Judith, Suzie and Becks return in the brilliant second crime novel in the Marlow Murder Club series, from the creator of the hit TV series, Death in Paradise. ‘I love Robert Thorogood’s writing’ Peter James ‘Lots of laughs, a quick pace and an easy read to escape into’ Glamour ‘Cosy crime at its best’ Crime Monthly ‘Satisfying locked-room mystery’ Saga ‘Cleverly plotted and laugh-out-loud funny’ Yours magazine ‘The perfect cosy crime to curl up with’ Heat * * * It’s been an enjoyable and murder-free time for Judith, Suzie and Becks – AKA the Marlow Murder Club – since the events of last year. The most exciting thing on the horizon is the upcoming wedding of Marlow grandee, Sir Peter Bailey, to his nurse, Jenny Page. Sir Peter is having a party at his grand mansion on the river Thames the day before the wedding, and Judith and Co. are looking forward to a bit of free champagne. But during the soiree, there’s a crash from inside the house, and when the Marlow Murder Club rush to investigate, they are shocked to find the groom-to-be crushed to death in his study. The study was locked from the inside, so the police don’t consider the death suspicious. But Judith disagrees. As far as she's concerned, Peter was murdered! And it’s up to the Marlow Murder Club to find the killer before he or she strikes again… * * * Readers are GRIPPED by Death Comes to Marlow: ‘Thoroughly enjoyable locked-room murder mystery. Judith, Suzie and Becks are a formidable trio . . . . I highly recommend this book, and can’t wait for the next in the series’ Reader review, ����� ‘Cozy crime at its best’ Reader review, ����� ‘Brilliant, brilliant book. Catchy, funny, witty, well written . . . this was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time’ Reader review, ����� ‘[A] wholly entertaining, engaging and thoroughly enjoyable romp in Marlow, with a glorious protagonist and a colourful cast of supporting characters. Wonderful escapism’ Reader review, ����� ‘Never a dull moment, lots of red herrings, plenty of humour and a plot worthy of Agatha!!!’ Reader review, �����

A missing brooch. A face set in cement. This is not your average music festival. Lewis Sinclair, a stalwart and tender country musician, is about to take the stage with his band, the Gentlemen Cowboys, at the premier U.S. country music festival when his girl dumps him for the Cowboys' shifty manager. When that same manager ends up at FallFest's walk of fame with his handprints—and his head—in cement, Lew finds himself on the top ten most wanted list instead of the music charts. With the help of his loyal Cowboys and the close-knit festival staff, Lew must clear his name before the killer gets away—or strikes again.

A must-read for fans of Circe and The Bear and the Nightingale Britain, 60AD. Hoping to save her lover, land and her people from the Romans, Herla makes a desperate pact with the king of the Otherworld. But years pass unheeded in his realm, and she escapes to find everyone she loved long dead. Cursed to wield his blade, she becomes Lord of the Hunt. And for centuries, she rides, reaping wanderers’ souls. Until the night she meets a woman on a bloody battlefield – a Saxon queen with ice-blue eyes. Queen Æthelburg of Wessex is a proven fighter. But when she leads her forces to disaster in battle, her husband’s court turns against her. Yet King Ine needs Æthel more than ever: the dead kings of Wessex are waking, and his own brother seeks to usurp him. Ine’s only hope is to master the magic that’s lain dormant in his bloodline since ancient days. When their paths cross, Herla knows it’s no coincidence. Something dark and dangerous is at work in the Wessex court. The Otherworld seeks to rise, to bring the people of Britain under its dominion. As she and Æthel grow closer, Herla must find her humanity – and a way to break the curse – before it’s too late. Song of the Huntress recasts the folklore behind the Wild Hunt into a dark, feminist fantasy set amidst the legends and beauty of ancient Cornwall. ‘Lucy Holland is a brilliantly assured storyteller’ – Molly Flatt

Lara Dean began writing short stories and tales at a very young age. She has loved animals and drawing from as far back as she can remember. Despite now being a so-called adult, though not old, she remains forever young at heart and still loves watching cartoons and animated movies. The mixture of these things inspired her to write and illustrate her own stories, which she is more than happy to share with others.

