Search results for ""quercus publishing""

Haunting and beautifully written first novel by the award-winning author of Battleborn, set among a cult of survivors in a dystopian American desert'A Mad Max world painted with a finer brush' Elle'An unforgettable journey into a hauntingly imagined near-future' Ruth Ozeki'Set in a drought-ravaged Southern California trolled by scavengers, Gold Fame Citrus burns with a dizzying, scorching genius' Vanity Fair Desert sands have laid waste to the south-west of America. Las Vegas is buried. California - and anyone still there - is stranded. Any way out is severely restricted. But Luz and Ray are not leaving. They survive on water rations, black market fruit and each other's need. Luz needs Ray, and Ray must be needed. But then they cross paths with a mysterious child, who needs them more than anything - and the thirst for a better life begins.Claire Vaye Watkins's much-anticipated and lauded first novel delivers on her promise as one of America's best new writers.

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The follow-up to the internationally acclaimed The President's Gardens"Al-Ramli is a remarkable storyteller, and in Daughter of the Tigris he creates a dynamic, intricately plotted narrative, brimming with stories and a host of memorable characters" Susannah Tarbush, Banipal On the sixth day of Ramadan, in a land without bananas, Qisma leaves for Baghdad with her husband-to-be to find the body of her father. But in the bloodiest year of a bloody war, how will she find one body among thousands? For Tariq, this is more than just a marriage of convenience: the beautiful, urbane Qisma must be his, body and soul. But can a sheikh steeped in genteel tradition share a tranquil bed with a modern Iraqi woman? The President has been deposed, and the garden of Iraq is full of presidents who will stop at nothing to take his place. Qisma is afraid - afraid for her son, afraid that it is only a matter of time before her father's murderers come for her. The only way to survive is to take a slice of Iraq for herself. But ambition is the most dangerous drug of all, and it could just seal Qisma's fate.Translated from the Arabic by Luke LeafgrenREVIEWS FOR THE PRESIDENT'S GARDENS'Though firmly rooted in its context, The President's Gardens' concerns are universal. It is a profoundly moving investigation of love, death and injustice, and an affirmation of the importance of dignity, friendship and meaning amid oppression. Its light touch and persistent humour make it an enormous pleasure to read' Robin Yassin-Kassab, Guardian.The President's Gardens evokes the fantastical, small town feel of One Hundred Years of Solitude Tom Gordon, Financial Times'No author is better placed than Muhsin Al-Ramli, already a star in the Arabic literary scene, to tell this story. I read it in one sitting' Hassan Blasim, winner of the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize

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"We owe you our lives, Sergeant, but you are our worst nightmare . . ."Burma, 1852. Sergeant Arthur Bowman, a sergeant in the East India Company, is sent on a secret mission during the Second Anglo-Burmese War. But the expedition is foiled - his men are captured and tortured. Throughout their ordeal, a single word becomes Bowman's mantra, a word that will stiffen their powers of endurance in the face of unimaginable suffering: "Survival". But for all that, only a handful escape with their lives.Some years later in London, battling his ghosts through a haze of alcohol and opium, Bowman discovers a mutilated corpse in a sewer. The victim appears to have been subjected to the same torments as Bowman endured in the Burmese jungle. And the word "Survival" has been daubed in blood by the body's side. Persuaded that the culprit is one of the men who shared his captivity, Bowman resolves to hunt him down.From the Burmese jungle to the slums of London to the conquest of the Wild West, Antonin Varenne takes us on a thrilling journey full of sound and unabated fury, reviving the lapsed tradition of the great writers of boundless adventure. Sergeant Bowman belongs to that breed of heroes who inhabit the imaginations of Conrad, Kipling, Stevenson . . . Lost soldiers who have plunged into the heart of darkness and will cross the globe in search of vengeance and redemption.Translated from the French by Sam Taylor

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For the vagabond pack of ex-pat Europeans, Indian Tanzanians and wealthy Africans at Moshi's International School, it's all about getting high, getting drunk and getting laid. Their parents - drug dealers, mercenaries and farmers gone to seed - are too dead inside to give a damn. Outwardly free but empty at heart, privileged but out of place, these kids are lost, trapped in a land without hope. They can try to get out, but something will always drag them back - where can you go when you believe in nothing and belong to nowhere?

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From the Phoney War of 1939 to the Battle of Britain in 1940, the pilots of Hornet Squadron learn their lessons the hard way. Hi-jinks are all very well on the ground, but once in a Hurricane's cockpit, the best killers keep their wits close. Newly promoted Commanding Officer Fanny Barton has a job on to whip the Hornets into shape before they face the Luftwaffe's seasoned pilots. And sometimes Fighter Command, with its obsolete tactics and stiff doctrines, is the real menace. As with all Robinson's novels, the raw dialogue, rich black humour and brilliantly rendered, adrenalin-packed dogfights bring the Battle of Britain, and the brave few who fought it, to life.

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THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO RETURNSThe iconic character who has captivated 100 million readers worldwide."Not just the extraordinary conclusion to the trilogy, but a work that contains its own fully-rounded plot . . . Brilliant" Val McdermidLisbeth Salander is a threat to national security. Since she was thirteen, shady government forces have conspired to keep her quiet.Prone to violence, deemed mentally disturbed, she has had her freedom removed and her every movement watched. Yet still, she is an unstoppable force for justice.Salander has a bullet in her head. She is wanted for murder. She knows that the secrets and corruption at the heart of her country's government go right to the top.And she won't take it lying down . . ."Some novels claim to be page-turners, this trilogy is the real deal" Financial Times"This is a grown-up novel for grown-up readers, who want something more than a quick fix and a car chase . . . A publishing phenomenon all over the world" Kate Mosse

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THE BESTSELLING GLOBAL PHENOMENONMeet Lisbeth Salander - the iconic character who has captivated 100 million readers worldwide."As vivid as bloodstains on snow . . . a perfect introduction to the unique strengths ofScandinavian crime fiction"LEE CHILDLisbeth Salander gets under the skin of her targets like no-one else. Those who underestimate her live to regret it. If they're lucky . . .Mikael Blomkvist - disgraced journalist, womanizer - is everything she ought to hate. But when she is hired by a security firm to investigate him, her report on his life reveals an integrity that fascinates her.Then she discovers that Blomkvist is cracking open the cold case of a missing girl - uncovering secrets that have poisoned a family through generations.And only one thing gives Salander greater satisfaction than exposing a liar: stopping a killer.With an introduction by Val McDermid

