Simon & Schuster Ltd strana 18 z 26

How much should one person give to make the world a better place? How much can one family take?**The hilarious, thought-provoking new novel from the Somerset Maugham and British Book Award-winning Ben Brooks**''Brooks is a frighteningly young talent.'' Tim Key  ''I love Ben Brooks.'' Matt Haig‘You’ll not forget the Candlewicks once you meet them! This splendid, wry satire is about a wealthy family, self-important and confident in their morality, whose blithe and bumptious existences are thrown into disarray when their father clandestinely decides to give all their money to charity, and so (in their opinions) completely destroys their lives. Droll and all-too-real.’ LitHub''A warmhearted tragicomedy about what it means to live a good life.'' People Magazine‘A sharp-witted tragicomedy about money, morality, and a family teetering on the brink. A splendidly funny novel.’ Jenny Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street  “I’d like you to imagine that you’re walking to work one day and you come upon a child drowning in a pool of water. But imagine that someone refused to jump in after the child on the grounds that it would ruin his three-hundred-pound pair of John Lobb loafers. We’d consider them utterly immoral, would we not?’Arthur Candlewick spends three days in a disused mineshaft with only his son’s drug stash, a book on the concept of ‘effective altruism’ and a bottle of medium-priced Bordeaux for company. When he emerges, he has made the life-changing decision to become a good man. Deciding to sell the family timber business and give away his wealth to charity, Arthur’s family become convinced that he has lost his mind. His university-bound daughter, Evangeline, wants to change the world but perhaps not at the cost of her own privileged life. His son, Emil, good at maths and not much else, becomes more distant than ever. And his wife, Yara, who arrives at airports four hours early and fears that AI and climate change will leave her children unemployed, just wants the doctor to run another brain scan on her husband. Incisive, hilarious and unflinchingly human, The Greatest Possible Good asks fundamental questions about what it means to live a good life while introducing the world to one of the great families of contemporary literature.‘Ben Brooks is a magical imp who pumps out dark nuggets of poetry and makes you snort with laughter.’ Noel Fielding‘Brooks has the timing of a genius stand-up comic.’ Richard Milward ‘Ben Brooks is a writer who genuinely excites me.’ Colin Herd, 3:AM Magazine  

HE DISAPPEARED. SHE NEVER STOPPED LOOKING. Private investigator Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner Joe Pike face a cryptic case and a terrifyingly unpredictable killer in this twisty, edge-of-your-seat thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais.   ‘Robert Crais has mastered the fine art of storytelling’ James Patterson ‘Hands down the best book I’ve read this year. Simply incredible’ M. W. CravenWhen influencer Traci Beller hires PI Elvis Cole to find her father, who has been missing for ten years and presumed to have walked out on his family, the case seems like it will stay cold. But in Rancha, nothing stays buried forever. What starts as a search for answers twists into a deadly race against time, as victims become predators, and predators become prey. With ex-Marine Joe Pike by his side, Elvis follows Tommy’s trail into a darkness that will challenge his loyalty to his clients—and to himself.The truth is waiting in The Big Empty. But can Elvis survive what he finds?Readers love The Big Empty . . . (5 star reviews*****) 'The Big Empty is one of my top favorite 2025 mystery novels!' 'Once I started reading this, I couldn't put it down' 'This book has everything you love about Elvis Cole and Joe Pike' 'Five stars all the way. Highly recommended' 'My one word review for this one would be "wow!"'

How to Kill Your Family meets The Power in this entertaining and thought-provoking read, that asks:  If you had the power between life and death, what would you do?   Thea has a secret. She can tell how long someone has left to live just by touching them. Not only that, but she can transfer life from one person to another – something she finds out the hard way when her best friend Ruth suffers a fatal head injury on a night out. Desperate to save her, Thea touches the arm of the man responsible when he comes to check if Ruth is all right. As Ruth comes to, the man quietly slumps to the ground, dead. Thea realises that she has a godlike power: but despite deciding to use her ability for good, she can’t help but sometimes use it for her own benefit. Boss annoying her at work? She can take some life from them and give it as a tip to her masseuse for a great job. Creating an ‘Ethical Guide to Murder’ helps Thea to focus her new-found skills. But as she embarks on her mission to punish the wicked and give the deserving more time, she finds that it isn’t as simple as she first thought. How can she really know who deserves to die, and can she figure out her own rules before Ruth’s borrowed time runs out? ‘Relatable, poignant, and filled with unexpected twists, An Ethical Guide to Murder is near-impossible to put down. I was hooked all the way up to the ending, which I can't stop thinking about. A must-read for 2025’ Jenny Hollander, author of Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead ‘An Ethical Guide to Murder is a fabulous book! Jenny Morris has taken the "with great power comes great responsibility" concept and applied it to someone who struggles to be responsible for her own laundry. Thea is a relatable, messy character whose trials and tribulations kept me laughing all the way to the emotional gut punch. What a marvellous debut!’ Alice Bell, author of Grave Expectations  ‘An Ethical Guide to Murder is the best type of book – one that’s as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. With Thea, Jenny Morris has created one of the most interesting characters that I’ve read in a long time’ Kellye Garrett, award winning author of Missing White Woman ‘Is Thea a serial killer? Is she an avenging angel? Maybe she’s both. Fresh and fun, I loved this original take on the crime genre. Combining ethics with a good old revenge story, I raced through this unexpectedly poignant novel. A fabulous debut!’ Sam Holland, author of The Echo Man

