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KJ Parker''s new novella is a darkly witty historical fantasy. A group of scholars are asked to do the impossible by a ruthless king. The cost of refusal being death, of course.History isn''t truth...it''s propaganda.Academics can be cocky. Atop their perches of authority high above the thrumming masses of the unquestioning world they can begin to think themselves gods. It is extremely rare for this authority to be tested. But a challenge from an idiotic, power-hungry king?that''ll do it.Our narrator is one of a dozen professors at the University of the Kingdom of Aelia. Early one morning, all of them are rounded up for an audience with their dictator, Gyges. You see, Gyges is new to the job?he only just invaded Aelia last year?and like any good tyrant, he''s looking to expand his empire. But he doesn''t think his public image can take the hit of (another) unjustified assault. No problem, he''s come up with a plan?have the scholars construct an ancient city from scratch that justifies his right to the lands of the neighboring city-state.Now these bookworms must put their heads together to do the impossible. They must make history. Because if they don''t, they''ll lose their heads all-together.

'I loved how the fiendishly complicated back story unfolded and then how everything made sense in the end – so satisfying!' Marian Keyes‘A brilliant story about the cost of family secrets, the powerful bonds of sisterhood and how far we will go to protect the ones we love’ Edel Coffey‘An emotional thriller that will keep readers engaged from beginning to end … triumphant’ Irish Independent---This family lived a life before me. And now I wonder if it was what happened in that life – all those secrets – that tore this family apart . . . not me. The warring Brown sisters. Lucy. Susannah. Tara. Each is haunted – by disgrace (Lucy), vanity (Susannah) and envy (Tara). Most of all they are haunted by secrets. Just before a dinner at their mother’s idyllic holiday cottage, Susannah disappears. That same night a young woman is killed violently on a nearby beach. Amid the confusion the next morning, Lucy discovers a link between Susannah and the murder victim. Lucy must summon all she knows from her short-lived policing career to figure out the connection and find her sister. But tracking down Susannah means Lucy confronting her own shame. It also means resurrecting ghosts that Susannah, Tara – and their mother – desperately want to keep buried. Even if Lucy finds Susannah, will the truth destroy them all?---'Outstanding. An accomplished, clever thriller . . . the three sisters steal the show with their warring loyalties' Jane Casey‘A marvellously twisty matryoshka doll of a crime story, with shades of Agatha Christie and Liz Nugent in the stylings’ Irish Times‘Heart-thumping’ The Gloss‘Jen Bray has perfectly balanced pace with heart . . . beautifully thoughtful storytelling. I loved it!’ Liv Matthews‘A tense, layered debut about how family ties bind and break us’ Image ‘Gets its hooks into you from the first page and doesn’t let go. Tautly plotted, gripping and suspenseful’ Michelle McDonagh‘A page-turning tale of long kept secrets and murder' Andrea Carter‘So well plotted with characters who jump off the page . . . I was hooked from the start!’ Patricia Gibney'Deliciously unpredictable … richly compelling’ Hot Press‘Perfectly crafted. An engrossing, gripping, and heartbreaking crime novel’ Her.ie‘Tense and twisty’ Sheila O’Flanagan‘By turns gripping, pacy and emotionally satisfying – blistering’ Claire Coughlan‘Intriguing . . . the complex relationships between the sisters are beautifully depicted’ Fiona Gartland‘A tightly woven, twisty tale’ Kitty Murphy‘I really enjoyed all the layers and intrigue – keeps you guessing' Clara Dillon‘Accomplished . . . gripping’ Rosemary Hennigan''Three sisters and a myriad of complex, volcanic secrets! Intense, twisty and gripping. I loved it!' Vanessa O'Loughlin‘A wonderfully woven mystery’ Amy Jordan‘Chock full of family secrets . . . thrilling and twisty’ Catherine Kirwan‘Beautifully plotted and written, compelling and emotional’ Vicki Notaro‘Taut, terrific, tense . . . old wounds, secrecy and sibling relationships are tested to their limits in this twisty, unpredictable mystery’ Gill Perdue‘After reading the first two chapters there was no putting it down . . . loved it!’ Michelle Teahan‘Gripping’ Irish Country Magazine‘So vivid and atmospheric … the sisters were brilliantly brilliantly written. I will be recommending it to everyone!’ Sarah Easter Collins‘Keeps you guessing all the way.’ Rory Egan'Full of twists and turns.’ Belfast Telegraph‘I so enjoyed this’ Louise McSharry'A strong debut' Sunday Independent‘It has pace, is gripping and tense, and full of twists … superb’ Irish Farmer’s Journal

