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Small Pleasures: Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction
By Clare Chambers. 2020
LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2021'A WORD-OF-MOUTH HIT' Evening Standard 'A very fine book... It's witty and sharp…
and reads like something by Barbara Pym or Anita Brookner, without ever feeling like a pastiche'David Nicholls'Perfect'India Knight 'Beautiful' Jessie Burton'Wonderful'Richard Osman 'Miraculous'Tracy Chevalier 'A wonderful novel. I loved it'Nina Stibbe 'Effortless to read, but every sentence lingers in the mind' Lissa Evans 'This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I honestly don't want you to be without it'Lucy Mangan'Gorgeous... If you're looking for something escapist and bittersweet, I could not recommend more' Pandora Sykes'Remarkable... Small Pleasures is no small pleasure'The Times'An irresistible novel - wry, perceptive and quietly devastating'Mail on Sunday'Chambers' eye for undemonstrative details achieves a Larkin-esque lucidity' Guardian'An almost flawlessly written tale of genuine, grown-up romantic anguish' The Sunday Times 1957, the suburbs of South East London. Jean Swinney is a journalist on a local paper, trapped in a life of duty and disappointment from which there is no likelihood of escape. When a young woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper to claim that her daughter is the result of a virgin birth, it is down to Jean to discover whether she is a miracle or a fraud. As the investigation turns her quiet life inside out, Jean is suddenly given an unexpected chance at friendship, love and - possibly - happiness. But there will, inevitably, be a price to pay.Book of the Year for: The Times, Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, Daily Express, Metro, Spectator, Red Magazine and Good HousekeepingA Christmas Vanishing: Christmas Novella 21 (Christmas Novella #19)
By Anne Perry. 2023
New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry's twenty-first heart-warming Christmas novella.When Mariah Ellison arrives in the picturesque village of St…
Helen's to spend the festive season with her old friend Sadie Alsop, she is shocked to discover that Sadie has vanished. Her husband has no idea where she has gone or when she will return but, thankfully, Mariah has other friends in the village who are willing to offer their hospitality.Once settled, she begins a rigorous search for Sadie that is fuelled by malicious gossip as harsh as the winter snow. Has Sadie run away? Has she been kidnapped? Has someone harmed her? And how long can she survive if she has no shelter from the bitterly cold weather? As Christmas Day approaches, Mariah is increasingly determined to solve the mystery of Sadie's disappearance and bring her home in time to celebrate Yuletide together . . .Singapore Noir (Akashic Noir)
By Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan. 2014
"Singapore, with its great wealth and great poverty existing amid ethnic, linguistic, and cultural tensions, offers fertile ground for bleak…
fiction, as shown by the 14 tales in this solid Akashic noir anthology...Tan has assembled a strong lineup of Singapore natives and knowledgeable visitors for this volume exploring the dark side of a fascinating country."--Publishers Weekly"Singapore Noir is another fine addition to the Akashic's Noir series. Under Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan's tutelage, the stories puncture the stereotypes associated with Singapore and push the genre in new directions."--Chicago Center for Literature and PhotographyIncluded in Recent Books of Note, Toronto StarA Book of the Week pick at Susan Blumber-Kason's blog"Singapore Noir is for the Noir fiction lover."--A Bibliophile's Reverie"If you like noir and would like to catch up on the seedy underbelly of one of the Four Asian Tigers (Dragons), give this anthology a read."