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The Lion Tamer Who Lost
by Louise BeechShortlisted for the Sapere Books ‘Most Popular Romantic Fiction’ Award at the 2019 RNA AwardsLonglisted for the Polari PrizeA heartbreaking, breathtakingly beautiful love story with an unforgettable tragedy at its heart, from the critically acclaimed, award-winning author of Maria in the Moon and Call Me Star Girl‘Beech eloquently conveys their feelings and longings and sets atmospheric, vividly drawn scenes that transport the reader from grey and damp England to the searing heat of the lion reserve …The Lion Tamer Who Lost will touch the most hardhearted of readers with its persuasive, well-drawn and memorable characters’ Daily Express'A devastating, tender and powerful story love story, beautifully and bravely told. You will lose your heart to this book. I adored it’ Miranda DickinsonBe careful what you wish for…Long ago, Andrew made a childhood wish, and kept it in a silver box. When it finally comes true, he wishes he hadn’t…Long ago, Ben made a promise and he had a dream: to travel to Africa to volunteer at a lion reserve. When he finally makes it, it isn’t for the reasons he imagined…Ben and Andrew keep meeting in unexpected places, and the intense relationship that develops seems to be guided by fate. Or is it? What if the very thing that draws them together is tainted by past secrets that threaten everything?A dark, consuming drama that shifts from Zimbabwe to England, and then back into the past, The Lion Tamer Who Lost is also a devastatingly beautiful love story, with a tragic heart…‘A stirring novel, beautifully written, reminiscent of the early work of Maggie O’Farrell’ Irish Times‘Fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine will love it’ Red Magazine‘An excruciatingly passionate love story… In its surprising turns and lovely particulars … A beautiful text’ Foreword Reviews‘This book really got under my skin as a beautiful portrait of love, loss and longing’ Irish Sunday Independent'An incredible, poignant piece of work. Louise Beech had cemented her place as one of Britain’s finest modern storytellers’ John Marrs'A beautiful, honest and tender love story that I won’t forget for a long time …Their love had me trapped in its spell, their tragic moments had me sobbing like a baby … A triumph’ Fionnuala Kearney‘A beautifully crafted book’ Carol Lovekin‘Louise Beech has totally blown me away with her storytelling’ Madeleine Black‘I adored this beautiful and inspiring book’ Kate Furnivall‘Already one of my favourites of 2018’ LoveReading‘Storytelling at its finest. Louise Beech is a beguiling wordsmith. Prepare to be hooked’ Amanda Prowse‘Digs deep emotionally, but is funny and feel-good, too’ Fiona Mitchell‘A stunning and very brave book’ Gill Paul‘The setting alone makes this book worth a read’ S. E. Lynes‘Heartfelt and wry’ Ruth Dugdall‘Louise Beech is a natural-born storyteller with an elegance about her writing that never fails to move me’ Michael J. Malone‘There are times when you finish reading a book and know that part of it will stay with you always. This will be one of those books’ Claire Allan‘It put me in mind of John Irving. It’s that feeling of being in the hands of a master storyteller and just trusting him or her so completely’ Laura Pearson’Vivid, passionate and exquisitely told, this love story will live on in my heart for a very long time to come. A poignant, surprising and all-consuming read’ Katie Marsh
Trap (Reykjavik Noir #2)
by Lilja SigurdardóttirHigh-stakes jeopardy presides when young mother is forced into smuggling cocaine, in a dark and original, nail-bitingly fast-paced thriller from one of the queens of Icelandic Noir…‘Tough, uncompromising and unsettling’ Val McDermid‘Tense and pacey, this intriguing mix of white-collar and white-powder crime could certainly be enjoyed as a standalone, but I would suggest reading its excellent predecessor, Snare, first’ Laura Wilson, GuardianHappily settled in Florida, Sonja believes she’s finally escaped the trap set by unscrupulous drug lords. But when her son Tomas is taken, she’s back to square one … and Iceland.Her lover, Agla, is awaiting sentencing for financial misconduct after the banking crash, and Sonja refuses to see her. And that’s not all … Agla owes money to some extremely powerful men, and they’ll stop at nothing to get it back.With her former nemesis, customs officer Bragi, on her side, Sonja puts her own plan into motion, to bring down the drug barons and her scheming ex-husband, and get Tomas back safely. But things aren’t as straightforward as they seem, and Sonja finds herself caught in the centre of a trap that will put all of their lives at risk…Set in a Reykjavík still covered in the dust of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption, and with a dark, fast-paced and chilling plot and intriguing characters, Trap is an outstandingly original and sexy Nordic crime thriller, from one of the most exciting new names in crime fiction.