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Explosive and timely, DEAR DARLING cuts to the heart of a conversation – and gives a woman her voice. An unforgettable novel for those who loved My Dark Vanessa and Half His Age. ‘A seriously impressive new talent’ CHRIS WHITAKER 'A deeply moving character study of a woman in flux’ LISA TADDEO 'Shimmers with nuance at every turn – absolutely brilliant' HEATHER DARWENT 'Comparisons to My Dark Vanessa are inevitable but I like this one better' ERIN KELLY *** Dear Darling, So begins the letter from Daniel Prior. The man Lauren had sex with when she was fourteen years old. The man she fell in love with, long before conversations about power and consent and #MeToo. The man she locked away in the deepest part of her memory. Eighteen years later, the world is changed, and Lauren, a wife and mother, is changed too. But now, fresh out of prison, Daniel wants to meet. And Lauren must finally confront the electricity and devastation of the man who's loved and harmed her more deeply than anyone in her life… From bold new voice Ella King, Dear Darling cuts to the heart of some of the most complex issues of our age.

The gripping new Cristy Ward thriller from Sunday Times bestseller Susan Lewis! Book 4 in the Cristy Ward series A terrible crime. A shocking confession. Do you believe her? Twenty years ago, Nicole’s twins disappeared without a trace. No bodies. No witnesses. Despite her pleas of innocence, Nicole was convicted. Now she’s out. And she’s finally confessed. But for true crime podcast host Cristy Ward, the story doesn’t add up. Having worked on the case as a young reporter, Cristy can’t help but wonder whether Nicole is the villain everyone believes her to be. Why did Nicole confess after so many years … and is the truth still out there, waiting…? Praise for the Cristy Ward series: 'Plenty of twists to keep you guessing' Heat 'A gripping thriller' Woman & Home 'Fascinating detail of how podcasts are made' The Times

Eliza's playwright husband Richard Sheridan has accepted the career opportunity of a lifetime: running a prestigious theatre in Dublin. Eliza plays the role of the supportive wife - uprooting their daughter Mara, relocating from England to Dublin, running the household and managing Richard's paperwork - but inside, she's burning with resentment. When she's sent a suggestive photo of Richard with another woman, it's the last straw. She turns to mysterious marriage therapist Ellen Early for help. But Eliza has no idea just how far Ms. Early is willing to go to get results ...

'Terrifying, gripping, all true. I couldn't put it down' Stephen King'Excellent... told with rare sensitivity. Hill is an extremely skilled writer, and his conscientious, measured reporting is a gift... The propulsive feel of a novel.' New York Times'Troubling, uplifting, heartbreaking... a masterwork.' Ron Suskind, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Life, AnimatedOn a cool autumn night in 1999, twenty-six-year-old Sarah Green crept out of her house and ran for her life. She was escaping not just the Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps, a paramilitary religious cult operating out of the New Mexico desert, but also the cruelty of the cult's leader-her mother, Deborah. In The Oracle's Daughter, Harrison Hill traces the fascinating beginnings and violent end of ACMTC, from its early days as an outgrowth of the hippie movement, through the conspiracy-theorist 1990s and into the present day. It follows Deborah, the group's founder and self-proclaimed oracle; Maura, one of its first members; and Sarah, Deborah's daughter, among the cult's primary victims. With a propulsive, deeply researched narrative, The Oracle's Daughter illuminates the strange world of religious cults-and how more vulnerable we are to extremism than we might like to think.

AN OBSERVER BEST NEW NOVELIST 2026A GOODREADS MOST ANTICIPATED NOVEL 2026‘Savage, witty, gory, heartfelt, utterly relatable rage fantasy and a helluva good time' Lauren Beukes, The Shining Girls'A modern feminist classic' Sunday Times Style ‘A cathartic, necessary read’ Catriona Silvey, Meet Me in Another Life ‘Rollicking, unexpected and utterly hilarious’ Observer ‘Witty, thrilling, and oh so righteously FERAL’ Nat Cassidy, When the Wolf Comes Home ‘I laughed, cried and felt vindicated. Superb’ Shubnum Khan, The Djinn Waits a Hundred YearsEVER FELT READY TO HOW? yper-competent start up CFO Ellie is 46-year-old and like most women, is already juggling too much. Daughter’s not talking to her, husband’s not listening to her, and she's got a promotion coming up at work. It's an inconvenient time to be beset by mid-life symptoms: coarse hair in new places, hot flushes, insomnia, losing time . . . finding bloodstains on all her clothing, howling at the moon. Her doctor diagnoses perimenopause. But it's another 28-day cycle that's taking hold. One involving fur, and teeth, and a not insignificant amount of rage. Suddenly the troubles in her life - hot flushes, thankless family, spiralling to-do list, oblivious husband, the w*nker promoted above her at work – seem almost . . . bite-size. A deeply gratifying, highly addictive and provocative read, Femme Feral is an exhilarating expression of feminine rage, with a warning: If you swallow your anger, it’s sure to come back with a bite.

