FICTION CATALOGUE JANUARY - JUNE 2020 - Penguin Books
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FICTION CATALOGUE
JANUARY - JUNE
2020
1
Who Did You Tell?
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The
Rumour
Lesley Kara
You thought your darkest secret was safe.
You were wrong.
The addictive new stand alone psychological thriller from
the bestselling author of The Rumour.
Every town has its secrets. Lesley Kara knows them all . . .
From the author of 2019's biggest crime thriller debut, The
Rumour, comes an addictive new novel . . .
It’s been 192 days, seven hours and fifteen minutes since her
last drink. Now Astrid is trying to turn her life around.
Having reluctantly moved back in with her mother, in a quiet
seaside town away from the temptations and painful memories
of her life before, Astrid is focusing on her recovery. She's
going to meetings. Confessing her misdeeds. Making amends
to those she's wronged.
But someone knows exactly what Astrid is running from. And
they won't stop until she learns that some mistakes can't be
corrected.
Some mistakes, you have to pay for . . . January 2020
9781787630055
Lesley Kara is an alumna of the Faber Academy ‘Writing a £12.99 : Hardback
Novel’ course. She lives on the North Essex coast. Her first 400 pages
novel, The Rumour, was a Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller. Her
second novel, Who Did You Tell?, is out soon.
2
Mix Tape
Jane Sanderson
This is a love story to rival the very best. Caught up in the
nostalgia for first love and the type of music that they don't
make any more, Mix Tape asks the biggest question of all:
what if 'what could have been' is still to come?
‘A lovely novel, delicately drawn, with characters that really
linger in the mind and memory. A clever and compelling
blend of realism and idealism - I got really swept up in it.’
Laura Barnett, author of The Versions of Us
You never forget the one that got away. But what if ‘what
could have been’ is yet to come?
*
Daniel was the first boy to make Alison a mix tape.
But that was years ago and Ali hasn’t thought about him in a
very long time. Even if she had, she might not have called him
‘the one that got away’; after all, she’d been the one to run.
Then Dan’s name pops up on her phone, with a link to a song
from their shared past.
For two blissful minutes, Alison is no longer an adult in
Adelaide with temperamental daughters; she is sixteen in
Sheffield, dancing in her skin-tight jeans. She cannot help but
respond in kind.
And so begins a new mix tape. January 2020
9781787631922
Ali and Dan exchange songs – some new, some old – across £12.99 : Hardback
oceans and time zones, across a lifetime of different 416 pages
experiences, until one of them breaks the rules and sends a
message that will change everything…
Because what if ‘what could have been’ is yet to come?
Jane Sanderson is a writer and journalist. She has worked as a
producer for BBC Radio 4, first on the World at One, and then
on Woman’s Hour. She lives with her husband and children in
rural Herefordshire.
3
The Bear King
James Wilde
James Wilde brings his epic reimagining of the story of the
Pendragon bloodline (and so the most enduring legend of all - of
Arthur, King of the Britons) to a nail-biting, cataclysmic conclusion . .
.
Bridging the gap between 'Game of Thrones' and Bernard Cornwell
comes the third and final chapter in James Wilde's epic adventure of
betrayal, battle and bloodshed . . .
AD 375 - The Dark Age is drawing near . . .
As Rome's legions abandon their forts, chaos grows on the fringes of
Britannia. In the far west, the shattered forces of the House of
Pendragon huddle together in order to protect the royal heir – their
one beacon of hope.
For Lucanus, their great war leader, is missing, presumed dead. And
the people are abandoning them. For in this time of crisis, a
challenger has arisen, a False King with an army swollen by a horde of
bloody-thirsty barbarians desperate for vengeance.
One slim hope remains for Lucanus’ band of warrior-allies, the Grim
Wolves. Guided by the druid, Myrrdin, they go in search of a great
treasure – a vessel that is supposedly a gift from the gods. With such
an artefact in their possession, the people would surely return and
rally to their cause? Success will mean a war unlike any other, a battle
between two kings for a legacy that will echo down the centuries. And
should they fail? Well, then all is lost.
In The Bear King, James Wilde’s rousing reimagining of how the myth
of King Arthur, Excalibur and Camelot rose out of the fragile pages of
history reaches its shattering conclusion . . .
January 2020
James Wilde is a Man of Mercia. Raised in a world of books, the 9781787632165
£16.99 : Hardback
author studied economic history at university before travelling the
world in search of adventure. He first encountered the great English 400 pages
B & W map
warrior, Hereward, in the pages of a comic. It was while visiting the
haunted fenlands of Eastern England, Hereward's ancestral home,
that he became convinced that this legendary figure should be the
subject of his first novel. The 'Hereward' series now runs to six novels,
the most recent of which is Hereward - The Bloody Crown.
James Wilde divides his time between London and the family home in
Derbyshire.
4
Pine
Francine Toon
Dark secrets lie at the heart of this haunting and powerful
novel set in an isolated village in the Scottish Highlands.
'It's both eerie and thrilling at once, and had me under its
spell until the end.' Sophie Mackintosh, author of The Water
Cure
They are driving home from the search party when they see her.
The trees are coarse and tall in the winter light, standing like
men.
Lauren and her father Niall live alone in the Highlands, in a
small village surrounded by pine forest. When a woman
stumbles out onto the road one Halloween night, Niall drives
her back to their house in his pickup. In the morning, she’s
gone.
In a community where daughters rebel, men quietly rage, and
drinking is a means of forgetting, mysteries like these are not
out of the ordinary. The trapper found hanging with the dead
animals for two weeks. Locked doors and stone circles. The
disappearance of Lauren’s mother a decade ago.
Lauren looks for answers in her tarot cards, hoping she might
one day be able to read her father’s turbulent mind.
Neighbours know more than they let on, but when local
teenager Ann-Marie goes missing it’s no longer clear who she
can trust.
January 2020
In the shadow of the Highland forest, Francine Toon captures 9780857526700
the wildness of rural childhood and the intensity of small-town £12.99 : Hardback
claustrophobia. In a place that can feel like the edge of the 288 pages
word, she unites the chill of the modern gothic with the pulse
of a thriller. It is the perfect novel for our haunted times.
Francine Toon grew up in Sutherland and Fife, Scotland. Her
poetry, written as Francine Elena, has appeared in The Sunday
Times, The Best British Poetry 2013 and 2015 anthologies
(Salt) and Poetry London, among other places. Pine was
longlisted for the Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award.
