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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 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
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
Good Samaritans (Detective Sergeant Pace Series #1)
by Will CarverShortlisted for Best Independent Voice at the Amazon Publishing Readers’ AwardsLonglisted for the Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize THRILLER OF THE YEAR in GUARDIAN, TELEGRAPH AND DAILY EXPRESS‘Totally addictive. Like Fight Club, only darker’ S.J. Watson‘I loved this book. Dark and at times almost comical, a great blend of crime thriller and the darkest imaginable domestic noir’ Sarah PinboroughDark, deviant and disturbing domestic noir … one of the most entrancing, sophisticated and page-turning psychological thrillers of the year…One crossed wire, three dead bodies and six bottles of bleach…Seth Beauman can’t sleep. He stays up late, calling strangers from his phonebook, hoping to make a connection, while his wife, Maeve, sleeps upstairs. A crossed wire finds a suicidal Hadley Serf on the phone to Seth, thinking she is talking to The Samaritans.But a seemingly harmless, late-night hobby turns into something more for Seth and for Hadley, and soon their late-night talks are turning into day-time meet-ups. And then this dysfunctional love story turns into something altogether darker, when Seth brings Hadley home…And someone is watching…Dark, sexy, dangerous and wildly readable, Good Samaritans marks the scorching return of one of crime fiction’s most exceptional voices.‘So dark, so cool’ Lisa Howells, Heat Magazine‘Will Carver’s invigoratingly nasty novel … is a bleak vision of life: not the whole truth of it, thank god, but true enough to impart to the reader the thrill of genuine discomfort, presented with the chilly conviction of Simenon’s most unflinching romans dues and just as horribly addictive’ Jake Kerridge, The Telegraph‘Carver weaves these strands together for an unsettling but compelling mixture of the banal, the horrific and, at times, the near-comic, wrong-footing the reader at every turn’ Laura Wilson, Guardian‘In this frantic read in sheer overdrive, Carver appeals to the worst voyeur in all of us and delivers the goods with a punch and a fiendish sense of pace and dark humour … my type of noir’ Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time‘Must Read!’ Daily Express‘Beautiful, gripping and disturbing in equal measure, a postcard from the razor’s edge of the connected world we live in’ Kevin Wignall‘Possibly the most interesting and original writer in the crime-fiction genre, and I've loved his books for years. Good Samaritans is his best to date – dark, slick, gripping, and impossible to put down. You'll be sucked in from the first page’ Luca Veste‘Oh My God, Good Samaritans is amazing. I’m a little in love with your writing Will Carver’ Helen FitzGerald, Author of The Cry‘Sick … in the best possible way. Will Carver delivers a delicious slice of noir that will have you reeling’ Michael J. Malone‘If you’re looking for a genuinely creepy thriller, checkout Good Samaritans… completely enthralled’ Margaret B Madden‘Dark, edgy, disturbing, shocking and sexy. It’s also highly original and one of the best thrillers of the year … You need to read this book’ Michael Wood’A twisted, devious thriller’ Nick Quantrill'A dark and addictive novel that felt deliciously sexy to read, like I should read it where no one could see’ Louise Beech‘A pitch dark, highly original, thrilling novel. If you’re a fan of Fight Club, you’ll love this’ Tom Wood‘A provocative, heady, unique, challenging read and it is absolutely blimmin wonderful!’ LoveReading
Trap (Reykjavik Noir #2)
by Lilja SigurdardóttirHigh-stakes jeopardy presides when young mother is forced into smuggling cocaine, in a dark and original, nail-bitingly fast-paced thriller from one of the queens of Icelandic Noir…‘Tough, uncompromising and unsettling’ Val McDermid‘Tense and pacey, this intriguing mix of white-collar and white-powder crime could certainly be enjoyed as a standalone, but I would suggest reading its excellent predecessor, Snare, first’ Laura Wilson, GuardianHappily settled in Florida, Sonja believes she’s finally escaped the trap set by unscrupulous drug lords. But when her son Tomas is taken, she’s back to square one … and Iceland.Her lover, Agla, is awaiting sentencing for financial misconduct after the banking crash, and Sonja refuses to see her. And that’s not all … Agla owes money to some extremely powerful men, and they’ll stop at nothing to get it back.With her former nemesis, customs officer Bragi, on her side, Sonja puts her own plan into motion, to bring down the drug barons and her scheming ex-husband, and get Tomas back safely. But things aren’t as straightforward as they seem, and Sonja finds herself caught in the centre of a trap that will put all of their lives at risk…Set in a Reykjavík still covered in the dust of the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption, and with a dark, fast-paced and chilling plot and intriguing characters, Trap is an outstandingly original and sexy Nordic crime thriller, from one of the most exciting new names in crime fiction.