A freezing Easter Monday in 1917. The Somerset Light Infantry is launched into the Battle of Arras. Three young friends fight for their lives and the chance to return home. Robert is twenty-three years old, a farmer’s boy from Somerset, who joins up against his father’s wishes. Robert forms fast friendships with Stanley, who lied about his age to go to war, and Ernest, whose own slippery account betrays a life on the streets. Their friendship is forged through gas attacks, trench warfare, freezing in trenches, hunting rats, and chasing down kidnapped regimental dogs. Their life is one of mud and mayhem but also love and laughs. This is the story of Robert’s journey to Arras and back, his dreams and memories drawing him home. His story is that of the working-class Tommy, the story of thousands of young men who were caught in the collision between old rural values and the relentlessness of a new kind of war. It is a story that connects the past with the present through land, love and blood.

In 1958 soon-to-be Northern Irish Prime Minister Terrence O’Neill proposed draining Lough Neagh, (the largest lake in the UK), in order to create a seventh county for the North. O’Neill was widely mocked for his ludicrous idea. In Few and Far Between, Belfast-based writer, Jan Carson’s fourth novel, she imagines an alternative history in which O’Neill’s drainage scheme proceeds, exposing an archipelago of tiny islands in the middle of Lough Neagh, (which really exist). The Neagh Archipelago provides sanctuary for dozens of individuals intimidated out of their homes during the “Troubles,” and at first becomes a kind of haven for people who want to love a different life, who don’t fit in on the mainland. One timeline tells of the growth of this community and the flamboyant social anthropologist, Robert John Connelly, who arrives in the 1970s to document the residents’ lives and becomes something of a guru figure who never leaves.The second timeline begins in 2017, when the new government proposes to release the dams, and flood the archipelago once more. Most of the families have now abandoned the islands and only a few remain, including Marion and Robert, the now-adult children of RJ Connelly. The island has also become home to ‘sleepers’ and ‘almost deads’, those caught in a hinterland between life and death. Before the dams are destroyed and the floods descend, a second anthropologist is sent to the islands. But there are secrets buried on these islands that no one remaining wants her to discover.

