Published March 21st, 2024 by Pan Macmillan Historical Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Fairy Tale, Norse & Viking Mythology
Happy Publication Day to Song of the Huntress, the dark and fierce feminist historical fantasy by Lucy Holland. Thank you to Bookbreak, Pan Macmillan, and NetGalley for my proof copies.
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SYNOPSIS:
FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SISTERSONG
‘Lucy Holland’s lyrical prose and powerful storytelling will lure you in’ – Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne
A must-read for fans of Circe, Song of the Huntress recasts the folklore behind the Wild Hunt into a dark, feminist fantasy set amidst the legends and beauty of ancient Britain.
Britain, 60 AD. Hoping to save her lover and her land from the Romans, Herla makes a desperate pact with the Otherworld King. She becomes Lord of the Hunt and for centuries she rides, reaping wanderers’ souls. Until the night she meets a woman on a bloody battlefield – a Saxon queen with ice-blue eyes.
Queen Æthelburg of Wessex is a proven fighter, but after a battlefield defeat she finds her husband’s court turning against her. Yet King Ine needs Æthel more than ever: the dead kings of Wessex are waking, and Ine must master his bloodline’s ancient magic if they are to survive.
When their paths cross, Herla knows it’s no coincidence. Something dark and dangerous is at work in the Wessex court. As she and Æthel grow closer, Herla must find her humanity – and a way to break the curse – before it’s too late.
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MY REVIEW:
“Tonight, Herla will give them a monster.”
Happy Publication Day to Song of the Huntress, the dark, fierce, feminist historical fantasy retelling of the folklore behind the Wild Hunt. This propulsive fantasy novel transports us to ancient Britain and introduces us to Herla, who has been cursed to be Lord of the Wild Hunt after making a desperate deal with the Otherworld King. For centuries she has ridden, reaping the souls of those she has slain in battle. When she meets Queen Æthelburg of Wessex on a bloody battlefield, Herla knows that her meeting with this fierce warrior Queen is no accident as there is danger lurking,, whispers about Æthel are louder than ever in court, the King is fighting his own brother, tensions between Christians and Pagans are at an all time high, people are dying strange deaths, and the Otherworld is getting ready to strike. Can Herla find a way to break her curse and help the Queen?
This was a gorgeously woven tapestry of history, folklore, fantasy and magic. I listened to this on audiobook, and was immediately captivated by the riveting narration. And, despite the fact it was quite a long story, the quality of both the storytelling and the narration never faltered, keeping me completely immersed in its pages from beginning to end. It is expertly written, richly drawn, and meticulously researched, Lucy Holland’s knowledge and passion for the myth evident in every word. Her evocative characters leaped from the pages and I was caught up in the emotions of these ferocious women and their unique love story.
Powerful, savage and striking, Song of the Huntress is a must read for anyone who enjoys stories filled with history, myth and magic.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5
*You can listen to this book on Bookbeat as part of your free 60-day trial via this affiliate link*
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MEET THE AUTHOR:
I’m a writer living in south-west England on the red shores of the Jurassic Coast. It’s a beautiful, mysterious part of the country, steeped in myth and folklore. And so unsurprisingly, it’s a perfect place in which to make up stories.
In the vein of most writers, I’ve been making up stories for a long time. Despite attending theatre school for six years, books were my first love. My parents read a lot to us as children – I guess it’s their fault my sister and I both turned out as authors!
Welcome to my list of most anticipated books out in March. It’s another jam-packed month, with highly anticipated books from authors such as Bobby Palmer, Doug Johnstone, C. L. Taylor and Freya Sampson.
The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
Published March 7th by Century Historical Fiction, Historical Fantasy,Horror Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Ghost Horror, Science Fiction
SYNOPSIS: The sweeping new novel from New York Times bestselling author Katherine Arden.
‘A wonderful clash of fire and ice … A book you won’t want to let go of.’ Diana Gabaldon ‘A spectacular tour de force … I love this book so much and want everyone to read it!‘ Naomi Novik ‘Darkly beautiful and deeply humane … The Warm Hands of Ghosts will stir your heart, and settle into your bones.’ Ava Reid ‘Visionary, imaginative and brilliantly written.’ Anthony Horowitz ‘This exquisite novel took me over like a haunting … One of the best historical fantasies I’ve ever read’ Emma Törzs ______________
World War One, and as shells fall in Flanders, a Canadian nurse searches for her brother believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise in this gripping and powerful historical novel from the bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale.
January 1918. Laura Iven has been discharged from her duties as a nurse and sent back to Halifax, Canada, leaving behind a brother still fighting in the trenches of the First World War. Now home, she receives word of Freddie’s death in action along with his uniform -but something doesn’t quite make sense. Determined to find out more, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital. Soon after arriving, she hears whispers about ghosts moving among those still living and a strange inn-keeper whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could this have happened to Freddie – but if so, where is he?
November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped under an overturned pillbox with an enemy soldier, a German, each of them badly wounded. Against all odds, the two men form a bond and succeed in clawing their way out. But once in No Man’s Land, where can either of them turn where they won’t be shot as enemy soldiers or deserters? As the killing continues, they meet a man – a fiddler – who seems to have the power to make the hellscape that surrounds them disappear. But at what price?
A novel of breath-taking scope and drama, of compulsive readability, of stunning historical research lightly worn, and of brilliantly drawn characters who will make you laugh and break your heart in a single line, The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a book that will speak to readers directly about the trauma of war and the power of those involved to love, endure and transcend it.
Published March 7th by Hutchinson Heinmann Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
SYNOPSIS: ‘The Tower is such a vivid, visceral read, you feel you’re locked in the tower alongside the characters, acting out a royal family drama. I am moved and impressed‘ TRACY CHEVALIER
They are imprisoned, but not contained.
Three women cross a loch. It is 1567, one of them is pregnant, two of them fretful. The boat takes them to Lochleven castle in the middle of the water. Awaiting them are courtiers braying for blood, hellbent on keeping one of them under lock and key: Mary Queen of Scots.
In the tower, Mary’s maids Frenchwoman, Cuckoo and watchful Scot, Jane are her only allies, and the chamber their entire world. A new reality sets in where they are at the mercy of not only their keepers, but of raging Scotland itself.
In the outside world, Mary’s kin, Queen Elizabeth claims she can do little but write. Downstairs, the shrewd jailor-courtier Margaret Erskine places her daughter-in-law Agnes in the chamber as her pair of eyes. Hope seems futile until the bewitching Lady Seton arrives. Seton’s power shifts everything in the tower and soon a plan is hatched.
But which of them will risk it all to save their mistress? Which woman loves her queen best? The Tower is a triumphant story of desire, grit, God-given power and wiles from a striking new voice in historical fiction.
Published March 7th by Duckworth Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller, Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Women Sleuth
SYNOPSIS: A twisty Victorian mystery featuring quick-witted detective Eliza Mace
In the first of a thrilling new Victorian detective series, Eliza Mace, on the cusp of adulthood, is battling for her independence. Stuck in a crumbling manor house in the Welsh borders in the 1870s, she is thwarted by powers that conspire to protect, control and deceive her. But when her father goes missing in mysterious circumstances, Eliza’s determination to uncover the truth is unstoppable.
Joining forces with the charismatic new police constable, Dafydd Pritchard, she sets out to solve the case, but that’s no easy task. Her father has run up debts in town and beyond, and there are many who bear him a grudge. As she searches for evidence, Eliza exposes dark secrets that threaten to tear her world apart…
Published March 7th by Chatto & Windus Political Fiction, Literary Fiction
SYNOPSIS: ‘A warm, sweet love story, and a thought-provoking examination of the British slave trade and its legacy’ MARIAN KEYES
**A STYLIST UNMISSABLE BOOK FOR 2024**
They already share a surname. But will they share a future?
When Layla and Andy first meet, they can’t believe they have the same surname. It feels like fate, almost too romantic to be true.
But Sera, Layla’s best friend, has her doubts about Andy. As the pair fall deeper and deeper in love, Sera becomes more and more vocal about Layla settling down with a white boy. And then, only a few weeks before their wedding, Layla makes a devastating discovery about their shared name.
What seemed like a fairy-tale romance is rapidly derailed. In part propelled by Sera’s rising anger, Layla begins to uncover parts of her history and identity that she had never imagined — or, perhaps, had simply learnt to ignore. And now, she faces an impossible choice, between past and future, friendship and marriage, the personal and the political.
Published March 7th by Pushkin Vertigo Thriller, Mystery, Crime Fiction
SYNOPSIS: Ida is a self-confessed serial killer of predatory men. She feels no remorse for her victims, but has decided she needs psychiatric help… if only to lay the groundwork for an insanity plea if she gets caught. Clarissa is a celebrity psychotherapist, the best in her field, a familiar face on television and in glossy magazines. For her, every patient is special-someone only she can save. When Ida walks into Clarissa’s consulting room one day, the therapist doesn’t know that they share a dark secret, buried in both their pasts. As Ida’s therapy begins, and Clarissa starts to probe the deepest recesses of her mind, a game of cat and mouse begins. Will Clarissa realise the truth before it’s too late? When Ida becomes Clarissa’s patient, a cat-and-mouse game begins in which nobody plays by the rules. The kind of game that never ends well…
Published March 7th by Serpent’s Tail Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
SYNOPSIS: ‘Irresistible – a funny, sexy romp that’s also smart, even wise’ Kirkus starred review
‘ Pure elegance, subtlety and wit. A triumph of a novel’ – Francesca Segal, author of Mother Ship
It is 1954, and prostitution is legal in the tropical haven that is Verona Island. Here, among gangsters and corrupt lawmen, Lila Gulliver runs a brothel that promises her exclusive clientele privacy and discretion. When nineteen-year-old Carità, beautiful and blind since birth, comes to her door seeking employment, Mrs Gulliver sees a business opportunity and takes a chance. Carità is mesmerising, sharp and a mystery to her employer, always holding herself at a distance.