‘A tense thriller with a highly unusual plot and interesting characters’ Marcel Berlins, The Times‘With characters you can’t help sympathising with against your better judgement, Sigurdardottir takes the reader on a breathtaking ride … Stylish, taut and compelling’ Jon Coates, Daily Express‘Pacey and tense, Trap is full of delicious carnage that could translate well to the screen’ New Zealand Listener‘This is a searing portrait of the less salubrious parts of the Icelandic psyche as well as a riveting thriller’ Sunday Express‘Tense, edgy and delivering more than a few unexpected twists and turns’ The Times Crime Club'Sharp shocks of chapters hit with increasing energy ... a towering powerhouse of read and I gobbled it up in one intense sitting’ Liz Robinson, LoveReading‘The intricate plot is breathtakingly original, with many twists and turns you never see coming. Thriller of the year’ New York Journal of Books‘Sigurdardottir provides a skillful combination of Nordic noir, hardboiled financial thriller and high-octane narco drama, filled with sympathetic characters that you can’t help identifying with even as they break the law’ Crime Fiction Lover‘The action is fast, helped by the short chapters switching us from one set of characters to another, the villains ruthless, and the undercover world of Iceland vividly evoked. A treat for fans’ Promoting Crime‘Smart, ambitious and hugely satisfying’ Eva Dolan‘An enthralling tale of love and crime’ Michael Ridpath‘Zips along with tension building and building’ James Oswald'An emotional suspense rollercoaster on a par with The Firm’ Alexandra Sokoloff‘Compelling … this is prime binge-reading’ Booklist‘The suspenseful Trap takes full advantage of its fresh setting and is a worthy addition to the icy-cold crime genre popularized by Scandinavian noir novels’ Foreword Reviews
After He Died
by Michael MaloneWhen a strange woman slips a note into grieving widow Paula’s pocket at her husband’s funeral, everything suggests that he was not all that he seemed … A devastatingly moving, explosive psychological thriller from the international bestselling author of A Suitable Lie.‘Disturbing but compulsive … I loved it’ Martina Cole'Bristling with unease, this is domestic noir at its very darkest, twisting the marriage thriller into a new and troubling shape' Eva Dolan‘Vivid, visceral and compulsive’ Ian Rankin_________________You need to know who your husband really was…When Paula Gadd’s husband of almost thirty years dies, just days away from the seventh anniversary of their son, Christopher’s death, her world falls apart. Grieving and bereft, she is stunned when a young woman approaches her at the funeral service, and slips something into her pocket. A note suggesting that Paula’s husband was not all that he seemed…When the two women eventually meet, a series of revelations challenges everything Paula thought she knew, and it becomes immediately clear that both women’s lives are in very real danger.Both a dark, twisty slice of domestic noir and taut, explosive psychological thriller, After He Died is also a chilling reminder that the people we trust the most can harbour the deadliest secrets…_________________Praise for Michael J. Malone‘Gripping and suspenseful fare that reinforces Malone’s renown for producing psychological thrillers’ Herald Scotland'It’s a tough high-wire act, balancing believability with surprise, but the author pulls it off with aplomb. Excellent stuff’ Doug Johnstone, The Big Issue‘Michael J Malone has portrayed this beautifully and managed to get the balance just right … A well-paced, excellent read’ Promoting Crime‘After he Died is a fantastic read packed with engaging characters and a compelling narrative’ CrimeSquad‘An explosive tale, one that takes hold, bites, and doesn’t let go’ LoveReading‘A stark, gripping storyline’ Scots‘A fine, page-turning thriller’ Daily Mail‘Original, engrossing and scary’ The Times‘Brilliantly creepy’ Daily Record‘Genuinely shocking’ Crime by the Book‘Delightfully disturbing’ Chapter in My Life‘Michael Malone has a way of telling a story that just leaves you more than a little disturbed yet breathless with admiration’ Live & Deadly‘Enthralling, wonderful, intense, full of suspense and twists that had my head in a spin! Crime Book Junkie‘Michael J. Malone is quickly making his way up my list of favourite authors’ Always Trust in Books
