The Western Cape is now an independent country. Successful, safe, murderous.

Lisa Robinson has moved from Durban to Cape Town to be with Grant, the prospective next First Minister of the Good Hope Territory. The GHT is the safest and most prosperous country in the southern hemisphere – at a price.

Citizens contract to be tracked by drones, executions are synchronised to the Noon Gun and only those with qualifications are permitted to vote in the Qualified Franchise system.

Life here is picture-perfect. The Mother City is pristine. Everyone has a job. Tourism is booming. But this shiny new state has decided that Lisa is a problem, and problems here disappear quickly and quietly.

Revolutionary France is full of blood and bite . . .

1793. Eleanor, once a lowly English maid, is now a member of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel: renowned for their daring deeds, and for rescuing aristocrats and vampires from the guillotine. When the notorious French diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand goes missing, Eleanor and the League leap into action. But they uncover two vampire factions feuding for control over humanity’s fate. Talleyrand’s disappearance is part of a larger, more dangerous scheme – one that threatens to throw France into bloody chaos . . .

As the mutiny continues, a once-dead queen stalks the streets of Paris and the Scarlet Pimpernel is nowhere to be found. Eleanor must take control of her own fate. If she doesn’t, she may find herself the victim of the very people she came to save.

The thrilling follow-up to Scarlet, Elusive by Genevieve Cogman is a witty, inventive retelling of the Scarlet Pimpernel, perfect for fans of The Invisible Library series, Kim Newman and Gail Carriger.

The Complete Philo Vance series-two 'Murder Cases' in each Leonaur volume
S. S. Van Dine was reckoned to be the favourite crime fiction writer of two United States Presidents. Certainly, novels about his famous character, the erudite Philo Vance, topped the best seller lists for months and broke all records in their day for sales of detective fiction. In the first story of this first Leonaur volume, 'The Benson Murder Case', we are introduced to the dilettante hero of this riveting detective series. Another 'man about town' has been slain and the man we know as Vance feels he is uniquely qualified to assist the NYPD to seek out the identity of the murderer. To the satisfaction of his many fans he has embarked on a remarkable and entertaining career in the solution of bizarre crimes. In the second story 'The Canary Murder Case', a sexy night-club singer known as the 'Canary' is found murdered in her apartment. She had a number of men in her life, ranging from high society figures to mobsters from the criminal underbelly of New York in the roaring twenties. All have an alibi, but it could be that one of them is a killer. Philo Vance 'Murder Cases' were phenomenally popular in America and many were translated to the movie screen. Leonaur have gathered together all of these classic crime novels into one collection to bring them together for existing fans and new enthusiasts to enjoy anew.

Big Little Lies meets The Witches of Eastwick—a gloriously entertaining and knife-sharp revenge fantasy about three women whose midlife crisis brings unexpected new powers—putting them on a collision course with the evil that lurks in their wealthy beach town.

In the Long Island oceanfront community of Mattauk, three different women discover that midlife changes bring a whole new type of empowerment…

After Nessa James’s husband dies and her twin daughters leave for college, she’s left all alone in a trim white house not far from the ocean. In the quiet of her late forties, the former nurse begins to hear voices. It doesn’t take long for Nessa to realize that the voices calling out to her belong to the dead—a gift she’s inherited from her grandmother, which comes with special responsibilities.

On the cusp of 50, suave advertising director Harriett Osborne has just witnessed the implosion of her lucrative career and her marriage. She hasn’t left her house in months, and from the outside, it appears as if she and her garden have both gone to seed. But Harriett’s life is far from over—in fact, she’s undergone a stunning and very welcome metamorphosis.

Ambitious former executive Jo Levison has spent thirty long years at war with her body. The free-floating rage and hot flashes that arrive with the beginning of menopause feel like the very last straw—until she realizes she has the ability to channel them, and finally comes into her power.

