Second World War fiction

Book SynopsisA heart-rending story of strength in adversity, A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute is a celebration of the overwhelming power of love. This Macmillan Collector's Library edition features an afterword by bestselling novelist, Jenny Colgan.Jean Paget, a young English woman, is captured by the Japanese army in Malaya during World War Two. She is forced on a brutal march across the country with a group of women and children. During this appalling ordeal she befriends Joe Harman, an Australian soldier who risks his own life to help the women. A few years later, and back in England, Jean receives an unexpected and substantial inheritance. She decides to use the money to repay the Malayan people who risked their lives to help her and her fellow prisoners during the war so she travels back to the village where they stayed. From there she travels on to Australia in search of lost love. Cut off in the Australian outback and thousands of miles from home, Jean once again draws on her admirable determination and entrepreneurial spirit when she sets out to build a thriving community.Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector's Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.

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Book Synopsis''Moves so intensely and inexorably that it almost seems like the war it is describing'' The New York Times Book Review''Is it really worth it to die, to be dead, just to prove to everybody that you''re not a coward?''On Guadalcanal in the south Pacific, the soldiers of C Company are about to enter the war. The men know they face their baptism of fire. But none know if they will be one of ''the lucky ones'' to make it safely off the island. From Captain Stein, who feels like a father to his troops, and ''Mad'' Sergeant Welsh, condemning all nations while swigging gin from his canteen, to Private Bell, who just wants to get home to his wife, they will discover the line that divides sanity from madness, and life from death.A scathing critique of heroism, The Thin Red Line is among the greatest masterpieces of war writing.''The men are real, the words are real, death is real, imminent and immediate'' Los Angeles Times

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Book Synopsis 'Incredibly funny, incredibly insightful and incredibly moving' Fiona Mozley, author of Hot Stew A darkly comic and explosive tale of a world at war and one island girl's struggle to survive Eighty-year old Herra Björnsson lies alone in her garage waiting to die. Oh, she has two weeks left, maybe three - she has booked her cremation appointment, at a blistering 1,000 degrees, so it won't be long. But until then she has her cigarettes, her laptop, a World War II grenade, and her memories to sustain her. One of the most original narrators in literary history, Herra takes readers with her on a dazzling ride of a novel as she reflects - in a voice by turns darkly funny, poignant and always, always smart - on the mishaps, tragedies and turns of luck that shaped her life. And with a bawdy, uncompromising spirit, she has survived it all. As hilarious as it is heartbreaking, Hallgrímur Helgason tells the deeply moving story of a woman swept up by the forces of history. Trade Review‘Published in 13 languages, this novel about one feisty Icelandic woman's proximity to history's big moments is a thoroughly entertaining ride.’ * People magazine *‘A blitzkrieg of a novel… Funny, shrewd and reliably rude… This hugely entertaining tale is surely destined for classic status.’ * Guardian *‘In this black-humoured novel...the narrator recounts her misshapen life with engaging vividness.’ * The New Yorker *‘Breathtaking… Herra’s life, and voice, is deeply compelling.’ * Financial Times *‘The hottest new book from Iceland… [Herra’s] perspective might be just what we need in these uncertain times: She survives and shares her story on her terms. And what a story it is, one worth reading to further understand the complexity of World War II — and to enjoy the quick wit of a woman you won’t forget.’ * Washington Post *‘The Woman at 1,000 Degrees is incredibly funny, incredibly insightful and incredibly moving.’ * Fiona Mozley, author of Elmet *‘What a novel! Helgason’s Woman at 1,000 Degrees is a gutsy, brilliant book: I could not tear myself away from it. Octogenarian Herra Björnsson’s dying recollections, as she lies nursing a hand grenade between her legs in an Icelandic garage, hurtle the reader headfirst into an epic narrative of war, loss, desire and survival, across years and continents. Both funny and deeply moving, I finished it utterly dazzled, my ears ringing.’ * Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites *‘One of the most original novels of the year.’ * Irish Independent *‘An explosive experience.’ * Elle *‘By turns funny, sweet, gripping and sad but never sentimental, Helgason's work...is a sensitive tale of a nearly lived life.’ * Monocle *‘Herra…is exceedingly quick-witted and has a wickedly colorful way with words… Brilliantly written with flashing insights.’ * Kirkus *'The Woman at 1,000 Degrees is a bold work of fiction that gnaws at the silence blanketing the blackest holes of humanity to lay bare the author's dark vision of truth.' * Washington Independent Review of Books *'This novel is a shock, a laugh, an evocation of grief, and a tribute to survival and imagination.' * Affinity Konar, author of Mischling *'Helgason’s sad and funny novel begins in 2009, as 80-year-old Herra Björnsson lies dying in a Reykavík garage, still in possession of a live hand grenade from World War II...In her unsentimental, unsparing narrative, she offers insights into Icelandic culture and character, including a riff on reticence and a brief summary of Iceland’s financial meltdown. Like the Icelandic landscape, she can be both appealing and treacherous.' * Publishers Weekly, starred review *‘Compelling…uplifting…required reading for those who want sour along with the sweet of life.’ * New York Journal of Books *‘A very enjoyable story…a terrific read. Herra is a great character; she is bawdy, at times outright vulgar and mischievous.’ * The Bookshelf, ABC Radio Australia *'Gripping, darkly comic, and utterly original.' * Valerie Martin, author of Property *'Icelandic novelist Helgason shares with John Irving a knack for masterful plotting and clever, sarcastic humour...anyone willing to...revel in its flights of language will find much to enjoy.' * Booklist *‘Helgason’s characters are rare beauties. One falls for his absurd fantasies immediately.’ * Spiegel.de *‘Long after I read it, the story and its prickly protagonist has stayed with me.’ * Esmeralda Santiago, author of When I Was Puerto Rican, New York Magazine *‘You don’t know her yet, but she already despises you… With a biting humour, she examines love, marriage, sex, politics, and those who practice them.’ * Le Figaro Magazine *‘Extraordinarily absorbing and enjoyable. The story revolves around a woman who lived ahead of her time. Many young women would idealize Herra Björnsson. At the same time, it gives an insight into life during World War II.’ * Washington Book Review *'This is a profoundly, triumphantly feminist book... There’s nothing like it in our language.' * Toronto Star *‘Helgason’s novel is superbly written, with characters and events that grab your attention and make it hard to put down.’ * Tulsa Book Review *‘Unpredictable and endearing.’ * Jacksonville Journal-Courier *‘It's a sophisticated work, combining elements of Bildungsroman, comic burlesque, fictional biography and historical commentary… The novel's sheer invention, talkativeness and linguistic zest recall Joyce, while the plot itself, with its logical progression into the absurd, is not too distant from the labyrinths of Kafka.’ * David McDuff, literary translator and critic *‘A magnificent novel about maybe the most memorable character in Icelandic fiction.’ * Fréttablaðið *‘A mind-blowing doorstopper’ * Le Monde des Livres *‘This novel is toxic. The cover, the crumpled lady with the pink wig should have been warning enough, still one is stunned. This novel charges at you like a little terrier after you have opened a garden gate. It barks short, hoarse sentences. However, you don’t want to put this book down again!’ * Der Spiegel 1 *‘A ride through the 20th century of the ice island through the Nazi German Reich to Argentina and back again – wildly, tough, and devilishly clever. “Like” it? It rocks!’ * Stern *‘The most surprising, funny, bonkers novel of the season’ * Lire *‘Passionate, explosive and fiery…’ * El Periodico *‘Book of the year!’ * SWR3 Radio *‘Irresistible.’ * Paris Match *‘A caustic and human story that is tragic with a great sense of humour at the same time.’ * ABC Libros *‘If this had been written by a different, non-Icelandic author, it would be a pulp Charles Dickens, with a bit of Chuck Palahniuk thrown in.’ * Il Giornale *‘Playing with time and with history, this is a tragicomic and hard-hitting novel in which the author gets to the heart of a global situation and the vagaries of Icelandic politics.’ * El Diario *

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Book Synopsis''It''s just brilliant - full of poetry'' - Jilly CooperSet in wartime London and occupied France, this is a thrilling story of love, danger and sacrifice from bestselling novelist Alan Titchmarsh.It is the late 1930s when seventeen-year-old Rosamund Hanbury leaves behind the endless summers of her coastal Devonshire home for the fast pace of high society London. Under the expert guidance of her formidable aunt, the country mouse learns how to act like a lady, hosting dinner parties and rubbing shoulders with Britain''s most influential. And when the enigmatic Harry Napier sweeps her off her feet at London''s famous Café de Paris she could almost forget that Britain has declared war. But the Phoney War ends. Harry is posted, London reels from the first bombings of the Blitz and Rosamund suffers a devastating personal loss that leaves her all the more determined to do her bit for the war effort. Joining the Special Forces she is sent Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR THE SCARLET NIGHTINGALE:It's just brilliant - full of poetry * Jilly Cooper *PRAISE FOR ALAN TITCHMARSH:A perfect love story * Katie Fforde on THE HAUNTING *A pleasurable read which fans will lap up * Daily Mail *The story brims with intrigue * Daily Express on THE HAUNTING *Art, antiques and romance are the ingredients: Titchmarsh boils the pot to a fine froth * Saga Magazine on THE FOLLY *

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Book SynopsisThere has never before been an anti-hero like Hellman of Hammer Force in British comics! From the invasion of Poland in 1939 through to the fall of Berlin in 1945, Hellman of Hammer Force saw action on many fronts, and this collection contains all the hard-hitting war stories told through the eyes of Hellman which were published in Battle from 1977 through to 1978. This ground-breaking series of thrilling combat is written by Gerry Finley-Day (Rogue Trooper) and drawn by Mike Dorey (Ro-Busters) and Patrick Wright (Day of the Eagle).