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Dark and brimming with suspense, an atmospheric Victorian chiller set in brooding County Durham for fans of Stacey Halls and Laura Purcell

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A BRAND NEW COSY MYSTERY SERIES SET IN THE PICTURESQUE CITY OF YORK. FOR FANS OF FAITH MARTIN, BETTY ROWLANDS AND LJ ROSS.Meet Kitt Hartley: librarian, trilby-wearer, Lady Grey tea-drinker, taker of no nonsense... detective?It's a perfectly normal day for Kitt Hartley at her job at the University of the Vale of York library, until Detective Inspector Halloran arrives at her desk to tell her that her best friend, Evie Bowes, is under suspicion of murder. Evie's ex-boyfriend Owen has been found dead - with a fountain pen stabbed through his heart - and all the evidence points to her.Kitt knows there is no way Evie could murder anyone - let alone Owen, who she adored. Horrified that the police could have got it so wrong, Kitt decides there's only one thing to do: she's going to investigate Owen's murder herself. She's read hundreds of mystery novels - how hard can it be?With the help of her assistant Grace, and the occasional hindrance of the library's eccentric regulars, Kitt summons up all her investigative powers (absorbed over years of reading everything from Agatha Christie to Ian Rankin) and gets to work. She soon discovers that down the quaint streets and snickelways of York lie darker doings than she'd ever dreamed, but she needs to watch her step: the murderer is watching her. And they haven't finished killing yet...

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'Seriously, amazingly, awesomely brilliant'CJ Tudor, author of The Chalk Man'Chilling . . . compulsive and deeply thought-provoking'Cara Hunter, author of Close to Home**********"There's something I have to explain, my love," he says, taking your hand in his. "That wasn't a dream. It was an upload."Abbie wakes in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. The man by her side explains that he's her husband. He's a titan of the tech world, the founder of one of Silicon Valley's most innovative startups. He tells Abbie she's a gifted artist, a doting mother to their young son, and the perfect wife. Five years ago, she suffered a terrible accident. Her return from the abyss is a miracle of science, a breakthrough in artificial intelligence that has taken him half a decade to achieve. But as Abbie pieces together memories of her marriage, she begins questioning her husband's motives - and his version of events. Can she trust him when he says he wants them to be together for ever? And what really happened to her, half a decade ago?A gripping psychological thriller, perfect for fans of The Woman in the Window and The Wife Between Us. **********See what everyone is saying about JP Delaney, the hottest name in psychological thrillers:'DAZZLING' - Lee Child'ADDICTIVE' - Daily Express 'DEVASTATING' - Daily Mail 'INGENIOUS' - New York Times'COMPULSIVE' - Glamour Magazine 'ELEGANT' - Peter James 'SEXY' - Mail on Sunday'ENTHRALLING' - Woman and Home'ORIGINAL' - The Times'RIVETING' - Lisa Gardner'CREEPY' - Heat 'SATISFYING' - Reader's Digest 'SUPERIOR' - The Bookseller'MORE THAN A MATCH FOR PAULA HAWKINS' - Sunday TimesAnd if you loved The Perfect Wife, you'll love JP Delaney's sensational new thriller, Playing Nice - out now in paperback.

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'Thrilling from beginning to end - I couldn't turn the pages fast enough' CLAIRE DOUGLAS'Absorbing and fast-paced' KARIN SLAUGHTER 'Excellent - domestic noir in all its darkest shades' CARA HUNTERThe child you never knewknows all your secrets . . .Out of the blue, Susie Jukes is contacted on social media by Anna, the girl she gave up for adoption fifteen years ago. But when they meet, Anna's home life sounds distinctly strange to Susie and her husband Gabe. And when Anna's adoptive parents seem to overreact to the fact she contacted them at all, Susie becomes convinced that Anna needs her help.But is Anna's own behaviour simply what you'd expect from someone recovering from a traumatic childhood? Or are there other secrets at play here - secrets Susie has also been hiding for the last fifteen years?'A twisty, electrifying read' WOMAN'S OWNSee what everyone is saying about JP Delaney, the hottest name in psychological thrillers:'DAZZLING' - Lee Child'ADDICTIVE' - Daily Express'DEVASTATING' - Daily Mail'INGENIOUS' - New York Times'COMPULSIVE' - Glamour Magazine'ELEGANT' - Peter James'SEXY' - Mail on Sunday'ENTHRALLING' - Woman and Home'ORIGINAL' - The Times'RIVETING' - Lisa Gardner'CREEPY' - Heat'SATISFYING' - Reader's Digest'SUPERIOR' - The Bookseller'MORE THAN A MATCH FOR PAULA HAWKINS' - Sunday Times

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By the author of LOOK WHO'S BACK, a radical and bold satire in inequitable times."Whizz-bang energy and gleeful imaginative savagery" Sam Leith, Guardian"More than mere satire, it's a book that engages deeply" Alex Preston, Financial Times"An immensely enjoyable read" Daniel Hahn, Spectator"Satirical, sharp, believable . . . Brilliant" Rick O'Shea, RTEREFUGEE CAMPS IN AFRICA ARE SWELLINGAnd Europe has closed its borders. The refugees have no future, no hope, and no money to pay the vast sums now demanded by people smugglers. The only thing they have is time. AND THEN AN ANGEL ARRIVES FROM REALITY T.V.When model and star presenter Nadeche Hackenbusch comes to film at the largest of the camps, one young refugee sees a unique opportunity: to organise a march to Europe, in full view of the media. Viewers are gripped as the vast convoy moves closer, but the far right in Germany is regrouping and the government is at a loss. Which country will halt the refugees in their tracks? THE HUNGRY AND THE FATA devastating, close-to-the-knuckle satire about the haves and have-nots in our divided world by one of Europe's finest and most perceptive writers.Translated from the German by Jamie Bulloch

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'Clever and compelling' Luke Jennings'Viral is a vicious delight' Sam Byers'Nobody else could capture the tragedy, transience and absurdity of modern life quite like this' Andrew McMillanMeet Ned and Alice: internet entrepreneurs with a delightfully demagnetised moral compass.In Berlin, their combined talents have brought social media start-up, The Thing Factory, to the verge of lucrative success.But Ned - a businessman with a history of shady dealings - is unhappy at his increasing lack of control in the company. When he launches a new app designed to 'Uberize' the escort industry, he finds himself treading in murky waters, having disturbed the fabric of Berlin's underbelly. As his anxieties become harder to ignore, Alice's ambitions are meanwhile tempting her to jettison her own principles for a turn at the wheel...Both a satire on the social media age and a fast-paced suspense novel, Viral is a nimble commentary on power and control, the lengths people will go to acquire both, and what is at stake when personality and sex are tradable commodities.

