Search results for ""Author ???? ????""

Hampshire, 1900. With the sudden death of her father, the life of fifteen-year-old Harriet Benson changes forever. Forced from her home to escape the advances of her leering stepbrother Norris, Harriet is sent into service to provide for the family. Arriving at the grand Dalton House, she meets the owners' crippled son Joseph, with whom friendship soon blossoms. When circumstances force Joseph to leave the family home, Harriet is happy to accompany him and break free from the controlling influence of her stepmother. But Harriet is unprepared for the event which will alter her life even further: her unexpected inheritance of Greyladies, a supposedly haunted house in the country. Could this be the safe haven she so desperately needs, and does the ghost of its previous owner really roam the halls? While Harriet and Joseph grow ever closer, the plots and actions of both their families threaten to destroy their happiness. Will their love, and the legacy of Greyladies, be able to survive?

Read more less

When her elderly father dies, Miranda Fox is free at last. He's promised an inheritance that will give her independence. But her domineering half-brother controls the money and has very different ideas as to how she should live her life. A new friend helps Miranda take the first steps towards freedom, but her actions uncover painful secrets from the past which still have the power to hurt. Her sister escaped the family by leaving Australia. Can Miranda do the same? In England an old friend reappears in her life and brings further turmoil. She must make difficult choices if she's to be free. Will she have the courage to stand up for herself this time? Or will her family still control her life?

Read more less

During World War I, the ancient manor house of Greyladies in rural Wiltshire is requisitioned for a hospital. Its mistress, Harriet Latimer, her husband Joseph and their two sons are allowed to stay in part of the house, but when tragedy strikes Joseph's brothers, his future at Greyladies is at risk. Latimer family legend says a new mistress will be found to look after the house, yet how does this happen? In Swindon, Phoebe Sinclair is unaware of her connection to Greyladies and the Latimers. When her German employers are interned because of the war, she loses her job. Worse still, her brutish step-cousin Frank tries to force her to marry him and Phoebe has no choice but to flee to London. A chance encounter leads her to a new life as a nursing assistant in the VAD (voluntary aid detachments), and to a blossoming friendship with Captain Corin McMinty. When Phoebe is posted to the hospital at Greyladies, she feels she's come home. But Frank is still pursuing her and Corin has his own problems. With obstacles at every turn, can Phoebe find happiness and embrace the role of mistress of Greyladies?

Read more less

After being driven from home by their brutal father, the Willett sisters find themselves facing greater heartache in the wider world. Nell, the middle daughter, has left home to be with her lover, Cliff, fearing what reprisals might come from marrying against her father's wishes. The couple head for Lancashire, but Nell's happiness is short-lived. A gypsy palm-reader tells her she will still find her destiny, under 'three big trees on a hill' and her luck does seem to change when she meets Hugh, and farmer and a gentleman who she can't help but feel drawn to. Could the trees on his land be a sign, or will Nell be too damaged by her past to let herself love again?

Read more less

In the modern world of networked digital media, authors must navigate many challenges. Most pressingly, the illegal downloading and streaming of copyright material on the internet deprives authors of royalties, and in some cases it has discouraged creativity or terminated careers. Exploring technology’s impact on the status and idea of authorship in today’s world, The Near-Death of the Author reveals the many obstacles facing contemporary authors. John Potts details how the online culture of remix and creative reuse operates in a post-authorship mode, with little regard for individual authorship. The book explores how developments in algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) have yielded novels, newspaper articles, musical works, films, and paintings without the need of human authors or artists. It also examines how these AI achievements have provoked questions regarding the authorship of new works, such as Does the author need to be human? And, more alarmingly, Is there even a need for human authors? Providing suggestions on how contemporary authors can endure in the world of data, the book ultimately concludes that network culture has provoked the near-death, but not the death, of the author.

Read more less

'Delicious tensions between parents and squabbles among their children seem so harmless, yet every one has the potential to start a devastating snowball of events. I couldn’t put this one down.' - Janice Hallet author of The AppealLooking to escape her old life, Nancy and her ten-year-old daughter Lara move to Ripton. A quiet, picturesque village in the rolling Derbyshire countryside, it seems like the perfect place to settle down.But when Nancy reaches the school gates, she learns that beneath the quaint village atmosphere is a minefield. And after her daughter clashes with her school friends, Nancy quickly finds herself outside the whispering circle of parents.As much as Nancy finds the playground politics absurd, they soon become impossible to ignore when Lara is accused of hurting another girl.Desperate to clear Lara's name, Nancy is about to learn just what lengths a parent will go to for their child . . .Wry, twisting and suspenseful, Michelle Frances tells a story of schoolyard sniping turning into something much uglier in The Playground, for fans of Liane Moriarty and Adele Parks.**************PRAISE FOR THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR MICHELLE FRANCES'Michelle Frances is an author we're going to hear a great deal about' JILLY COOPER‘Brilliant (toxic) context. Loved the epistolary touches. Taut, dark, and seriously addictive.’ WILL DEAN‘I tore through the pages . . . A high-speed chase of a novel’ Louise Candlish‘Michelle Frances manages to bring fresh energy to this age-old theme of family secrets . . . The finale doesn't disappoint’ Daily Mail‘Toxic family relationships, sultry European settings and an intricate plot which leaves you never knowing who to trust’ Catherine Cooper, author of The Chalet

Read more less

A powerful new novel about grief and mourning from the acclaimed and prize-winning author of The Old DriftA BARACK OBAMA BOOK OF THE YEAR and NEW YORK TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARI don't want to tell you what happened. I want to tell you how it felt.Cassandra is twelve; her little brother Wayne is seven. One day, when they're alone together, there's an accident and Wayne is lost forever. Though his body is never recovered, their mother can't stop searching.As Cassandra grows older, she sees her brother everywhere: in cafes, aeroplane aisles, subway cars. But it can't be, of course. Or can it? And then one day, there's another accident, and she meets a man both mysterious and familiar, a man who shares her brother's name and who is also searching for someone...'In Namwali Serpell's hands, grief is a kind of possession. The Furrows is a piercing, sharply written novel about the conjuring power of loss' - RAVEN LEILANI, author of Luster