**The instant Irish Times top 5 bestseller**‘Urgent and utterly compelling’ KEVIN BARRY‘Twist lingers long after you've put it down' GUARDIAN‘A Gatsby tale for the internet age’ ANNA FUNDER‘One of our greatest storytellers’ ELIF SHAFAK‘Masterful ... A surprising, electric book’ IRISH TIMESAnthony Fennell, a journalist, is in pursuit of a story buried at the bottom of the sea: the network of tiny fibre-optic tubes that carry the world’s information across the ocean floor - and what happens when they break. So he has travelled to Cape Town to board the George Lecointe, a cable repair vessel captained by Chief of Mission John Conway. Conway is a talented engineer and fearless freediver - and Fennell is quickly captivated by this mysterious, unnerving man and his beautiful partner, Zanele. As the boat embarks along the west coast of Africa, Fennell learns the rhythms of life at sea. But as the mission falters, tensions simmer - and Conway is thrown into crisis by a terrible, violent tragedy unfolding in the life he has left behind on land. Then Conway disappears; and Fennell must set out to find him. As taut and propulsive as a thriller, and a timeless exploration of narrative and truth, Twist is the work of a master storyteller at the height of his powers.

A master forger. A hidden fortune. A dangerous game of cat and mouse...In post-war Flanders, Adelais de Wolf''s family is slowly, inexplicably, falling apart: her mother evermore lost to religious devotion, her father to alcohol. But with the death of a beloved uncle, Adelais finds herself in receipt of an unexpected legacy: a shuttered house in a rundown district and its contents – contents that hold the promise of independence and wealth. All that is required is application, nerve, and a willingness to break the law.Adelais stifles her doubts and her fortunes are transformed. But with her rise comes complications: her victimless crimes may not be as victimless as she supposed. Nor has she counted on the singular fanaticism of Major de Smet of the Federal Gendarmerie, a brutal detective who never forgives and never forgets.Embroiled in a game that has gone on too long, will Adelais find the cost of her fortunes too high?

In this gripping debut PI procedural, an ex-cop is dragged back into the policing world that she fled when a teen girl goes missing in her new town. Please help me. I think he killed Avery. Vinnie Taylor isn’t a cop anymore. Once a decorated detective, Vinnie left behind a 25-year career in a blaze of scandal—working undercover to bust a sex trafficking ring in her own Homicide Unit. Nearly beaten to death by her former colleagues to prevent her testimony, Vinnie has found peace in the small town of Wills Harbor, Maryland. Or so she thought. When a local teenager goes missing and nobody in town seems concerned besides the girl's best friend, Vinnie can’t help but take the case, even if it means returning to a world she's gone hundreds of miles to leave behind. She feels a certain kinship with Avery Adair, a whip smart teen who grew up on the wrong side of town, just like Vinnie. But as she digs deeper, Vinnie uncovers a trail of dangerous online encounters and a double life that Avery kept from even her best friends. The closer Vinnie gets to answers, the more perilous her own circumstances become. Does Vinnie have the courage to face the ghosts of her past and the ugly truths hiding in her new hometown?

** FROM THE NY TIMES and Costa shortlisted author, comes a NEW standalone thriller**The truth might set her free ... but will it be the death of her?When blood spatter expert Claudia O’Shiel finds herself on stage to talk about the most famous criminal case in recent history, she has a choice to make: explain how her evidence put away the man responsible for the brutal double murder? Or tell them the truth – that the real killer is still out there, and if she tries to expose this conspiracy, it won’t just be her life on the line.A taut, intelligent suspense novel for fans of Val McDermid, Elly Griffiths and Tana French, The Good Liar is about power, class, and the lengths we''re willing to go for family.Praise for Denise Mina''Crime-writing royalty'' IAN RANKIN''A delight'' ANN CLEEVES''Highly original'' THE TIMES ''Darkly brilliant'' OBSERVER

