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The Allotments
by Jean IllingworthThe heart of the small Yorkshire town of Kirkby is its allotments, where friendships bloom and the seeds of love are sown. But in every Eden there is a snake and when a plot is discovered that threatens this growing community, the friends need to move fast to nip it in the bud. A story of loneliness and love, community and corruption... and gardening.
The Spanish Girl
by Eugene VeseyThe Spanish Girl is a love story, but one with an unexpected ending. Frank Walsh, a young teacher in 1980s London, is unhappily married to Rania, a young Guyanese girl who was a student in one of his English classes. Rania runs to Frank to escape from her overbearing Muslim family. She is also looking for a surrogate father, her biological father having died when she was a child. Frank takes Rania in. However, he soon realises they are incompatible, their coexistence made unbearable by a clash of personalities and cultures. He feels trapped: he doesn't have the heart to leave Rania, because it would mean sending her back to her oppressive family; it would also mean finding himself alone again. While teaching on a summer school in Dublin, Frank falls in love with Ana, a Spanish girl in his class. He hopes Ana will be his escape route from his unhappy marriage. But his love for Ana hits a wall he never expected. Then someone else unexpectedly comes into his life. He falls in love again, but it's a love far more powerful than anything he has ever experienced or imagined before.
Off-Target
by Eve SmithWhen a one-night stand leads to a long-desired pregnancy, Susan will do anything to ensure her husband won’t find out … including the unthinkable. But when something horrendous is unleashed around the globe, her secret isn’t the only thing that is no longer safe…––––––––––––––––––––––––A longed-for babyAn unthinkable decisionA deadly mistakeIn an all-too-possible near future, when genetic engineering has become the norm for humans, not just crops, parents are prepared to take incalculable risks to ensure that their babies are perfect … altering genes that may cause illness, and more…Susan has been trying for a baby for years, and when an impulsive one-night stand makes her dream come true, she’ll do anything to keep her daughter and ensure her husband doesn’t find out … including the unthinkable. She believes her secret is safe. For now.But as governments embark on a perilous genetic arms race and children around the globe start experiencing a host of distressing symptoms – even taking their own lives – something truly horrendous is unleashed. Because those children have only one thing in common, and people are starting to ask questions…Bestselling author of The Waiting Rooms, Eve Smith returns with an authentic, startlingly thought-provoking, disturbing blockbuster of a thriller that provides a chilling glimpse of a future that’s just one modification away…Praise for The Waiting Rooms‘Combines the excitement of a medical thriller à la Michael Crichton with sensitive characterisation and social insight in a timely debut novel all the more remarkable for being conceived and written before the current pandemic’ Guardian‘STUNNING and terrifying … The Waiting Rooms wrenches your heart in every way possible, but written with such humanity and emotion’ Miranda Dickinson‘Chillingly close to reality, this gripping thriller brims with authenticity … a captivating, accomplished and timely debut from an author to watch’ Adam Hamdy‘Engrossing and eye-opening, with heart-stopping plot twists … a stunning medical thriller set in a terrifying possible future’ Foreword Reviews‘A touching, gut-wrenching story of family mystery and tragedy … a thriller that punches on two fronts – heart AND mind’ The Sun‘Gripping and disturbing … the medical research is convincing, the scenarios plausible, and the story is emotionally engaging. This is an incredible debut!’ Gill Paul‘If the themes are dark and topical, the writing is exquisite. Breath held, I got to the finale with my heart in my mouth. Eve Smith weaves a complex and clever tale, merging countries and timelines; the result is a superb and satisfying novel’ Louise Beech‘Margaret Atwood is one of my all-time writing heroes and The Handmaid's Tale is probably the best book I’ve ever read. Eve Smith and The Waiting Rooms really do challenge that long-held crown…’ Random Things through My Letterbox‘Thoroughly engaging … an eye-opening read’ Crime Fiction Lover‘A novel of our times’ Trip Fiction‘Haunting, honest and horrifying in its reality … An epic and thrilling read’ Book Literati
River Clyde: The Word-of-mouth Bestseller (Chastity Riley #5)
