Street fiction / urban fiction

Book SynopsisShortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2022From the bestselling author of Breasts and Eggs and international literary sensation Mieko Kawakami comes a sharp and illuminating novel about a fourteen-year-old boy subjected to relentless bullying.In Heaven, a fourteen-year-old boy is tormented for having a lazy eye. Instead of resisting, he chooses to suffer in silence. The only person who understands what he is going through is a female classmate, Kojima, who experiences similar treatment at the hands of her bullies. Providing each other with immeasurable consolation at a time in their lives when they need it most, the two young friends grow closer than ever. But what, ultimately, is the nature of a friendship when your shared bond is terror?Unflinching yet tender, sharply observed, intimate and multi-layered, this simple yet profound novel stands as yet another dazzling testament to Mieko Kawakami’s uncontainable talent. TIME's 100 Must-Read Books of the Year'Mieko Kawakami is a genius' - Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times'An expertly told, deeply unsettling tale of adolescent violence' - VogueTranslated from the Japanese by Sam Bett and David Boyd.Trade ReviewTaking two outcast teens as its unhappy protagonists, it is an expertly told, deeply unsettling tale of adolescent violence that will, no doubt, only grow the author's fan base * Vogue *This is the real magic of Heaven, which shows us how to think about morality as an ongoing, dramatic activity. -- Merve Emre * New Yorker *To read Heaven, by the author of Breasts and Eggs, and newly translated into English from Japanese by Sam Bett and David Boyd, is to bear witness to an unrelenting horror film of one boy’s youth * The Washington Post *The second novel to appear in English by the bestselling Japanese author Mieko Kawakami is tauter and even more perceptive than its predecessor . . . Heaven is less than half the length and holds double the emotional force * New Statesman *For me this is a perfect novel, and one I know I will return to before long -- Megan Nolan, author of Acts of DesperationHeaven is a thoughtful novel about the value of the flaws that make us who we are * Literary Review *Short but assured. . .by the end, the reader is so dizzily absorbed in its visceral details and philosophical complexity that, when the twist comes, it hits you with a strange and unexpected force * Financial Times *Impeccably translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd, the book is full of masterly set pieces of violence, scenes of senseless bullying so lucid you can almost feel the pain yourself . . . * New York Times Book Review *Heaven is told with astonishing frankness and economy. It will cut through all your defences down to every layer of fear, isolation, hope and need you’ve ever felt . . . Mieko Kawakami is a genius -- Naoise DolanA raw, painful, and tender portrait of adolescent misery, reminiscent of both Elena Ferrante's fiction . . . I cannot, in good conscience, endorse it without a warning: This book is very likely to make you cry * NPR *Brilliant . . . This captivating, quietly devastating book is about the relationship between two school misfits. The same vulnerabilities that expose them to their tormentors allow them to see one another with a pure sort of attention -- Megan Nolan * New Statesman *In this horror film, oblivious authority figures walk on by as you grope for breath, wondering what it even means to be alive and free * Independent *Simple and profound, Heaven is an undeniable masterpiece -- Mitsuyoshi NumanoA poignant odyssey into the haunted caverns of adolescence . . . Kawakami writes with jagged, visceral beauty about those early antagonists we carry around in our heads, scars we bear into adulthood, ‘caught in the undertow’ of hormones and sorrow * Oprah Daily *Mieko Kawakami pulls from the all too familiar places we learn to accept as normal in our youth and gives them to us to reflect on as adults in a painful yet necessary way. Even if we could never learn the absolute truths behind humans' capacity for violence as well as empathy, we are certainly closer now with Heaven -- An Yu, author of Braised PorkKawakami unflinchingly takes the reader through the abyss of depraved, dehumanizing behavior with keen psychological insight, brilliant sensitivity, and compassionate understanding. With this, the author’s star continues to rise * Publishers Weekly *Mieko Kawakami has spun a poignant tale on the theme of bullying . . . Heaven is a tour de force * Tokyo Shimbun *Heaven covers new terrain, masterfully broadening the literary landscape * Yomiuri Shimbun *Kawakami has a unique knack for burrowing into discomfort, and she does it in a startlingly graceful way. Like her last novel—an unsparing treatise on the pressures of being a woman in male-dominated Japan—this book isn’t for the fainthearted. Told from the perspective of a 14-year-old boy in present-day Japan, Kawakami’s tale follows the volatile lives of two teenagers relentlessly bullied by their peers . . . An unexpected classic * Kirkus *Rises above the philosophical questions at its depths and delivers the reader to a devastating conclusion * Elle Japan *Kawakami’s powerful and unassuming novel explores horrific accounts of bullying in a Japanese school . . . Her sensitive, evocative storytelling sets her apart as an incredible literary talent * BookList *Kawakami is a writer who doesn’t shy away from hard truths and painful experiences, so Heaven will not be an easy read, but it’s guaranteed to be a rewarding one * The Japan Times *It is difficult to write young voices well: easy to forget how smart teenagers are, or to portray them in terms of what adults might wish for them. Mieko Kawakami, however, is adept at understanding their perspective and capturing the despair and intractability of those difficult years . . . As with Kawakami's previously translated work, Breasts and Eggs, this is an adroit novel of real feeling and insight from a writer who wants her readers to think for themselves -- Rónán Hession * Irish Times *Mesmerizing . . . Kawakami is a master of the interior voice. There is something about her prose that is so immediate and pressing it blocks out the future almost as if it were a threatening force. We are forced to deal with her characters as they are living now: alone, vulnerable, and unprotected * World Literature Today *These raw and realistic portrayals of bullying are counterbalanced by textured exposition of the philosophical and religious debates concerning violence to which the weak are subjected * Paperback Paris *Moving and intelligent. Kawakami gives us characters who speak to the heart and illustrate in one form or another the dilemma facing everyone in adolescence. Hopeful yet chilling in equal measures * American Booksellers Association *Heaven takes on the issue of bullying, and why a victim might choose not to fight back. Two teenagers bond over their torment, and their passive response reveals many kinds of societal injustice * Washington Post *This sharp new novel from Mieko Kawakami [is] a sucker-punch of a story that implores you to question even your own morality * Cosmopolitan *With grace and clarity, Kawakami explores destructive nature of adolescent violence, and the power of empathetic friendships * The Millions *How can a relationship really last when its foundation is built on shared experiences of humiliation? The author moves toward an answer in this quietly devastating tale of middle school drama * TIME *If you enjoyed Mieko Kawakami’s brilliant Breasts and Eggs, you’re certain to be astonished by her latest novel exploring violence and bullying with fierce, feminist and damning candor * Ms. Magazine *While Kawakami refuses to give us answers, the elegance and care with which she describes her characters’ lives invite the reader to ask such questions of themselves. This is not a cruel story, but rather one that understands hurt and pain for what it is: universal, unjust and material for new life * BookPage *Mieko Kawakami is the reigning queen of contemporary Japanese literature for good reason * Japan Times *Kawakami is taking the reader by the hand and guiding us through someone’s small, interior life as a method of contemplating wide-ranging, universal issues such as the body, ethics, and meaning * Bad Form Review *A poignant and unsettling look at what makes a friendship and, on a macro level, what makes an unequal society. Kawakami’s writing is meticulous and assured, and Heaven leaves a bruise * The Skinny *Exceptional -- David Hayden * White Review 'Books of the Year' *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Times top ten bestsellerGranta Best of Young British Novelists 2023Scots Book o the Year 2021Winner of the Somerset Maugham Award & Betty Trask Award 2021‘Trainspotting for a new generation’ – Independent‘An instant Scottish classic’ – The Skinny2005. Glasgow is named Europe’s Murder Capital, driven by a violent territorial gang and knife culture. In the housing schemes of adjacent Lanarkshire, Scotland’s former industrial heartland, wee boys become postcode warriors.2004. Azzy Williams joins the Young Team [YTP]. A brutal gang conflict with their deadly rivals, the Young Toi [YTB] begins.2012. Azzy dreams of another life. He faces his toughest fight of all – the fight for a different future.Expect Buckfast. Expect bravado. Expect street philosophy. Expect rave culture. Expect anxiety. Expect addiction. Expect a serious facial injury every six hours. Expect murder.Hope for a way out.Inspired by the experiences of its author, Graeme Armstrong, The Young Team is an energetic novel, full of the loyalty, laughs, mischief, boredom, violence and threat of life on these streets. It looks beyond the tabloid stereotypes to tell a powerful story about the realities of life for young people in Britain today.‘A swaggering, incendiary debut’ – Guardian‘Dialect that fizzes off the page’ – Observer‘One of the most admired young voices in British fiction’ – The TimesTrade ReviewA swaggering, incendiary debut . . . The non-standard English forges a dazzling poetry of its own . . . pitches Armstrong straight into the first division of Scottish writers. -- Jude Cook * Guardian *The Young Team is a landmark in Scottish literature. It reminds me of Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby. -- Damian Barr, author of Maggie & MeArmstrong’s hard-hitting novel is Trainspotting for a new generation. * Independent *Raw and lyrical . . . written in a voice that recalls Irvine Welsh and Alan Warner – dialect that fizzes off the page. * Observer *[A] gripping debut novel . . . he is quite a phenomenon . . . one of the most admired young voices in British fiction. -- Mike Wade * The Times *A riveting debut novel . . . it crackles with teenage energy . . . has already engendered a buzz that many other debut novelists would kill for. * Herald *It is Trainspotting meets Clockwork Orange in this depiction of gang life in North Lanarkshire . . . it gives us a voice from a place - geographically and socio-economically - we don’t often hear from. -- John Self * The Times *The Young Team is a book full of guts, power, humour and humanity. -- Kerry Hudson, author of LowbornBright, brittle and boiling with immediacy . . . His work is vivid, dynamic and sharp as a whip. -- Janice Galloway, author of The Trick is to Keep BreathingPhenomenal. It’s been ages since I read a book so funny, visceral, or powerful. -- David Whitehouse, author of Bed

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A cyberpunk coming-of-age tale' Japan Times Two babies are left in a Tokyo station coin locker and survive against the odds, but their lives are forever tainted by this inauspicious start. Raised amidst the outcasts and misfits of Toxitown, they carve out vastly different paths: one as a bisexual rock star on a desperate search for his mother, the other as an athlete consumed by revenge against the woman who left him behind. When their twisted journeys start to intertwine, this savage and stunning story plunges headlong into a surrealistic whirl of violence. 'Encapsulates the fin de siècle cultural detonation of Japanese youth' KirkusTrade Review'Ably encapsulates the fin de siecle cultural detonation of Japanese youth... Snyder's agile translation preserves much of the shock, beauty, and pathos in this apocalyptic minisaga of troubled times' - Kirkus'Ryu Murakami is known for the sex-drugs-and-violence style of his fiction and Coin Locker Babies has it all... A cyberpunk coming-of-age tale' - Japan Times

