A. J. Liebling, born in Manhattan in 1904, joined the staff of the New Yorker in 1935 and contributed innumerable articles to the magazine throughout his lifetime, on subjects ranging from food to boxing and France to horse racing. As a war correspondent during the Second World War, he reported from France, England and Algeria, and participated in the Normandy landings. In later life he married the writer Jean Stafford, his third wife. He died in 1963.

A. J. Liebling

A. J. Rosen is an author of YA fantasy and is known as @agatharoza on Wattpad.

A. J. Rosen

A. K. Davidson

A. O. Scott has been a film critic at the New York Times since 2000. His writing has appeared in many other publications, including the New York Review of Books, Slate, the New Yorker and the Nation. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism in 2010, Scott is currently Distinguished Professor of Film Criticism at Wesleyan University. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York. 
 
@aoscott

A. O. Scott

A.S. Byatt (1936-2023) was a novelist, short-story writer and critic of international renown. Her novels include Possession (winner of the Booker Prize 1990), the Frederica Quartet and The Children’s Book, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction. She was appointed CBE in 1990 and DBE in 1999, and was awarded the Erasmus Prize 2016 for her ‘inspiring contribution to life writing’ and the Pak Kyongni Prize 2017. In 2018 she received the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award.

A. S. Byatt

A. T. Williams won the George Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2013 for his book A Very British Killing: The Death of Baha Mousa. He lives in Warwickshire.

A. T. Williams

A. W. Chase

Dubbed ‘The new queen of spy fiction’ by the Guardian newspaper, and ‘the real thing’ by the Washington Post, A.C. 'Ava' Glass is the CWA Dagger-shortlisted author of Alias Emma (The Chase), The Traitor and The Trap. The Traitor was a 2023 Richard and Judy Bookclub pick. Alias Emma was a Barnes and Noble book of the month. A former crime reporter and communications consultant, for five years Ava worked closely with spies. Her time in that world fascinated her, and the people she met back then inspire every book she writes.

A.C. Glass

A.E. Housman

Arthur Edward Waite was the designer and co-creator of the now famous Rider Waite Tarot deck. 
 
An American-born British poet and scholarly mystic, his strong interest in all esoteric matters - divination, magic, Kabbalism, alchemy and Freemasony - led to him penning a number of books. These include the Key to the Tarot, The Book of Ceremonial Magic and A New Encyclopedia of Freemasony.

A.E. Waite

A.E. Warren is the author of the Tomorrow's Ancestors series, which consists of Subject Twenty-One, The Hidden Base, The Fourth Species and The Final Rising. 
 
After spending eight years working as a lawyer, she began to write in the evenings and early mornings as a form of escapism from life in a very small cubicle with lots of files. She self-published her first novels in her spare time, which were picked up by Del Rey UK which is the science fiction/fantasy imprint of Penguin Random House. 
 
 She is an avid reader, occasional gamer and fair-weather runner. She lives in the UK with her husband, daughter and hopefully, one day, a wise border terrier named Austen.

A.E. Warren

A.G.D. Maran

A.J. Ayer

A K Benedict writes crime and speculative fiction in a room filled with clowns, mannequins and Doctor Who figures. Her first novel, The Beauty of Murder, was nominated for an eDunnit award and is in development for a major 8-part TV series by Company Pictures. Her second, Jonathan Dark or The Evidence of Ghosts, came out in February 2016. She's written Torchwood audio dramas for Big Finish and her short stories have featured in anthologies including Great British Horror and Best British Short Stories. She lives in St Leonards-on-Sea with her dog, Dame Margaret Rutherford.

A.K.Benedict

A. L. Kennedy has twice been selected as one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists and has won a host of other awards – including the Costa Book of the Year for her novel Day. She lives in Essex.

A.L. Kennedy

A.M. Ellis is a speculative fiction author and lover of everything steeped in myth and mystery. Her stories often lean into diverse voices, not only in her identity as a Black woman, but in exploring neurodivergence and mental health. A proud introvert and nostalgic gamer, she lives in Maryland, USA, with her husband and three children. Angelica is also the author of Hunt A Killer, a PERFECT SCORE novel, under the pen name A.M. Ellis, which she wrote as an IP for Scholastic in the US.

A.M. Ellis

A.N. Wilson was born in 1950 and educated at Rugby and New College, Oxford. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he holds a prominent position in the world of literature and journalism. He is an award-winning biographer and a celebrated novelist, winning prizes for much of his work. He lives in North London.

A.N. Wilson

A.T. Emerald

A.W. Priest

A.B.C. Merriman-Labor was a barrister, writer and munitions worker born in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 1877. His published works include A Series of Lectures on the Negro Race and The Story of the African Slave in a Nutshell. He also edited two editions of the Handbook of Sierra Leone. He arrived in the UK in 1904 to study law. In 1907, he organised a centenary commemoration of the abolition of the slave trade in Westminster Abbey. He later embarked on an 'entertainment-lecture' tour called Life and Scenes in Britain, travelling across thousands of miles of West, South West and Central Africa, which he expanded on to create Britons Through Negro Spectacles.

ABC Merriman-Labor

AJ Cronin

AJ Molloy

Aabria Iyengar is an American actress and author.

Aabria Iyengar

Aaliya Jaleel is a freelance illustrator, designer, and visual development artist, currently majoring in Animation at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is also the illustrator of Under My Hijab and Muslim Girls Rise. You can visit her online at www.aaliyamj.com.

