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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 Lingering
by SJI HollidayA twisty, chilling psychological thriller cum gothic ghost story set in a Victorian psychiatric home with a disturbing history, and someone set on revenge…LONGLISTED for the Guardian’s Not the Booker PrizeNumber One Bestseller in Ebook’Cements Holliday’s position as one of the most gifted and entertaining psychological thriller writers in the business’ Steve Cavanagh‘Saunters from creepy to genuinely terrifying … I was completely unable to put it down’ Elizabeth Haynes‘In the new wave of gothic novels, The Lingering is a stand-out triumph’ Eva Dolan‘An atmospheric chiller of a book … reminiscent of early James Herbert’ Fiona CumminsMarried couple Jack and Ali Gardiner move to a self-sufficient commune in the English Fens, desperate for fresh start. The local village is known for the witches who once resided there and Rosalind House, where the commune has been established, is a former psychiatric home, with a disturbing history.When Jack and Ali arrive, a chain of unexpected and unexplained events is set off, and it becomes clear that they are not all that they seem. As the residents become twitchy, and the villagers suspicious, events from the past come back to haunt them, and someone is seeking retribution…At once an unnerving mystery, a chilling thriller and a dark and superbly wrought ghost story, The Lingering is an exceptionally plotted, terrifying and tantalisingly twisted novel by one of the most exciting authors in the genre.'Utterly beguiling and darkly sinister, this superb Gothic ghost tale is a brilliantly crafted rug puller’ Lisa Howells, Heat Magazine‘A wonderful cross-over novel that ranges from taut psychological chiller to supernatural suspense … Nail-biting stuff, superbly executed’ Sunday Times‘Readers will find this contemporary gothic tale hard to put down’ Publishers Weekly‘A thrilling, chilling, shocking tale, perfect if you take delight in an icy shiver scuttling down your spine’ LoveReading‘Brilliantly chilling and perfectly paced’ Anna Mazzola‘One of the most original ghost stories I have ever read’ Cass Green‘Like Stephen King meets Thomas Harris’ Derek Farrell‘A serious spine-chiller from an exceptional talent’ Chris Whitaker‘Tense and chilling, with a creeping sense of unease’ Neil Broadfoot‘Perfectly paced and guaranteed to cause you sleepless nights for all the right reasons. Fans of Susan Hill and Andrew Taylor, take note’ David Mark‘Creepy, unsettling and all-consuming’ Jenny Blackhurst‘Spooky, compelling and chilling’ Jane Isaac‘Eerie and unsettling, with a bittersweet beauty’ Fergus McNeill‘Unnerved me right from the start’ June Taylor’A perfect winter read’ Lisa Gray‘An unsettling tale of haunting … that lingers in the mind’ Mason Cross‘A relentlessly unnerving mystery – like shuffling footsteps from a long-locked attic’ Matt Wesolowski‘Gets under your skin and stays there’ Quentin Bates‘The story is at the same time a locked room mystery, a chilling thriller and a dark and complex ghost story which has been described as both creepy and chilling’ Mystery People
Deep Dirty Truth (Lori Anderson #3)
by Steph BroadribbSingle-mother Florida bounty-hunter Lori Anderson returns in another nail-biting, high-voltage read. When Lori is kidnapped, and her family threatened, she has 48 hours to save them … or lose everything…‘A real cracker’ Mark Billingham‘My kind of book’ Lee Child‘Like Midnight Run, but much darker … really, really good’ Ian RankinA price on her head. A secret worth dying for. 48 hours to expose the truth…Single-mother bounty-hunter Lori Anderson finally has her family back together, but her new-found happiness is shattered when she’s snatched by the Miami Mob – and they want her dead. Rather than a bullet, they offer her a job: find the Mob’s ‘numbers man’ who’s in protective custody after being forced to turn federal witness against them. If Lori succeeds, they’ll wipe the slate clean and the price on her head – and those of her family – will be removed. If she fails, they die.With North due in court in 48 hours, Lori sets off across Florida, racing against the clock to find him and save her family. Only in this race the prize is more deadly – and the secret she shares with JT more dangerous – than she ever could have imagined.In this race only the winner gets out alive…‘Lori thinks with viper-like speed, speaks with strength and acts from her gut. Steph Broadribb has constructed a thoroughly believable world full of substantial yet flawed characters. I quite simply love this series, I leap in with total faith and just let myself go. Deep Dirty Truth is a thrilling, assertive and energetic read’ LoveReading'Sharp, thrilling and one hell of a ride. This series just gets better and better!’ Chris Whitaker‘Brilliant and pacey’ Steve Cavanagh‘Perfect for fans of Lee Child and Janet Evanovich’ Alex Caan‘Broadribb’s writing is fresh and vivid, crackling with life … an impressive thriller, the kind of book that comfortably sits alongside seasoned pros’ Crime Watch‘Fresh, fast and zinging with energy’ Sunday Mirror‘Romping entertainment that moves faster than a bullet’ Sunday Express‘Stylish with an original take on the lone wolf/bounty hunter theme. This is a novel alive with tension and intriguing twists. … There’s a good deal of wit at the expense of the complacent, anachronistic, loud mouthed quick-fisted mobsters. Just a whole hell of a lot of fun’ New Books Magazine‘This is every bit as lively an outing for Broadribb’s heroine as its predecessor, and the pace is satisfyingly unrelenting’ Barry Forshaw’s Book of the Month, CrimeTime‘Fast-faced, page-turning thriller … It is so refreshing to read a thriller with a female central character. Especially when that female is as all-round compelling as Lori Anderson’ CrimeSquad‘Nerve-wracking and so fast-paced you won’t have time to even stop and breathe … a totally cracking book three’ Jen Med’s Book Reviews‘A compelling and thrilling read, with a kickass protagonist readers are going to love’ By-the-Letter Book Reviews‘With a heroine who jumps off the page and a fantastic supporting cast, this series is a sure-fire winner for anyone with a pulse’ SJI Holliday‘Fast and furious … a book you genuinely can’t put down’ TripFiction‘The best one yet’ Ginger Nut‘A tightly plotted, breathlessly paced, action packed, character driven novel that reads like the best blockbuster action movies’ Beardy Book Blogger‘Addictive, fun, bang on the money from first page to last!’ Liz Loves Books‘Superb’ Hair Past a Freckle
The Ringmaster (Sam Shephard #2)
by Vanda SymonThe heart-stoppingly tense next instalment in the richly atmospheric, page-turning and international bestselling Sam Shephard series … for fans of The Dry‘Finally, UK readers get to discover New Zealand’s own Queen of Crime. Vanda Symon is a big talent and everything she writes is fast, intelligent and utterly gripping. In Sam Shephard, Symon has created a compelling series lead, and her treatment of small-town New Zealand is superbly atmospheric. This one’s a cracker’ Liam McIlvanney‘Vanda Symon is part of a new wave of Kiwi crime writers … her talent for creating well-rounded characters permeates throughout’ Crimewatch‘It is Symon’s copper Sam, self-deprecating and very human, who represents the writer’s real achievement’ Barry Forshaw, The GuardianDeath is stalking the South Island of New ZealandMarginalised by previous antics, Sam Shephard, is on the bottom rung of detective training in Dunedin, and her boss makes sure she knows it. She gets involved in her first homicide investigation, when a university student is murdered in the Botanic Gardens, and Sam soon discovers this is not an isolated incident. There is a chilling prospect of a predator loose in Dunedin, and a very strong possibility that the deaths are linked to a visiting circus…Determined to find out who’s running the show, and to prove herself, Sam throws herself into an investigation that can have only one ending…Rich with atmosphere, humour and a dark, shocking plot, The Ringmaster marks the return of passionate, headstrong police officer, Sam Shephard, in the next instalment of Vanda Symon’s bestselling series.