--Write LiesLaunched with the summer '04 award-winning best seller Brooklyn Noir, Akashic Books continues its groundbreaking series of original noir anthologies. Each book is comprised of all-new stories, each one set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the city of the book.Brand-new stories by: Colin Goh, Simon Tay/Donald Tee Quee Ho, Philip Jeyaretnam, Colin Cheong, Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, Monica Bhide, S.J. Rozan, Lawrence Osborne, Suchen Christine Lim, Ovidia Yu, Damon Chua, Johann S. Lee, Dave Chua, and Nury Vittachi.From the introduction by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan:"Say Singapore to anyone and you'll likely hear one of a few words: Caning. Fines. Chewing gum.For much of the West, the narrative of Singapore--a modern Southeast Asian city-state perched on an island on the tip of the Malay Peninsula--has been marked largely by its government's strict laws and unwavering enforcement of them...As much as I understand these outside viewpoints, I have always lamented that the quirky and dark complexities of my native country's culture rarely seem to make it past its borders...Beneath its sparkling veneer is a country teeming with shadows...And its stories remain. The rich stories that attracted literary lions W. Somerset Maugham and Rudyard Kipling to hold court at the Raffles Hotel (where the Singapore Sling was created) are still sprinkled throughout its neighborhoods. And in the following pages, you'll get the chance to discover some of them...You'll find stories from some of the best contemporary writers in Singapore--three of them winners of the Singapore Literature Prize, essentially the country's Pulitzer: Simon Tay, writing as Donald Tee Quee Ho, tells the story of a hard-boiled detective who inadvertently wends his way into the underbelly of organized crime, Colin Cheong shows us a surprising side to the country's ubiquitous cheerful 'taxi uncle,' while Suchen Christine Lim spins a wistful tale of a Chinese temple medium whose past resurges to haunt her...As for mine, I chose a setting close to my heart--the kelongs, or old fisheries on stilts, that once dotted the waters of Singapore but are gradually disappearing. I have a deep sense of romance about these kelongs, along with the many other settings, characters, nuances, and quirks that you'll see in these stories. They're intense, inky, nebulous. There is evil, sadness, a foreboding. And liars, cheaters, the valiant abound.This is a Singapore rarely explored in Western literature--until now. No Disneyland here; but there is a death penalty."The Shadow of the Wind: The Cemetery of Forgotten Books 1
By Carlos Ruiz Zafon. 2001
THE MODERN CLASSIC: OVER 20 MILLION COPIES SOLDA Sunday Times bestseller and a Richard & Judy book club pick'The real…
deal: one gorgeous read' Stephen King'This book will change your life. An instant classic' Daily Telegraph'A book lover's dream' The Times Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'Cemetery of Lost Books', a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. To this library, a man brings his 10-year-old son Daniel one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out 'The Shadow of the Wind' by Julian Carax.But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. Then, one night, as he is wandering the old streets once more, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a character from the book, a character who turns out to be the devil. This man is tracking down every last copy of Carax's work in order to burn them. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julian Carax and to save those he left behind...'Marvellous' Sunday Times'A hymn of praise to all the joys of reading' Independent'Gripping and instantly atmospheric' Mail on Sunday'Irresistibly readable' Guardian'Diabolically good' ElleBlack Widows: Keep sweet, obey . . . the Mormon murder
By Cate Quinn.
He had three perfect wives.Until one of them killed him.'An exquisite murder mystery' CHRISTINA DALCHER'Atmospheric and addictive' THE SUN'I could…
not put it down... I loved it!' MARIAN KEYES*****Blake's dead. His wife killed him. The question is... which one?Rachel, Emily and Tina have nothing in common - except that they share a husband and a homestead.When their beloved Blake is found dead under the desert sun, the questions pile up. But none of the widows know who would want to kill a good man like their husband.At least, that's what they'll tell the police...*****READERS AND CRITICS LOVE THE WIDOWS:'Three wives, three motives, three utterly compelling stories' ELLY GRIFFITHS'Oh, my, can this author write women!' NEW YORK TIMES'Intense, gripping, superb' WILL DEAN'A compelling read with a very dark heart' OBSERVER'A brilliant joyride in the company of three unforgettable women - a hugely enjoyable and original mystery with real heart' JANE CASEY'A sly, contemporary crime masterpiece. I loved it.' ADRIAN MCKINTY'An absolutely thrilling novel. I devoured it over a weekend, unable to put it down... Clever and completely original.' ALEX MICHAELIDES'Brilliantly imagined, compellingly told... The voices of the three wives will stay with the reader long after the book is finished.' CHRIS HAMMER'A tremendous read... The tension ramps up all the way to the end and I loved the relationship between the wives.' HARRIET TYCE'Great characters, a fascinating setting and propulsive storyline make for a winning combination.' TM LOGANA Christmas Deliverance: Christmas Novella 20 (Christmas Novella #19)
