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The Fine Colour of Rust
The Fine Colour of Rust
P. A. O’Reilly
¥63.18
If you loved A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, you’ll love The Fine Colour of Rust. Single mother Loretta Boskovic may have fantasies about dumping her two kids in the orphanage and riding off on a Harley with her dream lover, but her reality is life in a dusty country town called Gunapan. A self-dubbed ‘old scrag’, Loretta’s got a big heart and a strong sense of injustice. So, when Gunapan’s primary school is threatened with closure, and there’s a whiff of corruption wafting through the corridors of the local council, she stirs into action. She's short of money, influence and a fully functioning car, but she does have loyal friends who’ll do whatever it takes to hold on to the scrap of world that is home. The Fine Colour of Rust is a wryly funny, beautifully observed, life-affirming novel about friendship, love and fighting for things that matter. In Loretta Boskovic, Paddy O’Reilly (writing as P A O'Reilly) has created a truly endearing heroine who gives us all permission to dream.
A Song for Arbonne
A Song for Arbonne
Guy Gavriel Kay
¥63.18
Based on the troubadour culture that rose in Provence during the High Middle Ages, this panoramic, absorbing novel beautifully creates an alternate version of the medieval world. The matriarchal, cultured land of Arbonne is rent by a feud between its two most powerful dukes, the noble troubador Bertran de Talair and Urte de Miraval, over long-dead Aelis, lover of one, wife of the other and once heir to the country's throne. To the north lies militaristic Gorhaut, whose inhabitants worship the militant god Corannos and are ruled by corrupt, womanizing King Ademar. His chief advisor, the high priest of Corannos, is determined to irradicate the worship of a female deity, whose followers live to the south. Into this cauldron of brewing disaster comes the mysterious Gorhaut mercenary Blaise, who takes service with Bertran and averts an attempt on his life. The revelation of Blaise's lineage and a claim for sanctuary by his sister-in-law sets the stage for a brutal clash between the two cultures. Intertwined is the tale of a young woman troubadour whose role suggests the sweep of the drama to come.
Ysabel
Ysabel
Guy Gavriel Kay
¥63.18
In this exhilarating, moving novel set in modern and ancient Provence, Guy Gavriel Kay casts brilliant light on the ways in which history – whether of a culture or a family – refuses to be buried. Ned Marriner, fifteen years old, has accompanied his photographer father to Provence for a six-week “shoot” of images for a glossy coffee-table book. Gradually, Ned discovers a very old story playing itself out in this modern world of iPods, cellphones, and seven-seater vans whipping along roads walked by Celtic tribes and the Roman Legions. On one holy, haunted night of the ancient year, when the borders between the living and the dead are down and fires are lit upon the hills, Ned, his family, and his friends, are shockingly drawn into this tale, as dangerous, mythic figures from conflicts of long ago erupt into the present, claiming and changing lives.
The Death of Dalziel: A Dalziel and Pascoe Novel (Dalziel &  Pascoe, Book 20)
The Death of Dalziel: A Dalziel and Pascoe Novel (Dalziel & Pascoe, Book 20)
Reginald Hill
¥63.18
The highly anticipated return of Dalziel and Pascoe, the hugely popular police duo and stars of the long-running BBC TV series, in a new psychological thriller. Caught in a huge Semtex explosion, it seems the only thing preventing Superintendent Andy Dalziel from death is his size – and sheer bloody-mindedness. An injured DCI Peter Pascoe is convinced there’s a conspiracy at work, despite the security services concluding the blast was in fact an accident. Who, then, are the mysterious Knights Templar with their gruesome acts of vengeance? And what of a hit-and-run on one of Pascoe’s colleagues? And, most importantly, will Dalziel ever wake up to hear the truth…?
