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The Final Solution
The Final Solution
Michael Chabon
¥70.44
A brilliant reworking of the detective story by the much-acclaimed Michael Chabon, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY. In the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel ‘The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay’, Michael Chabon conjured up the golden age of comic books, intertwining history, legend and storytelling verve. In ‘The Final Solution’ he has crafted a short, suspenseful tale of compassion and wit that reimagines the classic 19th-century detective story. In deep retirement in the English countryside, an 89-year-old man, vaguely remembered by locals as a once-famous detective, is more concerned with his beekeeping than with other people. Into his life wanders Linus Steinman, nine years old and mute, who has escaped from Nazi Germany with his sole companion: an African grey parrot. What is the meaning of the mysterious strings of German numbers the bird spews out – a top-secret SS code? The keys to a series of Swiss bank accounts perhaps? Or something more sinister? Is the solution to this last case – the real explanation of the mysterious boy and his parrot – beyond even the reach of the once-famed sleuth? Subtle revelations lead the reader to a wrenching resolution. This brilliant homage is the work of a master storyteller at the height of his powers.
Araby
Araby
Gretta Mulrooney
¥66.22
A funny and intensely moving portrait of childhood, death and a man’s relationship with his larger-than-life mother. This poignant, witty, warm-hearted yet unsentimental novel charts the turbulent relationship of a mother and son. As a young boy, Rory Keenan finds his mother bewilderingly and embarrassingly eccentric as his childhood is punctuated by hilarious, cringe-making episodes caused entirely by her unpredictable behaviour and bizarre habits and exploits. Kitty has a huge appetite – for food, for mysterious imaginary illnesses and for strange hobbies. Her irrespressible, opinionated nature ensures that she (and, against his will, Rory too) is the centre of any attention to be had. At the end of Kitty’s life, Rory, now a grown man, begins to come to terms with his confused feelings for Kitty – he loves her devotedly, but nevertheless her cussedness still infuriates him. As memories and secrets from his family’s stormy past in Ireland and London echo through the tragedy of her final, very real illness we are given an outstandingly vivid and compassionate vision of life, love and death.
One Thing Leads to Another
One Thing Leads to Another
Jamie Holland
¥46.11
One Thing Leads to Another is Four Weddings and a Funeral in book form. Three friends, post university, two men and a girl, take up a year’s lease on a house. Sitting in the pub, they make a bet – a challenge to them all – that they will find perfect (if temporary) partners and real jobs by the end of a year. As each season unfolds, with highlights of themed parties (for the girls) and rugby matches (for the boys), romantic holidays in Italy (disastrous), New Year’s Eve’s festivities (even worse), Flin, Geordie and Jessica find (and in some cases, lose) new friends, new jobs and even themselves. The year’s challenge ends completely differently than they – or the readers – anticipate. One Thing Leads to Another has a wonderful warmth and humour, which gives readers a real feel-good factor.
Something Barely Remembered
Something Barely Remembered
Susan Visvanathan
¥53.76
Exquisite Indian short stories Lukose is ready to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and enter the priesthood; Anna’s parents are drowned as they make their way to a wedding by boat and she must now go and live with her uncle and his Italian wife in Rome; Chako, a doctor, meets a sad little girl whose mother has run away, and then, many years later, he encounters the mother at a party but cannot bear to share with her his knowledge of her daughter. These fifteen stories give us sharp, acute fragments of Indian lives, all linked by family or friendship, or just sheer coincidence, and give us a poignant reminder of how even the smallest event can cause the greatest effect. Beautifully crafted, written with great feeling, this story collection marks the debut of a new and original voice.
Terror Firma
Terror Firma
Matthew Thomas
¥46.11
‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall be stamped upon.’ From the massively successful author that brought you exploding sheep (Before & After) comes the conspiracy theory to end them all. If you’re a cynic, you’re a sucker. ‘They’ want you to believe in aliens, UFOs and ghosts, because if you go chasing lies, you never get to the truth. ‘They’ are the ultra-secret world ‘Committee’ – the real decision makers who tell governments what to do, dictate which way the stock market’s heading, start up a few wars when things get boring. They’ve had five centuries’ experience at the top to know that nothing spreads a rumour faster than a carefully worded denial. Unfortunately, the ‘Committee’ have been so busy manipulating the entire globe they haven’t realised that they themselves are being manipulated. From opposite sides of the globe, former US commando Frank MacIntyre, and UFO enthusiast Dave Pierce, are about to stumble on the biggest conspiracy theory of all. And it’s a discovery that threatens to destabalise the whole planet. The meek have just put on their boots, and they’re ready to do a bit of stamping themselves.