‘A tense thriller with a highly unusual plot and interesting characters’ Marcel Berlins, The Times‘With characters you can’t help sympathising with against your better judgement, Sigurdardottir takes the reader on a breathtaking ride … Stylish, taut and compelling’ Jon Coates, Daily Express‘Pacey and tense, Trap is full of delicious carnage that could translate well to the screen’ New Zealand Listener‘This is a searing portrait of the less salubrious parts of the Icelandic psyche as well as a riveting thriller’ Sunday Express‘Tense, edgy and delivering more than a few unexpected twists and turns’ The Times Crime Club'Sharp shocks of chapters hit with increasing energy ... a towering powerhouse of read and I gobbled it up in one intense sitting’ Liz Robinson, LoveReading‘The intricate plot is breathtakingly original, with many twists and turns you never see coming. Thriller of the year’ New York Journal of Books‘Sigurdardottir provides a skillful combination of Nordic noir, hardboiled financial thriller and high-octane narco drama, filled with sympathetic characters that you can’t help identifying with even as they break the law’ Crime Fiction Lover‘The action is fast, helped by the short chapters switching us from one set of characters to another, the villains ruthless, and the undercover world of Iceland vividly evoked. A treat for fans’ Promoting Crime‘Smart, ambitious and hugely satisfying’ Eva Dolan‘An enthralling tale of love and crime’ Michael Ridpath‘Zips along with tension building and building’ James Oswald'An emotional suspense rollercoaster on a par with The Firm’ Alexandra Sokoloff‘Compelling … this is prime binge-reading’ Booklist‘The suspenseful Trap takes full advantage of its fresh setting and is a worthy addition to the icy-cold crime genre popularized by Scandinavian noir novels’ Foreword Reviews
Good Samaritans (Detective Sergeant Pace Series #1)
by Will CarverShortlisted for Best Independent Voice at the Amazon Publishing Readers’ AwardsLonglisted for the Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize THRILLER OF THE YEAR in GUARDIAN, TELEGRAPH AND DAILY EXPRESS‘Totally addictive. Like Fight Club, only darker’ S.J. Watson‘I loved this book. Dark and at times almost comical, a great blend of crime thriller and the darkest imaginable domestic noir’ Sarah PinboroughDark, deviant and disturbing domestic noir … one of the most entrancing, sophisticated and page-turning psychological thrillers of the year…One crossed wire, three dead bodies and six bottles of bleach…Seth Beauman can’t sleep. He stays up late, calling strangers from his phonebook, hoping to make a connection, while his wife, Maeve, sleeps upstairs. A crossed wire finds a suicidal Hadley Serf on the phone to Seth, thinking she is talking to The Samaritans.But a seemingly harmless, late-night hobby turns into something more for Seth and for Hadley, and soon their late-night talks are turning into day-time meet-ups. And then this dysfunctional love story turns into something altogether darker, when Seth brings Hadley home…And someone is watching…Dark, sexy, dangerous and wildly readable, Good Samaritans marks the scorching return of one of crime fiction’s most exceptional voices.‘So dark, so cool’ Lisa Howells, Heat Magazine‘Will Carver’s invigoratingly nasty novel … is a bleak vision of life: not the whole truth of it, thank god, but true enough to impart to the reader the thrill of genuine discomfort, presented with the chilly conviction of Simenon’s most unflinching romans dues and just as horribly addictive’ Jake Kerridge, The Telegraph‘Carver weaves these strands together for an unsettling but compelling mixture of the banal, the horrific and, at times, the near-comic, wrong-footing the reader at every turn’ Laura Wilson, Guardian‘In this frantic read in sheer overdrive, Carver appeals to the worst voyeur in all of us and delivers the goods with a punch and a fiendish sense of pace and dark humour … my type of noir’ Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time‘Must Read!’ Daily Express‘Beautiful, gripping and disturbing in equal measure, a postcard from the razor’s edge of the connected world we live in’ Kevin Wignall‘Possibly the most interesting and original writer in the crime-fiction genre, and I've loved his books for years. Good Samaritans is his best to date – dark, slick, gripping, and impossible to put down. You'll be sucked in from the first page’ Luca Veste‘Oh My God, Good Samaritans is amazing. I’m a little in love with your writing Will Carver’ Helen FitzGerald, Author of The Cry‘Sick … in the best possible way. Will Carver delivers a delicious slice of noir that will have you reeling’ Michael J. Malone‘If you’re looking for a genuinely creepy thriller, checkout Good Samaritans… completely enthralled’ Margaret B Madden‘Dark, edgy, disturbing, shocking and sexy. It’s also highly original and one of the best thrillers of the year … You need to read this book’ Michael Wood’A twisted, devious thriller’ Nick Quantrill'A dark and addictive novel that felt deliciously sexy to read, like I should read it where no one could see’ Louise Beech‘A pitch dark, highly original, thrilling novel. If you’re a fan of Fight Club, you’ll love this’ Tom Wood‘A provocative, heady, unique, challenging read and it is absolutely blimmin wonderful!’ LoveReading