She lives in London and works in publishing.
5
Hold Your Tongue
Deborah Masson
He'll silence them all - unless she can stop him . . . The first
novel in an exciting new detective series from a fresh talent
in crime writing.
A brutal murder.
A young woman’s body is discovered with horrifying injuries, a
recent newspaper cutting pinned to her clothing.
A detective with everything to prove.
This is her only chance to redeem herself.
A serial killer with nothing to lose.
He’s waited years, and his reign of terror has only just begun .
..
Introducing DI Eve Hunter, HOLD YOUR TONGUE is your new
obsession.
*****
Readers can't stop talking about HOLD YOUR TONGUE:
'A brilliant debut'
'[Deborah Masson] has a long and bright future ahead if this
book is anything to go by'
'Hold Your Tongue is incredible . . . You're in for a treat!'
'Wow, what a page-turner!'
'I can't wait to read more of this series'
Deborah Masson was born and bred in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Always restless and fighting against being a responsible adult, January 2020
she worked in several jobs including secretarial, marketing, 9780552176521
reporting for the city's freebie newspaper and a stint as a £7.99 : Paperback
postie - to name but a few. 400 pages
Through it all, she always read crime fiction and, when
motherhood finally settled her into being an adult (maybe even
a responsible one) she turned her hand to writing what she
loved. Deborah started with short stories and flash fiction
whilst her daughter napped and, when she later welcomed her
son into the world, she decided to challenge her writing further
through online courses with Professional Writing Academy and
Faber Academy. Her debut novel, Hold Your Tongue, is the
result of those courses.
6
Unexpected Lessons in Love
Lucy Dillon
Lucy Dillon's books make your world better. The thought-provoking,
romantic and ultimately uplifting new novel from the Sunday Times
bestselling author of Where the Light Gets in and All I Ever Wanted.
From the SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of Where the Light Gets
in and All I Ever Wanted
'Real, heart-breaking - I loved it' Katie Fforde
What happens when 'I do' turns into 'I don't know'?
Jeannie always wanted to fall in love, and now she’s finally got the
whirlwind romance she dreamed of. Dan’s gorgeous, he’s a successful
young vet, and he flew her to New York and proposed on Brooklyn
Bridge. Jeannie has to remind herself this is actually her life. It
seems too perfect, too magical, to be real. Yet it is.
But now she’s on her way to the wedding she can’t shake off the tight
sensation crushing her chest. Is it just nerves . . . or is this all
happening a bit too fast?
Jeannie has one last chance to shout, ‘Stop!’ But just as she grabs it,
a twist of fate throws everything she knows into the air like confetti.
What Jeannie learns about Dan, about her own heart, and about the
power of love itself, will change her world for ever . . .
__________________________
PRAISE FOR LUCY DILLON:
'Bittersweet, lovely and ultimately redemptive; the kind of book that
makes you want to live your own life better' Jojo Moyes January 2020
9781784162108
£7.99
'No one tugs at the heartstrings quite like Lucy Dillon' Red magazine
UK C/Wealth + EU ex Can : Paperback
464 pages
'Satisfying and clever and deeply moving' Sophie Kinsella
Sunday Times bestselling author Lucy Dillon grew up in Cumbria and
read English at Cambridge, then read a lot of magazines as a press
assistant in London, then read other people's manuscripts as a junior
fiction editor. She now lives in a village outside Hereford with a Border
terrier, an otterhound and her husband.
Lucy won the Romantic Novelists' Association Contemporary Romantic
Novel prize in 2015 for A HUNDRED PIECES OF ME, and the Romantic
Novel of the Year Award in 2010 for LOST DOGS AND LONELY HEARTS.
You can find out more at www.lucydillon.co.uk, follow her on Twitter
@lucy_dillon, on Instagram @lucydillonbooks or find her on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/pages/LucyDillonBooks.
7
Truth Hurts
A captivating, breathless read
Rebecca Reid
From an exciting and very well-connected new voice in
fiction. Poppy has a secret and her new husband says he has
nothing to hide. But he is lying. What is more dangerous, a
secret or a lie?
Poppy has a secret.
It was a whirlwind romance. And when Drew, caught up in the
moment, suggests that he and Poppy don’t tell each other
anything about their past lives, that they live only for the here
and now, for the future they are building together, Poppy
jumps at the chance for a fresh start.
Drew says he has nothing to hide.
But it doesn’t take long for Poppy to see that this is a two-way
deal. Drew is hiding something from her. And Poppy suddenly
has no idea who the man she has married really is, what he is
hiding from her or what he might be capable of.
Drew is lying.
Which is more dangerous, a secret or a lie?
Rebecca is a freelance journalist. She is a columnist for the
Telegraph Women’s section, works for Metro Online and has
written for Marie Claire, the Guardian, the Saturday Telegraph, January 2020
the Independent, Stylist, Glamour, the iPaper, the Guardian,
9780552175616
Indy100, LOOK and the New Statesmen amongst others. £7.99 : Paperback
384 pages
Rebecca is a regular contributor to Sky News and ITV’s This
Morning as well as appearing on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, LBC,
BBC News 24 and the BBC World Service to discuss her work.
She graduated from Royal Holloway’s Creative Writing MA in
2015 and Perfect Liars is her debut novel.
Rebecca lives in North London with her husband.
8
The Illness Lesson
Clare Beams
Sarah Waters meets The Girls in this haunting, wickedly
perceptive debut set in an all-girl school and seeking to
answer the timeless question: Who has authority over a
woman's body?
"Brilliant, suspenseful, beautifully-executed. With power,
subtlety, and keen intelligence, Clare Beams has somehow
crafted a tale that feels like both classical ghost story and like
a modern (and very timely) scream of female outrage. A
masterpiece."
Elizabeth Gilbert
It is 1871. At the farm of Samuel Hood and his daughter,
Caroline, a mysterious flock of red birds has descended.
Samuel, whose fame as a philosopher is waning, takes the
birds’ appearance as an omen that the time is ripe for his
newest venture. He will start a school for young women,
guiding their intellectual development as he has so carefully
guided his daughter’s. Despite Caroline’s misgivings, Samuel’s
vision – revolutionary, as always; noble, as always; full of
holes, as always – takes shape.