Aaliya Jaleel

Aaron Allston

After more than fifteen years of experience as a clinical psychotherapist, Dr Aaron Balick has taken the amazing insights from psychology and psychotherapy out of the consultation room and made them accessible to the wider world. 
 
He has been an ‘agony uncle’ for many years for both CBBC and BBC Radio 1, as well as on television, including BBC Worldwide, BBC 3 and BBC Learning.

Aaron Balick

Aaron Carroll

Aaron Dignan is the founder of The Ready--a global organizational transformation and coaching practice--that helps companies large and small adopt new forms of self-organization and dynamic teaming. Clients include Johnson &amp; Johnson, Microsoft, Lloyds Bank, Citibank, Boeing, Mailchimp, Airbnb, Dropbox, and charity: water. 
 
He is also the founder of Murmur--a SaaS startup that helps teams scale culture through the magic of working agreements. The Murmur platform will allow every team on the planet to define and share their ways of working. 
 
Dignan is the author of Brave New Work (2019) and Game Frame (2011), co-host of the Brave New Work podcast, and a friend to misfit toys.

Aaron Dignan

Aaron Edwards is a senior lecturer in defence and international affairs at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, specialising in terrorism and counter-insurgency. He is the author and editor of several books, including Defending the Realm: The Politics of Britain’s Small Wars Since 1945, and has lectured all over the world on aspects of national and international security. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Aaron Edwards

Aaron Robertson is a writer, an editor, and a translator of Italian literature. His translation of Igiaba Scego’s Beyond Babylon was short-listed for the 2020 PEN Translation Prize and the National Translation Award, and in 2021 he received a National Endowment for the Arts grant. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Nation, Foreign Policy, n+1, The Point, and Literary Hub, among other publications. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Aaron Robertson

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Elizabeth Brooks

'Shimmering, lush...will keep you up all night' - Rene Denfeld, author of THE ENCHANTED 
 
'Eerie and addictive' - New York Times 
 
 
When I think of Byrne Hall - which I do more often than I'd like - it's the dead weight of the heatwave that comes back to me, and the smell of things going rotten. 
 
Freya Lyell is struggling to move on from her sister Stella's suicide five years ago. Visiting the bewitching Byrne Hall, only a few miles from the scene of the tragedy, she discovers a portrait of Stella - a portrait she had no idea existed, in a house Stella never set foot in. Or so she thought. 
 
Driven to find out more about her sister's secrets, Freya is drawn into the world of Byrne Hall and its owners: charismatic artist Cory and his sinister, watchful mother. But as Freya's relationship with Cory crosses the line into obsession, the darkness behind the locked doors of Byrne Hall threatens to spill out.

The Whispering House

Leona Deakin

Sometimes to catch a killer you have to become the prey. 
 
'A satisfying and pacey thriller from a talented author' J M Dalgliesh, author of ONE LOST SOUL 
___________________________________ 
 
**THE THIRD DR BLOOM THRILLER** 
___________________________________ 
 
The Foreign Secretary is being held under the Terrorism Act. He will answer the police's questions on one condition - they let him speak to Dr Augusta Bloom. 
 
He asks Bloom to track down his niece, Scarlett, who hasn't spoken to her family for ten years. The last they heard, Scarlett was getting involved with Artemis - an organisation dedicated to women's rights and the feminist movement, led by the charismatic Paula Kunis. 
 
But as Bloom learns more about Artemis, she's torn. Is this organisation everything it claims to be, or do they have a secret side and an alternative agenda? And if so, what has become of Scarlett? 
 
The only way to find out for sure is for Bloom to go undercover. But will she make it out safely - or will she become the next Artemis woman to disappear? 
 
***** 
 
READERS LOVE DR BLOOM'S LATEST INVESTIGATION: 
 
'Jam packed with excitement and twists around every corner' ***** 
'Once again Leona Deakin has hit the ball out of the park' ***** 
'What a gripping book, so many brilliant twists and turns' ***** 
'This book is unlike any other crime/mystery novel that I have ever read' ***** 
'A really intense and gripping read' ***** 
'Well written and a real page-turner' ***** 
'I was completely riveted by this book' *****

Hunt

Eva Nour

'An absolutely riveting novel and a searing and incredibly important book. Storytelling at its best.' Donal Ryan 
 
'A cat has seven souls in Arabic. In English cats have nine lives. You probably have both nine lives and seven souls, because otherwise I don't know how you've made it this far.' 
 
Sami's childhood is much like any other - an innocent blend of family and school, of friends and relations and pets (including stray cats and dogs, and the turtle he keeps on the roof). 
 
But with Syria at war with itself, nothing is really normal. And Sami's hopes for a better future are about to be ripped away. 
 
Inspired by extraordinary true events, The Stray Cats of Homs is the story of a young man who will do anything to keep the dream of home alive. It is tender, wild, raw, and truly unforgettable.

The Stray Cats of Homs

A powerful, moving novel inspired by a true story

The unforgettable, heart-breaking novel inspired by extraordinary true events

Emma Curtis

'Clever. Compulsive. Deliciously creepy. Invite me in? Yes, please. I didn't want to leave.' Jane Corry, author of MY HUSBAND'S WIFE 
 
To those who think they know her, Eliza Curran has it all: two healthy children, a stunning home and a wealthy, adoring husband. No one would guess the reality of her life: trapped in an unhappy marriage to a controlling man, she longs for a way out. 
 
When she takes on a new tenant, her life changes unexpectedly. Dan Jones is charming and perceptive, and quickly becomes a close friend to the whole family. 
 