By Anne Perry. 2022
New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry's twentieth heart-warming Christmas mystery.The festive season is fast approaching, and Dr Crowe and…
his young apprentice Scuff are busy, as always, tending London's sick and wounded. This year, however, Crowe is increasingly distracted by memories of a former patient, Eliza Hollister, for whom he cared deeply. When Crowe sees Ellie being bullied by her domineering fiancé in the street, he is convinced that she is marrying a man she doesn't love, and he is determined to find out why. While Crowe starts his investigations, Scuff is left to run the clinic - with a little help from a rather unexpected source. Forced to enter a dangerous world of blackmail and deception, will Crowe manage to reveal the truth before the bells ring out for Christmas? A Christmas Deliverance is a heart-warming festive mystery set in Victorian London from the pen of the New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry.The Frangipani Tree Mystery (Crown Colony #1)
By Ovidia Yu. 2018
First in a delightfully charming crime series set in 1930s Singapore, introducing amateur sleuth Su Lin, a local girl stepping…
in as governess for the Acting Governor of Singapore.1936 in the Crown Colony of Singapore, and the British abdication crisis and rising Japanese threat seem very far away. When the Irish nanny looking after Acting Governor Palin's daughter dies suddenly - and in mysterious circumstances - mission school-educated local girl Su Lin - an aspiring journalist trying to escape an arranged marriage - is invited to take her place. But then another murder at the residence occurs and it seems very likely that a killer is stalking the corridors of Government House. It now takes all Su Lin's traditional skills and intelligence to help British-born Chief Inspector Thomas LeFroy solve the murders - and escape with her own life.'Simply glorious. Every nook and cranny of 1930s Singapore is brought richly to life, without ever getting in the way of a classic puzzle plot. But what's a setting without a jewel? Chen Su Lin is a true gem. Her slyly witty voice and her admirable, sometimes heartbreaking, practicality make her the most beguiling narrator heroine I've met in a long while.' Catriona McPherson'Charming and fascinating with great authentic feel. Ovidia Yu's teenage Chinese sleuth gives us an insight into a very different culture and time. This book is exactly why I love historical novels.' Rhys BowenThe Angel's Game: The Cemetery of Forgotten Books 2
By Carlos Ruiz Zafon. 2008
The stunning new novel from the internationally bestselling author of THE SHADOW OF THE WIND.In an abandoned mansion at the…
heart of Barcelona, a young man - David Martin - makes his living by writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he has taken refuge in the world of books, and spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city's underworld. But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house letters hinting at the mysterious death of the previous owner. Like a slow poison, the history of the place seeps into his bones as he struggles with an impossible love. Then David receives the offer of a lifetime: he is to write a book with the power to change hearts and minds. In return, he will receive a fortune, perhaps more. But as David begins the work, he realises that there is a connection between this haunting book and the shadows that surround his home...Thou shalt not kill: biblical mystery stories
By Anne Perry. 2005
Fifteen short mysteries, spanning past and present, rooted in the Bible. Simon Brett examines an Old Testament murder in "Cain…
Was Innocent." Also includes Bill Crider's modern crucifixion tale "The Man on the Cross" and works by Carole Nelson Douglas, Peter Robinson, the editor, and others. Some strong language. 2005Black Widows: Blake's dead. His wife killed him. The question is… which one?
