FICTION CATALOGUE JANUARY - JUNE 2021

1 The Funny Thing about Norman Foreman Julietta Henderson

A TRANSWORLD LEAD DEBUT FOR 2021: An uplifting, heart -warming and hopeful novel about a boy with a grief he's too young to understand and a mother who will do anything to see him smile again.

What do you get when you cross a painfully awkward son, lofty comedic ambition and a dead best friend?

Norman.

Norman and Jax are a legendary comedic duo in waiting, with a five-year plan to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe by the time they're fifteen. But when Jax dies before they turn twelve, Norman decides paying tribute to his best friend just can’t wait… so he rewrites their plan:

1. Look after mum 2. Find Dad 3. Get to the Edinburgh Fringe

Sadie knows she's never going to win Mother of the Year, and not knowing exactly who her son’s father is doesn't help. But when she finds Norman's new plan, all she wants is to see her son smile again... So they set off on a pilgrimage to Edinburgh, making a few stops to find Norman's dad along the way.

Julietta Henderson grew up in the rainforests of North January 2021 Queensland, Australia, and developed her passion for the 9781787633506 written word producing ‘magazines’ for school friends and £12.99 : Hardback neighbours with her sister. She has worked her way through 400 pages jobs as diverse as bicycle tour guide in Tuscany, nanny in the Italian Alps and breakfast waitress in the wilds of Scotland. Like many Australians, her love affair with Europe began when she came to London on a working holiday and stayed for more than a decade. Now a full-time writer, Julietta divides her life between Melbourne, the UK and wherever she can find winter.

2 The Hungry Road The heartbreaking new bestseller from the author of Under the Hawthorn Tree Marita Conlon-McKenna

A story of courage, hardship and survival against the odds - this is the definitive account of the Great Irish Famine.

In its brilliant recreation of the Great Irish Famine, the children's historical novel Under the Hawthorn Tree is beloved by millions and is considered a classic.

Now, the Number One Irish bestseller and award-winning author is turning her hand to the definitive adult novel of those hard times, with The Hungry Road.

****** Ireland’s hopes for freedom are dashed with the arrival of a deadly potato blight that strikes terror in the heart of its people.

1845. Seamstress Mary Sullivan's dreams of a better future are shattered as she looks out over their ruined crop. Refusing to give in to despair, she must use every ounce of courage and strength to protect her family as they fight to survive.

Dr Dan Donovan is Medical Officer to the Skibbereen Union. The arrival of 'The Hunger' soon brings starving men, women and children crowding into the town and the workhouse, desperate for assistance.

Fr John Fitzpatrick's faith is tested by the suffering that surrounds him as his pleas for help fall on deaf ears.

Inspired by true Irish heroes, The Hungry Road is the heartbreaking January 2020 story of the Great Irish Famine told by one of Ireland’s best loved 9781848271975 writers. £12.99 : Trade Paperback 352 pages

'I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I raced through it ... It’s a must-add to your collection' Ryan Tubridy, RTÉ Radio 1

'Powerful ... Conlon-McKenna has assembled an excellent cast of characters ... Myriad small, moving details help to illustrate the enormity of the tragedy' Irish Independent

'It’s a great read - it has the feeling of an epic film' Mairead Ronan, Today FM

Marita Conlon-McKenna is one of Ireland's favourite authors. Her books include the award-winning Under the Hawthorn Tree which is set during Ireland’s great famine. Widely translated and published, it is now considered an Irish classic. Her other books include bestsellers The Magdalen and Rebel Sisters.

She is a winner of the International Reading Association Award, USA and a former chairperson of Irish PEN.

Marita lives in Dublin with her husband and family.

3 The Stranger Times C. K. McDonnell

Whether you're an 'American Gods' binge-watcher, addicted to Ben Aaronovitch or devoted to Discworld and Terry Pratchett, this smart, knowing, outrageously fun (and occasionally rather rude) supernatural romp by an award- winning stand-up comic is a must-read . . .

There are Dark Forces at work in our world (and in Manchester in particular) and so thank God The Stranger Times is on hand to report them. A weekly newspaper dedicated to the weird and the wonderful (but more often the weird) of modern life, it is the go-to publication for the unexplained and inexplicable . . .

At least that’s their pitch. The reality is rather less auspicious. Their editor is a drunken, foul-tempered and -mouthed husk of a man who thinks little (and believes less) of the publication he edits, while his staff are a ragtag group of wastrels and misfits, each with their own secrets to hide and axes to grind. And as for the assistant editor . . . well, that job is a revolving door – and it has just revolved to reveal Hannah Willis, who's got her own set of problems.

It’s when tragedy strikes in Hannah’s first week on the job that The Stranger Times is forced to do some serious, proper, actual investigative journalism. What they discover leads them to a shocking realisation: that some of the stories they’d previously dismissed as nonsense are in fact terrifyingly, gruesomely real. Soon they come face-to-face with darker foes than they could ever have imagined. It’s one thing reporting on January 2021 the unexplained and paranormal but it’s quite another being 9781787633353 dragged into the battle between the forces of Good and Evil . . £14.99 : Hardback . 432 pages

Born in Limerick and raised in Dublin, C K (Caimh) McDonnell is a former stand-up comedian and TV writer. He performed all around the world, had several well-received Edinburgh shows and supported acts such as Sarah Millican on tour before hanging up his clowning shoes to concentrate on writing. He has also written for numerous TV shows and been nominated for a Kid’s TV BAFTA. His debut novel, A Man With One of Those Faces – a comic crime novel – was published in 2016 and spawned The Dublin Trilogy books and the spin-off McGarry Stateside series. They have been Amazon bestsellers on both sides of the Atlantic.

4 House with No Doors

At first glance, Leonard Graves’ death was unremarkable. Sleeping pills, a bottle of vodka, a note saying goodbye. But when Detective Henry Hobbes discovers a grave in the basement, he realizes there is something far more sinister at work...