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2026SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2025WATERSTONES FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTHA moment is all it takes to shatter a family. The echoes last a lifetime... ‘Ferociously smart and full of surprises’ Eleanor Catton‘Engrossing... Full of brains and mystery’ TelegraphOne evening, ten-year-old Louisa and her father, Serk, take a walk out on the breakwater. They are spending the summer in a coastal Japanese town. Hours later, Louisa wakes on the beach, soaked to the skin. Her father is missing: presumably drowned. This sudden event shatters their small family. As Louisa and her American mother return to the US, Serk's disappearance reverberates across time and space, and the mystery of what really happened that night slowly unravels. A Book of the Year for the Guardian, Time, New Yorker, Esquire, Vanity Fair, FT and Barack Obama‘Big, bold and surprising’ Guardian‘Illuminates the buried secrets of the human heart’ Oprah Daily‘Gorgeous... Almost impossibly heartbreaking’ New York Magazine‘It will make your head spin in the best way’ Dakota Johnson‘Endlessly dazzling’ VogueREADERS LOVE FLASHLIGHT‘Compelling, fascinating, original. Read this book’‘Five stars. Heartbreaking’‘A beautifully written story of a family across decades’‘I loved it - the best read in years. Glorious’‘Absolutely brilliant’

''It''s Saltburn meets Mean Girls meets The Craft – prepare to be beguiled’ Emma van Straaten, author of CreepShe wasn''t born into their world. But she''ll do anything to belong. Leaving behind her childhood in coastal Scotland, Ivy Graveson arrives at an all-girls college at a prestigious university and throws herself into the deep end of life on campus.Though her fellow students all seem to come from money and to have known each other their whole lives, outsider Ivy is determined to belong. She embraces the world of secret societies, and as she discovers the legacy of her college, the parallels between its past and her present become striking. Because however hard she tries to ignore it, Ivy has always felt drawn to – and terrified of – the bodies of water that surround her.In just one life-changing year in these hallowed halls, Ivy will have to decide how much sisterhood means to her and how far she’ll go to become the person she was destined to be.A richly atmospheric campus novel, perfect for fans of The Secret History and dark academia, These Mortal Bodies is an intoxicating story of obsession, infatuation and toxic friendship in the world of the elites, where rules are made to be broken.Praise for These Mortal Bodies: ''Utterly stunning. Wilson writes beautifully and with clarity, shining a torch on timeless issues'' T. L. Huchu, author of The Library of the Dead ‘Builds tension and atmosphere with a quiet creepiness as it hurtles towards a shocking conclusion. It’s refreshing to have read about a protagonist with neurodivergence where it’s portrayed without cliché and with bold authenticity’ Chris Bridges, author of Sick to Death ‘A delicious coming of age story with a dark academia twist ... Gripping and beautifully told, Elspeth Wilson has breathed life into her characters that will linger long after the final page’ Laura Elliott, author of Awakened

Harper defends her rapist, who is charged with murdering his father-in-law. This is the first case that she''s wanted to lose...Harper must deal with a dark part of her past when she defends her rapist, Michael Reynolds, who is charged with murdering a judge. Harper wants revenge, so she takes the case with the explicit desire to throw it. But as she digs deeper into the case, she understands that if she throws Michael''s case, it means that the real culprit will go free. Struggling with her conscience, which is fighting for her desire for vengeance, Harper must access some of the darkest recesses of her brain.As she digs in deeper into the case, she finds a conspiracy that goes to the highest level. She''s not clear, however, if Michael Reynolds is also involved.Harper wants to see Michael convicted, even though he''s her client. If he''s not involved in the murder, can she try to throw his case anyhow? Doing so would go against her conscience and ethics. But it would also set her free...With twists, turns and lightning speed, Justice Denied is one book that should not be missed by legal thriller fans!!!!Jackson County Legal ThrillersBad Faith (Harper Ross)Justice Denied (Harper Ross)Hidden Defendant (Harper Ross)Injustice for All (Harper Ross)L.A. Defense (Harper Ross)The Associate (Damien Harrington)The Alibl (Damien Harrington)Reasonable Doubt (Damien Harrington)The Accused (Harper Ross)The Hate Crime (Damien Harrington)Secrets and Lies (Damien Harrington)Until Proven Guilty (Damien Harrington) Emerson Justice Legal ThrillerDark Justice Coming SoonSouthern California Legal ThrillersPresumption of Guilt (Avery Collins)Trial by Jury (Christian Davis)