The Broken Souls (Carson Ryder, Book 3)
The Broken Souls (Carson Ryder, Book 3)
J. A. Kerley
¥63.18
A brilliant new psychological serial killer thriller featuring homicide detective Carson Ryder, hero of the bestselling ‘The Hundredth Man’ and ‘Her Last Scream.’ Blood was everywhere, like the interior had been hosed down with an artery … The gore-sodden horror that greets homicide detective Carson Ryder on a late-night call out is enough to make him want to quit the case. Too late. Now he and his partner Harry are up to their necks in a Southern swamp of the bizarre and disturbing. An investigation full of twists and strange clues looks like it's leading to the city's least likely suspects – a powerful family whose philanthropy has made them famous. But behind their money and smiles is a dynasty divided by hate. Their strange and horrific past is about to engulf everyone around them in a storm of violence and depravity. And Ryder's right in the middle of it …
Hello America
Hello America
J. G. Ballard
¥63.18
A terrifying vision of the future from one of the twentieth century’s most renowned writers – J. G. Ballard, author of ‘Empire of the Sun’ and ‘Crash’. Following the energy crisis of the late twentieth-century America has been abandoned. Now, a century later, an expedition from Europe returns to the deserted continent. But America is unrecognisable – the Bering Strait has been dammed and the whole continent has become a desert, populated by isolated natives and the bizarre remnants of a disintegrated culture. The expedition sets off from Manhattan on a cross-continent journey, through Holiday Inns and abandoned theme parks. They will uncover a shocking new power in the heart of Las Vegas in this unique vision of our world transformed. 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.
Diva
Diva
Carrie Duffy
¥63.18
A hugely entertaining and glamorous book, from an exciting new voice in young women’s fiction Stunning and sexy, Dionne Summers is a girl who speaks her mind. Brought up on the mean streets of Detroit, she is determined that nothing will stop her from becoming the world’s next supermodel. Beautiful and innocent, Alyson Wakefield is desperate to escape her upbringing. She decides it is time to take hold of her life and follow her dreams. Heading to the chic streets of Paris, the girls move in with a maverick young designer, Ce Ce Bouvier. Born to a life of luxury and glamour, Ce Ce is determined to stand on her own two feet and take the fashion world by storm. The girls vow to make it to the top, but their friendship is about to be tested to the limits when deception, betrayal and tragedy are played out in the glare of the paparazzi flashbulbs. Can the three girls overcome the ghosts of the past – or will the catwalk consume them?
Glover’s Mistake
Glover’s Mistake
Nick Laird
¥63.18
From a rising young novelist comes an artful meditation on love and life in contemporary London. When David Pinner introduces his former teacher, the American artist Ruth Marks, to his friend and flatmate James Glover, he unwittingly sets in place a love triangle loaded with tension, guilt and heartbreak. As David plays reluctant witness (and more) to James and Ruth's escalating love affair, he must come to terms with his own blighted emotional life. Set in the London art scene awash with new money and intellectual pretension, in the sleek galleries and posh restaurants of a Britannia resurgent with cultural and economic power, Nick Laird's insightful and drolly satirical novel vividly portrays three people whose world gradually fractures along the fault lines of desire, truth and jealousy. With wit and compassion, Laird explores the very nature of contemporary romance, among damaged souls whose hearts and heads never quite line up long enough for them to achieve true happiness.
The Queen of Subtleties
The Queen of Subtleties
Suzannah Dunn
¥63.18
A tremendously vivid, page-turning and plausible novel that depicts the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, the most spirited, independent and courageous of Henry’s queens, as viewed from both the bedrooms and the kitchens of the Tudor court. Everyone knows the story of Anne Boleyn. Henry VIII divorced his longstanding, long-suffering, older, Spanish wife for a young, black-eyed English beauty, and, in doing so, severed England from Rome and indeed from the rest of the western world. Then, when Henry had what he wanted, he managed a mere three years of marriage before beheading his wife for alleged adultery with several men, among them his own best friend and her own brother. This is the context for Suzannah Dunn's wonderful new novel, which is about – and told by – two women: Anne Boleyn, king's mistress and fated queen; and Lucy Cornwallis, the king's confectioner, an employee of the very highest status, who made the centrepiece of each of the feasts to mark the important occasions in Anne's ascent. There's another link between them, though: the lovely Mark Smeaton, wunderkind musician, the innocent on whom, ultimately, Anne's downfall hinged… Suzannah Dunn has all the equipment needed for literary-commercial success: wit, a mastery of dialogue, brilliant characterization, lack of pretence, and good humour. The Queen of Subtleties adds to that mix a wonderfully balanced, strong story; Dunn has plumped for a fascinating retelling of one of the most often-told, most compelling stories of our islands' history. In doing so, she's turning from contemporary stories to historical fiction. The result is sensational.