One night, the son of a wealthy judge patronises Mrs Gulliver’s establishment, immediately falling madly in love with Carità. This is Ian Drohan – young, idealistic and cushioned by wealth and family connections. Mrs Gulliver mistrusts him, and worries for Carità’s future. Carità, on the other hand, is fearless, headstrong and a force of nature that Mrs Gulliver is always several steps behind.
A dazzling drama filled with sex, wry wit and literary references, Mrs Gulliver follows two women who have nothing to lose in their fight for agency on an island too ready to dismiss them.
Published March 7th by Footnote Press Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
SYNOPSIS: ‘Only Kiyoko Murata can convey this world’ YOKO OGAWA, author of The Memory Police, Yomiuri Shibun
The year is 1903, and tenacious and spirited Aoi Ichi is sold to the most exclusive brothel in Kumamoto, Japan, becoming the protégée of Shinonome, the oiran, or the highest-ranking courtesan.
Through Shinonome’s teachings, fifteen-year-old Ichi begins to understand the intertwined power of sex and money. Education for a courtesan extends beyond the art of seduction, and as Ichi is taught to read and write she develops a voice that refuses to be dampened by the brothel’s rigid hierarchy.
Outside the cloistered world of the red-light district, rumours of local worker strikes grow, and as the seasons change in Kumamoto, Ichi, Shinonome and their fellow courtesans begin to wonder how they might redistribute the power and wealth of the brothels among themselves.
Critically acclaimed veteran writer Kiyoko Murata creates in stunning detail the harsh yet vibrant lives of women in a red-light district at the turn of the twentieth century. Based on real-life events, A Woman of Pleasure is a testament to the bonds between women and the power of owning one’s language and freedom.
I Promise It Won’tAlways Hurt Like This by Clare Mackintosh
Published March 7th by Sphere Memoir
SYNOPSIS: ‘Truly the best and most insightful book about grief I have ever read’ – Joanna Cannon
Grief is universal, but it’s also as unique to each of us as the person we’ve lost. It can be overwhelming, exhausting, lonely, unreasonable, there when we least expect it and seemingly never-ending. Wherever you are with your grief and whoever you’re grieving for, I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This is here to support you. To tell you, until you believe it, that things will get easier.
When bestselling writer Clare Mackintosh lost her five-week-old son, she searched for help in books. All of them wanted to tell her what she should be feeling and when she should be feeling it, but the truth – as she soon found out – is that there are no neat, labelled stages for grief, or crash grief-diets to relieve us of our pain. What we need when we’re grieving is time and understanding. With 18 short assurances that are full of compassion – drawn from Clare’s experiences of losing her son and her father – I Promise it Won’t Always Hurt Like This is the book she needed then.
‘A book dripping with a compassion that can only truly be laid out on the page by a Survivor of the Trenches of Grief . We need now, perhaps more than ever, beacon-makers like Clare to help guide us through our darkness’ – Greg Wise
‘That Clare has used her own devastating experience to help others who are going through something similar is a brave and hugely laudable thing to do. A book that is both heart-breaking in its honesty and uplifting in its compassionate approach, it is beautifully written and offers – implicit in the title – hope’ – Alan Titchmarsh
‘A true lifeline if you think no one else can possibly understand how you feel’ – Jill Mansell
‘Beautiful, heart-breaking and yet overwhelmingly hopeful’ – Mike Gayle
‘Written with honesty, realism, deep personal insight and hope’ – Child Bereavement UK
‘A salve for broken hearts. Readers who’ve been touched by loss will find comfort in these pages.’ – Publishers Weekly
SYNOPSIS: ‘Tracy King’s memoir is heartbreaking and hopeful…An incredible true story of survival and forgiveness.’ TIM MINCHIN
‘Impossible not to read in one sitting.’ – Stylist, Best books for 2024
‘What would you do if you began to suspect the events of your childhood didn’t happen as you remembered them? In this evocative memoir, Tracy King confronts the stories we all tell ourselves in order to live.’ HELEN LEWIS
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When you have nothing, you cling to whatever gives you hope.
Put yourself in Tracy King’s shoes. Growing up in an ordinary council estate outside Birmingham; a house filled with creativity, curiosity and love, but marked by her father’s alcoholism and her mother’s agoraphobia.
By the time she turns twelve her father has been killed, her sister taken into care and her mother ensnared by the promises of born-again Christianity.
This isn’t the stuff of cult documentaries; this is the story of an ordinary family trapped in a broken system. It’s a story that could happen to anyone without the tools to transform their circumstances. And it’s the story of how Tracy found her way out.
A shocking, inspiring and ultimately hopeful memoir that holds up a mirror to the everyday realities of living in poverty, it is also a testament to the power of books and to learning to question our world.
Published March 12th by Orion Humorous Fiction, Domestic Fiction
SYNOPSIS: ‘Hilarious, heartwarming and delightfully refreshing’ CAROL KIRKWOOD
‘Will put a twinkle in your eye and a spring in your step. Fabulous fun!’ VERONICA HENRY
‘Wickedly funny and utterly engaging. Sylvia is our queen!’ ALEX BROWN
‘Joyful, feel-good fun with a feisty heroine you can’t help but love!’ FANNY BLAKE Growing older doesn’t just mean growing wiser. But it does mean a lot of fun…
When 63-year-old Sylvia finds her husband in bed with another woman, she’s shocked and furious . . . at first. But by the time her head stops spinning, Sylvia realises she hates the retirement community she’s living in – it’s for old people. And she certainly doesn’t feel old!
So, she enlists the help of her best friend, glamorous 70-year-old widow Evie, and the pair flee to Manhattan to start a new life in the city that never sleeps. Sylvia’s husband may have lost her life savings, but they’re scrappy and determined – and they weren’t born yesterday…
Before long, Sylvia is reviving her wedding planning business and even finds herself back in the dating game! And no matter what her meddling daughter thinks, it’s her time now – and she’s determined that in this glorious second act, the best is yet to come!
Hilarious, heartwarming and utterly feel-good, Sylvia’s Second Act is perfect for fans of Heartburn by Nora Ephron, Grace & Frankie, and Sex and the City.
Published March 14th by Headline Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction
SYNOPSIS: ‘Powerful’ JOANNA GLEN ‘Beautiful’ KATE SAWYER ‘A triumph’ JENNIE GODFREY The eagerly awaited new novel from Bobby Palmer, author of the critically acclaimed debut Isaac and the Egg.
If you stood before sunrise in this wild old place, looking through the trees into the garden, here’s what you’d see:
A father and son, a fox standing between them.
Jack, home for the first time in years, still determined to be the opposite of his father.
Gerry, who would rather talk to animals than the angry man back under his roof.
Everything that follows is because of the fox, and because Jack’s mother is missing. It spans generations of big dreams and lost time, unexpected connections and things falling apart, great wide worlds and the moments that define us.
If you met them in the small hours, you’d begin to piece together their story.
Published March 14th by Orenda Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Hadboiled, Crime Fiction, Noir Fiction, Police Procedural, Crime Series, Supernatural Fiction
SYNOPSIS: An investigative reporter gives up her job when her young twins are killed in a fire, but when she stumbles across the body of a missing teenager, she’s thrust into a chilling investigation that will leave no one unscathed…
‘An extraordinary debut: intriguing, unsettling, heavy on atmosphere and with a formidable leading lady … Suzy Aspley is one to watch’ Mari Hannah
‘A gripping piece of contemporary gothic, Crow Moon signals the arrival of a hugely promising new talent’ Kevin Wignall
‘A nerve-tingling thriller that both enchants and terrifies. Aspley weaves sinister folklore into a tense murder investigation that has you looking over your shoulder as you turn each page’ Eve Smith
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When the crow moon rises, the darkness is unleashed…
Martha Strangeways is struggling to find purpose in her life, after giving up her career as an investigative reporter when her young twins died in a house fire.
Overwhelmed by guilt and grief, her life changes when she stumbles across the body of a missing teenager – a tragedy that turns even more sinister when a poem about crows is discovered inked onto his back…
When another teenager goes missing in the remote landscape, Martha is drawn into the investigation, teaming up with DI Derek Summers, as malevolent rumours begin to spread and paranoia grows. As darkness descends on the village of Strathbran, it soon becomes clear that no one is safe, including Martha… Both a nerve-shattering, enthralling and atmospheric thriller and a moving tale of grief and psychological damage, Crow Moon is a staggeringly accomplished debut and the start of an addictive, unforgettable series.
Published March 14th by Bantam Press Thriller, Mystery, Romantic Comedy
SYNOPSIS: ‘Dark comedy and darker thrills’ – ALEX MICHAELIDES ‘A world-class whodunit’ – STEPHEN KING ‘Edgy, thrilling, twisty – I loved it!’ – LIANE MORIARTY
Am I a murderer? You tell me . . .
You probably already know about me. Lucy Chase, the woman who doesn’t remember murdering her best friend.
You all think I did it. That’s OK, I get it. Being found wandering the streets covered in her blood wasn’t a great look.
Believe me, I’m as frustrated as you are. I’d love to know if I’m a murderer – it’s the sort of thing you really should know about yourself, isn’t it?
And now, thanks to true-crime podcast Listen for the Lie, I finally have the chance to find out. But will I be able to live with myself if it turns out it was me?
And if it wasn’t, will digging into the secrets of the night I forgot make me the next target of whoever did?
Perfect for fans of HOW TO KILL YOUR FAMILY by Bella Mackie, NONE OF THIS IS TRUE by Lisa Jewell and MURDER IN THE FAMILY by Cara Hunter.