‘This book is a pressure-cooked vial crafted with perfect romantic tension and pure gangster-style grit … I loved every chapter’ RAVEN KENNEDY, Sunday Times bestselling author of the Plated Prisoner series. Australian BookTok star Stacey McEwan’s stunning new slow-burn romantasy duology traces a fated pair who stumble upon a world-changing secret in youth and are catapulted into a violent class war in adulthood, finding each other amidst love, loss and devasting betrayals.Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson are only twelve years old when they are whisked from their disenfranchised mining towns to dazzling Belavere City to test for magical abilities. Nina’s lifelong dream is to become an Artisan, a powerful elemental mage who fulfills the city’s grand ambitions, while Patrick wants only to reunite with his family of Craftsmen in the mines. But together, they discover a devastating secret: Artisans aren’t born, they’re chosen. With this information, they part ways. Patrick returns home, while Nina finds her place as one of the rarest, most coveted types of Artisan.When a Craftsman revolution ignites years later, Nina is captured by Patrick’s rebel group – and he hasn’t forgotten her. In fact, he needs her help for a mission that could shift the tides against Belavere City. She reluctantly agrees to aid him, battling the sparks between them. But when Nina’s first love reappears, asking her to betray Patrick for the Artisans, she faces an impossible choice that will determine the fate of their world. A concoction of all the best romantasy tropes:Elemental magic Found familyTension & Slow burn Political Intrigue / Class WarWhat readers and authors have been saying about A Forbidden Alchemy:‘If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would … This story has the morally gray characters of my dreams!! … I will be telling everyone that I know to read this book. I NEED MORE!!’ READER REVIEW, 5 stars‘I’m never going to shut up about this book … the romantasy book you’ll never get over’ HANNAH NICOLE MAEHRER, internationally bestselling author of Assistant to the Villain‘It catapults readers into an immersive romance, a rustic setting, dynamic characters, a world of secrets, ghastly betrayals ... I am obsessed with this book … this is the best romantasy I''ve read’ READER REVIEW, 5 stars 

We flew in an airplane, Mum, Boo and me,  To a fancy hotel overlooking the sea. We stuffed a big suitcase right up to the brim, With flip flops and snorkels and goggles squeezed in. Flip flops, snorkels and goggles aren't the only things that one little girl has brought with her on her summer holiday . . .  There's also something with big white, jagged teeth that is sure to make this trip even more memorable! What COULD it be? Find out what happens in this wildly hilarious picture book by much-loved author Michelle Harrison and bestselling illustrator David Tazzyman.   

A sparkling new series of middle grade diaries in the vein of Lottie Brooks and Dork Diaries, with a celebrity hook Daisy Brewster is a girl with resolutions. She is determined to be her best self and get a good part in the school play. Everyone knows Daisy is a talented actor. But not everyone knows about her super celebrity cousin, who is already breaking hearts and winning contracts on the world stage. Maxxy Bloom is a child star in Hollywood, with A-List friends, a million followers and a glamorous, lavish lifestyle... but things are about to change in all sorts of ways when she comes to stay at Daisy’s house. Daisy fears the worst, for her routine, her personal space, her popularity, and her own dramatic ambitions. But the real Maxxy Bloom turns out to be a big surprise, and Daisy’s very unfamous life has an unexpected effect on her guest! Told through Daisy’s private diary, this is a story about family, ambition, and how nice it is NOT to be famous…  

From decadent Cairo in the 1930s to bohemian Beirut in the 1970s, an epic yet intimate story of great love and lasting friendship . . .‘Exquisite’ Ruth Hogan‘Evocative’ Good Housekeeping'Epic, sweeping and gloriously romantic’ Veronica Henry‘Sumptuous and immersive’ Platinum As her home, Beirut, teeters on the brink of war, Polly Fitzgerald has one last story to tell – about her best friend, Juno, and their life together in Cairo. Juno was vital and brilliant – and determined to succeed in her ambition to uncover Nefertiti’s tomb. But Juno and Polly’s friendship was bound by a secret, one that has never been told. Now, as Polly’s daughter, Lucie, travels to Beirut to be with her dying mother, the mystery of what happened many years ago must be revealed . . .  