At first glance, Leonard Graves’ death was unremarkable. Sleeping pills, a bottle of vodka, a note saying goodbye. But when Detective Henry Hobbes discovers a grave in the basement, he realizes there is something far more sinister at work.

Further investigation unearths more disturbing evidence. Scattered around the old house are women’s dresses. All made of the same material. All made in the same colours. And all featuring a rip across the stomach, smeared in blood.

As the investigation continues and the body count rises, Hobbes must also deal with the disappearance of his son, the break-up of his family and a growing sense that something horrific happened in the Graves’ household. And he’s running out of time to find out what.

Jeff Noon trained in the visual arts and drama and was active on the post-punk music scene before becoming a playwright, and then a novelist. Most recently publishing a crime novel, Slow Motion Ghosts, his other novels include , , , , , Falling Out of Cars, Channel SK1N, Mappalujo (with Steve Beard), A January 2021 Man of Shadows, and the The Body Library. He has also 9780857525635 published two collections of short fiction, Pixel Juice and Royal Octavo Cobralingus. He lives in Brighton. £18.99 : Hardback 384 pages

5 Exit Belinda Bauer

IT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE MURDER . . . Pensioner Felix Pink is about to find out that it’s never too late for life to go horribly wrong.

The sensational new crime novel from the bestselling author of SNAP

‘Fresh, funny, flawless. The best crime novel you'll read this year.’ Clare Mackintosh

IT WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO BE MURDER . . .

Pensioner Felix Pink is about to find out that it’s never too late . . . for life to go horribly wrong.

When Felix lets himself in to Number 3 Black Lane, he’s there to perform an act of charity: to keep a dying man company as he takes his final breath . . .

But just fifteen minutes later Felix is on the run from the police – after making the biggest mistake of his life.

Now his world is turned upside down as he must find out if he's really to blame, or if something much more sinister is at play. All while staying one shaky step ahead of the law.

______

'Quirky, charming, intensely human, important . . . and very suspenseful. I loved it.' Lee Child January 2021 'Belinda Bauer's fiction teems with life.' 9781787630956 £14.99 : Hardback Daily Telegraph 336 pages Belinda Bauer grew up in England and South Africa and now lives in Wales. She worked as a journalist and a screenwriter before finally writing a book to appease her nagging mother.

For her debut, Blacklands, Belinda was awarded the CWA Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year. She went on to win the CWA Dagger in the Library for her body of work. Her fourth novel, Rubbernecker, was voted Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. Her eighth novel, Snap, was a Sunday Times bestseller. It was longlisted for the Man Booker prize and voted Crime & Thriller Book of the Year at the Specsavers National Book Awards.

Her books have been translated into twenty-five languages.

6 Two Wrongs Rebecca Reid

She made a mistake - now's her chance to make it right. The explosive new thriller from the acclaimed author of Perfect Liars and Truth Hurts.

When Chloe goes to university and meets wild, carefree Zadie, she is utterly seduced by her and her lifestyle. It doesn’t take long for Chloe to ditch her studies in favour of all-night parties at Zadie's huge house off campus.

But when something goes badly wrong one night and Zadie disappears in the aftermath, Chloe knows she should have done more to help her friend. It’s something she’ll always regret.

Fifteen years later, Chloe finally gets the chance to make it right. But in order to do so, she’ll have to put everything at stake.

How far would you go to correct the mistakes of your past?

Praise for Rebecca Reid:

'Will haunt you long after you've finished' Jane Corry 'A shocker of an ending' Emma Curtis 'Rebecca Reid is a master of building tension' Phoebe Morgan 'Disturbing and brilliant' Lauren North

Rebecca is the digital editor of Grazia magazine. She is a columnist for the Telegraph Women’s section, and has written January 2021 for Metro Online, Marie Claire, the Guardian, the Saturday 9780552177382 Telegraph, the Independent, Stylist, Glamour, the iPaper, the £7.99 : Paperback Guardian, Indy100, LOOK and the New Statesmen amongst 384 pages others.

Rebecca is a regular contributor to Sky News and ITV’s Good Morning Britain as well as appearing on This Morning, Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, LBC, Channel Five News, The World At One and the BBC World Service to discuss her work.

She graduated from Royal Holloway’s Creative Writing MA in 2015, her debut novel Perfect Liars published in 2018 and Truth Hurts is her second.

Rebecca lives London with her husband.

7 Before I Saw You The delightful and emotional love-story of 2021 Emily Houghton

The Flatshare meets Me Before You, this book flips modern dating on its head and tells the story of Alice and Alfie who meet on a hospital ward and gradually fall in love without ever seeing the other’s face.

Can you fall in love with someone you've never seen?

Alice has been badly burned. She hasn't been able to look at herself yet, let alone allow anyone else to see her. All she wants to do is hide away from the world.

Alfie might be dealing with his own injury but he's also determined to get Alice to talk to him. Slowly he starts to get to know her - all the while never being able to see her, but can Alice ever really let him in?

Emily Jayne Houghton is a 28-year-old digital banker by day and a creative writer by night. She’s originally from Essex but has been living in London for the past 7 years. Emily is completely obsessed with dogs, is a trained yoga teacher and has dreamt of being an author ever since she could hold a pen.

February 2021 9781787633834 £12.99 : Hardback 400 pages

8 Just Friends Holly McCulloch

Laugh-out-loud and moving, JUST FRIENDS is a feel-good ‘will they, won’t they’ love story perfect for reading in the sun or on a rainy afternoon from an exciting new voice in women's fiction.

It’s easy to put someone in the friend zone. But what happens if you change your mind?

Bea isn’t happy. Desperate for a change, she looks to her friends for inspiration. Every single one of them is paired off, perhaps that’s what she needs too.

So, she starts dating again. But everywhere she goes – amid the hilarious and scarring dates – there’s Peter. Good old, oddball Peter, her closest friend from university. He’s always been firmly in the friend zone but something’s happened lately – he seems taller, more handsome and suddenly making him smile is Bea’s favourite thing.

