FICTION

Broken CountryIT WAS A SECRET AFFAIR. UNTIL IT WAS A PUBLIC SCANDAL.'Lyrical, brutal and passionate. I devoured it' MIRANDA COWLEY HELLER, author of The Paper Palace'Evocative, sensitive and compelling . . . Fires directly at the heart and hits the mark' DELIA OWENS, author of Where the Crawdads Sing'Broke my heart then mended it again. An epic, tortured love story. Bring tissues'JENNIE GODFREY, author of The List of Suspicious Things'A love story like no other' CHRIS WHITAKER, author of All the Colours of the DarkEveryone in the village said nothing good would come of Gabriel's return. And as Beth looks at the man she loves on trial for murder, she can't help thinking they were right. Beth was seventeen when she first met Gabriel. Over that heady, intense summer, he made her think and feel and see differently. She thought it was the start of her great love story. When Gabriel left to become the person his mother expected him to be, she was broken. It was Frank who picked up the pieces and together they built a home very different from the one she'd imagined with Gabriel. Watching her husband and son, she remembered feeling so sure that, after everything, this was the life she was supposed to be leading. But when Gabriel comes back, all Beth's certainty about who she is and what she wants crumbles. Even after ten years, their connection is instant. She knows it's wrong and she knows people could get hurt. But how can she resist a second chance at first love? A love story with the pulse of a thriller, Broken Country is a heart-pounding novel of impossible choices and devastating consequences.READERS LOVE BROKEN COUNTRY 'This book is everything. Love, heartbreak and hope''Will break you into pieces and then put you back together again''I was absolutely gripped and didn't want it to end''If I could give more than five stars, I would. Perfect'

Ken Follett was born in Cardiff, Wales. His first thriller, the wartime spy drama Eye of the Needle, became an international bestseller and has sold over 10 million copies. He then astonished everyone with his first historical novel, The Pillars of the Earth, the story of the building of a medieval cathedral, which went on to become one of the most beloved books of the twentieth century. One of the most popular authors in the world, his many books including the Kingsbridge series and the Century trilogy - a body of work which together chronicles over a thousand years of history - and his latest novel Never - which envisages how World War III could happen - have sold more than 188 million copies.

The Adventuress Of Albany: Perfect Summer 2025 Roadtrip Reading, The New Australian Historical Adventure Fiction From A Bestselling Author. She yearns for adventure, but the road to freedom is paved with peril. The thrilling new historical adventure from a bestselling Australian author.Albany, Western Australia, 1881Stifled by English society, Molly Bentley has always yearned for adventure. When her father offers to send her to the bustling port town of Albany in Western Australia, Molly readily agrees, even if it means assuming a secret identity. With only her chaperone Mrs Caldicott to answer to, her life of freedom can finally begin.Until Molly is knocked down in the streets, nearly trampled, and a threatening letter is slipped into her hands.Suddenly, Molly and Mrs Caldicott must reckon with the darker motives behind their move to these southern shores. The women have no choice but to put their safety into the hands of the enigmatic colonial Leo McRae and his cousin Alistair who seem to know exactly who Molly and Mrs Caldicott are, and why they're in the colonies. But from whom has Mr McRae sourced his information? And why has Molly's father stopped replying to her messages?Attempts are made on their lives, and their motley crew must undertake a dangerous journey from Albany to Adelaide and into rural Victoria to evade capture. As secrets are revealed and loyalties tested, will Molly ever be able to find the freedom she so desperately craves?

The Count Of Monte Cristo Penguin Classics relaunch.Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantes is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and becomes determined not only to escape but to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration.A huge popular success when it was first serialized in the 1840s, Dumas was inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment when writing his epic tale of suffering and retribution.

