Search results for ""Quercus Publishing""

Steeped in its bleak and beautiful landscape, Mortford is a place of secrets and memories: of bitter divisions and shattered dreams. Returning to this Dartmoor village where he grew up, Gabriel attempts to come to terms with what he lost as a boy so long ago. Slowly the mysteries hidden in this small community on the edge of the moors begin to unravel. But one of Gabriel's memories remains sharper than all the others: that of his boyhood friend Michael, the tenderness of their first summers and the violent betrayal that destroyed it. And, intruding on his self-enforced isolation, the beautiful Mrs Sarobi, meddling Doris Ludgate and the frightful spectre of Jim of Blackaton will become bound in with Gabriel's search for acceptance and the possibility of love. In her striking, lyrical prose, Karin Altenberg imagines what it is to be incomplete. Set in this haunted landscape, a mesmerising tale is told of the ways in which something once broken in two may, finally, be made whole.

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'I couldn't have asked for a more satisfying finale' Tor.comIn this thrilling conclusion to the Skyscraper Throne trilogy, Beth will come face-to-face with the goddess of the streets . . . Perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere.Ever since Beth and Pen found their way into the hidden corners of London, the presence of its ruthless goddess, Mater Viae, has haunted its twisting streets. Now Mater Viae has returned with deadly consequences. The streets are wracked by convulsions as wires and pipe go into spasm, bunching the city into a crippled new geography; pavements flare to thousand-degree fevers, incinerating pedestrians; and towers fall, their foundations decayed. It seems there is nothing Beth and Pen can do to stop this insane goddess.As the city sickens, so does Beth - her essence now part of this secret London. But when it is revealed that Mater Viae's plans for dominion stretch far beyond the borders of the city, Beth must make a choice: flee, or sacrifice her city in order to save it.Our Lady of the Street is the third book and thrilling conclusion in The Skyscraper Throne trilogy.

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Look what the cat dragged in from the Middle Ages - a curious compendium of cats unlike any you''ve ever lapped up before. Medieval Cats is the purr-fect bedside companion for lonely cat people and cat-holics (not to be confused with Catholics, obviously) and hiss-terical to boot.For more than a millennium, between 500 and 1500 AD, a myriad of medieval manuscripts and artworks painted an unpretty picture of cats as nothing more than lazy, selfish, and vicious. (How dare they!) Centuries later, the legacy of these masterpieces live on, shining a bright light on the dark age of cats, and telling a brand-new story of their paw-some glory.From bum-licking to devil-tricking, cat-fighting to nip-dribbling, Medieval Cats is a claw-filled clowder of more than 200 glorious full-colour felines getting up to no good - and a whole lot more! - from ye olde times of yester yore.

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''The perfect holiday companion'' Heat''Sun-soaked escapism'' Best Faye has just completed her degree in interior design when she finds herself jobless and boyfriend-less. While debating what to do next, she receives a surprise phone call from her old college friend Charlotte who now lives in Sardinia and is married to Italian hotelier, Fabio.When Charlotte suggests that Faye relocate for a month to house-sit, Faye wonders if a summer break in sunny Sardinia might be the perfect way to recharge her batteries and think about her future.But then Charlotte tells Faye that there''s something more behind the sudden invitation: her friends Marisa and Alessandro are looking for a designer to renovate a crumbling old theatre they own in the scenic village of Deriu.The idea certainly sounds appealing to Faye, but little does she know what she''s letting herself in for if she accepts this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity . . .<

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Unlock your full style potential. Transform your wardrobe. Dress your best.In How to Dress Your Best, TikTok''s favourite fashion guru and style consultant Ellie-Jean Royden equips you with the tools and advice you need to curate a transformative wardrobe for everyday life.Ellie-Jean expertly guides you through the complicated work of dressing to your best colours and finding the silhouettes that make you shine. She teaches us that true style is not about dressing yourself to restrictive shapes or fruits, but about learning how to honour your natural line and dress in harmony with it. Best of all, Ellie-Jean breaks down her unique styling systems tested and loved by thousands of her clients, offering you the ultimate personal-styling experience. Packed full with interactive quizzes and inspirational mood boards throughout, this must-have guide will teach you how to ditch the cycle of trend buying and build a dream wardrobe that ma

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''This wildly imaginative book speaks to every reader who yearns for a more magical world'' - THAO THAI, author of Banyan Moon ''If you''d like to dream instead of a parallel world where love and loyalty and friendship are the magic that transforms the least of us into genuine heroes, then Meg Shaffer''s The Lost Story is the book you''ve been waiting for'' - RICHARD RUSSO, author of Empire Falls From the author of the bestselling novel The Wishing Game comes a Narnia-inspired fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobe doors . . . just in case.Once upon a time, two boys went missing in the woods. Six months later, they reappeared, with no explanation for where they''d been or how they''d survived.Fifteen years on, Rafe is a reclusive artist with no memory of what happened during those months, despite the scars he bears. Meanwhile, Jeremy is a famed missing persons invest

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THE NEW FRONTLIST THRILLER FROM THE MILLION-SELLING AUTHOR OF COFFIN ROAD AND THE BLACKHOUSEIn 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 heat wave, a drought exposed her remains - bleached bones amid the scorched mud and slime.No 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.Yet 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.