But how can Bea possibly risk their friendship? And how do you even go about taking someone out of the friend zone? What if Bea and Peter were only ever meant to be just friends…

Holly McCulloch lives in Oxfordshire and bakes beautiful (and delicious) cakes for a living. Just Friends is her debut novel.

February 2021 9780552177252 £7.99 : Paperback 304 pages

9 Beneath the Keep A Novel of the Tearling Erika Johansen

Erika Johansen returns with the much-anticipated, utterly compelling prequel novel that will thrill and enrapture the tens of thousands of fans of her bestselling literary fantasy Tearling series.

In a world far in the future, society in the Tearling has reverted to feudalism.

Evil forces have converged to ensure that the rich and powerful stay in control while the poor are plunged into ever-greater depths of suffering. The only hope is a prophecy, whispered about among the poor, that a True Queen will rise up and save the kingdom from succumbing completely to despotism.

But, none of this affects the Mace. We meet the Mace in the beginning of his life, when he is enslaved as a paid fighter in the Creche, the clandestine and sinister underworld beneath the kingdom. The decrepit Creche is the only home Mace has ever known.

Meanwhile in the Keep and in the countryside, some of the same villains at play in the Mace's world are inciting ever-escalating class conflict. Princess Elyssa must decide if she should align herself with her mother the Queen, or join the socialist rebellion group Blue Horizon, which has captured her heart. As the people rioting across the countryside decide Elyssa holds the key to the Kingdom's future, she is running out of time to make her choice--and to outrun those who hope to make it for her.

When the Mace must leave the Creche for the first time in his life, his own fate intertwines with the prophecy of the princess and the battles of country peasants uniting in mutiny, and everything changes. The February 2021 hope that Elyssa represented may be snuffed out by dark magic, and 9781787632356 the Mace finds himself called into the service of something bigger £14.99 : Hardback than himself -- a fight for a better world. 420 pages

ERIKA JOHANSEN grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She went to Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania before attending the celebrated Iowa Writers Workshop, where she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree. She eventually became an attorney but she never stopped writing. Her debut was the international bestseller, The Queen of the Tearling - the first novel in a remarkable trilogy. This was followed by the acclaimed The Invasion of the Tearling and The Fate of the Tearling. Erika now lives in England.

Author photo (c) Victoria Webb

10 We Are Not in the World Conor O'Callaghan

An exquisite portrait of an extra-marital affair, of grief & shame, this is a tour de force of emotional & literary heft from a critically acclaimed author who counts John Banville among his fans.

'Haunting, mesmerising, and so deeply intelligent about the interwoven strengths and frailties of the human heart.' Kamila Shamsie

Heartbroken after a long, painful love affair, a man drives a haulage lorry from England to France. Travelling with him is a secret passenger - his daughter. Twenty-something, unkempt, off the rails.

With a week on the road together, father and daughter must restore themselves and each other, and repair a relationship that is at once fiercely loving and deeply scarred.

As they journey south, down the motorways, through the service stations, a devastating picture reveals itself: a story of grief, of shame, and of love in all its complex, dark and glorious manifestations. ______

PRAISE FOR WE ARE NOT IN THE WORLD: 'Wonderful, wrenching . . . full of enormous feelings very precisely rendered' Sara Baume 'A whirlpool of memories, regrets and hopes' Tim Pears 'An uncanny ability to turn the seemingly insignificant into February 2021 something monumental' Jan Carson 9780857526854 'Unusual, utterly original and mysterious . . . a must read' £14.99 : Hardback Elaine Feeney 272 pages

Conor O'Callaghan is originally from Dundalk, and now divides his time between Dublin and the North of England. His critically acclaimed first novel Nothing on Earth was published by Doubleday Ireland in 2016.

11 The Sanatorium Sarah Pearse

High in the Swiss Alps, a luxury hotel opens in what was once a sanatorium, but the new design can’t hide the building’s dark history for long . . . This is the chilling debut from the hottest new talent in crime fiction.

‘At first glance they’re magnificent, yet the more she looks, the more she realizes how sinister the mountains appear: raw, jagged spikes. It’s not hard to imagine, she thinks, looking out; this place somehow consuming someone, swallowing them whole.’

An imposing, isolated hotel, high up in the Swiss Alps, is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But she's taken time off from her job as a detective, so when she receives an invitation out of the blue to celebrate her estranged brother’s recent engagement, she has no choice but to accept.

Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge. Though it’s beautiful, something about the hotel, recently converted from an abandoned sanatorium, makes her nervous – as does her brother, Isaac.

And when they wake the following morning to discover his fiancée Laure has vanished without a trace, Elin’s unease grows. With the storm cutting off access to and from the hotel, the longer Laure stays missing, the more the remaining guests start to panic.

But no-one has realized yet that another woman has gone missing. And she’s the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they’re all in . . .

Sarah Pearse lives by the sea in South Devon with her husband and two daughters. She studied English and Creative Writing at the February 2021 University of Warwick and worked in Brand PR for a variety of 9781787633315 £12.99 : Hardback household brands. After moving to Switzerland in her twenties, she spent every spare moment exploring the mountains and still has a 368 pages home in the Swiss Alpine town of Crans Montana, the dramatic setting that inspired her novel. Sarah has always been drawn to the dark and creepy - remote spaces and abandoned places - so when she read an article in a local Swiss magazine about the history of sanatoriums in the area, she knew she’d found the spark of the idea for her debut novel, The Sanatorium. Her short fiction has been published in a wide variety of magazines and has been shortlisted for several prizes.

You can find Sarah on @SarahVPearse and Instagram @sarahpearseauthor

12 The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot Marianne Cronin

'Full of wisdom and kindness. Just the kind of book I adore' JOANNA CANNON: Stirring, unforgettable debut of friendship and living your best life. For fans of THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP, HAROLD FRY and ELINOR OLIPHANT

A HEART-RENDING, LIFE-ENHANCING DEBUT NOVEL FOR FANS OF ELINOR OLIPHANT, THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP AND HAROLD FRY

'I absolutely love it. Graceful, intelligent, beautiful writing. Full of wisdom and kindness. It is just the kind of book i adore' JOANNA CANNON

Life is short – no one knows that better than Lenni Petterssen. On the terminal ward the nurses are offering their condolences already, but Lenni still has plenty of living to do, thanks very much.

