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Black Mamba Boy
Black Mamba Boy
Nadifa Mohamed
¥66.22
Named as one of the Granta Best Of Young British Novelists 2013. Longlisted for the Orange Prize and winner of the Betty Trask Award. For fans of Half of a Yellow Sun, a stunning novel set in 1930s Somalia spanning a decade of war and upheaval, all seen through the eyes of a small boy alone in the world. Aden, Yemen, 1935; a city vibrant, alive, and full of hidden dangers. And home to Jama, a ten year-old boy. But then his mother dies unexpectedly and he finds himself alone in the world. Jama is forced home to his native Somalia, the land of his nomadic ancestors. War is on the horizon and the fascist Italian forces who control parts of East Africa are preparing for battle. Yet Jama cannot rest until he discovers whether his father, who has been absent from his life since he was a baby, is alive somewhere. And so begins an epic journey which will take Jama north through Djibouti, war-torn Eritrea and Sudan, to Egypt. And from there, aboard a ship transporting Jewish refugees just released from German concentration camps, across the seas to Britain and freedom. This story of one boy's long walk to freedom is also the story of how the Second World War affected Africa and its people; a story of displacement and family.
The Doomsday Prophecy (Ben Hope, Book 3)
The Doomsday Prophecy (Ben Hope, Book 3)
Scott Mariani
¥56.11
FROM THE #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR When ex-SAS operative Ben Hope decided to give up rescuing kidnap victims in favour of the Theology studies he abandoned years before, he should have known that fate would decide differently. Searching for missing biblical archaeologist Zo? Bradbury, Ben finds himself embroiled in his riskiest mission yet. What is the ancient secret that Zo? uncovered? And just who is willing to do anything to protect it? The investigation leads Ben from Greece to the American Deep South and the holy city of Jerusalem, and he soon discovers that it's not just his and Zo?'s lives on the line, but those of millions, threatened by a fundamentalist plot to gain ultimate power. The stakes are terrifyingly high as Ben races to prevent a disaster that could kick-start apocalyptic events as foretold by the Book of Revelation… BEN HOPE is one of the most celebrated action adventure heroes in British fiction and Scott Mariani is the author of numerous bestsellers. Join the ever-growing legion of readers who get breathless with anticipation when the countdown to the new Ben Hope thriller begins…
Little Miracles
Little Miracles
Giselle Green
¥51.50
When a routine trip to the beach turns to tragedy, Julia Fearon’s life becomes a heartbreaking search for the truth. When she arrives in Spain with fiancé Charlie and their toddler Hadyn, Julia is excited at the prospect of meeting his family. But Julia’s happiness is short-lived as she becomes increasingly isolated from the strict and deeply religious clan, and lies from her past threaten to destroy her future happiness. Then tragedy strikes and Haydn disappears on a day out at the beach. Whilst the authorities presume him drowned, Julia is tortured by the thought that her child is alive – and has been snatched. Grief-stricken, Julia searches desperately for the truth, whilst Charlie throws himself into his work. Consumed by the fact that they may never know what happened that day, can Julia find the strength to let Haydn go? Or will her faith be rewarded with the truth? Heart wrenching and morally complex, if you love Dorothy Koomson and Jodi Picoult, you’ll love Giselle Green.
Rebellion
Rebellion
James McGee
¥63.18
Rebellion is brewing in Napoleonic Paris, in the new action-packed novel from the author of the bestselling Ratcatcher October 1812: Britain and France are still at war. France is engaged on two battle fronts - Spain and Russia - and her civilians are growing weary of the fight. Rebellion is brewing. Since Napoleon Bonaparte appointed himself as First Consul, there have been several attempts to either kill or overthrow him. All have failed, so far… Meanwhile in London, Bow Street Runner Matthew Hawkwood has been seconded to the foreign arm of the Secret Service. There, he meets the urbane Henry Brooke, who tells him he’s to join a colleague in Paris on a special mission. Brooke's agent has come up with a daring plan and he needs Hawkwood's help to put it into action. If the plan is successful it could lead to a negotiated peace treaty between France and the allies. Failure would mean prison, torture and a meeting with the guillotine…
Chicago
Chicago
Alaa al Aswany
¥81.03
Sex, money and politics are the driving forces of society in this new novel from bestselling author Alaa al Aswany. A medley of Egyptian and American lives collides on the campus of the University of Illinois Medical Center in a post-9/11 Chicago, and crises of identity abound. Among the players are an atheistic anti-establishment American professor of the sixties generation, whose relationship with a younger African-American woman becomes a moving target for intolerance; a veiled PhD candidate whose conviction in the code of her traditional upbringing is shaken by her exposure to American society; an emigre who has fervently embraced his new American identity, but who cannot escape his Egyptian roots when faced with the issue of his daughter's 'honour'; an Egyptian State Security informant who spouts religious doctrines while hankering after money and power; and a dissident student poet who comes to America with the sole aim of financing his literary aspirations, but whose experience in Chicago turns out to be more than he bargained for. This tightly plotted page-turner is set far from the downtown Cairo of al Aswany's ‘The Yacoubian Building’, but is no less unflinching an examination of contemporary Egyptian lives.