She felt their eyes, all those executioners... Enter a world where, watched by millions, prisoners fight like gladiators for the ultimate prize: their freedom. 'The new maestro of dystopian lit has arrived' WIRED 'A pure fire page turner' MAX PORTER 'Electrifying' GEORGE SAUNDERS Welcome to Chain-Gang All-Stars, the popular and highly controversial programme inside America's private prison system. In packed arenas, live-streamed by millions, prisoners compete as gladiators for the ultimate prize: their freedom. Fan favourites Loretta Thurwar and Hamara 'Hurricane Staxxx' Stacker are teammates and lovers. Thurwar is nearing the end of her time on the circuit, free in just a few matches, a fact she carries as heavily as her lethal hammer. As she prepares for her final encounters, as protestors gather at the gates, and as the programme's corporate owners stack the odds against her - will the price be simply too high? --------- READERS CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT THE BOOK OF SUMMER 2023 'I've waited my whole life for a sapphic Hunger Games!' 'An explosive page-turner that's also a chilling social commentary.' 'This novel is alive and glorious. Give it all the awards.' 'Had me cheering and weeping, unable to tear my eyes from the page.' 'A masterpiece that packs a mighty punch.'

From 'no strings' to an unexpected consequence! After a life marked by tragedy, letting someone close goes against Niccoló Macario’s every instinct. So when he receives a letter from shy housekeeper Lizzie Bailey, the woman he spent one scorching night with, with the bombshell that she’s pregnant, he's floored—because his only thought is to find her, bring her to Manhattan, and claim his child! One forbidden night with her boss… Professional nanny Rose Hill is taken by surprise when CEO Zac Adamos personally proposes a job for her in Greece: helping to look after his godson! She needs the outrageous paycheque he’s offering, but she doesn’t foresee their sizzling attraction! She can’t let herself get too close…but can this innocent really walk away without exploring the passion Zac has awakened inside her?

'A masterpiece. A thrilling historical murder tale but so much more. Vivid, evocative and full of humanity' – Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal and The Twyford Code Inspired by a real-life case and winner of the Bloody Scotland Pitch Perfect Award, Kate Foster's The Maiden is a remarkable story with a feminist revisionist twist, giving a voice to women otherwise silenced by history. "In the end, it did not matter what I said at my trial. No one believed me." Edinburgh, October 1679. Lady Christian is arrested and charged with the murder of her lover, James Forrester. News of her imprisonment and subsequent trial is splashed across the broadsides, with headlines that leave little room for doubt: Adulteress. Whore. Murderess. Only a year before, Lady Christian was newly married, leading a life of privilege and respectability. So, what led her to risk everything for an affair? And does that make her guilty of murder? She wasn't the only woman in Forrester's life, and certainly not the only one who might have had cause to wish him dead . . . 'Threat hangs over every page like the awaiting guillotine, but the women in this book gleam sharper. Witty, gritty and full of heart, their voices rise through the brutality and hardship of 17th century Edinburgh, battling to be heard' – Cari Thomas, bestselling author of Threadneedle

The Hunger of the Gods continues John Gwynne's acclaimed Norse-inspired epic fantasy series, packed with myth, magic and bloody vengeance Lik-Rifa, the dragon god of legend, has been freed from her eternal prison. Now she plots a new age of blood and conquest. As Orka continues the hunt for her missing son, the Bloodsworn sweep south in a desperate race to save one of their own - and Varg takes the first steps on the path of vengeance. Elvar has sworn to fulfil her blood oath and rescue a prisoner from the clutches of Lik-Rifa and her dragonborn followers, but first she must persuade the Battle-Grim to follow her. Yet even the might of the Bloodsworn and Battle-Grim cannot stand alone against a dragon god. Their hope lies within the mad writings of a chained god. A book of forbidden magic with the power to raise the wolf god Ulfrir from the dead . . . and bring about a battle that will shake the foundations of the earth. Praise for The Bloodsworn series: 'A masterfully crafted, brutally compelling Norse-inspired epic' Anthony Ryan 'Visceral, heart-breaking and unputdownable' Jay Kristoff 'A satisfying and riveting read. The well-realised characters move against a backdrop of a world stunning in its immensity. It's everything I've come to expect from a John Gwynne book' Robin Hobb