It’s not long before the students begin to manifest bizarre
symptoms: rashes, seizures, verbal tics, night wanderings. In
desperate, the school turns to the ministering of a sinister
physician – just as Caroline’s body, too, begins its betrayal. As
the girls’ condition worsens, Caroline must confront the all-
male, all-knowing authorities of her world, the ones who insist
the voices of the sufferers are unreliable. February 2020
9780857526311
Written in intensely vivid prose and brimming with insight, The £12.99 : Hardback
Illness Lesson is a powerful exploration of women’s bodies, 288 pages
women’s minds and the time-honoured tradition of doubting
both.
Clare Beams' short story collection was published in October
2016. It won the Kirkus Best Debut and was a finalist for the
PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize. Clare lives in Pittsburgh, where
she teaches creative writing, most recently at Carnegie Mellon
University and Pittsburgh Centre for the Arts. This is her first
novel.
9
The Sisters Grimm
Menna van Praag
A tour de force of fairytale and imagination, The Sisters
Grimm is a magical tale of life, death and sisterhood that
brings to mind Beautiful Creatures, Daughter of Smoke and
Bone and Stardust.
'Vividly drawn, evocative and complex, The Sisters Grimm is
both absorbing and beautiful - a great achievement' Bridget
Collins, bestselling author of The Binding
There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of sisters Grimm on
Earth.
You may well be one of them, though you might never know it.
You think you’re ordinary.
You never suspect that you’re stronger than you seem, braver
than you feel or greater than you imagine.
But I hope that by the time you finish this tale, you’ll start
listening to the whispers that speak of unknown things, the signs
that point in unseen directions and the nudges that suggest
unimagined possibilities.
I hope too that you’ll discover your own magnificence, your own
magic . . .
__________________
This is the story of four sisters Grimm – daughters born to
different mothers on the same day, each born out of bright-
white wishing and black-edged desire. They found each other
at eight years-old, were separated at thirteen and now, at
nearly eighteen, it is imperative that they find each other once
again. February 2020
9781787631663
In thirty-three days they will meet their father in Everwhere. £12.99 : Hardback
Only then will they discover who they truly are, and what they 496 pages
can truly do. Then they must fight to save their lives and the
lives of the ones they love. Three will live, one will die. You’ll
have to read on to find out who and why…
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.
10The Memory Wood
Sam Lloyd
Elijah has lived in the Memory Wood for as long as he can remember.
It’s the only home he’s ever known.
Elissa has only just arrived. And she’ll do everything she can to
escape.
The must-read novel of 2020. Chilling, moving and unputdownable,
The Memory Wood is a thriller like no other.
'An intense, atmospheric, and truly original thriller' Shari Lapena,
author of The Couple Next Door
*************
Elijah has lived in the Memory Wood for as long as he can remember.
It’s the only home he’s ever known.
Elissa has only just arrived. And she’ll do everything she can to
escape.
When Elijah stumbles across thirteen-year-old Elissa, in the woods
where her abductor is hiding her, he refuses to alert the police.
Because in his twelve years, Elijah has never had a proper friend. And
he doesn’t want Elissa to leave.
Not only that, Elijah knows how this can end. After all, Elissa isn’t the
first girl he’s found inside the Memory Wood.
As her abductor’s behaviour grows more erratic, Elissa realises that
outwitting strange, lonely Elijah is her only hope of survival. Their cat-
and-mouse game of deception and betrayal will determine both their
fates, and whether either of them will ever leave the Memory Wood . .
. February 2020
9781787631847
£12.99 : Hardback
*************
400 pages
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:
'Very, very clever'
'Brilliantly written'
'So tense'
'It’s going to be one of those books that I remember for a long time.'
Sam Lloyd grew up in Hampshire, making up stories and building
secret hideaways in his local woods. These days he lives in Surrey with
his wife, three young sons and a dog that likes to howl. He enjoys
craft beer, strong coffee and (rarely) a little silence. The Memory Wood
is his debut thriller.
11The Book Of Echoes
Rosanna Amaka
A powerful debut from an authentic new voice for the
Doubleday list. THE BOOK OF ECHOES is a tender and
intimate story of an African slave in search of her scattered
descendants. For readers of SMALL ISLAND, WASHINGTON
BLACK and THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
'A searing, rhapsodic novel. The Book of Echoes is filled
with beauty, devastation and the power of ancestral
connections that ripple through the ages'
IRENOSEN OKOJIE
Narrated by the soul of an enslaved African woman, this is a
searing debut novel about hope, redemption and the scars of
history
Over two hundred years ago in Africa, a woman tosses her
young son to safety as she is hauled away by slavers. After a
brutal sea passage, her second child, a baby girl, is snatched
away. Although the woman doesn’t know it yet, her spirit is
destined to roam the earth in search of her lost children.
Her spirit will make its way to modern-day England, where she
watches teenage Michael trying to stay out of trouble as riots
spit and boil on the streets of Brixton, and to a sun-baked
village in Nigeria, where Ngozi struggles to escape her low-
caste status.
As the invisible threads that draw these two lives together are
pulled ever tighter, The Book of Echoes asks: how can we
overcome the traumas of the past when they are woven so February 2020
inextricably with the present? Humming with horror and 9780857526717
beauty, Rosanna Amaka’s remarkable debut marks her as a £12.99 : Hardback
vibrant new voice in fiction. 384 pages
ROSANNA AMAKA was born to African and Caribbean parents.
She began writing THE BOOK OF ECHOES twenty years ago to
give voice to the Brixton community in which she grew up. Her
community was fast disappearing – as a result of gentrification,
emigration back to the Caribbean and Africa, or simply with the
passing away of the older generation. Its depiction of
unimaginable pain redeemed by love and hope was also
inspired by a wish to understand the impact of history on
present-day lives. Rosanna Amaka lives in South London. This
is her first novel.
12The Perfect Dress
Louisa Leaman
This is a warm, relatable debut romance novel that will appeal to
readers of Debbie Johnson, Trisha Ashley and Sue Watson.
________________________________________________________________
'I thoroughly enjoyed this... it's an utterly charming and sigh-worthy
romance.' Josie Silver, author of One Day in December
________________________________________________________________
Fran’s wedding dress shop isn’t like any other. A treasure trove of
history, filled with gowns from every decade for every type of bride.
But not as you’d expect.
Something bold for the shy and retiring.
Something simple for the woman who is unafraid to stand out.
And something dazzling for the bride who wouldn’t normally dare to be
different.
No matter your expectations, you’d never guess your own perfect
dress. But Fran knows… she feels the wisdom woven into every gown,
a gift from the previous owner waiting to be handed down to the next
bride.