Dean Spanley: The Novel
Dean Spanley: The Novel
Lord Dunsany,Alan Sharp
¥66.22
The classic humorous novel about an alcohol-loving clergyman who thinks he is the reincarnation of a dog. Complete with the award-winning film screenplay that expands upon the tale. Dean Spanley is affable, conventional and prudent – the very archetype of a bland churchman. Only his keen interest in the transmigration of souls and his obsession with dogs betray any shadow of eccentricity. But then, richly primed with a few glasses of Imperial Tokay, he begins to speak vividly of the joys of rabbiting, of rolling in fresh dung and of baying at the moon. Are these canine memories a drunken fancy? Or can it be that Dean Spanley must once have been a dog? This special edition includes Lord Dunsany’s witty and inventive novel, My Talks With Dean Spanley, together with Alan Sharp’s award-winning screenplay for the film starring Peter O’Toole and Sam Neill, which faithfully adapts and expands upon the events in the story.
Capricornia
Capricornia
Xavier Herbert
¥91.43
A saga of life in the Northern Territories and the clash of white and Aborigine cultures – one of Australia’s all-time best-selling novels and an inspiration for Baz Luhrmann’s lavish film ‘AUSTRALIA’. Capricornia has been described as one of Australia's 'great novels', a sharply observed chronicle about life in the Northern Territory of Australia and the inhumane treatment suffered by Aborigines at the hands of white men. The story is immense and rambling, laced with humour that is often as bitter and as harsh as the terrain in which it is set, and follows with irony the fortunes (and otherwise) of a range of Outback characters over a span of generations. Through their story is reflected the story of Australia, the clash of personalities and cultures that provide the substance on which today's society is founded. Above all, however, this is a novel of protest and of compassion - for the Aborigines and half-bloods of Australia's 'last frontier'. Sprawling, explosive, thronged with characters, plots and sub-plots, Capricornia is without doubt one of the best known and widely read Australian novels of the last 70 years. When it was first published it was acclaimed as 'a turning point', an 'outstanding work of social protest'. Its message is as penetrating today as it was in the 1930s when Herbert himself was official 'Protector of Aborigines' at Darwin.
Lovers and Newcomers
Lovers and Newcomers
Rosie Thomas
¥72.99
From the bestselling author of Iris and Ruby comes a novel in which a group of old friends reunite to start a new stage of their lives. Miranda Meadowe decides a lonely widowhood in her crumbling country house is not for her. Reviving a university dream, she invites five of her oldest friends to come and join her to live, and to stave off the prospect of old age. All have their own reasons for accepting. To begin with, omens are good. They laugh, dance, drink and behave badly, as they cling to the heritage they thought was theirs for ever: power, health, stability. They are the baby boomers; the world is theirs to change. But as old attractions resurface alongside new tensions, they discover that the clock can’t be put back. When building work reveals an Iron Age burial site of a tribal queen, the outside world descends on their idyllic retreat, and the isolation of the group is breached. Now the past is revealed; and the future that beckons is very different from the one they imagined.