‘Alix E. Harrow is an exceptional, undeniable talent’ - Olivie Blake Step into Starling House – if you dare . . . Nobody in Eden remembers when Starling House was built. But the town agrees it’s best to let this ill-omened mansion – and its last lonely heir – go to hell. Stories of the house’s bad luck, like good china, have been passed down the generations. Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses, or brooding men. But when an opportunity to work there arises, the money might get her brother out of Eden. Starling House is uncanny and full of secrets – just like Arthur, its heir. It also feels strangely, dangerously, like something she’s never had: a home. Yet Opal isn’t the only one interested in the horrors and the wonders that lie buried beneath it. Sinister forces converge on Eden – and Opal realizes that if she wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it. Even if it involves digging up her family’s ugly past to achieve a better future. She’ll have to go down, deep down beneath Starling House, to claw her way back to the light . . . This is a sweeping gothic fairytale from Hugo, Nebula and Locus Award-shortlisted Alix E. Harrow.

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. ‘True! Nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses, not destroyed, not dulled them.’ This ultimate collection of the infamous author’s works includes ‘The Raven’, ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’. They focus on the internal conflict of individuals, the power of the dead over the living, and psychological explorations of darker human emotion. An American writer of fantastical, bizarre and sometimes disturbing short stories, Poe wrote in the first half of the nineteenth century. Preoccupied with delving into the darker reaches of the human psyche, Poe is inventor of the detective story and master of the macabre.

They came to earth-Pestilence, War, Famine, Death-four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all. When Pestilence, the first of the horsemen, comes for Sara Burn's town, one thing is certain: everyone she knows and loves is marked for death. Unless, of course, the angelic-looking horseman is stopped, which is exactly what Sara has in mind when she shoots the unholy beast off his steed. Too bad no one told her Pestilence can't be killed. Alive and furious, the horseman takes Sara prisoner, determined to make her suffer for impeding his mission. Despite her pleas, nothing and no one gets in the way of his orders to destroy humankind. Only, the longer Pestilence spends beside Sara's bravery and compassion, the more he seems to understand her, and understand humanity. And the longer Sara travels with Pestilence and his plague, the more uncertain she grows about his true feelings toward her...and hers toward him. Sara might still be able to save the world, but she'll have to sacrifice her heart in the process.

Introducing Little Clothbound Classics: irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. Celebrating the range and diversity of Penguin Classics, they take us from snowy Japan to springtime Vienna, from haunted New England to a sun-drenched Mediterranean island, and from a game of chess on the ocean to a love story on the moon. Beautifully designed and printed, these collectible editions are bound in colourful, tactile cloth and stamped with foil. Regarded as one of world literature's foremost novelists, Fyodor Dostoevsky's short stories are also some of the best ever written. 'White Nights' tells of love and loss on the streets of St. Petersburg, 'A Nasty Business' presents the hilarious tale of a general dropping in on the wedding of a subordinate, while 'The Meek One' is an existentialist tale of marriage and tragedy.

From the bestselling author of The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door, Wolfsong is a story of love, loyalty, and family. Ox Matheson was twelve when his father taught him a lesson: Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left. Ox was sixteen when the energetic Bennett family moved in next door, harbouring a secret that would change him forever. For the family are shape-shifters, who can transform into wolves at will. Drawn to their magic, loyalty and enduring friendships, Ox feels a gulf between this extraordinary new world and the quiet life he’s known. He also finds an ally in Joe, the youngest Bennett boy. Joe is charming and handsome, but haunted by scars he cannot heal. Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town, and tore a hole in his heart. Violence flared, tragedy split the pack and Joe left town, leaving Ox behind. Three years later, the boy is back. Except now he’s a man – and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them. Wolfsong is the first book in the Green Creek series by bestselling author TJ Klune. Continue the journey with Ravensong. Praise for TJ Klune: ‘Like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket’ – V. E. Schwab ‘A whimsical, warm-hearted fantasy’– The Guardian ‘A radiant treat’ – Locus Magazine

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.