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An intelligent, atmospheric police procedural series for fans of John Le Carré and Mick Heron"The most important thing that's happened in Mexican literature in the last thirty years" Gaby Wood, Sunday Telegraph.Detective Lefty Mendieta makes a deal with the devil in a gripping new novel from the Godfather of Narco Lit Short of leads on the execution-style murder of a fortune-teller, Detective Lefty Mendieta turns to his contacts in the drug underworld. They oblige, but there is a quid pro quo: Help Samantha Valdés, head of the Pacific Cartel, slip through the net of Mexican army and federal police encircling the hospital where she is recovering after an attempt on her life. Grudgingly he agrees, but then gets caught on camera during the escape and becomes headline news.Fired from the force and on the run from the Feds, Lefty again seeks Samantha's help when he learns that his son Jason has been kidnapped in Los Angeles. There, he must come to terms with the woman who broke his heart, while contending with a thicket of conspiracies, feints and double-crosses that further blur the distinction between crime and the law. Betrayal is certain. To save his son, who will Lefty sell out?Translated from the Spanish by Mark Fried

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'A spellbinding read ... the glamour of early Sixties showbiz' LOUISE CANDLISH'Mesmerising and powerful ... an extraordinary sense of time and place' ELLY GRIFFITHS'A stylish and page-turning mystery' RACHEL HORE'Gripping ... her portrait of Sixties London is terrific' ELIZABETH BUCHANLONGLISTED FOR THE HWA GOLD CROWN AWARD 2021Set in Sixties London, a gripping drama of past secrets revealed, of manipulation and revenge for fans of Daphne du Maurier and noir movies like All About Eve and A Star is BornDelia Maxwell is an international singing sensation, an icon of 1950s glamour who is still riding high on the new 60s scene. Adored by millions, all men want to be with her, all women want to be her. But one woman wants it maybe a little too much...Lily Brooks has watched Delia all her life, studying her music and her on-stage mannerisms. Now she has a dream job as Delia's assistant - but is there more to her attachment than the admiration of a fan? Private investigator Frank is beginning to wonder.As Lily steps into Delia's spotlight, and Delia encourages her ambitious protegée, Frank's suspicions of Lily's ulterior motives increase. But are his own feelings for Delia clouding his judgement? The truth is something far darker: the shocking result of years of pain and rage, rooted in Europe's darkest hour. If Delia thought she had put her past behind her, she had better start watching her back.

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'It is not that Ulysses excludes us; it is, rather, that it includes us in ways that no other work prepares us for. The question is not 'what is a novel?', but what can a novel be? Ulysses is the answer'Patrick McGuinness from his preface to Ulysses: The Restored TextInitially rejected by several printers in Dublin and London for containing 'obscene' content, Ulysses was first published in book form in a limited-edition printing of 1000 copies by Shakespeare and Company in Paris in 1922. A subsequent printing was impounded by US customs and for a period the novel was famed for its notoriety rather than its literary achievement.Like its author, Ulysses exists in a complicated push-pull relationship with its language - English - and its setting - Ireland. Joyce returns to the themes that had preoccupied him in previous works, including nationalism and empire, religion, identity and sex in a novel which gloriously brings Dublin on June 16th 1904 to the page.This edition of Ulysses: The Restored Text includes the revisions that Joyce made to the novel during his lifetime.

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"Utterly gripping, timely and shocking" PHILIPPE SANDS"Magnificent and heartbreaking" Washington Post"Compelling and disturbing . . . quietly devastating" DAMON GALGUT"This is a book of profound importance . . . A masterpiece" ALEXANDER McCALL SMITHSHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION"A vintage crime story . . . an extraordinary tale . . . It is written as a drama, part thriller, part tragedy" ALEC RUSSELL, Financial Times"A smartly paced true-crime thriller with a vivid cast of characters . . . as tense as it is disturbing" JOHN CARLIN, author of Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a NationTwo dead men. Forty suspects. The trial that broke a small South African town "Look what the fucking dogs did to them, someone muttered. No-one mentioned the rope, or the monkey-wrench, or the gun, or the knife, or the stick, or the whip, or the blood-stained boots. In fact, no-one said much at all. It seemed simpler that way. There was no sense in pointing fingers.'"At dusk, on a warm evening in 2016, a group of forty men gathered in the corner of a dusty field on a farm outside Parys in the Free State. Some were in fury. Others treated the whole thing as a joke - a game. The events of the next two hours would come to haunt them all. They would rip families apart, prompt suicide attempts, breakdowns, divorce, bankruptcy, threats of violent revenge and acts of unforgivable treachery. These Are Not Gentle People is the story of that night, and of what happened next. It's a courtroom drama, a profound exploration of collective guilt and individual justice, and a fast-paced literary thriller. Award-winning foreign correspondent and author Andrew Harding traces the impact of one moment of collective barbarism on a fragile community - exploding lies, cover-ups, political meddling and betrayals, and revealing the inner lives of those involved with extraordinary clarity. The book is also a mesmerising examination of a small town trying to cope with a trauma that threatens to tear it in two - as such, it is as much a journey into the heart of modern South Africa as it is a gripping tale of crime, punishment and redemption. When a whole community is on trial, who pays the price?

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'A captivating tale of love and loss and finding connection in the most unexpected places' Nikki Marmery, author of On Wilder Seas A lyrical and atmospheric homage to the strange and extraordinary, perfect for fans of Angela Carter and Erin Morgenstern. This is the story of The Greatest Funambulist Who Ever Lived...Born into a post-war circus family, our nameless star was unwanted and forgotten, abandoned in the shadows of the big top. Until the bright light of Serendipity Wilson threw her into focus. Now an adult, haunted by an incident in which a child was lost from the circus, our narrator, a tightrope artiste, weaves together her spellbinding tales of circus legends, earthy magic and folklore, all in the hope of finding the child... But will her story be enough to bring the pair together again? Beautiful and intoxicating, A Girl Made of Air brings the circus to life in all of its grime and glory; Marina, Manu, Serendipity Wilson, Fausto, Big Gen and Mouse will live long in the hearts of readers. As will this story of loss and reconciliation, of storytelling and truth.

