Muswell Press

Four years after establishing Braslou Biere, a British microbrewery in the heart of French wine country, Covid hits and Tommy and Rose Barnes are forced to make the agonising decision to return to England.   Landing in a cramped cottage in scenic Padstow, their animals are rehomed, and their children confused. Tommy mourns the loss of his old life.  After winning and losing several jobs, not least at the legendary St Austell Brewery, He realises that it is he who is the problem not the work. With that insight, and the kindness of friends, and a rival brewer he sets about launching Braslou Biere in Cornwall.  Yes, there are disasters aplenty, but with his new self-knowledge and energy, life begins to look up. He launches Surfer Beer to celebrate. Told with biting wit and poignant reflection, this is a story of escape and exile, of finding freedom and losing it again, and of how the places we leave behind often haunt us more than we expect. It’s a deeply human tale about identity, home, and the weight of nostalgia—laced with beer, animals, and a truly indestructible dog.

“If all that follows reads like a love story, that's what it was...”Hey Man is the story of Ian and Tommy, whose rich and tender friendship stretches across three fateful decades. Their story begins in 1989, when seventeen-year-old Dubliner Ian finds himself lodging with thirty-year-old actor Tommy in London. A summer of long nights and early mornings leaves an indelible mark on them both.  Then, the adventure ends. Tommy vanishes, and Ian is left with the ache of something unfinished. When they meet again in Dublin, fifteen years later, Ian is Brother Eugene, a Benedictine monk searching for meaning in devotion, while Tommy is navigating fame, divorce, and his familiar restlessness. The old spark is there—but so are the questions: what did they mean to each other, and why does it still matte? t Tommy’s sixtieth birthday, with illness casting its shadow, the truths long buried rise to the surface. Tender and devastating, Hey Man is a meditation on the mysteries of male friendship and the bonds that shape a life. An ode to male friendship—wise, wry, poetic, and deeply moving.

June cleans houses. Ray is a janitor at the public tennis courts in Dun Laoghaire. He s not romantic material, and she s not even friend material. When it comes to learning how to be with other people at the age of 70 plus, they are unlikely companions, even more unlikely friends. Ray looks a bit like Willie Nelson, June looks a bit like Chrissie Hynde. They ve never fitted in before and they don t fit in now. They are just regular folk for whom the path towards love has been closed off. Yet, as understanding blossoms into friendship, June and Ray find themselves slowly rediscovering the joy that s been missing from their lives for so long.

When human remains turn up behind an apartment wall, DI Henrik Jungersen knows he is hunting for a killer that has been hiding in plain sight. Jensen, who should be enjoying maternity leave, is struggling with her own challenge – legendary author Valde Brix says he is her father. But Brix has an ulterior motive: he wants Jensen to use her sleuthing skills to find the stalker who is threatening to ruin his life. When a woman connected to Brix turns up brutally murdered, Jensen and her teenage apprentice Gustav become embroiled in Henrik’s investigation. It becomes clear that the stalker won’t stop,until Brix is destroyed. With growing horror, Jensen realises that her own loved ones are in mortal danger.

In the crumbling seaside town of Hawksbridge, Shona finds kinship with the eccentric Gifford family living illegally in a derelict building. Their stories of survival give her the courage to paint again—until she discovers a body wrapped in carpet, and everything starts to unravel. Richard knows her secrets. He's documented every shameful detail of her childhood, from the fire she set at fifteen to the deaths that followed. Now he's weaponising that knowledge, jeopardizing her relationships and her future. But Shona has learned something important from the misfits of Hawksbridge: sometimes the only way to break free is to embrace the darkness you've been running from. As New Year's Day dawns, Shona faces a choice that will define who she really is. Because some shadows can't be escaped—they can only be owned.

'A first class mystery Bernard O Keeffe is on a roll to the big time.' - Daily Mail. 'Perfect comfort reading.' - The Times. 'An enthralling mix of mystery and murder.' - Mail on Sunday. 'Cosy yet cleverly menacing, this fifth DI Garibaldi novel delivers classic whodunnit pleasures with a nostalgic twist, proving once again that even the most genteel London enclaves can harbour lethal grudges and long-buried secrets.' - Lisa Howells, Heat Crime Monthly. What goes around comes around. Every summer four friends gather at Barnes Fair to ride the carousel in memory of Esther, the school friend they lost in a car crash they were all involved in as teenagers. This year, the morning after the fair, one of those friends, Shelley Gregory, is found murdered on that very carousel. DI Garibaldi has questions to ask. Who killed Shelley, and why there? Is her death linked to the tragedy the friends commemorate each year, or do the answers lie closer to home in the quiet Thameside village of Barnes, where Shelley was well known but not always well liked? As Garibaldi pieces together the events of that summer night, he uncovers dark undercurrents beneath Barnes s genteel surface and begins to see the truth: what goes around comes around when you ride the carousel of time.