When the disgraced Lord Byron is associated with the deaths of women in Venice, he turns detective to unveil the killer and clear his name. A dazzling, riveting historical mystery by the author of the Sunday Times bestseller, The Fascination.   ‘Brooding and brilliant’ A.J. West   ‘What could so easily have been a risible premise for a novel becomes, in Fox’s expert hands, the starting point for an atmospheric thriller’ Sunday Times   ‘As mesmerising and charismatic as Byron himself can ever have been … a magnificent gothic tale of scandal, secrets and murder’ Janice Hallett   ‘Evokes all the grimy charisma of eighteenth-century Venice … a mystery as sinuous as the city's alleys and canals. I was enthralled’ Elizabeth Fremantle   ‘A dark treat … splendidly gothic and impressively researched’ Andrew Taylor  ‘Essie Fox breathes new life into the “mad, bad and dangerous to know” Lord Byron as the notorious poet turns detective … Rich with decadent imagery and dark, gothic atmosphere, Dangerous intricately blends historical fact and fiction’ Culturefly   –––––––  Fiction can be fatal…   Living in exile in Venice, the disgraced Lord Byron revels in the freedoms of the city.  SCANDAL   But when he is associated with the deaths of local women, found with wounds to their throats, and then a novel called The Vampyre is published under his name, rumours begin to spread that Byron may be the murderer…  MURDER   As events escalate and tensions rise – and his own life is endangered, as well as those he holds most dear – Byron is forced to play detective, to discover who is really behind these heinous crimes. Meanwhile, the scandals of his own infamous past come back to haunt him…  MYSTERY   Rich in gothic atmosphere and drawing on real events and characters from Byron's life, Dangerous is a riveting, dazzling historical thriller, as decadent, dark and seductive as the poet himself…   _________   ‘A plot as labyrinthine as the Venice backstreets, told in dazzling prose; suspenseful, seductive stuff’ Erin Kelly   ‘Brilliant, daring writing … a darkly delicious Venetian tale of murder and mystery’ Anna Mazzola   ‘Essie Fox expertly weaves fact and fiction in this gloriously gothic thriller … Venice becomes the atmospheric backdrop to Byron's daring attempt to catch a killer’ Anita Frank   ‘Sumptuous, entertaining and glorious’ C.S. Green   ‘Fox is the queen of darkly glittering gothic fiction … a tale so compelling I devoured it in one sitting’ Louisa Treger   ‘Many writers have tried and failed to capture the Byronic quintessence, but the brilliant Essie Fox has succeeded admirably. She proves that the poet and rake remains fascinating because he is, indeed, mad, bad and Dangerous’ Alex Larman   ‘A heady and intoxicating brew … scandalously scintillating’ Kate Griffin   ‘A gorgeously clever thriller’ Amanda Craig   ‘A ravishing tale of murder, lust and thwarted ambition … a sumptuous, decadent delight’ Emma Carroll   ‘A deliciously gothic and beautifully written historical thriller starring the ultimate bad boy hero, Lord Byron’ Frances Quinn   ‘An incredibly evocative and atmospheric book that captures the Byronic soul in all its beauty and madness’ Victoria Dowd   ‘Deliciously dark and everything I hoped it would be’ Paul Burston   ‘An engaging historical mystery tale in which the dissolute poet turns sleuth to clear his own name’ Julie Anderson, Time & Leisure Magazine   ‘A dark, disturbing treat, impeccably researched and compellingly told’ Bridget Walsh   ‘What a ride! Gripping and atmospheric’ Caroline Lea   ‘A delicious dish of decadence … fastidiously researched, richly imagined, full of wonderful descriptions of Venice’ Michael Stewart

In the Skin of a Lion is Michael Ondaatje’s sparkling predecessor to his Booker Prize-winning The English Patient. ‘A magical book. Michael Ondaatje defies the normal distinction between poet and novelist. His writing is consistently tuned to a visionary pitch’ – Graham SwiftIt is the 1920s, and Patrick Lewis has arrived in the bustling city of Toronto, leaving behind his Canadian wilderness home. He immerses himself in the lives of the people who surround him, learning, from their stories, the history of the city itself. And he has his own adventures: searching for a missing millionaire, tunnelling beneath Lake Ontario, falling in love. Here, we encounter, for the first time, Hana the orphaned girl and Caravaggio the thief, among a large cast of characters who are all lovingly and intimately portrayed. It is an exquisite and musical novel, a romance that challenges the boundary between history and myth. ‘Ondaatje writes in curves, in time-lapses, a sort of verbal cinema whose narrative is unfaltering’ – The Times‘A triumph . . . a powerful and revelatory accomplishment’ – The Times Literary SupplementNow part of the Picador Collection, a series showcasing the very best of modern literature.

A PERFECT DAY. A TWISTED CRIME. THE AWARD-WINNING JAKE JACKSON SERIES RETURNS… 'This series is irresistible' LEE CHILD 'Atmospheric and chilling' ELLY GRIFFITHS 'Totally immersive' ANN CLEEVES 'My favourite new crime series' LUCY FOLEY 'Highly recommend' KARIN SLAUGHTER A beautiful summer day When young nurse Claire Davidson goes missing on the riverbank, the only clues left behind are her phone and shoes. A mystery that sweeps the nation People disappear all the time, but this case sparks an online frenzy. Amateur investigators descend on the rural idyll. Is Claire Davidson just the story of a swim that went wrong, or could there be truth to the conspiracies? A killer growing bolder Then another woman is discovered dead in the river. Jake Jackson, a former detective who came to the countryside searching for peace, must investigate before more lives are lost. What readers are saying about A Twist in the River 'A great read that moves along quickly' 5 stars 'Well written with believable characters and a fast moving plot' 5 stars 'In the crowded market of crime drama, and murder mysteries, these Jake Jackson books are refreshingly different' 5 stars 'I love the beautiful descriptions of Little Sky' 5 stars 'Reading this book is like visiting family, as you get to know all the characters so well' 5 stars 'An engaging read, well paced and peopled with interesting characters' 5 stars 'I love hearing the adventures of Jake and these books always gives me a sense of calm' 5 stars 'A must-read for anyone seeking an immersive and intelligent crime novel' 5 stars 'Very engaging, well written and very atmospheric – I couldn't put it down' 5 stars