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The next gripping volume in The Brighton Mysteries series by bestselling author Elly Griffiths.It starts with a magician and a murder in a Brighton boarding house; throw in a show on Brighton pier, a sinister radio personality and a potential serial killer, and you've got the next gripping book in the Brighton Mysteries series. Magician Max Mephisto, now divorced and living in London, is on his way to visit daughter Ruby and her new-born baby when he is hailed by a voice from the past, fellow performer Ted English, aka the Great Deceiver. Ted's assistant, Cherry, has been found dead in her Brighton boarding house and he's convinced that he'll be accused of her murder.Max agrees to talk to his friend, Superintendent Edgar Stephens, who is investigating the case. What Max doesn't know is that the girl's family have hired private detective duo Emma Holmes (aka Mrs Stephens) and Sam Collins to do some digging of their own. The inhabitants of the boarding house, most of whom are performing in an Old Time Music Hall show on Brighton pier, are a motley crew. The house is also connected to a sinister radio personality called Pal. When a second magician's assistant is killed, Edgar suspects a serial killer. He persuades Max to come out of semi-retirement and take part in a summer show. But who can pose as his assistant? Edgar shocks the team by recommending someone close. . .***************************Praise for The Brighton Mysteries'Original, lively and gripping' Independent'Full of period detail, smart plotting and likeable characters' Mail on Sunday'Full of fun and expertly plotted' Sunday ExpressThe Last Remains, the final instalment of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries, was a Sunday Times bestseller in August 2023.

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THE WINNER OF THE 2022 FINGERPRINT AWARDS' CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR FROM THE #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE DR RUTH GALLOWAY MYSTERIESA propulsive new thriller set in London featuring Detective Harbinder Kaur. A murderer hides in plain sight - in the police.DS Cassie Fitzherbert has a secret. When she was at school, she and her friends were responsible for the death of a fellow pupil. Decades later, Cassie is happily married and loves her job as a police officer.Her husband persuades her to go to a school reunion and another ex-pupil, Garfield Rice, is found dead, supposedly from a drug overdose. As Garfield was an eminent MP and the investigation is high profile, it's headed by Cassie's new boss, DI Harbinder Kaur. Trouble is, Cassie can't shake the feeling that one of her old friends is behind it.Is Cassie right, or was Garfield murdered by one of his political cronies? It's in Cassie's interest to skew the investigation so that it looks like the latter and she seems to be succeeding. Until someone else is killed...PRAISE FOR ELLY GRIFFITHS:'Elly Griffiths writes with a sharp, smart eye and great elegance' PETER JAMES 'Great on character and suspense' VAL MCDERMID'One of my flat-out favourite contemporary suspense writers' AJ FINN

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As seen on Channel 4's Steph's Packed Lunch!No Life Too Small is the joyful and inspiring story of the world's first animal hospice, celebrating the power and beauty of nature, the strength of the human and animal spirit, and the importance of love, friendship and community. It will leave you with a tear in your eye, a smile on your face and a renewed belief in human kindness.A few years ago Alexis Fleming was bedridden with a chronic illness. Things became so bad that she wanted to end her life many times during this period - but her beloved dog, Maggie, kept her going, especially when doctors gave her just six weeks to live.Incredibly, Alexis fought her way back to health with Maggie by her side, only for Maggie to die of lung cancer two years later on a vet's operating table. Alexis was devastated that Maggie had died without her and decided to start an animal hospice in her name in the hope that she could ensure other animals nearing the end of their life would not have to die alone.Six months later, the Maggie Fleming Animal Hospice was launched. Alexis has turned a dilapidated farm in rural Scotland into a haven for animals to live out their last days in comfort and at peace. With the help of the local community, despite many challenges, the hospice came to life. Meanwhile , Alexis' own health was deteriorating again and she needed life-threatening surgery. Alexis came through the operation and the road to her recovery was paved with companionship from the animals in her care, particularly Bran, a dog who had been dumped with terminal cancer and given six weeks. He recovered alongside Alexis and went on to live for two more years. Dogs, however old and mangy, chickens, sheep, goats, pigs, cockerels and even turkeys : The Maggie Fleming Hospice is a place where all manner of terminally-ill, abandoned animals come to live out their last days in comfort and are treated with love. Looking after dying animals has taught Alexis what really matters in life - kindness, compassion and love.

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Summer in the beautiful Périgord region of southern France, the Dordogne Mysteries are the perfect combination of mystery and escapism.In the little down of St Denis, Bruno is busy organising the annual summer concert. He's hired a local Périgord folk group, Les Troubadours, to perform their latest hit 'A Song for Catalonia'. But when the song goes viral, the Spanish government, clamping down on the Catalonian bid for independence, bans Les Troubadours from performing it.The timing couldn't be worse, and Bruno finds himself under yet more pressure when a specialist sniper's bullet is found in a wrecked car near Bergerac. The car was reportedly stolen on the Spanish frontier and the Spanish government sends warning that a group of nationalist extremists may be planning an assassination in France. Bruno immediately suspects that Les Troubadours and their audience might be in danger.Bruno must organise security and ensure that his beloved town and its people are safe - the stakes are high for France's favourite policeman.'I LOVE BRUNO!' 5* Reader Review'A REAL PAGE-TURNER AND LOTS OF LOCAL COLOUR' 5* Reader Review'ONE OF THE BEST' 5* Reader Review'WELL UP THERE WITH THE BEST OF THE BRUNO NOVELS' 5* Reader Review

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A Waterstones Best History Book of 2023The incredible true story of the SAS' daring mission to liberate EuropeIn the summer of 1943, the largest invasion fleet ever assembled sailed for fortress Europe, aiming to bulldoze its way onto Nazi shores. At its vanguard went a few hundred elite forces soldiers, the Royal Navy warship carrying them bearing the iconic winged dagger emblem on its prow, plus the motto 'Who Dares Wins'. Led by the legendary SAS commander Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, these war-bitten, piratical raiders were tasked to do the impossible - to bludgeon their way through the most heavily defended enemy shoreline, so enabling the ensuing forces to follow on.If they succeeded, it would mark the turning point in the war. If they failed, the consequences were unthinkable. Against all odds, outnumbered some fifty-to-one, and facing a ferocious series of cliffside defences, they would have to dare all as never before. So begins the incredible true story of the SAS's mission to liberate Europe.Action-packed and filled with heroic endeavour, SAS Forged in Hell is breath-taking combat writing at its best, in true Damien Lewis style.

