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A More Perfect Union
by Tammye Huf'A riveting love story across the challenges of race and poverty… Huf’s delicate blend of passion and compassion is compelling, impressive and never sentimental.’ —Andrea StuartA forbidden relationship. A love affair forged in secrecy. A couple facing betrayal at every turn...Henry O’Toole sails to America in 1848 to escape poverty and famine in Ireland, only to find anti-Irish prejudice awaiting him. Determined never to starve again, he changes his surname to Taylor and heads south to Virginia, seeking work as a travelling blacksmith on the prosperous plantations.Sarah is a slave. Torn from her family and sold to Jubilee Plantation, she must navigate the hierarchy of her fellow slaves, the whims of her white masters, and now the attentions of the mysterious blacksmith.Fellow slave Maple oversees the big house with bitterness and bile, and knows that a white man’s attention spells trouble. Given to her half-sister as a wedding present by their white father, she is set on being reunited with her husband and daughter, at any cost.Based on the true story of the author’s great-great-grandparents, and brilliantly reimagined, this is an epic tale of love and courage, desperation and determination.
The Day I Fell Off My Island
by Yvonne Bailey-Smith'Striking…an unforgettable cast of characters you’d expect to find in the grandest work of fiction.'—Candice Carty-Williams‘Juggling laughter and tears with every page, this remarkable journey of discovery tells of one young woman’s captivating search for self in a new and challenging environment.’—Margaret Busby‘Brims with the pleasure of a story well-told, and with the command of a writer who is comfortable moving between the many registers of Jamaican English.’—Kwame Dawes‘Beautiful, evocative and powerfully engaging. I loved this book.’—Francesca MartinezIt’s 1969 and Erna Mullings has just arrived in London from Jamaica.Finding herself in a strange country, with a mother she barely recognises and a stepfather she despises, Erna is homesick, lost and lonely. But her life is about to change irrevocably.A story of reluctant immigration and the relationship between children and the people who parent them, The Day I Fell Off My Island is engrossing, courageous and psychologically insightful. Yvonne Bailey-Smith writes with great warmth and humanity as she explores estrangement, transition and, ultimately, the triumph of resilience and hope.
"Dear Friends,": Letters from Abroad
by Ann BradyThe bond of friendship between Mary Watson and Elisabeth (Lizzie) Mountford shouldn't exist, and yet it does. Mary is an orphan, and Lizzie is the daughter of a Lord and Lady. Due to terrible circumstances, Mary has no option but to leave her friend and travel to foreign shores. Although Lizzie's parents are relieved, little do they realise the two young women will grow ever closer, even at a distance. During their time apart, Mary and Lizzie face trials and tribulations. Yet each will be supported by the other through their letters. Will Mary’s journey abroad lead her to happiness? Or will she suffer the pangs of unrequited love? And will Lizzie find contentment back home in England? Only time will tell. The two women hope to be in each other’s company once again, and that their journeys will lead them to find true love.
One?
by Jennifer L. CahillIt's London in the mid-noughties before Facebook, iPhones and ubiquitous wifi. Zara has just moved to London for her first real job and struggles to find her feet in a big city with no instruction manual. Penelope works night and day in an investment back with little or no time for love. At twenty-eight she is positively ancient as far as her mother is concerned and the pressure is on for her to settle down as the big 3-0 is looming. Charlie spends night and day with his band who are constantly teetering on the verge of greatness. Richard has relocated to London from his castle in Scotland in search of the one, and Alyx is barely in one place long enough to hold down a relationship let alone think about the future. One? follows the highs and lows of a group of twenty-somethings living in leafy SW4.
I Love You Billy Langley
by Monika Jephcott ThomasTwenty-year-old Netta can’t wait to leave Germany and teach in Brighton, England. It’s the height of the swinging 60s, but Netta hasn’t bargained for the prejudice she’ll receive in a country full of anti-German sentiment just twenty years after the war. She finds solace in Billy, the school caretaker, with whom she falls in love. But when she takes him back to Germany at Christmas it’s Billy’s turn to be on the receiving end of a frosty welcome.