A poignant and hilarious memoir from a mother who opened an ethical escort agency in small town New Zealand – the only country in the world where sex work is fully legalised – and dared to make a difference. I’m Antonia, a real-life madam. I’ve got a blended family of six kids; I spend my mornings packing lunchboxes and my evenings reading bedtime stories. And two days a week, I work as a pimp. Procurer, madam – whatever you want to call it. Personally, I think of myself as a union organiser. For vaginas. An ex-pat from San Francisco, Antonia Murphy is living on a farm in rural New Zealand with her husband and two kids, bored and isolated, when her husband leaves her. Suddenly, she has to figure out how to survive. Upon discovering the decriminalisation of sex work in New Zealand, Antonia’s mind starts to wander, and she reaches out to the international sex worker community online to learn more about the business. This group of smart, anonymous, sassy women open Antonia’s eyes to the viability of sex work that safeguards women’s health and dignity, while providing a clean, shame-free establishment for male clients. Inspired, Antonia decides to open her own agency: The Bach. Over the next three years, she encounters more than she could have imagined: domestic abuse, assault, theft, drugs and a stream of silly, horrific and sometimes touching requests from her clients. She witnesses the ways so many women are trapped – by early pregnancy, lack of education and the constraints of their circumstances. More than anything, she sees fire in the women who choose sex work: they refuse to give up and be poor, even when the odds are stacked against them. In Madam, we follow Antonia through the turbulent years of her agency, as she toils to keep both her business and family afloat, and to keep the women of The Bach safe and thriving as they practice the world's oldest profession.

An epic and heart-wrenching adventure for animal loves everywhere. Perfect for fans of Michael Morpurgo, Sarah Lean and Hannah Gold''s The Last Bear . . . ‘With elements of the supernatural, help from unlikely places and even a police car-chase, this animal-centred story is full of drama, love and loyalty.’ Book Trust‘Captures the magic that animals bring to our lives.’ Sarah Ann Juckes, author of The Night AnimalsPusskin lives a charmed life with his loving owner, Lottie. The bond between them is unbreakable, or so they both thought. But when birds start to disappear, cats are blamed. Pusskin and his feline friends have to band together and embark on an epic journey.Lottie wants to bring her beloved pet home. But for Pusskin to have any chance of survival, she may just have to let him go. 