The Lion Tamer Who Lost
by Louise BeechShortlisted for the Sapere Books ‘Most Popular Romantic Fiction’ Award at the 2019 RNA AwardsLonglisted for the Polari PrizeA heartbreaking, breathtakingly beautiful love story with an unforgettable tragedy at its heart, from the critically acclaimed, award-winning author of Maria in the Moon and Call Me Star Girl‘Beech eloquently conveys their feelings and longings and sets atmospheric, vividly drawn scenes that transport the reader from grey and damp England to the searing heat of the lion reserve …The Lion Tamer Who Lost will touch the most hardhearted of readers with its persuasive, well-drawn and memorable characters’ Daily Express'A devastating, tender and powerful story love story, beautifully and bravely told. You will lose your heart to this book. I adored it’ Miranda DickinsonBe careful what you wish for…Long ago, Andrew made a childhood wish, and kept it in a silver box. When it finally comes true, he wishes he hadn’t…Long ago, Ben made a promise and he had a dream: to travel to Africa to volunteer at a lion reserve. When he finally makes it, it isn’t for the reasons he imagined…Ben and Andrew keep meeting in unexpected places, and the intense relationship that develops seems to be guided by fate. Or is it? What if the very thing that draws them together is tainted by past secrets that threaten everything?A dark, consuming drama that shifts from Zimbabwe to England, and then back into the past, The Lion Tamer Who Lost is also a devastatingly beautiful love story, with a tragic heart…‘A stirring novel, beautifully written, reminiscent of the early work of Maggie O’Farrell’ Irish Times‘Fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine will love it’ Red Magazine‘An excruciatingly passionate love story… In its surprising turns and lovely particulars … A beautiful text’ Foreword Reviews‘This book really got under my skin as a beautiful portrait of love, loss and longing’ Irish Sunday Independent'An incredible, poignant piece of work. Louise Beech had cemented her place as one of Britain’s finest modern storytellers’ John Marrs'A beautiful, honest and tender love story that I won’t forget for a long time …Their love had me trapped in its spell, their tragic moments had me sobbing like a baby … A triumph’ Fionnuala Kearney‘A beautifully crafted book’ Carol Lovekin‘Louise Beech has totally blown me away with her storytelling’ Madeleine Black‘I adored this beautiful and inspiring book’ Kate Furnivall‘Already one of my favourites of 2018’ LoveReading‘Storytelling at its finest. Louise Beech is a beguiling wordsmith. Prepare to be hooked’ Amanda Prowse‘Digs deep emotionally, but is funny and feel-good, too’ Fiona Mitchell‘A stunning and very brave book’ Gill Paul‘The setting alone makes this book worth a read’ S. E. Lynes‘Heartfelt and wry’ Ruth Dugdall‘Louise Beech is a natural-born storyteller with an elegance about her writing that never fails to move me’ Michael J. Malone‘There are times when you finish reading a book and know that part of it will stay with you always. This will be one of those books’ Claire Allan‘It put me in mind of John Irving. It’s that feeling of being in the hands of a master storyteller and just trusting him or her so completely’ Laura Pearson’Vivid, passionate and exquisitely told, this love story will live on in my heart for a very long time to come. A poignant, surprising and all-consuming read’ Katie Marsh
Overkill (Sam Shephard #1)
by Vanda Symon‘A sassy heroine, fabulous sense of place, and rip-roaring stories with a twist’ Kate MosseWhen the body of a young mother is found washed up on the banks of the Mataura River, a small rural community is rocked by her tragic suicide. But all is not what it seems.Sam Shephard, sole-charge police constable in Mataura, soon discovers the death was no suicide and has to face the realisation that there is a killer in town. To complicate the situation, the murdered woman was the wife of her former lover. When Sam finds herself on the list of suspects and suspended from duty, she must cast aside her personal feelings and take matters into her own hands.To find the murderer … and clear her name.A taut, atmospheric and page-turning thriller, Overkill marks the start of an unputdownable and unforgettable series from one of New Zealand’s finest crime writers.‘Vanda Symon is part of a new wave of Kiwi crime writers … her talent for creating well-rounded characters permeates throughout’ Crimewatch