The Best Way To Bury Your Husband by Alexia Casale
Published March 14th by Viking Dark Comedy, Suspense
SYNOPSIS: ‘A darkly comedic story . . . I loved it’ JESSE SUTANTO, author of Dial A for Aunties
‘Poignant and funny, dark and searing’ ANDREA MARA, author of No One Saw a Thing
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Four new friends. Four dead bodies. One big problem . . .
Sally never meant to cave her husband’s head in with a skillet. Or at least she didn’t until suddenly, she did.
But Sally isn’t the only woman in town being pushed to breaking point. When coincidence brings four strangers together, a surprising solidarity is formed.
So can they find the best way to bury their husbands – and get away with it?
Darkly funny and with a big beating heart, The Best Way to Bury Your Husband takes four very different women, one unexpected friendship and several spades to unravel a complex issue with a light touch in this irresistible must-read.
Published March 14th by HarperNorth Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Domestic Fiction, Horror Ficiton, Coming-of-Age Story
SYNOPSIS: ‘A compulsive, didn’t-see-it-coming thriller’ ABIGAIL DEAN, international bestselling author of Girl A
One twin vanished. One twin reappeared.
‘A fantastic debut – unpredictable, tense and absorbing’ ROSE CARLYLE, #1 international bestselling author of The Girl in the Mirror
‘Dark and creepy . . . in the most compelling way. A proper page-turner’ KATY BRENT, bestselling author of How to Kill Men and Get Away with It
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When Eden is rescued from the lake, her mother Lucy has a second chance.
No one knows why the 14-year-old Eden almost drowned on her way home from school. But now she’s safe, Lucy can start being a good mother. The mother she should have always been, before the loss of Eden’s twin during the pregnancy consumed Lucy, all those years ago.
But when Eden wakes up in hospital, she claims that Eden isn’t her name. That her name is Eli – the name Lucy had reserved for the unborn twin.
Could it be that all this time, Lucy’s grief has been misplaced?
Eden, it seems, is the twin who’s really disappeared . . .
Published March 14th by Hutchinson Heinmann Literary Fiction, Political Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
SYNOPSIS: From the Olivier award-winning playwright of Prima Facie Suzie Miller comes her first novel, where power, patriarchy and morality diverge.
‘This is not life. This is law.’
Tessa Ensler is a brilliant barrister who’s forged her career in criminal defence through sheer determination. Since her days at Cambridge, she’s carefully disguised her working class roots in a male-dominated world where who you know is just as important as what you know. Driven by her belief in the right to a fair trial and a taste for victory, there’s nothing Tessa loves more than the thrill of getting her clients acquitted.
It seems like Tessa has it made when she is approached for a new job and nominated for the most prestigious award in her field. But when a date with a charismatic colleague goes horribly wrong, Tessa finds that the rules she’s always played by might not protect her, forcing her to question everything she’s ever believed in . . .
Published March 14th by Bloomsbury Publishing Thriller, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Domestic Fiction
SYNOPSIS: A brilliantly compelling domestic suspense from a rising star of the crime fiction world, and the man behind BBC/Netflix smash hit, You Don’t Know Me
Sophie King is missing.
Her parents, Harry and Zara, are distraught; for the last seventeen years, they’ve done everything for their beloved only daughter and now she’s gone.
The police have no leads, and Harry and Zara are growing increasingly frantic, although they are both dealing with it in very different ways. Increasingly obsessed with their highly suspicious neighbour who won’t open the door or answer any questions, they are both coming to the same conclusion. If they want answers, they’re going to have to take the matter into their own hands.
But just how far are they both prepared to go for the love of their daughter?
Published March 14th by Simon & Schuster UK Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Legal Thriller, Urban Ficiton, Coming-of-Age Story
SYNOPSIS: From the internationally bestselling author of Quicksand, a brilliant, gut-wrenching story of childhood friends torn apart by gang violence and class differences.
Dogge is from affluent Rönnviken in Stockholm. Billy lives in the concrete towers of Våringe, a few hundred yards across a highway but a world apart. They met as six-year-olds at Rönnviken’s playground and have been unlikely best friends ever since. From the outside, Dogge looks privileged: he lives in a large home and there is plenty of money—at first. But his parents are addicts whose negligence becomes a form of abuse. Meanwhile, Billy’s family are poor first-generation immigrants unable to escape the no-go zone where they live. But their cramped apartment is nonetheless a bastion of love.
When gangs tighten their grip on Våringe, a ruthless small-time boss seeks recruits and both Dogge and Billy become runners by the time they’re twelve. Fast cash, easy access to drugs, and the dream of gaining status draw them in. But when Billy wants to leave the gang and finds himself trapped, the boys must face the violent rules of the adult game they tried to play.
When children commit horrible crimes, who bears the responsibility? With piercing prose and a breathless sense of urgency, Deliver Me is at once a poignant portrayal of the power of friendship and a shattering depiction of what happens when society fails to protect those that need it most. What does justice mean for these lost children and is the law capable of delivering it?
Published March 14th by Doubleday Historical Fiction, Literary Ficion
SYNOPSIS: Sometimes the truth lies in the things you cannot see.
In 1830 a young novice called Catherine Labouré was granted a vision of the Virgin Mary. Nearly 200 years later, Sister Anne is also waiting for a sign. Which is why she accepts a mission to go to a tiny community on an island just off the coast of Brittany. Her only companion there is a sceptical, chain-smoking older nun who just wants to be left in peace.
On the island she meets Hugo, the son of a devout family who prefers to look for the meaning of life amid the stars; Madenn, a grandmother whose daughter was killed in a crash and who finds meaning in routine; Isaac, Madenn’s grandson, an otherworldly teenager who doesn’t fit in but who befriends Hugo, and Julia, a sickly child. If anyone needs a miracle, it is her.
But it is not Sister Anne who receives a vision. Instead it is Isaac who is found on a promontary, transfixed, unable to utter more than the words ‘I see’. The event soon becomes headline news and the world descends on the small island, opening old wounds and unleashing a chain of events none of them could have foreseen.
SYNOPSIS: New York Times bestselling author Daisy Goodwin returns with a story of the scandalous love affair between the most celebrated opera singer of all time and one of the richest men in the world. ‘An extraordinary, vivid, and skilful re-imagining of a modern Greek legend’ – Victoria Hislop
In the glittering and ruthlessly competitive world of opera, Maria Callas is known simply as la divina: the divine one. With her glorious voice, instinctive flair for the dramatic and striking beauty, she’s the toast of the grandest opera houses in the world. Yet her fame has been hard won: raised in Nazi-occupied Greece by a mother who mercilessly exploited her, Maria learned early in life how to protect herself.
When she meets the fabulously rich shipping magnate, Aristotle Onassis, her isolation melts away. For the first time in her life, she believes she’s found a man who sees the woman rather than the legendary soprano. Desperately in love, Onassis introduces her to a life of unbelievable luxury, mixing with celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
And then, suddenly, it’s over. The international press announce that Onassis will marry the most famous woman in the world, former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, leaving Maria to pick up the pieces.
In this remarkable novel, Daisy Goodwin brings to life a woman whose extraordinary talent, unremitting drive and natural chic made her a legend. But it was only in confronting the heartbreak of losing the man she loved that Maria Callas found her true voice.
‘I gulped it down… the brilliantly persuasive portrayal of a woman negotiating the demands of her art with an intense emotional life is so compelling’ – Elizabeth Buchan
The Collapsing Wave (The Enceladons Trilogy, 2) by Doug Johnstone
Published March 14th by Orenda Suspense, Science Fiction, Adventure Fiction, Alternative History
SYNOPSIS: Ava, Lennox and Heather make contact with alien Sandy and head for a profound confrontation … The awe-inspiring, exquisitely moving sequel to The Space Between Us, as seen on BBC Two’s Between the Covers.
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Six months since the earth-shattering events of The Space Between Us, the revelatory hope of the aliens’ visit has turned to dust and the creatures have disappeared into the water off Scotland’s west coast.
Teenager Lennox and grieving mother Heather are being held in New Broom, a makeshift US military base, the subject of experiments, alongside the Enceladons who have been captured by the authorities.
Ava, who has given birth, is awaiting the jury verdict at her trial for the murder of her husband. And MI7 agent Oscar Fellowes, who has been sidelined by the US military, is beginning to think he might be on the wrong side of history.
When alien Sandy makes contact, Lennox and Heather make a plan to escape with Ava. All three of them are heading for a profound confrontation between the worst of humanity and a possible brighter future, as the stakes get higher for the alien Enceladons and the entire human race…
Sequel to the bestselling The Space Between Us, The Collapsing Wave is an exquisite, epic first-contact novel, laced with peril and populated by unforgettable characters, and the awe-inspiring book we all need right now…
Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White by Amelie Wen Zhao
Published March 14th by Harper Voyager Fantasy Fiction, High Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Adventure Ficiton, Coming-of-Age Story
SYNOPSIS: The epic sequel to Song of Silver, Flame Like Night. A fast-paced, riveting YA fantasy inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China.
Years ago, the Elantian colonizers invaded Lan’s homeland and killed her mother in their search to uncover the Last Kingdom’s greatest the location of its legendary four Demon Gods. Lan’s mother devoted her life to destroying the Demon Gods, and Lan is determined to finish her mission. Yet, there are others searching for the gods, too.
Zen knew his soul was forfeit the moment he made a deal with the Demon God known as the Black Tortoise, but he’s willing to lose himself if it means saving the Kingdom–and the girl–he loves. But to crush the colonizers who have invaded his land he needs more power than even a single Demon God can provide. He needs an army. And he knows exactly where he can find it–in the undead army his great grandfather lead decades ago.
The Elantians may have stolen their throne, but the battle for the Last Kingdom has only begun.