For a start she’s got far too many questions she needs answers for, and stories yet to uncover.

With the unexpected arrival of 83-year-old Margot, a purple pyjama- ed patient promising new friendship and enviable artistic skills, Lenni’s life begins to expand in ways she'd never imagined.

As their bond deepens, a world of stories from the past opens up: of wartime love and loss, of misunderstanding and reconciliation, of courage, kindness and understanding.

Fiercely alive, disarmingly funny, and brimming with tenderness, THE ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF LENNI AND MARGOT unwraps the extraordinary gift of life even when it is about to be taken away, and revels in our infinite capacity for friendship and love when we are February 2021 most in need. 9780857527196 £14.99 : Hardback Marianne Cronin was born in 1990 and grew up in Warwickshire. She 400 pages studied English and Creative Writing at Lancaster University, before going on to specialise in applied linguistics, earning her MA and PhD from the University of Birmingham. The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot is her debut novel

13 The Maid’s Disgrace Emma Hornby

A gritty and page-turning historical saga, from Northern England's answer to Dilly Court.

A gritty and page-turning historical saga set in Northern England in the late 1800s, perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin.

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Readers love Emma Hornby:

'Similar to Rosie Goodwin and Dilly Court, Emma Hornby tells a brilliant story that will keep you guessing with twists and turns. Pure talent.'

'Emma Hornby's books just keep getting better and better. Honest, gritty, lovely characters.'

'Keep writing Emma, you are very talented and can't wait for your next book. I've read them all.'

'Emma is a wonderful storyteller and I can't wait for the next one!'

'Thank you again Emma Hornby for a captivating read'

'Another beautifully written story by Emma Hornby'

Emma Hornby lives on a tight-knit working-class estate in February 2021 Bolton and has read sagas all her life. Before pursuing a career 9781787632448 as a novelist, she had a variety of jobs, from care assistant for £20.00 : Hardback the elderly, to working in a Blackpool rock factory. She was 448 pages inspired to write after researching her family history; like the characters in her books, many generations of her family eked out life amidst the squalor and poverty of Lancashire's slums.

14 The Dare From the bestselling author of The Rumour Lesley Kara

THE TWISTY NEW THRILLER FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE RUMOUR As a child, it was just a game. As an adult, it was a living nightmare.

THE TWISTY NEW THRILLER FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE RUMOUR

As a child, it was just a game. As an adult, it was a living nightmare.

When teenage friends Lizzie and Alice decide to head off for a walk in the countryside, they are blissfully unaware that this will be their final day together – and that only Lizzie will come back alive.

Lizzie has no memory of what happened in the moments before Alice died, she only knows that it must have been a tragic accident. But as she tries to cope with her grief, she is shocked to find herself alienated from Alice’s friends and relatives. They are convinced she somehow had a part to play in her friend’s death.

Twelve years later, unpacking boxes in the new home she shares with her fiancé, Lizzie is horrified to find traumatic memories and paranoia suddenly surfacing. Is the trauma of the accident finally catching up with her, or could someone be trying to threaten her new-found happiness?

Twelve years is a long time to wait, when you’re planning the perfect revenge . . .

PRAISE FOR LESLEY KARA March 2021 9781787633247 ‘Lesley Kara keeps you guessing until the final page.’ £12.99 : Hardback Paula Hawkins, No.1 bestselling author of The Girl on the Train 320 pages

‘Lesley Kara does an excellent job of making readers’ heads spin as we are forced constantly to change our minds about who is ally and who enemy.’ Sunday Express

‘Instantly immersive, then intriguing, then insanely suspenseful, then ... the truth. Believe me, Lesley Kara knows what she's doing’ Lee Child

Lesley Kara is an alumna of the Faber Academy ‘Writing a Novel’ course. She lives on the North Essex coast. She is the author of two published novels: The Rumour, a Sunday Times Top 10 and Kindle No. 1 bestseller, and the critically acclaimed Who Did You Tell?. Her third novel, The Dare, is coming soon.

15 Dog Days Ericka Waller

An uplifting, heartwarming novel about turning points, new beginnings, and unexpected friendship for fans of Eleanor Oliphant, The Authenticity Project, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and A Man Called Ove.

A story about love, loss and what is to be human...

George is very angry. His wife has died and he would rather sit in his underpants and listen to the cricket.The last thing he needs is his neighbour Betty poking her nose into his life. And then there's the dog - a miniature dachshund puppy called Poppy. George doesn't want a dog - he wants a fight.

Dan is a counsellor who is great at helping other people - if only he were better at helping himself. His most meaningful relationship so far is with his labrador Fitz. But then comes a therapy session that will change his life, even if this comes at a cost.

Lizzie is living in a women’s refuge with her son Lenny. Her body is covered in scars and she has shut herself off from the world. But when she is forced to walk the refuge's fat terrier, Maud, her horizons begin to open up. A new life beckons, if she can keep her secret just a little while longer...

Three people at a crossroads in their life. Three people in need of someone who will understand. Dog Days is a warm- hearted, gentle novel about finding our purpose in life, because sometimes it can take a dog to show us what it March 2021 means to be human. 9780857527233 £14.99 : Hardback Ericka Waller lives in Brighton with her husband, three 368 pages daughters and pets. Previously, she worked as a blogger and columnist. Dog Days is the sum of everything she has learned about love, loss and the healing power of dogs. Twitter: @erickawaller1 Instagram @erickamary http://muminthesouth.co.uk/

16 The Fine Art of Invisible Detection Robert Goddard

An unlikely heroine. An even more unlikely detective. And a cold case that's resurfacing with deadly consequences. The next book from 'the world's greatest storyteller' (Guardian).