Read more less

Book Synopsis* READ THE NOVEL THAT INSPIRED THE FILM PRECIOUS *This 25th Anniversary Edition includes a new preface from Tayari Jones, and a new afterword by the author. This is the story of Precious Jones, a sixteen year old illiterate black girl who has never been out of Harlem. She is pregnant by her own father for the second time, and kicked out of school. Placed in an alternative teaching programme, she learns to read and write. This is Precious's diary, in which she honestly records her relationships and her life. 'The Color Purple for the nineties' Vogue 'Sapphire's vibrant, unindulgent first novel has you cheering the awesome Precious on until the last page' Mail on Sunday 'Has all the power and vehemence of rap...brutal in its defence of the vulnerable' Independent 'Part wishful prayer, part manifesto, mingling poetry and humour...splendid, turbulent, bracing language...its music takes you over, its story grips... A voice to remember' Scotland on Sunday 'Harrowing yet hilarious... packs a powerful punch' GuardianTrade ReviewAn inspired and inspiring debut, a The Color Purple for the nineties * Vogue *Sapphire's vibrant, unindulgent first novel has you cheering the awesome Precious on until the last page: her voice is true and the book is cool * Mail on Sunday *Harrowing yet hilarious... packs a powerful punch... The powerful writing makes the book a cracking read... a tour de force * Guardian *Unforgettable...a mesmerising and uplifting read... Has all the power and vehemence of rap...brutal in its defence of the vulnerable * Independent *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick'A love letter to Japan and its literature' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan'Ingenious... Touching, surprising and sometimes heartbreaking' Guardian'An ideal tonic for anyone craving far-flung adventure' Mail on Sunday'If you're itching to read a new novel by David Mitchell...try this' The Times_______________In Tokyo - one of the world's largest megacities - a stray cat is wending her way through the back alleys. And, with each detour, she brushes up against the seemingly disparate lives of the city-dwellers, connecting them in unexpected ways.But the city is changing. As it does, it pushes her to the margins where she chances upon a series of apparent strangers - from a homeless man squatting in an abandoned hotel, to a shut-in hermit afraid to leave his house, to a convenience store worker searching for love. The cat orbits Tokyo's denizens, drawing them ever closer.'Masterfully weaves together seemingly disparate threads to conjure up a vivid tapestry of Tokyo; its glory, its shame, its characters, and a calico cat.' David Peace, author of THE TOKYO TRILOGYOne of the Independent's best debutsLonglisted for the DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD, 2021Trade ReviewNick Bradley's ingenious choreography of a constantly moving city, is touching, surprising and sometimes heartbreaking. * Guardian *The key pleasure of reading this book is its sprightly vigour - cool but not hipsterish, ambitious but not pretentious - that evokes a similar liveliness in the reader. It makes you feel young again. * John Self, The Times *Inventive, beguiling. * Sunday Times *An ideal tonic for anyone craving far-flung adventure. * Mail on Sunday *Intriguing...explores the dark underbelly of Japan. * Independent *I wolfed down these interlocking stories of cats, Tokyo, loneliness and redemption. Congratulations to Nick Bradley on this vibrant and accomplished debut. * David Mitchell, via Twitter *The Cat and The City is a love letter to Japan and its literature. Bradley's passion for everything from onigiri to Tanizaki's short stories is woven into this book. Bradley was for a time an ex-pat and his insight into their perching state is particularly intriguing. He is also very clearly a man with a great tenderness for cats. * Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of HARMLESS LIKE YOU *In a very impressive, finely observed debut, Nick Bradley masterfully weaves together seemingly disparate threads to conjure up a vivid tapestry of Tokyo; its glory, its shame, its characters, and a calico cat. * David Peace, author of THE TOKYO TRILOGY *An inventive, clever and beguiling read. With Tokyo as the backdrop, this is a beautifully written novel about belonging and loneliness, about escape and destruction, where the enmeshed narratives (and a magical cat) bind the city together. * Elizabeth Macneal, author of THE DOLL FACTORY *Like the street cat that slinks through this, Nick Bradley is endlessly resourceful, full of invention, full of surprises. * Andrew Cowan, author of PIG *Tender, delicate, and surprising, The Cat and The City is a lovely, rare progeny of a meeting between the English and the Japanese imagination. * Amit Chaudhuri, author of THE IMMORTALS *The Cat and The City is fiercely vivid, darkly comic and exquisitely mesmerising. Prepare to be transported across a sprawling metropolis; intercepting lives, as culture, history and identity interweave in a novel that will stay with you indelibly. Utterly brilliant writing. * Ashley Hickson-Lovence, author of THE 392 *Reading The Cat and The City is a rare experience of immersion in a world so complete that you will feel you know Tokyo like a character all its own, and feel homesick for it once you turn the final page. I loved the playfulness of form, the patience and skill of the storytelling and above all, the jolts of delighted and poignant recognition as narratives connected in subtle and powerful ways. * Eleanor Wasserberg, author of FOXLOWE *Bradley has produced a vivid urban map where "lifers" of all nationalities are trapped in a dark place. Hosts of readers will already be looking forward to what he serves up next in the fiction stakes. * Japan Today *Bradley's storytelling is artful and thickly allusive... For those who love tales of cats, cities or both, it makes for a charming wander. * Straits Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the glitz of the London club scene of the 1990's to the underbelly of its criminal world, Layer Cake is the best in British crime fiction.Trade Review‘This assured debut is far more sophisticated than such expressions of “gangster chic” as Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. Connolly displays the same infectious relish for underworld argot as Elizabethan writers fascinated by rogues’ cant, and his ostensibly artless plotting is as rich in double and triple crosses as a spy thriller’ John Dugdale, The Sunday Times‘The best crime novel I’ve ever read’ Bruce Reynolds ‘An immensely entertaining read’ Philip MacCann, The Spectator‘If the brilliantly written and intriguing Layer Cake is anything to go by, his will soon be a name to whet the appetites of readers and critics alike’ Francis Gilbert, The Times 'Funny, hectic, hard-hitting debut novel... Tart, tough and riveted at every juncture by unmistakable authenticity... sheer, unstoppable joy to read from the first page to the last' Philip Oakes, Literary Review'A storming piece of work... the novel has a grasp of street argot unparalleled since Kinky Friedman first sashayed out of his from door and nailed a checker straight out of the bat' D. J. Taylor'Connolly's style is fast and funny and just frightening enough to make you sit up all night finishing the book' Independent on Sunday'One novel in and Connolly has hit the jackpot, jump-started British crime fiction into the present... Like good drug fiction you're given glamour and squalor, a voyeuristic thrill, and the bill' Uncut

Read more less

Book SynopsisBret Easton Ellis is the author of several novels, including Imperial Bedrooms, Less Than Zero, The Rules of Attraction, American Psycho, Glamorama and Lunar Park, and a collection of stories, The Informers. Less Than Zero, The Rules of Attraction, American Psycho and The Informers have all been made into films. His first work of non-fiction, White, was published in 2019. He is the host of the Bret Easton Ellis Podcast available on Patreon. He lives in Los Angeles.Trade ReviewA murder mystery – a woozy, paranoid, hallucinatory version of LA noir. * Sunday Times *Brilliantly written and coolly self-aware . . . Here, as in Less Than Zero, Ellis is plumbing the depths of human nature, exposing it at its worst. * Observer *The novel is a kind of modern noir and, as in Chandler, the form’s accepted master, atmosphere is king. Paranoia prevails. * Independent on Sunday *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA beautiful hardback edition of the hilarious, dark, ingenious novel that changed the face of British fiction.Choose us. Choose life. Choose mortgage payments; choose washing machines; choose cars; choose sitting oan a couch watching mind-numbing and spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fuckin junk food intae yir mooth. Choose rotting away, pishing and shiteing yersel in a home, a total fuckin embarrassment tae the selfish, fucked-up brats ye've produced.Choose life.'The best book ever written by man or woman... Deserves to sell more copies than the Bible' Rebel Inc'Welsh writes with a skill, wit and compassion that amounts to genius' Sunday TimesVINTAGE QUARTERBOUND CLASSICS: Bound to be beautifulTrade ReviewAbhorrently dark and raw to the core, Trainspotting is an insight into one of life’s many ugly personalities — addiction and the accompanying domino effect of grim inevitabilities… Irvine Welsh’s novel will always be a cult classic.—Tori Chalmers, Culture TripWelsh’s skill as a storyteller is undeniable, bringing both wit and compassion to a grim subject matter. If you liked Danny Boyle’s film adaptation, you’ll love the original.—Maddy Searle, iThe voice of punk, grown up, grown wiser and grown eloquent—Sunday TimesThe best book ever written by man or woman... Deserves to sell more copies than the bible—Rebel IncWelsh writes with a skill, wit and compassion that amounts to genius. He is the best thing that has happened to British writing for decades—Sunday Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisTo save your lifeYou must kill the one you loveCan you do it?Sarah is madly in love with boyfriend Theo, and can’t wait to go on their first weekend away.But by the end of the first night, Theo is dead. And Sarah has killed him. But she swears she had no choice.She was forced to kill Theo because of something that happened a lifetime ago … something buried in her past.Now, Sarah has one week to find the truth of what happened back then and prove her innocence, before she’s turned over to the police.She’s spent years running from the truth – but now the choices of her past might destroy her future.A fast-paced, addictive thriller that fans of Gillian McAllister and Linwood Barclay won’t be able to put down.Readers are loving The Choice:‘So many twists that you are never sure what is going to happen next…thoroughly entertaining and one hell of a rollercoaster ride.’ Reader Review‘A clever, gripping and unexpected read…The ending is mindblowing and well-executed.’ Reader Review‘Amazing story, really captivated me!...Loved every minute of it.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘A classic thriller tale with twists and turns that keeps the reader engaged, turning page after page to reach the climax. Deception, murder, greed and revenge fill the pages.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘This tale is creepy and scary in parts. Suspenseful and tense! I couldn’t get enough.’ Reader Review‘Rollercoaster of a suspense, packed with action and unpredictable twists and turns, a well-crafted cast of characters and a vein of deliciously dark humour.’ Reader Review‘Really suspenseful and kept me on my toes throughout most of the book.’ Reader Review‘Wow! What an intense read from page one…I loved the crazy thrilling ride it took me on.’ Reader Review‘Fast paced, hooks you in. Great book that keeps your attention.’ Reader ReviewPraise for P.D. Viner’s breakneck thrillers:‘I loved it! A very fast-paced, action-packed story with lots of suspense to keep you reading straight to the very end!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘Go with the flow and enjoy the rollercoaster ride…A gripping thriller that surprises, at times, by being laugh-out-loud funny.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘So gripping that I couldn’t have put it down even if I had wanted to…full of suspense and mystery, I loved it.’ Reader Review‘This one is certainly worth a read. A fun ride through a very dark night. Recommended.’ Reader Review‘A fun, high-energy read…this thriller offers you a rollercoaster of a ride.’ Reader Review‘Wow… It’s intense, gory and gripping, and I really enjoyed it!’ Reader Review‘I really enjoyed this book, it grabbed me from the very first page.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘A twisty and scary read that I couldn’t put down!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review‘The suspense starts straight away… it kept me hooked throughout’ Reader Review

Read more less

Book Synopsis'I loved this book for its depth and perception, for its beauty and eerie rhythms, but most of all for its wonderfully dream-like spell. It's breathtaking' Brandon TaylorA student moves to the city to research Gothic nudes, renting an apartment from a painter, Agnes, who lives in another town with her husband. One day, Agnes arrives in the city and settles into the upstairs studio.Agnes tells stories of her youth, her family, her marriage, and ideas for her art. As the months pass, it becomes clear that Agnes might not have a place to return to. Her stories are frenetic; her art scattered and unfinished, white paint on a white canvas.White on White is a sharp exploration of what it means to be truly vulnerable and laid bare.'Deeply humane, quietly devastating, mesmerisingly beautiful' Olivia Sudjic'Marvellous' Lauren Groff'Gentle, mysterious and profound' Marina Abramovic'Enthralling' Observer'An exceptionally elegant, intelligent, and original writer' Sigrid NunezTrade ReviewA deeply humane, quietly devastating, mesmerisingly beautiful masterpiece. -- Olivia SudjicWhite on White is an ambitious palette. * New York Times *[An] oddly enthralling tale about a postgrad student bearing witness to an artist's marital breakdown -- Anthony Cummins * Observer *Marvelous, as elegant as an opaque sheet of ice that belies the swift and turbulent waters beneath. -- Lauren GroffA haunting, irresistible novel. I loved this book for its depth and perception, for its beauty and eerie rhythms, but most of all for its wonderfully dream-like spell. It's breathtaking. -- Brandon Taylor