'Feverish, devouring and provocative' LUCY ROSE, author of The Lamb 'Dark, sexy, addictive and beautifully written' KATE DAVIES, author of In at the Deep End ‘Hot, hungry and aching with desire, this book will bite down into you and it won't let go’ TOBI COVENTRY, author of He’s the Devil Love can really eat you up Avni is done with the meaningless carousel of tame sex. Tender women repel her. Clumsy men disgust her. She wants to make her flesh electric; to fill the chasm inside her created by her mundane job, her ex who died in a bizarre tragedy, and her sick aunt, whose diseased brain is swallowing memories. Then there’s the sour fruit, the bad meat that she craves. She longs for something to make her feel full. Something beyond all the pointless sex and depravity. When she is sucked into the orbit of a couple who seem as unstitched as she is, Avni thinks she may have found what she is looking for. But each time she fulfils her darkest needs her appetite grows, and she begins to spiral into obsession. There's that bone-deep ache again. Is it love? Or a different kind of hunger? Uncompromising, unique and compulsively readable, SOUR FRUIT is the fearless debut of a major new talent.

A TWISTY, SAPPHIC THRILLER - PERFECT FOR FANS OF KILLING EVE AND BELLA MACKIE"I rooted for the protagonist even as she murdered her way through Hollywood" Tasha Coryell"Electrifying and delightfully sinister" Kelly Mullen 🔥 She’s not a killer, she’s an opportunist 🔥 When struggling actress Dimple Kapoor pushes her Hollywood rival to her death, it’s not the first time she’s killed. Or the second... But this third time was an accident. It just so happens to be a very convenient accident that's created the perfect opportunity to land her dream role and propel herself to stardom. It’s too bad someone else at the party witnessed the crime. With everything she’s ever wanted within reach, Dimple will do anything to keep it all in her grasp – including killing again. Unfortunately, someone is on to her. Saffi Iyer is one of the best private investigators in the business – and she’s determined to solve the mystery behind the trail of bodies Dimple is leaving behind. But when the two women meet, sparks fly. Has Dimple finally met her match?🔥 "Isha Raya's debut thriller, set against the glamor and desperation of Hollywood, is totally unhinged in the best of ways. Readers who love cat-and-mouse games, women behaving badly, and a little toxicity in their romance will tear through this!" - Sienna Sharpe, author of Beach Bodies 🔥 "Raya deftly renders the sinister glitz of Hollywood. . . . An entertaining first outing - Publishers Weekly[A] clever, absorbing debut thriller. . . . With a well-thought-out plot, building tension, and beautifully fleshed-out characters, Raya's first crime novel will please readers looking for a witty thriller starring Sapphic women of colour" Booklist 🔥 "Raya debuts with the story of a cat-and-mouse battle between two determined women who won’t let their growing feelings for each other get in the way of their ambitions—or so they think…an intense and assured debut that will have readers by turns loving and loathing the protagonists" - Library Journal, starred review 🔥 “From the very opening pages, Isha Raya announces herself as a bold new voice in thriller fiction; Triple Threat is dark, slick, and instantly addictive, the kind of book that may just give you papercuts with how fast you’re turning the pages." - H.J. Garbett, author of My Wife, The Serial Killer and Over Her Dead Body🔥 "A sexy game of cat and mouse: Triple Threat is a fun takedown of the deadly hypocrisies of fame" - Charlotte Vassell, author of the DI Caius Beauchamp series.

Shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction, a novel inspired by the shocking true story of the Scottsboro boys. Even after all these years, the injustice still stuns. Innocent boys sentenced to die, not for a crime they did not commit, but for a crime that never occurred. Lives splintered as casually as wood being hacked for kindling. Alabama, 1931. A freight train is stopped in Scottsboro, nine black youths are brutally arrested and, within minutes, the cry of rape goes up from two white girls. In the shocking aftermath, one sticks to her story whilst the other keeps changing her mind, and an impassioned young journalist must try to save nine boys from the electric chair, one girl from a lie, and herself from the clutches of the past . . . Stirring racism, sexism and the politics of a divided America into an explosive brew, Scottsboro gives voice to the victims - black and white - of this infamous case. Shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2009, Ellen Feldman’s classic charts a fight for justice during the burgeoning civil-rights movement. Now part of the Picador Collection, a series showcasing the very best of modern literature.

A road trip across America with her teenage daughter was meant to be much-needed bonding time for Simone before Lucy leaves home for university. But on the first night of their stay, in a cabin deep in the Texan desert, Simone wakes to find Lucy missing and a mobile phone in her place. The phone rings and the voice on the other end issues instructions: Don't tell the police. Come to this location. Be prepared to do a deal… There is nothing Simone wouldn't do to save her daughter. Hide the truth. Commit a terrible crime. Become a wanted woman. But this is no ordinary kidnap and ransom. Getting Lucy back is just the beginning.

A powerful spirit awaits the right human to free her—and she’s ready for some PVP!For as long as he can remember, Gakuro Yajima’s been able to see spirits—beings that are drawn to human sadness and anger. A fateful encounter with a quirky pop culture–loving spirit named Nue marks the start of Gakuro’s spirit-exorcist adventure!Enter Shitotsu, Gakuro’s long-lost stepsister! Upon the sudden appearance of the spirit that killed their father, Shitotsu flies into a rage, but the battle turns nasty after she is gravely injured and Gakuro is left to try to protect her.

Maybe having a few enemies on the school run means you're doing something right… Florence knows all about failure. After a dismal end to her 2000s girlband career, she's moping around West London, single, broke and unfulfilled. The only things she's proud of are her increasingly elaborate nail art choices - and her ten-year-old son, Dylan. But when Alfie Risby, Dylan's bitter class rival and the child heir to a frozen foods empire, mysteriously vanishes on a school trip, Dylan becomes a prime suspect. Florence has to get her act together, find the missing boy and clear her son's name or risk losing him forever. The only problem? She doesn't have any detective skills, she's not exactly popular at the school gates and she's just found Alfie's backpack hidden under Dylan's bed… All the Other Mothers Hate Me is an irresistibly witty novel about fitting in, starting over and the lengths we'll go to for the people we love.

Thor Stokel had always dreamed of being master of his own ship, and the Silver Star is a dream ship: fast, sleek and powerful. But leaving the safety of his military career in the DHC behind to become an independent merchant fast becomes a nightmare of endless solo flights, paperwork, bad deals and customs disasters. When he's imprisoned over the latest customs and paperwork mistake, Thor's luck finally starts to change. Incarceration leads to his first crewmate - and then a second. But it also leads to an increase in his paranoia: something doesn't add up about his beautiful new ship, the AI is erratic, and he's increasingly sure that his crewmates are hiding something. And now he thinks the Silver Star is being followed . . . Exhausted, isolated, and still just trying to make ends meet, Thor Storkel is either the most paranoid man in space . . . or he's a vital part of a galaxy-spanning conspiracy, that's going to depend on his being paranoid enough to survive it . . . . . . And Marca N'baro still needs a whale . . .