By Cate Quinn. 2021
The only thing the three women had in common was their husband.And, as of this morning, that they're each accused…
of his murder.'I could not put it down... I loved it!' MARIAN KEYES'Oh, my, can this author write women!' NEW YORK TIMES'Atmospheric and addictive' THE SUN*****Blake Nelson moved onto a hidden stretch of land - a raw paradise in the wilds of Utah - where he lived with his three wives:Rachel, the chief wife, obedient and doting to a fault.Tina, the other wife, who is everything Rachel isn't.And Emily, the youngest wife, who knows little else.When their husband is found dead under the desert sun, the questions pile up.But none of the widows know who would want to kill a good man like Blake.Or, at least, that's what they'll tell the police...*****'A compelling read with a very dark heart' OBSERVER'A brilliant joyride in the company of three unforgettable women - a hugely enjoyable and original mystery with real heart' JANE CASEY'A sly, contemporary crime masterpiece. I loved it.' ADRIAN McKINTYThe Labyrinth of the Spirits: From the bestselling author of The Shadow of the Wind
By Carlos Ruiz Zafon. 2018
As a child, Daniel Sempere discovered among the passageways of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books an extraordinary novel that would…
change the course of his life. Now a young man in the Barcelona of the late 1950s, Daniel runs the Sempere & Sons bookshop and enjoys a seemingly fulfilling life with his loving wife and son. Yet the mystery surrounding the death of his mother continues to plague his soul despite the moving efforts of his wife Bea and his faithful friend Fermín to save him.Just when Daniel believes he is close to solving this enigma, a conspiracy more sinister than he could have imagined spreads its tentacles from the hellish regime. That is when Alicia Gris appears, a soul born out of the nightmare of the war. She is the one who will lead Daniel to the edge of the abyss and reveal the secret history of his family, although at a terrifying price.The Labyrinth of the Spirits is an electrifying tale of passion, intrigue and adventure. Within its haunting pages Carlos Ruiz Zafón masterfully weaves together plots and subplots in an intricate and intensely imagined homage to books, the art of storytelling and that magical bridge between literature and our lives.Read by Daniel Weyman(p) Orion Publishing Group 2018The Wrong Goodbye
By Toshihiko Yahagi. 2004
A classic slice of Japanese hard-boiled noir paying homage to the master of the genre: Raymond ChandlerThe Wrong Goodbye pits…
homicide detective Eiji Futamura against a shady Chinese business empire and U.S. military intelligence in the docklands of recession Japan. After the frozen corpse of immigrant barman Tran Binh Long washes up in midsummer near Yokosuka U.S. Navy Base, Futamura meets a strange customer from Tran's bar. Vietnam vet pilot Billy Lou Bonney talks Futamura into hauling three suitcases of "goods" to Yokota US Air Base late at night and flies off leaving a dead woman behind. Thereby implicated in a murder suspect's escape and relieved from active duty, Futamura takes on hack work for the beautiful concert violinist Aileen Hsu, a "boat people" orphan whose Japanese adoption mother has mysteriously gone missing. And now a phone call from a bestselling yakuza author, a one-time black marketeer in Saigon, hints at inside information on "former Vietcong mole" Tran and his "old sidekick" Billy Lou, both of whom crossed a triad tycoon who is buying up huge tracts of Mekong Delta marshland for a massive development scheme. As the loose strands flashback to Vietnam, the string of official lies and mysterious allegiances build into a dark picture of the U.S.-Japan postwar alliance. Translated from the Japanese by Alfred Birnbaum(P)2021 Quercus Editions LimitedThe enchanting new Baby Ganesh Agency novel sees Inspector Chopra and his elephant sidekick investigating the dark side of Bollywood.Mumbai…
thrives on extravagant spectacles and larger-than-life characters.But even in the city of dreams, there is no guarantee of a happy ending. Rising star and incorrigible playboy Vikram Verma has disappeared, leaving his latest film in jeopardy. Hired by Verma's formidable mother to find him, Inspector Chopra and his sidekick, baby elephant Ganesha, embark on a journey deep into the world's most flamboyant movie industry. As they uncover feuding stars, failed investments and death threats, it seems that many people have a motive for wanting Verma out of the picture. And yet, as Chopra has long suspected, in Bollywood the truth is often stranger than fiction...(P)2017 Hodder & Stoughton LimitedThe Shadow of the Wind: The Cemetery of Forgotten Books 1
By Carlos Ruiz Zafon. 2001
Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the 'cemetery of lost books', a labyrinthine library of…
obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. To this library, a man brings his 10-year-old son Daniel one cold morning in 1945. Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out 'La Sombra del Viento' by Julian Carax.But as he grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. Then, one night, as he is wandering the old streets once more, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a character from La Sombra del Viento, a character who turns out to be the devil. This man is tracking down every last copy of Carax's work in order to burn them. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julian Carax and to save those he left behind. A page-turning exploration of obsession in literature and love, and the places that obsession can lead.Read by Daniel Philpott(p) 2005 Isis Publishing LtdMurder at the Grand Raj Palace: Baby Ganesh Agency Book 4 (Baby Ganesh series)