Read more less

A laugh-out-loud, read-aloud picture-book guide to the wildest and wackiest unicorns you can imagine, from the author of the Oi Frog and Friends series, Kes Gray, and illustrator of The Dinosaur that Pooped series, Garry Parsons.Dive into this delightfully silly unicorn Who's Who and get ready to discover:- spooky BOO!nicorns- polite AFTERYOUnicorns- floating BALLOONincorns- smelly POOnicorns- clumsy BUMPINTOnicorns- and so many more!This funny and surprising new take on the unicorn craze is jam-packed with joyful wordplay and hilarious illustrations. It's also a brilliantly inventive way to encourage children's creativity and imagination.*A fully illustrated version of Daisy and Gabby's story from the bestselling Daisy and the Trouble with Unicorns*

Read more less

'Brilliant' Bella The side-splitting new novel from the bestselling author The Women of Primrose Square, perfect for fans of Marian Keyes, Mhairi McFarlane and Sophie Kinsella. 'You've got someone in your life driving you nuts?I'll get rid of them for you.'Meg Monroe is a Fixer.Got a:Dodgy ex?Errant employer?Clingy former friend?Meg, using the time-honoured arts of charm, manipulation and persuasion, can make them disappear.Forever.In-demand and devilishly discreet, Meg has a 100% success rate. That is, until a previously-disappeared (or so she thought) case turns up on her doorstep, threatening to bring her entire operation crumbling down.There is not a single case that Meg cannot fix. Well, until now . . .'An immensely talented writer'Sinéad Moriarty

Read more less

'ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANTLY INVENTIVE WRITERS OF THIS, OR ANY, COUNTRY' INDEPENDENTWinner of the Mail on Sunday/John Llewellyn Rhys Prize 'Astonishingly accomplished'THE TIMES'Remarkable'OBSERVER'Gripping'NEW YORK TIMES'Fabulously atmospheric'GUARDIAN'Engrossing'DAILY MAILA magnificent achievement and an engrossing experience, David Mitchell's first novel announced the arrival of one of the most exciting writers of the twenty-first century.An apocalyptic cult member carries out a gas attack on a rush-hour metro, but what links him to a jazz buff in downtown Tokyo? Or to a Mongolian gangster, a woman on a holy mountain who talks to a tree, and a late night New York DJ?Set at the fugitive edges of Asia and Europe, Ghostwritten weaves together a host of characters, their interconnected destinies determined by the inescapable forces of cause and effect.PRAISE FOR DAVID MITCHELL'A thrilling and gifted writer'FINANCIAL TIMES'Dizzyingly, dazzlingly good'DAILY MAIL'Mitchell is, clearly, a genius'NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW'An author of extraordinary ambition and skill'INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY'A superb storyteller'THE NEW YORKER

Read more less

From the author of The Accidental Stowaway, it's 1950s London and Caro Monday and her friends have become embroiled in a dangerous art heist!When Caro Monday's mother disappears on one of her jaunts, she has no choice but to go and stay with a miserable woman that she's never met. Not only that but she's told that her beloved rabbit, His Nibs, is not allowed to go with her.Luckily, Caro's not one for following rules. With her rabbit in hiding, and her wild behaviour getting her into trouble as soon as she walks through the door, Caro is only going to find herself in deeper water. In the lining of her suitcase is a small but extraordinary painting of a thrush . . . a painting that some dangerous art thieves are hunting down!Can Caro and her friends solve the mystery of the stolen songbird and find its owners before it's too late? Here ensues an exciting dash across London, with twists and turns as plentiful as the cobbled streets which Caro and her friends must navigate!

Read more less

With Artist as Author, Christa Noel Robbins provides the first extended study of authorship in mid-20th century abstract painting in the US. Taking a close look at this influential period of art history, Robbins describes how artists and critics used the medium of painting to advance their own claims about the role that they believed authorship should play in dictating the value, significance, and social impact of the art object. Robbins tracks the subject across two definitive periods: the “New York School” as it was consolidated in the 1950s and “Post Painterly Abstraction” in the 1960s. Through many deep dives into key artist archives, Robbins brings to the page the minds and voices of painters Arshile Gorky, Jack Tworkov, Helen Frankenthaler, Kenneth Noland, Sam Gilliam, and Agnes Martin along with those of critics such as Harold Rosenberg and Rosalind Krauss. While these are all important characters in the polemical histories of American modernism, this is the first time they are placed together in a single study and treated with equal measure, as peers participating in the shared late modernist moment.

Read more less

A criminal walking free. A life hanging in the balance. The ultimate choice.Zach Bridger hasn't seen his ex-wife since their divorce. So he's shocked to learn that not only has Rebecca been placed on life support following an assault, but he's also still her Power of Attorney. Buckling under the responsibility, he leaves Rebecca in the care of her parents.Years later, when Rebecca's attacker is released from prison, savvy state prosecutor Kate is determined to see him justly punished. But Kate's ambitious legal strategy puts Zach in yet another heart-wrenching position regarding Rebecca's care. While he wrestles with the decision that no one should have to make, Zach and Kate's mutual attraction grows irresistible. Little do they know that Rebecca's attacker has no intention of going back to prison. He's plotting to stop them both - at any cost.A riveting thriller from the #1 New York Times bestseller, which pits conscience against ambition.

Read more less

1916: Bella is working as a Voluntary Aid driving ambulances in England when she gets engaged to Philip, on leave from fighting in France. His family strongly disapprove of her but the two of them are happy together. Georgie, Philip's sister, is in trouble having broken her engagement and fled from her bullying family. Who can she turn to for help when she needs it most? When the worst happens, Bella must manage on her own, though there are shocks and dangers she did not foresee ahead. Thankfully, Philip's best friend Tez, injured in France, steps in to offer assistance. Can he also help Bella build a new life?