by Simone BuchholzChastity Riley travels to Scotland to face the demons of her past, as Hamburg is hit by a major arson attack. Queen of Krimi, Simone Buchholz returns with the nail-biting fifth instalment in the electric Chastity Riley series … and this time things are personal…'Simone Buchholz writes with real authority and a pungent, noir-ish sense of time and space … a palpable hit' Independent'Reading Buchholz is like walking on firecrackers … a truly unique voice in crime fiction’ Graeme Macrae Burnet –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Mired in grief after tragic recent events, state prosecutor Chastity Riley escapes to Scotland, lured to the birthplace of her great-great-grandfather by a mysterious letter suggesting she has inherited a house. In Glasgow, she meets Tom, the ex-lover of Chastity’s great aunt, who holds the keys to her own family secrets – painful stories of unexpected cruelty and loss that she’s never dared to confront. In Hamburg, Stepanovic and Calabretta investigate a major arson attack, while a group of property investors kicks off an explosion of violence that threatens everyone. As events in these two countries collide, Chastity prepares to face the inevitable, battling the ghosts of her past and the lost souls that could be her future and, perhaps, finally finding redemption for them all.Breathtakingly emotive, River Clyde is an electrifying, poignant and powerful story of damage and hope, and one woman’s fight for survival.–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Praise for the Chastity Riley series‘[A] nerve-racking narrative … [with] a cunning climax that is shocking and deeply romantic’ The Times‘Modern noir, with taut storytelling, a hard-bitten heroine, and underlying melancholy peppered with wry humour … there’s a fizz, a poetry and a sense of coolness’ New Zealand Listener‘The coolest character in crime fiction … Darkly funny and written with a huge heart’ Big Issue‘Fierce enough to stab the heart’ Spectator‘A stylish, whip-smart thriller’ Herald Scotland‘Combines slick storytelling with substance … like a straight shot of top-shelf liquor: smooth yet fiery, packing a punch with no extraneous ingredients watering things down’ Mystery Scene'Caustic, incisive prose. A street-smart, gutsy heroine. A timely and staggeringly stylish thriller' Will Carver'With plenty of dry humour and a good old dash of despair, Simone Buchholz is an unconventional, refreshing new voice' Crime Fiction Lover'With brief, pacy chapters and fizzling dialogue, this almost feels like American procedural noir and not a translation' Maxim Jakubowski'There is a fantastic pace to the story which keeps you hooked from the first sentence all the way to the end a unique voice that delivers a stylish story' NB Magazine'A smart and witty book that shines a probing spotlight on society' CultureFly'Fans of Brookmyre could do worse than checking out Simone Buchholz, a star of the German crime lit scene who has been deftly translated into English by Rachel Ward' Goethe Institute'By turns lyrical and pithy, this adventure set in the melting pot of contemporary Hamburg has a plot and a sensibility that both owe something to mind-altering substances. Lots of fun' Sunday Times'Constantly surprising an original, firecracker of a read' LoveReading
The Shot
by Sarah SultoonAn aspiring TV journalist faces a shattering moral dilemma and the prospect of losing her career and her life, when she joins an impetuous photographer in the Middle East. A shocking, searingly authentic thriller by award-winning ex-CNN news executive Sarah Sultoon.‘A powerhouse writer’ Jo Spain––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Samira is an up-and-coming TV journalist, working the nightshift at a major news channel and yearning for greater things. So when she’s offered a trip to the Middle East, with Kris, the station’s brilliant but impetuous star photographer, she leaps at the chanceIn the field together, Sami and Kris feel invincible, shining a light into the darkest of corners … except the newsroom, and the rest of the world, doesn’t seem to care as much as they do. Until Kris takes the photograph.With a single image of young Sudanese mother, injured in a raid on her camp, Sami and the genocide in Darfur are catapulted into the limelight. But everything is not as it seems, and the shots taken by Kris reveal something deeper and much darker … something that puts not only their careers but their lives in mortal danger.Sarah Sultoon brings all her experience as a CNN news executive to bear on this shocking, searingly authentic thriller, which asks immense questions about the world we live in. You'll never look at a news report in the same way again... Praise for The Source:‘A brave and thought-provoking debut novel. Sarah Sultoon tackles a challenging and disturbing subject without sensation, and her sensitive handling, tight plotting and authentic storytelling make for a compelling read’ Adam Hamdy‘Delving into corruption, abuse of power and the resilience of the human spirit, The Source is a taut and thought-provoking book that’s all the more unnerving for how much it echoes the headlines in real life’ CultureFly‘Carly and Marie’s stories are about to collide, the secrets of the past are devastating, the investigation in the present urgent. This is a tense thriller, a remarkable debut, heartbreaking, but ultimately this is a story of resilience and survival’ New Books Magazine‘A powerful, compelling read that doesn’t shy away from some upsetting truths … written with such energy’ Fanny Blake‘Tautly written and compelling, not afraid to shine a spotlight on the darker forces at work in society’ Rupert Wallis‘So authentic and exhilarating … breathtaking pace and relentless ingenuity’ Nick Paton Walsh, CNN‘A powerful, intense whammy of a debut that is both uncomfortable and exhilarating to read … Thought-provoking, tense, and expressive, The Source is an utterly compelling debut’ LoveReading‘A gripping, dark thriller’ Geoff Hill, ITV‘A cleverly constructed story that offers an authentic view behind the scenes in a British newsroom … an original and wholly engaging debut. Definitely a name to watch’ Crime Fiction Lover‘My heart was racing … fiction to thrill even the most hard-core adrenaline junkies’ Diana Magnay, Sky News ‘Unflinching and sharply observed. A hard-hitting, deftly woven debut’ Ruth Field‘With this gripping, fast-paced debut thriller, it’s easy to see what made Sultoon such a great journalist’ Clarissa Ward, CNN ‘A hard-hitting, myth-busting rollercoaster of a debut’ Eve Smith‘I could picture and feel each scene, all the fear, tension and hope’ Katie Allen
Little Drummer: a nerve-shattering, shocking instalment in the award-winning Oslo Detectives series (Oslo Detectives #8)
by Kjell Ola DahlGodfather of Nordic Noir Kjell Ola Dahl returns with tense, sophisticated, searingly relevant international thriller that explodes the Nordic Noir genre, as Frølich and Gunnarstranda investigate the death of a woman whose scientist boyfriend has also gone missing…‘Dahl is a quiet master of the detective thriller, delivering complex plots and a simpatico hero…’ The Times‘If you have never sampled Dahl, now is the time to try’ Daily Mail ‘Further cements Dahl as the Godfather of Nordic Noir, reminding readers why they fell in love with the genre in the first place’ CultureFly______________When a woman is found dead in her car in a Norwegian parking garage, everyone suspects an overdose … until a forensics report indicates that she was murdered. Oslo Detectives Frølich and Gunnarstranda discover that the victim’s Kenyan scientist boyfriend has disappeared, and their investigations soon lead them into the shady world of international pharmaceutical deals. While Gunnarstranda closes in on the killers in Norway, Frølich and Lise, his new journalist ally, travel to Africa, where they make a series of shocking discoveries about exploitation and corruption in the distribution of foreign aid and essential HIV medications. When tragedy unexpectedly strikes, all three investigators face incalculable danger, spanning two continents. And not everyone will make it out alive…Exploding the confines of the Nordic Noir genre, Little Drummer is a sophisticated, fast-paced, international thriller with a searingly relevant, shocking premise that will keep you glued to the page.______________‘A triumph’ Denzil Meyrick‘Kjell Ola Dahl’s novels are superb. If you haven’t read one yet, you need to – right now’ William Ryan‘Dark, stylish and suspenseful … the perfect example of why Nordic Noir has become such a popular genre’ Reader’s Digest‘Kjell Ola Dahl’s fine style and intricate plotting are superb. He keeps firm hold of the story, never letting go of the tension’ Crime ReviewWHAT READERS ARE SAYING*****‘A dark, emotive and twisty mystery’‘Extremely gripping’‘Engrossing and beautifully crafted’‘Fiercely powerful and convincing’
The Reykjavik Noir Trilogy (Reykjavik Noir #0)
by Lilja SigurdardottirGet ALL THREE books in the electrifying, unputdownable Reykjavík Noir Trilogy in one GREAT-VALUE Box Set!A young, single mother is lured into cocaine smuggling to keep custody of her son, as she eludes customs officers and the police, and tries to escape the clutches of the kingpins in Lilja Sigurðardóttir’s critically acclaimed, award-winning, international bestselling Reykjavík Noir Trilogy. A nerve-shredding, emotive Icelandic series by the co-writer of the Netflix hit Katla.’Tough, uncompromising and unsettling’ Val McDermid‘Stylish, taut and compelling’ Daily Express‘Tense and pacey … an intriguing mix of white-collar and white-powder’ GuardianSnare (Book One)Set in a Reykjavík still covered in the dust of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption, and with a dark, fast-paced and chilling plot and intriguing characters, Snare sees young mother Sonja become involved in cocaine-smuggling in and out of Iceland, under the suspicious eye of a customs officer … An outstandingly original and sexy Nordic crime thriller, and a nail-biting game of cat and mouse!Trap (Book Two)When Sonja's son is kidnapped by her ruthless ex-husband, she's thrust back into the world of cocaine smuggling, but this time she's got a plan of her own, with an unexpected ally, and a complicated relationship on her conscience ... High-stakes jeopardy presides in this dark and original, breathtakingly fast-paced thriller...Cage (Book Three)A deadly threat to Sonja and her family sees her return to Iceland, where she needs to settle scores with longstanding adversaries if she wants to stay alive, while a group of businessmen tries to draw Agla into an ingenious fraud. Drugs, smuggling, big money and political intrigue rally with love, passion and murder in the masterful conclusion to the explosive Reykjavík Noir Trilogy.Praise for the Reykjavik Noir