The Lack Of LightA PEOPLE MAGAZINE BOOK OF THE WEEK“Catnip for Ferrante fans.” —Boston Globe“Readers will find [The Lack of Light] irresistible.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)"A thrilling, heartbreaking, unforgettable story. Not a page too long."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)A page-turning epic of loss and redemption in the vein of Rebecca Makkai’s The Great Believers and Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels, about a group of four women who formed a deep friendship in the turbulent years leading up to and after Georgia’s independence from the Soviet Union.They are four, as different as can be: the romantic Nene, the clever outsider Ira, the idealistic Dina, and the sensitive Keto. Inseparable since childhood, they grow up together in an old Tiblisi courtyard, in Georgia, at a time when the Soviet Union is crumbling and the future of their country is in question. Each in her own way experiences love, hope, and disappointment as local mob wars, romance, and civil war threaten to swallow up their worlds. Rising to challenges both personal and political—a first love that can only blossom in secret, violent street skirmishes, a ravaging drug epidemic—the four women’s friendship seems indestructible, until an unforgivable act of betrayal and a tragic death shatter their bond.Decades later, the three survivors reunite at a major retrospective of their late friend’s photography. The pictures on display tell the story not only of their country but also of their friendship, and, confronted by them, Nene, Ira, and Keto relive their staggering loss. Then, unexpectedly, something new is glimpsed, and forgiveness seems within reach. Like the International Booker Prize-nominated The Eighth Life before it, Nino Haratischwili’s The Lack of Light is an emotionally bold, decades-spanning epic in which to lose yourself, brought to life by the vibrant colors of Georgia's culture and its people. It is a glorious book readers will return to again and again.Translated by Charlotte Collins and Ruth Martin

Six Weeks By the Sea'No one is better qualified than Byrne to imagine and expand upon Austen’s true romance. Her treasure chest of Austen knowledge and her ability to spiritually inhabit historical figures are displayed to fine advantage' - WASHINGTON POSTSummer 1801. Sidmouth, England.The Austen Family descends upon a fashionable Georgian seaside resort in Devonshire for a six-week holiday. Jane's brother, Frank, is on leave from the Royal Navy, and dearly wishes to unite his sister with his friend Captain Peter Parker. But another holidaymaker, a handsome stranger, catches sight of Jane and is determined to make her acquaintance. This rival to Captain Parker is Samuel Rose: a lawyer, literary man and abolitionist. As the weeks pass, Jane's relationship with both men brings about unexpected surprises. By the end of the summer, the course of her life will have changed forever.Set against the backdrop of Austen’s family, the tensions of the war against France, and naval and colonial politics, SIX WEEKS BY THE SEA is the fascinating story of how the most famous romance writer of all time fell in love for the first time.

Rules Of The Heart Janice Hadlow was born in London and studied History at university. After a few years working for the House of Commons, she joined the BBC and became a television producer. She was the recipient of a number of awards, and is a Fellow of the Royal Television Society, as well as of King’s College, University of London. Her first novel, The Other Bennet Sister, is soon to be a BBC TV series. Rules of the Heart is her second novel.

The Lost Baker Of Vienna Papa whispered to Chana, 'If we get separated, if something happens to me, look after Mama and Aron. And one last thing-' He smoothed an affectionate hand over her hair. 'Remember everything I've taught you, and all your gifts. Promise me this.'1946. Having survived a concentration camp, Chana Rosenzweig arrives in Vienna seeking not only protection for her and her family, but also the freedom to be a baker, just as her father had once been. Torn between a black-market dealer who offers escape to Europe, and an apprentice baker who shares her dreams, Chana battles to stay true to herself and the promise she made her father to live against all odds...2018. When Zoe Rosenzweig's beloved grandfather dies, Zoe travels to Vienna to speak to an elusive man who may be the only person who can help her unearth the hidden story of her grandparents. Haunted by what she does not know, Zoe risks her journalism career and her home to find the truth. Inspired by the extraordinary experiences of the author's mother and her family during and after the Holocaust, The Lost Baker of Vienna is a testament to the courage and defiance of women in a world torn apart.'A tale of grit, bravery, and humanity that will not soon be forgotten' KATE QUINN'Family love and sacrifice drive this heart-wrenching story' DIANE CHAMBERLAIN'A beautifully drawn story of survival. I loved every word of it' KELLY RIMMER'A timely tale of hardship and hope, with strong, resilient women at its core' GEORGIA HUNTER'Beautifully written and moving... A powerful story historical fiction readers will love' MADELINE MARTIN'By turns mysterious, tender, suspenseful and moving. I was captivated' THERESE ANNE FOWLER'A story of love, family and second chances...moving and unforgettable' PAM JENOFFReal readers love The Lost Baker of Vienna:? ? ? ? ? 'Wow, what a beautiful book'? ? ? ? ? 'The story of Chana, a Jewish young woman and her strength, perseverance, and courage'? ? ? ? ? 'A welcome new take on a World War II novel'? ? ? ? ? 'Enjoyed the characters''Deeply moving''A brilliant story'