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Book SynopsisA wonderful Christmas gift full of nostalgia and charm, perfect for fans of Coronation Street and readers who love Fiction set in Wartime.Elsie Grimshaw lives in one of the worst streets in Weatherfield and is desperate to escape from life at home with a brutal father and the drudgery of working at the local mill. Grabbing at the slim chances that come her way, Elsie emerges from the heartbreak of first love and her marriage to bad boy, Arnold Tanner at only sixteen years old, if not much older, then certainly wiser.Going under her married name of Elsie Tanner, she and Arnold move in to No.11 Coronation Street in 1939 as war breaks out. Her cheeky self-confidence immediately puts her at loggerheads with local busy-body Ena Sharples and Annie Walker, landlady of the Rovers Return.As Christmas approaches, the residents of Coronation Street must put their petty squabbles aside if they are to survive the worst that Hitler's Luftwaffe can throw at them. And as the Manchester Blitz grips theTrade ReviewPraise for Maggie Sullivan: ‘A wonderfully nostalgic tale’ Choice Magazine ‘A perfect festive read’ Woman Magazine ‘A must read’ Amazon ‘A real page-turner’ Amazon ‘A wonderful trip down memory lane’ Goodreads

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Book SynopsisOn a foggy night in London, a party has gathered in an artist’s studio during the wartime blackout. When the brutal murder of the miser next door is discovered by his infantryman nephew, it’s not long before Inspector Macdonald of Scotland Yard is at the scene, untangling alibis from the studio party and with the fate of the soldier in his hands.

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of The Open Door comes a moving and uplifting story about a generation of young people living through World War II September, 1939. In the sleepy village of Roehampton, Annie Webster has finally found comfort for herself and her close-knit family, far from the poverty and hardships of their childhood in Bermondsey. Then, an announcement shatters their newfound peace. England is at war . . . As her brothers enlist for duty, Annie sacrifices her glamorous job in London for the urgent work of the WAAF, where women of all backgrounds pull together tirelessly for the war effort. Brave, resourceful and determined to do her bit for her country, Annie''s intelligence and warmth singles her out for a daring new role . . .But as Annie quickly catches the eye of a dashing officer, will she ever find peace in her heart? And will Annie and her loved ones survive Britain''s darkest hour?Trade ReviewPraise for The Winter Child * - *A heartwarming and uplifting tale, much like the author's own experience * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisThe gripping new speculative fiction as rich as The Man in the High Castle and as packed with thrills as Ready Player One''Alt-history with a difference'' GUARDIAN''There''s real cleverness at work here'' THE TIMESAlways run, never fight.Preserve the knowledge.Survive at all costs.Take them to the stars._________Germany, 1945.Mia, a nineteen-year-old girl, is sent by the OSS to find Wernher von Braun. Her mission: stop the Russians getting hold of Germany''s - and the world''s - foremost rocket scientist.Von Braun is suspicious. And so he should be.For Mia is no ordinary girl. She only looks human. And helping the Allies win the Second World War is only one part of her plan.Because there''s an even darker conflict taking place on Earth. A secret struggle thousands of years old that has engulfed and taken generatTrade ReviewIt's fascinating to see how Neuvel weaves together fact and fiction . . . a blast. Seriously clever * SFX *An alt-history with a difference. Traces the true story of the development of rocket science but adds an alien-conspiracy-theory edge in the shape of a fictional team of mother-daughter clones. Along with the problems faced by women trying to change the world (or at least get men to listen to them), they are threatened by a mysterious 'Tracker' who has spent centuries trying to kill them. Good fun * Guardian *A dark and ambitious book. Neuvel is forging ahead * SFX Magazine *Wry narration, wired action . . . Fans of alternate history and intelligent sci-fi will love this * Publishers Weekly *Clever and compelling, it will keep you enthralled until the end -- Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of The Oppenheimer AlternativeThere's real cleverness at work here. Mia, bent on getting humanity sufficiently technologically developed so that they can leave Earth, makes some dodgy-sounding moral choices as she works towards humanity's salvation * The Times *Highly crafted and unique * Library Journal *A blast. Seriously clever fun * SFX *

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Book SynopsisTHE TULIP TEAROOMS is a heartwarming and poignant saga from Pam Evans, set in London just after the Second World War. Perfect for readers of Kitty Neale, Katie Flynn and Dilly Court.The Second World War is finally over when Lola Brown meets Harry Riggs at a dance. It is love at first sight but when Harry tells Lola that he is a policeman, her heart sinks. Lola''s father is a petty criminal, and if Harry ever finds out and turns him in, it will destroy her family...Harry reluctantly accepts that Lola doesn''t want to see him again, and eventually starts to find happiness without her. In the meantime, Lola encounters the eccentric Pickford sisters and sets about transforming their run-down tearooms in London''s West End, only to find her own life transformed as well. Despite everything, Harry and Lola continue to feel drawn to each other, but the truth about Lola''s family can''t stay hidden for ever...

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2017 Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award ''Ian McEwan did this with Atonement, Sarah Waters did it with The Night Watch, and Chris Cleave does it too with Everyone Brave is Forgiven... A compelling and finely crafted novel.'' FTAn extraordinary story of love and honour in extreme circumstances, from the multi-award-winning author of THE OTHER HAND.Instant New York Times bestsellerEvening Standard top ten bestselleriBooks BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2016Irish Times summer reading pick''A cracker'' Stylist, 10 Exciting Books in 2016''His best book to date'' Esquire, 10 best novels of 2016 Guardian Literary Highlight of 2016Independent Best Book to read in 2016 Irish News Top Picks for 2016Washington Post 20 Books We Can''t Wait to Read in 2016In a powerful combination of both humour and heartbreak, this dazzling novel weaves lTrade ReviewAn addictive, propulsive read . . . Cleave writes with an engaging intensity, a determination to tackle big moral issues, and a willingness to take risks. -- Theo Tait * The Sunday Times *A compelling and finely crafted novel...The Second World War is dangerous territory for a contemporary novelist: the enemies they face include familiarity, cliché, and the reader's knowledge that any number of things happened then that were far stranger than fiction. For a writer to succeed in setting a tale in a period of heightened emotions, they need first to keep their own emotions under close control. Ian McEwan did this with Atonement, Sarah Waters did it with The Night Watch, and Chris Cleave does it too with Everyone Brave is Forgiven. * Financial Times *Loosely based on the author's grandparents' stories, this is a superb novel that breathes fresh life into an often brutal scenario. Particularly astute at demonstrating how war seeps into the psyche and changes it, this is beautifully written, funny, gut-wrenching and, above all, honest. * Daily Mail *Powerful and moving . . . Cleave's real revisionism exists in the very fabric of his prose. -- Lucy Scholes * Independent *A tremendous, sweeping love story that unfolds against the backdrop of war-torn London and Malta. * Mail on Sunday *Tender and touching. -- Eithne Farry * Mail on Sunday *Cleave cements his reputation as a skilful storyteller, and a sensitive chronicler of the interplay between the political and the personal . . . intricately researched and evocatively conveyed. -- Hannah Beckerman * Observer *Absorbing [and] sharply paced. -- Helen Dunmore * Guardian *Brilliant [and] fearlessly written . . . Thoroughly absorbing. -- Claire Allfree * Metro *I was blown away by it. * Woman & Home *A special book * Good Housekeeping *It's a war novel but not as you know it. Cleave, a Guardian journalist and celebrated novelist (Incendiary, The Other Hand), has reportedly written his best book to date with this tale of a young teacher determined to stay in Blitz-time London. * Esquire, Top 10 Best New Novels of 2016 *Magnificent and profoundly moving...This dazzling novel of World War II is full of unforgettable characters and the keen emotional insights that moved readers of Chris Cleave's Little Bee. * Shelf Awareness *Brings both the Blitz and the siege of Malta to unforgettable life. * Irish Times *With dazzling prose, sharp English wit, and compassion, Cleave paints a powerful portrait of war's effects on those who fight and those left behind. * People Book of the Week *He has the rare ability to tell a unique story while also expressing universal truths that pierce straight into your own everyday. Sure to be one of the hits of this year. * Grazia Book Club *A story of epic love inspired by grandparents and capital. * Barking and Dagenham Post *You'd be hard-pushed to find a list of what to read in 2016 that doesn't feature Chris Cleave's latest. * Mumsnet *

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Book SynopsisThe next heartwarming instalment of the Timber Girls Series. Perfect for fans of Elaine Everest and Pam Howes.Trixie and her fellow lumberjills are back in Scotland, newly stationed at the MacKay estate. When they arrive, they are shocked to find the place dilapidated and neglected and the taciturn and secretive Noah MacKay not at all happy to be meeting them.It quickly becomes apparent that MacKay was expecting men from the forestry commission to take charge, rather than four young women. Trixie, Jo, Hen and Vi decide he needs to be proven wrong - after all, don't they have stamina, skill and strength? But as the girls work to prove their worth, secrets from their own pasts threaten to follow them to Sutherland.

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Book SynopsisThis is a story of silenced histories, of dark secrets in a land of midnight sun. Finnish Lapland, 1947: Inkeri arrives in remote Enontekiö on a journalistic assignment, but her real motivation is more personal - this is where her husband was last seen before he disappeared during the war. As her probing questions meet with silence and hostility, Inkeri begins to investigate the fault-lines in this small community. Her burgeoning friendship with a young Sámi girl helps her piece together why the town does not want to dwell on the past, as traces of disturbing crimes emerge from the pristine landscape of snow and ice.Trade Review'Reveals so much more about a war we thought we knew that it feels like a potted epic' - Guardian'Evocative... an amalgam of detective story and history, which absorbs the reader from start to finish' - TLS'A beautifully written novel and a thriller that will keep readers turning the page to find out the truth about this disgraceful chapter of Finnish history' - Harvard Review'A strong, intense thriller plot... depicts the controversial landscape of 1940s Lapland ambitiously and beautifully' - Helsingin Sanomat'Beautiful... a chapter in history that has rarely been visible in fiction... Rautiainen succeeds in describing the history of Finland's colonization and also gives a voice to the Sami' - Loostas

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Book Synopsis'Look for your sister after each dive. Never forget. If you see her, you are safe.'This is the story of Hana and her little sister Emi, who are part of an island community of haenyo, women who make their living from free diving off the southernmost tip of Korea. One day Hana sees a Japanese soldier heading for where Emi is guarding the day's catch on the beach. Saving her sister, Hana herself is captured and forced to become a "comfort woman" in a Japanese military brothel.Moving between Hana in 1943 and Emi as an elderly woman today, White Chrysanthemum sheds light on a devastating history - and how the bond of sisterhood is strong enough to endure the evils of war.Meet ten of literature's most iconic heroines, jacketed in bold portraits by female photographers from around the world.

