator is no petty criminal. For the culprit waiting to be apprehended at the scene of the crime is none other than Paola Brunetti, his wife.As Paola''s actions provoke a crisis in the Brunetti household, Brunetti himself is under increasing pressure at work: a daring robbery with Mafia connections is linked to a suspicious death and his superiors want quick results. As his professional and personal lives clash, Brunetti''s own career is threatened and the conspiracy which Paola has risked everything to expose draws him inexorably to the brink . . .''Donna Leon has established Commissario Guido Brunetti as one of the most engaging of fictional detectives'' Sunday TimesTrade ReviewDonna Leon has established Commissario Guido Brunetti as one of the most engaging of fictional detectives ... Brunetti is ... back on track, sadder perhaps, but wiser and wittier than ever * Sunday Times *A splendid series ... with a backdrop of the city so vivid you can smell it * Sunday Telegraph *One of the most exquisite and subtle detective series ever * The Washington Post *No one knows the labyrinthine world of Venice . . . like Leon's Brunetti * Time *[Brunetti's] humane police work is disarming, and his ambles through the city are a delight * The New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisFresh from rehab, Norwegian PI Varg Veum faces his most complex investigation yet, when a man is found drowned, a young woman disappears, and the case of a missing child is revived. The classic Nordic Noir series continues…‘As searing and gripping as they come’ New York Times ‘One of my very favourite Scandinavian authors’ Ian Rankin‘The Norwegian Chandler’ Jo Nesbø ***Now a major TV series starring Trond Espen Seim***________________________PI Varg Veum has returned to duty following a stint in rehab, but his new composure and resolution are soon threatened when a challenging assignment arrives on his desk.A man is found dead in an elite swimming pool and a young woman has gone missing. Most chillingly, Varg Veum is asked to investigate the ‘Camilla Case’: an eight-year-old cold case involving the disappearance of a little girl, who was never found.As the threads of these apparently unrelated crimes come together, against the backdrop of a series of shocking environmental crimes, Varg Veum faces the most challenging, traumatic investigation of his career.________________________ 'Every inch the equal of his Nordic confreres Henning Mankell and Jo Nesbø' Independent‘Staalesen continually reminds us he is one of the finest of Nordic novelists’ Financial Times ‘There are only two other writers that I know of have achieved the depth of insight in detective writing that Staalesen has: Chandler, and Ross MacDonald …’ Mystery Tribune ‘Employs Chandleresque similes with a Nordic Noir twist … simply superb’ Wall Street Journal‘Masterful pacing’ Publishers Weekly 'The Varg Veum series is more concerned with character and motivation than spectacle, and it’s in the quieter scenes that the real drama lies’ Herald Scotland ‘Unsettling, moving, sad, hopeful and hopeless … it’s rich and it’s sharp and it’s cynical and sentimental all at once’ NB Magazine ‘A complex, layered plot in which human tragedy and mystery combine to play out beautifully in a classic Nordic noir with a touch of Christie’ Live & Deadly For fans of Henning Mankell, Jo Nesbø, Jorn Lier Horst, Harlan Coben and Jussi Adler-Olse

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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 KingFrom the master of police procedural and bestselling author of Standing in the Shadows comes Gallows View, the first book in Peter Robinson’s the Inspector Banks series.New Town. New Cases. New Danger . . .Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks has recently relocated with his family from stressful London to the Yorkshire Dales, but soon finds that life in the countryside is not quite as idyllic as he had imagined.Three cases come to the fore: a voyeur is terrorizing the women of Eastvale; two thugs are breaking into homes; and an old woman is dead, possibly murdered. As the tension mounts, Banks must also deal with his attraction to a young psychologist, Jenny Fuller – and when both Jenny and Banks’s wife are drawn deeper into events, Banks realizes that his cases are weaving closer and closer together . . .Gallows View is followed by A Dedicated Man in the DCI Banks series.'If you haven’t encountered Chief Inspector Alan Banks before, prepare for a crash course in taut, clean writing and subtle psychology. And watch for those twists – they’ll get you every time' - Ian Rankin, author of A Game Called MaliceTrade ReviewIf you haven’t encountered Chief Inspector Alan Banks before, prepare for a crash course in taut, clean writing and subtle psychology. And watch for those twists – they’ll get you every time -- Ian RankinThe novels of Peter Robinson are chilling, evocative, deeply nuanced works of art -- Dennis LehanePeter Robinson is a master -- Tess GerritsenAn author with amazing empathy, a snare trap ear for dialogue and a clear eye for the telling detail -- Michael ConnellyPeter Robinson’s first, and extremely well-fashioned, police procedural. An expert plotter with an eye for telling detail, Mr. Robinson can also make acute social observations * New York Times Book Review *