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''Every page bursts with heart'' Anthony Doerr, author of All The Light We Cannot See''Compelling, moving, lyrical'' - Claire North, author of Ithaca and The First Fifteen Lives of Harry AugustFor Lewis and Wren, their first year of marriage is also their last.A few weeks after their wedding, Lewis receives a rare diagnosis. He''s turning into a great white shark, and has less than a year left to live as a human. At first, Wren resists her husband''s fate. Is there a way for them to be together after Lewis fully transforms?But as Lewis changes, day by day, Wren begins to make peace with the inevitable. After all, this isn''t the first time she''s lost a loved one.An extraordinary novel of love, loss, hope and happiness, Shark Heart explores the shapes that love takes, in all its many forms, and asks us to ask ourselves: what makes us human? Discover why readers love Sha

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One of the world''s most original voices in crime fictionA. J. Finn, #1 bestselling author of The Woman in the WindowThe murder of Alaska Sanders was quickly solved. Within days, two suspects were identified. One died, the other pleaded guilty. Case closed.But, eleven years later, the death of another woman in a fast-food parking lot changes everything. Marcus Goldman, celebrity author and amateur investigator, picks up a thread that will unravel not only an open and shut case, but the very fabric of his best friend''s life.Sergeant Perry Gahalowood, who led the original investigation, is hell-bent on setting the record straight. Teaming up with Marcus, he seeks redemption in most the intricate and testing case of his career.In this sequel to the phenomenal worldwide bestseller The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair, Joël Dicker delivers the last word in slow-burn police procedurals

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THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER ''Cosy crime of a superior order'' Sunday TimesWords can be dangerous. Sometimes they kill...Natalka and Edwin are running a detective agency in Shoreham, Sussex. Despite a steady stream of minor cases, Natalka is frustrated, longing for a big juicy investigation to come the agency''s way. Then a murder case turns up. Local writer, Melody Chambers, is found dead and her family are convinced it is murder. Edwin, a big fan of the obit pages, thinks there''s a link to the writer of Melody''s obituary who pre-deceased his subject. The trail leads them to a slightly sinister writers'' retreat. When another writer is found dead, Edwin thinks that the clue lies in the words. Seeking professional help, the amateur investigators turn to their friend, detective Harbinder Kaur, to find that they have stumbled on a plot that is stranger than fiction.The unmissable new nov

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'I loved it . . . Unputdownable' MICK HERRON'Like Daphne du Maurier he sustains the ambiguity deftly and deliciously' SUNDAY TIMES'Mysterious, suspenseful and suffused with paranoia' ALEX MICHAELIDES'Fast-paced and exhilarating, you'll be hooked' HEATWhen Finn Hensen gets a call from his sister Jess to say their father has died, neither is heartbroken. Their parents divorced many years ago, after which their father, Jimmy, continued to live a bohemian lifestyle in sun-soaked Mallorca. Ownership of his beautiful but dilapidated farmhouse in the mountains now passes to Finn and his sister. The only problem is that Jimmy recently remarried and his new wife, Ruensa, is still living there. The pair agree that Finn should go to Mallorca and tactfully take possession of their inheritance. When he arrives, however, Finn is surprised to find that Finca Siquia has been completely transformed into a chic Mediterranean bolthole by Ruensa and her twenty-seven-year-old daughter, Roze. The Spanish police, meanwhile, are asking awkward questions about Jimmy's death . . . Are Ruensa and Roze the helpless victims of circumstance? Or will they stop at nothing to get Finca Siquia for themselves?READERS LOVE JP DELANEY'Completely original and gripping' 5* reader review'Dark and unputdownable' 5* reader review'Had me on the edge of my seat at all times!' 5* reader review'Kept me guessing right til the end' 5* reader review'Thrilling and absorbing' 5* reader review

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Three best friends. One too many.California, 2003A thirteen-year-old girl disappears from a party at Carlsbad''s Turtle Lake. Discovered on the trunk of a nearby cottonwood tree is the word ''LIAR'' graffitied in blood.What you know . . . Three teenagers went to the lake that night but only two came back. Later, they confess to murdering their friend.. . . is only part of the storyBut did they really kill her? And if not, why say they did?Told across two timelines and tapping into a horrific crime, All the Little Liars is a novel about sisterly love and toxic friendship that asks: how much would you sacrifice to belong?PRAISE FOR ALL THE LITTLE LIARS:''A jaw-dropping twist'' ABIGAIL DEAN''Heathers meets Charles Manson in this tale of good girls gone bad. I loved it'' IAN RANKIN''A tour-de-force . . . what a read!'' CARA HUNTER