When Fran finds a dress that seems to be perfect for her she can’t
wait to know its complex history which starts with her getting to
know the son of the previous owner…
________________________________________________________________
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 February 2020
Education Supplement’s New Writer’s Award, she turned her hand to 9780552176620
£7.99 : Paperback
writing books for children. Louisa currently writes content for the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London, but has also been published in 312 pages
the Guardian, the Observer, the Independent and The Times Educational
Supplement. Her interest in the arts is often inspiration for her plots
and her first book, The Perfect Dress, 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.
13Away with the Penguins
Hazel Prior
Veronica McCreedy is about to have the a journey of a
lifetime . . .
A warm, witty story of late life revelations (and penguins),
as one unique octogenarian decides it's time to visit
Antarctica.
Veronica McCreedy is about to have the a journey of a
lifetime . . .
Eighty-six-year-old Veronica McCreedy’s days consist of
collecting litter from the beach, forgetting where she put her
glasses and shouting instructions to her assistant, Eileen.
But Veronica has recently begun to wonder if she should be
doing something more with her life – and more for the world –
and where she should leave her considerable wealth when she
dies.
As she sits in her armchair in her huge house on the Scottish
coast, watching a documentary about the endangered
penguins of Antarctica, Veronica suddenly knows exactly what
she has to do.
She may be eighty-four, but it is (obviously) imperative that
Veronica McCreedy takes a trip to Antarctica, to see the
penguins . . .
HAZEL PRIOR lives on Exmoor with her husband and a huge March 2020
ginger cat. As well as writing, she works as a freelance harpist. 9781787630932
£12.99 : Hardback
320 pages
14The Second Wife
Rebecca Fleet
She's part of the family now. For better - and for worse . . . In this
dark, menacing thriller, Rebecca Fleet shows us a suspenseful, twisty
yet emotionally devastating portrait of a family in turmoil.
Everyone brings baggage to a new relationship.
When Alex met Natalie she changed his life. After the tragic death of
his first wife, which left him a single parent to teenage daughter Jade,
he’s determined to build a happy family.
But his new-found happiness is shattered when the family home is
gutted by fire and his loyalties are unexpectedly tested. Jade insists
she saw a man in the house on the night of the fire; Natalie denies
any knowledge of such an intruder.
Alex is faced with an impossible choice: to believe his wife or his
daughter? And as Natalie’s story unravels, Alex realises that his wife
has a past he had no idea about, a past that might yet catch up with
her.
But this time, the past could be deadly . . .
*******************
Praise for Rebecca Fleet:
‘This is very much a heart-thumping, read-in-one-sitting story, and
absolutely delivers on its smart and original hook’ Heat
‘A fantastic thriller – dead-on domestic noir, full of tension and
surprises. I loved it.’ Lee Child
March 2020
‘An enthralling thriller that lives up to its chilling premise.’ Renee 9780857525499
£12.99
Knight, author of Disclaimer
Royal Octavo : Hardback
384 pages
‘Rebecca Fleet has created a perfectly contained cast of credible
characters in a story so intriguing that you will be guessing right up to
the last page. And it’s beautifully written too. I loved this book.’ Liz
Nugent, author of Lying in Wait
'Dark, smart, sexy, gripping, totally brilliant.’ Erin Kelly, author of He
Said She Said
'Sinister and compelling' Woman & Home
'You'll be whipping through the pages' Stylist
Rebecca Fleet lives in London and works in Windsor. Her debut
thriller, The House Swap, was published in 2018 to great acclaim. The
Second Wife is her eagerly anticipated second thriller.
15Coming Up for Air
Sarah Leipciger
For fans of The Hours & based on true events, a rich,
powerful story of a toy-maker, a journalist & the girl whose
life - and death - links them across oceans & centuries.
An extraordinary, three-century braid of air and water: the way
we float, the way we drown, the way we surface again against
the odds.' Francis Spufford
Three extraordinary lives intertwine across oceans and time
On the banks of the River Seine in 1899, a young woman takes
her final breath before plunging into the icy water. Although
she does not know it, her decision will set in motion an
astonishing chain of events. It will lead to 1950s Norway,
where a grieving toy-maker is on the cusp of a transformative
invention, all the way to present-day Canada where a
journalist, battling a terrible disease, risks everything for one
last chance to live.
Taking inspiration from a remarkable true story, Coming Up for
Air is a bold, richly imagined novel about the transcendent
power of storytelling and the immeasurable impact of every
human life. The legacy of the woman at its heart touches the
lives of us all today, and this book reveals just how.
Born and raised in Canada, Sarah Leipciger lives in London
with her three children, and teaches creative writing to
prisoners. Her short fiction has been shortlisted for the Asham March 2020
Award, the Fish Prize and the Bridport Prize. Her first novel, the 9780857526519
critically acclaimed THE MOUNTAIN CAN WAIT, was published in £12.99 : Hardback
2015. COMING UP FOR AIR is her second novel. 320 pages
16More Than a Mum
Charlene Allcott
An addictively fresh and sharp novel from the author of The
Single Mum's Wish List, exploring themes of motherhood
and identity.
What do you do when you want to be more than just a mum?
A married working mother of two, Alison packs lunches, goes to
work, makes dinner, deals with arguing daughters, goes to
bed. She can't help but question what on earth has become of
her life...
Bored, restless and hungry for some excitement, when she
meets the charismatic Frank she assumes he's what she's
missing. But is Frank all he makes out to be? And what if Alison
isn't quite as happy in her new, glamorous life as she thought
she'd be?
Praise for Charlene Allcott:
'One of the freshest, funniest, most exciting new voices I've
read for a long time.' Jane Fallon
'Fresh and funny and REAL...' Veronica Henry
'Very funny and delightfully relatable - this was a real treat.'
Trisha Ashley
Born and raised in London and now living in Brighton with her
five-year-old son, Charlene Allcott works part-time with young March 2020
people in a residential care home. She writes a parenting blog 9780552175807
at http://www.moderatemum.co.uk/. MORE THAN A MUM is her Wrld All Lan(US+CA Pend)
second novel. £8.99 : Paperback
320 pages
17You Never Told Me
Sarah Jasmon
Is it ever too late to learn the truth? An emotionally gripping
novel about the power of family secrets.
A year ago, Charlie’s life seemed to be following a plan: she
had a beautiful house, a lovable dog and an upcoming
wedding. But she felt trapped. A few months before the big
day, ignoring the warnings from her family, she abandoned her
life and fled to the other side of the world in a bid for freedom.