Read more less

In this creative and engaging reading, Richard Kuhns explores the ways in which Decameron'ssexual themes lead into philosophical inquiry, moral argument, and aesthetic and literary criticism. As he reveals the stories' many philosophical insights and literary pleasures, Kuhns also examines Decameronin the context of the nature of storytelling, its relationship to other classic works of literature, and the culture of trecento Italy. Stories and storytelling are to be interpreted in terms of a wider cultural context that includes masks, metamorphosis, mythic themes, and character analysis, all of which Boccaccio explores with wit and subtlety. As a storyteller, Boccaccio represents himself as literary pimp, conceiving the relationship between storyteller and audience in sexual terms within a tradition that goes back as far as Socrates' conversations with the young Athenians. As a whole, Boccaccio's great collection of stories creates a trenchant criticism of the ideas that dominated his social and cultural world. Addressed as it is to women who were denied opportunities for education, the author's stories create a university of wise and culturally observant texts. He teaches that comic, religious, sexual, and artistic themes can be seen to function as metaphors for hidden and often dangerous unorthodox thoughts. Kuhns suggests that Decameronis one of the first self-conscious creations of what we today call "a total work of art." Throughout the stories, Boccaccio creates a detailed picture of the Florentine trecento cultural world. Giotto, Buffalmacco, and other great painters of Boccaccio's time appear in the stories. Their works and the paintings that surround the characters as they prepare to leave the plague-ridden city, with their representations of Dante, Aquinas, and other thinkers, are essential to understanding the ways the stories work with other works of art and illuminate and enlarge interpretations of Boccaccio's book.

Read more less

As this dynamic biography reveals, the writer Ernest William Hornung (1866 - 1921) became a household name in the 1890s. Scion of a wealthy Yorkshire family, he was short-sighted and slight and suffered from severe asthma. Returning home in high spirits from medical treatment in Australia in 1886, he was devastated to find that the family fortunes had collapsed. Already aware that he had a brilliant knack with words, Hornung managed to support himself by his pen alone, contributing short stories to children’s magazines, newspapers, and monthly periodicals. His first published novel proved a sensational best-seller.Peter Rowland’s superb literary biography traces Hornung’s rise to fame and fortune, as the writer deftly turned his hand to comedy, romance, and drama. In the process, the book untangles the intricate literary network of Victorian London and Hornung’s relationships with some of its leading figures, including his brother-in-law Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s, and their collaborative ventures.

Read more less

You think you know someone...Would you bet your life on it?A detective came to her home, drugged her and kidnapped her. She tries to make sense of it, but only one conclusion is possible: it's the past, come to claim her.His new life seemed perfect - right up until the moment a missed call shatters everything. Ex-journalist Martin Scarsden checks his voicemail, and all he hears is his partner Mandy's terrified scream before the phone cuts off.Racing home, he finds an unconscious man sprawled on the floor and Mandy gone. Someone has abducted her. But who, and why?So starts a riveting tale of intrigue and danger, as Martin probes the hidden past of the woman he loves. But can he trust her, once her shocking secrets are finally revealed? Even if it means putting everything on the line...Praise for Chris Hammer'The best Australian crime novel for years' The Times'Shimmers . . . A tortured tale of blood and loss' Val McDermid'Intelligent, thought-provoking - an almost-perfect crime novel' Ann Cleeves'Hammer is a great writer - a leader in Australian noir' Michael Connelly'Stunning - a page-turner which stays long in the memory' Sunday Times'Hammer's writing is so evocative the heat practically rises off the pages' Guardian'A dark and brilliant thriller' Mail On Sunday

Read more less

Chosen as a Book of the Year by Sebastian Barry, Martina Devlin and Peter Cunningham Winner of the Prix Gens de Mer, 2022 Hector and Bolivar set sail from their South American fishing village on what they believe to be a routine expedition. But then a devastating storm casts them adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. With no means of contacting the outside world and no sign of rescue, their only hope lies with one another. Both men must confront the truth about themselves, and the regrets that they have spent a lifetime trying to forget, if they are to survive. Part gripping story of resilience, part fearless existential parable, Beyond the Sea is a meditation on what it means to be human, in a world that pushes us to the brink.

Read more less

Updated edition featuring a new introduction by StanleyAs seen on BBC2's Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy Food can bind and govern a family and no one knows this more than Hollywood actor and respected foodie, Stanley Tucci. Throughout his childhood, cooking was a familial venture evoking a wealth of memories and traditions.Featuring family-friendly dishes and stunning photography THE TUCCI TABLE will captivate food lovers' imaginations with recipes from Stanley's traditional Italian roots as well as those of his British wife, Felicity Blunt. Each dish is introduced by Stanley and he offers an insight into why each recipe is so special to his family. Recipes include Pasta Al Forno, Roasted Sea bass, Pan Seared Venison and British classics such as Shepherd's Pie and Sausage Rolls.THE TUCCI TABLE captures the true joys of family cooking.

Read more less

An unexpected inheritance from her grandmother offers Libby Pulford the opportunity to escape her abusive marriage and return to her Lancashire roots with her young son Ned. But her domineering husband Steven won't let her go so easily. She turns to her new neighbour for help, former police detective Joss Atherton, to whom Libby feels a growing attraction. But Joss has troubles of his own. Emily Mattison is trying to make contact with the daughter she was forced to give up for adoption so many years before. People's lives are destined to intertwine in ways they could never have imagined.

Read more less

***Pre-order David Nicholls' new novel YOU ARE HERE now - Coming April 2024***A COMIC MASTERPIECE BY BELOVED BESTSELLER DAVID NICHOLLSA scintillating comedy of ambition, celebrity, jealousy and love'Irresistible' DAILY MAIL 'Wonderfully chaotic' THE TIMES 'Delightful' OBSERVER 'Brilliant' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'Funniest book of the year' MARIE CLAIRE For Josh Harper, being in show-business means everything he ever wanted: money, fame, a beautiful wife and a lead role on the London stage. For Stephen C. McQueen, it means being stuck with an unfortunate name, a hopeless agent and a job as understudy to Josh Harper, the 12th Sexiest Man in the World. When Stephen falls in love with Josh's clever, funny wife, Nora, things get even more difficult. But might there yet be a way for Stephen to get his big break?ONE OF BRITAIN'S MOST ACCLAIMED WRITERS'One of the most astute chroniclers of England as it is now'FINANCIAL TIMES'An uncanny ability to make us laugh out loud, but also care passionately about his characters'DAILY TELEGRAPH'Nicholls writes with such tender precision about love'THE TIMES'No one else writes novels that are both relatable and revelatory in the way he does'EVENING STANDARD'Genuinely brilliant'NEW STATESMAN