In 1915, two days before being sent to fight in WWI, Jack O'Rourke dived into Sydney Harbour to save a drowning stranger, Samuel Lomond. Four years later, battle-scarred and weary, Jack returns home only to discover that Samuel has been brutally murdered – and that he's been left his rural property, Booroomba. When Jack arrives in Warrawolong, a small town near Eden, to claim his inheritance, he finds only hostile stares. Suspected of the crime by the townsfolk and local constable, Jack launches his own investigation into Samuel’s death – and soon discovers the townsfolk aren’t as innocent as they seem. Now Jack must expose a killer hiding in plain sight – before he becomes the next victim of a decades-old conspiracy. A neighbour coveting water rights, a struggling newspaper proprietor, a vengeful labourer, a secret affair and two Russian émigrés lead Jack right to the heart of the crime. A small town hides big secrets, in A L Booth’s deeply evocative historical whodunnit.

WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE 2025- An exhilarating tale of twisted desire, histories and homes, and the unexpected shape of revenge<p>It is fifteen years after the Second World War, and Isabel has built herself a solitary life of discipline and strict routine in her late mother's country home, with not a fork or a word out of place. But all is upended when her brother Louis delivers his graceless new girlfriend, Eva, at Isabel's doorstep - as a guest, there to stay for the season...</p><p>In the sweltering heat of summer, Isabel's desperate need for control reaches boiling point. What happens between the two women leads to a revelation which threatens to unravel all she has ever known...</p>

The enthralling new novel from the 10-million-copy, No. 1 bestselling author<p>London 1941</p><p>When Mary meets a glamorous stranger named Elizabeth she realises their lives couldn't be more different.</p><p>But when an air raid forces them to take shelter underground Mary's life is set in change forever.</p><p>After waking up in hospital, injured but alive, the nurse mistakes her for Elizabeth and hands over her suitcase with Elizabeth's money and tickets to Ireland inside.</p><p>This is Mary's chance to escape the hardship of her life and start afresh.</p><p>What could go wrong?</p>

A sweeping historical story of love, family and friendship that highlights the richness and vitality of Torres Strait Islander culture. For readers of Anita Heiss.'This is the kind of book you'll want to read again immediately, and will appeal to fans of Kate Grenville, Pip Williams and Anita Heiss.' READINGS MONTHLYA heart-warming and ultimately triumphant story of the life of a young Torres Strait Islander woman from Tagai Town, a shantytown on the northeastern coast of Australia, in the decades before, during and after World War II.Growing up in the 1930s, Pearl strives for a place in the wider world, battling deep-seated prejudices. When she rescues a white shopkeeper trapped under a fallen beam, a bond forms between the two women, and Pearl becomes the first Ailan woman, Islander woman, to work front-of-shop in the nearby white town. Not everyone is happy, of course, least of all the affronted white customers. But Pearl is quietly determined. Her budding romance with the bank manager's son, though, must always be kept secret for her to retain her position and for the security of Tagai Town. Like Ama Rose says, 'We leave them koles, white people, alone and they leave us alone!'When war arrives and Teddy suddenly enlists in the army, Pearl faces a cruel punishment. But her quest to recover the child she had with Teddy reveals much more than she'd bargained for. Lenora Thaker's debut novel, The Pearl of Tagai Town, brings a fresh angle to Australian historical fiction with a First Nations wartime love story.PRAISE-'Readers of Kate Grenville and Anita Heiss and those drawn to lesser-told stories will find much to admire in this striking debut.' BOOKS + PUBLISHING'The Pearl of Tagai Town reclaims history through storytelling.' NATIONAL INDIGENOUS TIMES

The Occupation Winner of the 2024 Penguin Literary Prize 'Assured, deft, sophisticated. Chloe Adams is the real deal.' EMILY BITTO Breathtaking. SALLY HEPWORTH In the autumn of 1949, two women convene in the parlour of a Melbourne hotel. Tess is married and childless. Mary, unwed and pregnant. Surrendering to the unimaginable, Mary agrees to a life-altering pact- she will give her child to Tess. One year earlier, Mary stands on the deck of an Australian naval ship, awaiting arrival in the ruined Japanese city of Kure. There, thousands of Australians have established an occupation of the Hiroshima prefecture. As she settles into her new life, Mary finds carefree expats touring the countryside, hosting picnics and even throwing parties, all while the war-ravaged locals try to rebuild their lives. When she meets Sully, an Australian journalist, Mary's idealised notion of the occupation crumbles. Confronted by moral ambiguity on such a grand scale, she becomes reckless. Returning home may seem the answer, but even there, echoes of the occupation linger.