Read more less

Book SynopsisCousins Valerie and Toni McVay have been best friends forever, and when you’re a McVay you need all the friends you can get.When Toni’s twelfth birthday is marred by a terrible crime, the wicked path of the girls looks set. A decade later, the McVay family aren't the unstoppable force they once were in the Glaswegian criminal underworld but Frankie McVay, the up-and-coming prince, is determined to restore the family to its former glory by whatever means necessary. And the whole family are expected to help.His sister Toni shares her brother’s blood lust but Valerie dreams of a quieter life, and when she meets and falls in love with Seb, as straight as Frankie is bent, as kind as Frankie is wicked, Val sees her way out.Can she escape a family that is determined to own the city, and to keep Valerie firmly in their violent grasp? And will Toni ever let her best friend Val turn her back on the bloody secret they have shared for all these years…Heather Atkinson is back with a treat for all gangland fans. If you love Kimberley Chambers, and Jessie Keane, you’ll love Wicked Girls, and readers of Heather’s Gallowburn series can look forward to bumping into some old friends… What readers are saying about Heather Atkinson:'Another brilliant book from Heather...she really is one the best in the business''I have read ALL Heather Atkinson's books. They are all fantastic''All Heather's books are action packed and have you on edge''I stumbled upon Heather's books and I'm so glad I did, characters excellent and storylines are great, I find myself searching the book stores for more of them to read the minute I finish one'

Read more less

Book SynopsisNow a major film directed by Danny Boyle reuniting the cast of TrainspottingYears on from Trainspotting Sick Boy is back in Edinburgh after a long spell in London. Having failed spectacularly as a hustler, pimp, husband, father and businessman, Sick Boy taps into an opportunity which to him represents one last throw of the dice. However, to realise his ambitions within the Adult industries, Sick Boy must team up with old pal and fellow exile Mark Renton. Still scheming, still scamming, Sick Boy and Renton soon find out that they have unresolved issues to address concerning the unhinged Begbie, the troubled, drug-addled Spud, but, most of all, with each other.T2 Trainspotting was previously published as Porno.Trade ReviewFunny, appalling, frightening * Mail on Sunday *A brilliant satirical study of the ugly dynamic which draws together predators and prey * Sunday Telegraph *Not for the fainthearted... Highly entertaining * Sunday Times *Funny and eloquently obscene * Daily Telegraph *A worthy sequel... A touching love song to the possibilities and limits of friendship. Charming, funny and sly, Porno is a good poke at all kinds of pretence and moral tidiness * Evening Standard *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDon DeLillo is the acclaimed author of bestselling novels and plays. His work includes White Noise, Libra, Cosmopolis and Underworld. He has won the National Book Award, the Jerusalem Prize and the Irish Times International Fiction Prize.Trade ReviewAmerica's greatest living writer. * Observer *A brilliant excursion into the decadence of contemporary culture. * Sunday Times *A prose-poem about New York . . . DeLillo has always been good at telling us where we're heading . . . we ignore him at our peril. -- Blake Morrison * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAt an all-time low after being rejected by his crush, office worker Yoshida reluctantlyagrees to take in Saya, a runaway high school girl he met on the street. Now, as theyare finally settling into their unusual living situation, Saya has a request—she wants tostart a part time job! Saya has always held back from voicing what she wants, andYoshida is overjoyed at her progress. Meanwhile, Yoshida's one-sided crush invites himto dinner, just the two of them...and now she wants to come over?!

Read more less

Book Synopsis'An engrossing and inspiring story of loss, love and hope, set against a backdrop of art, activism and addiction.' – ObserverMoving from the Tompkins Square Riots and attempts by activists to galvanize a response to the AIDS epidemic, to the New York City of the future, Tim Murphy's Christodora recounts the heartbreak wrought by AIDS, illustrates the allure and destructive power of hard drugs, and brings to life the ever-changing city itself.The Christodora is home to Milly and Jared, a privileged young couple with artistic ambitions. Their neighbour, Hector, a Puerto Rican gay man who was once a celebrated AIDS activist but is now a lonely addict, becomes connected to Milly's and Jared's lives in ways none of them can anticipate. Meanwhile, the couple's adopted son, Mateo, grows to appreciate the opportunities for both self-realization and oblivion that New York offers.As the junkies and protestors of the 1980s give way to the hipsters of the 2000s and they, in turn, to the wealthy residents of the crowded, glass-towered city of the 2020s, enormous changes rock the personal lives of Milly and Jared and the constellation of people around them.'An impassioned, big-hearted, and ultimately hopeful chronicle of a changing New York that authoritatively evokes the despair and panic in the city at the height of the plague.' – Hanya Yanagihara, author of A Little LifeTrade ReviewBrilliantly kaleidoscopic . . . Murphy is exceptionally skilled at writing about addiction, the intertwining of bliss and abjection... What makes this novel remarkable, though, is the way it captures the full arc of Aids in New York . . . There have been several whopping New York novels in the last couple of years, but none of them possesses Christodora’s generosity, its weathered and unflinching faith in what people can achieve. -- Olivia Laing * Guardian *This novel is your next must-read . . . A captivating, multi-stranded New York epic about the AIDs crisis . . . An engrossing and inspiring story of loss, love and hope, set against a backdrop of art, activism and addiction. * Observer *This thrillingly accomplished novel... [Its] varied minds and voices are realized so convincingly that Christodora sometimes seems the product of spirit possession. And it is joyous despite its subject matter... Murphy's skills are most nakedly on display as he describes the addictions in which Mateo and others find solace, and their electrical-shocking, soul-warping, mind-annihilating trips. Desperately intense, it is the kind of scene that requires putting a book down for a moment to take a breather. * New York Times *Hugely ambitious . . . this rich, complicated story . . . compelling . . . The richness of Murphy's account . . . the most moving sections of the book deal not with the height of the [AIDS] crisis but with its aftermath . . . The book's overwhelmingly powerful final sections... the last hundred [pages] have a rare narrative sweep and force. For all the despair it documents, [it is] a book about hope -- Garth Greenwell * Washington Post *An impassioned, big-hearted, and ultimately hopeful chronicle of a changing New York that authoritatively evokes the despair and panic in the city at the height of the plague. -- Hanya Yanagihara[Murphy] writes about addiction with undeniable fluency and power. * Sunday Times *A moving portrait of New York in the time of AIDS, Tim Murphy's honest and insightful writing gives Christodora a particular vibrancy that causes the characters to leap, whole, into the reader's imagination. This spectacular novel is an important addition to literature that captures New York in all its glory and despair. -- Candace BushnellMurphy injects fresh vim into this tale . . . [He] jumps back and forth through the decades here, creating a fractured structure that neatly reflects the fractured lives of those caught up in the epidemic and its aftermath. And it’s the latter, in the end, that proves Murphy’s most poignant subject. * Daily Mail *An intimate portrait of a bohemian family, Christodora is also a capacious historical novel that vividly recreates the lost world of downtown Manhattan in the eighties - a nuanced portrait of an era in which artists were unwitting agents of gentrification and the bright dawn of gay liberation was brutally interrupted by the AIDS epidemic. -- Jay McInerneyAn ambitious, time-traveling novel textured with the detail and depth of a writer who spent years reporting from the front * New York magazine *A magnificent novel . . . I was struck by the unflinching generosity of Tim Murphy's vision. -- Olivia LaingAn impassioned and "devastating" story set in a real-life building . . . the breathtaking new novel from Brooklyn writer Tim Murphy . . . a powerful and rewarding reading experience. Stylistically challenging, emotionally devastating (both positive and negative), realistic (even when it shifts into an imagined future) and impassioned, it is one of the finest novels we are likely to encounter this year. * Toronto Star *Tim Murphy's rich saga of New York in the age of AIDS . . . To write a novel as full of truth as Christodora . . . Tim Murphy had to know Manhattan; he had to know AIDS; he had to be fluent in the languages of visual art, addiction, activism, bipolar disease and depression; he had to have American cultural history from 1981 at his fingertips . . . Then he had to make all that information disappear, more or less, by seamlessly embodying it in characters and plot . . . He pulls it off with very few lapses, developing a rich and complicated New York saga . . . An exciting read . . . While Christodora has the scope of other New York epics, such as Bonfire of the Vanities, The Goldfinch and City on Fire, it is slimmer than any of these by several hundred pages. Capacious yet streamlined, it is a very fine book. * New York Newsday *Brilliant . . . this year's most ambitious and devastating contribution to the New York City realist novel * Interview *Murphy has written The Bonfire of the Vanities for the age of AIDS, using the same reportorial skills as Tom Wolfe to re-create the changing decades, complete with a pitch-perfect deployment of period detail . . . A powerful evocation of the plague years. * Publishers' Weekly *An ambitious social novel informed by an extended perspective on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, from the early 1980s to the near future . . . A poignant . . . exploration of a health crisis that hasn't yet ended. * Kirkus Reviews *A textured, layered, tightly woven exploration of the AIDS epidemic and its impact on a community linked by proximity, love, drugs, and pain. -- Barnes and Noble blogOutstanding and judicious . . . This breathtakingly panoramic saga feels lithe and refreshingly current . . . Christodora is the most exciting New York novel since Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life. * Attitude *Christodora . . . has got it all: drugs, sex, music, race, class, art, activism, adoption, and tears. It’s a gut-wrenching, happy-ending story . . . Murphy’s troubled characters move deliberately toward but instinctively away from each other, too unsettled and sad to be comfortably together, too human and hopeful to stay apart for long. -- Salon.comSeveral times a year, a few books are published that are so compelling and immersive they simply demand the unadulterated free time of the reader. Tim Murphy's Christodora is one of those powerful, ambitious sagas . . . The folks who populate his pages are difficult to forget, and their legacy fully dramatizes the devastation and frenzied panic of the epidemic . . . Each scene is filled with atmospheric detail, period dialogue, and the intricate nuances of a character's movement, attitude, and emotion . . . A novel that reads like a contemporary motion picture beautifully acted by a durable cast with a been-there-done-that caliber of experience. Murphy has truly outdone himself with a perceptive and accomplished novel that is captivating and immensely entertaining. * Bay Area Reporter *Although it’s epic in scope, ultimately [Christodora] is about loneliness and the struggle to find love, accept love and to arrive at a state of self-love. A tremendous achievement. * Winq *Reminiscent of [Jay] McInerney at his peak, concerning itself with young Manhattanites and their relationships with sex, drugs, psychologists, art and real estate . . . There is no denying the quality of the writing and the deep integrity of this novel. -- John Boyne * Irish Times *