trilogy**Guardian and New York Journal of Books THRILLER of the Year****WINNER of the Best Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year****Longlisted for the CWA International Dagger**‘A tense thriller with a highly unusual plot and interesting characters’ Marcel Berlins, The Times‘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‘A towering powerhouse of read and I gobbled it up in one intense sitting’ LoveReading‘Zips along, with tension building and building … thoroughly recommend’ James Oswald‘With characters you can’t help sympathising with against your better judgement, Sigurdardottir takes the reader on a breathtaking ride’ Daily Express‘Tense, edgy and delivering more than a few unexpected twists and turns’ Sunday Times‘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’ Financial Times‘The intricate plot is breathtakingly original, with many twists and turns you never see coming. Thriller of the year’ New York Journal of Books‘Compelling … this is prime binge-reading’ Booklist
Black Hearts (The Skelfs #4)
by Doug JohnstoneA faked death, an obsessive stalker, an old man claiming he’s being abused by the ghost of his late wife, and a devastating spectre from the past. The Skelfs are back in another explosive thriller, and this time things are more than personal…‘A new outing for the Skelfs deserves dancing in the streets of Edinburgh' Val McDermid‘Tense, funny and deeply moving’ Mark Billingham‘A total delight to be returned to the dark, funny, compulsive world of the Skelfs … Johnstone never fails to entertain whilst packing a serious emotional punch. Brilliant!’ Gytha Lodge________________________Death is just the beginning…The Skelf women live in the shadow of death every day, running the family funeral directors and private investigator business in Edinburgh. But now their own grief interwines with that of their clients, as they are left reeling by shocking past events.A fist-fight by an open grave leads Dorothy to investigate the possibility of a faked death, while a young woman’s obsession with Hannah threatens her relationship with Indy and puts them both in mortal danger. An elderly man claims he’s being abused by the ghost of his late wife, while ghosts of another kind come back to haunt Jenny from the grave … pushing her to breaking point.As the Skelfs struggle with increasingly unnerving cases and chilling danger lurks close to home, it becomes clear that grief, in all its forms, can be deadly…________________________‘The Skelfs keep getting better and better. Compelling and compassionate characters, with a dash of physics and philosophy thrown in’ Ambrose Parry‘Expertly written, with poise, insight and compassion’ Mary Paulson-Ellis’If you loved Iain Banks, you’ll devour the Skelfs series’ Erin Kelly‘Dynamic and poignant … Johnstone balances the cosmos, music, death and life, and wraps it all in a compelling mystery’ Marni Graff‘Just when you thought you couldn’t love the Skelfs more, Doug Johnstone finds a way to turn up the heat’ Live & DeadlyPraise for The Skelfs series***Shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year******Longlisted for Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year******Shortlisted for Amazon Publishing Capital Crime Thriller of the Year***‘An engrossing and beautifully written tale that bears all the Doug Johnstone hallmarks in its warmth and darkly comic undertones’ Herald Scotland‘Gripping and blackly humorous’ Observer‘A tense ride strong, believable characters’ Kerry Hudson, Big Issue‘The power of this book, though, lies in the warm personalities and dark humour of the Skelfs, and by the end readers will be just as interested in their relationships with each other as the mysteries they are trying to solve’ Scotsman‘Remarkable’ Sunday Times‘Keeps you hungry from page to page. A crime reader can’t ask anything more’ The Sun‘A thrilling, atmospheric book, set in the dark streets of Edinburgh. Move over Ian Rankin, Doug Johnstone is coming through!’ Kate Rhodes‘An unstoppable, thrilling, bullet train of a book that cleverly weaves in family and intrigue, and has real emotional impact. I totally loved it’ Helen Fields‘This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief ... more, please’ Guardian‘Wonderful characters: flawed, funny and brave’ Sunday Times‘Exceptional … a must for those seeking strong, authentic, intelligent female protagonists’ Publishers Weekly
Red as Blood (An Áróra Investigation #2)