Guided by voices only Nessa can hear, the trio of women discover a teenage girl whose body was abandoned beside a remote beach. The police have written the victim off as a drug-addicted sex worker, but the women refuse to buy into the official narrative. Their investigation into the girl’s murder leads to more bodies, and to the town’s most exclusive and isolated enclave, a world of stupendous wealth where the rules don’t apply. With their newfound powers, Jo, Nessa, and Harriett will take matters into their own hands…

A SECRET KEPT FOR A THOUSAND YEARS... After the dramatic theft of a priceless artefact from Durham Cathedral, the rest of the world believes that DCI Ryan and his team were able to recover and return St. Cuthbert's cross to its rightful home. But Ryan knows the cross he recovered was a fake-far from being over, their problems are only just beginning... Just as Ryan and his team begin to unravel the truth behind the spate of mysterious thefts, something even more priceless is stolen-something that can never be replaced. As the nationwide manhunt continues without success, Ryan is thrust into despair-until he realises the answer lies not in modern policing but in an age-old secret known only to a chosen few. To recover what's been lost, he must first crack 'Cuthbert's Code', following the trail of a long-dead saint across the wild, unpredictable hills and valleys of the borderlands. Can Ryan find what he's looking for, before it's too late? He's going to need a miracle... Murder and mystery are peppered with romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunit set amidst the spectacular Northumbrian landscape. "LJ Ross keeps company with the best mystery writers" - The Times "A literary phenomenon" - Evening Chronicle

Perfect for fans of C.J. Sansom. A short story featuring Giordano Bruno: heretic, philosopher and spy, from Parris's Sunday Times bestselling series. Even the dead have a story to tell... Naples, 1566. During a sweltering summer, eighteen-year-old Giordano Bruno takes his final vows at San Domenico Maggiore and is admitted to the Dominican Order - despite doubts over his tendency to ask difficult questions. Assisting in the infirmary, Bruno witnesses an illicit autopsy performed on the body of a young woman. Her corpse reveals a dark secret, and Bruno suspects that hers may not have been an accidental death. His investigation leads him to a powerful figure who wants to keep the truth buried - and Bruno is forced to make a choice between his future in the Order, and justice for an innocent victim and her grieving family... Please note that this story, along with two other Giordano Bruno novellas, will be published as a 3-in-1 collection called The Dead of Winter, coming out in Hardback, ebook and audio in November 2020. Praise for S. J. Parris: 'It has everything - intrigue, mystery and excellent history' Kate Mosse 'Impossible to resist' Daily Telegraph Fascinating ... The period is incredibly vivid and the story utterly gripping' Conn Iggulden 'A brilliantly unusual glimpse at the intrigues surrounding Queen Elizabeth I' Andrew Taylor, bestselling author of The Ashes of London 'Parris writes with confident ease of Tudor London' The Times 'Full of surprises' TLS

After the hottest English summer in years, the wet autumn that follows brings little relief for Chief Superintendent Charmian Daniels, whose recent successes have earned her not just a promotion but also deep resentment from some of her colleagues. Now she must find the killer of Nella Fisher, a young woman whose unlikely connections extend to two friends of Charmian's, women Nella tried to bribe with information about a man intending to do them harm. The case is loaded with problems for Charmian, from her links to two possible suspects to her growing sense that police corruption may be involved. A lingering scent of cigar smoke, threatening letters, and a brush with death confirm Charmian's fear that she is the killer's real target, but can she unmask her enemy before it's too late? A complex, riveting mystery from one of the genre's most acclaimed writers.

The Other Woman by debut author Sandie Jones, is a gripping psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Michelle Frances's The Girlfriend and B A Paris's Behind Closed Doors. It's about a man, his new girlfriend and the mother who will not let him go.

When Emily meets Adam she knows he is the One. That together they can deal with anything that is thrown at them. But lurking in the shadows is another woman, Pammie, his mother. Emily chose Adam, but she didn't choose his mother.

There's nothing a mother wouldn't do for her son, and now Emily is about to find out just how far Pammie will go to get what she wants . . .