The Taken
The Taken
Vicki Pettersson
¥57.09
The first book in a new sexy, supernatural mystery series, from New York Times bestselling urban fantasy author Vicki Pettersson. Griffin Shaw used to be a PI, but that was back when gumshoes hoofed the streets . . . and he was still alive. Fifty years later, he’s a celestial Centurion, assisting the recently, and violently, dead. Yet just because he’s an angel doesn’t mean he’s a saint. One small mistake has altered fate, and now he’s been dumped back onto to the mortal mudflat to collect another soul – Katherine “Kit” Craig, a journalist whose latest investigation is about to get her clipped. Bucking heavenly orders, Grif refuses to let this sable-haired siren with hairpin curves come to harm. Besides, protecting her offers a chance to find the truth about his own mysterious death – and wreak some vengeance for the murder of his beloved wife, Evie. Joining forces, Kit and Grif’s search for answers leads beyond the blinding lights of the Strip into the dark heart of an evil conspiracy. But a ruthless killer determined to destroy them isn’t Griffin’s biggest threat. His growing attraction to Kit could cost them both their lives, as well as the answer to the greatest mystery of his long afterlife … Who killed Griffin Shaw?
Crowbone (The Oathsworn Series, Book 5)
Crowbone (The Oathsworn Series, Book 5)
Robert Low
¥58.86
The long awaited return to Robert Low’s Oathsworn series Island of Mann, 979AD. A man lies dying with a message he cannot take to his grave, a sworn secret that must be passed on only to Olaf Tryggvasson, kin of Harald Fairhair of the Yngling line and true prince of Norway, also known as Crowbone. When the message finally arrives, so begins a quest to discover its meaning, and for Crowbone to gain what is rightfully his: the crown of Norway. With a band of Chosen Men, Crowbone begins an unforgiving journey that will see him face the challenge of new enemies and confront his suspicions of treachery from old friends. Looming over all is his ultimate rival; Gunnhild, the Witch Mother of Kings, Crowbone’s arch-enemy who will stop at nothing to prevent him from knowing what and where this secret is. In the fifth installment of his Oathsworn series, Robert Low is back to his full-blooded Viking best, this time visiting the harsh terrain of the North Sea coast, in a tale about one man’s quest for survival and the unexpected alliances that emerge, as the very bonds that tie the Oathsworn together are put to the test.
Grace Poole Her Testimony:A Short Story from the collection, Reader, I Married H
Grace Poole Her Testimony:A Short Story from the collection, Reader, I Married H
Helen Dunmore
¥9.71
A short story by Helen Dunmore from the collection Reader, I Married Him:Stories inspired by Jane Eyre. In ‘Grace Poole Her Testimony’, Grace Poole defends Bertha Mason and calls the general opinion of Jane Eyre into question. Edited by Tracy Chevalier, the full collection, Reader, I Married Him, brings together some of the finest and most creative voices in fiction today, to celebrate and salute the strength and lasting relevance of Charlotte Bront?’s game-changing novel and its beloved narrator.
Dangerous Dog:A Short Story from the collection, Reader, I Married Him
Dangerous Dog:A Short Story from the collection, Reader, I Married Him
Kirsty Gunn
¥9.71
A short story by Kirsty Gunn from the collection Reader, I Married Him:Stories inspired by Jane Eyre. In ‘Dangerous Dog’, a fitness instructor teaches teenage boys how to handle a pit bull terrier by telling them Jane Eyre’s story. Edited by Tracy Chevalier, the full collection, Reader, I Married Him, brings together some of the finest and most creative voices in fiction today, to celebrate and salute the strength and lasting relevance of Charlotte Bront?’s game-changing novel and its beloved narrator.
To Hold:A Short Story from the collection, Reader, I Married Him
To Hold:A Short Story from the collection, Reader, I Married Him
Joanna Briscoe
¥9.71
A short story by Joanna Briscoe from the collection Reader, I Married Him:Stories inspired by Jane Eyre. In ‘To Hold’, a woman looks back on her life, which has been defined by three marriages. Edited by Tracy Chevalier, the full collection, Reader, I Married Him, brings together some of the finest and most creative voices in fiction today, to celebrate and salute the strength and lasting relevance of Charlotte Bront?’s game-changing novel and its beloved narrator.