But Dan's arrival threatens to tip Eliza's fragile world out of balance. And when someone has as many secrets as Eliza does, the smallest slip could destroy everything . . . 
 
'Incredibly tense and gripping, Invite Me In kept me guessing right til the end' Laura Marshall, author of FRIEND REQUEST 
'Invite Me In is a masterclass in building suspense' Trisha Sakhlecha, author of CAN YOU SEE ME NOW 
'Curtis teases the reader forward, making them guess and second-guess, and guess again - by the last third, I was biting my nails' S. E. Lynes, author of THE HOUSEWARMING

Invite Me In

Would you invite a stranger into your home?

Tammy Cohen

Till death do us part . . . 
 
Lucy has dreamt of her wedding day for as long as she can remember. 
 
And now the day is almost here. Her nearest and dearest are gathered on an idyllic Greek island and she just knows it's going to be perfect. It has to be. 
 
But even the best-laid plans can go horribly wrong. What is the secret her parents are keeping from her? Who is the silent stranger her sister brought as a plus-1? 
 
And then they find the body. 
 
It's going to be a day to remember.

The Wedding Party

‘Absolutely gripping’ Jane Fallon

Emily Houghton

CAN YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN? 
 
 Alice and Alfie are strangers. But they sleep next to each other every night. 
 
 Alfie Mack has been in hospital for months recovering from an accident. A new face on the ward is about as exciting as life gets for him right now, so when someone moves into the bed next to him he's eager to make friends. But it quickly becomes clear that seeing his neighbour's face won't happen any time soon. 
 
 Alice Gunnersley has been badly burned and can't even look at herself yet, let alone allow anyone else to see her. She keeps the curtain around her bed firmly closed, but it doesn't stop Alfie trying to get to know her. And gradually, as he slowly brings Alice out of her shell, might there even be potential for more?

Before I Saw You

A joyful read asking ‘can you fall in love with someone you’ve never seen?’

Belinda Bauer

Perfect for fans of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club, this is the page-turning, twisty, and often hilarious new crime novel from bestselling author Belinda Bauer. 
 
'Quirky, charming, intensely human, important . . . and very suspenseful. I loved it.' 
Lee Child 
__________________ 
 
Meet Felix Pink. The most unlikely murderer you'll ever have the good fortune to spend time with. 
 
When Felix lets himself in to Number 3 Black Lane, he's there to perform an act of charity: to keep a dying man company as he takes his final breath . . . 
 
But just fifteen minutes later Felix is on the run from the police - after making the biggest mistake of his life. 
 
Now his world is turned upside down as he must find out if he's really to blame, or if something much more sinister is at play. All while staying one shaky step ahead of the law. 
 
__________ 
 
'Fresh, funny, flawless. The best crime novel you'll read this year.' 
Clare Mackintosh 
 
'Bauer's judgement of tone is perfect throughout a captivating whodunnit that's often hilarious . . . beady-eyed yet tender, it resembles a collaboration between Agatha Christie and Muriel Spark.' 
Sunday Times

Exit

The brilliantly funny new crime novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author of SNAP

Rosanna Amaka

SHORTLISTED FOR THE AUTHOR'S CLUB FIRST NOVEL AWARD, THE RSL CHRISTOPHER BLAND PRIZE and THE HWA DEBUT CROWN AWARD 
 
'A new classic' SARA COLLINS, author of THE CONFESSIONS OF FRANNIE LANGTON 
'Impassioned. Lyrical and affecting' GUARDIAN 
_____________ 
 
Brixton 1981. Sixteen-year-old Michael is already on the wrong side of the law. In in his community, where job opportunities are low and drug-running is high, this is nothing new. 
 
But when Michael falls for Ngozi, a vibrant young immigrant from the Nigerian village of Obowi, their startling connection runs far deeper than they realise. 
 
Narrated by the spirit of an African woman who lost her life on a slave ship two centuries earlier, her powerful story reveals how Michael and Ngozi's struggle for happiness began many lifetimes ago. 
 
Through haunting, lyrical words, one unforgettable message resonates: love, hope and unity will heal us all. 
_____________ 
 
'A searing, rhapsodic novel. Filled with beauty, devastation and the power of ancestral connections that ripple through the ages' IRENOSEN OKOJIE, author of NUDIBRANCH 
 
'A gorgeous book' ALEX WHEATLE, author of BRIXTON ROCK 
_____________ 
 
Readers love THE BOOK OF ECHOES: 
 
'A powerful and honest debut which is going to stay with me for a long time' ***** 
 
'You can feel Amaka's passion rising off the page' ***** 
 
'BRILLIANT, thoughtful and masterfully crafted' ***** 
 
'Oh my goodness, the book itself is even more beautiful and haunting than the cover' *****

The Book Of Echoes

Anne Youngson

Tender and humorous novel of second chances and life-changing new friendship for fans of Rachel Joyce, Clare Chambers and Barbara Pym 
 
'Life-affirming and funny' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 
'Anne Youngson's witty and elegant novel is a celebration of friendship and a timely reminder that it is never too late to take on a life-changing new challenge' DAILY MAIL 
 
Meet Eve, who has departed from her thirty-year career to become a Free Spirit; Sally, who has waved goodbye to her indifferent husband and two grown-up children; and Anastasia, a defiantly independent narrowboat-dweller, suddenly vulnerable as she awaits a life-saving operation. 
 
Inexperienced and ill-equipped, Sally and Eve embark upon a journey through the canals of England, guided by the remote and unsympathetic Anastasia. As they glide gently - and not so gently - through the countryside, the eccentricities and challenges of canalboat life draw them inexorably together, and a tender and unforgettable story unfolds. 
 