Read more less

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

Read more less

Book SynopsisFinalist of the 2023 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction''Told in a rich array of voices, this gorgeously written debut explores the myriad syncopations of love and desire'' Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere''Beautifully and cleverly written...The novel''s tender, sensual, enchanting prose entices you into a world of deep longing'' Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church LadiesLove is messy. Love can make us feel alive. It can also bring us down. Sometimes we look for it in all the wrong places. This is a novel about longing, desire and dreams; about passion and risk and all the places in between.Maggie is pregnant with Circus Palmer''s child. This may be her last chance, but she craves her freedom.Pia is Circus''s ex-wife, still in love with the fantasy of the man who conjured jazz tunes for her into the night, but who left many years before.Koko, Circus''s daughter, is lost in the maelstrom ofTrade ReviewLaura Warrell makes a striking debut with the musical Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm, weaving together women's voices like a jam session . . . Warrell's sentences are sinuous, her characters fully formed, as they perform a dance of seduction and rebuttal, pursuit and withdrawal, yearning and regret. Using an elegant structure with echoes of Bernardine Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other, she weaves a lushly textured tale of real emotional depth, conjuring a world of voices moving in concert. * TELEGRAPH *Set to be one of 2023's biggest books with plaudits from Celeste Ng and Oprah, this multi-narrative story is all about the power of being a woman, destructive love and hopeful endurance. * STYLIST *Soulful . . . Structured like a jam session, the novel favors a series of riffs over any one melodic theme. Warrell gives a supporting cast of women their own solos, through close-third-person chapters that detail their entanglements with the elusive Circus . . . Elegant, unexpected and wrenching as the "fierce" sounds that emerge from Circus's trumpet . . . Unforgettable. -- Lauren Christensen * NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW *[An] emerging literary superstar . . . Warrell writes a mean bad boy! This sensual and sensuous debut is a kaleidoscopic character study, a polyphonic riff on the modern-day Casanova from the perspectives of the myriad women in his wake. Both visceral and finely observed, the novel captures social nuance and emotional wreckage with precision and compassion. * OPRAH DAILY, 30 of the Best Fall Fiction Books of 2022 *Told in a rich array of voices, this gorgeously written debut explores the myriad syncopations of love and desire. Laura Warrell writes with an enormous understanding of human nature, a boundless sympathy for life's complications, and a keen eye for life's unexpected joys. * Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere *Beautifully and cleverly written, Laura Warrell's Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is a stunner. The novel's tender, sensual, enchanting prose entices you into a world of deep longing and so much heartache. Still, I didn't want to leave it. A truly mesmerizing debut! * Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies *The most memorable novels of my life are boiling over with insatiably written secondary characters that crave their own books. The same can be said about our most jamming jazz quartets. This peculiar cacophony is exactly what we see in at least five characters in Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm. Koko, for example, is a once in lifetime, once in a galaxy character. Laura Warrell has crafted a world within the world with the achy mystery, wonder and subtexual bounce of the greatest jazz. Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is a soulful, fleshy and absolutely stunning debut. Warrell will re-teach us how to wail, pause and reckon. I am thankful. * Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy *Jazz sets the tone in this tender debut from Laura Warrell . . . Through smoky bars and clubs, hotel rooms, and bedrooms in New York, Boston, and Miami, Warrell spins a big-hearted multicultural world that never ignores race but still allows each character to live their lives as they see fit. * APARTMENT THERAPY, If You’re Going to Read One Book in September, Make It This One *Moody, sexy, and (sometimes painfully) real. * PEOPLE, Best Fall Books of 2022 *A deeply engaging multifocal debut novel . . . [Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm] is built like a hastily assembled jazz ensemble, a group of players taking turns on a rough theme, gathering their solos into a rich, indelible composition, so much stronger than the sum of its parts. * LITERARY HUB *Circus Palmer, a 40-year-old jazz trumpet player, has spent a lifetime fleeing from romantic entanglements. Left in his wake are all the former wives, single mothers and other women he has avoided, including his teenage daughter, Koko. Warrell's engaging debut novel spotlights their stories, weaving together the lives of indelibly created characters as they struggle to forge and maintain intimate connections. * WASHINGTON POST *A buzzed-about debut that takes readers behind the scenes of jazz clubs and into the private lives of touring musicians. * BOSTON GLOBE *Soulful and gripping . . . In her debut novel, Warrell assembles a lush orchestra of female voices to sing a story about passion and risk, fathers and daughters and the missed opportunities of unrequited love. * THE MILLIONS *Jazz music is to be played sweet, soft, plenty rhythm,' proclaimed Jelly Roll Morton, and Warrell plays her exceptional first novel with plenty of rhythm and tenderness, delivered in brisk, mordantly gorgeous language that has its own natural flow. Each woman has her own life, her own story . . . and as in any good jazz piece these stories play off one another seamlessly. A highly recommended story of love and life that makes beautiful music. * LIBRARY JOURNAL, Starred Review *An impressive debut novel weaves storylines of lost love, coming-of-age, and midlife crisis . . . Warrell displays delicately wrought characterization and a formidable command of physical and emotional detail. Her more intimate set pieces deliver sensual, erotic vibrations . . . she knows how to write about the way it feels to deliver jazz-and receive it. A captivating modern romance evoking love, loss, recovery, and redemption. * KIRKUS REVIEWS, Starred Review *Warrell unfurls in her engaging debut the story of a peripatetic trumpet player. . . [She] evocatively describes the women who inspire Circus's music and his lust . . . and finds the sadness deep in his heart. Warrell hits all the right notes. * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *In an exceptional debut, Warrell turns love, or at least the love life of musician Circus Palmer into the proverbial jazz club: dark and sexy, freeing and frightening, ecstatic and lonely. This story is an example of how love, in all of its polyrhythms, can sometimes sound like song, and other times like noise. And this book is an example of how a great story can become a bass drum, kicking and thumping in your belly far after it's over. A modern masterpiece. * Jason Reynolds, author of Look Both Ways *Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is a sultry and subversive debut. Laura Warrell's prose sparkles, but it's what she's got to say about sex and love and being a woman that will take your breath away. This book is a love song, and Warrell knows how to hold all the right notes. * Rachel Beanland, author of Florence Adler Swims Forever *Lyrical, sweeping, and life affirming, Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is an astonishing debut that wraps you in the passionate pulse of its characters and their world, and doesn't let go until its pitch perfect final note. * Liska Jacobs, author of Catalina and The Pink Hotel *Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm kept me turning the pages to see what shenanigans the titular jazz musician pulled next, while also waiting to cheer the moment when the women in his life finally blocked his number. Laura Warrell has cooked up one of the most compelling, entertaining, and heartfelt reads in recent memory. * Chris Terry, author of Black Card *In Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm, we meet trumpet player Circus Palmer, as problematic as he is enigmatic, as irresistible as your favourite song, and the women whom he seeks out, and walks away from, are just as compelling. Laura Warrell writes with such assurance and grace - her sentences sing - and she has created a world I didn't want to leave: it's sexy and profound, painful and joyful. A remarkable, unforgettable debut. * Edan Lepucki, author of California and Woman No. 17 *A book about desire and about love, about where these emotions meet and part and sometimes interlace in inescapable ways. But it is about so much more: these characters, for instance, painted by Warrell's uniquely masterful brush so that even in small moments they seem entirely whole, entirely alive. Sentence by sentence, this is a novel showing its author at the top of her game - a classic in the making. * Brian Castleberry, author of Nine Shiny Objects *Told in a rich array of voices, this gorgeously written debut explores the myriad syncopations of love and desire. Laura Warrell writes with an enormous understanding of human nature, a boundless sympathy for life's complications, and a keen eye for life's unexpected joys. * Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere *Beautifully and cleverly written, Laura Warrell's Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is a stunner. The novel's tender, sensual, enchanting prose entices you into a world of deep longing and so much heartache. Still, I didn't want to leave it. A truly mesmerizing debut. * Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies *An exceptional debut...This story is an example of how love, in all of its polyrhythms, can sometimes sound like song, and other times like noise. And this book is an example of how a great story can become a bass drum, kicking and thumping in your belly far after it's over. * Jason Reynolds, author of Look Both Ways *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A slice of scary, escapist fun' Observer'The twists and turns are never-ending' Daily Mail'An unnervingly plausible and scintillatingly paced thriller' Radio Times'A phenomenal thriller, meticulously plotted and brilliantly realised' Clare Mackintosh, Books of the Year_______________________________If you can hear it, your time is running out.Teacher Kit Chaplin can't understand why some students at his north London school are experiencing an extreme ticking noise in their ears. Perhaps it's just a severe form of tinnitus? But only days later, it spreads to more students - and starts leaving bodies in its wake.Eminent vaccinologist Lilly Slater has never seen anything like this before. She must race against the clock to work out what is happening - and to find a cure.But their investigation throws up more questions than answers until they realise the mystery behind the illness is even bigger than they could have imagined...Will the truth behind this catastrophe become clear before it's too late?_______________________________Readers are loving Tick Tock'Well, BBC Radio presenter Simon Mayo sure can write a darned good thriller!''An excellent conspiracy theory thriller, it's exciting, full of danger... it's riveting and hard to put down''I was utterly gripped and read this in one sitting! I could feel the tension and fear in every page - loved it!''Never has there been a more timely thriller! I was gripped from the first page. I was so immersed, I read it in one night.'Trade ReviewTick Tock is an unnervingly plausible and scintillatingly paced thriller * Radio Times *Thrilling * Shots Magazine *Cracking * Peterborough Telegraph *The characters are well observed, the dialogue effortless and the twists and turns never-ending * Daily Mail *Mayo spools out his many twists and turns skillfully. A slice of scary, escapist fun * Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFinalist of the 2023 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction'Told in a rich array of voices, this gorgeously written debut explores the myriad syncopations of love and desire' Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere'Beautifully and cleverly written...The novel's tender, sensual, enchanting prose entices you into a world of deep longing' Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church LadiesLove is messy. Love can make us feel alive. It can also bring us down. Sometimes we look for it in all the wrong places. This is a novel about longing, desire and dreams; about passion and risk and all the places in between.Maggie is pregnant with Circus Palmer's child. This may be her last chance, but she craves her freedom.Pia is Circus's ex-wife, still in love with the fantasy of the man who conjured jazz tunes for her into the night, but who left many years before.Koko, Circus's daughter, is lost in the maelstrom of teenage years, the confusion of awakening desire and yearning for the father she barely knows.Peach is a barmaid who just wants someone to see the person she is inside.Odessa is on the run from a mistake that can't be undone.And then there's Circus, Circus Palmer, a jazz trumpeter whose moment of glory is fading. Selfish, damaged, scared, perhaps the only person Circus is fooling is himself.Delivered in a lush orchestration of diverse female voices, Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm is a provocative and gripping novel about the desire to be loved, and the need to belong.*****'An exceptional debut...This story is an example of how love, in all of its polyrhythms, can sometimes sound like song, and other times like noise. And this book is an example of how a great story can become a bass drum, kicking and thumping in your belly far after it's over. A modern masterpiece.' Jason Reynolds, author of Look Both Ways'Soulful... Elegant, unexpected and wrenching as the "fierce" sounds that emerge from Circus's trumpet . . . Unforgettable' New York Times Book Review'[An] emerging literary superstar . . . This sensual and sensuous debut is a kaleidoscopic character study, a polyphonic riff on the modern-day Casanova from the perspectives of the myriad women in his wake' Oprah Daily'A sultry and subversive debut. Laura Warrell's prose sparkles, but it's what she's got to say about sex and love and being a woman that will take your breath away. This book is a love song, and Warrell knows how to hold all the right notes.' Rachel Beanland, author of Florence Adler Swims Forever'Jazz music is to be played sweet, soft, plenty rhythm,' proclaimed Jelly Roll Morton, and Warrell plays her exceptional first novel with plenty of rhythm and tenderness, delivered in brisk, mordantly gorgeous language' Library Journal'A book about desire and about love, about where these emotions meet and part and sometimes interlace in inescapable ways...a classic in the making.' Brian Castleberry, author of Nine Shiny ObjectsTrade ReviewLaura Warrell makes a striking debut with the musical Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm, weaving together women's voices like a jam session . . . Warrell's sentences are sinuous, her characters fully formed, as they perform a dance of seduction and rebuttal, pursuit and withdrawal, yearning and regret. Using an elegant structure with echoes of Bernardine Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other, she weaves a lushly textured tale of real emotional depth, conjuring a world of voices moving in concert. * TELEGRAPH *Set to be one of 2023's biggest books with plaudits from Celeste Ng and Oprah, this multi-narrative story is all about the power of being a woman, destructive love and hopeful endurance. * STYLIST *Soulful . . . Structured like a jam session, the novel favors a series of riffs over any one melodic theme. Warrell gives a supporting cast of women their own solos, through close-third-person chapters that detail their entanglements with the elusive Circus . . . Elegant, unexpected and wrenching as the "fierce" sounds that emerge from Circus's trumpet . . . Unforgettable. -- Lauren Christensen * NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW *[An] emerging literary superstar . . . Warrell writes a mean bad boy! This sensual and sensuous debut is a kaleidoscopic character study, a polyphonic riff on the modern-day Casanova from the perspectives of the myriad women in his wake. Both visceral and finely observed, the novel captures social nuance and emotional wreckage with precision and compassion. * OPRAH DAILY, 30 of the Best Fall Fiction Books of 2022 *Told in a rich array of voices, this gorgeously written debut explores the myriad syncopations of love and desire. Laura Warrell writes with an enormous understanding of human nature, a boundless sympathy for life's complications, and a keen eye for life's unexpected joys. * Celeste Ng, author of Little Fires Everywhere *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA BOOK TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2022 FOR BBC, i-D MAGAZINE, AND FOYLES An unsparing story of modern-day Britain, told with brilliant flashes of humour and humanity. In a condemned tower block in Glasgow, the final occupant, a young man uplifted by angels and plagued by demons, searches for life in the voids: vacant flats that will never be lived in again. Out in the world, he stumbles into the city, moving from one surreal situation to the next, encountering others on the margins of society, embracing friendship and camaraderie wherever it is offered, grappling with who he is and what shape his future might take.Trade Review‘Luminous … a writer capable of revealing the humanity in everyone … In an era when contemporary fiction is leaning ever more towards identity and relatability, it’s gratifying to know there’s still a place for a literary ride as wild as this.’ -- Benjamin Myers * The Guardian *‘Reading The Voids is a sensory experience. There is never a word too much, it never lingers. There is tragedy but no melodrama. O’Connor’s lightness of touch, the pace, economy, characters … are all perfect, all harmonious, poetic, but unadorned, even in the blackest of moments. Part of me is still in that high rise or watching the sunlight through the fire exit door at The Satellite. It is beautiful and perfect. I want to say this is a book God would like.’ -- Paul Buchanan, The Blue Nile‘A novel about a young man in Glasgow whose life is spiralling downwards, told in almost hallucinogenic prose. I catch glimpses of Alexander Trocchi and William Burroughs in it, but it retains its own unique quality.’ -- Ian Rankin * The Guardian *‘A sensory portrait of the city, set in a dizzyingly surreal Glasgow.’ -- Katie Goh * i-D Magazine *‘A startling debut … Benders are integral to the Scottish literary tradition, but O’Connor sets the bar high in a series of absurd, visionary, uproarious episodes … A triumph of the grotesque … Comedy at its most existential.’ -- John Burnside * TLS *‘At times disturbing, and at others hilarious, there are characters that appear for a page that have haunted me ever since. A wild ride that journeys through the underbelly of our society.’ -- Paul McVeigh, author of The Good Son‘There are echoes of J.G. Ballard in the setting, and of Don DeLillo in the prose. But The Voids is distinctively and brilliantly Ryan O’Connor’s own, rich with precise observations, full of haunting images, and replete with deft vignettes of character, place, and context. This is a novel that confidently generates its own unnerving atmospheres. Extraordinary work.’ -- Kevin Power, author of Bad Day in Blackrock‘The Voids is a wild, magical, and magnetically mad picaresque … it had me bellowing with laughter on one page and needing to weep on the next. I tore through it, and it through me. A brilliant debut.’ -- Niall Griffiths, author of Sheepshagger and Broken Ghost‘It is rare to discover a book that is simultaneously beautiful and devastating, where characters are frightening to behold but also worthy of compassion.’ -- Simon Van Booy, author of Night Came with Many Stars‘In the space of a few pages, I was there, right in the world of The Voids, in its chaos and sadness, its life and humour. Melodrama and sentimentality have no place in Ryan O’Connor’s writing. Instead he gives us warmth and bleakness, humanity and beauty. The “voids” might be empty but this novel is brimming with feeling and perception.’ -- Wendy Erskine, author of Sweet Home‘Poignant, poetic, and compassionate, The Voids is a tender tale of alienation, and the need to escape and, paradoxically, to belong.’ -- Lisa Harding, author of Bright Burning Things‘Finely written … O’Connor creates a world ex nihilo, showcasing the lives of the forgotten.' * The Irish Times *‘Ryan O’Connor succeeds in conjuring beautiful imagery out of a desperate situation. A whirlwind tour of Glasgow, in the wake of a protagonist plagued by addiction and failure is lifted by the narrative’s breakneck pace, and frequent moments of real humour. Reminiscent of James Kelman’s work, The Voids should be on everyone’s reading list this year.’ -- Polly Markham, Golden Hare Books‘A moving and thoroughly enjoyable tale of life in the liminal spaces. A masterly debut.’ -- Denise Mina, author of Conviction‘One to watch!’ * The Bookseller *‘An engulfing read.’ -- Heather McDaid * The Skinny *'This distinctive debut leaves you wanting to read more from O’Connor.’ -- Anthony Cummins * The Daily Mail *‘Ryan O’Connor’s debut novel The Voids has him earmarked as the new “overnight sensation” of the literary world … Critics and fellow authors have been going mad for The Voids.’ -- James Trimble * Falkirk Herald *'An unflinching yet poetic portrait of addiction, this bleak tale is leavened by glimmers of hope and humour.’ -- Dan Shaw * Happy Mag *‘Remarkable … perhaps the most intriguing Scottish debut for a decade.’ -- Stuart Kelly * The Scotsman *‘Beautiful, and both explicit and allusive, The Voids is a brave and moving work.’ -- Penelope Cottier * The Canberra Times *‘I recently visited Glasgow, the city where I grew up, and was reminded (in the miraculous sunshine) of the atmospheric scope of the Necropolis in the east end of the city ... The Voids by Ryan O’Connor makes an ideal accompaniment to your visit.’ -- Peter Scalpello * Galley Beggar Press *‘One of Scotland’s most talented new authors.’ * Falkirk Herald *‘Scottish author O’Connor delivers a searing and passionate debut from the voice of an angsty young Glaswegian who squats in a mostly abandoned high rise he calls “the voids.” … Readers will be lifted by his protagonist’s commitment to finding beauty in the darkness.’ -- Publishers Weekly, starred review‘Not only the best debut of the year, but my book of the year.’ * SNACK Magazine *‘When all the lists are totted up at the end of the year, it would be a little disappointing if Ryan O’Connor’s remarkable debut hadn’t scored a respectably high placing among the best Scottish novels of 2022. Already, O’Connor has found a voice: one which is convincingly authentic, and yet mercurial enough to chart both the transcendent highs and soul-destroying lows of alcoholism.’ -- Alastair Mabbott * The Herald *‘Compelling and well-written … The episodic darkness can be unrelenting at times, but what redeems the material is not only O’Connor’s effortless prose but also his hope for humanity rooted in his surprising optimism.’ -- June Sawyers * Booklist *‘Ryan O'Connor's superb debut treads familiar territory within Scottish fiction, such as Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting and Douglas Stuart's Shuggie Bain, it is lyrical and poetic, humorous and heartbreaking, unnerving and disorientating … Simply brilliant, and highly recommended.’ -- Jeremy Delgado‘The prose in Scottish newcomer Ryan O’Connor’s The Voids soars higher than the condemned Glasgow skyscraper in which his solitary protagonist lives, transcending the grungy, grinding plot with brutal lyricism.’ -- Michael Winkler, Australian Book Review's Books of the Year 2022‘A debut that puts your brain to work! The reading experience was akin to electroconvulsive therapy, exciting my grey matter like never before.’ -- James Goodall * Yorkshire Times *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisIf you love Kimberley Chambers and Martina Cole you won't be able to put down this gripping gangland crime from Liverpool's very own Caz Finlay!''Caz Finlay has delivered a belter The Carter Family will never be the same after this epic roller coaster ride. With the family dynamics torn apart, I was on the edge of my seat until the final page'' Gemma RogersA family at warHappily married and with two small children, Grace has stepped away from the murky underworld that has shaped so much of her life. Now Grace is leaving the hard work to the boys her son Jake Conlon and the notorious Carter twins, Paul and Connor.But Grace can sense danger better than anyone and trouble is heading their way.She'll stop at nothing to protect those she loves, even if it means an all-out gang war on the streets of Liverpool. But is this one fight Grace can't win?Readers can't get enough of this series:A compelling story with a heart stopping twist a cracking read' Kerry Barnes''A fast-paced tale of famiTrade Review‘Grace Sumner is back and taking no prisoners in Caz Finlay’s follow up to The Boss! A gritty, gangland read that will have you on the edge of your seat, Back in the Game is intense and explosive reading! I bloody loved it!’ Noelle Holten, bestselling author of Dead Inside ‘Caz Finlay’s gritty tale of twisted loyalties and brutal betrayal had me gripped from the very first page’ Amanda Brooke, author of The Widows’ Club ‘Grace is back, but she’s got a secret… This powerful story of family loyalties and vengeance will leave you breathless with excitement and terror as it twists and turns through the back streets of Liverpool. Fans of Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers will love Caz Finlay; she’s fast becoming the boss of gangland thrillers’ Mary Torjussen, author of The Closer You Get 'Caz Finlay has delivered a belter … The Carter Family will never be the same after this epic roller coaster ride. With the family dynamics torn apart, I was on the edge of my seat until the final page' Gemma Rogers