‘MUST HAVE’ Daily Express‘A sassy heroine, fabulous sense of place, and rip-roaring stories with a twist’ Kate Mosse‘Antipodean-set crime is riding high thanks to the likes of Jane Harper and fans of The Dry will also like Vanda Symons’ Red Magazine‘One of the best in this genre that I’ve read in years’ Trena Marshall, Waikato Times‘A rollicking good read’ Kim Knight, Sunday Star Times‘Lively evocation of small-town life, with a plot that grabs the reader’s attention with a heart-stopping opening and doesn’t let go’ The Times‘The Ringmaster is an absolute beauty of a read, well-written, absorbing, and extremely enjoyable’ LoveReading‘The Ringmaster wowed me with its twisty journey, weaving various threads together, right through the shocking, and surprising, ending. This gripping series is a definite ‘must read’ for me – and for anyone else who loves entertaining, humorous crime fiction with plenty of heart’ Off-the-Shelf Books‘This would be a brilliant holiday read, so if you’re looking for a book to read on the beach, I can highly recommend this one’ Segnalibro‘Atmospheric, gripping and incredibly satisfying; my only problem is that I read it too quickly and now have to wait for the next instalment!’ Random Things Through My Letterbox‘With taut writing and brilliantly developed characters, this is turning into a must-read crime series. I, for one, can’t wait to read more. Roll on book three’ Hooked From Page One
Breakers
by Doug JohnstoneA pulsatingly tense psychological thriller and a breathtakingly brutal, beautiful and deeply moving story of a good kid in the wrong family, from one of Scotland’s finest crime writers.SHORTLISTED for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year***BOOK OF THE YEAR in SCOTSMAN***‘It’s a lovely, sad tale, beautifully told and full of understanding’ The Times‘The most powerful and moving book from Johnstone yet – a calling card that no-one can ignore’ Scotsman‘A cracking story, great characters … it’s also about something and really addresses the “whys” of crime’ Mark Billingham‘This may be Doug Johnstone’s best book yet. An unsparing yet sympathetic depiction of Edinburgh’s ignored underclass, with terrific characterisation. Tense, pacey, filmic’ Ian Rankin________________________________There are two sides to every family…Seventeen-year-old Tyler lives in one of Edinburgh’s most deprived areas. Coerced into robbing rich people’s homes by his bullying older siblings, he’s also trying to care for his little sister and his drug-addict mum.On a job, his brother Barry stabs a homeowner and leaves her for dead, but that’s just the beginning of their nightmare, because the woman is the wife of Edinburgh’s biggest crime lord, Deke Holt.With the police and the Holts closing in, and his shattered family in devastating danger, Tyler meets posh girl Flick in another stranger’s house, and he thinks she may just be his salvation … unless he drags her down too._________________‘It’s as psychologically rich as it is harrowing. I’ve come to expect nothing less from Doug Johnstone, one of the genre’s premiere writers’ Megan Abbott‘Breakers again shows that Doug Johnstone is a noir heavyweight and a master of gritty realism. This may be his finest novel yet’ Willy Vlautin‘Doug Johnstone is for me the perfect free-range writer, respectful of conventions but never bound by them, never hemmed-in. Each book is a different world, each book something new in this world’ James Sallis‘Bloody brilliant … This is premier league crime writing’ Martyn Waites‘A tough, gritty and effective ride into the dark side of Edinburgh’ Douglas Skelton‘Pacy, harrowing and occasionally brutal …had me in tears at the end…’ Paddy Magrane‘The tale is both horrifying and uplifting, and one of those books I looked forward to picking up each time I had a moment to read … I hope it does as well as it deserves to’ James Oswald ‘Oh. My. God. This was sooo good. Read it in two days. Gripping, dark, fast, but still somehow full of heart’ Louise Beech‘A brooding, intensely dark thriller with a defiant beating heart. Evocative, heartbreaking and hopeful – the power of the human spirit to shine in the most desperate place … STUNNING’ Miranda Dickinson
In the Absence of Miracles