Read more less

'Barnett has that rare talent, like Curtis Sittenfeld or Kate Atkinson, of building up the mundane aspects of everyday life until they acquire meaning' THE TIMES 'Barnett excels herself in this mesmerising ballad of a book...Greatest Hits is not just about music, it's about people: their ambitions, friendships and flaws. An absolute must read' STYLISTIf you could choose just sixteen moments to define your entire life, what would they be? Cass Wheeler has seen it all - from the searing heights of success, to earth-shattering moments of despair. She has known passion, envy, pride, fear, and love. She has been a daughter, a mother, a singer, a lover. A musician born in 1950, Cass is now taking one day to select the sixteen songs in her repertoire that have meant the most to her. And behind each song lies a story - from the day her mother abandoned her, to her passionate first love, to the moment she lost everything. The dreams, the failures, the second chances. But what made her disappear so suddenly from her public life and, most importantly, can she find her way back?'The mother/daughter relationship is the most moving aspect ofthis excellent book...This engaging, emotionally charged novel about music,motherhood and mental illness deserves to be a hit' OBSERVERWhat readers are saying about GREATEST HITS:'A brilliant and unusual read...There is real emotional power to Cass's story and you really feel it in the narrative....It gives an unfiltered personal history, with joy, love, failures, regrets and all that it takes to live delivered beautifully' Goodreads 5 star review'Truly, truly wonderful in every way imaginable and I can't recommend it highly enough' Goodreads 5 star review'A triumphant second book to follow up to The Versions of Us which I also adored' Goodreads 5 star review'A truly unique and memorable novel. Definitely one of the best novels so far this year' Goodreads 5 star review'Filled with characters who burst from the page, dealing with almost unbearable sorrows and incredible highs, Greatest Hits is an absolute triumph. I loved every single page' Goodreads 5 star review

Read more less

HE DISAPPEARED FOR 15 YEARS...UNTIL THE DAY OF THE MURDER. *** THE INTERNATIONAL TOP TEN BESTSELLER***'Taut, beautifully observed...with an explosive finish.' PETER MAY'Original, compelling and highly recommended. S. R. White is the real deal.' CHRIS HAMMER'A fascinating case' SUNDAY TIMES CRIME CLUB PICKAfter a puzzling death in the wild bushlands of Australia, detective Dana Russo has just 12 hours to interrogate the prime suspect - a silent, inscrutable man found at the scene of the crime, who disappeared without trace 15 years earlier.But where has he been? Why won't he talk? And exactly how dangerous is he? Without conclusive evidence to prove his guilt, Dana faces a desperate race against time to persuade him to speak. But as each interview spirals with fevered intensity, Dana must reckon with her own traumatic past to reveal the shocking truth . . .Compulsive, atmospheric and stunningly accomplished, HERMIT introduces a thrilling new voice in Australian crime fiction, perfect for fans of Jane Harper's THE DRY and Chris Hammer's SCRUBLANDS.'It draws you in - and rewards with a truly powerful ending.' HEAT (Read of the week)'This slow-burn novel catches light' THE SUN'A dark and compulsive read' WOMAN & HOME

Read more less

'Wickedly clever prose and a sense of humour that seems to loom up like a character in itself' – M John Harrison, GuardianIn her brilliantly inventive and haunting debut collection of stories, Julia Armfield explores the body, mapping the skin and bones of her characters through their experiences of isolation, obsession, love and revenge.Teenagers develop ungodly appetites, a city becomes insomniac overnight, and bodies are diligently picked apart to make up better ones. The mundane worlds of schools and sleepy sea-side towns are invaded and transformed, creating a landscape which is constantly shifting to hold on to its inhabitants. Blurring the mythic and the gothic with the everyday, Salt Slow considers characters in motion – turning away, turning back or simply turning into something new entirely.Winner of The White Review Short Story Prize 2018, Armfield is a writer of sharp, lyrical prose and tilting dark humour – Salt Slow marks the arrival of an ambitious and singular new voice.'Salt Slow is exemplary. A distinct new gothic, melancholy, powerful and poised.' – China Miéville, author of The City & The City'Armfield is an enormous, gut-wrenching talent.' – Daisy Johnson, author of Everything Under

Read more less

One Night in Italy is a charming, funny and heartwarming novel from Lucy Diamond, author of Anything Could Happen.Is Italian really the language of love? A new class of students hopes to find out . . .Anna’s recently been told the father she’s never met is Italian. Now she’s baking focaccia, whipping up tiramisu and swotting up on her vocabulary, determined to make it to Italy so she can find him in person.Catherine’s husband has walked out on her, and she's trying to pick up the pieces of her life. But she’ll need courage as well as friends when she discovers his deception runs even deeper than infidelity.Sophie’s the teacher of the class, who’d much rather be back in sunny Sorrento. She can’t wait to escape the tensions at home and go travelling again. But sometimes life – and love – can surprise you when you least expect it.As the evening class gets underway, friendships form and secrets from Italy begin to emerge. With love affairs blossoming in the most unlikely places, and hard decisions to face, it’s going to be a year that Anna, Catherine and Sophie will never forget.'Charming, funny and as satisfying as a giant tiramisu. Loved it' - Milly Johnson, author of The Sweet Shop of Second Chances

Read more less

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER"Don't start a Freida McFadden book late at night. You won't be able to put it down!"— Natalie Barelli, bestselling author of UnforgivableTwo women. An office filled with secrets. One terrible crime that can't be taken back.Dawn Schiff is strange.At least, everyone thinks so at Vixed, the nutritional supplement company where Dawn works as an accountant. She never says the right thing. She has no friends. And she is always at her desk at precisely 8:45 a.m.So when Dawn doesn't show up to the office one morning, her coworker Natalie Farrell—beautiful, popular, top sales rep five years running—is surprised. Then she receives an unsettling, anonymous phone call that changes everything…It turns out Dawn wasn't just an awkward outsider—she was being targeted by someone close. And now Natalie is irrevocably tied to Dawn as she finds herself caught in a twisted game of cat and mouse that leaves her wondering: who's the real victim?But one thing is incredibly clear: somebody hated Dawn Schiff. Enough to kill.The Coworker is a tense, unputdownable thriller from New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden that explores the dark ways the past can echo through the present—with deadly consequences.