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Book SynopsisAn extraordinary novel based on an incredible true story of love, resilience, survival and hope. Perfect for fans of THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ, THE VOLUNTEER and THE LIBRARIAN OF AUSCHWITZ._______________________________Against all odds, love will lead them home.Shurka, her husband and their two small children never thought the war would reach their remote Polish village. They were wrong. Forced to flee their family home, they find shelter with their fellow Jews in the ghetto - but every night more and more people disappear, taken away on trucks to never be seen again. As terrible rumours of extermination camps swirl, Shurka realises that the longer they stay in the ghetto, the lower their chances of survival.Their best hope is to flee into the Polish forest, where Jewish resistance fighters hold out against Nazi search parties. Their new life is precarious in the extreme - and will test them more than they ever thought possible...Even in the dark, hope can be found._______________________________Surviving The War is the international Amazon bestselling survival and holocaust story, based on an incredible true story and previously published as Surviving The Forest. It has been translated into English from the original Hebrew.

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Book SynopsisTo live among wolves, first you must become one… An unmissable new spy thriller from best-selling master of the genre, Alex Gerlis.War is coming to Europe.British spymaster Barnaby Allen begins recruiting a network of agents in Germany. With diplomatic relations quickly unravelling, this pack of spies soon comes into their own: the horse-loving German at home in Berlin’s underground; the young American sports journalist; the mysterious Luftwaffe officer; the Japanese diplomat and the most unlikely one of all... the SS officer’s wife.Despite constant danger and the ever-present threats of discovery and betrayal, Allen’s network unearths top-secret plans for a new German fighter plane – and a truly devastating intelligence prize... an audacious Japanese plan to attack the United States. But can they prove it?The race is on.An unputdownable and atmospheric Second World War espionage thriller, Agent in Berlin will grip you to the very end. Perfect for readers of David Young, Robert Harris and Rory Clements.Praise for Agent in Berlin 'Gerlis proves himself a master of spy fiction to rival John le Carré, Robert Harris and other leading lights with this gripping and entertaining novel set mostly in the frenzied world of pre-war Berlin' David Young, author of Stasi Child'Everything slots together perfectly in this hugely atmospheric and powerfully character-driven story set in Germany at the rise of Nazism ... a brilliant new addition to the genre' Chris Lloyd, author of The Unwanted Dead'Amazing plotting, packs a real punch' Mark 'Billy' Billingham, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Hard Way'The first volume of a promising new series, Alex Gerlis handles an ensemble cast with panache' Financial Times'An unmissable spy thriller from bestselling master of the genre Alex Gerlis' Spybrary Podcast

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Book SynopsisShe won't let anything stand in her wayAfter Pearl's home is destroyed in the Exeter Blitz, so too are her dreams of performing onstage. Finding work as a bus conductress instead, a chance encounter revives her hopes once more, and soon she is singing for the troops alongside new friend Ivy.When agent Gordon Gold approaches them, Ivy jumps to sign with him and sets off for the bright lights of London. But Pearl is wary of the charming man and decides to stay, watching her friend go with a heavy heart.A year later, while Pearl is struck mute by an illness, Ivy returns and is quick to seize the chance to fill Pearl's place, singing with the band. Once more, Pearl's dreams are threatened. Will she ever become a star?An emotional Second World War saga about family, friendship and following your heart. Perfect for fans of Betty Walker, Fenella J. Miller and Katie Flynn.Praise for These Wartime Dreams The Sis

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Book SynopsisThe romantic forested landscape of southwest Germany is the setting for the birth of a friendship that will haunt sixteen-year-old Hans Schwarz for the rest of his life. Hans is Jewish, the son of a doctor who is confident that the rise of the Nazis is only 'a temporary illness' afflicting his beloved country. Hans's new classmate, Konradin von Hohenfels, is a dazzling young aristocrat whose mother keeps a portrait of Hitler on her dressing-table. Hans is immediately drawn to Konradin, and thrilled when a close bond forms between them, forged by common interests that set them apart from the other boys. But their loyalties are soon tested in ways they could not have imagined. Three decades later, from the vantage point of New York City, Hans once again confronts this life-shaping episode from his youth, through a stunning revelation that he stumbles upon by chance. In its story of friendship undone by History, Reunion combines the explosive compression of a fable with the emotional depth of an epic novel many times its length.

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Book Synopsis*Aurora Award Finalist*Love, heroism and the supernatural collide in the midst of war.''Paranormal elements are expertly woven with real history to create a convincing and exciting tale''Guardian''A darker take on Raiders of the Lost Ark a fine piece of work'' SFXThere''s a tradition in the Sharp family that some possess the Second Sight. But is it superstition, or true psychic power?Kit Sharp is in Paris, where she is involved in a love affair with the stunning Evelyn Larsen, and working as an archivist, having inherited her historian father''s fascination with the Bayeux Tapestry. He believes that parts of the tapestry were made before 1066, and that it was a tool for prediction, not a simple record of events.The Nazis are also obsessed with the tapestry: convinced that not only did it predict the Norman Conquest of England, but that it will aid them in their invasion of Britain.Ivy Sharp has joined the Special Operations Executive the SOE a secret unit set up to carry out espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance. Having demonstrated that she has extraordinary powers of perception, she is dropped into Northern France on a special mission.With the war on a knife edge, the Sharp Sisters face certain death. Can their courage and extrasensory gifts prevent the enemy from using the tapestry to bring about a devastating victory against the Allied Forces?

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of The Jam Factory Girls, comes the second heartfelt installment in Mary Wood's The Guernsey Girls trilogy.War separates them, but it cannot dampen their spirits . . .Spring, 1940. Annie’s new husband Ricky leaves to fight, but she soon discovers battles brewing closer to home. As her sister Janey begins to unravel, only Annie can pick up the pieces – and, with London’s police officers on the front line, she must also step up at work and do her bit for the country.In Guernsey, Olivia finds herself without her husband and son just as Hitler's forces invade the island. Trapped and heartbroken, she faces untold horrors as the Germans tighten their hold on the islanders.How will Annie manage her responsibilities to her family and her country in the thick of the Blitz, while suffering the heartache of not knowing what is happening to her beloved Ricky? And can Olivia survive in Guernsey at

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Book SynopsisFrom the Booker Prize-winning and Women''s Prize-shortlisted author of The Silence of the Girls The final novel in Pat Barker''s acclaimed ''Life Class'' trilogy - an unforgettable story of art and war, from one of our greatest writers on war and the human heart''Bold, hard-hitting, unforgettable, with luminous and unsparing insight'' Independent on Sunday''Barker''s command of detail and gift for metaphor are as sharp as ever... Noonday is in the first rank'' Mail on Sunday''[There is] no end to her talent in describing how conflicts rupture the soul'' Arifa Akbar, IndependentLondon, the Blitz, autumn 1940. As the bombs fall on the blacked-out city, ambulance driver Elinor Brooke races from bomb sites to hospitals trying to save the lives of injured survivors, working alongside former friend Kit Neville, while her husband Paul works as an air-raid warden. As the bombing intensifies, the constant risk of deatTrade ReviewPublisher's description. Pat Barker brings the besieged and haunted city of Blitz-era London to electrifying life in Noonday, the third and final novel in her 'Life Class Trilogy'. Bombs are falling on London and, still suffering from the losses of the Great War, Elinor, Paul and Kit must face war's horrors once again... * Penguin *Barker's command of detail and gift for metaphor are as sharp as ever: her evocation of the bombed city is steeped in drama... Noonday is in the first rank * Mail on Sunday *Tremendously good * Daily Mail *This is the first time the author of the Regeneration Trilogy has written about the Second World War and it's a triumph * Stylist *Many strokes of genius from Barker... accessible and moving * Sunday Times *Noonday's Blitz-era setting gives Barker ample opportunity to do what she does best * Spectator *Powerful and vivid, with nuanced characters and Barker's unerring eye for detail * Women and Home *Bold, hard-hitting, unforgettable... a virtuoso rendition of the bombing, as huge swathes of London blaze away with the brightest of bright lights... Barker shows us how the city's finest moment was indubitably also its most terrifying, with luminous and unsparing insight * Independent on Sunday *Ambitious, vivid, sharp... The closer you get to the end, the more lives need saving and the more thwarted and complicated the domestic backdrop... Barker's chronological leap is a sophisticated bridge between the drama of the present and the haunted history of the past * Daily Telegraph *Colourfully alive, fizzes with energy... the novel's point of view swivel[s] like a torchbeam to illuminate London's devastated streets * Independent *The book has its own inherent power thanks to Barker's skilful rendering of the texture of the period but it is richer and more rewarding if read with the other two volumes of this beautifully crafted trilogy * Daily Express *

