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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 HousekeepingPicture perfect (Fiction - Young Adult)
By Elaine Marie Alphin. 2003
Best friends Ian and Teddy meet regularly in an abandoned motel in the redwood forest, California, to take photographs. One…
day Teddy doesn't show up and Ian suspects his oppressive father has something to do with his friend's mysterious disappearance. Ian is questioned by the sheriff but he can't remember everything that happened that day. For grades 6-9Black Violet: A Michael Violet Thriller (The Michael Violet Thrillers #1)
By Alex Hyland. 2018
Black Violet is the gripping American-based crime debut by screenwriter Alex Hyland.On the surface, Michael Violet is a legitimate San Francisco…
car dealer. But appearances can be deceiving. In reality, he’s a talented pickpocket, lifting the keys to the city’s most luxurious cars.He’s kept his criminal life secret from his journalist brother, Jon, who’s made a career out of exposing corruption. But when Jon is killed, Michael uses his talents to track down his brother’s killer.Driven by guilt and revenge, Michael finds himself being forced into the role of the hero, whether he likes it or not.But turning from thief to hero isn’t going to be as easy as he’d hoped…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' ElleA Song for the Dark Times: The Brand New Must-Read Rebus Thriller
By Ian Rankin. 2020
From the iconic Number One bestseller Ian Rankin, comes one of the must-read books of the year: A SONG FOR…
THE DARK TIMES 'Genius ... Only great novels capture the spirit of the age. This is one of them.'THE TIMES* * * * *'He's gone...'When his daughter Samantha calls in the dead of night, John Rebus knows it's not good news. Her husband has been missing for two days.Rebus fears the worst - and knows from his lifetime in the police that his daughter will be the prime suspect.He wasn't the best father - the job always came first - but now his daughter needs him more than ever. But is he going as a father or a detective?As he leaves at dawn to drive to the windswept coast - and a small town with big secrets - he wonders whether this might be the first time in his life where the truth is the one thing he doesn't want to find...PRAISE FOR A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES:'Magnificent ... utterly unputdownable and an immersive pleasure' MARIAN KEYES'This is Rankin at his best, Rebus at his best, storytelling that meets the moment and transcends all genres and expectations'MICHAEL CONNELLY'An outstanding addition to one of the finest bodies of work in crime fiction' MICK HERRON'Rankin remains the king of the castle' THE TIMES'Typically compelling' DAILY TELEGRAPH'Masterly storytelling' SUNDAY EXPRESS'Excellent' LIZ NUGENT'The best that the crime genre can offer' FT'Rankin grows better with time . . . Rebus grows ever more compelling' DAILY MAIL* * * * *PRAISE FOR THE ICONIC NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER:'Ian Rankin is a genius'LEE CHILD'A master storyteller'GUARDIAN'Rebus is one of British crime writing's greatest characters: alongside Holmes, Poirot and Morse'DAILY MAIL'Great fiction, full stop'THE TIMES'One of Britain's leading novelists in any genre'NEW STATESMAN'Rankin is a phenomenon'SPECTATOR'Worthy of Agatha Christie at her best'SCOTSMAN'The king of crime fiction'SUNDAY EXPRESSFrom the iconic Number One bestseller Ian Rankin, comes one of the must-read books of the year: A SONG FOR…
THE DARK TIMES 'Genius ... Only great novels capture the spirit of the age. This is one of them.'THE TIMES* * * * *'He's gone...'When his daughter Samantha calls in the dead of night, John Rebus knows it's not good news. Her husband has been missing for two days.Rebus fears the worst - and knows from his lifetime in the police that his daughter will be the prime suspect.He wasn't the best father - the job always came first - but now his daughter needs him more than ever. But is he going as a father or a detective?As he leaves at dawn to drive to the windswept coast - and a small town with big secrets - he wonders whether this might be the first time in his life where the truth is the one thing he doesn't want to find...PRAISE FOR A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES:'Magnificent ... utterly unputdownable and an immersive pleasure' MARIAN KEYES'This is Rankin at his best, Rebus at his best, storytelling that meets the moment and transcends all genres and expectations' MICHAEL CONNELLY'An outstanding addition to one of the finest bodies of work in crime fiction' MICK HERRON'Rankin remains the king of the castle' THE TIMES'Typically compelling' DAILY TELEGRAPH'Masterly storytelling' SUNDAY EXPRESS'Excellent' LIZ NUGENT'The best that the crime genre can offer' FT'Rankin grows better with time . . . Rebus grows ever more compelling' DAILY MAIL* * * * *PRAISE FOR THE ICONIC NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER:'Ian Rankin is a genius'LEE CHILD'A master storyteller'GUARDIAN'Rebus is one of British crime writing's greatest characters: alongside Holmes, Poirot and Morse'DAILY MAIL'Great fiction, full stop'THE TIMES'One of Britain's leading novelists in any genre'NEW STATESMAN'Rankin is a phenomenon'SPECTATOR'Worthy of Agatha Christie at her best'SCOTSMAN'The king of crime fiction'SUNDAY EXPRESSNever Forget: The #1 bestselling novel by the master of the killer twist