by Michael J. MaloneA young man discovers a family secret that turns his world upside down in this dark, emotive, shocking psychological thriller by number-one bestselling author Michael J. Malone‘A tense, immersive thriller that kept me guessing’ Ian Rankin‘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_________________John Docherty’s mother has just been taken into a nursing home following a massive stroke and she’s unlikely to be able to live independently again.With no other option than to sell the family home, John sets about packing up everything in the house. In sifting through the detritus of his family’s past he’s forced to revisit, and revise his childhood.For in a box, in the attic, he finds undeniable truth that he had a brother who disappeared when he himself was only a toddler. A brother no one ever mentioned. A brother he knew absolutely nothing about. A discovery that sets John on a journey from which he may never recover.For sometimes in that space where memory should reside there is nothing but silence, smoke and ash. And in the absence of truth, in the absence of a miracle, we turn to prayer. And to violence._________________Shocking, chilling and heartbreakingly emotive, In the Absence of Miracles is domestic noir at its most powerful, and a sensitively wrought portrait of a family whose shameful lies hide the very darkest of secrets.‘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, In the Absence of Miracles 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 chilling tale of secrets, lies and the ultimate betrayal’ Theresa Talbot‘Emotional. Brave. Dark. Raw. Utterly beautiful’ Louise Beech’A breathtakingly good book; powerful yet tender and an emotional master class in how to write about harrowing and difficult issues. An absolute must-read’ Hair Past a Freckle‘A dark, harrowing and destructive read, yet it is also a compelling, emotive, poignant and relatable story’ The Writing Garnet‘Domestic noir at its darkest’ Books, Life & Everything‘A very emotional and devastating read … I felt richer for having read it’ Jen Med’s Book Reviews
The Last Stage
by Louise VossA reclusive musician’s hiding place is discovered, forcing her to confront her traumatic past … and someone seeking vengeance. A dark and riveting psychological thriller from number-one bestselling author Louise Voss‘Superb, like an episode of Midsomer Murders written by Gillian Flynn’ Mark Edwards‘Such a great concept. Enthrallingly gripping – and those twists! A must read’ Angela ClarkeAt the peak of her career as lead singer of a legendary 1980s indie band, Meredith Vincent was driven off the international stage by a horrific incident. Now living a quiet existence in a cottage on the grounds of an old stately home, she has put her past behind her and come to terms with her new life.When a body is found in the manicured gardens of her home, and a series of inexplicable and unsettling events begins to occur, it becomes clear that someone is watching, someone who knows who she is … Someone who wants vengeance.And this is only the beginning…A dark, riveting and chilling psychological thriller, The Last Stage is also a study of secrets and obsessions, where innocent acts can have the most terrifying consequences.‘I’ve been a fan of Louise Voss for years and I honestly think THE LAST STAGE is her best yet. A superb read’ Cass Green‘Twists, turns and stabs you in the heart. It deserves to be huge’ Martyn WaitesPRAISE FOR LOUISE VOSS‘An expert piece of contrivance’ Publishers Weekly‘Brilliantly unsettling’ Jane Casey‘Ingeniously plotted and totally addictive’ Paddy Magrane‘I was guessing right to the end’ Katarina Diamond‘A compelling descent into darkness’ Ed James‘A cracking page-turner that sucks you straight into the dark heart of human behaviour. I couldn’t put it down!’ Marnie Riches‘A tense, super-twisty, well-written page-turner … Fab read’ Amanda Jennings‘Poignant, clever and terrifically tense’ William Shaw, author of The Birdwatcher‘A highly entertaining, thoroughly enjoyable and gripping read’ LoveReading
The Lori Anderson Bounty Hunter Series (Lori Anderson #0)