The Last Shot
The Last Shot
Hugo Hamilton
¥63.18
In this remarkable book, Hugo Hamilton tells the story of individuals caught up in the turbulent last days of World War II. Stationed in Czechoslovakia, lovers Bertha Sommer and Officer Franz Kern long to escape from the war and its consequences, but they are trapped between the advancing Red Army and the fear of their own system, which punishes desertion with death. Meanwhile, an American contemporary, living in Germany, sets out on a mission to find the exact location of the last shot fired in the war, in a personal attempt to close this horrific chapter in humanity’s history.
Candy Everybody Wants
Candy Everybody Wants
Josh Kilmer-Purcell
¥63.18
Armistead Maupin meets Beautiful People in Josh Kilmer-Purcell’s hilarious and yet poignant coming-of-age tale Jayson Blocher is fifteen years old with a wayward mother, a disabled brother and a neighbour who thinks he’s the spawn of the devil. For so long he has worshipped at the feet of popular culture, but now he wants to be part of it, and let’s face it, what’s to keep him in Wisconsin? Even his own mother wants him to go. So Jayson heads off to find fame and fortune, accompanied by an ever-changing cast of quirky extended family members. From a New York escort agency to the glamour of a Hollywood situation comedy, Jayson searches for his destiny. Only to find that being America’s sweetheart can leave a very sour aftertaste.
Snow Hill
Snow Hill
Mark Sanderson
¥63.18
An atmospheric crime novel set in 1930s London where the mysterious death of a policeman exposes a wider world of vice and corruption. "Friday, 18 December, 1936. I went to my funeral this morning…" So begins the diary of John Steadman, an ambitious young journalist in London. When he gets a tip-off about a murdered policeman, he thinks he's found his scoop. Trouble is, no-one else seems to know anything about it… or they're not telling. Then John finds someone willing to talk. At least, someone who was. Now they're hanging from a meat hook in a refrigerated locker and John's on the verge of a front-page scandal that will make or break his career. But to get to the heart of this dark story, he must first go undercover. Six feet undercover, to be precise… Based on a shocking true story, Snow Hill vividly brings to life a London you never knew about – an underworld that doesn't officially exist and until now has never been documented.