The Stepmothers’ Support Group
The Stepmothers’ Support Group
Sam Baker
¥51.50
You can’t choose your family – but you can choose your friends… A heartfelt, warm and truthful novel about female friendship. Eve has never imagined herself as a stepmother. But when she falls in love with Ian, he comes with a ready-made family of three children. And, to make matters worse, he's a widower. The ghost of his glamorous and well known wife haunts them. Clare, a teacher and single mother, is Eve's best friend. She is the only person Eve can talk to about how on earth a journalist in her thirties can win round three wary children. But despite Clare's years of practice with her own teenage daughter, it's Lily, her younger sister, who provides the truly sympathetic ear. Mel is sent along to Eve's so-called 'support group' by a colleague. With a fledgling relationship and a new business to get off the ground, she has a very different set of pressures to the other women. And Mandy is the stay-at-home mum, whose relationship comes with stepchildren, and who wants more than anything to stitch together a happy family life for herself, her kids and her new step-kids. As a cup of coffee turns to a bottle of wine and the get-togethers become a regular fixture, conversations about new families evolve into ones about relationships, life and each woman’s deepest hopes and dreams. But the friendship is tested and feelings about lovers, husbands and step-children challenged when the five women are forced to confront new futures as well as unwelcome figures from the past…
The Drought
The Drought
J. G. Ballard,M. John Harrison
¥22.76
With a new introduction by M. John Harrison and a striking new cover design from the artist Stanley Donwood, this acclaimed cult novel sees human existence threatened by devastating climate change. Water. Man’s most precious commodity is a luxury of the past. Radioactive waste from years of industrial dumping has caused the sea to form a protective skin strong enough to devastate the Earth it once sustained. And while the remorseless sun beats down on the dying land, civilization itself begins to crack. Violence erupts and insanity reigns as the remnants of mankind struggle for survival in a worldwide desert of despair. Remarkable for its prescience and the originality of its vision, The Drought is a work of major importance from the early career of one of Britain’s most acclaimed novelists. This edition is part of a new commemorative series of Ballard’s works, featuring introductions from a number of his admirers (including Ned Beauman, Ali Smith, Neil Gaiman and Martin Amis) and brand-new cover designs.
Vitals
Vitals
Greg Bear
¥45.42
Scientist Hal Cousins is close to discovering the key to immortality but someone has already found it and will kill him to keep it secret. Vitals is a tense technothriller in the best Michael Crichton tradition. A mile and a half below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, scientist Hal Cousins, frightened of the dark and no friend of God, is looking for the fountain of youth. The Nobel Prize doesn't interest him. Hal is in longevity research for the long haul, the really long haul. 'Angels' (rich businessmen keen to live a thousand years) fund him. Hal finds what he is searching for: xenos, the single-celled tramps of the sea floor, each one as big as a clenched fist. But then the pilot of his sub goes berserk. Hal barely survives; the xenos don't. The pilot kills himself. Five other scientists in related fields die violently in the space of a week. Hal discovers a trail of death stretching back over decades, from Stalin's Russia to present-day Manhattan. Another epidemic of murder by superbly trained killers has been triggered by what Hal nearly discovered… From the bottom of Russia’s Lake Baikal to a billionaire’s bionic house built into the cliffs of the Californian seashore, from the darkest days of the reign of Joseph Stalin in Russia to the capitalist free-for-all of modern America, the edge of immortality is the most dangerous place to be.
The Children of Húrin
The Children of Húrin
J. R. R. Tolkien
¥66.22
Painstakingly restored from Tolkien’s manu*s and presented for the first time as a fully continuous and standalone story, this illustrated paperback of the epic tale of The Children of Húrin will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves, dragons, Dwarves and Orcs, and the rich landscape and characters unique to Tolkien. It is a legendary time long before The Lord of the Rings, and Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwells in the vast fortress of Angband in the North; and within the shadow of the fear of Angband, and the war waged by Morgoth against the Elves, the fates of Túrin and his sister Ni?nor will be tragically entwined. Their brief and passionate lives are dominated by the elemental hatred that Morgoth bears them as the children of Húrin, the man who dared to defy him to his face. Against them Morgoth sends his most formidable servant, Glaurung, a powerful spirit in the form of a huge wingless dragon of fire, in an attempt to fulfil the curse of Morgoth, and destroy the children of Húrin. Begun by J.R.R. Tolkien at the end of the First World War, The Children of Húrin became the dominant story in his later work on Middle-earth. But he could not bring it to a final and finished form. In this book Christopher Tolkien has constructed, after long study of the manu*s, a coherent narrative without any editorial invention.