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Book Synopsis A Times Book of the Year, 2019 THE SECOND WORLD WAR IS OVER. BUT THE WORLD IS FAR FROM SAFE. As victorious Russian troops sweep across East Prussia, a group of desperate children face a new battle. Confronted by critical food shortages and the onset of a bitterly cold winter, these 'wolf children' secretly cross the border into Lithuania in search of work or food to take back to their starving families. In a world still reeling from the devastation of war, the children must risk everything to survive. In the Shadow of Wolves is a story of resilience, devastation and, ultimately, hope. Based on meticulous research, Alvydas Šlepikas's stunningly powerful debut novel has won over readers and critics across the world. Trade Review‘This novel’s unflinching portrait of a forgotten tragedy is haunting.’ * The Times, Best New Historical Fiction: July 2019 *‘Has the simple narrative structure and heightened quality of a fable... Šlepikas has a vivid vision and lyricism which lifts the prose and ensures it is anything but derivative.’ * Big Issue *‘This is stunning. Cinematic, powerful... [In the Shadow of Wolves] has an irresistible, emotional pull that is as fascinating as it is brilliant, with a sense of heartbreak rather than trauma.’ * Victoria's Book Reviews *‘A heartbreaking blend of historical facts and literary prose.’ * Foreword Reviews *‘A raw and tender true tale... It’s no wonder that this elegant and intricate debut has garnered its Lithuanian author many awards.’ * LoveReading *‘Vivid, highly dramatic and compelling... Alvydas Šlepikas has broken the dam of silence.’ * Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten *‘In the Shadow of Wolves...reminded me in some ways of reading the work of Cormac McCarthy... Šlepikas imbues barren East Germany and the forests of post-war Lithuania with the dark undertones of a fairytale.’ * Splice *‘This novel finds the perfect balance between documentary and literary narrative.’ * Kieler Nachrichten *‘A significant work of memorialisation... Šlepikas – who is also a scriptwriter and director – injects his writing with a dramatic urgency that seeks to capture the scale of extraordinary suffering.’ * The Calvert Journal *‘In the Shadow of Wolves is a gem of Lithuanian literature. It touches a nerve as it tells the story of those who survived an awful fate, who have experienced the most terrible things.’ * Alfa.lt *'The novel portrays the unending suffering of children, themselves innocent of the actions of their fathers, subject to indiscriminate cultural and political prejudice... Examples of kindness only throw into sharp relief the cruelty of social and cultural dislocation.' * Otago Daily Times *‘Alvydas Šlepikas uses direct yet poetic language to write about a period of history that has remained almost entirely buried until now. His concise prose conveys the tragedy of the situation and contains rich details about that time and place.’ * Šiaurės Atėnai *‘This novel is intriguing, important and innovative – Alvydas Šlepikas confronts present with past, and cruelty and agony go hand in hand with love and self-sacrifice. His aim was to help young readers understand some of the horrors of war, and he achieves this.’ * Election Year Books *‘This novel differs from other works of its kind; in its narration, and its sensitive, poetic style. Alvydas Šlepikas paints a beautiful picture of the world through a child’s eyes – with the help of fairy tales and dreams, creating a complete contrast to the bitter reality.’ * bernardinai.lt *‘In the Shadow of Wolves paints a very realistic, bleak picture of life after the Second World War. The novel is unique in its story, which focuses on the life of Germans and Lithuanians after the war, and because it will not only warm readers’ hearts, but will also inspire them to live.’ * 15min.lt *‘Alvydas Šlepikas has written a sensitive novel that takes us back to a time filled with death, violence, hunger and bitter cold. This novel broke the taboo of silence in Lithuania.’ * Eckard Scheld, Leipzig Book Fair *‘Alvydas Šlepikas uses concise language and fast-paced scenes to portray the children's will to survive, the unimaginable cruelty as well as the help that some of the children received. Highly recommended.’ * ekz service for libraries *‘In poetic language that is by turns concise and compact, Alvydas Šlepikas brings justice for his young heroes and victims. Readers can almost smell the cold sweat of the women and girls as they encounter drunken soldiers, feel the deep, penetrating hunger, the biting winter cold, the beatings suffered and handed out by children as they fight for a single morsel of food, and share in their despair and their sheer will to survive.’ * hansen & munk *'In the Shadow of Wolves is fast-paced, with the children sharing one experience after another. And the reader is always there too, hiding with the children in old railway trains, praying and hoping with them.' * BR24 (Germany) *‘This story is complex… [and] dramatises the real lives of the “wolf children” of East Prussia.’ * Spectrum magazine, Sydney Morning Heral *‘There are many reasons to read this book...an incredible sense that [it] is going to rip your heart out.’ * The Bookshelf (ABC Radio, Australia) *

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Book SynopsisRead the next book in the heart-warming WW2 historical romance saga series, The Steel GirlsIn their darkest days, they'll find the courage to carry onSummer 1940The war is raging on but the Steel Girls are fighting their own battles closer to home. After patching things up with Archie, Patty is miffed when he appears to have forgotten all about her 18th birthday.New girl Hattie has a lot to deal with as she trades the counter at Woolworths for the Vickers factory floor. But is she keeping a secret and are things tougher at home than she's been letting on?Meanwhile, Nancy is besides herself when she receives word that Bert is missing in action and is struggling to keep it together.As the Steel Girls come together to be there in Nancy's hour of need, will life ever be the same again?Trade Review Praise for The Steel Girls: ‘A riveting saga about love, courage and, above all, female friendship’ Best ‘A lovely read’ Bella ’The perfect book to snuggle up with this autumn’ That’s Life ‘Hardship, courage and hope on the Home Front’ Kate Thompson, bestselling author of Secrets of the Lavender Girls ‘A heart-warming story perfect for saga lovers’ Nancy Revell, bestselling author of The Shipyard Girls on the Home Front ‘A great read’ Yorkshire Post ’A heart-warming tale of the brave women who stepped up to become the backbone of Sheffield’s steel industry during the Second World War’ Yours

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Book SynopsisOn a platform in occupied Paris, a mother whispers goodbye.It is the end. But also the beginning...''What a book... Emotional and heartrending...absolutely phenomenal. I was on tenterhooks throughout. A wonderful achievement'' JILL MANSELL*** THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER ***''I absolutely loved it. An ingenious plot, wonderful believable characters and it moved me to tears. A fabulous read'' LESLEY PEARSE''An amazing story of love, resilience and the human spirit'' TRACY REES''You''ll have your heart in your mouth and tears on your cheeks as it reaches its rich, life-affirming conclusion... Had me completely and utterly enraptured'' LOUISE CANDLISH''Brace yourself for a brilliant read. This will tug at your heartstrings'' BEST''Made me think and cry and rageTrade ReviewWhat a book . . . Emotional and heartrending . . . absolutely phenomenal. I was on tenterhooks throughout. A wonderful achievement -- Jill MansellHistorical fiction fans, rejoice! A new voice has entered the arena and she's one to watch. A heartrending story told from the perspectives of two families living very different lives, it is also one of hope amid tragedy. Perfectly paced and plotted, and evocatively written * Woman & Home *You'll have your heart in your mouth and tears on your cheeks as it reaches its rich, life-affirming conclusion. Both epic and intimate, this unexpected story had me completely and utterly enraptured -- Louise CandlishBrace yourself for a brilliant read. This will tug at your heartstrings * Best *While Paris Slept made me think and cry and rage and smile at mankind's capacity for both beautiful, selfless love and terrible, heartbreaking cruelty. Prepare to be thoroughly engrossed in this compelling book -- Natasha LesterWhat a book, I absolutely loved it. An ingenious plot, wonderful believable characters and it moved me to tears. A fabulous read -- Lesley PearseA heartbreaking debut. The novel delves into eternal questions: How far will we go to protect our child? Is love holding tightly or letting go? -- Janet Skeslien Charles, author of The Paris LibraryA powerful and poignant debut from a brilliant and bold new novelist -- Imogen Kealey, author of Liberation

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Book SynopsisA powerful story of grief and hope, a passionate and epic love story from the Russian-born author of the internationally bestselling novels TULLY and ROAD TO PARADISE.The world at war two people in love.Tatiana is eighteen years old and pregnant when she miraculously escapes war-torn Leningrad to the West, believing herself to be a widow. Her husband, Major Alexander Belov, a decorated hero of the Soviet Union, has been arrested by Stalin''s infamous secret police and is awaiting imminent death as a traitor and a spy.Tatiana begins her new life in America. In wartime New York City she finds work, friends and a life beyond her dreams. However, her grief is inescapable and she keeps hearing Alexander calling out to her.Meanwhile, Alexander faces the greatest danger he''s ever known. An American trapped in Russia since adolescence, he has been serving in the Red Army and posing as a Soviet citizen to protect himself. For him, Russia''s war is not over, and both victory and defeat will meTrade ReviewPraise for Tatiana and Alexander'This has everything a romance glutton could wish for: a bold, talented and dashing hero, a heart-stopping love affair that nourishes its two protagonists even when they are separated and lost, a long and bitter military campaign, plus personal excavations into the past. It also has – thank goodness – a welcome sense of humour and discernable characters rather than ciphers.' Victoria Moore, Daily Mail The Bronze Horseman‘Pulling off the passionate love story embedded in a truly epic narrative is a difficult thing to do. Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind remains the blueprint for the genre, while Tolstoy's War and Peace carries off the literary honours … it's quickly apparent that the Russian-born author Paullina Simons has the measure of this kind of epic romantic saga. The power of her descriptive writing, the vividness of the historical detail and, most of all, the strength of her central characters mark out her novel as a considerable achievement … she is able to make some powerful statements about the durability of the human spirit, but never at the expense of descriptive passages refulgent with power and beauty’ Barry Forshaw, amazon

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Book Synopsis''An exceptional tale, expertly crafted with endearing characters and an enthralling plot that will captivate readers.''NetGalley reviewer, ?????A country at war. A dangerous secret.After a failed honey-trap mission for British Intelligence leads to the breakdown of her marriage, French journalist Iris escapes to Dijon, seeking refuge in the cottage of her beloved aunt, Eva. But Eva is gone, the streets are full of distrust, and Iris is soon followed by the very last man she wants to see the British civil servant and traitor she was tasked with catching, now keen to rekindle their affair.Eva's home used to be a comforting place, where the locals sought out Eva's homemade tinctures and cures and gifted jars of fresh honey from the garden. Now it is a place of danger, where threats loom in every corner. And as Iris spends more time there, she discovers a secret that will change the way she sees her aunt forever and the course of her own life tooDon''t miss this utterly sweeping WW2 his