Disarmingly truthful and narrated with a rare wit, THREE WOMEN AND A BOAT is a journey over the glorious waterways of England and into the unfathomable depths of the human heart by an inspirational new talent now in her seventies. 
 
********** 
What customers are saying: 
 
'Moving, tender and just a balm for the soul' ***** 
'Perfect for those in need of an uplifting read' **** 
'A warm and enjoyable read' *****

Three Women and a Boat

A BBC Radio 2 Book Club Title

The warm, life-affirming BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick

Lissa Evans

'A book to be treasured and returned to again and again' The Independent 
'Funny, moving and utterly life-enhancing' Daily Mail 
___ 
 
SHORTLISTED FOR HWA Crown Awards 2021 
 
It's late 1944. Hitler's rockets are slamming down on London with vicious regularity and it's the coldest winter in living memory. Allied victory is on its way, but it's bloody well dragging its feet. 
 
In a large house next to Hampstead Heath, Vee Sedge is just about scraping by, with a herd of lodgers to feed, and her young charge Noel ( almost fifteen ) to clothe and educate. When she witnesses a road accident and finds herself in court, the repercussions are both unexpectedly marvellous and potentially disastrous - disastrous because Vee is not actually the person she's pretending to be, and neither is Noel. 
 
The end of the war won't just mean peace, but discovery... 
 
With caustic wit and artful storytelling, Lissa Evans elegantly summons a time when the world could finally hope to emerge from the chaos of war. 
___ 
 
Readers love V for Victory: 
 
'The characters stay in the memory and heart.' 
'It's pitch perfect - funny, sad, moving, compelling' 
'Full of warmth, wit and wisdom, an absolute joy'

V for Victory

A warm and witty novel by the Sunday Times bestseller

The delightful and moving novel from the Sunday Times bestseller

Curtis Sittenfeld

BY THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ROMANTIC COMEDY, AMERICAN WIFE and PREP 
 
'This addictive novel is the SLIDING DOORS of American politics. Gripping' Stylist 
 
'Startlingly good. One of my favourite writers' KATE ATKINSON 
---------------------- 
'Awfully opinionated for a girl' is what they call Hillary as she grows up in her Chicago suburb. 
 
Smart, diligent, and a bit plain, that's the general consensus. Then Hillary goes to college, and her star rises. At Yale Law School, she continues to be a leader - and catches the eye of driven, handsome and charismatic Bill. But when he asks her to marry him, Hillary gives him a firm No. 
 
How might things have turned out for them, for America, for the world itself, if Hillary Rodham had really turned down Bill Clinton? 
 
With her sharp but always compassionate eye, Sittenfeld explores the loneliness, moral ambivalence and iron determination that characterise the quest for high office, as well as the painful compromises demanded of female ambition in a world ruled by men. 
_____________ 
'A lot of fun. A wonderful sad dream of what might have happened' Guardian 
 
'It ends up being a love letter to a type: the female intellectual, who is given none of the licence of her less talented male peers. At the end, I found myself saying Oh My God' Observer 
 
'An explosive new book' Grazia

Rodham

The SUNDAY TIMES bestseller asking: What if Hillary hadn’t married Bill?

In 1940, every draft of every film script had to be approved by the Ministry of Information. Cast and crew were waiting to be called up at any moment, travel was restricted and filming was interrupted by regular bombing raids. And so it is that we find a disparate group of characters whose paths would never have crossed in peacetime: Ambrose Hilliard, a washed up old ham from the golden era of silent movies; Catrin Cole, formerly an advertising copywriter drafted in to 'write women' for the Ministry of Information; Edith Beadmore, a wardrobe assistant at Madame Tussauds; and Arthur Frith, peacetime catering manager turned wartime Special Military Advisor. 
 
This distinct group find themselves thrown together in the wilds of Norfolk to 'do their bit' on the latest propaganda film - a heart-warming tale of derring do, of two sisters who set out in a leaking old wooden boat to rescue the brave men trapped at Dunkirk. All completely fabricated, of course, but what does that matter when the nation's morale is at stake? Newly crowned actor, script-writer, costumier and military attaché must swallow their mutual distaste, ill-will and mistrust and unite for the common good, for King and country, and - in one case - for better or worse...

Their Finest Hour and a Half

John Boyne

Some stories are universal. They play out across human history. And time is the river which will flow through them. 
 
It starts with a family, a family which will mutate. For now, it is a father, mother and two sons. One with his father’s violence in his blood. One who lives his mother’s artistry. One leaves. One stays. They will be joined by others whose deeds will change their fate. It is a beginning. 
 
Their stories will intertwine and evolve over the course of two thousand years – they will meet again and again at different times and in different places. From distant Palestine at the dawn of the first millennium to a life amongst the stars in the third. While the world will change around them, their destinies will remain the same. It must play out as foretold. It is written. 
 
A Traveller at the Gates of Wisdom is the extraordinary new novel from acclaimed writer John Boyne. Ambitious, far-reaching and mythic, it introduces a group of characters whose lives we will come to know and will follow through time and space until they reach their natural conclusion.

A Traveller at the Gates of Wisdom

A dazzling novel from the author of The Heart’s Invisible Furies

Trisha Ashley

All Marnie wants is somewhere to call home. Mourning lost years spent in a marriage that has finally come to an end, she needs a fresh start and time to heal. Things she hopes to find in the rural west Lancashire village her mother always told her about. 
 