by Lilja SigurdardóttirÁróra becomes involved in the search for an Icelandic woman who disappeared from her home while making dinner, as she continues to hunt for her missing sister. The second breathtaking instalment in the chilling, addictive An Áróra Investigation series…‘Icelandic crime-writing at its finest … immersive and unnerving’ Shari Lapena‘Chilly and chilling … Lilja Sigurðardóttir's terrific investigator Áróra is back for another tense and thrilling read. Highly recommended!' Tariq Ashkanani‘Áróra establishes herself as a heroine to move the heart’ Daily Mail_____________________________When entrepreneur Flosi arrives home for dinner one night, he discovers that his house has been ransacked, and his wife Gudrun missing. A letter on the kitchen table confirms that she has been kidnapped. If Flosi doesn’t agree to pay an enormous ransom, Gudrun will be killed. Forbidden from contacting the police, he gets in touch with Áróra, who specialises in finding hidden assets, and she, alongside her detective friend Daniel, try to get to the bottom of the case without anyone catching on.Meanwhile, Áróra and Daniel continue the puzzling, devastating search for Áróra’s sister Ísafold, who disappeared without trace. As fog descends, in a cold and rainy Icelandic autumn, the investigation becomes increasingly dangerous, and confusing. Chilling, twisty and unbearably tense, Red as Blood is the second instalment in the riveting, addictive An Áróra Investigation series, and everything is at stake…_________________________________‘Lilja Sigurðardóttir doesn’t write cookie-cutter crime novels … Isn’t that what all crime writers should aim for?’ The Times‘Lilja is a stand-out voice in Iceland Noir’ James Oswald‘Sure to please Scandi noir fans’ Publishers Weekly‘One of my new favourite series … Áróra’s brains and brawn, combined with the super-cool Icelandic setting, is a winning combination’ Michael J. Malone‘So atmospheric’ Crime Monthly‘Áróra is a wonderful character: unique, passionate, unpredictable and very real’ Michael RidpathPraise for Lilja Sigurðardóttir‘Another bleak, unpredictable classic’ Metro‘Intricate, enthralling and very moving – a wonderful crime novel’ William Ryan‘Three things we love about Cold as Hell: Iceland’s unrelenting midnight sun; the gritty Nordic murder mystery; the peculiar and bewitching characters’ Apple Books'Smart writing with a strongly beating heart' Big Issue'Tough, uncompromising and unsettling' Val McDermid'Tense and pacey' Guardian'Deftly plotted' Financial Times‘An emotional suspense rollercoaster on a par with The Firm, as desperate, resourceful, profoundly lovable characters scheme against impossible odds’ Alexandra Sokoloff'Tense, edgy and delivering more than a few unexpected twists and turns' Sunday Times‘The intricate plot is breathtakingly original, with many twists and turns you never see coming. Thriller of the year’ New York Journal of Books'Taut, gritty and thoroughly absorbing' Booklist'A stunning addition to the icy-cold crime genre' Foreword Reviews
The Moose Paradox (The Rabbit Factor #2)
by Antti TuomainenInsurance mathematician Henri has his life under control, when a man from the past appears and a shady trio take over the adventure park’s equipment supply company … Things are messier than ever in the absurdly funny, heart-stoppingly tense second instalment in Antti Tuomainen’s bestselling series…‘In these uncertain times, what better hero than an actuary?' Chris Brookmyre‘One of those rare writers who manages to deftly balance intrigue, noir and a deliciously ironic sense of humour … a delight’ Vaseem Khan‘What a book! Antti has managed to put the fun into funerals and take it out of fun fairs in a gripping nail-biter … a thrilling and hilarious read’ Liz Nugent**Soon to be a major motion picture starring Steve Carell**_______________________________Insurance mathematician Henri Koskinen has finally restored order both to his life and to YouMeFun, the adventure park he now owns, when a man from the past appears – and turns everything upside down again. More problems arise when the park’s equipment supplier is taken over by a shady trio, with confusing demands. Why won’t Toy of Finland Ltd sell the new Moose Chute to Henri when he needs it as the park’s main attraction?Meanwhile, Henri’s relationship with artist Laura has reached breaking point, and, in order to survive this new chaotic world, he must push every calculation to its limits, before it’s too late…Absurdly funny, heart-stoppingly poignant and full of nail-biting suspense, The Moose Paradox is the second instalment in the critically acclaimed, pitch-perfect Rabbit Factor Trilogy and things are messier than ever…________________________________‘Finnish crime maestro Antti Tuomainen is unique in the Scandi-crime genre, infusing his crime narratives with the darkest humour … [his] often hilarious, chaotic narrative never vitiates the novel’s nicely tuned tension’ Financial Times‘Enter hitmen, serendipity, offbeat comedy and the reappearance of literally the last person Henri expects to see … unlike anything else out there’ The Times‘A thriller with black comedy worthy of Nabokov’ Telegraph Book of the YearPraise for The Rabbit Factor Trilogy**Shortlisted for the CWA Crime in Translation Dagger****Shortlisted for the Last Laugh Award**‘The antic novels of Antti Tuomainen prove that comedy is not lost in translation …Tuomainen, like Carl Hiaasen before him, has the knack of combining slapstick with genuine emotion’ The Times'The funniest writer in Europe, and one of the very finest … original and brilliant story-telling' Helen FitzGerald‘British readers might think they know what to expect from Nordic noir: a tortured detective, a bleak setting, a brutal crime that shakes a small community. Finnish crime novelist Tuomainen turns all of this on its head … The ear of a giant plastic rabbit becomes a key weapon. It only gets darker and funnier’ Guardian‘Dark, gripping and hilarious … Tuomainen is the Carl Hiaasen of the fjords' Martyn Waites‘A triumph, a joyous, feel-good antidote to troubled times' Kevin Wignall‘Finland's greatest export’ M.J. Arlidge'You don’t expect to laugh when you’re reading about terrible crimes, but that’s what you’ll do when you pick up one of Tuomainen’s decidedly quirky thrillers' New York Times‘Tuomainen is the funniest writer in Europe’ The Times‘Right up there with the best’ Times Literary Supplement‘Tuomainen continues to carve out his own niche in the chilly tundras of northern’ Daily Express