By Michel Bussi. 2018
A #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERA SUNDAY TIMES CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH'Outrageously entertaining' The Times'Utterly spellbinding' Daily Mail'As exhilarating as Bussi's…
breakthrough novel After the Crash' The Sunday Times'Agatha Christie updated and then cranked up to 11: a blast' Shots MagazineJamal loves to run. But one morning - as he is training on a path winding up a steep cliff - he stumbles across a woman in distress. It's a matter of seconds: suddenly she is falling through the air, crashing on the beach below.Jamal is only an unlucky bystander - or is he? His version of events doesn't seem to fit with what other eyewitnesses claim to have seen. And how to explain the red scarf carefully arranged around the dead woman's neck? Perhaps this was no accident after all. Or perhaps there is something more sinister afoot - a devilish plan decades in the making, masterminded by someone hell-bent on revenge.The 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...Call Him Mine: A Telegraph Thriller of the Year
By Tim MacGabhann. 2019
Jaded reporter Andrew and his photographer boyfriend, Carlos, are sick of telling just another story. From cartel massacres to corrupt…
politicians, sifting the dregs of Mexico's drug war, they think they've seen it all. But when they find a body even the police are too scared to look at, what started out as just another reportage becomes the sort of story all reporters dream of.Until Carlos pushes for answers too fast, and winds up murdered, leaving Andrew grief-stricken and flailing for answers, justice, and revenge. Caught in a web of dirty money that stretches from the boardrooms of the United States to the death squads of El Salvador, Andrew must decide whether to save himself - or find out who killed the man he loves, and destroyed the only home he's ever known.(p) Orion Publishing Group Ltd 2019Remember Me: The gripping, twisty page-turner you won't want to put down
By Amy McLellan. 2019
'Complex, intriguing, clever, twisty, beautifully put together'MARI HANNAH, author of WITHOUT A TRACE* * * * * * *How do…
you find a killer when you can't recognise a face?Last night my sister was murdered. The police think I killed her.I was there. I watched the knife go in. I saw the man who did it.He's someone I know. But he won't be caught.Because he knows I have prosopagnosia - I can't recognise faces.But if I don't find him, I'll be found guilty of murder.* * * * * * *Praise for REMEMBER ME:'Had me hooked from the very beginning, a gripping premise and such a deliciously flawed cast of characters' JENNY BLACKHURST'Beautifully written...Truly shocking, this is a book that will have everyone talking about it'MARY TORJUSSEN'Loved the protagonist from the first chapter and was rooting for her until the end' SARAH WARD'Hooks you from the start, with a twisty, page-turning pace that keeps you guessing' JAMES SWALLOWRemember Me: The gripping, twisty page-turner you won’t want to put down
By Amy McLellan. 2019
'Complex, intriguing, clever, twisty, beautifully put together'MARI HANNAH, author of WITHOUT A TRACE* * * * * * *How do…
you find a killer when you can't recognise a face?Last night my sister was murdered. The police think I killed her.I was there. I watched the knife go in. I saw the man who did it.He's someone I know. But he won't be caught.Because he knows I have prosopagnosia - I can't recognise faces.But if I don't find him, I'll be found guilty of murder.* * * * * * *Praise for REMEMBER ME:'Had me hooked from the very beginning, a gripping premise and such a deliciously flawed cast of characters' JENNY BLACKHURST'Beautifully written...Truly shocking, this is a book that will have everyone talking about it' MARY TORJUSSEN'Loved the protagonist from the first chapter and was rooting for her until the end' SARAH WARD'Hooks you from the start, with a twisty, page-turning pace that keeps you guessing' JAMES SWALLOWThe 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 2018Loyal, honest and, above all, principled. There is no finer detective in Victorian London than Thomas Pitt.It is 1896, and…