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'Fresh, original, authentic and gritty' Lee Child The third and final gritty Newcastle-set crime thriller in this acclaimed trilogy about a PTSD-suffering veteran turned sleuth in the face of local villainy.A group of vigilantes are carrying out a campaign of harassment against the homeless, hounding them both verbally and physically to get them off the streets. Jimmy Mullen is approached by his friend Gadge, who wants to confront the people behind it but Jimmy has finally got his life back on track. He's working at a hostel for 18 to 25-year-olds and he's reluctant to get involved in anything dodgy. Gadge decides to go it alone but is attacked by two of the vigilantes. The police find him unconscious in an alley, covered in blood. Problem is, there's a dead body in the alley too and it's his blood that Gadge is covered in. He's also got the murder weapon in his hand.Convinced that Gadge has been set up, and feeling guilty that he didn't back him up in the first place, Jimmy returns to the streets to try and find out who's behind his friend's difficulties. Unfortunately, he's about to discover that Gadge has a lot of enemies to choose from.Praise for Dead End Street'A brilliant character' Harriet Tyce'An unforgettable ride, filled with twists that will make your head spin' Sun'Fast-paced and intense' Patricia Gibney'Authentic . . . raw and riveting' Sunday Independent'A fantastic story' Nikki Smith'Unflinching yet compassionate' Philippa East'A breakneck and exhilarating conclusion' Kate Simants'Satisfying and involving' Quietus'Wood writes with knowledge and compassion' Literary Review

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Jedediah's father walked out of his life forty years ago. Now he's back. He won't apologise, he doesn't explain - and, impossibly, he hasn't aged a day. If you asked the folks of Gyrford, they'd tell you Jedediah Smith looked up to his father. After all, Corbie Mackem was the Sarsen Shepherd: the man who saved the Smith clan from Ab, the terrifyingly well-meaning fey who blighted a whole generation with unwanted gifts. Corbie was a good fairy-smith. And if he wasn't a good father, well, that isn't something Jedediah likes to talk about. Especially since no one knows where Corbie's body lies: the day of his son's wedding, forty-odd years ago, he set off to travel and was never seen again.These days Jedediah is a respectable elder, more concerned with his wayward grandson John than with his long-buried past, and he has other problems on his mind. There's the preparations for Saint Clement's Day, and the odd fact that birds all over the county have taken to hiding themselves, and the misbehaviour of Left-Lop the pig - which has grown vegetation all over its back, escaped its farm and taken to making personal remarks at folks in alarmingly alliterative verse.But then disaster strikes. Ab is back. And Corbie, thought long dead, returns to Gyrford - younger than his son . . ."Prepare to be utterly enchanted!" Alison Littlewood, author of The Crow Garden

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A new book that will inspire children, by the global bestselling author of Stories for Boys Who Dare to be Different.The words in Dare to be Different have great power.Ben Brooks has brought together 100 people who have all in some way or another used words to do wonderful things. Some may have changed a single life, while others have changed the course of history for almost everyone on earth. But whether their effects were big or small, these individuals' speeches, letters, poems, songs, stories, and advice prove one thing: words can make the world a better place. And they can make you feel better about yourself too.This extraordinary compendium includes personal letters that were written for just one reader to help guide them through life's journey; sometimes they were intended for millions of people to hear about grand declarations of war, peace or new discoveries. Most of the time, though, they are words of wisdom that children will love to hear, about kindness, bullying, or whether it's OK to sometimes eat chocolate for breakfast.From Plautus' plays about the power of laughter to Selena Gomez's speech about bullying; and from F. Scott Fitzgerald's letters of encouragement to his daughter, Scottie, to Bambi, the mysterious graffiti artist who sprays words of truth on walls, there is something to be learned from every quote in this inspiring and illuminating book.Children will be enthused and comforted by the wonderful true stories Brooks has brought from across history and from around the world. Each one is exquisitely illustrated by Quinton Winter, who made the Stories for Boys series so visually exciting.

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*Find out how to live a more harmonious life thanks to NAGOMI, the ancient Japanese philosophy that helps you find balance and peace in everything you do*There is no translation for the word nagomi in the English language, and yet it at the very heart of the Japanese way of life. A popular and common concept in Japan, to achieve nagomi is to have peace of mind, emotional balance and wellbeing, ranging from the way food is prepared (mixing sweet, salt, sour, bitter and umami) to the way the ephemerality of the cherry blossom season is celebrated.Global bestselling author Ken Mogi illustrates why it's important to value both the positive and negative experiences in life so that you can truly find a balance and live more harmoniously. In The Way of Nagomi, Ken explains how to apply nagomi to every aspect of life so you can: - Maintain happy relationships with loved ones, even if you disagree with them- Learn new things while always staying true to yourself- Find a sense of peace in whatever you are doing- Mix and blend unlikely components to strike a harmonious balance- Have a greater understanding of the Japanese philosophy of lifeBy delving into Japan's history, traditions and culture and providing a toolkit to help us to achieve satisfaction in our lives, Ken shows how we can all create nagomi in our lives and enjoy the benefits of a more peaceful and satisfactory life.

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From the bestselling author of While My Eyes Were Closed and One Moment comes a powerful, emotional novel about how far we can trust those closest to us. 'Linda Green is bloody brilliant!' Amanda ProwseYou can run from the past but you can't always stop it catching up with you . . .Alison is a marriage mender. Her job is to help couples who fear they have reached the end of the road. So when her husband's ex Lydia arrives on the doorstep demanding to see her son, Alison thinks she can handle it. But what Alison doesn't realise is that Lydia is the one person who has the ability to destroy their happy family. And sometimes the cracks run too deep to ever be repaired . . .WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE MARRIAGE MENDER'The best book I've read in a very long time' *****'I couldn't put it down!' *****'A fantastic emotional rollercoaster' *****'Read it now!' *****