Published March 19th by Quercus Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction, Alternative History
SYNOPSIS: ‘Rebecca Serle is a maestro of love in all its forms’ – GABRIELLE ZEVIN, author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
‘Everything you could wish for in a love story – beautifully told, effortlessly romantic, and surprising in the very best of ways’ – HOLLY MILLER, author of What Might Have Been
Daphne has never left her love life to chance. The truth is, she can’t. . . Every time she meets a man, a note will arrive. On it, a name and a date. An expiration date.
Without fail, Daphne has always known when her next relationship will end. So when a note arrives with only a name on it: Jake, she is sure this is it. Finally, her own happy ever after.
But is it. . .? Because Daphne has another secret, and this one has the power to break Jake’s heart. Will their love story have an expiration date, or is fate on Daphne’s side at last?
A heartbreaking and emotional read from the queen of unexpected love stories.
Published March 21st by Bantam Press Historical Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Mythology, Greek Mythology,
SYNOPSIS: From an unmissable new voice comes the powerful and epic story of mythology’s darkest heroine
‘Delightfully devastating’ Bea Fitzgerald, author of Girl, Goddess, Queen
‘A fiery and dramaticnovel, starring one of mythology’s most notorious women, this is a fascinating descent into darkness‘ Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne
‘Full of thwarted love and dark magic . . . Vivid and powerful, this is a book with teeth‘ Luna McNamara, author of Psyche and Eros
_____________________________________
Shunned. Persecuted. Tormented. Medea longs for a different life. Since childhood, she has been separated from her sister, shunned by her mother, and persecuted and tormented by her brother and father. All because of a unique and dangerous talent: witchcraft.
Fierce. Powerful. Sorceress. But when a dashing young hero, Jason, arrives to claim the famed Golden Fleece that her father fiercely protects, Medea sees her opportunity for escape. Her offer to help Jason overcome the trials set by her father sets in motion a journey that will test every ounce of her strength, magic and loyalty; a journey that will see her battle monsters, dethrone kings and fall in love.
When faced with the ultimate betrayal, Medea is driven to an act of desperation so brutal it rips apart the lives of everyone involved…
Published March 21st by Orion Mystery, Susspense, Thriller, Historical Mystery
SYNOPSIS: The thrilling and unputdownable new novel from bestselling author of The Clockwork Girl, Anna Mazzola!
‘Vividly alive with menace, magic, and mystery’ESSIE FOX
‘Exceptional. Anna Mazzola’s finest work yet’ ELODIE HARPER
Rome, 1659.
Months after the plague has ravaged Rome, men are still dying in unnatural numbers, and rumour has it that their corpses do not decay as they should. The Papal authorities commission prosecutor Stefano Bracchi to investigate, telling him he will need considerable mettle to reach the truth.
To the west of the Tiber, Girolama and her female friends are at work, helping other women with childbirths and foretelling their futures. Elsewhere in the city, a young wife, Anna, must find a way to escape her abusive husband. But in a city made by men for men, there are no easy paths out.
Stefano’s investigation at the Tor di Nona prison will introduce him to horror, magic and an astonishing cast of characters. He will be left wondering if certain deeds should remain forever unpunished…
The Book of Secrets is inspired by real events that took place in 17th century Italy.
Published March 21st by Pan Macmillan Historical Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Mythology, Norse and Viking Mythology
SYNOPSIS: A must-read for fans of Circe, Song of the Huntress recasts the folklore behind the Wild Hunt into a dark, feminist fantasy set amidst the legends and beauty of ancient Britain.
Britain, 60 AD. Hoping to save her lover and her land from the Romans, Herla makes a desperate pact with the Otherworld King. She becomes Lord of the Hunt and for centuries she rides, reaping wanderers’ souls. Until the night she meets a woman on a bloody battlefield – a Saxon queen with ice-blue eyes.
Queen Æthelburg of Wessex is a proven fighter, but after a battlefield defeat she finds her husband’s court turning against her. Yet King Ine needs Æthel more than ever: the dead kings of Wessex are waking, and Ine must master his bloodline’s ancient magic if they are to survive.
When their paths cross, Herla knows it’s no coincidence. Something dark and dangerous is at work in the Wessex court. As she and Æthel grow closer, Herla must find her humanity – and a way to break the curse – before it’s too late.
‘Striking, bold and beautifully written’ – Angela Slatter, author of The Briar Book of the Dead
Published March 21st by Corvus Contemporary Ficiton, Romantic Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Horror, Psychological Fiction
SYNOPSIS: ‘Grips your emotions from the very first page … a love story not to miss’ Holly Miller What if your soulmate could only ever be the love of your afterlife?
The first time Emery’s heart stops, she is only five years old…
Emery is born with a heart condition that means her heart could quite literally stop at any moment. The people around her know what to do – if they act quickly enough there will be no lasting damage, and Emery’s heart can be restarted. But when this happens, she is briefly technically dead.
Each time Emery’s heart stops, she meets Nick. His purpose is to help people adjust to the fact that they are dead, to help them say goodbye, before they move on entirely. He does not usually meet people more than once – but with Emery, he is able to make a connection, and he finds himself drawn to her.
As Emery’s life progresses, and she goes through ups and downs, she finds that a part of her is longing for those moments when her heart will stop – so that she can see Nick again.
This is the story of two fated lovers who long for each other, but are destined never to share more than a few fleeting moments – because if they were to be together, it would mean the end of Emery’s life.
Published March 21st by Michael Joseph Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction
SYNOPSIS: ‘The Haven is a smart, fierce thriller about an unravelling family, a corrupted utopia, and the wild hearts of teenage girls. I couldn’t look away’ Lauren Beukes, internationally bestselling author of The Shining Girls
The Haven is a taut and propulsive story of a family in crisis, a shattering of innocence, and a savage fight for survival. I couldn’t put it down. – Sunday Times bestselling author Karen Perry ‘Wow – what a book. I could not put it down.’ READER REVIEW
Sixteen year old Cass Sawyer wakes up in the woods with a head injury. She has no recollection of what happened.
But she recognises where she is. The Haven. The idyllic, off-grid retreat her parents claimed would heal their broken family.
As Cass searches the now deserted buildings, memories begin to trickle through.
Her father’s erratic behaviour. Her mother’s pleas that they go back to town. The Haven’s charismatic, free-spirited leader. The strange girls that hang on his every word.
And a nagging feeling: that Cass has done something terribly wrong.
What happened at The Haven? Where is Cass’s family? And will they ever escape?
Published March 21st by Trapeze Literary Fiction, Humorous Fiction
SYNOPSIS: “Genuinely new, bold and fascinating. Anoushka Warden is a true talent.” – Deborah Frances-White, author of The Guilty Feminist Maybe fannies and long-term love just don’t work well together . . .
Hers used to work perfectly. It found her fingerings, orgasms and love. But now, as she moves into her thirties completely committed to Serious Boyfriend Number Three…
It can’t get wet. It hurts. It might be broken. Surely there must be some way to get it going again?
Setting off on a desperate quest to fix her fanny, there’s no limit to what she’ll try. But nothing seems to be working…
What becomes of happily-ever-after for a woman who can’t stand sex with the best guy ever?
I’m F*cking Amazing is a hilariously frank, sharp and relatable tale of love, sex, pain and self-determination from a brilliant new voice in fiction, Anoushka Warden
Published March 21st by Viking Journalistic Writing, Violence and Crime in Society
SYNOPSIS: Three women. Three blazing stories of violent resistance. Three complicated paths to justice.
Brittany Smith, a young Alabama woman, killed a man she said raped her in her home, but was denied a self-defense claim.
Angoori Dahariya led a gang in Uttar Pradesh, India, dedicated to avenging victims of domestic abuse.
Cicek Mustafa Zibo fought in a thousands-strong all-female militia that battled ISIS in Syria.
Each woman has been criticised for their actions by those who believe that violence is never the answer; yet each has transmuted a story of pain into a story of power.
In this intimate, shocking and rigorous investigation, award-winning journalist Elizabeth Flock examines the lives of three women who chose to use lethal force to gain power, safety, and freedom when the institutions meant to protect them – government, police, courts – utterly failed to do so. In luminous prose, Flock asks searching questions about cultures in which violence seems like the only means of survival, where deeply ingrained ideas about masculinity have helped breed the unsafe conditions that women face.
Can women’s acts of vengeance help to create lasting change in misogynistic and paternalistic systems, or will they ultimately hurt their cause? The novelistic accounts of these three women offer profound insights into the quest for understanding what a society where women have real power might look like.
Published March 26th by Quercus Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Literary Fiction, Humorous Ficiton, Crime Series
SYNOPSIS: The biggest debut of 2024 and a hilarious mystery with a killer hook. Perfect for fans of Knives Out and Only Murders in the Building. FRANCES ALWAYS SAID SHE’D BE MURDERED… SHE WAS RIGHT.
In 1965, seventeen-year-old Frances Adams was told by a fortune teller that one day she’d be murdered. Frances spent the next sixty years trying to prevent the crime that would be her eventual demise. Of course, no one took her seriously – until she was dead.
For Frances, being the village busybody was a form of insurance. She’d spent a lifetime compiling dirt on every person she met, just in case they might turn out to be her killer. In the heart of her sprawling country estate lies an eccentric library of detective work, where the right person could step in and use her findings to solve her murder.
When her great-niece Annie arrives from London and discovers that Frances’ worst fear has come true, Annie is thrust into her great-aunt’s last act of revenge against her sceptical friends and family. Frances’ will stipulates that the person who solves her murder will inherit her millions.
Can Annie unravel the mystery and find justice for Frances, or will digging up the past lead her into the path of the killer?
Publsihed March 28th by Avon Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller
SYNOPSIS: The only way to stop a stalker is to become one yourself…
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer…
Alexandra, Lucy, Bridget, River and Natalie. Five friends who wish they’d never met. Because the one thing they have in common is the worst thing in their lives: they are all being stalked.
When one of their group is murdered, days after their stalker is released from prison, time stands still for them all. They know their lives could end just as brutally at any moment – all it takes is for the people they fear the most to catch up with them.