** A WATERSTONES THRILLER OF THE MONTH **WHAT DARK SECRETS WAIT TO BE UNCOVERED WHEN YOU CHECK IN TO THE VILLA ROSA…?The scintillating new novel from the author of The End of Mr Y‘Clever, emotionally resonant, packed with startling twists and dark turns and very funny indeed, this is fiction roaring on all cylinders.’ Guardian''Gloriously dark and tangled . . . clever . . . I highly recommend it.'' Observer''A dark, twisty, savagely humorous plunge into a cauldron of toxic relationships . . . as well as a mystery loaded with menace, this is a smart, layered, stinging look at power and its abuse.'' The Times‘Through her bold storytelling, “The Sleepwalkers” becomes a work of peculiar, gonzo genius. … Thomas takes a glamorous late-capitalist setting, with rosé and catamarans, and shreds, twists and warps it into a story that is surprising, humane and political to its bones.’ New York Times‘Thomas tells her story with the craft and cunning of an Aegean sorceress. … [S]he can make metafiction not just smart but fun. Once more she earns her place in a postwar British canon of playfully serious mavericks that runs from Muriel Spark and Brigid Brophy to Nicola Barker and Ali Smith.’ Spectator‘Like a darker, funnier The White Lotus, The Sleepwalkers is horrifying in the best possible way. I loved every moment of it.’ James Smythe ‘The Sleepwalkers is brilliant, savage and hilarious. The voice is so strong and so distinctive from the get-go, so bold and pitilessly funny. There is no whingeing here, just a fearless takedown which I read through in a single streak of pure delight. This is Scarlett''s best yet, and I don''t say that lightly.’ Bidisha Mamata''The Sleepwalkers is never-endingly surprising and full of keen observations on relationships, politics, and art. Thomas makes real life so fraught with meaning, it feels hauntingly supernatural. A twisty Gothic tale of vertiginous depths and haunting power.'' Sandra Newman, author of Julia''This original thriller has plenty of surprises.'' Good Housekeeping ''An attractive summer holiday read'', IndependentOne of the Daily Telegraph''s ''20 Best New Crime Thrillers to Read this Summer'', 2024Still reeling from the chaos of their wedding, Evelyn and Richard arrive on an idyllic Greek island for their honeymoon. It’s the end of the season and out at sea a storm is brewing.They check in to an exclusive hotel, the Villa Rosa, where the proprietor Isabella — a strangely intense woman of indeterminate accent — flirts outrageously with Richard while treating Evelyn with a rudeness bordering on contempt. Isabella tells them the story of ''the sleepwalkers'': a couple who stayed at the hotel the year before and drowned in a tragic and unexplained accident. It starts to feel like the entire island is obsessed with ''the sleepwalkers'', but what at first seems like a fun tale to tell before bed quickly evolves into a living nightmare. Caught in a web of deception and intrigue, where nothing and nobody are quite what they seem, Evelyn and Richard discover that their island paradise may in fact be hell on earth and that their only means of escape is to confront dark truths about themselves and those they love. Exhilarating, suspenseful, and subversively funny, in The Sleepwalkers Thomas takes elements of Daphne Du Maurier and Patricia Highsmith and blends them with her own unique sensibility to create an unforgettable thriller of rare intelligence that cements her reputation as the most exciting and original author of her generation.‘Muriel Spark’s disreputable niece.’ Spectator ‘She''s a genius.’ Douglas Coupland ‘Thomas has the mesmerising power of a great story teller.’ Financial Times ‘One of the most startling, unpredictable writers of her generation.’ Scotsman

'Just delicious . . . a gorgeous love story with fantastic characters' MARIAN KEYES 'I embarrassed myself giggling, sighing and crying my way through it, and couldn't put it down' LUCY VINE ‘Utterly stunning, hopeful and bitingly funny' LIZZIE HUXLEY-JONESTheir story might be scripted, but the chemistry is real. When Cynthie Taylor gets her first real acting job, starring in a small British movie, she is over the moon. There’s only one problem . . . Cynthie's arrogant and annoyingly handsome co-star Jack hates her, and the feeling is definitely mutual. While they may be at war behind the scenes, their on-screen chemistry is palpable, and the studio sees an opportunity – have the two young stars fake a romance that will charm fans and draw crowds. Thirteen years later, Cynthie and Jack have successfully kept their promise to stay far away from one another, until a surprising offer comes to make a sequel to the cult classic that launched their careers. But there's a catch: they must also rekindle their pretend relationship . . . and this time there's a documentary crew following their every move.Cynthie and Jack both desperately need this film to work, but can two ex-rivals ever really trust each other? And what happens when the roles they're playing start to feel all too real?⭐ Praise for Laura Wood ⭐ 'I fell in love with Laura Wood's writing when I read Under Your Spell' JULIA QUINN 'So witty and smart. I am thoroughly under Laura Wood’s spell' HANNAH GRACE 'For any fans of Emily Henry, this is a romantic read supreme' STYLIST 'A fizzy, magical romcom featuring a heroine to root for and a hero to swoon over' SARRA MANNING

‘Stagg writes masterfully’ The Times‘An intriguing exploration of withdrawal and solitude’ Daily Telegraph‘In an age riddled with noise and distraction, The World Within feels timely’ Press AssociationAll my life I have dreamed of retreat. Of letting go each responsibility and cutting every tie. And I know I’m not the only one. But, when I learnt about the creative figures who left their lives behind, I began to ask myself: what is gained and what is lost when we withdraw from the world? To answer this question, Guy Stagg tells the story of three of the twentieth century’s most original minds: the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, the poet and painter David Jones, and the writer Simone Weil. All three went on retreat during times of crisis, to find their work and their lives changed for ever. Seeking to understand these experiences, Stagg follows Wittgenstein to the ancient monastery outside Vienna where he recovered from depression, sails to the isolated island off the Welsh coast where Jones discovered a new way to make art, and spends Lent at the forbidding French Abbey that sparked an epiphany in Weil’s thinking.  The World Within blends a moving personal account with history, biography and travel, offering a profound exploration of the impulse to withdraw. It asks why retreat still enchants people to this day and hints at how each one of us can find a sanctuary of our own. A luminous new book from the critically acclaimed author of The Crossway, winner of the Edward Stanford Travel Memoir of the Year, and shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize, Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize and Somerset Maugham Award 2019. 

