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‘A heady brew of detective thriller, supernatural horror tale, magical realist fable and a heartbreaking love story’ DAILY MAIL

‘Readers familiar with The Shadow of the Wind will find themselves back in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books where, from a labyrinthine library, volumes seem to select their readers . . . rattling good gothic fun’ SPECTATOR

In an abandoned mansion in the heart of Barcelona, a young man, David Martín, makes his living by writing sensationalist novels under a pseudonym. The survivor of a troubled childhood, he spends his nights spinning baroque tales about the city’s underworld. But perhaps his dark imaginings are not as strange as they seem, for in a locked room deep within the house lie photographs and letters hinting at an unsolved mystery.

Like a slow poison, the history of the place and an impossible love bring David close to despair. But then he receives a letter from a reclusive French editor who makes him the offer of a lifetime . . .

‘Will grip you from start to finish’ DAILY EXPRESS

THE BESTSELLING PHENOMENON

‘Eerily macabre… Wonderful’ Guardian
‘A nerve-fraying thriller’ New York Times
‘Every bit as horribly fascinating as In Cold Blood‘ Daily Mail

Libby Day was seven when her family was murdered: she survived by hiding in a closet – and famously testified that her older brother Ben was the killer.

Twenty-five years later the Kill Club – a secret society obsessed with notorious crimes – gets in touch with Libby to try to discover proof that may free Ben. Almost broke, Libby agrees to go back to her hometown to investigate – for a fee.

But when Libby’s search uncovers an unimaginable truth, she finds herself right back where she started: on the run from a killer.


THE ORIGINAL #1 BESTSELLER, BY THE AUTHOR OF GONE GIRL

‘I would rather read her than just about any other crime writer’ Kate Atkinson
‘Gillian Flynn is the real deal: a sharp, acerbic and compelling storyteller’ Stephen King
‘An extraordinarily good writer’ Observer

From the Spanish Maggie O’Farrell, a sweeping epic about the Spanish Civil War.

‘A classy blockbuster – a layered saga of family life, rivalry and redemption‘ GUARDIAN

In the small town of Torrelodones on the outskirts of Madrid, a funeral is taking place. Julio Carrión González, a man of tremendous wealth and influence in Madrid, has come home to be buried. But as the family stand by the graveside, his son Alvaro notices the arrival of a stranger — a young and attractive woman. No one appears to know who she is, or why she is there.

Alvaro’s questions only deepen when the family inherits an enormous amount of money that is a surprise even to them. In his father’s study Alvaro discovers an old folder with letters sent to his father in Russia between 1941 and 1943, faded photos of people he never met and a locked grey metal box.

The woman is Raquel Fernández Perea, the daughter of Spaniards who fled during the Civil War. One episode in her past has marked her for ever — the only time she saw her grandfather cry. Her fate, and that of the family, now hangs on the secrets of Julio’s past.

From the provincial heartlands of Spain to the battlefields of Russia, THE FROZEN HEART is a mesmerising journey through a war that tore families apart, pitted fathers against sons, brothers against brothers, wives against husbands. Against such a past, where do faith and loyalty lie?

From internationally acclaimed author Joseph Boyden comes a powerful novel about two native Canadian sisters and the forces that pull them apart.

Fifteen years after the death of their patriarch, the Bird Clan finds itself struggling to survive on the hardscrabble reservation they call home. On Christmas Day, the youngest of the clan, Suzanne, leaves with her boyfriend Gus Netmaker, against both families’ wishes, hoping to find purpose and a better life in Toronto. When word from Suzanne and Gus suddenly ceases, the Netmakers and Birds fear the worst and tensions between the two families escalate to violent levels. Suzanne’s sister Annie decides to search for them, leaving behind their uncle Will, a man haunted by loss. While Annie travels from Toronto to New York, from modeling studios to A-list parties, Will encounters dire troubles at home. Both eventually come to painful discoveries about the inescapable ties of family.

Captain Alatriste returns in a swashbuckling tale of intrigue, romance and regicide.