Someone Like Her: The exquisite, heart-wrenching, eye-opening new novel from the bestselling author of No Honour
by Awais KhanA young Pakistani woman is the victim of an unthinkable act of vengeance, when she defies tradition … facing seemingly insurmountable challenges and danger when she attempts to rebuild her life. Multan, Pakistan. A conservative city where an unmarried woman over the age of twenty-five is considered a curse by her family.Ayesha is twenty-seven. Independent and happily single, she has evaded an arranged marriage because of her family’s reduced circumstances. When she catches the eye of powerful, wealthy Raza, it seems like the answer to her parents’ prayers. But Ayesha is in love with someone else, and when she refuses to give up on him, Raza resorts to unthinkable revenge…Ayesha travels to London to rebuild her life and there she meets Kamil, an emotionally damaged man who has demons of his own. They embark on a friendship that could mean salvation for both of them, but danger stalks Ayesha in London, too. With her life thrown into turmoil, she is forced to make a decision that could change her and everyone she loves forever.Exquisitely written, populated by unforgettable characters and rich with poignant, powerful themes, Someone Like Her is a story of love and family, of corruption and calamity, of courage and hope … and one woman’s determination to thwart convention and find peace, at whatever cost…
The Opposite of Lonely (The Skelfs #5)
by Doug JohnstoneA body lost at sea, arson, murder, astronauts, wind phones, communal funerals and existential angst … This can ONLY mean one thing! The Skelfs are back, and things are as tense, unnerving and warmly funny as ever!The Skelf women are recovering from the cataclysmic events that nearly claimed their lives. Their funeral-director and private-investigation businesses are back on track, and their cases are as perplexing as ever.Matriarch Dorothy looks into a suspicious fire at a travellers’ site, and takes a grieving, homeless man under her wing. Daughter Jenny is searching for her missing sister-in-law, who disappeared in tragic circumstances, while grand-daughter Hannah is asked to investigate increasingly dangerous conspiracy theorists, who are targeting a retired female astronaut … putting her own life at risk.With a body lost at sea, funerals for those with no one to mourn them, reports of strange happenings in outer space, a funeral crasher with a painful secret, and a violent attack on one of the family, The Skelfs face their most personal – and perilous – cases yet. Doing things their way may cost them everything…Tense, unnerving and warmly funny, The Opposite of Lonely is the hugely anticipated fifth instalment in the unforgettable Skelfs series, and this time, danger comes from everywhere…
Shikoku
by David Tepfer..une île au Japon, où les vélos, la nourriture et l'amour se mélangent dans une grande aventure. Un professeur-poète à la retraite et une jeune médecin-chanteuse de jazz parcourent l'île japonaise de Shikoku à vélo. Leurs pérégrinations les unissent émotionnellement et physiquement, leur permettent de surmonter les tragédies passées et de découvrir de nouvelles vies en eux-mêmes et en l'autre. Ils sont aidés par leur passion du vélo, les cerisiers en fleurs, les côtes sauvages, les bains dans des sources chaudes et par la cuisine japonaise. Ils discutent de l'amour, de la vie, de l'art et de la religion. Le conflit habituel entre le bien et le mal est estompé, et si l'histoire d'amour est la force motrice, elle n'est pas la seule intrigue. Shikoku est un récit de voyage, non seulement parce que leurs aventures se déroulent à vélo, mais aussi parce que les personnages entreprennent un périple vers une vie meilleure.
Birds of a Feather: Would you open your heart to fate?
by Rhianna KingBeth doesn't feel like she belongs in her rambunctious, bohemian family. Apart from the special relationship she shares with her grandma, Elise. When Beth wins the lottery (on a ticket she bought to prove she could be spontaneous), she decides to spend it on treating Elise.But instead of anything material, Elise wants Beth to help her track down her first love, Gerry. It's a fun and uncomplicated little adventure, Beth thinks, until she discovers that her grandma's great love is actually a woman, and their romance was thwarted by the conservatism of the day. Grappling with her grandma's past spurs Beth to reconsider herself in the present.Birds of a Feather is a funny, poignant and utterly charming debut novel about questioning who you are and what you might become.