Do No Harm
by L. V. HayTill death do us part…After leaving her marriage to jealous, possessive oncologist Maxwell, Lily and her six-year-old son have a second chance at happiness with headteacher Sebastian. Kind but vulnerable, Sebastian is the polar opposite of Maxwell, and the perfect match for Lily. After a whirlwind romance, they marry, and that’s when things start to go wrong…Maxwell returns to the scene, determined to win back his family, and events soon spiral out of control. Lily and Sebastian find themselves not only fighting for their relationship, but also their lives…Chilling, dark and terrifying, Do No Harm is a taut psychological thriller and a study of obsession, from one of the most exciting new voices in crime fiction.‘Well written, engrossing and brilliantly unique’ Heat‘Prepare to be surprised’ Closer‘A claustrophobic and complex read’ Culture Fly‘Sharp, confident writing’ Peter James‘Wonderfully layered and gripping’ Jendella Benson‘I couldn’t put it down’ Paula Daly‘Propulsive, inventively and purely addictive’ Crime by the Book ‘Intense and pacy’ Mari Hannah ‘Wrong-foots you in ALL the best ways’ Caz Frear ‘Original, daring and emotionally truthful’ Paul Burston‘Slick and compulsive’ Random Things through My Letterbox ‘Crackles with tension’ Karen Dionne ‘A contemporary thriller with a heart of darkness’ Live and Deadly ‘Dark, compelling, twisted, thought-provoking and emotional’ Chapter in My Life
Fault Lines
by Doug JohnstoneBrilliantly constructed speculative crime fictionA classic whodunitDark psychological suspenseDoug Johnstone returns with his most explosive and original thriller yet…A little lie … a seismic secret … and the cracks are beginning to show…In a reimagined contemporary Edinburgh, where a tectonic fault has opened up to produce a new volcano in the Firth of Forth, and where tremors are an everyday occurrence, volcanologist Surtsey makes a shocking discovery. On a clandestine trip to new volcanic island The Inch, to meet Tom, her lover and her boss, she finds his lifeless body, and makes the fatal decision to keep their affair, and her discovery, a secret. Desperate to know how he died, but also terrified she’ll be exposed, Surtsey’s life quickly spirals into a nightmare when someone makes contact – someone who claims to know what she’s done…‘A cracking and highly original thriller’ Mark Billingham‘You don’t read Fault Lines so much as you white-knuckle your way through its twists and turns’ Megan Abbott‘A superb, highly original psychological chiller’ Steve Cavanagh‘Richly characterised, beautifully crafted, this is a book that you truly inhabit’ Emma Kavanagh ‘Scotland’s truest exponent of noir’ Chris Brookmyre'A subtly off-kilter speculative thriller that builds to a truly explosive ending’ Eva Dolan‘A pacey, gripping read’ Louise Voss‘Sexy, fearless and addictive’ Helen FitzGerald‘Johnstone weaves his compelling and original tale with great skill and elegance from the gripping beginning to a tense and explosive ending' Amanda Jennings‘Brilliantly unputdownable’ Martyn Waites‘Superb’ Luca Veste‘Blending powerful imagination and plotting, this is the work of a writer at the top of his game’ Stuart Neville‘Plays with every single emotion’ Susi Holliday‘This had me hooked from the first page’ Cass Green‘Poignant, gripping and packed with seismic shocks’ Paddy Magrane‘Incisive, intelligent and imaginative’ Michael J. Malone‘I was completely swept away’ Caroline Mitchell‘Hits you lie a seismic shock’ Douglas Skelton‘Grabs you by the throat in the first chapter’ Neil Broadfoot‘A highly imaginative, hauntingly beautiful and genuinely clever whodunnit’ Liz Loves Books‘His best book yet! I simply devoured this fast-paced, explosive thriller’ Portobello Book Blog‘An explosive thriller’ Daily Record’I read the book in one sitting, turning the pages as fast as my reading speed would allow’ Off-the-Shelf Books’Filled with edge-of-your-seat moments, heartbreak, and the possibilities that can spiral from telling a lie’ What Jess Reads
Absolution (Claymore Straker #4)