Song Beneath the Tides
by Beverley BirchAlly arrives from England with her brothers to stay for a month in Africa - weeks of running wild on an unspoiled, untamed coast amid mangrove creeks, vast white sandy beaches, coral reefs and warm seas. But on their first walk through the forest to the beach, Ally is swamped by a sense of an unseen presence close to her – of being spoken to. The feeling increases as a local teenager, Leli enthusiastically sweeps her into the world of his village and their offshore island (Kisiri - the place of secrets). It’s the beginning of a friendship that swiftly becomes an intense, overwhelming bond between them. Kisiri is a place of local legend, protected and feared: village youngsters dare each other to go there. Village elders forbid it. Ally and Leli feel drawn to it, and land on its shores. At once Ally feels again that invisible presence, a whispered voice. But fear can change things, divide people. The bond between Ally and Leli feels unbreakable. But suddenly everything, everyone, conspires to drive a wedge between them. She is, after all, an outsider – a visitor, no more. Only weeks away, she will leave for England, simply walk away, never to return, how can she possibly share, or help?
The Cats We Meet Along the Way: Winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2023
by Nadia MikailSeventeen-year-old Aisha hasn't seen her sister June for two years. And now that a calamity is about to end the world in nine months' time, she and her mother decide that it's time to track her down and mend the hurts of the past. Along with Aisha's boyfriend, Walter and his parents (and Fleabag the stray cat), the group take a roadtrip through Malaysia in a wildly decorated campervan - to put the past to rest, to come to terms with the present, and to hope for the future.
Too Dark to See
by Chloë HeuchAfter the death of her mother, 16-year-old Kay is on a mission to self-destruct. Unhappy at home and school, she only finds peace with the semi-wild ponies on the moors. She meets Siôn up there, also looking to escape. They are drawn into a secret, intense love, but they cannot hide from their lives for long.An evocative, debut YA novel about a grieving teenage girl who finds hope in a wild landscape.
The Wanderer
by Josie WilliamsNothing can stand in the way of love, not even death. Fifteen-year-old Maggie is in foster care following the death of her mother and her grandmother's slip into dementia. When Ryder saves her life, she can't help but fall in love with him. The only problem is that he has been dead for five years... Unsentimental, passionate and immensely moving, The Wanderer takes a fresh look at first love and growing up.
Outremer IV
by D. N. CarterA great secret from antiquity is threatened; its eradication, if successful, will lead to mankind’s destruction. There can be no compromise in safeguarding it, whatever the fateful consequences to those entrusted with its continuation. Paul faces impossible choices, ones he cannot make alone. Who can he trust? How can he protect this secret as the world around him falls apart as Outremer descends into a deliberately orchestrated war of unparalleled violence, with Christianity and Islam pitted against one another? Amid the horrors of total war, Paul must decipher the secret, how it has been updated and encoded within the mysteries of Mary Magdalene and the sacred feminine, and how it must be restored if is to be preserved successfully so that mankind can claim its true inheritance, one of unimaginable power. Evil forces wish to control and destroy the secret to stop a new dawn of spiritual awakening, cultivating instead a climate of fear, anger, judgment and the eventual enslavement of our souls. Wiser, braver and nobler individuals step forwards, just as they have always done in the past to intercede against evil, and it is to those men and women Paul must turn. Just when all appears lost, Paul must find true courage, perseverance and faith, and make the ultimate sacrifice. Failure on his part will risk losing this arcane message forever. The time to act is now. Outremer IV is the final instalment of D. N. Carter's epic historical quartet.
The Girl Who Disappeared
by James LingardEmily falls passionately in love with working class Walter, despite fierce opposition from her class conscious father. She sees marriage as a partnership of equals and resolves to elope to escape such a male dominated society. Emily’s actions will see her struggle to survive the subsequent devastation brought about by the war, as she and her four year old son are thrown into the midst of danger and death. The family experience rationing and the terror of bombing. Their air raid shelter is destroyed by a direct hit. When Walter volunteers for the army, Emily and her son are evacuated to a rat infested cottage in a farming community near Hebden Bridge. The war changes Walter into an efficient army officer who demands to be obeyed. Emily worries that she might have a rival for his affections. How can she restore their loving relationship? The Girl Who Disappeared is a moving love story about one woman’s enduring resilience, a story full of quiet humour and surprising twists and turns.