Cage (Reykjavik Noir #3)
by Lilja SigurdardottirDrugs, smuggling, big money and political intrigue in Iceland rally with love, passion, murder and betrayal until the winner takes all … in the masterful, explosive conclusion to the award-winning Reykjavík Noir trilogy…***Guardian Book of the Year***‘Tough, uncompromising and unsettling’ Val McDermid‘One of the darkest and most compelling series in modern crime fiction … Tackling topical issues, the book will tell you a great deal about why the world’s in the state it is, while never neglecting its duty to entertain’ Sunday Express ‘A tense thriller with a highly unusual plot and interesting characters’ The Times_________________The prison doors slam shut behind Agla, when her sentence ends, but her lover Sonja is not there to meet her.As a group of foreign businessmen tries to draw Agla into an ingenious fraud that stretches from Iceland around the world, Agla and her former nemesis, María find the stakes being raised at a terrifying speed.Ruthless drug baron Ingimar will stop at nothing to protect his empire, but he has no idea about the powder keg he is sitting on in his own home.At the same time, a deadly threat to Sonya and her family brings her from London back to Iceland, where she needs to settle scores with longstanding adversaries if she wants to stay alive._________________‘Cage is the muted and more credible conclusion to a wayward, but diverting trilogy that began with Snare (2017) and continued with Trap (2018) — ironic titles for essentially escapist fiction … Compassion beats complexity every time’ The Times‘In keeping with a lot of Icelandic fiction, Cage is written in a clean, understated style, the author letting the reader put together the emotional beats and plot developments. Smart writing with a strongly beating heart’ Big Issue‘Deftly plotted though and with a forensic attention to the technicalities of stock exchange manipulations and drug running techniques’ Crime Time‘With shocks and surprises in store, and that oh so satisfying end, Cage provoked, chilled, and thrilled me’ LoveReading‘A novel about survival, about scheming, it’s about self-preservation and about clinging to a vestige of decency in a screwed up world. Superbly translated by Quentin Bates, who knows the language, the country, the people and crime writing intimately. Cage is a pacy thriller; you will find yourself invested in the story’ New Books Magazine‘An emotional suspense rollercoaster on a par with The Firm, as desperate, resourceful, profoundly lovable characters scheme against impossible odds’ Alexandra Sokoloff‘Clear your diary. As soon as you begin reading … you won’t be able to stop until the final page’ Michael Wood‘Zips along, with tension building and building … thoroughly recommend’ James Oswald‘The intricate plot is breathtakingly original, with many twists and turns you never see coming. Thriller of the year’ New York Journal of Books
The Closer I Get
by Paul BurstonA compulsive, disturbingly relevant, twisty and powerful psychological, social-media thriller …NUMBER ONE BESTSELLERLONGLISTED for the Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize‘Another dark banger from the Orenda Books stable … A brilliant, twisty cat-and-mouse book about fandom and obsession’ Erin Kelly‘Brilliantly twisty. I loved it’ Lisa JewellTom is a successful author, but he’s struggling to finish his novel. His main distraction is an online admirer, Evie, who simply won’t leave him alone.Evie is smart, well read and unstable; she lives with her father and her social-media friendships are not only her escape, but everything she has.When she’s hit with a restraining order, her world is turned upside down, and Tom is free to live his life again, to concentrate on writing.But things aren’t really adding up. For Tom is distracted but also addicted to his online relationships, and when they take a darker, more menacing turn, he feels powerless to change things. Because maybe he needs Evie more than he’s letting on.A compulsive, disturbingly relevant, twisty and powerful psychological thriller, The Closer I Get is also a searing commentary on the fragility and insincerity of online relationships, and the danger that can lurk just one ‘like’ away…‘A gripping ride through the heartlands of need and hurt. Even at his most thrilling, Paul Burston never loses his sense of real pain and suffering’ Philip Hensher'As perfect a thriller as you'll read all year' Caz Frear‘This book will make you rethink your social media obsession. Dangerous from page one, lit by bursts of black humour, ultimately honest about the frailty of ego and the masks we all wear. Terrifically readable’ Sarah