Once upon a time was only the start... welcome to the Fairytale Woods! Take a look inside the big bad wolf's hilarious secret diary in this instant bestseller from author, comedian and actor Ben Miller. *DIARY OF A PUSS IN BOOTS AVAILABLE OUT NOW* 'I need to raise my game again now spring is here, and get back in shape. Show the pack and the rest of these woods I’m BIG and I’m BAD, and I’m not to be messed with.' The big bad wolf hasn’t had a great winter. He's cold, lonely and hungry . . . But things are about to change – he’s going to take the Fairytale Woods by STORM. But while he knows he’s BIG and BAD, no one else seems to be scared of him, they just keep meddling with his plans – the troll under the bridge, the three annoying pigs, and that pesky Little Red Riding Hood! This is going to take all his brain power and his most cunning smile, to catch Grandma and reclaim his place at the top of the food chain!Come down to the Fairytale Woods and discover what your favourite characters are really thinking in the bestselling series from Ben Miller, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli.

She Gets the Girl meets Do Revenge in this fun and flirty young adult sapphic rom-com about two teens who want revenge on the flaky popular girl they’re both crushing on.All is fair in love and revenge... Cynical but sensitive Beau Carl is on a mission. She needs to know if ultra-popular Maia Moon – the girl she’s been secretly hooking up with for months – really has feelings for her. But when she shows up at the last big party of the year before prom, she sees Maia about to kiss someone else. Sweet, inexperienced Charm Montgomery is the “someone else.” And she’s ecstatic that she’s been reading Maia’s flirty behavior in their tutoring sessions correctly. But when the kiss is interrupted and Maia accepts an elaborate promposal from her douchey, popular boyfriend just a few days later, both Maia and Beau end up heartbroken. There’s only one thing for them to do – get her back. And the only way to do that is for Beau to tutor Charm on how she can get their former crush to fall for her so hard that Maia will dump her ex … and then get dumped for once. As their plan starts working, Beau and Charm grow closer too, in a way neither expected. But are either of them ready to let go of their scheme to take a chance on something a little sweeter – and scarier – than revenge?A gorgeous sapphic rom-com for fans Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick, Casey McQuiston and Becky Albertalli.

'Book Boyfriend is Lucy Vine at the absolute top of her game' MIKE GAYLE 'A proper love letter to love stories and the people who read them' DAISY BUCHANAN  'From belly laughs to heartfelt emotion, this book is absolute peak romcom' LINDSEY KELKJemma has lived a thousand lives through books. The only life she isn’t living is her own. That is, until the day she finds a note from a stranger in her favourite library book. When she replies, the pair begin a longhand conversation about their love of novels that sees Jemma finally coming out of her shell. Is she ready to fall in love for the first time – with someone she’s never met?  Clara has always run away from her problems, but this might finally be one she can’t escape. Everyone wants to know what happened to Clara in America – but Clara isn’t talking. Instead she’s focusing all her energy obsessing over a hot new actor, starring in the TV adaptation of her twin Jemma's favourite book. Soon, Clara is reading every interview, trawling his social media, and following him to showbiz parties in the hopes he’ll notice she’s The One.  As the sisters fall hard for two men they’ve never met, it’s time to ask the question: Can either relationship survive the real world?

She thinks it was murder.  But if she can’t trust herself, can anyone else?   Nancy North and her boyfriend Felix are making the move across London to Harlesden. A new flat, a new area, a new start. Because while Nancy is fine now, she wasn’t fine before. But settling into the new flat and meeting the new neighbours isn’t helped by Felix’s hovering concern. She is all right. She is sticking to her breathing exercises and doctor-prescribed help.   So, when their new neighbour Kira Mullan is found dead by suicide, Felix is understandably worried about Nancy’s frame of mind. But Nancy saw Kira the day before she died and she didn’t strike her as someone who was suicidal – she was upset and angry, yes, but was she upset and angry enough to take her own life?   Nancy is the only one convinced that there’s more to Kira’s death than has been discovered. But all the police and the neighbours see is a vulnerable woman who isn’t sure of what she saw, and might even be imagining things . . .  Is Nancy imagining things, or are there more questions that should be asked about the last days of Kira Mullan?