The Information Officer
The Information Officer
Mark Mills
¥72.30
From the No. 1 bestseller and author of Richard & Judy pick The Savage Garden: an atmospheric world war two crime thriller for fans of Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Jed Rubenfeld "You want to know who I am? I'm the last living soul you'll ever set eyes on" Summer, 1942. For the people of Malta, suffering daily bombing raids, the British are the last line of defence against the Nazis. And it is Max Chadwick's job as the information officer to ensure the news the islanders receive maintains morale. So when Max is given proof suggesting a British officer is murdering local women, he knows the consequences of discovery are dire. With the violence on the war-ravaged island escalating daily, he embarks on a private investigation, hidden from the eyes of superiors, friends and the woman he loves. But Max finds himself torn between patriotic duty and personal honour in his efforts to track down the killer… an elusive figure always one step ahead of his hunter.
Across the Mersey
Across the Mersey
Annie Groves
¥56.11
From the author of The Grafton Girls comes the story of one Liverpool family preparing for the onslaught of World War Two, but feuding amongst themselves… Jean and Vi are twins but couldn’t be more different. Jean’s proud of her honest, hardworking husband and their children, but there’s never a penny to spare. Vi’s equally proud of her husband’s new role as a local councillor and their elegant new house, and has raised her children to expect the best. As war breaks out, agonising decisions must be faced. Should the oldest children enlist? Should the youngest be evacuated? All the traditional certainties are overturned. Then the twins’ own younger sister, singer Francine, returns home unexpectedly and stirs up the past, even in the midst of present danger. This is a tremendous saga of fighting spirit and family closeness, and the belief that even though today is full of destruction and pain, there is hope for a better tomorrow.
Lessons in Love
Lessons in Love
Kate Lawson
¥51.50
A warm romantic comedy about teaching old dogs new tricks… Two women: one small difference between them - The letter Y,. Firstly there's Jane Mills - she's suffering from a broken heart, no job and a house she can't afford. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Jayne Mills can afford anything she wants, but at what cost to herself? In her late 20s, Jane's up for a challenge. Fast approaching 50, Jayne's had more than enough of them. Meeting Jane after a mail mix-up, gives her the chance to assess her choices, and the glorious opportunity to remake the one that she most regrets. It seems that even late along the road, you are never too old to learn new tricks… For anyone who's ever wondered what became of the one who got away or dreamed of escaping on a grown-up gap year, this is a wonderfully warm read about finding answers to life's troubles in the unlikeliest of places. A sparkling romantic comedy about lost chances found and walking in someone else's shoes, perfect for fans of Jane Green and Tess Stimson.
The Trafficked
The Trafficked
Lee Weeks
¥57.09
DETECTIVE JOHNNY MANN IS BACK Missing children. An evil racket. A race against time … Summoned to meet his boss, rebellious Detective Johnny Mann expects to be told that he is being demoted. Instead he is ordered to lead the investigation into the kidnapping of Amy Tang - the illegitimate daughter of a major player in the skin trade, CK Leung. Mann is reluctant to help - he has crossed paths with CK before- but he has no choice. Nine-year-old Amy is the third child to be kidnapped and held for a vast sum of money, but while the other two children were released after the vast ransom was paid, Amy is still being held captive. Mann's investigation takes him to London, where he teams up with DC Becky Stamp. Within days of his arrival, an arson attack kills twelve women and children. The charred bodies of the victims are found chained to their beds - their injuries rendering them identifiable… What is the link between the kidnapping of Amy in Hong Kong and the deaths of these women and children and can Mann discover the truth before it's too late. Prepare to be terrorised all over again with this disturbingly addictive thriller from the writer hailed as the female James Patterson.