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''Emotional, insightful, beautifully written. A story of making saves and being saved. The best football book I have read this year.'' Henry WinterSir Alex Ferguson looked at Joe Sealey: ''You know your dad saved my career?'' Joe replied: ''And you saved his.''More than three decades before, in 1990, Ferguson''s managerial career stood at its lowest ebb. After three barren years at Old Trafford, he was facing dismissal. There was just the FA Cup final left. Manchester United were lucky to escape with a 3-3 draw at Wembley. For the replay, Ferguson took the gamble of his life, replacing his long-standing keeper, Jim Leighton, with Les Sealey, on loan from Luton. United won. Ferguson remained, winning another 24 major trophies.Les Sealey would play in another three finals for United. When he died suddenly, aged 43, Les left behind a warm, witty, and detailed autobiography in the form of a Tupperware box full of cassette tapes. His death, however, threw h

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''With a novel plot, this fun romcom is a must-read at the beach this summer. Perfect for fans of Paige Toon and Sophie Kinsella'' CANDIS The clock is ticking, don''t let love run out . . .When the love of her life falls for someone else, Rena finds herself desperately scrolling for a solution. That''s when an ad for a new dating app pops up:24 hours to fall in love ❤️ A guaranteed love match by the end of the day or your money back.Fueled by heartbreak and tequila, Rena signs up and prepares for her life to change. What she doesn''t know is that she is bound to repeat this day over and over again, until she finds her perfect match. One day they said, but there was no mention of how many times that day would play out . . .Praise for Molly James:''Joyful, wise and enormously good fun'' TASMINA PERRY''An utterly gorgeous story that had me totally hooked. With

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Rachel''s boyfriend Frank is different from other people. His strangeness is part of what she loves about him: his innocence, his intelligence, his passionate immersion in the music of JS Bach. As a coder, Frank sees patterns in everything, but as his theories slide further towards the irrational, Rachel becomes increasingly concerned for his wellbeing. There are people Frank knows online, people who share his view of the world and who insist he has a unique role to play. In spite of Rachel''s fears for his safety, Frank is determined to meet them face to face.When Frank disappears, Rachel is forced to seek help in the form of Robin, a private detective who left the police force for reasons she will not reveal. Like Frank, Robin is obsessed with the music of Bach. Like Frank, she has unexplained connections with the criminal underworld of southeast London.An obscure science fiction story from the 1950s appears to offer clues to Frank''s secret agenda, but not to wher

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1944, the darkest days of the war.Trixie and Vi are back in Gosport and doing their bit to help Britain win the war. Felling trees is backbreaking, but at least they know they''re doing vital work.Trixie has a new boyfriend, Eddie. He''s charming, handsome, and always flush with cash - a real Gosport catch, though Vi isn''t so sure. Something about Eddie doesn''t seem quite right, and Vi will do anything to convince Trixie that she''s making a mistake with this relationship.Though Trixie loves Eddie, she finds it hard to forget Cy, the man she fell in love with at the start of the War, who was declared missing in action. As the bombs fall on Gosport both girls have big decisions to make. Will their friendship carry them through the hardest days?******************************What readers are saying about Rosie Archer''An amazing read'' 5* Reader Review''Kept me hooked from the

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"Lars Mytting writes with an insight, empathy and integrity few others can match" JO NESBOThe Reindeer Hunters is the second in a thrilling historical trilogy that began with The Bell in the Lake.The year is 1903, and twenty-two years have passed since Astrid Hekne died in childbirth. Her son Jehans lives on a modest smallholding up in the hills near Butangen, having withdrawn from his community. He is drawn to freedom, to fishing and reindeer hunting, and one day meets a stranger over the body of a huge reindeer buck.Outside the new church in Butangen, Pastor Kai Schweigaard still cares for Astrid Hekne's grave. The village's overworked priest is tormented by his old betrayal, which led to death and to the separation of two powerful church bells cast in memory of two sisters in Astrid's family. Kai is set on finding an ancient tapestry made by the sisters - the Hekne Weave - in the hope that it will reveal how he can remedy his iniquities.Conceived on an epic scale by Norway's bestselling author, The Reindeer Hunters is a novel about love and bitter rivalries, sorrow and courage, about history and myth, and a country as it enters a new era, about the first electric light and the Great War in Europe, where brother stands against brother.Translated from the Norwegian by Deborah Dawkin

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'A vital and timely introduction to some of the best books I've ever read. Perfectly curated and filled with brilliant literature'Nikesh Shukla'The ultimate introduction to post-colonial literature for those who want to understand the classics and the pioneers in this exciting area of books'Symeon BrownThese are the books you should read. This is the canon.Joan Anim-Addo, Deirdre Osborne and Kadija Sesay have curated a decolonized reading list that celebrates the wide and diverse experiences of people from around the world, of all backgrounds and all races. It disrupts the all-too-often white-dominated 'required reading' collections that have become the accepted norm and highlights powerful voices and cultural perspectives that demand a place on our shelves.From literary giants such as Toni Morrison and Chinua Achebe to less well known (but equally vital) writers such as Caribbean novelist Earl Lovelace or Indigenous Australian author Tony Birch, the novels recommended here are in turn haunting and lyrical; innovative and inspiring; edgy and poignant.The power of great fiction is that readers have the opportunity to discover new worlds and encounter other beliefs and opinions. This is the Canon offers a rich and multifaceted perspective on our past, present and future which deserves to be read by all bibliophiles - whether they are book club members or solitary readers, self-educators or teachers.