With nothing but her two green thumbs, Marnie takes a job as a gardener, which comes with a little cottage to make her own. The garden is beautiful - filled with roses, lavender and honeysuckle - and only a little rough around the edges. Which is more than can be said for her next-door neighbour, Ned Mars. 
 
Marnie remembers Ned from her college days but he's far from the untroubled man she once knew. A recent relationship has left him with a heart as bruised as her own. 
 
Can a summer spent gardening help them recapture the forgotten dreams they've let get away?

The Garden of Forgotten Wishes

The heartwarming and uplifting new rom-com from the Sunday Times bestseller

Susannah Dickey

From dead pets and crashed cars to family traumas and misguided love affairs, Susannah Dickey's revitalizing debut novel plunges us into the private world of one young woman as she navigates her rocky way to adulthood. 
 
 
'I loved Tennis Lessons so much. Susannah is a phenomenally talented writer' ELIZABETH DAY 
 
'A raw, fierce, shockingly honest coming-of-age story' LOUISE O'NEILL 
 
'Incredibly funny . . . by turns charming and disgusting and I loved it' NELL FRIZZELL 
 
 
You're strange and wrong. You've known it from the beginning. 
 
This is the voice that rings in your ears. Because you never say the right thing. You're a disappointment to everyone. You're a far cry from beautiful - and your thoughts are ugly too. 
 
You seem bound to fail, bound to break. 
 
But you know what it is to laugh with your best friend, to feel the first tentative tingles of attraction, to take exquisite pleasure in the affront of your unruly body. 
 
You just need to find your place. 
 
 
'Brilliant . . . a wonderful writer, hugely talented, very funny and insightful' ALAN DAVIES 
 
'Propulsive . . . brilliantly vivid . . . stays in the mind long after reading' IRISH TIMES 
 
'A beautifully written and psychologically incisive bildungsroman...the arrival of a young writer to watch' OBSERVER

Tennis Lessons

Rachel Joyce

WINNER OF THE WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE | BEST PUBLISHED NOVEL 
WOMAN & HOME BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR and A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
'The perfect escape novel for our troubled times.' PATRICK GALE 
 
 
It is 1950. In a devastating moment of clarity, Margery Benson abandons her dead-end job and advertises for an assistant to accompany her on an expedition. She is going to travel to the other side of the world to search for a beetle that may or may not exist. 
Enid Pretty, in her unlikely pink travel suit, is not the companion Margery had in mind. And yet together they will be drawn into an adventure that will exceed every expectation. They will risk everything, break all the rules, and at the top of a red mountain, discover their best selves. 
 
This is a story that is less about what can be found than the belief it might be found; it is an intoxicating adventure story but it is also about what it means to be a woman and a tender exploration of a friendship that defies all boundaries. 
 
 
'A girl's own adventure...This is Rachel Joyce's best book yet ...Exciting, moving and full of unexpected turns.' THE TIMES 
 
'Brilliant and elegant and wise...powerful and moving...I can't recommend it enough.' JOANNA CANNON 
 
'A beautiful portrayal of female friendship in all its frailties, contradictions and strengths.' RAYNOR WINN 
 
WOMAN & HOME BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2020; DAILY MAIL BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2020; BOOKMARK BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020; GOOD HOUSEKEEPING BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2020 
 
Rachel Joyce's latest novel, The Homemade God is out now.

Miss Benson's Beetle

An uplifting story of female friendship against the odds

Jessica Anthony

Discover the rip-roaringly funny satirical novel about a stuffed aardvark who threatens to derail a Republican Congressman's political career... 
 
'It's a long time since I have enjoyed a novel so much. Fresh, witty and smart it also has heart' Kate Atkinson 
 
'An ingenious political satire...deliciously astute, fresh and terminally funny' Guardian 
 
'What begins as a topical takedown of the American political system deepens into a hugely enjoyable romp through history' Observer 
 
______ 
 
We all know politics is absurd. But could a scheming politician be brought down by a stuffed aardvark? 
 
Republican congressman Alexander Paine Wilson is determined that nothing will stop him in his campaign for re-election. 
 
Not the fact that he is a bachelor, not the fact that his main adversary Nancy Beavers - married, with children - is rising in the polls. Nothing. 
 
That is, until one hot day in August, he receives a large parcel via FedEx. Inside is a gigantic taxidermy aardvark. 
 
This aardvark has a surprising history - from the Victorian naturalist who discovered it to the taxidermist who deemed it his finest creation. 
 
But for Wilson, the entrance of the aardvark sets off a chain of events that threaten to ruin his entire career. 
 
Constantly surprising, brilliantly comic and piquantly provocative, Enter the Aardvark is a tale for our times, a biting satire with a tender underbelly. 
____________________________________________ 
 
 
'So perfect and funny that you read it over and over, laugh every time...Completely insane but utterly hilarious' John Boyne 
 
'Inventive and darkly funny' Time 
 
'Fresh, astute and mouthwateringly sharp, this is a rare thing; a political satire that tugs on the heartstrings in unconventional ways' Irish Times 
 
'Spry, slim, clever...the inventiveness is impressive and the story has heart' The Sunday Times 
 
'The most fizzing and amusing novel of the year' Strong Words magazine 
 
'Sharp, inventive and very funny, it's an entertainingly bizarre political satire' TATLER 
 
'Weird, wonderful, and very much of the moment, Enter the Aardvark is a landmark political novel of the Trump era...With heart and humor, Anthony expertly skewers our current political climate' Esquire

Enter the Aardvark

S J Watson

Blackwood Bay. An ordinary place, home to ordinary people. 
 