Death Deserved (Blix & Ramm #1)
by Thomas Enger Jørn Lier HorstPolice officer Alexander Blix and celebrity blogger Emma Ramm join forces to track down a serial killer with a thirst for attention and high-profile murders, in the first episode of a gripping new Nordic Noir series…‘Grim, gory and filled with plenty of dark twists … There’s definitely a Scandinavian chill in the air with this fascinating read that loses none of its terror and fun in translation’ Scottish Sun‘A stunningly excellent collaboration … a brutal tale of fame, murder, and reality TV that gets the pulse racing’ Russel McLean‘An exercise in literary tag-teaming from two of Norway’s biggest crime writers with a bold new take on the serial-killer-as-twisted-artist … the start of a series with potential’ Sunday Times ________________Oslo, 2018. Former long-distance runner Sonja Nordstrøm never shows at the launch of her controversial autobiography, Always Number One. When celebrity blogger Emma Ramm visits Nordstrøm’s home later that day, she finds the door unlocked and signs of a struggle inside. A bib with the number ‘one’ has been pinned to the TV.Police officer Alexander Blix is appointed to head up the missing-persons investigation, but he still bears the emotional scars of a hostage situation nineteen years earlier, when he killed the father of a five-year-old girl. Traces of Nordstrøm soon show up at different locations, but the appearance of the clues appear to be carefully calculated … evidence of a bigger picture that he’s just not seeing…Blix and Ramm soon join forces, determined to find and stop a merciless killer with a flare for the dramatic, and thirst for attention.Trouble is, he’s just got his first taste of it… ________________‘Everything about this crime novel sings, the relationship between Blix and Emma, which is complex, but also the relationship between Blix and Fosse and Kovic. The past bleeds into the present and the clever melding of the strands of the story and the slow reveal of details that propel the story is masterly. This tale often surprises or shifts in subtle ways that are pleasing and avoid cliché. As the opener for a new series this is a cracker, long live the marriage of Horst and Enger’ New Books Magazine‘Death Deserved is a fast-moving, punchy, serial killer investigative novel with a whammy of an ending. If this is the first in the Blix and Ramm series, then here’s to many more!’ LoveReading‘A clever, gripping crime novel with personality, flair, and heart’ Crime by the Book
Sister (Oslo Detectives)
by Kjell Ola DahlThe Oslo Detectives are back in another chilling slice of Nordic Noir … Frølich searches for the mysterious sister of a young female asylum seeker, but when people start to die, everything points to an old case and a series of events that someone will do anything to hide…‘Impossible to put down’ Guardian‘Absorbing, heart-rending and perfectly plotted’ Denzil Meyrick‘A masterclass in plotting, atmosphere and character that finely balances shocking twists with the coppers’ complicated personal lives’ Sunday Times ________________Suspended from duty, Detective Frølich is working as a private investigator, when his girlfriend’s colleague asks for his help with a female asylum seeker, who the authorities are about to deport. She claims to have a sister in Norway, and fears that returning to her home country will mean instant death.Frølich quickly discovers the whereabouts of the young woman’s sister, but things become increasingly complex when she denies having a sibling, and Frølich is threatened off the case by the police. As the body count rises, it becomes clear that the answers lie in an old investigation, and the mysterious sister, who is now on the run…A dark, chilling and up-to-the-minute Nordic Noir thriller, Sister is also a tense and well-plotted murder mystery with a moving tragedy at its heart, cementing Kjell Ola Dahl as one of the greatest crime writers of our generation. ________________‘Kjell Ola Dahl’s novels are superb’ William Ryan‘Suspenseful, beautifully and clearly written, with a sure-footed plot, this is a book that thrills’ Live & Deadly‘Dark, stylish and suspenseful … the perfect example of why Nordic Noir has become such a popular genre’ Readers Digest‘If you have never sampled Dahl, now is the time to try’ Daily Mail
Fallen Angels (Varg Veum)