Read more less

Book Synopsis''The greatest find in American crime fiction since Raymond Chandler'' Sunday TimesJackson''s woman has found him a foolproof way to make money - a technique for turning ten dollar bills into hundreds. But when the scheme somehow fails, Jackson is left broke, wanted by the police and desperately racing to get back both his money and his loving Imabelle.The first of Chester Himes''s novels featuring the hardboiled Harlem detectives Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones, A Rage in Harlem has swagger, brutal humour, lurid violence, a hearse loaded with gold and a conman dressed as a Sister of Mercy.With an Introduction by Luc SanteTrade ReviewOutrageous, shocking, wonderful * New York Times Book Review *Himes wrote spectacularly successful entertainments, filled with gems of descriptive writing, plots that barely sidestep chaos, characters surreal, grotesque, comic, hip, Harlem recollected as a place that can make you laugh, cry, shudder.Chester Himes is one of the towering figures of the black literary tradition. His command of nuances of character and dynamics of plot is preeminent among writers of crime fiction. He is a master craftsman.A fantasia with a hard brilliant core * Evening Standard *A fine crime writer of Chandlerian subtlety though in a vein of sheer toughness very much his own * The Times *Chester Himes is the great lost crime writer, as well a great American dissident novelist per se, and an essential witness to his times. Every one of his beyond-cool Harlem novels is cherished by every reader who finds it.Hieronymus Bosch meets Miles Davis * The New York Times *He belongs with those great demented realists ... whose writing pitilessly exposes the ridiculousness of the human conditionThat he could channel this pain and misery into some of the greatest crime novels ever written is a testament to his skill as a writer and his spirit as a man. If this is the first Chester Himes novel you will read then, believe me, you are in for a treat.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDarkly comic, fast-paced and full of twists Viva la Madness is packed with sex, scams, drugs and enough dirty money to fill a few offshore bank accounts.Trade Review'Masterful plotting - double-crosses abound - a cracking pace and some truly excellent set pieces including a chase through the London underground all lead up to a wham-bam ending. Fast, furious, funny and highly recommended for fans of Layer Cake and new readers alike' Guardian'Connolly's style is fast and funny and just frightening enough to make you sit up all night' Independent on Sunday'The novel has its predecessor's driving energy and the protagonist's disparate colleagues are terrific characters' The Sunday Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe enemy is close to home in The Manor, a gripping gangland thriller from the top five bestseller Jessie Keane.Charlie Stone and Terry Barton have been blood brothers since the cradle. They grew up in the East End skimming along the bottom of the underworld, until Charlie took over the manor from the local mob and a twist of fate put him and his best mate on the road to the high life.When Charlie and Terry both marry and have kids, everything is set. Both families have everything they ever wanted. But things begin to turn sour when Charlie’s adopted son Harlan starts to cause trouble.It soon becomes clear that Harlan doesn’t just want to be number one son; he wants to be number one, full stop, and he wants Terry’s daughter Belle Barton by his side.As the feud caused by Harlan spirals out of control it is left to Belle to pick up the pieces. Is she strong enough to take on Harlan Stone? And has she got what it takes to rule the manor . . .Trade ReviewSwift-moving intrigue * Woman & Home *Perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Lynda La Plante * Glamour *Another brilliant gangland thriller * Bella Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDark and gritty, Witness is a heart-pounding thriller set in Manchester by bestselling author Mandasue Heller.Teenager Holly Evans and her over-protective mother, Josie, are living a hand-to-mouth existence, moving constantly from one squalid dump to the next. When they move into an illegally sub-let council flat in Manchester, Holly feels settled for the first time in her life – even if she is forbidden to go out, or even open the front door when her mum’s at work. What exactly are they hiding from?Then Holly has a falling out with her best friend, and suddenly finds herself becoming increasingly isolated and alone in the world. But she is about to make a new friend in Suzie – the glamorous woman who lives directly across the road, who Holly witnesses being beaten up by her violent boyfriend.But whoever Holly and Josie have been running from is about to find them, and nothing will ever be the same again.You can only run for so long. And some will kill for your silence . . .'Heller doesn’t mince words, her gritty plots create a Manchester underworld to rival Martina Cole’s raw and rough East End' – Peterborough Evening TelegraphTrade ReviewCaptivating from first page to last -- Jeffery Deaver, author of the Lincoln Rhyme series, on Lost AngelMandasue has played a real blinder with this fantastic novel -- Martina Cole, author of Loyalty, on Forget Me NotHeller doesn’t mince words, her gritty plots create a Manchester underworld to rival Martina Cole’s raw and rough East End * Peterborough Evening Telegraph *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWelcome to HMP Ashcroft. A women's prison run by a corrupt governor who will impose his will at any cost – with brutal consequences. The Women is a gripping street crime thriller from bestselling author Jacqui Rose.Within these walls, friendships are forged that will last beyond a sentence. But some inmates can turn in the blink of an eye, because that’s all part of being locked up. In here you are kept from your loved ones and forced into a surrogate family with women you wouldn’t even look at on the outside, let alone call friends. But at Ashcroft, Alliances can mean everything.Each one of these women has their own story to tell and their own penance to deal with. But whilst they fight for their rights on the inside, who is looking after their family, their friends and children on the outside. Whilst they battle to survive in a closed off world what’s happening in the real world.At Ashcroft there’s always a price to be paid, and for some it’s high, but these women are prepared to pay anyway they can . . .Trade ReviewPraise for Fatal: A captivating read from one of my favourite authors -- Mel Sherratt, author of Twisted LivesPraise for Dishonour: A thrilling and gripping novel -- Roberta Kray, author of HuntedPraise for Trapped: Gritty and gripping – by a star in the making -- Kimberley Chambers, author of The Family ManPraise for Poison: A cracking good read -- Jessie Keane, author of Never Go Back

