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Riley Wright is starting at Heverton Junior School with one awkward disadvantage: her MAJORLY embarrassing dad is the new head teacher …!! 🦄 🌈 📓🦄 🌈 'A lively fun-filled story’ — Dame Jacqueline Wilson New school, new friends (hopefully!). Riley Wright has to figure out how to fit in, pin down a talent for the talent show, look out for her unpredictable new BFF Emmie and face down super mean girl Harper … As someone who gets a lot of stuff wrong, when will Riley finally get something RIGHT? KIDS LOVE RILEY! ‘Mel is a great writer. Can’t she just publish like three of these at the same time?’ – Anaya, 9 ‘I definitely recommend Riley Wright!’ – Lily, 8 AUTHORS LOVE RILEY TOO! 'A lively fun-filled story that children will love’ — Dame Jacqueline Wilson ‘As funny as Lottie Brooks, with the madcap energy of Pamela Butchart, Riley Wright is smart, sharp and totally relatable. I loved it!’ – Abie Longstaff, author of The Magic Potions Shop and The Fairytale Hairdresser series ‘I love Riley! A fun and charming book bursting with energy.’ – Laura Dockrill, author of Darcy Burdock ‘Instantly engaging, hugely appealing and full of laughs. Riley Wright is a wonderfully bright and bubbly new voice in the diary style format – like a younger female Wimpy Kid.’ – Andy Shepherd, author of The Boy Who Grew Dragons ‘It is impossible not to smile at every page and cheer out loud for the new girl in school, Riley Wright. With a big personality and heart to match, Riley is just the BFF that readers have been waiting for. A fresh, funny and utterly charming book, from start to finish.’ – Clara Vulliamy, author of Dottie Detective ‘Riley and her BFF are a laugh-out-loud unstoppable duo, taking readers on a giggly, squirmy tour through the ups and downs of junior school. Packed with laughs, oops moments and best friend fun.’ – Vashti Hardy, author of Harley Hitch ‘An adorable, fun and feel-good story. Readers will love Riley with her electrocuted chicken hair, her relatable worries and her sparky attitude. A new series that’s sure to become a favourite.’ – Rashmi Sirdeshpande, author of Hari Kumar Ultimate Superstar ‘I loved it! Funny, heartwarming and very engaging.’ – Harriet Muncaster, author of Isadora Moon ‘Hilarious, heartfelt and filled with so many memorable moments. Get ready for Riley Wright to be the best friend you never knew you needed. Why be right when you can have so much fun being wrong!’ – Jo Clarke, author of Libby and the Parisian Puzzle ‘Riley Wright is ADORABLE! Funny, zippy and relatable – these books will become fast favourites.’ – Perdita Cargill, author of Diary of an Accidental Witch ‘Riley Wright thinks she is Awkward, Accident-prone, and Annoyingly Average. I think she's AMAZING and AWESOME! A hilarious, endearing and uplifting read which made me laugh and cringe on Riley's behalf in equal measures. I can't wait to see what Riley does next!’ – Serena Patel, author of Anisha Accidental Detective ‘As a parent, Dad is absolute parent-goals but as a reader, who was once a child with major hair frizz issues, Riley is a character I think everyone young person can relate to. I was giggling away from the first page and desperately wishing I had a Secret Understairs Library too! Mel Taylor-Bessent has created a perfect read for those who love a funny book – it’s feel-good Louise Rennison for junior school readers.’ – Swapna Haddow, author of Dave Pigeon ‘Massively fun and laugh out loud. I loved this book. Riley Wright is going to become your new BFF!’ – Jenny McLachlan, author of Fairy vs Wizard ‘Riley Wright ticks ALL the WRIGHT boxes with all the scented rainbow pens, a tonne of hilarity and oodles of heart. This is the kind of book I’d have devoured as a kid! And I’m prett