by Gunnar StaalesenEver-dogged Bergen PI Varg Veum has to dig deep into his own past as he investigates the murder of a former classmate. Vintage, classic Nordic Noir from international bestselling author Gunnar Staalesen.'Mature and captivating’ Herald Scotland‘One of the finest Nordic novelists - in the tradition of Henning Menkell’ Barry Forshaw, Independent‘Masterful pacing’ Publishers Weekly________________When Bergen PI Varg Veum finds himself at the funeral of a former classmate on a sleet-grey December afternoon, he’s unexpectedly reunited with his old friend Jakob – guitarist of the once-famous 1960s rock band The Harpers – and his estranged wife, Rebecca, Veum’s first love.Their rekindled friendship is thrown into jeopardy by the discovery of a horrific murder, and Veum is forced to dig deep into his own adolescence and his darkest memories, to find a motive … and a killer.Tense, vivid and deeply unsettling, Fallen Angels is the spellbinding, award-winning thriller that secured Gunnar Staalesen’s reputation as one of the world’s foremost crime writers.________________Praise for Gunnar Staalesen‘Gunnar Staalesen is one of my very favourite Scandinavian authors. Operating out of Bergen in Norway, his private eye, Varg Veum, is a complex but engaging anti-hero. Varg means “wolf ” in Norwegian, and this is a series with very sharp teeth’ Ian Rankin‘The Norwegian Chandler’ Jo Nesbø‘Not many books hook you in the first chapter – this one did, and never let go!’ Mari Hannah‘Staalesen continually reminds us he is one of the finest of Nordic novelists’ Financial Times‘Chilling and perilous results — all told in a pleasingly dry style’ Sunday Times‘Staalesen does a masterful job of exposing the worst of Norwegian society in this highly disturbing entry’ Publishers Weekly'The Varg Veum series is more concerned with character and motivation than spectacle, and it’s in the quieter scenes that the real drama lies’ Herald Scotland'Every inch the equal of his Nordic confreres Henning Mankell and Jo Nesbo' Independent
Beast (Six Stories)
by Matt WesolowskiElusive online journalist Scott King examines the chilling case of a young vlogger found frozen to death in the legendary local ‘vampire tower’, in another explosive episode of Six Stories…‘Matt Wesolowski brilliantly depicts a desperate and disturbed corner of north-east England in which paranoia reigns and goodness is thwarted. It's a big ask to come up with a new vampire tale, but Wesolowski achieves it magnificently. He is an exceptional storyteller' Andrew Michael Hurley‘Disturbing, compelling and atmospheric, it will terrify and enthral you in equal measure’ M W Craven‘Beautufully written, smart, compassionate – and scary as hell. Matt Wesolowski is one of the most exciting and original voices in crime fiction’ Alex North________________In the wake of the 'Beast from the East' cold snap that ravaged the UK in 2018, a grisly discovery was made in a ruin on the Northumbrian coast. Twenty-four-year-old Vlogger, Elizabeth Barton, had been barricaded inside what locals refer to as 'The Vampire Tower', where she was later found frozen to death.Three young men, part of an alleged 'cult', were convicted of this terrible crime, which they described as a 'prank gone wrong'. However, in the small town of Ergarth, questions have been raised about the nature of Elizabeth Barton's death and whether the three convicted youths were even responsible.Elusive online journalist Scott King speaks to six witnesses – people who knew both the victim and the three killers – to peer beneath the surface of the case. He uncovers whispers of a shocking online craze that held the young of Ergarth in its thrall and drove them to escalate a series of pranks in the name of internet fame. He hears of an abattoir on the edge of town, which held more than simple slaughter behind its walls, the tragic and chilling legend of the ‘Ergarth Vampire… Both a compulsive, taut and terrifying thriller, and a bleak and distressing look at modern society's desperation for attention, Beast will unveil a darkness from which you may never return…________________‘Endlessly inventive and with literary thrills a-plenty, Matt Wesolowski is boldly carving his own uniquely dark niche in fiction’ Benjamin Myers‘A gripping and incredibly powerful novel of our times – the Six Stories series just keeps getting better and better’ Kevin Wignall‘Creepy, exciting and very well written’ Yrsa Sigurðardóttir‘Such a fantastic, creepy read!’ Elodie Harper‘Absolute genius’ Louise Beech‘Edgy and dark’ From Belgium with Book Love‘Wesolowski is on addictive, chilling and macabre form’ Tattooed Book Geek‘Visually stunning and chillingly complex. Five stars are not enough’ The Book Trail‘The epitome of a page-turner’ The Book Review Café‘Excellently chilling, fantastically dark’ The Reading Closet‘A spectacular read’ Emma’s Bookish Corner
Mexico Street (Chastity Riley)
