FICTION

Swept Away Lost at sea . . . with your one-night stand 'Feels like a brand new version of romance . . . I drowned happily in this book' Jodi Picoult 'I adored it, it was so romantic' Marian Keyes Lexi is looking for no-strings-attached fun with a stranger. She deserves one night for herself, doesn't she? Zeke is looking for love. But for one night with a woman like Lexi, he'll break his rules . . . Sparks fly at the pub, one passionate kiss leads to another and they end up stumbling home to the marina together. The next morning, hungover and shaken by an amazing night together, Lexi is more than ready for Zeke to leave. There's just one small problem . . . the houseboat they stayed on has been swept out to sea. As their supplies start to run dangerously low, and the waves pick up, Zeke and Lexi soon realise there's much more on the line than their new relationship. How long can they really survive on a drifting houseboat in the North Sea? Will search and rescue find them? And who will they be if they both make it back to dry land? Swept Away is the epic new romance from the million-copy bestselling author of The Flatshare and The No-Show about your one-night stand becoming your one and only lifeline. Sharp, funny and breathtakingly intense, this standout novel is set to capture readers' hearts next spring. 'My book of the year, my book of the decade. The best romcom I have ever read' Gillian McAllister 'Completely original, so romantic, funny, fresh and deeply heartfelt' Lindsey Kelk 'This love story will capture you hook, line and sinker' Lucy Clarke 'My new favourite Beth O'Leary' Paige Toon 'What a concept, what a novel! I absolutely raced through this bold and beautiful story' Lia Louis EVERYONE LOVES BETH O'LEARY 'Beth O'Leary crafts novels with such wit, heart and truth' SOPHIE KINSELLA 'Beautiful, humorous, tender, insightful - just perfect' 5* READER REVIEW 'Beth O'Leary is that rare, one-in-a-million talent who can make you laugh, swoon, cry and ache all in the same book' EMILY HENRY 'Clever and authentic storytelling. Loved it!' 5* READER REVIEW 'Beth weaves her stories together with such charm and grace, I couldn't help but fall in love' LINDSEY KELK 'A real rare talent' 5* READER REVIEW 'Beth O'Leary can do no wrong!' CARLEY FORTUNE 'I laughed, I cried, and I again fell in love with a Beth O'Leary book' 5* READER REVIEW Warm, escapist and unhesitatingly romantic CAROLINE HULSE

Right Way Up When plans are upended, who can turn them the right way up? A heartwarming, wise and tender novel about life's twists and turns and figuring out what really matters, from Australian bestselling author Fiona McCallum. Kind-hearted and practical psychologist Colin Palmer has spent decades helping his clients. Now he's under pressure to retire and hit the road in a new caravan with his wife Joyce. However, when Joyce abruptly heads off on her own adventure, Colin's perfectly ordered world is flipped upside down. He's left grappling to make sense of their marriage, who he is and what he wants. Enter no-nonsense, blunt, firecracker ex-nurse Shirley Royal! Recently widowed, Shirley is also searching for meaning after losing the bedrock of her existence. She's ripe for a new project and Colin might just be it! But just when Colin's future appears bright and assured, thanks to Shirley's friendship, Joyce tumbles back into his world. How will he now navigate a path between his old life and new?

Butcher  ‘Simply the most consistently inventive, brilliant, curious and creative writer going’ GILLIAN FLYNN 'Gripping … Bravura storytelling' VOGUE 'A blood-soaked, gothic nightmare' FINANCIAL TIMES From one of our most accomplished storytellers, an extraordinary and arresting novel about a nineteenth-century women's asylum, and a terrifying doctor who wants to change the world. Humiliated by a procedure gone terribly wrong, Dr Silas Weir is forced to take a position at the New Jersey Asylum for Female Lunatics. There, his work focuses on women who have been neglected by the state – women he subjects to grotesque modes of experimentation. Based on authentic historical documents, Butcher is a nightmare voyage through the darkest regions of the American psyche. 'A ghastly and harrowing page-turner' STEPHEN KING, via X 'A triumph of style and brio’ FINANCIAL TIMES 'Terrifying' FLAUNT 'Vividly and compellingly-drawn' iNEWS

Room On The SeaThe brand new novel from the global bestselling author - a tender love story with resonant themes of regret and longing.

A moving story about two very different sisters, and a love letter to childhood, growing up, and the power of imagination—from the bestselling author ofEveryone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead and Interesting Facts About Space. Sigrid hates working at the Dollar Pal. Having always resisted the idea of “growing up” and the trappings of adulthood, she did not graduate high school, preferring to roam the streets of her small town with her best friend, Greta, the only person in the world who ever understood her. Sigrid was never close with her older sister, Margit, who is baffled and frustrated by Sigrid’s inability to conform to the expectations of polite society. Sigrid’s detachment veils a deeper turmoil and sensitivity. She’s haunted by the pains of her past—both distant, like when she pretended her parents were swamp monsters when they shook the floorboards with their violent arguments, and more recent, as she grapples with losing Greta’s friendship amid the opioid epidemic ravaging their town. As Margit sets out to understand Sigrid and the secrets she has hidden, both sisters, in their own time and way, discover that reigniting their shared childhood imagination is the only way forward. What unfolds is an unforgettable story of two sisters finding their way back to each other, and a celebration of that transcendent, unshakable bond.