Read more less

Book Synopsis*** THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER ***'A brilliant historical crime read' Bella'This thrilling and twisty crime novel is perfect for fans of Martina Cole' My Weekly'A rollercoaster of crime, revenge and murder' The SunBEHIND EVERY STRONG WOMAN IS AN EPIC STORY...In the early years of the last century, a desperate young girl changes her name and flees the confines of her brutal, dominating gangland family in London. Now calling herself 'Diamond Dupree', she goes to Paris to become an artist's model but the world there is different to what she had supposed it would be and she soon falls on hard times. When she manages to escape at the end of the First World War, she leaves behind her a mystery - and a dead man.Back home in London, she reluctantly re-joins the Soho family 'firm' she'd once been glad to leave behind. Having grown tougher during her time in Paris, she soon becomes a force to be reckoned with, a feared and respected gangland queen. But then she meets Richard Beaumont, the youngest son of a wealthy aristocratic family, and sparks fly. But can she escape the long arm of the law and the hangman's noose, when the crimes of her past finally catch up with her?For fans of Martina Cole and Kimberley Chambers, as well as viewers of Peaky Blinders, this is historical crime fiction at its most compelling.'No one delves into the underworld like Keane!' Woman's Weekly'A gritty and enlightening read' Yours'Authentically gritty' Crime MonthlyTrade ReviewA brilliant historical crime read * Bella *An epic drama starring an unforgettable heroine. Keane...has a wicked eye for the ruthless, fiercely factional criminal underworld and her books never fail to pack a powerful punch... Every story that Keane writes transports her readers into the heart of a terrifying but addictive underworld, and into the lives of people of every shade... And this cracking page-turner is certainly packed with Keane's trademark cast of larger-than-life characters - each superbly fleshed out and each inhabiting a world so palpably real that we can feel the menace... Brimming with drama, suspense, cruelty and the kind of gobsmacking violence that has made Keane one of the most powerful writers in contemporary crime fiction, this is full-on, eye-watering (of every kind!) entertainment from start to finish * Lancashire Evening Post *This thrilling and twisty crime novel is perfect for fans of Martina Cole * My Weekly *Mills & Boon meets Peaky Blinders in a mix of heaving bosoms and cut-throat razors * The Sun *A gritty and enlightening read * Yours *No one delves into the underworld like Keane! * Woman's Weekly *Authentically gritty * Crime Monthly *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the highly acclaimed author of Bad Day in Blackrock – inspiration for the 2012 award-winning film What Richard Did, directed by Lenny Abrahamson... ​Shortlisted for the 2021 An Post Irish Book Awards Eason Novel of the Year...A darkly funny, gripping and profoundly moving novel about a life spinning out of control, a life live without the bedrock of familial love, and the corruption of material wealth that tears at the soul.‘It was my father’s arrest that brought me here, although you could certainly say that I took the scenic route.’ Here is rehab, where Ben – the only son of a rich South Dublin banker – is piecing together the shattered remains of his life. Abruptly cut off, at the age of 27, from a life of heedless privilege, Ben flounders through a world of drugs and dead-end jobs, his self-esteem at rock bottom. Even his once-adoring girlfriend, Clio, is at the end of her tether. Then Ben runs into an old school friend who wants to cut him in on a scam: a shady property deal in the Balkans. The deal will make Ben rich and, at one fell swoop, will deliver him from all his troubles: his addictions, his father’s very public disgrace, and his own self-loathing and regret. Problems solved. But something is amiss. For one thing, the Serbian partners don’t exactly look like fools. (In fact they look like gangsters.) And, for another, Ben is being followed everywhere he goes. Someone is being taken for a ride. But who?Praise for White City:'I can't recommend it enough. It's often hilariously funny but it's also a sharp and smart dissection of contemporary materialism' John Boyne, author of The Heart's Invisible Furies 'An immensely enjoyable and tautly written account of a young man from an affluent family whose life of privilege is turned upside down' Sunday Times 'Spiky, blackly funny novel that offers an incisive study on class, entitlement and masculinity' Independent 'Capacious and comic, luxuriantly written, with an intricate plot and heightened characterisation… both riotous rant and thoughtful coming-of-age tale' Dublin Review of Books 'Outstanding second novel... A brilliantly entertaining novel that is profound in the most unexpected ways. Power is that rarity, a genuinely funny novelist... Yet all the more remarkable is Power's handling of tone: this novel moves effortlessly between humour and sincerity; it is steeped in empathy and raw anger' Literary Review ‘White City is likely to be the most solid, well-rounded novel to come out of Ireland this year… At once a pacy page-turner with a nerve-frazzling plot and a realistic and haunting tale of our interconnected world… White City is an all-round superb book that will stay with you long after the inevitable binge read’ Irish Independent 'White City synthesises familiar forms into a whole: the rogue’s confession, the young man finding his way, the post-Celtic Tiger satire on puffed-up, self-perpetuating bullshit businesses… Power shows his own capacity for comic timing and pithy aperçus' Guardian ' An extremely funny book… Kevin Power shows his chops as a proper heavyweight novelist. Unequivocally one of the most purely enjoyable books, in the classic-novel sense… a zinger on every page' Peter Murphy, Arena (RTE Radio 1) '[A] sprawling social satire of the sort we seldom see in Irish fiction… a tremendously zesty and zeitgeisty piece of writing' Sunday Times (Ireland) ‘[T]his dark caper evolves to ask searching moral questions… with its 11th-hour twist, this ambitious, attention-grabbing novel seems ripe for cinematic adaptation’ Daily Mail ‘Kevin Power’s Bad Day in Blackrock (2008) was one of the most memorable Irish novels of the new century… White City has passages of striking lyrical subtlety and the different storylines are managed with great dexterity. Much has changed in Ireland since Bad Day in Blackrock was published, but as Power’s adept and absorbing new novel reminds us, much has not. White City demands to be read’ Irish Times ‘A fast-paced and wickedly funny novel. Hugely entertaining. White City grabbed me from the opening pages and didn't let go’ Danielle McLaughlin, author of The Art of Falling 'Wild and beautiful, a whole addictive and breathlessly compelling world squeezed between these covers... A magnificent novel from a writer who is soaring to the most spectacular heights' Billy O'Callaghan, author of Life Sentences 'White City is a dark, hilarious and emotionally profound study of the toxic effects of greed and entitlement. Also, a story brilliantly and movingly told. Couldn’t stop reading it. Will read it again' Ed O'Loughlin, author of Not Untrue and Not Unkind '[A] biting page-turner… Power’s writing is both strong and savage' John Walshe, The Business Post''Funny, and gorgeously written, and just relentlessly entertaining' Mark O'Connell, author of Notes from an Apocalypse'This is part thriller but mostly a look at what it means to grow up... This novel is pleasing on so many levels, both intellectually & emotionally... You'll laugh, you'll cry... Read it, read it, read it' Claire Hennessy, author, editor & publisher at Banshee Press 'The kind of novel that makes writers jealous and readers cancel all their plans to finish it. As a commentary on the classless contemporary upper class, it's cutting and hilarious; as a portrait of the artist as a young man waylaid by his membership in that class, it's profound, unpretentious, unapologetically intelligent, and, again, really hilarious' Lauren Oyler, author of Fake Accounts'White City is brilliant on the high-octane vacuity of Ireland’s rentier class. Power’s trademark shimmering prose counterpoints a driving narrative... Brilliant' Eoin McNamee, author of Resurrection Man and The Blue TangoTrade Review'White City is a dark, hilarious and emotionally profound study of the toxic effects of greed and entitlement. Also, a story brilliantly and movingly told. Couldn’t stop reading it. Will read it again' -- Ed O'Loughlin, author of Not Untrue and Not Unkind'This is part thriller but mostly a look at what it means to grow up... full of ridiculously beautiful, polished, & often scathing sentences. This novel is pleasing on so many levels, both intellectually & emotionally... You'll laugh, you'll cry... Read it, read it, read it' -- Claire Hennessy, author, editor & publisher at Banshee Press‘A fast-paced and wickedly funny novel. Hugely entertaining. White City grabbed me from the opening pages and didn't let go’ -- Danielle McLaughlin, author of The Art of Falling'With the brilliant Bad Day in Blackrock back in 2008, Kevin Power more than earned his standing as one of our most prodigious talents. It's been a while, and anticipation for new work has been high, but White City – wild and beautiful, a whole addictive and breathlessly compelling world squeezed between these covers – has been worth every minute of the wait. A magnificent novel from a writer who is soaring to the most spectacular heights' -- Billy O'Callaghan, author of Life Sentences'Outstanding second novel... A brilliantly entertaining novel that is profound in the most unexpected ways. Power is that rarity, a genuinely funny novelist... Yet all the more remarkable is Power's handling of tone: this novel moves effortlessly between humour and sincerity; it is steeped in empathy and raw anger' * Literary Review *'Worth the wait... Narrative twists and turns keep the reader turning the page, but Power is also a master of striking imagery, with which he threads his text' * Irish Independent *'The kind of novel that makes writers jealous and readers cancel all their plans to finish it. As a commentary on the classless contemporary upper class, it's cutting and hilarious; as a portrait of the artist as a young man waylaid by his membership in that class, it's profound, unpretentious, unapologetically intelligent, and, again, really hilarious' -- Lauren Oyler, author of Fake Accounts'White City is brilliant on the high-octane vacuity of Ireland’s rentier class. Power’s trademark shimmering prose counterpoints a driving narrative... Brilliant' -- Eoin McNamee, author of Resurrection Man and The Blue Tango'I can't recommend it enough. It's often hilariously funny but it's also a sharp and smart dissection of contemporary materialism' -- John Boyne, author of The Heart's Invisible Furies'An immensely enjoyable and tautly written account of a young man from an affluent family whose life of privilege is turned upside down' * Sunday Times *'Spiky, blackly funny novel that offers an incisive study on class, entitlement and masculinity' * Independent *'Capacious and comic, luxuriantly written, with an intricate plot and heightened characterisation… both riotous rant and thoughtful coming-of-age tale' * Dublin Review of Books *'Funny, and gorgeously written, and just relentlessly entertaining' -- Mark O'Connell, author of Notes from an Apocalypse'[A] sprawling social satire of the sort we seldom see in Irish fiction… a tremendously zesty and zeitgeisty piece of writing. There are so many good lines I stopped highlighting them, always a good sign' -- Bert Wright * The Sunday Times (Ireland) *'[A] biting page-turner… Power’s writing is both strong and savage' -- John Walshe * The Business Post *'White City synthesises familiar forms into a whole: the rogue’s confession, the young man finding his way, the post-Celtic Tiger satire on puffed-up, self-perpetuating bullshit businesses… Power shows his own capacity for comic timing and pithy aperçus' -- John Self * The Guardian *'As if Martin Amis in his more wickedly funny moments had decided that Monkstown Central was the Year Zero of his fiction […] there’s a powerful social conscience at work here […] An extremely funny book […] Kevin Power shows his chops as a proper heavyweight novelist. Unequivocally one of the most purely enjoyable books, in the classic-novel sense […] a zinger on every page' -- Peter Murphy * Arena (RTE Radio 1) *‘Kevin Power’s Bad Day in Blackrock (2008) was one of the most memorable Irish novels of the new century… White City has passages of striking lyrical subtlety and the different storylines are managed with great dexterity. Much has changed in Ireland since Bad Day in Blackrock was published, but as Power’s adept and absorbing new novel reminds us, much has not. White City demands to be read’ -- Michael Cronin * Irish Times *‘White City is likely to be the most solid, well-rounded novel to come out of Ireland this year… At once a pacy page-turner with a nerve-frazzling plot and a realistic and haunting tale of our interconnected world… White City is an all-round superb book that will stay with you long after the inevitable binge read’ -- Estelle Birdy * Irish Independent *‘[T]his dark caper evolves to ask searching moral questions… with its 11th-hour twist, this ambitious, attention-grabbing novel seems ripe for cinematic adaptation’ -- Stephanie Cross * Daily Mail *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMeet the Drapers – they're as tough as they come … The gritty drama from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Nobody's Girl. Set on the mean streets of 1960s South London. MENACING… The Drapers rule the streets of South London. Everyone's afraid of them – and that's just how they like it. But when tempers flare and a family feud spirals out of control, tragedy strikes, leaving eldest son Danny in charge. MANIPULATED… But he has shocking plans for the family business and Petula, the baby of the family, becomes the scapegoat for the Draper’s dirty dealings. MISSING… Years later, and the once united family has now split up. Petula returns to the place she once called home to face her family as well as her demons, unleashing a terrible secret that could destroy them once and for all…Trade ReviewPraise for Nobody’s Girl and Sins of the Father: ‘This pageturner is a gritty tale of survival.’ Tesco magazine. 'Heartbreakingly poignant and joltingly realistic. From the first page the characters and their lives drew me in. It combines wonderfully accurate historical detail with true gritty realism in a book that fans of misery lit won't want to miss.' Annie Groves, author of Some Sunny Day. ‘Full of drama and heartache.’Closer Magazine ‘I thought this was a thoroughly enjoyable read. In fact, I couldn’t put it down!’Closer ‘This book kept me in total suspense until the end.’Closer