Read more less

Discover this funny and warm novel for anyone who has ever been curious about their partner's past from the bestselling author of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Meet Buffy. With three ex-wives, a failing career and only his dog George for company, Buffy's bachelorhood is looking worryingly confirmed. Until he meets Celeste. Dazzled by love, Buffy has no idea that Celeste is systematically researching his ex-wives, children and step-children, and unearthing secrets that will change all their lives... 'Wonderfully funny' Daily Mail 'Marries comedy and canniness into a novel that's warm, tolerant, shrewd and exuberant' Sunday Times

Read more less

**Pre-order Katie Marsh's emotional new love story Unbreak Your Heart** 'I laughed, I identified, I shed a tear. A lovely story that deserves to fly. I loved it.' Amanda Jennings'Vividly written and packed with emotional punches The Rest Of Me is devastating yet uplifting.' Daily Express*******Alex Fox knows there are lots of things she should be. She should be the perfect wife to her chronically ill husband Sam, and the perfect mother to their two daughters. She should be excelling in her high-stress job. And she should be completing the demanding to-do lists she makes to keep herself on track. Even if, just sometimes, she doesn't have time to breathe.When Sam's condition worsens and Alex donates a kidney to save his life, her carefully scheduled existence starts to unravel - eventually forcing her to face up to a past that she has buried for years.As the family she has fought so hard for threatens to fall apart, can Alex finally confront the mistakes that have shaped her - and rediscover what is most important in life?***The Rest of Me is an emotional and uplifting story which will make you laugh, cry and hug the people you love a little bit tighter. Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Lucy Dillon and Amanda Prowse. Readers and authors can't stop praising The Rest of Me:'Reading The Rest of Me felt like the equivalent of watching back-to-back episodes of Cold Feet - funny, heartwarming and thoroughly entertaining. A joyous, page-turning read.' Fiona Mitchell'A deeply emotional and utterly relatable tale of family life and modern motherhood. I fell quite in love with Alex and her family, and loved every word of this beautifully written book.' Kelly Rimmer'This heart-wrenching tale was one of the best I've come across. A beautiful book, an un-put-downable one, which will stay with me awhile.' Goodreads, 5 stars'Sensitive and thought-provoking... I adored it' - Netgalley, 5 stars'This book is amazing from the start...beautifully written with real life issues that I could relate to. I definitely recommend this is a top read.' - Netgalley, 5 stars'Katie's best book yet - I absolutely LOVED it!' - Goodreads, 5 stars'A proper tear jerker. [It] showed that family, love and pulling together in times of trouble really does help you pull through almost any crisis. Tissues needed throughout.' - Amazon, 5 stars'A really engaging and emotive book, which kept me hooked. Highly recommended read.' - Netgalley, 5 stars'Another excellent book from Katie Marsh. A thought-provoking and emotional read. Thoroughly recommended.' Netgalley, 5 stars'An uplifting book which had me gripped throughout' - Netgalley

Read more less

Welcome to the page-turning, twisty, gasp-inducing world of the Debutantes - an addictive YA mystery duology from the author of #1 bestselling, TikTok sensation INHERITANCE GAMES series. 'A plot twist every twenty pages . . . Barnes is at her page-turning best.' E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars A six-figure offer. A family mystery to solve. A town of buried secrets. When Auto mechanic Sawyer Taft's estranged grandmother offers her a six-figure contract to participate in debutante season, Sawyer's first instinct is to run a mile. But then she realizes her grandmother's offer might mean solving the biggest mystery of her life - her father's identity. So she signs on the dotted line and braces herself for a year of makeovers, big dresses and even bigger egos. . .However, Sawyer doesn't expect to find a group of fellow debutantes with scandalous, dangerous secrets of their own and soon it's clear that the truth about her father is just one of the shocking secrets buried deep in this high-society world . . . And no one wants Sawyer poking her nose into the past.Shocking twists, family secrets, a fish-out-of water protagonist and a page-turning mystery combine in Little White Lies and Deadly Little Scandals (The Debutantes Duology) - perfect for fans coming from THE INHERITANCE GAMES series looking for their next addictive read from the Master of YA Mysteries, Jennifer Lynn Barnes.

Read more less

A story in verse chronicling the misadventures of a recently divorced Lebanese woman dating in America. Laila Halaby’s second collection of poetry, why an author writes to a guy holding a fish is a story in verse. This honest, sensual, and often funny series of narrative poems chronicles the author’s decision to leave her two-decades-long relationship with her Palestinian husband. Halaby suddenly finds herself in the world of American dating where she searches for idealized love and genuine connection. Always treated as an “other” and having never dated a white man or an American before, Halaby writes about misadventures and heartbreak amid misread cues and lost nuances. Halaby reassesses her role as a woman, a mother, and a writer, and she learns how to dispense with labels and imagined expectations. In the process, she becomes reacquainted with her womanhood and power.

Read more less

From the author of the widely acclaimed Heat, an exhilarating account of Bill Buford's adventures in the world of French cooking.'A romping, chomping, savoury tour de force... Hilarious' Simon SchamaWhat does it take to master French cooking? This is the question that drives Bill Buford to abandon his perfectly happy life in New York City and (with his wife and three-year-old twin sons in tow) move to Lyon, the so-called gastronomic capital of France.But what was meant to be six months in a new city turns into a wild five-year odyssey. As Buford apprentices at Lyon's best boulangerie, studies at a legendary culinary school and cooks at a storied Michelin-starred restaurant, he discoveries the true grit, precision and passion of the French kitchen.'Hugely entertaining' Observer'Rollicking, food-stuffed entertainment... Gourmets and gourmands will savour this' Spectator