When the group receive a threat that one of them will die in ten days’ time, the terror that stalks their daily lives becomes all-consuming. But they know they don’t want to be victims anymore – it’s time to turn the tables and finally get their revenge.
Because the only way to stop a stalker is to become one yourself…
The multimillion bestseller returns with her most propulsive and addictive book yet. A chilling and terrifyingly real thriller that will keep you up all night – and looking over your shoulder for days to come…
Published March 28th by Hemlock Press Mystery, Suspense, Pyshcological Fiction, Crime Fiction, Coming-of-Age Story
SYNOPSIS: *The breathtaking new novel from the bestselling author of Girl A*
Marty told the reporters that she saw it happen. She saw the gunman enter the hall. She saw her mother die trying to protect them all.
That’s the version of Day One Marty wishes was true.
But strange inconsistencies in her story begin to surface. Details that don’t add up. Questions she can’t answer.
The story ignites. Amidst the media frenzy, conspiracy theorists become obsessed with exposing what really happened. And at the epicentre of it all is a small community changed forever. Survivors crushed by guilt. Families torn in half. Outsiders consumed by the hunt for truth.
Each has their own version of Day One. Each must grapple with this tragedy, even as fanatics question whether it ever really happened at all.
But what did Marty really see?
And why would she lie?
As events spiral out of control, the true story is revealed, piece by shocking piece. Day One is an unflinching and heart-breaking exploration of our obsession with tragedy – and what it really means to live it.
The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
Published March 28th by Raven Books Thriller, Mystery, Science Ficiton, Supernatural Fiction, Contemporary Fantasy, Dystopian
SYNOPSIS: Solve the murder to save what’s left of the world. ‘A mind-bending, genre-blending, boy-that-ending mystery unlike any I’ve ever read’ A. J. FINN ‘I loved it’ C. J. TUDOR ‘An absolute blast’ BENJAMIN STEVENSON ‘Wildly inventive’ M. W. CRAVEN ‘Believe the hype’ ALICE BELL ‘Extraordinary’ WILL DEAN
Outside the island there is nothing: the world destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. On the island: it is idyllic. 122 villagers and 3 scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they’re told by the scientists.
Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And they learn the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay.
If the murder isn’t solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island – and everyone on it.
But the security system has also wiped everyone’s memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer – and they don’t even know it.
The outstanding new high-concept murder mystery from the Sunday Times bestselling and Costa Book Award winning author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. An ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop, an audacious solution.
Leave No Trace ( Kat & Lock Book 2) by Jo Callaghan
Published March 28th by Simon & Schuster UK Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Crime Series, Science Fiction
SYNOPSIS: DCS Kat Frank and AIDE Lock return in the provocative new thriller from the author of In the Blink of an Eye.
‘A smart, agile, immaculately plotted and moving thriller that is unswervingly gripping and scary, and at the same time beautifully tender and humane’ NICCI FRENCH ‘Chilled me to the bone and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Callaghan writes with such intelligence; interspersing humour with moments of utter heartbreak’ NIKKI SMITH
One detective driven by instinct, the other by logic. It will take both to find a killer who knows the true meaning of fear . . .
When the body of a man is found crucified at the top of Mount Judd, AIDE Lock – the world’s first AI Detective – and DCS Kat Frank are thrust into the spotlight as they are given their first live case.
But with the discovery of another man’s body – also crucified – it appears that their killer is only just getting started. With the police warning local men to be vigilant, the Future Policing Unit is thrust into a hostile media frenzy as they desperately search for connections between the victims. But time is running out for them to join the dots and prevent another death.
For if Kat and Lock know anything, it’s that killers rarely stop – until they are made to.
The Mind of a Murderer (Dr Olivia Winter Book 1) by Michael Wood
Published March 28th by One More Chapter Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction, Police Procedural, Crime Series
SYNOPSIS: The best person to understand a serial killer is one of his victims.
Meet Dr Olivia Winter.
‘I was hooked from the first page… mind-blowing and gripping. I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment’ Angela Marsons ‘Chilling, unnerving [and] pacey’ John Marrs ‘A searingly intense, utterly captivating character-driven thriller, and destined to be one of 2024’s most memorable pieces of crime fiction’ B P Walter ‘Perfectly paced – intriguing and relentless through to a pitch perfect conclusion’ Will Shindler
A DARK PAST
Dr Olivia Winter is a forensic psychologist whose job is to understand the minds of serial killers. There’s only one monster she can’t understand, her father.
A NEW IDENTITY
Notorious and brutal, he held a reign of terror until he was caught. His nine-year-old daughter was supposed to be his last victim, but she survived.
A SERIAL KILLER WHO WILL STOP AT NOTHING
Now, a serial killer is stalking the streets of London. As the body count rises, the police need Olivia’s help to profile him before he can strike again. But to do so, she will need to confront her own demons…
Published March 28th by Michael Joseph Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Horror Fiction, Ghost Story
SYNOPSIS: GET READY FOR THE SCARIEST READ OF 2024 – a gripping new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Cold Cases
********* April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn.
They’re on a long dark road, late at night, and they see a woman up ahead, clearly in trouble.
They stop and pick her up. It’s only once she’s in the car that they see the blood.
And then they see the headlights, and at last, the woman speaks, her voice faint. “I’m sorry, he’s coming.” Ingeniously plotted and heartstoppingly terrifying, are you ready to uncover the secret of Murder Road?
Published March 28th by Pan Macmillan Thriller, Pscyhological Thriller
SYNOPSIS: The Trade Off from Sandie Jones – the author of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, The Other Woman – is an addictive, page-turning psychological thriller about how far a journalist will go to get the story. Everyone has a price. What’s yours?
Would you print a lie across a front page?
For Stella, Deputy Editor of The Globe, the choice has always been clear. There is no stone she will leave unturned in her pursuit of the best story. It’s what she’s built her reputation on.
For Jess, The Globe’s rookie reporter, the story stops when the truth does. But she knows that the dirty tricks of the tabloids will be hard to overturn.
And when the subject of the story Jess is working on pays the ultimate price, she suspects that the paper may have had more to do with it than they’re letting on . . .
What price would you pay to uncover the truth if someone is prepared to kill to bury it?
Published March 28th by Harper 360 Historical Romance, Mythology, Fairy Tale, Saga, Romance Novel, Adventure Fiction, Greek Mythology, LGBTQ Literature
SYNOPSIS: ‘As I read Orphia and Eurydicius I imagined the muses beside Elyse John, focussing her mind and guiding her hand. The writing is poetic and evocative, and the story will thrill readers who have long suspected something is missing from the classics of Greek Myth.’ Pip Williams, author of The Dictionary of Lost Words
Their love transcends every boundary. Can it cheat death? Orphia dreams of something more than the warrior crafts she’s been forced to learn. Hidden away on a far-flung island, her blood sings with poetry and her words can move flowers to bloom and forests to grow … but her father, the sun god Apollo, has forbidden her this art. A chance meeting with a young shield-maker, Eurydicius, gives her the courage to use her voice. After wielding all her gifts to defeat one final champion, Orphia draws the scrutiny of the gods. Performing her poetry, she wins the protection of the goddesses of the arts: the powerful Muses, who welcome her to their sanctuary on Mount Parnassus. Orphia learns to hone her talents, crafting words of magic infused with history, love and tragedy. When Eurydicius joins her, Orphia struggles with her desire for fame and her budding love. As her bond with the gentle shield-maker grows, she joins the Argonauts on their quest for the Golden Fleece. Facing dragons, sirens and ruthless warriors on the voyage, Orphia earns unparalleled fame, but she longs to return to Eurydicius. Yet she has a darker journey to make – one which will see her fight for her love with all the power of her poetry.
Published March 28th by Zaffre Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
SYNOPSIS: ‘Brimming with hope, heart and intrigue’ JESSICA RYN
‘What a beautiful, compelling book! . . . I loved it’ HEMA SUKUMAR
‘A real hug of a book’ HAZEL PRIOR
You can choose your home, but you can’t choose who lives next door . . .
Twenty-five-year-old Kat Bennett has never felt at home anywhere, especially not in crumbling Shelley House. The other residents think she’s prickly and unapproachable, but beneath her tough exterior, Kat is plagued by guilt from her past and looking for somewhere to belong.
Seventy-seven-year-old Dorothy Darling has lived in Shelley House for longer than anyone else, and if you believe the other tenants, she’s as cantankerous and vindictive as they come. Dorothy may spend her days spying on the neighbours, but she has a closely guarded secret herself – and a good reason for barely leaving her home.
When their building faces demolition, sworn enemies Kat and Dorothy become unlikely allies in their quest to save their historic home; and even less likely detectives when they suspect that foul play is coming from within Shelley House . . .
Published March 28th by Cornerstone Contemporary Romance, Coming-of-Age Story
SYNOPSIS: Two epic love stories. One impossible choice. The stunning new novel from Paige Toon.
Six summers ago
Liv and Finn meet working in a bar on the rugged Cornish coastline, their futures full of promise. When a night of passion ends in devastating tragedy they are bound together inextricably. But Finn’s life is in LA with his band, and Liv’s is in Cornwall with her family – so they make a promise. Finn will return every year, and if they are single they will spend the summer together.
This summer
Liv crosses paths with Tom – a mysterious new arrival in her hometown. As the wildflowers and heather come into bloom, they find themselves falling for one another. For the first time Liv can imagine a world where her heart isn’t broken every year.
Now Liv must make an impossible choice. And when she discovers the shocking reason that Tom has left home, she’ll need to trust her heart even more . . .
