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The Trial of Fallen Angels
by J. P. KimmelWith shades of both The Book Thief and The Lovely Bones, James Kimmel Jr.'s first novel, The Trial of Fallen Angels, is a story about what happens when we can't - or won't - let go.I remembered telling my husband I loved him and knowing I did. I remembered picking up my daughter at the end of the day and her squeals of delight when she saw me . . . And then my memories vanished, as if a plug had been pulled. When young lawyer Brek Cutler finds herself covered in blood and standing on a deserted railway platform, she has no memory of how she got there . . . For one very good reason: she's dead.But she's not allowed to grieve for her lost life, her widowed husband, or her beautiful but now motherless baby daughter - because she has a job to do. She's been chosen to join the elite lawyers who prosecute and defend souls at the Final Judgement.In a seemingly deliberate coincidence, her first client seems to hold the key to unlock the chain of events that led to Brek's death . . . A chain that stretches far back into the past and an array of shocking, secret crimes. And so Brek embarks on a quest that sees her traverse Heaven and Earth to bring her killer to justice. If she's ever to learn the whole truth about her death, though, she must also place her own soul on trial - and make a choice that will potentially echo throughout eternity.Telling a story of life, death and ever after, James Kimmel Jr.'s The Trial of Fallen Angels is unique, haunting and utterly unforgettable.James Kimmel Jr. received a doctorate in jurisprudence from the University of Pennsylvania and now works as a lawyer. This is his first novel.He lives in the United States.
The Chaperone: A Novel
by Laura MoriartyOn a summer's day in 1922 Cora Carlisle boards a train from Wichita, Kansas, to New York City, leaving behind a marriage that's not as perfect as it seems and a past that she buried long ago. She is charged with the care of a stunning young girl with a jet-black fringe and eyes wild and wise beyond her fifteen years. This girl is hungry for stardom and Cora for something she doesn't yet know. Cora will be many things in her lifetime - an orphan, a mother, a wife, a mistress - but in New York she is a chaperone and her life is about to change.It is here under the bright lights of Broadway, in a time when prohibition reigns and speakeasies with their forbidden whispers behind closed doors thrive, that Cora finds what she has been searching for. It is here, in a time when illicit thrills and daring glamour sizzle beneath the laws of propriety that her life truly begins. It is here that Cora and her charge, Louise Brooks, take their first steps towards their dreams.
The Betrayers
by David BezmozgisThe Betrayers by David Bezmozgis is a searing novel about a man whose principles are tested to the utmost extremes'Impressive . . . alive to how reversals of fortune change individuals' Sunday TimesIn a small crumbling resort in the Crimea, two men meet after many years apart. Kotler has fled Jerusalem with his young lover after taking a decision which has now cost him everything. Yet the other, Vladimir, would rather discuss the distant past: a long time ago, Kotler was betrayed and imprisoned - and now there must be a reckoning. With the world on his trail, Kotler would like nothing better than to hide. However, the consequences of decisions old and new return to haunt him . . .'Gripping from the outset. Brilliant' Tom Rob Smith'Compelling, rich, comic, profound' Financial Times'Brave and ambitious' Independent'Very impressive. As gripping as a political thriller, but probes issues of loyalty and betrayal more deeply than most thrillers ever aspire to do' James Wood, New Yorker, Books of the YearDavid Bezmozgis was born in Riga, Latvia, in 1973 and emigrated with his parents to Toronto in 1980. His first novel, The Free World, was shortlisted for the Giller Prize and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. His collection Natasha and Other Stories was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award, was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and won the Commonwealth Writers' Regional Prize for First Book. His books have been translated into over a dozen languages.