'I am the Ghost of Christmas Present, ' said the Spirit. 'Look upon me '

A celebration of Christmas, a tale of redemption and a critique on Victorian society, Dickens' atmospheric novella follows the miserly, penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge who views Christmas as 'humbug'. It is only through a series of eerie, life-changing visits from the ghost of his deceased business partner Marley and the spirits of Christmas past, present and future that he begins to see the error of his ways. With heart-rending characters, rich imagery and evocative language, the message of A Christmas Carol remains as significant today as when it was first published.

The highly anticipated sequel to the SUNDAY TIMES bestselling EMPIRE OF THE VAMPIRE 'Bloody brilliant' V.E. Schwab ‘A ripping read’ Joe Abercrombie Gabriel de León has saved the Holy Grail from death, but his chance to end the endless night is lost. After turning his back on his silversaint brothers once and for all, Gabriel and the Grail set out to learn the truth of how Daysdeath might finally be undone. But the last silversaint faces peril, within and without. Pursued by children of the Forever King, drawn into wars and webs centuries in the weaving, and ravaged by his own rising bloodlust, Gabriel may not survive to see the truth of the Grail revealed. A truth that may be too awful for any to imagine.

'With shades of Sally Rooney, this is a lyrical, tender love story' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'Deeply romantic. Reminded me of just how all-consuming first love can be' LAURA BARNETT, AUTHOR OF #1 BESTSELLER THE VERSIONS OF US 'Spellbinding, beautiful, lyrical and tender...a dazzling debut. I loved every word and was left longing for more' ROSIE WALSH, AUTHOR OF THE MAN WHO DIDN'T CALL 'The story of Will and Rosie is a classic love story in every sense, and yet, in Claire Daverley's hands, it felt entirely new' MARY BETH KEANE, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ASK AGAIN, YES __________ **PRE-ORDER THE LOVE STORY THAT WILL KEEP YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT** Will and Rosie meet as teenagers. They're opposites in every way, but over secret walks home and late-night phone calls they become closer, destined to be one another's great love story. Until, one day, tragedy strikes and any possibility of them being together shatters. But that tragedy - and their history - is what will connect them forever... __________ 'Entirely beautiful, bruising and hopeful. Claire Daverley has created a perfect thing. Talking at Night takes its place amongst my all time favourites' CHRIS WHITAKER 'Writing that is laced with the quiet devastation of Sally Rooney. Utterly spellbinding' JULIE OWEN MOYLAN 'A classic will-they-won't-they in the vein of David Nicholls, this novel is impossible to put down' CONSTANZA CASATI, AUTHOR OF CLYTEMNESTRA 'Clever, beautiful and romantic. An absolute gem' RACHEL MARKS, AUTHOR OF HELLO, STRANGER

Today, I’m starting a ‘rent a person who does nothing‘ service . . . Except for very simple conversation, I’m afraid I can do nothing. Shoji Morimoto was constantly being told that he was a ‘do-nothing’ because he lacked initiative. Dispirited and unemployed, it occurred to him that if he was so good at doing nothing, perhaps he could turn it into a business. And with one tweet, he began his business of renting himself out . . . to do nothing. Morimoto, aka Rental Person, provides a fascinating service to the lonely and socially anxious. Sitting with a client undergoing surgery, accompanying a newly-divorced client to her favourite restaurant, visiting the site of a client’s suicide attempt are just a few of his thousands of true life adventures. He is dependable, non-judgmental and committed to remaining a stranger and the curious encounters he shares are revelatory about both Japanese society and human psychology. In Rental Person Who Does Nothing, Morimoto chronicles his extraordinary experiences in his unique line of work and reflects on how we consider relationships, jobs and family in our search for meaningful connection and purpose in life.