by Paul E. HardistyIt’s 1997, and eight months since vigilante justice-seeker Claymore Straker fled South Africa after his explosive testimony to Desmond Tutu’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.In Paris, Rania LaTour, Claymore’s former lover, comes home to find that her son and her husband, a celebrated human rights lawyer, have disappeared.On an isolated island off the coast of East Africa, the family that Clay has befriended is murdered as he watches.So begins the fourth instalment in the Claymore Straker series, a breakneck journey through the darkest reaches of the human soul, as Clay and Rain fight to uncover the mystery behind the disappearances and murders, and find those responsible.Relentlessly pursued by those who want them dead, they must work together to uncover the truth, and to find a way to survive in a world gone mad.At times brutal, often lyrical, but always gripping, Absolution is a thriller that will leave you breathless and questioning the very basis of how we live and why we love.‘A trenchant and engaging thriller that unravels this mysterious land in cool, precise sentences’ Stav Sherez, Catholic Herald‘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‘Gripping and exciting … the quality of Hardisty’s writing and the underlying truth of his plots sets this above many other thrillers’ West Australian‘Searing … at times achieves the level of genuine poetry’ Publishers Weekly‘A stormer of a thriller - vividly written, utterly tropical, totally gripping’ Peter James‘Beautifully written, blisteringly authentic, heart-stoppingly tense and unusually moving’ Paul Johnston‘The plot burns through petrol, with multiple twists and turns’ Vicky Newham‘A solid, meaty thriller – Hardisty is a fine writer and Straker is a great lead character’ Lee Child‘A fast-paced action thriller, beautifully written’ Tim Marshall, author of Prisoners of Geography
The Old You
by Louise VossNail-bitingly modern domestic noirA tense, Hitchcockian psychological thrillerLouise Voss returns with her darkest, most chilling, novel yet…Lynn Naismith gave up the job she loved when she married Ed, the love of her life, but it was worth it for the happy years they enjoyed together. Now, ten years on, Ed has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia, and things start to happen; things more sinister than missing keys and lost words. As some memories are forgotten, others, long buried, begin to surface … and Lynn’s perfect world begins to crumble.But is it Ed’s mind playing tricks, or hers…?‘The slow reveals and hints at the darkness to come make it impossible to put down’ Sarah Pinborough‘A cracking page-turner that sucks you straight into the dark heart of human behaviour’ Marnie Riches‘Completely gripping’ Cass Green‘Twists, turns and stabs you in the heart. It deserves to be huge’ Martyn Waites‘A brilliant tale of deception with a twist that took my breath away’ Mark Edwards‘I was guessing right to the end’ Katerina Diamond‘Brilliantly unsettling’ Jane Casey‘Cleverly plotted and beautifully executed’ Susi Holliday‘Poignant, clever and terrifically tense’ William Shaw‘A must-read for all psychological thriller fans’ Steph Broadribb‘A twisty, thrilling read with engaging and complex characters!’ Sarah Ward‘Kept me up way past my bedtime … really original and compelling’ Howard Linskey‘Filled with jaw-dropping revelations’ Off-the-Shelf Books‘Cleverly woven and atmospheric’ Liz Loves Books‘Exceptionally clever, intriguing and mysterious … this is how a psychological crime thriller should be written’ Random Things through My Letterbox‘Gripping and twisty’ Mel McGrath‘Ingeniously plotted and totally addictive‘ Paddy Magrane‘A disturbing, brilliant tale of lies and psychological manipulation’ Kate Rhodes’Tense, super-twisty and well-written’ Amanda Jennings’Left me in awe, and lost for words’ Steph’s Book Blog’A masterclass in how to write an accomplished, clever and slick domestic noir – characters that are believable, secrets that are merely hinted at and twists that are genuinely jaw-dropping without being absurd. This is a meticulously plotted book that doesn’t put a foot wrong as it tiptoes its way through a marriage that is put under strain by an illness when its perfect veneer is cracked’ Beverley Has Read
At The Dark Hour
by John WilsonA loving a air is destroyed by the Blitz on London. Julia ends her relationship with Adam. Her concern is for her children and that, if she is divorced, she will lose them. What is the nature of love? Does it have gradations? Love, and it’s textures, lie at the heart of this story. Love is where you find it. And sometimes it ambushes you. And, often, it is hidden.