The Patchwork Marriage
by Jane GreenEver wanted a ready-made family?When Andi married Ethan she not only got the man she loves but also a ready-made family in his two daughters, Emily and Sophia. Unable to have a child of her own, Andi saw this as a precious gift - her chance to be a mother. If only it were that simple.For this blended family is not a happy family, and the reason lies with Emily. Her vicious anger and fierce resentment towards her stepmother leaves Andi feeling hated in her own home. Her tears, tantrums and expertise in the art of emotional blackmail have Ethan steeped in guilt. With each drama Emily is driving Andi and Ethan further apart. Torn between his troubled teenaged daughter and his beloved wife, Ethan's desperate to fix this rift before he loses Andi for ever. He just doesn't know how.With tensions high and everyone at breaking point, Emily comes home with some shocking news. Is this the final crack that will shatter this family for good or can they find a way to mend their broken hearts?
The Jump Artist
by Austin RatnerThe Jump Artist by Austin Ratner is a prize-winning novel that tells an astonishing true story of injustice, survival, reinvention and fame against all the odds.'Panoramic, arresting, breathtaking' Anna Funder, author of Stasiland'Bold and wondrous' A D Miller, author of SnowdropsAustria, 1928. A murder trial sends shockwaves across Europe. An unknown young man named Philippe Halsman stands unjustly accused of killing his father. Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud and Thomas Mann are moved to speak out on his behalf. But as he fights to prove his innocence, a whole nation turns against him.So begins an extraordinary journey - from courtroom drama and prison cell to bohemian Paris at its height and Europe on the eve of war - and an extraordinary act of reinvention, involving Salvador Dali and Marilyn Monroe among many of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. From tragedy and injustice to freedom and, eventually, to fame, this is the remarkable story of The Jump Artist.'Compelling' The Sunday Times'Brilliantly constructed' Guardian'A remarkable work [that] documents a triumph of the human spirit over tremendous adversity' Harper's'A tale of passionate commitment' New Statesman'Lucid and atmospheric' Observer'Absorbing' Sunday Telegraph'Truly beautiful' The Scotsman'Tremendous resonance' Publishers Weekly'Subtle, moving ... has the pace and excitement of a legal drama' The ForwardAustin Ratner studied at the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, having previously graduated from John Hopkins School of Medicine. The Jump Artist won the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature in 2010. It is his first novel.
Three Elizabethan Domestic Tragedies: Arden of Faversham; a Yorkshire Tragedy; a Woman Killed with Kindness
by Keith Sturgess Thomas HeywoodElizabethan domestic tragedies depicted the workings of Fortune in the lives of ordinary people, telling stories of sin, discovery, punishment and divine mercy, with their settings and characterization often enhanced by a highly entertaining blend of realism and sensationalism. Only some half-dozen survive to offset the dramas of kings and nobles in the tragedies of Shakespeare and his peers. They combined journalism and entertainment with a didactic concern, and their plots were often derived from contemporary events. Arden of Faversham (1592) and A Yorkshire Tragedy (1608) are both based on chronicles or pamphlets describing authentic murders, while A Woman Killed with Kindness (1603) by Thomas Heywood is a fictional creation, considered his masterpiece.
The Original of Laura: (Dying Is Fun) A Novel in Fragments (Penguin Modern Classics)
by Vladimir Nabokov Dmitri NabokovThe Original of Laura is Vladimir Nabokov's final, incredible unfinished novel in fragments. Dr Philip Wild, a man of brilliance, wit, fortune and tremendous bulk, is used to suffering humiliations at the hands of his wife, the younger, slender, and rudely promiscuous Flora. But in a novel, a 'maddening masterpiece' documenting her infidelities, written by one of her lovers and given to the doctor, she appears as My Laura. Dishonoured, Wild still finds pleasure in life, by indulging in self-annihilation, beginning with the removal of his toes.
Home Boy
by H. M. NaqviMeet the Metrostanis, three young Pakistani men in New York City at the turn-of-the-millennium: AC, a gangsta rap spouting academic; Jimbo, a hulking Pushtun deejay from the streets of Jersey City; and Chuck, a wide-eyed, off-the-boat kid, searching for himself and the American Dream.In a city where origins matter less than the talent for self invention, they have the guts to claim the place as their own. But after the fall of the towers they embark on a road-trip to the hinterland in search of 'The Shaman', a Gatsbyesque compatriot who seemingly disappears into thin air - and then things begin to go horribly wrong. Suddenly, they find themselves in a changed, charged America . . .