The Good, the Bad and the Aunties by Jesse Sutanto
Published March 28th by HQ Mystery, Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Dark Comedy, Domestic Fiction
SYNOPSIS: ‘Another on point mix of humour, chaos and quirky fun’ Katy Brent, How to Kill Men and Get Away With It
The laugh-out-loud new novel from the bestselling author of Dial A For Aunties, winner of the Comedy Women In Print Prize 2021
It’s Chinese New Year, a time to celebrate…
Fresh from their honeymoon, Meddy and Nathan meet the Aunties in Jakarta for a family celebration. Amid the festivities, an old flame of Second Aunt’s arrives with extravagant gifts. Unfortunately, not all the presents were meant for them.
NOT the time to start an all-out war.
The most important gift goes missing, putting Meddy and the Aunties in the middle of a feud between Jakarta’s most powerful business moguls – and in great danger. To save her loved ones, Meddy must organise a search party, a break-in and a kidnapping. It might sound like an impossible mission– but with the Aunties by her side, nothing is impossible… just complicated.
Praise for Jesse Sutanto and Dial A For Aunties:
‘Had me laughing aloud within its first five pages. Charming, hilarious and heartfelt’ Emily Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read
Published March 28th by Avon Mystery, Dark Comedy, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Contemporary Romance
SYNOPSIS: ‘A masterclass in murder. Millie is the serial killer you never knew you needed in your life.’ LM Chilton
Are you on a date that doesn’t feel right?
Can’t shake that creepy guy at the bar?
Worried you’re being followed home?
Message M.
After one too many terrifying encounters, Millie Masters sets up a hotline for women who feel unsafe walking home alone at night: Message M.
But very quickly she realises that there’s much more to be done to help the women who call in. Because the men just do it again the next night, and the next, and the next…
And when her own sister is assaulted on a night out, the temptation to take the law into her own hands becomes too much to resist.
Because M can also stand for murder…
A deliciously dark, hilariously twisted serial killer thriller with a villainous female lead. Perfect for fans of Bella Mackie’s How to Kill Your Family, Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer, or anyone who enjoyed watching You.
Published March 28th by Michael Joseph Contemporary Romance, Domestic Fiction, Literary Fiction
SYNOPSIS: ‘An absolute delight. A lovely novel full of warmth, courage and heart,Jenny Quinn is a heroine you’ll cheer for every step of the way’ A J Pearce, bestselling author of Dear Mrs Bird
‘A charming, heartfelt and uplifting novel about love, family and the emotive power of home baking.I loved every minute of it!’ Libby Page, bestselling author of The Lido
‘Perfectly baked, utterly delicious, and completely moreish. Mrs Quinn is destined to become the nation’s favourite’ Clare Pooley, bestselling author of The Authenticity Project
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Mrs Quinn is the unlikely star of Britain’s favourite baking show, but could her newfound stardom cause her biggest secret to unravel?
Jennifer Quinn has a secret. Her love of baking has just won her a spot as a contestant on a primetime TV show. It’s only the second time in fifty-nine years that she’s kept something from her beloved husband Bernard.
She’s about to be whisked into an unfamiliar world of cameras, timed challenges and celebrity judges. She could be in with a chance of being crowned the best baker in Britain.
But, as Mrs Quinn’s quiet ambitions turn into unexpected stardom, the other secret she’s been keeping is in danger of resurfacing. It was supposed to stay hidden forever.
Will Mrs Quinn rise to the challenge? Or, will her success become a recipe for disaster?
Published March 28th by Manilla Press Historical Fiction, Domestic Fiction
SYNOPSIS: ‘LOVED it. Tightly-plotted elegance, 50s glamour and suspense. Put it on your lists’ Jessie Burton
A dark and dazzling debut from a beguiling new voice – for fans of Beautiful Ruins and Lessons in Chemistry.
Lois Saunders thought that marrying the right man would finally cure her loneliness. But as picture-perfect as her husband is, she is suffocating in their loveless marriage. In 1951, though, unhappiness is hardly grounds for divorce – except in Reno, Nevada.
At the Golden Yarrow, the most respectable of Reno’s ‘divorce ranches’ Lois finds herself living with half a dozen other would-be divorcees, all in Reno for the six weeks’ residency that is the state’s only divorce requirement. They spend their days riding horses and their nights flirting with cowboys, and it’s as wild and fun as Lake Forest, Illinois, was prim and stifling. But it isn’t until Greer Lange arrives that Lois’s world truly cracks open . . .
Gorgeous, beguiling, and completely indifferent to societal convention, Greer is unlike anyone Lois has ever met – and she sees something in Lois that no one else ever has. Under her influence, Lois begins to push against the limits that have always restrained her. But how much can she really trust her mysterious new friend? And how far will she go to forge her independence, on her own terms?
Set in the glamourous, dizzying world of 1950s Reno, THE DIVORCEES is a dark, riveting page-turner and a dazzling exploration of female friendship, desire, and freedom.
‘I straight up loved it. It’s so stylish, so elegant, each sentence a delectable little treat . . . and the nods towards darkness and things unravelling are so thrilling and chicly done’ Elizabeth Macneal, bestselling author of The Doll Factory
The Chain: The Relationships That Break Us , the Women Who Rebuild Us by Chimene Suleyman
Published March 28th by W&N Biography, Autobiography
SYNOPSIS: In January 2017, Chimene Suleyman was on her way to an abortion clinic in Queens, New York with her boyfriend, the father of her nascent child. It was the last day they would spend together. In an extraordinary sequence of events, Chimene was to discover the truth of her boyfriend’s life: that she and many other women had been subtly, patiently and painfully betrayed.
In this spellbinding memoir, she exposes one man’s control over many women and the trauma he left behind, and celebrates the sisterhood that formed in his wake despite – and in spite of – him. Exploring how women are duped every day by individuals, she interrogates how society itself continually allows this to happen. She demonstrates that, no matter how intelligent, educated or self-aware they might be, over time a woman can be played into performing the age-old role of giver and nurturer: self-sacrificing and subordinate.
Both a devastating personal testimony and a searing indictment of persistent misogyny, The Chain is a book for any woman who has questioned her relationship and buried her doubts, for any woman who can’t quite identify the source of her unease and for any woman who has been sheltered by the fierce protection of her female friends.
Welcome to First Lines Friday where I share the first lines from one of the books on my shelves to try and tempt you to add it to yours.
“I will tell you a story. Seven years ago, when I was a child of ten, I became lost in the woods. My sisters and I had been travelling the road that skims the coast like a stone from Ditagel. I loved our summer home – a spume-silvered rock of houses and workshops, it’s docks piled high with amphorae. But there is a place, many leagues to the east, where the road slows, turning inland. It loses itself amongst the trees, straying into giant country. Branches interlace here, it is easy to slip away into the green space between the giant’s fingers. Easy for a careless child to disappear.”
I don’t know about you, but those lines just make me want to keep reading. So what book are they from? The answer is…
Sistersong by Lucy Holland. This stunning debut was released April 1st and is one I’m hoping to read this month.
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SYNOPSIS:
Betrayal. Magic. Murder. A tale of three siblings and three deadly sins. In a magical ancient Britain, bards sing a story of treachery, love and death. This is that story. For fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe, Lucy Holland’s Sistersong retells the folk ballad ‘The Two Sisters.’
King Cador’s children inherit a land abandoned by the Romans, torn by warring tribes. Riva can cure others, but can’t heal her own scars. Keyne battles to be seen as the king’s son, although born a daughter. And Sinne dreams of love, longing for adventure.
All three fear a life of confinement within the walls of the hold, their people’s last bastion of strength against the invading Saxons. However, change comes on the day ash falls from the sky – bringing Myrdhin, meddler and magician. The siblings discover the power that lies within them and the land. But fate also brings Tristan, a warrior whose secrets will tear them apart.
Riva, Keyne and Sinne become entangled in a web of treachery and heartbreak, and must fight to forge their own paths. It’s a story that will shape the destiny of Britain.
Sistersong is a powerfully moving story, perfect for readers who loved Naomi Novik’s Uprooted and Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale.
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How incredible does that sound? I’m really excited to read this one after anticipating it for so long. Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Black Crow PR for my gifted copy.
You can buy the book here* *This is an affiliate link
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Thanks for reading Bibliophiles. See you next Friday for more first lines xxx
April is almost upon us, so it’s time for another month of anticipated books.
April is a busy month in the publishing world and a lot of books I’m looking forward to are being released. That made this month’s list extremely difficult to compile and is the reason that my ‘slimmed down’ list still stands at a whopping twenty-five books!
Are any of these on your tbr? Let me know in the comments…
Girl in the Walls by A. J. Gnuse
Published: April 1st, 2021 Publisher: Fourth Estate Genre: Gothic Fiction, Suspense, Bildungsroman, Coming-of-Age Story
SYNOPSIS: She doesn’t exist. She can’t exist.
‘A uniquely gothic tale about grief, belonging and hiding in plain sight’ Jess Kidd, author of Things in Jars
’Those who live in the walls must adjust, must twist themselves around in their home, stretching themselves until they’re as thin as air. Not everyone can do what they can. But soon enough, they can’t help themselves. Signs of their presence remain in a house. Eventually, every hidden thing is found.’
Elise knows every inch of the house. She knows which boards will creak. She knows where the gaps are in the walls. She knows which parts can take her in, hide her away. It’s home, after all. The home her parents made for her. And home is where you stay, no matter what.
Eddie calls the same house his home. Eddie is almost a teenager now. He must no longer believe in the girl he sometimes sees from the corner of his eye. He needs her to disappear. But when his older brother senses her, too, they are faced with a question: how do they get rid of someone they aren’t sure even exists?
And, if they cast her out, what other threats might they invite in?
Published: April 1st, 2021 Publisher: Two Roads Genre: Contemporary Fantasy, Domestic Fiction
SYNOPSIS: Madame Burova – Tarot Reader, Palmist and Clairvoyant is retiring and leaving her booth on the Brighton seafront after fifty years.