From the author of A Ghost in the Throat, an unforgettable book - both history and ghost story - that will leave you gasping by its final page. In the city of Cork, a derelict Victorian mental hospital is being converted into modern apartments. One passerby has always flinched as she passes the place. Had she lived in another time, she too might have found herself held within those walls. Now, she notices a sign: FOR SALE. It is the first of many signs. Guided by an irresistible impulse, she follows them. Soon, she is trespassing, stealing, absconding from the routine of mother, spouse, daughter, as she uncovers a chorus of startling voices: those of the women who knew the hospital best. They murmur from archives and old records. They haunt from stairwells and walls. In them - and in one figure in particular -- she may find meaning and solace, righteous anger, salvation even. Or her final vanishin? work of sublime intensity and tenderness, Said the Dead breaks the boundaries between worlds -- past and present, imagined and real, fact and fiction -- to make something new and lasting: an experience full of danger, full of love and full of truth. Praise for the work of Doireann Ní Ghríofa'The effect is electric, like seeing a ghost returned to life.' New Statesman 'Obliterates every clear definition of genre and form . . . Astounding and utterly fresh.' Irish Independent'Lush, lyrical prose that dazzles readers from the get-go . . . sumptuous, almost symphonic, in its intensity.' Sunday Times'Past versus present, blood versus milk, birth versus death . . . dichotomies abound, but the questions of women's lived experiences and who history remembers link them all.' Paris Review

'The perfect cozy small town escape … It is sweet, a little spicy, and full of heart' ? 'A beautiful read … Look forward to much more from this author' ? Available to pre-order now, this spicy, grumpy v sunshine, small-town romance is perfect for fans of Laurie Gilmore and Tessa Bailey! Will love brew in Honey Springs? Willow Davis has everything she should want. An impressive corporate job, a beautiful Seattle apartment, and an even more beautiful boyfriend to go alongside it. But when a quarter-life crisis hits and everything begins to fall apart, there's only one place she wants to go. Up to the mountains and to the small town of Honey Springs, where she's determined to lean into self-care and bring her love of matcha lattes with her. Lucas Dawson is still running his family business. The grumpy, gritty and gorgeous diner owner's heart seems impenetrable, even when Willow, his warm-as-sunshine childhood best friend, returns to town. But what is Lucas hiding … and why can Willow feel their bond stirring up more than just old memories? Readers LOVE The Perfect Matcha: 'Whether you love or hate matcha, this small-town cosy read will warm you like a hot drink’ Laura Carter 'Loved the storyline and the characters. Will definitely be reading more by this author' ? 'A quick read that still manages to feel warm and meaningful. The small-town setting adds a cozy charm to the story and really enhances the sense of community and nostalgia. Overall, it’s a sweet, heartwarming romance' ?

How an ancient land became a great democracy. Longlisted for Best Non Fiction in the Indie Book Awards 2026 'Tony Abbott should be congratulated ... This history of Australia is vivid, readable, provocative' Geoffrey Blainey, historian'I think it's very good' Tom Holland, historianAustralia is one of the world's great success stories: a land long hidden from outsiders, chosen as a convict dumping ground, where - since 1788 - people from many backgrounds have built one of the freest, fairest and most prosperous countries on earth. By the standards of a harsher time, the early governors tried to respect the original inhabitants and to encourage the convict outcasts of the British Isles to make a new start to a better life. This Indigenous heritage, British foundation and immigrant character have shaped the land of the 'fair go' especially for those willing to 'have a go'. It's not perfect, even now, yet mostly we have a history to be proud of. Within a century of settlement, Australia had not only the world's highest standard of living but had become a global pioneer for democratic freedoms such as the secret ballot, the payment of MPs and voting rights for women. A country largely created by settlement and negotiation has evolved from 'White Australia' at the time of federation into one of the world's most colour-blind societies and has managed the transition from an old 'Anglo' identity to a civic patriotism based on an overriding commitment to Australia and its values. This book is intended to give anyone interested - as every Australian should be - an account of our past that's positive, while not oblivious to our mistakes and imperfections as a nation. If to be an Australian is still to have won the lottery of life, the history that's produced us is surely something to savour. Now a major TV documentary available to stream at Sky News Australia. PRAISE'Tony Abbott's book is inspired by love of country, yet he comes to grip with our flaws. This is a fresh, powerful, highly readable single-volume history of Australia that deserves a wide audience' Paul Kelly, editor-at-large, The Australian'Scholarly researched, scrupulously fair-minded and very engagingly written, this is big narrative history at its best. It explains why Australia is such a wonderfully unique place, and why history is all the better when written by those who themselves helped make it' - Andrew Roberts, author, Churchill: Walking with Destiny'Not quite the "white armband" version of history I was expecting in the first half, nor a "Liberal Party highlights package" in the second half. I enjoyed reading it' - Peter FitzSimons, author, KokodaThis is an immensely readable account of how - as I frequently call it - the "Australian Achievement" has been built' - Hon John Howard OM AC, former prime minister of Australia'Tony Abbott's latest book is a powerful antidote to the poison of little and bad history ... we have much to be thankful for and to build on' Hon John Anderson AC, former deputy prime minister of Australia and leader of the National Party'The former prime minister has done a good job with Australia: A History' Frank Bongiorno, historian'if you have a serious interest in Australian history, the book will go on your shelves' Hon Kim Beazley AC, former deputy prime minister of Australia'Tony Abbott has written with reverence and richness, bringing our nation's past, although both painful and proud, to life with striking clarity' Nova Peris OAM OLY, first Aboriginal-Australian Olympic gold medallist and former Labor senator'This book is a compelling reminder of our inheritance, which gives us a reason to be proud of who we are and the country we've become' - Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, federal senator for Northern Territory'Tony Abbott brings history to life in a way that is both enlightening and deeply engaging' Brett Lee, former Australian international cricketer'This book helps us rediscover our past with honesty and respect, so we can better