Survivor: A gripping and emotional story from the bestselling author of Stolen (Belle)
by Lesley PearseLesley Pearse, No.1 bestselling author of The Promise and Belle is back with Survivor, the story of Mariette, a born fighter.It is 1938 and Mariette Carrera is a defiant, strong-willed and selfish seventeen-year-old. And sooner or later, if she stays in the small, gossipy town of Russell, New Zealand, she'll get herself into some serious trouble. Her doting parents, Belle and Etienne, fear for her reputation. So, with the world on the brink of war, Mari leaves home on the SS Rimutaka, bound for her aunt and uncle's house in London.Armed with the freedom she's longed for since childhood, Mari quickly falls for Morgan, the handsome cockney steward on board ship. But once she reaches London, there are other temptations.Mari loves her new life - caught up in a whirl of dances and parties in the glittering West End, relishing her freedom as she earns her own money as a typist. Finally, she feels she is mistress of her own future.Until it is all snatched away by the war.As London endures the Blitz, Mari's new life is cruelly blown apart. Forced from her loving new home, she ends up alone in the East End, and it's worlds away from the London she knows. But there, even in the face of so much despair, she finds the chance to make a difference. Amidst the destruction, Mari learns that the only way to survive this war is to fight, with all the strength, selflessness and compassion within her...and only then will she find true happiness.Because Mari is a survivor...From internationally bestselling author, Lesley Pearse, Survivor is a story of bravery and love.'Utterly riveting, brilliant' Closer'Characters it is impossible not to care about' Daily Mail'Full of love, passion and heartbreak' Best
Without a Trace
by Lesley PearseInternational number one bestselling author Lesley Pearse brings a compelling story of courage, friendship and love in her brand new novel Without a Trace.Coronation Day, 1953.In the Somerset village of Sawbridge, young shopkeeper Molly Heywood slips away from the celebrations to her friend's cottage and makes a shocking discovery: Cassie is dead and her six-year-old daughter Petal has vanished without a trace . . . In her grief, Molly seeks help from her childhood friend George, now the village policeman, but no one can find Petal. The only clue is a letter from London, where Cassie once lived. Despite George's reluctance and her growing feelings for him, Molly resolves to go to London in the hope of discovering the missing child.Arriving in the big city, Molly quickly learns it's a dangerous place for a country girl on her own. But there's hope too - in the Blitz-ruined East End, she unexpectedly finds friendship with strangers from Cassie's past and, with handsome, mysterious workman Charley, the possibility of something more.However, the closer Molly gets to the truth, the more perilous her journey becomes. She has given up everything - her home, happiness and a chance at love - all to find Petal. But is she also risking her life?From the number one UK bestselling author Lesley Pearse comes Without a Trace, a gripping story of bravery, secrets and love.Praise for Without a Trace'Epic romantic drama set in post-war London' Heat Magazine'A heart-warming and evocative tale that is a real delight to read' Sun'A narrative that gallops along, this is quintessential Pearse that will delight her army of readers' Daily Mail'Must have' Sunday Express'Yet another great Lesley Pearse novel' Woman MagazinePraise for Lesley Pearse'Evocative, compelling, told from the heart' Sunday Express 'Utterly riveting, brilliant' Closer 'Full of love, passion and heartbreak' Best'Glorious, heartwarming' Woman & Home
Protection (Penguin Specials)
by Helen DunmorePenguin Specials are designed to fill a gap. Written to be read over a long commute or a short journey, they are original and exclusively in digital form. This is a chilling tale by Helen Dunmore.'It was nothing, she tells herself, but her body knows better.'Florence lives in the country, lapped by miles and miles of darkness. She feels safe there - until a noise wakes her in the middle of the night. Protection is a short story by bestselling author Helen Dunmore that will cause your skin to prickle and make you ask yourself how far you would go to protect your family.