From Sunday Times bestseller Miles Morland comes a brilliant, life-affirming and audacious travel memoir. 'A beautiful, profound and funny book about a very brave man.' - Bryan Appleyard. 'You don t have to be a biker to be captivated by Miles s adventures.' - Jim Rogers, author of Investment Biker. 'Miles Morland is not dead, although he should be. He is living proof that common sense should never stand in the way of a good time.' - Jane Bussman author of The Worst Date Ever. 'Yearning for freedom, a middle-aged duffer manages to master a powerful machine and ride it to remote and beautiful landscapes all over the world. The reader peeps over his shoulder, enchanted - and terrified.' - David Reynolds author of Slow Road to Brownsville. Having never ridden a motorbike at night, in rain, or on motorways not knowing the difference between a carburettor and a spark plug, Miles Morland set out to ride across newly post-communist Europe to Istanbul. Somehow, he survived gales in France, rioting miners in Romania, homicidal truck drivers, and floods in Turkey. Since then, he has ridden the equivalent of twice round the world across five continents. He still doesn't know what a carburetor is. This isn't a book about biking. It's a story of idiot optimism, fearless discovery, and the freedom most of us can only dream about during our commute to work. Recklessly heading across Patagonia, the Andes, Japan, India, Australia's Nullarbor, and every other unlikely place, Miles's utter disregard for practical preparation and unfailing belief that things will work out somehow get him home safe. The Hopeless Biker is about letting go, going it alone, and trusting you'll survive to discover what's on the other side of the mountain.

An explosive Cold War thriller, a deadly arms race that threatens to tip the world into conflict. 'A smart fast-paced story.' Financial Times. 'Fallout is excellent. Not only the political line but also the narrative and style.' Neil Kinnock. South Africa, Zimbabwe, China and Britain. In the shadow of the Cold War, a deadly secret connects three continents, and time is running out. When a mild-mannered scientist accidentally uncovers a web of international espionage during a routine visit to Beijing, he's thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse. His only ally? A magnetic anti-apartheid activist who may have secrets of her own. As they race to expose the truth, a veteran South African intelligence operative moves through the streets of newly-independent Zimbabwe, his mission intertwined with the machinations of a mysterious Chinese power player from Mao's inner circle. Meanwhile, a sinister collaboration between apartheid forces and rogue British intelligence agents works in the shadows to keep their nuclear conspiracy buried, at any cost. From the neon lit backstreets of Beijing to the wild, untamed lowveld where Zimbabwe meets South Africa, this explosive thriller weaves together Cold War tensions, political intrigue, and the threat of nuclear devastation. As these disparate threads converge, our unlikely heroes find themselves at the centre of a plot that could reshape the balance of power in the Southern Hemisphere, if they can survive long enough to expose it.

After his boyfriend of nine years betrays him, Charlie's carefully constructed world crumbles. At thirty-something, he's never navigated London's queer scene alone – and he's terrified. No relationship experience, no dating app knowledge, and absolutely no idea if he's an otter or a bear. Why isn’t there a gay manual for all this?  But sometimes devastating endings force beautiful beginnings. As Charlie stumbles through awkward first dates and a new flat share, he discovers there's more to life than being someone's other half. The queer community he never dared explore beckons, promising friendship, adventure, and maybe even love. If only he can silence the nagging voice telling him he's Not Good Enough.  A heartwarming, story about finding yourself when life forces you to start again – because it's never too late to come out of your second closet and embrace who you truly are.

'The moving and surprising story of a discreet love, put to its greatest test'. The Reverend Richard Coles.  'A gloriously warm-hearted tribute to the courage of hidden lives’ Francis Spufford. 'Tender, delightful and heartbreaking, I absolutely couldn't put this book down'. Karen McLeod.It is 1951 and behind the counter of a modest post office in a leafy Buckinghamshire village Miss Dora Ham and Miss Beatrix Veal maintain their careful facade as respected local spinsters. But their true story is one of passion: suffragist activists who fell in love at a rally in the 1900s, danced in London's secret gay clubs between the wars, and comforted one another during the first night of the Blitz. Together they have built a life of quiet dignity and service in rural England. Now over the course of one pivotal day their carefully constructed world begins to fracture. Through Beatrix's wry perspective we witness the severe impact of post-war changes on their peaceful existence. Changes that will lead to heart-breaking decisions for Miss Veal and Miss Ham. At the heart of this intimate, moving and witty novel is a story of resilience, the dignity of love that cannot be spoken, and the challenges that come when the future no longer feels safe.