Captain Alatriste’s affair with the beautiful actress Maria de Castro is rankling not only his long-term mistress but also the King of Spain. With loyal companion Inigo distracted by the affections of Angelica, Alatriste becomes embroiled in a series of tussles outside his lover’s house. Ambushed by arch-nemesis Malatesta, a skirmish ensues that leads to the death of Maria’s other lover – the monarch himself.

But behind this tale of sexual jealousy lurks a darker truth. As it becomes clear that both Alatriste and Inigo have been cunningly honey trapped – and that the dead man was an impostor. With a puppet king waiting dutifully in the wings, Alatriste must use all his cunning and swordsmanly guile to prevent the murder of the real king – and his implication in a crime for which he has been perfectly framed.

‘The best book of the year… truly astonishing’ Sunday Express
‘An exciting novel – part love story, part psychological thriller’ Mail on Sunday
‘Surprising and suspenseful’ Observer

A GHOST STORY, A PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER AND A TALE OF LOVE REDISCOVERED, FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN

Elizabeth has been married to Michael for ten years. She has adjusted to a fairly monotonous routine with her wealthy, decent but boring husband. Part of this routine involves occasional visits to Beinn Caorrun, the dank and gloomy house in a Scottish glen that Michael inherited.

But then Michael begins to change.

It starts when he thinks he sees, in a picture, the figure of a girl on a landing. As he changes, life becomes so much more fun and Elizabeth sees glimpses of a man she can fall in love with at last.

But who – or what – is changing Michael?

Fandorin returns in a swashbuckling tale of abduction and intrigue, set during the build-up to the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II.

Grand Duke Georgii Alexandrovich arrives in Moscow for the coronation, with three of his children. During an afternoon stroll, daughter Xenia is dragged away by bandits, only to be rescued by an elegant gentleman and his oriental sidekick. The passing heroes introduce themselves as Fandorin and Masa, but panic ensues when they realise that four-year old Mikhail has been snatched in the confusion.

A ransom letter arrives from an international criminal demanding the handover of the Count Orlov, an enormous diamond on the royal sceptre which is due to play a part in the coronation. Can the gentleman detective find Mikhail in time?

Winner of the Orange Award for New Writers 2009

Artist, lover, wife, mother: can one woman be them all?

Born in 1924, Jennet Mallow grew up with a disillusioned mother and a father haunted by memories of war. But Jennet has a talent – and a passion – for art. When she meets the handsome painter David Heaton they begin a tempestuous affair which takes them from the dank terraces of London to a bohemian artistic community in St Ives. But as Jennet’s career flourishes, her relationship with David suffers – with potentially tragic consequences . . .

‘The most beautiful, accomplished debut I have read for a long time . . . It is a powerful novel by a supremely talented artist’ OBSERVER

‘Enchanting . . . exquisitely written’ DAILY EXPRESS

‘A masterful portrait of a woman forging an unexpectedly dazzling career against the backdrop of familial duty’ EASY LIVING

The next caper in the Sister Pelagia mystery from the bestselling author of THE WINTER QUEEN.

Returning from the Synod in St Petersburg – and an official rebuke of her crime-fighting ways – Sister Pelagia finds herself aboard a steamer dodging pickpockets, zealots and a sinister man with a detachable eye.

But a brutal murder in the next cabin spells the end of her sleuthing retirement, and the start of an investigation that will take her to the Holy Land and far beyond.

Pelagia’s journey is peppered with tales of miracles and roosters, and caves that act as portals to other worlds. But an assassin is closing in, pursuing the sister to the land of the Gospels where her criminal enquiry becomes a spiritual enquiry as she sets down her knitting needles to question the very foundations of her faith…

FROM THE CREATOR OF DOWNTON ABBEY and THE GILDED AGE

A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

‘A gloriously funny ride through modern times’ Evening Standard

Damian Baxter is very, very rich. But he has but one concern, which is becoming more urgent at the weeks go by: who should inherit his fortune.