Read more less

Book SynopsisPeople can buy your silence, but not your loyaltyMacy Taylor was born in the shadow of Tavistock Square, at the heart of her Manchester estate. It's got a reputation as a place where bad things happen. But it's kept her secrets and she's kept its code of silence.If you need something sorting, or want something you can't get anywhere else no questions asked then you go to the Square. But everything in life comes at a price.Leanne Taylor is seventeen she doesn't understand why her mother wants her to keep clear of the life she led as a teenager. Leanne's got dreams, but they don't come cheap and the only people with money and power she knows are the boys and men that make their deals in the alleys and dark corners of the Square.For mother and daughter, it's time to work out what they really care about, how fiercely they'll fight to protect it, and what they'll do when one day, the trouble they've worked so hard to outrun comes right to their own front doorTrade Review‘The Northern Martina Cole. Karen Woods writes about Manchester with a pageturning fierceness.’ Melanie Blake ‘Wow! Karen Woods has delivered a gripping read full of grit and with characters to keep you turning the pages. And that ending! I didn’t see that coming at all. Loved it. 5 huge stars from me.’ Caz Finlay, author of the Bad Blood series

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Powerful as [Richard Wright] was - is - as a writer, nobody can surpass him in doing certain kinds of writing... He is courageous - he was able to look into areas that nobody at that time was willing to look at' Toni Morrison Cross Damon is disenchanted. At odds with society, and with himself, his idealism and sense of alienation have driven him to drink and incessant reflection. But when Cross is mistakenly reported to have died, he is suddenly free to put his ideals to the test - and a reign of terror and destruction ensues. A counterpart to Wright's 1940 novel, Native Son, The Outsider is Wright's existential masterpiece. An epic exploration of criminality and oppression its publication established Wright as America's most daring, and damning writers.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisOnly the lawless will survive . . . It is 1975 and Ruby Darke is struggling to deal with the brutal murder of her lover, Michael Ward.As her children, Daisy and Kit, battle their own demons, her retail empire starts to crumble.Meanwhile, after the revenge killing of Tito Danieri, Kit is the lowest he's ever been. But soon doubt is thrown over whether Kit killed the right person, and now the Danieris are out for his blood and the blood of the entire Darke family. As the bodies pile up, the chase is on - can the Darkes resolve their own family conflicts and find Michael Ward's true killer before the vengeful Danieris kill them? Or will they take the law into their own hands . . . Lawless is the heart-racing sequel to Nameless, from bestselling crime author Jessie Keane.Trade ReviewPerfect for fans of Martina Cole and Lynda La Plante * Glamour *Her strongest yet, both in terms of story and the fantastic cast of characters . . . Jessie Keane really does tell a blinding story. One thing you can rely on her for are twists and turns, literally hundreds of them here and plenty of shocks. We see the appearance of characters we didn't even know existed and I was floored many times reading this book! . . . You just have no idea where the story will go, and Jessie is an author that keeps you on your toes, so even if you suspect what will happen she will throw the biggest curveball. . . . The book moves at a lightning speed, the last hundred or so pages especially. There was no question of me putting the book down until I reached the end. And what an ending...! Just brilliant stuff and seriously addictive reading. This book just reminds me why I rate Jessie as one of my favourite authors. * www.bookaddictshaun.co.uk *This one sees her back on top, writing with an ease and drawing you into a fast paced dangerous way of life. The women characters in this tale are as strong or dominant as the main male characters, I felt, which is a nice change. There are a few shocks along the way and I could have read this in one sitting had time permitted. * www.alwaysreading.net *Keane's books never fail to thrill. Smart dialogue and well-rounded characters add ballast and credibility to all the fast-paced action and breath-taking brutality. She gives us humans and human emotion in every shade... from loving, loyal and devoted to fearsome, merciless and downright evil. Prepare to be hooked from the very first page... * Lancashire Evening Post *The writing is engaging and (f)lawless and it is written in a way that make you desperate to know what's going to happen next! * http://onmybookshelf.blog.pl *Lawless is a book that definitely has to be experienced - words can never do it justice! Full of tension, shocks and surprises - this is a book you won't be able to put down * readinginthesunshine.wordpress.com *Lawless is an engrossing read. It has strong female lead characters (and great male characters) and the highly atmospheric 1975 London gangland setting and interesting cast - from Lords and Ladies through to the shadiest of London gangsters - had me hooked from the start. As the story continued, the complex interwoven relationships, dark truths and secret desires that drive some to murder has me racing to turn the pages.Highly recommended. * http://crimethrillergirl.com *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe enemy is close to home in The Manor, a gripping gangland thriller from the top five bestseller Jessie Keane.Charlie Stone and Terry Barton have been blood brothers since the cradle. They grew up in the East End skimming along the bottom of the underworld, until Charlie took over the manor from the local mob and a twist of fate put him and his best mate on the road to the high life.When Charlie and Terry both marry and have kids, everything is set. Both families have everything they ever wanted. But things begin to turn sour when Charlie’s adopted son Harlan starts to cause trouble.It soon becomes clear that Harlan doesn’t just want to be number one son; he wants to be number one, full stop, and he wants Terry’s daughter Belle Barton by his side.As the feud caused by Harlan spirals out of control it is left to Belle to pick up the pieces. Is she strong enough to take on Harlan Stone? And has she got what it takes to rule the manor . . .'Perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Lynda La Plante' – GlamourTrade ReviewSwift-moving intrigue * Woman & Home *Perfect for fans of Martina Cole and Lynda La Plante * Glamour *Another brilliant gangland thriller * Bella Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisNameless is a gripping underworld thriller by bestselling author Jessie Keane.She never forgot, and she'll never forgive . . .In 1941, mixed race Ruby Darke is born into a family that seem to hate her, but why? While her two brothers dive into a life of gangland violence, Ruby has to work in their family store. As she blossoms into a beautiful young woman she crosses paths with aristocrat Cornelius Bray, a chance meeting that will change her life forever. When she finds herself pregnant, and then has twins, she is forced to give her children away. At that point she vows never to trust another man again. As the years pass, Ruby never forgets her babies, and as the family store turns into a retail empire, Ruby wants her children back. But secrets were whispered and bargains made, and if Ruby wants to stay alive she needs to forget the past, or the past will come back and kill her.Nameless is followed by theTrade ReviewGripping Thriller * Look Magazine *Fans of Martina Cole will enjoy Nameless * Daily Express *This is a fast-moving story full of drama with a lot of twists and turns. If you like Martina Cole, you'll love Jessie Keane * Bella *THIS WEEK'S HOT READ...This book combines tales of gangster underworld with history, romance and a little bit of mystery too * Woman *Fast moving, intriguing and a jolly good read. * Shropshire Star *Fans of Martina Cole should try Keane's tough gangster family sagas. They'll love her latest which introduces Ruby Darke * The Local (Bourne) *Jessie Keane gives us a fascinating insight into the rivalries and lifestyles of those who make fortunes out of a criminal way of life and of the lowlifes that carry out their orders. * Lincolnshire Echo *This is the sort of competition Martina Cole could do without and if Keane does hit the No. 1 spot it could be handbags, or more likely knuckledusters, at dawn * The Northern Echo *The book is incredibly well written and the author allows you to develop a real empathy for the characters... The only disappointment I had was when I had finished the book, I wanted more! This is not the usual sort of material that I would read but I was gripped from the very beginning right through to the end. I would thoroughly recommend it. * www.Mojomums.co.uk *I didn't want this story to end and it certainly didn't end as expected. The last sting in the tails tears it all apart and the final chapter made me want to shout out in anger and dismay. A brilliant book. I really hope a sequel is written as so many questions are left unanswered. * jayneanderson.blogspot.co.uk *All I can say is that Jessie Keane is a force to be reckoned with in the crime genre now. Not only has she produced a great series (Annie Carter) she has also written some absolutely blinding stand alones. With this latest addition, Jessie Keane is quickly proving herself to be un-stoppable. Nameless has only made me want to read more (I sincerely hope this is going to have a follow up!) and as usual Jessie Keane does not disappoint. BLINDING!!! * www.bestcrimebooks.co.uk *Nameless is great at proving that a woman's strength should never be underestimated and a mothers love is eternal. I cannot wait for the next book!!!! * nicolemcmanusreviews.wordpress.com *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSave Me, is a gritty crime novel by the bestselling author Mandasue Heller.When Ellie Fisher misses her train home one night, she has no idea that being in the right place at the wrong time will change her life forever. That night she comes across Gareth, a young man about to take his own life, because as far as he’s concerned there is nothing left to live for. Putting her own life in danger Ellie convinces Gareth that there is always something left. Her own life is no bed of roses, she explains, but she always pushes on. However, good deeds aren’t always repaid the way we want. Has Ellie unwittingly put her life in danger, or is the real danger a lot closer to home?Trade ReviewPraise for Forget Me Not: Mandasue has played a real blinder with this fantastic novel -- Martina ColePraise for Forget Me Not: Captivating from first page to last -- Jeffery DeaverPraise for Two-Faced: Thoroughly gripping * Guardian *Praise for The Driver: One of the bad girls of gritty crime, Heller has written a blinder * Daily Mirror *Praise for Forget Me Not: A confident take on the serial murder genre * Irish News - Belfast *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThree severed hands. No clues. A race against time.Three embalmed hands are discovered in a disused Victorian house. Is it a gangland ritual? The work of a cult? Or just a prank played by Medical Students? And what happened to the bodies?Meanwhile the Coroner needs to issue a Presumption of Death certificate on a teenage girl who vanished eleven years ago in mysterious circumstances.As hints emerge the two cases are connected, DI Ridpath pushes himself to the limit to find out what really happened. It soon emerges the house is a former children’s home. When another woman, a local social worker, disappears, he is under immense pressure to find answers. What really happened at Daisy House Children’s Home all those years ago?He has just one week to discover the truth…The latest in the #1 bestselling DI Ridpath crime thriller series, perfect for fans of Mark Billingham and Peter James.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSet in contemporary Bombay and other cities, these stories reflect the kaleidoscope of urban life - evoking the colour, sounds and white-hot heat of the city. Warm, perceptive, humorous and touched with sadness, Anita Desai''s stories are peopled with intensely individual characters - the man spiritually transformed by the surface texture of a melon; the American wife who, homesick for the verdant farmlands of Vermont, turns to the hippies in the Indian hills; the painter living in a slum who fills his canvasses with flowers, birds and landscapes he has never seen.Trade ReviewAs finely written atmospheric pieces alone the stories would be memorable... As social documents they are absorbing. The volume's profound theme is the tension between convention and exploration, family solidarity and individualism... An admirable humane and responsible achievement -- Hermione Lee * Observer *One of the most brilliant and subtle writers ever to have described the meeting of eastern and western culture * Alison Lurie *Beautifully accomplished and memorable * The Times *Absolutely first-rate…absorbing -- Hermione Lee * Observer *Desai has a gift of opening up a closed world and making it clearly visible * Sunday Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisShe thought she'd seen the back of the Delaneys. How wrong could she be . . .Ruthless is the fifth book in the compelling Annie Carter series by hit crime writer Jessie Keane. Annie Carter should have demanded to see their bodies lying on a slab in the morgue, but she really believed the Delaney twins were gone from her life for good. Now sinister things are happening around her and Annie Carter is led to one terrifying conclusion: her bitter enemies, the Delaney twins, didn't die all those years ago. They're back and they want her, and her family, dead. This isn't the first time someone has made an attempt on her life,yet she's determined to make it the last. Nobody threatens Annie Carter and lives to tell the tale . . .Continue this gripping series with Stay Dead.Trade ReviewGritty and powerful, Martina Cole fans will love this addictive novel * Closer *The novel takes the reader on a journey from London, to New York, and across to rural Ireland. What I especially loved about this story was the way multiple story strands were woven together: a coming-of-age story for Annie's daughter, Layla, and an explosive battle of wills (and sexual tension) for Annie as she tries to keep an uneasy truce with her ex-husband; all set within a deadly game of cat and mouse with a determined killer driven by revenge. Intriguing, suspenseful and thrilling. A real page turner. * www.crimethrillergirl.com *Gripping right from the start and the setting of gangsters and East End London was great to read. I also really liked the character of Annie Carter, she's a likeable, feisty main character who takes you through her story at a high speed pace. This is a book full of suspense and tension and I found myself surprised by the narrative more than once. I'm now going to look out for the first Annie Cater novels and have no doubt that I'll enjoy them just as much. * Novelicious *This is riveting, unputdownable reading * Marjolein Books *Jessie Keane has once again created a brilliant, gripping and thrilling book which I didn't want to put down * Best Crime Books *I've read most of Jessie's book and so I was thrilled to be contacted and offered a copy of her latest book Ruthless. Wow, what a book. * jayneanderson.blogspot.co.uk *Ruthless is the latest in the fast-moving Annie Carter series and is just as good, if not better, than its forerunners. If you like a good, light read on the seedy side of life, you won't be disappointed. * Shropshire Star *Part crime novel, part family-saga - a kind of Dynasty with knuckledusters - but Ruthless is slick and funny and polished. Sure, it's a formula, but Keane knows just what her readers want in her nostalgic tales of gals and gangsters, nightclubs and toerags, and she delivers the goods as nimbly as a cat across a fence top. What I Liked: Annie's a businesswoman with a string of clubs to her name, but it's affairs of the heart that propel the story. Keane's antagonists want revenge against Annie by targeting the people she loves the most - her family. It makes it very personal and very nasty for Annie. And the return of her ex-husband - 'fit lean body, black hair, dark tan' - makes the situation an emotional minefield. If you're going to write a story, make sure your protagonist is hit where it hurts the most. * crimethrillerfella.wordpress.com *I loved the characters, they were very realistic, believable and I enjoyed their storylines. Annie Carter is a fantastic lead and I really enjoyed reading about her, I liked that Annie was fierce and determined. Also, Annie's relationship with Max was so fascinating to read about, that in itself was very compelling and gripping. Ruthless is fast-paced and thrilling with the right amount of tension and suspense, so I was kept turning the pages keen to find out how things would finish. * readinginthesunshine.wordpress.com *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe gripping new gangland thriller from the Sunday Times bestseller and Queen of the Underworld, Jessie Keane.Once, he loved her. Now he''s going to put her away for murder.Christie Doyle is living the dream: she has a beautiful mansion on the South Downs with an infinity pool and stables, and her husband, Kenny, spoils her rotten. It''s her birthday and she is the centre of the most amazing party.And then the bombshell drops. Kenny confesses to an affair and asks for a divorce. Worse is to come when the ''other woman''- Lara, nineteen years old and pregnant with Kenny''s child - is found dead.Suspicion falls on Christie and the Doyles'' life is ripped apart as the police hunt for evidence: lead investigator DCI Dexter Cooper is a face from Christie''s own troubled past and he knows better than anyone what she is capable of.The race to unmask a killer is on...Trade ReviewA brilliant historical crime read * Bella *This thrilling and twisty crime novel is perfect for fans of Martina Cole * My Weekly *Mills & Boon meets Peaky Blinders in a mix of heaving bosoms and cut-throat razors * The Sun *A gritty and enlightening read * Yours *No one delves into the underworld like Keane! * Woman's Weekly *Authentically gritty! * Crime Monthly *Another charged gangland thriller from the bestselling author * Woman's Weekly *An epic drama starring an unforgettable heroine. Keane...has a wicked eye for the ruthless, fiercely factional criminal underworld and her books never fail to pack a powerful punch... Every story that Keane writes transports her readers into the heart of a terrifying but addictive underworld, and into the lives of people of every shade... And this cracking page-turner is certainly packed with Keane's trademark cast of larger-than-life characters - each superbly fleshed out and each inhabiting a world so palpably real that we can feel the menace... Brimming with drama, suspense, cruelty and the kind of gobsmacking violence that has made Keane one of the most powerful writers in contemporary crime fiction, this is full-on, eye-watering (of every kind!) entertainment from start to finish! * Lancashire Evening Post *