The Love Lottery: a comic tale of lessons in life, love, dating and the odd samosa party
by Raj DhaliwalIn our fast-paced digital age, never has finding the one felt more like playing the lottery. If anyone knows about the cruelty and chaos of dating in the 21st century it’s Raj Dhaliwal; accountant by day, hopeless romantic by night. By his own admission, Raj is a tax wizard but a clumsy disaster area when it comes to matters of the heart. This book charts his misadventures in the art of looking for love in an age when a man’s best intentions can be coldly dismissed by a swipe to the left. The Love Lottery: a comic tale of lessons in life, love, dating and the odd samosa party explores the emotional rollercoaster of dating, charting the epic excitement and anticipation, highs, lows and disappointments of our ever optimistic search for romance. As a British-born Indian gent, Raj compares and contrasts the social and cultural distinctions between his family, his friends and the women he meets on the dating scene; a route to romance that’s littered with speed dating, online dating and feverish matchmaking, in this funny and heart-warming book. As self-appointed United Nations Love Ambassador, Raj has made it his mission to date the weird and the wonderful in the pursuit of lasting love. Want to play The Love Lottery? Then read on.
Doing Scary
by Donald M. BellTwo marriages haunted by betrayal. Four people whose pursuit of the American Dream has taken a nightmarish turn. Roman and Sage Bryant-Cole have spent nine months trying to salvage what was left of their marriage after it was rocked by the revelation of Roman’s serial affairs. Sage is dealt a second blow when she discovers that her cherished cousin, Owen Bryant, has been cheated on by his ruthless, gold-digging wife, Leah. Sage’s discovery hits the reset button on the progress she and Roman had been making on their marriage, as all the doubts and fears she has tried to suppress come flooding back. In order to reclaim Sage’s trust, and to save a love now left dangling by a thread, Roman must take his efforts to win back his wife to another level. Leah and Owen Bryant are visited by a ghost from their past; Leah’s college sweetheart, Casey. Leah and Owen must confront a dark secret at the heart of their marriage, if they are to stand a chance of surviving as a couple. One family’s legacy, two marriages, four lives, and millions of dollars are at stake. Doing Scary is a coming of age story which explores the transition from adolescence to adulthood and the battles we face in our thirties to keep our spiritual, emotional and psychological progress in check, as the things we hold most dear are put to the test.
Outremer II: Revelation Cometh (Outremer)
by D. N. CarterChristian-born Paul Plantavalu and his beloved Alisha al Komaty, a Muslim, share an unbreakable bond and a deep love for one another. Religion, war and politics oppose them at every turn. But most deadly of all is the resolve of an evil enemy determined to destroy their family lines forever. Paul and Alisha’s journey takes a political turn; they must question everything and learn who to fear and who to trust as they continue their battle to safeguard the future of mankind. In accepting the burden of this grace responsibility, they must make peace with the difficult path they have chosen. Paul will struggle to unlearn everything he has been raised to accept as true; reality is much more mysterious and nuanced. It will fall to him to defend a much greater treasure than his own life - one which the Magi themselves understood - for the benefit of future generations. In doing so, Paul will help others to unshackle themselves from the grip of a self-styled secret elite with the power to manipulate religions, governments and monarchies, harnessing wealth and control for themselves at the expense of the populous. But to succeed in this challenge Paul must face his own desires and his worst fears, and if destiny dictates, he may be called to sacrifice his own family, including Alisha.
The Watcher
by Monika Jephcott ThomasIt’s 1949 when Netta’s father Max is released from a Siberian POW camp and returns to his home in occupied Germany. But he is not the man the little girl is expecting – the brave, handsome doctor her mother Erika told her stories of. Erika too struggles to reconcile this withdrawn, volatile figure with the husband she knew and loved before, and, as she strives to break through the wall Max has built around himself, Netta is both frightened and jealous of this interloper in the previously cosy household she shared with her mother and doting grandparents. Now, if family life isn't tough enough, it is about to get even tougher, when a murder sparks a police investigation, which begins to unearth dark secrets they all hoped had been forgotten.