Tokyo, Japan Umiko Wada has had enough excitement in life. With an overbearing mother and her husband recently murdered, she just wants to keep her head down. As a secretary to a private detective, her life is pleasantly filled with coffee runs and paperwork.

That is, until her boss takes on a new case. A case that is surrounded by shadows. A case that means Wada will have to leave Tokyo and travel to London.

London, England Nick Miller never knew his father, and was always told he wasn’t missing much. But when an old friend of his late mother says there are things that Nick needs to know about his parents, he can’t ignore it.

When a chance encounter brings Wada and Nick together, they couldn’t know the series of violent events set off by their investigations. And when they discover Nick’s father might have been the only witness to a dark secret forever buried, they realise there are some powerful people who will do whatever it takes to keep it that way…

Robert Goddard's first novel, Past Caring, was an instant March 2021 bestseller. Since then, his books have captivated readers 9781787632349 worldwide with their edge-of-the-seat pace and their £18.99 : Hardback labyrinthine plotting. He has won awards in the UK, the US and 384 pages acrossEurope and his books have been translated into over thirty languages. In 2019, he won the Crime Writers’ Association’s highest accolade, the Diamond Dagger, for a lifetime achievement in Crime Writing.

17 Meant to Be Louisa Leaman

Jess Taylor hopes she has found true love in reliable - but dull - Tim, but when a family heirloom with a mysterious back-story leads her to inconveniently handsome Guy, her plans for happily-ever-after go awry…

After a spate of terrible boyfriends, Jess is sure she’s found her perfect man in dependable – but occasionally dull – Tim. But when her grandmother, tasks her with retrieving a family heirloom from a local auction she finds herself face to face with a charming stranger, Guy.

Guy has already bought her grandmother's precious necklace and whilst Jess desperately tries to buy it back from him, he somehow convinces her to go out on a date instead.

Ridiculous. But Guy has the necklace and Jess’s grandmother’s health is declining rapidly. Jess has no choice but to indulge Guy and go on a date with – if only to get the necklace back.

But when she and Guy hit it off on their date Jess’s dependable happily-ever-after is thrown off track…

Louisa Leaman was born, raised and now lives near Epping Forest. She studied Art History at Leeds University before becoming a teacher working with children with special needs. After winning the Times Education Supplement’s New Writer’s Award, she turned her hand to writing books for children. Louisa currently writes content for the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, but has also been published in the April 2021 Guardian, the Observer, the Independent and The Times 9780552176637 Educational Supplement. Her interest in the arts is often £7.99 inspiration for her plots and her first book, The Perfect Dress, 312 pages was inspired by the V&As large wedding dress collection and fulfils her dream of writing romantic fiction. When she isn’t busy writing or rearing her three lively children, she paints portraits, takes long walks and spends far too long browsing vintage clothing shops.

18 Tall Bones An explosive firecracker of a literary crime novel Anna Bailey

Like THE GIRLS rewritten by GILLIAN FLYNN, TALL BONES marks the debut of an explosive new talent. A novel about secrets within secrets in a town where there is nowhere to hide.

TALL BONES by Anna Bailey is a firecracker of a literary crime novel, set in a claustrophobic and remote Colorado town, that explores what happens to a fractured community following the disappearance of a teenage girl.

When 17-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma (who only has Abi for a friend), compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at the Tall Bones party that night, sets out to find the truth about what happened. But as the details unfold, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail’s family and the people of Whispering Ridge, Colorado begin to surface with devastating consequences.

Among those secrets are those harboured by the members of Abi’s family: her older brother Noah’s unworldly yet horribly dangerous love for the handsome Rat, a Romanian immigrant who recently entered town; her 12-year-old brother Jude, who is filled with a shining goodness yet walks with a stick because his father threw him down the stairs and their mother Dolly turned away. And what about Dolly, who married the bible-bashing Samuel on a whim, and now has a frozen heart and watches her children unravel? Not to mention the crazy pastor who incites hatred, filling his congregation with tales of fire and brimstone.

April 2021 Dark and atmospheric yet hopeful through the spirit of its young set 9780857527387 of characters, TALL BONES is at its core a story about love and hate, £14.99 : Hardback acceptance and intolerance, and how religious devotion can manifest 352 pages as rage and violence with utterly dangerous consequences.

Anna Bailey was born in Bristol in 1995 and she spent her childhood between her home in Gloucestershire and visiting family in Cornwall. She studied Creative Writing at Bath Spa University and wanted to be a journalist, but ended up moving to Colorado and becoming a Starbucks barista instead. In 2018, she returned to the UK where she enrolled in the Curtis Brown Creative novel-writing course and wrote her first novel Tall Bones, inspired by her time in the US. She currently lives in Cheltenham, where she writes for Cotswold Life and Good On Paper magazines.

19 Lost Property The most uplifting debut of 2021 Helen Paris

Lost Property is a poignant, funny and heart-warming debut novel from an exciting new voice in fiction. For fans of The Keeper of Lost Things and Something to Live For, readers won’t just be taking Helen Paris’s heroine Dot Watson home with them, they’ll be taking her to their hearts too.

‘Loss is the price we pay for love’

Dot Watson works at the Transport for London Lost Property Office. Every day, she diligently catalogues the objects found on buses, tubes and trains. She's the custodian of hundreds of black umbrellas, a surprising number of shoes and one mid- century sofa.

But it is not only the objects in her care that are lost, Dot is too. Ten years ago, her life veered unexpectedly off course and she has never quite recovered.

So when Mr Appleby comes in looking for a lost bag, something in the way he holds himself catches Dot off-guard. His late wife's purse was in the holdall, it was empty but he liked to keep it near. By the time the bag is handed in, the old man's details are no longer on file but Dot can't let it go. Determined to reunite Mr Appleby with his wife's purse, she examines the bag, gathers her clues and sets off to find him.

Dot knows a thing or two about grief. But it's possible, though April 2021 she doesn't yet know it, that in helping Mr Appleby, she might 9780857527295 be helping herself too. £12.99 : Hardback 384 pages Helen Paris worked in the performing arts for two decades, touring internationally with her London-based theatre company Curious. After several years living in San Francisco and working as a theatre professor at Stanford University, she returned to the UK to focus on writing fiction.