by Steph BroadribbGet the first four books in the breathtakingly fast-paced, both hard-boiled and heart-breaking Lori Anderson series in one GREAT-VALUE box set.Single mum and part-time Florida bounty-hunter Lori Anderson is no super-hero, but she’s skilled, smart and fiercely determined … and she’ll stop at nothing when her family is threatened. An electric, action-packed, blisteringly authentic series of thrillers by one of the most exciting names in crime fiction.‘A real cracker’ Mark Billingham‘My kind of book’ Lee Child‘Like Midnight Run, but much darker … really, really good’ Ian RankinDeep Down Dead (Book One)Lori Anderson manages to keep her career as a part-time bounty-hunter separate from her role as single mother to nine-year-old Dakota, who suffers from leukaemia. But when the hospital bills start to rack up, she has no choice but to take her daughter along on a job that will make her a fast buck. And that’s when things start to go wrong. The heart-wrenching, explosive first instalment in the nail-biting, bestselling Lori Anderson series.Deep Blue Trouble (Book Two)With her lover, JT, behind bars and heading for death row, single-mother Florida bounty-hunter Lori Anderson takes on an off-the-books job that could threaten everything… Breathlessly paced and bursting with high-voltage action and edge-of-your-seat jeopardy, Deep Blue Trouble is the unmissable next instalment of the Lori Anderson series, featuring one of the most memorable and fearless female characters in crime fiction.Deep Dirty Truth (Book Three)Single-mother Florida bounty-hunter Lori Anderson returns in another nail-biting, high-voltage read. When Lori is kidnapped, and her family threatened, she has 48 hours to save them … or lose everything. In this race, only the winner gets out alive. The breathtaking, breakneck third instalment in the addictive Lori Anderson series.Deep Dark Night (Book Four)Fearless but vulnerable 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… The fourth, breathtaking instalment in the nerve-shattering Lori Anderson series.Praise for the Lori Anderson seriesShortlisted for:**The Kathy Reichs Award for Fearless Female Character****The Cat Amongst the Pigeons Award for Most Exceptional Debut****FINALIST IN THE INTERNATIONAL THRILLER WRITERS AWARDS FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL**‘Fast-paced, engaging and hugely entertaining’ Simon Toyne‘Deft and assured’ Chris Whitaker‘Brilliant and pacey’ Steve Cavanagh‘A hell of a thriller’ Mason Cross‘If you love romantic suspense, you’ll love this ride’ Alexandra Sokoloff‘Suspense, action, romance, danger and a plot that will keep you reading into the wee small hours’ Lisa Gray‘One of my favourite debut novels for a long, long time’ Luca Veste‘A gritty debut that will appeal to Sue Grafton fans’ Caroline Green‘Crazy good … full-tilt action and a brilliant cast of characters’ Yrsa Sigurđardóttir‘The pace moves at breakneck speed … simply one of the best debut novels I have ever read’ Angela Marsons‘This is romping entertainment that moves faster than a bullet’ Sunday Express ‘Lively’ Sunday Times‘Fresh, fast and zinging with energy’ Sunday Mirror
The Claymore Straker Vigilante Series (Claymore Straker #0)
by Paul E. HardistyGet all four books in the nerve-shredding, exhilarating, high-octane Claymore Straker series, in one GREAT-VALUE Box Set.Claymore Straker escapes his violent past to become a vigilante with a powerful social conscience, seeking justice in a succession of perilous encounters, life-threatening battles and challenging journeys. An action-packed, tense and unrelenting series of political/environmental thrillers by one of the world’s most renowned environmental scientists.‘A stormer of a thriller – vividly written, utterly tropical, totally gripping’ Peter James‘Hardisty is a fine writer and Straker is a great lead character’ Lee Child‘A fast-paced action thriller, beautifully written’ Tim MarshallThe Abrupt Physics of Dying (Book One)When he is hijacked by Islamic terrorists, an oil company engineer is forced to investigate a mysterious illness afflicting a small Yemen village … with shocking results. A stunning debut thriller and first in the addictive, eye-opening Claymore Straker series.The Evolution of Fear (Book Two)Vigilante justice-seeker Claymore Straker is on the run, with a price on his head. Wanted by the CIA for acts of terrorism he did not commit, his