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Book SynopsisPerfect for fans of Kate Quinn, Nancy Revell and Anna Stuart!The third heartwarming novel in the inspiring Bletchley Park Girls series from bestselling saga author Molly GreenMunich. September, 1938.When twenty-one-year-old Madeleine Hamilton is asked to smuggle two young pupils to Berlin, she nervously agrees. But, when they run into trouble on the train, it is Maddie's turn to be saved by a chance encounter with a handsome man.Bletchley Park. September, 1939.A year later, Maddie is undertaking training in Morse code when a familiar face shows up unexpectedly. The attraction between them is as deep as it is instant, but Maddie knows one person holds the potential to harm her country and her heart and it is her duty to protect bothThe third novel in Molly Green's moving wartime series set at Bletchley Park, perfect for fans of Nancy Revell and Donna Douglas.Readers LOVE Wartime Wishes at Bletchley ParkThe characters are multi-faceted, the settings are described with a depth that makesTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR MOLLY GREEN ‘Molly Green creates realistic characters and situations that keep you turning the pages.’ Katie Fforde 'A moving, gripping story’ Kitty Neale ‘Redolent of wartime Britain and brimming with heartfelt stories from several characters, Molly Green's sure-footed novel shows just how challenging it was to find love and a place to call home in the dark days of the war.’ Terri Fleming ‘A lovely, heartfelt, warming slice of saga fiction … an engaging, generous read.’ Liz Robinson, LoveReading ‘A gripping read’ My Weekly ‘Meticulously researched … An engrossing story, with a strong, likeable female protagonist facing issues we still face today.’ Historical Novel Society Magazine ‘Memorable characters, a well written, plausible plot and very good descriptions of the time and place.’ Discovering Diamonds Blog

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Book SynopsisIn this extraordinary novel, Stingo, an inexperienced twenty-two year old Southerner, takes us back to the summer of 1947 and a boarding house in a leafy Brooklyn suburb. There he meets Nathan, a fiery Jewish intellectual; and Sophie, a beautiful and fragile Polish Catholic. Stingo is drawn into the heart of their passionate and destructive relationship as witness, confidant and supplicant. Ultimately, he arrives at the dark core of Sophie''s past: her memories of pre-war Poland, the concentration camp and - the essence of her terrible secret - her choice.Trade ReviewA masterpiece, [which leaves] more conventional treatments of the Holocaust, such as Schindler's List, looking obtuse and sentimental * The Times *William Styron's Sophie's Choice is a landmark of mid-20th-century American fiction - an impressively fat novel that most literate Americans claim to have read even if they haven't * Sunday Telegraph *A compassionate, brilliantly written novel * The Times *A weighty, passionate novel . . . courageous [and] masterly * NY Times *Styron is a writer's writer, capable of setting a pastoral idyll in Brooklyn, and the traumas narrated occur alongside a classic American coming-of-age story -- Xan Brooks * Guardian, 1000 novels everyone must read *

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Book SynopsisInspired by true events, this is a gripping tale of love and resilience in wartime Germany, as one woman changes the course of history.''An absorbing read'' The Times''Full of impeccably researched WW2 detail. Compelling'' Daily MailHITLER HAD TWO FORTUNE TELLERS.ONE PREDICTED HIS RISE TO POWER, THE OTHER AIMED FOR HIS DEMISE.Berlin, 1940: Hitler's army is on the rise. When he requests Edith Creutzen become his personal fortune teller, she's left no choice but to accept.As the days pass and his trust in her grows, Edith soon realises how powerful she has become. Cold her guidance deceive the most dangerous man in the world?One person stands in her way: Hitler's enigmatic right-hand man. Is he friend or foe, and would he still care for her if he knew where her loyalties lay?Armed with courage and conviction, Edith sets out to change the course of history. But the price of success is high, and the closer she gets, the more she stands to losePRAISE FOR J.C. MAETIS:''Enticing, terrifying and heartbreaking'' Mandy Robotham, The Resistance Girl ''Darkly compelling'' Fiona Valpy, The Dressmaker''s Gift''A gripping, intriguing and moving read'' Anna Stuart, The Midwife of Auschwitz

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Book SynopsisAnna Funder, winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize and author of Stasiland, offers a thrilling tale and powerful love story that tells the heroic and tragic true story of the German resistance in World War II in All That I Am.When Hitler comes to power in 1933, a tight-knit group of friends and lovers become hunted outlaws overnight. United in their resistance to the madness and tyranny of Nazism, they must flee the country. Dora, passionate and fearless, her lover, the great playwright Ernst Toller, her younger cousin Ruth and Ruth''s husband Hans find refuge in London. Here they take breath-taking risks in order to continue their work in secret. But England is not the safe-haven they think it to be, and a single, chilling act of betrayal will tear them apart...''The strengths of Funder''s writing are emotional and imaginative. In what she has to say about love, loss and betrayal there is profound truth'' The Times''An oftenTrade ReviewSpellbinding ... there are echoes of the best espionage tales * Sunday Telegraph *A superb novel that transcends its setting. This book is a wonder. Do, please, read it * Spectator *The strengths of Funder's writing are emotional and imaginative. In what she has to say about love, loss and betrayal there is profound truth * The Times *Dora is the most attractive fictional heroine in a long time ... a gripping story of love and betrayal * New Statesman *A seamless and powerful tale ... of individual endeavour and survival that examines universal human themes * Independent on Sunday *A remarkable story told with clarity and precision * Guardian *The subtlety of Anna Funder's novel is in the elegance of her precise prose, and in her painstaking portrait of an ordinary woman swept up in extraordinary events ... The result is a strong and impressively humane novel * TLS *A story of courage and betrayal ... she has captured the atmosphere of what it must have been like to have been at the centre of the left-wing movement in post-war Germany * Evening Standard *Anna Funder proved herself a first-rate reporter with Stasiland - now she appears as a compelling novelist in a dark story of German emigres in the 1930s, struggling to warn the indifferent English against the Nazis -- Claire TomalinThe subtlety of Anna Funder's novel is in the elegance of her precise prose, and in her painstaking portrait of an ordinary woman swept up in extraordinary events...The result is a strong and impressively humane novel -- Ruth Scurr * TLS *

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Book SynopsisIn the shadow of a war that rages through Europe, brothers Calum and Neil work to gather pine cones in the grounds of a Scottish estate. When Calum releases two mutilated rabbits from a snare, he comes face to face with Duror, the gamekeeper. In retaliation, in the depths of the wood, Duror lays a trap for the cone-gatherers.Neil prophesises that forces of evil will encroach upon the harmony of their lives. It is a prophesy that comes true when Duror commits an act so brutal it destroys all sense of humanity in the once thriving wood. Powerful and unforgettable, Robin Jenkins'' masterpiece is a haunting story of love and violence, and an investigation of class-conflict, war and envy.Trade ReviewLet me alert everyone to the best-kept secret in modern British literature. If you love the novel; if you are interested in books that are humane and wise, not slick and cynical; then treat yourself this year to some Robin Jenkins -- Andrew MarrLike all great masters, his skill is lightly worn, his sentences singing with what he does not say * * The Times * *A masterpiece of concision and terrible pathos -- Isobel MurrayFew novels in our heritage have the bell-like harmonies of this book . . . it has a strange haunting poetic quality, conjuring from a few props a fable of eternal significance -- Iain Crichton SmithIt would not be too demonstrative to claim that The Cone-Gatherers is Scotland's Cherry Orchard . . . It feels as eerily prescient today as it did when it was first published in the 1950s and is the kind of book that offers up new, modern meanings with every reading -- STUART COSGROVE * * The List * *

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Book Synopsis''A well-written and fascinating narrative about love and loss, courage and betrayal, the past and secrets, art and reproductions'' Reader review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐''This is certainly a wow of a read . . . interesting, insightful, suspenseful'' Reader review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐CAN THE SEARCH FOR A WARTIME SECRET UNLOCK HER FUTURE?1939. Europe is on the brink of change and in the fear and chaos of pre-war Italy, a painting disappears and is never seen again.1963. London is on the cusp of change in the swinging 60s. Nightclubs and exclusive parties are in their heyday, as are the art thieves of the East End underworld. But when a lowly boarding-house landlady attempts to take on the upper-crust establishment, and is accused of spying for the Russians, she can save only one thing - her reputation, or the love of her life.1989. Phoebe Cato is on the verge of losing everything she cares about: her labour of love, the struggling Cato Museum that houses Bruce Cato''s collection of masterful reproductions, and worse than that, her beloved uncle Bruce himself. With only months to live, Phoebe may not be able to save Bruce''s life, but little does she know that he had planned on saving hers all along.Following Bruce''s final trail of clues, hidden in a series of paintings, Phoebe embarks on a journey to uncover a long-held family secret and a sweeping love story that encompassed the decades . . .The moving and captivating new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Schoolteacher of Saint Michel sweeps us from an Italy simmering on the brink of war through to 1960s London at a time of shadows and Russian spies, taking us on an extraordinary journey of love, courage and betrayal. Perfect for fans of Natasha Lester, Fiona Valpy and Santa Montefiore.

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Book SynopsisLondon. Spring 1943. While Europe continues to suffer under the iron fist of Nazi occupation, Britain remains battered but unbowed. DCI Frank Merlin, already contending with a booming wartime crime wave in the capital, is confronted with a baffling case: the brutal murder of a respected doctor. Following a puzzling trail that leads him into the hidden corners of clubland - and which appears to be linked to the disappearance of both British and American officers - Merlin must untangle a dark web of shocking secrets.''This is to my shame the first Mark Ellis book I''ve read. If the others evoke a vanished London so impressively, are graced with such complex plots and deep characterisation, and, above all, are written so well I shall have to read them all.''THE TIMES''An atmospheric, compelling evocation of war-torn London in the wake of the Blitz, where DCI Frank Merlin fights against a tidal wave of crime'' GEOFFREY WANSELL, Crime and Thriller Reviewer, DAILY MAIL''Unputdownable'' ROBERT LYMAN''Mark Ellis delivers diamonds - an intriguing, masterly juggling of an intricate plot and an enviable command of detail.'' JOHN LAWTON''Extraordinarily atmospheric and compelling, DEAD IN THE WATER is a wonderfully intelligent and complex story'' CHRIS LLOYD, HWA Gold Crown Award winner.''...historical noir at its best. Mark Ellis''s talents as a writer are many; finely embroidered plotting, a meticulously researched historical context and place, and rounded characters whose lives and capers become real for a reader'' GARY DONNELLY''A very satisfying puzzle, expertly crafted'' HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETYPraise for the DCI Frank Merlin series:''Masterly . . . compelling . . . one of the most attractive characters to emerge in recent detective-thriller fiction'' ANDREW ROBERTS, SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR''Against the backdrop of Blitz-hit London, this stylish thriller sees Scotland Yard''s Frank Merlin investigate a tangled conspiracy''SUNDAY MIRROR

