FICTION

The entrancing and heart-breaking story of a lost boy, a tragic love affair and a seafaring community's buried secrets finally coming to light. <p>The sea stole him from her. Could it bring him back? Winter, 1900. A little boy washes up on the beach of a small fishing village in Scotland, barely alive. He bears an uncanny resemblance to teacher Dorothy's son, lost to the sea many years before. When the village is snowed in, Dorothy agrees to look after the child until he can be returned home. But, as the past rises to meet the present, long-buried secrets in this tight-knit community start to come to light. And Dorothy finds herself thrown together again with the reclusive fisherman Joseph, after years of keeping their distance. Bursting with tension and tenderness, this is an exquisite love story that delves into the precious moments that can lie behind village gossip. 'A beautiful story of grief, hope and love; of dark snowy nights, the mysteries of the sea and, above all, redemption' Lucy Diamond, Sunday Times bestselling author of Something to Tell You 'Spectacular... a gift to readers everywhere...a treasure' Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone 'Rich in atmosphere and brimming with mystery... a poignant, spellbinding tale of loss and resilience.' Christina Baker Kline, New York Times No. 1 bestselling author 'Stunning... Gorgeously multi-layered... evocative and heartbreaking, weaving melodic prose with a compelling story... I loved every word.' Fiza Saeed McLynn, author of The Midnight Carousel </p>

From Booker-shortlisted author David Szalay, comes a propulsive, hypnotic novel about a man who is unravelled by a series of events beyond his grasp 'Brilliance on every page' Samantha Harvey, author of Orbital 'Flesh is a wonderful novel - so brilliant and wise on chance, love, sex, money' David Nicholls, author of One Day A propulsive, hypnotic novel about a man who is unravelled by a series of events beyond his grasp. Fifteen-year-old Istvan lives with his mother in a quiet apartment complex in Hungary. New to the town and shy, he is unfamiliar with the social rituals at school and soon becomes isolated, with his neighbour - a married woman close to his mother's age - as his only companion. These encounters shift into a clandestine relationship that Istvan himself can barely understand, and his life soon spirals out of control. As the years pass, he is carried gradually upwards on the currents of the twenty-first century's tides of money and power, moving from the army to the company of London's super-rich, with his own competing impulses for love, intimacy, status and wealth winning him unimaginable riches, until they threaten to undo him completely. Spare and penetrating, Flesh is the finest novel yet by a master of realism, asking profound questions about what drives a life- what makes it worth living, and what breaks it. Chosen as a 'Best Book of 2025' by the Guardian, Observer, Financial Times, Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail 'It's been a long time since I've been swallowed whole by a novel the way I was by this one ... So much searing insight into the way we live now' Observer 'Compelling and elegant, merciless and poignant. David Szalay is an extraordinary writer' Tessa Hadley

Fable For The End Of The WorldThe Last of Us meets The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes in this stand-alone dystopian romance about survival, sacrifice, and love that risks everything. The epic standalone dystopian romance from the Sunday Time bestselling author of A Study in Drowning and Lady Macbeth. Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and The Last of Us -----------------------------------------------------------------------'Stunning . . . Among the dystopian greats.' Chloe Gong'Brilliant and devastating, Fable for the End of the World will arm you with the strongest tools we have- both anger and hope.' Allison Saft'Knife-edged and tender-hearted, I will be thinking of the final line for years to come' Courtney Gould ------------------------------------------------------By encouraging massive accumulations of debt, a single corporation, Caerus, controls all aspects of society. Inesa lives with her brother in a half-sunken town, barely scraping a living from their taxidermy shop. But their mother has secretly accrued enormous debt - and the only way out is to offer her daughter up to be a sacrifice for Caerus's livestreamed assassination event- the Lamb's Gauntlet. Melinoe is the assassin chosen for this spectacle. The product of years of neural reconditioning and physiological alteration, she's a living weapon, famous for her cold brutality and deadly beauty. But she's also haunted by her failure in the last gauntlet, when she broke down live on screen. But as Mel pursues Inesa across the wasteland, each determined to claim victory, they begin to question what they've been taught. Could there be more to life than survival? Could they be capable of more than death? Could they, against all the odds, be falling in love? ---------------------------------- PRAISE FOR AVA REID 'A gargantuan hit . . . Dark and brooding, skillful storytelling and intricate character development breathe new life into literature. Dripping in atmosphere . . . One to order immediately.' Glamour 'A bewitching read with prose like gold.' Tasha Suri 'A knife of a book- blood-stained, sharply beautiful, and necessary . . . I couldn't look away' Alix E. Harrow 'I was spellbound from the very first page.' Freya Marske