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'A totally gripping, impeccably crafted thriller that never slackens the tension for a minute. . . Hugely enjoyable' Jane Casey, author of The Killing KindSuper yachts are secretive, like their owners. The bigger the richer. Like castles, they are created to inspire awe. Like castles too, they are defended. They are an entire world, separate from the rest of us.Kai, a carefree once-successful musician is invited by his new Russian girlfriend Zina to join her family's Caribbean holiday. Impulsively accepting he learns that Zina is the daughter of a Russian oligarch, Stepan Pirumov and that the trip is aboard his yacht, the Zinaida, moored in St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. The crew consists of Captain Marius Falk, the first mate Erin Wade and a hastily assembled staff, including a chief stewardess Marissa from Miami, a chief engineer from Lagos and a personal trainer from Los Angeles. All know how to behave around the very rich.On arrival Kai discovers that the head of security has been arrested, armed guards are below deck, there's an onboard panic room and a strong sense of all not being quite right beneath the gleaming surfaces of the Pirumov's lives. An unnerving presence punctures the atmosphere: a murderous imposter is on board the Zinaida, but who is it?Kai will find that the only person he can trust will be Erin and that the world of the super-rich will become a prison from which they must escape. Part locked-room suspense, part adventure story, Dead Rich is an unforgettable, edge of the seat thriller set in the blazing heat of the Caribbean

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'Get ready for a roller-coaster ride with this tense and twisty story of two women with dark secrets' HEATOne mother on the run. A safe place to hide. But you can't escape the past forever . . .Faye is 39 and single. She's terrified she may never have the one thing she always wanted: a child of her own.Then she discovers a co-parenting app: Acorns. For men and women who want to have a baby, but don't want to do it alone. When she meets Louis through it, it feels as though the fates have aligned.But just one year later, Faye is on the run from Louis, with baby Jake in tow. In desperate need of a new place to live, she contacts Rachel, who's renting out a room in her remote Norfolk cottage. It's all Faye can afford - and surely she'll be safe from Louis there?But is Rachel the benevolent landlady she pretends to be? Or does she have a secret of her own?'Pulse-pounding' LOUISE MUMFORD'Had me hooked from beginning to end' 5* READER REVIEW'The perfect thriller' EMILY FREUD'Not to be missed' 5* READER REVIEW'Utterly addictive' WOMAN'S OWN'A thrilling page-turner' 5* READER REVIEW'Full of pace, suspense and intrigue' L V MATTHEWS

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'Life is too short to waste time on second-class ambitions. Go for the big ones.' Now in his late seventies, Sir Ranulph Fiennes looks back on a lifetime of exploration, and draws powerful, inspiring lessons that we can all use when faced by the tribulations of everyday life. Having crossed both Polar ice caps on foot, climbed Everest and the Eiger, served in the SAS and circumnavigated the world along its polar axis - a 53,000 mile odyssey that has never been repeated - 'Ran' looks back from the summit of an incredible life and teaches us how to: - Learn self-discipline, and master fear - Plan for success, and make your own luck - Learn from failure and strive to succeed - Keep going, whatever life throws at you

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In a series of 50 accessible essays, Joanne Baker introduces and explains the fundamental physical concepts and laws that govern the inner workings of our universe.From Schrodinger's cat to Einstein's theory of relativity, energy conservation to speed of light, 50 Quantum Physics Ideas You Really Need to Know is a complete introduction to the most important quantum physics concepts in history.

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The much-needed manifesto by the Sanest Politician in the Entire Cosmos, from capping the price of croissants at £1 to taking over Downing Street.'Count Binface will be Prime Minister. It's only a matter of time' IndependentGreetings, life-form! My name is Count Binface. I am an intergalactic space warrior, leader of the Recyclons and three-time British election veteran. And as part of my overarching mission to control the entire omniverse, I have come to conquer Britain. It's not that I want to do this - you need me to. Because the one thing everyone can agree on right now is that Earth is in an absolute state. And of all its messed-up nations, the British are particularly deranged. In this book, I share my story for the first time, my political beliefs and even the occasional recipe, in return for a reasonable - nay, bargain - amount of Earth currency. I also provide an alien's-visor-view of your past, so that you can learn from past mistakes. This isn't the first potted history of Britain ever to be committed to print, but I can guarantee that compared to any others, mine will be the most accurate. If anyone cares to argue about that, which one of us has had access to a time machine? So settle down, grab a beverage, and let's make your planet Count.'Count Binface in his steely, glimmering, elusiveness is both a galactically intimidating - and curiously heartening symbol of the future of British politics - #believeinthebin' Rory Stewart'Count Binface is out of this world' Emily Maitlis

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A READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK'A riveting mother-daughter tale' Elle'Beautifully gripping' Heat'A joy to read' Christina Baker Kline, author of The Exiles Ann Tran is already at a crossroads when she gets the call that her beloved grandmother, Minh, has died. Ann has built a seemingly perfect life. She lives in a beautiful lake house and has a charming professor boyfriend, but it all crumbles away with one positive pregnancy test. With both her relationship and carefully planned future now in question, Ann returns home to Florida to face her estranged mother, Hu'o'ng. Under the same roof for the first time in years, mother and daughter must face the simmering questions of their past, while trying to rebuild their relationship without the one person who's always held them together. Running parallel to this is Minh's story, as she goes from a lovestruck teenager living in the shadow of the Vietnam War to a determined young mother immigrating to America in search of a better life. And when Ann makes a shocking discovery in the Banyan House's attic, long-buried secrets come to light as it becomes clear how decisions Minh made in her youth affected the rest of her life and her family. Spanning decades and continents, from 1960s Vietnam to the wild swamplands of the Florida coast, Banyan Moon is a stunning and deeply moving story of mothers and daughters, the things we inherit, and the lives we choose to make out of that inheritance.'Heart-shatteringly beautiful' Nguyen Phan Que Mai, author of The Mountains Sing

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Four young men and women fell into the magical land of Tír through a mysterious portal in Ireland - and now the fate of two worlds lies on their shoulders in this 'enthralling' (LA Times) and 'fast-paced, action-packed and truly fantastical journey' (Fantasy Book Review)The Tyrant has control of the artefact known as the Fáil, and as he strengthena his hold on the forces of dark magic, he now threatens Earth as well as Tír.In a violently dystopian London, Mark has joined forced with Nantosueta to search for the Sword of Feimhin, while on Tír, Alan has mustered a Shee army and is intent taking the fight to the Tyrant - but obstacles obstruct his path at every turn. And Kate, now in the in-between world of Dromenon, finds herself entering the Land of the Dead . . .Day by day and hour by hour, the looming threat grows.'Ryan's grand epic style . . . Passionate and dedicated fantasy fans will find a rich, immersive world and carefully handled characters' Booklist