But when her mother unexpectedly falls ill, Charlie has to cut
her trip short. She flies home, but by the time she gets to the
hospital, it’s too late.
Her mother is gone, but she’s left a mystery behind. Why did
she buy a canal boat, and where did the money for it come
from? As Charlie attempts to work through her grief and pick
up the pieces of her life, she follows the threads of her
mother’s secret past – but has she missed her chance to learn
the truth?
Praise for Sarah Jasmon:
‘Evocative and atmospheric’ Carys Bray
‘Lyrical and sensuous’ Elizabeth Forbes
‘Spellbinding’ Bella
Sarah Jasmon lives on a canal boat in Lancashire, which is
also the setting for her two novels – The Summer of Secrets
and You Never Told Me. She has written short stories for a wide March 2020
selection of publications and in 2018 was shortlisted for the 9780552774048
Harper’s Bazaar short story competition. She is an Associate £8.99 : Paperback
Tutor in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan 384 pages
University, and is currently studying for a PhD in Creative
Geography.
18You Let Me In
Camilla Bruce
From a startling new voice in contemporary Gothic fiction
comes a superbly creepy debut about the elusive nature of
truth, the stories we choose to believe (or not), and how we
choose to tell those tales . . .
Everyone knows bestselling novelist Cassandra Tipp twice got
away with murder. Even her family are convinced of her guilt.
So when she disappears, leaving only a long letter behind,
they suspect her conscience finally got the better of her.
But the letter is not what anyone expected. Instead of a
confession, it tells two chilling, equally dark, equally disturbing
stories.
One is a story of bloody nights and magical gifts, of children
lost to the woods, of husbands made from twigs and leaves
and feathers and bones. The other is the story of a little girl
who was cruelly treated and grew up crooked in the shadows.
Both stories might be true. Both stories end in murder. But is
this a tale of supernatural seduction? Or the story of a broken
child? It is up to you, the reader, to decide.
Crossing the boundary between reality and somewhere else
entirely, You Let Me In offers a glimpse of another, rather
different place that is hidden to most of us.
CAMILLA BRUCE was born central Norway and grew up in an
old forest, next to an Iron Age burial mound. She has a March 2020
master’s degree in comparative literature from The Norwegian 9781787633162
University of Science and Technology and a varied work history £12.99 : Hardback
in communications and project management. Camilla currently 288 pages
lives in Trondheim with her son and cat. You Let Me In is her
first novel.
19The Deep
Alma Katsu
With its brilliantly evoked historical backdrop, including on board the
Titanic, and a rich cast of characters, both real and imaginary, The
Deep is the heart-stopping new supernatural chiller from the author
of the acclaimed The Hunger.
'This dark, terrifying tale of possession and haunting is phenomenal .
. . beautifully written, thoroughly absorbing and totally terrifying.'
C.J. Tudor, bestselling author of The Chalk Man
Someone, or something, is haunting the Titanic.
This is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have
plagued the passengers of the ship from the moment they set sail:
mysterious disappearances, sudden deaths. Now suspended in an
eerie, unsettling twilight zone during the four days of the liner's
illustrious maiden voyage, a number of the passengers - including
millionaires Madeleine Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim, the maid
Annie Hebbley and Mark Fletcher - are convinced that something
sinister is going on . . . And then, as the world knows, disaster
strikes.
Years later and the world is at war. And a survivor of that fateful night,
Annie, is working as a nurse on the sixth voyage of the Titanic's sister
ship, the Britannic, now refitted as a hospital ship. Plagued by the
demons of her doomed first and near fatal journey across the
Atlantic, Annie comes across an unconscious soldier she recognises
while doing her rounds. It is the young man Mark. And she is
convinced that he did not - could not - have survived the sinking of
the Titanic . . .
Brilliantly combining fact and fiction, the historical and the horrific, The
Deep reveals a chilling truth in an unputdownable narrative full of March 2020
unnerving moments and with a growing, inexorable sense of 9781787631342
£12.99 : Hardback
foreboding.
320 pages
A graduate of the Masters writing program at Johns Hopkins University
in Baltimore, Alma Katsu worked briefly in advertising and PR before
moving into the intelligence world, working as a senior analyst for
several US agencies, including the CIA and the American equivalent
of GCHQ. She was also a regular contributor to the Huffington Post.
Alma Katsu lives in the Washington, DC area. To find out more, visit
her website almakatsubooks.com
20The Weight of Love
Hilary Fannin
Maggie O'Farrell with bite: a powerful love story set between London
& Dublin, from the much lauded Irish Times columnist who counts
Roddy Doyle among her fans.
London 1996. Two young Irish emigres – Ruth, a classroom assistant,
and Robin, a teacher – meet in a city energised by a mood of cultural
optimism and a sense of tentative political revival. Both are
escapees: Robin, fleeing the wilds of West Cork and his German
hippie mother’s ferocious affection; Ruth is attempting to outrun grief
after the death of her father.
Robin, already in love with Ruth, introduces her to his childhood
friend, artist Joseph, a fragile, beautiful young Londoner unable to
cope with the sudden attention his work is receiving. Ruth and Joseph
begin a passionate affair, one ultimately destined for tragedy.
Dublin 2016. Ruth and Robin are married and living in Dublin with
their son, Sid, who is about to emigrate to Berlin. After eighteen years
of marriage Robin, always cautious, ever the realist, has long since
understood that Ruth believes it was Joseph, not Robin, who was the
great love of her life. Derailed by his own mother’s illness, Robin
begins an affair with the mother of one of his pupils.
Ruth, meanwhile, returns to London to confront her memories and
reappraise a past that has haunted her present.
The Weight of Love is a beautiful exploration of how we manage life
when the notes and beats of our existence, so carefully arranged,
begin to slip off the stave.
Hilary Fannin is a playwright and columnist. Her plays, including
Mackerel Sky, Doldrum Bay, Famished Castle and an adaptation of March 2020
Racine’s Phaedra, have been performed in Ireland, London, Europe 9781781620458
£13.99 : Trade Papberback
and America. She was writer in association at the Abbey Theatre in its
centenary year, 2004. She has also written extensively for radio, both 256 pages
for BBC and RTÉ.
As a journalist, she wrote the TV review for The Irish Times for almost
five years, passing on the baton when her eyes turned square. She
now writes an occasionally humorous weekly column for the paper.
Hilary lives in Dublin with her husband and two sons, Peter and Jake.