New to our Vintage Classics Murakami Collector's Library - a newly translated, unabridged edition of Murakami's most mind-bendingly brilliant novel.  A special hardback edition of Murakami's surreal, mind-bending masterpiece, in a new, unabridged translation from Jay Rubin. A narrative particle accelerator that zooms between Wild Turkey Whiskey and Bob Dylan, unicorn skulls and voracious librarians, John Coltrane and Lord Jim. Science fiction, detective story and post-modern manifesto all rolled into one rip-roaring novel, End of the World and Hard-boiled Wonderland is the tour de force that expanded Haruki Murakami's international following. Tracking one man's descent into the Kafkaesque underworld of contemporary Tokyo, Murakami unites East and West, tragedy and farce, compassion and detachment, slang and philosophy. This edition is a newly unabridged translation from long-time Murakami collaborator, Jay Rubin. 'A remarkable writer...he captures the common ache of contemporary heart and head' Jay McInerney

Celebrate a decade of Critical Role with this anthology featuring the perspectives of ten characters who fought alongside - and against - Vox Machina, with a foreword by cast member Liam O'Brien. In these ten stories, see the legendary adventuring party anew through the eyes of some of the most memorable characters whose lives were touched by Vox Machina. Within its pages-. Shaun Gilmore reflects on the life he has chosen, as told by Aabria Iyengar.. Raishan, racked by a pestilent curse, plots to release the Cinder King from his fiery prison, as told by Rory Power.. Trinket the Wonder Bear accompanies the next generation of Vox Machina on their first adventure, as told by Sarah Glenn Marsh.. Plus seven more hilarious, heartbreaking, and heroic tales featuring Kaylie, Doty, Kevdak, and more! The adventure began in 2015 with a group of friends sitting down in front of a camera to roll some dice, bring their characters to life, and tell a story that would become immortalized in their livestream tabletop roleplaying game- Critical Role. What started as a humble home game eventually grew into a worldwide phenomenon that has touched countless people with its poignant, larger-than-life storytelling-and in that same vein, this collection celebrates the characters whose lives were touched by Vox Machina but whose stories are yet to be told. Contributors- Foreword by Liam O'Brien . Jess Barber Martin Cahill . Rebecca Coffindaffer . Aabria Iyengar . Sam Maggs . Sarah Glenn Marsh . Rory Power . Nibedita Sen . Izzy Wasserstein . Kendra Wells

Argylle The globe-trotting spy thriller that inspired the action blockbuster Argylle, starring Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard and Samuel L. Jackson, directed by Matthew Vaughn of Kingsman trilogy fame. One Russian magnate's dream of restoring a nation to greatness has set in motion a chain of events which will take the world to the brink of chaos. Only Frances Coffey, the CIA's most legendary spymaster, can prevent it. But to do so, she needs someone special. Enter Argylle. His life came to a crashing halt as a teenager. Since then, he has been treading water, building barriers between himself and the world. Until one moment of compassion and brilliance will bring him to the attention of the most powerful woman in the secret world. Coffey knows all about Argylle's dark past. She knows it haunts him. But she also knows it may give him the skills to join the team going up against one of the most powerful men in the world. His crash course in espionage will take him from the jungles of Thailand to the boulevards of Monaco, from the monasteries of Mount Athos to a forgotten cavern buried deep in the mountains. It is a deathly rollercoaster ride that will either make him - or break him...