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Book SynopsisThe glittering new uplifting Christmas read from bestselling author Cressida McLaughlin.A wonderfully cosy festive treat' My weeklyOllie Spencer has started a new life in the idyllic Cornish seaside town of Port Karadow. Throwing herself into her job at the town's bookshop, A New Chapter, is one way to make friends. The shop is glitzing up for first Christmas and Ollie hopes her inspired ideas will give the shop the edge it needs to dazzle the town.But far from being the Sugar Plum fairy the place needs, Ollie is fast becoming its Christmas pudding. With the bookshop's success at stake, Ollie turns to twinkly-eyed café owner Max for help. Can he help Ollie to turn the page, and put the sparkle back into her Cornish dream?Praise for the Cornish Cream Tea series:Gorgeous!' Phillipa AshleyPerfect' Cathy BramleyWarm-hearted fun with a sprinkle of love' Holly MartinTrade Review Praise for Cressida McLaughlin: ‘One of our favourite women’s fiction stars’ – Heat ‘A warm and wonderful read’ – Woman’s Own ‘The perfect summer treat; as sweet as a cream scone and just as moreish’ – Cathy Bramley ‘Gorgeously romantic’ – Rachael Lucas ‘Cressida's characters are wonderful. So warm and relatable… A delicious summer treat!’ – Sarah Morgan ‘Evocative and gorgeous’ – Phillipa Ashley ‘Warm and wonderful… bursting with characters you’ll adore’ – Miranda Dickinson ‘So many perfect romantic moments that made me melt.’ – Jules Wake ‘You’ll want to cancel plans and stay in’ – Pernille Hughes ‘Sizzingly romantic and utterly compelling’ – Alex Brown ‘I just LOVED this story. All the characters are wonderful’ – Isabelle Broom ‘Real heart and soul’ – Sarra Manning ‘I absolutely love Cressida’s warm-hearted, romantic stories – they’re the perfect escape’ – Rachael Lucas ‘A wonderful ray of reading sunshine’ – Heidi Swain ‘A little slice of a Cornish cream tea but without the calories’ – Bella Osborne ‘Perfectly pitched between funny, sexy, tender and downright heartbreaking’ – Jane Casey 'A lovely warm gem’ – Alex Brown ‘McLaughlin writes so warmly and vividly, the rest of the world melts away!’ – Kirsty Greenwood ‘Beautiful, heartwarming. Drew me in and I didn’t want to leave!’ – Zara Stoneley ‘As hot & steamy as a freshly made hot chocolate, and as sweet & comforting as the whipped cream & sprinkles that go on top’ – Helen Fields

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewI love Sebastian's courage, his lightness, and his wit -- John BanvilleSebastian belongs in the pantheon of classic authors * New Statesman *A compelling portrait of desire * Kirkus *Nothing I have read is more affecting than Mihail Sebastian's magnificent, haunting 1934 novel, For Two Thousand Years. -- Philippe Sands * Guardian Books of the Year 2016 *His prose is like something Chekhov might have written - the same modesty, candour, and subtleness of observation -- Arthur MillerSebastian's observations of the complex physical and emotional details of romantic intrigue are perceptive and affectionate....these concise stories...showcase Sebastian's brilliant eye for emotional detail * Publishers Weekly *If there is any justice [Sebastian's] posthumous profile will increase * Herald Scotland *Sebastian died a victim of an automobile accident in 1946, having survived the Second World War and the Holocaust. That fatal moment robbed the literary world of a unique voice * New York Journal of Books *A minor masterpiece of voice, mood and emotion * Irish Times *

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Book SynopsisPrize-winning author Petina Gappah''s tale of Dr Livingstone''s epic journey through nineteenth-century Africa is incredible'' (Yaa Gyasi), ''powerful'' (Jesmyn Ward), and ''beautiful'' (Anthony Doerr).A fine writer.' J.M. Coetzee Wonderful.' The Times Captivating.' GuardianThis is the story of the body of Bwana Daudi, the Doctor, the explorer David Livingstone and the sixty-nine men and women who carried his remains for 1,500 miles across the African interior so that he could be borne across the sea and buried in his own country. This is the story of those in the shadows of history: those who saved a white man's bones, his dark companions, who became his faithful retinue on an epic funeral march - little knowing that his corpse carried the maps that sowed the seeds of the continent's brutal colonisation and enslavement. This is the story of how human bravery, loyalty, and love can

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Book Synopsis''Glorious'' Observer''Amazing'' André Aciman''Masterly'' Sunday Times''Blistering'' Financial TimesGeneral Alwany is a pious man who loves his family. He also tortures and kills enemies of the state.Under the regime of Hosni Mubarak, Egypt is gripped by cronyism, religious hypocrisy, and the oppressive military. Now, however, the regime faces its greatest crisis. The idealistic young from different backgrounds - engineers, teachers, medical students, and among them the general's daughter - have come together to challenge the status quo.Euphoria mounts as Mubarak is toppled and love blossoms across class divides, but can it last?Rooted in first-hand experience, this searing account of the short-lived 2011 Egyptian revolution blends knockabout satire with real polemical anger.' Daily Mail A powerful book in the vein of a great Russian or South American social novel . . Trade Review'A masterly panorama of doomed revolution, Aswany's novel puts him in the company of writers such as Joseph Conrad or Mario Vargas Llosa as an outstanding fictional confronter of authoritarianism and its entrenched evils.' - Sunday Times'Exile has only whetted the blade of [Aswany's] satire . . a glorious, humane novel that chronicles the failure of a revolution and its personal cost without ever quite extinguishing hope of a better future.' - Observer'Rooted in first-hand experience, this searing account of the short-lived 2011 Egyptian revolution blends knockabout satire with real polemical anger.' - Daily Mail'A blistering, bold dissection of a failed revolution, and of the disenchantment and dissent that inevitably follow.' - Financial Times'An amazing portrait of fanaticism and cynicism among Egyptian powermongers.' - Andre Aciman, Guardian'An engaging, provocative and, ultimately, frustrating tour of the revolution, from its gestation to its bloody aftermath.' - The Economist'A powerful book in the vein of a great Russian or South American social novel . . . Al Aswanyis a writer of great talent, a rare man whose courage is not merely literary.' - Le Figaro'One of our greatest contemporary writers or, even better, the Pharaoh of the literary arts . . . A wonderful novel . . . Breathtaking . . . The Republic of False Truths is also a novel of ferocious comedy and dissent; Al Aswany attacks the hypocrisy of power, politics, and every aspect of religion, including its relationship to sexuality.' - France Culture'Brave, sobering, provocative, and thoroughly absorbing.' - Booklist'In telling the story of the Egyptian revolution of 2011 through the viewpoint of a variety of Cairenes both for and against, Alaa Al Aswany holds out the slender straw of hope against the slashing shears of repression. ' - Spectator'Exhilarating in its storytelling and devastating in its societal critique . . . an evocative and informed account of an important moment in Egyptian society.' - Irish Times