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Book Synopsis''ORIGINAL AND ENTHRALLING'' Guardian''AFFECTING AND TENDER'' The Times''COMPLETELY ENCHANTING'' Penny Vincenzi Elizabeth Pringle lived all her long life on the Scottish island of Arran. But did anyone really know her? In her will she leaves her beloved house, Holmlea, to a stranger - a young mother she''d seen pushing a pram down the road over thirty years ago. It now falls to Martha, once the baby in that pram, to answer the question: why? Martha is coping with her mother''s dementia and the possibility of a new life on Arran could be a new start.A captivating story for fans of Rosamund Pilcher, Maeve Binchy and Rachel Joyce of the richness behind the so-called ordinary lives of women and the secrets and threads that hold them together.And Kirsty Wark''s second novel, The House by the Loch, a story of unlikely love and long-hidden family secrets set in the beautifTrade ReviewKirsty Wark's first novel gleams with beauty... Part romance, part family history, mother-and-daughter fable and meditation on memory, The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle has qualities of heart... something of great worth and beauty gleams through the narrative and haunts the reader with its imaginative truth... Wark's presentation of a unique love unalloyed by sexuality is original and enthralling. The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle is a hymn to the stark beauty of the island of Arran. * Guardian *Curl up for this big-hearted romantic debut by the Newsnight presenter... A pulse of secrets drives the story along... affecting and tender. * The Times *Set on the Scottish island of Arran, Kirsty Wark's brilliantly vivid descriptions bring alive a story that reaches across the generations. * Daily Mail *The narrative switches between Elizabeth and Martha...The structure works well, demonstrating the similarities and differences between the two women. Both are well-rounded characters and their stories are engaging... Martha's relationship with Anna is beautifully and touchingly written, a daughter helplessly watching her beloved, vibrant mother fade away... This is an appealing debut that sustains interest to the very last page... Elizabeth Pringle is a quietly heroic character and, like Arran, she never fails to charm. * Independent on Sunday *The story is set in the beautiful Scottish island of Arran, a place Wark very obviously knows and loves... Wark's story telling is direct, compelling and rewarding for the reader. She is a real writer who happens to do television. * Daily Mail *The book is fresh and beguiling... Wark deftly and delicately plaits the intricate tales of three women... The narrative is packed with incidents but, for the most part, does not rush; it breathes, sighs, ponders. Wark has an exceptionally vivid sense of place. Windswept Arran and Holy Island become starkly beautiful lodestones which keep its old inhabitants and draw new ones. The landscapes, soil and vegetation have the power to heal broken humans, deliver love and hope after calamities. George Eliot paid homage to those "who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs." In this novel some of those hidden stories are told and graves visited with real tenderness. * Independent *a lyrical, truthful, contemplative book. [it] grows, imperceptibly, like bindweed round the reader, captivating them and then practically throttling them in with a denouement so shocking that I could barely speak afterwards. * Daily Telegraph *The BBC presenter's debut novel is an enjoyable mother-and-daughter fable and meditation on memory * Observer *Wark depicts the weather, the landscape and the inhabitants of the island so vividly that all I wanted was a ferry ticket. * Woman & Home *An excellent, page-turning debut from the Newsnight presenter. -- Viv Groskop * Red Magazine *This haunting story of love and loss, set in Kirsty's beloved Scottish Highlands, will linger with you long after you've reluctantly read the last page. * Woman's Weekly *The accomplished journalist and broadcaster's ­first foray into ­fiction is a moving and intelligent novel - its language is poetic without being overblown; its subject matter poignant but not overly sentimental... On the surface a tale of romance, loss, family and history, its emotional force comes from an exploration of that most intimate of relationships: between mothers and daughters...All the characters are well rounded and authentic, and the island itself emerges as one of them. Indeed, it is the depiction of Arran that lifts the book out of the ordinary: the haunting, evocative and nostalgic setting becomes the ­fitting backbone of this rich and captivating story. * The Lady *very, very good... a tribute to life and indomitability with smiles and excitement among the minutiae and discoveries... This wonderfully enthralling story held together by three redoubtable, engaging and very real women is for everyone * Bookbag (Top 10 Historical Novels of 2014) *meditative, beguiling and absorbing * Daunts Books - Marylebone Journal *Exquisite prose... a beautiful, sometimes devastating story that truly touches the heart. * Daily Record *Gentle and genteel * Sunday Herald *I can't imagine how Kirsty Wark found the time to write this big, rich novel when she is never off TV. It's terrifically readable, and the setting, the isle of Arran, is beautifully rendered. * Saga magazine *[An] elegant debut novel from journalist and TV presenter Kirsty Wark... The secrets and courage of [Elizabeth's] life become apparent and the climax of her story is as satisfying as it is unexpected. The magic of the island, with its soft rains, carpets of flowers and ever-changing seascapes comes across strongly as Wark makes equal magic out of the extraordinariness of ordinary lives. * WI Life Magazine *Beautifully paced and interesting... well defined and interesting. A really good read and a great first novel. * Bay of Plenty Times (NZ) *Deeply moving, this is broadcaster Kirsty's debut novel and we can't wait to see what else she's got for us. * Woman's Way (Ireland) *Completely enchanting. The story of two women's intertwined lives draws you in and holds you spellbound to the end. * Penny Vincenzi *Arran is the perfect setting and there is a deep sense of belonging. The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle is a really good read. * Rosamunde Pilcher *An intriguing marriage of past and present, and an absorbing narrative. It made me want to go to Arran. * Penelope Lively *

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Book SynopsisAn unforgettable novel of mothers and daughters, wives and muses, secrets and outright lies ‘Freud is a modern literary rarity: a born storyteller’ THE TIMES 'Such a powerful book' RICHARD CURTIS 'Delivers an emotional punch that left me in tears' RACHEL JOYCE 'Utterly compelling' HANNAH ROTHSCHILD 'I couldn't love it more' POLLY SAMSON 'I loved this book' AMANDA CRAIG 'Completely, inspiringly wonderful' BARBARA TRAPIDO 'Breathtakingly beautiful' JULIET NICOLSON AN EVENING STANDARD BOOK OF 2021 Rosaleen is still a teenager, in the early Sixties, when she meets the famous sculptor Felix Lichtman. Felix is dangerous, bohemian, everything she dreamed of in the cold nights at her Catholic boarding school. And at first their life together is glitteringly romantic – drinking in Soho, journeying to Marseilles. But it’s not long before Rosaleen finds herself fearfully, unexpectedly alone. Desperate, she seeks help from the only source she knows, the local priest, and is directed across the sea to Ireland on a journey that will seal her fate. Kate lives in Nineties London, stumbling through her unhappy marriage. But something has begun to stir in her. Close to breaking point, she sets off on a journey of her own, not knowing what she hopes to find. Aoife sits at her husband’s bedside as he lies dying, and tells him the story of their marriage. But there is a crucial part of the story missing and time is running out. Aoife needs to know: what became of Rosaleen? Spanning three generations of women, I Couldn’t Love You More is an unforgettable novel about love, motherhood, secrets and betrayal – and how only the truth can set us free. Trade ReviewFreud’s book unpicks the promise of liberation - who enjoys it, who pays the price ...The sharp intimacy of the writing is ... full of compassion and a profound decency * SUNDAY TIMES *I devoured it in two sittings, hungrily and impatient for more ... A loving tale of motherhood through the ages while taking in how badly women have been treated simply for being women. You will weep with happiness and sadness -- EMMA BARNETTHits that tricky sweet spot between commercial and literary fiction … Freud’s darting, impressionistic prose is full of riches * THE TIMES *Heart-breaking … Shrewd yet tender, stirring as well as harrowing, it’s a tragic saga that nonetheless keeps the door ajar for redemption * DAILY MAIL *A tender portrait of three women carrying trauma, pain and the emotional weight of their respective relationships … Freud’s prose is bridled and poignant … Devastating * IRISH EXAMINER *I Couldn't Love You More is completely, inspiringly wonderful. I read it non-stop through the night, finding myself simultaneously uplifted and wrung out by the emotional power of the story and by its ambitious social and historical range. It couldn't be better -- BARBARA TRAPIDOThis is such a powerful book - it unravels a deep tragedy in three miraculously entwined stories, in three different times, mothers and daughters linked by sorrow and love. It’s a gently told story of harsh, harsh events - a mystery story of separation and sorrow that is finally resolved with truth and warmth, but with no punches pulled. It’s a book about shame and the evil men do, but also about strength and the possibility of salvation in the face of one of the great scandals of the last century -- RICHARD CURTISThis exquisite family saga reads as a love letter between four generations of women. Everything is here; family ghosts, the bond between mothers and daughters, cruelty, endurance, the difficulty of love, and a faith in the possibility of healing - even after years of separation. This tender, elegant book delivers an emotional punch that left me in tears -- RACHEL JOYCEA new Esther Freud novel is always such a treat and I couldn’t love this one more -- POLLY SAMSONBeautiful, moving, wonderful ... Let me be the first (but not the last) to say I couldn’t love it more -- SAM BAKERA memorable read with some lessons to be learned * SUNDAY INDEPENDENT *A beautiful and quietly powerful novel of cruelty, humanity and love * BUSINESS POST *In this fascinating novel, Freud interweaves the stories of a daughter, mother and grandmother to show how past hurts and dreams drip down through generations. The women's characters and circumstances are beautifully evoked as are their struggles not to be defined by men or convention. Freud knits their plights together to create an utterly readable and compelling narrative -- HANNAH ROTHSCHILDFreud is a consummate novelist. Her research is always thorough (in this one intensely imagined and vividly observed), her characters alive … her story page-turning, complex and emotionally satisfying * SPECTATOR *I love this book. It feels like the novel Esther Freud has been waiting to write her whole life. The tenderness of the mother-daughter bond, the cruelties and prejudice of old Ireland, the vitality of 1960s London all beautifully realised -- AMANDA CRAIGI hugely enjoyed it. She is such a compelling writer, so good at evoking atmosphere -- LYNN BARBERA breathtakingly beautiful book, a story of absolutely vivid originality but also one that addresses those fundamental complexities that ripple through human life, transcendent of time and of place and repeated through generations at whatever age -- JULIET NICOLSONI loved it. I loved its ambition and the dexterity with which it was done, it’s poignancy and truth. I hope it does brilliantly -- ELIZABETH BUCHANFreud is a modern literary rarity: a born storyteller, poetic but never overwrought; thoughtful but never showy * THE TIMES *As close to a perfect novel as anything I've read in a long time -- ANN PATCHETTFull of pitch-perfect observation, spiced with wry humour * OBSERVER *You know how it is when a writer draws into a place and you begin to feel it is more substantial than the one around you? That is how this book was for me. I truly loved it -- RACHEL JOYCEIn a culture which dins with brashness and self-advertisement, attending to Esther Freud's still, truthful voice becomes not only a pleasure but a necessity -- JONATHAN COEA highly talented writer * INDEPENDENT *A superbly gifted writer ... Freud creates relationships so fraught and delicate that at times the characters can hardly bear to examine them ... She explores them with a dazzling clarity that reveals her true, writer's calling * NEW YORK TIMES *A consummate novelist ... Intensely imagined and vividly observed ... Page-turning, complex and emotionally satisfying * SPECTATOR *Every bit as much as a whodunnit or a thriller, but with no genre clichés or conventions to obey, just the emotional logic of the book. Which is heart-rending and devastating and wonderful and uniquely gripping. And on the micro level, the quality of the writing - the words, the sentences - is flawlessly good -- HARRY RITCHIEA powerful meditation on love and betrayal, motherhood, human vulnerability and resilience, secrets, disappointment and loss * LADY *Freud takes a kaleidoscopic approach to storytelling, shifting time frames and points of view ... Freud brings empathy to the story, her own mother having escaped this fate -- Bridie Pritchard * The i *