As part of her research for a performance called 'Lost & Found', Paris shadowed employees in the Baker Street Lost Property office for a week, an experience that sparked her imagination and inspired this novel.

20 Lonely Castle in the Mirror Mizuki Tsujimura

CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN with a fantasy twist: An insider's look at teen angst and depression, LONELY CASTLE was a #1 Japanese bestseller and winner of the influential Japan booksellers' award, selling one million copies.

- One million copies sold - Winner of the Japan Booksellers Award voted for by the booksellers across Japan - CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN with a fantasy twist, exploring mental health and anxiety issues in modern-day Japan.

Seven students are avoiding going to school, hiding in their darkened bedrooms, unable to face their family and friends, until the moment they discover a portal into another world that offers temporary escape from their stressful lives. Passing through a glowing mirror, they gather in a magnifcent castle which becomes their playground and refuge during school hours. The students are tasked with locating a key, hidden somewhere in the castle, that will allow whoever finds it to be granted one wish. At this moment, the castle will vanish, along with all memories they may have of their adventure. If they fail to leave the castle by 5 pm every afternoon, they will be eaten by the keeper of the castle, an easily provoked and shrill creature named the Wolf Queen.

Delving into their emotional lives with sympathy and a generous warmth, LONELY CASTLE shows the unexpected rewards of reaching out to others. Exploring vivid human stories with a twisty and puzzle- like plot, this heart-warming novel is full of joy and hope for anyone touched by sadness and vulnerability.

Readers love LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR: April 2021 9780857527288 £12.99 : Trade Paperback - Ms. Tsujimura often deals with important themes, but what I like is you’re left with an upbeat feeling after you finish. 400 pages - I shed some tears this time, too, at the end. - I got gooseflesh I don’t know how many times as I read this - I couldn’t stop crying at the ending and the epilogue. - I’d like my daughter to read this, and look forward to her thoughts. - Rare is the novel that is this sad, surprising, moving, and heart- warming. Shows how important it is when people reach out and help each other.

MIZUKI TSUJIMURA is the winner of the Japan Booksellers' Award and the Naoki prize, two highly influential awards in Japan. Her novel LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR sold one million copies in Japan. She has writtten several mystery novels and is at work on a new novel. She lives in Japan.

21 Hunt Leona Deakin

Sometimes the only way to catch a killer is to become their prey. In Leona Deakin’s highly anticipated new thriller, Dr Bloom finds herself in more danger than ever before.

Sometimes the only way to catch a killer is to become their prey. ______

**THE THIRD DR BLOOM THRILLER** ______

In Bristol, a young woman jumps into an icy reservoir. In Leeds, a girl cuts ties with her family and disappears. The only thing that links them is a shared obsession with a mysterious woman called Paula.

For Dr Bloom, the stories told by their families are disturbingly familiar. She has seen this all before. She is sure that this charismatic, charming woman is the leader of a cult.

She begins investigating the Artemis community but is met with walls of secrecy. Which leaves only one option.

She must become one of them.

Leona Deakin started her career as a psychologist with the West Yorkshire Police. She is now an occupational psychologist and lives with her family in Leeds. This is her debut thriller. May 2021 9781784165505 £7.99 : Paperback 384 pages

22 Outbreak Frank Gardner

BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner's former SBS officer and now MI6 operative Luke Carlton returns to the fray in his third, explosive thriller - a pulse-pounding, race- against-time adventure that confronts the all-too-real horrors of 21st century bio-terrorism . . .

The Doomsday clock is ticking as MI6 operative Luke Carlton goes in pursuit of an extraordinary conspiracy that could devastate the world . . .

Deep within the Arctic Circle, three environmental scientists from the UK's Arctic Research Station trudge through a blizzard landscape in search of shelter. There's a cabin ahead. It appears abandoned. No lights or tell tale smoke. No snow-cat parked outside.

The first thing the team's medic, Dr Sheila Mackenzie, notices when she enters is the smell. It's rank, rotting. And then there's movement.

A man, barely recognisable, lies on a sofa, his face hideously disfigured by livid pustules, rivulets of blood run from his nostrils, his chest covered in black bile. Momentarily Dr Mackenzie can't comprehend what she's seeing. Then the alarm bells begin to ring. These are signs of chronic, deadly infection . . .

But the man is trying to say something. She edges closer to him, and it's then that the convulsions begin. He coughs May 2021 suddenly, violently, vomiting out a rank mix of blood, bile and 9781787632387 mucus . . . £12.99 : Hardback 320 pages Contaminating Dr Mackenzie and her two companions . . .

Setting in train a terrifying chain of events that threatens millions with a deadly contagion . . .

And so begins Frank Gardner's terrifying new thriller - with his MI6 agent hero Luke Carlton caught up in the horrors of bio- terrorism.

Born in 1961, Frank Gardner is the BBC's Security Correspondent, reporting for television and radio on issues of domestic and international security, notably on Islamist

23 Night of Demons & Saints Menna van Praag

The second book in The Sisters Grimm trilogy, a tour de force of fairytale and imagination about life, death and sisterhood.

There is a moment, while the clock strikes twelve, when October ticks into November, as All Hallows’ Eve transforms into All Saints’ Day, that the sisters Grimm are born and anything is possible . . .

It is almost 3 years since the fours sisters Grimm confronted their father in that strange place called Everwhere. In a month, sisters Goldie, Scarlet and Liyana will be twenty-one. Goldie is still mourning Leo, her waking life barely bearable and she is becoming increasingly estranged from her sisters. Unbeknownst to anyone, she plans to enact a ritual on the night of demons and saints: her intention is to draw on her powers over earth and growth and resurrect Leo’s spirit and soul, channelling both into the body of a soldier she’ll sacrifice for the purpose.