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'Glorious, hilarious and life affirming . . . I absolutely loved it' - EMMA HUGHES, author of No Such Thing As Perfect Would you entrust your life choices to someone hell-bent on avoiding theirs? Natasha has everything under control, at least that's what her clients think. As a therapist, she has all the answers but when it comes to her personal life, she seriously needs to start taking her own advice.Still living with her ex-girlfriend, Natasha's messy love life is made up of dates and one-night stands. After all, why would you commit to one person, when there is an endless stream of people waiting for you to swipe right? Besides, people always leave.But when Margot arrives on the scene, everything changes. Flailing between mending long broken relationships and starting new ones, Natasha's walking the line between self-actualisation and self-destruction... With denial no longer an option, it is time for Natasha to take control of her own happiness.~*~ PRAISE FOR TELL ME EVERYTHING ~*~'A captivating read from a truly exciting talent' JUSTIN MYERS, author of The Fake-Up'Truly joyful and uplifting . . . this is a big-hearted story about what really matters in life: friends, family and love' LUCY DIAMOND, author of Anything Could Happen'Tell Me Everything is a book that reads like a crush, all summer and exuberance with a tight, intelligent kernel of anxiety at its core' MIKAELLA CLEMENTS & ONJULI DATTA, authors of The View Was Exhausting'Hilarious, tender and romantic . . . with characters you'll wish were real and an ending that will leave you fully uplifted' CRESSIDA MCLAUGHLIN, author of The Staycation'It's sweet, sexy, funny and full of adorable characters . . . The kind of book that makes you feel like everything's going to be alright!' MATT CAIN, author of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle'Laura Kay's writing is so warm and open-hearted, but also has a dry wit that makes you snort with delighted recognition' LILY LINDON, author of Double Booked

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'A vital and timely introduction to some of the best books I've ever read. Perfectly curated and filled with brilliant literature'Nikesh Shukla'The ultimate introduction to post-colonial literature for those who want to understand the classics and the pioneers in this exciting area of books'Symeon BrownThese are the books you should read. This is the canon.Joan Anim-Addo, Deirdre Osborne and Kadija Sesay have curated a decolonized reading list that celebrates the wide and diverse experiences of people from around the world, of all backgrounds and all races. It disrupts the all-too-often white-dominated 'required reading' collections that have become the accepted norm and highlights powerful voices and cultural perspectives that demand a place on our shelves. From literary giants such as Toni Morrison and Chinua Achebe to less well known (but equally vital) writers such as Caribbean novelist Earl Lovelace or Indigenous Australian author Tony Birch, the novels recommended here are in turn haunting and lyrical; innovative and inspiring; edgy and poignant.The power of great fiction is that readers have the opportunity to discover new worlds and encounter other beliefs and opinions. This is the Canon offers a rich and multifaceted perspective on our past, present and future which deserves to be read by all bibliophiles - whether they are book club members or solitary readers, self-educators or teachers.

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This riverrun edition of Turgenev's most accomplished stories contains A Nest of Gentlefolk, A Quiet Backwater, First Love, and A Lear of the Steppes - the defining masterpieces of his career. Justly celebrated as a novelist, playwright, and poet, these stories encapsulate his skills: in the scope and span of his depiction of nineteenth-century provincial life; in his nuanced portraiture of the vivid quirks of human character; and in the elusive poise of his narrative style - all artfully captured in Jessie Coulson's subtly brilliant translation.Presented by riverrun editions with an exclusive preface by award-winning translator Boris Dralyuk.

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William Morris - poet, designer, campaigner, hero of the Arts & Crafts movement - was a giant of the Victorian age, and his beautiful creations and provocative philosophies are still with us today: but his wife Jane is too often relegated to a footnote, an artist's model given no history or personality of her own. In truth, Jane and William's personal and creative partnership was the central collaboration of both their lives. The homes they made together - the Red House, Kelmscott Manor and their houses in London - were works of art in themselves, and the great labour of their lives was life itself: through their houses and the objects they filled them with, they explored how we all might live a life more focused on beauty and fulfilment.In How We Might Live, Suzanne Fagence Cooper explores the lives and legacies of Jane and William Morris, finally giving Jane's work the attention it deserves and taking us inside two lives of unparalleled creative artistry.