'A magnificent novel' Belinda McKeon, author of Solace and Tender'Truly unforgettable' Fíona Scarlett, author of Boys Don't Cry'Everything I love in a novel' Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of The List of Suspicious ThingsA heart-swelling beauty of a debut novel of love, trauma and found family - perfect for fans of Chris Whitaker, Liz Moore and Marilynne Robinson. 'Little Maude Rowe sits in the crick, her pockets heavy with gold, the blood on her face turned to powdered rust . . .'In a remote valley in Idaho in 1981, a man, a woman and three children stop running to wash the blood from their hands and bodies. They are the few survivors of a terrible tragedy. Their only choice now is, somehow, to become a family. Five years earlier, Opal and her husband James arrive in the small mining community of Silver Valley, drawn by promises of fortune and independence. There they meet Baron Rowe, the charismatic visionary who controls the community with an iron fist. Baron's son Denny has spent his life trying, and failing, to live up to Baron's expectations, and to protect his little sister Maude from their father's excesses. Soon, a tragic accident will change all their lives. And five years later, change will come again at the barrel of a gun . . . *A winner of the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair 2024*

Illustrated throughout, this uncovers the hundreds of British and French warships in the Dunkirk evacuation, whose actions have been overshadowed by the fame of the ‘Little Ships’. In this book, naval historian Angus Konstam examines the backbone of the Dunkirk evacuation fleet: the warships of the Royal Navy and French Navy that were ordered into action to rescue the British Expeditionary Force. Nearly 50 destroyers, an anti-aircraft cruiser, and more than 200 MTBs, minesweepers, trawlers, and other small warships were involved, as many as could be spared without recklessly endangering naval strength. He highlights the lack of decent anti-aircraft defences available to the Allies in 1940, and shows how improvised weaponry were used to help fend off the Stukas. Dunkirk was the first naval operation of World War II to be carried out under sustained air attack, and nearly a fifth of the destroyers and a quarter of the smaller vessels were sunk, with more badly damaged. Illustrated with archive photos, profiles illustrating the range of both British and French warships involved, and dramatic original artwork, this studies the naval side of the greatest evacuation of World War II.

Young children will have fun learning to write the alphabet with this eco-friendly wipe-clean activity book in the bestselling See, Touch, Feel series from Priddy Books!Funny rhymes, simple directions and helpful dashed lines to trace make See, Touch, Feel Skills for School: ABC an ideal introduction to writing for kids. A dry erase pen is embedded into the design of the book in an eco-friendly way, ensuring the book and pen stay together! Kids can trace their letters, then wipe the page clean and try again, for hours of educational fun. Little fans of See, Touch, Feel books will be proud to 'graduate' to this learn-to-write ABC book. Also available to help get a head start: See, Touch, Feel Skills for School Pen Control

A romance of convenience between two college women soon becomes the real thing.Shy Miwa has always dreamed of finding love, but living in small-town Japan made finding the right match difficult—especially since she likes girls! Even going away to college didn’t seem to help, until one day her outgoing classmate Saeko suggests they might as well start dating each other since it’s not like either of them has other options.Real life is coming at Saeko and Miwa hard as they prepare for their upcoming graduation and the accompanying stress of looking for a job. Miwa’s glad her relationship with Saeko has finally healed, but the more time they spend together, the more she realizes friendship isn’t the only thing she wants. Trouble is, Saeko doesn’t seem interested in anything else! Final volume!