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THE 12 MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE LEWIS TRILOGY AND THE CHINA THRILLERSAWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF THE CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY 2021'Enzo MacLeod is one of the most unusual crime solvers I have ever met.' BookBrowse'No one can create a more eloquently written suspense novel than Peter May.' New York Journal of BooksA decade-old body exposed by a heat wave drives the explosive next chapter in the Enzo FilesTHE GIRL IN THE LAKEIn 1989, a killer dumped the body of twenty-year-old Lucie Martin into a picturesque lake in the West of France. Fourteen years later, during a summer heatwave, a drought exposed her remains.THE MAN ON THE CASENo one was ever convicted of her murder. But now, forensic expert Enzo Macleod is reviewing this stone-cold case - the toughest of those he has been challenged to solve.THE SKELETON IN THE CLOSETYet when Enzo finds a flaw in the original evidence surrounding Lucie's murder, he opens a Pandora's box that not only raises old ghosts but endangers his entire family.LOVED THE ENZO FILES? Try Peter May's China series, beginning with THE FIREMAKERLOVE PETER MAY? Order his new thriller, THE NIGHT GATE

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In the kitchen Gillian loads the Hotpoint and frets about letting her baby go. In the bathroom Clifford styles his hair like Cliff's and wishes for a television. In the front room Arthur smokes a pipe and plots to fend off the loan sharks. In her bedroom Annette lifts up her nightie and heads for Clifford's room. In a tour-de-force of undressed taboo, four monologues intertwine to begin the story of an ordinary family in the fifties. How their seemingly contented, simple world bubbles under with odd desires and secret pangs - how it is shaken when they come to light - and how, step by step with the dawning sixties, life for all of them is whirled into a carousel of fashion, debauchery and explosive revelation.

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Rebellion in the city, and a Royalist spy in his own ranks - Damian Seeker, Captain of Oliver Cromwell's guard, must eradicate both in this twisty, action-packed historical thriller for fans of CJ Sansom, Rory Clements and The Three Musketeers. 'MacLean skilfully weaves together the disparate threads of her plot to create a gripping tale of crime and sedition in an unsettled city' Sunday TimesLondon, 1655, and Cromwell's regime is under threat from all sides. Damian Seeker, Captain of Cromwell's Guard, is all too aware of the danger facing Cromwell. Parliament resents his control of the Army while the Army resents his absolute power. In the east end of London, a group of religious fanatics plots rebellion. In the midst of all this, a stonemason uncovers a perfectly preserved body dressed in the robes of a Dominican friar, bricked up in a wall in the crumbling Black Friars. Ill-informed rumours and speculation abound, but Seeker instantly recognises the dead man. What he must discover is why he met such a hideous end, and what his connection was to the children who have started to disappear from around the city. Unravelling these mysteries is challenging enough, and made still harder by the activities of dissenters at home, Royalist plotters abroad and individuals who are not what they seem...

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Brighton, 1950s, mid-winter. Two missing children are found buried under snow in this chilling new case for DI Stephens and Max Mephisto. Max's star turn in Aladdin has been overshadowed by the murder ­­of two local children. With fairy tales in the air, it's not long before the press have found a nickname for the case: 'Hansel and Gretel'.'An excellent whodunnit, matched by the terrific down-at-heel atmosphere of postwar Brighton' - The TimesDI Edgar Stephens has plenty of leads to investigate. The missing girl, Annie, used to write plays and perform them with her friends. Does the clue lie in Annie's unfinished - and rather disturbing - last script? Or might it lie with the eccentric actor types who have assembled for the pantomime?Once again Edgar enlists Max's help in penetrating the shadowy theatrical world that seems to hold the key. But is this all just classic misdirection?

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Susan wants another husband. Which comes as a shock to the current one. 'But not instead of you, Alan, my sugar - as well as. You see?' Yet once Susan has brazenly commandeered her boss's rich, elderly hand, Alan finds himself curiously cherishing the company - sharing wife, whisky and other, odder peccadilloes. Indeed Susan is forced to root out alternative amusements - and with their teenage daughter copying her disintegrating moral code, the complex machinery of their lives soon begins to break down. Joseph Connolly plunges the reader into a tumultuous medley of inner monologues with keen, unabashed relish; exposing marital bedroom and male bonding in this biting, excruciatingly funny observation of men, women and adolescent girls.

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THE 12 MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE LEWIS TRILOGY AND THE CHINA THRILLERSAWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF THE CWA DAGGER IN THE LIBRARY 2021'Enzo MacLeod is one of the most unusual crime solvers I have ever met.' BookBrowse'No one can create a more eloquently written suspense novel than Peter May.' New York Journal of BooksIn a sleepy French village, the body of a man shot through the head is disinterred by the roots of a fallen tree. A week later a famous art critic is viciously murdered in a nearby house. The deaths occurred more than seventy years apart.Asked by a colleague to inspect the site of the former, forensics expert Enzo Macleod quickly finds himself embroiled in the investigation of the latter. Two extraordinary narratives are set in train - one historical, unfolding in the treacherous wartime years of Occupied France; the other contemporary, set in the autumn of 2020 as France re-enters Covid lockdown.And Enzo's investigations reveal an unexpected link between the murders - the Mona Lisa.Tasked by the exiled General Charles de Gaulle to keep the world's most famous painting out of Nazi hands after the fall of France in 1940, 28-year-old Georgette Pignal finds herself swept along by the tide of history. Following in the wake of Da Vinci's Mona Lisa as it is moved from château to château by the Louvre, she finds herself just one step ahead of two German art experts sent to steal it for rival patrons - Hitler and Göring.What none of them know is that the Louvre itself has taken exceptional measures to keep the painting safe, unwittingly setting in train a fatal sequence of events extending over seven decades.Events that have led to both killings.The Night Gate spans three generations, taking us from war-torn London, the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, Berlin and Vichy France, to the deadly enemy facing the world in 2020. In his latest novel, Peter May shows why he is one of the great contemporary writers of crime fiction.LOVED THE NIGHT GATE? Read the first book in the acclaimed China Thrillers, THE FIREMAKERLOVE PETER MAY? Order his thrilling standalone, A SILENT DEATH

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The fourth Stephens and Mephisto mystery from the author of the bestselling Dr Ruth Galloway series - a must-read for fans of Bryant and May. 'Mixes cosiness and sharpness in a way that recalls the best of Agatha Christie' Sunday Express (on Smoke and Mirrors)What do a murdered Brighton flower seller, the death of Cleopatra and a nude tableau show have in common? Read the most dangerous case yet for Stephens and Mephisto to find out. Christmas 1953. Max Mephisto and his daughter Ruby are headlining Brighton Hippodrome, an achievement only slightly marred by the less-than-savoury support act: a tableau show of naked 'living statues'. This might appear to have nothing in common with DI Edgar Stephens' current case of the death of a quiet flowerseller, but if there's one thing the old comrades have learned it's that, in Brighton, the line between art and life - and death - is all too easily blurred...