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Everything started from that day.The memory of 31 August 1969 has been at the back of Commissario Michele Balistreri's mind for over four decades. It was not only the day that preceded Colonel Muammar Gadaffi's seizure of power in Balistreri's birthplace of Libya, drastically altering his and his country's destiny, but that on which his beloved mother Natalia fell to her death, and the resulting suicide verdict that Balistreri - now Head of Homicide in Rome - has always suspected to be a flagrant cover-up for her murder.The memory of 23 July 2006 has been at the front of investigative journalist Linda Nardi's mind for the past five years. Ever since her and Balistreri together thwarted a phantom-like killer stalking Rome, Nardi has been intent on shedding further light on the Vatican Bank's shadowy involvement in the abominations uncovered that summer. But now Linda will find her attention diverted to an equally irresistible assignment: the collapse of Colonel Gadaffi's forty-two year dictatorship.The Memory of Evil is the earth-shattering finale to Roberto Costantini's internationally bestselling trilogy, in which one woman will encounter a long-entombed truth in the rubble of Gadaffi's Tripoli: unearthing a conspiracy neither she, nor the man it was designed to protect, will ever be able to erase from their minds.

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How to clone a sheep. How to build a brain. How to boil a planet. How to save the world. From the microscopic to the cosmic, this book takes you on a glorious tour of the known universe and beyond, encompassing alien worlds, bizarre life forms, quantum weirdness, parallel dimensions and dissected brains along the way.

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"Bottini is a terrific storyteller" SUNDAY EXPRESSThe third in the Black Forest Investigations series - by CWA shortlisted authorOne wet and misty weekend in October, the Niemann family find a stranger in their garden. He is armed and tries to force his way into the house, but disappears as soon as the police are alerted. That night he's back with an impossible ultimatum . . .Freiburg detective Louise Boni and her colleagues are put under enormous pressure. Traces of evidence lead her to a no-man's-land, and to a ruthless criminal who brings with him the trauma of conflict in the Balkans.Translated from the German by Jamie BullochPraise for ZEN AND THE ART OF MURDER - now shortlisted for the CWA INTERNATIONAL DAGGER:"Surprising and genuinely shocking" Joan Smith, Sunday Times"Gripping" Sebastian Shakespeare, Tatler"An atmospheric, original story that will keep you hooked to the final heart-rending revelations" Crime Review

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Roberto Saviano is best known for his work on the Italian mafia, but Beauty and the Inferno, winner of the European Book Award 2010, also tackles universal themes with great insight and humanity, with urgency, and often with anger. This important collection includes essays across a remarkably wide field of interests, celebrating personal heroes as diverse as Frank Miller and Lionel Messi. However as with the bestselling Gomorrah, his fearless and unflinching condemnation of the mafia takes centre stage. Implicit in Saviano's tributes to writers, musicians, sportsmen and journalists is the message that there is an alternative to living in corruption and fear. Beauty and the Inferno is a searing polemic that encompasses Saviano's vision of life and of art, of the good to be found in humanity and the evil inherent in power. His commitment to truth resonates from every page.

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HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH - THE TIMESOne night in autumn 1944, a gunshot echoes through the alleyways of a small town in occupied Poland. An S.S. officer is shot dead by a young Polish Jew, Margarita Ejzenstain. In retaliation, his commander orders the execution of thirty-seven Poles - one for every year of the dead man's life. First hidden by a German couple, Margarita must then flee the brutal advance of the Soviet army with her new-born baby. So begins a thrilling panorama of intermingled destinies and events that reverberate from that single act of defiance. KINGDOM OF TWILIGHT follows the lives of Jewish refugees and a German family resettled from Bukovina, as well as a former S.S. officer, chronicling the geographical and psychological dislocation generated by war. A quest for identity and truth takes them from Displaced Persons camps to Lübeck, Berlin, Tel Aviv and New York, as they try to make sense of a changed world, and of their place in it. Hypnotically lyrical and intensely moving, Steven Uhly's epic novel is a finely nuanced and yet shattering exploration of universal themes: love, hatred, doubt, survival, guilt, humanity and redemption.For readers of HHHH by Laurent Binet, THE KINDLY ONES by Jonathan Littell, THE ZONE OF INTEREST by Martin Amis, and ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony DoerrTranslated from the German by Jamie Bulloch

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BY THE DIRECTOR AND CO-AUTHOR OF THE ACADEMY AWARD WINNING THE GREAT BEAUTYTHE FILM OF YOUTH, STARRING MICHAEL CAINE, HARVEY KEITEL, RACHEL WEISZ, PAUL DANO AND JANE FONDA IS RELEASED IN THE UK ON 29 JANUARYIn a luxury spa hotel in the Swiss Alps, octogenarian friends Fred Ballinger and Mick Boyle look back on their eventful and successful lives as composer and film director, surrounded by a host of colourful and eccentric fellow guests. But despite the tranquil setting, trouble is brewing. Fred's daughter and Mick's son are having marital problems, and both men, without knowing it, are entering a critical stage in their careers - for it is never too late to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