Hilary‘A sucker-punch of a twist that took my breath away! Absurdly gripping, and enough to unnerve anyone who has ever spent any time online’ Angela Clarke‘So good. Such brilliant characters. Great premise and a thrilling read' Nina Pottell, Prima'Chillingly recognisable. A delicious tour de force' Alex Marwood'Compelling, creepy and completely believable' Mel McGrath'Dark, devious and with a growing sense of dread' Neil Broadfoot'Brilliantly written, tense and compelling' Amanda Jennings'Dark twisty fiction at its very best' SJI Holliday'One of the best books you'll read this year' Ed James'Effortlessly readable, intensely chilling. That ending floored me' Chris Whitaker'Unsettling. Taut. Menacing. Burston puts the killer into killer twist' Jonathan Harvey'Witty and insightful' Susie Boyt'Brilliant, chilling, totally awesome writing' Miranda Dickinson‘An absolute stunner … with a deliciously twisted ending’ Lisa Hall‘The tension is almost unbearable. The twist is gut-wrenching. The book is a masterpiece in sustained suspense and smart literate contemporary horror’ Derek Farrell‘ Keeps you hooked in with plenty of twists. I suspect it will be a big read this summer’ Fiona Sharp‘It’s about a gay novelist who becomes the target of an online stalker and is dark, thought-provoking, and totally riveting. As comebacks go, it’s on a par with Madonna bursting out of a giant disco ball in a pink leotard!’ Matt Cain‘Gripped and Terrified by Paul Burston’s new novel, bloody hell!!!’ Rowan Coleman‘A fiercely provocative novel, and as well as being a boldly entertaining read, it really, really made me think’ LoveReading
A Dark Matter (The Skelfs #1)
by Doug JohnstoneThree generations of women from the Skelfs family take over the family funeral home and PI businesses in the first book of a taut, gripping page-turning and darkly funny new series.‘An engrossing and beautifully written tale that bears all the Doug Johnstone hallmarks in its warmth and darkly comic undertones’ Herald Scotland‘Gripping and blackly humorous’ Observer‘I was addicted from the first page; gripping, gritty and darkly funny as hell’ Erin Kelly‘A Dark Matter showcases a writer at the peak of his powers, except that with every book, Doug Johnstone just gets better’ Val McDermid_________________Meet the Skelfs: well-known Edinburgh family, proprietors of a long-established funeral-home business, and private investigators…When patriarch Jim dies, it’s left to his wife Dorothy, daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah to take charge of both businesses, kicking off an unexpected series of events.Dorothy discovers mysterious payments to another woman, suggesting that Jim wasn’t the husband she thought he was. Hannah’s best friend Mel has vanished from university, and the simple adultery case that Jenny takes on leads to something stranger and far darker than any of them could have imagined.As the women struggle to come to terms with their grief, and the demands of the business threaten to overwhelm them, secrets from the past emerge, which change everything…A compelling, tense and shocking thriller and a darkly funny and warm portrait of a family in turmoil, A Dark Matter introduces a cast of unforgettable characters, marking the start of an addictive new series._________________‘A fiendish mystery that is also deeply moving and laced with suitably dark humour … set to be one of the books of the year’ Mark Billingham'Emotionally complex, richly layered and darkly funny. An addictive blend of Case Histories and Six Feet Under’ Chris Brookmyre‘This dark but touching thriller makes for a thoroughly enjoyable slice of Edinburgh noir’ Mary Paulson-Ellis‘This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief, as the three tough but tender main characters pick up the pieces and carry on: more, please’ Guardian‘A tense ride … strong, believable characters’ Kerry Hudson, Big Issue‘They are all wonderful characters: flawed, funny, brave — and well set up for a series. I wouldn’t call him cosy, but there’s warmth to Johnstone’s writing’ Sunday Times
Easier Ways to Say I Love You
by Lucy FryA memoir on love, lust and attachment: one woman’s remarkable and candid account of transforming a difficult and uncomfortable love triangle into an honest polyamorous relationship.Lucy Fry’s story opens with the heady and impassioned affair she embarked on during her wife’s pregnancy. It is a relationship that appears to be unstoppable, perhaps even addictive, despite guilt and self questioning. With intense and unflinching honesty, she takes us on a compelling journey from childhood trauma and addiction to sobriety, from infidelity to ethical non-monogamy, and—perhaps most intensely of all—from her fear of parenthood to her exquisite joy at having a son.L and B’s love for their new baby, ‘The Boy’, changes the dynamic once again. They fumble through early parenthood, in a way that many will recognise, while at the same time trying to fathom and fashion a unique journey of their own.