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ‘Delicious’ Nigella Lawson ‘Clever and beguiling’ Guardian ‘Sublime and immersive’ Jojo Moyes Erica is eighteen and ready for freedom. It’s the summer of 1960 when she lands on the sun-baked Greek island of Hydra where she is swept up in a circle of bohemian poets, painters, musicians, writers and artists, living tangled lives. Life on their island paradise is heady, dream-like, a string of seemingly endless summer days. But nothing can last forever. ‘A surefire summer hit ... At once a blissful piece of escapism and a powerful meditation on art and sexuality’ Observer ‘Heady armchair escapism ... An impressionistic, intoxicating rush of sensory experience’ Sunday Times ‘If summer was suddenly like a novel, it would be like this one. Immaculate’ Andrew O’HaganTrade ReviewSamson is an intensely sensual writer, conjuring up blue skies, the tang of wild herbs, the vivid splash of bougainvillea ... As good as a Greek holiday, and may be the closest we get this year * Financial Times *As dreamily nostalgic as Cohen’s song Famous Blue Raincoat -- Alex Preston * Observer, New Year Highlights *Sleazy, evocative, beautiful and entertaining -- Stuart Turton * Guardian Summer Reading Picks *A thoroughly enjoyable drama of hedonism, enchantment and emotional beastliness * Times Literary Supplement *A coming of age story set among a group of artists and poets, including Leonard Cohen, on the Greek island of Hydra in 1960. She is so good at mentally indelible imagery -- Jojo Moyes * Guardian *This well-crafted novel beautifully captures the texture of a halcyon age in which anything seems possible * Mail on Sunday *Spellbinding … An immersive read, steeped in nostalgia. Samson’s poetic prose is so evocative that, by the end, you find yourself googling those entrancing images of Hydra, 1960, just to wallow further in the poignancy of it all * Vanity Fair *The novel has a lightly worn heft to it, as it probes freedom and creativity … By the end of this enjoyable novel, which makes vivid an interesting moment and place, you discover people have paid a price – a heavy one – for that freedom in the sun * The Times *Samson recreates one heady summer there with impeccably ripening prose …This is a slow, deliberately languorous novel that mixes real-life figures with fictional counterparts. It is sunbaked, stewed in alcohol, and wonderfully gossipy * i paper *Intoxicating ... Highly accomplished ... A testament to Samson’s transportive prose * Spectator *A surefire summer hit ... Feels at once like a gift and an escape route ... At once a blissful piece of escapism and a powerful meditation on art and sexuality – just the book to bring light into these dark days * Observer *Heady armchair escapism ... An impressionistic, intoxicating rush of sensory experience * Sunday Times *By the end the reader may be unable to decide whether Hydra enchanted or cursed those attracted by its primitive beauty, cheap rents and easy access to sex, drugs and performance poetry … A novel about the treatment of women by artistic men * The Times *Beautiful ... Perfect if you want to escape the drudgery of another lentil dinner and dream of 1960s Hydra with Leonard Cohen -- Dolly AldertonIt is a grand read and the prose falls translucently like the air ... Superb work and a delightful novel -- Thomas KeneallySuch a lyrical, elegant and beautifully told story -- Joanna CannonSo vivid that you can see the sun-washed white houses and blue seas * Good Housekeeping, Book of the Month *I cannot tell you how much I needed this beautiful book to transport me back to 1960s Greece! Lyrical, sexy, tender and sad in places. Highly recommended -- Erin KellyThis radiant novel will transport you straight to Greece - a blessing at a time when most of us are stuck in our homes * Cosmopolitan *Delicious -- Nigella LawsonThis well-crafted novel beautifully captures the texture of a halcyon age in which anything seems possible * Daily Mail *A coming of age story set among a group of artists and poets, including Leonard Cohen, on the Greek island of Hydra in 1960. She is so good at mentally indelible imagery -- Jojo Moyes * Guardian *Dreamily nostalgic * Observer, Fiction to look out for in 2020 *About real people living in Hydra in 1960. Steeped in nostalgia that's both sad and beautiful. It's fascinating, immersive and so MOVING -- Marian KeyesHands down the best book I've read all year. Luminous, immersive, gorgeous, profound -- Joanne HarrisHer best work yet, so evocative and alive with the scents and colours of a Greek summer ... Among the best prose writers of her generation. The writing is just delicious -- Cressida ConnollyI was utterly entranced. It feels entirely true and effortless and compelling – in the way that all great novels do -- Justine PicardieIf summer was suddenly like a novel, it would be like this one. Immaculate -- Andrew O'HaganA seductive story, suffused with nostalgia * Sunday Mirror *This is a sheer delight - I’ve never been to Hydra but this book transports you and miraculously, you are there in 1960 -- Jenny EclairA glorious novel -- Kate MosseA beautifully written, evocative, inspiring novel. I devoured it -- Kathy LettePolly Samson has created such a dazzling evocation of an era and its mindset. Here, the island of Hydra is a geographical place but a psychological one too, populated by beautiful and damaged characters who pull you down into its pages for another café gossip, another moonlit swim, another drink. This book is a bohemian idyll meticulously drawn, and unsparingly exposed. It is like going away to paradise, then coming back rather wiser. You don’t read this book – you live it -- Marina HydeA luscious seduction of a book -- Sofka ZinovieffSamson's story sizzles with the Greek sun and seduction * The i *Praise for The Kindness: ‘An addictive, cleverly structured and intriguing relationship story of lies and flawed communication * SUNDAY TIMES Book of the Week *Annoyingly close to perfection -- INDIA KNIGHT * SUNDAY TIMES *A story that entices you to revel in its languid, beautifully written prose while demanding that you turn the page to discover the secrets it holds * OBSERVER Paperback of the week *Beautifully written, with twists engineered like a thriller -- STEPHANIE MERRITT * OBSERVER Books of the Year *A book to cherish, to recommend, to return to * FINANCIAL TIMES *Brilliant, tender and beautiful -- ANDREW O'HAGANBeautifully written and plotted with serpentine cunning, Samson’s novel is what might be called a love story for adults: unsentimental, at times harsh, but ultimately uplifting * MAIL ON SUNDAY *Gorgeously chilling … Samson seems to write in colours * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *Shining, poetic and sumptuous … Polly Samson is a writer of great insight and sensitivity -- JOANNE HARRISA richly sensory writer … A sumptuous, serious story * DAILY MAIL *Lush, lyrical prose … The Kindness is to be read more than once, not merely to enjoy again the beauty of the writing and the considerable insights into human experience, but to test the earlier narrative with the knowledge of what is to come * INDEPENDENT *Compelling … Atmospheric and vividly told, the book is a poignant examination of love, guilt, betrayal and the deception that can lie at the heart of every relationship * TATLER *Family proves far from idyllic in this poetic, sensual story of betrayal and lies. Writer and lyricist Samson’s prose is dazzlingly evocative, as she explores how relationships are rarely what they seem * GLAMOUR *Secrets and misunderstandings fuel Polly Samson’s involving, melancholy and cleverly constructed second novel … This is a mature and haunting novel about love and loss that asks if we all, in the end, see what we want to see * METRO *This is elegant, witty writing, informed throughout by generosity and wise perceptiveness. Dealing with many kinds of love, and with misunderstanding, betrayal, grief and forgiveness, the novel dares to posit, ultimately, the possibility of redemption. It is a book to cherish, to recommend, to return to * FT WEEKEND *Intensely evocative … Samson treats this difficult subject with candour and compassion … The novel’s effortlessness, its readability, sweeps everything in its wake … This is a book to relax into * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Polly Samson’s mastery of the English language is powerful and impressive * DAILY EXPRESS *Fills the back of your eyes with light like an Aegean sky, and has that rare and lovely quality of making you nostalgic for something you never had ... It perfectly takes the reader into a different world. Which we could all do with -- Louisa Young