It used to be a buzzing seaside destination. But now, ravaged by the effects of dwindling tourism and economic downturn, it's a ghost town - and the perfect place for film-maker Alex to shoot her new documentary. 
 
But the community is deeply suspicious of her intentions. After all, nothing exciting ever happens in Blackwood Bay - or does it? 
 
Blackwood Bay. An ordinary place, home to an extraordinary secret.

Final Cut

From the multi-million-copy bestselling author of Before I Go To Sleep

In this collection of twelve dark, unerring and surprising short stories, John Boyne explores the extremities of the human condition in all its brilliance and brutality. The secrets we keep and the ways in which they shape us, the impossibility of shared loss, the lengths we will go to in order to protect our families and the distance we will run to protect ourselves. 
 
 
Drawing on a host of enthralling characters – a farmer, a cuckold and a teenager exploring his sexuality; good parents, bad parents, writers and soldiers; a student, a rent boy and a hitman – Boyne examines the hopeful and the damaged without prejudice or judgement. 
 
 
This, his first collection of short stories, is some of John Boyne’s finest writing to date. It includes ‘Rest Day’ which won the 2015 Writing.ie Short Story of the Year award in Ireland.

Beneath the Earth

Sarah Leipciger

'Bold in its weaving of three ingeniously linked storylines and rich in sensuous detail and vivid characterisation. I can't wait for her next.' PATRICK GALE 
 
'A stunning, stirring story told with exceptional skill and rare beauty.' TERRI WHITE 
 
'Glittering. A triumph.' RACHEL JOYCE 
 
**LONGLISTED FOR THE HWA GOLD CROWN 2020** 
 
THREE EXTRAORDINARY LIVES INTERTWINE ACROSS OCEANS AND TIME 
 
On the banks of the River Seine in 1899, a young woman takes her final breath before plunging into the icy water. Although she does not know it, her decision will set in motion an astonishing chain of events. It will lead to 1950s Norway, where a grieving toy-maker is on the cusp of a transformative invention, all the way to present-day Canada where a journalist, battling a terrible disease, risks everything for one last chance to live. 
 
Taking inspiration from a remarkable true story, Coming Up for Air is a bold, richly imagined novel about the transcendent power of storytelling and the immeasurable impact of every human life. 
 
MORE PRAISE FOR COMING UP FOR AIR: 
'Extraordinary.' FRANCIS SPUFFORD 
'Vivid, evocative, moving. I loved it' CLAIRE FULLER 
'Spellbinding and beautifully written.' CARYS BRAY 
'Dazzling . . . I savoured every word of its beautiful prose' PRIMA

Coming Up for Air

A remarkable true story richly reimagined

Camilla Bruce

'This might be the best book I've read all year' JOANNE HARRIS 
 
'A glorious, pitch-black fairytale of a book' KIRSTY LOGAN, author of Things We Say in the Dark 
 
'A feast of storytelling...lingers long after the last morsel's been consumed' SAM LLOYD, author of The Memory Wood 
 
'Brutal and beguiling story of love and revenge' LUCIE McKNIGHT HARDY, author of Water Shall Refuse Them 
 
'Lascivious and bloody' JAMES LOVEGROVE in the Financial Times 
 
Everyone knew bestselling novelist Cassandra Tipp had twice got away with murder. 
 
Even her family were convinced of her guilt. So when she disappears, leaving only a long letter behind, they can but suspect that her conscience finally killed her. 
 
But the letter is not what anyone expected. It tells two chilling, darkly disturbing stories. One is a story of children lost to the woods, of husbands made from twigs and leaves and feathers and bones . . . 
 
The other is the story of a little girl trying to make sense of a damaged life lived in the shadows . . . 
 
But which story is true? 
 
Unsettling yet unputdownable, You Let Me In dares to cross the boundary between reality and somewhere else entirely . . . 
________________________ 
 
What readers are saying... 
 
'I loved this book, was blown away by it' 
'I would certainly read more from this author' 
'Unexpected, thrilling and darkly twisted' 
'I found myself thinking about it for several days afterwards' 
'The writing was just sensational' 
'An impressive debut' 
'I would love to see Guillermo del Toro make a movie based on this story'

You Let Me In

The acclaimed, unsettling novel of haunted love, revenge and the nature of truth

Laura Zigman

'Quirky, comic, honest' MARIAN KEYES 
'Funny and charming' JUDY BLUME 
'Wise and wonderful' ALICE HOFFMAN 
'Written with such humour and heart' STYLIST 
'A must read' RED 
 
If you've ever wondered whether you love your dog more than your partner... 
 
Life hasn't gone according to Judy's plan. Her career as a children's book author has taken a nose dive. Her teenage son Teddy treats her with a combination of embarrassment and indifference. She has 'separated' from her husband, Gary, who is living in the basement as they can't afford a divorce. And every day she has to write content for an uplifting self-help website while stalking her nemesis online - a creativity-lifestyle-coach guru with a social media following the size of Jupiter. All Judy wants is to not feel invisible. All she wants is to fill that space inside her. And when she decides to declutter the house, she hits on a radical solution... 
 