Her memoir, Hopscotch, was published in 2015. The Weight of Love is
her first novel.
21The Authenticity Project
Clare Pooley
THE 2020 DEBUT NOVEL EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT.
Our lives aren't always what we make them out to be.
What would happen if we told the truth instead?
One green notebook. Six strangers. The chance to start
being honest...
Six strangers with one universal thing in common: their lives
aren’t always what they make them out to be.
But what would happen if they told the truth instead?
Julian begins The Authenticity Project – a small green notebook
containing his ‘truth’ – to pass on and encourage others to
share their own.
Little does he know that this small act of honesty will impact all
those who come into contact with the book, and lead to a life-
changing world of friendship and forgiveness…
Clare Pooley graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge
and spent twenty years in the heady world of advertising,
where the line between authenticity and fiction is constantly
blurred, before becoming a full-time mum. She is the author of
the hugely popular blog, Mummy was a Secret Drinker, under
the pseudonym Sober Mummy and her memoir, The Sober
Diaries was published in 2017 to critical acclaim. Her blog has
had over two million hits and her TEDx talk, Making Sober Less
Shameful, has had over 110,000 views. April 2020
9781787631793
Clare’s debut novel The Authenticity Project is inspired by her £12.99 : Hardback
decision to expose the rather grubby truth about her 368 pages
seemingly perfect life in her memoir.
Clare writes from her kitchen table in Fulham, London where
she lives with her long-suffering husband, three children, dog
and an African pygmy hedgehog.
22Second Eyes
Simon Mayo
From one of our best-loved radio presenters comes a race-
against-time thriller, chillingly resonant with today's
headlines.
6.27am. The sky is blue. The air is warm with a summer
breeze. And in the last 27 minutes, seven people have been
murdered.
In a series of coordinated attacks, seven men and women
across London have been targeted. For journalist Famie
Madden, the horror unfolds as she arrives for the morning
shift.
The victims have one thing in common: they made up the
investigations team at the news wire service where Famie
works. The thought in everyone's minds, what were they
working on that could prompt such brutal devastation? And as
Famie starts to receive mysterious messages, she has to find
out whether she is being warned of the next attack, or being
told that she will be the next victim...
In this gripping, fast-paced thriller that could have been ripped
from tomorrow's headlines, Simon Mayo has written an
electrifying novel about the dangerous world we live in.
Simon Mayo is one of Britain’s best-loved radio presenters. He
is also the presenter of Simon Mayo’s Books of the Year
podcast. Mad Blood Stirring is his first adult novel.
April 2020
9780857526595
£12.99 : Hardback
480 pages
23The Spitfire Girls Fly for Victory
Jenny Holmes
The exciting new novel from Jenny Holmes, author of The Spitfire
Girls and Wedding Bells for the Land Girls - for readers of Donna
Douglas, Elaine Everest and Nancy Revell.
A heart-warming, romantic story of friendship, camaraderie and triumph
over adversity that fans of Donna Douglas, Nancy Revell and Elaine Everest
will adore.
Bobbie Fraser, Mary Holland and Jean Thornton are Atta Girls - part of
the Air Transport Auxiliary team flying planes between bases. Their
work is dangerous and they constantly put themselves at risk, but
their courage always comes through.
Now there's a new girl joining the ranks - Canadian Viv Robertson,
who is bright, brash and brave. But can Viv settle into British life with
the other girls? And when life on the ground leaves them as
vulnerable as in the air, can they stick together through the tough
times ahead and ultimately fly to victory?
Jenny Holmes lives in a beautiful part of Yorkshire and sets her sagas
in the industrial heartland nearby. She enjoys horse riding, gardening
and walking her dog in the dales. She also writes children’s books as
Jenny Oldfield.
April 2020
9780552175838
£6.99 : Paperback
320 pages
0
24We Are Not in The World
Conor O'Callaghan
An exquisitely powerful story of grief, shame and love in all
its complex, glorious, dark and painful manifestations, from
the critically acclaimed author of Nothing on Earth.
Heartbroken after a long, painful love affair, a man takes a job
driving a haulage lorry through France. Travelling with him is a
secret passenger - his daughter. Twenty-something, unkempt,
off the rails.
With a week on the road together, man and girl must attempt
to restore themselves and each other, and to repair a
relationship that is at once fiercely loving and deeply scarred.
As the pair journey down the motorways and through the
service stations of France, a devastating picture reveals itself:
a story of grief, of shame, and of love in all its complex, dark
and glorious manifestations.
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.
May 2020
9780857526854
£14.99 : Hardback
276 pages
25The Stray Cats of Homs
Eva Nour
An unforgettable debut novel, inspired by the true story of one boy's
extraordinary life in Syria. For fans of The Kite Runner, The Beekeeper
of Aleppo, The Pianist of Yarmouk and The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
‘This is a searing and incredibly important book, storytelling at its
best’ Donal Ryan
‘A cat has seven souls in Arabic. In English cats have nine lives. You
probably have both nine lives and seven souls, because otherwise I don’t
know how you’ve made it this far.'
Growing up in Syria, Sami’s childhood is like that of any ordinary
child’s - an innocent blend of home and school, of friends and
siblings and pets (including stray cats and dogs, and the turtle he
keeps on the roof).
But everything changes when his country fractures into civil war, and
young Sami is forced to leave his family and train as a map maker.
Inspired by extraordinary true events, The Stray Cats of Homs started
out as a love story, and turned into a novel.
Eva Nour is a journalist writing under a pseudonym. She was inspired
to write The Stray Cats of Homs, her debut novel, by meeting and
falling in love with the real 'Sami'. Today the couple share a life
together in Paris.
May 2020
9780857526755
£12.99 : Hardback
300 pages
26Us Three
Ruth Jones
A funny, moving and uplifting novel about life’s complications, the
power of friendship and how it defines us all, from Ruth Jones, co-
writer of Gavin & Stacey and author of the smash-hit, number one
bestselling debut, Never Greener.
The new novel from Ruth Jones, author of the smash-hit, number one
bestselling debut, Never Greener.
Meet Lana, Judith and Catrin. Best friends since primary school when
they swore an oath on a Curly Wurly wrapper that they would always
be there for each other, come what may.
After the trip of a lifetime, the three girls are closer than ever. But an
unexpected turn of events shakes the foundation of their friendship
to its core, leaving their future in doubt – there’s simply too much to
forgive, let alone forget. An innocent childhood promise they once
made now seems impossible to keep . . .