Read more less

Book SynopsisStay Dead is the heartstopping sixth book in Jessie Keane's gritty Annie Carter series. Annie Carter finally believes that life is good.She and Max are back together and she has a new and uncomplicated life sunning herself in Barbados. It's what she's always dreamed of.Then she gets the news that her old friend Dolly Farrell is dead, and suddenly she finds herself back in London and hunting down a murderer with only one thing on her mind . . . revenge.But the hunter can so quickly become the hunted, and Annie has been keeping too many secrets. She's crossed and bettered a lot of people over the years, but this time the enemy is a lot closer to home and she may just have met her match . . .Trade ReviewGritty and powerful, Martina Cole fans will love this addictive novel * Closer *A cracking story -- Mandasue Heller

Read more less

Book SynopsisRun by Mandasue Heller is a gritty story of Manchester's criminal underworld.After being cheated on by her ex, Leanne Riley is trying her hardest to get her life back on track, which isn't easy without a job and living in a bedsit surrounded by a junkie and a mad woman.On a night out with her best friend she meets Jake, a face from her past who has changed beyond all recognition. Jake is charming, handsome and loaded, a far cry from the gawky teenager he used to be. Weary of men, Leanne isn't easy to please, but Jake tries his best to break through the wall she's built around herself.But good looks and money can hide a multitude of sins. Is that good-looking face just a mask? And what's more, what will it take to make it slip, and who will die in the process . . . ?'Heller doesn’t mince words, her gritty plots create a Manchester underworld to rival Martina Cole’s raw and rough East End' - PeTrade ReviewMandasue has played a real blinder with this fantastic novel -- Martina Cole on Forget Me NotCaptivating from first page to last -- Jeffery Deaver on Lost AngelThoroughly gripping * Guardian on Two-Faced *One of the bad girls of gritty crime, Heller has written a blinder * Daily Mirror *Heller doesn't mince words, her gritty plots create a Manchester underworld to rival Martina Cole's raw and rough East End * Evening Telegraph *A confident take on the serial murder genre * Irish News - Belfast *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the back streets of Manchester to the nightclubs and penthouses of the beautiful people, Mandasue Heller, author of the top ten bestseller Run, knows the world she writes. Born in Warrington, she moved to Manchester in the 1980s, where she found the inspiration for her novels. She spent ten years living in the infamous Hulme Crescents and was a professional singer for many years before turning her hand to writing.She has three children and three grandchildren, and still writes and records songs with her musician partner, Wingrove, between books.Trade ReviewA good read that is difficult to put down * Yorkshire Gazette *Heller doesn’t mince words, her gritty plots create a Manchester underworld to rival Martina Cole’s raw and rough East End * Peterborough Evening Telegraph *Praise for Forget Me Not: Mandasue has played a real blinder with this fantastic novel -- Martina ColePraise for Lost Angel: Captivating from first page to last -- Jeffery Deaver

Read more less

Book SynopsisSet in urban Manchester, Running Scared is a nerve-shredding thriller by bestselling author Mandasue Heller.When teenager Alexis ‘Lexi’ James falls out with her best mate Nicole over ‘bad boy’ Ryan King, it’s just the beginning of a chain of events that go from bad to worse to deadly.Returning home one night to her high-rise flat, she is faced by a terrifying scene that changes her life forever, and matters are made worse when she is put into care in another town.Years later, Lexi has left school and is back in Manchester. A chance meeting with Nicole and her so-called ‘other half’ Ryan ends in disaster, and she vows never to see them again. Then one night she is saved from a vicious attack by a charming stranger. He takes her home and their acquaintance blossoms into something much deeper.When her new man receives a call in the middle of the night and leaves in a hurry, she is horrified when he returns with someone she never thought she would see again. It soon becomes obvious that Lexi doesn’t know her new lover as well as she thought, and she is forced to make a decision that will have devastating results . . .'Heller doesn’t mince words, her gritty plots create a Manchester underworld to rival Martina Cole’s raw and rough East End – Peterborough Evening TelegraphTrade ReviewHeller doesn’t mince words; her gritty plots create a Manchester underworld to rival Martina Cole’s raw and rough East End * Peterborough Evening Telegraph *Mandasue has played a real blinder with this fantastic novel -- Martina Cole on Forget Me NotCaptivating from first page to last -- Jeffery Deaver on Lost Angel

Read more less

Book SynopsisSet in urban Manchester, Running Scared is a nerve-shredding thriller by bestselling author Mandasue Heller.When teenager Alexis ‘Lexi’ James falls out with her best mate Nicole over ‘bad boy’ Ryan King, it’s just the beginning of a chain of events that go from bad to worse to deadly.Returning home one night to her high-rise flat, she is faced by a terrifying scene that changes her life forever – and matters are made worse when she is put into care in another town.Years later, Lexi has left school and is back in Manchester. A chance meeting with Nicole and her so-called ‘other half’ Ryan ends in disaster, and she vows never to see them again. Then one night she is saved from a vicious attack by a charming stranger. He takes her home and their acquaintance blossoms into something much deeper.When her new man receives a call in the middle of the night and leaves in a hurry, she is horrified when he returns with someone she never thought she would see again. It soon becomes obvious that Lexi doesn’t know her new lover as well as she thought, and she is forced to make a decision that will have devastating results . . .Trade ReviewHeller doesn’t mince words; her gritty plots create a Manchester underworld to rival Martina Cole’s raw and rough East End * Peterborough Evening Telegraph *Mandasue has played a real blinder with this fantastic novel -- Martina Cole on Forget Me NotCaptivating from first page to last -- Jeffery Deaver on Lost Angel

Read more less