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'SET IN DIVINE NORTH NORFOLK. INTENSELY ATMOSPHERIC AND GREAT' India KnightDr Ruth Galloway returns to the moody and beautiful landscape of North Norfolk to confront another killer. A devastating new case for our favourite forensic archaeologist in this acclaimed and bestselling crime series.The Night Hawks, a group of metal detectorists, are searching for buried treasure when they find a body on the beach in North Norfolk. At first Nelson thinks that the dead man might be an asylum seeker but he turns out to be a local boy, Jem Taylor, recently released from prison. Ruth is more interested in the treasure, a hoard of Bronze Age weapons. Nelson at first thinks that Taylor's death is accidental drowning, but a second death suggests murder.Nelson is called to an apparent murder-suicide of a couple at the isolated Black Dog Farm. Local legend talks of the Black Shuck, a spectral hound that appears to people before they die. Nelson ignores this, even when the owner's suicide note includes the line, 'He's buried in the garden.' Ruth excavates and finds the body of a giant dog.All roads lead back to this farm in the middle of nowhere, but the place spells serious danger for anyone who goes near. Ruth doesn't scare easily. Not until she finds herself at Black Dog Farm ...

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*THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER**ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S MUST-READ BOOKS OF 2019**WITH NEW & EXCLUSIVE AFTERWORD*'Addictive ... a jaw-dropping read' STYLIST'Explosive ... Definitely one for the beach' ELLE'Paints a fascinating picture of an eccentric egomaniac who rails against all authority ... gripping stuff' SUNDAY TIMES___________How does it feel to be betrayed by your closest friend? A close friend who turns out to be the most prolific grifter in New York City...This is the true story of Anna Delvey (real name Anna Sorokin), the fake heiress whose dizzying deceit and elaborate con-artistry deceived the Soho hipster scene before her ruse was finally and dramatically exposed.After meeting through mutual friends, the 'Russian heiress' Anna Delvey and Rachel DeLoache Williams soon became inseparable. Theirs was an intoxicating world of endless excess: high dining, personal trainer sessions, a luxury holiday ... and Anna footed almost every bill.But after Anna's debit card was declined in a Moroccan medina whilst on holiday in a five-star luxury resort, Rachel began to suspect that her increasingly mysterious friend was not all she seemed.This is the incredible story of how Anna Sorokin conned the high-rollers of the NYC social scene and convinced her close friend of an entirely concocted fantasy, the product of falsified bank documents, bad cheques and carefully edited online photos. Written by Rachel DeLoache Williams, the Vanity Fair photography editor who believed Anna's lies before helping the police to track her down (fittingly, deciphering Anna's location using Instagram), this is Catch Me If You Can with Instagram filters. Between Anna, Fyre Festival's Billy McFarland (Anna even tried to scam Billy) and Elizabeth Holmes, whose start-up app duped the high and mighty of Silicon Valley, this is the year of the scammer.

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07:45am. A monk lies dead in Snowdonia, a knife protruding from his throat. A young family is being held at gunpoint in a house in Wimbledon. The mission has begun. 08:56am. A London Underground train is stationary in a tunnel, four hundred passengers trapped inside. All efforts to communicate with it have been met with silence. 09:15am. DCI Ed Mallory has just started his day. The Met's top hostage negotiator - despite having been blinded thirteen years earlier - Mallory is about to discover that, today, an underground train is not the only thing on the line.

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How do you know right from wrong when your certainties about life are slipping through your fingers?Phillip Snowe is a genius of the advertising world but what he can no longer do is sell himself to himself. Struggling to find meaning, he quits his career to give something back.Julia, his wife, a brilliant and beautiful lawyer, fights her own demons, but with her intelligence and hard work, she believes she can keep them at bay. And so far she has.Into their lives comes Laura Cusack, a single mother torn between the demands of her young daughters and her own unfulfilled passions.Whose needs should you put first? Your family's? Your neighbour's? A complete stranger's? Or your own? And once you have made that choice, how do you live with yourself?Spanning three generations, this compassionate and surprising story, touching profoundly upon love, art, religion and the search for fulfilment, grips from first to last as it explores the moral and emotional complexities of modern life.

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Passion and poetry: two love stories intertwine - a true historical one and an imagined contemporary one, both intimately connected with Emily Dickinson's life.In 1881 a young married couple, Mabel and David Todd, arrive in stuffy Amherst, Massachusetts. He will take up a post at Amherst College; she will embark on an affair that rocks the town. Emily Dickinson's brother is the College's Treasurer, Austin Dickinson, a respected citizen of the town and a married man with three children. Austin's sister Emily lives as a recluse in the house next-door to Austin. Over the months that follow the Todds' arrival, Austin falls passionately in love with Mabel, and she with him. In the present day, Alice Dickinson, 24 years old, seeks to escape her copy-writing job and make a living as a screenwriter. She takes a short holiday to Amherst to research a screenplay on a story that has fascinated her since college days, where a love of Emily Dickinson's poems was triggered by the coincidence of her own surname.The story is the illicit love affair between Austin Dickinson and Mabel Todd. As she researches one love affair taking place under the watchful eye of Emily Dickinson, Alice embarks on a passionate liaison of her own, and the novel interweaves the stories of these two loves, illuminating both past and present in the process.

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Ten-year-old Flambeau waits for his young mother to arrive from the Congo, along the same dangerous route that the human traffickers smuggled him. Homesick and pining for love, he sees a glimpse of life in his young neighbor, Eleanor, and her gangster boyfriend, Knight - a fellow Congolese. Eleanor, a pale Scottish beauty, offers Flambeau the warmth and empathy that London has hitherto failed to provide; while Knight - dressed to the nines and dressed to kill - might just have the contacts to find Flambeau's mother, Bijou. But Knight's past is so troubled, and his present so dangerous, that to challenge the traffickers to find Bijou might be more than his life is worth - something neither a lovesick girl nor a ten-year-old boy can be expected to understand.

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