by Simone BuchholzHamburg state prosecutor Chastity Riley investigates a series of arson attacks on cars across the city, which leads her to a startling and life-threatening discovery involving criminal gangs and a very illicit love story...'Another brilliant adventure in the company of Chastity Riley, the coolest character in crime fiction. Darkly funny and written with a huge heart’ Doug Johnstone'Reading Buchholz is like walking on firecrackers … a truly unique voice in crime fiction’ Graeme Macrae Burnet‘Caustic, incisive prose. A street-smart, gutsy heroine. A timely and staggeringly stylish thriller’ Will Carver ________________Night after night, cars are set alight across the German city of Hamburg, with no obvious pattern, no explanation and no suspect.Until, one night, on Mexico Street, a ghetto of high-rise blocks in the north of the city, a Fiat is torched. Only this car isn’t empty. The body of Nouri Saroukhan – prodigal son of the Bremen clan – is soon discovered, and the case becomes a homicide.Public prosecutor Chastity Riley is handed the investigation, which takes her deep into a criminal underground that snakes beneath the whole of Germany. And as details of Nouri’s background, including an illicit relationship with the mysterious Aliza, emerge, it becomes clear that these are not random attacks, and there are more on the cards...________________‘A stylish, whip-smart thriller’ Russel McLean‘Lyrical and pithy’ Sunday Times ‘Fierce enough to stab the heart’ Spectator‘A real blast of adrenaline’ Big Issue‘Sharp and unrelenting’ CultureFly‘Simone Buchholz writes with real authority and a pungent, noir-ish sense of time and space’ Financial Times‘Deeply moody, atmospheric and evocative’ Blue Book Balloon‘An unconventional, refreshing new voice’ Crime Fiction Lover
Deep Dark Night (Lori Anderson #4)
by Steph BroadribbFearless Florida bounty-hunter Lori Anderson travels to Chicago to trap the head of a notorious crime family, in a high-stakes, nail-biting mission that sees her trapped in one of the city’s tallest buildings during a blackout…‘A real cracker’ Mark Billingham‘My kind of book’ Lee Child‘Like Midnight Run, but much darker … really, really good’ Ian Rankin ________________A city in darkness. A building in lockdown. A score that can only be settled in blood…Working off the books for FBI Special Agent Alex Monroe, Florida bounty-hunter Lori Anderson and her partner, JT, head to Chicago. Their mission: to entrap the head of the Cabressa crime family. The bait: a priceless chess set that Cabressa is determined to add to his collection.An exclusive high-stakes poker game is arranged in the penthouse suite of one of the city’s tallest buildings, with Lori holding the cards in an agreed arrangement to hand over the pieces. But, as night falls and the game plays out, stakes rise and tempers flare.When a power failure plunges the city into darkness, the building goes into lockdown. But this isn’t an ordinary blackout, and the men around the poker table aren’t all who they say they are. Hostages are taken, old scores resurface and the players start to die.And that’s just the beginning… ________________Praise for the Lori Anderson Series‘This is romping entertainment that moves faster than a bullet’ Jake Kerridge, Sunday Express‘If you like your action to race away at full tilt, then this whirlwind of a thriller is a must’ Deirdre O’Brien, Sunday People‘With convincing, gritty local detail, unflinching violence, and a subplot of red-hot romance, all narrated by a likeable, fast-talking heroine, this punchy and powerful adventure will leave you wanting more’ Sunday Mirror‘Stripper-turned-bounty hunter Lori, with her sickly young daughter in tow, gets into high-octane escapes when she sets out to bring her former lover and mentor to justice. Lively’ Sunday Times‘The non-stop twists and turns – plus Lori’s constant dilemma as she is torn between the instincts of motherhood and the need to stay focused on her perilous mission – draw in readers like a magnet and keep them hooked to the action right up to the emotional conclusion’ Burnley Gazette‘Deep Down Dead is an impressive thriller, the kind of book that comfortably sits alongside seasoned pros at the top of their game. Sultry and suspenseful, it marks a welcome first vow for an exceptional new voice’ Good Reading Magazine‘Gripping, entertaining and utterly addictive, this is a cracking start to an enthralling new crime series…’ Lancashire Evening Post‘Suspense, action, romance, danger and a plot that will keep you reading into the wee small hours. I loved it’ Lisa Gray, Daily Record‘Fresh, fast and zinging with energy’ Sunday Mirror
Containment (Sam Shephard #3)