At the Hairdresser's (Penguin Specials)
by Anita BrooknerPenguin Specials are designed to fill a gap. Written to be read over a long commute or a short journey, they are original and exclusively in digital form. This is a poignant novella from Anita Brookner.'I rather hope I shall die at the hairdresser's, for they are bound to know what to do. At least that is what I tell myself.'Solitude is a familiar burden for Elizabeth Warner. She lives in a basement flat near Victoria and leaves the house only to go shopping and to have her hair done - until a chance encounter at the hairdresser's brings unexpected change. At the Hairdresser's is a deeply moving, unflinchingly observed story about trust and betrayal by one of the greatest writers of contemporary fiction.
The David Foster Wallace Reader
by David Foster WallaceThe David Foster Wallace Reader is a selection of David Foster Wallace's work, introducing readers to his humour, kindness, sweeping intellect and versatility as a writer. A compilation from the one of the most original writers of our age, featuring:· the very best of his fiction and non-fiction;· previously unpublished writing· and original contributions from 12 prominent authors and critics about his workFrom classic short fiction to genre-defining reportage, this book is a must for new readers and confirmed David Foster Wallace fans alike'One of the most dazzling luminaries of contemporary American fiction' Sunday Times'There are times, reading his work, when you get halfway through a sentence and gasp involuntarily, and for a second you feel lucky that there was, at least for a time, someone who could make sense like no other of what it is to be a human in our era' Daily Telegraph'A prose magician, Mr. Wallace was capable of writing . . .about subjects from tennis to politics to lobsters, from the horrors of drug withdrawal to the small terrors of life aboard a luxury cruise ship, with humour and fervour and verve' Michiko Kakutani, The New York TimesDavid Foster Wallace wrote the novels The Pale King, Infinite Jest, and The Broom of the System and three story collections. His nonfiction includes Consider the Lobster and A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again. He died in 2008.
In the Dark (Penguin Modern Classics)
by Mai Jia'Cracking another country's cipher is an undercover fight to the death...'Hidden deep in the mountains, the recruits at 'Unit 701', China's secret services, operate in a dark, shadowy world. There is the 'wind-listener', a blind surveillance officer who can hear sounds from miles away; the beautiful, unstable maths genius who meets a violent end; the old man who deciphers codes in his dreams; the spy who recounts a dangerous mission from beyond the grave.In this story of conspiracies, geniuses, revolutionaries and terrible moral choices, people sacrifice everything for a world of secrets - until, ultimately, it destroys them.
Decoded: A Novel (Penguin Modern Classics)
by Mai JiaDecoded tells the story of Rong Jinzhwen, one of the great code-breakers in the world. A semi-autistic mathematical genius, Jinzhen is recruited to the cryptography department of China's secret services, Unit 701, where he is assigned the task of breaking the elusive 'Code Purple'. Jinzhen rises through the ranks to eventually become China's greatest and most celebrated code-breaker; until he makes a mistake. Then begins his descent through the unfathomable darkness of the world of cryptology into madness. Decoded was an immediate success when it was published in 2002 in China and has become an international bestseller. With the pacing of a literary crime thriller, Mai Jia's masterpiece also combines elements of historical fiction and state espionage. Taking place in the shadowy world of Chinese secret security, where Mai Jia worked for decades, it introduces us to a place that is unfamiliar, intriguing and authentic. And with Rong Jinzhen, it introduces us to a character who is deeply flawed and fragile, yet possessing exceptional intelligence. Decoded is an unforgettable and gripping story of genius, brilliance, insanity and human frailty.Mai Jia (the pseudonym of Jiang Benhu) is arguably the most successful writer in China today. His books are constant bestsellers, with total sales over three million copies. He became the highest paid author in China last year with his new book, Wind Talk. He has achieved unprecedented success with film adaptation: all of his novels are made - or are being made - into major films or TV series, the screenplays of which are often written by Mai Jia himself. He is hailed as the forerunner of Chinese espionage fiction, and has created a unique genre that combines spycraft, code-breaking, crime, human drama, historical fiction, and metafiction. He has won almost every major award in China, including the highest literary honor - the Mao Dun Award.