One Last Song: you're never too old to change your tune
by Nathan EvansA gentleman called Joan lands up in a care home, like a colourful, combustible cocktail… ticking. A gentleman called Jim doesn't know what's hit him… everything about his new neighbour is triggering. Battle begins. May the best man win. But beneath antics and antique armour plating, what are both hiding? Maybe they've more than a wall in common? Might they even be batting for the same team? An uproarious and uplifting romantic comedy about grey liberation. "One Last Song is a necessary love story, both profoundly moving and profoundly optimistic. It will almost inevitably infiltrate your heart." – Martin Sherman "An absolute delight. Touching, powerful, punchy, funny and sweet." – David Shannon
So Lucky (PDF)
by Nicola GriffithWinner of the Washington State Book Award 2019 ‘A compact, brutal story of losing power and creating community … So Lucky is beautifully written, with a flexible, efficient precision that embodies the protagonist’s voice and character.’ New York Times Book Review ‘A short, fast-paced whirlwind of a novel ... Spine tingling and in places downright terrifying.’ ― Independent Mara Tagarelli is on top of her world. She’s the head of a multimillion-dollar AIDS foundation, an accomplished martial artist, and happily married. She has never met a problem she can’t solve — until suddenly she can’t solve any of them. In a single week her wife leaves her, she is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and she loses her job. Now everything begins to feel like a threat. At first, she thinks it’s just her newfound sense of vulnerability. Then she realises the threat of violence is real, deadly, and heading straight for her. Nicola Griffith’s So Lucky is fiction from the front lines, incandescent and urgent, a narrative juggernaut that rips through sentiment to expose the savagery of the experience of becoming disabled and dismissed. Originally published by Farrar Straus Giroux on 15 May 2018, this is the exclusive UK edition, with three bonus essays by Nicola Griffith, about writing So Lucky, disability, ableism, and #criplit. Nicola Griffith’s previous novels have won the Nebula, Lambda, Tiptree and Premio Italia awards, among others.
So Lucky (Handheld Modern Ser. #2)
by Nicola GriffithWinner of the Washington State Book Award 2019 ‘A compact, brutal story of losing power and creating community … So Lucky is beautifully written, with a flexible, efficient precision that embodies the protagonist’s voice and character.’ New York Times Book Review ‘A short, fast-paced whirlwind of a novel ... Spine tingling and in places downright terrifying.’ ― Independent Mara Tagarelli is on top of her world. She’s the head of a multimillion-dollar AIDS foundation, an accomplished martial artist, and happily married. She has never met a problem she can’t solve — until suddenly she can’t solve any of them. In a single week her wife leaves her, she is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and she loses her job. Now everything begins to feel like a threat. At first, she thinks it’s just her newfound sense of vulnerability. Then she realises the threat of violence is real, deadly, and heading straight for her. Nicola Griffith’s So Lucky is fiction from the front lines, incandescent and urgent, a narrative juggernaut that rips through sentiment to expose the savagery of the experience of becoming disabled and dismissed. Originally published by Farrar Straus Giroux on 15 May 2018, this is the exclusive UK edition, with three bonus essays by Nicola Griffith, about writing So Lucky, disability, ableism, and #criplit. Nicola Griffith’s previous novels have won the Nebula, Lambda, Tiptree and Premio Italia awards, among others.
Be Drag Fabulous: How to Live Your Best Drag Queen Life
by Katie MockridgeBringing together life advice and gorgeous illustrations inspired by some of the best drag queens from all over the world, this book will have you sashaying your way to success.Whenever you need life advice, just think: WWADQD – What Would A Drag Queen Do? Containing 75 essential lessons, Be Drag Fabulous will show you how to become the most spectacular version of yourself.Containing gorgeous illustrations by Katie Mockridge, this little book of drag wit and wisdom has you covered on all aspects of life, from fashion and self-care, beauty, friendships and work and brings together the best drag queens from around the world.Make your world you very own catwalk and learn how to channel your charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. Condragulations, this is the first step in becoming drag fabulous. The perfect gift for fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
The Little Book of Pride: The History, the People, the Parades
by Lewis LaneyCelebrate the LGTBQ community with this small but perfectly formed guide to Pride.What began as a protest for gay rights following the Stonewall riots of 1969 in New York has grown to become a global celebration of LGBTQ culture. In the 50-odd years since the original protest, and what is now widely accepted to be the first Pride march – Christopher Street Liberation Day, 1970 – Pride events are now attended by millions each year, celebrating how far we’ve come, recognising where we have to go and highlighting important causes in the queer community.The Little Book of Pride is a concise look at everything you need to know about Pride, revealing the history, the key people involved, the best Pride events around the world, inspirational quotes from famous queers, Pride facts and a fun Pride survival guide.
Music's Cult Artists: A Guide To Music's Cult Artists--from Punk, Alternative, And Indie Through To Hip Hop, Dance Music, And Beyond
by John RiordanLove music? Love illustration? Want to know more about some of the best musicians ever to record – from Bowie and the Beastie Boys to The Smiths and St. Vincent? Then A Guide to Music's Cult Artists is for you.