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Book SynopsisTaking us deep into the heart of the Costa Rican jungle, Sunday Times bestselling author Karen Swan returns with The Secret Path – complete with her trademark romance, glamour, and jaw-dropping twists.'A glamorous adventure' - Hello!'A twisty, glamorous read, bringing jungles, beaches and ancient towns to life' - My WeeklyAn old flame. A new spark. Love can find you in the most unlikely places . . .At only twenty, Tara Tremain has everything: she’s a trainee doctor, engaged to the man of her dreams – Alex, a passionate American biology student. But just when life seems perfect, Alex betrays her in the worst way possible.Ten years later, she’s moved on – with a successful career, good friends and a man who loves her. But when she’s pulled back into her wealthy family’s orbit for a party in the heart of Costa Rica, she’s flung into a crisis: a child is desperately ill and the only treatment is several days’ trek away, deep in the jungle.There's only one person who can help – but can she trust the man who broke her heart?Your Costa Rican adventure awaits . . .What Karen's readers are saying:'So immersive I could feel the heat, see the dense forest''Pure escapism, action, adventure, romance and intrigue''So detailed and real that I started itching with imaginary insect bites!'Trade ReviewA glamorous adventure * Hello! *Swan incorporates the destination into a twisty, glamorous read, bringing jungles, beaches and ancient towns to life * My Weekly *A charming, well-crafted tale of love, loss and reinvention -- Marie Claire on The Hidden BeachDeliciously glamorous, irresistibly romantic! -- Hello! on The Hidden BeachA stunning journey -- Sunday Express on The Hidden Beach

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Book SynopsisA Richard and Judy Book Club pick.Patricia Highsmith meets E. Lockhart in Out Of Her Depth – a simmering Summer thriller about the choices you make as a teenager, and what happens when they go horribly wrong . . .'This book is, quite simply, sublime'- Lesley Kara, author of The RumourMeet Rachel.An unassuming young woman from a quiet London suburb.Picture the scene:A summer job at the beautiful Villa Medici in the Tuscan hills.A group of glamorous teenagers, used to a life of privilege.Lavish parties, heady sun-soaked days, backstabbing and bedhopping.Until someone goes too far.And nothing will ever be the same . . .Readers love Lizzy Barber's Out Of Her Depth:‘Really believable characters, a great plot, a wonderful setting . . . felt like I was in Italy soaking up the sun’ *****‘A tantalisingly written suspense . . . and a premise that delivers. Delicious.’ *****‘A classic take on the unreliable narrator, a terrific page turner with themes of those with privilege versus those without’ *****‘This is one of those totally addictive psychological thrillers that has you reading 'just one more page' and ignoring everything else you need to do until you finish it’ *****Trade ReviewThis book is, quite simply, sublime -- Lesley Kara, bestselling author of The RumourA compelling and compulsive read that had me gripped * Prima *I can't rave about this book enough. Atmospheric, gripping, pacey and superbly written, Out of Her Depth has everything you want in a novel and more. I absolutely loved it. -- Charlotte Duckworth, bestselling author of The Perfect FatherPage-turning psychological thriller with a beautifully sun-drenched glamorous Tuscan setting * Cosmopolitan *Praise for My Name is Anna: A dark, addictive read, with a real heart at its core. I loved it -- Amy Lloyd, bestselling author of The Innocent WifePraise for My Name is Anna: Provides a clever, unexpected solution, by way of some fine writing * The Times *