Less Than One: Selected Essays (Penguin Modern Classics)
by Joseph BrodskyEssayist and poet Joseph Brodsky was one of the most penetrating voices of the twentieth century. This prize-winning collection of his diverse essays includes uniquely powerful appreciations of great writers: on Dostoevsky and the development of Russian prose, on Auden and Akhmatova, Cavafy, Montale and Mandelstam. These are contrasted with his reflections on larger themes of tyranny and evil, and subtle evocations of his childhood in Leningrad. Brodsky's insightful appreciation of the intricacies of language, culture and identity connect these works, revealing his remarkable gifts as a prose writer.
On Grief And Reason: Essays (Penguin Modern Classics #Vol. 899)
by Joseph BrodskyIn this richly diverse collection of essays, Joseph Brodsky casts a reflective eye on his experiences of early life in Russia and exile in America. With dazzling erudition, he explores subjects as varied as the dynamic of poetry, the nature of history and the plight of the émigré writer. There is also the humorous tale of a disastrous trip to Brazil, advice to students, a homage to Marcus Aurelius and studies of Robert Frost, Thomas Hardy, Horace and others. The second volume of essays following Less Than One, this collection includes Brodsky's 1987 Nobel Lecture, 'Uncommon Visage'.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More (Contraseñas Ser.)
by Roald DahlIn The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, seven tales of the bizarre and unexpected are told by the grand master of the short story, Roald Dahl.Enter a brilliant, sinister and wholly unpredictable world. Here you will find the suggestion of other-worldly goings on in a dark story about a swan and a boy; the surprising tale of a wealthy young wastrel who suddenly develops a remarkable new ability; and meet the hitchhiker whose light-fingers save the day.'An unforgettable read, don't miss it' Sunday TimesRoald Dahl, the brilliant and worldwide acclaimed author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and many more classics for children, also wrote scores of short stories for adults. These delightfully disturbing tales have often been filmed and were most recently the inspiration for the West End play, Roald Dahl's Twisted Tales by Jeremy Dyson. Roald Dahl's stories continue to make readers shiver today.
The Life of Right Reverend Ronald Knox (Forsyte chronicles)
by Evelyn WaughRonald Knox - priest, classicist and brilliant, prolific writer - was one of the outstanding men of letters of his time. The renowned Oxford chaplain was a friend of figures such as G. K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc, and was known for his caustic wit and spiritual wisdom. Evelyn Waugh, his devoted friend and admirer, was asked by Knox to write his biography just before his death in 1957. The result, published after two years of research and writing, is a tribute to a uniquely gifted man: 'the wit and scholar marked out for popularity and fame; the boon companion of a generation of legendary heroes; the writer of effortless felicity and versatility ... who never lost a friend or made an enemy'.
The Course of Love: A Novel
by Alain De BottonSUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLERA brilliant new novel about love and marriage in the modern world - from the author the bestselling novel Essays in LoveModern love is never easy. Society is obsessed with stories of romance, but what comes after happily ever after?This is a love story with a difference. From dating to marriage, from having kids to having affairs, it follows the progress of a single ordinary relationship: tender, messy, hilarious, painful, and entirely un-Romantic. It is a love story for the modern world, chronicling the daily intimacies, the blazing rows, the endless tiny gestures that make up a life shared between two people. Moving and deeply insightful, The Course of Love offers us a window into essential truths about the nature of love.
City of Women
by David GillhamCity of Women by David Gillham is a gripping tale of life in Berlin at the height of the Second World War. 'In the very darkest hour, who do you trust, who do you love, and who can be saved?'It is 1943 - the height of the Second World War. With the men taken by the army, Berlin has become a city of women. And while her husband fights on the Eastern Front, Sigrid Schroder is, for all intents and purposes, the model soldier's wife: she goes to work every day, does as much with her rations as she can, and dutifully cares for her meddling mother-in-law. But behind this facade is an entirely different Sigrid, a woman who dreams of her former Jewish lover, who is now lost in the chaos of the war. Sigrid's tedious existence is turned upside-down when she finds herself hiding a mother and her two young daughters: could they be her lover's family? Now she must make terrifying choices that could cost her everything.'Gillham's Berlin is a terrified city, where nobody dare speak the truth and the smallest decision can cost you your life. A terrifically tense first novel' The Times'In this moving and masterful debut, David Gillham brings war-torn Berlin to life and reveals the extraordinary mettle of women tested to their limits and beyond. Powerful and piercingly real. You won't soon forget these characters.' Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife'David Gillham's excellent new novel, City of Women, is built on one of the most extraordinary and faithful recreations of a time in history - Berlin in World War II - that I've ever read.' Alan FurstDavid Gillham lives with his family in western Massachusetts.