Queer Cocktails: 50 Cocktail Recipes Celebrating Gay Icons And Queer Culture
by Dog 'n' BoneRaise a glass to the LGBTQ+ community.This collection of cocktail recipes celebrates queer culture and pays tribute to the great gay icons of our time. Try your hand at mixing a Bloody Mariah (Carey), Cider Minelli or (Stephen) Fry Martini and get your tastebuds tingling. With recipes inspired by Madonna (La Isla Bonita Iced Tea), Freddie Mercury (Tequila Queen), Harvey Milk (The Land of Milk and Honey) and more, there’s plenty to keep all cocktail movers and shakers busy and thirsts well and truly quenched – we'll drink to that!
Box Hill: A Story of Low Self-esteem
by Adam Mars-JonesOn the Sunday of his eighteenth birthday, in 1975, Colin takes a walk on Box Hill, a biker hang-out. There he accidentally trips over Ray, a biker napping under a tree – and that’s where it all starts. This transgressive, darkly affecting love story between men, winner of the 2019 Fitzcarraldo Editions Novel Prize, is a stunning novel of desire and domination by one of Britain’s most accomplished writers. ‘I very much enjoyed Box Hill. It is a characteristic Mars-Jones mixture of the shocking, the endearing, the funny and the sad, with an unforgettable narrator. The sociological detail is as ever acutely entertaining.’ — Margaret Drabble
My Mind To Me A Kingdom Is
by Paul StanbridgeIn My Mind To Me A Kingdom Is, the extraordinary follow-up to his prize-winning novel Forbidden Line, Paul Stanbridge tells us about remarkable things.He tells us about the plains of Doggerland, lost under the North Sea. He tells us about ancient horses, carved into chalk hillsides. He tells us about the mysteries of trees.My Mind to Me A Kingdom Is is a book bursting with the joy of discovery, the beauty of the world, and the rich, warm pulse of life.It is also a book about death.In 2015, Paul’s brother took his own life, leaving behind pitifully few possessions and an irreducible complex of questions. In his search for answers, Paul discovers that facts can be the opposite of truth, and that to see something fully, we must sometimes look away.Blending fiction and memoir, knowing and unknowing, love and loss, My Mind To Me A Kingdom Is is a heartbreaking and generous exploration of grief. A beautiful and painful tribute to Paul’s brother, it stands alone.
After Sappho
by Selby Wynn SchwartzIt’s 1895. Amid laundry and bruises, Rina Pierangeli Faccio gives birth to the child of the man who raped her – and who she has also been forced to marry. Unbroken, she determines to change her name; and her life, alongside it. 1902. Romaine Brooks sails for Capri. She has barely enough money for the ferry, nothing for lunch; her paintbrushes are bald and clotted... But she is sure she can sell a painting – and is fervent in her belief that the island is detached from all fates she has previously suffered.... In 1923, Virginia Woolf writes: I want to make life fuller – and fuller.Sarah Bernhardt – Colette – Eleanora Duse – Lina Poletti – Josephine Baker – Virginia Woolf... these are just a few of the women sharing the pages of a book as fierce as it is luminous. Lush and poetic; furious and funny; in After Sappho, Selby Wynn Schwartz has created a novel that celebrates the women and trailblazers of the past – their constant efforts to push against the boundaries of what it means, and can mean, to be a woman – that also offers hope for our present, and our futures.
Love Offers No Safety: Nigeria's Queer Men Speak
by Olumide Femi Makanjuola and Jude DibiaLove Offers No Safety: Nigeria's Queer Men Speak is a raw and powerful collection of 25 first-person narratives that explore the diverse experience of queer Nigerian men. These stirring stories cut across age, class, religion, ethnicity, family and relationships, offering a glimpse into what it means to survive as a queer man in Nigeria. From Tunji, who takes us back to the thriving networking community before social media, to Chukwori, who struggles to reconcile his need to serve God with his sexuality, and Abdulkarim, who frustratingly wonders if he'll ever stop working twice as hard to be accepted, these stories are full of contradictions, anger, resiliency, profound insight, and radical hope. With heightened levels of oppression, violence, and discrimination faced by LGBTQ Nigerians due to the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Law, these voices remind us of what the queer community in Nigeria has always been fighting for - the freedom to be themselves, love themselves, and love each other, despite being viewed as unworthy. Love Offers No Safety is a heart-breaking yet hopeful reminder that love knows no boundaries and offers no safety, but it is worth fighting for.