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Book SynopsisGive yourself up. Whatever you've done. They'll find you. In the end.A man with no name staggers down a lonely stretch of road that cuts through the simmering veld of rural South Africa. He is exhausted and hungry yet dives for the long grass whenever cars approach. He is on the run. When a minister on his way to a new congregation offers help - at a price - the fugitive's desperation boils over. Stealing the minister's identity, he is successfully taken in by the township. But when a body is discovered in a nearby quarry, and the local police captain's suspicions grow, the hunt reignites with devastating consequences.'One of South Africa's great literary voices' Economist'Galgut's prose feels as if it's been fired through a crucible, burning away all the comfortable excess until only a hard, concentrated purity remains' Daily Telegraph Trade ReviewAn extremely atmospheric book in a hazy, raw and entirely realistic sense.... Galgut's story suggests that such points on the map, despite their ghostly quiet, are seething with repressed violence, ready to explode.... A compelling read about guilt and evasion of truth * The Spectator *In a bleak morality tale about a fugitive from justice, Galgut again demonstrates his flair for charting the vicissitudes of human despair in modern-day South Africa * Publisher's Weekly *An...uncompromising journey into the heart of South Africa's darkness, written in prose that is at once stark and striking. The Quarry is Galgut's homage to Dostoevsky * Literary Review *A remarkable achievement...Galgut's prose has a spare beauty, suggesting volcanic emotions held rigorously in check * Kirkus Reviews *This taut existential thriller...divulges little but manages to suggest volumes... Stark, almost brutal minimalism * Boston Globe *

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling, Booker-shortlisted chronicler of Italy, a classic novel about a man's emotional reckoning in a changed world far from homeFrank's reclusive existence in a leafy part of London is shattered when he is summoned to Milan for the funeral of an old friend. Preoccupied by this sudden intrusion of his past, he flies, oblivious, into the epicentre of a crisis he has barely registered on the news.It is spring, his luxury hotel offers every imaginable comfort; perhaps he will be able to weather the situation and return home unscathed? What Frank doesn't know is that he's about to make a discovery that will change his heart and his mind.Hotel Milano is a universal story from a unique moment in recent history: a book about the kindness of strangers, and about a complicated man who, faced with the possibility of saving a life, must also take stock of his own.Trade ReviewHotel Milano is one of Tim Parks' most engaging and satisfying books * Scotsman, *Summer Reads of 2023* *Tim Parks, a long-time resident in Italy, is an accomplished writer of both fiction and non-fiction, and this deft and affecting short novel combines his skills * New Statesman *A compelling mix of emotional introspection and pressing drama * Mail on Sunday *Excellent and quietly devastating... While recent pandemic novels such as Sarah Hall's Burntcoat and Sarah Moss's The Fell gave us the claustrophobia and forced intimacy of the pandemic, Hotel Milano comes closest to evoking what it was really like to watch the world be redrawn in real time * Guardian *Parks writes with an appealing wry elegance, and his quirky, erudite narrator finally finds solace not so much in the grand themes of European culture as in a shredded balloon stuck in a tree or the yellow beak of a blackbird * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisA busy single-mom. A laid-back bachelor. One unforgettable night that changes their friendship—and their lives—forever . . . Single-mom Rebecca Hayes has been so focused on raising her daughter and building her finance career, she’s not sure she even remembers how to date. The only man she’s been out with is Jackson, her very close—and very attractive—friend. But Becca isn’t getting her hopes up after they crossed the line one memorable night—she knows Jackson too well. So when she discovers she’s pregnant with his baby, Becca isn’t sure she can count on Jackson anymore . . . Fatherhood isn’t something Jackson Lowe saw for himself. He figured he’d just keep working at his family's landscaping business, surfing and being a happily unattached bachelor. But in his heart, he longs to build a family with Rebecca—his secret crush and the real reason he never settled down. He’s got a lot of work to do before she’ll believe he’s all in. He’s been the man Becca wants. Now, Jackson has to prove he’s ready to be the man she needs.

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Book SynopsisThree women are torn between traditions of the past and unexpected new beginnings in a warmhearted novel by Carolyn Brown about family, romance, and the best pastries in Texas.For Grace Dalton, her sister, Sarah, and her cousin Macy, the Devine Doughnut Shop is a sweet family legacy and a landmark in their Texas town. As the fourth generation to run the Double D, they keep their great-grandmother’s recipe secret and uphold the shop’s tradition as a coffee klatch for sharing local gossip, advice, and woes. But drama brews behind the counter, too.Grace is a single mother struggling with an unruly teenage daughter. Heartbroken Sarah has sworn off love. Macy’s impending wedding has an unexpected hitch. And now charming developer Travis Butler has arrived in Devine with a checkbook and a handsome smile. He wants to buy the shop, expand it nationally, and boost the economy of a town divided by the prospect.With the family’s relationships in flux, their beloved heritage up for grabs, and their future in the air, it’s amazing what determination, sass, a promise of romance, and a warm maple doughnut can do to change hearts and minds.

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VINTAGE CLASSICS' HARLEM RENAISSANCE SERIES Celebrating the finest works of the Harlem Renaissance, one of the most important Black arts movements in modern history.'Why did I want to mix mahself up in a white folk's war? It ain't ever was any of black folks' affair'When Jake Brown joins the army during the First World War, he is treated more like a slave than a soldier. After deserting his post to escape the racial violence he is facing, Jake travels back home to Harlem. But despite the distance, Jake cannot seem to escape the past and the explosive ways in which it can culminate. Written with brutal accuracy, Home to Harlem is an extraordinary work, and was the first American bestseller by a Black writer. 'One of the most gifted writers of the Harlem Renaissance' Washington Post