From the New York Times bestselling author of Migrations and Once There Were Wolves, a novel about a family living alone on a remote island, when a mysterious woman washes up on shore.  'At once a gripping mystery, an exquisitely written ode to the natural world, and a taut, psychological thriller, Wild Dark Shore is a triumph. Charlotte McConaghy is masterful in her ability to show the intricate connections between place and the human heart, and Wild Dark Shore shows her at the height of her powers. Breathtaking.' HANNAH KENT Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world's largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers. But with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants, packing up the seeds before they are transported to safer ground. Despite the wild beauty of life here, isolation has taken its toll on the Salts. Raff, 18 and suffering his first heartbreak, can only find relief at his punching bag; Fen, 17, has started spending her nights on the beach among the seals; 9-year-old Orly, obsessed with botany, fears the loss of his beloved natural world; and Dominic can't stop turning back towards the past, and the loss that drove the family to Shearwater in the first place. Â Â Then, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman washes up on shore. As the Salts nurse the woman, Rowan, back to life, their suspicion gives way to affection, and they finally begin to feel like a family again. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting her heart, begins to fall for the Salts, too. But Rowan isn't telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers the sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realises Dominic is keeping his own dark secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, the characters must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it's too late-and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together. Â Â A novel of heartstopping twists, dizzying beauty and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is a story about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us is ending.

 The highly anticipated new novel by the bestselling Australian author of The Secrets of the Huon Wren Broome 2023- when Saskia's free-spirited mother leaves her a caravan in her will, it doesn't make sense. Saskia is a schoolteacher, tied to plans and schedules, even if they are beginning to feel restrictive. Then she finds clues in the van about her mother's mysterious past, setting her on a journey to Tasmania with her young daughter Anouk, who shares her late grandmother's fascination with birds. In 1968, teenager Greta De Winter seeks solace in the Stanley wetlands, a swamp that attracts all manner of wildlife. Her father is the local councillor and her mother a taxidermist, working to create bird dioramas for the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. But while the De Winter household seems harmless from the outside, a dark secret hides within. When Saskia and Anouk arrive in Stanley, they search for the missing pieces to the puzzle of Greta's tragic childhood. In the process of uncovering her family history, Saskia realises that her mother's final act might also enable her to rediscover who she really is, and what she is truly capable of.  Set in the breathtaking landscape of Tasmania's majestic north-west, this is a moving and highly evocative novel of family bonds and betrayals, by the bestselling author of The Secrets of the Huon Wren.   'A beautiful story of heartbreak, hope and the long flight home - I loved every moment.' - Anthea Hodgson 'I warmed to not only the characters but alsoto the beautifully written Tasmanian landscape.Claire Van Ryn's book is a great ambassador forTasmania and its wildlife and made me want tovisit and explore the beautiful land.' - Good Reading

Multimillion copy bestselling author Wilbur Smith returns with a brand-new historical epic set in Africa.

Once they were just them. Now they're forty-something and there's kids. Whose time is this? Phil is trying to feel closer to his recently passed mother by spending time alone at his parent's house on the coast. But he is lonely, and stupidly he's invited a bunch of old friends to visit. It's bound to be a mistake. All those children! But it's too late now, and tomorrow Bella and Tim will arrive with their two kids, one on the brink of puberty, and the next day Jo and Lucas will come too, with their little one. Then there's Annie, who will be by herself. The story of a beach holiday told by four different people, Time Together is a novel about different kinds of love, different kinds of loneliness, and the way spending time together can bring out the best and worst in each other.   'Time Together is a slow burn of a novel. Beautifully written and impossible to put down. I loved it.'-Sophie Cunningham, author of This Devastating Fever 'An artful, deliciously acerbic portrait of family, friendship, and the indignities of middle age. Horton is a master of domestic unease.'-Laura Elizabeth Woollett  Praise for The Fogging-'Claustrophobic and vertiginous ... an unshrinking and skilfully drawn portrait of a decaying relationship. In restrained prose, Horton illuminates the darker edges of masculinity. His is a frequency finely tuned to silences, gaps of language and meaning, things left unsaid - and their cumulative weight. Like a brewing storm on an oppressive summer day, The Fogging is quiet but assured, building towards the thunderclap of its final pages.'-Jennifer Down, author of Our Magic Hour