Ash Mountain
by Helen FitzGeraldSingle-mother Fran returns to her sleepy hometown to care for her dying father when a devastating bush fire breaks out. A heartbreaking disaster-noir thriller from the bestselling author of The Cry.________________Fran hates her hometown, and she thought she’d escaped. But her father is ill, and needs care. Her relationship is over, and she hates her dead-end job in the city, anyway.She returns home to nurse her dying father, her distant teenage daughter in tow for the weekends. There, in the sleepy town of Ash Mountain, childhood memories prick at her fragile self-esteem, she falls in love for the first time, and her demanding dad tests her patience, all in the unbearable heat of an Australian summer. As past friendships and rivalries are renewed, and new ones forged, Fran’s tumultuous home life is the least of her worries, when old crimes rear their heads and a devastating bushfire ravages the town and all of its inhabitants… Simultaneously a warm, darkly funny portrait of small-town life – and a woman and a land in crisis – and a shocking and truly distressing account of a catastrophic event that changes things forever, Ash Mountain is a heart-breaking slice of domestic noir, and a disturbing disaster thriller that you will never forget…________________Praise for Helen FitzGerald‘The plotting is intricate and beautifully handled, and the narrative pace is absolutely breakneck … a wonderful, energetic, hard-hitting and deeply funny novel’ The Big Issue‘Shocking, gripping and laugh-out-loud hilarious’ Erin Kelly‘The main character is one of the most extraordinary you’ll meet between the pages of a book’ Ian Rankin‘A dark, comic masterpiece which manages to be both excruciatingly tense and laugh out loud funny at the same time’ Mark Edwards‘Outrageous, extremely funny and ultimately devastating’ Ambrose Parry‘Fabulously transgressive and completely unique’ Mark Billingham‘The classic thriller gets a hell of a twist’ Heat‘FitzGerald writes like a more focused Irvine Welsh or a less misogynist Philip Roth’ Daily Telegraph
The Big Chill (The Skelfs #2)
by Doug JohnstoneRunning private investigator and funeral home businesses means trouble is never far away, and the Skelf women take on their most perplexing, chilling cases yet in book two of this darkly funny, devastatingly tense and addictive new series!Haunted by their past, the Skelf women are hoping for a quieter life. But running both a funeral directors’ and a private investigation business means trouble is never far away, and when a car crashes into the open grave at a funeral that matriarch Dorothy is conducting, she can’t help looking into the dead driver’s shadowy life. While Dorothy uncovers a dark truth at the heart of Edinburgh society, her daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah have their own struggles. Jenny’s ex-husband Craig is making plans that could shatter the Skelf women’s lives, and the increasingly obsessive Hannah has formed a friendship with an elderly professor that is fast turning deadly. But something even more sinister emerges when a drumming student of Dorothy’s disappears and suspicion falls on her parents. The Skelf women find themselves sucked into an unbearable darkness – but could the real threat be to themselves?Following three women as they deal with the dead, help the living and find out who they are in the process, The Big Chill follows A Dark Matter, book one in the Skelfs series, which reboots the classic PI novel while asking the big existential questions, all with a big dose of pitch-black humour.
Betrayal
by Lilja SigurdardóttirBurned out and traumatised by her horrifying experiences around the world, aid worker Úrsula has returned to Iceland. Unable to settle, she accepts a high-profile government role in which she hopes to make a difference again.But on her first day in the post, Úrsula promises to help a mother seeking justice for her daughter, who had been raped by a policeman, and life in high office soon becomes much more harrowing than Úrsula could ever have imagined. A homeless man is stalking her – but is he hounding her, or warning her of some danger? And why has the death of her father in police custody so many years earlier reared its head again?As Úrsula is drawn into dirty politics, facing increasingly deadly threats, the lives of her stalker, her bodyguard and even a witch-like cleaning lady intertwine. Small betrayals become large ones, and the stakes are raised ever higher…Exploring the harsh worlds of politics, police corruption and misogyny, Betrayal is a relevant, powerful, fast-paced thriller that feels just a little bit too real…
The Great Silence (The Skelfs #3)
by Doug JohnstoneThe discovery of a human foot in an Edinburgh park, the inexplicable circumstances of a dying woman, and the missing daughter of Jenny’s violent ex-husband present the Skelf women with their most challenging – and deadly – cases yet…‘Simply stunning. Tense, funny and deeply moving’ Mark Billingham‘If you loved Iain Banks, you’ll devour the Skelfs series’ Erin Kelly'I LOVE the Skelfs’ Val McDermid_______________Keeping on top of the family funeral directors’ and private-investigation businesses is no easy task for the Skelf women, and when matriarch Dorothy discovers a human foot while walking the dog, a perplexing case presents itself … with potentially deadly results.Daughter Jenny and grand-daughter Hannah have their hands full too: The mysterious circumstances of a dying woman lead them into an unexpected family drama, Hannah's new astrophysicist colleague claims he's receiving messages from outer space, and the Skelfs' teenaged lodger has yet another devastating experience.Nothing is clear as the women are immersed ever deeper in their most challenging cases yet. But when the daughter of Jenny’s violent