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Book SynopsisA new translation of Nobel Prize-winning author Halldór Laxness's masterpieceLate one snowy midwinter night, in a remote Icelandic fishing village, a penniless woman arrives by boat. She comes with her daughter, the young but gutsy Salka Valka. The two must forge a life in this remote place, where everyone is at the mercy of a single wealthy merchant, and where everything revolves around fish. After her mother's tragic death, Salka grows into a fiercely independent-minded adult - cutting off her hair, educating herself and becoming an advocate for the town's working class. A coming-of-age story, a feminist tale, a lament for Iceland's poor - this is the funny, tender, epic story of Salka Valka. 'Laxness is a poet who writes to the edges of the pages, a visionary who allows us a plot' Daily TelegraphTRANSLATED BY PHILIP ROUGHTONTrade ReviewLaxness was a genius * New York Review of Books *Sprinkled throughout is Icelandic folk wisdom, dark humor, fatalism and a strong sense of the absurd... A tremendous book * Laxness in Translation *Laxness is a poet who writes to the edges of the pages, a visionary who allows us a plot * Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisDiscover this beautiful winter gem of a novella that makes the perfect stocking filler this Christmas.'I may have been gone a long time, but I'm no stranger...' Manfred walks alone through a snowy valley, surrounded by his memories, on a pilgrimage of sorts to his childhood home. He's been estranged from his brother Sebastian for decades, ever since their bitter feud over the love of a woman and the inheritance of the family farm.Twelve Nights transports us to the wintry depths of Europe's Black Forest, through the stillness of the snow-covered hills, the dense woods, the cold and mist, in those dark, wild days between Christmas and Epiphany. These nights are a time of tradition and superstition, of tales told around the local innkeeper's table of marauding spirits, as tangible as the ghosts of Manfred's past. But the twelfth night, Epiphany, promises new beginnings, and a hope of reconciliation at last.Twelve Nights is a hymn to the winter landscape and the power of storytelling, a beautiful novella of the natural world and our place in it.

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Book SynopsisFull of warmth, fun and feel-good factor' Sunday Times Bestseller Katie FfordeLove Heart Lane where friends are there for you no matter what When Bea Fernsby discovers her fiancé's eyes have been wandering, she calls off the wedding and hits the road. The village of Heartcross in the Scottish Highlands is about as far away from home as she can get, and when she stumbles into the ideal summer job at The Little Blue Boathouse and meets gorgeous vacationer Nolan Hemingway, things finally start looking up.Now, as an old mystery surfaces and Bea and Nolan band together to find out what happened to his late grandfather's one true love, fate throws Bea some unexpected curveballsand promising opportunities.Bea's stay is only supposed to last a couple of weeks, but as the old saying goes: Once you arrive in Heartcross, you never want to leave'Trade Review‘Christie Barlow is one of the best writers in this genre’ Lorraine Rugman – The Book Review Café ‘Christie is an immensely talented author with the ability to spin words into heart-warming comedy gold’ Caroline Mitchell #1 bestselling author ‘Well-observed, highly-relatable and wickedly-funny’ Sunday Times bestseller Cathy Bramley ‘There’s always love, laughter and a happy-ever-after with Christie Barlow’s books!’ Mandy Baggot ‘What I absolutely love about the authors books is her attention to her characters, they are a joy to read about. they are so well developed by the end of the book you really do feel you are saying “goodbye” to old friends’ Lorraine Rugman – The Book Review Café

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Book SynopsisThe extraordinary first novel by the master of storytelling.Trade ReviewA very fine and imaginative writer * The Times *'Gaiman has a rich imagination...and an ability to tackle large themes' * Philip Pullman *

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Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Folio Prize'Unforgettable' - Anne Tyler'Stunningly original' - GuardianOne long last summer for Dad Lewis in his beloved town, Holt, Colorado. As old friends pass in and out to voice their farewells and good wishes, Dad's wife and daughter work to make his final days as comfortable as possible, knowing all is tainted by the heart-break of an absent son. Next door, a little girl with a troubled past moves in with her grandmother, and down town another new arrival, the Reverend Rob Lyle, attempts to mend strained relationships of his own.Utterly beautiful, and devastating yet affirming, Kent Haruf's Benediction explores the pain, the compassion and the humanity of ordinary people.Trade Review"The precious ordinary," is the central concern of this remarkable book. Benediction is quiet and nearly uneventful, but it is also unforgettable . . . In the very best sense, it is an old-fashioned novel-virtuous and kind-hearted, dealing with issues that are timeless -- Anne TylerIn Benediction, a fine contender for the inaugural Folio Prize, Kent Haruf's beautifully spare prose charts the events of that summer with unpretentious aplomb . . . Sensual descriptions of landscape and weather create an impression of timelessness * Daily Telegraph ***** *Haruf handles human relationships with fierce, reticent delicacy, exploring rage, fidelity, pity, honour, timidity, the sense of obligation . . . his courage and achievement in exploring ordinary forms of love - the enduring frustration, the long cost of loyalty, the comfort of daily affection - are unsurpassed by anything I know in contemporary fiction . . . A stunningly original writer in a great many ways . . . He's careful to get the story right. And it is right, it's just right; it rings true * Guardian *I wrote to Kent Haruf to tell him how much I liked his novels, for the precision of his vocabulary, for the grace that runs through his books, and for the realism . . . I thought, I wrote, of Laura Ingalls Wilder overlaid with Cormac McCarthy. American Wild implies loss, as well as exhilaration, and danger. All of that is there in Haruf, along with a measure of grace and peace of mind -- Sigrid Rausing * Independent *A brilliant end to his brilliant Plainsong trilogy. -- Lucy Mangan * Stylist *Kent Haruf describes Dad Lewis's last summer with beautiful simplicity . . . Haruf's existing fans have been waiting patiently for Benediction for years. They won't be surprised by how fine this book is, but newcomers to his writing will be reaching for his previous novels to catch up. * Sunday Express *In spare, Cormac McCarthy-like prose, Kent Haruf writes about facing death in modern America. * Independent on Sunday *Haruf is the master of what one of his characters calls "the precious ordinary". . . . With understated language and startling emotional insight, he makes you feel awe at even the most basic of human gestures. -- Ben Goldstein * Esquire *Benediction is as richly laced with metaphysics as its title suggests . . . The most affecting moments of this supremely graceful novel are conjured by farewells to the quotidian. * Times Literary Supplement *Benediction suggests there’s no end to the stories Haruf can tell about Holt or to the tough, gorgeous language he can summon in the process. * New York Times *Truly showcases the novel as an art form. * Psychologies *We’ve waited a long time for an invitation back to Holt, home to Kent Haruf’s novels. . . He may be the most muted master in American fiction [and] Benediction seems designed to catch the sound of those fleeting good moments [with] scenes Hemingway might have written had he survived. -- Ron Charles * Washington Post *His finest-tuned tale yet. . . . There is a deep, satisfying music to this book, as Haruf weaves between such a large cast of characters in so small a space. . . . Strangely, wonderfully, the moment of a man's passing can be a blessing in the way it brings people together. Benediction recreates this powerful moment so gracefully it is easy to forget that, like [the town of] Holt, it is a world created by one man. -- John Freeman * The Boston Globe *Reverberant… From the terroir and populace of his native American West, the author of Plainsong and Eventide again draws a story elegant in its simple telling and remarkable in its authentic capture of universal human emotions. -- Brad Hooper * Booklist *Haruf is maguslike in his gifts. . . to illuminate the inevitable ways in which tributary lives meander toward confluence. . . . Perhaps not since Hemingway has an American author triggered such reader empathy with so little reliance on the subjectivity of his characters. . . . [This] is a modestly wrought wonder from one of our finest living writers. -- Bruce Machart * The Houston Chronicle *Grace and restraint are abiding virtues in Haruf's fiction, and they resume their place of privilege in his new work. . . . For readers looking for the rewards of an intimate, meditative story, it is indeed a blessing.' -- Karen R. Long * The Cleveland Plain Dealer *As Haruf's precise details accrue, a reader gains perspective: This is the story of a man's life, and the town where he spent it, and the people who try to ease its end. . . . His sentences have the elegance of Hemingway's early work [and his] determined realism, which admits that not all of our past actions or the reasons behind them are knowable, even to ourselves, is one of the book's satisfactions.' -- John Reimringer * The Minneapolis Star-Tribune *There's something of the tone of Joyce's Dubliners in Haruf's simply-told tale of elderly Dad Lewis, diagnosed with cancer and living out his last summer. An elegiac tone, of someone who has already gone, gives Haruf's prose its extraordinary dignity and humanity. * Sunday Herald *