The Mirror:A Short Story from the collection, Reader, I Married Him
The Mirror:A Short Story from the collection, Reader, I Married Him
Francine Prose
¥9.71
A short story by Francine Prose from the collection Reader, I Married Him:Stories inspired by Jane Eyre. ‘The Mirror’ boldly imagines Jane Eyre’s married life after the novel ends. Edited by Tracy Chevalier, the full collection, Reader, I Married Him, brings together some of the finest and most creative voices in fiction today, to celebrate and salute the strength and lasting relevance of Charlotte Bront?’s game-changing novel and its beloved narrator.
Transference:A Short Story from the collection, Reader, I Married Him
Transference:A Short Story from the collection, Reader, I Married Him
Esther Freud
¥9.71
A short story by Esther Freud from the collection Reader, I Married Him:Stories inspired by Jane Eyre. In ‘Transference’, a woman in a troubled relationship is drawn to her enigmatic therapist. Edited by Tracy Chevalier, the full collection, Reader I Married Him, brings together some of the finest and most creative voices in fiction today, to celebrate and salute the strength and lasting relevance of Charlotte Bront?’s game-changing novel and its beloved narrator.
Catch 26:A Novel
Catch 26:A Novel
Carol Prisant
¥42.77
What if you could live your life all over again? There’s just one catch… Frannie Turner is a plain, middle-aged housewife married to Stanley, a self-absorbed retired dentist who hasn’t slept in her bed in years. No children to love and be loved by. No exciting career to look back on. Just loneliness and lost dreams. So when the mysterious new hairdresser in town offers her the chance to get everything she’s ever wanted, Frannie figures she has nothing to lose -except her soul. And surely, as a stunning twenty-six-year-old singleton in New York, finding true love within the stipulated year should be a piece of cake, not to mention a hell of a lot of fun! But New York City is no place for the na?ve, and Frannie will soon learn just how dangerous a deal with the devil can be… ‘Catch-26 marries confection with thriller to create a tale that's at once compelling and comic, delightful and deep, classic yet modern, just like its older-but-younger heroine and theme. I read it straight through yet its memory lingers, the signs of a wonderful novel.’ Pamela Redmond Satran, author of Younger ‘In her tantalizing novel, Catch 26, Carol Prisant serves up a thoroughly modern woman's Faust. This irresistible story comes wrapped around a devilish question:If you could have it all—sex, love, beauty, money and eternal life—would you sign on the dotted line?’
Emergency Admissions
Emergency Admissions
Kit Wharton
¥66.22
‘Heart-stopping, eye-opening and jaw-dropping. Sometimes painful, sometimes sad, often very, very funny.’ Craig Brown Shocking, funny and unflinchingly honest, Emergency Admissions gives us a fascinating glimpse into the extraordinary world of ambulance driving from the man behind the wheel. Kit Wharton has been an ambulance driver for a dozen years. This book is his report from the frontline of that work:999 calls that hurtle him to critical moments in other peoples’ lives. Nothing in this job is normal, every job is different. From the bizarre to the terrifying and tragic, Wharton takes the reader through his strange work. There is an S&M party gone horribly wrong and bodily discharges sure to make you wretch. There is a man who calls 999 saying he has picked a spot – you can imagine Kit’s irritation. When he arrives, the patient is lying in a pool of his own blood. On the other hand there are colossal time wasters. There are extraordinarily sad stories, heart-warming, touching instances of human bravery and connection Along the way Kit reveals more about his own unconventional upbringing, a childhood pickled in alcohol abuse and bohemian family set ups. As he says, he was well prepared for the ambulance service…
The Sunflower Cottage Breakfast Club (A Luna Bay novel)
The Sunflower Cottage Breakfast Club (A Luna Bay novel)
Lynsey James
¥42.48
Emily Reed is having a bad day. Her mother has just dropped a devastating bombshell—the dad she’s known and loved for twenty-five years isn’t her biological father! Desperately in need of answers, Emily heads to Luna Bay covering her personal quest up as a work trip to Sunflower Cottage B&B. Setting up the ‘Sunflower Cottage Breakfast Club’ should be a great way to meet the locals and maybe even find out who her father is. The only problem is brooding and insanely gorgeous, Noah, who is determined to make Emily’s stay perfectly uncomfortable. Discovering the truth after all these years was never going to be simple, but Emily will stop at nothing to uncover her past… even if her heart is getting in the way!