by Vanda SymonDunedin’s favourite young police officer Sam Shephard is drawn into a perplexing investigation when a series of shipping containers wash up on a sleepy New Zealand beach, and a spate of unexplained deaths ensues…‘Fast-moving New Zealand procedural … the Edinburgh of the south has never been more deadly’ Ian Rankin'If you like taut, pacy thrillers with a wonderful sense of place, this is the book for you’ Liam McIlvanney‘A sassy heroine, fabulous sense of place, and rip-roaring stories with a twist. Perfect curl-up-on-the-sofa reading’ Kate Mosse ________________Chaos reigns in the sleepy village of Aramoana on the New Zealand coast, when a series of shipping containers wash up on the beach and looting begins.Detective Constable Sam Shephard experiences the desperation of the scavengers first-hand, and ends up in an ambulance, nursing her wounds and puzzling over an assault that left her assailant for dead.What appears to be a clear-cut case of a cargo ship running aground soon takes a more sinister turn when a skull is found in the sand, and the body of a diver is pulled from the sea … a diver who didn’t die of drowning…As first officer at the scene, Sam is handed the case, much to the displeasure of her superiors, and she must put together an increasingly confusing series of clues to get to the bottom of a mystery that may still have more victims… ________________‘A delightful, twisty read and that leaves you wanting more’ Live & Deadly‘It is Symon’s copper Sam, self-deprecating and very human, who represents the writer’s real achievement’ Guardian‘Antipodean-set crime is riding high thanks to the likes of Jane Harper, and fans of The Dry will love Vanda Symon’ Red Magazine‘With a twisty plot, a protagonist who shines and beautifully written observations of the cruellest things … this is crime fiction at its best’ Kiwi Crime‘Atmospheric, gripping and incredibly satisfying’ Random Things through My Letterbox‘Entertaining, humorous crime fiction with plenty of heart’ Off-the-Shelf Books
The Waiting Rooms
by Eve SmithSwinging from South Africa to England: one woman’s hunt for her birth mother in an all-too-believable near future in which an antibiotic crisis has decimated the population. A prescient, thrilling debut.‘STUNNING and terrifying … The Waiting Rooms wrenches your heart in every way possible, but written with such humanity and emotion’ Miranda Dickinson ________________ Decades of spiralling drug resistance have unleashed a global antibiotic crisis. Ordinary infections are untreatable, and a scratch from a pet can kill. A sacrifice is required to keep the majority safe: no one over seventy is allowed new antibiotics. The elderly are sent to hospitals nicknamed ‘The Waiting Rooms’ … hospitals where no one ever gets well.Twenty years after the crisis takes hold, Kate begins a search for her birth mother, armed only with her name and her age. As Kate unearths disturbing facts about her mother’s past, she puts her family in danger and risks losing everything. Because Kate is not the only secret that her mother is hiding. Someone else is looking for her, too.Sweeping from an all-too-real modern Britain to a pre-crisis South Africa, The Waiting Rooms is epic in scope, richly populated with unforgettable characters, and a tense, haunting vision of a future that is only a few mutations away.________________‘If the themes are dark and topical, the writing is exquisite. Breath held, I got to the finale with my heart in my mouth. Eve Smith weaves a complex and clever tale, merging countries and timelines; the result is a superb and satisfying novel’ Louise Beech‘Smith creates visceral worlds that spring to life on the page and each chapter reveals new and exciting plot developments... Her work portrays an essence of Margaret Atwood and George Orwell’ Reviewer No 9‘Stunning dystopian debut. A prescient and alarming tale that seems just a whisper from reality’ Suzy Apsley‘This is THE book of our time. Literally unputdownable & unforgettable. Such a book, you owe it to yourself to order it immediately. WOW!’ Phillipa’s Quick Book Review Podcast‘With the current coronavirus going on, this book is so timely ... It’s a wealth of information and a wealth of warnings. My god this book makes you think. It really makes you think. Great interwoven story of the creators of the drugs and how they can be used for evil reasons. And warning, the first chapter will have you weeping’ Goodreads
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 Coral Bride (Detective Moralès #2)