The bestselling author of THE AGE OF MIRACLES returns with a spellbinding, haunting, beautifully written speculative literary mystery about memory, identity, consciousness, and love.

'A gripping, Kafkaesque foray into an all-too-plausible future' JENNIFER EGAN'Extraordinary' RUMAAN ALAM'Absolutely unputdownable' SANDRA NEWMANSara is returning home from a conference abroad when agents from the Risk Assessment Administration pull her aside at the airport. Using data from her dreams, their algorithm has determined that she is at imminent risk of harming her husband. For his safety, she must be transferred to a retention centre, and kept under observation for twenty-one days.But as Sara arrives to be monitored alongside other dangerous dreamers, she discovers that with every deviation from the facility's strict and ever-shifting rules, their stays can be extended and that getting home to her family is going to cost much more than just three weeks of good behaviour . . .  The Dream Hotel is a gripping speculative mystery about the seductive dangers of the technologies that are supposed to make our lives easier. As terrifying as it is inventive, it explores how well we can ever truly know those around us even with the most invasive surveillance systems in place.

Containing more than 60 stunning cross-section artworks of the Star Wars galaxy Explore the worlds of a galaxy far, far away with incredible cross-sections. With more than 60 intricate full-colour artworks and 3D maps, explore iconic locations that bring the Star Wars saga to life. This updated edition has been comprehensively updated and includes incredible cross-sections from Star Wars- The Last Jedi, Star Wars- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One- A Star Wars Story, Solo- A Star Wars Story, Star Wars- The Mandalorian and Star Wars- Andor. Uncover the unspeakable secrets of Darth Vader's castle. Explore the ancient Jedi ruins on Ahch-To. Discover the unmatched opulence of Canto Bight and the brutal efficiency of the Narkina 5 prison complex. This comprehensive book makes the perfect gift for any Star Wars fan. Readers will spend hours studying the fascinating artworks to gain new insights into iconic locations from their favourite saga. Â & TM 2024 LUCASFILM LTD.

Now in smaller format paperback, the thrilling standalone from one of Australia's most esteemed crime writers. Grace is a talented thief ready for a normal life. Lying low after a run-in with an old associate, Grace walks into Erin Mandel's rural antiques shop and sees a chance for something different. A weekday job. A place to call home. But someone is looking for Erin. And someone's looking for Grace, too. And they are both, in their own ways, very dangerous men. 'If you've never read a book by Garry Disher before, this standalone novel is an excellent place to start. If you are already a Disher fan, you will know to expect a rollercoaster of a read, full of disturbing crimes and unscrupulous crooks. Except Grace, of course, she's the kind of criminal you'll find yourself barracking for in the end, hoping she finds her place of refuge, safe from persecution, and prosecution.' Readings 'Disher cleverly weaves tension throughout the story and builds suspense...Readers who enjoy Hayley Scrivenor, Shelley Burr and Jane Harper should enjoy the thrilling Sanctuary.' Books+Publishing 'What can we say, Garry Disher just goes from strength to strength and we think Sanctuary is one of his best yet.' Avenue Bookstore 'His novels are busy, a complete world in themselves. Yes, there are capers and car chases, but they are multilayered, full of humanity, nuanced, evocative of place and covering the panoply of alarming social issues.' Guardian 'Highly recommended...A memorable and absorbing crime thriller...Disher is an outstanding crime writer and Sanctuary is another page turner that will thrill his readers.' ReadPlus   

One ordinary extraordinary woman living through a century of massive change, from the bestselling author of The Family Doctor.