Blink and You Die (Ruby Redfort, Book 6)
Blink and You Die (Ruby Redfort, Book 6)
Lauren Child
¥51.50
Say goodbye to Ruby Redfort:every smart kid’s smart kid. The mind-blowing conclusion to the thrilling series by award-winning author Lauren Child. Ruby Redfort:undercover agent, code-cracker and thirteen-year-old genius – you can count on her when the ice starts to crack. All good things come to an end… Ruby Redfort is running scared, a whole bunch of people want her dead and worst of all one of them is on her team. But just who is this agent of doom? You can run, Ruby, but you can’t hide…
Outside Looking In:A darkly compelling crime novel with a shocking twist
Outside Looking In:A darkly compelling crime novel with a shocking twist
Michael Wood
¥23.45
The second book in Michael Wood’s darkly compelling new crime series featuring DCI Matilda Darke. Perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride, Mark Billingham and Val McDermid. When elderly George Rainsford goes to investigate a suspicious noise one night, the last thing he expects to find is a bloodbath. A man has been killed and a woman brutally beaten, left for dead. The victims are Lois Craven and Kevin Hardaker – both married, but not to each other. Their spouses swear they knew nothing of the affair and, besides, they both have alibis for the attack. With nothing else to link the victims, the investigation hits a dead end. The pressure is on for investigating officer, DCI Matilda Darke:there’s a violent killer on the loose, and it looks like her team members are the new targets. With no leads and no suspects, it’s going to take all Matilda’s wits to catch him, before he strikes again.
The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea:Cupcakes and Confetti
The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea:Cupcakes and Confetti
Jane Linfoot
¥40.81
Brides by the Sea, the cutest little wedding shop in all of Cornwall, has it all, including cake baker Poppy who lives upstairs. But wedding planning is not the piece of cake Poppy thought it would be, and when her best friend Cate’s wedding planner walks out, Poppy has to tie up the loose ends so her bestie can tie the knot. Double-booked venues, ‘rustic’ locations and gorgeous but grumpy farmer Rafe have this wedding pro feeling like she could be Cate’s ‘something blue.’ Will the wedding, the shop and the cake all come crashing down on her? Or will Poppy pull it off to give Cate – and herself – the happy ever afters they deserve? This is the first full-length novel in a brand new series set in Cornwall. Look out for the next books in The Little Wedding Shop by the Sea series.
The Cask:A Detective Story Club Classic Crime Novel (The Detective Club)
The Cask:A Detective Story Club Classic Crime Novel (The Detective Club)
Freeman Wills Crofts
¥73.58
From the Collins Crime Club archive, the seminal first novel by Freeman Wills Crofts, once dubbed ‘The King of Detective Story Writers’ and recognised as one of the ‘big four’ Golden Age crime authors. The unloading of a consignment of French wine from the steamship Bullfinch is interrupted by a gruesome discovery in a broken cask leaking sawdust and gold sovereigns. But when the shipping clerk returns with the police, the cask and its macabre contents have gone. Following the clues to Paris, Inspector Burnley of Scotland Yard enlists the help of the genial French detective M. Lefarge to check motives and alibis in their hunt for evidence of a particularly fiendish murder. This Detective Story Club classic is introduced by Freeman Wills Crofts himself in a unique preface from 1946 about The Cask’s origins.
The Keeper (DI Sean Corrigan, Book 2)
The Keeper (DI Sean Corrigan, Book 2)
Luke Delaney
¥58.86
The second novel in the DI Sean Corrigan series – authentic and terrifying crime fiction with a psychological edge, by an ex-Met detective. Perfect for fans of Mark Billingham, Peter James and Stuart MacBride. Thomas Keller knows exactly who he’s looking for… They tried to keep them apart, but when he finds her, he’s going to keep her. Just like he knows she wants him to. DI Sean Corrigan is not like other detectives. His dark past has given him the ability to step into a crime scene and see it through the offender’s eyes. He understands what drives a person to commit terrible acts – but sometimes his gift feels more like a curse. When women start disappearing from their homes in broad daylight, Corrigan’s Murder Investigation Team is reluctant to take on a missing persons case. But then the first body turns up, and Corrigan knows he must quickly get into the mind of the murderer. Because this killer knows exactly who he wants. And he won’t stop until he finds her.
The Rinucci Brothers
The Rinucci Brothers
Lucy Gordon
¥37.96
The first three books in the Rinucci Brothers series. Wife and Mother Forever Evie Wharton is a free spirit – the complete opposite to millionaire Justin Dane – but she wants to help his troubled son. Against her better judgement, Evie soon begins to fall for dark and brooding Justin... Her Italian Boss’s Agenda Olympia Lincoln is so relieved when her new assistant shows up that she sets him to work immediately. What she doesn’t realize is that he is Primo Rinucci, her new Italian boss! The Wedding Arrangement Luke is startled to discover that the tenant of his Rome residenza, Minnie Pepino, is young, blonde and sensational! There is an immediate attraction between them, but despite her family’s plans to arrange the wedding of the year, Minnie holds back...