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The story of a woman's life, from childhood to death, somewhere in provincial France, from the 1950s to just shy of 2025. She has doting parents, does well at school, finds a loving husband after one abortive attempt at passion, buys a big house with a moonlit terrace, makes decent money, has children, changes jobs, retires, grows old and dies. All in the comfort that the middle-classes have grown accustomed to. But she's bored. She takes up all sorts of outlets to try to make something happen in her life: adultery, charity work, esotericism, manic house-cleaning, motherhood and various hobbies - each one abandoned faster than the last. But no matter what she does, her life remains unfocussed and unfulfilled. Nothing truly satisfies her, because deep down - just like the town where she lives - the landscape is non-descript, flat, horizontal.Sophie Divry dramatises the philosophical conflict between freedom and comfort that marks women's lives in a materialistic world. Our heroine is an endearing, contemporary Emma Bovary, and Divry's prose will remind readers of the best of Houellebecq, the cold, implacable historian who paints a precise portrait of an era and those who inhabit it and in doing so renders existence indelibly absurd.Translated from the French by Alison Anderson

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''Alex Wheatle writes from a place of honesty and passion with the full knowledge and understanding that change can only happen through words and actions'' - Steve McQueen Four schoolchildren decide to run away from the the horrors of their everyday lives in a children''s home. Seeking asylum in the woods, they enjoy the exhilaration of freedom and the first flush of adolescence. Yet the forest slowly asserts its own power and what happens out in the wild will affect the four boys'' lives forever. With his compelling narrative directness, rhythmic prose, and trademark humour, Alex Wheatle shows himself to be an author of real calibre, exposing the social stigma associated with children''s homes, and the horrifying psychological consequences of their impact on children at the most sensitive stage. Never losing pace or failing to engage the reader at every moment, Home Boys is an unflinchingly honest depiction of disrupted childhoods.

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"A mystery and an elegy for the death of old-fashioned journalism, it's a book that will warm your heart" The Observer "Splendid . . . Funny, poignant, perceptive and plenty of sharp elbows along the way" Val McDermid Thorn Marsh was raised in a house of whispers, of meaningful glances and half- finished sentences. Now she's a journalist with a passion for truth, more devoted to her work at the London Journal than she ever was to her ex-husband. When the newspaper is bought by media giant The Goring Group, who value sales figures over fact-checking, Thorn openly questions their methods, and promptly finds herself moved from the news desk to the midweek supplement, reporting heart-warming stories for their new segment, The Bright Side, a job to which she is spectacularly unsuited. On a final warning and with no heart-warming news in sight, a desperate Thorn fabricates a good-news story of her own. The story, centred on an angelic apparition on Hampstead Heath, goes viral. Caught between her principles and her ambitions, Thorn goes in search of the truth behind her creation, only to find the answers locked away in the unconscious mind of a stranger.Marika Cobbold returns with her eighth novel, On Hampstead Heath. Sharp, poignant, and infused with dark humour, On Hampstead Heath is an homage to storytelling and to truth; to the tales we tell ourselves, and the stories that save us.

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An expert's guide to tracing ancestry in the Caribbean islandsBy a genealogist who has dedicated more than 11 years of his life to uncovering the saga of his African slave ancestors comes a guide for others to capitalise on his informed techniques and discover just what it means to know where one is from.Offering ground-breaking insights into how to delve into one's past, this book is intended both for beginners, educationalists and experienced researchers and provides inspiration to those who believe that their search may be hampered by having mixed parentage or a history of migration through the ages. An instructive guide for those interested in finding out more about their family connections with the Caribbean islands, it offers techniques and approaches that can be applied to any one researching their ancestors around the world.

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Sam Levitt, former corporate lawyer, wine connoisseur and expert on cultivated crime, is back in Marseille, for both work and pleasure - the lure of excitement and the pleasures of the region proving too tempting to resist. But surrounded by gangsters and cut-throat developers, Sam finds himself far closer to danger than he had planned...

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Admiral John Benbow was an English naval hero, a fighting sailor of ruthless methods but indomitable courage. Benbow was a man to be reckoned with. In 1702, however, when Benbow engaged a French squadron off the Spanish main, other ships in his squadron failed to support him. His leg shattered by a cannon-ball, Benbow fought on - but to no avail: the French escaped and the stricken Benbow succumbed to his wounds. When the story of his 'Last Fight' reached England, there was an outcry. Two of the captains who had abandoned him were court-martialled and shot; 'Brave Benbow' was elevated from national hero to national legend, his valour immortalized in broadsheet and folksong: ships were named after him; Tennyson later feted him in verse; in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, the tavern where Jim Hawkins and his mother live is called 'The Admiral Benbow'. For the very first time, Sam Willis tells the extraordinary story of Admiral Benbow through an age of dramatic change, from his birth under Cromwell's Commonwealth; to service under the restored Stuart monarchy; to the Glorious Revolution of 1688; to the French wars of Louis XIV; and finally to the bitter betrayal of 1702. The Admiral Benbow covers all aspects of seventeenth century naval life in richly vivid detail, from strategy and tactics to health and discipline. But Benbow also worked in the Royal Dockyards, lived in Samuel Evelyn's House, knew Peter the Great, helped to found the first naval hospital, and helped to build the first offshore lighthouse. The second volume in the Hearts of Oak trilogy, from one of Britain's most exciting young historians, The Admiral Benbow is a gripping and detailed account of the making of a naval legend.