Imelda Burova has spent a lifetime keeping other people’s secrets and her silence has come at a price. She has seen the lovers and the liars, the angels and the devils, the dreamers and the fools. Her cards had unmasked them all and her cards never lied. But Madame Burova is weary of other people’s lives, their ghosts from the past and other people’s secrets, she needs rest and a little piece of life for herself. Before that, however, she has to fulfill a promise made a long time ago. She holds two brown envelopes in her hand, and she has to deliver them.
In London, it is time for another woman to make a fresh start. Billie has lost her university job, her marriage, and her place in the world when she discovers something that leaves her very identity in question. Determined to find answers, she must follow a trail which might just lead right to Madame Burova’s door.
In a story spanning over fifty years, Ruth Hogan conjures a magical world of 1970s holiday camps and seaside entertainers, eccentrics, heroes and villains, the lost and the found. Young people, with their lives before them, make choices which echo down the years. And a wall of death rider is part of a love story which will last through time.
SYNOPSIS: When seventeen-year-old Emma leaves her best friend Abi at a party in the woods, she believes, like most girls her age, that their lives are just beginning. Many things will happen that night, but Emma will never see her friend again.
Abi’s disappearance cracks open the façade of the small town of Whistling Ridge, its intimate history of long-held grudges and resentment. Even within Abi’s family, there are questions to be asked – of Noah, the older brother whom Abi betrayed, of Jude, the shining younger sibling who hides his battle scars, of Dolly, her mother and Samuel, her father – both in thrall to the fire and brimstone preacher who holds the entire town in his grasp. Then there is Rat, the outsider, whose presence in the town both unsettles and excites those around him.
Anything could happen in Whistling Ridge, this tinder box of small-town rage, and all it will take is just one spark – the truth of what really happened that night out at the Tall Bones….
London, 1665. Hidden within the growing pile of corpses in his churchyard, Rector Symon Patrick discovers a victim of the pestilence unlike any he has seen before: a young woman with a shorn head, covered in burns, and with pieces of twine delicately tied around each wrist and ankle.
Desperate to discover the culprit, Symon joins a society of eccentric medical men who have gathered to find a cure for the plague. Someone is performing terrible experiments upon the dying, hiding their bodies amongst the hundreds that fill the death carts.
Only Penelope – a new and mysterious addition to Symon’s household – may have the skill to find the killer. Far more than what she appears, she is already on the hunt. But the dark presence that enters the houses of the sick will not stop, and has no mercy…
SYNOPSIS: 1906: Being a woman is dangerous, being different is deadly.
Maud Lovell has been at Angelton Lunatic Asylum for five years. She is not sure how she came to be there and knows nothing beyond its four walls. She is hysterical, distressed, untrustworthy. Badly unstable and prone to violence. Or so she has been told.
When a new doctor arrives, keen to experiment with the revolutionary practice of medical hypnosis, Maud’s lack of history makes her the perfect case study. But as Doctor Dimmond delves deeper into the past, it becomes clear that confinement and high doses are there to keep her silent.
When Maud finally remembers what has been done to her, and by whom, her mind turns to her past and to revenge.
Published: April 1st, 2021 Publisher: Pan Macmillan Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Fairy Tale
SYNOPSIS: Betrayal. Magic. Murder. A tale of three siblings and three deadly sins.
In a magical ancient Britain, bards sing a story of treachery, love and death. This is that story.
For fans of Madeline Miller’s Circe, Lucy Holland’s Sistersong retells the folk ballad ‘The Two Sisters.’
King Cador’s children inherit a land abandoned by the Romans, torn by warring tribes. Riva can cure others, but can’t heal her own scars. Keyne battles to be seen as the king’s son, although born a daughter. And Sinne dreams of love, longing for adventure.
All three fear a life of confinement within the walls of the hold, their people’s last bastion of strength against the invading Saxons. However, change comes on the day ash falls from the sky – bringing Myrdhin, meddler and magician. The siblings discover the power that lies within them and the land. But fate also brings Tristan, a warrior whose secrets will tear them apart.
Riva, Keyne and Sinne become entangled in a web of treachery and heartbreak, and must fight to forge their own paths. It’s a story that will shape the destiny of Britain.
Sistersong is a powerfully moving story, perfect for readers who loved Naomi Novik’s Uprooted and Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale.
Published: April 1st, 2021 Publisher: The Borough Press Genre: Historical Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Domestic Fiction, Coming-of-Age Fiction, LGBTQ Literature
SYNOPSIS: 1921: a boy, a girl, a moonlit midnight kiss.
A terrible, repulsive kiss.
Bettina and Bart have grown up as best friends, so surely they will end up together? After all, Bettina is young, rich, headstrong…. and gay. Bart is young, rich, charismatic… and also, definitely, gay. Any doubts are dispelled by, in short order: that ghastly kiss; a torrid encounter for Bettina in the school boiler-rooms; and an eye-opening Parisian visit for Bart.
Society will never stand for it. What else can they do but enter into a ‘lavender marriage’ and carry on indulging their true natures in secret? As the ’20s and ’30s whizz past in a haze of cigarettes, champagne and casual sex, Bart and Bettina have no idea that they are hurtling, via Hollywood and Egypt, Paris and London, towards tragedy and bloodshed…
SYNOPSIS: Gunpowder and treason changed England forever. But the tides are turning and revenge runs deep in this compelling historical thriller for fans of C.J. Sansom, Andrew Taylor’s Ashes of London, Kate Mosse and Blood & Sugar.
1606. A year to the day that men were executed for conspiring to blow up Parliament, a towering wave devastates the Bristol Channel. Some proclaim God’s vengeance. Others seek to take advantage.
In London, Daniel Pursglove lies in prison waiting to die. But Charles FitzAlan, close adviser to King James I, has a job in mind that will free a man of Daniel’s skill from the horrors of Newgate. If he succeeds.
For Bristol is a hotbed of Catholic spies, and where better for the lone conspirator who evaded arrest, one Spero Pettingar, to gather allies than in the chaos of a drowned city? Daniel journeys there to investigate FitzAlan’s lead, but soon finds himself at the heart of a dark Jesuit conspiracy – and in pursuit of a killer.
SYNOPSIS: Swan Lake is divided into the black acts and the white acts. The Prince is on stage for most of the ballet, but it’s the swans audiences flock to see. In early productions, Odette and Odile were performed by two different dancers. These days, it is usual for the same dancer to play both roles. Because of the faultless ballet technique required to master the steps, and the emotional range needed to perform both the virginal Odette and the dark, seductive Odile, this challenging dual role is one of the most coveted in all ballet. Dancers would kill for the part.
Ava Kirilova has reached the very top of her profession. After years and years of hard graft, pain and sacrifice as part of the London Russian Ballet Company, allowing nothing else to distract her, she is finally the poster girl for Swan Lake. Even Mr K – her father, and the intense, terrifying director of the company – can find no fault. Ava has pushed herself ahead of countless other talented, hardworking girls, and they are all watching her now.
But there is someone who really wants to see Ava fall . . .
SYNOPSIS: In 1901, the word ‘bondmaid’ was discovered missing from the Oxford English Dictionary. This is the story of the girl who stole it.
Motherless and irrepressibly curious, Esme spends her childhood in the Scriptorium, a garden shed in Oxford where her father and a team of lexicographers are gathering words for the very first Oxford English Dictionary.
Esme’s place is beneath the sorting table, unseen and unheard. One day, she sees a slip containing the word ‘bondmaid’ flutter to the floor unclaimed.
Over time, Esme realises that some words are considered more important than others, and that words and meanings relating to women’s experiences often go unrecorded. She begins to collect words for another dictionary: The Dictionary of Lost Words.
Published: April 15th, 2021 Publisher: Pan Macmillan Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Crime Fiction, Domestic Fiction
SYNOPSIS: Twenty-one years ago, Dr Richard Carter and his wife Pamela were killed in what has become the most infamous double murder of the modern age.
Their ten year-old daughter – nicknamed the Angel of Death – spent eight years in a children’s secure unit and is living quietly under an assumed name with a family of her own.
Now, on the anniversary of the trial, a documentary team has tracked down her older sister, compelling her to break two decades of silence.
Her explosive interview sparks national headlines and journalist Brinley Booth, a childhood friend of the Carter sisters, is tasked with covering the news story.
For the first time, the three women are forced to confront what really happened that night – with devastating consequences for them all.
SYNOPSIS: A book to watch out for from a stunning new voice in thriller writing, as selected by the i, Daily Mail, Grazia, Culture Fly and her.ie.
Helen has it all…
Daniel is the perfect husband. Rory is the perfect brother. Serena is the perfect sister-in-law.
And Rachel? Rachel is the perfect nightmare.
When Helen, finally pregnant after years of tragedy, attends her first antenatal class, she is expecting her loving architect husband to arrive soon after, along with her confident, charming brother Rory and his pregnant wife, the effortlessly beautiful Serena. What she is not expecting is Rachel.
Extroverted, brash, unsettling single mother-to-be Rachel, who just wants to be Helen’s friend. Who just wants to get know Helen and her friends and her family. Who just wants to know everything about them. Every little secret.
Masterfully plotted and utterly addictive, Greenwich Park is a dark, compelling look at motherhood, friendships, privilege and the secrets we keep to protect ourselves.
Published: April 15th, 2021 Publisher: Picador Genre: Literary Fiction, Saga
SYNOPSIS: Five generations of women, linked by blood and circumstance, by the secrets they share, and by a single book passed down through a family, with an affirmation scrawled in its margins: We are force. We are more than we think we are.
1866, Cuba: María Isabel is the only woman employed at a cigar factory, where each day the workers find strength in daily readings of Victor Hugo. But these are dangerous political times, and as María begins to see marriage and motherhood as her only options, the sounds of war are approaching.