Crow Stone
Crow Stone
Jenni Mills
¥63.18
A compulsively readable thriller that skillfully weaves together past and present to uncover the sinister secrets buried in the ancient stone quarries under Bath. Kit Parry is reluctant to take the job shoring up the ancient quarries beneath her hometown of Bath – a place as riddled with memories she’d rather forget as it is with Roman ruins. The miners certainly don’t want her there, and her burgeoning romance with lanky foreman Gary looks likely to complicate matters even further. But when dark developments threaten the spa town’s placid fa?ade, Kit must face up to the past she’s tried so desperately to bury. Someone wants her out of Bath – that much is clear – but who was it that brought her childhood to an abrupt end in the summer of her fourteenth year? Why has she never been back to Bath, and how did she escape her violent father? When Kit stumbles across evidence of a lost Mithraic temple, the mysteries in her own past become entangled with a search for what could be the archaeological discovery of the decade – and what turns into a dangerous obsession…
The Roar of the Butterflies (Joe Sixsmith, Book 5)
The Roar of the Butterflies (Joe Sixsmith, Book 5)
Reginald Hill
¥63.18
A special gift for Reginald Hill fans – the return of Joe Sixsmith in a beautifully packaged, witty new crime novel A sweltering summer spells bad news for the private detective business. Thieves and philanderers take the month off and the only swingers in town are those on the 19th hole of the Royal Hoo Golf Course. But now the reputation of the ‘Hoo’ is in jeopardy. Shocking allegations of cheating have been directed at leading member, Chris Porphyry. When Chris turns to Joe Sixsmith, PI, he's more than willing to help – only Joe hadn't counted on being French-kissed then dangled out of a window on the same day. Before long, though, Joe’s on the trail of a conspiracy that starts with missing balls, and ends with murder…
The State of Me
The State of Me
Nasim Marie Jafry
¥63.18
A beautifully written debut novel by an exciting new author. Curriculum Vitae Name: Helen Fleet Work Experience: Waitress; Serial volunteer Education: Four Highers: French (A), English (A), Maths (A), Chemistry (A), 1981; Ordinary Arts degree, MA, 1990; Certificate in Counselling Skills and Theory, 1992 Travel: France, Madeira, San Francisco, Rome, Greece. And London. Relationships: Sex with three men: Hadi, Ivan and Fabio. I still love Ivan. Additional Information: I have a mini hi-fi and a pine bookcase, and an expensive leather briefcase (got it in the January sales after Fabio and I had finished) and a suit I haven't worn since my graduation. It's 1983 and 20-year-old university student Helen Fleet should be enjoying the best days of her life, but while all her friends go on to graduate and have careers in London, she is forced to return to her parents' home, bedridden with vile symptoms that doctors can't explain and often don't believe. She is eventually diagnosed with M.E., a cruel illness that she must learn to live with over the next decade. All of her relationships are tested – and changed – by her condition, but Helen's story is so much more than an account of her suffering. At times sad and at times funny, the author skillfully leads the reader through the trials and tribulations of Helen's life, perfectly capturing her unusual experiences as a twenty-something woman living in 80s Scotland with a mystery illness. Based on the author's own experience of ME The State of Me explores the loneliness and chaos of one of the most misunderstood illnesses of our time, but also celebrates the importance of family, friendships, and sexual love. A stunning, eloquent and linguistically perfect debut novel.
The Last Place God Made
The Last Place God Made
Jack Higgins
¥63.18
Ebook version of the timeless Higgins classic. In 1930's Brazil, Neil Mallory works as a courier flying mail and machine parts around the Amazonian rain forest. On a routine day his plane falls in a terrifying and potentially fatal crash; his life saved by the bravery of the enigmatic Captain Sam Hannah. In need of a partner, Hannah recruits Mallory as his right-hand-man in travelling to the deepest and darkest heart of the jungle, coming up against indigenous peoples, and a beautiful woman with secrets to hide. As Mallory and Hannah's friendship turns them into adversaries, the game is set for competitive bravery and a battle of wills as they oppose each other in one of the most hidden and remote places on Earth.
Bone China
Bone China
Roma Tearne
¥63.18
An epic novel of love, loss and a family uprooted, set in the contrasting landscapes of war-torn Sri Lanka and immigrant London. Grace de Silva, wife of the shiftless but charming Aloysius, has five children and a crumbling marriage. Her eldest son, Jacob, wants desperately to go to England. Thornton, the most beautiful of all the children and his mother’s favourite, dreams of becoming a poet. Alicia wants to be a concert pianist. Only Frieda has no ambition, other than to remain close to her family. But civil unrest is stirring in Sri Lanka and Christopher, the youngest and the rebel of the family, is soon caught up in the tragedy that follows. As the decade unfolds against a backdrop of increasing ethnic violence, Grace watches helplessly as the life she knows begins to crumble. Slowly, this once happy family is torn apart as four of her children each make the decision to leave their home. In London, the de Silvas are all, in their different ways, desperately homesick. Caught in a cultural clash between East and West, life is not as they expected. Only Thornton’s daughter, Meeka, moves confidently into a world that is full of possibilities. But nothing is as easy as it seems and she must overcome heartbreak, a terrible mistake and single parenthood before she is finally able to see the extraordinary effects of history on her family’s migration.