The Chocolate Apothecary
by Josephine MoonWinner of a 2015 Gourmand Cookbook Award For FictionShortlisted for the 2015 ABIA Matt Richell Award for New WriterChristmas Livingstone has formulated ten top rules for happiness that she lives by: Nurturing the senses every day, doing what she loves, sharing joy... but the most important for her rules is absolutely no romantic relationships!Her life is good as the owner of the enchantingly seductive shop, The Chocolate Apothecary. In her shop she can explore the potential medicinal uses of chocolate that make people happy. Her friends surround her and her role as a fairy godmother to her community allows her to share her joy. What she doesn't need is a handsome botany ace who knows everything about cacao to walk into her life...Or does she...The Chocolate Apothecary is a glorious novel of a strong creative woman discovering that you can't always play life by the rules.
The New Woman (Charity Norman Reading-Group Fiction)
by Charity Norman*A Radio 2 Book Club choice for Summer 2015*Luke Livingstone is a lucky man. He's a respected solicitor, a father and grandfather, a pillar of the community. He has a loving wife and an idyllic home in the Oxfordshire countryside. Yet Luke is struggling with an unbearable secret, and it's threatening to destroy him. All his life, Luke has hidden the truth about himself and his identity. It's a truth so fundamental that it will shatter his family, rock his community and leave him outcast. But Luke has nowhere left to run, and to continue living, he must become the person - the woman - he knows himself to be, whatever the cost.
Three Gold Coins: A heart-warming novel about love, family, and food
by Josephine Moon'A gorgeously evocative family drama that takes you from sunny Australia to the beautiful Tuscan countryside - I couldn't put it down!' - Paige ToonOne coin for love, one for marriage, one to return to Rome.Two days ago, Lara Foxleigh tossed three gold coins into the Trevi Fountain. Now, she is caring for a cranky old man and living in a picturesque villa, half a world away from her home and the concerns of her loving but cloying family.Soon, it seems as if those wishes she made in Rome just might be coming true, and she may even be able to help heal a fifteen-year-old tragedy.Until Lara's past threatens to destroy everything she loves...Three Gold Coins is a masterfully written celebration of food, family, triumph over adversity, and love - a deliciously imperfect life.
The Tea Chest
by Josephine Moon'I loved it - a perfect blend of sweet and spice.' Jenny ColganKate Fullerton, talented tea designer and now co-owner of The Tea Chest, could never have imagined that she'd be flying from Brisbane to London, risking her young family's future, to save the business she loves from the woman who wants to shut it down.Meanwhile, Leila Morton has just lost her job; and if Elizabeth Clancy had known today was the day she would appear on the nightly news, she might at least have put on some clothes. Both need to start again.When the three women's paths unexpectedly cross, they throw themselves into realising Kate's magical vision for London's branch of The Tea Chest. But every time success is within their grasp, increasing tensions damage their trust in each other.With the very real possibility that The Tea Chest will fail, Kate, Leila and Elizabeth must decide what's important to each of them. Are they willing to walk away or can they learn to believe in themselves?An enchanting, witty novel about the unexpected situations life throws at us, and how love and friendship help us through. Written with heart and infused with the seductive scents of bergamot, Indian spices, lemon, rose and caramel, it's a world you won't want to leave.
Close Enough to Touch: A Novel
by Colleen OakleyOne time a boy kissed me and I almost died...And so begins the story of Jubilee Jenkins, a 28-year-old woman with a unique and debilitating medical condition - she's allergic to other humans. After a humiliating, near-death experience in high school, Jubilee has become reclusive in her adulthood, living the past nine years in the confines of the Victorian house her unaffectionate mother deeded to her when she ran off with a wealthy businessman. But now, her mother is dead, and without her financial support, Jubilee is forced to leave home and face the world - and the people in it - she's been hiding from.One of those people is Eric Keegan, a man who just moved into town for work. With a daughter from his failed marriage no longer speaking to him, and a brilliant, if psychologically troubled, adopted son who believes he has untapped telekinetic powers, Eric's struggling to figure out how his life got so off course, and how to be the dad - and man - he wants so desperately to be. Then, one day, he meets a mysterious woman named Jubilee...
What She Left: An unputdownable summer read
by Rosie FioreWhat would make you walk away from your life, your family and friends, in search of a completel fresh start?Helen Cooper has a charmed life. She's beautiful, accomplished, organised - the star parent at the school. Until she disappears.But Helen wasn't abducted or murdered. She's chosen to walk away, abandoning her family, husband Sam, and her home.Where has Helen gone, and why? What has driven her from her seemingly perfect life? What is she looking for? Sam is tormented by these questions, and gradually begins to lose his grip on work and his family life.He sees Helen everywhere in the faces of strangers. He's losing control.But then one day, it really is Helen's face he sees...