A letter from an ex-girlfriend suggests that, as a young man, Damian may have fathered a child, but the letter is anonymous.

Finding the truth will not be easy – and the only man who Damian can turn to for help also happens to be his sworn enemy…

‘A must-read’ Sunday Express
‘An elegant satire, it offers an entertaining commentary on our times and a heartfelt lament for a kinder, more courteous Britain’ Tatler
‘A witty take on the world as it was and is now’ Woman & Home

A darkly comic tale of exile, unrequited love and the redemptive power of books.

Firmin is born in the basement of a ramshackle old bookstore. He’s a sensitive, creative soul but misunderstood. Because Firmin is a rat. Not only that, but as the runt of the litter, he is forced to compete for food and ends up chewing on the books that surround him. Firmin soon realizes his source of nourishment has given him the ability to read and this discovery fills him with an insatiable hunger for literature and a very unratlike sense of the world and his place in it.

As Firmin navigates the shadowy streets of his decaying area, looking for understanding, his excitement, loneliness, fear, and self-consciousness become remarkably human and undeniably touching. But the days of the bookshop and of the close community around it are numbered. The area has been marked out for ‘urban regeneration’ and soon the faded glory of the bookshop, the small local theatre, the unique shops and small cafes will face the bulldozers and urban planners…

Brilliantly original and richly allegorical, Firmin is brimming with charm and wistful longing for a world that understands the redemptive power of literature and treasures its seedy theaters, one-of-a-kind characters, and cluttered bookshops.

‘A wonderful celebration of the way reading enriches your life. Firmin may be a rat – poisoned by people he thinks are his friends – but his imagination soars as high as that of any human.’ GUARDIAN

‘Surprising and moving meditation on the advantages (and disadvantages) of an entirely fictional life. Eloquent and witty, Firmin speaks for the book-loving rodent in all of us.’ Karen Joy Fowler, bestselling author of WE ARE ALL COMPLETELY BESIDE OURSELVES

A darkly comic novel about life, death and everything that matters!

At three o’clock in the morning, that defenceless hour when anything feels possible, the Idyll Inn’s only sounds are the low hum and thrum a building makes to keep itself going. An uneasy hour, it is also the most discreet time for unsavoury acts. If all goes well, there will be no repercussions.

At three o’clock in the morning, four people convene in one room to do the unthinkable. All four harbour secrets – of betrayal, sex, fear, and guilt – but all four are united in their loathing of the director of the Inn. Fuelled by Sylvia’s secret wine stash, they begin to confess to past demeanours, to abandonment and hope, to questions of love and loyalty. But then one of them asks a question that no one is prepared for…

EXIT LINES is a wry, funny but also terribly poignant novel about life’s turning points and about how we adapt and change. It is about growing old disgracefully and tackles the ‘Big Questions’ with a refreshing lightness of touch.

An Autumn evening in 1937. A German engineer arrives at the Warsaw railway station. Tonight, he will be with his Polish mistress; tomorrow, at a workers’ bar in the city’s factory district, he will meet with the military attaché from the French embassy. Information will be exchanged for money.

So begins THE SPIES OF WARSAW, with war coming to Europe, and French and German operatives locked in a life-and-death struggle on the espionage battlefield. At the French embassy, the new military attaché, Colonel Jean-Francois Mercier, a decorated hero of the 1914 war, is drawn in to a world of abduction, betrayal and intrigue in the diplomatic salons and back alleys of Warsaw. At the same time, the handsome aristocrat finds himself in a passionate love affair with a Parisian woman of Polish heritage, a lawyer for the League of Nations.

Colonel Mercier must work in the shadows, amidst an extraordinary cast of venal and dangerous characters – Colonel Anton Vyborg of Polish military intelligence, last seen in Furst’s THE POLISH OFFICER; the mysterious and sophisticated Doctor Lapp, senior German Abwehr officer in Warsaw; Malka and Viktor Rozen, at work for the Russian secret service; and Mercier’s brutal and vindictive opponent, Major August Voss of SS counterintelligence. And there are many more, some known to Mercier as spies, some never to be revealed.