A RADIO 2 Book Club PickA Woman & Home Book of the Month A Prima Book of the Month'Compelling ... searing and intimate' - New York Times'Saoirse deserves to be on prize lists this year. Utterly beautiful with lyrical prose and storytelling, I loved this!' - Prima, Book of the Month'An intimate, intense exploration of identity, reinvention and survival' - Woman & Home, Book of the MonthSaoirse has everything she ever dreamed of: a beautiful home, two precious daughters, and Daithí - the man who loves her with a quiet, loyal fierceness that still catches her off guard. To everyone who knows her, she's living a charmed life. But Saoirse has built her life on a lie. When her latest art exhibition unexpectedly wins a major award, the attention is instant and overwhelming - interviews, national headlines. With every spotlight pointed her way, Saoirse's carefully constructed world begins to unravel. The woman that everyone is celebrating doesn't actually exist. She's an invention, and every moment in the limelight brings her closer to exposure. With the past closing in on her and the life she has created about to fall like a house of cards, Saoirse must decide how far she'll go to protect the man she loves and the family she never believed she deserved. Secrets don't stay buried, and this one could cost her everything.

'Roberta Kray really is the queen of crime writing!' Reader Review ? ?'Roberta Kray continues to delight her fans with this new novel' Jessie Keane'Exciting and intriguing. Roberta is at the top of her game with this absolute banger!' Mandasue HellerSome secrets are worth killing for. Julia left London years ago, but now she's back - and so are the ghosts of her past. Angel Glover was her childhood best friend until the day everything changed. Now Angel is dead, and Julia is certain it wasn't just some tragic accident. Determined to uncover the truth, she starts asking questions. But the Mansfield estate hasn't changed. The same faces are there - Tom, Lindsey, Pauline, Frankie - the ones she and Angel used to roll with. And they know more than they're letting on. The deeper Julia digs, the more the warnings come. Even Inspector Vyse tells her to tread carefully. But Julia's not going anywhere. She owes Angel that much. And on these streets, loyalty is a dangerous thing - because some secrets are worth killing for... Readers agree, no one does crime like Kray!'Brilliant read as always. Loved the characters. Can't wait until the next book' Reader Review ? ?'So many complex characters in this one! Such a heart warming ending though. I highly recommend this book' Reader Review ? ?'This book was excellent from start to finish, Once you start to read it you will be turning your pages to find out what happens next especially as it full of great twists and turns that will have you gripped' Reader Review ? ?'Roberta Kray delivers another captivating story with this gangland novel. True to her usual high standards, the book presents an intriguing mystery featuring a mix of compelling characters' Reader Review ? ?'The writing style is tense, with the different storylines seamlessly intertwined and plenty of twists and turns. I couldn't put the book down. What a treat. This will keep you up until late at night but in a good way' Reader Review ? ?

