FICTION CATALOGUE JANUARY - JUNE 2019 1 Once Upon a River Diane Setterfield A spellbinding, multi-layered mystery set in the 19th Century around the Thames, brimming with folklore, suspense, science and romance, by the bestselling author of The Thirteenth Tale, a 'mistress of the craft of storytelling' (Guardian) A SPELLBINDING, MULTI-LAYERED MYSTERY SET IN THE 19TH CENTURY AROUND THE THAMES, BY THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE THIRTEENTH TALE. "I was completely spellbound by this book. Utterly brilliant!" (Ruth Hogan, bestselling author of The Keeper of Lost Things) On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the Thames, the regulars are entertaining themselves by telling stories when the door bursts open and in steps an injured stranger. In his arms is the drowned corpse of a child. Hours later, the dead girl stirs, takes and breath and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? And who does the little girl belong to? An exquisitely crafted multi-layered mystery brimming with folklore, suspense and romance, as well as with the urgent scientific curiosity of the Darwinian age, Once Upon a River is as richly atmospheric as Setterfield’s bestseller The Thirteenth Tale. "Diane's masterful storytelling draws you in to a beguiling tale, full of twists and turns like the river at its heart, and just as rich and January 2019 intriguing." (M L Stedman, bestselling author of The Light Between 9780857525659 £12.99 Oceans) Royal Octavo : Hardback “Swift and entrancing, profound and beautiful. Give yourself a treat 432 pages and read it!" (Madeline Miller, Orange Prize-winning author of The Song of Achilles and Circe) Diane Setterfield’s bestselling novel, The Thirteenth Tale was published in 38 countries, sold more than three million copies, and was made into a television drama scripted by Christopher Hampton, starring Olivia Colmanand Vanessa Redgrave. Her second novel was Bellman & Black, and her new novel is Once Upon a River. Born in rural Berkshire, she now lives near Oxford, by the Thames. 2 The Suspect From the No. 1 bestselling author of Richard & Judy Book Club hit The Child Fiona Barton Unforgettable journalist, Kate Waters - last seen in Sunday Times bestsellers THE WIDOW and THE CHILD - is back, investigating every parent's worst nightmare: the disappearance of two teenagers on their gap year. A stylish, beautifully written and perfectly pitched thriller that will have you racing to the denouement.' Cara Hunter, bestselling author of CLOSE TO HOME and IN THE DARK The new must-read thriller from the author of Sunday Times bestseller, THE WIDOW, and the Richard & Judy No. 1 bestseller, THE CHILD. 'A fast-paced whodunnit with heart, characters I feel I know and a deliciously dark twist. Superb writing, often blackly funny, and a scene that made me cry into my pillow.' Gillian McAllister, Sunday Times bestselling author of EVERYTHING BUT THE TRUTH 'Fiona Barton is perceptive, empathetic and a talented writer' Daily Express ********* ‘The police belonged to another world – the world they saw on the television or in the papers. Not theirs.’ When two eighteen-year-old girls go missing on their gap year in Thailand, their families are thrust into the international spotlight: desperate, bereft and frantic with worry. January 2019 9781787630222 Journalist Kate Waters always does everything she can to be first to £12.99 the story, first with the exclusive, first to discover the truth – and this Royal Octavo : Hardback time is no exception. But she can’t help but think of her own son, who 384 pages she hasn’t seen in two years, since he left home to go travelling. This time it’s personal. And as the case of the missing girls unfolds, they will all find that even this far away, danger can lie closer to home than you might think . Fiona Barton's debut, The Widow, was a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller and has been published in thirty-five countries and optioned for television. Her second novel, The Child, was a Sunday Times bestseller. Born in Cambridge, Fiona currently lives in south- west France. Previously, she was a senior writer at the Daily Mail, news editor at the Daily Telegraph, and chief reporter at the Mail on Sunday, where she won Reporter of the Year at the British Press Awards. While working as a journalist, Fiona reported on many high-profile criminal cases and she developed a fascination with watching those involved, their body language and verbal tics. Fiona interviewed people at the heart of these crimes, from the guilty to their families, as well as those on the periphery, and found it was those just outside the spotlight who interested her most . 