Gleefully irreverent, tender, funny and uplifting, Separation Anxiety is a book filled with happiness and heart. A novel about the connections we make, the people we love and the joyful messiness of life. 
___________________________________________________ 
 
Praise for Separation Anxiety 
 
'I adored this wise, funny, sad, quirky story...It's brilliant on the stories we tell ourselves and others in order to resist change, while beating ourselves up about not taking steps towards a happier future. Heartbreaking and life-affirming.' Daily Mail 
 
'Separation Anxiety was exactly what I needed for a change of pace, funny and charming' - Judy Blume 
 
'What a gem of a novel...It's laced with moments of self-doubt and marital mayhem, but also the many small daily acts of mercy and heroism that love inspires.' - Diane Ackerman 
 
'I enjoyed Separation Anxiety very much... It has a real freshness of voice and though it is very poignant, several parts also made me laugh out loud' - Laura Barnett, author of The Versions of Us 
 
'So sweetly funny, so very touching.' Sainsburys magazine 
 
'My advice: Start reading and don't stop until you get to the last page of this wise and wonderful novel.' - Alice Hoffman 
 
'[A] novel about stress, release, and the unlikely places we turn to for comfort in uncertain times' - Vogue 
 
'Laura Zigman is able to home in on the most tender, revealing, exquisitely painful aspects of our relationships with others and with ourselves. And somehow she manages to come out the other end with hope.' - Chelsea Handler 
 
'[Separation Anxiety] is compassionate and funny, articulating with gentle humor the terrible things that we're all grappling with. To steal a phrase from my daughter, it made me happy-cry.' - Laura Lippman

Separation Anxiety

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of RODHAM, AMERICAN WIFE, YOU THINK IT, I'LL SAY IT and HELP YOURSELF 
 
'A rigorous and wily stylist. She packs her pages with clever observations without appearing to be trying' NEW YORK TIMES 
'Grave, good-humoured, deeply engaging' GUARDIAN 
____________ 
Hannah is a confused fourteen-year-old. In the magazines she reads, celebrities plan elaborate weddings; in Hannah's own life, her parents' marriage is crumbling. 
 
Over the next decade and a half, love throws her some complicated questions. At what point can you no longer blame your adult failures on your messed up childhood? Is settling for someone who's not your soulmate an act of maturity or an admission of defeat? And if you move to another state for a guy who might not love you back, are you being plucky - or just pathetic? 
_______ 
 
Readers love THE MAN OF MY DREAMS: 
*****'I love everything Curtis Sittenfeld writes and this was no exception. Excellent' 
*****'Very realistic portrayal of an emotionally abusive atmosphere. Insightful, thoughtful' 
*****'Curtis Sittenfeld is a magnificent writer. Fantastic'

The Man of My Dreams

'Packs a killer twist' Prima 
 'Wickedly funny' Sunday Mirror 
 
 To mark the twelve days of Christmas, he gives me a gift every day, each more horrible than the last . . . 
 
 I am missing. Held captive by a blue-eyed stranger. 
 
 The twelfth day is getting closer. 
 
 After that, there will be no more Christmas cheer for me. 
 
 No mince pies, no carols. 
 
 No way out . . . 
 ________ 
 
 A gripping and chilling psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Shari Lapena and Harriet Tyce. 
 
 What readers are saying: 
 
 ***** 'Entertaining, dark and full of suspense, with a slithering of wit for good measure.' 
 ***** 'The twist took my breath away. I couldn't put it down.' 
 ***** 'Should you want a captivating, dark, twisted and enthralling festive read . . . then look no further.'

Dying for Christmas

The perfect thriller to curl up with this winter

A dazzling, smart and razor-sharp story collection by Curtis Sittenfeld, Sunday Times bestselling author of Rodham and American Wife. 
 
The theme that unites these stories is how even the cleverest people tend to misread others, and how much we all deceive ourselves. 
 
Sharp and tender, funny and wise, they show Sittenfeld's knack for creating real, believable characters that spring off the page, while also skewering contemporary mores with brilliant dry wit. 
 
'DO-OVER', ONE OF THE STORIES IN THIS COLLECTION, WAS SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2018 SUNDAY TIMES EFG SHORT STORY AWARD.

You Think It, I'll Say It

Ten scorching stories of self-deception by the Sunday Times bestselling author

'Like a nice mug of mulled wine in book form!' Good Housekeeping 
 
The #1 Christmas novel from Sunday Times bestselling author Trisha Ashley 
 
Meg is definitely not in the Christmas mood. She’s never gone in for tinsel, baubles and mistletoe, and right now she’s still getting over an illness. Yet when she’s invited to spend the run-up to Christmas in the snowy countryside, rather than dreary London, she can’t refuse. 
 
Arriving at a warm and cosy family home in a small hilltop village, Meg soon begins to wonder what a proper Christmas might be like. But just as she’s beginning to settle in, she spots a familiar face. Lex. 
 
Despite the festive cheer, Meg suddenly wants nothing more than to get as far away from him, and their past secrets, as she can. But if she stays, could this be the year she finally discovers the magic of Christmas...? 
 
Fabulously funny, intelligent and heart-warming, Trisha Ashley’s brand-new novel is the feel-good Christmas book of the year. It even contains recipes! 
 
‘This cosy heart-warming Christmas read will get you in the festive spirit’ Woman 
‘A witty, original read’ Daily Express 
‘Romance, friendship, love, humour and a generous dose of Christmas spirit – this book has it all’ Woman’s Weekly 
‘A heart-warming, feel-good read.’ Choice

The Christmas Invitation

A feel-good, festive read to keep you cosy this Winter

'A brilliantly paced, imaginative thriller with plenty of dark twists that had me turning the pages well into the night.' Heidi Perks, author of Now You See Her 
 
 ___________________________________ 
 
HOW CAN YOU SOLVE A CRIME IF YOU CAN'T REMEMBER THE CLUES? 
 