Read more less

The Akunin Project is the first book to study the fiction and popular history of Grigorii Chkhartishvili, one of the most successful writers in post-Soviet Russia. In the first two decades of the twenty-first century, Chkhartishvili published over sixty books under the pen names Anatolii Brusnikin, Anna Borisova, Akunin-Chkhartishvili, and, most commonly, Boris Akunin. His series featuring the tsarist secret policeman Erast Fandorin has sold over 15 million books in Russia alone, making Akunin one of the bestselling authors of the post-Soviet era. Combining intertextuality, allusions, pastiche, and other markers of postmodern playfulness, many of Akunin’s works have been translated into English and have also been adapted for film and television. Akunin’s public profile has been further enhanced by his active involvement in mass political protests against Vladimir Putin. Despite Akunin’s international reputation as a celebrated writer, there is very little critical work on his literary output and his mysterious persona. Bringing together scholars of literature, history, and culture, The Akunin Project fills this gap by exploring the author’s bestselling adventure novels and recent histories of the Russian state. The book includes translations of five short works previously unavailable in English as well as an interview with the author.

Read more less

An unputdownable, edge-of-your-seat thriller full of twists and turns from Sunday Times bestselling author Simon Kernick - the UK's answer to Harlan Coben. Guaranteed to keep you gripped. Perfect for fans of David Baldacci, Stuart MacBride and Peter James.'Simon Kernick writes great plots, great characters, great action' -- Lee Child'Simon Kernick writes with his foot pressed hard on the pedal. Hang on tight!' -- Harlan Coben'Simon Kernick uses every trick in the book to keep the action breakneck' -- Time Out'Highly recommend this book. I couldn't put it down' -- ***** Reader review'What an amazing read, it had me hooked!' -- ***** Reader review'From the first page to the last this story keeps you on the edge' -- ***** Reader review'Thriller writing at its best' -- ***** Reader review'Kept me engrossed all the way through' -- ***** Reader review*******************************************************************************************ONE NIGHT STAND. ONE DEAD GIRL.You wake up in a strange room on a bed covered in blood.You have no idea how you got there.Beside you is a dead girl. Your girlfriend.The phone rings, and a voice tells you to press play on the room's DVD machine.The film shows you killing your girlfriend. Then you're told to go to an address in East London where you're to deliver a briefcase and await further instructions.There's no way out.If you're to survive the next 24 hours, you must find out who killed your girlfriend, and why. Before they come for you too...

Read more less

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SNAP'Extraordinarily powerful and evocative . . . will leave you breathless.' Daily MirrorVOTED CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR when it was first released, and still the most gripping, powerful thriller debut you will read this year.___Steven Lamb is 12 when he writes his first letter . . . to a serial killerEvery day after school, whilst his classmates swap football stickers, twelve-year-old Steven digs holes on Exmoor, hoping to find a body. His uncle disappeared aged eleven and is assumed to have fallen victim to the notorious serial killer Arnold Avery - but his body has never been found.Steven's Nan does not believe her son is dead. She still waits for him to come home, standing bitter guard at the front window while her family fragments around her. Steven is determined to heal the widening cracks between them before it's too late - even if that means presenting his grandmother with the bones of her murdered son.But when Steven realises this is an impossible task, he crafts a careful letter to Arnold Avery in prison. And there begins a dangerous cat-and-mouse game between a desperate child and a bored psychopath . . .Readers love Blacklands:'A dark, gripping story . . . full of tension' *****'A truly chilling and disturbing read' *****'An intelligent crime thriller that seeps with atmosphere' ******Belinda Bauer's pulse-pounding new thriller, EXIT, is out now*

Read more less

John Kenneth Galbraith's international bestseller The Affluent Society is a witty, graceful and devastating attack on some of our most cherished economic myths. As relevant today as when it was first published over forty years ago, this newly updated edition of Galbraith's classic text on the 'economics of abundance', lays bare the hazards of individual and social complacency about economic inequality. Why worship work and productivity if many of the goods we produce are superfluous - artificial 'needs' created by high-pressure advertising? Why begrudge expenditure on vital public works while ignoring waste and extravagance in the private sector of the economy? Classical economics was born in a harsh world of mass poverty, and has left us with a set of preconceptions ill-adapted to the realities of our own richer age. And so, too often, 'the bland lead the bland'. Our unfamiliar problems need a new approach, and the reception given to this famous book has shown the value of its fresh, lively ideas. 'A compelling challenge to conventional thought' The New York Times 'He shows himself a truly sensitive and civilized man, whose ideas are grounded in the common culture of the two continents, and may serve as a link between them; his book is of foremost importance for them both' The Times Literary Supplement John Kenneth Galbraith (1908-2006) was a Canadian-American economist. A Keynesian and an institutionalist, Galbraith was a leading proponent of 20th-century American liberalism and progressivism. Galbraith was the author of 30 books, including The Economics of Innocent Fraud, The Great Crash: 1929, and A History of Economics.

Read more less

THE SPINE-TINGLING AND GRIPPING NEW THRILLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF SUNDAY TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH, BREATHLESS'Enthralling. Combines an intricate murder mystery with lyrical passages describing ice cliffs and spectacular skies' SUNDAY TIMES'Chillingly atmospheric, with sub-zero tension and a creeping plot that makes it impossible to look away' JANICE HALLETT'A chilling, atmospheric rollercoaster of a read filled with clever unpredictable twists' CLAIRE DOUGLAS'Transportive, absorbing and perfectly paced. You won't want to miss it!' LUCY CLARKE___________With her life back in London falling apart, Olivia cannot believe her luck when she's invited on a once-in-a-lifetime Antarctic cruise with her boyfriend, Aaron.Olivia has never been anywhere so spectacular: huge cliffs of ice loom high on the horizon, penguins dive through the sparkling sea, and above it all, the sun never sets in the eerie twilight sky.Then Aaron disappears. And a body is discovered on board.Surrounded by strangers, Olivia has no idea who she can trust.If she can't figure it out soon, she might not make it back alive . . .___________'Chills, thrills and intense suspense . . . A clever mystery, a twisting page-turner, and a blistering adventure' CHRIS WHITAKER'An atmospheric, chilling book. It was difficult to put down' CATHERINE COOPERPraise for Amy McCulloch:'A high-altitude, high-stakes thriller. I loved it' MATT HAIG'Had me on the edge of my seat. A must read' SARAH PEARSE'Suffocatingly tense, highly original and exhilarating' DAILY EXPRESS'Tense, chilling and terrifying' CLAIRE DOUGLAS'An addictive, tightly plotted thriller that will leave you chilled to the bone' LUCY CLARKE'Chilling, vivid and entirely unique' ABIGAIL DEAN'A real page-turner. Tense, terrifying and fascinating in equal measure' CATHERINE COOPER'A truly terrifying thriller with a tense and twisty plot. Superbly executed' ALLIE REYNOLDS