by Roxanne BouchardIn this beautiful, lyrical sequel to the critically acclaimed We Were the Salt of the Sea, Detective Moralès finds that a seemingly straightforward search for a missing fisherwoman off Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula is anything but …‘Wonderfully atmospheric … I genuinely couldn’t put this book down’ Gill Paul'You might want to grab this release if you've read everything by Louise Penny and need more Quebecois noir to feed your crime-loving tendencies’ Crime Fiction Lover_________________When an abandoned lobster trawler is found adrift off the coast of Quebec’s Gaspé Peninsula, DS Joaquin Moralès begins a straightforward search for the boat’s missing captain, Angel Roberts – a rare female in a male-dominated world. But Moralès finds himself blocked at every turn – by his police colleagues, by fisheries bureaucrats, and by his grown-up son, who has turned up at his door with a host of his own personal problems.When Angel’s body is finally discovered, it’s clear something very sinister is afoot, and Moralès and son are pulled into murky, dangerous waters, where old resentments run deep.Exquisitely written, with Bouchard’s trademark lyrical prose, The Coral Bride evokes the power of the sea on the communities who depend on it, the never-ending struggle between the generations, and an extraordinary mystery at the heart of both._________________Praise for Roxanne Bouchard:‘Colourful, authentic characters with the kind of flavour that can only be inspired by real locals. So good it’ll make you want to pack your bags and drive straight to the seaside’ Journal de Montréal‘Lyrical and elegiac, full of quirks and twists’ William Ryan‘Asks questions right from page one’ Quentin Bates‘An isolated Canadian fishing community, a missing mother, and some lovely prose. Very impressed by this debut so far’ Eva Dolan'A tour de force of both writing and translation’ Su Bristow'The translation from French has retained a dreamily poetic cast to the language, but it's det-fic for all that, as DS Joaquin Morales, transplanted from balmy Mexican shores to a remote Quebecois fishing community, investigates a woman's death at sea. This is the first book by Bouchard, renowned Canadian playwright and author, to be translated into English' Sunday Times'Characters are well-drawn, from Moralès, the cop, and his sturdy inspector, Marlène, to the husky fishermen who were Marie's devoted suitors three decades ago. There's a comic element: the chef at the bistro, a mine of misleading information; the alcoholic priest who was never ordained - and the appalling undertaker who was once a used-car salesman and never forgot the spiel … An exotic curiosity, raw nugget’ Shots Mag
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.
A Song of Isolation
by Michael J. MaloneIn this breathtakingly brutal and intensely topical psychological thriller, a man is accused of child sexual abuse, and his life and that of his actress girlfriend are thrown into turmoil…‘Malone is the master of twists, turns and the unexpected, with the skill to keep things grounded. So much so, that the reader can picture themselves in the very circumstances described. Superb storytelling from a master of his craft’ Herald Scotland‘Beautiful, lyrical prose takes the reader through a perfectly constructed, often harrowing tale’ Denzil Meyrick_________________Film star Amelie Hart is the darling of the silver screen, appearing on the front pages of every newspaper. But at the peak of her fame she throws it all away for a regular guy with an ordinary job. The gossip columns are aghast: what happened to the woman who turned heads wherever she went?Any hope the furore will die down are crushed when Amelie’s boyfriend Dave is arrested on charges of child sexual abuse. Dave strongly asserts his innocence, and when Amelie refuses to denounce him, the press witch hunt quickly turns into physical violence, and she has to flee the country.While Dave is locked up with the most depraved men in the country and Amelie is hiding on the continent, Damaris, the victim at the centre of the story, is isolated – a child trying to make sense of an adult world.Breathtakingly brutal, dark and immensely moving, A Song of Isolation looks beneath the magpie glimmer of celebrity to uncover a sinister world dominated by greed and lies, and the unfathomable destruction of innocent lives … in an instant._________________Praise for Michael J. Malone‘A beautifully written tale, original, engrossing and scary … a dark joy’ The Times ‘A complex and multilayered story – perfect for a wintry night’ Sunday Express‘Vivid, visceral and compulsive’ Ian Rankin‘A terrific read … I read it in one sitting’ Martina Cole‘A deeply satisfying read’ Sunday Times‘A fine, page-turning