 ___________________________________ 
 
There is an explosion at a military ball. The casualties are rushed to hospital in eight ambulances, but only seven vehicles arrive. Captain Harry Peterson is missing. 
His girlfriend calls upon her old friend Dr Augusta Bloom to support the investigation. But no one can work out if there is a connection between the bomb and the disappearance. 
When Harry is eventually discovered three days later, they hope he holds the answers to their questions. But he can't remember a single thing. 
Without any clues, will Dr Bloom find herself lost in this puzzle too? 
 
 ___________________________________ 
 
 
'Another cracking read from Leona Deakin and my favourite so far! I was totally gripped by this complex and intriguing story.' Lauren North, author of The Perfect Betrayal 
 
 ___________________________________ 
 
 
Readers love the Dr Bloom Thrillers: 
'The ultimate suspense novel' ***** 
'Gripping, mysterious, fast-paced' ***** 
'An intelligent psychological thriller' ***** 
'What a book! Completely mind-twisting' ***** 
'Debut novels don't get better than this' ***** 
'A smart and intricate cat-and-mouse tale' ***** 
'Dark, riveting, twisting, cruel' ***** 
 'I could not put it down' *****

Lost

The sensational thriller that will keep you gripped all night

Lawrence Wright

A DEADLY VIRUS. QUARANTINE. A WORLD IN LOCKDOWN. THE THRILLER THAT PREDICTED IT ALL. 
 
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
'Flies thrillingly, eerily close to reality' Guardian 
 
'This page-turner... is riveting and spookily anticipates much that has unfolded in reality' Sunday Times 
 
A race-against-time thriller, as one man must find the origin and cure for a new killer virus that has brought the world to its knees. 
 
At an internment camp in Indonesia, forty-seven people are pronounced dead with a mysterious fever. When Dr Henry Parsons - microbiologist and epidemiologist - travels there on behalf of the World Health Organization to investigate, what he finds will soon have staggering repercussions across the globe. 
 
As international tensions rise and governments enforce unprecedented measures, Henry finds himself in a race against time to track the source and find a cure - before it's too late . . . 
 
*** 
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING: 
 
'If you have a desire to really understand what is going on in the world right now, this is a novel that you cannot afford to miss!' 
 
'Well-written and fast-paced. Most of all utterly, scarily, believable.'

The End of October

A page-turning thriller that warned of the risk of a global virus

Hazel Prior

A truly feel-good book club read - a #1 bestseller in ebook and audio! 
 
'This year's Eleanor Oliphant . . . Funny, bittersweet and wholly original.' Daily Express 
 
 
Veronica McCreedy is about to have the journey of a lifetime . . . 
 
Veronica McCreedy lives in a mansion by the sea. She loves a nice cup of Darjeeling tea whilst watching a good wildlife documentary. And she's never seen without her ruby-red lipstick. 
 
Although these days Veronica is rarely seen by anyone because, at 85, her days are spent mostly at home, alone. 
 
She can be found either collecting litter from the beach ('people who litter the countryside should be shot'), trying to locate her glasses ('someone must have moved them') or shouting 
instructions to her assistant, Eileen ('Eileen, door!'). 
 
Veronica doesn't have family or friends nearby. Not that she knows about, anyway . . . And she has no idea where she's going to leave her considerable wealth when she dies. 
 
But today . . . today Veronica is going to make a decision that will change all of this. 
 
 
'I love this gorgeous book. Unflinching, stubborn, funny and moving, Veronica is an unlikely heroine who will sneak in and capture your heart.' Trisha Ashley

Away with the Penguins

The joyful no. 1 Richard & Judy pick now with exclusive bonus chapter

Menna van Praag

'Absorbing and beautiful - a great achievement.' BRIDGET COLLINS, bestselling author of The Binding 
 
There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of sisters Grimm on Earth. 
You may well be one of them, though you might never know it. 
 
This is the story of four sisters Grimm – daughters born to different mothers on the same day, each born out of bright-white wishing and black-edged desire. 
 
They found each other at eight years-old, were separated at thirteen and now, at nearly eighteen, it is imperative that they find each other once again. 
 
In thirty-three days they will meet their father in Everwhere. Only then will they discover who they truly are, and what they can truly do. Then they must fight to save their lives and the lives of the ones they love. Three will live, one will die. 
 
You’ll have to read on to find out who and why . . . 
___________________ 
 
'A darkly beguiling delight that’s perfect for fans of rich and imaginative fantasy books akin to Erin Morgenstern and Neil Gaiman.' CULTUREFLY

The Sisters Grimm

A darkly beguiling fantasy escape

A Private Thriller

A series of children's modern classic novels by renowned 20th century children's writers. All the titles in this series have the A Puffin Book logo, contemporary-style covers, and child-friendly endnotes.

A Puffin Book

A Ripley Novel

A Slice of the Moon

A Victorian Mystery

A Walk in...

A Women’s Murder Club Thriller

A chef Paul Delamare Mystery

Aberrations

Across the Universe

Actiphons

Adelia Aguilar

Adrian Mole

Adventures in Time

Aftermath

Against War

Age of X

Agent 21

Agent Z

Detective Aidan Waits is a troubled junior detective haunted by his past. Facing an uncertain future, and disconnected from his history, DC Waits and his partner, Detective Inspector Peter 'Sutty' Sutcliffe work on Manchester's streets to uncover the city's worst criminals among the grime of the underworld.

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