and fugitive ex-husband goes missing without trace and a wild animal is spotted roaming Edinburgh's parks, real danger presents itself, and all three Skelfs are in peril.Taut, dark, warmly funny and unafraid to ask big questions – of us all – The Great Silence is the much-anticipated third instalment in the addictive, unforgettable Skelfs series, and the stakes are higher than ever._______________‘Mysteries aplenty … a poignant reflection on grief and the potential for healing that lies within us all. A proper treat’ Mary Paulson-Ellis‘This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief, as the three tough but tender main characters pick up the pieces and carry on: more, please’ Guardian‘Wonderful characters: flawed, funny and brave’ Sunday Times ‘Exceptional … a must for those seeking strong, authentic, intelligent female protagonists’ Publishers WeeklyPraise for The Skelfs series***Shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year******Longlisted for Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year******Shortlisted for Amazon Publishing Capital Crime Thriller of the Year***‘An engrossing and beautifully written tale that bears all the Doug Johnstone hallmarks in its warmth and darkly comic undertones’ Herald Scotland‘Gripping and blackly humorous’ Observer‘This dark but touching thriller makes for a thoroughly enjoyable slice of Edinburgh noir’ Mary Paulson-Ellis‘This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief, as the three tough but tender main characters pick up the pieces and carry on: more, please’ Guardian‘A tense ride strong, believable characters’ Kerry Hudson, Big Issue‘They are all wonderful characters: flawed, funny, brave and well set up for a series. I wouldn’t call him cosy, but there’s warmth to Johnstone’s writing’ Sunday Times
Fall
by West CamelEstranged brothers are reunited over plans to develop the tower block where they grew up, but the desolate estate becomes a stage for reliving the events of one life-changing summer.–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Twins Aaron and Clive have been estranged for forty years. Aaron still lives in the empty, crumbling tower block on the riverside in Deptford where they grew up. Clive is a successful property developer, determined to turn the tower into luxury flats.But Aaron is blocking the plan and their petty squabble becomes something much greater when two ghosts from the past – twins Annette and Christine – appear in the tower. At once, the desolate estate becomes a stage on which the events of one scorching summer are relived – a summer that shattered their lives, and changed everything forever…Grim, evocative and exquisitely rendered, Fall is a story of friendship and family – of perception, fear and prejudice, the events that punctuate our journeys into adulthood, and the indelible scars they leave – a triumph of a novel that will affect you long after the final page has been turned.––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Praise for West Camel’s debut novel Attend‘From its opening gambit to its final line, Attend demands and rewards attention’ Foreword Reviews’With its blend of dark, gritty themes and gorgeous imagery, this is a book to make you believe there’s still magic in the world’ Heat ‘I’ve fallen in love with this absolutely glorious, spell-binding tale’ LoveReading‘It’s a genuinely pleasurable experience to encounter something couched in such alert and transparent language as West Camel’s Attend … In three hundred finely judged pages, West Camel leaves the reader eager for more from his pen’ Barry Forshaw, CrimeTime‘Lyrical and intense, the spellbinding prose is full of carefully chosen words which create an emotive and flowing’ Crime Review‘Rich, lively and intelligent, Attend is a novel of mystery, morality and meaning, but so delicately sewn together, you never notice the seams…’ Rosie Goldsmith'There is such a joy to the language. West Camel is a truly gifted wordsmith, and a beautiful storyteller’ Louise Beech
Queering Psychotherapy
by Jane Chance CzyzselskaLGBTIQ+ people are more likely than cisgender and heterosexual individuals to suffer with mental health issues, yet often have poorer therapeutic outcomes. Mainstream Eurocentric psychotherapeutic theories, developed largely by heterosexual, cisgender and white theorists, tend to see LGBTIQ+ as a singular group through this “othered” lens. Despite the undeniable value offered by many of these theories, they and those who use them – queer therapists included – can often pathologize, marginalize, misunderstand and diminish the flourishing and diversity of queer experience. In this volume, editor and psychotherapist Jane C. Czyzselska speaks with practitioners and clients from diverse modalities and lived experiences, exploring and rethinking some of the unique challenges encountered in a world that continues to marginalize queer lives. The contributors to Queering Psychotherapy present key insights and practical advice in a dynamic conversational format, providing intimate access to therapists’ personal and professional knowledge and reflections. This book is an invaluable training in itself.
Keeping the House
by Tice CinThe Turkish variety are prized for their enlarged leaf bud; that’s where we put the heroin . . . Ayla has a plan. There’s a stash of heroin; just waiting to be imported. No one seems sure what to do with it; but Ayla’s a gardener; and she knows.From secretive men’s clubs to spotless living rooms; Keeping the House is an electrifying debut that lifts the lid on a covert world. But just as it offers a fresh take on the London drug trade and its machinery; it tells the story of three women in one house: a grandmother; a mother; and the daughter; each dealing with the intricacies and reverberations of community; migration and love.