My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999, Vol. 1
by MashiroGirl meets boy the old-fashioned way - in an online game. The first volume of the popular manga that inspired the anime series!College student Akane has just been dumped by her boyfriend. Heartbroken, she decides to quit the online RPG they used to play together, but instead of deleting her account, she logs in and battles low-level enemies to relieve her stress and hurt feelings. There, she meets Yamada, an elite pro gamer so reclusive that Akane can’t decide if he’s awkward or alluring.When Akane encounters her ex at a gaming convention, she makes the snap decision to pretend Yamada is her boyfriend and soon the two of them are spending more time together in the game and in real life. The problem is, Yamada is only interested in the game. As Akane's feelings grow, will Yamada's focus stay on the game?Volume 1 includes Chapters 1-9.
Gravity Is the Thing: A Novel
by Jaclyn Moriarty'Clever and magical' - Women's Weekly'Author Jaclyn is the sister of Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies) and has the same talent for great plots. This unusual novel tugs at the heartstrings.' - Good HousekeepingTwenty years ago, Abigail Sorenson's brother Robert went missing one day before her sixteenth birthday, never to be seen again. That same year, she began receiving scattered chapters in the mail from a mysterious guidebook, whose anonymous authors promised to make her life soar to heights beyond her wildest dreams. These missives have remained a constant in Abi's life - a befuddling yet oddly comforting voice through her family's grief over her brother's disappearance, a move across continents, the devastating dissolution of her marriage, and the new beginning as a single mother and café owner in Sydney.Now, two decades after receiving those first pages, Abi is invited to learn 'the truth' about the book. It's an opportunity too intriguing to refuse - she believes its absurdity and her brother's disappearance must be connected. What follows is an entirely unexpected journey of discovery that will change Abi's life - and enchant readers. Gravity Is the Thing is a smart, unusual, wickedly funny novel - heart-warming and life-affirming.
Molly Fish: A Story of Love
by Jack McMastersWhen retired architect Arthur Howard receives an unexpected invitation from the elegant businesswoman he has just met, her promise of two weeks of incredible sex is enough to persuade him to forget his stale marriage and follow her to India. Leaving thoughts of his younger wife Ester far behind, Rani leads Arthur into paradise; her home lies in a beautiful valley filled with quiet villages, tranquil lakes, tea plantations and crocus fields, a place where his every need is catered for and his attention sought wherever he goes.But danger lies hidden here. Arthur discovers that Rani and the other villagers he meets in this rural Indian idyl are the ancestors of an ancient civilization, thought to be merely mythical. From his contact with them, he succumbs to a mysterious illness that keeps him bedridden for a long period in a darkened room. Confused and stricken, Arthur's days and nights are haunted by wild dreams; when he is unable to sleep, he reminisces about early love affairs and fears for his failing relationship with Ester until he is unable to distinguish dreams from reality.
Outremer I: Revelation Cometh (Outremer #1)
by D. N. CarterWho Controls The Past Controls The Future An epic love story must overcome religious divide and a plot to eradicate two blood lines, as the Crusades and the search for the ancient mysteries of the Holy Grail gather momentum. Raised by his father in La Rochelle, France, Paul Plantavalu is known for his artistic nature, inquisitive mind and Christian faith. He also has an unshakable love for his Muslim childhood friend, Alisha al Komaty. Courageous and outspoken, she returns Paul’s love. But their path is paved with obstacles; religion, war, political chaos and a mysterious enemy determined to destroy their family lines. Sometime between 1110 AD and 1120 AD in the aftermath of the first crusade, a small band of nine knights — the founding knights Templar — recover ancient precious artefacts left by a former, advanced civilisation, beneath the City of Jerusalem. Ruthlessly guarded, the secrets revealed by this discovery are highly prized by powerful and dangerous forces far and wide; the repercussions of their capture are inextricably linked to Paul and Alisha. As Paul starts to experience dark and vivid dreams and the fragile balance of peace starts to crumble, it will fall to an enigmatic man known as Kratos and his female warrior protégée Abi Shadana, to safeguard Paul and Alisha. Paul and Alisha’s love story weaves between the threads of our reality and other realms — from the Druids to the Sufi mystics, the Magi of the East, the secret political arm of the Knights Templar and the Isma’ilis, the Assassins. Knights and pilgrims alike will witness some of the darkest battles ever fought. The discovery of a unique sword’s lethal power and whispered connections to King Arthur and the Holy Grail lead Paul and Alisha to question if their lives ever be the same again. The first of a four-part series, Outremer is an historical epic, which sweeps across England, Scotland and France, to Syria, Jerusalem and Egypt. Discover the truth — and crack the ancient code — behind the great mysteries of the High Middle Ages for yourself.