1959, Cuba: Dolores watches her husband make for the mountains in answer to Fidel Castro’s call to arms. What Dolores knows, though, is that to survive, she must win her own war, and commit an act of violence that threatens to destroy her daughter Carmen’s world.
2016, Miami: Carmen, still wrestling with the trauma of displacement, is shocked when her daughter Jeanette announces her plans to travel to Cuba to see her grandmother Dolores. In the walls of her crumbling home lies a secret, one that will link Jeanette to her past, and to this fearless line of women.
From nineteenth-century cigar factories to present-day detention centres, from Cuba to the United States to Mexico, Gabriela Garcia’s Of Women and Salt follows Latina women of fierce pride, bound by the stories passed between them. It is a haunting meditation on the choices of mothers and the tenacity of women who choose to tell their truth despite those who wish to silence them.
SYNOPSIS: They only want a kindness, but beware, for if you have no coin, they will curse you black and blue.
1620s Lancashire. Away from the village lies a small hamlet, abandoned since the Plague, where only one family dwells amongst its ruins. Young Sarah Haworth, her mother, brother and little sister Annie are a family of outcasts by day and the recipients of visitors by night. They are cunning folk: the villagers will always need them, quick with a healing balm or more, should the need arise. They can keep secrets too, because no one would believe them anyway.
When Sarah spies a young man taming a wild horse, she risks being caught to watch him calm the animal. And when Daniel sees Sarah he does not just see a strange, dirty thing, he sees her for who she really is: a strong creature about to come into her own. But can something as fragile as love blossom between these two in such a place as this?
When a new magistrate arrives to investigate the strange ends that keep befalling the villagers, he has his eye on one family alone. And a torch in his hand.
Cunning Women is the powerful reckoning of a young woman with her wildness, a heartbreaking tale of young love and a shattering story of the intolerance that reigned during the long shadow of the Pendle Witch Trials, when those who did not conform found persecution at every door.
Published: April 27th, 2021 Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books Genre: Fantasy Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy
SYNOPSIS: They are the Beautiful Ones, Loisail’s most notable socialites, and this spring is Nina’s chance to join their ranks, courtesy of her well-connected cousin and his calculating wife. But the Grand Season has just begun and already Nina’s debut has gone disastrously awry. She has always struggled to control her telekinesis: the haphazard manifestations of her powers have long made her the subject of gossip – malicious neighbours even call her the Witch of Oldhouse.
But Nina’s life is about to change, for there is a new arrival in town: Hector Auvray, the renowned entertainer, who has used his own telekinetic talent to perform for admiring audiences around the world. Nina is dazzled by Hector, for he sees her not as a witch, but ripe with magical potential. Under his tutelage, Nina’s talent blossoms – as does her love for the great man.
But great romances are for fairy-tales, and Hector is hiding a secret bitter truth from Nina – and himself – that threatens their courtship.
The Beautiful Ones is a charming tale of love and betrayal and the struggle between conformity and passion, set in a world where scandal is a razor-sharp weapon.
SYNOPSIS: Addie and her sister are about to embark on an epic road trip to a friend’s wedding in rural Scotland. The playlist is all planned and the snacks are packed.
But, not long after setting off, a car slams into the back of theirs. The driver is none other than Addie’s ex, Dylan, who she’s avoided since their traumatic break-up two years earlier.
Dylan and his best mate are heading to the wedding too, and they’ve totalled their car, so Addie has no choice but to offer them a ride. The car is soon jam-packed full of luggage and secrets, and with four-hundred miles ahead of them, Dylan and Addie can’t avoid confronting the very messy history of their relationship…
Will they make it to the wedding on time? And, more importantly, is this really the end of the road for Addie and Dylan?
Published: April 29th, 2021 Publisher: Michael Joseph Genre: Historical Fiction, Psychological Fiction
SYNOPSIS: The sky is clear, star-stamped and silvered by the waxing gibbous moon.
No planes have flown over the islands tonight; no bombs have fallen for over a year. ___________
Orkney, 1940. Five hundred Italian prisoners-of-war arrive to fortify these remote and windswept islands. Resentful islanders are fearful of the enemy in their midst, but not orphaned twin sisters Dorothy and Constance. Already outcasts, they volunteer to nurse all prisoners who are injured or fall sick.
Soon Dorothy befriends Cesare, an artists swept up by the machine of war and almost broken by the horrors he has witnessed. She is entranced by his plan to build an Italian chapel from war scrap and sea debris, and something beautiful begins to blossom.
But Con, scarred from a betrayal in her past, is afraid for her sister; she knows that people are not always what they seem.
Soon, trust frays between the islanders and outsiders, and between the sisters – their hearts torn by rival claims of duty and desire. A storm is coming…
In the tradition of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, The Metal Heart is a hauntingly rich Second World War love story about courage, brutality, freedom and beauty and the essence of what makes us human during the darkest of times.
Published: April 29th, 2021 Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Police Procedural, Hardboiled, Crime Series
SYNOPSIS: The latest novel by the author of FIREWATCHING, by ‘a bold and brilliant new voice in crime fiction’
Sheffield’s beautiful Botanical Gardens – an oasis of peace in a world filled with sorrow, confusion and pain. And then, one morning, a body is found in the Gardens. A young woman, dead from a stab wound, buried in a quiet corner. Police quickly determine that the body’s been there for months. It would have gone undiscovered for years – but someone just sneaked into the Gardens and dug it up.
Who is the victim? Who killed her and hid her body? Who dug her up? And who left a macabre marker on the body?
In his quest to find her murderer, DS Adam Tyler will find himself drawn into the secretive world of nighthawkers: treasure-hunters who operate under cover of darkness, seeking the lost and valuable… and willing to kill to keep what they find.
Published: April 29th, 2021 Publisher: Wildfire Genre: Historical Fiction, Fairy Tale
SYNOPSIS: Xxx A mesmerising retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Perfect for fans of CIRCE, A SONG OF ACHILLES, and THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS.
‘ARIADNE gives voice to the misused Princess of Crete who betrayed her father to save Theseus from the Minotaur. Relevant and revelatory.’ – Stylist
As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur – Minos’s greatest shame and Ariadne’s brother – demands blood every year.
When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods – drawing their attention can cost you everything.
In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne’s decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover’s ambition?
ARIADNE gives a voice to the forgotten women of one of the most famous Greek myths, and speaks to their strength in the face of angry, petulant Gods. Beautifully written and completely immersive, this is an exceptional debut novel.
SYNOPSIS: You come to Soul Shrink to be healed. You don’t expect to die.
Two years ago, Fran’s sister Jenna disappeared on a wellness retreat in Gozo that went terribly wrong.
Tom Wade, the now infamous man behind Soul Shrink Retreats, has just been released from prison after serving his sentence for the deaths of two people. But he has never let on what happened to the third victim: Jenna.
Determined to find out the truth, Fran books herself onto his upcoming retreat – the first since his release – and finds herself face to face with the man who might hold the key to her sister’s disappearance. The only question is, will she escape the retreat alive? Or does someone out there want Jenna’s secrets to stay hidden?
The master of suspense is back. Prepare yourself for the latest heart-in-mouth rollercoaster ride from the Sunday Times bestseller.
Published: April 29th, 2021 Publisher: HQ Genre: Dark Comedy, Contemporary Romance, Humorous Fiction, Domestic Fiction, Romance Novel
SYNOPSIS: Your family would kill to see you happy
‘ARE YOU…DEAD?’ OH MY GOD. I THINK HE IS. When Meddy Chan accidentally kills her blind date, she turns to her aunties for help. Their meddling set her up on the date so they kind of owe her.
WELL, THAT DIDN’T QUITE GO TO PLAN. Although hiding this goddamn dead body is going to be harder than they thought especially when her family’s wedding business has THE biggest wedding of the year happening right now.
IT’S PRETTY BAD TIMING REALLY. It turns out the wedding venue just happens to be managed by Meddy’s ex, aka the one who got away. It’s the worst time to see him again, or…is it? Can Meddy finally find love and make her overbearing family happy?
Published: April 29th, 2021 Publisher: Pushkin Press Genre: Thriller, Suspense
SYNOPSIS: They would rather die than become mothers.
A serial killer is on the loose in Tel Aviv. Each victim is found tied to a chair with a baby doll glued to their hands, the word ‘mother’ carved into their forehead like a mark of Cain.
Stowed away between the wax figurines of the Bible museum where she works, Sheila Heller knows both victims. She suspects the killings have something to do with a pact their group all made at university – to never have children.
What Sheila doesn’t know is who is committing these gruesome acts of ritualistic violence, and whether she herself might be the next target.
Published: April 29th, 2021 Publisher: Mudlark Genre: True Crime
SYNOPSIS: Totally gripping and brilliantly told, Murder: The Biography is a gruesome and utterly captivating portrait of the legal history of murder.
The stories and the people involved in the history of murder are stranger, darker and more compulsive than any crime fiction.
There’s Richard Parker, the cannibalized cabin boy whose death at the hands of his hungry crewmates led the Victorian courts to decisively outlaw a defence of necessity to murder. Dr Percy Bateman, the incompetent GP whose violent disregard for his patient changed the law on manslaughter. Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in England in the 1950s, played a crucial role in changes to the law around provocation in murder cases. And Archibald Kinloch, the deranged Scottish aristocrat whose fratricidal frenzy paved the way for the defence of diminished responsibility. These, and many more, are the people – victims, killers, lawyers and judges, who unwittingly shaped the history of that most grisly and storied of laws.
Join lawyer and writer Kate Morgan on a dark and macabre journey as she explores the strange stories and mysterious cases that have contributed to UK murder law. The big corporate killers; the vengeful spouses; the sloppy doctors; the abused partners; the shoddy employers; each story a crime and each crime a precedent that has contributed to the law’s dark, murky and, at times, shocking standing.
Emma's Biblio Treasures 