3 A Mother’s Dilemma Emma Hornby A pregnant teenager whose only option is to give up her child falls into a baby farmer's clutches in this gritty and page-turning historical saga, perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin. Minnie Maddox, a Manchester baby farmer, is delighted for her neighbour when she finally becomes a mother after more than two decades of trying. But when the child dies of natural causes whilst in her care, and knowing her neighbour will be devastated, Minnie swaps it with one of her charges. Years later, the child - Jewel - discovers the truth and sets out to find her real parents. Gritty and page-turning historical saga set in Northern England in the late 1800s, perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin. Thirty-something mother of three, Emma Hornby lives on a tight-knit working-class estate in Bolton and has read sagas all her life. Before pursuing a career as a novelist, she had a variety of jobs, from care assistant for the elderly, to working in a Blackpool rock factory. She was 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. January 2019 9780593080559 Demy Octavo £18.99 : Hardback 448 pages 4 Slow Motion Ghosts Jeff Noon A dark and labyrinthine thriller from a bold new voice in crime fiction A dark and labyrinthine thriller from a bold new voice in crime fiction It is 1981. London is bruised by austerity, social unrest and racial tension, and the police are at war. Anger has erupted in the Brixton Riots and is finding expression in protest, anarchy and punk. For Detective Inspector Hobbes, the battle lines are being redrawn within his own ranks as right and wrong are clouded by prejudice. Into this mess comes a murder. A promising young singer has been maimed and killed and the artistry of the crime is disturbing. On the hunt for the killer, Hobbes begins an investigation that will lead him deep into a subculture hidden beneath the everyday. A cult of personality that hides from the problems of the city and escapes to a world of its own, a world that is at once seductive and devastating. How far will Hobbes have to go to learn the truth? And how many more must die before he does? Bringing the trademark imagination of his acclaimed early novels, Jeff Noon has delivered a police procedural with a difference - an intricate, twisting crime novel that pulls you in and doesn’t let go. Jeff Noon is the author of six acclaimed novels, Vurt, Pollen, January 2019 Automated Alice, Nymphomation, Needle in the Groove and 9780857525611 Falling Out of Cars, as well as two collections of short fictions, Royal Octavo and is also the crime fiction reviewer for The Spectator. He lives £16.99 : Hardback in Brighton. 384 pages Jeff Noon is the author of six acclaimed novels, Vurt, Pollen, Automated Alice, Nymphomation, Needle in the Groove and Falling Out of Cars, and two collections of short fictions, Pixel Juice and Cobralingus. He lives in Brighton. 5 I Owe You One Sophie Kinsella Number One bestselling author Sophie Kinsella's irresistible new standalone: a story of love, empowerment and an IOU that changes everything . The irresistible new standalone from Sophie Kinsella is a story of love, empowerment and an IOU that changes everything . Fixie Farr can’t help herself. Straightening a crooked object, removing a barely-there stain, helping out a friend . she just has to put things right. It’s how she got her nickname, after all. So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, Fixie not only agrees, she ends up saving it from certain disaster. To thank her, the computer’s owner, Sebastian, scribbles her an IOU – but of course Fixie never intends to call in the favour. That is, until her teenage crush, Ryan, comes back into her life and needs her help – and Fixie turns to Seb. But things don’t go according to plan, and now Fixie owes Seb: big time. Soon the pair are caught up in a series of IOUs – from small favours to life-changing debts – and Fixie is torn between the past she’s used to and the future she deserves. Does she have the courage to fix things for herself and fight for the life, and love, she really wants? ***** EVERYBODY LOVES SOPHIE KINSELLA: ***** 'A shot of pure joy.' JENNY COLGAN February 2019 'Left me giddy with laughter. I loved it' JOJO MOYES 9780593079928 £20.00 'Life doesn't get much better than a new Sophie Kinsella novel' RED Royal Octavo : Hardback 384 pages Sophie Kinsella is an international bestselling writer. She is the author of many number one bestsellers, including the hugely popular Shopaholic series.