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Book SynopsisWill the coming war divide them . . . ? For as long as she can remember Peggy O’Shea has been expected to work at the family dairy, look after her younger siblings, and eventually marry cow-keeper Martin Gallagher. And that’s the way it has predictably gone, apart from one glorious summer when, at the age of eight, she meets handsome Anthony Giardano. But there’s bad blood between the Irish O’Sheas and the Italian Giardanos, so perhaps for the sake of both of their families, it’s a good thing when Anthony suddenly disappears. Ten years later at the start of the war, Peggy bumps into Anthony again. But as they begin to rekindle their friendship, Italy joins forces with Germany and Liverpool turns on its Italian residents overnight, making any relationship between Peggy and Anthony impossible . . . A gritty World War Two historical saga from Elizabeth Morton the acclaimed author of Angel of Liverpool.Trade ReviewElizabeth Morton brings a wealth of detail to this enjoyable fourth historical novel set in her home city. * Choice Magazine *One of my favourite authors – I love her books! -- Trisha AshleyThis book is an absolute gem – full of humour, heartbreak and love, vividly bringing to life the people and places of post-war Liverpool -- Kate Eastham, author of Coming Home to Liverpool, on Angel of LiverpoolHeartstrings are tugged in this gritty Liverpool saga which is beautifully written . . . Saga writing at its best . . . a poignant reminder of how society has changed -- Diane Allen, author of The Girl from the Tanner’s Yard, on Angel of LiverpoolThis book is an absolute gem – full of humour, heartbreak and love . . .This book is an absolute gem – full of humour, heartbreak and love . . . -- Kate Eastham, author of Coming Home to LiverpoolHeartstrings are tugged in this gritty Liverpool saga which is beautifully written . . . Saga writing at its best. . . -- Diane Allen, author of The Girl from the Tanner’s Yard

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Book SynopsisDEATH PENALTY FOR ALL WHO GIVE AID TO A JEW.DEATH TO ALL WHO HARBOUR A JEW.DEATH TO ALL WHO FEED A JEW.DEATH TO ALL WHO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO A JEW.One knock at the door could be the death of them all…It is 1943, and sixteen-year-old Stefania Podgórska has been working for the Diamant family in their grocery store in Przemsyl, Poland, for four years. She has even made a promise to one of their sons, Izio - an engagement they must keep secret since she is Catholic and the Diamants are Jewish.But everything changes when the German army invades Przemsyl. The Diamants are forced into the ghetto, and Stefania is alone in an occupied city, the only one left to care for her six-year-old sister. And then comes the knock at the door. Max Diamant has jumped from the train headed to a death camp. Stefania and Helena make the extraordinary decision to hide Max, and eventually twelve more Jews. Then they must wait, every day, for the next knock at the door, the one that could destroy everything...A powerful novel from a New York Times Bestselling author, based on the remarkable true story of Stefania Podgórska, a Polish teenager who hid 13 Jews in her attic during World War Two.Trade ReviewHarrowing, heartbreaking, and yet so full of hope. * Jennifer Donnelly *Sharon Cameron wrote an exciting novel that weaves together the lightheartedness, sheer terror, and incredible inner strength of this young woman, my mom. This book exceeds all my expectations. * Ed Burzminski (Stefania’s son) *

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Book SynopsisFrom the New York Times bestselling author. Two spies risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi doctor in the aftermath of World War II.'Kelly weaves a fascinating tale of lesser-known heroes, inspired by true events, to enhance our understanding of history.' Starred Booklist'A compelling portrayal of turmoil both personal and global.' Kirkus Reviews'Intriguing ... Historical fiction fans will be delighted.' Publishers Weekly_____________Two spies who have lost everything. Or have they?The year is 1952. It's been over a decade since Josie and Arlette were arrested for working with the Resistance and imprisoned at the Ravensbrück concentration camp.Now working for the U.S. Army, Josie nurtures an ember of anger in her heart as she searches for the Nazi scientists who did unspeakable things to her mother.Arlette, having exhausted all her finances in Paris to find her stolen son, is left with no choice but to take a charming stranger up on his offer to search his compound's orphanage in French Guiana.Yet rumour has it the compound is filled with absconding Nazis.Both women must work together to uncover the truth and save the ones they love from terrifying danger . . ._____________Readers can't get enough of The Golden Doves ...***** 'FANTASTIC!!! This is another EXCELLENT + incredibly well-researched book by Martha Hall Kelly.'***** 'Martha Hall Kelly always delivers a gripping, poignant, and beautifully told story.'***** 'A wonderful and stunning post WWII-era historical fiction that is from one of my favourite authors. I loved it.'***** 'This is a wonderful WW2 historical fiction. It has mystery, suspense and will keep you reading to see what will happen next.'***** 'I loved every minute of reading this book.'

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Book SynopsisTHE INSPIRATION FOR THE OSCAR-NOMINATED MOTION PICTURE 'JOJO RABBIT'NOMINATED FOR 6 ACADEMY AWARDS INCLUDING BEST PICTURE AND BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAYThis extraordinary novel is seen through the eyes of Johannes, an avid member of the Hitler Youth in the 1940s. After he is severely injured in a raid, he discovers his parents are hiding a Jewish girl called Elsa behind a false wall in their large house in Vienna. His initial horror turns to interest, then love and obsession. After the disappearance of his parents, Johannes finds he is the only one aware of Elsa's existence in the house, the only one responsible for her survival. Both manipulating and manipulated, Johannes dreads the end of the war: with it will come the prospect of losing Elsa and their relationship, which ranges through passion and obsession, dependence and indifference, love and hate.This gripping, masterful work examines truth and lies at both political and personal levels, laying bare the darkest corners of the human soul.Trade ReviewEnthralling throughout... * My Weekly *A vivid and deeply compelling novel, Caging Skies is an existential battle of moral and ethical extremes. Christine Leunens is an adept and eloquent storyteller -- Georgia Hunter * New York Times bestselling author of We Were the Lucky Ones *The good-natured humour and quirkiness of the film and the drama of the novel are quite fun to contrast, and both are impactful in their own right. * Cherwell *The best part of this interesting novel is its ability to show parts of our history which others dismiss: why suffering can make some people more sensitive but others more cruel, and how a war, such an outrage to human dignity, blurs the line between the victorious and defeated * Elle *Leunens said the film showed moviegoers that "we have a choice, are we going to go back to this kind of thinking ... superior, inferior ... or are we going to move on and bring more love and compassion to our relationships?" * Guardian *Totally compelling * Woman's Weekly (NZ) *Leunens has an ear for language and the ability to create a vividly sensual world for her characters that I found highly satisfying -- Cushla McKinneyA novel that breaks all the rules. In spite of this, or maybe because of it, the result is a disturbing and gripping novel that has haunted me ever since I finished reading it. * New Zealand Books *Disturbing, moving, eminently readable - this is a story you won't be able to put down * My Weekly *. . . a novel about Hitler's Third Reich without equal * Design Observer *

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Book SynopsisA haunting portrayal of love and betrayal in a London hollowed by war.It is wartime London, and the carelessness of people with no future flows through the evening air. Stella discovers that her lover Robert is suspected of selling information to the enemy. Harrison, the British intelligence agent on his trail, wants to bargain, the price for his silence being Stella herself. Caught between two men and unsure who she can trust, the flimsy structures of Stella''s life begin to crumble.Alive with the erotic tensions of the blackout, the Blitz and the heightened pleasures of sex in the proximity of death' London Review of BooksWITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ROY FOSTERThis series of war novels from Vintage Classics presents eight powerful stories about the horror and waste of war - each a passionate plea to prevent its repetition