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What happens when a star dies? How many asteroids are in our solar system? Can galaxies collide? What is dark energy? Astronomy in Minutes answers all these questions and more as it condenses 200 key concepts into easily digestible essays. From Trojan asteroids to stellar black holes, and from superclusters to cosmic microwave background, this book will take you on an essential tour around the universe. Beginning with the specks and constellations that we see in the night sky, and then zooming in on the objects and 'matter' beyond the naked eye, Astronomy in Minutes draws on established theories and recent research. Each essay is accompanied by an image or a clear diagram to help unravel complex ideas. Beginning with the constellations and finishing with the latest cosmological theories, this is the perfect reference guide to this fascinating subject. Contents include: The celestial sphere, Piscis Austrinus, the Earth-Moon system, Io and Ganymede, Kuiper Belt Objects, Measuring stellar properties, Nuclear fusion, Red and orange dwarfs, Open star clusters, Planetary nebulae, Supernova remnants, Cosmic expansion, Quasars and blazars, Nature of spacetime, Nucleosynthesis and the Anthropic Principle.

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A fun, challenging and informative quiz book for all ages, based on the hugely popular TV show 'Child Genius', hosted by Richard Osman.

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An emotional read about love in the face of hardship from the bestselling author of The Miller's Daughter, out now in paperback. Perfect for fans of Dilly Court, Maggie Hope and Nadine Dorries.

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THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP FIVE BESTSELLER | NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES'Beth O'Leary is that rare, one-in-a-million talent who can make you laugh, swoon, cry and ache all in the same book' Emily Henry'Beth O'Leary crafts novels with such wit, heart and truth' Sophie Kinsella**********Tiffy and Leon share a flatTiffy and Leon share a bedTiffy and Leon have never met...Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they're crazy, but it's the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy's at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven't met yet, they're about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window...**********See what everyone is saying about The Flatshare'A Sleepless In Seattle for the 21st century' Sunday Express'I devoured The Flatshare. Original, funny and touching. Read it' Clare Mackintosh'If Richard Curtis and Nora Ephron made a story baby' Zoella Book Club'One of the most talked about books of 2019... Fans of Jojo Moyes's Me Before You will love this UpLit romcom' Red Magazine'It's fiction to make you feel good - endlessly enjoyable and brilliant fun' Daily Express'In the league of Bridget Jones and Marian Keyes' Walsh sister books' Claire Allan'Funny, emotional and uplifting' Sun'A quirky, feelgood read, bursting with character and warmth' Prima'The Flatshare is a huge, heartwarming triumph' Josie Silver'Uproariously funny with characters you fall for from the first page' Woman & Home'Deliciously funny and truly uplifting' Lucy Diamond'Touching, funny and skilful, a delightful read' Katie Fforde'It's funny and charming but there are moments of real poignancy, too. Guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face' Good Housekeeping'Heartwarming and brilliant' Closer'Funny and winning... a Richard Curtis rom-com that also has its feet firmly planted in real life. A real treat' Stylist

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'One of the best historical crime series out there' Crime Review'Could challenge CJ Sansom for dominion' Sunday TimesSummer, 1658, and the Republic may finally be safe: the combined Stuart and Spanish forces have been heavily defeated by the English and French armies on the coast of Flanders, and the King's cause appears finished. Yet one final, desperate throw of the dice is planned. And who can stop them if not Captain Damian Seeker?The fifth gripping outing for Seeker in this acclaimed and award-winning series of historical thrillers. Will his legacy endure?

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CAREY LOGANShe was the genius wild child of the New York art scene, and my idol.FAKEI was a no-name painter from the Florida backwater, clawing my way into their world.LIKEWhen she died, she left a space that couldn't be filled. Except, maybe, byMEEverything that gets created destroys something else.When a fire rips through her studio and burns the seven enormous paintings for her next exhibition, a young, no-name painter is left with an impossible task: recreate her art in just three months - or ruin her fledgling career. Thirty-four, single and homeless, she desperately secures a place at an exclusive upstate retreat. Brimming with creative history and set on a sparkling black lake, Pine City and its founders - a notorious collective of successful artists - is what she's idolized all her life. She's dreamt of the parties, the celebrities, the privilege. What she finds is a ghost of its former self.The recent suicide of founding member Carey Logan haunts everyone, lurking beneath the surface like a shipwreck. And one thought begins to shadow her every move - what really happened to her hero?With a flair for sensational detail and acidic wit, Barbara Bourland delivers a darkly satirical thriller about art, money and identity with a twist so sharp it cuts.

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A shattered moon. A secret plan. Last girl standing.Orry and her family are the best conmen in the Quadrant, running elaborate heists to target the ruling families of the Ascendancy. This time should be no different . . . but then Orry goes off-script and everything falls apart. Less than an hour later her mark is dead and she's on the run, accused of a murder she didn't commit. Turns out, the pendant Orry stole is more valuable than even she guessed - and a lot of powerful people want it. When she's unexpectedly rescued by loner spaceship captain Jurgen Mender, Orry knows there's only one thing to do. Even Orry can see the madness of pitting an inexperienced grifter, a space-dog well past his prime and an obsolete spaceship against the Imperial Fleet, the worst of the space pirates and the alien Kadiran, who are getting bored with their uneasy truce with humankind . . . But what other choice does she have?