Read more less

**FROM THE AUTHOR OF INSIDE THE WAVE, THE COSTA BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017** Leningrad, September 1941. Hitler orders the German forces to surround the city at the start of the most dangerous, desperate winter in its history. For two pairs of lovers - Anna and Andrei, Anna's novelist father and banned actress Marina - the siege becomes a battle for survival. They will soon discover what it is like to be so hungry you boil shoe leather to make soup, so cold you burn furniture and books. But this is not just a struggle to exist, it is also a fight to keep the spark of hope alive...A brilliantly imagined novel of war and the wounds it inflicts on ordinary people's lives, and a profoundly moving celebration of love, life and survival. 'Remarkable, affecting...there are few more interesting stories than this; and few writers who could have told it better' Rachel Cusk, Daily Telegraph 'Literary writing of the highest order set against a background if suffering so intimately reconstructed it is hard to believe that Dunmore was not there' Richard Overy, Sunday Telegraph 'Utterly convincing. A deeply moving account of two love stories in terrible circumstances. The story of their struggle to survive appears simple, as all great literature should. . . a world-class novel' Antony Beevor, The Times Novelist and poet Helen Dunmore has achieved great critical acclaim since publishing her first adult novel, the McKitterick Prize winning, Zennor in Darkness. Her novels, Counting the Stars, Your Blue-Eyed Boy, With Your Crooked Heart, Burning Bright, House of Orphans, Mourning Ruby, A Spell of Winter, and Talking to the Dead, and her collection of short stories Love of Fat Men are all published by Penguin. This edition includes the first chapter of Betrayal, the sequel to The Siege.

Read more less

The highly anticipated novel from the internationally bestselling author of The Pull of the Stars and Room'This is Donoghue at her strange, unsettling best.' - Maggie O'Farrell, author of Hamnet'Combines pressure-cooker intensity and radical isolation, to stunning effect.' – Margaret Atwood via TwitterIn seventh-century Ireland, a scholar and priest called Artt has a dream telling him to leave the sinful world behind. Taking two monks – young Trian and old Cormac – he travels down the river Shannon in search of an isolated spot on which to found a monastery. Drifting out into the Atlantic, the three men find an impossibly steep, bare island inhabited by tens of thousands of birds, and claim it for God. Their extraordinary landing spot is now known as Skellig Michael. But in such a place, far from all other humanity, what will survival mean?Haunting, moving and vividly told, Haven displays Emma Donoghue’s trademark world-building and psychological intensity – but this tale is like nothing she has ever written before . . .One of The Times Books of the Year 2022One of Easons 'Favourite Book of the Year 2022'.The Irish Times 'Books to Look Out For in 2022'.Pre-order Learned By Heart, the dazzling new love story from Emma Donoghue.

Read more less

'The Queen of Crime is back!' CloserDon't miss the brand new novel from legendary author Martina Cole. If you want to survive in this world, there's one thing you should value above all else: LOYALTY.Dara Tailor has had to grow up fast. With a mother addicted to cocaine, Dara must look after her seven younger siblings, until social services split them up for ever.Grace Perry has led a sheltered life. Until her widowed mother is attacked and left for dead and Grace is taken into care.At Holly Brookes Children's Home, the two girls unite in the face of horrific abuse and form an unbreakable bond of loyalty.But when their loyalty is tested can they rely on each other to do the right thing?Friendship - it's all about trust.Don't miss the explosive new novel from the queen of crime Martina Cole.'She's a total one-off' Guardian'The stuff of legend . . . utterly compelling' Mirror'Superstar crime writer' This Morning'The undisputed Queen of crime writing' Erwin James'Her gripping plots pack a mean emotional punch' Mail on Sunday'One of the best fiction authors around . . . spectacular' Closer'Dark and dangerous' Sunday MirrorDue to health reasons, Martina Cole has chosen to collaborate with writer Jacqui Rose to finish her upcoming novel Loyalty.

Read more less

Random House presents the audiobook edition of Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan, read by Billy Howle. Britain has lost the Falklands war, Margaret Thatcher battles Tony Benn for power and Alan Turing achieves a breakthrough in artificial intelligence. In a world not quite like this one, two lovers will be tested beyond their understanding.Machines Like Me occurs in an alternative 1980s London. Charlie, drifting through life and dodging full-time employment, is in love with Miranda, a bright student who lives with a terrible secret. When Charlie comes into money, he buys Adam, one of the first batch of synthetic humans. With Miranda’s assistance, he co-designs Adam’s personality. This near-perfect human is beautiful, strong and clever – a love triangle soon forms. These three beings will confront a profound moral dilemma. Ian McEwan’s subversive and entertaining new novel poses fundamental questions: what makes us human? Our outward deeds or our inner lives? Could a machine understand the human heart? This provocative and thrilling tale warns of the power to invent things beyond our control.

Read more less

The international bestseller--now with a new preface by author John Kotter. Millions worldwide have read and embraced John Kotter's ideas on change management and leadership. From the ill-fated dot-com bubble to unprecedented M&A activity to scandal, greed, and ultimately, recession--we've learned that widespread and difficult change is no longer the exception. It's the rule. Now with a new preface, this refreshed edition of the global bestseller Leading Change is more relevant than ever. John Kotter's now-legendary eight-step process for managing change with positive results has become the foundation for leaders and organizations across the globe. By outlining the process every organization must go through to achieve its goals, and by identifying where and how even top performers derail during the change process, Kotter provides a practical resource for leaders and managers charged with making change initiatives work. Leading Change is widely recognized as his seminal work and is an important precursor to his newer ideas on acceleration published in Harvard Business Review. Needed more today than at any time in the past, this bestselling business book serves as both visionary guide and practical toolkit on how to approach the difficult yet crucial work of leading change in any type of organization. Reading this highly personal book is like spending a day with the world's foremost expert on business leadership. You're sure to walk away inspired--and armed with the tools you need to inspire others. Published by Harvard Business Review Press.