'A masterfully crafted, brutally compelling Norse-inspired epic' Anthony Ryan THE GREATEST SAGAS ARE WRITTEN IN BLOOD. A century has passed since the gods fought and drove themselves to extinction. Now only their bones remain, promising great power to those brave enough to seek them out. As whispers of war echo across the land of Vigrid, fate follows in the footsteps of three warriors: a huntress on a dangerous quest, a noblewoman pursuing battle fame, and a thrall seeking vengeance among the mercenaries known as the Bloodsworn. All three will shape the fate of the world as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods. Set in a brand-new, Norse-inspired world, and packed with myth, magic and bloody vengeance, The Shadow of the Gods begins an epic new fantasy saga from bestselling author John Gwynne. Further praise for The Shadow of the Gods '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 'A masterclass in storytelling . . . epic, gritty fantasy with an uncompromising amount of heart' FanFiAddict 'Quintessential Gwynne honed to perfection . . . The Shadow of the Gods is absolutely stunning, one hell of an epic series opener and a spectacular dose of Viking-flavoured fantasy' The Tattooed Book Geek 'Reminds me of all that I love in the fantasy genre. The Shadow of the Gods is an action-packed cinematic read' Fantasy Hive

International bestseller Jeffrey Archer returns THE UNPUTDOWNABLE NEW THRILLER FROM THE MASTER STORYTELLER 'Only someone like Jeffrey Archer . . . could have written a compelling story like this. Every page bristles with suspense and the ending comes at you with the force of a tank round' DAVID BALDACCI London, 1988. Royal fever sweeps the nation as Britain falls in love with the 'people's princess'. Which means for Scotland Yard, the focus is on the elite Royalty Protection Command, and its commanding officer. Entrusted with protecting the most famous family on earth, they quite simply have to be the best. A weak link could spell disaster. Detective Chief Inspector William Warwick and his Scotland Yard squad are sent in to investigate the team. Maverick ex-undercover operative Ross Hogan is charged with a very sensitive - and unique - responsibility. But it soon becomes clear the problems in Royalty Protection are just the beginning. A renegade organization has the security of the country - and the Crown - in its sights. The only question is which target is next in line... Over My Dead Body hit #4 in the Sunday Times bestselling charts on 4th June 2022.

Three Women meets Crudo: a frank and fresh literary debut about the dawn of dating apps in Amsterdam.

‘Sexual infidelity is unavoidable, for whatever reasons, in long monogamous relationships, so why not give the other sexual freedom, as a gesture of love, of communication maybe?’

Amsterdam in 2014 is an historic city situated at the heart of the future. One of the biggest hubs for internet traffic in the world, it has become a favourite testing-ground for the new internet platforms that form the vanguard of what has been coined ‘the sharing economy’.

Gabrielle Bloom is a woman in her mid-40s, working as an exhibition curator. She is happily married to Anton and loves her son Victor. They have a circle of sophisticated friends and enjoy the life of two successful and respectable professionals living in one of the world’s most beautiful and culturally rich cities.

There is, though, one crucial difference between their relationship and those of their friends. Gabrielle and Anton enjoy an open marriage.

When Gabrielle is introduced, during a visit to a feminist art collective, to a new dating app that has recently launched in the city, fresh horizons open up. With an almost unlimited number of potential partners suddenly available to her, she quickly develops a taste for the thrill of a brief sexual encounter. Moving from one assignation to the next, things at first seem exhilarating and uncomplicated. But the human heart has not evolved at the same rate as the silicon chip and when attachments start to form things rapidly become less simple.

Set during one intense and transformative year, and suffused with art, sex and philosophy, The Sharing Economy is at once a uniquely radical reappraisal of the way we view relationships and a tender and moving depiction of the many ways in which the human heart is capable of love.

She said yes to Morelli. She said yes to Ranger. Now Stephanie Plum has two fiancés and no idea what to do about it. But the way things are going, she might not live long enough to marry anyone.