By Vaseem Khan. 2018
In the enchanting new Baby Ganesh Agency novel, Inspector Chopra and his elephant sidekick go undercover to investigate a murder…
at Mumbai's grandest hotel.For a century the iconic Grand Raj Palace Hotel has welcomed the world's elite. From film stars to foreign dignitaries, anyone who is anyone stays at the Grand Raj. The last thing the venerable old hotel needs is a murder...When American billionaire Hollis Burbank is found dead - the day after buying India's most expensive painting - the authorities are keen to label it a suicide. But the man in charge of the investigation is not so sure. Chopra is called in - and discovers a hotel full of people with a reason to want Burbank dead.Accompanied by his sidekick, baby elephant Ganesha, Chopra navigates his way through the palatial building, a journey that leads him steadily to a killer, and into the heart of darkness . . .(P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton LimitedBlood of the prodigal: an Ohio Amish mystery (An Amish-Country Mystery #1)
By Paul L Gaus, P. L. Gaus. 1999
Amish bishop Eli Miller breaks the traditional isolation of his people to ask Professor Michael Brandon, who is not Amish,…
to find his grandson, Jeremiah, who has disappeared with his father, Jonah, although Brandon is not to notify the police or use force to recover the boy, but then Jonah is found murdered along the roadsideBlack Water Lilies: 'A dazzling, unexpected and haunting masterpiece' Daily Mail
By Michel Bussi. 2011
Giverny. During the day, tourists flock to the former home of the famous artist Claude Monet and the gardens where…
he painted his Water Lilies. But when silence returns, there is a darker side to the peaceful French village.This is the story of thirteen days that begin with one murder and end with another. Jérôme Morval, a man whose passion for art was matched only by his passion for women, has been found dead in the stream that runs through the gardens. In his pocket is a postcard of Monet's Water Lilies with the words: Eleven years old. Happy Birthday.Entangled in the mystery are three women: a young painting prodigy, the seductive schoolteacher and an old widow who watches over the village from a mill by the stream. All three of them share a secret. But what do they know about the discovery of Jérôme Morval's corpse? And what is the connection to the mysterious, rumoured painting of Black Water Lilies?(p) 2016 Orion Publishing GroupMumbai, murder and a baby elephant combine in a charming, joyful mystery for fans of Alexander McCall Smith and Harold…
Fry. On the day he retires, Inspector Ashwin Chopra inherits two unexpected mysteries.The first is the case of a drowned boy, whose suspicious death no one seems to want solved.And the second is a baby elephant.As his search for clues takes him across the teeming city of Mumbai, from its grand high rises to its sprawling slums and deep into its murky underworld, Chopra begins to suspect that there may be a great deal more to both his last case and his new ward than he thought.And he soon learns that when the going gets tough, a determined elephant may be exactly what an honest man needs...(P)2015 Hodder & StoughtonThe Angel's Game: The Cemetery of Forgotten Books 2
By Carlos Ruiz Zafon. 2008
In an abandoned mansion at the heart of Barcelona, a young man - David Martin - makes his living by…
writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he has taken refuge in the world of books, and spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city's underworld. But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house letters hinting at the mysterious death of the previous owner. Like a slow poison, the history of the place seeps into his bones as he struggles with an impossible love. Then David receives the offer of a lifetime: he is to write a book with the power to change hearts and minds. In return, he will receive a fortune, perhaps more. But as David begins the work, he realises that there is a connection between this haunting book and the shadows that surround his home...Read by Dan Stevens(p) 2009 Orion Publishing GroupThe Prisoner of Heaven: The Cemetery of Forgotten Books 3
By Carlos Ruiz Zafon. 2012
THE PRISONER OF HEAVEN returns to the world of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and the Sempere & Sons bookshop.It…
begins just before Christmas in Barcelona in 1957, one year after Daniel and Bea from THE SHADOW OF THE WIND have married. They now have a son, Julian, and are living with Daniel's father at Sempere & Sons. Fermin still works with them and is busy preparing for his wedding to Bernarda in the New Year. However something appears to be bothering him.Daniel is alone in the shop one morning when a mysterious figure with a pronounced limp enters. He spots one of their most precious volumes that is kept locked in a glass cabinet, a beautiful and unique illustrated edition of THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO. Despite the fact that the stranger seems to care little for books, he wants to buy this expensive edition. Then, to Daniel's surprise, the man inscribes the book with the words 'To Fermin Romero de Torres, who came back from the dead and who holds the key to the future'. This visit leads back to a story of imprisonment, betrayal and the return of a deadly rival ...Read by Peter Kenny(p) 2012 Orion Publishing Group