***BONUS CHAPTER FROM KADRA'S POV INCLUDED***She knows the taste of death. He'll stoke her hunger for it. Eighteen-year-old Sarai doesn't know why someone tried to kill her four years ago, but she does know that her case was closed without justice. Hellbent on vengeance, she returns to the scene of the crime as a Petitor, a prosecutor who can magically detect lies, and is assigned to work with Tetrarch Kadra. Ice-cold and perennially sadistic, Kadra is the most vicious of the four judges who rule the land - and the prime suspect in a string of deaths identical to Sarai's attempted murder. Certain of his guilt, Sarai begins a double life: solving cases with Kadra by day and plotting his ruin by night. But Kadra is charming and there's something alluring about the wrath he wields against the city's corruption. So when the evidence she finds embroils her in a deadly political battle, Sarai must also fight against her attraction to Kadra - because despite his growing hold on her heart, his voice matches the only memory she has of her assailant... The first book in a dazzling and addictive romantic fantasy duology, the #1 Sunday Times bestselling This Monster of Mine is a bloodbath of manipulation, deception, and forbidden love. Tropes Enemies to lovers Slow Burn Romance Morally grey FMC and MMC Magical world Political intrigue Vengeance High Stakes !!SPICE ALERT!!Join the legions of readers who have fallen hard for This Monster of Mine:?'Six stars if I could! This Monster of Mine is a masterclass in fantasy storytelling - combining political intrigue, betrayal, and a rigid class system with a slow-burn romance that keeps you on edge.'?'This book was absolutely phenomenal and exactly what I've been craving . . . I already want to reread this!!'?'This book swept me away . . . absolutely fire'?'OMG this book is absolutely incredible and interesting, I loved it so much. This Monster of Mine must be one of the most fascinating and unique books I've ever read . . . I couldn't put it down.'?'This Monster of Mine is an incredible romantasy book that I really can't recommend enough'?'I AM FREAKING OUT BY HOW DELICIOUS AND AWESOME AND AMAZING THIS IS!!!!! I am obsessed, I am Kadra's wine glass and Sarai's glower, THIS BOOK IS PHENOMENAL AND I HAVE OFFICIALLY LOST ALL BRAIN CELLS AND COHERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dark romantasy perfection, people!!! YOU NEEEEEEEEEEED TO READ THIS!!!#1 Sunday Times bestseller, 15/04/2025

'I absolutely loved it'Marian KeyesFROM THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING, AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF SNOWFLAKE - AN UNFORGETTABLE STORY OF TWO FAMILIES RIVEN BY ONE GREAT SECRET. For Niamh Ryan, the Foleys are family. Her childhood flew by on their farm, playing with her best friend Peter and his sister Kate - all the while being doted on by their mother Helen and coached by their father Liam, a legendary former hurling player. Now, following a distressing series of events, the family ties are strained. Niamh receives drunken phone calls and messages from Peter who can't understand what derailed their burgeoning relationship three years ago. Meanwhile, Helen Foley is trying her best to escape her life by checking into guesthouses under the names of women she went to school with. In her life in Belfast, Kate is attempting to hold down a job and a relationship while carrying the weight of the family's secrets, and feeling like she is the one to blame. As a family wedding looms, and the women find themselves face to face, the knotty love that still binds Niamh, Helen and Kate might just bring them back together again. Told through the perspectives of three very different women, Everything That Is Beautiful unfolds the story of one complicated family in startlingly honest prose. By turns funny and deeply moving, and with unmatched emotional intelligence, this is an unforgettable story of love and family, heartbreak and hope - and who we might become after we pick up the pieces. Praise for Everything That Is Beautiful'Vivid and compelling. A big-hearted, immersive novel' Roisin O'Donnell, award-winning author of NESTING'I truly loved it. Bittersweet, wise, full of humour and heart' Grainne O'Hare, author of THIRST TRAP'A book you'll read and love, then immediately buy for those you love' Colin Walsh, number 1 bestselling author of KALA'Beautifully written, funny, emotionally complex and always quietly hopeful. I loved it' Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin, award-winning author of ORDINARY SAINTS'Fresh and engaging . . . Her characters are alive and real' Claire Gleeson, author of SHOW ME WHERE IT HURTS'I BLOODY LOVED IT. Complicated families, gorgeous fully-realised characters, heartbreak and laughter' Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS'The Foleys will inhabit your heart long after the last page' Charleen Hurtubise, author of SAOIRSE-------------------------------------------------------From the acclaimed author of SNOWFLAKE*A number one international bestseller*Winner of Newcomer of the Year at the AN Post Irish Book Awards*A BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime pick*Chosen as the official read of the One Dublin One Book campaign'Wonderful and mad' Roddy Doyle'Sparks with tender charm and humour . . . Fresh, bleakly funny' Sunday Times'Tender, laugh-out-loud funny and deeply moving' Louise O'Neill