Errori di Valutazione
by Paola PicaTre personaggi, ognuno in un capitolo ad esso assegnato, raccontano dal loro punto di vista e in prima persona una storia, che verrà poi narrata nel quarto ed ultimo capitolo dal tradizionale narratore onnisciente. Ognuno di essi ha commeso un errore di valutazione e riconosce che questo ha pregiudicato la propria vita e il proprio rapporto con Francesca, personaggio chiave, eppure non “assegnataria” di alcun capitolo. La sua presenza permea tutti e tre i capitoli iniziali e si renderà esplicita nel quarto, in tutta la sua spregiudicatezza di ragazza viziata, nella sua sofferenza momentanea di vittima di uno strizzacervelli subdolo e con ancora meno scrupoli di lei nell’afferare tutto l’afferrabile; fino alla più che esplicita rivelazione del suo cieco egocentrismo, dimentico anche di chi le ha fatto del bene. Si consiglia la lettura a chi sia interessato al genere “thriller psicologico”, visto l’interesse dell’Autrice per l’indagine introspettiva.
Permafrost
by Eva BaltasarPermafrost’s no-bullshit lesbian narrator is an uninhibited lover, a no-hope employee, and a some-time suicidal student of her own dislocated self. As she tries to break out of the roles set for her by a controlling, overprotective mother, a relentlessly positive sister, and a society which imposes a gut-wrenching pressure to conform, she contemplates the so-called will to live when that life is given, rather than chosen. Attempting to bridge the gap between the perennially frozen reaches of her outer shell and the tender core of her being, watching her relationships with family fracture and her many lovers come and go, the protagonist’s reservations about staying alive become ever more pressing.Passionate, urgent and breathtakingly forthright, this fiction debut from Catalan poet Eva Baltasar was a word-of-mouth hit in its own language and is a gift for readers in English.
Theft
by Luke BrownWhat I did to them was terrible, but you have to understand the context. This was London, 2016 . . .Bohemia is history. Paul has awoken to the fact that he will always be better known for reviewing haircuts than for his literary journalism. He is about to be kicked out of his cheap flat in east London and his sister has gone missing after an argument about what to do with the house where they grew up. Now that their mother is dead this is the last link they have to the declining town on the north-west coast where they grew up.Enter Emily Nardini, a cult author, who – after granting Paul a rare interview – receives him into her surprisingly grand home. Paul is immediately intrigued: by Emily and her fictions, by her vexingly famous and successful partner Andrew (too old for her by half), and later by Andrew’s daughter Sophie, a journalist whose sexed-up vision of the revolution has gone viral. Increasingly obsessed, relationships under strain, Paul travels up and down, north and south, torn between the town he thought he had escaped and the city that threatens to chew him up.With heart, bite and humour, Luke Brown leads the reader beyond easy partisanship and into much trickier terrain. Straddling the fissures within a man and his country, riven by envy, wealth, ownership, entitlement, and loss, Theft is an exhilarating howl of a novel.
Here Be Witches (The Snowdonia Chronicles #2)
by Sarah MussiHere be Witches is the second book in the Snowdonia Chronicles trilogy by Sarah Mussi. A perilous adventure into the magical and murderous realm of mythical Snowdonia.All Ellie Morgan wants is to be with her one true love, Henry. But she’s caught in the middle of a BATTLE as old as SNOWDON itself. A battle between GOOD and EVIL.A WITCHES’ SPELL, cast high on the mountain, has sped up time and made matters MUCH WORSE. The dragons are awake; mythical creatures and evil ghosts have risen. And nearly all of them want Ellie DEAD.Thank heavens for loyal friend George, disloyal bestie Rhi, and mysterious stranger, Davey. Armed with Granny Jones’s potions, Ellie and her companions must set out on a journey to REVERSE THE SPELL, stop the EVIL White Dragon and find Henry.As an eternal winter tightens its grip on Snowdon, Ellie and her friends have just THREE DAYS to SURVIVE and complete their quest.