Wedding Tiers
Wedding Tiers
Trisha Ashley
¥63.77
The path of true love never runs smooth. But for some, it's one seriously bumpy ride… Josie Gray and her childhood sweetheart Ben Richards always dreamt of living a life of rural bliss. And when Josie inherits her beloved Grandmother's cottage in Neatslake, Lancashire, it seems they might have got just that. Josie throws herself into her wedding cake business, whilst Ben gains increasing acclaim as an artist. The tranquil village turns into a hive of activity when Josie's childhood friend Libby Martin returns to the village, planning a lavish wedding to rival any celeb bash. But amidst all this romance, Josie's fairytale relationship with Ben turns into a nightmare, and she quickly becomes Love's number one cynic – until charming wedding photographer Noah Sephton arrives in Neatslake with a very different outlook on love… A heartwarming new romantic comedy from Sunday Times bestselling author Trisha Ashley
Secrets and Lies
Secrets and Lies
Jaishree Misra
¥51.50
The Secret History meets Daddy’s Girls as four old schoolfriends reunite after fifteen years in this sizzling blockbuster. You can't run away from your past… Anita, Zeba, Bubbles and Sam have a friendship that spans 20 years – a friendship born out of their years at a private girls’ school in Delhi in the early Nineties. Beautiful, intelligent and secretive, they were the top clique; the girls that everyone wanted to impress – until the arrival of a newcomer to the school. 15-year-old Lily D'Souza is beautiful, gifted and acerbic and instantly threatens their superiority. Now, Anita, Sam and Bubbles live in London. Bubbles is the pampered but bored wife of a billionaire, Anita is a top journalist working for the BBC, whilst Sam tries hard to be a trophy wife for her corporate lawyer husband. Zeba remained in India, and now lives a life of unimaginable luxury as the world's reigning Bollywood queen. Called back to India for a reunion by their beloved school principal Mrs Lamb, the women must confront a secret that has haunted their adult lives. Lily's body was found on the night of their school prom and, for twenty years, the open verdict has shielded the fact that they may have had a hand in her death. But as they reunite in Delhi to find out the truth about what really happened that night, will their friendship stand the strain? Or are some things better left unsaid…?
Pieces of Eight
Pieces of Eight
John Drake
¥63.18
The second in the rip-roaring adventure series of ‘Treasure Island’ prequels for fans of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Once comrades-in-arms, now sworn enemies, Joseph Flint and Long John Silver have a score to settle. Marooned on a remote Caribbean island with his loyal crew and a fortune in buried treasure, Silver awaits the return of the man who left him there. In order to defeat Silver and claim the island back as his, Flint will need to raise an army – no easy feat for the man most wanted by the Royal Navy. But with disease running rampant on the Island and the net closing on Flint, time is running out for both men. But who will survive – and who will get the gold?
No One Listened
No One Listened
Isobel Kerr,Alex Kerr
¥53.76
When Isobel and Alex came home from school to find their abusive father had brutally murdered their mother, their world was thrown into chaos. Plunged into a care system that neglected them, Isobel and Alex were expected to come to nothing, and had only each other to rely on. Isobel and Alex’s mother used to do everything with them. A full-time teacher, she dedicated herself to her children, partly in order to give them every possible opportunity in life, and partly to keep them out of the way of their increasingly eccentric, erratic and unpleasant father. Their father, a violent and frightening man, spent most of his time locked in his bedroom, a room the rest of the family never ventured into. He became increasingly bitter and angry at the outside world in general, and at his wife and children in particular. The local community feared his outbursts as much as Isobel and Alex did, but the neighbours saw far less of him as he became increasingly housebound. No one came to the Kerr’s house to visit. When Isobel was 15 and Alex 13, they came home from school to find police everywhere. Their father had stabbed their mother between fifty and sixty times with a sharpened chisel. As far as anyone could tell the attack was unprovoked and of incredible savagery, but the children were given the minimum amount of information. No one wanted to upset them unnecessarily. Their mother had been an only child and they had never been in contact with their father's family. There was no one else for them to turn to - except each other. This is an inspiring story of a brother and sister who only had each other, and a powerful testament to what can be achieved through courage and love.
Jail Bird
Jail Bird
Jessie Keane
¥63.77
Murder, loyalty and vengeance collide in Jessie Keane’s gritty fourth novel. Lily King has spent years behind bars Convicted of murdering her husband, London villain Leo King, she hasn’t been missed. Everyone believes she got what she deserved, but Lily knows she was fitted up. Now she’s out, and she doesn’t do forgiveness. In her absence, things have moved on and the old order has changed. But now she’s ready to reclaim her position as head of the King family. Fuelled by vengeance, Lily King is back, and some people aren’t going to know what’s hit them.