Ask a Policeman
Ask a Policeman
The Detection Club,Agatha Christie,Dorothy L. Sayers
¥63.18
This new edition, which is reproduced from a first printing of the book, is introduced by the author Martin Edwards, archivist of the Detection Club, and includes a never-before-published Preface by Agatha Christie, ‘Detective Writers in England’, in which she discusses her fellow writers in the Detection Club. Lord Comstock is a barbarous newspaper tycoon with enemies in high places. His murder in the study of his country houseposes a dilemma for the Home Secretary. In the hours before his death, Lord Comstock’s visitors included the government Chief Whip, an Archbishop, and the Assistant Commissioner for Scotland Yard. Suspicion falls upon them all and threatens the impartiality of any police investigation. Abandoning protocol, the Home Secretary invites four famous detectives to solve the case:Mrs Adela Bradley, Sir John Saumarez, Lord Peter Wimsey, and Mr Roger Sheringham. All are different, all are plausible, all are on their own – and none of them can ask a policeman… This classic whodunit adopted a completely new approach:Milward Kennedy proposed the title, John Rhode plotted the murder and provided the suspects, and four of their contemporaries were asked to lend their well-known detectives to the task of providing solutions to the crime. But there was to be another twist:the authors would swap detectives and use the characters in their sections of the book. Thus Gladys Mitchell and Helen Simpson swapped Mrs Bradley and Sir John Saumarez, and Dorothy Sayers and Anthony Berkeley swapped Lord Peter Wimsey and Roger Sheringham, enabling the authors to indulge in skilful and sly parodies of each other. The contributors to ASK A POLICEMAN are:John Rhode, Helen Simpson, Gladys Mitchell, Anthony Berkeley, Dorothy L. Sayers, Milward Kennedy with Agatha Christie and Martin Edwards.
Good People
Good People
Ewart Hutton
¥63.18
Shortlisted for the 2012 Crime Writers’ Association New Blood Dagger for best first novel If you love D I Jack Frost, you’ll love D I Glyn Capaldi, maverick cop. Introducing DS Glyn Capaldi, half Welsh, half-Italian, all maverick. He’s fallen from grace in Cardiff and exiled to be the catch-all detective in the big bit in the middle that God gave to the sheep. A place where nothing of any significance is meant to happen, a place where supposedly he can do little harm. But trouble have a way of catching-up with Capaldi. Six men and a young woman disappear into the night. They don’t all reappear. The ones that do are good people with a good explanation. Only Capaldi remains unconvinced. In the face of opposition from the locals, he delves deeper and starts to uncover a network of conflicts, betrayals and depravity that resonates below the outwardly calm surface of rural respectability. D.S. Capaldi is back in the saddle.
Air Force One is Down (Alistair MacLean’s UNACO)
Air Force One is Down (Alistair MacLean’s UNACO)
John Denis,Alistair MacLean
¥63.18
Someone wants revenge, and the target is the President’s plane. When the mission looks impossible, the world calls upon UNACO. The world’s most ingenious international criminal is bent on revenge… ? Two men with the same name and the same face ? And six of the most important men in the world aboard the President’s plane… Who pushed the button that destroyed Air Force One? Why must everyone be killed? Are they really dead? In this game of deception only UNACO and its daring team can be trusted to join the gamble - but can they win?
Goodfellowe MP
Goodfellowe MP
Michael Dobbs
¥63.18
Michael Dobbs’ classic available in ebook format for the very first time. Michael Dobbs’ popular new character Tom Goodfellowe, the crumpled backbench MP, makes his debut and takes on the might of the press in this highly acclaimed novel of power and corruption – now reissued in a new cover style.