thriller’ Daily Mail‘With each turn of the page, a more shocking detail is revealed and some of the people John thought might help him are not who they seem … The domestic noir tale is one that many families will be able to relate to … There is barely enough time to catch your’ Scotsman‘Challenging and emotional … enthrals as it corkscrews to a shocking, yet ultimately rewarding end’ LoveReading‘Malone’s latest is an unsettling, multi-layered and expertly paced domestic noir drama that delves into one family’s dark secrets, shame and lies’ CultureFly‘Malone is a poet, there are wonderful lyrical passages here and very skilful storytelling. Some issues are not spoken about enough, Malone raises a couple of those issues and sensitively but realistically addresses them…’ New Books Magazine‘Engrossing, hard-hitting – even shocking – with a light poetic frosting. Another superb read!’ Douglas Skelton'A dark and unnerving psychological thriller that draws you deep into the lives of the characters and refuses to let go. This is a brilliantly written book; I could not put it down’ Caroline Mitchell‘A chilling tale of the unexpected that journeys right into the dark heart of domesticity’ Marnie Riches
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…
Winterkill (Dark Iceland #6)
by Ragnar JónassonTHE STUNNING FINAL INSTALMENT OF THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING DARK ICELAND SERIES‘Jónasson is an automatic must-read for me … possibly the best Scandi writer working today’ Lee Child‘The best crime writer in the world today … truly a master of his genre’ The Times'The engaging Ari Thor returns in this darkly claustrophobic tale. Perfect mid-winter reading' Ann Cleeves––––––––––––––––A blizzard is approaching Siglufjörður, and that can only mean one thing…When the body of a nineteen-year-old girl is found on the main street of Siglufjörður, Police Inspector Ari Thór battles a violent Icelandic storm in an increasingly dangerous hunt for her killer … The chilling, claustrophobic finale to the international bestselling Dark Iceland series. Easter weekend is approaching, and snow is gently falling in Siglufjörður, the northernmost town in Iceland, as crowds of tourists arrive to visit the majestic ski slopes.Ari Thór Arason is now a police inspector, but he’s separated from his girlfriend, who lives in Sweden with their three-year-old son. A family reunion is planned for the holiday, but a violent blizzard is threatening and there is an unsettling chill in the air.Three days before Easter, a nineteen-year-old local girl falls to her death from the balcony of a house on the main street. A perplexing entry in her diary suggests that this may not be an accident, and when an old man in a local nursing home writes ‘She was murdered’ again and again on the wall of his room, there is every suggestion that something more sinister lies at the heart of her death… As the extreme weather closes in, cutting the power and access to Siglufjörður, Ari Thór must piece together the puzzle to reveal a horrible truth … one that will leave no one unscathed.Chilling, claustrophobic and disturbing, Winterkill is a startling addition to the multi-million-copy bestselling Dark Iceland series and cements Ragnar Jónasson as one of the most exciting and acclaimed authors in crime fiction.––––––––––––––––Praise for Ragnar Jónasson‘A stunningly atmospheric story. Ari Thór Arason returns in this pitch-perfect, beautifully paced crime novel … Ragnar Jónasson is at the top of his game, and a master of the genre’ Will Dean‘Chilling, creepy, perceptive, almost unbearably tense' Ian Rankin 'This is such a tense, gripping read' Anthony Horowitz ‘A world-class crime writer’ Sunday Times'This is Icelandic noir of the highest order, with Jónasson's atmospheric sense of place, and his heroine's unerring humanity shining from every page' Daily Mail’Ragnar Jónasson writes with a chilling, poetic beauty’ Peter James‘A gritty and superb thriller series … Ari Thór is a memorable detective who will go down as one of the greats’ Michael Wood‘A vivid cast of characters, whose fears, ambitions, rivalries and longings are movingly universal’ Oprah magazine‘The darkness and cold are palpable’ The Times’Traditional and beautifully finessed’ Independent‘Jónasson’s true gift is for describing the daunting beauty of the fierce setting, lashed by blinding snowstorms that smother the village in “a thick, white darkness” that is strangely comforting’ New York Times‘A chiller of a thriller’ Washington Post‘Required reading’ New York Post‘Bleakly brilliant’ Metro‘Jónasson’s books have breathed new life into Nordic noir’ Express