When a woman is found unconscious on a ping-pong table in Peckham's Warwick Gardens, it looks like a case of mistaken identity. Why would anyone want to injure this popular local mum of six? But Jim Domino, retired CID detective turned private eye, keeps asking questions. As the crime escalates to murder, Domino's investigations take him to the leafy Thames Valley, and plunge him into a dark world of ruthless people-traffickers and drug dealers. How might these sinister activities be linked to the Peckham murder? Assisted by sharp observations from his six-year-old grandson, Danny, Domino finds that important clues can come from unexpected sources. The Lady in the Park is about the good in most people, and about love, grief and childhood. The first in an exciting new crime fiction series, it weaves a diverse cast of characters into a twisty immersive plot that will leave readers craving for more investigations featuring the inimitable Jim Domino and his young sidekick, Danny.

June cleans houses. Ray is a janitor at the public tennis courts in Dun Laoghaire. After lives spent picking up the pieces, he's not romantic material, and she's not even friend material. When it comes to learning how to be with other people at the age of 70 plus, they are unlikely companions, even more unlikely friends Ray looks a bit like Willie Nelson, June looks a bit like Chrissie Hynde. They've never fitted in before and they don't fit in now. They are just regular folk for whom the path towards love has been closed off. As understanding blossoms into friendship, June and Ray find themselves slowly rediscovering the joy that's been missing from their lives for so long. The right person at the right time. June and Ray, this is your moment. 'Normal People for pensioners'

A missing child ... a tainted witness ... Jensen's darkest case yet ... Matilde Clausen, 9, vanishes from a crowded playground in the middle of Copenhagen, triggering a frantic search across the city. When a possible link emerges to the disappearance of Lea Hogh, 10, six years ago, DI Henrik Jungersen is thrown back into the nightmare that almost finished his career. Desperate for redemption, but barred from reopening the old case, Henrik turns to his estranged lover, Dagbladet chief crime reporter Jensen, for help. As the investigation reaches deep into Denmark's underworld, how will Henrik, Jensen, and her troubled teenage apprentice Gustav, escape the darkness that threatens to engulf them, in time to solve the mystery? What really happened to Lea? And where on earth is Matilde?

Having thwarted murderous poachers in The Elephant Conspiracy, the Veteran, Thandi and Mkhize are back battling to save lion prides from being killed for their claws, teeth and bones. As the demand for lion parts soars, impoverished local communities are being incentivised to poach, and the fight against this illegal plunder becomes ever more vicious. Struggling to defeat the international criminal syndicate responsible for poaching, the team find themselves embroiled in mafia-style smuggling, illicit night flights, tense shoot-outs, and an encounter with a protege of Vladimir Putin.

A first-class mystery Bernard O Keeffe is on a roll to the big time. - The Daily Mail. Perfect comfort reading. - The Times. An enthralling mix of mystery and murder. - The Mail on Sunday. Behind every mask lies a killer truth. Mick Jagger. Bob Dylan. Paul McCartney. David Bowie. Debbie Harry. They re icons. Legends. And together they form the ultimate supergroup - The Okay Boomers. It s quite some band and it s quite incredible to see them playing the Bull s Head in Barnes on a Sunday night. But all is not as it seems. Hiding behind lifelike masks are five local celebrities. They re keen to keep their identities secret, but they are all unmasked when a man is found dead in the lead singer s garden the morning after their post-gig party. Who is the victim? Why was he wearing the lead singer s Mick Jagger mask? And why have all the other masks disappeared? Enter DI Garibaldi, the Met s literary, country-music loving, non-driving detective. As he investigates the five members of The Okay Boomers a fading rom-com heartthrob, a high-profile comedian, a controversial TV pundit, a popular poet, and a national treasure one thing becomes clear: behind every mask lies a killer truth.

1953. Eli is nineteen years old and lives alongside a cursed field with his strange aunt Dreama. Six months before, his mother disappeared during the North Sea flood. Unsure of his place in the world and of the man he is becoming, Eli is ready to run. Shane Wright is a man with plenty to hide. Caught in a complicated relationship with Eli, Shane is desperate to maintain the double life that he has created for himself. Then Jimmy Smart appears. Jimmy Smart, the mysterious showman who turns the gallopers at the fair. Under his watchful gaze, Eli discovers a world he knows nothing about with rules he cannot understand.