WRITTEN WITH SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR ANN CUSACKGenerations of abuse. A murdered mother. A daughter determined to get justice. Growing up as one of eight children with drug abusers for parents, Tara has no choice but to learn to be self-reliant from a young age. Despite her mother’s negligence, Tara remains fiercely loyal to her, even more so when she discovers the terrible sexual abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of her own father. But when the same predator turns his attention to six-year-old Tara, a horrifying spiral begins and history repeats itself. Her mother stayed silent and Tara keeps her own abuse and pain a secret too. Until one day an unimaginable tragedy changes everything. Tara knows she can rely only on herself. Can she finally get justice for both of them?

The stunning new novel from the Booker Prize-winning, Sunday Times-bestselling author of SHUGGIE BAIN and YOUNG MUNGO.An Oprah's Book Club pick'This summer's bestseller' - The Times'This book is special' - Colm Tóibín'Passionate, liberating, and gorgeous' - Min Jin Lee 'Brilliant and rare' - Ann Patchett'A masterpiece' - Elaine Feeney'A fierce, glorious sting of a novel' - Lauren GroffOut of money and with little to show for his art school education, John-Calum Macleod takes the ferry home to the island of Harris to find that not much has changed except for him. In the windswept croft where he grew up, Cal resumes his old life, caught between the two poles of his childhood: his father John, a sheep farmer, weaver, and pillar of their local Presbyterian church, and his Glaswegian grandmother Ella, who has kept a faltering peace with her son-in-law for decades. While Cal wonders if any lonely men might be found on the barren hillsides of home, John is dismayed by his son’s long hair and how he seems unwilling to be Saved. As the seasons pass, everything is poised to change as the threads holding together the fragile community become increasingly entangled. John of John is the heartbreaking story of a young man’s return home and how the bonds of family life are torn by the weight of expectation. It confirms Douglas Stuart as one of the great British writers at work today.

Scholar and critic Ruth R. Wisse warns that the failure of liberals to stand up for Jews facing resurgent antisemitism signals the collapse of liberal democratic values. “Ruth R. Wisse is a writer of passion and precision, who has extraordinary polemical powers. All these enviable qualities are beautifully engaged in If I Am Not for Myself, an immensely impressive book on a subject of universal importance.” —Joseph Epstein, author of Never Say You’ve Had a Lucky Life: Especially If You’ve Had a Lucky Life, and recipient of the National Humanities Award “You don’t have to be Jewish to be moved and instructed by this brilliant critique of liberalisms that do not reciprocate the devotions of their adherents. Ruth R. Wisse joins literary grace to analytical rigor in a book that should generate necessary debates for a long time to come.” —Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, founder of the Institute for Religion and Public Life and First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life “The Jews have enemies, as this book urges us to recognize in its passionately felt and powerfully reasoned argument. Ruth R. Wisse mounts a resolve defense of basic Jewish rights and offers a determined challenge to all who would deny them. Her analysis of the psychological and political sources of anti-Jewish hostility is as formidable as it is provocative and deserves the most serious reflection.” —Alvin H. Rosenfeld, professor, and Director of the Center for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism, Indiana University “Wisse’s book is a timely and appropriate response to the ‘Woody Allen syndrome,’ typical of American Jews who charge Israel with betraying their own liberal legacy through its supposed suppression of Palestinian rights. What she charges in return is nothing less than the betrayal of the Jewish heritage itself by well-meaning, assimilated American Jews. Whether or not one agrees with all of her assertions, her book is mandatory reading for those who reject the platitudes of both Left and Right—which coincide in blaming Jews for the aggressions waged against them.” —Ronald Radosh, professor, and coauthor of The Rosenburg File: A Search for the Truth “This is a wonderful book, passionate, wise, and original. Wisse shows how liberalism has led the Jews into the worst betrayal of all—self-betrayal.” —Rael Jean Isaac, coauthor of The Coercive Utopians and Madness in the Streets

Perfect for fans of Creepy Pair of Underwear, this wolfish picture book romp follows a kid who finds himself in a hairy situation when he dons a pair of not-so-normal undies under the light of the full moon. Do not, under any circumstances, Or for any reason, Wear this underwear under the full moon. Do you understand? Get ready to howl with laughter as one rule-breaking, underwear-loving kid transforms into a—gasp!—UNDERWEARWOLF! Now he’s on an unforgettable nighttime adventure that may or may not include furry paws, sharp claws, uncomfortable wedgies, and an honest-to-goodness wild wolfpack! No butts about it—this is one read-aloud that’ll blow your undies off!