Read more less

From Sunday Times bestselling novelist Rose Tremain comes a gripping novel of murder and revenge set in Victorian England Nobody knows yet that she is a murderer... London, 1850. On a freezing winter's night, a baby is abandoned at the gates of a park only to be saved by a young policeman and taken to the Foundling Hospital.After suffering years of brutal hardship at the Hospital, Lily is released into the world of Victorian London. But she is hiding a dreadful secret...When Lily and the policeman meet again, Lily is convinced that he holds the key to her happiness. But might he also be the one to uncover her crime and so condemn her to death?'Enthralling... Tremain evokes Victorian London with visceral intensity in a gripping and deeply humane novel exploring themes of rejection, poverty, guilt and redemption' Observer

Read more less

Give yourself up. Whatever you've done. They'll find you. In the end.A man with no name staggers down a lonely stretch of road that cuts through the simmering veld of rural South Africa. He is exhausted and hungry yet dives for the long grass whenever cars approach. He is on the run. When a minister on his way to a new congregation offers help - at a price - the fugitive's desperation boils over. Stealing the minister's identity, he is successfully taken in by the township. But when a body is discovered in a nearby quarry, and the local police captain's suspicions grow, the hunt reignites with devastating consequences.'One of South Africa's great literary voices' Economist'Galgut's prose feels as if it's been fired through a crucible, burning away all the comfortable excess until only a hard, concentrated purity remains' Daily Telegraph

Read more less

Armistice Day, London, 1918. Fiercely independent Georgie is tired of being told what's best for her by men. When she defies her father's wishes by going out into the peace festivities, she tries to help a woman being attacked and encounters Patrick, a gallant, wounded ex-soldier looking for a new calling now that the fighting is done. But the war isn't over for everybody. Enemy forces have infiltrated the bureau and sent her father into hiding. And they are coming for her too. Georgie knows there's only one place where she'll be safe: Honeyfield. But there are traitors in the bureau and she doesn't know who she can trust.

Read more less

‘A cul-de-sac, a dead-end track,A sandbanked strand to sink a fleet,A bay, a bar, a strip, a trap, A wrecking ground, that’s Shingle Street.’Blake Morrison’s first two collections, Dark Glasses (1984) and The Ballad of a Yorkshire Ripper (1987) established him as one of our most inventive and accomplished contemporary poets.In his first full-length collection for nearly thirty years, Shingle Street sees a return to the form with which he started his career. Set along the Suffolk coast, the opening poems address a receding world – an eroding landscape, ‘abashed by the ocean’s passion’. But coastal life gives way to other, more dangerous, vistas: a wave unleashes a flood-tide of terror; a sequence of topical poems lays bare pressing political issues; while elsewhere portraits of the past bring forth the dear and the departed. Ardent and elegiac, and encompassing an impressive range of mood and method, this is a timely offering from a poet of distinct talents.

Read more less

'THRILLING...a terrific book, accomplished in its poised, imaginative storytelling and its vivid, sensual rendering of landscape and character, emotion and memory' The TimesIn a silent valley in southern France stands an isolated stone farmhouse, the Mas Lunel. Its owner is Aramon Lunel, an alcoholic haunted by his violent past. His sister, Audrun, alone in her bungalow within sight of the Mas Lunel, dreams of exacting retribution for the unspoken betrayals that have blighted her life. Into this closed world comes Anthony Verey, a wealthy but disillusioned antiques dealer from London seeking to remake his life in France. From the moment he arrives at the Mas Lunel, a frightening and unstoppable series of consequences is set in motion...

Read more less

FOR FANS OF PERSONS UNKNOWN AND ANGELA MARSONS, NO TURNING BACK IS A GRIPPING READ THAT HAS ENOUGH TWISTS AND TURNS TO KEEP READERS GUESSING UNTIL THE VERY END. Even perfect families have secrets . . .Orla and Conor Quinn are the perfect power couple: smart, successful and glamorous. But then the unthinkable happens. Their only son, Tom, is the victim of a deliberate hit-and-run. Detective Garda Cathy Connolly has just left Tom's parents when she is called to the discovery of another body, this time in Dillon's Park, not far from where Tom Quinn was found. What led shy student Lauren O'Reilly to apparently take her own life? She was a friend of Tom's and they both died on the same night - are their deaths connected and if so, how?As Cathy delves deeper, she uncovers links to the Dark Web and a catalogue of cold cases, realising that those involved each have their own reasons for hiding things from the police. But events are about to get a lot more frightening . . .

Read more less

HE DISAPPEARED FOR 15 YEARS...UNTIL THE DAY OF THE MURDER. *** THE INTERNATIONAL TOP TEN BESTSELLER***'Taut, beautifully observed...with an explosive finish.' PETER MAY'Original, compelling and highly recommended. S. R. White is the real deal.' CHRIS HAMMER'A fascinating case' SUNDAY TIMES CRIME CLUB PICKAfter a puzzling death in the wild bushlands of Australia, detective Dana Russo has just 12 hours to interrogate the prime suspect - a silent, inscrutable man found at the scene of the crime, who disappeared without trace 15 years earlier.But where has he been? Why won't he talk? And exactly how dangerous is he? Without conclusive evidence to prove his guilt, Dana faces a desperate race against time to persuade him to speak. But as each interview spirals with fevered intensity, Dana must reckon with her own traumatic past to reveal the shocking truth . . .Compulsive, atmospheric and stunningly accomplished, HERMIT introduces a thrilling new voice in Australian crime fiction, perfect for fans of Jane Harper's THE DRY and Chris Hammer's SCRUBLANDS.'It draws you in - and rewards with a truly powerful ending.' HEAT (Read of the week)'This slow-burn novel catches light' THE SUN'A dark and compulsive read' WOMAN & HOME

Read more less