The new novel from the bestselling author of THINGS MY GIRLFRIEND AND I HAVE ARGUED ABOUT.

Chris is 25. He has a job in advertising he despises – despite being naturally brilliant at creating shamelessly successful campaigns – an ‘artistic’ girlfriend, and his two best mates from university, who spend a lot of time playing pool, drinking Grolsch and quoting lines from Robocop at each other.

But Chris’s life is about to change. The eighties are coming to an end and he must take decisive action if he is to fulfil what he suspects is his true potential.

So, after pre-emptively celebrating the fact he is about to hand in his resignation, Chris goes to bed drunk in 1988 but very unexpectedly wakes up in 2006, with an unbelievable hangover, a long-suffering (and worryingly ‘old’-looking) stranger for a wife, a life that hasn’t turned out the way he had hoped for at all, and an unnerving amount of new body hair…

The story of the huge mobile battles of 1918, which finally ended the Great War.

1918 was the critical year of battle as the Great War reached its brutal climax. Warfare of an epic scale was fought on the Western Front, where ordinary British soldiers faced the final test of their training, tactics and determination. That they withstood the storm and began an astonishing counterattack, is proof that by 1918, the British army was the most effective fighting force in the world. But this ultimate victory came at devastating cost.

Using a wealth of previously unpublished material, historian Peter Hart gives a vivid account of this last year of conflict – what it was like to fight on the frontline, through the words of the men who were there. In a chronicle of unparalleled scope and depth, he brings to life the suspense, turmoil and tragedy of 1918’s vast offensives.

How the age of the great WWI aces came to an end in the skies over the Western Front

At the beginning of 1918 the great aces seemed invincible. Flying above the battlefields of the Western Front, they cut a deadly swathe through the ranks of their enemies, as each side struggled to keep control of the air. Some were little more than boys when they started to fly, yet they were respected and feared as some of the deadliest killers in the sky. But as the press of fighting increased with the great offensives of 1918, nervous stress and physical exhaustion finally began to take their toll – and one by one the aces began to fall.

This book charts the rise and fall of the WWI aces in the context of the vast battles that were taking place in 1918. It shows the vital importance of reconnaissance, and how large formations of aircraft became the norm – bringing an end to the era of the old, heroic ‘lone wolves’. As the First World War came to a close very few of the aces survived. This epic history of the final year of the air war is both a chronicle of the ways in which 1918 changed aerial combat forever, and a requiem for the pioneers of aerial combat who eventually became the victims of their own brilliant innovations.

The remarkable true story of the Queen Alexandra frontline nurses in the Second World War.

The amazing experiences of the Queen Alexandra nurses in the Second World War form one of the greatest adventure stories of modern times, and – incredibly – remain largely untold. Thousands of middle-class girls, barely out of school, were plucked from sheltered backgrounds, subjected to training regimes unimaginably tough by today’s standards, and sent forth to share the harsh conditions of the fighting services. They had to deal with the most appalling suffering, yet most found reserves of inner strength that carried them through episodes of unrelieved horror.

Over 200 nurses died, torpedoed in hospital ships, bombed in field hospitals or murdered in Japanese prison camps. Dozens won medals for gallantry. From the beaches of Dunkirk, to Singapore and D-Day, they saw it all. Whether tending burned pilots from the Battle of Britain or improvising medical treatment in Japanese death camps, their dedication was second to none. This is their story.

Pyke returns in a gripping tale of brutal murder and deception, set in the back streets of Victorian London and the cane fields of Jamaica.

London: 1840. The economy is sliding into recession; gangs of unemployed workers roam the streets; and a murderer prowls the capital’s poor neighbourhoods.

Pyke, still grieving over the death of his wife and struggling to shoulder his responsibilities as a father, is in debtors’ prison, having lost his home and reached the edge of bankruptcy. Fitzroy Tilling, now head of the new Metropolitan Police Force gives Pyke his freedom, but in return he must agree to investigate the brutal death of a young mulatto woman, who was apparently working as a prostitute.