Packed with all the heart and empathy that made Ruth’s name as a
screenwriter and now author, Us Three is a funny, moving and
uplifting novel about life’s complications, the power of friendship and
how it defines us all. Prepare to meet characters you’ll feel you’ve
known all your life – prepare to meet Us Three.
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW
Praise for Ruth Jones:
‘Ruth Jones is excellent on human nature and why we make the
mistakes we do. I felt for every character. Unputdownable.’
Jojo Moyes, bestselling author of ME BEFORE YOU
May 2020
‘I love books about gnarly, messy relationships and this one kept me 9781787632257
£14.99 : Hardback
gripped from the beginning. A great read.’
Jane Fallon, bestselling author of TELL ME A SECRET 336 pages
‘Easy to read and full of laughter - and truth’
Daily Mail
‘Thought-provoking, compelling and ultimately redemptive’
Sunday Express
Ruth Jones is best known for her outstanding and award-winning
television writing - BBC 1's Gavin and Stacey, in which she played the
incorrigible Nessa, and Sky 1's Stella, in which she played the titular
role. She has won acclaim for her performances in BBC dramas Tess
of the D'Urbervilles, Little Dorrit and Hattie, as well as comedies
Little Britain, Saxondale and Nighty Night. Her debut novel Never
Greener was a number one bestseller, and her second - Us Three - is
out in 2020.
27Camelot
Giles Kristian
Following on from the top 10 bestseller Lancelot, Giles Kristian
returns to Britain's greatest island history - the Arthurian legend -
for this new novel: a rich tale of passion, heart-ache, adventure, war
and wonder: the story of Galahad, son of Lancelot . . .
Following his acclaimed Sunday Times bestseller, Lancelot, Giles
Kristian's new novel returns us to the realms of Arthurian legend . . .
Britain is a land riven by anarchy, slaughter, famine, filth and
darkness. Its armies are destroyed, its heroes dead, or missing.
Arthur and Lancelot fell in the last great battle and Merlin has not
been seen these past ten years. Now, the Saxons are gathering
again, their warbands stalking the land, their king seeking dominion.
For the lords and kings of Britain look only to their own survival and
will not unite as they once did under Arthur and his legendary sword
Excalibur.
Meanwhile, in an isolated monastery in the Avalon marshes, a novice
of the order is preparing to take his vows when the life he has known
is ripped away in a welter of blood. Two strangers, the wild-spirited,
Saxon-killing Iselle, and the ageing warrior Gawain, will pluck the
young man from the wreckage of his simple existence. Together, they
will seek the last druid and the cauldron of a god. And the young man
must come to terms with his legacy and fate as the son of the most
celebrated yet most infamous of Arthur's warriors: Lancelot.
For this is the story of Galahad, Lancelot’s son – the reluctant warrior
who dared to keep the dream of Camelot alive . . .
Acclaim for Lancelot:
'A masterpiece.' Conn Iggulden
'Stands head and shoulders above the rest.' Manda Scott
May 2020
'Glorious. Tragic. Lyrical. Totally gripping.' Ben Kane 9781787632295
£12.99 : Hardback
'A gorgeous, rich retelling.' The Times 450 pages
'An extraordinary writer . . . an exceptional book.' Dr Janina Ramirez
Family history (he is half Norwegian) and a passion for the fiction of
Bernard Cornwell inspired GILES KRISTIAN to write. Set in the Viking
world, his bestselling ‘Raven’ and ‘The Rise of Sigurd’ trilogies have
been acclaimed by his peers, reviewers and readers alike. In The
Bleeding Land and Brothers’ Fury, he tells the story of a family torn
apart by the English Civil War. He also co-wrote Wilbur Smith’s No.1
bestseller, Golden Lion. In his most recent novel, the Sunday Times
bestseller Lancelot, Giles plunged into the rich waters of the Arthurian
legend. For his next book, he continues his epic reimagining of our
greatest island 'history'.
Giles Kristian lives in Leicestershire.
28Enter the Aardvark
Jessica Anthony
A budding politician’s career is put in jeopardy when he receives a
large stuffed aardvark in the post. Brilliantly funny, a biting satire
about politics, love, and taxidermy for fans of Jennifer Egan,
Jonathan Franzen and Joshua Ferris.
Only one thing stands between Alexander Paine Wilson and his
destiny… and it has long ears, spoon-like claws and a tubular snout.
Republican congressman Alexander Paine Wilson is determined that
nothing will stop him in his campaign for re-election. Not the fact that
he is a bachelor, not the fact that his main adversary Nancy Beavers –
married, with children – is rising in the polls. Nothing. That is, until
one hot day in August, he receives a large parcel via FedEx. Inside is
a gigantic taxidermied aardvark.
This aardvark has a surprising history – from the Victorian naturalist
who discovered it to the taxidermist who deemed it his finest creation.
But for Wilson, the entrance of the aardvark sets off a chain of events
that threaten to ruin his entire career.
Constantly surprising, brilliantly comic and piquantly provocative, Enter
the Aardvark is a tale for our times, a biting satire with a tender
underbelly.
‘Enter Jessica Anthony. With her highly inventive, ever attentive,
and morally serious (as all great comedy must be) Enter the
Aardvark, she estranges all over again our deplorable political
moment, and thereby helps make it bearable.' JOSHUA FERRIS,
author of THEN WE CAME TO THE END
‘Mischievously zoological and darkly satirical – a brilliant novel'
John Ironmonger, author of NOT FORGETTING THE WHALE May 2020
9780857526991
£12.99 : Hardback
'I've been waiting a long time for a book like Jessica Anthony's Enter
the Aardvark, a book that not only manages to bridge supposedly 256 pages
unbridgeable divides in politics, in time, in geography, in love and
sex, but also manages to do so by way of a time-traveling
taxidermied aardvark. If that sounds unlikely, well, yes, exactly,
that's why I've been waiting for so long for it—this unlikely, hilarious,
moving, ingenious book. Enter the Aardvark is an absolute original.'