‘Hilarious and heartbreaking’ MONICA ALI 'Deeply funny and knowing' MEG WOLITZER 'Witty, moving' ANN NAPOLITANO 'Poignant, funny and brilliantly told' POSY SIMMONDSAn often hilarious, surprisingly moving portrait of a long-married couple, seen through the eyes of their wickedly observant daughter – for fans of A Man Called Ove and The Royal Tenenbaums. Miranda’s parents live in a dilapidated house in rural France that they share with two llamas, eight ducks, five chickens, two cats, and a freezer full of food dating back to 1983. Miranda’s father is a retired professor of philosophy who never loses an argument. Her mother likes to bring conversation back to the War, although she was born after it ended. Married for fifty years, they are uncommonly set in their ways. Miranda plays the role of translator when she visits, communicating the desires or complaints of one parent to the other and then venting her frustration to her sister and her daughter. A wry, propulsive, exquisitely observed story of a singularly eccentric family and the sibling rivalry, generational divides, and long-buried secrets that shape them. This is an extraordinary debut novel from a seasoned playwright with a flair for dialogue and, in the end, immense empathy. ‘Hilarious and heartbreaking. Barnes’s dialogue is pitch-perfect, and her characters dance off the page and straight into your heart’ Monica Ali, author of Love Marriage ‘Camilla Barnes deftly deciphers the secret language of one family, often with deeply funny and knowing results. I loved spending time in the very specific, complicated and memorable world of this novel’ Meg Wolitzer, author of The Wife ‘I love nothing more than reading about eccentric families, and the family in The Usual Desire to Kill is just that. Miranda and her sister work to uncover the true story of their parents' marriage, only to have their brilliant, quirky mother and father deflect them at every turn. Barnes has written a witty, moving novel about characters who, even when they seem incapable of speaking honestly, are worth listening to nonetheless’ Ann Napolitano, author of Hello Beautiful ‘An account of two ageing, secretive, disputatious and thoroughly maddening parents – poignant, funny and brilliantly told through gritted teeth’ Posy Simmonds, author of Cassandra Darke

The Secret Keeper Of JaipurIn New York Times bestselling author Alka Joshi’s new novel, henna artist Lakshmi arranges for her protégé, Malik, to intern at the Jaipur palace in a tale rich in character, atmosphere, intrigue and lavish storytelling.Malik, now twenty and finished his private school education, has just met a young woman named Nimmi when he leaves to apprentice at the Facilities Office of the Jaipur Royal Palace. Their latest project: a state-of-the-art cinema.Malik soon finds that not much has changed as he navigates the Pink City of his childhood. Power and money still move seamlessly among the wealthy class, and favors flow from the palace, but only if certain secrets remain buried. When the cinema’s balcony tragically collapses on opening night, blame is placed where it is convenient. But Malik suspects something far darker and sets out to uncover the truth. As a former street child, he always knew to keep his own counsel; it’s a lesson that has served him well. But it is only when Lakshmi, the real keeper of Jaipur’s secrets, intervenes that things truly right themselves.

The Henna Artist A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK‘This vivid story is so rich and complex...reading about Lakshmi's journey from escaping an abusive marriage to becoming one of the most sought-after henna artists in Jaipur captivated me from the first chapter to the final page.’ Reese WitherspoonEscaping from an abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist-and confidante-to the wealthy women of the upper class. But trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own...Known for her original designs and sage advice, Lakshmi must tread carefully to avoid the jealous gossips who could ruin her reputation and her livelihood. As she pursues her dream of an independent life, she is startled one day when she is confronted by her husband, who has tracked her down these many years later with a high-spirited young girl in tow-a sister Lakshmi never knew she had. Suddenly the caution that she has carefully cultivated as protection is threatened. Still she perseveres, applying her talents and lifting up those that surround her as she does.Vivid and compelling in its portrait of one woman’s struggle for fulfillment in a society pivoting between the traditional and the modern, The Henna Artist opens a door into a world that is at once lush and fascinating, stark and cruel.

One chaotic hip-hop dancer with no direction in life. One outrageously handsome scientist who is determined to go back to the Antarctic. Over a shared interest in beekeeping, things start to heat up. But can the path to true love ever flow as smoothly as honey?

Women And Children FirstA gripping literary puzzle that unwinds the private lives of ten women as they confront tragedy in a decaying town.Nashquitten, Massachusetts, is a coastal enclave that not even tourist season can revive, full of locals who have run the town's industries for generations. When a young woman dies at a house party, the circumstances around her death suspiciously unclear, the tight-knit community is shaken.Told through the eyes of ten women, Alina Grabowski's Women and Children First is an exquisite portrait of grief and a powerful reminder of life's interconnectedness. Touching on womanhood, class, sexuality, ambition, disappointment, and tragedy, this novel is a stunning rendering of love and loss, and a bracing lesson from a phenomenal new literary talent.'A striking debut from a brilliant new voice. Alina Grabowski perfectly inhabits her characters, shining a light on the multidimensionality of both grief and adolescence with great humor and insight.' - Sarah Jessica Parker'Magnetic...The ennui of small-town life is perfectly captured in the slice-of-life vignettes, which coalesce into a riveting set of Rashomon-style retellings. Grabowski shows immense promise.' - Publishers Weekly, starred review'Craftily constructed and deeply moving.' - Booklist, starred review

The heartwarming, inspiring new Japanese novel, perfect for fans of Days at the Morisaki Bookshop

Can a dying man maintain his deception when his mind begins to fail him? The award-winning novel from the bestselling author of Bruny.

A fresh and darkly funny debut novel about blurred online identities and striving for success (or just security) in a rigged system. Perfect for anyone who's ever enjoyed a good scammer story.

The thing about friendships formed in childhood ... is that they're like an invisible tattoo. They mark you and mould you. They're under your skin.