It is not long before another woman turns up dead, and Pyke begins to suspect that he has stumbled on something more sinister, and more far-reaching than the murder of a couple of prostitutes…

Pyke’s investigation takes him from the London docks to the sugar plantations of Jamaica, from a fading colonial mansion to the back-streets of the East End in a struggle against ambitious and ruthless enemies, as well as demons of his own.

An imaginative, intriguing and dark fairytale.

After many years Doctor Victor Hoppe returns to the small village he grew up in. His return after an absence of many years generates a lot of interest – and suspicion – as he is accompanied by three triplets, all of whom share the same physical deformity as the doctor – a hare lip.

These children are very quiet and are rarely seen in the village. But with time, and a series of apparently miraculous cures and tales of the wife he lost, the doctor begins to win the villagers over. He hires an ex schoolmistress, Charlotte, to look after the children. But the longer she works with the doctor, the more she begins to suspect that the children – and the doctor – aren’t what they seem…

‘In this globe-scattered Sri Lankan family, we speak only of two kinds of marriage. The first is the Arranged Marriage. The second is the Love Marriage.’ An outstanding debut novel of fractured family relationships in modern Sri Lanka.

Reverse a family tree and branches of blood are whittled down to one person – in this case, the young female narrator, Yalini – composed of all the women and men who came before her; the result of many marriages. Parents want nothing more than to prevent their children from colliding with inevitability: that in a different world, there is a different kind of marriage. Yet Tamil and Sinhalese parents – particularly after the great ethnic violence in Sri Lanka in 1983 – watch helplessly as their children cut themselves free of the need to please their ancestors. They walked out of the country to give their children opportunity, but this was not the opportunity they intended them to take: Western marriage.

For Yalini and her generation, they are the children of their parents, but have entered other countries in which the rules of marriage – Love Marriage, Arranged Marriage, and all that lies in between – dramatically do not apply.

‘The monks are back. That’s all you need to know if you have already been exposed to the wonderful series by Terence Reese and David Bird, featuring high-level bridge deals and high-level laughter, about the fanatical bridge-playing denizens of St Titus. Divine Intervention follows one of the earlier books by including an African interlude, but the high-spot in this book comes when a director tries to give a ruling in an unprecedented situation involving the silent Brother Anthony.’ The Bridge World

‘Ensure that you start reading this book at a weekend, in the morning, because – like me – you may not be able to put it down until you have finished. The deals are interesting, the instruction is painless, the stories are amusing, and the characters are fascinating stereotypes, familiar personalities to every club player.’ Bridge Plus

Based on Mike Lawrence and Ron Klinger’s acclaimed book OPENING LEADS FOR ACOL PLAYERS, this Fast Fact Finder provides the general questions you must ask yourself before leading and gives a vast number of expert tips for specific lead situations. The flipper aims to answer queries such as, ‘When is it better not to lead partner’s suit?’ ‘When is it best to attack’, ‘When is a passive lead preferable?’ ‘When is it reasonable to lead an ace-high suit?’ and many others.

The opening lead can be the make-or-break point of the contract. If players would spend more time on the opening lead and less in the post mortem, declarers would face a tougher contest. If you are like most players, chances are that no part of your game deserves more work and study than the opening lead. You cannot expect to make the best lead every time but you can certainly boost your average.

The Losing Trick Count is a way of measuring the trick-taking potential of a trump contract. It enables you to calculate the playing-strength, the tricks in your own hand and to estimate those in your partner’s hand. Used correctly the LTC is a vastly superior valuation technique for accurate bidding.

‘The definitive guide to London’s architecture’ INDEPENDENT

London has an unrivalled richness of architecture, from its squares and houses to its palaces and churches. This is the only guide to cover all of London’s building history, from its Roman foundation to the massive expansion of the nineteenth century which made London the largest city on earth.