From the bestselling author of The Bookseller of Inverness comes the unforgettable story of a Scottish town on the cusp of change and the group of townspeople whose lives will be irrevocably altered over the course of one tumultuous year. ----------------------------------------------------------'Rich, insightful . . . [an] impressive novel' Sunday Times'Shona MacLean's novels are smart, soulful and deeply engrossing. An exceptional, wise and compassionate storyteller, she can make any 'historical period sing with life' Antonia Hodgson'Superbly researched, entirely convincing, very clever and at times unbearably poignant. I loved it.' Andrew Taylor'Riveting' Daily MailCromarty, The Black Isle, 1831. As seagulls shriek and rise on the coastal winds, a circulating library in the bustling port town of Cromarty is meeting for the first time. Ostensibly united by a love of books, the demands of social convention have brought together a disparate group of people. Charlotte Mackenzie, the remote and fragile wife of the local laird, seeks an escape from a loveless marriage; her best friend, Rachel Mackay, a former governess who is ardently in love with her own older husband, the town's minister; the young schoolmaster, John Learmonth, newly arrived from Edinburgh with secrets in tow; and the gentle bank clerk, Ludovic Cameron who dreams of a new life across the ocean, far from his erstwhile schoolmate, the malevolent Farquhar Hossack. When the laird befriends a wounded officer, a chain of events is set into motion that threatens to upset the delicate equilibrium of the community. Against the backdrop of mass emigrations, an encroaching cholera epidemic, political unrest and the campaign to abolish chattel slavery in the British Caribbean, the people of Cromarty must negotiate their new world and each other, flitting in and out of each other's lives through one extraordinary year. The Cromarty Library Circle is a richly woven and immersive portrait of connected lives, changing fortunes and the often-unseen forces that shape our destinies. ----------------------------------------------------------Praise for Shona MacLean'MacLean can make any period sing with life' Antonia Hodgson'An excellent work of historical fiction' Literary Review'A wonderful storyteller' The Times'Well-researched and fascinating' Guardian

Collected together for the first time: the first three volumes in the delightful Witches of Lychford cozy fantasy series. A trio of witches (local priest, local crank, local magic shop owner) work to save the sleepy hamlet of Lychford from supernatural forces bent on its destruction. Only they know the truth—that Lychford lies on the boundaries between worlds, and that the destruction of the border will open wide the gateways to malevolent beings beyond imagination. But what can three rural witches do to guard against the unknow? his volume includes:Witches of LychfordThe Lost Child of LychfordA Long Day in Lychford

'A brilliant, strange and tender exploration of what it is to fail, keep failing, and fail better' Sarah Bernstein, author of Study for Obedience Two men meet in a flat in London. They are total strangers and yet they look remarkably alike. Lewis is grieving his dead wife; Korine is hiding from his very-much-alive one. Lewis never had children; Korine is an ambivalent parent at best. Lewis is an erstwhile actor, too depressed to attend the big audition that has just fallen into his lap. Korine has tried a dozen dead-end jobs but never pursued his acting dreams. Two men living mirror image lives. Each seeking a second chance to get things right. Each wanting what the other has. As If is an existential farce about the road not taken. Surreal and slyly poignant, suffused with ironic melancholia, it is a parable for the twenty-first century everyman: a character trapped in reality’s hall of mirrors, endlessly searching for something to live for.

BOOK TWO OF THE FEARLESS SERIESDalilah Gallagher had to make the hardest decision of her life - leave behind the man that she loves, Luke Roberts, so that he could have the career of his dreams. And, as part of the bargain, she must marry and sleep with a man that she loathes.What she doesn''t realize is that this is the wrong decision for all involved.But she soon realizes something else - no matter what she does, she may never truly escape the clutches of Nottingham. His obsession with Dalilah means that he will stop at nothing to have her, and, if he can''t have her, he will make her life hell. And Luke''s as well.Will Dalilah finally be able to cut her ties with Nottingham cleanly, and have the love that she deserves?

An innocent woman charged with murder. A conspiracy at the highest level. A greedy corporation brought to its knees...Damien''s mother, Olivia, is being charged with murder. At first glance, Damien thinks that the murder charge is flimsy at best. Olivia''s friend, Dr. Tracy Dunham, died at her home of an apparent drug overdose. Olivia insists that she was simply sitting in her home, minding her own business, when Dr. Dunham came over to crash on her couch. She found him dead the next day.The prosecutor''s office, however, charges Olivia with murder. Their accusation is that Olivia gave Dr. Dunham a deadly dose of pure heroin, which is what killed him.As Damien gets further into the case, he finds that nothing is what it seems. Somebody apparently wanted Dr. Dunham dead - but who? And why? Damien discovers the shocking conspiracy that is truly behind the man''s death, but he finds himself in a race against time to find the evidence to prove his mother''s innocence. If he can''t get to bottom of who wanted Dr. Dunham dead, then his mother will go to prison for the rest of her life.True, he doesn''t get along with his foul-mouthed, drunk mother, but she''s still his mother.In the meantime, he also has to deal with a son, Nate, who is on the brink. Nate is slipping away, and Damien feels helpless to stop his son''s destruction. Can he save him in tim? ith the twists, turns and loops that you''ve come to expect from a Rachel Sinclair legal thriller, Until Proven Guilty is a thriller that you won''t put down until the last heart-stopping page!