The most honest, outrageous and joyous running book you'll read… Alison Stankard is a Running Wanker. But it didn’t happen overnight. A few morning stumbles around the block in a bid to become pert-bottomed somehow turned into something else: 5ks, 10ks, marathons and even ultra marathons. Then one day, whilst looking at her lack of toenails, embarrassingly large collection of training shoes and buffs, it dawned on her: she had become a Running Wanker. Some people can go out for an occasional run and not obsess over every little detail. They might not think to take a photo of their hill sprints to post on social media or be able to recite their splits from the race that got them a PB to anybody who’ll listen. All impossible if you’re a true Running W*nker. There are a lot of books about running. Serious books with marathon plans, advice on nutrition and injury prevention. This book isn’t that. It’s a sweary, honest celebration of all the things that Running W*nkers new and old get up to: sh*tting in bushes, going down the stairs on your arse because your legs won’t bend the day after a marathon, lying about how much trainers cost and plotting how to rig the London Marathon ballot. The question is: are you a Running W*nker too?

Enjoy this beautifully illustrated and packaged collection of Mutts comic strips from 2023 by Patrick McDonnell. This brand new Mutts Treasury collects a year's worth of special and sweet moments with Earl, Mooch, and the rest of their four-legged friends. This treasury features an entire year's worth of Mutts comics, including sketch art and illustrations by author Patrick McDonnell. Printed on recycled paper.

Our brains do some incredible things - they control our moves, thoughts, opinions, personalities and make us who we are! Want to know how? Well, the answers are All in the Mind... Shrink down to discover how messages whizz past at synapses. See neurons deliver signals from our head to our toes and back. Wonder at how our brains are wired differently and marvel at how some creatures have no brain at all... Plus, put your brain to the test with teasers to show how your brain works (and sometimes doesn't) in real time! Featuring text in bite-sized chunks from Gill Arbuthnott and buzzy, bold illustrations from Lauren Humphrey, this book is packed full of mind-bending facts and mind-boggling activities to try that will get your brain burning!

'Vera Gedroits was a true medical heroine: outrageous, intrepid and devoted to saving lives. Miranda Seymour’s genius as a story teller brings this astonishing woman blazing back to life. I shall never forget her' LADY ANTONIA FRASER 'Miranda Seymour has written a wonderful and unputdownable book about an astonishing woman' MEL GIEDROYC Vera Gedroits was a towering, sweet-faced lesbian princess, an ardent supporter of workers’ rights who regularly performed true medical miracles of surgery. On one occasion, she even frogmarched an inquisitive Rasputin out of a ward for wounded officers. While working for César Roux at the world’s best known medical institute in Lausanne, Vera became the world’s first woman surgeon. Off the back of this, she was appointed by the doomed Tsarina to teach the women of the Romanov family how to be nurses. In 1919, Vera was sent to Kyiv, where her hospital reforms, innovative work and academic papers crowned an extraordinary career. During the troubled 1920s, in times of extreme danger, she completed a remarkable series of memoirs. The princess-surgeon’s prose, including a startling candid account of her early years as a revolutionary factory doctor, has been compared to that of Pasternak. Some years later, Vera and her widowed lover Countess Maria Nirod were seized in the middle of the night and taken away at gunpoint during the Soviet purge of scientific intellectuals. Their whereabouts for the next few months were never disclosed. Vera’s pension was cancelled. The hospital and institute were closed. Living in extreme poverty, Vera died two years later of uterine cancer. She was just 61. The princess’s name was removed from official Soviet medical records; her tremendous contribution to medicine and the radical improvements to wartime surgery she pioneered as the first female battlefield surgeon have remained unacknowledged to this day. Now, Miranda Seymour uncovers the riveting story of a daring and brilliant woman who chose to make Ukraine her homeland, someone adored by her friends and patients and whose achievements as an administrator and bold reformer invite comparisons to Florence Nightingale. ‘The extraordinary story of an extraordinary woman, whose unprecedented career as a surgeon, and also as a writer, made her a participant in every aspect of late Tsarist and early Soviet history, and at every level of Russian society … Miranda Seymour tells her story with compelling passion and the most extraordinarily wide understanding of the history and politics, the medicine and literature of the times. A remarkable book’ MICHAEL FRAYN