Higher Gossip: Essays and Criticism
by John Updike'Gossip of a higher sort' was how the incomparable John Updike described the art of the review. Here then is the last collection of his best, most dazzling gossip. Influential reviews of Toni Morrison, John le Carré and Ann Patchett and expert critique on exhibitions of El Greco, Van Gogh and Schiele are included alongside previously uncollected short stories, poems and essays on his 'pet topics'. Following earlier prose collections More Matter and Due Considerations, Updike began compiling Higher Gossip shortly before his death in 2009. Displaying his characteristic humour and insight on subjects as varied as ageing, golf, dinosaurs, make-up and his own fiction, the delightful Higher Gossip bookends a legacy of over fifty celebrated titles.This is essential reading for admirers of the deeply missed John Updike, and for any who profess a love for art and literature.
As Far as I Know
by Roger McGoughAs Far as I Know is a wonderful new book of poems by Roger McGough, the nation's favourite poetTake comfort from this You have a book in your hand not a loaded gun or a parking fine or an invitation card to the wedding of the one you should have marriedRoger McGough's new book of poems shows him writing as fluently and inventively as ever. There may be a stronger strain of melancholy than before (the death of a regular in the local pub; the news that a daughter might be moving abroad), as well as a distinct sense of menace, small but insistent, which inhabits many of the poems. But there is plenty of McGough's characteristic wit and wordplay too, including a scintillating series of haiku inspired by a London tube strike and a striking reworking of his famous 1960s poem 'Let Me Die a Youngman's Death', this time entitled 'Not For Me a Youngman's Death'. Who but McGough would characterize the butcher's window as 'the friendly face of the abattoir', or imagine the almost limitless ways in which we might go to bed?A new book of poems by Roger McGough is always an event. Published just ahead of his 75th birthday, As Far As I Know is truly cause for celebration.'The patron saint of poetry' Carol Ann DuffyRoger McGough was born in Liverpool. During the 1960s he was a member of the group Scaffold which had an international hit with 'Lily the Pink'. He has won two BAFTAs and a Royal Television Award for his broadcasting work, and presents the popular Radio 4 programme Poetry Please. He has published many books of poems for adults and children, and both his Collected Poems (2003) and Selected Poems (2006) are bestselling poetry titles on the Penguin list. He was made a Freeman of the City of Liverpool in 2001, and received a CBE in 2004 for his services to literature.
A Guest at the Feast: A Memoir (Penguin Specials)
by Colm TóibínA Guest at the Feast is Colm Tóibín's touching memoir. A Guest at the Feast moves from the small town of Enniscorthy to Dublin, from memories of a mother who always had a book on the go to the author's early adulthood, from a love of literature to the influences of place and family. Tóibín's captivating memoir is the story of a writer coming of age and his connections between home, work and love. It is a perfect gem of a book.
How to Breathe Underwater (Vintage Contemporaries Ser.)
by Julie OrringerIn her dazzling first book Julie Orringer dives into the private world of childhood and immerses us in its fears and longings: the jealous friendships and the bitter sibling battles; the parents that row and the boys that won't dance with you. Then, in a voice that is equally tender and compassionate, she reminds us of those rare, exhilarating moments of victory.'Unbelievably good: the humiliations and cruelties and passions of childhood, sparkling fresh prose, a writer with a big heart and an acute sense of the small things that loom large in our lives' Monica Ali, Guardian