The Lovers' Guide to Rome: A Novel Full of Heart and Romantic Delight
by Mark LamprellThis gorgeous novel set around the beautiful sights of Rome tells the story of three couples and their adventures with love in the eternal city.Young artist Alice has come to Rome for adventure and inspiration before settling down. Is there such a thing as love at first sight and how will she know if it's happening to her? Middle-aged Meg and Alec have come to Rome to rekindle their love affair, which has faded over the years. Constance and Lizzie are here to scatter the ashes of Constance's beloved husband, Lizzie's brother Henry. Rome will play a part in the lives of all these characters to make sure they find the happiness they deserve.
Lovesong
by Alex MillerWinner of the 2011 Christina Stead Prize for FictionWinner of The Age Book of the YearWinner of thePeople's Choice Award at the NSW Premier's Literary AwardsStrangers did not, as a rule, find their way to Chez Dom, a small, rundown Tunisian café on Paris's distant fringes run by the widow Houria and her young niece, Sabiha. But when one day a lost Australian tourist, John Patterner, seeks shelter in the cafe from a sudden Parisian rainstorm, a love story starts to unfold. John and Sabiha's becomes a contented but unlikely marriage-a marriage of two cultures lived in a third-and yet because they are essentially foreigners to each other, their love story sets in train an irrevocable course of tragic events. Years later, living a small, quiet life in suburban Melbourne, what happened to them in Paris seems like a distant, troubling dream to John. He confides the story behind their seemingly ordinary lives to Ken, an ageing, melancholic writer who sees in his neighbours the possibility of one last simple love story.Told with Miller's distinctive clarity, intelligence and compassion, Lovesong is a pitch-perfect novel, a tender and enthralling story about the intimate lives of ordinary people. Like the truly great novelist he is, Miller locates the heart of his story in the moral frailties and secret passions of his all-too-human characters.
China Rich Girlfriend: There's Rich, There's Filthy Rich, and Then There's China Rich... (Crazy Rich Asians #2)
by Kevin KwanFrom the bestselling author of Crazy Rich Asians (Soon to be a MAJOR MOTION PICTURE starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh and Gemma Chan) comes a deliciously fun story of family, fortune, and fame in Mainland China. It's the eve of Rachel Chu's wedding, and she should be over the moon. She has a flawless oval-cut diamond, a wedding dress she loves, and a fiancé willing to give up one of the biggest fortunes in Asia in order to marry her. Still, Rachel mourns the fact that her birth father, a man she never knew, won't be there to walk her down the aisle.Then a chance accident reveals his identity. Suddenly, Rachel is drawn into a dizzying world of Shanghai splendor, a world where people attend church in a penthouse, where exotic cars race down the boulevard, and where people aren't just crazy rich... they're China rich.
Happy People Read and Drink Coffee: A Novel
by Agnès Martin-LugandDiane, owner of Happy People Read and Drink Coffee, a cosy coffee shop turned library in Paris, seems to have the perfect life. But when she suddenly loses her husband and daughter in a car accident, her life is overturned and the world as she knows it disappears. Trapped by her memories, Diane closes her shop and retreats from friends and family. One year later, she moves from Paris to a small town on the Irish coast, determined to heal by rebuilding her life alone, without anyone's help or pity - until she meets Edward, a handsome and moody Irish photographer. Along windy shores and cobbled streets, Diane falls into a surprising and tumultuous romance. As she works to overcome her painful memories, Diane and Edward's once-in-a-lifetime connection inspires her to love herself and the world around her with new-found inner strength and happiness. But will it last when Diane leaves Ireland, and Edward, for good?
Second Chance Town
by Karly LaneThe town of Bundah is dying, with many of its young people fleeing for jobs in the city. A desperate plan to revive Bundah's fortunes - with generous incentives to attract new businesses - results in a flood of people coming to the town to set up shop.As Bundah begins to come to life with the new arrivals a spate of teenage drug overdoses starts to divide the locals. Many are convinced the narcotics trade has been brought to town by one of the newcomers. It doesn't help that the mysterious new owner of one of the local pubs has a dark past.Lucy Parker is a single mother doing her best to support her teenage daughter, Belle, through her last year of high school. It's long been Belle's dream to go to university, so when she starts to turn wayward, hanging out with the wrong kids and experimenting with alcohol and possibly drugs, her mother is deeply troubled.The very last thing Lucy needs is for a man like Hugh Thompson to mess with her heart and disrupt her life. However, it seems fate has other ideas...