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE AUTHORS' CLUB BEST FIRST NOVEL AWARD__________________________________________________'Fresh, entertaining, funny and moving' RODDY DOYLE'A touching tale of how one woman survives a tough beginning to eventually end up exactly where her heart belongs' ANNE GRIFFIN, author of When All is Said__________________________________________________'If I could go back to being sixteen again, I'd do things differently.''Everyone over the age of forty feels like that, you total gom,' says my best friend Lizzie Magee.When she was young Mary Rattigan wanted to fly. She was going to take off like an angel from heaven and leave the muck and madness of troubled Northern Ireland behind. Nothing but the Land of Happy Ever After would do for her.But as a Catholic girl with a B.I.T.C.H. for a Mammy and a silent Daddy, things did not go as she and Lizzie Magee had planned.Now, five children, twenty-five years, an end to the bombs and bullets, enough whiskey to sink a ship and endless wakes and sandwich teas later, Mary's alone. She's learned plenty of hard lessons and missed a hundred steps towards the life she'd always hoped for. Will she finally find the courage to ask for the love she deserves? Or is it too late?Trade ReviewThis is in many ways a familiar story but it is told in such a fresh, entertaining, funny and moving way, it felt like I was reading something brand new. * Roddy Doyle *Two pages into this book you know you've unlocked something special . . . the book is brightened up plenty by sunshine characters and the magnificence of Tyrone nature . . . Tish knows what she's talking about. * Irish Examiner *A really lovely book. I loved reading it. -- Mariella FrostrupDelaney's writing is a beautiful wave flowing lyrically through the life of Mary Rattigan. A touching tale of how one woman survives a tough beginning to eventually end up exactly where her heart belongs. -- Anne Griffin author of WHEN ALL IS SAIDI did not expect this debut to turn into the most exquisite love story, but it did, and I was besotted. * Red *

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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 KingFrom the master of police procedural and bestselling author of Standing in the Shadows comes The Hanging Valley, book four in Peter Robinson’s the Inspector Banks series.TWO MURDERS. A MISSING PERSON. A VILLAGE WITH A TERRIBLE SECRET.A faceless corpse is found in a tranquil, hidden valley below the village of Swainshead, the victim’s identity deliberately obscured. And when Chief Inspector Alan Banks arrives, he finds that no-one is willing to talk. Banks's frustration only grows when he suspects his latest case might be connected with an unsolved murder and a missing local woman, which occurred in the same area five years ago.Among the silent suspects are the Collier brothers, the wealthiest and most powerful family in the area. When they start using their influence to slow down the investigation, Banks finds himself in a race against time . . .The Hanging Valley is followed by Past Reason Hated in the Inspector Banks series.Trade ReviewThe novels of Peter Robinson are chilling, evocative, deeply nuanced works of art -- Dennis LehaneIf you haven't caught up with Peter Robinson already, now is the time to start * Independent on Sunday *

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Book SynopsisAn impoverished member of the privileged high society of old New York, Lily Bart is beautiful and socially agreeable, but she is almost thirty and still unmarried. Now she is keen to secure a wealthy husband to confirm her status, but the debts she contracts at the card table, her reduced circumstances and the constant gossip she attracts from malevolent tongues through her heedless behaviour and faux pas make her prospects look bleak. As suitor after suitor appears and fades away, and she is drawn further and further down a spiral of loneliness and unhappiness, she realizes that she is just one step away from losing everything she has. Published in 1905 to immediate critical and commercial success, Edith Wharton’s enduringly popular novel of manners is a brilliant evocation of the economic and social changes wrought by the Gilded Age, as well as a universal satire on the constraints and follies of upper-crust conventions.