Discover Homer's epic tale of Achilles and the Trojan War, now repackaged with a beautifully designed jacket by noted illustrator Malika Favre. Set during the siege of Troy, The Iliad, along with The Odyssey, is a foundational work in Western literature and is considered one of the greatest epic poems of all time. It is also one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences today. Complete with epic battles, larger-than-life characters like Achilles, and the infamous Greek gods, The Iliad remains of the most significant war stories ever told.

The Holiday meets Lost in Austen, with a sprinkling of Bridgerton steam… 'A fun, fresh take on a Regency romcom that had me alternately cackling and swooning from the first page right up to the last' VIRGINIA HEATH 'If, like me, you're desperately searching for something to scratch that Bridgerton itch, this captivating novel from Helen Gaskell is sure to hit the spot…A charming, witty romance guaranteed to make hearts race and fans flutter' MY WEEKLY 'Hilarious moments and steamy scenarios, ensure this time-travel romance is escapism at its best!' CANDIS 'Are you kidding me? Regency romance, time travel, lesbian shenanigans, Reddit reactions on Instagram? Sign me up! I’m so there!' ? ?💗? It's time to change things up … Etta Moore expects nothing more from a Tuesday than another dull day in the office. But when her morning commute ends in Regency England, she is forced to accept the impossible: she and her ancestor Miss Henrietta Bainbridge – or ‘Mad Hetty’, as she’s known amongst the ton – have switched bodies. Suddenly Etta and Hetty must get to grips with the new worlds they find themselves in. For Etta, it’s goodbye to dating apps and the daily commute and hello to the list of things ‘Ladies Do Not’ do. Luckily the dashing Lord Stanhope is on hand to aid her through even the most shocking of faux pas. Meanwhile Hetty, who has always felt unseen and unknown, finds her truest self blossoming with the help of 21st century medicine and the most welcome attentions of her rather beautiful Adult Learning teacher, Stella. Two hundred years away from everything they’ve ever known, might Etta and Hetty have actually found a place where they each truly belong? ?💗? Perfect for fans of: ? Time travel shenanigans 👭 Found family 💗 Dashing Regency heroes 🌈 Sapphic romance 🍨 Trifle … The Regency Switch is the talk of the ton: 'One of the best time travel romances I have ever read' ? ‘Devoured in one happy sitting!’ MICHELLE KENNEY 'So much fun…I highly enjoyed this' ? ‘I had an absolute blast reading this funny and touching novel’ EMMA ORCHARD 'I absolutely devoured this book' ? ‘Both charming historical romp and witty contemporary romance with just the right amount of spice’ DARCY McGUIRE 'Fun and charming' ? ‘I highly recommend this if you’re looking for an escapist book which will leave you feeling warm, fuzzy, and believing in the power of love’ DANA HAWKINS 'Fun and charming' ? 'Delightful…the ending made me swoon!' ?

An enthralling, groundbreaking reimagining of an iconic queen, from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author 'Enchanting, smart, and subversive – El-Arifi’s masterpiece' R. F. Kuang 'Lush world-building and lyrical prose burn brightly on every page' JENNIFER SAINT 'Addictive and entertaining' STYLIST 'An extraordinary achievement’ SAMANTHA SHANNON *Limited Collector’s Edition featuring foiled board design and designed endpapers available to the first print run only whilst supplies last* ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– YOU KNOW MY NAME. BUT YOU DO NOT KNOW ME. Your historians call me seductress, but I was ever in love's thrall. Your playwrights speak of witchcraft, but my talents came from the gods themselves. Your poets sing of my bloodlust, but I was always protecting my children. How wilfully they refuse to concede that a woman could be powerful, strategic, divinely blessed to rule. Death will silence me no longer. This is not the story of how I died. But how I lived. From one of the most remarkable and acclaimed storytellers of her generation, the #1 bestselling author of FAEBOUND and THE FINAL STRIFE, this epic and groundbreaking new novel shows us Cleopatra on her own terms.