While Stephanie stalls for time, she buries herself in her work as a bounty hunter, tracking down an unusually varied assortment of fugitives from justice. There’s Eugene Fleck, a seemingly sweet online influencer who might also be YouTube star Robin Hoodie, masked hero to the homeless, who hijacks delivery trucks and distributes their contents to the needy. She’s also on the trail of Bruno Jug, a wealthy and connected man in the wholesale produce business who is rumored to traffic young girls alongside lettuce and tomatoes. Most terrifying of all is Zoran—a laundromat manager by day and self-proclaimed vampire by night with a taste for the blood of pretty girls. When he shows up on Stephanie’s doorstep, it’s not for the meatloaf dinner.

With timely assists from her stalwart supporters Lula, Connie, and Grandma Mazur, Stephanie uses every trick in the book to reel in these men. But only she can decide what to do about the two men she actually loves. She can’t hold Ranger and Morelli at bay for long, and she’s keeping a secret from them that is the biggest bombshell of all. Now or never, she’s got to make the decision of a lifetime.

Introduction and Notes by Dr David Rogers, Kingston University. 'There he lay looking as if youth had been half-renewed, for the white hair and moustache were changed to dark iron-grey, the cheeks were fuller, and the white skin seemed ruby-red underneath; the mouth was redder than ever, for on the lips were gouts of fresh blood, which trickled from the corners of the mouth and ran over the chin and neck. Even the deep, burning eyes seemed set amongst the swollen flesh, for the lids and pouches underneath were bloated. It seemed as if the whole awful creature were simply gorged with blood; he lay like a filthy leech, exhausted with his repletion.' Thus Bram Stoker, one of the greatest exponents of the supernatural narrative, describes the demonic subject of his chilling masterpiece Dracula, a truly iconic and unsettling tale of vampirism.

The tight-knit Izquierdo family is grappling with misfortunes none of them can explain. Their beloved patriarch has suffered from an emotional collapse and is dying; eldest son Gonzalo's marriage is falling apart as he tries to care for his father; daughter Dina, beleaguered by fear that her nightmares are real, is a shut-in. When Gonzalo digs up a strange object in the backyard of the family home, the Izquierdos take it as proof that a jealous neighbour has cursed them-could this be the reason for all their troubles? As the Izquierdos face a distressing present and an uncertain future, they are sustained by the blood that binds them and a divine presence which manifests in visions, signs, wonders and an abiding love for one another. Told in a series of soulful voices brimming with warmth and humour, Ruben Degollado's book is a tender narrative of a family at a turning point.

The location: West Africa

The player: 24-year-old spy Lachlan Kite

The target: A war criminal on the run

The objective: Kill or capture

Kite’s mission should be straightforward, but it soon turns into a terrifying game of cat and mouse along the beaches and backstreets of Senegal. Now, nearly thirty years later, it seems the game isn’t over.

And unless Kite can turn the tables on his pursuers, the inner workings of the secret state could be exposed…

Once Upon a Time meets The Office in Hannah Maehrer’s laugh-out-loud viral TikTok series turned novel, about the sunshine assistant to an Evil Villain…and their unexpected romance.

ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem, terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer—naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain—and his entire nefarious empire—out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.

"What turns someone into a monster? Are they born that way, or is it a choice? I suppose it can be either or both."

Morgan Albright dreams of owning her own bar one day but she's bartending for now - working hard, saving money. Life is hectic but she loves sharing a house with her best friend, Nina, and she is even finding time to date for the first time in what feels like forever.

When a seemingly random attack turns Morgan's life upside down, she must leave the city to return to her family home. She hopes that moving back to a small town where she can feel safe will help her to put the horror of that day behind her but, as Morgan soon discovers, sometimes your past just doesn't want to let you go...

Pride and Prejudice, which opens with one of the most famous sentences in English Literature, is an ironic novel of manners.

In it the garrulous and empty-headed Mrs Bennet has only one aim – that of finding a good match for each of her five daughters. In this she is mocked by her cynical and indolent husband.

With its wit, its social precision and, above all, its irresistible heroine, Pride and Prejudice has proved one of the most enduringly popular novels in the English language.