Don't miss this heart-stopping drama from the nation's favourite storyteller! Will the sleeping shadows of a family’s past torment a new generation? Twenty years ago, an unspeakable crime tore Jack’s family apart. An evil that consumed his mother and ripped him away from everything and everyone he knew. Now Jack has worked hard to make a new life for himself. But nothing can keep him sheltered from the nightmares of his past, and he becomes increasingly disturbed by the dark intentions hiding behind his eldest daughter’s smile. Is there a mystery at the heart of his family threatening them in the present? Can he save the people he loves before it’s too late? *No Angel was first published as No Heaven, No Hell by Josephine Cox writing as Jane Brindle

'Kay is a genius. I've read him all my life and am always inspired by his work' BRANDON SANDERSONA sweeping new novel of love and war that brilliantly evokes the drama and turbulence of medieval France from the internationally bestselling author of Tigana, All the Seas of the World, and A Brightness Long Ago. Thierry Villar is a well-known - even notorious - tavern poet, intimately familiar with the rogues and shadows of that world, but not at all with courts and power. He is an unlikely person, despite his quickness, to be swept into the deadly contests of ambitious royals, assassins, and invading armies. But he is indeed drawn into all these things on a savagely cold night in his beloved city of Orane. And so Thierry must use all the intelligence and charm he can muster as power struggles merge with a decades-long war to bring his country to the brink of destruction. As he does, he meets his poetic equal in an aristocratic woman and is drawn to more than one unsettling person with a connection to the world beyond this one. He also crosses paths with an extraordinary young woman driven by voices within to try to heal the ailing king - and help his forces in war. A wide and varied set of people from all walks of life take their places in the rich tapestry of this story. Both sweeping and intimate, Written on the Dark is an elegant tour de force about power and ambition playing out amid the equally intense human need for art and beauty, and memories to be left behind. PRAISE FOR GUY GAVRIEL KAY'S NOVELS'Tragic, stirring, romantic, meticulous, comic, rueful, worldly-wise, and written in the intimate, deceptively nonchalant voice of a storyteller offering up his great gift' MICHAEL CHABON'Kay is a genius. I've read him all my life and am always inspired by his work' BRANDON SANDERSON'A wonderful talent. He tells stories in an invented world that is so rich in historical echoes that I found myself smiling with pleasure as I heard the echoes, while engrossed in the story. Warmly recommended' EDWARD RUTHERFORD'History and fantasy rarely come together as gracefully or readably as they do in the novels of Guy Gavriel Kay' THE WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD'By making the familiar ever so slightly strange, Guy Gavriel Kay breathes new life into historical fantasy. Beautifully faceted, jewel-like scenes carry us beyond the doublets and daggers to create an emotionally charged, high-stakes world of love and hate, threat and reward' DAILY MAIL'An immersive reading experience; readers will taste the dust in their mouths, see the high seas from the deck of a merchant ship, feel the bustle of the city market. What results is necessary sustenance for the starving reader. A masterpiece from a master of the craft' BOOKLIST'Gorgeous, generous, humane and deeply aware of the intricacies of human desire and attachment, All the Seas of the World is another masterpiece from Kay' JAMES BRADLEY'I came away from it with spirits lifted and a smile on my face, whilst feeling a wistful sense of regret that the reading experience was over. You can't ask more from a book than that' PARSEC

‘Private Inquiries is a must-read – a riveting mythbuster, with its revelations of the real histories of women PIs.’ – Val McDermidThe female private detective has been a staple of popular culture for over 150 years, from Victorian lady sleuths to ‘busy-body spinsters’ and gun-toting modern PIs. But what about the real-life women behind these fictional tales? Dismissed as ‘Mrs Sherlock Holmes’ or amateurish Miss Marples, mocked as private dicks or honey trappers, they have been investigating crime since the mid-nineteenth century – everything from theft and fraud to romance scams and murder. In Private Inquiries, Caitlin Davies traces the history of the UK’s female investigators, uncovering the truth about their lives and careers from the 1850s to the present day. Women like Victorian private inquiry agent Antonia Moser, the first woman to open her own agency; Annette Kerner, who ran the Mayfair Detective Agency on Baker Street in the 1940s; and Liverpool sleuth Zena Scott-Archer, who became the first woman president of the World Association of Detectives. Caitlin also follows in the footsteps of her subjects, undertaking a professional qualification to become a Private Investigator, and meeting modern PIs to find out the reality behind the fictional image. Female investigators are on the rise in the UK – and despite the industry’s sleazy reputation, nearly a third of new trainees are women. After a century of undercover work, it’s time to reveal the secrets of their trailblazing forebears.