Thomas Pitt is in charge of Special Branch. He is beginning to understand the power he now commands, but is still ill at ease at the glittering events he and his wife Charlotte must attend. During a lavish party at the Spanish Embassy, a policeman breaks into Pitt's conversation with investor Rawdon Quixwood to break the terrible news that Quixwood's wife, Catherine, has been viciously assaulted at their home, and left for dead. Worse still, it appears that the assailant was someone she had trusted as she opened the door to the attacker herself.At the same party, Charlotte sees Angeles Castelbranco, an ambassador's daughter, flinch in fear at the teasing of some young men. A few days later, Angeles flees from the same group and, in her terror, falls from a window - what could have caused her to take that fatal step?Pitt and his friend Victor Narraway vow to uncover the unspoken truth behind these two women's deaths. But as they investigate, deception and violence get ever nearer and danger is only ever one step away...(P)2013 Headline DigitalThe 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 LtdBlack 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 GroupThe 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 GroupQueen Bees quilt mysteries: Books 1-4 (Queen Bees quilt mystery #2)
By Sally Goldenbaum. 2004
Four books, written between 2003 and 2008, in the series featuring writer and quilter Po Paltrow, who belongs to a…
sleuthing quilting group with seven other women in a Kansas college town. Includes Murders on Elderberry Road, A Murder of Taste, Murder on a Starry Night, and Dog-Gone Murder. 2008Found Her: The most gripping and emotional thriller you'll read in 2021
By Nj Mackay. 2020
The most gripping, emotional and redemptive psychological thriller of 2021 - for fans of Erin Kinsley, Lisa Jewell, Louise Jensen,…
Phoebe Morgan, CL Taylor, Cara Hunter and KL Slater...'Dark, gripping, unexpected. Insanely good - like, Dark Places good' ELLE CROFT, author of The Guilty Wife'Brilliantly plotted, tense and atmospheric. You will doubt and suspect everyone. Loved it' RACHAEL BLOK, author of Under The Ice'Grips you from the first line through to the nail-biting conclusion. Psychological suspense at its best' VICTORIA SELMAN, author of Blood for Blood'I binge read this clever, unexpected, brilliantly plotted thriller because I literally could not put it down. Incredible' CLARE EMPSON, author of HIM**************Belle Moriarty was there one moment and gone the next. Ten years ago, she disappeared walking home from school, under the supervision of her older sister Eve. Eve has never recovered from the guilt of turning her back.But then she receives a phone call that changes everything. Belle has been found - alive.But who took her? Why did they keep her alive all these years? And now that Belle has escaped, will they try to silence her for good?With Belle in a coma and Eve receiving increasingly terrifying threats, she must discover the kidnapper's identity before they return to finish what they started...**************Praise for NIKI MACKAY:'A punchy, pacy thriller - I devoured it in a single day' HELEN CALLAGHAN'Absolutely gripping' DAME JENNI MURRAY'Totally engaging, fast paced and edgy...completely captivating' ELLE CROFT'I couldn't put it down...a must read...Niki is brilliant and talented' PHOEBE MORGAN'As addictive as Killing Eve' THE LADY'Had me hooked within two pages - every bit as much appeal as The Girl On The Train' ROBERT SCRAGG'A humdinger of a thriller...a maze of lies, deceit and danger'EVENING TELEGRAPHFound Her: The most gripping and emotional thriller you’ll read in 2021
By Nj Mackay. 2020
The most gripping, emotional and redemptive psychological thriller of 2021 - for fans of Erin Kinsley, Lisa Jewell, Louise Jensen,…
Phoebe Morgan, CL Taylor, Cara Hunter and KL Slater...'Dark, gripping, unexpected. Insanely good - like, Dark Places good' ELLE CROFT, author of The Guilty Wife'Brilliantly plotted, tense and atmospheric. You will doubt and suspect everyone. Loved it' RACHAEL BLOK, author of Under The Ice'Grips you from the first line through to the nail-biting conclusion. Psychological suspense at its best' VICTORIA SELMAN, author of Blood for Blood'I binge read this clever, unexpected, brilliantly plotted thriller because I literally could not put it down. Incredible' CLARE EMPSON, author of HIM**************Belle Moriarty was there one moment and gone the next. Ten years ago, she disappeared walking home from school, under the supervision of her older sister Eve. Eve has never recovered from the guilt of turning her back. But then she receives a phone call that changes everything. Belle has been found - alive. But who took her? Why did they keep her alive all these years? And now that Belle has escaped, will they try to silence her for good? With Belle in a coma and Eve receiving increasingly terrifying threats, she must discover the kidnapper's identity before they return to finish what they started...**************Praise for NIKI MACKAY:'A punchy, pacy thriller - I devoured it in a single day' HELEN CALLAGHAN'Absolutely gripping' DAME JENNI MURRAY'Totally engaging, fast paced and edgy...completely captivating' ELLE CROFT'I couldn't put it down...a must read...Niki is brilliant and talented' PHOEBE MORGAN'As addictive as Killing Eve' THE LADY'Had me hooked within two pages - every bit as much appeal as The Girl On The Train' ROBERT SCRAGG'A humdinger of a thriller...a maze of lies, deceit and danger' EVENING TELEGRAPH