best friend has just been murdered and Rania, the woman he loves, has disappeared. He begins a terrifying search that will have unimaginable consequences…Reconciliation for the Dead (Book Three)Vigilante justice-seeker Claymore Straker returns to South Africa to testify to Desmond Tutu’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, recounting the horrifying events that led to his exile, years earlier. The explosive, thought-provoking, searingly emotive third instalment in the critically acclaimed Claymore Straker series…Absolution (Book Four)When vigilante justice-seeker Claymore Straker is witness to the murders of a family he has befriended, and his lover’s husband and son disappear, his investigations take him to the darkest places he could ever have imagined. The stunning final instalment in the gripping, frighteningly realistic Claymore Straker series.Praise for the Claymore Straker series**Shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger****Telegraph and Guardian BOOK of the YEAR**‘A page-turning adventure that grabs you from the first page and won’t let go’ Edward Wilson'A forceful novel by a writer not afraid of weighty issues’ Maxim Jakubowski‘Beautifully written, blisteringly authentic, heart-stoppingly tense and unusually moving’ Paul Johnston'Just occasionally, a book comes along to restore your faith in a genre and Paul Hardisty's The Abrupt Physics of Dying does this in spades' The Times‘Laces the thrills and spills with enough moral indignation to give the book heft … excellent’ Telegraph‘This is a remarkably well-written, sophisticated novel in which the people and places, as well as frequent scenes of violent action, all come alive on the page...’ Literary Review‘Searing … at times achieves the level of genuine poetry’ Publishers Weekly STARRED review‘A trenchant and engaging thriller that unravels this mysterious land in cool, precise sentences’ Stav Sherez, Catholic Herald‘Gripping and exciting … the quality of Hardisty’s writing and the underlying truth of his plots sets this above many other thrillers’ West Australian
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
Pondweed
by Lisa BlowerA love story in the slow lane about loss and getting lost—two childhood sweethearts take a trip via pints, ponds and pitstops to find their future on a road less travelled from Stoke-on-Trent to WalesApparently, we spend almost two weeks of our life completely lost. If you add up all the times you take a wrong turn or find yourself somewhere you don’t want to be, it equates to fourteen days of essentially being missing.One Monday afternoon, around three o’clock, pond supplies salesman Selwyn Robby arrives home towing the Toogood Aquatics exhibition caravan and orders his like-wife, Imogen ‘Ginny’ Dare, to get into the car. He’s taking her on a little holiday, he says. To Wales. So begins their road trip west, via blasts from Selwyn’s past, and a fortnight’s journey of self-discovery for them both. But it’s a fishy business towing this caravan, with its saucy mermaid curtains and fully stocked bar, and Ginny must untangle the pondweed to get to the bottom of it, even it does mean unearthing her own murky past to find out.
You, Me & the Sea
by Elizabeth Haynes'Immersive and affecting…utter bliss.’ —Marian KeyesCompelling, moving and teeming with feral desire: Elizabeth Haynes's new novel is an intoxicating story of love and redemption, set on a wild and windswept Scottish island.Rachel is at crisis point. A series of disastrous decisions has left her with no job, no home, and no faith in herself. But an unexpected job offer takes her to a remote Scottish island, and it feels like a chance to recover and mend her battered self-esteem.The island’s other inhabitants are less than welcoming. Fraser Sutherland is a taciturn loner who is not happy about sharing his lighthouse – or his precious coffee beans – and Lefty, his unofficial assistant, is a scrawny, scared lad who isn’t supposed to be there at all.Homesick and out of her depth, Rachel is sure she’s made another huge mistake. But, as spring turns to summer, the wild beauty of the island begins to captivate her soul.
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