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Book SynopsisTHE ELEVENTH NOVEL IN THE BESTSELLING SHIPYARD GIRLS SERIESSunderland, 1944As the promise of victory draws closer, this Christmas will surely be one to remember.It should be a magical time for Dorothy, who has just been proposed to by her sweetheart Toby. But with each day that passes, Dorothy's feelings for someone else are growing stronger. Now she has an impossible choice to make.Gloria is thrilled that her sweetheart Jack is finally home after more than two years away. But his past is continuing to catch up with them both - creating untold heartache for Gloria and everyone she holds dear.Meanwhile Helen must contend with the fall-out of a shocking family secret that has repercussions for all the Shipyard Girls, while holding out hope for her own happy ending...Can a little festive magic help them win the day?___________________________________________Praise for Nancy Revell:'Nancy Revell knows how to stir the passions and soothe the heart!' Northern Echo'Stirring and heartfelt storytelling' Peterborough Evening Telegraph'Emotional and gripping' Take a BreakTrade ReviewNancy Revell knows how to stir the passions and soothe the heart! * Northern Echo *the author is one to watch * Sun *A brilliant read * Take a Break *Well-drawn, believable characters combined with a storyline to keep you turning the pages * Woman *

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Book SynopsisSome secrets are better left buried... 2022. Stained-glass expert Rhoda Sullivan is called to Telton Hall to examine a window designed by an Italian prisoner of war during WW2. It should be a quick job but when she and the owner's son, Nate Hartwell, discover a body underneath one of the flagstones in the chapel, Rhoda cannot let the mystery go. She knows what it's like to miss someone who is missing – her twin brother disappeared just before their eighteenth birthday, and she has been looking for him for nearly a decade. But when the threats start, it's clear someone doesn't want the secrets of Telton Hall to come to light. 1945. Alice Renshaw is in trouble. Pregnant and alone she is sent away to hide her shame and taken in by Louise Hartwell who has a farm in Somerset worked by prisoners of war. As the weeks pass, Alice finds solace in new friendships, but not everyone at Telton Hall is happy about it. And even though peace has been declared in Europe, the war at home is only just beginning... Perfect for fans of Ellie Midwood, Suzanne Kelman and Suzanne Goldring. Readers love Beyond a Broken Sky! 'Compelling historical mystery... You'll be turning the pages as fast as you can and falling in love with (most of) the characters' Jera's Jamboree, 5* Review 'Huge fan of this author... An immensely enjoyable novel and highly recommended!' Pickled Thoughts and Pinot, 5* Review 'Wow, there was a lot going on in this book! A lot of effort has gone into making this story as powerful as it was' Goodreads Reviewer, 5* Review 'Wonderful book, completely addictive! A fun read and cleverly crafted. Highly recommend' NetGalley Reviewer, 5* Review 'Suspenseful with an underlying menacing ethos... I enjoyed the female protagonists and the plot twists' Jane Hunt Writer, 5* Review 'Thoroughly enjoyed this dual timeline book... Another winner from this talented author. Highly recommend' NetGalley Reviewer, 5* Review 'Beautifully written dual timeline story... Absolutely loved this story. I was captured from the very beginning' NetGalley Reviewer, 5* Review 'Suzanne Fortin has done it again' Tweedvale Girl Book Reviews, 5* Review 'Soothing, escapist, and well worth reading... A moving story showcasing that love can conquer all... A very nice mystery' Goodreads Reviewer, 4* Review 'Very well written book, great plot, moved along fast and kept me engaged... Could easily have read it in one sitting if other things didn't get in the way!' NetGalley Reviewer, 4* Review 'Heartfelt and moving... Each experience and influence adds together to make something uniquely beautiful' Lotus Writing Therapy, 4* Review Praise for Suzanne Fortin: 'The story brings a warm sense of hope and is moving and joyful in equal measures. A triumph' Celia Anderson 'This story has great depths of emotion, highs and lows, and I found it utterly gripping!' Christina Courtenay 'A deeply moving story of love in all its forms – I adored it' Mandy Baggot 'Five stars' Poppy Alexander

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Book SynopsisItaly in World War 2. Hidden loves and dangerous secrets, suspicion and lies swirl around trattoria Casa Maria, as the Nazis tighten their grip on power. Family-run Casa Maria is the beating heart of beautiful Amatino in Umbria. But now it is under Nazi control, to the fury of matriarch Elena Capaldi. Forced to give board to a hated young German soldier, she reluctantly realises he shares her passion for cooking and can be a real help. But should an enemy soldier ever be trusted?In Rome, Elena''s charismatic grandson, Giorgio, is undercover at the other family trattoria, leaving his new wife, Sophia, to keep the secret of his whereabouts. Amatino is seething with conspiracies and some would happily bring down the Capaldis and all they stand for. In war there are always people ready to do business with the enemy.

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Book SynopsisMalta, 1943. The war in the air above Malta is over, but the battle for Europe is about to begin.Margarita, a young singer in a Valletta nightclub, has seen her former lover Henry Dunn only once since breaking off their affair. His wife Vera, an enigmatic archaeologist, arrives at the club to tell her that Henry has disappeared, presumed dead. While investigating, Margarita stumbles upon the hunt for a notorious and dangerous spy: Nero.As an unlikely bond develops between the two women, and strange secrets emerge, an urgent quest to unmask Nero starts - before he can enact a deadly plan that may threaten the course of the war. 'An atmospheric tale of adventure and espionage' Sunday Times of MaltaPraise for Cecily Blench:'A sweeping historical fiction masterpiece' My Weekly 'Evocative and atmospheric.' Wilbur Smith

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewIn her excellent debut novel, Brianna Labuskes writes lovingly of the power of books, libraries, and friendship to sustain us in difficult times, while also offering a stark, unmistakably relevant warning about the dangers of censorship. Fans of historical fiction featuring courageous women will savor The Librarian of Burned Books. — Jennifer Chiaverini, author of Resistance Women Each of the main characters is clearly drawn and sympathetic, the plot kept me awake turning pages far into the night, and the well-earned resolution was poignant and emotional. The depiction of lesbian romance felt authentic and respectful. This novel is a timely reminder that the burning or banning of books is the first step in an escalating war on freedom of thought and expression that can have devastating consequences. The women in this novel develop the strength to overcome fear, doubt, and trepidation to resist censorship and hate each in her own way.... An entertaining and riveting read. — Kim van Alkemade, New York Times bestselling author of Orphan #8 and Bachelor Girl Inspired by the fascinating real story of a little-known World War II-era group of librarians, authors, publishers, and booksellers who united to fight fascism with literature, THE LIBRARIAN OF BURNED BOOKS is a thoroughly engrossing page-turner that proves how powerful words and ideas can be, no matter the era. Filled with intrigue and secrets, this timely novel follows three women from Berlin to Paris to New York City to right past wrongs using books as their weapon of choice. — Elise Hooper, author of Angels of the Pacific I've always believed that the most memorable historical novels are those that, by shining a light on the past, show us a better way forward into the future. Brianna Labuskes's masterful debut is one such novel. Alternating between time periods, and armed with three richly drawn characters, Labuskes unfurls a story of censorship and fear in 1930s Germany and of hope and grit in 1944 New York. A propulsive, immersive, expertly crafted debut that reminds us of the perils of censorship, the power of books, and the duty we all have to stand up for the freedoms we hold dear. — Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names As Labuskes weaves perspectives together, she not only highlights the pain of censorship, suppression, and dehumanization but also issues a stark reminder that history repeats itself. At the same time, she plants seeds of hope in her characters’ refusal to let the stories that should bring us together be silenced. — Booklist (starred review) Terrific research buttresses strong writing that will keep readers riveted.”— — Library Journal

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Book SynopsisWar brings them together.Will liberation tear them apart?''Wonderful. A heartbreaking story of the power of love and forgiveness'' JILL MANSELL''A tender, thrilling story of love and family secrets in time of war'' RACHEL HORE''I was so engrossed. A wonderful, moving, ultimately uplifting book'' LESLEY PEARSEFrom the bestselling author of WHILE PARIS SLEPT, a powerful, beautiful story of two strangers bound by love, divided by war and entwined by sacrifice.Paris 1944. Elise Chevalier knows what it is to love...and to hate. Her fiancé, a young French soldier, was killed by the German army at the Maginot Line. Living amongst the enemy Elise must keep her rage buried deep within.Sebastian Kleinhaus no longer recognises himself. After four years spent fighting a war he doesn''t believe in, wearing a uniform he despises, he longs for a way oTrade ReviewPraise for Ruth Druart: 'What a book . . . Emotional and heartrending . . . absolutely phenomenal. I was on tenterhooks throughout. A wonderful achievement -- Jill MansellHistorical fiction fans, rejoice! A new voice has entered the arena and she's one to watch. A heartrending story told from the perspectives of two families living very different lives, it is also one of hope amid tragedy. Perfectly paced and plotted, and evocatively written * Woman & Home *You'll have your heart in your mouth and tears on your cheeks as it reaches its rich, life-affirming conclusion. Both epic and intimate, this unexpected story had me completely and utterly enraptured -- Louise CandlishBrace yourself for a brilliant read. This will tug at your heartstrings * Best *While Paris Slept made me think and cry and rage and smile at mankind's capacity for both beautiful, selfless love and terrible, heartbreaking cruelty. Prepare to be thoroughly engrossed in this compelling book -- Natasha LesterWhat a book, I absolutely loved it. An ingenious plot, wonderful believable characters and it moved me to tears. A fabulous read -- Lesley PearseA heartbreaking debut. The novel delves into eternal questions: How far will we go to protect our child? Is love holding tightly or letting go? -- Janet Skeslien Charles, author of The Paris LibraryA powerful and poignant debut from a brilliant and bold new novelist -- Imogen Kealey, author of Liberation

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Book SynopsisAuschwitz, 1942. Stumbling through the terrifying wrought iron gates of Auschwitz, Jewish author Etty Weil longs for her apartment overlooking the Seine, where she used to laugh with friends, her shelves full of records and her beloved typewriter by the wide window. Trapped inside the maze of barbed wire, she takes fourteen-year-old Danielle under her wing. Every evening, Etty tells Danielle stories, building a beautiful world of imagination and hope for Danielle to escape into. Soon, Etty realises that the other women in their cramped hut are listening too. But the more hope Etty gives Danielle, the more chances the young girl begins to take with her life, rebelling against the brutal SS guards and forcing Etty to protect her. And one day, Danielle goes too far . . .Fans of TheTattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and The Choice will lose their hearts to this devastatingly beautiful and hope

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