Meanwhile, Scarlet is happily married and newly pregnant and Liyana is in Zimbabwe, learning more of her family, her culture and history. On her return to England, she learns about Goldie’s plan and persuades her sister to try another method of resurrection. The sisters return to Everwhere to perform a voodoo ceremony to bring Leo back. It goes catastrophically, horrifyingly wrong. And during the ritual, something or someone took an unwelcome interest in Scarlet. Returning to our world, her behaviour begins to change. And Liyana too is disturbed by demons of her own - a darkness that calls out to May 2021 her, whispering, wanting her to do wicked things . . . 9781787631687 £14.99 : Hardback And so on the eve of their 21st birthdays, three tormented 320 pages sisters Grimm - Goldie, Liyana and Scarlet - will meet in Everwhere. There to confront each other, to learn what they have become, to face mortality, and discover the wonder of new and unexpected life . . .

Menna van Praag has lived in Cambridge all her life, except when she was studying at Oxford University. She has worked as a reader for BBC Films & TV and as a script editor for a number of independent production companies. Menna is the author of five novels of magical realism and one novella which have sold over 150,000 copies worldwide and been translated into 26 languages.

24 Great Circle Maggie Shipstead

For fans of smart American fiction, THE GOLDFINCH, ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE and THE GIRLS : this monumentally powerful epic weaves together the astonishing lives of a daredevil female aviator and the Hollywood rebel who will play her on screen.

For fans of The Goldfinch, All the Light We Cannot See and The Girls: this monumentally powerful epic weaves together the astonishing lives of a daredevil female aviator and the Hollywood rebel who will play her on screen.

'Outrageously gifted' RICHARD RUSSO 'Ferociously clever' GUARDIAN

From the days of giant passenger ships sliding past Arctic icebergs, to the daring pilots of WWII, to present-day Hollywood and its malcontents, at the core of this story is the indomitable Marian Graves and her twin brother Jamie who are twice abandoned by their parents. Marian and Jamie grow up roaming Montana forests, more comfortable with landscape than with people. When a pair of aerobats take their exhilarating show to a nearby airfield, Marian’s life is changed forever. Watching them roll, dive, and loop in their mini plane, she can think of nothing else but flying. As she grows into a woman, she sacrifices everything to command the breathtaking sense of freedom, of utter control over her own fate, that she feels when in the air. She becomes one of the most fearless pilots of her time, and in 1949 she sets out to do what no one has done before: fly the Great Circle around the earth, north to south around the poles. Shortly before completing the journey, her plane disappears, lost to history. In 2015, Hadley Baxter, former child star and poster girl of the blockbuster Archangel franchise, has just been fired for cheating on May 2021 her on-screen boyfriend. Struggling to escape the fury of the fans, 9780857526809 £14.99 : Hardback she grasps at an offer for the comeback role of a lifetime: to play the famed female pilot Marian Graves in a biopic. From the first pages of 602 pages the script, she feels an instant connection with Marian, a woman who refused to be bound by gravity or any of the other strictures of her time. After filming is complete, her bond grows stronger as she begins to question whether the Great Marian Graves really did die at all.

Maggie Shipstead is the author of the bestselling and prize-winning debut novel SEATING ARRANGMENTS.With GREAT CIRCLE, she cements her place among a famed list of American Literary Stars as one of the greatest storytellers of our time.

MAGGIE SHIPSTEAD's debut novel SEATING ARRANGEMENTS was a New York Times bestseller and winner of the Dylan Thomas Prize and L A Times Book Prize for First Fiction. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Guardian, Conde Nast Traveller, The Best American Short Stories and elsewhere. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writer's Workshop, a former Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford and a two- time National Magazine Award finalist for fiction. Her latest novel GREAT CIRCLE has been seven years in the writing and is due to be published around the world. Maggie Shipstead grew up in California and lives in Los Angeles, California.

25 The Year of the Locust Terry Hayes

The hotly anticipated second novel from Terry Hayes, author of the internationally bestselling I am Pilgrim

THE AMAZING NEW THRILLER FROM TERRY HAYES.

IF YOU THOUGHT I AM PILGRIM WAS GOOD...

Terry Hayes is a former journalist and screen-writer. Born in Sussex, England, he migrated to Australia as a child and trained as a journalist at the country’s leading broadsheet. At twenty-one he was appointed North American correspondent, based in New York, and after two years returned to Sydney to become an investigative reporter, political correspondent and columnist.

He resigned to produce a prominent current affairs radio program and a short time later, with George Miller, wrote the screenplay for Road Warrior/ 2. He also co-produced and wrote Dead Calm, the film which launched Nicole Kidman’s international movie career, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and a large number of TV movies and mini-series – including Bodyline and Bangkok Hilton – two of which received international Emmy nominations. In all, he has won over twenty film or television awards.

After moving to Los Angeles he worked as a screen-writer on major studio productions. His credits include Payback with Mel Gibson, From Hell, starring Johnny Depp, and Vertical Limit with Chris O’Donnell. He has also done un-credited writing on a May 2021 host of other movies including Reign of Fire, Cliffhanger and 9780593064962 Flightplan, starring Jodie Foster. UK C/Wealth ex Can £20.00 : Hardback The Year of the Locust is Terry Hayes' second novel. His first, I 400 pages Am Pilgrim was an international bestseller. He and his American wife – Kristen – have four children and live in Switzerland.

26 Summer in the City Fiona Collins

The story of a disillusioned woman who finally starts to see the world around her by describing it to her blind father. Written with Fiona's refreshingly uplifting style and a genuine warmth.

Prue is not someone you would notice willingly. She likes to keep herself to herself and fade into the background. If it were not for the birthmark on her left cheek, she might actually succeed at becoming invisible.

She spends all of her time with her blind father, Vince. Together, they sit in silence and ignore the vibrant city just on their doorstep. Life is as good as what’s on TV. That is, until something forces them both to go outside and see what they have been missing. For Vince, that means discovering how to see the world without his sight. For Prue, that means finding the courage to finally love and be loved in return.

A story about family, friendship and facing your fears head on, this is a heart-warming story that will stay with you long after you have finished the last page.