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'Sun-soaked escapism' BestFor many years Colette has avoided returning to her homeland - the magical island of Belle-Île-en-Mer in Southern Brittany - afraid to confront the painful memories she left behind. She is living on the Cornish coast when she hears about her mother Thea's failing health and realises that the time has come for her to go home. But can Colette ever forgive Thea for what she has done?Despite Colette's wariness, romantic Belle-Île still fascinates her. She takes on the running of her mother's flower shop and makes friends with Élodie from the Old Lighthouse where Thea once worked as a nanny and with the enigmatic Étienne who shares Colette's mixed feelings about the island. As Thea opens up to her for the first time, Colette finds herself softening and being drawn back into the landscape of her past. But can Belle-Île also be a part of her future?The ghosts of that past still linger. What happened all those years ago and how did it cause the rift between mother and daughter? It becomes clear that the beauty of Belle-Île hides a devastating family secret - one that Colette is determined to unravel at any cost.Readers love Her Mother's Secret'The ultimate feel-good read' Candis'A beautifully written story of loss and love, Her Mother's Secret is Rosanna Ley at her best' My Weekly'A must-read' 5* reader review'A real emotional journey with surprising twists and turns' 5* reader review'Beautifully written' Heat'A magical escape' 5* reader review'Another jewel of a read from Rosanna Ley' 5* reader review'A real emotional journey with surprising twists and turns' 5* reader review'Ley is a master storyteller' 5* reader review'A truly heart-breaking, heart-warming story' 5* reader review

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'Elizabeth Gill is a born storyteller' Trisha AshleyWhen hope is lost, can she rebuild her home?After her daughter Arabella passes away, leaving a poor, motherless child in her wake, Nell Almond doesn't think her life can get any worse. But then tragedy strikes a second time and she finds herself widowed, with her husband's quarry to manage.But it's baby Frederick, her grandson, who troubles her most. Being cared for by one of the local families, he lives in hand-me-down clothes in a cramped and unrefined home. Nell desperately wants him to return to his rightful place, as heir to the quarry, but should she put all her hopes in one child? From the bestselling author of Miss Appleby's Academy and Nobody's Child comes the next book in the beloved Weardale Sagas, continuing the story begun in The Guardian Angel.

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Claire goes missing the night her father agrees to give her up for adoption. Her mother died when she was born. In the tiny fishing town of Ville Rose, Haiti, she and her father are not the only ones to have experienced loss. As the poor townspeople search by moonlight for the seven-year-old girl, each remembers what death has stolen from their own lives: a forbidden love cut down by slum gangsters; a mother whose rare affluence could not save her child. In prose that shimmers with folkloric imagery, Danticat intertwines their stories to reveal a deep connection between locals of distinct classes and creeds. Her vision of modern Haiti makes the unknowable familiar; like the townspeople, the reader shares a common humanity - always caught between the darkness and the light.

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The #1 Kindle Bestseller returns with a gorgeous summer read about romance, family and the secrets we keep from those we love.''The perfect holiday companion'' - Heat''The ultimate feel-good read'' - Candis''Sun-soaked escapism'' - Best**********Spain, 1939 Following the wishes of her parents to keep her safe during the war, a young girl, Julia, enters a convent in Barcelona. Looking for a way to maintain her links to the outside world, she volunteers to help in a maternity clinic. But worrying adoption practices in the clinic force Sister Julia to decide how far she will go to help those placed in her care. England, 2012Six months after her parents'' shocking death, 34-year-old journalist and jazz enthusiast Ruby Rae has finally found the strength to pack away their possessions and sell the family home. But as she does so, she un

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Can it ever be right to kill? Is terrorism ever justified? Should euthanasia be legal? Are some people superior to others? Do animals have rights? Some ethical judgements are easy: one side is wrong and the other is right. But how do we handle the really tough 'right vs right' dilemmas, where each side has strong moral arguments? In Without God, is Everything Permitted? bestselling author and philosopher Julian Baggini clear-sightedly and compassionately examines 20 of the most complex contemporary ethical dilemmas. Whether it's asking if torture is always wrong, or if discrimination can ever be good, this book will help you sort out what you really believe about the issues that matter most.

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Fate sends two star-crossed lovers, Sasha and Volodenka, on two separate journeys across space and time. Sasha finds herself as a young woman in a time not far from the present day. Volodenka finds himself as a young soldier in a horrific conflict at the turn of the twentieth century. Yet, despite their cosmic schism, their letters still reach one another; as he helps her to come to terms with life and she helps him to come to terms with death. Half male, half female; half exploration of the physical and the immediate, half meditation on the intangible and the infinite, The Light and the Dark is a literary feat as balanced and beautiful as it is prodigious and profound.

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