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Book SynopsisV. S. Naipaul’s Booker Prize winning novel about displacement, the yearning for the good place in someone else’s land and the attendant heartache.Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library, a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold-foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is introduced by acclaimed author, Robert McCrum. In a Free State tells the story first of an Indian servant in Washington, who becomes an American citizen but feels displaced. Then of a disturbed Asian West Indian in London who, in jail for murder, has never really known where he is. Then the central novel moves to a fictional African country. There, the central characters have to make the long drive to the safety of their compound. By the end of this drive we know everything about the English characters, the African country and the Idi Amin-like future awaiting it.Trade ReviewA book of such lucid complexity and such genuine insight, so deft and deep, that it somehow manages to agitate, charm, amuse and excuse the reader all at the same pitch of experience -- Dennis Potter * The Times *Naipaul’s travel writing is perhaps the most important body of work of its kind in the second half of the century -- Martin Amis

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Book SynopsisAn exciting, vividly-imagined reconstruction of an extraordinary moment in the history of the American West' Ian McGuire, bestselling author of THE NORTH WATER and INCREDIBLE BODIESA highly compelling page turner; you won't be able to put it down' Philipp Meyer, author of THE SON and AMERICAN RUSTThe thrilling, long-awaited return of the #1New York Timesbestselling author ofThe RevenantIn 1866, with the country barely recovered from the Civil War, new war breaks out on the western frontier a clash of cultures between a young, ambitious nation and the Native tribes who have lived on the land for centuries. Colonel Henry Carrington arrives in Wyoming's Powder River Valley to lead the US Army in defending the opening of a new road for gold miners and settlers. Carrington intends to build a fort in the middle of critical hunting grounds, the home of the Lakota. Red Cloud, one of the Lakota's most respected chiefs, and Crazy Horse, a young but visionary warrior, understand full well the imTrade Review‘An exciting, vividly-imagined reconstruction of an extraordinary moment in the history of the American West’ Ian McGuire, bestselling author of THE NORTH WATER and INCREDIBLE BODIES ‘A highly compelling page turner; you won’t be able to put it down’ Philipp Meyer, author of THE SON and AMERICAN RUST ‘Punke is brilliant: an author (The Revenant, 2002), attorney, professor, former U.S. ambassador, and current vice president at Amazon Web Services. Ridgeline, a novelization of the 1866 Fetterman Fight, in which a confederacy of Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes fought a detachment of U.S. soldiers from Fort Phil Kearny in the Dakota Territory (present-day Wyoming), confirms his mastery as a writer. A foreboding sense of ruin and sadness clings to each page…Ridgeline transcends genre categorization—any sophisticated reader would appreciate this novel’ Booklist ‘Punke makes the battle vivid, and draws deep characterizations of individuals on both sides, exploring Crazy Horse’s fear of impending change, U.S. soldiers’ indifference to fighting, and a captain’s lament of the breakdown of discipline and reason within the battalion’s leadership. This is historical fiction at its best’ Publisher’s Weekly

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Book SynopsisHe did not ask things to have a meaning or to tell a story. To be was the only storyA semi-autobiographical novel from the author of The Green Fool and The Great HungerA man''s mother can be a terrible burden sometimes. For Tarry Flynn - poet, farmer and lover-from-afar of beautiful young virgins - the responsibility of family, farm, poetic inspiration and his own unyielding lust is a heavy one. The only solution is to rise above all - or escape over the nearest horizon. Patrick Kavanagh''s Tarry Flynn is an idyllic and beautifully evocative account of life as it was lived in Ireland in the 1930s.Trade ReviewA work of art * Irish Times *

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Book Synopsis''This is Dinah Jefferies at her best'' Lucinda Riley-------------Ceylon, 1935. Louisa Reeve, the daughter of a successful British gem trader, and her husband Elliot, a charming, thrill-seeking businessman, seem like the couple who have it all. Except what they long for more than anything: a child.While Louisa struggles with miscarriages, Elliot is increasingly absent, spending much of his time at a nearby cinnamon plantation, overlooking the Indian ocean. After his sudden death, Louisa is left alone to solve the mystery he left behind. Revisiting the plantation at Cinnamon Hills, she finds herself unexpectedly drawn towards the owner Leo, a rugged outdoors man with a chequered past. The plantation casts a spell, but all is not as it seems. And when Elliot''s shocking betrayal is revealed, Louisa has only Leo to turn to...A sweeping, breath-taking story of love and betrayal from the Number One Sunday Times bestselling author ofTrade ReviewA sweeping tale, beautifully written in a wonderful setting, heart rending yet ultimately up lifting. Gorgeous. -- Katie FfordeThe sights, smells and atmosphere of Ceylon are beautifully depicted. This is Dinah Jefferies at her best. -- Lucinda RileyDinah Jefferies has a remarkable gift for conjuring up another time and place with lush descriptions, full of power and intensity. -- Kate FurnivallPacked with colour, history, atmosphere and plenty of twists and turns, this is a lush, escapist read * Sunday Express on 'Before the Rains' *My ideal read - I couldn't put it down -- Santa Montefiore on 'The Tea Planter's Wife'

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewLeduc's short book is magnificently disproportionate to its length. A moving, beautiful and authentic classic. We must be grateful to the Penguin European Writers series, a precious venture in these dark times, for bringing it back to us. -- John BanvilleA forceful affirmation of the human spirit * Guardian *Violette Leduc's novels are works of genius and also a bit peculiar -- Deborah Levy, from the introductionShe can capture the smells of a country childhood, dazzle with the lights of the Place de la Concorde or make you feel the silky slither of her eel-grey suit * Observer *This book is as richly humane as anything else you're likely to read * Independent *What is important about Violette Leduc is the extraordinary perfection she brings to experience and the exquisite skill she uses to describe it * Daily Mail *The great French feminist writer we need to remember * Guardian *A vastly under-read author -- Lauren Elkin, author of Flaneuse

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