Fiona Collins grew up in an Essex village and after stints in Hong Kong and London returned to the Essex countryside where she lives with her husband and three children. She has a degree in Film and Literature and has had many former careers including TV presenting in Hong Kong, traffic and weather presenter for BBC local radio and film/TV extra. You can find her on Twitter @FionaJaneBooks. May 2021 9780552176378 £7.99 : Paperback 388 pages 0

27 Triple Cross Tom Bradby

From ITV News Anchor Tom Bradby comes the final instalment in the bestselling Kate Henderson series. Double Agent saw Kate retire from the Service, but it won't last long…

Attempting to rebuild her shattered life in the South of France, former MI6 operative Kate Henderson receives an unexpected and most unwelcome visit from an old adversary: the UK Prime Minister. He has an extraordinary story to tell - and he needs her help.

A Russian agent has come forward with news that the PM has been the victim of the greatest misinformation play in the history of MI6. It's run out of a special KGB unit that exists for one purpose alone: to process the intelligence from 'Agent Dante', a mole right at the heart of MI6 in London.

Against her better judgement, Kate is forced back into the fray in a top-secret, deeply flawed and dangerous investigation. But now she's damaged goods. Her one-time allies no longer trust her. And neither do her enemies.

With the stakes this high, can the truth ever come out? Or is the cost of uncovering it a price that no one, least of all Kate, can afford to pay?

Tom Bradby is a novelist, screenwriter and journalist. As a broadcaster, he is best known as the current Anchor of ITV's News at Ten. In his first year in the job, he was named Network Presenter of the Year by the Royal Television Society.

He has been with ITN for thirty years and was successively Ireland Correspondent, Political Correspondent, Asia Correspondent (during which time he was shot and seriously injured whilst covering a riot in May 2021 Jakarta), Royal Correspondent, UK Editor and - a job 9781787634251 £12.99 he held for a decade - before being made the Anchor of News at Ten in 2015. 400 pages

He has written seven previous novels, the most recent of which, Secret Service, was a top ten bestseller. The Master of Rain was shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association Steel Dagger for Thriller of the Year, and both The White Russian and The God of Chaos for the CWA Historical Crime Novel of the Year. He adapted his first novel, Shadow Dancer, into a film, the script for which was nominated for Screenplay of the Year in the Evening Standard Film Awards.

28 This Shining Life Harriet Kline

Exquisitely written debut about family, loss and our need to understand the meaning of life and death.

Lovable, easy-going, charming Rich is dying of a brain tumour. Life and soul of every party, adored and relied upon by his family and in particular by his autistic son Ollie, no-one wants to believe what is unfolding in front of them.

In an effort to convey his love for them Rich decides to send each of his close relations a present. He asks for Ollie’s help, but the combination of Rick’s vagueness and the pressure that Ollie feels means the task does not go quite to plan.

And then more suddenly than expected, Rick dies. How the family learns to comes to terms with the catastrophe,and move on is at the centre of this beautifully written and uplifting novel.

Harriet Kline works part time registering births, deaths and marriages and writes for the rest of the week. Her story Ghost won the Hissac Short Story Competition and Chest of Drawers won The London Magazine Short Story Competition.

Other short stories have been published online with Litro, For Books' Sake, and ShortStorySunday, and on BBC Radio 4. She lives in Bristol with her partner and two teenage sons.

June 2021 9780857526274 £14.99 : Hardback 320 pages

29 True Crime Story Joseph Knox

What happens to those girls who go missing? What happens to the Zoe Nolans of the world?'

In the early hours of Saturday, December 17th, 2011, Zoe Nolan, a 19-year-old Manchester University student, walked out of a party taking place in the shared accommodation where she had been living for three months.

She was never seen again.

Blending fact and fiction in his first stand-alone novel, Joseph Knox delivers a thrilling true crime story like no other.

Joseph Knox was born and raised in and around Stoke and Manchester, where he worked in bars and bookshops before moving to London. He runs, writes and reads compulsively. His debut novel Sirens was a bestseller and has been translated into eighteen languages. The Smiling Man and The Sleepwalker are the second and third books in the series.

True Crime Story is a standalone.

June 2021 9780857527707 £14.99 400 pages

30 The Mad Women's Ball Victoria Mas

For fans of Perfume, The Vanishing Act, and The Doll Factory, a gemlike novel set in a Parisian asylum in 1885 about two women – one deemed mad, the other sane - who find their salvation at The Mad Women’s Ball

'Enter the danse of this little masterpiece and let yourself be dazzled. Assured of hitting the bestseller lists' The Parisian; ‘Essential reading’ Cosmopolitan ‘A lovely, moving first novel, a cri de Coeur against the condition of women in this world’ Marie France

The Salpetriere asylum, Paris, 1885. Dr Charcot holds all of Paris in thrall with his displays of hypnotism on women who have been deemed mad, hysterics, and been cast out from society. But the truth is much more complicated – these women are often simply inconvenient', unwanted wives, those who have lost something precious, or wayward daughters. For Parisian society, the highlight of the year is The Mad Women’s Ball, when the great and good come to gawk at the patients of the Salpetriere dressed up in their finery for one night only. For the women themselves it is a rare moment of hope.

Genevieve is a senior nurse – after the childhood death of her sister Blandine, she shunned religion and has placed her faith in Dr Charcot and science. But everything begins to change when she meets Eugenie, the 19 year old daughter of a bourgeois family who have locked her away in the asylum. Because Eugenie has a secret - she sees spirits. Inspired by the scandalous, banned work that all of Paris is talking about – June 2021 The Book of Spirits – Genevieve is determined to escape from 9780857527028 the asylum (and the bonds of her gender) and seek out those £14.99 : Hardback who will believe in her. And for that she will need Genevieve's 256 pages help...

Victoria Mas is 32. The Mad Women's Ball, her first novel, has won several prizes in France and been hailed as the bestselling debut of the season. She has worked in film in the United States, where she lived for eight years. She is the daughter of the singer Jeanne Mas.

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