Brock Clarke, author of Who are You, Calvin Bledsoe? '
'Enter the Aardvark is one wild ride: a condemnation, a haunting, a
song of love, a madcap political thriller—and it is absolutely
unputdownable.' Laura van den Berg, author of The Third Hotel
'Jessica Anthony is a writer possessed of mind-bending talents.'Heidi
Julavits, author of The Folded Clock
Jessica Anthony is the author of The Convalescent
(McSweeney’s/Grove), a Barnes and Noble “Discover Great New
Writers” selection, and Chopsticks (Razorbill), a multimedia novel
created in collaboration with designer Rodrigo Corral. Chopsticks, was
an Amazon Book of the Month and won App of the Year. Anthony’
short stories can be found in Best New American Voices, Best American
Nonrequired Reading, McSweeney’s, The Idaho Review and elsewhere. She
is the inaugural winner of McSweeney’s “Amanda Davis Highwire
Fiction Award,” and has recently received fellowships from the Creative
Capital Foundation for Innovative Literature, the Bogliasco Foundation
in Bogliasco, Italy, and the Maine Arts Commission. Anthony has
29Lost
Leona Deakin
How can you solve a crime if you can't remember the clues?
With explosions, missing people, and a global mystery, Dr
Bloom returns in the gripping follow up to GONE.
HOW CAN YOU SOLVE A CRIME IF YOU CAN'T REMEMBER
THE CLUES?
___________________________________
**DR BLOOM IS BACK IN THE SENSATIONAL FOLLOW UP
TO GONE - AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW**
___________________________________
There is an explosion at a military ball. The casualties are
rushed to hospital in eight ambulances, but only seven vehicles
arrive. Captain Harry Peterson is missing.
His girlfriend calls upon her old friend Dr Augusta Bloom, who
rushes to support the investigation. But no one can work out
what connects the bomb and the disappearance.
When Harry is eventually discovered three days later, they
hope he holds the answers to their questions. But he can’t
remember a single thing.
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.
May 2020
9781784164096
Wrld All Lan(US+CA Pend)
£7.99 : Paperback
480 pages
30A Daughter's Price
Emma Hornby
She thought she was finally safe... but a roof over her head
comes with a price to pay...
A gritty and page-turning historical saga, perfect for fans of
Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin.
She thought she was finally safe...
Laura Cannock is on the run. Suspected of killing her bullying
husband, his family are on a merciless prowl for revenge.
Fleeing from her beloved home of Bolton to Manchester, Laura
seeks refuge with her coal merchant uncle. But it soon
becomes clear that a roof over her head comes with a price –
of the type so unbearable she must escape once more.
Destitute and penniless, a stench-ridden housing court in the
back streets of the factories is Laura’s only hope of a dwelling
– a place where both the filth and the kindness of neighbours
overwhelm. Here people stick together through the odds,
leading Laura to true friendship, and possibly love. But with
the threat of her past still hanging over her, there’s still one
battle she must fight – and win – alone…
A gritty and page-turning historical saga set in Northern
England in the late 1800s, perfect for fans of Dilly Court
and Rosie Goodwin.
Emma Hornby lives on a tight-knit working-class estate in
Bolton and has read sagas all her life. Before pursuing a career May 2020
as a novelist, she had a variety of jobs, from care assistant for 9780552175760
the elderly, to working in a Blackpool rock factory. She was £6.99 : Paperback
inspired to write after researching her family history; like the 448 pages
characters in her books, many generations of her family eked
out life amidst the squalor and poverty of Lancashire's slums.
31Miss Benson's Beetle
Rachel Joyce
A story about the smallest insect and the deepest friendship
from the author of THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD
FRY and THE MUSIC SHOP
Margery Benson’s life ended the day her father walked out of
his study and never came back. Forty years later, abandoning
a dull job, she advertises for an assistant. The successful
candidate is to accompany Margery on an expedition to the
other side of the world to search for a beetle that may or may
not exist. Enid Pretty is not who she had in mind. But together
they will find themselves drawn into an adventure that
exceeds all Margery’s expectations, eventually finding new life
at the top of a red mountain.
This is a story that is less about what can be found than the
belief it might be found; it is an intoxicating adventure story
and it is also a tender exploration of a friendship between two
unforgettable women that defies all boundaries.
Rachel Joyce is the author of the Sunday Times and
international bestsellers The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry,
Perfect, The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy, The Music
Shop and a collection of interlinked short stories, A Snow
Garden & Other Stories. Her books have been translated into
thirty-six languages and two are in development for film.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was shortlisted for the
Commonwealth Book prize and longlisted for the Man Booker June 2020
Prize. Rachel was awarded the Specsavers National Book 9780857521989
Awards ‘New Writer of the Year’ in December 2012 and £16.99 : Hardback
shortlisted for the ‘UK Author of the Year’ 2014. 304 pages
Rachel has also written over twenty original afternoon plays
and adaptations of the classics for BBC Radio 4, including all
the Bronte novels. She moved to writing after a long career as
an actor, performing leading roles for the RSC, the National
Theatre and Cheek by Jowl.
She lives with her family in Gloucestershire.
32Bryant & May - Oranges and
Lemons
Christopher Fowler
Detectives Arthur Bryant and John May, assisted by the
oddballs and eccentrics who make up the Peculiar Crimes
Unit, return to break rules, infuriate officialdom and maybe,
just maybe, catch the criminal in this hugely entertaining
and unorthodox new investigation...
One Sunday morning the Speaker of the House of Commons
hurls himself from the window of his apartment, leaving behind
a bizarre clue; someone had just sent him a crate of oranges
and lemons.
The government needs to know; who did he talk to while of
unsound mind? Did the keeper of parliament’s biggest secret
put the future of the government at stake?
It should be the perfect case for Bryant & May, but
unfortunately one detective is in hospital, the other is missing
and the staff have all been dismissed. As the long-suffering
head of the Peculiar Crimes Unit leaves his garden and sets
about reuniting the unit, events escalate and a series of brutal
crimes threatens to undermine the very foundation of London.
But if two elderly detectives, ‘old men in a woke world’, can set
aside their differences and discover why some of London’s
most influential figures are under life-threatening attack they
might do more than just save the unit – they could stop the
entire city from descending into chaos.
Christopher Fowler is the author of more than forty novels
(sixteen of which feature the detectives Bryant and May and June 2020
the Peculiar Crimes Unit) and many short story collections. A 9780857525703
multiple award-winner, including the coveted CWA ‘Dagger in £16.99 : Hardback
the Library’, Chris has also written screenplays, video games, 360 pages
graphic novels, audio plays and two acclaimed memoirs,
Paperboy and Film Freak. His most recent non-fiction book is The
Book of Forgotten Authors. Chris divides his time between
London's King’s Cross and Barcelona. You can find out more by
visiting his website and following him on Twitter.
33You can also read
